Viper Pred
| File:ViperPred.JPG | |
| Viper Pred | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Physical Description | |
| Species: |
Human |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Hair Colour: |
Dark |
| Eye Colour: |
greyish green |
| Height: |
1.83 m/6 ft |
| Social Information | |
| Combat Information | |
| Career Information | |
| Affiliation(s): |
Mandalorians, TIE Corps |
| Position(s): | |
| Rank(s): | |
Viper Pred is currently the Commodore of the SSSD Sovereign, the flagship of the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet. His rank is Vice Admiral.
For fiction purposes, the Dark Brotherhood character of Viper Pred has been separated. For more information, see Ryuko Nyosh.
Appearance
Measuring 1.83 meters, Viper is of more than average height, which proved to be a reason for a dose of discomfort in the usually tight cockpits of starfighters. Although he is still in his early thirties, Pred's small, greyish green eyes are cold and wise, reflecting his character. Vip keeps his rather dark hair, which contrasts with slightly pale skin, short; he finds hair longer than 2-3 centimeters impractical and annoying. He is moderately built; time spent on the gym resulted in a rather masculine look and above-average strength, however Pred cannot be called well-built.
His way of moving and mannerism is usually very strict and military-like. Only in free time does he return to his typical careless stance from teenage years. He is a rather static person, with less than average coordination and response time. Although he is slow and sometimes even clumsy, his reflexes gain a large boost when flying a ship, making him an excellent pilot.
He possesses two characteristic features - two small scars, one on right cheek and the other on throat, and a small growth on the right side of his jaw bone. What is more, he displays some problems with his left hip joint; his stumbling is becoming more and more visible with passing years. It is minimal at the moment, however Pred may have problems with it in the future.
Personality and Traits
At first glance, Viper seems to be very reserved. He is not a very sociable person, especially to the outsiders. However people who have known him for some time say that this is because he is actually rather shy. Calm and patient, Pred opts to remain silent and comment only when it necessary or if he can make a useful contribution to the discussion. He does not easily loose temper.
However if he does, another side of Vip's nature is revealed. He can rapidly change from a patient, always serious officer into a volcano of emotions. When something crosses the limit of his patience, better don't get in his way. He's in rage, and sometimes may even not care if his target is an enemy or friend. Such outbursts last usually only for several minutes, after which he returns to his 'old self'.
Apparently this is caused by the Mandalorian blood in his veins, further strengthened by his upbringing - after all, his father is a true Mandalorian. This also results in other of Pred's traits. He is a man of action, not word, and therefore prefers to just do things instead of taking part in endless discussions. He is rather laconic in his utterances. He tries to live his life, so that in the end he will not regret anything. Moreover, his strong will and enables him to make difficult choices; he would not hesitate to kill somebody if it was needed. Still, he frowns on unnecessary violence and senseless killing.
Favourite words & phrases:
- Haar'chak ! (mand. Damn it !)
- Dikut (mand. Idiot)
- Osik (mand. Dung)
Mandalorian Heritage
Pred considers himself a Mando'ad (Mandalorian). His father comes directly from Clan Pred, a small branch of Mandalorian people that have lived in the Outer Rim Territories and Wild Space for millenias. Despite taking many traits after his mother, he has inherited his father's stubborn character and, to a certain degree, short temper; he hardly ever looses it, although you can very easily annoy him. However, one does not become a Mando'ad through blood itself, but through Resol'Nare (Six Actions). They state that a Mandalorian must follow six acts: wear the armor, speak Mandalorian language, defend himself and his family, raise children as Mandalorians, help the clan succeed, and, when called to arms by the Mandalore, rally to his cause. Pred has bee trying to follow those rules whenever possible. He excels at speaking Mando'a, which he studied for about ten years from various sources given to him by his father.
Biography
Childhood and Early Career
Pred was born four years after the end of Clone Wars on Oulsh'tein, one of the planets in the remote Paol'skhaa Sector. Located in the Outer Rim, not far from Minos Cluster, Oulsh'tein was settled by a group of Mandalorians fleeing after their defeat at the hands of Revan nearly four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin. As the Mandalorian clans scattered throughout the Galaxy, Clan Pred eventually reached the small but welcoming sector of Paol'shkaa, far from the hatred of people that they have attacked. In the following centuries, humans from the nearby planets came to Oulsh'tein and settled there and the various cultures steadily mixed up, fading the Mandalorian culture. Only several families still bear some traditions and customs from their Mandalorian ancestors. Clan Pred was reduced to only four siblings, one of which was Jar'rek Pred. Jar'rek along with his brother and several hundred other citizens took part in the Clone Wars on the Republic's side, mainly due to some past tensions with the Trade Federation and its allies. Under the Empire, the planet was changed into a retirement facility for soldiers. With a self-sufficient economy, Paol'shkaa has stayed away from the big politics and remained rather undisturbed, except for occasional pirate raids. A single Venator-class Star Destroyer, the Illustrious, along with several smaller capital ships were given to the Oulsh'tein's Security Forces (OSF) for protection. Not long after the war, Jar'rek met Mal Br'an, a young teacher. The two quickly hooked up, married and shortly after, their son was born. He was named Viper - a name he has shared with two other family members - his uncle who died in the war and a legendary ancestor that supposedly participated in the Mandalorian Wars.
Viper's childhood was rather uneventful. He proved to be a clever boy and a swift learner and not needing to spend much time on learning, he used it for training in simulators. He spent there countless hours, improving his skills. Although a bit clumsy in normal life, his reflexes in the cockpit were amazing. In the meantime, he learned many useful things from his father, who tried to pass the Mandalorian heritage to Viper. He taught his son the basics of Mandalorian culture, including the mando'a language. On his thirteenth birthday, Vip underwent the verd'goten - a trial that marked Viper's coming into adulthood. Not much is known of the trail itself; Viper is not keen on discussing it. The only available information is that after completing the trail, he was given Net'ra Ky'ram, the blade that once belonged to his ancestor.
Pred graduated from school with above average marks not long after the Battle of Hoth and immediately went to a local university. He studied there engineering and robotics, gaining knowledge that would come handy in his career. At the time of Grand Admiral Thrawn's return six years after the destruction of the Death Star II, Pred finished education and found job in the OSF. He started out as a technician, working with the OSF's TIE Fighters. During one of the holidays, a small pirate group raided Oulsh'tein. As the OSF was rather understaffed in that period, Viper was allowed to actually pilot one of the fighters against the pirates. His skills amazed even veteran pilots; at his first sortie, Pred managed to destroy five R-41 Starchasers. Because of this achievement, he was taken into the ranks of OSF pilots, where he honed his skills. Later on, he also received training in capital ships' command and even served as the Executive Officer onboard the Illustrious.
In the meantime, rumours spread that an Imperial faction in the Minos Cluster was in need of new pilots. Viper heard about Emperor's Hammer before from several veteran members who visited Oulsh'tein as well as his uncle who served as an Imperial pilot during Zaarin's coup , and after his twenty eighth birthday Viper decided to join the Imperial Starfighter Academy in the Aurora system.
TIE Corps
Rho Squadron Member
After graduating from the Platform Daedalus with excellent marks nearly three weeks after his twenty ninth birthday, Vip was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant and stationed on the flagship of Emperor's Hammer, SSSD Sovereign. He was assigned to Rho Squadron under Captain Ninj Prefect. However, the activity level in Rho was far from satisfactory; moreover, his TIE Defender proved to be rather faulty and incapable of flying. Viper turned towards the Imperial Weapons And Tactics School, and for completing several courses there he was made a Lieutenant. Still, for the next five months his unit hasn't seen any action. Eventually the lack of activity resulted in closure of Rho.
Sigma Squadron Member
Viper along with his friend from Daedalus, Moagim Daar, were transferred to Sigma Squadron commanded by Commander Granite and were assigned as Flight Leaders of Flight III and Flight II respectively. Given an old, but functional Assault Gunboat, Pred began to take part in patrols and combat missions. During the next three months, Pred and Daar became a real headache for their superiors, leaving them with loads of Battle Submission Forms to fill in. Such high activity earned Pred his first medals and after three months the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Viper learned how to use the Gunboat effectively during this period and since then he has had a soft spot for those ships.
On one of his patrol missions, Pred saved a certain Kyle Fardreamer, a rather skilled pilot. He helped with his training on Platform Daedalus. Eventually Kyle was assigned to Sigma under Lieutenant Commander Pred. The two men became good friends and thought many battles with Rebels.
Sin Squadron Commander
Shortage of personnel and resigning of the previous Commander just after a single tour of duty left Sin Squadron in a rather bad condition. Wing II Commander, Zeth Durron, offered the open Commander spot to Viper several times. Young pilot was rather reluctant, hoping to save Sigma Squadron. Still, lack of activity in Sigma and a desire to advance eventually convinced Pred. He accepted and just two days before his first anniversary of graduation from Daedalus he was appointed Sin Commander.
ImageAfter an AWOL check, he was left with only a handful of pilots - Lieutenant Colonel Michael "Mickk" Emrys, Lieutenant Kyle Fardreamer and Captain Hermann. Those four pilots took part in the Sovereign Squadron League 2005. Through their hard work, they made it to the final stage, beating even the elite Omega Squadron. In the last round they competed against Cyclone Squadron, the best TIE Corps squadron of that time. Sin eventually lost to Cyclone by a margin of just several points. Nevertheless, 2nd place was a huge achievement. For his squadron's performance and high activity, Viper was promoted to the rank of Captain.
The next months saw a steady decrease in activity. The TIE Corps Restructure, which took place four months after the end of SSL 2005, ended up in the merge of Sovereign's three wings - Wing I, II and VII into Wing VI, with Zeth Durron as its Wing Commander. Sin was one of the squadrons that weren't close and it was joined by several new members - most memorable being Captain EXE and Colonel Calzeo Inkwolf.
Following months brought stagnation to the whole wing. With virtually no contact with the Wing Commander or Commodore, the chain of command was falling apart. Just before the worst period, Pred's massive activity earned him the rank of Major. Eventually Admiral Stele Pellaeon resigned from his position. Viper's old time friend and a fellow commander, Moagim Daar was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and appointed the new Sovereign Commodore. He quickly started his work, restoring back discipline and chain of command to the ship.
Wing VI Commander
Only a month later, General Zeth Durron stepped down. Shortly after, Viper Pred was appointed as the new Wing VI Commander. Immediately he has begun efforts to improve the situation in his Wing. AWOL check tidied up the roster, new commanders filled the empty spots and activity started to raise. Sovereign even won a competition against the ISD Subjugator, mainly thanks to Wing VI pilots. For his efforts as Wing Commander and previously Squadron Leader, Pred was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Five months of intensive work has made Wing VI a fairly active, thriving place. New Squadron Commanders along with a few fresh members and returning veterans ensured that the Wing VI would be a top-notch group. Eventually, Viper earned the rank of full Colonel, however he wouldn't enjoy it for a long time.
SSSD Sovereign Commodore
With Vice Admiral Daar's resignation barely two months later, the position of the SovCOM became open. Pred, being next in the chain of command, was immediately appointed the new Commodore and promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on the third anniversary of his graduation to the final exam on Daedalus and two weeks after his thirty second birthday. With Lieutenant Colonel Rancorous as the new Wing VI Commander, Pred continues to ensure that the Sovereign's position as the flagship of the Emperor's Hammer is well-deserved. Six months after his appointment as the Sovereign Commodore, he has been promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.
Personal Belongings
Weapons & Armors
Mandalorian Disintegrator
Pred's weapon of choice is a Mandalorian Disintegrator. The design originating from the Mandalorian Wars that took place nearly four thousand years ago has been upgraded to be on pair with modern designs. This powerful disruptor has a much larger XCiter and improved activator which process incredible amounts of energy, far beyond any standard blasters. Disintegrator's power is so big, it reduces solid matter to its constituent molecules. One shot from such a weapon can vaporize a one square meter big, 50 centimetre thick durasteel plate. Shields and armors are of no use against such a lethal weapon. It is thought that not even a lightsaber can stop a shot from a disruptor weapon.
The main disadvantages of this weapon is its enormous power demand and short range. Its maximum range is 23 meters and it can deplete a standard power cell after 10 shots.
Even during the Empire's height, such weapons could be carried only by the ISB's agents. Nowadays, it is completely banned by the New Republic. In Emperor's Hammer, only elite officers can possess such pistols and only after gaining approval from the Security Officer. It is unknown how Viper managed to get hold of such a permission.
Net'ra Kyr'am
Net'ra Kyr'am (Mandalorian for "Black Death") is Viper Pred's personal melee weapon. This vibrosword dates back to the Mandalorian Wars and was passed down in Viper's family for generations. This black sword has been created from beskar - Mandalorian iron. Therefore, it is a very sturdy item that can even withstand a direct clash with a lightsaber. One could say that this blade is nearly indestructible. It consists of several layers of different beskar alloys - a technique quite popular during the Mandalorian Wars, now lost in the sands of time. It is thanks to this technique that the blade is so durable. This blade belonged to Viper Pred, Vip's ancestor that fought against Revan and the Republic's forces four thousand years ago.
Beskar'gam
Viper's beskar'gam (Mandalorian for armour) is a specially modified and unique set. It consists of a vacuum- and blaster-proof dark jumpsuit with silver armor plates made of Mandalorian iron attached to it. The Mandalorian iron is a very durable material, capable of stopping blaster shots and even lightsabers for a short period of time. The plates are strategically placed on the body as to protect the vital areas and yet to allow a certain degree of mobility. The helmet is of a non-standard shape as it was modified from the standard Neo-Crusader one to a more modern look. The armor is fitted with advanced electronics similar to those found in the Katarn-class armors. It was also impervious to electromagnetic pulses as well as to moderate amounts of radiations. A small vibroblade was hidden in the knuckle plates, another concept borrowed from the commando units.
This suit probably belonged to Viper Pred, a great Mandalorian warrior from the days of the Mandalorian Wars, and was passed down through generations until it was finally handed to yet another Viper Pred. Although the Imperial regulations do not allow Vip to wear his armor during his service, Pred can be seen with it every time he is in a dangerous situation - be it on the battlefield or in a crowded cantina.
Ships
Fang
When he became a Wing Commander, Pred choose a TIE Advanced as his fighter. He quickly nicknamed it Fang, explaining that "it's fast as a fang and hurts like hell when you bite somebody with it". Even though being used to heavier ships, Viper quickly got used to his new TIE. No modifications were made; it is still the same plain TIE Advanced that has left the factory. Although Pred was usually seen in the Flight Control, coordinating the actions of his squadrons, he was known to lead his pilots directly on the battlefield in his fighter. As the Sovereign Commodore, Viper still uses his fighter, although very seldom. However, Fang is owned by the TIE Corps and is not Pred's personal ship.
Oceanic
Alpha Squadron managed to capture a DeepWater-class freighter, which was then modified by Major Rancorous to suit Viper's needs. The DeepWater, classified as a light freighter, measures 45 meters in length and could transport up to six passengers and 85 metric tons of cargo. It was armed with a single laser turret in its stock configuration. As is typical of Mon Calamari design philosophy, the DeepWater-class has a sturdy hull, strong shields, and a backup shield generator. Being designed on a water world, it is also capable of operating as a submarine.
Improvements included:
- A new SoroSuub Griffyn/Y2TG hyperdrive (Class 0.75), with a Class 1 drive serving as backup;
- New set of weapons:
- upgraded quad laser turret
- EH Vulcan cannon system
- twin ion cannon in an under-ship pod
- single concussion missile launcher with a 10 reload pack
- Alloy Struts with EH logo engraved;
- Wookie Leather Command Seat (2 off);
- The Hooth WZ-1300 Sound system with 23 speakers and an Qt-2 communications interface with 6 extra microphones;
- The Saar-Qui hot-tub with optional minibar;
- The Sleepright 5000 Emperor size waterbed;
- Automated control/gunnery package (2 R7 series Astromech droids to take over ships main functions in flight or in combat if required).
After the modifications were made, all that was left was the colour scheme. The DeepWater, christened Oceanic, has an Ice Blue hull and Tatooine Sand interior.
Oceanic is Viper's personal ship, serving as his transport and home. Pred is emotionally bounded to this ship and seeing how he maintains it in a superb state, this ship might serve him for many years to come.
Command Positions
| Preceded by Enzo Matrix |
Sin Squadron Commander 18 September 2005 - 2 December 2006 |
Succeeded by Kyle Fardreamer |
| Preceded by Zeth Durron |
Wing VI Commander 2 December 2006 - 20 September 2007 |
Succeeded by Rancorous |
| Preceded by Moagim Daar |
SSSD Sovereign Commodore 20 September 2007 - Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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