Lady Aya Clarke, Viceroy of Hoylin

[Aya Clarke]

NAME: Aya Clarke

FACTION: CIS

RANK: Viceroy

SPECIES: Human

AGE: 29

SEX: Female

HEIGHT: 5' 9"

WEIGHT: 135 lbs

EYES: Hazel

HAIR: Brown

SKIN: Very fair

FORCE SENSITIVE: No

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STRENGTHS:
+ Extremely talented swordsman: Having been taught from childhood to fight has given Aya experience in both hand to hand and sword based combat. However she is far superior at her blade work than she is her unarmed abilities.

+ Strong of Mind: Her unwavering faith in her purpose and capabilities has great practical use. Though not force sensitive, her mind has a barrier in the form of her discipline and keeping time with the motions of life, be it her footsteps, combat, or even counting her patterns of breathing. All steps to keep her mind protected, and her course true.

+ Strong of Body: But this would be nothing if not for her strong body. A product of training and discipline, she is capable of lifting well over her own weight, fortunate due to her choice of protection and her life's duties. She's capable of running very well over short distances, and well accustomed to taking a long journey with heavy supplies.

+ Unbending Will: Once she has chosen her path, no force will change her mind, and nothing will deter her from following it to the end except herself.

+ Experienced: Though she has yet to fight in a grand scale battle, she is well suited to one on one combat with similarly armed combatants. This gives her an edge in blade to blade engagements, as she can notice subtle changes in posture, slight noises, and other cues to impending action.

+ Bilingual: As a noblewoman, her parents paid to have extensive lessons in both Basic and Ryl (Twi'leki) as a mark of her nobility and to better facilitate communication with any potential kingdoms.

+ Lightsaber Trained: Under the tutelage of one Darth Metus, Aya has learned to efficiently wield a lightsaber in combat despite her lack of force sensitivity.

Weaknesses:

- Unbending Will: ... Yeah, for all the determination in the world, it makes her stubborn and can easily get her in trouble if she's not careful. And it can make her difficult to deal with.

- Tunnel Vision: When she can feel victory, or gets overconfident (which can happen quite frequently) She begins to focus entirely on her opponent in her pursuit to win. This leaves her frequently extremely vulnerable to others outside her direct direction of focus. On a larger scale, she relies on others to look at the bigger picture, as she frequently begins to narrow in scope if she attempts to do so.

- Honourable: Somewhat arguable, but her strict code of conduct leads to unfortunate circumstances. She refuses to fight unarmed combatants, and will go out of her way to protect civilians and the innocent. While this can make her something of an admirable individual, it does mean she will actively make choices that put her in danger, simply to fill a sense of honor.

- Blaster-free combat: Aya has sworn off blasters, slugthrowers, and any form of modern ranged combat. She uses everything in her power to compensate for this without breaking this rule, however she refuses to ever pick up a blaster or slugthrower even at the risk of death.

- Unable to use the Force: While she works to overcome such differences, without assistance she is at a natural disadvantage to force wielders. She may be capable of surviving blows, and protecting her mind, but she herself cannot do the same feats as force users, and must rely on sheer skill and technology to make the difference.

- Broken: After recent events, Aya has become something that could be considered broken. Her unwavering faith remains but she is haunted by the mistakes of her past after a force-induced coma. Furthermore, she has an intense fear of fire that can and will cause her to break down when subjected to sufficient flames.


APPEARANCE:
Her body is not only toned, but muscular. Her body's muscles are very well defined, though not 'amazonian', but definitely show her devotion to physical combat and martial arts. She also insists on keeping her hair no more than shoulder length, lest it become difficult to wear helmets.

BIOGRAPHY:

In my heart and mind, I always return to Kalis.

No matter how far from home I might find myself, the stars all look the same. I always thought it curious, that so many people could look up to the stars and see the same sight I could, yet from so far away. Even now the thought comes to mind, as I lay under the sky to await the morning. The same as they were now as they were on Aelozath. I can even remember the feel of the grass beneath me in Mother's garden.

I'd always spent great lengths of time outdoors, it was one of the few things I could find enjoyment in. My father was a Liege, a powerful man with many, many followers, devoted sarif laborers, and knights who would lay their lives down for him if asked. Yet he never asked for more than he was due, devoted to his oaths as he was. I'd always admired him for that, truly I have. Perhaps that was why I had been given the lessons in bladework, in the way of the swordsman, of the knight. With such fortune and them being necessary to join the elite, such lessons were expected even before I felt the same devotion of my father.

Yet even between the days of fighting and learning, we would stare up to the sky together, watching the clouds in daylight and the stars at night. It was, something too hard to describe. It was something that felt, complete... My father would often share stories of his youth with me as I grew older, until I had my own stories to tell. The whole while we would listen to Mother as she prepared the evening meal with the cooks, or as she gardened behind us.

Everything was, quiet.

Even my knighting ceremony went with peace and quiet, as my father gave me the title, dubbing me as a Ser in my own right. The smile on his face, on my mother's, on all assembled, the moment was perfect. I remember rising, to the praise of fellow knights, and of the sarifs who had in turn sworn to serve me, and only that sensation of pride in my chest. On that day, I received my armor, my sword and shield. On that day I joined my family not as a child, but as one of them, in full.

The days alone in my own manor were difficult, to say the least. Quite often I would stay with my family, that I might not feel the emptiness. Those days were plentiful, and peaceful. My father still told his stories, Mother still gardened and smiled along with him.

As I turn to the side, laying here as I am, I can see the fire I had built for the night. The resting of the ashen remains of the logs.

Of course, not everything could last.

My father was a powerful liege, who held great land and a number of knights. Were Aelozath a land of war and strife, his would certainly be the worst of targets. But Aelozians do not worship, or cherish, or respect war, despite the ease of power exchange. Even so, it was of little surprise when a messenger appeared, offering his liege's declaration of battle. My father was old, he hadn't married until well into his thirties, and by this time I was nearing my twentieth. He was in no condition to fight, and yet there was little that could be done.

The knights were called. I was called. And together we devised a plan to protect the sarifs, and to protect our liege. We had it planned, perfectly so. To move the sarif into the kingdom itself to keep them under the King's protection, and prepare the manor for a siege. We even offered a champion's bout, to settle it with minimal bloodshed.

They declined.

I remember the fighting that day, the clash of blades, the crumpling of armor, the chaotic mess of cries. This was why Aelozath hated war. Even as we fought to protect our home from the challengers, honor bound to fight on until our bodies could no longer, we began to lose hope. They fought with a ferocity we hadn't seen in years, and the hunger for our power was palpable.

I distinctly remember smelling ash, as my segment of the defense began to finally repel the invaders.

I distinctly remember the taste of ash in the morning.

My eyes grow heavy, and I must rest. I must sleep. Yet my thoughts still plague my mind, taunting me with visions of failure.

Their funeral was a month later, their bodies having long since been made to ash. I lead the procession of knights, carrying their caskets, which themselves were more ceremonial than not at this point, to the family catacombs. We laid them to rest beside their parents in turn, and began the night's silent vigil. A time of reflection.

Come morning the others began to comfort me, as all are wont to do in the wake of loss. I felt their absence, the missing laugh of Mother and the stories Father would tell. Yet, above others was the feeling of failure. I had failed. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't save them.

The others offered to swear their swords to me, yet I cannot in good faith take such, not then or now. I had failed as a knight, I would fail as a liege. Yet perhaps, I could redeem myself, at least in my own eyes. The sarifs, all of them, swore their allegiance to me as liege, and the knights vowed to make their oaths when next I can take them.

But before I can take the title, I must first redeem my knightdom.

My eyes finally could close, as the memories slowly subsided. I eventually had to make peace with it all, with everything that had come to pass. But for now, for now I had to rest. Come the morning, I would be seeking a ship, a vessel to carry me further than the kindly off-worlder had, so that I could redeem my honor.

I can taste the ash in the air from the fire, as at last my thoughts die down, and the dreams take hold.

And then, in my heart and mind, I return to Kalis...

SHIP:
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KILLS:
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BOUNTIES COLLECTED:
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ROLE-PLAYS:
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