User:Atarumaster88/scratchpad



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Sander Delvardus was originally a career Imperial Navy officer. However, as the Galactic Civil War progressed and he found himself chafing under restrictions against pursuing the enemies of the Empire, Delvardus began to doubt his loyalties. After the death of the Emperor and the disastrous Battle of Kuat against the Zann Consortium, he had had enough. While his immediate superior, Moff Ardus Kaine, also struck out on his own, Delvardus decided to become his own ruler. Seizing Eriadu, he became one of the first Imperial warlords.

Delvardus started his career as an enthusiastic, motivated officer of the Empire. A distant relative of the Tarkins, he had both the pedigree and some element of talent that helped him swiftly rise through the ranks of the Imperial Navy. Soon, he was serving under High Admiral Vey as the commander of a task force whose purpose was to hunt down Rebels and other dissidents in the Outer Rim. Lacking the support and forces needed to adequately do his job, Delvardus quickly grew discontented with his sedate superior. His reports of rampant lawlessness in the Outer Rim were typically dismissed as reactionary and exaggerated, which did little to assuage his concerns.

In 4 ABY, during a meeting over Eriadu with Vey, Delvardus was reassigned by Vey's superior, Moff Ardus Kaine. Kaine had taken note of Delvardus's warnings and had created a squadron of ships to deal with the Rebels while Delvardus was given a smaller force and dispatched to destroy the Zann Consortium criminal syndicate. Delvardus was pleased with the assignment, though some of his good cheer was spoiled when he learned that Vey had arranged for him to obtain that command as part of a political move to assure Delvardus was indebted to him.

Nevertheless, he set out after the Zannists and any other enemies of the Empire with appropriate fervor. His ships attacked a Zannist convoy over Ryloth, bombarded a Rebel base on Ord Pardron, and intercepted a slaving convoy over Kashyyyk. Delvardus worked tirelessly to fight the Zannists, to the point of exhaustion. However, his fleet was successful and his officers were impressed with his dedication, as well as his careful consideration of their input and their survival. Based on intelligence he received from Vey and other sources, he learned that the Zannists were planning a major fleet deployment at Carida. Setting out with his flag group, he planned to end the Zannists once and for all. However, he was overruled by Vey and his superiors, who told him that Zann's activities were being closely monitored and careful plans had been laid for the crime lord. Furthermore, his fleet would be taken from him and reassigned to the alien Grand Admiral Thrawn. A staunch xenophobe, Delvardus was astonished and enraged by how his command was swept away from him. The unjust appropriation of his fleet under the alien also helped reinforce his already-devoted crew's loyalty to him.

Arriving over Carida and relegated to second-in-command, Delvardus could only fume and watch as Thrawn conducted the battle. For his part, he led the crew of his personal Star Destroyer, the Death Hammer, as best as he could. When Thrawn suddenly departed from the battle, Delvardus was both relieved to have his command back and irate at having been abandoned. In reality, Thrawn had left to deal with an insurrection by Admiral Zaarin that had attempted to kidnap Palpatine, but Delvardus saw the alien's action as a betrayal. Furthermore, Zann managed to escape the battle after damaging Delvardus's ship.

Shortly thereafter, the Emperor was killed along with much of the Imperial fleet at Endor. Delvardus was given a transmission by Vey, one wherein he learned that his nemesis Tyber Zann was amassing his forces to attack Kuat. He also learned that reinforcements would be scarce thanks to a breakdown in discipline in the Imperial military. Irritated further, he took his command to Kuat to set a trap that Zann would not escape.

What neither Vey nor Delvardus had anticipated was the assistance of a Rebel fleet under Han Solo assisting in the raid. The battle was a debacle, with massive losses for Delvardus and his men, and Zann once more escaped after inflicting considerable damage and temporarily stealing the massive warship Eclipse.

That was the breaking point for Delvardus. He took his fleet to Eriadu, murdered Vey, and seized his command. With Vey's forces added to his own, Delvardus became one of the first and most powerful Imperial warlords. He would continue to clutch at the territory he seized, fending off both the New Republic and the other Imperial warlords, as well as the Empire proper, but his holdings gradually diminished. Eventually, he was killed by Admiral Natasi Daala after failing to reconcile with the other warlords at Tsoss Beacon in 14 ABY.

Behind the scenes
The canonical character of Sander Delvardus was originally chosen for Force Exile IV: Guardian primarily because Atarumaster88 wanted to portray the height of the Galactic Civil War from both the Rebel and Imperial perspectives. Delvardus was portrayed sympathetically as a fervent Imperial officer who was time and again denied the resources and opportunities needed to complete his missions. His impatience with the chain of command as well as the perceived injustices inflicted on him led him to secede from the Empire after the Battle of Endor. Delvardus's character had to be written carefully with regards to established canon. In particular, the release of the The Essential Atlas designated a first name to the character and expounded on his backstory, resulting in some alteration in the drafted material. His characterization of a loyal dedicated Imperial officer was gradually altered to create a suitable transition to his decision to become a warlord, which flowed from his ambition and desire to control matters. Elements of xenophobia were incorporated into his character to help him despise Grand Admiral Thrawn more.

Appearances

 * Force Exile IV: Guardian

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Nate Kraen was the biological son of Sheeka Tull and the ARC trooper Alpha-98, better known as Jangotat. He was born during the Clone Wars after his parents had fallen in love during a Republic mission on Ord Cestus. With his father dying in combat shortly after his conception, Nate and his three step-siblings were raised by their mother on Ord Cestus. She tried hard to make ends meet by flying cargo runs across the desert planet, though the occupation of Ord Cestus by the Empire made her job more difficult. As he grew up, Nate took after his father, becoming fiercely protective of his mother.

In 14 BBY, at the age of six, Nate's mother was confronted by a group of offworlders, including another clone of Jango Fett, the former ARC trooper Spectre. Nate protectively (and rashly) informed them that if they tried to harm his mother, he would kill them. Spectre took him seriously, which prompted Nate to ask him about the lightsaber he was carrying. His mother sent him on his way, though, and assuaged the offworlders' concerns over her mother's curiosity in them.

To his surprise, only a few hours later, Nate learned that Spectre had saved Sheeka's life from the Empire and offered her and her family a new home on the refuge world of Yanibar. She accepted his offer, as the two had quickly become attracted to each other. On Yanibar, Nate felt a natural affinity for Spectre due to his similiarities to his biological father, and when Spectre married Sheeka in 11 BBY and took the last name Kraen, Nate agreed to be adopted into the family, taking the same surname.

Following in the footsteps of his biological and adopted father, Nate decided to enter the military, in this case the defense force of Yanibar, the Yanibar Guard, in 2 BBY. Though Spectre was the head of the Yanibar Guard Army, Nate never attempted to use his stepfather's position to obtain advancement. Instead, he earned his way through the ranks, his natural talents, education from Spectre, and dedication serving him well. He quickly earned himself a position in the elite commando unit Cresh Squad by 2 ABY, a rapid advancement and one that he worked hard to obtain.

As part of Cresh Squad, Nate participated in numerous missions and earned the rank of Sergeant by 4 ABY. He was the team's scout, a perilous duty, but one he did well. However, he also made time for his personal life, falling in love with a Corellian immigrant named Ana Vondar. They married in 3 ABY, with Ana becoming pregnant in 4 ABY. That same year, Nate was deployed to Bespin along with the rest of Cresh Squad en route to a covert mission against a Hutt syndicate on Nal Hutta. Before they could arrive, though, their mission was altered to take them to Nar Shaddaa, where they were assigned to a long-term mission to disrupt the holdings of the Zann Consortium criminal organization.

Nate participated in a raid on a popular cantina that served as a front for Zann's organization. He helped subdue the security and the establishment's occupants before freeing a number of slaves. Rage filled him at seeing the abuse inflicted upon the hapless creatures, particularly after a Mandalorian brutally killed a Togrutan slave in front of him. When a vehicle loaded with Zannist reinforcements arrived just as Cresh Squad prepared to egress, Nate destroyed it single-handedly, feeling that his retribution was well-deserved after witnessing the treatment of the slaves.

Cresh Squad continued their covert operations against the Consortium for weeks, freeing slaves, attacking enforcers, and destroying weapons caches that were being funneled to the Zann Consortium by Yanibar's Kraechar Arms. This latter activity was done to allow the Yanibar refuge to make money off of the Zannists without actually allowing them to have the weapons. Nate and the rest of the squad participated in one final mission, a raid on a warehouse with the last major Kraechar Arms shipment. The warehouse was quickly taken and Nate noticed a brothel for the warehouse workers nearby. Obtaining permission from his captain, he raided it also and rescued another dozen slaves. The Yanibar Guardsmen then returned home in an unmarked ship.

Upon return to Yanibar, Nate was greeted by his step-uncle, Supreme Commander Selusda Kraen, and learned that his wife was expecting to give birth shortly. He was given two weeks leave and spent it with his wife, rejoicing in the birth of their son, Zeyn Kraen. He also learned that Zeyn was Force-sensitive despite their being no history of it in their bloodlines. He was thrilled, but was forced to inform Ana that his leave was cut short due to an emergency recall of all Yanibar Guard personnel. Tyber Zann, the head of the Zann Consortium, had learned the location of a unit that had cost him dearly and brought his fleet to exact vengeance.

As the Zannists landed, Cresh Squad was initially sent out to harass Zannist forces advancing through the Daizon Valley. They fought against Mandalorians and other Zannist mercenaries, inflicting heavy casualties, before they were overwhelmed and forced to retreat. The help of a Zeison Sha warrior, Daara Sherum, allowed them to escape to mountain tunnels mostly unharmed. From there, they returned to base to await further orders, held in reserve until they were needed.

When Spectre planned a quick rescue mission to save Sarth and Cassi Kraen from Zann's flagship, Nate accompanied Cresh Squad on a daring infiltration. He, Spectre, and Cresh Squad's medic, Jabri, fought through the ship to reach Sarth and Cassi while the rest of the squad sabotaged the warship. The commandos freed Sarth and Cassi and attempted to escape, but ran into Tyber Zann and his henchman Urai Fen. Nate was hit twice by Zann's blaster, but the others dealt with both Zann and Fen. He was ambulatory despite his wounds thanks to the armor he was wearing, but as they prepared to depart, they were met with a parting gift from Tyber Zann: a grenade. The explosion caught mostly Spectre and Nate, wounding them both mortally. Spectre ordered Jabri to convey Sarth and Cassi to safety even as the rest of Cresh Squad had armed the ship's self-destruct. Barely conscious, Nate asked Jabri to tell Ana and Zeyn that he loved them. She obeyed her orders and Spectre and Nate perished in the destruction of Zann's flagship. They were memorialized as selfless heroes.

Nate's death led to his step-sister, Jasika, to shun a career in the Yanibar Guard like much of his family had pursued. It also left Ana widowed and Sheeka Tull Kraen bereaved of her youngest son. Selu Kraen personally brought the news to his mother and wife, and Sheeka never fully recovered from the loss of her husband and son. She died prematurely in 21 ABY. Nate's son, Zeyn, was raised by Ana and Sheeka and eventually followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and joined the Yanibar Guard, serving as a Force-wielding Elite Guardian.

Appearances

 * Crossroads
 * Force Exile IV: Guardian

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