Senu Meji

" 'Disorganized...pictured, General Senu Meji, big bald head and all, a model of peak disorganization personified.' - Jedi Knight Viselis Keller describing Senu Meji.' "

Early Life
Senu Meji was born in 54 BBY to Garu and Kashi Meji, two artifact hunters who made their livings off selling artifacts and thrifted goods. Garu Meji was of a family of traders from Ord Mantell, his family having lived there for as long as records indicated, although Garu had some Corellian blood in him per a more intensive studying of his family tree. Kashi Meji was born as Kashi Tressen to reputed archaeologists on the planet of Carida, a military world. Her family made a life selling artifacts and goods to officers on the planet, thus establishing a firm connection with the military. So much so that Kashi's brother, Maragon, would be quickly accepted to the prestigious Carida Academy and later the Judicial Academy on Coruscant for further military studies.

Garu and Kashi Meji faced a tough life, their livelihood revolved around travel and exploration of planets, as well as bartering and buying items they believed would sell on other planets. They had times of great success, as well as times of great poverty and strife. Early in their marriage, the two attempted to search for goods on the former Jedi holy world of Ossus. The two found nothing but broken pottery and rusted away lightsaber parts, for nearly a year they worked on finding whatever they could, eating scraps and barely surviving the planet's harsh environment. The situation was more complicated in the fact that Kashi was pregnant. Although their first child, a boy, was healthy at birth, they knew their present financial situation would make caring for a young child nearly impossible. The two made the hard decision to give the baby to Kashi's older brother, Maragon, who by this time was a rising star in the Republic's Judicial Fleet. Without a wife of his own and no children, Maragon was eager to have a son as a protege. With that, Raviston Meji would leave his parents and become, officially, Raviston Tressen, later known as the vicious Imperial General Striker.

Years later, the Mejis finally gained financial stability and began to create their family again, this time settling on the aquatic world of Mon Cala. Here, they were able to sell their wears to both well to do Mon Calamari and Quarren alike. The pair settled in the underwater city of Nystullum, finding relative peace and quiet in their lives for the first time in years. It was at this time that they had their second son, a boy named Senu, in 54 BBY.

Senu was an energetic young child, he learned language early, speaking his first words within a year of his birth. His parents loved him, bringing him to their shop and showing him the sights of the underwater city. From an early age, Senu had a love of water and of creatures. The life of this family was about to change however, when a strange incident occurred at their shop. Whilst cleaning, Kashi Meji slipped and nearly broke her neck in a fall. That did not happen however, as she was saved from falling to the floor by a mysterious force, she looked to see her young son, not yet three, holding out his hand and stopping her fall with some sort of mystical energy. Confused and shocked, Garu and Kashi researched what had happened, it was in that moment that they realized they would have to lose yet another son: Senu displayed special abilities that needed to be cared for and honed by a mystical sect of monks known as the Jedi Order. Within a few weeks, a near-human clasped in brown robes appeared, tested the young boy, and took him, never to see his family again.

Life as a Jedi
Senu was taken in by the Jedi Order shortly before his third birthday in 50 BBY. At that time, he was an oddity at the temple, as normally students were found within six months of their birth. Despite that, Senu began his training with other younglings, even briefly training with a fellow human who would be come a legend in the annals of history, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Senu would soon be put into a clan to continue his training as a youngling, Thranta Clan would become a welcoming home to the young boy as he waited to be chosen as an apprentice. During this time, he was instructed in lightsaber combat by the head of that clan at the time, a taskmaster and perfectionist by the name of Dooku.

The young Senu Meji was enamored by the formal royal of Serenno turned Jedi, his eyes grew wide whenever he saw Dooku's uniquely hilted blade activate. Seeing that blade instilled a striving for uniqueness despite it being frowned upon by the Jedi. Dooku, along with seeing the legendary Jedi Temple Guardians patrolling the halls of the Jedi, eventually pushed Senu into deciding to take up the art of the double-bladed lightsaber. Growing older, Senu became more talkative, eventually approaching Master Dooku and engaging in conversation with the legendary man. Soon, Senu would begin to train one on one with Dooku, honing his lightsaber combat skills as well as his intense focus. Inside, Senu Meji hoped to be chosen to be Dooku's next padawan. One day, Senu asked Dooku if he could become his padawan, the dignified Jedi Master seemed to agree, but that was the last conversation the two had as fellow Jedi. Count Dooku left the Jedi Order shortly thereafter, becoming one of the Lost Twenty. Senu Meji was heartbroken and angered, he tilted closer towards the dark side than ever before, he was only kept from being removed from the Jedi Order by the intervention of a stern, but understanding Jedi Master named Mace Windu. Windu, although training other apprentices, guided Senu towards forgetting about Dooku and remaining as a true Jedi. Mace Windu's unique amethyst lightsaber blade would provide hope to the disheartened young adolescent, and would serve as a key memory while building his own lightsaber.

Soon after this, Senu would finally be taken as an official apprentice of the Jedi Order, graduating from being a youngling to a Jedi padawan. He would be placed under the tutelage of a serene and calm diplomat named Gessen Choroven. Choroven was extremely unique in the Jedi Order, a member of the Zeltron species, her people were usually overly emotional by their nature, Choroven however was an excellent diplomat. She helped resolve conflicts, acted as a mediator, and assisted the Republic in negotiations for most of her career as a Jedi. Senu would now learn how to be a leader, not just someone who looked up to and envied others.

As the apprentice of Gessen Choroven, Senu Meji would travel the Galaxy, learning the fine arts of diplomacy. Despite his brash and often stubborn way of handling things, he slowly began to learn different ways to speak to people. Gessen Choroven taught him well, although she was no warrior, she had Senu train with warriors, including the legendary duelist Mace Windu, who had helped Senu before. By the time Senu was ready to become a knight of the Jedi Order, he had developed an affinity to the double bladed lightsabers of other Jedi, including the stalwart Jedi Temple guards (of which his close friend Metu Quora was a member of), this influenced his decision to transition from a single purple bladed lightsaber to a double bladed amethyst blade.

33 BBY would be an eventful and traumatic year for Senu Mejil, now aged 21 and on his way to ending his apprenticeship with Gessen Choroven. It was shortly after Senu took up the double-bladed lightsaber that Master Choroven was called to service once again, on what she believe to be a quick and uneventful rendezvous with civilians on the far-flung planet of Mayvitch 7. Unbeknownst to her, the planet was being targeted by pirates attempting to decimate the colony and steal its resources, once she arrived, Choroven found herself in command of a small militia protecting colonists. Despite her pleas for the Jedi and the Republic to help, the Senate argued that it was a civil war in which neither party had contacted for mediation, the Jedi agreed with this and demanded Choroven recall herself back to the Jedi Temple. That was the last transmission they received from her. The famed Zeltron Jedi Master died defending the civilians, never again to return to the Jedi Temple, or to her apprentice.

Later that year, Senu, still attempting to overcome his grief at his master's death, was struck with yet another tragedy. Protecting the Chancellor at the time, Finis Valorum, Senu's close friend, the Quarren Jedi Temple guardian Metu Quora, was killed. The assassin's slugs blasted the Quarren, but his quick thinking shielded Valorum from the gunfire, as well as a tremendous explosion that ripped the Chancellor's personal shuttle asunder. At least this time, Senu could say goodbye, unlike Master Choroven, Metu was rushed to the Jedi Temple. Despite the best work of the Order's greatest healers at the time, the damage was too much, and Metu died, with Senu holding his hand, a day later.

Something mysterious happened however, Metu's body vanished as he died, stunning Senu and those around him. No one knew what had happened, but Senu felt that it was truly the will of the Force rewarding Metu for his selfless act. Close to the end of that year, after overcoming two great personal tragedies, Senu Meji was finally knighted by Master Yoda and the Jedi Council.

Senu the Knight and Start of the Clone Wars
When Senu became a Jedi Knight, one of the most important things for him was education. In that regard, he became familiar with lightsaber training, even using his interest and knowledge of the double bladed lightsaber to instruct those also interested in this lightsaber. The Jedi Temple Guards, masters of the double bladed lightstaff were commanded by Master Cin Drallig, but this Jedi was a single bladed practitioner. With this in mind, Drallig and Senu worked together with the Temple Guards division to train their ranks in the art of the lightstaff. Despite this, Senu never took an interest in having an apprentice like most other Jedi, feeling he was of better use training many students than just focusing on one. Senu faced extreme pressure from other Jedi, as well as some masters, to take on a padawan or risk having one put onto him by the will of the Council. With this in mind, Senu set out into the Galaxy, knowing there must have been someone needing Jedi training that required a master. With a natural disdain for young children, Senu attempted to find a student who was older. He had no luck, but Senu did feel the darkness approaching the Galaxy, reading on the holonet about the growing Separatist crisis. The pain Senu felt when he found that the leader of this separatist secession movement was the man he looked up to the most in the Galaxy: Count Dooku, former Jedi Master and reclaimed Count of Serenno.

Distraught, Senu returned to the Jedi Temple. When he arrived, he had finally had good luck. From far flung areas of space the Jedi had reached an agreement with the mysterious Gand of the Outer Rim to train one of their force-sensitive traditionalists: the Findsmen. What was more interesting was that this was a female Gand, a young creature with incredible ability with the Gand staff and tracking skills. Her name was Mori, and she would become the unofficial ward of Senu Meji, the Jedi without the Padawan. Within a year after Mori's induction into the Jedi Order as a unofficial apprentice to Senu, the Clone Wars began with the Jedi assault on Geonosis.

With the start of the Clone Wars, Senu, like all Jedi Knights at the time, was promoted to the military rank of Jedi General and given command of clones. At first, he was given a ragtag organization of Clones under the 391st Attack Squadron, led by Clone Commando Gurget, but Gurget was killed in a training mission that was deemed an accidental discharge of weapon only two months after the 391st was formed. In an attempt to whip the group into shape, the Jedi were able to briefly transfer an elite Clone Commando to the Squadron, to assist Senu in training his troops, this Commando was known as Thrix. This would be the beginning of a decades long friendship between the Jedi Knight and the Clone Trooper known as Thrix, despite the Clone Commando being kidnapped and replaced by a spy during this mission.

Only a few months into the Clone Wars, Senu was given the task with rendezvousing with the 551st Scout Team, led by fellow Jedi Adler and her aide, Kai Darklighter, on the dangerous planet of Colla IV. The mission was to meet up with the task force, but the mission turned out to be a disaster despite the planning of the council. Despite this, Senu was able to rally together the broken Republic forces to assault a secretive Separatist droid foundry on the planet. Many clones, and some of the Jedi, were either killed or mission, but Senu was able to gain vital data about the facility and destroy it.

After this, the Jedi realized that they needed to figure out better ways to get the Jedi acclimated to planning and organizing the military forces. Senu was transferred out of the 391st Attack Squadron after finding that the Jedi Knight had an aptitude for espionage, planning, and military tactics, and brought under the guidance of the secretive Special Operations Brigade and its commanding General, Master Arligan Zey.

General Meji and Thranta Squad
Learning under Master Zey, Senu was able to pick up quickly the ways that the Special Operations Brigade worked. They were both separate, and yet intermingled, with the regular Clone military forces, and sometimes their activities were considered to be "crossing a line", as some Senators and even Jedi said. Senu Meji felt that these operations were necessary, but did his best to mitigate problems and civilian casualties. He did well at the job, being sent to countless worlds alongside Master Zey for observation, before finally being given command of his own commando group, operationally known as Thranta Squadron.

Senu would work well with the Clone Commander assigned to Thranta Squadron, Captain Taj, a foul-mouthed Clone who often taught the Jedi Knight military code, dadita, and martial arts. While Senu would teach Taj about lightsaber combat, fighting dark-side opponents, and how to brew caf. It was an interesting relationship, and the two got along well and meshed well in their tactical assessments of operations. Thranta Squadron would be sent into hot zones throughout the Clone Wars, mopping up Separatist resistance on other worlds, working alongside Republic Intelligence to get agents out of hot water, and act as decoys or diversions for main Republic attacks. This would bring Senu into contact with other Jedi Generals, including his old mentor, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi. Those would be just a few of the Jedi he worked with, although those he worked the best with were his future friends and companions, Keisha Farlander, Kai Darklighter, Laothin Kendari, Lena Arano, and certainly the "artist", Myana Trikoa. Relationships were forbidden by the Jedi Code, and Senu attempted to keep that in mind whilst developing a friendship with the Jedi artist known as Myana Trikoa. The two had met early in their careers as Jedi, with Myana teaching artistry classes to students at the Temple near where Senu trained in lightstaff combat with Temple guardians and others. Their relationship would eventually grow as they saw each other in battle, helping each other when needed, and although they didn't realize it, their emotions were forming together. Senu and Myana would form a connection in the force that was based on mutual respect, devotion to duty, helping others, and, as time progressed, love for each other.

Despite this growing attachment Senu had with Myana Trikoa, he was first and foremost a Jedi General, responsible for war and strategy. This however would be what changed his life, for in late 20 BBY he was sent, alongside Thranta Squadron, to act as a decoy and diversion for the last Republic push on Onderon. Supporting Generals Kenobi and Skywalker in their main-line attack against Separatist forces in Iziz, Senu and Thranta squadron worked in the frontier of the planet, attacking vital supply lines and training camps of the Separatists and their allies. This was where Senu's life would change, once again. The mission had gone without a hitch, Thranta Squadron had continued to attack the Separatists and their allies, but when faced with a coaxium refueling and refinery station taken over by the enemy, Senu knew he had to act. If Thranta Squadron could cut off supply of this starship fuel to the armies of Dooku and his underlings, they could stop retreating Separatists (and reinforcements) in their tracks.

The mission did not go as planned however, details were sketchy, but the coaxium depot ruptured due to an accident during the mission. Whilst evacuating all of the clones of Thranta Squadron, as well as captured Onderonians and slave laborers, Senu was unable to stop the explosion and notify others living in the area. The explosion of the Katalla Delta Coaxium refinery caused terrible damage to the forest nearby, killing civilian farmers and untold numbers of indangered species. This had been the moment Senu and his squadron were dreading, when a result of their actions caused a problem they couldn't just get out of by indicating their special forces status. Senu was recalled back to Coruscant for review of the issue at hand, but despite this, the Battle for Onderon had been successfully won by the Republic.

The Trial and the Nystullum Wave
The Jedi and Republic involvement on Onderon was to be, on paper, minimal. Officially, there was no Republic assistance given to the Onderonian rebels fighting against the Separatist royals, so, the incident Senu was involved in brought negative light to the questionable actions of special forces. Senators began badgering the Chancellor and members of the Jedi High Council for a public trial of General Meji for his incompetence and disregard for the environment of Onderon, which both Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi Grand Master had refused after short consultation. Despite this refusal, the Chancellor indicated that something must be done to avoid further backlash from Senators and, possibly, the general public. With this in mind, the Jedi High Council had to make a difficult decision concerning Senu Meji, what would they do with this highly capable, tactically-oriented, Jedi, if not have him in charge of a military squadron?

The decision was reached due to discussions Yoda and Mace WIndu had with both Masters Kenobi and Mundi, who both recognized Senu's important, yet secretive, role in liberating dozens of planets from the Separatists. Senu was summoned to the Jedi High Council chambers on a cool summer's evening, the sun setting provided a perfect ambience for this moment, and it calmed Senu's nerves as he walked into the chamber. He was quite certain that he was being relieved from command and probably expelled from the Jedi Order for his actions, he was ready for anything despite being nervous.

Surprisingly, Senu Meji was not removed from the Order, but rather placed on rear-guard duties that involved him protecting and returning looted, stolen artifacts from world attacked by the Separatists. In consultation with planets occupied by the Separatist forces, Senu was given command of a ten man squadron, alongside Jedi Knight Viselis Keller, nicknamed the "Monument Troops". Under the dual-auspices of the Republic's Ministry of Intelligence and Ministry for Science and Culture, the Monument Troops were tasked with safeguarding, removing, cataloguing, and eventually returning culturally significant artifacts of planets occupied by the Separatists.

In order to complete this task effectively, Senu was outfitted with a modified stealth craft created from the chassis of an old Republic Diplomatic Corps vessel. Being given command of the ship on its first voyage, Senu was given the ability to name the ship, choosing to harken back to his origin world and the rich history it had, and thus, the Nystullum Wave was christened.