Aurelius Tempest

"Do you even dare to challenge me? Surely the odds do not favor your survival."

- Tempest

General Aurelius Tempest (born 42 BBY, reborn 38 ABY on ) was one of many Imperial hardliners of the first and second s. He had a plentiful career, engaging in many of the famous battles and events of the, but met his downfall after a horrible incident that took the lives of his family members, leading him to self-destruction, regeneration, and revenge on those responsible. Regardless of how he met his end, it was how his beginnings led him on a road of life that gave him Imperial esteem and honor amongst his fellow soldiers and commanders.

Beginnings
"He was just my son, and then he went off to join the Empire for what he considered service to the greater good."

- Gonn in an interview by

Aurelius Tempest was born to Gonn and Arta Sudu Tempest ten standard years before the. Gonn was a member of the Ralltiir Guard and watched the Naboo incident with great attention. He hoped that his son would find a way to escape the horrors of war by becoming an architect or a dentist. Initially, his son seemed harmless, but developed a sense of self-defense against other children that decidedly picked on him. Aurelius was known to become violent when provoked but soon calmed down afterward. Gonn could see his son changing before him and found that from youth, little Aurelius saw that the concept of fighting, battles, and war naturally fascinated him, perhaps due to the security that came with being able to save oneself from hurt or persecution.

Around the age of six, Aurelius secretly accessed holofiles on the greatest battles of the last few millenia in the galaxy and hid them as soon as his parents were nearby. His mother Arta stumbled across them one day while cleaning his room and discussed the matter with Gonn. Gonn could not understand why his son had such a fascination with death and destruction, until he saw his son watching the gritty news of the HoloNet and attempting to figure out how to deal with complex situations that usually involved the deaths of other individuals in one form or another, whether by accident or intentionally. Gonn was puzzled as to where his son's thought processes were coming from. Arta had never shown strong likeness for war either but it became apparent that Gonn's job as Guard was inherently responsible for the genetic trait of self-defense and as a result, offense.

Military career
As Aurelius grew into a young adult at the spark of the, he became better adapted at thinking up military strategies. When the Republic fell into darkness to become the Galactic Empire, Aurelius heavily considered running for the Imperial Senate to represent his homeworld, however he was drawn towards enlistment into the. He aspired to pass all of his commanders in skill, strength, and mind, and by applying himself in combat, he was successful in climbing up the ranks. His father later agreed that his son had become successful in his profession, but always felt that it could have been for more constructive means. Gonn would hold this idea until his death in 7 ABY, after witnessing the creation and destruction of both s.

Around 16 BBY, Tempest started to collect notes about his interest in what was later dubbed The Tempest Files. During the Imperial occupation of Aantooine, Tempest came across blueprints for an ancient Aanian stronghold named Pso Hill. He became inspired to construct a fortress of similar magnitude on a mountain on a planet in a secluded system.

Aurelius Tempest was present during the and witnessed the death of, a good friend and colleague during the Galactic Civil War. Tarkin's loss only fueled his anger at the Rebels and he immediately called for retaliatory strikes against Rebel sympathizers in the system. Upon hearing the news that the Death Star was nearing completion, Tempest wanted to get a look at the Empire's newest toy, which soon became a fully-functional battlestation. Under Imperial clearance code 333-4DHSYSS, Tempest was granted access to view the battlestation upclose. As he was nearing a docking bay within, an explosion ignited from one of the nearby uncompleted areas of the Death Star, later found to be a result of Rebel sabotage. Tempest was lucky to not have been so close to docking when the explosion occurred or his ship could have become ripped to shreds by debris.

"Vader, you are such an assh.... ACKKK...okay OKAY!"

- Aurelius playing with fire

Several weeks before the, he faced in one of the Imperial Boarding Rooms on the sensitive issue of the safety of the battlestation, and nearly died at the Sith Lord's hands when he questioned his authority. Tempest later thought twice about tempting the evil that was Vader as he could simply snap his windpipe by thinking about it, if he wanted to. Yet Vader was aware that Tempest was one of the best in the Empire and didn't find his objections too offensive. At least Vader had the occasional pleasure of a tortuous Force Choke on a higher-ranking officer without killing them, yet at least.

Escaping the upon hearing of the threat presented against it during the, General Tempest flew out on a transport with a squad of s and headed for the , where a Rebel fleet was amassing in an attempt to free the s. Tempest upon hearing of the Death Star's destruction rendezvoused with a passing Star Destroyer and commandeered it by order of the Empire under chaotic ruin. He directed it towards the fleet and a space battle ensued between the Rebels and the Empire. In the end, the victors were the Imperials; first payback was bittersweet. Tempest ordered Imperial forces to take back Wookiee Planet C and never let go of it.

Three standard years later, Tempest was given control of the Blizzard 5 in the, where he successfully shot down four snowspeeders and took  by storm. Upon the victory at Hoth, Tempest was awarded a new AT-AT waiting for him in the construction yards on Coruscant. Originally known as the Demonic, it was newly christened as Tempest 1 and was put in service first on, clearing up rogue units and preventing any uprisings, as well as picking off a few s with the turbolasers for food. The AT-AT-B encountered the largest resistance at the capital but it made quick work of the city's defenses and blew a large hole in the western wall allowing for s to walk directly into the heart of the city.

After the planet was secured, Tempest 1 was later used in conjunction with Tempest Force on a little moon orbiting the gas giant. It assisted mainly in protecting the in the jungles of the moon. In 4 ABY, Tempest was on a break when the Rebels infiltrated the rear bunker. He responded immediately but found that his AT-AT-B was too large to reach the area, sinking in the mud, and had to back down. Luckily, he was not at the site when the s reinforced the Rebels to destroy the generator.

After the destruction of the second Death Star, Tempest was recovered on Endor by Rebel forces and drew defeat at the hands of the Alliance. He agreed to comply with the newly-formed New Republic in exchange for some time off from military service back on Ralltiir. The New Republic thought it best for him to remain there out of the public spotlight. While out fishing on one of Ralltiir's lakes, he came across a young lady. Her name was Fila Rissori, and they bonded from that day. They married and had a boy, Andranio. Occasionally, his service was needed, especially during the attack of the on the galaxy, in which he took his family back to Bastion in order to protect them whilst simultaneously commanding orders to protect Bastion and keep the  intact. He was displeased that Ralltiir fell to the Vong, but enamored that the galaxy was able to take it back.

Tragedy
After the end of the, Aurelius Tempest saw it fit to finally retire in 32 ABY. Six years later, in 38 ABY, Aurelius was announced to be inducted into the Imperial Hall of Fame on. Helping out with other matters back on Bastion, he returned to Ralltiir to bring his family to the ceremony, but found that they missing when he reached the residence. The home had been ripped apart, as if someone was looking for something. Local holoreports and security feeds showed that his family was kidnapped by Yoogish s in the area, former refugees and slaves from the invasion of the Vong on the planet. In the Yoogish's minds, they needed things with which to trade for and some female companionship after their terrible days working under the Vong, but when they attempted to coerce Fila, she resisted and the aggressive Yoog of the bunch slit her throat to make things much easier. After Andranio rushed them in anger, he was shot in the head by the leader. Aurelius, along with investigators, located the bodies in an alleyway and witnessed the perpetrators running from the scene of the crime. Authorities chased after the suspects but they mysteriously disappeared. Aurelius stayed where he was and could take no more. Tempest noticed that they had dropped a jewel pendant that Fila used to wear.

"Chaos help me. There is nothing left in this life or any other that is worth living for."

- Tempest before jumping

Aurelius stood alone at the funeral that they both shared, their caskets covered up due to the horrendous mutilation that they both endured by what he considered "those milking animals". He ended up climbing to the tallest planetary cannon on Bastion and attempted to kill himself to remove the pain, by leaping to his death. However, it was a failed attempt and what was still left of him on the below was found by his Imperial protege Gamut Vifi. Vifi in panic took Tempest's dying wreck of a body to a local surgeon who specialized in bio-cyborg reconstruction, recreating a cybernetic composite of the general's former self.

When Tempest came to, his legs formerly completely shattered, had been replaced with adjustable s, his left arm re-attached with a strong servo motor, and one of his eyes had to be fitted with retinal amplifiers. Tempest could not stand these new artificial additions and the subtraction of his legs. Night after night, he would feel attacked, like millions of s were prodding his body, as well as being haunted repeatedly by images of his dead family. He stayed in the medical rehabilitation unit for ten standard months amidst agonizing pain. Each day he would improve in controlling his repulsors and his arm. Tempest tested out his replacement eye and found that he could pick up on emissions of infrared radiation. He reached a point where he needed no assistance, because that would only make him feel more weak, a standard ideal that he saw true in other rehab units. He did not want to end up a cripple, or remain there for the rest of his life. He could not believe that he had tried to kill himself when there were other things that meant so much to him. The only way to deal with his pain was to escape from the facility and to find his family's murderers.

Revenge
"I can do without this. I am not of these beings, wasting away like a organic fluid sack in a durasteel bed."

- Tempest escaping from rehab

Newly resurrected, Tempest smashed his way out of the rehabilitation unit through some glass and stole a starfighter from one of Bastion's many landing pads. Much as the securities searched the skies for him, he had disappeared into space, activating its for an unknown locality. Four standard years after he escaped from Bastion, Tempest located a corridor in the rich with pirate activity and investigated. A band of Yoogish fresh from Ralltiir were hiding out at one of the wheelworlds. Successfully tracking them down from an room across from theirs, with the use of his improved vision, he shot a bug device which allowed him to listen in on their discussion. He heard them talk about "some piffer that was just begging to die", and "that kid that tried to jump you but you got him first." They were indeed the ones, responsible for the death of his wife and son and they would surely pay. He activated a rocket launcher that he had acquired through the black market before reaching the wheelworld. The room in which the Yoogish were in was obliterated from the shell that shot through the window and landed on the back wall. He could see the heat from their bodies slowly turn to a cold blue hue surrounded by the heat of the flames. To cover his tracks, Tempest reported the incident as an oxygen tank explosion, and quietly left the wheelworld.

The attack on the Yoogish on the wheelworld was not enough, as Tempest tasted blood and succumbed to a feeding frenzy. He plotted more attacks on the species because in his mind, four beings were not enough for the deaths of those that meant the universe to him. His plan would encompass several regions and worlds, to ensure that a good portion of those of the species in the galaxy were affected in one way or another, either directly or indirectly. The first attack was the start of a new killing spree of every Yoogish being he could find in the galaxy, even if it meant rendering the species extinct.

Several additional and specific attacks on Yoogish over the next year were committed successfully, including a fire determined to be arson at a hotel on, a multi-story collapse at a rowhouse complex on , and a bombing in a loft on. His largest attack to date came from Aduba-3, the same planet he had previously taken in his AT-AT-B during the Galactic Civil War. Supposedly he had searched out an town he encountered back then that he knew contained at least two Yoogish. It did not matter to him how few there were, or whether he would even find them. It was his goal to completely eradicate them. His inner circle of people helped drag Tempest 1 from the muck of the Forest Moon of Endor and across the Outer Rim to Aduba-3 for this wasn't going to be an easy foot excursion. Tempest found the Yoogish in the village as planned and leveled them with his turbolasers. The walker was stored away at a heavy artillery station on never to be used again.

Investigators from the came across Tempest's pattern as he was always in a location where some Yoogish were killed and sometimes even ended up being the one to report the crime. Each time, the murders were more extravagant and could only indicate that the next one would be even bigger. This technique of his was not working in the eyes of the GFFA and eventually Tempest became a wanted man for murder of at least fifty Yoogish, however the information was kept on private channels for fear that the Imperial Remnant would think that they were attempting to slander one of their greatest military figures. The remnants of the GFFA began to hunt him down secretly, using undercover agents, following every lead they could find. The general, working with the scum of the, made enough credits to purchase a ship with good range in firepower. The ship would be the pinnacle of his revenge and he would use it in any means necessary to quell forces against his mission. Tempest returned to the Remnant in his ship dubbed Vengeance and hired Vifi as his first lieutenant. Vifi was willing to work with Tempest but was left unaware about Tempest's true intentions. All Vifi knew was that he would finally get away from Bastion for a while and see some new parts of the galaxy, but not before meeting up with his family.

Continued efforts and blending in
"If my family could not live, why should the rest of this karking species?"

- Tempest

Tempest dropped Vifi off on to visit with his family and then planned for his greatest move against the Yoogish: attack their homeworld. Before the attack, he went to the distant world that held his fortress based on Pso Hill's construction. From there he accessed his network datafiles and traced the location of a left over from the  Era on. He created a command override which ignited the engines and sent it bursting from the depths of Mon Cal's oceans. Tempest rendezvoused with the World Devastator and had it tugged to a position in orbit around an asteroid in the Cynon system. Tempest then rewired the Devastator for manual control allowing him to control it without the use of signals. He sat in the newly installed cockpit of the device and fired up the engines. Tempest headed for home planet of the Yoogish, Cytos, and entered its atmosphere. He spotted several areas to start from while skimming across the surface of the planet.

He hovered over thousands of villages, sucking them up like a preying on a star, all while listening to some music from Tritium Jackpot and chuckling maniacally. The aggressive music furthered his mood to cover every last acre of the planet. After his sweep, everything on the planet was razed or removed, from trees in the jungles to water in the oceans. There was nothing that could stop Tempest on his rampage of death. Tempest left the surface for orbit and marveled at his new destruction. He felt that he might have been satisfied at that moment, after the deaths of countless tens of thousands of Yoogs, but he could not stop until he knew that the species could no longer procreate and survive beyond him. Tempest returned to the Vengeance and to Rhinnal to retrieve Vifi. Vifi was unsure why the General looked so happy. He had never seen him like this before, and wondered what was new. Tempest made up an excuse, responding only that his stocks invested in airspeeders had finally turned a profit that day.

Tempest took Vifi back out amongst the stars and discussed matters of life and existance. Vifi briefly took this as inspirational and accepted his advice. Shortly thereafter Tempest noticed a flashing beacon upon his radar screen. There was a ship that was retreating from Cytos at high sublight velocity to get away from him, but they were heading straight for Vengeance. Tempest accessed the datafiles based on its ID number and found that it was a freighter holding numerous Yoogish families indeed escaping from Cytos, including mothers and their children. Tempest ordered Vifi to engage the side turbolasers. At the same time, a GFFA security force ship appeared from hyperspace on the coordinates of the two ships. Tempest was ordered to stand down or be destroyed. He realized that the only way to find him would have been by tracking device but he never remembered finding such a device on the ship. Vifi disputed Tempest's reason for wanting to destroy the freighter and averting arrest by the GFFA, and then Vifi realized that Tempest was the one responsible for the reports of the "natural disaster" on Cytos and all previous attacks on this species that he had heard about without taking much notice. Vifi Gamut was on board with a madman.

Vifi began to turn the ship around and Tempest fought him for control of the ship. Tempest's enhanced left-arm threw Vifi into a girder cracking a seam in the Vengeance's hull. The seam grew wider and threatened to breach the vacuum outside. Tempest, realizing that certain parts of his ship were also faulty in addition to being a GFFA magnet, most likely the result of some swindler back on Coruscant, attempted to escape in the ship's only escape pod. Vifi recovered and fought again with Tempest, knocking him down to the floor and disabling his repulsors. The hole grew wider and split open into the vacuum. The ship could not save itself since it was not equipped with vac-shields. The suction was intense enough to pull Vifi out into space. Tempest content that he had rid himself of his once loyal disciple crawled his way towards the escape pod. Simultaneously the Vengeance began to dive in towards the freighter, and within seconds the two ships collided, killing the Yoogish and Tempest. It was too late for the security forces of the GFFA to save the Yoogish families, however the threat they had been pursuing for years was now dead.

Officials on Bastion heard of Tempest's death over the Holonet and released a statement across the Remnant that even as Tempest became murderous and vengeful, he was still one of the Empire's best generals in hundreds of standard years. He could win battles and do it gloriously. A public funeral was held with a empty casket. Inside were his mementos from his residences on Ralltiir and Bastion. Included was a holo of Tempest, his wife and son. Afterward, the GFFA sent a public apology to the Yoogish families of Cytos and gave them the assurance that they would not be threatened by Tempest again.

Legacy
Aurelius Tempest was regarded as one of the greatest Imperial generals, if not one of the greatest military leaders period during his time. As given in the Remnant's statement, though he strayed far from the professional standard creating a black mark on his reputation, it was his work that he performed prior to those events that gave him this honor. He was to the book and was loyal to the Empire from its inception to its fall at Endor and the battles afterward. His protection of key Remnant localities during the Yuuzhan Vong War were greatly appreciated and without them, Bastion and the Remnant might have been completely overtaken.

Personality and traits
Aurelius Tempest was a Human male of Ralltiiri descent that was praised by members of the Galactic Empire and the Imperial Remnant for many decades. Tempest was a respected general in the Imperial Army, with a long service record dating back to nearly the. He was a true battle-winner, using strategies that ensured victories in the worst circumstances. However, Tempest was known to take chances and risk his life to attain a certain goal or to express his point of view.

Though he was a strong hardliner for the Empire for a good majority of his career, Tempest was also a lovestruck individual with a soft side, even flirting when it came to the opposite gender. He was known to have secret relations with another young Imperial, Y'ulea Zanowa, but scoffed at any attempts to slander him in scandal. He covered up any indications that he might have been distracted by such means, but in reality he could not live without love. When he met his wife on Ralltiir, it became the happiest time of his life, and he wanted to carry on his prowess and knowledge through his children. Because of his strong attraction to family, losing them was a disaster and Tempest lost all control of his former self, pushing him to commit suicide. This may not have been an isolated condition however, as his father Gonn may have also exhibited tendencies to commit self-destruction.

Aurelius Tempest was a fan of culture, even as he disagreed with the Empire's strong stance against it. He enjoyed the work of holoactor Teilo Cnadowst and listened to such low-profile musicians as Exlis Prime and the, and the composers and Zarnz'fue'skigen. He even attended operas with his wife on Ralltiir and throughout their relationship.

As an aging elder, Tempest lived well into his 70s before his life took a turn for the worst. He would not pass until the age of 86 by unnatural means.

Behind the scenes
Tempest is Riffsyphon1024's first and primary character in The Tempest Files. Tempest was Riff's character persona for some time before developing him with a full backstory. All portrayals of Aurelius Tempest are by sans spectacles.

The name Aurelius, as well as Fila and Andranio, are based from Roman influences.