Kel'irri

"Next to me you are nothing, alien filth."

"Oh c'mon, if you're gonna insult me, at least use some imagination."

-Kel'irri, in reponse to a fellow Acolyte on Korriban

Darth Novus, formerly Kel'irri, was a twi'lek Sith who lived during the time of the Old Republic, over 3000 years before the Battle of Yavin.

Background
Kel'irri, Kel to her friends, hails from the planet Rishi, her parents having settled there after a brief but lucrative career transporting "perfectly legal" cargo across the galaxy. From an early age it was quite apparent that their daughter had inherited their lust for adventure and profit, as she spent nearly every waking moment drinking in stories from both them and any other spacer she could corner. When she wasn't listening to the exaggerated exploits of pirates and smugglers alike, the young twi'lek could be found daydreaming about the day when she too would get her chance to visit the stars.

That day came when Kel was in her early teens. By then she'd discovered a knack for working with machines of all types; from droids to blasters to starship engines. She was hired by the captain of the Renegade Rascal, a pirate vessel, as the ship's mechanic. Kel soon discovered that the life of a pirate was exactly what she had always dreamed of. There were trips to exotic places she'd never seen, encounters with all sorts of people that she'd never heard of (most of them ended in violence, but still) and plenty of credits at the end of the day. For just over half a decade the Renegade terrorized the Outer Rim; Tatooine, Hoth, Ryloth, and dozens of other systems. The twi'lek mechanic was the happiest she'd ever been, sure that all her dreams had come true.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. That end came when the Renegade's Captain Flynnt made an unfortunate stop on Sleheyron to sell cargo and give his crew a few days leave. While out enjoying time on the planet Kel was accosted by someone she would soon learn was a travelling Sith, looking for a niche to set up a power base. Were it not for her Force-sensitivity Kel would undoubtably found herself with a shock collar around her neck. Instead, she wound up on a shuttle headed to Imperial space.

Once she arrived on the Sith holy world Kel's fortune didn't improve much. Not only was she an alien, but she was clearly not an Imperial native. Both these things contributed to her being targetted by other Acolytes looking to thin the competition. As a result, Kel spent most of her time hiding, though she'd say studying, in the Academy library. Kel becoming Sith, her new goal, wasn't looking terribly likely. That is, until she chanced to meet a certain Darth Prudentius...

Physical Appearance
Like all her twi'lek brothers and sisters, Kel'irri's most norable feature is the pair of lekku that extend from the back of her skull and reach down to just above her waist. Smooth, hairless red skin and fleshy cones instead of ears complete the list of her most obviously non-human features. Kel is certainly on the shorter side, standing only 5' 3".  Her slim, wiry build would not be out of place on a gymnast or acrobat.  Her former life as a pirate and mechanic has left Kel with her fair share of scars, though they tend to be small and easily overlooked.

Personality
Kel is an eternal optimist, and almost always in good cheer, though her sense of humor can be quite sarcastic at times. She insists however that no one is safe from her witticisms, be they friend or foe. On the surface this might make the twi'lek girl seem flippant and carefree, but there's a darker current underneath. Calling back to her pirate days Kel is greedy and sometimes ruthless. She's always looking for a way to profit and if that means throwing someone under the proverbial bus, so be it. Lastly, Kel has a stubborn streak about a mile wide.

Fighting Style
Originally Kel's fighting style relied on using the Force very heavily, Kel has lately adjusted her technique to be more lightsaber centric. She favors the Makashi form, and thus focuses on footwork and precise blade control. Against lightsaber wielding opponents Kel does exceptionally well, though she is far less proficient against foes with blasters. Of course, Kel still retains some of her earlier habits, since Force based attacks periodically slip in between her lightsaber sequences; usually pushes, pulls and short bursts of Sith lightning.

Lately Kel has been working on improving her skill against blaster wielding opponents. She's taken some of the aspects of Soresu and incorporated them into her technique. However, Makashi remains the core of the style; extremely precise blade control and a reliance on footwork to outmaneuver her opponent.

Force Abilities
There's no denying that Kel is a powerful Force-user. In contrast to her controlled, precise lightsaber skills Kel's Force powers tend to be more raw and unrefined. As a result she tends to primarily use simpler, more direct abilities. The focus on quantity over quality, however, doesn't make Kel any less dangerous. She is most certainly capable of unleashing her powers into truly devastating attacks.

Training under one of the Order's most accomplished telekinetics, Kel is especially proficient in this area. From her Master she has also learned to project a barrier of Force energy and the particularly insidious Force Drain, which leeches the strength of the opponent to revitalize and augment the user. After much practice Kel is also gained some skill in the use of tutaminis; that is the deflection or absorbtion of energy based attacks, without the use of a lightsaber.

Finally, Kel is in possession of a rare Force ability called Mechu-deru. Through the Force she is able to intuitively understand technology. Using this ability Kel has been able to strip down, repair, or build everything from blasters, to droids, to hyperdrives.

Allies/Affiliations
-The Zkasaeva Order (duh)

-Darth Prudentius

-Lord Kaleseth

-Darth Azzanathos

-Keeper Xethar

-Apprentice Nyrias

-Darth Rak'nosf

Word Around Town
((Feel free to put any IC comments about Kel'irri here!))

"This is mine." - Kalesath

"The only Sith here I would actually prefer alive. I hope one day she overcomes her Master, just so he can practice some chastity for once..." - Jal'kai

"An interesting one that one is, I am intrigued to see where she goes in her career as a Darth, but more interested to see if she decides to reproduce with Kalesath, I can only imagine how powerful of sithspawn the children will make." - Darth Prudentius

"Darth Pirate." - Ja'lac