Whorm Loathsom/Legends

"Unless you call off your troops right now, I will have no choice but to destroy you!"

- Whorm Loathsom, to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Whorm Loathsom was a male Kerkoiden who hailed from the planet Kerkoidia and served both in his homeworld's planetary forces and as the general of the Retail Caucus's military forces in the Confederacy of Independent Systems. An accomplished commander, his numerous victories during the Clone Wars led him to infamy throughout the Inner Core. In 22 BBY, Loathsom captured the planet Christophsis, and the Galactic Republic dispatched Jedi-led clone trooper forces to liberate the planet. After several days of fighting, Loathsom was forced to retreat. He soon launched a counterattack, however, advancing his battle droid troops behind a deflector shield that rendered the Republic's artillery useless.

High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi pretended to surrender to the Kerkoiden in order to gain time for Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to eliminate the shield generator. Loathsom eventually lost patience with discussing Kenobi's "terms of surrender" and threatened to kill the Jedi. After Skywalker and Tano destroyed the generator, however, Loathsom himself was captured. With his shameful defeat and capture on Christophsis, Loathsom was taken to Coruscant, where he was tried by the Republic and found guilty of treason, as his service in his Republic-aligned homeworld's planetary forces made him a member of the Republic military. Loathsom was eventually transferred from imprisonment on Akrit'tar to house arrest at a castle on Kerkoidia, from which, weeks later, he escaped captivity with the assistance of Separatist agents.

Capturing Christophsis
"You are no longer in the Republic. You are no longer beholden to their laws. Yer world's resources will be transferred to the Confederacy. We wage this war for yer independence. Do not resist our efforts. Remain vigilant for Republic reprisals."

- Whorm Loathsom, to the population of Christophsis

The Kerkoiden male Whorm Loathsom came from the Expansion Region planet of Kerkoidia and served in his homeworld's planetary forces. During the Clone Wars, he joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems as the general of the Retail Caucus's military forces. His creative strategies won many victories for the Confederacy, including a string of military campaigns, leading him to become considered a "legend" throughout the Southern Core and winning himself the respect of Republic strategists based on the galactic capital of Coruscant. In 22 BBY, the Confederacy set its sights on capturing the Outer Rim planet of Christophsis. Loathsom's forces invaded the crystalline world and, via a massive planet-wide holotransmission, Loathsom told the planet's Christophsian inhabitants to submit to Separatist rule.

As the Galactic Republic dispatched a contingent of the Grand Army of the Republic&mdash;under the command of High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker&mdash;to liberate Christophsis, the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress arrived on the planet and met with Loathsom. Ventress relayed intelligence to Loathsom on the Republic's plan to ambush the Separatist Droid Army from the North and South towers, which had been collected and transmitted by her spy, Clone Sergeant Slick. Loathsom and Ventress used Slick's information to prepare an ambush against the Republic. Shortly thereafter, Skywalker and Kenobi went to the Confederacy base to conduct an investigation behind enemy lines. After engaging the Jedi in a lightsaber duel and forcing them to flee, Ventress relayed further orders to Loathsom through a tactical droid, telling Loathsom to delay the Jedi as long as possible while she left to execute a mission for her Master, Count Dooku.

Battling the Republic
"Why are we stopping?''" "We cannot get past their cannons, sir." " Cannons?'' This will never do. We must pull back and set up our deflector shields."

- Whorm Loathsom and a B1 battle droid

With an army of greater size than the Republic had expected, Loathsom engaged the Jedi and their clone trooper forces, but after several days of fighting, the Kerkoiden was forced to retreat. He soon launched another campaign against the Republic, advancing B1, B2, and tri-droids in the front lines while he followed behind with a group of Armored Assault Tanks. However, the Republic's heavy cannons forced the Confederate tanks to halt their progress. Learning of the enemy's artillery, Loathsom ordered an OOM command battle droid to turn the troops around and retreat. After his droid forces had pulled back, Loathsom set up a deflector shield in preparation for another attack against the Republic.

Loathsom dispatched his forces in two groups from the south and the east to attack the enemy detachment. Kenobi and Alpha Squad halted the south force's approach, but Bravo Squad was unable to stop the east force's advance. Loathsom then led his east battle group and advanced behind the expanding shield, which effectively negated the Republic's use of long-ranged artillery. Loathsom sent his battle droids to destroy the Republic's cannons while he himself followed with lines of NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers and Armored Assault Tanks. Because of the Confederacy's deflector shield, the Republic troops were unable to stop the advancing droids, and General Kenobi ordered his clone troopers to protect the cannons while he gained time by stalling Loathsom. The Kerkoiden general cornered Kenobi with his Armored Assault Tank and a squad of super battle droids and DSD1 dwarf spider droids. Kenobi "surrendered" to Loathsom, forming some crystal rubble into a table with the Force, and the two seated themselves to discuss the "terms of surrender."

Over a cup of tarine tea, brought by Loathsom's servant droid, the discussion of the Kenobi's surrender continued. Loathsom became increasingly impatient with Kenobi as he finally realized that Kenobi was stalling. Overturning the crystal table, Loathsom ordered his troops to seize the Jedi General. Loathsom demanded the Jedi's surrender and threatened to kill him. At that moment, however, Skywalker and his recently apprenticed Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, destroyed the deflector shield generator, causing the shield to recede and expose Loathsom's troops to long-range artillery. Kenobi broke free of the battle droids and captured Loathsom in a headlock. As the droids began to fire, Loathsom's LEP servant droid was destroyed, and the Kerkoiden ordered his battle droid squad to stand down. With its renewed artillery usage, the Republic was able to defeat the Confederate forces, and Loathsom was taken prisoner, bound by handcuffs.

Republic reinforcements arrived on Christophsis, and Loathsom was shamed with his defeat. Following his capture, Loathsom was taken to Coruscant. While there, the Kerkoiden was tried and swiftly found guilty of treason, as Kerkoidia was still recognized as a member of the Republic, making Loathsom a member of the Republic military for his service in his homeworld's planetary forces. After being interrogated by Republic Intelligence and having "all useful information" extracted from him, Loathsom was sent to solitary confinement on the prison world of Akrit'tar. He eventually traded his prison cell for house arrest in a rustic but still elegant castle in the outbacks of Kerkoidia. Weeks after the transfer, Loathsom's castle was raided by Separatist operatives, and he was "spirited away" from Republic captivity.

Personality and traits
"'Tis a rare honor to meet one's opponent face to face. You're a legend throughout the Inner Core.''" "Thank you. The honor is all mine. I'm so glad'' you decided to surrender."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Whorm Loathsom

Whorm Loathsom was a cunning and accomplished commander, and when he realized that his droids would be useless against the Republic's heavy cannons, he ordered his forces to retreat and set up a deflector shield. He sometimes overestimated his abilities, but he prided himself on his leadership skills. Furthermore, his strategies in battle led the Confederacy to numerous victories. Loathsom had faith in the Confederacy's causes, and after his forces had seized Christophsis, he told the planet's inhabitants to submit to Confederate rule. He was considered a legend throughout the Inner Core, but his vanity and ego sometimes got in the way of his role as a general, resulting in orders and decisions formed more out of arrogance than of strategy.

Loathsom was not impervious to flattery, as evidenced by his reactions to Kenobi's comments on his abilities, and the Kerkoiden's overly prominent ego allowed Kenobi to stall him while Skywalker and Tano destroyed the shield generator. Still, Loathsom was impatient and wasted no time in gulping down his tarine tea&mdash;unlike Kenobi, who sipped it with a certain level of civility. His eagerness to "teach the Republic a lesson or two" sometimes caused his comments to lack respect when addressing figures such as Asajj Ventress. When Loathsom finally realized that Kenobi was stalling for time, the Kerkoiden acted on his anger and overturned the crystal table where they were seated. Loathsom was quick in attempting to force Kenobi to surrender, but was later shamed after he was defeated and captured. Loathsom was able to speak both Galactic Standard Basic and Kerkoidese. In battle, he wore the ceremonial uniform of a Kerkoiden cavalier and a fauld in honor of his victories during the war.

Behind the scenes
The character of Whorm Loathsom was created for the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars film, which served as an introduction to the television series of the same name. First mentioned in the film's novelization and the book Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide, Loathsom made his debut in the film's junior novelization, which was written by Tracey West.

Details relating to Loathsom's backstory were released in the January 2009 sourcebook The Clone Wars Campaign Guide by Wizards of the Coast, and he was also identified as the first of his species&mdash;Kerkoiden&mdash;to appear in Star Wars canon. Loathsom later appeared in the television series' first season episode "The Hidden Enemy," aired on February 6, 2009, which served as a prequel to the 2008 film. He did not have a speaking role in the episode, however. Loathsom also appeared in The Clone Wars: Shadowed, the web comic leading into the television episode. His fate after the events of The Clone Wars film was elaborated upon in the October 2009 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Official Episode Guide: Season 1.

In the film, Loathsom was voiced by Corey Burton, who also provided the voice for Count Dooku and Ziro Desilijic Tiure. Burton voiced Loathsom with a Scottish accent, and this was evidenced further in Shadowed, with the accent being put into text and expressions. The Kerkoiden was based on concept art for a Neimoidian that was drawn by Doug Chiang during production for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Appearances

 * The Clone Wars: Shadowed
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars novelization
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars junior novelization
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Forces of Darkness
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Forces of Darkness