Maardok Onasi

"If you kill us, you'll never get out of here alive. If you slaughter the rest of the Tuskens, you'll never get out of here alive. If you go with the Imperials, you'd get out of here alive, but knowing those shady bastards in prisons on Dathomir...and in some way that I would describe as deeply pornographic...you'd be begging for death. So how's about you take a long walk in the desert right now, help us finish off your friends, or you can have this bright blue blaster bolt. Your choice."

- Maardok Onasi

Maardok Onasi was a mercenary and Rebel soldier during the Galactic Civil War. He participated in several major events of the war and many small operations with the goal of liberating his adopted home planet of Tatooine from Imperial presence.

Early Life (15 BBY to 10 BBY)
Born several years after the formation of the Empire on the planet of Telos, Maardok enjoyed a simple life with his parents and brother, Ilnrard. Both brothers excelled in their early education; Maardok could speak Basic with clarity at the age of four. These were the first inklings of the true talent of the boy.Neither Maardok nor his brother knew much about their parents, for tragedy struck early for them. In 10 BBY, the starship carrying the Onasi family was attacked by an Imperial Star Destroyer over the planet of Tatooine. The brothers were sent in seperate escape pods to better their chances of survival. Ilnrard's pod landed in the outskirts of the city of Bestine and Maardok's landed in the Jundland Wastes.

The Tusken Years (10 BBY to 0 BBY)
Shortly after the crash, Maardok was picked up by a Tusken Raider tribe. For ten years he learned to become one of them and became a member of the tribe. At the age of fifteen, Maardok completed his rite of passage and officially became a Raider. Because of the time spent with the Tuskens, he developed a certain veracity and untamed wildness in him which would sometimes lead to altercations later in life. However, this style of living was not for him. Maardok knew there was an entire galaxy around him, and he wished to be a part of it. Of course, this did not bode well with his tribal elders. The ensuing debate earned Maardok banishment from the tribe. Just months before the Battle of Yavin, Maardok took his pet Bantha and set out for Mos Eisley.

Seeds of Rebellion and Galactic Civil War (0 BBY to 2 ABY)
The injustices of the Empire were not difficult to spot on the backwater desert world. During his travels through the Dune Sea Maardok encountered moisture farmers spending nearly all they earned on Imperial taxes. In the cities, especially Mos Eisley, stormtroopers would arrest random street urchins or non-humans and execute them without being accused or tried of any crime. It was in Mos Eisley that Maardok decided to start his war against the Empire, and his first step in doing so was doing odd jobs for Jabba the Hutt. Though not all of the work was benevolent in nature, much of the work he offered Maardok stopped up the plumbing of Imperial operations. Though after the Battle of Yavin, the Empire cracked down more on underground operations and Jabba could no longer offer jobs with Imperial targets, so Maardok went right to the source.

Maardok entered Anchorhead and met several members of the Rebel Alliance who officially inducted him into their ranks. Working missions for the Alliance was Maardok's calling. He felt anything he could do that would undermine the Empire was worth a try. He participated in several minor skirmishes and events during the early years of the Galactic Civil War. He also became very proficient in piloting, and took great pride in his skills. Maardok joined the 44th "New Republic Army" Corps and operated as a squad leader for several years on Dantooine before the Empire discovered their existence. Imperial agents gave away the location of their headquarters: a populated city on Dantooine. It wasn't long after that the entire city and the rebel headquarters was bombarded from orbit...along with nearly all of the populace. Maardok and several of the higher ranking members were off-base on Yavin IV at the time. The event stigmatized Maardok. He had made many friends during his journeys across the lands of Tatooine, but those lost in the raid on his corps had changed him. Whenever there were a celebration or gathering of some sort, he would offer the first toast to "absent friends" in memory of his fallen comrades.

He then joined the 115th "Regulator" Corps and became a Special Forces Field Commander under the rank of Colonel. He served with them for roughly a year. It is also known during this period that Maardok served as a Senator in a makeshift Senate based in Corellia between many of the factional houses in an attempt to keep many conflicts diplomatic situations. Though he was not the original choice to represent the Regulators, he was seen as an exemplary politician at the Senate floor, and was quickly asked to help his division in representing their home planet of Dantooine. Tragedy struck again when the division was decimated in a raid attempting to liberate Naboo. Maardok and several of the survivors were taken to the makeshift base on Corellia. Stricken with grief, this event was the last straw that led to the young Onasi's resignation.

Noble-Savage (3 ABY-)
After the massacre at the hands of the Imperials, Maardok retreated back to Tatooine and became a regular patron at the Mos Eisley Cantina. He had had his share of the War and the broader picture and sought to avenge his fallen comrades. He wasn't out to help the Rebel cause anymore, but to slaughter Imperials on his own accord. He earned a reputation as a skilled hunter and a drunkard, drowning his sorrows in Vasarian Brandy. This did not exclude him from good-will work however, as he would readily aide any good-natured person who solicited his help. Maardok Onasi became a relatively familiar name in the Mos Eisley area when he returned to working for Jabba the Hutt, but for far less heroic work. Though he refused to take the more heartless deeds, he willingly performed unmentionable acts to punish enemies of Jabba whom Maardok personally deemed had it coming...and was compensated greatly for it. From time to time, he would even meet with members of the Alliance and do freelance work for them, including aiding in the evacuation of Hoth. Maardok's fate is unknown following the Battle of Hoth. It is likely he returned to his mercenary work on Tatooine and continued to aide the Rebellion either overtly or covertly.

Personality and traits
"Welcome aboard Jundland Starlines, I'll be your captain this evening. If you have a destination in mind please immediately voice it so we don't get BLOWN UP BEFORE WE GET THE CHANCE TO TAKEOFF!"

- Maardok Onasi during a regular operation

Maardok was a mut on all levels. His parents were unknown but both presumed to be from very different backgrounds, then he was raised as a Tusken Raider and returned to the civilized galaxy. In most cases, he was a loner, not caring for anything or anyone outside of his personal beliefs and small circle of trusted individuals. He was not without a sense of humor, dry and dark as it was. Often in combat he'd make sarcastic and wry comments about whatever situation he was in. Being a pessimist, he never expected the best to come out of anything, and was a firm believer in Murphy's Law. When it came to interaction, he would convey emotionless responses, and saved his rage for combat. He managed to use his hate for good purposes and unleashed his negative energies in battle. Usually he wielded a DE-10 pistol along with a Gaderffii, making not only an odd combination but yielding bloody results.

His usual attire consisted of Tusken gloves, boots, and mask along with camo pants and a Desert Command jacket. He was regularly seen in these clothes, but sometimes disguised himself in full Tusken garbs. Even despite his banishment, spending his childhood in the presence of the Sandpeople left an impression on him. He would rarely, if ever, remove his helmet in public or the general presence of strangers. Only in the company of trusted friends would he reveal his face.

Ilnrard (13 BBY-)
Maardok knew very little of his brother before his banishment from his Tusken tribe. He had some fragmented memories of him, but nothing that was very clear. After joining the Alliance, Maardok fought his brother in combat during a skirmish in Bestine in the year 3 ABY. When he learned of Ilnrard's identity, he was both elated and crushed. Because his brother had been adopted by an Imperial family, he followed suit by joining their ranks. Ilnrard was also Force Sensitive, which was recognized quickly by the Emperor. After a short time in the regular Army, he became one of the Emperor's Hands. Maardok's brother was a Dark Jedi. During his campaigns in the Outer Rim, Maardok faced his brother several times, once on the Mid Rim world of Naboo without even knowing it. Despite this, they would awkwardly meet in cantinas and discuss their lives and politics. Fights would almost regularly follow, though neither would draw a weapon.

Novim (25 BBY-)
Another product of Maardok's many adventures on Tatooine, Novim became known to him when they met at the Mos Eisley Cantina in 2 ABY. Novim was half Zabrak, and explained that his mother (who was a native of Iridonia) was the first wife of their mutual father. Novim was a mercenary who did mostly freelance jobs throughout the underground of the planet. He did his best to stay neutral and out of the way of most major events in the Galaxy. While on Tatooine, Maardok would regularly meet in the Cantina to have a drink and chat.

Spike (10 BBY-)
Maardok's pet Bantha, Spike, was one of his most prized possessions. Whenever he could, the reputed "Half-Tusken" would take his furry friend with him. Over the course of his childhood, Maardok had bonded with the animal much like most Tuskens did with their respective Banthas. They remained virtually inseparable. During several battles, Spike would defend his master with vigor.

R2-OP (1 ABY-)
R2-OP (more commonly called Opie for short) was Maardok Onasi's astromech droid from the time he began piloting fighters. Opie was originally in the possession of the Royal Engineers, who had made various extra after market modifications to him. This included his extra memory cache, capable of holding up to twenty stored hyperspace coordinates, a powerful blaster hidden in his chassis, and the skils and tools required to tweak and modify a starship in-flight for top performance. After the Battle of Yavin, Maardok had made a trip to Naboo with his unit and after visiting some of the major sites and befriending an engineer, he recieved Opie as a gift for his work with the Rebellion. After that, Opie was Maardok's companion on any space trip he may have taken. With such an accomplished record, Opie never recieved a memory wipe adding not only to his character and eccentricity, but his talent and expertise learned from years of experience.

Starfighters
Having a fancy for anything having to do with spaceflight, Maardok owned a small collection of ships including:
 * X-Wing-"Blue Leader"
 * YKL-37R Nova Courier-"Galactica"
 * ARC-170-"Old Painless"
 * Y-8 Mining Vessel-"Nostromo"

Behind the scenes
Maardok Onasi was created by the user Matt "KypFisto" Conrad in Star Wars Galaxies. This character could be found on Kauri server during his playing years.

Lineage of the Name
It is quite possible that both Onasi brothers were the descendants of Carth or Dustil Onasi. However, no solid proof was ever recovered from any records.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided