Qrrrl Toq

"If they want a fight, they've got one!"

- Qrrrl Toq

Qrrrl Toq, known as Crown Prince Qrrrl Toq in his youth, was a male Nazzar who served as a Jedi Knight in the days of the Old Republic. Upon the discovery of his family's roots, and their colored past, Qrrrl traveled from his homeworld of Nazzri in search of wisdom and knowledge. He eventually came across a group of Jedi who advised him that he was strong in the Force. He traveled with them back to the library world of Ossus, where he became the apprentice of the Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas.

Following the rapid progression of his training under Master Baas, Qrrrl Toq traveled with several other Jedi Knights, led by Nomi Sunrider, to the planet of Onderon to act as reinforcements for Ulic Qel-Droma in helping end the Naddist Revolt. The Freedon Nadd Uprising helped identify Qrrrl Toq as ambitious and strong Jedi. Following these events, he would attend the great convocation on Mount Meru called in response to the rising threat of the Krath forces. He would later fight against the combined armies of Sith Lords Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, and would fight his final battle at Kemplex IX. Qrrrl Toq, along with fellow Jedi Knights Shoaneb Culu and Dace Diath, was killed during the Battle of Kemplex IX when the Krath commander, Aleema Keto, used Sith powers to destroy a star in the Cron Drift. The resulting supernova instantly vaporized Qrrrl and his Jedi companions.

Early life
Qrrrl Toq grew up on the world of Nazzri, where he was descended from that planet's royal line. As a child, Toq was known to have forced everyone, except his father who was king, to address him by his proper title&mdash;Crown Prince Qrrrl Toq. He believed that it was only right that those beings he considered had a lesser status than himself, which was in reality the entire population of his homeworld, should call him by his formal title.

Like the majority of his species, Toq was deeply religious and studied the fourteen vens of the Great Structure of the Ulizra to eventually become a Nazzar Praefect. He studied each ven for exactly one standard Nazzri year before moving onto the next one in the proscribed hierarchy. Despite what many perceived as arrogance in him, Toq impressed many of the teachers of the Great Structure with his devotion to his studies, and how well he was able to grasp each ven. His personal teacher in the vens during this time was a Nazzar by the name of Vrrk Jikat who had abandoned his own personal life to help guide Toq in his studies&mdash;Qrrrl, however, did not recognize his teacher's sacrifice and actually believed that that type of servitude was required of all subjects; he further believed that it was an honor for these beings to be chosen by him for such tasks. Nonetheless, he continued to excel in his studies, and there were many who spoke in hushed tones in the palace that Toq may one day become the first king-praefect since the Nazzri had been ruled by a theocracy. Toq knew of the whispers amongst the palace workers and teachers, and did not attempt to hide his pleasure at what it meant for him when he finally finished his training.

As he grew older, Toq began to see his dream of being a king-praefect come closer and closer to him. As a result he intensified his studies and concentrated solely on exploring the greater mysteries of the Great Structure. As his knowledge grew through his studies, he came to the conclusion that the populace of Nazzri had grown away from what the initial, true, objectives of the theocracy had been. To this end, Toq saw it as his destiny to reestablish the original belief structure and philosophy that his forebears had begun. As such, Toq could often be found studying in the Hall of Edification. It was during one of these study sessions that Qrrrl Toq came across what appeared to be an ancient and dust-covered tome which had fallen behind one of the massive shelving units. Examining the text, he realized that it contained an assortment of poems, personal journal entries, as well as historical documents, all bound together in a single thousand-page volume which detailed the history of the last Nazzri monarch, who was an ancestor of Qrrrl's named Prrit Qabaq.



It took him two days to read through the text, and what he discovered shocked the young Nazzri prince. Through his studies of the ancient tome, Toq read that the monarchy had single-handedly been destroyed by his ancestor, Prrit Qabaq. Qrrrl continued reading the histories and found that Prrit had become seduced by what Qrrrl could only describe as "infernal magics." Qrrrl learned that with the use of this magic, Prrit had subjugated the Nazzar people and initiated a rule of fear and strength through which anyone who opposed him was killed. As Qrrrl continued reading, he learned that Prrit's rule was challenged by his own daughter who was named Ikree. Ikree led a rebellion against her father, and eventually overthrew him and his dark reign. In the place of the monarchy, Ikree established the roots of the theocracy that Qrrrl found himself currently living in. Nonetheless, Ikree's own murder was what led to an even tighter control of theocratic rule among the Nazzar, and bred the tiered system which had seemed so right to Qrrrl Toq. Qrrrl could not believe what he had learned of his ancestors, knowledge which had been lost for generations, and he realized that he could not even begin to compare himself with the praefects that had come before him, as he was merely following in their footsteps, and thus repeating their mistakes. He determined that he would not continue the cycle of his family, that he would start his own path. Thus Qrrrl entered into a self-imposed exile, hoping that by leaving the stagnant theocracy of his homeworld, he could come to understand more thoroughly what had destroyed it.

Having left his family and his homeworld, Qrrrl Toq traveled across the galaxy in search of wisdom, and wandered the star lanes for three years. He eventually arrived on the tropical planet of Ulda Frav where he encountered several Jedi who were arbitrating a local treaty. Upon approaching the strange group of beings, Qrrrl began asking them questions concerning who and what they were. In response, the Jedi told Qrrrl that he possessed within himself the power which would allow him to eventually join their ranks. The Jedi, however, were taken aback when Qrrrl advised them that he had never heard of the Jedi Order, nor anything of the Force. Realizing that they had encountered a being who could one day become a great member of their Order, the Jedi invited Qrrrl to travel with them back to the planet of Ossus. During the trip, Qrrrl learned of the Jedi Way and the role the Jedi Order played within the galaxy. For reasons he could not say, Qrrrl felt compelled to learn more of the Jedi, and expressed his desire to become one of them.

The Jedi and Qrrrl eventually arrived on Ossus, and Qrrrl became the apprentice of Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas. Master Baas instructed the young Nazzar in the ways of the Jedi and those of the Force, teaching him both the general histories as well as the more intricate details, such as constructing a lightsaber. Also, Qrrrl learned the humility required of a Jedi, and learned how to let go of the arrogance that had plagued his childhood. Under the guidance of Master Baas, Qrrrl Toq rapidly progressed through his training and showed a great understanding of the ways of the Force and what it meant to be a Jedi. Due to his rapid progression through his training, Qrrrl Toq was selected to be part of the Jedi task force, under the command of Nomi Sunrider, to be sent to Onderon to aid Ulic Qel-Droma in quelling the Freedon Nadd Uprising.

The Naddist Revolt
"Why aren't Ulic and Cay joining the fight? Has the strange dark power already snuffed out their spirits?"

- Qrrrl Toq

Qel-Droma and three other Jedi apprentices&mdash;his brother Cay, Oss Wilum, and Tott Doneeta&mdash;had been left alone to fight against King Ommin and his Naddists, after their Master, Arca Jeth, was kidnapped by Ommin. Desperate, Ulic sent out a request for additional Jedi support to Ossus, and Qrrrl, along with Sunrider, Kith Kark, Dace Diath, and Shoaneb Culu, was chosen to assist Qel-Droma and the others on Onderon. They traveled to Onderon, and almost immediately after their arrival, they were involved in a Republic/Jedi assault against the dark-side Naddists.



As their cruiser set down to land on Onderon for the first time, Qrrrl and the others sensed Ulic fighting the Naddists not far from Iziz, Onderon's largest city. They had their cruiser land on the surface, and charged straight into battle, using various Force techniques to form a sort of protective shield around each other. Nomi Sunrider was an adept practitioner of battle meditation, an age-old Jedi art which allowed the user to drain the morale and spirit of enemy forces while simultaneously boosting that of the user's allies. Skilled users, such as Nomi and many of the ancient Jedi Masters of the time, could use the power to visualize their desired outcome of a battle, helping to turn the tide in favor of their own forces. Nomi's ability, however, was being blocked by a powerful dark side energy. Having to make use of their lightsabers, Qrrrl and his fellow Jedi fought off the Naddists' ancient war bots, though the dark side energies surrounding Ommin's citadel were becoming overbearing; Toq noticed that the energies were preventing Ulic and his brother from effectively fighting off the Naddists.

Although the Jedi task force were slowly whittling away Ommin's forces, the battle had taken the life of one of their number: Kith Kark, a Gotal Jedi Knight. The shield the Jedi were using for protection had been momentarily broken, and a Naddist gunner chose the opportunity to fire on them, taking Kark's life. Qrrrl and the others managed to survive, and together they brought their shield back around them. Aided by Ulic and his group of Jedi, as well as Oron Kira's forces, Toq, Culu, Sunrider and Dace Diath fought off the Naddist droids; Ommin was now surrounded in his citadel.

After recuperating, Qrrrl Toq and his fellow Jedi launched an attack on Ommin and his men, who were hiding deep in their subterranean lair. The seven Jedi faced off to over a hundred dark side warriors and droids, though managed to hold their own and fight them off. Knowing he would not be victorious, Ommin attempted to flee, though Ulic Qel-Droma was able to defeat the darksider. The Jedi eventually proved victorious, with no additional casualties, and managed to rescue Arca and restore his health. Qrrrl later traveled to Onderon's moon of Dxun with Arca and the others, to ensure that the removal of Ommin and the other dark side worshipers' sarcophagi went smoothly. The Naddists were defeated, however, and did not attempt a raid, as they had done during the last attempt to relocate the sarcophagi. Rather than returning to Ossus, Qrrrl and the Jedi who had accompanied him to the Inner Rim world opted to stay on Onderon, and began learning the skills of riding Onderonian warbeasts from Master Arca.

The Krath Holy Crusade
"I flew with the Republic strike team. We downed fifty of those clunky Chaos ships."

- Qrrrl Toq, after the Battle of Koros Major

Their furlough on Onderon, however, was cut short, as a new threat emerged in the galaxy. Master Arca returned to Onderon to advise the young Jedi there of a crisis brewing in the Empress Teta system. A coup of the system's government had been carried out by two of the Tetan elite, Satal and Aleema Keto. Having visited Onderon previously&mdash;and having been brought into the continued machinations of Freedon Nadd&mdash;the two Tetans had formed a dark side cult, which they named the Krath. Arca ordered Qrrrl Toq, Dace, and Shoaneb, along with Oss Wilum, to return to Ossus and warn the leaders of the Jedi and the Republic of the dangers concerning the duo and their Sith background.

Responding to the threat, the Jedi and the Republic sent a fleet to Empress Teta to aid the few planets in the system that still held out against the new regime; flying with the strike team was Qrrrl Toq. As the fleet entered the system, the last holdouts of resistance on Koros Major were fighting off the Krath, and the task force joined in their efforts. The Krath, led personally by the cousins Satal and Aleema Keto, utilized Sith magic however, as well as suicide runs in their Chaos fighters, and through this the Republic force was defeated. Few of the Jedi sent to Empress Teta made it out alive, but Toq was among them.



Following this catastrophe, it was announced that a great convocation of the Jedi Order would be held at Mount Meru on Deneba, where the growing threat of the Krath&mdash;and strategies to deal with them&mdash;would be discussed. Qrrrl Toq traveled to Deneba, joining the masses of Jedi at the event, which was presided over by Master Odan-Urr. After outlining the events of the battle in Empress Teta, Ulic Qel-Droma made a brave proposal: that he attempt to infiltrate the Krath, to learn their secrets and defeat them from within. Little did the Jedi know that while they met, the Krath were unfolding yet another plot against them. The servant droids used by the Jedi Masters had been secretly reprogrammed by agents of the Krath to attack their owners on command, and a ship full of combat droids had been clandestinely delivered into Deneba's orbit, as well.

Suddenly, the Krath droids pressed the attack, catching the Jedi completely by surprise. Qrrrl Toq, quick to respond to the threat, immediately began smashing war droids with his lightstaff. Master Arca, however, showed that weapons were not necessary in dealing with the mechanicals, by manipulating the droids' internal mechanisms to destroy them. After a desperate fight, the Jedi prevailed, but at great cost&mdash;many of the most prominent Jedi Masters, including Arca Jeth himself, were killed in the course of the battle. Ulic Qel-Droma, having lost his master, could not be deterred from carrying out his mission to infiltrate the ranks of those who had killed Jeth.

After several months without hearing from Ulic, a Jedi team made up of Nomi Sunrider, Tott Doneeta, and Cay Qel-Droma journeyed to Koros Major in an attempt to secretly make contact with him. However, they had not anticipated Ulic's change of heart&mdash;he had joined the Krath in his mind by this point, as he was increasingly influenced by the dark side. After a confrontation in which Qel-Droma's true intentions were revealed, the three Jedi returned to Ossus in retreat. After proposing that a strike team be sent to Koros Major next, in an attempt to force Ulic's hand and make him decide between the Jedi and the Krath, the young Jedi Knights assembled a small force. Accompanying the Jedi was Oron Kira and a contingent of Beast Riders with their drexl mounts.

Arriving on the planet, Oss Wilum, Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, and Tott Doneeta flew cover for the Onderonian warbeast transport in their Star Saber XC-01 and S-100 Stinger-class starfighters. Once the heavy defenses of the citadel had been breached, the warbeast transport offloaded its cargo of Beast Riders; accompanying this group was Qrrrl Toq, along with Nomi Sunrider and Cay Qel-Droma. Crashing through the windows into the palace, Nomi ordered Cay and Qrrrl to subdue the guards as she handled Ulic. The team attempted to take Ulic by force, but he would not submit, and they were forced once again to retreat as more forces, including those of Exar Kun, a fallen Jedi who walked a similar path to Ulic, arrived in support of the Krath. Kun and Qel-Droma joined forces, as the spirit of Marka Ragnos branded them Sith Lords: Kun as Sith Master and Qel-Droma as his Sith Apprentice. The Great Sith War had begun.

The Sith War
In one of the opening conflicts of the Sith War, Ulic Qel-Droma led an attack against Coruscant, the capital of the Republic. Qrrrl Toq was on the galactic capital world, having come to the planet with a group of Jedi accompanying Vodo-Siosk Baas as the Jedi Master sought to advise the Galactic Senate concerning the Krath crisis.



As the group came under attack by Qel-Droma's new Mandalorian allies, Toq took the initiative, knocking a Mandalorian Crusader off of his Basilisk war mount and commandeering the vehicle. Along with Dace Diath, who had also acquired a Basilisk, Qrrrl helped clear the way to the Republic war room, where the Jedi, guarding the Supreme Chancellor, could take control of the situation.

Breaking into the war room, the Jedi discovered Qel-Droma alone, having been abandoned to his fate by his mistress and lieutenant, Aleema Keto. While the Krath forces retreated from the planet, Ulic was contained by a collective Force technique administered by the group of Jedi, and temporarily cut off from the Force by Nomi Sunrider and Master Vodo. Ulic later managed to escape justice, however, when Exar Kun's forces crashed his trial before the Senate. Qel-Droma made his was back to his forces, knowing full well why he had been captured; however, he decided not to take overt action against Aleema&mdash;instead, he decided to work his retribution into his other ambitions.

As the war escalated, Exar Kun carried out a devastating plot against the Jedi Order. Having subverted a number of Jedi to his cause, including Zona Luka, Kun then ordered the converts to assassinate their former masters. Zona Luka traveled to the home of her former mentor, the Jedi Master known only as Dominus. However, as she struck down her master with her lightsaber, he in turn attacked her using the Force, and neither survived. Qrrrl Toq, along with fellow Jedi Dace Diath and Shoaneb Culu, arrived on the scene to investigate. The trio, despondent at what they had discovered, met with the gathered Jedi on Ossus to share what they had learned.

Kemplex IX


Ulic Qel-Droma found an opportunity to have his revenge on Aleema when Exar Kun's plans required a feint to draw out the Jedi and Republic forces that the Sith might catch Ossus ill-prepared to defend itself. He ordered Aleema, along with the fallen Jedi Crado, to take an ancient Sith battleship to the Republic jump station known as Kemplex IX and attack it. Aleema was unaware that the mission did not call for survivors on either side of the conflict, and she and Crado attacked the station, drawing the attention of the Jedi. When Master Thon pointed out that the attack may be a feint, Qrrrl, again along with his comrades Dace and Shoaneb, volunteered to lead a Jedi and Republic task force to the station, while most of the other Jedi would remain on Ossus to guard the Jedi world.

Arriving at the undefended space station, the Jedi found the facility in pieces, with no life-signs aboard. The ion trail of the Sith vessel, however, could be detected leading into the nearby Cron Cluster, and the Jedi gave chase. Once they had lured the pursuers inside the cluster, Aleema called on the power of the dark side, as well as the ancient Sith crystal aboard the battleship, to rip the core out of one of the stars, causing a massive explosion and instantly killing Qrrrl Toq and his friends. The stellar core broke down, however, into a chain reaction that Aleema had not foreseen, but Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma knew full well about. An incredible amount of energy was released in a supernova, destroying the Sith vessel and unleashing a huge shock wave.

Personality and traits
In his youth, Qrrrl expected unflinching loyalty and servitude from his subordinates, demanding to be addressed as Crown Prince Qrrrl Toq. Those of lesser status were, in his eyes, lesser beings, whose sole purpose was to see to those who held a higher status than themselves. His mentor, Vrrk Jikat, sacrificed his life to tutor Qrrrl, though the Nazzar prince showed no sign of gratitude; he expected it of Jikat. Although he showed a sort of arrogance during his time as a Nazzar prince, Qrrrl was extremely hardworking in his studies, and was devoutly religious. He was determined to make a name for himself, and spent seven years studying the vens, performing extremely well and impressing the praefects. After becoming more humble and mature under Master Vodo, Qrrrl once again showed his ability to work hard, progressing far faster than anyone had anticipated.



Qrrrl was also extremely power-hungry in his days on Nazzri, desperate to become the first ever king-praefect. When his mentors at the praefectory began to discuss the possibility of this becoming a reality, Qrrrl did not attempt to hide his joy and satisfaction, and further intensified his studies. He sought power not for his own gain though, but for that of his people, whom he felt had become distanced from the way of life and initial objectives of theocracy; Qrrrl wished to re-establish the traditions of his religion, and to bring his homeworld into a period of peace which had been forgotten by its inhabitants. Qrrrl also sought to be the first of something, and after discovering their had been previous king-praefects, he had longed to begin a new path, and set a new precedent.

One trait which was continually demonstrated during Qrrrl Toq's life was his bravery; he played an important role in many battles during the Great Sith War, never backing out or retreating. It was Qrrrl's bravery which led to his death&mdash;he volunteered to fight the Krath at Kemplex, despite the overwhelming dangers involved.

Powers and abilities
"A lightstaff will take care of these guys!"

- Qrrrl Toq at the Battle of Deneba

Qrrrl Toq was born a Force-sensitive, though due to his home planet's policy of isolation, he was unaware of the potential he possessed, and did not know of the existence of the Jedi Order. After the Jedi recruited him, he quickly adapted and proved a fast learner; he excelled at his studies and rapidly progressed, something the Jedi Masters on Ossus had not expected. Qrrrl was a capable swordsman, using first a green bladed lightsaber and later a larger lightstaff in battle. Why Toq made the switch between weapons is unknown, though after the Freedon Nadd uprising, he ceased using his saber. The Nazzar prince often rushed into combat without contemplating other methods, something Arca was quick to pick up on and point out to Qrrrl.

Qrrrl was also a gifted pilot, and flew several missions during the Great Sith War, including his final one at Kemplex. During his stay with Master Arca on Onderon, Qrrrl learned the skills involved in riding the savage beasts of the world, and later rode one during the Jedi raid on Koros major. Throughout his life, Qrrrl showed his ability to work as part of a team, ranging in size from four up to huge numbers, like at Deneba. During the later years of the Great Sith War, Toq donned a suit of thick Jedi armor, which he presumably constructed himself.

Behind the scenes


Qrrrl Toq was created for the comic series Tales of the Jedi by writer Tom Veitch, and first appeared in the issue Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising 1, where he was drawn by Tony Akins. Toq appeared in subsequent issues of the series, where his character was expanded on by Veitch as well as the author Kevin J. Anderson, and he was additionally drawn by artists Chris Gossett, Art Wetherell, and Dario Carrasco, Jr.   His final appearance, and his death, was in the issue Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 4: Jedi Holocaust. Qrrrl Toq's backstory was developed by author George R. Strayton for the West End Games sourcebook Tales of the Jedi Companion, in which his first name is spelled "Qrrl." Ultimate Alien Anthology, another sourcebook, also spells his name in this manner. However, in the comics his name is always spelled "Qrrrl."

While little else changed regarding Qrrrl Toq's appearance throughout the comics, he was only seen using a lightsaber in The Freedon Nadd Uprising. In Dark Lords of the Sith and The Sith War, Toq wields a lightstaff, which is a Force-imbued melee weapon resembling an armored quarterstaff. Additionally, his description in Dark Lords of the Sith is expanded to depict Toq as a Jedi armorer, and in The Sith War, he and his two companions are seen performing the functions of Jedi investigators, though no direct statement of their role is made.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War

Notes and references
Qrrrl Toq