I'm sorry for clocking out early... but we both knew this day would come sooner rather than later. Don't give up the fight, my apprentice- No. No! You aren't an... apprentice anymore, Ken. Not now... You are a Jedi. Heh. How long you've awaited that news. Farewell and may the Force be with you, Ken.
—Vin's last words to Zur.
Zur Cen, who was known more commonly as Ken, was the Zabrak male Apprentice of Vin Garth, who began his training after Order 66 was given and the Clone Wars ended. He would take up a key role in leading his master's militia following his death in 3 BBY. Vin personally Knighted Zur as a Jedi prior to his death.
Biography[]
Early years[]
Zur was born on the Zabrak homeworld of Iridonia 31 years prior to the Battle of Yavin to veteran ring-fighters owned by Bull, who was a Darksider who owned a legitimate mercenary company as a front for his shadier dealings, which involved having his slaves fight in gladiatorial-like events. Zur became highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat as well as the wielding of various weaponry, particularly the Zhaboka, and was capable of killing grown men by the age of twelve.[1]
Zur managed to steal a data pad in 19 BBY that contained limited information on a CIS plot to overthrow the Galactic Republic. He hoped to either sell the information or barter with it for his freedom. His owner Bull however attempted to have Zur killed for his actions and Zur seized the inititive and fled into the rocky plateaus of his homeworld. Jedi Knight Vin Garth's meeting coincided with Zur's escape and events culminated in the Jedi intervening on Zur's behalf and the death of Bull. Zur was taken as Vin's apprentice and was given Bull's lightsaber as a gift.[2]
On-board Vin's starship Zur began to open up to his new Master and told him of Bull's shadier dealings after Vin, who changed the crystal in Bull's old lightsaber from red to orange at Zur's request, had a brief sparring match where the Jedi discovered that Zur not only possessed advanced combat abilities but also a large degree of raw Force potential. Zur was subsequently brought before the holographic images of the Jedi Council and taken as Vin's apprentice despite the Council's disapproval, as Zur was believed to be too old.[1]
Personality and traits[]
Abilities[]
Zur was a prodigy saw once a generation. By the age of twelve his combat abilities had progressed to the point he could kill grown men; he was also incredibly lucky, though Vin put this down to his Force sensitivity. His skill with a Zhaboka colored his initial lightsaber usage, and his unique mimicry enabled him to masterfully mimic Vin's techniques to such effect that he could employ them without fail after only a few attempts and after only his first sparring session.[1]
Lightsaber training[]
Zur and I weren't content slinking about in the shadows when a tyrant was on the loose. We where weapons guided by the Force itself... and one day the Sith would know it.
—Vin on himself and Zur.
Although he was trained by Vin -- who a prospective Jedi battlemaster -- Zur was encouraged to find his own way in regards to lightsaber combat with only some furnishing of knowledge by Vin himself, as Zur noted he learned more readily from muscle memory. He and Vin thus spent thousands of hours training their respective forms to complete mastery. Zur's initial skills where clumsy and filled with holes, his knowledge adapted from wielding a Zhaboka. However, even after only a brief sparring session with Vin, Zur was capable of mimicking his Soresu and Juyo forms; two styles he would go onto master completely. Even so Zur's preferred form was a heavily offensive-focused hybrid of Ataru and Niman, laced with sudden Force-imbued strikes and acrobatic maneuvers, which was further supplemented by his youth and stamina. He employed a lot of movement and actively used the terrain against his opponents, as demonstrated when he defeated three Dark Jedi three-on-one on Bespin with little more than a few training sessions under his belt.
Indeed by the time he and his master fought Darth Vader on Gala he was capable of holding his own with the experienced Sith Lord and at times defending his fellow students and sickly master, showing he was capable of facing Vader one-on-one. He did just that when Vin was brought down by Darth Vader when his illness flared up, at which point Zur Force pushed his fellows clear of the room and proceeded to challenge the Sith alone. By this time he employed an aggressive Form of his own invention in conjunction with twin guard shoto lightsabers, which he gripped with the perpendicular handle when defending, but often shifted to the traditional hilt on a whim; the transition often performed in the blink of an eye. As such he was a master of Jar'Kai but was known to employ elements of all forms used by the Jedi, as Vin did himself. His attacks where transitioned well into one another and although the range of his lightsaber sometimes hindered him, the fact Zur was almost constantly on the offense did little to handicap him.
Against member's of Darth Vader's Inquisitorius or Palpatine's many Dark Jedi, Zur employed quite a different approach to lightsaber combat. As he often engaged them in groups while he himself was alone or backed up by Pix, he would often move deliberately to lull them into a false sense of security, before striking. His movements where influenced greatly by Shii-Cho techniques though Zur's usage was far more aggressive; instead of seeking to disarm his opponents Zur accepted the pull of Form I and often sought the killing blow, with disarmament a secondary objective. His style was unpredictable and dogged with a high emphasis on wide sweeping blows and swift reflexes. Combined with Force speed Zur was known to defeat groups of Inquisitors alone.
Force abilities[]
Even unconsciously he was capable of healing the many injuries he suffered in the Ring with the Force, which Vin had found evidence of when he inspected him for injuries after being struck with Bull's Force lightning, which only caused minor burns and bruises after he fell.[2]