Kisaha Ontio

Kisaha Ontio is the High Baron of Kuat. The title places him as both the ruler of the planet and head of the famed Kuat Drive Yards. As such, he is effectively one of the Republic's most powerful citizens. Ontio is a hardline element on the Senate, often favoring bold and efficient solutions to problems over liberal ideals.
==Personal History==
===Childhood===
Kisaha Ontio is a native of Kuat. Born to a noble line, he was blessed from an early age with a degree of education and other luxuries known only to the elite class. Very little is otherwise publicized about his childhood due to the Kuati penchant for privacy.
===Adulthood===
It was in the earliest years of adulthood that Kisaha first began to attract public attention. Once he was legally able, he entered the world of business with his birthright fortune. The young man utilized those sizeable savings in order to purchase stock in a plethora of minor Kuati companies and corporations. For years, it appeared that he would remain a conservative investor, never taking risks or making strides toward the top.
When Kisaha finally did achieve power, it was in one fell swoop. His record as a seemingly stagnant businessman had allowed him to toil without the attention of potential competitors. The actual size of his holdings, once revealed, proved so vast as to immediately catapult him into Baronial status. His would-be opponents never had an opportunity to retaliate, and were instead forced to accept him into their ranks. No longer was the newly minted Baron considered to be economically benign.
===Ascension to Rulership===
Despite his having drawn first blood, the other Barons did not attempt to hold Kisaha down. It was difficult to deny that he was behaving as any ideal Kuati would, after all. Now firmly among the ranks of the ruling class, Ontio turned his attention to the true throne of power on his world: the Drive Yards.
In what was a very rapid exchange, Kisaha bought out stock in the Kuat Drive Yards from as many investors as he could. Most of them were given stock he'd held in smaller companies, those he'd used to achieve power but no longer needed. Though each purchase was individually small, they quickly added up. Using the same shock maneuvers he'd employed to become a Baron, Kisaha became the majority holder of KDY stock. Per the laws of Kuat, he was titled the High Baron of the planet and head of the shipbuilding facility. He also became his homeworld's representative on the Galactic Senate.
==Senate==
===Reputation===
Since joining the Senate, High Baron Ontio has shown himself to be a rather conservative, hardline politician. He has little love for liberally minded proposals and "feel good" legislation. As Kuat is an especially influential power in the Republic's government, his supporting votes are often sought after, and it's no secret that he doesn't make them easy to get.
Kisaha has a reputation for wanting to give the Republic teeth, as he often puts it. The High Baron has championed the creation of a Republic-owned fleet, for example, and would publicly like nothing better than to go on the offensive against recent pirate infestations. His preference toward naval solutions is often quite obvious.
==Kuat==
===Recent Dealings===
High Baron Ontio has been an exceptionally popular ruler on Kuat. Shortly after he came to power, the Drive Yards saw a jump in productivity and the planet's overall economy was burgeoning anew. Little else matters as much on a world based around industry.
For a time, Ontio had ordered part of the Drive Yards closed off and workers there isolated. Later, the cause of this was revealed: the construction of the new Victory-class starship. The design has proven itself to be the most advanced warship in the galaxy, and will no doubt fund Kuat into perpetuity.
Kisaha Ontio has acted swiftly in response to the threat of the Black Imperium. In relatively short order, the High Baron reinforced automated defenses across the planet. He also commissioned the construction of an advanced orbital defense network, which now includes five Golan-class defense stations.
In order to maintain governmental stability during the chaos of the war, High Baron Ontio ordered a freeze on the purchase of KDY stocks, ensuring the continued presence of his administration.
Citing the Republic's choice to nearly elect an Imperium collaborator as Chancellor, Ontio announced that Kuat was seceding from the Republic. He dissolved the Barony and revived the Durosian monarchy system of old, declaring himself king for "so long as his people willed it." He remained the planet's ruler up until his eventual disappearance.
==The Sith==
Around the time of Kuat's secession, it was discovered that Ontio was a Force-User of great power. He had managed to conceal his gifts despite being on the public stage, a feat owed in large part to his calm restraint, and somewhat less to a touch of Sith power. Indeed, he was a practitioner of the Dark Side. He made no effort to hide the fact, going so far as to call himself Sith during galactic holotransmissions.
King Ontio made the case that, under the Republic's freedom of religion laws, he had the right to follow Sith teachings without reprisal. He was the first (and to date, only) Sith monarch to openly rule.
The extent of Ontio's involvement in the Sith cult remains generally unknown. However, after his exposure, he did interfere personally in a number of important conflicts and events.
==Disappearance==
Early in the year 21,372 YR, King Ontio abruptly left Kuat aboard one of his personal craft, neglecting to register his destination with his guard. He has not been seen since, and is presumed dead by most.
Ontio may be gone, but his legacy lives on. The Kuati monarchy collapsed in his absence, and the planet has been engaged in chaotic power struggles and revolts ever since.
Category:Archived Characters