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Edelmor Tarko

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  1. Edelmor paused at the body, nudging it with his foot to get a look at its face. The beast? ...No...I don't think so. Grimacing, Edelmor felt the oppressive atmosphere of the caves pushing on him from all sides, as if the corpse had drawn his attention back to what had always been there. This place was dark, not just in lighting but on a deeper, fundamental level. It was frightening, a natural pressure that defied the tiny, short-lived mortals that walked these tunnels. It did not respect them. It did not care for them but for the food they might provide, whatever form that food took. Pain? Flesh? Edelmor suspected it wouldn't matter in the end. His hair rose, his lips curled back into a snarl as he followed behind the troops. This was death. This was truth. Beyond the facsimiles the civilized clung to, beyond the lights of their artificial cities, beyond their illusion of safety, this darkness awaited. Old as the universe, endless as space itself. This was hunger. This was anger. This was everything. He needed to be ready to fight. He needed to survive. No matter what it cost. No matter who it cost. Edelmor stopped walking. He smiled. I'm a real fool, he thought ruefully. He'd fallen for it. His own talent for empathy had left him open, and he'd almost let it overtake him. He almost laughed as he retraced his own spiraling thoughts. What had he even been building towards? A bunch of ominous "truths" that meant nothing? The Dark Side, the Sith, all of it, they were all just noise. Bright, loud, insistent noise. There was no cosmic truth to it. Choices created what they were, not some malevolent fate or the "true nature of power". They were scared, scheming, brutish murders who tore things down and lied to themselves to keep the fear at bay. Nothing special. Just like Edelmor was nothing special. An old man working to build something he believed in, and one who'd be quickly forgotten when his time came. Edelmor doubted whatever lived down here was anything special either. It didn't matter how old it was, or how powerful it was, or what atrocities it had committed or planned to commit. It was a being. A single speck in a cosmic backdrop where it didn't even register as a blip. Its dramas, its tragedies, its triumphs...they were no more important then the posturing and pretenses of the Sith. No cosmic truth. No hidden meaning. Just a creature to be stopped. The atmosphere seemed to lessen its choking presence, and Edelmor quietly hummed "A Soldier's Life is a Sorry Thing" as he walked behind the soldiers, senses spread wide to find any ambushers before they found them.
  2. Edelmor arched a bemused eyebrow. "And the day gets stranger still." He raised his hand. "Hello there! Apologies, but you are an unknown entity in what was formerly enemy territory! I'm sure a droid like you understands that certain precautions and protocols have to be observed. I mean...considering your model and all. Just hold there while we make sure someone didn't make you into a bomb!" He paused as he considered. "I hope that doesn't distress you! Rest assured, this won't take long, and then I imagine there's a lot we'll have to say to each other."
  3. The cold hung in the air. The cold of the deep, salty air. The cold of the dead creature. The cold of the darkness. Edelmor's breath came fast, and he forced himself to inhale and exhale before he did anything. A racing mind hopped up on adrenaline wouldn't do anyone any good. Peace took him as he made long, slow breaths. He could feel his pounding heartbeat slow. The dull ache of bruises he hadn't felt at the time began to make themselves known. He was calm. And what's more, he seemed to be intact. "Whatever's down here," Edelmor said, his voice the same light tone he would have used at a state dinner, "I don't think I fancy leaving it alone. How about we drop a tracker here and call some of those workers down here to cart these off? I imagine it should be safe now. Something that big doesn't seem like that kind to share territory." He frowned. "Though how would the smugglers have gotten past it?"
  4. Enough of this. The beast had delayed them long enough. It would not be calmed. It would not cease fighting. And they could not leave it here, thrashing amidst explosives. Edelmor could not use his lightsaber, but that was not the only tool at his disposal. As the troopers under Lieutenant Adromina's command let loose their stun blasts, Edelmor extended his hands, one palm up, one palm down. His mind sank into the Force. All was one. All was unified. The troopers. Brother Lok. The crustacean. Even the dark presence that permeated the air like a stench. All were aspects of a single entity that defied the base concepts of individuality, size, and scope. A single Force. How the Sith could see this entity and be left prideful confounded him. It was a bit like a nation, in a way. In a quick motion, he spun his hands 180 degrees around each other, the motion coupled with a tug on the great Force. It was not so much a command as a request, made by a servant left humbled by its presence. The Force responded to his will, and a torqueing blast of Force power tried to flip the crustacean on its back.
  5. Edelmor backed up, feet sliding in a practiced duelist stance even as his lightsaber twirled in a flagrant bit of nonsense any true swordsman would scoff at. But, Edelmor did not need this thing dead, just distracted. His breath came slow and steady, as if he was moving through his morning drills instead of facing down some man-killing crustacean. This was not a fight. Not yet. Snap! Snap! Snap! Interspersed with the loud cracks of chitin striking chitin as the beast attempted to grasp Edelmor, its snarls, scrabbling, and scraping painted a picture clear as day of a monster out of the darkest depths of some mariners nightmare. The effect was not helped by the lightsaber's green glow throwing the creature into silhouette. There...he thought. There's the rhythm. His lightsaber leveled towards the beast, hilt nearly touching the knight's chest. One strike, and he'd take off one of the creature's claws. Crustaceans grew limbs back, right? ...Fair enough...he thought as he changed posture and barely avoided the strike that he'd baited the creature into making. Edelmor had assumed the explosives would be insulated against random sparks, but he immediately saw the issue with his presumption. These were not professional imperials. These were smugglers. Of course they'd fail to take basic safety into account. Unfortunately, that left Edelmor with little room to maneuver and no effective way to drive the creature back, as he remembered how the creature's very shell had thrown up sparks against the stone wall. Peace...precision...focus... Edelmor leapt, the Force lifting the older man off the ground and sending him spinning above the crustacean to land on the other side. As he did, he deactivated his lightsaber and moved to the far edge of the chamber. There he waited, eyes closed, focused, senses extended. Would the creature lose him? He could feel the subtle touch of Lok's influence on the creature's mind...
  6. Marvelous, Edelmor thought. He'd never been good with insects, even giant aquatic ones. Actually...maybe especially those. No, it was just another enemy, another problem, despite how disturbing it was, how his eyes kept being drawn to the horrible, gnashing, grabbing mouth. Sighing, he stepped forward. "I shall serve not myself, only others," he muttered under his breath, the line of the oath centering him, settling his ruffled nerves. He remembered the feeling he'd experienced in the streets above, the peace of a people united, of a true Empire. He considered the chaos they were fighting to prevent. The knight activated his lightsaber, then twirled it in smooth, humming arcs as he circled the angry crustacean. "I'll distract it. I should be mobile enough, and I bet it likes bright lights like most bugs and fish. Once we collect those explosives so it doesn't accidentally set them off by stepping on one, we can be on our way. The sooner, the better." The voice was getting to him, and he was sure he wasn't alone in that. This thing, whatever it was, seemed to almost be mocking them.
  7. Edelmor's moustache quivered as he took his first breath. Needless to say, he'd be put off eating fish for a while. He'd chosen to forgo his armor, as heavy durasteel plate in a tunnel system that was in danger of flooding seemed like a poor choice on his part. His eyes narrowed, and his hand instinctively dropped to his lightsaber hilt as the cloying, cold aura passed over him. It was a sensation he had rarely felt, but he knew immediately what it was. The Dark Side. Something or someone was down here with them. Corrupt and twisted, it echoed through the Force. He could not pinpoint it, but his skin crawled as if someone unseen was standing at his shoulder, watching him. He took another deep breath, ignoring the stench, and centered himself. His emotions would not serve him here. His mind would. Clinically, quietly, he examined the situation. Their target had not changed, at least for now. The explosives still presented a major threat to the city, while this Dark Side...thing or things were unknown quantities with unknown goals and no clear location. Examining each of the paths, he considered their targets, a group of smugglers. The smaller, dark path on the left seemed unlikely. If these smugglers were moving containers of explosives, they'd want/need room to move them. The sounds of rushing water on the right hinted at the passage being flooded. Even if it was shallow enough to wade through, it still would make for a treacherous path. The center path was the most obvious and the clear preference for smugglers if they wanted to move heavy supplies underneath the city quickly. Then again, that might be too obvious. They needed to recon, find traces of the smuggler's presence, and track them back to their lair. Barring that, it would take a much larger force to sweep these tunnels, which would give away their element of surprise and potentially trigger a disaster. But first to apprise the troopers. "Perhaps some leftover sorcery of the Krath," he said in response to the troopers' questions. "It doesn't appear to be threatening us now. However, we should act under the assumption that there may be additional hostile forces present in these tunnels. I suggest we stay together, as Sir Skyshatter and myself can provide warning should whatever made that sound decide to find us." He pointed straight ahead. "The central tunnel is the obvious choice if our targets wanted easy passage. Commander, Brother Skyshatter?"
  8. "Unfortunately not it would seem, though I can't take credit for the intel. Imperial Intelligence uncovered it, and passed it along as a request. I suppose everyone has their hands full trying to right this ship." Edelmor paused as the lingering, unnatural chill of the place sent a shiver through him. "But in any case, two Imperial Knights and an Imperial elite or two should be more than sufficient to handle some smugglers. I doubt they want to blow up any more than we do." He chuckled. "I'll grab a rebreather while you grab your gear, and we can be on our way." _______________________________________________ The pair of knights approached as they caught up with the group. "Brother Lok, this is Vice-Admiral Nikolai Kolchak, the man who organized this little expedition. And this is Commander Andromina, Imperial ace. Vice-Admiral, Commander, may I present Sir Lok Skyshatter, of her majesty's Imperial Knights."
  9. Edelmor nodded to the pair of imperial officers. "I shall endeavor to be quick then. My commlink is on, so don't hesitate to call if I'm late." He nodded once more. "Nikolai...Lieutenant..." He spun on his heel and strode back into the city. ______________________________________________________ Finding another Knight did not prove difficult. Given the sheer magnitude of corruption and suffering the city had suffered due to the magicks of the Sith, it was hardly surprising that more than one Knight had been sent. The proper calls to the correct officers overseeing the restoration, along with the ever effective phrase, "It's Knight business," and Edelmor had a location. Edelmor came upon the Onderonian knight taking a break near a flooded aqueduct. The blonde man looked capable, competent, and composed. Edelmor wondered briefly if he'd seen him before... Perhaps, but he couldn't remember personally speaking with the man. No time like the present of course. "Brother Knight, I hope you are well," he said in greeting as he approached. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. I am Sir Edelmor Tarko, and I was hoping to recruit you for a particular mission. It seems some criminals have gotten their hands on some seismic charges, and are lurking in the city's tunnels. I imagine you can guess the damage those could cause to the city as it stands now." Edelmor's pleasant tone turned serious. "With all the tainted power that has stained this city, I imagine more than a few things may have fled into the shadows when the Sith fell. These soldiers may need our help."
  10. The mustachioed gentleman bowed at the waist, deep enough to indicate his respect. "It is an honor lieutenant. While I have not met you before, your reputation assuredly precedes you. The Order of Valour is a rare recommendation. I also believe a holo of one of your dogfights is still being played at the War College as instructional material." He smiled, a bit of the formal tone dropping from his voice. "I sneak in sometimes when I'm there. Advanced Fightercraft Tactics always has the best holovids." The smile fell away as he set his jaw, serious. "I'm sure you can imagine the danger a cargo of explosives in the hands of criminals could pose in a damaged city like this. I hope you will consider assisting us."
  11. Nikolai's accent was like a warm breeze from his memory. It had been so long since he'd heard it, but it instantly cut away the years since they'd seen each other as if they hadn't even happened. Edelmor sat down across from the Vice-Admiral even as a soldier dropped a fresh bowl of the sludgy foodstuff in front of him. Leave it to Kolchak to keep his men efficient and alert. He dipped a spoon into the slop and took a mouthful. His face twitched as forced it to keep from grimacing, then he broke into another smile. "A soldier will fight long and hard for a good meal and a bed to sleep on," he said, quoting an old imperial general he couldn't recall the name of. "I guess we should be thankful we give the troopers cots." He kept eating, swallowing another two spoonfuls before he spoke again. "In truth, I'm here because of what was done to this planet." His expression turned serious. "I'm sure you've picked up on it. It lingers in the air like a stench. The...sorcerers who ruled here corrupt everything they touched, and where such a taint is, the Empress sends her knights." He took another spoonful, pausing before continuing. "But, if you'll have me, I'd be glad to be of what help I can. I don't have anywhere specific to go just yet, and if I can help out the soldiers, I'd consider it an honor."
  12. Edelmor Tarko strode through the city, eyes roaming. Everywhere around him, the order of the Empire was being established. Each squadron moved with purpose, unaware of their part in the grand whole, yet each fervent in their desire to do their duty. He paused at an intersection. The Sith curse would require further purging, and so the presence of the Imperial Knights would be required. But for now, he had a spare moment, and so he chose to indulge himself. He closed his eyes, and extended his awareness. His empathy spread from him, touching lightly on the minds of the troopers, workers, and locals, all hard at work setting their cracked and cursed city aright. Each was a portrait of a thousand colors, shades of emotion playing off themselves in a swirl of meaning. But together, that was where Edelmor sensed the Empire. Unity. A desire to bring order, peace, and happiness. No guile could exist here. No corruption could stand in this purity. Facets of it existed in each mind he touched, and when taken altogether, the feeling was a symphony of light that overwhelmed the differences of its component parts. This was the Empire. This was what he fought for. This was the Empress' will. Sensing a few stares directed at the strange old man standing in the middle of the road, Edelmor ended his indulgence and walked on. He'd been informed that one of the commanders of the relief effort had taken lunch here at the shipyards, and Edelmor thought it best that he offered his services and cooperation, though he did not know who he was meeting or even what rank they were. So it was that he broke into a grin when he saw the rigid back of the man at the table, bedecked as only a Vice-Admiral would be. "Nikolai!" he called out. "I'd heard they'd taken you off pirate hunting duty and condemned you to a higher rank! You have my deepest condolences my friend."
  13. Out of hyperspace, a cluster of Lambda-class shuttles dropped back into reality. Polished, pristine, and well-maintained, the vessels had clearly not seen combat, but they exuded the pride of the Imperial Remnant in each gleaming sheet of durasteel all the same. They descended in a trailing line to the planet's surface, before coming to land at one of the still intact spaceports in Coral City, where the fighting had been heaviest. The ramps lowered, and troopers marched out in precise lines, followed by workers and hover loaders bearing relief supplies. The ship that had lead the formation dropped its ramp last, and rather than a line of troopers, a man in a polished durasteel breastplate, silken clothes, and polished but worn leather boots descended to the spaceport unloading area. Sir Edelmor Tarko, knight of the Empress, representative of the Imperial Remnant, surveyed the workers as they maneuvered the hoverloaders bearing the electronic components and medical supplies the city so desperately needed after the horrific battle. His nose detected the stench of corpses. Old corpses too, not just the freshly dead. This city had seen dark powers. A low but rising stream of curses erupted from one of the workers as his loader tilted, and the crates slid and tipped precariously. A hand wave, a thought, and the power of the Force sent the loader back into position. The worker frowned for a moment, unaware of the invisible aid, before pushing the loader on wayit's way, falling back into pace with his fellows. "Diligence comrades. These people need our help, and our Empress has done us the service of liberating them. Now let's make sure that the sacrifice meant something." He activated his lightsaber, the sound and glow drawing the attention of the workers more than his words had. "For the Honor of the Empress!" "For the Empress!" came the resounding reply. He deactivated his lightsaber as the workers went about their business. Edelmor had always had a knack for reading others emotions, a knack that had originally gotten him into trouble. Now though, he could sense the invigorated spirit of his men and women, and could see the new spring in their step. Hope was contagious, as was passion. The city needed both right now. Edelmor began helping to unload one of the crates.
  14. Sir Edelmor Tarko (Ceremonial Armor) Sir Edelmor Tarko (Full Combat Armor) IDENTITY: Real Name: Edelmor Tarko A.K.A: N/A Homeworld: Anaxes Species: Human PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Age: 62 Height: 5’10” Weight: 160 lbs. Hair: White Eyes: Brown Sex: Male EQUIPMENT: Clothing/Armor: Durasteel plate armor (in combat), durasteel breastplate and silken clothes (outside of combat) Weapons: Lightsaber, green blade. Standard length of 3 feet. FACTION INFORMATION: Force User, Force Sensitive or Non-Force User: Force User Alignment: Lawful Good Faction Affiliation: Imperial Remnant Rank: Knight Class: Guardian HISTORY: Force Side: Light Trained By: TBD Trained Who: None Known Skills: Lightsaber combat: Form I, III - VI (Basics) Form II, Makashi (Skilled) Classical Imperial Education Specializations Diplomacy Economics Galactic History Imperial Law Force Powers: Force Telekinesis (Basics) Force Speed (Skilled) Force Empathy (Skilled) Revitalize (Basics) Enhance Attribute (Skilled) Control Pain (Skilled) Background: Edelmor Tarko, grandson of the original Moff of Cato Neimoidia Merillion Tarko, was born to a family in hiding on Anaxes. After the end of the Galactic Civil War, chaos had erupted on Anaxes as warlords, commanders, political leaders,and revolutionaries all vied for control over the world. As the planet changed hands in conflict after bloody conflict, the Tarko’s hid themselves away, changing their name and keeping out of the spotlight. By the time Edelmor was born, the planet had since stabilized and was experiencing peace and prosperity under the new Galactic Alliance. His branch of the family had lost what little wealth and station they’d originally retained, and kept silent about the legacy of their ancestor. Edelmor enrolled in the Anaxes War College, not as the grandson of a moff, but as a common citizen who showed the aptitude to earn the scholarships necessary to attend. He was Edelmor Jola, not Edelmor Tarko. While Edelmor maintained a middle-of-the-road performance in his classes, his sense of empathy and insight into the thoughts and feelings of his classmates was unparalleled. As such, he became a de-facto leader for much of his class for the first few years of his schoolwork, showing an uncanny knack for knowing when a student was overwhelmed and exactly how to help them. Unfortunately, it was this same knack that ended his promising education. In the year before his graduation, a romantic incident turned into a full on fight between two other students. With their military training and more than a little alcohol in their system, there was a real danger they might kill each other. Edelmor, one of the only students around having been inexplicably drawn to their conflict, attempted to separate the two. Once he was in between them, however, the faint sense he had of their anger swelled to a drowning roar of emotion. He knew every hotblooded, hateful, pain-laden feeling that was driving them to fight. They were inside him, colliding and reverberating in his chest and brain. Desperate, he thrust his hands out...and sent the two flying backward. After the incident, everyone involved was detained by the Academy. Testing Edelmor and finding he was definitely Force-sensitive, the Academy board thought they’d found a hidden treasure. If they could send one of their students to the Jedi, it’d be a feather in their cap. They researched his family lineage exhaustively, hoping to find a Force-sensitive he might be related to in order to explain his sudden manifestation of power. What they found instead was the deception the Tarko family had woven over the generations. Several illegal acts of fraud were uncovered in the investigation, some involving still-living politicians accepting bribes to purge the Tarko’s history. Now with a conundrum on their hands, the board debated the best course of action. The descendant of a Moff, one with a reputation for brutality and engaging in the slave trade, was not the hidden gem they wished to present to the Jedi Council. Not to mention that doing so would likely expose the Tarko’s and all those who had helped them, resulting in more political turmoil right when the planet needed it the least. Ultimately the decision was made. The incident would be covered up and Edelmor would be removed from the academy with the option to complete his education remotely. He took this judgment well, eager to be gone from the academy and the turbulent emotions that were suddenly so much louder now. Edelmor worked with his family from then on, eventually mastering his empathy and becoming the manager of a small spaceport on the edge of Pols Anaxes. His workers thrived under his eye, as he employed his hidden Force ability to ensure their health and happiness. When the Imperial Remnant rose, and Moff families were suddenly being seen in a more positive light, Edelmor’s branch of the Tarko family began wondering if this was their chance to redeem their family name. Eventually, Edelmor convinced them to take the chance, and he himself pledged his support to the Remnant and their mission to protect the people of the galaxy from the Sith. All too familiar with the reality of their struggles, it was a cause he could find true fervor in. Upon realizing his Force potential, the middle-aged man was inducted into the Imperial Knights, where his military education served him well enough to catch him up to the younger recruits. Today, he serves the Empress and the Imperial Remnant honorably and fervently. He still believes today as much as he did before in the righteousness of their cause, and the duty of the Knights to protect the people from the forces of the Dark Side. Despite his age, he is still fighting fit, and often serves as a dueling instructor for younger squires of the Imperial Knights.
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