#the uphrades enclave

[swtorpadawan]

I'm captivated by Corellan's personality in your narrative. Could you share more about his defining traits? For me, your JK comes across as a dedicated, humble and compassionate person who shows strong protective instincts, bravery and resilience in the face of adversity. I greatly admire his commitment to seeking peaceful solutions. But I'm curious, how would you describe his overall personality and his approach to his bond with Kira while remaining true to his and the Jedi Order's ideals?

Thanks for this ask, @rajakaen !

Corellan was raised in a rather isolated Jedi enclave on Uphrades. It was two semi-retired Jedi Masters, Sagottoh Panaka and Nowan Ko Detizu, with eight younglings, the eldest of whom was 14, the youngest of whom was five. Because of that isolation, his perspective on certain things was very skewed.

You speak of his humility, and yes, its true to an extent. But he genuinely thought he was going to get to Tython, and there's be fifty other padawans just like him.

So he was a little confused by a lot of stuff he experienced on Tython, but Master Sagottoh instilled in him a full-steam ahead mentality, so he pushed through. It was only after chapter one of the Jedi Knight story that he actually caught his breath enough to understand a few things.

Kira… was a surprise to him. He had no context whatsoever for his feelings towards her.

When she kissed him, it brought clarity.

Did he feel conflicted? Sure. But his biggest concern during that time was that if they were discovered, that Kira would be expelled. She'd worked very hard to become a Jedi Knight, and he didn't want to ruin things for her.

But he can't run away from it. If he tried, he'd probably crack, the way Malgus did after he killed Eleena.

It got easier after they joined the Alliance, of course.

Thanks for the ask!

[swtorpadawan]

Ten Facts About Ulannium Kaarz

I wasn’t actually tagged to do one of these for Ulannium, but I started putting this together as a sort of case-study for him, and it seemed to make sense to do this. Tagging the following people just in case they want to do this for one of their own OCs: @raven-of-domain-kwaad @anchanted-one @actualanxiousswampwitch @grandninjamasterren @sullustangin @cyraniadebergerac @starrypawz @intheinkpot @voidendron @lanabenikosdoormat @dragons-bones @clifford-telegenic @cryo-lily

Fact One – Parentage and Early Childhood: Ulannium Kaarz was born on Coruscant, the son of Ishris Kaarz, his mother, a brilliant research scientist with a Republic pharmaceutical conglomerate, and Luncib Kaarz, his father, a marketing executive and lobbyist with the same company. Both of his parents were very affectionate, Ishits especially. Although she worked long hours, his mother always made time for her son at bedtime, first by singing him Mirialan lullabies, and later by reading to him, fictional stories at first but later more advanced texts such as scientific manuals. Years later, Ulannium would credit his mother’s efforts (and her genetics) with the development of his impressive intellect. By chance, Ulannium’s Force sensitivity was not discovered until he was already six years old. (Possibly a result of his mother’s interference in the screening process.) By then, he was already academically precocious in the extreme, devouring books far beyond his age-level. When he was selected by the Jedi and told he might one day gain access to the full wealth of the Jedi Archives, Ulannium was thrilled at the opportunity. Indeed, if he had an ambition at this point, it would have been to spend the rest of his life in the galaxy’s greatest library. Ulannium had a younger sister, Tharia, who was possibly even more curious about the universe than he. As she was four at the time, he regarded her as a pest who kept stealing his scientific holopads. When the Jedi tested her for Force-sensitivity, it came back negative, much to the relief of her parents who were already giving up a son.

Art by @theoasiswinds

Fact Two – Inspirations: One of my inspirations for the character of Ulannium is George Smiley from John le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. When he does finally confront someone, whether an enemy or even an ally whom he’s trying to persuade, he brings the full force of his intellect to bare on them, and people often find it as overpowering as a force of nature. Ulannium is remarkably proficient at understanding and analyzing most of the people he encounters, including some who others find enigmatic. (Such is the case with Corellan Halcyon. Ulannium understands the Hero of Tython far better than someone like Satele Shan, at least earlier in the story.) On the flip side, a select few people are something of a mystery to Ulannium, and throw him off entirely. (This was the case with Zenith.) Another character who inspired me was Vaegon Targaryen, a minor character from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. He could have done a hundred things, including becoming the King. He preferred his books, however.  

Fact Three – Growing up on Uphrades: To avoid potential contact with his family on Coruscant, the Jedi sent Ulannium to their small enclave on the agricultural world of Uphrades. It was a small training cadre; two semi-retired Jedi Masters and eight younglings. To discourage unhealthy attachments amongst the younglings, they were arranged on a tiered-age system. The oldest of the younglings would be around fourteen and would be considered on the precipice of their initiate trials to become Padawans. The next-oldest would be a year or two younger than the eldest, and so on down the line until the youngest child, who would be around four or five. With the age difference, it was hoped that the younglings would be less likely to adopt detrimental attachments to each other.

Fact Four – First Friendship: Two years after Ulannium arrived on Uphrades, the next youngling was sent. The younger child seemed untalented and almost Force-blind to Ulannium, who by then was already demonstrating an impressive sensitivity to the Force. But as the Masters were unwilling to give up on him yet, when he turned six, he was handed a training saber. Within a week, he had surpassed every other youngling in combat, even those twice his age. Within a year, no two initiates could match him. Even Master Sagottoh, once a Blademaster of the Order in his younger years, soon found himself pressed. This youngling - one age tier below Ulannium - was named Corellan Halcyon. When they first met, Ulannium himself thought the youngling was untalented and barely worth his notice. Later, when his martial capability manifested, Nowan Ko Detizu realized that Corellan needed Ulannium’s help to acclimate to the other children, most of whom were intimidated by the young firebrand. The bond the two developed would last them the rest of their lives. In recognition of this reality and her responsibilities, when Ulannium was ready to become a padawan, Nowan Ko’s report to the council would advise them not to assign the two to work together, which is why they were kept separated for the next eight years. Although they were both disappointed, both would ultimately conclude it had been the right thing to do.

Fact Five – Tragedy: When the Sack of Coruscant took place, Ulannium was still far away on Uphrades, reading a text on archaeology. He recalls feeling a deep sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach, but as he was unable to determine what it was, he soon resumed reading. A few days later once the reports had come in, the Uphrades Masters regretfully informed him that his family had been killed during the attack when falling debris had collapsed on them on the street. The youngling showed little reaction at first, then finally announced his intention to head off to find solitude to meditate. The masters, decided that he needed time to process what had happened, let him. Corellan, recognizing that he needed friendship, pursued him and talked. [I may write about that encounter someday.]

Fact Six – Personality: One of Ulannium’s personality quirks is his tendency to answer a question with a question. This is sometimes a defensive mechanism, and sometimes simply a way to get an individual to rethink their position diplomatically. In the normal flow of conversation, he does this skillfully enough that people rarely even notice. He picked up this particular quirk from Master Nowan Ko Detizu, one of his mentors back on Uphrades. The Cathar Jedi taught him a multitude of simple techniques that aid him in his day-to-day life as a Jedi, diplomat and sometime political and military leader.

Fact Seven – Traits: By the time the class stories begin, Ulannium is already an expert in the fields of biology, archaeology, geology and history, and could probably have earned a master’s degree in any of those areas if given the time and inclination to do so. Although he was appropriately honored to meet the esteemed members of the Jedi Council, he was most excited to meet Gnost-Dural, as the Kel Dor had, by then, been named the Keeper of the Jedi Archives. Ulannium definitely has a strong interest – some might even say a passion – for ancient Force knowledge and would live in the Jedi Archives if he could. One of the most difficult decisions he ever faced was rescuing Laria Taphoni on Taris, effectively sacrificing the holocron the expedition team had found. In making his choice, Ulannium was guided by the principles of the Jedi code and recognizes that it was the correct decision, but nevertheless he had to meditate for a long while to process everything that happened. Although he recognizes that Rajivari’s teachings ran contrary to the Jedi code and had corrupted many ancient Jedi, Ulannium never quite forgot what he had learned of it. He wishes he had spent more time with the fallen Je'daii Master to learn where things had gone wrong.

Fact Eight – His Relationship with Nadia Grell: Ulannium doesn’t believe in concepts like “love at first sight”. But when he met Nadia, he generally became more protective of her innocence. Eventually, those feelings evolved into romantic impulses, but even in their early days together, he was somewhat distracted. That was one of the reasons he didn’t immediately pick up on Nadia’s force-sensitivity, which he would have normally understood right from the get-go. As a side note, his relationship with Nadia develops very differently in my story than in the game and does not progress until after she is Knighted almost three years after becoming his Padawan. As a fluffy note, To date, Nadia is the only person who has ever called him “Uli”. She’s usually discreet about the practice, but she did actually let it slip in front of Felix Iresso on one occasion. Ulannium was embarrassed, Nadia was aghast, and Felix was amused.

Fact Nine – Joining the Alliance: After Ulannium and the rest of the Ossus colony rejoined the rest of the galaxy (lining up with the Jedi Under Siege expansion from the canon story), he and Nadia became honorary members of the Eternal Alliance, with Ulannium serving as the Alliance’s liaison with the Council. The Council - when it eventually reformed - did not formally condone or condemn this relationship; they simply pretended that they didn’t know it existed, despite it becoming common knowledge by that point. [Note: This mirrors Revan’s post-KOTOR relationship with Bastilla in the “Revan” novel.] Far from being past his prime after joining the Eternal Alliance, Ulannium achieved some of the most impressive efforts of his career as the Alliance’s top diplomatic negotiator, writing much of the treaty that Corellan and the Alliance would eventually sign with the Galactic Republic. But arguably the most impressive feat of his career was the negotiation of the Treaty of Alderaan, a pact that ended nearly twenty years of civil war and internal discord. Leading the Alliance’s diplomatic corps, one of Ulannium’s top deputies would be the Killik Joiner and former Imperial diplomat and Intelligence operative, Vector Hyllus. Ulannium learned a great deal of respect for Hyllus and his capabilities, which was reciprocated by the Joiner.

Fact Ten - His Legacy: Some years joining the Alliance, he and Nadia had their first child: Maykia Ishris Kaarz. She is named for both of her grandmothers; Maykia on Nadia’s side and Ishris on Ulannium’s. She’s a couple of years younger than Bela and Tasiele, who are friends of hers who I’ve spoken about elsewhere. Her childhood was complicated to say the least, but she eventually fully joined the Jedi order on her own terms as she began adulthood. She wields a double-bladed lightsaber as her mother did, albeit she’s not a true Jedi Shadow. [Note: Maykia is part of the “Future Halcyon Legacy” I’ve been putting together. ]

Thousands of years later, Teela Kaarz, one of Ulannium’s descendants, would be conscripted to work on the construction of the Death Star. Teela and a group of Rebel recruits fled the doomed space station before it exploded. [Novel: Death Star ]

Thank you for reading!

[swtorpadawan]

When you’re a Historian, but they keeping asking you about that *ONE* time...

Uli is fibbing a bit in his ignorance, here. I mean, he’s 24 and could probably earn a doctorate in Jedi history already.

But there was another kid back at the enclave on Uphrades who was the biggest Revan fan-boy ever. Kid was smart enough, but practically the only part of the Jedi Order’s history that interested him was fracking Revan. It was always “Revan this” and “Bastilla that” and... so on.

He was Ulannium’s best friend. But it drive him nuts.

(Yes, the Revan fan-boy was Corellan. I mean, who’d you think???)

So meanwhile, Ulannium, with his genius level intellect, is just going to pretend he’s never heard of Revan or Taris or any of that mess. He will continually ask people “Revan? Who’s that?” with a straight face.

He’s not lying, honestly. He’s just in denial.

OH - Uli has heard of Malak, Syo. Believe us - he’s heard of him.

[swtorpadawan]

I know the Barsen'thor is a Consular, but they have to be very high level duelist if they can beat both Malgus and Arcann in a duel.

It makes sense for them if they choose to be a Shadow, since their job is to hunt down darksiders and dark side artifacts. But for the sage it's a little more trivial, and perhaps more interesting, since their main role would be studying the Force and diplomacy. Perhaps they brushed up their lightsaber skills as a reaction the threat they faced during their class story?

How good of duelists are your Consulars?

Interesting question!

One note: I dislike how the game assumes that every Jedi or Sith will rely on their lightsaber when they throw down in those cut-scenes. Jedi Seers and Sith Sorcerors who've made it through the class stories are supposed to be incredibly powerful in their Force techniques, and its dumb that they reach their greatest challenges and their first thought is "I need to beat this thing with my laser-sword!" They shouldn't need that.

My list of active Sages is a bit short at the moment, due to some recent… "adjustments". But let's see what we can do.

During his training on Uphrades, Ulannium Kaarz became a very proficient and dedicated Form II user. He had excellent fundamentals which he has only honed over the years. He was the equal of three of the students who were older than he was at the time. When Ulannium was eight, they handed a training saber to a six-year-old youngling for the first time. That six-year old, up until that point, had been an underwhelming student. The moment they put a training saber his hands, Corellan Halcyon would become the best duelist ever produced by the enclave. Ulannium and Corellan's sparring sessions provided critical lessons for both of them: For Ulannium, it compelled him to adapt his growing Force powers to defend and defeat an enemy who was physically superior to himself. For Corellan, it forced him to adapt to an opponent who could throw rocks - and later trees - at him. Years later, these experiences would help both of them to grow into the greatest Jedi of their generation.

Vaykyar Tey was nearly fourteen when he joined the Order, and if it hadn't been war time, he probably would have been turned away. Nevertheless, he picked up the rudiments of Form I style. Not having someone to spar with regularly (aside from Qyzen, but that was different) made it a challenge for Vaykyar to maintain his personal skill, and he relied heavily on his Force powers. Taking Nadia Grell as a padawan forced him to adapt. He actually became more sufficint after he became a Jedi Master, because he had to learn things most other Jedi already knew.

Thanks for the asks @spikerwolf5896 !

[swtorpadawan]

💞🐶 for Corellan?

Ask my muse about family

Thanks for the asks, @queen-scribbles !

💞 - Who is your favorite family member? Why?

"It wouldn't occur to me to have a favorite family member. Time was, Kira and Teeseven were the people I considered family."

"That's... different, now. It would hurt if I lost anyone else, but I have to admit, losing Kira again would devastate me."

🐶 - Did you have any pets growing up? What about now?

"No. There were only a few animals that island on Uphrades at the enclave, and none were really the type to be domesticated."

"Now... well, Vette says Teeseven follows me around like an Akh-dog. So does that count?"

Thanks for the asks!

[swtorpadawan]

q's for muses who had a rough childhood. 5, 7 and 9 for Ulannium?

q’s for muses who had a… r o u g h childhood Thanks for the ask, @the-raven-of-highever / @raven-of-domain-kwaad !

5. has your muse ever been officially diagnosed with ptsd, c-ptsd?

Officially? No. He definitely has his issues, but he's never been diagnosed with a metal illness.

7. how old was your muse when they realized they had childhood trauma? When Ulannium was 13, and finishing up his youngling training, the Sack of Coruscant took place. Ulannium's parents were killed in the fighting, killed when a bomb hit them as they fleeing in the street. Word eventually reached Ulannium at the Jedi Enclave on Uphrades. Ulannium had lived with his parents until the age of six. He'd felt it when they'd died, though he did not at first understand. Nowan Ko and Sagottoh gave him a few days to chew things over; he mostly meditated alone. Ulannium recognized that he'd been traumatized by the experience. His friend - an eleven-year old Corellan Halcyon - felt his pain, and actually joined him. I hope to make that a WIP someday.

9. what coping methods ( healthy or unhealthy ) did your muse learn during their childhood? Jedi training was good for Ulannium… at least insofar as keeping him functional. He meditated a lot. He developed a profound sense of self, though he almost never speaks to others of that time. (That sense of self went unchallenged for years, until he met a plucky young Sarkhai named Nadia Grell.) Regardless, meditation is usually his go-to when he is troubled.

Thank you for the asks!

[swtorpadawan]

For Correllan, #50! Go off about anything about him you've been meaning to share!

Some OC questions

Thanks for the ask, @dishonored-pendletwin !

Corellan didn't really have many friends growing up.

The Uphrades Enclave was essentially a small group of huts on an otherwise deserted island on a sparsely populated agricultural planet where they had minimum contact with the outside world.

(I base it off of Great Skellig in Ireland, where they shot those scenes of Ahch-To in the new trilogy.)

It was about a dozen younglings, all preparing to become Padawans. Two semi-retired Masters taught them, Sagottoh and Nowan Ko Detizu.

To discourage attachments, a tiered system was used regarding the students ages. One youngling - the eldest - would be fourteen. The next eldest would be thirteen. And so on. Every year, the eldest youngling at the top would be promoted to Padawan training and sent to a Jedi Master, while a new youngling would be brought in at the bottom. (Who would be about three or four.)

(You may recall that such age differences are a big deal between children in many cultures.)

The result was, the younglings were generally friendly with eachother, but in a fairly detached way compared to a normal school, or even a family.

Nevertheless, there was a sense of comraderie between the students. After all, they were in the same situation with same teachers, and all of them wanted to become Jedi. They were all in the same boat.

And then there was this one human kid, who had limitless energy and - by the age of eight - could outduel any three of them combined with training sabres. Who relentlessly tore through any physical challenge Master Sagottoh put in front of him. Who could recite entire lessons on the Jedi code word-for-word, but took no great interest in his academic studies beyond what was expected of him.

Master Sagottoh was the disciplinarian. His approach was very enlightened. He would never just tell a headstrong youngling 'no' when they failed to understand the implications of a lesson.

Instead, he would point to the mountain and say "If you feel that way, run up that mountain to the top, then back here. Twice. Then tell me if you still believe a Jedi should conduct themselves that way."

Most of the younglings got the hint.

Corellan Halcyon got very good at running up mountains. Its partially why he has the stamina to fight for hours without difficulty.

But the problem was... the other students were a bit scared of him.

Not because of anything he did or said, but because he was so different.

Ulannium Kaarz - two years ahead of him - was maybe the only other student who understood him, and was the closest thing he had to a best friend. But Ulannium was still very different than Corellan, with different interests. (More on this another time.)

Years later when Corellan was finally sent to Tython, he thought he'd finally find what he'd lacked his whole life : peers. Jedi padawans and young knights who were wired like him.

Instead, he only found one of those.

(Cough)

More on Uphrades, Ulannium, Sagottoh and Nowan Ko another time, I hope.

[swtorpadawan]

The Agreement and Caretaker

WIP Ask Game

Oh - fun ones! Both of these are in my Halcyon Legacy!

The Agreement refers to a treaty between Corellan's Eternal Alliance and the Galactic Republic, signed sometime after Iokath.

Its rather canon-divergent, as the Alliance still has the Eternal Fleet, and - as they already have a treaty with the Empire - the Republic has little leverage.

So the piece itself shows a number of clauses in the agreement. (Actual treaties are MASSIVE. These are excepts.) And there are informative footnotes offered by Lana Beniko and her team.

Its basically a world-building instrument, but it also informs on the values of Corellan's Alliance, as well as his complicated relationship with the Republic that he defended for so long.

Caretaker takes the form of a letter from Nowan Ko Detizu of the Jedi Enclave on Uphrades. It is addressed to the Council on Tython, about nine years before the class stories begin.

It effectively advises that Ulannium Kaarz (who eventually becomes Bar'senthor) is ready to begin his time as a Padawan (he's about 14). Its mostly about Ulannium, but Corellan - aged 12 - is mentioned as well.

I rarely talk about Nowan Ko Detizu. Which is a shame. She's the closest thing Corellan knew to a mother.

Thanks for the asks @plotbunny-bundle !

[swtorpadawan]

★ - Do they prefer daytime or nighttime and why?

For Corellan

Symbol Asks

Thanks for the ask, @ayresis !

★ - Do they prefer daytime or nighttime and why?

I don't think Corellan consciously thinks about it, but the enclave on Uphrades where he grew up wasn't very practical for wandering around at night. (Also, the masters there were a little strict about curfew and so on.)

Mind you, he spent many nights camping outdoors during the dry season. But there was far more to do during the day.

I think that's stuck with him, to an extent.

[swtorpadawan]

Hey! Yeah, probably that's a late question regarding the post about WIPs.

Anyway, what's your vision of "lebentöten"? If I'm not mistaken, that'd be two German opposites in one word. Therefore I'm also quite curious why you chose to name the WIP that way and how does it relate to the story?

P.s. for some reason when I saw it the first character I thought of was Valkorion, but that's only assuming I understood the meaning of the title correctly.

Hey - Thanks so much for this ask! Glad to see my WIP is still getting traction. ( I May Have Too Many WIPs )

First - Regarding the working title - It literally translates to "Live-Kill" - so not quite opposite, but not very far either.

I had heard the term years ago and I believed it worked for the title. The German language loves compound words.

(I am obviously not a native German speaker, so please accept my apologies if I messed that up somewhere.)

Have you ever seen one of the Animal Planet / National Geographic videos of - say - a mongoose and a cobra squaring off? Someone is going to eat and someone else is going to wind up dinner.

There's this terrible cliché / trope about characters going into a "cold rage". (Click here for reference) Its a silly thing, but it occasionally plays out with Corellan.

The concept for the piece is that its about nine years before the class stories begin.

I was giddy with this idea that came to me one day about these two guys who grow up to be the Jedi Order's greatest heroes and paragons, but here they are as children, being "boys".

To that end - Corellan Halcyon is twelve and his friend, Ulannium Kaarz, is fourteen. They are younglings growing up at the Jedi enclave on Uphrades. It is the day before Ulannium is scheduled to ship out to become a Padawan, and start his journey. So for all they know, this is the last time they'll see each other.

They are off on their own, doing something stupid. And reckless. And potentially dangerous.

Without giving away details - it goes sideways. And Corellan is left facing a very dangerous predator, separated even from his training sabers.

And in that moment, for the first time in his life, he faces the choice of kill or be killed.

He survives, and Ulannium helps him get back to safety, but not before Corellan has made that choice. It scares the shit out of him. The two talk about it, and Corellan makes some peace with what happened.

It informs both on Corellan's character development and on Ulannium as well.

I hope I write it someday... although I might change the name.

[swtorpadawan]

For Nosy OC ask: 😔 something they’d change about themselves

For your pet/fav OC

uncomfortably nosy questions

Thanks for the asks, @lyrishadow !

😔 something they’d change about themselves

Corellan doesn't usually linger too much on his shortcomings. 'Jedi conditioning' does have its advantages in things like that.

He is acutely aware that his childhood was rather sheltered, even by Jedi standards. The Uphrades enclave is remote, and while he was very well educated, he loses a lot of nuance. So he leans on more worldly people like Kira and his crew in a lot of social situations.

That changes when he takes command of the Alliance. Its a huge, diverse group, coming from many cultures. He worries he's a fraud, and that people will see right through him.

Oddly, only a few people actually do this and figure out how much he's putting up a front. Senya being one, Gault another.

His life becomes healthier when he gets over all of that.

Thanks again for the ask!

[swtorpadawan]

😇- They are given praise

Thanks for the ask!

Answering for Corellan, upon request! How Does Your Muse React/Feel When…

Well, Corellan is an odd case. His Masters on Uphrades - Sagotto and Nowan - both raised the younglings entrusted to their care humbly, but were both honest with them as well. Sagotto, a wizened former Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, candidly told Corellan that he was one of the most talented duelists of his generation.

It never phased Corellan much. He felt reassured to have a future role with the Order, but he was acutely aware that he'd been a "big fish in a little pond". Even with the "interim masters" he had between Uphrades and Tython, it was the same way. They told him how formidable he was becoming as a warrior, and it was like water off a duck's back. He didn't think any of them were lying to him; he assumed they were just encouraging him on his chosen path.

He totally assumed he'd get to Tython, and would discover fifty other padawans who were exactly like him. And he was fine with that! He looked forward to having peers, since the enclave on Uphrades had their "tiered" system to keep the younglings from becoming overly attached to each other. Corellan did make friends with the student one tier ahead of him in Ulannium, but that was an exception. Then he got to Tython and was immediately made the "point man" in putting down the Flesh Raider uprising, and later became the Order's champion. And he was totally fine with all of that. It was easy for him to adapt to that role.

But it highlights that he's somewhat dismissive when other people praise him. He learned those old lessons on Uphrades a bit too well. He ultimately became pretty good at a lot of things, but it doesn't get to his head. Its not humility, really. Its just his approach to the galaxy.  

Years later, when Lana decided that HE should lead the Eternal Alliance, it baffled him. So he had to adapt to that, too. 

Thanks again for the ask!

[swtorpadawan]

The Empress and The Devil for Corellan?

Send a symbol / tarot card

Thanks for the ask, @the-raven-of-highever !

🔱 III - The Empress : Luxury, sensuousness, tapping into the natural order.

Its a study of contrasts.

The Jedi Enclave on Uphrades that Corellan grew up on was very humble and even primitive. But it was all he knew. Luxury, therefore, was merely a novelty to him when he first experienced it. He was just as comfortable sleeping on a camping blanket as a luxurious bed with silk sheets on Alderaan. (Although he starts to appreciate a good bed as he gets older.)

Nowan Ko Detizu and Sagottoh - effectively surrogate parents - were compassionate and kind, but they were careful that their wards didn't become overly detached. So they weren't terribly 'touchy-feely'. When Corellan begins his relationship with Kira, he experiences sensations he's never felt before. Not just her physical touch during intimate moments, but her very presence can soothe him like nothing else.

The Jedi claim they follow the will of the Force... and so they try to. When Corellan first arrived on Tython, he touched the ground. The planet itself was calling for a hero. When he first arrived on Odessen, he touched the ground. The planet itself was calling for someone to be a unifier. (I get into this in Soil. ) He's learned to accept what he cannot prevent or avoid.

👺 XV - The Devil : Entrapment, bondage, being stuck on the material plane, ignorance, hopelessness, depression, doubt, loss of hope.

Meta-wise - I know some people roll their eyes at BioWare's 'chosen one' narratives. And that's fine.

Corellan was basically anointed the galaxy's savior by the end of chapter one of the class story.

And that is a sort of trap. A sort of prison. Having that destiny thrust upon you can feel like being shackled.

Corellan... at one point, went through all that.

Then later, in the aftermath of Valkorion's destruction, he definitely goes through a bout of depression. An absence of hope, indeed.

Finding Kira did not "magically" fix all of his problems. But it did help him realize what he'd been doing wrong, and that he wasn't alone.

Thanks again for the ask!

[swtorpadawan]

For the one-word headcanon asks: 7, 13 for your choice of OC(s)? ~@dragonheart-swtor

Thanks for the ask! From HEADCANON PROMPT MEME

I guess I'll go with Corellan Halcyon for the first one, and Illaynah Antilles for the second.

7. Travel

Fun fact - Corellan, who was raised on Uphrades at a Jedi enclave, visited probably a dozen worlds or more before finally coming to Tython, serving under a string of masters. He leaned something from each of those masters, but none of them had as much impact on his life as Sagotto or Orgus. Most of the assignments they were on weren't particularly combat intensive, but trouble did seek them out, what with being Jedi and all. Likewise, I surmise that Corellan visited a number of worlds post-class story that aren't covered in the game content.

On every world he has visited - beginning with Uphrades, throughout his time as a padawan, then the class story and all of the expansions, up through and including my current story - someone or something on each of these worlds tried to kill him. (Sometimes multiple somethings.)

And on every world he has visited, he's inevitably been forced to kill someone. (Or something.)

That's... rough on him. He knows he had very little choice in the matter, but he genuinely doesn't WANT to kill anyone.

(Except, like, Tenebrae.)

So he enjoys travel well enough. He appreciates variety.

(Kira actually has plans to kidnap him to a planet where nothing will try to kill him and he won't have to kill anything. More on this another time.)

But i do have a piece of fic planned discussing this reality.

13. Hair  

Illaynah Antilles loves being a soldier. She really, truly, does.

The one thing she hates about it, though, is having to wear her hair up or short.

She wants more than anything to let it flow. Her hair is actually kind of long. But she has to wear it in a bun and she HATES that.

For the record - Its not about regulations. It is honestly the worst idea to wear your hair long in combat, especially while wearing a helmet.

But she hates it so much.

Thanks again for the asks!

[swtorpadawan]

The Halcyon Legacy

Recently I’ve seen @tishinada , @spindlewit and others release impressive reports on their Legacies through KOTFE/KOTET. These looked like a lot of fun. I was planning on doing something with this myself, and one project sort of dove-tailed with the other. None on my OCs here are blood relations, but most have encountered each other. So without further ado, here is the HALCYON LEGACY.

Name: Corellan Halcyon Gender: Male Species: Human Status / Position: Alive / Formerly Jedi Master and Battlemaster of the Jedi Order; now Commander of the Eternal Alliance (with several courtesy titles he doesn’t care about, but others seem to) Relationship: Kira Carsen

About Him: Corellan was born on Legol, a minor corporate gas mining colony that was destroyed during the First Galactic War. An infant Corellan – named so by the Republic soldier (Rusk) who saved him - was evacuated off-planet and, discovered to be Force-sensitive, was turned over to the Jedi Order. (This is all recounted in my work “Beginnings”.) Corellan was raised and trained at a remote Jedi Enclave on Uphrades, where his most distinguished Master was Sagotto, a retired Jedi Battlemaster. At the age of 16 and now a full Padawan, Corellan began serving under a series of Masters in relatively short apprenticeships, most of whom were traveling around the Outer Rim. Through all of this, Corellan had very little contact with the “main” Jedi Order as a whole, which meant that when he was finally sent to Tython for his Jedi Trials, his view on the Order and his place within it was somewhat skewed. (At that point, Corellan thought that most Jedi were like him, and that he was nothing exceptional.)

Nevertheless, Corellan quickly developed a strong bond with Orgus Din during his brief time as his Padawan, and when he rescued Teeseven from the Flesh Raiders he made a friend for life. Corellan likewise grew close to Kira Carsen when she was assigned his Padawan, and shortly after her promotion to Knighthood, the two began a relationship. (This is recounted in the first chapter of my “Kira Carsen and the Hero of Tython” fic.) During the class story, Corellan committed only two “Dark-side” choices. The first was when he told Kira he would protect her from the Emperor; the second was when he slew the Emperor in cold blood on Dromund Kaas. Corellan is the coalition’s champion during the Shadow of Revan story, finally allowing the legendary warrior to find peace. His life takes a definite turn early in Knights of the Fallen Empire; separated from his crew and with the Order shattered, he realizes he must go beyond the Jedi’s teachings in order to win this conflict. His confrontation with Satele – a woman whom he’d looked at as almost a mother-like figure – on Odessen was intense and was one of the few times he’s almost lost it. He recovered, however, and he, Satele and Marr parted on good terms.      

Corellan goes through a number of armor changes during the game, wearing the Resolute Guardian armor set for most of the Jedi Knight campaign before switching to the Ruthless Scion – dyed blue and white – during KOTFE/KOTET. In the aftermath of these events, with Senya and Arcann’s blessing, Corellan started wearing Thexan’s raiment.

In my head-canon, Teeseven, Rusk, and Doc all saw their stories develop similar to the way they did in canon. Scourge did leave, however, did not take Kira with him to find Vitiate’s original body. Kira herself was part of an anti-Zakuulan resistance organization. When that group was destroyed and scattered, she became desperate to form a new one, but, in her own words ‘got into trouble’. (More to come on this, and what became of Scourge.)

Name: Gahraath Vaiken / [Cipher Nine] Gender: Male Species: Human Status / Position: Alive / Former top operative for Imperial Intelligence / Now top ‘cleaner’ for the Alliance   Relationships: Raina Temple About Him: Gahraath Vaiken, the man known to the galaxy as [Cipher Nine], went through the gamut of emotions in the final days of Imperial Intelligence, and a lesser operative would have cracked. Fortunately, he unexpectedly found comfort in the arms of Raina Temple, who saw him through those dark times. When it was over, [Cipher Nine] discovered that he was loyal to an Empire that never existed. When Sith Intelligence was formed under Lana Beniko, he accepted assignments as an independent operative, but never trusted her. During the early days of the Eternal Empire invasion, [Cipher Nine] was separated from his crew, marooned on a colony believed to be destroyed. By the time he found a way to escape, years had passed and his crew had long since scattered. [Cipher Nine] joined the Alliance not long after its formation, using a fake name and identity. On Odessen, he had a private conversation with Corellan Halcyon. No one seems to know what was said between the two, but afterwards, he disclosed his true status as a former operative of Imperial Intelligence. Lana Beniko was enraged at his deception, but the Commander insisted he be allowed to remain. Since then, he’s become the Alliance’s top sniper and removal specialist. (Though these days, he takes most of his targets in with tranquilizers.)

[Cipher Nine]’s crew mostly followed the canon story. SCORPIO, Kaliyo and Lokin would all eventually join the Alliance. Vector Hyllus withdrew to the Killiks, but eventually would broker an arrangement with the Alliance, largely with [Cipher Nine]’s help. [Cipher Nine] is unaware that Raina Temple returned to the Chiss Ascendency and has been looking for her for some time.    

Name: Bas’rish Gender: Female Species: Twi’lek Status / Position: Alive / Formerly known as “the Voidhound” / later “Logistics” deputy with the Alliance Relationships: A long series of short-term relationships over time, most recently with Koth Vortena About Her: Having grown up in poverty on Ryloth, Bas’rish sees her ship and her lifestyle as a smuggler captain as the ultimate expression of her freedom and has never allowed herself to be tied down by anything. Bas’rish first met Corellan and Kira on Nar Shaddaa, where she had gotten herself into trouble with the Hutts. This encounter led her to declare Corellan her ‘little brother’, although Corellan was only two years younger and about six inches taller than the Twi’lek smuggler. Two years after the Eternal Empire invaded, Bas’rish was captured by the Exarch of Belsavis during a mission. She was cruly treated by the Exarch for the next three years, during the course of which her crew believed she had been killed. [I retell this in my short story ‘Three Years’.]

Corellan and Teeseven rescued Bas’rish during their raid on the Star Fortress, and Bas’rish would go on to put down the Exarch herself. Afterwards, she joined the Alliance, where she was reunited with Bowdarr, and later Guss and Akaavi.    

Name: Xadya Gender: Female Species: Human Status / Position: Alive / Most recent Grand Champion of the Great Hunt / Alliance operative Relationships: While “gameplay Xadya” romanced Torian Cadera, “headcanon Xadya” eventually wound up with Mako. About Her: Xadya’s early background and childhood are a closely guarded secret. Its possible she’s told Mako how she got the scars on her face and necks, but if so, she’s the only one. Xadya briefly encountered Corellan on Makeb; before the two champions could come to blows, Kira and Mako – who had known each other back on Nar Shaddaa – managed to broker a cease-fire. Xadya told Corellan what had happened with Jun Seros, and the two eventually parted ways with a mutual professional respect. Xadya and her crew fought alongside Mandalore the Vindicated during the Zakuulan invasion, fleeing only after the old Mandalore – who was something of a father figure to Xadya – was killed. Xadya took a few survivors and went underground, stepping back from the galaxy and effectively letting her crew go their own ways, with the exception of Mako. It was only at this point that Mako, a few years older and wiser, expressed her feelings to Xadya, which she reciprocated. The two put together a small group of Mandolorians on the Outer Rim, a group which included Akaavi Spar. Years later, Torian – who had been trusted with the means to contact Xadya and Mako – reached out, eventually persuading the two to join the Eternal Alliance.

Xadya’s crew – with the exception of Mako – developed much as they did in the game. When she joined the Alliance, Corellan disclosed to her – out of respect -that he and Rusk had sent Skadge to prison. (She was not devastated.)

Xadya has come to respect Shae Vizla and accept her as the new Mandalore, but it was slow going.

Name: Illaynah Antilles Gender: Female Species: Human Status / Position: Alive / Former Major in the Republic Military / Former Commander Officer of Havoc Squad / leader of the Tralus resistance movement / eventual Alliance Special Forces Commander Relationships: A series of short-term liaisons, including with Ava Jaxo, Jonas Balkar and very briefly with Theron Shan. About Her: Illaynah Antilles is a native of Tralus, near Corellia. She had a complicated relationship with her father, a former Republic soldier who was forced to retire due to a crippling injury. He fell into an alcohol-driven depression and never wanted Illaynah to follow in his footsteps. He said some truly hurtful things to her when she enlisted, and Illaynah never resolved things with him before his death. Her years commanding Havoc Squad were complicated for Illaynah. She began her service as a true patriot of the Republic, but her experiences with General Garza during her service soon enlightened her to the darker realities that resulted from decades of conflict. Illaynah actually had high hopes for Chancellor Saresh, and that continued up until her failures when the Eternal Empire invaded. When the Republic effectively surrendered to Zakuul so they could continue their war against the Sith, she resigned in disgust. When she discovered her homeworld of Tralus now had a Zakuulan Star Fortress orbiting it. Illaynah ran a resistance cell for the next few years, and was eventually contacted by the Alliance for assistance. After helping Corellan take out the Star Fortress, she would eventually join the Alliance as their Special Forces commander.

Illaynah’s old squad-mates in Havoc Squad saw their careers take similar roads as in the canon. Jorgan took over while Elara was transferred to Jace Malcolm’s staff. Forex became a Republic mouthpiece, while Yuun went off on his own to Zakuul to study their technology. Tanno Vik eventually settled on Asylum to do Tanno’s thing. The first three all would eventually find themselves joining the Alliance, with Elara serving as a representative of the Republic military. While they all have other responsibilities, Havoc Squad occasionally reforms for special missions.  

Name: Zu’fanda Gender: Female Species: Twi’lek Status / Position: Deceased / Darth Nox / Member of the Dark Council / Order of Revan Relationship: Andronikos Revel About Her: Zu’fanda spent her early years as a slave in the Sith Empire. Despite countless abuses, she nevertheless persevered, and when it was discovered that she was was Force sensitive, she thrived as a Sith. Although solidly a Dark Sider, Zu’fanda understood that the Force was greater than what she’d been taught on Korriban. This led to many interesting conversations with Ashara Zavros. The two never completely saw eye to eye, but it did lead Zu’fanda to take a hard look at the Emperor. Realizing what Vitiate was, she made a critical decision to stop this existential threat.

She threw in with the Order of Revan.

Zu’fanda led the assault on Tython, with the secret objective of securing the Rakatan artifact the Revanites needed. Just before the Republic counterattack began, Zu’fanda gave the order for dozens of captured Padawans to be executed. Ashara protested the decision, leading to a verbal altercation between master and apprentice right when Zu’fanda’s full focus needed to be on the coming Republic attack.

That attack came in the form of Corellan, Kira and Lord Scourge appearing in the council chamber to confront Zu’fanda, Ashara and Khem Val. It should have been an even fight, but the conflict between Zu’fanda and Ashara threw off the timing of the Imperials. Ashara missed a ‘switch’ as Corellan squared off against Nox, giving Kira the opening she needed to strike down the Dark Council member. At Nox’s death, Ashara went catatonic while Khem charged Kira in an uncontrolled fury... leaving the Dashade open for Scourge to cut him down.    

In the aftermath of Zu’fanda’s death, Ashara was taken prisoner by the Jedi order, but later escaped during the Zakuulan invasion of Tython. Andronikos swore revenge against the Jedi who had killed the love of his life. Xalek, regretting his master’s death but judging it to be the will of the Force, departed the service of the Sith Empire. [Later showing up on Ilum.] Talos, loyal to Nox but not particularly close to her, rejoined the Imperial Reclamation Service. [Talos and Xalek would eventually encounter Corellan, joining the Eternal Alliance.] Andronikos is still unaccounted for. Ashara, however, may be making an appearance soon…

Name: Ulannium Kaarz Gender: Male Species: Mirialan Status / Position: Bar’senthor of the Jedi Order; later special emissary to the Eternal Alliance Relationship: Nadia Grell [Though their relationship develops very differently from the class story, which is terribly rushed.] About Him: Ulannium was raised on Uphrades at the same enclave that produced Corellan. Despite the fact that he was four years older than the future Battlemaster, the two younglings became friends, both somewhat in awe at the other’s abilities. As a Padawan and later a Jedi Knight and Master, Ulannium proved to be an incredibly potent Seer and one of the best diplomats in the order. Ulannium provided comfort to Nadia after the death of her father, and it was only years later, after Nadia became a Jedi Knight in her own right, that the two began acting on their feelings for each other, and only then as equals.

After the Eternal Empire invaded and Tython fell, Ulannium helped Gnost-Dural evacuate, establishing the colony on Ossus. His crew each went their own way, with Zenith returning to Balmorra, Qyzen starting to mentor other Trandoshans, Tharan Cedrax roped into the Republic’s latest secret weapons projects, and Felix Iresso rejoining the Republic military, only to be captured opposing the Eternal Empire. [These are all consistent with the base story.] Ulannium and Nadia continued their relationship on Ossus discreetly, with only Gnost-Dural knowing their secret. After years of isolation from the galaxy, Corellan and the Eternal Alliance would discover Ossus, helping them fight off a rogue Imperial attack. [This is divergence from the canon story, where the attack on Ossus was ordered by Empress Acina.] Afterwards, Ulannium and Nadia effectively joined the Alliance, serving as representatives of the now-rebuilding Jedi order.

Having grown up together, Ulannium and Corellan remain close friends, albeit they’ve only worked together on a handful of occasions.  

Name: Lord Kael Gender: Male Species: Pureblood Status / Position: Deceased / Emperor’s Wrath Relationship: After a series of ‘encounters’ during the class story, Kael eventually committed himself to Jaesa Willsaam. However, upon realizing that he had been abandoned by Vitiate, Kael went insane and abandoned Jaesa and his crew. By the time she found out what happened to him, he had been killed on Yavin.

About Him: Kael was a truly monstrous Sith who never passed on the opportunity to order a good massacre or to torment a fallen enemy. Perhaps his sole redeeming virtue was that he was (usually) nice to Vette, though frankly, he almost thought of her as a pet. When he pursued Jaesa, he did so with particular gusto, relishing in the slaughter of her parents and her former Master. Like most Sith, Kael was raised to regard the Emperor as a god. When he became the Emperor’s Wrath and slew Baras, he saw it as his ‘great destiny’ and committed himself fully to Vitiate. When it was revealed that the Emperor had been using the Empire (including Kael) for his own ends the entire time and sought to destroy the galaxy, it broke something in his mind. He abandoned his crew on a murderous bender; Jaesa may not have been a stabilizing influence on his life, but Vette and the others had been. In his rage, Kael was approached by a powerful and charismatic man who promised him the chance for revenge against Vitiate.

Unfortunately for Kael, that man was Revan.

Kael threw in with the Revanites, becoming Revan’s personal enforcer. During the Battle of Yavin, Revan sent him out with the last of his reserves in a last-ditch counteroffensive. At the crucial moment, Kael and his warriors were confronted by Corellan and Kira. For nearly an hour they battled. The Hero of Tython and the Emperor’s Wrath were evenly matched, but Corellan was playing a mental game. Kael’s offensive lost all momentum, letting the coalition forces rally. Realizing that even if he won the battle that he had already lost the war, Kael lost the last of his sanity, attacking the Jedi with complete abandon. With Kira’s help, Corellan slew him.

As for the rest of Kael’s old crew, their fates mostly played out as they did in the canon story. Vette eventually teamed with Gault, Quinn became an advisor to Empress Acina, Pierce became the Empire’s new ‘model’ soldier, and Broonmark went on a killing spree against everyone who he blamed for the Talz being the cuddly teddy-bear insects they are. As for Jaesa, she swore vengeance against Corellan and Kira. Her plans broke down when the Eternal Empire attacked and Corellan disappeared while Kira went underground. But its possible we may hear from her again… _________________________________________ I hope people enjoyed this. I will tag some people for fun, but no pressure! @inyri​ @greyias​ @legacystarwarred​ @pauletta-00​

And anyone else who wants to try it! 

[swtorpadawan]

What planet do they now call home? Either where their stronghold is or where you headcanon they live at. (Any and all OCs you want)

Oh! Thank you so much! So Corellan Halcyon (M/JK/LS) was born on a small mining colony world called Legol. When he was still an infant, the Empire completely obliterated the colony, with baby Corellan being the last refugee to be evacuated be evacuated, and has no memory of his parents or anything else. (I chronicled this somewhat in Chap. 1 of my “Heroes of Tython” series.)Corellan was discovered to be Force sensitive, and spent most of his childhood being raised at a Jedi enclave on Uphrades. They had an unusual system, there. To discourage over-attachment between students, none of them were the same age. There were about 10-15 at any given time, and it was a tiered aging system. So the oldest might be 17, while the youngest might be 3. The result was that Corellan went years without knowing what it meant to have a peer, or a real friend. Years later, Darth Angral would destroy Uphrades during Chp1 of the JK story.Although he was called Hero of Tython, he had ever stayed there, so it was never home.The Defender became his only real home for years, and that was because Kira and T7 were with him. It was only when he came to Odessen that he felt like he was truly home. (I recount this in my story “Soil”) Thank you so much for the question!