Zeiss Veshok was a Mandalorian mercenary who fought for the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars and he later fought for the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War.
Biography
Early life
Zeiss was born on Kashyyyk in 43 BBY,A few months after his father's death during the Battle of Galdiran. Growing up without a father caused Zeiss to harbor a hatred for the Jedi. Zeiss was raised by his Mother,Grandfather and the Grozurra Clan,a neighboring tribe of Wookiees. He would often help the Grozurra clan fight off groups of Trandoshan slavers. Due to his upbringing, Zeiss grew up an excellent sharpshooter and tracker and would often act as a guide to rich off-world hunters. Eventually he garnered the attention of Derrial Sturn, a well known Senator and big-game hunter. After many hunts with Derrial, Zeiss was hired as the Sturn family hunting Guide. His first job was to accompany Derrial and his son to Tatooine to hunt bantha, womp rats and for Ozziks' first big kill, a krayt dragon. While tracking a possible Krayt dragon, the three hunters were jumped by a Tusken raider chieftain and his hunting party. Zeiss managed to kill the chieftain in one on one combat, saving young Sturn in the process. After the fight Zeiss took the chieftain's double barreled slugthrower as his trophy and developed his preference for the weapon. In 22 BBY Zeiss heard of the Battle of Geonosis and left Kashyyyk to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Clone Wars
Upon his recruitment to the CIS, Zeiss was partnered with Li-Sun Jinn and together they founded Steel Torrent, a special forces unit. During the opening months of the war, Zeiss and Jinn took the best members from any separatist unit they could get a hold of, ranging from a Nimbus Commando to a Thrysus Sun Guard. The next few months were spent drilling the squad into a crack fighting unit. Steel Torrent would then first see action at the First Battle of Concord Dawn. Steel Torrent was given many unusual missions, from bank robberies to gun running.
Steel Torrent clashed with Theta Squad many times during the Clone Wars and the two squads eventually gained grudging respect for each other. During the Clone Wars, Zeiss was given the opportunity to join the Mandalorian Protectors by their commander Spar. Zeiss, however, turned him down and stated that he would rather stay with the squad he helped create. This decision in turn saved his life when the protectors were annihilated at Norval II.
The Dark Times
At the end of the Clone Wars, Zeiss and Li-Sun went into hiding, to escape Vader's purge. Zeiss and Jinn decided to turn their highly skilled unit into a tool to undermine the Empire. The transition from a commando unit to an insurgent cell was an easy one for Steel Torrent for as unit was already used to the unorthodox missions given to them during the Clone Wars.
Insurgency
In 2 BBY Zeiss was recruited by the Rebel Alliance to help train its special forces. After training a few classes, Zeiss requested for Steel Torrent to be reconstituted into a Spec Force unit and transferred to the front line where their skills could be put to use. They did many missions that ranged from sabotage to assassinations and they excelled at shipjacking and helped capture many ships for the Alliance.It was during one such ship raid that he found a strange six legged dog kept in horrible condition on an Imperial Corvette. Zeiss soldiered along and fought in many battles, from Hoth to Endor. At the Battle of Hoth he helped defend Echo Base and eventually escaped with the help of Grimes, a former member of Theta Squad. After the fall of the Empire and the rise of the Republic he went back to training Alliance Specforce, which he held until his retirement in 9 ABY. His retirement was brought upon him by the realization that his pet was in fact a Codru-Ji, a sentient creature and not in fact a mindless animal. Zeiss then formally adopted her and moved back to Kashyyyk to raise her as his daughter.
Personality and traits
Zeiss had an upbeat personality, but remained a true soldier through and through. He had no qualms about interrogation or execution; as long as it got the job done. He did have a sense of honor, as he would not execute defeated foes. He had a deep dislike of the Jedi and the Republic that supported them.
Equipment
Zeiss wore a set of brown Mandalorian armor with gray highlights and purple around his t-visor. His armor sported a pair of spiked knuckles. Early in his life Zeiss carried a bowcaster, but before 22 BBY he somehow came across an Auto-kinetic rifle. He also carried a Scattergun and had a fondness for explosive rounds. Zeiss also owned His father's Kukri knife made of beskar. Zeiss also came into possession of the Hell's Anvil a KR-TB "Doomtreader" freighter.
