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| Bentre Stahoes
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Corellia planet, Corellia
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8 ABY (age 34)
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Human
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Male
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1.79 meters
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71 kilograms
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brown-black
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usually appear hazel
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prosthetic left arm
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Tasha'Vel Versea
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- Daedric Turelles
- Marcus Kiriyu
- Atra Ventus
- Macron Goura
- Qyreia Arronen
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blue
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Shii-Cho
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- S5 Heavy Blaster Pistol
- lightsaber
- vibroknife
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blaster-focused, heavily complemented by lightsaber
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Slicer
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Aedile
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Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era
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- House Shar Dakhan
- Order of the Black Guard
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Daedric Turelles
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14185
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Bentre Stahoes, known in Twi'lek society as Kairn'Tel Versea, is an Obelisk at heart and a proud member of House Shar Dakhan within the esteemed Clan Naga Sadow. A former Battleteam Leader, he currently serves as the Aedile of Shar Dakhan. Even as a seasoned Warrior, he prefers to keep his opponents at a distance, focusing on softening up opponents before closing into range with his lightsaber. The man's attitude, speech, and even his very walk show off an obvious sense of self importance.
In his own mind, Bentre does not strictly believe he is better than the others. Instead Bentre believes his fellows need to expend greater effort to reach his level so they may compete with him. This pride further manifests for the Corellian in his tendency to push someone aside rather than explain a solution. Despite his haughty attitude, there are some individuals whom manage to earn his respect- such as those who views as fellow warriors, those who have proven themselves to be loyal, or those who possess great strength. These are the sorts he actually chooses to wear proper robes for, calls "sir", risks his life, and things of that effect. This has not prevented the man from turning his nose up to any given person who manages to earn his distaste or loathing.
Stahoes excels in the programming and manipulation of computer systems. Preferring to keep a datapad onhand "just in case" he takes a child-like glee in the act of breaking into computer systems. He considers himself to be a pretty fair Slicer and will lunge at opportunities to prove his mettle against more high security systems. Still, he tries not to allow it to get in the way of his combat training. Bentre firmly believes that being quick with a blaster and lightsaber will save him long before his computer talents ever will. As time has went on, Bentre has been less reserved in showing his might than in the past. Still, he takes some measure of pride in the fact that he chose to hone such a traditional non-combative skill, bucking a preconceptions of what many may believe a warrior should be. His desire to be different than just another sword hand is further reinforced by his love of playing his quetarra in public on occasion.
Pre-Brotherhood History
Early Life
Bentre grew up on Corellia, raised by his loving mother and father. Still, the boy gave his parents no end of grief. There were few evenings that he did not come home with a black eye, a bloodied lip, blood on his shirt, or being hauled home by law enforcement. Stahoes was far from a common thug, though. He actually tried to make something of himself as he went through his school years.
Coronet City, Corellia planet
As he progressed in his education, he increasingly found himself thoroughly bored. When he wasn't getting into scraps, he was playfully trying to penetrate the network security of a local sector; just to see if he could. Over time, he developed what would be described by his educators as "an unhealthy obsession" with computer systems and manipulating them. One guidance counselor wrote of Bentre that he displayed "a cold disregard for his peers, which borders on anti-social, and may indicate some problems at home".
Not that his parents did anything but try to give their son the best home life they could. His father was a low-level banker who worked hard to be sure his family want for nothing. His mother was a homemaker, previously a network architect, who gave up her passion to raise a family. This did not stop Bentre from breaking his parent’s hearts at the age of 15. Using the terminal in his father's study, he sliced into his father's financial account and withdrew everything. Using the credits he wired to an off-planet account, he secured a ride off his homeworld. Finally, in an uncharacteristic act of concern, he scribbled a note to his mother he was going to have to disappear for a while.
His Tenure on Nar Shadda
Bentre traveled from system to system for a few months, living comfortably on the credits he had stolen from his parents. Too soon, his ease with spending credits attracted some of the wrong kind of attention. He found himself coping with hangers-on and busybodies determined to get a little taste of his wealth. To his relief, a Duros named Garan befriended him, watching his back and keeping the seedier elements away with a quiet menace.
the city of Nar Shadda, where Bentre was discovered
The Human gave little thought to the ease with which his new companion was able to wave aside such nuisances. This proved to be his downfall, however. Bentre did not realize that it was the ruthlessness of his newfound bodyguard that drove away the others. Neither did he realize that the Duros did not have his best interests at heart.
The Corellian was the target of a two man con. While Garan kept Bentre busy and feeling safe from the less pleasant elements of Nar Shadda, his partner, a man by the name of Jallo Makk had been slowly working on slicing into Bentre’s accounts aided by information that Garan provided him. Once Jallo had finished funneling the money from the account, Jallo went out for drinks using his new wealth. This caused Garan to become angry, resulting in angry words, a drawn weapon, and a dead bystander. Having already used the boy, the pair conspired to frame Bentre, calling into the local law enforcement, filing reports, and bribing several officials. Betrayed by the one person he felt he might trust on the Smuggler’s Moon, Bentre found himself destitute, with several warrants out for his arrest on the suspicions of robbery and murder.
As Stahoes was on the run from the corrupt law enforcement he met La'venna and her little band of scoundrels. The gang was quick to permit him into their ranks and treated him as though he were family. The human was dubious at first, but La'venna proved her sincerity when she saved his life during a heated conflict in the streets. Among one of his many souvenirs of his time with the small gang, the Jade Kodashi, is the blaster that Bentre carries to this day.
His time of relative peace proved too short-lived as thirteen months later, Garan and a small band of mercenaries managed to hunt down the Corellian. The Duros told him it had been the work of the Twi'lek and her rogues that had brought him to their attention again. Garan smiled, giving a mock apology, claiming he always hated when "contracts end like this." As Garan was about to pull the trigger, a fellow gang member by the name of Sian shot the Duros in the back, saving Bentre's life.
The Sullstan rogue went on to explain that he had been trailing the human for the last few hours at La'venna. Unfortunately, though, Garan's words had planted a seed of doubt in Bentre's mind. When he returned to their hideout, he promptly pulled a blaster, shooting the Twi'lek woman in the stomach, and fleeing angrily in the wake of the resulting confusion. Once again, he found himself on the run, with fewer and fewer options available. It was during the aftermath of these events that Marcus Kiriyu found the Corellian on Nar Shadda, and helped him escape the planet for good.
Early Service in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood
Training and the Red Fury Conflict
Once the Corellian found himself at the Shadow Academy, he hit the ground running, throwing himself into studies of history, practicing with the training lightsaber he was granted, and further sharpening the skills he had already picked up as he served as a member of the Jade Kodashi on Nar Shadda. He tried desperately to forget his former life, but he still experienced nightmares about the things he experienced there.
His eagerness did not go unseen, as soon after he left the Shadow Academy and joined the Clan Naga Sadow, he was paired up with Daedric Turelles. The tenacious attitude of the student was well met by his new Master's own inclination to seek knowledge and to self-improve. The Dark Jedi Knight tried to press his apprentice to excel, and was pleasantly surprised to see Stahoes step up to his challenges. Like a man possessed, Bentre continued to process information at a surprising rate. Though his Master never seemed to realize it, the drive to better himself was borne of a fear of betrayal. Bentre wanted to be sure that when he got attacked again he would be able to drive off his rivals. He continued to make a name for himself, eventually joining Sapphire Squadron. Over time, he finally dared to hope he could finally find the sense of family he had lost on Nar Shadda.
His first truly notable conflict as a member of Sapphire Squadron was the attack on the pirate moon of Atlas. Dropping in with the rest of his Battleteam, Bentre served with distinction, helping to clear and secure the hanger area. He kept himself busy clearing out soldiers with his blaster, before moving forward with Daedric, Macron and Shi Long and cutting a swathe through the battlefield. The armored forces of Scholae Palatinae followed up behind the four, ensuring victory for the joint operation by the clans.
The Rise of a Dark Jedi Knight
Later in the year, Bentre was inducted into the Order of the Black Guard and attained the rank of Dark Jedi Knight. He was given charge over Wrooshuu and tried to work closely with the Wookie in order to expand on his own knowledge and experience. He also used his position as a Blackguard to become a more finely-tuned killer. He continued to distinguish himself in repeated combat against both fellow Dark Jedi and Jedi alike. He found this increasingly difficult as madness began to overtake him. The Dark Jedi Knight began to work toward a basic mastery of Shii-Cho and began to study war as a whole. The Corellian was determined to do everything in his power to build his strength and power.
Stahoes also worked closely with the Battleteam Leader of Sapphire Squadron, Bob Sadow to further the glory of his Battleteam. He tried to work on converting the Team's resources to create a training area, but found they lacked the required area to keep such a dedicated space. Instead the slicer worked on preparing a computer program to be used in conjunction with several holographic projectors to create an easily modified training room which could literally be set up in any open area. To his knowledge, the paperwork for his request was lost in the preference or more pressing matters, but having put forward the plans Bentre chose to focus on his own training and look for other more accepted ways to further his comrades. He also began to have to contend with the real threat of his slipping grip on his own sanity as the effects of his replacement eye were becoming more and more evident as time went on. He found that he had to remain at times very isolated from the very people he had grown so close to in his new found family.
Prophecy and Awakening
- " The Darkness will grow; but as a cancer out of control; stars shall be extinguished; whole systems laid to waste"
- ― Chronicle of Dark Souls
As his time continued on in the Dark Brotherhood, Bentre found his cavalier attitude and scoundrel-like ways made him feel ill at ease with the Brotherhood as a whole. The Corellian felt that his chosen skillset made him- while not a pariah- set apart from his comrades, and not in a way that he had to tried to affect. This feeling was further reinforced by the words of his then-Rollmaster Anima following a conflict on Nar Shadda. There the pair experienced an encounter with Garan, an echo of the Corellian's past on the moon. The Obelisk had allowed his past to define his attitude and tactics and had prevented him from growing to his full potential. Garan's death became an epiphany for the young Journeyman, and marked a slow change of focus from blaster-based combat to a more conventional lightsaber-based combat style. The Dark Jedi Knight would still carry a blaster, but he was no longer dependent upon it as he had been.
Bentre continued to gently develop over time. As he took on the position leading Devil's Shroud, the Shadow tried to focus on building up the members of his team, attempting to better both his team and himself in equal measure. His efforts seemed to be pay off, and though slowly, Devil's Shroud began to thrive despite his innate lack of experience at the time. To his chagrin, Stahoes still lost two men under his command within the first few months. With each stumble and each obstacle overcome, he urged his fellow Battleteam members too look toward the future as an opportunity to grow and improve. This new viewpoint did not serve him very well in the days to come unfortunately.
Bentre, as he appeared shortly after the events of Dentaavi
The zenith of this transition would culminate following the resurfacing of Darth Vexatus. The Heretic brought news of a new threat to the clan, and unrest spread through the Clan. The close-knit Sadowans split in two, between those who believed the Falleen's warning of approaching doom and those who backed the Consul Locke. The Consul felt determined to hold the Clan together at all costs, meanwhile discounting the Prophet-Heretic. Adding to the chaos, the Rollmaster and the Corellian's close friend, Marcus Kiriyu chose that time as the perfect moment to make a power play, seemingly determined to overthrow both Locke and Xanos. As the members of his Battleteam chose sides between the Consul and Vexatus, Bentre chose to side with Kiriyu, secretly hoping to take advantage of whomever would prove the victor in the struggle. With the Clan members making their decisions, the hunt for the Shards of Dentaavi began.
the bionic arm designed and used by Bentre
The Shadow could not have known what would come of the hunt. As he and Tasha'vel Versea hunted the asteroid surface for any signs of the artifacts, fate would have it that Bentre would literally trip upon one. Though the Twi'lek realized the peril the shard represented, the Human could only see the potential that it unlocked. Attacking his comrade in arms, Stahoes was shortly thereafter ambushed by Locke-loyalist forces and the shard was taken from the pair. Great damage had been done to both mind and body but even as the Corellian lay unconscious he could feel the power of the shard calling to him, a silent but deadly siren's song. Under its influence, he would once again use the artifact, both to attack and escape from the clutches of Sanguinius, Armad and Darkblade. Realizing there was no time to waste, he did rendevous with Kiriyu to deliver the Shard. With it in hand, the pair headed to Dentaavi Prime, attempting to fulfill the Krath's vision.
It would not be until after the events on Dentaavi Prime that the effects of the shard on the already remarkably fragile psyche of the Sith would be fully realized. He would begin to hear voices more regularly and suffer irregular periods of rage, aggression, and schizophrenia. Compounded with the friction between himself and others, this served to shatter the man's feelings of relative safety and family among the others such as Atra. The feeling was replaced with a cool distrust, which he struggled to keep hidden beneath a facade of arrogant confidence. He also struggled to adjust to the presence of his new prosthetic arm, a bionic device that he had designed. Frustrated and lacking the knowledge necessary, Stahoes was forced to seek help in acquiring the proper software to make the device operate. Though the contractor got the work done, Bentre began to read up on the software and code involved in the operation of such technologies. He was determined to ensure he could do the work himself in future.
Incursion at Myrmidon
The weeks following the events on Dentaavi were largely uneventful. Beyond some rather macabre- and to some disturbing- experiments by the Corellian, surprisingly little seemed to change at first. Slowly, those close to Stahoes realized he had begun spending more time in his office and quarters, choosing to act through holos and proxies. The Sith normally preferred to work and fight alongside his team, so this began rumors and murmuring among many in the city-base.
An unrest began to echo out among the local populace around this time. A small but vocal militia arose from the common folk. Before long, they were rallying citizens to their cause. They claimed the city and land as their own as birthright, demanding the Sadowans vacate the land immediately or face dire consequence. Their claims and cries were ignored, to the point that a small army had begun to move on the city.
Realizing the people could pose a larger threat if they were not dealt with, Stahoes contacted his old comrade, Scarlet. With their combined efforts, Sapphire Squadron and Devil's Shroud were successful in repelling the forces of the revolutionary calling herself "Chelidon". Many depicted her as a Zeltron warrior, carrying tattered banners to display their allegiance against the perceived trespassers. The rebellion was short-lived thanks to the quick and fierce actions of Lexiconus and Macron Goura. The base of operations for Chelidon's people was reduced to ash. Unbeknownst to the rest of the team however, Bentre had recieved one last transmission just two days after their supposed victory.
"Chelidon's Army Will Rise Again. Beware those who serve the Yellow Sun."
The Progenitor
- " It's amusing, is it not? How often the snow is mistaken for ash? I think I'll call this piece: Ashes fall. "
- ―Yuki
The event that came to be known as *Ashes Fall* started with a crashed ship. An unmarked transport descended in a fireball, carving further scars into the Shadowlands of Sepros. Aware of the foreign object descending on the planet, soldiers were dispatched to investigate. The troops were met with an enigmatic resistance which wiped out every sentient there. Their cries went unheard by the Warhost, the bodies being stripped of metals and left to rot. Twenty-two minutes later, recieving no response from the men in the field, the Warhost contacted the Cult of Sadow to inform them of these strange developments.
Members of Naga Sadow were sent to investigate. One team led by Sanguinius to investigate the catacombs below, and another led by Atra to investigate the Shadowlands above. It was with the latter team that Bentre was dispatched. As the teams investigated, they were met with robotic opponents- quick, efficient, and as deadly as they were alien to the Clan. Some were merely machines, whereas others employed both organic and mechanical components. The fiercest of these could rival even Elders, while all could prove deadly to Journeyman caught unaware. From those designated *Archanea* up to the *Titan* variants, the machines proceeded up from a factory below the surface, discovered by the Ragnosian Quaestor, Sanguinius Tscyra.
As the Progenitor's legion threatened to overwhelm the Clan Shi Long, Ventus and Stahoes followed the Long family's Matriarch as the Force guided her, straight into the bowels of the Progenitor's ship. As they traveled, the Knight worked with his datapad. At first he had hoped to confuse, reprogram, or shutdown the droids. As they went deeper in, he realized that the destruction of the ship and their Master was the only sure way to do so. A large number of Echidna awaited the four, forcing all but Xue Long to retreat- who alone charged deeper in. Unknown to Stahoes at the time, the Umbaran Quaestor had taken his impromptu solution with him, carrying the device into the chamber of the Progenitor himself. That was the last that the Knight saw of Atra Ventus before the Progenitor's ship exploded behind him.
The death of his friend rocked Bentre Stahoes more deeply than he could have ever fathomed. It was like all at once, his whole world had been crushed. Within the Brotherhood, he had formed this imaginary bubble around all his friends and comrades. Nothing could touch them, the Force was with them. He had allowed a child-like hope to rise up within him. When the bubble burst, the Corellian could only feel despair. For weeks it seemed that nothing could console him. Once again he was as a teenager, picking fights for the sake of fights. A deep self-loathing set in his stomach, even after being recognized for his skill and valor, the newly-promoted Warrior struggled to overcome the grief at is lost friend and mentor. His whole world had come crashing down after that day.
With Greater Power
Inquistor, Aedile, and Patriach
Bentre Stahoes did find some solace in the midst of his grief. His prior rival, Tasha'vel, reached out to the hurting Sith. The grudging, borderline respect the Human felt for the woman grew into something more earnest. At times all the two did was spar, as Versea used the martial art of Echani to help Stahoes gives his pent-up energy an outlet. Other times, she helped him to talk through his feelings over a hot cup of stimcaf. She was a support to him after his fight with her Quaestor, and later as he struggled with the unearned contempt he felt after fighting Keira Viru. It would be this support which kept him from slipping into inconsolable grief in the events to come.
He would still remember the day when the Grand Master put out his orders concerning the Orders and the aliens. Krath and Obelisk were to be no more. All but certain species were labeled, along with the former Orders of the Dark Brotherhood, as **Undesirables**. The Temple Tiamat, the Temple Boyna, and the Shadow Academy were ordered purged. "*Sub-human species, disease carriers, Jedi, and potential terrorist aliens...*"- the words would echo in his nightmares for weeks afterward.When told he would serve to protect the Iron Throne and strike out against those who threatened the Dark Jedi Brotherhood as a member of the Inquisitorius, Bentre Stahoes had felt some measure of pride. He worked hard, ascending to the position of Chief Inquisitor.
His stomach was only soured at his commands. Still, the Corellian found himself marching with his fellows against the Temple Boyna. Though he had been, and still was, Obelisk, he took part in the slaughter, like a man possessed. He took part in the slaughter. He would remember every scream, every cry, their pleads for mercy falling on deaf ears. In the back of his mind, he was trying to figure what these people, his people had done to become a threat to Pravus. It would not be until a day later that the insanity of the Grand Master would dawn upon the man. It was at that point he decided that while the true dangers to the Brotherhood needed exterminated, he owed the Iron Throne no such loyalty.
With this realization in mind, Bentre strove to be a better Sith. As Keira vacated the position of Quaestor, Stahoes fought for the position, being set aside by the Summit- to his anger- for the man he not-so-secretly considered a traitor to the Clan, Darkblade. His efforts for his fellows was not unseen. In recognition of his ability, his drive, and his dedication (Bentre presumed), the Corellian was appointed to be the Aedile to the Anzat. Feeling scorned, the Warrior took to the office with a fervor, determined to show his competenance and skill. In his heart, he promised he would become Quaestor. If there was one thing he had realized as he had dealt with his fellow Sith, treachery was in their nature. It was only a matter of time before he usurped his superior. Time would tell what kind of scars he would leave on the new Quaestor when the time came.
It was shortly after his appointment that Stahoes' feelings toward Tasha'vel Versea came to a crest. After some discussion, the two decided that a life together would be far better than a life alone. Tasha'vel presented the Corellian with an Echani blade of his own, called *Stavel'Adius*. The two agreed to be joined in the Jasshi’rr, Twi'lek One-ness. Faced with such affection, the Sith wanted to be able to return the comfort and love that he had received from the Twi'lek woman. He wanted to have a sweet and tender relationship. Vowing to act as a honorable member of the Versea, Bentre quietly assumed the role beside Tasha'Vel as Patriarch of the family Estate. In that moment, with the congratulations of his Clan in the background, the Corellian felt a momentary peace and unparalled joy.
The Oppression and Inquisition
The Inquisition would only grow more horrible as time went on...more to be added as events develop.
Personal Data
Physical Description
Bentre is a slightly taller-than-average human. His dark hair typically covers part of his face, obscuring his left eye and the scars around it. Scars also line below his right eye, one of two souvenirs of an encounter with the Rollmaster of Naga Sadow, Anima. The other is the Tuk'atan eye that replaced his ruined left eyeball. It is not always so obvious, as Bentre has learned to alter his appearance to hide it when he deems necessary with a Force illusion. He also bears some scarring around his right wrist from an encounter with another apprentice, and a bionic prosthetic where a large portion of his left arm used to be. His clothing of choice is a white undershirt below a jacket of bantha hide, and simple pants. His skin is of a dark olive tone, and he typically carries himself with an air of obvious self-importance.