- "Let’s fight to fight, not to kill. We shall fight because we are friends, because we are opponents, and because we are. Have at you."
- ―Sashar to Selene d'Tana, during an ACC match.
A soldier. A warrior. A survivor. Above all else, these are the three defining characteristics of the man known as Sashar.
History
Tragic Beginnings
Born upon Onderon, this Human's life would start with tragedy. The transport carrying Sashar and his birth family suffered a critical malfunction, causing it to crash upon the jungle moon of Dxun. No information on the crash or the passengers and crew was ever recorded, and so nothing was known of Sashar's blood family. Miraculously, the 6 month old infant survived the crash.
His life would have ended there had it not been for the timely arrival of the Patriarch of the Kodiak Clan. Happening upon the wailing child in the wilderness, the Patriarch decided to take Sashar with him. Perhaps it was the close proximity with which the transport crashed to the Mandalorian camp, or perhaps it was that a child capable of surviving a crash that killed so many adults should be able to endure what would come next. In any event, what came next was to be raised as a Mandalorian.
Like with so many other "Mandalorians," Sashar was an orphan raised as one of them. And being raised a Mandalorian meant that he underwent the same grueling training and labor as his brothers and sisters. And like all Mandalorians, Sashar was fiercely loyal to his family, and even as he surpassed his brothers and sisters in training, not once did it cause friction amongst them. The bond between family and clan was incredibly strong. Hubris or bravado could break it, yet none would be forthcoming from the boy who put his family before himself.
But, still life would change things – as it always does. At nine, the young Sashar had visions and nightmares of a giant, dark and foreboding structure calling him into the depths of the jungle. Troubled, he told his father of these visions. After much discussion with the elders and leaders of the Clan, it was surmised that the young Sashar had nascent ties to the Force. The information was kept from him, to keep him from believing he was different from his siblings and cousins.
Once more life's current would sweep Sashar up, leaving the past floating behind. Sashar was keyed for more rigorous training in leadership, tactical command and grand strategy. It was hoped that Sashar would one day take part in a grand campaign – a great Mandalorian Army. Still, life would not let the young boy fulfill the desires of his family. Sashar and his brother, Kieran, were inseparable. The two wreaked much havoc and caused much mischief within the Clan's enclave. Breaking into the Clan's archives, the two discovered their father's journal and his account of the discussion with the leaders of the Clan. That Sashar was sensitive to the Force. Immediately, the two youths set off. Commandeering one of the Clan's transports and making their way from the moon Dxun to the planet Onderon. At the temple, dark side entities accosted Sashar's mind. It was only through Kieran's intervention that Sashar arrived, dragging his comatose brother away from the temple and back to Dxun. Sashar would remain in a coma for more than a month.
The youth awoke distracted. Upon his return to consciousness, he proceeded to fall ever further behind in his studies. No one knew what plagued him, Sashar keeps mute about the affair, perhaps he himself did not know the reason for his distraction. In any event, he quickly was shuffled away from Super-Commando training and put into more technical aspects. And still the distractions continued. After a series of minor mishaps due to his distractions, Kieran took his brother once more to the tomb. There, Sashar came face to face with his demons and emerged from the tomb much more sombre.
Chrysalis
The second trip to the temple brought out something much darker and much more ferocious in Sashar. His efforts in training were redoubled and he was returned to Super-Commando training. It was not only in his training that he became more ruthless, but he developed a disturbing and quiet insight on how best to proceed with interrogations, when someone was lying and how to cause the most damage in a situation with the least effort. Troubled by this turn of events, it was decided that Sashar would be sent to Eos, there to learn the ways of the Dark Jedi – the ways of the Sith.
Within the Brotherhood, Sashar rose quickly. Assigned to Clan Alvaak, the Mandalorian was Knighted within a year. From there, he took up command of a squadron of fighters for the Clan, as well as taking on his first apprentice - a young Sith called Zandro Savric Erinos. A rising star, he eventually became a Sith Battlemaster, and Aedile of his House, while in Alvaak. Unfortunately, as is with life, the path he was currently on would be derailed once more. This time, forces beyond him would conspire. Members of the Brotherhood's Star Chamber and other prominent Elders chafed and balked at the liberties taken against their order and severed all ties to their sister organization – The Emperor's Hammer. The Hammer, one of many Imperial Remnant factions, acted quickly to staunch the haemorrhaging of talented Dark Siders from their ranks. Sashar and his command, Sentinel Squadron, were ordered to halt any attempting to secede from Alvaak. Sashar, however, would stay his own hand, unable to fire upon compatriots and those he grew to trust, and consider "vode" - siblings. He was summarily stripped of his rank and charge and exiled from Imperial space.
Without a place in the Empire, Sashar returned home rather than joining the Separatists. There he spent time meditating and conversing with the Elders of his Kodiak Clan. It was decided that he should instead venture once more out into the Galaxy, and learn more of the life that existed away from the cloistered Halls of the Sith, Krath and Obelisk. He would in his journeys, eventually stumble across the Bounty Hunter's Guild. There he would find new comrades in a group known as the Phoenix Kabal. Within the Kabal, he grew close to Dash Kuatir – a Kuati youth renown as both a marksman and a sharpshooter. The two would get into a great deal of trouble as well, as the brash young Kuati complimented the much more stoic Mandalorian. They would in fact enter into a relationship for a number of years.
Eventually, Sashar would join the Separatist Brotherhood, and would join Clan Arcona. As is with all things, Sashar made friends, allies and enemies within Arcona. Instrumental in the Selen Incident, Sashar also aided in molding Soulfire Strike Team, utilizing his training on Dxun. The Mandalorian made a name for himself in the Arcona/Taldryan Feud, even though Arcona came off worse in that particular engagement. Eventually, he would be promoted to Aedile of House Galeres, and took on two apprentices Malidir and his own brother Kieran. Both would rise steadily. Sashar would leave however, after he was sacked by his own Quaestor – acting under the direction and request of those outside of Arcona. This would be the start of a long animosity between him and Quejo Drakai Xyler.
Revelations
Sashar spent the time productively. He took an extended LoA with Zandro and his first apprentices’ brother, Xayun Erinos to help Zandro avenge his former fiancé’s death at the hands of Pirates. Sashar and Xayun worked closely during the incursion into the Pirate base, finding that their different force philosophies complemented each other – the Prelate put it down to their both being Mandalorians. However, a chance meeting of Xayun and Zandro’s sisters in the command centre of the facility. Sashar watched as the two brothers cut down their own flesh and blood – a disturbing sight for the grey Jedi who had always hoped that his first apprentice would follow his own ethos in the force.
After the conflict, the trio traveled to the Erinos family home on Yaga Minor. The mother of the two Erinos brothers, upon laying eyes on Sashar, divulged a confession. The Mandalorian was her son – she had had a child before meeting Zandro and Xayun’s father, and the father of the child had insisted that he be taken to a Mandalorian Clan to be brought up a warrior. Not wanting children at the time, their mother had agreed and had heard that the transport carrying Sashar and his father had crashed and assumed that all aboard were killed. Sashar apparently was the spitting image of his father, thus explaining their mother’s reaction. While it was shocking to discover that Zandro, Xayun and Sashar were all related, it was, for the Mandalorian not entirely unexpected – his Force Chain with Zandro when they were training was a testament to that.
Sashar could not enjoy any time with his mother for two reasons: First, neither the mother or the father of the Erinos Boys seemed too keen on dredging up the past, and the Mandalorian was to be recalled by Strategos Thanatos Entar, the former Proconsul, now Consul, of Clan Arcona. He would be asked to return, but rather than rejoin Arcona, be asked to join The Clan of Death – Tarentum.
This transfer was short-lived. While Sashar felt at home and at ease with the more military-orientated mindset of clan Tarentum, he desperately missed his vode in Arcona. He rushed through the assignment given to him by the Consul of Arcona (perform an in depth political and hierarchal reconnaissance of Tarentum) and returned to Dajorra. This was not before making the acquaintance of one Oberst - the Marshal of Tarentum's military assets. Their single encounter would leave quite an impression on the Mandalorian. Again, he rejoined Soulfire Strike Team and was elated to discover that his second apprentice, Malidir, had completed his training under a different master and was now a Knight.
In a secret ceremony known only to a few Sashar was named ‘Shadesworn’ of Arcona – a position given to the most loyal to the Consul who would act as his bodyguard, personal assassin and commander of Arcona’s Special Forces. Sashar immediately set to work training a unit of ‘mundanes’ to combat force users and nicknamed them the Sentinels - a homeage to his first command. He equipped them with superior gear to their compatriots in the Arcona Armed forces and made sure they could pilot all of Clan Arcona’s ships should they need to.
Onslaught
Unrest would spread through Arcona once again and soon there was a vacuum of power in House Galeres when Selene d’Tana, formerly one of the most trusted members of clan Arcona and a prodigy of Shadowcrafting, abruptly upped and left. Malidir was promoted to Quaestor and Sashar’s first apprentice, Zandro Savric Erinos was given back command of Soulfire Strike Team. Sashar took on another apprentice in addition to his brother Kieran – the Nagai known as Rho. Shortly thereafter there was a series of skirmishes between Clan Scholae Palatinae and Clan Arcona. Soulfire was able to put their new gear designed by Sashar and Kieran to use and their first tour of duty as a reformed unit was a success, however the unit did suffer losses, and was somewhat depleted. To combat this, Sashar sent out a call through the force for one of his ner’vod on Dxun – Juda. The Mandalorian answered the call and made his way to the Dajorra System (much to the dismay of the Clan Kodiak Elders). He was immediately placed in Soulfire Strike Team and kept explicitly away from the Shadow Academy – Sashar didn’t want Juda being warped by the Dark Side of the Force. Instead, he took Juda under his wing as an apprentice in everything but name – he still had Kieran and Rho’s training to complete and the Clan Summit would surely never allow him to take on a third; Sashar, however, was of the mindset that what the Summit did not know could not hurt them.
During this time, Sashar trained tirelessly with Strategos on his finesse with a lightsaber – he finally perfected his control of Soresu and was declared a Master of the defensive Form, and also started work on training to combat Vapaad – indeed Strategos was one of the few truly respected Vapaad duelists and there couldn’t have been a better teacher for the Mandalorian.
Soulfire Strike Team was still less than full strength when the Rite of Supremacy began. While initially faring well, Soulfire, like the rest of Arcona and indeed the Brotherhood, found themselves simply unable to match the sheer weight of numbers and left the Rite of Supremacy demoralized, however the failure was a crucible of sorts – it did forge the Clan in general and Soulfire in particular closer together, giving them a common enemy to fight against. Sashar finally also took on the duties of Clan Envoy during the Rite of Supremacy.
The Shadow Clan was not to have a redoubt. Bare days after the conclusion of the Rite of Supremacy a Hutt Armada led by the Besadii Clan invaded the Dajorra System. Sashar and Soulfire were immediately sent to Eldar to hold an area of dense forest being used by the invading Hutt forces to land the majority of their Mechanised units and Walkers. The Commando team were pulled out before they could complete their mission by an urgent call from the Consul – the attack on Eldar was a feint, and the Hutt’s real target was Selen.
Soulfire were brought back to the ACC Thanatos and quickly briefed on their mission – to retake the spaceport being used as a main landing area for the Hutt forces while their Sergeant, Zandro, was sent on a recon mission, utilising his singular experience in a TIE Phantom. Sashar was given command of the squad. Again, Soulfire were in their element and even went as far as taking down a Gallofree transport and two AT-AT’s (one with the aid of air support from Zandro), however they were struck a double blow when first Wolv was killed by a blast from the second AT-AT. The shock of the death through the battle meld caused both Sashar and Zandro to lose their cool (a rare occurrence). While Sashar had his comrades to back him up and bring him down from his blood drunk craze, Zandro wasn’t so lucky. Sashar’s first apprentice was captured.
Once again, Soulfire was picked up mid-way through their mission and together with the Consul assaulted Decca the Hutt’s stronghold in Arcona’s Capital – coincidentally where Zandro was being held. In one fell swoop Soulfire freed their Sergeant and killed off the Hutt leader – thereby ending the threat to Clan Arcona and the Dajorra system.
For his bravery in the Hutt Invasion and his completion of the Trials set out before him, Kieran was promoted to Dark Jedi Knight, joining Sashar as a Knight of Arcona. After the Hutt Invasion, Arcona entered a period of relative peace. House Galeres’ Quaestor stepped down and Sashar was appointed the role for his work as Clan Envoy and his repeated dedication during Soulfire’s numerous tours of duty.
Building a Better Future
The 'Vode Erinos'
During this relatively quiet time, Sashar, Xayun and Zandro embarked on a project; to form their own Mandalorian clan – The Erinos Family. They realized that to accomplish this, they’d need to recruit from outside and so made sure to offer the first 6 founding ‘places’ to their friends who had displayed an uncanny edge in combat – Kieran, Juda, and Malidir. Once they had established a core member base of force sensitivies – five of six who were Mandalorian – The Erinos brothers set out to create a small colony on the Arcona-held world of Arconae Primus – to that end, Zandro and Xayun sought out the raw materials for the colony such as pre-fab buildings and construction/farming droids while Kieran and Malidir returned to Dxun to offer some families from the Kodiak clan the chance to be part of a new Mandalorian Clan. They returned with 70 men and women, and work was started to establish this blossoming family.
Soon, others were welcomed into the Erinos fold, partially because of their warrior prowess, and also to strengthen the bond blossoming between Clan Tarentum and Clan Arcona. However, before the neophyte family could settle, the Eighth Great Jedi War washed through the Brotherhood, with devastating results.
Before the invasion of Antei, Galeres only saw one brief conflict with the Vong – specifically when Sashar led a contingent of Galeres to the planet Krant and eradicated a nest of peace Brigaders that had taken up residence inside an ancient Sith Temple. Sashar used the attack to cover his own entry and went through his own personal duel with the Shadow-wraith Malachi – a duel that left him with a cursed right arm, his skin turned jet black up to the shoulder, however the lost pages of the Abyssal Tome were retrieved, and Sashar found that his right arm was curiously better at channelling his latent Shadowcrafting abilities, however to conceal this alteration from his peers, he made sure to wear a black glove – he was not yet ready to assume the mantle of Shade Warrior.
Further, upon returning to Dajorra he discovered that there had been an assassination attempt on the Consul Strategos Entar. Intelligence Analysts from Arcona’s military discerned that the Taanis Syndicate, a supplier of bulk transports for Arcona, was behind it. Sashar led a team to Sukhur, where the Taanis syndicate were holed up to apprehend the culprits, and let his ner’vode into battle with a savagery he’d seldom displayed before. Indeed, it was during the Vitriol operation that the Mandalorian first used his Shadowcrafting abilities in combat.
Ruin
Straight after, Arcona was summonned along with the other clans to Antei.
Much of the Brotherhood’s military strength was located around Antei for an award ceremony to commemorate the recent Rite of Supremacy and as such, much of the Brotherhood’s military strength was scuttled when the Yuuzhan Vong swept in with unknown ships, unpredictable technology and superior numbers. The clans were decimated and scattered into the Shroud.
Sashar, Zandro and Kieran were thrown into the chaos as their Consul sent them back into the fray to the VSD Vae Victus in efforts to ascertain the fate of the Deputy Grand Master. The trio of Mandalorians were escorted through the maelstrom by Juda and Bendak, two of Soulfire Strike Team’s best pilots. Unfortunately, only Juda survived to get his charges to the dying Destroyer.
The trio met with fierce combat on-board the dying ship and Yuuzhan Vong warriors were already overrunning the defenses. The bridge was lost before their feet touched the Hangar floor and the Vode Erinos instead shifted their mission profile – hurt the Vong and deny them the capture of one of the Brotherhood’s more powerful craft. They battled their way to the Reactor Core and set the ship to blow up. The trio escaped via an escape pod (sacrificing the Clan’s Diplomatic Yacht, Serenity in the process) and were stranded in the darkness of the shroud. Unfortunately, they had to sit out the rest of the initial conflict around Dajorra until a patrol from clan Tarentum found their escape pod. From there, they were escorted to the Clan’s Marshal and shipped back to Dajorra, where Arcona was regrouping. The Arconan military had reacted brilliantly to the threat the Yuuzhan Vong posed. Rather than attempt to combat a threat with virtually no naval strength, the remaining forces had withdrawn to Arcona’s last stand – a contingency set in place by Sashar himself – they had retreated to Sukhur and awaited the return of the battered remnants of Arcona’s forces.
After the dust had settled, Sashar was appointed a senior military aide for the purpose of advising the new consul, Mejas Doto, and helped re-organise the newly minted task force assigned to Arcona into a fighting force that could both defend Dajorra and combat the threat the Vong represented. However, due to his being unable to fight with his brothers for most of the Antei conflict, he felt he was no longer fit for command and resigned as Quaestor, returning to Soulfire. This, coupled with his having a disagreement with the new Knight Commander of the Brotherhood left him without any pull on the Clan Summit – a situation he was grateful for. Nevertheless, Sashar was above all a survivor and set plans in motion to ensure the survival of both the Erinos Clan and Soulfire Strike team.
Mejas’s surprise reappearance in Arcona and unprecedented appointment as Consul alarmed the Mandalorian and prompted him to prepare a safe home in Tarentum for the Erinos family, however this was a last resort - to do so would likely damage the clan irreparably. Instead, Sashar took it upon himself to approach the Shadow Lord and act as his advisor, bringing Mejas Doto up to speed on member histories, recent events and the potential ramifications of some of his more radical reforms. The partnership blossomed and it didn’t take long for the Shadow Lord to appoint Sashar as his de-facto right arm.
A brief tour of the Shroud in the newly completed Eye of the Abyss II searching for survivors from the recent Antei conflict let the clan regain some confidence and bolster its members. As Sashar was still officially attached to Soulfire, he accompanied them on the hellish excursion to a derelict observation platform to rescue a motley collection of surviving Dark Jedi who had stumbled across the platform as they fled Antei. Unfortunately the Yuuzhan Vong had found them too.
Soulfire, as always, fought bravely and succeeded in extracting the stragglers, however the Exarch was captured and briefly tortured before his vode could retrieve him. Upon returning to the Abyss, Sashar was rushed to the medical ward and his own apprentice Juda operated on him to save his vision, grafting in a pair of prosthetic eyes for the short term until a more suitable replacement could be found. The Mandalorian was unperturbed by his capture and temporary loss of sight and carried on assisting Mejas during the tumultuous Resurrection of Arcona, where every single summit member in the clan was stripped of their position and forced through the Rite. Soulfire was once again called on to assist the Consul, hunting through the Darkest Night cloud the Shadow Lord created about Qel-Droma’s temple and the Exarch was placed as a last guard for anyone that could make it through the Shadowcrafted arena. Only one made it as far as him – Timeros, former Consul and deserter.
Sashar and Timeros engaged in a brief duel, however the Mandalorian was rested and prepared – he took the Heregan’s arm and sent him tumbling back into the dark maelstrom. Secretly, Sashar returned to the Battle site after the Rite and had Timeros' body shipped to a facility on Gethsemane for experimentation - the Mandalorian was determined to make use of the Consul even in death.
With his being confirmed the Proconsul of Arcona, Sashar sought to fully exploit his new position. His first act was to request that the Shadow Lord tutor him in the ways of Shadowcrafting so that he may one day attain mastery of the secretive art. His second was to fix the problem of his eyes. Mejas Doto and Juda Erinos worked together to clone a pair of eyes that were imbued with the force. This meant that in addition to granting the Mandalorian his usual sight, he was also able to see well in complete darkness (a homage to his Shadowcrafting) and also occasionally see currents in the force. The eyes, unlike his originals, were a dark blue with an unusual pupil pattern, signifying their cloned nature.
For Arcona
Sashar’s time settling into Proconsul was spent well. He worked closely with Oberst and other members of the Tarentum Summit to forge a treaty of alliance between the two maverick clans. Dubbed the Treaty of Kessel, it bonded them together, with the Erinos the driving force behind the scenes to pair the clans together. Immediately following this, the Exarch spearheaded a ‘Great Hunt’ for Arcona in an effort to aid the Tarentum/Arcona research efforts – namely, he intended to capture a live Terentatek. The Hunt was a success and Sashar had the specimen moved to ‘The Project’ on Boral – the former location of Kaek’s terraforming project that had fallen under during the GJW as the budget was needed to re-build the military.
The Mark of the di Tenebrous ArconaeWith Sashar’s ascension as Shadow Scion, he was also granted the title of di Tenebrous Arcona – on the condition that he renounce his allegiance with the Erinos family and swear a blood oath of fealty to his clan. Reluctantly, Sashar agreed and convened the first Erinos convocation, where he passed on the role of Patriarch to Malidir. Secretly, Sashar had no intention of abandoning his family, however he was only confident in his own ability to deceive Mejas – he couldn’t be sure that the Shadow Lord would rip the information from his brother’s heads. As such, it was the first time the Mandalorian had ever been truly alone. For completing this ‘test’ of his allegiance, Sashar was also granted a Sapphire Blade.
The Proconsul was sent to Fondor on a recruitment mission for Arcona, hoping to track down a potential lead on a Force User. Taking with him Kieran, the pair discovered a young Kiffar who seemed to be ‘lost’ – the youth rebelled against any authority figure that imposed itself in his life, however Sashar was able to get through to him after some persuasion, and offered him the chance to become a fearsome warrior – at a price. Celahir agreed, and was first sent to Dxun to be trained up by Kieran in the ways of the Mandalorian before he’d begin his tutelage in the Force. Sashar reported the mission a failure and kept Celahir’s existence from Mejas, fearing that his attachment to the Kiffar would result in Mejas displaying a more cruel side of leadership.
Shortly following this, Sashar assigned one of the newer members of Arcona a dangerous mission of espionage against the Shadow Clan’s long time rivals – Scholae Palatinae. The journeyman was caught and unable to kill himself: instead, the Palatinaeans used him to bring the full fervor of the Justicar down on Arcona. Rather than see his clan take the brunt of the political fallout, Sashar assumed responsibility and was promptly demoted for letting his personal vendettas interfere with his command and create a potentially disastrous situation in the brotherhood that was still reeling from the Vong attack.
Instead of taking his demotion and licking his wounds, the Mandalorian decided to use the momentum to his advantage and pressed for peace between the long-time rivals. In secret meetings with their Consul and Proconsul, he and Mejas were able to negotiate a cease fire of sorts with their counterparts and both clans charged for an immediate cease of hostilities. This single act prompted the Quaestor of House Qel-Droma – Sashar’s former betrayer to turn on the Summit once more. Defying the orders of the Clan Summit, Quejo and his Aedile Orv Dessrx mobilised their house using the BAC Shadow to take them to the temporary Redoubt of the Jedi – Eclipse Base in hopes of massacring the Jedi Order while they were on their back feet from the Yuuzhan Vong War.
House Galeres, lead by Sashar’s first apprentice Zandro mobilised as well in efforts to pursue Qel-Droma and prevent the massacre. The two Houses entered into a brief war before the battle was abruptly ended with the arrival of Mejas and Sashar, who brought their clan back in order. Shortly following the attempted secession of House Qel-Droma, The Dajorra system finally caught the eye of the Warmaster Nas Choka. To complete his dominion of Hutt Space, he sent a task force of his reserves to wipe out the Clan of Dark Jedi nestled on the outskirts of the Maw. Mejas Doto charged Sashar with marshalling the flotilla to defend the Clan from the oncoming invasion, however before they could adequately prepare the Vong’s vanguard arrived. While The Dajorra Defense Force barely held its own, The Proconsul sent Zandro out with Shade Squadron to do a close bombing run on the lead Miid Ro’ik. The Radiation bombs were enough to slow the offensive but not stop it completely, and even with the timely arrival of the Arcona Expeditionary Force wasn’t enough to halt the offensive. As such, in order to preserve the fleet, Mejas ordered the fleet to withdraw into the Maw, drawing the opposing fleet away.
For the most part, the ploy worked and The Arcona flotilla was able to draw the other two destroyer analogs from the Dajorra system and chase them through the Maw, however the crippled Destroyer crashed into the surface of Selen near the Citadel, allowing the dying warriors within to lay siege to the Citadel. The Consul was left with no other option but to petition the aid of another Clan – Naga Sadow.
The Sadowans did send support that arrived before the Arcona Armed Forces could return, however the arrival of a further three destroyer analogs and their support ships (as well as one of the original destroyers trailing the Arcona flotilla) left the combined clans fighting a losing battle. Given no other choice, the Arcona forces had to order a retreat. Braving the surface, Sashar and Zandro ventured into the besieged Estle City and met with the remaining Caste Leaders, giving them a few last instructions before heading to the Citadel.
On their way, Zandro and Sashar passed over the battlefield surrounding the Citadel and felt their brother, Juda, in dire need of assistance. Sashar chose to ignore it in favor of reaching Mejas faster, which ultimately drew Zandro and the Proconsul into a duel at the outer trench. A swift duel which resulted in the destruction of Sashar’s lightsaber, and Zandro being incapacitated. Faced with hordes of irradiated Vagh Rodiek, Sashar prepared to die fighting, however the timely intervention of Juda wielding Zandro’s saber and the pair of Krite Dragons being controlled by Mejas Doto gave Major Malay the time to return with a LAAT/i transport and extract the trio of brothers to the Citadel. It was during this fateful duel that Sashar finally revealed to Zandro the reasons for his betrayal, which brought him some measure of understanding, but not forgiveness. As soon as Sashar reached the Consul, a splinter group of Naga Sadowans spearheaded by Ylith Atema targeted the exposed Citadel from orbit and demanded that the Arconans surrender to him, however the Sadowan summit quickly regained control of the situation and stopped the insane usurper.
The retreat from the Citadel was brief but intense, with an honor guard forming around the Consul in the form of Malidir, Kieran, Juda, Zandro, Sashar and Illian Syn, while the remnants of the Citadel Guard held off the Vong hordes in the lower Citadel. A climactic holding action took place at the top of the Citadel, where even the Shadow Lord had to draw his saber to hold off the Vong until the timely arrival of Cyris Oscura, who saved his life. From there, the AGV Valour's Fall extracted the last survivors from Selen and Arcona were forced to flee Dajorra.
From there, the Remnants of the Arconan flotilla, now full of refugees extracted by the Larties during the pitched battle traveled to the Yridia System for repairs and resupplies. Almost as an afterthought, Sashar was sent to the Naga Sadowans to start negoatiations towards a possible alliance, however he used the premise as an excuse to abduct Ylith Atema (through a squad of TAMs and Illian Syn) as well as meeting in secret with then Jedi Hunter Vorion.
With no home, the Clan was left to traverse the stars as a nomad flotilla. During this time, Sashar worked closely with Illian Syn rounding up various underworld contacts forming ‘Ghost Cells’ of indoctrinated mercenaries with singular skill sets in the hopes of having the first element of what would later become known as the Dajorra Intelligence Agency – highly specialized black ops squads.
Nomads
With the loss of the Dajorra system morale in the clan hit an all-time low. The Flotilla became a refugee camp with many of the cargo bays and corridors in the fleet turning into shanty towns and med-centers. Life support systems on all of the ships were augmented way beyond their original specs and suddenly Quartermasters, Galley Chefs and Doctors became everyone’s best friend and supplies became scarce. With few choices left to them, the clan turned to piracy, primarily targeting Peace Brigade convoys and even occasionally other clan’s merchant contractors – naturally, this did not make the clan the most popular in the Brotherhood.
During this period, Sashar and Kieran visited Mandalore on hopes of relocating the Kodiak Clan. The trip was a failure, as Force Sensitivity proved to be more of a liability than anything among the locals, however Sashar did rescue a youth being assaulted by a half-dozen rowdy natives. The Erinos disposed of them, and following a nudge from the Force, took in the boy, who could’ve been no more than sixteen. He nursed the boy back to health and investigated his origins, which seemed to have been a cabana boy to a visiting wealthy merchant from Dantooine. Deciding that such a life was a waste for a clearly Force Sensitive youth, Sashar sent him to Dxun for indoctrination into the Mandalorian ways. He was renamed Voden. Whilst there, he took Celahir, who had completed his training and become a member of the Clan and sent him to Tarentum, safe from the reach of Mejas Doto, to be trained up by Archean Erinos – a powerful Dark Jedi who had befriended and joined the Erinos before accompanying Xayun to Clan Tarentum.
However, it wasn’t until the combined forces of Clan Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae were engaged with the Yuuzhan Vong that Mejas Doto, the tinges of madness gripping his vision, ordered Arcona’s forces to stand by until they were both at their weakest, then finish them off that Sashar finally began to enact his plans of betraying the Shadow Lord. His first phase was to dispatch Illian Syn in secret to the Dark Council and inform them of Mejas’s plans, thereby isolating him from the Council and his strongest support base. As the Shadow Lord became more and more erratic and reclusive, it became dangerous for anyone to speak to him other than Sashar, as he was prone to lashing out and maiming or even killing officers and Jedi whose only crime was to have the misfortune of being near the Consul when he fell into such a frustrated rage. As such, the Proconsul decreed that the entire clan would first answer to him, and he would then report to the Consul to save on the loss of life.
The CSP/CP/Arcona feud ended in shambles with the Shadow Clan barely escaping with their lives, such were the almost self-destructive orders of the Consul – only the timely intervention of the Dark Council saved all three clans from heavy losses. To placate the growing unrest from the majority of the native Dajorran crew, Sashar organised a reconnoitre which the majority of the clan’s force users joined as well as a select crew of mundanes loyal to Sashar in the TAM brigades. It was during this secret excursion onto Selen that the Proconsul finally met in person then Jedi Hunter Vorion, a defector from Naga Sadow that would come to play a large role in Arcona’s future, though neither knew it at the time. The main objective of the expedition was to assess the defenses the Vong had established and connect with the resistance. The Consul and House Qel-Droma handled the former, while Sashar took on Galeres and the second house. Unfortunately, early on into the operation, Vong scouts spotted the Shadow Clan (their numbers were too large to effectively hide themselves for long) and Arcona had to pull out once more, however a fleeting rendezvous with the local resistance leader was accomplished.
During one resupply trip to [Alpheridies], A stowaway was encountered in the hangar bay of the Clan’s Flagship. Sashar chased the youth down and found him to be an exceptionally powerful Miraluka Force User, but he was untrained. He’d been attempting to run away and see more of the galaxy, and the Proconsul was only too happy to oblige. He sent Maaks to Dxun to train up and become Mandalorian before he’d allow him into Soulfire, however.
It was nearly time. Mejas’s madness was reaching a fever-pitch. He spent weeks endlessly scouring the Abyssal Tome, sequestered away in his private chambers and his orders became few and far between. His obsession over the loss of shadowcrafting left him switching between muttering indecipherably as he poured over the pages to force-fuelled rages. More and more responsibility was heaped on Sashar until it became clear that the Consul wasn’t even a figurehead or dark mystic, merely an insane Dark Jedi Master with a mind so shattered and fragmented that he was a danger to the entire clan.
Plans that had been made nearly four years before were finally set in motion.
Usurper
Sashar gathered the Arconae and divulged his plans to confront the Consul and take his place, asking for their support. Seeing the decline of the Clan, there was unanimous support. His next act was to organise a training exercise that involved both houses and the majority of the Consul’s Guard left on board the Abyss – the only troops Mejas had left loyal to him. With the Quaestors out of the way, they wouldn’t be forced to choose sides, nor could they be implicated in the coup if it failed. He then requested that Commodore Sulaco and the majority of the Command Staff aboard the flagship perform a tour of the fleet to insure that all of the ships were up to scratch. Finally, unable to stall with preparations anymore, Sashar disabled the communications aboard the flagship and left to confront the insane Shadow Lord, enlisting the help of Zandro and Malidir Erinos as well as Strategos and Timeros Entar. The battle was bloody, dirty and swift. Without his Shadowcrafting, Mejas proved dangerous, but unable to contend with another elder as well as three of the most senior equites in the clan. It culminated with him being incapacitated and placed in stasis. Strangely, the Consul’s guard left aboard didn’t interfere with the battle and recognized Sashar as the rightful leader after the dust had settled. As soon as his rule was authenticated by the Dark Council, the newly minted Consul sent Timeros and Strategos along with a Carbonite-frozen Mejas Doto to the Yridia system, where Oberst Tarentae constructed a [beskar] inhibiting collar that prevented the Dark Jedi Master from even thinking about using the force against his brethren. Only when the Zabrak was ‘muzzled’ was he allowed back to the Arconan flotilla.
The next few months were violent and tumultuous within the clan as the Mandalorian’s control was cemented. There were various explosive disputes with the clan, and Sashar raised some eyebrows by picking a newly anointed Knight as his Proconsul – the [Ubese] Vorion. Together, the pair quickly silenced any dissent by being far more violent than was usual in Sashar’s leadership style, however it was necessary to frustrate any attempts to unseat him before he was ‘settled.’
Eventually, the clan regained some semblance of order, and with the new Clan summit appointing a number of individuals they could trust into the various positions of power within the Houses, order was restored. Finally, plans were set in motion to go home. Vorion, Sashar and eight other equites and elders hatched a plot to stage a ‘betrayal’ of their clan and at the same time, form an elite organization called the Shadesworn who’s primary goal was to test Arcona and make sure they were ready for the trials ahead. The clan passed the test by offering the Shadesworn a considerable challenge as they wreaked havoc throughout the flotilla, and finally the Shadesworn staged a dramatic escape by hijacking the INT Creeping Darkness and jumping to the [Maw].
The rest of the clan, now led by the Quaestors, pursued the ‘traitors’ into the maw and decanted to find a research station waiting for them, acting as a gatekeeper to the ‘Stair of Doto’ – a massive singularity that provided a ‘back door’ through a previously impassable portion of the Maw. Strangely, the Consul and Proconsul contacted the rest of their clan and revealed the Shadesworn’s true objective: retaking Dajorra.
Bolstered, the Clan once again unified under the Consul’s banner and the entire fleet ascended the Stair of Doto. The Battleplan was simple – Vorion would command the Fleet and Sashar would command the ground forces in re-taking Selen, for whoever controlled Estle City controlled the System. The battle was quick, but brutal. The Vong forces were in disarray, as a lot of the resources had been redirected closer to the Core for the climactic battle of Coruscant, leaving only a token garrison. The Arconan fleet, battle-hardened and eager to retake their homes easily proved more than a match. Similarly, caught unprepared, and with hundreds of resistance camps simultaneously rising up all over the system, the Vong on the ground were quickly overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, Arconae Secundus had been extensively Vongformed and had numerous considerable garrisons and shaper damuteks littered all over the surface – it had been transformed into a manufacturing world and there was little chance of saving it. Rather than commit the clan to a years-long campaign to re-take the planet, Sashar ordered it Orbitally Bombarded – a Base Delta Zero. The planet was slagged. While the fires still burned on Secundus, the entire brotherhood was charged with aiding the Dark Council in taking back Antei.
Arcona answered the call and joined the rest of the Brotherhood on their journey through the Shroud, however instead of Vong, Crask’s Jedi forces awaited them, along with legions of Battle Droids. The Clan was thrown into the worst of the fighting, their forces being spread across the surface of Antei. The Battle dragged on and a lot of the Clan’s junior members met their end there. In one climactic duel, their Proconsul and Sashar’s right arm Vorion was seen to be struck down by one of the Jedi and was listed as Killed in Action, forcing the Mandalorian to swiftly appoint Strategos as his new second in command. The losses were horrible. Arcona suffered 66% casualties among her Journeymen and Equites, leaving Sashar with just under fifty Dark Jedi to command. Nevertheless, the Shadow Clan outdid herself and was charged with helping pacify the area around the Dark Hall. For their services and dedication to the Dark Council in what would later be known as the Ninth Great Jedi War, Arcona was rewarded handsomely and declared the new First Clan of the Brotherhood – a title never before held by any other clan than Taldryan.
Champions
The clan returned to Dajorra battered but jubilant. However, their hard work was far from over. Their home system still had numerous pockets of Yuuzhan Vong resistance, and a massive reconstruction project lay ahead of them. The first act was to reconstruct the Arcona Citadel. The tiered Estle City, seen as the central location of the entire Dajorra system, was chosen to be the site. At the top of the City on the plateau where there had been historically many Clan rituals performed, was transformed into a massive Tower that stretched far into the mountain beneath it. Sashar was very involved in the design and construction of the facility, making sure to add a secondary list of secret passages and chambers that honeycombed the Citadel and made sure to memory wipe every single droid involved in the process. Unfortunately, he also had to silence the chief architect and five native workers, disguising their deaths as a construction accident, however he reasoned that six lives were a small price to pay to guarantee an additional level of security in the long run.
Soon after Dajorra was pacified, and the reconstruction efforts began, the new Grand Master Muz Ashen visited Arcona personally to deliver their reward – two unique Force Techniques that would be restricted to the Shadow Clan. Sashar chose Force Wraiths and the Dathomiri Blood Trail. Being the first that had access to both, he devoted all of his energy into mastering both. He did not fail in this endeavour and privately developed both techniques, as well as coming up with innovative uses for both, but made sure that he kept such developments quiet from the rest of the clan (fearing yet another coup attempt, and his own knowledge used against him), and also made sure that they were only released to the wider clan once he was comfortable with them.
Confident that no more significant threats from within Arcona would challenge him, Sashar sent for Voden and personally trained him up to Dark Jedi Knight (though Voden’s own latent skill with the Force was considerable, and he’d picked up a fair bit from Kieran during his Mandalorian indoctrination. He made it to Knight in less than six months. During his tutelage, Sashar and Voden became very close, and struck with a freedom to attachment he’d not felt since his sabbatical from the Brotherhood, the Consul entered into a relationship with Voden which was as tempestuous and as filled with arguments and fights as it was filled with a fierce love for one another.
Unfortunately, the period of peace was short-lived. Mejas Doto was approached by a mysterious figure, offering to help him reassert control of Arcona for seemingly no reward. Mejas agreed, and Mr. Lorden (who claimed to represent a group of larger and powerful individuals) freed the Zabrak of his beskar collar, then set in motion a series of events to help isolate Sashar. Mejas wasted no time in assaulting the Citadel, whilst the Consul was attacked by two force-using assassins. The Consul’s fight spilled out onto the plateau atop Estle City and he was forced off, presumably to his death. However, one of the modifications to the Citadel on its construction was a bestiary, complete with two Drexls, beneath the plateau. Sashar was able to seize control of one of the beasts and catch him mid air before returning to the Beastiary. However, almost all of his weapons had been lost during the fight, leaving him with only his SSK-7.
Mejas worked quickly to consolidate his rule and incapacitated or killed several of Arcona’s members closest to Sashar, notably Xuthen, who had been working as his Aide. Soulfire Strike Team, in retaliation for their support of Sashar during the previous coup, were fitted with beskar collars and sent on a suicide mission, and even Commodore Sulaco, commander of Arcona’s Expeditionary Force, was killed, then served unknowingly to the members of the Clan during a feast.
Eventually, Sashar regained his strength and utilised the secret tunnels within the Citadel to wreak havoc, tormenting the Shadow Lord repeatedly before escaping on one of the very Drexls that had saved him days before. He regrouped with Soulfire, and together with the rest of the summit and his favoured Battleteam, won back the Throne in a climactic duel, which resulted in Mejas being put into a coma. Investigations were put into effect as to the origin of the mysterious Sith Assassins, but given that Sashar recognised neither, the other Clans were above suspicion.
Sashar’s Eyes
Sashar made several trips to Dxun during this time after the Kodiak Clan took on a contract from the Hutt Grand Council which, given Sashar’s unique expertise, was perfect for them: Hunting down and capturing Dash Kuatir – a Bounty Hunter and reclusive hedonist who had caused the deaths of several prominent Hutts during his infamous career.
Sashar, Kieran, Juda and Maaks (along with a pair of Kodiak non-Force-sensitives, A’den and his son teenage son Venku) tracked the metamorph to Abregado Rae. They attempted to capture him in a cantina, however he proved a formidable opponent and floored both Kieran and Sashar before slipping out. Venku and Maaks, operating as a sniper team to try and keep them safe were next under the Metamorph’s ire, and Venku was shot through the back of the head before he could even begin to defend himself. Sashar and A’den caught up before the Bounty Hunter could kill Maaks, but the Miraluka’s innate pacificism caused him to stop Sashar from landing the killing blow. Furious with him, the Grey Jedi forced Maaks to stare at Venku’ corpse and confront the reality of being both a Mandalorian and a Force User; a life filled with violence and loss, but one where he would be loved. Shaken, Maaks was filled with doubt about his new life, but wanted to press on and prove that he could be useful. The hunting party returned to Dxun disgusted at their rare failure. Sashar returned to the Dajorra system to collect several more Force users, feeling that he needed more of an edge. Kieran’s temper was short, and when he took Maaks out a few days later into the Jungle to the landing site (at least a day’s travel away), the pair got into a fight. The Miraluka was able to get the jump on Kieran, which only further angered him. He chased Maaks through the jungle, using a usually forbidden Force Technique developed by Sashar and Malidir called “Te’kyr” – The End. Sashar arrived only just in time to stop Kieran and Maaks was awed by the sheer level of focus present in the Arconae’s Force use. He vowed to one day reach that level.
Juda was able to infiltrate Dash’s camp and act as a love interest, and as such was able to report the Bounty Hunter’s location to the rest of the Kodiaks and Erinos: his Winter Palace on Toola. Sashar took the remaining Erinos to Toola and launched an all-out attack on the Palace, however it was another debacle. Dash knew Juda was a spy and as such had planned numerous traps for the Mandalorians, resulting in A’den’s death. Voden and Maaks were attacked by Dash himself. The former was left severely injured whilst Maaks was captured. Unfortunately, Sashar was unable to recover the youth and it was presumed that the Miraluka teamed up with Dash.
All too soon, still flush with their successes against Crask, Arcona was called back to the front. The new Grand Master, coveting the world of Salas V, was thwarted from simply taking the planet by Kilik forces. Wanting a new champion, he pitted the Clans against one another, hoping to form a crucible of excellence. Arcona were first put against their old rivals, Taldryan. Given the calibre of their opponents (one being a Grand Master), an elite team was made from Arcona’s strongest fighters, headed by Timeros, Zandro, and Sashar. The cadre of veteran warriors were faced almost exclusively by elders, and came out bloodied but smiling. Sashar, however, was a different story. He encountered Jac Cotelin on the plains of Salas V and put up a valiant fight, however he was no match for the sheer power the Grand Master had at his disposal. Left badly wounded, Sashar was no use for the first phase of the operation. Taldryan narrowly defeated Arcona for Darth Ashen’s favour, and as such were pitted against Naga Sadow. With a number of key figures being taken out in the first bout against Taldryan, Arcona fared similarly and were narrowly beaten, however Sashar made personally sure to best Malisane and Manji Keibatsu Sadow, their Consul, in single combat thanks in large part due to the surprise element his Force Wraiths granted him. Despite the loss, they emerged with their heads held high. They’d taken the best the rest of the Brotherhood could throw at them, and survived. Once more, they’d proved that even Grand Masters weren’t infallable.
However, his peace wasn’t to last. Dash had discerned the location of the Kodiak camp from Maaks, and also knew that most of the Erinos would be away from the camp, fighting in the Vendetta. He chose that moment to attack the camp by surprise and devastated it. The remaining Kodiaks travelled to Arconae Primus and helped construct a small village to hold both clan’s populaces. It was still a massive blow, and Sashar vowed revenge. One of the children to survive the attack was a youth named Teroch, who lost both his parents and Sashar, stricken with guilt, adopted the youth along with Voden. Teroch also had massive Force potential, however the pair agreed not to train him, so as not to attract the Brotherhood’s attention. With Teroch required to follow Sashar and learn from him the skills any Mandalorian would need, Sashar felt it wasn’t fair that he run Arcona with divided responsibilities, and as such stepped down, allowing Celahir to take the Serpentine Throne. The Arconae did, however, challenge both Zandro and Juda for the position of Soulfire Sergeant, and was able to win with the use of his Force Wraiths.
Chafing from the loss during the Vendetta, Sashar decided to enter the Equite ladder. He breezed through the first round, killing an Iktotchi Priest from Tarentum by relying heavily on his training as a Shadesworn Assassin. He next met with Shaz'air Taldrya Rathden, the Consul of Taldryan at the time, who he dispatched with his Concussion Rifle (fast becoming as iconic as the Mighty Guard as Sashar’s signature). Unfortunately, the Semi-finals proved to be a lot harder. The Arconae was to fight Timeros Enter Arconae, a long-time associate, clan mate and somewhat rival of the Mandalorians’. The two had never got along, but both respected one another and had both been instrumental in Arcona’s growth over the years. However, both were itching for a chance to settle the score. They fought in the same grizzly arena as the other semi-finalists, Scion and Tsainetomo Keibatsu (a rival of Timeros’) and Sashar was pushed to his absolute extreme, continually falling back on the Wraiths to make up for the gap in their saber work (as Timeros was clearly the better duellist), however all too soon it looked as if the match was all but over; Sashar’s Force reserves were trained when he failed to kill the Krath Pontifex with “Te’kyr” – his end-move, but before Timeros could land the killing blow, Tsainetomo, who’d won his match, took down Tim, hoping he’d have an easier fight in the finals against Sashar. Sai did indeed prove to be a most formidable opponent. The two of them fought through the bowels of a Dungeon Ship, constantly matching and outmatching one another with a variety of tricks and tactics, neither relying overtly on saber play to try and gain the edge, however it wasn’t until Sashar bought himself some space and time with the Wraiths that he was able to slip away, secure himself in a security-substation and turn the ship’s internal defences on his aggressor that he was able to gain the upper hand. Faced with a dizzying array of droids, automated turrets, blast doors and even the Force Wraiths, Sai had a hard time battering them all down before finally confronting Sashar once more for the end-game. A Force-enhanced lariat broke the Keibatsu’s neck and won the Arconan the tournament. Nevertheless, a mutual admiration of battle prowess and skill was borne between the two finalists. Sashar returned to Arcona a hero, and was rumoured to be arguably the strongest Equite in the Brotherhood after winning the Equite ladder.
Dark Focus
The Grand Master felt that all of the Clans had grown fat in their successes and soon after implemented a sweeping reform throughout the Brotherhood: namely, all Clans were to be remade as Independent Houses, with the Quaestor being the highest authority. Celahir struggled to rein in Arcona and prevent an uprising from such a front, but his sheer charisma, along with Sashar’s none-so-subtle threats to the other ‘clansmen’ kept in check, and the Mandalorian was sent to Antei to report to the Dark Council how Arcona was settling into its new role along with emissaries from every other House in the Brotherhood.
While there, the Shadow Academy on Lyspair (Antei’s moon) dropped from communications. It was discovered that a remnant of Crask’s war droids had seized the facility, and Sashar was selected along with three other powerful Equites and Elders to re-secure the facility in four separate teams. As part of the aerial infiltration team, Sashar took with him notably Juda and Voden from Arcona, but also Tsainetomo (Naga Sadow’s emissary). The team worked well to re-take the Academy, and the mission only served to strengthen Sai and Sashar’s camaraderie.
Disgusted with the Dark Council, Celahir couldn’t in good conscience serve them or Arcona as its leader, and stepped down to take a sabbatical to re-evaluate his position in the Brotherhood. Without a leader, Sashar quickly worked to ensure that the Dark Council didn’t install a puppet leader, he quickly gained the support of the Arconae, the remaining summit and even the membership to endorse Zandro Erinos as Quaestor. Lord Ashen agreed that an Arconae and distinguished member would be the best choice.
Again, wanting to improve his abilities against other Force users, Sashar and Juda entered the co-operative ACC tournament. Their first match was against two Revanites: Tra'an Reith and Lambow (a Shi’ido and a Wookiee). It was a brutal, ugly gutterfight of a match and despite the Mandalorian’s preference to fight dirty and call a win a win, even this was very…personal. As it turned out, the Erinos brothers had earned their opponents’ ire when they’d both been in Clan Scholae Palatinae – Arcona’s natural enemies. The non-humans relished the chance to pay back the Arconans, but Sashar and Juda weren’t having any of it. Lambow was dealt with and scalped first by the Primarch (who took to wearing the Wookiee’s scalp attached to his armour after the match) and Juda busied the Shi’ido enough for Sashar to shoot him in the face.
Their next opponents were Dante and Kael Fayne – a powerful Obelisk pair. Dante was known as a fearsome combatant in his own right (to survive to the third of the Equite ranks was proof enough) and Kael had won the Journeyman ACC ladder, and despite his rank was nothing to be sneered at. Nevertheless, Sashar set in motion a plan to ensure their victory nearly a week before the match itself had begin. As expected, during the match, both focused on Juda to try and isolate Sashar and pick off the ‘weaker’ target first and whilst the medic did indeed get pummelled by Dante, he was not completely out for the count. Kael made the mistake of firing a blaster at the master of Soresu, and was rewarded by having the bolt redirected and the weapon detonate in his hands. Free to fight Dante, Sashar taunted him with the revalation that he had seduced and slept with the Exarch’s son mere days before. Furious at such an affront to his family, Dante entered a rage and attacked Sashar, not realising that Juda still had the recognisance to call upon a Force Wraith to attack in his place. Surprised by the ‘Monkey’ suddenly tearing at his face, he missed Sashar drop to the floor and cut his feet off at the ankle, thereby ending the match.
Unfortunately, neither team would progress. Juda’s injuries at Dante’s hands proved substantial, and left him paralysed from the waist down, a long rehabilitation ahead of him as he learned to walk again after restoring his spinal chords’ nerves thanks to his own healing prowess. The Erinos had to bow out of the tournament, as only Sashar was fit enough to participate.
Almost as soon as Juda was fit for combat again, a strange ailment struck Estle City, now the only seat of power in the Dajorra system since Arcona’s being made into a House. A mysterious Cult, known only as the Death Walkers had been tearing their ways through the lower levels of the City either eating the populace or converting them to their cannibalistic ranks through some presumed-Force-related methods. Soulfire were sent to reconnoitre the area and take out the leader of the Cult. They performed as only Soulfire could; without flaw, displaying a bravery many would envy, however soon found themselves overwhelmed by sheer numbers. In addition, Sashar had been using his Force Wraiths in support of the Squad and, put simply, overextended himself by trying to maintain the Force Meld Soulfire was famous for as well as controlling his own Wraiths directly like marionettes. Exitotoxicity had put him into a coma and all of his body had shut down without direction from the mind. Juda had to work fast to fashion an artificial respirator and blood circulator to keep his body alive whilst he brought the brain back to functioning order, but the encounter left Soulfire without its leader for the rest of the operation.
Zandro was able to fight his way to the Flagship and the rebellion was swiftly crushed when the Eye of the Abyss turned its attention to the dilapidated Dreadnaught hiding behind Boral. More and more of Arcona’s seasoned troops stormed the city and fought back to protect their home, though Estle’s infrastructure was severely damaged by the assault. It was only later, when the Dreadnaught’s wreckage was searched, that it was discovered that a man named Lorden had orchestrated the attack and provided crucial intelligence.
Bonya Temple would prove to be the site of one of Sashar’s greatest victories. Due to an internal schism in the Dark Council centering around Orders, the Krath and Sith both tried to gain entry to Bonya, which the Obelisk reacted to violently. Houses were forgotten and whilst Sashar and his friends couldn’t give a mott’s backside about power struggles in the Dark Council, he did view it as the perfect opportunity to sharpen his abilities in combat that little bit more. He met up with Tsainetomo after the initial conflict, and the two sensed a disturbance some way away from the Temple. They set of, hoping to thwart Krath trickery, and were rewarded for their bloodlust. Waiting for them was a huge creature of alchemical construction that made a Rancor look like a house pet. They quickly formed a plan to take down the behemoth; Sai was to distract it, whilst Sashar would use his Wraiths to gain purchase atop the beast and kill it with a surgical strike. The plan worked perfectly. Using a previously unseen Wraith and a thought-impossible technique, Sashar was able to ride his Wraith (dubbed the Drexl) up until he reached the head of the creature. Then, he hopped off and scoured a deep cut with his saber into the back of the War Beast’s skull, and then finished it off with a telekinetically sped-up Concussion Blast from his favourite rifle.
From there, Sai and Sashar were given control of a taskforce of Obelisk to infiltrate the Triumverate Temple. Using fourteen of their colleages from both Naga Sadow and Arcona, they were able to plan and steal a Holocron and return to Bonya temple with no losses. Using Sashar as a distraction with a few of the other Arconas, Sai and the rest snuck in virtually undetected and were able to make off with the artefact. For his prowess in battle, his tactical acumen and growing ability in the Force, Sashar was given a field promotion to Dark Side Adept and allowed access to learn the powers of the Elders of the Brotherhood.
Appearance
Sashar stands at an even six feet and takes every caution to appear as bland and unremarkable as possible (after all, individuals attract fire). With an even tan formed from a lifetime outside and dark hair that varies in length and tone from a military crew cut to just brushing his shoulders in times of extended conflict, he has the look of a man just embarking upon adulthood who has nevertheless seen too much of war, and it has left his mark. His face is nearly always serious, stoic and ironically speaks seldom unless in combat, when he tries to psych out his opponents by being overly verbose and disarmingly nonchalant.
In terms of identifying marks, beyond the usual cuts and scrapes life gives a person (and obviously his eyes), Sashar has a pair of tattoos – The first is the Erinos symbol on the upper right portion of his back, and the other is the Mark of the Tenebrous – a large, circular tattoo that covers most of his abdomen, centered around his navel and reaches almost as high as his sternum.
With a muscled, compact form and broad shoulders with very little body fat spread over his frame, he is lightly haired and well groomed. In times of war, a dusting of stubble sprinkled across his face isn’t uncommon.
His only piece of jewellery is the ‘Star of Dajorra’ – a silver necklace hung about his neck holding a small glass marble with a shining light encased within. The light, upon careful inspection, is an exact replica of the Star Dajorra. This award was bestowed upon Sashar for his work in helping augment the training of Arcona’s Military forces, making them a more effective fighting force with lectures and talks on Battle Psychology. He nearly always hides this under his other clothes and keeps it next to his skin.
Ayumarka Eyes
Sashar’s eyes are cloned and engineered to allow him to see as he previously did, as well as granting him near perfect vision in pitch darkness. Added to this, the Consul Mejas Doto imbued an amount of force energy into the eyes, allowing their owner to occasionally see currents in the force. The eyes, unlike his originals, are a dark blue with an unusual tri-pointed pupil pattern, signifying their special nature.
Psychological Profile
The Mandalorian is somewhat of a contradiction, even to himself. His strong sense of a warrior’s honour seems to drive his moral decisions – indeed it features strongly in his philosophy of the Force. By his own admission, he refers to himself as a Grey Jedi – a dangerous title for someone in the Dark Brotherhood. This endeavour for an ‘honourable’ life is countered by his growing strength in the force – he finds himself questioning the Mandalorian drive for war. Indeed, he is starting to see his Mandalorian way of life impractical at times, and looks to the force to aid him towards the ‘greater good.’ It remains to be seen how this internal strife will manifest itself.
His loyalties however, aren’t affected by his conflicting morals and dark temptation. His Family, his House, his Clan and a few select others he would gladly give his life for – the Mandalorian’s family orientated culture being the driving force behind that mentality. Outside of the close circle his trusts, he ranges from respectful (to those he views as competent warriors) to openly scornful (to those he views as cowards; those who don’t fight ‘well’). This doesn’t lend itself easily to strangers – that is not to say that the Mandalorian can’t be charming, polite and dapper; merely that he chooses not to be amongst his peers in the Brotherhood.
Combat
In combat, Sashar is very much the Mandalorian’s Mandalorian. He is unafraid to make a mess, accepts collateral damage with a shrug and displays a nonchalance to the various tools he uses to disassemble sentients that startle those who encounter him. His fighting style is no-nonsense, not big on flashy demonstrations of power or skill, instead expanding just enough energy to get the job done (at least when it comes to melee or hand-to-hand fighting). However, his use of high-yield explosives can best be surmised in his own words: “P for Plenty.”
Being trained in small unit tactics since being a toddler, he is incredibly comfortable with a wide variety of blaster weapons, and has also taken it upon himself to modify the ‘gear’ he owns to better suit his needs. Likewise, he worked closely with his brother to help design the Soulfire Neo-Crusader armour to be optimised for a small commando unit who regularly face force users of greater rank and skill. As such, he isn’t afraid to use technology, tools and gadgets in his line of work and sneers at those who think that the Lightsaber is the only weapon they’ll ever need. That isn’t to say that he doesn’t respect lightsaber combat – indeed he is quite the swordsman – but he also is of the belief that there are times and places for the antiquated weapon.
As Soulfire’s former Tech specialist, the Mandalorian is also quite at home with various forms of electronic warfare and spends a lot of his down time when not practicing or attending to his various duties in the clan ‘tinkering’ with various pieces of technology or weaponry to better them.
In addition to being an expert in Special Operations practices, His time as Consul and his training with Oberst have granted him a confidence and proficiency with large naval combat and a shrewdness with the political machinations within the Brotherhood which have afforded him considerable respect as a leader. Many of the newer leaders of Arcona still consult Sashar on the more pivotal decisions they are about to make.
The Force
As an Elder of the Brotherhood, Sashar’s application of the Force is drastically potent. He will only expend the energy needed to complete the task presented before him, be it defeating an opposing force user or knocking down a reinforced door. He is at home using the Force in many aspects, however he has paid particular attention to his cultivation of Battle-Melds. His work with Soulfire only helped him improve this singular talent and he considers it his latent leaning in the force. Some are healers, some are seers; Sashar can forge Battle Melds.
Again, with his philosophy being that of a Grey Jedi and Sashar embracing the Potentium view of the Force, he is not squeamish about using the Force’s more offensive powers if the end result is what he sees ‘the greater good.’
To suit his fighting style, Sashar has also paid particular attention to cultivating his offensive telekinetic abilities, allowing his rage to fuel the force, putting up defensive barriers, and as a homeage to Arcona, ‘Blackness.’
The Arconae has developed several techniques unique to him, most in order of severity which he matches to his foe. Initially, however, he will mostly stick to using the ‘Mighty Guard’ and allow him to analyse his opponent and wear them out whilst he develops a strategy to counter their attacks and ultimately defeat them.
Kandosii Aran – the Mighty Guard
Probably a technique Sashar is most widely known for, the Grey Jedi applies his mastery of Soresu in a unique fashion by planting his feet shoulder-width apart facing his adversary, boosts his speed with the Force and focuses his entire mind on defending against attacks (thanks to the Obelisk art ‘Dark Mettle’), be they lightsaber swings, blaster bolts or even thrown fists (though there has yet to be a time when Sashar has used the Mighty Guard against an unarmed opponent). To further bolster his speed, the Arconan boosts it through the Force, applying it in such degrees available only to Elders (Master Speed). Sashar has further refined the technique by suiting different lightsabers to be more suited to it. His shoto has a shorter blade than normal, and as such Sashar is able to manoeuvre with it in a much tighter space, keep it closer to his body (thereby making it easier to defend himself from blaster bolts or quick stabs) and even move faster, as there is less of a blade to worry about lopping off an ear or limb. Unfortunately, this does have some drawbacks, as he is unlikely to be able to stop more than one lightsaber blade at once on such a short blade, and likewise is unable to stop as many blaster bolts in one swing, given the stubby nature of the blade itself. The technique is probably best suited to a standard blade length, which gives it matching capabilities against both Blasters and Lightsabers. A staff would significantly reduce the efficacy of such a defence, given its’ dualistic nature.
Zandro found a vital weakness in the Mighty Guard, namely that Sashar usually takes about a half-second to summon the Force necessary to perform the technique, during which time he’s vulnerable to attack.
With a full-length blade, Sashar’s record when shot at with blaster bolts is currently able to stop seventeen strikes in a second, whilst with a shoto, his record is eleven.
Netra’Gal – Black Ale
An ability developed in deference to Arcona, the technique suits its’ name in that ‘It’s black as night, you don’t see it coming, and it leaves you on your back with a di’kut of a headache.’
Sashar first removes his opponent’s ability to see by using the Force ability ‘Blackness’, and then proceeds to either pummel the target telekinetically, or if he’s close enough to administer it himself, deals the damage with his own bare hands. The finishing strike is always the same, however: a Telekinetic blast which sweeps the target off their feet. He most often utilises this as a quick surprise attack either to buy himself time to summon the Wraiths or to open an offensive succession of attacks, but the Mandalorian almost never uses it as a finishing move.
Kebiin Bev - Blue Spike
A technique that got its name from Sashar’s use of it in conjunction with the LJ-50 Concussion Rifle he so favours, it is a surprise attack which boosts the speed of a Concussion Blast (or projectile round) with the use of Telekinesis. Given the right circumstances, Sashar can even alter the trajectory of a Concussion Bolt mid-flight (however, this requires considerable concentration and reflexes). Unfortunately, Blaster bolts move too quickly and are too ephemeral to speed up at Sashar’s current level, but he has begun practice to try and improve the Kebiin Bev.
Ru’am Brokar – Different(Changed) Beat
A technique Sashar originally developed for use in hand-to-hand, he has since discovered that it could be applied for any other form of small scale combat. Through the use of a Force illusion, he convinces his opponent that he is either throwing a punch with one hand or throwing a kick (or any strike) when in actual fact he is waiting until they move to block it before striking in earnest at an exposed portion of their body. Given the technical nature of this attack, Sashar only seems to use it when he is confident of victory and doesn’t rate his opponent to be a ‘serious’ threat.
Sashar’sur'haaise – Sashar’s Eyes
Sashar’s Wraiths are fast becoming emblematic of both the man and the House. Like all Wraiths, if created to be ‘independent’, they can follow simple instructions and last for days at a time before fading back to the ether. However, as Consul, Sashar had extensive access and time to practice with the creations and as such has perfected use of the Wraiths to such a level as he can remotely control them like marionettes, and perhaps most importantly of all, he can share their senses, i.e. perceive what they perceive through their eyes. However, such coordination is taxing and he can only maintain direct control of the creatures for about thirty minutes before exhausting himself. If he carries on subsequently, he risks succumbing to exitoxicity and entering a coma.
All of the Wraiths share approximate similarities in appearance – the texture of their skin is indistinct and blurred, like a smear on reality and they are usually festooned with claws and teeth to further add to their surreal and intimidating appearance. They are all roughly humanoid and obviously began life as shadows of the former Consul, as most bear similarities to his general silhouette. Also worthy of note are the only points on all of the Wraiths that are in focus; the eyes are identical copies of Sashar’s. White sclera ring startling tri-pupilled blue corneas.
The number of Wraiths being created at any one time is directly proportional to the time required to summon any. For instance, if Sashar called one Wraith back from the ether, it’d require mild concentration for maybe five seconds. If it were two, he’d need to focus even harder and concentrate entirely on the task at hand for ten seconds. If it were three, the time required would double again to twenty seconds. Creating four wraiths would take forty seconds, and be extension, creating all five Wraiths would take eighty seconds. During this period, Sashar is incredibly vulnerable, so his usual modus operandi would either to be to temporarily withdraw from combat, or simply summon the first Wraith and give it the command of guarding him whilst he summoned its brethren, whereupon he would take direct psychic control of all of them.
An important point to remember when fighting Wraiths is that their name proves to be incredibly fitting; they are ephemeral creatures borne from nightmares. No conventional weapon can harm them, not even lightsabers. To try to grapple or land a hit on one would be a exercise in futility; the blow would simply pass through them harmlessly. The only way to truly harm these abominations would be to use the Force.
Given his advanced practice with the beasts and his status as Elder, Sashar has even been able to make the Wraiths corporeal for more than a few moments – a feat no Equite could manage. This has allowed the Wraiths to ‘solidify’ parts of their bodies temporarily to block attacks, cover Sashar or even allow the Mandalorian to physically interact with him directly, i.e. his standing atop the Drexl and using it as a mount.
Finally, it is worthy of note that the only person to have survived encountering Sashar’s Wraiths has been Jac Cotelin, and before Sashar’s defeat at the Taldrya’s hands, he Wraiths helped him prove that even Grand Masters can bleed.
The Hunter
Sashar’s primary Wraith is about his height when raised fully with powerfully muscled, inverse-jointed legs, allowing it to run down prey. Its arms are triple jointed too and grant it considerable reach (and also the ability to run on all fours should it want to). Its nose and mouth protrude out in a defined muzzle, and its mouth is crammed full of gleaming black razor-sharp teeth. Also, the claws on its hands and feet are incredibly sharp. The Hunter is primarily used as an offensive Wraith, meant to run down its prey and harass it to exhaustion, then incapacitate it with its teeth or claws.
The Runt
Arguably the strangest of Sashar’s Wraiths, the Runt is half again as short as its creator, with legs identical to a toad’s, making it able to throw itself vast distances in one leap. Both its fingers and toes (instead of the usual claws) are tipped with suction cups and the gaps between its extremities are webbed. Its most unusual feature, though, is its tongue. Able to launch out and wrap itself around targets nearly fifty meters away, the Runt is often used to pin an opponent in place whilst the other wraiths or Sashar himself dispatches him or her. That’s not to say that the runt is defenceless, though: far from it, given that its spine is tipped with foot-long spikes and its mouth is lined with inhumanly sharp teeth. The Runt sometimes can be pressed into use as a spy or in reconnaissance, given its unconventional ability to stick to vertical or inverse surfaces.
The Bat
Perhaps the most widely recognised of the Wraiths (at least on Selen), Sashar often has the Bat patrolling the skies above Estle City at night so as to warn him of any unauthorised comings and goings to the capital. It has become a thing of myth among the local populace, many believing to be some ghostly guardian of the townsfolk, when the reality is much more sinister. Nearly half again as tall as Sashar, it is skeletally thin, emaciated and almost reedy in build. The most obvious differences between the creator and the wraith (other than its height), is its skull. The cranium isn’t shaped like a mammal’s traditional head, but instead resembles the skull of an ancient avian more than anything else. It has a tapered, pointed protrusion from the rear of the head to aid with aerodynamics, and a sharp, pointed beak lined with the trademark teeth. Between the arms and legs, attached to the torso as well as the limbs themselves are two leathery flaps of skin: wings. Rather than hands and feet, the bat utilises claws and talons, again, like an avian. The Bat is primarily used as a high-altitude reconnaissance when Sashar is travelling on foot, and can also offer ‘air support’ by performing sweeping strikes from the air, tearing at targets on the ground. The Bat can also act as a ‘wingman’ of sorts if Sashar is atop the Drexl.
The Ox
An amalgamation of two distinctly different creatures, the ‘Ox’ has the face of a bovine creature, complete with a pair of long, pointed horns and a mouth of sharp (albeit flat) teeth clearly designed for gnashing. Its shoulders are humanoid and it has a pair of strongly muscled arms and hands tipped with razor tipped claws, however from the waist down it gets ‘weird.’ From the waist, instead of legs it has eight suction-lined tentacles. The Ox is as long as The Bat is tall, however the tentacles usually bunch up a fair bit, giving it the ‘height’ of Sashar. It operates primarily as a bodyguard for Sashar, sticking close to him at all times to intercept attacks and pin opponents whilst the controller dispatches them. The Ox has also been known to provide a killer edge to Sashar’s favoured method of dispatching a foe in close combat: the lariat. How this is accomplished, however, is unclear.
The Drexl
The biggest of the Wraiths, the Drexl is a homage to Sashar’s upbringing on Dxun, where the Drexl was the biggest and meanest creature on the moon. With a wingspan approaching ten meters, claws, talons, horns and mandibles which line the beast, it is an intimidating sight to behold. The Drexl is used as a mount more than anything, where the Arconan solidifies it to such an extent to allow him to stand atop it and carry him great distances through the air. The Drexl can also operate quite well independently, and the sheer fear value it installs is a valuable asset in battle.
Te’Kyr – The End
Sashar’s quintessential ‘end move.’ He uses it only when there is absolutely no other way to best his opponent. The inspiration originally came from Mandalorian Berserkers, who were able to empty their mind from anything but the end result – seeing their on the floor, bleeding and unable to fight back. Unfortunately, he was unable to manage it without assistance from the Force, and as such combined several powerful Force Techniques into one unbeatable combination. First, he boosts his speed to Elder levels, then focuses on temporarily allowing the Force to feed on his body and boost his Force strength ready for the last stage. Finally, he allows Rage to take him and allows his hate to fuel the power of his attacks and charges. With such a powerful combination, he is practically unbeatable for a vital few seconds and stops at nothing to defeat his opponent, even being able to shrug off injuries in the process. However, such a technique does have several notable drawbacks, the most severe of which is that it leaves his Force reserves almost completely dry afterwards. Also, he is physically drained, and any injuries he sustains during the assault catch up to him afterwards, leaving him vunerable. The technique gained its name from its secret; picturing his opponent a few moments down the line, and letting nothing else get in the way. So far, nobody has been able to best Te’Kyr.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Before he joined the Brotherhood, Sashar journeyed to Honoghr to train with the Noghri in hand to hand combat. He spent several months there mastering the art of Stava. He is very comfortable with the art and bases a lot of his larger combat styles’ economy and lack of flashy displays and techniques on those taught to him by the Noghri.
Lightsaber Combat
Primary Form:Soresu
Secondary Form:Shien
Tertiary Form: Djem So
Staff Form: Shien
Sashar’s lightsaber style is, put simply, brutally utilitarian. A master of Soresu, Sashar’s defense is legendary in Arcona. He practices daily, constantly striving to improve his form, however as he found more and more during the Ninth Great Jedi War he realized more and more that a simple defense won’t guarantee victory. Thus, he aggressively took to schooling himself in Shien, practicing incessantly with his shoto until he was confident of an acceptable level of mastery in the art.
Initially, Sashar will rely on Soresu and a single blade to feel out his opponent and see how they react to different Force-based attacks if he is in a duel with another user. Only when he is comfortable with their fighting style and has at least started to wear them out will he switch to another form. Single-bladed Shien seems to be his default method of attack, and he switches to a reverse grip, completely shunning his defence in favour for a vigorous offence. Only if he encounters trouble will he default to the staff and active the second blade of his saber.
As an Obelisk, it should be noted that Sashar is no at all limited to lightsaber combat, and often only draws his saber as a last resort, instead preferring to use more conventional weapons such as blasters, explosives or his fists before resorting to a lightsaber.
Sashar will only draw on both blades of the Staff when massively outnumbered, or when he has decided his foe is worth nothing less than his full, unbridled aggression, However, that being said, his default weapon is a long-handled short-bladed staff (usually from which he uses a single blade like a shoto) and often uses the exposed hilt as a bludgeoning tool, since he wields it one-handed unless both blades are lit.
Gear
Lightsabers
The Adept is a proficient weaponsmith in his own right, having personally designed and created a lot of the gear Arcona’s special Forces (as well as his own Squad) currently use. He also applies the same craftsmanship to his lightsabers, and has been known to have created at least half a dozen.
Cross Saber
Sashar's former Lightsaber
Sashar constructed his third lightsaber after his second lightsaber, a claymore he christened the Violet Vendetta was confiscated upon his banishment from Clan Alvaak. This saber was hastily constructed while the Mandalorian was travelling the galaxy, and as such assembled using whatever components he could lay his hands on, rather in the specialized workshops provided by Arcona. A bit too heavy for Sashar’s liking, the pommel has little decoration or grip, instead only offering the wielder something solid and unencumbered to hold onto. With only a single Agedan crystal contained within, the blade is uncomplicated and not aimed at tackling any single type of threat, be it blaster fire or other lightsabers. Sashar lost the blade during a duel in the Taldryan/Arcona feud, however he reclaimed it after the engagement. After the feud, Sashar started work on the Fraternity and now keeps his teal blade in his quarters, strictly as a backup.
Fraternity
Sashar's former Lightsaber
It took nearly a month to make. The delicately tooled bronze and dark chromium exterior contradict with Sashar’s true disposition of being a no-nonsense fighter, not interested in flair and pomp, however, though never admitting it, the Mandalorian could have simply taken great pride (as he does with all of his weapons and tools) in its construction and wanted to display his fierce pride of the weapon in its aesthetics.
Sashar spent a while acquiring the parts he needed for the Fraternity, most notably the crystals. The primary crystal, the crystal which grants the saber its rusty orange color was bought from an artisan that had been to Mustafar and somehow acquired the crystal through less than legal means. It took Sashar nearly all of the month to get the funds together to pay a deposit on the rare Mustafarian Lava Crystal, and less than ten seconds to threaten the Artisan into giving him the crystal for free, and his money back as a gesture of good faith. While taking no pleasure in this bullying of a hapless civilian, Sashar did acknowledge that it was necessary to acquire that crystal for his saber, and as such justifies it ‘for the greater good.’
The two focusing crystals were another story altogether. The pure black Krayt Dragon Pearl was a gift from the Arcona Consul Strategos Thanatos Entar Arconae to one of his closest retainers and it was given with the hint that it might be useful in utilising ‘Blackness’ as a Force power. Sashar installed the pearl into the saber and found that the technique was indeed a little easier when he focused on the jet black Krayt Dragon Pearl nestled in his lightsaber.
Finally, the last crystal that went into the Fraternity was a Lorrdian Gemstone, chosen for its use in focusing the mind into predicting attack patterns and when combined with a lightsaber, aiding the wielder in deflecting blaster bolts with the arcane weapon. As a regular practitioner of the Third form, Soresu, Sashar felt that this was a must and he was able to acquire one from the lightsaber of a felled opponent from the Arcona/Taldryan Clan Feud.
The name of the lightsaber was a reminder of Sashar’s heritage – to remind the Mandalorian that his ner’vod had helped him come this far in life, and it was his duty to do the same in return. To that end, Sashar often thought of the lightsaber more as a token to represent his brothers (both Mandalorian and adopted) than a weapon.
Ironically, it was Sashar's own half brother that eventually destroyed the lightsaber during the invasion of Dajorra in a climatic duel between the two. The loss of Fraternity was a heavy blow to Sashar. It took over a year’s work on and off to reconstruct the blade from the damaged parts, however once he finished it, he gave the blade to Juda both to atone for nearly abandoning him on the Battlefield (which resulted in the conflict between him and Zandro) and as a concordance of fealty for Juda’s completing his advanced apprenticeship and reaching the mid-levels of the Equites.
Kad'ika
Sashar's LightsaberAfter the loss of Dajorra and Sashar’s personal loss against his brother Zandro in lightsaber combat, he noticed a fatal flaw in his own style of Soresu; his signature defense Mighty Guard took at least a half-second to be established due in large part to Sashar’s own mental limitations. His focus required a time to come to be and no matter how small, it was still a gap and thus a weakness.
To counter this, Sashar built a one-handed short lightsaber – a shoto. This was perfectly suited to Soresu, as the form was typically utilised one-handed. While he lost some reach with blaster bolt deflection and redirection, the shorter blade was much more accurate and able to weave a tighter defense, as more control was granted and it was able to be kept closer to the body than the larger traditional blade lengths.
For the crystal, Sashar mimicked the Cross Saber, utilising only a single Agedan crystal, hoping to keep the blade uncomplicated and elegant in its simplicity. Plus, without a system to call home when the weapon was made, Sashar didn’t have access to an abundance of resources. He had to claim the cystal from the Lightsaber of a fallen Arconan, and as such he sometimes mentions that Kad’ika holds the soul of Arcona’s departed during their darkest period in the Clan’s history.
Kad’ika was developed in a hurry using scrounged resources after Arcona was made homeless. The pommel had a trio of ‘claws’ around the emitter that favor the ripper style of lightsaber. They are sharp enough to injure an opponent, but are more for decoration than actual use. Sashar wields Kad’ika (little saber in Mando’a) with his left hand and often utilises a number of CQC grapples, blocks, punches and jabs with his free right hand, making sure to close the distance between him and his opponent to such a point where the standard lightsaber configuration is rendered impractical but where his shoto is still small enough to inflict damage.
Unfortunately the obvious drawback to this is the lack of range or reach, making Sashar almost exclusively a close range fighter. While he can negate this against blaster wielding opponents by redirecting their shots back at them, in lightsaber combat it means he is unlikely to fare well against more than one opponent at a time as the shoto blade is simply too short to catch more than one blade on it at once.
Once Sashar reached the rank of Adept, his level of control over the Force was such that there was no longer a delay in bringing up the Mighty Guard, and he started work on a new Saber to suit his adapted fighting style, however he still keeps the Shoto on him as a backup weapon, usually strapped to his left calf.
Kurs’utreshy’a
Sashar's Staff, Kurs’utreshy’a
A staff developed so that Sashar could be more effective against large numbers of foes, Sashar dubbed the weapon Kurs’utreshy’a, which translates to ‘Forest Clearer’; a reference to how the staff could drop more than one opponent simultaneously. He spent nearly twice as long sourcing the materials for the saber as he did crafting ``Fraternity``, and it shows. The hilt itself is longer than his forearm and can easily accommodate a two-handed grip on the weapon. Wrapped about the dark polished durasteel shaft is a leather grip, and decorating the blade are the Erinos and Soulfire sigils. Two identical shroud emitters cap each end. So as not to make the weapon too unwieldy, he shortened the blades’ lengths, meaning that in effect if one blade were active, it would again be as if he were fighting with a shoto, rather than a regular length saber. However, with both blades active, the weapon is a fully functioning staff. To compensate for the length of exposed hilt, Sashar has incorporated a lot of bludgeoning moves to his standard swordplay, making the hilt as much of a weapon as the blade itself. This often proves to frustrate and momentarily confuse single blade purists, however the primary advantage of the weapon is simply that against other Lightsaber users, they often aren’t experienced against a staff user, and having to keep track of two blades rather than one gives him a window of opportunity he wouldn’t otherwise have. Hoping to remove such a weakness from his own swordplay, Sashar continually practices with the weapon in both a single and dual-bladed capacity, making sure that the enlarged hilt doesn’t slow him down even when utilising the weapon as a shoto.
The crystals contained within the blade took a while to source. Sticking to what he knew, he chose two Agedan crystals to act as the primary focusers in both the separate mechanisms (hoping to one day create a weapon that could separate in the middle, allowing him to wield two separate blades or a staff, depending on the threat presented). Two permafrost crystals gave the blades their unique colours, and finally Stygium crystals helped remind Sashar of his true calling of a Shadesworn Master, given their more utilitarian use in cloaking devices.
Ranged Weaponry
The Mandalorian arguably favours ranged weaponry over combat with a lightsaber, believing that each weapon has a time and place, and 99% of the time, a lightsaber’s place is deactivated at his belt. As such, his usual armourment consists mainly of said weapons. He often considers it a personal failing of foes make it to ‘chopping distance.’
About the size of a carbine, the Trandoshan-made weapon doesn’t look very sophisticated, indeed, it looks like someone’s idea of a joke when compared with the high-tech equipment Soulfire Strike Team usually are equipped with. However, the sheer stopping power of the weapon is what attracted Sashar. Able to discharge a blast of pure concussive energy (taking the form of a neon blue ‘bolt’ coruscating with arcs of static energy) that displaces anything within a five meter radius, the LJ-50 is also a deadly weapon when it scores a direct hit, as the sheer power of the weapon is often enough to drill through reinforced armour without even losing a tenth of its strength, and when applied to unprotected flesh and skin…well, Sashar has described the after-effects as ‘messy.’
When he left to lead Galeres and eventually Arcona, he kept the weapon handy and made several modifications. First and foremost, he added a NightMight 4NS Scope to allow him greater accuracy at longer range (however, using the weapon at anything over five hundred meters would be the height of folly), as well as a Target Imager mounted below the main barrel, allowing ultrasonic imaging of concealed targets. This information, coupled with the Scope and an in-built comlink device can link either with his helmet, or be beamed to other forces for a larger blast (such as an orbital bombardment). He reinforced the casing around the main part of the rifle with durasteel plates, meaning that the weapon could survive a steep fall…or being used to brain a hapless sentient. Finally, Sashar added a magnetic strip which allowed him to fasten the weapon easily to the back of his armour plating when it wasn’t in use.
Sashar's custom SSK-7 Pistol
Sashar, upon leaving Soulfire Strike Team for Quaestor, requisitioned an SSK-7 Heavy Blaster Pistol for his own personal use. To start with, he added a silencer and a light filter at the end of the barrel so that in addition to producing a fraction of the sound a normal blaster pistol emits, it also cuts down on the initial ‘flash’ of a blaster being discharged. He then polished the inside of the barrel down to a mirror finish so that the blaster bolt didn’t lose any power before it left the weapon. To make the weapon more versatile, he added a custom feature – an adjustable focusing emitter. Some blasters are over-focused so add more punch, at the sacrifice of some of its range (this modification also wears down on the barrel). Sashar gave the adjusting emitter three settings: close range (so that the maximum amount of energy can be discharged at the target), medium range (standard, effective to the usual levels for a Heavy Blaster Pistol) and long range (under focused so that he may hit targets further away; however he does sacrifice some of the power at this range). He also extended the safety switch, the stun switch, and the semi/fully automatic switches for added comfort, and also added his own custom pattern to the grip so that it slotted in perfectly with the grip on his gloves. Usually, triggers on blasters and projectile weapons require around 4.5 pounds of pressure to fire, but Sashar heightened the sensitivity of his pistol, giving it a mere 3.5 pounds of pressure required to discharge and also added several grip indentations on the trigger so that his finger wouldn’t slip at all. He also lengthened the trigger guard, allowing the finger to more easily slot into place, ready on the trigger. To aid in his aiming, Sashar added a ‘tri-sight’, a single sight at the end of the barrel and two further sights at the back of the barrel, so that he could properly aim using the ‘three-dot’ method. Finally, Sashar filed down the tibanna gas pack entry mechanism, to speed up the reloading time. The weapon is one of a kind and a true testament to Sashar’s abilities as a weapon and armour-smith.
T-6 Thunderer Heavy Blaster Pistol
- "Here you go, ad’ika; A gun that, when fired, picks the target up, throws them three meters back and leaves them with a crater the size of a melon in their chest."
- ―Voden to Sashar, when presenting him with the pistol.
A recent addition to his arsenal, the T-6 Thunderer was given to him as a wedding present by Voden when they got married (as Mandalorians don’t hold much value in jewelry, other than how much it can be sold for), the T-6 Thunderer is a fallback for Sashar when subtlety is abandoned in favour of something a little…louder. The weapon itself has no stun setting and the Mandalorians didn’t bother to add one. Instead, he simply installed a Mandalorian Chamber, which significantly broadened the beam emitted, causing a lot more damage when it strikes.
Bladed Weaponry
Not content to simply rely on pistols, his conk or lightsabers, Sashar also has a fondness for daggers and thrown weapons, and makes sure to keep both on his person whenever possible.
Noghri Sickle
A present from his old Noghri instructor when Sashar mastered the hand-to-hand art of Stava, the Sickle is entirely unremarkable in appearance. A black plasteel handle about 45cm long and 6cm in diameter slots easily into his left boot. When a small switch is flicked near the middle of the handle, an equally black plasteel blade springs out at a 90 degree angle. The weapon can be wielded as a small scythe, or can be thrown, depending on the kind of threat the Mandalorian faces.
Sashar received the Bes’bev from his brother Zandro for making it to the elder ranks. The Bes’bev, a traditional Mandalorian weapon, is seldom seen away from Mandalore, also functions as a kind of flute. A simple instrument with holes for fingers to cover to produce different notes rather than valves, it is nearly a meter long and its surface is primarily unpolished durasteel. The bottom end is sharpened into a conical point on one side. He tied a leather strap to the weapon, allowing him to sling it over his back when not in use. The Bes’bev can be used either as a bludgeoning tool or as a stabbing implement, depending on his mood. He is rarely ever seen without the flute.
Masters
Sashar has trained extensively in every aspect of war he could and has had many masters in his time. The most prominent in his constant education are the following:
Bralor Kodiak
Sashar’s and Kieran’s adoptive father, Bralor is the head of the Kodiak Clan and had Kieran and Sashar accompany him throughout Dxun once they reached the age of 8 – teaching them everything they’d need to carry on the Mandalorian warrior heritage. They learned survival techniques, weapons mastery with blasters and how to handle explosives correctly, as well as hand-to-hand combat and tactical supremacy. Bralor laid the foundations for them both to become formidable warriors in their own right without any assistance from the force. Unfortunately, Bralor died defending Mandalore during the Yuuzhan Vong war, leaving Kieran as the head of the Kodiak clan.
Frey Gallandro
Sashar’s master in Clan Alvaak was Frey Gallandro. The belkadanian was a harsh master and allowed Sashar to explore the force on his own for the most part, only loosely guiding him through the first steps of being a journeyman. He also encouraged the mandalorian to be fanatically loyal – something which backfired a year after Sashar’s Knighthood, during the exodus. Sashar and Frey had a climactic duel which ended in the Master being exiled from the Clan along with his former student. The two never spoke again and no love is lost between the pair.
Kakhmalakh
The Noghri Stava master taught Sashar the hand-to-hand art. When Sashar took a sabbatical from the Dark Brotherhood, Kakhmalakh offered sanctuary to the troubled youth and instilled a form of Stava to give him ‘discipline.’ Kakhmalakh also helped the Mandalorian on the first steps to training himself to become arguably one of the best Assassin in the Brotherhood.
Strategos took Sashar under his wing when he reached Arcona, and while already being an equite, Strategos still took it on himself to tutor Sashar on the use of the blade. He still trains Sashar to this day in lightsaber combat and the pair regularly spar.
When Sashar was briefly in Clan Tarentum, he encountered the Adept. Oberst agreed to train Sashar in more martial aspects of combat, such as commanding large forces, logistical operation and tactical handling of huge forces. Thanks to his continued mentoring, the Mandalorian is able to competently handle the management of a battle in both large space-going conflicts and on the ground. This has improved his worth to Arcona tenfold, allowing him much more use than just as a commando. Sashar is still in training with Oberst and the two regularly act as de-facto intermediaries between the allied clans. Also of note is Oberst’s sadistic nature and leanings towards torture and interrogation and his tutoring Sashar of these techniques, however this is something the Arconae tries to avoid whenever possible, as he considers it distasteful.
Upon being given the Title di Tenebrous Arcona, Sashar was taken under Mejas’s wing as his ‘Shadow Scion’ – the first apprentice Mejas has ever taken. The Shadow Lord trained Sashar in the more obscure and arcane uses of the force, and when Sashar became an Elder, he was named the second Shadow Lord of Arcona. Given that Sashar usurped Mejas and had him locked in a force-inhbiting beskar collar, the Shadow Lord has been plotting constantly to retake Arcona's throne and kill his former protege. There is definitely no love lost between the two, however the Mandalorian learned a lot of letting his reputation fight his battles for him and how to survive the triple-crossing nature of being on the Dark Council.
Korras took on Sashar as his Praetor and trained him up to aid him in his role on the Dark Council as Master-at-arms. Korras had a unique knack of handling the avalanche of paperwork the role required whilst not letting his training slip, and he was also a very, very charismatic leader, both with the Armed Forces of the Iron Throne and on the Dark Council itself. Korras was also one of the chief leaders of the Obelisk Order, and his vast knowledge on the Art of War is slowly but surely being passed on to his Praetor.
Apprentices
The Mandalorian Prided himself on his mentorship of his brethren and repeatedly took on apprentices during his tenure in the Brotherhood. Indeed, he spent a large amount of his free time assembling what he has dubbed the ‘Kodiak Holocron’ a collection of training regimens and techniques unique to the Mandalorian to help in his training of some of the clan’s newer members. When each of his apprentices reaches the rank of Knight, they are given a tattoo bearing Sashar’s mark onto their left shoulder, signifying their training under him.
Sashar’s first impression of Zandro was an eager, ambitious recruit to Clan Arcona that with a little honing could become a stalwart of the clan. He was right. Zandro proved to excel in every field Sashar tested him in and seemed incredibly at home with a Lightsaber. Zandro also exhibited calmness under fire and charismatic dry sense of humour that made him a brilliant leader. He was also the consummate tactician – in every way Sashar’s prodigy – even going so far as to display an acuity with the rare and difficult art of Battle Meditation. Their newfound familial linkage just strengthened the bond the two shared and they remained close even after Zandro completed his training. Zandro kept going to his older brother Sashar for camaraderie and advice. Zandro was one of the six founding 'Vode Erinos' of the Erinos Family.
Sashar’s second apprentice, the Human was quietly-spoken, not particularly at home with the more mystic applications o the force, but he had a dedicated grit that meant he would never, ever give up. Indeed, his stamina to keep on fighting relentlessly, leading by example is a source of inspiration to his subordinates. Unfortunately, Sashar was driven from Arcona before he could complete Malidir’s training – something the Mandalorian felt guilty about for a long time. Still, despite this, Malidir and Sashar remained friends - Malidir was one of the six founding 'Vode Erinos' of the Erinos family.
Kieran was Sashar’s clan-mate from Dxun and the pair were close even before the Mandalorian took him on as an ‘apprentice’ – though the pair hardly had a master/student dynamic. Indeed, Kieran’s frankness, his black humour and his grim outlook on life speak of someone that rarely listened to authority. That was incorrect however, as the Mandalorian believed in a strong, pronounced chain of command and excelled working in small units such as Soulfire Strike Team. He displayed little ability with offensive force abilities, instead being more adept at augmenting his physical attributes with the force more than anything else. He eventually completed his tutorship with Sashar and the two continued to work closely on various tasks for Galeres, Arcona and the Erinos family. Kieran was one of the six founding 'Vode Erinos' of the Erinos family.
Not your stereotypical Nagai, Rho and Sashar did no always see eye to eye, yet the Mandalorian cajoled the Nagai into accepting him as a master by showing him the ‘Mandalorian’ way of doing things. This produced mixed results. While Rho was quite the combatant with melee weapons – homage to his Nagai heritage, he took to Soulfire’s blaster-heavy approach to warfare reluctantly. He nevertheless progressed in his application of the dark side as only a Sith could and pointedly disagreed with Sashar on many of the more philosophical debates the pair had when discussing the force, indeed, his ‘Grey Jedi’ stance was dismissed and the Nagai seemed content with the role of the dark side in his life. It was Sashar’s belief that he would make a fine Dark Jedi. Whether or not this is a compliment remains to be seen. Upon Rho's attaining the title of Knight, Sashar built the Nagai a custom suit of armor as a way of displaying his pride for the apprentice that provided him with the most challenge.
Another of Sashar’s ner’vod from Dxun, Juda looked to Sashar as an older-brother figure and in a blatant disregard for the laws prohibiting it, Sashar took Juda as his apprentice despite already having two others. The Mandalorians worked extremely well together, and unlike Kieran, Juda exhibited a level of control over the force that even Sashar couldn’t quite match up to. He demonstrated a natural affinity as a ‘seer’ – having a force sense that was impressive for such a raw recruit to the force, and also seemed to lean towards healing and regenerative force powers – it was expected that Juda would become a brilliant healer and seer as he progressed down the path of the force user. Sashar’s one concern over his ner’vod was that the red-haired youth would be seduced by the Dark Side – something he was able to avoid with Malidir, Kieran and Zandro. Sashar also decided to use Juda as the apprentice for a trial mentoring scheme, where Juda and Sashar would remain bonded together as master and student until he reached the rank of Prelate. Juda excelled and as a reward for succeeding, he was given Fraternity.
Earnest, Sashar’s sixth apprentice was taken on reluctantly. The former companion and consummate seducer share a past in that Earnest was the one to ‘take’ Dash Kuatir from the Mandalorian. Nevertheless, he agreed to tutor the Jedi Hunter late in his ascension through the ranks to make him a better asset to Arcona. The pair were often found sparring as it was in direct combat that Earnest needed the most tutelage. Curiously, despite Sashar’s urgings, Earnest shunned all forms of lightsaber combat, forcing him to rely on the more mystic applications of the Force for protection. It was thought that this was ultimately what cost Earnest his life in the Great Hunt, as he disappeared without a trace and was presumed dead. However, just after the conclusion of the Ninth Great Jedi War Earnest resurfaced and took his place back in Arcona, eager to nest in the shelter the First Clan provided. Sashar agreed to take Earnest on as an apprentice once more, however it was assumed by everyone involved that this was more so he could keep a very close eye on the former companion, rather than through any outward sign of affection for the dandified seducer. Unfortunately, Earnest was killed during the conflict on Salas V.
Sashar’s seventh apprentice, Illian was a transfer from Taldryan that craved a mentor able to challenge them both mentally and physically. The Exarch, upon hearing that Illian required an experienced Master took it upon himself to train him, both to reinforce Arcona’s focus and attention on all of their members, regardless of previous affiliation and to temper some of Illian’s more psychotic urges. The two were often at loggerheads due to their vastly different views on team-work and Clan fealty, However during Illian’s trials, Sashar forced him to give up Torment, Illian’s lightsaber and ‘voice in his head.’ After his ascension to Dark Jedi Knight, the unstable ex-Taldryanite became a de-facto extension of Sashar’s will and acted as a spy and assassin for the Proconsul.
Sashar’s eighth apprentice, and perhaps his most difficult. Maligo was a teenager from Almania with a strong talent for mind control. Sashar agreed to assume Draco’s continuing training after the death of his master under suspicious circumstances during a mission against the Yuuzhan Vong. Draco was strongly independent, and showed affinity for the mystical aspects of the Force rather than combat ability, going so far as to shun armor and particle weapons to focus his attention on sorcery and alchemy. Maligo often went AWOL hunting for arcane knowledge of Force techniques. Draco easily made it to Dark Jedi Knight with little help from Sashar, and the Mandalorian encouraged him to continue on his path, as Alchemists were in short supply after the fall of Antei. Unfortunately, Draco felt dissatisfied with Sashar’s style of leadership during the Mandalorian’s tenure as Consul, and left for Scholae Palatinae (Sashar imagined that the choice of destination was meant to spite him).
Lyncoln Novell
Hand-picked to serve at the feet of the Arcona Consul, Lyncoln was been offered a path that few other Journeyman have experienced. The amiable, but reclusive Bothan was chosen to fulfill the role of Apprentice to Sashar in order to bring up the next generation of valuable assets for Clan Arcona. All members of the Arconan summit knew there was much potential and power within Novell, but they also realized that his path was much different from the stereotypical Dark Jedi of the Brotherhood.
Their strong telepathic connection, coupled with long hours of training and mentoring, created a bond between master and student that few within the clan could match. The whispers throughout the clan halls had Lyncoln marked out as a pawn of Sashar's will, but while that may have been true, the Consul had bigger plans for the young Bothan. Through a well thought out and planned regimen of training, Sashar planned to make Lyncoln Novell into a force to be reckoned with throughout the Brotherhood and the galaxy. Unfortunately, during the Ninth Great Jedi War, Lyncoln vanished on the plains of Antei combating the battle droids and rogue Jedi and it is unknown if he will be heard from again, given the confusion that battle wrought.
Maaks, Sashar’s most recent apprentice proved something of a challenge. Being a Miraluka, the obvious sight difficulties often proved to be a barrier between the pair, however that paled into insignificance compared to Maaks’ lack of martial background. As such, before Sashar could properly school him, he sent the Miraluka to Dxun to train with Kieran and Juda until they deemed him ready to rejoin Arcona and Soulfire Strike Team as a Dark Jedi worthy of the squad’s reputation. He struggled through the training, but nevertheless was close to completing it when he was captured by Dash and indoctrinated into the metamorph’s ‘way of life.’ He hasn’t been seen since.