- "You can't make a living off of kindness. You can't profit from honesty. And you can't succeed with legality."
- ―Stanson Rend
Stanson Yohan Rend was a politician and criminal boss. He was once the governor of Yridia IX and the esteemed Ethnarc of the Yridian Kratocracy, harboring a strong alliance with the Dark Jedi and leaders of Tarentum. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he became affiliated with Arcona, working with the leaders of House Qel-Droma and Shadow Gate within the shadowport of Ol'val. His subsequent betrayal of the Brotherhood and attempted partnership with Odan-Urr would later cost him his life at the hands of Ronovi Tavisaen in 30 ABY.
Origins
Childhood
Stanson Yohan, sixteen years old.
Stanson Rend was born Stanson Yohan to a middle-class family on Coruscant. His mother later left his father, a merchant, for a richer man, which resulted in her ex-husband's drinking himself to death. Stanson was left in the hands of his uncle and aunt, who paid little attention to him and left him to entertain himself. At a very young age, he wandered the streets of Coruscant, eventually getting himself tangled in a web of criminal activity. He began working as a drug mule for gangs, including peddling the popular death stick, when he was nine years old.
Eventually, Stanson got involved in more dangerous crimes and misdemeanors, including burglary, smuggling, and even extortion involving his own relatives. He also gained a penchant for gambling, finding various ways to cheat the system and win large amounts of credits. He was initiated into a gang at the age of fourteen, moving up the ladder with his dedication to the life of crime. As his adolescence took place during the final years of the Galactic Empire, Stanson worked under more dangerous circumstances due to the fact that he would constantly have to evade law enforcers.
By the time he was seventeen, Stanson left Coruscant and stowed away on a freighter ship to Tatooine. Although he never mentioned his exact reasons for doing this, some guess that he was on the run from Coruscant police forces and therefore went to a more reclusive planet. It was on Tatooine, however, that he met Grisham Tankman, head of a criminal family from Corellia. Tankman made the young boy an offer to become the heir to his family, as his own son had been murdered during a face-off in Kor Vella. Stanson eagerly followed Tankman to Coronet City, where the family, known simply as "Gelu Templum," resided.
Getting Away With Murder
Stanson Yohan kills a notorious drug lord for poisoning Grisham Tankman.
Stanson settled into his new position as family heir with ease, but despite his comfortable situation, he felt that something was missing. Besides drug vending, Stanson worked in the family's illegal weapons' arsenal, and he slowly but surely began to beef up his body. Although he was already well-toned to begin with, his experiences on Coruscant had given him an insecurity complex, and he intended to make up for it by becoming stronger. Ultimately, the Stanson that people knew on Corellia was built like a brick, intimidating to the core, and always carrying a blaster pistol on his person.
Gelu Templum, while losing its political influence in Coronet, still maintained its criminal roots. After ten years of status quo family and financial proceedings, Stanson abruptly assumed the position of family leader after Tankman suspiciously died in a club on the outskirts of the city. Hellbent on finding the killer, he traced the evidence back to a local druglord, who had poisoned Tankman's drink with a mixture of glitterstim and other spices. Stanson then mercilessly shot the druglord three times in the head with his blaster and was arrested two days later.
While on trial, Stanson noticed the intricate workings of each criminal family's influences in the judicial system. While Gelu Templum quickly crumbled and left Stanson with no support, a man from another criminal family, Adrian Rend, held strong connections with various Corellian politicians and judges. The heir of Gelu was surprisingly found not guilty of the murder and discovered that Adrian had tampered with evidence, believing the younger man to be a suitable candidate for his family due to his boldness and experience. Adrian brought Stanson back to Coruscant, where he advised him to begin a career in, of all things, politics.
Political Activity
Rending Governmental Fabrics
Stanson Rend works as an advisor to political leaders.
The sudden changes in scenery and recent events in the newly christened Stanson Rend's life had made him a very different person. Dropping the intimidating bodybuilder persona, he lost an extreme amount of weight, becoming incredibly lanky but proficiently debonair in his appearance. He looked and acted like a gentleman as he worked as an ambassador, a secretary, and later an advisor to political and military leaders of the New Republic. Eventually, he began to manipulate them to his liking, offering them exclusive trading outlets in exchange for gaining control of gambling and loan sharking within the entertainment districts of Coruscant.
As a newfound businessman, Stanson knew the consequences of staying in such a large, influential place for too long. At some point, the Rend family's secret functions would be publicly divulged, and their political power would dwindle, similar to the fate of Gelu Templum. After Adrian's sudden death by cardiac arrest, Stanson discussed the possibility of moving toward the Minos Cluster, where business was growing since it had been sold to regional holders in the Yridia system. Pleased by his remarks, the most prominent members of the family decided to name the man their new leader.
In a quick moving process, the entire Rend family traveled to Eden City on Yridia IX in 22 ABY, six years after Stanson had begun his political work on Coruscant. With their move came immense connections to illegal dealings still in the Core Worlds, and it proved useful in Eden. After all, as Stanson soon discovered, the entire system was under the control of Clan Tarentum, a part of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, and they were in need of quick ways to get ammunitions, rare gases, and other supplies without much travel. The Rends made their offers to the Eden government as well as to the current clan summit, and Stanson's family was quickly accepted as a large yet secretive economic and political force. With governmental support growing for himself and his family, Stanson began to take advantage of his affiliations, as Tarentum was a strong military presence and could offer him a great deal of power and a recognized political status.
Changing Tides
Stanson Rend, governor of Eden City, circa 26 ABY.
Unlike many people, Stanson was aware of the dangers targeting the clan and the world that he now inhabited. Yridia IX was an immense trading and commerce hub, making it a sufficient target for enemies. Also, due to Tarentum's constant wars, taxation was continually imposed upon the populace. With that came consequences, and Stanson knew that the current governor of Eden, Eduardo Griffin, could pose a threat to Tarentum's activities due to the governor's self-oriented concerns.
After a meeting with Tarentum after the Ninth Great Jedi War, Stanson gradually recognized Griffin's intentions to threaten the clan. When a large bulk freighter crashed onto Yridia IX on the same day, Stanson quickly came up with a plan to remove Griffin from the position. He tricked the governor into thinking that Tarentum was responsible for the crash and subsequently accused him of treason after the governor sent out mercenaries to capture or kill any Tarenti remaining in Eden. He then shot Griffin in the knee with a hold-out blaster, offering him a chance to survive if he left the Yridia system. Griffin accepted that fate over death, and Stanson ordered his men to have the ex-governor taken back to Coruscant, which was Griffin's homeworld as well.
After contacting Tarentum about Griffin's treacherous activity, Stanson was appointed the new governor of Eden City and subsequently Yridia IX. He would later kill Griffin in a stand-off within his own office in 27 ABY.
Kratocracy and Departure
Stanson after fleeing Yridian space, circa 29 ABY.
In 28 ABY, the political game shifted in Yridia. Stanson had become a recognizable figure within the system, and the Tarentum summit had new plans for him. Consul Ronovi Tavisaen Tarentae oversaw the governmental changes that created the Yridian Kratocracy, a tyranny enforced by cunning on the clan's end. Stanson, as Ronovi's stalwart ally, became instrumental in the hierarchy of the kratocracy, and he was appointed Ethnarc shortly thereafter. While he was certainly considered a figurehead, he was in fact highly involved in proceedings on all levels within Yridia.
Two years went by, and after an invasion of Yridia IV and a Rakghoul infestation in the system, the kratocracy slowly crumbled. Ronovi resigned as Quaestor of the now House Tarentum, and Stanson suddenly saw himself opposed by some of the highest members of Tarentum, including the Sith King. Informed that Maxamillian von Oberst, the Hound of the King, was set to kill him, Stanson acted efficiently and stealthily. He escaped to Yridia III and placed a double in his office on Yridia II, avoiding death and ceding leadership of the Rend family so they could be self-sufficient without his presence. He lived in hiding for several months before Ronovi discovered him and invited him to join her on her journey to the Dajorra system, where she planned to become a member of Arcona.
Stanson followed Ronovi and her apprentice Giovanni Palermo to Estle City, where Dralin Fortea, Aedile of House Qel-Droma and friend of Ronovi's, took an interest in his political ties and his lingering connections with the Rends back in Yridia. The Aedile took the man to Port Ol'val, where he was introduced to Solus Gar, the leader of Shadow Gate. Stanson desired to once again take control of a populace, though he did not necessarily get his wish this time around.
Death
- "This will hurt."
- ―Ronovi Tavisaen, moments before executing Stanson Rend
Upon Ronovi's departure from Dajorra after her appointment to Headmaster, Stanson found himself growing tired and bored with Ol'val proceedings. He began to disfavor Arcona and its deeds, feeling as if he was being ignored and neglected after so many years of dedication to the Brotherhood. Concluding that it was time to find a new place to rise in power, he attempted to make contact with the Jedi of Odan-Urr, thinking that he could prove to be a vital political figure in Menat Ombo and bring new strength and presence to the recently besieged Jedi Council. The Horizons conflict began before he could finish talks with the Jedi.
After retaking control of their dominion shortly after the death of Archibald Zoraan and the vaccinations of the Dark Jedi against the Horizon plague, Arconan forces were able to slice into and decode various transmissions seemingly coming from Qel-Droma. Socorra Erinos, then Quaestor of the house, reviewed the transcripts of the conversations between Stanson and High Councillor Drodik Va'lence al'Tor and put a price on the man's head for his treachery. Only mere hours after the bounty had been levied, Stanson fled to the outer reaches of space in hopes of seeking clemency and security from Ronovi.
However, Ronovi had received the news of the man's betrayal while aboard the Paladin, the flagship of the Shadow Academy, where she had recently received her inoculation and recovered her use of the Force. Detecting Stanson's rogue ship bobbing along the edge of the Shroud, she employed a tractor beam to force the vessel into the hangar bay, where Stanson was arrested and sentenced to death for treason against the Brotherhood without trial. Ronovi, as a final message of irony to her former ally, executed Stanson Rend by a single shot to the head with the former politician's very own hold-out blaster, which he had used many times to kill or injure his own enemies.
Ronovi dealt with a brief query from the Justicar, Taigikori Aybara, shortly after the murder. However, as Stanson was not a member of the Brotherhood, his death was deemed insignificant to the proceedings of the Chamber. Stanson Yohan Rend's cold corpse was ejected into space, left to float aimlessly through the cosmos, where his reputation and notoriety would dwindle to nothing in the oncoming years. No one, not even his former friends and family, would care to remember him.
Characteristics
Stanson Rend, circa 30 ABY.
Appearance
Stanson, while still a relatively young man prior to his death, felt the test of time against him. While still a handsome man, his hair grayed prematurely, though he kept it combed and maintained a neatly trimmed beard. His body underwent major changes after his years as a bulky, muscular man in his youth, and he remained tall and lanky until his death.
Despite looking older than he really was, Stanson was extraordinarily debonair, a demeanor that any criminal boss seemed to maintain. He wore formal attire constantly, normally donning long sleeves to hide the numerous tattoos he received in his years as a gang member. He seemed to unintentionally pose once he became more political, constantly sitting with his hands folded in front of him or standing with one hand in his pocket as if he were getting his picture taken all the time.
Personality
Like his looks, Stanson changed personality-wise over the years. While at first being very quiet yet aggressive as a youth, he became smooth, refined, and conversational. He normally kept to himself until he found it right to speak, and he handled things with grace in his later years rather than the force he used as a younger man. His tone was gentle, almost calming, even when the words he spoke were intimidating.
Stanson sided with anyone who gave him the better deal. His constant moves from planet to planet and family to family spoke for that. For some time, he was happy with his fortune and standing in the Brotherhood, a feeling that would sour in the months before his death. He was also very loyal to the Rends as the head of the family, treating his members as if they were his siblings; however, he would not hesitate in killing any of his family members should they have betrayed him.