- "Without honor, we are nothing but savages. Without loyalty, nothing but betrayers. It is these two virtues that make us who we are, and without them, make us who we should never be."
- ― Cassandra Tyris
Cassandra Oriana Tyris is a Senator for the city of Caleria on the Taldryan Republic capital world of Kasiya.
History
Remembering very little about her childhood's younger years, the first memories that Cassandra can recall were when she was discovered by a group of Mandalorian warriors who were passing through an area that had been ravaged by an Imperial Remnant group. They had found her with to the body of a woman, assumed to be her mother. At the time, according to them, she was no more than six years old. The area clearly had been destroyed a significant time ago, and even in a famished fatigued state, the young girl stood firmly against the Mandalorians with a spear in hand to defend her mother's corpse. Impressed by her bravery and resilience, they took her in as a foundling and raised her as their own on the ruined planet of Concord Dawn.
Growing up within the Mandalorian culture, she learned the importance of honor, strength, and loyalty. She was trained in the art of combat and became a skilled warrior in her own right. She quickly rose in both practical and intellectual knowledge, physical strength, and mastery of the Mandalorian Core martial art all by the age of 10 which earned the respect of her fellow Mandalorians.
Despite her loyalty to the Mandalorian way of life, the young girl had a deep desire to explore the galaxy and see what else was out there. When she reached the age of 13, Cassandra participated in her clan's rite of passage: verd'goten. She was tested on everything she had learned, besting many of the more seasoned Mandalorians within the clan, and eventually was proclaimed an adult in their eyes. As an adult, she was given the choice to become a full Mandalorian, but she instead chose to leave the Mandalorians and embarked on a journey of self-discovery.
Upon her departure, she was given a beskar necklace which had a crest hanging from it with a symbol of a Quenker, the creature of which she had rescued a cub from when it was separated from its family and spent nearly a month to find its family and return it. On the same necklace was a purple and white pendant that she was told she had been found with, opening to reveal a quote inside: '"My stars, my life, I love you always and forever my precious Cassandra Oriana. - Alana Tyris, Mom"'
She had a name. Cassandra Oriana...Tyris. With bittersweet goodbyes, she made her way off of Concord Dawn and began exploring the galaxy. Compared to what she had been used to, it was a vast and endless place both with its positives, and its negatives.
After several years of traveling, she found herself on the moon Ostara in 38 ABY, a bustling world known for its diversity and tolerance. There, she became involved in local politics and began advocating for the rights of citizens who were often marginalized and overlooked by the ruling clan of Taldryan. Her efforts on behalf of the people of Ostara earned her a reputation as a passionate and effective advocate. She was eventually appointed as an advocate to the Taldryan leadership within the Citadel, the clan's base of operations, for the citizens and she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those around her.
As her influence grew, an event known as the Elysia Incident occurred which resulted in solar flares from the Caelus Star striking the moon and severely disrupting its magnetic field. Organizing as many civilian transports as she could, Cassandra assisted in the evacuation of the world but inevitably she was unable to escape before ion storms engulfed the skies, destroying several transports already ascending towards space and preventing anyone else from leaving.
With the moon trapped in perpetual darkness, the only light coming from the constant storms far above in the atmosphere, Cassandra worked closely with the remaining Taldryan members and civilians that were still there to try and mete out a life for themselves. Most electronics fried, and it was several months before reinforced generators could be constructed and the first fringes of power restored to the Citadel. It had been noticed that she was force sensitive, something that priorly had been overlooked, during an attack on the Citadel ruins by a pack of rancor that intruded from the forest.
As one of them had moved towards a group of children, Cassandra placed herself between the group and the rancor and in her anger somehow had sent it staggering backwards with a deep indent in its chest. It had struggled to breathe, before it finally dropped to the ground and was dead. Upon seeing this, one of the Force Disciples that was present on Ostara took her under his wing and helped teach her how to control her power and harness it. He also taught her the exquisite lightsaber art of Vaapad, using his own force powers to help in hardening her emotions and mind to master it.
Several years passed before the Regent of the Brotherhood, Zxyl Taldrya, managed to get through the ion storms. She was happy to learn that nearly everyone who had fled Ostara had survived. Upon being given the option to remain on Ostara or travel to the new capital on the moon Kasiya, she chose to go. She knew those still there would be fine, as they all had gained immense strength and capabilities over those dark years, and wanted to work towards the betterment of the now reformed Taldryan Republic as a whole.
Shortly after arriving on Kasiya in 41 ABY and diving right into life as an advocate, she gained the attention of the leaders of the city of Caleria where she was living. They recognized not just her talent, but many of them remembered her and her efforts on Ostara years ago. She was asked to become a Senator for Caleria, to represent them and their interests within the Taldryan Senate.
At first, she was hesitant to take on such a responsibility. But after much reflection, she realized that this was an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of millions of people. She accepted the position and after moving to the capital of Port Kasiya she began her new role with passion and dedication.
As a senator, she worked to strengthen the ties between Port Kasiya and Caleria, as well as improve relations with the neighboring moon of Chyron. She also pushed for legislation that would help subsidize homes for the city's homeless population in Holmes, protect the environment, and promote sustainable practices. Despite facing opposition and criticism from some of her fellow senators, she remained steadfast in her beliefs and continued to fight for what she thought was right.
Over time, she became one of the most respected and influential politicians on Kasiya. Her leadership and dedication earned her the nickname "The People's Senator." Looking back on her life, she knew that she had come a long way from her humble beginnings as a foundling. She was proud of the person she had become and knew that her journey was far from over.