"They can all prevaricate, but history tells no lies."
— Zaijah reflects on events of the past.
Zaijah Adetera, sometimes going by the moniker Zarick Adar, is a Near-Human born on Arkania and raised on Onderon. He is a pilot of the unsung Potentium Fighter Squadron on Zonama Sekot and a former soldier of the PGAF, the military branch of the People's Galactic Alliance. Prior to military service and introduction to toxic warfare in the Galactic Core, Zaijah trained within the Potentium Order and adopted their philosophy.
History
Onderon
Environmental instabilities on Arkania caused many of its inhabitants to leave the planet behind. Zaijah's parents, Ghomjah and Haiye Adetera, settled on Iziz, Onderon as a decent environment to raise their child, despite a few societal inconveniences. While growing up on Onderon, he became acquainted with common violence and the law, an example of which was when he and a group of delinquents formed a gang they called the "Bomb-Star Clan." Before the group's formation, they and many others were regularly terrorized by criminals running amok. As a group, these youths brutally punished criminals, clad in black uniforms shrouding their appearances. Their charismatic founder, a human named Daniel Morosun, led them on these escapades. Members nicknamed Zaijah "Zarick Adar" as they became familiar, finding it more appealing and urban. Adar literally meant "resolute" in their strange dialect, something Zaijah often strived to be.
The gang eventually roused the authorities. The Onderonian Royal Guard tried to identify who the members were, though the gang eluded them well, only operating at night. However, the gang was compromised by a double agent during a special operation outside the guard tower, against the crooked Royal Guard Commander. The gang spent their days at the detention grounds paying for their transgressions. Free on release of good behavior, the public regarded them as thugs, and in reaction, the young men opted to better themselves. With his sights set, he traveled with his father to many systems and became accustomed to unique environments and cultures. On Kashykkk in particular, they braved the deadly territories of wild beasts while collecting raw components with which they later conducted beneficial experiments.
Mother
As time progressed, Zarick became more versed in his education and even discovered his latent abilities in the Force. His mother once asked him if he was interested in training as her Padawan, though he refused because of his indifference toward Jedi matters, even though he leisurely studied a number of Jedi holocrons and possessed enough knowledge to undertake their lifestyle. Haiye was the only Jedi who intrigued him; not only was she an assertive negotiator on the job, she was also a gentle soul who cared for all forms of life, especially botany and exotic flowers. On one fateful night, Haiye was summoned by the Council to accept a dangerous mission, aided by a team of Knights, against Sith starfighters hovering over the planet. Haiye proved to be a keen pilot against tactical star fighters, as her strong perception in the Force ensured her team's survival.
Zarick received word of the orbital threat looming above the planet and anxiously rushed off to lend what little support he could provide, worried for his mother's safety, though the Sith starfighters proved a minor threat to Haiye and her strike force. However, the Sith were assisted by Mandalorian mercenaries, cloaked, and packing ion weaponry. Their ion cannons disabled Haiye and her strike force, leaving them helpless, and they could do nothing more than watch the Sith bombard them with blaster fire and destroy them in a fiery blaze. Just arriving to witness his mother's apparent death, Zarick angrily open-fired on the enemy, later accompanied by his father. Eleven of twenty mercenary starfighters were destroyed while the others withdrew. Zarick accomplished his mother's mission and helped keep the orbital threat over Yavin IV at bay.
Ghomjah S. Adar, father of Zarick and former Commander of the Bakuran Royal Guard.
A few months passed after the incident on Yavin IV. Zarick's father received a job as security for the monarchy on Bakura and was rarely around to travel with him anymore. It left him alone for a while, but his urges for adventure kept him searching for something new to try. On a hot summer afternoon, Zarick walked around town and came across an Imperial Navy placard on the side of a market building. The poster portrayed the valiance of Imperial troops and a motto interpreting justice that the Empire promised to offer. Though he was aware of the Empire's notoriety, it didn't discourage him from joining. He went to the nearest recruitment center and was screened, then attended the Imperial Naval Academy and furthered his education through the Imperial Naval College where he tackled the basics of combat, naval operations, and drilling.
A few years of basic training served him well within the Imperial Military. He proved to be an exceptional pilot, which the stern Admiral Adrian Ganton occasionally applauded him for. Admiral Ganton was a battle-hardened workaholic who lead his squadron on deadly operations, forty light starships or so, against pirate hoards lingering near Imperial-protected worlds, and overtime, the pirates doubled in number. Zarick and the starfleet were bombarded by Black Sun Pirate hoards on one fateful operation.
He was fortunate enough to survive amongst all the explosions and rains of blaster fire lighting up the void of space. As the battle continued from afar, Zarick drifted while attempting to repair his TIE Oppressor's engine before the pirates could locate and finish him. Repairs were a minor success, and he drifted away in regard to his own life to the closest planet nearby: Yavin IV. Residents below watched the TIE Fighter dock by the river. The local authorities approached as he jumped from the cockpit, recognized his Stormtrooper armor, and escorted him to a holding cell for questioning.
The Jedi sensed doubt growing in the young man, questioning whether he was completely devout to the Empire. They elaborated on the Empire's reputation, its predominant origin, and its goal of bringing Sith rule to the galaxy. With a willful expression, he discarded his Stormtrooper armor in response to this. The Jedi hospitably looked after and accommodated him during his stay. Afterward, he and a team returned to inspect the battered TIE Fighter. The vessel received a transmission from Admiral Ganton. Ganton addressed the disloyalty he heard from Zarick over the active transmitter not confiscated by the Jedi, and labeled him an outlaw of the Galactic Empire. Zarick replied into the comm, "Hear this loud and well, Ganton! No longer will I be bound to the deceitful Empire! It shall fall!" He then reached under the cockpit and grabbed a lightfoil, with which he ignited and violently slashed at the craft until it was reduced to large fragments.
The "Savages"
Spring soon hit, and Zarick decided to visit the old temple across the river. Six rogue Force-users occupied an old, ruined temple there as their territory. They intended to mug him and dump his body in the river, but failed to do so when he fought back, and the gang's leader didn't believe their encounter with him was a mere coincidence. In time, the rogues befriended him and initiated him as their seventh member. They called him "Dusk" because of his blue tunic and dark complexion. As a group, they were nicknamed "The Savages" by local Jedi on account of their hostile actions and behavior. Their leader was a tall, clever Human male called "Neeso," a mysterious master of the Force. He helped strengthen Zarick’s connection to the Force and allowed him time to master basic techniques, then setting up an obscure challenge called the "Seven Trials of Courage" as his final test. All together, these seven rogues fought intense battles with persistent Sith visitors.
Neeso's group was eventually wiped out after a widespread battle began between the Jedi and Sith invaders. Neeso and Zarick evaded the Sith by setting elaborate traps during their escape. They managed to dust off the minions hunting them, but their strong connection to the Force attracted a Sith Master. She called out to them, enticing in appearance and voice, proposing they join forces with her. Neeso and Zarick detected plenty of deception in her words to refuse. All three activated their lightsabers and battled furiously, and at the outcome, Neeso was caught off-guard and impaled in his chest.
Enraged, he retrieved his slain friend's lightsaber and charged recklessly at the Sith Master. The intensity of his anger amplified the power of his strikes, managing to hack off his opponent's left leg. He approached the injured Sith to finish her, but she retaliated wth deadly lightning. Controlling the currents in his body, she launched him over a cliff nearby and sent him to the forest below, believing to have killed him.
The Potentium
Nightfall drew near. Five hours passed since Zarick lied there, burned and unconscious under the trees on a cold, dirt trail. If the Force didn't guide him on his way down, he may have been in worse shape. As he awoke, he spotted a tall figure walking a distance from the abandoned trail. Zarick arose stiffly to his feet and signaled the stranger.
The two talked awhile, both seeming unusually calm despite their odd encounter, and a plan was in order. Zarick was carefully lifted aboard the man's ship that set a course into the Unknown Regions, and they touched down on a mysterious planet, but it seemed not a single person was in sight. The stranger helped Zarick to the medical faciity, find it empty as well, and tended the patient's injuries accordingly. The rescuer claimed to be a knight of the Potentium Order. He then escorted Zarick to a spot atop a large hill where other residents sat in discussion. There, he met Master Flint Mokeev, Magister Salene Lusch, and Potentium Knight Toad Freck for the first time.
Zarick (uppermost) and notable Potentium followers celebrate Lanya's birthday ((2009)).
Zaijah as a Potentium apprentice.
Life on Zonama Sekot was an opportunity for Zarick to continue his training and unlock his potential in the Force. Toad Freck chose him as an apprentice and taught him the disciplines of the Potentium Code. He faced a timeless series of trials as an apprentice, one of his most cherished experiences, and reached knighthoodat some point. He left Zonama some time after and sought Onderon after receiving a transmission from his father, and the two agreed to meet near their old home. Zarick encountered his younger brother Gourah on the way there, and all three were soon reunited.
Sith encounters
Zarick encountered the Sith numerous times as a Potentium Knight. The elusive Crimson Blade Sith Order swayed Zarick's cousin, Allen Stonesoul, to darkness and pitted the two against each another. Zarick, accompanied by Daniel Morosun, sought to turn Stonesoul from the dark side but without much succession.
Potentium Knight Zarick and his cousin duel for the first time.
Allen, having gained an insatiable thirst for power, defeated Zarick upon their first duel, but nearly fell during the second confrontation with Daniel entering the fight. However, Allen lost his composure over this his potential loss and fired waves of lightning at Zarick only for him to redirect the waves back and strike down the persistent Sith.
Zarick approached the injured Allen not to deliver the death blow, but to save him. Unbeknownst to the fighters, Allen's master evaluated the battle from beginning to end. The man applauded Zarick and Daniel's performance, stepping beside his fallen apprentice whilst igniting his lightsaber. The Sith Master finished the task and plunged the weapon into Allen's heart, declaring him as a failure and eliminating him without second thought. Before they could act, the man faded from the scene, forcing Zarick to withdraw to Zonama with a heavy heart.
The People's Galactic Alliance
The Revenant Armada, operating under Sith influence, made swift progress in gaining control throughout the Galactic Core. The People's Galactic Alliance, formerly the Republic Liberation Forces, vowed to defend all peoples from one of these many threats. Promising volunteers, one after another, stepped forth to fight for the fate of the galaxy. In his knighthood on Zonama, Zarick overheard the countless exploits of the PGA and its forebearers.
Nova Squad member Adar holding his MB-2 A1.
Though he realized its structure was far from perfect, Zarick adopted the PGA's conscientious stand against widespread disorder. And, having finally witnessed the Marines in action on Bakura for the first time, Zarick sought involvement with the Republic. He left his family and friends behind to join a war unlike any he had ever experienced, armed only with knowledge from his past services as he left. In time, he was interviewed by PGAF Recruiter Gene Vaniva and underwent basic training for two months. As a sentinel of Nova Squad, he took part in risky operations on Alaris Prime and Nar Shaddaa to thwart Revenant intelligence.
Return
Brave New Galaxy
After widespread complications subsided between the PGA and the Imperial regime, Zaijah withdrew to Zonama Sekot and settled down for a while, disenchanted by the heavy waves of drama that circulated his life. He discarded his old moniker and got by as a vehicular technician, rekindling worn-out repulsorlift vehicles until they were almost mistaken for brand new and selling them for reasonable prices. Greater opportunity sprang when he met with his grandfather and learned of his roaring success as a miner on Adascopolis, Arkania. He and his grandfather regularly linked up on Adascopolis to conduct excavations. The minerals they uncovered in the tunnels ranged from carvanium to pure diamond, which were common findings but of course maintained their commercial values. Ever since, their riches resulted from productive mining.
During one extraction under the eastern Adascopolis tunnels, one of the excavators began experiencing failure; the droid overheated as it drilled through layer upon layer of thick crust, and once it reached its final limit, it exploded and set off a dangerous reaction with the nitrogen gas lingering within the tunnels. The blast killed several miners within range. While he and his grandfather were fortunate enough to avoid death, Zaijah did not set foot on Adascopolis again. He then received news of his father's death afte a visit to his childhood home on Onderon; his ship was inexplicably gunned down by outlaws in the Outer Rim and sent crashing to a nearby planet. He eventually recovered from long grief and returned to practical work on Zonama Sekot. His frequented occupation is piloting in the Potentium Fighter Squadron.
Personality and traits
Zaijah seems relatively laid-back and unaffected by the trivialities of life. A young man of few words, he stands by his principles without dissuasion and typically faces most problems with a practical, no-nonsense approach, letting logic play the melody of truth. Opposing his calm nature is his cold attitude toward Mandalorians, claiming the lot of their people were "misfits hiding in shells," and having dealt with the worst of their kind may be ample justification for his biase. The Sith also became an object of his malice during his recruitment into the PGAF on Coruscant.
Zaijah resembles an ordinary human with an average height and an athletic physique due to years of exercise in the military. His hair is tinted a dark-gray, he bears a dark skin tone, facial hair outlines his jaw, and a thin scar extends over his left cheek. The most unusual trait are his eyes, which supposedly allow him to see into the infrared spectrum according to his Arkanian ancestry. His wardrobe includes a variety of clothing while his usual outfit consists of a white tracker utility vest with a nametag, a black jacket underneath, white pants, and a pair of black boots. He also sports a silver armband on his right forearm bearing the Potentium symbol.
Powers and abilities
Zaijah is able to repair AI technology and standard vehicles at an efficient level based on his studies at Iziz Technical Academy. He was a seasoned combatant on account of military training and has used life-saving survival methods in the cruelest of trials, especially during bouts as an Imperial Pilot and a PGAF Marine. Time as a Potentium follower strengthened his extrasensory perception and helped polish his combat potential with the lightsaber until it became an aesthetic display for those bearing witness. However, due to his recession to a normal life and lack of daily meditation, his connection to the Force has suffered a dramatic decrease and may be severed.
Zaijah utilizing an undisciplined battle form.
Although he preferred Makashi as his primary battle form, he developed his own wild style while training under experienced masters such as Toad Freck, Salene Lusch, Susallia Arida, Master Hanumi Takakura, and Master Nina. Zaijah also spoke and wrote decently in other languages such as Arkanian, Huttese, and Durese.
Zaijah's lightsaber.
Equipment
He carries on him a survival kit with some items regarded as sentimental keepsakes. It contains a custom single-hilt lightsaber, a Velmoran energy sword, a DL-2000 blaster pistol, batteries, a datapad, a Potentium armband/holopad, an I.D. card, a viridian crystal, and a canteen.
Weaknesses
Zaijah's hereditary weakness are his eyes. They are extremely sensitive to intense heat or light and forced him to don a blinder at times. He also has allergic reactions to spice and Sagebrush and would catch a severe case of hives after close contact. Also, as a regular mortal, he is naturally susceptible to injury and the galaxy's most dreaded diseases, no matter what cybernetic convenience he would use to prevent them.
Trivia
•The player's SL username, "Savage7Rick," is a direct reference to the character's membership in the "Savages" on Yavin IV.
•He enjoys breakdancing and occasionally incorporates it into his combat style.
•An alternate version of Zaijah has appeared in a Warhammer 40,000© role-play sim as an Imperial Guardsman.