- "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
- ―Friedrich Nietzsche
Mitsuhide is a NPC Krath Archpriest in House Odan-Urr. His time is spent instructing apprentices and enjoying the surprise on their faces each time he chooses to speak.
History
Childhood: Protector-in-Training 1 BBY - 15 ABY
In 1 BBY, Mitsuhide was born on Kyataru and showed the greatest promise at an early age. He spent a great deal of time with his father, Mitsunori Akechi, learning the ways of the protective nature of their fighting style. There was little that Mitsuhide could not do within an instant of learning of it. Mitsuhide was always a slightly troubled child. He was given to fits of silence where the other children his age would be very vocal. He never really made close friends; only those he could trust were allowed to actually meet the real young man. He began to nurse the hatreds in his heart towards those who had wronged him. Thus began his descent into the Dark Side of the Force.
Mitsuhide was not a very nice child. Even the soul of civility would not save those who had caused the young boy harm. On a few occasions, some of the boys from a neighboring village turned up missing. Last seen in the company of Mitsuhide, these boys simply vanished. With only Mitsuhide’s side of the story, little could be done about the missing children. Mitsunori, however, was not fooled. He knew about his son’s leaning towards violence. He’d witnessed it in the training dojo where he taught the boy. In an effort to control the boy’s urges, Mitsunori invited several combat trainers to their home in order to help with his son’s discipline. The instructors were a Twi’lek Master Cyra'ant K'nar, who was a Follower of Palawa, the Zabrak Master Saith Saeli who instructed K’thri and Vim, and finally Master Alla Neronel who instructed him in Dulon and Broken Gate. These only barely managed to keep the young boy in check, but the tenets of the styles stayed with him. Soon, he never raised his hands or his weapon unless absolutely needed. He began to read more often and fell even further into silence. Soon, his speaking became so infrequent that when he spoke, his parents and instructors paid very close attention.
On the days that he was not training with his blade or his fists, Mitsuhide began to learn to dance. He found great enjoyment in this and could find the solace from the terrible acts he had committed that had completely taken over his mind. In his dances, his movements always showed a deep sense of sorrow that nothing could contend with. He spent so much time dancing and practicing his fighting styles, that he eventually severed all Human contact. He put all of these things behind him and focused only on the things he found enjoyment in.
Much of that changed in the summer of 7 ABY with the birth of Mihoshi Keibatsu. When the daughter of Koji and Mariko was born, Mitsuhide was taken from his father’s care and brought to Kuroshin. There he resided and watched over the little girl until the Day of Fire.
Adolescence: The Day of Fire 15 ABY
The Day of Fire occurred in 15 ABY, when the name Keibatsu was synonymous with traitor. His father was one of the first to fall in the uprising against the loyalists. From there, Mitsuhide fought to keep Mihoshi safe from their people. With steeled reserve, Mitsuhide repelled the invading masses to allow the chance for Mihoshi to escape. Once he figured she was safely away, he pulled back to further ground.
When the fighting had finally stopped, Mitsuhide searched for his ward and her brothers. Finding none of them, the only surviving Akechi became irrevocably insane.
Adolescence: Despair and Rebirth 15 ABY - 18 ABY
Mitsuhide found himself deep within the pits of despair after the loss of his ward. When the ashes settled, Mitsuhide was stumbled upon by his Teras Kasi Instructor, Cyra’ant K’nar. She lifted the broken teen from the rubble of his quarters and they left for Ryloth. In the company of his Master, Mitsuhide quieted the insanity that lies dormant in the recesses of his mind.
During the three years spent on Ryloth with Cyra’ant, the two became very close. Cyra’ant was less than a decade older than Mitsuhide and they soon began seeing each other in different light than Master and Student.
From the teachings and the care from Cyra’ant, Mitsuhide slowly understood the way to control the Hunter, as it would be later called. Through her help, Mitsuhide was able to bring about a period of sanity that would last until much later in life. He continued to train under her until he had caught up with her extent of the form. From there, they worked together as students and lovers than as Master and Student.
For the remainder of the time spent on Ryloth, Mitsuhide began collecting books on any subject he could find. He had only known one purpose in life and that was to protect. His off hours consisted of dance, training, and reading. Every evening, he would work on what he’d learn from the books with Cyra’ant, perfecting each move to the best of his abilities before moving on to the next.
Without fail, however, this was not the end of Mitsuhide’s road. He returned home for a day in the fields to find Cyra’ant missing. Only a letter was left for him.
“Mitsuhide, I’ve had to leave for the time being. I know this will not be easy to understand, but please try. Someday, I will find you again…Cyra.”
With nothing left on Ryloth for him, he packed his things into the small cargo hold that he had on the B’nargin. After he was packed away, he looked once more at the house he shared with Cyra’ant and shed a single tear for the memories as he boarded his ship and left.
Adulthood: The Unknown 18 ABY - 24 ABY
Mitsuhide's journey out of Known Space is shrouded in mystery and rumors. Some have heard reports that he killed more than a hundred men in a single battle, even more say that he has died before and risen again due to an unclean end. All that is really known, is that Mitsuhide dropped of the radar of all living beings for almost a decade. There were few who could find him; fewer still who could keep him found. He doesn't speak of his journeys, his findings nor his life during that time. Due to this silence, people have only been able to speculate what he has done. The truth behind it is simply this. He lived only by his blade and knew that he would die by it. He traveled much of unknown space and in doing so, it has left his mind slightly unraveled. He was alone and faced the blackest of nights with not a soul to talk with. Many times, he nearly found himself sucking space because of the dementia he began to suffer from. His movements had become erratic and his thoughts thirsted only for his death. He stared into the abyss and it looked deep into his soul. He began to lust for violence, a lust that would not be quelled for many more years to come. It was about this time that an alternate personality began to surface. The natives of one planet called it Bhadra, meaning Traveler. It was not always present, but at times was so present that it took over most motor functions that Mitsuhide had.
For many years, this "Bhadra" was his only company. The voice wouldn't name himself, so Mitsuhide gave him a name and even began to refer to him as such. Faram is what Mitsuhide named this voice and it seemed to have known Mitsuhide since he was a child. It knew secrets to his past and called him by his real name, Zalera. Faram was always there, perhaps not speaking but always watching. He used Mitsuhide's eyes and took in everything that Mitsuhide saw and filing it away. This eventually caused Mitsuhide to partition his mind in an attempt to keep Faram from taking control on him.
It was then that he became almost barbaric in his ways of fighting, the fluidity of his movements lost for sheer power of the swing; another process that would take many years to revert from. He had lost much of his taste for dancing, his taste for flair. His fighting style was no longer graceful, it was simply brutal and deadly. He traveled for another year and a half before he would return to known space, his mind, however, would never be the same as it was before his departure. It was during this time that he began to feel the fabric of his sanity slipping. He felt his grip on reality slipping and soon began to believe that there were things, both seen and unseen, that stalked him in the shadows.
His silence, in his mind, is well deserved for this subject. No one would understand his life during that time, so he remains reticent about it. His spends most of his time is silent observation, watching as things pass him by with or without his comment or even notice.
Adulthood: The Brotherhood 24 ABY - 29 ABY
Upon his return to Known Space, Mitsuhide learned of the Brotherhood of the Dark Jedi. Finding some small amount of joy in his heart, his lips twisted into a vicious smile and he set the course for the Shadow Academy on Lyspair. His intelligence, it seemed, had not dwindled during his time out in the Unknown, but his demeanor was greatly changed. Within the first six months of joining the Brotherhood, he had smothered six of his fellow pupils and felled another two. He quickly rose through the ranks to Protector. He sat at that rank for many years, seemingly unable to advance further. This, of course, enraged the young man to no end. He almost immediately began to work twice as hard on his studies. During this time, the Dark Brotherhood was breaking ties with the Emperor's Hammer. Mitsuhide sided with the Hammer for a time, before finding that they simply could not feed his needs of power. Contacting the then Grand Master Firefox, Mitsuhide approached him with a humble heart and asked to be allowed into the true Brotherhood.
With open arms, he was welcomed into the ranks of Clan Naga Sadow. He served faithfully under the Keibatsu brothers, Muz Keibatsu Sadow and Nekura Manji Keibatsu. He rose quickly through the ranks, reaching Knighthood faster than he imagined possible. The brothers saw his talent and made him the Tetrarch of the Avatars of Darkness. Excelling marvelously at this new position, Mitsuhide found himself at the forefront of this once dead battleteam. Soon after, however, Mitsuhide suffered from a sense of restlessness and left his home behind for a time. Just before his departure, Consul Korras Aquillarum promoted him to Krath Priest.
With his new robes in hand, Mitsuhide thanked his leaders for the honor of serving under them and he promised to be back soon. Some few months later, he hungered once more for the company of the Dark Jedi. Returning to Naga Sadow, he found himself conflicted with feelings of indifference and struck out once more. Spending a few brief months in Clan Tarentum, Mitsuhide eventually settled into Clan Plagueis under the leadership of Proconsul Aabsdu Dupar and Consul Aristan Dantes. Soon, Aristan Dantes found himself taking Grand Master Jac Cotelin's place as the Grand Master of the Dark Brotherhood. With Aabsdu now leading Clan Plagueis, Mitsuhide once more felt the restlessness arise.
After several months, Mitsuhide returned once more to Clan Plagueis. He spent his time now as Clan Envoy and as the Tetrarch of Exar's Shadow. Soon afterwards, he resigned from team leader to focus solely on his duties as Clan Envoy. Soon after, he was promoted to Krath Archpriest and then made Quaestor of House Satal Keto. This venture, however, did not last long. The summit feared another uprising and Mitsuhide was summarily forced to resign from his position. This incurred a great rancor from Mitsuhide and he vowed that one day he would see the Clan that had spurned him fall. He wished no ill will on the members of the clan, nor the clan itself. He would simply be there at the point of it destruction to laugh.
Departing once more, Mitsuhide left Brotherhood Space and was not heard from for many months. Where he went, no one knows, but he simply will not talk about it. He was gone for the better part of a year, this time his return to Clan Plagueis was met with deceit and lies. He was brought in as though there was no wrong done in the past and he felt he had the chance to flourish once more. This was not so, however, when the Aedile of House Satal Keto Alaris Jinn confronted Mitsuhide about a small matter with a Guardian named Kara Rohana. Ignoring this officious windbag, Mitushide continued with business as usual. He took on an apprentice, Kalei Basai and began instructing her in the ways of the Force and of the Sword.
Soon, though, events would arise that would cause the Archpriest to leave his home and be inevitably drawn back to Naga Sadow. He would confront Braecen Kaeth the Consul of Plagueis and express his distaste for a Guardian being made Aedile. Braecen, after hearing this, flew into a rage and demanded that Mitushide vacate his clan. Without further hesitation, Mitsuhide beseeched the Master at Arms and asked to be transferred into Naga Sadow. His apprentice was soon to follow as she would soon become villanized by Plagueis and ultimately made to feel as though she were already gone.
Shortly after his return to Naga Sadow, a civil war broke out between the Houses. He soon decided that House Marka Ragnos was not the place he wanted to be, so he departed for Ludo Kressh, the sister House in the Clan. He has since been hard to find as his paranoia leads him to suspect everyone and distance himself from people. He is, however, feeling himself drawn elsewhere. As though someone is looking for him, wanting his assistance.
He now spends his time engrossed in his studies, closing himself away in the Libraries of Naga Sadow. He has utterly ignored all contact and opted only to work on his studies. He closets himself in the libraries and only exits during the night when he feels the absolute need for sleep.
Upon transferring from Marka Ragnos, Mitsuhide quickly joined the House Summit as Rollmaster of the House. Though, however, his near inability to converse with people led him to resign from the position and accepting a teaching job in the Simus Institute. His students are all surprised to see that the Archpriest is, in fact, capable of speaking. He teaches his students much about the mythology of the Clan, the Brotherhood, and the entire Galaxy. He oftentimes finds himself rambling to his students which gives him a few meaningful stares from the Consul Kharon Daragon. However, his students sometimes even hear of Myths outside of Known Space from his journeys. Much of his lessons are about things that have been proven to be myth, but some such as those from the Unknown can neither be confirmed as real or not.
With the partitions inside of his head weakening, Mitsuhide once more has to struggle against remembering his past and deal with Faram. Having cast away his birth name, he has truly become the "son" of the Akechi family that had taken him in so many years prior. Though, he subconsciously remembers his training and how to dance, he continues to fail at retaining the memories and they come to him in flashes of grace and nobility.
Adulthood: Change of Heart 29 ABY - 30 ABY
Mitsuhide withstood yet another war. He had found that he no longer felt the call of blood, no longer felt the seductive pull of the Dark Side. Shifting his ideals, he took his katana and melted the blade down. After days of working the steel, he placed the razor sharp edge on the inside of the blade with the thick dull end facing outwards. With the reversed blade, he vowed that he would take no more lives in atonement for his past.
He began instructing those who sought his guidance the power of mercy. The freedom it brought with it and the honor of protecting those close to you with a sword.
- "A sword is truly a weapon. One that is designed only for death. The innocence of my teaching is nice talk. But, I would like to believe that someday it will be true."
- ―Mitsuhide Akechi
His mind having unlocked and reformed together, his brother's spirit has gone to rest. He doesn't have violent mood swings anymore and his temperament is more even keeled. He seems to always be smiling as though he had his own private joke to laugh about. His memories had also returned to him, his movements became less disheveled and more like a dancer's exotic fluidity. His grace and nobility had returned with his peaceful nature, granting him peace of mind and the ability to forgive himself of his past. With that forgiveness, he learned that he had to be able to forgive others in turn or his lessons were worthless.
After a time, Mitsuhide had become disillusioned with the workings of the Brotherhood and felt that time would be best spent on his own again. With that, he left Brotherhood space intending to never return.
Adulthood: Outer Rim 30 ABY - 33 ABY
Three years he spent travelling the Outer Rim. He moved from planet to planet and learned different from each place. He never brought himself back to the idea of wanting to continue to survive. He traveled hoping that someone would be able to take the stroke that killed him.
Towards the end of his self-imposed exile, Mitsuhide found a village under attack from a bandit group lead by a few bastard children of the Mandalorians. He moved with extreme quickness and reached the village only to find the entire place in flames. The bandits huddled around a small figure and laughed. In the middle of joking about how long they would have to wait for each one to be done with her, Mitsuhide struck like a coiled snake.
With four quick strikes, most of the bandits were down. The remaining ones turned to face him as he drew his lightsaber and ignited it. With a pale look at the weapon in his hand, the few bandits who could move did at great velocities and never returned to the village.
The young woman looked up at him, fearful that he planned to do the same thing that the bandits wanted. With a gentle smile, Mitsuhide held a hand out to her and helped her up. He led her away from the village and the dead to the waiting ship. From there, they traveled to Kyataru and his home there. He began to teach her the ways of the Force and named her Lei'ella after adopting her into his family.
Adulthood: House Revan 33 ABY - 34 ABY
With the shift in time, Mitsuhide finally decided to return to Brotherhood space. The pull of old ties to friends and former allies, he retraced his steps through space and arrived at the gates of House Revan with a young waif in tow. He smiled down at her as they arrived and let her know that he would ensure her safety and keep her away from all who would cause her harm.
With his usual stoicism, he approached the Quaestor and Aedile. He made himself known and quickly settled in to prepare for the coming Vendetta.
Adulthood: Time of the Grey 34 ABY - present
With the closing of the Vendetta, Mitsuhide mulled things over while he stayed in the halls of House Revan. With a seeming unprovoked action, Mitsuhide left Revan space and departed for House Odan-Urr. He knew he didn't belong in the houses of the Dark Jedi, but he wasn't sure about the halls of the Order. Swallowing his pride for the first time in years, Mitsuhide packed his things and departed.
He was greeted with fairly open arms by Ji, the Quaestor of Odan-Urr.