O-Mer-Van (Jedi Renaissance)

O-Mer-Van was a male Cerean Jedi Knight who served the Jedi Order as a Ranger during the Golden Age of the Jedi. One of his most early exploits was the capture of the spirit of Curumo Lân on Tython, a rogue Ainu left to roam the continent of Srednata Zemya for millennia following his descent into darkness. Van's early successes foreshadowed a long career of dedicated service to the Order.

Early life
Born to a horticulturalist and an academic on the low-tech world of Cerea, O-Mer-Van was detected to be Forceful at birth and was willingly handed over to the Jedi Order for training in the ways of the Jedi arts. Growing up within the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as part of an Initiate Clan, Van and his peers trained together and studied the ways of the Force within the safety of the Temple. When the Clone Wars erupted across the galaxy between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Van and his peers were safeguarded within the Temple, but an urgency crept over their lessons; the Order needed all able-bodied Jedi to perform in the war and Van's clan was close to the age acceptable to be taken on as Padawans. Expediting their training, Van's instructors arranged for his clan to participate in a mission taking them far from the Temple. Boarding a transport with their docent, Master Iman Hiy, the clan embarked on their mission to the planet in the  of the Mid Rim where they were tasked with recovering ancient Jedi war diaries rumored to have been left over from the Great Galactic War.

Arriving on Eberon, Van and his clan mates were quickly able to locate the ancient ruins of Korv, the fortress city which served as the staging ground for Jedi Knight Satele Shan's personal intervention in the in 3,651 BBY. Locating relics within an old museum, the group of Initiates was ambushed by a hunting party of Trandoshans who killed Master Hiy and scattered the clan. In order to make a quick get away, the Trandoshans settled for abducting only three of the Initiates instead of searching the city for those in hiding and risk apprehension by the authorities. Capturing Van and his two classmates, Jinx Mahnsun and, the Trandoshans departed the planet and set a course for the Trandoshan moon of. Once in the atmosphere, the Trandoshans released the three Initiates onto Island Four with several other prisoners before opening fire on the group. Evading the laser cannons, the three Initiates made it safely to the treeline and disappear into the jungle.

Realizing that they were being hunted for sport by the Trandoshans, Van and Mahnsun looked to the older Kalifa to guide them through this trial. Using their Jedi skills to stay one step ahead of the hunters and to hide, the trio survived for a long period of time alone; which eventually caused them to abandon their Jedi ways for their survival. After nearly a year of hiding, Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano arrived on the moon after being captured during the fighting on the planet. The three Padawans found her in the forest near the shore and returned with her to their hideout. The next morning they set out so that the Trandoshans didn't pick up their scent. Tano quickly became appalled when Van and the other Padawans watched two other victims die at the hands of the hunters without acting, divorcing herself from the group and declaring her intent to live and die as a Jedi. It was not long before Tano was attacked by the hunters however, forcing Van and Mahnsun to subdue the hunter while pleading with Kalifa to spare his life because he was defenseless. Tano's mercy cost them when the Trandoshan called for help; running into the jungle, Tano devised a scheme to locate the Trandoshan base and destroy it. Setting out the following morning, the four Jedi hunted the Trandoshans until Van spotted the base hovering above the jungle. Splitting up after being discovered by guards, Van and Mahnsun were chased through the underbrush until they escaped pursuit and met back with Tano only to find Kalifa dead.

More determined then ever, the three remaining Jedi launched an assault on the beach, killing two Trandoshans and finding a captive Chewbacca. Salvaging parts for a transmitter from a pile of wreckage, the group was attacked by a sniper who was distracted by Van and Mahnsun before Chewbacca incapacitated him. Transmitting a distress signal to Kashyyyk, the group awaited reinforcements before continuing their assault. When the Wookiees arrived to free Chewbacca, the Jedi aided in the assault on the Trandoshan base, leading to the defeat of the hunters and their collective freedom. Obtaining transport back to Coruscant, Van and his peers were taken into the Temple and spent time within the Halls of Healing before returning to their daily routines. Appointing Van and Mahnsun Masters in order to help with the trauma and comfort the two younglings, the Jedi High Council paired Van with Jedi Voolvif Monn, a Shistavanen skilled in hunting and survival. Taking Van along with him on many assignments, Monn taught the Cerean the skill sets necessary to survive in different elements and how to fight alongside his clone companions.

When the Clone Wars ended abruptly two years into Van's apprenticeship, Monn and Van traveled to Ossus where they spent a full two years traversing the planet and living off the land.

Personality and traits
O-Mer-Van, like all Jedi, was trained to control his emotions and calm his mind. During his youth Van was very pessimistic, repeatedly expressing a fear that his own skills or those of his friends were not adequate to surmount a challenge. After his imprisonment on Wasskah and eventual escape, Van emerged more optimistic and confident in himself and in his peers. Following his training as a Padawan, Van came into his own and his time as a Journeyer cemented his resolve to be a strong and capable Jedi, unwilling to give up. As a Ranger, the Cerean coupled his skills with his likability and charm to win the respect and admiration of his colleagues and his superiors.

Powers and abilities
O-Mer-Van received his initial training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, ensuring that he possessed a standard understanding of the Force, and its applications. While still an Initiate, Van was capable of engaging a Trandoshan in unarmed combat and was able to execute large jumps and flips to evade the hunters. He was also able to fly a Trandoshan speeder the first time he piloted it. He later used its blaster against his captives to great effect and was able to evade blaster fire for a short time. Having achieved the rank of Knight, Van was also proficient with a lightsaber, having crafted one himself and imbuing it with a green crystal discovered in the caves of Ilum. Developing his skills as a Guardian, Van was a respected Ranger and a gifted tracker. Using skills honed on Wasskah during his imprisonment there, Van was an adept survivalist and a hunter and survived in the wilderness of Tython with ease.