Nom Anor

"Nom Anor is a consummate infidel. He thinks only of his own ambitions."

- Harrar to Luke Skywalker

Nom Anor was a Yuuzhan Vong of the Intendant caste responsible for most of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy. By Yuuzhan Vong standards, he was plain and average looking. He was sent ahead of the invasion to gather intelligence and to weaken various local and galactic governments from within to make conquest easier. It was unknown exactly for how long he had been spying on the galaxy, but some estimates put it at around 20 years.

He played a vital role during the war, weakening the Empire and the New Republic even before the Yuuzhan Vong began their invasion. Nom Anor masterminded numerous schemes, deceptions, and stratagems to weaken the New Republic, including the devastation of Duro. He would later serve as one of the chief advisors to Tsavong Lah, along with the Fosh Vergere.

The Rise of Nom Anor
"My plans are my plans."

- Nom Anor

Nom Anor was born in an Intendant caste, and was groomed to live his life as a politician. He rose rapidly through the ranks, and soon reached the rank of Executor, he then gouged out his left eye with a burning stick and had it replaced with a plaeryin bol. His goal was then to attain the title of High Prefect.

Nom Anor was also a talented bioengineer. He invented the coomb spore, the gablith masquer, and naotebe wingling, to name a few, disregarding the Yuuzhan Vong religious protocols that restrict the creation of new weapons in the process. Nom Anor had no use for ancient protocols and traditions in general, and only used them to suit his own ends.

Upon entering a new galaxy


Shortly after the death of Emperor Palpatine, Nom Anor was sent on a mission to scout out the galaxy and destabilize any governments that may pose a threat to the swift invasion of the galaxy. One of his first missions was to Calocour Heights on Coruscant. It is not known exactly when Nom Anor arrived in the galaxy, but he was present by 11 ABY, when he met with aspiring Emperor Carnor Jax, who notified his master, Lumiya, of the strange agent. Anor later manipulated Xandel Carivus, a key member of the Imperial Interim Council. Either before or after his involvement with the Interim Council, he was involved with foiling the plans of the Moffs (presumably either the Central Committee of Grand Moffs or the Council of Moffs). Nom Anor had correctly considered the Galactic Empire to be a greater military threat than the New Republic, and his manipulations helped lead to its downfall.

During this time, he also had dealings of an unknown nature with Grappa the Hutt, and several other "shadowy" groups.

Pre-invasion


"I seek allies in this filthy place."

- Nom Anor

Thirteen years after Carivus' death, Nom Anor placed his coomb spores in the breath masks of one hundred New Republic diplomats on Monor II, including Mara Jade Skywalker. All of them became infected, and all except Mara Jade Skywalker died from the disease. She was able to hold the disease back using the Force.

That same year he visited Bar Jaraniz on Nar Shaddaa to meet the Mandalorian Goran Beviin whom the Executor, under the name of Udelen, hired as an assassin, inspiring civil war upon the industrial planet of Ter Abbes. During the months preceding the galactic invasion, Nom Anor nursed a regular business relationship with the Mandalorian Protectors often meeting with their leader, Boba Fett. Intrigued by the Mandalorians' culture of war, Nom Anor called Fett and his people to witness the arrival of a Yuuzhan Vong flotilla in an 'up-front' attempt at further recruiting them during the course of the forthcoming war. However Fett did not believe a word Nom Anor spoke.

"Liar. You'll swarm across the galaxy and when it suits you, you'll come back for us. You lived a lie among us for eighteen years, so one more lie just rolls off that tongue of yours..."

- Boba Fett about Nom Anor

Nom Anor continued to stir up politic trouble preceding the invasion date, this time as the leader of the Red Knights of Life extremist group on Rhommamool. He caused friction between Rhommamool and her sister planet Osarian by making several anti-droid, anti-Jedi and anti-technology demonstrations and speeches. As the friction between the two planets escalated to war in 25 ABY, Nom Anor was informed via villip by Yomin Carr that the Yuuzhan Vong invasion had begun, and faked his own death.

Early invasion
In 25 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong invasion began in full force. Led by the Praetorite Vong, the invasion was almost stopped dead in its tracks by their repeated failures, forcing Warmaster Tsavong Lah and the warrior caste to invade much sooner than anticipated. The actions of the Praetorite Vong tainted Nom Anor's reputation by association, so he plotted ways to redeem himself. In a plot to wipe out the Jedi, Nom Anor and the deception sect priest Harrar then schemed to use the priestess Elan in a plot calling for her "defection" to the New Republic. She was wielding deadly spores in her body to infect the Jedi, but the plan to unleash them failed, and Elan was killed by the backfired spores.

Now back to square one, Nom Anor, under the name Pedric Cuf, then forged an alliance with the Hutts, and knowing that Hutts could not be trusted, he fed them false information that was passed onto New Republic Intelligence. As a result of this, the Yuuzhan Vong then took over Hutt Space.

To atone for his past failures, Nom Anor was sent to capture the planet of Duro. Posing as a Duros scientist named Dassid Cree'Ar, he released naotebe winglings that destroyed New Republic refugee encampments, and the planet was captured by Yuuzhan Vong forces. He had redeemed himself in Warmaster Tsavong Lah's eyes, but unfortunately, the Warmaster did not escalate him, and the Intendant then found himself competing with Vergere, Tsavong Lah's alien advisor and pet.



To further prove himself, Nom Anor infiltrated the Givin species (who suspected his true nature but did nothing about it) and planned to take Yag'Dhul for the Yuuzhan Vong, but was foiled by Corran Horn, Anakin Solo, and Tahiri Veila. During the mission, Corran challenged him to a duel, but Nom Anor backed down. Tahiri then told the warriors what he had done, one of the warriors accepted Corran's challenge, but Anakin took Corran's place. While dueling the warrior Anakin cut a hole in the wall, then he, Corran and Tahiri escaped. In order to prevent himself from disgrace for backing out of a challenge Nom Anor killed all the warriors who accompanied him with a blaster, including Qau Lah, a warrior of warmaster Tsavong Lah's domain.

In 27 ABY, Nom Anor went to Coruscant to address the New Republic Senate, in an attempt to persuade it to officially turn over the Jedi to the Yuuzhan Vong. In front of the entire Senate, Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya lashed out at Nom Anor, stating that the Jedi had his full support, denounced him, and had him kicked off Coruscant. Shortly after, Nom Anor and Vergere&mdash;who disliked each other greatly&mdash;were assigned to capture the Solo twins, because twins were sacred in Yuuzhan Vong society. When the Myrkr strike team invaded the voxyn cloning facility on Myrkr, Jacen Solo was captured by Vergere, but Jaina Solo had escaped. After a long breaking session involving the Embrace of Pain, Jacen pretended to embrace the Yuuzhan Vong way. However, with the help of the traitorous Vergere, he escaped to the Well of the World Brain, and Nom Anor led the forces to recapture him. However, Ganner Rhysode, in an amazing display of the Force and lightsaber combat, slayed warrior after warrior. As always, Nom Anor had a contingency plan. He had bribed a shaper to seed a coralcraft in the late Palpatine's holding office. The craft was discovered by Vergere, and Nom Anor was forced to take the Fosh with him, hoping that would stop the New Republic from killing him on the spot, but Vergere had other plans. She threatened Nom Anor with Jacen's lightsaber and used the Force to tie the executor up with cables. As Ganner brought the ceiling down with the Force, Nom Anor, Ganner, and all the other warriors were buried under a pile of rubble, allowing Jacen and Vergere to escape in the coralcraft.

After Supreme Overlord Shimrra arrived on Yuuzhan'tar, Nom Anor donned an ooglith masquer and infiltrated a Shamed Ones Heresy group. While on his way back to the Damutek of the Intendants, he spotted Onimi, Shimrra's familiar, and followed him to a damutek housing Nen Yim's team, who had been tasked with filling the eight cortex. After learning that the cortex was supposed to have come from the Gods, Anor realized that Shimrra had no connection to the Gods. He quickly decided to put all his efforts into ending the war quickly. When he learned of the Final Redoubt, he brought the information to Shimrra. However, the Battle of Ebaq 9 was in truth a trap, and resulted in Tsavong Lah's death. Knowing that he would be sacrificed, Anor was forced to kill High Prefect Yoog Skell to escape into the Coruscant Underworld.

The prophet
"I want many things, and in time I intend to get all of them."

- Nom Anor to Kunra

On the run from a wrathful Shimrra, Nom Anor came unto Vuurok I'pan and a group of Shamed Ones lead by Niirit Esh who worshiped the Jedi. With I'pan's help, Anor went by the alias Ammorn to learn the Jeedai heresy in different underground groups. His group was eventually massacred by Warriors, but Anor was able to escape. With the help of Kunra, a Shamed Warrior, and Shoon-mi Esh, Niirit's brother, he claimed that he was Yu'shaa, meaning the prophet in Yuuzhan Vong, and preached salvation by following the Jeedai heresy and the living planet Zonama Sekot to the oppressed Yuuzhan Vong underclass. Always looking out for himself, he planned to use this planned insurrection of Shamed Ones as an excuse to overthrow Shimrra. His fame as Yu'Shaa had reached the ears of the Supreme Overlord and members of his heresy group had even infiltrated Shimrra's court. He even gained a spy in the form of Ngaaluh, a priestess of Yun-Harla, who accused multiple Intendants of allowing the heresy to spread. Shimrra's reaction caused a wave of terror that Nom Anor could use to his advantage. However, after an assassination attempt by Shoon-mi, and Shimrra's discovery of Ngaaluh's actions, Anor began to have doubts about his plan.

As Yu'Shaa, he then accompanied the Jedi Corran Horn and Tahiri Veila, the Yuuzhan Vong priest Harrar and Master Shaper Nen Yim to Zonama Sekot. While there he changed his plans and decided to destroy the living planet, he contacted Shimrra and told him his plans in the hope that, if he could achieve his new goal, his previous failures would be forgiven, he managed to get through to Shimrra and tell him of his plans. Pleased with what he heard Shimrra told Nom Anor to go ahead with destroying the planet. Putting his plans into action Nom Anor killed the heretic shaper Nen Yim and pushed Harrar off a cliff. Unfortuantly for Nom Anor, his plans failed, he did however do a small amount of damage to Zonama Sekot, after this he was forced to flee back to Yuuzhan'tar by Corran, Tahiri and other Jedi. When he arrived he was promoted to the position of Prefect of Yuuzhan'tar.

Escalation and end
After his escalation&mdash;a surprising action that infuriated many other Intendants&mdash;Shimrra began to develop a renewed interest in Nom Anor, something that High Prefect Drathul particularly resented. Drathul learned that the heretics were planning to disrupt a major sacrifice, and ordered Nom Anor to try and stop it. Nom Anor tried to dissuade the heretics from rebelling, but he could not stop them, as Kunra twisted his words. The movement he had helped create had taken a life of its own.



During the Galactic Alliance's assault on Yuuzhan'tar in 29 ABY, Shimrra placed him in charge of warriors tasked to destroy the heretics. Nom Anor once again took up the guise of Yu'Shaa and led the Shamed Ones in battle against the warriors, but only because he believed that Shimrra had gone insane, as well as to save himself from the wrath of Mara Jade Skywalker. After she caught up to him and defeated him, he informed her of a plan to infect Zonama Sekot with Alpha Red and assisted the Jedi and the Solos in locating Shimrra's Citadel, where Luke Skywalker, Jaina Solo and Jacen Solo were located.

After Shimrra and Onimi were defeated, he tried to kill all present by redirecting them into a waste disposal system. Jacen recognized what he was doing, and Nom Anor spat poison at him with the plaeryin bol, which Jacen instantly turned into water with the Force. He then attempted to board the escape pod, but Leia Organa Solo severed his left hand before he could. Stating that he had no place with either the Yuuzhan Vong or the Galactic Alliance, Nom Anor remained onboard Onimi's dying escape vessel above the planet, where he died once it crashed into Coruscant.

Personality and traits
"Your specialty is propaganda and lies."

- Tsavong Lah

It would be easy&mdash;and quite possibly accurate&mdash;to describe Nom Anor as evil, but closer analysis reveals a very complex being. True, Nom Anor was ambitious, deceitful, and murderous, but these things were encouraged in Yuuzhan Vong society, and backstabbing&mdash;literally&mdash;was not only acceptable but praised if successful.

But even by Yuuzhan Vong standards, Nom Anor was hardly ideal. While he denied being a coward, evidence consistently pointed out that Nom Anor greatly valued his own survival&mdash;a deplorable trait among the Yuuzhan Vong. His actions, taken to further his ambitions, were also extreme even by Yuuzhan Vong standards. Nom Anor also consistently blamed others for his failures instead of taking responsibility for them, a very un-Yuuzhan Vong-like trait.

But perhaps the most disturbing thing about Nom Anor&mdash;by Yuuzhan Vong standards&mdash;was his atheist belief. While the Yuuzhan Vong had committed atrocities for the glory of their gods, Nom Anor served only himself. While he ultimately helped the Galactic Alliance in their struggle with the Yuuzhan Vong by helping to spread the Jeedai heresy and leading the rebellion of the Shamed Ones, his primary motivation behind doing so was to help ensure his own survival.

Behind the scenes


Nom Anor first appeared as a shadowy figure of an unknown species in Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood. Author Mike Richardson planned for exposition of his character to lead into a planned Dark Horse Comics invasion storyline. One aspect of the "original" Nom was that he would not have been a humanoid creature. However, when Del Rey took over what would become the New Jedi Order, Nom's backstory was changed to fit in with the new planned invasion arc.

Nom Anor was not originally intended to be in the New Jedi Order. However, when R.A. Salvatore began writing Vector Prime and his draft included a Yuuzhan Vong infiltrator who had long been stirring up trouble in the galaxy, Lucasfilm Ltd. decided to make it Anor.

After his "off-screen" death, many fans on the OS believed that Anor survived, with rumors that he would make a "sweeping return" in the Dark Nest Trilogy. While this has been proven untrue, many fans still believe that Anor survived and may still return some time in the Legacy era.

Nom Anor turned down Corran Horn's challenge of a duel in Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, but The Final Prophecy had both Nom Anor and Tahiri Veila remembering Nom turned down Anakin Solo's challenge.

Appearances

 * Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood
 * Boba Fett: A Practical Man
 * Vector Prime
 * Star Wars: Chewbacca
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Traitor
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee
 * Force Heretic III: Reunion
 * The Final Prophecy
 * The Unifying Force