Darth Mathandal (TSC)

Summary
Darth Mathandal is only the seventh Force Sensitive to come from Bantu. Master Mathandal was taken from his home planet of Bantu when he was only 12 years old to be trained in the Jedi arts. Trained under Master Gandor before becoming a Jedi Master. Fought in the Yuuzhan Vong war where his master was killed. When Master Gandor was killed Mathandal realized that he wanted to become more than the jedi that he was. He wanted to use more force powers than what he was tought, and started down the path of the sith. Trained for 4 years in the dark side of the force, and is well accomplished in the dark side. After the initial training by himself Mathandal was taken under the wing of Lord Trivas. Mathandal trained another three years before being promoted to Sith Acolyte. His Acolytship lasted two years, and then was promoted to Master.

Early Life
When Darth Mathandal was a child he went by the name of Aaron Mathandal Kriketon, a name which he later deserted after the fall of his master. Taken from his house when he was twelve years old Aaron was a lost youth in a bigger society of Jedi. Many of the Jedi had been training there since they were infants, and Aaron felt out of place. It was soon on in his training that Grand Master Luke Skywalker felt that this boy may be a danger to the order and himself. Master Skywalker took Aaron under his wing until he was 19, at which time Master Skywalker felt Aaron ready to be released to a Master. This master was Gandor Rhysolde, the master that trained Aaron in the ways of the Jedi arts. After only three years of training Aaron was promoted to Jedi Knight, the shortest training in the New Jedi Order (at the age of 22).

Three years later the galaxy found itself in turmoil, it was the start of a five year war with the Yuuzhan Vong. With the lack of Jedi it was decided by Master Skywalker that Aaron was to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Master(25 ABY). Aaron, now known as Master Kriketon or Master Aaron, fought in the Yuuzhan Vong wars. During the wars Aaron had an encounter with a Dark Jedi, Nimphadora, where he discovered his true dark intentions. During the heated battle with Nymphadora, a battle that took place while Mathandal was defying strict orders from the Council, Mathandal almost lost his leg. Aaron was saved, both from his injuries and the dark side, by his former master. Apparently Nymphadora was Gandor's old apprentice and the two had a fierce battle. Gandor ended up accidentally killing Nymphadora, but had saved Aaron from the dark side or so he thought.

The battle with Nymphadora was Aaron's first actuall brush with the dark side, but definitally was not his last. Now equipped with a prosthetic knee Aaron was not the Jedi he used to be. It took Aaron almost all of the war to get his movements back to his standards, but his piloting skills never lacked due to the injury. It was Gandor's eventuall lack in piloting that drove Mathandal to the dark side. Gandor decided to take on a fleet of rebelious Yuuzhan Vong after the war ended (32 ABY), and was killed. Gandor was overwhelmed with fire power, and Aaron was too late to save his master. This was when Aaron let the darkness in him take him over, killing the three vessels in cold blood. In the year 32 ABY Aaron Kriketon resigned from the Jedi Council to go to his home and decide his future.

It was when he got home that Aaron fully let himself to the dark side. Aaron traveled back home to Bantu after resigning from the council to finally again see his parents. To his surprise when Aaron arrived he found his parents dead and his brother the leader of the rebellion. Aaron did some research and found out that it was his brother that was responsible for the death of his parents. Again out of cold blood Aaron commited murder, but this time there was no remorse, there was only revenge and happiness. At this time Aaron decided his future, he would enter into the dark side and find the remainin sith. Aaron remained on Bantu for two years after the death of his brother before leaving, gathering information and strength.

In 32 ABY Aaron began training himself in the darkside of the force. Little did Aaron know what awaited him when he found Ni'noiva

Apprenticeship
Aaron arrived at Ni'noiva in 38 ABY, not knowing that this was home to a new legion of Sith. He had felt strong Force presence on the planet, he thought maybe there were some jedi or hidden trainings, but never that he found the home of the sith. Mathandal was greeted by the Ni'noivan government and allowed to stay on the planet and bask in the dark side. Two years after arriving on Ni'noiva Aaron was taken as an apprentice to one of the highest ranking sith out there, Lord Trivas. Apparently Aaron had caught the eye of the Sith Lord, both in Force power and attitude, and Lord Trivas wanted to make Aaron his apprentice. Gratefully Aaron accepted the training from the Sith Lord, unofficially dropping the name Aaron and becoming only Mathandal.

Basic training lasted two years, training strictly in the temples. Aaron was getting stronger, he could feel it and so could Lord Trivas. The day came, most unexpectedly, that Mathandal was to go on his hardest training mission. Mathandal happily went on the mission, cockiness filled his head. He thought the mission to be a walk in the park, but was not ready for what he had to do. The mission goals themselves were not hard, but the place at which the mission was held was. Lord Trivas had taken Aaron to his personal quarters, kept only at 45 degrees(F) and that was the warmest part of the mission. There were many tests on this mission, including a giant ice slug, a false Force calling, and near death swimming experience. Aaron made the biggest mistake of his training during this mission, almost killing him. Lord Trivas and Aaron were crawling through ice tunnels when Lord Trivas told Aaron of the next part of his mission, he was to dive down and get a beacon 1200 meters under water. The only problem was that at 500 meters his suit stoppes working and at 800 meters you can no longer use the Force. Being narrowminded and not thinking of the consequences Aaron jumps in the water, knowingly floating to his death. Lord Trivas saved Aaron, telling him that it was the most difficult task he has given any apprentice.

For two years after Aaron's near death Lord Trivas continued to train him. Aaron had become more powerfull now than when he was a Jedi Master, finally able to unleash the darkness within. In 44 ABY the time came when Lord Trivas said that Aaron was ready to be promoted to Acolyte, official dropping Aaron and becoming Darth Mathandal.

Acolyte
"You are very wise young one. I easily see you sitting on the Council one day."

- Lord Trivas to Darth Mathandal

After being promoted to Acolyte Mathandal decided to go to the Force calling he had felt to Bantu for three years. Mathandal left Ni'noiva the same week as being promoted only to find a war. Mathandal no longer needed to be on Ni'noiva all the time and decided to help out the remenants of his people. They were near being wiped out by the Hutts. The hutts had always had their eyes on Bantu, trying to get it for its beautiful trees and geography. Mathandal used the Force to tip the battle to the Bantuians, quickly gaining the rank of Grand General in the Bantuian Army.

The battle was tipped so far to the Bantuians side that the Hutts did something nobody thought they would ever do, they destroyed the whole surface of Bantu. Mathandal sat and watched as the surface of his homeworld, the world his parents had died on and the world he killed his only brother on, be destroyed. Filled with rage, fury, and the want for revenge Mathandal got in his starship and began a space chase with the Hutts. Eventually, Mathandal disabled the main attack ship and boarded it. Mathandal let his rage and fury fuel his actions and take him over, in cold blood Mathandal murdered no less then 30 hutts. When Mathandal arrived back he had changed, his skin no longer green but a greyish green, his eyes no longer yellow with black slits but yellow with red slits. The evil had taken him over, consumed him. He had used the Force too much, his darkness too much, without the proper training. Mathandal decided to go back to Ni'noiva right after the brutal murderings, 45 ABY.

When Mathandal arrived at Ni'noiva he found the planet in turmoil. War had been declared by the Sith Council on the Galactic Alliance after one of the sith had betrayed and joined the GA. Much of what the sith had worked for so long was now destroyed. Mathandal knew that he could not enter another war without some advanced training. Mathandal's lust for killing when angered led him down the path of the assasin. The strict training of the assasin would help Mathandal to control the emotions he felt.

Mathandal was approached by Scimitar, a skilled sith assasin, about going with him on a mission for a jedi. Mathandal agreed to the mission, thinking that he would train more with Scimitar while they were not busy. The day before Mathandal took off for the mission he was called to the Council.

Mastership
One month 16 days after the initial attack, and only one year after being promoted to Acolyte Mathandal had proven himself to the Council. Mathandal was made into a Sith Master, retaining the title Darth Mathandal but now also Master Mathandal. Mathandal did not expect to be promoted so soon, but had a feeling that he deserved this promotion. Mathandal, Scimitar, Darth Sirius, Darth Atrasidus, and Nihilatus began their mission.