- "At the end of the day people in this galaxy only respond to two things, credits in pocket or a blaster to their temple. "
- ―Tavens
Tavens is a Zabrak orphan who grew up on the planet Mandalore. As a young man, he was told stories about the Death Watch which lead him to study the conquests of past Mandalorian cutltures. After leaving his home planet, he led the life of a soldier of fortune before coming across a key member of Clan Arcona. Now working exclusively for the Shadow Clan, he attempts to rally other Mandalorians to follow him alongside the Dark Jedi back down the path to conquest and glory.
Personal History
- "This galaxy, even the Jedi, used to fear us. Now we cling to this dusty rock as paupers."
- ―Matil Caedoj
Early Childhood
MandaloreTavens was believed to be born around 15 ABY in Sundari, the capital city of the planet Mandalore. The Zabrak was abandoned on the doorsteps of the only orphanage in the capital city as a baby. With the New Mandalorian government still in power many families were still mired in poverty. Few homes were willing to add another mouth to feed, much less that of an alien. Tavens would go on to spend his entire childhood under the care of the orphanage staff which was lead by head matron Matil Caedo. The elderly Caedo was somewhat of an amateur historian and enjoyed telling the children grand stories about the ancient Mandalorians, especially their battles with the Jedi. Her Zabrak charge quickly became an eager student of her tales, taking every opportunity to hear any of her tales. By the time the Zabrak began to approach adolescence he was able to recite almost all of Matil's stories word for word.
Adolescent Years
By the time Tavens reached his teenage years a strong bond had formed between him and Matil Caedo. The head matron embraced this relationship and began to bring in more official sources of knowledge for the young Zabrak. It began with her scrounging local libraries for historical texts which Tavens devoured with at an almost staggering pace. After the local knowledge dried up, Matil began to use her own credits to download academic texts from the HoloNet. Both teacher and student began to discover that there was a fairly large group of academics and amateur historians across the galaxy that were fascinated by Mandalorian history. The teacher now also became a student, eagerly learning alongside her former pupile all she could about the conquests of the ancient Mandalorians.
The other orphans began to become jealous of the relationship the Zabrak shared with their head matron. The other children, all human, believe their alien "brother" was getting candy and treats because he was "brown-nosing" Matron Caedo. A few of the children confronted Tavens with their claim and threatened to beat him up if he did not share. He did not stand down to their threats and the children attacked their fellow orphan. He put up a good fight and his assailants ended up as bloodied and bruised as he did. The head matron watched the entire scene unfold but did not step in until well after the fight had ended. She did not tell the Tavens that she had witnessed the entire confrontation but was impressed with the poise under fire her alien charge had shown under pressure.
Tavens continued his studies as he grew into a young man. The bond he had formed with the head matron was now augmented by a level of respect he had gained in her eyes from the confrontation with the other ophans. As the Zabrak approached the age in which he would no longer be able to stay at the orphanage Matil Caedo adopted the alien child as her own. Although not opulent Tavens found his new quarters at the Caedo residence to be much more comfortable than the orphanage. Additionally, mother and son were now able to study in a more private setting. Matil introduced her son to a new story, that of the Death Watch. Tavens was fascinated by the story and began to revere their efforts to bring the Mandalorians back into dominance.
Studies also began to turn from strictly academic to martial. The elderly Caedo seems to have an almost endless access to varied forms of projectile weapons and blasters and possessed an even more confounding ability to operate them all. The newest member of the Caedo clan began to practice with other members of the family, and not simply operating the weapons, but also how to clean and fix equipment as well. They also began to study Teras Kasi, a form of unarmed combat. When Tavens' proficiency began to improve, he was immediately made to continue these activities with weights on his chest, legs and arms. This seemed strange to him at first but he quickly realized that a real Mandalorian fought in their armor like a second skin. He had assumed that in lieu of true armor he was being given a more realistic historical experience with the weights.Only a few years later, his theory would be proven very wrong.
Young Adulthood
Sundari
The Seedy Underbelly
Into The Fray
Menat Ombo, New TythonUpon arrival at the Shadow Academy, it as immediately clear that it was not business as usual. Only one Dark Jedi was there to meet him as he entered the academy. The other human did not identify themselve and only took Tavens' name, assigned him to House Galeres. The new recruit was directed to a shuttle with no other information given. Still unsure of what was going on, he boarded the shuttle that was stocked with all forms of armaments and the two crew members, one male one female. He asked where they were going and the woman explained that the Brotherhood was at war with a group of Jedi on a planet called New Tython which was where they were headed. Tavens it seemed, would have to prove himself in combat immediately to his new Dark Jedi bosses.
The fledgling warrior was able to connect with other members of his clan once arriving on New Tython, notably his boss Marick. With the assistance of Clan Arcona, Tavens was able to prove himself worthy in the crucible of combat. Much of the combat the Zabrak experienced was on the streets of Menat Ombo, the main city of New Tython. Without the abilities of a Force Sensitive and lacking much personnel support of his own, Turon used his familial training and prior underworld experience to survive.
Although not turning the tide of any battle on his own, Blarex was awarded with 11 Seals of Decimation and an Anteian Cross for his efforts. The ability to be dropped into the middle of an on-going war and hit the ground running granted the newly hired mercenary to ascend quickly gain reputation within Clan Arcona.
AWOL
From the year ABY 35 to early ABY 37, Tavens went sight unseen by anyone within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Concerned he may have been captured by competing interest, the Arcona clan summit did assign a few mid-level assets from the Dajorra Intelligence Agency to locate their missing mercenary. Even the much vaunted operatives within the DIA did not get a sniff of the Mandalorian. To this day, even after his return to the ranks of the Shadow Clan, only Tavens knows what transpired during his unapproved leave of absence.
Dark Crusade
- Main article: [[Dark Crusade|Dark Crusade]]
ISDII Eye of the Abyss IISimilar to his induction into the Brotherhood, Tavens returned from his leave with the entire organization engaged in conflict. The enemy this time was the One Sith. Upon landing Mandalore Ascendant in Port Ol'Val, he learned the entirety Arconan Armed Forces were deployed to Rhelg. Looking to repeat his success from the Tenth Great Jedi War, the mercenary rushed to meet up with the forces of the Shadow Clan. As soon as he arrived, he discovered that the fighting on Rhelg had finished and he had missed an Arconan victory.
Landing on the flagship of the Clan's fleet, ISDII Eye of the Abyss II, the Corellian was ushered immediately to his bosses office. Marick gave his highly skilled agent a briefing on the current state of affairs, the upcoming escalation against the One Sith forces and the state of the Clan. Suprisingly, the Hapan did not question the young Mandalorian on his whereabouts for the past year and Tavens did not volunteer the information either.
The Proconsul did assign the Zabrak to a mission at the end of their meeting, one which required an immediate departure from the Acronan fleet. Marick sent him back to Port Ol'Val to track down a suspected agent of the One Sith. The intel dossier indicated the target was not even a Force Sensitive, let alone a trained Sith. The errand seemed trivial, especially as Clan Arcona prepared for the next phase of the conflict, Tavens was concerned he had lost the confidence of his master.
The prey proved to be more than a match for the Corellian's abilities as a hunter. At times, Blarex felt as if he were chasing a breeze that could disappear and re-form at will. Each time he got close enough to see the white hood of his target, the enemy agent would seemingly vanish into thin air. It became clear that his mark not only knew he was being tracked, but who was the one doing the tracking. The mercenary paid off a spice fiend to wear his robes and follow the mission target in his place. As the two men came into an area with only one exit, Tavens set off a shock device he left inside his robes. Even as a non-Force User himself he felt the sheer panic of poor spice fiend who was not only going through withdrawal but was unexpectedly hit with enough electricity to stun a Wookie.
The ruse worked as the suspected agent smoothly exited the main thoroughfare into the alley Blarex was hiding in. As soon as the hooded man passed his hiding place, the Mandalorian swiftly moved upon him. Before the other man could react, Tavens had his blaster pressed firmly against his temple. As the man's hood fell down it revealed the long, dark hair of Marick Arconae. This was his final test as a journeyman, with his sucess Blarex was officially promoted to the rank of Professional. With this rank came a new level of autonom within the Shadow Clan. Tavens would now be able to more freely pick contracts, come and go as he pleased, and even begin recruiting members to his own personal assault team (although outsiders would require major security clearance).
Now a full member of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, Tavens was entrusted with leading his first mission as the Shadow Clan descended upon Bhargebba. While naval and ground forces battled with the One Sith for the fate of Bhargebba, The Zabrak was assigned a detachment from the Abyss II consisting of infantry, heavy troopers, scouts, medics and engineers to fortify and secure a forward command post. Although the newly appointed Professional was disappointed he would not be on the tip of the spear, he was excited to command such a large force into battle for the first time.
Bhargebba Intel DossierThe site of the command post was to be in a small underground vault less than 10 kilometers from the One Sith main dig site. Consul Wuntila Arconae was set to launch a full assault on the dig site only a few standard hours after Taven's detachment was tasked with establishing the forward operating base. The strategic value of the location was not lost on the One Sith forces as they were heavily fortified before the Arconan forces arrived. The entrenched One Sith forces easily pinned down their attackers outside of the complex, behind the tree line.
Tavens knew if his forces could break through the forces defending the entrance of the vault, that he would be able to then utilize his significant numerical advantage. Options were seriously limited to the rookie leader on how to accomplish this task. An air strike was out of the question, the complex had to be kept intact. The Clan Summit only sent one squad of heavy troopers along with the detachment and no trained Dark Jedi. Charging the entrance, would result in a bloodbath. Although he would win the war of attrition, he would not throw the lives of his forces away needlessly. He knew many of these soldiers from New Tython and they had a part to play in his survival of that conflict.
As he thought of these men, he began to focus on the emotions surrounding the battle. He feared losing good soldiers in combat, these were not his Mandalorian brothers and sisters but if he was to ever lead them one day he had to make his mark. With his blaster rifle raining down bolts on the enemy position, he carefully pushed toward the entrance to the vault complex. Each glancing blow on his armor from a blaster bolt he deflected made him angrier, the thought that each one could have killed one of his men or him, sent him in to a furious rage. After crossing half of the 100 meter length of open field he noticed that grenades joined the blaster fire. Even fully armored the Mandalorian had to retreat, his stamina was starting to fail him and if he fell the mission was lost.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that his troops had seized the initiative. While the attention of the defenders was focused intently on Tavens, two full squads had advanced unnoticed on either side of the windowless complex. When both arrived at their location, they simply threw two Thermal Detonators into the open doorway. The forces inside didn't have time to react. As Tavens and his two squads entered the antechamber they saw that no one survived, all organic beings had been completely atomized. The remainder of the complex was easily secure by the overwhelming forces of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. The Shadow Clan had their forward operations base, which Blarex and his forces successfully defended against multiple counterattacks during the remainder of the battle on Bhargebba.
Personality
Tavens fits the mold of you stereotypical Mandalorian, on an average day he is even tempered and even affable, while being a terror on the battlefield. The men and women he leads in combat follow him willingly and fear letting him down more than the heavy hand of discipline. His leadership style is not one that rules by fear of failure but of the rewards of success. This style has served Tavens well in his pursuits of re-establishing the Mandalorian people as a force to be feared. The young mercenary is known to take a vested interest in the thoughts of his subordinates, knowing that the fresh eyes of a newly minted apprentice or a green private could see things more experienced eyes could miss. When it comes to mistakes made by those under his command, the Zabrak is more apt to sit with the individual in question and help them learn from their error than to blast them in the chest. Both within and oustide of combat, Tavens is known to genuinely care for those who follow him.
Enemies would be foolish to mistake his caring for a weakness. Although Tavens greets friends with an open hand, he meets his enemies with a closed fist. His burning desire to continue the work of Matil Caedo and the Death Watch fuel a passion that is dangerous to obstruct.
Physical Appearance
Blarex's armored robes.As an adult Zabrak, Blarex stands at 1.79 meters and weighs about 79.38 kilograms. Even though he is of average height and weight, he maintains a very tone frame. The Zabrak's skin is a very even dark brown tone. His smooth complexion, as well as his azure eyes, help use charm to recruit to his cause over intimidation. He has no hair on his head but had a symmetrical ring of off-white horns that encircle the base of his skull. His facial tattoo is a true black in the shape of a skull.
The Mandalorian can rarely be found outside of his inherited armor. While on his ship or deep within the presence of his family he is known to wear simple travelers clothes. While armored, his weaponry load out is kept as full as can be with explosives, blasters, flame weapons and rockets all as possible options to carry into battle. As one can imagine, a fully armor-clad Mandalorian is very easy to pick out of a crown and it is very rare his presence goes unnoticed in any local he operates in.
Fighting Styles
Blarex's lightsaber.
Blarex is a primarily ragned fighter and but does posses some intermediate melee defensive abilities. As a leader of men, the Mandalorian knows the value of protecting his allies. Although not a master duelist his ability to use every tool at his disposal makes him a difficult target to bring down in an even fight. It is not uncommon to see Tavens holding a choke point so even a single squad of troopers can safely ex-filtrate a position. If he does get caught in a close combat situation, he will use his weaponry,technology and melee skills to disengage back to a favorable distance.
Hand To Hand
Having received Teras Kasi training from Matil Taj and other members of Clan Caedo, Tavens does possess above average hand to hand combat skills. This however is not his preferred form of combat and has focused his study on defensive and disarmament moves intended to re-establish range.
DJB History
Conflicts
Tenth Great Jedi War - 35 ABY
Dark Crusade - 36 to 37 ABY
Positions Held
Member of House Qel-Droma/Clan Arcona
Former Apprentice to Marick Arconae
Outstanding Achievements
Joined the DJB during Great Jedi War X earning 11 Seals of Decimation.
Earned 13 Seals of Remembrance in the Independence Games celebrating the tenth anniversary of The Exodus.
Behind The Scenes
Tavens was originally a Sith charcater named Blarex. Blarex is a character created by Ryan. The name "Blarex" first came about during the early days of the [World of Warcraft]. At the time, Ryan's younger brother was playing a Human Paladin. This same younger brother just lost Ryan's original character to a scammer. After purchasing a new game key, he decided to create a new character. Also a paladin, he modeled all of the character features except one after his younger brother's paladin, Tharex. His changed the skin tone to an African-American tone and called him Blarex for black Tharex. To this day, Ryan will play an African-American in most games if given the option.
Upon implementing non-Force Users within the DJB, Ryan moved to retcon his character to that of his true interests within the Star Wars universe, a Mandalorian warrior. Although also a fan of Force powers and lightsabers, Ryan was more intrigued by the idea of "regular" warriors that the Jedi and their Dark brethren feared alike. Fandom of "regular" warriors that stood up to "magic" or "powered" individuals extends to his two favorite comic book heroes as well, Iron Man and Batman.