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Call Sign: Komatose
World of Origin: Ziost
Enlistment Detail: Defected to Tapani Empire, known as the Expanse (Allied – Republic), Tapani Sector and served two years, on loan to Republic forces as part of an alliance agreement for the duration of the war against the Sith Empire. Designated Trooper TE-00987; number 987 of 10,000, the number of troops on loan from the Tapani Empire.Personnel Notice: Because this trooper was originally from an enemy-held world, SOP dictated Personnel Division look into the background of the trooper with call sign designation, “Komatose”. Tapani High Command responded by shipping a full dosier. After review, Personnel Major Solass Pon has marked the original files classified. Due to the special skill set revealed in the interview process, trooper Komatose has been transferred to the Vanquished Illusions order. What follows are CLASSIFIED materials transferred to Commander Xo’ran.
Holographic Transcript, Personnel Interview: Komatose #1
Major Pon sits at a large desk. “Have a seat soldier.”
Komatose takes a seat.
The major looks up. “Helmet soldier. I like to look a man — or woman — in the eye when I do an interview.”
Komatose removed her helmet stiffly. She was considered highly attractive to her own species, if rather thin and frail in appearance. Looks could be deceiving.
Major Pon continued. “For the record, may I have your given name?”
“Sir. I was born Kol’ar Kressh.”
Major Pon, sighs. “I wasn’t born yesterday, trooper. I know that’s a man’s name.”
“Yessir. My father wanted a son strong in the Force. He got something else.”
Pon tilted his head speculatively. “A woman with no force abilities that I presume did not make him proud?”
Komatose grinned. There were too many teeth shown and it made the major feel distinctly uncomfortable. “Sir, no sir. He got a woman that eats forcies for lunch. He was plenty proud ah me, sir.”
“Trooper Kressh, are you saying you are trained to defeat force users? Like Sith or Jedi?”
“Only incidentally sir. And I prefer Komatose, or Trooper Melantha please sir. I was always resistant to force powers. Don’t know why. What I was trained for was to take a hit. A hard hit. And to kill forcies, sir.”
The major sat back and looked down his nose at the trooper. She didn’t look like much. Pureblood sith tended to be scary to look at, but her pretty face didn’t inspire fear. She was slender as those underfed twi’lek slave dancers the Hutts liked to have around so much. And that was with her trooper armor on. “Forcies. You mean Jedi? Or Sith?”
Komatose shrugged. “Whatever command designates as the target, sir.”
“So, you are an assassin?”
Komatose appeared to suppress a laugh. “Sir, no sir.” She shook her head. “Special operations, yes, but assassin, no. I’m not qualified for that.”
The hair on the major’s neck was beginning to rise. There was something very dangerous about this trooper, despite her lack of rank.
Komatose leaned forward. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, sir.”
The major blinked and frowned. “Do what, soldier?”
“I can feel you trying to probe my mind. Whether you know it or not, sir, you are a latent Force talent. You are untrained, but it still serves you all the same. I presume your… insight is what landed you this job. Sir.”
Major Pon had always known he was able to gain keen insight on any trooper that sat on the other side of his desk. Trooper Melantha was a complete mystery. Was she right about his having a latent power? The look on his face as he stared at the trooper betrayed all those thoughts.
After he recovered, Pon continued. “So you can sense the Force?”
“No sir. I just feel what people do to me. I was told that’s not force sensitivity. It’s something else. Just the way my brain is wired. Imperial R&D sure did seem interested to figure it out.”
“Are there many soldiers like you in the Empire?”
“Like me? I hope not, sir. There are plenty of tough mandos that can stand toe to toe with Jedi. Just not many troopers. I was put through an experimental training course to see if the Empire could field troops just as deadly as the mandalorians, sir. They wanted super-commandos.”
“In your opinion, trooper, were they successful?”
Komatose shrugged. “Yessir, I would say they were. But the program was too expensive and candidates too few to be economically feasible. They shut it down after my class graduated.”
“How many–”
“Four sir, counting myself, out of a class of 64.”
“That’s an extremely high failure rate,” the major remarked.
Komatose’s eyes seem to burn with indignant anger. “Not failure, sir. Every one of those loses suffered more and performed better than any other member of Imperial special services, or the army. In my opinion, sir. The Sith in charge, however, wanted more. They enjoyed inflicting pain and studying how long a person could take punishment induced through the use of force powers. Those like myself are resistant to the force; not immune. In the end, Sith researchers slaughtered most of them. Or broke them.”
Major felt he wasn’t going to like the answer to his next question, but he asked it anyway. “How did you survive?”
“Like I said, sir. I’m wired differently.” The smile she wore should have been humorless, but it wasn’t. The major didn’t need to be able to read her to know the look in her eyes.
A roll of sweat trickled down the major’s temple. “Research Division might have some questions for you. Would you be willing to speak with them?”
“Of course, sir. Let them ask whatever they want and run any test they like.” Her pretty, honest smile was like a nightmare. “I’ll enjoy working with them.”
a.k.a. Lumiani in The Old Republic:
Holographic Transcript, Personnel Interview: Komatose #2
Trooper Komatose is seen to walk in. She salutes. Major Pon forced a smile and gestures to a chair. After she sits and removes her helmet, he takes a seat as well.
“It’s been two weeks since our last interview. How did things go with Research Division, trooper Komatose?”
She appreciated that he remembered to use her call sign. A shadow of a smile pulled at her lip. “As expected, sir.”
The major moved on with haste. “Good, good. I guess we can get right down to business can’t we? What made you decide to leave the Imperial service, trooper?”
“I’ve never agreed with Imperial politics, sir. I joined the military because my father signed me up for it. He died suddenly after I was transferred into the super-commando programme. I had felt a duty to him and to my world, but I believe he was assassinated by the Sith in order to cut any ties to anything other than the programme. During my time in the programme, we were ordered to destroy enemy force users, told they were Jedi. It started with teenagers. Just kids who’d manifested force powers. It went on to rival Sith lords. We were used for their petty games and power plays when we were on mission and the rest of the time we were “tested” until we died. I might be wired different from other people. Maybe I don’t mind a little pain to get me through the day. But I knowright from wrong. What they did to us, that was wrong, and the Empire didn’t protect us from them.”
The major saw the way Komatose twisted her hands together and squinted. However tough the trooper talked, the Sith had in the end hurt her after all. “How did you manage to leave?”
“House Melantha from Tapani Sector has a few members scattered across the galaxy. Some are just the expected diplomats, but others take up arms and fight on one side or the other. One, named Briyid Melantha, said she was working on her own to change how things were being done in the Empire. Said it was time for the petty cruelties and infighting to stop, to start treating their allies with respect. She was Sith, so I didn’t really believe her, but the words were pretty and came at the right time. I decided to take her offer to smuggle me to Soterios,” Komatose answered matter-of-factly.
“Soterios?” prompted the major.
“One of the primary worlds of Tapani Sector, sir. Soterios is the seat of House Melantha, current ruling house of the Tapani Empire. Unlike Ziost, Soterios is a dry world. Like Tattooine or Korriban, only more grey and ash and with 5 billion people living there, if you can imagine.”
“Ah, yes,” the major nodded. “I’d forgotten that. Please continue your story.”
“My story, sir? Well, I guess it picks up again on Soterios. House Melantha adopted me into their roster and officially gave me the name Kol’ar Melantha. I’m not sure why they did that, sir. I guess that Sith, Briyid, was respected by enough of the allied noble houses, or they just thought it was easier. Either way, civilian life didn’t sit very well with me, sir.”
“How so?”
“Well sir,” Komatose continued, “I guess I just like more structure. And my entire adult life I was trained for soldiering.”
“I would have thought your experience in the Empire would have soured soldiering as a career choice for you,” the major stated.
“You have a point, sir. I suppose most people would have given it up. But like I always say. I’m wired different. Besides, I can make a difference. I know Imperial tactics — Sith tactics too, for that matter. And I would’t mind putting down a few of those rabid dogs given half a chance. Or at least, protecting people from getting ravaged by them. I can do that, sir. That’s what I’m best at.”
The major sighed. This trooper should be retired from field work. She had issues that were never going to resolve if kept out there. Might never resolve anyway. But the Republic needed experienced, skilled soldiers in the field and his orders were that unless he thought she might betray the Republic, he was to stamp her file and let her loose.
But he just could not stomach the thought of her going out on regular duty. She was obviously highly trained and could probably out-soldier anyone he knew. She was also like a Rattataki missile — she might obliterate the target, but she might go off in your hands, too.
The major tapped notes into his PDA while Komatose waited with some unease. Finally, after fifteen minutes, she broke the silence. “Sir?”
The major looked up. “I’m transferring you, trooper, to a special order. They’re called Vanquished Illusions and operate within the bounds of Republic rules and as a Republic ally. You’ll find brothers and sisters in arms there under the command of Commander Xo’ran.
The major shook his head at Komatose’s deepening frown. “It’s not like that. You aren’t being retired or taken off the front lines. You’ll work harder there than anywhere else I could place you. Vanquished Illusions is a top performing order and you’ll be proud to serve there. Dismissed, trooper.”
Komatose put her helmet in the crook of her arm, stood, and saluted. Then she turned and marched out of the major’s office. The major was a little relieved to see her go.
a.k.a. Lumiani in The Old Republic:
Major Pon added a note to the end of the file addressed to Commander Xo’ran.
Commander,
I’m sending this one straight to you. Trooper Koma’tose’s military experience is extensive. She’s trained under Sith brutality; despite her light build she’ll hold up under the intense pressure of combat.She’s justifiably sensitive about her background. Be aware it is possible she may have been part of missions against Jedi as part of her Imperial career. Because of this, she seems to prefer to avoid them and keep her helmet on. This is an unproductive behavior in my professional opinion. Since she is highly trained and apparently resistant to Force powers, it may just be possible the best place for her is defending your more vulnerable Jedi allies or attached personnel against Sith attack.
Major Solass Pon, Army of the Republic, Personnel Division.
a.k.a. Lumiani in The Old Republic:
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