- "'In the right place, a single candle can hold back the night. I'm just trying to make the galaxy a little brighter before I die."
- ―Tarvitz
Ka Tarvitz is a Human male and a recent addition to the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Sired by Alderaanian survivors, he was raised by the Jensaarai and taught their ways, serving first as an Apprentice and then a Defender. Despite being a devoted believer in their teachings, he proved to be extremely reluctant to draw upon the raw aggression which balanced the Light against Dark, and constantly questioned their insular role within the universe.
Eventually joining several like-minded Defenders, he set out to visit a number of distant worlds to return with word of rumoured galactic events which could threaten them. This, combined with their self-appointed role of recovering lost Jedi relics, eventually brought him to the worlds ruled by the Brotherhood, and into conflict Clan Odan-Urr while investigating New Tython's destruction. Despite their initial hostilities, Tarvitz quickly pledged himself to their service upon realising the threat which beset the Jedi. Honing his abilities under the guidance of Edgar Drachen, he proved his worth to the Clan and currently stands at the rank of Peacekeeper.
Character History
Lost Heritage (1 ABY - 8 ABY)
- "I can't say I had much of a childhood, but quite frankly I was fortunate to have one at all."
- ―Tarvitz
Like many of his comrades, Tarvitz was taken in by the Jensaarai at an early age. Unlike them, he was brought to their world in an act of desperation. Both of his parents had been freighter pilots operating a small scale shipping corporation centered upon Alderaan. Focusing primarily upon sprint-trades between a number of worlds across the Core, their activities had been all but crippled by the planet's destruction. Quickly robbed of their fortunes and driven away from more prosperous opportunities by old rivals, in a matter of mere months they had been left with little more than an aging bulk freighter to their name.
The ruins of Alderaan As they became increasingly desperate for credits, the two arrived on on Susevfi and sought out the infant Tarvitz's grandparents. Seeking to leave him in their care for a time, they outlined the vaguest hints of a risky but highly profitable plan capable of restoring their fortunes. Whilst unwilling or unable to divulge anything beyond the most basic facts, they nevertheless managed to secure their support, promising that they would return within a few days.
Several messages were received in the week that followed, suggesting that their mysterious task was going according to plan, before all contact was lost entirely. As weeks turned into months and still no word came, several fruitless attempts were made to track down their vessel. Each amounted to nothing, only learning that they had last been seen making for the very fringes of the Outer Rim before seemingly disappearing entirely. With no other choice, his grandparents took full custody of Tarvitz, raising him as best they could.
Tarvitz's upbringing proved to be turbulent, thanks in no small part to his adventurous nature. Often told of Alderaan's lost beauty, and the supposedly shining beacon of the Core, he forever imagined that there was a better world far above him; that some verdant paradise lurked beyond the harsh wilderness of his home. While several dangerous encounters with the local wildlife gradually curbed his innate curiosity, Tarvitz was nevertheless left with a a highly idealized view of the Core, and the constant sense of something better always lurking just beyond his reach. It was, perhaps, for this reason that any questions of his past always focused upon the home he had never seen rather than the parents he had never known.
However, Tarvitz's life proved to be neither quiet nor simple. Before even reaching his eighth year, it became clear that he retained a strong connection with the Force, often manifesting uncontrolled shades of his true potential. Though his grandparents were at first capable of keeping him in line, it became increasingly obvious that he was in desperate need of guidance to control his developing powers. Knowing there was no alternative, Tarvitz was reluctantly given to the Jensaarai so he might be trained in their ways.
Apprentice (9 ABY - 18 ABY)
A Difficult Path
Tarvitz's formative years among the Jensaarai were far from easy. Old by the standards of their recruits, he lacked the innate focus and basic lessons which had been drilled into them from the day they could walk. Barely keeping up with those who should have been his equal, Tarvitz often found himself falling short of objectives time and time again during training seasons. Matters were made worse thanks to a growing distrust for his new tutors, and an almost outright refusal to follow certain aspects of their Creed. Although initially welcoming of their guidance, their seemingly constant scrutiny of his abilities, and attempts to heighten his aggression, made him reluctant to put his faith in their lessons.
Tarvitz was only saved from total failure after he was encouraged to embrace a more unorthodox approach to their lifestyle. Following an especially humiliating loss to another trainee during a training duel, the observing Defender offered him a few choice words of advice: "If you find yourself in a fair fight, it's because you played to your enemy's strengths." While largely made in jest, it was nevertheless enough to force Tarvitz to reevaluate his abilities.
Unable to match the innate skill in lightsaber combat or ballistakinesis displayed by other Apprentices, he began almost ignoring them entirely. Instead he began pestering, begging or in one particular case even bribing older Defenders to help focus his efforts upon mastering the subjects ahead of them. While others of his age learned how to wield the weapons of their organisation, Tarvitz pushed to understand how they were forged and maintained. While other Apprentices were taught the finer points of hand to hand combat, Tarvitz studied the details of piloting a gunship into battle. He was by no means a star prodigy in any role but, in taking to these subjects far earlier than others of his age, Tarvitz found he had enough of an edge to stand as an equal to other Apprentices.
With this personal success Tarvitz began to more openly ignore areas he was failing in, seeking to instead bolster skills he had a natural affinity for, or could begin on an even footing with others. Leaning that he could overcome his failings with ingenuity, he focused upon developing fighting techniques capable of nullify the natural advantages of others rather than simply contesting them, and leveling the playing field as best he could.
This was most evident during training duels, where he began using slight bursts of telekinesis to keep his opponents of balance or reversing their strikes, often timing pushes to work against key moves of the styles they practiced in. Even going so far as to frequently abandon his training lightsaber in place of more commonplace weapons, Tarvitz came to favour physical blades over the more typical energy swords. By the time he was set to craft his personal armour, Tarvitz was more often seen wielding a metal blade than the weapon of a Jensaarai. Word of his obvious shortcomings were a point of concern for the Saarai-kaar and older Defenders, but his peers nevertheless opted not to hold him back. Instead, they chose to focus his talents, placing him where he could further enhance his skills. Seconding him to the Ring Defenders, Tarvitz served among them as a ship mechanic and occasional pilot, assisting their starfighter corps with day to day duties.
Growing Questions
Tarvitz proved to be a capable asset to Defenders, and was noted for his talent in keeping their older fightercraft in operation while enhancing their overall combat performance. Despite his lack of experience, his attention to detail and a surprising skill behind the controls of light freighters meant he was often found in a supporting role, often piloting or repairing their heavier ships. More often than not he was seen preferring to fly the Fire Hawk, an abandoned YT-2000 which had been left in desperate need of an overhaul by its previous owner, and using it as a test-bed to assist in enhancing his knowledge.
An example of Jensaarai Armour emulating the features of a reekWhile initially happy to have found a niche within their organization which benefited his skills, those serving alongside him noted occasional bouts of discontent. Conversations with his superiors often turned to why the Jensaarai limited their influence to a single world rather than looking to expand to other worlds. The scattered records of their archives, lacking as they were, spoke of the great conflicts between the Jedi and Sith, and how empires had risen and fallen before them. Each had been a mighty force to be reckoned with, standing for thousands of years at a time and being reborn time and time again, while they hid on a barren rock, hoping to go unnoticed by the rest of the galaxy. Few answers if any would satisfy him, and he would often cite how the Empire was crumbling away, how their famed leaders had met their end at Endor, and how the Jedi were at best a rumoured shadow of their former selves. What little news passed through Susevfi by traders or visiting travelers rarely mentioned any widespread organisation of experienced Force users, and in its fragile state the galaxy seemed ripe for their ascendance.
He had not been the first to ask this of course, Apprentices and Defenders alike had argued this many times over, but Tarvitz proved to be especially persistent. Still maintaining the same rose-tinted view of the Core Worlds, leaving Susevfi's atmosphere only to still find himself bound to the world only frustrated him further. He hungered to see them for himself, and longed to learn more of the wider galaxy, but so long as the Jensaarai remained determined to keep themselves secluded to a single world this remained impossible. Matters were only made worse as the spacers he often spoke with mentioned widespread slave trading in Hutt Space, the injustices which took place on the criminal backwater worlds of the Outer Rim, and how the New Republic had done little to truly rid the galaxy of the last vestiges of the tyrannical Empire.
Much as he tried to suppress these frustrations, as duty-bound and devoted as he was to those who had shaped his very life, Tarvitz's dissatisfaction became increasingly evident throughout his final few years as an Apprentice. By the time he was deemed ready to face the trials of becoming a Defender, he had developed something of an ill reputation for trying the patience of his superiors. Nevertheless, Tarvitz's skills proved to be adequate enough to overcome the obstacles put before him, and quickly justified his place among their number. Shortly before his eighteenth birthday, he began the painstaking task of constructing his armour, building it plate by plate over the basic framework provided to him.
Tradition required that Tarvitz construct its design with a basis upon another creature, reflecting its aesthetic and core traits. Although there were exceptions to this, many chose to forge their designs based upon creatures they respected, emulating their skills, appearance and even certain abilities if given the opportunity. Unable to select a true choice at first, Tarvitz eventually settled upon the quite unusual choice of a Vorn tiger; an extinct beast which had once been native to Alderaan's open plains. Renowned for its territorial nature, he appreciated its ability to avoid unnecessary conflict but its sheer ferocity when combating those who crossed them, though the influence of his lost homeworld over this choice not be denied.
Defender (19 ABY - 24 ABY)
Dissent Among the Ranks
- "How many of us patrol these streets now? How many of us are needed to keep watch here, rather than dealing with threats out there?"
- ―Tarvitz
Despite his new rank, Tarvitz found little reason to celebrate his ascension to Defender. For years it had been his sole focus above all else. With that once seemingly distant objective now accomplished, and his arguments with the other Defenders getting him nowhere, he felt as if his life had lost direction. In response to this, he began burying himself in his work, actively requesting further duties and more arduous tasks. Hoping to find both a satisfying substitute for the relentless training which had dominated his life as an Apprentice, and a distraction from his frustration at what he saw as the Jensaarai limiting themselves, he began almost ceaselessly patrolling the system, rarely stopping save to refuel their vessels or continue his duties as a mechanic. This was ignored by the others at first, but it wasn't long before the elder members of their Order became concerned at his actions, coming to view it as some odd obsession or even a determined hunt for a fight. Tarvitz countered that it was no different than their efforts to maintain peace on Yumfla's streets. He was merely taking a proactive role in an area he was best suited for, albeit with some sense of the freedom to explore he had craved.
The Saarai-kaar Nevertheless, their criticisms did slowly wear away at Tarvitz's resolve. For all the times he had argued that the Jensaarai were failing to achieve their full potential, he could hardly overlook the same argument when it was brought before him. He was, they had claimed, focusing upon serving them in only one way when he retained the skills necessary to carry out a dozen other duties with the same effectiveness. Shifting his focus towards more terrestrial issues, Tarvitz first took to repairing and reworking the equipment of his allies, then joining other Defenders as they enforced the law throughout Yumfla.
Ironically, while his superiors had insisted he partake in these activities to offset his growing doubts, this only permitted them to flourish and then spread to others. He soon came to learn that that he was far from the only one of their kind who felt that what was effectively self-imposed exile from the rest of the galaxy was a mistake. Others agreed that it was an outdated decree, when they required near total silence in order to survive, and that all vestiges of it should have been abandoned by the Saarai-kaar long ago.
Most of those who sided with him were younger Defenders, but a number of veterans did not counter his arguments, with several even coming to agree with him. For all they had done to ensure justice was upheld on Susevfi, their limited resources meant any determined pirate with a capital ship at their command could easily hold the world hostage, and a number of prior attacks could have easily been prevented by spreading their forces across a number of nearby systems. A few even cited past incidents where other forces had freely attacked the world, with the Jensaarai offering only a limited counter-assault in response.
The more Tarvitz spoke, the more he and several like-minded individuals came to question the semi-isolationist policy supported by the Saarai-kaar. While they had no wish to directly overthrow their leader, nor risk splitting their number in a civil war, they began more openly voicing these issues. Too many of their number had been raised only on a single world, knowing little beyond the few surrounding systems, and far too few older converts were aware of the wider galaxy, or maintained contacts with nearby planets. They argued for changes to the Defender trials, for further off-world excursions, and at one point even went so far as to push for a new role akin to the Jedi Sentinels, to maintain watch on the galaxy and bring back word of possible threats.
Little headway was made in these arguments and, while the Saarai-kaar was far from unreceptive to their reasoning, she made it clear that the kind of change they requested could hardly be accomplished in a mere day. Even if she wholeheartedly agreed with their assessment, overturning such an entrenched tradition would take time, and the consequences of their actions carefully considered. The Jensaarai had, after all, only hidden themselves in part to ensure their survival, and their self imposed isolation was intended to avoid possible violence or needless conflict across other worlds. She did not need to add that the Galactic Empire itself had risen thanks to a perceived need to enforce order and security.
Outside Influences
While frustrated at their leader's inability to offer a decisive answer, Tarvitz gave his word that he would stand by her eventual judgement, but that did not stop him pressing home his points several more times over the years. Matters came to a head when the very thing he had long argued they should have stood ready against came to pass. Viewing Susevfi as easy pickings, a vessel belonging to a self-styled alliance of pirates known as the Confederated Suns entered the system, disguised as a mercantile freighter. Seeking slaves to trade on Nal Hutta's markets, they landed some way outside the capital before rushing its streets en mass, seeking to use surprise to their advantage. Caught off-guard, the Jensaarai were slow to respond, often engaging the pirates in small running engagements rather than as a massed force.
While they had sensed the impending attack, any premonitions led the Defenders to believe that it would originate from within Yumfla itself, and had dispersed their numbers to prevent possible riots, not to engage enemy raiders. The attack itself was quickly repelled with few casualties, and their ship seized as it attempted to flee the world, but this was the final straw for the dissenting voices who had joined Tarvitz. After interrogations with the surviving pirates revealed that the Confederated Suns prowling nearby systems for months without the Jensaarai ever knowing of their threat, he stormed into the Saarai-kaar's chambers. He argued vehemently that this was a failing on their part, and it could have easily been a disaster if the pirates had arrived in greater numbers or acted with orbital support. This time the Saarai-kaar gave her definite answer.
While unwilling to wholly back their suggestions, she agreed they required a greater level of awareness when it came to galactic events. Permitting Tarvitz and those who had sided with him to depart from Susevfi, she tasked them with carrying out the missions they argued were so desperately needed. From tracking potentially hostile organisations such as the Confederated Suns to investigating the ascendance of a supposed pro-Imperial splinter group opposing the New Republic, they were to report on anything which might threaten their way of life. Whether or not such a role would be implemented on a wider scale would be judged upon their findings. It is unknown if, as some suggested, this was simply to placate the more radical elements among their number or rid herself of a potentially dangerous element without bloodshed. Whatever the case, the Defenders quickly accepted the Saarai-kaar's terms.
Reclaimer (25 ABY - 33 ABY)
New Horizons, New Problems
Mere days after the Suns' assault, Tarvitz and sixteen other Defenders mustered in the main hanger, ready to depart from Susevfi for what could be months of reconnaissance efforts. Personally greeting them before each took to their ships though, the Saarai-kaar laid down several decrees that each and every one of them would be required to obey before she would permit them to carry out their missions. Foremost among these was that they would be required to maintain secrecy. At no point were they to speak of the Jensaarai, their ways, or their homeworld's location, and that their armour was to never be worn save for the most dangerous of conflicts. In addition to this, they were to focus their efforts on the Mid and Outer Rims, whilst avoiding the Core entirely. This was merely to gather initial information, and she did not wish to risk their discovery by flying into the very heartland of the New Republic. Tarvitz balked at that last decree, but he nevertheless he saw the wisdom in her words. No matter how much he yearned for it, he was not about to put the rest of his kind in danger purely to satisfy his personal curiosities. Selecting the Fire Hawk as his ship for this task, he joined the others soon afterwards.
With this done, they left, splitting up as they reached the system's edge and heading for separate destinations. Fully half their number set out to investigate the nearest worlds, gauging the strength of any further threats from pirate groups, while the rest set a course for distant stars. Initially focusing their efforts on the more developed worlds along the major hyperspace lanes, they focused upon gathering anything from vague rumours banded about by passing spacers to recent news from that region. While many word-of-mouth statements were proved to be either inaccurate or offered no more insight than a cursory HoloNet search, others proved to be surprisingly insightful. Supplied with enough drink or credits, certain smugglers proved to be quite capable of passing on valuable information, from First Order sightings to the power plays of the Hutts.
In other cases, deep space freighter captains could be provoked into giving information on the prominent New Republic worlds they had recently visited, giving a better impression of their status and capabilities from firsthand experiences. Each claim naturally required extensive investigation, but more often than not it was enough to at least point them in the right direction. However, as the first year of these expeditions drew to a close, Tarvitz's group began to creatively interpenetrate their orders to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity.
A Forgotten War
The flights to and from Susevfi made by the Defenders were far from direct. Making erratic jumps from system to system, each vessel was required to leave a scattered mess of a trail to shake off any unwanted attention they might have gained during their travels. Picked at random via a list of prerecorded destinations in the ship's astrogation computer, these journeys could take days at a time to complete, and no one could fully predict just where they would end up. In Tarvitz's case, the group found themselves jumping right into the very heart of the Elrood sector. Emerging in the very fringes of the Kuras Asteroid Belt, the Defenders were greeted by a startling array of warships, from capital vessels to smaller frigates seemingly waiting for them.
Initially reacting to the sight with a display of evasive maneuvers and half expecting the fleet to fire upon them at any moment, it took the Defenders several moments to realise that not a single ship was moving under its own power. In fact, few could have even been considered flight-worthy. Each one was a crater strewn shadow of their former selves, and many were only identifiable by the markings of the Republic Navy or Confederate Fleet displayed upon their ruined hulls. Some had been completely torn asunder by the asteroids, while others still bore the telltale blast marks of turbolaser-fire and torpedo strikes which had brought them to ruin. This was no hidden armada, but a forgotten graveyard of the Clone Wars.
Braving the Kuras Belt Curious to know how two such warring fleets had ended up in this forgotten corner of the galaxy, Tarvitz convinced the others to dock the Fire Hawk with the relatively intact Republic flagship. Quickly making his way towards the bridge, he began restoring power to the main data banks, repairing them as best he could given the limited resources on hand. While almost unintelligible thanks to its state of disrepair, what little he could make out suggested that the Republic ships had been attempting to avoid combat. Making its way from some unlisted location back to Coruscant, they had been carefully navigating their way about the various Outer Rim Sieges back towards the core. Unfortunately, the fleet had been ambushed by CIS forces as it emerged from hyperspace, with the droid fleet seemingly lying in wait during the final leg of their journey. Unable to escape, each side had fought the other to the point of mutual annihilation.
Hungering to know just what kind of cargo could have been worth such a pitched battle, the Jensaarai chose to make a cursory investigation of the Acclamator's main cargo hold before departing. Each of them knew that this would be a rare treasure for sure, but none there could have predicted what awaited them. Rather than engines of war or battalions of soldiers, the hold instead held a small number of cargo containers, each filled with historical texts belonging to the now extinct Jedi Order. It was a far cry to the great archive they had once maintained and lacked even a single holocron amid the crates, yet such a find was near priceless following the Empire's purges. The teachings, ideas, even the original records of Jedi and been burned away and their ashes scattered to the wind and, save for the odd surviving datapad, few heard of such a cache of information.
Each of them knew that they could not simply leave such valuable relics to be forgotten. Even if they did not desire to follow it themselves, few wished for such teachings to be lost to the galaxy; yet none there could say for sure how the rest of their ilk would react if they returned with a hold filled with Jedi lore. For many years the Republic's servants had been viewed as enemies of the Jensaarai, and even after a fortunate series of events had corrected this mistake, the oldest among their kind still regarded any memory the Order with hostility. Combined with the Saarai-kaar's staunch traditionalism, each of them knew they would hardly be met with a hero's welcome. Unwilling to risk handing such information over to the New Republic, and finding no signs that the Jedi had survived into this new age, they instead chose to protect it themselves. Deciding to hide it among the outlying settlements who could be trusted with such a find, they would guard it there until enough time had passed for their eldest Defenders to become more accepting of Jedi knowledge and add this lore to their own library of texts.
Treasures of the Dead
Still seeking to turn their find to their advantage and better solidify their role among the Defenders, they instead sought to make use of the wrecked fleet. Logging its location and downloading the fragmented remains of its data-banks, they returned to Susevfi with several items in tow. From null quantum field generators to B7Y plasma phase coils, each was an essential ship component, and costly to replace.
Bringing them before the Saarai-kaar, Tarvitz cited how their limited resources and interaction with the rest of the galaxy had repeatedly hurt them, before emphasising how this discovery and others like it could benefit them. By salvaging forgotten derelicts, the Jensaarai would be able to keep their ships flying, provide the metalwork for weapons and even entirely new ships without drawing undue attention. Although dubious of this suggestion at first, this treasure trove of parts combined with their relative success in gathering information eventually swayed the Saarai-kaar into voicing her approval. Ordering that they concentrate their efforts upon raiding older, forgotten vessels and sites of battles long past to help avoid conflict with the New Republic or other powers, she sanctioned further flights into the wider galaxy.
A fortunate haulOver the next several years, the number of Jensaarai were tasked with performing the duel role of gathering information and recovering technology from lost vessels gradually swelled. Often departing in small groups, or even on lone missions, they would disappear for months at a time, eventually emerging with anything from detailed news of distant conflicts to enough parts to construct a new ship from scratch. Despite officially remaining a part of the Ring Defenders, this role earned them the unofficial monikers of "Reclaimers", especially those who focused their efforts upon finding derelict warships.
While still ultimately serving in this role, Tarvitz's small group continued to carry out their own private agenda, often using their hunt as an opportunity to track down further Jedi relics. Successful finds were few and far between, yet the occasional victory was enough to reaffirm their personal mission was still a necessary one, and just as vital as their official role. However, while secrecy was paramount, their relentless hunt inevitably brought them into conflict with other groups. From scavengers seeking to defend their finds, to privateers hunting illegal salvage operations for Outer Rim warlords, and even more militant elements of the Church of the Force, it seemed that there was no end of factions ready to take their prize by force.
Such disagreements were rarely bloodless, and several bitter skirmishes forced the Jensaarai to completely annihilate the opposing force to ensure they went undiscovered. Despite pressing for more ambitious expeditions, Tarvitz vocally opposed such measures and regarded them with distaste, often arguing that there was no need to completely eradicate a foe. For all the times he would argue this however, few alternatives proved capable of completely ensuring their silence, and the few times they permitted their foes to leave unharmed often resulted in vengeful attacks later on.
Despite initially attempting to accept them as a necessary evil, Tarvitz became increasingly jaded at such measures, and the constant violence which seemed to accompany their every mission. Seeking to avoid the needless bloodshed, he began opting to fly alone on such missions; hunting down the far more remote, far more dangerous rumours of lost vessels overlooked by other Jensaarai, hoping to find prizes which would not be earned by the murder of all others who laid claim to them.
The Wandering Swordsman
Despite his efforts however, Tarvitz was forced to draw his blade time and time again in his missions. Unable to wholly ignore the injustices of the Outer Rim worlds, the Defender repeatedly stepped in to protect others under threat from pirates or the criminal scum of the universe, often with lethal results. Such instances became so frequent that he was forced to procure a suit of armour as a substitute for his more traditional warplate, allowing him to more freely intervene in dangerous matters without outing himself as a Jensaarai.
Attempting to single-handedly rid a world of crime was an impossibility, but that did not stop him from trying to make the lives of others easier once in a while. While more than once such intervention cost him to the most valuable components of a wreck, or left him staggering away from the fight with several new scars to add to his collection, but the call to assist others was difficult to wholly ignore. Privately, he even came to enjoy the freedom his position offered, following only the Jensaarai Creed bereft of oversight or the limitations of remaining on a single world. Away from the more ordered streets of his home, and amid the galaxy's criminal underbelly, there were more opportunities to do more than merely maintain the status quo. The act of killing itself rarely brought him joy but the knowledge that he had an opportunity to make the galaxy a brighter place, if only for a few people at a time, gave Tarvitz strength.
Despite his successes, this time was not without its hardships. It was during these years that Tarvitz lost his eye to a fragmentation grenade, arrogantly overestimating his abilities while fighting a group of criminals who had supposedly claimed Jedi relics for themselves. Refusing Bacta treatment, Tarvitz instead opted to have a bionic substitute put in its place, to serve as a constant reminder of his own mortality. While it would be a lesson which would stay with him until his dying days, it would not be the last such wound he was to suffer.
Knight (34 ABY)
Discovering Older Powers
As the lists of old battlefields yet to be completely stripped of all worth lessened with every passing year, the Reclaimers were forced to widen their searches. Many chose to instead focus more upon the gathering of information over this mission, and the few who continued to track down shipwrecks found themselves relying upon less than accurate information or travelling into the more obscure sectors of the galaxy. Given this situation, it was only a matter of time before a Defender dared encroach on the Esstran sector. The region was understandably held in ill regard among the Jensaarai, and while the Reclaimers had not been ordered to avoid the sector outright, few wished to visit a place which had served as the cradle of the Sith. However, followed a string of dead ends and poor luck, word of a promising find was enough to push Tarvitz into venturing into the territory.
The ancient domain of the SithAn old contact had mentioned disturbances in the sector, with skirmishes and even outright battles between between major powers in the area, and leaving a multitude of wrecks in their wake. He ignored mention of it at first, but Tarvitz eventually conceded that any such battle was well worth further investigation. Even if he found nothing worth salvaging, a war raging among the old Sith Worlds was not something to be taken lightly.
Opting to avoid the major hyperspace lanes into the sector, Tarvitz was able to barter a lesser known route from his contact. Using it to arrive relatively unnoticed, Tarvitz began to quickly search the area indicated to him, hoping to find the information he needed and then leave soon afterwards. He might have even done so, were it not for the sight which greeted him. As mentioned, the location was filled with the blackened ruins of ships destroyed in some great conflict. Dwarfed only the great graveyard they had first encountered in the Kuras Asteroid Belt, Tarvitz made out a vast multitude of floating dead in space, from snubfighters to vast capital ships. It would have taken a sheer, pitched battle to slay so many in this one conflict, but that was a mere afterthought compared with the true carnage before him.
Still burning from the fires of massed orbital bombardment, the planet this fleet of the dead orbited had been scoured clean of life. Whatever civilisation had once called it home, whatever population dwelt on that world, all had been reduced to molten glass under the guns of a single concentrated assault. Looking on in mute horror at the sight before him, Tarvitz knew that this was not the result of a mere war, with one petty warlord looking to claim the territories of another. This was genocide, a twisted act wrought by a monster to annihilate all sentient life upon a planet. He could barely think of anything more pointless nor spiteful than what he was witnessing before him.
While every fiber of Tarvitz's being screamed at him to fly away, to bring the news of this destruction before the Saarai-kaar, he knew that word of this event alone would not be enough. The Jensaarai would want further information, from the identity of the figure who had ordered this attack to what had been lost. He was risking enough coming here alone to find this, and he was not about to put others in harms way by allowing his fear to get the better of him. Avoiding any armed vessels prowling nearby, he piloted the Fire Hawk out of the system and towards one of the outermost inhabited worlds, seeking to uncover the truth behind this incident for himself.
A Change of Banners
- "I lost everything because a madman reduced my home to rubble. I will not walk away from those who have suffered the same fate. Not while the monster who burned your world to ash still sits upon his throne."
- ―Tarvitz, promising to serve Clan Odan-Urr during the ongoing war against Praevus.
For the next three standard days, Tarvitz moved from one world to the next, gradually picking up what information he could about the current conflict, or the fate of the world he had found. While careful never to probe too deeply, and often going to great lengths to rarely stay on a single world long, his efforts eventually drew the attention of those far more skilled at brokering information. Whilst attempting to investigate details surrounding the planet which had been bombarded and the population which had dwelt there, Tarvitz found himself gradually being shadowed by other figures.
At first he caught only occasional glances of the same face appearing time and time again in crowds, but as he continued his search, more started to join them. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, Tarvitz made several attempts to lose them before returning to the Fire Hawk, seeking to depart with the few details he had been able to gather from his brief searches. Unfortunately, his efforts to lose them were for naught, and as he made for the ship's hanger Tarvitz found himself being closely pursued by several figures.
Tarvitz's personal warbanner after joining Clan Odan-UrrInitially attempting to confront them in the hopes of quickly driving them off, Tarvitz was shocked as his assailants drew lightsabers as they closed in. Briefly stunned at the sight of another warrior carrying such weapons, and unwilling to risk killing them without further information, Tarvitz fell back. Attempting to hold them off through a mixture of mechanical skills, knowledge of the Force and ingenuity, he succeeded in disabling two of his opponents amid a series of running battles before finally being cornered brought low following a brief lightsaber duel.
Much to his surprise however, Tarvitz did not meet his end. Clubbed unconscious by the victorious warrior, he awoke some hours later chained to the floor of an unfamiliar room and surrounded by armed guards. Tarvitz initially expected he was being readied for little more than a swift execution, yet his assailants proved to be far more interested in gaining answers than claiming his head. They began rattling off names and questions, demanding answers of things he had never even heard of before that day; questioning which Clan he belonged to, of fleet and ship movements among Darth Pravus' forces, and how many other infiltrators had joined him. To each he could only react with growing confusion, demanding to know just who they were and what they referred to in turn, which only earned him a number of threats from his captors. It took them quite some time to realise his questions were not mocking responses born of defiance, but genuine confusion.
Cautiously agreeing to exchange knowledge, especially after coming to understand that Tarvitz held no association with any powers within the Brotherhood, the groups began to enlighten one another. Careful to avoid any direct mention of the Jensaarai, he explained had come to be there and why he had been investigating the final assault upon the world - New Typhon - and the events surrounding it; then listened as his captors identified themselves as Jedi of Clan Odan-Urr. Tarvitz was understandably surprised to learn that a group of Jedi had survived the multiple purges of their order, but even more shocked to realise that the Sith had endured with them.
They spoke of betrayal, briefly outlining the events which had led to their ruin, and of how they were being hunted to extinction by the rulers of the Brotherhood they had once aligned themselves with. While Tarvitz was extremely dubious of such claims, he could not deny that much of what they had said corroborated with his own findings, and that it was far from impossible that the other Reclaimers might have overlooked such a power given their limited numbers. Realising that Pravus's ambitions were as much a threat to his own kind as the Jedi, but unwilling risk drawing them into the conflict by his sole choice alone, Tarvitz pledged his services to the Jedi.
The Jedi accepted his help, yet they did so with some understandable caution. For, while they were relatively certain that this newcomer had nothing to do with the Sith Clans, he was nevertheless an outsider. What's more, the many teachings Tarvitz had all but skipped in his training were still definite shortcomings, and his lackluster skills with a lightsaber could not be overlooked. As such, he was seconded to Savant Edgar Drachen, to be trained and observed until deemed a worthy asset to the Clan in their war, and capable of at least holding a rank akin to a Knight.
The Lotus Blooms
- "Do I need to go up there and fly this thing?"
- ―Tarvitz whilst their escape shuttle is being chased by TIE Fighters
A blade reforged Despite their violent introduction, Tarvitz quickly proved himself to be a skilled warrior and an asset to their clan. Often finding the basic lessons in controlling one's powers to be remarkably similar to those of the Jensaarai, he was able to rapidly overcome the vast majority of the challenges put before him. Quickly rising first to the rank of Acolyte and then Padawan, Drachen began pushing him harder, testing to see where his new student's strengths lay like the Defenders from so long ago. Unlike then, however, Tarvitz was hardly insulted by the act, finding it nostalgically amusing more than anything else.
Quickly passing through many of their sessions, he instead began to more readily examine and record the teachings of the Jedi, often using it as an opportunity to compare Odan-Urr's own ideologies with the fragments they had recovered. Surprising many, given his scarred and warlike appearance, the Jedi often found him pouring over the remnants of their archives, and fascinated by their long history. Given any opportunity, the questions he asked of his Master related to ancient battles or odd discrepancies with the Jensaarai's own record of events.
As the Jedi examined him, repeatedly testing both his loyalties and skills, one failing above all did rapidly become clear: In his years of traversing the galaxy, Tarvitz had rarely faced another Force user. While a confrontation by Lithar Andaris proved he was far from reliant upon his connection to the Force, and quite capable of winning battles without calling upon its strength, he was often found unable to counter the abilities of the Sith. This quickly became a key focus of his sessions with Drachen, who forced him to more frequently resort to a lightsaber in their sessions and tested him against the more advanced powers of a Jedi. It was perhaps because of this that he found himself limited to a supporting role during a joint strike against a major Brotherhood shipyard. Shortly after this victory, Tarvitz was deemed worthy of Knighthood and elevated to the position of a true member within their Clan.
His newfound freedom within the Clan permitted him to take far more of a front-line role in events, and he found himself recruited first into the Knights of Allusis where he served them to the best of his abilities. While certainly lacking the subtlety or focus required for either role, his broader range of skills as a craftsman, pilot and mechanic were often put to good use on a number of occasions, such as replacing Blade Ta'var's lost sword. It was perhaps because of this that he found himself paired up with Tisto Kingang during the ill fated raid on the Edrien shipyards, where the two boarded a stricken Interdictor cruiser. During several fierce firefights, the two managed to battle their way to the engine room and send the ship into hyperspace, to an awaiting jump point where the Void Snakes would be ready to strip the vessel. A close engagement against a powerful Inquisitor saw the two thrown into space and almost killed Tisto before they were rescued, but surviving it was the start a friendship between the two.
Unfortunately, Tarvitz himself was stuck with ill news when the Fire Hawk was deemed to have been damaged well past the point of repair. Despite numerous efforts to fix the ship's superstructure, and months spent in one of the Clan's hangers, Tarvitz was eventually forced to accept defeat and allowed the ship to be stripped down for spare parts. Searching through the malfunctioning vessels the clan had set aside, he eventually selected an N1-Starfighter as his replacement ship, managing to bring it back to operational status with some assistance from Jasper Arlow. Dubbing it the Spitfire, Tarvitz found the smaller vessel difficult to maneuver, and his performance notably suffered for quite some time before he adjusted to its quirks.
Flying a number of missions and recon flights under Odan-Urr's banner, Tarvitz found himself primarily serving roles in missions where commando raids required a dedicated pilot to cover their escape or serve as air support. His status as an outsider eventually led to his transfer to the The Wildcards and their mobile base of operations, the Idiot's Array. While it was a role he was well suited to, he found himself surprised at some of the people the Jedi were willing to align themselves with, many of who were little better than the smugglers he had previously worked with. It was certainly a far cry from stories of the old Order which had defended the Republic, but he nevertheless kept such thoughts to himself. The only true interruption during this conflict came when Tarvitz requested to briefly return home to deal with a personal matter.
Travelling to his family's shrine on Susevfi, he performed a variation of The Return, offering gifts to his departed parents and voicing his thoughts on the ongoing war to their memory. It was as much to offer him a moment of peace and clarity before the next chapter of the ongoing conflict as respect their memories however, as Tarvitz felt the war was moving towards an endgame, and wished to be able to focus upon it without distractions or past duties drawing him away from it. While he considered recruiting other Defenders into the Resistance, he soon decided against such an action. It would lead to too many questions and, even if they did agree to support the Jedi in this conflict, it would put too them at risk of reprisal by the Iron Throne.
Physical Description
Tall, heavily built and with his fair share of old wounds, Tarvitz is an imposing figure at the best of times. Sporting a determined if world weary stare, his weather-beaten skin reflects a hard life of having traveled under countless alien suns, and is matched by his fading shoulder length hair. Adorning the upper left of his brow and encompassing his eye socket, the pale green glow of a dark metal cybernetic sensor clashes against his dark blue organic left eye. Around its edges, the old scars of shrapnel wounds and burned tissue can still be seen, clashing against his proud features.
It is rare to see Tarvitz out of his armour, even during passive moments such as personal meditation or social meetings. Preferring its bulk and weight over standard clothing, he only discards it during ceremonial duties or formal gatherings, and even then favours a practical attire over more stylised robes. This has the unfortunate, if understandable, side effect of making him stand out from crowds or drawing undue attention in otherwise peaceful environments.
Personality
As people go, Tarvitz is relatively straight forwards and aims to maintain a direct and down-to-earth approach to life. While by no means dull witted, he is merely far happier dealing with tangible subjects such as patching up the hulls of ships or repairing equipment than debating the finer points of the Force with others. This allowing him the freedom to focus upon getting a job over and done with, and lacks the grey areas which prove to be so frustrating in life. This same mentality extends to his relationships with others, as he is rarely one to hold grudges or bring up ill treatment in past eras, unless a foe insists upon doing so. Once a matter is concluded he will rarely go back to it. Perhaps because of this, he often tends to think outside of the box despite his apparent simplicity, and often tries to bring any matter to a complete close before pressing forwards with his life. If brought to failure he will rarely shirk responsibility, and will quite often obsessively review his performance trying to judge how and why he failed so he might overcome it next time.
Tarvitz prizes honesty about all else and, while he avoids being rudely blunt about matters, it is rare for him to sugar-coats facts. He has also proven to be stubbornly loyal to a fault, and will often be the first to answer a call for help from those he considers a friend, without questions or hesitation. Yet, despite this deeply ingrained loyalty, his view tends to exist only on a person by person level. Just because he will follow Drachen into hell itself does not mean this will extend to the rest of Odan-Urr, and the idea of "Respect the rank, if not the man" is entirely lost on him. In fact, despite often respecting those above him for their capabilities, ranks themselves mean little to him and the idea of leading from the front (with leaders performing actions just as dangerous or arduous as grunts) is something he has long stood by.
Quick to laugh and welcoming to others, Tarvitz makes an effort to be as open and friendly as he can within the Clan despite his personal secrets, but he has also proven to be quick to resort to his blade when needed. Rarely standing for acts of apparent sadism or needless violence, he finds it difficult to ignore others in need of help no matter the situation. In his eyes, it's better to do something and be proven wrong than do nothing at all. Given his constant drive to visit new locations and see the rest of the galaxy, this has drawn him into more melees than he can count, but Tarvitz has not regretted fighting a single one of them.
Equipment
Much of Tarvitz’s current gear has been salvaged from past wrecks or bartered from traders on the Outer Rim. Despite being obviously well-used, each has proven to be extremely reliable, and served him well during a multitude of boarding actions against derelict vessels. Many retain basic improvements from reworked casings to reworking the grips of his blasters, Tarvitz has often taken great care to ensure that no Jensaarai iconography or identifiable brands remain visible on his equipment.
Weapons
The sword Tarvitz keeps at his side was one retrieved during a particularly notable salvage run, and taken from an ancient vessel bereft of any name. Despite its ornate design, Tarvitz found that its length and angular head was perfect for combating a foe in the tight confines of warship. The blade has been reforged several times thanks to battle damage, and Tarvitz has always taken great care to replicate its ability to be easily slid between the armoured plates of a foe or the reinforced shell of a battle droid. Paired with the sheer stopping power of his S-5 pistol, Tarvitz has found the combination to be simple but quite effective. For addition ranged firepower and flexibility, he also frequently carries a WESTAR-M5, but freely admits that he favours single-handed weapons over it.
The lightsaber Tarvitz carries is a recent replacement, with his original blade having been destroyed during the brief skirmish against Odan-Urr's agents. While he recovered the crystal, Tarvitz opted to carry an armory weapon for a time afterwards, befitting his current training under Master Drachen. It was only upon being viewed worthy as a Knight in their eyes, that he fashioned a new blade from the remnants of his old weapon, feeling that he had earned the right to carry it once more after his failure.
Armour
While often opting to travel light, and retaining few personal possessions, Tarvitz nevertheless owns two sets of warplate.
The first of these was a recent acquisition - A heavily modified and stylised set of Phase II clone paratrooper armour taken from a Rebublic warship. Reserved for situations where the Jensaarai were required to disguise their true allegiance, it is a stark contrast with his more regal uniform. While stripped of its more heavily damaged or high maintenance systems - notably its jetpack - it has been upgraded several times, both to reinforce the plasteel chestplate and for space combat. The distinctive build of the helmet and several key features means it can be easily identified, but the dark purple colours and ivory trim disguise its practical build, and many mistake it as ceremonial armour at first glance. Several pouches at its belt store a datapad, com-link, and a small medpac among other items.
The second, his personal Jensaarai armour, is rarely seen nor worn even among Clan Odan-Urr's strongholds. Patterned after the Vorn tiger, it consists of several cobalt blue interlocking plates across vulnerable points of his body, bridged by a mesh of hardened white metal scales. The horned helm vaguely resembles that of the feline beast, with intricate patterns of its plating giving the impression of a exaggerated non-human musculature structure. While it ranks among Tarvitz's most valuable possessions, he has taken great lengths to keep it hidden from sight, and few even know of its existence. He might be pledged to serve Odan-Urr in their war against the Sith, but Tarvitz is hardly willing to let his sole choice drag the rest of his kindred into the war as well.
Powers and Abilities
Combat
Tarvitz is far from the Brotherhood's best combatant, and he would be the first to admit it. Many others are better shots, better swordsmen or more adept with the Force, and such matters are hardly helped by his own limited talent with lightsaber. As such, he has striven to overcome this by retaining a multitude of skills across a number of other vital areas, from pilot to mechanic to marksman and tactician.
His key focus in battle has always been to limit an opponent's greatest advantage first, often relying upon his wider assortment of skills to try and win the day. In the case of an acrobatic foe, he would draw the fight into a confined area where they could not maneuver quite so easily. In the case of a veteran gunman, he would use the Force to provide more cover, or drag them into close quarters. In the case of an expert swordsman, he would seek to keep them off balance thanks to minor telekinetic shoves or remove them from their weapon.
Regarding the Force as an asset to other skills rather than something to be wholly relied upon, Tarvitz is often seen using his powers in co-ordination with other abilities, focusing upon frequent but brief pulses of power rather than utilising a raging torrent of energy. While he is not above using a Mind Trick to talk a foe out of cover, or using its Healing talents to quickly close a wound, he does not desire his connection to become a crutch used wholly to support himself. Often favouring using Suppression against Force sensitive foes, he understands how crippling the loss of such abilities can be to a Jedi or Sith, and seeks to avoid such a weakness.
Mechanic
Capable of basic repairs, upgrades and even the odd full overhaul, Tarvitz knows at least enough to get by. Partially self-taught and partially trained, he has become talented at keeping certain ships flying and combat capable even once they are well past their prime. Often working with limited resources and tools, many of Tarvitz's field repairs are less complete fixes than brief solutions. Rather than totally restoring a ship to its prime, he will focus upon ensuring that it remains as fully flight capable as possible for a few weeks, reworking certain systems or re-routing power to maintain engine, shield and weapons efficiency until it can be returned to a better equipped repair bay.
Beyond starships however, Tarvitz is adept at maintaining House Hoth's armory. From patching up armour to re-forging blades, he serves as something of a smith to any forces he is associated with. More often than not he frequently tinkers with standard shelf builds, seeking to make minor improvements or upgrades to equipment even as he repairs them, and it's rare for him to stick with a single planned design for long.
Pilot
Above all else, Tarvitz's greatest talent lies behind the controls of an attack craft. With decades of flying gunships against countless targets, Tarvitz has tested his skills against a multitude of foes across the Outer and Mid Rims. From atmospheric skirmishes to running blockades against capital ships, there are few scenarios he has not overcome thanks to a combination of fast reflexes and a few creative tactics. This is especially true of the treacherous debris fields of derelict warships, and Tarvitz himself has lost count of the times he has been forced to pit himself against violent scavengers amid clouds of metallic fragments and undetonated munitions.
In most situations Tarvitz will often favour disabling enemy fightercraft over outright destroying them, especially when defending or fighting his way clear from a position. While this is as much an act of pragmatism as a hesitance to kill - forcing other fighters to pull back and defend disabled ships rather than pursue him - it is by no means any sign of weakness. When pushed, he will quite readily annihilate enemy squadrons one ship at a time, using the Force to actively inhibit the abilities of their pilots or his engineering knowledge to exploit the core weaknesses in their designs. Tarvitz himself tends to favour lesser known vessels in order to prevent these same tactics from being used against him, and to hinder the benefit of experience by more combat hardened foes. Under the right circumstances, oddities such as the Preybird's aft firing missile launchers or the Chir'daki's rotational wing design can be enough to put an enemy pilot off-balance and quickly end a fight before it truly begins.