therenadarni

[therenadarni]

The Northern Frontier - Prologue

For the final time, drops of rain fell on the ancient forests of an unnamed world. They tapped lightly on the leaves and branches overhead, before one breached the canopy, striking the up-turned face of the man standing among the roots.

He closed his eyes, letting a few more drops hit his lined forehead, his cheek, his nose, before returning his attention to the younger woman beside him. The hood of the man’s dull purple cloak thudded in his ears as the rain grew heavier. She looked at him expectantly. 

“Master?” She asked, the word coming out awkwardly. Her own light poncho was not faring as well in the elements and she clearly wanted to leave.

Master. He had waited so long to be addressed with that title. Though he had always imagined hearing it from a Knight. This company representative, Dira, was merely being polite, not truly meaning the word in the way that an Alsakani Jedi would. Regardless, Var Khoonda took what pleasure he could from hearing his new position recognised.

“Yes,” he said, “I am satisfied. Your teams may begin.”

Dira typed a code into the small device she carried, and an immense roar vibrated through the forest floor, as dozens of huge forestry drones came to life. Though he couldn’t see them now, Var remembered the machines from the tour he’d been given aboard the Dantar Corporation ship Intention. They were mindless, hulking things, and it was hard not to project a sort of malevolence onto them, as if the red painted lines across their hulls were streaks of blood, and the implements they wielded were deadly weapons.

Within moments the first thunderous cracks of wood and the whining of laser-saws echoed through the trees. The damp, musty smell of wild growth was replaced with that of charred wood and sap. Dira’s expression grew solemn, though Var didn’t find it entirely convincing.

This visit to Dantar’s newest project was an odd formality, one that Var assumed was entirely for his benefit. As a Jedi, perhaps Dira thought he would mark the occasion with some sort of rite or incantation, to mourn the loss of an untouched biome. The gesture was appreciated, but unnecessary. Var was here for people, the Republic, those through whom the Force enacted its will. If the guardians of civilisation were to break down in tears over every flood, forest fire, or chemical spill that occurred across the galaxy, the Republic would have permanently collapsed millennia ago.

Behind them, the noise of a shuttle’s engines were added to the din. Turning to face the large clearing in which it had just landed, Var inhaled deeply. As pointless as this excursion had been for him, he welcomed this final respite before the true work began. Mantooine. The temple. A dozen Knights and their eventual students. Then there were the settlers, the corporations, the indigenes, and all of the disputes that resulted from their interactions. The future of an entire region of space had been placed on Var Khoonda’s shoulders.

The strange mixture of eager anticipation and dread left him feeling as if he were levitating several kilometers above the surface, able to see and control far more than anyone else, but simultaneously at risk of a calamitous fall at any moment. This was the edge of greatness. Spreading the light of the Jedi to a thousand new worlds was the pinnacle of what a master could hope to achieve within a human lifespan.

The shuttle resembled a giant metal brick with stubby wings, rounded edges and a blunt nose featuring a large viewport. It was the same vessel that had dropped the pair off fifteen minutes earlier, and despite the ship’s frankly ugly external appearance, the passenger cabin would not have been out of place on a luxury starliner. The room was richly adorned; Var and Dira had access to a range of refreshments, alcoholic and otherwise, and a state-of-the-art holographic entertainment system. Enough to keep them occupied far longer than the five minutes it would take to return to the Intention parked in orbit.

Var entered first. He removed his cloak and turned to face his companion, allowing some excitement to show in his smile.

“Well, Dira,” he said, “this journey has been extremely enlightening. The settlers of these new worlds will be very happy with what Dantar provides them, I’m sure.” Var strode towards a seat beside a starboard window and settled in.

“I’m very glad you think so, Master,” she said, still standing while the door closed behind her. “Is there anything—?”

“No, no,” he said, waving off the question. “Please, sit” he gestured towards the window, “and show me your vision of the future.”

As they rose above the rapidly shrinking forest, the full scale of the drones’ operation became apparent. Dozens of slate grey machines the size of small buildings advanced side by side, leaving behind them a slurry of mud, sawdust, and other organic matter.

Wild Space was being tamed. The Republic was its new master, and the Jedi would be its keepers. Var Khoonda found it easy to be reassured here, on a world with no intelligent life, no precious resources to fight over, and where the only truth to believe was the one presented by one’s own eyes. But without ambiguity and without conflict, a Jedi served no purpose. It was time to set things in motion. Intention loomed above, and Var considered the twelve Jedi Knights waiting for him. Some were familiar names, for better or worse, while others were entirely unknown. For now, all he could do was hope that they were able to meet the coming challenges, and that the Force would be with them when they did.

[therenadarni]

There are a lot of Jedi terms and phrases with no established origin, so I came up with my own headcanon/fanon for some of them, plus some terms of my own. I really like the idea of a Jedi having two Padawans at the same time, and I think the “Jar’wan” dynamic could be really fun to play with.

I would love to learn more about other fanon lore people have come up with!

Words

jar - 'twin,' 'sibling,' or 'paired'

ka / kai - 'sword' / 'swords'

la / lah - 'light,' in the sense of 'illumination' or 'brightness'

oss - 'essence,' often used to refer to the Force as the underlying structure of the universe

pad - 'beneath' or 'under'

rhen / ren - originally referred to interstellar space, but various groups have interpreted it as 'darkness,' 'chaos,' or 'the void,' among other things

var - 'guide'

wan - 'student' or 'learner'

Terms/Phrases

Jar'Kai - the use of two blades in combat, literally meaning 'paired swords.' The Atrisian city of Jar'Kai shares its name with the dueling style, and debates continue as to whether the city was named for the technique, or vice-versa.

Jar'wan / Jarawan - meaning 'paired student' or 'sibling student,' it comes from 'jar' and 'wan.' Dates back to when some Mentors (Ossovars) would take on multiple Padawans at once.

Ka var - ‘sword guide.’ This title would eventually be replaced by ‘Weapon Master.’

lah kai - an ancient Jedi tradition which involves intensely choreographed mock duels, in which no blades are permitted to touch until the climax of the performance. Literally 'flashing swords.'

Oss'var / Ossovar - literally 'guide in the Force,' in early Republic history, Jedi would be paired as Ossovar and Padawan, before the former was replaced by the Basic words 'Mentor' and 'Master.'

Ossus - An ancient Jedi planet. Named originally from two interpretations of 'oss.' An abbreviated way of saying 'the Force holds the universe together.'

Pad'wan / Padawan - from 'pad' and 'wan' translating literally to 'under-student.'

Rhen Var - the name of a planet in the Outer Rim. Its name is often translated to 'guide through the darkness.'

Taarath - An outdated term once used to refer to a Jedi Master. Origin unknown.

var'pad - not a common phrase, but would become 'Vaapad' eventually. Literally, it means 'guided submersion.'

[therenadarni]

Also, can we talk more about the relationship Darth Sion and Meetra Surik (fExile) in KOTOR 2?

You as the exile go to fight him in Trayus Academy and he talks of how much he hates Darth Traya, then says

"I hate you because you crawl within my head as she does, but your presence holds no thoughts, no teachings, you are just… there, unspoken. I hate you because you are beautiful to me. And in that weakness lies death."

Like he watched you throughout the whole game--the beginning when he finds you on the harbinger, then he finds you again on Korriban, and of course the final fight. He has been following you so much. Of course he falls in love.

So many times during the game, especially at the end, it is hinted at/stated that Meetra Surik has an unavoidable call to her through the Force. A part of the very end before you land on Malachor V is debating whether your companions are here with you because they want to be, or because you want them to be.

So yes, of course Sion falls in love. And of course it ends in us killing him. How else could it end?