- "Let’s fight to fight, not to kill. We shall fight because we are friends, because we are opponents, and because we are. Have at you."
- ―Sashar to Selene d'Tana, during an ACC match.
A soldier. A warrior. A survivor. Above all else, these are the three defining characteristics of the man known as Sashar.
History
Tragic Beginnings
Born upon Onderon, this Human's life would start with tragedy. The transport carrying Sashar and his birth family suffered a critical malfunction, causing it to crash upon the jungle moon of Dxun. No information on the crash or the passengers and crew was ever recorded, and so nothing was known of Sashar's blood family. Miraculously, the 6 month old infant survived the crash.
His life would have ended there had it not been for the timely arrival of the Patriarch of the Kodiak Clan. Happening upon the wailing child in the wilderness, the Patriarch decided to take Sashar with him. Perhaps it was the close proximity with which the transport crashed to the Mandalorian camp, or perhaps it was that a child capable of surviving a crash that killed so many adults should be able to endure what would come next. In any event, what came next was to be raised as a Mandalorian.
Like with so many other "Mandalorians," Sashar was an orphan raised as one of them. And being raised a Mandalorian meant that he underwent the same grueling training and labor as his brothers and sisters. And like all Mandalorians, Sashar was fiercely loyal to his family, and so even as he surpassed his brothers and sisters in training, not once did it cause friction amongst them. The bond between family and clan was incredibly strong. And not even hubris or bravado could break it, yet none would be forthcoming from the boy who put his family before himself.
But, still life would change things – as it always does. At nine, the young Sashar had visions and nightmares of a giant, dark and foreboding structure calling him into the depths of the jungle. Troubled, he told his father of these visions. After much discussion with the elders and leaders of the Clan, it was surmised that the young Sashar had nascent ties to the Force. The information was kept from him, to keep him from believing he was different from his siblings and cousins.
Once more life's current would sweep Sashar up, leaving the past floating behind. Sashar was keyed for more rigorous training in leadership, tactical command and grand strategy. It was hoped that Sashar would one day take part in a grand campaign – a great Mandalorian Army. Still, life would not let the young boy fulfill the desires of his family. Sashar and his brother, Kieran, were inseparable. The two wreaked much havoc and caused much mischief within the Clan's enclave. Breaking into the Clan's archives, the two discovered their father's journal and his account of the discussion with the leaders of the Clan. That Sashar was sensitive to the Force. Immediately, the two youths set off. Commandeering one of the Clan's transports and making their way from the moon Dxun to the planet Onderon. At the temple, dark side entities accosted Sashar's mind. It was only through Kieran's intervention that Sashar arrived, dragging his comatose brother away from the temple and back to Dxun. Sashar would remain in a coma for more than a month.
The youth awoke distracted. Upon his return to consciousness, he proceeded to fall ever further behind in his studies. No one knew what plagued him, Sashar keeps mute about the affair, perhaps he himself did not know the reason for his distraction. In any event, he quickly was shuffled away from Super-Commando training and put into more technical aspects. And still the distractions continued. After a series of minor mishaps due to his distractions, Kieran took his brother once more to the tomb. There, Sashar came face to face with his eldritch demons and emerged from the tomb much more somber.
Chrysalis
The second trip to the temple brought out something much darker and much more ferocious in Sashar. His efforts in training were redoubled and he was returned to Super-Commando training. It was not only in his training that he became more ruthless, but he developed a disturbing and quiet insight on how best to proceed with interrogations, when someone was lying and how to cause the most damage in a situation with the least effort. Troubled by this turn of events, it was decided that Sashar would be sent to Eos, there to learn the ways of the Dark Jedi – the ways of the Sith.
Within the Brotherhood, Sashar rose quickly. Assigned to Clan Alvaak, the Mandalorian rose to Knighthood within a year. From there, he took up command of a squadron of fighters for the Clan, as well as taking on his first apprentice - a young Sith called Zandro Savric Erinos. A rising star, he eventually became a Sith Battlemaster, and Aedile of his House, while in Alvaak. Unfortunately, as is with life, the path he was currently on would be derailed once more. This time, forces beyond him would conspire. Members of the Brotherhood's Star Chamber and other prominent Elders chafed and balked at the liberties taken against their order and severed all ties to their sister organization – The Emperor's Hammer. The Hammer, one of many Imperial Remnant factions, acted quickly to staunch the hemorrhaging of talented Dark Siders from their ranks. Sashar and his command, Sentinel Squadron, were ordered to halt any attempting to secede from Alvaak. Sashar, however, would stay his own hand, unable to fire upon compatriots and those he grew to trust, and consider "ner'vod" - siblings. He was summarily stripped of his rank and charge and exiled from Imperial space.
Without a place in the Empire, Sashar returned home rather than joining the Separatists. There he spent time meditating and conversing with the Elders of his Kodiak Clan. It was decided that he should instead venture once more out into the Galaxy, and learn more of the life that existed away from the cloistered Halls of the Sith, Krath and Obelisk. He would in his journeys, eventually stumble across the Bounty Hunter's Guild. There he would find new comrades in a group known as the Phoenix Kabal. Within the Kabal, he grew close to Dash Kuatir – a Kuati youth renown as both a marksman and a sharpshooter. The two would get into a great deal of trouble as well, as the brash young Kuati complimented the much more stoic Mandalorian. The two would in fact enter into a relationship for a number of years.
Eventually, Sashar would join the Separatist Brotherhood, and would join Clan Arcona. As is with all things, Sashar made friends, allies and enemies within Arcona. Instrumental in the Selen Incident, Sashar also aided in molding Soulfire Strike Team, utilizing his training on Dxun. The Mandalorian made a name for himself in the Arcona/Taldryan Feud, even though Arcona came off worse in that particular engagement. Eventually, he would be promoted to Aedile of House Galeres, and took on two apprentices Malidir and his own brother Kieran. Both would rise steadily. Sashar would leave however, after he was sacked by his own Quaestor – acting under the direction and request of those outside of Arcona. This would be the start of a long animosity between him and Quejo Drakai Xyler.
Revelations
Sashar spent the time productively. He took an extended LoA with Zandro and his first apprentices brother, Xayun Erinos to help Zandro avenge his former fiancé’s death at the hands of Pirates. Sashar and Xayun worked closely during the incursion into the Pirate base, finding that their different force philosophies complemented each other – the Prelate put it down to their both being Mandalorians. However, a chance meeting of Xayun and Zandro’s sisters in the command center of the facility. Sashar watched as the two brothers cut down their own flesh and blood – a disturbing sight for the grey Jedi who had always hoped that his first apprentice would follow his ethos in the force.
After the conflict, the trio traveled to the Erinos family home on Yaga Minor. The mother of the two Erinos brothers, upon
laying eyes on Sashar, divulged a confession. The Mandalorian was her son – she had had a child before meeting Zandro and Xayun’s father, and the father of the child had insisted that he be taken to a Mandalorian Clan to be brought up a warrior. Not wanting children at the time, their mother had agreed and had heard that the transport carrying Sashar and his father had crashed and assumed that all aboard were killed. Sashar apparently was the spitting image of his father, thus explaining their mother’s reaction. While it was shocking to discover that Zandro, Xayun and Sashar were all related, it was, for the Mandalorian not entirely unexpected – his Force Chain with Zandro when they were training was a testament to that.
Sashar could not enjoy any time with his mother for two reasons: First, neither the mother or the father of the Erinos Boys seemed too keen on dredging up the past, and the Mandalorian was to be recalled by Strategos Thanatos Entar, the former Proconsul, now Consul, of Clan Arcona. He would be asked to return, but rather than rejoin Arcona, be asked to join The Clan of Death – Tarentum.
This transfer was short-lived. While Sashar felt at home and at ease with the more military-orientated mindset of clan Tarentum, he desperately missed his ner’vod in Arcona. He rushed through the assignment given to him by the Consul of Arcona and returned to Dajorra. This was not before making the acquaintance of one Oberst - the Marshal of Tarentum's military assets. Their single encounter would leave quite an impression on the Mandalorian. Again, he rejoined Soulfire Strike Team and was elated to discover that his second apprentice, Malidir, had completed his training under a different master and was now a Knight.
In a secret ceremony known only to a few Sashar was named ‘Centurion’ of Arcona – a position given to the most loyal to the Consul who would act as his Bodyguard and commander of Arcona’s Special Forces. Sashar immediately set to work training a unit of ‘mundanes’ to combat force users and nicknamed them the Sentinels - a homeage to his first command. He equipped them with superior gear to their compatriots in the Arcona Armed forces and made sure they could pilot all of Clan Arcona’s ships should they need to.
Onslaught
Unrest would spread through Arcona once again and soon there was a vacuum of power in House Galeres when Selene d’Tana, formerly one of the most trusted members of clan Arcona and a prodigy of Shadowcrafting, abruptly upped and left. Malidir was promoted to Quaestor and Sashar’s first apprentice, Zandro Savric Erinos was given back command of Soulfire Strike Team. Sashar took on another apprentice in addition to his brother Kieran – the Nagai known as Rho. Shortly thereafter there was a series of skirmishes between Clan Scholae Palatinae and Clan Arcona. Soulfire was able to put their new gear designed by Sashar and Kieran to use and their first tour of duty as a reformed unit was a success, however the unit did suffer losses, and was somewhat depleted. To combat this, Sashar sent out a call through the force for one of his ner’vod on Dxun – Juda. The Mandalorian answered the call and made his way to the Dajorra System (much to the dismay of the Clan Kodiak Elders). He was immediately placed in Soulfire Strike Team and kept explicitly away from the Shadow Academy – Sashar didn’t want Juda being warped by the Dark Side of the Force. Instead, he took Juda under his wing as an apprentice in everything but name – he still had Kieran and Rho’s training to complete and the Clan Summit would surely never allow him to take on a third; Sashar, however, was of the mindset that what the Summit did not know could not hurt them.
During this time, Sashar trained tirelessly with Strategos on his finesse with a lightsaber – he finally perfected his control of Soresu and was declared a Master of the defensive Form, and also started work on training in Vapaad – indeed Strategos was one of the few truly respected Vapaad duelists and there couldn’t have been a better teacher for the Mandalorian.
Soulfire Strike Team was still less than full strength when the Rite of Supremacy began. While initially faring well, Soulfire, like the rest of Arcona and indeed the Brotherhood, found themselves simply unable to match the sheer weight of numbers and left the Rite of Supremacy demoralized, however the failure was a crucible of sorts – it did forge the Clan in general and Soulfire in particular closer together, giving them a common enemy to fight against. Sashar finally also took on the duties of Clan Envoy during the Rite of Supremacy.
The Shadow Clan was not to have a redoubt. Bare days after the conclusion of the Rite of Supremacy a Hutt Armada led by the Besadii Clan invaded the Dajorra System. Sashar and Soulfire were immediately sent to Eldar to hold an area of dense forest being used by the invading Hutt forces to land the majority of their Mechanised units and Walkers. The Commando team were pulled out before they could complete their mission by an urgent call from the Consul – the attack on Eldar was a feint, and the Hutt’s real target was Selen.
Soulfire were brought back to the ACC Thanatos and quickly briefed on their mission – to retake the spaceport being used as a main landing area for the Hutt forces while their Sergeant, Zandro, was sent on a recon mission, utilising his singular experience in a TIE Phantom. Sashar was given command of the squad. Again, Soulfire were in their element and even went as far as taking down a Gallofree transport and two AT-AT’s (one with the aid of air support from Zandro), however they were struck a double blow when first Wolv was killed by a blast from the second AT-AT. The shock of the death through the battle meld caused both Sashar and Zandro to lose their cool (a rare occurrence). While Sashar had his comrades to back him up and bring him down from his blood drunk craze, Zandro wasn’t so lucky. Sashar’s first apprentice was captured.
Once Again, Soulfire was picked up mid-way through their mission and together with the Consul assaulted Decca the Hutt’s stronghold in Arcona’s Capital – coincidentally where Zandro was being held. In one fell swoop Soulfire freed their Sergeant and killed off the Hutt leader – thereby ending the threat to Clan Arcona and the Dajorra system.
For his bravery in the Hutt Invasion and his completion of the Trials set out before him, Kieran was promoted to Dark Jedi Knight, joining Sashar as a Knight of Arcona. After the Hutt Invasion, Arcona entered a period of relative peace. House Galeres’ Quaestor stepped down and Sashar was appointed the role for his work as Clan Envoy and his repeated dedication during Soulfire’s numerous tours of duty.
Building a Better Future
The 'Vode Erinos'
During this relatively quiet time, Sashar, Xayun and Zandro embarked on a project; to form their own Mandalorian clan – The Erinos Family. They realized that to accomplish this, they’d need to recruit from outside and so made sure to offer the first 6 founding ‘places’ to their friends who had displayed an uncanny edge in combat – Kieran, Juda, and Malidir. Once they had established a core member base of force sensitivies – five of six who were Mandalorian – The Erinos brothers set out to create a small colony on the Arcona-held world of Arconae Primus – to that end, Zandro and Xayun sought out the raw materials for the colony such as pre-fab buildings and construction/farming droids while Kieran and Malidir returned to Dxun to offer some families from the Kodiak clan the chance to be part of a new Mandalorian Clan. They returned with 70 men and women, and work was started to establish this blossoming family.
Soon, others were welcomed into the Erinos fold, partially because of their warrior prowess, and also to strengthen the bond blossoming between Clan Tarentum and Clan Arcona. However, before the neophyte family could settle, the Eighth Great Jedi War washed through the Brotherhood, with devastating results.
Before the invasion of Antei, Galeres only saw one brief conflict with the Vong – specifically when Sashar led a contingent of Galeres to the planet Krant and eradicated a nest of peace Brigaders that had taken up residence inside an ancient Sith Temple. Sashar used the attack to cover his own entry and went through his own personal duel with the Shadow-wraith Malachi – a duel that left him with a cursed right arm, his skin turned jet black up to the shoulder, however the lost pages of the Abyssal Tome were retrieved, and Sashar found that his right arm was curiously better at channelling his latent Shadowcrafting abilities, however to conceal this alteration from his peers, he made sure to wear a black glove – he was not yet ready to assume the mantle of Shade Warrior.
Further, upon returning to Dajorra he discovered that there had been an assassination attempt on the Consul Strategos Entar. Intelligence Analysts from Arcona’s military discerned that the Taanis Syndicate, a supplier of bulk transports for Arcona, was behind it. Sashar led a team to Sukhur, where the Taanis syndicate were holed up to apprehend the culprits, and let his ner’vode into battle with a savagery he’d seldom displayed before. Indeed, it was during the Vitriol operation that the Mandalorian first used his Shadowcrafting abilities in combat.
Ruin
Straight after, Arcona was summonned along with the other clans to Antei.
Much of the Brotherhood’s military strength was located around Antei for an award ceremony to commemorate the recent Rite of Supremacy and as such, much of the Brotherhood’s military strength was scuttled when the Yuuzhan Vong swept in with unknown ships, unpredictable technology and superior numbers. The clans were decimated and scattered into the Shroud.
Sashar, Zandro and Kieran were thrown into the chaos as their Consul sent them back into the fray to the VSD Vae Victus in efforts to ascertain the fate of the Deputy Grand Master. The trio of Mandalorians were escorted through the maelstrom by Juda and Bendak, two of Soulfire Strike Team’s best pilots. Unfortunately, only Juda survived to get his charges to the dying Destroyer.
The trio met with fierce combat on-board the dying ship and Yuuzhan Vong warriors were already overrunning the defenses. The bridge was lost before their feet touched the Hangar floor and the Vode Erinos instead shifted their mission profile – hurt the Vong and deny them the capture of one of the Brotherhood’s more powerful craft. They battled their way to the Reactor Core and set the ship to blow up. The trio escaped via an escape pod (sacrificing the Clan’s Diplomatic Yacht, Serenity in the process) and were stranded in the darkness of the shroud. Unfortunately, they had to sit out the rest of the initial conflict around Dajorra until a patrol from clan Tarentum found their escape pod. From there, they were escorted to the Clan’s Marshal and shipped back to Dajorra, where Arcona was regrouping. The Arconan military had reacted brilliantly to the threat the Yuuzhan Vong posed. Rather than attempt to combat a threat with virtually no naval strength, the remaining forces had withdrawn to Arcona’s last stand – a contingency set in place by Sashar himself – they had retreated to Sukhur and awaited the return of the battered remnants of Arcona’s forces.
After the dust had settled, Sashar was appointed a senior military aide for the purpose of advising the new consul, Mejas Doto, and helped re-organise the newly minted task force assigned to Arcona into a fighting force that could both defend Dajorra and combat the threat the Vong represented. However, due to his being unable to fight with his brothers for most of the Antei conflict, he felt he was no longer fit for command and resigned as Quaestor, returning to Soulfire. This, coupled with his having a disagreement with the new Knight Commander of the Brotherhood left him without any pull on the Clan Summit – a situation he was grateful for. Nevertheless, Sashar was above all a survivor and set plans in motion to ensure the survival of both the Erinos Pride and Soulfire Strike team.
Mejas’s surprise reappearance in Arcona and unprecedented appointment as Consul alarmed the Mandalorian and prompted him to prepare a safe home in Tarentum for the Erinos family, however this was a last resort - to do so would likely damage the clan irreparably. Instead, Sashar took it upon himself to approach the Shadow Lord and act as his advisor, bringing Mejas Doto up to speed on member histories, recent events and the potential ramifications of some of his more radical reforms. The partnership blossomed and it didn’t take long for the Shadow Lord to appoint Sashar as his de-facto right arm.
A brief tour of the Shroud in the newly completed Eye of the Abyss II searching for survivors from the recent Antei conflict let the clan regain some confidence and bolster its members. As Sashar was still officially attached to Soulfire, he accompanied them on the hellish excursion to a derelict observation platform to rescue a motley collection of surviving Dark Jedi who had stumbled across the platform as they fled Antei. Unfortunately the Yuuzhan Vong had found them too.
Soulfire, as always, fought bravely and succeeded in extracting the stragglers, however the Exarch was captured and briefly tortured before his ner’vod could retrieve him. Upon returning to the Abyss, Sashar was rushed to the medical ward and his own apprentice Juda operated on him to save his vision, grafting in a pair of prosthetic eyes for the short term until a more suitable replacement could be found. The Mandalorian was unperturbed by his capture and temporary loss of sight and carried on assisting Mejas during the tumultuous Resurrection of Arcona, where every single summit member in the clan was stripped of their position and forced through the Rite. Soulfire was once again called on to assist the Consul, hunting through the Darkest Night cloud the Shadow Lord created about Qel-Droma’s temple and the Exarch was placed as a last guard for anyone that could make it through the Shadowcrafted arena. Only one made it as far as him – Timeros, former Consul and deserter.
Sashar and Timeros engaged in a brief duel, however the Mandalorian was rested and prepared – he took the Heregan’s arm and sent him tumbling back into the dark maelstrom. Secretly, Sashar returned to the Battle site after the Rite and had Timeros' body shipped to a facility on Gethsemane for experimentation - the Mandalorian was determined to make use of the Consul even in death.
With his being confirmed the Proconsul of Arcona, Sashar sought to fully exploit his new position. His first act was to request that the Shadow Lord tutor him in the ways of Shadowcrafting so that he may one day attain mastery of the secretive art. His second was to fix the problem of his eyes. Mejas Doto and Juda Erinos worked together to clone a pair of eyes that were imbued with the force. This meant that in addition to granting the Mandalorian his usual sight, he was also able to see well in complete darkness (a homage to his Shadowcrafting) and also occasionally see currents in the force. The eyes, unlike his originals, were a dark blue with an unusual pupil pattern, signifying their cloned nature.
For Arcona
Sashar’s time settling into Proconsul was spent well. He worked closely with Oberst and other members of the Tarentum Summit to forge a treaty of alliance between the two maverick clans. Dubbed the Treaty of Kessel, it bonded them together, with the Erinos the driving force behind the scenes to pair the clans together. Immediately following this, the Exarch spearheaded a ‘Great Hunt’ for Arcona in an effort to aid the Tarentum/Arcona research efforts – namely, he intended to capture a live Terentatek. The Hunt was a success and Sashar had the specimen moved to ‘The Project’ on Boral – the former location of Kaek’s terraforming project that had fallen under during the GJW as the budget was needed to re-build the military.
The Mark of the di Tenebrous ArconaeWith Sashar’s ascension as Shadow Scion, he was also granted the title of di Tenebrous Arcona – on the condition that he renounce his allegiance with the Erinos family and swear a blood oath of fealty to his clan. Reluctantly, Sashar agreed and convened the first Erinos convocation, where he passed on the role of Patriarch to Malidir. Secretly, Sashar had no intention of abandoning his family, however he was only confident in his own ability to deceive Mejas – he couldn’t be sure that the Shadow Lord would rip the information from his brother’s heads. As such, it was the first time the Mandalorian had ever been truly alone. For completing this ‘test’ of his allegiance, Sashar was also granted a Sapphire Blade.
Shortly following this, Sashar assigned one of the newer members of Arcona a dangerous mission of espionage against the Shadow Clan’s long time rivals – Scholae Palatinae. The journeyman was caught and unable to kill himself: instead, the Palatinaeans used him to bring the full fervor of the Justicar down on Arcona. Rather than see his clan take the brunt of the political fallout, Sashar assumed responsibility and was promptly demoted for letting his personal vendettas interfere with his command and create a potentially disastrous situation in the brotherhood that was still reeling from the Vong attack.
Instead of taking his demotion and licking his wounds, the Mandalorian decided to use the momentum to his advantage and pressed for peace between the long-time rivals. In secret meetings with their Consul and Proconsul, he and Mejas were able to negotiate a cease fire of sorts with their counterparts and both clans charged for an immediate cease of hostilities. This single act prompted the Quaestor of House Qel-Droma – Sashar’s former betrayer to turn on the Summit once more. Defying the orders of the Clan Summit, Quejo and his Aedile Orv Dessrx mobilised their house using the BAC Shadow to take them to the temporary Redoubt of the Jedi – Eclipse Base in hopes of massacring the Jedi Order while they were on their back feet from the Yuuzhan Vong War.
House Galeres, lead by Sashar’s first apprentice Zandro mobilised as well in efforts to pursue Qel-Droma and prevent the massacre. The two Houses entered into a brief war before the battle was abruptly ended with the arrival of Mejas and Sashar, who brought their clan back in order. Shortly following the attempted secession of House Qel-Droma, The Dajorra system finally caught the eye of the Warmaster Nas Choka. To complete his dominion of Hutt Space, he sent a task force of his reserves to wipe out the Clan of Dark Jedi nestled on the outskirts of the Maw. Mejas Doto charged Sashar with marshalling the flotilla to defend the Clan from the oncoming invasion, however before they could adequately prepare the Vong’s vanguard arrived. While The Dajorra Defense Force barely held its own, The Proconsul sent Zandro out with Shade Squadron to do a close bombing run on the lead Miid Ro’ik. The Radiation bombs were enough to slow the offensive but not stop it completely, and even with the timely arrival of the Arcona Expeditionary Force wasn’t enough to halt the offensive. As such, in order to preserve the fleet, Mejas ordered the fleet to withdraw into the Maw, drawing the opposing fleet away.
For the most part, the ploy worked and The Arcona flotilla was able to draw the other two destroyer analogs from the Dajorra system and chase them through the Maw, however the crippled Destroyer crashed into the surface of Selen near the Citadel, allowing the dying warriors within to lay siege to the Citadel. The Consul was left with no other option but to petition the aid of another Clan – Naga Sadow.
The Sadowans did send support that arrived before the Arcona Armed Forces could return, however the arrival of a further three destroyer analogs and their support ships (as well as one of the original destroyers trailing the Arcona flotilla) left the combined clans fighting a losing battle. Given no other choice, the Arcona forces had to order a retreat. Braving the surface, Sashar and Zandro ventured into the besieged Estle City and met with the remaining Caste Leaders, giving them a few last instructions before heading to the Citadel.
On their way, Zandro and Sashar passed over the battlefield surrounding the Citadel and felt their brother, Juda, in dire need of assistance. Sashar chose to ignore it in favor of reaching Mejas faster, which ultimately drew Zandro and the Proconsul into a duel at the outer trench. A swift duel which resulted in the destruction of Sashar’s lightsaber, and Zandro being incapacitated. Faced with hordes of irradiated Vagh Rodiek, Sashar prepared to die fighting, however the timely intervention of Juda wielding Zandro’s saber and the pair of Krite Dragons being controlled by Mejas Doto gave Major Malay the time to return with a LAAT/i transport and extract the trio of brothers to the Citadel. It was during this fateful duel that Sashar finally revealed to Zandro the reasons for his betrayal, which brought him some measure of understanding, but not forgiveness. As soon as Sashar reached the Consul, a splinter group of Naga Sadowans spearheaded by Ylith Atema targeted the exposed Citadel from orbit and demanded that the Arconans surrender to him, however the Sadowan summit quickly regained control of the situation and stopped the insane usurper.
The retreat from the Citadel was brief but intense, with an honor guard forming around the Consul in the form of Malidir, Kieran, Juda, Zandro, Sashar and Illian Syn, while the remnants of the Citadel Guard held off the Vong hordes in the lower Citadel. A climactic holding action took place at the top of the Citadel, where even the Shadow Lord had to draw his saber to hold off the Vong until the timely arrival of Cyris Oscura, who saved his life. From there, the AGV Valour's Fall extracted the last survivors from Selen and Arcona were forced to flee Dajorra.
From there, the Remnants of the Arconan flotilla, now full of refugees extracted by the Larties during the pitched battle traveled to the Yridia System for repairs and resupplies. Almost as an afterthought, Sashar was sent to the Naga Sadowans to start negoatiations towards a possible alliance, however he used the premise as an excuse to abduct Ylith Atema (through a squad of TAMs and Illian Syn) as well as meeting in secret with then Jedi Hunter Vorion.
With no home, the Clan was left to traverse the stars as a nomad flotilla. During this time, Sashar worked closely with Illian Syn rounding up various underworld contacts forming ‘Ghost Cells’ of indoctrinated mercenaries with singular skill sets in the hopes of having the first element of what would later become known as the Dajorra Intelligence Agency – highly specialized black ops squads.
Nomads
With the loss of the Dajorra system morale in the clan hit an all-time low. The Flotilla became a refugee camp with many of the cargo bays and corridors in the fleet turning into shanty towns and med-centers. Life support systems on all of the ships were augmented way beyond their original specs and suddenly Quartermasters, Galley Chefs and Doctors became everyone’s best friend and supplies became scarce. With few choices left to them, the clan turned to piracy, primarily targeting Peace Brigade convoys and even occasionally other clan’s merchant contractors – naturally, this did not make the clan the most popular in the Brotherhood.
However, it wasn’t until the combined forces of Clan Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae were engaged with the Yuuzhan Vong that Mejas Doto, the tinges of madness gripping his vision, ordered Arcona’s forces to stand by until they were both at their weakest, then finish them off that Sashar finally began to enact his plans of betraying the Shadow Lord. His first phase was to dispatch Illian Syn in secret to the Dark Council and inform them of Mejas’s plans, thereby isolating him from the Council and his strongest support base. As the Shadow Lord became more and more erratic and reclusive, it became dangerous for anyone to speak to him other than Sashar, as he was prone to lashing out and maiming or even killing officers and Jedi whose only crime was to have the misfortune of being near the Consul when he fell into such a frustrated rage. As such, the Proconsul decreed that the entire clan would first answer to him, and he would then report to the Consul to save on the loss of life.
The CSP/CP/Arcona feud ended in shambles with the Shadow Clan barely escaping with their lives, such were the almost self-destructive orders of the Consul – only the timely intervention of the Dark Council saved all three clans from heavy losses. To placate the growing unrest from the majority of the native Dajorran crew, Sashar organised a reconnoitre which the majority of the clan’s force users joined as well as a select crew of mundanes loyal to Sashar in the TAM brigades. It was during this secret excursion onto Selen that the Proconsul finally met in person then Jedi Hunter Vorion, a defector from Naga Sadow that would come to play a large role in Arcona’s future, though neither knew it at the time. The main objective of the expedition was to assess the defenses the Vong had established and connect with the resistance. The Consul and House Qel-Droma handled the former, while Sashar took on Galeres and the second house. Unfortunately, early on into the operation, Vong scouts spotted the Shadow Clan (their numbers were too large to effectively hide themselves for long) and Arcona had to pull out once more, however a fleeting rendezvous with the local resistance leader was accomplished.
It was nearly time. Mejas’s madness was reaching a fever-pitch. He spent weeks endlessly scouring the Abyssal Tome, sequestered away in his private chambers and his orders became few and far between. His obsession over the loss of shadowcrafting left him switching between muttering indecipherably as he poured over the pages to force-fuelled rages. More and more responsibility was heaped on Sashar until it became clear that the Consul wasn’t even a figurehead or dark mystic, merely an insane Dark Jedi Master with a mind so shattered and fragmented that he was a danger to the entire clan.
Plans that had been made nearly four years before were finally set in motion.
Usurper
Sashar gathered the Arconae and divulged his plans to confront the Consul and take his place, asking for their support. Seeing the decline of the Clan, there was unanimous support. His next act was to organise a training exercise that involved both houses and the majority of the Consul’s Guard left on board the Abyss – the only troops Mejas had left loyal to him. With the Quaestors out of the way, they wouldn’t be forced to choose sides, nor could they be implicated in the coup if it failed. He then requested that Commodore Sulaco and the majority of the Command Staff aboard the flagship perform a tour of the fleet to insure that all of the ships were up to scratch. Finally, unable to stall with preparations anymore, Sashar disabled the communications aboard the flagship and left to confront the insane Shadow Lord, enlisting the help of Zandro and Malidir Erinos as well as Strategos and Timeros Entar. The battle was bloody, dirty and swift. Without his Shadowcrafting, Mejas proved dangerous, but unable to contend with another elder as well as three of the most senior equites in the clan. It culminated with him being incapacitated and placed in stasis. Strangely, the Consul’s guard left aboard didn’t interfere with the battle and recognized Sashar as the rightful leader after the dust had settled. As soon as his rule was authenticated by the Dark Council, the newly minted Consul sent Timeros and Strategos along with a Carbonite-frozen Mejas Doto to the Yridia system, where Oberst Tarentae constructed a [beskar] inhibiting collar that prevented the Dark Jedi Master from even thinking about using the force against his brethren. Only when the Zabrak was ‘muzzled’ was he allowed back to the Arconan flotilla.
The next few months were violent and tumultuous within the clan as the Mandalorian’s control was cemented. There were various explosive disputes with the clan, and Sashar raised some eyebrows by picking a newly anointed Knight as his Proconsul – the [Ubese] Vorion. Together, the pair quickly silenced any dissent by being far more violent than was usual in Sashar’s leadership style, however it was necessary to frustrate any attempts to unseat him before he was ‘settled.’
Eventually, the clan regained some semblance of order, and with the new Clan summit appointing a number of individuals they could trust into the various positions of power within the Houses, order was restored. Finally, plans were set in motion to go home. Vorion, Sashar and eight other equites and elders hatched a plot to stage a ‘betrayal’ of their clan and at the same time, form an elite organization called the Shadesworn who’s primary goal was to test Arcona and make sure they were ready for the trials ahead. The clan passed the test by offering the Shadesworn a considerable challenge as they wreaked havoc throughout the flotilla, and finally the Shadesworn staged a dramatic escape by hijacking the INT Creeping Darkness and jumping to the [Maw].
The rest of the clan, now led by the Quaestors, pursued the ‘traitors’ into the maw and decanted to find a research station waiting for them, acting as a gatekeeper to the ‘Stair of Doto’ – a massive singularity that provided a ‘back door’ through a previously impassable portion of the Maw. Strangely, the Consul and Proconsul contacted the rest of their clan and revealed the Shadesworn’s true objective: retaking Dajorra.
Bolstered, the Clan once again unified under the Consul’s banner and the entire fleet ascended the Stair of Doto. The Battleplan was simple – Vorion would command the Fleet and Sashar would command the ground forces in re-taking Selen, for whoever controlled Estle City controlled the System. The battle was quick, but brutal. The Vong forces were in disarray, as a lot of the resources had been redirected closer to the Core for the climactic battle of Coruscant, leaving only a token garrison. The Arconan fleet, battle-hardened and eager to retake their homes easily proved more than a match. Similarly, caught unprepared, and with hundreds of resistance camps simultaneously rising up all over the system, the Vong on the ground were quickly overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, Arconae Secundus had been extensively Vongformed and had numerous considerable garrisons and shaper damuteks littered all over the surface – it had been transformed into a manufacturing world and there was little chance of saving it. Rather than commit the clan to a years-long campaign to re-take the planet, Sashar ordered it Orbitally Bombarded – a Base Delta Zero. The planet was slagged. While the fires still burned on Secundus, the entire brotherhood was charged with aiding the Dark Council in taking back Antei.
Arcona answered the call and joined the rest of the Brotherhood on their journey through the Shroud, however instead of Vong, Crask’s Jedi forces awaited them, along with legions of Battle Droids. The Clan was thrown into the worst of the fighting, their forces being spread across the surface of Antei. The Battle dragged on and a lot of the Clan’s junior members met their end there. In one climactic duel, their Proconsul and Sashar’s right arm Vorion was seen to be struck down by one of the Jedi and was listed as Killed in Action, forcing the Mandalorian to swiftly appoint Strategos as his new second in command. The losses were horrible. Arcona suffered 66% casualties among her Journeymen and Equites, leaving Sashar with just under fifty Dark Jedi to command. Nevertheless, the Shadow Clan outdid herself and was charged with helping pacify the area around the Dark Hall. For their services and dedication to the Dark Council in what would later be known as the Ninth Great Jedi War, Arcona was rewarded handsomely and declared the new First Clan of the Brotherhood – a title never before held by any other clan than Taldryan.
Champions
The clan returned to Dajorra battered but jubilant. However, their hard work was far from over. Their home system still had numerous pockets of Yuuzhan Vong resistance, and a massive reconstruction project lay ahead of them.
Appearance
Sashar stands at an even six feet and takes every caution to appear as bland and unremarkable as possible (after all, individuals attract fire). With an even tan formed from a lifetime outside and dark hair that varies in length and tone from a military crew cut to just brushing his shoulders in times of extended conflict, he has the look of a man barely reaching adulthood that has nevertheless seen too much of war and has left its mark.
In terms of identifying marks, beyond the usual cuts and scrapes life gives a person (and obviously his eyes), Sashar has a pair of tattoos – The first is the Erinos symbol on the upper right portion of his back, and the other is the Mark of the Tenebrous – a large, circular tattoo that covers most of his abdomen, centered around his belly button.
With a muscled, compact form and board shoulders with very little body fat spread over his frame, he is lightly haired and well groomed. In times of war, a dusting of stubble sprinkled across his face isn’t uncommon.
His only piece of jewellery is the ‘Star of Dajorra’ – a silver necklace hung about his neck holding a small glass marble with a shining light encased within. The light, upon careful inspection, is an exact replica of the Star Dajorra. This award was bestowed upon Sashar for his work in helping augment the training of Arcona’s Military forces, making them a more effective fighting force with lectures and talks on Battle Psychology.
Ayumarka Eyes
Sashar’s eyes are cloned and engineered to allow him to see as he previously did, as well as granting him near perfect vision in pitch darkness. Added to this, the Consul Mejas Doto imbued an amount of force energy into the eyes, allowing their owner to occasionally see currents in the force. The eyes, unlike his originals, are a dark blue with an unusual tri-pointed pupil pattern, signifying their special nature.
Attire
File:Sashar Armour.JPGSashar, in his Mandalorian Armor
As a Mandalorian, Sashar is almost never seen outside of his Armor. The plating is painted a dull, non-reflective grey (in homage to a lost loved one – he has never said who) and pitted with numerous lightsaber scores where he’s been struck in the past, but only the durable beskar has saved his life. Over this, he nearly always wears an old grey cloak that would blend in with the slums of a thousand worlds. The only concessions to his rank and clan are the small Arconan Logo on the upper right pectoral plate and the black hem to his cloak. The custom Helmet proudly bears the Jaig Eyes he earned during his tenure with Soulfire. When handling official clan business, then Sashar will don the Shadesworn robes his clan won in the Ninth Great Jedi War – a badge of honor for the Shadow Clan.
Psychological Profile
The Mandalorian is somewhat of a contradiction, even to himself. His strong sense of a warrior’s honor seems to drive his moral decisions – indeed it features strongly in his philosophy of the force. By his own admission, he refers to himself as a Grey Jedi – a dangerous title for someone in the Dark Brotherhood. This endeavour for an ‘honourable’ life is countered by his growing strength in the force – he finds himself questioning the Mandalorian drive for war. Indeed, he is starting to see his Mandalorian way of life impractical at times, and looks to the force to aid him towards the ‘greater good.’ It remains to be seen how this internal strife will manifest itself.
His loyalties however, aren’t affected by his conflicting morals and dark temptation. His Family, his House, his Clan and a few select others he would gladly give his life for – the Mandalorian’s family orientated culture being the driving force behind that mentality. Outside of the close circle his trusts, he ranges from respectful (to those he views as competent warriors) to openly scornful (to those he views as cowards; those who don’t fight with honor). This doesn’t lend itself easily to strangers – that is not to say that the Mandalorian can’t be charming, polite and dapper; merely that he chooses not to be amongst his peers in the Brotherhood.
The Force
Sashar’s application of the force is, like his fighting style, spartan. He will only expend the energy needed to complete the task presented before him, be it defeating an opposing force user or knocking down a reinforced door. He is at home using the force in many aspects – indeed he is quite the Jedi, however he has paid particular attention to his cultivation of Battle-Melds. His work with Soulfire only helped him improve this singular talent and he considers it his latent leaning in the force. Some are healers, some are seers; Sashar can forge Battle Melds.
Again, with his philosophy being that of a Grey Jedi and Sashar embracing the Potentium view of the force, he is not squeamish about using the force’s more offensive powers if the end result is what he sees ‘the greater good.’
To suit his fighting style, Sashar has also paid particular attention to cultivating his offensive telekinetic abilities, allowing his rage to fuel the force, putting up defensive barriers, and as a homeage to his Clan, ‘Blackness.’
Combat
In combat, Sashar is very much the Mandalorian’s Mandalorian. He is unafraid to make a mess, accepts collateral damage with a shrug and displays a nonchalance to the various tools he uses to disassemble sentients that startles those who encounter him. His fighting style is no-nonsense, not big on flashy demonstrations of power or skill, instead expanding just enough energy to get the job done, at least when it comes to melee or hand-to-hand fighting. However, his use of high-yield explosives can best be surmised in his own words: “P for Plenty.”
Being trained in small unit tactics since being a toddler, he is incredibly comfortable with a wide variety of blaster weapons, and has also taken it upon himself to modify the ‘gear’ he owns to better suit his needs. Likewise, he worked closely with his brother to help design the Soulfire Neo-Crusader armor to be optimised for a small commando unit who regularly face force users of greater rank and skill. As such, he isn’t afraid to use technology, tools and gadgets in his line of work and sneers at those who think that the Lightsaber is the only weapon they’ll ever need. That isn’t to say that he doesn’t respect lightsaber combat – indeed he is quite the swordsman – but he also is of the belief that there are times and places for the antiquated weapon.
As Soulfire’s former Tech specialist, the Mandalorian is also quite at home with various forms of electronic warfare and spends a lot of his down time when not practicing or attending to his various duties in the clan ‘tinkering’ with various pieces of technology or weaponry to better them.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Before he joined the Brotherhood, Sashar journeyed to Honoghr to train with the Noghri in hand to hand combat. He spent several months there mastering the art of Stava. He is very comfortable with the art and bases a lot of his larger combat styles’ economy and lack of flashy displays and techniques on those taught to him by the Noghri.
Lightsaber Combat
Primary Form:Shien
Secondary Form:Djem So
Tertiary Form: Soresu
Sashar’s lightsaber style was, put simply, brutally utilitarian. A former master of Soresu, Sashar’s defense was legendary in Arcona. He practiced daily, constantly striving to improve his form, however as he found more and more during the Ninth Great Jedi War he realized more and more that a simple defense won’t guarantee victory. Thus, he aggressively took to schooling himself in Shien, practicing incessantly with his shoto until he was confident of an acceptable level of mastery in the art.
Unfortunately, his practice in Soresu fell behind and as such he isn’t nearly as good as he used to be in the defensive art. Only time and practice will bring back his expertise.
As an Obelisk, it should be noted that Sashar is no at all limited to lightsaber combat, and often only draws his saber as a last resort, instead preferring to use more conventional weapons such as blasters, explosives or his fists before resorting to a lightsaber.
Gear
Cross Saber
Sashar's former Lightsaber
Sashar constructed his third lightsaber after his second lightsaber, a claymore he christened the Violet Vendetta was confiscated upon his banishment from Clan Alvaak. This saber was hastily constructed while the Mandalorian was traveling the galaxy, and as such assembled using whatever components he could lay his hands on, rather in the specialized workshops provided by Arcona. A bit too heavy for Sashar’s liking, the pommel has little decoration or grip, instead only offering the wielder something solid and unencumbered to hold onto. With only a single Agedan crystal contained within, the blade is uncomplicated and not aimed at tackling any single type of threat, be it blaster fire or other lightsabers. Sashar lost the blade during a duel in the Taldryan/Arcona feud, however he reclaimed it after the engagement. After the feud, Sashar started work on the Fraternity and now keeps his teal blade in his quarters, strictly as a backup weapon should the Fraternity be lost.
Fraternity
Sashar's former Lightsaber
It took nearly a month to make. The delicately tooled bronze and dark chromium exterior contradict with Sashar’s true disposition of being a no-nonsense fighter, not interested in flair and pomp, however, though never admitting it, the Mandalorian could have simply taken great pride (as he does with all of his weapons and tools) in its construction and wanted to display his fierce pride of the weapon in its aesthetics.
Sashar spent a while acquiring the parts he needed for the Fraternity, most notably the crystals. The primary crystal, the crystal which grants the saber its rusty orange color was bought from an artisan that had been to Mustafar and somehow acquired the crystal through less than legal means. It took Sashar nearly all of the month to get the funds together to pay a deposit on the rare Mustafarian Lava Crystal, and less than ten seconds to threaten the Artisan into giving him the crystal for free, and his money back as a gesture of good faith. While taking no pleasure in this bullying of a hapless civilian, Sashar did acknowledge that it was necessary to acquire that crystal for his saber, and as such justifies it ‘for the greater good.’
The two focusing crystals were another story altogether. The pure black Krayt Dragon Pearl was a gift from the Arcona Consul Strategos Thanatos Entar Arconae to one of his closest retainers and it was given with the hint that it might be useful in Shadowcrafting – the Clan Arcona focus. Sashar installed the pearl into the saber and found that Shadowcrafting was indeed a little easier when he focused on the jet black Krayt Dragon Pearl nestled in his lightsaber.
Finally, the last crystal that went into the Fraternity was a Lorrdian Gemstone, chosen for its use in focusing the mind into predicting attack patterns and when combined with a lightsaber, aiding the wielder in deflecting blaster bolts with the arcane weapon. As a regular practitioner of the Third form, Soresu, Sashar felt that this was a must and he was able to acquire one from the lightsaber of a felled opponent from the Arcona/Taldryan Clan Feud.
The name of the lightsaber was a reminder of Sashar’s heritage – to remind the Mandalorian that his ner’vod had helped him come this far in life, and it was his duty to do the same in return. To that end, Sashar often thought of the lightsaber more as a token to represent his brothers (both Mandalorian and adopted) than a weapon.
Ironically, it was Sashar's own half brother that eventually destroyed the lightsaber during the invasion of Dajorra in a climatic duel between the two. The loss of Fraternity was a heavy blow to Sashar.
Kad'ika
Sashar's LightsaberAfter the loss of Dajorra and Sashar’s personal loss against his brother Zandro in lightsaber combat, he noticed a fatal flaw in his own style of Soresu; his signature defense Mighty Guard took at least a half-second to be established due in large part to Sashar’s own mental limitations. His focus required a time to come to be and no matter how small, it was still a gap and thus a weakness.
To counter this, Sashar built a one-handed short lightsaber – a shoto. This was perfectly suited to Soresu, as the form was typically utilised one-handed. While he lost some reach with blaster bolt deflection and redirection, the shorter blade was much more accurate and able to weave a tighter defense, as more control was granted and it was able to be kept closer to the body than the larger traditional blade lengths.
Kad’ika was developed in a hurry using scrounged resources after Arcona was made homeless. The pommel had a trio of ‘claws’ around the emitter that favor the ripper style of lightsaber. They are sharp enough to injure an opponent, but are more for decoration than actual use. Sashar wields Kad’ika (little saber in Mando’a) with his left hand and often utilises a number of CQC grapples, blocks, punches and jabs with his free right hand, making sure to close the distance between him and his opponent to such a point where the standard lightsaber configuration is rendered impractical but where his shoto is still small enough to inflict damage.
Unfortunately the obvious drawback to this is the lack of range or reach, making Sashar almost exclusively a close range fighter. While he can negate this against blaster wielding opponents by redirecting their shots back at them, in lightsaber combat it means he is unlikely to fare well against more than one opponent at a time as the shoto blade is simply too short to catch more than one blade on it at once.
Masters
Sashar has trained extensively in every aspect of war he could and has had many masters in his time. The most prominent ones are following:
Bralor Kodiak
Sashar’s and Kieran’s adoptive father, Bralor is the head of the Kodiak Clan and had Kieran and Sashar accompany him throughout Dxun once they reached the age of 8 – teaching them everything they’d need to carry on the Mandalorian warrior heritage. They learned survival techniques, weapons mastery with blasters and how to handle explosives correctly, as well as hand-to-hand combat and tactical supremacy. Bralor laid the foundations for them both to become formidable warriors in their own right without any assistance from the force.
Frey Gallandro
Sashar’s master in Clan Alvaak was Frey Gallandro. The belkadanian was a harsh master and allowed Sashar to explore the force on his own for the most part, only loosely guiding him through the first steps of being a journeyman. He also encouraged the mandalorian to be fanatically loyal – something which backfired a year after Sashar’s Knighthood, during the exodus. Sashar and Frey had a climactic duel which ended in the Master being exiled from the Clan along with his former student. The two never spoke again and no love is lost between the pair.
Strategos took Sashar under his wing when he reached Arcona, and while already being an equite, Strategos still took it on himself to tutor Sashar on the use of the blade. He still trains Sashar to this day in lightsaber combat and the pair regularly spar.
When Sashar was briefly in Clan Tarentum, he encountered the Adept. Oberst agreed to train Sashar in more martial aspects of
combat, such as commanding large forces, logistical operation and tactical handling of huge forces. Thanks to his continued mentoring, the Mandalorian is able to competently handle the management of a battle in both large space-going conflicts and on the ground. This has improved his worth to Arcona tenfold, allowing him much more use than just as a commando. Sashar is still in training with Oberst and the two regularly act as de-facto intermediaries between the allied clans. Also of note is Oberst’s sadistic nature and leanings towards torture and interrogation and his tutoring Sashar of these techniques, however this is something the Arconae tries to avoid whenever possible, as he considers it distasteful.
Upon being given the Title di Tenebrous Arcona, Sashar was taken under Mejas’s wing as his ‘Shadow Scion’ – the first apprentice Mejas has ever taken. The Shadow Lord trained Sashar in the more obscure and arcane uses of the force, and it is planned that once the Mandalorian reaches the ranks of the Elders, he will be the second ‘Shadow Lord’ of Arcona.
Apprentices
The Mandalorian Prided himself on his mentorship of his brethren and repeatedly took on apprentices during his tenure in the Brotherhood. Indeed, he spent a large amount of his free time assembling what he has dubbed the ‘Kodiak Holocron’ a collection of training regimens and techniques unique to the Mandalorian to help in his training of some of the clan’s newer members. When each of his apprentices reaches the rank of Knight, they are given a tattoo bearing Sashar’s mark onto their left shoulder, signifying their training under him.
Sashar’s first impression of Zandro was an eager, ambitious recruit to Clan Arcona that with a little honing could become a stalwart of the clan. He was right. Zandro proved to excel in every field Sashar tested him in and seemed incredibly at home with a Lightsaber. Zandro also exhibited calmness under fire and charismatic dry sense of humour that made him a brilliant leader. He was also the consummate tactician – in every way Sashar’s prodigy – even going so far as to display an acuity with the rare and difficult art of Battle Meditation. Their newfound familial linkage just strengthened the bond the two shared and they remained close even after Zandro completed his training. Zandro kept going to his older brother Sashar for camaraderie and advice. Zandro was one of the six founding 'Vode Erinos' of the Erinos Family.
Sashar’s second apprentice, the Human was quietly-spoken, not particularly at home with the more mystic applications o the force, but he had a dedicated grit that meant he would never, ever give up. Indeed, his stamina to keep on fighting relentlessly, leading by example is a source of inspiration to his subordinates. Unfortunately, Sashar was driven from Arcona before he could complete Malidir’s training – something the Mandalorian felt guilty about for a long time. Still, despite this, Malidir and Sashar remained friends - Malidir was one of the six founding 'Vode Erinos' of the Erinos family.
Kieran was Sashar’s clan-mate from Dxun and the pair were close even before the Mandalorian took him on as an ‘apprentice’ – though the pair hardly had a master/student dynamic. Indeed, Kieran’s frankness, his black humour and his grim outlook on life speak of someone that rarely listened to authority. That was incorrect however, as the Mandalorian believed in a strong, pronounced chain of command and excelled working in small units such as Soulfire Strike Team. He displayed little ability with offensive force abilities, instead being more adept at augmenting his physical attributes with the force more than anything else. He eventually completed his tutorship with Sashar and the two continued to work closely on various tasks for Galeres, Arcona and the Erinos family. Kieran was one of the six founding 'Vode Erinos' of the Erinos family.
Not your stereotypical Nagai, Rho and Sashar did no always see eye to eye, yet the Mandalorian cajoled the Nagai into accepting him as a master by showing him the ‘Mandalorian’ way of doing things. This produced mixed results. While Rho was quite the combatant with melee weapons – homage to his Nagai heritage, he took to Soulfire’s blaster-heavy approach to warfare reluctantly. He nevertheless progressed in his application of the dark side as only a Sith could and pointedly disagreed with Sashar on many of the more philosophical debates the pair had when discussing the force, indeed, his ‘Grey Jedi’ stance was dismissed and the Nagai seemed content with the role of the dark side in his life. It was Sashar’s belief that he would make a fine Dark Jedi. Whether or not this is a compliment remains to be seen. Upon Rho's attaining the title of Knight, Sashar built the Nagai a custom suit of armor as a way of displaying his pride for the apprentice that provided him with the most challenge.
Another of Sashar’s ner’vod from Dxun, Juda looked to Sashar as an older-brother figure and in a blatant disregard for the laws prohibiting it, Sashar took Juda as his apprentice despite already having two others. The Mandalorians worked extremely well together, and unlike Kieran, Juda exhibited a level of control over the force that even Sashar couldn’t quite match up to. He demonstrated a natural affinity as a ‘seer’ – having a force sense that was impressive for such a raw recruit to the force, and also seemed to lean towards healing and regenerative force powers – it was expected that Juda would become a brilliant healer and seer as he progressed down the path of the force user. Sashar’s one concern over his ner’vod was that the red-haired youth would be seduced by the Dark Side – something he was able to avoid with Malidir, Kieran and Zandro. Sashar also decided to use Juda as the apprentice for a trial mentoring scheme, where Juda and Sashar would remain bonded together as master and apprentice until Juda reached the rank of Obelisk Prelate - an 'advanced mentorship.'
Earnest, Sashar’s sixth apprentice was taken on reluctantly. The former companion and consummate seducer share a past in that Earnest was the one to ‘take’ Dash Kuatir from the Mandalorian. Nevertheless, he agreed to tutor the Jedi Hunter late in his ascension through the ranks to make him a better asset to Arcona. The pair were often found sparring as it was in direct combat that Earnest needed the most tutelage. Curiously, despite Sashar’s urgings, Earnest shunned all forms of lightsaber combat, forcing him to rely on the more mystic applications of the Force for protection. It was thought that this was ultimately what cost Earnest his life in the Great Hunt, as he disappeared without a trace and was presumed dead. However, just after the conclusion of the Ninth Great Jedi War Earnest resurfaced and took his place back in Arcona, eager to nest in the shelter the First Clan provided. Sashar agreed to take Earnest on as an apprentice once more, however it was assumed by everyone involved that this was more so he could keep a very close eye on the former companion, rather than through any outward sign of affection for the dandified seducer.
Sashar’s seventh apprentice, Illian was a transfer from Taldryan that craved a mentor able to challenge them both mentally and physically. The Exarch, upon hearing that Illian required an experienced Master took it upon himself to train him, both to reinforce Arcona’s focus and attention on all of their members, regardless of previous affiliation and to temper some of Illian’s more psychotic urges. The two were often at loggerheads due to their vastly different views on team-work and Clan fealty, However during Illian’s trials, Sashar forced him to give up Torment, Illian’s lightsaber and ‘voice in his head.’ After his ascension to Dark Jedi Knight, the unstable ex-Taldryanite became a de-facto extension of Sashar’s will and acted as a spy and assassin for the Proconsul.
Draco Maligo
Sashar’s eighth apprentice, and perhaps his most difficult. Maligo was a teenager from Almania with a strong talent for mind control. Sashar agreed to assume Draco’s continuing training after the death of his master under suspicious circumstances during a mission against the Yuuzhan Vong. Draco was strongly independent, and showed affinity for the mystical aspects of the Force rather than combat ability, going so far as to shun armor and particle weapons to focus his attention on sorcery and alchemy. Maligo often went AWOL hunting for arcane knowledge of Force techniques. Draco easily made it to Dark Jedi Knight with little help from Sashar, and the Mandalorian encouraged him to continue on his path, as Alchemists were in short supply after the fall of Antei.
Lyncoln Novell
Hand-picked to serve at the feet of the Arcona Consul, Lyncoln was been offered a path that few other Journeyman have experienced. The amiable, but reclusive Bothan was chosen to fulfill the role of Apprentice to Sashar in order to bring up the next generation of valuable assets for Clan Arcona. All members of the Arconan summit knew there was much potential and power within Novell, but they also realized that his path was much different from the stereotypical Dark Jedi of the Brotherhood.
Their strong telepathic connection, coupled with long hours of training and mentoring, created a bond between master and student that few within the clan could match. The whispers throughout the clan halls had Lyncoln marked out as a pawn of Sashar's will, but while that may have been true, the Consul had bigger plans for the young Bothan. Through a well thought out and planned regimen of training, Sashar planned to make Lyncoln Novell into a force to be reckoned with throughout the Brotherhood and the galaxy. Unfortunately, during the Ninth Great Jedi War, Lyncoln vanished on the plains of Antei combating the battle droids and rogue Jedi and it is unknown if he will be heard from again, given the confusion that battle wrought.
Maaks, Sashar’s most recent apprentice proved something of a challenge. Being a Miraluka, the obvious sight difficulties often proved to be a barrier between the pair, however that paled into insignificance compared to Maaks’ lack of martial background. As such, before Sashar could properly school him, he sent the Miraluka to Dxun to train with Kieran and Juda until they deemed him ready to rejoin Arcona and Soulfire Strike Team as a Dark Jedi worthy of the squad’s reputation.