Post by Reemu Kraj on Jan 8, 2012 22:50:22 GMT -5
Name: Reemu Kraj
Race: Human
Age: 28
Height: 5'11
Weight: 195 lbs
Appearance:
(Picture via Deviantart, I do not own nor claim to have created it)
Reemu is a human of slightly above average height and a very sturdy build. Having trained intensely for years to increase his physical strength and endurance his body is impressively well-conditioned and his firm musculature is one of the first things observers tend to notice about him. His skin is relatively pale with only a slight hint of tanning and he has cut his dark brown hair quite short so his eyes similarly colored eyes remain unobstructed during day to day activities. A slight scar resides to the left of his nose as a result of an injury sustained via a fall as a youngling, and his nose is itself somewhat deformed having been broken several times throughout his training as a Jedi. Both of his hands were badly burned when he was a Padawan, and as a result they bear rather gruesome scars on both palms as well as the back of his hands.
In terms of attire, Reemu is not one to bother with extravagance, instead preferring to wear the traditional robe of a Jedi Knight over an unassuming white tunic that restricts his movement as little as possible. His footwear is designed to operate in even the most rugged of terrains, extending up to just below his knees and having light metal sheets on the front so as to protect his shins from potential environmental hazards. When traveling Reemu wears a pair of leather gloves, partially to protect himself from whatever environment he may end up in but also to hide the aforementioned scars that adorn his hands.
Personality: Despite his considerable talents with a lightsaber, which have earned him much praise over the years, Reemu remains a very humble and soft-spoken individual, preferring to let his actions speak for him as much as possible. When he does speak, Reemu carefully measures every word uttered and almost never jumps to conclusions without a considerable degree of contemplation beforehand. Possessing a keenly analytic mind, Reemu often looks for viewpoints and angles that have not yet been expressed or debated, believing that there is always another perspective through which events can be viewed.
However, when action is required Reemu doesn't hesitate to impose himself upon a situation, physically or otherwise. Much of this decisiveness is rooted in his belief that combat should always be the last resort, and as such when it is required there can be no room for error. Indeed, when in combat Reemu is a very intimidating figure as his concentration and intensity are very rarely matched in either an opponent or an ally.
It should also be noted that Reemu is extremely uncomfortable in leadership roles and views himself as being completely unqualified for such responsibilities. He vastly prefers to remain in the background if at all possible when decisions with potentially far-reaching consequences are being made.
Reemu views on Dark Jedi and the like are complex, mixing a desire to see their kind and the damage they inflict on the galaxy halted with a desire to better understand the motivations behind their malicious actions. Despite having personally fought and killed more than a few Dark Jedi throughout his tenure in the Jedi Order, Reemu does not show any outward animosity towards their members until given a reason to do so. This has gotten him in trouble on several occasions as fellow Jedi have misunderstood his refusal to openly confront a known Dark Jedi without provocation as fear or even a measure of sympathy.
When he passed the trials and became a Jedi Knight Reemu made a conscious decision to wait to take on a Padawan. Six years on, he has yet to accept an apprentice, believing that he would be ill-suited for such a job. The urging of his former Master and several other well-regarded Jedi have done nothing to sway his belief, and he has gained a reputation amongst Jedi younglings for being exceptionally demanding and stingy with regards to his expectations for students of the Jedi Order.
Birth place: Ord Mantell, Wolport
Faction: Jedi
Rank: Knight – Jedi Guardian
Lightsaber: Single blade, Single-Phase
Color: Blue
Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho: 5
Makashi: 3
Soresu: 5
Ataru: N/A
Shien / Djem So: N/A
>>Sub-form Backhanded: N/A
Niman: N/A
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or Dual Wield: N/A
Juyo: N/A
Double Bladed Combat: N/A
Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices:
Telekinetic: 5
Telepathic: 2
Body: 7
Sense: 3
Protection: 1
Healing: 1
Destruction: 0
Specialized Skills: N/A
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 6
Intelligence: 6
Speed: 7
Leadership: 2
Unarmed: 6
Melee Weapons: 2
Ranged Weapons: 2
Force Attunement: +5
Bio:
Born to a pair of smugglers, Jalen and Khaleen Kraj, whose base of operations were located on Ord Mantell, Reemu was never going to be a pampered child no matter what path his life ended up taking. Left to his own devices it is likely that he would've followed in his parent's footsteps and become a smuggler as well. However, fate had decided that the life of a smuggler simply would not do for Reemu. Discovered as a force-sensitive as a mere three year old when several Jedi were on Ord Mantell for a separate mission, Reemu was brought to Coruscant for training as a Jedi youngling before he was able to develop much of an attachment to either his parents or his home planet.
His formative years at the temple were fraught with difficulties, as Reemu struggled early on with tremendous self-doubt with regards to his worthiness as a potential Jedi. Shy and unassuming, he was often left isolated amongst his peers who thought of him as an awkward recluse and instead resorted to relentlessly training and studying in an attempt to conquer his fears of failure. It was here that Reemu began to develop his skills with a lightsaber, as he practiced his Shii-Cho techniques diligently and repeatedly and always looked at his skills as needing improvement and refinement.
While Reemu's peers may not have thought much of him, and indeed Reemu thought even less of himself than they did, his instructors were not so easily deceived by his quiet nature. It was clear even from an early age that Reemu was well above the norm in-terms of physical speed and agility as he often dominated his training partners in lightsaber combat with these attributes alone, never mind the fact that his technique was impressively well refined for someone of his age. It was with this talent that Reemu caught the eye of his eventual Master, the Nautolan Jedi Knight Tey Horis, a member of the Jedi Guardians. Master Horis was known for his mastery of Form V, Shien/Djem So, and was viewed by many as one of the best lightsaber duelists in the order. As such, Horis saw great potential in Reemu and was immediately drawn to the rather quiet youth.
At the age of thirteen Horis took Reemu as his padawan, a decision that utterly stunned the introverted and humble young man. Master Horis immediately took note of Reemu's borderline obsessive training habits and decided to move them in a more productive direction, encouraging Reemu to work not only on his physical strength and endurance but the strength and depth of his connection to the force. While Horis was not the most powerful Jedi in terms of force powers, he did have a keen understanding of how to use one's own connection to the force to better oneself, one of many lessons he passed on to his young padawan. Rather than attempt to train Reemu in areas that he was clearly unsuited for, healing or protection for instance, Master Horis taught Reemu how to use the force to increase his speed and/or power in battle and how to apply force push as an offensive and defensive weapon, explaining to him that one need not be perfect at utilizing every aspect of the force to be an effective Jedi Knight.
After a year or so of continued education and training, Reemu began accompanying his Master on missions. Such experiences forced Reemu to apply the skills he had been practicing in real life situations and to learn the difference between what sounds great in theory and what works well in practice. As a result of a rather brutal confrontation with a group of bounty hunters that demonstrated rather clearly that while Reemu's ability and application of Shii-Cho was not only very refined by very effective as well, Master Horis began to set-up regular sparring matches with his apprentice in an attempt to help Reemu develop his own fighting style. Given that Master Horis employed Form V with great skill, Reemu often found himself forced onto the defensive and unable to mount a counter-attack during their sparring matches, a role for which Shii-Cho is woefully unsuited. Realizing this, Reemu began training relentlessly in Form III: Soresu in attempt to improve his defensive abilities with a lightsaber and counter his Master's notable attacking prowess. Furthermore, it became clear that Reemu's already impressive physical speed and agility were continuing to grow, and Reemu worked tirelessly to improve these attributes even further as his training progressed.
The pair continued to go on missions for the order throughout the next few years with objectives ranging from aiding a small settlement of farmers in their attempts to deal with continuous raids from pirates and thugs to escorting the daughter of a high ranking Senator on a trip through the lower reaches of Coruscant. It was after the latter mission, during which Reemu was fifteen years of age, that Reemu was given the chance by his Master to build his own lightsaber. Meditating on his task for nearly a full day, Reemu eventually constructed the lightsaber that he still wields to this day. Single bladed with a blue focusing crystal that emulated his Master's weapon of choice, Reemu's weapon would serve him well over the coming years.
Shortly after turning eighteen Reemu and his Master were sent to investigate a sequence of sabotages on the Republic world of Alderaan. Apparently a major town had been continually experiencing power failures on and off for weeks, issues that were eventually realized as being deliberately caused. Upon arriving it became clear to the two of them that this was no ordinary mission as they were immediately assaulted by a lightsaber wielding opponent of considerable skill. While neither of them were harmed physically during the attack before the unknown assailant retreated almost as quickly as he appeared, they were thoroughly unnerved by his appearance. Arriving at the town within which the reported sabotages had occurred Reemu immediately sensed that something was amiss, a feeling that would prove prophetic as the mission progressed.
Once their initial investigation of the town was completed and revealed nothing untoward, Master Horis suggested that Reemu attempt to discern the method used to sabotage the town's power generators while he discussed potential security arrangements with the town's mayor. While a good idea in theory, it turned out to be a disaster in practice. Reemu arrived at the power generators and began to speak with the technician on duty who tried to explain what the specific issues they were experiencing were, but before they could take the conversation much further than that the lightsaber wielding assailant from earlier reappeared and once again engaged Reemu in combat.
While Reemu was a very talented combatant, even at this age, his opponent was of even greater skill and used an impressive application of Form IV: Ataru to keep Reemu constantly on the back foot. Indeed it was all Reemu could do to hold his ground as his skills with Soresu were enough to avoid death but not enough to push back against his assailant. Their battle raged for some time before Master Horis sensed the disturbance and quickly intervened, charging in and using a combination of his superior skill and the element of surprised to literally disarm the attacker. Both Jedi were stunned to discover that the man who had attacked them was a former Jedi padawan who had left the order some years ago and eventually embraced the dark side of the force and was the one responsible for the sabotage of the town's power systems.
Despite the successful completion of the mission, Reemu had many newly aroused concerns as a result. First and foremost his faith in the Jedi Order was somewhat shaken by the realization that this padawan had left the order in such a fashion and genuinely felt that he was doing the galaxy a service by attempting to undermine the Jedi and the Republic. While he felt it was not surprising that a Dark Jedi would be of such a view point, it caught him completely off guard that someone who had been raised and educated as a Jedi could harbor such hatred of them. It was this doubt that furthered Reemu's desire to always search for alternative viewpoints and perspectives, as it became clear to him that nothing was ever fixed, no matter how clear it might appear to one observer.
Additionally, Reemu also decided that his combat style needed additional refinement if he was to be a successful combatant in the future. While his skill in Soresu was enough to avoid losing the bout, it wasn't enough to win it either. As such, he began to study Form II: Makashi in an attempt to add variety and additional methods of attack to his lightsaber dueling. He also began to concentrate heavily on improving his talents with Force Body techniques to further augment his speed and strength when on the attack against powerful foes. Combined with his continued physical training these talents would make Reemu a very formidable combatant in future missions.
Continuing to work with Master Horis on a variety of missions over the next few years, Reemu showed vast improvement not only in the field of lightsaber combat but also in his analytical skills and ability to remain level-headed in tense or dangerous situations. His refusal to be rattled in high-pressure environments was the quality, combined with all of the previously explained traits, that convinced Master Horis of the fact that it was time for his padawan to move on and become a full-fledged Jedi Knight.
The Trial of Skill was decided to have already been concluded via Reemu's confrontation with the failed Jedi padawan on Alderaan, as while his opponent had never completely finished his Jedi training he had continued to hone his talents in Ataru for over a decade before his battle with Reemu, meaning that he had more training in that one style than Reemu had in lightsaber combat in general. The fact that he managed to hold his own against such an adversary was deigned to be more than enough for the Trial of Skill. It was similarly decided that his refusal to retreat or hide from said battle would suffice for the Trial of Courage, as while Reemu was unable to generate much offense he never wavered from the battle and held his opponent off until Master Horis arrived and was able to turn the tide of the conflict.
The Trial of Flesh occurred when Reemu was twenty and on a mission to a power plant in the industrial district of Coruscant. Realizing that the reactor core was melting down and would invariably cause the destruction of the entire facility, Reemu and his Master worked tirelessly to evacuate all of the workers from the area, a process during which Reemu noticed a younger worker trapped in a room that had caught fire and was seconds away from being killed if action was not taken. Attempting to use the force to part the flames slightly and allow the worker to escape into the hall, Reemu's lack of precision with said talent resulted in his sustaining severe burns on both of his hands in a desperate attempt to keep the flames parted for long enough so that the worker could escape. He succeeded in that endeavor, but at the cost of serious disfigurement and an equally high amount of pain.
As for the final trial, the Trial of Spirit, Reemu was told he would face that at the temple itself. Joining his Master in deep meditation Reemu attempted to discern visions of his potential future and to extract new knowledge about himself from the experience. To say the experience was intense was an understatement, as Reemu was immersed in a vision of himself doing battle with a fellow Jedi Knight following a serious disagreement about how to deal with a Sith incursion on a Republic world. The opposing Jedi had succumbed to his anger and attacked Reemu in an attempt to force an adoption of his viewpoint, an action that had several distinct outcomes throughout Reemu's meditation. First, he saw himself being killed by the opposing Knight and that said Knight fell to the Dark Side as a result, plunging the planet into disorder as the Sith laid waste to everyone and everything. Second, he saw himself slaying his opponent and falling to the Dark Side himself which led to a similar outcome as the first result, something that thoroughly unnerved Reemu and led to the third and final vision. In this vision he saw himself reasoning with his opponent throughout their duel, eventually convincing him to lay down his weapon and understand that there were multiple ways to address a problem and no method was necessarily more right or wrong than another. This outcome led to the Sith incursion being driven off and the planet being led to prosperity.
Awakening from his meditations, Reemu spoke to his Master of what he saw, conveying that the differing outcomes all spoke to the necessity of understanding the multitude of angles with which one can approach an event and that no one should ever view their own opinion as absolute or fixed. Smiling broadly, Master Horis announced to Reemu that he had passed the Trial of Spirit and that it was time to inform the Council and proceed to the next phase of his life as a Jedi. The Council agreed with Master Horis's recommendation and knighted Reemu, removing his padawan braid in the traditional ceremony and proclaiming him a Knight of the Jedi Order.
Given his proficiency with a lightsaber and his reliability in situations of high intensity, Reemu's missions as a Knight were often highly sensitive and tended to involve dealing with Dark Jedi and/or other dangerous assailants. Some of these missions included working with his former Master to help put down an insurrection of pirates near the mines of Kessel, defeating a pair of Dark Jedi who had been attempting to assassinate a high ranking member of the Senate, and providing security during several high profile negotiations between two warring factions on his birth planet of Ord Mantell. During the defense of the Senator Reemu demonstrated his remarkable speed as his defensive maneuvers were so crisp and sharp that his opponent was unable to land a single blow and was eventually defeated without Reemu ever actually attacking the Dark Jedi. However, it was not these missions that shaped Reemu's development the most during his years a Knight. Instead it was his viewing of a lightsaber tournament amongst prospective padawans at the temple.
Reemu decided to attend the tournament at the urging of Master Horis who was pushing Reemu to take a padawan and said that he himself had first noticed Reemu at one such event. Despite his reluctance to take on a padawan, Reemu agreed to attend out of respect for his former Master's opinion on the matter. Initially it appeared to Reemu that while every participant in the tournament showed some skill they lacked any truly defining characteristics so as to stand out amongst the crowd, but that would soon change. A youngling named Akos Elek used an impressive sequence of well-applied Shii-Cho swordsmanship to cleanly disarm his opponent, an opponent who was several years older than Akos himself. While Akos did not win the tournament, he made a tremendous impression on Reemu who sought the young student out after the conclusion of the event.
Rather than take him on as a padawan or offer praise of any kind, Reemu asked Akos what was driving him throughout his matches. Surprised by the nature of the question, Akos answered that he wanted to prove his worth to a prospective Master. Nodding, Reemu replied solemnly that while the results were impressive aesthetically, Akos was fighting for the wrong reasons. Initially, Reemu didn't elaborate and began to walk away from the confused youngling, but Akos worked up the courage to ask what the right reason for fighting was and Reemu stopped in his tracks. After several seconds of contemplation, Reemu replied softly that the right reason for engaging in a battle was different for each potential encounter and that Akos himself would have to decide what the right reason was.
Ironically while Akos took Reemu's words to heart and became a model student, being chosed by Master Cay Urinhoth as a padawan, it was this interaction that fed Reemu's growing reputation amongst students of the Jedi Order as a scrooge and someone who could not be pleased no matter how successful a student was. It's hard to say whether or not this reputation added to Reemu's desire to avoid taking on a padawan, but it remains the case that he has yet to take a student of his own despite being a Jedi Knight for six years now. Master Horis continues to urge him to do so, but Reemu remains unswayed and continues his vigilant allegiance to the Order as a Jedi Guardian of some renown.
RP Sample: (Reemu's thoughts are in italics)
Reemu walked softly through the quiet halls of the Jedi Temple, his footsteps echoing slightly as he mused on his former Master's earlier words of advice with regards to taking a padawan. It had become something of a running theme that Master Horis would urge Reemu to take a padawan and share his skills and knowledge with another member of the Order only to be rebuffed by Reemu who believed he was unqualified to teach someone in such a manner. The end of their most recent debate on the matter had seen Master Horis sigh slightly and say “One day you will realize that no one is qualified to take on a padawan. We do not accept them as a student, they accept us as a teacher.”
Despite his repeated attempts to penetrate the meaning of said statement, Reemu was coming up short. I never thought of myself as accepting Horis as my Master, and apparently he never thought of himself as accepting me as a student. If neither of us accepted the other, how did our relationship work out the way it did? Smiling slightly, Reemu realized a flaw in his logic and continued his musings, Just because we didn't think of it that way doesn't mean we weren't doing it anyway.
The sound of lightsabers clashing brought Reemu out of his reverie, as he realized that on his right was a clan of younglings engaging in lightsaber practice with Master Soe Nyat Min, an exceptional practitioner of Form VI: Niman and its variant Jar Kai. Reemu had once likened Soe's assault with two blades to a pinpoint avalanche of blows raining down on an opponent endlessly, a stunning sight to see even for an experienced lightsaber combatant. Reemu's thoughts strayed to his own choice of lightsaber styles, a mixture of Soresu and Makashi, and once again he found himself feeling as though his talents were substandard by comparison. I doubt even a perfect application of Soresu would be enough to stand up to such an assault, more versatility and unpredictability would be needed.
“Master Kraj, is something the matter?”
The sound of Master Nyat Min's voice snapped Reemu back to reality and he realized he had been standing in the doorway of the lightsaber practice room staring blankly at the proceedings, a visage that must have seemed quite odd to the room's inhabitants. “No, I was just observing. I shall leave you to your instruction.” However, before Reemu could even make a move to leave Soe waved his hand dismissively and replied jovially “Nonsense! Additional observation is always welcome. In fact...” Soe's voice trailed off and a grin appeared on his face as he continued “Would you consent to giving a demonstration of Soresu for these younglings? Words can only carry so much weight with such things.”
Reemu resisted the urge to crack a smile. Soe was known for his intense appreciation for the various lightsaber styles and was often effusive in his praise therein, so it seemed unlikely to Reemu that his words would lack any weight whatsoever. Scanning the room, Reemu noticed that the younglings were looking on with eager anticipation and curiosity at the young Jedi Knight. Closing his eyes briefly, Reemu finally smiled and replied “Anything for you, Soe.”
Practically beaming with delight, Soe turned to his students and explained that Reemu was a very skilled practitioner of Soresu, the most defensive lightsaber form and that the two of them would demonstrate how an advanced application of its techniques would appear. Soe picked up a training lightsaber and tossed it to Reemu before picking up two additional ones for his own use. Still smiling broadly, Soe ignited his lightsabers and bowed low. Reemu, unable to resist the urge to smile slightly, ignited the training lightsaber and did the same. Raising their heads and making eye contact, Soe said simply “Let us begin!”
Seemingly before even an instant had passed, Soe had launched himself forward towards Reemu, both blades crashing downward with tremendous speed and power. Without any hesitation whatsoever Reemu raised his blade and parried one of the oncoming lightsabers away, shuffling his feet and twisting away from the second, immediately adjusting his positioning to block the follow up blows that came flying in. Each blocked blow was immediately accompanied by a series of additional strikes as Soe attempted to press his advantage, constantly shifting his assault from high to low and forcing Reemu back repeatedly. For his part, Reemu kept his feet constantly moving, always adjusting position to prevent the second blade from being able to properly attack and to force Soe to exert more and more energy to continue pressing the attack.
This pattern of attack, parry, adjust, attack, etc continued for another minute or so before Soe abruptly broke off his assault and turned off his training lightsabers, breathing heavily. Still smiling as widely as ever, he turned to his students, many of whom were standing in stunned silence with their mouthes agape, and asked “Who can tell me why I stopped?” Initially all that greeted his words was the same shocked silence that preceded them, but after a few seconds a youngling spoke up tentatively “Because you were tied?”
Reemu was caught off guard by the young student's answer and found himself interally agreeing with his assessment. If the battle had continued in that fashion there would have been no change in situation for either of us. I could not attack, but he could not break my guard. Soe replied with a similar to answer to the conclusion Reemu had just arrived at, emphasizing that while Reemu was not losing the fight, he was not in a position to shift his role, and that while Soe was pushing Reemu back he was not going to be able to land a decisive blow. Following that, Soe added “Remember younglings, no battle ever remains static. Had either of us decided to shift strategies even a little the nature of the battle would've changed irrevocably. In the purest sense, Soresu is unbeatable when applied perfectly but unbeatable does not necessarily mean that you will win every battle either.”
Soe looked at Reemu, inquiring “Do you have anything to add, Master Kraj?” Frowning slightly, Reemu mused to himself briefly before replying simply “The greatest tactic in battle is the willingness to change tactics. Never restrict your movements simply because that is how you learned to apply them. That is something I too struggle with, but we all must conquer it in our own way.”
Race: Human
Age: 28
Height: 5'11
Weight: 195 lbs
Appearance:
(Picture via Deviantart, I do not own nor claim to have created it)
Reemu is a human of slightly above average height and a very sturdy build. Having trained intensely for years to increase his physical strength and endurance his body is impressively well-conditioned and his firm musculature is one of the first things observers tend to notice about him. His skin is relatively pale with only a slight hint of tanning and he has cut his dark brown hair quite short so his eyes similarly colored eyes remain unobstructed during day to day activities. A slight scar resides to the left of his nose as a result of an injury sustained via a fall as a youngling, and his nose is itself somewhat deformed having been broken several times throughout his training as a Jedi. Both of his hands were badly burned when he was a Padawan, and as a result they bear rather gruesome scars on both palms as well as the back of his hands.
In terms of attire, Reemu is not one to bother with extravagance, instead preferring to wear the traditional robe of a Jedi Knight over an unassuming white tunic that restricts his movement as little as possible. His footwear is designed to operate in even the most rugged of terrains, extending up to just below his knees and having light metal sheets on the front so as to protect his shins from potential environmental hazards. When traveling Reemu wears a pair of leather gloves, partially to protect himself from whatever environment he may end up in but also to hide the aforementioned scars that adorn his hands.
Personality: Despite his considerable talents with a lightsaber, which have earned him much praise over the years, Reemu remains a very humble and soft-spoken individual, preferring to let his actions speak for him as much as possible. When he does speak, Reemu carefully measures every word uttered and almost never jumps to conclusions without a considerable degree of contemplation beforehand. Possessing a keenly analytic mind, Reemu often looks for viewpoints and angles that have not yet been expressed or debated, believing that there is always another perspective through which events can be viewed.
However, when action is required Reemu doesn't hesitate to impose himself upon a situation, physically or otherwise. Much of this decisiveness is rooted in his belief that combat should always be the last resort, and as such when it is required there can be no room for error. Indeed, when in combat Reemu is a very intimidating figure as his concentration and intensity are very rarely matched in either an opponent or an ally.
It should also be noted that Reemu is extremely uncomfortable in leadership roles and views himself as being completely unqualified for such responsibilities. He vastly prefers to remain in the background if at all possible when decisions with potentially far-reaching consequences are being made.
Reemu views on Dark Jedi and the like are complex, mixing a desire to see their kind and the damage they inflict on the galaxy halted with a desire to better understand the motivations behind their malicious actions. Despite having personally fought and killed more than a few Dark Jedi throughout his tenure in the Jedi Order, Reemu does not show any outward animosity towards their members until given a reason to do so. This has gotten him in trouble on several occasions as fellow Jedi have misunderstood his refusal to openly confront a known Dark Jedi without provocation as fear or even a measure of sympathy.
When he passed the trials and became a Jedi Knight Reemu made a conscious decision to wait to take on a Padawan. Six years on, he has yet to accept an apprentice, believing that he would be ill-suited for such a job. The urging of his former Master and several other well-regarded Jedi have done nothing to sway his belief, and he has gained a reputation amongst Jedi younglings for being exceptionally demanding and stingy with regards to his expectations for students of the Jedi Order.
Birth place: Ord Mantell, Wolport
Faction: Jedi
Rank: Knight – Jedi Guardian
Lightsaber: Single blade, Single-Phase
Color: Blue
Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho: 5
Makashi: 3
Soresu: 5
Ataru: N/A
Shien / Djem So: N/A
>>Sub-form Backhanded: N/A
Niman: N/A
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or Dual Wield: N/A
Juyo: N/A
Double Bladed Combat: N/A
Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices:
Telekinetic: 5
Telepathic: 2
Body: 7
Sense: 3
Protection: 1
Healing: 1
Destruction: 0
Specialized Skills: N/A
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 6
Intelligence: 6
Speed: 7
Leadership: 2
Unarmed: 6
Melee Weapons: 2
Ranged Weapons: 2
Force Attunement: +5
Bio:
Born to a pair of smugglers, Jalen and Khaleen Kraj, whose base of operations were located on Ord Mantell, Reemu was never going to be a pampered child no matter what path his life ended up taking. Left to his own devices it is likely that he would've followed in his parent's footsteps and become a smuggler as well. However, fate had decided that the life of a smuggler simply would not do for Reemu. Discovered as a force-sensitive as a mere three year old when several Jedi were on Ord Mantell for a separate mission, Reemu was brought to Coruscant for training as a Jedi youngling before he was able to develop much of an attachment to either his parents or his home planet.
His formative years at the temple were fraught with difficulties, as Reemu struggled early on with tremendous self-doubt with regards to his worthiness as a potential Jedi. Shy and unassuming, he was often left isolated amongst his peers who thought of him as an awkward recluse and instead resorted to relentlessly training and studying in an attempt to conquer his fears of failure. It was here that Reemu began to develop his skills with a lightsaber, as he practiced his Shii-Cho techniques diligently and repeatedly and always looked at his skills as needing improvement and refinement.
While Reemu's peers may not have thought much of him, and indeed Reemu thought even less of himself than they did, his instructors were not so easily deceived by his quiet nature. It was clear even from an early age that Reemu was well above the norm in-terms of physical speed and agility as he often dominated his training partners in lightsaber combat with these attributes alone, never mind the fact that his technique was impressively well refined for someone of his age. It was with this talent that Reemu caught the eye of his eventual Master, the Nautolan Jedi Knight Tey Horis, a member of the Jedi Guardians. Master Horis was known for his mastery of Form V, Shien/Djem So, and was viewed by many as one of the best lightsaber duelists in the order. As such, Horis saw great potential in Reemu and was immediately drawn to the rather quiet youth.
At the age of thirteen Horis took Reemu as his padawan, a decision that utterly stunned the introverted and humble young man. Master Horis immediately took note of Reemu's borderline obsessive training habits and decided to move them in a more productive direction, encouraging Reemu to work not only on his physical strength and endurance but the strength and depth of his connection to the force. While Horis was not the most powerful Jedi in terms of force powers, he did have a keen understanding of how to use one's own connection to the force to better oneself, one of many lessons he passed on to his young padawan. Rather than attempt to train Reemu in areas that he was clearly unsuited for, healing or protection for instance, Master Horis taught Reemu how to use the force to increase his speed and/or power in battle and how to apply force push as an offensive and defensive weapon, explaining to him that one need not be perfect at utilizing every aspect of the force to be an effective Jedi Knight.
After a year or so of continued education and training, Reemu began accompanying his Master on missions. Such experiences forced Reemu to apply the skills he had been practicing in real life situations and to learn the difference between what sounds great in theory and what works well in practice. As a result of a rather brutal confrontation with a group of bounty hunters that demonstrated rather clearly that while Reemu's ability and application of Shii-Cho was not only very refined by very effective as well, Master Horis began to set-up regular sparring matches with his apprentice in an attempt to help Reemu develop his own fighting style. Given that Master Horis employed Form V with great skill, Reemu often found himself forced onto the defensive and unable to mount a counter-attack during their sparring matches, a role for which Shii-Cho is woefully unsuited. Realizing this, Reemu began training relentlessly in Form III: Soresu in attempt to improve his defensive abilities with a lightsaber and counter his Master's notable attacking prowess. Furthermore, it became clear that Reemu's already impressive physical speed and agility were continuing to grow, and Reemu worked tirelessly to improve these attributes even further as his training progressed.
The pair continued to go on missions for the order throughout the next few years with objectives ranging from aiding a small settlement of farmers in their attempts to deal with continuous raids from pirates and thugs to escorting the daughter of a high ranking Senator on a trip through the lower reaches of Coruscant. It was after the latter mission, during which Reemu was fifteen years of age, that Reemu was given the chance by his Master to build his own lightsaber. Meditating on his task for nearly a full day, Reemu eventually constructed the lightsaber that he still wields to this day. Single bladed with a blue focusing crystal that emulated his Master's weapon of choice, Reemu's weapon would serve him well over the coming years.
Shortly after turning eighteen Reemu and his Master were sent to investigate a sequence of sabotages on the Republic world of Alderaan. Apparently a major town had been continually experiencing power failures on and off for weeks, issues that were eventually realized as being deliberately caused. Upon arriving it became clear to the two of them that this was no ordinary mission as they were immediately assaulted by a lightsaber wielding opponent of considerable skill. While neither of them were harmed physically during the attack before the unknown assailant retreated almost as quickly as he appeared, they were thoroughly unnerved by his appearance. Arriving at the town within which the reported sabotages had occurred Reemu immediately sensed that something was amiss, a feeling that would prove prophetic as the mission progressed.
Once their initial investigation of the town was completed and revealed nothing untoward, Master Horis suggested that Reemu attempt to discern the method used to sabotage the town's power generators while he discussed potential security arrangements with the town's mayor. While a good idea in theory, it turned out to be a disaster in practice. Reemu arrived at the power generators and began to speak with the technician on duty who tried to explain what the specific issues they were experiencing were, but before they could take the conversation much further than that the lightsaber wielding assailant from earlier reappeared and once again engaged Reemu in combat.
While Reemu was a very talented combatant, even at this age, his opponent was of even greater skill and used an impressive application of Form IV: Ataru to keep Reemu constantly on the back foot. Indeed it was all Reemu could do to hold his ground as his skills with Soresu were enough to avoid death but not enough to push back against his assailant. Their battle raged for some time before Master Horis sensed the disturbance and quickly intervened, charging in and using a combination of his superior skill and the element of surprised to literally disarm the attacker. Both Jedi were stunned to discover that the man who had attacked them was a former Jedi padawan who had left the order some years ago and eventually embraced the dark side of the force and was the one responsible for the sabotage of the town's power systems.
Despite the successful completion of the mission, Reemu had many newly aroused concerns as a result. First and foremost his faith in the Jedi Order was somewhat shaken by the realization that this padawan had left the order in such a fashion and genuinely felt that he was doing the galaxy a service by attempting to undermine the Jedi and the Republic. While he felt it was not surprising that a Dark Jedi would be of such a view point, it caught him completely off guard that someone who had been raised and educated as a Jedi could harbor such hatred of them. It was this doubt that furthered Reemu's desire to always search for alternative viewpoints and perspectives, as it became clear to him that nothing was ever fixed, no matter how clear it might appear to one observer.
Additionally, Reemu also decided that his combat style needed additional refinement if he was to be a successful combatant in the future. While his skill in Soresu was enough to avoid losing the bout, it wasn't enough to win it either. As such, he began to study Form II: Makashi in an attempt to add variety and additional methods of attack to his lightsaber dueling. He also began to concentrate heavily on improving his talents with Force Body techniques to further augment his speed and strength when on the attack against powerful foes. Combined with his continued physical training these talents would make Reemu a very formidable combatant in future missions.
Continuing to work with Master Horis on a variety of missions over the next few years, Reemu showed vast improvement not only in the field of lightsaber combat but also in his analytical skills and ability to remain level-headed in tense or dangerous situations. His refusal to be rattled in high-pressure environments was the quality, combined with all of the previously explained traits, that convinced Master Horis of the fact that it was time for his padawan to move on and become a full-fledged Jedi Knight.
The Trial of Skill was decided to have already been concluded via Reemu's confrontation with the failed Jedi padawan on Alderaan, as while his opponent had never completely finished his Jedi training he had continued to hone his talents in Ataru for over a decade before his battle with Reemu, meaning that he had more training in that one style than Reemu had in lightsaber combat in general. The fact that he managed to hold his own against such an adversary was deigned to be more than enough for the Trial of Skill. It was similarly decided that his refusal to retreat or hide from said battle would suffice for the Trial of Courage, as while Reemu was unable to generate much offense he never wavered from the battle and held his opponent off until Master Horis arrived and was able to turn the tide of the conflict.
The Trial of Flesh occurred when Reemu was twenty and on a mission to a power plant in the industrial district of Coruscant. Realizing that the reactor core was melting down and would invariably cause the destruction of the entire facility, Reemu and his Master worked tirelessly to evacuate all of the workers from the area, a process during which Reemu noticed a younger worker trapped in a room that had caught fire and was seconds away from being killed if action was not taken. Attempting to use the force to part the flames slightly and allow the worker to escape into the hall, Reemu's lack of precision with said talent resulted in his sustaining severe burns on both of his hands in a desperate attempt to keep the flames parted for long enough so that the worker could escape. He succeeded in that endeavor, but at the cost of serious disfigurement and an equally high amount of pain.
As for the final trial, the Trial of Spirit, Reemu was told he would face that at the temple itself. Joining his Master in deep meditation Reemu attempted to discern visions of his potential future and to extract new knowledge about himself from the experience. To say the experience was intense was an understatement, as Reemu was immersed in a vision of himself doing battle with a fellow Jedi Knight following a serious disagreement about how to deal with a Sith incursion on a Republic world. The opposing Jedi had succumbed to his anger and attacked Reemu in an attempt to force an adoption of his viewpoint, an action that had several distinct outcomes throughout Reemu's meditation. First, he saw himself being killed by the opposing Knight and that said Knight fell to the Dark Side as a result, plunging the planet into disorder as the Sith laid waste to everyone and everything. Second, he saw himself slaying his opponent and falling to the Dark Side himself which led to a similar outcome as the first result, something that thoroughly unnerved Reemu and led to the third and final vision. In this vision he saw himself reasoning with his opponent throughout their duel, eventually convincing him to lay down his weapon and understand that there were multiple ways to address a problem and no method was necessarily more right or wrong than another. This outcome led to the Sith incursion being driven off and the planet being led to prosperity.
Awakening from his meditations, Reemu spoke to his Master of what he saw, conveying that the differing outcomes all spoke to the necessity of understanding the multitude of angles with which one can approach an event and that no one should ever view their own opinion as absolute or fixed. Smiling broadly, Master Horis announced to Reemu that he had passed the Trial of Spirit and that it was time to inform the Council and proceed to the next phase of his life as a Jedi. The Council agreed with Master Horis's recommendation and knighted Reemu, removing his padawan braid in the traditional ceremony and proclaiming him a Knight of the Jedi Order.
Given his proficiency with a lightsaber and his reliability in situations of high intensity, Reemu's missions as a Knight were often highly sensitive and tended to involve dealing with Dark Jedi and/or other dangerous assailants. Some of these missions included working with his former Master to help put down an insurrection of pirates near the mines of Kessel, defeating a pair of Dark Jedi who had been attempting to assassinate a high ranking member of the Senate, and providing security during several high profile negotiations between two warring factions on his birth planet of Ord Mantell. During the defense of the Senator Reemu demonstrated his remarkable speed as his defensive maneuvers were so crisp and sharp that his opponent was unable to land a single blow and was eventually defeated without Reemu ever actually attacking the Dark Jedi. However, it was not these missions that shaped Reemu's development the most during his years a Knight. Instead it was his viewing of a lightsaber tournament amongst prospective padawans at the temple.
Reemu decided to attend the tournament at the urging of Master Horis who was pushing Reemu to take a padawan and said that he himself had first noticed Reemu at one such event. Despite his reluctance to take on a padawan, Reemu agreed to attend out of respect for his former Master's opinion on the matter. Initially it appeared to Reemu that while every participant in the tournament showed some skill they lacked any truly defining characteristics so as to stand out amongst the crowd, but that would soon change. A youngling named Akos Elek used an impressive sequence of well-applied Shii-Cho swordsmanship to cleanly disarm his opponent, an opponent who was several years older than Akos himself. While Akos did not win the tournament, he made a tremendous impression on Reemu who sought the young student out after the conclusion of the event.
Rather than take him on as a padawan or offer praise of any kind, Reemu asked Akos what was driving him throughout his matches. Surprised by the nature of the question, Akos answered that he wanted to prove his worth to a prospective Master. Nodding, Reemu replied solemnly that while the results were impressive aesthetically, Akos was fighting for the wrong reasons. Initially, Reemu didn't elaborate and began to walk away from the confused youngling, but Akos worked up the courage to ask what the right reason for fighting was and Reemu stopped in his tracks. After several seconds of contemplation, Reemu replied softly that the right reason for engaging in a battle was different for each potential encounter and that Akos himself would have to decide what the right reason was.
Ironically while Akos took Reemu's words to heart and became a model student, being chosed by Master Cay Urinhoth as a padawan, it was this interaction that fed Reemu's growing reputation amongst students of the Jedi Order as a scrooge and someone who could not be pleased no matter how successful a student was. It's hard to say whether or not this reputation added to Reemu's desire to avoid taking on a padawan, but it remains the case that he has yet to take a student of his own despite being a Jedi Knight for six years now. Master Horis continues to urge him to do so, but Reemu remains unswayed and continues his vigilant allegiance to the Order as a Jedi Guardian of some renown.
RP Sample: (Reemu's thoughts are in italics)
Reemu walked softly through the quiet halls of the Jedi Temple, his footsteps echoing slightly as he mused on his former Master's earlier words of advice with regards to taking a padawan. It had become something of a running theme that Master Horis would urge Reemu to take a padawan and share his skills and knowledge with another member of the Order only to be rebuffed by Reemu who believed he was unqualified to teach someone in such a manner. The end of their most recent debate on the matter had seen Master Horis sigh slightly and say “One day you will realize that no one is qualified to take on a padawan. We do not accept them as a student, they accept us as a teacher.”
Despite his repeated attempts to penetrate the meaning of said statement, Reemu was coming up short. I never thought of myself as accepting Horis as my Master, and apparently he never thought of himself as accepting me as a student. If neither of us accepted the other, how did our relationship work out the way it did? Smiling slightly, Reemu realized a flaw in his logic and continued his musings, Just because we didn't think of it that way doesn't mean we weren't doing it anyway.
The sound of lightsabers clashing brought Reemu out of his reverie, as he realized that on his right was a clan of younglings engaging in lightsaber practice with Master Soe Nyat Min, an exceptional practitioner of Form VI: Niman and its variant Jar Kai. Reemu had once likened Soe's assault with two blades to a pinpoint avalanche of blows raining down on an opponent endlessly, a stunning sight to see even for an experienced lightsaber combatant. Reemu's thoughts strayed to his own choice of lightsaber styles, a mixture of Soresu and Makashi, and once again he found himself feeling as though his talents were substandard by comparison. I doubt even a perfect application of Soresu would be enough to stand up to such an assault, more versatility and unpredictability would be needed.
“Master Kraj, is something the matter?”
The sound of Master Nyat Min's voice snapped Reemu back to reality and he realized he had been standing in the doorway of the lightsaber practice room staring blankly at the proceedings, a visage that must have seemed quite odd to the room's inhabitants. “No, I was just observing. I shall leave you to your instruction.” However, before Reemu could even make a move to leave Soe waved his hand dismissively and replied jovially “Nonsense! Additional observation is always welcome. In fact...” Soe's voice trailed off and a grin appeared on his face as he continued “Would you consent to giving a demonstration of Soresu for these younglings? Words can only carry so much weight with such things.”
Reemu resisted the urge to crack a smile. Soe was known for his intense appreciation for the various lightsaber styles and was often effusive in his praise therein, so it seemed unlikely to Reemu that his words would lack any weight whatsoever. Scanning the room, Reemu noticed that the younglings were looking on with eager anticipation and curiosity at the young Jedi Knight. Closing his eyes briefly, Reemu finally smiled and replied “Anything for you, Soe.”
Practically beaming with delight, Soe turned to his students and explained that Reemu was a very skilled practitioner of Soresu, the most defensive lightsaber form and that the two of them would demonstrate how an advanced application of its techniques would appear. Soe picked up a training lightsaber and tossed it to Reemu before picking up two additional ones for his own use. Still smiling broadly, Soe ignited his lightsabers and bowed low. Reemu, unable to resist the urge to smile slightly, ignited the training lightsaber and did the same. Raising their heads and making eye contact, Soe said simply “Let us begin!”
Seemingly before even an instant had passed, Soe had launched himself forward towards Reemu, both blades crashing downward with tremendous speed and power. Without any hesitation whatsoever Reemu raised his blade and parried one of the oncoming lightsabers away, shuffling his feet and twisting away from the second, immediately adjusting his positioning to block the follow up blows that came flying in. Each blocked blow was immediately accompanied by a series of additional strikes as Soe attempted to press his advantage, constantly shifting his assault from high to low and forcing Reemu back repeatedly. For his part, Reemu kept his feet constantly moving, always adjusting position to prevent the second blade from being able to properly attack and to force Soe to exert more and more energy to continue pressing the attack.
This pattern of attack, parry, adjust, attack, etc continued for another minute or so before Soe abruptly broke off his assault and turned off his training lightsabers, breathing heavily. Still smiling as widely as ever, he turned to his students, many of whom were standing in stunned silence with their mouthes agape, and asked “Who can tell me why I stopped?” Initially all that greeted his words was the same shocked silence that preceded them, but after a few seconds a youngling spoke up tentatively “Because you were tied?”
Reemu was caught off guard by the young student's answer and found himself interally agreeing with his assessment. If the battle had continued in that fashion there would have been no change in situation for either of us. I could not attack, but he could not break my guard. Soe replied with a similar to answer to the conclusion Reemu had just arrived at, emphasizing that while Reemu was not losing the fight, he was not in a position to shift his role, and that while Soe was pushing Reemu back he was not going to be able to land a decisive blow. Following that, Soe added “Remember younglings, no battle ever remains static. Had either of us decided to shift strategies even a little the nature of the battle would've changed irrevocably. In the purest sense, Soresu is unbeatable when applied perfectly but unbeatable does not necessarily mean that you will win every battle either.”
Soe looked at Reemu, inquiring “Do you have anything to add, Master Kraj?” Frowning slightly, Reemu mused to himself briefly before replying simply “The greatest tactic in battle is the willingness to change tactics. Never restrict your movements simply because that is how you learned to apply them. That is something I too struggle with, but we all must conquer it in our own way.”
