Eskol Kaartinen

Eskol Kaartinen (//) was a male Vuul Centurion of the Order of Keltrayu, and the second permanent Prefect of the Order.

Early life
Born in 84 ABY on Yin, Kaartinen was the child of two prominent civil servants who had numerous ties to Iscali traders. Eskol himself was a studious, quiet child, very intelligent but also shy and somewhat hesitant. Hoping their son would follow in their footsteps, the Kaartinens raised him speaking both Aado, the Vuul language, and Iscali. The latter proved to be vitally important to Eskol's future, though not in the way the Kaartinens had anticipated.

In 95 ABY, the Golden Empire added both Iscandar and Tershin to its territory, and in doing so acquired Iscali navigation charts. The Empire's fleet arrived shortly thereafter and convinced Yin to join its growing cluster of member systems. While touring Yin's capital, Rin Sakaros and her apprentice, Keltrayu, came across the Kaartinens. Aware of Eskol's Force sensitivity, and newly fluent herself in Iscali, she spoke at length with both the boy's parents and Eskol himself. Rin was favorably impressed with the boy's seriousness, and the Kaartinens saw a new and even better way for their son to succeed, so they agreed to let Eskol join the budding group of disciples Rin was amassing. After some persuasion, Eskol also agreed.

Training
As a Novice of the then-Order of the Golden Empire, Eskol studied directly under Rin, Keltrayu, and Rin's brother Tariun. He was initially uncomfortable in his new environment, living in extremely close quarters at all times with other Novices, when on Yin he had been an only child. However, he gradually developed a friendship with Melnanooin, who was an Iscali, and thus one of the few people to whom he could speak directly while still in the process of learning Sith.

While he was a quick learner and practiced his Force skills relentlessly, Kaartinen felt somewhat out of place among his fellows. While they had followed Rin for a variety of reasons, the others were united in their excitement to explore the galaxy with the queen and their desire for adventure, especially having heard stories from Tariun and Keltrayu about their various exploits. Eskol, on the other hand, had a much more measured and tactful approach to life. Even further, he lost lightsaber sparring duels routinely, as the aggressive styles of combat were a poor fit for his personality.

Rin brought the boy with her when recruiting new member worlds, which he found interesting, but neither of them thought he was cut out to be a diplomat. On a hunch, she took him into private lightsaber training in Soresu; both Tariun and Keltrayu preferred aggressive, violent styles, and neither had much knowledge about the most defensive form. After a few weeks of training, he began to feel more at home in his lightsaber skills, and the transition marked a turnaround of Eskol's career as a Novice.

Coupled with his and other students' improving skills in speaking Sith, Eskol gradually emerged from his shell and became friends with other early Novices, including Aquila Corcer and Vessyk. By 100 ABY, his siblings had drawn out (or helped to create) a dry, witty sense of humor in their Vuul brother, who was quickly becoming the Order's defensive protégé. His natural sense for his environment aided him in fending off multiple attacks from different directions and allowed him to pick up movement even his Force senses could not isolate.

When the Great Liberation began, Rin Sakaros kept her Novices close to her for their own safety, and the small band observed much of the war's strategic planning firsthand. They also accompanied Rin to the critical Battle of Tizgo V in 101 ABY, where Keltrayu died to protect Rin and her army. Though stricken at the loss of his teacher, Eskol Kaartinen nonetheless was able to exhibit his growing defensive skills at various points in the battle when shots came his way, deflecting them all and even reflecting a few back at their sources.

With the war's end and the Golden Empire's acquisition of the Tetrarchy of Mezlagob, Eskol and his fellow "first generation" Novices were suddenly the elder siblings to a new and large group of recruits from the Tetrarchy's worlds. Eskol was able to mentor some of his younger siblings while continuing his own training, and Tariun credited the boy with being one of the major enlightening agents for the Zyked Rajj-Yo; unable to pierce Kaartinen's defense no matter how angry or violent he got, Rajj-Yo was forced to acknowledge that there might be something to be said for control. The incident was the first of several times the two would work together, though they were as different as night and day.

In the Queen's service
Eskol Kaartinen became a full Centurion in 107 ABY at the age of twenty-three, and took several field assignments immediately, arbitrating disputes between worlds now forced to coexist peacefully—and on equal terms—under Rin's rule. He was one of the Centurions assigned to track the pirate Kilwyo Kesh, although a brave civilian killed the Nightside Raider before law enforcement could bring him in.

Though his service was fairly undistinguished from that of his siblings, Eskol continued to devote himself to the practice of Soresu. By 110 ABY, he was already the greatest practitioner of the style in the Empire, after Rin Sakaros herself. When he visited the Sith Star between missions, the Sakaros siblings would often have him teach defensive techniques to their Novices. It was Kaartinen who inspired the Vorsyt Tesshen Manytrek to study Soresu.

In 115 ABY, Eskol lost his old friends Melnanooin and Aquila Corcer at Synno, where they were gunned down by the Red Eclipse slaver lord Zhin-Vel. The entire Order of Keltrayu and most of the Royal Navy were mobilized to hunt Zhin-Vel down, and Kaartinen was paired with his old colleague Rajj-Yo. The two squabbled frequently about tactics, with Kaartinen preferring to subtly coax sources into revealing something while Rajj-Yo had to be held back from just beating it out of them.

Eventually, however, the unlikely pair caught word of one of the Zyked's contacts on Haerch. Investigating the lead, they found a Red Eclipse hideout, and discovered that Zhin-Vel had just departed. Pausing only for Rajj-Yo to break the man's neck, the two Centurions set off in hot pursuit. They narrowly missed Zhin-Vel at the spaceport, but pursued him into space, with Kaartinen piloting and Rajj-Yo on weapons. Rajj-Yo missed several shots, but Kaartinen urged him to be patient and trust in the Force. At the last second, Rajj-Yo shot out Zhin-Vel's hyperdrive just before his ship jumped. Further blasts disabled the craft and sent it spiraling back to Haerch. In the battle that erupted on the ground, Kaartinen single-handedly felled four of Zhin-Vel's battle droids and threw the slaver's thrown grenade back with the Force to wipe out another two, along with Zhin-Vel's ship. With the droids eliminated, Rajj-Yo was free to kill the slaver, which he did with a single decapitating blow.

The two Centurions became instant heroes for killing Zhin-Vel, famous throughout the Empire. Kaartinen played down his part in the action, crediting Rajj-Yo with the victory, though, uncharacteristically, the Zyked insisted on sharing the credit. Kaartinen went on to participate in more raids during the ensuing "Hunt for Red Eclipse", but was happy to step out of the limelight when the slaving syndicate was finally exterminated at Bolera.

Trust
Though still somewhat uncomfortable with fame, Kaartinen's standing continued to grow in the eyes of both Rin Sakaros and his fellow Centurions. In 127 ABY, he accompanied Rin, Tariun, and several Royal Guards to Ekshi, where his old colleague Vessyk had been exploiting his position as Consul for his own benefit, and to the extreme detriment of the citizens of the planet. Outraged almost beyond words at the suffering she witnessed in the streets outside the palace Vessyk had built for himself, Rin and her entourage slaughtered his guards, and Rin personally executed Kasshralhyot on Vessyk himself. Though Rin stayed to help with some reconstruction efforts, and attached several Novices and Centurions to the project as well, she named Kaartinen the new Consul, as she felt he was the best and most reliable choice, both for her and the citizens of the world.

Eskol's six-year Consulship undid much of the damage Vessyk had done, and, along with Rin's obvious devastation and personal aid to her people, helped restore the image of the Golden Empire on Ekshi. In 133 ABY, Rin finally reassigned Kaartinen, placing him on the Sith Star as a Praetor-Instructor in charge of Force training. He came to be friends with Kieran Sapphire, one of the Order's lightsaber instructors, who would eventually go on to become its Blademaster. While a master of the first five lightsaber forms, Sapphire could not defeat Kaartinen, though nor could Kaartinen defeat him; Eskol's mastery of Soresu left them at a perpetual stalemate, which so intrigued the Nei swordmaster that he regularly asked Kaartinen to teach his Soresu lessons as well.

Kaartinen remained with his students during the Conquest of the Chiss Ascendancy, but he was one of the dignitaries who accompanied Rin to Csilla to accept the surrender of the Chiss.

When Tariun Sakaros was captured in 140 ABY, his military deputy Sorrik took acting command of the Order of Keltrayu. However, at the onset of the Vagaari War, Tariun permanently stepped down as Prefect, so as to focus entirely on the war. It took very little time for both Sakaros siblings to agree on Kaartinen as the new Prefect of the Order. With his promotion, he acquired the style "Lord Kaartinen", though for a long time he both found this awkward and continued to address Tariun as "Lord Sakaros" in public.

Early prefecture
Kaartinen inherited the Prefecture at a time of crisis, and immediately dedicated the Order to producing warriors fit for service on the front lines of the Vagaari War. When Sorrik and Rin herself went south to repulse the Ssi-ruuvi Incursion, Kaartinen dispatched hundreds of Centurions to aid them, including Sato Raltharan and Terran Saul. In order to defend the Empire against its greatest threats, Kaartinen assigned relatively few Centurions to law enforcement duty during this period.

With Rin and Sorrik gone, Kaartinen became one of Tariun Sakaros's closest advisors. He persuaded Tariun not to send Centurions to put down the Chiss Rebellion, feeling that it would be a positive public relations move and that the Empire could not afford to spare Centurions from its main wars.

Kaartinen had kept a close eye on Vos'elk'eetash, a Novice who he believed had the potential to become the most powerful Centurion in the Order's history. Tariun Sakaros intercepted her considering sending a message to her brother, Vos'yru'sadan, one of the Chiss rebels. But Selkee had ultimately decided not to betray the Empire, and Kaartinen obeyed Tariun's order to pardon the girl. When Rin returned and the issue came before her, Kaartinen endorsed Tariun's recommendation that Selkee be spared any further punishment.

When the Vagaari were defeated, Kaartinen refocused the Order on internal threats. He made a concerted effort to appoint the most talented Centurions as Praetor-Instructors, and had Breek Zagrev teach and, seeking to broaden the skills of his students. Following in the pattern set by Tariun, Kaartinen remained active and involved with the Order's instruction, regularly teaching Novices himself.

At the Wedding of Tariun Sakaros and Breek Zagrev in late 145 ABY, Kaartinen gave away the bride and was given a seat of honor at the subsequent reception. He took a particular interest in Rayne Turgachia, Rin's niece, though he obeyed Rin and treated the girl like any other Novice without preferential treatment. However, given Rayne's gift of, Kaartinen allowed her to spend much of her time training with Tillandra Moraes.

When Khoro`ly`ooho`sh`lyhoo was killed by Shalach Hal-Razab in 147 ABY, Kaartinen made the announcement to the Order, as well as formally commanding Vem, Aria Nikina, and Te`net Organi to complete the mission and kill Hal-Razab.

The defense of the Citadel
"No enemy will set foot in our Citadel as long as I live, my lady. It has been my life's honor to serve you, Your Majesty. Know that, should we not meet again."

- Eskol Kaartinen on a comlink to Rin Sakaros

During the Nightmare War, Kaartinen coordinated the assignments of Centurions sent to the Xoquon and Romasi Sector Fleets. When the Sith Star was boarded during the Battle of Dolomir, Kaartinen, Selkee, and Te`net Organi defended the Citadel along with its security droids and a pair of Massassi. They faced a squad of Vyrak clones led by Voara Culee and Charg. While Organi, the Massassi, and the droids fought the clones, Kaartinen dueled with Culee. Sensing that reinforcements would not arrive in time if she was still alive, he sacrificed a clean victory to kill her, letting her stab him through the shoulder in order to run her through the lung. She came slightly back to the Jedi she had once been in her final seconds, begging for death, and he killed her mercifully with a stab through the heart.

After the Sith Star was purged of enemies, Kaartinen received treatment for his wound, which recovered after two surgeries, although his shoulder sometimes ached in particularly cold weather. Kaartinen gave the order that the two Massassi who had died defending the Citadel would lie in honor inside the Citadel itself, along with the eleven Centurions who had died during the Battle of Dolomir, an unprecedented honor.

Powers and abilities
Like all Centurions, Eskol Kaartinen was trained extensively in the use of telekinesis and telepathy. He had a deep and strong connection to the Force, which enabled him to react quickly to danger, as he did when catching Zhin-Vel's grenade in midair and hurling it back at the slaver with the Force. In addition, his Vuul physiology gave him an added grasp of his surroundings to supplement his Force perceptions.

Having dedicated himself to the study of Soresu, by 141 ABY Kaartinen was its greatest living master in the Golden Empire. Though he could not often prevail over those considered the greatest bladesbeings in the Empire, such as Tariun Sakaros, Kieran Sapphire, and Rajj-Yo, eventually none of them could touch him either. Only Rin Sakaros herself could routinely defeat him in a sparring match. Kaartinen was proficient in the use of the infinity shield, and employed it against Zhin-Vel's battle droids on Haerch.

Appearance and personality
Like all Vuuls, Eskol Kaartinen had four eyes, two in the location common to Humans and other humanoids, with two slightly higher and toward the sides of his head. Also like all Vuuls, he was bald, with subdermal tissue growths on the top of his skull which gave him an added spatial awareness and sense of vibration, apart from what the Force provided. He had hazel facial eyes and blue forehead eyes, and a fit build, with long, thin fingers.

A quiet, unassuming man, Kaartinen preferred to remain out of the limelight. Paradoxically, however, this very humility led Rin Sakaros to place great confidence in him, as she was convinced that his only desire was to serve. Publicly, and with his students, he was usually very formal, though always polite; his subordinates after he became Prefect found him gentle and reassuring. Among his friends and close colleagues, Kaartinen was a bit more relaxed, and had a dry and witty sense of humor.

Appearances

 * The Fall of Keltrayu