I've been a soldier since before you were born, fighting in the Clone Wars . . . though you probably don't know what that is.
—Mikos Antonescu to a subordinate
Mikos Antonescu was a Human mercenary and military officer who served in the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Alliance to Restore the Republic, and the New Republic. Originally fighting in the Separatist Droid Army during the Clone Wars, Antonescu fought in several resistance groups during the early years of the Galactic Empire. His last one, Kota's Militia, merged with the Rebel Alliance in 2 BBY, and he received the rank of colonel in the Rebel Army. Fighting throughout the Galactic Civil War, Antonescu went on to serve the New Republic after the conflict.
Antonescu was trained by his father from an early age, in a military up-bringing. He decided to become a mercenary, and viewed military service to be very prestigious. As a result, Antonescu was known to be a good marksman. He did not have much political views throughout the Clone Wars, other than a dislike for the Galactic Republic, which he deemed to be corrupt. Nonetheless, he respected the Jedi Order. Throughout the early days of the Empire, his views of it turned to hatred after he found out about Order 66 and the Great Jedi Purge.
Biography[]
Early life[]
I learned a lot from my father. Everything, in fact.
—Antonescu recalling his childhood
Mikos Antonescu was born in 41 BBY on the fourth planet of the Orion system, Orion IV, to a security guard and a factory worker. His father, a security guard in the local police forces, decided to up-bring Antonescu as a soldier. From a young age, he had him exercise a lot and practice useful skills. Those included sharpshooting, piloting, driving, martial arts, repairing various objects, and some first aid training. He only spent a few years going to a regular school, and was taught primarily by his father. As a result, Antonescu decided to become a soldier, but not in a planetary organization.
He ended up deciding to become a mercenary, and at age eighteen, he was hired by the local security forces. Serving with them, Antonescu gained skills such as leadership and investigating, as well as seeing actual combat. They mainly carried out operations against local thugs, and sometimes fended off attacks from pirates and gangs. However, in 21 BBY, the Confederacy of Independent Systems occupied his home planet after destroying a Republic Navy fleet over it. Many able bodied men were drafted into an organic unit of the Separatist Droid Army, including Antonescu. His father was executed by battle droids.
Clone Wars[]
Separatist training[]
After the draft, they took us to a desert planet. We spent days in the deserts, fighting flying bugs and trying to survive. Many died, but we emerged tougher than we were before, and ready for anything the Republic could throw at us.
—Antonescu on his training
After the draft, Antonescu and the others were placed into a newly created military unit of the Droid Army: the Confederate Home Guard. It was an organic unit composed of the conscripts from Orion IV. Given special uniforms, they were sent to the planet of Geonosis. In the deserts, Antonescu and the others spent several weeks undergoing a harsh training in which many of his comrades perished, but as survivors, he and the others came out stronger and tougher than before. In the deserts, they were forced to survive off the land and had to fight off Geonosians.
Antonescu in his uniform.
Antonescu survived and was given the rank of corporal at the end of the training. The Home Guard was commended for surviving in such harsh conditions and made a special forces unit, though still were not considered much more than mercenaries. Count Dooku requested that they be placed under his direct command for a mission.
Battle of Antar 4[]
On the rooftops! Ambush!
—Antonescu during the battle
Antonescu saw his first action as a CIS soldier that same year, on the Inner Rim Territories world of Antar 4. The Confederate Navy, on Dooku's command, bombarded the planet from orbit first, decimating the air defenses. Then, the Home Guard was deployed to sweep a certain village and wipe out any remaining resistance, as Dooku wanted to set up a new forward headquarters in the area. Their enemies in that battle were the Antarian Rangers.
His unit landed on the south side of the ruined village. Antonescu and his squadron cautiously made their way through the ruble, digging through some buildings to look for anyone who could be hiding. Antonescu himself took part in sweeping the buildings, and found several charred dead bodies. He then told himself that it was necessary, for a greater good, and that the Republic would have done the same. They proceeded towards the center of the destroyed village. On their way there, however, the squadron was ambushed by Rangers on the rooftops. Taken by surprise, several Home Guards were killed. Antonescu reacted quickly, without hesitation, and ordered the unit to take cover in the buildings as he fired back up at the attackers, killing several.
In the buildings, they went on in house-to-house fighting, killing several Rangers. Since much of the unit's non-commissioned officers and officers were killed outside in the ambush, Antonescu took command and led the unit through the village while exterminating the the Rangers in the way. As they mopped up and finished off the last of the Rangers, a Jedi attacked them and killed several more Home Guards. However, Antonescu and his small squadron took him out from a distance. With his death, the remaining Rangers retreated or surrendered.
Antonescu's leadership was noted by other guardsmen, and word of it got to Dooku. He had the young soldier promoted to sergeant for his actions in the battle, but Antonescu himself felt as if they committed an atrocity. As he saw it, the Rangers were defending their people after the CIS fleet bombarded their home planet and slaughtered civilians. Nonetheless, he kept quire and accepted the promotion. Antonescu also noted the skill of the Jedi in action.
Battle of Kabal[]
Republic walkers attacking CIS defenses.
Following the engagement on Antar 4, Antonescu and the Home Guard was sent to the planet of Kabal, where a new CIS command centre was under construction. There, the Home Guard's job was to protect the facility, with a contingent of battle droids of various types.