Varkain 'Corin' Athanas is a Sith Warrior in House Scholae Palatinae. He is the younger brother of the Battlelord, Rasilvenaira Kaeth StormRaven and Master to a Nautolan named Maean Forchast. He was born in 2 BBY.
Character History
Breaking the Mold
Varkain ‘Corin’ Athanas was born in the year 2 BBY in the Keraci village on Ord Mantell. The Keraci people were immigrants from an unknown planet that landed upon Ord Mantell and settled on the planets arid plains. Because of their seclusion, they developed a genetic standard over time and by roughly 50 BBY, it was virtually unheard of to see a Keraci born that differed from the normal look of blond hair and blue or green eyes. The Keraci were also a very superstitious and fearful race, believing not in the Force and instead relying upon odd and strange traditions. Varkain would change all of that.
Berin Dynvar
But the boy was not the only disturbance to be made on Ord Mantell. Eight years prior to his birth, a dark-eyed baby girl named Kaishera was born to the Shalphera (highest-ranking female) of the village. This event would spark the upheaval of customs and traditions, and become the beginning of the end of the Keraci people. The girl’s appearance was seen as an omen to the people, and they degraded her to slave form. Another omen came to that village in 2 BBY when a dark-haired, blue-eyed baby boy was born to the same family. His name was Cariul Nal'kethar, and he was the youngest of seven under the parentage of Rinhiad (the Shalphera) and Sathel Nal'kethar. The mother nearly died from the birth, but her condition mysteriously improved once the boy sat comfortably in her arms.
The birth of another “abomination” greatly troubled the High Priest of the village and even the boy’s father was livid that fate would bestow upon them yet another abnormality. Like his sister before him, Cariul was nearly degraded to the state of a slave, but his mother left room for him in his heart and would one day become a key instrument in his life.
At the age of five, in the year 3 ABY, young Cariul witnessed the sale of his younger sister, Nerisala, to a band of passing merchants. At that young age, Cariul only remembered going to bed without his older sister in the bed beside his, leaving a scar in Cariul’s heart. His father tried to explain the order of things and way of life for the Keraci, but Cariul was not receptive and did not understand the “inequality” of men and women.
That next year, due to the urgings of his mother, Cariul was put under the guidance of one of the village's wisest men, Berin Dynvar. Dynvar began to teach Cariul countless things such as basic history, geography, arithmetic and Basic. The family was satisfied with Dynvar, and Sathel agreed for him to continue the training. They said it was good for the young boy, and they hoped it would set his mind “aright.” But Dynvar would soon open up a whole new world for Cariul, one of power and control.
The Keraci people were so secluded that not many of them actually knew the existence of other planets and galaxies beyond Ord Mantell. But Dynvar was not an original Keraci, and he possessed vast amounts of knowledge. At the age of 7, while continuing his training with Dynvar, Cariul was taught the diversity of lifeforms throughout the galaxy and beyond, as well as the various ways of life beyond Ord Mantell. Many of this information was beyond the young boy’s mind, but one thing that stuck with Cariul was the equality that was shared among most races and among the sexes. It made sense, for within his pure heart, Cariul saw all life as equal.
Young Cariul Nal'kethar
His world again was torn asunder when a year later in 6 BBY, his older sister Kaishera was nearly beaten to death by her father. The boy attempted to stop him, but was overpowered by the man and the beating continued. After it was finished, Sathel confronted Cariul and severely warned him to remain out of his business and to learn his place in society. Never, he scolded Cariul as he struck him with blows to his head, interfere like that again, or you'll end up like her!
Even at that young age, Cariul began to formulate thoughts of hatred for his father, deep-rooted loathing for the man who gave him life, and soon their relationship became non-existent. Due to this separation, Cariul began to grow closer to his mother and father-figure Dynvar. Days after the beating, Kaishera finally managed to steal away into the night upon the back of a Rok’shall, leaving her family forever behind in the forsaken village on Ord Mantell.
Around this time also, Cariul began to show signs of abnormalities; unwarranted behavior and conduct he seemed to have no control over. The narrow-minded Keraci people perceived this as an evil within Cariul, a blight sent to Ord Mantell from the gods to punish them. Having dealt with the same behavior from his sister Kaishera, Sathel decided to lock Cariul away, rather than expose the Nal'kethar family to more shame.
But this didn’t stop his training. In fear of becoming more estranged from the village’s high-standing individuals, Sathel allowed Dynvar to meet with Cariul in his room, in hopes that Dynvar might have “straightened” the boy. As the months rolled by, however, Dynvar did nothing of the sort. On an unsuspecting meeting with his pupil one day, Dynvar revealed to Cariul that he once was part of an order known as the Jedi Order and that the behavior Cariul was exhibiting was in fact [[starwars:the Force|the Force]].
Cariul’s world opened up, and all became clear to the young boy as Dynvar revealed to him the ways of [[starwars:the Force|the Force]] and began to secretly tutor him to control his fledgling powers. Excited about the possibility of more beyond the rock Ord Mantell, Cariul attempted to flee from the village but was stopped by his mother. Rinhiad demonstrated great love as she took Cariul back into her home and hid the incident from Sathel. Instead, she promised Cariul she would one day help him escape.
A New Life
Young Narsha
8 ABY:
During his time in “imprisonment,” Cariul had gotten used to an intense regimen of exercise and a healthy diet, and even at his age he was growing to be very fit and strong. At the age of ten, Cariul was released from his room and given the chance to redeem himself among the tribe. In an attempt to save the boy from the humiliation and fate of his sisters, Cariul's father brought him to one of the many cleansing rituals that took place in the village in the event of a full moon. As Cariul was left alone with the High-Priest and his slave – a girl by the name of Narsha who was Cariul’s age – the priest attempted to rape the young slave girl. The man would have succeeded had Cariul not fought back, managing to pin the Priest against the earth, beating him senseless with a rock he had snatched from the ground. Cariul felt such a rush, a sense of power and control, that he did not stop, and eventually he bludgeoned the Priest to death.
In the heat of the moment, Narsha praised the boy for his heroics, and Cariul felt an odd sense of accomplishment: he had ended the life of someone who had caused so much pain in his own life, as well as the lives of the tribe. For once he had taken control of his own life, a privilege Cariul enjoyed.
Taking their chances, Cariul and his new friend Narsha fled to the city of Trader’s Quarter and managed to sneak aboard a vessel through it's cargo hold. But it was not long after the ship left Ord Mantell airspace that it was attacked by pirates under the leadership of a Feeorin by the name of Rav, captaining the vessel, the ‘’Crimson Axe’’.
When the pirates found Cariul and Narsha, they took them as prisoners, forcing them both to work as greasemonkeys in the hangar. Suddenly his “freedom” ended, and they again were made slaves. The months passed and most of the slaves who were aboard the pirated vessel had died off, but miraculously, Cariul and Narsha survived the grueling regimen of a slave. By 11 ABY, due to his affinity with mechanics and engineering, Rav elevated Cariul to the rank of Ensign, and left the boy in charge of overseeing his fellow mechanics, even Narsha.
That same year, while Cariul was working on a starfighter alongside Narsha, he experienced a strange sensation within himself, as if some great tragedy had befallen him that very moment. It was all confusing to Cariul at the time, and he dismissed it without question. However, as Cariul later discovered, the incident was caused by the destruction of his native village. This was Cariuls first strong influence caused by the Force.
15 ABY:
Captain Rav.
- "The pain of death is hard to bear, and the emotion that stems from it, anger, is both a powerful tool, and a dangerous enemy."
- ―Captain Rav counseling Lieutenant Cariul.
Cariul was beginning to feel the effects of death. At only the age of seventeen, he had been involved in countless battles, during many of which he witnessed his friends and comrades die, including his beloved companion Narsha. Her death affected him not only in his mood, but he felt a deep sense of hatred for those who were responsible, not just with taking her life, but the lives of his friends; he wanted to pay them back in turn. This was Cariul’s first step toward the dark side. The young man soon decided to quit the life of piracy after achieving the rank of Lieutenant.
The time came for his departure as the pirate yacht cruised into the space port above Coruscant, the city planet. As Cariul began to unload his scant belongings into a transport, his Captain, Rav, tossed the Keraci another bag of belongings. “This will help you on your travels…” And that was the last Cariul saw of his Captain, trainer, and fellow pirate as the ‘’Crimson Axe’’ lifted away from the port, never to be seen there again.
The Devil's Kin
16 ABY:
- "He calls himself the Fallen, for even in his exile, he is stronger than he has ever been; his power reaches out far beyond, gathering Kin to himself under one banner."
- ―A member of the Devil's Kin, speaking of it's leader.
The moment the Crimson Axe left Coruscant's atmosphere, Cariul experienced an intense sense of freedom. The presence of the Jedi Temple began to increase the young man's sensitivity to the Force, and he felt connected to the planet of Coruscant. Finding his way through the city, Cariul eventually responded to an advertisement for a high-rise apartment near the Senate Building. Despite his background of piracy and war, Cariul wanted a place of peace, unlike the lower levels of Galactic City that were riddled with war and crime. Cariul took the offer of the high-rise and moved in a few days later. He was finally content and on his own.
Alderic Val'coru, the leader of The Devil’s Kin.
But since the Crimson Axe had docked above Coruscant, Cariul had been under surveillance by a local band of mercenaries named The Devil's Kin, until one day a young woman in her thirties appeared at Cariul's door and offered him a job. Cariul, at first was apprehensive, but whisperings from the Force told him to accept the offer. It was only until the woman brought Cariul to her personal ship that the Keraci realized what he was in for. The ship was a heavily modified Theta-class T-2c shuttle with a crimson and azure insignia on its flanks depicting two snakes entwined with around a staff. Cariul had seen that very same marking before on his travels with Rav. It was the signature of a ring of assassins known as The Devil’s Kin, who were employed by secret branch of the government on Coruscant.
The Devil’s Kin was not a large organization, and in fact only included about four dozen members, but their crime syndicate reached out far beyond Coruscant. Their reasons for choosing Cariul was beyond him, until he met with their leader, an exiled human Mandalorian named Alderic Val'coru. When Cariul had landed in the city, Alderic could sense what he believed was his old friend, Berin Dynvar. While the fallen Mandalorian was not a Force-user, he could sense Cariul's presence and his own Force-sensitivity. Cariul immediately began his training. But unlike most of the members who had learned from Alderic's senior students, Cariul was placed directly under the Mandalorian and made his apprentice. For many months Cariul trained with Alderic, making extraordinary progress. He was trained in the styles of Hapan and Kartranin and excelled in both martial arts. He was becoming a very successful acolyte of the Kin, and assisted them on many assassinations throughout Coruscant, although he was never given his own target.
That year, a conflict had broken out named the Black Fleet Crisis which was being waged between the Koornacht Cluster and the New Republic Defense Force. As Cariul began his training, the Devil's Kin was forced into deeper hiding due to the increased flow of politicians and military personnel through the city. Cariul was ordered to remain where he was, and for a few months his training with Alderic was slowed. One day the Mandalorian arrived at his apartment, under the disguise of a dignitary. He explained his involvement with a Yevetha by the name of Nil Spaar and how he had received a generous contract from the Koornacht Cluster. There in his apartment, Cariul was given his first target: Chief of State Leia Solo. The young man knew her name, but did not know much about the politician. Eager to please his master, he accepted the task without question. Before he set off, Alderic explained his relationship with Berin Dynvar, how the two were as close as brothers and he hoped Cariul and himself would soon become just as close. But he warned the young man that, if he were to fail, his rode to acceptance within the Kin would be paved with much trial and suffering. Just before he left, Alderic handed Cariul a set of old slave robes that would help to buy him entrance into the Senate.
Taking his master's words to heart and the robes he had left him, Cariul began to research his target, and due to some sloppy bookkeeping and pathetic security, he sliced into the city's records and found many assassination plots against Solo that had failed. In a few days time, Cariul ruled out strategies that wouldn't work and began formulating his own plan. It was very simple, but if timed correctly he knew he could take down his target. But he lacked a ship, and the high-rise Senate Building was far above the city. Suddenly he remembered the bag of belongings Captain Rav had given him the year before. As he emptied the small bag, he found a large amount of credits and a single keycard that belonged to a ship. Cariul mediated for what seemed like days until the location of the ship was revealed.
File:Sting.jpgCariul’s ship, StingThe keycard belonged to a Koro-2 Exodrive airspeeder, which was located in a private hangar on the outskirts of the Senate District. The ship was completely stock, and really wasn’t that impressive. However, in a matter of two days Cariul made several modifications to it, making it a formidable fighter, and one that was able to fly in space. He named it “Sting.”
The day came when the Senate was again filled with bickering, arguing politicians and Cariul made his way to the Senate Building. His entrance into the massive structure was simple, and the guards on duty were oblivious to Cariul's disguise and he slipped in undetected. Once he was in, his plan went like clockwork until he finally found himself in the narthex of the Grand Convocation Chamber. Leia was in the center of the Chamber, debating with those around her. He planned to wait for her to retire to her suite. But as Cariul was about to leave for her chambers, she spoke up and the whole Grand Chamber fell in silence as Leia Solo asked the senators not to forget the thousands killed during the Great Purge and to do something to stop the expanse of the Yevetha. The Senate erupted in thunderous applause and suddenly Cariul felt a twinge within his heart as he looked on to the woman.
Before the delegations had ended, Cariul made his way to her rooms and waited patiently outside her chambers. As Leia and her retinue of politicians and bodyguards arrived, Cariul stood and bowed, giving Leia a warm smile. She looked at him with intrigue as he introduced himself as a new servant of the Senate. Somehow she saw through him, but invited Cariul inside and dismissed her guards. As the disguised Keraci sat opposite the woman, Cariul spun a convincing tale of his own life, explaining his hardships on Ord Mantell, but Leia interrupted him, and she asked him why he was after her. Thrown off guard, Cariul did not know how to respond, silently berating himself of his stupidity and naivety of the job. But Leia saw some good in Cariul, and ordered him to leave. Without a word, the would-be assassin exited from her balcony and onto his ship, Sting which hovered in waiting a few stories below. As Cariul leaped from the balcony, he contemplated bypassing the ship and letting himself fall to his death. Anger from his failure seeped through his veins, however, and he was determined to make things right.
A New Master
- "We both know what we must do, Cariul, so let us do it quickly. Forgive me, my old friend."
- ―Berin Dynvar speaking to Cariul.
The reception of his failure came at no surprise to Alderic, but his threats remained firm as he dismissed him as his apprentice and made him the student of one of his senior assassins named Kordra, a Nautolan from Tatooine. Under the Nautolan, Cariul was put through brutal and rigorous trials, with no sign of advancement. He trained like this for years, only being given small targets here and there, until the year 19 ABY came when he was finally given another target: Berin Dynvar, Cariul's old tutor. He ordered Cariul to bring back Dynvar's lightsaber. The fallen Mandalorian had his own reasons to target his once old friend, but he kept them from Cariul. Without a word, the assassin accepted the job, eager to try to prove himself to Alderic once again.
Berin Dynvar, Cariul's old tutor.
Around that time, Cariul experienced another ripple in the Force as more and more Jedi began to visit the planet, including Luke Skywalker himself. He was to be married to a woman named Mara Jade, and by the looks of it, Berin Dynvar would be in attendance. The wedding was to be held for the public in the Reflection Gardens on Coruscant.
The day for the wedding came, but many things were going wrong even before Cariul stepped out his door. In the Gardens below, a coup was afoot to disrupt the wedding. When Cariul arrived, however, it had subsided. The assassin found his target, and quietly kept an eye on him through the ceremony. When the ceremony had ended, the wedding party, heavily guarded by Jedi and soldiers, was escorted away from the Gardens, but Berin and Cariul held back until nearly all the guests had dispersed. Dynvar could sense Cariul's presence, as well as his intentions, even in his old age and disconnection with the Force. For several moments they exchanged pleasantries, neither of them calling the other's bluff. Then suddenly Dynvar ignited his light blue lightsaber and turned from Cariul.
Cariul was the first to attack, using two daggers he had hidden on his person. The pair was made from Mandalorian iron, a substance that was resistant to lightsaber.
Corin’s tattoo.
For several moments they dueled. They were both evenly matched, Dynvar with his Force-enhanced movements and Cariul with his dexterity and training. Finally, the battle ended as Dynvar and Cariul became locked, lightsaber against daggers. Cariul was stronger, and the tired and weak Dynvar was sent flying to the ground, disarmed. Cariul covered the distance with a single lunge, plunging the daggers into his target's body, the left in his abdomen and the right straight through the Jedi's heart. Before Berin breathed his last, he gave Cariul an unsettling grin and the wink he always gave young Cariul back on Ord Mantell. Without a word, the assassin was gone, his old tutor dead in what was just a place of ceremony and rejoicing.
Alderic Val'coru was pleased with Cariul and eventually, after much deliberation, made him a member of the Kin. As a reward for the completion of his trials, Cariul was given Dynvar's lightsaber. Also, as part of his induction, Cariul was given a tattoo of the insignia of the Kin on his back. With that, too, he was given an arsenal of weapons, including the two daggers Val'coru had given him, that would serve him not only in his role as assassin, but throughout the rest of his life. Finally, as a part of his full initiation into the Devil's Kin, Cariul was given a new name: Corin Relicor, a name that suited him well.
Several years passed, and Corin continued his assassin work, eliminating many prominent figures and a whole slew of lower enemies. During his time in the Kin, Corin traveled, mostly among the Core Worlds but also throughout some of the Mid Rim and Outer Rim Territories. It was stunning how far he had fallen from that innocent Keraci boy on Ord Mantell who feared death and dreamed of a peaceful life away from hardship, away from murder. But killing had become way of life for Corin, a source of adrenaline, like a drug. He had become nothing more than a seasoned assassin trained for stealth and cold-blooded killing. Death had indeed become his master.
The Brotherhood
The Spirit of a Sith
22 ABY:
With Dynvar out of the way, Corin's past as a Keraci nearly faded into oblivion, until one day he found himself back on his home planet, Ord Mantell. He was on a mission to destroy one of the local merchants who owed the Kin a large of sum of money, and once he had finished his task, he decided to travel to his old village, only to find it in utter ruins, not one living thing to be found there. He didn't care at all for his little village, but he silently cursed the one who had destroyed his home and brought justice to the Keraci people before he had a chance to do so himself.
Salem, the Sith Human, as seen in his memories.
As Corin turned to leave, he came face to face with a man dressed in simple, red Jedi robes. The man immediately introduced himself as Eragon, an initiate of a growing Brotherhood of Dark Jedi. He explained how he had tracked Corin from the Trader's Quarter at the will of his master, who had sensed a great presence in the Force. While Corin was interested in the Force-user, he threated to kill the man if he didn't step out of the way. Sensing the power in Corin, Eragon stepped aside and let Corin pass. Before the two parted, however, Eragon tossed a stone necklace to Corin with strange runes etched into it. The assassin simply pocketed it and left Ord Mantell.
Back on Coruscant, Corin began to wear the necklace like a trophy, as a vain symbol of his power. In his eyes he had bested a Dark Jedi, either by his intimidation or by whatever the Force-user sensed in him. But the necklace would prove to be more important than a meaningless trophy. One day, as he placed the pendant around his neck, Corin sensed a great presence within the charm. He had learned to use his mind to seek out the presence of life, so he reached out and touched the pendant. Suddenly the necklace exploded, sending shards of stone throughout Corin's apartment and the assassin back several feet. As the smoke cleared, it was replaced by a translucent figure of a slender, fit man. Corin prepared himself for an attack, but he was more curious than wary. The spirit spoke first, and explained he was a human Sith by the name of Salem Creed, who had died in the year 1000 BBY. The spirit spoke with a soft, silver-tongued voice and began to seduce Corin with promises of more power. It was exactly what Corin wanted to hear and the assassin bowed down to Salem, pledging his loyalty to the Sith spirit. Without another word, the spirit shot himself forward into Corin, fusing the two to be of one mind, yet two distinct spirits. Corin had complete control of his body, but his mind and his spirit seemed different; stronger, more enlightened about the Force.
His first task as Salem's apprentice, was to destroy the Devil's Kin and it's leader, Alderic Val'coru. Despite his attachment to his Mandalorian master, Corin accepted the task and within a few days, set off a massive bomb in the Kin's headquarters and nearly every Devil's Kin on Coruscant perished in the explosion. Their leader, Alderic, was nowhere to be found. Before the authorities linked the explosion to Corin, he was off, taking with him all of his essential belongings, including the Mandalorian iron daggers and Dynvar's lightsaber.
Discovery
- "In the brotherhood, we are Masters of death and darkness. No pain can touch us; and we are freed by the power of the Dark Side!"
- ―Guardian Eragon Shadow speaking of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
23 ABY:
Where he was going to go, Corin didn't know, so Salem made the choice for him. As the ship jumped out of hyperspace, he found himself outside the planet moon known as Dxun.
It turned out that Salem had come here for two reasons: to visit the tomb of Freedon Nadd, a Dark Lord that Salem, during his life as a Sith, idolized and sought to imitate, and to follow in the footsteps of Darth Bane, Salem’s Sith leader who crash landed on Dxun.
There on the moon Salem and Corin spent two full years, living off the land in the jungles of Dxun, training in the arts of the Sith and meditating day and night outside Nadd’s tomb.
Corin was learning more and more of the Force, and was eager to train with Dynvar's lightsaber. But Salem convinced Corin that he was not ready, and the two stayed in Dxun for a while longer. The Sith within Corin did not hinder his movements or influence his physical body, but the persuasion and manipulation on Corin's mind was getting harder and harder to deal with. Finally, an X-wing landed on Dxun, bringing with it the man from the Brotherhood, Eragon, who promised a solution to Corin's problems.
Salem was wary about the man, and refused to speak with him again, threatening his life once more. But Eragon continued, speaking once more of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and it's mission to recruit men and women like Corin. Within the assassin, Salem warned Corin of the Brotherhood, saying how they sought to share in his power. At first Corin declined and turned from Eragon. But the then Guardian persisted, and the two engaged in a duel. Within moments, the mighty assassin overwhelmed Eragon, and he was forced to capitulate. However, seeing the Dark Jedi's passion and sensing his strength in the Force, Corin finally agreed to follow him to a place known as the Antei System.
A Second Chance
25 ABY:
File:Rasilvenaira.jpgCorin's sister and master, Rasilvenaira
Corin's reception into the Brotherhood came with mixed reviews. Many of those he met saw him as a valuable asset, while others simply did not get along with him. He was placed into the Sith order and into Clan Naga Sadow, the same Clan as his recruiter Eragon, which increased the prejudice against the older human.
There in CNS he gained most of his ranks, under the tutelage of a Rasilvenaira Kaeth StormRaven who was a member of a rival Clan, Scholae Palatinae. Their Master/Apprentice relationship would end up being one of the last inter-clan pairings.
When he reached the rank of Guardian, Corin fought in the Sixth Great Jedi War where he won many medals and was promoted to Protector and then Jedi Hunter. When he reached the rank of Dark Jedi Knight, Corin employed the use of Dynvar's lightsaber, making a few modifications to it's color to create a lighter blue blade. Around this time too, his relationship with his master began to change. It was a time of great strife as the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Antei System, in what would become known as the Vong Incursion. During the invasion, Corin was made Commander of Sapphire Squadron. During a massive battle to fight off the Vong, the Sith spirit Salem revealed to him that Rasilvinaira was not only his master but his biological sister, Kaishera.
Surprisingly enough, Corin took it well and with much rejoicing, knowing in his heart all along that their relationship was more than just Master/Apprentice. This was his second chance to rebuild his family, and to pick up the pieces that were scattered so long ago. After the Incursion was over, Corin became torn between admiration for his Master and older sister Kaishera, and loyalty to his Clan. Corin meditated for days until finally coming to a decision: he would transfer from Clan Naga Sadow into Scholae Palatinae. There he was placed into then House Caliburnus where he earned his first equite rank of Sith Warrior. His career as a Dark Jedi was highlighted only by a few victories in war, but soon Corin wanted more and battles and duels meant nothing to him: he craved real power, the power he saw his elders possess, even his own sister.
Exile
Weight Loss
30 ABY:
- "You can chain me within my soul, confine within my mind, but you can never take away my will to fight; my will to live.”"
- ―Corin speaking to Salem, the Sith spirit.
Shortly after the end of the war, Corin grew weary of the toll Salem was taking on his body and on his mind. His back pained; migraines were a daily occurrence, and his focus was disturbed by the severe pain throughout his body: Salem was taking over, and he wasn't sneaky about it either. Corin tried his best to resist the spirit, and he noticed that on the days he had neglected sleep and rest, Salem would flourish and even gain full control at times, even over his body. They had cut all communication off from each other, which made it extremely difficult to anticipate the spirit's intentions.
One day Corin woke up in his ship, Sting; apparently he had fallen asleep before he could remove himself from the cockpit. Suddenly, worming his way into the Warrior's mind, Salem took control of the Corin's body and stepped out of the aircraft, only to reenter another ship, an ARC-170 adjacent to Sting, with the I.D. of Alpha-45-Delta painted on the fuselage. Corin tried to fight the will of the spirit Salem, but either by his own weakness or one induced by exhaustion or even drugs, Corin could not budge the will of the Sith spirit. With mental exhaustion filling him, Corin gave in to his might and was thrust deep into his own soul, and in moments the ship lifted off from the planet Antei, exiting the Antei System, not to be seen there again for another six years.
As the ship exited the Antei System, Corin allowed Salem to consume his mind and take over his body. He wasn't about to sit back and watch his soul get taken over by the Sith spirit, but he waited patiently and wanted to see Salem's intentions first.
The Sith spirit took the bait and took control of Corin, setting the ship's course to the planet Klatooine. As the ship landed somewhere in the Derelkoos Desert, both Corin and Salem felt a great presence in the Force. Exploiting the distraction, Corin fought back with his mind and drove Salem back. But the Sith spirit had other plans for Corin. Gathering what he could of his remaining Force power, Salem latched onto Corin's spirit with all that he had, embedding himself into Corin's soul. In the blink of an eye, the two were no longer two, but one unique spirit. There was no longer a border between Corin and Salem's thoughts, no longer a chasm between their spirits, but everything melded into one seamlessly.
Suddenly Corin's mind was flooded with memories that only Salem knew, knowledge of ancient things and secrets of the Sith. With the memories too, there came pain from Salem's past. Since he had joined the Brotherhood, Corin had focused little on the Force, instead spending his time in saber training. But with Salem's memories also came his ability with the Force, which gave Corin a newfound sense of power and control. His body even exhibited slight change, as he got a little shorter and more muscular and his eyes formed yellow swirls around it's blue irises. He was a new person.
Along with all of this, Corin suddenly had an inexplicable urge to explore the area in search of something only Salem knew as the Fountain of Ancients. The Fountain was nearby, and as Corin approached the area he was assaulted by Klatooinian guards and was forced to take cover. Suddenly, a vicious gunfight ensued, but Corin managed to deflect the blaster fire with his lightsaber. The battle got a lot more complicated as a force-wielder appeared in the area. To this day Corin does not know his name, but remembers him by his distinctive lightsaber that was a pure shade of white, something Corin had rarely seen.
The human Jedi and Sith dueled for what seemed like hours. Their skills were matched, but Corin held the upper hand in his ability with the Force. Finally the two duelists found themselves in a saber-lock. In an attempt to gain the victory, Corin used Force Choke on his opponent, but in the midst of the act, his opponent sliced through the hilt of his lightsaber, bringing his blade up again, severing Corin's right arm in two just below his shoulder.
The injury threw Corin into shock, but not before his opponent drew his last breath, his lungs and organs shutting down. Corin fell to the desert floor unconscious, a few pounds lighter.
What is Love?
- "Those days of conquest are gone; you're not a Warrior anymore, you are a husband! If you love me, you'll be on my side and start acting like one."
- ―Serathiel Nalkethar, Corin's wife.
Serathiel, Corin's wife.
When Corin awoke, he was lying down on a bed in what seemed to be a very humble dwelling. As he stirred and looked over to his missing limb, he couldn't help but smile about the irony of the duelist: you carried a lightsaber and trained by it as your weapon, the tool with which you would conquer, but it was also a dangerous item which at any moment could take your life or limb. The stump that was left of his right arm was bandaged skillfully and bled only a little.
Then there appeared a woman in his midst, a human female of about his same age. She introduced herself as Serathiel, one of the healers in the area. Corin sensed the Force within her, but did not tell her he was a Sith. Her intentions were pure and she cared for Corin for a few days before he was fully healed. Because he had healed so quickly, Serathiel knew he was no mere human, and they quickly began to bond over their commonality with the Force.
During his fight against the Jedi, Corin's old lightsaber had been destroyed. His immediate reaction was to seek out the materials for a new one, but something about his new relationship with Serathiel told him he wasn't quite ready.
While Serathiel was no Jedi, and in fact despised the Jedi Order for their lack of help against the oppression of the Hutts on Klatooine, she possessed abilities that Corin found to be rather powerful, abilities to heal various ailments and cure poisons just with her use of her “arts” as she called them.
Corin was struck with her beauty too, a woman of his own age with sleek black hair, piercing blue eyes, and fair, pure skin. She was fit and quite athletic. For the first time in decades, Corin was falling in love. But within himself was a great conflict. He knew where he belonged, back with the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, but he wished to remain on Klatooine to pursue this woman Serathiel. And so he did. Slowly he began to get to know the woman, and he found within himself once more the ability to love. He eventually revealed to her his true allegiance to the Sith, which she accepted without question. By the following year he and Serathiel were married in secret.
As soon as they were married, Corin and Serathiel took off in the ARC-170 to the planet of Naboo, where Serathiel wanted to live in peace. There, Corin and Serathiel lived happily for many years. During that time, Serathiel worked as a maid in Theed and Corin as a mechanic, using the skills he had learned from Rav, the pirate captain. But, in secret, Corin sought out a local band of mercenaries to do what he did best: kill. For that time, the two were happy with their lives, and Corin was more than ready to settle down and be happy for a change, rather than be ever on the move.
While they lived in Naboo, Serathiel urged Corin to finally get a cybernetic arm so he could be more “normal,” she said. Corin was unwilling to admit his reliance on his right arm, even if he was right handed and performed both his job as a mechanic and an assassin well, but eventually he agreed to it and he had a cybernetic arm fitted and surgically implanted. The arm was made of thin Platinum covered with plastoid, the same material warn by [[starwars:Stormtrooper|stormtroopers, and the arm could withstand minor blaster fire and extreme conditions.
But Corin was no family man, as evidenced by his continuation of assassination, and when the talk of children came into the picture, Corin only fought and disagreed. He argued that their love was enough and that they didn't have to go ahead and add kids into the mix. Eventually he gave in, and to please his wife, agreed to have kids one day. But in his heart, Corin was still opposed to the idea.
For several years they tried to conceive, but it would not happen. At first Serathiel met this with optimism, saying to herself it simply wasn't her time and that the day would come when she would become a mother. But over time, Serathiel began to blame their connection with the Force that was somehow preventing them from having a child. She hastily abandoned her ties with the Force and urged Corin to do the same. Again, in an effort to please her, Corin agreed to relinquish his power, but secretly continued to practice and use the Force.
The Sith Within
34 ABY
- "You are under arrest for suspected involvement in the Dark Side of the Force. Comply peacefully and you shall be judged accordingly."
- ―Jedi Knight Haro Kethaine.
By the year 34, Corin began to long for battle once again and he sorely missed his lightsaber; he missed the rush and the adrenaline of combat, something that even his assassinations could not bring; he want to feel alive again. His job as a mechanic was for a commoner, and he was treated like one, something which Corin had never considered himself since his childhood on [[starwars:Ord Mantell|Ord Mantell]. He was a conquerer, a ruler, a leader, just as the Sith before him. The more he began to long for the life of a Sith, the more the eyes of the locals were upon him. One day,
File:Phoenixship.jpgVarkain's new ship, The Phoenix. the Palace Guards showed up at his workplace, and escorted him to his home. Corin complied, wishing to avoid a conflict until necessary. When they arrived at his home, Corin found Serathiel handcuffed and guarded by a Twi'lek Jedi Knight named Haro Kethaine. Corin questioned what was going on, and the Jedi Knight explained how Serathiel was suspected of being involved in the Dark Side of the Force. Corin was incredulous and confused, not knowing whether to turn himself in or play along with the mistaken Jedi Knight.
Haro questioned Corin, but the Sith used his abilities in the Force to blind the Jedi Knight and confuse his logic. As the Jedi turned back to Serathiel, Corin took his chance and took a hold of the Twi'lek's mind. Seamlessly, he controlled the Knight and forced him to dismiss the guards. As the guards left, Corin's concentration faltered, and Haro regained control of his body, grabbing a hold of Serathiel and quickly igniting his golden lightsaber straight through her chest.
Before the Knight could let go of her lifeless body, Corin pushed Haro back several feet before lunging forward, forcing the lightsaber from the Knight's hands. Corin dug his cybernetic hand into Haro's neck, picking him up before him. Taking the Knight's lightsaber in his left hand, the Sith sliced Haro limb from limb until all was left was a lifeless torso. His revenge had been delivered, but it was too late. Serathiel had died the instant she was stabbed.
Suddenly, Corin was filled with the rage and the hatred he had once known, as a loyal member of the Sith Order. Anger and bloodlust flooded his veins and his mind began to darken again. In a fit of rage, Corin exited his home, cutting every down living thing that was in his path, using Haro's lightsaber. When the guards saw him, he dispatched them without remorse. But the alarm had been raised, and the area was about to get hot. There was nothing left for him in Naboo and he felt a sense of liberation, mixed with anger, hatred, and lust for the blood of the Jedi; lust for revenge. Taking his wife's body, Corin fled Theed, taking with him only his Sith robes and his new, golden-bladed lightsaber.
In his service as a mechanic, Corin had been secretly building a custom starfighter which he named The Phoenix, which was hyperdrive-enabled and held more armament than Sting. Corin held his wife's body close as he lifted off with the one-seater starfighter. Shortly after, he landed in a nearby plain. There Corin took Serathiel's body, built a small pyre and lit a fire underneath it, as was the custom of the Keraci people. As the flames engulfed his wife and began to consume her flesh, a single tear escaped Corin's left eye, the last tear he would ever shed. Corin turned his back to his wife as he wiped the tear from his eye. That point of his life had ended, and he was no longer Corin Nal'kethar, but Varkain Athanas, which was native Keraci for Born of Death, for out of death and destruction, he found his true destiny; he found the Sith within.
DJB Facts
Positions Held
Outstanding Achievements
- Achieved Guardian in less than 3 months after joining the DB.
- Promoted to Jedi Hunter just 3 1/2 months after Guardian.
- Participated in and passed 33 Shadow Academy courses (and counting).
- Earned two Dark Maven Degrees, one in Philosophy and one in History.
Trivia