Torack

Star Wars: Coruscant Underworld

Throwing my interest in this!

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Unknown Planet

There was an air of dread around him. The world a shattered, ruined place. He wasn’t on Earth, but the way the buildings looked with their high-rise structures, residential complexes, and parks. It looked almost like the alien species took notes from Earth’s cities and made a strange and altered copy of it in their own design. And had he known of this place before, he knew he would have visited it to see the way these aliens put their mark on such universal building designs.

But now that potential dream was gone. Everything around him was in ruin. Smoke towered into the sky, distant fires flared, and ash fell in lazy swarms. And the sky above them, an angry red.

Hood couldn’t help but wonder what he’d walked himself into. Was this the sorcery that he’d felt? So strong that he was able to feel it all the way from earth… and the sheer destruction, the sheer power needed to have caused this devastation.

Perhaps it would have been better for him had he stayed on Earth, to see what he was going into, to survey before plunging in headfirst. But, there was no use in thinking like that now, not when he was already in the ruined city. What he needed to be worried about was the one who caused this. What if they were still here. Was he even capable of taking someone like that on? He knew he was powerful, and although his powers were relatively new, he'd gotten quite used to them. Knew how to handle himself in a tough situation. But this. Questions after questions passed through his mind as he looked around, and he started feeling his heart beating faster in his chest. The hairs at the back of his neck standing on end.

And in front of him was that strange, old man with the sorrowed look. Hood approached warily, adding and weaving defences around himself as he reached out with his sorcery to feel if the man was possibly behind the destruction. He didn’t think it likely, but he knew better than to trust the authenticity of the man without first checking.

He felt nothing. Which was some slight relief, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t the cause. He knew of ways one could hide their magical essence, shield it off from being sensed. A skill that one who could have caused this destruction would have easily been able to do, but regardless it was a start. Didn't mean he would take down his defences, a trusting face didn’t mean the man wasn’t malicious.

Taking a few seconds to look around some more, he reached out again to try and see if there was any traps as he approached closer, and felt nothing but the residual essence of sorcery from the destruction he’d felt before.

Letting out a slight sigh of relief, Hood stopped in front of the blue-skinned man. The shadows in his hood swimming in inky blackness. “What happened here?” He asked, his voice augmented. Deepened.

The man shook his head and looked down, saying nothing for a long minute. “I don’t know,” he said, his voice cracked and feeble. Hood’s sorcery allowing him to understand this species’ language almost instantly. “I woke up to the sky tearing, and a blast that took the city. Destroyed everything and everyone.”

“This blast, did you see where it came from?”

The old man pointed to a large hexagonal building with a ruined garden spreading out from its base. The walls crumbled and spilling out in all directions and showing what looked to be a library within. The few shelves he could see toppled on top of each other, with caved in floors and exposed metal skeleton between thick layers of cement.

“Are you sure it was there?” Hood asked.

The old man nodded. “Everyone ran from that building. Ran from it as fast as they could, screaming. Rushing past. That’s when I woke up. And that’s when the sky tore and…”

Hood put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “What is your name, friend?”

“Kapbury.”

“Very well, Kapbury. I will avenge you and your city. End the one who has brought this destruction to you.”

The old man simply nodded and sat down in the dust, and lay on his side. Weeping silently.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

My post is almost ready! I'll have it up soon.

𝔽𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖 - Cyberpunk Political Intrigue Roleplay

I'll be making a character sheet soon! Been crazy busy on my end, but should hopefully open up with a bit of freetime on the weekend

[Interest Check & OOC] Beyond the Void

Republic!

[Interest Check & OOC] Beyond the Void

Throwing my interest in this as well!

𝔽𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖 [Accepting 2nd Wave of Applications] - Cyberpunk Political Roleplay

Throwing my interest into this!

Warhammer 40k: Kill-Team Epsilon, a Death=][=Watch RP - Currently Open!

Mephimedes

Name: Mephimedes Ventarian

Chapter: The Angel Guard

Chapter Demeanour: (The wiki and any information I could get on the Angel Guard were pretty limited, so I'm going to make things up I feel would fit them a little bit and the concept I have for my character)

Founded from the Raven Guard gene-seed, the Angel Guards share some of the same qualities as their predecessors. The sharp mind and high tactical acumen; they see themselves as a more benevolent version of the Raven Guard, primarily focused on defending worlds that belong to the Imperium of Man rather than going on the offensive. They are a Chapter that will fight fiercely for a world, especially those on the fringes of the Imperium, often fighting to the last man to push back the xenos invasion.

Mephimedes shares much in qualities with his Chapter. He is quick thinking and tactical mind. Though not enough to have put him in a tactical squad. He always looks for distinct advantages he may get during a firefight, and uses those to outmaneuver his enemies and take them out.

Personal Demeanour:

• Clever, witty
  
  • Many would say that Mephimedes has a tongue on him, a man that never shuts up. He's the type of person that talks just to fill in the void of silence while on the march, or in the barracks. Often spouting out jokes or ribbing his fellow marines with the occasional roast and encouraging them to engage in conversation. He does this, on a subconscious level, to keep his mind active and away from the horrors he's faced, as a sort of distraction so he doesn't have to deal with what he has done in his past.
• Stubborn
  
  • Once his mind has been set on something, it's quite difficult to get him to move away from it. If he thinks a plan that he made is sound, it'll take a lot of effort to talk him out of it, and sometimes he'll just go through with it to his own detriment. He won't outright defy his superiors, but he is known to glower if he is given a direct order to abandon what he thinks is the right course of action. Often mumbling to himself until he finds something else to be stubborn about.
  • Although, if he is presented with a logical explanation of why a plan he has chosen is wrong, he will accede to the logic and the experience of a superior officer.
• Innovative
  
  • Perhaps one of Mephimedes strongest qualities is his innovation. In tandem with his stubbornness, if an objective cannot be completed, he will find another way to complete it or make a way for himself and his brothers. Impossible holds no sway to him; it's only impossible because no one has found a way to do it yet, at least that's how he thinks. Facing innumerable odds in the battlefield, or coming up with a viable strategy to storm a near impenetrable ship just above orbit are seen only as ways for him to flex his creative mind. A lot of his plans work, and a lot don't -- which has placed him in sticky situations more often than not and forced to make on-the-spot wild plans to get himself and his brothers out of that situation.
• Compulsive and materialistic
  
  • A somewhat unique aspect of Mephimedes is his compulsive need of materialistic fetishes. Whether it be the ears of fallen enemies, finger bones, locks of hair. It doesn't matter to him. As long as he killed something, he has a compulsive need to take a trophy and his mind will nag him incessantly as long so long as he doesn't do it. Becoming finicky, agitated, and even upset sometimes. The trophies he gets he puts in his own quarters on a sort of "trophy wall" which he takes great care of and makes sure all of his trophies are treated to prevent decay.

Motivations:

• Bring glory to the Imperium of Man
• After having seen a planet he was stationed on wiped out due to xenos invasions, he wants nothing more than prevent the loss of human life due to the xenos

Hatreds and Grudges

• Mephimedes has a particular hatred for Orks. Not because they're different, but because of their invasive, extremely hostile nature to take over a planet.
• He has a grudge against a fellow brother, Karlack Rockwalker, who ordered his squad to abandon theirs due to the unfavourable situation Mephimedes put them in. He manged to get out alive but has never forgiven the sergeant for his actions.

Speciality: Tactical

Rank: Veteran Sergeant

Power Armour History: There is no particular historical significance to be found with Mephimedes' power armour. However, it was given to him when he was promoted to Sergeant as a way to mitigate the damage he may earn during missions. Although not much different from any other power armour, Mephimedes' does have a reinforced Plastron to protect his vital organs. The Power Armour came with the attached note: "May your dumb ideas be less fatal".

Description: Like any Astartes, Mephimedes is tall and imposing. Dark skin with dreads that fall to his shoulders, and a set mean look that makes him appear more hostile and violent than he really is. His eyes are stark, cold blue flecked with gold and amber. Along his body are several tattoos commemorating his most memorable tattoos as well as a tattoo on his back depicting his devotion to defend the Imperium of Man, showing a Power Armour helmet guarding all of Terra.

On his forearms are tattooed set of scrolls written with a vow to obey and defend mankind and to sacrifice his own life for the betterment of the Imperium. The rest of his body, aside from the tattoos, are marked with numerable scars, some of which he doesn't remember how he got, and others with impressive stories behind them.

When out of his armour, he wears a simple green shirt and a pair of fitting pants. Usually considered his leisure wear, and he only changes into robes when he's meeting with superior officers or going to important places that don't require his power armour.

Skills:

• Tactical acumen
  
  • Mephimedes gained this skill mostly from the gene-seed, but also because of his natural tendency to make on-the spot tactical decisions. He's survived long enough and has earned sufficient experience to have made this particular skill extremely deadly in the right situations. Specifically in the case of counter-attacks and defensive strategies.
• Rapid fire accuracy
  
  • Not exactly the most flashy of skills, but having put himself and his squad in sticky situations more than once, his accuracy with rapid fire, along with his incredible reflexes has saved him and his squad more than once. A skill that has been honed over time, he can be incredibly accurate with off-the-cuff shots. Not as accurate as one who takes time to aim, but enough so that he can get behind cover while taking down a number of xenos within that first split second.
• Long distance accuracy
  
  • Although Mephimedes prefers close distance tactical firefights, he has training with long distance shots. The capability to shoot moving targets of significant distances and take out more than one in only a couple of seconds. There are others who are far more skilled than him, but if his squad is need of a long-range support, he can take the role with confidence that he'll protect the backs of his brothers. He learned this skill through defending the various forts he was stationed at, often having to repel xenos attacks from the tops of towers.

History:
Mephimedes began his career as a Space Marine in the fortress world of Nilohines, where the Angel Guard were stationed temporarily to fend off a series of xenos invasion attempts into Imperium-controlled space. His life as a scout was difficult at fist, especially considering they were on the fringes of the Imperium, fighting off and deflecting xenos attacks. His early missions would often include reconnaissance missions and information gathering; sometimes even being deployed out into the fields with the full Space Marines as a vanguard and scout.

He showed his inherit tactical ability when, while scouting a nearby planet, his squad discovered xenos activity in a base that was preparing to launch an attack on Nilohines. He devised a plan to go in and disrupt the xenos’ anti-spacecraft missiles for an eventual marine landing, which ultimately led to the success of the Space Marines in driving out the xenos threat from that planet.

Mephimedes continued to make tactical decisions on the field, often taking the initiative in his squad until he was promoted and put into the reserves as a full Space Marine. He continued to hone his skills, defending the fort they were stationed in with long-rage stalker bolters, or even occasionally manning anti-spacecraft missile launchers.

Eventually, after several missions of proving his worth and showing his acumen as a soldier and as a space marine, Mephimedes was put into the third company and placed into the fifth tactical squad. He witnessed several battles and completed a number of missions while there, climbing through the ranks until he became his squad’s sergeant.

It was then that a relatively nearby hive planet, Atrilara, was under an Ork invasion. His company, along with a few others, immediately went to assess the situation with reports that the Orks had completely infested the planet and managed to germinate themselves into it. The order for exterminatus came almost immediately – if they were allowed to expand, they’d infest the entire system.

But Mephimedes had other ideas. The loss of life seemed wasteful to him, especially on a planet that produced resources for the Imperium. He advised his captain to land, to at least give them a chance to save the planet before the exterminatus was carried out. He agreed tentatively and sent down three squads, including Mephimedes’, to take care of the Ork threat. They went down and, with millions of Imperial Guards at their side, managed to mount a counter offensive against the Orks, raiding and destroying whatever bases they managed to procure.

The battles were gruesome and led to heavy loss of life. But they managed to locate the plot of lands where the Orks germinated their seeds and Mephimedes devised a plan to drop several explosives on the land while a squad held the Orks’ attention. The plan was insane due to the sheer number of Orks already present, and Karlack Rockwalker said as much before taking his squad back to the Angel Guard ship.

Mephimedes was left with his own squad, a handful of millions of Imperial Guard, and a number of squad-less Marines after their own squads had been decimated. He used his own squad as bait for the Orks, bunkering down in a nearby liberated fort, while the Imperial Guard, led by a handful of Marines, bombed the seeded land before attacking the Orks from the rear.

His insane plan destroyed the remaining Orks and saved the planet. He was given a scolding for his actions but was nonetheless promoted to join the first company as a Veteran Sergeant. Karlack was outraged and tried to protest the captain’s decision of Mephimedes’ promotion, and the grueling hatred between both men only increased.

Several missions passed by until word came that Mephimedes was invited to join the Deathwatch. He accepted the honour greatly and set off to take his oaths at the fortress.

Equipment and Armament:

• Power Armour
• Standard space marine robes
• Bolter
• Frag and krak grenades
• Power Sword as a side-arm

Miscellaneous:
His squad, while a Battlebrother took to calling him Silence because of his nonstop talkative nature and the name stuck.

[Approved] Jedi Knight Dania Litz

OOC

_OoC

How long do you usually write?
Several paragraphs

Do you enjoy writing collaborative posts for things like conversations, combat, etc.?
I do.

Is grammar and depth of writing important to you?
It very much is.

Are there any writing subjects you particularly enjoy exploring?
I enjoy exploring character depth and growth over time. Exploring how certain decisions can change a character from what they were over a period of time. Plots with intrigue and diplomacy are something I particularly like to explore, especially in a vast world like the Star Wars universe, where the intrigue and dialogue can have the potential of calming things down or devolving into something vast.

Is there anything you really dislike and want to avoid like the plague?
Auto-killing and God-modding.

Is there something you are uncomfortable with happening to your character?
Just ask first.

Do you have any short-term or long-term goals with this character?
Short-term goals: Complete a number of missions for the Republic, become a stronger Jedi, advance her skills.

Long-term Goals: Significantly hamper the Sith Threat and become a Jedi Master

Jedi Temple Public Records

Name: Dania Litz
Species: Echani
Homeworld: Eshan
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Rank: Knight
Master: N/A
Former master(s): Kromut Ro
Apprentice(s): N/A

Jedi Temple Internal Records

_{Short description of the Jedi.}

Dania Litz stands at around five feet and five inches with dark skin and a shock of white hair that falls to the middle of her back. Most would assume she's human until they look at her eyes, which are silver and vibrant with an almost cataracts-like appearance to them. She holds herself with a regal form, standing tall with her shoulders back and her chin held high. Hidden beneath her clothes are numerous battle scars scrapes around her body covered further with a number of tattoos depicting things she found of sentimental value or whatever she found interesting at the time.

Dania is most often seen wearing her Jedi robes which consist of a grey under-tunic, a black and fitted dress-like over-tunic with black tabards that go down to her ankles, all covered with a brown, long-sleeved robe. She has a number of variations of her robes, and she favours the darker colours over the lighter ones mostly to complement her skin.

Reference Image

_{Simplified report on known Force techniques and estimated levels.}

Intermediate Talent:

• Telekinesis
• Telekinetic Defence

Intermediate Training

• Force Sight
• Force Jump
• Force Speed

Basic Training

• Mind Trick
• Tutaminis
• Force Healing
• Tapas

While in combat, and training, she has shown to use her force abilities in a mostly defensive capacity. Against force users, she diverts her force capabilities to defending against any potential force abilities her opponents use while also using it to aid her chosen sabre style's inherit defensive weakness, by momentarily augmenting her speed.

_{Simplified report on other known skills and estimated levels, including lightsaber training.}

Lightsaber Forms:

• Form I (Shii-cho) - Intermediate Talent
  
  • Although not the flashiest of forms, or even advanced in any way, Dania has fallen in love with the form when first introduced to it in her initiate years. The philosophy is what drew her to it, and as she grew older and more experienced with the force, made the form her default. She also has a simplistic outlook on life and the form complements that outlook, considering the simplicity the form has. It also complements well her beliefs that mastering the basics is vital for any sort of skill.
• Form III (Soresu) - Intermediate Training
  
  • Dania uses this form in complement with Shii-cho, specifically trained in the defensive maneuvers against blaster rifles. She felt, after several missions with her master that Shii-cho, although her favoured form, needed more of a defensive boost from at-range combatants and thus she began implementing Soresu and weaving it into her form.

Other Skills

• Negotiations - Intermediate
  
  Ever since she was a young initiate, Dania wanted to be a peacekeeper Jedi, but as she grew older she began to understand that drawing out her Lightsaber was always a last resort. She mostly now tries to negotiate where she can and talk herself out of a fight whether through intimidation or some other form of negotiating tactic.
• Diplomacy - Intermediate
  
  • Her master was a Jedi Diplomat, and although not all of their missions were diplomatic in nature, he questioned and tested her often on republic law and on how to deal with things in a diplomatic nature. He understood her desire to be a peacekeeper, and went out of his way to expose her to the skills she needed in order to be an effective one. But he coupled that with missions where diplomacy was heavily needed under the justification that a peacekeeper needed diplomatic knowledge and skill to go above and beyond.
• Tactics and leadership - Basic
  
  • She has a basic understanding of tactics and warfare, only because she understands that she may be called upon in a time of need to lead troops in combat. She isn't skilled in any way, and she knows her deficiency in this skill. She has enough of rudimentary knowledge where she can act as a tactician and make plans in a pinch when no one more experienced is available.
• Survival skills - Basic
  
  • In an effort to make her a competent peacekeeper, her master exposed her to situations where she needed survival skills beyond the use of the force. After her knighthood, she exposed herself further to this, reading up on the various edible wildlife in the various planets in and around republic space. Her skill is basic and general covering a vast breadth of biomes and regions.
• Physical endurance - Expert
  
  • Dania likes to keep herself at peak physical endurance because of the fact that it's incredibly useful. Not only in fights or combat, but in moments where she has to chase someone, survive in the woods of a backwater planet, or trek long distances from one point to another. She has a routine every morning, if she can manage, to keep herself in peak conditions as she believes the force can only enhance one's endurance by so much, and by having earned a great deal of natural endurance can augment it further with the force if needs be.
• Piloting and Navigating - Basic
  
  • She has a basic understanding of piloting corvettes and other smaller star-ships, along with a rudimentary knowledge of how to get around the galaxy and plot courses to get her from point A to point B.

_{Quick report on political influence, associates and rivals.}

Political Influence

• Eshan
  
  • She has made efforts to make an alliance with the Eshani representative in the Republic, and after having done a few favours for her, she has a number of debts she can call upon should the need arise. It isn't a direct influence, and is limited by the number of favours she call upon, she knows that if she wants a particular bill passed in the Senate that the Eshani representative will vote in whichever way she decides, and may or may not convince others to vote likewise.
  • Her aunt as well is part of the Female Council in the Eshan system and should the need arise, she can call upon her aunt to provide political aid.
• Onderon
  
  • After having saved the King's nephew with her master while still a padawan, she now has some minor political influence in Onderon in the form of advisory role whenever she's on the planet or in the system. Although her political influence isn't strong enough to change a law that the King's mind on a law he wishes to pass, but she does have enough to persuade those in his court.

Associates

• Bernadina Estelle - her aunt in the Female Council
• Amedea Ash - Representative of Eshan in the Republic
• Otto Brisk - A smuggler and small-time crime boss in Coruscant
• Hemen Van - A bounty hunter that mostly operates in the outer rim

Rivals

• Ignatia Osmar - A fellow Jedi Knight and close friend; she has a friendly rivalry with Ignatia over who can be the better Jedi.
• Wayland Anton - A sith she has encountered more than a couple times from her days as a padawan.

_{Psychological evaluation of Jedi Order member.}

• Patient
  
  • One of her most outstanding features is her patience and the resolve to hold herself back and know when to act. She has an aptitude for learning from her mistakes; her previously rash disposition, although still somewhat still apparent, has been replaced, through effort and determination, a great deal of patience. She is slow to anger and upset and even then shows great control over her emotions, allowing very little to phase her. Her decisions are always made with deliberation and after much mediation and council from those more experienced than her. She's proven that she isn't to jump to conclusions on a whim, but to look at all sides of a problem and evaluate the information to the best of her abilities.
• Ambitious
  
  • Once considered a potential problem, her ambition has shown that she is a determined Jedi and one that draws limits upon herself and sticks within those boundaries. One such limit being her ambitious nature where she has confined it to being the best that she can be, while also taking steps in limiting the potential harm that can come from it. She is strong-willed and focused, amicable traits in a Jedi. She has shown thoroughness in her learning and training, pushing herself above and beyond to achieve her goals.

_{List and description of known and suspected flaws. To be put into restricted database.}

• Abrasive
  
  • An unfavourable trait she has had for a while. Her master made efforts to remove it from her but has shown little success, perhaps why her diplomacy and diplomatic skills leaves much to be desired. She is perhaps too blunt and to the point, and because she shows very little outward emotions can be seen by many as cold, many even saying she may have a bit of arrogance within her from the way she holds herself. Many suspect this to be the cause of the ongoing war, and a manifestation of her subconscious protecting itself from the trauma she has seen at such a young and delicate age.
• Vengeful
  
  • We are most concerned about this trait, and her master has shown great concern as well. It's relieving to see that she doesn't hold grudges over simple things, but once her ire has been drawn she will keep it inside of herself to fester, to dwell upon over and over until she has given answer to whoever has drawn her wrath. Removing and nurturing this trait from her has been attempted many times, but each met with either failure or middling success, almost as if she's stubborn to keep this darkness within her. She will go to any length, break all the rules for her vengeance, especially if its concerning a sith. This is a potential aisle to the darkside and it is hoped she can overcome this weakness.

_{Major achievements and failures on record.}

• Saved the life of the King's nephew from a kidnapping in Onderon
• Liberated republic troops from a sith prison with her Master while a padawan
• Fought off an underground Sith presence in Genassa and removed Empire-aligned political elements from the local government
• Prevented an uprising in Sarka led by Sith-Sympathizers but failed to capture the sympathizers before they escaped
• Failed to stop an assassin that attempted the life of a republic senator
• Managed to capture a Sith spy and gain intel on a Sith operation allowing republic troops to win an unfavourable battle against the Empire.
• Managed to discover and apprehend an Empire Sleeper Agent on Ploo who was feeding intelligence to the Sith
• Failed to stop a Sith spy from finding out and make off with shipment drop locations from factories on Ubrikkia.

Interview

_{Personal biography, as detailed by the candidate for use in Jedi archives. Acquired shortly after last achievement of note.}

I don’t remember much of may family, it’s all muddled together. Faces, accents. They come in flashes but nothing substantial. I remember I had an older brother and two younger sisters. Or maybe one. It isn’t something I recall too well, but I know I had siblings. I also know my father was off fighting for the Republic in the war, but his features or anything else about him isn't something I remember. The one thing I do remember is the Jedi that discovered me. An old Mon Calamari with a funny accent; I remember that accent acutely for some reason. A lilting one, unique to him and one I haven’t seen on any other Mon Calamaris.

I remember he was a kind to me, gave me candy when I went onto his ship and let me play with the toys in there. Lots of dolls as if he were expecting to meet me, but thinking on it he was probably a Jedi recruiter and had some things to keep the children entertained during the ride. It’s a shame he died before I attained my knighthood. I would have liked him to be present at the ceremony. But he took me to the Temple in H’ratth where I was trained. My initiate years had some of my fondest memories, and some of my closest friends were made during that time.

The Jedi instructors were nurturing, competent, but strict and grew more and more demanding as we aged. I guess that’s where I got my ambitiousness from. That constant push to please the masters and instructors, to go above and beyond everyone else. That drive is also what made me and Ignatia such close friends while funnily enough being such fierce rivals. I can’t tell you the times the instructors had to break up a fight between us because one got a better grade or got an outstanding compliment for figuring something out. She was my sister and I loved her like one, and I still do.

As I grew older in the temple, more and more of our training was focused on combat and strategy due to the ongoing war. How to handle ourselves in difficult situations both outside and within a battlefield, leadership skills, and general tactics. These were some of my favourite moments, especially the combat drills, as I got train with my lightsaber and force abilities the most. And of course, spar with Igantia.

Not many would have guessed this, but she was the reason why I decided to focus on Shii-cho. I liked the form initially for its simplicity and wide range of versatility, it drew me in, but I was also curious about the other forms as well. That is until Ignatia told me I wouldn’t be a great duelist with Shii-cho. It peeved me at the time, so much so I decided to focus all my intent on that one form just so I could beat her Djem So. Which I eventually managed after a multitude of failures.

The rest of the years passed on and I grew stronger in the force with what I know now as a natural affinity towards telekinetic force abilities. There were many who were far more talented at it than I was, but I kept pace with them through effort and dedication, and in no small part from the guidance of the instructors and masters. Eventually, the initiate trials came by and of course, me and Ignatia passed with flying colours, the Jedi refusing to tell either of us who outperformed the other for fear of another fight. And they still refuse to tell us after so many years.

One of the moments I don’t think I’ll forget and that still causes me some worry, is during the leading moments to my trial. I had yet to find a crystal for my lightsaber as I was focused on reviewing the Jedi Code and making sure I knew it front to back. It was then that two instructors pulled me aside and told me they’d sensed a darkness in me; I won’t forget that particular conversation, or the look of concern on their faces. Knowing that they feared what I’d become nearly crushed my spirit, and I don’t think I cried harder than the few days following that incident.

Ignatia in helped me the most through that difficult time. She was there for me, our rivalry put aside, and she would sit with me for hours, sacrificing her own training time to make sure I was okay. And as the date for our trial was drawing closer, she advised me to embrace whatever darkness was inside me, not to hide it and let it fester, but to let it breathe so that it can heal properly. It was sound advice, and it was that advice that led me to have my coloured lightsaber.

The trials went without a hitch despite my sorrow at the news some of the instructors gave me.

Master Kromut chose me as his padawan when I was thirteen, and he was a kind-hearted man with a merciful spirit. I think it was because of what the other masters saw that he chose to take me on, to show me the greater aspects of the Light Side of the Force. During my years with him, I witnessed a number of battles at his side where my skill with Shii-Cho only got better – after all, it was either that or be slain. Master Kromut made sure to keep me away from the front lines during the early years of my apprenticeship, but started exposing me more and more to the front lines as I aged.

Taking on Ignatia’s advice, at the age of fifteen, I went to Hurrikane with Master Kromut, telling him I wanted a different coloured saber to show the duality that was inside of me. That I thought hiding it would only make it worse for me. He tentatively agreed, and I think he only agreed because it was a teaching moment for me, a moment where I could use my negotiation and diplomatic skills with the native species. It took some effort and a great deal of patience on my part, but I managed to convince them to give me a crystal.

The Trial of Combat was perhaps my easiest trial. Though, it wasn’t all we did. The war did consume much of our time, and I had a lot of exposure to combat, but Master Kromut was also adamant in showing me the other aspects of war. The political side of it all, where he was perhaps most skilled. I was exposed to negotiations and he would question me often on how best to talk to a hesitant potential ally on keeping themselves aligned or choosing to align with the Republic. Even going to so far as to negotiate with weapon dealers and smugglers in making sure their weapons stayed within republic territories.

Knowing that I wanted to be a Peacekeeper, Master Kromut also exposed me to a number planets behind the frontlines that were showing signs of dissent and dissatisfaction and expected me to quell those in peaceful ways, such as coming up with propaganda that showed the Republic in good light as the defenders against an Empire onslaught. Taking out Empire sympathizers in raids while collaborating with local police forces, and even maneuvering through local politics to remove and push out certain elements that were pushing for Empire-aligned policies. We also did a number of counter-intelligence missions, and although he knew very little of those, he would hand me off to local and internal police forces to show me how those particular missions were carried out. Throughout all of these, a figure I encountered more than others was a Sith by the name of Wayland Anton. A continuous thorn in my side from my days as a Padawan.

The war was a struggle, especially knowing what was inside me. Every time I entered combat and took the life of someone, I wondered if I was inching closer to the Dark Side.

As you can imagine, the Trial of the Spirit was the hardest for me when I was trying to go for knighthood. Even after so many years with Master Kromut, going all over the galaxy with him and absorbing all of his lessons and teachings, a part of me was afraid of looking inside myself. Afraid of what I’d find. I’ve heard so many stories of powerful Jedi being seduced by the dark side, and I didn’t want to be one of those. I didn’t want to fail all the efforts of my masters and bring shame to them, and I suppose I was afraid that I had a natural disposition to the dark-side. That the force would push me to align myself with the Sith.

A silly thought, I know, but the fear was there. And I almost gave up. I was so convinced I was going to turn into to the Dark Side that I was willing to put down the lightsaber and disappear to some outer rim planet, away from everyone just to prevent myself from turning. Master Kromut of course figured out what was going through my head and had a long talk with me. I never cried in front of him before then, I made myself promise I wouldn’t, but I broke down during that conversation, laid out all my fears and all the shame.

He was a father to me. Supportive, understanding and helped me realize that everyone had some darkness in them, some more than others, but that I shouldn’t be ashamed of what I am. I still struggle with it, but I owe my knighthood to him. I would’ve never passed the Trials had he not been there for me and I’ll love him dearly for it.

After my knighthood at the age of twenty, we went on a few missions together trying to keep allied planets and governments on our side and stopping potential assassins before I eventually went out on my own. We still keep in close contact. Afterwards I specialized as a Peacekeeper like I always wanted to, but not for my initial reasons. I wanted the Republic to be safe, I wanted to do my part both in and out of the front lines. But my new motivation was that in being a Peacekeeper, in helping countless lives, I could perhaps fight off that darkness within me by doing good. By making lives easier for the citizens of the Republic.

Last mission I had was a difficult one, nearly killed myself trying to stop a Sith spy from making off with Republic intelligence. I managed to capture him and prevent a potentially disastrous leak from getting to the other side.

Anything else you would like to know?

Nature of The Spy

• Sith Agent
• The Sith operative escaped
• It was a Sith NPC and Dania's rival: Wayland Anton
• Nature of the espionage: finding out shipment drop locations of sensitive Republic hardware designed to help long-range monitoring of Imperial activities
• Took place on the planet Ubrikkia
• Dania was sent to Ubrikkia when the Sith paid the local criminal class to protest against Republic rule as a smokescreen to keep local police force eyes off him.
• Other people could have been involved in the thwarting.

Star Wars: Empire of Glass

Arosha Tye

---

Standing guard at the Shuttle

The command to hold back was given and Arosha nodded, holding herself and her squad back as the rest of the squads and their leaders set out, watching them with mild interest as she prepped her rifle and chose a few of the stragglers to stay with her. Ten in all including her. It wasn’t too bad, a perfect mission for a squad. The place they were told to hold wasn’t too large or spacious, though the way the corridor was set up in relation to the shuttle did pose a bit of a problem, but she could handle that.

Once everyone else had left the shuttle, she turned to her men. “Right, we don’t have a lot of cover here,” she said, “we better make some. I imagine the others are going to take their sweet time with things, so we better get comfortable.”

They nodded and began getting to work. Arosha stepping in to help them move the boxes around. Thirty paces from the entrance on either side to make a sort of bluff of hard-shell boxes as cover. But because the place was so damn empty and nearly devoid of anything worth using as cover, they had to get crates from within the shuttle. Emptying them and placing them behind the boxes or around them. It took them a while, and while they were working, Arosha had two men stand guard and keep an eye out.

“Three on that corner over there and another three there,” she said pointing the positions out, “privates Lianlin, Carohai, and Darran with the shuttle.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison and began getting into position. Arosha herself stayed in the center of it all, her A280 blaster rifle in hand, wearing her black and grey combat suit with her custom-built Togruta helmet, visor drawn up. She looked around, her sensors picking nothing up. And nothing for several long minutes. That was the thing with battles and war. Lots of waiting and lots of lounging around. It reminded her of her days back on her home world, waiting in ambush for the storm troopers and invaders.

Funny how they were the invaders now. Funny how fate worked like that. But she was glad she was in this. Doing this work – not standing around the shuttle – but with the Scarlet Moons. Fighting back against the tyranny. But damn could it get boring sometimes. She moved several paces back so her back was against the wall next to the shuttle and looked over at her squad mates. They all looked just as bored as she felt, some of them taking out their rations and eating, a couple playing cards with a stack of credits on the side.

“I hate this,” she heard one of them grumble. Brones, a private with dark hair and green eyes, tanned skin. “All this waiting around. You’d think storming a base would be more interesting than this, but instead we’re stuck on guard duty of all things.”

“It’s not exactly fun, but it’s important work,” Carohai said from where she was sitting. “What if we need to make an emergency evac, or things get dicey and everyone needs to haul ass back to the shuttle. Could be the stormtroopers set something like that up. Could be they set themselves up to wait at the shuttle.”

“Reminds me of a mission I’d been on in Ithor,” corporal Joenis said, “had to root out an imperial base that was launching attacks on our position. Go in under cover of night, stealth our way into their base and set up a load of bombs to go off at the right time. Sergeant got hasty, left only a couple men to watch the ship and an imperial patrol passed by. Decided they’d wait around the ship and see what comes back. Invited some friends over with them too. It wasn’t a particularly fun night for us.”

“How’d you get out alive?” Darran asked.

“I legged it with a few others. Hid in the nearby forests and lived off the land, hiding everyday from trooper patrols until we managed to call an evac our way.”

A few of the others piped up with stories of their own as they waited, Arosha listening to their tales while also tuning into her sonar every now and again to see if anyone was making their way towards their position. It seemed no one was, and eventually a lull settled over the squad once more, everyone going back to doing their own thing. A lot of bored looks.

Which quickly changed when the sounds of blaster rifles going off sounded from the other levels of The Crown. Everyone, including her, turned from bored to alert in an instant and from alertness to restlessness. The sound of combat and their friends and comrades potentially going down while they waited in the back wasn’t exactly great for morale, she imagined. She saw the eager faces of her squad, the frustration that she shared with them of not being able to go out and help. To potentially save some of them.

Arosha wanted nothing more than to send her squad forward, clearing out the halls and providing aide. But she had her orders. And she’d stay put. The fighting continued for a while longer, almost becoming a constant drone above and below them when she suddenly picked up movement from her montrals and stood alert.

“Positions everyone,” she ordered, “movement ahead.”

They dropped whatever they were doing and whatever conversations they were having and began maneuvering themselves to get into cover. Rifles and pistols at the ready. Arosha moved up, getting into cover behind one of the crates, feeling several figures approaching from ahead, hearing their footsteps clanging on the metal floors. She signaled their number to the squad. Six.

A second later something was thrown and clanged a couple of times as it approached them. “Brace!” Arosha called out as she ducked behind cover. A soft blast followed with a plume of smoke going up. Then blaster lasers started coming out from the other side. Hitting the boxes, crates, and the wall behind them.

“Return fire!” Arosha commanded, and peeked out of cover herself to fire a few rounds.