Elzar Mann

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Elzar Mann

Elzar Mann, nicknamed the "laserman" by those on theGalactic Frontier, was ahumanmaleJedi Master during theHigh Republic Era. A controversial Jedi due to his unorthodox manner of usingthe Force, Mann remained aJedi Knight late into his time with theJedi Order despite his ability to rediscover abilities that had been forgotten. He served along with other Jedi, including his close friendsAvar Kriss andStellan Gios, and members of theRepublic Defense Coalition during the response to theGreat Hyperspace Disaster, ahyperspace-related cataclysm which sent the remnants of ships torn apart in the hyperlanes hurtling towards inhabited systems. Following their actions during the evacuation of theHetzal system, Mann was chosen by Kriss to assist her after she was instructed to find the source of the Great Disaster and, as a result of their mission, he was finally promoted to Jedi Master.

In the aftermath of theNihil defeat at theBattle of Kur, Mann attended thededication of Starlight Beacon along with Kriss, Gios and dozens of other Jedi, during which time he experienced a distressingForce vision about the future, a vision which badly shook him up and led him to distance himself from his friends, especially Kriss.^[2] A year after the Great Disaster, Mann was assigned as the Jedi marshal forValo, theFrontier world where theRepublic Fair was being held to encourage Outer Rim planets to join the galactic government. Mann's vision came true as a large Nihil forceattacked and devastated Valo, dealing a blow to the Republic's expansion efforts and leaving hundreds of thousands dead.

Biography[]

A Jedi on the frontier[]

Born during thetime of theHigh Republic, Elzar Mann was inducted into theJedi Order at an early age and brought to theJedi Temple onCoruscant to be trained in the ways ofthe Force. During his time as ayoungling and later as aPadawan, he befriended fellow apprenticesAvar Kriss andStellan Gios; the three Jedi would remain friends for decades after their training ended.^[2] As Padawans, the three often acquired pastries fromTal-Iree's, a Coruscant eater, and paired their food with watered down mead.^[4] Mann and Kriss's friendship was particularly strong and, during their time as Padawans, they shared an intimate relationship, a relationship which led them to develop abond that allowed them to know what the other was feeling without having to use speech.^[2] As young Padawans happy to break the rules, their relationship extended to the point that they spent at least one night together in Kriss's quarters.^[9] Though both Kriss and Mann flirted with Gios, he did not return the sentiments.^[4] JediEmerick Caphtor thought that Gios may have also been involved in the intimate side of the friendship.^[11]

In addition to being trained at the Temple, Jedi apprentices of the time were sent to serve inJedi outposts on thefrontier, beyond the reach of theGalactic Republic, the Jedi having become instrumental in assisting exploration and settlement in the area. Once his training ended, Mann ascended to the rank ofJedi Knight, at which point he and Kriss ended their relationship and agreed that, as Jedi, they should be no more than friends. However, while both Gios and Kriss eventually climbed further and becameJedi Masters, Mann remained a Knight despite his fervent desire to ascend to Mastery. He had become somewhat of a controversial Jedi due to his experiments with the Force and, although such experimentation had allowed him to rediscover lost Force techniques, his manner made him few friends. He was considered unreliable and difficult to work with, even among his fellow Jedi.^[2]

The Great Disaster[]

In232 BBY, Mann was part of a Jedi contingent assigned to thededication ceremony ofStarlight Beacon, a large station built as part ofChancellorLina Soh'sGreat Works and designed to facilitate travel in theOuter Rim in areas still undiscovered by Republic explorers. When theLegacy Run was torn fromhyperspace, its debris started emerging in realspace and threatening star systems around the Outer Rim in what would be remembered as theGreat Hyperspace Disaster. Most of theLegacy Run emerged in theHetzal system. The Jedi contingent, aboard theirVectorstarfighters, set about helping in any way they could, linked by Master Avar Kriss's ability to connect them through the Force. True to his nature, Mann piloted his Vector alone and headed to help on a medical site that was closer to the three suns of the system.^[2]

When Kriss sensed that a fragment of theLegacy Run containing liquidtibanna gas canisters was heading towards the largest of Hetzal's threesuns she called out to all the Jedi present in the rescue effort to use the Force and move the fragment away from the sun, a difficult feat even for so many Jedi. Mann was standing alone on a promontory overlooking a pharm with a new miracle drug bacta that existed in very limited amounts. Mann joined Kriss's call and endured the strain and used his power, combined with those of his fellow Jedi, to try and move the fragment out of its inertia. After losing the tibanna's location once before, other Jedi from aroundthe galaxy even as far asCoruscant, had sensed what was occurring in the Hetzal system and joined the effort. The strain of moving the tibanna was such that some Jedi died from exhaustion, such as Jedi KnightRah Barocci, and others fainted from the effort, like MasterTe'Ami. Eventually, Mann's, Kriss's and the other Jedi's effort succeeded, and they moved the tibanna out of the sun's path, saving the Hetzal system from complete annihilation.^[2]

Emergence Task Force[]

Investigating the Disaster[]

Although the Hetzal system had been saved by the Jedi and theRepublic Defense Coalition, the Great Disaster had not quite ended. Several moreEmergences threatened systems and ships throughout the outlying systems. Meanwhile, theJedi Council assigned Avar Kriss to conduct an investigation into the origins of the Great Disaster as well as locating and preventing future Emergences, a task for which she selected Mann as her partner. Although she did not say it and he did not acknowledge it, Mann suspected that part of Kriss's reasoning for choosing him to help the investigation, besides his affinity for deduction and detecting falsehoods, was to show the Council that he was ready to ascend to the rank of Jedi Master, a position he had always hoped to achieve as it would allow him to pursue his own studies into the Force with little to no interference from the rest of the Order.^[2]

Mann and Kriss were present in the Hetzal system aboard theThird Horizon, anEmissary-class cruiser of the RDF peacekeeping fleet, as the broken pieces of theLegacy Run's wreckage were being gathered to ascertain how much of the ship was still unaccounted for. By this time, eighteen Emergences had occurred around the Outer Rim, the latest nearDantooine. Seeing theLegacy Run in such state reminded Mann of a ghost ship, a comment that he kept to himself due to the large amounts of deaths that had happened. The two Jedi met withKeven Tarr, a youngslicer from the HetzalianMinistry of Technology whose efforts on Hetzal during the Disaster had been noted. Also present were Secretary of TransportationJeffo Lorillia andSenatorIzzet Noor what were discussing with Tarr the current findings. Senator Noor, who already opposed Soh's decision to close down hyperspace, despaired at the the vague amount of data. Kriss tried to reassure him that the investigation had only just begun, but her words had little effect as Noor revealed that he had received reports of hoarding on several worlds affected by the closure of the shipping lanes. He angrily berated the Jedi for being present in Hetzal instead of trying to find who had caused the Great Disaster.^[2]

When Mann asked him if he believed that someone was responsible for the disaster rather than it merely being an accident, the senator turned his anger on him, demanding to know why he was even present since he had not been present at the initial meeting convened by the Chancellor. Kriss defended Mann's selection as her partner, underlining his crucial efforts in helping the Jedi avert further losses on Hetzal, which did little to calm the senator. Mann, who believed it was important to remind people that they remained people before anything else (and no matter how important they believed themselves to be), silenced Noor by placing his hand over his mouth, an action which also seemed to stun the rest of the people there. Kriss defended Mann's selection as, while she was good at detecting problems, he was good at finding unique and creative solutions to those problems.^[2]

Tarr, who had successfully mapped the trajectory of several of theLegacy Run's fragments during the Great Disaster, suggested that he could replicate his achievement but on a much larger scale: a virtual map of the trajectory of every unaccounted piece which had broken away from the freighter and where it was heading. Mann found that to be an impressive idea that should be pursued. Tarr clarified that it would be incredibly difficult as the procedure would require thousands ofnavidroids to power the projection, more than Tarr had available. While Tarr and Secretary Lorillia worked on finding sufficient droids to power the model, Kriss believed that she and Mann should investigate another possible danger: whether the Great Disaster had been caused by a problem in hyperspace itself. Noor advised them to meet with members of theSan Tekka clan, a family of galactic explorers who had grown rich prospecting uncharted areas of the galaxy and mapping hyperspace routes. Mann and Kriss left forNaboo to meet with the heads of the family,Marlowe andVellis.^[2]

Searching for answers[]

By the time Mann and Kriss reached Naboo,another Emergence had occurred in theRinglite system, and Chancellor Soh had widened the hyperspace blockade to prevent further disasters. It had therefore become more pressing to find a solution to the crisis. In the NabooLake Country, Mann and Kriss visited theSan Tekka estate, and as they waited for their hosts, who were conducting some urgent business, they observed an island close by. Mann told Kriss that it was calledVarykino and that it was used as a retreat for artists, such as a poet calledOmar Berenko. While sampling the San Tekkas'attar of spinsilk, he mused that Varykino would make a good spot for them to retire in quiet contemplation once they had grown too old for the Order to use them, imagining himself learning to catch fish with the Force.^[2]

After a long wait, Marlowe San Tekka, the head of the San Tekka clan, and his husband Vellis joined the two Jedi on the patio, where Mann and Kriss informed them of the Great Disaster's unexpected consequences. Mann and Kriss proceeded to describe Keven Tarr's idea to which they agreed to provide the necessary navidroids for Keven Tarr's processor. Seeking further help and understanding, Mann proceeded to ask whether either of them had theories regarding the disaster and provided adatachip with the principal theory of the personnel from theRepublic Transport Bureau after analyzing the wreckage and patterns of the remains of theLegacy Run. The theory was based of the idea that theLegacy Run had collided with an object while traveling through hyperspace. Marlowe strongly denied that such a feat was possible as it was counter to the very nature of hyperspace, which the San Tekkas were the foremost experts on. Instead, he suggested that the destruction of theLegacy Run had been caused by either mutiny or a dysfunction in the ship itself. Mann, however, sensed that Marlowe was withholding something. The Jedi toyed with the idea of using themind touch, a Force technique he much preferred to call "the mind trick," but he was stopped by a mental impulse from Kriss, who had sensed both his deduction and his intent through their Force bond. The meeting ended shortly afterward. As the two Jedi made their way back to theirLongbeam cruiser, Mann shared his frustration at having been unable to uncover what the San Tekkas were hiding from them. Kriss reassured him that what they had gained from the meeting was still progress and that they could always return and figure out the secret the San Tekkas had been keeping from them, should it prove relevant.^[2]

Saving the navidroid array[]

Some time after their meeting with the San Tekkas, Mann and Kriss returned to the Hetzal system, meeting with Keven Tarr on a plateau of theRooted Moon. Thanks to the San Tekkas' assistance (including a supply of navidroids and twelvenavulators) and Secretary Lorillia and Senator Noor's efforts as well as specialists from as far as Byss andKuat, the slicer had managed to assemble fifty-seven thousand, eight hundred and seventeen droids to power his projection of the Emergences. The atmosphere at the meeting was tense, as the hyperspace blockade had led Outer Rim worlds to protest against the measure, despite Chancellor Soh's agreement to let certain aid shipments pass.^[2]

However, more immediately, while Tarr's array proved sufficiently advanced to accomplish the job of mapping the future Emergences, the slicer had failed to adequately prepare for one thing: the heat caused by the compacted processing power of the thousands of navidroids. Although the temperatures of the moon were relatively cool, even the outside air could not dissipate the heat fast enough to avoid overheating. Tarr deployed pill droids to cool the units, but it wasn't enough to prevent fifty droids from shooting sparks as they displayed thenineteenth Emergence. As Tarr began to panic, Mann and Kriss approached him, and the Jedi Master tried to reassure the slicer while also inquiring what was happening.^[2]

As more nodes came down, Kriss turned to Mann in search of ideas to cool the array down. The Jedi Knight, relying on a theory he had yet to put into practice, said that he did have an idea. He told Kriss she would be able to sense his intent and that she should help if she could, as he doubted he would have the strength necessary to pull it off alone. Mann seated himself on the ground and called on the Force. Kriss did eventually sense what Mann was trying to do and, although she thought it would be impossible, she still sat by him and combined her power to his to help. Mann started communing with the air through the force and asking the hot air to rise quicker to were the cold air was to further prevent the rapid overheating of the navidroids. They both created air currents to push the heated air into the cool atmosphere where the moisture that the hot air carried evaporated. The effort was difficult but Mann felt it was easier for him to get it done with Kriss at his side as she understood him well enough to follow him without question. Nevertheless, the two Jedi pushed themselves to the brink of exhaustion, forming a single point of condensed moisture and hoping the moon's weather system would eventually take over and create more. Neither of them stopped and, eventually, their plan worked as a large dark cloud started to appear above the plateau. Soon after, the rain began, drenching the droids in water and cooling them enough for Tarr to finish the simulation. With the Jedi's assistance, a precise projection of the Emergences was drawn, and the Republic task force came one step closer to figuring out the mystery behind the Great Disaster.^[2]

Hunting the Nihil[]

Thanks to the information provided byone of the survivors of theLegacy Run's destruction, added to information found when they located the ship'sflight recorder, the Jedi and the Republic were able to determine that the Great Disaster had occurred because a ship had been in the path of the cargo freighter and that they had collided. The Emergences task force convened on theThird Horizon to brief Chancellor Soh, along with the San Tekkas and Senator Noor. The San Tekkas once again asserted that such an event should be impossible and, once again, Mann sensed that they were holding something back. This time, Kriss sensed it too and the two confirmed what they had felt with a glance from Mann and a shrug from Kriss. Once again, no matter what the San Tekkas' secrets were, they had proven invaluable in helping determine the trajectory of the Emergences.^[2]

During the briefing, Kriss confirmed that the ship had been identified as part of the Nihil marauders, the same who had used the fallout from the Great Disaster to prey on the Outer Rim. When the chancellor asked whether the Nihil had caused the cataclysm on purpose, Mann said it was unlikely since the ship was armed and could have easily tried to take theLegacy Run rather than cause it to crash. Instead, the freighter had attempted to evade the ship and had torn itself apart in the attempt. Despite the assumption that the Nihil were a small band of marauders limited in their influence to the Outer Rim, Mann insisted that it was just an accident. Regardless, at the end of the meeting it was decided that the Nihil would be brought to justice.^[2]

This led to a Republic fleet led by Admiral Kronara to assemble in theKur Nebula to await for the Nihil ships that would most likely go to the area due to another upcoming emergence that was set to appear. Mann was on theAtaraxia, the starship directly controlled by the Jedi, awaiting to see if his assistance would be necessary. A little while after the battle began, Kronara asked for Jedi assistance in order to try and gain an edge. Mann joined the Vector Squadron that headed out to battle along with other Jedi like Stellan Gios,Nib Assek,Mikkel Sutmani,Sskeer, andJora Malli. Kriss used the force to connect with all of them as they entered their ships. Mann followed Malli as ordered in aDrift formation to engage the enemy ships. On the way there the Nihil started jumping in and out of hyperspace repeatedly which led to chaos and the death of at least ten Jedi partaking in the formation. Mann and all the other vectors remained connected to Kriss and found their own path through the force. Mann followed Kriss's guidance and help throughout the battle which led him to have a better idea of how to destroy several of the enemy ships. Mann was also able to sense the intense anger emanating from the Nihil ships as they came out of hyperspace, which made them easier targets. In the end they were able to the defeat the Nihil fleet in an event that was later known as theBattle of Kur.^[2]

Promotion and frightening visions[]

Upon the completion of Starlight Beacon, Mann traveled to the facility and took a tour with Kriss and Gios. The three wondered who would take leadership of the station in the wake of Jora Malli's passing, but decided it was beneath them to gossip. Prior to the dedication ceremony, Mann was informed that the Council intended for him to take the vows and be elevated to Jedi Master. Mann was elated by this; he was finally free to explore the limitless potential of the Force without restriction. After the ceremony, Mann and Kriss went on a private walk where she informed him that the Jedi have asked her to be marshal of Starlight. The two lamented that they would not see much of each other since Mann intended to remain on Coruscant, but agreed to stay in touch now that Chancellor Soh made communication easier with her comm relay project. Wanting to attend the reception, Kriss asked Mann to dance with him. He requested that she go ahead as he would catch up with her later since he wanted to take in the view of the facility a little bit longer. Once alone, Mann was plagued by terrible visions of the future. He saw countless images of his friends being mutilated and losing unwinnable battles. Mann was horrified and fell to his knees from the weight of the visions. He did not understand what he saw but parsed that it was inevitable and at the center of it was fear.^[2]

The rest of the evening was a daze for Mann. Unable to shake the horrifying images, Mann drank a few too many glasses ofKattadan rosé . While dancing with Kriss, he leaned in a little too closely and publicly. Kriss gently pushed him away and this led to them arguing in private about the nature of their relationship. Mann would not see Kriss often after this and their interactions became distant and preoccupied.^[9]

Mann spent the next several months either meditating on the visions or researching theArchives in theJedi Temple.^[9] During this time, he visitedGazian, where an imprint of his mind would be left behind in theLiving Sea.^[10] Now a Jedi master, the Council assigned him to be marshal of theJedi outpost onValo on the edge of theRseik system. Reluctant to go, Mann consulted theGa'Garen Codex and learned about theIsle of Seclusion onAshla, the primary moon ofTython. Feeling the solitude would be good for him, he traveled to the moon and spent time by its ocean. Wading out into the water, Mann surrendered himself to the Force and allowed more vision to come to him. The visions remained as frightful and confusing as before but now he was visited by the face of aTholothian with missing tendrils, leading Mann to wonder if it wasIndeera Stokes. Mann asked the Force where he was meant to be and awoke from his vision realizing the question had already been answered previously. Understanding now that he was meant to be at Valo, Elzar Mann traveled there fully intending to right whatever wrong that would inevitably occur there.^[9]

The Valo incident[]

While stationed on Valo, Mann became involved withSamera Ra-oon, though the relationship did not last. During the Nihilattack of theRepublic Fair, Mann took part in defending the world alongside former JediTy Yorrick, but he dipped into the dark side of the Force to do so. Mann and Yorricktamed a pair ofsanvals that had escaped from theLonisa City Zoo, using them to help fight the Nihil.^[9]

In the followingBattle of Grizal, Eye of the Nihil Marchion Ro unleashed theGreat Leveler, the mere presence of which effected Mann and left him horrified, much like his visions had foretold.^[9]

Time on Starlight Beacon[]

Before being sent off to strengthen his ties to the Force, Mann arranged for the logistics droidJJ-5145 to assist Stellan Gios in running Starlight Beacon. Once onLedalau, he proceeded to train with theWayseekerOrla Jareni and meditate on the fact that he drew on the Dark Side of the Force. He came to realize that he had been losing control of his emotions and that it might have been due to his feelings for Avar Kriss. Jareni had him meditate in the ocean while doing a handstand. Mann learned by doing this that equilibrium was important. He needed to go with the flow of the Force, but not surrender completely to it. Mann decided to limit his access to the Force until he could be assured he could do it safely.^[12]

When Jareni decided to leave, she told Mann to pack up his belongings and follow her toward the interior of the island. As he followed the Wayseeker, he ran intoGeode, but mistook him for a rock. The two Jedi made their way to a clearing where Mann was introduced to Affie and Leox Gyasi who were going to use their ship, theVessel, to take them back to Starlight Beacon. The crew informed him of the Nihil attacks on several Republic worlds and they took off on their journey. As they emerged from hyperspace in theEcherta system to make a jump to Starlight Beacon, they came across a Nihil ambush. When they attacked, Mann suggested that Jareni use theVessel's gun in an attempt to drive off the raiders while he joined the crew in the cockpit. Using the Force, Mann determined a clear path out of the system and into hyperspace but Janeri did not want to abandon the other victims of the Nihil. She realized that theVessel was underestimated and it could do a multi-frequency broadcast that would disrupt the communications and allow some of the others to escape. Mann was impressed with the strategy and wondered why he did not think of it.^[12]

After escaping, Mann meditated and then contacted Gios on the Starlight Beacon. He let his friend know that they had been ambushed by the Nihil but were on their way to the station. Gios questioned Mann about his brush with the dark side, and Mann assured him that Janeri had helped him figure out a new way to perceive the Force. He asked Gios how he had met the Wayseeker, but the Jedi Master refused to reveal the story. The Vessel docked with Starlight Beacon and Mann was surprised at the amount of ships and activity on the space station. He was greeted by Burryaga and Bell Zettifar, who suggested he go straight to Gios. When he arrived at Ops, he was shocked to see the condition Gios was in. He asked his friend if he was alright and Gios admitted he was having trouble when using the Force due to a darkness he felt. Gios explained he was suffering from insomnia and having nightmares, and Mann volunteered to help in any way possible. Gios asked him to interrogate a pair of prisoners.^[12]

Mann was present when Gios received word that several Jedi investigating the dread and fatigue that was effecting all the Force users had been attacked and Regald Coll was killed. He realized that Gios was breaking down and offered to take over so that his friend could get some rest. Mann proceeded to the main cargo bay where he observed Indeera Stokes being sent off to the medical bay and looked at the remains of Regald Coll. He wondered if the issue the other Jedi were having with the Force wasn't affecting him as much due to his decision to cut himself off from it. He and Janeri took Coll's corpse to a hazmat pod to examine it. Janeri realized that by limiting access to the Force, Mann might be the only Jedi able to avoid the negative effects that were plaguing the Jedi on Starlight Beacon. He left the medical tower and pondered his course of action. While walking, he heard the call that theAtaraxia had arrived at the station. Not sure if he could face Avar Kriss due to his feelings for her, Mann decided to avoid her if at all possible. Suddenly, he felt a large explosion rumble through the station. He tried to contact Gios in the quartermaster's office and Maru in the Hub but could not get through.^[12]

The Jedi met Gios and Nib Assek and attempted to reach the Hub. Finding all lifts blocked, Mann guessed that the station had been sabotaged. They tried the maintenance shafts, but realized they were blocked by radiation. He and the other Jedi returned to the quartermaster's office and tried to get as much information as possible. Once they realized that evacuation might be needed, Mann and Janeri were tasked to go to the docking bay and assist with getting the refugee ships off the station. Before leaving, Mann and the other Jedi analyzed the little data they had and realized that Starlight Beacon was drifting out of orbit and would break up in the atmosphere of Eiram. As he continued to examine the situation, he foundBell Zettifar andBurryaga Agaburry who had managed to climb from the medical tower to the main docking bay via maintenance tunnels. He explained what was going on to the padawans and continued to examine the incoming data. He determined that the stability of Starlight Beacon was deteriorating and it might break apart. The assembled Jedi met to figure out a plan of action and Mann tried to convince them that the instability of the structure was a top priority but Gios decided that life support should take precedent. The Jedi dispersed, starting with repair tasks, and Mann announced to all the assembled refugees that they should return to their ships.^[12]

Mann took a maintenance tube down to a storage level with the plan to gather independentpower cells to run life support and other systems. After loading a pallet, he returned to the tube. Before he could get back to the docking bay, the station broke in two. Mann was able to activate a containment field and was able to watch as the top part of Starlight Beacon drifted away. He returned to the docking bay with his supplies and reported back to the quartermaster's office. Gios directed Mann to assist with the efforts to repair the auxiliary life support. He worked with JJ-5145 and succeeded in restoring partial functionality of the positional thrusters. He was interrupted by the return of Gios, who had gone down to the cargo bay to investigate whatever was preying on the Jedi. Mann quickly provided assistance to Gios, who was disoriented and weakened by an attack from the Nameless. When Zettifar and Agaburry returned and informed him of the deaths of Janeri and Assek, Mann took over control from Gios. He decided that he would inform the refugees about the situation and request help from non-Force users in isolating the threat to the Jedi. Mann continued to work on the thrusters but stopped when he felt the destruction of the top half of Starlight Beacon as it burned up in Eiram's atmosphere. He went back to Gios and let him know about the destruction of the top half of the station.^[12]

Trying to prevent a star's fall[]

Moving Gios to a quiet cargo hold on theVessel, Mann attempted to help his friend heal from the attack he had suffered. Using the techniques learned from Janeri, he and Gios meditated together. He was able to get Gios to rest peacefully, and then reached out with the Force to see if he could connect with Kriss. He felt her presence and it raised his spirits. Continuing to try and find a way to save the station, Mann brainstormed with JJ-5145 to see if they could get the thrusters working. He was alerted by Bell that they had accidentally released some rathtars in the cargo bay but they were contained. Mann ordered Bell back to the medical tower to see to the patients and determine if there was a way to evacuate them.^[12]

Mann came up with a plan to use the retrofitting subsystems to change the configuration of Starlight Beacon so smaller ships could fly inside it. This would allow them to move from the docking bay to the cargo bay so they could leave the station when the Jedi opened the bay via explosive decompression. The reconfiguration would also allow Mann to use a repair pod to travel down to the positional thrusters and mechanically get them working. After explaining the plan to the assembled refugees, he led them through that station and into the cargo bay. As the group arrived, he was attacked by rathtars. He and Agaburry fought with them, but the Force-dampening effects of Nameless prevented Mann from being effective. When the Wookiee was captured by two rathtars, he attempted to help him but the padawan reminded him that Mann had to get the cargo bay doors opened and to leave him. Once inside the bay, Mann put on an environmental suit and strapped himself down. Using the Force, he reached out to all the people gathered on the ships in the cargo bay and drew on their strength and will to open the cargo bay doors with the Force.^[12]

The Jedi master returned to the quartermaster's office and let Gios know that while the ships had managed to escape, Agaburry was wrapped up by the rathtar's tentacles and likely blown into space when the bay was depressurized. He continued with his plan to use a maintenance pod to get to the thrusters. He flew through the station to the lower levels where the thruster controls but crossed paths with a Nameless. He managed to get past it without succumbing to its effects and made his way to the level that held the positional thrusters. Mann made his way towards the controls, but overheard several beings already in the room. He realized it wasChancey Yarrow andNan, who he assumed where Nihil saboteurs. Angrily, he leapt into the room, ignited his lightsaber and cut Yarrow in half. He was confronted by Nan, who explained that they had left the Nihil and were working to save the station. Mann was horrified when he realized he had doomed the station, with the computer soon informing him that the structure was too low for the thrusters to be effective. Gios arrived and Mann confessed that he had killed in cold blood. Gios sent him back up to the docking bay to look for anybody left on the station.^[12]

He found an injuredSullustan and assisted him into an escape pod. Mann then took another pod and left the falling wreckage of Starlight Beacon, landing near the ocean on Eiram. He watched as the station crashed and then made his way over to a group of survivors, including Kriss. JJ-5145 arrived and informed the group that Gios had gone down with the station, and presented theJedi's lightsaber to Mann. The surviving Jedi made their way to the desalination plant, which had been damaged by the crash of Starlight Beacon. Mann and the others used the Force to realign the connections of the plant and get it working again. Mann vowed to himself that he would strive to be the best Jedi possible so that he could live up to the legacy of Gios. At the end of the day, he worked to give first aid to injured survivors.^[12]

Later, Elzar Mann would replace the position that his friend Stellan had once held as a liaison between the Jedi Council and Chancellor Lina Soh, who he became an advisor to.^[8]

Peace and Purpose[]

At the end of the Nihil conflict, Elzar Mann joined theLuminous Nine and traveled toSophros with several capturedShrikarai in an effort to end theBlight. While there, the group came across Marchion Ro, who used the Rod of Power to drive the creatures mad, resulting in the deaths ofTorban Buck and many Nameless.^[7]

When investigating the true nature of the world, Mann and Avar Kriss were informed that the emergence of the Blight was caused by the removal of Nameless from the planet. With the Jedi's complement of creatures dead and the next generation being years away from hatching, the couple vowed to uphold the balance of the realm in the meantime. Kriss would remain in the caves beneath the planet connected to the light side of the force, while Mann was to attune himself to the dark while atop the mountain above. Sharing a last embrace, the pair parted ways for perhaps the final time. After ordering the Nine to return to Coruscant with the recently-captured Marchion Ro, Mann hiked to his post.^[7]

Connected through the Force on Sophros, Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss would remain in meditation for decades.^[7]

Legacy[]

Over two centuries after the Nihil crisis,Luke Skywalker interacted with the Mann's imprint on Gazian. while he was searching the galaxy for assistance with his Jedi training.^[10]

After thedefeat of the Nihil on theplanetEriadu, the fate that had befallen Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss was conveyed to their friend, MasterKeeve Trennis, who was affected by the loss.^[13]

Personality and traits[]

Elzar Mann was considered an unorthodox and somewhat controversial Jedi, even by those closest to him. His close friend Avar Kriss described him as a "tinkerer," who enjoyed experimenting with the Force and disliked using it the same way twice. However, this trait made him somewhat unreliable and, more often than not, he worked alone, apart from the other Jedi. It was his love of exploration and experimentation, coupled with his unwillingness to explain what he was planning to focus on action rather than endless theorizing and explanation, made him difficult to work with. This contributed to his continued status as a Jedi Knight while his close friends Avar Kriss and Stellan Gios had both ascended to the rank of Master. His explorations and experiments nevertheless allowed the Jedi Order to rediscover lost abilities with the Force. Even though he preferred to work alone, Mann had an uncanny ability when it came to understanding other people. Mann was also remarkably perceptive at times and could identify things that others missed. On Naboo, he sensed that the San Tekkas were lying to him and Kriss about something connected to their family's past.^[2] Similarly, he was the first to identify that PadawanBell Zettifar, whom he had just met for the first time, was cutting himself off from the Force to avoid feeling hisfallen Master's absence.^[9]

More than anything, Mann saw himself as a problem solver, a task he was good at and which he enjoyed, as he was constantly figuring out ways to apply the Force to a specific problem, both the simple and the complex. This characteristic also made him reluctant to ask for help, even from the Jedi Masters or his close friends. He disliked boundaries and enjoyed pushing them to see how far they could bend, although he at times pushed them too far. After experiencing a disturbing Force vision at the dedication of Starlight Beacon, Mann made a pass at Kriss, who refused him as she wanted their past intimacy to remain in the past. This led to a straining of their friendship, one Mann blamed himself for.^[9]

In much the same way that Kriss saw the Force as a song, Mann viewed it as an endless, bottomless sea which could never be used up, no matter for what purpose or how many times it was called upon. He therefore used the Force for what were sometimes dismissed as frivolous reasons, actions which were frowned upon by other Jedi. However, true to his nature, Mann never explained his reasons or his actions, preferring to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.^[2]

Nevertheless, despite his idiosyncrasies, Mann was deeply committed to the Jedi Order and its purpose. When the Jedi combined their abilities during theGreat Hyperspace Disaster to move a cargo of tibanna gas away from an approaching sun, Mann joined the collective action of his fellow Jedi and helped them move the gas onto a new path. He was also held in high regard by his two closest friends in the Order. Avar Kriss described the success of the relationship as being rooted in her agreement never to ask him any questions about what he was doing or why. The two shared a deep connection, deep enough to have developed into aForce-bond by which they could communicate non-verbally.^[2]

Kriss and Mann were close enough that, even if they disagreed in opinion, they were free to disagree without fear of it jeopardizing their relationship. Mann also had a sense of humor, another reason Kriss enjoyed his company. During their time on Naboo, he joked about attempting to catch fish with the Force if he ever retired to a place like the Lake Country.^[2]

Relationships[]

Having grown up at the Jedi Temple from a young age together, Elzar Mann possessed a strong bond with fellow Jedi Stellan Gios and Avar Kriss. The three were often inseparable, being dubbed the "Firebrands" early on, as they often trained together. However, it was quite common for the three of them to find themselves stumbling into trouble, most often as a result of Elzar's affinity for "tinkering" with the Force^[9]. Elzar's close friendship with Avar and Stellan would prove to last through adulthood, and while his relationship with Avar dwindled and strained following the Great Disaster, and that of Stellan and Avar strained to near disrepair, Elzar still remained loyal to his friends. He viewed them based on the way they each viewed the Force: Stellan as his polestar and Avar as his song.^[12]

Powers and abilities[]

Mann was skilled in a number ofForce powers, including several obscure abilities such as the mind touch. Mann saw this ability as a way to promote more honesty and transparency in conversations.^[2]

Mann had a Force-bond with the Jedi Master Avar Kriss, being able to communicate with her across distances. Importantly Mann used the Force-Bond to coordinate with Kriss during the nineteenth emergence.

Equipment[]

Mann wore the typicalJedi robes of his era. Additionally, he wielded his own lightsaber and could fly a Jedi Vector.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

Elzar Mann was first mentioned in an online preview for the reference bookStar Wars: The Lightsaber Collection.^[14]The High Republic: Light of the Jedi authorCharles Soule confirmed in a Tweet that the human male Jedi on the cover of the novel was in fact Mann.^[15]

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Quiz: WhichStar Wars: The High Republic Jedi Should You Invite Over for Life Day? onStarWars.com(backup link)