The Tale of Jaja Dekè

**\*\*\*\* 3998 BBY \*\*\*\***

***TERROGATE'S BEGINNING***

Terrogate was born Jaja Dekè in 3998 BBY but shed that name upon arriving to the Eternal Sith Empire to pursue his apprenticeship as a darkside warrior.

Born on his ancestral homeworld of Cathar he was one of a litter of 5 and he grew to become the largest Catharian of his tree city by just the age of 16. His father was a Catharian Predator class Warrior and one of the finest in the army helping his kingdom almost triple in size via domination over neighbouring tribes and Tree Cities. After retirement he took up work as a common hunter and often took his children out regularly to hunt for food. Terrogate showed considerable ability in the hunt and was the pride of his father amongst all the family. His father seeing himself in his son nurtured his abilities and taught him the way of the Predator warrior, he was determined to have his son’s own stories etched next to his tales of victory in their cities home tree for all future Cathar to see. By the age of 19 Terrogate was a master tracker, highly skilled in 1 on 1 combat and had surpassed even his father in his ability with the honour sword and the war stick. His large size and lightning fast reflexes made him a formidable opponent even at that young age and would help his local Elders in fighting off packs of predators and even helped his father take down a Giant horned hopper that was eating the local farmers livestock.

Despite being an effective game hunter Terrogate had no desire to do it professionally, against his mother’s wishes and with the silent approval of his father in 3978 BBY at the age of 20 he underwent the sacred ritual of the Cathar male Warrior, the Blood Hunt. Each aspiring warrior's name was put into a ballot to be allocated an area of Cathar to cleanse the earth of the Kiltik Beatles that devoured the native planets forests. The prize for surviving and completing the hunt earned the Warrior prestige with the Kingdoms Grand General Tanner Grekkin. Terrogate planned to seize this opportunity.

He was given his area via holopad which was never to be shared before the hunt. Standing, he looked at his father who inclined his head to his son, no words needed to be spoken, he would make his father proud. Kissing his mother goodbye he went out to prove his worth.

Terrogate returned 3 months and 5 days later, fur matted with dirt and blood and a small part of his left ear was missing. His father and the City Elder meet him at the foot of the home tree. He carries a large sack on his back, exhausted he drops the sack to his father's feet.. out spills hundreds of antennae. Some complete and torn by the roots still moist with blood and plasma, some bent and broken with pieces of cartilage twisted and splintered protruding the joints and breaks, others incomplete and obviously cut clean by a weapon.

Terrogate had been selected to cleanse the Vast Veldt... a vast grassland of Cathar overrun with Kiltik but also home to the insect colonies queen. Terrogate had destroyed an entire colony and also its queen which was an unprecedented Hunt in thousands of years of the ritual! In his report Terrogate had at great mortal risk fought his way past the many regular worker Kiltik, no less than two dozen giant warrior Kiltik stationed outside the colonies entrance, through the underground tunnels and into the main colony chamber where the queen and hundreds of Kiltik had retreated to make a final stand. It seemed as if they could sense him coming, sensed his presence, his intent, and they had retreated inside their underground lair. As Terrogate entered the birthing chamber the giant Queen let out a scratching clicking sound and the insects charged him. Terrogate, fearing the worst and with impending doom closing in , almost as if a second instinct had acted for him he closed his eyes and pushed out.. not with his mussels or his weapon, but with his mind..

To his surprise the wave of claws and pincers didn’t wash over him , tearing him apart as he had expected... he opened his eyes and saw the Kiltik had halted, stopped in their tracks... something was stopping them..

Not waiting to find out what it was Terrogate started hacking and slashing at the giant beetles with his dual edged war stick. He heard the Queen make the same sound but louder this time, but still .. no response from the Kiltik.. As he fought his rage grew, he became faster, he became stronger, no longer tired but energised and full of fury.. to his surprise the Kiltik had now started turning on earth other, tearing themselves apart. The queen he saw, had been besieged by her own children as they swarmed over her biting and clawing, she disappeared under the wave of writhing black shells and Terrogate knew his victory was now a certainty. The words of his father ringing in his mind from one of his early lessons hunting , “cut off the head and the body will fail”.

His victory was indeed noticed by the Grand General and Terrogate was put into the employ of the Prince himself as a personal bodyguard. For years he served with unquestioned loyalty, due to his size and combat abilities he also was often sent on other missions to quell local quarrels or take care of pirate gangs and smuggling rings. If the Prince was officially the hand of the king then Terrogate was the claws ready to engage and defend at a moments notice. The prince also made use of Terrogates other abilities and would send him to question and interrogate captured gangsters and corrupt officials. It is said that no one could remove blood from a stone, unless your name was Jaja Dekè that is. He was good at his job and he was rewarded well for it.

**\*\*\*\* 3973 BBY \*\*\*\***

Sometime shortly after his 25th birth month a great army of Mandalorians led by Mandolore the Ultimate attacked the planet , unannounced and unprovoked. Cities burned to ash, millions of Catharians dead.. it was a Genocide. Basilisk war mounts and Neo Crusaders making an example of his people for past wars long ago. Calls for aid from the Galactic republic went unnoticed, his people burning , dying and their republic does nothing! Their defenders, the Jedi with their morals and oaths to defend peace and the people DO NOTHING! A fire burned in his heart... images of his fathers home up in flames as he battles the Mandolorian invaders in the jungles.. but in vein , no matter how many he kills their ranks seem endless and their hatred matching his own for his supposed saviours that have abandoned him and his people to die.

~4months pass~

As Terrogate boards one of the remaining shuttles, he hears distant cry’s... his people rounded up and executed, as the invader they called Cassus had ordered over the enemy com channels... Terrogates shoulder is wounded, his Prince lies close to death in the cargo dock, another of his security detail next to him... slumped... bleeding out..  the only other escape shuttle in 100 miles , the sister to the princes one has now been boarded , a local merchant , wife and his daughter Juhani , still only an infant are the last to board as it fires up and takes off to Taris, the arranged meeting place for survivors. There is no one left , the others that were supposed to meet them have not arrived and their coms have been static for hours. He must not delay if he is to save the Prince, his responsibility but also his friend and mentor for the last 5 years , he who had bravely stayed till the end , till all hope was gone before agreeing to leave. A warrior's heart, like his own.

Seeing the sister shuttle leave the orbit he closes the cargo hold doors, moves the prince bleeding and semi-conscious into the cockpit and sits him upright in the co-pilot seat...Terrogate straps into the pilot chair and takes off.

The launch is smooth but visibility is low amongst the blackened sky and thick smoke of a burning Cathar below them... their speed is adequate , they are through the atmosphere , through the known gap in the Mandolorians blockade just as the Royal security commander predicted and just as Terrogate is about to make the jump to light speed their ship is hit! a missile has hit the main thrusters , sensors beep and lights flash as the shuttle jolts about violently forcing Terrogates head to smack into the overhead controls and all goes black.. Terrogate awakes some time later, he licks his whiskers and tastes blood. His shoulder is throbbing and blood is running down the inside of his shirt and out onto his pants. He looks at the controls and tries to move the stick...  they are moving at speed, life supports are stable, but the navigation controls are fried, the shuttle has been knocked off course and travelling aimlessly through space, he looks across to the Prince, he is slumped forwards in his chair, blood dripping from his mouth and nose... he is not breathing.  Terrogate leans back into the pilot chair and utters a silent oath to himself..... The Jedi will PAY!

~6 weeks later~

Terrogate , weak and starving.... having resulted in cannibalisation of the Royal security guard 3 weeks prior and floated his Royal Prince into the great void of space to remove the temptation.. resigns to the fact he will not be found before he perished...  The transport has been floating through space aimlessly and all but life critical support power has been shut off. Slowly he moves to the back of the Prince's personal chamber and with his remaining strength pulls open a closed wall panel, revealing inside is a cryogenic hibernation stasis capsule , just big enough for one full size Catharian. He swipes the keycard he found on the prince into the slot, the hatch opens and Terrogate climbs inside. He closes the lid and punishes the internals with his fist breaking the timer.... he closes his eyes.... and then darkness.......