Alliance
Enforcer of the Republic
So, every story has its hero. The hero of this story is, yes, a classic Star Wars male. Oh wait....he's not that classic.
So, we'll start at the beginning. The protagonist....
Manek - Official Entry
Name: Manek (birth name unknown)
Age: 8 years
Biological Age: 17
Homeworld: Iridonia
Year of Birth: 20 BBG
Species: Zabrak
Gender: Male
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Dark brown
Skin Color: Medium brown, green body tatoos (Iridonian tradition, especially among gladiators)
Profession: Professional Gladiator - Capitol Square Arena - Nirbhay School
Known Biography: Due to the despicable record keeping surrounding the Iridonian gladiators, little is known about Manek's early life. A likely orphan, he would have been removed by the IPF (Iridonaian Police Force) at a young age and sold into the Nirbhay School, one of the many Iridonian gladiator schools. There, from a young age, he was trained as a gladiator. To improve the young gladiators physical condition, most Iridonian schools treated their gladiators with a chemical cocktail that accelerated body development and maturation. Hence, by the time he was 8 years of age, Manek was biologically about 17 years of age.
A proficient Gladiator, Manek was one or the Nirbhay school’s many leaders (Mitul and Uttara among them) whose success in the arena led to the Nirbhay's school's acceptance into the prestigious Capitol Square Arena in the heart of Iridonia's capitol.
Unknown to the IPF (Iridonaian Police Force) Manek was the ringleader of the paramilitary wing of the ILF (Iridonian Liberation Front), a terrorist group whose uprisings continually sparked civil unrest, ultimately culminating in the Slave Rebellion (13 BBG). Most of the members of Manek’s army were gladiators. As mostly undocumented orphans, there was little the Iridonian government, under the temporary leadership of Governor-General Druj of the IPF, could do to identify the killed members of this terrorist organization. Since mortality rates for gladiators were high (due to physical disease, the physical stress of growth acceleration, and interschool gang rivalries), killed members of the ILF military forces were not missed.
It appears as though the military wing of the ILF worked independently of the political movement struggling to bring equality to the lower classes of Iridonian society. No connection has been made between Manek and the political front. However, their work appears to be so seamless and complementary, there must have been some connection.
A combat expert, Manek was regarded as one of Iridonia’s finest gladiators, prior to his disgrace when society learned of his involvement in the ILF. Among his most famous battles, Manek defeated an armed Jedi warrior in the arena. A strong, intelligent, and charismatic boy, he is still regarded as a hero in Iridonia’s lower classes. He is often known for wearing a partial mask, even outside of the arena. It seems to be purely a principle of personal preference.
Manek’s unique combination of philosophical intelligence and physical strength, led Jedi Master Adham to hypothesize that this boy was unusually strong in the force. At this time, records cannot confirm if Master Adham’s assumption was correct.
One of the first images of Manek:
It should be noted that while Manek was never seen to use lightsabers in the Arena, he did use them during the Slave Rebellion. The Jedi order is certain that no Jedi had any contact with Manek and that he recieve no formal Jedi training. However, Manek was seen to be proficient at lightsaber fighting (no doubt an extension of his skills in the arena). He used dual green lightsabers, each with the same hilt. It is unknown where Manek aquired these weapons and how he learned to use them.