Noire
SWRP Writer
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2014
- Messages
- 602
- Reaction score
- 27
AGE: 24
SPECIES: HUMAN
HOMEWORLD: CHANDRILA
FACTION: INDEPENDENT
RANK: N/A
HEIGHT: 6"1
BUILD: AVERAGE
HAIR COLOR: BROWN
EYE COLOR: BROWN
FORCE MASTERY: UNTRAINED
LIGHTSABER STYLE: N/A
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A Proper Upbringing
Alak Rhen was born in orbit around Chandrila, the Democratic Center and Capital of the Republic, into a strong, politically-centered heritage and culture. His father, a former activist turned engineer working full-time constructing starships for the Republic, and his mother, an interplanetary ambassador, struggled with raising a child amidst their own career responsibilities and placed Alak into the care of his paternal grandparents at the age of three. He spent the vast majority of his youth under the watchful care and strict tutelage of his grandmother and grandfather; Sala Rhen, an outspoken and fiery political activist, and Kaeden Rhen, a retired Diplomat. This, combined with infrequent visits from his mother and father, resulted in a strong attachment to his grandparents and their ideology while remaining largely estranged from his biological parents.
As their only grandchild, both Sala and Kaeden expected Alak to be a shining example of the Rhen lineage by continuing their known history of family involvement in governmental affairs. Although they heavily encouraged him to develop a passion for politics, Alak was a known introvert and was far more intrigued by wild, native creatures than politics. He would often spend the majority of his time with animals, whom he soon discovered he shared a profound sense of empathy with, rather than honing his rhetoric. During this period of his life, Alak encountered a Jedi Knight, Baan, who was the first to make him aware he was Force sensitive.
After graduating from the New Chandrilan Academy of Higher Studies, the premier institution for budding politicians, Rhen found work as a Senatorial aide on Chandrila at the age of eighteen. No longer the shy individual he was as a child, the young man devoted himself fully to his public service - often spending days on end helping to draft new legislation and drum up public support. Working in this capacity enabled Alak to observe Senate meetings up close and personal while at the same time establishing valuable relationships with respected politicians across the Republic.
Rumblings of War
Despite initially enjoying the time spent there, Alak slowly became disillusioned with the Senate. Growing increasingly frustrated with how cumbersome and slow to action the governing body of the Republic truly was, he started viewing a lifetime serving the Senate as both worthless and unnecessarily problematic. Though still very much attentive to the day-to-day ongoings of the Republic, he began engaging himself in other interests - namely the troubling reports that had begun popping up from the border territories.
The Rhen family initially questioned the veracity of the rumors that the mysterious Sith Order were reemerging in the far reaches of the known galaxy (as many near the Core Worlds did). Once it became known that the Sith were, in fact, making alarming strides toward the northernmost quadrant of Republic territory, Sala and Kaeden (along with others) immediately chartered a transport to travel out to the border planets. It was their intention to protest the Senate's blatant dismissal of the crisis and disregard for its denizens in the far-flung reaches of the Republic. Though potentially dangerous, both of them desired for Alak to join. However, despite being passionate about the cause himself, Alak declined as he firmly believed he could have a larger impact if he remained on Chandrila although he promised he would join if he accomplished nothing in a month's time.
An Uncertain FutureAlak would never get the chance. Sala and Kaeden, whose transport ship was docked near the Senate Rotunda, perished at the onset of the Sith invasion of Chandila. Alak narrowly escaped, concealing himself on a cargo freighter, before the planet fell. As a refugee, he became a figure wracked with overwhelming guilt and, for months, slipped heavily into alcoholism. Following a brief memorial service, during which his estranged parents tried and failed at reconnecting with their only child, Rhen abandoned his surname as a way to distance himself from his lineage. He adopted "Qel" as a new surname and set out into the galaxy, determined to seek out and join the fractured Jedi Order.
"The Sith believe Galactic domination is their destiny. But we'll just have to see about that now won't we?"
- Alak Qel
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"...Alak Rhen? Sure, I remember him. It would be hard to forget someone like Rhen; him being the grandchild of that loud-mouthed Diplomat and activist notwithstanding. I had the pleasure of instructing him back at the Academy and I distinctly remember telling myself, I would say, 'Hey, this kid's a leader in the making'. Rhen thinks ahead, I'm talking parsecs ahead, and knows how to prioritize well; he takes stock of a situation and once he makes a decision the boy does not ever second guess himself. I suppose that means he's confident too - perhaps a bit overly so. The one thing about him, though, and I suppose you could blame his upbringing, is just how incredibly defensive and self-justifying he is. He'll have a good argument, and I mean a damn good one too, for everything that he does - even if what he's doing is wrong. Moreover, he'll persuade you, whether you realize it or not, with his subtle charm and with his rhetoric, that his perspective is the correct one, and won't stop until he's successful. That's Alak Rhen for you."
- Avner Daros, Instructor at the New Chandrilan Academy of Higher Studies
As an adolescent, Alak was reserved and yet fiercely independent. He rarely, if ever, conversed with his peers and often completely avoided social functions of any kind. He did, however, share a profound sense of empathy with native Chandrilan animals - partly a result of his connection with the Force. Since he absolutely refused to purchase them, he would often spend entire days wandering in the forests near the Rhen Homestead, befriending animals, and taking home those that he had bonded with. Eventually, he amassed a small, personal menagerie of wild creatures.
Alak's time spent at the New Chandrilan Academy of Higher Studies eventually eroded away his withdrawn personality and sharpened him into a promising future statesman. He emerged every bit the ideal example of a politician: charismatic and passionate, convincing and perceptive, and very quick on his feet. But, as noted by his own grandfather, Alak was also "nothing short of undiplomatic"; he was, at times, rather impulsive, stubborn, and an infamous maverick.
Even so, Alak's personality was dramatically altered after the death of his grandparents. Distraught over their sudden loss, he morphed into a driven and yet wary individual. His characteristic charisma, wit, and confidence remained but with a significantly harder edge. He became withdrawn once more, preferring solitude over companionship aside from his animals, and constantly running from his own feelings of guilt.
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Largely untrained in his youth, it was only as a young man that Alak began learning how to defend himself. After the untimely death of his grandparents, his habit of frequenting seedy sites of ill repute eventually forced him into learning proper combat techniques and arming himself. Despite generally carrying one on his person at all times, however, Alak is regarded as only a "decent shot" with a blaster pistol and thus rarely, if ever, bothers using it. On the other hand, he is a naturally talented swordsman and has been known to be able to hold his own in hand-to-hand combat.
Aware of his sensitivity to the Force, Alak remains formally untrained in its usage and has generally preferred to focus less on the abstract, mystical philosophies that surround the Force and more on the pressing, critical matters regarding the state of the galaxy. In spite of this, he still harnesses the power of the Force, though typically unknowingly.
- Hawk-Bat II
- DX-13 Blaster Pistol
- Vibrosword
- Sala's Pendant
- Standard Datapad
- Loth-cat, Chitlik, Voorpak
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THE MOIRAI — A young Alak encounters a strange Jedi. ● (COMPLETE)
ONLY THE BEGINNING — Alak, Foomba, and a new ally. ● (ONGOING)
TITLE — Short description ● (thread status) - .
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