Acetiepilot

Captain acetiepilot currently serves on the Emperor's Hammer Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Warrior as the Commanding officer of Sigma Squadron.

Biography

Early years: Acetiepilot, also known as Tommy, was born on the Mandalorian world of Concord Dawn. While his family's clan was relatively small, they were well known within the Mandalorian community for their propensity for pulling off daring supply raids of nearby systems.

The first few years of acetiepilot's life was that of a typical child born into Mandalorian Warrior culture. The Mandalorians were a clan-based cultural group that was composed of members from multiple species all bound by a common culture, creed, and code. They originated on the planet Mandalore in the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories and had a particularly important role in galactic history as legendary warriors against the Jedi. From their home world, Mandalorians had flourished across Mandalorian Space and the galaxy at large, colonizing worlds such as Kalevala, Krownest, and Concord Dawn.

"When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both hunter and prey. How can one be a coward if one chooses this way of life?" ―A Mandalorian armorer

Acetiepilot spent most of his days learning about Mandalorian culture, working in the community farm fields and learning the art of combat. At the age of 7 he accompanied his clan on a supply raid of Eufornis Minor, an outer rim planet, in search of medical supplies.

Cuy'val Dar: In 30 BBY a Mandalorian Warrior named Jango Fett made contact with acetiepilot's parents, he knew well of their abilities in covert operations from the various raids they had pulled off for the good of the Mandalorian communites on Concord Dawn. His proposal was one they could not turn down. He was inviting them, along with 73 other Mandalorian warriors to help train a new army. These 75 Mandalorians would join up with another 25 well known individuals and become known as the Cuy'val Dar.

The Cuy'val Dar were a group of one hundred individuals summoned by Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett, to come to the watery world of Kamino to train clone troopers for the Galactic Republic. Of these one hundred males and females, seventy-five were Mandalorians like Fett, and in the Mandalorian language Cuy'val Dar meant "those who no longer exist"—a name stemming from the need for these individuals to disappear to Kamino without contact with the outside galaxy due to the secrecy surrounding the developing Grand Army of the Republic. For close to ten years, these one hundred training sergeants trained the Grand Army's ten thousand clone commandos until their deployment at the Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY, which sparked the galactic Clone Wars. With their contract up, many of the Cuy'val Dar trainers went back to their lives, but a small number continued professional relations with the Republic, returning to train further generations of clones on Kamino, and later cross-training standard clone soldiers with commando skills.

"You're the best in your field—the best soldiers, tacticians, sappers, communicators, survival experts. I picked you personally because I want you to train the best commandos in the galaxy. You'll have everything you need, whatever you want, except one thing—home. This is a top-secret project. You'll not tell anyone where you're going and you'll not leave Kamino, ever. As far as your friends and family are concerned, you're already dead." ―Jango Fett, recruiting the Cuy'val Dar

Acetiepilot accompanied his parents to the watery world of Kamino, where at only 8 years old, would be put through the same training regimen as his Clone counterparts. While his Clone brethren initially looked upon the outsider as a mongrel, what the clone troopers would refer to as anyone not of cloned status, they quickly accepted him as one of their own after impressing them with his capabilities as a young fighter. It was also here that he met the love of his life, Caro, a young female Twi'lek warrior as part of the Cuy'val Dar contingent.

Acetiepilot's grandfather had been an expert artillery gunner, victorious in many previous conflicts. It was through his stories and short amount of training, before his grandfathers death, that lead acetiepilot to be assigned to the special training unit of Clone Artillery Troopers. Clone Artillery Troopers were clone troopers of the Galactic Republic that specialized in using mortars and other artillery pieces such as the Model 201 mortar system, Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery Turbolaser and the AV-7 Mobile Cannon.

The Clone Wars

With the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, acetiepilot was promoted to the rank of Bombardier in the Grand Army of the Republic and assigned to the 31st Artillery Regiment. This regiment was a specialized artillery unit primarily focused on close combat artillery support. The 31st Artillery Regiment, quickly became known as the 'Flying Pig' regiment, tantamount to their successful actions at the battles of Geonosis, Commenor, Mygeeto and Felucia.

Battle of Geonosis The 31st Artillery Regiment's first taste of combat was on the dusty planet of Geonosis. Tasked with providing support fire to the 187th Legion, while being supported in the air by the 127th Gunship Wing, the 'Flying Pig Regiment' was apart of a successful mission in bringing down two Techno Union ships, before they could leave the planet.

Battle of Commenor Again the 31st Artillery Regiment was deployed in unison of the 187th Legion in defense of Commenor from an attempted invasion by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After several weeks of fighting, the CIS were driven from the system.

Third battle of Mygeeto In 19 BBY, during the Clone Wars, a conflict erupted on Mygeeto between the CIS and the Galactic Republic known as the Third Battle of Mygeeto. The Separatist General known as Grievous brought a group from the Separatist Droid Army to Mygeeto. He was joined by Separatist Colonel Coburn Sear, who had narrowly escaped capture by the Republic on Kardoa. Jedi General Depa Billaba, her padawan Caleb Dume and their battalion of Republic clone troopers were sent to Mygeeto to confront the Separatist presence. Deployed with them was the 31st Artillery Regiment. Acetiepilot often found himself butting heads against his Jedi General, out of his pure spite of the Jedi, leading him to ignore the Jedi General's orders to fall back and leave a Clone infantry unit to be cut off, moving his gun line closer in support of the surrounded Clone unit. After a short but furious battle, the Clone unit was able to hold out and survive. Acetiepilot vowed to never follow another Jedi General's orders again.

Battle of Felucia A key planet for control of the Perlemian Trade Route, Felucia was the location of several battles between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars. In 21 BBY, the first battle on the planet saw the Republic forces, led by Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Plo Koon, dislodged by a Separatist onslaught via blockade.

Later in the war, Separatist forces destroyed the Republic medical station orbiting the planet, deploying a Vulture droid deployment station to safeguard their hold on the system. Around this time, a nysillin farming community was terrorized by Hondo Ohnaka's Florrum-based pirate gang, who stole the settlers' crop harvest. In order to protect themselves, the farmers hired a group of bounty hunters which consisted of Sugi, Embo, Seripas and Rumi Paramita. This group later grew to include stranded Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. With their assistance, the farmers were able to fend off the pirate band and protect their village.

In 20 BBY, elements of the Republic Army, led by Generals Koon and Skywalker and Commander Tano fought to take a Separatist outpost and holdout on the planet; the assault ended with the elimination of the Separatist, outpost, though it also resulted in Ahsoka Tano's kidnapping by rogue Trandoshan hunters.

Later, during the Outer Rim Sieges of 19 BBY, yet another battle was fought on the planet; this time Jedi Master Aayla Secura, Commander Bly, and their 327th Star Corps, along with the 31st Artillery Regiment, were sent to the planet to capture Separatist Council member Shu Mai.

While he was fighting on the gun line, Order 66 came out. Order 66, also known as Clone Protocol 66, was a top secret order identifying all Jedi as traitors to the Galactic Republic and, therefore, subject to summary execution by the Grand Army of the Republic. Acetiepilot was relishing the thought of potentially getting to fight the hated Jedi for real after all the pain and anguish they had set upon the Mandalorians as a culture over the millenia and for the disregard shown by Jedi towards his clone bretheren when he received a distress call from Caro, now his fiancé, who was was leading a scouting party to the west of their position with a Jedi Commander and her platoon.

Acetiepilot handed the gun line over to his Clone XO and rushed to Caro's co-ordinates. He found her mortally wounded by a lightsaber injury to the abdomen. Knowing medical help would never make it in time, Tommy and Caro spent their last moments together reciting the Mandalorian poem, reinvented as a war chant, Dha Werda Verda. Acetiepilot spent the next four days tracking down the Jedi who killed his love, fighting in a bitter duel where acetiepilot rose the victor thanks to the cortosis weaved into his gauntlets, allowing him to absorb the blows of his enemies Lightasber.

The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Mandalorians' heart. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, The first noble sons of Mandalore. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. The gauntlet of Mandalore strikes without mercy. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, The first noble sons of Mandalore. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. - Dha Werda Verda

Completely disillusioned by the Jedi and their war, acetiepilot carried Caro's body back to the main gun line before stealing an LAAT Gunship and making it off world. Making contact with Caro's parents to inform them of what happened. At the behest of Caro's parents, Tommy made his way to the Twi'lek home planet of Ryloth. It was here that they performed The Mandalorian Death Ceremony ("kote kyr'am" in Mando'a) was an event where Mandalorians honor their fallen warriors who died facing impossible odds. To ensure their warrior's spirit can join their Mandalorian paragons, the body is burned on an elevated pyre. Clan members send shouts into the sky, bellowing war cries and retelling feats. The night becomes a celebration of drunken feasting and brawling in honor of the dead.

Emperor's Hammer Military Career

Following the fall of the Republic and the Rise of the Empire, along with Clan Ordo and others, acetiepilot's clan began a network in order to help Clones escape from the bondage of war and to try and find a solution to the Clones rapid aging gene.

Acetiepilot took this time to make a change in his military career at the suggestion of another member from the Cuy'val Dar and coincidentally father to another Rho Squadron pilot, Jarion Renalds, enlisting in the Imperial Pilots Academy. After graduating from the Academy with the prestigious Gold Wings and a short tour of duty on the Daedalus platform, acetiepilot was transferred to Rho Squadron, a Strike unit aboard the ISDII Warrior. Moving up from Rho 7 to Squadron XO, with the re-assignment of General Hav Antiel, acetiepilot was awarded command of Rho Squadron.

6 months later RA Zekk Terrik approached Ace with a proposition to revive a multi-role squadron. Primarily used as a bomber squadron with a flight of Interceptors to provide cover for the slower bombers, Sigma Squadron also deploys to the ground in a pacification role. Offering specialist roles as not only pilots, but ground units, to help quell recently controlled planets populaces.

Mandalorian Armour

Armour colouring: The most recognizable symbol of the Mandalorian culture, Mandalorian armor was a catch-all term for the sets of distinctive full-body armor worn by Mandalorian warriors and soldiers throughout galactic history. Known as beskar'gam in the Mandalorian language of Mando'a—a name which meant "iron skin" when translated into Basic—Mandalorian armor was central to the Mandalorian way of life. The wearing of armor was one of the Resol'nare, the six tenets that defined the Mandalorian culture. In an expansive community comprised of beings from numerous origins, the easily identifiable armor not only provided protection for the wearer, but a common visual identity for any and all Mandalorians, regardless of species or gender.

The appearance of a Mandalorian's armor was largely up to the individual, as the highly independent Mandalorian people customized their armor with different colored paint schemes, clan and unit sigils, personalized glyphs, or other marking patterns in accordance to their own tastes. While many may think Mandalorians paint their armour in their favourite colours, while this may be true to a small fraction, there is actually meaning behind the colours that Mandalorians adorn upon themselves or by others.

Acetiepilot's armour is predominantly royal blue, referencing his reliability which was bestowed upon him by his family. The forest green found upon his armour was chosen by that of Cora's family, while not born into Mandalorian culture she adopted it upon her relationship with acetiepilot, her family seeing the dedication Tommy applied to their daughter. The green signifies duty. While acetiepilot has worn this colour combination since, he has made just one slight modification to the colouring. Upon the death of Cora, Tommy painted a grey strip which runs down the left eye of his visor, letting all other Mandalorians known he is mourning a lost love.

Personal Ship

Tracyaat: acetiepilot's personal craft is a heavily modified HWK-290 Light Freighter. Though an older ship, first released in 9 BBY, with the modifications made to it, allows the ship to continue service well into the current generation of light freighters.

Tracyaat, meaning Artillery in Mandalorian, measures twenty-nine meters in length and requires a pilot and co-pilot to operate. Tommy negates this by utilizing his modified Combat Gonk droid as his co-pilot. The freighter can accommodate up to six passengers and 150 tons of cargo.

Combat Gonk

Despite the fact that Tommy despises droids, from his time fighting them in the Clone Wars, he does in fact keep a droid in tow. It is more of a sick joke, rather than out of necessity, as he uses it as a slave to collect beverages and food for him and his pilots. Tommy has modified a standard Gonk droid with combat programming and some hidden weaponry. The droid also has the ability to directly tap into the onboard flight computer of Tracyaat, his personal ship, for co-pilot duties.