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- "I listen very well, that’s why I am smarter than you, and why I will beat you"
- ―Tahlrada
Tahlrada is a tan skinned Zabrak from Iridonia. He was born into a family of very proud Zabrak. Many of the family were well known sith or highly ranked imperial officers. Tahl is a tall and muscled Zabrak with some very unusual physical characteristics. Tahlrada has vibrant green eyes that were very uncommon among his family. On top of his eyes Tahlrada is one of very few Zabrak that have facial hair and eyebrows. He prefers to wear a goatee and never messes with his eyebrows even after his parents pride urged him to keep both shaved off and unnoticeable. Tahlrada couldn’t have cared what the other kids said about him. He had a full beard before he turned 16 and started to groom it to look decent at around his current age. He was the only student to graduate from his academy wearing facial hair in more than six hundred years. His blood was as pure as everyone in his family but he was just an anomaly. Tahlrada’s tattoos were subtle and eloquent and stretched the length of his entire body. His eyes were the most heavily tattooed spot on his body. Even his father was proud of how intense Tahl’s green eyes glared out from the black backdrops of his face and furrowed eyebrows. His glare sent most people running when they approached him to make jests at his facial hair so Tahlrada never saw much physical confrontation throughout his academy years. Tahlrada is also ambidextrous which is rare for a pureblood Zabrak. His facial tattoos were a thick black and mostly comprised of thin vibrant lines that ran the course of his entire body only to avoid the armpits and groin area.
Character History
Tahlrada woke to the tell-tale reveille that his father always played to wake them for school. Tahlrada rolled out of his bunk and landed on his feet. He sat down on the lower bunk and slipped on his boots. He turned around and slapped the sleeping figure on the bottom bunk before tying his boots. The younger Zabrak sat up with a start.
“Whatwhatimup,” Tahlrano looked around, “I’m up.”
“Let’s go,” Tahlrada sighed, “its breakfast time.”
The two brothers shambled their way down the hall to the kitchen. Tahlrada took his seat opposite his older brother who seemed to frequent this house more often after he graduated then while he attended the academy.
Tahlrada’s family servant entered the room carrying food. The young woman was a human that his father had bought at auction a year or so ago. She had vibrant green eyes and jet black hair and her very presence made Tahlrada feel better. Tahlrada would never admit it but he was madly in love with the human and had been cultivating a relationship with her for a few months now that had culminated a week or so before that in a secret kiss between the two.
“So,” Tahlrava looked at Tahlrada, “what courses do you have today?” Tahlrada’s father wasn’t stupid. He knew Tahl’s classes almost better than Tahl did. He also knew today was the end of the semester and because Tahlrada had slaved away at his courses he could graduate a semester early so he wouldn’t have to put up with his father for much longer.
“You know the usual,” Tahlrada played it cool under the gaze of his father who was a trained interrogator and avid supporter of the Galactic Empire. Tahlrada had looked at some recruiting pamphlets but was unimpressed at what the waning empire offered. He met a curious nautolan a few years back who came in search of knowledge of Tahlrada’s grandfather Tahlranis who was a known sith traitor who defected to the light side and formed his own Jedi circle. Tahlrada could still remember a few of his grandfather’s lessons before the man fell to the light side. Tahlrada wasn’t even sure if his grandfather was still alive at that point. Tahlrada would eventually encounter him if he joined any side of this galactic confrontation.
The nautolan had a dark blue tint to his skin and a glint of rage and hatred in his eyes. The curious looking nautolan wore blue and black attire and introduced himself as an envoy of the Dark jedi brotherhood to his father. The meeting visibly took its toll on his father who Tahlrada remembered was furious at the curious looking alien. Tahlrada remembered speaking with the man later on in private about his organization and Tahlrada’s curiosity was peeked. The man explained that his organization was very open about partnerships and that they really didn’t mind the fact.
Tahlrada looked at his father who was staring intently at his son.
“I have been talking with the recruiters down at the station,” Tahlrada saw the joy come over his father’s face, “but.”
“But what?” Tahlraga pipped up from across the table.
“How about you shut up Tahlraga before me and Tahlrano beat you to death,” one of Tahlrada’s pet peeves was his older brother. Everything about him screamed their father and it infuriated Tahl. Neither of the younger brothers could stand being around their older brother. For all his bluster and bravado he had never left the planet. He had joined the planetary defense force in hopes to rise through the ranks.
“Like I was saying,” Tahlrada shot his older brother a glare that was returned with equal intensity, “I am going down there to look over the paper work for enlistment after school today.”
“Good,” the smile on Tahlrava’s face could have been seen from space. The rest of breakfast was filled with small talk on what jobs Tahlrada was looking at. Finally it had to be brought up.
“I am also thinking of taking the force sensitivity test today and see how I score,” you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Tahlrada’s father was a fickle man. He loved the empire but didn’t see the purpose in force users in the galactic empire. “I scored decently last year and you decided that I was too young for the Sith to come recruiting me for their training, I have decided that if the sith offer a better set of skills and pay that I will go that route but if the Galactic Empire puts up a better offer then I will go that route.”
“Son,” Tahlrava shot his son a glare, “if I didn’t send in false records of that test you would have been drug off by the Sith to some experimental facility to be used as a guinea pig in their personal wars between each other.”
“Father,” Tahlrava went quiet, “this is my choice, like how Tahlraga would rather stay around home and be a vagabond fighting for your attention even after he graduated.” The insults were heard loud and clear by the entire family and multiple servants. Tahlrano had to actually work to stifle a giggle that drew a glare from Tahlraga. “Anyway father, Tahlrano and I have to head out. We can talk about it tonight when I get home ok.” Tahlrava conceded defeat and offered his son a smirk and a nod.
Tahlrada left the table and made his way to his room where his bag was. His little brother ran past him with Tahlraga fast in pursuit with a blob of breakfast splattered across the side of his face. Tahlrada couldn’t help but laugh at his brothers as they ended up in the atrium wrestling over the dispute. Tahlrada was not looking forward to tonight when he had planned to flee his home with the Human servant. Tahlrada entered his room where Keera was waiting for him. She approached him with bag in hand and planted a kiss on his lips that centered Tahlrada’s troubled mind.
“I needed that,” Tahlrada offered her a smile before planting a one on her lips in return, “make sure you pack all the stuff I told you to.”
“Yes Roddy,” Keera’s nickname for Tahlrada always put a smirk on his face, “I have it all packed and hidden away, ready to go.”
“See you when I get back tonight.” Tahlrada stole one more kiss from the beautiful woman.
“Lets go homo!” Tahlrano bellowed up the stairs, “you’re going to make us late damn it!”
“I’m coming,” Tahlrada slid down the banister to the atrium landing before he broke into a sprint out the door to his speeder waiting outside. After the two brothers shot of down the street and up into the speeder lanes Tahlrano turned off the music before looking at Tahlrada.
“So are we really going through with it?” Tahlrano offered Tahlrada a concerned look.
“Yes,” Tahlrada could see the worry and concern in his brothers stare, “don’t worry it’s all set up and ready, this time tomorrow all three of us will be well out of this galaxy before our father can even raise his voice in dismay.”
School that day went as well as it could have. Tahlrada spent most of his afternoon finishing up final exams and getting them scored. He saw his brother a few times in front of the dean’s office standing next to some poor sap who Tahlrano had a problem with. He seemed to be making the most of his last day in this slave driving academy.
“Here you go sir,” Tahlrada handed the finals proctor his final exam on Iridonian history and waited for him to score it.
“Highest marks again Tahlrada your father should be really proud. Your brother will be angered at the thought that you outdid every one of his records set at this academy in one less year than he did.”
“Thank you Proctor Tennel, it has been fun but I am glad I wont ever have to see this place again.”
“Really, big plans after the academy?”
“Yes sir, probably the Empire but I am taking the force sensitivity test at the recruiting station after I leave here.” The old proctor offered a smirk and a nod before he spoke.
“Well good luck in your endeavors, you are officially graduated from this advanced studies academy.”
Tahlrada waited for about an hour for his younger brother to be released from the Academy’s detaining cells for his blatant throttling of the dean of students.
“You couldn’t have kept it somewhat on the down low could you?” Tahlrano offered him a shrug before he jumped into the passenger seat of the speeder. The sped off from the academy with laughter on their lips and joy in their hearts. If all went well they would never return to that school.
Tahlrada entered his home as he returned home from his final day of class. Tahlrano slumped in behind him knowing the earful he would catch for his shenanigans at school. Tahlrada stopped as he came into the main room where his father was sitting at the family table. Tahlrada looked around and saw men in different points in the room. Tahlrada knew all the men that were in the room with his father. Tahlrada knew exactly what this was about and he had prepared to face this but only as a worst case scenario.
"So son," Tahlrada's Father said as he looked up from the datapad before him, "I may not pay that much attention but your brother pays too much attention to the goings on around here."
"Well isn't that heartwarming," Tahlrada shot back sarcastically, Tahlrada could feel his anger boiling up. “I thought I told you I was going down and enlisting.”
"Do not talk back to me son," Tahlrada's father.
"Don't call me that like you actually are a father to me," Tahlrada shot back at the lean looking Zabrak, "You have never been a father to me, all you ever did was spoil that bitch of a brother of ours and ignore us." Tahlrada motioned to himself and Tahlrano who was standing a few paces behind him.
"Whatever you may think about me, you know where this family stands on graduates," Tahlrada's father said as he maintained his cold demeanor, "You will accompany me and my friends to the Imperial Recruitment station and enlist in the Imperial military I am not going to let your crush on a human jeopardize your future."
Tahlrada’s heart fell into his stomach as a large man stepped aside to show the badly beaten and shackled Keera. Tahlrada looked at the big man who was smiling menacingly.
“Was it you,” Tahlrada pointed at the big man who offered a tell tale grin, “you have forfeit your life.” In the time the conversation had erupted Tahlrano had ran down the hallway and into their fathers study. He easily cracked the safe combination and retrieved a small metal cylinder from the depths of it. He came into the room a few seconds after Tahlrada’s threat and placed the cylinder in his hand from behind before he took off sprinting out the front door. Tahlrada looked down at his hand at the small metallic cylinder. Three of the men before Tahlrada ignited red light batons used in riot control and on unruly inmates by the authorities. The thing they didn’t realize was this was a lightsaber. Specifically it was his grandfather’s lightsaber that he had left to be handed down to whoever in the family showed force sensitivity. Tahlrada ignited the deep emerald blade and gave it a few spins.
“How dare you!” the entire room froze as they looked back at Tahlrava. He hated his father and lightsabers, yet he could never dispose of his last memories of his father. Tahlrada gave the saber a few more quick spins before he charged the big man with lightsaber in hand. Two of the men tried to attack him head on and it ended with them cut down on the floor. The entire room went silent again as a crooked grin spread across Tahlrada’s face. The last man with the light baton came in hard at Tahlrada’s back. He came at the Zabrak with a downward slash that stopped midway suddenly. The man’s face twisted into a grimace before he fell to the floor next to the other two assailants. Tahlrada was now squared up with the man that had laid his hands on Keera.
With a swift jab of the lightsaber the confrontation came to an end before the man could try to react to the attack. The stupid look of bravado and arrogance still on his face as his lifeless body fell to the floor. Tahlrada shot the other men a look that caused them all to freeze where they stood. One of the men actually vomited from the stare. Tahlrada cut the shackles on Keera’s ankles and wrists before making his way to the doorway to the room where Tahlrano had just sprinted by with a bag in each hand and one strung over his shoulder.
"You brought this on yourselves father," Tahlrada said as he slowly backed out of the room. He was stopped by a voice behind his father.
"You will regret doing this little brother,” Tahlraga stepped from the small crowd, “See father, I told you he would betray our family if we kept that dark haired bitch around."
Tahlrada went to charge his brother but Keera’s hands tightening on his arm stopped him dead in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at Keera and she gave him a look before speaking, “We need to go Roddy, they have most likely called friends to detain us we need to go.” Tahlrada offered her a nod of agreement as they began slowly backing out towards the door. The group seemed to flow with them as they left they stayed just out of distance from an attack but enough for their overwhelming presence to be known. As Tahlrada got to the open door he offered a smile and exited slamming the door and barring it with a metal bar that his brother had set next to the door.
Tahlrada turned and began sprinting across the landing pad to his speeder. Tahlrano was already in the backseat awaiting the two. Tahlrada landed in the speeder as he deactivated his grandfather’s lightsaber. He looked back at the door to see his father looking out of the windows
“Hey we need to get moving bro,” The young Zabrak piped up.
“I know Tahlrano,” Tahlrada looked back over his shoulder where he saw his older brother come out of a window onto the landing, “let’s get out of here Tahlrano.” The speeder jumped into motion as his brother came up to the speeders bumper.
The speeder roared to life and jolted as they accelerated off of the landing pad and into traffic. Tahlrada knew his father’s men would be out in force to try and stop him but it wouldn’t work.
“Go!” Tahlrada’s father yelled at his men “scrapes and bruises only!” The men jumped on speeder bikes and speeders that they had parked out front.
“Tahlrava where do you think your son is going?” One man asked Tahlrada’s father.
“He is trying to escape the city and get off planet,” Tahlrava replied, “Get a hold of everyone and lock down the city. No one leaves.”
As the trio rounded a corner Tahlrada brought the speeder to a stop and aimed the speeder down the street towards the city limits. It was a one kilometer straight shot of deserted street the lead to the outskirts of the town. The two young Zabrak tossed nods to each other as they unloaded everything and Tahlrada flipped the accelerator to the speeder and sent it careening down the street at top speed. Both boys sat back in the alleyway and watched as the entirety of his father’s press gang blew by. Tahlrada nodded to his younger brother and Keera as they made their way farther into the alley. The two Zabrak and the human girl came to an abandoned building where a small transport shuttle was waiting. There was a small crew of three standing around with blaster pistols drawn as the group entered the building.
“Its about time you swamp rats showed,” A tall female human said with a smile, “I was wondering if you would ever show.”
“We need to get going ma’am,” Tahlrano said as he dropped the bag his brother had packed for him into the transport, “What are we waiting for.”
“For the rest of my pay,” the woman said with a clever smile.
“What do you mean ‘the rest’; I already paid you in full!” Tahlrano’s anger and frustration could be heard in his voice.
“Tahlrano, what’s wrong?” Tahlrada said as he entered the small shuttle and deposited his and Keera’s bag on the floor.
“She said she is waiting for the rest of her pay.”
“I didn’t sign up for this attention so my fee has gone up since you didn’t let me know I was going to have to hide from Imperial press gangs that would be pursuing you.” Tahlrada sighed and knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with arguing with the mouthy human.
“Here,” Tahlrada produced all the credits he had left and handed them to her, “Is that enough for the added trouble?” The woman counted it and nodded.
“This will have to do.” She shot Tahlrada a suspicious look that was met by Tahl’s brick wall of a glare.
The three men that had been standing guard clambered into the small shuttle. They worked fervently to batten down the hatches before taking their seats in front of the trio. Shortly after that the shuttle lifted off the ground and the left the planet of Iridonia it docked with the smugglers ship and offloaded its cargo.
“Welcome to the Sovereign,” The woman paused as she showed off the ship to the group, “He may be hard on the eyes but if you show him love he will get you wherever you want to go.”
The trio’s voyage was mainly filled with chores and the random drinking contest between the men that manned the Sovereign. Along with the everyday stuff Tahlrada and Keera’s relationship had cultivated to more extra-curricular activities. Their love for each other was evident among the crew and none of the crew of the Sovereign approached the attractive human out of respect for her Zabrak lover. Time flew fast for the group as the ship made its way to Sepros.
Present day
As they entered the system Tahlrano pulled his older brother aside.
“Hey bro, I got to tell you something,” Tahlrano seemed nervous to his older brother and it took him some time to get to the point.
“Well spit it out bro,” Tahlrada looked at his brother with concern.
“The captain offered me a permanent part of the crew with a cut and everything,” Tahlrano smiled at his older brother.
“Okay.” Tahlrada replied with surprise smeared all over his face. He had a feeling in his gut that told him that this wasn’t his little brother asking him.
“And I took the offer.” Tahlrada went to argue but saw the look in his brother’s eyes and conceded defeat and didn’t argue with his brother. Instead he just chuckled and looked deep into his brother’s eyes.
“Is this what you really want bro?”
“It is for now,” Tahlrano said with a smile, “Don’t worry about me you are trying to join that dark jedi group, at least I will be safe on this ship.” The tears that welled up in Tahlrano’s eyes betrayed his true feelings. Tahlrada felt a knot in his stomach as he smiled and looked his brother in the eyes.
“I will always love you bro, don’t get into too much trouble out here,” Tahlrada could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.
“And you keep your head down big bro, give whoever hell,” tears began to roll down his little brothers face as Tahlrada pulled him in for a big hug. A few minutes later a call came over the comm system for Tahlrada and Keera to come to the shuttle.
Tahlrano accompanied the couple to the planet surface where they came into the Sepros Spaceport, after they were finally cleared to offload two passengers instead of three. Tahlrada got up and grabbed his bag before turning to his brother to give him one more hug. Neither Zabrak said a word as they pulled away from each other and looked into one another eyes. It was an unspoken promise to stay safe between the two brothers.
Tahlrada exited the shuttle and walked up to the customs officer and put his bags on the floor next to him. Keera followed suit and placed her bags next to Tahlrada's bag. Tahlrada presented the man with his papers and a smile. The man looked over Tahlrada’s paperwork and looked at his screen after he scanned it. He smiled back to Tahlrada and waved him through. The process was repeated for Keera whom Tahlrada had attained forged documents from the smuggler captain. At the next desk two customs officers went through their luggage and electronically signed his papers with a seal of Sepros. Tahlrada then continued on to the Spaceport bar where the couple sat down at the bar and enjoyed a quick drink.
“So how do you like your freedom Keera?” Tahlrada smiled at the black haired woman.
“Loving it,” She offered a smile and a kiss. Her gaze was caught by something behind Tahlrada which caused him to spin quickly with his grandfather’s lightsaber in hand. Tahlrada had fashion a custom holster for it to fit under his armpit and out of site under his heavy coat. The emerald blade erupted from the worn hilt and was met by another emerald blade held by a dark blue skinned nautolan.