- "Our blows forge Arcona's Destiny!"
- ―Motto of the Black Hammer Brigade, created by Arack
Arack Tavar, actually the Second, is an Epicanthix Dark Jedi and infantryman of the Black Hammer Brigade where he is also the resident armorsmith and culinary specialist. In addition, Tavar boasts a strong heritage in the Force, stemming from his father and that has lead to Arack's early success as a Shadow Disciple and Protector, his rank within the Shadesworn Clan and the Dark Jedi Brotherhood respectively.
Character History
Not Really Home
- "We're moving, for I've been recalled back to Selen. Fear not, Ameila, you've been offered a commission in the Arconan Military and Arack will remain with us until he comes of age and goes to the Shadows to bring our family honor"
- ―Battlemaster Valant Tavar informing his wife of their move from Panatha to Selen and of their son's ultimate destiny
The boy that would come to be the Obelisk, and later Sith, known as Arack Tavar was born to a semi-retired Clan Arcona Battlemaster named Valant Tavar and his wife, an Epicanthix private contractor Amelia Tavar, on the planet of Panatha in 12 ABY. They named their son "Arack" after Valant's own father, a member of one of the Emperor's dark side cults and who had perished alongside the Galactic Empire in 4 ABY.
Before the birth of their son, Valant and Amelia had lived on Panatha for close to 6 years (6 ABY to 12 ABY) but with the coming of his heir, the Battlemaster was reminded of his oath to bring his first-born son to the planet of Selen, where he would be trained as a Dark Jedi and put into service of the Shadow Clan upon his 18th birthday.
Keeping to the oath, Valant and Amelia moved from Panatha to Selen when Arack was just 6 months old and his mother went on to become a Second Lieutenant in the Dajorra Defense Force after the young Epicanthix turned one year old and was to start his Dark Jedi training in the form of indoctrination, or brainwashing.
Years passed in this method, and Arack became a Force child, increasingly loyal to a Clan he knew nothing about and his father, who had taken up further Dark Side training and by the time Arack was a teenager, had ascended to the rank of Battlelord while his mother sat at the rank of Captain. At age 14, the youngest Tavar was first taken to Estle City where he saw firsthand what he would come to serve...Clan Arcona...and Arack Tavar savored every moment of his visit, for he was unknowingly warped by the Dark Side already.
The next four years passed in a rush, with the up-and-coming Arconan being cut off more and more from his mother and an outside life, devoted solely to the Force and pleasing his father, Valant Tavar. Finally, the day came when Arack Tavar turned 18, an adult in the eyes of the Selenian Law and subject to the fulfillment of the Heirpromise Oath. By noon, dressed in fine clothing of dark blue and black, with his father by his side, Arack set off for the black-rock Citadel of Arcona.
Arconan Delay
- "I declare fealty to...to...the Obelisk Order!"
- ―Arack Tavar, ignorant of what he would truly become
The first order of business was to declare an Order for which Arack's early training would not affect but his later training would be based off of. Much to the dismay and chagrin of Valant, Arack chose to become one of the Guardians of the Brotherhood and was randomly assigned to House Galeres of the Shadow Clan. This pleased Valant greatly as he had been of the spice-dealing House in his youth.
With the surge of Displace Intergalactic and the troubles it presented for Arcona, Tavar was given quarters in the depths of the Citadel since the leadership of his new "family" and many of its members were off on their respective missions for the Lord Consul and no one would be at the Houses' base planet to see to his arrival.
Instead, a month passed with Arack immersing himself in study and lore about the Three Orders, Unification, and the Dark Council of the Brotherhood and via a private terminal that was linked to the Shadow Academy earned himself two Dark Side Degrees, called Mavens; Leadership and General History.
In the immediate wake of this scholastic success, the Shadow brethren returned from their various assignments and Arack Tavar, an Obelisk Novice, was thrust into the thick of subterfuge and political war. It would start with his Aedile and a lesson on obedience...
"So...Unsubtle"
- "Come with me, Novice. It is time you witness the balance that I must uphold"
- ―Aedile Zakath to Arack
During the month of study, Valant Tavar had left Arack to his own devices so now Tavar was truly alone as he wandered the Citadel , dodging military officials and palace aides in desperate attempts to find something or someone who could help him find out exactly what was going on; the General Invasion alarm had been sounded and no-one could point him to where House Galeres convened.
While Arack had become something of an adept under his father's tutelage, the Dark Side seemed to abandon him in the Citadel, dwarfed by the sheer nova-like levels of power emanating from some of the Equites and Elders of the Shadow Clan. By pure luck and a little Force intervention, Tavar managed to locate his first leader, Zakath, the Aedile. However the whole scene played out as if Zakath had found Tavar and the young Obelisk was shaken to the core as he lay his emerald eyes upon the lieutenant commander of Galeres.
Zakath was of the Sith and his garb reflected such affiliation; black leggings and a tunic covered pale and taught skin and a crown of messy black hair topped his head. The most alarming feature of the lieutenant was not his gothic mode of dress but his eyes...for they burned with the Fire of the Sith. This was the situation in which Arack was thrown into Arcona, being stared down by a sulphuric-eyed Knight of the Sith.
Dress Code
- "You are Novice? And yet you do not wear the robes of your rank..."
- ―Zakath before Force-choking Arack Tavar
The Aedile's first words to the new member of the criminal House was a berating. For Tavar had by chance dressed himself in the clothing that he had worn upon reporting to the Citadel a month previous and not the robes of the rank in which Tavar was at. Arack found him under a strange pressure as Zakath's black-gloved hand closed and so did his windpipe. The Epicanthix gurgled and struggled until he found Zakath's mercy and was released. Then he was thrown from the Aedile's sight until he changed into proper robes.
Twenty minutes later, the Novice returned, clad in light black robes with his hood drawn and was admitted to the spartan chambers of the Galerian Aedile. Now, it seemed, the demonic man had taken prisoners; a Omwati woman named Bryna and a unknown girl-child. Precise orders were given to Arack in the form of becoming these two's jailer and with nary another word, the black cloaked Aedile swept out of his quarters.
Fisticuffs/Deviation From Orders...
No more than 10 minutes passed before the Omwati, Bryna, had taken her revenge on Zakath through his pawn, Arack. While she had been disarmed (save for two Relby blaster pistols) by Zakath, her Force prowess with creating illusions remaind untapped and she created a loud and very-realisitic CRASH. Naturally, the Novice went to investigate during which time Bryna and her mysterious charge escaped, fleeing down the confusing and dark corridors of the Arconan seat of power.
The Obelisk realized his folly almost as soon as he made it; yet it was to late and within minutes, he was in hot pursuit. The chase lasted close to an hour through the halls of the Citadel, passing soldier and assistant alike. Finally, the hunter came to a back up conference room where he engaged in a brutal battle with Bryna, after the Dark Side fused within him.
By the end of the fight, Arack suffered from a bloody nose and bruised ribs, as well as cuts of various seriousness but the Omwati had taken the true beating; a broken nose topped her injuries but her pasty white skin had a new color to it...crimson of blood and already black and blue from bruises. How Tavar had beaten her so completely could only be traced back to the Dark Side that had roared through him -- and now left him as he fell unconscious. Aedile Zakath arrived moments later and wrapped the girl-child, who had been hidden in a separate room, in his robes and encased his pawn in the Force, taking both back to his quarters.
Branding
- "Why can't I move!?"
- ―Arack Tavar upon regaining consiouncess
Arack was frozen to the ground, on his knees and his Aedile was standing over him, an old scalpel gripped in his hand. With only the most meager explanation, that of disobeying Zakath's direct orders to leave the Omwati Bryna unharmed and the mystery girl-child unstressed, the Knight began to cut deep into Arack's left cheek, eteching some mysterious and archaic rune there.
Blood ran free from his wound as he was tasked with finding the Quaestor, Etah d'Tana, and cleaning himself up. However he was given one caveat...he could clear the blood from his face but could do nothing to repair the wound. Arack Tavar was to be branded in Arconan lore forever...there was only one left to complete that staple of his Dark Jedi existence.
How Far Can One Fall?
- "I do this, because I am Sith"
- ―Arack Tavar swearing into Zakath's service
In late 31 ABY, Arack Tavar received a letter from his father, Battlemaster Valant Tavar, that his mother (Amelia Tavar) was to be made the eleventh Head of Eldar Intelligence and given the rank of Major after having served for five years as Covert Action Group Echo's commander.
Arack was given one days leave and disguised as a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Autonomous Tactical Assault Marine Brigade and transported down to Eldar city where his mother and father resided in a military-financed penthouse. The day was seen as a foreshadow; for the family was reunited after a year of Arack being away.
That night, dressed in a stuffy and uncomfortable Class A uniform, Arack, Valant, and Amelia entered the Tenebrous Resort where the swearing in would take place and after a two hour long ceremony, the senior Tavar had evacuated his clearly bored son to the lobby where he asked for a covert update on the going-ons in Arcona. That was when the kark hit the fan.
Heir...Murderer
Perhaps the Dark Side instructed that Valant Tavar would have a resurgence of power, enough to notice his son's marred face (courtesy of Lord Zakath) in the lighting of the lobby of the Tenebrous Resort. Forgetting that Arack Tavar II was his son, Valant ripped the information of who had scarred Arack from the Journeyman's mind and without another word spoken, fled from the Resort, his destination...Mount Faspere.
Knowing he had no choice, Arack took after his father, quickly hijacking a R-41 Starchaser from one of the top brass of the Dajorra Defense Force and fell into pursuit of his father (who had found transport in a speeder bike). However, malfunctions in the R-41 put Arack considerably behind Valant, and the full fledged Shadesworn beat his son to Mount Faspere.
By the time that the Acolyte arrived, a fierce battle had already erupted between Valant and Aedile Zakath, and as the R-41 suffered control board malfunctions once more, the younger Tavar crashed into the hangar just as his father was kicked over the catwalks crisscrossing and fell in a heap to the hangar floor....but Arack had raced into the armory, not knowing the fate of his father.
Quickly changing out his Class A for a set of Soldier robes, the Sith stole an Armory Lightsaber from a crate in the Galeres Armory and was met with a Force premonition to duck and he did, just as an emerald blade swept over his head and met with one of a crimson hue.
It was here and now, at age 18, that the Dark Side took root for good inside the active Galerian's heart and he raced towards his father, not seeing him as a parent but as a Dark Jedi who had taught him all he could and that Dark Jedi was dueling another who had the capability to teach him so much.
The choice, in Arack Tavar the Second's Dark Side fused mind, was very obvious. When Lord Zakath, Aedile of Galeres, landed a lucky kick to Valant's abdomen and the Battlemaster stumbled back he was caught by Arack...but not by his hands but by his very much ignited lightsaber blade.
To add a final cruelty, Valant Iban Tavar never even saw his murderer before he went to join that of his forefathers. And so the House of Valant began to crumble....
The Black Hammer Brigade
- "Kick the tires and light the fires"
- ―Arack Tavar in reference to the Hammer's operating standard
Plank Owner
Coming Soon
Right Off the Bat
Coming Soon
Armory
Clothing
Shadow Disciple Robes - Robes of rank are often seen as the unofficial, but still important, uniform of the Shadesworn Clan. The robes are the usual attire of Arack Tavar when not in combat scenarios. As a younger Journeyman, Arack's robes are light black with a darker shade overcloak and hood. The under-robes consist of a tunic, trousers and while a normal set of robes would come with black combat boots and skin tight gloves, Arack obtained (stole) a pair of lightweight silver gauntlets and boots and wears those in the stock versions stead.
Besides the color of the robes (they get darker in color as ones rank increases) an appropriate number of flashes in the respective Order color are used to denote rank on either shoulder. For example, Arack is a Sith Protector, so on his shoulders are four crimson flashes.
The basis for the Ballistic Infantry Armor
Ballistic Infantry Armor (BIA)
As taken from the Black Hammer Wiki Page
Based off of the Rebel Special Forces armor, the Ballistic Infantry Armor is a rugged personal protection system, composed of a electromagnetic flight suit and duraplast plating which is mixed with a titanium weave to allow for maximum mobility and also added protection.
The armor is matte black, as is the helmet, with hints of the dark blue flight suit in between the shoulder, chest, and leg armor as each plate is individually attached. A dark cerulean visor sports a Heads-Up-Display with a team-wide comlink, targeting reticule, and various vision modes. The helmet also supports a breathing apparatus in the vocabulator that can sustain a soldier for 15 minutes in vacuum and also disperse toxic fumes.
The HUD also displays the wearer's biometrics as well as the ammunition left in their primary weapon. The rank of each soldier is displayed in the center of the chestplate and helmet.
Combat
Hand-to-Hand Combat -
Due to Arack's penchant for fighting in-close (unusual for a Sith), Arack had devoted his time to primarily Close Quarters Battle as a form of hand-to-hand combat. Since Tavar is well-built but not overly huge, he can move quickly and efficiently but still leave a lasting effect, usually in the form of stuns and being rendered unconscious.
As the new Protector usually wears or a combat helmet, he can deliver a series of wicked headbutts that can send an enemy reeling, only to be followed up by various punches and kicks from his armored hands and boots. All of this deadly style is implemented by the Epicanthix naturally and when supplemented by the Dark Side of the Force, many weaker opponents and non-Force sensitives end up dead or crippled by the Sith's use of CQB.
Armed Combat: Melee and Ranged
As a Protector, Arack Tavar has earned the right to carry an Armory Saber and use it in times of combat; the hilt is that of the standard obsidian rock with a bell-emitter. Choosing between emerald, crimson, and cerulean, Arack decided to have his saber represent his Order, so a red Corusca gem was placed in the weapon.
When the scenario calls for ranged combat, Arack enters into the fray with a customized SoroSuub GLX "Firelance" assault rifle with an attachable scope and grenade launcher. Backing this weapon up is a stock version of the SSK-7 Heavy Blaster Pistol. Each weapon is emblazoned with the symbol of Arcona and the Black Hammer Brigade on the butt of the firearm.
DJB Facts
Positions Held
List positions that are important.
Outstanding Achievements
- Placed first in the Black Hammer Brigade motto competition.
- Assisted Juda Kodiak in laying the groundwork for the Black Hammer Brigade
- Dark Maven of General History and Leadership
Trivia
- Is in love with Baked Ziti as a main dish and Key Lime pie as dessert.
- Favorite song is currently "Fireflies" by Owl City