House Sunrider is one of two Houses representing Clan Odan-Urr. Founded in late 37 ABY, the House served as a warden of the Kiast System, guarding one possible weak-point in the nebula shrouding the region and actively hunting down threats to the Vatali Empire. This ranged from anti-piracy operations to initiating strikes upon major powers such as the Vauzem Dominion and The Collective. Disarmed in 39 ABY they have served an entirely political role as Odan-Urr's voice in the Vatali Conclave, a role only recently challenged after a schism resulting in the reformation of House Hoth as another Political House in the Empire.
History
Founding
House Sunrider was founded in 37 ABY, in response to several major events within the Kiast System. The first among these was the abrupt neutralization of the hostile Vauzem Dominion during Operation: Vanguard, forcing the rogue nation into full retreat. The goodwill this act garnered allowed for Clan Odan-Urr to be promoted to a noble house within the Empire, and its members were recognised as full citizens with all the rights and duties that entailed. This required a substantial reorganisation of the Clan to fit in with both the Empire's required command structure for a house, and to confront the remaining threat of the Collective.
House Sunrider was given the task of rooting out Collective threats which remained active within the Vatali Empire and spearheading counter-offensives against known enemy strongholds. In this regard, it was intended to be a taskforce with the role of safeguarding the Empire through words or, when required, by the sword. Their role was akin to that of the Jedi Order during the reign of the Galactic Republic, and their guardianship was intended to be one more means to help safeguard their adopted home against new threats.
Yet the Collective was not their only pressing enemy. A sudden rise in pirate activity throughout the Empire's north-eastern territories had become a substantial threat to shipping. This would have been a relatively minor problem in of itself, but greater examination quickly unveiled a more pressing problem. A large ship had attempted to enter the Palioxis Cloud and had detonated under repeated collisions. This had created a noted rift in the natural defenses surrounding the system, which had allowed the Vatali Empire to protect itself against far greater powers. In response, the newly formed House Sunrider was established to help defend against enemy incursions from this region. Establishing an XQ1 Platform as both its main headquarters and early warning position close to the rift, its fleet was tasked with patrolling the surrounding area and guarding it against possible threats.
Peacekeeping Actions
House Sunrider remained primarily in reserve during the opening years following its creation. With continual threats emerging on multiple fronts and the increasingly chaotic relationship between the Brotherhood and the Severian Principate, it would be over a year before the House could carry out its intended duties. After actively countering continued privateering acts by the more hostile Quorahi tribes, its first major act in culling local crime groups was focused on shutting down slavery rings. Thanks to the new opening into the Vatali Empire, and the distraction of the social upheaval, a group associated with the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild had abducted an entire tribe of Quorahi. While a chance success had tracked them to an outpost on Felucia, only a limited task force could be massed for the effort. A number of Jedi were used to spearhead the rescue efforts, backed up by O.E.F. military elements.
Even as the slaves were rescued, other members of Sunrider were caught in an alarming attack on one of Kiast's military outposts. An armada of Quorahi forces assaulted the outpost, vastly outnumbering and outgunning the platform. The few Sunrider members present thanks to a routine check were soon embroiled in a major siege against overwhelming odds. They were able to stage a fighting retreat, disabling as much of the equipment as possible while inflicting heavy casualties upon the Quorahi. This soon turned into a stalemate. House Sunrider lacked the immediate strength to retake the platform, but the Quorahi could not make use of it.
Part of this lack of manpower was thanks to the ongoing efforts by Clan Odan-Urr to build upon its peacekeeping activities. Word had spread of their victory against the Zygerrians, and the Jedi were soon approached by Dorumaa's government. The moon had become the unwilling site of a drug production facility, allowing the Perlemian Cartel to gain influence upon the planet. With the threat of venting toxic chemicals into the environment and potentially reversing decades of terraforming efforts, the government could not directly oppose them. With few options available, they had approached the Jedi to serve as an attacking force with some degree of plausible deniability. Supported by a handful of submersibles, the Odanites were able to shut down the facility and overwhelm its defences before the Cartel could carry out their threat. Publically leaving the government to take credit for the victory, mostly in the hopes it would dissuade further actions by other criminal groups, the Odanites withdrew back to Kiast.
Vatali Unsettled & Fourteenth Great Jedi War
Sunrider's attention was soon required to focus upon more pressing problems at home. While the Kiast system had begun to rebuild in the wake of the Vatali-Dominion conflict, the scars ran deep. One major impact had been on the Quorahi, who had been growing increasingly restless during the previous war. This had led to a push for unification to bolster their power and to establish the tribes under a single coalition. Foothold, Cainstead, the Gand colonies, and several others, participated in these gatherings over time. Definitive proof of this was only gathered during mid 37 ABY, when a face to face gathering between various mayors, leaders, and representatives, took place in Foothold's outlying districts. This meeting was monitored by agents of Odan-Urr, and it confirmed that certain elements were hostile to the Vatali or sought to use the opportunity to settle old scores. The Empress did not react or fully regard this as a threat but allowed for Odan-Urr to respond to the threat as required. The clan was able to quickly both sway Jalan, Foothold's mayor, into switching sides and collapse Cainstead's mines. This both gave them the support of a major figure and denied them a source of economic strength.
Their victories were soon stalled by the unexpected arrival of further support for the Quorahi. Survivors of the Dominion's loss, led by Commodore Terrin Arcturus, met in private to support the Quorahi. Offering military aid, training, and the use of a private spy-network, he offered the group a major power boost. Worse still, as proof of their abilities, he alerted the group of Jalan's betrayal and private meetings with the Empress. Emboldened by this support, the remaining tribes announced the founding of the Quorahi Nation. This was soon followed by a major offensive on Fort Tanisad, a vital but weakened military facility. The presence of Jedi on the site thanks to a tour of its defences allowed the base to evacuate and end the lives of traitors within its leadership. Yet, even damaged and scuttled, the Quorahi soon took the facility.
Even with this threat on their doorstep, Clan Odan-Urr was soon called away from their home as the Collective initiated a surprise assault on Arx. Summoning their full military might, the Clan initiated an attack upon the orbiting forces and played a major role in the Fourteenth Great Jedi War. The battle ended in the Collective repelled and its leader seemingly dead, but Arx had been devastated in the assault. With this interruption dealt with, House Sunrider soon turned its attention back towards matters in its home system.
Forced to realise the threat that a united Quorahi group now posed, the Vatali nobles were forced to acknowledge that war was likely upon them. The group discussed a number of potential methods and countermeasures, along with accepting further advice from Sunrider's leadership. During the meeting, a gesture meant to test the skills of Empress Kaltani's daughter, Anaya, was recognized as something more by Quaestor Revak Kur - She was strong in the Force. This fact had been kept hidden out of a desire to avoid Anaya being taken away and turned into a weapon but, after Revak pressed the point, the Empress did not deny this detail.
While the Royal Guard and House Sunrider forces were given time to fortify the palace, it was too little too late. The initial attacks by Quorahi militias backed by Dominion fleet elements made significant inroads into the city, breaching various defensive lines. Leading their forces from the front, Arcturus was able to enter the palace itself. Revealing that he was talented in the use of the Force and even wielded a lightsaber, he was able to kill Teron Dest, one of the Empress' advisors, before murdering her husband Argen Anasaye. Taking another member of the royal family hostage, Vosen Anasaye, he pressed further into the palace in search of the remaining members of their bloodline. This effort was soon blunted by Raziel, who intercepted Arcturus' path forward and engaged him in a duel. After several minutes, he was able to slay the Commodore, decapitating the enemy army's leadership.
Shortly after this boarding action, the Storm's weapons were turned on the attacking ground troops and supporting ships. With little substantial orbital support save for the sole vessel, this swiftly disrupted their planned operations. Even with its limited firepower, the Storm was able to cut through various supporting corvettes and dropships, before firing on the ground forces beneath them. Attacked on two fronts now, and with Tython Squadron entering the battle, increasingly uncoordinated Quorahi were driven back one step at a time.
Small fire teams led by A'lora Kituri and Celevon Werd'la swiftly moved from holding the line to actively hunting targets, as the enemy ground troops found themselves cut off and unable to maintain a united front against the renewed assault. With the back of the attacking Quorahi broken, the push back against their forces quickly turned into an outright rout. Within hours, the Vatali flag was flying over the city once more.
In the wake of this battle, the Empress had the surviving leaders of the Quorahi Nation executed and allowed her daughter to be trained by the Jedi. Yet rather than completely destroying the Quorahi's new government, a new accord was signed with Jalan. Dubbed the Foothold Concordant, this outlined that the Quorahi would still be governed under Vatali law and leadership, but would be given greater freedoms than previously permitted.
Post-War Investigations
Even with the threat posed by the Quorahi Nation ended, there were a number of alarming questions surrounding the conflict. Most of these led back to Arcturus, and the multitude of unknown abilities he had displayed during the battle. While the Royal Guard had been tracking a number of Dominion officers that had escaped justice, no one had been even remotely aware that he retained a powerful link to the Force. As he had been wielding a lightsaber and the Kiast System held few sources for kyber crystals, House Sunrider was tasked with investigating the Mandalorians of Clan Okami to see if the caverns they defended had been breached.
Disarmament
Even with its successes, Clan Odan-Urr's leadership opted to disarm the House following a string of successes. A large influx of new members and a series of rapid ideological shifts internally led to House Sunrider being unnecessary beyond its role embodying Clan Interests in the Vatali Conclave, and to instead form a more adaptable and flexible approach to governance. As such, its members were disseminated into the Consular Conclave and the Guardian Corps, each focusing upon combatting different types of challenges. In late 39 ABY, House Sunrider's disarmament was complete, with all assets being spread between the Temple's Consular and Guardian Forces, the O.E.F., or Vatali Royal Guard.
Purpose
Since its foundation, House Sunrider had followed two chief objectives above all others. The first, to guard gaps in the Palioxis Cloud, especially a large one created which has allowed for larger warships to emerge into Vatali held space. They are to serve as a first response unit against any hostile incursions which might threaten the stability of the Empire or even lead to a full-scale invasion. This has left House Sunrider operating as privateers in service to the Vatali Empire, and has served to help policing efforts against the criminal factions of the local region. Its members typically operate both as larger groups and individuals in this regard, and are despatched in forces which are judged to be proportionate to the likely threat rather than relying upon sheer power to constantly win the day.
The second of these objectives ties closely into the first: To uncover, hunt down and then destroy threats to the Vatali Empire. This is reserved for groups identified as enemies who cannot be negotiated with, who have declared open war upon the Vatali Empire or have attacked its territories. These actions are typically focused upon peacekeeping efforts above all else, denying an enemy its ability to fight or bringing the conflict to a swift end over a protracted and bloody war.
As Odan-Urr normalized into Vatali culture and Sunrider was disarmed, their forces becoming the Stalwart forces of the Temple Guard (Guardian Corps, Consular Corps, etc.) and a significant early portion of the O.U.S.C. through its predecessor the O.E.F., their objective changed only slightly. No longer the forward facing combatants, they had relinquished the guard duty of the Palioxis Cloud to the O.U.S.C. Navy and fighting incursions to their Marines and Army Forces. Instead they took to fighting battles of wit and nobility within the Court, acting in what they believe is the best interest of the Vatali Empire and Clan as one, through any means they deem necessary, combatting insurrection from the inside out.
Organization
As with the typical houses of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, House Sunrider is represented by a Scion, their Quaestor, and in the best conditions an Aedile serving as their second in command. The Scion offers basic directives and objectives, serving to coordinate the House's political efforts across throughout the Vatali Empire and beyond. While not officially affiliated, House Sunrider works closely with the Templar Jensaarai, the trade of physical and political gains a commensurate value for both parties.
Namesake
Born under the name Nomi Da-Boda, Nomi Sunrider served as a Jedi Knight and later Grand Master of the Order during some of the darkest conflicts in the Galactic Republic's history. The most famous among these include the Freedon Nadd Uprising, Krath Holy Crusade and the Great Sith War against Exar Kun. She was responsible for both severing Ulic Qel-Droma's connection to the Force following the murder of his brother Cay, and directly participated in entombing Kun's spirit within his own temple as he attempted to ascend to claim greater power for himself. In the aftermath of the wars against the Sith and Krath, Sunrider proved to be instrumental in rebuilding the Jedi Order and assisting with the Republic's recovery.
House Summit Roll
| House Sunrider
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| Quaestor
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Period of Service
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Aedile
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Period of Service
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| Tistito Kingang
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Jul 4, 2019–Sep 17, 2019
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Essik Lyccane
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Jul 4, 2019–Sep 17, 2019
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| Revak Kur
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Sep 17, 2019–Nov 11, 2020
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Tistito Kingang
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Sep 17, 2019–Apr 2, 2020
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Yuki Suoh
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May 15, 2020–Oct 14, 2020
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|
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Raziel
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Oct 14, 2020–April 19th, 2021
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| Alethia Archenksova
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Nov 11, 2020–Aug 19, 2021
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Ira Ojiman
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Apr 19, 2021–Sept 02, 2021
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