Trials of the Jedi 4000 B.B.Y.
The survival of
the Republic depended on two factors: wise governing by administrators and
law-makers, and the preservation of harmony and justice by a heroic warrior
society-the Jedi Knights. lt was
a practice for Jedi to become guardians of new systems, overseeing transitions
and assisting with local difficulties.
Jedi Master Arca Jeth of Arkania received the stewardship and responsibility
for the Onderon system. Instead of becoming the watchman himself, though,
he sent his three students-the goodnatured and impetuous brothers Ulic and Cay QelDroma and a gruff Twi'lek named
Tott Doneeta. It seemed a simple assignment, to smooth over a local conflict on a
backwater world, but in reality this set the stage for one of the greatest
events in the history of the
Arriving on the untamed world, the three Jedi Knights were greeted by ancient Queen Amanoa, ruler of Iziz. She described the depredations of the beast riders, who came to the walled city to ravage, kill, and kidnap. The old queen asked for the Jedi to help end the years of pain and suffering. When the beast riders next attacked the palace itself, they abducted Queen Amanoa's daughter, Galia, taking her out to the jungle strongholds.
The Qel-Droma brothers and Doneeta set out to rescue her, but found that all was not as they had been led to believe. Galia and the warlord leader Oron Kira had planned this together: they would marry and unify the two groups, which would stop the endless bloodshed.
Acting as mediators, the Jedi presented the proposal to Queen Amanoa, only to learn that she had no interest in peace. For years the old queen had tapped into Freedon Nadd's power, and in her outrage she called upon the dark side to destroy Oron Kira's people. She summoned all the armies of Iziz and commanded them to crush the outsiders. The Jedi fought back, but they were outclassed. In the struggle Cay Qel-Droma lost his arm, which he later replaced with a droid prosthetic. Master Arca himself was called, and when he arrived, the tide of the battle turned. The beast riders overcame the evil soldiers of Queen Amanoa. With the combined forces of light, Arca drove back Amanoa's evil and vanquished the shadows that had long festered at the heart of the city. Galia and Oron Kira worked to restore their world to peace and the benefits of civilization.
Though her path had not yet crossed Ulic's, another Jedi Knight Nomi Sunrider-went through an ordeal that would prepare her, too, to become one of the greatest leaders and warriors of her age. The young woman was married to a newly trained Jedi, Andur Sunrider, and they had an infant daughter, Vima. Nomi had a strong affinity for the Force, but lacked the self-confidence and the drive to become a Jedi herself. Andur and his family made a pilgrimage to the Stenness system to give a gift of precious Adegan crystals to the Jedi Master Thon. En route, though, a group of thugs murdered Andur and attempted to steal the Adegan crystals. In her shock and grief, Nomi saw the Jedi image of her slain husband, who told her to take up his lightsaber and defend herself and their daughter. Guided by the Force, Nomi slew most of the attackers-and then listened to Andur's parting words, instructing her to go to Master Thon herself, to learn to be a Jedi ' Knight.
Despite her reluctance ever to wield a deadly lightsaber again, Nomi found herself driven down a path to learn the ways of the Force. On the bleak world of Ambria, she found Master Thon: an awesome, armor-plated Tchuukthai of savage countenance but great wisdom. Nomi agreed to accept Jedi training from the Jedi Master, so long as she never needed to use a lightsaber, though Thon claimed that the lightsaber was her own destiny.
However, fate placed her in a position where she had no choice but to defend herself and Vima. When pirates attacked Ambria, she fought alongside Master Thon to protect their world. Nomi overcame her doubts and reluctance and learned that a lightsaber wasn't the only weapon a Jedi could use. Nomi Sunrider became an undisputed master at the technique of Jedi battle meditation, in which she used the Force to manipulate enemies to fight one another.
After training Nomi for some months, Master Thon brought her to the Jedi learning center on Ossus, where he gave her over to Master VodoSiosk Baas. There, with other Jedi trainees, Nomi Sunrider learned even more of the Force and finally built her personal lightsaber.
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