Post by Harmonyish on Jan 10, 2014 21:33:01 GMT -5
Name: Harmony Evans
Age: 28
Race: Human
Birth place: Coruscant
Height: 4'11"
Weight: 105 lbs.
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
Appearance:
Harmony is noticably short and small in build, but has a well-toned physique that could be expected of a fairly young Jedi. She has light blonde hair that is kept shoulder-length and often tied back, and a pair of icy blue eyes. She also has some burn scarring on her left hand from a bad first encounter with Force Lightning.
Her dress is much inspired by her past as a Jedi, practical and functional, but with an appearance that draws heavily on the typical clothing worn by some smugglers and bounty hunters. She wears short-sleeve cloth shirts without pockets or buttons, often covered by a long-sleeve leather jacket worn open that has several pockets inside.
Below that, she typically wears basic civilian trousers, often made of a durable fabric, and boots that are very similar to those traditionally worn by Jedi in the Order. She also wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves, in order to gain a superior grip in the palm whilst not sacrificing the dexterity of the fingers for precision work. At her waist she has a utility belt, also very much like that of the Jedi, and on it she keeps her blaster pistol and many of the tools she uses in every day situations. All of these are typically in shades of brown or black.
Personality:
Harmony is generally a kind-hearted person, respectful, dependable, strong. She has been out-going and charismatic for much of her life, and is very light-hearted in social situations. Because of these traits, she often doesn't have much trouble making friends with others. She's mostly an optimistic person, believing that things work out for the best in the end, but she is also not content to sit back and wait for things to work out. She actively shapes her life in this respect, taking action when she feels it's appropriate in order to influence an event in a certain direction. Despite this, she has a good deal of patience when she feels that it's best to wait for things to unfold. She is quite compassionate toward others, and is protective of those she feels are without the means to protect themselves. Harmony is also quite curious, with a constant hunger for knowledge, and has an almost child-like fascination with technology.
However, Harmony is not all sunshine and flowers all the time. When the situation calls for it, she is a serious and straight-forward sort of person, and can be fiercely determined not to back down when she has her mind set on something. She has also been known to be a victim of her own emotions, often letting grief or anger control her. In particular, she has much hatred toward Dark Jedi, who she feels are more than deserving of painful death for their crimes. She cannot stand to see someone escape what she feels is the proper punishment for their actions. She left the Order because she felt that her emotional weaknesses and the hatred she harbored for Dark Jedi, in addition to her personal views on what proper justice should be would compromise her ability to follow the proper Jedi ways, and that she should instead should walk her own path.
Profession:
Grey Jedi
Mercenary/Bounty Hunter/Smuggler
Mechanic
Skills:
Mechanics
Piloting
Blaster Marksmanship
Previous Faction/Rank: Jedi
Mastery Level: Knight - Sentinel
Equipment:
Refurbished T3 Utility Droid
Refurbished GE3 Protocol Droid
Starship: Rescorp LC-19A Courier
Lightsaber: Single, Single-phase
Color: Blue
Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho: 5
Soresu : 4
Force-Sensitive Attributes:
Telekinetic: 7
Telepathic: 6
Body: 4
Sense: 4
Protection: 3
Healing: 1
Destruction: 0
Specialized Powers: N/A
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 5
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 7
Leadership: 3
Unarmed: 3
Melee Weapons: 1
Ranged Weapons: 6
Bio:
Beginnings: Pre-discovery - Padawan
Paul Evans was a simple salesman, trying to make a living on Coruscant selling used speeders. He and his wife, Faith, lived in a small apartment in one of the lower areas of the city. The two of them were very happy when they learned that they were soon to have a child those nine months ago, but as the due date drew closer the two worried about what kind of life they might be giving their baby. Their fears would be alleviated, though, because when the baby girl was born they were told shortly thereafter that testing showed she was force sensitive, and would have an opportunity to train with the Jedi if they chose. It was difficult for them, they wanted a child to love and to raise, but they also wanted what was best, and life as a Jedi was certainly much better than they could give her. They hadn't yet chosen a name, and so decided to call her Harmony when they had agreed that she would become a Jedi, feeling that it would be a fitting name.
So Harmony was raised from birth in the Jedi Temple. When she became old enough, she began her training as a Youngling. She was a curious child, always wanting to know how things worked, why they existed, who thought of them, she was constantly asking questions of the older Jedi around her. In particular, she was very fascinated by the little whirring and beeping droids that she occasionally saw shuffling around the temple. She would attempt to talk to one if it came near, and further try to follow it as it moved away only to be quickly stopped by whoever was responsible for her at the time. "What are they? How do they work? Why are they here? Who makes them?" The questions would start and seemed like they'd never stop.
This thirst for knowledge came in handy in her studies, as she was always striving to better understand what she was being taught. She trained hard in her martial and lightsaber lessons, and studied hard in her academics and force classes. She got along well with the Younglings around her, she was friendly and out-going and tended to make friends with any who were willing. Her teachers would also note that she was respectful and attentive toward the older Jedi, and was rarely a source of trouble aside from her persistent curiosity leading her where she shouldn't be at times.
One Jedi in particular would take interest in the young girl, a Jedi Knight called Harkin Mirif. Harmony reminded him a lot of himself at that age, and felt that his lifestyle would suit her curiosities well, as he travelled to other planets very frequently, either on official missions or for academic pursuits. He spent some time with her, having conversations about a variety of subjects, and the two formed a bond. Harmony admired the Knight for his kind nature and his wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and Harkin was endeared by her bright personality and felt she had much potential to be unlocked. When she was eleven years old, he offered Harmony a chance to be his Padawan, and she readily accepted.
Growing Up: Padawan - Knight
Harkin had just returned from a mission when he took Harmony on as a Padawan, and knowing her fascination with droids he showed her his newest acquisition; a very old but newly refurbished T3 model utility droid. Harmony instantly fell in love with the little droid, claiming it was "absolutely adorable." Harkin was pleased to hear it, as he announced that he had gotten it for her, and was subsequently caught off-guard when his new Padawan nearly bowled him over as she rushed to hug and thank him. She decided to call the T3 droid "Goggles" as a joke about the one big "eye" it had.
Her training under Harkin began almost immediately afterward. He sought to bring out the potential in his new Padawan, and had her studying and training hard. Harmony did her best to keep up, putting all of her effort into any task her new teacher gave her, and she found her progress far better than it had been as a Youngling. Harkin began to teach her a new lightsaber combat style, one that he himself favored greatly, Soresu. He would tell the Padawan that a Jedi's job is to protect, to defend, and that Soresu was the best style for it. It would be something Harkin would repeat often, protect, defend, not harm or attack, for such things were the way of Dark Jedi. He was also very adamant that Harmony understand the dangers and temptations of the Dark Side, and would lecture her on it frequently.
Shortly after she turned twelve, Harkin started taking her to other planets, often further accompanied by her droid companion. Often, they would be going for some lecture or conference, on anything from astrophysics to microbiology, but there was more to it. Harkin used these trips as opportunities to teach Harmony about various cultures and alien species. She was exposed to various different walks of life, customs of other worlds that were entirely foreign, and it all fascinated her. All she had ever known was the city on Coruscant, and the beauty of worlds like Dantooine or Alderaan was breathtaking for her. Harkin took care to ensure that she stayed faithful to her studies between trips, however, so that she would not fall behind, and Harmony continued to work hard so that the trips would continue.
It was just a few months shy of Harmony's fifteenth birthday when Harkin decided it was time she construct her own lightsaber. The two of them travelled to the caves on Ilum, where Harkin instructed his student to meditate, and allow the Force to guide her to her crystal. After a while, Harmony began to feel a strong connection to one crystal in particular, a bright blue one, and chose it for her lightsaber. When they returned to the Temple, Harmony spent a month constructing her lightsaber. When she was finished, Harkin concluded that it was time they begin taking on more serious missions together.
Harkin was a skilled diplomat, and therefore many of their first missions together were as mediators for several conflicts. Harmony learned much about the art of diplomacy from her Master, watching him skillfully navigate what she likened to a game that pushed and pulled until an agreed middle was reached. Sometimes negotiations did not go over well, and the two opposing groups would refuse to meet any sort of compromise, and once a city official tried to pull a blaster on another during a negotiation and the two Jedi were forced to restore order. The first negotiation that turned out particularly bad, however, was on Cato Neimoidia.
Two wealthy corporation CEOs were at a stalemate, each accusing the other of corporate espionage and sabotage. Their disagreement had turned into a full-scale battle, with large resources being devoted to undermining eachother, and even one of them being assaulted just outside his home. Little did anyone know that he intended revenge, and had hired a mercenary group to eliminate his competitor once and for all. As the negotiations went on, with both men only arguing and no compromise seeming possible, Harkin was nearly at a loss for what to do. After several hours of headache, he called for them to take a break and reconvene the next day. The CEOs left the room, and Harmony looked over at her Master. She knew that look, Harkin felt something was amiss. He barely had time to gasp in sudden realization when gunshots sounded outside.
Harmony leapt from her chair as quickly as her Master did, and they both drew their lightsabers before rushing out the doors. One of the men was lying on the floor, riddled with blaster shots, and the other was standing over him with a victorious grin on his face. When he noticed the two Jedi, he commanded for the mercenaries to fire on them as well. Harmony used what she had learned from her Master well, and was capable of deflecting the blaster bolts easily. She saw Harkin thrust out one hand and a cluster of the mercenaries went flying backward, and she saw an opportunity as the others were distracted to move forward. She swept her lightsaber down and sliced a mercenary's rifle in half, then kicked him firmly in the chest to send him sprawling. The one next to him noticed, and turned his gun on her, but Harmony was able to grip it with the force and yanked it from his hand. In the next moment she brought her off-hand around and struck the man in the jaw, and he fell to the ground as well.
As she was engaged in this small brawl, however, another of the mercenaries had already noticed her and took aim. Distracted as she was, she wasn't prepared to deflect, and the blaster bolt struck her left shoulder. Harmony cried out in pain and dropped her lightsaber, and a second shot struck her in the stomach causing her to double over and fall to the floor. Harkin noticed this, and threw the mercenary into the wall behind him before rushing over to his Padawan. The CEO who had ordered the attack had long since disappeared, and the mercenaries were all fairly well incapacitated. Harkin took a brief moment to examine the wounds before running to the comm device on the wall and slamming on the button to call for help.
Harmony was only partially aware of anything going on during that time, she vaguely remembered people arriving, being taken into the nearby medical facility on something that seemed to be a bed, and then everything went dark. The next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes to a bright, white ceiling, and she looked over to see a doctor checking the readings on some equipment. He noticed she had woken up and alerted Harkin who was nearby. He was relieved to see she was okay, and told her that there had been some worry for a while, but that the doctors said she was going to be fine. With a smile, she told Harkin that she didn't like diplomacy anymore, and Harkin couldn't help but laugh, and was glad to find her able to joke. They returned to the Temple shortly afterward and Harmony was given time to rest. After about a week had passed, she felt strong enough to continue her training, and so it began again.
When Harmony was seventeen, she began to develop a close relationship with a Twi'lek she'd been friends with since they were both younglings. Despite their attempts to keep it secret, Harkin was not unaware of what was happening. He was forced to confront Harmony about it after a couple months of it, and told his Padawan that romantic relationships were strictly forbidden by the Jedi, and explained that the strong emotional ties and bonds that resulted from such things could easily compromise a Jedi in many ways. The two Padawans agreed after some deliberation that they would have to try and get past it and just be friends, but over the course of several months they drifted apart and eventually stopped talking to eachother.
Two years later, Harkin told his student that the two of them had been tasked with a very important job tracking down a pair of Dark Jedi that had been committing several crimes in the lower cities of Coruscant. The two of them chased leads for a week before they were given conclusive information. At a speeder shop the two criminals had recently terrorized, the two Jedi met Paul Evans, who was able to tell them where the two Dark Jedi were hiding out. Harmony was unsure of why Paul continued to stare at her throughout the exchange. She was then thoroughly confused when, as they were leaving, he took her hand and with tears in his eyes told her that it looked like she had become a lovely young woman. Harkin was perceptive enough to realize what was going on, and couldn't help but grin seeing the wide-eyed confusion on his Padawan's face as she was struck speechless. At the time, Harkin felt it was best that Harmony be focused on the mission, and though many questions were left in her mind, Harmony was left only with unvoiced suspicions as she too prepared for the confrontation to come.
The two Jedi broke into the hideout to find the two Dark Jedi lying in wait. As they walked through the seemingly empty warehouse, the criminals leapt from the shadows with crimson lightsabers ignited. Harmony had little time to draw her own as one of them charged right at her, and their two lightsabers clashed together. The Dark Jedi was fierce in his combat, unrelenting and vicious, but Harmony's training kept her calm and focused as she blocked against her opponent's furious swipes. There were moments where Harmony noticed a wide gap in the defenses of the Dark Jedi, but was reluctant to give up her own defensive to strike.
They were locked in this combat for several minutes before Harmony decided to go for it, and struck at one of the defensive gaps. Her aim was true, but the Dark Jedi was quick, and she only managed a minor wound. The man leapt back, however, appearing to be in some pain, and without warning he threw lightning at Harmony. Fortunately, her lightsaber was able to absorb a portion of the energy, but part of it struck her wielding hand and caused great pain. As she cried out, she thrust her right hand forward and threw the Dark Jedi backward into a wooden beam, which cracked from the force of the impact. A moment later, the other Dark Jedi who was in contest with Harkin yelled out some command, and then Harkin was thrust backward and knocked over Harmony. As they both went to get back to their feet, they noticed the Dark Jedi had disappeared.
Harkin took a moment to recover, and asked Harmony if she was okay. She then held out her left hand to show him the electrical burns there. Harkin took her hand and it appeared as though he was meditating, and Harmony could feel the pain dulling. When he released her hand, much of the burn was gone, as well as the pain, and Harkin said it was the best he could do. Harmony thanked him, then the two of them left the warehouse to chase after the Dark Jedi. They spent two weeks chasing the criminals across the galaxy until they finally ended up on Bakura. Apparently, the Dark Jedi were hiding out in some caves near a small town.
Harkin and Harmony entered the caves and found the two Dark Jedi in a large, dank cavern. They looked to have been badly injured on their way in, perhaps by native creatures, and were tending to their wounds when the two Jedi entered. Again they began to battle, Harmony up against the same man as before, but this time she was ready for him. The first large enough gap she spotted in his defenses, she aimed for, and left a large wound on his left shoulder. He continued to fight, and a couple minutes later Harmony managed to slice across his chest. The Dark Jedi recoiled in pain, and thrust out his hand to throw Harmony backward. When she hit the ground, she saw him preparing to throw more lightning at her, and she quickly threw him back into the wall through the force as well.
As she got up, she noticed two things. First, the man she had been dueling was now unconscious, second, so was Harkin. The other Dark Jedi was walking slowly toward her with a malicious grin on his face. Harmony leapt to her feet, and retrieved her lightsaber that had fallen away from her when she was thrown. As she began to duel with the Dark Jedi, she realized that he was much more skilled than the other. His swings were harder, his form more complex, and she could find no exploitable gap in his defenses. Slowly he beat back the Padawan until he had her up against the wall, then in one swift move he cut a deep gash into her left shoulder and she dropped her lightsaber. Laughing triumphantly, he raised his lightsaber for one final blow, and Harmony closed her eyes to await death's embrace.
Suddenly, she heard another lightsaber ignite, and the Dark Jedi's laughter suddenly ceased. When she opened her eyes she could see a green lightsaber sticking through the man's torso. Harkin had managed to wake up just in time to save his Padawan, and when the Dark Jedi fell she rushed forward and embraced him, thanking him with tears in her eyes. Harkin appeared to be injured as well, Harmony noticed quickly that the back of his head was bleeding, as though he had been struck by something solid. After Harmony pulled her lightsaber to her, the two of them made their way back to the town to receive treatment and inform the local authorities there that there were a pair of Dark Jedi to be retrieved from the caves.
When they both arrived back on Coruscant, it was back to regular training again, but Harmony felt like the experience had aged her. She had been weary ever since the encounter, even after being healed and getting sleep. She also had a burning anger she couldn't quite let go of. Shortly after being treated, she learned that the Dark Jedi she had dueled against first was still alive, and that he had been brought in by the Jedi for treatment of his own wounds, and to be questioned. She just couldn't understand why they wouldn't kill such evil, why he would be spared, treated even. She was angry at him, sure, but she was also angry at the Jedi who allowed him to live, and this caused a conflict within.
Harkin explained to her that the Jedi did not kill people if it could be avoided, especially not an unarmed prisoner, but the answer was not enough. Harkin then asked what Harmony would do if he ever turned to the Dark Side, and she had the choice to kill him or spare him. Would she kill him for the purpose of extinguishing evil? Harmony protested that Harkin could never commit such evil, but Harkin was quick to deny it. As he hadn't done for many years, he lectured her on the constant and unrelenting temptation of the Dark Side. No Jedi is above it, he said, all it takes is one slip and it can consume a Jedi completely. Then, again, he posed the question, would she kill him if he turned? Harmony admitted after a moment that she would not kill her Master, and it helped put things into perspective that way. After Harkin felt she had worked through her anger sufficiently, they went on to continue their training.
A couple years more, and it was due time for her Knight Trials. When she came before the Council, she learned that she had already passed three trials. Skill for defeating a Dark Jedi knight in the caves, Courage for facing the Dark Jedi Master even when he had conquered her Master, and Flesh for enduring the nearly-fatal wounds she had suffered on Cato Nemoidia. The last, however, that she hadn't passed yet was Spirit. Harmony was then prompted to meditate there, with the Council present, and to look within. They told her that the Trial of Spirit was intended to show the Padawan the weaknesses that lay deep inside of her so that she may recognize them instead of being ignorant of them, and in recognizing it she may overcome it.
As she meditated, she did receive a vision from the Force. In it, she could feel flashes of complicated emotions, some she didn't fully understand. There was anger, sadness, and a great emotional pain she had never felt, and then the face of a familiar Twi'lek woman. When she emerged, she described what had happened, but the Council offered no words except that the meaning was for her to determine. At the time, Harmony inwardly concluded that the vision only showed that something bad would happen in the future. Having passed her trials, Harmony received the rank of Jedi Knight, and Harkin became a Jedi Master. She was very excited to have finally reached such a goal, and when she got back to her quarters she exclaimed as such to Goggles, who bweeped and booped in what she could only assume was congratulations.
Complications: Knight - Grey
She and Harkin maintained a friendship afterwards, regularly dining together in the dining hall. Harmony found herself often going to him for advice, and continued to train in Soresu with him. It wasn't long before the Council was sending her on missions on her own, though nothing dangerous, usually she was tasked with diplomatic missions. It was only a year later, a few months after she turned twenty-three, that tragedy struck. She returned from a mission on Alderaan, and was notified by a fellow Knight that her Twi'lek friend Gida Fenn and two other Jedi had been found dead on Onderon, killed by Dark Jedi. She was instantly overwhelmed with a great sadness and grief at hearing this, but managed to maintain composure long enough to thank the Jedi and return to her quarters.
She was in her quarters for an entire day when Harkin came to visit. He'd heard of the news and wanted to see how Harmony was taking it. He found her laying on her bed, face down, but when she heard him enter she immediately sat up. It was clear to Harkin that she had been crying, and in that moment he realized that Harmony had never let go of the unresolved feelings she had for the girl. He stayed there for a couple of hours, and attempted to comfort his former Padawan. Harmony was beginning to understand the feelings she'd been confused by in her vision the year previous, but didn't see how this incident could be her greatest weakness.
After Harkin left, Harmony tried to reason the feelings away, tried to remind herself that as a Jedi she was supposed to be in control of such things. As much as she tried, however, the pain continued to eat at her. In the end, she began to bury herself in her training and studies, so that she wouldn't think about it. Harkin began to notice her growing increasingly distant, from him and her other friends at the Temple, and after a couple weeks came to see her at her quarters again. She tried to deny what she was doing, but Harkin knew better. He said that this was the exact reason why the Jedi forbid romantic relationships, that it was compromising her ability to function as a Jedi.
He went on to say that he knew how Harmony felt, that he had been through a very similar incident when he was younger. He explained that shoving the feelings away in a bottle wouldn't solve anything, that Harmony needed to face what she was feeling and accept it, let it strengthen, not erode from within. Harmony thanked him for his help and he left. Over the next day, she meditated, taking in what had happened, the emotions and feelings, and going over her vision again and again. In the end she concluded that it wasn't Gida's death that was her weakness, but rather Harmony's own emotions that were her weakness. Here they had already threatened to overwhelm her completely, to change who she was, and Harmony resolved that she would not allow it to happen again. But it did.
Only a few months later, Harkin was sent on a mission. It was a simple, diplomatic mission to Ithor, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. The news came back only a few days later that he had been slain by Dark Jedi, and that one of the killers had been detained and brought back to the Jedi for questioning. One of Harmony's friends told her the news, she didn't believe him at first. It was just too soon for another loss, she wasn't prepared, and it wounded her deeply. When she learned that the Dark Jedi who had done it was still alive and wasn't going to be put to death, it sparked a furious anger in her. How could they do this? It was just like all those years ago on Dantooine. He was evil, he had killed a Jedi, he deserved death. That was all that Harmony could think about for days, and she was so deeply entrenched in her hatred that she couldn't even think straight.
Her friends tried to console her, reason with her, but she was having none of it. It wasn't justice that her Master's killer would be allowed to live, and if the Jedi thought it was so then she realized that she and the Jedi had fundamental differences in their philosophies. Only a few days later, she announced to the Council that she intended to leave the Jedi Order, and turned in her lightsaber, offering no explanation for it. She was compromised, and she knew it, and so she decided she'd be better off elsewhere.
Learning To Live: Grey - Present
At first she was unsure of where to go, what to do. She only had a pair of clothes and Goggles, no money or possessions to her name. Within a few days, however, she'd secured a position as an apprentice to a mechanic in one of the lower areas of Coruscant. The man sold, repaired, and rebuilt used droids, electronic equipment, and sometimes even the odd speeder. Harmony had learned a small bit about working with droids from Harkin, and from tinkering with her T3, and she learned quickly under the mechanic's guidance. On some level, she figured the Force probably had some role in it. Another thing she learned quickly in her new position was that crime was a major problem down below the rich upper cities. After a couple weeks, she wound up buying a used blaster just as a precaution.
The pay wasn't great for the job she was doing, but it was enough for food, a small apartment, and even some left over to save up. She wasn't sure what she'd do with her life now that she was no longer a Jedi, it was all she'd ever known. For the time being, though, she enjoyed being a mechanic. She'd never gotten over her fascination with droids, and now here she was with the chance to tinker with all sorts of different ones.
After a couple of months working for the mechanic, Martol, a memory sparked in her mind. She remembered Paul Evans, the speeder salesman. She'd never learned who he was, but now that she had nothing better to do, her curiosity got the better of her. One day she ended up stopping by his shop, and immediately noticed as Paul's eyes lit up when he saw her. She felt a bit uncomfortable when he came right up to her and embraced her for much longer than she'd anticipated. When it ended, she asked Paul who he was, and how he knew her. Paul was confused, he didn't know that she was completely unaware. He explained to her that she was his daughter, he could tell without a doubt in his mind. When Harmony doubted this, he told her that she was Harmony, and went on to recite her age, birthdate, and where her birth mark was located. Harmony was, frankly, shocked at this surprising news.
Paul asked if she would come have dinner with him and his wife, and after a moment's thought, Harmony agreed. After a couple hours, Paul closed up his shop and they both went back to his apartment. When they walked in the door, it took his wife a moment to realize what was going on before she recognized her daughter and rushed forward to hug her. Harmony was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable, being hugged by these strangers, but when she saw her mother she knew that she was truly their daughter, as Faith had so many features in common with her.
The three of them sat down to dinner, a humble meal of vegetables and a small portion of meat. Harmony wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. When her father asked how she was doing with the Jedi, she lied and said it was going great. They were both surprised that she was visiting them, as they had been informed that she would never be permitted to see them again when the Jedi took her away.
They were both very happy to see what Harmony had grown up to be, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, knowing what the truth was. After the meal, and talking for a brief time, Harmony made some excuse that she was needed back at the Temple. Her parents were disappointed, but understood, and on her way out they asked that she please come visit again any time. Harmony returned to her small apartment, where Goggles was waiting at the door like some faithful dog, and bwooped with excitement as she entered. Meeting her parents had been a very strange experience, one that she wasn't sure she'd repeat.
A few months later, a really old and badly damaged GE3-model droid came into the shop. Martol said to scrap it, that it was worth more that way than it was to fix it. Instead, Harmony asked if she could have it, and after some deliberation Martol agreed. It became her pet project, and over the next several months she would slowly acquire the necessary parts to refurbish the old droid. Finally, she had it fully ready for operation, and when it came to life she was thrilled. After a time thinking about what she would name it, she decided to dedicate it to the Master whose lessons she would never forget, and named it Harkin.
She had only been out of the Order for a year, but she was already feeling naked without her lightsaber. She'd trained to decent proficiency with her blaster, but felt that in a real conflict she could never truly trust it, especially up against a Dark Jedi. The problem was, she didn't have a starship, and she didn't have the credits for one from her work with Martol. She decided to resign, thanking Martol for all he had taught her, and went on her way. A week later she came upon a mercenary group advertising for new recruits. They promised good pay and lodging in exchange for the services of a hired gun.
Though she thought it strange at first, Harmony soon came to the conclusion that it made sense that she join. Many of the skills the Jedi taught her were combat-related in nature, why not use them? When she went to apply, however, she found that they were very skeptical about hiring her. From the outside, she was a small, unimpressive woman. She demonstrated her abilities with a blaster, and her superior martial skills, and even the fact that she was a fairly decent pilot, though she didn't say that it was the Jedi who had trained her. In the end, she managed to impress those in charge, and she was given a basic blaster rifle and a bunk in one of the room's on their freighter.
For the first few months working for the group, she and two other new recruits were delegated to the role of "New Guys." This basically meant doing whatever the higher-ranked members ordered them to, from cleaning on the ship to being cannon fodder in a firefight. It was sometimes degrading, but Harmony did her best to humble herself. After all, she ate well, the job paid well, and the bunk was quite comfortable, and it would only be a temporary deal anyway. She discovered over the course of those few months that these mercenaries were more than just simple hired guns; they also dealt in both smuggling and bounty hunting. The smuggling was somewhat morally objectionable, but Harmony reasoned it away as a victimless crime. They didn't kill innocents, and they only took official government bounties, and so they sat well enough with her.
During this time with the mercenary group, Harmony learned a lot about fighting without a lightsaber. Not only was she taught how to properly handle both blaster pistols and rifles by the more experienced mercenaries, but they were also teaching some unconventional methods of fighting, tracking, and evading. Harmony began to realize that the Jedi's way of doing things was so very narrow, that they only taught a specific line of skills and failed to encompass so many other helpful techniques.
Harmony managed to impress the leaders of the group during her time with them. She learned new techniques and methods fast, and her combat skills managed to impress in many situations. She did her best to conceal the fact that she was a Force user, but she still tried to practice her abilities whenever she got the chance. Very quickly, she managed to become an ordinary member of the group, rather than the fresh meat that others would push around. Despite this, Harmony didn't really make friends with any of the mercenaries. There was some measure of mutual respect, but nobody else on the ship was the kind of person Harmony would like to spend time with.
She had been working with the mercenaries for seven months when they were given a mission on Dantooine. Some wealthy landowner was holding a large party for a host of nobles and dignitaries from various parts of the galaxy, and these mercenaries had been hired on as security detail. Harmony saw this as a unique opportunity, especially when she discovered that the manor the party was being held near the Jedi Enclave there. She had heard rumors of a cave nearby that contained crystals suitable for use in lightsaber crystals. It was a perfect opportunity to acquire one. At one point, she found an excuse to break away from her group, claiming she was checking out something she'd seen. Once out of sight, she quickly searched out the cave, and found the entrance almost hidden in the side of a rock wall.
She knew that she had little time, but also knew that it was important that she not choose lightly. Fortunately, the cave seemed to cooperate. No vicious native creatures were found as she entered, and immediately upon arriving at the crystal formations she felt a strong pull from one particular crystal, as though it were calling for her. Upon inspection, Harmony found that it was very similar to the one she had procured from Ilum for her first lightsaber, almost as though it were it's twin. She took it and left the cave quickly, knowing that the others would soon grow suspicious of her absence.
Over the course of the next several months, Harmony constructed her lightsaber in secret. She had gathered some of the components in advance, but some proved tricky to find. It was even more difficult to find enough time to meditate over her crystal, and often found herself sacrificing a night's sleep in order to do so. It took much longer than her first lightsaber, but she was pleased when it was done. To ensure that it would not be detected, Harmony added an extra pocket to the inside of each of her jackets, in such a way that it wouldn't be conspicuous to an outside viewer, but would be easy to get to in an emergency.
By this time, she'd been with the mercenaries for over a year, she had just recently turned twenty-five years old. It felt like it had been a very long time since she left the Jedi, when it had only been a couple years. Thinking about the reasons why she'd left, looking back, she felt as though she could have- should have had better control over herself. Still, however, she felt she no longer belonged with the Order, and that was how it was going to stay.
Only a few days after finishing her lightsaber, the mercenary group was given a mission. Harmony quickly noticed that their leader was acting very strangely. He was very agitated, anxious, nervous, Harmony could see it in his face, sense it when he talked, something was definitely going on. He told them that they had a very special client that was willing to pay more than the entire group made in a year for a single job. When asked what the job was, he would only respond that they would be told when they arrived. The ship made it's way to Nar Shaddaa for the job.
Harmony was thoroughly surprised to meet their client. She had sensed him as she approached, and made the appropriate measures to ensure he would not find out who she was. The man was a Dark Jedi, and with him he had what Harmony could only assume was his apprentice. A surge of anger and hatred shot through her mind when she saw them, but she restrained herself for the time being. They were told that they would be a distraction for two Jedi that the Dark Jedi were hunting. They would provide plenty of firepower to ensure that the Jedi were sufficiently overwhelmed that they could be easily defeated.
Harmony knew then that it was only by the guidance of the Force that she had completed her lightsaber just days prior. She could not let this happen, these Dark Jedi had to be stopped. They were led to a warehouse where the Jedi were, apparently investigating for clues as to where the Dark Jedi had gone; the hunters and the hunted at once. Harmony was able to get a glance at them through one of the dirty windows, and quickly recognized one of them. He was Leovar Icuscu, a fellow Knight and formerly one of Harmony's friends in the Order. Accompanying him was a Jedi that she could only assume was his Padawan. The mercenaries were instructed to take up positions at the various entrances and storm in all at once. Harmony played along, waiting for the moment to strike.
As they broke through the doors, the two Jedi ignited their lightsabers and turned to face the intruders. Fortunately, it seemed that the Dark Jedi wanted to taunt them first, and hadn't instructed the mercenaries to fire upon entry. As the master stepped forward and began to speak, Harmony took advantage of the fact that her fellow mercenaries were distracted by the situation. In one swift move she dropped her rifle and drew her lightsaber from inside her jacket and ignited it, swiping it left first and taking the lower arms off of the mercenary next to her. In the next move, she swept to the right and the mercenary there met a similar fate.
As the two of them screamed in pain, Harmony drew her blaster pistol with her right hand and began firing at the mercenaries across from her. Not hesitating to take advantage of the sudden change in odds, the two Jedi had begun neutralizing the mercenaries on the ground floor. Up on the metal walkways, Harmony managed to kill nearly all of her former comrades before leaping down to join the Jedi. Leovar was very surprised to see her there, but was too busy at the moment to say much.
The Dark Jedi did not wait until all the mercenaries were dead to join the battle. The Dark Jedi Master let out a fierce roar and leapt down to join the battle, his apprentice following just after. As they ignited their lightsabers, Leovar instructed his Padawan to finish dealing with the mercenaries as he and Harmony dealt with the Dark Jedi. Harmony ended up fighting against the apprentice. He was skilled, and fueled by much anger and hatred, but he was still but a boy, the age of a young Padawan perhaps. When an opening presented itself, Harmony kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall backward and drop his lightsaber. She quickly retrieved it with the Force, and noticed that Leovar's Padawan was assisting him against the Master. Calling out to him, she commanded him to watch after the apprentice while she took his place at Leovar's side.
Between the efforts of the two Knights, the Dark Jedi Master was easily bested. As he dueled them, Leovar managed to strike out and stab through the shoulder of his wielding arm. He dropped his lightsaber, and Harmony used the Force to push him back against the wall forcefully, where he then slumped to the ground in defeat. Leovar, now able to speak, asked Harmony how she had managed this rescue, to which she replied that the Force had guided her. He thanked her, and she bid him farewell. She was stopped at the door, however, as Leovar asked if she would consider returning to the Jedi. Harmony declined, saying only that she did not belong there any longer, and then left.
She now had possession of the mercenary ship and all the possessions that lay within, but she did not want them. After clearing the ship of credits left behind, she sold it and all the weapons and other items inside to a dealer there on Nar Shaddaa, taking only her own property with her. She then secured passage back to Coruscant on a trader's vessel after offering him a generous amount of credits for the inconvenience of her presence. On the way there, she decided that she would become an independent mercenary, no longer content to put her trust in a group to do the right thing. On Coruscant she used what credits she had taken and those earnings which she had saved, and bought a nice new blaster rifle, blaster pistol, body armor, and a ship to begin her new occupation.
Her GE3, Harkin, proved very valuable for her as she started out. Where before many foreign languages were handled by the leaders of the crew, she now needed translation when she spoke with species whose language she did not understand. It was slow, at first, without much reputation, and so she began by taking on bounties. The representatives in the bounty offices clearly stated that anyone, regardless of skill or reputation, was permitted to collect on any bounty that they were willing to do, and so it provided solid work for Harmony. She, like her previous crew, only took bounties that were officially sanctioned and on criminals. She quickly built up a strong reputation, being well-known for bringing in even the most uncooperative criminals alive. This was largely thanks to her force abilities, though she kept that to herself.
Between jobs, Harmony spent much of her time training. At first it was continuing to train with her force abilities, her lightsaber, and her blaster weapons, but a few months after she began her work independently she also began receiving training from a skilled pilot for her flying. Though the Jedi had taught her the basics, this pilot was able to help her advance her skills far further. She spent over a year training with him between jobs.
For two years she slowly became a more reputable mercenary, taking jobs both humble and dangerous and completing them with the proficiency that would be expected of one with Jedi training. At one point, she had even been offered a job as an advisor for a wealthy banker's private security force, and spent six months working for him. At 27 she was fairly well-known on a variety of planets as a reliable and trustworthy mercenary, and a skilled bounty hunter. She was then offered a job as a personal bodyguard for a senator on Coruscant. She was quite surprised at this offer, and accepted immediately. The pay was excellent, and the accomodations given to her were lavish. It was not an exciting job, during the entire year she worked for him there wasn't a single attempt to attack him, despite his constant paranoia that there were many who wished him dead. After a year's working for him, he died of a liver disease that had plagued him for many years, and Harmony was released from his service.
RP Sample:
Harmony walked down the loading ramp out of her ship and into the pouring rain. As she walked toward the end of the docking pad, a man held up his hand to stop her, and she quickly retrieved her clearance pass from inside her jacket. After inspecting the pass for a moment, the man handed it back to her and bid her good day. Only a short walk from the spaceport placed her in a cantina. The place was filth in every way. Everything was coated in a layer of dust or dirt, "exotic dancers" were baring their bodies to men for credits near the front, drunken wastrels were making fools of themselves in every direction, and Harmony knew for a fact that a good deal of illegal gambling took place in the back rooms. The very air itself was a putrid haze of smoke, and in the background of everything was an incessant noise that one could only assume was considered music. The place was a more than appropriate welcome to the Smuggler's Moon.
Harmony walked over to the bar, and the bartender was quick to notice her. After all, she was too clean to be in the right place.
"What can I get you?" he asked, shouting over the noise.
"Information," Harmony replied coolly, "I'm looking for Izrik Nafiri, I heard I could find him here?"
"Yeah, he's right over there," the bartender said, pointing over toward the dancing girls. Up near the front, Harmony spotted him, he seemed to be having a grand old time, and she was glad to interrupt it. She thanked the bartender and began wading through the sea of people toward him. When she got close, she reached out her hand and tapped him sharply on the shoulder.
"What?! What?!" he exclaimed with great indignation.
"Izrik Nafiri?" Harmony asked. Now, she didn't have any problem with Rodians in general, but this one was a particularly foul example of one.
"Yeah, who the hell wants to know?!" He annoyed Harmony, and she would be glad when she was done with him. Not bothering to respond, she grabbed him in an attempt to remove him from the crowd he was in so that he could be properly restrained for the ride home. Unfortunately, she had greatly underestimated his speed, and before she could prepare for it, he had slipped from her grip and was charging through the crowd toward the door.
She took chase, treating many unhappy patrons to a second serving of being shoved over forcefully. When she emerged from the cantina, she looked left and looked right and noticed Izrik slipping down and alleyway and out of sight. As she sprinted toward the alleyway, she drew her blaster pistol at her hip. He clearly knew the streets, as he led Harmony through a veritable maze of side-streets and alleyways. She was chasing him for five minutes before they finally got to a street with a long enough stretch of street to get a good bead on him. Using the Force to augment her speed, she gained ground enough that she could reach out at him telekinetically and knock him over.
Winded and still annoyed, Harmony caught up to him as he tried to recover from his fall, but it was too late. With one swift kick in the side, he doubled over in pain and stayed right where he was at.
"Three weeks I track your slimy ass across the galaxy and you can't even do me the courtesy of being an easy grab!" Harmony shouted in her exasperation, taking his hands and binding them. As she lifted him up, he once again tried to break free and run for it, but she was prepared this time. Yanking him back close to her, she held her blaster up to his side and made her point fairly clear.
Back at her ship she chained him in place on the bench she'd installed in the cargo bay, then made her way up the ladder and down the corridor to the cockpit. There, Harkin sat in the co-pilot's seat awaiting her return.
"Were you successful in capturing the Rodian criminal?" he asked as Harmony sat in the pilot's seat.
"Despite his best attempts otherwise, yes, I did. Let's go turn him in, shall we?" She powered up the engines and raised the loading ramp. As she began to pull the ship out of orbit, Goggles rolled into the cockpit and began a series of beeps and boops loudly and quickly.
"Boy, somebody has an attitude today," Harmony said, with a smile.
"Yes, he's been cranky all morning, driving me half insane!" Harkin complained, and Harmony couldn't help but laugh.
