Thal-ion Serr glanced around the new Jedi Temple that had been reestablished on Ossus after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War. Many lives had been lost...millions, in fact, and the Jedi had once more taken some terrible wounds. Since the Fall of the Republic; the Jedi Order had yet to see more than a fraction of how many they once had. It was, to be quite honest, something Thal-ion often dwelled on. So much had been lost in the Jedi Purge. So much sorrow had been caused during the Clone Wars. For reasons he could not comprehend; the tragedies of those years plagued him. Such was where his thoughts were even as a soft wind brushed through his scarlet wave of hair cascading to almost shoulder level. His deep emerald eyes swept over the Temple, but even so...his mind was less on the current Temple, and more on the destroyed one on Coruscant.<br/><br/>How had the Sith managed such a nearly complete victory over the Jedi? The records were incomplete, at best, and sketchy even in those records found. Some reports had pointed to a Jedi Rebellion against the Republic in the form of an assassination attempt on then Chancellor Palpatine's life, but Thal-ion guessed the truth.<br/><br/>As he waited for his partner to arrive; the nineteen year old Jedi's dark green robes ruffled in the soft wind. Today was the first time he and another student would be out on an assignment without a Master present. Master Kam Solusar had not told him who was coming along on, but Thal-ion was sure whoever it was would be an excellent balance for the assignment they were to undertake. Something buzzed within Thal-ion as he waited gazing still at the new Temple. His mind kept wandering back to the fall of the Jedi during the Rise of the Empire. How had Palpatine accomplished so much against ten thousand Jedi Knights? What had happened during the Clone Wars to allow the evil Sith Lord the ability to kill so many? These questions buzzed around in Thal-ion's mind as he waited. Some, he knew among his teachers, believed he was obsessed with the past...with the Jedi Purge in particular. Shaking his head as if to clear it; Thal-ion had to admit...they might have been right.<br/><br/>His sleek long fingers softly caressed the new lightsaber on his left hip. He had meditated and worked exceptionally hard on his brand new lightsaber. For over two months, he had done nothing more than meditate and gather parts before achieving the weapon that now rested at his side. Thal-ion had designed the lightsaber with his talents in combat and his physique in mind. He was tall...even for a Human his age...not quite two meters, and he was trim and sleek of form. Agility and speed were his strengths over actual muscle. It was part of the reason he had learned both Soresu III and Makashi II; for they were the agility forms of lightsaber combat. He had thought about learning Ataru IV, but the other two forms matched him better he always thought. For a moment, he turned his eyes towards the Emerald Dawn; an old YT-1300 freighter the Academy had for assignments for younger Jedi. She was a decent vessel...even if an antique considering more recent designs. Thal-ion reminded himself that Han Solo's Millennium Falcon was the same class, and she was still very much in service. This particular ship, however, was not as heavily modified. Oh, she had two twin laser cannon turrets...the very latest both top and bottom, but they were not as powerful as the quad lasers. Emerald Dawn also came with a single proton torpedo tube with an arsenal of four...which was not bad. The old ship did have military grade shielding from the Alliance, and that was hopeful. Her hyperdrive was only x1.75...just barely better than x2. Still, overall, Thal-ion considered the ship would suit him and his partner well.<br/><br/>His gaze came back to the Temple, and his eyes closed with a deep breath...taking in the scent of the surrounding trees which he always found refreshing.