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- Dec 10, 2011
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Xiu Zhubara
The Saffron Space Pirate
The Saffron Space Pirate
[fancybox4=http://i64.tinypic.com/2d9nrsj.gif]FULL NAME: Xiu Zhubara
ALIAS: Saffron; Zu-Zu
AGE: 28
SPECIES: Human, Dathomir
HEIGHT: 5’8”
WEIGHT: 130 lbs
EYE COLOR: Brown
HAIR COLOR: Black
SKIN COLOR: Almond
MARKINGS: Slug-thrower entry scar on left hip, exit scar left of tailbone; severe burn scars from right elbow to right shoulder; remodeled laceration scar perpendicular along outside left forearm from elbow to wrist
FACTION: N/A
RANK: N/A
Raised in a cruel tribal society, Xiu was born to desperation and necessity. The daughter of outcasts and the sister of pariahs, Xiu’s childhood was a traumatic one which she seldom cares to revisit. Her cold and efficient demeanor was the only gift her upbringing ever gave her, and it has served her well as a scoundrel in the black wastes of the Outer Rim. While she still struggles with the psychological trauma of the life she has lived, she is disinclined to let others know it; she prefers to trail from job to job, clawing her way to the top of the underworld.
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theSugar...
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Xiu’s bloodline is one of privilege and wealth, power and even magic. Her father, Caepora Zhubara, was once a powerful and influential warlock of Dathomir; he owned land, he swayed politicians, and he commanded a harem of apprentices. His magic was sought after by hopefuls from all over the world, either wanting to commission his services or begin studying under his magistration. But for all his power his power and wisdom, for all his following and desirability, Caepora Zhubara was utterly and entirely alone.
An apprentice under his employ, a young Dathomiri woman with raven hair and olive skin, was alone too. She was called Shinta, from the Yuftha family of the Goba region, though her family ties were severed upon her apprenticeship as a Nightsister. Each day, she would rouse from her bunk in the Nightsister chamber and labor to impress Caepora; sometimes through study, sometimes through practice, sometimes through other things entirely. But it was not until she committed the greatest mistake of her career that she caught the attention of the warlock—a blunder that would forever change her life. While practicing an incantation during an assessment, she fouled the motion required to peacefully perform the spell resulting in a blast of force that sent articles and items skewed about the room. Shockingly, this blast also removed her headdress, revealing her face in the presence of all the spectators that had joined them. The noise grasped Caepora’s attention, and he cast his eyes to her; their eyes met, and Shinta’s heart stopped in her chest. Was this the end of her apprenticeship? Subdued whispers and snickers cast about anonymously amidst the hundreds of apprentices and the spectators that were invited to observe, mocking the woman and chattering about how the warlock would react. Caepora, watching her ever the while, descended from his seat at the head of the room and took slow, confident steps toward her.
The warlock stooped down, picked up her headdress, and handed it to her with a grin. “Mind those incantations,” he said, before turning and returning to his seat.
Shinta passed her assessment, much to her surprise. Naturally, rumors began about the two of them and the warlock’s odd reaction to her blunder. Unbeknownst to the other apprentices, however, the rumors were true. Caepora sent for Shinta that night, and the two began to see each other in secret.
Their affair was a slap in the face of the society the warlocks had created; one of apprentice subservience and the dominance of the magus. It was not until, more than a year later, Shinta became with child and their affair was exposed. Caepora argued that they should give up the child, that Shinta should lie about the father, but it would force Caepora to expel her from his study—he required his apprentices to be celibate to better focus on their studies. But Shinta, young and headstrong, had had enough of society’s demands, and instilled in him that they should embrace the child and begin their family, that they could finally be together and the rest of the warlocks and the councils and the senator and the Four Sisters could learn to manage.
It was a choice they were never afforded the chance to make, for soon after an apothecary was summoned to provide prenatal care, their secret was released to the world. The apothecary, a trusted friend of Caepora’s, betrayed him and spread the word that a renowned magus was fornicating with an apprentice—and had impregnated her.
In a society where magus dynasties ruled, Caepora had broken the most paramount of their social values: maintaining control through marital contract. The Nightsisters were in social limbo; not common rabble because they practiced magic, but far too common to be involved with dynasties. Other sorcerers broke all ties to the Zhubara dynasty; apprentices fled in droves, abandoning a sinking ship and hoping to conceal the shame of being an apprentice to Caepora Zhubaral; and the councils even attempted to prosecute Zhubara, restricted only by the fact that his sin was one of social err rather than legal.
During this time, Caepora spent little time with Shinta. Perhaps he wanted to spare her the shame of drowning with him in social hatred, or perhaps he could not bare to look at the woman that cost him everything. Regardless, weeks later he was found in his empty and desolate chambers, a kruft dagger buried to the hilt in his chest.
The councils called it suicide, alleging that he took his own life rather than bearing the shame for the rest of his days. They called it the honorable thing to do, and elected the restoration of the Zhubara name. However, because he was not betrothed to Shinta, his estates were divided among the other warlocks of his council.
Shinta never believed in Caepora’s suicide, and the council’s ruling that his name was restored was in appearance only; Shinta still received the brunt of abuse from echelon society, and shortly after Caepora’s death, elected to flee the region. She and her infant child joined with a group of pariahs, those who had spurned or been spurned by the ruling class, just to survive through numbers. She called her daughter “Xiu”, short for Xiuthua meaning remember, in hopes that they might never forget her father and the sacrifices he made.
Buy, happy as she may have been, her life was one of desperation and hardship. Death was all around her, living on the outskirts of each region, somewhere between the danger of the wildlands and the danger of society. Persecuted by the Dathomiri and unable to survive in the harsher environments of the planet’s wildlands, the gypsies roved wherever they could find sustenance, either by attempting to infiltrate cities and villages or by living off the land. Amidst the difficult existence, disease and food shortage was a constant issue. Malnourishment made it impossible to thrive.
As a young adult, with the number of her gyspy rovers dwindling, Xiu and the other able-bodied hunters departed to find game. As they came to a clearing, hoping to find a huala to kill and bring home the meat, they instead found an amazing sight—a craft had landed in the clearing, and a group of men were unloading cargo into the field. They observed for a time, until they were spotted.
Armed with blasters, while the hunters had only rudimentary weapons, the space-faring brigands surrounded the natives and brought them to the ship where a man they referred to as “the captain” came to assess. They spoke in Basic, a language that Xiu had learned from her mother because of her education, but few others in their group knew. As such, Xiu became the de facto communicator, and the Captain singled her out.
Xiu came to learn that the Captain was a smuggler named Emon, and that they were making a dead drop for nefarious types that would distribute the goods throughout the region. It was a type of the spice narcotic, a powder colloquially called saffron for its color, and was worth a hefty sum in the underground market. When Xiu asked why Emon had divulged this information, he informed her that it was because he needed more crewman after the Republic arrested several of his hands, and that the hunters were the first able-bodied people he’d seen.
Emon graciously allowed Xiu and the others the time to return to her family to discuss the opportunity while his crew unloaded the goods. Unanimously, the guardians of each of the group agreed that they should seize the opportunity to find a new life off-world. With mixed feelings of excitement and anguish, Xiu said a hasty farewell to her mother, and departed with the other hunters to meet Emon in the clearing. It was the last day she ever saw her mother, and her homeworld.
Life aboard the Common Cause was one of duty and hard work. Xiu became close with the other Dathomiri; Joban, Qarria, and Xen-Chu each possessed qualities that made then important to the crew of the large freighter. Emon tended to favor Xiu, however, because of her aptitude for entertainment, her skill in thievery, and most surprisingly, her technical inclination. Aboard the ship, Xiu had learned much about spacecraft; she was a fast learner and had become vital to engineering. When she was not training in the armory or performing in the mess, she was in engineering learning how to articulate an FTL drive or strip a fusion crank or replace a cracked impulse sprocket.
Years passed, and Xiu learned the trade of smuggling and rogue mercenary work. It seemed, however, that the better they got at their trade, the better the Republic got at tracking them. Emon’s brother Amor, who captained their sister ship Man’s Plight, hailed them one day for assistance; when the Cause arrived in that sector, it was crawling with Republic enforcement vessels, and the Plight had been boarded, seemingly badly damaged. Emon nearly fired on the Republic ships, but at Xiu’s behest, managed to jump away before the law could get a lock on them.
From then on, it felt like they were always at a disadvantage. Buyers became fewer, friends became scarcer, and paranoia became the only way to survive. More years passed, each littered with close calls, until one day, while on leave at a space station in the Outer Rim, a group of self-proclaimed lawmen raided their crew. The shootout was violent and chaotic, tables flipping and civilians fleeing, but as the crew scattered for cover, Xiu attempted to grab Emon from the field of fire. Instead, a slug ripped through her body, accompanied by several others that struck Emon. The both of them crumpled to the floor, and Xiu did not move until one of the lawmen came near—at which point she emptied her slug pistol into him and crawled to cover.
Incredibly, she was able to rendezvous with a handful of crewmates and return to the ship, making breakaway from the station. Now at half crew, they lingered in hyperspace as they tried to collect themselves. Xen-Chu was not among the survivors, and Joban said he saw Qarria being arrested after being rendered unconscious. Xiu watched Emon cut down by slug-fire, and the rest of the crew was unaccounted for. Should they have left them? Or should they all have stayed, and fought dead to the last man? Xiu has wondered this since that day.
As she recovered, the crew came to her and informed her that she was the new captain. Xiu was unsure what to do or say; why her? What made her special? Joban informed her that she was the glue that kept the crew together after Emon was killed, and that she knew more about the ship and the trade than anyone. Xiu, equipped with a cane and a system full of painkillers, issued the first order of her command: find crew.
The following year was the most difficult she had ever endured. Work was scarce and food was expensive. They began to take even honest contracts from unscrupulous employers, making paltry credits for work they used to exploit just to fill their bellies. With the difficulty finding crew, they began to discuss the gravest of possibilities: separation.
The trio agreed that it was the right time. With a ship too large to continue to utilize themselves, and too hot to fly into any Republic space, they found a fence willing to restore it and sold it off. They split the fortune three ways and pooled their credit reserves, before saying their final tearful farewells over Nar Shaddaa. Xiu spent a dividend on a small, maneuverable freighter—an old YG freighter, commonly called an Alabaster because of its snow finish—to begin to recoup her funds and, hopefully, find a sizable crew to begin anew.
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theSpice...
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A trader once told me one girl with a blaster couldn't hit every shipment in a whole sector.
I told him I have two blasters.
It's funny-- his driver said the same thing. Looks like he's changed routes since then-- I guess he got tired of losing goods, creds, and guards in my territory.
Not too much traffic through here lately... Might be time to move again.
GEAR
I told him I have two blasters.
It's funny-- his driver said the same thing. Looks like he's changed routes since then-- I guess he got tired of losing goods, creds, and guards in my territory.
Not too much traffic through here lately... Might be time to move again.
GEAR
The following is a list of gear that Xiu generally possesses, has on her person, or has access to aboard her ship…
The TM-59 pistol fires a red bolt and is effective to 50yds. It has a 10-round tibanna bolt gas chamber that loads into the magazine well beneath the receiver. Simple in construction, it is a powerful and effective pistol that sacrifices capacity and accuracy for a bit of extra strength. It is always resting in its leather holster on Xiu’s right hip, and she has become proficient in its use over the years. While she fully understands the mechanics of the weapon, she had never been able to find the manufacturer of the weapon and suspects it may have been a custom build prior to coming into her possession—she only knows its model because the side bears the stamp TM-59.
AR-11G Slug Rifle
The AR-11G is a standard slug rifle that uses 25-round sticks of 10mm caseless ammunition to fire accurately to 150yds. It can be fired semi-automatically or in three-round burst, but because of the construction of the ammunition, cannot be fired fully automatically. The weapon is constructed of plasteel and polymer, and weighs approximately 7lbs when loaded. Like the TM-59 pistol, this rifle was discovered as spoils for Xiu, and she is unsure of its make, but has been able to locate ammunition for it through information gathered from merchants. She is currently undertaking the task of fitting the reloading bench aboard her ship to manufacture the caseless ammunition to avoid having to special order it.
VIBROKNIFE
This knife was given to Xiu as soon as she joined the crew of the Common Cause. It contains an 8” fixed durasteel blade, honed with precious care and charged with an ion power cell. It is a simple but effective weapon, as are all vibroblades.
NOVA-TECH MODEL 3 MODULAR ARMOR
This armor was acquired during her time aboard the Common Cause in preparation for a job that required them to be exposed to open space. It is a relatively crude and basic answer to modern armor, using ablative durasteel plating to protect the wearer over an armorweave mesh that provides a sealed environment. The armor is comparable in use to modern medium-grade armor, and its primary weakness lies in the gaps between the ablative plates in the mobile parts of the body where only the armorweave is left to protect the wearer. The interior of the armorwave contains a thin gel padding to help cushion the wearer from impact damage, as well as working with the armor's climate system for extra-athmospheric use. The helm is equipped with a heads-up-display and commlink integration, providing information to the user regarding navigation and the condition of the armor. The yellow transperisteel visor can be translucent to allow visibility of the face or opaque to allow better light shielding, and can be adjusted manually. The suit uses power cells stored at the small of the back as its energy source, which recharges when powered down and can be modularly replaced or added to with additional power cores for longer life. The suit can sustain itself at full power for approximately 72 hours on the basic cells, and can also shut down auxiliary systems to extend battery life. It is also equipped with an internal oxygen reservoir that can sustain the wearer for up to 48 hours at standard capacity. The suit comes equipped with a small cutting laser housed in the left wrist.
SKILLS
One of Xiu’s greatest attributes is her impressive ability with blasters and (especially) slug-throwers. Although she is often equipped with a rifle, Xiu’s marksmanship is more impressive with her preferred pistol. Often feeling dwarfed by shoulder-fired weapons, she had excellent form and a history of practice with her weapons. She is a qualified shot even under pressure, and generally prefers the relative precision of select-fire arms rather than default-automatic.
MARTIAL ARTS
Xiu has studied various forms of combat all throughout her adult life. Her former captain, Emon, was a vibroblade connoisseur and enjoyed sparring with her on his downtime. Xiu always took immediately to polearms such as staves and spears, and developed a lethal accuracy with just such weapons. In her hands, anything long enough becomes a formidable weapon. Unarmed, she is scrappy, but generally lacks the strength to compete with her opponent; with a polearm, however, simple physics remedy that issue.
Over the years, Xiu has developed a practical and efficient knowledge of engineering, particularly of starcraft and firearms. She had a natural knack at working with her hands, which has always suited her tomboy attitude and penchant for getting gritty and dirty. While she lacks the formal education for specifics, and has a practiced eye for engineering issues and a working knowledge of how to solve them.
MUSIC
Xiu has been adept in music since she was a child, and has played the qunali nearly as long. The qunali is a type of mandolin unique to Dathomir, providing a more full-bodied sound due partially to the fat body shape that is signature to the instrument and partially to the wood of the bothiri tree, which is native only to its homeworld. For Xiu, the qunali is a way to unwind and is one of the few healthy outlets she has. She also has an accomplished singing voice, and some rudimentary dance skills, though she rarely puts them to use.
SHIP
Xiu’s current ship is a relatively inexpensive freighter purchased with the intent of using it to earn enough credits to purchase a larger ship and hire a crew. She selected it because of its modest armament for a freighter, and because of it’s maneuverability—useful when it comes to Republic or Sith authorities. While it lacks the ideal cargo space, Xiu lacks the crew to take on big jobs at this point—thus, it’s the little jobs that add up. While the Final Word has always been a stepping stone for Xiu, she has come to love it in its own right.
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...andEverything nice
THREADS
- Cruise Control [ACTIVE]
Xiu accepts a contract along with two other mercenaries to recover a derelict yacht from wild space on behalf of a scientist, but the mission turns out deeper than it first appeared. - The Droid You're Looking For [ACTIVE]
An old friend contacts Xiu regarding the recovery of a rogue droid for an unspecified military power, and the utmost discretion is required. Xiu takes the job, and with the help of two others, confronts controversial questions of morality in the face of a violent war. - The Rains of Dathomir [ACTIVE]
Partnered with an equally-reputable smuggler, Xiu takes one of the most daring missions of her career-- using false credentials to make a delivery of weapons from Corellia to a grassroots insurgency movement on Dathomir called the "Rains of Dathomir". To make things worse, the smugglers are tasked with transporting a Republic war criminal known as the Rainmaker to Dathomir as well in preparation for the Rains' next move.
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