Telmek Kast

Telmek Kast (Born 52 BBY) Is a former Imperial Lieutenant Commander, and quartermaster for Nexu Cell.

Early Life
Telmek was born on Eriadu, a world known for it's militaristic culture and it's fixation on the survival of the fittest. Telmek's family, while not poor, were not members of the elite, and therefore were seen mainly as middle management by the elites. Indeed, Telmek's father was a bureaucrat at one of Eriadu's various mining colonies, and his mother was a former naval officer in the Outland Regions Security Force (Eriadu's sector militia). Telmek did not do well among his peers when it came to his physical prowess, but more than made up for it with his intellect and analytical mind. Indeed, this mind came of notice to the recruiter at his school, and when time came for his mandatory service, he was assigned to the logistical department of the ORSF.

Service in the ORSF
When Telmek turned 18, he, along with all of his peers, were called up for their mandatory military service. Telmek was assigned to the Naval Logistical Department, and his analytical mind was put to use. Telmek buried himself in his work, proving to be an effective supply officer, and developed a reputation for keeping perfect track of what supplies were needed, where they were needed, and how they would get there. While he was an excellent officer, his work went unnoticed by the ORSF, as he lacked the battlefield prowess that would bring glory to his family.

The Battle for Dorvalla
His first exposure to real combat came during the Battle of Dorvalla in 33 BBY, where an army of pirates had fortified the world to use as a base to raid shipping across the Great Seswenna Sector. Telmek was sent as part of a task force under Wilhuff Tarkin to wipe out the pirates. Telmek's ship was destroyed by a hypervelocity cannon, causing it to crash land near the Pirate base, atop a mountain. Telmek survived, and came in contact with Darius Cawthorn, another junior officer, who was part of the disastrous first landing attempt. Together with Lieutenant Cawthorn, the two men managed to rally the remaining troops and ship crews to launch an attack on the mountain. Though heavy casualties were sustained, (much to Telmek's disdain), the attack was a success, propelling Cawthorn's career. Telmek, however, recieved little glory for the battle, much to his own choice, due to his disdain for the cutthroat nature of being a higher officer on Eridadu. Still, Darius formed a lasting alliance with Telmek, one that would eventually haunt Telmek in the decades to come.

Post-Battle Career
In the years following the battle, Telmek, at the encouragement of Darius, continued his military career, eventually reaching the rank of always serving in close conjunction with his friend. Telmek ended up serving for the next 11 years, and planned to retire once he hit 12 years of service. His plans were shattered by the outbreak of the Clone Wars.

The Clone Wars
Telmek's experience made him a prime candidate for the infant Republic Navy, and he was given a commission as the supply master for the Venator Star Destroyer Steadfast. Telmek got on well with his new role, and adapted easily to the larger scale of his work. Darius worked closely with Telmek, and served as the commanding officer of a Clone Battalion, working in conjunction with Jedi Master Coleman Kcaj. During the early stages of the war, the Steadfast was cut off from the rest of the fleet, and was boarded by an army of droids. Telmek nearly died at the hands of the droids, and saw many of his friends killed in the process. This event spurred a long lasting distrust for droids, preferring to do all of his logistical work without the aid of a droid.

Alaris Prime
Around the endpoint of the war, the Steadfast was deployed in support of the Wookiees to liberate Alaris Prime from the CIS and their Trandoshan allies, who used the planet as a foundry world, using many Wookiees as slave labor. The battle was a long, hard fought campaign, that ended after a month of brutal guerilla warfare. Telmek was sent to take inventory of the captured Separatist facility, and discovered the extent of the Wookiee slavery occurring on the planet. Telmek was disgusted, and his report on the extent of the CIS atrocities was published across the galaxy. Telmek became somewhat of a celebrity among the Republic, and went on a media circuit around the Core Worlds, drumming up support for the war.

Return to Duty
After months of speeches and medals. Telmek returned to the Steadfast, just in time for the climactic finale of the war. The Steadfast was deployed to the key manufacturing center of Duro, which was under attack by a massive Republic fleet. The battle over the space stations surrounding the devastated planet turned out to be the final battle he would fight with the Republic. During the climax of the battle, the Steadfast came under heavy attack from Duros suicide drones. Eventually, under heavy bombardment, the Steadfast broke apart, and Telmek was forced to abandon ship. Telmek and Cawthorn landed together on one of the Separatist controlled stations, alongside several other pods. Their position in the port area of the station soon became untenable, as hordes of droids descended upon them. For hours they held off the onslaught, but one by one, their Clone defenders fell, until it was only Telmek, Darius, and a few clone troopers, taking cover behind a large shipping container. Just as Darius was about to launch his final charge, the droids ceased fire, and collapsed to the ground. The Clone Wars were over.

Serving the Empire
After taking inventory of the captured Separatist facilities, Telmek was recalled to the temporary command center on the station. It was there where he witnessed the Declaration of a New Order. Unlike many of his fellow officers, Telmek was uneasy about the sudden regime change, but felt a sense of duty to his friends, so he did not resign his post. Darius, recieving a promotion shortly after the new government formed, requested Telmek as the quartermaster for his new command, the 192nd Legion, operating from the newly built ISD Terrorizer. The name itself was enough to give Telmek a bad feeling about this, but, he obliged.

The Early Years
Upon his appointment, the Terrorizer was deployed first on a campaign to wipe out the Zygerrian Slave Empire in the Outer Rim. The Terrorizer, under the overall command of Lord Vader, participated in the orbital scouring of Zygerria. While Telmek hated slavery, he felt uneasy about the bombardment and it's indiscriminate nature. When he confided his concern to Darius, he was met with indifference. Soon, the remnants of the Zygerrian Empire became a protectorate, and the Terrorizer was redeployed to the Western Reaches of the Galaxy. There, Telmek began taking notice that in addition to rations, bacta, droid parts, and tibanna, the Terrorizer began recieving poison gas containers, interrogation serum, and torture droids. Telmek's fears were not helped by the attitude of his friend, who dismissed it as "what it takes to keep peace in a lawless galaxy".

Return to Alaris
Telmek's unease turned to genuine fear during the Subjugation of Alaris of 15 BBY. Under false pretenses, the Empire declared that Kashyyk was in a state of Rebellion, and the Terrorizer and the 192nd were deployed as part of the fleet that would take control of the system. Telmek witnessed how the Wookiees he had once fought to liberate were ruthlessly hunted by his so called "allies". It was also here where he first learned of Saw Gerrera and his partisans, who were fighting along with the Wookiees against the Empire. Telmek's disgust grew even more when he learned that the Empire had enlisted the Trandoshan slavers to fight alongside them. After another brutal battle, the Wookiees were broken, and Alaris was taken, soon to become a planet-sized slave camp.

Later Years and Desertion
Unable to stomach the work he was doing in the Rim, Telmek resigned his post aboard the Terrorizer, and took up teaching at the Greater Seswenna Military Academy. During his 10 year tenure, he attempted to instill some form of responsibility in his students, and became known among the students as a strict grader, with rock solid deadlines and a zero tolerance for wasting time in his class. During his time there, he became involved with a small cell of rogue officers within the Seswenna sector, and corresponded regularly with them, advising on Imperial logistical regulations, and how to slip them easily. His secret defection remained secret for years, until a sabotage attempt backfired, and Telmek was implicated by the ISB.

Arrest and Demotion
Upon the discovery of his treason, Telmek was arrested by the ISB and sent to an Imperial re-education camp on Gyndine. There, he was met by Darius, who made one last attempt to coerce him into returning to the Empire. When he refused, Darius had him tortured, and gave him the choice of execution, or being sent to fight on Felucia to earn his freedom back. He chose Felucia, and was sent to fight in a penal battalion against the Felucian jungle warriors.

Joining the Rebellion
Telmek's chance to escape came when his transport, en route to Felucia, was shot down by Rebels and crash landed on Mossak. There, Telmek was captured by the local rebel cell under the Bothan Per'syla, who, after learning of his past, agreed to let him serve the Rebel Alliance. He was one of the founding members of the Nexu Cell, and as of now, serves as their quartermaster, hoping to use his skills for good, and redeem his past actions.