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- "I did some terrible things during the war, things that still haunt me."
- ―Torin on his time in the war for New Tython
A native son of the Clan Odan-Urr homeworld New Tython Torin Ardell is the son of a former Imperial Scout Trooper who escaped the Empire during the Battle of Endor and a Melewati woman originally from the Outer Rim planet Delrakkin. A crack shot with a rifle from the age of thirteen he fought alongside his father against the forces of Cy Thuron and the New Dawn before being discovered as Force sensitive by the Jedi of Odan-Urr.
Character History
2 ABY-14 ABY
The story of Torin Ardell begins 12 years before his birth on the planet Corulag where a young man named Korbin Ardell volunteered for service within the Imperial Armed Forces. Raised on a farm he hated Korbin saw the Empire as a way to get away from the place. As he entered basic training he discovered a talent for shooting, so good was Korbin that he was fast tracked into the Imperial Scout Trooper training program.
For the next few years Korbin served on various planets across the galaxy but he was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the growing atrocities committed by the Empire and began to give serious consideration to simply abandoning his post and fleeing to the Outer Rim. His opportunity came while he was stationed on the forest moon of Endor. As the Rebel’s attacked the shield generator and the Death Star being built in orbit above Korbin raced for the shuttle port and “acquired” one of the Lambda class shuttles sitting idle on the landing pad.
As he flew through the battle raging in space the stolen shuttle shuddered under a near constant barrage of near misses. As the ships nav computer calculated a jump towards the Outer Rim the ship shook violently, a muffled bang emanating from the rear. As the nav computer chirped Korbin threw the hyperspace switch and sat back as the ship blasted into hyperspace. Leaning back in the pilot’s jumpseat he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.
The scream of a warning alarm brought him back to consciousness moments before the ship began to shudder violently and dropped out of hyperspace. Reading the damage report he saw that the hyperdrive had been damaged, probably during his escape from Endor. Consulting the ships nav computer he discovered that he was close to the edge of the Yhi System but at his current speed it would take him far longer to get to a habitable planet than he had supplies. He couldn’t stay there and he knew it so he began to formulate a plan. Ripping open the console he disabled the nav computers safety’s and began to calculate a quick jump to the only inhabited planet in the system, Harakoa.
As the computer was doing its calculations he headed into the back and did what he could to repair the hyperdrive unit. An hour later he was ready to try the jump to Harakoa so, with fingers crossed, he flipped the switch and held his breath as nothing happened. He flipped the switch again and again nothing happened. Flipping the switch a third time he felt the shuttle shudder a few times before the ship burst into hyperspace for a few moments before reverting to real space, Harakoa looming large in his viewport.
Suddenly the shuttle was rocked by an explosion, Korbin doing his all to fight the controls as he entered the atmosphere. He was going to crash and he knew it but he had no way of stopping it so, strapping himself in he tried to glide the shuttle in as gently as he could. As the trees of a dense forest rushed up to meet him Korbin closed his eyes and held his breath as the shuttle slammed into tree after tree before hitting the ground and skidding to a halt, the sudden stop whipping Korbin’s head into the seat knocking him out.
Sometime later he woke to find himself staring at a roof made of animal hides stretched taut over a wooden frame, his head feeling like a herd of banthas were stampeding within. As he tried to get up off the bed a voice outside his vision told him not to move and that he had a concussion and several cracked ribs. For the next few weeks he lay in bed, recuperating from his injuries and learning about the people who had come to his rescue. They called themselves the Melewati and they had come to New Tython just over a year ago and had managed to carve out a home for themselves in the forests and hills of the eastern mountain range.
During his recuperation he got closer to the young woman responsible for his care. Her name was Sarisa Eldin and she’d come to New Tython with her family to escape persecution at the hands of the Empire. Initially weary of Korbin due to his apparent support of the Empire the two eventually became a couple and married two years after Korbin crash landed. For the next few years they tried to expand their family but for some unknown reason Sarisa could never seem to carry a child to term. Despite this the pair were inseparable, often leaving home for days or weeks at a time to live off the land, trading with the native Harakoan tribes when the need arose.
14 ABY-36 ABY
About ten years into their marriage Sarisa became pregnant again however unlike the previous times she managed to carry the child to term, giving birth to a healthy baby boy they named Torin after Sarisa’s father. The family was happy as Torin grew from a mischievous young boy to a strong, determined teenager but that happiness wasn’t to last. During one of the family’s sojourns into the forest Sarisa was bitten by a banded ridgeback, a venomous snake native to the eastern mountain ranges. Too far from home to get help Korbin and Torin could do little more than keep her comfortable as she slowly succumbed to the snake’s venom.
With Sarisa’s death Torin and his father began to spend more and more time wandering the forests and hills eventually leaving the village they’d called home for the last ten years, building a small cabin in a valley high in the mountain range. During this time Korbin taught his son everything he knew about shooting, hunting, tracking and how to survive alone in the wild. The pair would hunt during the day, often trading meat and fur to the Harakoans for fish or fruits and vegetables they’d collected from the jungle.
They survived in relative piece for the next few years, occasionally hearing rumours of discontent from the planet’s capital Menat Ombo however they paid it little mind as the city was far from their small home. That all changed the day the father and son returned from a hunting trip to find their cabin in flames, the perpetrators still lingering around the smouldering ruins. Telling his son to keep still and open fire when he gave the signal Korbin hunkered down and quickly made his way to a spot a hundred meters or so to Torin’s right, taking cover among a small cluster of boulders.
As Torin aimed down the scope of his rifle he could clearly see the features of the man in his crosshairs. He was young, perhaps four or five years older than Torin, with dark messy hair and a shaggy unkempt beard. Just as he was contemplating why these men had chosen to burn down their home Korbin’s rifle screamed to life punching a fist sized hole into the chest of one of the men. Less than a second later Torin squeezed the trigger, the round flying from his barrel and into the young man’s skull in a fraction of a second. It was the first time he’d taken another person’s life but he had little time to contemplate the fact as there were four other men that needed to be put down. With a steady hand Torin lined up another target and fired, the bullet striking his next target in the neck soliciting a gurgling sound from his target as he fell to the ground. In the meantime his father had dropped two of the remaining three men before he rose, his rifle pointed at the lone survivor screaming at him to drop his weapon.
As Torin and his father approached the survivor Korbin demanded to know who the man was and why he burned down their home. Through tears and begging the man told the father and son that he was a mercenary from the Alpha's Omega Company under the employ of the new king of New Tython Cy Thuron. He and his squad had been ordered into the eastern mountain ranges and the surrounding forests to find and deal with the Harakoans and Melewati in the area. As the survivor finished speaking Korbin pulled his pistol from its holster and fired, the red bolt forming a valley in the man’s skull. In shock at what his father had done Torin didn’t hear his father at first but after he felt his father grab his shirt and shake him Torin snapped back to reality. Korbin told his son to get back to their old home and warn them of what was coming while he headed for the nearby Harakoan villages to warn them and that he would meet Torin at the village in two days’ time.
36 ABY-38 ABY
For the next few months Torin, his father and the Melewati bushfighters engaged the forces of the New Dawn and their mercenary allies in a brutal guerrilla war. One of their favourite tactics was to send a scout forward of the main force who would take a shot at an approaching group of enemy soldiers before turning tail and running back toward the rest of his squad, drawing the enemy forces into a trap where they were gunned down by Melewati marksmen lying in wait.
However, as tends to happen in war, tragedy struck about eight months into the war. While on a patrol with his father the pair was ambushed by New Dawn soldiers. Pinned down by a hail of blaster fire Korbin screamed to his son to run. When Torin didn’t move Korbin grabbed a handful of his son’s shirt and pushed him away as he raised his rifle and opened fire. Torin took off into the jungle, tears streaming down his face as the sound of blaster fire reverberated throughout the trees. He’d been running for a while when he realised that he could no longer hear the sound of blasters. Debating with himself about whether to turn back or find help Torin chose the latter option and ran for the nearest Melewati camp.
A few hours later Torin and a group of twenty Melewati soldiers found Korbin dead, hanging by his wrists from a high branch, his throat cut. Torin let out an anguished scream and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Once he’d been cut down Korbin’s body was cremated, his ashes spread throughout the forest according to Melewati customs. With the death of his father Torin’s moral compass, so often guided by his father, lost its bearing as he became increasingly more violent in his dealings with the enemy. Often he would sneak into enemy camps alone in the dead of night and cut the throat of a single soldier, leaving them to be found the next morning by their frightened comrades. During large scale engagements he would wound a single enemy then pick off his comrades as they came to assist.
When the Jedi of Odan-Urr returned to reclaim their home from the New Dawn and its leader Cy Thuron Torin, along with a contingent of Melewati snipers led by High Melewati Chieftain Reikan Farris, joined them in the fight to free New Tython from Thuron’s despotic rule. As city after city fell to the liberating armies of the Odan-Urr Jedi and their allies the forces of the New Dawn and their mercenary allies fell back to the capital city of Menat Ombo to make their final stand. As the Jedi of Odan-Urr and their Harakoan allies made camp a few miles outside the city preparing for the next day’s battle Torin and his fellow Melewati had a different mission. They had been tasked by the Jedi to infiltrate the city and set up observation and overwatch posts throughout the city. In teams of two the Melewati made their way through the dark city deftly avoiding the patrolling enemy troops.
Torin was paired with a young woman named Kiera Sallian. The pair had been friends since they were children which led to a romantic relationship in their teenage years, however they had lost touch after Torin and his father left the village to make a home for themselves in the mountains. They had been tasked with reaching the rooftop of a small apartment block on the eastern edge of the city, their mission to provide covering fire for the invading force. As they made their way through what was supposed to be an abandoned building they could hear the sound of voices above them.
Slowly scaling the stairs they could see a light coming from an open doorway a few feet from their current position. Silently they made their way to the open door where Kiera snuck a peek inside revealing three men sitting around a small portable cooker chatting and laughing amongst themselves. The closest two had their backs to the door while the third had a perfect view of anyone coming in but these men needed to be dealt with or their mission would fail before it had even begun.
Looking around Torin could see pieces of fallen plaster from the walls and roof spread across the ground. After picking a decent sized chunk up off the floor he and Kiera moved further back down the hallway before Torin threw the chunk at the wall, the knock echoing down the hall. A few moments later he could hear a pair of boots coming down the hallway as one of the guards came to investigate the noise. With hunting knife in hand Torin sprang around the corner slamming the blade deep into the man’s chest, his hand clamping over the surprised man’s face to prevent him from screaming. As the life faded from his eyes Torin lowered the man’s body silently to the ground before he and Kiera moved back to the doorway.
With only two men left the two Melewati rushed them, their blades drawn to kill the men as silently as possible. As they charged the two remaining guards Torin realised they probably should have planned their attack better as the man he was attacking parried his thrust and threw him across the room like it was nothing. With his head ringing Torin rose gingerly to his feet as the giant of a man closed on him, his huge hands clenched into huge fists ready to give Torin a huge beating. Spitting blood from his mouth Torin readied himself for battle when a look of utter astonishment crossed the big man’s face before he fell forward landing square on his face, the handle of Kiera’s knife protruding from the base of his skull.
Torin was about to cut the tension with an idiotic quip when a strange feeling came over him. Rushing forward he tackled Kiera to the ground just as a hail of blaster fire erupted from the now open doorway of the apartment’s bathroom scything through the space once occupied by the young woman. Almost before he could think Torin flicked his wrist, his hunting knife flying unerringly toward its target. The blade entered the unseen assailant’s chest just below his heart, killing him almost instantly. Torin asked Kiera if she was alright before helping her to her feet. As the two reached the rooftop they prepared themselves for what they hoped would be the final battle of the war for New Tython. After securing the rooftop they made their way back down through the building laying traps for any unexpected guests that may wander inside. Once done they made their way back to the roof where, as they lay their staring at the stars, Torin realised he still had feelings for Kiera. He made a silent vow to himself then that, should they both survive, he would do his best to rekindle their romance.
The next day as a sea of blue skinned warriors entered the city, Odan-Urr Jedi at their head, Torin and Kiera picked off snipers and gun emplacements from the rooftops and windows of the surrounding buildings. As the Harakoans swept through the city Cy Thuron was confronted by Liam Torun. After a brief confrontation which weakened Thuron he was killed by Mirus Hi'ija. With the war won the Harakoan and Melewati forces retreated from the city to celebrate. As the Melewati sat around a large bonfire singing songs and drinking heavily the Jedi began to wander from fire to fire thanking each group for their efforts in retaking the city and planet from the tyranny of Cy Thuron.
As he was chatting quietly with Kiera Torin felt a light hand on his shoulder. Turning his head he saw a lavender skinned Togruta woman, a slight smile on her face. She introduced herself as A'lora Kituri before asking if she could speak with him for a moment in private. Following the Jedi a short way from the fire she asked him a few questions before revealing to him that, as she walked among the fires, she could sense the presence of a Force sensitive person. This feeling had led her to Torin and she believed that with training he may be able to manipulate the Force. Torin was in shock, standing there with his mouth agape, when Kiera walked over to find out what was wrong. Telling her everything she thought for a brief moment before telling him that if he didn’t seize the opportunity with both hands he’d regret it for the rest of his life. Knowing she was right he agreed to undergo testing and join the Jedi of Odan-Urr.
A week later Torin arrived at the Arca Praxeum to begin his Jedi training. It was slow going for a while as the skills required to be a Jedi came slowly to Torin but eventually under the watchful eyes of the teachers he began to flourish. After a few months his initial training was complete and he was placed under the tutelage of the Wookiee Jedi Salbecca, the two quickly becoming good friends. During his time away Odan-Urr had undergone a leadership change as A’lora Kituri took over from Liam Torun. With A’lora now leading Odan-Urr the Melewati Bushfighters required a new militia captain and due to the fact that he was one Torin was seen as the ideal replacement. The appointment has been met with everything from cautious optimism to outright disgust.