[hider=Malik Skaya][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/N8Ylqkc.png[/img]
[h3]Malik Skaya[/h3]
[color=a187be][i]"I'm tempted to let you meet the gods rather than waste more of my supplies on a runt that can't aim."[/i][/color][/center][hr][hr]

[color=a187be][b]Identification/Serial Number:[/b][/color] 
[indent]KY-9914[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Sex:[/b][/color]
[indent]Male[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Age:[/b][/color] 
[indent]23[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Homeworld:[/b][/color] 
[indent]Aquella[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Rank:[/b][/color] 
[indent]Private[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Role:[/b][/color] 
[indent]Stormsurgeon[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Callsign:[/b][/color] 
[indent]Patches[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] 
[indent]Malik Skaya is smaller than the average Aquellan, standing at a mere six feet in height and having a chest only as wide as a barrel rather than a barn like many of his larger, bulkier cousins. Powerful, coiled muscles stretch across a wide and towering frame, forged like wrought metal in the fires of a crucible. A sheet of tanned, oily flesh sits atop that bulging brawn, marred by numerous scars, piercings, and tribal tattoos alike. Swirling ink of a deep, royal purple traces it's way from the bottom of his feet up to the back of his neck in a brilliant display of grandiose color. Each individual branch of the tattoo links to the primary 'trunk' painted upon his torso; every branch representing one of the five principle gods of the Aquellan pantheon. For example, he bears the god of the ocean upon his right arm, with images of tidal waves and gargantuan leviathans from his homeworld melded seamlessly into the primary branch. The other marked gods include the god of the sky, the god of stone and the twin goddesses of the living and the dead.

Another important facet of Aquellan culture is the five rings pierced within every adult's skin. Four of these rings are placed into a single ear (the right ear for men and the left for women, though homosexual members of either sex have started doing the reverse in recent years) while the fifth is driven through the nose. Each of these rings represents a single principle deity and is forged from the metal that represents each god or goddess. The sky god is represented by Osmium, the stone god by Duralium, the ocean god by Brass, the life goddess by Iron and finally Obsidian, representing the death goddess. The nose ring is chosen based upon which god the wearer feels the closest connection to.

The thick, manicured beard resting on his chin is- like much of Malik's appearance- based on customs and tradition. Warriors from Aquella are expected to remove all of the hair from their bodies save for that which lies on their faces; it is believed that the minor God of Battle looks more favorably on bearded men due to the fact that he's most often depicted with facial hair himself. Normally Malik would be expected to allow it- and his hair- to grow out wild and untamed, but Imperial regulations require him to keep it controlled and well cut. Unwilling to shame himself by allowing another to shave his head, Malik carries a crude hand razor and does the work himself. He's gotten good enough at it that it isn't uncommon for others in his unit to ask that he acts as their barber as well.[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Equipment:[/b][/color]
[indent]Standard E-11 Blaster Rifle
Standard Plastoid Armor w/ Bronze Identification Pauldron
Backpack
Additional E-11 Energy Cells
Ion Flares
Bacta Patches, Salves, Bactade, and Bio-Bacta Tank
Additional Medical Supplies
A Single Thermal Detonator[/indent]

[color=a187be][b]Psychological Analysis:[/b][/color] 
[indent]Malik Skaya is trapped between two worlds that don't accept him. He's small, weak and a borderline traitor by the harsh standards of his homeworld's culture. Yet many Imperial citizens look down their noses at him as if he's nothing more than a disgusting, vile wretch, no more than a degree away from the aliens they treat as second class citizens. One side calls him a savage; the other believes him cowed and domesticated. He is called soft and weak in one breath and gruff and violent in the other. No matter what he does to try and appease his peers, Malik finds that it is never enough. There's always some failing that needs to be fixed. Some hole in his character that requires patching. It's a never-ending cycle to reach some unattainable perfection that Malik's too blind to see doesn't truly exist.

Growing up on Aquella for the first eight years of his life, Malik learned the hardships of life had to be faced head-on. He grew up in a very traditionalist tribe that- while knowing the secrets to space travel- still followed the 'old ways' in many respects. Farming was considered beneath any proper man, left only to slaves and droids. Disputes were handled not in courts of law but rather in fighting pits with wooden weapons, and 'honor duels' to the death were frightfully common despite, technically, being outlawed. Even as a boy, Malik participated in several of these events. His life was spent stooped in violence; to survive and thrive meant growing hard of heart and facing each problem that arose with his fists rather than his head.

These ideas on what life was meant to be like led to his downfall when his father brought him across the galaxy to Coruscant, where the people were practically aliens to someone like Malik. He was reprimanded fiercely for 'acting out' several times; he never knew what the 'appropriate' action was, and often found himself facing consequences for things he didn't even know were 'wrong.' Malik was nearly arrested on several occasions, though thanks to his father's influence those altercations were scrubbed from the record completely. As time went on and he adjusted his behaviors and thought processes to fit in, he found himself constantly and consistently rebuked by everyone he approached. He made few friends as a boy, either frightening away other children or being the target of relentless bullying for his awkward demeanor; it was easy to make the boy angry, especially since he was no longer allowed to fight his abusers without risking the wrath of his parents.

Somewhat surprisingly, Malik's life improved significantly when he arrived at the academy- once he had endured and overturned the initial preconceptions of his peers. He was no longer surrounded by the prissy, arrogant children of senators and politicians; they were farm hands, warriors and the children of soldiers. He fell easily into the routine of army life, proving himself surprisingly intelligent on top of impressive physical capabilities. He had a particular fascination for Imperial medicine, as things like bacta and other modern amenities weren't readily available in his sector. His philosophies on life were considered rather odd, to say the least, by the other medic trainees; on Aquella, death was considered a [i]good[/i] thing by most, as it allowed them to overcome their mortal coils and ascend to, essentially, godhood. Many considered it callous and strange that he refused to mourn the fallen, though his beliefs proved useful on the battlefield as he could continue to operate on the wounded with little regard for their ultimate fate.

As he has grown older, Malik has turned to humor to combat feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. He'll bury his true fears underneath a mountain of mocking jokes and gruff jests, using his tongue as a weapon in times of doubt. He often worries about maintaining an image of strength around his fellow squadmates and soldiers, going out of his way to 'prove' himself in ways that are occasionally detrimental to himself. Hiding his true thoughts has become second nature as he seeks to create an image of himself that he hopes lives up to the standards of both the Empire and his home, though rarely can he ever live up to those high standards that he sets up for himself.[/indent]
  
[color=a187be][b]Backstory:[/b][/color]
[indent]Senator Daros Skaya, the democratically elected representative of planet Aquella, was not a popular man on either his homeworld or Coruscant. At home, he was often referred to as a traitor to his culture and a dog of the Empire; in Coruscant, they thought of him as a savage stuck in his ancient, outdated ways, barely better than an alien. In an effort to bridge the two clashing cultures, Daros and his wife, Sara, brought their child to Coruscant. He was named Malik after his grandfather and was to be raised as they hoped all future sons of Aquella would be raised- with their culture intact, yet modernized to conform to Imperial law.

As a boy, Malik found himself enthralled by the pomp and circumstance of life in the Empire's capital city. He was more than attuned to the fanciful parties, strange costumes, and plentiful festivities. One of the things he enjoyed most was waking up early to watch the Stormtroopers in their bright, heroic armor drill in the Imperial Plaza every morning. Though he didn't know it at the time, that impressive sight would be burned into the forefront of his mind for the rest of his life.

Though life as the son of a senator proved hectic and enjoyable, his father, Daros, was bending under the weight. His superiors in the Senate were pressuring him to tame the wild nature of his home system, pressing hard for the eradication of slavery in particular. The Aquellans were far from accepting, as the enslavement of debtors and the children of whores had been a facet of their religion and culture for thousands of years; it was a common punishment for petty crimes since it was said that imprisonment made men lazy and worthless. Their vitriolic refusal had brought the veritable hammer down on their heads when a Stormtrooper battalion arrived and forcibly freed every man, woman, and child enchained on Aquella. Many believed that it would be impossible to reconcile Imperial rule with the ferociously independent Aquellan culture. Even Daros's own family and sponsors doubted him, often pleading with him to return home so that Malik might grow up a proper man.

Infuriated by their derision and unwilling to break, Daros spoke frankly to his son about the situation they were in. He convinced his child that the only way to solve the issues they faced would be to prove that Aquellan culture could be integrated with Imperial rule; he needed to prove that a child could grow up under the Emperor's banner yet continue to live free and serve his gods with the same fervency and reverence as ever. Malik would be that proof. He would be the living embodiment of everything that Daros had preached. Malik would be lauded as an icon of his people, and a model of Imperial service and citizenship. Eager to make his father proud, he accepted, and the course of his life was altered forever.

Since the dawn of their culture, Aquellans had imprinted upon themselves a tapestry of the heavens in a ceremony that represented their passage into adulthood under the watchful care of the gods. To have that ink flow through one's flesh was to be accepted as a fully-fledged member of the clan. An Aquellan without tattoos was seen as an outcast; one cursed to wander alone until they earned the right to bear those marks that they all wore. It was considered the greatest shame to be denied the right to wear those tattoos. Malik refused to leave for the Academy until he had undergone the ceremony, all but begging his father to take them home to Aquella- just for the celebration. Just so that he might stand as an equal among his brothers for at least a few, precious days. 

But he was set to leave for the training facility in but three days; there was no time to get to Aquella, led alone go through the nearly week-long celebration ceremony. The only way Malik could feasibly do both was if he waited until the next cycle to join, yet that, too, was painful for the boy. He'd been dreaming of leaving the senate's pampered halls since practically the day he got there. Now that the opportunity presented itself to leave, he couldn't bear to pass it up. So, reluctantly, he chose to have his tattoos applied by a droid, far away from the boisterous festivities of hundreds of relatives that he might've expected if he returned to Aquella.

Then he was off to the academy, where he immediately met rather fierce opposition from his new peers. Now that he wore his alienness so openly upon his flesh, Malik had painted a large, purple target right on his back; he was mocked, bullied and ostracized as if the paint in his skin made him any less human than the rest of them. The first few weeks were...discouraging, to say the least. In the quiet of the night, he often contemplated dropping out and flying back to Coruscant with his tail between his legs. He feared that it would never get any easier, and that the torment of those around him would remain a constant battle. It was only the thought of disappointing his family that kept him to the faith; he could not live with himself if he returned home a failure.

As time went on, however, things began to change. His fellow recruits warmed to him over time. Some had seen the error in judging him after spending such a great deal of time at his side; others had seen the fierceness with which Malik competed and thought better of antagonizing him further. He was still seen with a degree of 'otherness' by his superiors and peers, but once that initial hurdle was jumped, Skaya found himself enjoying military life a good deal more than the civilian one he had once led.

Malik had a natural athletic ability that, when coupled with his pre-training from age eleven, made him a top student in his class of cadets at the academy. He had a sharp, inquisitive mind coupled with a dedication and discipline one could not expect. Every course, every drill and every little scrap of instruction was approached with the fullest eagerness; there was almost a palpable desperation in the way Malik leaped at each opportunity presented to him as if he was so terrified of failure that he could not help but succeed. He proved particularly interested in the field of field medicine, showing a natural talent for healing that brought him into the Medical Corps for further specialized training.

He eventually graduated in the top percentile of his class, earning the right to wear that shining white armor that he had once ogled at from a distance. Though he has only served for a handful of years, he's already adjusted well to the soldiering life; admittedly he does miss the luxury he once lived in, but his surroundings are more than tolerable. One of his primary duties given to him by his father was to document his time in the army well, sending back plenty of material for Daros to use as Imperial propaganda to show Aquella the Emperor's light; it was one of a dozen other tactics Daros and his allies were using to fight against the resent created by the Imperial occupation of their homeworld. The whole world's eyes now lie on Malik as he begins his slow, perilous climb up the Imperial ladder to prove himself- and by extension, Aquella- as an equal to the rest of the Empire.

'Imperius Unitada ober Totallex'
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