Daniel Joseph Artenon

"Ward, the best offense is an impervious defense. Never forget that."

- Daniel Artenon to Sargeant Ward

Daniel Artenon’s homeworld was the peaceful planet of Alderaan. His parents had taken their fifteen-year-old boy there to visit his maternal grandparents. Unfortunately, soon after their arrival, the Trade Federation began their planet wide blockade of Naboo, preventing anyone without authorization from leaving the planet. When the invasion began, young Daniels’s family was taken to Prison Camp Four with many other inhabitants. The prisoners of Camp Four were eventually rescued; but, sadly, due to the harsh, brutal conditions, his mother died of a disease that had spread rapidly through the cramped living quarters, and his father, who had suffered a severe leg injury when he tried to escape and find medical help for his wife, was forced to have both his legs amputated. His uncle, Valorus Artenon (a member of the Royal Naboo Security Force), took care of both his nephew and his brother until he recovered. In that time, Valorus (Val-or-us) convinced his nephew to join the RNSF. At sixteen, Daniel joined the RNSF, and, due to his keen, tactical mind, he rose to the rank of lieutenant within a year. Although a loyal denizen of the Republic, he joined the separatist movement. His reason was complicated – he saw the corruption that had begun to take hold on the senate, and wished to bring an end it. Count Dooku had promised him that the Confederacy of Independent Star Systems would help to end corruption in the senate. When Daniel asked why he had defended the Trade federation in the courts, Dooku's explanation was that he was preserving the rights of the accused by defending them, despite their greed. But a few standard years after joining, Daniel began to notice common traits in those joining. The Banking Clan, the Commerce Guild, the Techno-Union: they had all joined for power and monetary gain, not to end corruption. When the Trade Federation was accepted with open-arms, the twenty five-year-old lieutenant stormed out of the room and left the Confederacy of Independent Star Systems, disgusted by the corruption that had bubbled to its surface. During the Clone Wars, he fought in several battles, and his victories elevated him to the rank of Captain. After the Clone Wars, during the rise of the Empire, Emperor Palpatine had the Imperial Military purged of all ranked officials still loyal to the Old Republic. To escape the purge, Captain Artenon returned to Alderaan to bring his father with him into hiding. Unfortunately, he arrived to find that his whole neighborhood had been wiped out, including his father. The Imperial garrison reported that it had been a ruptured fuel line to cover up for the rather messy assassination, mentioning nothing of the fact that Daniel’s father had been questioned as to his son’s location, nor the Pemacrete Detonators Clone Technitions had planted to eliminate the “threat” he presented to “Galactic Peace”. Deeply saddened, he traveled to Naboo and organized the existing resistance made of Republic soldiers and members of the RNSF. Isolated from the Rebellion, the RNSF remained on Naboo, working with local farmers and smugglers to shuttle resources and munitions to economically suppressed areas and resistance groups both on Naboo and to local star systems. Captain Artenon remained a leading figure in the resistance (and a pain in the backside to the Empire) throughout the Galactic Civil War.

Clone Wars Service
Like Lorth Needa and Jan Dodonna, Artenon was not a clone of Jango Fett. Rather; he was a volunteer. He has kept his clone armor from his service in the clone wars. Despite his rank as captain, he insisted on wearing armor no different than that of his fellow soldiers in the 403rd Legion. He felt that this allowed for creative thinking and strengthened the bond of friendship he held with the 403rd by removing the psychological barriers of authority presented by the armor of a higher rank. Even through the Galactic Civil War, the armor remains simple spare for the flower of the Naboo Flag painted on the upper-right corner of his chest plate.

=Rivals=

General Grievous
"I've grown tired of your games, Artenon. Prepare to die!"

- General Grievous to Captain Artenon

When Count Dooku welcomed him to the Confederacy, he was after more than his tactical mind. Like Grievous, Dooku trained Artenon in swordsmanship, hoping to use him as a tool like the rest of his minions (Asajj Ventress, Sev' Rance Tann, Etc.). He hoped to tap into his emotions, as Sidious wanted to tap into Anakins'. Shortly before Artenon left the Confederacy, Dooku arranged a "practice" duel between Artenon and Grievous. Grievous underestimated him from the beginning of the fight. During the battle, Count Dooku subtley manipulated Artenon, attempting convince him to release his anger on Grievous. And he succeded. Daniel unleashed all the hatred he had built up for the Trade Federation, whom he held solely responsible for the death of his mother, on Grievous. At the end of the battle, Grievous was exhausted and at the lieutenant's mercy. Grievous Didn't want the shame of being spared by a "pathetic human" and wished silently that Artenon would kill him, rather than let him live. As Artenon stood over a glaring Grievous, Dooku applauded him, telling him that he would make an excellent apprentice. Daniel Artenon had heard "Apprentice" used to describe the sith before, and was shocked when he realized that he had become no better than Grievous during the fight; not as a swordsman, but as a sentient being. Dumbfounded, he left the room, and spared Grievous. Grievous vowed that he would one day kill Artenon for sparing him.

=Behind The Scenes= -Captain Artenon first appeared as my profile name in SWGB: Clone Campaigns.

-I got the idea of him joining the confederacy and then leaving due to the fact that I played all of the SWGB campaigns under his name (Empire, Rebel, Republic, and Separatist).

-My liking of the Naboo as their own faction lead to him starting the Naboo and Local Systems Security Forces by rallying what remained of the RNSF.

-His time spent in Camp Four was a allusion to Jewish Concentration Camps during World War II.

-Daniel was the name of my paternal grandfather, who served in WWII.

-Joseph is the name of my maternal grandfather, who fought in the USA-Korean War.

--Logan Felipe 18:45, 8 November 2006 (UTC)