Chris McDonald

Chris McDonald
Biographical information
Homeworld	Bakura;
Born	140ABY
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	6'1"
Hair color	Blond
Eye color	Blue
Skin color	Caucasian
Era(s)	Legacy Era;
Affiliation	New Republic; New Jedi Order; Council's Elite Jedi Force; Dantooine Defense Force; New Rogue Jedi Order; Jedi Shadows;
Known masters	Krye Filn; Shi'Vai Kaleenak Exile (Brief mentor, Force Madness); Kajasecticus Sinistrus (Brief mentor, lightsaber combat);
Known apprentices	Vrail Lojin (Sith turned Jedi); Zalor Anneri (Jedi); Sayra Nur (Jedi) (briefly);

"There have been many occasions when I should have given up, when I should have just admitted defeat...hope was always the thing that stopped me. Hope that the will of the Force would smile upon me."

—Chris McDonald, Jedi Grand Master

Chris Hiron McDonald is a Jedi Grand Master, General and founder of the Phantom Fleet, one of the Masters of the Jedi Shadows, and the Jedi Watchman of Endor. Born to Mandalorian warrior Diandra Pavan and Jedi Master Daymon McDonald in the city of Salis D'aar, the capital of Bakura, he led a relatively normal life as a child, until he began his Jedi training on Coruscant. Even from the beginning of his training, his life became quite different from those of his fellow Jedi. After an unexpected advancement to Knighthood at an early age, he started a career with the Mandalorians, which would last for 5 years before he started a quieter life doing research. These efforts would result in a major evolution and the first step towards the formation of the Phantom Fleet. He would then go on to try and sell his newfound technology, a venture that did not last long after he arrived on Dantooine. He resumed his life as a Jedi, and after facing several hardships with the Dark Side, quickly progressed to the rank of Jedi Master and became the Commander of Dantooine's orbital defenses, with Grand Master Serik as the Guardian of Dantooine. He soon found himself a member of the Council's Elite Jedi Force and later the Jedi Shadows, led by Jedi Grand Master Dash Burik Vos. He would go on to survive one threat after another, including Sirus Ofilian, Kanadeus, the CDDC, and Lord Loki Burik, among others. While these dark times brought dangerous enemies, they also brought many friends, most notably Zalor Anneri, Kel'an Skywalker, Dash Vos, Jace Stealer, Negue Ragnos, and Shayda Fett. while he did grow close to all of his friends, his bond with Shayda grew the fastest and became the strongest, despite the events going on at the time. This bond endured through the challenges they were forced through by their enemies and even grew stronger, and the two eventually married on Endor, the second location of the Jedi Shadows after Dantooine. He also took on Zalor Anneri as his apprentice at Zalor's request, and Zalor's friend Sayra Nur for a short time. Following the final defeat of Sirus Ofilian, Chris acquired the rank of Grand Master and became a symbol of determination and lasting hope amongst the Shadows. After the Jedi Shadows' relocation to Endor, he became a leader in the war against the Sith Lord Darth Zulataan and his armies, which continues to this day. He remains at Endor with the Shadows along with their allies, the Ewoks of Bright Tree Village.

Biography

Early Life

Chris McDonald was born in 140ABY on Bakura to Diandra (née Pavan) and Daymon McDonald, just minutes before his twin brother, Shain. Chris and Shain had a younger sister, Toria. Both Diandra, a Mandalorian Shocktrooper, and Gwydion, a Jedi Master, had left their professional lives behind to settle down and start a family following the end of the Sith-Imperial War. They were married for 2 years before Chris and Shain were born.

Diandra: "...Daymon?"

Darmon: "What is it?"

Diandra: "I've found out the cause of my sickness over the last few weeks."

Darmon: "Is it serious?"

Diandra: "Very."

Darmon: *Gets a worried look* "What's the cause?"

Diandra: *Smiles* I'm pregnant."

—Diandra Pavan, informing her husband Darmon McDonald of her pregnancy, moments after discovering it herself --> age 0

Even before he was born, Chris' father could sense his potential in the Force after learning about his wife's pregnancy. He was also able to sense another presence besides Chris', and knew in an instant what it meant: Diandra was carrying twins. Nearing the end of the pregnancy, he had a Vision, getting a glimpse of what the future held for them. Darmon's suspicions of Chris' potential resurfaced as he noticed his habit of floating in midair when he slept, as early as a month after his birth. Whether this was accidental or intentional on his part was never discovered. Unfortunately, his lack of control over his connection to the Force presented itself as a hazard to him, making the world around him more dangerous than it was to his brother. Until he was old enough to learn how to control his powers, Darmon did all he could to keep his powers in check and accomodate for them. His mother however, lacked any ability to control it, and so had more trouble keeping him safe when Darmon was not around. She managed to compensate by using her Mandalorian training to keep him safe.

Chris: "I thought I told you to quit mocking me!"

Shain: "Make me, Mir'Osik."

Chris: "Hey! I'm not a Mir'Osik, you Di'Kut!"

Shain: "Bantha fodder!"

Chris: "I said cut it out! Mom, he's still doing it! Toria, don't help him!"

—Chris arguing with Shain and Toria --> age 6

As Chris got older, the time he spent with his parents became based on skills-training and learning his family history. His father would train him in the ways of the Force to the extent of teaching him some basic powers, focusing on teaching him how to control his power. During the time he and Shain spent with their mother, they would learn to repair machinery, mainly starships, and how to fly land speeders and smaller airbourne transports. Between the two brothers, only Chris would develop an interest to learn about his Mandalorian heritage, and so his mother would tell Chris of her experiences and teach him the Mando'a language. Both Chris and Shain gained interest in their father's adventures and listened to his stories every chance they could. Despite all the stories they heard during that time, the one story they would always want to hear was how their parents first met.

Daymon: "When your mother and I first met, she was sent to capture or kill me. The will of the Force destined us to fight each other."

Chris: "So, what stopped you from hurting each other?"

Daymon: "The one thing stronger than even the Force."

Shain: "What's that?"

Daymon: "Love."

—Chris with Shain and Darmon, talking about how he and Diandra first met --> age 7

When Chris and Shain were 7 years of age, Toria being 4 years old at that time, a Nautolan Jedi Master, Krye Filn, arrived at their home, in search of Daymon. As he approached their home, he felt not one, but two powerful presences in the Force. the first was Darmon, and the second was his son, Chris. Because he could so clearly sense Chris' potential in the Force, he offered him the chance to be formally trained as a Jedi. Daymon, being an old friend of Krye's, trusted him to look after Chris and encouraged him to go, along with the rest of his family. Despite his nervous hesitation at leaving his family, and home, for the first time, he left Bakura with Krye and travelled to Coruscant to begin his Jedi training.

Jedi Beginnings: Padawan Learner and Jedi Apprentice

Krye: "You did very well Chris, where did you learn that sequence? I don't recall ever teaching you that."

Chris: "I learned it from Master Lon and his apprentice."

Krye: "They taught you that technique?"

Chris: "...well...they didn't exactly teach me it so much as use it in a sparring session."

Krye: "...you were watching the sparring sessions again, weren't you?"

Chris: "...yes."

Krye: *Laughs* "Where did you learn to become so...observant?"

Chris: "My father. He always used to tell me 'the best weapon anyone can have in combat is knowledge'"

—Chris and his Master, Krye Filn, after a sparring session at the Coruscant Jedi Temple --> age 10

Early Teachings and Lifelong Lessons

Early on in his training, he showed great potential with the Force, his greatest strength lying in his telekinetic and physical abilities, and great enthusiasm to learn, yet lacked complete discipline and patience. He would always be eager to learn a new ability, and constantly requested to learn more. Despite these requests, his teachers would refuse and instruct him to "learn what he had been taught". After hearing of Chris' persistence, one Jedi Master, named Kira Jinn, took the time to meet with him and obliged his request to learn new powers and gave him a private lesson on the art of Force Meditation. Ironically, learning this new technique would later on discourage Chris from further persistence to his teachers.

Chris: "I just don't get it. My teachers are supposed to want to teach me, and they're turning away my requests."

Kira: "Perhaps there is good reason for it."

Chris: "What sort of reason could they have to do that?"

Kira: "Is there anything they have asked of you?"

Chris: "Just to 'learn what I've been taught'."

Kira: "Then why not take their advice? They must see a good reason for it."

Chris: "But if I've already learned them, why would I need to relearn them?"

Kira: "Think of it like flying a starship. The first time you learn how to use the controls, you might not remember even half of them at first and struggle with the most basic of maneuvers. But, if you take time to learn it again, and practise, you'll gain a better understanding. You might even be able to remember more of the controls and be able to perform a few of the maneuvers better. Once you are able to perform the basic maneuvers well enough, your teacher will be more willing to teach you more advanced maneuvers."

Chris: "...that makes sense..."

Kira: "Chris, the key to learning anything is patience. If you can learn how to be patient, and apply that learning, you can learn just about anything else."

Chris: "...I guess I can do that. At least I'll be learning something new."

—Chris and Kira sharing a discussion about his lessons during a Meditation lesson --> age 12

After several Meditation sessions with Kira, he devoted some private time to practicing the technique and thought about his teachers' urges to practice what he had already been taught. Through his meditation, he discovered the reasoning behind these requests, and the advantage of it. From that point on, he took his teachers' advice and practiced his known abilities to the point of proficiency before learning more. Through this style of learning, he was able to master the basic forms of each of his powers within a few standard weeks, keeping his focus devoted to one power during that timespan before working on more. After learning several different powers, he took time to revisit all of them and hone them further before learning more, now progressing at his own pace. Through all of this, he also learned the value of patience and made it a primary tool in his lessons and a valuable asset throughout the rest of his life.

As he adjusted more to the life of a Jedi, and life in the Temple, he became more social with his fellow Padawans and gradually developed bonds with them. At some point during this time, he developed a closer bond, and friendly rivalry, with fellow Padawan Syren Galin. Chris and Syren would constantly push each other to their limits, both in the Force and later on in lightsaber combat. Through these experiences, the two of them became each others' main source of support during their training and became close friends.

Combat Training

As Chris' training turned its focus from powers to lightsaber training, he would take time to watch his fellow Jedi, Apprentices and Masters alike, train against one another, observing their styles and the various lightsaber forms, and afterward applied his patience to meditating on what he had observed, later applying that new knowledge in his sparring sessions and quickly progressing in his combat skills. He was also able to take advantage of his abnormal acrobatic ability inherited from his Mandalorian heritage, though he never used it when sparring, preferring to take the opportunities to hone his core physical strength, speed, and stamina.

Last Days

At age 14, after finishing his training, Chris devoted all the time he could to improving his skills and powers as best he could, aware that his chance to become an Apprentice was nearing. 4 years after first beginning his life as a Jedi, he was taken on as an apprentice by the same Master that first brought him to Coruscant, Master Krye Filn.

Life Outside The Temple: Jedi Apprentice

Chris: "We're going back to Umgul? That's the fifth time this month!"

Krye: "We are one of few Jedi teams that is sent to that planet, and we are all sent frequently. It is the task given to us by the Council, and we shall complete it, no matter how many times we are sent."

Chris: "...couldn't you convince them to send us to Naboo or something, then?"

Krye: "I'm afraid not. The Council has their reasons for sending us where they do"

Chris: "..." *sighs*

—Chris and Master Filn, after being given an assignment to Umgul --> age 14

Most of the assignments given to Chris and Master Filn saw them frequently visit the Mid Rim and Outer Rim territories. Outside of their assignments, they spent their time training at the Coruscant Temple, allowing Chris to refine his lightsaber technique and eventually specializing in Form II, Makashi. He soon began to secretively train in the lightsaber form Jar'Kai, which he never used when sparring, and the saberstaff for a short time. He would later on master these techniques, eventually followed by mastery of the lightwhip more than a decade later.

The Pain of Loss

Krye: "Chris, there's something I need to tell you."

Chris: "What is it, Master?"

Krye: "Does the name "Toria" mean anything to you?."

Chris: "...y-yes..."

Krye: "...I'm afraid...she has become one with the Force."

Chris: "...w-what? You don't mean she's..."

Krye: "...I am so sorry."

Chris: "..." *turns and leaves the room, heading to the Meditation chambers*

—Krye telling Chris of the death of his sister Toria --> age 15

At age 15, he learned that his sister, Toria, had followed his example and trained as a Jedi, and been made an apprentice, but had died during an assignment on Juvex, within the same star system as he was located. The ensuing pain at this loss became his first temptation of the Dark Side, which he quickly recognized and requested from the Jedi Council that he be relieved of going on any assignments until he regained control of his emotions. He spent his free time meditating when he was able to calm himself, searching for his sister in the Netherworld of the Force to learn more of how she had died. He did eventually find and communicate with her, and learned of the assassination plot she and her Master had been sent to expose and stop, and that they had been ambushed, both of them dangerously wounded. He soon found some peace when he learned that she had sacrificed herself to save her Master, using what Force power she had to sustain her Master's life while hers faded before help could arrive.

Chris: "I admit that I am devastated to hear of your death, and that it has been difficult to remain collected in my emotions, but I am also proud of you. You showed the greatest qualities of an accomplished Jedi, something I have yet to accomplish. You will always be my role model, my example, even though you were the one that followed me."

Toria: "Remember Chris, there is no death, only the Force. I know you will one day become a great Jedi, you will make a difference in the galaxy, and become a role model to future Jedi. Say hi to mom, dad and Shain for me when you get the chance."

Chris: "I will. Goodbye Toria, may the Force welcome you."

Toria: "Thank you. Even if the Force is not with you, I always will be. I promise."

—Chris and his sister Toria, through Force Communication, sharing final farewells --> age 15

First Witness of the Dark Side

Chris: "Master...something doesn't feel right."

Krye: "What do you mean?"

Chris: "It's bright and sunny here, but...I feel cold."

Krye: "So you feel it too?"

Chris: "Yes...what is it?"

Krye: "That cold you feel, my Apprentice, is the Dark Side of the Force. We are about to face one of its many servants, known as a Sith Lord."

Chris: "...I'm sure we can defeat this Sith."

Krye: "I know we can. The greater challenge is to not fall to the Darkness ourselves in the process."

—Chris and Krye Filn discussing their first and only assignment to Dantooine --> age 15

While still getting over the death of his sister, Chris and Krye were assigned to investigate rumours of unusual activity in the rural districts on Dantooine. Immediately upon their arrival, they could both sense an unnatural change in the ecosystem and in the locals. After careful investigation of the city and its inhabitants, and the surrounding wildlife, they first investigated the Jedi Enclave located near the cities and spoke with the Jedi there, barely getting any clear answers from them. As they spoke with one Jedi after another, they became more determined to find the cause of the strange Jedi behaviour going on around them. After several days of investigation, they had made very little progress, and begun to fear the worst.

With little other option but to follow their suspicions, they closely monitored the activity of the other Jedi, noticing one Jedi in particular acting far more differently from the others, and kept a close watch on him. After a few days of monitoring, they followed him to the forests on the far side of the city from the Enclave. When they finally confronted him, their suspicions were proven true as the Sith revealed himself. After a quick analysis, Krye was successfully able to identify their target as the Sith Lord Darth Neghil.

Darth Neghil: "I was wondering when you'd finally find me, Jedi."

Chris: "You knew we were coming?"

Darth Neghil: "Of course. You Jedi will inspect anything that seems out of place. You worry too much."

Chris: "And you wonder why we do. You Sith are always oppressing or manipulating innocent people, just to get what you want."

Darth Neghil: "It is only because you won't. You refuse to take the power we deserve so much. We do more for this galaxy than the lesser beings, those that are numb to the Force, could ever comprehend."

Krye: "It is not our destiny to control the galaxy. It is our duty to make the galaxy a safe place."

Darth Neghil: "And yet, you always fail. It's time to give up this pointless campaign and claim what is rightfully ours! Together, we can bring true, successful peace, that will last!"

Krye: "You only speak of oppression, which we will never be a part of!"

Darth Neghil: "...foolish Jedi..."

—Chris and Krye exchanging words with Darth Neghil on Dantooine --> age 15

After a few exchanges, Neghil realized he was not going to sway Krye or Chris with his offers, and instead resorted to engaging them with his lightsaber, despite being outnumbered. In spite of his best efforts, Chris was quickly disarmed and left to watch his Master face the Sith alone. This would be the first time Chris ever witnessed the power of the Dark Side. He observed both combatants closely and watched their contrasted techniques, Krye's more defensive moves and Neghil's ruthless offensive strength. he also noticed a gradual change in Krye's use of Force powers, watching as they became more dangerous to both Neghil and himself. He would soon see the more destructive effects of the Force as both unleashed a blast of Force energy, wiping out all plants and wildlife within 20 meters of themselves and leaving a 10-meter deep crater in the ground. Seeing the attack coming, Chris was able to protect himself with a Force Barrier before the attack hit him. By the time the resulting explosive storm settled, Krye was still standing in the same spot as before, but Neghil was nowhere to be seen. After a final sweep of the Enclave and the city, the two left Dantooine and reported Neghil's disappearance to the Jedi Council.

A Familiar Pain Resurfaces

3 weeks following the Dantooine incident, Chris learned of a Republic attack on the Imperial world of Bastion, which ultimately failed, and of his brother Shain's involvement as a Republic trooper. Feeling a similar pain from Toria's death, 2 months earlier, he researched the details of the battle. He quickly found the list of teams involved in the attack and found his brother's name on the list of casualties. This information would be proven false upon Chris and Shain's reunion 10 years later.

Chris: "...no...no, it can't be..."

Kira: "What is it?"

Chris: "...my brother...he was at the Bastion attack."

Kira: "I heard about that attack, such a horrible defeat...how did your brother do?"

Chris: "..." *looks down*

Kira: "...oh my...I am so sorry..."

—Chris and Jedi Master Kira Jinn upon discovering Shain's death at the Battle of Bastion --> age 15

Rather than take time to grieve his brother's death, like he had with his sister, he instead continued to join his Master on assignments to the Mid Rim, finding a sense of calm in Jedi Meditation, which would become a regular practice for him later on in his Jedi life.

Rising Tensions Between Master and Apprentice

Chris: "Master, you never did tell me what the extent of this mission was."

Krye: "The Council informed me of a hidden Imperial base in the capital city, Pelek Baw. Our job is to infiltrate the base and eliminate any Imperial troops we encounter."

Chris: "It's about time we took the fight to the Imperials! How long will it take us to get there?"

Krye: "It will take us most of today at least. We might not make it until tomorrow."

Chris: *sighs* "Well, at least we're not the ones being ambushed this time."

Krye: "Just be patient, and we'll be there before you know it."

Chris: "I know, Master. as long as we get there and shut down the Imperial operations here, I'll be happy."

Krye: "So will I, Chris. So will I."

Chris: *Senses an unusually dark tone in his Master's voice, but does not react to it, keeping his senses sharp for any signs of trouble in the trees*

—Chris and Master Filn enroute to Pelek Baw, on their last assignment together --> age 16

Chris was soon able to come to terms with the loss of both of his siblings, though not without difficulty. As he became more at peace, he soon started to reach out to the living Force again, and the first thing he noticed was a subtle change in his Master. He found time to ask Krye about this, but failed to get a reassuring response out of his attempts. He dropped the subject, but remained wary, keeping an eye on his Master's slowly changing behaviour.

Chris: "...Master..."

Krye: "Yes, Chris?"

Chris: "I'm really concerned about you...you seem too...eager...to accomplish this assignment."

Krye: "I do not want to lose any more fellow Jedi than we already have."

Chris: "You don't seem focused on helping them as much as you do on...finding those responsible and...dealing with them."

Krye: "..."

—Chris and Master Filn as they enter the city of Pelek Baw, 24 hours ahead of the planned time --> age 16

Chris and Master Filn's assignment was to infiltrate a Remnant installation on Haruun Kal, in the capital city of Pelek Baw. During their raid of the hidden base, Chris sensed a heightened power within his Master, and became more wary as a result. Following the success of their assignment, they ventured back into the jungles back to their transport. Along the way, Chris mentioned what he had sensed in Krye in the Remnant base, and Krye showed only annoyance at this. This only encouraged him to pursue the subject once more, sensing a rising anger in his Master as he continued on, which was eventually vented in the form of a blast of lightning, Chris' reflexes and cautious state helping him dodge the attack. Krye then drew his lightsaber and assaulted Chris, and the two became locked in a lightsaber duel, both of them knowing only one of them would walk away, alive.

Master VS Apprentice

Chris: "Master, please! Think about what you are doing!"

Krye: "My mind is perfectly clear!"

Chris: "I do not wish to harm you! Please, don't make me do this! I can help you!"

Krye: "Help? I do not need your help! I can now clearly see how blind the Jedi truly are. It is you that needs help!"

—Chris, trying to reason with Krye, moments after his fall to the Dark Side --> age 16

It was with Krye's last words that Chris was able to confirm it: his Master had turned to the Dark Side. Despite his superior expertise of the Makashi form compared to Krye, he was still inexperienced in real combat with another Force-sensitive, but still held 2 advantages: his capabilities as a Mandalorian, and the knowledge he had gained from Jedi aside from his Master. Although Krye knew that his apprentice had learned things from others, he was not aware of his former Apprentice's heritage, or exactly how much outside knowledge Chris had gained, which proved to be his downfall.

Krye: "You are...more gifted in combat than I thought."

Chris: "You might have taught me the power of the Force and how to fight with a lightsaber, but I've learned a few other tricks you have no idea about."

Krye: "Oh really? And how is this possible?"

Chris: "My parents."

Krye: "Your parents?"

Chris: "My mother is a Jedi Master. My father...is a Mandalorian warrior."

—Krye and Chris, during their duel --> age 16

Chris then became aware that Krye was not used to Mandalorian-style combat, and used this to his advantage by combining his Jedi techniques with hand-to-hand Mandalorian fighting techniques. This, combined with the superior agility his youthful age brought him, combined to help him hold his own against the Jedi-turned-Sith's superior speed and strength. After making every attempt he could to stop Krye, and when finally cornered, he did finally, though hesitantly, strike Krye down. This would be Chris' first true encounter with the Dark Side of the Force, but far from his last. Following the conflict, he brought Krye's body with him back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

"The assignment to Haruun Kal was successful, but came at a price. During our time there, Master Filn's recent hostile nature strengthened and eventually turned him against me as he fell to the Dark Side, as I had been suspecting might happen for some time. I was left with no choice but to either end his life or meet my own demise, despite my attempts to help him."

—Chris, explaining the events on Haruun Kal to the Jedi Council on Coruscant --> age 16

Immediately upon his return, Chris retold the events on Haruun Kal to the Jedi Council, who were surprised to hear that an Apprentice had not only predicted his Master would turn, but fought against him and won. This information dismissed all doubts they had earlier held of Chris' skills and strength in the Force, now having proof of his capabilities. Only a few days later, he was summoned by the Council and formally named a Jedi Knight.

"Chris McDonald, you have displayed the qualities and skills expected from a Jedi. Patience, calm, a clear mind, controlled emotions, the courage to face any challenge you are presented with, and of course, a strong and intimate connection to the Force around you. Your outstanding skills, unwavering commitment to the Light, and exemplary records of success have not gone unnoticed, and have proven you worthy of the rank of Jedi Knight."

—Jedi Grand Master Heilin Moril, upon naming Chris a Knight of the Jedi Order --> age 16

New Beginnings: Life of a Jedi Knight

Chris: "I can't believe it...Malastare!? Of all places?"

Kira: "What about Malastare?"

Chris: "That's where the Council is stationing me now that I'm a Jedi Knight."

Kira: "What!? You're a Jedi Knight now!?"

Chris: "Oh...Did I never mention?"

Kira: "No! Congratulations!"

Chris: "Thank you, Master Jinn. But...this means that we probably won't see each other again, so I want to thank you for all the help you've given me during my time here. If it wasn't for you, I could never have faced my Master when he Turned"

Kira: "You're very welcome Chris. Good luck on Malastare, may the Force be with you."

Chris: "May the Force be with you, Master."

—Chris and Master Kira Jinn sharing goodbyes before he sets off for Malastare --> age 16

Immediately following his appointment to the rank of Jedi Knight, the Jedi Council gave Chris an order transfer to the Temple on Malastare. Despite not wanting to go, he followed the Council's wishes, bid his friends at the Temple final goodbyes, and boarded a starship and took off for Malastare. However, enroute to Malastare, he was ambushed by space bandits, and his ship was damaged before he could escape. After analyzing the damage, he knew he wouldn't make it to Malastare, and his navigation systems had been damaged in the attack. He stuck to the planned flight path and set down on the first planet he could find, Mandalore.

Mando'ade Bloodlines

Chris: "...where am I?" *spots a group of Mandalorian warriors heading his way*

Mandalorian: "Who are you?"

Chris: "Jedi Knight Chris McDonald. Where exactly am I?"

Mandalorian: "You are on Mandalore"

Chris: "...what!?"

Mandalorian: "You didn't know?"

Chris: "No. My nav systems were damaged in an attack."

Mandalorian: "We can assist with repairs if you want. After that, you are required to leave. Only Mandalorians may remain here."

Chris: "Funny you should say that...I happen to be a Mando'ade."

—Chris and a Mandalorian Warrior moments after crash-landing on Mandalore --> age 16

After several days of attempting to convince the Mandalorian leaders of his own Mando'ade heritage, he was able to convince them and soon became one of them. He quickly adapted to his new life, applying what Mandalorian customs and language he had learned from his father, and improving on them as he watched those around him, while maintaining his connection to the Force. A short time after his arrival, he was assigned to the third fighter squad of the Meteor Assault Force, which was named after the Force's capital ship. While with them, he developed a strong relationship with his squadmates. The strongest friendship he formed amongst them would be with his training partner and squadmate, Zane Truesdale.

Chris and Zane — Chris (left) and Zane Truesdale (right)

For the next 5 years, he fought alongside the Mandalorians, as one of them. His Jedi powers gave him a rarely rivaled advantage on the battlefield, making him one of their most valued warriors and skilled pilots. They traveled across the galaxy, accepting jobs to numerous planets as mercenaries-for-hire, most notably Bespin, Sluis Van, Clak'Dor VII, Balmorra, Neimoidia, and Wayland. They encountered many powerful factions, either as clients or targets, including the CDDC, the Imperial Remnant, the Hutts, small-scale groups of space pirates and thieves, and the Republic. Although he carried his lightsaber with him, he rarely used it, preferring the weapons of the Mandalorian trade.

Initiation

1 month after first joining the Mandalorians, Chris was assigned to a small patrol team to watch over the outermost planets in Mandalorian space. His initial excitement for the assignment gradually disappeared as his team performed routine patrol with no sign of hostilities. Chris decided to pass the time in training rooms, practicing his weapons aim and hand-to-hand combat between shifts, rarely allowing himself to use the Force to augment his strength and reflexes.

After a quiet 2 months, Chris' patrol team began to intercept messages from outside Mandalorian territory on Dathomir, describing a smuggling operation to take place on Ordo. After confirming the location of the transmissions, the team broke patrol patterns and made a hyperspace jump directly to Dathomir.

Immediately upon their arrival above Dathomir, the patrol teams deployed to the surface, Chris among them, and scouts were quickly able to pinpoint the location of the transmissions to a bunker complex. After a few minutes of tactical discussion among the squad leaders, the ground forces made their way to the bunker.

A New Ship, and a New Friend

Over the following year after Chris first made planetfall on Mandalore, he quickly established himself as an elite pilot in his squad, both with and without the Force. Always the first to launch a strafing run on enemy targets, dive-bomb into enemy fighter squads, or launch bombing raids on enemy installations, he made sure he was always in the middle of the chaos his team would cause, becoming a prime source of the chaos himself. 6 months after joining the Mandalorians, he had been reassigned to Meteor team's primary fighter squad. He would then proceed to become an honourary member of the Meteor Force's Tactical Officers 3 months later, after saving the team from a surprise attack during a raid against the Hutts on Klatooine, making effective use of his Battle Meditation power to help the team quickly regain control of the battle and claim victory. In spite of his newfound respect among the Mandalorians, he remained silent about his Jedi powers, using them only when absolutely necessary to avoid drawing attention to it.

While enroute to a job on Alzoc III, 2 months after the attack on Klatooine, the Meteor Assault Force made a stop over at Naboo for refueling and resupplying. Going alone, Chris headed planetside to explore, this being his first time to the planet. Upon reaching the planet, he was instantly amazed at the planet's beauty. Knowing he wasn't going to leave without doing some sightseeing, he disguised himself as a Naboo local, one of his fellow Mandos providing him with the clothing, and headed into the capital city of Theed.

Kilo: "Hello, and welcome to "The Wandering Traveller" Starship depot! How can I help you today?"

Chris: "I was just doing a bit of browsing...what do you have in the way of classic starfighter models?"

Kilo: "I've got A-Wings, I've got N-1s, I've got B-Wings, Y-Wings...kriff, I've even got Incom T-65 X-Wings."

Chris: "T-65s?"

Kilo: "Yup, and in prime condition."

Chris: "What do you have in the way of Astromech droids?"

Kilo: "Astro droids? Why don't we take a look, eh?"

—Chris and Kilo talking business over a new starship and droid --> age 17

During his tour, he happened across a small starship outlet, the "Wandering Traveller" starship depot. There, he found the starship he had until that point only dreamed of finding: a perfectly conditioned, fully armed and functional, and modifiable Incom T-65 X-Wing. With the help of the shop owner, a Toydarian named Kilo, they negotiated a fair price and soon after found the perfect droid to go with it.

Kilo: "And here are my best Astro droids. I personally repaired and updated them."

Chris: "Which model would you recommend?"

Kilo: "Ah, but the R2 series of course! No better model for an X-Wing than an R2 unit."

R2-D4: *Desperately tries to push his way through the other droids, letting out a high-pitched whistle*

Chris: "Alright, I think I'll go with-..."*spots the R2 unit* "Which one is that?"

Kilo: "Eh? Oh, that's R2-D4, a personal favourite of mine! He's got more character than the rest of these rust buckets put together!"

Chris: *Laughs* "Sounds good to me. I'll take him."

R2-D4: *Lets out a long series of excited beeps and whistles*

Chris: *Laughs*

—Chris first acquires the X-Wing that will one day become the Kandosii and the astromech droid, R2-D4 --> age 17

After paying for the ship and the droid, Chris headed back into the city and continued his tour, returning for them once the Mandalorians were ready to depart and took them with him to Alzoc III.

Trial Run

Zane: ::This is all they've got? Ha! I could weave through this in my sleep!::

Chris: ::Don't get cocky! They might have more firepower than this.::

Zane: ::Not likely...uh, Chris?::

Chris: ::What?::

Zane: ::Do you see an X-Wing nearby, flying with our squad?::

Chris: ::Yes...well, sort of. Why do you ask?::

Zane: ::Do you know who's flying it?::

Chris: ::That would be me, Ner Vod.::

—Chris and Zane over the comm channels shortly before engaging the Imperials at the Battle of Alzoc III

--> age 17

It was not until they reached Alzoc III that the target was identified to the entire team: the Imperials stationed on the planet. Despite the surprise attack, the Imperials moved fast to gather and organize their defenses before the Mandalorians could reach the planet and had a defense barricade ready and waiting.

Zane: ::Fierfek, they know about us!::

Chris: ::Keep your cool, we can still win this.::

Zane: ::Well Chief, what's the plan?::

Chris: ::Power up shields, double-front, pick your targets and go.::

—Chris and Zane, moments before engaging the Imperials above Alzoc III --> age 17

Piloting his new X-Wing, with R2-D4 as his co-pilot, Chris and the Mandalorian Attack Force stormed the Imperial blockade, scattering them and moving quick to prevent a strong regroup. Imperial TIEs and Mandalorian starfighters engaged in dogfights as the Mandalorian Battle Cruisers charged the defending Imperial Star Destroyers. Before long, the Imperial defenses were thinned out enough for the Mandalorians to safely deploy bombing squads with fighter escorts down to the planet to destroy the Imperial installation swiftly and thoroughly. The base was nothing more than rubble and the Imperial defenses were reduced to space junk before the Mandalorians regrouped and left the system, enroute back to Mandalore.

A Tempting Invitation

Chris: "Well Ner Vods, we've just been given another job."

Zane: "It's the Hutts again, isn't it?"

Chris: "Actually, no. We're going after the Sith this time."

Allana: "Oh fierfek, not the CDDC again."

Chris: "Not even them. We're just going after Sith. We're heading to Korriban."

Zane: "...let me see if I heard that right. We're going directly after the Sith this time. No CDDC troopers, no Rogue Jedi, but real, Dark-adept Sith? And we're going to Korriban?"

Chris: "That's right."

Allana: *Pumps her fist into the air* Yes! Finally!"

Zane: "It's about time!"

—Chris explaining the Meteor Force's next job to Zane and fellow squadmate Allana Rylesse --> age 18

Over the next year following the attack on Alzoc III, Chris established himself as a strong pilot and tactician of the Mandalorian forces and made a powerful reputation for himself, his X-Wing and R2-D4 becoming icons to his fighter squadmates.

Kandosii in Combat — Chris' T-65 X-Wing, the Kandosii, in combat over Alzoc III

One year after the Alzoc III attack, the Meteor Force was hired by the New Republic to attack the Sith Temple on Korriban and any Sith that were there. After quicky dispatching the Sith fighter defenses above the planet, Chris and the rest of the fighter support joined the Mandalorian ground forces on the planet and organized an ambush on the Sith Temple.

Mandalorian Shocktrooper: "This's gonna be one of our best busts yet."

Mandalorian Scout: "True right, those Siit are in for it this time."

R2-D4: *beeps and whistles* "[I'm coming with you, right?]"

Zane: *Gives Chris an over-the-top, professional military salute*

Chris: *Looks at R2* "Of course you're coming. We're going to need you for this. besides, I wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun." *Looks around at the Mando troopers* "Alright, let's move out!"

—The Meteor ground forces preparing for the attack on the Sith Temple on Korriban, shortly after receiving orders from Chris --> age 19

As the Mandalorians made their way to the Temple, Chris sensed another, lone presence nearby, and after giving Zane the order to lead the attack, he and R2-D4 broke off from the others and left to investigate. After pinpointing the location of the presence, Chris and R2 found themselves at the top of a deep canyon, both of them realizing the presence lied at the bottom of the canyon. Once he reached the bottom, he immediately spotted the source of the presence, and was surprised at what he found: the wreckage of a Z-95 Headhunter and a lone Jedi, Barask Anneri.

Barask: "If that Falleen fool sent you here for my head, then he is a coward, and has sent you to your fate this day."

Chris: "I know nothing of any Falleen. We were sent by the Republic, and you'd better be careful who you threaten."

Barask: ".....I need not waste my time with threats!"

—Chris and Barask Anneri exchanging words --> age 19

During the brief discussion with Barask, Chris came to suspect the source behind his seemingly dark demeanor, and quickly realized the problem as Barask tried to attack him: He was being corrupted by the Darkness of Korriban. Despite his best efforts, Chris' Mandalorian weapons and skills proved useless against him, and he was forced to use his Jedi powers, despite the risk it posed to Barask's life.

Barask: *Reaches out his hand to pull Chris out of the sky with the Force and down to the ground hard.*

Chris: *Uses the Force to slow his descent and lands on his feet, putting his blasters away.*

Barask: "You are a fool to disarm yourself before an armed opponent." *He advances toward Chris cautiously, his saber raised to strike.*

Chris: *Smirks beneath his helmet, watching as he advances* "Never underestimate your opponent."

Barask: *Once he is within saber's reach of Chris's helmet, he immediately swings vertically to decapitate his head.*

Chris: *Sensing the attack coming, he quickly Pulls his lightsaber to his hand, activates the blue blade, and blocks his attack*

—Chris and Barask, during their duel --> age 19

Knowing he had caught his opponent by surprise, Chris quickly took advantage of the situation and turned the tide of the battle against Barask, whose clouded judgment hindered his mastery of lightsaber combat. However, rather than hoping to defeat Barask, Chris instead looked for a chance to end the duel quickly. In a last-ditch effort, he quickly pointed out the anger within Barask to him, and the effect it was having on his judgment. Barask, instantly recognizing this as something a Sith would not say, abruptly ended the fight and learned that it was in fact the Republic that had sent him and the other Mandalorians. He then revealed to Chris that he had mistaken him for a Sith and, after a quick reconciliation, accepted Chris' offer to help him get offplanet. After brief introductions, Chris learned Barask was a member of the Dantooine Jedi Council. Just before he left, Barask suggested to Chris that he join the Dantooine Council himself, sensing his potential with the Force. After Barask's departure, and for the rest of his Mandalorian career, Chris would constantly think of that invitation, his instinct, and not the Force, telling him Dantooine would later become a big part of his life.

Unexpected Visitors

2 years after the Korriban attack, Chris one day received news that scouts had spotted a group of Jedi that had trespassed into their territory and landed on the planet Ordo and was given the order, along with the rest of his squadron, to eliminate them. Upon receiving these orders, they immediately deployed from Mandalore and headed straight for Ordo. On the way there, Chris, suspecting there was more to it than they were being told, allowed R2 to take over the X-Wing's controls and took to meditating and reaching out to the Force, hoping to locate and identify any of the Jedi he could before they arrived.

~They are few in number, a few of them too young to be Jedi Knights, more likely Apprentices...undoubtedly a few Masters amongst them-...wait a minute...no, it couldn't be...~

*opens his eyes*

"...Master Jinn..."

—Chris, upon locating the Jedi found on Ordo, and discovering Master Kira Jinn amongst them, shortly before his squadron's arrival --> age 21

Immediately after discovering his old friend, Jedi Master Kira Jinn, was amongst the Jedi on Ordo, he started devising a plan, including a method to contact Kira without alerting the other Jedi with her, unsure if they would trust him or not. His efforts for private communication soon proved successful.

Chris: "Master Jinn, can you hear me?"

Kira: "I can hear you...who is this? You sound familiar."

Chris: "Master Jinn, it's me, Chris McDonald."

Kira: "Chris!? It's great to hear from you again! Where are you?"

Chris: "I'm on my way to your position."

Kira: "...what? What are you doing here?"

Chris: "It's a long story, which I'll gladly tell you later, but for now, I need you to listen to me."

Kira: "...alright Chris, I'm listening."

Chris: "I'm with a group of Mandalorians that have been sent to deal with you and the other Jedi with you."

Kira: "What!? What are you doing with the Mandalorians!?"

Chris: "Like I said, it's a long story, which I'll explain later. Look, I've got a plan that will get you and the other Jedi offplanet unharmed."

Kira: "Alright, go ahead..."

—Chris making contact with Kira Jinn, through Force Communication, 5 years after saying farewell on Coruscant --> age 21

After revealing himself to Kira, Chris quickly explained his plan to help her and the other Jedi escape from the planet and requested her to explain the plan to the others as though it was her own, to keep his intentions hidden from the others and prevent suspicion from the other Mandalorians.

Reunion and "Confrontation"

Chris: "Do they know the full plan?"

Kira: "They do, but they suspect something. I don't normally come up with ideas like this."

Chris: "There's no reason to panic over suspicion. Are all of you ready?"

Kira: "Ready and waiting."

Chris: "Good. Let's hope this works, for all your sakes."

—Chris and Kira exchanging words through Force Communication before Chris and the Mandalorians confront Kira and the other stranded Jedi --> age 21

Once the Mandalorians found and confronted the Jedi, they issued several warnings to the Jedi to surrender, which the Jedi ignored as they focused on repairing their ship. After these warnings, Chris was the first to approach the Jedi and directly threatened them, the Jedi only responding by Pushing him back to the other Mandalorians. Giving up on warnings, the Mandalorians attacked the Jedi. Despite their quick attack, the Jedi moved faster and stopped the Mandalorians' initial assault and took the fight to them. During the fight, Chris attacked one Jedi after another, establishing brief contact with each of them and explaining that Kira's plan had in fact been his. and helped them fake their deaths, ending with Kira. As he and the other Mandalorians started heading back, Kira quickly picked up a stray blaster and shot him, receiving a "fatal" shot from him in return and completing the final part of his plan: faking his death to leave the Mandalorians and start yet another new life.

Mandalorian Trooper: "...fierfek..."

Zane: "...th-this can't be..."

Mandalorian Scout: "He...he was one of our best...no lightsaber could touch him..."

Mandalorian Trooper: "And yet, all it took...was one blaster bolt..."

Zane: "He will always be remembered as one of our best. Honourable warriors are not judged by how they die, but by how they lived...he made great accomplishments in his lifetime..."

—Chris' Mandalorian team, mourning his "death" --> age 21

Once they were sure the Mandalorians had left, Chris, Kira, and the Jedi quickly repaired the remaining damage to their ship and left the planet, bound for Coruscant. Along the way, Chris sent a message to R2-D4, who was back on the Mandalorian starship, and gave him instructions to get their X-Wing and meet him on Ralltiir.

Chris: "Before you go to Coruscant, can you drop me off somewhere?"

Kira: "Of course. Where were you thinking of?"

Chris: "Ralltiir."

Kira: "...Ralltiir? Why there?"

Chris: "Let's just say I have a business venture I've been meaning to start."

Kira: "What about the Jedi?"

Chris: "I had been planning to return to the Jedi before, but this is something I really want to do, and I know it'll bring big benefit to the galaxy."

Kira: "...alright. I am let down you won't be coming back with us, but I wish you luck."

Chris: "Believe me Kira, this will not be the last time we meet..."

—Chris and Kira exchanging words shortly after leaving Ordo --> age 21

A Life of Science: Technological Research and Breakthrough

Chris: "So, what sorts of backgrounds do you guys have?"

Nathan: "I have experience with researching the physics of hyperspace travel."

Oran: "I used to work at the Kuat Drive Yards designing power circuitry for just about any model of Star Destroyer you can think of."

Jark: "[I've spent most of my career studying starship and starfighter laser weapon physics.]"

Chris: "...and the rest of it?"

Jark: "[Studying warhead mechanics and physics.]"

Chris: "...I look forward to working with all of you."

—Chris "interviewing" Nathan, Oran, and Jark on Ralltiir before beginning their work on Project "HyperCloak" --> age 21

Meeting the Team

Shortly after arriving on Ralltiir and bidding final farewells to Kira and the other Jedi, he immediately made his way to the planet's capital city of Cambrielle and set up residence for himself there. He then toured the city and checked every hangar he could, confused as to why R2-D4 and his X-Wing had not arrived. Despite this setback, he remained on the planet and kept his focus on his research goal. He would spend a large amount of his time at the local Dusky Sky Café, asking around about available research laboratories, either for sale or rent, which eventually paid off when he came across Nathan Ilan, a Corellian scientist and researcher in the field of hyperspace physics. Over the following days, Chris shared his ideas with Nathan, who quickly became eager to help him and offered his lab, any resources needed, and his expertise, all of which Chris gladly accepted.

Chris: "Well, as long as we're going to proceed with this idea, we might as well come up with a name for it."

Nathan: "I agree. Got any ideas?"

Chris: "How about...Project "Ghost Shield?""

Nathan: "Sounds dull...what about Project "Hyperspace Cloak?"

Chris: "Too long...maybe shorten it to...Project "HyperCloak?"

Nathan: "...we're not very creative, are we?"

Chris: "No, not at all."

*both laugh*

—Chris and Nathan, codenaming their project --> age 21

Over the following months, the two worked in secret on a new cloaking shield, based off the original model designed by the Galactic Empire, with the intention of achieving what the Empire couldn't: a cloaking shield that can be used in hyperspace travel. After a year of endless effort, they were successful after testing it on Nathan's V-Wing starfighter.

After finishing Project "Hypercloak", Nathan and Chris started thinking of ways to introduce their revolutionary technology to the galaxy, hoping to start a business. They eventually heard of a small public sales convention on Kuat, featuring inventors and research teams from across the galaxy to showcase their projects and discoveries, and immediately registered themselves into the convention and headed to Kuat. Their showcase consisted of taking interested investors on a small hyperspace trip between Kuat and the nearby planet Balmorra and back twice, once without using the cloaking shield, and a second time with the cloaking shield active. Despite initial interest from investors, they failed to make any sales, but they did manage to catch the interest of two other scientists: Oran Poligno, an engineer of starship power mechanics, and a Rodian named Jark Kilmin, a leading researcher and experimentalist in the field of the physics of starship and starfighter weaponry. With Oran's and Jark's additional expertise, the four of them were able to rebuild the cloaking shield over the next two years, producing the model of cloaking shield that would later become the design utilized by the Phantom Fleet.

Oran: "...wow..."

Jark: ["We didn't aim for this kind of performance...did we?"]

Chris: "No...this is far exceeding our expectations..."

Nathan: "...kriff, we're good."

*all of them burst out laughing*

—Nathan, Jark, Chris, and Oran after testing the completed prototype Phantom Cloaking Shield --> age 23

On the Run

Chris: "C'mon guys, let's move!"

Oran: "Jark, Nathan, get to your ships now!"

Jark: ["What about the labs! We can't let them get possession of our research!"]

Chris: "So blow up the lab! We're not coming back!"

Nathan: "...you got it!"

—Chris, Oran, Nathan, and Jark as they make their escape from their lab on Ralltiir from Imperial forces --> age 23

Despite the lack of knowledge to the public of their new innovation, they knew that had created a major evolution of cloaking shield technology, and chose to keep it quiet, to prevent from drawing unwanted attention. They quickly constructed a second shield and installed it on Jark's transport shuttle for testing, which proved more successful than they first hoped. During the weeks following the completion of project "HyperCloak", they searched for a suitable planet to start a small sales business and noticed a change in media reports regarding Imperial activity, noting a small change on focus to improvement of cloaking shield technology. Taking it as a sign, they started setting up hidden defenses throughout the labs and outside the facility. However, when the perimeter alarms sounded, they found the facility being approached by a full platoon of Imperial stormtroopers Assuming they were sent by Imperials to steal their research, they powered up all the facility defenses and sealed off the labs. After watching the Imperials fend off against their defenses and even destroy them, they quickly packed all the research documents they could and loaded it onto the transport shuttle, including their original copy of their cloaking shield. Realizing they wouldn't be returning, as the Imperials would likely set a trap or permanently occupy the planet, he ordered the facility and the labs be completely destroyed, along with the invading Imperials with it. The four of them quickly set up bombs through the halls before the Imperials could inspect them, throughout the hangar, and got into their ships, Chris joining Jark on his shuttle, and took off, detonating the bombs once they were a safe distance away, using their ships' weapons to destroy the remains of the entire facility, and left the planet.

As they left Ralltiir, they immediately encountered a new problem: a team of bounty hunters awaited them above the planet and pursued them from the planet, through hyperspace, and across several star systems. Realizing they weren't going to lose them through hyperspace travel, Chris had everyone bring their ships quickly and suddenly out of hyperspace, watching as only one of the bounty hunters drops out of hyperspace with them. The bounty hunter was destroyed in the ensuing dogfight, but Nathan's V-Wing was crippled beyond repair. After quickly evacuating Nathan to Jark's shuttle, they began traveling through space, in search of a new location to set up their business.

Jark: ["Does anyone have any ideas where we can go to set up?"]

Nathan: "How about Coruscant?"

Oran: ::Too obvious, the bounty hunters will look there for us frequently...Corellia?::

Chris: "We'll consider that one. How about...Obroa-Skai?"

Oran: ::Not a bad choice. Manaan?::

Jark: ["They have more businesses than they need already. We need somewhere that is a hotspot for business investors and consumers, but doesn't have so many businesses operating there, we'll be overshadowed."]

Oran: *sighs* ::This will not be easy.::

Chris: "...I've got it. Bothawui."

Nathan: "...Bothawui? Why there?"

Oran: ::...actually, that makes sense. Bothans might show great interest in our cloaking technology for their spying operations.::

Chris: "Exactly. Besides, how likely are bounty hunters going to look for Humans or Rodians there?"

Jark: ["Another good point...so, we're settled on Bothawui?"]

Nathan: "I'm happy with that. Oran?"

Oran: ::I like it.::

Chris: "Then Bothawui it is."

—Chris, Nathan, Jark, and Oran discussing possible locations to start their new business after escaping the bounty hunters --> age 23

After ensuring they had successfully evaded their bounty hunter pursuers, Chris, Nathan, Jark, and Oran headed straight for Bothawui and set up a new base of operations and productions lab. After familiarizing themselves with Bothawui customs and the local community over the following weeks, they located a small group of Bothan spies, working for the Republic, and presented their cloaking technology. The spies immediately showed interest in the cloaks and made purchases on the spot. Overnight, word spread of their cloaking shield technology and quickly made them one of the most successful businesses on the planet.

Despite their efforts to maintain a low profile, they quickly gained public attention from major organizations and factions from across the galaxy. 6 months after beginning their operations on Bothawui, they found themselves once again located by bounty hunters and forced with evacuation and abandoning their base. However, they would find themselves forced with facing the hunters this time as they arrived before Chris and the others could escape. After a short fight, during which Chris was forced to make use of his Jedi powers, they quickly made their way towards their ships. Once they reached the hangar, they found themselves facing another problem as they watched Oran's shuttle explode, rigged with explosives. Immediately after, Chris sensed others within the hangar, and spotted the ships of the bounty hunters nearby. As he did a quick check in their ships, he found several prisoners aboard their ships and learned all of them were also wanted by the Empire. He quickly released them and offered them his help to escape, which they gladly accepted. All of them then joined Oran, Jark, and Nathan aboard Jark's shuttle, which had been cloaked at the time, and took off, fleeing the planet and once again destroying the labs.

Chris: "C'mon Jark, we need to get this ship moving faster!"

Jark: "[It's moving as fast as it can! If it goes any faster, it's going to...]"

*The entire crew falls silent as they hear the engines whine*

Oran: "...what just happened?"

Jark: "[...the, uh...the hyperdrive just stalled.]"

Nathan: "...oh kriff."

—Chris, Jark, Oran, and Nathan, during their second escape from the Empire's bounty hunters --> age 23

As they made their escape through hyperspace, they quickly detected the bounty hunters in hot pursuit behind them. Problems for them only mounted as their hyperdrive stalled, leaving them vulnerable to the overwhelming firepower of the bounty hunters. Realizing the situation they faced, and knowing they could easily be captured or destroyed, all four of them moved as fast as they could to bring the hyperdrive back online. However, before long, the bounty hunters' weaponfire was hammering at the shuttle's hull, hitting critical points, and causing irrepairable damage throughout the ship, putting the injured crewmembers' lives at greater risk. After some very rapid, coordinated and improvised repair work, they successfully managed to restart the hyperdrive and escape the bounty hunters before the shuttle was destroyed. As the shuttle continued through hyperspace and damaged was assessed, Jark, Oran, and Nathan all found they had suffered serious injuries, varying from electrical burns to sprains and even broken bones, only Chris remaining virtually unharmed in the end as he continuously Healed himself. As he checked on the freed prisoners, he discovered something he had not expected: he could clearly sense the presences of two of them. Two of the former captives were Jedi. As he tried to talk with them, he heard an explosion and rushed to the front of the ship, seeing they had once more come out of hyperspace, and could see the Kuat Drive Yards directly ahead. He did a quick diagnostics of the ship and found the engines and hyperdrive had both shut down, and sent a quick distress call to the shipyards and anyone in the area.

::This is Jedi Knight Chris McDonald, is anyone there? My ship is damaged and is now immobile, can anyone send assistance? I repeat, can anyone send assistance?::

—Chris, sending his distress call upon their arrival at the Kuat Drive Yards --> age 23

Rebuilding and Resuming

As he awaited a response, Chris ran a complete diagnostic on the ship, only to find their situation getting worse. The engines had shut down again, as well as the hyperdrive and weapons, and life support was struggling to stay online. However, it was clear communication systems were still fully functional when he heard an incoming transmission from Admiral Metzger from MerCorp. Despite the severity of the damage to the shuttle, it remained intact long enough for a mid-space rescue to be completed. Unfortunately, the attack on the shuttle had left 2 of the escapees killed. Things only worsened as the shuttle was deemed beyond repair and Chris recieved news of another casualty: Oran had bled to death overnight while in treatment for his injuries.

Chris: "It can't be real!...i-it just can't..."

Jark: "[We all heard it, Chris. He's...he's gone.]"

Nathan: "So...what do we do now?"

Chris: "...We move on and resume business. It's what he would have wanted."

Jark: "[But we have no ship and nowhere to go.]"

Chris: "Actually, we do..."

—Chris, talking with Jark and Nathan shortly after hearing of Oran's death--> age 23

After gathering what supplies they had left and acquiring a new ship, a Corellian YT-1200 cargo freighter, Chris informed Jark and Nathan of an offer from James Loyderas, Governor of Balmorra, to set up their business on the colony moon. Figuring they would remain hidden from the Empire with such a location, Jark and Nathan agree to the offer and take off to Balmorra.

After setting up a small manufacturing center, acquiring a new shuttle, and completing construction of a handful of cloaking generators, Chris takes the old Corellian freighter, leaving Jark and Nathan to supervise their base of operations, and the completed generators and visits numerous planets, including Obroa-Skai, Utapau, Coruscant, and Bespin, with hopes of selling the generators. Although business started slow, they started seeing profits within the first few months and became a strong, established business within a year.

A Strange Twist of Fate

After their first year of business, Chris decided to try a new location for sales and took off with the freighter to Outer Rim world of Dantooine. During the flight, he constantly left the pilot's chair to make minor various repairs throughout the ship, moreso than he usually performed on even short trips. Upon his arrival at Dantooine, he quickly established contact with the planet's Guardian, Jedi Grand Master Serik. After a brief conversation and refueling, Chris powered up the ship and took off, slightly disappointed with failing to make a sale. As the ship closed the distance to open space, he checked the ship cargo logs, only to find the listing blank. A quick check in the cargo hold revealed the same thing, and something that sent a chill down his spine: a leaking engine, and right next to it, a few feet of exposed wire, spitting sparks dangerously close to the fuel. Without a second glance, he bolted for one of the escape pods and jettisoned as the fuel caught fire and quickly breached the fuel containers, destroying the freighter. The resulting shockwave accelerated the escape pod's descent and crashed it into the Khoonda Plains.

After making use of his lightsaber to exit the pod, Chris immediately looked around, finding no remnants of the freighter. Rather than let the crash get to him, he turned his focus to finding a new ship and getting back to Balmorra as soon as possible. His goal set, he immediately headed to the Jedi Enclave with the hopes of buying a new ship from the local Jedi. Unfortunately, despite hours of searching, he was unable to find a Jedi that actually owned a starship that was willing to sell. He was effectively stuck on the planet until someone visited from offplanet with a spare ship. Doubtful anyone would be visiting anytime soon, he contacted Jark and Nathan on Balmorra and informed them of the situation.

Jark: "[Destroyed!? What do you mean it was destroyed!?]"

Chris: "It was a fuel leak and jumping sparks near the engines. I barely had time to escape!"

Nathan: "Are you injured at all?"

Chris: "No, just stuck without a ship."

Jark: "[Do you know of anywhere on the planet you can buy one?]"

Chris: "No luck today, but I'll try again tomorrow."

Nathan: "Just don't take too long."

Chris: "I'll get back as soon as I can."

—Chris, talking with Jark and Nathan about the freighter's destruction--> age 23

His first night at the Enclave did nothing but add to the stress of losing the ship. Any sleep he did get was plagued with the nightmare of him fighting Krye. As he recalled the dream the following morning, he realized it didn't take place on Haruun-Kal, but the scene had been familiar. The events over the next few days pushed any thought or memory of the dream to the back of his mind. Instead, he decided to take advantage of the free time he now had and trained in the Jedi Enclave, focusing on lightsaber combat practice. It was between these sessions that he met one of the local Jedi Knights, Johan Knight, the first Jedi he had met face to face since his encounter with Barask Anneri. After only a few sessions, he found himself growing angry for reasons he couldn't explain. He only knew the anger was not his, and decided to slow down on the training. Outside of training, he kept recalling the strange dream from his first night and decided to make use of the Enclave library and do some research on the dream, hoping to find some answers. While conductiing this research, he met another of the locals, Shi'Vai Exile. Despite the strength of the Dark Side Chris felt within Shi'Vai, it did nothing to stop him from trusting Shi'Vai, especially after he offered the use of a separate temple, located in the Khoonda Plains, for meditative purposes. he could only assume this temple also served as Shi'Vai's home and training grounds, and decided to take him up on his offer. It didn't take long for Chris' relationships with Shi'Vai and Johan to grow, and in time, he met many others of the Enclave, including the planet's Guardian, Master Serik himself.

Fall From Grace: Turning From the Light to the Darkness

Self-Preservation

Over the following weeks of his stay in the Enclave, nightmares similar to the one Chris experienced on his first night began to surface. Once again, he became restless at night, but not as afraid of the dreams as before. He noticed they were far more consistent than regular dreams, and concluded they had to be some sort of premonition or vision, projected through the Force. Each successive vision provoked his curiosity more and more, until he remembered when he and Krye had come to Dantooine in search of Darth Neghil. Assuming a connection between that fight and his visions, he once again turned to the Enclave's library for answers. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to find any information regarding himself, Krye or Neghil and was left to assume their time on the planet had gone unnoticed.

After ending the search, Chris started spending most of his time outside the Enclave, getting to know some of the locals and familiar himself with the environment. Every time he stepped outside, he could feel an echo of the Dark Side in the air, but couldn't pinpoint the location of the source. Eventually, the source revealed itself to him: the Force Ghost of his old Master,Krye Filn, now a servant of the Dark Side and hoping to turn Chris to the Dark Side. Despite his best attempts, Chris refused to follow the path Krye had in his final moments, which provoked the spirit to manifest itself into a more solid form and attack him, engaging them in their second lightsaber duel against each other. Krye's strength, now amplified by the Dark Side and in death, now proved more than a match for Chris, but also proved mostly ineffective against Chris' honed Makashi style. After several failed attempts to strike Chris down or turn him to the Dark Side, he gave up on conventional attacks and possessed Chris.

Chris' lack of experience against spiritual attacks gave Krye an edge, but all of their years together during Krye's lifetime helped Chris fight back against the Ghost. After several minutes of an internal struggle, and the use of all of his physical and Force strength, Chris successfully repelled Krye's Ghost and freed himself of the possession, also breaking Krye's Dark self in the process, effectively freeing his Master's Light side and helping him find peace in the Netherworld of the Force. The two bid each other a friendly farewell before Chris lost consciousness and spent the night in the Enclave's health center.

After recovering from his encounter with Krye's Ghost, Chris found the nightmares and strange visions had ended, and he became more comfortable with his predicament, enjoying the peaceful state of the planet. After being released from the health center, his luck improved further still when he was contacted by Jark back on Balmorra: they had managed to purchase a YT-2000 freighter and were on their way to deliver it to him. Although he was excited to hear he could leave Dantooine soon and resume business with the others, he also knew a part of him didn't want to leave. He tried hard to completely convince himself to leave, but was still torn by the time Jark arrived and dropped off the freighter. Rather than decide to leave, he told Jark he'd return after spending some more time training his powers. It would be the last time he and Jark would ever speak to one another.

Chris spent the next few days making minor modifications to the freighter and getting to know the other Jedi better, sharing stories, sparring and training with many of them. During his first conversation with Shi'Vai since recovering, he was given a rare opportunity: to learn the power of Force Madness, the very same power that gave Shi'Vai his ability to raise the dead at will. Chris immediately accepted the offer and spent the rest of the day learning the ability with Johan Knight in ancient temple in the Khoonda Plains. In the end, Chris honed his Madness ability to sense and affect the spirits of the living and the dead, whether it be attacking them or aiding them. He and Johan quickly put their new powers to use in a brief sparring match against each other, which helped both Jedi further hone their new powers.

A few days after learning Force Madness, the relative peace on the planet was broken as Shi'Vai raised the dead, with the intent of taking over the Enclave, Jedi Master Serik opposing him in a standoff. Unsure of the circumstances for the attack, Chris chose to merely observe until he became more aware of the situation. While doing so, he noticed a small group of people unfamiliar to him trying to escape the planet. In the end, his attempts to remain neutral with Shi'Vai's and Serik's conflict failed as Shi'Vai drew him into the conflict, along with Joade and Johan. However, the conflict was ended without attack from Shi'Vai or Serik. Although relieved to see the conflict over, Chris knew it wouldn't be the last time Shi'Vai and Serik faced off. Over the following weeks, Chris noticed the growing closeness between Shi'Vai and Johan. Although surprised, he was also happy for them, part of him hoping Johan, a Jedi Knight, would be able to convince Shi'Vai to stop future attempts to take the Enclave. These hopes quickly vanished, replaced by more surprise, when Shi'Vai and Johan told him of their plans to leave the planet together. Although a bit disappointed to hear they would be leaving, he wished them well and watched as they left on Shi'Vai's ship.

This disappointment quickly disappeared as Chris recieved another transmission from Balmorra, this time from Nathan: their base of operations had been discovered by the Empire and was under attack, and the Imperials were sending people to Dantooine to find him. Chris watched in silent horror as Nathan and Jark, the remaining two men that had helped him develop their cloaking technlogy, destroyed their work before Imperial stormtroopers barged in and killed both of them immediately. Only minutes later, Chris looked up at the skies in time to see the silhouette of an Imperial Star Destroyer and several ships on their way to the surface, landing near his location. The instant he set eyes on the pilots, Chris knew they were bounty hunters, hired by the Imperals to aid with his capture or termination. Rather than go quietly, Chris used the pain of losing Jark and Nathan and attacked the bounty hunters without mercy, giving them no chance to defend themselves. He then hijacked one of their ships, flew to the orbiting Star Destroyer, and took the fight to the starship's crew, massacring them. After regaining control of himself, it dawned on him what he had done, and knew he was no longer safe on Dantooine. Thinking quickly, he returned to the surface, piloted his YT-2000 freighter, and used the combined power of his Force telekinesis and the ship's tractor beam to haul the bounty hunter ships into the Star Destroyer's hangar bay. Using the Force to operate the starship's systems, he then broke the Destroyer from orbit and disappeared into hyperspace.

Vengeance

After leaving Dantooine behind, Chris took his new Star Destroyer, now christened the "Crossfire", to Yaga Minor for refueling and supplying. While waiting in a nearby cantina for resupplying to finish, he received a warning through the Force of an attempt on his life. Only seconds after, he found himself caught up in a firefight against two disguised mercenaries, both of whom he quickly eliminated. Another quick look helped him spot an Imperial Officer running out of the cantina, and he gave chase, only to be stopped by another mercenary, equipped with cortosis weaponry. Another short struggle ended the mercenary's life, but provided the officer enough time to make his escape to his ship and out of the system.

Despite the setback, he remained determined to find the officer, now convinced he had a large part in the attacks against him and his old friends over the last 2 years. With the aid of the "Crossfire"'s sensors, he followed the ion trail left behind by the officer's ship through hyperspace until he arrived at Ord Mantell.