A piece ‘a Me

((A little explanation may be required for this. Basically, on the announcement of the Threat of Peace comic feature on Bioware’s SW:TOR website, we are now lead to believe that there is at least a 10-year gap between the events of the Sacking of Coruscant and the start of the TOR game. This would have left my characters unacceptably old (in their early 30s) at the beginning of the game. I had to, therefore shorten the Bio and cut out several events and remove the 6 years between Shin becoming a Padawan and the Sacking. It’s kinda cut the story a little short but hey, it was forced on me!))

Shinyo Velock. A young Jedi in a dark time.

It’s so easy to become aggressive and headstrong, filled with resentment for the atrocities of the recent past. From the death of his parents on Utapau only 12 years ago, to the Sacking of Coruscant just a few short months ago, it took a special kind of person to keep your head and stick to your goals in a time like this.

Raised by loving and proud parents in a sinkhole city on Utapau, Shin was always aware from as early as he could remember that something beyond his own body was helping him along the way. He never really knew what. His father only said that he would find out one day when he was old enough to understand. This talent didn’t go unnoticed, however. The Sith, who occupied Utapau early on during the Great War, intended to take the boy as soon as he was old enough to stand the Sith training regime. What they didn’t see coming until it was too late was that the Jedi, tipped off by a message passed from Shin’s parents, would also come for the boy.

On Shin’s 8th birthday the Jedi Order sent two Jedi, the Twi’lek Master Tres Ul’Quam and his Zabrak Padawan, Uthir Vern, to rescue the boy from the Sith occupied world. The rescue effort was successful, but at a price. Master Ul’Quam was struck down while battling with Darth Terros, the ruling Dark Lord of Utapau at the time, and faded into the force. Only the brave actions of Uthir Vern, who cut off one of Terros’s hands and pushed him into the sinkhole, saved them. They escaped Utapau and, after holding off a group of Sith fighters, made the jump to lightspeed to escape the Sith patrols. After meeting Kel Dor Jedi Knight Gorna Doon on Nar Shaddaa, and escaping attempts by bounty hunters and the Sith to capture them, they returned to Coruscant.

Shin was a member of the Jedi Order now. It was a big and scary world for someone so young. So much to learn, no familiarity, and still grieving the loss of his parents and home. At first, Shin withdrew into himself, and found it difficult to learn the teachings of the Jedi Masters that taught the Younglings. That changed when one day he caught the attention of Master Willa. Willa was one from ‘Yoda’s species’** and a great master. He sensed the fear and pain in the boys heart, and the strong grasp of the Force the boy had, and began tutoring him personally. Shin blossomed under Willa’s tutelage, quickly catching up and surpassing his classmates. He also began to open up, making some new friends, a Twi’lek girl named Reyna Tawn, and a Zabrak boy called Carin-Dur. The three of them formed a bond, as friends and through the Force that would set the path of their lives together forever.

At the age of 11, Shin was given an apprenticeship with another person he had formed a great friendship with. Now a Jedi Knight, Uthir Vern had petitioned the High Council in person to take the boy on as his Padawan. Although initially suspecting Uthir Vern wanted to teach Shin for emotional reasons, which would drag him to the dark side should anything happen to the boy, Uthir convinced them ultimately by citing his knowledge of the importance of Shin’s place as a Jedi and protection of the boy from the Sith. Uthir also took great pains to ensure he studied every text he could get hold of in the archives that would help train the boy and also advance his own progress as a Jedi. Impressed by his dedication, the High Council relented and allowed him to take the boy as his Apprentice.

Shin left his friends behind. Reyna was taken as an apprentice by a Jedi Master, but was only assigned to menial missions on Coruscant as she was not considered strong enough to take part in the war. Reyna soon became frustrated, and with Shin gone and hardly ever seeing Carin-Dur she became depressed and began to resent the Jedi. One night Reyna disappeared from the academy and was not seen again. With both friends now gone, Carin-Dur struggled with his study, and as was customary for one who didn’t find a master by the age of 12, he was forced to leave the Jedi Order, but as he was such talented technician the Order helped him, enrolling him at a Republic military college on Coruscant as a droid engineering student.

Initially the apprenticeship came as a shock to Shin’s system. Suddenly torn away from his friends and the comfortable environment of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Shin began to doubt his abilities. Being Uthir’s Padawan threw him out into a big wide galaxy, on dangerous assignments and into a war. After a tough first assignment that left Shin mentally scared and physically in pain, he was at a point of despair. His grip on the Force that he had built up over the years was slipping away. It was at this time that he saw his first vision. As he laid awake one night the ghost of his father came and sat next to him on his bed. He explained how proud he was of Shin, and that these trials were all part of becoming a truly great Jedi. The next morning Shin explained what he had seen to Uthir and Master Willa, who both reassured him and, before he and Uthir left for his next assignment, helped Shin let go of his pain and rebuild his connection to the Force. Shin rose to shine on his next assignment, when used the Force to contain an explosion in a town that otherwise would have killed hundreds.

And then it came. Recalled to Coruscant, a force was assembled by the Jedi and the tattered remnants of the Republic Army and Navy to defend the city-planet against a possible Sith attack. The attack didn’t come, at first. The Sith Empire fleet rallied for what looked like the final strike on Coruscant but instead sent a diplomatic team to the Galactic Senate to negotiate the Republic’s surrender. The Jedi stood by, knowing that they were planning something terrible, but helpless to act. Then it happened, during the night. Thousands of Sith Marauders hunted down the Jedi and laid siege to the Jedi Temple. Orbital bombardments wreaked havoc, killing thousands of civilians and destroying buildings all over the planet. The Jedi fought valiantly to protect the temple, but ultimately were unable to stop the Sith entering. Sith laid waste to the temple, removing many important Holocrons, and ultimately challenging the Jedi High Council, killing six of it’s members.

During the fighting at the temple gates Shin and Uthir crossed lightsabers with Reyna. She had fallen to the dark side and was part of the Sith hunting force. They fought a heated battle, the young Sith acolyte, as she held off both the Jedi Knight and his Padawan. Reyna failed to defeat them both, but did manage to severely injure Uthir, and slashed open Shin’s hand. Shin subdued the young Sith warrior, who was strong but lacked the skill at the lightsaber that Willa and Uthir had taught Shin. Overcome with anger, Shin almost killed her but, at the last minute he looked into her eyes and he saw a tear. Sensing the fear and sorrow his friend was suffering, he relented. In return Reyna saw the awful pain she’d inflicted upon her former friends and her resolve broke. Shin offered her redemption from the Dark Side and she joined the Jedi defenders. The pair then saved Uthir using the Force to heal his wound, and saving his life. They got Uthir to safety and set out to help defend the temple. Reyna, however was recognised as a traitor by a Sith and struck down. Shin forced to leave her as he, a Togruta Knight named Elm Torare and Gorna Doon joined the effort to defend the Jedi Temple. As they fought on, Gorna Doon was killed after charging into a group of Sith to rescue a team of civilian workers, and Shin suffered a severe injury to his left arm. Finally, Elm Torare was also wounded but managed to get to safety with Uthir Vern and Master Willa’s help.

Elsewhere in the city a Zabrak technician was franticly struggling to repair a defense turret. As he looked around at the battle around him he became aware of a falling building near a group of Jedi. Using all his strength in the Force, something he hadn’t done for awhile, Carin-Dur jumped and ran, sweeping 3 young Jedi from the path of a falling tower. He was, however, struck himself by the falling debris and buried.

As all three friends lay close to death they simultaneously had a vision. From the safety of their hiding place, Elm Torare, Uthir Vern and Master Willa were able to project an image of themselves to each of them as they lay in the fallen rubble of the temple to give them a message that all three were all still alive. The friends reached out to each other and supported each other through the Force long enough to be rescued by medical teams after the fighting ceased.

As the dust settled after what became known as the Sacking of Coruscant, the Galactic Senate were forced to sign the oppressive Treaty of Coruscant agreement, and the Republic was at the mercy of it’s Sith invaders. Blaming the Jedi for failing to defend against the Sith and drawing them to Coruscant to sack the Jedi Temple, they expelled the Jedi Order from Coruscant. The war had turned to a new reality. One of Cold War.

** I hate to have to phrase it this way but as many of you will know, the species has no official name in Star Wars canon.