| Character created by Paul M.
Za’Tark: Narn Pirate.
-Childhood Was part of the generation born under the period of freedom from Centauri rule. She was the only child born to Captain H’Parn of the Narn Freighter Service and his beautiful wife Ra-Yoth, a former entertainer. Za’Tark’s relationship with her father was quite strained as her father was cold and distant, but he did fulfill his duties towards her. Her mother was a social butterfly who flirtered with everyone and rumours about her tyrsts abounded. Raised on cargo and passengers ships, living in space and being exposed to mulitple worlds and races was all she knew. An observant child, she didn’t speak much, but watched the exciting goings on with great interest and wonder. At an early age she became very self-reliant, learning to hide from her Father whenever he went on a rage. Throughout her space-faring childhood, Za’Tark learned how to interact with various races and with different types of beings from each walk-of-life. When she was 8, her family was assigned to a long range ferry vessel. She began hanging out in the galley, thereby both avoiding her father’s inexplicable rages towards her and learning to cook. She quickly made friends with the head cook, a 65 year old Narn female, whom everyone referred to as Matron. When Za’Tark was 9, the ship she was on was attacked by pirates. Her father and mother were among the many people killed. The pirates only spared her and Matron because of their cooking abilities. For several years, the duo worked for the pirates without incident. Again Za’Tark’s abilities to observe and go unnoticed proved useful. She gained both some skill in criminal activities, as well as insight into criminal behaviour and organizations. -Adolesence Things went well for several years, but one day after a successful raid, several of the older alien pirates got drunk and attempted to rape Za’Tark and Matron. The pirates failed to realize that cooks are good with knives. After it was over, Matron lead Za’Tark to the base’s hanger where they forever fled from the Tulok system. During their run from the pirates, they both took many odd jobs, until they were finally able to go into business for themselves. When Za’Tark turned sixteen, Matron hit upon the idea that Za’Tark become the Black Blade, Mercenary and Pirate for hire. Matron then revealed a hitherto unguessed at side, a lethalness of ferocious cunning. Matron had been a Narn freedom fighter with training in a variety of skills and weapons, which she had learned during her years spent under the Centauri occupation. Over the next four years, the Black Blade set up a small but fearsome fighting force culled from a variety of alien units from all over the galaxy. Under Matron’s careful guidence, Za’Tark’s reputation as a ruthless Mercenary grew as did her organization. When Za’Tark was 19, Matron began using their profits, once the bills were paid, to set up legitimate businesses. Matron invested the money in bars, restaurants, shipping firms and electronic companies. -Adulthood Throughout her late teens and early 20’s, Za’Tark’s skills as a leader blossomed, again with Matron’s aide, and Za’Tark was soon leading men into battle. The name of the Black Blade and the Blade Unit became well respected throughout criminal and mercenary circles. Throughout these early years she spent time with a variety of pirate lords; some good, some bad, but one that sticks out is Captain Smilin’ Jack MacGregor, Captain of The Scavenger’s Daughter. Blade and Matron were with him for about a year, before Za’Tark’s ambition made her decide to move on. There has been very little contact over the past few years, except save through the occasional intermediary. But their parting was on very good terms. At the age of 22, Black Blade was approached by representitives of the Mytor pirate gang, the same pirate gang that she and Matron had fled years earlier and who had been resposible for her parents death. They knew her only as Black Blade and thus didn’t recognize the mature Narn woman that had once been part of their galley crew. The job was to distract the forces of Karnak, a rival pirate gang, while the Mytor’s would loot one of his warehouse facilities. Za’Tark saw this as a golden oppurtunity to avenge her parents death, and after talks with Matron, made plans to double-cross the Mytors. Karnak, apon learning the Mytors intentions, was ready to pay the Black Blade off, when she made mention that the whole affair had simply been a matter of honour. Intrigued by this turn of events, Karnak made a quick decision and hired the Black Blade and her unit on the spot to carry out the action against the Mytors. Once the Mytors were destroyed, Za’Tark, Matron and the Blade unit took up permanent residence on Karnak’s base at Tighron. Throughout her time with Karnak, she made sure that his activities never infringed on Narn interests or hers and Matron’s, either redirecting his pirate forces to other targets, or warning the Narn patrols that pirates would attack. Then she would warn Karnak that they had been setup. When her claims proved accurate, he quickly came to trust Za’Tark’s word. In later years, after Della Anne Stephenson, a human Rogue Telepath joined Karnak’s organization, had inadvertantly scanned Za’Tark, she quickly saw the motives which drove the young Narn woman on. But she never betrayed Za’Tark and soon began helping her to protect Narn interests. Za’Tark and Della became good friends and she helped teach Za’Tark alot about adminstration in the last 2 years being at Karnak's; Della did a lot of the admin work as well as help out with the logistics in Karnak’s organization, known to the Galaxy as simply the Aragorn Pirates. When Za’Tark was 24, shortly after being promoted to second-in-command. Matron decided it was time to retire and began to build their nest-egg in earnest; she began creating their own network of contacts and slowly built up a list of trusted smugglers who operated within legitimate companies. She even opened a very nice bar and restaurant on Babylon 5 when that opportunity finally presented itself in late 2255. Matron moved there shortly after Bab 5 opened, and continued to help build bridges for Za’Tark. But, Za’Tark and Matron's best ties and contacts initially came through Karnak. Karnak knew about Za’Tark’s extra-curricular activities almost from the beginning, but as she was fiercely loyal to him and profits were always growing and losses declining, he had no problems with her plans of empire building. Za’Tark’s actions never interferred with his and from their talks, Karnak and Za’Tark both expected to be a strong allies in the future. Za’Tark was at Tighron when the League of Non Aligned Worlds attacked the base. While she fled with Della and some of the other pirates, she was also fleeing with Capt’ Nigel Kellar and some of his crew after their own ship was blown up. The vessel they were on was able to lift off, but was shot down eighty miles north of the base near the small colony of Gravestown. It was there that their lives became intertwined with the Minbari, Talon. From there, with him in tow, they all went to Markab. That was in Aug 2256. |