Corran Trill, now 20 years old and fresh off his trials, was one of the more unusual sights to be found within the Jedi Order. He was a Zeltron, a member of species whose hedonistic tendencies and amorous nature made them somewhat antithetical to the teachings of the Jedi. This fact had been a constant conundrum to his Jedi masters on Coruscant, a conundrum that remained to be solved. Taken at the age of five from his family and people back on Zeltros, not only had Corran retained some lingering attachments for his home world’s culture, his very physiology made him naturally predisposed to it.

There were benefits to this, of course. Corran’s charms easily won him friends among his fellow students and teachers, but there was also a price. His passionate nature often left him distracted and lacking the discipline and willpower his mentors so constantly demanded. Serenity and harmony might be core tenets of the order, but at times they seemed like an anathema to Corran. Passion and action were in his blood. As a young initiate in Master Tilleron’s meditative classes, for instance, he would often grow bored and distract other students until harshly reprimanded; and in Librarian Travern’s trips to the archives, he seemed to always fall into some happy, daydreaming stupor, acting out stories in his head.

At a more basic level, the natural telepathic abilities of his people made him particularly susceptible to negative emotions, such as fear, sadness, or anger. This was a worry to those who knew and guided him, as they knew the danger of such emotions and where they could lead. This made his successful training all-the-more important, but none knew how best successfully unlock Corran’s potential.

There was, however, one area of training that Corran seemed to genuinely enjoy. They say that Zeltrons denied love focus on war; and in Corran’s case, this seemed to hold true. In his martial classes, he displayed an unusual focus that allowed him to excel. It was through his aptitude here that Corran eventually won the notice of one of the few Makashi-style masters the Jedi Order had. Noticing the young student’s love for the blade, as well as the natural potential of his Zeltron nature, this master took on young Corran as his Padawan, training him in the arts of the single-blade Makashi-style while trying to use it as a tool through which to impart other lessons on the Force.

Displaying a natural affinity that few others had, Corran took to mastering it with a gust. With its elegant flourishes and flamboyant feints, the form spoke to him like nothing else could; and it was only while giving himself to the whimsical flow of such combat that he seemed to find that inner peace the Jedi sought. Corran noted this and through this self-invented style of meditation, began to understand a glimmering of what the Jedi taught. To him, the Makashi style became the bridge that withstood the tension between his Zeltron nature and life as a Jedi and he soon became well-known for his skill in lightsaber combat with others.

When it came time to construct his own lightsaber as part of his trials, he wanted his to reflect both the Makashi-style’s importance to his understanding of the force and his devotion to both it and his master’s teachings. Rather than go to Illum, he ventured to the planet of Velmor, where his visions had led him to look for Velmorite, a golden-yellow crystal known for the fine, thin blade it produced. While such a crystal was unusual by this time, it was also perfect for the graceful, fluid wielding of Makashi dueling.

Once his crystal was found, he proceeded to construct the hilt in such a way as to allow for smooth handling, curving down in a way that allowed for both better control and flexibility. Finally, as a homage to his Zeltron spirit, the hilt was particularly notable for the subtle magenta opalite-like substance that formed the pommel of the hilt, a personal expression that some frowned upon.

But if his proficiency and coming mastery in Makashi gave him a way, the journey to mastery of the force remained a long and arduous one. His master felt he was still not ready to become a Jedi Knight, as did others, and it was why he was just getting out of the temple at the age of 20 when others had been granted such an opportunity at early as 16. Nonetheless, he had passed his trials, even if the process had been slow, and the need for new knights out in the galaxy was ever-growing.

Knowing this was an opportunity to learn, as Corran prepared to leave, his master urged him to grow through his adventures and take every opportunity to further develop his mastery over himself and his knowledge of the force...and to beware of his passionate nature and the paths it might bring him down...