Thon

"It is not simply enough to know the light...a Jedi must feel the tension between the two sides of the Force...in himself and in the universe"

- Thon

Thon was a mysterious Tchuukthai Jedi Master who lived around 4,000 BBY. Very little was known of his early life, and he was extremely reclusive, revealing as little as possible about where he came from and how he had learned all of his impressive powers. After arriving at the Great Jedi Library on Ossus fully trained in the ways of the Force, Thon left the planet to search for somewhere remote to teach his students. He eventually arrived on Ambria in the Stenness system, defeating the dark forces that plagued the barren planet. He trained many students on the planet, the most well known of which were Oss Wilum and Nomi Sunrider.

Thon did not play an active role in any of the major conflicts of his time, though he attended the Jedi assemblies during the conflicts. During the Great Sith War in 3,996 BBY, Thon was the only Jedi Master targeted for murder by the Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun to survive. Afterwards, he helped evacuate Ossus before it was destroyed by a supernova caused by Kun's Sith apprentice Ulic Qel-Droma. After the war, Thon attended the Conclave on Exis station, where the future of the Jedi Order was discussed.

Early life
Thon's early life was shrouded in mystery. He was a member of the Tchuukthai, a beast-like quadrupedal alien species native to a planet deep in the Unknown regions, the location of which was kept a closely guarded secret. The Tchuukthai were extremely secretive and reclusive, so information about them and their homeworld was unreliable, at least in Thon's time. The few Tchuukthai who left their homeworld were considered little more than savage beasts by most members of galactic society, until their true intellect was discovered by a Jedi Master, whose name was eventually lost to time. The Jedi befriended Thon on the Tchuukthai's planet, and taught him much about the galaxy. Thon was intrigued at the wonders of the greater galaxy, and eventually the Jedi Master offered to teach his friend in the ways of the light side of the Force. Thon was cautious and unsure about leaving his planet initially; he was afraid that if his species' intelligence was known, they would be ruthlessly exploited by the criminals of the galaxy. However, the Jedi Master agreed to keep the Tchuukthai's intelligence a secret, and trained Thon in the ways of the Force. Thon eventually became a powerful Jedi, and became skilled in a great many Force powers as well as the art of Lightsaber combat.

Jedi Master
Some time later, Thon arrived on the Jedi world of Ossus, fully trained in the ways of the Force. He gave no indication of where he came from and how he had learned his powers, and so he was of great interest to the Jedi Masters. Virtually no information was known on his species; the Republic's Bureau of Xenology had named them the "Wharl" because of the complete lack of information and name on the Tchuuukthai. The Bureau sent many inquiries to Thon about his species, though they eventually gave up after Thon continually ignored them. He was a master of every power known to the Jedi, and even taught the other Masters several powers unknown to them at the time. Thon's response to any questions about was origin was always the same: "It is better that you do not know&mdash;at least, not yet." The other Jedi accepted this explanation, though it heightened their interest in the mysterious Jedi Master. Thon eventually became one of the most advanced and revered Jedi Masters of the time, alongside such others as Odan-Urr, Vodo-Siosk Baas, Ood Bnar, and Arca Jeth. Thon stayed on Ossus for several years before departing the Jedi planet to search of somewhere more remote to train his students "in peace."

 Insert paragraph about obtaining of Bnar's holocron here 

Thon wore no clothes, and carried only a single item&mdash;an ancient lightsaber&mdash;as he wandered across the galaxy in his ship, guided only by the Force. One day a place outside the reaches of his ship's sensors, surrounded by dark side energies, caught Thon's attention. For some time, Thon meditated on its presence as the Force guided his ship to the location of the energies. He eventually arrived in the Stenness system, and traveled to the planet Ambria.

Ambria
Thon quickly realized that Ambria radiated the dark side, and sought to find the source. A mineral-rich world once busy with miners, Ambria had never been properly colonized because of its barren, inhospitable landscape. After much of its natural resources had been exhausted, the planet became the home of a Sith sorceress, who, although her name was eventually forgotten, was recorded in the archives of the Jedi Order on Ossus. Using her Sith powers, she constructed a great obelisk infused with the dark side, where, once completed, she attempted to conduct an ancient Sith ritual. However, it proved too complex for her to pull off correctly, and she inadvertently released a wave of dark side energy; it eradicated the few sentients living on the planet, further damaged the atmosphere and made the planet become tainted with dark side energies. The planet then became a focal point for Sith during the fall of the Sith Empire, who eventually passed away, leaving malevolent spirits behind on Ambria. These energies and spirits remained on the planet for many centuries, until they eventually guided Thon to Ambria.

Thon landed on the surface of the barren planet and was immediately ambushed by the Sith spirits, which he easily repelled with his superior knowledge of the Force. However, after much time and effort Thon became thoroughly exhausted, and his ability to repel the attackers was diminishing. However, he devised a strategy to defeat the Sith, and swam out into the middle of Lake Natth, the largest source of water on the planet. When he reached the center of the lake, Thon gave in to the dark side, and the Sith energies swarmed around his limp body. Thon then cunningly used his remaining energy to use the Force to trap his adversaries in a web of light side energy, before leaving the lake forever. The sinister spirits were furious at being trapped under the waters of the lake, and possessed and mutated the local life forms, forming dark side monsters called hssiss. Ambria, however, was finally cleansed of the dark side.

During his wandering on the planet, Thon discovered a meditative canyon, located in the Tiernvael Mountains in the northern region of the planet. This area was even more barren than the majority of the rest of the planet, with barely any precipitation and no wildlife. This was largely due to its proximity to the Sith obelisk built by the long-dead Sorceress, though unorthodox weather patterns also affected it. Although the area did enjoy brief times of total calmness, vicious sandstorms usually meant that travel was almost impossible. During one such storm, Thon sought shelter in the canyon, and found that one wall in particular had an unusually powerful connection to the Force. He entered a meditative trance so that he could recover from the injuries he had suffered during the brutal storm, and found that the wall made him feel at ease, made him unaware of the turmoil happening around him. He also noticed an array of transparent crystals, which, although they made no impact in the Force, could be used as something to focus on while meditating. The storm eventually subsided, and although Thon left, he made a note of the location of the canyon. He returned there for many years, whenever he was in need of spiritual solace.

Thon built a small training center not far from Lake Natth, and had several breeds of animals transported to Ambria from various worlds throughout the galaxy, in an attempt to bring about the recovery of the desolate world. For over a dozen years, Thon trained several students on Ambria, including a young Vultan named Oss Wilum. Wilum had previously been a student of Jedi Master Garnoo, but when the Neti Master perished, he was left without a tutor. Thon, however, on one of his rare excursions offworld, realized Wilum's Force potential, and brought him to Ambria to complete his training. After five years of learning, Wilum had finally completed his apprenticeship, and had surpassed Thon's expectations. The massive Tchuukthai was surprised at how quickly his Vultan Padawan progressed, considering how late in life he had begun his training. Thon knew his Padawan was ready to join the ranks of the Jedi Knights, and knew that Arca Jeth would be looking for more Jedi to aid him on the planet Onderon, where dark side cultists were revolting. Thon then made arrangements with another Jedi Master, known as Chamma, to have a young Human, named Andur Sunrider, sent to Ambria to further his training under the great Tchuukthai.

The training of Nomi Sunrider
"Why do you call this creature Master?" "Because he is Master Thon&mdash;a very advanced Jedi!"

- Nomi Sunrider and Oss Wilum

Sunrider had learned all that Chamma felt he could teach him, so the ancient Jedi decided to send him to Thon in the Stenness system. Andur was due to arrive on the planet in his ship, the Lightside Explorer, along with his wife Nomi, his baby daughter Vima, and their droid, A-3DO. However, en route to Thon's compound, the trio had been ambushed by assassins sent by the local gangster, Bogga the Hutt, to intercept them and steal Andur's Adegan crystals, which were to be given to Thon as Master Chamma's thanks for taking Andur on. During the ambush, Andur had been killed, and Nomi, strong in the Force herself, had retaliated, killing the assassins with her late husband's lightsaber. After his death, Andur had appeared as a Force ghost, urging Nomi to take the gift to Thon, and telling her that the old Tchuukthai Master would help her decide where to go next. Nomi honored her husband's word, and continued on towards Thon's home. Oss Wilum had yet to depart for Onderon, so he accompanied Thon to meet Nomi, who was standing on a hill overlooking the Tchuukthai's house.

Thon brought Oss toward Nomi, and she originally mistook the Vultan Padawan as the Jedi Master, believing Thon to be s simple beast. Thon did not correct this misinterpretation, keeping silent and acting as if he was indeed an unintelligent animal. Thon and his apprentice led the young female to the house, providing food for her and her child. Nomi told them of her ordeal; however, they were soon interrupted when Bogga and his cronies arrived on his sail barge. The Hutt, who had always held a great hatred for Thon, was determined to steal Nomi's Adegan crystals, which were extremely valuable. Thon watched as Wilum attempted to engage the Hutt's men in combat, though the young Jedi could not match their numbers, and was soon captured. Thon then acted, leaping at the the men, and using the Force to knock them back. Bogga knew they were unable to match such a power, and ordered a retreat, though he still did not give up his hopes of acquiring the crystals. It was then that Nomi finally learned that the beast was Thon, and it was he who would be teaching her the ways of the Force.

For the next few months, Thon did not speak a word to his new pupil, allowing her to recover from the grief of Andur's unfortunate death, and to decide the form her life would now take. Nomi, however, began to doubt Thon, and spent much time pondering his peculiar teaching methods. While Thon was away, Nomi unknowingly used the Force to protect her daughter Vima from the hssiss who populated Lake Natth. In truth, Nomi was using basic battle meditation, though she did not know at the time. Although the hssiss had been defeated, the dark spirits in the lake reached out to Nomi, malevolently telling her she was going to die. Nomi fled the lake, though she still had lingering doubts about Thon, and asked herself why she was on this savage world.

When Nomi returned, Thon finally fully realized her potential, and he knew she would one day become a great Jedi Master. Thon also knew of the great conflicts that would take place in the galaxy, and the role Nomi would play in them&mdash;it was then that he decided to begin her training. Oss Wilum had yet to depart for Onderon, so before he could begin Nomi's training proper, Thon had to travel to meet with one of Arca's apprentices, the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta, who would be accompanying Wilum back to Master Arca on Onderon, should Thon allow it. He permitted Oss to leave, and, finally, he was alone with Nomi Sunrider, ready to begin her training. He told his new Padawan that she would use her Adegan crystals to build a lightsaber, though Sunrider was reluctant to ever use such a weapon; she had already killed with Andur's saber. Thon, however, told her that that was self-defense, and that she had already shown great skill with the weapon. The red-haired Human persisted, noting that Thon did not use a ligthsaber, and that she would only accept his tutelage on the condition that she did not have to use a lightsaber. Thon agreed, though he knew she would waver eventually.

Thon decided to take Sunrider to the Meditative Canyon, where her training would begin. He told her that it was not enough for a Jedi simply to know the light; they had to feel the tension between light and dark, both in themselves and in the wider universe. The dark side challenged them, he told her; it made them reach beyond themselves, like when Nomi rescued her child that day. They stopped at Lake Natth, though Nomi wanted to move elsewhere, worried for her child's safety. Thon obliged, and took Nomi and Vima to the edge of the great canyon, which he meditated in regularly. Thon then showed Sunrider his Jedi Holocron, the gatekeeper of which was the ancient Neti Jedi Master Ood Bnar. The tree-like man from Myrkyr told them of those who had joined the dark side, and that a mighty conflict between the Jedi and the worshipers of the dark side would happen within Nomi's lifetime. As he pointed at the young Padawan and told her that she would play a pivotal role in the war, Vima became scared, and Thon deactivated the holocron. He told Nomi to take his lightsaber, which he used during his Jedi training. Nomi was frightened by what Bnar's holocron had said, and wanted to leave the planet and start a new life with her daughter Vima. Thon, however, knew what she was thinking, and told her that there was no going back for Nomi Sunrider&mdash;there was going forward, or into darkness.

Meanwhile, Bogga was still determined to acquire the Adegan crystals, and to rid "his" system of Thon, who had proved a thorn in his side one too many times. A local pirate named Finhead Stonebone had incurred Bogga's wrath after raiding an Ithullan ore hauler, and the Hutt had told him to kill Thon, or he would himself be executed. Stonebone refused, knowing such an attempt would equal suicide, though after Bogga had his first mate killed by hssiss, the pirate reconsidered. He and his motley crew, aided by an entourage of Bogga's rough enforcers, arrived on armored skiffs as Thon and Nomi traveled back to the Tchuukthai's house, firing rockets at the building. Thon was able to use the Force to steer the cannon rounds away from their target; he told Nomi to take the lightsaber, that they would fight the pirates together. Nomi, however, was adamant that she would never touch the weapon again, and apologized to Thon for letting him down. The salvos soon managed to break through Thon's powers, so Thon charged towards the hovering skiffs, terrifying Nomi. Thon attempted to persuade her to use her battle meditation if she would not take hold of her weapon, though she once again refused, telling him that he was the Jedi Master, and that she had to rush Vima to safety. Thon permitted her to, though, saying that if his apprentice had no power then neither did he&mdash;he gave himself up to Stonebone's gang, allowing them to fit him with Mandalorian manacles and to lead him toward their skiffs. Using the Force, Thon told Nomi telepathically to use her battle meditation, though Nomi did not want to acknowledge is existence. Finhead Stonebone's men began to prepare to lift Thon onto the skiffs.



The pirates continued searching for the Adegan crystals, while Nomi contemplated the loss of yet another of the Jedi Knights. Soon, one of Bogga's enforcers, who had been sent by the Hutt to work in conjunction with Stonebone's crew, found the crystals in Thon's hut. This caused a rift in the ranks of the group of alien criminals, and a massive fight ensued over who would get to present the valuable crystals to Great Bogga. The gangsters' thoughts were being influenced by Nomi, who had chosen this time to employ her battle meditation. While the thugs fought each other viciously, Nomi took hold of the lightsaber, and finally accepting that she had to use it. She released Thon and charged at the raiders, aided by the great Tchuukthai Master, who sent bursts of powerful concentrated Force energy at them. Finally, through the efforts of Thon and his apprentice, Bogga's men were defeated, and captain Stonebone retreated from Ambria. Nomi Sunrider had finally accepted her fate as a Jedi, and Thon began to teach her everything he knew.

After a time, in which Thon had taught his young apprentice all that he could, the ancient Tchuukthai opted to bring Nomi to Ossus to further her training under the Krevaaki Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, who would begin by teaching Nomi to build her own lightsaber, using the Adegan crystals Chamma had intended to be given to Thon. Nomi instantly took a liking to the Jedi training world, noting how peaceful and tranquil the place was. Thon took Nomi and Vima to Master Vodo, who was also training the young Jedi Knights Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, and Qrrrl Toq the art of lightsaber construction. Upon meeting her, Vodo, like Thon and Ood Bnar before him, noted Nomi's strength in the Force, and said that he knew she could become a great Jedi. Thon stayed with Nomi on Ossus during the several months she trained under Vodo, though she was soon ready to depart to Onderon with the other young Jedi Knights. Like Thon's previous Padawan, Oss Wilum, Nomi was to travel to Onderon to aid Arca with the Freedon Nadd Uprising. When Nomi departed, Thon returned to Ambria, alone once again.

The Krath conflict
"Certain things are a matter of destiny, and certain things are a matter of choice. It is possible that Qel-Droma will teach himself a much-needed lesson by his own foolish actions!"

- Thon

In 3,997 BBY, Thon found himself leaving Ambria once again, as the leaders of the Jedi had called a great convocation of the Order to discuss the recent attacks against the Republic by the dark-side sorcerers known as the Krath and their minions. Led by members of the Tetan elite who had traveled to Onderon and begun to dabble in the ways of the dark side, the Krath cult was a growing threat that demanded the attention of all the Jedi. Little did the Order know that the Krath were themselves plotting against them. Agents of the dark side had reprogrammed the servant droids used by the Jedi Masters to attack their owners on command, and a vessel packed with combat droids was en route to the planet. As the meeting, led by Master Odan-Urr himself, commenced, Thon's former apprentice found herself in the spotlight, for she and Ulic Qel-Droma had led Republic forces in battle against the Krath.

As the debate over what action to take concerning the Krath carried on, the Krath themselves pressed the attack. War doids descended upon the assembly just as the Jedi's own droids turned on them. The Jedi fought valiantly, employing Arca Jeth's strategy of destroying the automatons' internal mechanisms using the Force. In the end, the Jedi prevailed, but at great cost of life&mdash;Master Arca himself was killed before the battle was won. Following the debacle, Thon returned with many of the remaining Jedi Masters to Ossus, as their students set out to address the Krath issue. Ulic Qel-Droma went to the Krath, to try and infiltrate their ranks that he might end their reign of terror from within.

After months without word from the undercover Jedi, Nomi Sunrider herself&mdash;along with Cay Qel-Droma and Tott Doneeta&mdash;went to the Krath capital of Cinnagar in order to try and make contact with Ulic. Her mission did not meet with success, however, as she found that Ulic had himself joined the Krath, going so far as to capture Nomi and even to order her death. After narrowly escaping Cinnagar, the three Jedi returned to Ossus to propose another plan. Thon shared his doubts concerning Qel-Droma, stating that perhaps the young Knight was beyond their help; he had made a choice of his own, and may likely even learn the error of his ways without their help. Nevertheless, Thon insisted that they leave Ulic free to decide his own path, consenting to allow his former student to lead another attempt to extract her friend. The plan failed, however, as Ulic Qel-Droma once more chose to remain with the Krath, becoming one of the new Dark Lords of the Sith soon thereafter along with Exar Kun, a former pupil of Vodo-Siosk Baas's.

The Great Sith War
"Ngrra pschh! We must put our feelings aside. This is a war of light and darkness."

- Thon

Thon returned to Ambria, and remained there as the Sith War began to escalate. Attacks were made on the Republic and the Jedi by the Krath, who were led by Qel-Droma himself, their forces augmented by the armies of Mandalore. Nomi Sunrider accompanied Vodo-Siosk Baas and a group of other Jedi in an attempt to persuade the Republic Senate to let the Jedi handle these matters, but it was too late; The Krath attacked Coruscant itself, with Ulic Qel-Droma at their head. The traitor himself was captured due to his underlings' treachery, and was slated to stand trial before the Senate.

Meanwhile, Exar Kun was recruiting more young Jedi to his cause, which he misrepresented as a new Jedi Order, its teachings supplemented by knowledge that the Jedi Masters, he alleged, had kept from their students&mdash;Sith knowledge. After killing Master Odan-Urr in order to procure a Sith holocron which the Jedi historian had been keeping safe, he used the item as "proof" of the hidden knowledge; knowledge he promised would bring about a new golden age for the Jedi. Among the young Jedi Knights to accompany Kun from Ossus to his base on Yavin 4 was Thon's former apprentice, Oss Wilum. Although Oss himself had more doubts than the rest concerning Kun's knowledge and intentions, the new Dark Lord of the Sith used dark side magic to enthrall the group, possessing them with Sith spirits.

Ulic Qel-Droma stood trial before the Senate, and Nomi Sunrider, along with Ulic's brother Cay and the Cathar Jedi Sylvar, attended. But the proceedings went horribly wrong, as Qel-Droma, instead of answering for his crimes, spoke out against the Republic and the Jedi. Exar Kun himself came to rescue Ulic from the tribunal, murdering the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and slaying Master Vodo in the process. Nomi Sunrider, dejected, decided to visit Thon on Ambria in order to get away from the war. Sylvar accompanied her.

Betrayal
"Ngrrr. I fear that I was the target for a Jedi student to attempt to murder his own master... I can only hope the other masters are safe."

- Thon

Another of Thon's former students was planning to visit his master: Oss Wilum, now the unwitting servant on Exar Kun. Accompanied by Crado, the mate of Sylvar and another of Kun's minions, Oss was sent to Ambria to kill Thon, in a wider plot by Kun to kill off the Jedi Masters of the Order. As Nomi Sunrider, her daughter Vima, and Sylvar were arriving at the home of Thon, Oss Wilum and Crado were at Lake Natth, preparing to kill the Master. The pair summoned the monstrous hssiss from the lake using Sith magic, and started off in the direction of their objective.

Sensing the disturbance, the three Jedi rushed to head off the attack. Nomi and Sylvar lashed out at the hssiss with their lightsabers&mdash;but Thon threw himself at the beasts, tearing at them with tooth and claw. The hssiss were all but defeated once Sunrider employed her talents with battle meditation to distract them that Thon might finish them off. Sylvar and Thon...

The great cost of war
"It is already lost. Ngrrth cha! Ossus... Ossus..."

- Thon

Conclave of Exis Station
"Nomi has grown to be an even greater Jedi than I had hoped. They listen to her... They follow her..."

- Thon

Personality and traits
"Ulic, my friend...the Dark Side has been with us since the beginning, and there is much accumulated understanding about its nature. But never forget&mdash;there is the Way of the Jedi... and there is the path that leads to destruction. A Jedi who takes up the path of the Dark Side is no longer a Jedi. He who learns the Dark Way will become infected with the Darkness. His judgment will become clouded and he will forget the good things he has learned. If he persists in this attempt to bridge the two divergent roads, he will be torn apart by his very being. Do not underestimate the Power of the Dark Side... at all costs, do not underestimate the Power of the Dark Side."

- Thon

Thon lived simply while on Ambria, maintaining a humble dwelling near Lake Natth. During the training of Oss Wilum, the two Jedi cared for a herd of the staga native to the planet. Although Thon possessed a lightsaber,, which was his only possession when he arrived on Ambria, and even a set of Jedi robes, he was not known to travel with such trappings of the Jedi for much of his life, which he spent in seclusion with his students.

Thon was also known to be quite eloquent on occasion.

Powers and abilities
"Thank you, Master. You have once again demonstrated that a lightsaber is not the only way to win a fight!"

- Oss Wilum

As a Tchuukthai, Thon possessed considerable natural means of defending himself. He was large and well-muscled, and more than capable of carrying adult humanoids on his back. A bony frill around his neckline, armor plating on his back, hornlike projections from his jaws, and spikes protruding from his shoulders helped to protect him from harm. Each of Thon's four legs ended in a set of sharp, strong claws, ideal for slashing. Additionally, the Tchuukthai had strong jaws filled with long, sharp teeth, which he used to considerable effect on the hssiss of Lake Natth.

When he first came before the Jedi Masters on Ossus, Thon already had extensive knowledge of Force techniques, including some that the Masters themselves did not yet know of. By the time Nomi Sunrider came under his tutelage, Thon was possessed of a myriad of Force powers. He was capable of communication through telepathy, as he showed after he allowed himself to be captured, when he used the Force to tell Nomi to use battle meditation. The Tchuukthai was himself capable of battle meditation, but Vodo-Siosk Baas stated that Thon was not as talented in it as Arca Jeth. Furthermore, Thon brought Nomi Sunrider to Ossus to refine her talents in battle meditation with Odan-Urr, who possessed greater knowledge of the technique than he. Although Thon was capable of wielding a lightsaber, when it came time for Nomi to build her own weapon, he brought her before Vodo-Siosk Baas for instruction in the matter.

Upon arriving on Ambria, the Jedi Master at first had little difficulty in defeating the dark side spirits that lurked there, and when he grew weary, he cunningly "played possum" in order to lure them in. He then used his considerable abilities in directing light-side energy to contain the Sith apparitions fully. Furthermore, when Bogga the Hutt's thugs attacked Nomi and Oss Wilum, Thon was able to use the Force to knock them down. Later, as Finhead Stonebone and his gang attacked Thon's home from their skiffs, the Master deflected their salvos with a wall of Force energy. The Tchuukthai was later said to have possessed the ability to use the Force to create light itself.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * Planet of Twilight
 * Junior Jedi Knights: Vader's Fortress