- "As if being a Kalja wasn’t pressure enough, I’ve got to follow in the footsteps of everything my parents have done. How does one even begin to compete with them?"
- — Kalja Falanis Leidias
Kalja Falanis Leidias is the daughter of Kalja Sairu Leidias and Delth Ardin and the fraternal twin sister of James Ardin II. She's named in honor of her grandmother and uses a blue lightsaber blade as a tribute to her grandfather. Kalja is acutely aware of the immense pressure that has been put upon her and her brother because of how famous and influential their parents are and tries to make them proud. She even dresses in what she considers to be their colors; red for her father and purple for her mother.
She's quick to enter a fight, even if the odds aren't with her, and won't willingly back down from any opponent. Fortunately she's been extensively trained in combat from a young age, thanks to the insistence of her parents, and is considered to be among the most skilled combatants among her generation. Her combat style focuses on speed and agility over brute strength.
Her accomplishments in the field as a Jedi Knight have been acknowledged by the New Tython Temple, granting Kalja the right to train an Apprentice. Although she was reluctant to have an Apprentice at first, Kalja soon saw the potential of Cadence Karna-Sinclair and decided to become her Master.
Biography[]
Twin Dreams[]
- "Their names are Kalja Falanis and James. May they carry on the proud legacies of those they were named after."
- — Kalja Sairu Leidias
Kalja Falanis was born on the planet of Tython, along with her fraternal twin brother, James, during the foundation of the Tython Temple. Her parents were the somewhat unique combination of Jedi Master Kalja Sairu Leidias and notorious Imperial Agent Delth Ardin – both powerful, influential, and famous galaxywide for being involved in several events that helped shape the state of the galaxy. The pair knew that they had to find a safe place to raise their children away from the prying eyes of the galaxy at large and so the Tython Temple was eventually founded for that purpose.
While their parents worked tirelessly to keep Tython safe, the twins were raised on the idyllic world without really knowing how unique their situation was. All they experienced as they grew older was a peaceful world that seemed to be growing up with them. After the temple was established, a small support colony known as New Joy was soon established nearby and each grew as their parents used their connections and invited allies to help make the dream of Tython into a permanent reality.
The twins were primarily raised by their mother since Kalja Sairu was a well-known and respected force across the galaxy. Delth, due to his past and reputation being checkered at best, chose to work primarily off the planet and handle external matters. However, Delth was a devoted husband and a dutiful father and often made periodic trips to the planet to be with his family when he could.
Troublemaker[]
A young Kalja and James being taught how to use the Force by their mother.
Kalja Falanis soon proved herself to be the more boisterous and energetic of the siblings, often getting into trouble by sneaking into places she wasn’t supposed to go merely because she was curious. Dealing with all of Kalja’s shenanigans was a constant test of her mother’s patience, which didn’t improve once Kalja started learning how to use the Force as it gave the girl a whole new set of tools in which to explore everything and anything around her.
Delth was able to instill a certain measure of discipline into his daughter by teaching her his unique version of martial arts, which helped to direct some of her seemingly boundless energy away from mischief, but in turn it gave Kalja a bit of a hero complex. She would be the first to step up and defend a fellow Youngling from being bullied. This usually amounted to the bully being beaten up by Kalja. Although many of her fellow students appreciated her protection, it also meant Kalja endured a lot of detentions and disciplinary measures – often doled out by her own mother who was also the Headmaster of the temple.
Fortunately, Kalja’s personality started to mellow out as she got older and she was forced to concentrate on things like lightsaber training. It was during this time that she was taught Soresu by her mother and Ataru from her Aunt Elena. Once Kalja reached the age of 14, she was given the opportunity to seek outside training to further develop her skills. Kalja was eager to do so and selected one of her mother’s oldest friends, Faye Ward, to further teach her in the ways of martial arts.
Training off Tython[]
- "Knowing the moves and knowing how to use the moves are two different concepts. You seem satisfied to remain in the first with little appreciation for the second."
- — Faye Halomek to Kalja Falanis Leidias
In order to properly be Faye's Apprentice, it meant that Kalja had to leave Tython and stay with her new Master for the duration of her training. As such, during the next four years, while she was learning the ways of Teräs Käsi and other skills from Faye, Kalja traveled with her all across the galaxy in the Skywalker. It was a revelation to Kalja to experience so many different cultures and types of planets.
She also met Faye's husband, Sigarr Halomek, and their children. Since she was Faye's apprentice, Kalja became an honorary member of the Halomek family. As such she unexpectedly found herself exposed to the ostentatious lifestyle that Sigarr liked to live. She also, unexpectedly, learned just how many different ways there were to help those out there in need, for as wealthy as Sigarr was, he was also a philanthropist who used a great deal of his money to help those in need.
Her experiences with Faye and her family stuck with Kalja, although for most of Kalja's time training under Faye, the younger woman seemed more interested in having fun and coasting by on natural talent. This became a source of frustration for Faye, because while Kalja was passing her lessons, it was clear to Faye that Kalja could be so much better if she really applied herself.
As it turned out, Kalja's days of carefree gallivanting around the galaxy would soon come crashing into a harsh reality.
Tragedy in the Taldot Sector[]
- "I expected more, but I won't extend your suffering. Your corpse will serve as a message."
- — Raii Meriaz to Kalja Falanis Leidias
Near the end of her four years of training, Kalja accompanied Faye to Charros IV to pick up new potential students for the Skywalker. Since Charros was primarily inhabited by an insectoid race, it made spotting other Humans/Humanoids on the planet a pretty simple task. It was there that, seemingly at random, Kalja spotted Raii Meriaz in a crowd.
Kalja is completely outmatched by Raii Meriaz.
Feeling very confident in her skills, Kalja rushed off to confront Raii in spite of Faye trying to stop her. What Kalja didn't realize until it was far too late was that Raii had allowed Kalja to spot her in order to lead her into a trap. Once Kalja was isolated from Faye, or any other help, Raii attacked the younger girl mercilessly.
Kalja quickly learned how vast the gulf was between their combat skills and just how outmatched she was against Sivter's former apprentice. Raii was faster, stronger, and could anticipate her every move. The only victory Kalja was able to achieve was briefly moving fast enough to cause one of Raii's killing blows to miss just enough to be near-fatal instead. Even so, it would have been all for nothing if not for Faye's arrival. Raii decided to retreat rather than continue the fight, leaving Kalja just barely clinging to life.
Thanks to quick treatment with state-of-the-art medical care, Kalja was able to recover from the fight, but she would forever have scars to remind her of that day.
Transformed Trainee[]
After recovering from her duel with Raii, Kalja was quick to bounce back from her near-death experience. On the surface, she seemed like the same impulsive free spirit as always, but there was now an underlying dedication to upholding the ideals of the Jedi Order that was absent before. Whereas before Kalja had followed the rules of the organization mostly because it had been expected of her, now she seemed to take them to heart.
Kalja and Faye in a sparring session.
Her training under Faye also greatly accelerated as Kalja undertook her lessons with a renewed dedication. She spent several hours outside of instruction just practicing with her lightsaber or honing her hand-to-hand techniques. By the time she turned 18, she had become a regular sparring partner for Faye and not just a student in need of instruction.
Her test to attain the title of Jedi Knight was to take out a small enclave of Darksiders that had appeared on Tangrene. Under Faye's supervision, Kalja took charge of a joint operation between the Jedi and the Imperial Knights to wipe them out. The mission was extremely successful and Kalja herself was noted for her skills and cool temperament during battle.
A week later, Kalja was granted the rank of Jedi Knight. It also marked the end of her training under Faye. Kalja promised to never forget her time training under Faye and soon after began incorporating imagery from the Followers of Palawa into her robe design as a way to always honor Faye.
Trashing Terrorists[]
- "I’m like Father, I’m a lone agent - in and out of trouble zones with surgical precision!"
- — Kalja Falanis Leidias
Kalja moved back to Tython after attaining the rank of Jedi Knight so she could be close to her mother and brother again, but she didn't bother to get a place of her own. Instead she kept a room at the Jedi Temple as her residence of choice as it soon became clear that Kalja's stay was going to be temporary. She quickly started volunteering for missions to help keep the peace in the galaxy and would leave often to stamp out dissident groups in the Empire and the New Republic.
Kalja gained a reputation for dealing with most of these groups on her own, even during times when protocol would have demanded that she call in reinforcements. The reason why was because almost none of these groups seemed like a real challenge to her. She took a special interest in destroying upstart Darksider groups, especially those that claimed to be a reborn Cult of Shadow, as she wanted another match against Raii despite how terribly it had gone last time. However, not a trace of Raii could be found in any encounter Kalja had in keeping the peace.
Due to her lineage, her exploits abroad, and her general outgoing nature, Kalja quickly became recognized as one of the most popular and powerful Jedi of the new generation. She received numerous requests from students who had come of age to be their Master, but Kalja was happy as a lone operator and consistently turned them all down. This continued until her mother insisted that Kalja check out the abilities of Cadence Karna-Sinclair, who had requested for Kalja to be her master multiple times.
The Sinclairs and the Leidias Family had been close ever since Kalja's mother had taken on Cadence's mother, Caitlyn DeVries, as a student many years ago. Kalja knew the family quite well and liked Cadence, but had never considered training her. It was nothing against the girl, but Kalja knew that if she ever did decide to take an Apprentice, they would have to be able to keep up with her and Cadence didn't seem like the type to do that.
Then came the night of Cadence's 14th birthday...
Timorous Teenage Troubles[]
- "Do you think I made the right choice tonight? With Cadence?"
"I... don’t know how to answer that, but we all noticed how you were able to reach Cadence in just one night. That’s not something to take lightly."
"Thank you. I think I needed to hear that." - — An exchange between Kalja Falanis Leidias and Elena Connor-Leidias
When Kalja arrived at Cadence's birthday party, it looked like the younger girl wanted to be anywhere else but where she currently was. She wasn't interacting with the other kids her age who had been invited and was mostly trying to keep to herself. It only got worse as Cadence's mother complained out loud about Cadence skipping classes and only being interested in music. Working on a hunch, Kalja was able to separate Cadence from the party and listen to her play her guitar. Hearing Cadence play was a revelation as it seemed to be the only thing to open Cadence up to her vast untapped potential in the Force, even though the younger girl didn't seem to realize it.
At Kalja's urging, Cadence wins over a crowd at a karaoke bar.
The peek into Cadence's true power intrigued Kalja, but it wasn't quite enough to convince her to take on the girl as an Apprentice. She wanted to see if it could be repeated, so later in the night Kalja secreted Cadence away from her own birthday party and the pressures it was putting upon her. She took Cadence to a karaoke bar and had the girl sing once more, this time to a crowd of strangers. The result, if anything, was even more impressive as Cadence won over the entire crowd with just one song and Kalja got a second peek at her potential.
After the karaoke trip, Cadence looked the happiest she had been all night and Kalja realized that she could help the girl overcome her emotional baggage and become a great Jedi. Quite despite herself, Kalja knew that Cadence had won her over as well. Kalja made the decision to stay on Tython and train the girl as Master and Apprentice.
Tumultuous Teaching[]
- "Now that you’ve seen how worthless I am, we can quit with this charade. The only reason I requested you was because I was sure you’d never accept someone as awful as me! I’m not meant to be a Jedi!"
- — Cadence Karna-Sinclair to Kalja Falanis Leidias
Cadence's first day of training got off to a rough start when she was kidnapped by a rogue group of former Mandalorians seeking to exchange her to collect the substantial bounty on her father, Akain. It didn't go well for them. Although Kalja was ready to rescue Cadence herself, Akain took care of it alone and left only a few survivors at the request of Kalja's mother. The incident didn't last past the morning, but it seemed to diminish what little enthusiasm Cadence still had for being a Jedi. It took some encouragement, and a little verbal trickery on Kalja's part, to get her student interested in giving it a try again.
Kalja was able to confirm that Cadence's true potential in the Force showed itself when she sang from the heart. It seemed as though Cadence had some sort of mental block when it came to using the Force through more common means. Singing seemed to remove the barriers on Cadence's power, allowing her to finally advance her skills when using the Force. After a week of focused training, her student was rapidly catching up to the level of the rest of her classmates.
Although Kalja would have preferred to remain on Tython to develop Cadence's abilities further, the Jedi Order received a request from Sigarr asking for some Jedi representatives to be present at a retirement party he was throwing for his brother, Rowen. Eager to visit with her former master and her family again, and seeing the request as an easy mission for Cadence to complete, Kalja volunteered the two of them to handle the request.
The Windfall.
Cadence was apprehensive about leaving Tython when she still had so much training to do. It was a sentiment shared by Cadence's mother, Caitlyn, but Kalja had anticipated the objections and got permission ahead of time to fly Cadence to the mission in the Windfall. Upon seeing the trusty ship that had seen her through so many conflicts, Caitlyn gave the two of them her blessing to go on the mission.
They departed for Ord Mercek soon after...
Traveling to a Task[]
- "I know I can help Cadence reach her potential, but I’m not used to the responsibility of it all. We get along pretty well, but every so often I’m reminded that she and I are very different people."
- — Kalja Falanis Leidias
Upon arriving at Ord Mercek, Kalja introduced Cadence to Faye and her family. The Halomeks took an instant liking to Cadence, but Kalja ran into some issues while trying to continue her student's training. Eager to show off, Kalja tried to accelerate the speed of Cadence's training even though it was clear that it was having a detrimental effect.
It took an incident of Cadence almost drowning after Kalja tried to teach her how to swim for Kalja to realize that what she was doing wasn't working. The point was hammered home even more when she saw Cadence learning the same lesson much more effectively when Faye's son, Cassian, tried to teaching it to her instead. After the incident at the beach, Kalja was able to figure out ways to rework her lessons so Cadence wouldn't feel overwhelmed.
After seeing some examples of Cadence's abilities, and hearing her sing, Kalja's master, Faye, also took an interest in Cadence. Faye sensed a greater power at work inside Cadence. At first Faye believed Kalja's student had an affinity for Battle Meditation - a rare power for most Jedi, especially one as young as Cadence. However, it became apparent that Cadence's gifts went even deeper than Battle Meditation, although not even Faye was sure how it would all fully manifest.
The Tragedy of Trakan[]
- "Something’s wrong about all of this..."
- — Kalja Falanis Leidias
In the midst of training Cadence, Kalja was also sent to investigate the disappearance of Trakan Lakshire, a CEO of one of the Republic Engineering Corporation's subsidiaries, REC Agricultural. She wasn't able to find much except a hidden room in Trakan's condo that had a few dried leaves belonging to a strange plant that felt deeply unsettling to Kalja when she sensed them with the Force. Unable to find any other answers, Kalja sent her findings to the Tython and prepared for the retirement party of Rowen Halomek.
Kalja at Rowen Halomek's retirement party
The party seemed to go well at first. Cadence was even able to sing a song for the party guests, which garnered a giant round of applause. Her performance impressed Rowen's longtime girlfriend, Sarren Dolsis, who was a professional entertainer and singer. However, the party would end up being disrupted by a group of terrorists and a cloaked figure who claimed to be a reborn Sivter. It was quickly learned that the Sivter imposter was in fact a crazed Trakan Lakshire that had somehow used the strange plant Kalja had found before to boost his power in the Force, as well as that of his followers.
Kalja was able to assist Faye in taking down Trakan and his people, but Trakan managed to slip away through an exit under the stage. It appeared as though Trakan hadn't been working alone either. Another Darksider, by the name of Malichor, used the attack on the party to go after Cadence and kidnap her. Kalja didn't waste time and sped off in pursuit to try and save her student before it was too late...
Trapped in Thought[]
- "I think it’s official now, I hate the mental realm."
- — Kalja Falanis Leidias
Thanks to Kalja's dogged pursuit, Malichor was forced to abandon his plans to kidnap Cadence or risk getting caught himself. Instead he placed Cadence into a mental prison to buy some time so he could get away. It was successful as Kalja was forced to break off her pursuit of the other Darksider to see to her student. Even after bringing Cadence back to safety, Kalja stayed with her the entire time and even volunteered to enter the mental realm to try and wake Cadence back up.
With the help of one of the Jedi Order's master healers, Arilyn, Kalja was placed into a similar trance as Cadence and connected to her mind. However, something went wrong and she almost immediately lost her connection to Arilyn and was thrown into a mental fantasy of family reunion with members of her family that she had only heard about through stories, such as her grandfather, Tulsar, or her uncle, James. Kalja was almost lost in the comfy prison of such a life until it was intruded upon by memories of her mental trauma - in the form of Raii Meriaz.
Kalja fought the version of Raii in her mind, nearly losing again to the assassin, but the fight was painful enough that it shattered the illusion that she had been trapped in. Free of the gilded prison, Kalja used her connection to Cadence to find the illusion her student had been placed in. A little to Kalja's chagrin, Cadence was not only aware that she was in an illusion, but she was capable of leaving any time she wished. Wary of being tricked, Kalja asked her student to search the mental realm for anything that didn't seem to belong.
Kalja's caution paid off as Cadence was able to locate a partial Mental Clone of Malichor that he had left in her head as a way to cause trouble. With Cadence's assistance, Kalja was able to destroy the mental clone, clearing the way for the two of them to return to the real world once again. Due a difference in time dilation between the real world and the mental realm, Kalja ended up coming to consciousness two days after Cadence.
Current Activity[]
With everything seemingly back to normal after the attack on the party and her time spent in the mental realm, the time has come for Kalja to resume teaching Cadence in the ways of the Jedi...
Personality and Traits[]
Kalja Falanis is very much a free spirit with just enough discipline to make it as a Jedi Knight. She often acts first and worries about the consequences later. While this impulsive nature makes her hard to predict, it has also gotten her into trouble more than once. If there is a protocol, rule, or law that would prevent her from doing her job, she will usually have few qualms about breaking, bending, or flat out ignoring them in the name of duty.
It's often been said that Kalja has inherited her mother's heart and her father's soul. She is a deeply caring individual who can't stand idly by when she sees something that goes against her sense of justice. She is considered to be quite clever and insightful despite her rash nature.
In battle Kalja is aggressive and relentless against her enemies. Although she enjoys combat, she doesn't toy around with her opposition and will usually seek to end a battle as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Appearance[]
Kalja's appearance is a product of her upbringing and personality. Although many design elements of her clothing generally stay the same, the way they're applied can vary from day to day. She favors her own take on the traditional Jedi robes, incorporating purple and a burgundy/red into the color scheme as a nod of honor towards her parents (purple for her mother, red for her father). Additionally, the style of the robes and the design elements echo those of the Followers of Palawa as a way to honor her favorite teacher: Faye Ward.
Kalja has inherited her father's belief that one should keep their battle scars as they can provide important reminders of past successes or failures. However she takes measures to hide her most prominent set of scars, located on either side of her body just below her right shoulder, where she was stabbed by one of Raii Meriaz's swords. For Kalja they continue to be a source of shame about how she acted on that fateful day.
Skills[]
- "It was just another bunch of deluded idiots claiming to be the reborn Cult of Shadow. Cleaning them out was barely an effort."
- — Kalja Falanis Leidias
Kalja eliminates a small Darksider group on her own.
Despite her relatively young age, Kalja Falanis is considered to be quite skilled and competent. Before taking an apprentice, she was often sent on her own to quash dissident terrorist cells and upstart Darksider groups.
Force Powers[]
Thanks to diligent training by her parents, Kalja is well-versed in the Core Powers. She usually uses powers that can enhance her own physical abilities, most often by making her faster and more agile. Specific training from her father also means that Kalja has learned how to shield her mind from telepathic intrusion and how to hide her presence in the Force if necessary.
Lightsaber Forms[]
Kalja heavily favors Ataru as it generally suits her energetic style in combat as she zips around the battlefield. At her mother's insistence, Kalja is also skilled in Soresu, but rarely uses it unless given no other choice or if she needs to protect someone.
Other Abilities[]
Kalja is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. She was taught Teräs Käsi by Faye Ward. Her father also taught her several techniques from his own unique brand of assassination training as the Red Viper. She has found a way to combine the two methods into a style that is uniquely her own; focusing on successive and rapid strikes to vital areas to wear down and incapacitate opponents. Defensively, she has perfected the art of deflecting attacks rather than blocking them.
In terms of non-combat skills, Kalja is known to craft her own jewelry as a hobby. This is commonly seen by the different types of hair clips that Kalja wears in her hair.
Her martial arts training combined with her often playful personality has also made Kalja quite adept at sleight-of-hand tricks, including pickpocketing.
Threads[]
Defunct