Kaleena Rey

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Kaleena Asharya Rey
Kaleena Rey 2.jpg
Biographical Information
Race Zeltron
Homeworld Zeltros
Mother Indira Rey (nee. Avaron) [deceased]
Father Takeo Rey
Spouse None
Siblings Deveran Rey, Ravan Rey, Hiro Rey [deceased]
Children None
Born Year -14, Day 313 (age 28)
Quote “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” ― Rumi
Physical Description
Gender Female
Height 5’7”
Coloring Rose-hued
Hair Color Midnight blue
Eye Color Deep crimson
Political Information
Affiliation Galactic Empire

Kaleena Asharya Rey was born on Zeltros, the only daughter of Indira Avaron and Takeo Rey, and the younger sibling of Deveran, Ravan and Hiro. She left Zeltros in search of new, exciting experiences, travelling to Coruscant to enrol in the Imperial Academy. Upon graduation on Year 14, Day 342, she was assigned a position within the Regional Government and began a career in the Galactic Empire. She also serves as the current Vicar of Zela in the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy under the name Astara III.

Personal History

The Rey Family

The Rey family is a well-established Zeltron family with a centuries-old history of being great patrons of the arts. The family owns several art galleries and small theatres, and continually funds the Fine Arts department at Zeltros University. The focus of their work through the centuries has been to preserve historical artefacts, promote Zeltron artistic endeavours and encourage the creativity of future generations of artists. Only within the last few generations have the Reys started to expand into the business world with family members becoming successful entrepreneurs and traders.

The Rey Family.

Early Childhood

Kaleena was raised under the careful eye of her paternal grandmother, Lady Prema Rey, matriarch of the family. She was the first girl child born out of five children and seven grandchildren and as such earned special treatment from the Lady of the family. Lady Prema was very present throughout Kaleena’s childhood and her insistence in being involved in the girl’s upbringing caused a rift between her and Kaleena’s mother. This strained relationship had a negative effect on the relationship between mother and daughter and by the time Kaleena was flowering into womanhood, she was hardly close with her mother, Indira.

The youngest Rey received a private education from birth from carefully selected, accomplished tutors with a special focus on Zeltron history and art. She was encouraged to find interests in artistic disciplines, her tutors helping her hone her intuition and tap deeply into her own innate creativity and passion to fuel her work. As such, she is a skilled dancer and painter.

A Chosen Career Path

Gallery Director Kaleena Rey, Zeltros.

Despite the encouragement of friends and family members, Kaleena was advised not to pursue a career in dance or painting and was eventually directed by her grandmother to take up the role of Director of one of the family’s galleries. Although she had just turned twenty at the time, Lady Rey believed the young woman would grow into her role. She already had a keen eye for exquisite art and she had a personality that could draw crowds. Kaleena was initially opposed to the idea of taking on such a role, wanting indeed to focus on her passion for painting, but Lady Prema reminded her of her duties as a Rey and their responsibility of showcasing the beauty and incredible talent of Zeltron artists and sculptors, past and present. ‘Passion fuels passion,’ Lady Rey used to always say. ‘Inspire and invigorate the next generations with the passions of the past. Remind them who we are as a people.’ She could have easily made examples of her older brothers who had chosen careers in engineering, finance, linguistics and even the military but Kaleena felt she could not refuse the wishes of the matriarch of her family, and so Kaleena spent her early twenties managing the gallery. She was very successful at organizing charitable events and new expositions, events at her gallery becoming very popular soirees for some of Zeltros’ most influential. She was constantly surrounded by beauty and luxury, love and lust, and it was intoxicating. Lady Prema seemed to be pleased with how her granddaughter was faring but Kaleena suspected the older woman had more in store for her but was simply not sharing.

Living in opulence may be more than enough for most Zeltrons but after a few years managing the collection at the gallery and living the high life, Kaleena started to long for more from her life. She held on to the hope her grandmother would soon share with her some greater plan but her patience began to wane and she secretly began craving something different though she couldn't quite say what that was.

Something Different

Kaleena at her favorite nightclub on Zeltros.

It was a chance encounter with a retired Imperial recruitment officer frequenting a nightclub she often visited that set her on a strange new path. He was not the typical bumbling fool of an offworlder offering to buy her a drink. ‘You look like you need a change of pace,” he told her with a well-meaning smile. “The eyes don’t lie,” he continued with a light tap to his right temple. Kaleena studied the man, one of the only offworlders in the club not indulging and exhibiting some wild behaviour. She figured he had been around the block a few times and was no stranger to the Zeltron lifestyle. This middle-aged man with a few silver streaks in his hair seemed to be quite grounded and so she engaged in the conversation and was pleasantly surprised. What followed was a very intelligent and often times philosophical conversation about beauty, pleasure and the meaning of life. He explained he was a retired recruitment officer for the Galactic Empire and when prompted by a now curious Kaleena, was permitted to rant and rave about the organization he so loved. The Zeltron figured he was slipping into his recruitment spiel but was interested nonetheless. He had a few tricks up his sleeve. “You Zeltrons are ever fuelled by a pursuit of happiness through beauty and pleasure, but you do not quite realize the true beauty of life. The true beauty lies in the full spectrum of experiences. How can you say you have ever really lived if all you have experienced is one way of life? Why not experience more? Why not find beauty in new experiences? The Galactic Empire could offer you all that and so much more.”

Kaleena did not need much convincing for she was already feeling like one foot was out the door. She wasn't quite certain that the Galactic Empire was where she would end up but the Imperial’s words had resonated with her and she suspected the Empire might be a good place to start. Sharing her feelings with only the closest of her friends was not easy, and there was much protest, but in the end, there was little they could do to change her already made up mind.

Within a week or so of meeting the Imperial, Kaleena Rey made arrangements for a cousin to take up her post at the gallery, swearing the man to secrecy, and used a fake passport to slip onto a transport leaving Zeltros, making for the stars. She knew Lady Prema would be heartbroken and would have tried to convince her to stay, so she made sure her exit was in secret. She figured the family would eventually find out about Kaleena’s departure but she naively believed they would simply leave her be. She could not be important enough to chase across the Galaxy.

The Galactic Empire

On Year 14, Day 336, Kaleena Rey was accepted into the Galactic Empire and proceeded to continue her journey to Coruscant where she enrolled in the Imperial Academy as a new recruit. Completely out of her element, she embraced her new life with some trepidation, but ultimately, a hope that she would experience a new way of life and become part of something much greater.

Metamorphosis

While visiting a Corellian tavern during some time off, the Zeltron happened upon the tavern owner, Quarto Kade, in the midst of a terrifying transformation. Fighting the instinct to run, she felt for the man who was clearly in a lot of pain and distress. Having met him only a few days prior when she first visited the tavern, she could not bring herself to abandon him in his time of need. Kaleena stayed with him until his ordeal had run its course and was shocked to learn he had contracted some sort of virus that forced a painful physical transformation. Kaleena quickly became fearful for her own safety and left the tavern shaken and unsure if she should report the incident. As a new member of the Empire, she was taught who to contact in times of need but she was fearful of what might happen to her if she revealed she may have contracted a virus. The Zeltron feared being processed and overwhelmed by the system. In that moment, she chose to keep the information to herself.

Kaleena did not sleep that night, fearing she had been exposed to the virus, however when she did not change overnight, she decided to visit the tavern the following day to inquire about the well-being of the tavern owner, secretly hoping he would have more information for her. Quarto seemed alive and well in a new physical form and he flipped her a datapad with information on what was known as the Metamorphosis Plague or the Derra Virus. He also indicated she had very little chance of contracting the virus herself and while she was initially relieved, she was unconvinced. Though she had made a friend in those strange few days, the Zeltron returned to her station feeling paranoid and alone. She tried her best to remain distant from those around her and effectively barricaded herself in her apartment when off-duty until a fellow Imperial came calling, inquiring about her well-being. After much coaxing, Kaleena admitted her fears to the man who proceeded to take her to a doctor aboard his own ship and treat her without reporting the situation to her superiors. Despite her reservations on the system itself, the Zeltron had come to trust this fellow servant of the Empire and left her fate in his hands. Lucky for her, she returned to her post a few days later, free of any infection, and resumed her responsibilities. Though the Metamorphosis Plague had not affected her physically, she could not help but feel changed by the experience on some level.

Unsettled

As Kaleena settled into her new job working for the Regional Government of the Galactic Empire and learned all the particularities about her new responsibilities, she often visited the tavern for some rest, relaxation, and small talk with Mr. Kade who had become a good friend. Their conversations were a welcome distraction from the heavy reading, complex processes and overall formality of Imperial life. Despite her usual social tendencies, she felt guarded around other Imperials and was reluctant to communicate with anyone beyond her superiors. Even off-duty, the Zeltron had a hard time adjusting to life within the Empire, never feeling entirely welcomed in the community of Imperial citizens. She was reminded of the feelings she picked up on at the Academy and the more she went out into the world, the more she picked up on darker, more confusing emotions. Some people were attracted to her based on her Zeltron physiology but Kaleena could not help but feel apart and...judged, by the humans around her. They may have tried to hide their emotions but Kaleena was in tune to the emotional landscape around her and was very much aware of their pity, disgust, lust and envy. Their emotions washed over her like a tidal wave and shook her at her core.

Feelings of alienation hit an all time low one day on her way to work when she was stopped by a pair of human males on the street. At first, they attempted to flatter her for her beauty and grace, but their honeyed words quickly turned to poison as their advances were not reciprocated. Kaleena was roughed up a bit amid pro-human statements, derogatory comments and anti-alien insults before a sympathetic taxi driver came to her rescue and transported her to the government building. Again, the Zeltron chose not to report the incident, choosing to remain as little and anonymous within the organization as possible. She did not want to call any attention to herself as she tried to process what she had experienced and the reasoning behind the sentiments of those Imperial citizens, sentiments that she felt were not just felt by the two unsavoury characters she had encountered.

When she visited with her tavern friend and revealed a little of the incident to him, he was surprised and sympathetic to her distress. Quarto tried to convince her that not everyone felt the way some people do and insisted her life held as much value as any other. Picking up on strange emotions at the local cantina, Kaleena felt unsettled and was quick to leave, but she was followed out by a man who had been watching her exchange with her friend. The man attempted to abduct her with the help of another bounty hunter accomplice but Quarto, who was actually a mercenary by trade, had somehow realized the Zeltron was in danger and was quick to rescue her. A fire fight broke out in the streets and the two sprinted through the busy shopping district in an attempt to lose their pursuers. One was killed in action but the other managed to survive. Kaleena’s friend immediately took her off planet in his freighter and tended to her shock.

Family Matters

After learning that some bounty hunters were hired to escort her to their employer, Kaleena became fearful for her well-being but decided she had to at least try to trust the system to protect her. Despite her friend’s offer to take her away to safety, Kaleena felt she could not simply abandon her responsibilities to the Empire because she had made a commitment to serve and hoped that the organization she was serving would protect her in turn. She remained close to her job, avoided public places and continued to build relationships with certain Imperials, but ultimately waited to see if there would be any follow up to the attempted abduction.

As the tension within her continued to build, the Zeltron decided to take matters into her own hands and returned to her friend’s tavern for a visit, knowing she was risking her life visiting another public establishment but feeling confident in the man’s ability to protect her. Kaleena was quite surprised and delighted to be visited by her older brother Hiro, however she became quickly suspicious as she realized there was no way he could have known where she was in the Galaxy after leaving Zeltros unless he hired professionals. Figuring out he was responsible for the attempted abduction, Kaleena was furious with her brother who remained calm and collected while she seethed. The older Rey revealed that their family, Lady Prema in particular, had been looking for her ever since she left Zeltros but Kaleena was unimpressed with her brother’s means to locate her, confused as to why he took such extreme measures to find her. Quarto Kade quickly came to the Zeltron’s defense and the situation nearly took a violent turn between himself, Hiro, and Hiro’s bodyguard before an Imperial officer intervened and escorted Kaleena back to her apartment, diffusing the situation. Hiro left with a promise to contact her again. His business was left unfinished. She would not get away so easily.

The Vicar of Zela

A few weeks passed without incident. Hiro Rey had revealed himself to be the one responsible for hiring hunters to locate her but now that she had been located, Kaleena figured he had no other reason to aggravate her. The older Rey attempted to contact her once again, through a polite, encrypted message, but the youngest Rey ignored it and carried on with her work. The Regional Government staff member had new responsibilities and more learning to bring her up to speed so she had very little time nor any desire to deal with the man. The experience had left a bitter taste in her mouth and she refused to see him.

One day while visiting Corellia, the Zeltron received a delivery at her temporary residence from an anonymous sender who left her a signet ring and a note with the coordinates of a luxury hotel by the starports. Curious by the formal address of the delivery man, Kaleena felt compelled to inquire about the ring’s significance and its sender, and hopped in a taxi speeder to take her to the coordinates. While conscious of the potential danger, the Zeltron could not help but feel a sense of familiarity and proceeded to the hotel where she was directed to a suite.

Kaleena timidly entered the room to find a younger man waiting for her. He knew exactly who she was and was quick to address her confusion. He revealed that he had been in contact with her family to locate her and reveal to her their legacy and her destiny. The Zeltron was stunned by the man’s words and confused by the situation, remembering Hiro and his foolish attempts to find her, until the young man reminded her that she was a descendant of the ancient vicars of Zela of the Thirteen, Zela the Goddess of Passion, Lust and Love, tasked with bringing love, culture and emotion to the Chosen, Patroness of the Arts and of the people who would become the Zeltron. Of course Kaleena knew of whom he spoke as she grew up with stories of the Thirteen, recalling bedtime stories curled up in her grandmother’s lap and the art and history lessons so beloved by her tutors. She remembered all that she learned about her ancestors, and all of the small rituals and gestures she grew up performing without realizing why they were being performed. Suddenly, everything she had ever known of her life on Zeltros seemed to make sense, as did her family’s desperate attempts to locate her. They, along with this mystery man, wanted Kaleena to assume her rightful place in the Galaxy as Zela’s representative. Kaleena was Zela’s Chosen and she had the responsibility of sharing the Goddess’ love, creativity and passion with Her followers.

This revelation came as a shock to the Zeltron but rather than embrace her destiny, Kaleena was confused and resisted. She had chosen a different path for her life and while she knew Zela always had a very real presence in her life, Kaleena did not believe she was well-suited to assume the responsibilities of a Vicar of the Radiant One. It felt far too grand and important for the Zeltron who had chosen to embrace a simpler, more structured life in the Galactic Empire. She left the man, Weylin vi Cron, who was the Grand Vicar and Ziysan the Great King’s representative, but knew in her heart the conversation was far from finished.

Nella Bryhn

It was only when Nella Brynh arrived, a fellow Zeltron sent by Lady Prema Rey to serve as her granddaughter’s bodyguard, that Kaleena started to entertain the idea of the Vicariate. The other Zeltron had a particularly frosty temperament, but where the Vicariate was concerned, she was only ever encouraging, passionate even. Listening to the younger woman’s views on Zeltros, the Goddess Zela with whom she was quite familiar, the Rey Family and her perspective on life in general seemed to resonate with Kaleena on some level and she accepted the woman’s service. During this time she chose not to re-establish a connection with her family, but she was aware that Nella kept in constant contact with the matriarch of the house. When the day came that the Grand Vicar called his High Synod together to formally reveal the rebirth of the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy to the Galaxy, Kaleena requested a temporary leave of absence from her Imperial duties and travelled to the Ecclesiarchy’s headquarters, thus answering the call as Astara, the third of her name.

Upon returning to her Imperial post, she wrote to the Empire’s Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), not quite convinced she had to give up her responsibilities, but wanting to ensure she was still clear to resume her work given her association with the Ecclesiarchy. The Zeltron woman had decided she enjoyed her position within the Regional Government and, if the Empire let her, she wanted to continue her work while also serving in Zela’s cult. She had also become quite fond of a certain Imperial officer and was not prepared to be parted from him, though their relationship was kept very private.

Lucky for Kaleena, ISB had cleared her for duty and so she resumed her work, the Galactic Empire also becoming her mission within the Ecclesiarchy. Perhaps she could remind its citizens of the love of the Thirteen and welcome them into the congregation of the Thirteen. Perhaps she could bring the warmth, love and passion of her Goddess into the lives of her peers. It felt like a daunting task but Kaleena acknowledged she was up for the challenge.

Imperial Service

Time of Service: Year 14 Day 342 - present

Imperial Academy

Kaleena enrolled in the Imperial Academy and was assigned a TO to guide her through her studies. She was an attentive student, and despite her natural inclinations to reach out and meet new people, she kept to herself throughout her stay at the Academy so she could focus on her studies.

Coruscant was the first place she had ever visited outside Zeltros and therefore it took a few days to get over the initial shock of being in a completely new environment. The Zeltron recruit was aware that Coruscant itself was home to about a trillion people of all walks of life however it was entirely human-centric and she was suddenly a minority. To say this sudden immersion into a completely different society was jarring to her senses would be an understatement. Zeltrons and humans share common ancestry but there are still fundamental differences between the species, from the physical and emotional characteristics to their value system. The differences were made even more apparent when Kaleena read through the Imperial Species Policy, discovering that she, as a Zeltron, was categorized as a Class B citizen. She was initially put off by this categorization as there wasn’t anything like it back home, however she relaxed to the idea as her class category only prevented her from joining the military and intelligence branches of the Galactic Empire, branches she had absolutely no interest in. Her heightened senses allowed her to pick up on some feelings of aversion and resistance from her peers but she held on to the hope these feelings would not affect her career and her overall integration within the Empire in the long run.

Kaleena graduated from the Imperial Academy on Year 14, Day 342 and requested an assignment within the Regional Government, hoping some of her inherent social skills might translate well into politics. Perhaps the best way to integrate well with the other Imperial citizens was to walk among them and address the needs of the common citizen through politics, and if they were initially repulsed by a Zeltron in their midst, she could make them listen, leading by example. She would show the Empire what this Class B citizen was capable of.