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[fancybox2]
Ganden the Elder is a Jedi dedicated to the study of the Force and its practical, moral uses. He is a skilled swordsman and his short stature causes many enemies to underestimate him. That said, his small size does affect his strength and he is forced to rely more upon feats of dexterity and acrobatics during combat. The Jedi is known for leaping about and generally showing no quarter in combat, a fighting style he is frequently at odds about with his colleagues. In addition, he prefers to dodge attacks rather than block them; to block and parry a full-sized opponent requires more effort than simply getting out of the way, especially with his tiny frame.STRENGTH ∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎ ENDURANCE ∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎ INTELLIGENCE ∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎ WISDOM ∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎ CHARISMA ∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎ DEXTERITY ∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎
As a result of his more martial teachings, Ganden is tough and able to take more of a beating than one would appear. Of course, his size does affect his endurance to a degree. Much of what makes Ganden deadly, however, is packed between his two, green ears. His mind is a formidable weapon, the Jedi believing in using the Force offensively. He is notably calm, if not outright... pleasant during battles. His attitude allows him to remain centered in the Force during a battle against a dark opponent.
Unfortunately for Ganden, he not only speaks backwards, he is incredibly short-tempered and known for being curt and terse with people. The Jedi packs many surprises in his short, green body. The gift of gab is not one of these.
[/fancybox2]
BIOGRAPHY
[fancybox2]ARRIVAL
The transport slowly lowered itself into the desert sands, waves of heat trickling from its surface. The landing struts shook and a puff of gas blasted the sand below, kicking it into the wind. From within the transport, a shadow of a cloaked figure danced on the desert below, casting a long shadow. As the occupant of the transport stepped out, the shadow grew shorter and shorter. Finally, the short, cloaked occupant put a foot in the sands and took one look back. A green ear and a white lock of hair popped out of the hood. He could still go back. It wasn't the Jedi Council who was making him do this. He grunted and turned back around, facing the mountains and shielding his face with his arm.
No turning back.
He adjusted his grip on the pack slung across his back, beginning his hike. It would be a long walk to the nearest oasis city and the last thing the old Jedi needed was a sore shoulder by the time he got there. He had expected his first night to be especially horrific. He didn't know how bad it would get. As he walked over a series of steep sandhills and red mountains, the sun began to dip below the horizon. Sweat poured down his face, soaking the tips of his hood. Carrion circled overhead. The green Jedi looked up at the birds and grumbled. Before long, the temperature began to drop as nighttime fell.
The warm desert air was cooling down - quickly. His robes, damp from sweat, clung to his body. The green Jedi shivered, gusts of mist coming out of his mouth in short spurts. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The Force would sustain him. It had for five hundred years and it would again that night. It would take a lot more than a cold desert evening to put him down. As the Jedi pushed on, his concentration in the Force didn't waver. The stars above danced across the sky and a set of six moons made their way from one horizon to the next.
The long night was nothing but a blink of an eye for the Jedi. Just that time yesterday, he had been on Tython, debating the end of the war with the Sith. He had been soaking in the pleasant rays of Tython's sun for the last time. He had walked through its archives one final time, smelling the familiar halls he had guarded for so many years. The wars with the Sith had seen many Jedi fall, either to the blade or to the Dark Side of the Force. Genden hadn't fallen at all - he was disillusioned. The path the Jedi were taking was not the right one for the galaxy. After the war, he believed the Jedi had fallen as well after the war. Not all paths to the Dark Side led to the Sith. Some Jedi lived with this dark kernel in their hearts, unfulfilled and never healed, like a wound. Everyone had wounds in their souls after the war, including Ganden.
Only Ganden did something about it. He left, declaring himself to be in exile. Not an official departure from the Order - it is very hard to stop being a Jedi after all. Just an exile on a pilgrimage to find himself. And find himself on this desolate planet, he would. He chose this world because the populations clung to small pockets of civilization. There were no desert nomads or roaming raiders between settlements. There was just inhospitable, dry wasteland. Blue salt lakes, inviting from orbit, dotted the landscape. Settlements clung to the few oases with enough water to hold a population.
As the sun began to rise, the sky lit up in a dazzling scene of orange and purple. He rounded a ledge on the sandhills he traversed, seeing the city of Tal'aba nestled in a valley. A wave of relief washed over the Jedi as he stepped down from the ledge and make his final approach to his destination. He wasn't worried he would die in the desert. He was just tired and his feet were killing him.
By the time he reached Tal'aba, the sun was high in the sky again. Palm trees swayed in the desert breeze as a cool wind swept from the nearby lake. The sounds of commerce and civilization filled his ears. The people of Tal'aba were simple people, trading beautiful gems with intermittent traders for scrap and starship parts. Anyone with the parts or means to build a home was welcomed to the town. The Jedi simply found a tiled plaza in the city overlooking the blue oasis and sat down. There, he meditated and pondered on the Force. For years, every day, he would sit at that spot and meditate. During the nighttime, he slept in a nearby cave, which he had made into a home for himself. During the day, he reflected upon the mysteries of the Force.
Until one day, as he meditated, a child sat next to him - a human child.
"What are you doing?"
"Meditating, I am."
"Medicating? Are you sick?"
The old Jedi blew air out of his nose and turned his chin up in a vain attempt to concentrate.
"Why are you green?"
His long ears drooped out of frustration. His meditation spot was found and this kid would probably be back.
"Something better to do, do you have, child?"
"Why do you talk funny?"
"Trying to concentrate, I am. In peace, I would like to be left. Go, please."
"What are you trying to concentrate on? It looks like you're just sleeping to me."
"An ancient ritual, this is. One of peace. A lot you can learn about yourself through the art of meditation.
"Haven't people always slept?"
"Sleeping, this is not. Again, I- messing with me, are you, child?"
"It doesn't seem like you're being very peaceful."
With that, the old Jedi's ears dropped. It was like a proverbial punch in the gut from a kid who was barely taller than he was. He opened his eyes and looked at the child. "Right, you are. At peace, I am not. What do you want from me?" The child cocked his head to the side. "Can you really be at peace, just from closing your eyes like that?"
"A bit more to it, there is. Show you, I can, how I achieve peace."
The child nodded excitedly.
"Good. Now, on both feet, you must stand."
The boy stood up quickly.
"Turn around."
The boy turned around quickly, thinking he was about to be told some big secret.
"Now start walking."
The boy began to dejectedly walk away, having bothered the old Jedi for long enough. The Jedi adjusted his hood and returned to meditating. The annoyance was gone - he was able to concentrate once more. He focused on the words the child had said to him. The Jedi had been knocked out of a meditative trance by a mere child. Half a millennium of practice in the art of meditation and being calm and he was still disturbed... by a nosy child. He forced irritation down as he swallowed his pride and went about the rest of his day.
As the sun set and the plaza cleared, the Jedi stood and began to walk back to his cave. On his way, he heard a commotion. Ears perking up, he went over to investigate. There, a group of mercenaries had their blasters trained on the same boy as before. The Jedi couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to earn the ire of these mercenaries.
He walked forward, his shadow elongated by the setting sun. "Away put your weapons. He means you no harm," he said, using his walking stick to balance himself. The mercenaries looked at the shadow. "This doesn't concern you, old man. This kid's family owes a lot of money and he's their only living member," one said.
"Ask nicely I will not a third time."
A few members of the mercenary band pointed their weapons at him. The weak-minded ones had already coerced into submission by the old Jedi's subtle Jedi mind trick. "We should put our weapons away. Kid means no harm," one said. The one who had spoken the first time, however, aimed down the barrel of his blaster at the tiny Jedi. The mercenary laughed. "What even is that?" he asked. The Jedi lowered his gaze at the man. Turning at his men, the mercenary dropped his chuckle and said, "Alright, drop the tiny bastard."
With a leap, the Jedi activated his saber mid-air. Golden, yellow light bathed the alleyway as the lightsaber cleaved through two mercenary blasters. A third blaster fired at the ground where the old Jedi had been standing. The Jedi landed in front of the main mercenary, who pulled out two blaster pistols and began to fire at the old Jedi. With his saber, the Jedi deflected the blaster bolts into the mercenary's knees. A final mercenary fired at the Jedi before inexplicably flying into a wall. The old Jedi hadn't Force pushed him. He turned to look at the child, whose arms were outstretched at the mercenary.
"A gift you have, child. A gift in the Force."
"The... Force?"
"Come. Much to learn, do you have."
[/fancybox2]The transport slowly lowered itself into the desert sands, waves of heat trickling from its surface. The landing struts shook and a puff of gas blasted the sand below, kicking it into the wind. From within the transport, a shadow of a cloaked figure danced on the desert below, casting a long shadow. As the occupant of the transport stepped out, the shadow grew shorter and shorter. Finally, the short, cloaked occupant put a foot in the sands and took one look back. A green ear and a white lock of hair popped out of the hood. He could still go back. It wasn't the Jedi Council who was making him do this. He grunted and turned back around, facing the mountains and shielding his face with his arm.
No turning back.
The warm desert air was cooling down - quickly. His robes, damp from sweat, clung to his body. The green Jedi shivered, gusts of mist coming out of his mouth in short spurts. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The Force would sustain him. It had for five hundred years and it would again that night. It would take a lot more than a cold desert evening to put him down. As the Jedi pushed on, his concentration in the Force didn't waver. The stars above danced across the sky and a set of six moons made their way from one horizon to the next.
The long night was nothing but a blink of an eye for the Jedi. Just that time yesterday, he had been on Tython, debating the end of the war with the Sith. He had been soaking in the pleasant rays of Tython's sun for the last time. He had walked through its archives one final time, smelling the familiar halls he had guarded for so many years. The wars with the Sith had seen many Jedi fall, either to the blade or to the Dark Side of the Force. Genden hadn't fallen at all - he was disillusioned. The path the Jedi were taking was not the right one for the galaxy. After the war, he believed the Jedi had fallen as well after the war. Not all paths to the Dark Side led to the Sith. Some Jedi lived with this dark kernel in their hearts, unfulfilled and never healed, like a wound. Everyone had wounds in their souls after the war, including Ganden.
Only Ganden did something about it. He left, declaring himself to be in exile. Not an official departure from the Order - it is very hard to stop being a Jedi after all. Just an exile on a pilgrimage to find himself. And find himself on this desolate planet, he would. He chose this world because the populations clung to small pockets of civilization. There were no desert nomads or roaming raiders between settlements. There was just inhospitable, dry wasteland. Blue salt lakes, inviting from orbit, dotted the landscape. Settlements clung to the few oases with enough water to hold a population.
As the sun began to rise, the sky lit up in a dazzling scene of orange and purple. He rounded a ledge on the sandhills he traversed, seeing the city of Tal'aba nestled in a valley. A wave of relief washed over the Jedi as he stepped down from the ledge and make his final approach to his destination. He wasn't worried he would die in the desert. He was just tired and his feet were killing him.
By the time he reached Tal'aba, the sun was high in the sky again. Palm trees swayed in the desert breeze as a cool wind swept from the nearby lake. The sounds of commerce and civilization filled his ears. The people of Tal'aba were simple people, trading beautiful gems with intermittent traders for scrap and starship parts. Anyone with the parts or means to build a home was welcomed to the town. The Jedi simply found a tiled plaza in the city overlooking the blue oasis and sat down. There, he meditated and pondered on the Force. For years, every day, he would sit at that spot and meditate. During the nighttime, he slept in a nearby cave, which he had made into a home for himself. During the day, he reflected upon the mysteries of the Force.
Until one day, as he meditated, a child sat next to him - a human child.
"What are you doing?"
"Meditating, I am."
"Medicating? Are you sick?"
The old Jedi blew air out of his nose and turned his chin up in a vain attempt to concentrate.
"Why are you green?"
His long ears drooped out of frustration. His meditation spot was found and this kid would probably be back.
"Something better to do, do you have, child?"
"Why do you talk funny?"
"Trying to concentrate, I am. In peace, I would like to be left. Go, please."
"What are you trying to concentrate on? It looks like you're just sleeping to me."
"An ancient ritual, this is. One of peace. A lot you can learn about yourself through the art of meditation.
"Haven't people always slept?"
"Sleeping, this is not. Again, I- messing with me, are you, child?"
"It doesn't seem like you're being very peaceful."
With that, the old Jedi's ears dropped. It was like a proverbial punch in the gut from a kid who was barely taller than he was. He opened his eyes and looked at the child. "Right, you are. At peace, I am not. What do you want from me?" The child cocked his head to the side. "Can you really be at peace, just from closing your eyes like that?"
"A bit more to it, there is. Show you, I can, how I achieve peace."
The child nodded excitedly.
"Good. Now, on both feet, you must stand."
The boy stood up quickly.
"Turn around."
The boy turned around quickly, thinking he was about to be told some big secret.
"Now start walking."
The boy began to dejectedly walk away, having bothered the old Jedi for long enough. The Jedi adjusted his hood and returned to meditating. The annoyance was gone - he was able to concentrate once more. He focused on the words the child had said to him. The Jedi had been knocked out of a meditative trance by a mere child. Half a millennium of practice in the art of meditation and being calm and he was still disturbed... by a nosy child. He forced irritation down as he swallowed his pride and went about the rest of his day.
As the sun set and the plaza cleared, the Jedi stood and began to walk back to his cave. On his way, he heard a commotion. Ears perking up, he went over to investigate. There, a group of mercenaries had their blasters trained on the same boy as before. The Jedi couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to earn the ire of these mercenaries.
He walked forward, his shadow elongated by the setting sun. "Away put your weapons. He means you no harm," he said, using his walking stick to balance himself. The mercenaries looked at the shadow. "This doesn't concern you, old man. This kid's family owes a lot of money and he's their only living member," one said.
"Ask nicely I will not a third time."
A few members of the mercenary band pointed their weapons at him. The weak-minded ones had already coerced into submission by the old Jedi's subtle Jedi mind trick. "We should put our weapons away. Kid means no harm," one said. The one who had spoken the first time, however, aimed down the barrel of his blaster at the tiny Jedi. The mercenary laughed. "What even is that?" he asked. The Jedi lowered his gaze at the man. Turning at his men, the mercenary dropped his chuckle and said, "Alright, drop the tiny bastard."
With a leap, the Jedi activated his saber mid-air. Golden, yellow light bathed the alleyway as the lightsaber cleaved through two mercenary blasters. A third blaster fired at the ground where the old Jedi had been standing. The Jedi landed in front of the main mercenary, who pulled out two blaster pistols and began to fire at the old Jedi. With his saber, the Jedi deflected the blaster bolts into the mercenary's knees. A final mercenary fired at the Jedi before inexplicably flying into a wall. The old Jedi hadn't Force pushed him. He turned to look at the child, whose arms were outstretched at the mercenary.
"A gift you have, child. A gift in the Force."
"The... Force?"
"Come. Much to learn, do you have."
STUDENT
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