Aarran Shan

"The line between good and evil blurs in the darkest hour; in the black before the dawn, it's jedi like me who are that line."

- Ripley Shan

Ripley Shan was a Human born on Brentaal IV in 3,675 BBY, sister to Satele Shan.

In his early years, Ripley grew to be a strong force-user, scaring his friends and teachers with the immense power he wielded. He was sent to the academy on immediately to begin his training as a padawan.

He grew more and more over the years, showing a strong apptitude for lightsaber combat as well as an large amount of potential with the Force. After a brief training his served in the alongside his master. He showed the ability to use both the regular lightsaber form as well as the unorthodox form.

When he returned to Coruscant after Rhen Var's siege ended, Ripley began training with his new apprentice, having completed the jedi trials and more than proved himself worthy of becoming a Jedi Knight.

The two served together in the Great Galactic War and carrying into the, fighting in many of the proxy wars and eventually killing several important admirals. The two, working alongside other jedi and troopers, fought against two dark lords and their forces. After gaining a rivalry with the stronger of the two sith, Ripley found that the Second Great Galactic War was around the corner.

During the Battle of Balmorra, he found Darth Jethorr and duelled with him and his lackeys, his padawan aiding him. The two drove Jethorr off-world, but Ripley was blinded in the battle. Because of his massive midichlorian count, he was able to see through the Force, thanks to a Jedi Consular's teachings.

Unfortunately, the sith lords had a plan to dispose of the jedi. Jethorr captured Ripley through the sacrifice of Poetuus, locking him in a carbonite-freezing chamber of massive proportions. He froze the jedi, locking him away on his fortress in the Outer Rim for years.

During the Second Great Galactic War, the fortress was lost to time, overgrown, and the coordinates followed suit. Centuries later, soon after the New Jedi Order was founded, a jedi strike team discovered the fortress. They freed Ripley, and he was welcomed into the new Order. After his past and strength was revealed, Grand Master Skywalker gave the last descendant of Revan a seat on the Council.

He met a young jedi whom he fell in love with at them temple. Although he'd previously had an unsanctioned relationship with another jedi, he was delighted to find that love was no longer something to warrant expulsion from the Order. The two married and each took on later padawans.

Early Life
was born on Brentaal IV years before, the great descendent of and. She went on to become a Jedi padawan and eventually a knight, believing she was the final descendant of Revan.

This was not the case. Her parents, in 3,670 BBY, contacted her with the news that she now had a younger brother, named Ripley. While the age gap was large, the two siblings functioned together well.

Jedi Training
It was Brentaal's jedi watchman, Qillin Ekonani who discovered his true strength in a training session. The wise Korun jedi sensed the potential in the boy and took him to the temple on Tython. Satele vouched for her brother's skills, and the Council charged Ekonani with the boy as his padawan at the age of nine.

The watchman taught Ripley with his logical, grounded ways, although he inherited a sarcastic sort of wit that hadn't been seen in the Shan bloodline since Revan himself. He found that while he respected Ekonani, he preferred to think on his own, a fact that the watchman thoroughly basked in as an accomplishment.

The boy became stronger and stronger in the Force, learning some simple ways to focus his energy. At the padawan's sixteenth birthday, the local jedi healer reported that Ripley had a gargantuan amount of midichlorians in his blood; a startling count of 13,500 per cell. The Council took note of this, beginning to realize that the young jedi had an obviously large destiny, and informed Ekonani of this in order to continue his training accordingly.

Ekonani took the knowledge and ran with it, so to speak. The watchman knew that the Great Galactic War would need such powerful warriors, so he began to teach the jedi how to build a lightsaber, however early it was. The two travelled out to Illum to collect a crystal after the rest of his hilt had been constructed. Little did Ripley know that the planet was close to what would be his long-term resting place for the years to come.

In the caves, Ripley entered alone and attempted to collect a crystal, but it was shattered when he was beset upon by sith marauders. Defending himself with only a training blade, the padawan was able to hold his own until his master arrived, whence the two battled the sith and pushed them out.

Before he could collect a replacement, he encountered a vision of his ancestor, Revan. The apparition gave him a cryptic riddle to solve. In doing so, he located a secret chamber within the cave where he found Revan's ancient blade. Taking it, he disassembled it and rebuilt his own with Revan's. The apparition disappated from the caverns, the torch effectively passed on.

Great Galactic War
Soon after their mission to Illum, Ripley and Ekonani were thrust into the heart of the war. The two fought at many of the larger battles, always at the eye of the storm in a whirlwind of destruction.

The most notable of these was Rhen Var. The two, along with Ripley's sister Satele and a jedi padawan, were there when thoroughly beat back the republic forces. The four jedi rallied the remnants and began to fight back against Mekhis' army. Satele and Ripley separated from Ekonani and the padawan, the former attacking Mekhis herself. Satele was greviously injured, and Ripley was forced to fight against the sith lord himself. He was able to use the Force to incapacitate her just as Ekonani arrived.

Satele's injury had progressed during the duel. Luckily, Ripley, untrained in healing techniques, used his pure Force talent to heal her. Ekonani, witness to the whole scenario, congratulated his padawan and the four returned to Coruscant.

While Ekonani presented the situation to the Council, the padawan and Ripley discussed outside. He discovered that she'd lost her master on Rhen Var, and didn't know what she would do next.

When Ekonani called Revan's descendant into the chamber, the Council revealed that they had decided he had finished his training. Ripley became a jedi knight. His first statement was that he was taking the padawan, Duuk Jevv, as his own. While the Council balked for the most part,a few masters agreed with the decision, and Ekonani gave his former padawan a vote of confidence, becoming the youngest Jedi knight of all time so far. He took on his first apprentice and began to instruct her.

Training Duuk
The young Arkanian proved to be no better than average in the Force, but showed a knack for combat. While they still had a sturdy bond, Duuk didn't approve in the slightest of her master's casual and joking attitude, instead adhering very closely to the jedi code and causing Ripley to jab her often about 'loosening up'.

After her discovered talent with a training saber, he saw no reason in prolonging her training and took her to Illum. The two stuck together as the master had learned his lesson, and Duuk constructed a pair of blue lightsabers which she wielded in a traditional fashion.

The Sacking of Coruscant
Ripley and Duuk returned home just in time to see it be destroyed. The former held a brief meeting with, a jedi master in the Temple on Coruscant, and he meditated with him per his request.

Through the Force bond Zallow had hastily and temporarily forged, the two discussed, including Duuk, the War and many other topics. Ripley enjoyed the sense of calm he recieved during their conversation. Zallow eventually brought up his lineage, and the Knight was unable to say more than that it had been confirmed he carried Revan's blood. Zallow mused on this comment and the two sat together in silence for a few more minutes of peace.

The two were knocked out of their concentration by Duuk and, Zallow's droid. A Sith Lord and his Twi'lek accomplice had entered the temple. Zallow grabbed Duuk and her master and the three headed to the entrance.

Duuk, Ripley and Zallow, accompanied by three other knights, approached the temple Precinct, lightsabers drawn. A congregation of padawans and youths had formed overhead, watching as Zallow led them up to the Sith.

The lord, revealed as, stared down Zallow. A stolen Republic shuttle crashed into the temple, skidding to a halt just behind Malgus. The door opened, revealing a cadre of sith warriors.

The battle ensued, Zallow and Malgus duelling. Ripley and Duuk fought in tandem, the former fighting against and nearly winning if not for his padawan's defeat.

Duuk had injured Malgus' Twi'lek slave, and as a result the Sith lord had turned his wrath towards the Arkadian. Ripley leapt forward and used the Force to push Malgus back into Zallow's range, where the two continued to duel.

Eventually, Ripley watched Zallow lose the duel, impaled on the Sith Lord's blade. His heart sinking, he realized that they had to escape and he fled with Duuk.

The Cold War
The two retreated to Tython following the, continuing Duuk's training. Satele soon became the Grand Master of the Order, a fact that made Ripley simultaneously jealous and pleased.

Ripley continued his ways as a 'gray jedi', and Duuk often told him that his distance from the Council and unorthodox methods were the only things standing in the way between him and his own seat there. He disregarded this, dismissing the Arkanian padawan to 'worry too much'.

The two served on many fronts during the Cold War, working alongside the future and another jedi knight by the name of Kisco Andraes. Kisco decided to stick around with them, and the three became a nigh-unstoppable force.

Kisco eventually introduced Ripley and Duuk to his friend, a jedi padawan. Ripley found himself immensely attracted to her, and the two began a small, hidden relationship. In the coming months, the two would sneak off to continue their forbidden involvement. Kira had to leave, saddening Ripley greatly, as she was called into service with Kisco across the galaxy. He wished her luck and, in private, gave her one more kiss.

Darth Jethorr's Dark Army
A year or so in to the war, they encountered a Sith Inquisitor and his forces on Bogden. He went by the name of Darth Jethorr, and he, along with his ally Darth Poetuus, became Ripley's worst enemies.

They waged war against each other across the galaxy, each vying to get an advantage over the other. Jethorr was a merciless Inquisitor and ruthless backstabber, cunning and clever. Poetuus, on the other hand, was the brute force of the duo, not caring about tactics in his position as a warrior. This made Jethorr the more dangerous of the two by far.

In the second duel with Jethorr, Ripley found they hadn't been much more prepared. Duuk was quickly overwhelmed by his lightning, and Ripley engaged him in a brutal lightsaber match. Just as it seemed he was about to win, Jethorr used the Force to move a table slightly, distracting the Jedi Knight long enough for the Inquisitor to slash across his eyes and flee. Duuk escorted her master to medical attention, where they discovered he'd been blinded.

Recovery
The road to recovery for Ripley was one not previously traversed. He gave Duuk to Satele to watch until he found a way to teach her again. He sloped into a depression, allowing Jethorr to wreak havoc.

Luckily, someone was able to help. Jedi Consular Garak Jodonias, a Miraluka, was able to teach a being with as many midi-chlorians as Ripley to see through the Force as his people do. Ripley soon regained his sight, donning a cloth over his eye sockets and thanking Garak profusely. The Consular thanked his temporary student for allowing him the privilege to teach once more. He decided to accompany in the fight against Jethorr's army.

Capture
The war against Jethorr continued, Duuk and the others following Ripley across the galaxy.

Unfortunately, the Sith had a plan. Poetuus attacked the Jedi vessel, leading a boarding party with one goal: the capture of Revan's descendant.

Realizing the futility of the situation, he ordered the others to escape while he held Poetuus at bay. Kisco, seeing the necessity, dragged Duuk with him to the escape pods. Kira had one last, passionate kiss with her lover, unhidden, before retreating. Garak refused to leave his latest student, claiming it was his destiny to remain there.

When Poetuus stormed through the door, the two jedi were able to overwhelm him, just barely. Garak was injured as Ripley brought his blade down and killed the Sith lord - just as Jethorr entered.

Not expecting the second Sith's arrival, Ripley didn't even witness it. However, Garak saw, and was able to fling himself at the Inquisitor long enough to save the Jedi Knight's life at his own sacrifice.

Jethorr was able to defeat the exhausted Ripley with ease, taking the man captive.

Comatose
Ripley was brought to a secret facility on an uncharted planet near Illum, Poetuus and Jethorr's sanctum: the Dark Fortress. Keeping the powerful jedi in binds, he was brought into a carbon-freezing chamber of gargantuan proportions.

Bidding his nemesis farewell, the Sith placed Revan's ancestor into the chamber, putting him into an eternal rest.

As the Second Galactic War began with Jethorr's fueling, the Dark Fortress was forgotten for years. It became overgrown, and eventually the Republic forgot the world ever existed. Ripley lay in his intended tomb for years, none the wiser to the goings-on around him.

Revival
Centuries passed, and eventually the New Jedi Order was formed. Grandmaster sent expeditions out to the forgotten planets to find new things in the time of peace half a decade before the.

One such team uncovered the Dark Fortress. The team fought their way through the ancient defenses laid in the way by Jethorr and uncovered the massive carbon freezing prison. Accidentally, they awoke Ripley, who emerged the same age he'd been going in.

He, frightened and unsure of what was happening, engaged the other Jedi and defeated them with the Force, only stopped by 's intervention. Katarn talked Ripley down and heard his side of the story, electing to bring him back before the new Council.

Ripley's arrival at the Temple had been anticipated weeks in advance. Skywalker himself escorted Revan's descendant off the shuttle and into the chambers. After a brief evaluation, Katarn vouched for his skills. Archivist verified the tale, and asked Ripley to help elaborate on some of the missing details of history. Skywalker offered the young man a seat on the Council, which he accepted without hesitation.

Unfortunately, Ripley's original lightsaber was missing when he awoke in the Dark Fortress, assumed to be lying with Jethorr. Instead of hunt for Revan's ancestral blade, he decided to forge a new, more unique weapon.

Marriage
Not long after, Ripley met a beautiful young woman by the name of Kylis. Almost immediately, he fell in love with her and sought advice from the other Council members. To his relief, Skywalker's new rules did not forbode marriage or love, and the young man made a move to get closer to the young jedi.

A year later, the two were married by Ripley's comrade Katarn, and Kylis picked up the Shan surname.

Jedi Service
Ripley served in all of the wars, including the Yuuzhan Vong War. He eventually picked up an apprentice, a Lorrdian named Lore Paradasca. He trained the man, who followed in Duuk's footsteps and became quite good with a blade.

Personality and Traits
Ripley had a powerful sense of humor, which gave him many friends. He got along with almost everyone he met. He had a habit of not adhering to the strict Jedi code, making him somewhat of a precusor to the modern gray jedi at large and.

All habits aside, Ripley was a solid teacher regardless. Duuk went on after the loss of her master to defeat most of Jethorr's forces, avenging Ripley's disappearance with the skills she was taught.

One of the traits that gave him the early Council seat was his strong sense of duty and honor, compassion and morals. In several duels, he allowed his opponent to escape, including a few with Poetuus. One of the things Skywalker truly lacked was a pure moral compass, and that was exactly what the young Jedi was. He'd lived through enough to seem old, much as the had been described by Mira, and was wise beyond his years.

Powers and Abilities
Ripley showed an exceptional amount of prowess with both the Force and his unorthodox lightsaber form. The former is likely an inherent talent, for his great ancestors, but the latter comes from months of training. He purely enjoyed using his saber and customized his second blade to the fullest to make it unique and represent him.

Behind the Scenes
This article is a work in progress by Crispin Web. It will be finished over time, as well as other characters receiving their own pages.

Ripley Shan is a character created by Crispin Web to be able to continue 'his Revan's' story into The Old Republic. After creating the character after seeing the cinematic trailers, Web decided he liked Ripley so much he wanted to carry him to his favorite era as well.

The original idea to explain his youth millenia later was that he was so strong in the Force, he was able to put himself into a sort of Force coma where he stayed alive and at a static age. Over time, the creator decided this was a poorly-written idea, and implemented Darth Jethorr's carbon freezing machination.