Jezen Kross (WIP)

[Psykology]

"There are times when the end justifies the means. But when you build an argument based on a whole series of such times, you may find that you've constructed an entire philosophy of evil."
-Luke Skywalker



Name: Jezen Kross
Race: Human
Age: 32
Birthplace: Coronet City, Corellia

Allegiance: Jedi Order/Jedi Blades
Status: Jedi Guardian (Peacekeeper)
Rank: Jedi Master

Height/Weight: 6'2"/180 lbs
Appearance:





Jezen holds a striking appearance with sharp features and a dark complexion. Most striking of all are his piercing blue eyes that can unnerve even the toughest of beings. His bony jaw comes to a sharp point just below his pale, thin lips. Even his nose is unsettlingly sharp to match the jaw. Hollow cheeks hold these features all in place. A jet black mop of hair rests atop his head, with thin matching brows. More over, a trio of scars cross his face, gained from his time with the Order. This complexion provides him with a searing gaze that wards off most who know what's best for them.

His body is strangely lanky despite being well muscled. This gives him a deceiving appearance, being stronger than he looks. His lithe frame makes him a quick and agile warrior, which has had a clear impact on his preferred fighting style. He stands around average height for a human though he weighs under average. Nevertheless, he is an imposing figure.

He keeps a distant and apathetic demeanor about him, burying his emotions deep inside. This, combined with his sharp features gives him an unnerving air about him. His wardrobe consists of dark robes and jumpsuits as he appreciates simplistic efficiency. It is also notable that he almost always wears a dark black glove on his right hand to conceal a prosthetic forearm. This unique, albeit simplistic choice of attire has made him a bit of an outlier in the Jedi Order. On the battlefield, he is a demon dressed as a man clad in dark attire and fighting with a controlled ferocity.

Personality:
Jezen is an enigma of a Jedi. He is a dark character with a dark past. And though he's been able to walk the path of the Light Side of the Force, he was not able to do so without coming out unscathed. Every brush with the dark side takes another piece from him. This has left him cold and untrusting, burying his true feelings deep down, else they be used against him.

To most who don't know him, he appears distant and apathetic, due to his level of control over his emotions. He is fully aware of his body keeping a perpetual "Sabaac face". However, to confuse this for apathy would be a vital mistake. While he may do a superb job of hiding them, he has strong emotions that he simply chooses not to reveal.

Jezen is temperamental, quick to anger, which he often expresses physically. This, of all, is an emotion that he struggles to control. This spearheaded his near fall to the Dark Side.

Even stronger than his temper is his will, particularly to do what he feels is right. He will do anything in his power to save those he has sworn to protect from the Dark forces of the galaxy. He is, though unknown to most, utterly selfless, willing to sacrifice anything to achieve this goal. He strongly believes that the ends justify the means, despite common Jedi beliefs. This is his most dangerous attribute.

Jezen is a born tactician, naturally acquainted to strategy and leadership. He feels right at home on the battlefield, especially when leading troops into combat. His ability to multi-task, to divide his focus on multiple fronts, allows him to cope with battles and execute in-depth strategies. Moreover, he goes out of his way to lead by example, as it is important to all those who follow him that he won't ask them to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He is especially known for his ingenuity, his ability to concoct spur of the moment plans and battle strategies. However, his cold persona has done a number on his charisma. This has not affected his abilities, but it has effected his image to those who would follow him.

To the few beings in the galaxy whom Jezen considers friends, he is a whole different person. Wrapped in a cloak of self-centeredness and disinterest, Jezen is independent minded, daring, and sometimes reckless, though nevertheless efficient. Like most Corellians, he can be described as having rocket fuel for blood. He is, if anything, a proud Corellian. Always ignorant to the odds, even when stacked against him, he is as Corellian as it comes. He tends to eat simply, though he has a strong fondness for Corellian whiskey and ale, as well as Ryshcate, though the latter is solely for special occasions. Furthermore, his Corellian heritage is noticeable even to those unacquainted with him due to his Corellian accent.

Similar to many Corellians, he is an adept pilot and mechanic. He enjoys flying just as much as the next guy and does so whenever possible, taking advantage of any and all opportunities. He also enjoys sabaac as his favorite pasttime, in which he exhibits a high level of skill.

Jezen is an opportunist, constantly adapting situations to effectiveness regardless of the sacrifice of ethical principles. This unjedi-like habit has led him to firmly believe that when the end justifies the means, that the sacrifice of ethical principles is not only right but necessary. This has made him even more unorthodox, and has been a primary factor in his scrutiny by the Order.

Ships/Vehicles:
Shadowclaw- swrponline2.proboards.com/thread/8259/xpb-01-shadowhawk

Equipment:
Lightsaber: Emerald, single phase
Color
Hilt

Shoto: Gold
Color
Hilt

Stats: (Feeble, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Superior, Legendary)

Strength - Average
Agility - Superior
Intelligence - Superior
Charisma - Average

Force Stats: (Unskilled, Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master)

Telekinetic- Adept
Telepathic- Adept
Body- Master
Sense- Adept
Protection- Apprentice
Healing- Unskilled
Destruction- Unskilled …


Combat Training: (Unskilled, Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master)
Hand-to-hand combat- Expert
Blasters- Adept
Vibroblades- Adept

Force Training: (Unskilled, Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master)
Force Speed- Adept
Crucitorn- Expert
Battlemind- Adept
Force Cloak- Expert

Other Training: (Unskilled, Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master)
Sabacc- Master
Drinking- Master
Piloting- Adept
Mechanics- Adept
Olys Corellisi- Adept
Mando'a- Apprentice
Huttese- Apprentice

Lightsaber Training: (Untrained, Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master, Specialist)

Shii-Cho- Expert
Makashi- Untrained
Soresu- Untrained
Ataru- Specialist
Shien/Djem So- Master
>>Sub-form Backhanded- Adept
Niman- Novice
>>Sub-form Jar-kai- Adept
Juyo- Untrained
Double Bladed Combat- Untrained 


Biography:

Prelude
"You will be a Jedi. Not a weapon of the Force, but a shield for those who lack a sword."
-Jevor Gaden

Born in the city of Coronet, the esteemed capital of Corellia, Jezen was poor. Not poor as in having financial difficulties, but poor as in dirt broke. He was born to a retired CorSec veteran by the name of Theron Kross and the smuggler Asher Munn. Theron, his father, was left jobless after injuries received from his time in the line-of-duty, leaving Asher to the supporting. Jezen was the spitting image of his father, not just physically but especially in his personality. Theron was a calm, quiet man who, through years of intensely drilled military training, had learned to bury his emotions deep. He was also, most importantly, a man who believed in doing what he felt was right, no matter the cost. This inevitably led to his honorable discharge from the service. Asher, on the other hand, was a cunning, shrewd, and stunningly attractive fringer, with one thing on her mind- survival. And she would most certainly do whatever it took to ensure she took care of number one, herself. However, she would ultimately fall for the military man who, ironically, did not condemn her occupation. He understood her need, her desire, to survive no matter the cost. And so he supported her. They met when his team boarded her ship in suspicions of spices stowed aboard. Sympathetic towards Asher and her situation as he had started off as a smuggler during his adolescence and young adulthood, Theron was able to dissuade the rest of his team of their suspicions, saving a young Asher from a life of imprisonment. They later married and had twins. Their names were Fal and Jezen. The unlikely couple struggled to raise the twins after Theron's honorable discharge just two years after the birth of his twin sons. Relying on Asher's unsteady and under-the-table income, they barely managed to support their offspring until merely a week after their third birthday, when they were discovered to be Force sensitive by the Jedi. Their parents, more than happy to release their children into the much more reliable care of the Order, and hoping they would finally have a future that didn't revolve around the blackmarket, gladly agreed to pass on Fal and Jezen to the Jedi. As younglings, the two excelled at the top of their class, Nexu Clan. The initiates unanimously admired the Kross twins, however they were rather quite different. Fal specialized in usage of the Force while Jez found his niche in lightsaber combat. That's not to say that they lacked prowess in the other skill, they were simply more skilled in one over the other. Despite his undeniable skill, Jezen's fellow initiates did not find themselves jealous of his success. His easygoing Corellian attitude allowed him to make many friends and acquaintances in his seven years as a youngling. However, his future was clouded and he proved quick to anger. Nevertheless, at the age of ten he would be chosen by Jedi Knight Jevor Gaden as an apprentice, despite the uncertainties in the young boy's future.

Auspicious Beginnings
"I'll admit, he's a little rough around the edges but...his progress is tremendous. Perhaps too much so."
-Jevor Gaden

At the age of ten Jez began his apprenticeship with Jevor Gaden. Gaden saw much potential in Jez, but his future was unclear. Nevertheless, Gaden was determined to train Jezen to the best of his ability. He swore on the Force that Jezen would be a Jedi. It was the will of the Force that had drawn him to the youth...it would carry them over the horizon. And Jezen would be a Jedi.

Jezen immediately showed a knack for lightsaber combat. And so it was here that Gaden focused much of his teachings, working to perfect this talent. He proved a quick learner and after awhile, Gaden expanded the boy's knowledge of lightsaber combat to Form V, Shien/Djem So. Little Jez expressed an affinity for both forms of Form V, especially Djem So, and made excellent use of the Shien reverse grip. With its focus set on domination, Djem So complimented Jezen's aggressive personality rather well. However, he proved reckless and his biggest struggle resulted from his lack of control.

"Restraint, detachment, and control. These are the three most important principles that I will teach you."
-Jevor Gaden

Gaden's training was based upon three tiers: restraint, detachment, and control. These were the skills that he felt Jez needed to acquire in order to become a Jedi. Restraint was essential as Jezen's style was, in one word, aggressive. For this style to work, Jez would have to learn to control his aggression, particularly when utilizing a dominant form such as Djem So. Once restraint was learned, Gaden was able to hone Jezen's aggression, teaching the boy Form IV, Ataru. This style complimented him rather well due to his aggression, stamina, agility, bladework, and acrobatics. He continued to practice both Ataru and Djem So, favoring the two forms over any other. However, Jez never new when to quit. He was relentless and, with his blazing temper, he could be brought to the Dark Side... unless he learned restraint.

Detachment proved difficult for the young padawan. He knew not to let his personal feelings get in the way and rarely did so. However, like many Jedi, he struggled to let go of those he cared about. And so Gaden instructed Jez to bury his emotions when forced to do so. Jez wouldn't truly face this test until well within his Knighthood, though.

Control, similar to restraint, proved difficult for young Jezen. His aggression could become a strength if it could be tamed. But only if. Until then he was merely a slave to his emotions. To behold the title of Jedi he would need to master these emotions. However, Gaden did not actually limit Jez's aggression; he merely taught Jez to control it. And control it he would. But not yet.

Jez was apprenticed during a time of peace- no, stability. Peace is a fallacy, a hoax for the gullible. At least this was clear to Jez. And so he would always have to be ready to protect the galaxy. But until then he would accompany his master on seemingly pointless political missions, learning whatever he could. Most of what he learned was related to the use of force empathy, which he utilized more and more frequently as he became attuned to the emotions of senators and other political figures. From these figures he began to learn the art of deception and the many ways to conceal one's emotions... or discern others'.

However, the most influential lessons for Jez were found in his studies in the archives. Jez was always training, and when he wasn't honing his skills in Ataru and Djem So or practicing his Force Body techniques he was in the Archives with his nose in some ancient text. He studied ancient battles, philosophy, and learned everything he could before his next training session. He especially liked the accounts of lightsaber combat, which is what he studied most intently. Applying what he learned from the archives to his own combat style, he would eventually perfect his use of Forms IV and V later during his knighthood.

At the age of 14, Jez was brought to the planet of Ilum to acquire a lightsaber crystal. Although some padawans appear nervous or at least anxious at this pivotal moment in their lives as Jedi, Jez exhibited no such feelings. He felt he was ready as did Gaden. And so he was calm, reassured by his master's confidence as well as his natural sense of Corellian confidence and even cockiness. Successfully selecting a green crystal, he returned to Coruscant where he proceeded to construct his first lightsaber. The hilt was predominantly silver in color, a smooth, sleek design built perfectly to fit his hand. Jez, inspired by the form of lightsaber combat that he proved most adept in, this being Form IV, assembled a saber that was lithe, elegant, and easy to manipulate. Simple in design, it incorporated perfectly into his style and would serve him well on his journey as a Jedi.

"Anyone who believes you can separate yourself from your emotions is a fool. However, you will embrace them, control them, and use them. Not those such as hate, anger, and fear. But selflessness, love, and compassion."
-Jevor Gaden

Jez soon began to accompany his master on increasingly difficult and violent missions, finding less and less political challenges to deal with. By this point, if it were even possible, his training only increased. 24/7 he was either sparring with Gaden or other Jedi padawans, developing his skills in the force, primarily Force Body techniques as always, or studying the timeless texts of the Archives.

On one such mission, at the age of 16, Jez encountered his first true opponent- a dark Jedi by the name of Gevin Rys. It was on the planet of Bakura that the engagement took place. Following a report sent in by the AgriCorps stationed on the planet, Gaden and Jez were called in to assist. The report described a dark robed figure striking down a member of the Corps. The assailant, Rys, fled into the mountains in hopes that the harsh terrain would ward off the Jedi that would inevitably pursue. Nevertheless, when the Jedi pair arrived Rys was more than ready. He ambushed the Jedi, successfully getting the jump on the two and gravely wounding Gaden. Jez had fought well, but could do little to protect his master. To make matters worse, Jez charged his opponent in an overly-aggressive charge. Controlled by his emotions Jez's attack was easily countered. Despite this, Rys realized the death of the two Jedi before him would merely slow his escape and further his difficulties and so he departed without taking any life. Jez was able to take his master back to the AgriCorps where he was temporarily treated before returning to Coruscant to receive substantial medical treatment. After this engagement, Jez was convinced that Gaden's injuries were his. Not in a literal aspect, but rather in the sense that it was Jez's failure that had allowed for his master to be mortally wounded. If he had been prepared then Gaden wouldn't have needed the bacta and Rys would be in custody, answering for his crimes. This realization would lead Jez down a path of conviction in which he would face his training with a new sense of purpose and determination.

Inferno
"If you allow yourself to be controlled by this fiery rage, you will be consumed by the inferno."
-Jevor Gaden

By the age of 17, Jez had become an adept Jedi Apprentice, though he still had one very large barrier to overcome. This would be his temper. On a mission to Naboo he would see just how big of a barrier this truly represented. A politician from Naboo had been kidnapped and it was Gaden and Jez's task to find out who was responsible. One of the perps had already been captured and Jez was assigned with interrogation duties. After two hours of nothing but the same bantha poodoo coming from the man's mouth Jez finally lost it. He gripped the man with the Force and hurled him across the room. He proceeded to beat the man until he was pulled off by his own master who chastised him for losing control. Despite his master's scolding the man soon revealed the identity of his accomplices.

At 18 Jez took part in a mission to Ryloth. Here he was tasked with freeing the local villagers from the captivity of a band of pirates who sought to sell the Twi'lek into a life of slavery. Jez despised the slave trade, firmly believing that every being deserved a chance. And the Twi'leks were being robbed of any chance at anything that could even be considered a "life". And so Jez led the mission at his master's request. Preferring a more direct approach, Jez demanded that the pirates release their prisoners. When they refused as Jez had anticipated they would, he merely smirked. 
"Oh well. Figured I'd ask."
He and his master proceeded to defeat all the pirates and free the Twi'lek captives. However, they soon discovered a much larger pirate ring. Jez and his master pursued the pirates and, despite Jez's requests, elected to bargain with the pirates. However, he eventually offered himself to the pirates who, in return freed the remaining captives. After all, a Jedi could go for quite the profit. Nevertheless, Jez was determined to put an end to this illegal business. Escaping their confines Jez wreaked havoc on the pirates' ship before coercing them into surrendering into Republic custody.

Jez was now 19, pursuing a bounty hunter who was believed to be responsible for an attempt on a young senator's life and was expected to do so again. Jez relentless tracked the bounty hunter from planet to planet, finally cornering the man on Geonosis. Jez rushed in blindly despite his master's warning to be patient, and fell straight into the man's trap. The caves through which he was pursuing the bounty hunter suddenly collapsed due to a detonation, trapping Jezen within. Jez was then confronted by the man, one Thell Corrus, and was once again thwarted through his recklessness. He underestimated his foe and rushed him head-on, clearly not anticipating the jolt of electricity that was sent through his body when Corrus's gloved hand clutched the Jedi's arm. Jez was once again detained, though he was successful in escaping and capturing Corrus.

At 20, Jez faced a mission to Corellia where a politically influential structure was under attack by terrorists. After an intense firefight, with the help of CorSec the terrorist attack was repelled. However, during the fight an explosion crippled the building. Jez was pinned beneath a pile of rubble and when Gaden moved to free his apprentice Jez waved him off, insisting he help the politicians within the burning structure. Jez was eventually successful in freeing himself of the debris and, faced with the horrific sight of burning civilians helplessly fleeing the scene, Jez found himself once again susceptible to his anger. He was driven into a rage, decimating the terrorist forces. However, this time he recognized this sudden fury and was able to quell his rage before it grew too strong. He quickly withdrew from the fighting, allowing the local forces to resume the defense with one less Jedi. He'd seen what he was capable of... and it frightened him. 

Trial by Fire
"He's a slave to his emotions. He must break free of these shackles."
-Jevor Gaden

Jez's trials would begin at the age of 21. At this point, his prowess as a swordsman was nearly unmatched among the other apprentices. He rarely lost during sparring matches and his wins more than doubled his losses. He was even beginning to surpass Gaden, who did not nearly focus as much of his time towards lightsaber training as did his apprentice, but was nonetheless a worthy adversary with a blade.

One such adversary that he would encounter was Padawan Aari Ryos. Aari was a female Zeltron with skin of a striking red hue and pleasant blue hair cascading down to the small of her back. Her eyes were thin slits and yet they compensated for what they lacked in size through luminosity. She had a sharp, but attractive nose and thin, matching red lips. To summarize, she was a normal Zeltron female. Nevertheless, her attractiveness did little to distract or unnerve a now serious-minded Jezen who was always focused on the task at hand, having little to no patience for anything else. And yet it was not her looks that he would find himself helplessly drawn to.

After their first sparring duel, Jez proved to be the superior swordsman, his aggressive Ataru overwhelming her elegant Makashi. Despite his definite win, Jez admired the obvious skill behind the Zeltron's charming appearance. The next fight ended similarly, though it was quite different. Aari switched to a defensive Soresu, though Jez effectively countered with a smooth transition into Djem So, once again overwhelming the Zeltron's defenses. Though it was not through speed, but by strength that he attained victory this time.

And by the third duel Jez had her all but figured out...or so he thought. Entering the duel he had anticipated a more defensive or at least cautious style from his opponent. But what he got was much different. She proved to have a significant amount of skill and understanding in Ataru as she pressed an astonishingly aggressive attack. Jez knew he should have expected her to make use of her lithe frame and utilize the most acrobatic of lightsaber forms. But this did little to lighten the shock he felt at how smoothly she had analysed and adapted his style, his tendencies...and his weaknesses. Jez would go on to lose the third duel, succumbing to her aggressive attack, an all too familiar tactic for him. He did not dwell over the loss though. In fact, he welcomed it! For it had revealed to him his weaknesses and had taught him to be mindful of his opponent.

The fourth duel would be quite different he knew...and it was just that. Aari started off using Niman, her strategy obviously based around outlasting her opponent until he slipped up and made a mistake. He would do no such thing. He in turn, utilized a controlled-style Ataru, testing her use of Niman which proved to be rather adept. Then, timing it perfectly, she transitioned into a counterattack sequence belonging to the Djem So form. He was caught off-balance, only persisting through her decisive attack through his adept skill in Force Body techniques to keep up with her ruthless offensive. The tide of the fight changed however, when Jez made use of a force Speed, something he'd been studying during he'd been practicing during his training sessions, to overwhelm and disorient his opponent. He moved in lightning fast motions, so fast that he appeared as a blur. It was all he needed. Quickly, he pressed his advantage, utilizing her split-second hesitation to initialize a sequence of attacks, forcing Aari to drop back and compose herself. He gave her no such luxury. Engaging with a ferocious attack bolstered significantly through Force speed, he forced her to take on a sloppy form of Soresu which he quickly tore through. He further nullified her defense with a light Force push, a mere exertion of the Force that threw her off-balance. He was, unlike many Jedi it would seem, not afraid to make use of simple force abilities that could be the chink in an opponent's armor. With a quick feint that caused Aari to stumble, he finished the fight by merely knocking her off her already off-balance feet and pressing his training saber into her chest, forcing her to yield to his prowess.

In a fifth duel, the two would exchange lightning fast blows in a battle of Ataru, both utilizing Form IV in an acrobatic display. Jez's green saber clashed with Aari's violet saber, both whirling extensions of their wielders. It provided a spectacular show for onlookers, which there were plenty of, and whenever one of the duelists pressed an advantage and it seemed as if there may be a victor just yet the other would simply leap, flip, or cartwheel out of harm's way. After a long and laborious clash, the two would submit to a draw, realizing neither would best the other this way. After this highly spectated duel, many would challenge the two, few actually succeeding.

Trial of Skill
"It was all a blur, his sword an emerald flash of brilliance. It was all I could do to keep up."
-Jevor Gaden

Shorty after his duels with Aari, Jez would fight his greatest duel yet... against his own master. He had sparred with Gaden many times before, but this time it felt different. He felt like he had to win, like he owed it to his master. To utilize what he'd been taught- to prove that his master's teachings had not been pointless. This time he would win. And so the fight began. Jezen kicked off the duel a little differently this time. Rather than using one of his more preferred forms such as Ataru or Djem So he used Niman. It served more than one purpose. It had a surprise effect on his master whom he had never utilized Niman against, but more importantly it allowed him to study and analyse his opponent. He was cautious, only attacking on occasion and when he did it was very conservative. A series of strikes before pulling back and disengaging. Gaden was perplexed by this new tactic. After apparently concluding that Jez was merely attempting to outlast his more experienced master, Gaden took the offensive. He specialized in Form V, Shien/Djem So and so he advanced on Jez's calm, collected Niman with a brutal and overpowering Djem So attack. Gaden, along with every other onlooker which included a handfull of Padawans, Knights, and even some Masters, expected the fight to end right then and there with Gaden simply dominating Jez's too conservative style. No one quite anticipated what came next. See, Jez had not simply anticipated the attack- he'd been counting on it. While he'd been subtly sizing up his opponent he'd found what he'd been looking for- the chink in Gaden's armor. And he was ready to exploit it. And so rather than continue with a futile Niman defense he responded to the bold attack in kind, with an equally bold attack. Gaden's chink would just-so-happen to be a lack of mobility. Though he was well adept to the techniques of Force body, Gaden had yet to incorporate such movements into his Djem So. And so Jez's conservative Niman exploded into a fiery Ataru assault. He flipped, rolled, cartwheeled, and somersaulted, constantly moving his attack. He was drawing on the Force, pushing his body past its natural limits. He moved in a blur, whirling his blade as if he were sewing lines of emerald in the air. Pressing his relentless attack, Gaden was finally pushed to the far wall where he was stuck under Jez's ferocious attack. Finally, Jez tapped into the Force, moving so fast that there appeared to be three of himself. Gaden grew more and more unsure of himself until Jez landed a critical blow on his master's sword arm, forcing him to lose his grip on his weapon. The sword fell from his grasp and the battle was won. Thus Jez passed his Trial of Skill. Not only due to his blatantly obvious skill with a blade, but also the level of control he exercised over this aggressive style of his.

Trials of Courage and Flesh
Jez would actually pass both the Trials of Courage and Flesh at the same time. It was after tracking down the Dark Jedi Gevin Rys that he would face his most dangerous challenge yet. This would be his greatest test of his skill with a lightsaber, though it would test much more than his swordsmanship.

Having survived a previous engagement with the fallen Jedi Rys, Gaden and Jez were once again called in to put an end to his threat to the Order. It was to the outer-rim world of Dantooine that they tracked his ship, pinpointing his location to a vast, grassy plain. Setting down in the middle of the open field, they did not bother to hide their all-to-obvious presence from their prey. As soon as they had descended the boarding ramp of their ship, the Jedi were greeted by the familiar face of Gevin Rys, his face gaunt and hollow. Jez was surprised to find Rys accompanied by another likewise dark-clad figure, this one being a yellow-skinned Zabrak male by the name of Kirog Hel. Both had their weapons drawn making it painstakingly clear to Jez that there would be no surrender from these dark acolytes.

Rys, blatantly underestimating a bated Jezen, targeted the apprentice whom he anticipated as an easy kill. However, he failed to anticipate the progression that Jez had made in his skill with a blade since their last confrontation. He was quite surprised when his Jar'kai was met by a much more fluent and acrobatic Ataru style. Jez more than held his own, putting the Dark Jedi on the defensive. However, his dominant run would come to an abrupt end when Gaden fell at the hands of Kirog. Jez gaped in awe at the sight before him, not wanting to believe it. One of the Zabrak's dual crimson blades was hilt deep in Gaden's chest, protruding through the man's torso and out his back. The blade was extinguished and Gaden was kneeling, his head slumped, eyeing the scorched hole in his torso. Then there was a fork of lightning from Kirog's outstretched fingertips and Gaden was down, tumbling through the waist high grass, the green stalks charred black. 

Rys returned to look upon Jez with a wicked grin on his face. Jez took one look at him before lunging at Kirog. He was drawing upon the force to bolster his attack, increasing his speed and awareness. He'd sparred with enough dual-blade-wielding Jedi back on Coruscant to anticipate the Zabrak's tactics. He utilized wide sweeping motions and relied on the intimidation factor provided by the exotic quality of the weapon. However, Jez had dueled against a variety of weapons... and won.

He allowed his emotions to feed his aggression. He didn't feel hatred or anger, or even vengeance. Instead, he replaced these dark sentiments with feelings of determination and justice. He fed his attack with his love of his master and his overwhelming sense of duty to eliminate this potential threat to the Galaxy. His motions were fluid and rapid-fire, and his relentless attack drove even the Zabrak's Juyo back. Kirog was forced to abandon all hopes of attack to focus on his defense against an overwhelming Ataru. Jez's fierce attack proved too much for the dual blades that required more room and more time to coordinate effectively. Jez gave him no such luxury. Kirog desperately tried to keep up and failed.

In the midst of an intricate sequence of slashes, parries, and counterattacks, Jez spun 360 degrees, summoning Gaden's lightsaber to his hand and activating the weapon before finishing the spin. Coming around with now two blades instead of one, Kirog was now hopeless. Kirog swung heavy, desperate slashes, aimed to score a lucky blow. Jez easily parried or completely avoided these attacks altogether, counterattacking and scoring numerous hits. He was slicing through Kirog's defenses, slashing both blades across his opponents torso, abdomen, arms, and legs. Kirog's sickly yellow skin was soaked in blood gushing from a vast number of wounds throughout his crippled form. He made his final fatal mistake when he found himself confused by the intricate weave of brilliance created in the wake of Jez's twin sabers. His elongated hilt was caught horizontally in front of his body, severed in two by a lightning fast slash from Jez's own blade. However, the two severed halves never hit the ground. Jez, using telekinesis, assumed control over the two sabers, turning them on their wielder. Still clutching his two sabers, he thrust his hands forward, force shoving the severed blades into Kirog's torso. The fight grew silent and blood sputtered uncontrollably from the Dark Jedi's mouth. Then a relentless Jezen swung both blades in an x pattern, slicing the target's chest from both shoulders down to his waist. The Zabrak crumpled into pieces.

Feeding off of the energy of the fight, Jezen whirled on Rys, discarding his masters saber. The Dark Jedi stood off to the side, his hood casting a menacing shadow over his scorching yellow eyes. His lips were curled into a sinister sneer. When the lips parted, a booming chuckle resounded over the plain. Despite the sight of his recently deceased disciple, Rys was swathed in an air of pleasure.

After growing tired of Rys' efforts to coerce him into embracing his dark side and unleashing his anger, Jez moved in to shut him up for good. Jez showed no hesitation as he let loose with a flurry of lightning quick attacks, starting off with his specialized form, Ataru. Rys put up a more solid defense than his late Zabrak companion, albeit still being driven back. The Dark Jedi only escaped a similar fate through a desperate force shove, forcing Jez to break of his attack. This time he approached with his lightsaber held to his right in a balanced, two-handed grip, the starting position for Ataru. However, when he reengaged his foe, it was with an aggressive and powerful Djem So. Unlike many Djem So practitioners, Jez's style did not fall short in mobility. With a natural niche in Force Body techniques Jez made use of this talent as frequently as possible.

When Jez was once again forced to disengaged, he took comfort in the sound of Rys' shallow breathing and the sight of his sweat-drenched robes. The battle was taking its toll on the middle-aged man, displayed through his exhaustion. The much younger Jezen had hardly even broken a sweat. This is what he'd been training for. He was ready. With a feint that even the keenest of eyes would've fallen for, Jez moved in for the finale, executing a sequence of powerful yet smooth slashes, parries, and counterattacks. The situation was dire for the Dark Jedi, or it would've seemed so. But as the two locked blades, the battle took a turn for the worst. With their blades still locked together, Rys motioned with his offhand, letting loose with a storm of Force Lightning. The bolts of electricity caught Jez completely by surprise, dancing across his now singed robes. He was hurled at least thirty feet through the waist-high grass, landing hard on his shoulder, and rolling another ten feet. Hearing a disturbing pop in his right shoulder, Jez knew he had to finish this... it was now or never.

He approached his opponent, more cautiously this time. He held his saber in a one-handed grip, keeping his offhand free for defense. Despite his caution, Jez tried for a lazy, seemingly desperate slash, creating a high, emerald arc. The attack was effortlessly caught by his adversary's blade, locking his arm straight out in front of his body. Gripping his crimson saber with a single hand, Rys used the other to jab a hard elbow into the Jedi's face. Jez was momentarily stunned, albeit only for a split-second, it was long enough. The next thing Jez remembered was a crimson blade crashing down on his outstretched sword arm. The arm was severed at the elbow, falling with the emerald sword clutched in its still-warm fingers. Rys, dropping to a knee, spun clockwise, swinging his blade in a wide arc aiming to sever his opponent at the knees. It was all Jez could do but drop on his back, allowing the blade to pass over his body, leaving him without further injury.

Lashing out with both legs, Jez managed to kick his opponent away, granting him space to disengage and compose himself. With the loss of his right forearm he awkwardly back rolled to his feet, remaining in a low crouch. He cradled the stump with his remaining hand, grateful of the natural cauterization of lightsaber wounds. Calling on the force more than ever and relying heavily upon his use of Crucitorn to overcome his mortal pain, Jez rose, summoning his lightsaber to his offhand now. With a final burst of Force Speed the Jedi Padawan rushed the Dark Jedi, resorting to the last tactic Rys would expect. Once again utilizing his specialized lightsaber form, Ataru, Jez held nothing back. Keeping his wounds at bay, Jez shut out the pain and called upon all his love. That for his master, for the Jedi, for the Galaxy. It gave him strength and with a final sense of determination, Jezen let out his battle cry. 

The two enemies collided in a fury of emerald and crimson, light and dark, good and evil. Jez slashed then, at the last moment, deactivated his blade. Rys' blade, aimed to parry, passed through thin air. Jez continued into a clockwise spin, reactivating his blade and slashing a horizontal line across Rys' abdomen. The older man stumbled back, consumed in pain, astonishment, and blind fury. Not allowing his opponent to compose himself, Jez lashed out with a single-handed "falling avalanche", leaping high in the air before striking with a powerful, downward slash. The blow sliced from forehead to abdomen, a fatal blow to the Dark Jedi. Jez didn't wait to see how his foe had taken it. With a defiant shout he unleashed a surge of force energy, tossing Rys like a rag doll. The broken man sailed through the air, crashing on his backside and sliding for a good ten feet in the sleek grass. Jez approached the moribund, fallen Jedi and pointed the hilt of his saber down. At the push of a button, the emerald blade ignited, burning a scorch hole through Rys' chest and sticking his now lifeless corpse to the ground. The dark vestige of a lifeforce flickered out. Rys was slain.

Through the loss of his master and the loss of his forearm, Jezen passed the Trial of the Flesh. Jez took these two losses rather well, accepting his master's death as the will of the Force and adapting to his new prosthetic forearm to the point where it was more efficient than his late arm. 

He further passed the Trial of Courage through his bold stand against desperate odds in a duel against not one, but two Dark Jedi. He stood unflinching, showing unwavering allegiance to the light side, and showing absolute resistance to his dark temptations within. Furthermore, he'd exercised control over his emotions, feeding off of love rather than hate. 

This duel also provided further evidence of his success in the Trial of Skill. He proved his skill with a blade and with the Force during the engagement and displayed a high level of focus against the manipulative Dark Jedi.
With three Trials down only one remained.

Trial of Spirit
"Visions do not determine the future. Only our actions can do that."
-Aari Ryos

Within the confines of the ancient and esteemed Jedi Temple, Jez underwent his Trial of Spirit at 22 years of age. In his vision he witnessed his future self standing alone among the vast, towering cityscape of Coruscant. His future self was at a crossroads, faced with three paths. One leading to the great, broad steps of the Jedi Temple though it was black and white, another leading to a dark and mysterious figure that remained faceless, its face wrapped in a shadowy cowl, standing under a desolate sky, and a final path leading to Aari. However, the girl was changed. Her thin eyes were a flaming orange, her body enveloped in shadows. Her attractive face was covered beneath an expression of malice. He would have to make a choice in the near future. One that he quite seriously doubted he would make lightly. Jez would finally wake up screaming, clutching his head in his hands. The vision had been a nightmare. He was entirely certain why, but there'd been a growing feeling of despair throughout the vision. At least he now had some sense of what he had to do. But that was a question for later. Now he was to become a Jedi Knight.

Knights of the Order
"If I had written the Jedi Code it'd be a very different story."
-Jezen Kross

Soon after, Jez chose the path of a Jedi Guardian, becoming an Investigator and dedicating himself to protecting the Galaxy from the forces of evil. He chose the Guardian path due to his prowess in combat. He felt he best served the Force by physically protecting the weak and fighting the Dark Side head-on. Fellow Guardian Master Soris Saar took Jez under his wing, mentoring him in the ways of the Guardian. With his new found rank in the Order Jez was granted greater independence than during his apprenticeship. To accommodate this independence Jez purchased his own ship, an XPB-01 "Shadowhawk"
long range patrol boat. Jez dubbed this ship "Shadowclaw", a reference to its dark plating.

This new independence also effected Jez's social life, allowing him to associate more with fellow Jedi. The only Jedi he truly bonded with was Aari Ryos, the Zeltron he'd grown keen of sparring with. The two spent a great deal of time together, carefully as not to attract the suspicion of the Council. The two often accompanied each other on missions due to the synergy of their combined skills. They brought out the best in each other and not to mention they were both likewise skilled in combat. 

When not engaged in missions the two would often play sabacc or, most often, spar and train together. They each shared their knowledge, teaching the other Force techniques or lightsaber sequences. Jez, with his niche for Force Body techniques, taught Aari in the use of Crucitorn, Battlemind, and Force Speed. He shared his knowledge of Ataru while Aari shared her knowledge of Makashi and Jar'kai. Not that he had any true interest in actually using the Makashi form himself, however knowledge was power. And sometimes knowing an enemies tactics was better than any strategy. After sufficient training in Jar'kai, Jez created a gold shoto, something he'd been debating since the loss of his hand.

Jez spent many hours every day training, perfecting his swordsmanship. When he wasn't training in lightsaber combat he was either practicing his Force techniques, primarily those that were physical, or studying in the Archives. His time in the Archives actually paid off when he learned the rare ability of Force Cloak. Jez had stumbled upon the ability during his studies one day and, with the Archives' help, taught himself to control this power. He showed a knack for this specific power, allowing him to learn it quickly. He added it to his training regime, practicing the ability every day.

As a newly christened Jedi Knight, Jez eagerly took to the stars, serving the Galaxy in the best way he thought possible. Directly. He fought on the front lines as frequently as possible, somehow finding joy in the action he partook in. Perhaps it was a feeling of accomplishment. That his efforts were somehow bringing the Galaxy closer to peace. No, peace was fools gold. There would always be a Dark Side. Always is the fate of the Galaxy left to hang in the balance by those that wish to do harm upon other beings. And so he would do everything in his power to protect those that could not protect themselves.

Jez found his closest friend on Dantooine. Aiding Republic soldiers against local terrorists, Jez worked alongside Cpt.Jerrik Adai Kimeron
. The two became close after working together on numerous missions spanning the Galaxy. They saved each others lives countless times; Kimeron was one of the only beings in the Galaxy whom Jez trusted with his life.

Dark Acolytes
(24 years of age)

Jez and Aari's true feelings became quite clear on a mission to the desolate, desert world of Tatooine. Here, Jez and Aari had tracked a band of Dark Jedi hiding out among the vast Dune Sea. The Jedi were now responding to rumors of attacks from these Dark Jedi against the local moisture farmers. Pinpointing the exact location of the Dark Jedi camp proved little challenge for the two Guardians and now came the hard part. With eyes on the camp it was blatantly obvious that it would be no walk in the park. Five dark acolytes roamed the petty arrangement of tents, none of which were expecting an attack. 

The two Jedi approached the camp with caution, taking great pains to conceal their presences through Force Cloaking. Once they reached the encampment they waited for the right moment to strike.

The first, a female Cathar, went down without a fight. Jez plunged his saber into her back, severing her spine before wrenching the blade out through her clavicle, but not before driving it through her heart. The feline didn't stand a chance. Sparing a quick glance Jez found his Zeltron companion already engaging a Nautolan male. It was a fierce clash between Aari's lithe Makashi and the Nautolan, Teth So's ferocious Shii-Cho. Jez was forced to return to his own fight when his attention was drawn to the dark figures before him. Two humans, male and female, stood, weapons drawn and ignited. The male, Zeff Ulen, with a tall, thin frame held a single crimson blade. The woman, Sella Ren, was quite the opposite with a small, petite frame. She held two crimson blades, utilizing the Jar'kai form of lightsaber combat.

Jez approached with his emerald saber drawn and held low in the starting Ataru stance. He locked blades with Ulen leaving his left flank defenseless. Seeing this, Ren moved in for the kill with a high slash that would've ended him- had he not drawn his shoto. The gold blade ignited in a single heartbeat, clashing with one of Ren's crimson blades, held in a reverse grip. With his prosthetic right hand, Ulen's blade was effortlessly held at bay, as well as Ren's due to her small stature. But as his diminutive adversary brought her other weapon around for a wide, sweeping slash Jez retreated a whole ten meters in a single back flip. However, he didn't get away unscathed as the slash had left a shallow scorch across his torso. The blow was not fatal, though that bit of information did nothing to numb the pain. Through the use of Crucitorn Jez was able to dull this pain.

In the split second that it took Jez to find his bearings the two Dark Jedi were caught unawares by his attack. Even before he'd even regained his balance he reached out in the Force, found his targets, and pulled. The acolytes soon found themselves tumbling through the sand. Ulen was able to combat his own stumbling using his momentum to aspire a high arcing Force leap, landing him beyond Jez. His female counterpart was not so lucky, unable to negate Jez's exertion of the Force. She came stumbling straight into the Jedi's path, loosing both arms at the elbows before quite realizing how dire her situation truly was. The smooth slash, a mere rotation of the wrist, had been flawless. Fluent and decisive. Frozen in shock, Ren could do nothing but gape in horror and awe as her opponent used the Force to manipulate her descending lightsabers, sending them spinning towards her in a deathly crimson whirl. Death struck the woman, smothering a scream that never escaped her paling lips as she was trisected at the neck and waist. Her head rolled freely from the previous confines of her neck, plummeting to the sand, followed in suit by the woman's severed torso. Finally, her legs sunk into the same sand, still attached to the lower abdomen. The three separate sections together completed the gruesome scene. Jez paid it little regard.

Without a visual on the male acolyte Jez resorted to his Force senses, detecting a presence immediately behind him, seeping in Dark Side energy. Whirling on Ulen, Jez once again locked blades with the man. Seeing the madness in the man's eyes, the hollowness in his cheeks, the crazed expression in his sunken eyes... this is the dark side, he thought. This is what the Dark Side does. Searching for Aari in the Force, he was relieved to feel her presence, though had she been dead he surely would've felt it. Nevertheless, a wave of relief washed over him, only to be drowned out by the fear he sensed in Aari's presence in the Force. She was usually a very sure fighter, confident and accurate. Though now she was anything but that. She was more than worried, actually scared for her life, and Jez could tell she was losing hope. He spared a glance then wished he hadn't. Teth So, the Nautolan acolyte, lay sprawled on the ground with cauterized head tentacles and a growing puddle of blood on his face and soaked in the sand around his head. Though the Zeltron's elegant Makashi had trumped against the Nautolan's Shii-Cho, her fluidity and precision was simply batted down by her current opponent. This was a large, imposing Wookiee with grey-white fur wielding a hefty, dual-phase lightsaber. The crimson blade came crashing down again and again, nullifying Aari's talents through brute force. Strength had always been the girl's weakness and the Wookiee had plenty of that. The Wookiee, Shorbow, knew this, Aari knew this, and now Jez knew it. If only he were in a position to do something about it. He quickly smothered the sentiment. Wishful thinking was naivety. He would do something about it. He simply had to exert his will.

Jez drew on the Force through Battlemind, his pain, his worry, his fears, fading into fiery passion. With his emerald blade still locked with Ulen's contrasting crimson one, Jez knocked the man's blade away with his gold shoto. Following up with a relentless Ataru-based attack Jez nullified the acolyte's defense through speed, strength, and agility. Ulen desperately unleashed a fury of Force Lightning, hoping to stall the Jedi's advance. Jez caught the forks of lightning on both of his blades, held in an x pattern in front of his body. After the electricity dissipated he continued his attack, spinning clockwise, Force hurling sand in his opponent's face. Ulen staggered back, holding his saber out in a blind defense. Jez switched the shoto to an orthodox grip and charged. With Ulen still temporarily blinded, Jez leapt into the air. With the shoto he swept Ulen's blade aside, the finishing strike coming from his emerald lightsaber. The blade pierced the Dark Jedi's heart; he was dead before his corpse hit the ground.

Jezen was whirling on Shorbow before Ulen's crimson lightsaber was even extinguished. As soon as he'd struck down his own opponent Jez had felt Shorbow do the same. His entire body shivered with unreleased rage. To Jez it was not a new feeling as he'd always been aware of his explosive temper which he'd tried to contain as a Padawan. But now he was a Knight and to submit to his anger now would be to sacrifice all that he'd worked so hard to achieve. His mind flashed back to Ulen's distorted, rage-stricken face. No, the darkness would not consume him.

Turning on the menacing Wookiee Jezen was oblivious to fear, self-doubt... and anger. Instead he felt something else. Something different. Something warm and inviting- he let it take him. It washed over him like a wave, increasing his will to fight. And when his gaze met that of his opponent there resided no malice in his piercing blue eyes- only grim determination.

Restraint, detachment, and control. The words resurfaced in his mind. And today he would embody those principles. Now, he covered the twenty meters between him and his opponent in the blink of an eye with a burst of Force Speed. As he did so he dragged both his sabers in the sand which now trailed scorch marks as his blades whipped through the dunes. Approaching his opponent he leapt into the air in a twirling brilliance of emerald and gold. When he came down the Wookiee was still standing. Slowly, he tilted his head down, observing the havoc that Jez's twin blades had wreaked on his red tainted fur. Blood poured down from his elevated chest seemingly all at once, and it seemed in that instant that all the Wookiee's blood had drained from his body. He finally collapsed in a heap of blood. He never stood a chance.

Jez peered over his shoulder at the tattered remains of the encampment. Atop a distant, elevated sand dune stood a dark shrouded man. Jez couldn't make out any of his features and the man was masking his presence through Force Stealth. The man turned without a word and left. Jez made no move to follow.

Recovering from the fading adrenaline that had kept him alive throughout the engagement Jezen suddenly sensed another presence in the Force, this one weak. He knew who it was before he laid eyes upon the beautiful Zeltron Jedi Knight. Aari lay unconscious, but still very much alive, on the sand a few meters away. She had a scorch mark on her thigh, a diagonal slash across her torso, a swollen lip, a black eye, and a cut across her forehead above one eye, trailing blood across her face. Jez took her back to the Shadowclaw where he made use of emergency medical supplies before returning to Coruscant where she could fully recover.

When Aari awoke Jezen was waiting, sitting by her bedside. As soon as she had stirred he was on his feet. When she opened her eyes and asked him what had happened his piercing blue eyes softened and he explained everything. She was quiet for awhile before asking in a soft voice, "And what of the Dark Jedi?" Jez didn't answer and Aari knew why. He'd let the remaining Dark Jedi escape... to save her. She stormed out of the room leaving Jez alone sitting at the edge of the bed. When Jez found her she was in her room, now dressed in civilian attire, pacing back and forth. Her gaze had fallen on him before the door had even opened. She'd obviously sensed him coming. There was a wild look in her eyes and Jez was able to piece most of it together. "NO!" The word nearly leapt out of his mouth without him even thinking it. "You're not leaving. Not because of me." She was leaving the Order because they had broken their one rule: never let emotional attachment get in the way. He remembered the day the two had made the agreement and he also remembered how guilty he had felt that night knowing one day he might break that promise. Sure, love had gotten in the way of duty but it had also saved the both of them. It had given him the strength to survive. After a heated fight Jez had successfully convinced Aari to remain in the Order. He further assured her that their relationship would work and that it would remain a secret no matter what. He also promised to never let his emotions cloud his judgement. 

Fateful Apprentice
By 25 years of age Jez had selected an apprentice. Thala Kias was a human female. She was tall, about 5'7", with a lean frame and long brown hair cascading down past her shoulders. She had soft features and large, warm brown eyes.

Unlike Jez, she found her niche in Force Healing. She was a natural, though she lacked skill in other areas such as lightsaber combat. Although there was little for Jez to teach the girl in the art of healing there was a great deal he could teach her in these areas. He focused on combat techniques and soon discovered that the girl was a natural at stealth techniques. She took a liking to these techniques and soon Jez had even taught her the rare ability of Force Cloak. If she could avoid a fight altogether, and at the rate she was going that was almost a certainty, then she could nullify her disadvantage. Instead of defeating her opponents through prowess in combat she made use of manipulation and cunning to overcome this deficit.

However, her progress was too great. She grew overconfident and arrogant, believing that because she was stronger in the Force that she was better than the other apprentices. Once, she voiced her concerns to her master, arguing that if she possessed such strength then why shouldn't she embrace it? Why shouldn't she embrace her true power? Wouldn't that be the most effective way for her to serve the Force? But that was the thing. She didn't see herself as a servant of the Force. The Force was not a shield for the weak but a sword for the strong. Jez had hoped that with power and knowledge would come responsibility. He could not have been more wrong.

Thala was wondering dangerously close to the abyss, standing on the brink of the Dark Side. And Jez couldn't simply pull her away from the edge. She would finally crossover during a mission to the dark and dusty world of Dorin, homeworld of the Kel Dor. Fitted with oxygen masks, Jez, Thala, Aari, and Fal (Jez's brother) were assigned on a mission to hunt down the mysterious Dark Jedi that had escaped on the mission to Tatooine. On that day Jez had felt no trace of Dark Side energy other than the Dark Jedi within the camp meaning that this particular Dark Jedi was most likely skilled in Force abilities, especially those dealing with stealth and deception. It was because of Jez's decision to return to the Temple with a wounded Aari instead of pursuing this Dark Jedi that the two had engaged in a heated argument. Jez just wanted to end this and put it all behind them. Plus, that Dark Jedi could do a lot of damage. He had to be eliminated.

With Fal taking the lead the rest fell in, following the Jedi Knight on a perilous climb up a large mountain where he had tracked the Dark Jedi. However, at the mountain's peak Jez was still dubious. There were no lifeforms present atop the mountain. Jez addressed his brother cautiously, unsure of his intentions. He had a close twin bond with Fal but they hadn't associated all that much in the Order.
"Fal. What are we really doing here?" 

Fal responded with a blast of Force Lightning, catching Jez unawares despite his cautious state. He lay on the ground, his black, tight-fitting jumpsuit smoking from the scorching forks of lightning. Fal ignited his violet blade making his intentions perfectly clear. Jez rose, fighting the searing pain he felt in his chest, and ignited his emerald blade.
"The fools on Tatooine couldn't do the job. I guess this is just how it has to be. Brother versus brother. Some might call it destiny."
"And so it is," Jez replied coldly. He'd found the Dark Jedi.

The two fought, a blur of emerald and violet. Jez, using Battlemind and Force Body, attacked with his classic, relentless Ataru. Fal, on the other hand, used an impenetrable Soresu, hoping to hold off his opponent's attack until he could find an opening to engage with his superior Force powers. To Jezen's surprise, Thala unleashed a savage attack upon Aari. The Zeltron, though caught off-guard, was dominating the duel with her elegant Makashi. Thala's greatest disadvantage was her lack of skill in combat; this was not her kind of fight.

As the two brothers fought, Jez couldn't help but notice Thala's straggling defense. Aari expertly sliced through the younger woman's saber, effectively nullifying the weapon. She followed through with a sweep kick, knocking Thala off her feet. Aari had clearly won and now held her blade at the woman's throat. It was all too perfect and Jez knew why. It was believable, even inevitable for Aari to have dominated the fight. But for Thala to strike prematurely- she must've had a plan. Jez exuded caution in the Force, silently warning Aari. She was not prepared for what came next. Thala struck through Torture by Chagrin, an ability she must've been taught by Fal. Jez wondered how long the two had been working together. The telepathic attack brought Aari to her knees. Though the pain she was reliving was mental it appeared all too physical as she writhed in pain. Still locked in combat with Fal, Jez only wished he could jump to his companion's defense. But he could do nothing to help her until Fal was finished.

Turning his attention back to Fal, Jez was making use of Force Speed to overwhelm his less skilled opponent. His emerald blade was a whir of brilliance slicing through the air and just narrowly missing Fal's body on multiple occasions. However, Fal was no match for his twin brother's superior swordsmanship and under Jez's relentless attack there was no opening for a Force strike. Jez soon struck him down. He ducked beneath Fal's violet blade, spinning clockwise and lashing out with a horizontal slash from his own emerald blade. Fal collapsed, dropping his saber and clutching the fresh and possibly fatal wound. Throughout the fight Fal had baited Jez to use his aggression and to embrace his anger and now he continued to do so.
"Go on! What are you waiting for? Do it!" he yelled. "Kill me!"
Jez turned his back on his brother, shaking his head furiously. Truth be told he was angry and he wanted to do exactly what his brother suggested. He knew he shouldn't but the impulse was almost too much for him to handle. His emotions were becoming too strong to control. He would like nothing more than to have his brother dead at the tip of his sword. Desperately, he fought the urge to strike him down, addressing the man through clenched teeth.
"Don't tempt me." His voice was thin and raspy, a mere whisper. He was struggling to contain himself and Fal knew it.
"Yes. I can feel your anger. It gives you strength. Use it and strike me down!"
Jez took a deep, cleansing breath and sighed.
"No. That's not the Jedi way. And I'm not you. I will bring you before the Council for judgement."
He could feel the raw emotion pouring from Fal, the Dark Side energy seeping from his being. He knew he had lost and now he had failed to turn Jez. He had nothing. It was in the split-second in which Jez felt a new sense of conviction swelling within his foe that he whirled around, his lightsaber already free of his hand, flying towards Fal's crippled form. The emerald blade found its mark, lodging itself through flesh and bone into the fallen Jedi's chest. The blaster, clutched in a deadman's hand, now clattered to the ground. It was set to stun. At the sickening sound of Fal gurgling on his own blood Jez finally looked his brother in the eyes. And in those eyes he saw one thing and one thing alone. Hatred. Pure, white-hot hatred. And it was directed at Jezen. They were a burning brand of what Fal had become. Jez would never forget those eyes.

Turning his attention to the fight between his lover and his dark apprentice, Jez was watching a much different fight. Aari had successfully countered the Torture by Chagrin- Thala was not quite adept in its use yet- and now held the younger woman in an unrelenting Force Choke. Jez could barely comprehend the sight before him. The memories she had been forced to relive must've been to much for her to bear and she had snapped. Now, all her anger, all her resurfaced memories, were redirected at Thala in one final exertion. Thala deserved to answer for her treachery...but not at the cost of Aari. Jez could not, would not, let that happen. He approached his friend, speaking in a soft but stern voice.
"Aari. That's quite enough."
Her Force grip remained firm.
"Aari," he said, more stern and insistent this time.
Her already clenched hand tightened.
"AARI!" he screamed, desperate to save his friend from darkness.
Her shoulders eased and her fingers, slowly but surely, unclenched, releasing her grasp on the girl. Thala collapsed, dropping to her hands and knees and gasping for the oxygen that filtered into the mask on her face.
But Jez was more concerned with Aari. He spoke with a strained and edgy tone, coercing the Zeltron from the cusp of the Dark Side. He didn't ask about her memories. It would do no good for anyone to explore her darkest moments. The two left the dusty world with Thala as their captive.

They didn't get very far. Past the twin black holes, past the Dorin System... until they were caught on the Perlemian Trade Route somewhere near Chandrila. A ship came out of hyperspace and immediately veered in their direction, blatantly proving its intent. With a few well-placed shots the shuttle's engines were disabled leaving the Jedi at the mercy of their assailant. The shuttle was subsequently boarded by none other than Jez's friend Candon Terris. He and his brother Kalek engaged the two weary Jedi in lightsaber combat. Normally, Candon and Kalek wouldn't have been a problem for Jez and Aari. However, this was not 'normally'. Both of the Jedi were exhausted from the previous engagement and, on top of that, they were shocked to find their Jedi companions had turned on them. First his brother and his apprentice. Now his two closest friends. It was becoming glaringly obvious to him that Aari was the only person in his life that he could truly trust. Candon and Kalek swarmed into the ship, both targeting Jez. Candon wielded a yellow lightsaber while Kalek wielded a cyan, double-bladed saber. Jez struggled to meet the three blades with both his lightsaber and his shoto in a flurry of blocks and parries. Aari rushed to his defense, though she was far too late. Once Jez had locked both his blades on the two brothers' blades, Candon let loose a storm of Force Lightning that caught him right in the chest. He was thrown against a bulkhead, not entirely sure whether it was the collision or the blast of lightning that sent him into unconsciousness. The last he saw was Aari's legs buckling under a blow to the head from Kalek's hilt and Thala looking back over her shoulder as she entered the enemy ship. Her eyes caught Jez's and she flashed a sinister smile that stabbed at his core. His last thought was that this was somehow his fault. Then, he let peaceful unconsciousness take over.

Marooned and Forsaken
It'd been 24 hours since the attack on their shuttle. Jez had been marooned on the planet of Trandosha. He still had his lightsabers, which he would need to survive the next six months. He quickly discovered that the jungle in which he had been deserted was the hunting grounds for a number of Trandoshan hunters. Day in and day out he ran from these hunters, only stopping to fight when necessary. More than once did his stealth and Force body techniques save his life. Force Cloak allowed him to sneak past his hunters undetected, Force Speed allowed him to traverse the thick jungle quickly, and Crucitorn often helped him to numb the pain.

About two months in Jez befriended a Wookiee by the name of Tyvokk. Ty, as Jez grew into calling him, was a large, dark-furred being, wielding a Wookiee bowcaster. They met when Jez happened to stumble upon a trio of Trandoshans in the midst of executing a Wookiee. Jez had leapt to the Wookiee's defense, slaying the three Trandoshans before they had time to recognize the deliver of their death as a Jedi. Thereafter, the two worked together to survive, Jez providing protection while Ty hunted for food. This arrangement allowed them to survive for four more months for a total of six months. Finally, the two made an attempt at escape. However, there would be no second chances. They were going in hard and they would either succeed or die trying. And so they made a move on the only space-faring ship in the area: the Trandoshan hunting group's vessel, a mere cargo transport. The problem was it was crawling with Trandoshan hunters. Normally, this wouldn't be too much of a problem for the experienced Jedi Knight. But, as always, this wasn't 'normally'. Jez was wounded. His left arm was dislocated, a few of his ribs were most likely broken, and he was severely fatigued. This was not a battle he could win. Fortunately for him he didn't have to. His furry friend ran out before Jez could hold him back, though he seriously doubted he could've anyway, and charged the hunters. Once the band of hunters turned to return fire against the Wookiee's bowcaster, Ty was already slamming into the first two hunters with his massive, log-sized arms outstretched. He was a massive, clawing, roaring wall of fur, and a few seconds later blaster fire. When the smoke cleared Ty lay sprawled out on the beach, his dark pelt laced with scorch holes. Jez, already in the ship's pilot seat, fired up the engines and took to the sky. Before leaving this hell-hole of a planet he fired up the external blaster cannons and razed the beach, obliterating any and every trace of the Trandoshan hunting band. Lowering the craft he touched down to retrieve his friend's body. Ty was still alive, though just barely. Through the Force Jez could feel the warm emotions rolling off of Ty's presence like a waterfall. He was ecstatic. And it was all Jez could do but to feel elated for his friend on his death bed. Ty would die, not has the hunted but as the survivor. Tyvokk died in Jez's arms.

Conviction
Jez returned to Coruscant in hopes of finding any hint of Aari's whereabouts. Instead, he was met with lightsaber pikes at the Jedi Temple entrance. The two guards, whom Jez recognized, held their pikes at the ready, thwarting Jez's progression. And yet, he continued straight towards the entrance until he was forced to stop just centimeters from the yellow blades. He glared at the two, his piercing blue eyes clearly uneasing the other Jedi. Nevertheless, they held strong, demanding he relinquish his weapons and 'come quietly'.
"And why would I do that?"
"You know why," was the only reply.
"Don't make this any harder then it has to be."
"Your coming with us. Your arrest will be one less Dark Jedi we have to worry about. Surrender, there is no escape."
"No, I'm not, no, it won't, no, I won't, and yes, there is."
This time there came no reply. At least, vocally. The two guards dropped into ready stances, effectively ending the conversation, if you could even call it that. Jez just shook his head.
"You're going to regret that."
With that he ignited his emerald blade, but did not attack, remaining in the Ataru stance. He was willing to defend himself not attack fellow Jedi. The two guards struck first, slashing at his arms and legs in an effort to debilitate their foe, but keep him very much alive. Jez gave them no such luxury. Whirling on his opponents he flipped, rolled, and cartwheeled past the searing yellow blades, slashing wildly with his own. Using Force Speed he moved with enhanced speed, transitioning between the two guards. He was also attempting to debilitate his foes; he did not want to kill them. But they would not take him. Not until he figured out what was going on.

One of the guards slashed uncertainly, thrown off by Jez's blinding speed. Jez effortlessly parried the attack and immediately counterattacked, slicing a gash into the man's arm. The guard lost his grip on his saber, letting it clang against the platform. Jez pressed his advantage, slicing another gash into the guard's leg. The man dropped, effectively disabled. Still, he made an effort to stand which Jez quickly countered through the use of Crucitorn, not increasing the man's pain, but enhancing his interpretation of that pain. The main screamed in agony, falling back to the ground. The man's suffering troubled Jezen, but he was a man on a mission. All of this was necessary. Turning on the other guard, Jez lashed out with a clockwise spinning slash. However, it was not the blade he was using. The bottom of his lightsaber's hilt contacted the guard's skull, knocking him down and out. Jezen just shook his head. Such a shame.

A larger group of guards charged out from the Temple and onto the platform. At the front was Jedi Master Soris Saar, Jez's friend and mentor. Jez had no intention of fighting this one out. This was not his fight.
"Soris. I did't kill them," he said, gesturing to the wounded guards with his free hand. "Now tell me what this is all about."
"You are being charged with the murder of Fal Kross, Devin Kinal, Revi Kord, and Akara Shendi. Your apprentice has told us everything."
Jez fumed at that last sentence. This definitely seemed like her doing. He recognized all of the Jedi Knights mentioned and, realizing he was accused of their murder looked at the master with a saddened expression.
"What? They're dead? How?"
"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me."
"Wh- no, no, no! Thala betrayed me! Her and Fal. I've been set up! How can you actually believe her?"
"She showed us video proof of you killing Fal, Aari choking her by means of the Force."
"Yeah, and I bet it doesn't show the rest of what happened," Jez snorted.
"We searched your ship. We found... rather compelling evidence within. The bodies of the aforementioned Jedi... explosives with a blue print layout of the Temple... you cannot deny this."
"You have forsaken me, a fellow Knight of the Order. Such is the way of the Jedi now?"
With that, Jez dropped to one knee and submitted to the guards, allowing them to place him in a maximum security cell within the Temple. However, he would not remain detained long enough to face a trial that surely would have been doomed from the start. Remembering back to the vision he'd witnessed during his Trial of Spirit Jez thought back to the image of the Jedi Temple. The apparition had been black and white, a sign that he now clearly understood. Okay, maybe not clearly. All he knew was that he could not stay here. Not now. He would then execute a plan of escape, first snatching the keycard to unlock his cell from the guard's hands via the Force. Once the cell was unlocked, Jez engaged the guard, knocking him out with a well placed kick to the jaw. After retrieving his weapons, he was then able to slip into the hanger and commandeer the Shadowclaw using Force Cloak. He then proceeded to blow the hanger doors and escape the Temple's confines. He was free, but he wasn't out of this yet.

The Finest Hour
In the pursuit of answers Jez grew more and more frustrated. Not only did he know who was responsible for framing him, he'd killed Fal whom he figured as the leader of the group. And finally he realized it wasn't answers he should be seeking... it was evidence. To prove his innocence. And so he called upon the only man he trusted at this point, Cpt.Kimeron, to aid him in these dire times. Together they tracked Thala and the Terris brothers to an abandoned warehouse on Coruscant. Knowing this could very well be his final mission, Jez infiltrated the warehouse in search of evidence against the Dark Jedi. Instead, to his amazement, he found Aari Ryos. And in that moment he was rendered speechless. For the Aari he now laid eyes upon was identical with the Aari in his vision. Her thin eyes were flaming orange, her face contorted in an expression of malice. She wore dark robes that contrasted with her pleasant red skin. What had happened to the Aari he once knew?

His emotions hit him all at once, surrounding him, penetrating him to his core.
"Aari. I-I'm so sorry."
The girl that he'd once considered the dearest thing in his heart sneered in obvious disgust.
"You're sorry!" she exclaimed in a crazed tone of voice that immediately sent up red flags. Her voice was shrill and it was evident that the Dark Jedi had done a number on her.
"You never came back. I thought you were coming back, but y-you never did."
"I couldn't! Don't you think I tried?"
"You left me to die! I tried to resist... at first. But then I realized just how easy it was to give in. To surrender to the Dark Side. It's so... primal. It hurt at first. But after awhile I learned to use the pain. All my anger, my hatred, my pain... it makes me stronger."
"What? You can't actually believe that! Aari, this is the Dark Side!"
"Hmm. Hard to know who to trust these days, isn't it? The Light Side is for the weak. The Dark Side is for those who want to survive. It's funny... the Dark Side... has enlightened me! It's shown me the truth!"
"Wh-what truth?"
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me. This is the only truth."
Jez hung his head, his piercing blue eyes held shut. His emerald blade activated and when his eyes opened a single tear streaked down his cheek.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
He lunged. The battle was on. It was a contest of skill, Jez dominating the fight with his always aggressive and relentless Ataru. However, Aari's Makashi was more brutal than before, despite being as elegant as always. The battle raged on until Aari, realizing she would not win this duel, withdrew from the fight. Detonating a bomb within the warehouse forced Jez to retreat rather than pursue. Nevertheless, the fight was not over.

Evidence would come only when he returned to the warehouse in secret. There he witnessed Thala and the Terris brothers plotting their next actions against the Jedi Order. With a holorecorder he recorded every word, acquiring all the evidence he needed to prove his innocence. However, the Council would never lay eyes upon that recording, for he was intercepted by the Terris brothers who took him captive, planning to turn him in to the Council. 

Jez was taken aboard a shuttle on a course to the Jedi Temple. Once it reached its destination it was all over. He attempted to coerce Aari into shedding her cloak of darkness though she did her best to reject his words. Nevertheless, she could not help but feel the weight of his words. 


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[Neology]

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