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The following excerpts are taken from the journal of Jedi Raian Kol:
Entry Title: Early life
Location: Iridonia
I don't know what my homeworld is, or was. My parents never saw it fit to divulge such information to me. Suffice it to say that sometime after my birth, my parents and I moved to Iridonia; the home of the Zabrak species. My father raised me, while my mother worked. According to him, the Kota clan is very strong in the Force and a few have gone on to become Jedi and serve the Republic. My father, Lucian, was offered a place among the Jedi when he was a boy, however, the prospect of politics caught his eye more, and he turned down that offer.
My childhood was relatively peaceful, and I had few blunders that I could remember. I had many Zabrak friends, one of whom would later go on to become a Jedi with me. That brings me to my first encounter with the Jedi. A few standard months after my eleventh birthday, there was a political dispute between Iridonia and the Galactic Republic's Senate that almost resulted in military action. As a last resort for peace, the Jedi were sent in to negotiate. During their stay, two Jedi Masters visited my father, having discovered that a family of Kota now lived on Iridonia.
It was then when I met my future master, Jasen Korr. He was the Jedi who tested my Force-sensitivity, which came out strong like the rest of my family. Like my father before me, I was asked if I desired to join the Jedi Order. I can remember looking to my father for approval. My last memory of him is his last words before I accepted the Jedi offer, "Do whatever your heat tells you. No, that's wrong of me to say. Your heart can be misleading. Do whatever the Force tells you. Follow it, and it'll never lead you astray."
Entry Title: Jedi Training
Location: Tython
It was only fitting that I was trained on Tython, the birthplace of the Jedi Order. There was an elegance to planet. It instantly felt like home to me. The Jedi quickly became my second family and I excelled in my Jedi training. While on Tython, I learned of a unique ability I possessed through the Force; the ability to detect and determine shatterpoints, as well as exploit them with the Force. Apparently, I wasn't the only Jedi at the time with the use of this power. A Jedi named Avix Draav also had use of it, and was ironically being trained on Tython as well.
This led to our being trained together at different times in the course of our training, and we eventually became good friends. My talent with the Force was certainly great, as I was the first Kota to have the shatterpoint ability, however, my skills with a lightsaber were even better. My master attempted to teach me Shi-Cho, Ataru, and Soresu, but each time I failed. Those styles were either too offensive and brutish, or too defensive and slow. I also hated the straight up-and-down hilts of the training lightsabers I used.
Regardless, my master allowed me to build a lightsaber during a trip to Ilum. With the Force as my guide, I created a curved-hilt lightsaber equipped with green focusing crystal. My master quickly recognized the saber as the kind used for lightsaber duels and had me instructed in Makashi from a blade master back on Tython. This form, I caught onto quickly. It was swift, graceful, elegant...everything I loved about lightsaber combat.
Soon after my Makashi training was complete, my master gave me a final test to complete. I had to face the dark side down on my "homeworld" of Iridonia. Returning to that world was uncomfortable for me. Shortly before entering Iridonia's atmosphere, I encountered a shatterpoint within myself, connecting me to the planet. This planet had the capability to turn me to the dark side of the Force, and instantly (and ironically), I was afraid. Fear gripped me as I returned home to find my family's house long deserted and in ruins. I would later find out that they were killed by a criminal mob that desired their wealth.
I planned to hunt the mob down and get revenge for what they did (a path that would've certainly fulfilled my vision), but they instead found me. They were led by a Zabrak dark-sider who was trying to start an Iridonian Revolt against the Republic. In the ensuing battle, I found out that he was none other than my old Zabrak friend, Rosh, that had become a Jedi at the same time I had. Now a Fallen Jedi, Rosh had returned to Iridonia to lead his revolt against the Republic. Our lightsaber duel intensified, and only through my knowledge of Makashi was I able to counter his Ataru. I managed to disarm him of his lightsaber and was now presented with two options; kill him and gain revenge for my family, or spare him and turn him over to the authorities.
During my choice, I felt the two sides of the Force struggling for dominance within me, but in the end, I chose to spare him. Memories of our strong childhood friendship and our Jedi training together overcame my desire for revenge, and upon handing him over to the Jedi Council, I surrendered those dark feelings, finally freeing myself of them. More than pleased with my performance, my master submitted my training to the Jedi High Council, who accepted me as a Knight of the Jedi Order.
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