Ironhide
Warlord of the Pariah Legion
Born Zargul of Clan Tarkhan, the young Graug was thrust into the crucible of war almost as soon as he could walk, a peon thrown into the fires of war. Never amounting to much, Zargul was entirely unremarkable: physically unimpressive and lacking in any distinguishing skills, he was one of many indistinguishable peons in the ranks of the Ulgro Horde as they fought and pillaged for their Sith masters and the Sith Empire. After a particularly fruitful conquest of a valuable world, Zargul was seriously wounded, tossed aside like so much junk, but fate would intervene. The Ironmongers saw something in this discarded flesh, or perhaps they simply needed the numbers. Either way, as they swept the aftermath of the battle, he was subjected to crude chemical and metallic augmentations, reborn under the watchful eyes of the Ironmongers of Clan Er-Soon. Augmented with physical enhancements and foul sorcery, the Graug returned to life, stronger, tougher. Zargul was no more; Ironhide was born.
Ironhide quickly proved himself an able warrior and formidable tactician. He rose quickly through the depleted ranks on Er-Soon, becoming de facto leader of the Clan.
His meteoric ascent was halted with the onset of serious fractures in the Sith Empire. The Ulgro Horde was caught up in several large-scale campaigns, and was first routed in a cataclysmic battle on a nameless world by the New Imperial Order, and almost annihilated when the Horde's War Chief chose to seek further battle instead of joining Sith-Imperial forces in the retreat. Unlike the other Graug leaders, who either happily headed to a glorious death or were executed for resisting, Ironhide bided his time. He was a changed Graug after his rebirth, more inquisitive and skeptical. This was the catalyst for him to reconsider everything.
The subsequent battles were disastrous, the Horde scattered to the winds. Ironhide had prepared for this eventuality, stockpiling supplies and reserving fast moving groups of warriors to act as a rearguard screen. Er-Soon largely survived the defeats, and Ironhide led them swiftly away towards the starports still under Sith-Imperial control, gathering fleeing fragments of the Horde into a Band-sized unit. The group, counting what might be considered Graug 'civillians' among their number, reached a Sith-Imperial blockade that refused them entry, demanding they turn around and delay the New Imperial advance. It was then that Ironhide refused to be a tool any longer, to other small-minded Graug or scheming Sith. The warband stormed the defences and seized control of the transport ships. Branded as traitors and pariahs by the Sith Empire, this act saved the Graug under his command, now numbering hundreds, and they bestowed on him the title of Warlord of the now named Pariah Warband.
The ships were still crewed by Sith-Imperials, and any opposition was silenced quickly when Ironhide was able to play off rivalries in the flotilla commanders: he showed unusual political cunning for a Graug. He pledged his protection to ambitious captains in the flotilla who appeared to be open to idea of abandoning the rapidly collapsing TSE if they were willing to 'eject' the commander of the flotilla, who was none too happy to have been party to an act of mutiny. The change in command succeeded and the group were able to jump from system to system, looting abandoned space stations for what weapons, food and fuel were not already stripped by their fleeing inhabitants.
After some time, the flotilla received word of a system behind the front lines that was undergoing a civil war in miniature between Sith-Imperials that wished to flee into the Unknown Regions and those that demanded they stay and die for the good of their dark Empire. The system was likely to be well-stocked with replenishment, but intervening in the conflict would likely cost the Pariahs a lot of blood. Ironhide decided to chance it, reasoning that gratitude of the survivors might bolster their numbers anyway. The Warband dropped out of hyperspace and the Graug assaulted the system's main planet and moon, cutting through unprepared loyalists and declaring their support for the escapes.
The commanders of the escapees' Sith Trooper and Naval contingents were apprehensive of the Pariahs despite Ironhide's successful intervention, but they received the same offer he had given the flotilla: to join together for survival and escape the collapsing Empire. The Sith-Imperials were surprised at the eloquence of the Graug, and understanding that there was no option better than this, the military leaders of the escapees were convinced by the civilian leaders to join up. Thus was born the Pariah Horde, a roving refugee flotilla housed in a Sith Naval fleet bolstered by Graug warriors and Sith Troopers.
After many years, the Horde not only escaped TSE and NIO space but found a place for them to put down roots. Ironhide secretly gained the approval of the powerful AI AXION and chose to intervene in the civil war on Neshtab, at first merely as a mercenary force but eventually becoming the nucleus around which planetary reunification coalesced around. The now renamed Pariah Legion took up residence on Neshtab, bringing Galactic-standard technology and becoming protectors of the hard-won peace between the faction on Neshtab. Acclaimed as Lord Protector of the Collective, Ironhide must now chart a path through treachorous political waters, navigating Neshtabine politics and galactic politics between the two superpowers of the Galactic Alliance and reborn Empire.