- Joined
- Jun 30, 2014
- Messages
- 183
- Reaction score
- 0
Biography Early Life The son of a former Jedi, a Miraluka named Bale Signus and a young Miralukan Sith apprentice named Akana Kord, Rune was born with a powerful connection to the Force. His parents met solely by coincidence. The Sith had been in hiding, gathering their strength, waiting for the right time to strike. The Jedi, on the other hand, had enjoyed a long period of peace. Bale had left the Order some time ago in an effort to explore the Unknown Regions when his ship was attacked by scavengers. He flew a modest ship with no defenses to speak of. It was easy pickings for the pirates. They caught him in a tractor beam and sliced into the ship's controls, cutting the air supply in an attempt to kill any crew aboard. Once dead, they'd have free reign of whatever was inside with no resistance. Bale called upon his training, utilizing a technique known as breath control to keep himself alive as long as possible but the strain was too much and eventually he passed out. Thinking the crew to be finally be dead, the scavengers turned the oxygen back on soon after and forced their way into his ship to ransack it. They found his unconscious body floating in his quarters. Thinking him dead, they didn't bother with the body. Taking what they needed, they released the ship and left it to float among the stars. It drifted along until a small Sith scouting vessel happened to cross it. The ship reported back it's findings. The Sith Lord Darth Maiar listened to the report and reached out with the Force. He felt something on the ship and ordered them to bring it in. The scouting vessel towed Bale's ship back to the Revenant, Darth Maiar's flagship. Once aboard, the unconscious Bale was put in the medical bay under guard. When he came to, he was interrogated by Maiar's officers. When he wouldn't reveal anything, he was brought before Darth Maiar himself. The Sith Lord pried into Bale's mind and soon found the truth he was searching for. Bale was indeed, a Jedi. Or at least, he used to be. This was the first time Akana laid eyes on Bale. She was by her Master's side while he worked on the Jedi. She had been told tales of the Jedi "scum", but never had she seen one in person. He was more like her than she had ever thought and he certainly didn't look like any kind of threat. When Maiar was done with Bale, he had Akana take him back to his cell. Over the next few weeks, she acted as his escort to wherever Maiar wanted him brought. Some days Maiar would simply torture the Jedi for fun, some days he would glean information from his memory, and some days he would throw him in a ring to fight members of the crew. All the while, his stoic defiance and good nature left their influence on the young Sith apprentice. She didn't see the villain that the Sith had made the Jedi out to be, she just saw a man, broken and alone. Eventually she started to care for him and he, in turn, shared those feelings. He had watched her the whole time as she struggled with her new found feelings for this "outsider", with how she would look at him. He noticed her smile and the way she tried to hide it. Over time the two grew very much in love. It wasn't until Akana was forced to fight Bale in the ring that they knew Maiar had found out about their secret affair. She refused to fight him and instead took arms against her Master. She was able to hold him off long enough for them to escape. It was some kind of miracle that they managed to get out of there unscathed, but Maiar vowed to find them and finish what he started. They fled to the Outer Rim Territories to, hopefully, live out the rest of their lives in peace. Unfortunately it was not to be. For fear of Maiar and the Sith, the two were constantly on the run, moving from one planet after another. They ultimately settled on Galoa II when Akana became pregnant, but their new life was cut short when Bale was killed while protecting some of the locals from Trandoshan mercenaries and slave traders, leaving Akana to raise the baby alone. Word of the Jedi's fight with the slavers, and his description, made way through the back alleys and cantinas of the galaxy. Eventually the rumor made it to Sith spies in the sector. They reported back to Darth Maiar who secretly deployed to Galoa II upon getting confirmation on the identity of the Jedi. Eventually he found his wayward apprentice and after a long and gruesome battle, Maiar defeated Akana and discovered her son. Fearing for his mother’s life, the boy instinctively lashed out with the Force and knocked the Sith Lord off his feet. Impressed by the young boy's potential in the Force, Maiar abducted the young miraluka. Although not before he killed the boy's mother and a squad of his own personal guards in order to keep the child's existence a secret. Despite his outward loyalty to the Sith, Maiar knew the benefits of having a personal enforcer with no other ties, no other loyalties aside from him. The Sith Lord could dispatch external and internal threats while keeping his hands completely clean. He could mold the boy into the perfect tool to serve his needs. As such, he endeavored to teach the ways of the dark side of the Force to his new disciple, all the while keeping his very existence a secret from the Sith and eventually the New Imperium. Maiar controlled the boy through fear before training him to harness his anger and other base emotions. Training Under Maiar Ensconced onboard Maiar's flagship, the Revenant, and given the codename "Rune", the apprentice repressed all the memories of his previous life and spent the next two decades training as a Sith under Darth Maiar's direct supervision. Maiar was not a kind guardian, and his brutal training methods bordered on torture. Aside from the lashings and other punishments, Maiar would lock Rune away in a box he barely fit into. This caused Rune to develop a fear of tight spaces and it would almost get him killed later on. He taught Rune to draw on his hate and rage for power, while giving him training in only the basics before forcing the apprentice to develop his own methods through sparring matches and brutal tests. Rune was provided with everything he needed to meet this end, including a lightsaber-training droid who was capable of credibly imitating Sith and Jedi lightsaber techniques. Maiar even went so far as to hire assassins and mercenaries to regularly attack Rune with lethal intent to keep him sharp. The physical and psychological trauma of Maiar's unforgiving training regimen resulted in Rune's immersion within the dark side of the Force; Just as his Master intended. With his childhood memories suppressed and his original identity forgotten, Rune only knew himself as the Dark Lord's apprentice; Maiar's personal assassin and enforcer, dispatching problematic individuals throughout the Imperial military and government with vicious enthusiasm. Rune personally developed into a staunch Imperialist, viewing these assassinations as a form of service to the Imperium. Unbeknownst to Rune, however, these missions were only to further Maiar’s goals and were done without the knowledge, let alone the authorization of the Imperium. One of these missions involved hunting down a treacherous Imperial investigator who had begun to look into Maiar’s various dealings. Rune infiltrated the investigator's security installation, and per his master's cruel instructions, crawled through the ventilation ducts to his target's private chambers. The tight space caused him to grow anxious and uncontrollably worried. It took him some time, but he eventually forced himself to keep going despite his earlier panic attack. Rune moved a bit too quickly through the vents near the end and was almost noticed by his target. Before the officer could signal the alarm though, Rune Force-choked the man while he was working at his desk. The last mission Rune would take for his master led him to a small Imperial ship yard above the dead planet of Katarr where the commanding officer, Admiral Tross, was attempting to recruit from Darth Maiar's own personal ranks. In order to reach Tross, Rune had to cut down Imperial troopers, loyal soldiers just doing their job. Rune had mixed feelings about that and it would cause him some inner turmoil later on. It was during this attack that Rune earned the monicker the "Ghost of Katarr" due to his unusual white robes and eerie disposition. Most thought he was the spirit of a Jedi, or at least, that was the rumor that started to spread. Even those within the higher echelons of the Imperium heard about the "Ghost". Some time later, when engaging his Master in a sparring match, Rune expected it to be business as usual afterward; but Maiar had other plans. He caught Rune off guard and went for a killing blow. The young apprentice barely managed to evade the attack. Rune was shocked, overcome with disbelief at what just happened. Maiar explained that the Imperium was getting too close to him. Soon they would uncover everything. All of his misdeeds, his ill-gotten gains, his betrayals. Rune didn't understand. Maiar needed a scape-goat, someone to pin everything on. He already had all the evidence, all the Imperium would want next is a body. Rune had simply outlived his usefulness. The apprentice, still in shock, fended off the onslaught that was Maiar's attack to the best of his ability but he was losing. Rune had no words, he couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. His Master was everything to him, his whole life he had done nothing but live for him. Should he now die for him as well? Something deep inside pulled him away from that notion. It burned at his very being with a solid and resolute need to live. Rune listened, for the first time, he did something for himself. He blocked and parried Maiar's strikes until he saw an opening. Then he fought back. He called on everything he was taught, he reached down deep where his hatred boiled and let it flow through him. Rune disarmed his Master and raised his saber high to strike him down in the next swing, but something stopped him. Like a faint voice from a distance, a light trying to shine through the darkness. Again, Rune listened. He battled with the decision but in the end he left Maiar alive and fled. Now he is on the run from his former Master and the entirety of the Sith Imperium. Personality and traits It is unknown what sort of childhood Rune might have had, but what is known is that when he stood against his future master, he did so out of a desire for vengeance after his mother's murder. This desire marked Rune's first step towards the dark side, and Maiar recognized this in him. Despite this desire for vengeance, he was not yet completely fallen, still being traumatized by Maiar's massacre of the Imperial guards immediately afterwards. All of these traumatic events would cause Rune to repress all of his childhood memories, and forget his own name, though his initial step towards the dark side remained a permanent part of his personality for much of his life. Rune was raised by Darth Maiar, who was not a very kindly father figure, creating turmoil, anger, and apathy in his mind. He was trained to be loyal, but also a ruthless assassin and an unstoppable force. Though he was brutally and continually punished by his master, Rune submitted willingly to the teaching method of the Dark Lord, essentially because he knew nothing else, and this instilled in him the belief that whatever did not kill him would make him stronger, more adept at wielding the dark side. Such was Rune's state of mind towards the end of his training, a part of him almost wished for death. His subjugation to Maiar even displayed itself in his voice and manner, as he affected a formalized and faintly aristocratic accent whenever he was in Maiar's presence, in stark contrast to his usual behavior. In addition, due to his life-long isolation from all but a few individuals, Rune was reclusive, and emotionally remote to most people. He preferred to distance himself from any social interaction, finding the experience to be awkward and emotionally draining. When hunting down and dispatching his targets, Rune was always satisfied that he had helped defend the Imperium and fulfill his master's will. To that end, he was disturbed by the fact that he would have to cut down Imperial troops during his mission to kill Admiral Tross, feeling that their only crime had been to cross his path, but he was careful to conceal his feelings from his master. At the same time, for much of his life he had craved a confrontation with a Jedi Knight, and was excited by the prospect. While powerful and confident, Rune demonstrated many different sides to his personality. He was wary of his purpose in life and what he was meant to do; he began with a sure focus on the Sith destiny trained into him by Maiar. However, his Master's betrayel, the newly discovered light side of the Force, and also the reality of Sith life caused his focus to waver. Ultimately, his innate sense of loyalty proved incompatible with Sith philosophy, and he gradually began to make his choices in life accordingly. Powers and Abilities Lightsaber Training Rune's early lightsaber training consisted of a simple tutorial in the basics as well as instruction in the fighting style of Teräs Käsi, before Darth Maiar took to fighting him in brutal sparring matches, the goal being to encourage his apprentice to develop his own methods. He sparred frequently with his master in Juyo, which drew heavily on volatile emotions and the dark side. However, Rune only devoted himself to Form VII's physical focus, desiring pure physical victory, rather than the "higher" Sith tradition of Dun Möch; dominating the opponent's spirit and exposing his inner doubts through taunts and psychological warfare. An incredibly skilled lightsaber duelist, Rune specialized in Juyo. His application of Juyo was highly focused and aggressive, his style being randomized and unpredictable, laced with sudden Force-based attacks in the midst of complex lightsaber sequences. Rune could adapt to his surroundings, simultaneously hurling objects at his opponents as well as charging them. However when Rune focused on one particular goal or enemy he would pursue it with deadly tenacity, and often times it led him to ignore his surroundings and left him open to attacks from other directions. Unlike the traditional dueling techniques of most Jedi and Sith, Rune combined his swordsmanship with martial arts and hand-to-hand combat skills—a combination which made him a nearly unstoppable dervish of destruction. And whenever he encountered a foe he could not best through his martial prowess, he would fall back on his tactical know-how, outmaneuvering such enemies. Force Abilities Like all of his species, the Miraluka, Rune was born physically blind and instead relies on Force sight to see the physical world, which includes the ability to see through walls. This, however, means that he cannot "see" vid screens or printed text. He can also not pilot a ship due to this. His version of Force sight only allows him to see in shapes and general details, nothing too intricate or detailed. Rune displays a reasonable amount of competence in wielding the Force, however his focus on lightsaber dueling diminished his interest in improving or learning anything that wouldn't aid him during combat. Rune developed a proficiency for telekinesis; he could manipulate objects at a basic level. He even learned to throw his saber with deadly accuracy. Due to general disinterest though, he never honed his ability to lift or move anything heavier than a small boulder. He also never learned how to channel lightning or use a mind trick like his Master and other Sith, thinking it was a cheap road to victory. The one ability that Rune did practice and perfect was Force Speed. He incorporated it in every aspect of his training and combat stratagem. Physical Appearance 
Click for larger image Rune’s outfit is designed to stand out and intimidate. He is clad in mostly white, a stark contrast to other Sith. The armor plates on his body as well as the helmet are painted white and polished to a glossy finish. The suit is built specifically to withstand lightsaber strikes. The helmet and armor plates are made of a lightweight durasteel material that is resistant to blasters and energy blades, but only has limited lightsaber resistance. They can take several glancing blows but direct strikes will cut through. The gauntlets and shin guards are made of a phrik alloy that is lightsaber proof up to a point. They can deflect strikes but cannot hold up under continued duress. The design is not without its faults though. In order to give Rune the range of motion an agile combatant requires, there are several “soft” spots that are left unarmored. The key areas most likely attacked are covered with plates, but even those areas that are well protected will not last long. Unlike Mandolorian iron, his armor is not indestructible. The body suit is made of armorweave. Like all armorweave it is capable of dissipating blaster bolts but has limited resistance to lightsaber attacks. It is lightweight, form fitting, and designed to give him maximum range of movement. Rune can be seen in either a hooded cloak or a sleeve-less hooded robe. Both are chalk white in color and made of heavy duty fabric. Neither are armorweave or any other kind of reinforced material. This was a difficult design choice but in the end, it was decided that the benefits for mobility outweighed the need for protection, especially with the underlying armored plates and body suit. As they are easily replaceable, Rune will often use them as distractions or decoys in combat. On his utility belt, there are several pouches and a datapad. The datapad is set up to be used by voice alone. One pouch is visible while the others rest on either his side or around back. The pouches carry an assortment of items, from marble sized detonators to survival tools. They are usually only supplied for the mission at hand. Both of his lightsabers are attached on the back side of the belt with magnetic strips. Rune’s helmet covers his face and head completely. When fitted and locked in place, it vacuum seals. Rune’s air supply is provided through a filtered rebreather via two vents on the underside of the chin. One acts as an intake and the other as an exhaust. The rebreather filters out toxins and also allows him to breathe underwater for a limited amount of time. The helmet contains a 30 minute reserve of air in case of emergency. On the front of the helmet are the glowing “eyes” which are actually just LED type lights. They automatically turn on when the helmet locks in place. When moving quickly, the eyes leave a green trail, an after effect of the lights. There is also a comm device built into the helmet for convenience purposes. As for his build, Rune carries a lean, semi-muscular frame. He was taught to treat his body like the weapon it was. So he took care to keep his body fit and clean. Every inch of muscle was hard earned. Each scar adorning his frame was earned as well, but in other more painful ways. Inventory & Assets
| RUNE The Ghost of Katarr
|
Last edited by a moderator:
