Mel Krasznius

From Vast Empire Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm14/Mellainius/Mel.png

Mel Krasznius
Military Information
Callsign

Nazgul 10; Nazgul 3-2

Rank

Petty Officer 2nd Class

Position

Flight Member

Flight

Flight Three

Squadron

Nazgul Squadron

Squad

3

Wing

Phoenix

Fleet

First Vast Imperial Fleet

Division

Imperial Navy

Biographical Information
Homeworld

Eriadu

Age

59

Species

Human

Gender

Male

Skin Color

White

Height

5'6

Weight

136 lbs

Hair Color

Brown (dyed); Naturally Gray

Eye Color

Hazel

Scars

Left Cheek, Small

Personal Information
Profession
  • Naval Pilot
  • Amateur Philosopher

Youth[edit]

Mel Krasznius was born in the year 30 BBY on the planet Eriadu. At the age of ten, he joined his father's vehicle repair shop and became a studious mechanic. For five years, his father was able to teach him mathematics, philosophy, history, and other important areas of the academic world. However, one night as they were locking up the shop, a street gang, populated mostly by human teenagers and a few Trandoshans, kicked the doors open and decided to take any valuable equipment they could find. While Mel was in another room, his father was locking the remaining doors in the back room, where the security system was about to turn on. Ironically, the thieves had entered the room before the security systems were activated. The thieves slit the throat of Mel's father before he had a chance to reach the blaster in his holster, then decided to break the machinery inside. Mel hid in the back after seeing the gang members smash a few windows. When he had the chance, he grabbed a pistol and aimed at what seemed to be the leader. He was able to kill the five humans before the remaining two Trandoshans could reach favorable ground. The remaining bandits shot back at Mel, but due to his training from his father, the shots failed each time. After shooting the second to last bandit, the remaining contender was able to gain fast momentum once he saw that Mel ran out of bullets for his cheap, antique weapon. He slithered his way towards Mel,who was too busy to notice, trying to find another weapon. The Trandoshan pulled out a knife before almost stumbling on Mel. However, Mel was able to run towards the body of his father, where a blaster resided from one of the scarred, half-charred corpses. Being a quick shooter, he shot at the Trandoshan right behind him. Unfortunately, the Trandoshan had already sliced at Mel's face, leaving a river of blood trickling from his cheek. Mel was able to quickly shove the pistol down the Trandoshan's throat and fire before he did any more damage. Mel Krasznius developed a sadistic nature after being alone for two hours, waiting for the Police of Eriadu to arrive, along with the cadavers of the incident.

Philosophy and Belief System[edit]

"...And the Force is dead, along with the Jedi. Midi-chlorians, small organisms the Jedi said communicated with the Force, are the physical means of the explanation of life, rather than the Force itself. Simply, the capabilities of a Jedi can be measured by the Midi-chlorians, which is done through science itself, not religion."

— Mel Krasznius in his Naval Log, Page 33

Mel Krasznius is skeptical of the Force, and deems it as a theoretical control mechanism rather than a principle to unite all things by one entity. However, he does believe that Midi-chlorians can help one acquire ablilities that are otherwise impossible, such as grabbing an object several meters away.

His belief system is the attitude that life has a balance of three rather than the generic two entities (Good and Evil). He calls this third entity "Preternity," or "Aboriginal Thought." Preternity is his belief that all different species have a natural purpose to make other creatures suffer or benefit from the species' natural abilities, such as the Nerf's preternity to serve mankind as a food source. Mel believes that such a role is not good or evil, but is actually an example of preternity. He also believes that it is preternal for man to attack another that is different than him, thus making his sadistic nature justified by his belief system. Although Mel's belief system is contrary to most, he does have a kind heart towards those he feels are his comrades, such as members of the VEN. He has taken favor to the "you scratch my back, I scratch your back" philosophy as well.

Mel's goal is to publish his Naval log one day as a book of philosophy for the Eriaduan nobles. He also has a few ideas of running local governments, but hides them surreptitiously in fear that the extremist Imperials will destroy his work after finding his writings.

The Navy, Forced Retirement, and Commission[edit]

At twenty-one, Mel Krasznius studied at an Imperial Naval Academy and became a pilot in a TIE Fighter. He was not decorated, but specialized in the torture of war prisoners and became a favored agent among the officers, who desperately tried to get the Rebels to speak against their comrades. Not surprisingly, it was always Mel that got them to talk, confess to their betrayals, and even destroy their spirit in a matter of minutes. During this time, there was a younger pilot who went by the name of Narcolus, who cruelly competed with Mel during their time as Imperial pilots. Eventually, the two Imperial pilots lost contact after Endor. Mel's sadistic nature was regarded as a characteristic to fear among the ranks, until the Battle of Endor, where he was forced to retreat. He returned to Eriadu after setting off an escape pod from the Super Star Destroyer he served on, now floating in thousands of scattered pieces across the galaxy.

The beloved planet of Mel Krasznius.

On Eriadu, Mel met a woman by the name of Harriett, whom he married and loved deeply. After the third year of their marriage, his wife had a son, Marcus, named after his martyred grandfather. Mel lived a normal life, being surreptitious of his sadistic side and keeping away his old friends, who weren't the family type. However, in the will of a family friend, a Count, Mel was left a holocron and a massive amount of money. The holocron was fairly new, which was an astounding fact, due to the nature of such objects, and contained a message regarding a new faction where Mel's "talents" could be used. He refused the offer, until he found out that Harriett and Marcus left the Krasznius household to live with Harriett's brother once they discovered the horrific deeds Mel had cynically carried out against the captured Rebel soldiers. Finding no other reason to continue living the life on Eriadu, he joined the Vast Imperial Navy for a new life; however, he kept his sadistic nature and pompous personality with him. Mel is a bit more seasoned than most of the other crewmen, but his arrogance and sadism have the ability to get in the way. He has a striking resemblance to Moff Tarkin, which some thought was made possible through Imperial means. However, he insists the resemblance is simply natural.


At the Vast Imperial Navy, many questioned how he could function exceptionally well at his age. His simple response would always catch them off guard.

"That's insane! How could you fight the way you do with your age?"


"Cybernetics."

— Mel's answer to a question from a fellow crewman.

During his tenure in the military, Mel has acquired several chips and other equipment which made him more able, stronger, and quicker than most people in their thirties. Although questionable, the officers notice that he can be a valuable asset and a seasoned addition to their ranks.

Kaph Squadron and Operation: Iron Sweep[edit]

Before being re-assigned to Nazgul Squadron, Mel Krasznius had taken part in Operation: Iron Sweep, where he destroyed a total of nine TIE Droid Starfighters. Afterwards, he was told to return to the Lobo for further instruction.

Nazgul Squadron: Mission 1[edit]

"I suppose I'm a bit late for the briefing. Not like it has any importance since they'll send it to my datapad anyways."

— Mel's logic on his first Nazgul mission briefing.

Before Pirate Contact: Space Travel[edit]

Mel's trip back to the Atrus was not a happy one. At the Lobo, he was told to return to Nazgul. Alone. He had set the Auto-Flight feature on, and his appearance was unkempt. Upon returning, he had been told, almost immediately, to set his ships coordinates to the Visgoth. The trip was a hard one, and left Mel filled with fatigue. However, his mood had went from tired to annoyed aboard the Visgoth. Truthfully, that was seeing him at a good time.

Before Pirate Contact: The Visgoth[edit]

On the Visgoth, Mel was briefly in an aggressive mood, still recovering from learning that he had been paired up with someone in the small housing area of the ship. Passing by a bar where the rest of the pilots were having a good old time, a drunken one had asked Mel for money. Soon after, Mel had nearly choked the same pilot to death for touching him, and it was only the attempt to intervene by Gshlecc that forced him to let the pilot go. He continued into his room where he found his notebooks and began writing in his notebook surreptitiously. Sadly, the drunken pilot that Mel nearly killed had made his way in the room and revealed himself as his roommate. Luckily, fearing that Mel would eventually get too annoyed and finish the job, Gshlecc had Mel re-assigned to a different room. Mel was given his own room with enough space to fit a desk in. He thanked Impericare for being able to upgrade his housing conditions.

The next day, Kane had told Mel that he wanted him to be his wingman. After a moment of thought, he accepted. Later on, Mel was busy stowing away his notebooks in his footlocker, making sure to make it hard for anyone besides himself to find them. What he did not notice was that Kane was behind him. After their conversation, Mel had accidently disclosed that he was able to read anyone's thoughts within a short distance of himself through a chip labelled The Maxpolarum.

On the third day, the pilots were ordered to Sector 221, where a squadron of Preybirds had been spotted.

The Battle: Wave One[edit]

There was an ominous feeling as Nazgul Squadron reached the battlefield. Two Nebulon Class B Frigates were expected, along with a collection of various fighters. However, at the moment, only the Preybirds had made their way towards the Nazgul pilots. Mel had noticed something strange about the Preybirds. They seemed to be using a tactic which the Imperial Fleet had utilized during the reign of Palpatine, and Mel suspected that someone he once knew had suggested they use it. However, the Preybirds hardly made an attempt to take the Nazgul pilots' lives, and they were decimated quite easily. Afterwards, a multitude of fighters had arrived along with the Nebulon Class B Frigates. Nazgul regrouped shortly after.

The Battle: Wave Two[edit]

After Nazgul's regrouping, the Nebulon Class B Frigates had inched towards Nazgul, until they came to an awkward halt. The fleet of fighters still made their advance, one of them being piloted by Narcolus, an old rival of Mel during his time in the Imperial Navy under Palpatine. In a brief moment, Narcolus had intercepted Mel's COM and gave him a grim meeting. After a while, the COM had been intercepted once more, this time for a longer period of time. As the rest of Nazgul tended to the fighters, Mel was busy sending laserfire towards Narcolus, deemed a bogey by VEN's standards. After a long string of complex tactics, Mel was able to defeat Narcolus in a fierce battle. Once Mel defeated his old rival, he continued to assist Kane as they destroyed more fighters together.

The Battle: Wave Three[edit]

During this wave, Jegora Fal, the XO at the time, was killed in action against an incoming Acclamator and two Nebulon Class B Frigates. The men retreated, and Mel was, somehow mysteriously affected by his death.

Aftermath[edit]

After the battle, Mel was given a promotion to the Senior Crewman rank, and became saddened by the loss of his superior. While sitting at a bar with his fellow crewmates, Mel lit a cigarette. Kane, sure that Mel was not one to smoke, sought clarification on if he truly was smoking. Mel stated that he did not usually did, implying that he needed it to cope with Jegora's death.

Nazgul: A Nice, Quiet Retreat[edit]

Background[edit]

In order to keep up Nazgul Squadron's morale and keep its member's minds away from the tragic death of Jegora Fal, the entirety of the squadron was sent to Esseles, where a central resort contains its roots. The crew begins their journey aboard the Yulia, Gshlecc's yacht. Trevor Evenson arrives along with Nazgul Squadron, however, instead of finding himself sipping lemonade and resting like the rest of the crew, he partakes in a special mission involving communicating with hostile rebel forces on the planet. He is later found out to be an enemy, and rebel forces take him hostage.

Landing at Esseles[edit]

"Perhaps I may be wrong of our unmerciful Preternity, for there exists those who do, in fact, care for others. Although few in numbers, their work is that of an artist's, whose canvas is the human spirit and whose paints and brushes are their justice and compassion, respectively..."

— Mel's writings on man's preternity while thinking of Jeg's actions at his last battle.

Aboard the yacht, Mel was continuing the section of his notebook on philosophy which discussed the preternity of man. Finding himself curiously interested in what his fellow pilots would do when they reached the resort, Mel visited Kane in his room, where he found the man in deep thought. Alluding to his father, Mel stated that he had not seen someone martyred like Jeg in years, and that he would never forget the battle. Mel informed Kane that he intended to scribe his observations of the trip as each member took a vacation on the planet. Being careful not to make any remarks which would make Mel angry, Kane prudently worded his sentences, but began to think he failed in doing so. Mel assured him that his words did not anger him, and that Kane seemed to just give his thoughts to him, referring to the incite and commentary Kane frequently assured himself of in his mind.

When the crew reached Esseles, Mel decided to go to the bar, where he became severely intoxicated and smoked a cigarette. Disgusted at the site of a new crewman, Mel left the bar, staggering to the housing block, where Gshlecc had noticed his intoxication; he was embarassed at the site of the promoted soldier's actions. Nearing his room, Mel ran into an old annoyance, the pilot Mel had nearly choked to death aboard the Visgoth. The pilot, much like Mel, had spent the day drinking. Not consulting personal sagacity, the pilot unwittingly challenged the drunken Mel, who repeated his actions which he had done aboard the Visgoth. Luckily for the pilot, Kane and Gshlecc were near, and desperately tried to free the pilot from Mel's grip. Eventually becoming enraged with Mel, Gshlecc equipped himself with his pocket knife and stabbed Mel in the arm, freeing the pilot from another near-death experience.

Mel, in his room and still intoxicated, began yelling for his father, confessing that he had killed someone dear to him. It is unknown whether he was speaking of Jeg or Narcolus, leaving the cause for his guilt open-ended.

The Poker Game[edit]

"Geez, Mel. For god's sake, you're on a leisure yacht."

— Gshlecc's thoughts upon seeing Mel wearing his overly formal attire to play cards.

Moments later, Mel began underlining a new chapter for his notebook: The Search for Man's Preternity. After finishing the first sentence in the chapter, Gshlecc walked into the room, ordering Mel to rest his mind and play some poker with the crew. Mel reluctantly agreed. Mel then dressed out of his pajamas and put on dark slacks, a black turtleneck, a red sash with a matching cape, a leather belt, and shoes which shined a bit too much. Kane took note of Mel's ability to read minds within a radius of a few yards and quit playing cards, knowing he did not stand a chance as long as Mel knew what cards he had. The other crewmen, not aware of Mel's ability, stayed in the game, eventually losing a good sum of Imperial Credits. Kane later returned to face Mel, who had taken quite a sum of winnings from the half-drunken and/or frustrated crewmen. Thinking he would win, Mel placed all his chips on the table, an amazing sight. Trying to read Kane's thoughts, Mel realized that Kane was thinking in an unknown language, forcing Mel to abdicate his chips out of frustration from being outsmarted by a simple trick.

Later on that day, Gshlecc, desperately trying to get his crew members to enjoy themselves, stowed away each of their datapads and other devices he deemed work-related. Mel's notebooks with writing, two of the three he had brought with him, were not exceptions. Desperately trying to find a place to think, Mel saw a building with the word LIBRARY on it, not realizing it was merely a Souvenir Library, where hundreds of keychains, pamphlets, and other trinkets found themselves stored on shelves. Later revealing to Kane what contents the notebooks held, he made his way to Driver in order to get the journals back.

Service History[edit]

Ranks[edit]

Insignia Ranks Start Until Reason for Promotion
CRWSFC.JPG Crewman 21 January 2008 26 January 2008 Joined the Vast Imperial Navy
LCRWSFC.JPG Leading Crewman 27 January 2008 16 August 2008 Passed the Aviator's Exam
SCRWSFC.JPG Senior Crewman 17 August 2008 25 October 2008 ...for consistent posting and activity.
PO2SFC.JPG Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class 26 October 2008 Present Also because of his continuous and outstanding writing in that story [A Nice, Quiet Retreat] he has been promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class.


Positions[edit]

Joined Vast Empire Navy - 21 January 2008
Positions Start Until Reason for Change
Nazgul Squadron - Flight Member - Nazgul 8 25 January 2008 8 March 2008 N/A
Kaph Squadron - Flight Member - Kaph 8 11 June 2008 18 June 2008 Arrived back from hiatus
Nazgul Squadron - Flight Member - Nazgul 10 19 June 2008 Present Nazgul Re-opening


Story Participation[edit]

Story Start Date Number of Posts
Operation: Iron Sweep 12 June 2008 4
Takin' Names 19 June 2008 10
A Nice, Quiet Retreat 17 August 2008 9


Awards[edit]

Ribbon Award Date Received Reason for Award
MC2rib.gif Merit Cross, Second Class 26 October 2008 ...been awarded with the Merit Cross 2nd Class for outstanding commitment to Nazgul in its last story [A Nice, Quiet Retreat].