Cresh Vark'sera (Jedi Renaissance)

Cresh Vark'sera was a male Trandoshan Jedi Master who served both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic as a Commander during the Clone Wars. A member of the Jedi High Council, Vark'sera was trained as a Peacekeeper by Jastus Farr, serving as a member of the Temple Security Force on Coruscant and later on Ossus before joining the High Council during the Trandoshan Offensive.

Early Career
A rare Force-sensitive Trandoshan, Cresh Vark'sera was detected by the Jedi Order's Acquisition Division and brought to Coruscant one week after the Invasion of Naboo. A student of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Vark'sera was a troublesome young being and caused his minders great stress in trying to keep him calm. Entering into the Boma Clan, Master Tera Sinube was wary of the ferocity of the boy's power and feared that he would not be able to make it through the Temple's academy. However, when Vark'sera began work with his practice saber in the Temple dojo, the Trandoshan learned to transfer his energies into a very precise strike and controlled swings. Practicing several different forms in his spare time, Vark'sera seldom visited the Temple Archives except to study the origins of lightsaber combat or to analyze the hilts of masters past. Vark'sera sought out the ancient lightsaber construction droid Huyang while and often sparred with the old droid at the Temple and was able to pass the Initiate Trials to the great joy of his instructors who had previously doubted his commitment to the Order's principals.

Preforming well in the Temple Apprentice Tournament in 21 BBY, Vark'sera was allowed to become an apprentice early as the Order struggled to maintain its numbers during the Clone Wars. Selected as the Padawan of Temple Security Force member Jastus Farr, Vark'sera remained at the Temple as a guard. While Temple battlemaster Cin Drallig was the Chief of the Secuirty Force, Farr was second-in-command and was able to ensure that Vark'sera was given assignments which would challenge his calm and his strength. Vark'sera longed to wield a duel-bladed lightsaber and with the help of Huyang was able to design and craft one to his liking. Wielding the green-bladed weapon proudly, Vark'sera was often stationed on the lower level docks where he interacted with the seedier elements of Coruscant. Vark'sera was honored by Vark'sera's trust and controlled his vicious nature in order to make his master proud. When a bomb was detonated in an upper level hangar of the Temple Ziggurat, Vark'sera was enraged that such a thing could happen at the Temple and expressed his frustration to his master who warned of obsession with perfection and urged him to strive to correct the problems for the future.

Vark'sera was at the Temple when a group of four Masters led by Mace Windu departed the Temple and ordered for the complex to be locked down. Securing the lower level hangars and entrances, Vark'sera stood guard to ensure that no one entered without permission. After standing guard for hours, Vark'sera received a message from his master urgently directing him to clear the lower levels of clone troopers or Republic guards. Vark'sera dutifully rushed to a Courscant Security Force checkpoint on level Theta-10392 and informed them that the facility was under lock down and that they would have to vacate the premises. When the security members questioned him on the source of his orders, Vark'sera unlatched his lightsaber from his belt and escorted them to the nearest pedestrian walkway away from the Temple. After the level was clear, Vark'sera reported in an was informed that he was not to be relieved of duty as a mass influx of Jedi returning to the Temple was expected. Vark'sera remained at his post over night and well into the afternoon of the next day as Jedi stationed nearby Coruscant began to return to the Temple for an emergency conclave. Several days and sleepless nights later, the Conclave of Coruscant was held in the Great Hall of the Temple and Vark'sera guarded the second level doors as Master Mace Windu addressed the entire Order for the last time as leader of the High Council and the first time as the Honorable Triumvir of the Republic. Announcing the death of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Windu introduced the new Grand Master Tomac Moorcé to the Order and informed them of Master Yoda's self-exile. Moorcé declared an end to wartime practices and kicked off an era of peace and rediscovery for the Order focused on learning and evaluation in the face of near-obliteration at the hands of the Sith.

Jedi Renaissance
As the Jedi gave up their roles in the Grand Army of the Republic, Vark'sera retained his position as Temple guard while the Order sought to reconstruct their ancient fortress world of Ossus. Because the number of Jedi stationed on Coruscant was to decrease in the coming years until the Order was able to increase enrollment at the new academy under construction on Ossus, Temple security was also to be downsized. Lower level hangars and entrances were to be sealed indefinitely and personnel to be redistributed between academies on Ossus and Tython. Vark'sera, still a junior Padawan, was to remain on Coruscant with his Master as Cin Drallig transferred to Ossus to continue his role as battlemaster at the new academy. With Master Farr taking over the role of Chief of Security, Vark'sera was given a greater role within the Secuirty Force and protection of the High Council Tower was assigned to him. Despite his heightened responsibilities, Vark'sera was not immune to Grand Master Moorcé heightened regulations. The Trandoshan was evaluated as having little to no field experience and it was decided by the Council of Reassignment that he would embark on a journey mission to the planet known as Krake's world where he was instrumental in unlocking the mysterious data vault which held data stored there by Confederate Admiral Trench. After finally killing the Admiral, Vark'sera returned to the Temple where his master congratulated him on his first successful mission. In 7 BBY Vark'sera was deemed ready to pursue study as a Journeyer on Tython. Already accustomed to independent study, Vark'sera flourished at the academies of Tython as he moved from each of the nine Great Temples until finally meeting again with Master Farr at Padawan Kesh. Deep within the temple Vark'sera completed his Trials of Knighthood and was bestowed the title of Jedi Knight by Temple Master Mavra Zane.

Departing Tython as a Knight, Vark'sera returned to Coruscant where he was received a new assignment; travel to Ossus to serve as the defender of the Eastwatch Tower of the Sea. Stationed at the isolated outpost on the Eocho Mountains' seaside, the tower was located at the end of the Hall of Meditating Masters. From the tower Vark'sera protected the temple from intruders and stood guard even as the ocean crested over the guardrails there, eventually attaining the rank of Master. After years of service at the isolated guard post, Vark'sera was appointed to replace outgoing Master Lev Laseter on the High Council. As the Republic was facing a conflict known as the Trandoshan Offensive in 18 ABY, Vark'sera familiarity with his people's culture was of great importance to the High Council and integral in their policy-making ability. Vark'sera served throughout the contention as the primary Councilor attached to the conflict and eventually was able to assist Master Glynn-Beti in hammering out a peace treaty. Continuing to serve the Council until 23 ABY, Vark'sera chose to return to his duties at Eastwatch and eventually retired to the jungles just outside of Knossa. Constructing a simple shelter among the lush foliage, Vark'sera took his first and only Padawan. The Vrassh apprentice, Elendi Zark was an angry young being who the members of the Academy believed would never find the Jedi Path. Teaching Zark to transfer his energy he spent on his anger into his training, Vark'sera was able to train the boy to knighthood and was personally congratulated on his success at training the apprentice by the Grand Master. Vark'sera become one with the Force in 43 ABY at his shelter deep within the forest. Upon discovery of his death, his body was burned on a pyre in front of his home by his former Padawan who honored his master one final time by placing the Trandoshan's meticulously crafted lightsaber in the Great Library for generation of Jedi to study and emulate.