Kevan Pendyn

Kevan Pendyn was a career soldier and later intelligence operative loyal to the New Republic.

## History

### Early life

Kevan was born on Brentaal IV during the last years of the Clone Wars, a younger son of a family of lesser merchants. Wishing to travel and see the Galaxy, Kevan chose to pursue a military career and enrolled in the Imperial Academy. He graduated at the top of his class and accepted an officer’s commission in the Imperial Army.

### Imperial career and defection

Although he felt at home in the disciplined life of a soldier and was loyal to the Empire’s goal of maintaining law and order in the Galaxy, he became increasingly uneasy with the Imperial Army’s treatment of civilians, especially the “lesser” non-humans.

Whilst stationed in the Outer Rim he had several encounters with a large rebel cell operating locally, which he successfully targeted, driving its leadership to a small settlement on a nearby asteroid. Familiar with the settlement, where he had previously been stationed for a short time, Kevan planned to raid to with a large force of stormtroopers. His superior, however, directed him to orbitally bombard the facility as an example of what happened to those who harboured rebel fugitives.

Horrified by the notion of murdering several thousand civilians just to execute a few dozen minor insurgents, he refused the order, only to to made to watch as it was carried out in spite of him. He was court-martialled, but had the luck to be placed aboard the same prisoner transport ship as a senator who had been arrested for aiding the Rebel Alliance. Freed from captivity when the ship was intercepted by rebel operatives, Kevan was forced to take refuge amongst those he had hunted. Despite his initial contempt for the rebels, and theirs for him, he gradually came to trust an respect them, even saving their lives with his knowledge of Imperial protocols.

### Service to the Alliance and the Republic

Kevan soon became an officer in the Alliance Army and took part in various battles in the Galactic Civil War. After the Empire’s defeat he continued to serve in the ranks of the New Republic Army for thirty years, eventually becoming a respected general. However, he was irritated by the lack of appreciation for the Republlic Army in the Senate and began to clash with his political superiors, particularly over funding cuts. When Coruscant fell to the Mandalorians in 29 ABY, General Pendyn recognised the level of the threat and took a role in its recapture. In the following weeks, however, he found himself in conflict with Chancellor Vel. Decades of travelling around the Republic told him their outlying planets were vulnerable and in desperate need of stronger garrisons to protect them from piracy and Mandalorian raiding parties. The Chancellor, despite finally agreeing to a remilitarisation drive, recalled vast numbers of ships and troops to strengthen the Core, leaving most of Republic space exposed. Pendyn spoke fiercely against this policy and all but refused to comply, resulting in his dismissal from the Military Council - an example which succeeded in quieting the concerns of his fellow generals.

### Retirement and service to Republic Intelligence

Kevan spent the first year of his early retirement watching in dismay as his predictions came true and Mandalorian invaders ravaged Republic worlds across the Galaxy, unable to participate directly but operating as an unofficial advisor to several of his former colleagues. When Coruscant itself came under attack, he made contact with a number of retired Republic soldiers and organised a militia of several hundred, valiantly fighting against the invasion force. As the Mandalorians gradually drove him back, Kevan fought his way to one of the evacuation ships and accompanied the Republic into exile.

With his political opponents gone, Pendyn was initially minded to rejoin the battered Republic Army, but there were long delays in finding him a suitable position without dislodging another capable commander. In that period, he was approached by a new joint task force of the Republic’s civilian and military intelligence groups, tasked with mapping the Crimson Empire’s military assets and planning the Annexation of Esseles. Keen for more hands-on work rather than returning to the isolated upper echelons of military command, he accepted the offered commission as a colonel and helped organise the operation. After spending some time working on Tilruna he was posted to New Republic Intelligence’s forward command centre on Esseles to coordinate the work of operatives across the Core.

In 33 ABY, Colonel Pendyn received new orders reflecting the Republic's fast-developing plans for an invasion of the Core. Seeking to recruit new allies, he travelled to Corellia in the company of Calista Tagge, hoping to make contact with the leadership of the insurgent Corellian Freedom Army.