Vladet Taldrya Xavier

Vladet Xavier is a former Imperial Navy pilot under Grand Admiral Thrawn and Security Officer of the Emperor's Hammer. After twelve years of Imperial service he was expelled from the EH for treason which resulted in him joining the notorious Bounty Hunter's Guild where he discovered his rudimentary Force skills tracking down the scum of the galaxy. He now serves the Dark Jedi Brotherhood in order to develop his new powers and use them to restore Imperial Order to the galaxy.

Character History

Early Life

14 BBY to 4 ABY

Vladet Xavier was born into an upper middle class family in Kor Vella, Corellia. His father, Captain Benedict Xavier was a distinguished Imperial Naval Pilot who flew numerous missions for the newly formed Galactic Empire. Benedict was one of the few TIE Bomber pilots who successfully flew more than ten combat missions without being killed - he was later one of the first test pilots for the Assault Gunboat. Vladet's mother was Lieutenant Natalie Xavier, a nurse in the Imperial Medical Corps. The two met when Benedict was on leave back home on Corellia and they have been together ever since.

There was little doubt what Vladet would be doing in his life, having been trained in the Imperial Military way of life from as long as he could walk. Having access to military flight simulators from age six, he quickly perfected his flying skills. The local Corellian Sector Police (CorSec) unit even allowed Vladet to fly one of their Z-95 Headhunters on occassions, with the unit Commander being very impressed with young Vladet's natural skills.

Vladet applied to the Imperial Naval Academy on Prefsbelt IV in 4 ABY when he turned eighteen years old. Due to his parent's background and qualifications he was admitted without question and accepted to the Academy's two year plan which would allow him to earn a degree. Most Cadets only trained for six months and were immediatly assigned to TIE squadrons around the fleet - Vladet's course of study would allow him to bypass the almost suicidal path of a standard TIE Fighter pilot.

Prefsbelt IV and the Outer Rim

4 ABY to 8 ABY

Vladet and other Cadets training at the Naval Academy on Prefsbelt IV.

Vladet found life at the Imperial Naval Academy facinating and exciting. He had been training on military flight simulators for many years but Vlad also found he had a passion for political debate as well. During his two year's at the Academy he spent his time training in a large variety of TIE starfighters and other ships including transports, freighters, and even some Rebel and pirate starfighters. In addition he recieved officer, leadership, marksmanship, and self-defense training. After two years he graduated with a degree in Imperial Government and Politics and was eligible to serve as an officer aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer. Vladet's passion for flying remained strong during his two years in the Academy and he requested a position in the Imperial Navy's Special Operations division. Due to his record and training, he was assigned to the Nebulan B Frigate Fury as a Lieutenant Commander.

The Fury's mission was to infiltrate pirate groups in the Outer Rim and break them up. This was acomplished with the Fury's two squadrons of starfighters which posed as pirates wanting to join the various organizations located within the Outer Rim. Vladet flew as Squadron Commander for the T-Wing squadron although he was considered a Wing Commander of the Fury's starfighter compliment which also included an R-41 Starchaser squadron. For nearly two years Vladet and his fellow "pirates" broke up dozens of pirate gangs and engaged with various New Republic recon forces who were probing the area.

Although Emperor Palpatine had died at the Battle of Endor, the Fury continued to serve with pride among the Imperial Special Operations division. However, when Ysanne Isard assumed control of the Imperial Military things began to fall apart - supply shipments became less frequent and morale started getting low in the task force. Eventually the level of supplies was so low among the task force, the Fury's escort of four Modular Conveyors were forced to be abandoned and destroyed in order to conserve power. Shortly after, Director Isard ordered the Fury to report to Imperial Center.

With morale on the ship still low, the captain of the frigate considered a change of allegiance to Director Isard. He presented the idea to his senior officers who debated what was best for the Fury since continued service under Director Isard would be their downfall - however, they were all loyal to the Imperial military and working for Warlord Zsinj was not much better. In an interesting turn of events the New Republic invaded Imperial Center forcing Ysanne Isard to flee to Thyferra with her Super Star Destroyer Lusankya. It was enough for the crew to join Warlord Zsinj so the ship set course for his territory.

On the way to meet up with the Warlord's forces, the Fury was suddenly pulled out of hyperspace by the New Republic Interdictor Cruiser Corusca Rainbow. Records indicated that the captain of the Rainbow had defected to the Rebellion just prior to the invasion of Imperial Center which angered the crew of the Fury into a battle. While their starfighters were less superior than the New Republic X-Wings, Vladet's two squadrons easily destroyed the enemy starfighter squadron while the Fury and Rainbow engaged one another with their turbolasers. Just as the Interdictor's shields collapsed, a pair of Alliance strike cruisers hypered into the system and delivered a massive turbolaser assault on the Fury.

With the strike cruisers' starfighter compliment and superior firepower, the Fury was destroyed, but not before taking out one of the Strike Cruisers and forcing the Corusca Rainbow to retreat into hyperspace. Five T-Wings and three R-41s were left from the Imperial forces which managed to drive off the second Strike Cruiser and its fighter compliment. With their ship destroyed and nowhere to go, Vladet and his fellow pilots had a problem.

They made their way to Ession where they managed to get supplied with information about the ongoing conflict between the New Republic and the Galactic Empire. Vladet and his fellow pilots obtained jobs with the Ession Defense Fleet where they flew for a year, observing the fall of Director Isard's hold on Thyferra and the complete takeover of Coruscant. Shortly after, the pilots recieved an anonymous high priority message from the Imperial military. It ordered them to report to a unsettled system within three days. The access codes were higher than anything they had ever seen, so taking a chance they left Ession in a rented Action IV freighter.

The Legacy of Grand Admiral Thrawn

8 ABY to 11 ABY

Grand Admiral Thrawn, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military.

When Vladet arrived at the unknown system in the rented freighter, there was an Imperial Star Destroyer waiting for him. The Identity Friend/Foe (IFF) system of the shuttle tagged the Star Destroyer as the Chimaera. When the pilots landed onboard the Star Destroyer they was escorted to the bridge where they met Captain Gilad Pellaeon. Their meeting was very brief as they were immediatly sent to see the new Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

While they only spoke for ten minutes, Vladet was awed by the Chiss Grand Admiral's intelligence and plans for the Empire. Thrawn was impressed with their record, but warned them not to betray the Imperial Military again, no matter who was in charge - the pilots wondered how Thrawn even knew of their plans prior to the destruction of the Fury which made the Chiss even more impressive. Thrawn asked them if they wanted to serve the Imperial Navy again to which they immediatly agreed. Vladet was assigned as a Flight Leader in the 218th TIE Interceptor "Talon" Squadron stationed aboard the Interdictor Cruiser Stellar Web to prove his loyalty to the Empire. Immediatly following his assignment he was flown to his new ship to start his first Tour of Duty.

Vladet's first combat engagement against the New Republic was two days later when the Stellar Web was assigned along with the Imperial Star Destroyer Death's Hand to trap and destroy a New Republic convoy. While the convoy was successfully destroyed, Vlad's squadron commander was killed in the battle. Due to his impressive amount of kills in the skirmish, he was given command of Talon Squadron. Over the next few months the Stellar Web was deployed in more and more combat engagements against New Republic forces. Vladet was very happy with his new job and was quite pleased when the captain of the Stellar Web promoted him to the full Naval rank of Commander. As the Imperial war machine rolled along, Vladet realized he had found his niche.

Just when the Imperial Military looked ready to defeat the New Republic, Thrawn's personal bodyguard assassinated the Chiss Grand Admiral during the Battle of Bilbringi. While Captain Pellaeon was a very competent officer in Vlad's eyes, he just was not Thrawn. The Imperial Military started suffering loss after loss and was forced to retreat further and further away from the Core systems. Vladet continued to serve under Pellaeon's command, growing more and more dissapointed with the Imperial military but not knowing what else to do with himself.

The Interdictor Cruiser Stellar Web pulling a New Republic reconnaissance group out of hyperspace near Remnant space

Over the next year Vladet flew for the Imperial Navy in a variety of different roles. Following the death of Grand Admiral Thrawn and the retreat of the Imperial fleet from the Core, Vladet participated in many small skirmishes between New Republic and Imperial forces. As the Imperial Remnant fleed further from Coruscant, the number of battles decreased significantly. The Stellar Web saw more combat than any other Interdictor Cruiser in the fleet as it was often paired with Pellaeon's Chimaera in trapping mission of New Republic recon forces. During one battle the Stellar Web suffered major damage from a barrage of proton torpedoes. The Cruiser was sent to a repairyard and Vladet's squadron was transferred to the Imperial Star Destroyer Judicator.

Command of the Imperial Military eventually fell to the Reborn Emperor. After converting New Republic Hero and Jedi Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force, Vladet though things might stabalize for the Galactic Empire although he held doubts about Skywalker. Vader had been Palpatine's servant before Skywalker and had turned on his master and now the son of that very servant was to serve Palpatine? It was still better than the current situation the Empire was in and the Imperial military managed to make a good push towards Coruscant ... until Skywalker and his friends foiled the Empire driving them into retreat once more. Disgusted with how things were going and the constant change of Imperial Command, Vladet resigned his commissioned and began looking for a stable alternative to the Galactic Empire.

Several Imperial Warlords were always looking for experienced officers and soliders, but Vladet did not find any he thought could acomplish their goals of overthrowing the New Republic. Several months later he ran into a handful of Imperial pilots in a bar on the planet of Stornial. They belonged to the Emperor's Hammer TIE Corps, based off of Aurora Prime in the Outer Rim. Vlad had heard offhand that they had possessed a Sovereign-class Star Destroyer and with their growing numbers and constant engagements with New Republic forces, he figured they were worth joining. He accompanied the pilots back to Aurora Prime where he officially joined the Emperor's Hammer.

The Emperor's Hammer

11 ABY to 14 ABY

Vladet flew an Assault Gunboat for the majority of his career in the Emperor's Hammer.

Even though he had to take a rank demotion from (Imperial Navy) Captain to (EH) Lieutenant, Vladet was reasonably happy with his conditions. He served in the Emperor's Hammer for over three years holding a wide variety of positions. He was first assigned to Wing XIII's Valkyrie Squadron, stationed aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Grey Wolf. As a Flight Member there he quickly proved himself by piloting an Assault Gunboat in many combat missions, keeping the New Republic out of Emperor's Hammer space. Vladet was promoted up to the position of Flight Leader in Odin Squadron in Wing XIII before being given command of Crusader Squadron. He served as Crusader Squadron Commander for well over a year and got promoted to the EH Naval rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After stepping down as Squadron Commander, he served a brief stint in the elite Avenger Squadron before recieving a huge promotion to the Emperor's Hammer Command Staff.

Vladet was promoted to the position of fleet Security Officer (CS-9) and the rank of Rear Admiral. He served as the Security Officer for over nine months during which time he introduced many new reforms into the fleet such as creating the new position of Judge Advocate General (JAG) and updating the EH Codes of Conduct, among other things. Near the end of his tenure as Security Officer, Vlad was promoted up to the prestigous Emperor's Hammer rank of Fleet Admiral although it didn't mean much to him. In his high position he noticed the Emperor's Hammer was falling apart. The final straw was when his close friend and mentor Sector Admiral Khameir Sarin was dismissed as the fleet's Executive Officer. Vladet resigned his position shortly after and returned to the line ranks as a Colonel, trying to re-discover the thrill of combat. After a brief command hiatus he was chosen to become the next Wing XIII Commander aboard his old ship the ISD Grey Wolf. His command did not last long.

He recieved a holonet transmission from another old friend, Khadgar, who was starting up a new Imperial remnant on the planet of Archoron. With the Emperor's Hammer disgusting him more each day, Vladet lended his expertise and some personal resources to help the new Imperial Dominion start up. While he knew Grand Admiral Astatine was driving the EH into nothing, Vlad was loyal to the Grey Wolf in which he had served on for all of his EH career (with the exception of his stint as Security Officer, although he visted the Grey Wolf frequently) and was eager to bring the ship back to its former glory. He decided he could still serve "The Home of Legends" while lending support to his friends and their new Imperial organization.

The Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Grey Wolf served as Vladet's home in the Emperor's Hammer for the vast majority of his career there. It was the most active ship in the EH fleet before it was decomissioned. The Grey Wolf was home to Wing XIII, "The Home of Legends" which was home to some of the most famous pilots in EH history.

The Imperial Dominion's infastructure was about halfway complete when news of the new Imperial group reached the ears of Grand Admiral Astatine. The Imperial officers involved in the setup of the Dominion knew they could face expulsion from the Emperor's Hammer for this, given Astatine's unbalanced behavior, but Vladet still carried on with his new Wing Commander responsibilities. The night before he could give an opening address to his Wing, Vladet was in the officer's bar and lounge of the Grey Wolf with his good friend Joey C, who happened to be the newly elected Commodore of the Star Destroyer. After several rounds Vlad recieved an urgent message from some of his contacts around the fleet. During his tenure as Security Officer, Vladet had built up a very large information network inside and outside of the fleet. His contact within the Command Staff office aboard the SSSD Sovereign had alerted him that Astatine had just issued an order to the Intelligence Division and Internal Security Bureau to remove all fleet access for about a dozen individuals all connected with the new Imperial Dominion. Joey and Vlad knew their time was over in the Emperor's Hammer and immediatly started following their emergency contingency plans to escape EH territory. After a farewell shot at the bar they immediatly gathered their personal belongings and fled the Aurora system in their personal transports. One hour later, EH internal security moved in on the ship and created a lockdown. The Grey Wolf and many other ships around the fleet would not recover from this mass expulsion and were decomissioned shortly after.

Arriving in the Archoron system, Vladet felt he needed a new pace of life. He became Brigade Commander of the 1st Archoron Royal Legion Brigade, holding the position of General. After several months he worked his way up to the rank of Field Marshal and led several successful missions against nearby enemy forces (New Republic and Imperial Warlords alike). The New Republic, however, quickly took notice of this new Imperial remnant and moved in to squash it before it could grow to be a threat. The Dominion had not been fully setup yet internally and there were defense vulnerabilities as well as staffing difficulties. Vladet had just returned from a special operations mission when alarm klaxons went off at the Army Headquarters building. A massive New Republic assault force had entered the system and was pulverizing the the outer defense platforms. All fighters and capital ships were sent to meet the New Republic forces but they never stood a chance. The Imperial Dominion was literally destroyed with only a few dozen individuals surviving the battle. Vlad had strapped himself into his personal Assault Transport in order to give the Dominion capital ships some support but it had not been enough to turn the battle. After destroying two Corellian Corvettes and a Mon Calamari MC80 Cruiser with his heavy rocket load, several New Republic fighters took notice of him and chased him away from the battle. He was forced to enter hyperspace before they could destroy him or take him prisoner.

Shadow Hunting

15 ABY to Present

After Vladet escaped from Archoron he only had one other place to go that he had allies; The Lyarna System, home of the reformed Bounty Hunter's Guild. After serving many years as a military officer Vladet struggled with the change, but there were few options available to him - he became a Bounty Hunter. After completing his initial orientation and training, he was assigned to Skylla Kabal where he served for nearly a year. His first hunt to prove himself was against an Emperor's Hammer logistics officer who Vladet successfully captured and brought back to Lyarna. He served the Guild for about ten years until a new calling beckoned him.

Life in the Bounty Hunter's Guild began to slow for him and he was wondering what to do next in his life when he ran into his old friend Khamier Sarin, now known as Dark Jedi Master Aristan Dantes, the Deputy Grand Master of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Dantes offered to refine his dormant Force powers which he had established briefly in the EH's Brotherhood of Dark Jedi. With nothing else to lose and eager to expand his meager Force Sensitive status, Vladet started the next chapter of his life with the Brotherhood.

Character Information

Physical Appearance

Vladet is a fairly lightweight and tall human. He used to wear his black hair very short until he joined the Emperor's Hammer where he let it grow out a little. Having grown up in an Imperial family and serving in the military for a long time he prefers to wear uniforms with a slight military flair. He does not like wearing long robes or any excess amount of clothing so unless it has a paramilitary look, Vlad will most likely not wear it. Even as a Bounty Hunter he always dressed a lot more professionally than his colleagues which drew less attention in more populated areas.

Demeanor

Cold and calculating is what most people would describe Vlad as. Most people who have served with him have rarely seen him smile although once he is off duty he is far more relaxed. While working Vladet demands the best and can seem socially distant although this depends on who he is around. An interesting note is that Vlad does not really like Jedi, Dark or Light. He sees the Force as a tool that can be used to achieve various things, good or bad. Most assume that he merely joined the Brotherhood to expand his powers and use them to start up his own military faction although that is purely speculation.

Posessions

• Personal Ship: Valkyrie

Vladet has flown his modified Ghtroc freighter (Mk. II) for over ten years.

Vladet has flown his modified Ghtroc freighter (Mk. II) for over ten years.

After escaping from the Siege of Archoron in his personal Assault Transport, Vladet joined the Bounty Hunter's Guild where he realized he needed a bigger and more capable craft to assist him in his hunting. After taking apart his custom Assault Transport Fury he began to outfit the hull of a Ghtroc Freighter which he named Valkyrie, after his first and last squadron in the EH TIE Corps.

Vlad flew bombers for a good amount of his flying career so his personal ships tend to rely heavily on a combination of light and heavy weapons which lets the ship engage enemy vessels of just about any size. What he can't fight he can easily survive and outrun until he reaches hyperspace due to heavy shielding. The Valkyrie is constantly modified as often as Vladet can afford it.

Trivia & Miscellaneous

DJB Universe Information

• Highest EH Rank: Fleet Admiral
• Highest ID Rank: Field Marshal
• Highest BHG Rank: Assassin
• Highest DJB Rank: Guardian

Behind the Scenes

The character of Vladet Xavier is about four (4) years old and has undergone many different changes. The name originated with my desire to always have an X in my real life name and thus Xavier was created. Vladimir Xavier did not sound very correct so it was turned into Vladet Xavier which was much more unique than Vladimir (Vladet is pronounced Vla-debt).

Although Xavier's story has changed a fair few times, the basic background of Vladet Xavier has remained the same since his creation. Vladet graduated from the Imperial Naval Academy on Prefsbelt IV and was assigned to a Nebulan B Frigate called Fury. He then joined the Emperor's Hammer after the Fury was ambushed and destroyed. Originally Vlad's father, Benedict, flew a TIE Bomber at the Battle of Hoth but eventually I realized that although it was not technically incorrect, it was sort of far fetched in terms of continuity. Vladet became slightly older to accomodate more continuity and Benedict became a pilot sometime between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope."

Other changes involved staying with the regular Imperial Navy after the Fury's destruction instead of immediatly joining the Emperor's Hammer. Vladet's history was modified again to reflect him joining the Bounty Hunter's Guild and finally the Imperial Dominion and Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Various other changes have been made to fix all continuity errors so the character of Vladet can technically have belonged to all the EH-esque clubs he's been in. There are some gaps to fill which will gradually be expanded as the author gets more time.