Zan Pike (Jedi Renaissance)

Zan Pike was a female Epicanthix Jedi Knight and the twin sister of Zu Pike. A member of the Jedi Order during the Golden Age of the Jedi, Pike was a celebrated practitioner of Teräs Käsi and a noted Recruiter for the Acquisitions Division.

Introduction to the Force
Zan and her twin sister Zu were born in 23 BBY, the Force-sensitive daughters of famous Teräs Käsi fighter Dux Pike. When their father died before the start of the Clone Wars, they were taken in by their mother, a Bunduki noble, who arranged for their education by the Followers of Palawa. Studying on Bunduki as the Clone Wars engulfed the galaxy, the twins studied the ancient ways of the Force as practiced by the Followers and were eager to learn, even at such a young age. Despite enjoying their time with the Followers, their training would take a different path. In 17 BBY, three standard months after their sixth name day, the girls witnessed the landing of a shuttle emblazoned with the symbol of the Jedi Order. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi entered into a long discussion with the Elders at the Shrine of Palawa which stretched well over a week. Eager to learn what was happening, the young girls and their mother reported to a meeting where the Elders announced that the Followers of Palawa were going to ally themselves with the Order, citing low enrollment numbers, decreased public support and monies, and the promise of access to the Great Jedi Library on Ossus. While many members were initially outraged that the Followers were to bend the knee to the same Order responsible for the destruction of Palawa many centuries in the past, but the Elders demanded obedience and promised that the move would indeed lead to the restoration of their Order.

Joining the Jedi
Travelling to Ossus, the Pike twins were required to enter into the Grand Academy of the Jedi for training in the ways of the Force. There Zan Pike felt that the Force was following in ways that it did not on Bunduki and was able to fully immerse herself in the ways of the Jedi. While remembering her heritage, Pike devoted just as much time to the study of Teräs Käsi as she did the Jedi martial arts and was often praised by her instructors for incorporating techniques from both forms into her fighting bouts. Taking to the Temple's main arena as often as she could, Pike thrived in hand-to-hand combat scenarios and enjoyed the varied terrain and holographic obstacles presented to her in the state-of-the-art dojos.

In 10 BBY Pike was eligible to compete in the Academy Apprentice Tournament with the hopes of impressing a Jedi looking to take on an apprentice. Donning traditional robes of a Follower of Palawa, Pike distinguished herself and along with her sister placed within the top ten competitors in the tourney. Employing the Teräs Käsi technique known as the Death Weave, Pike was able to take down three opponents at once, earning her the apprenticeship of Jedi Knight Nova Stihl who like Pike had entered the Order at a later age. Having recently become a Knight after a period as an Acolyte, Stihl was a skilled practitioner of Teräs Käsi and was eager to continue the girl's training in the advanced martial arts.