Savossk

Savossk was a male Trandoshan bounty hunter and mercenary for the Galactic Empire who beca,e infamous for torture and murder of Wookiees. He was also a gangster and thug on Tatooine during the early years of the Galactic Civil War, being a prominent member of Falcore Extrerriba’s crime organisation. In his later years Savossk studied the ways of the dark side of the Force and became a starwars:Dark Jedi.

Birth
Savossk was born into a small and relatively unknown clan on Dosha in 21 BBY, during a year of immense turmoil caused by a Wookiee blockade. Following typical Trandoshan tradition, Savossk consumed the eggs of his hatchlings at birth to ensure the survival of the fittest. Up to the age of adolescence he closely adhered to protocol by undergoing tutelage under the Elders of his clan, was indoctrinated into the religion of the Scorekeeper and at the same time was trained to become a formidable warrior. After having risen to the top of his fighting class, he was invited on a hunting expedition to neighbouring planet Kashyyyk, home of the Wookiees. By this time the Empire had fully replaced the Republic as the dominating power over the galaxy, and the Trandoshans lead sanctioned slaving raids. In his first raid Savossk captured two Wookiees and slaughtered two families who attempted a rescue. His clan lead more raids over the next few years and his name, with that of his clan, became well known amongst the hunter circles back on Dosha.

Leaving home
In 6 BBY Savossk witnessed his father, Hurrsk, help some Wookiee younglings escape from a village under attack by Imperial forces. Without hesitation Savossk called his father out and defeated him. Refusing to grant mercy, Savossk executed Hurrsk in a traditional fashion using a Chalon vibroblade. This event caused Savossk to lose trust in all those around him. He alienated his fellow warriors and bitterly returned to Dosha to spend the next few years in solitude, while his clan, now leaderless, sank into decline. This self-imposed exile was not to last, however. Two years later, Savossk returned from obscurity and joined the Bounty Hunters Guild, taking contracts from all over the galaxy. He left his home planet behind and his clan became all but extinct, the warriors and females joining other neighbouring groups and forgetting their past. His fondness for extreme torture attracted the attention of the Hutt Cartel. He started taking contracts from criminals such as Jabba the Hutt and Nym of Lok. He soon amassed a small fortune and started hunting Wookiees purely for sport, which earned him valuable Jagganath points in the eyes of the Scorekeeper. Savossk’s faith in the Scorekeeper never wavered, but he had no interest in returning to his homeworld.

Mos Eisley
At the height of the Galactic Empire, Savossk retired from slave gathering/pelt hunting and moved his operations to Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler’s moon where he pursued closer ties and business connections with the Hutt Cartel. But within only six months of operation his businesses on Nar Shaddaa went bust. Having lost all his investiture and savings, Savossk was near destitute and left Nar Shaddaa to join a Doshan street gang in Mos Eisley, Tatooine, known as the T’Doshok. Only a month after Savossk joined the T’Doshok, other members of the gang (which included Falcore Extrerriba, Karrava Riax and Ostixu Taanga) faked execution with the aid of the Imperial Garrison in an operation to bring down Eisley mafia boss Drexxyl. Savossk was not involved in the planning of this elaborate scheme and found himself alone in the city while his gangmates went into hiding. This caused Savossk to start mistrusting those he considered brothers to him, especially Riax and Extrerriba. Soon the gang was re-united, and fought for dominance of Mos Eisley against just one gang, the so-called ‘Desert Mafia’. Savossk fell out with Riax and Extrerriba over a Wookiee slave, and was expelled from the T’Doshok. Angry and bitter Savossk left for Dosha and swore never to place absolute trust in another being again.

Mos Entha
In 1 BBY Mos Eisley suffered an attack by Sandpeople. In panic, an evacuation was ordered and many of the populace took up residence in Mos Entha. Extrerriba did well there, setting up a seemingly legitimate business out of the Fallen Star club and became friends with the corrupt city mayor. Intrigued by the news, Savossk went to Entha and, after several run-ins with local minor gangs, made amends with his former gang mates. He became a bouncer for the Fallen Star, and worked under the cunning Kisra Mesa Shei’ri and the odious Lella Lombardi. Savossk took an instant dislike to them both. Soon his arguments with Lombardi came to a head, and he was set upon by his colleagues at the Star. Outnumbered due to Extrerriba and Taanga being out of town, he was tortured and humiliated by Shei’ri, his arms cut off, and he was left for dead out in the desert. Forced to fend for himself deep within the Dune Sea, Savossk survived on hatred and willpower alone. His limbs regrew thanks to Doshan regeneration, and he began to plot his revenge against those who betrayed him. This horrific experience did not come without value, however. Savossk suspected his survival did not come purely out of his devotion to the Scorekeeper, indeed he began to disbelieve in her very existence. He realised there was a power within his very being that manifested itself when his life was critically hanging in the balance, and he sought to learn more of it. He returned to Mos Entha, still considerably weakened after his ordeal, but delays his retribution by subterfuge and trickery. He retook his old post at the Fallen Star, still working beneath Shei’ri and Lombardi. So deeply did he let his contempt and anger lead his thoughts, he started exhibiting Force sensitivity. Shei’ri gave him loose tuition on these new found skills but neglected to take him on as a full apprentice, still learning the ways of the Force for herself.

Departure from Tatooine
Lombardi was revealed as a Rebel spy and was sacked by Extrerriba, infuriated by her dishonesty and deceit. Kisra had already left for parts unknown, leaving Savossk as one of the few of the original staff members to remain. Activity at the Star and in Mos Entha declined as the Empire clamped down more restrictions on freedom of movement and speech, and with several controversial executions, many residents left the city. With the departure of his brothers Extrerriba and Taanga from Tatooine, and the sale of 49% of shares in the Star to another business consortium, Savossk’s appearances in Mos Entha public life start to decline. He was once again on the forefront of new hunting expeditions on Kashyyyk, and for the first time, he started accepting bounty contracts on Rebels (after becoming enemies with a Rebel sympathiser, Mos Entha Chief of Police Orlot Oriagi). His status as an alien prevented him from joining the Imperial Army, however, so he became a mercenary-for-hire. It was during this time that Savossk became deeper embroiled in the dark side.

Ch'hodos and beyond
By sheer luck while hunting a bounty in the Outer Rim, Savossk found a holocron on the ancient Sith world of Ch'hodos. The holocron only revealed basic knowledge of the Force before it gave out, but it did give him locations of other centers of Force knowledge. He would spend several more years in search of these secrets, while also meditating and working on his new skills.

Personality and traits
Savossk had no regard for any life other than his own. He saw those weaker and more disadvantaged than him as unworthy of his respect or charity. It is for these reasons why he related more to the authoritarian Galactic Empire than the democratic Alliance to Restore the Republic. This of course segregated him from mainstream society and he was feared and loathed by many. His desire for dominance over others actually brought him into conflict with the Empire, despite his sympathy for its values. The Emperor's anti-alien policies made Savossk a target and scapegoat by the Imperial garrisons on Tatooine.

In his time with the T’Doshok and later the Fallen Star, Savossk partook in petty crimes such as theft and violence, and mafia conspiracy. He had very few real friends and those he did make usually ended up betraying him, or he them. Impatient and driven by his lust for power, he took perverse pleasure and satisfaction in the fear, pain and misery he brought to others.

Feats and abilities
As a Trandoshan, Savossk had the ability to see in infa-red and also possessed hard, scaly skin that was difficult to rupture by standard means. He was tall and muscular like many in his species and was tough to equal in melee combat. He also had decent skill in handling blasters of most common shapes and sizes. He was reasonably skilled as a pilot insofar as it aided him in the profession of bounty hunting. Savossk used an FWG-5 flechette pistol for short-range combat and a DLT-20A blaster rifle for picking off targets further away. In melee he often used a stun baton.

Behind the scenes

 * Savossk originated as a character in Star Wars Galaxies.
 * The player behind the character was a member of the Mos Eisley and Mos Entha roleplaying communities on the Europe-Chimaera server. All of the events depicted in the Mos Eisley/Mos Entha sections of this article occurred in game.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Galaxies