Name: High Admiral Kaul Bylvers
Race:Human (Corulag)
Age: 29
Personality:Pragmatic and ruthless, Kaul enjoys taking calculated risks, which has earned him a reputation of tactical brilliance. He is aware, however, that he lacks the certain military genius some believe him to have and tries to compensate this by extensive study of both history, strategic codices, and works of military theory. The new tactics he and others of his generation employ, have led to the older rank and file to consider him unorthodox and dangerous. Not seeing the calculation behind his decisions, Kaul has more than once been condemned for a dangerous brute. This stumping of his ambitions fuelled his rancour towards the old guard.
Though indeed no stranger to brutality, Kaul has come to consider it –and his notoriously savage rages- as a tool, one of the personal weapons in his arsenal. Alternatively imposing or charming, his quick mind always usually resorts to violence of a psychological sort, whereas previously his abuse was considerably more traditional. His intelligence and impressive rhetorical skills allowed him to ascend the Imperial hierarchy in spite of opposition of more conservative superiors. Indeed, Kaul’s true talents lie within the fields of organisation and oratory, both of which spill over into tactics and inspiring the troops. While not an impressive pilot, Kaul Bylvers is apt at handling his men.
Admiral Bylvers is loyal to the Army and the Fleet as prestigious institutions, seeing them as the best bet to ensure the Empire’s survival. Additionally, he is grateful for the lessons his military career has taught him. Most importantly for tempering his ferocity and enabling his guile, recognising self-restraint was the truest mark of a man. This insight has, nonetheless, led to a lot of pent up frustration and aggression.
Palpatine and Vader might be gone, but the order and honour of the imperium will live on. As a military man he has a duty to uphold, though he is recently in dubio as to what this duty exactly is and to whom his allegiance belongs. In this time of chaos, Kaul adheres to the values of discipline, efficiency and respect and trusts these will maintain stability.
History & Background:Born just before the start of the Clone Wars (25BBY), Kaul grew up as a child of Emperor Palpatine’s New Order. For Kaul Bylvers, violence was an exquisitely effective, practical means toward attaining a desired end. His introduction to its virtues came during his childhood, when he was forced to burn down alien farmlands with his intolerant father on Corulag. Bylvers senior was a man whose drive and ambition exceeded his qualities, which turned him into a pathetic figure in Kaul’s later years.
Initially, being younger than ten years of age, Kaul had trouble with placing the wanton viciousness towards non-humans his family exposed him to. Despite his clearly racist upbringing, he took a more pragmatic approach towards employing violence. Especially after his own record started to outshine his unapologetic speciesist father. Nevertheless, Kaul was foisted with his sire’s aspirations for political and military prestige.
Then, in his Imperial Academy days attending the Corulag Imperial Military Academy, competing in the close-combat arena, his brutality earned him accolades as the intramural champion. His military education provided him with much needed refinement, the discipline giving him the means to shackle his early-taught ruthlessness, encouraging the increasingly pragmatic view of life he was adopting. The young Corulag native later transferred to nearby Anaxes, as to receive further formation at the War College there.
Shortly after his graduation, Kaul broke entirely with the idea of ‘high-human culture’, deciding being a proper and loyal Imperial had little to do with one’s racial background. In such a colourful universe, that was a reality one could not aspire to. Uniformity would not be lost. Instead, he measured others by their devotion to the New Order, as well as their skill and efforts in pursuit of their goals.
His initial deployment saw him hunting seditionist cells throughout the Mid and Outer Rim. He was dismayed by the outcome of the Battle of Yavin 4, and had the greatest trouble giving credence to the efficiency of the Rebel Offensive ensuing it. Large chunks of Mid Rim territory were lost to the Rebel Alliance, and pirate raids were able to pierce through the Imperial defence lines. Given insufficient means to repel either Rebels or pirates, Kaul Bylvers nevertheless managed to pull several victories out of the fires engulfing the Mid Rim.
In 3ABY, Kaul participated in the Battle of Hoth, serving under Admiral Piett who had orders to sequester the system. Captaining his Victory II-class, Kaul was commended for his service. Supposedly the apex of his career on the front lines, he was shortly after recalled to the Galactic Core on baseless charges. By now it was becoming increasingly clear to the young officer, that Palpatine was taking leave of reality, letting sycophants and libellers call the shots. Kaul Bylvers felt cheated from his deserved glory, being redeployed in safe sectors for patrol duty; something he saw as little more than forced retirement.
However much he hated policing docile systems, he remained diligent in his tasks, and even put down an uprising and thwarted a Rebel deep strike directed at the energy-supply world of Sarapin. This new mandate, though, would not last very long.
For Kaul Bylvers, following the Emperor’s fatality at Endor, he was shocked at the almost total collapse of the Imperial chain of command. In the ensuing chaos, many Imperials turned on one another, resulting in a disastrous loss of apparel, personnel, ships and cohesion. Nevertheless, the debacle at Endor increased the need of competent officers, and so the fracturing of the Galactic Empire also opened higher tier ranks for capable women.
After a profound purge of Sector Zero’s officer’s cadre, Kaul found himself promoted from Senior Captain to Fleet Admiral. A failed stunt by his predecessor saw him elevated again, to High Admiral. This supposed recognition of his talents by the newly proclaimed Grand Moff Vel, illustrates the need for competent officers in the higher echelons of command post-Endor. These promotions brought with them a ship transfer, leaving Kaul in command of his own Praetor Mark II-battlecruiser.
Bylver’s primary loyalty being to the fleet, he had little difficulty in making the switch to serving the Grand Moff Dashara Vel’s Imperial faction. Kaul believed strongly in the ability of the Empire, and especially its military, to bring order and stability where the Rebel Alliance and New Republic could not. A former Ace Pilot and strong supporter of the Fleet, she represents the best choice for a continued Imperial state.