Mauro Wynter is a Human male assigned to Clan Odan-Urr. Currently, he serves as the Quaestor of Satele Shan and Magistrate to the Voice. A seasoned pilot and veteran of the destruction of New Tython he is also a skilled marksman and tactician. Once an infamous mercenary, the events of the Eleventh Great Jedi War and subsequent affiliation with Odan-Urr changed his outlook.
Orphaned by the age of twelve, he became a skilled treasure hunter scouring the wastelands of Raxus Prime before learning of his heritage and seeking vengeance for his family off-world. The young Human quickly made a name for himself specializing in finding and trading Sith artifacts and ancient Force-sensitive relics throughout the Mid-Rim.
While looting priceless items from the Tomb of Marka Ragnos on Korriban, the events of the Tenth Great Jedi War overtook Wynter. Detained by forces loyal to the Dark Council, the Human was taken to Antei and interrogated. Released to the custody of the Shadow Academy, Mauro Wynter quickly scoured all available texts and manuscripts his rank would allow. Rapidly rising through the ranks of the Shadow Academy, Wynter began acquiring a personal collection of tomes and artifacts.
As a Professor of History in the Shadow Academy, Wynter was approached by agents of the Inquisitorius and offered admittance to the order. The Human accepted, seeking further knowledge. As part of his Inquisitorius cover, Wynter joined Clan Scholae Palatinae. It was during this tenure that he fought on the side of the oppressors during the destruction of New Tython. This traumatic event forced Wynter to flee and ultimately join those he previously hunted and helped to destroy.
Character History
Early Tragedy and Finding Purpose
Streets of Raxus Prime
Mauro Wynter was born under the ominous and bleak spires of the industrial wasteland of Raxus Prime. The once booming and prosperous metropolis world was far past its prime millennia ago, and the recent resurgence of the world due to the exploits of Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems had given way to near lawlessness under lax control by the nascent Tion Hegemony and the Imperial overlords.
In 6 ABY Wynter was born to Commander Calus Wynter and a local female named Talindra Djo. The senior Wynter had come to Raxus Prime nearly a lifetime prior as a young mercenary of the Separatist militia forces that had gallantly defended the world from the Galactic Republic and her clone armies.
By the time of Wynter's birth, Calus had gained command of the nascent and growing community of ex-patriots who could never return to their homes. Clandestine communications had been established from within the backwater of the Tion Hegemony to the Mid-Rim, but the people on Raxus Prime were a broken and exploited people. Wynter’s mother left for parts unknown and a brighter future in 12 ABY. This abandonment of the loving and caring woman, so different from the manipulative and sardonic locals to which Mauro grew around, was a devastating blow.
Calus Wynter, by 16 ABY, had all but neglected his son with the dual misery of holding together the factious veterans on Raxus Prime and the personal tragedy of losing his one and only love. It was in this year that the senior Wynter decided to gamble his people on a return to their homes. Allying his few remaining aged veterans and the cream of the next generation of soldiers with local pirates and Black Sun operatives, Calus prepared for war.
Wynter's solitary and neglected upbringing had a deep impact on the inquisitive and naturally outgoing Human. Without an outlet for his budding social needs or companionship, he turned to reading and study of all the trash heaps of history that is Raxus Prime. During this period, the men under Calus Wynter and local criminal elements boarded transports and readied makeshift warships and prepared to raid Umbara. Wynter did not wish his father goodbye, and no words passed between the two men. Only a sad look crossed both their brows. In later years Wynter would understand his father lost the ability to care for anyone once his mother left.
Wynter's Holocron
Word finally came two years later in 18 ABY, the mission had been a spectacular defeat. The pirates and veterans had been betrayed by the Black Sun and turned over to the Empire. Recordings of the executions and heads were transported back to Raxus Prime as a grim reminder.
The loss of both parents drastically altered the budding Human. With all hope for the future stolen for the remaining women, elderly, and children of the diaspora on Raxus Prime, Wynter became extroverted to a degree. Publicly he acted as a caring and ponderous youth who fostered a sense of community. Secretly, he sent younger children and his peers on dangerous scavenger hunts and pick pocketing missions to gather more intelligence and data on a myriad of subjects that Wynter could find.
Late in 18 ABY a culminating point was reached. With all love and feelings of betrayal and loss all but shunted inside, Wynter garnered what would be his defining drive for the future. Scouring Count Dooku’s former headquarters a small cache of documents were discovered, as well as a holocron belonging to a long dead Sith adherent from Korriban.
The potent mixture of the final loss of all familial ties, a crumbling community on a long dead and poisonous world forgotten by all, Wynter found a purpose. Outright military intervention and a coup had already failed and cost the life of his father. No, Wynter had his own path that would take decades to put into fruition. At age 12, Wynter knew he must learn as much information as he could. He would find a way to make such a mark on the galaxy. And to do it, he would have to find all the holocrons and ancient treasure and lure on Raxus Prime, the Tion Hegemony, and within the Mid-Rim.
Treasure Hunter
Wynter's later adolescence and early manhood was a period of intense dedication to the craft of treasure hunting and excavation of ancient Sith and Jedi locations spread out amongst the far flung expanse of the Mid-Rim. Leaving the decaying diaspora community on Raxus Prime as a stowaway on a scrap freighter, the greater galaxy became available to him.
The first stop was on Ossus, not far from the environs of the Tion Hegemony. Ossus awarded Wynter a rich hunting ground, here he spent years pursuing Jedi artifacts and learning much from the old library world. He made a small fortune on selling these trinkets as oddities to the occasional tourist and spacer that braved the Imperial control to conduct research here. Eventually, he became a locally renowned historian on the traditions of Ossus. Yet, his time here would not end happily.
Ruins of Korriban
His exploits had attracted the notice of the Imperial overlords. In the aftermath of the Great Jedi Purge and the rise of the Empire, few could study the Jedi without strict scrutiny and the danger of being abducted and questioned. Hot on his heels, Imperial agents were closing in and the window of escaping an Imperial jail cell was diminishing for Wynter. He was forced to turn over his entire fortune to bribe his persecutors and seek passage on a mining vessel in the employ of pirates to the ancient Sith colony of Malachor V.
Now in his early twenties, penniless, and with only the clothes on his back and no way of communicating with his remaining friends on Raxus Prime, Wynter determined to make the best of it on the backwater of Malachor V near the Outer Rim. Far from the heart of the ancient Sith Empire, Malachor V held many secrets for the scholar to discover. The hulking asteroid field that remained of Malachor V was an odd choice for Wynter, as it required great skill in salvage work and deep space mining to find any treasures or relics of note. He plied his trade, and assisted the pirates who stalked the system waiting for any wayward traveler or Imperial survey team that was unlucky enough to trespass in this foreboding system.
Wynter found several artifacts in the debris field, many he turned over to his pirate brethren. However, he was able to piece together a star chart to the Deep Core. This chart would present the location of the mythical planet of Korriban, a Sith stronghold of ancient times. Wynter successfully stole a shuttle from the pirates and slipped out of the Malachor System undetected.
Tomb of Ajunta Pall
The successful hijacking of a pirate shuttle and the waypoints to Korriban provided Wynter with a sense of accomplishment that would come to a jarring conclusion almost immediately upon reaching Korriban. Entering the system, a myriad flotilla of hostile fighters, capital ships, and landing craft were descending on the Sith citadel world. Taking evasive maneuvers in a slow shuttle proved nearly useless, and Wynter resorted to trying to force a landing on Korriban. Relying on his resourcefulness, for a time he was able to evade the hostile creatures and unknown legions of Force users that had waged war on Korriban. Near the Tomb of Ajunta Pall Wynter sought refuge and for a time was able to hide in the ruins and subsist off of the local flora and fauna he could track and kill. Hunting by night and learning the ancient Sith culture and history by day the first few weeks on Korriban passed uneventfully.
Finally, near the end of this first month on Korriban, he was spotted by Force users and was cornered within the tomb. Armed with a blaster, for a short time Wynter held his attackers at bay. However, the robed assailants easily incapacitated Wynter. He awoke at a base command center surrounded by soldiers, mercenaries, and Dark Jedi. Questioned and tortured mercilessly, in short order Wynter found himself onboard another shuttle departing for space unknown. It was perhaps the darkest moment of the wily and cold Human's life.
Yet, in this defeat another success rose from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix. The Dark Jedi who had taken him belonged to Clan Scholae Palatinae and were sending him to begin his training deep within the heart of the Dark Brotherhood hegemonic holdings, the Shadow Academy on Lyspair.
Shadow Academy
Trials at the Shadow Academy
Wynter arrived on Lyspair fully intent on learning all he could, dedicating himself to researching the massive assortment of scrolls and tomes. Months of intense study and learning occurred at a feverish pace where Wynter's acumen grew. Soon, his focus and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge gained attention of the sitting Headmaster. Wynter took on the mantle of Professor of Assistants responsible for teaching many of the classes of lore within the Dark Brotherhood. Teaching such a wide range of classes allowed Wynter to meet and befriend many members of the Dark Brotherhood and he rapidly rose up the ranks and attained graduate maxima cum laude attainment. During his time as a Professor, Wynter was heralded for his ability to proctor the most examinations in the most rapid time of all his peers. It was with the Shadow Academy where Wynter first got his name known to the greater membership of the Dark Brotherhood.
Acceptance to the Inquisitorius
Inquisitorius Order Wynter's work within the Shadow Academy and his contacts made as a Professor alerted him to further discrepancies and irregularities within certain members of Clan Scholae Palatinae. He kept note of these contacts and the nefarious activities he was alerted to. Not knowing whom to trust, the Human kept his silence while pursuing further intelligence and knowledge within the halls of the Shadow Academy and the avenues and palaces of Antei where the power politics between the Dark Council and the various Consuls were waged.
In time, Wynter's path crossed that of Lucyeth of Scholae Palatinae. A Grand Inquisitor in his own right, Lucyeth was aware of the corruption that had pervaded the Cocytus System and informed the Human that the Emperor Xen'Mordin Vismorsus-Palpatine himself was looking for discrete aid to tackle such forces arrayed against his dominion. Wynter was initiated into the Inquisitorius and taught the secrets of the order that would aid him in the coming clandestine war waging across the Cocytus System.
Many missions were arranged for the Human to train as a pilot and an intelligence operative. These skills would prove instrumental in the coming assassination missions that, along with an extensive body of work, would see Wynter enter the highest echelon of the Inquisitorius. Wynter departed Antei for the cold landscape of Caina.
These missions, and many other classified projects, gained Wynter high regard within the Inquisitorius and he attained the rank of Grand Inquisitor. In order to continue his career and search for access to more information and ancient artifacts, Wynter begrudgingly accepted an offer to join Clan Scholae Palatinae. He would continue the clandestine work of the Inquisitorius and further his piloting training and martial prowess.
Imperial Capital of Ohmen City
Scholae Palatinae Service
Once Wynter arrived on Judecca, he quickly found a willing master in Koryn Thraagus. With access to the library complex within the Imperial Winter Palace, Wynter's knowledge of the past and arcane arts grew.
Flushed with a new sense of belonging and greater devotion to the organization, Wynter accepted the mantle of Aedile and assisted Kell Dante for a time in establishing House Imperium. Feeling that he was neglecting his studies and research, Wynter resigned his position some time later once a new generation of highly skilled Dark and Gray Jedi took over the mantle of leadership. Wynter was coaxed out of semi-retirement by Delak Krennel to serve as sergeant of battleteam Shadow Guard. It was during this time that the events of the Eleventh Great Jedi War occurred, and Wynter fought against the Resistance. Seeing the destruction and genocide he decided to change his ways and switched sides to Clan Odan-Urr.
Switching Sides & Tython Squadron
Tython Squadron TIE Defenders
The genesis of Wynter's operations within Odan-Urr began with the destruction of New Tython during the Eleventh Great Jedi War. Odan-Urr’s failure to stop the calamity and protect the Harakoan race shook the organization to its core. The need for a dedicated defense force to ensure the same fate did not befall the denizens of the Kiast System became acute due to the unexpected victory over the forces of the Collective in the Twelfth Great Jedi War. With new recruits, prosperity, and prestige the secrecy and security of Odan-Urr’s territory has never faced greater peril.
Director Maximus Alvinius and Executor Len Iode approached Mauro Wynter clandestinely in a series of meetings within the Sky Breach Base to discuss the formation of Tython Squadron. Major Silvia Tanos, Intelligence Officer of the Remembrance of Seher, was assigned as the military liaison and helped Wynter hand pick the pilots of Tython Squadron. Nearly all were veterans of the destruction of New Tython.
Wynter briefing Tython Squadron
Upon the initial formation many new pilots flocked to join Tython Squadron to the point where many lesser pilots transferred to flight crew and field operatives of the nascent internal security arm of the Battleteam. The pilots underwent countless training missions and simulations.
During one such training mission the squadron caught a smuggling vessel, the Raxanna's Remorse. This C-Roc Cruiser was moving advanced weaponry within the Kiast System and sending coded messages to the Iron Throne and hidden operatives within Sky Breach Base. The squadron, due to impressive flying by all parties, was able to captured the vessel and returned to Daleem.
Mauro next had the unit investigate the data gathered from the Raxanna's Remorse and other fragmented intelligence. During the so called Operation Enigma, Tython Squadron spent extensive time and efforts tracking down insider threats. Evidence pointed towards a clandestine mercenary group operating under the aegis of the Inquisitorius and other large industrial conglomerates within the Kiast System and the Arx System. Tython Squadron triangulated communications stemming from the Unknown Regions, and was contacted by members of Battleteam Nighthawk of Clan Arcona. Wynter mobilized an expeditionary force for advanced scouting and reconnaissance. This would turn out to be Tython Squadron's first mission outside of Kiast and its baptism of fire.
The intelligence gathered from this mission implicated rogue elements of the Inquisitorious working in league with the Shipwrights’ Guild to overthrow the Vitali Empire. Tython Squadron mobilized teams to infiltrate the Shipwrights’ Guild sprawling territories on Daleem. The infiltration teams found themselves ambushed in the streets while the pilots were jammed in the skies above. Mauro Wynter lead a fighting retreat out of the streets of Daleem and reached Sky Breach Base, but sadly Major Silvia Tanos died heroically protecting her team against a high ranking Inquisitor.
All appeared lost as landing craft began to converge on The Foundry, the Shipwrights’ Guild main industrial complex, discharging thousands of assault forces. However, the timely arrival of reinforcements gave the few remaining friendly craft a brief respite that was direly needed. As the Corsair fleet surged forward to finish off the rag-tag flotilla, their flagship was isolated. Caught in a pincer movement, the Maelstrom Corsairs were annihilated and the enemy ground forces loyal to the Shipwrights’ Guild were contained. Tython Squadron had held, but at the loss of many new pilots wounded in action and removed from flight status, and the death of their Adjutant, Major Silvia Tanos.
Trauma, Growth, and Embracing the Force
Wynter's Physical Alterations
With the death of Silvia Tanos the last vestiges of the old Mauro Wynter disappeared in the streets of Daleem. The shock and pain of losing someone he deeply loved after swearing that such a thing would never happen again caused a severe identity crisis for the Human. It was the catalyst for Mauro to finally embrace the Force in all of its grandeur and terror.
The first step along this path was resigning from Tython Squadron as the position of Aedile of Satele Shan opened up. Secondly, to halt the constant attempts on his life from the Inquisitorious, Wynter assumed the position of Magistrate to the Voice. Seemingly serving two masters, Wynter vowed to protect his Clan by staying one step ahead of the Inquisitorius machinations against them.
Yet, the death of Silvia Tanos warped Mauro's outlook on life and his previous bubbly personality and cavalier attitude changed in time. He sought out the esoteric arts and delved into Mechu-Deru in order to retain parts of Tanos' memory alive in the form of Ghost, a Magna Guard droid he imbued sentience into. Furthermore, he sought atonement in self-mutilation, and replaced his limbs with cybernetics and ritualistic scarring of his face and body.
Wynter's changed philosophy continued to expand. The former militarist swore off direct combat and the use of weaponry. He professed a view of only droids and other machinery being able to grant a clean death, and killing personally imbued malice and hatred. He began focusing on using terror, illusion, and mind tricks to subvert his foes and taking control of combat droids for offensive operations. This heretical and dark perversion found willing adherents in Lyra Narix and Mair Sul, OEF pilots that had previously served under Silvia Tanos.
In order to keep their heresy a secret, Wynter formed the off-the-record Seraph Flight with Sal, Narix, and Ghost. Using their contacts on the black market and within the military several heavily modified Z-95 Headhunters and a cadre of specialized IG-RM Thug Droids were diverted to the use of the group. This unit takes the mandate of Tython Squadron a step further, and serves as a partisan group that has no qualms getting involved in the petty squabbles of the Vitali Empire and striking out at the criminal elements that fall off the radar of the OEF and Clan Odan-Urr at large. Likewise, the unit seeks to further their mastery and understanding of esoteric arts and Force cults.
Chaos on Daleem and Recalled to Arx
After the events of the event known as Tipping Point and Dominion, Wynter found Satele Shan a decimated and war ravaged House. As all mercenary forces were banned within the Vitali Empire, Wynter was forced to relinquish the assets of Seraph Flight and wipe the memory files of Ghost. He took this in stride, resigned to the fact that he could only exert so much influence and control within Clan Odan-Urr.
In order to keep the eyes of the Inquisitorious at bay, and secure the fragile and tentative peace brokered between Kiast and Arx in the face of the threat of the Collective, Wynter relinquished much of his day-to-day functions as Quaestor and set up his official residence on Arx under the auspices of the Voice. Wynter was satisfied that the Voice had not sanctioned the rogue Inquisitorious incursions that had enabled the Maelstrom Corsairs to attack the Vitali Empire and the resulting death of Silvia Tanos. Howevever, his loyalty was put to the test in earnest.
Owing to Wynter's military background and keen mind he was tasked with several high profile administrative missions. Specifically, he compiled an exhaustive dossier on the organization, manning, and capabilities of the Iron Forces. This was the first time such a comprehensive report was compiled on the military forces under the control of the Iron Throne. Next, he was given the authority to establish the operating procedures and order of battle of the Inquisitorious owned vessels. Finally, he worked with Rhent Ghosan to realign the Arx Capital Exchange. All of these prestigious missions came at a cost that Wynter was willing and able to pay; he allowed his connection to the Force to lie dormant - sealing himself off from his ability to use his powers. Mauro found himself again serving in the capacity of a mercenary.
Founding the Silver Cloaks
Silver Cloaks in Formation
Flush with credits from selling off the assets of Seraph Flight and some ample influx of cash due to being awarded a prestigious Sapphire Blade, Wynter took a long period to consider his next move. While mercenary forces were technically banned within Kiast, Wynter found a critical loophole in order to exploit this ruling and serve his duty to both Clan Odan-Urr and the Inquisitorious.
Wynter purchased a T-5 Deliverance medical shuttle christened the Salarius. He modified the vessel's ample weapons platform of 6 dual-laser cannons to heavy laser cannons, enabling the vessel to be a potent pocket gunship in its own right. Next, he stole a cache of old Separatist droids from the impounded Raxanna's Remorse to serve as security for the medical craft, loading three full squads of them into the storage container. Known as The Silver Cloaks due to their ornate chromium plating, this mercenary company of B1 Battle Droids were programmed to be especially skilled at fighting Force users.
Officially, the Salarius and the Silver Cloaks are sanctioned to operate as a disaster relief force and combat medics within the Kiast System while being recognized and on the payroll of the Inquisitorious, serving as a force to hunt down rogue agents and threats deemed needing extermination by the Voice. With this new mercenary force under his command, Wynter was finally able to reconcile serving two masters, the Voice and the High Councilor of Odan-Urr.