Fideltin Rusk

Fideltin Rusk, a Chagrian, entered the world in 3682 BBY. He was raised by Chagrian parents on the planet Mindor, within a colony known for its pacifistic beliefs. However, he quickly began to challenge his family's convictions upon realizing that their pacifism made them vulnerable to exploitation by pirates and other adversaries. Rusk promptly enlisted in the Republic Military, becoming a proficient soldier who rapidly ascended to the rank of sergeant during the Great Galactic War against the Sith Empire. Callan Grayne, a Human, was a member of Rusk's first squad. During a joint operation, Grayne lost his left leg and subsequently received a prosthetic replacement. During the war, Rusk participated in the Geonosis campaign alongside Durant, who later became a general in Republic High Command.

Rusk's inaugural assignment as a sergeant with his new squad involved liberating war prisoners from a lightly defended Imperial outpost. Intelligence suggested that Imperial reinforcements would not arrive for another twenty-four hours. This intelligence proved inaccurate; the prison was heavily fortified, and Rusk's squad was outnumbered ten to one. Nevertheless, they fought valiantly against overwhelming odds and successfully extracted the prisoners. Almost every member of the squad sustained serious injuries, but there were no fatalities among the prisoners or Rusk's unit. The Chagrian came to regard the soldiers in his first squad as the finest he had ever commanded. He continued to serve with other units while his squadmates—including Karsim, Naja, and Eckerd—were recruited by General Elin Garza into the black ops program of the Republic Special Forces Division.

At some point during the war, Rusk defended a fortress on the planet Amador, single-handedly repelling dozens of Imperial soldiers while guarding the building's only entrance. By the battle's conclusion, Rusk had eliminated so many enemies that he was able to construct walls from their corpses. Initially hailed as a remarkable commander and exceptional soldier, it soon became apparent that Rusk's commanding officers were receiving reports of recklessness from his fellow soldiers. His unwavering determination and loyalty to the Republic were overshadowed by what many perceived as a reckless disregard for the lives of his soldiers, leading to his ostracization by many of the military's top leaders. Republic High Command began tracking the financial cost of Rusk's victories to the government, which exceeded 70,000,000 credits by 3642 BBY. Throughout his career, Rusk faced twelve military tribunals on charges ranging from accusing his superior officer of cowardice to recklessly endangering an entire flagship.

Although Rusk was acquitted each time and awarded a medal, he was denied promotions. While other soldiers received recognition and commendations, he was consistently overlooked and remained a sergeant, personally leading squads into battle. He soon acquired the nickname "Undertaker" due to the high number of casualties among his subordinates and superiors. Despite this, he maintained an extraordinary success rate in his missions. Rusk's behavior deteriorated towards the war's end when he discovered that his parents' colony had been wiped out by the Empire in 3650 BBY. Rusk's persistent attitude resulted in a series of assignments in remote and combat-intensive environments throughout the tenuous conflict known as the Cold War, often against formidable opposition.

Rusk spent much of the following decade on the remote ice planet of Hoth, stationed as part of a detachment from the 301st Infantry. Still a sergeant, Rusk supported the Republic Military's efforts against White Maw pirates. The Republic's primary objective on the planet was salvage, as the planet's icy atmospheric conditions preserved the wreckage of starships remarkably well. The planet contained numerous wrecks, as the Hoth system was the site of a massive space battle in 3665 BBY, resulting in hundreds of Republic and Imperial starships crashing onto the surface. As tensions escalated and the Cold War's peace dissolved, leading to the Galactic War, the Empire returned to Hoth, prompting a desperate scramble by the Republic to recover any remaining technology and weapons lost during the battle. The Empire's true intention was to tie down Republic resources in an unwinnable conflict, thereby drawing them into open war. The Republic obliged by continuing to allocate troops and supplies to the salvage operation.

Shortly after the Empire's arrival, Sergeant Rusk and the 301st Infantry received a special assignment from General Grayne around 3642 BBY. The unit was to collaborate with Jedi Knight Leeha Narezz and another Knight, the one known as the Hero of Tython for actions during the recent conflict with Sith Lord Darth Angral a year prior. The mission was classified, and the Jedi were unwilling to disclose information. Rusk was informed that they were searching for the Deference, a Pythar-class Imperial shuttlecraft that had belonged to an Imperial scientist before being shot down during the battle over two decades earlier. The two Knights were searching for the plans for the Sith Emperor's space station, which were believed to be aboard the Deference at the time of the crash.

However, by the time the Hero and crew arrived on the planet at Aurek Base, the Republic's main command center, Rusk's unit had been dispatched on a mission to retrieve Imperial survey maps of the Starship Graveyard, and they were being pursued by Imperials after securing the files. He and the other five members of his unit were pinned down in an outpost belonging to Ortolan colonists in Crescent Canyon, with the Imperials using probe droids as weapons against the soldiers. The probe droids rapidly approached the Republic infantry and then detonated when they were close enough, functioning as suicide bombers in attempts to kill the entrenched soldiers.

Rusk's unit managed to send a distress signal to Narezz before their communications were jammed. The Nautolan Jedi dispatched the recently arrived Hero to their rescue. The Knight and a companion stormed the outpost, swiftly eliminating the attacking Imperials and neutralizing the immediate threat to the 301st. The Hero briefly spoke with Rusk and the only other survivor of his unit, Private Murtag, before the Jedi was forced to fend off a second wave of probe droids while the Chagrian defended his wounded subordinate. After the battle, Rusk escorted the injured Murtag to the nearest medcenter and informed the Knight that he would rejoin the Jedi at Narezz's location with a new squad. After entrusting Murtag to medical droids, Rusk returned to Aurek Base and selected a new five-man squad consisting of Privates Edder, Reico, Vanth, Voshpar, and Dromol. However, on the way to Outpost Cresh to meet with the two Jedi, Rusk was contacted by Narezz with a new assignment. She revealed that an Imperial by the name of Guardsman Lassicar was hunting the two Jedi, intending to capture them, and she wanted to set a trap for him at the site of the shuttle. Narezz instructed Rusk and his men to await her signal before entering the caves where the shuttle had crashed.

Narezz's plan unfolded flawlessly. Moments after Lassicar's men entered the caves, Rusk and his men descended from the cavern ceiling, shifting the odds in favor of the two Jedi. With the Hero's assistance, the squad emerged victorious, leaving none of Lassicar's troopers alive. However, Rusk's inexperienced squadmates quickly began to argue among themselves, prompting the Chagrian to order his subordinates to stand down and cease their insubordination. The Hero intervened, reminding the squad of their duty to set aside emotions in battle and fulfill their obligations to the Republic—a sentiment with which the sergeant wholeheartedly agreed. Meanwhile, Narezz discovered an Imperial scientist named Urrisov hiding in the remains of the Deference, and Rusk immediately began an aggressive interrogation of the frightened young Human.

The Hero intervened and calmly persuaded Urrisov to share the information they needed. The Jedi and the soldiers were dismayed to learn that the White Maw pirates had reached the Deference first and stolen the shuttle's databank, which contained the fortress plans sought by the Jedi. Based on his encounters with the pirates during his service on Hoth, Rusk knew that the pirates moved all of their scavenged material through the wrecked dreadnaught Star of Coruscant deep in the Starship Graveyard, a region where many ships had crashed.

The pirate depot in the wreck was protected by a ray shield powered by two generators. The Hero departed to disable one of the reactors, while Rusk's squad traveled to the other facility. Prior to their attack, General Grayne ordered Rusk and his men to eliminate the White Maw's nearby munitions stockpiles. Rusk contacted the Knight to inform the Jedi of the additional mission. The 301st successfully completed their assignment, although Vanth and Voshpar sustained minor injuries. They then rendezvoused with Narezz and the Hero at Outpost Zerek near the Graveyard.

There, Rusk began planning the attack with Narezz and the other Knight. The databank they sought was located near the center of the dreadnaught, but Imperial and White Maw forces were vying for control of the ship, with strike teams positioned at either end of the vessel. After considering the situation, Rusk concluded that his men would have a better chance against the pirates, as the undisciplined criminals were more likely to panic under attack compared to the Imperials. While the two groups engaged their enemies, Narezz and an ME-D droid would retrieve the databank. The three teams then set off through the Graveyard. Rusk's unit fought through the White Maw forces controlling the region and advanced to the fore section of the Star, clearing a path through the wrecked dreadnaught to the fore hangar bay. Within the hangar, Rusk and his men engaged the White Maw strike force, eliminating their Gen'Dai leader, Zeshatt, without sustaining any casualties.

Rusk, together with his victorious team, made their way back to Outpost Zerek. From there, they utilized landspeeders to travel back to Aurek Base, where they were to rendezvous with the successful Narezz and the Hero. The Chagrian was taken aback when Grayne informed him that he would be permanently assigned to the Jedi Knight's unit. This was due to the 301st's imminent return to the Republic capital of Coruscant. Rusk then joined the Hero's group, being introduced to the other members: the witty medic known as Doc, the astromech droid T7-O1, and Kira Carsen, who was formerly the Hero's Padawan.

With their mission on Hoth now complete, the team embarked on their Defender-class light corvette to head back to Tython, the homeworld of the Jedi Order. There, the Hero had a meeting with the Jedi High Council. Rusk and the others accompanied the Hero on a mission that involved infiltrating the Emperor's space station, but they remained on the ship while the Hero and Carsen went to meet the other members of their strike team—Narezz and the Jedi Masters Tol Braga and Warren Sedoru. However, the situation changed drastically when the Emperor dominated the minds of the Jedi, corrupting them to the dark side and turning them into his servants.

After being captured by the Emperor's forces, Rusk was imprisoned for several months alongside Doc, T7-O1, and Carsen. During this time, the Hero underwent training to become a Sith. However, after the Knight was freed from the Emperor's influence by the Force ghost of their former Master, Orgus Din, Rusk was rescued from his cell by Lord Scourge, also known as the Emperor's Wrath. Despite his Sith affiliation, the Wrath declared his allegiance to the Hero and accompanied the crew back to Tython. There, he revealed the Emperor's plan to consume all life in the galaxy through a dark ritual. He had foreseen that only the Hero of Tython could defeat his former Master, which is why he chose to ally himself with the Knight.

With Scourge as their uneasy ally, the Hero and the crew journeyed to the prison planet of Belsavis. Their goal was to prevent a fanatical Imperial officer named Executor Krannus from detonating the planet's core, which would result in the death of everyone on the planet. Rusk and the others then went with the Knight to the Korriban's Flame space station, where the Jedi engaged and redeemed a corrupted Narezz. The group's subsequent mission took them to the planet Voss, where they fought the Sith sorcerer Lord Fulminiss and prevented him from releasing the malevolent entity known as Sel-Makor. Having successfully prevented Sel-Makor from unleashing a plague of homicidal madness on the world, Rusk and the Hero's allies battled the corrupted Master Sedoru after he captured the Republic cruiser named the Valiant.

When the Hero was appointed as the Supreme Commander of all Jedi forces during the Battle of Corellia, Rusk and the crew accompanied the Knight to the contested world. Working alongside the Republic Military under General Var Suthra, the Knight led Jedi in battles throughout the capital city of Coronet City as the corrupted Master Braga attempted to massacre countless innocents in an effort to initiate the Emperor's ritual. After finally defeating and redeeming the Jedi Master in a battle above the city's government district, the group prepared to launch a final assault on the Emperor while Grand Master Satele Shan and several of the Hero's companions launched an attack on the Imperial capital of Dromund Kaas.

Together with T7-O1, the Hero succeeded in defeating the Emperor in a final duel. Rusk, along with the rest of the Hero's crew, was awarded the Cross of Glory, the Republic's highest honor, by Grand Master Shan aboard the Valiant. Even though the Emperor's threat had been eliminated, the galaxy was still engulfed in war. Therefore, the Hero and the crew continued to travel from planet to planet on their ship, providing assistance to those in need. During his time with the Hero, Rusk investigated what had happened to his original squad members. He was dismayed to discover that the Surgeons, as they had renamed themselves, had been arrested for war crimes. Instead of targeting only top Imperial leaders as they had been instructed, the group had begun targeting the Imperials' families as well. Consequently, General Garza was forced to imprison them on Berrun, where each member was serving a life sentence.

Rusk remained under the command of the Hero of Tython for several years, until the Jedi Master vanished around the year 3636 BBY. This disappearance coincided with the invasion of both the Empire and the Republic by the Eternal Empire of the planet Zakuul. Like the other members of the Hero's crew, Rusk spent time searching for the missing Jedi. However, he eventually returned to military service amidst the Sith Empire and Republic's conflict with, and eventual surrender to, the Eternal Empire.

By 3630 BBY, Rusk had been promoted to the rank of Provost Marshal and given command of the Dead Man's Legion, a military police unit made up of criminals who had been forcibly conscripted into service. Under the orders of Supreme Chancellor Jebevel Madon, the Dead Man's Legion was deployed on the moon Nar Shaddaa. There, they claimed a portion of the Ternion Building as Republic territory under the Makeb treaty with the Hutt Cartel. Using that area as their base, Rusk's men pursued members of the Black Sun criminal syndicate who had fled the Legion's campaign against them on Coruscant. He was engaged in that conflict when he was approached by the Outlander, the leader of the Alliance against Zakuul, with an offer to join the Alliance. The Commander had been informed of Rusk's location by the former Republic admiral Bey'wan Aygo, and arrived just as Rusk was reprimanding his subordinate Merghal.

Fideltin Rusk, a Chagrian male with blue skin, eyes, and dark grey lethorns, began to resent his family's pacifist beliefs when he realized that they allowed others to take advantage of them. As soon as he had the opportunity, he enlisted in the Republic Military and quickly found his purpose as a soldier on the front lines. Rusk believed that peace was only valuable if it was earned through fighting, and he despised the Sith Empire for suppressing the freedoms of innocent civilians. He believed that soldiers were meant to be utilized to their full potential, and that while their loss was a blow to the Republic, failing to use them to their full capacity was a waste of resources. This belief led him to despise insubordination, and he became enraged whenever his subordinates questioned his orders.

While his determination and commitment to defending the Republic were admired by many, Rusk's consistently high casualty rates earned him a negative reputation among the military's leaders. His apparent lack of concern for the safety of his men was misunderstood by those who did not know him, leading them to believe that he took reckless and unnecessary risks in his assignments. This trait only intensified after the death of his parents. However, despite being viewed by many as a loose cannon in the field, even his fellow soldiers couldn't deny that the sergeant's presence on any mission almost guaranteed success. The Chagrian held his original squad in high regard and was disappointed to learn that they had crossed ethical boundaries during their time in the Republic Special Forces.

While Rusk vehemently opposed the Empire, he and the Hero both agreed that women and children—innocent individuals—should never be targeted. Unlike his former squadmates, he understood where the line was and when to stop. However, after the Hero of Tython disappeared and his influence was no longer present, Rusk willingly embraced the martial leadership of Chancellor Leontyne Saresh and her successor Madon, and he was more than willing to lead a unit of criminals whom he had forcibly conscripted into service.

Being a military man, Rusk applied a mindset of statistical efficiency to many aspects of his life, and he often referred to things like combat readiness, casualty rates, and tactical advantages in terms of percentages. He greatly respected the Jedi Order for their dedication to the Jedi Code, and he believed that the Republic Military would be significantly improved if they adopted the Order's teachings on inner peace and setting aside emotions during battle. He also greatly appreciated being given a challenge with seemingly insurmountable odds, such as defeating the Sith Emperor, as he believed that wars were won through meaningful sacrifices made by those fighting for the right causes. Rusk's military mindset often extended into his sleeping hours, and Doc occasionally found the sergeant cleaning his weapons while sleepwalking.

As a trained member of the Republic Military, Rusk was officially classified as a heavy-armored ranged artillery specialist. He was proficient with both standard blaster rifles and various types of heavy weaponry. He was also an experienced commander, having spent decades leading squads into battle, although Rusk's superiors had a negative view of the high casualty rates that his units experienced.

As a member of the 301st Infantry on Hoth, Sergeant Rusk wore a standard set of solid white Republic trooper armor with light blue markings over a black jumpsuit. However, he would use various armor sets in different environments while accompanying the Hero of Tython. Due to his Chagrian physiology, he was unable to wear a standard helmet, so he chose to forgo it and allowed his lethorns to hang freely. While he was trained to use many types of heavy weaponry, Rusk wielded a standard-issue blaster rifle while assigned to the 301st Infantry. After being transferred to the Hero of Tython's crew, the sergeant chose to requisition a heavy repeating blaster cannon, which he carried strapped to his back when it was not in use. He also used thermal grenades and weapon attachments that allowed him to fire charged beams of energy at his opponents.

Fideltin Rusk made his first appearance in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released by BioWare and LucasArts in 2011. Rusk, who was first mentioned in an entry on the Holonet portion of the game's website, is a companion character for the Jedi Knight class. He appears in-game as "Sergeant Rusk" and is acquired after the class storyline on Hoth is completed during Act II. Ron Yuan provides the voice for Rusk. In The Old Republic, players can either increase or decrease their affection with companion characters depending on their actions and decisions. Rusk's affection increases when the player kills Imperials, protects the Republic, and motivates others to fight. However, his affection decreases when the player avoids fights, displays weakness, or disrespects authority. BioWare writer Hall Hood created and wrote Rusk into the Knight storyline, and Mary Kirby wrote Rusk's companion conversations. Hood drew inspiration from Michael Ironside's character in the movie Starship Troopers when creating Rusk, and his original concept for the character included Rusk being a Chagrian.

As a companion character, Sergeant Rusk is one of six characters that can be used by player characters. Unlike companions like T7-O1 and Kira Carsen, he is not required to accompany the player character on any class missions. Therefore, this article assumes that only one of the companions accompanies the Knight on the class missions, but it does not specify which one. Additionally, as a Republic character, the Jedi Knight is assumed to be a light side character. Therefore, the Hero of Tython, the in-game title for the character, is assumed to choose only options that result in the maximum light side points.

The final mission on Hoth has two possible paths: the first, "The Imperial Guard," involves the player fighting Lassicar and his men in the aft section of the Star of Coruscant, while the second, "The White Maw," involves the Jedi fighting Zeshatt and the pirates in the fore section. Regardless of which mission the player chooses, Rusk will complete the other. However, his squadmates will be killed against the highly-trained Imperials, and the Knight will only pursue the White Maw out of revenge. Therefore, this article assumes that the Knight allowed Sergeant Rusk to choose, and that his squad survived.

Another game mechanics event occurs in the final mission, "Doomsday." One of the player's companions—Kira Carsen, Doc, or Rusk—will come to the Jedi's aid during the attack on the Dark Temple, and the player can choose to save them for light side points and allow the Emperor to gain strength, or ignore the distress call for dark side points to continue onward. If the player chooses to leave the companion to their death, they will later learn that one of the other companions saved them. If Sergeant Rusk is the companion in danger, he will be saved by Carsen, while Rusk will save Doc and Doc will save Kira. Regardless, all companions are present on the Valiant at the end of the class Act.

Rusk later appears in the game's Digital Expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire, which is set several years after the main game and depicts him leading a unit of forcibly-enlisted criminals on Nar Shaddaa. The Alliance alert "Bonds of Duty," which was added in Game Update 4.7.1 in 2016, sees the player character sent to recruit Rusk on Nar Shaddaa. The player must reach Rank 10 Influence with him by defeating Black Sun members in the area and retrieving smuggled contraband. Once Rank 10 is reached, Rusk and the player confront the Black Sun leader Skadge—a companion character for the bounty hunter class—and players can choose to make a deal between them to recruit them both, or pick one to kill for dark side points and then recruit the other.

Since the player character in the expansion can be any of the eight classes, the alignment choices cannot be assumed, so this article does not assume any outcome of the mission. Rusk has additional dialogue if the player character is a Jedi Knight, but otherwise the mission proceeds as normal. The storyline of Game Update 5.10: Jedi Under Siege presents Imperial players with a choice to join the Sith Empire as an ally or a spy. If Rusk has been recruited by the player at this point, this will trigger a mail from Rusk informing the Commander that he cannot betray the Republic and will depart from the Alliance, but also stating that he can be contacted if any other threat arises.