Marcus Trant

"I don't have to explain things! I'm the boss, remember!? I give you an order and you follow it!"

- Director Marcus Trant to Agent Theron Shan

Marcus Trant, known to his subordinates simply as the Director, was a Human male and a spy for the Galactic Republic who notably served as Director of the Strategic Information Service (SIS). Originally a decryption analyst employed by the SIS when it was only the covert branch of the Senate Library, Trant became a field agent when the agency began to expand at the start of the Great Galactic War in 3,681 BBY with the return of the Sith Empire.

Trant helped Lieutenant Elin Garza of the 45th Infantry Division fight a successful ten-month campaign on the planet Bomodon, but their fledgling marriage afterwards ended in divorce less than a year later, as did Trant's relationship with his second wife. In the later years of the war, Trant rose through the ranks of the SIS to become Bureau Chief on Nar Shaddaa, and not long after the war's end he ascended to the position of director. As director, Trant initiated several operations that would lead to the Second Great Galactic War and the Republic's eventual victory over the Sith Empire.

Early career
"I was there when the war started, back when the Strategic Information Service was a monitoring and decryption arm of the Senate Library. Now we're, what&mdash;the thirtieth, fortieth attempt at a Republic espionage agency?''" "''Depends whose conspiracy theories you believe."

- Director Marcus Trant and Agent Theron Shan

A Human male, Marcus Trant worked as a decryption analyst for the Strategic Information Service which at the time was a covert subdivision of the Senate Library to avoid questions about its budget. It was then that the Great Galactic War began in 3,681 BBY with the return of the Sith Empire. As the war dragged one, the Senate ordered the SIS expanded into a full-fledged intelligence agency separate from the Senate Library. Trant became one of the SIS' field agents. In 3,673 BBY, Trant was stationed on the planet Bomodon, when a platoon of the Republic's 45th Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant Elin Garza was shot down. Trant assisted Garza in waging a ten-month guerrilla campaign that ultimately succeeded in driving the Imperial invaders off of the planet.

Trant and Garza became romantically involved during the battle, and the two were married not long afterwards. However, their marriage ended in divorce after only 26 months, and Garza married a naval captain named Joron Tal'vor who died soon into their relationship while defending the Seswenna sector > in 3,671 BBY. Trant married again, though his second wife divorced him as well, and his relationship with Garza remained tense throughout the rest of their lives. Trant participated in many SIS operations throughout the war on planets across the galaxy, including Ralltiir though they were all classified. In 3,654 BBY he was appointed Bureau Chief on Nar Shaddaa. Over the next four years, Trant established 56 different safe houses on the moon and conducted multiple successful operations.

Director of SIS
"I've got an agency stretched thin, a bounty on my head, and an ex-wife under Senate investigation&mdash;I don't need more worries."

- Director Marcus Trant

Three years after the Treaty of Coruscant ended the Great Galactic War in 3,653 BBY, the SIS director decided to step down due to ailing health. He named Trant as his successor and Trant was promoted to Director of Republic Strategic Information Service. His troubles began right away. Though the Great War had ended, the Republic and the Empire were locked in a bitter Cold War. Instead of soldiers fighting on the front lines, the galaxy became a battle field of intrigue and spies. Intelligence and counter-intelligence became the primary concerns of both governments as they sought to fortify their positions for when all out war would resume. In the aftermath of the Sacking of Coruscant by the Empire which had forced the signing of the peace treaty, Coruscant had been left in shambles. Other planets, abandond by the Republic under the treaty's terms, are taken over by the Empire. Planets such as Ord Mantell, Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, and Balmorra become battle grounds between the SIS and Imperial Intelligence. Trant initiated operations he personally supervised including those of Agent Theron Shan and Director of Mid Rim Operations Ardun Kothe.

Activities by the SIS increased as they sought to find more information about Imperial Intelligence and the Empire in general. Under Trant's watch, the SIS began to assist the overwhelmed Coruscant Security Force, by providing intelligence on some of Coruscant's most dangerous criminal organizations. Seeing the Jedi Order as a valuable Republic resource, Trant encouraged SIS agents to work hand in hand with the Jedi in on going operations such as Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, and others.

In 3,643 BBY, Trant sent Agent Theron Shan on a mission to the Vesla system to locate a missing Jedi named Ngani Zho. Shan at first hesitated and then accepted the mission as Zho had been the one who had raised him and trained him in place of Shan's mother, Grand Master Satele Shan. Traveling to the Vesla system, Shan was able to find Zho who told him of a powerful weapon that was being devolved under Darth Mekhis called the Sun Razer. Determined to destroy the weapon, Shan called in to Trant to inform him of the developments. Both Trant and Shan agreed for Shan to move forward on locating the weapon and conducting reconnaissance. However, as the mission turned out, Shan ended up finding and killing Darth Mekhis as well as destroying the Sun Razor. Trant would later remark to Shan that Shan's actions may have put in motion a renewed war.

Behind the scenes
Marcus Trant was created for the Star Wars: The Old Republic metaseries centered around a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game of the same name and released by BioWare on December 20, 2011. He first appeared in Star Wars: The Old Republic 7: The Lost Suns, Part 1, a comic published on June 8, 2011. He appeared throughout The Lost Suns story arc though only identified as "The Director." He was first identified as Marcus Trant in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia published on October 15, 2012 by Dorling Kindersley. The encyclopedia entry established Trant's back story including his relationship with Elin Garza. The Encyclopedia was published shortly before Trant's latest appearance in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation, the Old Republic novel set chronologically after the game. The novel was written by Drew Karpyshyn and published on November 13, 2012.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic 7: The Lost Suns, Part 1
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic 8: The Lost Suns, Part 2
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic 11: The Lost Suns, Part 5
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation