Azu'lae Roderick-Vizsla

Azu'lae Roderick-Vizsla, GFS (also known as Azu'lae Imperior) served as the Wrath of the Imperium under both Lord Emperor Arestenax I and his successor, Lord Emperor Veldarius I. She was the first Minister of State in the Fireborn Sovereignty, and is considered a founding member of the Sovereignty itself. While not a military mind, she served both the Imperium and Sovereignty as a champion of their laws and justice systems, and was one of the primary authors of both the Fireborn Sovereignty's constitution and its laws in 27 ATC.

A Mandalorian Sith, Roderick-Vizsla rose through the ranks of the Imperium quickly, becoming the first Shield of the Emperor after her apprenticeship was completed. She was soon after appointed as Wrath before eventually becoming a member of the Dark Council, the Grand Master of the Knights of the Imperium (reorganized into the Order of the Starbird), and later the Empress to Veldarius I. Her twenty year history in the realm has made her a prominent figure in the Sovereignty.

Styles of Address
Current (As Lady Praetor and Grand Master) - Her Excellency, Darth Azu'lae of House Roderick and Clan Vizsla, the Enduring, the Upholder of Laws, Lady Praetor of the Dark Council, Grand Master of the Order of the Starbird, Duchess of House Imperior of Alderaan, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Knight of the Realm.

Former (As Dark Councilor and Grand Master) - Her Grace, Darth Azu'lae of House Roderick and Clan Vizsla, Grand Master of the Order of the Starbird, Lord Councilor of the Dark Council, Minister of State, Chief Justice, High Overseer, Duchess of House Imperior of Alderaan, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Knight of the Realm.

Former (As Empress) - Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Azu'lae of Clan Vizsla and House Roderick, Wrath of the Lord Emperor, Imperial Consort, Grand Master of the Imperium Knights, Dark Councilor, High Judicator, Dark Lord of the One Sith, and Knight of the Imperium.

Former (As Princess) - Her Grace, Princess Azu'lae of Clan Vizsla and House Roderick, Wrath of the Lord Emperor, Grand Master of the Imperium Knights, Dark Councilor, High Judicator, Dark Lord of the One Sith, and Knight of the Imperium.

Childhood on Mandalore
Born on the Mandalorian homeworld fourteen years before the Sacking of Coruscant, Azu'lae Karis Vizsla grew up as the only child of Arche and Eris - who were both accomplished soldiers of fortune. As a member of Clan Vizsla, she grew up among some of the best combatants in the galaxy, and often dreamed of becoming a prominent alor, or leader, of the clan. Much of her childhood was spent learning new languages and essential skills for maintaining a home, such as sewing and cooking (much to her resentment). Unlike most Mandalorian couples, Eris and Arche did not try for another child after their daughter was born, and instead poured their efforts into raising her as an only child.

Tragedy struck shortly after Azu'lae turned six. Eris - who unknown to her family was suffering from the neurodegenerative Cathington's disease - disappeared on a routine bounty mission, and was soon declared dead. Shortly after the loss of her mother, the young Azu'lae and her father were faced with some difficult truths: Azu'lae was not, in fact, Arche's biological daughter, but rather Eris's daughter with an unknown man. To add insult to the injury to Arche's ego, it was revealed that Azu'lae's cousin, Clai'omh, was her half-sister - conceived with Arche's younger brother, Jarrus. While these revelations brought Azu'lae and Clai'omh closer together, it had the opposite effect on her relationship with Arche. Blind with grief and slow-burning rage, Arche began to abuse Azu'lae physically and verbally, which prompted Jarrus to take the girl under his wing.

Like all children born into the clans, Azu'lae began her training in combat and survival at the age of eight and was trained by Jarrus. Clai'omh, fresh from her successful verd'goten trial, also aided her sister's teaching. As Azu'lae was a very small child, Clai'omh taught her to move and strike with speed rather than power, and to use her larger opponent's more stationary stances against them.

Upon completing her own verd'goten at the age of thirteen, Azu'lae officially became an adult amongst the members of Clan Vizsla. She began to accompany older members of the clan on scouting missions, and gained a fierce interest in the discovery and study of ancient artifacts. She also became a near-permanent fixture in the clan's battle circle, where she received praise from Artus Lok - better known as Mandalore the Vindicated - for her ruthless fighting skills and extreme dedication to training.

While the Mandalorian clans were allied with the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War, Azu'lae - like many of her kin - felt no particular attachment to the Imperials. Nevertheless, she and her family celebrated the Sacking of Coruscant and signing of the subsequent Treaty shortly after she turned fourteen. Having heard of the heroic efforts of clanswoman Shae Vizsla on the Republic capital world, Azu'lae eagerly anticipated the day when she could go out on the front lines to sate her bloodlust and proudly display her mandokar - her Mandalorian Virtue.

Scant months after the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, envoys of the Sith Empire arrived on Mandalore in search of fresh recruits for their armies. Unsurprisingly, no Mandalorian was interested in joining the Empire's armies. On the day of their departure for Dromund Kaas, one of the emissaries - the Sith Lord Lachris - observed several sparring matches in the clan's battle circle. During the last match, Azu'lae's desire for victory triggered her latent Force abilities, blowing her opponent violently into a wall and razing the nearby mess and medical tents. Lachris, who would later be known primarily for her ruthless campaign on Balmorra, was impressed by Azu'lae's raw power and fighting skills. Taking the teenager under her wing, she spent an additional year on Mandalore in order to train Azu'lae in the ways of the Force and in lightsaber combat. Confident in Azu'lae's savagery and suppressed rage, Lachris sent Azu'lae to the Sith Academy on Korriban, with no doubt that her pet project would quickly rise to the upper echelons of the institution.

Education at the Korriban Academy
Through the combination of Lachris's guidance and her extensive training in combat and survival, Azu'lae's two years at the Sith Academy were marked with commendations and impressive body count. With the knowledge of both Mandalorian techniques for fighting Force users and the Sith savagery gleaned from the Academy, Azu'lae quickly became one of the best combatants in the Academy. Her raw talent did not go unnoticed by Overseers and visiting Darths, which in turn garnered her a veritable gallery of rivals amongst her peers. By the time she left the academy, she had tallied up one of the highest unofficial body counts among her companions, and gained a reputation for her cold, tactical attitude: any prisoner or lesser student was worked to the fullest extent of their ability, then tossed aside or mercilessly killed.

Despite these successes, the clean and secure culture of the Sith and their Empire clashed with her nomadic roots. Azu'lae struggled to adjust to the more lavish lifestyles of her fellows, and her desire to learn and prove herself often lead her to prowl the various tombs in the Valley of the Sith Lords for relics, prey, and further knowledge. This led to a near-perpetual disheveled and dusty appearance in lessons, which became a singular point of ire from the Academy's Overseers. While not interested in forsaking her interests to appease her betters, Azu'lae eventually began to adopt simple, yet elegant styles - a sort of hybrid between the Mandalorian's efficient, rigged aesthetic and the Sith's more elaborate styles. This change in her appearance and demeanor did not go unnoticed by her peers, and earned her a long line of suitors - many of whom were either rejected or disposed of by a knife to the throat.

After triumphantly mastering the trials of the Sith Academy at seventeen, Azu'lae returned to Mandalore, eager to rejoin her clan. Unfortunately, many of her kin were repulsed by her connection to the Force and her Sith knowledge. While Jarrus and Clai'omh welcomed her back with open arms, it was not to last. Arche, now a drunk and disparate elder, publicly shamed his daughter upon her return, and openly accused his daughter of being dar'manda - a Mandalorian who did not uphold the tenets in the Resol'nare and therefore had no place in their society. Unwilling to let the insult pass and desperate to prove her honor and dedication, Azu'lae challenged her father to a fight in the battle circle in order to quell her people's doubts once and for all. The two agreed to fight to the death, and after a gruesome match that lasted several hours, Azu'lae emerged victorious. Having decided to not use the Force in this battle, Azu'lae ultimately won by bashing Arche's head into the flat ground several times, and rose from the dust covered in his blood. She walked away from the circle without a glimmer of remorse, pleased at the quiet whispers of 'kandosii ' - ruthlessness.

Though she refused to attend her father's cremation, she did not leave the planet until after his ashes were spread. Before leaving the planet for good, she collected a few keepsakes from Arche's vheh'yaim, including his ornate beskad and his old signet ring. She decided to wear his ring as her own - both as a sign of the shame he brought to her, and her renewed dedication to her people. As she set foot on the Imperial capital, Dromund Kaas, she vowed to continue to uphold the name of Clan Vizsla and find her place in the galaxy.

A New Life
Three months after arriving on Dromund Kaas, Azu'lae found herself bored to tears with the daily minutia of life in the Empire. She began to travel to various worlds controlled by the Empire, such as Balmorra and Taris - and encountered her old mentor on the former. Traveling seemed to suit Azu'lae's nomadic roots, but she continued to feel unsatisfied with her life.

Things changed during one of Azu'lae's last trips. While traveling aboard the carrier ship Black Talon, Azu'lae and another young female Sith were called upon by Grand Moff Rycus Kilran to lay seige to the Republic warship Brentaal Star, and kill its passenger - an Imperial defector known only as 'the General'. Though initially uninterested in helping the so-called 'Butcher of Coruscant', the Moff eventually persuaded both of the Sith to undertake the mission. The pair swiftly eliminated the General and escaped from the crippled Brentaal Star before Republic reinforcements could arrive. The success of the mission earned both women a great deal of recognition from Moff Kilran, as well an unexpected opportunity. Azu'lae and the other woman - who introduced herself as Wratia - were approached after the mission by Lord Lykaas Valoron, a representative of the Sith Imperium. He extended an invitation to both of them to join the Imperium's society, and Azu'lae accepted the invitation without hesitation.

After being brought aboard the cruiser Ziost Shadow, Valoron instructed the two young Sith to fight while observed by several high-ranking Imperium Sith. Azu'lae and Wratia sunk into the combat easily, both itching to tear the other to shreds. Despite the neck-and-neck nature of the impressive battle, the match was never finished. Gethzerion, a Dathomirian shaman and Sith sorceress, chose Wratia as her apprentice mid-battle, and stood in the middle of the fight. When the fighting did not stop, she pushed Azu'lae away in a powerful display of the Force. This engagement sparked a fierce rivalry between Azu'lae and Wratia, which would endure through their verbal sparring until Wratia disappeared years later.

While Azu'lae seethed over her less-than-stellar start in this new Imperium, a second duel broke out between Valoron and the Mandalorian Glek Zetera. The heat of the battle resulted in the summoning of Dhanilich Zetera - a high-ranking Mandalorian Sith and Alor. Upon Dhanilich's intervention in the duel, Valoron introduced Zetera to Azu'lae. Recognizing a fellow Mandalorian, Dhanilich immediately took Azu'lae as her apprentice and proceeded to duel with Azu'lae to test her abilities. After an hour-long spar, an impressed Zetera accepted Azu'lae's pledge and began to instruct her in the further refinement of Azu'lae's combat skills.

With permission from Zetera, Azu'lae continued her training outside the Imperium - traveling throughout the galaxy to learn new techniques and hunt down various artifacts. She ached to return to the Imperium - a feeling she was unfamiliar with - but was determined to become stronger and more knowledgeable. After months with no contact, the now-eighteen-year-old finally received troubling news: Dhanilich Zetera had been exiled for treason. Incensed by her former master's treachery against her new home and the Mandalorian people, Azu'lae returned to the Imperium and swore an oath of vengeance against the dar'manda Zetera. This oath was eventually resolved upon the traitor's death at the hands of Azu'lae's new master.

Unbeknownst to Azu'lae, both she and the now-master-less Wratia had been watched from afar by the Emperor of the Sith Imperium, Willerick Roderick (later re-christened Arestenax I). Shortly after Zetera's exile, he summoned both young women to an ancient, remote area of Korriban, where he decreed the two would become his apprentices. The tensions between Azu'lae and Wratia only boiled under the Emperor's watchful eye, as both strove to be the superior apprentice

From Apprentice to Shield
Her training with Willerick underway, Azu'lae was free to undertake missions for the betterment of the Imperium. Along with Wratia, Azu'lae was recruited by the Director of the Sphere of Intelligence, Grand Moff Alette Drayton, and Lady S'rahnia Kalmari for a covert retrieval mission. Their target was the Crown Princess Vindictiva, Willerick's daughter who had absconded from the Imperium to become the apprentice of the Sith Lord Aleria. Along with several others, Azu'lae returned to the Korriban Academy and confronted the Princess and her new master. In the ensuing battle, Azu'lae managed to capture the Princess and deliver her to the extraction point with the rest of the team. After delivering Vindictiva to Moff Drayton, Azu'lae learned the entire mission was a means to ensure Vindictiva's cover as a deserter and earn her favor with Aleria, an enemy to the Imperium. Word of the mission quickly reached Willerick, who bestowed the title of 'Lord' to both Azu'lae and Wratia.

Shortly after her elevation, Azu'lae encountered an older Mandalorian man - one of the High Councilors of the Imperium. He introduced himself as Achilles Kelborn, Lord Mand'alor of the Sith Imperium's Mandalorian Clans. The two were quickly impressed with the other's fighting skills, and easily became friends and allies. As time went on, their relationship began to evolve and grow flirtatious, which subsequently blinded Azu'lae to Achilles's lackluster leadership skills and his fraudulent claims as Mand'alor. However, after a night of drinking games and bets aboard the Ziost Shadow, the two confessed their mutual attraction and fell into a romantic relationship. Dizzied by these newfound feelings of love, Azu'lae gifted 'her Mand'alor ' with her father's beskad, both surprising and honoring him. In short order - and typical Mandalorian fashion - Achilles proposed to Azu'lae not long after their relationship began, and Azu'lae accepted.

When Azu'lae's tenure as Willerick's apprentice came to a close, the Lord Emperor summoned his citizens to Korriban. The Imperium had experienced a large influx of raw recruits, and Willerick recognized the need to take on a new apprentice. Shortly after completing the initiation of the new citizens, Willerick released Azu'lae from his charge and inducted her into his newly-formed cadre of elite warriors: the Knights of the Imperium. He also allowed Azu'lae to take on an apprentice of her own, a young man named Dahem. Bowled over by her new responsibilities, Azu'lae pledged to teach Dahem in a manner similar to the way she had been taught by both Willerick and Arestenax. However, Dahem left the Imperium after a few weeks, ending Azu'lae's time as a master before it began.

As news of Azu'lae's promotion and her engagement to Achilles spread through the Imperium, it caught the eye of an unwelcome person. The Twi'lek Sith Ka'ryssa, a Darth with no love for the Lord Emperor, was incensed by the news of the young lovers. As a former flame of Achilles, she had held the belief that she and Achilles were still a couple - a view Achilles clearly did not share. Her belligerence towards them was made public, and as she continued to harass Achilles and Willerick, Azu'lae finally snapped. She challenged the woman to a duel, declaring that Ka'ryssa would never lay a hand on Achilles. Upon accepting the challenge, Ka'ryssa met Azu'lae on Korriban, and the two engaged in a fierce duel. In a display of frightening strength and power, the young Lord brought the Darth to her knees, and Ka'ryssa fled the Imperium as a result. Wounded and breathless, Azu'lae and Achilles reaffirmed their love, despite Azu'lae's aggression scaring Achilles.

Upon hearing of Azu'lae's actions in his name, Willerick summoned his former apprentice to the Imperium's homeworld, Voss. For her staunch defense of the Imperium and her Emperor, Willerick awarded Azu'lae with the title of Darth, as well as naming her the Captain of the Sovereign's Detail in the Imperium Knights. Furthermore, Willerick felt her loyalty and enduring persona called for further recognition, and dubbed Azu'lae the first 'Shield of the Emperor'. In her new position, it was her duty to decide who was allowed to approach her former master, and she swore to protect him with her own life.

Starting a Family
As time progressed, Azu'lae and Achilles's relationship grew stronger and stronger. When Achilles was attacked and left for dead on Tatooine, he was left in a near-comatose state, and a group of Imperium transported him back to the Ziost Shadow for treatment. Feeling abandoned by her fiancee, Azu'lae screamed at Achilles when he awoke, and continued to grow angrier and angrier as he put his well-being on the line to follow her. After a final confrontation, Azu'lae confessed that she could no longer live without him, and could not live with knowing that he seemed to continually put his life in danger. The two said their vows in the Ziost 's medbay in a private Mandalorian ceremony, a few months shy of Azu'lae's nineteenth birthday.

As word of a terrorist attack on the Imperium's Quesh shipyards spread, Azu'lae began to receive frightening visions of a terrorist attack on the Ziost Shadow. While many of the details were unclear, she was certain that this attack--which involved several starfighters flying into the cruiser--was directed against the Lord Emperor. She brought her concerns to Arestenax, who in turn brought Azu'lae and Achilles to the Imperium's capital world of Voss, where he communed with her in a space made purely of the Force. It was there that her vision became more clear, foreshadowing the burying and potential death of herself and her husband. She continued to be wracked by visions of these events long after she left Voss, which gave her grievous headaches.

Soon after, Azu'lae and Achilles held a formal reception for their private wedding, inviting all members of the Imperium to join them on the Ziost Shadow. As the festivities began, Grand Moff Alette Drayton rushed into the party, warning of an impending attack. Azu'lae and Achilles were separated in the ensuing panic, and Azu'lae quickly went to the Lord Emperor's side. As explosions belowdecks took out the ship's power, several starfighters crashed into various viewports around the ship. After pushing the Emperor out of the way, Azu'lae was buried under a large amount of permacrete and steel, crushing her torso. She was freed by the Emperor, and the Imperium reconvened on the White Nova, as the Ziost was no longer fit to fly. It was revealed that the Hutt Cartel was responsible for the attack, as the Imperium's borders were encroaching on their territory. In a rage, the Emperor declared that all those attached to the attackers were to be slaughtered on the spot. Azu'lae and Achilles, who had also been buried, were sent to the medbay for treatment. Azu'lae spent several months in and out of the medbay for treatment of multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung.

About a six months into their marriage, Achilles began to reveal more of his past history to Azu'lae, including his previous marriage to the Lady Dhanilich, and the death of their infant son--who was later revealed to be alive. As Azu'lae wrestled with coming to terms with this news, she and Achilles realized that they wanted to start a family of their own.

In the months that followed, Azu'lae temporarily stepped down from her position as the Emperor's Shield while her pregnancy progressed. However, when the Rakghoul Plague began to ravage Alderaan, she was commanded by the Lord Emperor to set up a sanctuary on Dromund Kaas. The stresses of keeping the quarantine zone safe caused her to go into labor three months early, and she gave birth to a daughter, Idris Aria Kelborn. The child spent the first month of her life in an incubator due to her early birth. One of the best moments of Azu'lae and Achilles's life together, the two vowed to raise the child as a Mando'ade, and to protect her with their own lives.

During one of the Lord Emperor's court sessions, Arestenax promoted Darth Shaurine to the position of the Emperor's Sheild, due the her exceptional healing abilities--much to Azu'lae's surprise and consternation. As a reward for her exceptional service, Arestenax then promoted Azu'lae to the Captain's position of the Knight's Special Operations detail, and gave her a new title: The Emperor's Wrath.

Service and Sacrifice
Following the wedding of Lord Emperor Arestenax to the Lady S'rahnia, Azu'lae, Darth Shaurine, and Cipher Nine were summoned to the Roderick Estate on Alderaan, the home of the Emperor. It was there that Azu'lae was appointed to the High Council of the Sith Imperium, and named head of the Ministry of Law and Justice. However, upon her leaving the Emperor's offices, she collapsed due to three bullet wounds to the chest--One in her stomach, one in her shoulder, and one in her lung. She underwent an emergency field surgery planetside, then was taken aboard the Sovereign for more extensive medical treatment under the care of Darth Oreshem.

When she finally came to, Azu'lae revealed that a bounty hunter had crept aboard her ship and captured Idris. He waited for her to take off from the planet Voss, then confronted her, aiming to claim the death mark on her head--something Vizsla knew nothing about. When he attempted to shoot Idris, Azu'lae covered her one-year-old with her own body and was shot. Idris managed to run into an adjacent room as the bounty hunter shot five more times, hitting Azu'lae twice. She finally managed to grab one of her lightsabers and threw it, taking off the hunter's head by pure chance. Vizsla reports falling unconscious then, only to wake up to Idris--covered in Azu'lae's blood--screaming for her mother. Azu'lae somehow managed to eject the hunter's body out of her airlock, then dragged herself to the medical bay. In a stubborn refusal to disappoint the Emperor, and a fervent desire not to let Idris see her die, Azu'lae injected herself with multiple adrenaline stims and covered her torso in gauze. She then traveled to Alderaan, making sure that Idris was safely asleep in her mother's bed. While having come to terms with killing the man and the trauma she recieved, Azu'lae struggled to reconcile the fact that Idris was put in extreme danger, and that the girl had to witness the events.

After a long and arduous recovery, it became clear that Azu'lae was yet again pregnant. Discovering that she was pregnant with a second child almost broke Azu'lae. She was not ready to have a child so soon after the trauma she and Idris had suffered aboard her ship. It did not help matters that she and Achilles had begun to fight due to the fact that she had almost given up so that she could let herself die. She made sure to reconcile with Achilles, as the Wrath was afraid and alone.

Her pregnancy this time was considerably simpler, and she gave birth to Elsa Catan Kelborn about three weeks late at the age of twenty-two. Elsa's birth mended the broken bonds between Azu'lae and Achilles, and Azu'lae became a better mother and Mandalorian because of it.

As the Wrath, Azu'lae was sent to the furthest regions of the Outer Rim by Emperor Arestenax to intimidate and massacre a small sect of the Hutt Cartel, as retaliation for the terrorist attacks they staged against the Imperium. In the assault, Vizsla suffered a traumatic brain injury, resulting in total amnesia. Over the course of the next year, she slowly began to grasp an idea of who she was. Calling herself 'Satine', Azu'lae was totally unaware of her Force-sensitivity, her husband, and her connections to the Imperium.

By chance, 'Satine's' ship was damaged, and she was forced to dock with the Imperium cruiser Vengeance. Here, she unknowingly encountered Achilles, who had renamed himself Jero'kai, as well as Empress S'rahnia. In an encounter with the Empress and the Princess Ama'cee, Azu'lae suddenly recovered her memories of the Imperium, only to learn that she and her daughters had been presumed dead, that her title had been lost, and that--according to Jero--Achilles had died of a broken heart. Upon reclaiming the beskad she had given to him when their relationship began, Azu'lae realized she had no memory of her husband whatsoever, not even what he looked like. She grieved for the dead Achilles bitterly, and resolved to regain all of her memories with the help of Lord Vi'kirr'naam and Darth Oreshem.

As Azu'lae began to regain her memories, she began to realize that Achilles had not died after all, and was actually Jero'kai, who had began an affair with the Sith Rae'vyn not long after Azu'lae's disappearance. Heartbroken, Azu'lae once again left the Imperium--this time by choice. Traveling with her sister Clai'omh as well as her daughters, Vizsla explored the fringes and wilds of the galaxy, trying to distance herself from the disgrace of her husband and the Imperium.

Finding a New Start
During her three years of absence, Azu'lae traveled to planets such as Manda'yaim, Onderon, Yavin, Csilla, and Naboo. On each planet she sought out the most difficult battles in order to distract herself. When this failed, she finally resorted to dragging a vibroknife across her face in order to marr the image of Achilles' wife.

Upon her return, the twenty-six year-old Vizsla was dismayed to see the state of the Imperium, and began to conference with the Imperial Regent, Vindictiva. She was given a new position as a judicator and overseer, and was later reinstated as the Wrath by the Voice of the Emperor.

After aiding Councilor Citadel with his illness, and losing the election for Praetor, it became evident that Vizsla was falling ill. She began to collapse at random times, and every time she awoke, a new neurological problem had occurred. She couldn't walk without a cane, and her hand/eye coordination rapidly deteriorated. She finally collapsed at the Secondary Academy, falling into a brief coma, prompting a small team of Sith to try and purify her body after it was discovered that she was poisoned. The attempt failed, and Vizsla awoke disoriented and asking for her former husband. She was transferred to the medical center aboard the Sovereign for better treatment, where the toxin took her voice from her.

Confined to a bed or a wheelchair, Azu'lae's condition finally degraded to the point that she could no longer breathe on her own. Under the orders of Praetor Kaldar, Darth Ryshias concocted an antidote, which slowly restored the Wrath to full health. It was revealed that her old enemy, K'aryssa, was behind the attack, and had gassed Azu'lae's home. Azu'lae has sworn to bring K'aryssa to justice, hoping one day to be able to draw a saber across the Twi'lek's throat.

The Birth of the Twins and Marriage to Jaudulis Kressh
Azu'lae's relationship with Parasitus's descendant, Jaudilis Kressh, continued to flourish. Despite this, Azu'lae continued to feel uncomfortable

Leaving the Imperium
Falling into a deep depression, Azu'lae withdrew from public life in order to mourn the loss of her children. Her marriage to Jaudulis was quietly annulled, and she felt abandoned by the Imperium. With the rise of the Dread Masters among the highest echelons of society, she left the Imperium behind - feeling all but betrayed by the people she had considered her clan for almost a decade. She began a new life as an aimless nomad, continually haunted by her failures as a mother.

What happened to Azu'lae during the Eternal Empire's march upon the galaxy is unknown.

Return to the Imperium
Some time after Arestenax enacted the Transference, he felt a connection to his old apprentice. Following the connection, he traveled to the planet Ziost with his grandson, Zendrasa, and Darth Vaguest Orion. There, in the ashes of Vitiate's carnage, he discovered a Mandalorian scouting group. Confronting the group, he encountered Clai'omh Vizsla, who had not been carried through the transference. Clai'omh was hostile to his questions regarding Azu'lae, and came close to shooting him before Azu'lae appeared from behind a bit of rubble. It became clear that, in this new universe, Azu'lae never discovered her Force abilities and therefore never became a Sith. As they attempted to communicate with Azu'lae, they discovered that this version had been born deaf, and could only communicate through signing. With Clai'omh interpreting, Arestenax convinced Azu'lae to return to the new Imperium and become his Minister of Law and Justice once again. Upon arriving at the Imperium's capital on Ry'llara, Vaguest helped restore her hearing through the Force.

As Azu'lae's memories and abilities returned, she discovered a block in her memory. She could no longer remember the names and faces of her children, and while she knew they had died, she could not remember how or why. She confronted Arestenax on this and her return, as neither made sense to her - she had not been a citizen of the Imperium in seven years, and yet she had been brought over in the Transference. Unsure himself, Arestenax postulated that she had been brought over because she had not yet served her purpose in the Imperium, and that the Force provided a small piece of mercy so she could fulfill that purpose unhindered.

The time following her return to the Imperium seemed to pass in a blur. Azu'lae aided the Imperium's relocation efforts to Solaria, and subsequently went on to help secure both the planet and its core from the violent cultists on the planet's surface. During this time, she developed a romantic relationship with Vaguest, rekindling a relationship that had failed to grow before she married Jaudulis. This relationship, however, was not to last - due to Vaguest's extended absence and silence, Azu'lae dissolved the relationship some time later.

The Death of Arestenax and the Rise of Veldarius
Three years after the Transference and her return to the Imperium, Azu'lae was one of the many people who escorted Arestenax to the Force convergence on Voss in order to repair the wound caused by the Transference. There, in that same convergence in which she had communed with her master all those years ago, the two made a shocking discovery: Arestenax was Azu'lae's birth father. With no time to process this revelation, Azu'lae looked on in shock as Arestenax named Lord Veldarius Imperior his successor and became one with the Force. As they exited the convergence, Azu'lae's shock and pain was compounded as the Eternal Empire attacked Voss. In an attempt to protect the Imperium citizens and give them time to escape, Crown Princess Vindictiva - Azu'lae's newly discovered half-sister - sacrificed her life by crashing her ship into one the Eternal Empire's ships.

Having suddenly gained and lost another family, Azu'lae fell into a deep state of mourning and internal conflict. She was ill suited to her new title as Princess, and a large part of her was livid at Arestenax for not realizing who she was. She ached for a father figure, but in the absence of one she single-mindedly threw herself into her work as the re-instated Wrath. She vowed to serve the new Emperor Veldarius as faithfully as she had her father, regardless of what she would have to sacrifice.

It wasn't long before Azu'lae's vow was tested. In the months following the coronation of Veldarius, Azu'lae oversaw the security for a new flagship - the HMS Vindictiva's Triumph. Despite her efforts, the rogue remnants of the Solarian cultists managed to plant several explosive devices on board the ship. As the citizens of the Imperium celebrated aboard the newly christened flagship, Azu'lae - who had been serving as Veldarius's bodyguard for the event - threw herself in front of Veldarius just as the first of the bombs detonated. Her body taking the brunt of the blow, Azu'lae and Veldarius were blown backwards and buried by debris from the explosion. With the navigation knocked out by their bodies and the engines destroyed by bombs, the Triumph was dead in the water. Crushed by her armor and the durasteel ceiling of the ship, Azu'lae quickly fell unconscious due to pain and shock. Veldarius, who came to sometime after the explosion, managed to free the both of them from the debris. Once the emergency aboard the ship had been resolved, Veldarius had Azu'lae rushed to his personal medbay, where he kept watch over his Wrath until he awoke. He confessed that he had been counting the seconds since she had been brought to the medbay, and the two revealed that their professional relationship had evolved into a loving one, and shared their first kiss.

Having known and worked with each other for three years, Veldarius and Azu'lae soon grew to be inseparable. It was a common site to see them walking along the beaches outside of Solaria City, or in the local cantina. After six months of date and late-night conversations, Veldarius proposed to Azu'lae with a large Corsuca gem, and Azu'lae accepted.

Civil War
Shortly after their engagement was announced, Vaguest returned to the Imperium. He was clearly dismayed at the news from Azu'lae, however a much more severe problem was brewing. Vaguest slowly became possesed by an extra-dimensional entitiy, and challenged Veldarius to a duel for the throne. Vaguest succeeded in killing Veldarius, and took the throne for himself. Azu'lae, arriving just as Veldarius's body disappeared, stood her ground to allow the loyalists to flee before she was captured and imprisoned aboard her own prison ship, the HMS Itinerant. Refusing to surrender or give in the Vaguest, Azu'lae was subjected to long torture sessions. When it was evident the physical torture would not break her, Vaguest, under the influence of the entity, forcibly removed the blocks on her memory and locked Azu'lae in her own mind, where she was forced to relive the death of her children over and over again.

Unbeknownst to Vaguest, Azu'lae's capture prompted Clai'omh to seek out the Imperium. With the help of fellow clansman Drossix Vizsla, the two created a resistance to 'the Usurper's' rule, and managed to mount a rescue mission for Azu'lae. With the help of the young Lord Luthandalur Bloodstrider, Clai'omh was eventually able to wake Azu'lae from her comatose state. Emotionally shattered by her experience, Azu'lae did her best to help the resistance, though her health continued to decline. She found herself unable to sleep most nights, a detail that most people in the resistance did not fail to notice.

As the civil war began to drag on, the resistance received a much-needed infusion of hope: Veldarius, who had been resurrected by the Force. Reunited with her fiancee, Azu'lae and Veldarius led the final assault on the Usurper's forces and managed to break Vaguest from the entity's grip. The day won, Azu'lae had Vaguest imprisoned in the very prison cell he kept her in, until he won his freedom during a trial by combat.

The scars from the encounter continued to plague Azu'lae for a long time, cultivating in a disastrous sexual encounter with the Hand of the Emperor, Leskee Ordo. Wracked with guilt, Azu'lae fled Solaria after leaving a note for Veldarius detailing what had happened. Vaguest, hoping to try and atone for what he did to her, tracked Azu'lae to Yavin, where he replaced the blocks on her memory. Returning to Imperium space, Azu'lae and Veldarius reconciled, as Veldarius understood the toll the war had taken on his fiancee.

Ascension to Empress
Some time later, Veldarius and Azu'lae were married in the Shrine of Healing on Voss, in a ceremony presided over by High Priestess Bhula Roderick. Veldarius then crowned Azu'lae as his Empress and Imperial Consort before the amassed citizens. Following the ceremony, the two traveled to the estate of House Imperior on Alderann, where they spoke the Mandalorian vows of marriage and began their short-lived honeymoon.

The couple were recalled from their honeymoon when Valorrak, an operative of the Sith Empire who had been arrested for assault, escaped Imperium custody and hid in Solaria City. Azu'lae joined in the efforts to recapture him, which ended when Valorrak gave himself up. During his arrest, he taunted the new Empress and her officers. He was remanded to the Itinerant until Azu'lae approved his transfer to house-arrest under his new master, Vaguest.

The Final Return of Arestenax
Azu'lae spent the following two years raising her children in a remote compound located in Tatooine's Dune Sea. Through the insistence of her sister, she was not allowed to leave the compound, lest she be spotted or compromised. During this time, she continued her attempts to reconnect with the Force, but ultimately gave up after too much time had passed. Her children became her priority, and she made it her mission to ensure the twins were happy and had a strong connection with the father they left behind.

Unable to contact Veldarius, and therefore ignorant of his safety, Azu'lae threw herself into any work she could invent around the compound. Watching Ariadne and Willerick grow provided some much needed solace on that front, but did little to fill the part of her heart she had given to her husband. Despite this, Azu'lae took the time to meditate on her past losses, and found she was finally able to let go of the deaths of her previous children, and the failures of her old marriages.

After two years in isolation with her family, the compound was breached by an unknown Sith. When confronted by Azu'lae, he revealed his identity to her: much to her surprise, the Sith was none other than her father, Arestenax Roderick, who had yet again been resurrected by the Force. The former Emperor whisked his daughter and grandchildren away to Amgarrak, where Azu'lae and the children were emotionally reunited with Veldarius. Arestenax declared his return to the whole of the Sith Imperium, and again resumed the mantle of Emperor.

Things between Azu'lae and Arestenax, however, continued to decline. Upon learning of his daughter's loss of the Force, the Lord Emperor summoned her to his presence. It was there that the father and daughter argued, as Azu'lae's pent up anger and frustration over his abandonment of her mother finally came to a head. Arestenax, more the Force than a man, declared her views to be petty and self-serving, and insinuated that he would kill her if she failed to realign with his vision and regain the Force. Enraged and wounded by this turn of events, Azu'lae sought help from a source away from her father: the Anzat Ginungagap, a recent addition to the Imperium and the soon-to-be Diocese of the One Sith.

Eager to prove she could accomplish reconnecting to the Force without Arestenax, Azu'lae agreed to study under Ginunagagap. It wasn't long before she found the strength to beat down her inner demons and reconnect to the Force, though it revealed an untapped, feral rage within her. Relieved to once again feel the energy around her, Azu'lae noticed something strange: her connection to the Force had deepened and expanded, and her abilities had become far more intimate. This too, however, came at a cost. While her connection had been reestablished, her newfound strength meant that her ability to control the Force had diminished - something she would learn to regain after years of study and practice.

As time went on in the Imperium, Azu'lae worked to rekindle her relationship with Veldarius, and also worked to reform and better the systems of law and justice she had held dear for so long. When the mission to recover the Pillars of Rakaa began, she immediately joined - the opportunity to learn from a new relic still intrigued her, thus solidifying a piece of her identity she had struggled to understand for so long.

A few scant months after his return, Arestenax died for a final time, his body destabilized due to the Force holding him together. While shocked at his death, Azu'lae ultimately came to accept that she had grieved for her father when he died on Voss, and had already come to terms with her grief and her rage at his lackluster caring and parenting. She resolved to move forward, for both the sake of herself and her family.

The Fireborn Sovereignty
Following the death of Arestenax in Vaya'vilial, Azu'lae and the rest of the Dark Council strove to keep order in the now-fragmented Imperium. Using the words of Keine Raam as a rallying cry, the leaders of the Imperium spent months re-molding their society and government into something new: The Fireborn Sovereignty. In the early days of 27 ATC, she became one of the signatories of the new Constitution of the Fireborn Sovereignty - a document she had dedicated months to authoring. With Veldarius at her side, she felt an overwhelming confidence that their people and government were now who they were meant to be.

Shortly after the birth of the Sovereignty, Azu'lae took a new apprentice: the Cathar Cyndyrr Judik'Shir. The honor-bound man intrigued Vizsla, and she relished in the idea of teaching another warrior with an honor code.

Some time later, Veldarius decided to step down from his position as Praetor of the Sovereignty, and instead assume the new position of Arbiter. In a Sovereignty-wide election, Azu'lae was elected as the new Praetor. She was sworn in by Veldarius, and decided to retain the majority of the Dark Council she had come to work with and trust. During her inauguration, she spoke to the Sovereignty at large, and delivered a short speech:

"'My fellow citizens - I am not particularly gifted with words, so I shall keep this brief. As I look around this room, and as I see all of us who make up this Realm, I cannot help but feel an immense sense of pride. We have come so far since our rebirth, and have endured so much in our journey to get here. And as much as I would like to stand here before you and declare our struggles ended, I cannot. We still have a long, long way to go. But if what I have seen in you is a testament to anything, I believe we will see these challenges through with tenacity, dedication, and pride. We of the Sovereignty are strong, we are enduring, and we are united under the Tutai Qo. I am inspired by the citizens of the realm on a daily basis, and I pledge to do my utmost to continue to make this civilization a place that every single one of you can be proud of. You are the lifeblood of the Sovereignty, and I will do my utmost to serve you all to the best of my ability. I thank you all for your confidence in me. Now… let's get to work.'"

As she sat in the Praetor's throne, she felt an immense responsibility on her shoulders - despite this, she knew that she could accomplish anything with those she trusted.

In the Present
Darth Azu'lae Roderick-Vizsla serves as the Praetor of the Dark Council and the Grand Master of the Knights of the Starbird Order within the Fireborn Sovereignty. She is also currently the Duchess of House Imperior through her marriage to Veldarius Imperior. In the former Sith Imperium, she was a Princess by birth, as well as the former Empress and Wrath of the Emperor.

Apprentices Trained

 * Dahem - Azu'lae's first apprentice, who disappeared shortly after he joined the Imperium.
 * Astusans - Azu'lae's second apprentice, whose tutelage in the ways of the Mando'ade and the Sith was cut short by Azu'lae's deafening to the Force.
 * Luthandalur Bloodstrider - a Lord who sought out Azu'lae to learn how to emulate her presence in the hopes of one day becoming the Wrath.
 * Cyndyrr Judik'Shir - Azu'lae's current apprentice.

Battles Fought

 * 1) The Battle for the Ziost Shadow - Azu'lae served in the defense of the Ziost Shadow after it was attacked by Hutt Cartel forces. Though she was injured before the battle was concluded, the Imperium's warship was ultimately saved with no fatalities.
 * 2) The Solaria Campaign - Azu'lae was a primary participant in latter portion of the Imperium's attack on the planet Solaria, and was present for the eventual securing of the planet's core.
 * 3) The Battle for the Triumph - In the first few minutes of the cultist's attack on the HMS Vindictiva's Triumph, Azu'lae used her body to    shield Veldarius I from a bomb blast, and was nearly killed in the debris that crushed them as a result.
 * 4) The Second Battle for Solaria - Alongside Sith Imperium forces, Azu'lae aids in the quelling of the cultist threat and the elimination of their Solaria base of operations.
 * 5) The Third Imperium Civil War - Azu'lae served as a loyalist leader against the rebellion created by Darth Vaguest Orion, and aided Veldarius I in regaining the throne.
 * 6) The Battle over Solaria - Azu'lae oversaw evacuation efforts for the Imperium capital, and aided in the capture and interrogation of key Empire operatives who sought to sabotage their efforts.

Awards and Commendations

 * 1) Grand Master of the Starbird Order, GFS
 * 2) Imperium Knights Medal
 * 3) Imperium Distinguished Service Medal
 * 4) Imperium Medal of Order
 * 5) Imperium Medal of Courage
 * 6) Imperium Medal of Loyalty

Promotions Earned

 * Azu'lae earns the rank of Lord following her service to her master, Lord Emperor Arestenax I.
 * Azu'lae is knighted into the Knights of the Sith Imperium as one of the first members of the elite group.
 * Azu'lae is awarded her Darth-hood and is subsequently named Shield of the Emperor due to her dedication to the protection of the Emperor's Interests. She is also promoted to Knight Captain.
 * Azu'lae is appointed Wrath of the Emperor following the rise of another Shield and her continued service to the Emperor, and is further elevated to Grand Master of the Imperium Knights.
 * Following a highly publicized trial, Azu'lae is appointed as Minister of Law and Justice after her meritorious effort to acquit Prince Lykaas Valoron of treason.
 * After her return to the Sith Imperium, Azu'lae's ranks as Minister of Law and Justice and Grand Master of the Imperium Knights are restored.
 * Following the death of Emperor Arestenax I and the ascension of Emperor Veldarius I, Azu'lae is re-appointed as the Wrath of the Emperor and is named Princess of the Imperium through her newly-discovered parentage.
 * Through her marriage to Veldarius I, Azu'lae is crowned as Empress and named as the Imperial Consort.
 * After the loss of Solaria, Azu'lae steps down as Minister of State, and later as Wrath of the Emperor.
 * Following the return of Lord Emperor Arestenax I and Azu'lae, she is appointed as the Minister of State and is named third-in-line to the throne of the Imperium.
 * With the final death of Arestenax I and the formation of the Fireborn Sovereignty, Azu'lae became the Sovereignty's first Minister of State and the first Grand Master of the Knights of the Starbird Order.
 * After Imperior stepped down as Praetor, Azu'lae was elected as the second Praetor of the Sovereignty.

Force Powers
A master of the dark side of the Force, Azu'lae is able to use a wide array of devastating Force attacks. In addition to being trained to used all adept Force abilities, Azu'lae is particularly gifted in extrasensory Force abilities, such as the ability to hear through the Force (which she uses to compensate for being born deaf) as well as see through the Force. Azu'lae is also skilled at psychometry, the ability to read the Force echoes left in an object, and has a high level of precognition, which allows her to anticipate the moves of an enemy before they are made. Through the legacy of the Rodericks, she is also a master at creating Force-lightning, and is particularly gifted at telekinesis and the ability to manipulate the Force through sound waves.

Hand-to-Hand Combat
As a member of the Mandalorian clans, Azu'lae spent the vast majority of her childhood and her early adolesence mastering Mandalorian styles of hand-to-hand combat. However, due to her slight stature, Azu'lae prefers to utilize more than just her arms in combat, and relies heavily on acrobatics and strong kicks to keep her opponents at bay. Her technique is also notable for its speed, which allows her to tire her opponents out without delivering a single strike.

Saber Combat
Through her lifetime of training as a both a Mandalorian and a Sith, Azu'lae has perfected several lightsaber combat forms, as well as the traditional Mandalorian beskad forms. When wielding one weapon, she is a master of Form II, Makashi, and Form VII, Juyo - specifically the Trispzest variant. However, as a Sith Marauder, she prefers to fight with two lightsabers, and has also mastered Jar'kai as a result. While Azu'lae does adhere to the basics of these forms, she prefers to incorporate tactics from her unique hand-to-hand style - which enables her to draw her opponents in and avoid strikes through aerial maneuvers. It is rare for her to use Force abilities in combat, aside from the extrasensory abilities she is granted by virtue of being a Force-wielder.

Makashi (Form II) was an offensive form more focused on dueling than any of the other forms. It had a heavy focus on protecting against disarmament, and required fluid moments of both the blade and body. The form relied on timing, accuracy, and skill as opposed to strength - so much so that onlookers often describe the form as a type of dancing.

Juyo (Form VII) was described as the most vicious form of lightsaber combat, and was said to be filled with both fury and "malignant grace." The form came to be known as the most difficult and demanding in all of saber combat. A variant of Juyo, known as Tripszest, focused heavily on aerial techniques and spinning blades, and favored decapitating strikes.

Jar'kai was the blanket term for combat with two blades, and incorporated large swaths of Niman (Form VI) and Ataru (Form IV). It relied on fast and aggressive combat movements, and could be easily adapted to other lightsaber forms, such as Makashi.

Blaster Proficiency
Since childhood, Azu'lae has trained with blaster weapons and rifles. While they are by no means her preferred method of attack, she is able to use them proficiently if needed.

Personality
Once considered one of the most brutal and ruthless members of Clan Vizsla, Azu'lae's time in the Imperium has tempered her. Her first priority is the betterment of the new Sovereignty and the welfare of her family. She is, however, capable of inflicting excruciating pain on her enemies, and she will do so without remorse. Away from her family, she is quick to anger, but due to her political standing she prefers to use words or more subtle means to take her enemies down. She is highly educated in a range of topics, including etiquette and linguistics, is skilled at signing and lip-reading, and speaks five languages (discounting Galactic Basic and Mando'a).

Azu'lae prefers to bottle up her anger and turn it into raw Force energy, or to use it to unleash a devastating barrage of physical blows. Her warrior training has made her an extremely suspicious and cynical person, which makes her cold and difficult to know. Much to her detriment, she is adept at suppressing her negative emotions, and is also prone to blaming herself for failures that are not hers. Following her capture and torture at the hands of Valorrak, she also suffers from extreme Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS), which is primarily prevalent on the days leading up to the anniversary of her capture. When suffering from the effects of PTSS, she commonly rubs the palm of her hand into her eye, in an effort to dispel the tunnel vision that plagues her during those times. She will also work herself to the point of exhaustion in order to try and gain a semblance of power over the event that caused her PTSS.

A constant perfectionist, Azu'lae is known to put her duties as an officer and mother before her own welfare. An honor-driven woman, she is a rigid follower of the Mandalorian Resol'nare, which involves speaking Mando'a, wearing the Mandalorian Armor (beskar'gar, made of beskar), self- and familial- defense, contributing to the welfare of her clan, and rallying to the Mand'alor. She strives to be the best embodiment of these tenets that she can be, and is not particularly kind to herself when she perceives any failures on her part. However, her time in the Imperium and the Sovereignty have allowed her belief system to be melded with the Codes of the One Sith and the Tutai Qo. Because of this, she views the Sovereignty to be her primary clan, and its leader - the Praetor - to be its version of the Mand'alor.

Despite the stiff front she uses as a politician, Azu'lae is capable of great love and affection, typically towards close friends, loved ones, and family. She is fiercely protective of those she cares for, and would die for them if need be. She views her love for Veldarius and their children to be a great source of strength, while she views her older marriages to weaknesses or lapses in judgement.

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