Drex Zaitsev

**Name:** Drex Zaitsev (took the last name of his wife, Lizbeth)

**Role:** Explosives expert and melee combat, as well as general commando training from his years as a “terrorist” during the Clone Wars. One of the best shockboxers this side of the Galactic Core.

**Backstory:** Born on the Zabrak homeworld of Iridonia, Drex grew up as a member of the proud martial tradition that is a staple of his home. From an early age the boy learned to fight, and grew up excelling at most all aspects of warfare that he was taught. By the time he was a teenager, Drex was widely regarded as one of the best melee fighters on the Southern continent, and would frequently put that skill to use participating in underground shockboxing tournaments.

At the onset of the Clone Wars, Drex wished to serve in the Grand Army as a trooper despite his relatively young age of 18. However, as non-Clones were generally not allowed to serve in frontline combat positions, he instead took up the task of training guerilla cells on Separatist worlds. This caused him to hold a dislike for Clones, who he saw as impeding his ability to properly serve the Republic. His work was never *officially* condoned by the Republic, but in reality it was vital in tearing a handful of worlds from the grip of the Separatist Alliance and refolding them back into the Republic. Drex served alongside a Commando unit on the planet of Krosis, where the Clones assisted him in training the local populace and even gave him impromptu commando training. He grew close with Horax Squad during this time, and grew out of his resentment for the Clones. After the end of the war, the Zabrak retired from rebellion building to pursue the life of a mercenary and bounty hunter, even competing in shockboxing tournaments throughout the galaxy as he traveled.

It wasn’t until he met his future wife, Lizbeth Zaitsev, that Drex started to consider once again joining the military. After the two were married, Drex attempted to join the Stormtrooper Corps so that he and his wife could be together in combat. However, due to the Empire’s xenophobic policies, he was almost immediately denied entry into the Corps, while his wife was blacklisted by the higher ups for being in an interspecies relationship. Their mutual resentment of the Empire festered until Lizbeth herself deserted and convinced him to join the Rebellion with her.

**Appearance:** Drex is a dark skinned Zabrak with a rather rare trait for his species: hair. While most Zabrak can’t grow hair, Drex’s sub-species is able to, and it grows wild and black. His eyes are a deep brown color that hold a window into some of the experiences and horrors he’s seen over his lifetime of war. Built like a fighter, Drex is tall and muscular, his body toned and strong from years of combat and fighting to the point that he’s just as intimidating in his armor as out.

**Equipment:** Drex possesses a suit of armor from his days during the Clone Wars, roughly equivalent to Republic Katarn armor. The helmet is specially made to accommodate his horns, giving it a fearsome look. He’ll often carry at least 6 thermal detonators on him at any given time, along with a collection of remote explosives; useful for when you need something to go boom. Another holdover from his days in the Clone Wars, Zaitsev carries amodified DC-15 blaster rifle with him on missions, along with a Trandoshan ACP Array Gun for close encounters and a sawn-off grenade launcher for those wild parties. Just in case things get extra hairy, Drex has modified his armor’s gauntlets to function as shockboxing gloves with variable power settings ranging from light shocks to lethal amounts of current.

Shockboxing glovesACP Array GunDrex's modified DC-15 blaster rifleDrex's personalized armorHandheld grenade launcher