Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae

Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae
Biographical Information
Homeworld:	Shaevalis Prime
Date of Birth:	106 BBY
Date of Death:	N/A
Physical Description
Species:	Shaevalian
Gender:	Male
Height:	2.2 meters
Weight:	120 kg
Hair:	Jet Black, thin cut
Eyes:	White
Cybernetics:	None
Personal Information
Allies:	Dacien "BubbaX" Victae, Rayne Victae, Xen'Mordin Vismorsus, Angelo Dante
Lightsaber Color(s):	Light Green
Lightsaber Form(s):	Vapaad
Chronology & Political Information
Profession:	Noble, General, Training Sergeant, Imperial Officer.
Position:	Flight Leader, Battleteam Dorimad Sol
Era(s):	Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era
Affiliation:	Scholae Palatinae, Caliburnus
Personal Ship:	Heart of Gold (former)
Known masters:	Rasilvenaira StormRaven
Known apprentices:	Rayne Victae, Faukes, Ginnafae, Reman Khaar
Dossier:	7589
[ Source ]

Brent Ligur Victae, also known as Archangel, is a ruthless Sith Battlemaster, whose appetite for war and victory is matched only by his pride. Though often bordering on the arrogant, his attitude is well deserved, having won distinctions in numerous campaigns within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and with out. He rose through the ranks within the clans of Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae, and was appointed to lead Caliburnus for a long spell, before disappearing into the quiet after Great Jedi War IX. Returning after a stint in the Independent House Revan, he now strives to make Clan Scholae Palatinae great again.

"Never Tempt the Mighty"

―Brent Ligur Victae

Timeline

Beginnings

Illysia, Brodo's Mother

• 106 BBY - Birth

"The Past, Present and Future
Are all visible in a child's eyes "

―Unknown

He was born Brodo Nul, he was born into an attentive and happy family. His parents were Illysia and Korvem. Korvem was a military leader of skill and prestige in the Shaevalian military. As a high-ranking General, he led the 2nd Grand Battalion into several conquests along the outer regions of the Shaevalian space. Korvem had always been an amazing strategist, and would often outsmart teams of opponents. He was widely considered to be the replacement for the Grand General at the time.

His mother was an outsider, a Kiffar born on Kiffu, but spent the majority of her life on the shipyards surrounding the planet Sluis Van. She did odd jobs around the shipyards, ranging from both working as a barmaid in one of the hundreds of bars for the workers all the way to the assistant to the quartermaster, a position she enjoyed and intended to stay. She regularly took trips back and forth between the main suppliers for the shipyard to maintain a good relationship between the two corporations.

She was on a freighter heading for Sluis Van, assisting the quartermaster crew in transporting a load of metal ore for the factory's foundries when it came under attack by pirates. The captain of the freighter sent the vessel into a blind hyperspace jump. Amongst all the maneuvers the man could have done, a blind hyperspace jump is likely to have been the most dangerous and foolish choice possible. As the freighter dropped out of hyperspace, it coasted, with its thrusters inoperable. It clipped the edge of an asteroid as it bore towards the star of a solar system, leaving it in a tumble, barely under power. Only Illysia and the helmsman was left alive, and they worked together to get the spin under control, by alternating maneuvering thrusters

A frigate in the Nul military at the time, the Cordite Hawk, was in the vicinity at the time, and recorded the entire reentry to normal space, and the subsequent slowing of the tumble. The Hawk, led by a young lieutenant, a subordinate of Korvem, hailed the severely damaged ship, and offered assistance, which was quickly taken. The helmsman died of his wounds after being transported to the frigate, but Illysia lived. She was taken back to the 2nd Grand Battalion headquarters to meet her captor's commander.

During the subsequent interview, Korvem was intrigued with the woman, whose wit and intelligence surprised him. The majority of the races in this region were less than civil, and few were capable of interesting conversation. Despite her status as a prisoner, Korvem had her transported to his home in the Shin'Tar District of Shaevalis City, the capital of Shaevalis Prime.

Korvem and Illysia would spend hours talking, on subjects spanning from cooking all the way to the politics of the Republic. They would grow close over time, and would enjoy their company. Korvem pulled some strings and called in some favors to have Illysia officially 'released' from her bonds, and they were married within the year. Two years later, Brodo would be born.

• 104 BBY - Childhood

A young Brodo

"Cookie!"

―Brodo's first word, preceded and followed by inane laughter

Childhood for a Shaevalian is usually harsh, with the majority of the planet's population living just above the Galactic standard poverity line. With the royalty and nobility living in opulence and luxury, only their religious power and military might could maintain the calm throughout the population. Luckily, due to Korvem's military success and rank, he was able to afford a small compound in the Shin'Tar District, the area where the upper echelon of society would pay through the nose to live in.

The compound was not huge, with only three bedrooms and other rooms laid out in a square, and a small courtyard and garden in the center. The small family lived here with one chef and one maid, which was a very small staff for Shin'Tar. Brodo was given almost free run of the compound, running around like a little mad man, giggling and screeching. His favorite pass time in his early years was chasing the birds who called the compound their home.

Over the years, Illysia would take Brodo out with her to the markets to help her buy produce for the week. Now that Brodo had aged a few years, he'd learned to walk quickly, and soon after, run. Despite his development, he did not notice how the Shaevalians would treat Illysia, flashing scornful glares in her and Brodo's direction, all the while whispering amongst themselves.

The Shaevalian people were naturally xenophobic, with many wars having been fought against the violent races who inhabit Wildspace. To them, the Kiffar was just another outsider, tempting away one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet with her alien wiles and under the guise of affection. The upper crust of society often scorned the couple, where Korvem would have been invited to an event, after their marriage, he would not even been considered. The more malicious of nobles would send invitations only naming Korvem.

Despite this prejudice against them, the couple was happy. Brodo grew quickly into a strong teenager, whose keen skills in sports made him some friends despite his lineage. His schooling progressed well, as his interests in history and geography helped him pass each year of education comfortably. In his final year of secondary education, he was approached by military recruiters, impressed with his size, strength and intelligence. Korvem told Brodo to further his education first before considering a life like his own.

• 86 BBY - Persistant

"An uneducated mind on a battlefield is as useful as a blaster without ammunition"

―Korvem Nul

Heeding his father's advice, Brodo enrolled in an academy for furthering his education, especially in the realms of history and geography, his favorite subjects. He found them easy to cope with and the subjects were far more interesting than sheets of numbers, which often didn't have much of a use on the battlefield. Brodo found himself thinking this way more often than not, knowing full well that his destiny lay on the battlefields of the galaxy, not behind some desk or fixing speeders.

Another part of the academy course he followed was developing the mechanical skills of the students, teaching them the inner workings of blasters, speeders, star fighters and droids. While Brodo was not overly interested in this, he nevertheless had a knack for it. The blasters in particular he enjoyed working with, stripping them down and putting them back together again in a flurry of movements to entertain his class mates.

One of his classmates, a man by the name of Jarak Ari, was intrigued by this often shy, but friendly character, whose blood, though tainted with that of an alien, still bore noble Shaevalian blood. Jarak was the son of Ludok, one of the Generals of the Grand Battalions. Ludok led the 7th Grand Battalion, a full five levels down the chain of command from Brodo's father, Korvem. Ever the conniver, Jarak insinuated himself within Brodo's circle of friends, trying his best to get in the larger man's favor. He thought that if he could become Brodo's friend that when they inherited their fathers' positions, Brodo could help promote Jarak up the chain of command, maybe even up to the 3rd Grand Battalion.

While Brodo was unaware of this political posturing, he knew his future was being decided for him. Military officers sat at the back of his classes, trying their best to seem innocuous, but failing miserably. Brodo contacted his father about this, and the military officers disappeared soon after.

• 82 BBY – Butting one's head against a wall

"Few would deign to such a heresy, as an assassin to a murder"

―Korvem Nul

After completing his tenure at the academy, Brodo returned to his family's compound, to the welcoming arms of his parents. He had barely aged visibly since he'd left for the Academy, despite the four years he had spent away during his early life. Meanwhile, his mother had aged considerably, her once raven black hair now streaked with strands of gray. The family would spend that night in a quiet meal, with Brodo doing most of the talking as he recounted his years at the Academy.

Over the following weeks, Brodo settled into a gentle rhythm, spending long hours reading military texts in his father's library, or assisting the chef with the cooking, another one of his passions. He found that quiet strolls through the Shaevalis City were fascinating, seeing the diverse neighborhoods and vibrant marketplaces. Despite all these interesting distractions, Brodo could not help feeling like he was being watched.

Upon returning home after a long trek through the city's merchant's district, Brodo saw a speeder with miltary markings and a soldier at the wheel outside his family's compound. Apparently, the recruiters were back. Korvem had stalled them as much as his position and rank could manage, and the officers had had enough. They laid out their plan to Brodo, that he needs to join the military now, as the son and heir of a General of a Grand Battalion needs to have a firm founding in martial knowledge and skills.

At first, Korvem resisted, trying to protect his son from a life which, though well suited to him, would lead his son down a dangerous and terrible road. The military officers offered Korvem a choice: allow Brodo to go with these officers and enlist in the military or relinquish his Generalship and Brodo's right to succession.

Brodo made the decision for his father, agreeing to join the military. He knew it as against his parent's wishes, but he knew it was the only way he could live with himself. He could not allow his father to give up a title and honor which had been in his family for generations. Brodo left for the military academy the following morning.

• 80 BBY - Military Academy

"The Army will make a man out of you. It's up to you if you make it out alive or dead."

―Korvem Nul

Live Fire Training Exercise

Despite the circumstances under which he would be entering the military academy, Brodo found himself looking forward to this change of pace. He had known his entire life that he would be end up in the military whether against his will or not. His father had always told him the military was always the last option for an intelligent man, and should never been entered lightly. Brodo had heeded his dad, but the military officers who had come to find him were very... convincing.

Due to his furthered education, Brodo was inducted as an officer-cadet in the military academy. As the son of one of the Generals of a Grand Battalion, Brodo was officially inducted in an appointment with the Commandant. The Commandant, a stout man of advanced years, seemed friendly enough, as he gave Brodo the choice between branches of the military: Army, Fleet or star fighter corps. The choice was simple: Army.

He was assigned quarters in the freshman barracks along side three other cadets, one of whom just happened to be Jarak Ari. Brodo noticed the significance of this assignment, as well as the man's previous endeavors to try and get closer to him. He decided not to allow it to worry him, but instead focus all of his attentions on his education and development as a military officer.

Uniforms and equipment were assigned the following day. Brodo, whose height and shoulder size had always been a problem for him when trying to find clothing, had been provided with a custom fit uniform, very similar to that of his father. A simple blaster rifle and sidearm were also assigned to each of the recruits, an obsolete but still useful version of the rifles currently used by all branches of the military.

After uniforms had been donned and equipment strapped into place, the Drill Sergeants began their work. For the next two years, the officer-cadets were marched up and down the academy's grounds, through the jungles of the nearby valley and the mountains surrounding it. They spent almost as much time in classes, learning the doctrine and tactics used by the Shaevalian Army. The majority of these lessons Brodo had already learned from the texts in father's library and historical lessons at the previous academy. The years flew past, and Brodo found himself enjoying his time there. He hoped it would continue into the real military.

• 77 BBY – Live Weapons

"Live Fire! Live Fire! Safety Release!"

―Drill Sergeant announcement

The training was arduous, with long marches taking up most of the days and evenings being spent in technical or tactical instruction. Brodo's aptitude in weaponry served him well as he beat the entire cadet unit in shooting competitions and timed break down and reassemble drills. While nowhere near the records of previous years, he still impressed his drill sergeants.

In his fourth year, the Drill Sergeants announced a live fire exercise, to take place in the jungle nearby. A wave of excitement ran through the cadets, as well as anxiety. Every year, at least one cadet of each thirty-strong unit died during the live fire exercises, no matter how careful the instructors are or how well trained the cadets are.

The enemy would be automated speeders and weakened battle droids, following tactics and attack strategies similar to that of the main enemies of Shaevalis Prime. These enemies would not be firing full strength weapons like the cadets would, but their lasers would hurt.

The cadets were split into two units, and each unit was assigned arm bands of red or blue. These squads would work in unison, allowing for squad tactics to be used properly. Brodo was given command of the Blue Squad, and Jarak managed to weasel his way into command of the Red Squad, despite his pathetic test scores. Jarak Ari was not a competent cadet, and had his blood not been of a General's, he would never have been allowed into the military. Brodo had begun to see even more failings in the system and how easily someone with connections could alter it for their own devices.

The main war game style exercise was set around a large valley several kilometers northwest of the academy. This valley posed several problems for both sides. The dense forest in some areas would hamper speeder movement for the enemies, whereas there was only one water supply, a large river which cut the valley in half. This river was also an obstacle for both sides, as each force would start on opposite sides of the river. Fording the river was a certainty.

The exercise began with a simulated barrage of artillery from the droid army as they began their advance through the forests. As their main strength was their speeders, the droids did their best to protect them, by taking them along the main thoroughfares in the forest in convoys, protected by a large formation of troops.

The cadets were far outnumbered by the droids, as it usually was for the Shaevalians. The droids numbered over two hundred, with a fleet of ten speeders with blaster cannons mounted both front and rear. The cadets were only thirty Shaevalians, with two high-powered anti-speeder rifles which required two good hits on one speeder to take it out.

The two squads began by ambushing the vanguard of the droid company, the two high-powered rifles being used to great effect. The cadets fought well, with no losses. The droids, despite their programming, were not the most capable of opponents. The kills were tallied for each of the cadets, with Brodo and two others neck and neck, one of whom was Jarak Ari.

As the cadets were taking a twenty minute break for lunch, the droids attacked from the trees. They had ambushed the ambushers, a tactic that no one had expected. Brodo was enraged, as three cadets were taken out without any return fire. The droids had surrounded the units, with speeders slicing through the ranks with heavy blaster fire.

Brodo ordered the cadets to the trees, spreading out so that the droids could not focus their fire and create killing zones. Jarak Ari was not so smart, ordering his unit to charge the droids head on. The cadets, having been constantly told to follow orders for several years, did so. They were slaughtered by several salvos from the droid speeders.

The Blue unit formed up on Brodo as they retreated through the forest. One of the high-powered rifles had been lost in the fray and Brodo commandeered the other one, as its former user had been one of the few men in his unit to have been taken out. He ordered his unit to split into pairs and perform a skirmishing action. With an odd number, Brodo was by himself. He recalled his sniper training from the academy, and camouflaged himself with leaves and branches.

He positioned himself on a small rise near the droid headquarters position, where they were holding the remnants of the Red unit, as well as most of the speeder fleet. Several seemed to be out scouting for the rest of his unit. Brodo took a long ten minute survey of the grounds, following the patrols of the guard droids and tried to commit them to memory as accurately as possible. As droids, they lacked the capacity to improvise, but also the capability to be distracted, lazy, sleepy or uninterested.

He struck, his first three shots destroying one speeder. The droids rushed to inspect the destruction, as well as running straight in his direction. He gritted his teeth and opened fire, slicing through the ranks of the droids as effectively as he could. Suddenly, from the trees around the camp, blaster fire erupted. The rest of the Blue unit had surrounded the droids. Apparently the other cadets had shared the same ideas as Brodo.

The droids were routed quickly, with Brodo covering the cadets with his high-powered rifle. He did not win the kill tally competition, but he did have the honor of untying Jarak Ari from the bindings that the Droids had left him in. The cadets drank well that night, saluting the bravery of Brodo and the rest of the Blue unit. The only sour grape in the bunch was Jarak Ari, who tried his best to blame his unit's failure on Brodo, but the drill sergeants, who had been watching all the time, would not hear it.

The cadets graduated from the academy the following week, with Brodo as the valedictorian, and Jarak Ari as the salutatorian.

Brodo in his Shaevalian Dress Uniform

• 75 BBY - Enlisted

"You're in the Army now, son, I wish you luck and success. Stay safe."

―Korvem Nul

After his graduation from the Academy, Brodo returned to his family compound and his old neighborhood. His mother's hair had grayed almost completely, but her smile gleamed like a thousand suns. His father's smile was more restrained, but he could seen the pride in his eyes, despite Brodo having done exactly what he had hoped he would not need to do.

After a week of relaxation at home, Brodo was assigned to a Grand Battalion, the 3rd, as a Lieutenant. It was common practice not to assign officers to units commanded by their fathers, as it is expected that the troops will not have the same amount of respect for the heir as they did the father. By having them spend their early careers in another battalion, they gain experience and a reputation, and by assigning them to command their father's Battalion, they would be able to lead without trouble.

Fortunately, the 3 rd Battalion was located just outside the Shaevalis City. Brodo arrived at the barracks and met with the 3 rd Battalion commander, General Augul Ka. He was impressed with Brodo's accomplishments in the academy, and chuckled heartily as Brodo recounted the actions of Jarak Ari at the end of the Live Fire exercise. Apparently, the Ari family was not as universally liked as Jarak had boasted.

He was assigned as the General's Aide and as a member of the General Staff. It was an amazing assignment for an officer fresh out of the Academy. He was provided with well-appointed accommodations, with access to the officer's mess. He was enjoying himself, with all these men many years older than him joking around with him as if they'd been school yard chums.

Over the years, he found boredom setting in. As a military officer, his training had prepared him for war, for battling thousands of enemies on wide-spanning battlefields. However, it had not prepared him for weekly progress reports, quartermaster orders and mess detail.

• 71 BBY – First Action

"Snipers in the tower, open fire, open fire!"

―Brodo's first order

The boredom was soon replaced with tension as the Galle Order began its offensive into Shaevalian space, by attacking one of the outer colonies. The 3rd Battalion was the first to be mobilized, boarding the Shaevalian Star Fleet, ten large cruisers of various classes.

The Battalion made landfall just ten kilometers away from the Galle Order beachhead. It was the standard tactics of the Galle Order to take a small area, before dropping enough troops to overwhelm the defending forces. The Shaevalian troops would attack them before they had a chance to do so.

As a general staffer, Brodo was not on the front lines, but was in charge of the headquarters defense company. It was not the most dangerous of commands, but Brodo accepted it without question. He knew that this position was important, as the lives of all of his superior officers.

The counter-offense took place just two hours after the Battalion's landfall, with three companies attacking each flank of the beachhead. The attacks stalled as the Galle Order's troops rallied behind their commander, Praetor Shino Takara. The last three companies were sent into the fray, with only one company in reserve, Brodo's.

As the three companies attacked the right flank of the beachhead, the weaker of the two sides, hoping to surge through towards the drop ship landing pads, the Galle Order played their hand. Two dropships, each capable of landing a company of troops, landed west and east of the Shaevalian headquarters.

Brodo rallied his troops, lining them up on the temporary ramparts of the headquarters compound. The majority of his troops were infantry, but some were specialists, such as snipers, scouts and engineers. He had his snipers and scouts disperse amongst the area's hills and forests, ordering them to harass the Order's troop formations as much as possible.

The rest of the company arrayed themselves as best as possible around the headquarters. Brodo reported all ready to his superiors, who had secured themselves inside the mobile headquarters vehicle. General Augul Ka wished Brodo luck, who simply smiled. He had a trick up his sleeve that the Galle Order would never expect.

As the Galle Order's troops neared the headquarters, the Shaevalian snipers picked off officers and non-commissioned officers left right and center, and the Shaevalian scouts had laid traps in their path, slowing the advance, and tying up a score of troops and corpsmen.

Undeterred, the Galle Order troops began their assault on the headquarters, but were rebuffed by Brodo's men almost as quickly. As the companies began to mass for their final attack on the Shaevalian ramparts, Brodo sprung his trap. He radioed the orbiting Shaevalian fleet, and had two of the cruisers get into position above the battlefield. The fleet was not hard pressed, as the Galle Order's vessels were obsolete and easily fended off.

The cruisers bombarded the massing companies with high-powered turbolaser salvos, almost melting the land into glass. The Shaevalian troops roared with victory, and opened fire. The Galle Order troops, routed by the superior strength and tactics of the Shaevalians, soon surrendered to Brodo, as the leader of the men who so effectively defeated them.

Upon his return home to Shaevalis Prime, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and awarded the Medal of Valor by the Grand General. His father, and now elderly mother, brimmed with pride and joy.

• 68 BBY - Run-in

"That bug needs to be squashed. If we meet again, he will wish he hadn't"

―Brodo on Ari

Having been involved in a successful campaign, Brodo was given several weeks leave, which he spent with his parents. The family compound had grown a little since he'd last been home. His father had bought the estates to either side of the compound and expanded outward. He used some of the family's vast assets to fix up the new areas to his own personal requirements, and his wife's gardening specifications.

As the son of a General and a war hero of sorts, Brodo was invited to dozens of events, mostly galas and dances which he would be far out of his depths if he'd attended. He also received a small pile of invitations from young ladies of noble blood, willing to host him for an evening. His father had translated these missives as ladies looking for a good husband for their daughters. Illysia had chuckled as heartily as he had seen from her in years after hearing this.

Brodo was reluctant to accept any invitations without his parents attending with him, another instance of amusement for his mother. He had not had much experience in the ways of the nobility, and his interaction with the fairer gender was limited to a pair of girlfriends during all of his years of education.

The one major event he attended was the Military Gala, a celebration of the officers of the planet's armed forces. It was a large event, with easily five hundred officers and their wives having been invited. Korvem received an invitation for himself and, surprisingly, his wife. Brodo received his own invitation, to which Korvem commented that this was the first time a Captain had been invited to this event.

Dressed in a newly purchased dress uniform, Brodo accompanied his parents into the Gala hall. The announcer had them pause, and called attention to them from the people already there. He presented Korvem and Illysia, and had them walk in. Apparently, it was a great honor to be presented oneself. Brodo was presented, and the audience roared with applause and cheers. With cheeks burning with embarrassment, Brodo followed his parents into the throng.

He tried to stick close to his parents, but the constant press of officers and ladies trying to get his attention, to stop him for a chat, or offering congratulations, he quickly found himself alone. Just as the politicians and ladies began to close in, Brodo found himself rescued by an old friend: General Augul Ka. He and his wife escorted Brodo around the gala hall, as if they were chauffeurs, presenting Brodo personally to important military officers.

One of the last Generals that the trio met was General Ludok Ari, the father of Jarak Ari. Brodo instantly disliked the man, before hearing his name. He had the same slimy look and feel about him, and his voice was unmistakably the same. General Ari called his son over, who had gotten into the gala on his father's coattails.

A mere lieutenant, Jarak Ari was smug, despite addressing a captain. He commented that the tactic that Brodo had used to defeat the Galle Order was an obvious one, and any Academy reject could have thought of it. General Ka chortled at this remark and slapped Jarak on the arm gently, dismissing his comments as idle banter. But Brodo heard the edge in the man's voice, and his eyes were staring needles into his own.

It was at this point that Jarak Ari made his mistake. With a sly grin, he made a comment about Brodo's mother, and how filthy her alien blood must be. Brodo had spent the entire encounter with his fists clenching and releasing constantly. This pent up frustration and anger fueled Brodo's arm as it swung out at Jarak Ari, the fist striking him in his smug, laughing jaw. Jarak spun away into several other guests, stunned and angry.

Korvem, seeing this encounter from nearby, pushed his way through the throng, putting himself between General Ari and his son. General Ari, who was enraged, his fists up to defend his son, was being held back by General Ka. It was only by the intervention of the Grand General, Shemus Bloodfyre, who had been watching the group from afar, did the anger subside in both sides. Brodo and his family left soon after, but not before General Ka gave Brodo a firm pat on the back with congratulations at giving that little snot a good smack that has been a long time coming.

• 64 BBY - Assassination attempt

Korvem, Brodo's Father

"Few would deign to such a heresy, as an assassin to a murder"

―Korvem Nul

After the Military Gala, Brodo was not invited to any more events. He returned to the boredom and consistency of the barracks. The quiet soothed him, and gave him time to think. He knew that he should have been disciplined for his actions, but perhaps General Ka or even perhaps Grand General Shemus Bloodfyre might have had something to do with it.

Korvem, Brodo's father, had been ordered to take over the nearby space sector known as Ifrica. It had been a thorn in the side of the Shaevalians, as it was the home of the Galle Order. Korvem's 2nd Battalion attacked on a wide front, taking planet after planet, ruthlessly and efficiently removing the Galle Order from their stronghold. The success of attack earned Korvem a new medal, though he had a large collection already, as well as a plot of land provided to him by the royalty.

A large banquet was held in his honor at General Ka's residence, a palatial estate just outside Shaevalis City. Though Korvem did not wish to attend, he did so only after Brodo nearly forced him to. It was a celebration for his success, and he should be there to accept the praise.

The dinner was pleasant, with many congratulatory speeches between each course. Brodo was enjoying himself immensely, and even Korvem cracked a smile at one of General Ka's jokes. A goblet of wine was placed in front of each of the dinner guests. Despite his request for white, a goblet of red wine was placed in front of Korvem. Brodo, wanting to make sure that this night was extra special for his father, swapped his goblet of white wine for his father's goblet.

Korvem smiled at his son's generosity, and they toasted each other. Brodo looked instantly pale, and slouched in his chair. Korvem sat up in his chair, watching his son as he seemed to deteriorate in front of him. A doctor was rushed in and Brodo was evacuated to the nearest hospital.

Brodo had been poisoned by the venom of a spider known to cause paralysis and neurological death. It was only a matter of time before Brodo would die from it. It was only by sheer luck that Brodo's immune system managed to battle back enough for the venom to only push him into a coma. Korvem never left his son's side, distraught at the possible loss of his son.

• 63 BBY - Awake

"How can there be Gods when such a travesty happens to someone so young? "

―Unknown

Nearly a year had gone by, and finally Brodo had healed enough to be woken. He had a long physical therapy schedule, but managed to finish it early. He was very touched by how his father had acted, and sought to do him proud with everything he did. He spent another month in hospital still getting over his near-death experience as well as the year in a coma.

The first couple weeks were spent doing tests for neurological problems and any extra signs of the poison. While no real neurological problems were found, some psychological problems arose, especially along the lines of mild paranoia (which was expected), and a survival instinct that surpassed even the most war hardened Shaevalian warriors (which was mostly unexpected). He had gained an almost feral edge to his personality, with increased aggression when he felt cornered or with his back to a wall.

A determined Brodo started walking a full three weeks earlier than he should have been able to. He struggled to regain his motor skills but not for want of trying. In a week of collapses and pulling himself up, he finally managed to walk unaided for a distance of ten meters, this fact in itself being a feat. In the next two weeks were spent relearning how to move in a variety of ways, including jumping and crouching. He was unable to eat solid foods just yet, his stomach and other organs needing a bit more time to heal the scars. He still needed crutches most of the time for movement.

Upon arriving home, Brodo learned of the death of his mother. At the age of 67, she'd been returning from the day markets in the center of Shaevalis City when another assassin attacked. His mother was killed by a hold-out blaster to the kidneys. She was pronounced dead at the same hospital that Brodo had been in that very same day and all the days for a year before that. The pain of her death would shock Brodo to the core,and would hurt his father almost beyond repair. The assailant had escaped amid the confusion after the shooting.

Brodo knew exactly who had tried to kill him and had managed to kill his mother. The Ari family was hardly innocent of such attempts in their past, and their hatred for the Nul family was well documented. He swore that he would destroy the Ari family one day, and he knew that it was only a matter of time, no matter what was in his way.

Supported by a pair of crutches, Brodo stood as tall as he could at his mother's funeral, with his father beside him. All of the Generals in the Shaevalian Army attended, even Ludok Ari, despite the suspicion cast on his family for the death. Brodo had to hold his father back from attacking the fiend. He had never seen his father so angry and so distraught before, and this fact alone pained Brodo harshly.

• 62 BBY – Forged Anew

"One must be broken down before one can be rebuilt"

―Brodo

After the death of his mother, Brodo closed himself away from the rest of the world. Restricted by his crutches, his movement was slow, laborious and tiring. He spent most of his time in the garden of the family compound, which had been the pride and joy of his mother who had always been an amazing gardener. He tried his best to maintain it, barring any professional gardener from it in a futile attempt to keep her work safe. It took some stern words from his father and General La to get him to allow gardeners in, and to get him moving.

Those stern words had angered Brodo, but he knew he had to let go eventually. He wanted to fight the thoughts in his mind, to defeat the people who had done this to his family. This anger, he found, turned into a kind of determination, one that he had after his mother's passing. He began spending his time in the compound's gym, lifting weights to improve his upper body. Most of his upper body was as it had been before the coma, just degraded from so many months without activity. It was only a matter of time before these muscles were better than they had ever been.

His lower body, however, had taken the brunt of the poisons attack and after so much disuse during his coma, many of the muscles had atrophied, with some pockets of muscular necrosis. Doctors had warned him to take things slow, especially after these pockets had been removed. Brodo ignored this for the most part, using as many leg-centric machines to develop his leg muscles. He also changed his diet, including far more protein and carbohydrates than he had had before. This, along with nutritional supplements, could help build his muscles again, slowly replacing what was removed by doctors.

He began swimming lengths in the nearby community pool, spending several hours a day simply swimming. His legs slowly began to bulk up, the added protein fueling the growth. General La stopped by occasionally, talking with Brodo about his recovery, and the battalion. He expressed his surprise at how quickly he had recovered, and told him that his position would be ready for him when he was sure he would be healty enough.

Several months of hard physical training, despite pain and warnings of his doctors, had given Brodo a revitalised view of life, and a strenghtened will to continue and conquer any difficulties. He would soon rejoin the 3rd Grand Battalion, stronger and fitter than ever.

• 60 BBY - Hereditary Promotion

"He's too young, far too young. But I am far too old to stand in his way."

―Nul'Korvem'a

Korvem, Brodo's father, was aging, and years of campaigning in the nearby sectors had taken their strain on the man. After a lengthy debate between himself and the other Generals, Korvem decided to retire from military service. As was the custom in Shaevalian society, the son is promoted to follow his father. It is expected that the blood would be enough to make an excellent general. Brodo was promoted from Captain in the 3rd Grand Battalion general staff to General of the 2nd Grand Battalion.

Brodo's reputation had preceded him, with almost every officer in his new command recognizing his name, and both his previous war experience and his survival of an assassination attempt. Upon arrival at the 2nd Grand Battalion's headquarters, he met his executive officer and general staff. His father had always been a brilliant judge of character, and had chosen an excellent staff, all of whom Brodo already knew from past dinners and meetings.

The ceremony took place the following day, in front of the entire 2nd Grand Battalion, as well as the assembled generals. It was presided over by the Grand General, who, after a short speech, removed the mantle of command, a simple sash of blue and gold, from Korvem, whose eyes were damp, but unflinching. The Grand General turned to Brodo, and drapped the sash over his shoulder. The Grand Battalion made one loud roar, as a signal that they had accepted their new General. Brodo's eye caught the smile on his fathers face, and the roaring clap from General La.

Upon return to his headquarters, he immediately set about planning an offensive, one his father had on the drawing board, but hadn't managed to get to. The Ter'Lak'a Rift was a wide expanse of space, mostly unpopulated and barren. It did, however, have an abundance of Tibanna Gas,in the form of numerous gas giants orbiting the majority of the stars in the region. This Tibanna Gas would help power blasters and would assist in many forms of construction. The problem is a rebellion in the Ifrica region.

• 59 BBY - Ifrica

"My father subjugated you, and I will do the same"

―General Brodo Nul

The Ifrica Region, an area of space taken in recent wars conducted by the Shaevalian Military, rose up against their conquerors in a vicious uprising that in the first days killed over thirty Shaevalian military and administrative personnel. As the region was designated a 2nd Battalion protectorate, Brodo was sent with his Grand Battalion to quell the rebellion. Landfall was simple and uneventful, with his troops taking key locations on the main planets in the region. Riots and gangs rampaged through the streets at random, but no direct contact to the Shaevalians was made, other than the deaths in the first days.

However, this did not last. Twenty-four days into the rebellion, a leader appeared from the midsts of the chaos. Ventario Kalliam, a local marshal, was an outspoken proponant against the Shaevalian occupation. He had fought in the battles which had led up the occupation, and had been in prison for much of the time between the wars and the rebellion. He preached the extermination of the Shaevalian "bourgeoisie" and the liberation of the war heroes from the Shaevalian prison camps.

He ordered several surgical strikes on 2nd Grand Battalion locations, including an ammunition dump where several Shaevalians were killed along would a score of wounded. In reply, Brodo ordered a full platoon of special operations troops into the cities, with the primary task of taking out anyone sporting the dagger and star logo of the Rebellion. Their secondary objective was to find out any information about the leaders, and their location. This tactic, however, soon backfired.

The main population center on Ifrica

The riots and mobs increased in number and intensity as the special forces troops assassinated hundreds of civilians who hadn't been involved in any of the rebellious behavior. Facing an all-out war with the main planet's population, Brodo ordered his Battalion to bunker down and prepare for new orders. With the riots ravaging the planets, their economy and civil structure collapsed quickly, soon followed by social disintegration.

Seven months into the rebellion, Brodo implemented Operation Fallen Hawk. The operation was simple: a systematic census and cleansing of the planet's population, including large scale bombardment of suspected rebellion headquarters. The intent of the Operation was fear and control, and with the use of high-yield proton bombs, it succeeded. The population slowly returned to their old ways. But, as one would expect, the rebellion leader, Kalliam, did not give up.

Instead, in a last ditch attempt, he hurled all of his supporters, some 7000 men and women, into a strike on Brodo's Headquarters. Fanatic rebels ran through the hallways, having overcome the outer defenses by sheer weight of number. Brodo lead his personal guard in a counter-assault, often resorting to hand-to-hand combat to defeat the fanatics. After what seemed like hours of fighting, the two leaders of the different factions came face to face. Their weapons depleted of charge, they attacked each other with fist and weapon butts. Brodo's Shaevalian size and strength overcame the rebel's rhetoric and trickery. He beat the man to death and hung his bloodied body over the archway of the main market of the planet, as an example to those who would follow his ideas.

While Brodo has often been criticized by his peers for his reckless endangerment of civilians and his grotesque display of the leader's body, the region has fallen into place quickly, and almost no rebellious problems have been reported since. Brodo's victory is examined as a prime example of the use of fear and control at the Shaevalian War Academy. Korvem made the effort to send a congratulatory message to his son, but the note felt cold and empty, as if no emotion were behind the words.

The Shaevalian Fleet

• 58 BBY - Expansion Invasion of the Ter'Lak'A Rift

"The spider's web is complete, time to eat the fly"

―General Brodo Nul

After a brief two month respite, Brodo unveiled his plan to the battalion generals, the Grand General and the royal council of the Shaevalians. The invasion of the Ter’Lak’A Rift would take place in three stages. The first would be a simple reconnaissance into the area, making sure that the Shaevalian maps were correct. This recon mission would be under the guise of a mapping and exploration team, intent on knowledge not invasion. Once the target area has been fully surveyed, which could take a month at most, the second phase of the plan could be initiated.

The second phase was to systematically envelop the region, capturing or conquering the planets and systems making up the ‘rim’ of the area. This ‘noose' would capture entire populations and economies in the area inside, allowing the Shaevalians to invade with most of the populous and infrastructure still standing. This would greatly increase immediate benefits of the invasion, where a normal occupation would require months, or maybe even years, of time to rebuild destroyed settlements or economies.

Once the second phase had been completed, the third and final phase could be accomplished. This phase would call for the Shaevalian forces to invade deep into the core of the area, striking at the large tibanna gas fields. This strike would be carried out from eight different directions, leaving occupying forces at targets of opportunity. Once the central region is secure, the eight fleets could 'turn around', and take the areas they'd missed. While these areas would have had more time to prepare for the invasion, and the Shaevalian fleets would be damaged and haggard from all the fighting it would have to endure over the months, though Brodo had hoped that their superior fire power and numbers would win through.

It took the council and generals only a day of deliberation before approving the proposal. Brodo wasted no time in calling up the troops, four Grand Battalions, and eight full battle fleets. While tiny compared to most fleets from the Clone Wars and on, it was still a strong force, especially in a region lacking in military presence.

The first phase, code named Red Shift for the red neon of their new sensor packs, commenced the very next day with ten heavily modified frigates were sent out, calling for free passage to survey the area and update maps held by the benevolent race of the Shaevalians. In just under a month, the entire area was mapped and cataloged, with the main targets of opportunity laid out, and the lanes of attack being determined.

The second phase, code named Spider's Web, began soon after the completion of Red Shift. This would take the better part of a year, as the region was sizable, but with such a valuable bounty of tibanna gas, it was also hotly contested. Very few of the planets or systems capitulated immediately, and more than a few had to be subdued by overwhelming force. Brodo had his forces split into two groups, one to head along the eastern edge of the region, led by one of his subordinates, Colonel Garm, while the other group would along the western edge, led by Brodo himself.

Dolberon Cluster

One particular system, known as the Dolberon Cluster, was a binary star system, with a pair of blue dwarf stars caught in each other's gravity. The system boasted three large gas giants, virtually brimming with tibanna gas and other minerals, as well as a inhabitable temperate planet. It had been selected as one of the 'hubs' Brodo's forces would use to turn inwards towards the core. However, the unusual system wreaked havoc with the fleet's sensors, making detection of incoming attacks or defensive postures almost impossible.

It was here that the first of Brodo’s main rivals in the region would make his stand. Izzkpat was an insectoid Pirate, leading a sizable fleet of mostly patched together freighters and escorts. Though his fleet was undermanned and in need of proper repair, his reputation was legendary in the region for his ruthlessness and his viciousness of tactics. Izzkpat had been a large figure in regional politics, often using his wealth and reputation to influence populations to elect rulers who he had chosen.

The Dolberon Cluster, because of its unusual topography and influence on shipboard sensors, was an ideal place for a pirate's hideout, especially one large enough to keep and maintain all of Izzkpat's ships. While Brodo hadn't expected the system's effect on his fleet, he had expected Izzkpat to show his face, and try and stop Brodo's advance. It was well know that the pirate thought of this area as his little playground and he didn't want any other bullies coming in and taking over.

Immediately upon dropping out of hyperspace within the gravitational shadow of the outer most gas giant, Brodo's fleet was set upon by thirteen corvette size ships, two frigate size ships and one cruiser, which had a transponder naming it Izzkpat's Pride. After quelling the sudden panic on his bridge with a single roar, Brodo rallied his fleet and set it into a pair of lines, a classic fleet to fleet tactic. It had one flaw, which was if the lead ship was disabled or destroyed, it would block the path of those that followed it.

Brodo knew that Izzkpat would know this, which is why he did it. With his ships following a line, he put his ship at the front of the fire line. The fire line unleashed a huge salvo into the pirate ranks, pumping a massive quantity of destructive laser into their shields. Izzkpat ordered his fleet to focus their attention on the front vessel, to foil the huge double broadside that Brodo had created.

As the pirate fleet zoned in on Brodo's flagship, the rest of his plan unfolded. With the attention of the pirates devoted to a single ship, the rest of the fire line slowed, and curled, creating a crossfire effect. This maneuver was completed by the entrance of the second fire line, firing ‘down’ on the pirate fleet now trapped in the pocket. Brodo's flagship turned to meet the barrage, all guns blazing. The Izzkpat's Pride and three corvettes survived the first onslaught, and managed to make an escape before Brodo could react to their movements.

With his first conclusive space victory over a well-known and feared enemy, Brodo took the rest of the assigned rim with ease, rumors and stories of his tactics and daring spreading quickly before his fleet. More and more of the systems that his fleet visited after the battle against Izzkpat capitulated to him or even welcomed him with open arms. The fleets met at the northern most point of the rim. He allowed his forces a weeks rest, to get them ready for the drive into the core. But due to problems along the eastern rim, he had to postpone the strike for an extra two weeks.

The Ter'Lak'A Rift and important features of region

The third phase, code named Fly, for the fly caught in a Spider's Web, took some time to begin, and even more time to be completed. With the delays with the eastern edge of the rift, Brodo became anxious and often annoyed with his subordinate Colonel Garm. When the eastern edge was finally secured, Brodo had the entire force begin the third phase immediately, not allowing the eastern forces any time to rest.

The western force made huge headway in the first week, reaching the two thirds mark easily. The eastern force did much worse and took that week to make an eighth of the way into the core. The phase itself had four targets in the core, the four main tibanna producing planets: Tiblo, Gaddi, Largosia and Gran-Fa. All of these planets were massive gas giants, easily the same size of the planet Yavin, and bursting with resources and swarming with ore-rich moons.

These four planets were controlled by three different groups, with Tiblo and Gaddi both controlled by one group. The first group, the one in control of Tiblo and Gaddi, was known as the Consortium, and was the main economic power of the three groups. It was financially strong, but inferior in terms of regional power and influence. While the leaders made huge profits selling the tibanna gas to the surrounding sectors, it was in constant danger of attack and capture.

The second group was far more technologically and militarily advanced, and was called the Gorn Conglomerate. This group originated in a sector in the galactic north of the Rift, from the Gorn civilization. While advanced technologically, the Gorn were barely above savage, and would be the main opposition for the invasion. This group controlled Largosia and most of the tibanna collected here would be sent straight back to the Gorn home system.

The last group was likened to a farmer's collective. A group of small corporations clambered together and set up claims for those who wished to collect tibanna gas. While the group did not have a name, their representative corporation was called the Lan-Tera Syndicate. Small and barely influential, the group would capitulate in the face of the Shaevalian fleet. This group controlled Gran-Fa.

The northern most and southern most planets were hit first by the Shaevalian fleet. The eastern force, tasked with the capture of these planets, Gran-Fa and Largosia, hit them both simultaneously. Gran-Fa capitulated and accepted the occupation force. The fleet there headed north towards Gaddi. It would be joined there within a week by the first elements of the western force, and would be taken by the following week.

At Largosia, the fleet commanded by Brodo, met a large force conducted by the Gorn Conglomerate's main military arm. The Gorn fleet set up a simple protective shield around the large space stations orbiting the planet. After repeated attempts at diplomacy, the Gorn fled, but only after destroying the stations. Their destruction and the debris that fell into the planet's orbit would disrupt the construction of a replacement station for almost six months.

Tiblo, attacked by a fleet commanded by Colonel Garm, would take more than two weeks to make any head way against the defenses. Brodo, frustrated with his subordinate and furious at how his failure was diminishing his victory, sent all of his remaining forces to Tiblo. The defenses of Tiblo would be crushed in days. After the victory over Tiblo, Brodo had Garm appear before him to answer for his failures. Garm's excuses seemed false and without remorse for the hundreds of Shaevalian warriors his failings had caused.

Upon his return home, Brodo was 'knighted' by the royal prince, and was inducted into the Hall of Heroes, a tribute wall listing the names of all of the great heroes of Shaevalian history. Garm went before a General's Court Marshal. Despite the victories he'd accomplished, he was found to be negligent and a failure as a commander, and would be stripped of his rank and position. It was here when the freshly-minted General Jarak Ari made his first appearence.

He made the suggestion that he could take the ex-colonel under his wing, and try and teach him where he went wrong, and perhaps salvage this excellent soldier. Brodo immediately knew something was up, and General La seemed to think so as well. Despite the obvious backhanded dealing going on, the Grand General allowed Ari to take Garm away, but reduced to the NCO rank of Sergeant for his actions.

• 57 BBY - Traitor

"By order of the Grand Generals of the Shaevalian Military, you are under arrest"

―Royal Legionnaire

A year after his victory in the Ter’Lak’A Rift, Brodo made a journey to his father's home in the mountains surrounding the capital, Shaevalis City. He had not seen his father in nearly ten years, who had retreated into seclusion after his wife had died. He was greeted warmly by the now elderly man, and was asked to recant all of his stories of battle. Korvem, a former General of a Grand Battalion, had seen his fair share of battle, and enjoyed the tales his son wove for him.

The pair enjoyed each others company, something which had not happened for many years. It seemed that the previous bond between them had been through Illysia, who held them together with the mutual love for the woman. After her death, this bond had fallen apart, and with Brodo joining the military, against his father's wishes, the rift that had formed seemed to widen.

As Brodo began to leave, his father stopped him, and shook his hand firmly, and their eyes met. The mutual respect had returned, but it seemed to have been too late. A solid knock on the door and a call for the occupants of the house to come out. He opened the door, and stepped out, with his father following. Before them stood a platoon of forty Royal Legionnaires, the personal guard of the royal council and the prince. They seemed to be armed to the teeth, having done away with their ornamental spears and taking up heavy blasters and halberds.

The commander of the guard, a huge man by the name of Harrod, stood beside a much smaller man, who was shrouded in a cloak. The cloaked man pointed at Brodo and muttered something to Harrod, who nodded. He stepped forward and began reciting a list of charges which had been leveled against the father and son. The list included conspiracy to treason, conspiracy to usurp and conspiracy to defraud the crown. While there was no basis for any of the charges, the presence of the Commander of the Guard was danger enough.

Brodo called out, asking who his accuser was, the cloaked man dropped his cowl. Colonel Garm grinned at Brodo and shouted to Harrod to attack. The Commander nodded to his troops, and his men advanced on the pair. Brodo, not wanting to kill his fellow Shaevalian, he drew his baton, essentially an ornamental rod presented to knights for their work by the Prince. The pair were immediately on the defensive, with forty opponents advancing in a widening semi-circle.

The first duo of guardsmen felt the bone crushing sting of Brodo's baton, and second the slap of Korvem's walking stick. The stick was made of a hardwood which grows all over Shaevalis Prime, stained a dark amber. Brodo had known the slap of that weapon during his childhood whenever his father had caught him misbehaving. He found it ironic that it was now being used to defend him.

Brodo professed his innocence, and the treachery of Garm, but it was to no avail. Once Harrod began to wade into the fight, Korvem turned to his son and smiled, telling him to run. Korvem turned back to his opponents, and charged, swinging wildly to distract the attackers. Brodo hesitated for only a moment. An order was an order, no matter if Korvem was retired or not. He charged into the nearby undergrowth being hotly pursued by three guardsmen and Garm. The rest of the guardsmen closed in on Korvem, and slaughtered him like a nerf.

Brodo, unaware of his father's death, weaved through the trees, trying his best to lose his pursuit. It was only when he realized that Garm had followed him that he stopped, turned and lashed out at the guardsmen. As the guardsmen charged at him, Brodo felt a part of his heart slow and become quiet, as if a part of him had died. He had no idea why, but he knew his father had been killed.

Rage filled his eyes and clouded his mind. His lashes became savage strikes, smashing bones and muscles. The guardsmen were disciplined, and stood against the onslaught, but were no match for the beast Brodo had become. Garm tried to turn and flee, but was caught by a wild tackle from Brodo. The rage flared even hotter inside Brodo as he stared at the man who caused his father's death. His fists rained blows on the poor man's face, over and over.

Just as Garm was on the brink of death, Brodo stopped, and lifted him up by the cloak. He asked who had told him to lie to the Royal Guard. Garm glared at him before grinning through bloodied lips. He said that Jarak Ari had proclaimed him a traitor, and produced piles of falsified recordings and reports. Brodo, realizing his fate had been sealed by the real traitor against the crown, took his anger and pain out on Garm, smashing the man's face into such a pulp that facial recognition could never be possible again. He gathered what equipment he could from the dead or dying guardsmen and escaped into the forests and jungles of Shaevalis Prime.

Brodo on a forest prowl

• 56 BBY – The Wilds

"The jungle is never quiet, never dry and never safe"

―Proverb

Known as the Wilds, the jungles and forests of Shaevalians cover much of the surface of the planet, populated with all manner of vicious creatures. It is also known as a haven for exiles, both from the law and for other reasons. Unfortunately for Brodo, his decision was made for him by the treachery of Garm and Jarak La. Armed only with his daggar and a spear he had stolen from the body of one of the guardsmen.

He spent days travelling, using his survival training from the Academy to gather food as he moved. Often times, he could hear search parties or hovering vessels overhead, trying to track him. But in the dense jungles and forests of Shaevalis Prime, such a feat would be very difficult to accomplish. After several weeks, the search seemed to have ended, with only the noises of the jungle to accompany him as he delved deeper, further away from the tragedy behind him.

The blood stains on his hands would not wash away in the tropical rains, no matter how hard he scrubbed. All he could see was the eyes of his father as the wretched man slew him. Thousands of times he imagined ways he could have prevented it, seen it coming, dealt with Garm before hand. But he knew, he knew that the man behind it all was Ari. That snake had been out to get him for years. It wasn't Brodo's fault that the man was a complete failure at everything he did.

He felt the anger seething up inside him, as he pushed on, searching for a suitable position to make camp and gather himself. He found it in a small clearing, protected from the skies by a thin canopy. A large tree took up most of one side of the clearing, with a hollow base which was just large enough for him to stand up in, but not much else. It would have to do for the time. He spent a long quiet night, suffering from exposure and hunger.

The morning brought the warmth of the jungle, and a sense of renewal. Brodo spent the better part of the day pulling large hunks of dead wood into the clearing, some for fire wood, some for construction material. That night he feasted on a large rodent which had ventured a little too close to him as he was piling logs.

He set about building his habitat the following day, and within a few weeks had a very respectable hut. It was then that he developed a form of wanderlust, taking day-long treks through the jungle, exploring the planet he had grown up on, but hadn't really explored. He discovered a series of ruins, temples of a by-gone era of Shaevalian development, long ago lost to the invasion of the jungle.

Every so often, he heard the roar of a craft overhead, but he had long since stopped worrying about being spotted. In all likelihood, everyone thought he was dead. He liked it that way.

• 52 BBY - Mentor

"When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away. "

―Proverb

During one of his sojourns into the dark wilderness, he came across a small cottage. Not expecting to find such a structure in this area, he tentatively knocked on the door. The door swung open a moment later, revealing a much shorter Human, draped in an old, tattered cloak and dressed in a cream and yellow colored tunic. The Human invited Brodo in, speaking in Basic, but with an accent Brodo had never heard before. He offered Brodo some water, which he took gladly.

The Hermit

Then the man began to talk. Brodo had never heard these stories before, but found himself enthralled in their intricacy. These tales were tales of the feats of warriors little known to him, called the Jedi. These warriors bore swords of light which could cut through just about anything, and had powers only they could use. They could influence minds and matter at will. They were peace keepers in a galaxy of chaos, as the old hermit called them.

Brodo begged for more stories when they heard a noise outside. The hermit smiled to himself and stood, the cloak falling away from his shoulders. On his belt hung a beautifully decorated lightsaber. At the emitter was a sculpted silver tiger's head, maw open around the emitter and the butt was shaped like the talon of an eagle. He pulled the hilt from his belt and flashed a toothy smile at Brodo, said in simple words, that he would entrust this fine weapon to him, and that it should not fall into the hands of the men outside the hut.

The hermit lit the lightsaber, its pale green glow filling the room. With a battle cry worthy of any Shaevalian war hero, he charged out of the cottage to confront those who had come to kill him. Brodo followed him, but stopped at the door way, his jaw dropping at the sight before him. The old hermit had transformed, in moments, into a mighty Jedi soldier, his lightsaber flashing brightly as he cleaved through his assailants. These assailants were clothed only in black, with red tinted goggles where their eyes would be. They carried with them lightsabers of their own, but in a red hue.

But the odds were against the Jedi; eight on one is never fair, no matter who you are. When the Jedi finally did fall, he had already been wounded multiple times, and had cut all but one of his enemies down. Brodo had stared in awe at the display of raw power and finesse up until that moment, when he realized that having witnesses was not something these assailants would've wanted. The last remaining opponent looked to Brodo and advanced.

The only weapon that Brodo had on him as his long bladed knife, used to cut his way through the foliage. It would not stand up to a lightsaber. Brodo looked to the Jedi's body for a moment before deciding what he would do. He cocked his arm back before launching the knife as fast as he could towards the man. As soon as he could he followed in the knife's wake, his course taking him past the Jedi's body, and the lightsaber which had fallen beside him. Brodo grabbed the lightsaber and lit it in one fluid motion before bringing it up towards his opponent. Distracted by the flying knife, the man was caught on his side by the green blade of the lightsaber Brodo was wielding, cleaving him clean in half.

Brodo breathed deeply and looked around him, extinguishing the lightsaber. He turned to the Jedi's body, and picked it up. As he did, however, the body began to fade and disappear. Brodo knew what this was from the stories he had been told just earlier. The old Jedi had rejoined the Force.

This experience had many deep impacts on Brodo. He kept the lightsaber of the Jedi, but made sure that it was always hidden, lest it be found and he would have to answer questions. He ran the battle over and over in his mind, and tried to copy and reproduce the moves that both the Jedi and the men trying to kill him had accomplished. He had limited success. One thing that came from this episode in Brodo's life, was that he believed now more than ever that he would need to be armed at all times, and he set about acquiring a weapon for his personal protection.

• 45 BBY - Weapon's Beginning

"Few may stand before the power of a cavalry charge, or the might of a single singing spear"

―Shaevalian Warrior saying

But as the saying goes, the doing is often far harder than the saying. While Brodo had been searching the forests and jungles of Shaevalis Prime, he had barely scratched the surface of the vastness of the planet. He had not gone near the Hermit's cottage since the incident, which prevented him from searching a rather large region of forest. As he looked down the mountain, Her'Luk Peak, he felt his heart steel over with grief and remorse, knowing that to accomplish his promise, he would need to pass that cottage again.

The Ferrum Cartilumnar

He approached the cottage at a reluctant pace, his hand squeezing the hilt of the old Hermit's lightsaber. It had been over 7 years since he'd been here, and barely anything had changed. The bodies of the enemy had disappeared, either due to their back up arriving or the various large carnivores which lived in the forests. The cottage was slightly overgrown with weeds and vines but still habitable. On a moment's thought, Brodo decided to have a look inside.

The cottage was small by Brodo's standards, as his head was barely an inch from the roof, and he had to stoop each time he came near an illumination fitting. There was a small simple bed, a fire pit and various items of furniture. The one piece of interest, to Brodo anyway, was a floor to ceiling bookcase made of a strangely grey wood, and was full of data cards and info chits. As Brodo approached it, the hairs on the back of his head rose, and an air of apprehension set in. He took the nearest data card and began to read.

Most of it was planetary and cultural information about thousands of planets and star systems, which seemed to be controlled by a governing body called the Republic. This 'Republic' interested Brodo, which spurred on his reading. He spent most of the day reading, and after setting a fire and cooking a small mammal for dinner, he resumed. He found stories of great battles in the past, and the duels between dark and light Jedi.

One info card, however, caught Brodo's attention. It described a plant called the Ferrum Cartilumnar, the Broken Iron Tree. It stood tens of meters tall, and it's wood had a very special property. It was basically a nearly indestructible metal which, when melted and forged, would crack like the grain and bark of a tree. Upon reading this, something clicked in Brodo's mind. The bookcase was built with this Ironwood! Brodo searched for more references to this wood and locations. But it was to no avail.

The following morning, Brodo got ready to go home. He had decided to make this cottage his lodge away from home, to allow him to search further into the forests. He searched the forests for a year, and then another. He found no material suitable for his needs. Upon returning to the cottage, Brodo looked to the sunset, the star of his planet dipping away. Then in the distance, a man strode towards him. He was bent over slightly, and walking with a cane.

Ironwood Spear

The figure stopped before him, with quite poise and temperament. Brodo's eyes widened, as the man in front of him was dead. The Hermit smiled, and explained how he was there, as the Force allowed him to return to those who he trusted and had a connection with. After the initial shock wore off, Brodo asked the Hermit about the Ferrum Cartilumnar. The Hermit seemed surprised but just smiled, and pointed to the tree which grew behind the cottage. He explained that this would the material for his finest weapon, a weapon without rival on all of Shaevalis Prime. He then gave Brodo instructions as to the gathering and use of the material, the bark and wood of the mighty tree only yield to the scorch of the lightsaber. The Hermit then faded slowly, leaving Brodo with more questions than answers.

He did, however, follow the Hermit's instructions. The wood was pliable and strong at the same time, allowing Brodo to carve it into a straight and streamline haft for a spear. Upon returning home, he crafted a spear head from a small amount of very tough metal that the Shaevalians use to build their largest battleships.

At least he had a weapon of strength and worth. He called his Ironwood Spear by the name he had found in the info cards: Ferrum Peregrinus, the Iron Crusader.

• 42 BBY - Retreat

With a mighty weapon in hand, and an intense need to explore what lies beyond Shaevalian territories, Brodo finally decided to return to the city. The man had created a longing to learn within Brodo, and now that he had had a taste of the galaxy, he wanted to dive right into it. But there was a matter of getting of the planet to contend with.

Ducking into the city under the cover of night, he made his way to his family's former residence, now under the control of the Ari family. The way Brodo figured it, the Ari's could afford to lose some supplies. He stole a large supply of food and a blaster from their store room, with the use of a hoverbed to carry the ill-gotten goods.

He was careful to watch out for sentries and patrols. For all he knew, his face could still be up on the guardsman's walls, and a sighting of him might launch them to action. His desination was one of the merchant space ports, where he could steal a freighter.

He broke into one of the hangars, which just happened to be Ari family owned. A broad smile appeared on his face as he considered the irony, that Ari would be the means of his escape. However, his movements had been noticed. Three Legionnaires appeared in the hangar doorway, and attacked.

Brodo's spear lanced out at the first one, skewering him through the shoulder, and knocking him back into one of his companions. The third, startled by the silver flashed which had taken out his partners, was taken down by a blaster bolt to the neck. Brodo retrieved his spear, killed the dazed man, and left the others to bleed to death. He had no sympathy for their disregard of honor and intelligence. Ari had found the best men to be his guards: simpletons.

The freighter was soon in the air, and jetting towards the heavens. Fighters scrambled to intercept him, but were too far behind. Using a hyperspace coordinate his mother had taught to him as a child, he programmed the jump, and launched it before he could be caught. He had finally escaped.

Republic

Vos Clan insignia

• 35 BBY - Homecoming of sorts

"Keep the hearth warm. You can never anticipate the next knock on the door "

―Kiffar saying

Brodo had picked the very first planet on the list of possible destinations during his frantic escape from his home world. He was surprised to find that this destination was the planet Kiffu, the home world of his mother, Illysia. He didn't know if it was his father's doing, or if the Force had had something to do with it. Now that he was an exile from his home planet, he would have to find another on which to live, and due to his heritage and blood, the best place to start would probably be Kiffu.

He took the long voyage to look up information about his mother, from the notes and data gathered from various sources by his father. He learned about the clan she was a part of, which coincidentally was the same as his friend from so long ago. Upon arrival in the Kiffu System, he immediately contacted Clan Vos. He was given landing coordinates, and asked to set down on the aft platform of the facility.

Upon landing, he was quickly surrounded by Kiffar Guardians, an elite unit of Kiffar soldiers, dedicated to the protection of the Kiffu/Kiffex system. They ordered him to exit his craft unarmed and with his hands up. He complied with their wishes, calmly leaving his vessel and standing before them. His Vos insignia on his shoulder plate, and his Kiffar tattoos stood as examples of his heritage. A Vos representative arrived and brought him before the matriarch of the Vos Clan, Tinté Vos. She presented herself as the sheyf of the dual planets and the Clan Vos.

She questioned his parentage and his bloodline, and why he bore the emblem and markings of her Clan. He explained his lineage, leaving out as much as possible about his Shaevalian side. The matriarch seemed dubious but accepted him as a blood member of her clan.

Over the next while, he tried to integrate himself into Vos life, training in the mornings with the clan Guardians, spending much of the afternoon studying the galaxy he had known nothing about until leaving his home planet. The shadow of his 'transgressions' on his home world kept his mind unfocused and worried, emotions which bled into the Force. This was until he found the data file detailing his mother's life and her career in the Kiffar Guardians. He was incredibly interested in this, and in the Kiffar Guardians, who he had considered as a career choice.

His decision was made for him when a general called Zac'ryah Vos saw him training alone in a courtyard in the Vos complex. The man was so impressed with how Brodo handled his weapon and his exemplary discipline, he had Brodo 'picked up' by Guardians and inducted into the Guardians. He didn't resist much, relishing the chance to be in battle again. He trained almost constantly, even training many of the older Guardians in his methods and tactics of war.

The Bounty Hunter sent to hire Brodo

• 32 BBY - A Secret Project

"Im being paid HOW MUCH? "

―Brodo

After a trio of short-lived years, Brodo's past, and the rest of the galaxy, caught up with him. Having heard of the legend of a formidable warrior and tactical genius from an unknown region in Wildspace, a bounty hunter came looking for Brodo on Kiffu. The bounty hunter said he had a proposal for him, and was admitted into the Vos facility if he were to leave his armor and weaponry on his vessel. Brodo agreed to meet with the bounty hunter, who only gave his name as Fett, as if it were a name Brodo should have known.

The meeting went smoothly, the small talk gave way into the point of the meeting, the proposal. For giving over years of his time and life to the bounty hunter's employers, he would be handsomely rewarded. Brodo laughed, and suggested that the man's parentage had a major flaw in it's intelligence genes. Fett did not take this jab lightly. He rose to his feet and immediately set upon Brodo with his hands.

Brodo's much larger size was a factor... to his disadvantage. Fett quickly subdued him and kept him in near constant pain. The one solid hit Brodo got in was a heavy right that connected with Fett's jaw, sending him reeling across the room into a pillar. Fett rose and smiled, nodding. He said that Brodo had passed his test, having been one of the few who could land a strike on him. Brodo accepted the man's offer, more for the respect he felt for the man than the money he'd been offered.

The trip from Kiffu to the unknown planet was long, and the pair dodged past more than a few pirates and patrols. They arrived on the ocean planet to very little celebration. This was not, Brodo had thought, a very nice place. He was assigned quarters, and was then ushered into an antechamber. Moments later, four boys, no more than three years old, were brought in by a very tall alien with a thin neck. The alien welcomed him to this place, Kamino, and introduced him to the boys. They were Aleph, a clone commando squad. Brodo could barely believe that these boys would grow up to be commandos, but after he watched them field strip a blaster in just a few seconds, he felt they might be up to the challenge.

In his first weeks, he met most of the other training sergeants. A few of them, the Mandalorians, were a tough bunch, and Brodo felt a strong respect for their kind. One in particular, Kal Skirata, took care of his boys as a fighter and a father would, similar to Brodo's own upbringing. He started to incorporate some of Kal's teachings into his own.

Soon, he would have four teams under him: Aleph, Harta, Zeta and Kamda.

• 29 BBY - Death of a Son

Harta Squad just before accident

"It's okay, Sarge. We're ready for live fire/live explosive training. Please, we want to do our best "

―RC-1888 "Cho"

The training company assigned to Brodo was full of intelligent, creative, and altogether, deadly boys. He'd not seen such devotion to the art of war in all of his life. He set out to train all of his men to the utmost of his abilities. Aside from the teams assigned to him, he instructed the entire brigade in hand-to-hand combat, as well as melee weaponry. More than once the quick-witted youngsters caught him out, and got a touch on him (they used blunted weapons to prevent injuries).

But with all this talent, there was one team which excelled. Harta, one of his training squads, was ahead in every single field, and were, as one, the match of any of the training sergeants. Brodo could not have been prouder of his boys, and made sure they knew it, even at the neglect of the other squads. His pride would be his folly.

When the squads had had only a year of full time training, some of the older clone troopers were having demolition and live munitions testing. Harta, who was not slated to start their live sessions for another half year went on a hunger strike, after being told they would not be allowed to take their tests now. Brodo pleaded with them to take nutrients, or to come back to training, but they would not relent.

Brodo, however, did. He forced the Kamino administrators to allow them onto the live munitions ranges. In the beginning, they did what they had always done: excelled. They broke every record they came up against, and had an incredible 81% accuracy rate. Brodo used these statistics to taunt the other training sergeants, who had dissented when informed about this unusual occurrence.

This period of success did not last very long. Harta's Sergeant, Cho, had his men set up a door breach action. Disaster struck as the fuse was improperly placed, and the plastic explosives took out the entire structure they were using, crushing the clones almost instantly. The only clone to survive was Ro, the team's medic, who had to severe his own leg at the knee to escape the wreckage.

Brodo was devastated, and barely left his rooms. The person he had contact with was Ro, who he apologized to over and over, swearing to any deity his poor mind could think of that he would make amends for his prideful acts. Ro, barely more than a teen, reached out to another training sergeant for assistance, Rayne.

Brodo and Rayne kiss

• 29 BBY - A Snow Angel's Caress

"In thy face I see honor, truth and loyalty."

―Unknown

Brodo was destroyed by the loss of his men, spending hours in his quarters away from any contact. All he did was train his men, and leave. He barely ate, and lost so much weight that his troopers went on hunger strikes to get him to eat. With the Harta deaths so fresh in his mind, he immediately began eating again. The other training sergeants were worried, not for the man, because losing men was a part of a military man's life, but for the hit to the morale of the men. Brodo had been a well liked and respected instructor, and his demeanor was detrimental to the troopers.

Lots were drawn amongst the sergeants, and the 'winner' was sent to try and snap him out of his downward spiral. And that winner was Rayne, also known as Snow Angel. Her training specialty had been Cold weather, and her snow white hair along with her angelic features had been the basis of this nickname, but the troopers tended to call her "Ice". She tended to be cold during training, showing little emotion. But, she was probably the most helpful of the sergeants, her demeanor not cold, but calculating, looking for faults and where troopers could improve.

She took to the challenge with what could only be described as gusto, trying her best to cheer him up. At first he was cold, occasionally striking out at her to 'shut her up'. He never connected though, and had he been fully cognitive at the time, he would have realized that he'd been pulling his punches. He felt himself drawn to the woman, though he tried his best to remain in his stoicism.

Over time, he began to react to her, his walls of defiance and pain subsiding under her constant pressure. Slowly their relationship turned into something more than a Sergeant helping a colleague, through the realm of friends, and onto something a lot more close. Over the years, they spent more and more time together, and their relationship flourished. But with their schedules as packed as they were, and the ever present spectre of war over their heads, they never made any plans, and figured it couldn't hurt to have some fun now while the calm before the storm lasted.

Clone War

• 22 BBY - "Begun the Clone War has"

The men who fought

The Clone Wars were, in Brodo's eyes, inevitable, but nowhere near a desire. He saw the build of up these Clone troopers, and saw how many passed through his care. He still saw them as mere boys, children in years and experience, but with the knowledge and skills of seasoned veterans. To Brodo, no amount of skill with a blaster pistol or tactical imagination could help a soldier who is as green as the grass he's hiding in during a battle.

With the eve of battle practically at hand, Brodo had been training his men in guerrilla tactics. While this was not on the normal curriculum, he, along with some of the other Training Sergeants, believed it to be necessary. And since he grew up in the jungles and forests of Shaevalis Prime, he was the natural instructor. For almost a month, every night he commandeered the jungle scenario landscape for his own purposes, and took the men through the training.

The lessons were often hard, and slow to take hold. These men had been brought up learning standard tactical warfare, and using gunfire to overwhelm and numbers to subdue. But in the jungles of this landscape, and future ones, such tactics meant nothing. To add a touch of realism, he had his three remaining Commando teams, Aleph, Zeta, Kamda, as the 'insurgents'. Their training had included quite an astonishing array of traps, tripwires and pitfalls, along with other standard guerrilla weapons of war.

Along the way, there were questions asked, and a few unexplained injuries led the Kamino authorities to Brodo, who brushed off their threats. While the threats continued, he pushed more and more men into training. But by the time the first shots were being fired, only one clone for every company out there actually had the skills necessary for anti-guerrilla warfare. Unfortunately, the first shots in Brodo's war were fired on Kamino.

Kamino Under Attack

• 22 BBY - Defense of Kamino

Two months before the arrival of the Confederacy in the Kamino system, Brodo had watched most of his Clone trainees and all three of his Commando teams charge off to the defense of some Jedi on a dust ball called Geonosis. Being so far out from the mainstream holonet, very little news got back. The only thing to return were the helmets from the fallen troopers which could be used over again. Countless helmets were returned, many of them commando Katarn visors.

He could feel his heart sink every time a Katarn visor was unpacked from the transports. When three Zeta visors appeared, he felt crushed, but stood tall. They had followed their orders, and did their duty. There was no sense in mourning those who fall in combat, their deeds will live on forever, and they will be remembered. He redoubled his training efforts. Two months after the Battle of Geonosis, he'd managed to get two of his Commando teams back under his protective wing: Aleph and Zeta.

Aleph, always the half-and-half attitude of a team built from two previous teams, had melded into a supremely skilled fighting unit. Apparently, their time under fire had helped them settle their differences and would now call each other Brother. Brodo knew this was a step in the right direction, and often spoke on leaving the past behind you. In private, Rayne would chide him, as he still held onto the loss of Harta as a leaden anchor in the back of his mind.

Zeta, on the other hand, was just like Aleph at the beginning, but there were four different factions in the four-man team. Nuro, the sergeant of the original Kamda, had fallen into command again, even though he'd tried to refuse it. He blamed himself for the deaths of his pod brothers. The other three Brodo knew, but not in the way he knew Nuro. They were from other trainers, and had their own quirks. For instance, Sec, the medic of the team, would often line his gauntlets with fur, a remnant of his training with Rayne. He would often remark at the relationship between her and Brodo, and had in turn received a large number of painful elbows to the ribs.

Brodo did his best to help the teams mend their bodies and their morale, but didn't have much time in which to do so. He'd had help from Rayne, and from Ro, the only Harta trooper left. Ro became an almost surrogate father to the teams as well as adopted mascot, due to his ungainly prosthetic limb replacements. Then all hell broke loose.

On a particularly stormy day on Kamino, the droid fleet arrived to conqueror. Though they had had warning, they didn't know at what time it would arrive. There had been new Jedi arriving every day by that time, even the prestigious Skywalker and Kenobi pairing. Brodo did his best to keep his Force presence in check, but would often get glances from the Jedi when passing them in the halls.

When the droid spacecraft began to drop troops, Brodo had already had his men in full battle gear for an hour. He could see that the men were anxious, though he wasn't sure what of: the upcoming danger or their first chance to kill droids. Each training sergeant had been paired and then given a group of troopers to take after, and make sure as many of them made it through the assault as possible. With all luck, Brodo had been assigned to the Commando brigade stationed on Kamino along with Rayne.

The brigade had been assigned to defend one of the advanced learning centers, which was near the epicentre of the invasion. When the first B2 Super Droids made their way up towards the center, they were met with a hail of blaster fire. This wall of energy held them back long enough for a pair of ARC troopers to arrive and start clearing them away. With Brodo charging at the front, the troopers advanced quickly towards the landing areas. The droids were pushed back to their landing craft, and several were captured before they could lift off.

Brodo sent small groups of commandos out to clean up the outlying landing pads, and sent a larger group along with Rayne to assist at the other main landing zone. The day was won, for Brodo at least. The troopers celebrated that evening, and remembered their fallen brothers, their lost and the living.

</onlyinclude>

Muunilinst just before attack

• 21 BBY - Muunilinst

Two months after the attack on Kamino, Brodo left the ocean planet for the first time in many years. He and his men had spent the previous two months either assisting in the rebuilding of the Kamino ocean city, or on covert missions deep into Confederate space. Brodo could feel his skin shiver every time he saw the backs of his three Commando teams disappearing into a waiting LAAT/i. Every time he felt it would be the last time he'd see them. Over time, he realized they were like sons to him.

But there was something in the back of his mind that kept bugging him. He couldn't really understand it, but every time one of the surface to space transports lifted off, his skin and muscles felt like they wanted to be rising with them. Finally, he realized what it was: battle lust. Not the kind one would see in the seething eyes of a Sith on a rampage. This was the lust for combat, the feeling of adrenaline pumping through one's veins, and charging the enemy. He'd been sitting still for far too long, and now was time to do his part for the cause.

His opportunity arrived when his company was activated and collected together in preparation for a new assault, this time on the CIS held world of Muunilinst. As the training sergeant, he was allowed to follow, and was assigned to command a lance of 4 AT-TEs. He was not used to mechanized combat, which admittedly was one of the areas of warfare he was not well versed in, but he took what he could get. He trusted the vehicle commanders knew what they were doing, and hoped he could do the same.

Though he had trained with his men time and time again, he'd never been allowed to participate in what the troopers called The Drop. Essentially, The Drop was the transportation of a land-based vehicle to the surface by way of the modified LAATs, which could drop an AT-TE at a time. The maneuver was a common enough one that it didn't unsettle the men at all as the vehicle bounced and dropped through space as the LAAT fought the turbulence and winds. Brodo had difficulty keeping his lunch down, much to the enjoyment of the clone commander of the vehicle.

It was funny until Brodo gave up and painted the commander's bright white and yellow armor a not-so-pleasant olive color.

All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer

When the AT-TE had finally landed on the surface, Brodo recovered quickly; a few sips of water and a breath of the Muunilinst air had him feeling as right as rain. The AT-TE was already trudging towards the city of Harnaidan. The city was archaic in architecture, and massive in size. And it had swarms of Droids and a heavy power grid which could keep all of the powerful defenses running smoothly. A Recon ARC team had already been inserted, and the ground army prayed they could get their mission done in time.

Within a few minutes, the big guns of the Army began to open up on the leading edge of the Droid army. The sound inside the AT-TE was deafening, as the cannon on top of the six-legged beast pumped shell after shell into the ranks of Droids. Evidently, the designers had expected the users of this walker to be wearing the acoustic-dampening helmets that all Clone troopers wore.

The droid army was massive, but the Republic forces were exacting a heavy toll. The Clone Commander in the vehicle with Brodo commented at the ease, which made Brodo wonder. This seemed too easy to him, and after commenting on this sentiment, the Commander agreed. Brodo kept the AT-TE lance back, feigning mechanical trouble to the questioning voices over the comm system. He wanted to be ready in case the droids used some sort of Ace to win the battle.

Durge and his Lancer Droids

That Ace was, in fact, Durge, and his Lancer droids. Riding hover bikes and moving at breakneck speeds, they ripped through the Clone ranks, and destroyed almost all of the SPHA Heavy artillery. Brodo screamed at his lance to fire on the bikes, but they were too fast. Instead, Brodo had the lance retreat slowly, keeping the lancers in front of them. It was only the sudden appearance of Master Kenobi which saved the lance from total destruction.

After praising the efforts of the Jedi over the comm, the lance headed into the city to take the headquarters. The mop up was easy once the lancers had been removed and Durge had been chased away by the Jedi. Many Clone lives had been lost that day, including a Jedi, whose cremation was something that Brodo made a point of attending. Under his breath, he muttered his families Ode to the Fallen Warrior, a piece he'd made sure to memorize, knowing the day would come when he'd need to use it.

• 22 BBY - Brentaal IV

After Muunlist, Brodo's teams went on several missions without him, something which he was not happy about. He'd spent too much time and energy training these men for the Republic to throw them away on useless missions. Luckily, no causalities were sustained, though seveal men were injured and their teams were put on standby while they healed.

Brodo under interrogation

Brodo's entire platoon was redeployed to an Acclaimator troop ship fleet under the command of Plo Koon. Brodo had heard a lot of this Jedi master and respected him already before meeting him. The Jedi Master took the time to talk to the men who had recently swelled the ranks of his force, and this alone endeared the Jedi Master to Brodo. The man was quiet and unassuming, but had the logic and wit of a trained diplomat.

The fleet set out towards the Core Worlds, their target being Brentaal IV. A large CIS fortress dominated the planet, and threatened to cut the vital link in the Perlemian Trade Route connecting the Core Worlds and the Tion Cluster. This could not, and would not, be allowed to occur.

Brodo's platoon was assigned two LAATs, and was ordered into the depths of fortress. The power plants were buried deep inside the infrastructure of the building, and would take a long time to reach. Landing under fire, the team charged forward. They made their way through the maze of air ducts and other essential systems, slowly heading down into the basements of the fortress. Even as the teams progressed the near constant wumph-wumph of the Ion cannons could be felt.

At an important junction in the corridors leading towards the main reactors, a force of droids had been set up to repel them. Several Super Battle Droids fired their wrist-mounted rockets, collapsing the main path to the reactor. Brodo sent his teams in different directions, hoping that they would find their way through and to the objective. Unfortunately, moments after his men were out of sight, Brodo was stunned, and lost consciousness.

He awoke in a dazed state. He was slung up by his arms and legs in a contraption which had probably served as a torture device in a past life. A female voice could be heard, but was hard to understand. There seemed to be a medical droid near by, and was injecting him with something. He felt his mind sear with pain, and grunted with the effort of staying awake.

His captor was a Dark Jedi, whose name escaped him, no matter how many times he asked. She asked him question after question; troop displacement, morale, locations of Jedi Generals. Every time, Brodo grunted, or snapped a witless comment at her. The Sith woman found herself becoming tired of this man, beating him repeatedly having done little to jar his mind.

Just before she gave the order to give Brodo a lethal dose of some concoction of truth drugs, four explosions rang out. Zeta Squad charged through the dissipating clouds, guns blazing, Rielle leading the charge. The Sith woman, suddenly raging, fled through a hail of blaster fire. The droid escaped, somehow, and Zeta managed to extract Brodo without further hassle, Rielle personally taking the man's weight on her shoulders to drag him out. After a week's rest and a short stint in a bacta tank, he was his old self again, ready for the next battle.

B3 Ultra Battle Droid in action

• 21 BBY - Iktotch

The war suddenly went very quiet for Brodo. The Jedi Commanders, considering the impact of torture from a Dark Jedi, were wary of using him in a military function. Instead, he was posted aboard an Acclaimator troop transport, retraining Clone troopers who had been wounded or placed into mixed teams. While Brodo was left in stagnation, his company's activity skyrocketed. Over three months he never saw two teams at the same time, and even when they were given downtime, they were always cut short by a crisis or a mission.

The Acclaimator Troop transport, named the Prestigious, was soon assigned to the task force lead by Mace Windu, one of the most famous Jedi Masters. While this did not matter much to Brodo at the time, soon missions were coming faster and faster. His commando teams were more on the ship awaiting assignment than out on missions. Brodo could feel the energy in the air. Something was coming up.

That something was announced to the troops two days before it actually happened. The planet of Iktotch had been taken by the droid armies of the Separatists. This planet, while not vital, was important to have a show of power. While Brodo agreed that a show of power in these bleak times would be useful, he could not help but feel there were ulterior motives involved in the decision making.

The task force arrived on station into a hail of laser fire. A flotilla of Separatists had jumped the armada, attacking the outer troop ships. The flagship of the Republic fleet, the Grandeur, charged off through the formation to take on the flotilla. The troop ships continued to the planet, dropping LAAT/i dropships throughout the atmosphere. Through the swarm of dropships, the Acclaimators bombarded important locations, preparing them for the assault.

Brodo and his commando teams dropped in a group of dropships led by the vessel carrying the Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin. Their target seemed clear: the main command facility. Brodo still wondered why both the Jedi Masters were on their way to the same location, and why it was so important. Charging through the halls, the Jedi made amazing time, and were incredible fighters, taking down droids before Brodo had time to take a shot.

As the teams delved deeper into the building, Brodo's sense of anxiety grew. His anxiety was finally answered when a massive form lumbered down the corridors. The massive formed opened fire, lighting it up with crimson flashes. The Jedi shouted at the troopers to take cover. As Brodo moved to the side, a laser blast clipped him in the chest, spinning him and putting him down. Commando troopers dragged him to the side as he swore and cursed over the din of battle.

Brodo was evacuated, and was then transported to the medical facilities orbiting the planet of Duro.

Duro

• 20 BBY - Duro

The orbiting cities of Duro were an important Republic fleet staging area, especially for strikes into the Mid Rim and Outer Rim where the Separatists were strongest. It was also the site of a Republic Medical facility, where Brodo had been placed after his injury on Iktotch. For the first week, he was in and out of bacta tanks, as the staff there upgraded his condition from critical to stable. He was moved from the ICU area to a large ward where Clone Troopers were also being treated.

This was his very first serious injury, which was amazing considering his long military career. He blamed himself for his injury, being too cocky in the face of overwhelming danger. He should have been more careful, he told himself. Putting himself into that kind of situation put his troopers into danger, which was unacceptable. He promised himself that he would never do such a stupid thing again. Hopefully he could keep it.

His recovery was slow, a trait owing to his lack of injury before. His body was not used to repairing itself after a massive shock or damage to his system. Bacta patches were constantly being pressed against his wound or replaced as they were used up. At least the company was good. Most of the Clone Troopers knew him or had served under him in some instance, so sharing stories and experiences became an evening ritual in Brodo's ward.

The Physio assigned to Brodo's case was a friendly Duro female, who was frequently overworked with all of the major injuries in the ward. Oftentimes she would just leave Brodo to his own devices, which suited him just fine. One day, while walking through the botanical garden of the floating city on an excursion allowed by the ward's chief nurse, he saw something that made all of his misery and pain disappear.

Ms Rielle was as beautiful as he remembered her, sitting amongst a group of troopers as she showed them how to clean a new type of pistol. He caught her eye from the shade of a small grove, and waited until she could excuse herself from the troopers, and meet up with him. Their reunion had a very significant impact on Brodo, his feelings for this wonderful woman being rekindled as if by the flame of a thousand suns. But in the midst of a war, such a reunion would be short lived. He knew in his heart that he had to do something, so he took a leap of faith.

He asked her to marry him, and she accepted, with the ceremony completed by the captain of the Acclaimator-class starship Judgment. When Brodo's ward was transferred to the Judgment, Rielle went with him. This brief respite, as Brodo has predicted, was short lived. A half of a day after the transfer of the ward, the Separatists attacked the Duro system in a lightning fast strike, taking the floating cities in mere hours. The Judgment was the last major vessel out of the combat zone. It met up with the fleet under the command of an old friend of Brodo's, Quinlan Vos, though Brodo made sure never to reveal himself to the man, in hopes that he would not compromise him. Rielle was always at his side.

• 19 BBY - Boz Pity

Moving from hotspot to hotspot, Brodo had little time to recover properly. His injuries were healing, although very slowly. He was going to be out of commission for longer than he had hoped. His troopers often left for missions without him, with only his words of encouragement and experience to aid them. Though this momentary weakened state was tempered slightly by the presence of Rielle.

The Judgment had become their home since their escape from Duro, though it's halls bustled with troops and naval personnel. Their relationship blossomed as their time together grew longer. This tranquility was short, but sweet. The task force was ordered to the Boz Pity sector to support the landings of Obi Wan Kenobi and his force. Brodo could see the other task force from the viewport, but they never got close enough to do any actual fighting. Several sorties of fighters were sent out to assist in the aerial battle, but nothing else from the Vos task force.

Brodo felt frustrated at the lack of action, both because of his injury and because of all of the troopers dying down there, which he could have prevented. He had grown attached to his troopers over the years, and had tried to instill a strong survival instinct into them to help them survive the war. He only hoped that they would follow his advice.

Due to actions elsewhere and the apparent victory in the holes of Boz Pity, the Vos task force was diverted to the Kashyyyk system, on the eve of the Battle of Kachirho City.

The Battle of Kachirho City

• 19 BBY - Kashyyyk

The forest planet of Kashyyyk lay before the massive Republic fleet which had congregated in orbit. Three separate taskforces of men and equipment had been ordered to this lynch pin in Republic controlled space. Brodo, still bandaged but fully mobile and capable of fighting, boarded the same LAAT/i as his last commando squad, Kamda. He waved goodbye to his wife Rielle as the gunship dropped away from the Judgment, heading for terra firma.

He could see the massive trees which covered the world as they headed for the main hot spot for the battle, a Wookiee city by the name of Kachirho. By Kashyyyk standards it was a metropolis, with dozens of villages connected with numerous massive vines which the furry creatures seemed to use for transportation and walkways. It would be a nightmare to defend, as there were so many different ways to get into the city, and almost no real cover other than the various levels that the city was built on.

Brodo set about ordering his troops around, keeping Kamda with him as a flying squad, to be used to plug any holes in the line or assist where the line needed help as the fight ensued. His company was mostly scout clone troopers, excellent for use in this sort of terrain, but they were thinly spread. The droid army numbered the hundreds of thousands of units, not to mention their heavy weaponry.

During their wait, as dawn slowly approached, they finally heard the rumble of Separatist power stations as they powered up. This was the sign that the attack was imminent. Brodo ran up and down his line, checking to make sure every man and Wookiee was ready for the battle. He had found that he felt some kind of camaraderie with the massive furry aliens, who in a sense resembled him in many ways. He did not understand their language, which wasn't much more than growls and strange purrs, but he respected their fighting skill, having seen it first hand when a male raptor of some kind strayed into his command center. A massive Wookiee dispatched the beast with little more than a swipe of his Ryyk blade.

Kamda firing on incoming Droid army

The droid armies approached slowly, the large lake between them and the city being the only real barrier to their advance. The Separatist fliers were the vanguard of the attack, slicing through the gathered ranks of clone troopers and Wookiees. Several massive Juggernauts advanced from the rear of the Republic battlements, dispatching some of the fliers and opening fire on the surface of the water, boiling it.

The first droids appeared from below the surface of the lake into a hail of blaster fire. The Wookiees employed their bowcasters to great effect, these incredibly accurate weapons being able to pick off tank commanders from a great distance. Yet again, Brodo found himself impressed by these aliens and their fighting, some even swinging into battle on ropes and depositing mines onto the oncoming droid tanks.

Brodo sent Kamda squad to reinforce one of the weaker battlements which had been hit by a stray missile. This would be the last time he saw his boys, but he did not know whether they were alive or dead. He hoped for the former, but knew that in all likelihood, the latter was the truth.

Suddenly, an order appeared on the clone trooper arm bands around him. Order 66 had been given. Brodo had no idea what this meant, but the Clone troopers started firing on the Jedi around them, many being cut down by their allies' blasters. Horrified by this sudden change, Brodo slipped away, hoping that this order did not include him. He knew no one in the area knew he was Force sensitive, but he could not take that chance. He started making his way through the trees towards a space-worthy craft he'd spotted earlier that day. He could make his escape that way.

Brodo making his escape

The final jump to get to the hangar floor would have been far too far for someone who did not have Force powers, but Brodo decided to risk it. He used the Force to propel him up onto the hangar... right in front of a Clone commander by the name of Irit. The Clone commander opened his mouth, his arm raised to point at Brodo, but the Shaevalian acted faster, using the Force to push the Clone into the trunk of the massive tree, then off of the platform all together.

The craft made it to space, but he was stopped by an Acclaimator vessel and boarded as if he was just returning from the battle. No one seemed to know or care that he was Force sensitive, but he could feel the Jedi on the planet as they were extinguished or killed. He made inquires about the Judgment and the fate of his wife. One controlled, sympathetic to the training sergeant, told him that the Judgment had been lost, with all hands.

Brodo felt a coldness grip him and his heart, which he could not shake. He did not cry, or show any outward emotions upon hearing the news. He just felt cold, with a deep pain that he could not and would not try and temper.

• 19 BBY - Imperial Rising

"Your fealty is to the Emperor, not some archaic form of government. Get that into your head or you will lose it."

―Imperial Moff Falon Karrinos, addressing Brodo

Kashyyyk was Brodo's last battle before being officially inducted into the new Imperial Army. The changes were slight, but noticeable. All of the non-Human species were either removed or transferred away from the main military formations, and Human officers replaced them. These replacements were already quite adept at their roles, possibly because the higher ups had seen their need and prepared for the worst.

The Clone Troopers were reformed into legions of Stomtroopers, though their training sergeants were ignored for the most part. A select few were offered positions within the new Imperial military, under the command of the Emperor. Brodo was one of the few to do so, owing mostly to the apparent loss of his wife. He missed her, his heart felt torn, but he strode on. He wanted to live up to her memory.

Empire

Colonel Brent Tainer

• 15 BBY - In the Emperor's Name...

"Trooper, if I see you lay a hand on an innocent civilian again, I will execute you myself."

―Brodo

As he had been absorbed into the Imperial Army, his commanding officers decided he would be best suited for training, as he had been all those years before. Brodo hadn't felt that this would be a moral problem at all. He believed that the Empire would be just about the same as the Republic, if not better. He believed that their anti-alien policy was pretty fair, and didn't think that it would effect him, as he just looked like a much larger Human.

However, at this point in time, he'd decided to change his name to conform more with the standard naming systems in the Galaxy. He had already taken his mother's name, but to put himself even further from his past, and any possible troubles that could come up from his Force sensitivity and abilities, he changed his first name to Brent. He was commissioned as Colonel Brent Tainer, of the Imperial Army, in 15 BBY.

Stationed at the Imperial Army training center on Carida, he was put in command of one of the training legions. This legion, known as the Devil's Own, was very very green when Brent got a hold of them. He employed all his training experience and knowledge to teach them all he knew about combat. He also tried to instill them with a sense of honor and pride, as most of these men were not volunteers.

Over the course of a year, he kept them training hard, pushing them through each section of the training scheme as quickly as he could. He wanted these men to know that they could be expected to fight for days and months without any real relaxation, or even sleep. They hated him for it, but he knew that it would make them much stronger.

By the end of the training course, the entire Legion gained full honours, and an unprecedented 17 Legions of Merit, awarded for excelling in all fields of training and combat skills. Brent was so proud of his men, and knew that they would do their job properly and well. He requested a transfer to the Army's command structure so that he could command these men on the field, and his request was approved.

The Devil's Own Legion

• 9 BBY - Dissent and Deceit

"Did you see that alien drop? It was like a bag of spuds!"

―A soon to be dead Stormtrooper

The Devil's Own made a name for itself for being able to overturn overwhelming odds and defeat their enemies outright. With their commander, Brent, they hopped from hot spot to hot spot, clearing each swiftly, almost clinically. Brent was very proud of his men. The problem, he found, were the replacements. These men, not trained by Brent, and obviously brainwashed by propaganda from COMPNOR and their training sergeants, seemed to want to make it their goal to spread said propaganda through the ranks of his legion.

More than once he had to discipline his own men for acts that they had been egged on to do by replacements. Eventually he had had enough, and began punishing the replacements for their actions. This, unfortunately, sparked the attention of the Imperial Security Bureau. They sent an officer to investigate Brent, which was the last thing he'd wanted to happen. He knew there had been a dissident group in his legion, but hadn't tried to rout them out, believing that this kind of thinking was natural in soldiers who hadn't volunteered, and who had families and wives back home.

He contacted the man he believed to be their leader, and explained his situation to him. Lucky for Brent, this man had a contact with the new resistance group known to the Imperials as the Rebel Alliance. While he didn't want to desert from the Empire, he believed that their uncompromising rhetoric was incredibly overzealous, and frequently deadly to those who didn't approve of it. A week before the ISB was set to arrive, Brent took a shuttle to Fondor, where he subdued the pilot, and escaped to a hidden Rebel base. Once in the system, he immediately started transmitting that he was defecting. Apparently, the rebels hadn't heard this, and fired on him in their Headhunter fighters. With the pilot incapacitated, Brent took the controls, his frantic movements turning the shuttle almost into a nimble one-seater fighter. Finally, his calls were answered, and he was allowed to land.

Rebellion

The Rebel Alliance

• 0 ABY - New Comrades

"Do you believe in the cause, Mr Tainer?
Does the cause believe in me?"

―Brodo under interrogation upon arrival Rebel Base

Arrested upon arrival, Brent was dragged from his fighter and thrown immediately into an interrogation room. He had ample time to consider his decision to defect while the Rebels seemed to have forgotten him. After many hours of boredom and several recitations of classical Shaevalian verse, a Rebel officer entered the room. He introduced himself as Commander Tanaka, and placed a hefty file on the table before him.

Commander Tanaka then spent the better part of an hour describing atrocities committed by the Devil's Own Legion, the Legion he commanded and trained. The list was grievously long, each new charge compounding his disgust at how far his men had fallen. After the recitation, the Commander asked for an explanation and why he shouldn't have Brent killed right then and there for war charges.

Brent smiled, and nodded to the stack of papers in the man's folder and explained that the day all of those atrocities started was the day his troops were 'reinforced' by COMPNOR troopers, undermining the integrity and discipline of his troops. He continued to point out how little control he had over the situation, and finally had had enough. The Commander smiled, and left.

Confident in his innocence of the charges, Brent was still worried by the unpredictability of these Rebels. About half an hour later, a General entered. In his customary formalness, Brent stood up quickly, and saluted the higher ranked man, who smiled, commenting that it had been over two years since he'd been saluted properly. Though he did not introduce himself, Brent surmised that this man was important in the Rebellion. The General placed a small badge on the table in front of him, seemingly some rank in the Rebellion forces. The General said to put it on, and be ready to command within 24 hours.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Brent shook the man's hand, before discarding his Imperial insignia, replacing them with the Rebel rank of Major. As the General turned his back, however, Brent pocketed his Imperial rank badge. As Brent left the interrogation room, alarms sounded, causing the General to start running, Brent followed quickly, being led to what could only be the base's control room. An Imperial landing force was set to arrive. From snippets of conversation, Brent learned of some great victory the Rebels had just won, and this would probably be the retaliation.

The Second Battle of Yavin IV

Brent tried to get answers, but the General was busy. Commander Tanaka pulled him to one side, and said that if he wanted to prove his trustworthiness, he would help lead the Rebel troops to victory over the Imperial forces. Nodding grimly, Brent accepted, and sped off down the corridors. He stepped out of the hangar bay with several platoons of mottled Rebel troopers in his wake, and began setting them out in defensive patterns.

He took pleasure in taking the first Imperial tag that day, his sniper bolt connecting with a COMPNOR security officer, wiping the smug grin off his face. His shot caused several dozen more to lance out from the trees and Massassi stones. The ensuing firefight lasted most of the day, with the Rebels winning the day. Brent would be commended that day, by the General himself, with the Burdine Cluster, awarded for bravery, and the Yavin IV battle tab.

• 1 ABY - The Devil's rebuttal

"Target acquired in Grifdal system, Devil's Own in pursuit, expect speedy resolution"

―Intercepted Imperial communique, Star Destroyer Tempest en route through Grifdal System

The Devil's Own Legion is sent to capture the Grifdal system and Brent, who is commanding a Rebel force in the area. COMPNOR officers call for the slaughter of civilians, Brent communicates to Imperial officers who he trained on Carrida, and insights revolt.

After this valiant fighting during the Defense of Yavin IV, Brent was assigned to the Operation centered around the system known as Grifdal. The Grifdal system, though minor in galactic standards, was a major communications hub due to it's situation in a convergence of gravity wells, allowing it to send holonet messages further and faster than anywhere else. The Imperials had controlled this system since the beginning of the Clone War and hadn't let go. Brent's job was to make them.

The system was comprised of a sun of roughly standard size, with four major orbiting bodies. Three of these bodies were terrestrial planets, housing large populations, while the last, a gas giant with numerous moons, was the main base for the Imperial garrison to the region. The Garrison was sizable, due to the importance of the system to the Empire, with a legion of stormtroopers, and a large ground vehicle fleet. The Imperial Navy also had a presence, with the Storm Flotilla in port, led by the Star Destroyer Tempest, along with several cruisers and gunships. Easily enough to take on the entire Rebellion fleet at the time.

His force wasn't much, with barely 200 men and women, and almost negligible support and equipment. The one major resource that they had on their side was the massive population of Grifda, a small furry kobold-like race of sentient humanoids, who had been enslaved to work for the Imperials in the agricultural and industrial regions on the main planets in the system. They numbered in the billions, but had only known Imperial rule due to their relatively short life span of 25 years, and their lack of any form of historical record keeping.

Brent began by tasking a full half of his force to act as administrators and commanders of the Grifda, organizing them into a sort of militia. He did not expect them to be much of a fighting force, but more an annoyance to help mask his own activities. The remaining 100 or so Rebels were the specialists and ex-Imperials who had military experience. Though their store of weaponry was small, they had enough blaster rifles to make a difference to the scales of war, which were already massively overbalanced in favour of the Imperials.

Devil's Own Trooper on patrol

After a month of preparation, Brent set about gathering intel on the Garrison and the local political and military leader. Just a week after beginning his intel sweep, he had a run in with the local COMPNOR agent, Jedd Jor'Jarrin. A name Brent recognized from his past, he'd spotted the man across the street in the main city of the system, Grifdale. The man was a bastard in almost every sense of the word, his demeanor and utter hate of all things non-human had classed him, in Brent's mind, as a primary target for... reeducation. Luckily though, the COMPNOR officer did not look his way; his eyes were constantly on a tall white haired woman who was walking in front of him.

After this near run in with one of his main enemies, Brent stayed hidden, using his operatives to do his work for him. Though they were less skilled and less experienced at this kind of work than Brent was, he could not afford to be seen and recognized by anyone. It would jeopardize the operation, and all of the lives of the Rebels involved.

Even though the Rebels planned meticulously, the old adage that "Even the best plans of Mice and Men may go awry" forced them to accelerate their plans. A Grifda revolt on one of the agricultural moons orbiting the gas giant led to the deployment of a large contingent of stormtroopers and the Star Destroyer Tempest. This shift in their distribution of forces had two major effects. One was that the moon was often on the other side of the large gas giant from the rest of the system and would make any attempt to assist in the event of a Rebel attack much harder and slower. The second was that Brent found out the name of the Legion stationed at the garrison: the Devil's Own.

The revelation that his old Legion was stationed in the system he was charged with capturing both elated him and sickened him. He would have to deal with that as the need arose. He contacted the Rebel High Command, and requested a fleet and reinforcements for the assault, as well as a wing of fighters (which was a very difficult request to fill at the time).

His operatives in the Grifda camps began spurring the creatures into an angry furor, causing riots and destruction throughout the system. The Governor, hiding in his bunker-like residence near the centre of Grifdale, called for help, but his communication was intercepted by a carefully placed recon X-Wing, the vanguard of the reinforcements Brent had called in.

Brent and his strike teams waited for night fall to strike, taking out several major power stations and guard posts throughout the main cities of the system. The Governor's residence was stormed by Brent and fourteen Rebels, along with a horde of countless Grifda. The residence was soon overrun, the Governor arrested, and the Imperials on the run from the city.

The Tempest, after hastily retrieving her troops, rounded the gas giant just in time for a pair of Mon Calamari cruisers to drop in front of her, disgorging a wing of X-Wings, Headhunters and Y-Wings. The pitched battle between the ships slowly progressed towards the main planet in the system. With this oncoming danger something had to be done or else the day might be lost.

But Brent had a final trick up his sleeve. Using the governor's communications system, he broadcast a system wide message, addressing the Devil's Own Legion. He proclaimed that their leaders were unjust, unethical and should be removed. He commanded his legion to revolt, and take over their assigned ships. The transmission had it's intended effect, confusing the commanders and naval personnel, and causing discontent within the ranks of the Legion.

Gunships and drop ships started to flood from the hangars of the Imperial cruisers, heading towards the planet. Transmission after transmission from the drop ships proclaimed the fealty of their passengers to Brent.

A rival transmission, from Jor'Jarrin, ordered the Legion to return, branding all of those who did not traitors to the Emperor. The transmission originated from the COMPNOR offices not far from the area, which were soon surrounded, and a select team of Rebels stormed it, led by Brent. It was Brent who finally silenced the COMPNOR officer with a blaster bolt to the chest.

Grifdal was taken, and would stay Rebel until the call of the Empire. Brent was transferred to Ring Base, a small outpost in an asteroid field once used by Alderaan as a military base, to rest and heal from the various injuries he had sustained in the battle. He was awarded two bars of bravery for his Burdine Cluster and a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel for his efforts.

• 2 ABY - Ghost

Ring Base command centre

"But you... you were dead...
Only a little bit"

―Brent and Rayne reunited.

The Ring Base outpost, nothing more than a mined out asteroid on the fringes of an uninhabited system, was a very sterile, quiet place to be assigned to. Even though it was situated in Core systems, which connected it to the rest of of the galaxy, this area had become almost as lifeless as dead space since the destruction of Alderaan.

Though the injuries he had sustained at Grifdal were relatively minor compared to the norm of those he had witnessed so far in his military career, they had occurred over a number of months. And in those months, they tended to be under-treated, due to the stretched supplies available to his medical teams. At times, all he had on a seeping wound was a patch of cloth and a discarded rifle sling to hold it in place.

Compared to the battlefields of Grifdal and Yavin, Ring Base was a virtual paradise, though Brent did not enjoy the over-cleanliness the Alderaanians seemed to require from themselves and others. Most of the personnel assigned here were Alderaanian, who seemed to want to protect their destroyed home planet's remnants from Imperial incursion.

Endless days 'resting' in the medical ward on the base, he had ample time to watch those around him, especially the women. He had not known any women in any real sense since Rielle, but was unsure as to how he should proceed. Of course, being a decorated war hero, with looks to match, helped in this regard, drawing giggles from younger girls, and lingering stares from the older women.

After a month in the ward, he was relocated to one of the residential apartments for visiting high ranking officers. Though he himself was not ranked high enough to warrant such a posting, his record had impressed the commandant of the station. The apartment, very large for a residential space on such a station, was finished in classical Alderaanian class, with genuine woods making up most of the decoration.

After being transferred to the apartment, Brent was allowed to walk unescorted throughout the station. He made the most of this new freedom, stretching his tired muscles as much as possible. He could not allow them to start to succumb to lethargy. On one of these long walks, he found himself in the main hangar of the station. The expansive structure could house two wings of fighters with enough room for a battalion of Wookies to have a brawl.

He watched the freighters arrive and leave, quietly surveying the new arrivals with interest. A Corellian light freighter, rickety and sporting patches of burnt armour plating, managed to touch down on the station's flight deck with such a quietness that the absence of the expected sound caught Brent's attention. His head turned just in time to notice a snow haired woman descending the ramp. His heart stopped for a moment at the similarities between this woman and his beloved Rielle. He shook his head as he watched her barking orders to the crew.

"Rielle" in combat suit

That night, he'd fallen asleep reading station reports from a hidden outpost on some ice planet called Hoth. Midway through the night, he'd awoken with a start, the only light in the room was the glow from the datapad, and the artificial fire in the corner of the room. He looked around for something which might have stirred him, and found it standing near the doorway.

The figure smiled, and stepped into the light. It was Rayne, though her eyes seemed confused. She was dressed in a skin-tight dark grey combat suit, with a utility belt sporting a wide array of gear and weaponry. In her hands, she held a pair of mean looking blasters.

Brent was startled, staring at the woman who had been his wife for such a short period of time, and was lost to him, apparently forever. She seemed to also be confused by this presence. He stood up from his bed, and she raised a blaster. She explained, in a shaky voice, that the Emperor had ordered her to take care of a treasonous Colonel on Polis. Apparently she had not been expecting him.

As he approached her slowly, her blaster wavered, before failing completely and she dived into his arms. She began crying, from relief, from pent up longing, and frustration. But mostly from happiness. He held her for the longest time.

The morning after, they found themselves in bed. They discussed the situation, the death mark on Brent's life, and Rayne's situation as an Emperor's Hand. She explained he would never be safe. Not many high ranking officers are afforded the amount of time Brent had managed to escape death or capture by Imperial forces.

They decided to register her as a close friend of his with the Rebels, with the assumed name of Rielle. They spent a blissful month in each others company, making up for all the lost time. They told each other stories of the intervening years, of battles won and lost.

He was called up for duty soon after, but he managed to take Rielle with him, commissioning her as a Lieutenant in the Rebel military and appointing her as his adjutant. He was put in charge of a small flotilla of Corvettes and a ancient Strike Cruiser known as the Valiant.

• 4 ABY - Deathblow

"Imperial Fleet, your Emperor is dead. Your leaders are defeated. Lay down your arms and you will be treated fairly"

―Admiral Akbar

Under the auspices of his new command, Brent flourished, having missed the feeling of true command over warriors. The last few years he had been jumping from one rag-tag group of miscreants to another, leading them to victories that they would never have achieved without him. But now, even though he was a bit player in a possible turning point in galactic history, he smiled.

Sullust

The Rebel fleet began to gather above the dust-coloured planet of Sullust, a staging for the attack on the Second Death Star. Despite the need for as many vessels as possible, the Valiant was being sent to one of the main systems which would be the most likely to receive escaping Imperials or fleeing Rebels, whatever the outcome of the battle.

This was viewed as a slight by the more arrogant officers under his command, but Brent quelled their fears by pointing out the trust which had been placed upon them by being the backup for their retreat or the sole vessel to capture dozens of escaping Imperials.

The Valiant and a Corvette called the Drallian Freedom waited at the hyperspace 'intersection', anxious to know the outcome of the battle. No communications traffic came in or out for almost an hour. Several Imperial shuttles suddenly appeared right in front of the Valiant, and were immediately tractored into the cargo hold.

Battle of Endor

Several agonising minutes later, a message directly from Admiral Ackbar himself, addressing the entire Rebel fleet sent word of a Rebel victory. Cheers rang up throughout the bridge, but stopped moments later when a white dagger-shaped vessel hyperspaced into the area. Imperial Star Destroyer Inquisitor, though severely damaged and without shields, was more than a match for the Valiant.

Brent ordered the laser batteries to open fire, but they were already firing. The Star Destroyer replied with volley after volley. The Valiant charged straight towards the bridge, and used its tractor beams to turn a tight turn around the stern of the Star Destroyer. Once below the Destroyer, Brent ordered the assault transports to attack, with the Destroyer's hangar bay wide open.

The Devil's Own legion dropped out of the Strike Cruiser's hangar and attacked key locations on the Destroyer. While the space battle ravaged, the stormtroopers of Brent's former legion took over the engines and finally the bridge of the Destroyer. It was a massive victory for Brent, who transferred his flag to the Inquisitor, renaming her the Endor.

Upon arriving at Endor with his prize, and after a few moments of mis-recognition, he was greeted as a hero. He was promoted to Colonel by Admiral Ackbar himself, but the Endor was taken away from him, and given to an upstart Brigadier General called Mav Yarin, who had been digging his political claws into the flesh of those around him. Brent was furious, but privately, knowing he would outshine this fool without trouble and would earn his vessel back.

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Admiral Gaen Drommel

• 5 ABY - Remnants

"Pirates plunder for money. We plunder for justice."

―Mav Yarin

Despite the snub from the Admiralty of the newly formed New Republic, Brent continued to serve with intelligence and courage. The Valiant was refitted into a carrier, with two squadrons of fighters, one X-Wing, one B-Wing, now stationed on the vessel. It did not take long before he would find himself in the midsts of another important battle.

Admiral Gaen Drommel had fled to the small planet of Tantive V to repair and resupply after fleeing Imperial Center after the Battle of Endor. The fleet had been tracked down by a flight of A-Wings off of the MC-80b Taladrasa, the New Republic mobilized a task force to take on the Imperials.

The Admiral's fleet consisted of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Guardian, and three Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Most of their auxiliary vessels had been lost on their escape from Imperial Center and subsequent battles, and therefore their supplies were low at best.

The New Republic task force arrived in waves, with the Valiant arriving in the second wave with a small strike force of fighters off the Taladrasa and from her hangar. The Valiant's group had arrived from a different vector coming in behind the main battle. Immediately the group attacked the nearest Imperial Star Destroyer, the Wolf's Claw, targeting her engines and power systems.

The group took out the Wolf's Claw's engines with the first pass, and as the Valiant sped towards the next Star Destroyer in the line, the Wolf's Maw, the fighters attacked again, destroying the Claw's shield towers. The Valiant's weapons lanced out at the Maw, but took serious return fire and had to retire from the attack.

As the Valiant limped away, Mav Yarin's Endor, the ship that should have been Brent's, attacked the Maw. Having been distracted by the Valiant's efforts, the Endor took the Maw out with ease. This fact, of course, would be played down in the battle report, which was written by Mav Yarin. The Wolf's Fang, the final Imperial Star Destroyer, was destroyed by the Taladrasa, before the entire task force focused on the Guardian.

Being one of the hardest nuts to crack in the galaxy, the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Guardian took hundreds of high-powered turbolaser blasts without even flinching. As the damage mounted, however, Admiral Gaen Drommel ordered the ship to retreat to a safer location, Soullex, where the Guardian would be captured later and added to the New Republic forces.

Mav Yarin, Commander of Strike Fleet

• 10 ABY - Strike Fleet

"You would contest me? You are nothing but a failed Imperial!
I have not failed. I have only been delayed."

―Brodo contests Mav Yarin's leadership of the Strike Fleet

Having assisted in the capture of the Imperial Star Destroyer Wolf's Claw and being the senior of the task force's captains, Brent had expected that the vessel would be given to him to command. Despite his prowess and skill in the major battles he'd been a part of, this honour was yet again denied to him.

Mav Yarin had given this new command to his brother, Karrik Yarin, to command, a man whose military experience was limited to commanding a backwaters garrison and a Corvette. Brent was furious, and sent messages to several highly ranked members of the Admiralty citing as many regulations as he could.

Unfortunately, Mav Yarin caught wind of these messages and had them intercepted. Angered by this attack on his person, Yarin brought Brent up on charges of insubordination and conduct unacceptable from a New Republic officer. As ludicrous as the charges were, the tribunal which was formed to try him was formed of the senior captains of Mav Yarin's task force, all of whom were his cronies.

Seeing no way out of this situation, Brent sent one final message to the Admiralty via a courier so Yarin could not intercept it. After the courier returned, Brent sent a message to the task force, explaining that he would be leaving the task force, and the New Republic for blatant disregard of military discipline and law, and that he had lost faith in the leadership to command him in battle.

Mav Yarin, furious at this, opened fire on the Valiant. Brent called for any and all captains who wished to join him would be welcome to and submitted a series of coordinates, before entering hyperspace.

After a week, he had amassed a small fleet of another Strike Cruiser, and three Corvettes, all of whom had served in Yarin's task force, and the majority were former Imperials who had voiced their dislike of the leadership in private. They pledged their loyalty to Brent.

Brent had heard of an Imperial strike fleet in the outer regions of the galaxy which had resisted all advances by the New Republic as well as all the Imperial warlords still operating. They were centered around the Minos Cluster, which was where Brent set course to next, Rielle happily in tow.

Emperor's Hammer

Emperor's Hammer

• 12 ABY - A New Grand Admiral

"Damn red-eyed freak!"

―Brent on Grand Admiral Ronin

A new Grand Admiral, Ronin, hears of a group of capital ships led by an ex-Imperial who distrusts the Rebels. He decides to invite the band into the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet. This offer is accepted by Brent, on the condition that his men be accorded the same respect, honours, and benefits as befits what they have done in the past few years.

The small fleet made its way through the hyperspace lanes, dodging both New Republic and Imperial warlord patrols, heading in a roughly straight line towards the Minos Cluster. Situated in the Outer Regions, it was far away from most of the troubles of the galaxy, and therefore would be a great place to hide out for the fugitives.

Despite his careful navigation, Brent found it harder and harder to keep out of battles with both sides. On the one hand, the New Republic was hunting him as a pirate and traitor, for stealing five vessels and their crews. On the other hand, however, the Imperial warlords were trying to recruit him, and when he did not agree to join them, they would attack him, in an effort to keep him from signing up with one of their competitors.

One corvette, so badly damaged in one such skirmish, had to be scuttled after all useful components were stripped from her. The crew was integrated into those of the other vessels, bringing their depleted strength up to near full. By now the crews were battle hardened and could fend off attacks by vessels much larger or better armed than them.

After a month of 'tacking into the wind', as Korvem, Brent's father, would have put it, the fleet finally reached the edge of the region of space known as the Minos Cluster. The Cluster was really just a vast collection of stars which had congregated around a minor black hole in the center, almost as if it were a mini galaxy.

As the fleet moved into the cluster, they were set upon by the Imperial Star Destroyer Subjugator and its wing of TIE Fighters. Having served in the early years of the Empire, Brent had not seen such TIE Fighters, faster than anything he'd seen, and with shields and hyperdrives.

He immediately surrendered to the captain of the Subjugator, a man by the name TeeKay Forto'wan, and requested an official audience with the Grand Admiral with hopes to join the strike fleet. The Subjugator led the small fleet to the capital of the Emperor's Hammer dominion, Auroura, and after a stint of security checks, Brent was brought in front of Grand Admiral Ronin.

The Grand Admiral, a Chiss, greeted Brent coldly, before explaining that he would accept his fleet into the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet if he pledged his fealty to him. Brent countered that he would only do so if his men were accorded the same chance to do so and to receive the same benefits as he would as he joined. Ronin agreed, and Brent swore fealty to the Emperor's Hammer and the Grand Admiral.

It would take some time before all of the arrangements would be finished. Once complete, Brent and Rielle had to find somewhere to go. Brent found his home almost immediately.

Hammer's Fist

• 13 ABY - A Fresh Start

"For The Hammer, For the Fist"

―Hammer's Fist oath

While the Emperor's Hammer was predominantly a space-borne force, it did have a Stormtrooper Legion attached to it, the Hammer's Fist. Renowned before the fall of the Empire for having never lost on the field of battle, the Legion had fallen on hard times.

Many of the higher ranked officers defected or were killed in the constant battles forced upon the Emperor's Hammer, and ever younger replacements had to be promoted to fill the now vacant positions. Though still a relatively young man, Angelo Dante was promoted to the Prefect of the Hammer's Fist Legion just a few months before Brent's arrival on Aurora.

He had heard of this new Field Marshal before, and knew he had to seek him out. Meeting the Prefect on the planet of Carrida II, the men hit it off immediately, forming a firm friendship. It was there when Brent decided he would apply his military expertise in the Hammer's Fist.

The enlistment went smoothly, but with one major flaw. Due to the simple fact that his previous ranks had been earned in enemy armed forces, Brent would not be allowed to retain them. Despite this snub, he enlisted in the Legion under the assumed name Decarat.

The freshly minted Private Decarat immediately set about impressing the officers who had never heard of him. He shot through the early ranks with unusual speed through diligence and effort, though his promotion to the rank of Master Sergeant was due to his heroic efforts during Operation Hurricane, where he rescued an injured officer who had lost an arm and many liters of blood.

After Operation Hurricane, Decarat had spent several months recovering in the infirmary, having sustained several injuries ranging from simple scratches to a punctured lung. When he left the infirmary, however, he found out he had been transfererd out of Eclipse Platoon into a newly created company, the 1st Special Operations Group (1SOG).

Decarat's Storm Commando armour

• 15 ABY - Elite of the Elite

"The Nightstalkers needs a strong leadership. I have Balefire. I want you."

―Field Marshal Dante talking to Decarat

Decarat is very influential in the creation of the First Special Operations Group (1SOG) of the Hammer's Fist, and becomes the first platoon leader of its primary commando platoon, the Nightstalkers. He is promoted several times, and ends at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The 1st Special Operations Group was a brand new idea in the Hammer's Fist. It had a similar operational structure to the other three companies in the Hammer's Fist, but there the similarities ended. The three platoons had vastly different roles, designations and personnel.

The first platoon was not a platoon at all, but actually a squadron. Torch Squadron was made up by a small flotilla of assault transports and atmospheric fighters designed to provide both cover and transportation for the rest of the Hammer's Fist and the 1SOG.

The Roughnecks was the second platoon of the company, and specialized in airborne operations and air assaults. Using Torch to get them in and out of battle, the Roughnecks drop from their transports directly into combat. Known for their aggression and skill, they were often at the tip of the charge at any given time.

The final platoon, the Nightstalkers, was the platoon where Decarat had been placed. Designed for stealth and infiltration, the Nightstalkers were highly trained masters of death. At times when stealth is impossible to maintain, the Nightstalkers can unleash hell, with volleys of sniper and rifle fire.

Initially he was the platoon's first sergeant, the position given to him due to being one of the highest ranked active non-commissioned officers in the Legion. However, after a meeting with Dante, and the 1SOG's company commander, Balefire, Decarat was given a commission and full command of the platoon.

With his chest finally emblazoned with an officer's rank, Decarat set about making the Nightstalkers the best platoon in the Hammer's Fist. He would have the opportunity to do so soon, however, with Operations Security Breach, Anvil and Overlord on the horizon. The Nightstalkers forged a name for themselves in Operation Anvil by infiltrating a New Republic research facility without backup and capturing the lead scientists alive.

It was after Operation Barbarossa that Decarat was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His success and fame had captured the attention of a different faction in the Emperor's Hammer: the Dark Brotherhood.

Brodo as a EHDB Sith

• 15 ABY - Rediscovered Talent

"Your anger will set you free, your fear will fuel you, you will rule"

―Lady Rage, EHDB Tarentum Consul

During Operation House Fly, an operation where insurgents from the Rogue Dark Brotherhood had found their way onto Carrida II, several representatives from the Emperor's Hammer Dark Brotherhood were attached to the 1SOG. Their task would be to apprehend the more powerful rogue Sith and assist the 1SOG troopers with the task of destroying the insurgency.

One representative from Clan Tarentum, the Consul Lady Rage, took a special interest in Decarat, who was assigned as her liason officer for the duration of the Operation. She could sense the power and anger in him, especially during the intense firefights in the city of Renowa.

During the assault on the insurgent stronghold, a moment's intuition sealed his future. As Lady Rage turned a corner, Decarat yanked her back, out of the way of a hail of laser blasts. Decarat then replied with seven carefully placed sniper bolts around the corner, silencing the ambushers.

An hour after the official end of the Operation, Lady Rage had Decarat put on the inactive list and had him whisked away from Carrida II. Deposited on the Imperial Star Destroyer Subjugator, Lady Rage took responsibility for Decarat's training, and gave him the alias, Archangel.

Lady Rage, former Consul of Clan Tarentum

• 15 ABY - Rise to Power

"Tarentum shall destroy all who stand before us"

―Archangel, upon his appointment to Consul of Tarentum

Under the apprenticeship of Lady Rage, Archangel's Dark Jedi powers grew from strength to strength in a relatively short length of time. He quickly received his first lightsaber, fighting the enemies of the Emperor's Hammer on numerous battlefields. He found the inter-clan battles the most 'dangerous', where friends can be thrust upon each other in the heat of battle.

Tarentum went into a slump, however, with the only shining light being House Tridens, commanded by Archangel. He had been Quaestor of Tridens for only a few weeks when the Sith Rite of Supremacy began. This Sith House only competition would pit the Sith Houses from each Clan against each other. Tridens destroyed their enemies, and was crowned the First Sith House of the Dark Brotherhood.

His fame rose quickly with that victory, and with the slump of Tarentum, the Clan Summit was forcedly replaced by the Dark Council. As the senior Quaestor, Archangel was elevated to the position of Consul. He would reign for six months, earning Tarentum the position of First Clan of the Dark Brotherhood with a masterful display in the main Rites of Supremacy.

Unfortunately, this skyrocketting success would be his ultimate downfall.

Dark Jedi Brotherhood

• 25 ABY - Another Departure

"Let those who stand before me know... I'm getting out of here, do not expect to stop me"

―Decarat to Detention Troopers who had come to take him into custody

After a very successful stint as Consul, Archangel retired with honours and settled with Rielle in Carrida II's higher class area. He would also retire his aliases, returning to his preferred humanized name of Brent Tainer. His fortunes from several smart investments in the Corporate Division had given the couple a good nest egg to start their quiet lives together.

For a time, they were happy. Rielle maintained the house and the gardens, and Brent did occasional consultancy for the Hammer's Fist, as well as some specialized training for the recruits. He did his best to maintain his seperation from the mainstream Hammer's Fist and Emperor's Hammer command structure.

As a former Consul in the Dark Brotherhood, and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hammer's Fist reserves, Brent was a part of the upper echelon of the Emperor's Hammer society, and was therefore often invited to high-class social events. Dressed in his Lieutenant Colonel dress uniform, he and Rielle would move throughout the higher command and high society of the Emperor's Hammer.

At one particular event, the Fleet Commander's Banquet, Brent was contacted by a man who would only give his name as Defiant. He spoke to Brent of his history and the training he had given to the recruits. Brent was intrigued by this man, who he did not recognise, nor could he place the man.

The moment Defiant suggested they move to another room for a more in-depth discussion, Brent got suspicious and refused. Defiant flashed an Emperor's Hammer Intelligence Division badge, and a burly man took Brent by the arm and moved him into another room. The pair then spent the better part of an hour interrogating Brent about his involvement with a separatist movement, mostly centered around a group of officers originally from Brent's rebellious flotilla.

Though Brent knew nothing, the pair would not give in. Finally reaching his breaking point, Brent swung out at the men, breaking one's jaw and knocking the other out. Brent grabbed Rielle from the banquet and escaped to Carrida II. The following day, the EH Holonet broadcast an Empire wide bulletin calling for the arrest of Brent and Rielle as subversives and fugitives and for striking Intelligence Officers.

Packing what few belongings they had gathered over the years, the couple stole a freighter and headed into space. Brent tried his best to contact trusted people who he knew had cut their ties with the Emperor's Hammer. One contact, Field Marshal Dante, offered him sanctuary and security in the one place he had been taught for years to hate: the Rebel Dark Brotherhood.

Arriving in rDB space, Dante helped Brent get assigned to Clan Plagueis, a relatively new clan where a new face would be easy to miss. Rielle would stay in the shadows, but would soon follow her husband into the Clan.

Brodo battling a fellow Dark Jedi

• 26 ABY - Change of Scenery

"The Royal Clan is far more successful at what they do than ten Plagueis Clans."

―Eton Jade

Clan Plagueis was vastly different from Clan Tarentum, the Clan he was a part of in the Emperor's Hammer. He found their ways unusual, and found himself almost a pariah when trying to succeed. He knew the Consul of the Clan, Sarin, from the Emperor's Hammer, and still had an incredible amount of respect for the man.

His first break came at the coattails of another Emperor's Hammer escapee, Dacien "BubbaX" Victae. He had been given permission to create a new Battleteam for House Satal Keto. This new battleteam would serve the House and Clan, but would also be a single fighting element. Dacien knew that Archangel had the skills he needed, and recruited him as his Executive Officer. This battleteam would later be named Satal Victus - "Satal Victorious".

The team grew quickly, and was soon taking out enemies of the Clan. Archangel was promoted once or twice and was awarded for his work, but didn't like how the Clan was being run after the promotion of Sarin to Deputy Grand Master. After a heated argument with several of the other Protectors, and severely wounding one, Archangel fled the Clan, seeking refuge with those of the same mindset as himself - Clan Scholae Palatinae.

• 27 ABY - Intrusion

"I challenge you to an honourable duel, heretic Jeedai. You killed my family mate!
I doubt you have the honor to not hide behind a line of troops, Dur Knah"

―Dur Knah and Brent Ligur Victae trade taunts

The Yuuzhan Vong filled the reports which were filtering back to the halls of Scholae Palatinae, and most of the rest of the Dark Brotherhood. This fearsome warrior race had already destroyed numerous New Republic worlds, and had enslaved millions. A feat which astounded and frightened some Dark Jedi was the Yuuzhan Vong's use of Seridapal's moon to attack a single outpost.

Daily updates could be seen on the grand galactic map in the Command Center on Judecca, and each day the vanguard of the invasion seemed to progress further. The Consul, Braecen, could see that these aliens would be veering towards the Dark Brotherhood without much delay, and began to raise an army.

The Expeditionary Force, comprised of elite and well trained soldiers from the defensive regiments, was formed hastily, and much of their equipment had been stripped from the other regiments. Such a force had not been raised in all the years that Clan Scholae Palatinae has stood. And this force was given to Archangel to command.

As the second in command of the Clan's ground forces, the distinction was his, and he set out to make this force both ferocious and his own. Much of the structure was altered to fit his personal command style, mostly setting up blocks of infantry and armor, with fast strike units set as flying companies.

A Yuuzhan Vong invader

The Yuuzhan Vong arrived sooner than expected, with listening posts outside the Shroud spotting them as they crossed into Brotherhood space. Taldryan and Scholae vessels were sent to act as a rearguard as the Brotherhood forces retreated to defend Antei. Though Archangel was not with these forces, he knew, after viewing the meager forces which had managed to return, that this battle had been fierce.

The alien fleet pushed through the Shroud, heedless to their losses to the gravitational anomalies within the natural phenomenon. They made straight for Antei, and despite the best efforts of a combined Arconan and Naga Sadow counter attack, reached orbit and began dropping troops. Archangel was on the surface already, his Expeditionary Force in place.

The first encounter Archangel had with the invaders was a lone warrior, tattooed and bloodied, slashing his way through ranks of Tarentae troops. He swung wildly, ripping through the troopers before they had a chance, his snake-like staff biting as if alive. Though at first taken aback, Archangel quickly recovered, charging into the fray. The Tarentae troopers retreated from the massacre, leaving Archangel alone to do battle with this Vong.

He was put on the defensive almost immediately, the Vong slashing and cutting with a ferocity rarely seen in this galaxy. The tables were only turned after a lucky flick of Archangel's wrist sent a melon-sized rock at the Vong's head, connecting meatily. The Vong slumped to his knees, and muttered that Knah will be after him. Archangel decapitated him before he could speak another word.

The war was not going well for the Dark Jedi, with troop and Jedi losses mounting swiftly in the wake of an ever-growing Yuuzhan Vong vanguard. Several special operations strikes were carried out, destroying numerous hatcheries and ship building yards in the rear of the Yuuzhan Vong force, but this did little to stem the tide.

Dur Knah, enraged by the death of his family mate, vowed to seek out this evil Jeedai and cause him endless torment and pain. With a retinue in tow, the commander fought through engagement after engagement, rarely resting, in the relentless pursuit of the one known as Archangel.

The two met on the Plains of Nazroth, a bleak, desolate spit of land with no real strategic importance. Archangel had been ordered here to act as a decoy to try and draw a response from the Vong. Knah took the bait, striding across the plain to confront the man who had wronged his family. He called Archangel out, before charging by himself. Archangel, never one to ignore a duel, replied with a Force-induced dust storm, circling and slashing the Vong commander.

Archangel did not know who this Vong was, but was impressed and surprised as the Vong had not been slowed down in the slightest. He brought his lightsaber up just in time to intercept an overhead strike, before whipping it around in a slash towards the alien's arm. This attack was easily batted away.

Brodo, in armor, after injuries.

The duel lasted many minutes, and both combatants sported patches of drying blood on their armor. Fatigue seemed to best Knah, succumbing to a low lightsaber stab, which penetrated the joint of his armor at the groin, slicing up into his stomach and disemboweling him. His retinue, seeing their commander slain, charged wildly, but were cut down swiftly by troopers of the Expeditionary Force.

While the war lasted for a few more months, Archangel was out of it. He had been injured severely by the Yuuzhan Vong, both physically and mentally. He could feel the conflict within him, at the strength of character, but also the plain stupidity of the creatures he had been slaying for months. Along with this, however, he also felt a strong fealty towards his troopers, having led them into battle over and over. He had decided that since the medics had shaved his head before he was put into the bacta chamber that he would keep his hair short, in a sign of comradeship with his troops.

Judecca, the main Yuuzhan Vong planet of the system

• 27 ABY - Reclaimation

"We go back to our homes, back to our planet. Destroy the vermin before us. Remove them from existance!"

―Proconsul Lucien during the Reclaimation campaign

With the Yuuzhan Vong host retreating from Antei and the Shroud, the Dark Brotherhood rejoiced. Thousands of dead Yuuzhan Vong bodies were burnt in huge bonfires, while the Clan dead were buried with full honours because they gave their lives for the glory of the Brotherhood.

Unfortunately, as the Host retreated with such urgency, it left a large portion of its ground troops on the planets they had conquered. Ptolomea and Caina had been attacked repeatedly by Yuuzhan Vong battalions, before the regional Vong commander took over the capital planet of Judecca.

This had all occurred when the legions of Clan Scholae Palatinae had been away on Antei fighting the main Yuuzhan Vong Host. As the Clan fleet returned to the Cocytus System, they found the cities of the system under the control of the enemy they had been fighting for a long few months.

The Consul, Phoenix d'Tana Palpatine and the Proconsul, Lucien, were furious, and immediately sent the battle-hardened, and fatigued, troops of the Clan Legions to retake Judecca. The Expeditionary Force dropped from the skies down onto the cities of Ohmen and Teyr, attacking Yuuzhan Vong barracks and command centres with constant artillery barrages.

Brent led the first wave in the attack on the Emperor's citadel, the headquarters of the Yuuzhan Vong commander. Just barely a Sith Warrior, he used his new powers and strengths to slice through the opposition. He charged through the winding corridors and arches of the citadel, which had been built for defense.

Though he was not present for the final battle with the Commander due to losses taken by the accompanying platoon, he was there for the final celebration. The Reclaimation, as it would be known, was far from over. Hundreds of Yuuzhan Vong warriors and thousands of Yuuzhan Vong slaves were still in the outlying areas of Judecca, and stationed on Caina and Ptolomea.

House Caliburnus Logo

• 28 ABY - New Resposiblities

"Time has come for you to lead the House, Archangel. See that you do so with pride"

―Rasilvenaira StormRaven

The Reclaimation took an entire year, but when it was complete, the system was the Clan's again. After the ordeal the Clan had gone through seemed to be complete, a few changes had to be made in how it operated and how it was run. Many a time the troops faltered when they should have stood firm, and too many Dark Jedi died during this conflict where they should have been victorious.

Rasilvenarira saw this as well, and took some action. She stood down and gave her position of Quaestor to Yzarc. Brent was promoted to Yzarc's former position as Aedile. Along with this sudden elevation in responsiblity, Brent was also tasked with assisting Dante with the reorganisation of the Legions of the Clan. They were in a sorry state, especially after the beating they took while retaking Ptolomea.

Brent applied himself to these new roles with vigor, trying his best not to show off, but to help the Clan succeed. He saw in it the values and ideals he'd once held close to his heart on his home planet of Shaevalis Prime, as well as his adopted home of Kiffu. He finally felt at home, and wanted to protect it with blade and muscle.

Yzarc soon stepped down from the Quaestor position, citing problems with the Clan leadership. Following the traditions of the Clan, Brent was promoted to replace him. Quaestor of the House Caliburnus had been not only a goal for him, but a dream. And he had finally made it.

Kapsina, the capital of Jusadih System

• 29 ABY - To protect memories

"To fight beside those I abandoned? I have no qualms. Just make sure they stay out of my way"

―Brent on working with Clan Plagueis during the Uneasy Alliance

Where most of the Clan's systems and planets were now under Clan control, other groups were not so lucky. Clan Plagueis, often found to be a refuge for those fleeing the might of Clan Scholae Palatinae, was now on the defensive. A large Yuuzhan Vong fleet was now bearing down on the Jusadih System, and the newly appointed Consul Braecen Kaeth was desperately defending his capital. He called in all the favours he had left in Clan Scholae Palatinae, which were too many for the Clan to ignore. The fleet set sail for the Jusadih system, Brent and House Caliburnus in tow.

In his position as the Commander of the Expeditionary Force, a 48,000 man strong corps, Brent set about landing troops at key locations both inside the city and behind the Yuuzhan Vong forces. He had his air fleet, which was meager in number, but boasted the advanced MAAT/SOC Gunship transport, flying supplies in and out of the city, helping the relieve the supply shortages.

Timbal had the Star Destroyers bombard Yuuzhan Vong positions in preparation for Dante and Brent to charge in from all sides. Braecen's forces, though battered, would play their part in the destruction of the Yuuzhan Vong force. Unfortunately, the Yuuzhan Vong attack only served to redirect the attentions of the Clan's leadership away from the main danger: Clan Arcona.

Clan Arcona

Clan Arcona, having lost its system to the Yuuzhan Vong, was looking for an easy kill, and pounced on the war-stricken Jusadih System. Their primary strikes into the system were devastating, causing several Plagueis capital ships to withdraw. The Scholae Star Destroyers swung into battle, and fended off the main advance. By the time this had occurred, Arconan forces were on the ground. The combined Plaguis/Scholae forces took on the Arconans in a long bloody battle which lasted a week.

In the end, the Arconans fled the field of battle, Plagueis retained its system, and Scholae returned to their system.

But for Brent, this was unsettling. He felt that Scholae had been made to use its resources to help a traitor clan. This cut him so deeply that he openly attacked the Proconsul at the time, Lucien, for folding for the traitor's wishes. He was easily beaten, however, leaving him with a scar which followed the length of his arm.

• 29 ABY - Sojourn

"Long walk to cleanse, to heal, or just to wander."

―Brodo's message to the Clan summit upon the discovery of his disappearance.

The recent spat of wars and the indignation of assisting another clan, a traitor clan no less, without adequate remuneration. With the sting of the scar received from the weapon of the Proconsul, Lucien, still burning white hot in his memory, Brent would find his loyalties flagging.

He had seen the Clan rise and fall in the general ebb and flow of time. But here was the Royal Clan, once powerful and mighty, now little more than a nursemaid to lesser clans, powerful clan mates disappearing to other, perhaps more successful clans. He could feel the strength of the Clan drain away.

Action had to be taken, but not now. Not immediately. First, Brent had to escape. Get away. Find a hiding hole where he can recuperate, rearm, retrain, before returning to aid the Clan in it's greatest hour of need.

And despite himself, he knew exactly where his heart wanted him to go. Shaevalis Prime, his home planet, was now a long distant memory for him. This memory, however, was far more vivid to him than any day spent on Kamino or on the countless battlefields he'd served on. It was an unsettled chapter of his life, a story left incomplete and in need of resolution.

Light Freighter Brent used for his sojourn

Rayne was against this idea, unfortunately. She believed that it would be suicide, especially considering the decades-old warrant for his arrest. The xenophobic tendencies of the Shaevalian sometimes included Jedi, as their mystical powers often frightening the less intelligent of the castes.

But Brent would not be deterred, and hijacked a light freighter, a YT-2400, from the spaceport on Ptolomea in the middle of the night, leaving a message for the Clan summit. Despite her misgivings, Rayne could not leave her husband's side, and if she couldn't keep him in a safe location, she'd at least terrorize anyone who tried to hurt him elsewhere. Using navigation points which had been buried deep in his memories of years, he ventured into the darkness of space, homeward bound.

• 29 ABY – Journey

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"

―Unknown sage

The trip took longer than Brent had anticipated, with the occasional wrong turn sending him a few parsecs off course. It had been so long since his flight from Shaevalis Prime that, while expected, the delays angered him immensely. Rayne did her best to calm her husband, knowing that a calm and collected mind and body would be of the utmost importance once they arrive at a decidedly hostile planet.

They followed the Corellian Run, along almost the entire stretch of the run, as the nearest, and safest, entry point on the Run would be Denon. Denon, a city world much like Coruscant, was a center of commerce and trade, as it sat at the intersection between the Corellian Run and the Hydian Way.

Though similar to Coruscant in many ways, Denon's customs and freighter systems were not as hardened against attack, and a few short hours of hacking by Rayne gave the couple's freighter the name “Heart of Gold”, after Brent's long lost YT-2000, as well as papers to join a major convoy. While the convoy would only be going as far as Ryloth, it would provide them with the necessary protection in case anything should try to attack.

After joining the Convoy, the lengthy journey down the Corellian Run was relatively quiet. The convoy made standard stops along the way, Osarian, Merkat, Druckenwell, Falleen, Tatooine and finally Ryloth. The journey took the better part of a fortnight, owing to the frequent stops and time delays for loading and offloading at the destinations.

Ryloth, their last stop before Shaevalis Prime

The trip had been somewhat of a honeymoon for the couple, with wars and their duty to the Clan having taken precedent. The YT-2400 was spacious without all the cargo it would usually have carried. The cargo holds easily doubled as a training area, where the pair could spar and duel without too much fear of slicing the hull open.

The captain's room was more akin to a state room on a passenger liner. Whoever had owned this ship would definitely be missing it.

The fortnight finally came to a close as the convoy exited hyperspace at Ryloth. After a quick stop to gather some supplies, the “Heart of Gold” left hyperspace on a very underused navigational direction, heading away from the Core and into Wildspace.

• 29 ABY – Resurrecting a Bloodline

""The Nul bloodline is shattered, Brodo, and so shall you along with it!""

―General Ari, the man who took up the vacated Nul Generalship.

The journey from Ryloth to the Shaevalian system was not a long one and not particularly dangerous. It was simply so infrequently travelled that the route had been lost to most of the galaxy. The vessel exited hyperspace just behind the primary moon of Shaevalis Prime, only a few klicks from a pair of system patrol vessels. One vessel might have been a challenge if it came to a fight, but two was overkill.

The patrol vessel Charon hailed the freighter, issuing standard challenges. Brent answered as a merchant might, plying his trade, and offering papers falsified by Rayne for such a situation. The patrol allowed him passage to the capital city on Shaevalis Prime, and access to the merchant's quarter. Rayne smiled at the success, and Brent aimed the freighter towards the planet.

Once docked at the central starport, Rayne secured their lodgings, while Brent tried his best to access his old data stations remotely. None of the stations were still active, but then, he hadn't expected them to be. He had hoped that his enemies might have placed bugs on the stations, which would alter them if anyone tried to access them. Perhaps alerting them was not a good idea, but Brent wanted a straight up fight, as opposed to skulking around the shadows.

Ari was now one of the prime Grand Generals in the Shaevalian Army, commanding a battlegroup which was equal to an Imperial Legion. As formidable an opponent he might be, he still had his enemies, his rivals and his failings, the foremost of which was his arrogance. It took barely a week for Rayne to gather enough intelligence on the movements of Ari to find he rarely had more than four bodyguards at any given time, and often stalked the streets of the Shin'Tar District at night. His appetite for young women of the night was as insatiable as the thickness of his pocket book.

The most public and most powerful way to defeat Ari would be to challenge him to a duel in the High Court, the main seat of power on Shaevalis Prime. Ari could not refuse a challenge, lest he wished to lose his position and titles for cowardice. And at such a public venue, Ari's defeat would be all the more sweeter, and would help Archangel to redeem his bloodline.

The couple walked down the boulevards and streets of the Shin'Tar District, issuing subtle Force suggestions to passers-by to keep away from them as they made their way to the High Court. A few moments of confusion was all they left in their wake. They bluffed their way onto the public balcony of the High Court, where common folk could watch the proceedings, so that they might tell the rest, either through publications or word-of-mouth.

Ari was at the podium, openly berating one of his subordinates in front of the entire High Council. The man apparently had taken far too long to eradicate some imbedded opponent on some moon somewhere. Archangel didn't care for it, or for Ari's arrogant tone. The man had barely a victory to his name that was not due to the skill and work of other, greater generals. Ari finished the reprimand, and asked if there was anything the High Council might wish of him. Archangel took this as his cue, and jumped down from the balcony, landing some ten meters down on the marble surface. A call of warning and stifled gasps of surprise rose throughout the hall.

Ari screamed for the guards, and demanded the identity and head of the intruder. In response, Archangel dropped his cloak to the floor, revealing his identity as well as shouting a challenge to Ari, for open combat to the death. From above, Rayne dropped the Ironwood Spear to her husband, who caught it and held it at his side, awaiting Ari's response. A mixture of outrage, fear and realization marred Ari's features as he sought for an escape from this predicament.

Archangel tapped the butt of his spear on the flagstones and Ari's guards charged. They were from his personal battalion, and were not even the best of the dregs who inhabit it. Rayne took them out with dagger thrown from above, leaving just Ari and Archangel to face one another. Ari drew his sword, a silver and gold ornamental piece which had never shed blood. Archangel's spear had slain dozens, if not hundreds of men in the past.

Ari looked terrified, his brow dripping with sweat and his eyes shifting from side to side. Archangel shouted his challenge again, and started to advance, the tip of his spear dipping towards the ground in preparation to attack. Ari started to back away, but tripped, and fell, his sword spinning away from him. Archangel stopped, pity and anger fitting within him.

Ari started to ramble, promising his former nemesis restitution and repatriation into the bloodlines. He promised him a new command, a Grand Generalship, anything he wanted. Archangel replied that all he wanted as his father's honor restored and his name to be placed among the Honored Dead. He then left Ari, scrambling on the flagstones, with a promise that he would return if an official announcement wasn't made within the next two days.

The very next day, as Archangel and Rayne were biding their time on their freighter, the announcement that all past treason by the House Nul would be forgiven and Korvem Nul would be placed amongst the Honored Dead. For the first time since his fathers death, Archangel allowed himself a moment to cry.

War and Command

• 30 ABY - Take the long way home

""Home, Hearth, Family."

―Nul family motto

It was as long a journey back to Dark Jedi Brotherhood space as it had been to get to Shaevalis Prime, but the sense of relief and accomplishment gave the trip a far more enjoyable air. The couple stopped at various locations on their return leg, enjoying the comforts of the Corellian Run, before veering back into Dark Jedi Brotherhood space.

After a stops on Corellia, Kuat, Balmorra and the ruins of Alderaan, the pair followed the Perlemian Trade Route into Hutt Space, and back to their home with Scholae Palatinae. Their return, however, was not met with the fanfare they had hoped for. Thousands of troops were rallying on Ptolomea and Judecca, and the shipyard was full to the brim with vessels in the midst of outfitting and supplying. The Heart of Gold landed on the Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer Warspite and was immediately brought to the newly risen Emperor, Thran Occasus.

As the commander of the Expeditionary Force, a relatively new battle unit within the Scholae Palatinae military, he was a senior general, tasked with the assault and attack on Antei.

• 31 ABY - Take back what is ours

""Into the Shroud, my brethren, take back our skies""

―Grand Master Sarin

GJW 9. Commanding Warspite after Timbal arrest, commanding legions, landfall, assault on Objective Nek Ninth_Great_Jedi_War#Scholae_Palatinae, danger close

Archangel’s world soon returned to the normalcy of organized chaos, as he ordered his men and women to prepare to lay their lives down for Clan and home. Rayne soon faded back into her realm of intelligence gathering and spying, but was never too far from reach. The pair had long since found that a certain amount of distance was a healthy part of their relationship, and as the saying went, too much of a good thing can be bad.

His posting was on the Warspite, named for a ship which was long since lost to him, the Mon Calamari MC-90 which he had served briefly on during a stint with the Infiltrator Wing, a specialized force within the Emperor’s Hammer. A fitting name for a flagship, it was the most powerful vessel in the Clan’s fleet, and housed a full half of the Expeditionary Force’s legions: 1500 troops and almost 100 vehicles.

• 31 ABY - Relocation

""...tzzzt...tzzzt...tzzzt...tzzzt...tzzzt...""

―Commlink to Brent and Rayne

Leaving for Independent House Revan

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• 32 ABY - Return

""I guess you didn't miss me much, huh?"""

―Brent, when confronted by lightsaber wielding members of Clan Scholae Palatinae

Returns to Scholae

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• 32 ABY – The Cleansing of Salas V

Spoils of War Killiks Injury from Taldryan blade, medical leave for six months

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• 32 ABY – Internal Strife

Reduction to House, fighting to keep House together, Robin Hawk

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• 32 ABY – Apprentices

Ginnefae, Faukes, Reman

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• 33 ABY – Chaos

Disorder

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• 34 ABY – Second-In-Command

Becoming AED of Scholae Palatinae, training newbies

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Above the Rank and File

• 34 ABY – Expansion

Ruling over the expansion of the territories of Scholae Palatinae

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• 35 ABY – Expeditionary

Great Jedi War X

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• 36 ABY – Former Allies

ARC-SP-CP Feud

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• 36 ABY – Guardian

Praetor of the Fist, GMRG

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• 36 ABY – Affliction

Horizons

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris tincidunt, est ac interdum molestie, augue tellus ullamcorper ligula, tincidunt iaculis lorem erat a ligula. Nunc mollis felis ornare est. Phasellus ullamcorper lorem vel enim. Vivamus pellentesque est lobortis nulla. Nunc lectus neque, interdum at, tincidunt nec, malesuada non, elit. Vestibulum facilisis dictum diam. Vestibulum sem risus, tempus et, malesuada dignissim, feugiat mollis, erat. umsan, mi. Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae/PartFive

Names

Throughout the years, Brodo has had to change his name on several occasions either to assume a new identity, or to hide his current one. Here is a quick list of the ones he used and where/what for:

• Brodo Nul - Birth Name
• Brodo Tainer - Upon joining the Republic Army with his Commandos, he decided to take his mother's last name rather than his birth name, both to hide his heritage, and so as not to give the Administration any more headaches than it already had.
• Brent Tainer - Understanding the Xenophobia that the Imperials seemed to have, he changed his name to Brent Tainer to belie his roots even further, even though his race were very similar to Humans.
• Decarat Tainer - After going AWOL from the Imperial Army, he found that using his old name probably wasn't a good idea. Changing his name to Decarat Tainer allowed him to join the Rebel Alliance without any problems.
• Brent Tainer - Again, he found himself in the service of Imperials, this time the Emperor's Hammer. He decided that his old name would probably be best to use, so show off almost, to the Grand Admiral of the EHSF.
• Eton Jade - He took this name both because of his joining the Jade family, as well as an alias to use for escape. The Emperor's Hammer didn't suit him anymore, and disappearing for a man of his status would be difficult. So he assumed the name and mannerisms of Eton Jade, and slipped away.
• Brent Ligur Victae - Shrugging off his fear of the Emperor's Hammer also meant he had to change his name. He rather liked the name Brent, and the Ligur came from the tattoo of a Liger on his chest. Ligur means "of the Liger". Victae, which means "victorious", was his family name, with his new wife Erianna.

Training Squads

Republic Commandos.

• Aleph Squad

Tek - RC-9811 - Sergeant - Died of his wounds, attacked on Boz Pity. Survived long enough to call in orbital bombardment

Kad - RC-9812 - Sniper - Killed on Boz Pity by Droid'ikas

Holl - RC-9854 - Technician - Killed on Boz Pity by Droid'ikas

Mul - RC-9855 - Medic - Killed on Boz Pity by Droid'ikas

Aleph Squad was the first squad that Brodo trained. Training accidents before he got there meant that this team was actually two halves of two other squads. This formed two factions within the squad, Tek and Kad on one side, and Holl and Mul on the other. A lot of work was required even to get them to fight together. This is when Brodo took command of them. The first time he met the squad, Kad had Holl up against a wall, and was only being held back by Mul. Tek had come to meet Brodo as the sergeant of the squad. Brodo's large hand gripped and squeezed Kad, and pulled him away from his squad mate. Kad tried to take a swing at Brodo, but only received a kick half way across the room. This act alone formed Brodo's dominance over the squad. Aleph was always the rogue squad in Brodo's training platoon, always trying to push the boundaries, and do the best they could. The natural rivalry between the two factions in the squad has pushed them to overdo each other's feats, trying to beat each other in every way possible.

During the Battle of Boz Pity, Aleph Squad was sent on a raid on a high level Trade Federation outpost, consisting mainly of a trio of battleships on the ground. Their target was a high level CIS official by the name of Gun Nemoifa, a Nemiodian known for his prowess in ship-to-ship tactics. The Republic wanted to remove him from the space battle above the planet. After successfully completing their mission in well under the allotted time, Aleph was making its way out of the complex when it was set upon by a trio of Droid'ikas. Unable to get through the shielding, Aleph retreated quickly. Tek, deciding that their position was untenable, ordered his squad to disperse and cause mayhem. Holl and Kad were killed within a few minutes, after tearing apart a droid storage area. Mul managed to get into the core of the ship, setting all his explosives and thermal detonators. Tek's last act as squad leader was to call down an orbital strike to take out the trio of capital ships. Brodo took their loss hard.

• Zeta Squad

Nuro on patrol

Nuro - RC-1780 – Sergeant – Whereabouts Unknown

Racell - RC-1781 – Medic – Whereabouts Unknown

Sec - RC-1782 – Sniper – Whereabouts Unknown

Paji - RC-1783 – Technician – Whereabouts Unknown

When in their accelerated growth capsules, the clone embryos destined to form Zeta Squad were slated for disposal due to some defect genes in their optical nerves. A congenital defect stemming from miss-aligned chromosomes during the implantation process had caused this, and it would seriously damage the Clones optical abilities and would effectively blind them for life. This, however, was not caught until the embryos were 'hatching' and stumbled around rather than walking away like all of their brothers did.

Reminiscent of the Null clones, these boys were saved by Kal Skirata, who saw a use for them. He personally assigned them to Brodo, who he knew would be able to train these boys in a specific way which would be perfect for them: Hunters. The tales of the Blind Hunters of Shaevalis Prime were legendary across their end of the Unknown Regions, and Brodo had trained for some time with them. He took this new squad under his wing, and kept them out of trouble. He even had to discipline some Commandos who teased the Zeta boys, whose disability was the target of most jeers and comments in the Commando ranks.

The squad spent hours tracking and training their four remaining senses to assist them in their hunt. At first it was very difficult, and they tends towards giving up after failing so many times. It took time and hours of frustration before they made breakthrough after breakthrough. Soon they were hunting Commando squads as they were doing their jungle training. They spent many a day hunting a team which had taunted them before, setting up traps and caltrops in their path. This went on for months until they were assigned to the 41st Elite Corps, as scouts and trackers. They went on to fight on a variety of planets, finally on Kashyyyk.

Their deaths were never officially confirmed as their bodies were never found and their tracking beacons were turned off.

• Harta Squad

Cho - RC-1888 – Sergeant – Killed in training accident, blamed for deaths of team

Ro - RC-1889 – Medic – Lost a leg in training accident, became training sergeant for clone troopers

Ade - RC-1890 – Sniper – Killed in training accident

Bale - RC-1891 – Technician – Killed in training accident

Harta Squad just before accident

Harta Squad was the third batch of clone boys Brodo was given to train, and consequently he didn’t have as much time as he would've wanted to teach them. He had two full clone teams to deal with without the added work of Harta. This of course had a negative effect on their self-esteem and personalities. It made them always strive for greatness, surpassing many of their age group in intelligence, aptitude and learning speed. This was all a means to an end, as they only wanted to make their training sergeant, Brodo, proud of them. Their drive for greatness morphed into a form of arrogance that bordered on lunacy.

Only a few months old, and looking as if their mid-teens, Harta Squad was excelling in all fields. Cho, their sergeant, had been asked to assist younger clone groups, as well as normal clone trooper units. However, their arrogance and drive to please Brodo led them to beg him to allow them into Live Fire exercises several months early. Brodo consented after much deliberation, but he would regret this decision.

The first Live Fire exercise was blasting and assaulting a locked ship style doorway. This is a procedure which would be completed hundreds of times during the Clone Wars, as well as afterward. The procedure called for a shaped plastic explosive to be placed on the outside of the door, followed by the detonation of that explosive. Then two squad members clear the room with a pair of thermal detonators, before the entire team collapses into the room, clearing any final resistance.

The plan was followed well by Harta, up until the termal detonators were to be used. The mission briefing stated that the devices be set at a 2 second interval, and to be followed 5 seconds later. However, these numbers were mixed up by the Sergeant, Cho, and was not caught by anyone. During the exercise, the detonators were thrown into the test chamber with a 5 second interval, and they entered 2 seconds later, just in time to catch the full blast of the two thermal detonators. Cho, Bale and Ade were killed instantly. Ro lost a leg, but went on to train clone troopers. He never saw action again.

• Kamda Squad

Kamda's last mission

Lemin - RC-3249 – Medic – Missing, presumed killed

Iohel - RC-809 – Sergeant – Missing, presumed killed

Hras - RC-6512 – Sniper – Missing, presumed killed

Graw - RC-5012 – Technician – Missing, presumed killed

As with many Republic Commando squads after the Battle of Geonosis, Kamda was a conglomeration of four other squads who only had one member left. The squad was formed only a week after the end of the Battle of Geonosis, so their loses were still very fresh in their minds. This lose translated into anger towards their new squad mates, culminating in a fist fight that left two of them in the medical ward.

This lead them to be assigned to Brodo's company. The first time he met them was when he visited them in the medical ward. His imposing size didn't impress them much, but they knew of him. They were some of the younger troopers, and hadn't had him as a training sergeant, though Lemin, the medic, had served in Kamda before the reformation. After a few minutes of silence, Brodo went on the offensive, ripping the squad apart for their naivety, their stupidity and their unprofessional behavior.

One of the troopers, Iohel, had had enough, and swung out at Brodo. Brodo let it hit him, an event that would stay with the trooper for the rest of his career. Brodo allowing the punch struck a nerve in the troopers. They had come to believe in the frailty of Humans, and that no one gave a damn about clones. For a non-clone to take a hit just to prove his point, it sunk in.

After the incident and the medical ward trip, the squad, while not completely happy with the situation, began working together. After a month of retraining, they were sent out into the field.

The entire squad was listed as missing, presumed killed, during the Battle of Kashyyyk.

Holdings

During his time in the Corporate Division, along with other Subgroups of the Emperor's Hammer, and now in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, Brodo has started, and run several companies, and corporations to give him a stable and ample income. He has since either relinquished his holds to the Clan or DJB, or sold them to partners to maintain the integrity of the business. He continues to receive a modest stipend for his work in the past, as a 'retirement' of sorts.

Any and all public and private funds were either donated to the people of Shaevalis Prime or surrendered to Scholae Palatinae for use for the betterment of the House.

• Lumina Corporation (LUC) - Advertising and Public Relations. Handed over to Marvin Bankst, former Vice President of Holonet Productions
• Archangel Intergalactic Bakeries (AIB) - Delightful cookies and other treats. Sold to Mother's Bakery of Coruscant, recipes were not sold.
• Wildspace ArmsCorps (WAC) - Small arms, fighter parts, weapon emplacements. Ownership and rights of production given to the planet Shaevalis Prime.
• Prime Ironworks (PIW) - Heavy vehicles, walkers, construction droids, non-military vehicles. Ownership and rights of production given to the planet Shaevalis Prime.
• Victae Shipyards (VCS) - Small fighters, shuttles, luxury yachts. Shipyards acquired by Hallish Conglomerate, renamed Hallish Shipyards.

Information

Personality

Outwardly, he is a proud, powerful man, with the capability to inflict cruelty and slaughter with the barest of worries. He is cold and callous, and often times, is described as calculating, as if he were measuring someone up, no matter their alligence. Eluding intellgience, he is not known for boastful or boistrous acts, prefering instead to remain calm, collected and always at the ready. The only times he speaks is when he is directly addressed, or if it is important. This is often forgotten during duels, where a certain amount of mocking and verbal abuse can be used to alter the outcome of the battle.

He will seek any advantage possible, and tries, if possible, to study his opponent before hand. He is a master of tactics, leading the House's forces with keen stratgic knowledge and a creativity of thought so often seen of military men. In battle, he is vicious, striking weak points with dangerous speed. He will often try to inflict major wounds, disabling the enemy as soon as possible. A disabled enemy is a dead enemy.

To his close friends and family, he is a completely different person. It is perhaps his nature to be either extreme of emotion, rarely finding himself in between. He is a very loving and caring person, who cherishes each moment with his family, and can often be seen laughing heartily while enjoying the company of his friends. While the bond between his wife, Rayne, and him may seem stand-off-ish, or perhaps even disgruntled, in private it is the complete opposite. Very few people see this side of him, as he is guarded and cautious.

Physical Description

Broad shouldered, and muscular, his frame is that of a born fighter. With his massive size (big even on his race's standards) and powerful build, he was trained in ground combat, which shows itself in his great upper body strength. His dark hair is always in dreadlocks, which are left to hang, framing his face like the mane of a giant cat. His eyes are a steely white, and his skin seems to have a constant bronze tan.

As of late, he has worn his hair very thin and short, attempted to show solidarity with the men and women under his command in the Legions.

Identifying Marks

His entire portion of his right arm between shoulder and elbow is covered in an array of tribal designs set in a dark grey ink. They revolve around a small yellow star, that of the Vos Clan

Planet of Origin:

• Shaevalis Prime

Current Residence:

• House Business: Aedile residence on Judecca
• Peacetime: Personal retreat on Sereia, on the island of 'On'.
• Wartime: Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer Warspite – Commanding the Legions

Spouse:

• Rayne Victae - Wife

DH-112 Sniper Rifle

Personal Equipment:

• Ironwood Spear - Primary weapon in battle along with his lightsaber. Made of a very dense wood, which has a color and sheen similar to lines of steel bound tightly together with sheet metal. This coil of steel-like fibers gives the spear amazing strength, along with ample flexibility. While it incapable of blocking lightsabers, it can block sharp weaponry and vibroblades.
• Ligur Lightsaber - Custom Lightsaber, presented to him by the Herald staff upon his elevation to the rank of Sith Battle Master. The emitter of the emerald lightsaber is carved into the opened maw of a Liger, and the shaft is decorated in raised black 'stripes' with the lowered areas in an orange metal.
• DH-112 Sniper rifle - Presented to Brent, under his assumed name of Decarat, upon his completion of the Advanced Sniper training in the Hammer's Fist and upon his twentieth confirmed sniper kill. It is a rare rifle, but has been reverse engineered by Scholae Palatinae scientists for production of the House's forces.
• Combat knives (x2) - Standard issue in the Hammer's Fist. He kept them when he left the Emperor's Hammer. These weapons are seldom used, but are kept razor sharp in a display case above the mantle. Two insignias have been engraved upon the hilts, on one side the logo of Scholae Palatinae, the other a star. Each is bronze on the black of the hilt, with silver inlay.
• E-11 blaster rifle - Standard issue in the Hammer's Fist. He kept it when he left the Emperor's Hammer for the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Since joining Scholae Palatinae, he has modified the rifle numerous times, upgrading the power pack efficiency, the sights and the muzzle flash. While these modifications are rather common amongst long serving Stormtroopers, they are more to keep Brent's mind busy during the long gaps between action.
• Storm Commando armor - During his time in the Hammer's Fist, under the assumed name of Decarat, Brent made a name for himself as an elite solider in any condition. He helped form the special operations company as well as the premier elite unit, the Nightstalkers. Throughout this time, he participated in numerous operations, and was awarded many times for his fighting prowess. Upon completing the Special Forces course, he was awarded with Storm Commando armor, only the 10th man in Hammer's Fist history to do so.
• Clone Commando gauntlets - Given to him by one of his trainees, Ro, upon the deaths of his squad mates. These gauntlets, painted in a matte black finish, are still as functional as if they were built yesterday. Though they would normally require the power provided by the Katarn-class commando armor, Brent has fashioned a small portable power pack in wrist of the right gauntlet. While it makes it heavier, it allows the knuckle-mounted vibro blade to be extended and powered for a limited amount of time.
• Survival and Utility Gear: Standard equipment as provided by Scholae Palatinae, along with several additions, such as smoke grenades, a small encrypted datapads.

Clothing Description:

• Pilot: Dark gray Flight suit, with navy blue piping. No markings or insignia.
• Formal: Black flowing cloak with hood, dark gray armor and pants, combat gloves and brown boots. A thick utility belt, without tools, but with lightsaber, Vos Epaulet shoulder emblem.
• Combat: Dark gray training shirt, arms removed. Black-Grey armor, with a grey tunic, along with combat vest. Dark brown combat boots. One shoulder pad on right shoulder, displaying Clan Vos star. Thick utility belt with various tools and weapons, as well as lightsaber. Clone Commando gauntlets, along with vibro blade, painted matte black.
• Major Combat: In major combat situations, such as a Great Jedi War, where battles are fought by thousands on each side, he has taken to wearing a custom suit of armor, similar in capacity and protective strength to Stormtrooper armour. It is painted green with camoflague decals. The majority of his gear is stored in pouches around his mid-section, and he carries small array of weapons to assist in the battle.

Languages Known:

• Basic, Shaevalian, and several Wildspace languages

Talents/Training:

• Basic Ground Warfare: Shaevailian War Academy (SWA)
• Hand-to-Hand/Weaponry Training: SWA
• Tactical/Strategic Training: SWA
• Basic flight training: Imperial Weapons And Training School (IWATS)
• Stormtrooper Basics, Advanced, Officer: Hammer's Fist Training College (HFTC)
• Stormtrooper Commando: HFTC
• Various environmental, and occupational Trainings: HFTC, IWTC
• Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) Training: HFTC
• Sniper and Scout Specialization Training
• Force Power Training: EHDB, DJB
• Force Combat Training: EHDB, DJB
• Vapaad Lightsaber Training: DJB

Pets:

• One domesticated feline - white, female kitten called Snow

Trivia

DJB Special Awards

• Order of the Serpent: Proselyte of Fire
• Serpent's Fang

DJB positions held

• Flight Leader, Satal Victus Battleteam, Clan Plagueis.
• Flight Leader, Souls of Darkness Battleteam, Caliburnus, Clan Scholae Palatinae.
• Magistrate of the Herald (Shikyo).
• Sith Commander, Souls of Darkness Battleteam, Caliburnus, Clan Scholae Palatinae.
• Aedile, Caliburnus, Clan Scholae Palatinae
• Quaestor, Caliburnus, Clan Scholae Palatinae
• Commander of the Expeditionary Force (48,000 man strong force in the CSP Legions)
• Surface Marshal of the Forces of Caliburnus.
• Executive Officer, Validus Nocta Battleteam, Caliburnus, Clan Scholae Palatinae.
• Executive Officer/Flight Leader, Shadow Swarm Battleteam, Dorimad Sol, Clan Scholae Palatinae.
• Flight Leader, Caliburnus Battleteam, Scholae Palatinae
• Rollmaster, House Scholae Palatinae
• Aedile, House Scholae Palatinae

DJB Contributions

• Souls of Darkness battleteam 'Roleplaying' revamp (now removed)
• Banners for all the Clan Scholae Palatinae Legions and Regiments.
• Table of Equipment and Organization for the Legions.
• Reorganization (again), with Dante, of the Legions.
• Provided Battleteam names for: Validus Nocta and Satal Victus
• Provided Fleet names for: ISD-IIs Warspite, Indomitable, MJHC Relentless, ESCs Subjugator and Monarch
• Provided Fighter Corps names for: Equinox, Daggerthorn and Gallant Wings
• Bastion Regimental Headquarters and Armor/Vehicle Depot sections of Caliburnus Facilities Document.
• Created and implemented the Validus Nocta battle team system
• Wrote and implemented the Shadow Swarm battle team history
• Fixing categories and adding images to almost all CSP pages during shift to Houses.
• Project Goetia Lead and contributor. Project Goetia was the addition to, and improvement of, the Cocytus system, controlled by Scholae Palatinae

Students

• First Student - Rayne Victae - Reached Knighthood
• Second Student - Ginnafae Delacor – Gone Rogue
• Third Student - Faukes - Gone Rogue
• Fourth Student - Reman Khaar - Reached Knighthood

Emperor's Hammer

• Served as Consul of Tarentum for six months and won Rites of Supremacy
• Served as Wing Commander of Wing XX and won the BGCOM's Judgment four months out of six
• Served as President of the Corporate Division Sub Group for seven months
• Assisted in the founding of the Nightstalkers Special Operations platoon as well as the 1st Special Operations Group and served there for ten months
  • Tie Corps – Colonel
  • Infiltrator Wing – Brigadier General
  • Hammer's Fist - Lieutenant Colonel
  • Corporate Division - Admiral

Trivia

• Brodo is married to Erianna "Rayne" Victae (and is married to her in real life!)
• My very first IRC nickname was Archnagel. No, I didn't spell it wrong... there's a bot called Archangel in another Undernet channel, so I couldnt use it. :/
• Brodo was voted in as Mr EH for 2005
• Was caught for cheating on a graphics contest during RoS 2010. Remember, never cheat, you'll get caught in the end, and then no one's happy. Especially you.