Ji (Gand)

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? This article details the history of a character who no longer actively takes part in current events.

Ji
Biographical Information
Homeworld:	Gand
Date of Birth:	30 BBY
Date of Death:	35 ABY
Physical Description
Species:	Gand
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.5 meters
Weight:	60 kilograms
Hair:	?
Eyes:	Bulbous
Personal Information
Allies:	Malik Sadow Raiju Kang Solari Korroth Karn
Enemies:	House Scholae Palatinae Naga Sadow
Lightsaber Form(s):	Makashi
Fighting Style(s):	Verdanaian
Chronology & Political Information
Profession:	Jedi
Position:	Jedi High Councillor Magistrate to the Voice
Era(s):	Rise of the Empire Era Rebellion Era New Republic Era New Jedi Order Era Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era
Affiliation:	Odan-Urr Jedi Order
Personal Ship:	BTL-S3 Y-Wing
[ Source ]

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

―Yoda

Ji, the first High Councillor of the Acolytes of Odan-Urr, was born in 30 BBY on the planet Gand, where he lived until 1 BBY. In addition to guiding the Council, Ji was also the militia commander and oversaw the general distribution of tribal protectorates. He was one of the instrumental brokers of the Menat Ombo Accords, sealing the peace between Harakoan natives and colonists. He was a very eclectic individual, regarded as both polite and uncharacteristically brash for a Gand by his peers. Ji was severely wounded on New Tython after conflict broke out in the cities following the Tenth Great Jedi War and died in the presence of his fellow Jedi in 35 ABY.

Early History (30 BBY - 16 BBY)

Origins

The Coruscant Underworld

Little is known about Ji's earliest years. He was presumably born on Gand to a well-off family of slave traders. What is known is that in 27 BBY he was given to the Jedi Order—something extremely uncommon among Gand, as their Force Sensitive children were almost always trained to be findsmen—where he would spend the rest of his life. It is probable that his family, for whatever reason, owed the Jedi Order some debt of gratitude and the young Gand was handed over to settle the debt. Being raised at the Jedi Academy, he lacked any of the social stigma Gand typically attach to the usage of first (and even third) person pronouns and, at the age of five, the Initiate chose his own name.

A member of the Heliost Clan, Ji excelled in most areas of youngling training, though he was particularly fond of politics and history, hoping to one day become a Jedi Archivist, though his hobbies extended often to mechanical tinkering with the various support systems deep beneath the Temple. However, in 19 BBY (mere months before he was set to begin his Initiate Trials) the Galactic Republic betrayed the Jedi Order and attacked the Temple. While many of his young companions fled to familiar, presumably safe, rooms such as the Council Chambers or their barracks, Ji made his way down into the belly of the temple, crawling through ducts, lift shafts, and sewage pipes before finally emerging deep in the Coruscanti Underworld.

Underworld

During his time in the seedy underbelly of Coruscant Ji depended largely on the sympathy of anti-Imperial beings, between whose dwellings he was juggled for the better part of three years. Though he attended schooling whenever he could, he was always careful to maintain the secrecy of his identity—not a hard task considering his species. In spite of the constant danger of Imperial raids, these several years passed by relatively quickly and are remembered as some of the Gand's best, quietest days. Finally, in 16 BBY (and still an adolescent) a well-to-do Caamasi family—who had gone underground after the bombardment of their planet three years earlier—with whom Ji had been lodging for several weeks introduced the young Gand to Ylenic It'kla, a Jedi Master.

Ylenic It'kla (16 BBY - 3 ABY)

Ylenic It'kla, progenitor of House Odan-Urr

Tutelage

Upon It'kla's arrival in the Underworld there was no question. Ji was ordered to accompany the Caamasi, and, still an adherent to the Jedi Order, he obeyed his superior. It was under It'kla's instruction that the young Gand learned the skills so essential to a Jedi Knight. As the pair traveled throughout the Galaxy, often aiding the Rebel Alliance in both diplomatic and subversive missions, Ji's skillset grew. He learned the histories and cultures of countless worlds, could speak a dozen languages, and had made contacts throughout the Outer and Mid Rims. It was during this time that Ji also learned to pilot, a skill which he developed quite a knack for, thanks to his vast intelligence and quick reflexes. Alongside his impromptu master, the now adult Gand visited some of the most important centers of learning in the Galaxy, including Ossus, Tython, Naboo and Alderaan, where, partly due to being so heavily associated with a Caamasi, Ji spent a great deal of his formative years. However, it wasn't until the destruction of this world, and by extension that of his master, that Ji ceased to be the assistant of a wayward diplomat-Jedi and became a true Jedi Knight, committed to the overthrow of the Empire.

Rebel Alliance

Formally joining the Rebel Alliance under a pseudonym days after the Battle of Yavin, Ji participated in many minor skirmishes and several very important battles against the Empire, though he always kept his identity as a Jedi secret. The Gand pilot flew his BTL-S3 Y-Wing in both the major victory during the Battle of Turkana, and the major defeat at the Battle of Tingel Deepspace Besh. After the major Rebel defeat at Hoth, fearing the imminent destruction of the Alliance and permanent loss of the Jedi teachings, Ji fled deep into the Outer Rim, rather than rally with his comrades.

Acolyte of Odan-Urr (3 ABY - 34 ABY)

Muz Ashen, Grand Master during the first encounter with the DJB.

Characteristics