Order of Shasa

Though their origins were lost to history when Manaan fell into economic decline, the Order of Shasa has protected the Selkath for thousands of years. According to their own legends, the order was founded by a Selkath that had studied with the Jedi, or perhaps the Sith. Wtih no input or influence from either group once the world was abandoned by the rest of the galaxy, these Force adepts have had to find their own way through the gray areas between darkness and light—but always with the ultimate safety of the Selkath species in mind.

Unfortunately for the Manaan natives, even the order was powerless to stop the initial Imperial assault on the planet. Their numbers were simply too small and their understanding of the Force too limited. Yet they continued to train in their secret base in the ruins of an ancient underwater mining facility, awaiting the moment when they would be able to strike back and drive the invaders off their homeworld.

At the time of the Ahto Uprising, more than two hundred adepts comprised the Order of Shasa. Though their numbers were reduced in the incident, the Order continued to train any Force-sensitive Selkath willing to join them. Considering the small population of natives left on the planet, they have discovered a surprising number of candidates, which serves to reinforce the Order's belief that the Selkath have been chosen by the Force for greatness. Initiates must study for months, sometimes years, before they are formally inducted. Like the Jedi and Sith, the Order usually pairs an initiate with an experienced trainer during this period.

Members of the Order follow a simple code: the protection of the Selkath is the first priority, and all other considerations are secondary. Yet many of the Order are scholars as well, storytellers and mythweavers who guard what knowledge remains of the planet's history and pass it on in the form of stirring tales of Manaan's glorious past—made even more stirring with the influence of the Force.

The Order's weapon of choice is a simple curved sword called a fira that each adept must construct for oneself from metal found only in the Hrakert Rift. This metal, the remnants of a massive ancient kolto harvester, is infused with synthesized cortosis that makes the blades resistant to lightsabers. The blade itself must be shaped and sharpened using the heat of volcanic vents on the sea floor, which makes the experience as dangerous as it is challenging. Only when the fira is complete will the adept be considered a member of the Order of Shasa.