Andur Sunrider

"Andur was a true Jedi&hellip;a man of great strength and feeling. There was a real love in our house&hellip;Yet even with him I knew times of great loneliness. He was a Jedi Knight. A Jedi can never hesitate to respond to the call of duty."

- Nomi Sunrider reflecting on Andur

Andur Sunrider was a Human male who served as a Jedi trainee during the days of the Galactic Republic. During his childhood he demonstrated a natural interest in the history of the Jedi Order, and enjoyed hearing stories from his grandfather, the Jedi Master Jev Sunrider. Following the death of his grandfather, Sunrider intensified his dedication to studying everything he could regarding the Jedi. During this time he married a young woman by the name of Nomi and bought a ship which he renamed the Lightside Explorer.

Eventually, his dedication to his studies caught the attention of Jedi Master Chamma, who invited Sunrider to train as his apprentice on the planet of H'ratth. He studied under Master Chamma for two years and excelled at his training, learning everything that Chamma could teach him. During his time on H'ratth, he and Nomi gave birth to a daughter whom they named Vima. Once Chamma realized that Sunrider required further training from a more experienced master, Chamma advised him that he would finish his training under the guidance of Master Thon on Ambria. During Sunrider's trip to Ambria, he was murdered by criminals who were after the Adegan crystals he was carrying.

Many years after his death, Andur Sunrider's memory lived on through his daughter Vima, who constructed an enormous ice sculpture of her father during her Jedi training on Rhen Var.

Early life
"You will play a part in the coming war. But do not resist the role the Force wishes you to play, for things are not always what they seem."

- Jev Sunrider's Force ghost to Andur

Having been born into a family that had a strong history of serving as Jedi, it was only natural that Sunrider would grow up dreaming of the day that he himself would be knighted. During Sunrider's childhood, his grandfather, the Jedi Master Jev Sunrider, served the Order as Watchman of the Darada system, which was also where the Sunrider family lived. Growing up in the presence of his grandfather, Sunrider was taught much about the life of a Jedi, and especially about the ever-present threat presented by users of the dark side. As gifts to his grandson, Jev would give his grandson documents which provided the young child with a detailed history of the Jedi and the Sith. Sometimes, without his grandfather's consent, Sunrider would also read through texts which Jev tried his best to hide from his grandson's curious mind. With all the information that he acquired from learning under his grandfather, Sunrider believed that he was one day destined to join the ranks of the Jedi Order.



On the day before Andur Sunrider's twelfth birthday, his grandfather left the Sunrider home on Darada, along with three other Jedi Masters, to confront a dark presence which had established itself on the nearby planet of Krayiss II. Not hearing any word from Jev for several months, Sunrider fell into a deep depression as he feared for the safety of his grandfather.

A full year passed and, still no word arriving from Krayiss II, Sunrider continued to wait for the return of his grandfather. One day, while he was working on a small garden on his families property, the glowing specter of Jev Sunrider appeared to him. Not having witnessed anything like the apparition before, Andur Sunrider was naturally afraid, and began to call out to his father for help. His grandfather's ghost told Sunrider to calm himself, and he felt his fear slowly dissipate. The Force ghost told him that he would have an unexpected, but important, role to play in the upcoming war. It also counseled him to not resist the will of the Force and to trust in the path that had been laid out for him. However, before Sunrider could respond or question what his grandfather had told him, the ghost faded away and left him to think on the meaning of what he had been told. Nonetheless, Sunrider did know one thing: that Jev Sunrider had not survived his mission to Krayiss II. As a result, Sunrider harbored a deeply rooted desire to one day hunt down and destroy the dark powers which had killed his grandfather.

Following the advice his grandfather's ghost had given him, Sunrider decided to increase his dedication to studying the history of the Jedi and anything else he could find which pertained to the Jedi way. Six years passed, and while Sunrider's knowledge of the Jedi continued to grow, his everyday life continued. He married a young woman by the name of Nomi and started a new life with her; he bought a Hoersch-Kessel scout ship from a Vultan dealer on Nak Shimor and renamed it the Lightside Explorer; and took possession of a 3DO series protocol droid whom he nicknamed Threedee. During this time, he received an invitation from Jedi Master Chamma&mdash;an old friend of Jev Sunrider&mdash;to train as his apprentice on H'ratth. Believing that his time to join the Jedi had finally arrived, Sunrider packed what few belongings he had and, along with his wife, boarded the Lightside Explorer and traveled to H'ratth.

Jedi training
"Andur would be away for months&hellip;traveling to distant stars, to the ends of the galaxy&hellip;doing the bidding of his teacher, Master Chamma."

- Nomi reflecting on Andur's training under Master Chamma

Upon talking with his new apprentice, Master Chamma decided that he would instruct a young Sunrider in the nature of the Force. Due to circumstances outside of his control, Sunrider had established a very good understanding of the history of the Jedi Order, but lacked even a basic understanding of what was actually involved with using the Force or being a Jedi. As a result, Chamma instructed his new apprentice in learning to touch and feel the currents of the Force, and how to use it as a tool. Over the next two years, Chamma taught Sunrider different training techniques, built upon the knowledge he already contained of concentrating in the Force, and continued to instruct him in the vast history of the Jedi.



In 4,000 BBY, shortly after the birth of Sunrider's daughter Vima, Chamma made the decision that he could no longer teach Sunrider in the ways of the Force. His apprentice had simply absorbed and comprehended everything Chamma could teach him, and done it much more quickly then he had anticipated&mdash;Chamma realized that a being who had as much potential as Sunrider deserved to be taught by a Jedi Master who had a deeper understanding of the Force. In response to this, Chamma consulted with Master Thon, and the Tchuukthai Jedi agreed to take Sunrider on as his apprentice. As a present for Sunrider's new master, Chamma provided him with several Adegan crystals&mdash;which were regarded as the best crystals in lightsaber construction&mdash;to present as a gift to Thon. Initially, he resisted Chamma's decision for him to become an apprentice to another Jedi Master. He reasoned that, if he had learned all he could from Chamma, then he was ready to join the ranks of the Jedi Order. Chamma, however, realized that Sunrider still harbored a deep-seated desire to destroy the dark powers which had killed his grandfather. Chamma knew that, until Sunrider could accept the death of his grandfather and let go of his anger, he would not be ready for the Trials of Knighthood. Chamma communicated this to his apprentice and advised him that this selfish desire only confirmed Chamma's feelings that Sunrider required more training, and from a master with much more wisdom. Although he disagreed with Chamma's decision, Sunrider honored it, and prepared his family for the journey to Ambria in the Stenness system.

Before Sunrider departed, Chamma believed that he needed to help guide his apprentice to what the Force had laid out for him. Therefore, on the evening before Sunrider was to leave for Ambria, Chamma requested that they meet each other at The Crag&mdash;a pinnacle of rock overlooking H'ratth's forests&mdash;to meditate together. Sunrider arrived to find his Master waiting for him, and the two stood silently looking out over the horizon. Before long, he had a vision which detailed his future for him. In his vision, he saw himself walking with Nomi and Vima through a great black expanse to an unknown destination. In his hands he was holding a glowing ball of light, which he was using to illuminate the way for his family. Suddenly, he was struck by a lance of energy from the shadows which embedded itself within his chest. As he was laying on the ground he watched as Nomi and Vima were huddling together, afraid for their own safety. Aware that he was dying, and wanting to do something to help protect his wife and daughter, Sunrider raised the globe of light he was holding to Nomi, and told her to protect herself and Vima. Taking the ball of light from her dying husband, Nomi held it high above her head. As soon as it was above her the ball exploded, covering both Nomi and Vima and making them shimmer in the vision. At that moment, the Force vision left Sunrider, and he was brought back to The Crag. He looked around himself and noticed that the H'ratth sun had long ago set, and that Master Chamma was nowhere to be seen. Finally understanding his grandfather's warning from when he was a child, and comprehending Chamma's decision for him, Sunrider committed himself to trusting completely in the Force. Explaining his vision to Master Chamma, Sunrider and his family departed the following morning for Ambria to continue his apprenticeship under Master Thon.

Ambush
"Don't weep for me, Nomi. This is not the time for tears&hellip;take my lightsaber&hellip;use it to protect yourself! The Force is with you!"

- Sunrider's Force ghost speaking to Nomi

After leaving Master Chamma on H'ratth, Andur Sunrider and his family arrived at a hyperspace terminal which was located near the Stenness system. Once Sunrider had docked the Lightside Explorer at the terminal for servicing, he, Nomi, Vima, and Threedee left the ship to tour their temporary surroundings. However, they were soon attacked by members of Bogga the Hutt's gang, who had overheard Sunrider discussing the Adegan crystals he was carrying with Nomi.



To draw Sunrider into an ambush, several of the criminals captured Threedee and used the protocol droid as a diversion. Sunrider confronted the thugs, with Nomi and Vima close by, but was taken by surprise when one of the criminals threw a gorm-worm at him. The gorm-worm's bite was very venomous and quite efficient, and Sunrider died within moments of being bitten by the creature. Nomi, however, upon seeing her husband killed by the criminals, rushed to his side, but found herself and Vima facing death at the hands of the criminals if she did not hand over the Adegan crystals.

However, while the criminals were preparing to attack Nomi, Sunrider appeared as a Force ghost to his panic-struck wife and told her that she should not cry, but that she must instead pick up his lightsaber and protect their daughter from danger. Nomi hesitantly grabbed her husband's lightsaber from the ground and attacked the group of thugs, killing the one named Quanto along with another. The remaining criminals fled from Nomi's sudden attack and retreated back to Bogga&mdash;without the Adegan crystals&mdash;to tell him of their failure.

Immediately after the retreat of the gang, Nomi felt immense guilt over killing the two beings. Sunrider, again, chose to reveal his Force ghost to Nomi, advising her that their time together was over; she must now walk the path of a Jedi and protect their daughter. Sunrider continued by telling his wife that she must continue the journey to Ambria, where she was to find Master Thon and learn the ways of the Force as his apprentice. Though reluctant, Nomi agreed to follow her husband's advice, and gathered both Vima and A-3DO into the Lightside Explorer and departed for Ambria.

Legacy
"My lightsaber&hellip;I always hated these weapons, never wanted to use them. But my husband Andur wanted to train under Master Thon. When he was murdered, I was forced onto this path."

- Nomi reflecting on her path as a Jedi



Jev Sunrider's prophecy regarding his grandson eventually did come true; however, it came to pass in a peculiar fashion. Although not directly involved with the Great Sith War, or the conflicts proceeding it, Andur Sunrider's murder was the catalyst for Nomi to become a Jedi and military leader. Nomi eventually played a leading part in ending both the Freedon Nadd Uprising as well as the Great Sith War against Exar Kun. Without Sunrider's acceptance of the lessons his grandfather and Master Chamma had taught him, Nomi would have never become a Jedi nor leader of the Jedi Order.

Eventually Sunrider's daughter, Vima, grew into adolescence and attempted to pursue training as a Jedi from her mother. By this time, however, Nomi was Head of the Order and the political side of her life took a toll on her relationship with her daughter. Feeling abandoned by her own mother, Vima ran away from home to the frozen tundra world of Rhen Var to search out the fallen Jedi Knight Ulic Qel-Droma. The exiled Jedi reluctantly took on Vima as his apprentice and taught her what he could about the Jedi ways. During their lessons, one of the feats he taught her was how to use her mind to control her lightsaber. To practice this technique, Ulic had Vima assist him in creating a large monument in the likenesses of Arca Jeth and Sunrider. Ulic used his physical abilities with a lightsaber to work on his rendition of Master Jeth, while Vima practiced her new ability in creating her monument of her deceased father.

When Nomi eventually arrived on Rhen Var to confront Ulic about training her daughter, Vima showed her mother the ice sculpture and Nomi wept at seeing the enormous image of her long-dead husband.

Personality and traits
"And then, when his work was done&hellip;he would return to us. Always. Each time he came home I put loneliness away, and fear vanished. Nothing could happen to Andur as long as we were together."

- Nomi thinking upon her husband

Though Andur Sunrider's life was relatively short, he was able to experience a great deal within that short amount of time. As a young man in his late teens, he met and fell in love with another young person&mdash;Nomi&mdash;whom he would eventually ask to marry him.



Over the proceeding years, his love for first his wife, and then his daughter, would play a large role in his life. As a result of the love that he shared with his wife, he had an intense Force vision which foretold his own death and the role that his love would play in the aftermath. His eventual murder by criminals fulfilled the Force vision which Sunrider had and, as in his vision, he reappeared to his wife as a Force ghost to tell her to pick up his lightsaber and defend herself and their daughter. Even in death, Sunrider did his best to protect Nomi and Vima.

During Sunrider's early life, and into his Jedi training, he was a diligent and dedicated student with regards to the history of the Jedi Order. From his time as a young boy learning stories from his grandfather, to his official training under Master Chamma, Sunrider always did his best to learn everything he could with regards to a particular topic&mdash;not only did he want to learn it, but he wanted to comprehend and understand what it was he was reading. It was his level of dedication which had a small part in Chamma inviting Sunrider to be his Jedi apprentice.

Throughout his training Sunrider took great pride in his accomplishments, especially with regards to excelling as Master Chamma's apprentice. However, his pride took a dangerous turn when he believed that Chamma's decision for Sunrider to train further under Thon was a mistake. He believed that he had learned everything that he needed to become a Jedi Knight, therefore allowing his pride to take control of him. Chamma, however, knew that Sunrider had to come to terms with his grandfather's death before he would be ready for knighthood.

Powers and abilities
"Put down that blaster or I'll cut you in half."

- Andur to some criminals



By the time Sunrider was murdered, he had only completed a portion of his Jedi training due to Chamma not possessing the wisdom capable of teaching such a promising young Jedi&mdash;as a result, Thon agreed to finish Sunrider's training, especially in the greater, deeper, applications of the Force as well as lightsaber combat. As such, most powers or abilities that lay within Sunrider did not have the opportunity to become fully developed under the tutelage of Chamma. However, his knowledge of Jedi lore and the history of the Jedi Order was known to have been quite extensive; complete enough to the point that when he started his training under Master Chamma, Chamma recognized the knowledge that Sunrider already had and chose to build off of it.

As with the training on any Jedi, Sunrider received training in the art of lightsaber combat. Nonetheless, whatever skills he might have had with the lightsaber could not be built upon due to Sunrider's murder by criminals. He did, however, attempt to protect his wife and daughter by using his lightsaber, but to no avail.

Following his murder, Sunrider was able to appear to his wife as a Force ghost&mdash;an ability which, under most circumstances, could only be accomplished by a fully trained Jedi Master. It would have been doubtful if Nomi, having a special destiny which would eventually designate her as the head of the Jedi Order, would have started to study the Jedi way without the insistence of Sunrider's Force ghost. His posthumous appearance pushed Nomi onto the Jedi path, where she was able to use her battle meditation in the Great Sith War, thus fulfilling Jev Sunrider's prophecy.

Behind the scenes
During the creation of the comic series Tales of the Jedi, Dark Horse Comics introduced a number of new characters with the last name "Sunrider". However, due to a legal issue surrounding the name of "Sunrider", future use of the name ceased. As a result of this, it appears that Lucasfilm was allowed continued use of their characters as long as the last name of "Sunrider" was not used in any publications. However, there have been a number of times where the last name has been used, most notably in roleplaying sourcebooks as well as guide books such as The Essential Guide to Characters and The New Essential Chronology.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi 3: The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, Part 1
 * Tales of the Jedi 4: The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, Part 2
 * Tales of the Jedi 5: The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, Part 3
 * Tales of the Jedi (audio)
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising 1
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith 1: Masters and Students of the Force
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith 4: Death of a Dark Jedi
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption 2: The Search for Peace
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption 4: The Trials of a Jedi
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption 5: Master
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Dark Apprentice
 * I, Jedi
 * Junior Jedi Knights: Vader's Fortress
 * Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers