Ito Character Background
By Lawson Harless
Posted: 4/2/2007
Ito
Age:38
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 210
Rank: Commander (Navy)
Practically nothing is known about Ito’s childhood. Detailed background searches have revealed only scraps of information, many of which are believed to be falsified. The first time Ito shows up on record is after he joined the Rebel Alliance shortly before the Battle of Yavin. Originally he served as a heavy gunner in an infantry unit, but his prowess and combat abilities landed him a spot in a guerilla unit under the command of Lieutenant Latham Striker.
The unit saw plenty of action, and Ito’s fighting skills amazed Striker. His guns blazing approach to any situation and disregard for his own safety quickly earned him a reputation. During several battles Ito single handily secured victory for the small unit. However, following the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star, the Empire began to take the rebel threat much more seriously, and began to devote extensive resources to stamp out the Alliance.
Events turned tragic for the small unit when Alliance Intelligence received reports of an undermanned comm station on a small moon. Striker, Ito and the guerillas were sent to take it out. The comm station turned out to be nothing more than bait for the trap. An entire battalion of stormtroopers descended upon the small band of warriors. Cut off from support, the entire unit was nearly wiped out. Only Ito and Striker managed to survive the Imperial onslaught. Using the cover of a ravine, the two managed to hold off the stormtrooers for more than two hours. Finally, exhausted and depleted of ammo, the two men retreated into the nearby mountains where they evaded Imperial patrols.
Six days later, the haggard pair crept aboard a civilian transport headed off world and returned to the rebel fleet. Upon their return, Striker began to reform the guerilla unit, with hopes to make Ito his second in command. Ito refused the position, instead leaving the Alliance altogether. Ito explained to Striker that his reason was to ‘Continue his purpose in life…bounty hunting.’
Ito’s harsh tactics quickly made a name for him among the galaxy’s elite bounty hunters. His ruthlessness proved to be a valuable asset when hunting the scum of the galaxy. Targets wanted dead or alive usually ended up the latter. Ito took jobs from some of the seediest crime bosses. One such gangster was an Ithorian named Klatt. Accepting a contract to liquidate a delinquent smuggler, Ito quickly set about the task. Things were not as they seemed however, as Ito soon realized that the smuggler was actually a well-protected mercenary. Barely surviving the explosive firefight that followed the confrontation, Ito returned to Klatt and demanded an explanation. Klatt arrogantly shrugged off the bounty hunter and even refused to pay Ito due to his insolence. Enraged, Ito attacked the Ithorian, leaving him with several deep scars. Ito escaped and went about his next job.
The Ithorian criminal’s vengeance was swift. Klatt placed an unprecedented bounty on Ito’s head. The hunter soon became the hunted as bounty hunters came out of the woodwork hoping to cash in on Ito. While many failed, one managed to succeed… Boba Fett.
The notorious bounty hunter captured Ito and brought him before Klatt. Ito turned the tables however, killing Klatt along with several of his bodyguards. Escaping the clutches of Boba Fett was no easy task either. Following his escape, Ito felt the need to lay low let the heat from the large bounty die down. Finding a backwater planet, Ito settled down. That is, until the Alliance suffered heavy loses at the Battle of Hoth. Desperate for more troops, Latham Striker, now a commander, gave the order to track down one of the finest solders he had ever known. A black ops unit managed to retrieve Ito from his hideaway and Striker managed to convince him to join his new unit…Special Operations Team One.
The missions were dangerous and the pay was lousy, but Ito did his job well. SpecOps Team One struck several devastating blows against the mighty Empire. The team began to bond as they slipped from one firefight to the next. They were the most underappreciated unit in the Alliance. Then the Alliance threw all of its resources into what became the most decisive battle in the war…the Battle of Endor.
Ito was a part of the team handpicked by Han Solo to assault the shield generator on the forest moon. Again, Ito proved himself to be one of the galaxy’s premiere soldiers. Following the rebel’s victory, Alliance high command decided that SpecOps Team One had toiled in the trenches long enough. Several members of the team were given prestigious posts. One even received command of a starship.
Ito, however, once again could not resist his life’s calling. Joining Special Target Acquisitions (STA—See Appendix A), Ito once again returned to bounty hunting. In the six years following Endor, Ito has become one of STA’s senior officers. Many in the unit have become suspicious of his motives however…
Appendix A
Special Target Acquisitions (STA)
The brainchild of Alliance Colonel Saulus, this unit was created to track down anyone who posed a threat to the security of the New Republic, Imperial or otherwise.
Colonel Saulus conceived the idea for STA shortly after a high ranking New Republic official had been assassinated. The killer managed to escape and evade capture from Saulus and his troops for several months.
When conventional means failed, Saulus combed personnel files for any of Alliance soldiers with bounty hunting experience. With a small group of experienced trackers, Saulus quickly located and detained the assassin.
Today, STA is comprised of some of the finest specialists in the military. The New Republic culls the ranks of SpecOps and SpecForces for seasoned professionals to fill the ranks of STA. Most of STA’s top operators have experience in both bounty hunting and special operations. STA works closely with New Republic Intelligence to identify, track, and acquire individuals believed to pose a threat to the safety of the New Republic.
