Malo Vardenn

Malovar'denn, or Malo Vardenn, is a senator of the New Republic. Originating from the planet Ryloth, Malo came from a merchant family and eventually rose to the position of Senator. As an apt negotiator, he worked to gain support for the Galactic Alliance and, after it dissolved, the New Republic. After Ryloth fell to the Kicka Empire, Malo had no planet to represent. So, he spends the majority of his time working to liberate his people through his connections and diplomacy.

Early Life
Born in 215 ABY to a wealthy merchant family, Malo had more insight into the struggle for galactic dominance, both at home and abroad. He traveled with his father to many planets, mostly coreworlds like Coruscant, Kuat, and Balmorra and marveled at the sights the galaxy had to offer. He also quickly saw the corruption sweeping through the galaxy. He was 11 when he was nearly abducted by a deathstick dealer who had run into his father on Corulag some years earlier. If not for his father's Defel bodyguard, Malo might have wound up in a slave ring. Malo's father quickly reassigned his Defel bodyguard to accompany his son at all times.

As he grew into adolescence, Malo studied language and culture, learning not only the history of Ryloth and his own people, but that of countless species across the galaxy. At first, Malo intended to follow his father into the merchant business, but as he witnessed more and more transgressions against citizens' rights, he realized his calling was to the Republic and a life of political service.

Man of the Republic
Early in adulthood, Malo succeeded in local political circles on Ryloth, quickly becoming a public defender before being elected to an interplanetary committee investigating a nearby slave trade. The trade was being run by a Hutt named Bulva, who hired an assassin to eliminate any evidence the committee may have collected against him. Malo escaped the assassin, thanks mostly to the Defel bodyguard who died while warning Malo of the Hutt's intentions. Malo never again underestimated his opponents, the importance of bodyguards, or even the usefulness of assassins.

For the past decade, Malo worked as a diplomat and then Senator under the various structures of the Republic as the government tried to strengthen itself with reform. Malo jumped from world to world, trying to rally support for the Galactic Alliance, but one by one, he saw planets give their allegiance to the Kicka Empire. When the GA finally relocated to Dac, Malo returned to Ryloth for a short time in order to reassure his people of his own commitment to bringing peace to the galaxy. Malo arrived on Dac shortly before the fall of Coruscant. Nearly as quickly as the once-great capital had fallen, his own home also gave way under the might of the Kicka Empire.

On Dac, Malo saw the election of Alexandra Schmidt as Supreme Chancellor and the creation of a New Republic. Though Malo himself no longer had a constituent planet to support in the Senate, he and many others agreed that Ryloth (and many other Kicka worlds) were merely being occupied until the New Republic could liberate them. As such, Malo has continued his work on Dac, hoping his connections and political skills will allow him to still actively participate in leading the New Republic to victory over the Kicka Empire.

Personality
Malo's native planet, Ryloth, is a planet of extremes. The world is divided into the Bright Lands and the Nightlands, which, as their names suggest, are characterized by eternal sunlight and eternal darkness. Besides underground cave dwellings where many Twi'leks make their home, the only hospitable portion of the planet is a narrow band between the two extremes. This band combines the best attributes of the Bright Lands and the Nightlands. It is neither wholly dark nor light. It is a symbol of balance and harmony on an otherwise cruel and hostile world. Malo Vardenn is like that realm. Though the history of his people is marred by slavery and corruption, Malo has risen above the preconceptions of other sentient beings in order to live a life based on logic. He approaches each situation with an open mind and is willing to explore all avenues before reaching a conclusion. This makes him a crafty and fearless politician and a formidable diplomatic to any who stand in his way.

Malo's career may be marked by ambition (like every politician's) but he is truly loyal to his people and to the New Republic, which has always served his homeworld with honor and fairness. His loyalty may be unwavering, but Malo's morals are not. He is old enough (and cynical enough) to know that any means to an end is a means worth exploring. Malo views his goals as more important than a personal credo, so he is willing to sacrifice personal belief in the name of greater good. Though this can be a dangerous way to live, Malo's empathetic nature and ability to see the larger picture usually keep him from straying too far down a path of darkness. Malo would have no place in the Jedi or Sith Orders, where adherence to the light side or the dark side is necessary. Instead, like the narrow band of Ryloth, Malo straddles and blurs the lines of righteousness and malevolence, never straying so far into either side that he can't find his way back to the middle.

Of course, Malo keeps most of his personality hidden beneath an image of strength and honor in order to maintain his political power in the fragile New Republic. To most citizens and members of the Senate, Malo is soft-spoken with a level head and a talent for oration and negotiation. For those in the Republic who can win Malo's support, he is a fierce ally. And to those he opposes, he can be an immovable object. Even with his homeworld under the control of Kicka Empire, his voice among the leaders of the Republic, and its citizens, is well heard.