Who and what are you?
I am Calista Praxon, Knight of the Jedi Order. I am a human.
You might have many masters or causes, but when it is ground down properly, you serve one side alone. Which is it? The Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic?
I serve the Jedi Order, and though it, I serve the Republic.
What do you look like, and how are you dressed?
When I was younger, my blonde hair always kept getting in my face, so I keep it short and behind my ears. I use two pins to keep it in place. I have grey eyes, and my skin is pretty fair since I've spent most of my days indoors. Last I checked, which was a few months ago, I'm five feet four inches. I prefer to wear the traditional Jedi brown robe over a cream colored tunic with a brown undershirt. My boots are also brown and I have a matching belt. I'm rather plain, aren't I? I've never really liked to stand out though, so plain looking clothes seemed appealing.
Why do you fight? What thoughts and ideas influence your actions? What are the reasons behind it all?
I prefer thinking of it as defending. Combat is a mindset: if you call it fighting, then it makes you a fighter, right? I don't want to fight. I want to defend and protect. I want to show that might is not right. Hopefully someday combat won't have to be used in wars and battles and fights, but instead, a grim reminder of the costs of war, and perhaps a hobby, like fencing. At least it would then be a game instead of something worse.
Do you have any skills that make you stand out from the crowd?
What? Me? No, I don't think so! I think I'm rather average--well, I guess what I think isn't what could be in reality though, is it? I'm not the best Jedi, but I'm... Okay? I've made it this far, haven't I? I can speak and understand some Ul'Zabrak, and I have the power of psychometry, if that counts?
How do you relate to everyone else? Do you have any friends, family, foes or subordinates among them?
I've had friends sure, a couple friends. They got scattered to different worlds though, so I don't know what they're doing now. My fellow Jedi are my brothers and sisters, the citizens are a flock to be shepherded, and the Sith... I pity them. But I can't hate them. They're misguided and power hungry, but they're trying to do what's best, I suppose. Trying.
Particular friends are Strago Kelrune and Kinsakwi'teksa.
What made you the person you are today? How did the past influence your present?
The force first manifested in me when I was five. I was bullied often, as a young child on my home world, so I preferred to be left alone near the cliffs overlooking the sea. Unfortunately the bullies found me and began accosting me. I remember I just got so...so... Angry. So tired and frustrated that they were pushing me around all they wanted and I could do nothing. And so I accidentally pushed one of them with the force, and he nearly ended up falling off the cliffs.
I was ignorant them about the full significance of my actions until I was taken and trained at the Jedi Temple. It frightened me that my loss of control nearly resulted in the death of a boy who only teased me. Such was the result of anger, my Masters told me, and I believed them. So I diligently trained to suppress and overcome my emotions to prevent another uncontrolled outrage. As a Padawan, I trained under my Master, Durak Kolar, a Zabrak. My Master was stern, but kind. We'd spar together, his double bladed lightsaber and Style IV: Ataru versus my curved lightsaber and Style II: Makashi. He emphasized trying to overcome the weaknesses of Makashi, and gave me plenty of practice to do so. He also taught me some Ul'Zabrak, which was necessary for a mission to Iridonia years ago. Even though I'm no longer his Padawan, I still keep in touch with him. We're fairly good friends now, and I'll be forever grateful for all that he's taught me.
As I grew older, I questioned my teachings. I think it's natural to do so: you shouldn't swallow everything you're given. Was it anger that was to be feared? Should we fear fear itself? The path of the Jedi Consular called to me to answer these questions, or find deeper understanding. To truly understand the Dark Side, one had to get near it, to experience it. But I also wanted to be a more well-rounded Jedi (and I enjoyed sparring), so I decided to become a Jedi Sentinel upon my ascension to Knighthood. Perhaps study in both mind and body will not only make me more well-rounded, but provide insight between light and dark. I was to be sent to the front lines after my promotion to Knighthood, but unfortunately, the Temple was besieged, and I was captured.
Everyone has flaw(s)... What is/are yours?
Oh, I have plenty, I think. I'm not as good as the other Jedi when it comes to combat, knowledge... Everything. I'm not as smart as I should be, or strong. I wish I could do more than I can. But I can't, and this limitation frustrates me.
Would you describe your Lightsaber, if you have made one?
It's a curved one with a purple blade. I'm very fortunate to have one and am proud to have found it in the crystal caves on Ilum. I was claustrophobic of the space, and felt like I was getting low on oxygen as I kept venturing further into the cave. It didn't help that I was starting to become convinced that I had passed the same formation of crystals growing on the wall five times. Worse, the walking space was growing smaller and smaller. It seed as if the walls were collapsing on me. I could feel a panic attack about to come on, as my breathing rate increased. Luckily there was some practical part of my brain that made me sit down, take deep breaths, and recite the Jedi code. It certainly helped; I felt far more calm once I had meditated for a few minutes. With the code being repeated over and over in my head, I remained calm for the rest of my search, even as the space around me grew so small that I had to crawl on my stomach. And there, in that tiny section of the cave, was a single glowing, purple crystal in the darkness. My Lightsaber may not be overly ornate like most curved hilt sabers, but still maintains the grace and elegance as any of them. The switch is located near the hilt, so I don't accidentally press it in combat.
If you wield a Lightsaber, which of the Seven combat forms has your order trained you in?
I have trained in Style II: Makashi, and I'm excellent in it, if I do say so myself! Still, I have much to learn if I want to be considered one of the greater Makashi duelists.
Describe your preference in the use of the Force. Are you particularly talented in any one area? Do you have flaws in another? What are the limits on what you can or will do?
I can do a little healing. But I am proficient at pulling and pushing objects with the force. I can't lift let's say, a starship, but what I lack in strength I make up for in precision. I'm better at using a lightsaber though. I also have the power of psychometry, which allows me to see impressions and traces of people from the objects they've used. It's hard for me to pin down one person when multiple people have used the object in question, however, and it is also difficult to use psychometry when the object is rarely (once) by the person in question
If you are a Jedi, have you given thought above as to how your character got captured, and why he/she/it is still alive? (answer to this can be reflected above)
No. No I don't. And honestly? I don't want to think about it. Not until I have to.
Who and what are you?
My name is Kres'haw'nuruodo, a Chiss female. Non-Chiss may call me by my core name, Shawn.
You might have many masters or causes, but when it is ground down properly, you serve one side alone. Which is it? The Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic?
My loyalty is to the Empire, as they are our allies, and there are things we can learn from them. Our societies benefit mutually, and share a few similarities.
What do you look like, and how are you dressed?
I stand at a height of 1.6 meters. Physical demands of being a Sith has made my body in peak physical form and mostly muscle. Like most Chiss, my skin is a cobalt blue and my eyes are red, my hair is black and falls to my shoulders with bangs across my left forehead. My battle armor is pure black, with a silver helmet covered with a black hood, the gauntlets are clawed, and the boots have spikes in the back and have cleats. When I’m not wearing battle armor, I prefer robes of the same color, pants, and leather boots with a metal toe. The robes have grey piping, and there is a long grey line on the outer legs of my pants, signifying my affiliation with the Nuruodo family, and a red undershirt to symbolize the Red Flame’s teachings.
Why do you fight? What thoughts and ideas influence your actions? What are the reasons behind it all?
I fight for pleasure and for advancing my own goals. The forefront of which is to strengthen my own power and gather knowledge to eventually part on to the Chiss. The Republic is a corrupted system that hides behind its Jedi, who outright ignores their passions. At least the Chiss recognize these passions: the Jedi are far worse in this regard, and need to snap out of their ignorance.
Do you have any skills that make you stand out from the crowd?
The Chiss have excellent night vision, and I am proficient in Chenuh, Minnisiat, and Galactic Basic. I’d like to consider myself balanced in terms of combat and the Force, but if I had to be honest, I am more proficient in using the Force than I am a lightsaber. My time in Imperial Intelligence has also given me knowledge of the identification and usage of poisons, even curing them. And of course, techniques in assassination and interrogation.
How do you relate to everyone else? Do you have any friends, family, foes or subordinates among them?
I left my families behind on Csilla when I decided to go to the Sith. Some call me a rebel for my actions, and that I’m squandering my talent with moactan teel*, the majority believe that what I am doing is for the best. The non-believers will see reason over time, of this I am certain.
What made you the person you are today? How did the past influence your present?
If I must tell you, so be it. I was born into the Kres family on Csilla, the third oldest of four other boys. My parents were relieved to finally have a girl, and were less hesitant about having a family of five. My childhood itself was uneventful, but in a few ways, I felt different from my peers. Chiss are taught that all energy should be spent toward work, towards serving out the duties of one’s position. Emotional outbursts are unprofessional and wastes of energy, and so too were indulgences of luxuries. One could be doing something useful instead of loafing about. But couldn’t emotions be channeled into something useful? It seemed to be wasteful not to. And leisurely activities should not be so scorned: one must work, but there must be some relaxation. Otherwise, the worker can be burned out.
At age ten, I entered the military and began working my way to become an officer. I was given exceptionally high marks, and bestowed with the honor of being adopted into the Nuruodo family and allowed to use their name in mine. Around this time was when the Ascendency allied itself to the Empire in exchange for preserving our own autonomy. For the sake of good relations between our groups, I volunteered to put my skills to work not as a Chiss officer, but as an Imperial Agent. This caused a minor schism in my family, with some saying it was a waste of my abilities, and others approving of my plan. Those who approved outnumbered those who didn’t, and so I travelled to Dromund Kaas and was selected into the Imperial Agent program.
It was satisfying work, but I will not go into detail, as I literally cannot disclose my work during that time period. What I can tell you is that I was a Cipher agent, and that my career was ended when a Sith Lord discovered that I was Force sensitive. He was Lord Saarai: a Pureblood. He took an interest in my sensitivity, and while he was not overly fond of those not of the Red Sith, he was even less fond of talent squandered. With my consent, he would arrange for me to be discharged from Imperial Intelligence, and ship me off to the Sith Academy to be trained as a Sith Apprentice. If I survived, he would become my Master and would continue my instruction. This was more than a mere opening: this was opportunity. An opportunity for the Chiss to further ingrain themselves in the higher echelons of the Empire: the very class who ruled it. I didn’t dream of this before, because I never thought that I had a sensitivity for the Force that the Sith spoke of. But now that this opportunity was staring at me in the face, how could I refuse it? I agreed to his terms, and thus ended my career in Intelligence.
Being a Sith Acolyte is difficult. Being a non-human Sith Acolyte is even more difficult, though I was treated fractionally better due to my near-human appearance. But great challenges are normal for Chiss: we do not expect handouts. I had to be particularly cautious, as there were some who were none too happy that a Chiss--an alien--had a spot, and not another human or a pureblood. I fought this undeterred during my time there, killing a few of my rivals in the process, without being caught, which silenced most of my objectors. Per our agreement, I was taken under the instruction of Lord Saraai upon graduation. Like me, he too had the ability of Force Stealth, and taught me how to utilize it. His work focused around Cipher agents and overseeing the interrogations of those they were instructed to capture. He was chosen with these talents in mind to come aboard the Hâsk and put them to use. While part of the temple strike team, he was specifically tasked with capturing Jedi to be turned to the dark side. I insisted that I be brought along, and after having to duel my contenders for the honor, I came out on top. But before we could set about our tasks, we had to find our subjects: during the Sacking of Coruscant.
My Master did not do well. In the temple grounds, we encountered a Knight and presumably, his Apprentice. I engaged the Apprentice, and he, the Knight. The Apprentice was resilient, but he ended up falling anyway. My Master, however, took a blow to his shoulder, and a whole chunk of his hamstring had been cleaved off. It was at that moment that he decided that he was too weak to continue, so I struck him down. Lord Saarai is no more. I am now in need of a new Master, and Darth Nyiss gave me the opportunity to put my Agent skills to use. For now, I have to focus on interrogation and converting the Jedi on board, while undoubtedly dealing with suspicions that will be hovering over me concerning the circumstances of my Master’s death.
I look forward to both tasks, but particularly the second: the greatest weapon the Sith can use is their former enemies. What could be better than to break the Jedi’s will by using its former students? It will be different, and a change of pace. Though I spend these last two days reading through prisoner files and watching the other Sith at work. Some Jedi are promising. Others are not. But I’ve also been preparing my entrance for a few days now… I think it’ll be particularly clever.
Good characters are always flawed in some ways. Often heroes are even more flawed than bystanders. There is typically a balance between greater skill in one area and significant flaws in others… What are your flaws?
My people think I’m too emotional. The Sith think I’m too restrained. Some think I’m too indifferent about how others perceive me outside of business. Imperfection is hammered out of Chiss during our preparation to join the military or our future career. Perhaps some could think of me as a perfectionist, though I wouldn’t think that to be a flaw.
Would you describe your Lightsaber, if you have made one?
It is black with some silver gilding, and has a blood red crystal to color it. The hilt of my lightsaber curls out as a blade with rings through it, and is kept sharpened so that I may stab someone with it and cause significant internal damage with the rings.
If you wield a Lightsaber, which of the Seven combat forms has your order trained you in?
After careful deliberation, I decided that Style V: Djem So was the best choice for me, as it allowed me to use both the Force and my emotions in combat to their maximum potentials.
Describe your preference in the use of the Force. Are you particularly talented in any one area? Do you have flaws in another? What are the limits on what you can or will do?
Don’t forget that this is in the middle of a war. Anyone of truly great skill would have been at or near the front lines.
My true skill lies in my abilities with Force Lightning, Telepathy, and perhaps the most potent one, Force Stealth. With it, I mask my true allegiance and can speak to others from far distances. A very useful combination, given the right situation and the right wielder.
Is there anything else you would like to mention about yourself?
I’d rather not, thank you, I would have thought that my answering of previous questions was satisfactory. You don’t need to know anything more about me.
*"Fair haired": a derogatory term for non-Chiss.