UnuThul

"Raynar Thul is no more. We are UnuThul."

- UnuThul to Luke Skywalker

UnuThul was the persona adopted by the Jedi Raynar Thul after he was saved by a nest of Killiks when the Tachyon Flier crash-landed on the planet Yoggoy in 27 ABY. Becoming a Joiner and the Prime of the lead hive Unu, UnuThul was a key Colony figure in the Dark Nest Crisis and the Swarm War.

Kidnapped, rescued and absorbed (27 ABY)
"Raynar Thul vanished with the Crash."

- UnuThul to Luke Skywalker, 35 ABY

During the Mission to Myrkr of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 27 ABY, Jedi Apprentice Raynar Thul was part of the Myrkr strike team which infiltrated the worldship Baanu Rass in Myrkr's orbit in order to destroy the voxyn queen within. Injured, Raynar was moved into the YV-888 light freighter discovered by the strike team in the worldship hangar, a craft which the team planned to commandeer after completeing the mission.

However, Nightsister Lomi Plo and Dark Jedi Welk, two prisoners rescued by the team during the mission, hijacked the Tachyon Flier by stunning Lowbacca. The two of them betrayed the strike team and took off, taking Raynar with them. The Flier was under enemy fire during Myrkr outbound, after a faint disturbance in the Force, the three passengers were presumed lost.

In truth, the Flier jumped to the Unknown Regions and crash-landed on the planet Yoggoy, a Killik nest. The already injured Raynar caught fire, but he performed a noble Jedi act by draging Plo and Welk out of the wreckage. Killiks of the Yoggoy hive arrived at the crash site and waited for Raynar to die, in order to give his corpse to Killik larvae. As the Joining process began, Raynar's personality began to affect and take over the Yoggoy hive mind. Thus the Yoggoy took Raynar and spent a long time healing the young Jedi. The survived Raynar Thul was absorbed into the Yoggoy hive mind and emerged as a Joiner of the Yoggoy hive.

The Prime Unu (27 to 35 ABY)
"We learned to care for the infirm. Before, only the nest mattered. But Yoggoy is smart. Yoggoy learned the value of the individual, and Yoggoy grew stronger. The Unu was created."

- UnuThul to the Jedi, 35 ABY

Raynar's Force sensitivity affected the Killiks, and his values became their values, especially the value of individual life. The reborned Thul began changing the Yoggoy nest to better help the Killiks, making the Yoggoy much stronger than before. Thus a new nest named Unu was created, and Thul became the Prime Unu UnuThul, leader of the Unu lead hive and the Colony. In time, the Colony spread about local space, to provide resources for itself and share the "gift" of Thul among the Kind.

The process was not an easy one. While Killiks were peaceful, like most hive based species, they had no value on individual life. At least one rival nest attacked the Yoggoy hive, but the hive survived, either defeating or absorbing the attacking nest.

Then, the cyclical food shortages, which had never been a problem to the Killiks before, required them to begin trading with other planets and races. However, they also began absorbing more non-Killiks into their hive mind.

One typical example was the Chiss Ascendancy. Before Raynar Thul crash-landed on Yoggoy and became UnuThul, several Chiss Ruling Families had already hired entire Killik nests for industrial works. Despite the Chiss precautions, two entire ruling families became Joiners, and three had become critically dependent on insect labor, and a dispute in the Ascendancy took place and resolved around 29 ABY.

The Chiss-Colony border dispute
"We do not know why. The system we have entered is over a light-year from the nearest Chiss base, and we have established nests only on food sources."

- UnuThul to the Jedi, 35 ABY

Needless to say, the Chiss Ascendancy considered the Colony a great threat. Under the leadership of the Unu lead hive and its leader UnuThul, the Colony continued to expand. By 35 ABY there were at least three hundred and seventy-five nests, whose border closely approached Ascendancy space. Chiss military responded with battle readiness and high alert, igniting several engagements. As the intelligence and knowledge within the "defected" Chiss was accessible by the hive minds, the Colony received certain advantages. Military threatened and starving to death, UnuThul required help to tip the balance in order to defeat the bullying Chiss, helping the weak and poor... or so he thought.

A call for help
"Come fast. Come now."

- UnuThul's Force-call to Myrkr strike team survivors, 35 ABY

The Force-sensitivity of UnuThul not only united the nests, but allowed UnuThul to draw on the Force energy of every single nest memeber and Joiner. Now stunningly powerful in the Force, UnuThul issued a call for help through the Force to the Myrkr strike team surviviors. Every survivor received the call, within them Jaina Solo, Tesar Sebatyne, Lowbacca, Zekk, Tahiri Veila, Tekli and Alema Rar were the first group to respond, abandoning their Jedi duties and rushed to Yoggoy. After meeting "Raynar" and spending time in the hive, most of the Jedi became Joiners or Partial Joiners with the Taat, and they were deployed by UnuThul to the planet Qoribu, helping the Taat to engage incoming Chiss ships.

Enraged that the Jedi of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances–Aristocra Mitt'swe'kleoni's words–took aggressive actions in a border dispute of the Chiss, Mitt'swe'kleoni went to Coruscant and demanded Chief of State Cal Omas's explanation. Honestly unaware of both the missing Jedi and the border dispute, Omas led the Chiss to the New Jedi Temple. Mitt'swe'kleoni was apparently convinced that the missing Jedi had gone rogue, while Cal Omas demanded Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to personally bring the Jedi back and stop the killing.

At the same time, Jacen Solo, after his five years solitude in his quest to learn a boarder view of the Force, received the Force-call and went to the Yoggoy. There Jacen visited the crash site before meeting UnuThul and used the newly learned Flow-walking technique to witness Raynar dragging out Plo and Welk in the past, and left a Force-vision message to her mother Leia Organa Solo, who would visit the crash site in the future. While in Hapes, Queen Mother Tenel Ka Chume Ta' Djo received the call but did not leave the Consortium due to the duty to her people.

Confrontations with the Masters
"We have heard about this new Force of yours, and we despair. The Jedi have grown blind to the dark side itself."

- UnuThul to Luke Skywalker, 35 ABY

Received the news from Kyp Durron, Leia and Han Solo went to the Unknown Regions by the Millennium Falcon. While Luke, Mara Jade Skywalker and Saba Sebatyne arrived at the Lizil nest by the Jade Shadow, which was greeted by five hundred dartships. The Skywalker-Solo family joined forces and investigated, but the Joiners under the control of the Lizil hive mind tried to undermine their efforts. With the help of Jae Juun and Tarfang, the Jedi learnt the basic idea of Joiners and traveled to Yoggoy.

The Falcon and Jae's XR808g landed on Yoggoy while The Shadow provided air cover. Escorted by a large number of insect soldiers, UnuThul greeted the Solos.

Now an imposing, melt-faced man with no ears or hair, a bulge for a nose and a pair of blue eyes, with a deep, gravelly rasp voice. His brows had fused into a single knobby ridge, and his visible skin was full of burn scars. He wore purple trousers with a scarlet cape over a gold chitin breastplate. Despite such an appearance, Leia sensed UnuThul's presence familiar, and for a moment Leia almost thought UnuThul was her lost son Anakin Solo. In a masterful display of his power, UnuThul Force probed Leia and nearly made her collapse; then he healed a Yoggoy guide injured by Tarfang, broke the turrets of the Falcon, crippled the Solos' BD-8 droid, and stunned Cakhmaim and Meewalh, Leia's Noghri bodyguards. After stating the Falcon was better with a white hull instead of the black, Leia identified the Prime Unu as the presumed lost Raynar Thul.

In the Prime Chamber, UnuThul used "we" to address himself, stating Raynar Thul no longer existed and "we" were now UnuThul. Luke insisted that he sensed Raynar's presence in UnuThul, and guessed Raynar might be in hiding. UnuThul claimed Raynar Thul was now a ghost, vanished with the Crash, and UnuThul was the man. Raynar then guided the Jedi to read the Chronicle on the wall, explaining the transformation of Rayanr Thul to UnuThul, and the rise of the Unu nest and the Colony, UnuThul explained the Unu nest as "the nest of the nests".

UnuThul received his first test as Mara asked about the fate of Lomi Plo and Welk. UnuThul appeared to be confused, not remembering about his own abduction by the pair. Luke sensed the Raynar presence rose repeatedly to the surface but was swallowed by the presence of the hive mind. UnuThul claimed that the Crash was remembered, but not the Dark Jedi, and concluded that they must be dead. When Luke tried to probe UnuThul again, the hive mind powerfully pushed Luke out and declared that the Crash, the flames, pain, smoke, fear, loneliness and dispair were the only things "we" remembered.

When Han asked about Jaina and the rest of the missing Jedi, UnuThul assured their wellfare and claimed that "they" did not know how Raynar Thul's friends thought of the new UnuThul. UnuThul stated that the Colony needed the missing Jedi to prevent a war with the Chiss. UnuThul then claimed innocence in the conflict and accused the Chiss for poisoning the Colony's food worlds. UnuThul claimed that the Chiss could come to the Colony and take what they needed, provided that the Colony could go to the Chiss space and do the same.

When Mara demanded the location of the missing Jedi, UnuThul suddenly Force probed Luke Skywalker with such a power that required Luke, Mara, Saba and Leia to join strength to stop him.

UnuThul refused to surrender the planet Qoribu after the showdown, stating that anyone could leave whenever they wanted, and decided to assign a guide to escort the Jedi Masters back to Lizil. Luke refused and insisted on performing private investigation, UnuThul stated they were welcomed to stay on Yoggoy for as long as they wished, but the Colony would not allow the missing Jedi to be visited. UnuThul then debated with the Masters about the political standing of the New Jedi Order and their view of the Force. The interview ended with UnuThul stating that the Colony understood the Jedi Masters all too well.

The Jedi soon realized that the collective mind of the nests allowed UnuThul to spy on them almost anytime and anywhere on Yoggoy. The Jedi visited the crash site, and Leia received Jacen's message about Qoribu which was in the Gyuel system. Insects dark blue in color then attempted to assassinate the Jedi Masters at the crash site, which the Jedi barely escaped with Nanna killing several blue insects at the process. However, the Yoggoy guide accompanied the Jedi denied ever seeing any blue insects.

UnuThul met the Jedi back at the hangar. When he asked about whether the Jedi was hurt, Han accused UnuThul for attempted assassination. UnuThul claimed that the hive mind would know if any nest attack the Jedi, and the mind would realized if any of its member was killed. Han then threatened UnuThul, even mentioning about a date with Raynar Thul's mother a long time ago, which seemed to enrage the Prime Unu. UnuThul insisted the Yoggoy guide was the only dead found in the area, and the blue insects were probably shadows due to thick dust and falling rubble. Luke proposed that it was another party who attempted to assassinate the Jedi, but UnuThul insisted that even if someone else attacked the Jedi, the hive mind would also aware.

Leia then took UnuThul into the Falcon and showed him the artwork Killik Twilight, which UnuThul claimed showing the Lost Nest Oroboro, and revealing the Colony was the nests of the supposed extincted Killiks. However Leia used the Killik ruins on Alderaan to prove that the tower falling on Yoggoy was an attack instead of a natural collapse. Denied, UnuThul provided an apology and tried to explain the Celestials to Han, claiming the Killiks built the Centerpoint Station, which was called Qolaraloq by them.

The discovery of the Dark Nest
"Impossible. There are no Gorog in the Kind. How could the nest influence us?"

- UnuThul to Leia Organa Solo, 35 ABY

When the Jedi Masters busy searching for Qoribu, the missing Jedi battled against Chiss forces over Qoribu's orbit, and Lowbacca went EV. When the Masters reached Qoribu, the Shadow was attacked by mysterious dartships, which was fooled by Luke Skywalker's illusions. After an intense interview, the Masters-on-site requested the Jedi to return to Coruscant. The Jedi agreed under the conditions that Lowbacca would be rescued and a Master would stay on Qoribu to monitor the conflict.

However, the rescue mission was foiled by Commander Jagged Fel of the Chiss, who intended to ambush the rogue Jedi. Rufused to lead his friends into danger, Lowbacca foiled the ambush and was captured by Jagged. On Qoribu, Saba Sebatyne was grievously wounded in a duel against the supposed dead Welk. While on the Shadow, Ben Skywalker secretly brought a Killik from the Gorog nest back home; Jacen, Tahiri, Tesar, Tekli traveled back to Alliance space with the Masters. Alema agreed to leave with the Solo couple and the injured Saba, surprising Jaina and Zekk, who refused to leave.

In the following days, Master Healer Cilghal tried to solve the Joining mystery, while Alema sabotaged the Falcon, outmatched Leia in a lightsaber duel, and captured by Han. Jacen traveled to Hapes and convinced Tenel Ka to send a fleet for the Colony's defense. Tesar fled to inform Raynar's family about his reappearance. On Ossus, Mara fought against Ben's Gorog "friend" and captured the insect. After a morally debateable experiment, Cilghal concluded that Alema joined with the Dark Nest Gorog due to her close relationship with the dark side, and the Dark Nest was manipulating the Colony behind the scenes, fooling UnuThul, the Joiners and all the nests.

At the same time, Cal Omas demanded the Jedi to recall all the rogue Jedi and the Hapan fleet, otherwise the Alliance would stop financing the Order. Open debate broke out in the Masters' Council. Leia proposed moving the nests on Qoribu to a new system the Solos discovered on the condition that Borao would be given to the Ithorians. The Jedi mounted an assault against the Dark Nest by allowing Alema escaped Ossus with Gorog.

The Battles of Qoribu and Kr
"Perhaps, but even we are not strong enough to control Jacen. He has moved beyond our control–or anyone else's."

- UnuThul to Jaina Solo and Zekk, 35 ABY

UnuThul moved his flagship and the Colony main fleet, the Great Swarm, to Qoribu for the upcoming battle. UnuThul asked, then ordered Jaina and Zekk to leave Qoribu. The pair was able to resist UnuThul's power and discovered the Colony intended to ambush the Chiss and wait for Hapes reinforcement. The pair accused UnuThul controling Jacen to bring the reinforcement, while UnuThul revealed that even the combined Force power of the Colony was not strong enough to control Jacen. Jaina tried to convince UnuThul to make peace with the Chiss, which would be the wish of Raynar, but UnuThul countered that Raynar was gone. Jaina then faked her submission, when neither the mind of Unu nor the Taat's paid her attention, she reached out and warned Jagged.

The Battle of Kr began as the Skywalker couple infiltrated the Dark Nest and were shot down and ambushed. On high orbit, the Battle of Qoribu broke out as neither Chiss nor Hapes would trust the claim of the Solos, feared that the Solos were a ploy of the opposite party. A complex war outbroke between the Chiss, the Hapes, the Colony and the Jedi. Despite all the crossfire, the Falcon landed on Kr and stormed the Dark Nest to reinforce the Skywalkers.

Enraged that Jaina warned Jagged about the ambush and foiled the Colony's plan, UnuThul planted a command with all his power in Jaina and Zekk: rescue Lowbacca and leave. When the pair launched in their StealthXs, they discovered the Skywalkers-Solos presence in the system, and thought UnuThul deliberately hid the truth from them. Sensing the doubt, UnuThul pressed the will of rescue-and-leave on them harder.

On Kr, Alema and Dark Nest warriors ambushed the combined force of Skywalkers, Solos, Saba, Kyp, Kyle Katarn, Octa Ramis and YVH 5-S Bugcruncher war droids. While due to the anger of the Unu hive mind, the distance with the Taat hive, and UnuThul busy coordinating the battle to touch the Force Meld of the Myrkr strike team survivors, Jaina and Zekk had control of their mind for the moment. The pair concluded that the Chiss was employing the Bothan fade tactic against the Colony. Fearing the death of UnuThul would let Lomi Plo or Welk seize the post of Prime Unu, the pair urged UnuThul to touch the meld. When the Unu hive mind pushed their call away, Leia touched Jaina, relaying images of the Battle of Kr to her daughter.

The pair was finally convinced that the dark blue Killiks existed and were behind the multiple attacks on the Jedi. Jaina and Zekk ceased their rescue of Lowbacca and headed to the Colony fleet, but Unu's will urged them to turn away. Difficult to fight against the Unu will, the pair ordered their astromech droids, who could not be touched by Killiks will, to fly toward the Colony fleet. UnuThul personally pushed Unu will aside and talked to the pair, but refused to believe the Bothan fade claim as Chiss tactic was different from the rest of the galaxy.

Yet when the pair journeyed deep into the Chiss fleet to rescue Lowbacca, the Great Swarm stayed around Qoribu's south pole, with the Hapes took up supporting position behind the dartships, effectively foiled the Bothan fade. Realizing the plan failed, the Chiss altered tactics and built up a three-layers defensive wall. Meanwhile lost track of the pair of StealthXs, the Chiss dreadnaught holding Lowbacca withdrew and jumped to Chiss space.

On Kr, the battle intensified as Luke and Mara dueled with Alema, Welk and the Gorog assassin respectively. The fighting darkened as the Skywalkers used Force Choke and Force lightning against their enemies. A mysterious attacker drew away the powercells of the Jedi lightsabers and blasters, and slowing down the motion of Luke. Although convinced that it was Lomi Plo, the Jedi could not find her. The battle ended with Mara defeating Gorog and Luke capturing Welk, but Alema fled.

The Qoribu Truce
"The Kind seek only to live in harmony with the Song of the Universe."

- UnuThul to Leia Organa Solo, 35 ABY

UnuThul moved his flagship, an old Lancer-class frigate, to Kr and stopped Jae from hijacking the Falcon. His power absorbed Jaina and Zekk, who came to rescue the Jedi, and demanded the killers of the Killiks.

In a captive chamber of the Gorog Dark Nest, UnuThul used the Force to pressure the Solos, Han was able to resist without effort, but Leia's touch with the meld was exposed. Leia then showed UnuThul the captive chamber, where Gorog fed on Chiss captives and influenced the Colony to build more nest on Qoribu.

The will of the Unu nest battled against UnuThul's–or Raynar Thul's will. Leia tried to convince UnuThul that the Dark Nest used the Force to influence Unu and the other nests, much like UnuThul used the Force on Tesar, Tekli and Tahiri, commanding them to report his fate to the Thul family and argue against the Council. UnuThul refused to yield until Saba showed him the captured Welk.

Raynar Thul's memory and presence finally broke free. He claimed when the Flier crashed on Yoggoy, he saw Jacen and received his help through the Force. UnuThul was able to remember he once saved Lomi Plo, and sensed her fear against Anakin Solo, Luke Skywalker and the Yuuzhan Vong, with her desire to hide from everyone.

The Solos convinced UnuThul about Cilghal's theory that the Yoggoy swallowed Raynar Thul's personality to care individual life and create Unu, while Yoggoy swallowed Plo's and Welk's to hide and create Gorog. UnuThul held himself responsible for all the killing, because Raynar Thul saved Plo and Welk. Han convinced him otherwise, but UnuThul started blaming everything on the Chiss, proposing that the Chiss brain-slave the Gorog or cloning Killiks.

Going insane, UnuThul pressured Leia and a Chiss captive, demanding the not existed truth of Chiss treachery, and again refused to acknowledge saving Plo and Welk. The Solos and Saba intead convinced UnuThul that absorbing too many Chiss into the Colony would result in the creation of Dark Nests, because Chiss were great fighters and desired secrecy. UnuThul finally refused to absorb anymore Chiss mind, and stated the Colony would never murder Chiss prisoners.

Finally, Leia convinced UnuThul to move the Qoribu nests onto the Hapes fleet and settle to the subsector on the edge of Colony territory. Thus the Qoribu Truce was signed, with the Chiss Ascendancy providing a border guarantee and a promise of nonaggression. Jagged released Lowbacca, and UnuThul told Han that Jaina was no longer welcome within the nests, because she was stubborn and tricky, cared about nothing but preventing a war.

The attack of Fizz
One year later, an enviromental defense system nicknamed the Fizz started to attack the Killiks that had settled on the planet. The planet's defenses, advanced nano-technology, broke down everything that was harming the ecology of the planet.

UnuThul was furious and imprisoned Han and Luke under the influence of the Dark Nest. He sent all of the Killiks back to the Chiss Frontier. While on their way, they were attacked by the Galactic Alliance fleet. Raynar commadeered one of the shuttles and took off with most of the Killiks. Many considered Raynar to be an enemy after that, but some still thought of him as the Jedi he once was.

The Swarm War (36 ABY)
In 36 ABY, at the height of the Swarm War, he and Luke Skywalker battled. Luke knocked some sense into Raynar and demanded that he leave the Killiks. After the defeat of Lomi Plo, Raynar, who was knocked unconscious by Luke and dragged back to the Jedi headquarters, was given a mask to wear so that if he tried to communicate with the Killiks, he would be zapped. Raynar was then put in the custody of the Jedi Order.

Legacy of the Force (40 ABY)
As of 40 ABY, UnuThul was locked deep in a room inside the New Jedi Temple on Coruscant, receiving both physical and mental therapy under Jedi healers. When Luke Skywalker dreamt of the mysterious Dark Man, Mara briefly considered the possibility of UnuThul reemerge as a threat, but the thought was dismissed by Skywalker.

Behind the scenes

 * The name of the first book in the Dark Nest Trilogy, The Joiner King, was refering to UnuThul.

Appearances

 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Betrayal