Born A'lora Kituri on the planet Shili, A'lora Kituri al'Tor is nearly a typical Togruta and Light-Sided Jedi. Raised within the New Jedi Order, A'lora was taught how to harness the power of the Force. Her special talents as a Seer and Healer make her well aware of both the Unifying Force and the Living Force, as well as a major asset to the Brotherhood. Her longstanding light-sided alignment have caused her to remain neutral to all major conflicts until her discovery of House Odan-Urr through a vision that led her to Eli Denan al'Tor, who later gave her a higher purpose and presenting her with the family name of al'Tor. A'lora Kituri al'Tor currently resides with House Odan-Urr serving the Odanites as a Councilor.
Physical Appearance
As a Togruta, A'lora's appearance is largely near-human, with the exception of Lekku and Montrals, the Lekku not unlike that of a Twi'lek's, save for the third Lekku common amongst Togruta. White with stripes of light blue, her Lekku take on a common colour for her species and frame an attractive, oval-shaped face. Lavender-skinned with white markings, A'lora is a Togrutan female who has an acrobatic build, built more more agility than strength. Average in height among her species at 1.72 meters, she is difficult to spot in large crowds. Like her skin, her eyes are a lighter shade of purple. Of slightly less than average height and weight, A'lora is far more agile than she is strong physically, which gives her an edge in distancing herself from her opponent while she prefers to remain an extension of the Force, rather than a blunt instument of aggression. Preferring light, non-restrictive clothing, she usually wears something that is tight-fitting while engaging in an important or dangerous mission, and longer robes while studying in the library. Because of her deep connection with the environment, she prefers clothing that will not close her off from the land, often forgoing shoes and other unnecessarily burdening articles when travelling in lush atmospheres. A result of excruciating torture from Yuzhaan Vong amphistaves, her back is a patchwork of scarred flesh that crisscross in all directions.
Philosophies and Beliefs
Jedi Philosophies
A'lora tends to think often of the Living Force, but is not close-minded when it comes to the Unifying Force that supplies her with powerful visions. A Healer and Seer, A'lora tends to avoid combat situations where possible, but is also a tactican when the situation calls for it. Where a battle may arise, A'lora prefers to remain on the sidelines, bolstering her allies or using the Force to topple her opponents. While she does have experience in the arts of lightsaber combat, her knowledge is limited, and she will not strike an offensive blow unless the risks are minimized and there is no other alternative. Preferring not to use weapons unless absolutely necessary, A'lora favors the lightsaber when the situation requires violence. These are usually seen in hues of emerald. When a lightsaber is not available, A'lora is able to wield two-handed blunt weapons, such as quarterstaves.
However, while fighting a relentless opponent, such as a Dark Jedi that cannot be wavered from his path, she will do whatever is neccisary to stop the tide of darkness, and will call upon her most aggressive lightsaber forms she might know to surprise her opponents. As a first resort, she will always attempt to guide one affiliated with the Dark Side of the Force to join the Light. She will not strike the final blow unless the need is dire, and the opponent refuses her offer.
Learned in the path of the Jedi Consular as a Healer, she will often seek to heal the injured or sick, and has a vast knowledge of plants and wildlife. As a result, she can often be found healing those who have been injured on the battlefield, tending to their wounds before the next battle. As a Seer, she has powerful abilities to see mere glimpses into the past or future, though these cannot be controlled, and will only rarely appear in long sessions of meditation. As a result, she will also be called upon to assist Jedi Sentinels who may be sent as investigators to uncover secrets, wherever and whenever they may be buried.
Togruta Beliefs
A'lora Kituri al'Tor has a strong sense of unity and togetherness, a quality inherited from her homeworld, Shili. On her native homeworld of Shili, the pack relied on each other and would band together to take a stand against the massive monsters that hunted them, staving away akul attacks as well as any predators that would occasionally wander too close to their territory. A'lora is known within House Odan-Urr for her habit of not wearing shoes when in lush environments, believing that the land was spiritually connected to the Togruta, and wearing shoes severed the bond between herself and the land. In addition to her beliefs, A'lora often thinks of her House as a pack. In Togruta custom, within a pack every able Togruta was expected to contribute his or her own share, to the betterment of the pack, where each individual is treated equally. Togruta were also known for their belief that those who could not keep up should be left to fend for themselves, because that is nature's way. A'lora tends to follow this belief loosely, after witnessing firsthand the destruction that can be wrought against those too helpless to stand up against their enemies, Yuzhaan Vong or Brotherhood forces. Other Jedi in the Order had found this particular belief quite barbaric, sometimes resulting in alienation from the young Togruta in the academy. Seeing herself as a pack leader, A'lora will often have a difficult time with fulfilling their goals because of the risk of becoming individualistic.
History
Origins
Shili, the Togruta homeworld.
A'lora Kituri's origins began many years before her birth. In the years following 11 BBY, Iss'tas Kituri had been renowned for her exceptional and unrivaled skill as a hunter within the pack. Highly distinguished by her unique assortment of akul teeth, pelts and bones from various predators, she had been the tribe's primary line of defense for two decades. A natural leader among Togruta, Iss'tas was both charismatic and devout to the Togruta ideals and beliefs. Often referred to, jokingly among the Togruta as 'Ferocious Akul' among the hunters she led, the name was both meaningful and amusing. The name itself implied that any foe - prey or predator should fear the Togruta woman as much as any akul. Each hunt, Iss'tas would collect only the finest prey, and stalked her targets with extreme care to their nests, locating other creatures for future hunts. Crimson-skinned, the Togruta would use her natural camoflage to stay hidden until it was time to strike. It was later found that Iss'tas Kituri had been Force-sensitive, and had used these abilities to cloak herself on these hunts. This advantage is also said to have guided her aim while throwing spears at unsuspecting prey.
In 10 BBY, the pack on Shili was found by a spacefaring group of smugglers. Landing their deteriorating freighter in the midst of this strange culture to avoid pursuing pirates, the smugglers had been welcomed into the pack's vast community. Taken in awe by the arrival of the barely spaceworthy vessel, the Togruta began trading precious akul teeth and valuable skins for the smuggler's illegal cargo of corusca gems. The gems themselves had been one of the many possesions of a less-than-successful Hutt who had ordered the sacking of the freighter in fear of being unable to afford the reaquirement of his valued gems. In actuallity, the skins and teeth had been worth far more to the smugglers, who gladly traded their cargo away to the Togruta.
One such smuggler, a male Twi'lek by the name of Garess Kelr took keen interest in the leader of the pack hunters. For years the former smuggler had returned to Shili, staying among the Togruta and eventually becoming a hunter of the pack. Despite his history as a smuggler, the Twi'lek was a natural hunter, given his natural instincts learned in the former position. Each attempt at courtship had failed for the first two years, resluting more than once in a broken nose. There had been nothing that Iss'tas valued more than strength, agility and experience in the hunt. It was 9 BBY when the pack hunters had caught wind about a akul attack on the outlying settlement. Armed with his trusty blaster - a weapon uncommon among the pack - Garess accompanied Iss'tas to repel the threat. The scale of the attack was unexpected, with only five of the sixteen hunters surviving the akul invasion. During the chaotic battle, Garess had lost his hold-out blaster to the belly of an akul, while the same beast had begun to turn its attention to Iss'tas. Cornered, the Togruta woman's quarterstaff had been ripped from her hands, only to rest at the feet of a horrified Twi'lek. Summoning enough courage to face the nightmarish creature, Garess Kelr had jumped on the back of the beast, the quarterstaff lodged in its spine as it toppled. The brave act of heroism and self-sacrifice in the name of the pack had won Iss'tas' approval, and Iss'tas had later given birth to A'lora Kituri in 5 ABY.
Birth of a Jedi
After much pain, A'lora Kituri was born on the planet Shili. The infant had been born with lavender skin - a trait inherited from her father and uncommon among the pack. The Togruta child was raised within the pack, trained from birth to one day follow in her parent's footsteps as a great hunter. Strong in the Force, A'lora's parents had one day witnessed the young A'lora as she moved small objects without seemingly touching them. Quickly, the young Togruta grew in the large community, eventually becoming old enough to be apprenticed by her mother in the way of the hunt.
Her training was intensive for the next five years, each week A'lora would find herself stalking her prey, waiting for the chance to strike from the shadows. She had been taught not only to use quarterstaves and spears, but her natural weapons of montrals and teeth, as well. Thimiars were a common animal upon which the Togruta would prey upon. The small rodents had a bitter taste, but were nevertheless sustaining to the vast population. Encouraged by Iss'tas to hunt these without the need for weapons, the young Togruta would enter their nests using only her sharpened teeth to painlessly hunt the small animals. She was taught to hunt in all of Shili's hunting grounds, including raiforest valleys, savannahs and mountains, where she was expected to adapt to the terrain for weeks at a time.
Eventually discovering her unique powers as a Force-sensitive, the young A'lora in her adolescence would use the Force to mask her unique skin colour, changing it from a purple hue to a rust or crimson colour. This helped her blend in to various surroundings, such as the scrublands where her white markings made her nearly invisible among the turu-grass that had been red on one side of the meter-high shoots of grass, and white on the other. This had provided excellent cover in such environments, allowing the Togruta close access to the creatures she hunted.
Sometime around 18 ABY, A'lora Kituri had developed her Force powers to allow her to communicate and empathise somewhat with these creatures. As a result, she would place aside some time to sit in the middle of a grove located in one of Shili's rainforests, meditating so still that she would attract the curious animals. Eventually, she was able to use these powers to ally herself with a select few of these creatures, gaining their trust as they would assist her in the hunt. For a year, she continued this excersize until an akul invaded her grove. Her hollow montrals had only detected the intrusion mere seconds before the predator ponced where she had once been meditating, giving her barely enough time to roll away from the orange-furred creature. After five minutes of a tiring battle, the Togruta had managed to climb on the creatures' back, much as Garess Kalr had once done so long ago. The creature had tried desperately to remove its opponent from its' back, but to no success as the young A'lora dominated the creatures' mind, sending waves of calming thoughts into its' being. Upon arriving to her pack, her mother, an aged pack leader was surprised by the manner of her daughter's arrival, as was the rest of the pack as they stared at the beast with both apprehension and awe. Hailed as the 'Akul Rider,' A'lora kept the beast as a friend and companion, completely loyal to her until its' death in 20 ABY.
New Jedi Order
A'lora Kituri as a promising student of the Yavin Four Jedi Academy.
Facing the Mirror
As a Togruta, A'lora Kituri was born on the planet Shili, where she was raised until she was discovered to be Force-sensitive. Upon the discovery of these powers, she was introduced to the New Jedi Order, where she was first brought to the Praxeum on Yavin 4. While the praxeum itself was a sight she had never before behold, she had preferred the surrounding forests that had reminded her so much of home to the praxeum's interior. Under the tutelage of a Twi'lek Master by the name of Athenya she began to harness her powers as a Jedi Consular, skilled in the ways of meditation and healing. Patient and willing to learn, A'lora was a model student of the Academy, often drawing more attention from the Masters than she would have liked. This resulted in alienating her from her fellow students of the Force, who would often show signs of jealousy towards her, desite her attempts at friendship. Because of this, A'lora had never felt a strong connection to any of her fellow students in the Academy. Instead, she preferred to seek solitude outside of the Praxeum's walls, where dangerous creatures lurked in the shadows, starving for the sweet taste of sentient flesh. Again, she continued her practice of meditation while the creatures drew nearer in curiosity. As a Master of patience and meditation, A'lora began developing Force visions at an early age. Her first experience began in the solitude of an ancient cavern on Yavin 4, imbued by the Force in such a way that it mysteriously attracted predators of many kinds. Shortly after experiencing a Force vision of Felucia, she was attacked by a vicious Tuk'ata. The conflict lasted for twenty minutes before the beast was slain, and her Twi'lek Master, Athenya, arrived to find no trace of the beast as her student lay weary and exhausted. After bringing her student in for medical attention, A'lora had revealed her vision of a far away planet and the beast, as it turned out, was nothing more than a spirit in the Force.
Of Monsters and Abominations
File:AloraSeven.jpgA'lora Kituri, using her lightsaber skills.
Several years later, her Master had brought together a meeting of the Jedi Council to discuss a matter of importance. For hours, the Council had convened before deciding that A'lora was to accompany her Master to Felucia, where she would further develop her skills as a Jedi Consular. Chartering a shuttle entitled "Ruby's Fortune" for the lush planet, the two Jedi travelled within a refugee convoy destined for the planet Felucia. However, before they could reach their desination, their shuttle was siezed by the Peace Brigade, a group of mercenaries intent on collecting prisoners to please their Yuzhaan Vong masters. It was thus that her and her Master attempted to disguise themselves as refugees, abondoning their lightsabers and Jedi robes in favor of clothing fit for refugees. Disgused as a Togruta diplomat and an exotic Twi'lek dancer, they agreed to be captured alongside the commonfolk of the Ruby's Fortune, rather than spark conflict.
Their imprisonment within the cargo bay of the Peace Brigade's cruiser had been a turning point for the young Togruta as she wittnessed firsthand the pain and suffering inflicted on the innocent. Anguished screams reveribrating from the far side of the bulkhead had been a sound the Togruta found impossible to adjust to, despite her Master's wisdom. For days, they waited within the neglected cruiser under the watchful gaze of a pair of Yuzhaan Vong warriors, who had seemed completely disgusted by the fact they were stationed aboard one of the Peace Brigade's 'abominations.' Each passing day, they would take a handful of refugees for their own enjoyment, scarring their backs with coiled amphistaves and implanting others with large, protruding spikes. Against the warnings of her Master, A'lora had begun healing the injured until the agonizing grip of a hand on her lekku forced her away from one of her patients, where she stared into the dreadful gaze of a Yuzhaan Vong warrior. "Do you think I can be fooled, Jeedai?" the hideous face snarled, dragging her away by her lekku in such a way that she thought she might pass out from the pain.
Ear-splitting screams echoed into the bulkhead as she was taken into an adjoining room to "Please the gods." Her Master grew increasingly worried by the day, as her apprentice remained subject to the Vong's questioning for greulling days, and had not been seen amongst the refugees during that dreadful time. Seeking an opening to rescuse her faithful apprentice, Athenya meditated each day to give her student the strength she needed to survive the horiffic injuries sustained under the constant lashings of amphistaves. Eventually, an opening was presented in the way of an unguarded cargo bay; The Yuzhaan Vong had retired to their own quarters for the day to recieve an important message on their villips. A master of Force techniques, her Master raced for the room in which A'lora was detained, hoping that her beloved apprentice was still alive. The will to live slowly leaving her scarred body, A'lora's fading vision caught a glimpse as her Master hurled a ball of Force energy at her torturer, stunning him momentarily as Athenya siezed his amphistaff in time to decapitate him with the razor-sharp living blade.
Pouring all of her strength into the weakened, ravaged body of her apprentice, Athenya closed those wounds that were still open with a crusty scab, just enough that she might send her student into a healing trance long enough to sustain her vital signs until help arrived. Not hours later, the cruiser found itself in space occupied by the Imperial Remnant, where help arrived in the form of a Star Destroyer. Like the powerful thunderstorms of Kamino, the powerful turbolasers of the Star Destroyer ravaged the engines of the cruiser, enough to immobilize the ship and allow for the boarding of the cruiser by Imperial forces. Gathering the refugees into the expansive Star Destroyer, the Imperials has promised to help all of those who needed medical attention. Medical crews raced back and forth with their droids in tow. When they reached a worried Athenya, she revealed the identities of both her and her apprentice. Within a few weeks, A'lora was recovered enough to be able to stand, although painfully.
First Encounter
A'lora Kituri as a skilled apprentice.
Felucia was a wonderous planet to behold. So rich with life in many varieties, the very landscape had seemed to speak to the young Consular. It was nearly overwhelming to behold as they stepped out from the shuttle into a cool, humid, fetid landscape of huge fungal forests. All around her, she could feel the presence of various lifeforms, all with their own, separate intentions. A nearby Sarlacc waited for the inevitable prey curious enough to wander near its gaping mouth, while a Felucian bird wandered overhead, watching the new arrivals with beady, black eyes. Waiting in the canopy, a Felucian Ripper awaited its next meal, as the bird disappeared within the canopy. The Living Force was everywhere, as the fungal growths beneath her feet seemed to pulsate colors ranging from blue to purple. As the sun passed overhead, the very jungle seemed to be constructed of glass of varying hues.
As the Jedi waited alone in the solitude she preferred, she let her eyes snap shut. Clearing her mind, she opened herself up to the Force, gaing a reading on her surroundings and the whereabouts of her Master, who had disappeared into the dense fungal forests in search of interesting specimens for further study. As all thoughts of concern for her Master vanished, the now older Togruta began sensing the world around her, just as she had done upon first exploring the planet. "So, you have finally arrived?" A voice echoed through the forest, before an unfamiliar face appeared within her vision. Appearing near-dead, yet charasmatic at the same time, the Nagai outstretched a finger in the direction that lay in front of her, towards the darkest regions of the jungle. Her eyes snapping back open, the vision disappeared as the Togruta found herself hovering several feet from the ground. Landing with an uncomfortable 'thud,' the familiar figure of her Master raced over, dropping the rare specimens she had gathered to check on her apprentice.
Relaying what she had seen to her Master, she knew that this one task was something she must accomplish alone. Finding herself before the darkened jungle and armed with her newly-constructed lightsaber, the Togruta let the golden glow of her blade light the path. Again, the voice returned, but not in the form of some vision. Sensing a presence behind her, she snapped around to find her lightsaber matched with the cerulean blaze of another, before she conjured up the Force to blast the grinning figure away. "Good. It seems you are powerful in the Force, after all." Liam chuckled, "Again!" The fight had continued like that for several hours, the man always striking from the shadows, while the Togruta was content to let the strange Jedi wear himself out. Finally, growing frustrated with the hermit, A'lora deactivated her lightsaber as she reached out with the Force. Not a moment too soon, the snap-hiss of the Nagai's blade announced his presence behind her. Taking the time to move out of the way, A'lora used the Force to alter her environment, entangling the older man in a patchwork of thorny vines. Dispite the small trickle of blood leaking from his legs, the hermit only smiled.
"Enough." He said, as the vines suddenly disappeared, "You have proven your abilites more than enough. There is a war brewing elsewhere, and I fear only those of the Light can stop it. Will you join us?" He asked. Before she could reply, the strange man was gone. A datapad lay where he had once been with a place and coordinates on the screen. New Tython, Yhi System. Leaving the jungle behind with the datapad in hand, she returned to a concerned Athenya, who advised meditation until the Force provided an answer. For years, she would meditate under her Master's guidance, focusing on the teachings of the Living Force, and yet mindful of the Unifying Force. It was clear that the answers would be shared with her, in time.
Hidden Truths
Throughout her remaining years of meditation, she helped her Twi'lek Master as they travelled through Feluica together, studying the lanscape's variety of lifeforms and fungal plants, mastering her techniques of healing and medicine. On one particular day where she had been in deep meditation, her Master had brought back hundreds of deadly samples of various plants. Waking her apprentice from meditation, she laid out eash of the samples in rows, explaining that there was one sample chosen that hadn't been deadly. In order to pass the Trial of Insight, A'lora was to find the correct sample, and determine if it was indeed deadly or not. Carefully, she set about examining each individual sample, taking many hours to examine each one. The plants themselves came in many varieties, fungal, spores, tubular, native, non-native. Each one had their risks, if she was not careful, she might risk an infection from the spores, or risk handing a toxic fungal sample. Day and night she worked on solving the mystery, with no solution. Her Master returned one evening to discover her apprentice, along with a large pile of dangerous samples beside her, but none of the samples had her apprentice considered safe.
"There isn't one here I would deem safe, Master." She explained, illustrating her analysis of each one. By the time she got to the last of the samples, her Master could only chuckle. It had nearly been enough to draw a strain of anger from her apprentice, if she hadn't been so weary. "The answers might not always be where you suspect." Athenya hinted, returning to her duties. Meditating upon these words, A'lora sought to examine her surrounding through the Force for anything she may have missed, then she found it. Resting beneath her feet, a single blade of grass whipped around in the wind. Plucking it from the ground, she presented the finding to her Master. "Congratulations, my padawan. You have just succeeded in passing the Trial of Insight. Let it be known that you managed to find the hidden truth among deceit."
Knighthood
File:AloraThree.jpgA'lora Kituri as a Jedi Knight of the New Jedi Order.
A'lora's training on Felucia completed, the pair's return to Yavin 4 was far less eventful than their previous experience. Brought before the Council, A'lora explained her encounter with the hermit on Felucia, and the events prior regarding her visions. The Council talked among themselves for many hours, before they turned once again to the Padawan, having reached a decision. "We do not take these decisions lightly, A'lora. Therefore, having passed the majority of your Trials, you have faced overwhelming odds and excellence. Because of the nature of your visions, it is clear to us that the wise path would be for you to follow them. It is with our deepest regret that you will not likely wander within our halls again. Yet, this path you must undertake alone, it will test your courage and all of the skills you have learned. Therefore, cast your title of Padawan aside, and rise a Jedi Knight of the Order."
With that, A'lora knelt, her Padawan necklace severed from her neck as she said her final farewell. A shuttle was already waiting as she departed to an unknown planet that would guide her to the mysterious man from her encounter. A war was brewing, and it would take all that she had to stop the darkness of the Brotherhood from achieving its goal.
File:Alora-saber-green.jpgA'lora Kituri's constructed lightsaber.
Mentorship
Her days as a mere Padawan long gone, A'lora settled on Felucia for a time, intent on learning how to survive in such environments. Taking on a student from the Order, a promising young Falleen named Kayelia, she set out to teach her apprentice as her master once had. For three years, she lived among the fungal forests, using her knowledge of herbs and medicines to survive the dangerous planet. Her apprentice had grown strong in the Force, but often lacked the same Jedi ideals. Kayelia often lacked empathy for those creatures around her, the taste for adventure clouded her judgement. Despite her master's warnings, the Falleen would venture into the darkest regions of Felucia alone, being stalked by creatures that would have attacked, if they had not feared the young woman's power, and the power that lurked within the darkest regions of the forest. Living alone alongside the native Felucian, darkened and twisted under Maris Brood's influence, Kayelia's path had become shadowed by doubt and confusion.
The Falleen had descovered the mysterious source of power within Felucia's depths - a wealth of knowledge so connected with the Dark Side of the Force that none would venture there - other than the occasional predator so twisted by the site's power. A'lora suspected her apprentice's discovery, and set out to find her, venturing into the forests for weeks until coming across an ancient vessel, half buried under Felucia's fungal forest floor, with the only entrance to the ruined ship being a hangar bay that had been opened, long ago. Her apprentice lurked inside, so driven by the site's overwhelming power that she attacked her former master in a panic for what might become of her, if she were to be brought before the Order.
The battle was interrupted by a monstrosity - a wild rancor mutated by the Dark Side's influence. The creature had been twisted over the years, growing many massive tusks and spikes jutting from its back. While the Jedi was a master of beast control, she would not seek dominance over such a darkened creature, for fear of turning to the Dark Side, much as her apprentice had done. Upon the creature's arrival, A'lora had been knocked unconsicous by the beast's massive swipe while her apprentice had managed to tame the beast, riding off into Felucia's depths. A'lora had realized her mistakes of allowing such an untrained apprentice be allowed to venture within Felucia, and vowed to bring and end to the darkness she had created.