Zeison Sha

"If not for self-reliance, our ancestors would have died shortly after your ancestors left them here."

- Zeison Sha warrior speaking to emissaries of the Jedi Order

The Zeison Sha were an order of Force-adepts known for their survival skills and resourcefulness, as well as their abilities in telekinesis and with the discblade. Centered on the Outer Rim planet of Yanibar, the Zeison Sha developed their Force powers as a means of withstanding their harsh planet. The order stressed independence and survival, as well as assistance to those in need. Long estranged from the Jedi, they had little use for the Order.

For millennia after the original colonists had been abandoned on Yanibar, the Zeison Sha developed an isolationist philosophy. Unlike the Jedi Order, the Zeison Sha did not separate Force-sensitive children from their parents for training. Further attempts by the Jedi Order to re-establish relationships with the Zeison Sha ended in failure.

History
The Zeison Sha were known and established as an independent Force organization as early as 4,000 BBY. A major development of Zeison Sha history occurred near the beginning of the Great Sith War when many friends and families of the Jedi, numbering in the thousands, fled to form a refuge from Sith attacks. The group established a small colony on the harsh Outer Rim world of Yanibar. Once the refuge was established, the colonists expected the Jedi to return for them once the wars had ended. Little did they know that every Jedi with knowledge of the refuge had died in combat, taking the secret of the families and friends with them to their graves.

Forgotten, the colonists eked out a subsistence living from the trying conditions of Yanibar. The Force abilities of many of the colonists contributed significantly to their survival and they somewhat prospered. A few centuries after arriving upon Yanibar, the planet was discovered by fringe traders and a small spaceport and outpost were established, although the organization and planet of Yanibar remained in relative obscurity.

After the end of the wars, some Zeison Sha returned to the galaxy, only to find that the Jedi Order took their Force-sensitive children for training and conversion into the Order. Angered, they returned to Yanibar with reports of Jedi child-snatching. The general view of the Jedi diminished significantly as a result. Still, some members left their world and journeyed abroad throughout the organization's history. They often did so incognito, especially after the rise of the Galactic Empire.

In 580 BBY, the Zeison Sha received a visit to Yanibar by the Jedi Master Bodo Baas on a diplomatic mission. Years of planning had gone into the mission, as Bodo Baas hoped to convince the Zeison Sha to join forces with the Jedi. The Zeison Sha were suspicious of the Jedi and would not allow the Jedi unsupervised contact with their children. After such a cold reception, the Jedi commission departed, realizing that the Zeison Sha were completely unwilling to entertain any idea of unification with the Jedi Order.

Despite the numerous dangers of the Galaxy, the Zeison Sha survived during the reign of the Empire, though Imperial troops did occupy Yanibar. The Zeison Sha did not take kindly to this, with members actively resisting the Imperial occupation.

Philosophy
Zeison Sha believed in independence and self-reliance. After their perceived betrayal by the Jedi, the adherents of this tradition had no desire to be beholden to anyone. This mindset allowed them to not only endure their inhospitable homeworld, but prosper and become self-sufficient. Taking care of one's family was a central tenet and was reflected in the use of Force powers. To the Zeison Sha, the Force was a means primarily to defend themselves and their family but also to aid others who could not defend themselves. As such, they were also known to be generous and aiding another was considered honorable and noble by them.

Unlike the strictly regimented ranks of the Jedi Order, the Zeison Sha did not have a strict organization to their society, though the ranks of initiate and warrior did exist. Children born to Force-sensitive parents would be trained at home in an informal manner. For Force-sensitives born to non-Force sensitive parents, an experienced Force-sensitive adult would train the child, though, unlike Jedi training, the child remained at home to grow as an individual. In fact, the Zeison Sha adamantly opposed the idea of separating Force-sensitive children from their parents.

By and large, the isolationism and independence of the Zeison Sha precluded any attempts to seize power across the galaxy; their society was simply too internally focused. Nevertheless, a smoldering resentment of the Jedi Order coupled with the pride that sometimes arose out of an overly independent mindset led to several members of the order falling prey to the dark side of the Force throughout their history. These aberrants then had to be hunted down or turned back to prevent them from spreading their influence in the community.

Common abilities
"I had heard that Zeison Sha are masters of the telekinetic powers, but I was astonished to see that their abilities in this area far surpass those of many Jedi."

- Jedi Master Bodo Baas

As a Force organization, the Zeison Sha specialized in telekinetic abilities, able to perform great feats of skill with minimal effort, ranging from levitating objects to knocking over enemies or even crushing them with the power of the Force. Their telekinetic ability was, in many ways, superior to that evidenced by many members of the Jedi Order. Zeison Sha warriors were largely known as the guardians of the community and their powers in telekinesis and mastery of the discblade garnered them considerable prowess. Some even possessed the power to use telekinesis for defense, using rocks and other loose objects to block blaster bolts, or even using the Force itself to create a physical shield. This was described as the Zeison Sha wrapping the Force around his or her body to resist damage.

Whereas the Jedi used the lightsaber as their signature weapon, the Zeison Sha favored the discblade, a razor-edged throwing weapon. Trained in its use from a young age, a Zeison Sha could hurl a discblade with great accuracy before calling it back to their hand. Experienced warriors were also known to have their discblades imbued with the power of the Force. Their use of the discblade could also be further enhanced through the Force, whether by adding accuracy, calling the weapon back to the thrower, or imbuing the blade to make it stronger.

The Zeison Sha also had their own design of light armor, which afforded them some defensive capability, with only a slight reduction in mobility. There were at least two classes of this armor, Zeison Sha Initiate Armor and the more advanced Zeison Sha Warrior Armor, which provided even more protection for the wearer. Typical of the independent nature of the Zeison Sha, both models of armor were customizable to suit the preferences of the wearer.

Behind the scenes
The Zeison Sha are described as first coming into existence "nearly two millennia before the rise of the Empire," which is conflicted by the appearance of Zeison Sha armor four millennia prior to the rise of the Empire. No official explanation for the discrepancy has been given.

The Zeison Sha were first created in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game guidebook Hero's Guide, written by Rodney Thompson and J.D. Wiker in 2003. As of yet, no source has described an individual member of the Zeison Sha.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords