Lorian Nod

Lorian Nod was a failed Jedi who was once a friend of Count Dooku, but later became one of his longtime enemies.

Biography
As a child, Lorian was training at the Jedi Temple, and was around Dooku’s age. They were close friends until about 89 BBY when Dooku was chosen to be the Padawan of Jedi Master Thame Cerulian. Dooku was eager to learn about his new master and along with Lorian, investigated Cerulian’s chamber in the Temple. They discovered something there that would spell doom for their friendship – a datapad concerning a Sith holocron that was being stored in the Temple. Later on, Lorian, having failed to convince Dooku to help him, went in secret, stole the Holocron and viewed the contents inside. He was caught with the Holocron by Oppo Rancisis, and blamed it on Dooku. The two Jedi younglings were scolded and Dooku became infuriated with Lorian. During a training exercise in which two teams of Jedi younglings had to find their way through Coruscant to obtain a fruit to return to the Temple, Lorian and Dooku engaged in a fight. When confronted with the Jedi Masters, Dooku told them the truth of what Lorian did with the Holocron. While Dooku remained as the Padawan of Master Cerulian, Lorian was sent off to the Agricultural Corps, a failed Jedi.

Over the next thirteen years, Lorian ditched the Agri-Corps and became the leader of a band of space raiders. During one raid, Lorian encountered Dooku, now a Jedi Knight and master of sixteen-year-old Qui-Gon Jinn. Lorian captured the two Jedi but they managed to escape, but not before Dooku almost killed Lorian out of anger. However, Dooku was brought to his senses by Qui-Gon. Lorian was sent to prison.

Once released from prison, around 52 BBY, Lorian rose to become leader of a group called the Guardians on Junction 5. He claimed that the government of Delaluna, Junction 5’s moon, had a destructive weapon called the Annihilator. However, the Annihilator did not even exist, it was just a ploy devised by Lorian and the government of Delaluna to assume power for himself. He remained in power for the next eight years, until Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi were passing through Junction 5 on a stopover during a mission and learned about the supposed threat of the Annihilator. They soon discovered that Lorian Nod was the leader of the Guardians and with the help of a woman named Cilia Dil overthrew his power and once again sent him to prison.

Over the next few decades in prison, Lorian reconsidered his life and changed his outlook on things. Once released from prison, he returned to Junction 5 to truly help out its citizens rather than do things for his own gain. Under his rule, Junction 5, along with Delaluna, and the Bezim and Vicondor Systems, created the Station 88 Spaceport. Then the Clone Wars had their effect.

About four months after the Battle of Geonosis, the Separatists sought to claim the Station 88 spaceport for themselves, given its strategic Mid-Rim location. Dooku contacted Lorian, telling him that with his support, he could convince the leaders of the other worlds controlling the spaceport to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, Lorian sought to do the exact opposite, and contacted Master Yoda, hoping to redeem himself for all of the terrible actions he had made. Lorian informed the Jedi that he would be attending a meeting with the other rulers and Dooku on the Separatist held world of Null.

Yoda sent Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker to Null to meet with Lorian in secret as a way to spy on Dooku. Shortly after they arrived, the leader of Delaluna, Samish Kash, was assassinated. Kenobi suspected that Lorian might have been secretly working with Dooku to lure the Jedi into a trap, but Lorian denied the accusations. He then soon discovered that Kash was not actually assassinated, but was revived from his injuries. The meeting with Dooku and Station 88’s ruling members was soon held. When the rulers announced that they would not join the Separatist cause, Dooku ordered his droids to kill them all, but Obi-Wan and Anakin appeared just in time to rescue them. Dooku fled with Lorian chasing after him. Lorian followed Dooku to a hangar and tried to stop him, but the Sith Lord impaled him through the back with his lightsaber. Lorian in a way redeemed himself, and died in spirit as a true Jedi Knight.

Behind the scenes
Lorian Nod may be related to Seib Nod.

Appearances

 * Legacy of the Jedi
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel