This is purely Star Wars fanfiction and is meant for entertainment purposes only. The author has not received any monetary contributions/payments in any form or fashion. Existing characters and terminology used from the Star Wars Universe are the sole property of Disney. Quotes in italics are the property of various authors.

Gideon Squadron: Chapter 1 - Character Background

Name: Sal Eras

An undiscovered male human with sensitivity to the Force, Sal Eras was born on the planet Corellia. As with most Corellians, Eras spent much of his youth in the Shipyards, hoping one day for a chance to Captain his own vessel. Eventually, he was able to gain passage on the supply ship, Vila, part of a Republic convoy bound on a relief mission for the Mid-Rim during the Clone Wars. During their mission, the Vila was set upon by a Separatist's heavy cruiser under the command of Sev'rance Tann. Narrowly avoiding doom by using one of the escape pods, Eras watched as the Vila was destroyed.

After floating through space for days without any signs of other survivors, Eras was fortunate to crash land on the river moon of Al'doleem. It was here that Sal Eras met Kirak Infil'a, a Jedi Master. Infil'a immediately sensed the Force within Eras yet hesitated to train him as Infil'a himself had taken the Barash Vow to stay out of the affairs of the Jedi Order. Master Kirak eventually decided to pass on his own knowledge and train him in the ways of the Force. Through years of dedicated training, Eras learned under the Battlemaster that knowledge from both the Light and the Dark could be used for good, and he eventually became as formidable as Infil'a himself in the ways of lightsaber combat.

After Order 66 was given, Master Kirak felt the fall of the Jedi Order and forced Sal Eras to go into hiding after his apprentice revealed a premonition of the rise of an unknown enemy, shrouded in darkness. Before leaving, Eras vowed to his Master that he would seek out and aid any Jedi survivors. Hiding his ability to use the Force, Sal Eras managed to get off Al'doleem, feeling Infil'a fall to this new threat that had emerged as he left.

Eras returned to Corellia, only to find that the planet was now under the control of a new Galactic Empire. The Republic was no more. Corellia descended into lawlessness with petty gang wars dominating the streets. The planet was eventually put under lockdown with only those with Imperial issued passes able to enter or leave the system. Wishing to avoid unwanted attention, Sal Eras saw joining the Bondman's Guild as the only way out. Eras hid his lightsaber and infiltrated the bounty hunter crew of the Shadow Stalker, a heavily modified YT-2400 light freighter. It was immediately realized that this partnership would not last after Eras discovered the Stalker's primary target, a member of the fallen Jedi Order who had survived Order 66. He used a Jedi Mindtrick which caused the crew to turn on one another. When the smoke cleared, Eras was the only one left standing. Cross-referencing the Guild's database on the first target with the information provided by the Empire, Sal Eras began looking for the Jedi survivor. According to the intel, a Kel Dor by the name of Naan Sho (former Jedi Knight) had been last seen near the Expansion Region. Figuring he'd start at the Kel Dor homeworld of Dorin, Eras fired up the hyperdrive.

Upon entering Dorin space, Sal Eras was confronted with the problem of how to survive on the planet as oxygen is poisonous to the Kel Dor species. He searched throughout the ship and found a crate holding bits and pieces of what looked like old Clone armor that had been modified. Making quick repairs to the suit's life support system, Eras began his descent to the surface (taking his lightsaber along with him). He began his search at the temple of the Baran Do Sages. With their sensitivity to the Force, the Baran Do were cautious of Eras, yet not sensing evil intentions, revealed that they had been using their powers to shield the Jedi's presence from Dark Force users. They led him to Naan Sho who, not recognizing Sal Eras, drew his lightsaber and attacked…

Name: Naan Sho

Discovered on Dorin by the Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig, Naan Sho was trained heavily in the ways of lightsaber combat at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Master Drallig taught Sho to channel into the Force and allow it to guide him in his movements during battle. This, along with being well versed in the Seven Forms, elevated Sho to one of the Order's most respected duelists. It was agreed, behind closed doors by the High Council, that Sho would take his place among the Jedi Temple Security and would one day follow in Master Drallig's footsteps as Battlemaster.

Sho personally witnessed his Master being killed by the traitor Anakin Skywalker as many of the Clones he had once called friends turned on him. Skywalker Force-Pushed Sho off the ledge he was standing on and watched as Sho fell to his doom. However, he managed to narrowly escape death when he used the Force to guide him to land on top of a small freighter speeding by on the lower levels of Coruscant. Sho knew that the Temple was lost, and the only thing to focus on now was getting as far from the planet as possible. Stowing away on an off-world transport, he tried jumping from spaceport to spaceport, always evading capture by the Empire.

Eventually Naan Sho was convinced by members of the Baran Do Sages that he could be sheltered on his homeworld of Dorin. For a brief period, Sho felt that he would be able to stay out of harm's way…until meeting this unknown wielder of the Force that the Sages brought before him. Neither feeling the Light, nor the Dark within the stranger, Sho believed he was one of the new "Inquisitors" hunting survivors of the Jedi Order he had heard about. Drawing his lightsaber, he attacked…