Kyzk

Kyzk was a female Xhal Centurion of the Order of Keltrayu who became one of the ill-fated Shest Minor Seven in 142 ABY.

Biography
Hatched on Gamitor in 115 ABY, Kyzk was a "Greater Xhal", and the discovery of her Force-sensitivity was considered a confirmation that the Greater Xhal were indeed a superior species to the "Lesser Xhal". Even though Kyzk was the first Force-sensitive Xhal known, there were no Force-sensitives among the Lesser Xhal. Rin and Tariun Sakaros briefly considered refusing her for service in the Order as a lesson in humility to the Greater Xhal, but Rin ultimately decided that it was unfair to punish Kyzk for the prejudices of others, and took her into the Order as a Novice.

As a Novice, Kyzk chose to specialize in. Her light build lent itself to great speed, even though her exoskeleton frame did not allow the raw power employed by other Ataru stylists. She was well-suited to the Order's heavy emphasis on to compensate for her own lack of upper body strength.

Commissioned as a full Centurion shortly after the Conquest of the Chiss Ascendancy, Kyzk, like most Centurions, spent her first years in various law enforcement assignments. She returned to her native Gamitor on occasion, though her acceptance of both Xhal subspecies without distinction earned her some scorn from other Greater Xhal. She was sent to Gamus with Chindal and Tesshen Manytrek to adjudicate a labor dispute, and her fairness in the negotiations earned her the respect of the Lesser Xhal and further estrangement from her own sub-species.

In 140 ABY, Kyzk was assigned as Consular Aide to Manytrek in his role as Consul of. She served with him for less than a year, until the Fall of Tenupe in 141 ABY when the world was attacked by the. As the Consulate fell, Manytrek sacrificed himself to hold off the invaders to allow Kzyk and several Chiss diplomats to escape. Ordered to see them to safety, Kyzk was forced to leave her brother behind.

The capture of Tenupe, the death of Manytrek, and Kyzk's report on the issue sparked the Vagaari War. Though both Rin Sakaros and Prefect Eskol Kaartinen assured her she had done the right thing in obeying Manytrek and getting word to the Empire, Kyzk felt very guilty about leaving a fellow Centurion behind. She picked up her lightsaber training heavily, sparring almost every day with Kieran Sapphire, Rajj-Yo, and anyone else who would help her, hoping to become a master and carry her skills back to the Vagaari to punish them for Manytrek's death. She participated in a few ship-to-ship boardings, and quickly became infamous for her ready willingness to take no prisoners.

When Sorrik went south to repulse the Ssi-ruuvi Incursion, Kyzk was one of the many Centurions assigned to his command. She was disappointed to be taken away from fighting the Vagaari, but served diligently against the. She volunteered to join Breek Zagrev's attack force for the Battle of Shest Minor, and fought on the front lines much of the first day. Holding camp for the first night, she was heartsick to learn that four of her brethren had died on the first day. She launched herself into the second day's battle with a vengeance, but shortly after dawn, her carapace was shredded by explosive shrapnel from a Ssi-ruuvi round. She expired almost immediately after.

Kyzk's body was collected and interred at a special memorial in Keltrayu's Tomb on Keliso. Her death was a rare unifying point between the Greater and Lesser Xhal, who mourned her jointly on both Gamus and Gamitor.

Powers and abilities
Like all Centurions, Kyzk was trained extensively in and. She regularly relied on her telekinetic skills to move things heavier than her arms could carry, and became adept at hurling objects at her enemies with the Force in the midst of melee battle. She used to compensate for her somewhat blurry vision in some atmospheres.

An Ataru stylist, Kyzk was more an exemplar of the discipline's speed than its power. She usually preferred to wear down other lightsaber-wielding opponents with a series of pain strikes and contacts rather than a single lethal blow. Kieran Sapphire described her style by saying, "She's an insect; she brings death with a hundred little stings."

Apart from her swordplay, Kyzk was not much of a hand fighter and was considered among the Order's worst Var Shek stylists, due to the biological limitations of her strength.

Appearance and personality
As a Greater Xhal, Kyzk had a bright blue and gold exoskeleton and two arms. She tended to wear beads on her antennae as decoration. She carried a single, straight-hilt designed for her pincer-like hands, which had a blue blade.

Loyal and committed, Kyzk was on good terms with all of her siblings in the Order. She was proud of being a Centurion and anxious to uphold the reputation of the Order; leaving Tesshen Manytrek to his death weighed heavily on her heart, despite all her superiors' reassurances that she did the right thing. She became committed to fighting the Vagaari in a way which was unnerving to some of her siblings. Some even felt her death at Shest Minor had been a mercy for her, as it allowed her to die as a hero of the Order.