Varruns Kira

Lord Varruns Kira is an Onderonian nobleman who has served as Lord of Kira Fortress and head of House Kira since the death of his father Lord Sunvar Kira in 9 BFE.

Early Life and Education
Varruns Kira was born as the first son and heir to Lord Sunvar Kira and his wife Lady Myrrian Kira, twenty-eight years before the formation of the Galactic Empire. As the first of five children, Varruns was, in short, spoiled. For a majority of children, such a privileged upbringing would have detached them from reality entirely, but Varruns' life was slightly more grounded - or, in fact, the opposite. Lord Sunvar was one of Onderon's finest beast riders, practising the ancient methods of House Kira's ancestors to tame the many creatures that inhabited their homeworld. Sunvar expected his son to follow in his footsteps, and so as soon as he could walk, Varruns was trained to fly. Starting with a young ruping hatchling, the heir to the Kiras found himself close to the beasts that his father kept, including Lord Sunvar's prized Drexl, Nadd.

Whilst Varruns was taught how to tame beasts by himself, his regular education was shared with his siblings. Varruns was the most astute of the young Kiras, although his younger sister Zina was close behind him, the small difference in their age resulting in her often matching her brother in educational activities. Initially taught by a tutor at Kira Fortress, the heir to the Kira family would later attend a prestigious school in Iziz City from the age of ten, and slowly but surely the rest of his family would find themselves in the years below him. In 10 BFE, Varruns would graduate from the school with flying colours, drawing the eye of a Republic recruiter in the capital. Only just eighteen, the young heir was offered a position at Raithal Academy in the Colonies, one of the Galactic Republic's most prestigious educational facilities, second only to the Academy of Carida. Within a month of his offer, the noble had been shipped off to the planet with other prospective students, his first trip off-world.

Officer Training, Cut Short By Tragedy
At Raithal, Varruns learnt many key skills for command - how to convince men to fight for you, and how to deal with those who refuse. His first year at the academy allowed the young man to discover his innate natural charisma, preventing a standoff between two recruits from escalating into violence with a combination of calm words and a fierce glare. Along with learning how to lead, Varruns also learnt how to shoot a blaster, becoming proficient, although not an expert, with a pistol. But, his time at the academy was cut short by a grim message. In the dead of night, he was summoned to the academy administrator's office and shown a holocommunication from his mother. Lord Sunvar was ill, and likely would not live for much longer, his mother said through tears. He would have to end his education at the Republic academy prematurely to assume his position as Lord of Kira Fortress. In a rare display of emotion, the administrator offered his sympathies, before allowing Varruns to leave, to collect his things before his departure.

His return to Onderon was not as grand as he had once hoped. Instead of being welcomed back as an officer of the Republic Judicial Forces, he made his journey to his home quietly. When he reached the fortress, the young man was ushered to his father's quarters, where the aged man lay in his bed, looking close to death. As ill as he was, however, Lord Sunvar gave a broad smile at the sight of his son, and embraced him. Sunvar was blunt in his speech, and informed Varruns that he did not expect to last the day. He ordered him to travel to Iziz upon Nadd, and swear his service to King Ramsis, as the new Lord of Kira Fortress. His initial training in beast riding and his connection with his father's beast made mounting the Drexl simple.

Lord of Kira Fortress, and the Twi'lek
Although a far distance laid between Iziz and Kira Fortress, flight made the journey far shorter, only requiring two stops along the way in small settlements in the jungle and highlands. His arrival at the capital was even humbler than his arrival home - not a single guard came to welcome him, or ferry him to the throne room. Instead, after sending Nadd back to the Fortress, intending to take a shuttle back, Varruns made the trek to the Royal Palace of Iziz. Swearing himself to the King was quick and easy, with Ramsis thanking the young lord for his effort in travelling over, and offering his condolences for Lord Sunvar's condition. As quickly as his meeting with the King of Onderon began, it was over, Varruns ending it with a bow before leaving. As was customary for Lords of Kira Fortress, he would return to his distant home and stay there until requested, and thus he headed for the spaceport. He would not make it there alone.

Outside of the Royal Palace, a young Twi'lek girl pulled on the leg of Varruns' trousers, asking for a small donation so that she could afford food. Having sworn to be a good and dutiful lord, he did one better. It seemed the girl did not know who he was, and so the Lord of Kira Fortress introduced himself, and made a formal offer of a job at his home, as a servant. She would receive a formal education, and a steady pay, along with being housed and fed alongside her fellow servants. Along with the young girl, whose name was Sienn'Amersu, Varruns boarded a ship home, and experienced a calm journey.

Sienna settled in quickly to her new position, far faster than Varruns did into his. Whilst he was a decently effective lord, able to use his skills learnt at Raithal to the best effect, placating merchants and other visitors, and calming those who felt that they had been wronged. He was doing all his father did as Lord, and he felt he was doing it well, but it seemed to be all he was doing. Determined to do something, Varruns went to the one person he felt he could learn from, his mother's new handmaiden, Sienna Mersu.

Learning, Battle, and War
Varruns needed something to take his mind off of his duties, and so he asked the young Twi'lek to teach him her language, both how to understand and speak it. Whilst Varruns could not learn the elaborate lekku movements that made up one side of the language of Ryloth, he proved to be apt at the verbal part, going from simple phrases to near fluency within a single year, and soon enough speaking it nearly as well as Galactic Basic. Sienna and Varruns developed a sibling-esque relationship as they taught and learned respectively, and the young Twi'lek found her position as a servant becoming far more, acting as a reassuring voice of advice to the Lord of Kira Fortress.

Peace, as it tends to do, did not last. Only a year before the Clone Wars, a force of Mandalorians landed outside of the fortress and, in essence, laid siege. Kira Fortress was protected by only a small garrison, with the many factions of Onderon usually refraining from infighting, and so the leader of these Mandalorians, the head of Clan Ordo, saw the isolated location as an easy target. He was not correct in his assumptions. Although only a few professional soldiers were garrisoned, the people in the surrounding settlements and the servants of House Kira were ready and willing to defend their homes. Along with his brothers, Varruns assisted in the defence of his lands, wielding the DH-17 blaster pistol that was given to him during his time at Raithal. Whilst not an expert gunman, and rusty in his years of administration, the Lord of House Kira had a steady hand, and killed at least one of the Mandalorian raiders, who bore the symbol of the Death Watch. After a bloody battle, the forces of House Kira were victorious, and the Mandalorians repelled, their Ordo leader sounding the retreat after Varruns lined up a shot towards his head. It was not without losses, however. Varruns' younger brother, Ulic, named for an ancient Jedi who had once assisted his ancestors, lost an eye to a glancing blaster bolt, and his youngest brother, Modon, fell in battle, charging forward with a vibrosword after being surrounded, in a last-ditch attempt to save a family he was protecting. Modon was honoured with a grand funeral, and Varruns pledged to protect his people in his brother's honour, along with starting to learn the language of the raiders, Mando'a, so that he could confront them properly upon their return.

It was only a few months after the Mandalorians were pushed back that chaos once more erupted, this time across the entirety of Onderon. King Ramsis Dendup had been dethroned, and General Tandin, along with a Separatist Droid Army, placed Lord Sanjay Rash upon the throne as King of Onderon. Kira Fortress and the surrounding settlement were still recovering from the raid that had wracked them, and the people were not enthused to go to war with their fellow Onderonians, even if they had usurped the king's throne. However, Varruns had seen the king's grace, and was initially willing to pledge his full support to the pro-Dendup rebels. It was Sienna Mersu who convinced him otherwise. Many of her fellow servants were still nursing grievous wounds, and the Death Watch attack's scars had not yet healed. Against his instincts, Varruns decided to follow the advice he was given, and keep with the example set by Kiras of old. Isolation.

A New Order, A New King
When news reached Kira Fortress of the death of Sanjay Rash and Ramsis Dendup's reassumption of the throne of Onderon, Varruns was, in short, relieved that the Separatists had been repelled, and the Republic had both received a Senator from Onderon in the form of Lux Bonteri, and sent a Clone Legion to garrison the planet. Opening holocommunications with the reinstated King Ramsis, he offered his congratulations to the Onderonian rebels and expressed his sadness that he could not have been there to help, still recovering from the Death Watch attacks three years before.

One year later, that relief would turn to horror. As fast as news had reached him of Saw Gerrera's success as leader of the rebels, the news of the 222nd Legion's destruction of the victorious rebels came, along with the news of Chancellor Palpatine's declaration of a reformation. The Republic that he had once loved had become an Empire, and Varruns could not see why King Ramsis allowed them to rule the planet as they now did. But, he knew the king to be wise, and he knew Lux Bonteri to be the same - as long as they saw the Empire as benevolent, he would too. Ramsis Dendup's death in 0 AFE meant that Varruns would have to, once more, return to Iziz, now under Imperial occupation. And so, with his mother and his siblings beside him, along with Sienna Mersu and her fellow servants, the Lord of Kira Fortress returned to the capital.

As his ancestors had done before him, Varruns did not put his name forward for the position of King of Onderon. It was not time. Instead, along with the majority of Onderon's lords, he voted for the eldest son of King Ramsis, the new lord of House Dendup, Valrik. As expected, Valrik was chosen, and so it stood to reason that the Kiras would return to their fortress. And yet, something drew Varruns to Iziz, something that had drawn the Kiras there in the time of Lord Modon and King Oron.

Indecision
As he has since King Valrik Dendup's election, Varruns remains in the capital with his family and household, and only time can reveal his motives for breaking such an ancient tradition...

Character Skills
Diplomacy - Expert - Varruns learned basic diplomatic techniques from his father, Lord Sunvar, and developed those skills further at the Raithal Academy. After assuming Lordship, he has utilised these skills to great effect, ensuring those in the land around him do not come to blows.

Creature Handling - Proficient - Following in the footsteps of the ancient Beast Riders, Lord Sunvar trained his son in the taming and riding of beasts, and Varruns has formed a bond with the Drexl named Nadd.

Ranged - Proficient - As expected of a Republic Officer-in-training, Varruns was educated in proper blaster etiquette, and is decently skilled with his DH-17 blaster pistol.

Intimidation - Proficient - Whilst not physically intimidating, Varruns is able to use both words and his pistol to convince unsavoury individuals to turn away, and to stop a confrontation with a threat of starting his own.

Ulic Kira
Second son and third child of Lord Sunvar Kira, Ulic serves as the heir to House Kira, and his brother's closest friend. Having lost his eye in a battle with Mandalorian raiders, he looks the part of a veteran warrior, a part he serves well.

Melee - Proficient

Masan
Since early in Lord Sunvar's time as Lord of Kira Fortress, Masan has served as the pilot for House Kira's personal starship, the Death of Vaklu, a SoroSuub 3000 Luxury Yacht that was received as a gift from King Ramsis Dendup's predecessor. Masan is a capable pilot, and a firm friend of House Kira.

Piloting - Proficient

Zina Kira
As the second child of Lord Sunvar, Zina has always been close to her elder brother, and has always been just as competitive. Where Varruns directed his intellect into leadership and diplomacy, ZIna put hers into studying the network and software that connects the galaxy, and how to slice into it all.

Computers - Proficient