Drewika Ziratae



"I am Drewika Ziratae. I have spoken."

- Drewika Ziratae

Drewika Jaing Ziratae was a Human Force- sensitive male General of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars and a Military Executor during the Galactic Empire. He has been called by many the most famous and influential figure in the realms of music, military strategy, and the visual arts. He was the only known soldier to have fought in the Battle of Naboo, the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, the Yuuzang Vong War, and the Second Galactic Civil War, possessing by the end of his days a distinguished military career unmatched. As the heir to one of the wealthiest, most powerful and far-reaching families the galaxy has ever known, the Mandalorian House of Ziratae, Drewika made many changes to the galactic order in his 167 year lifespan, influencing the paths of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, the Acrolian Star Empire, the Galactic Consortium, and many other governments.

Early life
Drewika Jaing Ziratae was born in 37 BBY on the planet Acrolis, a world similar in artistic style to Naboo but possessing a strong military bent brought about by its Mandalorian leaders. He was the heir apparent to the wealthy and powerful House of Ziratae, a military family that could trace its lineage 30,000 years back to a Taung warlord named Teloris Ziratae. Drewika's parents named him "drew'ika," meaning "little man" in lanacro, the language of Acrolis, in the hopes that he would accomplish great deeds at a young age. He possessed the body of a man in his prime during his early years and into his adolescence, so much so that many who met him believed him to be in his 20s. His parents died when he was 7 years old, leaving him to run the House of Ziratae and provide for his younger sister, Kayla.

Trinity Years
"I didn't believe I was famous until I saw my face on Holonet News and Entertainment."

- Drewika Ziratae

The first great deed accomplished utterly revolutionized the music industry. At the age of 4, Drewika received a small power-drum set from his parents, which he practiced on incessantly, when he was realized to be a savant. With his childhood friends Meghan Wron'ck, an Acrolian lute virtuoso and Greag Dywiur, a famous bass lute player, he founded the music group Trinity. They recorded a collection of a dozen songs, now considered to be classics, and sought to release them to the galaxy. With the initial aid of Scrak record label Galactic Records, the group sought publicity, but were eventually turned down by Galactic Records for being too "unique." The three-some were all friends with the owner's daughter, Karly Gajius, who set up her own record company, SoundGarden Records and set about arresting the attention of famous musicians. Trinity eventually captured the galactic ear during a small gig as an opening spot at the Coruscant Music Festival. The word of mouth spread about their revolutionary music, and soon the band was touring the galaxy, playing to thousands at a time. They released many other records during their 100 year existence. The band is often likened to a river, which is the source for many smaller tributaries. Trinity trailblazed for more styles of music than any other act in history, employing their uniquely cultural instruments in genius ways. The band's instruments and such artifacts are now housed in the Trinity Memorial Museum, a museum on Coruscant dedicated to the legacy of Trinity.

Boonta Eve Podrace
"And that's how I met him. I insulted him."

- Drewika Ziratae on Anakin Skywalker

Drewika is also known for his famous participation in the Boonta Eve Podrace that discovered Anakin Skywalker and resulted in the downfall of Sebulba. Drewika was recognized as a powerful Force-sensitive and as such was only one of two humans ever to compete in the podrace. Believing himself to be the only one, he entered the race and bribed his way into the starting line next to Sebulba. On the day of the race, Drewika, then only five, but already with a wizened look and manner equal to a middle aged man, saw Anakin Skywalker pulling his pod into the garage. Believing him to be a mere slave boy, and indignant at the others claims to be able to race, Drewika mocked the boy's skills. The race, however, changed his mind. Coming second a full 14 seconds after Anakin, Drewika apologized and the two became life-long friends, a friendship which lasted to Anakin's death.

The Battle of Naboo
"I was a small lad during those dark times, new to the galaxy. A fool, in short."

- Drewika to Jaina Solo

Drewika, with his new-found friend, accompanied the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi back to Coruscant to aid in the restoration of Queen Amidala to the throne of Naboo. He received from his father there a Krayt dragon pearl-handled pistol which Drewika kept to the end of his days as a keepsake of his father. Upon the return to Naboo, Drewika assisted with the taking of Theed Palace from the Trade Federation, and succeeded in destroying a platoon of droids single-handedly with his blaster. Following the battle, Drewika was present at the famous peace ceremony the formed an alliance between the Naboo and the Gungans.



Adolescence
From his discovery by the music industry, Drewika skyrocketed to fame. He pushed his way through the academy and graduated from the [University of Coruscant]] with a degree in music composition at the age of 12. During this time, he also became a good friend and confident of Chancellor Palpatine, who recognized the lad's potential as a military commander and made him a general in the Republic military, a rank which he kept through the Clone Wars. When Drewika reached the age of 13, he, concerned with the safety of his homeworld Acrolis, created the Consortium to protect his planet's interests. This crime organization was at its peak equal in power to the Black Sun, bringing much money into the coffers of the House of Ziratae, which explained the house's eventual position as the wealthiest family in the galaxy.. The organization was eventually assimilated into the Acrolian Star Empire during the Clone Wars.

Clone Wars
"Yeah, I fought in the Clone Wars. What of it?"

- Drewika to an unknown New Republic officer

During the last days of the Republic, Drewika, then 16, played a key role in the events leading up to the Battle of Geonosis. He participated in the vote for the creation of the Clone army and the GAR, voting for the army, saying that it was necessary to the preservation of the Republic. As he said in his memoirs, he could not understand the arguments of the other side, supported by his friend Padme Amidala. He visited Dexter Jettster about an hour before Obi-Wan Kenobi did, learning of Jango's attack on Amidala. Drewika then flew to Kamino to warn Fett, Drewika's Mandalore and good friend, of Kenobi's visit. This bought Fett some time to clean out his apartment and prepare to leave for Geonosis. Despite this, while on Kamino, Drewika was given a brief tour of the cloning chambers, which made him feel a sense of sympathy for the "enslaved" clones. He thus returned to Coruscant in time to join a Jedi task force to Geonosis. The resulting battle in the Geonosian arena led to the Battle of Geonosis, in which Drewika led a task force of clone troopers into battle. He was assigned ARC-37 "Tavo" as an aid, a friendship that lasted both of their lives. Drewika's Consortium also joined the event, but only on a minor scale. The battle sealed Drewika's allegiance to the Republic, which he supported to the very Order 66.

Career as a General


He was included into the GAR as the equivalent of a Jedi general. He was sent on several missions with Tavo and his Commando squad "Death Squad." His first mission was to Rhen Var, to capture some Separatist leaders there. The resulting battle took place above and on the planet, during which Drewika's prototype Victory Star Destroyer Victory was knocked from orbit onto the battle below. Drewika and the crew led a direct attack upon Separatist forces, ending the battle on the ground. The battle was a victory for the Republic and a major mark upon Drewika's military career.

Drewika led many other such missions during the war, to planets as diverse as Yavin 4 Myrkr, Ryloth, Bespin, Corulag, and Arbra.As the war raged on, his posse of clone stragglers continued to grow, as Drewika began to feel ever more for "his boys." This sympathy eventually led to hate for the Jedi Order, which he viewed as the cause of the GAR. He grew more and more angry, a secret that he told only to his family, Anakin, and Palpatine.

The Acrolian Star Empire
During the second year of the war, Drewika's homeplanet of Acrolis was under the threat of Separatist attack, as it was on the fringes of the Mid Rim. Despite the Consortium presence on the planet, its people were growing disolutioned with the present government. Drewika was asked by the Acrolian Republic to take the throne and become the emperor fo Acrolis. At first he blatantly refused, fearing his own corruption. In the end, however, he accepted the post and was crowned the first Emperor of the Acrolian Star Empire. His first move was to expand the borders of the Acrolian state, a move that made the ASE the dominant hegemon of the Outer Rim, equal in size to the Hapes Consortium. This move was followed by the planet's formal withdraw from the Republic. Ziratae then integrated the Consortium into the ASE, providing the Empire with a massive star fleet. These moves were largely critisized by the Republic, but were unstopped for fear of losing a powerful ally in Drewika and Acrolis. In the third year of the war, Drewika sent a massive fleet to Rakata to gather up the debris of the infamous superweapon, the Star Forge. He brought the debris in loads back to Acrolis, and ordered the assembly of the weapon again, a move that was decried by the Acrolian Congress. The weapon was epic in proportion, roughly 2/3s the size of the planet itself, but was never used on Acrolis's sun, for fear of supernova. The weapon remained in orbit about the sun for the rest of the war, leaving only to be tested on Arbra's sun during its completion.

Order 66
As the Clone Wars raged on, Drewika grew more and more annoyed with the Republic and the Jedi Order in particular. He confided this often in his friend Meghan Wr'onck and also in Anakin. He watched as Anakin grew closer to Palpatine during the last days of the war, wary of an approaching storm.



Behind the Scenes
References