Leonina Varkathras

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To further flesh out Firemane's Force-using branch a bit. This character is meant to assist in faction roleplays, but can be utilised in PvP if needed, hence the writeup to document what the character can and can't do.
• ​Image Credit: Cathar character in 'The Old Republic'. Found here on ravalation.blogspot.de by Ravanel Griffon.
• Role: Order of Fire equivalent of a Jedi Guardian, swordmistress, instructor.​
• Links: Firemane Industries & Technology, Order of Fire.

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

• Age: Mid-thirties.
• Force Sensitivity: Master.
• Species: Cathar.
• Appearance: Leonina is a tall, fit Cathar female. She belongs to the Juhani subspecies, and so her feline features are less prominent than those of the baseline Cathar. However, she still has fur, feline eyes and the retractable claws her species is known for. These claws are razor-sharp and can thus be used to inflict damage in hand-to hand combat. Her reddish-orange fur resembles that of a tiger. By the standards of her people, she has a pretty if somewhat scarred face. Regarding attire, she usually wears Order of Fire robes or a Firemane unifom when on duty, while donning a suit of battle armour when she knows she is going into battle or a potentially risky situation.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

• Name: Leonina Varkathras
• Loyalties: Siobhan Kerrigan, Order of Fire, Firemane Industries.
• Wealth: Modest. Like every member of the Order of Fire, Leonina receives renumeration from Firemane in return for her services. The pay is on a sliding scale based on experience, rank, reward and so on. Being a Master, Leonina should be able to enjoy a comfortable though not luxurious retirement when her service ends. While not a spendthrift, she has become more materialistic since leaving the Jedi and no longer adheres to a vow of poverty.
• Notable Possessions: She has a Vanguard Heavy Transport issued to her by Firemane as a personal transport. The ship can do a bit of fighting, cargo or personnel transport and is quite tough, though it is large and not suited for naval combat. She carries an engraved hold-out bolter that was a personal gift from Siobhan Kerrigan. She also owns a holocron made by her old Jedi Master. Aside from her master's personal thoughts, the holocron contains information on Jedi teachings, history and the core Force powers. Leonina mainly keeps it for sentimental reasons and to remember the woman her master was before she turned traitor and embraced the path of the Sith.

Skills: Leonina is a competent duellist and skilled in several Force abilities, though she is not a powerhouse. In melee, she is knowledgeable in the first five of the classical forms of lightsabre combat: Shii-Choo, Makashi, Soresu, Ataru and Djem So/Shien plus Jar'kai. She often wields a single bladed lightsabre in her primary hand and a shoto in her off-hand. While a capable Force-user, when it comes to offensive skills she focuses more on her bladework than on esoteric abilities.


As a Force-user, she does not possess the raw power to make her exceptional. Rather, her skill set in this area is focused on inspirational and defensive powers, allowing her to act as a buff when she plays a support role. By contrast, her offensive Force powers are rather limited, especially at long range. In short, she is primarily a defensive buffer and healer. While she is good at tanking, her limited offensive skill set can put her at a disadvantage against Force-users who possess more hard-hitting or exotic powers, especially at long range.

Force Skills:

• Telekinesis
• Force Sense
• Force Barrier
• Force Valour
• Force Speed/Jump
• Protection Bubble
• Breath Control
• Tapas
• Detoxify
• Healing

Combat Skills:

• Lightsabre Duellist
• Melee Weapons
• Ranged Weapons
• Hand-to-hand

Non-Combat Skills:

• Pilot
• First aid

Personality: Leonina is driven, passionate and brave. She spent much of her life in the service of the Republic's Jedi Order and was thrust into the Republic-Sith War as an early age. Her experiences during this conflict hardened her. While she is still opposed to Sith and the like, she is very jaded when it comes to Jedi. If one were to ask her, she would say that she left the Jedi behind her because she got tired of gridlock, conclaves and civilian mass deaths. As far as she is concerned, she has the chance to do more good outside of the confines of the Jedi than within them.


Leonina was deeply affected when her Jedi master, whom she believed to have died in the war, turned out to be alive - and a traitor. She was unable to bring her to justice during the Sith War, but has sworn to find her one day and do what must be done. She has strong opinions on personal responsibility and the so-called revolving alignment policy. Having seen many ostensibly repentant Sith 'return to the Light' only to relapse again, she believes reformed Sith should answer for their crimes like any other criminal, instead of being given a few pious words about redemption and sent free. When their deed calls for it, Force-users who committed crimes should be given the death penalty.


The Cathar is confident, and not the type to meditate about the uncertain future. Instead, she lives in the here and now, preferring direct action. She maintains a tight regime of physical fitness and expects the same from those beneath her in the chain of command. Due to this, one of her training methods includes making students fight while within a ysalamiri field, since this forces them to rely on more than their Force powers. Partly this is because she herself was caught off-guard when duelling a Mandalorian mercenary who used beskar armour and Voidstone tech, resulting in her being seriously injured and lucky to survive the confrontation.


As a Jedi, her views on the Force were very orthodox. Her disillusionment with the order and her exposure to the Order of Fire and other Fringe groups have mellowed her opinions a bit. These days, they're close to Potentium. On the political front, Leonina has a low opinion of the Silver Jedi. This stems from her perception that they refused to take action against the One Sith during their rampage. Likewise, she has has a grudge against Mandalorians. This is partly due to the historic enmity between the Cathar race and the Mandalorians, partly due to events such as an attack on an unaffiliated Jedi enclave on Ilium, which resulted in the deaths of several Padawans.


Despite her disillusionment with the Jedi orders, Leonina is still in touch with Jedi Master Phylis Alince, an old friend from her Jedi days. Unsurprisingly, the librarian politely disapproves of her new choice of employment and believes that her friend's standards are 'slipping'.


COMBAT INFORMATION
Weapon of Choice: Lightsabre, conventional melee weapons. As a fighter, Leonina is a duellist. Her skill with a lightsabre gives her the ability to function as a one-on-one duellist or against multiple enemies. She is able to dual-wield, but for practical reasons carries a shoto instead of a second full-length blade in her off-hand when she employs that technique. It is useful against multiple opponents, or to gain an edge against a single one since he or she would have to watch both blades. She's also proficient in the use of conventional bladed weapons such as vibroswords, Force pikes or the Eldorai Sarix. Though not a bad shot her skill with ranged weapons lags behind her abilities as a duellist. She still carries a sidearm, in case she might need it at close range. While solid in defence, she is comparatively lacking in offensive Force powers and weaker on that front.

Combat Function:

• Competent duellist, agile and dexterous.
• Strong mental barriers.
• Good buff on the battlefield. Focuses on defence, healing and general support.
• Weak in offensive Force powers.
• Not proficient in the use of heavy weapons.
• Stubborn and headstrong.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION


Leonina was born into a relatively affluent, middle-class family in Republic territory, many years before the collapse of that galactic commonwealth. Her ancestors had been refugees who fled the Battle of Cathar at the start of the Mandalorian Wars. While her family had assimilated well into the human-dominated society, they tried to keep some of the ancestral traditions alive, such as travels to the homeworld to participate in the hunt, though these were increasingly seen as quaint.


Leonina enjoyed a rather carefree childhood, but this came to an end when her Force-sensitivity was discovered. Her Force powers manifested when she accidentally used telekinesis on a fellow Cathar kid who accused her and her family of no longer being real Cathar. The surge of rage she felt shocked the little girl.


Shortly thereafter, a recruiter from the Jedi Order showed up at the family's doorstep and she underwent a standard Midichlorian test. Her parents were reluctant to let their daughter go, but in the end gave in because they believed the Jedi were the best way for their girl to learn how to control her powers. Moreover, they were patriotic Republic citizens and membership in the Jedi Order was seen as something like a privilege. Time would put all of these assumptions to the test.


Adjusting to the Jedi's monastic way of life was not easy for the girl, who started out as a poor student, though at the same time she did not want to disappoint her family, though she was resentful of being separated from them. Yearning for adventure, the more formalised classes and emphasis in rote learning in them bored her. However, while she did not excel at the intellectual side of things, she showed promise with a lightsabre. Things took a turn for the better when she was assigned a master at the age of twelve. She was apprenticed to a Togruta called Shakkara Kalon, a veteran of the battles of Roche, Ossus and O'reen.


While rather stern and authoritarian, her master was a practical type who believed in direct action. One of her role models was Jedi Lord Hoth. There was little of the traditional training routines with remote droids firing stun bolts and such. Rather it was all about going out into the galaxy and helping people directly, sometimes without Council knowledge. Over time, Leonina developed feelings for her master, but these remained unrequited. The two had many adventures together. One of them included breaking up a sentient trafficking ring on Coruscant, which exposed Leonina to the deplorable conditions the residents of the lower levels of the Republic's capital lived in. It affected the girl's idealism a bit. Her master became increasingly radical and obsessed with rumours about the resurgence of the Sith.


Said rumours turned out to be true when the One Sith invaded Coruscant, catching the Republic off-guard. Padawan Leonina fight bravely against the invaders, battling Sith and their minions. However, the battle was lost and the Jedi Temple destroyed. It was a great shock to the girl. She was also disgusted by the comportment of those Jedi opinion had abandoned the Republic's people and their mandate as a Jedi by not taking action.


Over time, it would embitter her against them. Ironically, she would eventually end up leaving the Republic to its fate as well, which might make her views a bit hypocritical, though she would insist that her reasons were different and more honourable. However, right now there was only the war against the Sith. Having been driven from her home, she dedicated herself to fighting them. Leonina became more aggressive, participating in various battles and raids. While her aggression raised concern, her bravery and dedication was noticed.


She was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight after the Second Battle of Alderaan, when she took down a powerful Vong warrior. However, her happiness was marred by the fact that the Republic's attempt to drive the Sith from the planet ended in defeat. Things soon took a turn for worse when she, her master and some resistance fighters launched a raid on a Sith weapons' factory.


While the mission was a success, it turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory since the two were separated, her master ended up being left behind and was captured. Wracked with guilt, Leonina blamed herself for what had happened. Since the mission had not been authorised by the Council, she was reprimanded. The Republic continued to lose ground, and then the Netherworld event sent the Galaxy spiralling into chaos. The crumbling Republic struggled to remain afloat.


As a Jedi, she fought on, but grew more and more distant. Amidst all the battles with pirates, separatists and Sith, she suddenly received a distress signal from her old master, who claimed to be alive and in need of her aid. In the transmission, Shakkara implied that they might have been betrayed by a mole in the Order, urging Leonina not to tell anyone.


Foolishly, the Cathar threw caution to the wind and covertly travelled to the rendezvous point her former master had mentioned. However, it was a trap, for Shakkara had joined the Sith. Betrayed, Leonina was captured and taken to a prison camp. There, she was savagely tortured in an attempt to break her resolve and turn her to the Dark Side. However, though Shakkara played on the resentment and anger inside her former apprentice, Leonina resisted. She was able to escape the prison with the help of a rogue camp guard, freeing a few captive Padawans in the process.


However, the daring escape was interrupted when she ran into Shakkara. Once again the Togruta made an attempt to sway her old apprentice to her side, also appealing to the feelings Leonina secretly had for her. However, the Cathar would not hear any of it, and attacked her with all her rage. A furious duel ensued, as the Jedi Knight unleashed her anger. Leonina was seriously injured during the fight, but was able to inflict severe wounds on her master in turn. During the course of the duel, the roof above them collapsed and Leolina, believing her master to be dead, fled. Sith troops were in pursuit, so she was lucky to escape alive with the help of the captives she'd freed. It was only later that she would learn Shakkara had in fact survived the fight.


Understandably, she was censored for her reckless actions, though the captives she'd saved remained grateful. Her injuries prohibited field duty, which left her frustrated. While she recovered, she was assigned a Padawan called Oberan Tifwilla. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a total mismatch because Oberan was a pacifist flower child. Exposed to the horrors of war, Oberan soon fell to the Dark Side and become a sadistic murderer. His rampage came to an end when Leonina killed him. She refused to take on another student. Attending one of the many Jedi conclaves, she was left frustrated.


The Republic first fell under the control of a Communist dictatorship led by Prime Minister Lasedri, then civilians were vented into space at the Second Battle of Roche. Leonina a decided enough was enough and went rogue...ironically like the Jedi she had so disdained in the past. Adrift, she was drawn to a militant Jedi sect called the Order of the Blazing Light, before realising they were hypocritical fanatics. When their leader tried to 'cleanse' a 'darkside tainted' village on a planet he sought to claim as Jedi Lord, Leonina slew him. Discarding the theatrical name, she led the remaining vigilantes, fighting the good fight on her own terms. When the Galactic Alliance was founded, she joined its offensive on the One Sith, though she did not join formally join the New Jedi Order's ranks. With the collapse of the One Sith, she was a soldier without an enemy to fight, though she continued her search for her traitorous master.


By chance, she ran into her family again and got time to reconnect with them.Then war broke out between the First Order and the Galactic Alliance. Leonina was not there for the Battle of Kaeshana, but heard about it on the holonews and soon came in contact with Eldorai refugees. The Cathar wanted to rejoin the fight, but not as a Jedi. Coincidentally, her brother was employed by Firemane Industries as a starship engineer and recommended that she give the company a try. Here and there, Leonina had encountered Firemane mercenaries during the One Sith War, but not given them much thought.


She was wary about becoming a corporate employee, especially since their leader was a Dark Jedi. However, she appeared at one of their recruitment offices and soon secured a job interview. Surprisingly, she encountered Siobhan Kerrigan herself. While Leonina never became an uncritical fan of the Countess, the two found common ground, having experienced similar frustrations during their time as Jedi Knights in service of the Republic. And so Leonina joined the Order of Fire, Firemane's Force-using branch. Subsequently, she served in the war with the First Order until it came to a close with an armistice following the Galactic Alliance's failed assault on Hoth. By then she had been named a Master. Leonina continues to serve in the Order of Fire's ranks, having found a place amongst its members.