Zerei
New Member
Jedi Knight Zerei
NAME: Zerei
FACTION: I haven't figured this out yet. We'll see where I fit.
RANK: Jedi Weaponsmaster
SPECIES: Cathar
AGE: Early 30s
SEX: Female
HEIGHT: 5'3/1.6m
WEIGHT: 120lbs/54kg
EYES: Blue
HAIR: white fur, lightly striped with grey
SKIN: See above
FORCE SENSITIVE: Yes
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES:
Zerei is a deeply serene and dedicated lightside Force user, which to some may seem a stark contrast to her ability with nearly any weapon that comes to hand. And, while her dedication to her physical training was extensive to the point of starting down the path of Vapaad, she is not a proficient Force-user in any other way, beyond the bare minimum. During the war, she was initially a solitary scout, and was extremely uncomfortable when placed in a position of leadership. And also, possibly, far too susceptable to growing attached to those under her command.
APPEARANCE:
Zerei is a small, slender Jedi who has grown used to not using her lightsaber. She's almost pure white, except for very faint grey stripes on her brow and cheeks. She is used to the unassuming robes of the Jedi, in tones of brown and grey, and keeps her hood up to avoid startling those not used to seeing her kind.
BIOGRAPHY:
20 BBY
The men of the 414 were being hunted. Commander Harn said they were full of shit and what could you expect from clones? But they’d lost Boz last patrol, and he was the sixth one this rotation.
The jungle heat had sweat dripping down Cook’s spine and pooling uncomfortably in his armour. He was the only clone in his unit. He looked like an increasingly small number of this patrol; there were fewer and fewer of them left in the Empire’s army and it pissed him off that he didn’t know why that was. He couldn’t see the faces of the rest of his patrol, but he knew they were different. Not like his. Funny how he’d wished for that, sometimes, in his darkest moments – to see faces that were not like his – and, now? Now it made him uneasy in ways he couldn’t fathom.
Best not to think about it, maybe.
Of course...he was still the only one looking over his shoulder on this sweep. Dxun was about as pleasant as the business-end of a rancor – and smelled like the other end. The moon was thick with muck, insects and insurgents.
Jedi.
Despite the heat, an icy chill crawled up his neck. The recruits mocked them like they were fairy tales. Like they were monsters the clones had made up to scare each other in the dark. But Cook had seen, had seen ...what had he seen? Awesome power. Swift death on a shining blade. A swift, almost painful sense of relief when you realized one was fighting near. Because they’d keep you safe. Because they...
Pain lanced through his skull like a humming vibroblade. He double over, nearly retching inside his helmet.
Good soldiers....
“Pick it up, 6884. You don’t want the swamp monsters to get ya.”
...follow orders....
The laughter of the rest of his squad seemed a distant thing to the pain. And then it was distant. They were gone. And the jungle was silent.
CT-6884's survival instincts drove him to his feet. When had he fallen to his knees in the slime-filled water? He staggered, raising his rifle. He might get taken, but he damned-well wasn’t going out alone.
The mist shifted to his right and he spun, firing wildly. He fired again. The mist moved and parted to reveal cold blue eyes in a shockingly white face, shadowed by a drawn hood.
“Halt! In the name of the Empire!”
CT-6884 nearly choked on his words as the fog was torn to pieces by a long-familiar hiss and two beams of indigo light. He felt his knees buckle, this time. Heard the splash of filthy water as he fell, scrambling for his rifle in the murk.
“Lay down your weapon, soldier.” The accent was unfamiliar, soft, blurred at the edges. “The time to fight is over. You can rest, now, Cook.”
His last thought, as darkness dragged him down more firmly than the mud was, How did she know my name?
***
She had felt them go.
Not at first. The death of a Jedi was, after all, not unexpected. And she had been very far away at the time. But then it came in waves across the stars, rolling over her again and again, nearly drowning her at times.
By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late to make a difference even if she had returned. There had been rage. Of course there had. And pain, and soul-searing grief. And guilt. So much guilt. But as she reached, desperate for answers, desperate to be wrong as she felt them all go, she never felt fear from them. Not one of them shied away from their end out of terror, just out of … duty. Their work wasn’t done, and they seethed with frustration and sorrow. But never fear.
And she was surprised that a few of them remembered her enough to think of her in the end. She felt their memories brush against her in farewell, reminding her of the goals they’d shared, their purpose.
So, she stayed. She hid. Someone had to do the work. And now...now she had a purpose.
“How is he doing, Tuzee?”
The little droid turned its unblinking gaze toward Zerei, still hidden beneath the depths of her cloak. “You always ask that. If I did not know better, I would suspect that you doubt my skills.”
Zerei smiled, not bothering to hide the points of her teeth. They didn’t bother the droid. “Never, Tuzee. I only doubt my own ability to bring them to you in the proper condition.”
K82Z made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. “You take better care of them than those they serve, that is certain. This one will be fine. It just gets...more complicated...the longer they have lived with the chip in place. And, from the looks of it, this one was actively fighting the effects for some time.”
“I will leave him in your exemplary care, then. Call me when he wakes. He will be...confused.”
***
22 BBY
The sunset was glorious. It twisted through the sky, and made the red dust landscape glow in an almost cosmic flare and dipped the tips of her white fur in hues of rose-gold and flame. It was possible that she would not be alive to see the sun rise, so Zerei paused herself in the moment to enjoy the beauty.
Such things were important.
One should not mourn a sunrise they may never see. That could lead to fear. To be present for this was a privilege that trillions of beings had never been afforded. She was blessed.
As the last flickers dipped below the horizon and disappeared, Zerei exhaled, focused on the breath leaving her lungs. And, thus centred, she pulled her hood over the tips of her ears and turned to the ordered chaos unfolding behind her.
Sandwiched between Hypori and Ryloth, the small, rocky planet of Arnum was the last place anyone expected to wage battle. But its proximity to those crucial - and tragic - battle sites gave it a certain amount of strategic importance. The Council had sent her to scout locations for a base. She hadn't found one. Instead, she'd nearly tripped over a Separatist staging ground and supply base.
Obviously, that could not be allowed to persist. So, they sent her an army. Well, a battalion, in any case.
Zerei chuckled to herself as she approached the cloud of dust kicked up by a dozen drop ships as they landed, and the dozens upon dozens of armoured feet that exited each ship in the precise and disciplined manner of a competent military.
We'll see about that, won't we?
Perhaps you should worry about your own competence, Zerei?
The Jedi were not meant to lead armies. It was an anathema to their purpose - peace. And, for Zerei, to be surrounded by the buzz of so many pulled at her nerves. She was used to solitude, even more than others of her Order. She prefered it.
"Move it, shinies! The seps aren't gonna wait for you to wipe your asses!"
"I want a perimeter set up and squad rotations established before I see your face again, trooper!
"Sir, yes sir!"
"What the Hell is this place?"
"You hear we're getting a Jedi?"
"Ah, you're full of shit. They save the Generals for full corps."
"No, really, I..."
Zerei let the chatter wash over her, and watched the new soldiers. Even under their white armour, she could sense the shift and pull of each of them. Hope. Fear. Pride. Ambition. Loyalty. Love.
These were her soldiers now. Her responsibility. Every one of those hopes and dreams were hers to protect. Every one of those lives.
No pressure.
Zerei stifled a grin and looked about, trying to locate the man in charge. A Commander ARC-10/620. What an odd name.
It didn't take her long.
She'd never been one to dive deeply into the use of the Force for anything other than to push the limits of her body, but she didn't need to be a Seer to know there was something ... exceptional ... about this soldier. He stood out among the rest.
Come now, Zerei. It's time to be...General-like.
What does that even mean?
She straightened her shoulders and approached the Commander, letting her hood fall back so she could look him in the eye. Well, helmet. And so that he could see and register the pointed tips of her ears and teeth that marked her species – Cathar.
She extended her hand.
"Commander. I'm pleased to see you have all arrived safely. I am Zerei and we will be working closely together, this night."
***
It was not like her to be so maudlin. And there was no point in lingering in the past. It could not be changed.
Perhaps. But the memories can be enjoyed, like the sunset that evening. Some memories were worth holding on to. She pulled her knees up to her chin, boots scraping across her ship’s ramp. The swamp smelled of rot and life, the eternal circle. But...there was something else. Something that buzzed across her nerves.
The comm on her wrist beeped. “I believe our newest patient is awake, General.”
“On my way.”
The man looked as if he was ready to bolt, eyes wide and uncertain. Zerei did not allow the familiar angles of his face to tug at her heart. “How are you feeling, Cook?”
“Who... ...how am...” He drove his palms into his eye sockets, hands shaking. “You...you’re a jedi, aren’t you?”
“I am, Cook. How do you feel about that?”
“I...” He looked up at her, blinking. “Are you here to kill me?”
“Kill you? Of course not. I am here to free you. Do you want to kill me?”
“I... … … no...” A tone of wonder softened his words. “No. I don’t. I don’t. What did you do?”
“Tuzee can explain the details to you. The hard work was hers, not mine. Just know that you are safe.”
“You...you’ve been the one taking the other clones. Where are they?”
“Some are still recovering. Some have left to follow their own choices. If you wish, once you are sufficiently well, you can speak to those who are still here.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“Back. There are three more of your brothers in this jungle. My work is not done.”
“No. Wait. Ma’am. General...”
Zerei turned back to the man in the med-bed. “Yes, Cook?”
“The last ones...leave ‘em. They weren’t...they won’t change. They hated Jedi even before... ...well...before.”
“I know, Cook. But that is their choice to make, and I would ensure they get to make it.”
***
Jungle wasn’t exactly her natural territory, but Zerei moved silently through the clinging vines and mud. The other clones she’d...freed...had filled her in on the Empire’s mission on Dxun – lost Jedi artifacts, lost Mandalorian tech. Apparently this moon was littered with it. How odd.
Her next target was combing some ancient ruins, and Zerei couldn’t tell who or what they’d belonged to. History wasn’t her … particular area of expertise. But this squad had two of the last three clones. It would be more difficult to separate them from the rest. She flipped herself into the sturdy branches of a massive tree and waited for them.
Back when there had been enough Jedi in the galaxy to debate such things, they had liked to discuss the nature of luck. Did it exist? Was everything pre-destined? Did choice and free will really exist? Well, on this day, Zerei had an answer.
In the end, it was all just...bad luck. Pure bad luck.
A breeze of wind. Some unnoticed wood rot. But the branch beneath her feet let out a groaning creak that drew every single pair of eyes in that patrol upward. Rifle bolts gouged the trunk near her head, splinters embedding themselves in her skin. She managed to leap backwards before the entire branch gave out from under her feet, but it was a near thing.
She ran toward the ruins, breath loud in her ears. If she could just get behind the stone, she was sure she could lose them, there.
But now they knew who – and what – she was. She cursed in all of the languages she knew. There was no way she would get another chance to free the remaining clones.
Another bolt tore through a leafy vine next to her head. The next struck her in the shoulder, knocking her sideways. She rolled through the mulch and came up running. The ruins were nearly in sight. She wished she could tell if it belonged to Jedi. Or Sith. Or some other ancient creature.
But, at this point, it hardly mattered.
The Empire’s troops were getting closer. She could hear them yelling.
A shimmer of light to her left caught her eye. A door! Yes. She could lose them in the stone hallways, without the mud weighing down her steps. A part of her mind registered the strange shimmer of light, but survival was the key, here. She dodged another bolt, deflected yet another with the shimmering light-staff and hurled herself into the open portal, bracing herself for contact with the rock-strewn floor.
But...she just kept falling.
SHIP:
N/A
KILLS:
N/A
BOUNTIES COLLECTED:
N/A
NAME: Zerei
FACTION: I haven't figured this out yet. We'll see where I fit.
RANK: Jedi Weaponsmaster
SPECIES: Cathar
AGE: Early 30s
SEX: Female
HEIGHT: 5'3/1.6m
WEIGHT: 120lbs/54kg
EYES: Blue
HAIR: white fur, lightly striped with grey
SKIN: See above
FORCE SENSITIVE: Yes
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES:
Zerei is a deeply serene and dedicated lightside Force user, which to some may seem a stark contrast to her ability with nearly any weapon that comes to hand. And, while her dedication to her physical training was extensive to the point of starting down the path of Vapaad, she is not a proficient Force-user in any other way, beyond the bare minimum. During the war, she was initially a solitary scout, and was extremely uncomfortable when placed in a position of leadership. And also, possibly, far too susceptable to growing attached to those under her command.
APPEARANCE:
Zerei is a small, slender Jedi who has grown used to not using her lightsaber. She's almost pure white, except for very faint grey stripes on her brow and cheeks. She is used to the unassuming robes of the Jedi, in tones of brown and grey, and keeps her hood up to avoid startling those not used to seeing her kind.
BIOGRAPHY:
20 BBY
The men of the 414 were being hunted. Commander Harn said they were full of shit and what could you expect from clones? But they’d lost Boz last patrol, and he was the sixth one this rotation.
The jungle heat had sweat dripping down Cook’s spine and pooling uncomfortably in his armour. He was the only clone in his unit. He looked like an increasingly small number of this patrol; there were fewer and fewer of them left in the Empire’s army and it pissed him off that he didn’t know why that was. He couldn’t see the faces of the rest of his patrol, but he knew they were different. Not like his. Funny how he’d wished for that, sometimes, in his darkest moments – to see faces that were not like his – and, now? Now it made him uneasy in ways he couldn’t fathom.
Best not to think about it, maybe.
Of course...he was still the only one looking over his shoulder on this sweep. Dxun was about as pleasant as the business-end of a rancor – and smelled like the other end. The moon was thick with muck, insects and insurgents.
Jedi.
Despite the heat, an icy chill crawled up his neck. The recruits mocked them like they were fairy tales. Like they were monsters the clones had made up to scare each other in the dark. But Cook had seen, had seen ...what had he seen? Awesome power. Swift death on a shining blade. A swift, almost painful sense of relief when you realized one was fighting near. Because they’d keep you safe. Because they...
Pain lanced through his skull like a humming vibroblade. He double over, nearly retching inside his helmet.
Good soldiers....
“Pick it up, 6884. You don’t want the swamp monsters to get ya.”
...follow orders....
The laughter of the rest of his squad seemed a distant thing to the pain. And then it was distant. They were gone. And the jungle was silent.
CT-6884's survival instincts drove him to his feet. When had he fallen to his knees in the slime-filled water? He staggered, raising his rifle. He might get taken, but he damned-well wasn’t going out alone.
The mist shifted to his right and he spun, firing wildly. He fired again. The mist moved and parted to reveal cold blue eyes in a shockingly white face, shadowed by a drawn hood.
“Halt! In the name of the Empire!”
CT-6884 nearly choked on his words as the fog was torn to pieces by a long-familiar hiss and two beams of indigo light. He felt his knees buckle, this time. Heard the splash of filthy water as he fell, scrambling for his rifle in the murk.
“Lay down your weapon, soldier.” The accent was unfamiliar, soft, blurred at the edges. “The time to fight is over. You can rest, now, Cook.”
His last thought, as darkness dragged him down more firmly than the mud was, How did she know my name?
***
She had felt them go.
Not at first. The death of a Jedi was, after all, not unexpected. And she had been very far away at the time. But then it came in waves across the stars, rolling over her again and again, nearly drowning her at times.
By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late to make a difference even if she had returned. There had been rage. Of course there had. And pain, and soul-searing grief. And guilt. So much guilt. But as she reached, desperate for answers, desperate to be wrong as she felt them all go, she never felt fear from them. Not one of them shied away from their end out of terror, just out of … duty. Their work wasn’t done, and they seethed with frustration and sorrow. But never fear.
And she was surprised that a few of them remembered her enough to think of her in the end. She felt their memories brush against her in farewell, reminding her of the goals they’d shared, their purpose.
So, she stayed. She hid. Someone had to do the work. And now...now she had a purpose.
“How is he doing, Tuzee?”
The little droid turned its unblinking gaze toward Zerei, still hidden beneath the depths of her cloak. “You always ask that. If I did not know better, I would suspect that you doubt my skills.”
Zerei smiled, not bothering to hide the points of her teeth. They didn’t bother the droid. “Never, Tuzee. I only doubt my own ability to bring them to you in the proper condition.”
K82Z made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. “You take better care of them than those they serve, that is certain. This one will be fine. It just gets...more complicated...the longer they have lived with the chip in place. And, from the looks of it, this one was actively fighting the effects for some time.”
“I will leave him in your exemplary care, then. Call me when he wakes. He will be...confused.”
***
22 BBY
The sunset was glorious. It twisted through the sky, and made the red dust landscape glow in an almost cosmic flare and dipped the tips of her white fur in hues of rose-gold and flame. It was possible that she would not be alive to see the sun rise, so Zerei paused herself in the moment to enjoy the beauty.
Such things were important.
One should not mourn a sunrise they may never see. That could lead to fear. To be present for this was a privilege that trillions of beings had never been afforded. She was blessed.
As the last flickers dipped below the horizon and disappeared, Zerei exhaled, focused on the breath leaving her lungs. And, thus centred, she pulled her hood over the tips of her ears and turned to the ordered chaos unfolding behind her.
Sandwiched between Hypori and Ryloth, the small, rocky planet of Arnum was the last place anyone expected to wage battle. But its proximity to those crucial - and tragic - battle sites gave it a certain amount of strategic importance. The Council had sent her to scout locations for a base. She hadn't found one. Instead, she'd nearly tripped over a Separatist staging ground and supply base.
Obviously, that could not be allowed to persist. So, they sent her an army. Well, a battalion, in any case.
Zerei chuckled to herself as she approached the cloud of dust kicked up by a dozen drop ships as they landed, and the dozens upon dozens of armoured feet that exited each ship in the precise and disciplined manner of a competent military.
We'll see about that, won't we?
Perhaps you should worry about your own competence, Zerei?
The Jedi were not meant to lead armies. It was an anathema to their purpose - peace. And, for Zerei, to be surrounded by the buzz of so many pulled at her nerves. She was used to solitude, even more than others of her Order. She prefered it.
"Move it, shinies! The seps aren't gonna wait for you to wipe your asses!"
"I want a perimeter set up and squad rotations established before I see your face again, trooper!
"Sir, yes sir!"
"What the Hell is this place?"
"You hear we're getting a Jedi?"
"Ah, you're full of shit. They save the Generals for full corps."
"No, really, I..."
Zerei let the chatter wash over her, and watched the new soldiers. Even under their white armour, she could sense the shift and pull of each of them. Hope. Fear. Pride. Ambition. Loyalty. Love.
These were her soldiers now. Her responsibility. Every one of those hopes and dreams were hers to protect. Every one of those lives.
No pressure.
Zerei stifled a grin and looked about, trying to locate the man in charge. A Commander ARC-10/620. What an odd name.
It didn't take her long.
She'd never been one to dive deeply into the use of the Force for anything other than to push the limits of her body, but she didn't need to be a Seer to know there was something ... exceptional ... about this soldier. He stood out among the rest.
Come now, Zerei. It's time to be...General-like.
What does that even mean?
She straightened her shoulders and approached the Commander, letting her hood fall back so she could look him in the eye. Well, helmet. And so that he could see and register the pointed tips of her ears and teeth that marked her species – Cathar.
She extended her hand.
"Commander. I'm pleased to see you have all arrived safely. I am Zerei and we will be working closely together, this night."
***
It was not like her to be so maudlin. And there was no point in lingering in the past. It could not be changed.
Perhaps. But the memories can be enjoyed, like the sunset that evening. Some memories were worth holding on to. She pulled her knees up to her chin, boots scraping across her ship’s ramp. The swamp smelled of rot and life, the eternal circle. But...there was something else. Something that buzzed across her nerves.
The comm on her wrist beeped. “I believe our newest patient is awake, General.”
“On my way.”
The man looked as if he was ready to bolt, eyes wide and uncertain. Zerei did not allow the familiar angles of his face to tug at her heart. “How are you feeling, Cook?”
“Who... ...how am...” He drove his palms into his eye sockets, hands shaking. “You...you’re a jedi, aren’t you?”
“I am, Cook. How do you feel about that?”
“I...” He looked up at her, blinking. “Are you here to kill me?”
“Kill you? Of course not. I am here to free you. Do you want to kill me?”
“I... … … no...” A tone of wonder softened his words. “No. I don’t. I don’t. What did you do?”
“Tuzee can explain the details to you. The hard work was hers, not mine. Just know that you are safe.”
“You...you’ve been the one taking the other clones. Where are they?”
“Some are still recovering. Some have left to follow their own choices. If you wish, once you are sufficiently well, you can speak to those who are still here.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“Back. There are three more of your brothers in this jungle. My work is not done.”
“No. Wait. Ma’am. General...”
Zerei turned back to the man in the med-bed. “Yes, Cook?”
“The last ones...leave ‘em. They weren’t...they won’t change. They hated Jedi even before... ...well...before.”
“I know, Cook. But that is their choice to make, and I would ensure they get to make it.”
***
Jungle wasn’t exactly her natural territory, but Zerei moved silently through the clinging vines and mud. The other clones she’d...freed...had filled her in on the Empire’s mission on Dxun – lost Jedi artifacts, lost Mandalorian tech. Apparently this moon was littered with it. How odd.
Her next target was combing some ancient ruins, and Zerei couldn’t tell who or what they’d belonged to. History wasn’t her … particular area of expertise. But this squad had two of the last three clones. It would be more difficult to separate them from the rest. She flipped herself into the sturdy branches of a massive tree and waited for them.
Back when there had been enough Jedi in the galaxy to debate such things, they had liked to discuss the nature of luck. Did it exist? Was everything pre-destined? Did choice and free will really exist? Well, on this day, Zerei had an answer.
In the end, it was all just...bad luck. Pure bad luck.
A breeze of wind. Some unnoticed wood rot. But the branch beneath her feet let out a groaning creak that drew every single pair of eyes in that patrol upward. Rifle bolts gouged the trunk near her head, splinters embedding themselves in her skin. She managed to leap backwards before the entire branch gave out from under her feet, but it was a near thing.
She ran toward the ruins, breath loud in her ears. If she could just get behind the stone, she was sure she could lose them, there.
But now they knew who – and what – she was. She cursed in all of the languages she knew. There was no way she would get another chance to free the remaining clones.
Another bolt tore through a leafy vine next to her head. The next struck her in the shoulder, knocking her sideways. She rolled through the mulch and came up running. The ruins were nearly in sight. She wished she could tell if it belonged to Jedi. Or Sith. Or some other ancient creature.
But, at this point, it hardly mattered.
The Empire’s troops were getting closer. She could hear them yelling.
A shimmer of light to her left caught her eye. A door! Yes. She could lose them in the stone hallways, without the mud weighing down her steps. A part of her mind registered the strange shimmer of light, but survival was the key, here. She dodged another bolt, deflected yet another with the shimmering light-staff and hurled herself into the open portal, bracing herself for contact with the rock-strewn floor.
But...she just kept falling.
SHIP:
N/A
KILLS:
N/A
BOUNTIES COLLECTED:
N/A
Last edited: