Avaketh

Avaketh is an Echani Sorcerer of Rhand from the Unknown Regions; in his bid to cause destruction in any manner possible, Avaketh came across an Imperial powerbase called The Empire's Triumph and was sent by Darth Grehiko to destroy a Republic aligned powerbase named The Triumph's Conclave.

## Biography

### Childhood Training

Born on Eshan to an Echani General and his spouse, Avaketh was the name granted to the prodigal child that was to be raised to replace his father once his use in the military had expired. Trained thoroughly in the Echani Art from the moment he could stand, his father would take no chances to allow another to replace him as General of his regiment. Teaching Avaketh all there was to know about ritual spars and how to approach them, the General was confident that Avaketh would lead his regiment to victory in a manner that he once did. At the age of twelve, Avaketh had won around 25 spars against those of his age and had only lost against those whom were older than him.

### Force Sensitive

In his thirteenth year in life, Avaketh and his father were approached by a hooded figure telling him of his Force Sensitivity. His father refused to allow dark-robed figure to take his son away from him and requested that he instead taught him the ways of The Force in secret on Eshan. Seeing this as an opportunity to implant a Sith spy on Eshan, the robed figure complied and was soon to teach Avaketh the ways of the dark side of the Force.

### The Twelve Duels

By the time he was fifteen, Avaketh's father believed it best that he now sparred against some of the regiment's most skill warriors to match the prowess he believed his son now possessed. Throughout this time, he was still under the training of Lord Fol. These duels were carried out over the course of a year, the final of which was at the age of sixteen.

#### Duel 1: Commander Sorn Solari

Commander Sorn Solari was a middle aged female that had served within Avaketh's father's regiment for fourteen years. A skilled practitioner in the Echani Art, she underestimated Avaketh and as such restrained herself during their spar which resulted in her quick defeat after stepping from the dueling perimeter. Towards the end of the duel, Avaketh noticed the presence of a shadow within a room filled with light. After receiving a slight shiver he left the room and trained for his next duel.

#### Duel 2: Officer Tye Artis

Office Tye Artis, a male Echani, was somewhat less experienced in leading than Sorn Solari yet was certainly a match for her in the Echani Art. Fighting with a defensive stance, showing somewhat his caution and inexperience as observed by Avaketh, the Officer tried to withstand Avaketh's flurry of attacks until the fifteen year old was too tired to fight back. Through his fighting style, the observing Echani could see that Avaketh was both searching for his fathers approval and desperate to succeed. With one swift and unexpected strike to the Officers leg, Avaketh used Tye's own weight against him and used both the force of gravity and his kick to shatter the Officer's collar bone. In public he was scolded by his father for this, but in reality the father was simply using Avaketh to eliminate all of those whom else could become his successor. He looked over his shoulder to notice the shadow in a different position to that which it was in a month ago.

#### Duel 3: Lieutenant Meeraval Jyvuun

This Lieutenant was arguably the weakest, yet most confident, of the first three duels that Avaketh faced. Often leaping in Avaketh's direction, Meeraval Jyvuun often attempted to throw him off balance and create an opening for a follow up battering. Although he maintained a defensive stance in order to limit the impact of the lieutenants kicks and strikes, he quickly became impatient. The Lieutenant was sloppy, and he could see her mistakes, yet she was too fast to make good on them. After tiring and taking a kick to the face, Avaketh finally attempted to retaliate. Rolling beneath one of her leaps and striking her inner thigh, he sent her tumbling to the ground and in place for defeat. Upon her defeat, the same shadow appeared but this time in another corner of the room.

#### Duel 4: Captain Banol Sindal

Captain Banol Sindal was a young man of age twenty-five; having served under the General for seven years he knew that the upcoming duel would be of some difficulty and thus prepared himself accordingly. Using several illegal stimulants to bolster himself in the spar, Banol appeared arrogant in both his speech and fighting style. Leaping from side to side in order to confuse Avaketh, the Captain struck quickly upon his left side with a kick too quick to intercept. Using the force from the kick, Avaketh leaped to the side and rolled behind the Captain, quickly followed by a kick to his back. Little damage was caused by the kick as the Captain only slightly staggered forward, and then turned, while prepared to make his next move. After Banol had sent several more waves of punches and kicks at Avaketh, the young Echani boy was primed to collapse. This was until, however, he remembered a technique that Lord Fol had taught him; channeling his anger from the duel into the palm of his hand he quickly dodged one of the Captain's punches and hit him in the chest with the full force of his open palm. Not only did the hit surprise the Captain, but it also knocked him off of his feet and broke his rib cage. Once again, Avaketh had emerged victorious, and that same shadow once again appeared in another corner of the room.

#### Duel 5: Colonel Nobal Shapriss

Colonel Nobal Shapriss was the only direct successor to the General's position, and as a result was the strongest of all opponents that Avaketh would face. However, due to his four consecutive victories, Avaketh was becoming overconfident and this was evident in his now highly aggressive fight style, something which a highly proficient user of the Echani Art such as Nobal Shapriss picked up on within an instant. After leaping through the air and targeting the Colonel's left shoulder for a strike with his foot, Avaketh was grabbed by his leg and thrown to the floor as if through natural reflex. Returning to his feet, his new stance showed that his confidence and morale had shattered although he was certainly still desperate to prove himself to his father. With his feet close together, Avaketh was easily swiped off of his feet and once again onto his back. The Colonel's fighting style, readable by both Avaketh and the other Echani that were present, showed nothing but pity and boredom. Arrogance, Avaketh thought to himself. Pulling himself up again, he rolled forward and aimed to elbow the Colonel in the back of the knee; despite Avaketh's attempts, the Colonel swung out his left leg and struck him mid-roll, sending him flying from the dueling perimeter. Leaving the room, the air in the room suddenly grew colder as only Avaketh noticed that this shadow began to move: in his direction. He was defeated? How could this be? What would his father think of him after this? These three questions ran through his mind for several days after this duel; refusing to show his face, Avaketh did not leave his room nor allow anyone inside.

#### A Preacher of Destruction

His own father would not look upon him, he had failed him in not defeating Nobal Shapriss. Unaware that he was being used to his father's own legacy continuing ends, Avaketh loved his father and wanted to prove himself once and for all, but had not been shown any signs of approval as of yet. To do this however, he would need to take on several more duelists before he could challenge the Colonel again.

The room grew cold, and a chilled sweat formed on the back of Avaketh's neck; he became paralyzed with fear as he could feel the looming presence of another within the room. Shaking, he threw his foot behind him to where he believed the perpetrator was standing, yet to no avail. What stood there, however, was a shadow darker than the rest of the nebulous room, a shadow that pulsated and rippled the air around it. Falling backwards, he slid himself across the floor and crammed himself into a corner as the shadow closed in on him.

He found himself gasping for air as the shadow approached, struggling as he did to stutter: "Wh-what are you?!". A sudden shrill and hollow cackle ricocheted from the room's walls and dug it's way into his ears as he tried to back further into the corner that he begged to protect him. After seconds that were drawn out as minutes, the same shrill and hollow voice croaked: "The key to your deepest desires, the gateway to the only real truth you can ever know."

Frantically covering his ears, Avaketh's veins began to bulge through his skin and his eyelids trembled from open to closed as he tried desperately to hide himself from this apparition. Another harrowing shriek called out: "Destroy them, watch as their lives expire! Dedicate yourself to this, and you can have all that you could ever want!" This call penetrated the flesh and blood of his hands, writhing it's way into his ears as it echoed far louder than anything he had once endured. His father's approval! That was all he wanted! His eyes welled up with tears as the air around him grew thinner and the room grew ever darker, the other objects scattered throughout the room baring only a blurred shape to his faltering eyes.

Falling limply from his ears, his hands lay loosely on the floor beside him and his eyelids finally remained a blanket for his now tainted eyes. In his unconscious state, his mind played back the excruciating experience and decided what everything had meant. He dreamed of not only a lifeless body within the dueling perimeter, but five...... closely followed by his father's much sought out approval. He awoke in a cold sweat and quickly surveyed the room: he was alone. Trembling, he pushed himself up and leaned sideways against the wall letting his head drop to his chest; he knew what he wanted, what he had always wanted, and now he finally knew how to achieve it........

#### Duel 6: Officer Drey Kalar

Officer Drey Kalar was a senior officer within the regiment that had only recently transferred over from another; known for his poor fighting technique, placing Avaketh in a duel with this man was an insult and a great display of disappointment on his father's behalf. Infuriated by this, Avaketh empowered himself with the force in order to make sure he could defeat this fool while trying not to reveal the use of his abilities to the observers of the duel. With standard kicks and punches, the fight was dull and dragged on for several minutes before Avaketh noticed an opening in the Officer's defenses. Making good on this gap between his left arm and shoulder, Avaketh leaped into the air and came down with full force atop the Officer's shoulder; popping the shoulder from it's socket, Avaketh then swung his left leg across the surface of Kalar's neck, sending him gasping for air after his windpipe had been crushed. This time, as the Officer slowly suffocated, the dreaded shadow figure was not present.

#### Duel 7: Officer Xira Sipan

Officer Xira Sipan held more respect than actual authority within the regiment, renowned for her strong striking arms and her firm stance. Her fighting style depicted a confident woman, although one that was rightly confident in her own abilities, and that she was a strong disciplinarian when it came to both her command of both her subordinates, and her body. Assuming a defensive stance so that she could analyse the young Avaketh's dueling etiquette, Sipan would barely move from her position for the first five minutes of the spar. After Avaketh had thrown several blocked kicks and punches at her, she finally moved from where she stood; leaping forward and targeting Avaketh's left leg with her own, she struck him into a roll that then led to him returning to his feet within a matter of seconds. Continuing in her offensive, Sipan threw her foot forward and just above Avaketh's head, shortly attempting to bring it down on him afterwards. To catch her leg before it hit him, Avaketh instinctively held his hands above his head and managed to grab hold of her heel, using it to push her over onto her back. Quickly dashing over to her, Avaketh sat upon her chest and pummeled her skull with several quick and heavy bashes in rapid succession. After however many hits to her head, she finally ceased to exist, the life that once existed in her eyes had now dissolved into the dull colour that now remained there in it's place. Such as the last murder, the shadow was not present. Even after the last two duels, that had resulted in the deaths of two of the regiments Officers, Avaketh's father showed no signs of praise in his child.