Marka

“	His sword had turned from silver, to crimson, to a blackish color now. There were body parts strewn around him.	”
—An observation of Marka in combat

Markadus Su'Riven is a human male, born on the planet Coruscant.

After the death of his father and abduction of his mother, Marka worked as a freelance mercenary for his teenage years, accompanied primarily by his friend and lover, Emmanise Valroyo. Throughout this time, Markadus also worked on identifying his mother's abductors, leading him down a dark and personally disturbing path. This would carry on for many years until he was abandoned by Emmanise and had exhausted all the leads presented to him. Making perhaps the most sensible decision in his life, Markadus then turned to the Vast Empire, where he would serve sporadically for some time.

After increasing interference in his Army career by personal problems, Markadus deserted after the completion of one particular mission. Soon after, he discovered the identity of his mother's abductor and his father's murderer, and faced him. Markadus walked out alive, soon finding himself in trouble with local authorities. From there, he was shipped to an abandoned prison train, previously used to store criminals until they perished.

After two weeks in confinement, Marka was close to death, and therefore was barely conscious when he was removed from his cell and taken off-planet.

Markadus Su'Riven
Military Information
Callsign:	Marka
Spec:	Combat Engineer
Rank:	Gunnery Sergeant
Position:	Previously Assistant Squad Leader
Squad:	Previously Wraith
Division:	Army
Physical Description
Gender:	Male
Skin color:	Tan
Height:	6'
Weight:	80kg
Eyes:	Dark brown
Biographical Information
Homeworld:	Coruscant
Species:	Human
Age:	28
Languages:	Basic
Family:	Ottmar Su'Riven (father; deceased) Evelyn Su'Riven (mother; deceased)
Fighting Style:	Melee preference (sword)

Biography

Early life

Markadus Su'Riven was born on Coruscant to Ottmar and Evelyn Su'Riven, a significantly wealthy couple. Ottmar worked as a high-ranking member of a local branch of police, having risen through the ranks from a young age. Evelyn began a career in minor politics, but retired indefinitely after Markadus was born. The family home was the feature-piece of a new suburban development initiative, intended to trigger a wave of high-rise living in the area. The city-suburb in question would later suffer a dramatic loss of interest, causing the land to pass into criminal hands. Marka was only a young boy, barely ten years old, when his father was killed in the line of service. What had appeared to be a routine hunt for vagrants was in fact an ambitious set-up, organised by aspiring criminal kingpin Garrett Myzant. Ottmar was separated from his partner, who was left incapacitated, while Garrett personally attacked Ottmar. Garrett nearly lost his life in the fight, but managed to prevail. Once found and recovered, Ottmar's body was briefly returned to the Su'Riven residence before being given a serviceman’s funeral. The circumstances of his death would not be uncovered until many years later.

Coruscant, Marka's home planet.

Weeks after Ottmar's death, the Su'Riven household suffered a violent home-invasion at the hands of a dozen of Garrett's hired guns. Markadus was present for this, and was beaten severely by several of the men, while Evelyn was kidnapped. The trauma of the situation and the notion of being an orphan took a significant toll on the boy’s mental state, and Marka soon vanished into the backstreets. These series of events caused a catastrophic drop in real estate prices in the area, and the development project was swiftly and irresponsibly scrapped. As it was, nobody claimed the area within the first few months; after that, it was too extensively-used by criminal organisations for anyone honest to go near it. Su'Riven Tower, along with the rest of the suburb, was quickly stripped bare and left to the elements. Whatever wasn't in use by the increasing number of gangs was left abandoned. It was during this time that Markadus found temporary shelter with several other homeless children living in poverty.

From there, Marka and his companions scavenged their way through each week, carrying on for years. As they grew older and stronger, their activities became progressively more daring; often times working for extensions of Garrett Myzant's expanding network of power. As Marka matured, however, he began to slowly detach himself from his dependence on the others. His memories of his mother's abduction became increasingly prominent in his mind, and as soon as he believed himself strong enough, Marka began searching for leads to follow. Several presented themselves, though all were misleading. Nevertheless, through his teenage years, Marka worked himself into a hormonal frenzy, training whenever he wasn't sleeping or pursuing information. During this stage, he met another street urchin, Emmanise Valroyo. The two swiftly bonded, as Emmanise's carefree nature tempered Marka's frustration. It was from her that he slowly learned to control the expression of his emotions on the surface; though instead of truly dealing with them, as Emma attempted to instruct, he internalised everything and suppressed it. This in turn inspired Marka's lust for combat, particularly melee combat, as it became his only outlet through which to vent his growing desperation and hatred for his own circumstances. While this period of personal frustration plagued him, Marka forged himself a weapon to reflect the existence he then embodied. What was produced at the end was a sword perfectly fit to his hands that he would carry everywhere he went.

Searching

As the years began to wear, Markadus and Emmanise grew close. It became second nature for the two to work together, and were almost always hired as a duo by whoever had work to offer. Their efficiency became well-known. Soon the pair had gathered funds enough to purchase their own ship; a small, second-hand scout ship that required a lot of work. As such, it was another year before Marka and Emma took their first mission off-planet, requiring a hired pilot to escort them.

This independence, however, alerted Marka to the fact that the limitations of his searches on Coruscant were now lifted, and he could vastly broaden the range of his investigation into his mother’s whereabouts. Understanding the importance of this possibility to her companion, Emmanise took great care to learn everything that was needed to pilot the vessel herself. Once competent, the two spent more time away from Coruscant than they did on it, returning only to take work necessary to refreshing their funds, or following the few leads there were. This began a full two years of exhaustive seeking over a dozen planets, including Nal Hutta, Da Soocha and Thyferra.

Unbeknownst to the two, many of the leads pointed straight to enemies, or competitors, opposing Myzant’s rule back on Coruscant. Believing each had played some part in his mother’s abduction, Marka eliminated all of those he could gain access to, leaving only a few behind who were too well-guarded. As a result, information grew scarce, or disappeared completely, once each objective was completed. Expecting the opposite, Marka was tormented by his lack of progress. Emmanise took increasing notice of the effects of their missions, eventually suffering from intense guilt over the amount of death she had helped create. Furthermore, she identified her part in Marka’s declining state, believing he would never have had the focus or the means to go down that path had she not insinuated herself into his life.

After a particularly taxing mission on Thyferra in which Marka came exceptionally close to his own death, and committed atrocities that would plague him from that moment on, Emmanise made the decision to remove herself from the equation altogether, abandoning Marka to the planet and taking the ship with her. It took many months for Marka to come to grips with the loss, often blaming himself for her disappearance. It was longer still before he would have the necessary resources to find passage back to Coruscant, using the time available to him to smother the conflict within. In these months his reckless, unrestrained persona was refined and polished, bringing to the surface only what was relevant, or what could not be controlled. After a great deal of practice, however, he learned the necessary control by maintaining a detachment with most things that could result in vulnerability.

Some years later, having spent more time perfecting his personal style of combat and moderating his expression of emotion, Marka began to feel the pull of a more meaningful, challenging life. In his travels, word of the Vast Empire had inevitably reached him, and once he recognised the challenge it would pose to him as a man and a warrior, he tracked down the next recruitment shuttle and set out with only his sword and the clothes on his back.

The Vast Empire

Marka’s career in the Vast Empire Stormtrooper Corps was constantly interrupted, but nonetheless impressive. His performance as a soldier and stoicism in the face of great pressure earned him prestige and medals, as well as elite training. Never in one place for long, Marka served in several squads: Raiders Squad, Wraith Squad, Jester Squad and the highly-respected Advance Recon Commandos.

His first placement was Raiders squad, serving briefly under 1st Lieutenant Raziel, a short and enigmatic man that commanded much respect throughout the Corps. Their interaction spanned only the very end of a single mission before Raziel’s career took him elsewhere, with the Raiders coming then under the command of Sergeant Aiden Branson, otherwise known as Slick. The squad was focused primarily on multi-environment operations, two of which Marka served in. The squad lifestyle greatly suited him, developing respect and even friendships with several other Raiders. He spoke more and laughed often, though his sense of humour was somewhat more difficult to breach than others. Before the second mission, Slick departed from the squad, succeeded by Corporal Darr-Rann. With this development, Marka was appointed the Assistant Squad Leader of Raiders, still only a Private First Class.

A short time into his service, however, Marka was confronted with the most enticing and promising lead he had yet come across, hinting at an exact location regarding his mother. Unable to dismiss the possibility, Marka resigned himself to the Reserves and took personal leave. What resulted was a bloody mess of disappointment, fury and desperation as Marka combed through every last piece of evidence he could conjure only to wind up, once again, empty-handed. With nowhere else to go, he returned once more to the Vast Empire.

When he returned, Darr-Rann (then a Gunnery Sergeant) still lead Raider squad, assisted by “Cheech” Gorjan, known as Rogueboy, a friend of Marka’s from before his departure. Oddly, upon Marka’s return to Tadath, he was handed a promotion to Lance Corporal and immediately reinstated in the Raiders. He was shipped independently off-planet to where the Raiders’ present mission took place, and he once again found himself in a place of comfort. He quickly bonded with the squad, particularly Namyr, a fiery Twi’lek woman and the complicated romantic partner to Rogueboy.

The two bonded even further when they were each given the honour of serving in the Advanced Recon Commandos together, beneath Sergeant Riqimo Pershaw, a distinguished and well-respected soldier who also happened to be the Squad Leader of another regular squad, Eclipse. Marka served two missions in the ARC, as well as a further two missions with the Raiders before once again coming to blows with his personal life, taunted anew by promising information. This time, however, the influence behind the anonymous information threatened to interweave itself into Marka’s life within the Vast Empire. As that life was the last thing he held sacred, Markadus got as far away as possible in an attempt to preserve its relative purity.

Markadus Su'Riven

“	A ways away, he could see Marka slashing furiously with his sword, his armor similarly stained. Surrounding him was a space the length of his sword where no living thing stood. He was cutting through the cultists almost like grass.	”
—Arnaut Taran watching Marka in combat

Once again, the ties to his past continued to pull him backwards, distancing him from the Vast Empire. Fortunately, on this occurrence the source of all the previous misinformation was not so well-hidden, allowing Marka the first chance to come face to face with who he believed was responsible for everything. Mr Margaan, largely responsible for communicating the various strands of false trails to Marka, was in fact passing the messages along for Garrett Myzant. By this time, Myzant had eliminated the entirety of his competition, using an unknowing Marka as his weapon, until the only people left with any knowledge of these events were Garrett, Margaan and Marka. Mr Margaan was entirely blind to the fact that Garrett made sure Marka was able to find him. With Margaan gone, regardless of his loyalty, Garrett would be nigh unrivalled.

As expected, though after a lengthy pursuit through several systems, Markadus finally caught up with Mr Margaan and wasted little time in killing him, sending him tumbling from a sheer cliff’s edge. While Marka had expected a severance from the burden of his past with Margaan’s death, he found himself wracked with crisis, coming under the impression that he himself was the last piece of the puzzle that needed to be removed. Entirely unwilling to end his own life, but believing there was no longer a risk of his past infecting the life he had built in the Corps, Marka warily made his way back to the Vast Empire in hopes of regaining stability.

Once returned, however, the transition back into routine was anything but smooth. Expecting to be reunited with the Raiders, Marka instead found himself thrown into a VR simulation exercise with a collection of soldiers almost entirely unknown to him – save for Namyr. The mission was over nearly as soon as it had begun, however, and before long Marka found himself jumbled into another squad, apparently picked from the most effective performances in the other simulations. Fortuitously, this time Marka recognised several more faces. Namyr was not there, though Dante Asana, an old Raider squadmate, and Arnaut Taran, a man Marka served with in the ARC, were present. Once the attached mission had been handled, Marka wound up in Jester squad.

“	“Well, Marks, it’s not every day I see something stay standing after you’ve hit it. Getting rusty, are we?”	”
—Zasati "Aeos" Katash

His stint in Jester was incredibly short-lived, as the entire squad was accused and convicted of treason against the Vast Empire, and sentenced to death. Not a single one of them were guilty of the charges, but falsified evidence and political deviousness provided enough to condemn them. As Marka’s sentence was being read to him, the facility in which they were imprisoned was sabotaged, and the squad managed to escape, though, ironically for Marka, were hotly pursued by the Raiders. None save Sergeant First Class Aeos, the squad’s leader, were aware that the circumstances that lead to that point were purposefully laid out in what would be a most elaborate deception to bring down one of the most powerful crime lords known to the Vast Empire. Throughout the period of Marka’s ignorance, he suffered greatly at the thought that now even the Corps could no longer act as his refuge, made all the more painful by being hunted down like a dog by the first squad he had ever been a part of. Soon enough, however, the situation was explained, though there remained a fire in Marka that lingered for the rest of the mission.

Upon completion of the mission, Marka had by then been promoted and decorated several times. Jester squad’s record was wiped clean once the announcement was made that there never was any treason, and as ever Marka found himself placed in Raider Squad as the Assistant Squad Leader. It would also be Marka’s first real interaction with the enigmatic Matthias I. Battlemont, a Platoon Sergeant who was better known as Snipes. Marka would go on to complete a single mission with the Raiders, as well as another operation with the ARC, before he took an extensive personal leave.

It was this period outside of the VE that Marka refuses to speak of. The time was spent meticulously pinpointing each and every link he could find that leashed him to his life before the Empire, in fear that it would continue to take him away from the life he grew to depend on. He was severely misguided by his own paranoia, and extracted himself from his past in the only manner he was capable: violence. It was a soul-wrenching experience for Marka as he erased criminal and innocent alike, living in constant turmoil. He believed the violence and unrestrained bloodshed of his previous years were what caused the greatest of his problems in the first place, but knew of no other way to attempt to break away from them.

Much time passed before Marka could stomach the thought of putting a being such as himself back into a place he held sacred. But the realisation that the Vast Empire rewarded him for his skill, and controlled the extent of his brutality, drew him back once again. By the time he had returned, Marka had managed to temper his approach to life, characteristically internalising his guilt and fear of losing control.

In contrast to previous returns, Marka had no desire to slide back into the ranks of the Raiders. While he had suppressed a great deal of his hardships, he was still afraid enough of bringing shame to his old squad that he would rather risk it elsewhere. Thus came his appointment as the ASL of Wraith squad, at the whim of a particularly feisty Cathar by the name of Mai Shyrr; an up-and-coming Lance Corporal.

But Marka’s Army career was doomed to repeat its unforgiving pattern. Two missions into his service, Marka would make his final departure from the Vast Empire Stormtrooper Corps.

During the last mission with Wraith, Marka had become aware of several men following him. They could in no way have been related to the mission, and they had eyes for nobody else. With the understanding that Marka’s tortured past had once again found its way into the Corps and threatened to undo everything he had worked to create, the Assistant Squad Leader of Wraith decided that enough was enough. Barely spending an hour back on Tadath, Markadus stowed himself away on the first shuttle off-planet and officially became a deserter. This began an extensive chase through the galaxy, Marka only ever a short step ahead of his assailants, until he came to terms with the futility of his actions and the inevitability of the confrontation before him. On the planet of Abregado-rae, Marka ceased his running and faced the men who followed him, eventually killing them, along with several innocents, in an orchestrated explosion. It was with these men, however, that Marka would be led home to Coruscant to confront the true face behind his life’s countless misadventures.

In the ruins of the Su’Riven tower, Marka finally discovered the man responsible for both his parents’ deaths, and the nightmarish life he had fallen into as a result. Garrett Myzant had every intention of killing Marka then and there, set to usurp the stagnant Su’Riven fortune secretly left in Marka’s name, but was betrayed by the gunman he had personally hired to do the deed. Robbed of both the opportunity for revenge, and of any remaining purpose, Marka took out his anger on the gunman before being snatched by authorities several hours later.

Unable to identify the significance of his own life, Marka carelessly chose the option of a prison sentence over a life of flourishing criminal activity presented to him by the a named Rikkt, who claimed to have a great deal of influence over Marka’s fate. Angered at the refusal, Rikkt had Marka rendered unconscious and stored in an old prison train, far from Coruscant. Marka had no concept of how long he had been there by the time he awoke, and he entertained no thought of escape.

But escape he did.

Personality

As a result of the extensive conflict throughout his life, Marka is a largely closed-off person when it comes to expressing substantial emotion. His sense of humour is wry, more at home among those with a dry wit than energetic jokesters. He approaches most things in life with a particularly casual passivity, with both frowns and smiles few and far between. Many people mistake his relaxed, unrevealing expressions as a sign that he is constantly unhappy, but this is not the case. Due to the excessive amount of suppression Marka has had to put on the negative influences in his life, stopping them from reaching the surface, he has somewhat lost the ability to distinguish between negative and positive emotions. If something is obviously funny and those around him are freely laughing, Marka will likely be giving a serene smile - not because he finds it any less humorous, but because that is all that manages to make it through to the surface.

In combat, Marka is as expressionless as ever, though there is an unmistakable ruthlessness in his method. He does not toy with enemies. While his ranged skills are somewhat below standard for a Stormtrooper, his swordwork has been refined and personally developed from a very young age, and he lusts for opportunities to unleash that efficiency upon his foes - particularly if they pose a challenge. This attraction for battle exists partly as the most effective way for Marka to channel the conflict brewing inside him and let it out. On rare occasions, when under great personal torment, he will begin to lose control over how much his anger influences his actions. This has only ever happened in combat. The possibility of dying does not bother Marka, though he has often been accused of seeking it. In reality, the only death Marka fears is an unimpressive one.

Psych Evaluation

Initial Inspection: Subject appears to be of sound mind; responds directly, but coherently, to basic lines of questioning. However, when family history is mentioned, responses become dismissive. Nothing to worry about, I'm sure. Almost everyone who comes through here has family issues. Fit for duty.
Further Analysis: Subject has been active in the Corps for some time now, and word reached me about his violent nature in the field. After a more substantial analysis, I believe routine check-ups are necessary. Case in point: Reports suggest that when in combat, the subject shows little to no outward signs of stress or pressure. He appears to gamble with his life without a great deal of thought - suicidal tendencies? - and routinely shows what can only be described as minor bloodlust. It isn't difficult to spot the underlying anger issues, but identifying their source proves difficult. In all likeliness, they stem from whatever family problems the subject refuses to divulge. In any case, the suppression of these issues will only produce a deterioration of mental stability.
Conclusive Statements: It has come to my attention that the subject has shown decreasing stability, as expected, though not on the field. Observation suggests combat is a comforting influence in his life; the problems appear to be manifesting during down time. I was given brief access to a recent mission summary for Wraith squad, regarding a violent encounter with a currently unknown form of sentient, parasitic life. I am recommending counselling for the entire squad. My subject, however, appears to be the most shaken by the experience; he has apparently been jumpy, unusually superstitious, and more grim of nature than usual. As such, I am lodging an official request to the Army to have him removed from active service pending more thorough psychological assessment.
UPDATE: Subject has deserted. My sources tell me he is on the run from more than the retrieval team sent after him. Perhaps he could no longer suppress his issues. The most recent report indicates subject is making his way further into the core - closer to Coruscant, his birthplace. I sometimes tire of being correct.

Service History

Served With

During Marka's sporadic Army career, he has had the privilege of serving with some of the most respected, renowned and decorated soldiers to pass through the Stormtrooper Corps, including:

• Matthias L. Battlemont
• Jegora Fal
• Kami Sharpe
• Riqimo Pershaw
• Namyr'Olgkru Lythune
• Zasati Katash
• Raziel
• Dante Asana
• Jager Luth
• Otto Vox

Ranks

Ranks
Insignia	Rank	Start	Until	Reason for Promotion
	Private	October 20, 2005	October 25, 2005	Joined the Vast Empire Army
	Private First Class	October 25, 2005	July 3, 2007	Graduated from the Stormtrooper Academy
	Lance Corporal	July 3, 2007	September 23, 2007	Long overdue
	Sergeant	September 23, 2007	March 23, 2008	Double promotion for outstanding competition activity
	Gunnery Sergeant	March 23, 2008	Present	Outstanding story contribution

Positions

Positions
Position	Start	Until	Reason
	October 20, 2005	October 25, 2005	Was placed in Drill Squad
	October 25, 2005	February 28, 2006	Placement in Raiders
	February 28, 2006	May 7, 2006	Took the ASL position left vacant by Darr-Rann, who became Squad Leader
	July 3, 2007	April 9, 2008	Temporary retirement to Reserves required standing down from ASL position
	April 9, 2008	September 24, 2008	Return from Reserves saw reinstatement
	September 24, 2008	October 9, 2010	Another temporary return to Reserves
	October 9, 2010	December 12, 2010	Return from Reserves and transfer to Wraith as ASL
	December 12,2010	Present	Deserted

Awards and Certifications

Awards

Awards
Ribbon	Award	Award Name	Date Received	Reason
	LoR	Letter of Recommendation	October 25, 2005	Given to members who have shown fantastic displays of promise while serving in the Vast Empire Army Academy.
	ES2	Emperor's Shield, Second Class	November 20, 2005	The standard excellence award of the Vast Empire Stormtrooper Corps, it may be bestowed for any outstanding service.
	EW1	Emperor's Will, First Class	July 15, 2007	Awarded to members who have shown dedication, loyalty, and outstanding activity in his/her platoon.
	LM	Legionnaire Medallion	September 23, 2007	Granted to soldiers who have displayed courage under fire.
	EW1	Emperor's Will, First Class	March 23, 2008	Awarded to members who have shown dedication, loyalty, and outstanding activity in his/her platoon.
	CoS	Claw of Strak	March 23, 2008	Granted to those members who achieved excellence in participation during the STC Spring 2008 Competition.
	IH	Iron Heart	May 4, 2008	A medal for the troopers of the Vast Empire Army that have shown their bravery, courage, and honor by increasing a squad’s or platoon’s activity and having a major effect on the overall activity of the Regiment.

Story Participation

Story Participation
Story	Start Date	End Date	Type	Post Count
Platoon Comp Story 2 (Raiders, Lancer)	September 28, 2005	?	Competition	4
Wolves of New Brinne	November 22, 2005	?	Raiders Squad Story	10
Tying Up Loose Ends	March 9,2006	?	RaidersSquad Story	1
Raiders 8.5 - Phu	June 10, 2007	?	Raiders Squad Story	9
Proving Grounds	July 22, 2007	?	ARC Lambda Story	7
Raiders Phase II	August 27, 2007	?	Raiders Squad Story	4
Process of Elimination	September 10, 2007	?	ARC Lambda Story	2
Sith Spit	September 30, 2007	?	Raiders Squad Story	1
Kiss Me, I'm Radioactive (Room 2)	March 9, 2008	?	Collaboration Simulation Story	6
Captor's Gambit	March 14, 2008	?	Collaboration Story	8
Cross-Fingered Treason	March 25, 2008	?	Jester/Raider Collaboration Story	2
Fingers Crossed on Gamble's Gut	March 29, 2008	?	Competition	5
Restoration	April 14, 2008	?	Raiders Squad Story	4
You May Now Kidnap The Bride	April 28, 2008	?	ARC Lambda Story	2
Fingers Be Uncrossed!	May 12, 2008	?	Jester/Raider Collaboration Story	2
Ghosts In The Machine	October 13, 2010	?	Wraith/Iron Horse Halloween Collaboration	3
Snatch and Grab	November 15, 2010	?	Wraith Squad Story	1
Total:				71