Kova Tarei

[Elijah Brockway]

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Kova Tarei​

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The son of the late Jedi Lord Sihkar Tarei, Kova Tarei is a young man ccurrently seeking to uncover information around his father's death, as well as just who his father was. Born to a Morellian mother and native to the planet of Naboo, Kova unfortunately never met his father, nor did he ever know much of who he was. Now, through his contacts he's gained within the Shadow Conclave (having recently been recruited by them), he is gaining this information much more easily and rapidly.

[beebox3=100%]Appearance[/beebox3]

Species	Gender	Age	Height	Weight	Hair	Eyes	Skin	Force Sensitive
Human-Morellian hybrid	Male	19 years	5'8.5''	146 Pounds	Dark brown, wavy, medium length	Green	Caucasian	Yes

While he is a little bit shorter than and a little bit heavier than his father, Kova looks very strikingly like the man who fathered him. Between his heavy brow, thick and dark brown hair, and overall build, one could be forgiven for thinking that he looked like Sihkar come back from the dead. However, there are other noticeable differences - while Kova often forgets to shave, the facial hair he grows is much thinner and patchier than his father's, so he shaves far more often than Sihkar ever did. His eyes are of a more noticeably dark green colouration than Sihkar's, and his chin is quite a bit squarer - although he shares his father's well-sized nose, even if the shape differs somewhat (Kova's has much less of a downward point than Sihkar's did).

Owing to his spending a fair amount of time on a dark ship or in armour with his new commitments to the Shadow Conclave, Kova has grown fairly pale of skin, making the dark hair that grows along his body stand out much more than it otherwise might. He's fairly thin and lithe, and very flexible, relying even less on his strength than his father might have - although given his current profession, he still makes sure to cultivate what strength he does have. His shoulders are somewhat broad for how small he is, and his generally small and thin build belies a voice that is just as deep as his father's.

[beebox3=100%]Attributes[/beebox3]

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Physical​

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While he leads a fairly active lifestyle, Kova's lack of emphasis on cultivating his strength has led to him only being average in that respect. He can carry well over his own weight for a while and knows very well just how to orient any weight on his body to make it easiest to carry, but he won't win any contests of strength. He is, however, a fairly dextrous individual, with well-developed fine motor control being used in tandem with a quickly-moving and flexible body to make him a force to be reckoned with in battle. His constitution is also of note; between the natural hardiness he inherits from the Morellian side of his family and the natural pain (and alcohol/painkiller) tolerance he inherits from his father, he can take a few good hits and keep on moving as necessary, let alone the endurance to thrive when out in the wild on a survivalist mission.

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Mental​

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Owing to his upbringing, Kova is a very intelligent young man - both in book smarts and in street smarts, given what he has had to learn since graduating from schooling at the age of 17. He's become very adept at ferreting out any information he looks for, and has a very categorical memory for anything that suits his interests. However, he is not particularly wise, even for his age. The most that he can be said to hold for wisdom is a healthy respect for the experiences of others and himself and what can be learned from them, and a well-developed ability to read people and key into their emotional state. But even with that, he is not particularly charismatic, either. He spends quite a bit of time alone, unable to muster up the energy to function in larger groups of people (upwards of three people besides himself). However, when involved in a one-on-one private conversation, he can be fairly talkative and fairly motivating for the other person...just don't expect him to do much in groups.

[beebox3=100%]Personality[/beebox3]

Kova is just as relaxed as his father was, and just as compassionate - his entire reasoning for joining the Shadow Conclave, when he received the offer, was in order to protect the innocents of the galaxy, something that he believes the Jedi overall have failed at (regardless of the respect he has for them). However, his relaxed and compassionate nature is tempered by the nature of what he has to do, as well - with a focus on both gaining knowledge for the conclave and for his personal life, and what lengths he goes to to eliminate certain dangerous elements of the galaxy for the common good, those aspects of himself are kept hidden under a face of relative indifference. He's fully aware that not everybody who serves what is considered good and proper can be considered a hero, and he doesn't pretend towards that - so he shuts himself off from many people, his practiced and feigned indifference serving well at keeping most he deals with held at arm's length.

However, it can't be denied that Kova, as a person, defines himself more by his emotional reactions to various events in his life than by his ability to present a seemingly-logical mind. Connecting to the outside world through feelings rather than observations, the same thing that allows him to connect as deeply with people as he can and wishes to, is also what allows him to read others so well - and has helped teach him just how to present the cold indifference that he has to whenever he takes on the Mantle, in both a literal and figurative sense.

He is intensely curious as to the life of his father, Sihkar Tarei, having grown up fatherless - as he says, "Mother didn't know she was pregnant until the Jedi she had a fling with was well far and gone into the galaxy." Possibly to protect him - or to protect Sihkar - his mother never told him the full name of his father, just that "he was a man named Tarei." As such, while Kova is devoted to the Shadow Conclave's ideals, he also uses their connections as a way to find out more info about his father's life and death, which is how he learned that his father truly was Sihkar Tarei, the former Jedi Lord. He also wishes to make deep connections and friendships with others in his life, and generally hates the persona he has to take on for his work - leading to a fair amount of conflict within himself, given how he has to use people sometimes in order to achieve a goal.

[beebox3=100%]Abilities and Skills[/beebox3]

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The Force​

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While Kova is sensitive to the Force, he is relatively untrained, only having learned particularly much since joining the Shadow Conclave. As well, his own views on the Force run contrary to those of the Jedi and Sith, as well as the Shadow Conclave - he's come to the personal belief that the Force, while it is a gift, should not be actively used as a tool or weapon the way any others do. The passive benefits from the Force, in Kova's mind, are all that are necessary to cultivate to properly exist in the Force. Owing to that, his senses have become very well increased through the Force, and given a bit of time to center himself and acclimate, he can function very well based on his increased physical senses and his senses through the Force should he possibly become blinded.

His healing factor is also greatly increased, as when he is sleeping or meditating after sustaining wounds, his body heals itself far faster than a normal being's might; while it doesn't compare to immersion in bacta, this unintentional healing through the Force is far better than any natural ability to heal. Along with that comes the usual augmentation of one's physical abilities with the Force - while moreso an unconscious manipulation than a simple natural gift from the Force, during times of duress Kova often finds himself reinvigorated and strengthened through the Force, allowing him the power and speed to accomplish a task he is having trouble with.

The only active useages of the Force which Kova supports are one aspect of energy manipulation and stealth-based powers, such as hiding his own signature within the Force or even expanding this into the physical world, hiding his body from view. While he's really only achieved proficiency in the first - either in hiding his strength alone or managing to concentrate enough to make himself appear almost dead to the Force, completely indistinguishable from the prevailing currents of energy in an area - he is still practicing with the latter, so that he'll be able to properly hide in plain sight, if it should be needed. The energy manipulation, meanwhile, involves imbuing an object with the Force to increase its strength and make it possible to resist objects such as a lightsaber, or even swords and vibroblades if it otherwise would not protect against them.

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The Mundane​

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In combat, Kova's preferred weapon is a hand-made and personalized electrostaff, although he is also well practiced in the useage of a normal quarterstaff. He can hold his own against lightsaber users with the weapon, and, due to the electromagnetic field generated by the weapon coupled with his enhanced senses through the Force, he can use it to protect himself against blaster bolts as well. He is also a good shot with a blaster, although he prefers to primarily carry a blaster pistol rather than a blaster rifle.

He is a good ship pilot, having managed to reclaim his father's old ship, as well as being able to work well with computers. He isn't much of a mechanic, but with the help of his astromech he's a lot better than his father at keeping the ship alive and running, and he generally enjoys tinkering around with some mechanical objects, if only to waste time rather than to actually do anything with his lack of actual skill in the field. He is also a fluent speaker in Basic, Huttese, and Mando'a, and can understand Binary and Shyriiwook.

[beebox3=100%]Strengths and Weaknesses[/beebox3]

Kova's mind and his dexterity are his two greatest strengths, and he relies on them the most. His mind is what enables him to properly do his duty to the Shadow Conclave, finding information, effectively communicating with people, and being overall a well-learned member of society; his dexterity is what he relies on in battle, enabling him to dance around his enemies and quickly disable them or kill them as needed. If it weren't for either of those, he doesn't feel that he would have particularly much place to fit in anywhere in the galaxy, let alone finding an occupation.

However, his urge to connect emotionally with other beings - as well as how he has to keep most of those he meets at metaphorical arm's length, in order to protect his identity and the Conclave - is both a strength and his greatest weakness. He absolutely hates how he has to avoid building the connections and relationships he wants to, and often finds this to be a powerful source of internal conflict whenever he is on a mission; should somebody get close enough to him to learn this and make that connection with him, it would give them a great degree of power over him, which would be very dangerous for Kova himself and for the Shadow Conclave.

[beebox3=100%]Inventory[/beebox3]

Kova's basic inventory is just that - very basic. He has numerous sets of simple clothing, ranging from the simple wear worn by most beings around Naboo specifically, sets of clothing that look similar to that worn by the Jedi, and even some examples of finery that help him blend in whenever he's amongst high society. He has a relatively standard functional datapad with a holonet connection (portable computers are always useful), he has enough credits set aside in the bank to survive off of for a fair amount of time if he doesn't have a job, and he has a small movie collection that he likes to watch on long trips in his ship.

For weaponry, his primary weapon is a personalized, hand-made electrostaff. Like many electrostaffs, it is built out of a lightweight phrik-cortosis alloy, affording it complete resistance to lightsabers even when not activated. The shape of the weapon is primarily rounded and circular, like many quarterstaff-type weapons. The electrodes (each 6 inches long) on either end are only noticeable due to the numerous studs that appear to be slightly raised from the weapon's surface (in actuality, they are just the part of the casing from which the electrical energy is emitted), and the small guards at their bases, similar in design to a tsuba on various types of swords (from which emits the electromagnetic field that contains the electrical energy that is emitted), which are suitably large enough to provide a comfortable stop for Kova's hands when the weapon is in use. Just under each guard is a small activation mechanism for each electrode, allowing Kova to activate them separately if he wishes, or there is a single switch in the center of the weapon he can use to activate both at once. It's length is such that it reaches from level ground to a bit taller than Kova himself, about seven feet long.

The powering mechanism for the electrostaff is different from most, however. While he was constructing the weapon Kova intended to honour his father's history as a Jedi, so with the help of a fellow member of the Shadow Conclave he managed to procure a pair of kyber crystals for the weapon, both of which turned an orange colour in his hands. After installing them in the electrodes of the weapon, the energy passing through the power cell is somewhat focused by the crystals before being emitted to surround the electrodes, giving the dancing and crackling energy an orange colour. While nowhere near as focused as a lightsaber - indeed, the crystals Kova has are rough enough that they likely would be unusable in a lightsaber - the energy, due to being focused by the crystals and well contained by the magnetic field, is far less irregular in its dancing and crackling than most electrostaffs, and can be more finely controlled through various settings, from simply stunning up through lethal range.

His other weapon that he carries is a simple B-8R pistol, with five power packs in total (one in weapon, four reloads), giving him a total ammunition capacity of sixty shots. When he's trying to be especially inconspicuous, this will be his primary weapon, as the blaster pistol would be more expected in various situations than his electrostaff might, and it is more concealable; in such situations, he will carry a simple walking staff (same length as his electrostaff) to use as his melee weapon, which he can imbue with the Force so that it can protect him from lightsabers.

He wears very little armour, favouring his flexibility and speed over the ability to really just tank hits. When he "takes up the Mantle," the most he wears would be the cloak made of armourweave and scatterweave that comes with the Shadow Conclave's standard set of armour, a set of phrik-reinforced bracers on his forearms, and a mask/simple and lightweight helmet that he made out of a Mandalorian helmet he claimed from a defeated enemy. Most of the systems were integrated into the mask, including the overall visor - however, only the upper, eye-level portion remains useable as a visor, while the hidden lower portion of the t-visor now functions as a screen along which are displayed information relating to the helmet's integrity, how long of an oxygen supply (15 minutes total, functions via an oxygen capsule on the right side of the helmet proper) is remaining (if being used), the status of the air filter (on the lower left side of the helmet proper, directly opposite the oxygen capsule), and squad communications. The mask is technically separate from the helmet, although upon attachment, the sensors that monitor the oxygen capsule and the filter are hooked into the mask's systems, and coupled with the ability of the helmet to form an airtight seal with the military-style bodysuit that Kova wears under his normal clothing. The helmet itself is primarily form-fitting to his head, well designed and padded enough to take a single hit from a blaster before its defensive capabilities are ruined; it also has integrated Auditory Frequency Modulators.

[beebox3=100%]Ship[/beebox3]

Kova's ship is the same Bantha-Class Freighter his father owned, with the following description:

Sihkar flies a Bantha-class freighter, a great big ugly ship that doesn't have any markings on it of being a Jedi's ship - which suits him just fine, when he's travelling all around the Outer Rim and doesn't want people to know he's anything special just from his choice of vehicle. He's turned one of the large cargo holds into living space, so that he has extra room for visitors, acquaintances, and the such on his ship - as well as having set aside a nice space in which to have a small training room. The other cargo bay, with the capacity to hold 50 metric tons of cargo, was kept for that purpose. The only other modification to the ship is that the turreted laser cannon has had its controls slightly rerouted into an additional console in the cockpit, allowing Sihkar or anybody else (or even a droid) to control it from the cockpit if needed; the original turret controls are still functional, however. He does plan to upgrade the shield generators and the engines in the future.

Kova has given it a name, which his father never did, although he seems to share, to some extent, the same opinion on it his father had - he calls the ship the "Flying Brick."

[beebox3=100%]Droid[/beebox3]

Kova has an M-series astromech, specifically designated M3-FR3, or as most people call it, "Mefree." However, thanks to Kova and various others within the Shadow Conclave, it's programming has been updated (since the last time it was memory wiped) to be superior to that of an M8-series droid, giving it a very functional astromech ability. The droid is a good pilot - often better than Kova himself - and knows very well the difference between when to take it slow and when to move fairly quickly. It has a full complement of all the tools that could ever be necessary to complete the tasks for it on the ship or on the ground, ranging from repair tools to computer jacks and everything else, and an electroshock prod for additional defense; the blaster integrated into it is also a B-8R pistol, with the normal power pack linked into the power cell within the droid that is specifically devoted to integrated blaster weaponry; this gives it a total of 36 shots available before it starts draining power from the droid's main power cell array (such that, under prolonged use, the droid will come too low on power and shift into standby mode) or needs recharged.

Over the last couple years that Kova has had the droid since first joining the Shadow Conclave and it was upgraded with the later programming, it has started to develop a personality all of its own. While Kova is capable of being fairly serious, he is normally quiet and relaxed - the droid, meanwhile, is very serious and methodical in its mannerisms, and depending on how stressed it feels, it can get fairly neurotic and high-strung.

[beebox3=100%]Biography[/beebox3]

Born on Naboo to a Morellian mother, Kova Tarei grew up in a relatively affluent part of the relatively affluent planet. His early life was far from difficult, and he was considered a prodigy in school, graduating from his full schooling earlier than many others, at the age of 17. Even without a father around his life at home was fairly easy, with a kind and doting mother who tried to push him into politics as a career (indeed, many in his life thought that he could easily be on track to lead Naboo into the Republic as the planet's first senator). However, after starting an internship with one of the more politically prominent people on his planet, he found out from the news that the Jedi Lord of the Jedi Army had gone missing, likely killed, with his ship left on Nar Shaddaa, where he was last seen. Upon hearing the man's name - Sihkar Tarei - Kova immediately went to his mother, asking if that was the man who had been his father, though enough time had passed she either didn't know the answer or had decided she wouldn't answer. However, the news had ignited a powerful curiosity within Kova, sending him on a quest to try and learn just who his father was, to see if this Jedi Lord was his father. He worked hard for a time to amass the credits to leave the planet, and left for Caamas, which had been the known homeworld of Sihkar Tarei, and sought out the man's family.

To his dismay, the family was a fairly large one, with members spread across the world, and some throughout other places in the galaxy - and many of them had features similar to Sihkar's, and similar to his. However, he strove not to let this dissuade him, and continued on his quest for information, interviewing members of the family (his family) still on Caamas. He also tried to contact the Jedi Order numerous times, though those attempts generally fell flat; his general nosiness, however, did bring attention to him from numerous members of society who he would try to avoid, many of whom had various grudges against the Tarei family and would want to find a way to use the boy to satisfy them. However, it had also brought attention to him from an organization that had decided it could use his abilities to ferret out information, given that he had learned far more than just about the Tarei family, though he didn't heed any possible dangers in finding all the information he had.

After some time spent on the planet he was kidnapped by those unsavoury people who sought to use him as a bargaining chip against his extended family. Given that he was just an offworlder searching for information, there wasn't a huge fuss made about him, although the Tarei family did try their best to retrieve him, many of them holding strong to a sense of familial bond, regardless of the lack of knowledge about Kova's actual parentage. When members of the Shadow Conclave presented themselves as a small alliance of highly-effective (and legal) bounty hunters to the family, they bought their services, hoping for a quicker resolution to the conflict than the planetary police force might provide. Kova was quickly rescued with ruthless efficiency, the Shadow Conclave members having managed to obtain or cleverly forge the necessary documents to make themselves appear fully legitimate. After returning Kova to his family, they also made note of who they were, offering to induct Kova into their ranks. Although it wasn't the sort of lifestyle he'd ever been used to, given the efficacy of the organization and how well it could also help him, Kova agreed to join with them, and ended up leaving Caamas over seemingly normal pretenses after not getting quite as much information as he would've wanted for his own personal quest.

He was quickly trained by some senior members of the organization, including one member named Radegast, a Miraluka who was sensitive to the Force and trained in it. He helped a fair bit in training Kova for battle and helping prepare him for his life in the Shadow Conclave, while he also ended up taking Kova on a trip to find a pair of kyber crystals for a personalized weapon Kova was creating. He also attempted to train Kova in the Force, although through his own readings in what little free-time he had, Kova's views on the Force had ultimately become somewhat incompatible with what Radegast and others tried to teach him, as well as going somewhat against the Umbral Creed - as such, that aspect of the mentorship passed quickly. Eventually, through communication with various members of the Shadow Conclave and the useage of their various contacts, he was able to determine that he was, in fact, Sihkar Tarei's son, and was able to get the necessary documents produced to prove such, which enabled him to retrieve his father's ship and what belongings were on it.

His mentorship with Radegast and others moved along fairly quickly, and he was fully inducted into the Shadow Conclave as a Disciple after the better part of a year's time, soon after he turned 18. He has spent his time since fulfilling contracts for the Shadow Conclave as well as searching for information about his father's life, both within the Jedi and personally, as well as trying to learn the secret of who killed him, which has yet to become common knowledge amongst most common folk in the galaxy.