Denetrus

"Kill me now!"

- Denetrus

Denetrus, often referred to as Den, was a small-time Human criminal on his native planet, Telos IV. There, he worked for various companies because of his skills with computing, including UniFy, each hiring and subsequently firing him because of how he utilized his abilities to slice into the company's files. He met up with Andra, leader of the illegal government protest party Preserve Our Wild Endangered Resources, or POWER for short. While Andra and Den would often butt heads over issues of character, the two became allies. Den, like most other Telosians, spent his free time betting on events held in the main Katharsis dome located in Telos IV's capital city, Thani. While he always dreamed of winning it big, he restricted himself to small bets.

On one such occasion he met up with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and fellow Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. Through a series of events, he managed to aid both the Jedi and Andra's POWER Party by utilizing his slicing skills. He became a hero of Telos when, at the cumulation of different events, he resisted the temptation of abandoning his allies and instead revealed what the government and UniFy were doing to Telos IV's sacred places. Later, Den married Andra, and the two fought for Telos's freedom from invading corporations; however, as time went on, the future continued to grow bleak. To help cope with Andra's continuing depression, Den offered an escape, through the charismatic leader Uni and his plan for a self-sustaining roaming ship, the BioCruiser. The couple settled on the ship, and Den was tasked with monitoring plants aboard the ship. Twelve years after he had originally met Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, he met up with Obi-Wan once again, this time with his Padawan Anakin Skywalker. Together, the three managed to discover and stop the plans of the power-hungry Vox Chun and saved countless lives and livelihoods aboard the ship.

Den was a loyal companion to those he befriended, even in their scrutinizing. While he was a criminal and thief, he tried to right any wrongs he caused as a result of his selfish actions. Den was also an avid gambler, who spoke with a carefree attitude. He often made references to the odds of any given situation; while the numbers he created were rooted in fact, oftentimes they were shown to be disproportioned as the events conspired.

Early livelihood
"Have you ever worked for UniFy?" "Sure, who hasn't? They're the biggest employer on Telos."

- Qui-Gon asks of Den's past employment.

Denetrus was a Human resident of Thani, the capital city of Telos IV. There, he was employed by a number of different companies for his technical skills and abilities. One of such employers was UniFy, one of the most powerful and widespread corporations on Telos. Unfortunately, Den was also fired from most of these jobs. He was also a competent petty criminal, mainly experienced with thefts of data by slicing computers. At least one of his unemployment periods was due to a botched attempt, after which he quickly quit before action could be taken against him. He also worked for his landlord, Riva, who hired him to paint the exterior of the building he was renting; however, because she could not decide on an appropriate coloring, and constantly changed the color choice while Denetrus was in the middle of painting it, the building remained unfinished and covered in multiple different colors.

Some time after his tenure at the UniFy building, he met with Andra, leader of the government protest group Preserve Our Wild Endangered Resources, or POWER for short, party. Andra hired Den to slice into UniFy's computer system and attempt to find any correlation between UniFy and mining interest group Offworld.

To pass the time, Denetrus, along with most other residents of Thani, would trek to the Katharsis dome located in the heart of the city. There, he would place bets on the events held within the dome. He always dreamed of winning it big; he did, however, restrict himself to only small bets for the majority of events, citing the odds required to win.

Meeting the Jedi
"Jedi? Whoa! I mean, I knew you were weird, but I didn't know you were Jedi!"

- Denetrus shows shock after witnessing drawn lightsabers.

During a Katharsis match, Den was participating as usual when two seemingly lost tourists approached. Den could tell they were on the run from something, so he offered them a seat, pointing to the vacated ones beside himself. The two strangers obliged, thanked Den, and revealed their names: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unknown to Denetrus, the two tourists were actually Jedi on a mission to discover what was occurring on Telos; the two, not knowing Den's involvement in the ways of Telosian government, also withheld the fact that they were indeed Jedi.

After Den answered the two tourists' questions, and after the end of the first match, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi left the arena, citing a meeting they had to attend. Den, knowledgeable of the daily events during a Katharsis event, knew the two could not have had a meeting at that time, and determined to follow them. When he caught up to the two, Denetrus noted a viewscreen with Qui-Gon Jinn's "wanted" status, even though the older man attempted to avert his gaze. Leading them further down the street, Den led them straight to the unmarked gray building, where he inquired as to the nature of the meeting. After learning that this meeting wasn't to occur for another day, he offered the two a place to rest for the night.

Even though Den realized that the two viewed him as someone to be wary of, they accepted anyway, and started following Denetrus through the maze of buildings. Eventually the three made their way to a more modest, residential part of Thani, where Den led them into an alley with an entrance to the residence. Unfortunately for Denetrus, he had unwittingly led them into a trap, as foot soldiers made their way to Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Den.

With the new situation, the two tourists felt that the need for the disguising of their status could be shed. When they drew their lightsabers, Den backpedaled, caught unawares that the two were, in fact, Jedi. Den felt that it was time for him too to reveal that he was not simply a gambler but also a small-time thief, and went on to reveal his involvement with Telosian security forces; when he had seen them earlier in the Katharsis arena, he feared they were looking for him. In order to gain back the trust of his two companions, both thinking he had led them into a trap, Denetrus revealed a way to escape, first through a garbage chute, then a garden, and finally through a sewer pipe. After a brief chase, the group managed to shake the pursuing forces and, at Den's suggestion, made their way to another place Den felt they could hide.

The POWER Party
"So, why do you think I can help?" "I don't. That was Den's idea." "You seem very interested in UniFy. This is only a guess, but I have a feeling that you don't have an appointment tomorrow."

- Andra, Qui-Gon, and Denetrus discuss the POWER Party

This new destination was the home of Andra. Once safely inside, Den further revealed portions of his criminal activities and involvement with the less-than-legal POWER Party and Andra. Andra also revealed to the Jedi what she and her followers were attempting to accomplish&mdash;Andra believed that the planet's Sacred Places were being exploited for mining, and felt that UniFy and Katharsis played a role in the plan. The two also became involved in an argument over the amount of trust that should be placed upon Den's less-than-honest shoulders.

Den showed that he was capable of insight into the plans of the Jedi, when he confronted them on the true nature of the visit. When Den mentioned his past employment and subsequent departure from UniFy, a plan began to form in his mind. Utilizing some key cards he had "forgotten" to leave and stolen gray jumpsuits, the three were to infiltrate the facility and browse through the computer systems to try and find proof of Offworld Mining Corporation activities. After some brief deliberation, this plan of action was approved and sent into motion.

Infiltrating UniFy
"Andra hired me to break into the Unify files. I worked there a few months ago, and I forgot to turn in my ID badge. I had to leave in a hurry." "You forgot?" "And then I mistakenly took a couple extra badges when I left. So I can get us in. The odds are totally in our favor!""

- Den's plans for infiltrating UniFy Headquarters.

After a successful entry into the compound, the three moved to the main computer database, where Den utilized some of his skills in slicing and a device he crafted to forcibly enter the system. After another successful entry, Qui-Gon ordered that the sifting be done in shifts, each member working on one hundred entries at a time. Den, however, moved his attention to the Katharsis files, where he learned the true nature of the popular game of chance; the chance had been largely removed, and instead was a massive money-making front for UniFy. Unfortunately, an unforeseen security measure caused the computers to freeze. Den escaped the room by claiming he was departing to figure out what was up, leaving the Jedi alone. However, once clear of the room and the Jedi inside, Den escaped the compound, abandoning the Jedi. Instead of truly abandoning the mission, however, Denetrus once again made contact with Andra and revealed what had transpired.

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been apprehended by the Telosian security forces, who subsequently placed them under arrest per the Galactic Criminals Act. Held inside a dank underground cell, the two Jedi learned that they were to be put to death for crimes they were believed to have committed. It was there they were met by Xanatos, Qui-Gon's first Padawan, now head of the Offworld Mining Corporation. Xanatos was, along with his father, responsible for the civil war that engulfed Telos IV and involved Qui-Gon Jinn killing his father, leading Xanatos to the dark side. However, Xanatos shrewdly twisted the facts to make Qui-Gon look like the guilty party, while Xanatos was held as a hero in the eyes of the Telosians. Xanatos was the one who informed the two Jedi of their fate, as well as the main witness against the two in the short, condemning trial.

Knowing of the public executions which had become something of a sport in Telosian life, Andra developed another plan, one to rescue the captured Jinn and Kenobi. Den was goaded into aiding Andra again and so attempted to repair the damage he had caused by abandoning his allies. When the execution ceremony began, Andra and Den approached the suspended cages on separate swoop bikes. Both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan noted Andra's presence, and began their escape plan. Once they rendezvoused with their two allies, the chase began. After some evasive maneuvers and fancy flying, Andra, Den, and the Jedi were free of the pursuers.

A new plan of action
"First, Den will infiltrate the lottery system." "Whoa, hold on. What do you mean, I'll infiltrate the lottery system? What makes you think I can do that?" "I have a feeling you already know."

- Qui-Gon briefs Andra, Obi-Wan, and Den on his plan.

Unfortunately for Den the reunion allowed Qui-Gon Jinn to press him for answers concerning what he was actually doing during the hunt for Offworld-related data. Den explained his rationale, and revealed how the Katharsis games were rigged in UniFy's favor; the winner was selected before the events had begun, even down to the final scores and necessary modifications to take place on the different tools used in the final event. Denetrus went further, suggesting that the group could use this to either fund their operations or for other reasons.

Qui-Gon decided upon a plan of action that he hoped would expose Xanatos's true motives, the connection between UniFy and Offworld, and the effect Katharsis was having on the economy of Telos IV. The plan was twofold - first, Den would infiltrate UniFy's systems again and set himself up as the rigged winner of Katharsis's major event. After Andra questioned Qui-Gon's choice of utilizing Denetrus in this tempting role, and even going so far as to truly question Den's integrity and motivation, Den protested vehemently, insisting that he was not going to escape with the treasury. Qui-Gon also stood by his decision, and presented the other phase of his plan. During the time utilized in the rigging process, Andra and her followers would investigate firsthand what was happening to Telos's sacred places. It was then that Andra told her allies that she was the lone member of the POWER Party, as the others had fallen away after the destruction of a team with similar objectives. Obi-Wan, much to Qui-Gon's apparent dismay, offered to fill this role.

Bringing down Xanatos, UniFy, and Katharsis
"Remember, after you win, I'll be right here. Don't entertain the possibility of taking off with that prize. That money is going straight back to the treasury of Telos." "Of course it is. Kill me now if you'd think I'd double-cross my friends." "Don't tempt me."

- Qui-Gon stresses the importance of sticking to the plan.

As the plan progressed, Den was successful in his venture, and was listed in the relevant files. He also made careful note of the winner, how much the winner would win by, and even what would cause the winner to emerge victorious. Denetrus managed to jot down this information on a durasheet, which he presented secretly to the Governor of Telos before the events started, with instructions not to open it until Den called for it.

When the time of the event came and Andra and Kenobi still had not returned, Den's normally joking, pleasant demeanor was stressed, even as he tried to make light of the situation. By the time Andra and Obi-Wan did return, however, it was almost time for the final event. Qui-Gon made his way to the projection booth, and successfully planted the recording device Obi-Wan had returned with. Den was then forced to leave the relative safety of the group and make his way to meet with the other two lottery winners. He played up his approach to the central dais, where he would be watching the event and placing his bets.

As betting on the final event commenced, Den tried his best to make the choice he made as drawn out and strained as he could, so as to not reveal his knowledge of the eventual victor. When the game ended, Den won and celebrated as planned. His celebration was cut short, however, as Xanatos had entered the arena to give his customary speech which concluded the event and preceded the awarding ceremonies.

Ending the games
"This whole thing is a setup designed to get your money! They've lied to use! Look at the screens! This is what your money has bought!"

- Denetrus exposes Katharsis and UniFy.

An enigmatic Xanatos began his speech, and the technician responsible for the projection of Telos IV images cued Obi-Wan's recordings of what UniFy, Katharsis, and Offworld were doing to the sacred places. Xanatos was facing the crowds and, thus, away from the screens behind; he did not notice the different slides. The crowd, however, did and, with ever-intensifying force, began to yell out to Xanatos to explain what they saw. Xanatos attempted to quell the disturbance by offering the explanation that it was Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's fault; soon after, their pictures were displayed, and a Telosian sitting in front of them recognized and called out the Jedi. Swiftly apprehended, the Jedi were about to be dispatched when Den spoke up, demanding the treasures he was entitled to.

All eyes turned toward Den and Xanatos as he produced the crystalline box, filled with the vast treasures promised. While Den was tempted, he resisted the urge to take the money and run, and instead made reference to the same durasheet he had offered the Governor. As the Governor read it, the crowds began murmuring again, at which point Den spoke up once again, revealing the atrocities that Katharsis, UniFy, and Xanatos were performing. Once again the boiling point in the crowd rose greatly, urging Xanatos to explain himself. After motioning the crowds to quiet down, Xanatos admonished the crowd, and bolted for the winner's heavily modified swoop bike, ignoring Den completely.

This distraction was enough for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to break free of their restraints, and grab two swoops parked nearby. Once again, the two Jedi attempted to chase down Qui-Gon's old Padawan; unfortunately, as Xanatos's craft was specially modified, he was able to travel at greater velocities, almost losing the Jedi completely. Den made contact again with Andra, and the two also took off after Jinn and Kenobi. They eventually reached the two, now involved in a duel with Xanatos. They also all witnessed Xanatos as he ended his life, rather than fall back under the authority of Qui-Gon.

Aftermath
"I only joined up because I didn't want to lose Andra." "Ah." "The ironic thing is, I was the one to make her go to Uni's lecture. She was in a bad state, Obi-Wan."

- Denetrus tells Obi-Wan of what transpired to bring them to the BioCruiser.

When the four returned to Thani, both Andra and Denetrus were proclaimed heroes and were held with great respect among the residents of the city. Den also joked that he wanted the position of Governor, which Andra firmly rejected. It was in these spirits that the two Jedi left for their next adventure.

Den eventually married Andra, and the two lived together, attempting to repair the damage dealt by Offworld's harsh mining. During this time, Andra convinced her new husband to abandon his past of criminal acts, which she accomplished, though with Denetrus always looking for a way to use his abilities in his more familiar element. Unfortunately, the hole Offworld originally filled was now empty, allowing other equally powerful corporations to operate on Telos IV. Den could see Andra becoming more and more depressed as all she had worked for was beginning to falter.

However, Den heard of hope, in the form of a new, charismatic leader with ideals. Under the name Uni, he promised a way to unite the people against the creeping influence of pirate groups and other shady and destructive business ventures. Den persuaded Andra to attend a meeting with Uni, which, after some gentle prodding, she did, and instantly became involved in the planning of a large starship under the designation BioCruiser. This design would allow those who had grown tired of the increasing influence of criminal acts to band together aboard the ship and operate independent of any outside sources.

Life aboard the BioCruiser
"They've got me raising vegetables, can you believe that?"

- Denetrus's plight.

As the ship project continued, Andra and Den moved along with the different plans, including stockpiling the treasury with the rest of the inhabitants. Once settled in, though, Den began to experience doubt on whether becoming a nomad of the stars was actually a good idea. The leading officials gave him the job of tending plants held within the ship, much to Den's general dismay. He continued living on the cruiser, as it became larger, more inhabited, and its appearance more motley.

Reunion with Obi-Wan Kenobi
"So what are you doing here?" "Escaping the horrors of corruption and environmental degradation. What about you?" "Investigating you."

- Obi-Wan greets Den aboard the BioCruiser.

Twelve years after the reclamation efforts that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn aided, Den would once again meet Kenobi. After a stop over an unknown planet, the BioCruiser picked up two newcomers, sent by the Galactic Senate of the Republic to investigate disturbing reports coming from family members of those onboard who had lost all contact with their loved ones.

Jedi Knight Obi-Wan and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker were the ones selected for the investigation. Unknown to either Den or Obi-Wan, the two were to be on the same ship at the same time. After the two Jedi were given access to a guided tour of the station by Uni, they met up with their guide: Andra herself. Surprised and pleased to see Obi-Wan once again, she agreed to contact Den with the news at the conclusion of the tour after revealing the two had married.

After the tour's termination, Kenobi and Skywalker returned to their quarters to discuss what each felt was occurring on the ship. A knock on the door, however, interrupted and, when Obi-Wan opened the door, Den was welcomed in. Den updated Obi-Wan on what had occurred since the time they had seen each other last.

After the pleasantries and update, Den began talking about his suspicions concerning the ship, and even the entire project. He looked forward to helping Obi-Wan again and, in order to prove this willingness, produced a stack of durasheet papers with different information concerning different elements Den thought were suspicious. After browsing through them, Obi-Wan determined that they didn't provide any hard proof to anything amiss aboard, to Den's dismay. However, one particular element about a simple tech worker named Karn and his interesting relation to the elitist Vox Chun, Telos IV's former treasurer, bothered Obi-Wan enough to follow it as a lead.

Unfortunately, Den's slicing caused trouble for the Jedi, as they were soon apprehended under the charges of slicing into the BioCruiser's text-doc files. Uni, whom Obi-Wan knew better as Kad Chun, the son of Vox Chun, calmly dictated that the Jedi were to leave the ship to prevent any further breeches in security; both Anakin and Obi-Wan thought it wise, though inconvenient, to follow, and so they did. However, Obi-Wan enlisted Den to break them out of the room they were held in. After accomplishing that task with a lock-pick device he fashioned, the three decided that an investigation of Vox Chun's room was in order. This investigation revealed that greed still ran powerfully through Vox and, with further exploring, that the immense cobbled-together ship was to fall under attack by a group of Offworld ships. With the investigation complete, the three made their way to the docking bay of the ship, where the Jedi reunited with their ride, piloted by fellow Jedi Garen Muln, an old friend of Obi-Wan's.

Saving the BioCruiser
"Kern has sabotaged the ship! It's breaking up!"

- Den's panicked cry as the BioCruiser began to break up.

Den stayed behind as the three Jedi, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Garen, made their way to Uni, where they produced the incriminating evidence. At the start of their arguments, Kad kept his faith in his father, however, as the events Obi-Wan was referring to began to conspire, Kad quickly turned face and demanded the truth out of Vox. Though reluctant at first, Vox eventually told the four gathered with him the plan, which involved the sabotage of the BioCruiser and a subsequent robbing of the treasury, and then made his way to the docking bay where an escape pod and Karn were waiting.

The foursome followed him hoping to convince Karn to stop whatever invasion force was to come. Karn, however, attempted to dispatch the Jedi and Kad, while making his way to the escape pod; once there, he blasted the frail Vox Chun in the chest to make room in the pod for himself and the treasury. Unfortunately, the departure of Karn did not alleviate the situation, as the Offworld ships began to attack the cobbled-together starship, revealing that Karn had changed the arrangement between both Vox and Offworld and was stealing the wealth for himself. Young Anakin and Garen managed to utilize space vessels to combat the invading forces, while Obi-Wan and Kad sprinted off to the bridge. Den and Andra were tasked with the daunting challenge of evacuating those still aboard the vessel. However, both were able to fulfill their mission, and organized the orderly evacuation as the two Jedi outside chased off the attackers.

Once the ship was safely docked with a platform, Den, Andra, and a sullen Kad said their goodbyes to the Jedi who had revealed the deceit behind the plot, and would, along with other members of the project, decide what to do next.

Personality and traits
"I ask you, do I look like a bad guy?" "No." "Your companion lies well. That's a good skill."

- Den gets to know the newcomers Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn

Denetrus looked like a young man, with tousled blond hair and a slight build. When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan first met him, he used his unassuming demeanor to lead the Jedi to trust him, which he utilized in forming a partnership with them. When Obi-Wan would meet up with him twelve years later, Den's appearance did not change dramatically; he was easily recognizable, and had not appeared to age much in that period. His boyish features remained, as did his carefree personality.

Even though he was considered untrustworthy by those he dealt with, he was quite loyal to those he befriended, a fact he defended very resolutely. Den often willingly went along with a plan, even if he didn't agree with it fully. However, during such missions, his preference in the field of thievery dictated that he attempt to profit some way out of a situation; this would often cause troubles to mount, and soon after both he and his companions would find themselves in a tense situation. Unfortunately for both the thief and those involved, Den, though fairly competent in his field, would often leave a trail of clues. Denetrus was also the victim of mere fate more than once as he unwittingly led those close to him into traps and problematic areas.

When Den married Andra, however, she convinced him to lose his past actions of thieving. This newer personality never felt right to Den, and he itched to find a way to utilize his past talents. It wasn't until the reemergence of Obi-Wan on the Bio-Cruiser that he would be able to use his abilities again.

The Telosian often alleviated tense situations with his sense of humor. A gambling man, he constantly made references to the odds of something happening in a situation; much of the time these were inaccurate, though still within the realm of believability. Den also enjoyed toying with people's minds, by presenting himself as someone or something else. This was utilized by misleading strangers, and keeping any information critical to his assignments or goals hidden.

Andra
"We're more alike than you want to admit, Andra." "I'd rather be compared to a dinko." "Sure, I can do that. A dinko is a creature with fangs and a nasty disposition. The problem is, how are you different? Let me see your teeth."

- Den playfully teases an uptight Andra.

Den first met Andra shortly after he was fired from his position in the UniFy office. Andra, after hearing what he did as a livelihood and learning that he had a way back into the structure, enlisted him to infiltrate his past employer and look up connections between Katharsis, UniFy, and the desecration of Telos IV's sacred places. The two never truly got along with each other, as Andra felt Den was too criminal, and Den thought Andra held him to a different set of standards than his own, often referring to her as "Captain Integrity".

When the Jedi visited the planet, Andra and Denetrus were still bickering with each other; however, Den began to really care for the freedom fighter. He took special care to not hurt her. Through the two's adventures with Jinn and Kenobi, they grew closer together, to the point of becoming romantically involved.

Sometime between the end of the Katharsis gambit and the introduction of Uni, Den and Andra married. Den even gave up his life of crime for her. When she suggested that they move into the BioCruiser, Den was reluctant, but, for fear of losing Andra, followed her along.

Behind the scenes
Denetrus was created by Jude Watson and first appeared in Jedi Apprentice: The Day of Reckoning. In the book, he fulfilled the role of a reluctant hero, as one of the four main protagonists. Jude would later reuse the character in the Jedi Apprentice Special Editions 1: Deceptions book, with a slightly different role; here, Denetrus was portrayed as the main force of conspiracy theories surrounding BioCruiser. Den has not since reappeared in any other works.

Appearances

 * Jedi Apprentice: The Day of Reckoning
 * Jedi Apprentice Special Editions 1: Deceptions