Can you build an unarmed Jedi that would be able to defend against an opponent with a lightsaber? Or is that just totally impossible?

Pros/cons of a force brawler?

Kind of, maybe, not quite. Not yet, at least.

According to the rules, Parry can only be used in conjuncture with Lightsaber and Melee weapons*. The upcoming Martial Artist specialization in No Disintegrations will have a talent called Unarmed Parry, which will probably change this dynamic somehow.

So the best build is going to be a Warden. When ND hits, Warden/Martial Artist/Soresu Defender may well be the best build to block a lightsaber unarmed.

Of course, you can also invest heavily into the Protect power.

Gear wise, I think you'll either want the cortosis gauntlets or the talisman of iron fists.

*Improved Parry, however, can be used with Brawl.

Soresu/martial artist could be used also, to save on XP for a third spec. Also unclear at the time if brawl weapons can be used to parry. We need the full description of the talent.

Do either of those force careers have a survivalist/nature bent? Or healing?

Not specifically. Guardian doesn't, but Protector offers Medicine and some medical talents, while Warleader adds Survival, but no survivalist talents. Warden is Coercion and combat focuses, Soresu Defender is purely lightsaber focused. Martial Artist isn't actually released yet.

I'm new to FAD, so that's why I'm asking these questions... I'm coming from EOE.

I'm interested in playing a Noghri commando left stranded on a deserted planet after a failed mission. He's has a decade to contemplate his action and an abandoned rebel base full of info on the empire's evil.

So he has to survive on this planet, and he eventually decided to become a healer to atone.

But he's gonna also be deadly at hand to hand.

Seeker/Executioner is deadly in any form of combat and it has a focus on survival as a career, although it can't do the whole parrying thing. At least not without taking up other specializations.

Are seekers stealthy at all?

A few of them offer Stealth as a career skills (Hunter and Hermit, I think), and Pathfinders offer a rank or two of Sleight of Mind.

Nothing is preventing you from just buying into Stealth out-of-career, though.

Are there any Jedi brawling weapons?

The cortosis gauntlets probably qualify, found in the core rulebook. Some Jedi did use them.

Those have to be really really rare.

Rarity 7, and 1000 credits. More uncommon than rare, really.

If you want to go rare, you go with a talisman of iron fist, which gives you the cortosis quality and adds pierce x to your brawl attacks, where x is your force rating.

Rarity 10, just like lightsabers

you might consider either niman-disciple or shi-cho knight that cross specs into Martial Artist (in the upcoming No Disintegrations book)

explanation:

shi-cho knight: you get boat loads of parry (which will go well with the unarmed parry from martial artist), improved parry, defensive training... if you have a brawl weapon, for example the repulsor fist cybernetic replacement arm which IS a brawl weapon the defensive training always applies, and a dedication, BUT after those 2 specs you will only have force rating 1

niman disciple: 3 ranks of parry which combined with those in martial artist should be "enough", 2 ranks of defensive training (so 2 black dice to incoming melee attacks that you don't have to do anything to get except be wielding a brawl weapon), dedication, and a force rating talent, so AFTER niman disciple and martial artist you will have force rating 2 (useful for sense or enhance as committed force dice or just rolling force dice as part of the brawl check),

as a third spec spec my current recommendation would be force sensitive emergent (2 toughened, 2 grit, a dedication, a force rating 2 uncanny sense, 2 uncanny reactions, 2 indistinguishable)

Beforr putting together build which get both defensive training and parry , Id be careful. Example doctor's pressure point cannot be used with brawl weapons, defensive training does not apply to completely unarmed, we dont know yet if the Martial Artist talents work with brawl weapons, I suspect they won't, if thats the case, you can't combinee with defensive training, unless you house rule it.