- "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. "
- ― Martin Luther King, Jr
Vai Azexel is a Dark Jedi Knight of Clan Tarentum and is the current Aedile of House Cestus. Originating from harsh windy moon of Iktotch in the Expansion Region, this Iktotchi warrior of the final way appears as a frightening sight with his sharpened teeth and charred-reddish skin with black markings. Yet behind the ferocious appearance is a devoted clansman and leader that helps guide the future of his clan.
A Beginning
Growing up on the moon of Iktotch, Vai was an outsider because of his uniqueness. His red skin was a side affect of the drugs his mother was addicted to combined with the sheer power of lightning. Indeed, he was born with light tan skin that shined in the light, however when he was eight years old this all changed.
During a violent storm sometime in 0 BBY, Vai was struck by a bolt of lightning, his skin blistered and erupted leaving charred red remains. The pain was intense which caused Vai violent mood swings. On top of the mood swings, Vai was chastised by the other Iktotchi children which caused him to hate them. When he was 14, Vai ran away from home and vowed to never return. His parents tried to plead with him, but the angry boy would not hear them and vanished into the caverns of Iktotch.
Harsh environment of Iktotch.
Fear overcame the young man as he tried to survive in the wilderness. The winds of Iktotch pierced his red skin as sand found its way into places that caused him agony. For the next year he barely survived in the wild, hunting and killing the creatures that called it home. However, near the end to the second winter Vai was in jeopardy, unable to find shelter and freezing to death the Iktotchi was came upon by a Zabrak who along with his associates brought the young man into their shelter. This began Vai journey into the dark side as unknown to the Iktotchi this man and his associates were members of a cult of Dark Jedi. It began with simple things, simple choices that would lead down the path to the dark side. The Dark Jedi used power as a tool to influence the young man as they turned him into a weapon that would destroy anything that stood in his way.
Zabrak who took Vai in.
A Shadow Returns
Sometime in 20 ABY, a village in northern Iktotch noticed a man coming into town wearing a black robe. From his shape, he was noticeably Iktotchi, however something was different about the man. The man entered a building of worship and sat at a back table. One of the priests noticed the man’s eyes were a color of yellow that he had never seen as they pierced through the man’s cloak. One of priests approached the man, but with a wave of cloaked figures hand the priest turned away. Everyone else avoided the man, afraid of what he was, a monster to those who saw his exposed flesh.
The man did not come to this town for prayer, nor to give the locals sometime to stare at. No, his reasons were more ambitious as another man entered the building. The man was dressed in a long flowing golden robe and carried a golden case in his hands. The contents of the case glowed with energy that the cloaked man could feel. The priest turned and walked down a dark hallway to the right of the cloaked man. This glowing objected held significance to the village and the man who carried it was followed by two armed guards. The three men entered a small room down the hall. As the door clicked shut, the cloaked man sped down the hall and barged into the room and used the force to constrict the breathing of the two guards until they died of affixation. The priests face flushed white as the red-skinned Iktotchi pulled back his robe revealing a black and silver lightsaber. Without a word, the man held out his hand as to summon the chest, but the priest refused. With a smile, the large Iktotchi ignited his saber and twisted it upward at the head of the priest. With a flash of red it was over, the priest’s head lay on the ground and the chest was in the crimson Iktotchi’s hands. Setting down the chest for a moment to put his robe on, the man then turned for the door to make sure the hallway was clear, and the picked up the chest and headed down the hall.
As the hooded man exited the room, all eyes were upon him and fear was set upon their faces. The Iktotchi ignored them and made his way to the exit of the temple, however when he made his way outside he was confronted by the local constable and his deputies. Dropping the check, the crimson Iktotchi ripped off his cloak and exposed his crimson red skin as he placed his saber in his hand. The constable attempted to gain order of the situation; however the crimson Iktotcho would have none of this and let his saber fly through the air. With precise control the saber cut air and flesh, killing all those who would dare stop him. Bodies of priests and officials covered the bloody steps of the temple.
As Vai was turned away from the blood covered steps of the temple, a voice yelled his name. Turning, Vai noticed a aged man standing over the chest. He cursed at the man as he made his way back toward the chest, however the man would not move and kept telling Vai to stop and asked what happened to him. Growing impatient, Vai grabbed the man by the neck and snapped it, killing him. From the other direction a woman screamed in a familiar voice causing Vai to turn and look, it was his mother. Pausing for a moment, Vai looked at the man he just killed, it was his father. Madness overcame Vai, as he fell to his knee’s holding his fathers lifeless body and screamed. After a few moments, Vai stood and walked dazed back into the darkness; without the prize.
Betrayed
Returning to his so called brothers, Vai quickly realized that they had been manipulating and using him for something that they could not gain access to. To them, the Iktotchi had betrayed them and he would suffer for this. A coldness surrounded Vai’s so called companions as they sat around the camp fire, their hostile eyes pierced his very soul as he dared not make eye contact. That night, Vai didn’t sleep, he was too afraid to as if he did he might not wake up again.
The next morning, Vai crawl down from his sleeping area to find all his brethren standing in a half-circle surrounding him. As Vai approached cautiously, all the dark jedi ignited their lightsabers with a snap-hiss. The hum of all the lightsabers nearly silenced the hard pumping of Vai’s heart. The man who took Vai in stepped forward and branded Vai a traitor. He then pointed his saber at the Iktotchi’s chest and his face when cold and unforgiving. The Iktotchi tried to run for the exit, but was flung in the air by the Master and slammed against a wall before he was dropped; with a thud he hit the floor of the cavern. The brethren laughed as they walked up to Vai; a sinister smile was on their face. Over the next hour or so, the dark jedi destroyed the Iktotchi before dragging him to their prison where he was strapped to a torture table.
Vai awoke after several hours, unable to see, yet felt a numb pain coming from his right shoulder. He attempted to move it, but something felt missing. Moving his other arm, Vai felt for his head and pulled off a mask, what he saw next caused him to scream. Laying on his stomach was his severed right arm with the words “Betrayer” carved into it. The stump of his right arm suddenly throbbed like nothing else, the sensation of a limb being ripped off. Vai was naked, all his equipment & clothing were missing, including the lightsaber that he had built himself. Reaching out with the force, Vai pulled the bolts that held the straps holding him in place. As he stood, his entire body called out in pain as he walked out of the prison door that had been left open. The halls and caves were deserted, dark and cold as Vai limped through them. Rounding a corner, Vai found a robe that was torn and ripped, it was his. Blood was sprayed all over the wall next to the robe as well; signs of a battle. He knew this is where it happened, where the Dark Jedi had literally ripped his arm off.
Walking into the cold hard winds of Ikotch, Vai made his way back to the village he had been just the yesterday. He knew this was a rough road ahead, he knew what he had done. When he was younger, if he had just came home, his father and mother would have welcomed him home. However now, his father is dead, killed by his own hands and his mother is alone, left to survive without her husband. These thoughts went through the Iktotchi’s mind as he walked to the village, the thoughts of the wrong choice that cost him everything.
Returning Home
The village was in mourning, so many of its priests and brave servants that had been killed by a monster. As he walked in, he was quickly noticed and the entire village chased him. Vai was quickly out numbered and was shot in the back by one of the guards with a paralyzing dart. His unconscious body fell forward and smashed hard against the main street of the village. He awoke the next morning is prison with people staring in the portals at him. They yelled “monster” and “fiend” at him and Vai knew it was the truth, he had turned into a monster, one capable of killing so many of those who were once friends. Vai asked to see his mother, but the new constable approached Vai’s cell and scowled that he would not be seeing anyone. Vai quickly realized that the village would not acknowledge that he was once one of them and it was a mistake returning to the village.
If he were to survive, Vai knew he needed to escape the village and never return. During the night, Vai called upon the force to grab the keys to unlock the cell. Pressing the door open, it made an eerie creak that awoke one of the guards, however Vai quickly incapacitated him. Sleeking his way through the dark pathways of the village, Vai made his way to his old home and paused for the moment. Walking in, Vai quickly encountered his mother. She didn’t scream, but the look of pure fear fell upon her face. His mother chastised him for what he had done and the wrong choices that he had made. She then slapped him across the face and then hugged her son. Vai paused and reflected for a moment and then told his mother than he needed to leave and will never be coming back. As Vai began to turn, his mom placed her hand on the shoulder of his missing arm and noticed that he had suffered for making the wrong choice. His mom then turned and gave Vai a backpack full of survival rations, gear as well some warm clothing. She then gave her son one last hug. With that, Vai turned and began to trek out of the village and into his new life.
The Wanderer & the Warrior
Over the next five years, Vai survived the best he could, taking jobs in villages far from his home. He lived under the false identity of Chosa Bukk and acquired jobs so he could afford a place to live and settle down, atleast that was what he wanted people to believe. Secretly Vai / Chosa held fighting classes that taught a combination of K'thri & Vim for the young men of the villages he stayed in, slowly bringing together his own group of warriors. Each group had their village leader which reported to Vai as he traveled and met more people to follow his teachings. This was a currency making venture as well as place to learn fighting arts and Vai was doing well. By 26 ABY, Vai had enough money to contact an expert cybernetic specialist to construct him a new right arm. The new arm was a work of art, with full movement and added strength. To attain this level of ingenuity the shoulder was replaced as well along with some of Vai’s back. When his new arm was done, Vai contacted an armorsmith to create him a custom armor that would cover his red skin and face as well both his arms. The new armor was colored bronze and black and had electro-servo motors built into it to give Vai added abilities including strength, running speed and jumping abilities.
In 28 ABY, with his new armor and cybernetic arm, Vai decided it was time to leave his homeworld for good and went to Duro to assist in the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong (Battle of Duro). The battle was nothing like anything he had seen before. The Yuuzhan Vong had taken control of the planet and Vai escaped with others to a fleet of the Galactic Federation. Over the next two years, Vai fought against the Yuuzhan Vong, receiving several scars to show where he had been as well several medals and other honors. The armor had held up remarkably and his arm was working as good as when it was new, Vai felt stronger than ever until the [[starwars: Battle_of_Bastion|Battle of Bastion}}. In 28 ABY, Vai seeked out more action against the Vong and found it with the Imperial Remnant. Even though Vai wasn’t human, the Imperial’s took Vai’s assistance as a pilot in the space battle against the Vong forces. During the battle Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon had his Super Star Destroyer attempt to break out of mass shadow of a nearby gas giant. The super star destroyer was heavily damaged and Gilad was nearly killed.
Gilad Pellaeon's SSD exploding over Bastion. The Admiral and others were evacuated from the ship, however a message was not sent to the pilots and Vai was flying near the super star destroyer when it exploded, his fighter was caught by the shockwave and tumbled wildly into deep space; after the battle, he was listed as KIA.
The Slave
Vai’s fighter tumbled through space with the Iktotchi stuggling to regain control. Most of its systems had shorted from the power of the explosion and Vai knew that he should be dead. Eventually he regained control of what was left of his vessel, noting a pressure leak and other systems starting to shutdown Vai knew he needed to land, but where. He was someplace in the Braxant Sector which didn’t have much in ways of places he could land his fighters. Finding a barren world, Vai landed his fighter and exited the ship. The planetoid had little atmosphere, however this wasn’t an issue for the Iktotchi as his armor had a built into air supply up to eight hours for emergencies. There was a small settlement he had noticed from the air that was about five miles from where he landed. Unwise pilots would often land in a city, pop the hatch and meet the locales the wrong way; Vai was not that type of pilot and walked his way to the village as not to arise suspicions. When he arrived he saw heavy smoke coming from the village and a slaver ship being loaded up with some weird looking villagers.
File:Trandoshan 9842.jpgTrandoshan Slaver The slavers were large, bipedal species with scaly skin and large orange eyes; they were known as Trandoshans an ill-tempered race that enjoyed the sport of the hunt. Vai needed supplies to repair his fighter and perhaps these Trandoshans would be willing to forfeit their equipment.
Once again, Vai pushed himself into a dark path, he didn’t care about the villagers or the Trandoshans, all he cared for was himself and his survival and he would use these people for this advantage. Infiltrating into the village, Vai camouflaged himself and worked amongst the people and got close to the Trandoshan’s and his ticket off this rock, their ship. As Vai approached closer, he was noticed by one of the slavers. Without hesitation Vai grabbed the slavers neck and snapped it causing instant death. The villagers started the scream and a fear came over the entire village as Vai turned from the sight of the dead slaver. A heavily armored Trandoshan with one eye exited the transported and looked over the slaves and then pointed at Vai. The slavers quickly surrounded the Iktotchi and attacked him. Vai fought back valiantly until he was shot in the back by a rifle; lucky for Vai it was set on stun. Knowing this Iktotchi would fetch a good price, the Trandoshan Warlord commanded that Vai be brought onboard and place in the solitary hold.
Vai awoke strapped down in the hold of the transport as it lifted off from the planetoid. This wasn’t how he had imagined he would get off the barren world, but got him off still the same. The transport landed inside a bigger vessel which then departed for Trandosha with its prizes. Hours passed, with the Trandoshan peering in on the Iktotchi from time to time, making sure nothing happened to their catch. Vai simply relaxed the best he could, he had his armor still which was all he need. When the ship arrived at Trandosha, Vai was quickly processed and moved to the selling block as a warrior for high sum of credits; this is where the Dark Jedi Brotherhood found him.
The Brotherhood
Vai was sitting in his cell when he felt the presence of the Dark Jedi and stood facing the tall cloaked figure of a Twi’lek. Without a physical word, Vai could feel the Dark Jedi looking into him and seeing the Iktotchi’s past. With a grin the cloak figure asked Vai if he wished to be a slave and be sent to pits as sport for the crowds? or perhaps something better, something that will make him powerful again like you once was. Vai paused for a moment, looking inside himself. He knew where his destiny lay, as that was one thing that Dark Jedi on Iktotch had taught him was to listen to what the force told him. Vai stood and faced the Twi’lek once again and agreed. The cloak figure walked away as Vai watched him disappear into a building. A few moments later the Trandoshan slavers were unlocking his cell and guided him to a shuttle bay. The Twi’lek Dark Jedi was waiting for him at the ramp of his Lambda shuttle. With the wave of his hand the Trandoshan’s left Vai alone to walk. The Twi’lek then approached Vai and told him that this was his choice now, to join the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and unleashed his true talent or you he could walk away and live the life like he always had; running from his past, he then disappeared up the ramp of the transport. Vai’s mind was already set, he wanted the power he once had back within his grasp and this Dark Jedi Brotherhood could be the way he could attain the power he wanted. He boarded the transport and found other “potentials” on the cargo bay. Sitting down with them, the Iktotchi could feel all their eyes on him and fear in their minds. Vai smiles at this and thought to himself “only the strong will survive” as the transport lifted off Trandosa and hyper-spaced into deep space.
In darkness of space lay the mobile academy for the training of new members of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, and this is where the transport headed. Communication chatter filled the cockpit of the T-4a transport as it approached the ‘’Arcanum’’. Receiving clearance to land, the shuttle smoothly entered the hanger bay of the Khyron-Class Dreadnaught. After the ramp slide open, a team of four Dark Jedi entered the shuttle and started yelling at the potentials, as an aura of fear emanated from them. Vai with a stern face followed the instructions perfectly, almost too good and caught the eye of a senior member of the team. With a quick move, the senior Dark Jedi’s lightsaber was in her hand as she ignited it and pointed the tip at the Iktotchi. She made in a very cold comment that he control of his fear is impressive, but it won’t stop them from break him so he could be rebuilt. With that, Vai and the other potentials were moved into a large room.
Learn the Darkside (Shadow Academy)
The room was pitch black with a single light illuminating an extended platform high above. Whispers could be heard all around as the potentials nervously kept to themselves with an occasional outbreak. Those who couldn’t cut this vanished into thin air as if a hand picked them up and sent them straight to oblivion. From above a large door slide open and boots could be heard clanking upon the metal floor as a hooded man stood at the podium. The man welcomed the new arrivals to the Shadow Academy, introducing himself, and his staff. The Headmaster then walked away from the platform and disappeared into the shadows from which he came.
The door the potentials entered in slide open and several Dark Jedi awaited the newest students of the Shadow Academy. Students were split into groups and led to their dorms. Vai’s dorm mate was a Balia Donos a young human from Naboo that was discovered after killing his boss. The two began close friends are helped each other through their early days. Vai only stayed at the mobile academy for a couple months learning quickly what the Eclectic Pedagogues had to teach him. Sleeping in his bunk one night, there was a loud knock on the door, Vai answered it. The Headmaster’s Praetor stood at the doorway and handed the Iktotchi transfer orders to Clan Tarentum. Putting on his recently provided apprentice robes, Vai was escorted to the hanger bay on the Arcanum. Vai took a seat as the shuttles door slid shut. With a rumble the shuttle lifted off and flew out the hanger bay of the ‘’Arcanum’’. Minutes later the shuttle entered hyperspace towards the Yridia system.
A New Home (Clan Tarentum)
A small shuttle came out of hyperspace near the Aegis platform. The crew of the shuttle transmitted their clearance to the station as the shuttle begins its transit toward Yridia II. After entering orbit, the shuttle circled the planet until it changes direction for Koros. Vai was noticeably nervous; unsure of what his future holds.
Within the hull of the ‘’VSD Corsair’’, shadowy figures work about in the control room. The sensors of the Corsair detect a small shuttle arriving from the Shadow Academy and entering Koros space. The personnel check the arrival list and see that the newest member of Cestus is about to arrive. Receiving authorization, the shuttle flew to the surface and comes up to the massive VSD Corsair and landed in one of its hangers. The door of the shuttle slide open and a Dark Jedi entered. Looking down at a datapad in his hand, the Dark Jedi raised his head and pointed at its sole occupant, gesturing Vai to follow him. Walking off the shuttle, Vai followed closely behind the menacing figure. His eyes flicker from side to side as he are led down the main corridor. Vai saw shadows on the wall, the shadows of other Cestians at work. Several rooms in the ship have been made into members' quarters, while others have become conference rooms. The Dark Jedi escorted the Iktotchi into a large dark chamber near the center of the vessel. As the apprentice walked in, he noticed two individuals sitting high in their thrones. A chill came over him as the escort leaves the room. One of the two individuals spoke and welcomed Vai to House Cestus, His name was Sith Battlemaster SatoTarentae who was the Quaestor. He introduced his second-in-command Kazarelth Talismarr and gave Vai a brief history lesson on the house. Once the introductions and history was complete, the Aedile guided Vai to his quarters. Walking through the dim halls of the one-time flagship on the Tarentum fleet, the Omwati guided Vai down a tight corridor and into a small, poorly lighted room. He was finally home and for a brief moment he took a deep breath.
House Cestus
A week after his arrival in House Cestus, Vai was already well on his to glory by passing exams and supporting his house in ways a new journeyman could. This level of commitment and drive gained Vai a promoted to Novice and the attention of the Quaestor who took the Iktotchi under his wing as his master. With a master providing him direction of what’s expected as a member of House Cestus and Clan Tarentum, Vai continued to grow and was granted another promotion to Acolyte and was awarded his training lightsaber. In late 29 ABY, the Quaestor opened a challenge to all journeymen to see who was the most active in the house, Vai heeding to the challenge passed several courses from the Shadow Academy and it was awarded three Dark Maven degrees; he was awarded as the first Fist of Cestus and one the competition four more times following. Along the way, Vai was promoted to Protector and was one of first to be provided an Armory Saber do to the Brotherhoods increasingly hostile environment. Later that year, Vai contacted a virus while on a mission with his master, this illness kept the Iktotch bed-ridden for almost 2 months which kept him away from the mission to recapture the MC80 Renegage. Recovered and strong again, Vai was promoted to Guardian and was a name known within the House as a future leader. His time would soon come as his took the mantle as Rollmaster.
Rollmaster & Teacher
In early 30 ABY, Vai petitioned the House summit to reactivate the position of Rollmaster that had fallen unused. Proving his commitment and loyalty to the House, the Iktotch was selected to be the new Rollmaster and followed in his masters footsteps. As Rollmaster, Vai helped the House refine structure to a house that had fallen apart in the past months. Vai was the first voice that new members heard as he welcomed each one with support and strength as he helped direct their futures. He had come full circle as he was now the one welcoming fresh apprentices off the shuttles and leading them towards their futures, the Headmaster of the Shadow Academy noticed this and offered the Guardian a position as the Eclectic Pedagogue of the Dark Brotherhood Basics course. Proving his loyalty to the Brotherhood, his Clan and his House, Vai earned a place in high regard to the leadership and was awarded the Steel Cross to his high level of service and leadership.
Shattered Tears
As a Guardian, the most difficult parts of Vai’s life as a Dark Jedi was about to begin. The Clan Summit, tasked the houses with retrieving shards of the Crystal of Tears that had been detected on the Antei moon of Samur. This was not an issue of war and thus military forces could not be diverted to support the Dark Jedi of Tarentum. A small brave unit of Cestians accepted the call, boarded a small transport and headed to Samur; unknown to the Cestians, forces from Gladius also heard the call. Upon arriving on the desert moon, the Cestians encountered the Gladians. As the Cestians, lead by Kazareth Talismarr & the Gladians lead by Apollo approached the first shard a Vulture droid attacked them. As Kazarelth dived for the shard, a blast from the droid launched the shard into the air and cleanly severed the vocal cords of the airborne Krath Priest. Kazarelth started to bleed from the wound. If not for the fast thinking of Vai’s Master, Sato, he would have bled to death. A fight ensued between the Cestians and Gladians over control of the shard with the Gladians getting the upper hand. Defeated, the Cestians walked the opposite way for the Gladians towards the northern portion of Samur. The elder leading the Cestians felt the presence of another shard and was leading them toward it. As the Cestians reached the shard they were attacked from behind by a small group of Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Vai was one of the first hurt in battle as a thud bug hit him in the back. Immediately the Cestians contacted the Gladians alerting them contact with the Vong and need for reinforcements. The fight was brutal with Vai taking a amphistaff to the thigh splitting it open. The Iktotchi fought as hard as he could against the Vong warrior knowing that if he went down the entire team would be overrun. Just as Vai was about to be overcame an elder from Gladius came in and engaged the Vong; Vai stumbled back and fell to the ground. During the battle, Ronovi Tavisaen was able to contact the shuttles to evacuate. The combined powers of Cestus and Gladius were able to put down three of the Vong warriors by the time the shuttles had arrived. Vai was evacuated from the battlefield along with others who had been wounded in the battle and taken to Castle Tarentum. The battle for the Shard of the Crystal of Tears was over for the Guardian. About a week following the events, Vai was promoted to Jedi Hunter.
See: Shattered Tears Runon[1]
War of Unification (9th Great Jedi War) & Knighthood
In the harsh winds of Antei is where the Ikotchi’s Trials of Knighthood commenced. The Great Jedi War to reclaim Antei from the Yuuzhan Vong was the setting as all the clans of the Brotherhood heard the call from the Grand Master. When the Brotherhood arrived, they found the Yuuzhan Vong had been defeated by the forces of Omancor Crask. When Clan Tarentum arrived on the planet they were greeted by companies of advanced battle droids, each programmed to fight to the death. Vai stayed with his Aedile, while the Quaestor (Kazarelth Talismarr) went with the Keepers in search of what happened to the Vong. In battle, Vai fought valiantly against the droids, cutting them into sparking circuits. However as the small squad pushed further in the squad encountered a group of three Jedi.
Fighting the Jedi was unlike anything that Vai had faced before; yes he had sparred with his master and other Jedi, but against Jedi where one wrong move could be your last Vai lacked the experience. Ronovi Tavisaen, Aedile of House Cestus, engaged the Jedi with two equites while Vai and Jaron Kai took cover and used their rifles. The Jedi that faced Ronovi was strong and had put the Dark Jedi Knight on the defensive and disarmed her weapon. As the Jedi moved in to finish off the Aedile, Vai ignited his Armory Saber and deflected the Jedi’s blue lightsaber. The Jedi’s control over the force was stronger than Vai’s, and making this move the Iktotchi had sacrificed himself for his Aedile. The Jedi toyed with the Jedi Hunter for a while before using the force to dislodge the focus crystal within the Armory Saber causing it to explode in the Iktotchi’s hands causing serious burns to the hands and arms of the Jedi Hunter. Using the force, the Jedi then shoved Vai away from the battle, knocking him out as he hit a rock. The Jedi the turned back toward Ronovi and was about to kill her when Sith Bloodfyre intervened cutting the arms off the Jedi with his saber. After the team of Jedi was defeated, the Squad was evacuated back to the forward base with their Jedi prisoners and Vai was treated for his burns and cuts. However, the war was not over for Vai.
The clan received new orders to move toward Mt. Ashfire and Codei Prison. Sato and Vai took command of an AT-TE unit with other leader of the clan commanding other units as they made their way toward the prison from the south. Aerial surveillance detected a ring of listening posts that needs to be overcome before the force could approach Codei Prison which was the primary target. The droids who maintained the towers quickly noticed the approach of the AT-TE and laid down fire upon the Tarenti forces. The heavily armored AT-TEs provided excellent protection against the laser fire, however a landmine blasted off the forward left leg off the AT-TE that Sato and Vai were in. Sato and Vai, along with the troopers went in our foot and successfully took down three of the eleven towers while the others were taking down by the other companies and bomber runs; with Mt. Ashfire secure the clan moved in our Codei Prison.
At Codei Prison, the large scale battle had come to a halt as a small team of Dark Jedi scouted the structure. Vai took up the rear position as the squad made its way through the dark corridors of the prison, they all felt a dark presence, however could not locate it. The team of seven came up to a three way intersection and split up in teams of two with Vai holding position at the intersection. As the three teams made their separate ways, Vai was assaulted from behind by an unseen being. Vai was stabbed in the back and his neck was slashed almost to the vein. The Iktotchi’s loud scream was all that saved him as his allies rushed back where they had left him. When they arrived they found Vai unconscious slouched against the wall with his rifle missing. Coming to, the Iktotchi could barely recall what happened only that it was a frail human. A second team was called in to gain control of the control room and moved Vai into a safe location so that the being couldn’t finish the job. The second team reached the control room without combat and found the power override switch. With the power switched on, the first team was able to find the being who committed suicide by jumping into the volcano instead of being captured. After the prison was secured, Vai was once again moved to a medical facility and treated for his wounds; bruises and scars covered the red skin of the Iktotchi. As the clan captured the prison, the main battle had started with the dark jedi of all clans striking hard at the Jedi who defended the Iron Throne. Following the war, Clan Tarentum was in ruins with several of its Dark Jedi KIA or MIA. The difficult task of rebuilding stood for the Clan and House leaders as they needed to recruit new force sensitive’s and strengthen what remained of the clan.
See: 9th Great Jedi War (Unification)[2]
In a quiet ceremony, full of reflection of those lose in the great battle, Vai was called before the Clan Summit and was Knighted. He then was summoned once again before the Clan Summit and was offered the position of Aedile of House Cestus and second to now Quaestor Ronovi Tavisaen. Vai accepted as he knew his house and clan needed him and his strength. He was also awarded the Grand Cross of the Dark Side for his service on Antei.
Aedile & Professor
It was a very difficult task that had been set before the new summit of House Cestus, however they were up for it. Through their experiences in war and life, Ronovi and Vai were an excellent team for rebuilding of the house. More than the house, the entire brotherhood needed to be rebuilt and in this process of rebuilding the Shadow Academy was changed. No longer was there to be one Eclectic Pedagogue per course, instead similar courses were formed into departments and a Professor position was opened to be responsible for these departments. Vai applied for and was selected as the Professor of General Studies which includes: DB Basics, IRC Basics, IRC Operators, Leadership Studies and Conflict Mediation. Supporting now the Dark Council, as well his house, Vai felt satisfied with himself. Vai’s tasks within the house revolved around keeping the house structured and finding areas for growth, along with the Quaestor, they found more force sensitive’s to help seed the future of the House and clan. House Cestus came to be seen as a model house within the Brotherhood, that’s all a leader could as for and hope to be.
Unfortunately (do to real life), Vai was forced to resign from his position as Aedile and continue his focus on his Dark Council staff position. Vai is dedicated to his house, his clan and his brotherhood and would happily accept the call of leadership if his life (real life) allows. For now, he serves where he can in any position to help his clan, support the Shadow Academy and ensure long life and success for the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
The Apprentice
On Antei, Vai encountered a young human by the name of Severon Vercingetorix who was lost in his ways of learning the darkside. Taking it upon himself, Vai took the young man and began to instruct him in the way of the darkside as forever will it guide him. Vai's apprentice is now preparing his final tasks before his Knighthood..is he up for the challenge..stay turned and find out.
DJB Facts
Positions Held
- Dark Council Staff - Shadow Academy: Professor (General Studies)
- Aedile of House Cestus
- Rollmaster of House Cestus
Outstanding Achievements
- Awarded Dark Savant in Writing & Philosophy
- Awarded Dark Maven in Philosophy
- Awarded Dark Maven in History
- Awarded Dark Maven in Flight
- Awarded Dark Maven in Writing
- Awarded Dark Maven in Service
- Awarded Dark Maven in Leadership
- First Fist of Cestus
Trivia
- Vai Azexel was the name of my avatar in Star Wars Galaxies, Intrepid Server.