#Merrinverse

”I offer my skills and my lightsaber in service to the people of Dydax.”

《《《 General Information 》》》

Name:

Venethan

Nickname:

Ven

The Jedi iral

Alias:

Venjaro of Caradon

Full Title:

Venethan

Jedi Watchman,

Paladin of House d’Azalla

Occupation:

Jedi Watchman,

fleet commander

Species:

Morganian

Age:

Born - 46 BBY

Died - 303 ABY

Sexuality:

Demisexual, demiromantic

Place of Birth:

Morganoth

Place of Residence:

Over the course of his life, there were a handful of places which Venethan considered to be home. During his formative years and early adulthood, this place was the Jedi Temple. After the Temple was ransacked at the start of the Great Jedi Purge, he found himself without a home to return to. He was graciously allowed to remain on Dydax, the planet over which he had been shot down during the execution of Order 66, and he lived under the protection of the planet’s senator, Elana d’Azalla, at Fairlen Manor. He lived there for the remainder of his life.

Faction(s) ed:

Galactic Republic

Jedi Order

Jedi Watchmen

Republic Navy

Lightning Squadron

Sovereign Dydax

Dydaxian Defence Force

House d’Azalla

New Jedi Order

Crimes Committed:

As a Jedi during the time of the Galactic Republic, Venethan never committed any crimes, nor was he even accused of any other than that which was collectively heaped upon the Order by the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, the crime of treason against the Republic, which was used to justify the execution of Order 66. The charges carried over into Imperial rule, which forced Venethan to live an alternate life, changing his name and remaining carefully hidden on Dydax, under the protection of one of the planet’s most prestigious families, House d’Azalla. The charges were formally dropped when Dydax ed the New Republic a few years after the Battle of Endor. Many years later, charges of conspiracy to commit treason were leveled against him by prosecutors working with the Galactic Alliance Guard, and though these charges were also eventually formally dropped, that did not stop the GAG from attempting to capture him, and nearly executing him on the spot when he resisted arrest.

"The d’Azallas have been very kind to me. They took me in, protected me, and in return I do what I can for them. They are an honorable family, and I am glad the Force brought us together."

《《《 Physical Characteristics 》》》

Height:

5’ 9”

Weight:

150 lbs

Eye Color:

Dark brown

Hair Color:

Dark brown, slightly darker than his eyes

Skin Color:

Pale, typical of the Morganian species

Body Type:

Rectangular

Scars:

Over the course of his life, particularly during his days with the Old Jedi Order, Venethan collected a significant number of scars. Most of them covered his abdomen and legs, and were obtained during his near-death experience that came with the execution of Order 66 near the end of the war. He obtained several more decades later, during a contest of wills with of Jacen Solo’s Galactic Alliance Guard.

Overall Fitness:

Venethan’s training as a Jedi Sentinel required him to be in excellent physical condition, and this was partially helped by his connection to the light side of the Force. He maintained a solid physique thanks to a regular regimen of training in the morning, even after he was no longer considered a regular Jedi. Later, he also began training with partners, which livened the experience, especially when his partners were people he was close to, such as his friend, Elana. All of this assisted in the personal maintenance of his health and physicality, and kept him in prime condition even well into old age.

"I dedicated myself to my Jedi family, but they’ve been gone for decades. My wife and son have my complete dedication now.”

《《《 Mentality 》》》

Defining Traits

+ Empathetic +

+ Discerning +

+ Dedicated +

+ Tactful +

+ Strategic +

- Reserved -

- Tunnel-visioned -

- Reckless -

- Headstrong -

- Perfectionist -

Personality Type:

ISFJ

( Introverted )

( obServant )

( Feeling )

( Judging )

General Mood:

Ever the calm one, Venethan was very rarely out of sorts, always approaching every situation and interaction with a level head, and a mild amount of mirth.

Humor:

Light and innocent, he was always happy to joke a bit, but only really with friends. Among strangers he was quiet and stoic.

Moral Alignment:

Neutral Good

”There is much I can teach you, if you’re willing to learn.”

《《《 Equipment 》》》

Clothing:

Venethan’s clothing was always simple, and it remained that way throughout his life. For many years, he wore the traditional robes of the Jedi, almost always with an overcloak. After the Great Jedi Purge, he switched to garments easily found on Dydax, which could be furnished from just about anywhere on the planet. He developed a particular fondness for robes made of silks from the constituency of Armsarven, near the planet’s equator.

Weapons:

During his days as a Jedi, Venethan used a characteristically simple lightsaber outfitted with a golden-hued blade as was traditional for Jedi Sentinels. The hilt was a straightforward metal cylinder four centimeters in diameter and wrapped in synth-leather for a better grip. It had a slightly enlarged pommel and a curved emitter guard. It was a rustic, efficient, durable design which never failed him.

Utilities:

Not one to carry physical utilities, he rarely had them on his person. During his time with the Old Jedi Order, he carried a standard Jedi utility belt, but discarded it after Order 66, and never picked up anything similar again, until he began serving the New Jedi Order regularly centuries after the fall of the Old Jedi.

《《《 Combat Style 》》》

Preferred Weapons

As a Jedi, Venethan’s preferred weapon is the single gold-bladed lightsaber he wields, at least when he is engaged in personal combat. However, above all, he enjoys using his mind in combat, forming strategies and participating in battle on a grander scale.

Combat Disciplines

Form VI, Niman

Republic naval tactics

Dydaxian naval doctrine

As a combatant, Venethan grew to much prefer working on a grand scale than fighting “up close and personal”; it was the primary reason that he tended to gravitate toward the naval tradition, especially. As a student of the tactically-minded Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis, Venethan absorbed everything his master had to offer on this front, and actively sought out resources to make him a better tactician, hoping to follow in his master’s footsteps. By the time he left Rancisis’ side and was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight, he already had a considerable grasp of grand strategy including theories on fleet deployment, tactical maneuvers on small and large scales, and logistical requirements. He took special cues from some of the great strategists of the past including the likes of Revan, iral Bey’wan Aygo, Canderous Ordo, and Jedi Master Valenthyne Farfalla. However, he was also rather informed on modern naval doctrine, thanks to time spent studying across the galaxy, such as the two-month stint he had at the College of Planetary Security Forces on Anaxes, and his experience with the Dydaxian Sovereign Fleet. His tactics on the large-scale battlefield were inscissionally decisive, designed to sow chaos and discord within enemy fleets, and hopefully force an early rout. Units in his charge acted with impressive fluidity and coordination thanks to his extensive use of Battle Meditation toward that end, allowing all forces to work in greater unison, as those under his command became concrete extensions of a single battle plan. He understood the importance of tactical momentum, and was not one to be entirely reactive, exemplified by his constant upkeep of pressure on his opponents. Keeping careful track of his assets in the field, Venethan was careful to apply each of them to the greatest extent he could, and his diverse operations in the field gave him experience with an equally wide range of fleet make-ups and tactical situations. This made him a very versatile tactician.

His approach to single combat with the lightsaber was much the same - keeping a wide variety of sharp tools in his toolbox to be used to answer the varied situations he might encounter in the field. Toward that end, he was a practitioner of the sixth form of classical lightsaber combat, Niman, the most versatile of the seven forms. He supplemented this with study of all of the remaining forms over the course of his life, and was an excellent duelist in an academic sense, by his mid-life having attained a solid theoretical grasp of all the forms. However, though his bag of tricks was a large one, he could become set in the textbook ways of any particular form in certain situations, and this did hamper his style somewhat, especially in his younger years.

Command Tier:

Tier III

《《《 Force Sensitivity 》》》

Force Sensitive:

Yes

Force Alignment:

Light

Force Mastery:

Venethan’s mastery extended to such abilities as:

Battle Meditation

Malacia

Force Empathy

Battle Precognition

Force Sight

Battlemind

Force Scribe

Force Illusion

Force Stun

Force Stealth

Center of Being

Breath Control

Originally, Venethan was brought up in the school of the Jedi Consulars, and prioritized learning about the Force, the nature of it and its power and use, over the art of lightsaber combat. This became even more evident when he was apprenticed to Master Rancisis, himself a vaunted consular and scholar of the Force. From an early age, he proved to be a natural talent, and viewed the Force to a greater degree than many of his peers thanks to an instinctual understanding. His talents revolved primarily in the sense and alter branches for the vast majority of his life, and were geared toward larger-scale manipulations. His signature ability, battle meditation, was one which he used frequently during the Clone Wars, and the conflicts he participated in in the future, in order to bolster the effectiveness and morale of those under his military command.

After the Clone Wars, he very rarely found himself engaging in lightsaber combat, and so turned his studies even further into the mysteries of the Force. He often meditated, and for long periods of time, centering himself in the Force and feeling its currents shifting. Over time, Venethan became adept at manipulating others in subtle ways through the Force, especially during the rise of the Empire, during which he had to protect both himself and his family from prying Imperial eyes. Also during this time, he became adept in the use of wider precognition, to the point that he could be considered a fledgeling Seer, granted visions of the future by the Force.

A master of many abilities and their usefulness outside of personal combat, Venethan went on to eventually teach others what he had learned over the course of his life, and became a noted, if specialized, instructor in various Force techniques.

”Trust, like many things in relationships, has to be earned. Just like I must earn yours, so, too, must you earn mine.”

《《《 Interpersonal Relations 》》》

Family

After the execution of Order 66, Venethan married the Dydaxian senator, Elana d’Azalla, whose family essentially adopted him into their fold. The two would go on to have two children of their own, Tabin and Alayna. Both children were raised well, though the latter saw her parents more frequently, after the lessons they learned raising their son. He also had a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, among other relatives.

His family includes:

Elana d’Azalla (spouse)

Tabin d’Azalla (son)

Alayna d’Azalla (daughter)

Ilea d’Estes (g. daughter)

Fabian d’Azalla (g. son)

Zarin d’Azalla (g. son)

Jenise d’Azalla (g. daughter)

Friends and Colleagues

Ever the introvert, Venethan did not necessarily make friends easily, though he was open to natural-forming friendships, based on frequent interaction; all of his relationships were built on frequent interaction, as that provided the ground-work that allowed him to get to know people individually. Many of his most important friends were of the local Dydaxian community such as iral Heidur and Captain Lascadas, while others, such as Colonel Power and Commander Steele, were friends of his during the Clone Wars.

His friends and colleagues include:

Kree’k

Master Oppo Rancisis

Fleet iral Urram Heidur

Senator Demila Mezzenetti

Sovereign Practus Varden

Captain Emil Lascadas

Colonel Manleigh Power

Commander Steele

Fleet iral Hollis Sinclaire

iral Norden Caaris

iral Corine Tramen

Rivals

Venethan rarely found himself holding personal rivalries, in fact he never felt such animosity toward any single person. Rather, his energy, when directed against people, was always set against groups. These included pirates, such as the Red Wave group that frequently threatened Sovereign Dydax, through to governments including the CIS, the Empire, and the Galactic Alliance, when they moved against the cause of freedom and liberty across the galaxy. Later in his life, he frequently considered the enemies of Sovereign Dydax, his adopted home, to be his own enemies as a sworn defender of the planet.

His rivals include:

Red Wave Pirates

Separatist Alliance

Galactic Empire

The Yuuzhan Vong

Galactic Alliance

Krayt’s Sith Empire

The One Sith

"I wonder what history will think of me when I’m gone...”

《《《 History 》》》

Born on Morganoth in 46 BBY, Venethan was almost immediately given up to the Jedi Order when he demonstrated latent Force-sensitivity when only a few months old. As a result, he never knew his birth-family, growing up in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. There, he grew up as one who was very introverted and quiet, but hard-working and dedicated to whatever craft he set his mind to. He displayed a voracious appetite for knowledge of the Force as a youngster, and could often be found reading texts in the Jedi libraries or requesting access to various holocrons in order to learn more. Even before he was formally made a Padawan, he was delving into mysteries that perhaps would have been better left until he was older.

The youngling did have one friend, though, who was with him throughout all of these early studies, a Houdian named Kree’k. Early on, Venethan and Kree’k established themselves as a nigh-inseparable pair, doing much together. From meals, to training, to studying, there was very little time the two introverts did not spend together. However, friendship grew into a more serious attachment, thanks to the bond they shared, something which was looked upon with trepidation by their fellow Jedi, and both of them were eventually brought to understand that, by tradition, Jedi had to forgo attachment. This was something that both Venethan and Kree’k found difficult, and initially frustrated them, though eventually they came around to the “Jedi” way of thinking. They remained friends, but also remained conscious of the dangers of further attachment to anything, or anyone.

It was around this time when the young Jedi was finally chosen to become a padawan learner, and he was elated to discover that his mentor would be the seasoned master, Oppo Rancisis. Rancisis had seen in the Morganian a unique kind of sensibility when it came to the Force, and a bright mind hungry for knowledge. Venethan’s tutelage under Master Rancisis he found to be incredibly rewarding, and Venethan came to not only respect and appreciate his elder, but also look on him as a valued friend and father-figure. Together, they went on missions spanning the whole galaxy, frequently participating in negotiations between parties or actions against hostile groups. Rancisis was vaunted as the greatest tactician in the Jedi Order in his day, and much of this talent was impressed upon the student, not only in their missions, but also in the many games they played together in their downtime, keeping their minds sharp. In fact, their favorite t pastime ended up being playing simple games of holographic chess and drinking Thisspiasian-brewed kava root tea. Venethan’s training proceeded for nearly nine years before he undertook his Trials, which he ed with flying colors. Over the course of his apprenticeship, he honed a wide variety of skills, and even became eligible to be a Jedi Sentinel, a much rarer kind of Jedi, which he did upon completing his Trials.

Venethan’s first assignment as a newly-minted Knight was as the Watchman assigned to the Dydax system. Long a planet prone to pirate attacks, they had had a dedicated Jedi Watchman assigned to them for centuries, and Venethan was replacing a fellow Sentinel who rotated out of that assignment, not finding it a good match. Venethan, however, went into his new assignment with the same dedication and aplomb with which he had approached his training with Master Rancisis, and immediately set out doing good work on the Dydaxian homeworld, and throughout their planetary system. Within his first month, he had assisted in the repulsion of two pirate raids on Dydaxian shipping, the solving of two major crime-sprees, and the exposition of a corrupt member of the planetary legislature. He quickly began building connections, notably with the military, who he spent a great deal of time on missions with. The Jedi received further tactical training and guidance from a handful of prominent Dydaxian officers including Fleet iral Urram Heidur, and these friendships came to define his relationship with the people as a unique kind of protector. He also made regular reports to representatives of the planetary government including Sovereign Primine Jourard, Prime Minister Emeth Curring, and various advisory and oversight bodies within the government. He also worked regularly with Dydax’s representative to the Galactic Republic, Senator Demila Mezzenetti, and her staff.

Venethan and Mezzenetti did a great deal of good work together, from negotiating various deals on the galactic stage, during which Venethan served as an impartial and security, to advising the Senator on military matters, thanks to his closeness with the Dydaxian Defence Force. A frequent collaborator from Mezzenetti’s staff was Elana d’Azalla, who was a member of the prominent and politically active House d’Azalla, a noble family. Elana served as the senator’s assistant chief of staff, even at her relatively young age, only a year older than Venethan, himself. Frequently, the Jedi Knight was offering reports to Elana to later be ed off to the senator, and through their conversations struck up a solid friendship. Though their personalities were starkly contrasted at times, with Venethan’s walls of reservation and Jedi stoicism clashing wildly against Elana’s ion and heart, he was able to learn a lot from her - a lot about Dydaxian culture and customs, a lot about their politics, and, of course, a lot about her, as well. One such facet of Elana’s he became privy to early on was the fact that she was Force-sensitive, and while she had never been trained, and had no desire to become a Jedi, that was one more thing they could bond over.

As the cries of frustration that had been echoing through the galaxy began to turn from cacophony into something more organized, the Separatist Crisis, Venethan’s job as watchman began to get more difficult, especially when questions of separatism started to pop up within Dydaxian society, as such questions began to be asked on several neighboring worlds, such as Foerost. After a substantial threat was made against Senator Mezzenetti, who was a staunch Republic loyalist, the elderly politician decided not to seek re-election as the Dydaxian representative to the Galactic Senate, and in the subsequent vote, Elana, at only twenty-two, won the position, determined to make her mark on her people, and the galaxy. Venethan, as her friend and occasional confidante, ed her wholeheartedly in the venture, and was happy for her upon achievement of her goal. With d’Azalla as the new senator, that meant more time between politician and Jedi, and a few former routines in that official relationship changed, notably, whereas Senator Mezzenetti had often had the Jedi’s reports delegated to a junior staff member, Senator d’Azalla preferred to receive them in person. Venethan, ever dedicated to the people he was sworn to protect, continued his work with the Dydaxian people, and their new senator. With d’Azalla another firm proponent of the Republic, part of Venethan’s work as a protector of the people became more so as protector of their senator, something which neither party was particularly put off by, circumstances notwithstanding.

The first Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy, plunging it into the deathly grip of war. As the Jedi were forced into a militaristic role that many considered themselves unprepared for, Venethan assumed the new responsibilities with remarkable ease. His training in tactics and strategy with Master Rancisis, as well as the last three years spent with various of the Dydaxian Defence Force, meant that he was more than ready for the eventuality. However, unlike most Jedi, who preferred to have overall command of their units in all aspects, Venethan was very much a naval man, and so requested a primarily naval assignment. At the end of the first week of the conflict, as the Republic struggled to put together a non-existent military chain of command, he was put in command of an eclectic fast-response reserve force made up of a handful of ships from various local planetary fleets, including ships from the DDF. The assignment kept him on his toes, but also meant that he could continue his tandem responsibilities as watchman of the Dydax system. Taking the alternative title of “Jedi iral”, he was allowed to requisition the newly-commissioned Dydaxian heavy cruiser RIDDARI for use as his flagship, and immediately set to work responding to threats around Loyalist worlds. These pivotal early weeks saw Venethan’s relief fleet, dubbed “Lightning Squadron” thanks to the speed at which their deployment requests were answered, run across much of the Core, Colonies, and northern edge of the Mid-Rim in an effort to stymie Separatist fleet movements. Lightning Squadron participated in nearly two dozen separate naval combat actions within its first month and a half of operation.

By the time the Republic Navy began to expand and new ships from Kuat Drive Yards and its subsidiaries began coming online, Lightning Squadron was enlarged into a full task force made up of volunteers from various planetary security forces in the Core Worlds and Colonies who felt they could spare ships for the greater war effort. Rechristened as Task Force Lightning, they operated out of Lyia Station, the headquarters of the Dydaxian Sovereign Fleet, which established regular with Republic High Command, and from there were deployed as needed to ward off breakout attempts by encircled Separatist worlds in and around the Core, and also reinforce key Republic holdings guarding the approaches into the Colonies and the Core, in particular - the Republic’s industrial heartland.

Even though Lightning Squadron was an eclectic group of ships from diverse places and backgrounds, they were still able to function very well together. Venethan acted as both a commander and mediator, and in getting to know the various captains and crews who had volunteered for the assignment, was able to use their unique skills better as part of the larger whole of the group. The Jedi also used his well-developed and ever-increasing skill with battle meditation to maximise his fleet’s communication and performance. The result was the maximum performance they could give. Each engagement they fought in was always a little different than the last, not just in the enemy they were fighting, but also in the makeup of the squadron, itself. Due to the fact that it was a volunteer force, any losses that were incurred during operations were also replenished from volunteers taken from PSFs and the citizenry. Still, they performed with an impressive level of cohesion, at their best competing with the most in-tune legions of clone troopers. By the end of the first year of the war, Lightning Squadron more or less had its order of battle set, had its high-priority ships and commanders established, and had their other routines down to a science.

In early 21 BBY, Venethan and Lightning Squadron did their first run of extensive work in the Southern Galactic Theatre, with the unit being attached to the Republic Navy’s Third Fleet under the command of Fleet iral Hollis Sinclaire. The deployment was to shore up defences in the Paxan System following a decisive Republic victory won by one of the Third’s major unit leaders, Rear iral Tarsus Praddock. After being relieved of duty at Paxan, they moved on to a series of engagements with enemy forces in concert with other elements of the Third Fleet, as part of a series of operations designed to cripple the current Separatist presence in the region. Over the course of a month of rapidfire engagements, Lightning Squadron performed irably, but was unable to avoid major losses, much to Venethan’s dismay, slowly whittled down over time by natural operational attrition. In the first two engagements, both of which occurred over the resource-rich world of Crecian, no significant losses were dealt to the fleet. However, in the third, where Lightning Squadron engaged a numerically superior force, three of the fleet’s twenty-five capital ships were lost, among other small vessels. By the time the month was over, the fleet was down to half strength, and could no longer reliably sustain operations on the scale they had been pursuing since the start of the campaign. They were ultimately detached from the Third in order to allow time to replenish their ranks, and the fleet was largely kept in a purely defensive role, deploying from Lyia Station for the rest of the year’s first half. The campaign forced Venethan to harden his resolve, coming to grips with the cost of war.

Over the course of the next twelve months, Lightning Squadron engaged Separatist forces several dozen times in varying situations. They ed Republic landings on enemy worlds such as those at Nandooine and Krisari, participated in primary fleet engagements across the Northern and Southern theatres of the war, and provided necessary reinforcements for other units. While numbers were almost always in the droids’ favor, Venethan’s unique fleet and crew make-up representing various worlds across the Republic, along with the Jedi’s talent for battle meditation, proved to be a solid match. There were some losses, but many victories, even if they were only momentary tactical ones. Also during this time, Lightning Squadron received their detachment of clone troopers in the form of a single battalion spread across the fleet. The battalion, Broadside Battalion, was led by Clone Commander Steele, and was a detachment from the 21st Nova Corps specializing in ship security and boarding actions. The clones provided a great deal of extra security for the fleet, and it was not long before Venethan began to integrate their various talents into the fleet as a whole, with Jedi and clones participating in attacks on a number of Separatist naval vessels with the goal of capturing them for intelligence and for future Republic use. Among the ships added to Lightning Squadron through Broadside Battalion’s boarding actions were two Munificent-class star frigates, a Recusant-class destroyer, and several smaller vessels. Their combined exploits became so rewarding that the fleet was also assigned their own dedicated agent from the Senate Bureau of Intelligence in order to help sift through the raw data collected.

Along with these many missions, Venethan did try and make some time for the people he was close to, meeting with several Jedi friends, but also people on Dydax he was closer to. Elana, who had remained in the picture even though they could only meet sparingly, began to be a more regular force in his life again in meetings and written messages. He understood that she enjoyed their time together, and that he acted as a valued sounding board for her, but wondered if she realized that in some respects she was beginning to do the same for him as the war began to take a greater toll. When they were able to meet, they could talk for hours, helping each other make sense of morality and philosophy and duty and humanity in a wartorn galaxy. They also continued semi-regular sparring matches, with Venethan continuing to help the Dydaxian senator hone her skills in martial arts techniques for meditation and self-defense.

They were both surprised when they were eventually assigned a mission together. Elana had been tasked with representing the Republic in negotiations on Rhydonia with the local government, her goal being the securing of an exclusive deal to purchase the planet’s valuable mined ores. Venethan was to act as her protector. During the early stages of the negotiations, things seemed to get off to an excellent start, and the Jedi questioned why he had even been sent - the Rhydonians were incredibly gracious hosts, and their chief negotiator got along well with Elana. Things changed the next week, however, when the talks were crashed by a representative from the Confederacy-aligned Techno Union, and after both Elana and Venethan were ordered to be taken prisoner by the Union representative, they were forced to flee. Their ship was destroyed, and they were stranded on the planet for three days before help arrived courtesy of a Republic Intelligence spec-ops team and a stealth cruiser under the command of one iral Norden Caaris. Their escape from Rhydonia was close, both nearly being killed in a last stand after they were cornered in a general goods store on the outskirts of the planet’s capital. The shootout there did not go well, as the two were outnumbered, and while Venethan faced their shared fate with the stoic resignation of any true Jedi, he could feel Elana’s fear overwhelming her. In an act of comion and understanding for his friend, and a wish for her to be at peace, he reached out to her in the Force, and she grabbed a hold of the lifeline he offered, establishing a basic bond between them through the Force, though neither of them realized it at the time. When their rescue came, it was just in the knick of time.

After the incident on Rhydonia, Venethan was put back in his place with Lightning Squadron, though he continued to ruminate on what happened with Elana for several weeks after, even as they continued to meet occasionally in their off-time. Missions continued to come for him, but every time he returned, he found himself spending time with the senator, as if something stronger than he could ever know kept pulling him back to her. Months ed as their illicit bond continued to grow, and it was only near the very end of the war that he realized it for what it was. During one of their last meetings before the end of the war, a typical sparring match between the two, Venethan was distracted by these thoughts, and through his distraction Elana scored a rare victory against her Jedi friend. What should have been a shrug-and-move-on moment turned into something longer and unexpectedly romantic when they shared a single stolen kiss. It wasn’t until then that he began to truly realize the depth of the feelings he had grown for her during their time together. The whole thing made him nervous, and his hesitation frustrated the more extroverted and emotionally invested Elana. Still, he had a lot to think about.

Things took a very drastic change the day after their kiss, however, when Dydax was attacked by a large Separatist fleet from Foerost. Lightning Squadron, who assisted in the battle along with the native DDF fleet, were caught on the back foot and forced to give ground early on. Venethan, back aboard his flagship RIDDARI, commanded a sizable portion of the fleet, using his battle meditation to coordinate the combined forces. In order to protect civilian vessels caught in the initial rounds of crossfire, he chose to sacrifice his own ship, and while he was able to save the helpless ships in question, the RIDDARI took considerable damage. With communications jammed, he made a snap decision to attempt a breakout to gather Republic reinforcements, an attempt which was successful, though to outside observers, the jump away appeared to have been the ship vaporizing, leaving those still at Dydax to believe the ship had been destroyed, and that Venethan was dead. The Jedi returned triumphant with a small fleet of reinforcements the next day, though, and with the new flanking units and his battle meditation once again spurring on all his allies present, they were able to force the Separatists into a rout.

The celebration was palpable, as Venethan conversed with Fleet iral Heidur and the planet’s head of state, Sovereign Practus Varden, along with Senator d’Azalla in order to establish a new defensive line and begin repairs to the defending vessels and the planet below. Before he could reunite with Elana in person, he was dealt a severe personal blow, as Chancellor Palpatine called for the execution of Order 66. What were originally friendly Republic units were instantly turned hostile, and the Star Destroyers turned their guns on the RIDDARI, with the Jedi confirmed to be still aboard. The heavy cruiser, having already taken serious damage, did not last long under the blistering assault, and the ship was destroyed, breaking apart into several large pieces. Venethan, who had been in the command center, was severely wounded and knocked unconscious during the attack, but remained alive, if only barely.

When he next awoke, it was in a new place entirely - a hospital bed back on Dydax itself. Elana was with him, and after some time spent readjusting, she went on to tell him everything that had happened while he had been unconscious. As it turned out, he had been in a coma for over a week; in that time, the Clone Wars had been officially declared over, the Republic had been dissolved and replaced with a new Empire under the newly-christened Emperor Palpatine, and the Jedi had been decimated as propaganda reports claimed every single Jedi had been killed thanks to Order 66. This left Venethan deeply disturbed, and almost in a frenzy, and for once, the roles that he and Elana had occupied in their friendship reversed, as the Jedi tried and failed to fight the urge to avenge all of his fallen comrades, the fallen Republic. It took Elana’s pleading to talk him down, and the fact that he was still recovering from serious physical and mental trauma after nearly getting killed when the RIDDARI was destroyed. She promised him that, if he stayed on Dydax, she could protect him, and likewise he could continue to protect her, as he had been, while she attempted to subvert the Empire from within the Senate, in concert with other like-minded senators including Bail Organa and Mon Mothma.

The next week, after his condition improved somewhat, Venethan travelled with d’Azalla to the house she had in Esbury, her hometown, and her family provided him with a completely new identity. “Venjaro” was quickly put in her father’s employ as a security consultant and advisor, though in reality he spent most of his time working with Elana. With no war to keep them constantly apart, their bond continued to grow, and with nothing else to dedicate himself to, the former Jedi soon gave himself fully into the d’Azallas’ service, their relationship one of high risk, but extensive mutual benefit. Venethan also meditated long and hard on his relationship with Elana, in particular, and his devotion to her specifically in the wake of everything that had happened. It was he who first came clean to her about the extent of his feelings, and only a few short months after the end of the war, they were married in a private ceremony, cementing their bond and dedication to each other in the wake of everything they had lost.

For most of the next two decades, Venethan worked from the shadows, assisting the d’Azallas in any way he could in their efforts to subvert the Empire. He was very careful not to betray his former affiliation with the Jedi for fear of swift and severe reprisal. Most people who knew him knew only of his second identity of Venjaro, with only seven people knowing his true identity and the fact that he had survived his supposed death aboard the RIDARRI - Elana, her parents, Fleet iral Heidur, Heidur’s serving XO at the time, and the two-man team that had initially rescued Venethan from the RIDARRI’s wreckage. He was careful about interacting with Imperials, and this was made easy thanks to the wide berth the Empire gave Dydax’s local government, similar to the manner in which they governed Corellia only in the broadest sense. Though he was alive, life was hard for him, especially early on, as the injuries he’d sustained during his near-death took a while to fully heal, even with his exceptional Jedi metabolism. In fact, he relied on his wife quite a bit, and in many ways he came to depend on her just as much as she did him. Thankfully, no questions were ever brought up about him, so thorough was the job the d’Azalla family had done in altering his identity.

So, the former Jedi remained on Dydax for many years, through the golden age of one of the most oppressive governments in galactic history. When the Declaration of Rebellion was formally announced in 2 BBY, Venethan considered attempting to up, but ultimately decided to remain on Dydax, by then his loyalty to his wife and his adoptive family (and planet) paramount. However, he was able to begin taking the fight to the Empire the next year, when, during the Libertarian Revolt, Dydax managed to thrust off the yolk of the Empire, declaring independence and blockading their star system. Venethan’s role in the revolt was quite extensive, if ive, as he used his still very well-honed skill with battle meditation to help coordinate the capture and ousting of Imperial forces all across the planet, and he became an instrumental aspect of the planet’s defensive strategy, though still so few knew of his presence. Heidur and his former XO, Commander Falder, both worked to keep him updated on the state of the planet’s defense, but thankfully, other than a few minor skirmishes, the Empire made very few serious attempts at breaking into the Dydax system.

The blockade remained in effect until 7 ABY, after the Rebellion reorganized into the New Republic, and the Imperial end of the blockade was broken by a combined effort from New Republic iral Firmus Nantz and the DDF’s iral Heidur, with Venethan remaining behind in Dydax to provide . After that, Dydax formally ed the New Republic, which did bring Venethan some measure of relief, but he was still hesitant about returning to the wider galaxy. Not even Elana, who attempted to convince him otherwise, managed to shake his anxiety, even as she managed to convince Heidur to accept a commission in the New Republic Defense Force. He remained on Dydax still, in his own familiar bubble and continuing to help the people who he now felt more dedicated to than even what he had felt for the Jedi. He remained true to Dydax, and true to Elana as she continued to represent her people to the wider galaxy, herself. He also remained true to his family, as he and Elana conceived a son, whom they named Tabin.

What did not help matters, where his involvement in the wider galaxy was concerned, were the visions he saw, something which began after the pivotal Alliance victory at Endor in 4 ABY, of the Emperor not dead, but reborn in an explosion of darkness which threatened everything he held dear. For a while, Venethan kept his visions to himself, unsure of what they meant, but after the birth of his son, he finally began mentioning some of what he was feeling, namely to his wife. His fears were proven correct when Operation Shadow Hand began, and the reemergence of Palpatine and his Dark Empire took the galaxy by storm. Dydax was able to defend itself, if barely, against the onslaught thanks to Venethan’s prior warning, but vast swathes of the galaxy found themselves rapidly under renewed Imperial control, and this remained the case for nearly a year until Jedi Master Luke Skywalker killed Sidious for good with the help of a number of compatriots.

In 15 ABY, Elana was scouted out by Master Skywalker as a potential student for his Jedi Praxeum, though she declined. However, it became evident that she had mentioned Venethan’s existence to him when the Jedi Master visited Dydax in person later that year. Still, though, even Skywalker could not convince the old Jedi to abandon his family and Dydax, though he did agree to some marginal involvement which would increase as the years went on, especially after the end of the Galactic Civil War.

It would take the invasion of the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong to finally push Venethan to greater action, when he nominally ed the New Jedi Order in a limited role to assist in the war effort. Here, he acted in a similar manner to that which he had during the Clone Wars, as a talented coordinator and leader of naval units. However, as he had no commission in the NRDF, he was forced to play in an advisory role, though he did so with people with whom he was familiar, first serving with iral Heidur before he was sent off to coordinate with the Imperial Remnant, and then later the tenacious DDF-turned-NRDF veteran, iral Corine Tramen, and her personal fleet, Battlegroup Razor. He served with distinction throughout the Yuuzhan Vong War, participating in a number of crucial military operations across New Republic, and even Imperial, territory later in the war. He was a part of the relief force, under Tramen’s overall command, sent to reinforce the Imperial Navy after their formal entry into the war, and during his time serving alongside the Imperials, he met a number of their most vaunted commanders including iral Tarsus Praddock, reuniting with iral Caaris, and even receiving an introduction to Grand iral Gilad Pellaeon courtesy of Heidur.

After the war, Venethan assisted in rebuilding efforts, though mostly for the Jedi. Toward that end, he started up a very informal enclave near his home on Dydax, where he took on a small handful of students at a time to assist in their training, usually around four. In this, he was able to give special training to individual students, particularly those who wished to follow in a more Force-focused path, as by then, his lightsaber skills had atrophied considerably, though his connection to the Force was still as strong and vital as ever. Between the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 29 ABY and the beginning of the Second Galactic Civil War just over a decade later, he trained extensively a dozen students, though not all of them would survive the conflicts to come. In fact, Venethan, himself almost did not survive the latter conflict, as he was again charged with treason by a reigning galactic government, this time the Galactic Alliance, under the leadership of the turncoat Jacen Solo. Solo, who had by then fallen to the sway of the Sith and taken the name Darth Caedus, began systematically attempting to capture or kill many Jedi, seeing them as a distinct threat to his hold on power. Venethan was an easy target, and very quickly agents of the GA’s secret police force, the Galactic Alliance Guard, were dispatched to take him in. In order to limit conflict and reduce loss of life, Venethan allowed the agents to arrest him without incident. He was taken to a secure facility on Dydax, where he was subsequently tortured and beaten, nearly killed. The incident sparked outrage across the planet, and Elana, who was still serving in the Galactic Alliance Senate, offered a stinging rebuke of Solo’s rule, and resigned from her seat in protest. Dydax seceded soon after, declaring independence and neutrality, but by then Solo had been deposed, and the threat of an out-of-control tyranny seemed to die down for the moment. However, the people of Dydax at large were shaken in their belief in any galactic government, and chose to remain largely independent.

Yet again, Venethan found himself stuck healing from a number of grievous physical and mental wounds, and just as last time, Elana was there to help him every step of the way. This time, neither of them opted to return to public life, as IVenethan was simply tired, and Elana too disgusted with the way things had gone down with her onetime colleagues in the Senate. However, Venethan did eventually agree to once again take up formal training of a small group of students at a time at his home, just as his wife became further involved in the political education of young people on Dydax. Also during this time, both of them were surprised with the birth of a second child, a daughter named Alayna. Both of them were more present in Alayna’s life, having learned valuable lessons from raising their son.

Together they lived out their lives for many decades, remaining out of greater galactic life beyond the occasional toe-dip into that massive pool. They saw their son venture into local politics as a member of the Dydaxian parliament, and in 72 ABY, their daughter was appointed Dydax’s ambassador to the Galactic Alliance. Venethan’s involvement with the Jedi continued to be only partial until the rise of a new series of conflicts beginning with the Sith-Imperial War, when he was again called to assist in Dydax’s defense, assisting as the DDF once again was forced to blockade themselves within their own star system, for fear of invasion by Sith-Imperial forces as they swept across the galaxy. Notably, Dydax became a secret haven for many Jedi, as the One Sith under Darth Krayt began a third systematic elimination of Jedi during the Third Jedi Purge. Dydax also nominally, if covertly, assisted both the Galactic Alliance Remnant under iral Gar Stazi and the Empire-in-Exile under Emperor Roan Fel, though Venethan’s personal hand in the conflict was minor beyond assisting stranded Jedi.

During the Second Imperial Civil War, Venethan remained present on the side of the underdogs, working against Darth Krayt’s new Sith Empire by continuing to offer help to the allied forces standing against the Sith. He was responsible for working with the DDF to bolster their defenses, warding off any potential attacks and invasions of their nominally neutral system, though when the tide began to turn, Dydax did side with the allied forces, and Venethan, for the first time in many, many decades, left Dydax to fight in the final battle of the war, the Battle of Coruscant. There, Venethan once again made use of his battle meditation to aid the Galactic Alliance and Imperial forces arrayed against their enemy, nearly destroying the One Sith during the battle and ending their tyranny over the galaxy.

After the One Sith were vanquished from their position of power, never to return, the Jedi returned home once more, and was pleased to see a longer period of peace settle over the galaxy, punctuated by only a few small moments of sadness. Alayna was elected as one of three Triumvirs of the Galactic Alliance in 166 ABY, and Tabin continued to be active in the political arena on Dydax. In 172 ABY, his wife, Elana, ultimately ed away, dying of natural causes, and Venethan even ultimately outlived both of his biological children by nearly a century. With the ing of his immediate family, he finally turned more of his attention outward, becoming a more regular voice in the Jedi Order of the time, and one of its chief reformers. He assisted in the reconstruction of a number of Jedi enclaves across the galaxy to assist in the training of more students of the Force, including reviving enclaves on Dantooine and Tython, and even, after centuries of hesitance, committed to starting a school he ran personally on Dydax. Still, through it all, Venethan remained a subtle voice in the galaxy, one whose direct influence was felt only by those fortunate enough to meet him personally.

The Jedi Master ed away in the midst of a galaxy at peace, having lived through centuries of strife and conflict. At the venerable age of 349, one of the most soft-spoken yet powerful visages of the Jedi finally became one with the Force…

《《《 #StarReview 》》》

《《 #LGBT Challenge 》》