Sashar Arconae/PartTwo

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Complete Article: Sashar Arconae
Transcluded Pages: Part One - Part Two - Part Three

Sashar’s Eyes

Sashar made several trips to Dxun during this time after the Kodiak Clan took on a contract from the Hutt Grand Council which, given Sashar’s unique expertise, was perfect for them: Hunting down and capturing Dash Kuatir – a Bounty Hunter and reclusive hedonist who had caused the deaths of several prominent Hutts during his infamous career.

Sashar, Kieran, Juda and Maaks (along with a pair of Kodiak non-Force-sensitives, A’den and his son teenage son Venku) tracked the metamorph to Abregado Rae. They attempted to capture him in a cantina, however he proved a formidable opponent and floored both Kieran and Sashar before slipping out. Venku and Maaks, operating as a sniper team to try and keep them safe were next under the Metamorph’s ire, and Venku was shot through the back of the head before he could even begin to defend himself. Sashar and A’den caught up before the Bounty Hunter could kill Maaks, but the Miraluka’s innate pacificism caused him to stop Sashar from landing the killing blow. Furious with him, the Grey Jedi forced Maaks to stare at Venku’ corpse and confront the reality of being both a Mandalorian and a Force User; a life filled with violence and loss, but one where he would be loved. Shaken, Maaks was filled with doubt about his new life, but wanted to press on and prove that he could be useful. The hunting party returned to Dxun disgusted at their rare failure. Sashar returned to the Dajorra system to collect several more Force users, feeling that he needed more of an edge. Kieran’s temper was short, and when he took Maaks out a few days later into the Jungle to the landing site (at least a day’s travel away), the pair got into a fight. The Miraluka was able to get the jump on Kieran, which only further angered him. He chased Maaks through the jungle, using a usually forbidden Force Technique developed by Sashar and Malidir called “Te’kyr” – The End. Sashar arrived only just in time to stop Kieran and Maaks was awed by the sheer level of focus present in the Arconae’s Force use. He vowed to one day reach that level.

Juda was able to infiltrate Dash’s camp and act as a love interest, and as such was able to report the Bounty Hunter’s location to the rest of the Kodiaks and Erinos: his Winter Palace on Toola. Sashar took the remaining Erinos to Toola and launched an all-out attack on the Palace, however it was another debacle. Dash knew Juda was a spy and as such had planned numerous traps for the Mandalorians, resulting in A’den’s death. Voden and Maaks were attacked by Dash himself. The former was left severely injured whilst Maaks was captured. Unfortunately, Sashar was unable to recover the youth and it was presumed that the Miraluka teamed up with Dash.

All too soon, still flush with their successes against Crask, Arcona was called back to the front. The new Grand Master, coveting the world of Salas V, was thwarted from simply taking the planet by Kilik forces. Wanting a new champion, he pitted the Clans against one another, hoping to form a crucible of excellence. Arcona were first put against their old rivals, Taldryan. Given the calibre of their opponents (one being a Grand Master), an elite team was made from Arcona’s strongest fighters, headed by Timeros, Zandro, and Sashar. The cadre of veteran warriors were faced almost exclusively by elders, and came out bloodied but smiling. Sashar, however, was a different story. He encountered Jac Cotelin on the plains of Salas V and put up a valiant fight, however he was no match for the sheer power the Grand Master had at his disposal. Left badly wounded, Sashar was no use for the first phase of the operation. Taldryan narrowly defeated Arcona for Darth Ashen’s favour, and as such were pitted against Naga Sadow. With a number of key figures being taken out in the first bout against Taldryan, Arcona fared similarly and were narrowly beaten, however Sashar made personally sure to best Malisane and Manji Keibatsu Sadow, their Consul, in single combat thanks in large part due to the surprise element his Force Wraiths granted him. Despite the loss, they emerged with their heads held high. They’d taken the best the rest of the Brotherhood could throw at them, and survived. Once more, they’d proved that even Grand Masters weren’t infallable.

However, his peace wasn’t to last. Dash had discerned the location of the Kodiak camp from Maaks, and also knew that most of the Erinos would be away from the camp, fighting in the Vendetta. He chose that moment to attack the camp by surprise and devastated it. The remaining Kodiaks travelled to Arconae Primus and helped construct a small village to hold both clan’s populaces. It was still a massive blow, and Sashar vowed revenge. One of the children to survive the attack was a youth named Teroch, who lost both his parents and Sashar, stricken with guilt, adopted the youth along with Voden. Teroch also had massive Force potential, however the pair agreed not to train him, so as not to attract the Brotherhood’s attention. With Teroch required to follow Sashar and learn from him the skills any Mandalorian would need, Sashar felt it wasn’t fair that he run Arcona with divided responsibilities, and as such stepped down, allowing Celahir to take the Serpentine Throne. The Arconae did, however, challenge both Zandro and Juda for the position of Soulfire Sergeant, and was able to win with the use of his Force Wraiths.

Chafing from the loss during the Vendetta, Sashar decided to enter the Equite ladder. He breezed through the first round, killing an Iktotchi Priest from Tarentum by relying heavily on his training as a Shadesworn Assassin. He next met with Shaz'air Taldrya Rathden, the Consul of Taldryan at the time, who he dispatched with his Concussion Rifle (fast becoming as iconic as the Mighty Guard as Sashar’s signature). Unfortunately, the Semi-finals proved to be a lot harder. The Arconae was to fight Timeros Enter Arconae, a long-time associate, clan mate and somewhat rival of the Mandalorians’. The two had never got along, but both respected one another and had both been instrumental in Arcona’s growth over the years. However, both were itching for a chance to settle the score. They fought in the same grizzly arena as the other semi-finalists, Scion and Tsainetomo Keibatsu (a rival of Timeros’) and Sashar was pushed to his absolute extreme, continually falling back on the Wraiths to make up for the gap in their saber work (as Timeros was clearly the better duellist), however all too soon it looked as if the match was all but over; Sashar’s Force reserves were trained when he failed to kill the Krath Pontifex with “Te’kyr” – his end-move, but before Timeros could land the killing blow, Tsainetomo, who’d won his match, took down Tim, hoping he’d have an easier fight in the finals against Sashar. Sai did indeed prove to be a most formidable opponent. The two of them fought through the bowels of a Dungeon Ship, constantly matching and outmatching one another with a variety of tricks and tactics, neither relying overtly on saber play to try and gain the edge, however it wasn’t until Sashar bought himself some space and time with the Wraiths that he was able to slip away, secure himself in a security-substation and turn the ship’s internal defences on his aggressor that he was able to gain the upper hand. Faced with a dizzying array of droids, automated turrets, blast doors and even the Force Wraiths, Sai had a hard time battering them all down before finally confronting Sashar once more for the end-game. A Force-enhanced lariat broke the Keibatsu’s neck and won the Arconan the tournament. Nevertheless, a mutual admiration of battle prowess and skill was borne between the two finalists. Sashar returned to Arcona a hero, and was rumoured to be arguably the strongest Equite in the Brotherhood after winning the Equite ladder.

Dark Focus

The Grand Master felt that all of the Clans had grown fat in their successes and soon after implemented a sweeping reform throughout the Brotherhood: namely, all Clans were to be remade as Independent Houses, with the Quaestor being the highest authority. Celahir struggled to rein in Arcona and prevent an uprising from such a front, but his sheer charisma, along with Sashar’s none-so-subtle threats to the other ‘clansmen’ kept in check, and the Mandalorian was sent to Antei to report to the Dark Council how Arcona was settling into its new role along with emissaries from every other House in the Brotherhood.

While there, the Shadow Academy on Lyspair (Antei’s moon) dropped from communications. It was discovered that a remnant of Crask’s war droids had seized the facility, and Sashar was selected along with three other powerful Equites and Elders to re-secure the facility in four separate teams. As part of the aerial infiltration team, Sashar took with him notably Juda and Voden from Arcona, but also Tsainetomo (Naga Sadow’s emissary). The team worked well to re-take the Academy, and the mission only served to strengthen Sai and Sashar’s camaraderie.

Disgusted with the Dark Council, Celahir couldn’t in good conscience serve them or Arcona as its leader, and stepped down to take a sabbatical to re-evaluate his position in the Brotherhood. Without a leader, Sashar quickly worked to ensure that the Dark Council didn’t install a puppet leader, he quickly gained the support of the Arconae, the remaining summit and even the membership to endorse Zandro Erinos as Quaestor. Lord Ashen agreed that an Arconae and distinguished member would be the best choice.

Again, wanting to improve his abilities against other Force users, Sashar and Juda entered the co-operative ACC tournament. Their first match was against two Revanites: Tra'an Reith and Lambow (a Shi’ido and a Wookiee). It was a brutal, ugly gutterfight of a match and despite the Mandalorian’s preference to fight dirty and call a win a win, even this was very…personal. As it turned out, the Erinos brothers had earned their opponents’ ire when they’d both been in Clan Scholae Palatinae – Arcona’s natural enemies. The non-humans relished the chance to pay back the Arconans, but Sashar and Juda weren’t having any of it. Lambow was dealt with and scalped first by the Primarch (who took to wearing the Wookiee’s scalp attached to his armour after the match) and Juda busied the Shi’ido enough for Sashar to shoot him in the face.

Their next opponents were Dante and Kael Fayne – a powerful Obelisk pair. Dante was known as a fearsome combatant in his own right (to survive to the third of the Equite ranks was proof enough) and Kael had won the Journeyman ACC ladder, and despite his rank was nothing to be sneered at. Nevertheless, Sashar set in motion a plan to ensure their victory nearly a week before the match itself had begin. As expected, during the match, both focused on Juda to try and isolate Sashar and pick off the ‘weaker’ target first and whilst the medic did indeed get pummelled by Dante, he was not completely out for the count. Kael made the mistake of firing a blaster at the master of Soresu, and was rewarded by having the bolt redirected and the weapon detonate in his hands. Free to fight Dante, Sashar taunted him with the revalation that he had seduced and slept with the Exarch’s son mere days before. Furious at such an affront to his family, Dante entered a rage and attacked Sashar, not realising that Juda still had the recognisance to call upon a Force Wraith to attack in his place. Surprised by the ‘Monkey’ suddenly tearing at his face, he missed Sashar drop to the floor and cut his feet off at the ankle, thereby ending the match.

Unfortunately, neither team would progress. Juda’s injuries at Dante’s hands proved substantial, and left him paralysed from the waist down, a long rehabilitation ahead of him as he learned to walk again after restoring his spinal chords’ nerves thanks to his own healing prowess. The Erinos had to bow out of the tournament, as only Sashar was fit enough to participate.

Almost as soon as Juda was fit for combat again, a strange ailment struck Estle City, now the only seat of power in the Dajorra system since Arcona’s being made into a House. A mysterious Cult, known only as the Death Walkers had been tearing their ways through the lower levels of the City either eating the populace or converting them to their cannibalistic ranks through some presumed-Force-related methods. Soulfire were sent to reconnoitre the area and take out the leader of the Cult. They performed as only Soulfire could; without flaw, displaying a bravery many would envy, however soon found themselves overwhelmed by sheer numbers. In addition, Sashar had been using his Force Wraiths in support of the Squad and, put simply, overextended himself by trying to maintain the Force Meld Soulfire was famous for as well as controlling his own Wraiths directly like marionettes. Exitotoxicity had put him into a coma and all of his body had shut down without direction from the mind. Juda had to work fast to fashion an artificial respirator and blood circulator to keep his body alive whilst he brought the brain back to functioning order, but the encounter left Soulfire without its leader for the rest of the operation.

Zandro was able to fight his way to the Flagship and the rebellion was swiftly crushed when the Eye of the Abyss turned its attention to the dilapidated Dreadnaught hiding behind Boral. More and more of Arcona’s seasoned troops stormed the city and fought back to protect their home, though Estle’s infrastructure was severely damaged by the assault. It was only later, when the Dreadnaught’s wreckage was searched, that it was discovered that a man named Lorden had orchestrated the attack and provided crucial intelligence.

Bonya Temple would prove to be the site of one of Sashar’s greatest victories. Due to an internal schism in the Dark Council centering around Orders, the Krath and Sith both tried to gain entry to Bonya, which the Obelisk reacted to violently. Houses were forgotten and whilst Sashar and his friends couldn’t give a mott’s backside about power struggles in the Dark Council, he did view it as the perfect opportunity to sharpen his abilities in combat that little bit more. He met up with Tsainetomo after the initial conflict, and the two sensed a disturbance some way away from the Temple. They set of, hoping to thwart Krath trickery, and were rewarded for their bloodlust. Waiting for them was a huge creature of alchemical construction that made a Rancor look like a house pet. They quickly formed a plan to take down the behemoth; Sai was to distract it, whilst Sashar would use his Wraiths to gain purchase atop the beast and kill it with a surgical strike. The plan worked perfectly. Using a previously unseen Wraith and a thought-impossible technique, Sashar was able to ride his Wraith (dubbed the Drexl) up until he reached the head of the creature. Then, he hopped off and scoured a deep cut with his saber into the back of the War Beast’s skull, and then finished it off with a telekinetically sped-up Concussion Blast from his favourite rifle.

From there, Sai and Sashar were given control of a taskforce of Obelisk to infiltrate the Triumverate Temple. Using fourteen of their colleages from both Naga Sadow and Arcona, they were able to plan and steal a Holocron and return to Bonya temple with no losses. Using Sashar as a distraction with a few of the other Arconas, Sai and the rest snuck in virtually undetected and were able to make off with the artefact. For his prowess in battle, his tactical acumen and growing ability in the Force, Sashar was given a field promotion to Dark Side Adept and allowed access to learn the powers of the Elders of the Brotherhood.

Appearance

Sashar stands at an even six feet and takes every caution to appear as bland and unremarkable as possible (after all, individuals attract fire). With an even tan formed from a lifetime outside and dark hair that varies in length and tone from a military crew cut to just brushing his shoulders in times of extended conflict, he has the look of a man just embarking upon adulthood who has nevertheless seen too much of war, and it has left his mark. His face is nearly always serious, stoic and ironically speaks seldom unless in combat, when he tries to psych out his opponents by being overly verbose and disarmingly nonchalant.

In terms of identifying marks, beyond the usual cuts and scrapes life gives a person (and obviously his eyes), Sashar has a pair of tattoos – The first is the Erinos symbol on the upper right portion of his back, and the other is the Mark of the Tenebrous – a large, circular tattoo that covers most of his abdomen, centered around his navel and reaches almost as high as his sternum.

With a muscled, compact form and broad shoulders with very little body fat spread over his frame, he is lightly haired and well groomed. In times of war, a dusting of stubble sprinkled across his face isn’t uncommon.

His only piece of jewellery is the ‘Star of Dajorra’ – a silver necklace hung about his neck holding a small glass marble with a shining light encased within. The light, upon careful inspection, is an exact replica of the Star Dajorra. This award was bestowed upon Sashar for his work in helping augment the training of Arcona’s Military forces, making them a more effective fighting force with lectures and talks on Battle Psychology. He nearly always hides this under his other clothes and keeps it next to his skin.

Ayumarka Eyes

Sashar’s eyes are cloned and engineered to allow him to see as he previously did, as well as granting him near perfect vision in pitch darkness. Added to this, the Consul Mejas Doto imbued an amount of force energy into the eyes, allowing their owner to occasionally see currents in the force. The eyes, unlike his originals, are a dark blue with an unusual tri-pointed pupil pattern, signifying their special nature.

Psychological Profile

The Mandalorian is somewhat of a contradiction, even to himself. His strong sense of a warrior’s honour seems to drive his moral decisions – indeed it features strongly in his philosophy of the Force. By his own admission, he refers to himself as a Grey Jedi – a dangerous title for someone in the Dark Brotherhood. This endeavour for an ‘honourable’ life is countered by his growing strength in the force – he finds himself questioning the Mandalorian drive for war. Indeed, he is starting to see his Mandalorian way of life impractical at times, and looks to the force to aid him towards the ‘greater good.’ It remains to be seen how this internal strife will manifest itself.

His loyalties however, aren’t affected by his conflicting morals and dark temptation. His Family, his House, his Clan and a few select others he would gladly give his life for – the Mandalorian’s family orientated culture being the driving force behind that mentality. Outside of the close circle his trusts, he ranges from respectful (to those he views as competent warriors) to openly scornful (to those he views as cowards; those who don’t fight ‘well’). This doesn’t lend itself easily to strangers – that is not to say that the Mandalorian can’t be charming, polite and dapper; merely that he chooses not to be amongst his peers in the Brotherhood.

Combat

In combat, Sashar is very much the Mandalorian’s Mandalorian. He is unafraid to make a mess, accepts collateral damage with a shrug and displays a nonchalance to the various tools he uses to disassemble sentients that startle those who encounter him. His fighting style is no-nonsense, not big on flashy demonstrations of power or skill, instead expanding just enough energy to get the job done (at least when it comes to melee or hand-to-hand fighting). However, his use of high-yield explosives can best be surmised in his own words: “P for Plenty.”

Being trained in small unit tactics since being a toddler, he is incredibly comfortable with a wide variety of blaster weapons, and has also taken it upon himself to modify the ‘gear’ he owns to better suit his needs. Likewise, he worked closely with his brother to help design the Soulfire Neo-Crusader armour to be optimised for a small commando unit who regularly face force users of greater rank and skill. As such, he isn’t afraid to use technology, tools and gadgets in his line of work and sneers at those who think that the Lightsaber is the only weapon they’ll ever need. That isn’t to say that he doesn’t respect lightsaber combat – indeed he is quite the swordsman – but he also is of the belief that there are times and places for the antiquated weapon.

As Soulfire’s former Tech specialist, the Mandalorian is also quite at home with various forms of electronic warfare and spends a lot of his down time when not practicing or attending to his various duties in the clan ‘tinkering’ with various pieces of technology or weaponry to better them.

In addition to being an expert in Special Operations practices, His time as Consul and his training with Oberst have granted him a confidence and proficiency with large naval combat and a shrewdness with the political machinations within the Brotherhood which have afforded him considerable respect as a leader. Many of the newer leaders of Arcona still consult Sashar on the more pivotal decisions they are about to make.

The Force

As an Elder of the Brotherhood, Sashar’s application of the Force is drastically potent. He will only expend the energy needed to complete the task presented before him, be it defeating an opposing force user or knocking down a reinforced door. He is at home using the Force in many aspects, however he has paid particular attention to his cultivation of Battle-Melds. His work with Soulfire only helped him improve this singular talent and he considers it his latent leaning in the force. Some are healers, some are seers; Sashar can forge Battle Melds.

Again, with his philosophy being that of a Grey Jedi and Sashar embracing the Potentium view of the Force, he is not squeamish about using the Force’s more offensive powers if the end result is what he sees ‘the greater good.’ To suit his fighting style, Sashar has also paid particular attention to cultivating his offensive telekinetic abilities, allowing his rage to fuel the force, putting up defensive barriers, and as a homeage to Arcona, ‘Blackness.’

The Arconae has developed several techniques unique to him, most in order of severity which he matches to his foe. Initially, however, he will mostly stick to using the ‘Mighty Guard’ and allow him to analyse his opponent and wear them out whilst he develops a strategy to counter their attacks and ultimately defeat them.

Kandosii Aran – the Mighty Guard

Probably a technique Sashar is most widely known for, the Grey Jedi applies his mastery of Soresu in a unique fashion by planting his feet shoulder-width apart facing his adversary, boosts his speed with the Force and focuses his entire mind on defending against attacks (thanks to the Obelisk art ‘Dark Mettle’), be they lightsaber swings, blaster bolts or even thrown fists (though there has yet to be a time when Sashar has used the Mighty Guard against an unarmed opponent). To further bolster his speed, the Arconan boosts it through the Force, applying it in such degrees available only to Elders (Master Speed). Sashar has further refined the technique by suiting different lightsabers to be more suited to it. His shoto has a shorter blade than normal, and as such Sashar is able to manoeuvre with it in a much tighter space, keep it closer to his body (thereby making it easier to defend himself from blaster bolts or quick stabs) and even move faster, as there is less of a blade to worry about lopping off an ear or limb. Unfortunately, this does have some drawbacks, as he is unlikely to be able to stop more than one lightsaber blade at once on such a short blade, and likewise is unable to stop as many blaster bolts in one swing, given the stubby nature of the blade itself. The technique is probably best suited to a standard blade length, which gives it matching capabilities against both Blasters and Lightsabers. A staff would significantly reduce the efficacy of such a defence, given its’ dualistic nature.

Zandro found a vital weakness in the Mighty Guard, namely that Sashar usually takes about a half-second to summon the Force necessary to perform the technique, during which time he’s vulnerable to attack.

With a full-length blade, Sashar’s record when shot at with blaster bolts is currently able to stop seventeen strikes in a second, whilst with a shoto, his record is eleven.

Netra’Gal – Black Ale

An ability developed in deference to Arcona, the technique suits its’ name in that ‘It’s black as night, you don’t see it coming, and it leaves you on your back with a di’kut of a headache.’

Sashar first removes his opponent’s ability to see by using the Force ability ‘Blackness’, and then proceeds to either pummel the target telekinetically, or if he’s close enough to administer it himself, deals the damage with his own bare hands. The finishing strike is always the same, however: a Telekinetic blast which sweeps the target off their feet. He most often utilises this as a quick surprise attack either to buy himself time to summon the Wraiths or to open an offensive succession of attacks, but the Mandalorian almost never uses it as a finishing move.

Kebiin Bev - Blue Spike

A technique that got its name from Sashar’s use of it in conjunction with the LJ-50 Concussion Rifle he so favours, it is a surprise attack which boosts the speed of a Concussion Blast (or projectile round) with the use of Telekinesis. Given the right circumstances, Sashar can even alter the trajectory of a Concussion Bolt mid-flight (however, this requires considerable concentration and reflexes). Unfortunately, Blaster bolts move too quickly and are too ephemeral to speed up at Sashar’s current level, but he has begun practice to try and improve the Kebiin Bev.

Ru’am Brokar – Different(Changed) Beat

A technique Sashar originally developed for use in hand-to-hand, he has since discovered that it could be applied for any other form of small scale combat. Through the use of a Force illusion, he convinces his opponent that he is either throwing a punch with one hand or throwing a kick (or any strike) when in actual fact he is waiting until they move to block it before striking in earnest at an exposed portion of their body. Given the technical nature of this attack, Sashar only seems to use it when he is confident of victory and doesn’t rate his opponent to be a ‘serious’ threat.

Sashar’sur'haaise – Sashar’s Eyes

Sashar’s Wraiths are fast becoming emblematic of both the man and the House. Like all Wraiths, if created to be ‘independent’, they can follow simple instructions and last for days at a time before fading back to the ether. However, as Consul, Sashar had extensive access and time to practice with the creations and as such has perfected use of the Wraiths to such a level as he can remotely control them like marionettes, and perhaps most importantly of all, he can share their senses, i.e. perceive what they perceive through their eyes. However, such coordination is taxing and he can only maintain direct control of the creatures for about thirty minutes before exhausting himself. If he carries on subsequently, he risks succumbing to exitoxicity and entering a coma.

All of the Wraiths share approximate similarities in appearance – the texture of their skin is indistinct and blurred, like a smear on reality and they are usually festooned with claws and teeth to further add to their surreal and intimidating appearance. They are all roughly humanoid and obviously began life as shadows of the former Consul, as most bear similarities to his general silhouette. Also worthy of note are the only points on all of the Wraiths that are in focus; the eyes are identical copies of Sashar’s. White sclera ring startling tri-pupilled blue corneas.

The number of Wraiths being created at any one time is directly proportional to the time required to summon any. For instance, if Sashar called one Wraith back from the ether, it’d require mild concentration for maybe five seconds. If it were two, he’d need to focus even harder and concentrate entirely on the task at hand for ten seconds. If it were three, the time required would double again to twenty seconds. Creating four wraiths would take forty seconds, and be extension, creating all five Wraiths would take eighty seconds. During this period, Sashar is incredibly vulnerable, so his usual modus operandi would either to be to temporarily withdraw from combat, or simply summon the first Wraith and give it the command of guarding him whilst he summoned its brethren, whereupon he would take direct psychic control of all of them.

An important point to remember when fighting Wraiths is that their name proves to be incredibly fitting; they are ephemeral creatures borne from nightmares. No conventional weapon can harm them, not even lightsabers. To try to grapple or land a hit on one would be a exercise in futility; the blow would simply pass through them harmlessly. The only way to truly harm these abominations would be to use the Force.

Given his advanced practice with the beasts and his status as Elder, Sashar has even been able to make the Wraiths corporeal for more than a few moments – a feat no Equite could manage. This has allowed the Wraiths to ‘solidify’ parts of their bodies temporarily to block attacks, cover Sashar or even allow the Mandalorian to physically interact with him directly, i.e. his standing atop the Drexl and using it as a mount.

Finally, it is worthy of note that the only person to have survived encountering Sashar’s Wraiths has been Jac Cotelin, and before Sashar’s defeat at the Taldrya’s hands, he Wraiths helped him prove that even Grand Masters can bleed.

The Hunter

Sashar’s primary Wraith is about his height when raised fully with powerfully muscled, inverse-jointed legs, allowing it to run down prey. Its arms are triple jointed too and grant it considerable reach (and also the ability to run on all fours should it want to). Its nose and mouth protrude out in a defined muzzle, and its mouth is crammed full of gleaming black razor-sharp teeth. Also, the claws on its hands and feet are incredibly sharp. The Hunter is primarily used as an offensive Wraith, meant to run down its prey and harass it to exhaustion, then incapacitate it with its teeth or claws.

The Runt

Arguably the strangest of Sashar’s Wraiths, the Runt is half again as short as its creator, with legs identical to a toad’s, making it able to throw itself vast distances in one leap. Both its fingers and toes (instead of the usual claws) are tipped with suction cups and the gaps between its extremities are webbed. Its most unusual feature, though, is its tongue. Able to launch out and wrap itself around targets nearly fifty meters away, the Runt is often used to pin an opponent in place whilst the other wraiths or Sashar himself dispatches him or her. That’s not to say that the runt is defenceless, though: far from it, given that its spine is tipped with foot-long spikes and its mouth is lined with inhumanly sharp teeth. The Runt sometimes can be pressed into use as a spy or in reconnaissance, given its unconventional ability to stick to vertical or inverse surfaces.

The Bat

Perhaps the most widely recognised of the Wraiths (at least on Selen), Sashar often has the Bat patrolling the skies above Estle City at night so as to warn him of any unauthorised comings and goings to the capital. It has become a thing of myth among the local populace, many believing to be some ghostly guardian of the townsfolk, when the reality is much more sinister. Nearly half again as tall as Sashar, it is skeletally thin, emaciated and almost reedy in build. The most obvious differences between the creator and the wraith (other than its height), is its skull. The cranium isn’t shaped like a mammal’s traditional head, but instead resembles the skull of an ancient avian more than anything else. It has a tapered, pointed protrusion from the rear of the head to aid with aerodynamics, and a sharp, pointed beak lined with the trademark teeth. Between the arms and legs, attached to the torso as well as the limbs themselves are two leathery flaps of skin: wings. Rather than hands and feet, the bat utilises claws and talons, again, like an avian. The Bat is primarily used as a high-altitude reconnaissance when Sashar is travelling on foot, and can also offer ‘air support’ by performing sweeping strikes from the air, tearing at targets on the ground. The Bat can also act as a ‘wingman’ of sorts if Sashar is atop the Drexl.

The Ox

An amalgamation of two distinctly different creatures, the ‘Ox’ has the face of a bovine creature, complete with a pair of long, pointed horns and a mouth of sharp (albeit flat) teeth clearly designed for gnashing. Its shoulders are humanoid and it has a pair of strongly muscled arms and hands tipped with razor tipped claws, however from the waist down it gets ‘weird.’ From the waist, instead of legs it has eight suction-lined tentacles. The Ox is as long as The Bat is tall, however the tentacles usually bunch up a fair bit, giving it the ‘height’ of Sashar. It operates primarily as a bodyguard for Sashar, sticking close to him at all times to intercept attacks and pin opponents whilst the controller dispatches them. The Ox has also been known to provide a killer edge to Sashar’s favoured method of dispatching a foe in close combat: the lariat. How this is accomplished, however, is unclear.

The Drexl

The biggest of the Wraiths, the Drexl is a homage to Sashar’s upbringing on Dxun, where the Drexl was the biggest and meanest creature on the moon. With a wingspan approaching ten meters, claws, talons, horns and mandibles which line the beast, it is an intimidating sight to behold. The Drexl is used as a mount more than anything, where the Arconan solidifies it to such an extent to allow him to stand atop it and carry him great distances through the air. The Drexl can also operate quite well independently, and the sheer fear value it installs is a valuable asset in battle.

Te’Kyr – The End

Sashar’s quintessential ‘end move.’ He uses it only when there is absolutely no other way to best his opponent. The inspiration originally came from Mandalorian Berserkers, who were able to empty their mind from anything but the end result – seeing their on the floor, bleeding and unable to fight back. Unfortunately, he was unable to manage it without assistance from the Force, and as such combined several powerful Force Techniques into one unbeatable combination. First, he boosts his speed to Elder levels, then focuses on temporarily allowing the Force to feed on his body and boost his Force strength ready for the last stage. Finally, he allows Rage to take him and allows his hate to fuel the power of his attacks and charges. With such a powerful combination, he is practically unbeatable for a vital few seconds and stops at nothing to defeat his opponent, even being able to shrug off injuries in the process. However, such a technique does have several notable drawbacks, the most severe of which is that it leaves his Force reserves almost completely dry afterwards. Also, he is physically drained, and any injuries he sustains during the assault catch up to him afterwards, leaving him vunerable. The technique gained its name from its secret; picturing his opponent a few moments down the line, and letting nothing else get in the way. So far, nobody has been able to best Te’Kyr.

Hand-to-Hand Combat

Before he joined the Brotherhood, Sashar journeyed to Honoghr to train with the Noghri in hand to hand combat. He spent several months there mastering the art of Stava. He is very comfortable with the art and bases a lot of his larger combat styles’ economy and lack of flashy displays and techniques on those taught to him by the Noghri.

Lightsaber Combat

Primary Form:Soresu

Secondary Form:Shien

Tertiary Form: Djem So

Staff Form: Shien

Sashar’s lightsaber style is, put simply, brutally utilitarian. A master of Soresu, Sashar’s defense is legendary in Arcona. He practices daily, constantly striving to improve his form, however as he found more and more during the Ninth Great Jedi War he realized more and more that a simple defense won’t guarantee victory. Thus, he aggressively took to schooling himself in Shien, practicing incessantly with his shoto until he was confident of an acceptable level of mastery in the art.

Initially, Sashar will rely on Soresu and a single blade to feel out his opponent and see how they react to different Force-based attacks if he is in a duel with another user. Only when he is comfortable with their fighting style and has at least started to wear them out will he switch to another form. Single-bladed Shien seems to be his default method of attack, and he switches to a reverse grip, completely shunning his defence in favour for a vigorous offence. Only if he encounters trouble will he default to the staff and active the second blade of his saber.

As an Obelisk, it should be noted that Sashar is no at all limited to lightsaber combat, and often only draws his saber as a last resort, instead preferring to use more conventional weapons such as blasters, explosives or his fists before resorting to a lightsaber.

Sashar will only draw on both blades of the Staff when massively outnumbered, or when he has decided his foe is worth nothing less than his full, unbridled aggression, However, that being said, his default weapon is a long-handled short-bladed staff (usually from which he uses a single blade like a shoto) and often uses the exposed hilt as a bludgeoning tool, since he wields it one-handed unless both blades are lit.

Gear

Lightsabers

The Adept is a proficient weaponsmith in his own right, having personally designed and created a lot of the gear Arcona’s special Forces (as well as his own Squad) currently use. He also applies the same craftsmanship to his lightsabers, and has been known to have created at least half a dozen.

Cross Saber

Sashar constructed his third lightsaber after his second lightsaber, a claymore he christened the Violet Vendetta was confiscated upon his banishment from Clan Alvaak. This saber was hastily constructed while the Mandalorian was travelling the galaxy, and as such assembled using whatever components he could lay his hands on, rather in the specialized workshops provided by Arcona. A bit too heavy for Sashar’s liking, the pommel has little decoration or grip, instead only offering the wielder something solid and unencumbered to hold onto. With only a single Agedan crystal contained within, the blade is uncomplicated and not aimed at tackling any single type of threat, be it blaster fire or other lightsabers. Sashar lost the blade during a duel in the Taldryan/Arcona feud, however he reclaimed it after the engagement. After the feud, Sashar started work on the Fraternity and now keeps his teal blade in his quarters, strictly as a backup.

Fraternity

It took nearly a month to make. The delicately tooled bronze and dark chromium exterior contradict with Sashar’s true disposition of being a no-nonsense fighter, not interested in flair and pomp, however, though never admitting it, the Mandalorian could have simply taken great pride (as he does with all of his weapons and tools) in its construction and wanted to display his fierce pride of the weapon in its aesthetics.

Sashar spent a while acquiring the parts he needed for the Fraternity, most notably the crystals. The primary crystal, the crystal which grants the saber its rusty orange color was bought from an artisan that had been to Mustafar and somehow acquired the crystal through less than legal means. It took Sashar nearly all of the month to get the funds together to pay a deposit on the rare Mustafarian Lava Crystal, and less than ten seconds to threaten the Artisan into giving him the crystal for free, and his money back as a gesture of good faith. While taking no pleasure in this bullying of a hapless civilian, Sashar did acknowledge that it was necessary to acquire that crystal for his saber, and as such justifies it ‘for the greater good.’

The two focusing crystals were another story altogether. The pure black Krayt Dragon Pearl was a gift from the Arcona Consul Strategos Thanatos Entar Arconae to one of his closest retainers and it was given with the hint that it might be useful in utilising ‘Blackness’ as a Force power. Sashar installed the pearl into the saber and found that the technique was indeed a little easier when he focused on the jet black Krayt Dragon Pearl nestled in his lightsaber.

Finally, the last crystal that went into the Fraternity was a Lorrdian Gemstone, chosen for its use in focusing the mind into predicting attack patterns and when combined with a lightsaber, aiding the wielder in deflecting blaster bolts with the arcane weapon. As a regular practitioner of the Third form, Soresu, Sashar felt that this was a must and he was able to acquire one from the lightsaber of a felled opponent from the Arcona/Taldryan Clan Feud.

The name of the lightsaber was a reminder of Sashar’s heritage – to remind the Mandalorian that his ner’vod had helped him come this far in life, and it was his duty to do the same in return. To that end, Sashar often thought of the lightsaber more as a token to represent his brothers (both Mandalorian and adopted) than a weapon.

Ironically, it was Sashar's own half brother that eventually destroyed the lightsaber during the invasion of Dajorra in a climatic duel between the two. The loss of Fraternity was a heavy blow to Sashar. It took over a year’s work on and off to reconstruct the blade from the damaged parts, however once he finished it, he gave the blade to Juda both to atone for nearly abandoning him on the Battlefield (which resulted in the conflict between him and Zandro) and as a concordance of fealty for Juda’s completing his advanced apprenticeship and reaching the mid-levels of the Equites.

Kad'ika

After the loss of Dajorra and Sashar’s personal loss against his brother Zandro in lightsaber combat, he noticed a fatal flaw in his own style of Soresu; his signature defense Mighty Guard took at least a half-second to be established due in large part to Sashar’s own mental limitations. His focus required a time to come to be and no matter how small, it was still a gap and thus a weakness.

To counter this, Sashar built a one-handed short lightsaber – a shoto. This was perfectly suited to Soresu, as the form was typically utilised one-handed. While he lost some reach with blaster bolt deflection and redirection, the shorter blade was much more accurate and able to weave a tighter defense, as more control was granted and it was able to be kept closer to the body than the larger traditional blade lengths.

For the crystal, Sashar mimicked the Cross Saber, utilising only a single Agedan crystal, hoping to keep the blade uncomplicated and elegant in its simplicity. Plus, without a system to call home when the weapon was made, Sashar didn’t have access to an abundance of resources. He had to claim the cystal from the Lightsaber of a fallen Arconan, and as such he sometimes mentions that Kad’ika holds the soul of Arcona’s departed during their darkest period in the Clan’s history.

Kad’ika was developed in a hurry using scrounged resources after Arcona was made homeless. The pommel had a trio of ‘claws’ around the emitter that favor the ripper style of lightsaber. They are sharp enough to injure an opponent, but are more for decoration than actual use. Sashar wields Kad’ika (little saber in Mando’a) with his left hand and often utilises a number of CQC grapples, blocks, punches and jabs with his free right hand, making sure to close the distance between him and his opponent to such a point where the standard lightsaber configuration is rendered impractical but where his shoto is still small enough to inflict damage.

Unfortunately the obvious drawback to this is the lack of range or reach, making Sashar almost exclusively a close range fighter. While he can negate this against blaster wielding opponents by redirecting their shots back at them, in lightsaber combat it means he is unlikely to fare well against more than one opponent at a time as the shoto blade is simply too short to catch more than one blade on it at once.

Once Sashar reached the rank of Adept, his level of control over the Force was such that there was no longer a delay in bringing up the Mighty Guard, and he started work on a new Saber to suit his adapted fighting style, however he still keeps the Shoto on him as a backup weapon, usually strapped to his left calf.

Kurs’utreshy’a

A staff developed so that Sashar could be more effective against large numbers of foes, Sashar dubbed the weapon Kurs’utreshy’a, which translates to ‘Forest Clearer’; a reference to how the staff could drop more than one opponent simultaneously. He spent nearly twice as long sourcing the materials for the saber as he did crafting ``Fraternity``, and it shows. The hilt itself is longer than his forearm and can easily accommodate a two-handed grip on the weapon. Wrapped about the dark polished durasteel shaft is a leather grip, and decorating the blade are the Erinos and Soulfire sigils. Two identical shroud emitters cap each end. So as not to make the weapon too unwieldy, he shortened the blades’ lengths, meaning that in effect if one blade were active, it would again be as if he were fighting with a shoto, rather than a regular length saber. However, with both blades active, the weapon is a fully functioning staff. To compensate for the length of exposed hilt, Sashar has incorporated a lot of bludgeoning moves to his standard swordplay, making the hilt as much of a weapon as the blade itself. This often proves to frustrate and momentarily confuse single blade purists, however the primary advantage of the weapon is simply that against other Lightsaber users, they often aren’t experienced against a staff user, and having to keep track of two blades rather than one gives him a window of opportunity he wouldn’t otherwise have. Hoping to remove such a weakness from his own swordplay, Sashar continually practices with the weapon in both a single and dual-bladed capacity, making sure that the enlarged hilt doesn’t slow him down even when utilising the weapon as a shoto.

The crystals contained within the blade took a while to source. Sticking to what he knew, he chose two Agedan crystals to act as the primary focusers in both the separate mechanisms (hoping to one day create a weapon that could separate in the middle, allowing him to wield two separate blades or a staff, depending on the threat presented). Two permafrost crystals gave the blades their unique colours, and finally Stygium crystals helped remind Sashar of his true calling of a Shadesworn Master, given their more utilitarian use in cloaking devices.