Kael Fayne/PartOne: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia of the Dark Brotherhood, an online Star Wars Club
(Restoring what was lost)
 
(Character Mod and History Update)
 
(2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Transclusion|[[Kael Fayne]] - [[Kael Fayne/PartOne]] - [[Kael Fayne/PartTwo]]}}
{{Transclusion|article=[[Kael Fayne]]|pages=[[Kael Fayne/PartOne]] - [[Kael Fayne/PartTwo]]}}
<onlyinclude>== History ==
<onlyinclude>== History ==
=== '''Before there was Kael (45 - 40 BBY)''' ===
=== '''The Early Years (48 BBY - 30 BBY)''' ===
==== '''Before There Was Kael''' ====
{{Quote|If you're the wine, I'll be the glass.|Soren Fayne, to his would be bride}}
 
Kael's parents, Soren and Alena Fayne, shared a love whose level of passion was only overshadowed by its simple implausibility. Alena, a [[starwars: Prophets_of_the_Dark_Side|Prophetess of the Darkside]] seeking to hide on [[starwars:Arkania|Arkania]] from the Jedi Order after a botched espionage mission, met her future husband while working for his family's diamond mining company, Fayne Diamonds. Soren, the lone Fayne not in the diamond business, had made it on his own as a Doctor and a political activist after earning multiple doctorates in medicine, philosophy, and political science. As is so often the case, opposites began to attract as Alena let go of her darker ways to embrace the philosophy of peace that permeated Soren's life.


==== '''The Dark Lady; The Man of Peace''' ====
==== '''A Child is Born; A Mother is Taken''' ====
{{Quote|If you're the wine, I'll be the glass.|Soren Fayne, to his would be bride}}
{{Quote|He has your eyes.|Alena Fayne, commenting on Kael's irisless eyes}}


Kael's parents, Soren and Alena Fayne, shared a love whose level of passion was only overshadowed by its simple implausibility. Their story began well over 20 years before the fall of the Republic. Alena was a [[starwars: Prophets_of_the_Dark_Side|Prophetess of the Darkside]] who had infiltrated the [[starwars:Galactic Republic|Republic]] to serve as a political advisor to various Senators, rubbing elbows with many famous bureaucrats as she spied for her Order. However, while setting up a network of audio bugs in a highly trafficked [[starwars:Coruscant|Coruscant]] hotel, Alena was spotted by an unnamed Gran Jedi and his human apprentice. The Dark Lady was forced to kill the Gran in order to prevent him from revealing her secrets. Alena then fled Coruscant with local security hot on her trail, leaving the apprentice to mourn his Master.  
After five years of marriage, Soren and Alena were happy to greet their one and only son into the universe in 43 BBY. Kael was a loveable and adventerous child, cleverly escaping his parent's watch from time to time to explore on his own. Tragedy struck, however, as Alena was murdered by a rogue Jedi who had discovered her past when Kael was only three. The attack happened as mother and child were on their way to preschool, leaving both fatally wounded. Alena used her last moments to selflessly heal her son through the Force before passing on herself.


[[File:Arkania_surface.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The Surface of Arkania]]
[[File:Arkania_surface.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The Surface of Arkania]]
Not wanting to lead the [[starwars:Jedi Council|Jedi Council]] back to the Dark Prophets, Alena sought out a planet where she could hide out until the time came when her skills could be used to their fullest. [[starwars:Arkania|Arkania]], an icy planet located in former [[starwars:Sith Space|Sith Space]] and disoriented with local squabbles, was considered to be her best bet. There Alena took a job as a secretary for Fayne Diamonds, a reasonably successful diamond mining company that was family owned and run outside the confines of the various mining guilds. Her skills in management and diplomacy were soon discovered, leading to her eventual promotion to Production Manager.  
Soren, after many hours of soul searching, forgave the Jedi for allowing the murder to happen, but cursed their representatives when they offered to rear Kael in the Force. Not willing to part with the child, Soren put his all into raising Kael, fearful that his esoteric and abstract mindset may prevent him from relating to the child. Nevertheless, the stern yet peaceful philosopher was surprised as Kael understood his attempts to break down complex ideas into simple parables. In like respect, Kael was also able to teach Soren what it was like to play.


At an annual company party, Alena was introduced to her future husband, who proved to be the lone Fayne who had chosen a life outside of the mining industry. Considered the outcast of the family, Soren spent many years in school, earning doctorates in the fields of philosophy, history, and political theory. After a few moments of small talk amongst other acquaintances, the conversation soon turned to the topic of intergalactic and regional politics due to a passing remark made about the recent [[starwars:Arkanian Revolution|Arkanian Revolution]]. Since the failed Revolution had only occurred a year prior, emotions still ran high on both sides, with passion ruling over reason and clarity of though. However, being a political skeptic and peaceful noninterventionist, Soren contended that neither side was worth fighting for, and that the ignorant [[starwars:Jedi Order|Jedi]] had been used to prop up a disgraceful regime. Even though she held no love for the Jedi, Alena's more authoritarian nature led her to argue that Arkania was under Republic jurisdiction and thus the Jedi and [[starwars:Arkanian Dominion|Arkanian Dominion]] were right to enforce their will. Although the informal debate was ultimately inconsequential to the two parties, both Soren and Alena were forced by their intellectual egos and subconscious attraction to continue. Within a few minutes, the two had to be separated for the sake of the other guests.  
Soren also found another means of connecting with his son: candy. The new father would travel far and wide, going out of his way to find exotic candies to bring back home whether he was traveling on Arkania or across the galaxy. Kael harbors a particular fondness for discovering new candies to this day.


Despite his initial distaste for Alena's beliefs and political philosophy, Soren found himself frequenting the main offices of Fayne Diamonds more often, vainly defending himself by saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. After several more stimulating conversations with the attractive Production Manager, Soren finally managed to convince Alena to accept an offer to dinner at a local restaurant, saying he would like to talk to her outside the office setting. Even though she did not believe as he did, Alena began to respect Soren's philosophy of peace the more she saw how it permeated even the smallest of details in his life. It was a peace that she had longed for subconsciously, and being with Soren satisfied that need. Two years of such dates passed by before Soren finally popped the question. Alena, a woman once devoted to the [[starwars:dark side|Dark Side]] above all else, was surprised herself as she accepted without a thought.
=== '''From a Boy Into a Man (30 BBY - 22 BBY)''' ===
==== '''Those Awkward, Formidable Years''' ====
{{Quote|Follow virtues, my son, not men.|Soren Fayne, instructing his son}}


After several years of marriage, more than one of Alena's abiding contacts within the Prophets of the Dark side began to speak of the possibility of a coming Golden Age for the Sith. They told Alena that they had made contact with a [[starwars:Palpatine|Grand Sith]] who would avenge their kind of the Jedi once and for all. Accordingly, they offered the former Dark Lady a chance to return to her rightful place and be among the Grand Sith's new secret order at its very inception. Alena began to struggle to find a means of telling Soren, who she did indeed love, that she wasn't really who he thought she was. However, as fate would have it, a routine doctor's appointment revealed to her that she carrying a new life within her womb. After several days of soul searching, Alena embraced her new life on Arkania and shared the good news with her husband. The Prophets, as one might expect, were very displeased with the decision.
Entering into his teen years, Kael was turning out to be every bit his Father's logical intellectual and his Mother's adventerous rogue. The young man spent his carefree years working on and riding swoop bikes, playing electric mandolin and percussion in a couple bands, and even studying history and sharpening his mind playing [[starwars:Holochess|Holochess]] . As well, to further develop his son's character and appreciation for hard work, Soren sent Kael to work in their family's diamond mines. Today, Kael credits these many hours of excavation and sifting for his physical toughness and endurance, as well as working on various equipment for his knack for fixing things.  


=== '''Childhood (40 - 27 BBY)''' ===
Despite the youth's fun and mischevous nature, the death of his mother combined with other meaningless acts of violence perpetrated throughout the galaxy created in Kael a subconscious belief that the universe was nothing but chaos. Thus, if there was to be meaning and order, it would have to be established, not by accident, but by force. Though operating on a subconscious level, this belief drove Kael in many areas of his life, even to the point of becoming obsessive-compulsive over things under his control. However, the more he succeeded, the more the belief proved a virtue rather than a vice.
==== '''A Child is Born''' ====
{{Quote|He has your eyes!|Alena Fayne, joking about Kael's Arkanian eyes}}


Kael was born in the harsh winter of [[starwars:40 BBY|40 BBY]]. Soren and Alena instantly fell in love with the child and, as gushing new parents often do, swore to friends and family that he was the smartest and cutest baby they had ever seen. Each passing day of nurturing her newborn child confirmed Alena in her decision to stay. This experience along with the influence of her husband caused the former Dark Lady to drift more and more away from the beliefs of her past. Although she wanted to stay at home more, Alena was often required to work overtime at Fayne Diamonds due to the incompetency of her brother-in-laws while Soren continued to increase in fame and influence as a political activist and philosopher.  
It was also during this period that Kael became attracted to his childhood friend, a thin hot-headed [[starwars:Zeltron|Zeltron]] named Sybella. While Sybella helped Kael have a more positive, less chaotic view of the universe, Kael defended Sybella against bullies who hurled immature, Zeltron related sexual insults. The two dated throughout their teens and beyond, rarely being seen apart from the other.


As hundreds of smaller conflicts began to weaken the once mighty Republic, a few highly motivated and crafty civic leaders began to champion the idea of Arkania leaving the Republic once and for all. Foremost amongst these leaders was Soren himself, who began to receive death threats and praises alike as he made the rounds on local [[starwars:Holonet|holonews]] networks. Despite his soft voice and careful use of reason, Soren's arguments often led to outrage when they could not be challenged otherwise. Even though a couple attempts were made on his life, Soren only managed to grow in popularity after each incident.
==== '''Waking to a Cruel Universe''' ====
{{Quote|You don't want to fight me. You're already ugly enough.|Kael Fayne, trying to pick a fight}}


==== '''A Mother is Taken''' ====
After several years of working in the diamond mines, Kael's uncles offered the sixteen year old a job as a cargo pilot, stating that Kael had more good sense than all their transport jocks combined. Over his father's objections, Kael lept at the opportunity. Upon being hijacked by pirates on a solo mission to the outer rim, the young boy was forced to defend himself, using surprise and stealth to disable two of the pirates and killing the leader with his own blaster. This life or death situation further awakened Kael to the ugliness of the universe, driving him to train obsessively with various weapons to learn how to defend himself. In like respect, Kael also took to sneaking out to local catinas, picking fights with obstreperous scumbags in order to learn how to give and take a punch.
{{Quote|Listen...Listen to your father...I'll miss you...|Alena Fayne to Kael upon her death}}


A month removed from Kael's third birthday, an envoy of diplomats, including two Jedi, were sent to Arkania in an attempt to sway Soren to change his mind on the issue of Arkanian independence. Unbeknownst to Soren, one of the Jedi was the Apprentice to the Master his wife had slain years before. As was often the case in such debates, Soren frustrated the envoys, Jedi included, to the point that they stormed out of one meeting without saying goodbye. During the negotiation’s brief hiatus, pro-Republic henchmen who were not confined by the Jedi's moral code began digging into Soren's past to see if they could find anything to use against him. The philosopher proved to be clean. His blood relatives, likewise, were only guilty of minor, negligible offenses. However, in comparing Alena's characteristics against those in the criminal database on Coruscant, the henchmen found their possible dirt.  
==== '''To Protect and to Serve''' ====
{{Quote|Dad, I have to go my own way.|Kael Fayne}}


Although they were not sure Alena was the murderer of the Gran Jedi Knight, the allegation alone would be enough to diminish Soren's influence. The henchmen brought the information before the Master's human apprentice, now a Knight himself, who told them he would "take it from here". Rather than use the information as blackmail, the Jedi Knight gave into a long harbored desire for revenge. The Jedi justified it to himself that allowing a [[starwars:Dark Jedi|Dark Jedi]] to live only invited trouble, and handing her the advantage of surprise would prove folly as well. This deduction convinced him to attack Alena when her guard would be at its most relaxed point. As she was walking Kael to preschool, the mother and her child were suddenly ambushed by two unmarked gunmen and the Jedi himself. Alena still kept her saber on her at all times, but nonetheless was caught off guard and received a blast to the shoulder and to the side before being able to defend herself. The former Dark Lady managed to deflect enough blasts back to kill the gunmen, but not before little Kael was hit himself in the side by a stray shot. A horrified and enraged Alena launched herself at the Jedi Knight, ignoring her wounds as she quickly overpowered her last attacker and killed him as well. Abandoning all thought of herself and her own injuries, Alena rushed over to Kael and began to use [[starwars:the Force|the Force]] to heal her fatally wounded child. The former Prophetess lived only long enough to see that she had been successful.  
As Kael left school with bachlor degrees in both History and Law, his father began to encourage him to become, of all things, a school teacher. Despite his deep voice and somewhat intimidating size, Kael had always been good with kids, never failing to find ways to make them laugh and learn at the same time much like his father had done with him. Sybella, on the other hand, wanted Kael to continue with Fayne Diamonds mainly for financial reasons.  


==== '''A Father is Made''' ====
Although he agreed with much of his father's philosophy and lifeview, Kael desired a more active approach to confronting wrong in the universe, and thus he enrolled in the local Civil Security Academy. Racing through the Academy's many courses, Kael soon became a local beat cop, where he served with honor for the next three years. The new cop soon became highly coveted for undercover missions and interrogations in particular.  
{{Quote|It's just you and me, kiddo. I apologize in advance.| Soren Fayne}}


The impact of Alena's death shook Soren to his very core, causing him to spend many months blaming himself for the attack. The release of details about Alena's past only devastated him more. He cycled through a barrage of emotions: regret, betrayal, depression, and back again. Finally, it was after a conversation with his father, Kael's grandfather, that he began to realize that she wasn't a monster and this was due mostly to his influence. In her death, Alena had proven who she really was, and this gave Soren peace.  
Sybella, giving into the taunts of her childhood bullies, had by this time become a stripper at the local ski resort, arguing that the money she earned was more than she'd make anywhere else. Kael continued to live with her, hoping he could one day convince her to give up such a life. However, when Kael asked her to quit her job and marry him, she declined, saying she couldn't give up her nature and who she was meant to be. Kael responded that he no longer wanted to see her or watch her waste her life, and the two parted ways shortly thereafter.  


A few weeks after Alena's funeral, a separate envoy of Jedi visited with Soren and apologized for their Knight's vengeful ambush. After much soul searching, Soren was able to forgive the Jedi. However, when the envoy offered to take Kael in and train him in the Force, the widowed philosopher asked them to leave using vulgar words rarely found on his lips.
[[File:dirtyKael.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Kael as Nissa Gábor]]
=== '''From a Man Into a Soldier (22 BBY - 19 BBY)''' ===
==== '''In the Presence of Greatness''' ====
{{Quote|Youngling, you are barely half the man you could be.|Arca Jeth}}


With his influence and voice somewhat diminished, Soren threw his all into fathering his now motherless child, who began to have nightmares about the event that continue to this day. The widower worried that his devotion to the field of philosophy would prevent him from really connecting to the child. He was trapped into thinking in syllogisms and abstract categories. As Kael began to talk, Soren found himself trying to break down deep philosophical and ethical concepts into simple ideas and parables that his son could understand. He was surprised at how easily Kael understood what he was saying, leading them to bond more as Kael also reminded his father what it was like to play.  
Kael's third year of service in Law Enforcement proved to be his most successful as he devoted himself to work as a distraction from his seperation from Sybella. As a further means of escape, Kael went undercover for most of the year as a gangster named Nissa Gábor. Kael became addicted to several illicit drugs in the process of keeping his cover, though he enjoyed the release they provided. While laying next to several hired escorts in drug induced euphoria, Kael had a vision of legendary Arkanian Jedi [[starwars:Arca Jeth|Arca Jeth]]. The mighty Jedi Master told Kael it was time to turn back from his current downward spiral least he fall too far.  


As an aside, Soren also found another means of connecting with his son: candy. The new father would travel far and wide, going out of his way to find exotic candies to bring back home whether he was traveling on Arkania or across the galaxy. Kael harbors a particular fondness for candy to this day.
==== '''A Galaxy at War''' ====
{{Quote|If this war is worth fighting, then it is worth being fought by honorable men...not manufactured armies.|Kael Fayne}}


=== '''Adolescence (27 - 22 BBY)''' ===
A week after the supposed vision, the [[starwars:the Battle of Geonosis|Battle of Geonosis]] finally plunged the galaxy into what became known as the [[starwars:the Clone Wars|Clone Wars]]. Like many in the Republic, Kael left all he had behind to join the war effort, not willing that his place on the battlefield be taken by a clone. Fearing he would be enlisted as a cook or something worse if he went to official Republic recruitment centers, Kael drifted from one militia group to the next for the first few months of the war. In that time, he learned a variety of skills, serving as a scout, engineer, and slicer among other roles. It was during this time that Kael came in contact with a group of [[starwars:Matukai|Matukai]] who themselves chose not to fight with the Jedi Order. Sharing a common training regimen, Fayne learned much from these Force users, causing him to begin to open up to the mystical energy field for the first time as well.
==== '''Those Awkward, Formidable Years''' ====
{{Quote|That wine glass line was so lame...|Sybella to Kael upon the latter's use of his father's [[#The Dark Lady; The Man Of Peace|pickup line]]}}


Alena's death continued to hang like a shadow over her otherwise happy son, causing Kael to develop a very shy, quiet personality as he became more self conscious in his teen years. Even though the boy was well known for his ability to make others laugh, he often found it hard to let others get too close. His mother's death implanted in his subconscious the idea that the universe was cold, arbitrary and chaotic. Thus, if there was to be order, it would have to be created or imposed from an outside force. Though operating on a subconscious level, this belief drove Kael in many areas of his life, even to the point of becoming obsessive-compulsive over things under his control. However, the more he succeeded, the more the belief proved a virtue rather than a vice.
==== '''Off the Bench; Into the Game''' ====
{{Quote|Hey! Those are our blasters!|A wounded Clone Trooper lamenting Kael's borrowing of his blasters}}


Despite tendencies to be a closed off, Kael soon became attracted to his childhood friend, Sybella. A thin, hotheaded [[starwars:Zeltron|Zeltron]], Sybella always had a soft spot for Kael because of the death of his mother and the obvious impact it had on him as he grew older. She was one of the few Kael confided in about his feelings concerning the universe and fate, always managing to say just the right thing to make him feel better about himself. In like respect, Kael always stood up for Sybella against the immature Zeltron-related taunts hurled at her by bullies, making her feel like she was more than what they thought her to be. The two dated from the age of 14 onward, making it a rare occurrence for either to be seen in public without the other.
Tiring of sitting on the relative sidelines, Kael's reputation among Militia leaders finally got him into the game during the Republic's planned [[starwars:Battle of Brentaal IV (Clone Wars)|liberation]] of [[starwars:Brentaal IV|Brentaal IV]]. With Republic approval, Kael went undercover inside the planet's main defense complex, where he sliced into the complex's security systems and helped clear the way for Republic troops.  


It was during these very early teen years that Kael was first sent by his father to work in the family's diamond mines. Soren, although never wanting to inherit any stake in the family business, felt he himself had built much character doing similar manual labor when he was the boy's age. Today, Kael credits these many hours of excavation and sifting for his physical toughness and endurance.
During the post-victory mop up operation, Kael noticed some of the Confederate droids retreating whilst carrying about a rather large man, one the Arkanian had seen with an attractive white haired woman before his deployment to the planet. Fayne managed to track down the lady, who called herself [[Rayne|Rielle]], and after borrowing a pair of [[starwars:DC-15s side arm blaster|DC-15 Sidearms]] from some wounded troopers he helped locate the man and rescue him. The large man, a [[Shaevalian]] on closer inspection, introduced himself as [[Brent_"Archangel"_Ligur_Victae|Brodo]] and both he and Rielle thanked Kael for his assistance.


==== '''Differences of Opinion''' ====
[[File:kaelHero.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Kael during the Clone Wars]]
{{Quote|Follow virtues, my son, not men.|Soren Fayne, instructing his son}}
==== '''From Ship to Ship''' ====
 
{{Quote|That one isn't going to last long.|A Militia leader, watching Kael dodge blaster fire rather than seek cover}}
As a student and part-time employee at Fayne Diamonds, Kael quickly grew in wisdom and stature among his peers. Proving himself to be the son of his father, the young Arkanian developed his own personal love for studying history in particular, as well as political theory. Soren, while managing to write the majority of his beliefs onto Kael's heart, was impressed by his son's ability to hold his own in the debates in which the two differed. Most of these differences were focused not upon the goals of their worldviews, but the means to those goals. While both desired to live in a universe of peace and order, Kael felt his father was too passive and idealistic in his fight for independence from galactic governance, while Soren became concerned with Kael's more impatience, revolutionary approach. These debates became more heated as Kael grew older and started to see the Republic give way to more chaos with each passing year.


Even though his son often stepped over the line in his passionate discourse, Soren's patience often humbled Kael to see the character behind his father's viewpoint. For example, Kael often remarked that a "benevolent dictatorship" would be more desirable and workable than the corrupt Republic, to which Soren would respond by saying that if Kael was that dictator, maybe it would work.
Kael's efforts on Brentaal IV earned him a place on the front lines of the Militia as a Marine, storming enemy ships in a hail of blasterfire to shut down self destruct systems and capture Confederate leaders. Such missions took nerves of durasteel as many of the self destructs were only seconds away from activation before being sliced and shut down. The twenty two year old enjoyed the change of pace, however, believing his skills as a gunslinger were finally being put to proper use, earning him the rank of [[starwars:Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] with a [[starwars:Platoon|platoon]] of 36 Marines under his direct command.


==== '''A Pirate's Gambit''' ====
==== '''A Late Goodbye''' ====
{{Quote|I tried this mission ages ago...she...that witch. She always knew ahead of time. Damn her...and her magic. But...I heard she had...had been killed. Whoever...did it...did the universe a favor.|Unnamed Pirate, taunting Kael}}
{{Quote|The Jedi, long content in using disposable clones to do their dirty work, are so blinded by their spotlight that they have no right to question my actions.|Kael defending his treatment of prisoners.}}


In order to "make the boy into a man", one of Kael's uncles offered to hire him as a cargo pilot for Fayne Diamonds, arguing that the boy had more sense than all the current transport jocks combined and seeing the galaxy would do Kael some good. Although he worried about the possible dangers that could arise, Soren saw the value in giving his son such responsibility. He did, however, make two caveats: Kael could never fly alone or be armed. As his family expected, Kael became one of the more efficient pilots of the fleet, causing many employees to remark that he was "definitely Alena's son as well." The young Arkanian relished the adventure of space flight, enjoying being away from the cold, frigid air on Arkania as he explored exotic planets across the galaxy.  
However, as the Clone Wars drew near to their sudden end, the ever growing casualties and loss of life all around him drove Kael to take harsher measures in his interrogations of captured Confederates. Whatever means were necessary were employeed, from harsh beatings to pharmaceutical stimulants to withholding medical treatment after being shot at point blank range. Fayne, though not trained in the Force, also began to inadvertantly use such powers as [[Fear]] to get the answers he wanted. Some of his men questioned Kael's tactics in this regard, but none could argue with the results.


However, in order to meet an important deadline, Kael was once required to fly alone. After a great deal of argumentation, Soren relented, even allowing Kael's uncle to give him a [[starwars:stun blaster|stun blaster]]. Upon leaving a refueling station halfway to his destination, Kael's transport was assailed by a group of [[starwars:pirates|pirates]] who managed to board the ship as the 16 year old hid in a cargo compartment. Instead of waiting to be found, Kael managed to sneak up on the three pirates and disable two of them with his stun blaster. The third attempted to shoot the boy in the back as he fled, but upon hearing the disembodied voice of his mother telling him to get down, Kael evaded the blast and stunned the third pirate as well. As this particular pirate twitched on the ground, he looked up at the boy and, because he had scouted out Fayne Diamonds years before, noticed that he was Alena's son. After the pirate made a snide remark about his mother, Kael withdrew the thief's blaster and killed him. Upon escaping via the [[starwars:Muurian transport|pirate's transport]] with his cargo intact, Kael decided not to tell his father the complete truth of what happened.  
Although his intimidating reputation set many of the Confederates on edge, it earned the Republic a black eye in the press, which led to the Jedi Order requesting Kael's immediate dishonorable discharge. Many of Kael's men protested, appreciative that he would do whatever it took to protect them. Nevertheless, Kael packed his things and prepared to returned to Arkania until a private meeting with a representative of the [[starwars:Commission_for_the_Protection_of_the_Republic|COMPOR]] changed his mind. The agent said that the Commission still required men with his talents as an interrogator. Kael, disturbed that he was being asked to do the same job he'd just been discharged over, said he would only serve until the War was over, which he did.


The scuffle did, however, bolster Kael's belief that the universe was cold and chaotic, and one must be prepared to establish order himself rather than wait on it to happen naturally. Thus from the age of 16 onward, Kael took a particular interest in learning how to build, maintain, and shoot a variety of blasters. Likewise, he also began to ask his uncles how to fight in hand-to-hand combat. A few trips to the local [[starwars:cantina|cantina]] well past Kael's bedtime taught him perhaps more than he wanted to know.
=== '''From a Soldier Into a Hero (19 BBY - 16 BBY)''' ===
==== '''Starting Over From the Beginning''' ====
{{Quote|How many of you know that the Clone Wars were started all because a Jedi chose to trespass in one of the Confederate's droid factories?|Kael teaching recent history to his students}}


=== '''Coming of Age (22 - 19 BBY)''' ===
With the Clone Wars over and the [[starwars:New Order|New Order]] in the process of being established, many of Kael's contacts within the military offered him positions in various [[starwars:stormtrooper|stormtrooper]] squadrons. Fayne declined, desiring a quieter life on the one hand and believing he could do more good on the local level on the other. Even after his offered payment was doubled, the Arkanian began the long trip home.
==== '''The Dreams That Don't Come True''' ====
{{Quote|I wish you would just say you hate me. That would make it so much easier.|Kael}}


Desiring to take up a career that pertained to establishing peace and order, Kael enlisted at the local Civil Security Academy only a year prior to the [[starwars:The Battle of Geonosis|Battle of Geonosis]]. Even though he wished for a career more safer and intellectually involved for his son, Soren believed Kael, unlike other power hungry cops, would be a sincere force for good for the citizens of Arkania. Kael's father did, however, worry that his son's choice in women might impede his progress at the Academy.  
Rather than return to his position within Civil Security, however, the former Marine followed his father's advice and became a school teacher, teaching history and other subjects to the youth of [[starwars:Adascopolis|Adascopolis]], Arkania's crime-ridden capital city. Although not nearly as prestigious as his career in the military, Kael found sincere joy in helping the children learn and develop into young adults. Kael was also able to use his free time to finally earn his doctrates in History and Law, both of his theses being in defense of the New Order and its constitution.


Sybella, giving into the taunts of her childhood bullies, had by this time become a stripper at the local ski resort, arguing that the money she earned was more than she'd make anywhere else. Kael continued to date her, despite his father's concerns, hoping he could one day convince her to give up such a life. Kael's choice to become a lawman, however, only divided the couple more as Sybella learned of the cop's meager compensation in the face of high risks.
==== '''Someone to Look Up to''' ====
{{Quote|Alright, children, you can go back to telling stories about "the Gavel" later. |Kael gathering his student's attention}}


Nevertheless, being comfortable with his choice, Kael finally asked Sybella to marry him during a trip into the mountains with the understanding that she'd have to give up her life in adult entertainment. The Zeltron contended that it was foolish to expect her to act against her nature while at the same time thanking Kael for helping her when they were younger. Kael refused to accept such an answer, becoming angry that she would choose to waste her life for money than spend it with him. In like respect, the hot headed lass rebuked Kael, arguing that he "had no future" and couldn't support a family monetarily or emotionally. On the other hand, she reminded him that Zeltrons were in high demand at any number of resorts across the planet in a variety of adult entertainment vocations. She could use her traits to provide for herself whereas his noble delusion could not. Kael vowed never to speak to Sybella again, dropping her ring in the snow before turning his back on her and leaving.  
While traveling home one day from work, Kael noticed a familiar face on the corner of one of Adascopolis' less reputible neighborhoods: Sybella. The Zeltron's once youthful appearance was now aged beyond her years and sickly as she admitted she had been addicted to various narcotics for the last three or so years. Because she had no where else to stay, Kael offered to take her in and help rehabilitate her.


==== '''In the Presence of Greatness''' ====
When it was revealed to Kael that some of his own students were being used to traffic some of their narcotics and dirty money, the former Marine decided to take matters into his own hands. Assuming his old undercover identity as Nissa Gábor, Kael was able to learn the inside and outs of the main organized crime syndicate. Then, wearing an expressionless grey helmet, the history teacher began to stalk the various street gangs, striking [[fear]] into their hearts using the same darker Force powers he had developed during the Clone Wars.  
{{Quote|You cannot escape who you are, but do not forget who you were and who you can be again. Remember!|Arca Jeth}}


A mere week away from the Battle of Geonosis, Kael was proving to be one of the foremost cadets at the Academy, using his training as a distraction from the tattered remains of his personal life. Although closed to personal interaction, Kael had started attending the worst of local cantinas, sleeping with nameless prostitutes and taking various illicit drugs as a further means of escape. On one such night, Kael was awakened by the call of his comlink while lying intoxicated and without his wallet. His Commanding Officer told him there had been a report of a break-in at [[starwars:Arca Jeth's praxeum| Arca Jeth's Jedi Praxeum Museum]], which was close to Kael's apartment. Forced to investigate the break-in, Kael discovered a lone individual, standing with a red [[starwars:lightsaber|lightsaber]] withdrawn. Once the figure turned, Kael saw that it was his mother.
It was not long before news reports were released telling of how local gangs were running scared of some faceless vigilante capable of fighting off a dozen men with nothing but his fists. Although a little exaggerated, such reports kept many gangsters from operating out in the open, and the movement of narcotics was halted. Kael took no glory in the reports, but his heart was warmed when his students would excitedly tell stories about the "Greyman", or "The Snare", or Kael's favorite:"The Gavel".  
 
[[File:zeltronFemale.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Sybella before becoming addicted to various narcotics]]
=== '''From a Hero Into a Dark Jedi (16 BBY - 32 ABY)''' ===
==== '''You Can't Blame a Guy For Trying''' ====
{{Quote|I may be guilty of many things, but not this.|Kael defending himself while on trial}}


Alena then slashed through Kael, causing immense pain before Kael realized it was only a vision, and his mother transformed into someone else: a fiery redhead with a similar blade. [[Robin Hawk|The Redhead]] slashed forward as well, coming out on the other side as a seven foot tall giant of a man. [[Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae|The Giant]] followed suit after his attack, turning into an older soldier with blonde hair. [[Angelo Dante|The Soldier]] gave way to [[Ood Bnar Sythe'rae|a Tree]] with inescapable branches before ending with a devilish man with green, reptilian eyes. Each of the six attackers spoke a single word before attacking, forming the taunt "You cannot escape who you are!". Kael vainly withdrew both of his blasters on the [[Thran Occasus|Last Attacker]], who sliced through his wrists before the Arkanian could fire. However, instead of losing his hands, the vision changed and Kael was granted a saber of his own, which he used to strike down the last fiend.
For the next two years Kael lived without a full night's sleep, continuing to teach history during the day and either playing the role of Nissa Gábor or masked vigilante at night. In order to keep up with the physical abuse, Kael had to take large amounts of painkillers, but he felt the good he was doing was worth it. Sybella's addictions, however, were not as easily cured as Kael had to retrieve her from the same darker districts of town on a number of occasions.  


As this foe faded away, a new presence emerged before Kael. The person, assuming the form of a [[starwars:Force Ghost|Force Ghost], was none other than [[starwars:Arca Jeth|Arca Jeth] himself, legendary Arkanian and Master to both [[starwars:Qel-Droma family|Qel-Droma] Brothers. Jeth sought to encourage the youth to forsake the path of self-destruction he had set himself on, lamenting that Kael had not been trained as a Jedi. As a student of history, Kael held a great respect for Jeth, listening to his every word. Arca's last statement, which stuck with Kael more than any other, was for him to be strong because "the universe needs good men now more than ever."
On one particular night, however, Sybella made the mistake of revealing Kael's identity as the vigilante hero to a low level gangster during a drug-induced stupor. However, instead of killing their enemy outright, the gangsters called Nissa Gábor to a meeting in a run down hotel. Kael entered the room to the sound of a lone blaster shot only to find Sybella's dead body in the bedroom. Several Civil Security officiers, all on the take, soon stormed the hotel room and arrested "Nissa Gábor".  


==== '''Joining a Galaxy at War''' ====
With the help of several high ranking and corrupt political officials, the cartel was able to keep Kael far from the public eye during the rather private trial. To what public cared, it was just a case of a degenerate gangster snuffing out a prostitute rather than paying her outright. Kael's court appointed lawyer accepted a plea bargain without his client's knowledge, sentencing the school teacher turned vigilante to life without parole. "Kael Fayne" was reported missing by his friends and family a day later.
{{Quote|A galaxy at war? Never let it be said that I was left out of it.|Kael Fayne}}


Kael reflected on Arca Jeth's words, wondering what to make of the vision until the [[starwars:the Battle of Geonosis|Battle of Geonosis]] finally plunged the galaxy into what became known as the [[starwars:the Clone Wars|Clone Wars]]. It was then that Kael knew what he had to do. When Kael told his father his plans, Soren tried to argue that neither side was really worth fighting for and that he should stay home. Kael agreed, but contended that the war would forever shape the victor and a new, better government may emerge on the other side. Thus, rather than swear allegiance the rather lawless [[starwars:Confederacy of Independent Systems|Confederacy]], the young Arkania left home to take part in the Republic's war effort.
==== '''A Hall of Mirrors Built by Liars''' ====
{{Quote|In this hall of mirrors, built by liars, I am a pale reflection of myself.|A lyric Kael often repeated to himself while in prison}}


Fearing he would be enlisted as a cook or something worse if he went to official Republic recruitment centers, Kael drifted from one militia group to the next for the first few months of the war. In that time, he learned a variety of skills, serving as a scout, engineer, and slicer among other roles. However, Kael felt he spent most of his time critiquing the militia leaders’ strategery, often raising his voice just enough to get kicked out but not enough to get himself shot. Tactics and discipline had always been a militia's downfall, and it angered Kael to watch his peers die for simple mistakes any student of history and war could avoid. As well, the young Arkanian was growing tired of watching battles from afar, feeling his foremost skill as a gunman was ultimately being wasted.  
Entering the city of [[starwars:Adascopolis|Adascopolis']] maximum security prison, Fayne was greeted by an endless horde of low level gangsters, many he himself had put away. For the next two years, Kael suffered beating after beating, always outnumbered to the point where he couldn't defend himself. Eventually, some of the gangster's bodies were found, one here and one there, each one either strangled or blugeoned to death in private areas of the prison complex. Though no evidence was found, the Warden decided the best course of action was to "donate" Kael's body to science in order to get rid of him. Not another corpse was found thereafter.


==== '''Off the Bench; Into the Game''' ====
Fayne was thus handed over to [[starwars:Arkanian Microtechnologies|Arkanian Microtechnologies]], a medical supply and technology corporation that dabbled in a variety of interesting areas, including [[starwars:cloning|cloning]]. Because of the dangerous nature of the prisoner, scientists from Arkanian Micro chose to utilize Kael's body to test [[starwars:Carbon freezing|carbon freezing]] techniques and their applications for suspending the sickly in animation until cures could be found. 
{{Quote|Hey! Those are our blasters!|Wounded Clone Trooper}}


Nevertheless, the more Fayne completed his objectives, the more important the objectives became. Militia leaders began to covet his skills for particular tasks, even passing his name on to their counterparts in the [[starwars:Grand Army of the Republic|Grand Army]]. Ever searching for more exciting fields of battle, Kael was thrilled when chosen to take part in the Republic's planned [[starwars:Battle of Brentaal IV (Clone Wars)|liberation]] of [[starwars:Brentaal IV|BrentaalIV]]. Being an Arkanian, Kael didn't necessarily appear as distinct soldier for either side. This allowed him to be planted on Brentaal IV as an engineer inside the world's massive defense fortress, which housed both the planetary [[starwars:Deflector shield generator|shield generators]] and [[starwars:ion cannon|ion cannons]].
[[File:kaelCarbonite.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Kael's first freezing]]
==== '''Encased in Ice; The Seeing Blind''' ====
{{Quote|It feels like I'm dying...every time...|Kael, reporting on how it feels to be frozen in carbonite}}


Fayne spent most of the battle watching over [[starwars:Clone Trooper|Clone Troopers]] as they assaulted the fortress, hacking security cameras to provide pertinent intel as the troops advanced further. In a few hours, the objectives were completed, and the fortress' planetary defenses were disabled. However, the victory did not come without large causalities. As Kael explored the facility to help the wounded and number the dead, he discovered a group of [[starwars:B2 super battle droid|Super Battle Droids]] dragging a giant of a man away as they made their retreat. The Arkanian had caught a glimpse of the large man on the [[starwars:Acclamator I-class assault ship|Acclamator Assault Ship]] they had arrived on, discussing details of the battle with a few distinct set of troopers and an attractive female with white hair. Borrowing two [[starwars:DC-15s side arm blaster|DC-15 Sidearms]] from a pair of wounded Clones, Kael raced to find one of the aforementioned squads and inform them of their friend's capture.  
Lasting for 45 years from 13 BBY to 32 ABY, Kael was frozen in carbonite while said scientists studied the results, letting the innocent victim out once a year for a week's worth of evaluations. During these short periods Kael learned what little he could about the outside universe, and soon became attracted to a human research assistant named Sala. The feeling proved mutual as Sala began to look forward to evaluating her favorite patient, often bringing him candy after learning about his childhood affection for it.


Examining the different insignias of the troops leaving the fortress, Kael finally discovered the blind Clone unit known as Zeta Squad. Before Fayne could finish telling his story to the troops, the white haired woman, calling herself [[Erianna_"Rayne"_Victae|Erianna Rielle]], demanded detailed information on where to find the captured man. Kael refused, saying he wanted to do more than just give intel. Knowing the chances for a successful rescue quickly vanish with time, Rielle relented to let the Arkanian join her as she led the blind troopers on the rescue mission. After a few hours of retracing the captor's steps, Zeta Squadron managed to find and save their friend, who was in the midst of being tortured.  
Even though he was unwilling to talk about it at first, Sala finally managed to get Kael to discuss with her the reason for his imprisonment after the two shared a secret night of passion during Kael's eleventh year of imprisonment. Sala, like most people, had heard of the masked vigilante and had wondered of his sudden disappearance. Afterwards, she offered to help the innocent victim escape, but Kael did not want any harm to come to her and made her promise not to do anything.


As the former prisoner recouped from his injuries days later, he made a request to see and thank "those who had rescued him." He was surprised to find a stranger in the midst of Zeta Squadron, one whom he himself could sense in the Force as having strong potential. Thus, Kael was introduced to [[Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae]], aka Brodo, for the first time. Brodo thanked Kael for his help by saying he owed him one, to which the Arkanian responded that he was "just glad he could help."
Nevertheless, years and years of being thawed out and refrozen caused Kael's vision to finally stop returning to him, making him more desperate to do something before his physical situation grew worse. His blindness, however, helped to awaken in him a new sense that had been buried deep in his subconscious: the Force. What had only aided him slightly during gunfights and interrogations now came to the fore as the blind man found new eyes with which he could "sense" his surroundings. Kael chose to keep this knowledge to himself, hoping to use it to surprise his captors and escape in time.


==== '''From Ship to Ship''' ====
==== '''A Sith Never Forgets a Friend''' ====
[[File:kaelHero.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Kael during the Clone Wars]]
{{Quote|Now we are even.|[[Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae]]}}
{{Quote|That one isn't going to last long.|A Militia leader, watching Kael dodge blaster fire rather than seek cover}}


After a year of frustration, Kael finally found his place as the war took its toll on the Grand Army of the Republic. It was becoming obvious to all that too many of the well trained but expensive Clone Troopers were being lost to the cheap, numerous [[starwars:Droid Army|droid armies]]. Republic Generals across the galaxy began to covet and horde as many of the troops as they could manage. It was not long before the larger militia groups took their place on the front lines, being used as first-wave defenses sacrificed at the height of chaos in order to save the Clones in reserves. Kael's reputation as a calm minded gunslinger preceded him, earning him the rank of [[starwars:Sergeant|Sergeant]] in one of the militia's [[starwars:Marine|Marine]] Corps.  
Fortunately for the now-blind test subject, Sala proved stubborn and broke her promise as she neared retirement at the age of seventy. Having learned about him from listening to Kael's stories, Sala sought out the one called [[Brent_"Archangel"_Ligur_Victae|Brodo]], enlisting him to help Fayne escape. Remembering how strong the Force felt around the Arkanian and believing he owed him as much, Brodo, now known as Archangel, agreed to help. He was surprised, however, at the degree of savagery the patient exhibited on his captors once he was freed, remembering him only as a calm and collected scout. After the two were in the clear, Archangel made known to Kael his place within the [[Dark Jedi Brotherhood]], and how they could use someone with his abilities. Kael thanked the [[Shaevalian]] for his help, requesting a way to contact the Brotherhood once he had made his decision.


For the next two years, Kael and his fellow Marines assaulted and captured countless Confederate ships alongside their Clone counterparts, replacing the latter's initial hazing with well deserved respect. The foremost trick of their trade was to storm enemy ships, race to the various control rooms, deactivate self destruct mechanisms, and then [[starwars:Slicer|slice]] the computers for vital intel. Such dangerous missions took a toll on one's nerves as many self-destructs were only turned off with seconds to spare. Kael saw more of the galaxy in this short period than most see in a lifetime, quickly attaining the rank of [[starwars:Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] with a [[starwars:Platoon|platoon]] of 36 Marines under his direct command. Oddly enough, this time proved to be one of happier periods of Kael's life, as he explains in his journal:
Kael spent only a month more on Arkania, checking in on his family and their business under an assumed alias to make sure all was well. Perhaps one of the most devastating of discoveries was also one of the most expected: Kael's father, Soren, had passed away while his son was in prison. The happiness of being free soon gave way to remorse as Kael reflected on the fact that his father never knew what had happened to him. However, subtle questions to his family revealed how highly Soren had spoken of and rememberd his son. The final and greatest comfort was knowing Soren had lived to see his life's work, pushing for Arkanian independence, had become reality in part as Arkania had refused to join the [[starwars:New Republic|New Republic]].  


<blockquote><i>"My men and I were sown together with stitches and welded together with blaster fire. We stepped out into chaos and left order in our wake. We were Knights in every sense of the word. Even more so than the pompous Jedi that nevertheless always seemed to take center stage. Hell, I even started to like the Clones. They shared much of the same honor as we did, even if their virtues were installed rather than chosen. In this galaxy, that still made them better than most. I was proud to serve with the whole lot of them. 'Surely', I thought, 'if such men were the foundation of a new order, the galaxy will be a better place.'"</i></blockquote></onlyinclude>
Fayne also visited a memorial made in honor of the vigilante hero he had once been. Lastly, he managed to find where Sala had retired in secret, only sending her a bouqet of flowers, under his alias, to say thanks. Once he was ready, Fayne broke into the garage that had impounded his [[starwars:Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter| Imperial ARC-170]], called "The Latter Rain," and embarked towards Brotherhood space. </onlyinclude>
[[Category:Transclusion]]
[[Category:Transclusion]]

Latest revision as of 22:48, 20 November 2011

Where... where did it go?

The content of this article is split up among several sub pages as it grew too large.
To alter the content you may have to edit one of the pages below.

Complete Article: Kael Fayne
Transcluded Pages: Kael Fayne/PartOne - Kael Fayne/PartTwo

History

The Early Years (48 BBY - 30 BBY)

Before There Was Kael


"If you're the wine, I'll be the glass."
―Soren Fayne, to his would be bride

Kael's parents, Soren and Alena Fayne, shared a love whose level of passion was only overshadowed by its simple implausibility. Alena, a Prophetess of the Darkside seeking to hide on Arkania from the Jedi Order after a botched espionage mission, met her future husband while working for his family's diamond mining company, Fayne Diamonds. Soren, the lone Fayne not in the diamond business, had made it on his own as a Doctor and a political activist after earning multiple doctorates in medicine, philosophy, and political science. As is so often the case, opposites began to attract as Alena let go of her darker ways to embrace the philosophy of peace that permeated Soren's life.

A Child is Born; A Mother is Taken


"He has your eyes."
―Alena Fayne, commenting on Kael's irisless eyes

After five years of marriage, Soren and Alena were happy to greet their one and only son into the universe in 43 BBY. Kael was a loveable and adventerous child, cleverly escaping his parent's watch from time to time to explore on his own. Tragedy struck, however, as Alena was murdered by a rogue Jedi who had discovered her past when Kael was only three. The attack happened as mother and child were on their way to preschool, leaving both fatally wounded. Alena used her last moments to selflessly heal her son through the Force before passing on herself.

The Surface of Arkania

Soren, after many hours of soul searching, forgave the Jedi for allowing the murder to happen, but cursed their representatives when they offered to rear Kael in the Force. Not willing to part with the child, Soren put his all into raising Kael, fearful that his esoteric and abstract mindset may prevent him from relating to the child. Nevertheless, the stern yet peaceful philosopher was surprised as Kael understood his attempts to break down complex ideas into simple parables. In like respect, Kael was also able to teach Soren what it was like to play.

Soren also found another means of connecting with his son: candy. The new father would travel far and wide, going out of his way to find exotic candies to bring back home whether he was traveling on Arkania or across the galaxy. Kael harbors a particular fondness for discovering new candies to this day.

From a Boy Into a Man (30 BBY - 22 BBY)

Those Awkward, Formidable Years


"Follow virtues, my son, not men."
―Soren Fayne, instructing his son

Entering into his teen years, Kael was turning out to be every bit his Father's logical intellectual and his Mother's adventerous rogue. The young man spent his carefree years working on and riding swoop bikes, playing electric mandolin and percussion in a couple bands, and even studying history and sharpening his mind playing Holochess . As well, to further develop his son's character and appreciation for hard work, Soren sent Kael to work in their family's diamond mines. Today, Kael credits these many hours of excavation and sifting for his physical toughness and endurance, as well as working on various equipment for his knack for fixing things.

Despite the youth's fun and mischevous nature, the death of his mother combined with other meaningless acts of violence perpetrated throughout the galaxy created in Kael a subconscious belief that the universe was nothing but chaos. Thus, if there was to be meaning and order, it would have to be established, not by accident, but by force. Though operating on a subconscious level, this belief drove Kael in many areas of his life, even to the point of becoming obsessive-compulsive over things under his control. However, the more he succeeded, the more the belief proved a virtue rather than a vice.

It was also during this period that Kael became attracted to his childhood friend, a thin hot-headed Zeltron named Sybella. While Sybella helped Kael have a more positive, less chaotic view of the universe, Kael defended Sybella against bullies who hurled immature, Zeltron related sexual insults. The two dated throughout their teens and beyond, rarely being seen apart from the other.

Waking to a Cruel Universe


"You don't want to fight me. You're already ugly enough."
―Kael Fayne, trying to pick a fight

After several years of working in the diamond mines, Kael's uncles offered the sixteen year old a job as a cargo pilot, stating that Kael had more good sense than all their transport jocks combined. Over his father's objections, Kael lept at the opportunity. Upon being hijacked by pirates on a solo mission to the outer rim, the young boy was forced to defend himself, using surprise and stealth to disable two of the pirates and killing the leader with his own blaster. This life or death situation further awakened Kael to the ugliness of the universe, driving him to train obsessively with various weapons to learn how to defend himself. In like respect, Kael also took to sneaking out to local catinas, picking fights with obstreperous scumbags in order to learn how to give and take a punch.

To Protect and to Serve


"Dad, I have to go my own way."
―Kael Fayne

As Kael left school with bachlor degrees in both History and Law, his father began to encourage him to become, of all things, a school teacher. Despite his deep voice and somewhat intimidating size, Kael had always been good with kids, never failing to find ways to make them laugh and learn at the same time much like his father had done with him. Sybella, on the other hand, wanted Kael to continue with Fayne Diamonds mainly for financial reasons.

Although he agreed with much of his father's philosophy and lifeview, Kael desired a more active approach to confronting wrong in the universe, and thus he enrolled in the local Civil Security Academy. Racing through the Academy's many courses, Kael soon became a local beat cop, where he served with honor for the next three years. The new cop soon became highly coveted for undercover missions and interrogations in particular.

Sybella, giving into the taunts of her childhood bullies, had by this time become a stripper at the local ski resort, arguing that the money she earned was more than she'd make anywhere else. Kael continued to live with her, hoping he could one day convince her to give up such a life. However, when Kael asked her to quit her job and marry him, she declined, saying she couldn't give up her nature and who she was meant to be. Kael responded that he no longer wanted to see her or watch her waste her life, and the two parted ways shortly thereafter.

Kael as Nissa Gábor

From a Man Into a Soldier (22 BBY - 19 BBY)

In the Presence of Greatness


"Youngling, you are barely half the man you could be."
―Arca Jeth

Kael's third year of service in Law Enforcement proved to be his most successful as he devoted himself to work as a distraction from his seperation from Sybella. As a further means of escape, Kael went undercover for most of the year as a gangster named Nissa Gábor. Kael became addicted to several illicit drugs in the process of keeping his cover, though he enjoyed the release they provided. While laying next to several hired escorts in drug induced euphoria, Kael had a vision of legendary Arkanian Jedi Arca Jeth. The mighty Jedi Master told Kael it was time to turn back from his current downward spiral least he fall too far.

A Galaxy at War


"If this war is worth fighting, then it is worth being fought by honorable men...not manufactured armies."
―Kael Fayne

A week after the supposed vision, the Battle of Geonosis finally plunged the galaxy into what became known as the Clone Wars. Like many in the Republic, Kael left all he had behind to join the war effort, not willing that his place on the battlefield be taken by a clone. Fearing he would be enlisted as a cook or something worse if he went to official Republic recruitment centers, Kael drifted from one militia group to the next for the first few months of the war. In that time, he learned a variety of skills, serving as a scout, engineer, and slicer among other roles. It was during this time that Kael came in contact with a group of Matukai who themselves chose not to fight with the Jedi Order. Sharing a common training regimen, Fayne learned much from these Force users, causing him to begin to open up to the mystical energy field for the first time as well.

Off the Bench; Into the Game


"Hey! Those are our blasters!"
―A wounded Clone Trooper lamenting Kael's borrowing of his blasters

Tiring of sitting on the relative sidelines, Kael's reputation among Militia leaders finally got him into the game during the Republic's planned liberation of Brentaal IV. With Republic approval, Kael went undercover inside the planet's main defense complex, where he sliced into the complex's security systems and helped clear the way for Republic troops.

During the post-victory mop up operation, Kael noticed some of the Confederate droids retreating whilst carrying about a rather large man, one the Arkanian had seen with an attractive white haired woman before his deployment to the planet. Fayne managed to track down the lady, who called herself Rielle, and after borrowing a pair of DC-15 Sidearms from some wounded troopers he helped locate the man and rescue him. The large man, a Shaevalian on closer inspection, introduced himself as Brodo and both he and Rielle thanked Kael for his assistance.

Kael during the Clone Wars

From Ship to Ship


"That one isn't going to last long."
―A Militia leader, watching Kael dodge blaster fire rather than seek cover

Kael's efforts on Brentaal IV earned him a place on the front lines of the Militia as a Marine, storming enemy ships in a hail of blasterfire to shut down self destruct systems and capture Confederate leaders. Such missions took nerves of durasteel as many of the self destructs were only seconds away from activation before being sliced and shut down. The twenty two year old enjoyed the change of pace, however, believing his skills as a gunslinger were finally being put to proper use, earning him the rank of Lieutenant with a platoon of 36 Marines under his direct command.

A Late Goodbye


"The Jedi, long content in using disposable clones to do their dirty work, are so blinded by their spotlight that they have no right to question my actions."
―Kael defending his treatment of prisoners.

However, as the Clone Wars drew near to their sudden end, the ever growing casualties and loss of life all around him drove Kael to take harsher measures in his interrogations of captured Confederates. Whatever means were necessary were employeed, from harsh beatings to pharmaceutical stimulants to withholding medical treatment after being shot at point blank range. Fayne, though not trained in the Force, also began to inadvertantly use such powers as Fear to get the answers he wanted. Some of his men questioned Kael's tactics in this regard, but none could argue with the results.

Although his intimidating reputation set many of the Confederates on edge, it earned the Republic a black eye in the press, which led to the Jedi Order requesting Kael's immediate dishonorable discharge. Many of Kael's men protested, appreciative that he would do whatever it took to protect them. Nevertheless, Kael packed his things and prepared to returned to Arkania until a private meeting with a representative of the COMPOR changed his mind. The agent said that the Commission still required men with his talents as an interrogator. Kael, disturbed that he was being asked to do the same job he'd just been discharged over, said he would only serve until the War was over, which he did.

From a Soldier Into a Hero (19 BBY - 16 BBY)

Starting Over From the Beginning


"How many of you know that the Clone Wars were started all because a Jedi chose to trespass in one of the Confederate's droid factories?"
―Kael teaching recent history to his students

With the Clone Wars over and the New Order in the process of being established, many of Kael's contacts within the military offered him positions in various stormtrooper squadrons. Fayne declined, desiring a quieter life on the one hand and believing he could do more good on the local level on the other. Even after his offered payment was doubled, the Arkanian began the long trip home.

Rather than return to his position within Civil Security, however, the former Marine followed his father's advice and became a school teacher, teaching history and other subjects to the youth of Adascopolis, Arkania's crime-ridden capital city. Although not nearly as prestigious as his career in the military, Kael found sincere joy in helping the children learn and develop into young adults. Kael was also able to use his free time to finally earn his doctrates in History and Law, both of his theses being in defense of the New Order and its constitution.

Someone to Look Up to


"Alright, children, you can go back to telling stories about "the Gavel" later. "
―Kael gathering his student's attention

While traveling home one day from work, Kael noticed a familiar face on the corner of one of Adascopolis' less reputible neighborhoods: Sybella. The Zeltron's once youthful appearance was now aged beyond her years and sickly as she admitted she had been addicted to various narcotics for the last three or so years. Because she had no where else to stay, Kael offered to take her in and help rehabilitate her.

When it was revealed to Kael that some of his own students were being used to traffic some of their narcotics and dirty money, the former Marine decided to take matters into his own hands. Assuming his old undercover identity as Nissa Gábor, Kael was able to learn the inside and outs of the main organized crime syndicate. Then, wearing an expressionless grey helmet, the history teacher began to stalk the various street gangs, striking fear into their hearts using the same darker Force powers he had developed during the Clone Wars.

It was not long before news reports were released telling of how local gangs were running scared of some faceless vigilante capable of fighting off a dozen men with nothing but his fists. Although a little exaggerated, such reports kept many gangsters from operating out in the open, and the movement of narcotics was halted. Kael took no glory in the reports, but his heart was warmed when his students would excitedly tell stories about the "Greyman", or "The Snare", or Kael's favorite:"The Gavel".

Sybella before becoming addicted to various narcotics

From a Hero Into a Dark Jedi (16 BBY - 32 ABY)

You Can't Blame a Guy For Trying


"I may be guilty of many things, but not this."
―Kael defending himself while on trial

For the next two years Kael lived without a full night's sleep, continuing to teach history during the day and either playing the role of Nissa Gábor or masked vigilante at night. In order to keep up with the physical abuse, Kael had to take large amounts of painkillers, but he felt the good he was doing was worth it. Sybella's addictions, however, were not as easily cured as Kael had to retrieve her from the same darker districts of town on a number of occasions.

On one particular night, however, Sybella made the mistake of revealing Kael's identity as the vigilante hero to a low level gangster during a drug-induced stupor. However, instead of killing their enemy outright, the gangsters called Nissa Gábor to a meeting in a run down hotel. Kael entered the room to the sound of a lone blaster shot only to find Sybella's dead body in the bedroom. Several Civil Security officiers, all on the take, soon stormed the hotel room and arrested "Nissa Gábor".

With the help of several high ranking and corrupt political officials, the cartel was able to keep Kael far from the public eye during the rather private trial. To what public cared, it was just a case of a degenerate gangster snuffing out a prostitute rather than paying her outright. Kael's court appointed lawyer accepted a plea bargain without his client's knowledge, sentencing the school teacher turned vigilante to life without parole. "Kael Fayne" was reported missing by his friends and family a day later.

A Hall of Mirrors Built by Liars


"In this hall of mirrors, built by liars, I am a pale reflection of myself."
―A lyric Kael often repeated to himself while in prison

Entering the city of Adascopolis' maximum security prison, Fayne was greeted by an endless horde of low level gangsters, many he himself had put away. For the next two years, Kael suffered beating after beating, always outnumbered to the point where he couldn't defend himself. Eventually, some of the gangster's bodies were found, one here and one there, each one either strangled or blugeoned to death in private areas of the prison complex. Though no evidence was found, the Warden decided the best course of action was to "donate" Kael's body to science in order to get rid of him. Not another corpse was found thereafter.

Fayne was thus handed over to Arkanian Microtechnologies, a medical supply and technology corporation that dabbled in a variety of interesting areas, including cloning. Because of the dangerous nature of the prisoner, scientists from Arkanian Micro chose to utilize Kael's body to test carbon freezing techniques and their applications for suspending the sickly in animation until cures could be found.

Kael's first freezing

Encased in Ice; The Seeing Blind


"It feels like I'm dying...every time..."
―Kael, reporting on how it feels to be frozen in carbonite

Lasting for 45 years from 13 BBY to 32 ABY, Kael was frozen in carbonite while said scientists studied the results, letting the innocent victim out once a year for a week's worth of evaluations. During these short periods Kael learned what little he could about the outside universe, and soon became attracted to a human research assistant named Sala. The feeling proved mutual as Sala began to look forward to evaluating her favorite patient, often bringing him candy after learning about his childhood affection for it.

Even though he was unwilling to talk about it at first, Sala finally managed to get Kael to discuss with her the reason for his imprisonment after the two shared a secret night of passion during Kael's eleventh year of imprisonment. Sala, like most people, had heard of the masked vigilante and had wondered of his sudden disappearance. Afterwards, she offered to help the innocent victim escape, but Kael did not want any harm to come to her and made her promise not to do anything.

Nevertheless, years and years of being thawed out and refrozen caused Kael's vision to finally stop returning to him, making him more desperate to do something before his physical situation grew worse. His blindness, however, helped to awaken in him a new sense that had been buried deep in his subconscious: the Force. What had only aided him slightly during gunfights and interrogations now came to the fore as the blind man found new eyes with which he could "sense" his surroundings. Kael chose to keep this knowledge to himself, hoping to use it to surprise his captors and escape in time.

A Sith Never Forgets a Friend


"Now we are even."
Brent "Archangel" Ligur Victae

Fortunately for the now-blind test subject, Sala proved stubborn and broke her promise as she neared retirement at the age of seventy. Having learned about him from listening to Kael's stories, Sala sought out the one called Brodo, enlisting him to help Fayne escape. Remembering how strong the Force felt around the Arkanian and believing he owed him as much, Brodo, now known as Archangel, agreed to help. He was surprised, however, at the degree of savagery the patient exhibited on his captors once he was freed, remembering him only as a calm and collected scout. After the two were in the clear, Archangel made known to Kael his place within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, and how they could use someone with his abilities. Kael thanked the Shaevalian for his help, requesting a way to contact the Brotherhood once he had made his decision.

Kael spent only a month more on Arkania, checking in on his family and their business under an assumed alias to make sure all was well. Perhaps one of the most devastating of discoveries was also one of the most expected: Kael's father, Soren, had passed away while his son was in prison. The happiness of being free soon gave way to remorse as Kael reflected on the fact that his father never knew what had happened to him. However, subtle questions to his family revealed how highly Soren had spoken of and rememberd his son. The final and greatest comfort was knowing Soren had lived to see his life's work, pushing for Arkanian independence, had become reality in part as Arkania had refused to join the New Republic.

Fayne also visited a memorial made in honor of the vigilante hero he had once been. Lastly, he managed to find where Sala had retired in secret, only sending her a bouqet of flowers, under his alias, to say thanks. Once he was ready, Fayne broke into the garage that had impounded his Imperial ARC-170, called "The Latter Rain," and embarked towards Brotherhood space.