Theron Shan

"Jedi Grand Master mom, Supreme Commander dad. Now we get why Theron’s so messed up."

- Teff'ith

Theron Shan was a Human male who worked as a spy for the Galactic Republic's premier intelligence agency, the Republic Strategic Information Service, during the Cold War and the Galactic War against the Sith Empire. The secret son of Jedi Knight Satele Shan and Captain Jace Malcom of the Republic Special Forces Division, Theron was born around the year 3,666 BBY after his parents fought together in the Battle of Alderaan during the Great Galactic War. However, Shan's mother gave up her child to be raised by her former teacher, the Jedi Master Ngani Zho, and young Theron was trained as a Jedi throughout his childhood. When Zho realized that Shan possessed none of his mother's strength in the Force, the youth was forced to leave the Jedi Order. Shan eventually began working for the Strategic Information Service, and he had become one of SIS Director Marcus Trant's top field agents by the later years of the Cold War.

Early life
"You are going to raise him. You should chose his name.''" "You're his mother. His name should come from you." "''Theron. His name is Theron."

- Satele Shan and Ngani Zho

Theron Shan was born to two heroes of the Galactic Republic during the Great Galactic War with the Sith Empire: Jedi Knight Satele Shan, descendant of the famous Jedi Bastila Shan and Revan, and Captain Jace Malcom, the commander of the Republic Special Forces unit Havoc Squad. Both Shan and Malcom participated in the Battle of Alderaan in 3,667 BBY, with Shan saving the Republic trooper from execution and teaming up with him to defeat the Sith Lord Darth Malgus. The two had already met previously at the beginning of the war in 3,681 BBY, when they were two of the few survivors of the Battle of Korriban, and after the battle Shan and Malcom confessed their feelings to each and conceived a child. Shan would participate in the Battle of Rhen Var not long afterwards, but as her pregnancy continued she was forced to seek help from her former teacher, Jedi Master Ngani Zho.

Zho informed the Jedi High Council and the leaders of the Republic Military that he sent Shan on a vital mission, while in reality she remained hidden on a remote world so that she could give birth to her child in peace. Fighting her maternal instincts, Shan decided to leave the baby in Zho's care so that she continue serving as a Jedi, and named the infant boy Theron. Zho raised the child from birth as a Jedi initiate, though he eventually realized that despite his efforts the boy was not Force-sensitive. After Shan failed to complete a meditation exercise while the two were on the temple world of Haashimut, Zho informed Shan that his apprenticeship with the Jedi Master was at an end. Shan was ordered to travel to the nearby Jedi enclave, where he would be welcomed as a Jedi Padawan&mdash;but Shan barely completed the journey, collapsing at the enclave's gates. He was nursed back to health by the Jedi there, but the Kel Dor Master Till'in was forced to inform Shan after he was well-rested that the boy could not remain a member of the Order.

As he could not progress within the Order, Shan began working for the Republic Strategic Information Service on Coruscant; during his career, his superior assigned him to discover any slaving rings selling to the Sith Empire. He interrupted a meeting involving Black Sun and captured a female Twi'lek named Teff'ith.

Reunion with Master Zho
Sometime later, Shan was called upon to find Master Ngani Zho, the Jedi who trained his mother, having turned up near Imperial space and ideal for the Republic to get an insight into the Empire. Shan accepted the mission, dragging Teff'ith along with him.

Shan found Ngani Zho on Taris, where the old Master told the young spy of his lonely fight with the Dark Councilor and Sith scientist Darth Mekhis and after the two came under assault of the Darth Mekhis' Sith Knights, they managed to escape only with the help of Teff'ith.

As soon as they were safe in space, Shan demanded to know why Zho's lightsaber failed to ignite, having witnessed it on the surveillance. Zho defended that he wanted to see his student's skills, before demanding that they head for the Vesla system, where he claims is where Mekhis is constructing weapons. When the Jedi tried reaching for the ship controls, Shan stunned him. Teff'ith comments that with Jedi like Zho, the Republic would be in trouble if it comes to war.

Once Zho regained consciousness and maintained a more calm demeanor, Shan contacted the Director and told him his plan to perform reconnaissance in Vesla. But first, Shan stopped at Port Nowhere to steal astrogation charts on Vesla. As soon as they arrive at Vesla and start setting up surveillance equipment, in the middle of the night, they were attacked by the local predators. In the morning, Shan surveyed Vesla Two, finding that its geography had been altered beyond recognition, and Vesla Three was practically torn apart. Shan then noticed a giant machine built around Vesla's sun. Shan realized that they must report to the SIS to figure out what to do, but Zho insisted that they stop Mekhis, stating that Jedi take action; Shan retorted that he was no Jedi. Unfortunately, they were caught by an Imperial patrol and detained.

Darth Mekhis' superweapons
"Darth Mekhis! Take a close look before you kill me. My name is Theron Shan."

- Theron to Darth Mekhis

After Shan was identified as SIS the Imperials decided to grant him the privilege of witnessing Mekhis' work. As the Imperials explained, they had constructed a Sun Razer to leech matter and energy from a star to construct superweapons in half the time required to ordinarily need to construct them.

The Imperials then offered Shan the chance to defect from the Republic, promising that his talents would be acknowledged by both Imperial Intelligence and Sith alike. Shan refused their offer, resulting in a rifle-butt to the back of the head. Shan was then moved to the same interrogation room Zho was. As Zho began begging Shan for forgiveness the SIS agent admitted that he had rebooted his cybernetics and gained access to prison security which would enable them to escape and rendezvous with Teff'ith, who was in hiding on their ship. While travelling in the facilities vents to reach their Shan realized that they couldn't afford to allow Mekhis' Sun Razer to be completed and thus that they couldn't not pass up he opportunity to destroy it.

As they discuss a strategy to sabotage the Sun Razer before escaping, Zho passed Shan a lightsaber, claiming it to be his inheritance. The latter tried refusing, as he's no Jedi. Nonetheless, Zho pressed the weapon into his hands.

While Zho and Teff'ith provided a distraction, Shan confronted Mekhis herself, but was subdued by the Sith Knights. With a blaster pointed at his head, Shan confesses his identity to Mekhis. Incensed, the Dark Lord walked up to him, declaring that he's no Jedi. Shan was then able to take her surprise with one of his toxins before escaping his captors. He then deactivated the Sun Razer's heat shields and escaped before the station was consumed. However, Teff'ith put a blaster to his head but agreed to part ways since Zho, who died saving her, liked him.

Meeting a Grand Master
"You said your name was-''" "Classified." "I see. Is there... anything else you want to tell me?" "''Not anymore. It's been an honor, Grand Master Satele Shan."

- Satele Shan and Theron

Back on Coruscant, Shan met with the Director, who confirmed that Mekhis was still missing, though her superweapons were still out there. The Director feared that this would start another war, though Shan stated that they could not just stand and watch. He then passed the Director information on the Gauntlet superweapon, before heading to Tython to inform his mother of her Master's passing, though he did not reveal his identity to her.

The Second Great War
Theron Shan helped plan the Korriban Incursion in 3640 BBY.

Behind the scenes
Theron Shan was first indirectly mentioned in an article in The Holonet section of the Star Wars: The Old Republic website, which included the phrase "a secret son" written in Aurebesh. His name was later revealed in the 124th issue of the magazine Star Wars Insider, and first appeared in the 2011 comic series Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Lost Suns. Shan also appeared in the novel Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation.

Drew Karpyshyn, author of Annihilation, responded to a question via Twitter that Theron Shan was 30 during the events of the novel, meaning that Shan was born in 3,670 BBY. However, the novel itself stated that Shan was conceived after the Battle of Alderaan, which occurred in 3,667 BBY.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Lost Suns
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation