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Complete Article: Troutrooper
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For the first time in his life, Troutrooper had failed. His job was to proactively ensure the safety of the Fleet. Though there would always been individuals and small bands of defectors, Troutrooper was responsible for rooting out the mass defections, the mutinies that could devastate an entire Subgroup or even the Fleet. When he switched on his comlink after departing from Dar, all he heard was static. Then, upon closer inspection, he realized that there were so many people screaming and issuing orders simultaneously that it came through as white noise. Troutrooper quickly opened a secure Holonet connection and instantly realized what was happening: Firefox and six other long-standing Brothers announced that the Dark Brotherhood was now and forever severing ties with the Command Staff of the Emperor's Hammer and would be a “sister organization” allied with the Fleet but administered separately. In retaliation, Ronin and Astatine permanently expelled The Seven, as they came to be called, as well as anyone else who allied with Firefox. The list of defectors flowed down Troutrooper's screen as tears of anger, rage, and sorrow flowed down his clammy cheeks. Thankfully, only a couple of his agents sided with Firefox. Upon arrival on the Lichtor V, Troutrooper contacted the Fleet Commander. After being chewed up and spit out by the raging Chiss, he asked Ronin if he could initiate aggressive missions against the group now derogatorily called the rDB. Ronin agreed, so for the first time in the history of the Emperor's Hammer, Intel would carry out attacks against another organization. Then, after being demeaned by Astatine, Troutrooper contacted his Dark Brotherhood sleeper cell and gave them their assignments. After checking the defectors list again—and removing three more names from the active agent roster—ordered all agents to abandon their current missions and wait for new orders.
The rest of that day and well into the next morning was spent with the Ubiqtorate designing and issuing new missions as well as crossing name after name from the active agent roster. Although the roster was not savaged initially, whole units were lost within twenty-four hours. One mission had to be scrapped entirely and two agents were exposed because the third agent involved defected soon after receiving the assignment. Troutrooper tried his utmost to keep his few remaining agents alive, covert, and on the right track. But nothing had ever prepared him or his agents for this. Several who left contacted him, saying that they appreciated Troutrooper's efforts but abhorred Astatine and/or were loyal to Firefox. Troutrooper's job was made even less easy by his superiors. To this day, Astatine still blames Troutrooper for the defection even though Troutrooper's name does not appear on the Petition. He made it clear to the Supreme Director that he would never forget nor forgive him for not forewarning the Fleet.
And yet, this mutiny was the almost perfectly executed. First, only a small group of high-ranking people knew about the plans, and within that group were the Grand Master (very charismatic and beloved by all) and the Seneschal (the technical guru with access to every system in the Brotherhood). Other mutinies involved lots of people trying to leave at once. The more people who know, the more leaks there are. Even if all are dedicated to the cause, more people mean more chances someone’s mouth will let something damning slip. In conjunction, The Seven did not force or ask anyone to follow them; rather, they invited people after they issued their Redress to take up their cause and wished those who did not well. Thus, though only seven Brothers left initially, hundreds of Dark Jedi would leave the Emperor’s Hammer. Second, The Seven acted very quickly to implement the plans. Too often, potential mutineers would wait until ‘the perfect time’. There is no ideal time to defect, and the longer a group waits, the more likely word will spread of their impending departure. The Seven agreed to leave then promptly did so. Their timing turned out to be serendipitous as the Supreme Director had a pre-approved leave on the day of their defection (which no one outside of the Executive Director and Troutrooper’s family knew about).
From the moment he heard of the Split, as it is known in the Emperor’s Hammer territories, Troutrooper pondered his decision. He was a Brother as well as an officer. He would have been welcomed whole-heartedly in the new Brotherhood. However, Troutrooper remained loyal to the Emperor’s Hammer. First, he was the head of the Intelligence Division, the one position in the entire Fleet that demands unswerving loyalty to the Emperor’s Hammer. He had been relied upon to be loyal, and The Seven had not convinced him to rescind that loyalty. He agreed that Astatine had committed several transgressions, but nothing more egregious than personal insults; much of what The Seven claimed as criminal acts were, in Troutrooper's mind, well within the Astatine's jurisdiction, and he had never found any document that supported the Brotherhood's long-believed status as a sister organization. Second, Troutrooper, due to his position, had to choose a side quickly. When he examined the initial list of defectors, he saw the names of individuals with whom he did not want to associate. Of The Seven, he personally knew four—Firefox, Corran Force, Chi-Long, and Trevarus Caerick—and had met briefly Pyralis. He was friendly with Corran, was not a fan of Chi-Long, despised Trevarus (and still does), and had no opinion of Pyralis. But it was Firefox who finalized his decision. Troutrooper believed them to be friends. He could not imagine, however, any friend abandoning him as Firefox did. Not only did Firefox embarrass Troutrooper professionally, but he did not even attempt contact with the Supreme Director after the Petition was announced; a simple kind word or two, and the Supreme Director probably would have abandoned his post to join his friend. Troutrooper felt as though Firefox had abused their friendship, and for that, he could not, would not defect.
[OOC: The IC timeline doubles in speed here to closer match the DJB’s timeline]
The next two months were, predictably, crazy. Mission after failed mission was thrown at the rDB. For every creative idea the Ubiqtorate had, the defecting Dark Jedi had four creative ideas for foiling their plans. But unlike the Emperor’s Hammer, where enemy agents would have suffered painfully until they were disposed of, the rDB invited Force-sensitive agents to join their ranks and allowed non-Force-sensitive agents to serve in their armed forces. Troutrooper marveled at their leniency, which derived more from their sense of indestructibility than from principles of kindness. The sleeper cell agents were discovered almost instantly, prompting some in the Ubiqtorate to wonder aloud what side Supreme Director was on. Troutrooper himself began to suspect some of his senior staffers of misguided loyalties, even those whom he had hand-picked to fill high-level command posts. But that was the atmosphere in the Emperor’s Hammer: who’s leaving next. People defected daily after having some extremely insignificant dispute with their superior, or being told to work harder, or just because they felt they would succeed more surrounded by powerful Dark Jedi.
Post-Exodus Emperor's Hammer
Troutrooper was next to leave. However, he did not defect; he simply resigned. Between the daily verbal reamings—both private and public—the constant stress, the knowledge that he would never ascend any higher in rank or position, and the desire to spend more time with his family, Troutrooper had had enough. He made it known to the High Court of Inquisitors that he would like to join their illustrious and formidable ranks. So, after handing the keys to the Lichtor V to his Executive Director, Mordann, Troutrooper took a shuttle to the Victory-Class Star Destroyer Stalwart.
Inquisitor was the second-best job Troutrooper would ever take in the Emperor’s Hammer. He reveled and thrived as an Inquisitor. Surrounded by wise, mature officers from around the Fleet, Troutrooper enjoyed the erudite discourse on every case and the satisfaction he got whenever a hardened criminal was “removed” from the Fleet. Whereas Intel missions were quiet, covert affairs, High Court cases were public. He chuckled several times while court was in session as defendants embarrassed themselves during the trial, often saying or doing something that damned them; defendants were often their own worst enemies. And after training and developing so many new officers and Dark Jedi, Troutrooper relished the chance to be amongst the elder statesmen of the Emperor’s Hammer.
He also enjoyed the down time: for the first time since he joined the Emperor’s Hammer, he was able to spend as much quality time with his wife as he wanted. Troutrooper was also able to study the few Krath tomes that survived the devastation of the Dark Hall. He was a Pontifex, the highest Equite rank, but he did not quite feel like a Pontifex. He now had the chance to “own his rank”. Most of all, Troutrooper used his downtime to reflect upon his life in the Emperor’s Hammer as well as the events that led to his resignation. What had he done correctly and incorrectly? How had The Seven been so successful? Would the Fleet ever recover? What would he do if he left Inquisitor? He realized that, unlike many of his peers, he had the chance to reflect on his path while still young and energetic enough to take advantage of the lessons he learned.
In addition, the downtime enabled Troutrooper to exact revenge upon those who had wronged him. A couple found themselves at the mercy of the High Court. Troutrooper ensured they were disposed of properly. Most he sought himself. A Krath Pontifex with the legal freedom to judge and execute people is a being one does not take lightly. Troutrooper savored each kill, almost like a bounty hunter but without the paycheck at the end. Some he chased from world to world, some he barged in on while they were mating, some he simply sniped from afar in a crowded city square. Their manner of death was secondary to whom killed them.
Late in Troutrooper’s tenure on the bench, the Emperor’s Hammer went through another major change. Grand Admiral Ronin, the founder of the Fleet, resigned; Astatine was named as his successor (to no one’s surprise). Within two months, Astatine made his first changes to the Fleet by dissolving the High Court of Inquisitors. He claimed that the High Court was unfair and inconsistent in its sentences, lazy, and ultimately not worth keeping around. However, everyone knew that the thrice-convicted Fleet Commander simply did not like the High Court and eliminated it at his earliest convenience. Troutrooper confronted Astatine a few days later. A quarrel ensued with both harshly criticizing the other: Troutrooper attacked Astatine for executing a personal vendetta that would harm the Fleet in the long run; Astatine reminded Troutrooper of his failings as Supreme Director as well as pointing out minor problems in his decisions. Both left seething.
Unemployed, Troutrooper headed back to the Dark Brotherhood. Twas a vastly different place than when he left it. His Clan was gone as were most of his long-time friends and colleagues. Troutrooper barely even knew the Dark Councilors, and the Grand Masters since the Split were mediocre at best. He did contemplate applying for Grand Master immediately after the Split, but felt as though he was needed more aboard the Lichtor V than on Eos. Plus, he thought Rapier, the long-serving Security Officer, was a solid choice. But Rapier and his successor, Khaen, were disappointments as Grand Masters. Rapier did nothing to stem the flow of defectors, and Khaen did nothing at all. Gelton Torr, Khaen’s Deputy and successor (known as Grand Master Nocturnus), was a very good Grand Master; if the Emperor’s Hammer-aligned Dark Brotherhood ever experienced a renaissance, it was under Nocturnus. Recruitment was up, good leaders were appointed, but, most importantly, the trauma of the Split was beginning to subside and recede into memory. The feelings of loss and self-pity were slowly overtaken by rays of hope and potential prosperity. Troutrooper looked forward to returning even if his old home was gone. Friends of his—J’Lek Arcanos the Krath High Priest and Tirna Q’jira—persuaded him to join House Dominatus in Clan Alvaak.
Almost immediately upon arrival, Troutrooper remembered why he loved yet despised the Krath Order. Secretive and jealous of their knowledge, Krath tend to lash out at each other when in groups of more than one. These petty quarrels can quickly bring down mighty Houses: House Aleema was the embroiled bystander in a vicious series of public attacks between then-Krath High Priestess Mairin and then-Aleema member Arania. Only through Dark Council intervention was a crisis averted. In Dominatus, a new leader, Quaestor Conker, had irked a long-serving member, Tirna. Troutrooper watched bemused as the two spat with each other time and again. He only stepped in when the infighting began to affect the development of the new members. Conker left within two months of Troutrooper’s arrival, claiming Tirna was undermining his authority. Troutrooper thought the claims were ill-founded: the real blame rested solely with Conker and his lack of leadership skills. Consul Hades had soured on Tirna, the only worthy replacement, and left Dominatus to fend of itself for the time being. Troutrooper busied himself with daily House chores and tasks. He liked just being a member again; “Flight Member is the best position in the Fleet because everyone above you is working for your benefit”, the old Fleet saying goes.
Before a replacement was found, the Krath High Priest and Troutrooper’s good friend, J’Lek, resigned. Though not interested in Quaestor, Troutrooper was most definitely interested in Krath High Priest. However, he was unsure of his would-be superiors: he liked Nocturnus, but had clashed with Deputy Grand Master Drak a number of times. Nothing major, just differences of opinion. Troutrooper applied and was the prime candidate. A couple short interviews later, and he was back on the Dark Council.
If Troutrooper was born for a position in the Dark Brotherhood, if the Force molded him to be the best at one position, it would be Krath High Priest. He was fantastic as the leader of the Krath Order, which flourished as it had not in years. From the rebuilding of the Dueling Institute of Eos to the establishment of a proper library for all Krath tomes to training all members of the Krath Order, Troutrooper put his heart, mind, and soul into making the Order the greatest it could be and the greatest Order period. And the Order responded. He could see measurable improvement in his charges' skills. He felt comfortable relying on them in combat, which he did during the attack on the Akmuvah's volcanic base. What filled him with the most pride, though, was seeing people enjoy, even revel, in being a Krath. Troutrooper was, and forever shall be, a Krath. Though he joined as a Sith, he never felt more comfortable, more attuned to the Force than as a Krath. And through his position as Krath High Priest, Troutrooper proselytized the joys and wonders of follow the purple path. For the first time in many years, people listened to the purple propaganda. While the Sith struggled to remain solvent and the Obelisks continued to toil at their trade, the Krath Order rose to prominence.
However, the renaissance of the Brotherhood was short-lived. Less than a year after becoming Krath High Priest, Troutrooper's bulbous eyes nearly exploded from their sockets when he saw the news: Grand Master Nocturnus had resigned. This was not wholly unexpected as Nocturnus had taken more frequent and longer leaves to further his personal studies. Still, the timing was shocking. Even worse was the news that Astatine had fired Drak, leaving the Brotherhood leaderless. Over the course of his tenure as an Order Leader, Troutrooper came to respect both Nocturnus and Drak. The Grand Master was highly intelligent and patient. His Deputy, though stubborn, was truly devoted to the Brotherhood. When Troutrooper received word of the vacancies, he was immediately torn. To be precise, he was furious with the Fleet Commander for removing a perfectly capable successor and unsure as to whether or not he should apply. He thought Drak would be a good, solid Grand Master; why he was fired was unknown (though many had guesses). In addition, the Sith High Warrior had resigned a few weeks before and the Obelisk High Commander submitted his resignation as well; only the Master-at-Arms, Chancellor, Headmaster, and Krath High Priest remained. Troutrooper had a good idea that, although he was the only viable successor to Grand Master, he would be rejected because of his past 'failures' as a Subgroup Commander and unflattering opinion of the Fleet Commander.
Over time, relations between Troutrooper and Astatine had disintegrated. The Fleet Commander never forgot nor forgave Troutrooper for the Split, routinely dredging the topic up in public just to humiliate and belittle him. In turn, Troutrooper began to openly bash Astatine's decisions, questioning his motives and reasons while lesser officers cowered in the corner. One afternoon, while Troutrooper was relaxing and chatting with some friends aboard the Sovereign, Astatine interrupted their conversation with an unwarranted attack on Troutrooper: he called him a spy for the rDB, among other things. Instead of letting the Fleet Commander get away with the abuse, Troutrooper stood up and confronted Astatine. Vicious words that could not be rescinded flew from their lips. If not for an idiot interloper, who bore the full brunt of Astatine's wrath and thus diffused the situation, the Fleet Commander and Krath High Priest would have most likely fought right there in the cantina. A bar fight between two high-ranking officers and Dark Jedi would have been spectacular and scary. As it was, Troutrooper came to realize that Astatine no longer worked for the benefit of the Emperor's Hammer: even though he was responsible for the Fleet, Astatine was doing more harm than good. Troutrooper knew of no policy changes Astatine had enacted that had bettered the Fleet. In addition, the Fleet Commander spent most of his time working for the Emperor's Hammer, but almost nothing of value ever escaped the black hole of his office. The Judge Advocate General, the successor to the High Court, took literally months to be established even though the guidelines, duties, and law had been changed to accommodate the new post. All the Fleet Commander had to do was appoint someone, but apparently he was too busy to read the applications.
Astatine even reinforced Troutrooper’s new perception by personally backstabbing him. Several months before their resignation/termination, Troutrooper was asked by Nocturnus and Drak to assume complete control of the Dueling Institute of Eos as its founder, the previous Krath High Priest J’Lek, refused to cede control of it. Nocturnus, Drak, and Troutroper had a two-phase approach: they would try to coerce J’Lek into relinquishing control while building a new Institute—contracted out to Xander Drax—as a precautionary measure should they be unable to convince J’Lek. Astatine approved the plan. Troutrooper felt awkward and uncomfortable threatening his friend, but was dismayed by the records and logs of J’Lek using the Institute as a bargaining chip. Unable to convince his predecessor, Troutrooper conferred with his superiors and all agreed to go ahead with Xander’s new Insitute, which was 90% complete. On the same day Troutrooper informed J’Lek the Brotherhood did not need his Institute’s services, Astatine informed Nocturnus that they were forbidden from using Xander’s Institute. No reason was given, only a vague reference to Xander not being completely loyal to the Emperor’s Hammer. Troutrooper was furious. He did all the dirty work—ruining a friendship in the process—because he thought his superiors would support the move. But one superior, the one who ruled over them all, made a decision that demonstrably hurt the Fleet. Troutrooper never knew whether Astatine did this on purpose, but he suspected such spiteful tactics were not beneath Astatine.
But the Grand Admiral was nigh untouchable, for he knew the access codes to all of the Fleet's vital systems. Ronin did not have them nor did he care to know them. And Astatine had done a marvelous job of slowly monopolizing the access. Had Astatine been forcibly removed, the Fleet would have languished for months before all systems were brought back online. Leaders can be replaced, but not the systems. Plus, his Executive Officer, Cyric, was a yes-man and a paper-pusher. Troutrooper held Cyric in low esteem. He thought Cyric was a prime example of the saying, “In bureaucracy, one rises to positions in which they fail.” Cyric’s time as Flight Officer was lengthy yet uninspired; his time as Executive Officer followed that pattern. He was in a bind because he followed Sarin, an active and energetic Executive Officer who worked for the Fleet until Astatine expelled him for disagreeing with him. Most officers like Sarin; most officers did not even know Cyric existed, let alone was the Executive Officer. Remove Astatine, and the Fleet suffers twice.
In addition, Astatine had spent years blinding Ronin to the real truths of the Fleet. Admittedly, Ronin did nothing to uncover the truth for himself, but Astatine worked long and hard to ensure that any question Ronin had regarding the status of the Fleet came to him first. Thus, he could keep the Fleet’s founder blind to the truth. If anyone claimed to have explosive evidence against Astatine—as The Seven had—Ronin simply ignored it or sent the person the High Court on False Statements charges. So even if the entire Fleet wanted Astatine removed, Ronin still would not hear it.
Within this acidic environment, Troutrooper took his chances and applied for Grand Master. He had put the Krath Order back on track and now looked to do the same with the Brotherhood as a whole. He was by far and away the most creative and enthusiastic member of the Dark Council, well-liked by both subordinates and peers. At any other time, Troutrooper would have been appointed Grand Master within a week. But not now, not with someone who branded him a traitor in power. Ever interested in rumors surrounding open leadership positions, he asked several people if they had applied and asked Cyric who else besides him had applied. No one else besides him wanted the mantle. Troutrooper figured that his resume and the lack of other interested candidates would push him into the Iron Throne. But no, Astatine would not hear it; he did not want Troutrooper to take the reigns of the Brotherhood.
But then again, instead of appointing a new Grand Master, Astatine simply left the position empty. No one sat on the Iron Throne; the Dark Council and Consuls were told to run the Brotherhood. No reason was given. Troutrooper’s shuttle never flew faster to the Sovereign, where he and Astatine had a brief but tense argument. Troutrooper accused Astatine of wanting Grand Master for himself even though he already had control of the entire Fleet. He castigated the Fleet Commander’s decision to leave the Iron Throne vacant, saying that the Brotherhood needed a leader, be it him or someone else. Astatine told him to return to his office and his duties and not worry about who was going to lead the Brotherhood. When Troutrooper pressed again for a reason, Astatine threatened to fire him. Seething, Troutrooper asked how that would aid the Brotherhood; Astatine's silence revealed he too knew it would not help the Brotherhood. The mere fact that the Fleet Commander would remove the only hard-working Dark Councilor revealed that he had neither a plan for the Brotherhood nor any desire to see it prosper. Troutrooper left the office more enraged than when he arrived.
The next ten months were purgatory. Troutrooper did what he could to keep his Order working, but the Dark Jedi were not blind nor ignorant. They knew the Brotherhood died a little more each day the Iron Throne remained vacant. Many left, either to their homes elsewhere in the Fleet or in the galaxy or to the other Brotherhood. Astatine selected Clan Scholae Palatinae Consul Gidda as the next Sith High Warrior, a move made to stem the tide more than solidify the Sith Order. Still, Astatine was petty enough to continue taking potshots at Troutrooper. At the annual Winter Awards Party, Troutrooper received a Ruby Scepter from Astatine for his efforts as Krath High Priest. An impressive award, but highly insulting compared to the Ruby Scepter awarded to Gidda and the Diamond Sword awarded to the Master-at-Arms, Kane Reese. Neither had served on the Dark Council nearly as long as Troutrooper had, nor had they worked even a fraction as hard as Troutrooper had. He would have confronted Astatine at the party, but did not want to embarrass himself or Gidda and Kane; they were innocent bystanders in this personal feud. Not to say that he was completely above pettiness: Troutrooper told anyone and everyone of Astatine's failings as a leader and his preeminent role in the ruination of the Emperor's Hammer. They avoided each other for obvious reasons.
During the purgatory, Troutrooper began sending out feelers towards the rDB, other Brotherhood, the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. He had kept up with their progress though this derived from sadism as he expected them to collapse at any time; an organization that welcomed all the castoffs from the Emperor's Hammer was bound to fail, or so he thought. Yet to his continual surprise, they grew stronger and more cohesive by the day. And even though Firefox had retired, they still prospered. Troutrooper could not believe it. Over time, the anger and resentment that kept him loyal had subsided, faded. He had known that Astatine was not a pleasant person, but always held firm in his belief that Astatine worked for the betterment of the Fleet. That is why Troutrooper continued to work for Astatine. But he could no longer hold on to that illusion. His eyes had opened where before he was blind. Troutrooper realized the wisdom that Firefox had those years ago: Astatine was the problem, there was no solution nor was he ever going to improve. At the time of the Split and thereafter, Astatine may have benefited the Fleet, but Firefox foresaw that there would be a time in the near future that Astatine would cause the Emperor's Hammer and the Brotherhood more harm than good. Rather than see his beloved Brotherhood suffer and enduring the unwarranted assaults against his good name while waiting for Astatine to cross that line, Firefox and The Seven absconded with the Brotherhood. Troutrooper chose to wait, and for that, he suffered.
For no apparent reason, Astatine appointed Gidda to ascend to the Iron Throne. Troutrooper kept an open mind: though Gidda—who took the name Carnifex—had displayed little leadership though great flying skill as Consul of Clan Scholae Palatinae and Sith High Warrior, Troutrooper figured Astatine would not have appointed someone unless that person had a plan for the Brotherhood. Again, he was wrong.
The only noteworthy thing Carnifex did while Troutrooper was on the Dark Council was promote Troutrooper to Dark Jedi Master. A glorious day for Troutrooper, who had been expecting the promotion but was still thankful and honored by the accolade. Carnifex asked Troutrooper to initiate talks regarding a possible joint project with The Fringe, an asinine assignment with which Troutrooper did not want to get involved. The Fringe was, is, and always will be the weakest arm of the Emperor's Hammer. The Fringe came into being through the efforts of a handful of people. Soon after they left, The Fringe quickly decayed. For years it hung on to life by a thread, a failed experiment that Ronin did not want to admit. Then new technology came around that revitalized The Fringe, followed soon by the Fleet founder himself, an enthusiast of this technology. Still, in the hierarchy of Subgroups, The Fringe always found itself at the bottom. Carnifex wanted to incorporate their technology into the Brotherhood, but needed to introduce the technology slowly yet effectively. He needed someone to sound out The Fringe's technical advisors on the best way to do that. Grudgingly, Troutrooper headed off. Two days' flight from Eos, three days of discussions, and another two days to home, Troutrooper felt as though he had justed wasted a week of his life. He noticed the Dark Hall was suspiciously quiet. He could sense the presence of others in the building, so he walked cautiously through the empty halls, heading in the direction of where the presence felt strongest. Troutrooper quickly realized that he was headed towards the Audience Chamber, where he suspected someone was having a party. Shrugging, he turned around to leave when a mouse droid ran into him. He would have ignored the klutzy droid except the droid would not let him ignore it. The droid kept ramming into his fin. He was about to flatten the droid using multiple methods when it whisked off towards the Audience Chamber. It then rammed into the Audience Chamber door several times. Troutrooper realized the droid was communicating with him, so he decided to check out the party. And was he glad he did. A lavish ceremony, full of excellent Krath tome readings and majesty, preceded a soirée Carnifex is still trying to pay off. His wife, friends, colleagues—including a couple who were no longer welcome in Emperor's Hammer space—had gathered to celebrate Troutrooper's ascendancy. Notable in his absence, however, was Astatine, who, according to Carnifex, had more important tasks to do. Troutrooper shrugged it off; this was his day and he was not about to let Astatine or anyone ruin it. The party lasted until morn; hangovers and states of inebriation lasted until the next morn.
Expulsion
Troutrooper spent the next three months preparing his Order for a massive undertaking. After the Sith Order’s successful Operation Red Shift, Troutrooper was ordered to lead the Krath to fully subdue and conquer the system. He was proud of the battle plans and his Krath; everyone and everything was prepared. The first wave hit the system in fine form and reached their objectives quickly. So efficient and deadly they were that Troutrooper excused himself to attend to yet another meaningless Dark Council meetings, leaving the battle to his Praetor, Angelus.
While traveling to the meeting, Troutrooper contemplated retirement. He had served long and with distinction, and felt his energy and fire for command ebbing daily. His Obelisk Praetor was progressing nicely and would make a fine Krath High Priest someday. His Krath Houses were in decent shape: not where he knew they could be, but strong enough to support themselves. The more he looked around, the more Troutrooper realized he was not needed. He was still wanted—except by Astatine—but not needed. He told himself he would reevaluate the situation after the Operation was complete.
Carnifex called the meeting to order, his eyes glancing towards the Krath High Priest as he banged the gavel. Troutrooper suspected the Grand Master never intended for him to be there, but rather out with his troops. Thus, he had a feeling important topics would be discussed. Even though he was never going to be Grand Master, he still had enough clout to sway the course of the Brotherhood, and he certainly was not about to disenfranchise himself nor let a devious Darth do it to him. Unexpectedly, the Fleet Commander walked in. All stared as Astatine the Seneschal took his seat. One of the Consuls experienced a lapse in judgment as he made a bad joke regarding Astatine’s tardiness; Astatine retorted that the Consul just seized half of the Consul’s personal assets. Nobody laughed at either remark.
The meeting continued monotonously as it always did. Troutrooper thought that Carnifex was hiding some agenda item, but honestly did not care what it was. He was simply pleased he had disrupted the Grand Master’s plans. And with the unannounced visit by the Seneschal, Troutrooper knew he had disrupted something rather important. A quick glance at Astatine revealed his irritation and frustration with the meeting. He could not lash out at Carnifex for not discussing whatever item the Grand Master was hiding, nor could he simply leave without raising eyebrows. Troutrooper smiled to himself: he was making Astatine miserable.
More monotone from the Grand Master, interspersed with comments and questions. As Carnifex was ready to move on to another agenda item, Arcona Consul Angelo Dante asked for the floor. He wanted to continue the topic, but move it in a different direction. He suggested that the Orders be eliminated. Murmurs coursed between the Councilors. Troutrooper simply smiled. He and Dante had idly chatted about such a change; Troutrooper figured that he would be the one to suggest it as he had brought the topic up between the two on several occasions. Carnifex held up a hand and said that such discussions would have to wait. Troutrooper pounced, saying that they had wasted a good hour and a half on trivial matters, yet an interesting and exciting idea was stifled before it could even be discussed. The Grand Master opened his mouth to reply when Astatine cut in. He told the Dark Council to move on, that there were more important matters to attend to.
It was at this point in time that Troutrooper decided to make one final stand. He had the energy and the gumption to dig in and fight for this. He knew the rDB had abolished Order Leaders to great success, believed that the era of the Orders themselves were at an end, and talk off downsizing had reached his fishy ears. Abolishing the Orders would solve many of the Brotherhood's problems. Plus, if he could get this through, it would be—along with Operation Purple Shift—his legacy to the Brotherhood. That appealed to him more than even he wanted to admit.
So Troutrooper defied Astatine and continued to discuss the issue. He ignored Astatine's interruptions, laying out some ways that the Brotherhood could implement the massive change. Both his and Astatine's voices grew ever louder and their yelling accelerated as they tried to drown the other out. Troutrooper spoke to the front end of the table, his back turned to the Fleet Commander; Astatine spoke directly at Troutrooper, enraged at the slight. Being essentially a fish out of water, Troutrooper had to take a breath before Astatine did. In his silence, Astatine screamed that Troutrooper had violated a direct order and was immediately and permanently expelled from the Fleet.
Silence. No one moved. Troutrooper turned slowly around to face his judge, jury, and executioner. He realized that he made one fatal error: Astatine had been waiting for Troutrooper to make a mistake so that he could finally dispose of the supposed traitor. His mistake, though rather insignificant, was enough to enable the Fleet Commander to assert his will. But Astatine had played right into Troutrooper's fins, for both knew Troutrooper—who had helped write the new judicial procedures and was vastly more intelligent than the Judge Advocate General, his old Quaestor Conker—would find a way to wiggle out of any formal trial. Thus, Astatine had no choice but to expel him ex cathedra, which served to prove Troutrooper's—and all others'—accusations against him.
Astatine ordered Daniel Goad, the Headmaster and Emperor's Hammer Security Officer, to arrest Troutrooper. The expelled waved Daniel away, saying he would go peacefully. Troutrooper walked up to Astatine and whispered in his ear something that infuriated the Fleet Commander. Sabers were drawn and orders were given to kill the fishman. Backed into a corner by a dozen Dark Jedi, Troutrooper knocked the Equites down with a quick blast of Force Push, then casted an illusion of him running towards the door. All followed the illusion—being a member of Clan Satal Keto had its upsides—except Carnifex. Troutrooper could not project an image into the mind of a Grand Master. As all but one of the Dark Councilors rushed the door, Troutrooper spun around in place quick as a flash, his sabers carving a hole through the floor. Carnifex jumped on the table, ran across, and leapt for Troutrooper. He was too big to follow, so he decided to unleash upon the escaping expelled a Force Power known only to Grand Masters. He grabbed Troutrooper's arm, and, with the full power of Sever Force, wrenched Troutrooper's knowledge of Dark Jedi Master and Dark Side Adept from him before the expelled fell to the floor before.
Troutrooper had never felt so much agony before. Carnifex had rended a hole in Troutrooper's mind. Everything he knew of as a Dark Side Adept and Dark Jedi Master—nearly two years' worth of knowledge and wisdom—was no more. So intense the pain, he did not notice his awkward crashing to the marble floor below; he heard more than felt three ribs and two arm bones break and saw his sabers tumble away. Crawling and fighting off the throbbing pain, he threw himself out the window. The four-story fall was as graceless as any newly-(re)minted Pontifex had ever done: more of a four-story flop than a proper jump. Only at the last moment was the mentally shredded Troutrooper able to bring his legs beneath him, which resulted in a loud crack and shattered fin bones as he slammed into an ice pack. The shock of pain actually brought some clarity to his broken mind, enough for him to remotely call upon his K-20b, a modified missile boat designed by former Executive Officer and Colossus commander Compton that Troutrooper had had since his days as a Command Attachè. Hobbling across the icy plain, Troutrooper waited for death: if not the cold, his pursuers would hunt him down before his ship arrived. Only through the Force was he able to maintain consciousness until his faithful Rhino appeared.
Aboard, Troutrooper hailed his wife and told her to pack as much into their family shuttle as she could in five minutes and to be out of the Auroran atmosphere within ten. He told her to trust him, that questions would only slow them both down and decrease their already slim hope of escape. Next, he programmed the family's shuttle's and his fighter's hyperspace routes and rendezvous destination. Finally, he cleared his mind enough to focus on escaping Eos alive as the sector police were already hailing him to land immediately or die. And if they could not stop him, Troutrooper knew the Sith High Warrior and Grand Master—both superior pilots—were mere moments from leaving the hangar if they had not done so yet. One blast from his SLAM jets got him out of warhead lock range of the police; another put him within range of his hyperspace buoy. Once admist the swirling blue of hyperspace, Troutrooper sank into a deep trance. His mind and body needed rest to repair itself; the next few weeks would not be easy.
Dark Jedi Brotherhood
Luckily, neither had pursuers. Troutrooper and Omiti rendezvoused and scurried back to Dac. Surrounded by friends and family, who had long since forgotten Troutrooper's transgressions against his species, they were well-protected: Troutrooper knew of only one other Mon Calamari to ever join the Emperor's Hammer, and he left in the Split, and any other species was easily spotted. He spent most of the time in meditation. At first, he tried in vain to rebuild his mind to its Dark Jedi Master state. When he finally resigned himself to his new/old powers, he focused on salvaging the rest of his fractured mind and repairing the damage. Troutrooper also used the time to reconnect with his long-forsaken wife and long-estranged family. He forgot what it was like to be around people like him, to be with people who accepted him for who he was instead of for how much he toiled. He liked it.
But Troutrooper knew they could not stay on Dac forever. Eventually, Astatine might hunt him down: after all, Troutrooper did have detailed files on many high-level Emperor's Hammer officers and knew of all Brotherhood operations. Not the sort of person a fleet commander would easily forget. He needed someplace secure, somewhere Astatine would never attempt to attack him. In addition, Troutrooper was—and is—a workaholic. He needed something to do. He may not complete an assignment right away, he simply needed to have an assignment pending. His wife hated when he was home: he either slept or paced. With not an insignificant amount of needling from his better half, Troutrooper made some calls and arranged a meeting with someone who could help.
Troutrooper had never met Grand Master Jac Cotelin. Though they had been in the same organization for a few years, their paths never crossed. Troutrooper was not even sure of what to say to the Dark Jedi Brotherhood’s Grand Master: he had publicly expressed very anti-Dark Jedi Brotherhood views in the past and actively worked to thwart them, yet now he was going to plead for admission into their organization? Plus, his old friend Sarin had had a tough time fighting anti-Emperor’s Hammer prejudices. Troutrooper was unsure if he wanted to deal with that as he rather enjoyed the tranquility of Dac. The meeting was very brief: they walked in, Troutrooper asked for free passage to the Dark Hall, Jac agreed, Jac asked if Troutrooper wanted to join, Troutrooper said he needed time, Jac nodded and both left.
A month after arriving on Dac, Troutrooper and Omiti headed for Dark Jedi Brotherhood space. They kept a low profile as much as possible; two Mon Calamari traveling together away from Dac are quite conspicuous. In addition, more than a few Dark Jedi—and even some astute non-Force-sensitive beings—recognized Troutrooper. If not for word of his expulsion, Troutrooper was certain he would have been killed almost immediately upon arrival for being an Emperor's Hammer's spy. One person, however, knew otherwise. Sith Bloodfyre-Tarentae, Quaestor of House Tridens, did not know Troutrooper except by reputation, yet invited him to join Clan Tarentum. Honored by the invite and without a Clan home ever since the creation of Clan Plagueis, Troutrooper and his wife headed for the Yridia system.
Clan Tarentum was ideal for Troutrooper. The Clan is quite laid back as he is, yet the members are all unique and full of personality. While perhaps not the most energetic and measurably productive of Clans, Tarenti always had ideas, and the free exchange and debate of those ideas thrilled Troutrooper. Both he and his wife loved the warm waters of Yridia II and took full advantage of the exotic waters. And, most importantly, nobody in Tarentum cared about Troutrooper's history. Most had less than perfect pasts and were not about to demean others on account of their previous lives. Twas a perfect match at the time.
But joyous times did not last. A war amongst the Clans had arisen. Tarentum allied itself with its traditional allies, Clans Naga Sadow and Plagueis, against the alliance of Clans Arcona and Taldryan, with Clan Scholae Palatinae fending for itself. The alliances were strengthened with the emergence of twin Jacs, one red and one blue. Tarentum, Naga Sadow, and Plagueis sided with the “Red Jac”. The war was devastating: a Pyrrhic war that lasted longer than any previous Great Jedi War. Ultimately, the Jacs merged together and the war ended with Taldryan the victors. Though Tarentum was mostly uninterested and bored with the proceedings, Troutrooper took to battle as he had never done before. Nobody—himself included—could have predicted the ferocity and efficacy with which Troutrooper fought; only Lucius d'Tana]conquered more than him. Upon reflection, Troutrooper figured he fought so well because he had prepared for battle only a couple months earlier, yet did not fight; “all dressed up with nowhere to go” as the saying goes. He had not truly tasted the vibrancy and verve of battle in quite some time: “Mairin's War” was the last time major Brotherhood conflict he remembered participating in as a grunt and not as a leader. He relished the combat. But most of all, Troutrooper felt as though he had to prove his loyalty to his new Clan and the Brotherhood as a whole, and a massive war was the ideal place to begin. The few who questioned him were silenced when “Red Jac” appointed Troutrooper to be his Headmaster: if the Grand Master trusted him with a Dark Council position, everyone else felt comfortable trusting Troutrooper to complete whatever mission was assigned. For his efforts, Troutrooper received several Novae and the title of Second Hero of the Sixth Great Jedi War.
His short stint as Headmaster brought him unexpected benefits. Jac saw first-hand how capable and efficient a worker Troutrooper was. Thus, when Jac opened applications for his empty Praetor positions, Troutrooper had a step up on the competition. Again, some in the Brotherhood were skeptical at the appointment, but Troutrooper worked hard to disabuse people of their biases. Though short in tenure, his time as Praetor to the Grand Master was productive on many levels. Grand Master Jac recognized his efforts with a Ruby Scepter, making Troutrooper one of the few in the Dark Brotherhood to have earned multiple Ruby Scepters.
His Clan also recognized his efforts. For his service to the Clan and bravery in battle, Troutrooper received a commission in the Clan's Fleet: Lt. Commander and the Commander of the GSP Havoc in Clan Tarentum's fleet. He was reassigned to the M/CRV Cerberus due to his appointment to Nuncio of Clan Tarentum. In addition, Marshal Maximillan von Oberst offered Troutrooper a place within the illustrious ranks of the Tarentae, the highest honor any member of Clan Tarentum can receive. Troutrooper accepted readily and humbly. And, last but not least, Troutrooper became an Elder once more with his promotion to Dark Side Adept.
Along the way, Troutrooper decided to reconcile with many of those he had slandered in the past. Prime among them was Firefox. Troutrooper invited the Grand Master out to dinner, where they talked late into the night about what had happened, how it truly was not Troutrooper's fault regardless of what Astatine wanted to believe, and why it really did not matter anymore. He walked away from the meeting relieved and thrilled to count Firefox among his friends once again. And aside from a few who have no interest in rebuilding burned bridges, the reconciliation process went smoothly. Troutrooper also reestablished good relationships with several Brothers and Sisters who, like himself, remained or joined the Emperor's Hammer after Exodus but eventually found their way to Antei.
Troutrooper and Omiti established residence on Alzoc III, a frigid world close to the Yridia system. Though they were welcome in Castle Tarentum, Troutrooper and Omiti needed their own home. They liked their privacy, a holdover from his time as the Intel Director. Not that Castle Tarentum's security was in any way suspect, Alzoc III's desolation and distance from the rest of civilization afforded them a level of security that a more populous and central location could not.
Time passed and Troutrooper found himself spending more and more time on Alzoc III than in Castle Tarentum. What was originally a perfect match slowly degraded into a tenuous friendship. While he remained friends with his Clanmates and fought as hard as ever for his Clan, the Mon Cal found himself increasingly at odds with the summit, the Tarentae, and the Clan as a whole. He struggled to reconcile his efforts in the previous major conflicts with the efforts of the rest of the Clan. He thought his example would spur others on, but sometimes found himself alone on the battlefield without support from his Clanmates. Such situations sapped his desire to fight: “I fight for my own reasons. I just wish my reasons aligned with the Clan's reasons more often, especially when my reasons are to better the Clan and defend it from external threats.” In addition, Omiti began studying a new subject, the history of a distant planet whose varied races allied themselves into two factions who warred unceasingly for control of the planet. Intrigued by this new area of study, Troutrooper joined his wife and the two spent much of their days immersed in this new lore.
Combined, the Mon Cal knew that his tenure in Tarentum was coming to an end. He began to disengage himself from the day-to-day business of the Clan. He stayed abreast of the major Clan and Brotherhood news, but let the minutiae pass without his notice. Soon, though, his and his wife's studies intensified to the point where even major events—such as new Deputy Grand Masters—were missed; a Krath focused on a new area of study often ignores the rest of the galaxy. He aided his Clan as they sought to retake Antei from Crask, but his fighting spirit remained on Alzoc III. The Dark Side Adept's sub-standard performance mirrored that of Tarentum's.
A surprise communique arrived shortly after Troutrooper returned from Antei. Timbal, an old friend and coworker, contacted him regarding a curious new opening. Grand Master Sarin was opening a new, independent House, the first independent House to be opened in many a year. While his focus was still on his studies, the Dark Side Adept asked his old friends about this soon-to-be-established House. A clandestine, far-reaching, distributed organization that sought to redefine what a Dark Jedi House meant. The old spy was intrigued. He could continue working on his studies, exercise his long-dormant secret agent skills when called upon, and, most importantly, he would work with many of his friends and several Dark Jedi he respected but had never previously worked with.
Yet to join this new endeavor required abandoning Clan Tarentum, leaving those who accepted and welcomed him, no questions asked. The Mon Cal remembered being abandoned on the battlefield, but he would not have been on any battlefield had Sith Bloodfyre not invited him to Tarentum in the first place. Turn about may be fair play, but the Dark Side Adept remembered being abandoned and hated the feeling. He did not want to return the favor upon his friends. More importantly, the Clan had entrusted him with the title and responsibilities of Tarentae. Very few are offered the title, and Troutrooper was—and still is—honored to have been asked to join the elite of Tarentum. A one-time offer that, once declined at any time, is never offered again. And he still considered his Clanmates friends; he harbored no animosity towards any Tarenti.
Troutrooper meditated on the decision for several days. Once he had thoroughly examined his mind and soul, he informed his superiors and became a charter member of House Revan.
The Dark Side Adept called House Revan home from its inception to its dissolution. Due to his lore studies, Troutrooper did not fully invest himself in House Revan; regretful, but there are only so many hours in a day, even in hyperspace. The time he was able to devote to House Revan was time well spent. The Mon Cal loved the radical redefining of what a Dark Jedi Brotherhood unit was. Revan proved that Clans did not need to be static entities, conjuring conflagrations to coax Clan members into combat. Revan proved that Dark Jedi could work together when motivated for a common cause. Revan proved that the ingrained and de facto hatreds within the Brotherhood can be set aside if individuals are willing to forget politics and truly live up to the name Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Troutrooper saw first-hand what politics and infighting did to the Brotherhood. He hated the constant, internecine wars that shed Dark Jedi blood instead of light Jedi blood. House Revan stood in stark contrast to the previous notions of what a Dark Brotherhood unit must be. To this day, Troutrooper believes the values of House Revan will save the Brotherhood someday.
In the war for Salas V, House Revan fought against Clan Tarentum first. Although Troutrooper was not in peak fighting form, he gave all the effort he could. Ultimately, he was the deciding factor in the contest: the Dark Side Adept's blade gave House Revan the slightest edge over Tarentum. Though a non-factor in the rest of House Revan's conquest of Salas V, Troutrooper took bittersweet pleasure in knocking out Clan Tarentum. With friends on both sides of combat, he was bound to lose regardless of the outcome of the battle; the taste of victory tainted by the knowledge he injured friends and former stalwart companions.
Shortly after House Revan's conquest of Salas V, Troutrooper received to Antei. Upon arrival at the Dark Hall, he was greeted by Grand Masters Sarin and Jac Cotelin, as well as his Tarentum Consul Welshman, the current Tarentum Consul Maximillan von Oberst, and the rest of House Revan. They escorted the Mon Cal to the Iron Throne, where Grand Master Muz Ashen was seated. Next to him stood Omiti holding a worn robe. Troutrooper knew the robe: it was his old Dark Jedi Master robe. He blinked. He thought he had destroyed the robe as the painful memories and scars it dredged up were not ones he cared to think about. Yet there his wife stood, holding his robe and smiling. His escort backed away and Muz arose, no smile on his face yet a pleased countenance shone through his well-worn emotionless mask. The Keibatsu waved away Troutrooper's robe with one hand, then nodded to Omiti, who placed her husband's old robe on him. Muz nodded. Troutrooper gurgled a chuckle. The party lasted well into the next day.
Troutrooper remained in House Revan until its dissolution. Without Sarin's binding influence, the House slowly dissipated. The Dark Jedi Master was still engaged in his studies; he did little to change the flow. Just when their connections and plans were seeing fruit, the House was closed. He was saddened by the House's closure. Life moves on.
For a while thereafter, Troutrooper attended to personal business. The Dark Jedi Master did not want to adhere himself to any House or Clan as he was not ready for such a commitment. Matters outside the Dark Brotherhood required his involvement. Active membership would have been onerous to him and unfruitful for all parties.
His personal matters subsided shortly before he received a request from an old Housemate. The request was vague: disturbingly powerful Shadow Academy graduates, benthic and powerful swirls in the Force, military personnel across all the Clans and Houses being recalled and put on alert. Troutrooper declined the request. He was tired from his personal endeavors and wanted some rest. But the request piqued his interest. The retired spy made inquiries. Nothing too involved, just a few casual questions of close friends. His casual questions reached the ears of Darth Pravus. The Grand Master and the Dark Jedi Master were well-acquainted. Pravus informed Troutrooper of recent Brotherhood events, including the severe issues with the Dark Council. He invited Troutrooper to join him and selected others luminous Dark Jedi on a secret council. Troutrooper accepted.
Although the Mon Cal's involvement in the Vendetta was limited, he proved himself potent on the battlefield yet again. Pravus, though irritated Troutrooper disappointed the secret group, requested the Dark Jedi Master to join Clan Arcona. After settling his personal affairs, Troutrooper headed to the Dajorra System and was formally accepted as a member of Clan Arcona.