Gray Paladin The Gray Paladins were a sect of Force - sensitives stemming from the Teepo Paladins . However , unlike Teepo and his followers who believed in immersing oneself in the Force the same way as the Jedi Order , the Gray Paladins held to the radical philosophy of minimal dependency on the Force . Gray Paladins were known to be active even after the rise of the Galactic Empire despite being targeted along with Jedi in Order 66 in 19 BBY . Laranth Tarak was one such Gray Paladin , and was a childhood friend and ally to Jedi Knight Jax Pavan . History . The Gray Paladins were an offshoot of the Teepo Paladins that emerged after they had been censured by the High Jedi Council for the advocation of offensive weapons like blasters , in addition to the traditional lightsaber . Teepo and his followers were ostracized as potential dark siders , though some still maintained residence at the Jedi Temple . With the execution of Order 66 , the Gray Paladins scattered and were hunted down by the Sith . When Luke Skywalker rebuilt the Order , it is unknown if any lived to rejoin the Order . Philosophy . The Gray Paladins acknowledged that the Force suffused all things , and in turn gave life to all things . In this way , they acknowledged that a sentient could be no more independent of the Force than of nourishment , air , or sleep . However , the Gray Paladins did not see the Force as a means to an end , but rather as an influencing component in their daily lives . Nevertheless , the Gray Paladins were not against the concept of the Force ; they simply argued that skills should be developed with a minimum dependency on it , as to allow the will of the Force to work unhindered in their actions . Because of this , Gray Paladins tended to develop skills and techniques that did not directly tap into the Force , but rather allowed the Force to augment existing skills . This led Gray Paladins to be much more militaristic than the Teepos , or even the mainstream Jedi , as Gray Paladins would often resort to military tactics and conventional weapons to achieve their goals . Gray Paladins didn ' t eschew the use of lightsabers completely , though they did not believe them to be dependable weapons . Rather , they believed that a Jedi should use whichever weapon he or she felt the most comfortable with , with many choosing instead to rely on proficiency with blasters and other forms of combat , both armed and unarmed . Many became masters in various forms of martial arts like Teras Kasi and Stava , as well as esoteric weaponry such as Sallisian throwing whorl s and spinstick s , rather than rely on Force - augmented gymnastics and speed . Most Jedi felt that the Gray Paladins ' philosophy was heterodoxy as well as pointless . Since the Force encompassed all living things , they argued it was impossible for any scenario to exist where it would be necessary to act independently of it . In addition , they insisted that it was through the use of the Force that they communed with the will of the Force , thus bringing them closer to their goals . In this aspect , they viewed the Gray Paladins as being counterproductive . Powers and abilities . Gray Paladins generally regarded the Force as a secondary aspect of their life , and not the primary . As a result of this , Gray Paladins generally eschewed the use of the Force in any physical manifestation , relying rather on militant skills , both armed and unarmed , to achieve their goals . Despite this , Gray Paladins frequently allowed the Force to act in an auxiliary fashion , such as guiding their actions ; in combat , this afforded them incredible quickness and accuracy . Gray Paladin Laranth Tarak exemplified this ability , having such accuracy and quickness with her twin blasters that she could intercept blaster bolts , slugs , and even shrapnel from an explosion with her own blaster bolts , either deflecting or destroying them in the process . So great was her accuracy that she was even able to send one of her own bolts straight up an enemy ' s blaster barrel . During unarmed combat , her strikes were much more powerful and precise than an unaided attack . Beyond this reliance on the Force for aid , Gray Paladins disregarded any of the " flashier " aspects of Force use , including Force - aided gymnastics and speed . Regardless of Force use , Gray Paladins consistently remained far more militant than their Jedi predecessors , many times being well trained in martial arts such as Teras Kasi and Stava , as well as military tactics like guerrilla warfare , urban tactics , espionage , and infiltration . Some even had expansive weapons and vehicle training . This was primarily the result of the Gray Paladins deciding to rely on the Force as little as possible , as well as the knowledge that they must be ready for nearly any situation without reliance on the Force .