Zeradias Mant
Democracy Dies in Darkness
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Name: Lew Nailati
Alias(es): N/A
Title(s): N/A
Homeworld: Druckenwell
Current Locale: the Starling
Force Sensitive: No
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Height: 1.85 m
Weight: 88 kg
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
Skin Pigmentation: Caucasian
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
- The Errant Fleet, Captain of the Starling
- Grand Army of the Galactic Republic, Captain
- Starling, Captain
- University of Tibrin
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology & Xenolinguistics - Galactic Republic Military Academy
Officer's Commission - University of Charmath
Master of Arts, History - Kalinda University
Doctor of Philosophy, Theology
APPEARANCE & CHARACTER
Lew is a man of slightly above average height and athletic build and with no real distinguishing features. He's avoided conflict for most of his life, and exercised enough caution to avoid any accidental scarring or lasting topical damage.
Much more distinct though, are his intangible traits. He's dedicated his life's studies to understanding the organic being. How they think, function, and act are all of particular interest to him. Though it may seem noble being knowledgeable of the galaxy's diversity, it places him in a unique position to exploit these traits within individuals and groups alike. Predictable foresight based off individual action is it's own form of intelligence, and in that regard, Lew is a one-man intelligence operation.
TRAITS & ABILITIES
(+) Sound Judgment: Having spent years expanding and refining his knowledge, Lew is a great judge of character and even moreso at assessing situations as they happen. He has demonstrated a capability to make important snap decisions, and though not without significant risk, he's correct in his choices more often than not.
(+) Battle Tested: A warrior-philosopher, Lew is well-versed in conflict and the philosophies behind combat and its underlying causes. A graduate of the Galactic Republic Military Academy, he is a trained leader of men and acquainted with the burdens that come with the role.
(+) Sociology on the Fly: Making use of his background, Lew is able to communicate with a vast array of alien species in their native tongue. Proficient in nearly two dozen languages spoken by the galaxy's most populous species, Lew is armed with a skill set to handle just about any foreign engagement. His educational background also helps him analyze the psyche of individuals and groups, which makes predicting their actions and motives all the more plausible.
FAULTS & SHORTCOMINGS
(-) STEM: Lew's strength lie in the organic mind - who people are and how they think. His weakness lie in more practical fields surrounding applied sciences, engineering, and mathematics. While not completely illiterate, he is inept and largely unable to offer support in these fields.
(-) Second Guessing: Lew is continually marred by reflection of his actions. Everything from statistics to group consensus can confirm the right decision was made, but Lew is always haunted by the alternative possibilities that could have been. These lingering thoughts are emotionally damaging, and can cloud Lew's judgment if left unchecked.
RELATIONSHIPS
- [member="Ceres Aurellian"]
- [member="Iago Ferrier"]
Born to a middle-class family on Druckenwell, Lew lived a largely unremarkable life. He didn't excel in school, nor did he have any special talents that anyone knew of. What was remarkable though, was the brilliant mind he managed to conceal for years. He didn't want recognition. He didn't want special treatment. His parents always said he didn't have to be the best, but he had to be his best. Throughout the entirety of his adolescence, he failed to honor his parents' wishes but he succeeded in his endeavors for normality. He received no special recognition nor treatment. For the most part, he was normal. Just when things looked like they couldn't get any better, they took a turn for the worse.
In 844 ABY, his entire family disappeared. Waking to an empty apartment, he was dazed and confused. None of his parents' bags had been packed, none of their possessions altered in any way. It was a mystery that afflicted not just millions on Druckenwell, but billions throughout the galaxy. Not even the police were able to solve the problem. One of Lew's most vivid memories was turning on the system news and listening to a police lieutenant address the public. As a lieutenant, he was in charge of the planet's entire police force. All his superiors were also missing. With a lack of consensus as to where to even begin an investigation, no one seemed to be making an reappearance anytime soon.
There was nothing left on Druckenwell for him. Buying into Republic propaganda and recruiting ads, he enrolled himself in the Galactic Republic Military Academy (GRMA) on Denon. He sold his parents' apartment, banked what assets he could, and for a full year he committed himself to the accelerated officer commissioning program at the GRMA. It was here he decided to alter his disposition on brilliance. No longer did he strive to be normal. Instead, he honored his parents' wishes to be all he could be. As a result, he graduated at the top of his class. His first assignment was as an administrative staff officer for the Grand Army of the Republic - a spit in the face for all he was worth. He was vastly overqualified for his position. However, as a staff officer, he worked in close proximity with many of the higher ups and politicians that made the decisions for the Republic. He learned as much as he could from observing, but it didn't change the fact he was ill-suited for paper pushing.
After only nine months, he transferred to an intelligence section within the same headquarters he pushed papers in. He oversaw the collection, analysis, and deciphering of information gathered from the Galactic Northwest border of the Republic's borders. He saw the raw data, the roots and motives of a brewing war, as well as the Republic's developing responses to counter those threats. He was the both a filter and safety net to his superiors and the government at large, and in recognition of that, he was advanced to the rank and grade of First Lieutenant. He continued to serve in this capacity for another two years, before being promoted once more to Captain and transferred to the historic 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps.
What he didn't anticipate though was the sudden change in the nature of his work. He had previously excelled in the backroom intelligence operations, now he was being sent into the field with a team of his own. He'd never been involved in armed conflict, much less boots on the ground for a war. But his assignment though, involved neither. Citing his experience and knowledge of the region, they pulled him to lead a clandestine surveillance mission at the same One Sith/Republic border he monitored for years. From nothing, Lew now found himself as one of a handful of people in the 91st working as a member of Section Aurek, a coalition of government agencies with affiliations ranging from the Special Operations Brigade to Republic Intelligence. His records were subsequently sealed, and his public life became nonexistent. For all intents and purposes, he was a ghost.
Lew served as the Commanding Officer of the Erebus, a modestly-sized corvette armed with developmental stealth technology and experimental ordnance. His first mission was to recover a deep cover Republic Intelligence operative from One Sith-held Balmorra. Between the pilot's prowess in the cockpit and the ship's stealth capabilities, landing went as smooth as it could've. Much to his surprise, the entire mission was running far smoother than he could have anticipated. Making the excursion with a skeleton crew left no room for error. After recovering the operative, the Erebus was pegged to return to base with no casualties or other complications. En route to Cato Neimodia, as they started to approach Republic space, they were intercepted by a patrol craft, verifying their credentials and security codes. It was impossible to tell if they were a part of the Section Aurek or just a regular military vessel. After sending their verification codes, an Acclamator-class assault ship entered the system. The general feeling of unease was quickly replaced with a heart racing sense of urgency as they realized what was happening. Somehow, for reasons unbeknownst to them, they were no longer on the inside. They were enemies of the Republic.
A squadron of interceptors were dispatched from the Acclamator and were inbound for the Erebus. As they began spooling up the hyperdrive, the interceptors and Acclamator both began opening fire. Struck by the initial shot of a turbolaser battery, the possibilities of survival looked increasingly slim. By some stroke of luck, they'd managed to escape. The damage they'd sustained in the engagement had limited the distance they could safely travel. Republic held worlds were out of the question, but with a Republic ship, One Sith worlds were just as dangerous. They didn't really have a choice in the matter, though.
Landing on the now-shattered Corellia, the crew of the Erebus had scrubbed all physical traces of Republic affiliation from the ship. Neutralizing their IFF and physical markings, the Erebus was replaced by a nameless equivalent. That didn't fly though, not by the crew's standards nor the civilized galaxy's. They needed a new name, but arguably as important, they needed some drinks.
Visiting a local tavern, the trio went over what could have gone wrong. The mission had gone smoothly, albeit unexpectedly. Could there have been an underlying reason? The most likely explanation was a conspiracy, but at the moment, they were in no place to stage a decent investigation. What they did find though, was the new name of their ship: the Starling.