Born on the somewhat distant planet of Alpheridies forty-five years ago. Izaak was born in during the ravenous days of the Clone Wars. Like many Miraluka, he was born with the Force coursing through him with his father Jedi Knight Jiraz being one of the few Jedi left to fight in the Clone War at the time. He weaned Izaak on stories of the Jedi Order and the many great Heroes of the past.
The young boy was fast on his way to becoming a Padawan in what was left of the Order. His father taught him the basics of Force Control and Lightsaber Combat which the young lad was quite excellent at, sadly the Force decided now was not the young Miraluka's time. The night Izaak was to officially begin his formal training, his father was called away to fight in the final battles of the war.
This would be the last time either Izaak or his mother Eliek would see Jiraz alive. News of battles came few and far-between for this distant dot of civilization out in the cosmos. His mother and he could only put trust in the Force and carry on with their lives. At eight Izaak was working odd jobs for local Farmers and Merchants as his mother worked as a teacher for local children.
Continuing this day-to-day life for a few more years, Izaak practiced his saber skills every day after work. It kept him fit and able to focus on things other than his father and he even managed to stop worrying until a knock came on their door one night. At it was a man with the Light Side of the Force surging powerfully around him, but with the slight gray fog that comes when bad news is in their mind. The man introduced himself as Jedi Knight Sarik a Sentinel and a very close friend of Jiraz, the news he and his mother had been waiting for had come. Jiraz was killed in an ambush set up by the Sith, it pained the boy and his mom, but it also made them proud to know he died fighting for Order and Justice.
Sarik was grieved to have brought this news, but he respected Jiraz greatly and thought it was the least he could do for the man. He also came to see if the old Miraluka was right in how strong Izaak was, as he studied the boy he saw much promise in the young man and knew his old friend was right. It was decided that Izaak would continue his training under Sarik's guidance. The next day Izaak packed what he was told and left his home to begin his official Padawan Training. With the Order in such disarray from the beginnings of the Great Jedi Purge most of Sarik's and Izaak's training was done by the Knight's word and example. He missed his mother deeply these first fews days, but eventually as Sarik's lessons sunk in the longing faded under the bright light of the Force and the knowledge that his training would be to protect innocents like his mother.
The men visited Alpheridies often both to check up on Eliek who seemed to remain as young and kind as ever and a young prospect Sarik discovered in the Tarell household. A fellow Mirluka, a young girl with the curiosity that made the stars groan. Upon this first visit, Izaak discovered a life long friend and equally as long headache, Seris Tarell. She was many years his junior, but her curiosity and eagerness had a way of making the usually grim young man smile. He answered what questions he could and taught her what he had learned from Master Sarik. It was a pleasant distraction from the woes and worries of being a number on the Galactic Most Wanted List. Living by what credits they could and getting in contact with any Jedi they could, they ventured across the former Republic, fighting in battles, finding Sith Cells, and slowly helping to keep the Jedi Order from extinction.
Many missions and trials later Izaak was on the verge of becoming a Knight at twenty. Sarik had been a master for a few years now and they both agreed it was Izaak's turn to go up in rank, but much like for his first chance at becoming a Padawan. The Force judged now was not Izaak's time for knighthood. It was the last mission before his promotion, they were sent to gather intel on a rumored Sith Cell. It was just supposed to be gathering information, they were not to engage the Sith. Things didn't stay that way though, they had reached the location and were just about to begin observing when something in the backs of the minds told them danger was ahead. Izaak could feel it in the Force, Sarik felt it as well, but they couldn't just abandon this mission. It was key to a victory for the Jedi, despite the growing dread the two men continued on their mission.
The source of the dread soon showed itself. From the shadows of Sith Outpost several men appeared with red sabers glowing evilly in the gloom of the backwater planet. Like his father Izaak found himself in the middle of a Sith ambush, remembering his training and accessing his well of Force Powers, the Padawan joined Master Sarik both utilizing mostly the defense and deflections of Forms III and V they held off the ambush longer than anyone expected. As they continued to defend against and deflect the attacks the Jedi began to wear on the rage and impatience of the Sith, letting it dictate their actions. Hasty attacks, failed feints, it was looking good for the two Sentinels. Unfortunately a snake that has haunted Izaak for many years reared it's head...arrogance. He was becoming cocky, daring to break from the circle of protection and taunt the Sith into further outrage. Sarik had berated him many times for this behavior and while it sunk in the young Miraluka wasn't perfect. This time it would bite him squarely on the behind, seeing the boy's own recklessness an older Sith timed his movement and attack and got past the two men's circle of protection.
He would've killed Izaak on the spot had Sarik not seen this coming and stepped between the boy and the Sith's saber. Reacting before the dark warrior could Sarik drove his own weapon into the Sith's heart killing him instantly. In shock Izaak forgot himself and almost died a second time this instance though the Force saved him. It warned him quick enough so he could counter the attack and slashed the Sith's midsection killing him.
Seeing their own chances to kill these bothersome Jedi the other Sith attacked. Not feeling this would end well for either of them, Sarik used the last of his strength to throw Izaak out of the way and pulled the Plasma Grenade from his vest and detonated it. He and the Sith were turned to ash in a brilliant white light and an ear-splitting explosion. Izaak's ears rang for days after it, he remembered his training though. After he was hurled from the epicenter of the explosion he jumped to his feet and ran for the nearest cover. The Force Sight led him to an old Maintenance Shed on the other side of the compound.
And there he stayed for days he didn't even bother to count the passage of. He had spat in the face of one of the Order's most emphasized Doctrines, Jedi are required to learn that, although they were able to use the Force, they were no better than those who could not. Jedi were taught that they were only Jedi because someone had taken the trouble to teach them, not because they were superior to others, and that a Jedi Master was only a Jedi Master because he had disregarded his own sense of self-importance and embraced the will of the Force. He failed that and it cost him his friend and teacher, if he made it out of this he would always be fighting his greatest enemy...himself. He promised this on Master Sarik's memory, recovering from his near-death experience in meditation, Izaak began constructing a new lightsaber.
The one he had been using was of basic design and while he had gotten used to it he never felt like it was the best he could do. The way of making a lightsaber wasn't to be taught it was to be felt and Izaak was too busy to actually feel the saber. At the construction of his first lightsaber he needed a tool and that was it. Now he needed a real weapon to help him get through this last Trial. Taking the yellow crystal from his present lightsaber he cannibalized what parts he felt could be used and took the rest from the shed he was sheltering in. This time of meditation passed undisturbed by the outside world, it seemed the Force was watching over him and keeping danger away until the Miraluka was creating his new weapon. When the young man came out of his trance he was hungry, thirsty, and sore all over, but before him was an elegantly curved lightsaber hilt. It fit perfectly in his hand, and it felt like an extension of his own being.
He immediately wanted to go out and use this new weapon to avenge his Master, but the harsh lessons the defeat and death taught stayed his hand. He needed to eat, find a drink, get off this planet, and try to complete his mission. Remembering the evasive maneuvers and techniques Master Sarik taught him as part of Sentinel Training. He covered himself with soot and snuck from the Shed he had been sheltering in, he then disappeared into the shadows around the base. From what info he and Sarik had before coming to this planet, the outpost had a few outbuildings used mostly for storage. Seeking them out, he satiated his hunger and thirst at the first building and moved towards the main base to hopefully find a ship and some intel. Keeping his profile low and his senses stretched out as far as they could go, he moved like a ghost through the gloom of the corridors not wishing to run into more Sith.
Izaak soon found himself right where he wanted to be, in the Communications Center of the outpost. It was empty which only partially put the young Jedi at ease, The Force was obviously still with him and he had no intention of squandering the chance. Making his way to the console, he accessed it and sent a coded message to the Jedi on Tantoonie. He sent what info was in the immediate area to them and his plans to take a ship and leave. He didn't expect a response so he destroyed the entire center and ran for the hanger.
The Force's grace held out right until he was boarding the ship, the base wasn't as empty as he had hoped. Some Droids were there and they had tried to stop Izaak's escape, but some Emerald Lightning sent them into heavy boxes and fixed that.
Not waiting to see if anything else was coming his way, Izaak hijacked an old Star Cruiser, and after racking his brain he got the thing on Auto-Pilot and set it for Tantoonie.
He arrived on the planet a Hero and was given the rank of Knight shortly there after. The information he had sent over helped the Jedi wipe out that cell and two others.
The newly titled Knight was determined to not rest on his laurels once, he rested up and outfitted himself for whatever could come his way and was back into the thick of things doing his job as a Sentinel a few weeks after his return. Even with his gracefully aged mother attempting to talk him out of it and become a full-time teacher, a mother's pleas are not easily ignored even by a Jedi Knight. In the end though he knew deep down in his heart that his skills would be needed elsewhere and managed to talk the woman onto his side despite the dangers it would bring.
For the next twenty-five years Izaak fought the darkness and perfected his Way of the Aegis. He has even taught his fair share of Padawans, his most recent was the Juhani-Cathar, Rhonan Althror. He had discovered the young slave after he had assisted in bringing down a Mandalorian slave camp. The boy showed an exceptional level of Force Power when he crushed the head of a slave-master. Izaak knew that if it could be refined Rhon would be an extremely skilled and formidable Jedi. He pulled the young alien aside and gave him the opportunity to become something great, Rhon accepted and became the Miraluka's Padawan. Quickly the young Cathar proved himself more than capable to learn the way of the Force and with Izaak's steady hand Rhon became a prime example of a young Jedi. It was even proven when the Padawan sacrificed his own hand to defend innocents. Never had Izaak been more proud of a student than he was of Rhonan that day.
It was a foregone conclusion Rhon would be Knighted and even now they are close friends each still learning from the other. In those years he even recruited an old friend, finally managing to talk Seris into using her great skill for the good of the Order and be an Archievest and Scholar. Right up to the present day he has continued to help rebuild the Jedi Order's image around the Galaxy. Now for five years he has been one of the few Knights promoted to Master in the New Jedi Order. Still visiting his homeworld frequently, Izaak uses whatever money he has to keep his mother comfortable and forever finds himself in awe at how well she ages. Even these many years later nothing of her sharp faculties have lessened, when he finds himself lost or doubting his actions, just hearing the woman's infinite wisdom and feeling her comforting hand brings him back to himself and he's ready to face any challenge.
Being the most experienced Sentinel in the Order and one of the only living Masters right now Izaak has been acting under his own authority and has gone on many covert missions to hunt down Sith and their unholy Artifacts. Some he has needed to recruit civilian help this latest mission will be another one of those, but what he doesn't expect is meeting a ghost of the past in a planet forgotten in time.
Dark Side of Balance {{Koti~ & Sikstaslathalin}} OOC [M]
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