Orven Kalan

Name: Orven Kalan

Species: Human

Birthplace: Ord Mantell

Gender: Male

Age: 36 (3986 BBY-present)

Affiliation The New Jedi Order

Rank Jedi Knight/Jedi Sentinel

Physical Description
Tall, about 6 ft 2 in, and slender. Has short dirty blond hair and light skin. Has light blue eyes. Has several scars on his arms and chest from an earlier "conflict". Not very muscular, only about average strength and constitution. He is exceedingly quick on his feet though.

Psychological Description
Three words can describe Orven very well: Brash, cocky, and persuasive. He has little regard for risks or odds and plows ahead in his own path. He has an air of overconfidence about his abilities and skills. He is a bit less of this when he is around only his friends and is more concerning and helpful to them. His great bodily dexterity is surpassed by his outward charisma. Many a person or enemy has fallen to his persuasive techniques and natural speaking ability. Underneath the exterior though, lies a whole well of troubles, anxieties, anger, and terrible experiences he refuses to let out or talk about, even those closest to him about.

Favored Force Uses, Weapon, and Saber Style
Orven does not have a particular area of the Force that he favors over the other, so he wields many different branches at times in combat or in peace. But if there was one that he liked the most, it would involve manipulating the mind of another to achieve a goal, though this does stray somewhat close to the Dark Side. For a weapon, Orven wields a lightsaber with a bronze blade. Orven is very adept in two styles. His main style is a personal variant of the Niman(Form VI) form that combines several aspects of Form III(Soresu) to bolster it's defensive capabilities. This gives Orven a near weaknessless form with superior defense than most other styles. But when facing Force users and strong melee combatants, Orven switches to his other form, Makashi. This equalizes duels against stronger combatants because Makashi is excellent at both offense and defense against opponents wielding lightsabers, swords, and other melee tools.

Life on Ord Mantell
Orven was born on Ord Mantell, a system in the Outer Rim. The planet was once a center for trade but was degrading each year into a seedier, more criminal enviroment. His parents were traders who handled in-system transactions between groups and also had a shop for goods. With the changes in society on the planet, this meant that his parents were increasingly involved with criminal groups wishing a third-party exchange. The police on the planet were overwhelmed, and soon kep to the few havens safe from the rampant crime. Orven made a friendship with an older mercenary called Rword, who was an uncle of sorts to him, and His parents believed that they were safe due to their neutral status. Unfortunately for Orven, they were proved wrong.

When Orven was 15, his parents were killed on orders from the Crime Lord Oshkka, a Trandoshan who believed his parents were siding with a rival crime lord, Dusshan the Hutt. Orven came home from a delivery to find Dusshan's men inspecting the place for clues. Upon his arrival, Orven was taken to Dusshan who explained everything. Orven's parents were very good friends with Dusshan and were secretly sending him some extra supplies. Dusshan explained that Oshkka's death order included Orven, and he offered to hide him or give him money to go off-planet. Orven refused. From age ten he had been learning from many different criminals and his own parents the art of living off the streets and other things similar. Orven said that he would rather go his own way until he could get his revenge on Oshkka. He assured Dusshan that he would keep in touch about his whereabouts and then left for a life on his own, Rword making sure he didn't get into too much trouble.

Over the next year Orven lived in the slums of Ord Mantell, where he honed his skills. He was under the assumed name of Mende and grew in reputation as a findsman and as a scout. No one knew the sewers, ducts, streets, and terrain of the city better than he did. No one got out of more scrapes, or had seemingly better luck than he did. He occasionally assissted Dusshan's men, Rword especially in raids and other operations, but he mainly went alone in his attacks on Oshkka's patrols. He used every tool and weapon to his advantage and was long gone by the time reinforcements showed up. He also managed to scout secret ways into Oshkka's complex for when the time was right. After the year had passed, Dusshan made contact and said that now was the perfect time to strike at Oshkka. Orven agreed and led a group of three dozen men through a series of sewers, caves, and alleys to get into Oshkka's headquarters while many more ambushed patrols and raided outlying facilities.

They entered the headquarters and the group then split. Four squads of eight branched off while four remained to aid Orven. At a given signal they all revealed themselves and started firing on any nearby person. In the sudden confusion, Orven's group made its way into the upper levels where Oshkka dwelt. Once there, Orven seperated from the four. They were to eliminate all of the lieutenants that they could find. Orven went straight for Oshkka. He killed several guards in his way and breached the door into his target's quarters. Oshkka stood there in battle armor with a long sword at the ready. Orven took out his vibroblade and revealed his identity to Oshkka, who then laughed and said he'd enjoy killing him as well. The two then moved in on each other. Orven was faster and much more maneuverable, but Oshkka easily beat off his attacks and countered with massive strikes that Orven could barely turn aside. He managed to wound Oshkka several times with his quick strikes, but each wound was minor, and Oshkka's constitution was great. After a few more minutes of exchanging attacks, Oshkka landed one blow that threw Orven back several feet and to the ground. His blade landed about three meters away from him. Oshkka laughed again and began to describe in graphic detail how he had personally tortured and killed Orven's parents. He then said he would do the same to Orven. He ran forward, sword held high. Orven was extremely angry and hated Oshkka with every fiber of his being. Without even thinking, he extended his right hand, into which his vibroblade suddenly flew. He then rolled forward and stabbed Oshkka in the gut, who dropped his weapon in surprise. Orven drew out his blade, hate in his eyes, and swung his right fist towards Oshkka in a move that would have slashed his head open. Before his hand or blade reached the body, Oshkka was thrown many meters backward into the far wall, where his neck was snapped. Orven was stunned by this and then remembered how he got his blade back. He had heard stories about it but never would have known that he had the Force. As he stared at Oshkka's body and knowing that nothing more was left for him on this world, he resolved to find the ledgendary Jedi and be trained as one of them.

Training
Orven somehow, as if guided by the Force, was able to find a Jedi outpost on Ilum. He presented himself for training to the Jedi there. Desperate for recruits, they agreed to train him in their ways. For eight years, Orven intensely trained, sparing no effort and leaving no lesson unlearned. A desire to better himself, and to better the galaxy around him was a main charge for this. Also he was determined to rid the galaxy of the Exchange, as it was them that caused his familiy's destruction. He buried this hate for the group deep down, seemingly beyond his master's sight. After his non-stop effort for eight years, he was granted the title of Jedi Knight. And during this time, and the years afterward, Orven formed a close-knit group of friends among the Order that has lasted to the present day. But as with all beings, Orven had a secret, a secret that would remain a secret to the present day, but with that secret he now carries a hidden pain that tortures him with nightmares of the past.

During those eight years, Orven's teacher had been Master Soda, a Jedi Master who was of the same species of Master Vandar, and though possessing the low hundreds of years, Soda was young to middle-aged for his race. Soda was a somewhat eccentric Jedi, his views not always in keeping with what the Council instructed. He taught Orven in odd ways, surprising him when he least expected it with sudden training, tests, among other things. And above all, he taught Orven to be himself, and accept his strengths and weaknesses. This unusual training continued, and Orven progressed greatly under Soda's teaching. The Mandalorian Wars changed things, however. Orven felt very strongly about joining the group who left with Revan, but his imcomplete training, along with his loyalty to his master and the Order stayed his feet. But Orven noticed that Soda grew somewhat disgruntled at the Council for their handling of the situation. And so it was that the day after Orven was made a Jedi Knight, he was approached by Soda in his quarters. The small Jedi Master gave Orven some advice on how to handle himself as he was now a Knight. Soda also warned Orven about the dangers of letting old hatreds and anger lie inside, awaiting to be called forth. While hate and anger were natural things and should not be suppressed, they must always be controlled and not let loose. The results could be disastrous for Orven and all those around him. Did Master Soda know of Orven's hate towards the Exchange? Or was this a simple warning? Orven never found out, as Soda disappeared that day and never saw him since. Three more years passed, with Orven watching the events and aftermath of the Mandalorian Wars from the sidelines. Things changed yet again when Revan invaded with the Sith Empire and many defected Jedi and Republic soldiers in his service.

The Second Sith War
Orven now joined the front lines of the war and charged headfirst into every conflict, somehow coming out unharmed in everyone. A few Jedi whispered that he was extraordinarily lucky. A few others said that the will of the Force was keeping him alive for some purpose. Even when Orven faced the foul Sith Lord Darth Teror, a renegade Sith who rebelled from Malak, in a battle that should have destroyed him; he came out the victor, though somewhat injured with several slashes on his chest and arms, and inflicted with a far more hurtful blow that he refused to speak of, save to Kanjon Gath, a later friend of his. But while he has survived, several of his close friends have died in the struggle, furthering his intensity and drive to destroy the Sith. His demeanor and intensity helped lead an Order that has been close to being without hope in the times of Revan's invasion.

One day, Orven was meeting Colonel Valiens Nantaris and Captain Raolph Scindia of the Legion as a greeter when a ragged man missing an arm stumbled into the Temple. It was Xander Jy'Phon, who was ranting and raving about Dark Jedi, the Exchange, and the Bounty Hunter's Guild. After briefly conversing with Xander and hearing about the Sith Empire dealing with criminal groups on Nar Shaddaa, Orven brought this information to the Jedi Council and was teamed with Scindia on a mission to Nar Shaddaa with a team of intelligence agents to unravel this mystery.

Their first stop was at the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Orven was able to wrangle in some assistance from his old acquaintance, Dusshan the Hutt, who supplied a small cadre of mercs led by Rword and supplies to assist Orven, who he thought merely worked for Republic Intelligence, in investigating the Guild, which was a rival to the Hutt's syndicate in a way. While Scindia did recon of the area, Orven and Rword met with Cabe Cassell, the owner of the Guild to try and feel him out. Cassell pulled a double-cross however and tried to gas Orven and Rword, which failed when the two escaped through. That action now brought the attention of the Republic on the Guild, which did not have long to live. It was during this escape that Rword learned that Orven was in fact a Jedi, but he accepted this and nothing changed their friendship.

A light force of Republic soldiers with backup from the Legion reinforced the team, which then invaded the Guild to destroy it and to capture Cassell and bring him to justice. It was only half-successful. The Guild and most of it's resources were crushed, but Cassell, who was in league with the Sith after all, managed to escape on a transport provided by the Sith Master Anuvilis. Though the leader had gotten away, the Bounty Hunter's Guild was dead for now, which now brought Orven and Scindia to the second leg of their task, the Exchange wing centered on Nar Shaddaa. Rword and his men though were not supposed to get involved, and he bid Orven a farewell.

While doing basic prep and recon work, Orven and Scindia stumbled upon a trio of misfits waging their own private war against the Exchange: Kanjon Gath, Kamira Nurityen, and Xander Jy'phon. The three were quickly allied with, and preparations were quickly started, such as calling in additional Republic forces in to subdue the defenses of the Exchange compound. But complications ensued when Xander mysteriously departed, and both Kam and Kanjon were seized in a raid by Exchange warriors. The attack went on though, with Orven commandeering Xander's Basilisk and using it to suppress the rooftop defenses of the Exchange compound. After much bitter fighting, the Exchange forces were pushed back to the last hangar, when Orven and Scindia discovered the true enemy on the moon: The Sith. Sith Master Anuvilis was coordinating things with the Exchange and had a small force of Sith troops to complement him. He had also managed to seduce Kam over to the Dark Side.

A quick but desperate melee ensued as Scindia fought Anuvilis, Kanjon was rescued, and Orven reluctantly faced down Kam in a duel. Orven managed to disarm Kamira by destroying her weapon, and tried to convince her to come back to the Jedi. Anuvilis' influence was too strong however, and she refused, escaping with her new Master on a transport.

Training Kanjon
After returning with Scindia and Kanjon to Coruscant, Orven was appointed to begin teaching Kanjon in the ways of the Force, who was found to be Force-sensitive. Orven's first padawan was a new experience for him, since he had to carefully train a grown man only five years or so younger than him. It wasn't easy, with the two slipping into a few arguments now and then, but their relationship as teacher and student was solidified by their becoming good friends. Their training was marked by things such as a dangerous trek to Ilum to acquire a lightsaber crystal for Kanjon that ended in a melee with a Sith garrison force that included Dark Jedi, and a second visit to Nar Shaddaa brought on by the return of Xander Jy'Phon, which gave Kanjon new clues to finding Kamira, who was now training under one Nikolai Brewster.

After some more vigorous training, Kanjon finally resolved to track down Nikolai Brewster, and Orven decided to go along to make sure that his padawan did not get in over his head. They first sought out Orven's Hutt friend Dusshan, who pointed them towards Murtin Loor, a former Republic agent who specialized in tracking and infiltration. After traveling to Ravnos and locating Loor, they journeyed to Korriban, where they last heard of Nikolai's presence. Loor was able to spot Nikolai's ship leaving the system, and the trio tracked it to Nar Shaddaa. Orven led Kanjon to the pad where Nikolai's yacht was, and they encountered heavy resistance from Bladeborn-hired mercenaries. After defeating them, they continued to track Nikolai, whose ship had left in the melee, and moved closer to finding Kamira.

After many travels and trials, Kanjon and Kam were reunited, much to Orven's delight. Though Kanjon soon afterwards left the Jedi Order so he could pursue a life with Kam, Orven was not disappointed by it, since he thought everyone had the choice on how to live their own life.

The Republic Civil War
A few years passed, and Orven was now one of the more well-regarded Knights in the Order. But sadly, things in the Republic began to get nasty for the Jedi. As tensions came to the fullest, Orven got a message from his old teacher, Master Soda, that indicated he would soon be in the area with some help. That message was well-timed, as minutes later the Republic began it's assault on the Jedi Temple. Orven was one of the leaders of the Jedi starfighter force that was sent to break a hole in the forming Republic blockade around Coruscant. The going was tough, but the arrival of Soda and a small wing of Chiss clawcraft was the deciding factor, and a breach was made for the Jedi to flee through. Orven was not one of them though, since his fighter had experienced major damage to it's engines. He instead guided his craft down to the surface, where he immediately ditched it and his Jedi attire and quickly made his way to the Ord Mantell consulate. Since Ord Mantell was outside of Republic space, Orven was technically a foreign citizen, and claimed asylum as soon as he stepped into the building.

A few days later, as things on Coruscant settled down, a diplomatic ship took Orven back to Ord Mantell, where he immediately made contact with Master Soda to arrange transport, as Republic agents were no doubt watching for him to leave that way. Soda soon showed up, but so did a team of mercenaries hired by the IED, and the two friends had to battle their way to the transport and get out, escorted by several mercs led by Orven's old friend Rword. They traveled to the world of Palanhi to acquire funds from an account Soda held, but they were assaulted by IED and Republic forces on the ground and in space during their departure. It was a difficult fight, but with aid from a nearby Chiss force, Orven, Soda, and Rword were able to break out and escape into space. Orven went with Soda to a Chiss outpost in the Rim, and was there when Colonel Nantaris arrived to begin a discussion over what next steps to take in the war.