Te`net Organi was a male Qua Centurion of the Order of Keltrayu. The first Novice of the Order, he would become one of its most invaluable members, as well as a personal confidante of Rin Sakaros and the Order's greatest master of Ataru.
Biography[]
The Liberation of Quadia[]
You have a rare gift, my son. And our gifts are not ours to use only for our own benefit. You owe it to your people and your new queen to help them, to help rebuild our people. You have a unique opportunity, Te`net, one given to no other Qua. Take it.
—Ma`sii Organi
When Te`net was born in 81 ABY, his homeworld of Quadia was oppressed by a number of pirate and slaving groups which had carved out enclaves on the once-idyllic world. Qua blood was a powerful healing agent, more effective than even bacta, and as a consequence many Qua were enslaved on "farms", in which they were "fed and bled"–given enough nutrition to keep them alive and functioning properly, and drained of up to half their blood volume every day or two. Though Te`net and his father Ma`sii were spared that fate, the boy's aunt and uncle were incarcerated in one of the farms, and his mother, Bayra, had died in one. The elder Organi was free only to maintain the social institutions which made life more convenient for their captors.
In 88 ABY, when Te`net was seven years old and just beginning to truly appreciate that something very wrong was happening to his people, the Golden Empire came to Quadia. Queen Rin Sakaros and her forces led an invasion that pitted her Massassi legions against the oppressors of the Qua. The one-sided battle quickly became a rout, then a systematic massacre of both the offworld slavers and the colluders among the Qua. Inside a week, thousands of people responsible for the oppression of the Qua had been executed and the Empire was in control of the planet.
The Empire offered its protection to the Qua in exchange for their submission to its government and, faced with the alternate possibility of having to fend for themselves against any other attackers who might come along, the Qua opted for membership in Rin's government. The Empire's leaders met with the surviving elders of the Qua people; being the daughter of a Qua Jedi Master, Rin was eager to find Force-sensitives among her mother's species to recruit as warriors for her government. She was disappointed to discover that Force sensitivity among the Qua was rare, and their low birth rates made it rarer still. But she was certain that Quadia would not leave her empty-handed, and so the Empire called mass meetings of the Qua people, ostensibly to take a census of survivors and reunite families but also so she, her brother Tariun, or her apprentice Keltrayu could seek out any potentials among them.
It was Keltrayu who found Ma`sii and Te`net Organi, and he immediately sensed the power of the Force in the young boy, though it was absent in his father and other surviving relatives. Keltrayu and Rin approached the Organis and offered Te`net a special place in the Empire, a particular duty reserved for those with special gifts. Though Te`net was initially hesitant to leave his newly reunited family, his father encouraged him to go, and the boy finally agreed to go with the queen and her party.
The first Novice[]
Though delighted to have at last found a Force adept among the populations of her handful of worlds, Rin was initially at a loss for exactly what to do with him. She, Tariun, and Keltrayu began to train the boy; Rin focused on his telepathic abilities, Keltrayu telekinesis, while Tariun taught him lightsaber combat. While the sudden and rapid change in his life was overwhelming, Te`net was nonetheless a diligent and hardworking pupil. He was the first of Rin's disciples, but was to be far from the last.
As he grew and trained, Te`net was initially focused on the use of the Force, even for combat purposes. His small stature and naturally frail physiology made him hesitant to engage in lightsaber combat, particularly with well-muscled and larger students like Aquila Corcer. He lacked the strength for Djem So, or even the wrist strength for Makashi, and his blocks were too weak to support sustained Form III: Soresu. Though pleased with the boy's obvious gift for the Force, Rin insisted that he work to master the lightsaber as well.
Tariun attempted to teach Te`net Jar'Kai with disastrous results; while the speed of the style suited the Qua, having a blade in each hand only made his strikes that much weaker. However, the Sith Lord took the idea of speed and renewed his efforts to teach Organi Form IV: Ataru. A previous attempt had failed, because even the whirling, hammering blows of the fourth form weren't powerful enough with Te`net's muscle behind them. However, Rin taught him to use his Force powers to speed up his body, compensating for his lack of strength by turning into a blur of lethal speed instead.
After he hit puberty around the age of twelve in 93 ABY, Te`net's physiological development slowed to just slightly more than a halt; while his mind continued to develop, his body would gain only the equivalent of one year of a Human's development every twenty years. Faced with no quick resolution to the problem of his comparative physical weakness, the young man poured his effort into controlling the Force instead. As the years went on, he would become regarded as the most advanced telepath and telekinetic of his peer group.
In 94 ABY, Rin, Tariun, and Keltrayu finally gave names to the vaguely defined group of Force warriors they had been nurturing. Keltrayu and the others who would follow in his footsteps as the Empire's foremost defenders and warriors were christened Centurions, to be led by Tariun in his new role as Prefect. Those studying to become Centurions were branded Novices, and Te`net would forever be counted as the first of their number.
War and peace[]
By 100 ABY, only Aquila Corcer had been promoted to the rank of Centurion. Though Te`net was among the oldest Novices, he still had the physique of a twelve-year-old boy, and neither Rin nor Tariun were confident in his ability to handle field work (or to be taken seriously). Irritated, the young Qua rededicated himself to the study of the Force, working to improve his telekinesis to compensate for his inability to match larger enemies strength for strength.
In that year, war erupted between the Golden Empire and the neighboring Tetrarchy of Mezlagob. Most Novices saw only limited field service, with Tariun, Keltrayu, and Corcer carrying the majority of the fight for the Order. Te`net did not see the field until the Battle of Tizgo V, in which the entire Order and Armada were thrown against the Tetrarchy's military depot. There, the Novices watched helplessly as Keltrayu sacrificed his life to save Rin and the Empire's forces. After Rin herself unleashed a devastating Force Scream that broke the spirit of the enemy and weakened much of her own side as well, Tariun rallied his troops for a counterattack. Though the Sith Lord would not allow the Novices to charge into battle, Te`net and the Iscali Melnanooin combined their strengths to telekinetically hurl pieces of a ruined shock tank at the Tetrarchy's soldiers.
Though the feat was not enough to earn Te`net promotion to full Centurion, Rin began to reassess his capabilities as a warrior. For the remainder of the Great Liberation, as the Novices placed increased focus on their combat training, the Qua used his growing Force powers to keep up with his more physically developed siblings, sparring with everyone as he focused on improving his Ataru.
The first group of Novices began to achieve promotion to full Centurion status in the years after the Tetrarchy was conquered in 102 ABY. While many were commissioned before Te`net, by 106 ABY the Qua had developed his powers sufficiently to keep up with the majority of his siblings both in lightsaber combat and field activity. He passed his Centurion exam and was commissioned in that year.
Lawman[]
Like many Centurions and most at that time, Te`net spent his first years on duty in law enforcement assignments. His childlike appearance allowed him to do undercover work, as few adults took him seriously as a threat or potential spy. During the campaign against the Nightside Raiders, he would often listen in to others discussing the Raiders and their activities and report his news back to Tariun.
Te`net also used the same abilities to contribute to the Hunt for Red Eclipse, and volunteered himself to actually be captured and sold into slavery as an elaborate ruse, although Tariun and Rin rejected the plan as infeasible – even Red Eclipse was likely to be daunted by the horrific penalties associated with preying on the Qua. Though not present for the Battle of Harth Gool, Te`net was part of the ensuing pursuit of Zhin-Vel. He lost his friends Aquila Corcer and Melnanooin to the slaver, but before the Qua could find the Zyked and exact revenge, Eskol Kaartinen and Rajj-Yo found him instead.
Though unable to find Zhin-Vel, Te`net had more success in pursuing the remaining Red Eclipse cells, and his first duty kill since Tizgo V was a slaver in 116 ABY. After Sayl Leikvold was killed and Red Eclipse's fleet annihilated at Bolera, Organi assisted in the liberation of the Athans who had volunteered for the updated version of his own plan, "captured" by Red Eclipse and sold into slavery with microtransmitters embedded into their bones.
On Guard[]
After Red Eclipse was firmly ground into dust, Rin appointed Te`net to her Royal Guard. He served alongside the Bothan Tarzg Sav'lir, and alternated between protecting Rin and Tariun. As such, he was frequently at the forefront of negotiating parties when Rin herself toured a newly acquired system. This was entirely intentional, as Rin knew he would outlive any other Centurion (and perhaps herself), and wanted to prepare him for roles beyond law enforcement.
Te`net and Tarzg became friends during this time, and often sparred with both each other and Tariun. While Te`net continued to dream of more frontline service, Tarzg desired more and more to remain a Royal Guard and keep Rin safe. Though committed to his own vision, Te`net helped Tarzg refine his philosophy for the Royal Guard, and the two often trained with one another to hone their danger senses. Rin was indulgent of their occasional lunges at one another, but Tariun was so amused that he started lunging at them both.
Though his lighthearted, mischievous personality clashed with Tarzg's stoic, grim seriousness, the two Centurions worked well together, and their usually one-sided banter made Rin laugh. Te`net's final assignment as a Royal Guard was accompanying Rin on the acquisition of Shel Du, which had just been defeated in battle.
Multiple shades and dimensions[]
Returned to field service, Te`net headed directly into a seven-month investigation of a five-system smuggling ring along with Tesshen Manytrek and a few other Centurions, which culminated in 121 ABY with the arrest of the ring's leaders. The success of that investigation was followed by a two-year assignment as Consular Aide to the Consul of Iscandar. After a series of quick law enforcement investigations, in 124 ABY he served as a combination negotiator and bodyguard with the Royal Integration Corps overseeing the incorporation of newly conquered Sanduluc.
In 125 ABY, Organi was assigned as Consul of loyalist Feldirjo. The native Ossaki had raised a generation under the Empire's rule, but technological modernization of all aspects of society continued. Te`net was Consul for only two years, but his tenure was marked by relative success and economic prosperity.
Returning to the Sith Star just in time to accompany Rin and a contingent of Centurions to Ekshi, Te`net witnessed the death and Kasshralhyot of his comrade Vessyk. As Eskol Kaartinen assumed the post of Consul of Ekshi in Vessyk's place, Te`net participated in the ensuing campaign. He personally led the liberation of one of Vessyk's forced labor camps and killed several of Vessyk's guards before forcing the survivors to surrender.
During his period of bouncing from activity to activity, Organi continued to refine his Force and dueling abilities. His ability to use the Force to aid his combat skills improved his skill to the point that Tariun Sakaros considered him in the top twenty duelists of the entire Empire, even with his small stature and still-frail build.
The Qua blade[]
In 128 ABY, Te`net returned to the Sith Star as a Praetor-Instructor for the Order of Keltrayu. He led Novices in telekinesis training, and also taught Ataru, of which he was fast becoming the Empire's greatest master after Tariun Sakaros. He continued to hone his abilities while serving as a Praetor, practicing with whichever Centurions happened to be aboard. He occasionally helped Tarzg train new Royal Guards in his spare time.
Te`net also became friends with Sato Raltharan, another accomplished swordsman who was also serving as a Praetor-Instructor, though Raltharan was teaching Shien. The two sparred regularly, and though Raltharan's mastery and physical power were enough to beat Te`net, the Qua improved for the experience. They also shared the experiences they had gained in the Queen's service. Te`net met and befriended Sato's brother, Ephir Raltharan, during this period.
Ever more trust[]
Relieved of instructional duties in 132 ABY, Te`net returned to the field. He was present on Mezlagob during a fire and the ensuing collapse of several buildings, and managed to save dozens of civilians, including several small children, by leaping into the inferno and using his telekinesis to rip apart walls in his way or lower victims to rescue crews on the ground. Though badly burned himself, Organi's Qua blood ensured his rapid recovery, and he was hailed as a hero on Mezlagob and through the Order of Keltrayu.
Te`net's field service was well-performed but unremarkable until 137 ABY, when the Empire conquered the Chiss Ascendancy. Assigned to Sorrik's command, he invaded and sabotaged a Chiss space station and relay center for the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force at Kinoss during the battle there. Though he did not take further part in the fighting, he accompanied Rin, Tariun, Eskol Kaartinen, and a party of others to the final surrender of the Ruling families at Csilla.
As the Empire expanded into the territory formerly controlled by the Ascendancy, Te`net oftened accompanied Ministry of Diplomacy or Royal Integration Corps teams as an advisor and bodyguard.
The Tribulation[]
In 141 ABY, the Vagaari attacked Tenupe and killed Centurion and Consul Tesshen Manytrek. Te`net returned to the Prime Fleet to be on hand for missions against the Vagaari, and participated in several ship-to-ship boardings during the ensuing Vagaari War. When Sorrik went south with Rin and many Centurions to repulse the Ssi-ruuvi Incursion, Te`net remained aboard the Sith Star for the fight against the Vagaari. He was deeply wounded by the death of his friend Sato as one of the Shest Minor Seven.
Leading or accompanying several ground parties that attacked Vagaari bases, Te`net was not as inclined toward the absolute, boundless slaughter of Rajj-Yo and similar Centurions, but he was remorseless in fighting Vagaari soldiers. His telekinesis was put to use when he tore down guard towers or even entire buildings of Vagaari outposts. He regularly volunteered to lead liberation raids on Vagaari slave camps, and oversaw the recovery and rehabilitation of the slaves themselves.
Rayne[]
After the final extermination of the entire Vagaari species in 143 ABY, Te`net was kept close to the Sith Star for assignments from Rin herself. When Breek Zagrev rescued Rayne Turgachia from Blazing Chain in 145 ABY, initially only Breek herself and the Royal Family knew the young woman's identity as Rin's niece. Te`net, however, could tell she was a Qua and Force-sensitive, and when her answers about her identity did not quite match, he plucked the contacts from her eyes with the Force. They had been designed to obscure her real eye color – green and silver, nearly identical to Rin's own. Realizing whom she must be, Te`net had an annoyed conversation with Rin, vexed that she hadn't trusted him with the information.
Somewhere between annoyed herself and amused, Rin sent Te`net to escort Rayne back to Chandrila, hoping Rayne could convince her grandmother (and Rin's sister) Jasmine Auroras to move her family to the Golden Empire, under Rin's protection. Te`net offered his own persuasions when the opportunity presented itself, but usually kept out of the somewhat heated discussions, contenting himself with protecting Rayne. When her younger sister was bitten by a poisonous snake and Rayne coaxed the poison out of the girl's bloodstream, Te`net was stunned by the realization that Rayne herself had the gift of Force healing.
When Jasmine and Rayne's own immediate family at last agreed to accompany Rayne back to the Empire, Te`net wasted no time in reporting his discovery to Rin, who arranged for Rayne to be trained by Tillandra Moraes as a second healer for the Order. Te`net and Rayne had become friends on Chandrila, and though duty usually kept him busy, the Qua Centurion made a point to see his friend whenever he was back aboard the Star. Though he often teased her about her lamentable swordsmanship, he also tried to help her improve.
Wedding detail[]
When Tariun Sakaros and Breek Zagrev married in late 145 ABY, Rin invited her brother Nagarian and his family. However, Nagarian's existence was not known outside the Order of Keltrayu, so Rin appointed four temporary Royal Guards and installed Te`net as Praetor over them to act as Nagarian's bodyguards. He was with them for most of the wedding, only relaxing his vigil in the final party when the entire Order surrounded the boy.
While Nagarian's family was staying aboard the Sith Star in the following weeks, Reiko Kaytana's wife Sigea "Six" Tanake had a mental episode which caused her to detonate a droid she had been attempting to repair. The ensuing explosion severely injured Kylar Tanake, Reiko and Six's adopted son. Te`net was nearby, and responded in time to cut open his hands and cover the grievously wounded boy with his blood. The Qua blood healed Kylar's injuries enough to save his life and leave him with only mild scarring.
Avenging Khoro[]
Novice: “So who's going to kill this enemy?!”
— Te`net Organi is chosen to avenge the death of Khoro`ly`ooho`sh`lyhoo
Eskol Kaartinen: “Vem and Aria Nikina will continue the Queen's mission. Praetor Organi will eliminate the enemy.”
Centurion: “CUT OUT HIS HEART, TE`NET!”
In 147 ABY, the Centurions Vem and Khoro`ly`ooho`sh`lyhoo were sent to rescue Axelia Solios and another Imperial Knight from the clutches of the Dark Jedi Shalach Hal-Razab. Unable to match Hal-Razab's Force power, they attempted to retreat, but Khoro was killed by Force lightning.
The Order was saddened by the loss, but both Rin and Tariun Sakaros were livid; Khoro had been a former Royal Guard and well-respected by both siblings. The rescue of Axelia, Rin's own cousin, could not be abandoned, but Rin felt she would have to send a powerful and dangerous Force master to defeat the mysterious enemy who had killed Khoro. She sent Vem back, this time with Aria Nikina as his partner, for the rescue mission. But she gave the assassination mission to Te`net. Though Rayne Turgachia feared for her friend's safety, most Centurions heartily approved of the choice, and they and Tariun told the Qua to make Hal-Razab suffer.
Accompanying Aria and Vem back to Hal-Razab's castle, Te`net sent them to find Axelia and her comrade while he engaged Hal-Razab alone. In the brutal duel that followed, the two masters used their telekinesis to rip apart the castle and fling pieces of it at one another. Losing his lightsaber partway through the duel, Te`net continued to fight his enemy for several hours. The duel consumed the better part of three hours and destroyed the entire castle and most of the mountain on which it was built. In the end, however, Te`net's ferocity and determination, combined with the ability of his Qua blood to relieve his fatigue and repair his injuries, led him to triumph, and he crushed Hal-Razab to death in the ruins of his own fortress.
Vem, Aria, and Te`net managed to recover the remains of Khoro's body, and returned it to the Empire for burial in Keltrayu's Tomb. Organi's legend only grew in the Order from his triumph.
Back to the battles[]
After defeating Hal-Razab, Te`net continued in a variety of roles in the Order, doing whatever was commanded by Prefect Kaartinen, although Rin herself often gave him assignments. In his free time, Te`net continued to practice his dueling and acrobatics, having discovered in fighting Hal-Razab how crucial they were to his survival. He continued to assist Rayne Turgachia in her training as well.
In 149 ABY, the Empire came under attacked from a group of Dark Jedi and their army of insectoid slaves. As Sorrik assembled fleets to counter the threat, Te`net was assigned to the Tempest at Tariun Sakaros's personal command. When Tariun was recalled to the Sith Star, Tarse Medrego was made Legate of the command, and Te`net stayed on as his senior Centurion advisor and Praetor of all other Centurions attached to the fleet. During the Battle of Rubutu, Organi boarded the enemy flagship, personally dueling and killing Merita Ot'kyn before escaping the sabotaged ship.
Sick[]
You and Medrego and Kaartinen. 'Go home, Te`net'. 'See Tillandra, Te`net'. 'Stop coughing up blood on my ship, Te`net'.
—Te`net Organi, complaining about being sent to the infirmary of the Sith Star
Toward the end of the war, Organi encountered a small party of Skavik and slew them without difficulty. However, he began to feel ill afterward. Assuming his Qua physiology would deal with the problem, he did not seek treatment until Medrego pressued him to do so. The Tempest's medical droids could not understand his symptoms, and when he began coughing up blood, Organi finally consented to go back to Tillandra Moraes on the Sith Star.
He barely made it, staggering into the Citadel's medbay and collapsing on a cot. When Rayne began exhibiting some of the same symptoms, Te`net realized too late that he had contracted the Sickness. He asked Tillandra to kill him, but she realized that Rayne was already infected, and simply set to treating both patients. Over the following weeks, Organi drifted in and out of consciousness, hovering near death. Rayne's healing abilities enabled her to assist Tillandra, and she began helping to heal Te`net as well. Some time after the destruction of Kizav, Te`net finally began to recover.
He was still mending when the Sith Star was boarded and the Citadel was attacked. Though coughing and physically weak, Organi nonetheless joined Kaartinen and Vos'elk'eetash to defend the door of the Citadel against Voara Culee, Charg, and their party of Vyrak clones. Knowing he was no match for a Dark Jedi in his weakened state, he took Selkee's shoto along with his own lightsaber and fought the Anzati instead. He was severely injured, sustaining several lightsaber blows to the arms, legs, and chest, and knocked unconscious when Selkee unleashed a Force storm on the Anzati.
In no mood for more risk-taking, Tillandra deposited him in a bacta tank to supplement his natural healing factor. It took longer than usual for a Qua, but he recovered completely from his injuries and the Sickness within a month.
New challenges[]
With the Dark Jedi defeated, the Empire began to recover and rebuild. When Te`net was fully recovered from his injuries and illness, he met with Rin, who praised him for his courage while chiding him for his recklessness. She also gave the Qua Centurion a challenge; since he had mastered Ataru, and had centuries of life ahead of him, the Queen wanted him to master the other forms of lightsaber combat as well. As added incentive, she offered to teach him Juyo if he succeeded.
Intrigued by the idea, Te`net decided to try the challenge. He toyed with the other four forms, quickly rejected Shien and Djem So for their reliance on brute strength and resolving to come back to them in a century or so, when his body had developed more muscle. Eventually opting to master Makashi next, he experienced a good deal of difficulty sticking to Makashi's single line of attack and defense, fighting his instincts to leap and attack in three dimensions.
In late 150 ABY, Eskol Kaartinen allowed Rayne to build her own lightsaber. She elected to seek out lightsaber crystals in the known galaxy, and Rin agreed, but with the condition that Te`net go with her. They traveled to Naboo, Gala, and Tatooine in search of crystals. On Gala, Rayne's intuition led them to a pair of slavers, whom Te`net mercilessly cut down; one of the captives they freed gave Rayne a jewel. On Tatooine, the two friends fought together against a Krayt dragon; after killing it, Rayne extracted a pearl from its gullet.
Returned to the Empire, Te`net kept up field duty, though he enjoyed trips back to the Sith Star to spar with Elrabin Ralvik and spend time with Rayne. In 151 ABY, he made a visit home to Quadia, and this time he took Rayne along. The two stayed with Ma`sii, who took an instant liking to Rayne, as well as visiting the Museum of Remembrance and dining with the Consul. The trip to the museum was a bonding moment for the two, as Rayne took in the breadth of the catastrophe that had been Quadia's enslavement and Te`net again saw his own mother's name on the list.
In 152 ABY, Te`net's friend Ephir Raltharan died. Deeply affected by the loss, Te`net shared his grief with Rayne, and the two kissed. Startled by how natural and alluring it felt, Te`net bolted from the scene, aghast at having kissed both a Novice and royalty (Rayne having been made a mirzaya in 151). Over the following days, he confided the incident only to Tarzg, who shared his concerns and urged Te`net not to share the story too widely or repeat it—Centurions and Novices were forbidden to be romantically involved, and Rayne's status as royalty raised her far above Te`net in his estimation and Tarzg's.
Over the following, deeply uncomfortable year, Te`net tried to stay in the field as much as possible and avoided Rayne whenever he had to return to the Citadel. He found himself thinking of her often, which was deeply frustrating. They both attended Jira Zaffrod's concert at the Samayus Palace of Opera in 153 ABY, and the proximity was clearly awkward for both.
Immunity[]
If I return[]
In 154 ABY, Rin brought Te`net, Kaartinen, and Chindal in for a meeting in which she proposed an expedition into Killik space; she had sensed impending danger, and Royal Intelligence had confirmed militant activity from the Killiks. All three volunteered, but Rin warned them about the dangers of "Joining" the hive and cautioned that they were at risk. Te`net suspected he was being sent because, alone of the three Centurions, their 10,000 Massassi warriors, and their coterie of diplomatic staff and aides, only he was immune to Joining; his Qua regenerative abilities would heal his brain back to its normal state faster than Killik pheremones could change it.
The expedition departed in early 154. Just before leaving, Te`net met with Rayne, unable to tell her details of his mission but clear on the fact that he would not be back soon, if at all. Rayne promised that they would talk when he returned, and Te`net agreed.
The Killiks and the Vagaari[]
Taking a task force led by the Star Destroyer Umbra, the three Centurions and their group journeyed into the Utegetu Nebula, where they found the planet Berassam and its resident Alaala nest recovering from an attack by Mollom Killiks. The desolate Alaala informed the Empire's party that Vagaari had become part of the Mollom; the Centurions deduced that the Vagaari must have been the survivors of the war a decade earlier, and, when they had become Joiners of the Mollom, they had imparted their desire for conquest and slavery to the Killiks.
The Centurions and the Massassi stood with the Alaala to repulse the next attack by the Vagaari hives; not expecting organized and heavily armed resistance, the initial Vagaari assaulted shattered. In the wake of their success, the Centurions conferred about how best to manage the conflict. Despite possessing the Umbra, it was obvious the Royal force was heavily outnumbered. Kaartinen, the Praetor of the three, decided they needed to ally the remaining free Killik hives. Te`net was skeptical, worrying about involuntary Joining among the Massassi and his brothers. Chindal dismissed the concern; Eskol gave it more credence, but felt it was a necessary risk.
Te`net himself went out as a diplomat to some of the disparate Killik worlds; Eskol and Chindal could telepathically reinforce one another's resistance to Joining, but Te`net was physically incapable of Joining, and all three agreed it made sense to send him alone if one had to go. Te`net was instrumental in bringing the Meuem nest and their dartships into the alliance. He was constantly a front-line fighter in what became the Second Swarm War.
Last man standing[]
The various Killik nests fought alongside the Massassi throughout the Utegetu, warring against the Mollom and their conquered nests, with some or all of the Centurions leading them in battle. It was this close contact that began the Joining among the Royal forces. As the Massassi were absorbed into the various nests, their battle ferocity and religious reverence for Rin spread throughout their acquiring nests, and those nests which had absorbed Massassi became particularly devastating in ground combat.
Due to his role coordinating communications and diplomacy among the nests, Chindal was the first Centurion to become a Joiner. Te`net and Eskol met privately to discuss the situation, knowing they could no longer trust their brother's discretion. They agreed that Chindal had Joined with the Killiks, but not on what to do. Realizing the danger to both of his brothers, Te`net wanted to overpower Chindal, take him back to the Empire, and return in force to sort out the Vagaari at the head of a major fleet. Eskol, however, felt it would be too dangerous to leave the war unattended, even briefly. He conceded that he might be Joined as well, but thought Rin must have been aware of the risk and considered it a permissible sacrifice. He resolved to stay and Te`net grudgingly followed his lead.
When the Umbra was destroyed in battle, Kaartinen abandoned his already-wavering resistance to Joining. His mind was just as strong as Chindal's, but where Chindal's influence on the nests had been unifying, encouraging cooperation and coordination, Eskol was much more of a leader, and his presence began to incorporate all the nests into a new Nest of Nests which became known as the Imperium. Te`net could sense the changes in his brothers, but while they could still communicate telepathically, they could also communicate around him, and he came to resent the pity they felt for him at being permanently left outside the Nest.
Tactical debate[]
As the nests began to merge into the Imperium, Kaartinen directed the Imperium's forces in continued war, but without the Umbra, most of their space forces were captured Vagaari ships or hastily built Killik vessels. The Killiks, influenced by the Centurions' value for life and the Massassi's focus on devoting themselves to Rin's service, began to care more for their wounded and reproduce in numbers sufficient to bolster their forces, but the population boom triggered the Fizz seeded throughout the Utegetu. Unprepared for it, Te`net had no explanation, and thus could not persuasively argue with Kaartinen's Killik-influenced theory that it was a bioweapon from the Vagaari hives.
Knowing more ships and Killiks were necessary if the war was to be one, Kaartinen proposed Killik conquests outside the Utegetu, picking up nearby worlds for resources and breeding grounds. Te`net adamantly opposed the plan, feeling he could no longer trust Eskol's rationalizations about the need to protect the Empire by dealing with the Killik situation by all means necessary. As such, Eskol constantly kept Te`net on the front lines of the war, away from his forays outside the Utegetu Nebula. Te`net managed to force his way through a swarm of Jooj, surviving their numerous bites to kill the Vagaari leading them and take down their Kolosolok attack units, though he was injured so badly he needed nearly a week to recover.
As the Imperium acquired the clear advantage in the war, Kaartinen began to plan for life after the war. Te`net was appalled to discover that his brother planned to unleash the Killiks on the known galaxy, conquering its worlds for Rin and the Empire; his mind had absorbed a combination of the Massassi reverence for Rin and Killik single-minded focus on duty. Te`net could not shake Kaartinen and the Imperium from this plan, but managed to delay it for a time by convincing Eskol that there could be no expansion until the Vagaari were firmly wiped out. If there was any sentiment common to all the minds of the Imperium, it was hatred of the Vagaari, and Eskol took the plan to heart. Throughout the first half of 157 ABY, Kaartinen pressed the attack, and the war ended with the Battle of Roq. The last of the Vagaari were slain, along with many of their loyalists, and the surviving Killiks began to integrate into the Imperium. It was the last time the three Centurions would fight together.
Alone in the darkness[]
As Chindal helped the liberated nests merge with the Imperium, Kaartinen began to plan for conquest anew. Te`net confronted him aboard the half-completed flagship of the Imperium, which Eskol had named the Unseen Queen in honor of Rin. The two Centurions again argued about the proper course, with Te`net demanding that they return to the Empire and let Rin decide the fate of the Killiks. Eskol refused, and, unable to reconcile their differences, the two brothers came to blows. Although they were well-matched and knew one another's moves well, Te`net hesitated during the fight; it was one thing to think of defeating his brother, another to actually swing a lightsaber blade at him. As much Killik as himself now, Kaartinen had no such hesitation, and he defeated Te`net by cutting off the Qua's hands.
Focused on what he believed to be service to Rin, Eskol was prepared to kill Te`net, but his own Imperium Killiks told him not to; they had absorbed enough of his memories to remind him that only the Queen or the Prefect could execute a Centurion. Despite his physical agony, Te`net managed to remind Eskol that Aria, not he, was Prefect now. His Massassi-inspired, absolute devotion to his mental image of Rin compelled Kaartinen to agree; the Vuul had Te`net locked up aboard the Unseen Queen instead.
In great physical and emotional pain, Te`net huddled in his cell for months, feeling bitter and betrayed, subsisting on the rations the Killiks brought him and feeding himself telekinetically. He thought resentfully of both his Joiner brothers and of Rin, and spent long hours thinking of Rayne, wishing he had been open with her and shared his feelings. Chindal occasionally came to visit Te`net, though he was always disappointed when Te`net could not become a Joiner and remained opposed to the Imperium's plans.
Unbeknownst to his brothers, however, Te`net was slowly healing. Though it took much more time than their usual fast recovery from injuries, Qua could regenerate limbs, and Te`net kept himself huddled up to hide the fact that his hands were regrowing. More than once he was tempted to break out early when he sensed the Killiks massing, but he forced himself to be patient, knowing that if he was not fully healed, he would be defeated again. He also forced himself to confront the reality of what awaited him when he did escape and embrace what needed to be done to protect the Empire.
Fratricide[]
Eventually, when he thought he was fully healed and had seen no change in his hands in a week, Te`net escaped from his cell, mind-tricking the Killik guards into not noticing his escape. Sensing both his brothers on the Unseen Queen's bridge, he made his way there quickly, knowing that as soon as any of the Killiks spotted him, they would all know what he was up to. The Qua burst onto the bridge and, as Eskol and Chindal reacted in bafflement at his escape and regrown hands, managed to steal his lightsaber back.
The three Centurions came together in a second duel. Kaartinen's Soresu style did not lend itself to a major offense, and Te`net baited Chindal into an attack, then felled him with a sweeping, circular blow that took off the Dronos's right leg and right arm. Te`net and Eskol dueled through the bridge of the Unseen Queen, and Te`net used his lightsaber on both the control panels and the Killik crew. His strategy worked; desperate to protect his flagship and pained and disoriented by the deaths he could feel in the Imperium's Joiner bonds, Eskol abandoned his impregnable Soresu defense for an offense to remove Te`net from the fight. In a rush of attacks, Eskol overcommitted just slightly, and Te`net slipped inside his guard, using trakata to get past Kaartinen's blade. Before the Vuul could react, Te`net reignited his lightsaber under Eskol's arm. The blade pierced his heart and lungs, killing him.
Heartsick and miserable, Te`net still forced himself to focus. Going to one of the few consoles he had not destroyed, he used Kaartinen's code cylinder to log into the system and communicate with all the ships in the fleet, changing half the friendly signatures to hostiles. The Imperium had already been thrown into chaos with the sudden departure of its two most powerful minds, and the Killiks fell for the ploy, opening fire on one another in what became a bloodbath. Te`net used the Force to put Chindal into a hibernation trance, then took Chindal and Kaartinen's body down to the medbay, killing any Killiks along the way who attacked him. Depositing his brothers in cryogenic hibernation capsules, he got them to a shuttle in the hangar bay, then returned to the Unseen Queen to damage its coolant systems and set its reactor to overload. He returned to the hangar just in time to escape, piloting the shuttle out as the flagship erupted into flames. Remaining in the Utegetu Nebula just long enough to watch the remains of the fleet shatter, Te`net took the shuttle to hyperspace to return to the Empire after four long years away.
Loss of faith[]
Resignation[]
Te`net Organi: “I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I...you and I...I've followed you too long to ever fight against you, Queen Rin. I want to believe you, I want to think there's some reason for this...but I can't do this anymore. I'll never oppose you, but I can't serve you anymore. I request your permission to resign my commission as a Centurion.”
Rin Sakaros: “Te`net, I need you. The Empire needs you.”
Te`net Organi: “You can kill me for disobeying you, if that would make it easier. You'd be doing me a favor. But one way or another, I'm done.”
— Te`net resigns his commission
Te`net bore Chindal's unconscious body and Kaartinen's corpse back to the Sith Star, stewing all the way about the way he had fought his brothers and the massacre he had orchestrated at Murgo. When he finally arrived, he surrendered his brothers to an honor guard led by Selkee and Aria Nikina, trying hard to ignore Rayne in their midst, and then proceeded to Rin's throne room to confront her. Finally able to vent the emotions he had been bottling, he accused her of sending him on the mission deliberately to kill his brothers; Rin admitted it had been a possible future, but that she hoped it would not come to pass. Inconsolable, and more than a little frustrated at how it hurt him to cause Rin obvious pain, Te`net finally demanded to resign his commission, and Rin allowed him to rather than execute him for disobeying her. Te`net left his lightsaber with his old friend Tarzg.
Formally surrendering his Emblem to a shocked Aria Nikina, who was already reeling from Eskol's death, Te`net made for the door of the Citadel, but encountered Rayne, who had loved him in his absence for four long years. Confronted with the woman whose memory had sustained him during the bleak days in the brig of the Unseen Queen, Te`net's composure fractured and he kissed her, but he had been a Centurion long enough to remain committed to his plan, and he told a hurt and confused Rayne that he was leaving. She confessed her love for him, and he nearly reciprocated aloud, but prevented himself from doing so at the last second and left, even more devastated than he had been.
Who was that masked man?[]
Te`net first returned to Quadia, where he spent his time drinking almost pure alcohol and evading his father's questions. Ma`sii was deeply concerned, though he only managed to extract that Te`net had killed Eskol. Te`net rebuffed all attempts at help, though, and when he called Rin a "heartless witch", his father slapped him, saying, "You will never speak that way of Queen Rin in my house again. Not when she is the only reason I didn't lose you too." Realizing the "too" referred to the death of his mother, Te`net had no response. Father and son coexisted in tense quiet for two days before Te`net stowed away on a ship bound off Quadia.
Te`net traveled aimlessly for a little while, but ultimately determined he had an obligation to put his skills to use. Completely unwilling to return to the Order, he instead began to work as a vigilante, traveling from one trouble spot in the Empire to another, finding wrongs to right. Knowing a lightsaber would give him away immediately—and, outside the Order, it was a crime to carry one—he used a variety of other weapons, starting hand-to-hand before progressing to paired stun sticks, a quarterstaff, and finally to an electrostaff. He wore body armor and a full face mask to keep his former siblings and law enforcement off his trail, and refrained from killing, taking his prey down non-lethally.
Correctly suspecting the Order would realize his involvement, Te`net moved frequently and traveled through inconspicuous means, using his knowledge of Centurion investigative techniques to avoid detection. The Empire's media gradually caught on to his series of interventions, and News First Mezlagob had a running series about the "Masked Avenger" fighting crime on the Empire's worlds. Despite his Force abilities and Centurion training, Te`net often challenged groups with vastly superior numbers and had several close calls, including being cut and shot several times; only his Qua blood allowed him to heal safely after each fight.
Love will find a way[]
My son was born to be a hero, and even apart from the Order, he can't deny his nature. But it's reckless, what he's doing. Someone has to bring him to his senses.
—Ma`sii Organi to Rayne Turgachia
On Tershin, an eavesdropping Te`net caught word of a meet up between agents of organized crime syndicates, and crashed the meeting, striking down criminals with his electrostaff. Shot in the stomach, he only belated realized Rayne had arrived on the scene and was being fired upon. Enraged, he hoisted the last two Iscali and disarmed them with the Force, strangling them until he felt them begin to die. Sickened, he let them go.
Te`net and Rayne talked all night, each overjoyed to see the other, though Te`net tried to conceal his feelings. He flatly rejected Rayne's attempts to get him back to the Order, but his resolve weakened as she showed him her flawless memories of her siblings not only grieving Eskol's death, but also Te`net's departure. Still embittered, he confided in Rayne that he had not only killed Eskol and maimed Chindal, but also orchestrated the deaths of millions of Killiks. Rayne was sympathetic, and she and Te`net spent the night talking before finally sleeping.
The ghost's story[]
Eskol Kaartinen: “You will carry them with you forever. Not all of us bear our scars outwardly like Breek and Aria. Some of our worst wounds are inside. They will heal in time, but only if you trust your siblings to help you heal them . The Order began with you, Te`net. You have helped shape and guide it, given it heart. It should not continue without you.”
―The spirit of Eskol Kaartinen advises Te`net
Rayne persuaded Te`net to travel with her and, despite his leeriness at approaching so close to Keltrayu's Tomb, took him to Keliso for supplies. Onworld, she sensed his ambivalence about visiting Kaartinen's grave, and persuaded Te`net to go, using her authority as a mirzaya to get him inside.
Te`net sobbed when he beheld Kaartinen's tomb—to him, the visible representation of his own fratricide—but was soon reduced to stunned silence when Kaartinen himself appeared as a Force ghost, the first Centurion to ever manifest the ability. Kaartinen's spirit assured Te`net that he had done the right thing and that Kaartinen bore him no ill will. Persuading Te`net that the Queen and the Order needed him, Kaartinen thanked Te`net for freeing him—he had made the sacrifice to become a Joiner willingly, but it had been hard, and the support of his brother had seen him through. As Eskol's spirit faded from the mortal world, Te`net resolved to return to the Star with Rayne.
Home again, home again[]
Tarzg Sav'lir: “You've come home, brother. That's all that matters.”
―Tarzg welcomes Te`net home.
Rin was still annoyed that Rayne and Tariun had gone behind her back to allow Rayne to pursue Te`net, but welcomed Te`net back; indeed, she had ordered Aria to merely put Te`net Centurion commission on inactive status, hoping he would return one day. Te`net was also reunited with Tarzg; though he feared Tarzg's absolute loyalty to Rin would have driven a wedge between them, Te`net found his Bothan brother simply happy to have him back. Tarzg returned Te`net's lightsaber, which he had kept safe while the Qua was gone.
Reintegrating into the Order proved awkward for both Te`net and other Centurions, though Te`net forced himself to explain what had happened in the Utegetu and what he had been doing during what Centurions took to calling his 'sabbatical'. He spent much of his time with Rayne and Tarzg, although he began to take on a mentor role with the young part-Qua Novice Mikale Reznik as well.
Powers and abilities[]
Many beings, including Rin and Tariun Sakaros, Eskol Kaartinen, and Rayne Turgachia considered Te`net Organi one of the most powerful Centurions in the Order of Keltrayu. Though all Centurions were given extensive training in telekinesis and telepathy, Organi was among the most adept of them at both direct telekinesis and Force-powered acrobatics. His quick leaps made him all but a blur of speed in battle, and his telekinesis enabled him to deflect both ten-meter-tall stones pillars and hundreds of shards of glass hurled at him by Shalach Hal-Razab.
Te`net had the ability to deflect Force lightning by hand and even reflect it back at its source, as he demonstrated while fighting Hal-Razab. He showed no ability to conjure lightning himself, but could push, pull, and choke others with the Force with ease.
With a blade, Organi was among the best duelists in the Order. His physical frailty and long-term youthful physique limited his strength, but he made up for the deficiency through the use of acrobatics and Force speed in combat. By 149 ABY, Praetor-Blademaster Kieran Sapphire considered him the eighth best swordsman in an Order of nearly eight hundred, and one of the best Ataru stylists. He was able to duel multiple lightsaber-wielding enemies simultaneously, which Jedi Battlemaster Skarch Vaunk once described as the mark of "a true Ataru master".
As a full-blood Qua, Te`net was ill-suited to the harsh, vicious Var Shek hand-to-hand style taught by the Order. Rin Sakaros personally taught him elements of Echani and Mistryl martial arts instead.
Te`net's Qua blood allowed him to heal quickly from injury and made him effectively immune to most poisons and diseases. It also sustained his energy when using Ataru far longer than others could keep up the physically exhausting form.
Appearance and personality[]
Like all Qua, Te`net was tiny by Human standards, standing only 1.55 meters (5'1") tall. He had mocha skin and honey brown hair, and electric blue eyes the color of lightning, which stood out all the more against his skin. He wore his Centurion's uniforms on duty, but tended to relax in more earth tone robes. His single, straight-hilt lightsaber had a turquoise blade.
Te`net usually had an impish, mildly irreverent personality. He was fond of humor, joked and smirked often, and was seen as something of a trickster by his fellow Centurions. He had the ability to remain cheerful and lighthearted in most circumstances, even combat, and put his students at ease as a Praetor-Instructor. This demeanor, combined with his youthful appearance, led most beings encountering him to not realize or seriously underestimate his power.
On the rare occasions when he was roused to anger, though, Organi's fury could be unnerving to those who knew him, as it was so unusual. Eskol Kaartinen reflected that the Qua's cold, determined anger at Khoro's death and his own mission to kill Shalach Hal-Razab was highly uncharacteristic, and Te`net's friend Rayne Turgachia was almost frightened by what she sensed in him. Organi carried that cold determination into battle against the Dark Jedi. He was also devastated and enraged at the death of Keltrayu at the Battle of Tizgo V, and combined his powers with Melnanooin to flatten a group of enemy soldiers under a telekinetically hurled piece of durasteel.
Te`net was well-liked among his friends for his sense of humor and relaxed demeanor, and he was fond and protective of his siblings. Though his demeanor was rarely overly serious, he took his duties seriously. His fellow Centurions considered him self-sacrificing even beyond the norm for the Order, as he would readily cut open his hands or wrists to trickle his regenerative Qua blood on the injuries of others. Especially before the Order gained its first healer, Tillandra Moraes, many Centurions preferred to have Te`net with them on dangerous missions in case anything went wrong.
In the wake of the long mission to the Utegetu Nebula, Te`net was angry and sick at heart, loathing Rin for sending him and himself for both killing Eskol Kaartinen and orchestrating the Massacre at Murgo. He began to heal after he returned to the Order, but the process was slow, and he still experienced bouts of melancholy and disquiet with killing.
Relationships[]
The Sakaros siblings[]
Rin Sakaros was fond of Te`net Organi, both because she knew he was a reliable and multitalented Centurion and because he made her laugh. As the first Novice of the Order of Keltrayu, he held a special place in her heart, and she took him as more of a confidante than any other Centurion who was not formally a government leader. They were close enough that he took her to task for not telling him about fellow Qua-descended Rayne Turgachia being her niece, and enough that Rin's annoyance was mixed with amusement and even a bit of apology for not trusting him with the secret. Rin and Te`net's relationship suffered after Te`net killed Eskol, but began to heal when Te`net returned to the Order as they both worked to rebuild trust.
Tariun liked Te`net not only because the Qua's personality made him laugh, but because Te`net made Rin laugh, which in Tariun's opinion was far too rare. He was confident in the Qua's skill; when Te`net was sent to kill Shalach Hal-Razab, Tariun had no doubt the Qua would succeed, and felt no need to wish him the success he was sure was inevitable. Indeed, he said only, "Break him Te`net. Make him suffer." Unable to exact vengeance for Khoro personally, Tariun seemed to consider Te`net the best available proxy.
Nagarian Sakaros liked Te`net for his friendly and easygoing demeanor, and was pleased to have Te`net as his family's protector in 145 ABY. When he was old enough to fully understand what had happened, he, like his mother, was almost worshipfully grateful to Te`net for saving Kylar's life.
Tarzg Sav'lir[]
Though Te`net's humorous and lighthearted demeanor contrasted sharply against Tarzg Sav'lir's grim and stern persona, the two Centurions got along well, because each knew the other would sacrifice anything and everything in service to Rin. As Tarzg resolved to be a Royal Guard for his entire Centurion career, Te`net helped him refine his philosophy for the Guard, which would go on to shape Sav'lir's instruction of nearly every Royal Guard who followed. Like Tariun, Tarzg heartily approved of sending Organi to kill Shalach Hal-Razab. Other than Rayne, Tarzg was the first Centurion to welcome Te`net back to the Order after his "sabbatical", and many Centurions followed the Bothan's lead.
Rayne Turgachia[]
Te`net was first attracted to Rayne simply because she was a Force-sensitive Qua hybrid; aside from Rayne, he had found only Rin Sakaros and himself as Force-sensitives with Qua blood. He was initially startled to discover that Rayne was Rin's niece, but in the months he spent with the girl on Chandrila as Rayne tried to persuade her family to move to the Empire, the two became good friends. While Te`net was forty-three standards years Rayne's senior, their similarly-retarded physical development made them appear nearly the same age.
Aside from reporting Rayne's skill with Force Healing to Rin, Te`net kept an eye on her progress and helped her where he could. Each was protective of the other and uncomfortable with the other being put in mortal danger. Rayne was closer to Te`net than most Centurions, while he was her closest friend after Tillandra Moraes and the Chiss Vos'elk'eetash. They began to fall in love before his long mission to the Utegetu Nebula, and each thought of the other constantly while Te`net was away.
Rayne suffered greatly in Te`net's absence when he left the Order, but it was ultimately her love for him that drove her to seek him out. Though initially unwilling to return, Te`net finally admitted loving her too, and when Rayne and Eskol Kaartinen's Force ghost finally convinced him to go back, the two became a couple with Rin's tacit consent.