Akaavi Spar

"I did not come to make small talk. I need somewhere to bunk while I track down my clan's enemies."

- Akaavi Spar, speaking with the captain of a smuggler ship

Akaavi Spar was a Zabrak female and a Mandalorian warrior of Clan Spar, who lived during the tumultuous time of the Great Galactic War and the subsequent Cold War between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire. While away with a lover, Spar's clan was destroyed by the Sith Empire on false criminal charges, and when her lover's clan refused to rally to the aid of hers, Spar set out alone to seek revenge. Joining the crew of an up-and-coming smuggler on Balmorra, Spar traced the conspiracy against her clan through the Imperial hierarchy, confronting Moff Tyrak and Major Stanwu in pursuit of the truth, before discovering that the attack on her clan had come as the result of lies told to the Empire by the Mandalorian pretender, Tayari Rook. Spar tracked Rook and his false clan to the planet Nal Hutta, where she struck down Rook and any of his criminal compatriots that didn't flee, claiming vengeance for the death of her clan.

Early life
"I have called myself Mandalorian since I left my mother's side at age three to begin training."

- Akaavi Spar

Born a member of the respected Mandalorian Clan Spar, Akaavi Spar was a female Zabrak. At the age of three, Spar left her mother to begin her Mandalorian training under her father; this was tradition in the Mandalorian culture, though Spar began several years prior to the more typically accepted age of eight years old. Trained in the use of a blaster and jetpack from youth, Spar possessed few if any friends during her childhood, but quickly became one of her clan's best warriors. When she was only eight years old, Spar killed an abusive Abyssin mercenary with an improvised flamethrower, earning her the nickname of "Firehand" among her clan mates. At the age of thirteen, Spar completed her Mandalorian right of passage known as the verd'goten, ascending into adulthood. She embarked on a career as a bounty hunter, working with the Sith Empire the Mandalorians under Mandalore the Vindicated had allied with during the Great Galactic War, capturing or killing individuals ranging from common criminals to Jedi.

As an adult, Akaavi Spar met and fell in love with fellow Mandalorian warrior, Zadik Lone, and left Clan Spar to join Lone's clan. Her departure spared Spar from the fate of her clan, destroyed by the Sith Empire on false charges of treason. When Spar learned of this, she called upon her lover's clan for assistance in rallying support for Clan Spar, but the members of Clan Lone refused to provide help, despite the culture's traditional expectation to offer aid to any other Mandalorian in need. Disgusted by their inaction, Spar ended her relationship with Zadik and abandoned Clan Lone in order to seek out vengeance against those within the Empire who were responsible for her clan's demise.

Balmorra and Voidhound
Eventually, Akaavi and another survivor of her clan became mercenaries employed by the Empire. In 3642 BBY, they were stationed in Balmorra during the battle that raged there, between Empire and the Balmorran Resistance, the latter directly supported by the Galactic Republic. Akaavi and an Imperial troop contingent encountered the smuggler later known as Voidhound during his infiltration in the Okara Droid Factory. She refused to accept the Imperials' order to attack the smuggler, joining forces with Voidhound instead, slaying the entire trooper squad. She then asked the Smuggler to giver her access to Moff Tyrak, since she wanted to know why the Moff was working with the Resistance and against Imperial interests.

Akaavi joined forces with the smuggler once again to infiltrate Camp Vigil so the smuggler would help her rescuing her fellow Mandalorian, a captive of the Empire after her betrayal. However, when they arrived in the cell block the Mandalorian had already been executed. With this turn of events, Akaavi, now the sole survivor of Clan Spar, unleashed her anger at the Imperial forces by destroying the entire base with Voidhound's support.

Akaavi later assisted the smuggler at the Balmorran Arms Factory during an Imperial ambush. Once all the attackers were dispatched, Akaavi confronted Tyrak over the execution of her clan. However, to her surprise, the man standing before her was not the sadistic Moff she had imagined. Tyrak explained he had only ordered Clan Spar's destruction because he was just given an execution order and he signed it without knowing if her clan was guilty or not. Though Akaavi wanted to kill the Moff still, the smuggler encouraged her to give Tyrak to the Republic so his information can be used against the Empire. Akaavi accepted the Voidhound's reasoning and mentioned that without a clan, she suggested that she join the smuggler's crew as an extra gun.

Later, when the Voidwolf revealed that Darmas Pollaran and Senator Bevera Dodonna were working with the Empire, Akaavi realized that half the Imperial leadership on Balmorra executed by the Voidwolf were the enemies of Rogun the Butcher.

Equipment
As an adult, Akaavi Spar wore a set of cobalt blue Mandalorian armor with dark gold accents over a largely gray flightsuit. The helmet she carried had belonged to her deceased father. One of her armor's gauntlets featured a whipcord launcher with a grappling hook, allowing her to latch on to tall structures and use the device to hoist herself up. In addition to her armor, Spar wore boots, gloves over each hand, and a multi-strap utility belt. She owned at least one blaster pistol in addition to a tech staff which she wielded in battle, and was known to make use of grenades to engage large groups of enemies. Spar also carried a personal datapad.

Behind the scenes
"What was the breakdown of the character like, the description of Akaavi before you got the role?" "It was pretty specific. Under appearance it said 'beautiful devil woman, large and intimidating', and under demeanor it said 'no nonsense, to the point of insanity, will kill a dozen men just to get a chance to talk'." "So now that you've seen Akaavi, what do you think of her?" "I think she's pretty hot. I like the red face and the horns, and I like how tough she is."

- Actress Stacy Haiduk describes her initial look at Akaavi Spar

Akaavi Spar first appeared in Star Wars canon in the 2011 BioWare-made MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. In the game, Spar acts as a companion character and potential romance option to a Smuggler-class player, and was voiced by actress Stacy Haiduk. Haiduk enjoyed the experience of portraying Spar, and has expressed her support of both Akaavi's exotic appearance and tough attitude.

Spar can be romanced by a male smuggler player, though marriage isn't conclusive due to her loyalty to Mandalorian culture.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic