Progenitor

The Progenitor was a massive female firaxan shark that lived in the Hrakert Rift of Manaan. She was believed to be somehow responsible for producing kolto, and was the center of intense spiritualism by the Selkath, who believed her to be the ancestor of their species&mdash;which she possibly was. The Progenitor's immense size and strange capabilities seemed to be linked to the Star Map she swam about, which may have mutated her with the Force. This seems as the most logical theory, as the Rakata are notorious for influencing the growth of planets and species.

When the Galactic Republic established an undersea outpost within the Hrakert Rift, the Progenitor went berserk as the scientists began to harvest her precious kolto. The firaxan sharks, believed to be her children, began attacking the station, and a strange phenomenon initiated by their mother drove the Selkath scientists to insanity, causing them to attack and eat everyone around them.

Once distress calls were sent from the underwater base, the call was answered by the Jedi Revan. After fighting his way through the murderous Selkath, he discovered a fanatical scientist named Kono Nolan had worked on a poison which in theory could kill the Progenitor, but his assistant Sami believed that doing so would pollute the waters of Manaan in ways that may never be corrected. Following Sami's advice, Revan destroyed the kolto harvesting machine, and the Progenitor immediately calmed down, even allowing him to approach the Star Map.

Behind the scenes
The Progenitor's status as the source of the kolto and also the most feared creature below the waters of Manaan may have been inspired by the gigantic sandworms of the science-fiction novel Dune, where the juvenile form of the sandworm is the spice melange, found only on Arrakis, and which the sandworm defends aggressively.

Alternate Ending
If Revan chooses the dark side option, he instead pumps the toxin given to him through the ventilation system of the kolto harvesting machine, killing the Progenitor, polluting the waters of Manaan, and destroying all kolto on the planet that had not been harvested. In-game, the prices of medical equipment rise appallingly. Revan is also banned from Manaan for destroying the kolto, unless the player chooses the right responses to successfully blackmail the judges and avoid banishment. Also, if the player immediately admits to it, he or she will be executed.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic