Iris Kardenn

"'The difference between us and the common soldier, Lieutenant Ulsare, is that the common soldier is nothing more than a murdering savage. We are a rarer commodity, murderers who can control savages.' - Lt. Commander Iris Kardenn to Lieutenant Ulsare, 39:6:1 GrS"

Iris Kardenn is an Imperial Citizen born on the Core World of Utrost. Born at the onset of the Separatist Crisis to Security Minister Thaerdel Kardenn and Jarris Seviat, war and political strife would come to dominate her early life. The Clone Wars would affect Iris very little, at three years old her family briefly evacuated Utrost during Operation Durge's Lance.

Growing up in the Early Imperial Era, Iris would receive an intensely nationalist education. At the age of 16, she would (with the help of family connections) apply and be accepted into the Royal Imperial Academy. After two years of training, Iris was accepted into the TIE Cadet Program.

She would enter Imperial service in 30:5 GrS. She would serve in the Starfighter Corps for four years, reaching the rank of 1st Lieutenant. After the Battle of Yavin and the Destruction of DS-1, Iris was recruited into Imperial Intelligence through her father's connections. While initially assigned to the Diplomatic Service, Department Chief Tarn Jaarek would reassign the young agent into the Destabilization Service.

Shortly after the Battle of Endor, the destruction of DS-2 and the death of Emperor Palpatine Iris was selected to serve in the Imperial Navy's new Clandestine Shock Squads. After the Battle of Fondor and Fall of Pestage, Iris chose to follow Commander Zozza.

Growing Up on Utrost
Like many of the smaller Ecumenopolis worlds in the Imperial Core, Utrost maintai ned a wealthy upper class. As Security Minister for Utrost, Thaerdel Kardenn was firmly entrenched within the upper crust of Utrost society. For his three children: Ferdev (Born 7:3:12), Iris, and Lalta (Born 13:1:5) this meant a relatively easy and comfortable childhood. Iris would receive tutoring from a young age and was often inseparable from her father.

Iris was only two when the First Battle of Geonosis plunged the Galaxy into the all-destructive Clone Wars. Living in the Core, the war had little effect on Iris' personal life. As Minister of Security of Utrost, Thaerdel would often meet with other Core World security leaders on Coruscant. Several times Thaerdel would take his whole family to the Galactic capital. In 21 BBY, at the age of three, Iris and her family would spend half a year off of Utrost as Operation Durge's Lance threatened Utrost.

Iris would first begin attending public school shortly after the end of the Clone Wars and the Great Jedi Purge. Iris was a part of a what was known as "The First Generation of the Empire". Having no memory of the Galactic Republic, and receiving an intensely Pro-Imperial education as Iris grew into her teen years she would become increasingly jingoist in her opinions. After her early education, Iris' father placed her into the Utrost Imperial Preparatory Academy. The Academy, formed shortly after the rise of the Empire was meant to prepare children of government officials for roles in the growing Imperial bureaucracy and military. Iris would quickly form a clique around herself. She was infamous for being manipulative and cunning at times and several times socially backstabbing once friends. She graduated towards the top of her class and immediately applied for the Imperial Royal Academy.

The Royal Imperial Academy and Service in the Starfighter Corps
Considering her father's connections within the Imperial Military, Iris' application to the Academy was quickly accepted. Initially, Iris chose to peruse

Naval Command. While she showed promise in leadership, her starship command potential was average at best. Once again, Iris found social success among the other cadets. In particular, Iris became close friends with the Stassian Cadet Atrama Gesli. Despite her middling success in her chosen field, she did well enough to be offered a chance to join the TIE Fighter Training Program. She accepted, as starship command was becoming increasingly less viable as a career path.

While Naval Command was a struggle for Iris, Starfighter piloting and leadership came to her far more naturally. While she gripped with some of the limitations of the standard Imperial TIE Fighter, she would adapt quickly. Iris gained a reputation among her cadet squad as harsh and cold with the majority of them. While Iris would relax her stone edifice with cadets close to her, she very rarely allow it to slip in front of others. Several of her fellow cadets believed that she caused the Flight Squad CO, Nemsas Leic, to drop out of the program. After Leic washed out of the TIE Program, Iris would step into the role of CO.

Iris would graduate from the Royal Imperial Academy in 30 GrS. She would be assigned to the 3rd QRF Fleet under the command of Admiral Eillin Pas. It wouldn't be long before Iris got a taste of combat. On 30:6:23, a group on the planet of Deveron would launch a rebellion against the Imperial-aligned government. While a majority of the fighting would be handled by the Pro-Imperial Deveron Army, the Imperial Navy offered TIE Fighter support. While the operation was for the most part boring for Iris and her fellow pilots, there were a few brief flashes of actions where Iris distinguished herself. For the most part, Iris' career inside the Starfighter Corps was uneventful. She would spend most of her times patrolling, escorting cargo craft, and occasionally fighting pirates. In 2BBY, Iris would have the opportunity to fight the Rebel Alliance at the Battle of Chabosh. While the Rebel Cell was still poorly equipped compared to the Imperial force, they still maintained a considerable compliment of strike fighters, heavy fighters, and CAS. When Iris' Commanding Officer was killed in the initial assault, she once again stepped into a leadership role. She would lead her squad to an impressive kill record, punching a hole in the Rebel screen. Iris would receive commendations from the ISD Cauldron's Captain Harsh.

It was during her service in the Starfighter Corps that Iris would meet fellow Utrost-native and TIE Interceptor pilot Iaka Isgall. The two would strike a close friendship and a quasi-romantic relationship. While Iaka would be rotated into the Green Mantle Sector Fleet, the two would maintain consistent contact. After the Battle of Yavin, Iris volunteered to take part in the counter-attack. While this request was denied, it wouldn't me long before she would be able to enact vengeance on the Rebel Alliance. She would briefly be assigned to the SSD-Executor, helping hunt Rebel cells. Iris, having been command of her own interceptor squadron, took part in the Battle of Deepspace Besh. Before the battle, knowing they would catch a large Rebel force by surprise, other pilots noticed that Iris was even colder than usual. During the Battle itself, the ATC Operator associated with Iris' squadron described her as "a torrent of death".

Imperial Intelligence
Following the victory at Deepspace Besh and the near destruction of the Rebel Alliance, Iris came to the attention of several recruiting officers within Imperial Intelligence. Her reputation for her harsh hatred of the Rebel Alliance, cunning, and connections with the Core Worlds security establishment all helped convince Imperial Intelligence to offer her a post within the Diplomatic Service. She would first serve as political advisor to the Moff of the Haldeen Sector on Belnar. While serving as an advisor, Iris also oversaw the formation and operations of Imperial Intelligence Agents on Cardia. Due to her experience in the Denovan Uprising, once the Cardia Ring had been established, she was reassigned to the Ojoster to help prevent another Rebel-backed uprising in the sector. Her presence helped identify a growing rebel cell on Denova supported by rebels near Wayland.

Having succeeded in both posts within the Diplomatic Service, Department Chief Tarn Jaarek saw promise in the agent. Her experience in political arenas, combined with her harsh demeanor and extreme nationalism made her a perfect candidate for the Destabilization Service. Her first assignment was to industrial world of Iorta. The local government maintained open loyalty to the Emperor, while selling arms to the Rebel Alliance. While the Imperial Military repeatedly asked to occupy the planet to bring the traitors to heel, the sector government worried about the message that would send. Iris was sent to unravel the Corporate Hegemony Board that oversaw the administration of the planet. Through a series of staged strikes, assassinations, terrorism, and the slaughter of the entire Corporate Board. For her efforts she was rewarded with being sent undercover to attempt to subvert the Rebel aligned government of Sullust.

Endor and CSS
Just before the Battle of Endor, Iris was recalled to the Imperial Centre. While her efforts to create a Pro-Imperial movement on Sullust had born some fruit, the nerves surrounding the Emperor's risky plan led Imperial Intelligence to consolidate their assets. As soon as Iris arrived on Imperial Centre, she was informed of the Emperor's death at the hands of Commander Luke Skywalker. While many of her compatriots had their morale and resolve shaken by the defeat, Iris' desire to crush the Rebel Alliance only grew. Her best friend and lover Iaka Isgall was killed at the Battle of Endor. While she had been successful as an Intelligence Agent, she found herself with a strong desire to directly face Alliance forces.

When the Imperial Navy organised the Clandestine Shock Squads, she was offered a role as the XO of the Squadron assigned to Fondor. She quickly accepted.

Fondor
Iris was the first CSS operative to Station Cresh over Fondor on 39:4:34. What she found was a rusting, messy, and quickly (and poorly) converted drydock that was supposed to serve as her home for her service in CSS. She would shortly meet Commander Kamel Zozza, Arakeev's CO. She found the man to be amicable but deeply out of his element. It wouldn't be long before Kardenn got her first taste of action during Operation Panacea on Pencael IV to destroy a possible New Republic staging ground. She and her squad managed to successfully destroy the facility and expose corruption in the local government.

It was while she was deployed to Fondor that the Empire would begin unravelling. After the death of Emperor Palpatine over the forest moon of Endor Kardenn had expected and hoped for the military or Imperial Intelligence to seize power and finally take the full fight to the Rebel Alliance. When Sate Pestage won the power struggle and installed himself Emperor, Kardenn was disturbed to say the least. She had heard of and seen Pestage a few times while stationed on Imperial Centre. She found him a slimly and sickly opportunist. However her training and loyalty to the Empire meant that despite her reservations to the new Emperor she maintained loyalty to the state.

Generally her time working for the Imperial Navy wasn't overly fulfilling for Kardenn. She had hoped to find revenge for her slain comrades who'd died against the New Republic. Most of her operations and mission under the direction of the Imperial Navy were targeting rouge Imperial forces such as Zero Command. While she was absolutely loyal to the Galactic Empire and was opposed to secession, a small part of her understood the desire to leave Pestage behind.

On 39:5:35, Fondor fell at the same time as Pestage's failure to secure Byss from Zero Command. During the collapse of the Imperial line at Fondor, Iris' view of the Empire and herself collapsed. It was perhaps the lowest point in her life. When Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard sent warning to Kardenn and Zozza, Iris chose to follow Kamel and run to a hidden asteroid mine.