Cair San Tekka was a human male who lived during the High Republic Era and was a member of the San Tekka clan. He was the husband of Xylan Graf, a member of the rival Graf family, who blackmailed him into marriage after discovering he had been spying on him. San Tekka operated on the planet Seswenna, where he performed music as a zitherist at the Violarza club. San Tekka was one of the first people to witness the blight, to which he lost his hand. Following the experience and with the help of his cousin Jordanna Sparkburn, he began acting as a freedom fighter. As the pilot of the Brightbird starship, San Tekka helped smuggle refugees out of the Occlusion Zone under the cover of working as a smuggler for the Nihil marauders.[1][3]
Biography[]
Early life[]
San Tekka was born on the planet Naboo into the San Tekka clan between 257 BBY and 253 BBY.[2] He did not grow up on Naboo, and spent most of his life closer to the Core in school and learning to partake in San Tekka family business. He was raised to believe in the Force, though he was not Force-sensitive.[1] At some point in his childhood, San Tekka ran away from home and encountered some weeds that tried to drown him.[3]
At some point, San Tekka studied music with Marlowe and Vellis San Tekka on Naboo. He studied linguistics in the Core.[3] During his youth, San Tekka described himself as an anarchist and was a troublemaker. He spent much of his life serving his family's interests, and studied espionage at the encouragement of Marlowe, Vellis, and his parents.[1]
Marriage and leaving the Core[]
- "Wrong crowd, wrong timing, and here I am."
"Grafs usually are the wrong crowd."
"They say it's us." - ―San Tekka and Jordanna Sparkburn, discussing his presence on the frontier
Around 230 BBY,[4] San Tekka went undercover as a security agent with the Graf family's company in order to engage in corporate espionage and spy on Xylan Graf. He spent weeks surveilling Graf and came to know him well. Graf, who had recently gotten in legal trouble with the Republic for associating with the Nihil and had much of his financial assets seized, blackmailed San Tekka with evidence of his espionage and presented him with an ultimatum: either he could cut ties and run, or marry Graf, thereby concealing much of his remaining assets where neither the Republic nor Graf's grandmother could find them.[1]
San Tekka found Graf's offer and the prospect of a forbidden romance thrilling, and the pair eloped.[1] Due to their relationship, San Tekka traveled to the frontier, and by 228 BBY was living on the planet Seswenna. He played the hammered dulcimer alongside a pair of Mikkian twins at the Violarza and worked as a supplier and sometimes smuggler aboard his starship, the Brightbird, and sometimes worked for the Nihil, which supplied him with the necessary clearance codes to operate safely in the Occlusion Zone.[3]
Traveling with Jordanna Sparkburn[]
Connecting with a cousin[]
- "Cair San Tekka?"
"And you are?"
"Jordanna Sparkburn."
"Cousin!" - ―Sparkburn and San Tekka, meeting for the first time
In 228 BBY, Graf brought one of San Tekka's cousins, Jordanna Sparkburn, to meet him at the Violarza, though he refused to personally introduce them. Sparkburn was in search of her brother, Harth Sparkburn, who had become trapped within the Occlusion Zone alongside his family. She requested San Tekka's assistance traveling to their home and, if necessary, bringing Harth and his family back to Seswenna; she also asked how he had come to be trapped in the Occlusion Zone, as she said that Marlowe and Vellis would want to know. San Tekka agreed to help, and claimed that he had eloped with a beautiful princess, who he had then followed to the frontier, for the purposes of tax evasion.[3]
The pair traveled to the planet Arli, where they found several Nihil ships, led by the Fearless Rain, preventing ships from landing on the moon where Sparkburn's family lived. They bypassed the Nihil ships and attempted to land regardless, though both San Tekka and Sparkburn realized something was wrong, as San Tekka attempted to contact the residents of the moon and received no response, and Sparkburn noticed that the Nihil did not try to pursue them.[3]
Meeting the Birage residents[]
- "I'm going to land, but I don't like this."
"Neither do I." - ―San Tekka and Sparkburn, witnessing the moon's devastation
San Tekka and Sparkburn found that the moon had been devastated by an unknown contagion. Upon landing in the city of Birage, they were greeted by Selli, who was suspicious of the fact that the Brightbird resembled a Nihil ship, though San Tekka assured them it was camouflage. They then encountered the rest of Birage's residents, led by Harth. San Tekka charmed the residents and helped cook. When discussion turned to the destruction of the moon, San Tekka suggested that the remaining residents leave with them aboard the Brightbird.[3]
San Tekka accompanied Sparkburn and Harth to view the edge of the blight. When the ground began to collapse, he helped to pull them both back to solid ground. Harth warned them that the caves which caused the collapse extended beneath Birage itself, and while Sparkburn and Harth alerted the other residents to the danger, San Tekka ran to power up the Brightbird and prepare for evacuation. He called Sparkburn to the cockpit and informed her that they would jump to the planet Picadir, and they successfully escaped the Nihil.[3]
Infection and amputation[]
- "I'm glad you were around for my last performance, Cousin."
"I'm sure we can find you a prosthetic shaped like one of those adorable little hammers." - ―San Tekka and Sparkburn, as she prepares to amputate his hand
San Tekka, Sparkburn, and the Birage refugees discussed their options, and San Tekka offered to get them to Seswenna and, if they wished, connect them to people who could move them elsewhere. The discussion was interrupted when Harth's daughter Peach noticed a spot on San Tekka's hand, which they immediately realized was the blight. When the Birage residents told them nothing helped, San Tekka proposed that he isolate himself in the escape pod and launch it when they exit hyperspace, despite knowing this would lead to his death, as it would protect the others on the Brightbird.[3]
Sparkburn suggested that they instead cut off the affected hand. He offered a beam-generated containment field to keep the hand in after the amputation, and Sparkburn proposed that she cut it off with her weapon, the Merry Maker. Harth's wife Essren asked if he had any alcohol, which he elected to drink some of before the amputation. After the hand was cut off and contained, San Tekka attempted to convince Essren to avoid contact with him, as they did not know if it worked, but she refused, reminding him that San Tekkas stick together.[3]
Return to Seswenna and reunion with Graf[]
- "Cair…"
"It doesn't hurt." - ―Graf and San Tekka, after Graf sees his missing hand
The group returned to Seswenna, and San Tekka told Sparkburn to land under the pretense of having a delivery for Magistrate Jerchom, as two of his people were connections of San Tekka's but Jerchom himself was loyal to the Nihil. The Birage refugees encouraged him to see a medic, but he insisted they be taken care of first. When Sparkburn elected to return to Republic space, in order to bring back San Tekka's hand and news of the blight, he gave her Graf's personal communication codes so that they could coordinate to bring people through the Stormwall. He also noticed only through his tone that Graf was fond of Avon Sunvale, which surprised Sparkburn, and told her not to let Graf know about San Tekka's hand until after they escaped, so as not to distract him.[3]
When she reunited with Graf, Sparkburn told him that he should check in with San Tekka as soon as possible, and Graf elected to remain on Seswenna and locate him. San Tekka learned of his presence and came to his room at the Riparian Gardens Hotel, where he was enthusiastically greeted by Graf's snow dog Plinka. Graf noticed San Tekka seemed unwell. San Tekka told Graf that he would no longer be a safe place to hide his assets, and informed him of his and Sparkburn's plan to smuggle people to safety across the Stormwall. Graf was frustrated by this, but was quickly distracted by noticing San Tekka's missing hand. San Tekka explained the circumstances that led to its loss, and they put aside the discussion of the smuggler's alley.[3]
Life inside the Occlusion Zone[]
Following the loss of his hand, San Tekka began to establish an insurgency, helped by Sparkburn's connections on the Republic side. He struggled with a lack of resources, and found most people were too afraid of the Nihil to fight back with force. After the second expansion of the Stormwall and the takeover of Naboo, San Tekka traveled as fast as possible to Naboo to reunite with his uncles and pretended that he had been there from before the expansion. He also convinced them to help fund his insurgency, as their funds were much easier to access than what San Tekka could siphon of Graf's. At some point, Marlowe and Vellis learned of San Tekka's marriage to Graf, of which they vehemently disapproved.[1]
After the destruction of the Foregone Catastrophe, San Tekka rescued Porter Engle from the wreckage and provided medical attention. Engle awoke slightly over a month later, while San Tekka was practicing playing his dulcimer with his new prosthetic hand, and San Tekka returned his lightsaber and requested his help working against the Nihil. Engle refused, but recommended that San Tekka seek out Rhil Dairo and Belin.[1]
Morale drops[]
- "We can't control who dies out here; we can only try to make the living remember there's something worth fighting for—hope, right?"
- ―San Tekka explaining his morale drops to Avar Kriss
San Tekka reached out to Dairo and Belin by using Nihil music to deliver a coded message. They began to work together, and Dairo participated in what San Tekka deemed "morale drops", designed to preserve and promote hope. Through Maz Kanata, San Tekka sometimes worked with the Jedi. On one occasion, while ferrying Marlowe and Vellis back to Republic space, San Tekka encountered Avar Kriss, whom he, Dairo, and Belin convinced to record a message for their morale drops. They also discussed Engle's disappearance, though as Engle had requested secrecy San Tekka did not mention rescuing him, and San Tekka's source for the Nihil clearance codes, which was Graf, though he did not identify him to Kriss.[1]
San Tekka traveled to Rilias II in order to transmit Kriss's message using their foris alloy funnel, which would allow them to include a visual component for the first time. San Tekka sliced the funnel as Dairo piloted the Brightbird overhead, controlling the broadcast, and Belin used a hydro-spray to enable the visual component. They successfully broadcast Kriss's message of hope, which San Tekka paused to watch before he fled.[1]
Meeting General Viess[]
- "I'm surprised you returned."
"This is where my dog is."
"Funny you should call her that." - ―Viess and San Tekka, in San Tekka's family home
Later, San Tekka returned to Naboo, where he planned to continue the pretense of being a spoiled rich heir and hide his uncles' absence, but found that General Abediah Viess had arrived and taken up residence at his family's compound. San Tekka changed into fancier clothing and pretended to be hungover. Upon landing, he was brought to Viess, where he found that she had discovered and bound Plinka.[1]
Viess questioned San Tekka about his activities and the whereabouts of Marlowe and Vellis. She proceeded to slice Plinka's throat, although the wound was not fatal, and informed San Tekka that she had elected to purge and replace the entire staff of the Lightning Crash, which included Graf. She claimed that she traveled to Naboo in order to recruit Marlowe and Vellis, as they were known to be some of the foremost experts on hyperspace, and asked San Tekka why he had Graf's dog.[1]
Brief escape[]
- "Get out. The patriarchs are free, and everything I've done is burnt. You need to stay away from me. I'm caught. Done."
- ―San Tekka to Ino'olo
After Viess's interrogation, San Tekka was locked in his quarters, where he applied bacta to Plinka's injury. Knowing that his contacts would be in danger, San Tekka decided to warn them before they could be traced. He used an improvised knife to kill a Nihil outside his door, and encountered Ino'olo, whom he told to leave. As he approached a comm station, he thought about Graf, wondering if he was still alive after Viess's purge of the Lightning Crash. He contemplated a song that he had been composing for the two of them, and decided that if he survived, he would play it for him.[1]
San Tekka reached out to Belin, but heard a ship approaching. He told Belin about Viess's presence and asked him to try to reach Graf. He also directed him to contact Rismo on Seswenna. Belin asked what he planned to do, and San Tekka said he would try to survive and make sure Viess died. As her ship approached, San Tekka broke the communicator.[1]
Dining with Viess[]
- "Why are you feeding me?"
"It's civilized."
"Compared to torture?"
"If you'd prefer, I can keep you chained up and hanging from the ceiling somewhere. Starving, filthy."
"Why keep me at all?" - ―San Tekka and Viess
Viess forced San Tekka to have dinner with her, having removed his prosthetic hand and administered a truth serum to interrogate him. San Tekka questioned why she was keeping him alive, and realized she was using him as bait. San Tekka inferred that Graf remained alive, which delighted him, and said that Graf would not come for him. She suggested that the Jedi will come, which San Tekka denied, as he didn't not work with the Jedi and only shared similar goals.[1]
Viess received a message, and they learned that the Lightning Crash was under attack. Viess seemed unbothered, which San Tekka found surprising, but she claimed that the attack would be ineffectual and even losing the Lightning Crash would not be an overwhelming loss. San Tekka was startled not by her arrogance but by her lack of respect for her enemies, and mused that he would have made all of his warlord plans assuming that the Republic would figure out how to penetrate the Stormwall.[1]
Viess received the news that a Republic fleet had appeared over Naboo, despite the still-functioning Stormwall. Before she could address it, Engle entered, as he had been pursuing Viess and followed her to Naboo. San Tekka used the surprise to attempt to attack her, but she avoided it and attempted to use San Tekka as a hostage; however, he escaped from her and elected to run.[1]
Aiding the Jedi[]
- "Tell anybody you see to stay out of the Nihil's way. The Republic is here. Now isn't the time to get hurt with heroics."
"Yes, sir, but, sir…Aren't you…where are you going?"
"Heroics." - ―San Tekka to one of his family's attendants
San Tekka ran from the dining room to the great library, where he accessed a hidden collection of weaponry. He returned to the main area of the compound, distributing weapons to his family's staff as he went, and found a group of Jedi facing two Nameless. Recognizing Vernestra Rwoh, as she had traveled with both Sparkburn and Graf, he pulled her away from the Nameless until she regained her senses. Rwoh took one of San Tekka's blasters and attempted to shoot the Nameless, but her hands were shaking too much, so he supported her arm to steady it. He fired on the Nameless as well, and together they killed it.[1]
With the Nameless dead, San Tekka led Rwoh and the two other Jedi, Bell Zettifar and Burryaga Agaburry, to where Engle and Viess were fighting. Viess fled, collapsing the hallway behind her, and San Tekka led the four Jedi to attempt to cut her off. They reached the shipyard, where they found Viess had boarded a San Tekka family yacht, and attempted to stop it but were unsuccessful; however, San Tekka recalled that there was a homing beacon on the yacht.[1]
After the battle[]
Marital disagreements[]
- "I can't stay in the Occlusion Zone."
"I'm not…asking you to."
"…Why the hell not?!" - ―Graf and San Tekka, discussing their paths forward
After the battle concluded, San Tekka arranged for wine to be brought and fed Plinka. He offered to play his dulcimer for the crowd, but before he could, Graf arrived. He scolded San Tekka for giving him such a shock, and was concerned over Plinka's injury. San Tekka reassured him that she would be fine, and embraced Graf.[1]
The following morning, San Tekka awoke to find Graf in his room going through his wardrobe. Graf ordered San Tekka to get dressed quickly, and informed him they would be leaving the Occlusion Zone on the next ship, the Third Horizon. San Tekka protested, and asked what was going on. Graf did not explain, and asked if San Tekka trusted him, to which San Tekka did not have an answer.[1]
Graf led San Tekka towards the ships, and San Tekka noticed that Graf had identified something was wrong before the rest of the Republic forces. When they arrived at the ships, they learned from Kriss that the Stormwall had been restored and the home key they had been using to get communications and ships reliably across had stopped working. San Tekka demanded if Graf had known the home key would change, and Graf asked how they could have not known it would happen; San Tekka retorted that not all of them were used to thinking like monsters.[1]
Kriss interrupted them, and asked San Tekka to direct her to a comm station, which he did. She told Graf to go with her, as his knowledge of the Stormwall would be needed. Graf paused to talk to San Tekka, who told him that there was work for him to do in the Occlusion Zone. Graf said there was just as much in Republic space, and that he could not stay in the Occlusion Zone. San Tekka said that he wasn't asking him to, and Graf, incensced, demanded why not.[1]
On the Third Horizon[]
- "Xylan—"
"I know you can spy your way out eventually, but by the time you do, we'll be in hyperspace, in Republic space, or, well, dead, I suppose. That's romantic, too, my love. […] You knew who you married, Cair San Tekka." - ―San Tekka and Graf, after the latter locks him in
Graf, working on a way to get back across the Stormwall, suggested that they remove the data core of a Path engine from one of the Nihil ships, and said that San Tekka would know what to look for. San Tekka was suspicious, since Graf could have described it easily, but brought Plinka to the Third Horizon as requested and retrieved the data core.[1]
After San Tekka had delivered the data core, Graf pulled him aside and led him through the ship. San Tekka was resistant, but allowed Graf to lead him to his temporary quarters, where San Tekka asked that Graf say what he wanted to so that San Tekka could return to Naboo before the ship left. Instead, Graf locked San Tekka inside the room, and informed him that by the time he made his way out, the ship would already be in hyperspace. San Tekka was furious, but unable to leave the room.[1]
Time on Coruscant[]
- "What I need is to do this work, to keep at it as best I can from here until I can get back to where I should be."
"If you can help me, maybe you're already there." - ―San Tekka and Kriss, during her visit
After returning to Coruscant, San Tekka resided at the San Tekka manor and continued to try to do his work as well as possible from afar. He continued to assist the Jedi, including by compiling information. Kriss visited to get his help, and noted that he seemed rather frantic and wished to be back in the Occlusion Zone. She asked if he had information on the blight which took his hand, and he recounted the events that led up to the amputation.[1]
They were interrupted by Graf, who brought a prosthetics specialist to see San Tekka, who had replaced his prosthetic with only a simple hook. San Tekka told him that he did not want Graf's help, despite Graf pointing out that he could not play his dulcimer with the hook, and told Graf to leave. Graf sent the specialist away, but stayed to observe their conversation; he informed San Tekka that if he truly wished for him to leave he would, but he would be taking Plinka. San Tekka did not answer.[1]
San Tekka and Kriss discussed the blight, and he presented what information they already had. Kriss realized that two of the worlds which may have experienced the blight had also had Drengir. San Tekka suggested she reach out to Dairo and Belin next time she crossed the Stormwall, to which she agreed. San Tekka said he wanted to come with her, which she gently refused.[1]
Personality and traits[]
- "Avar Kriss, this is Cair San Tekka, the center of this side's insurgent web."
"One of them, at least." - ―Rhil Dairo introducing San Tekka
Cair San Tekka was easygoing and friendly, and Sparkburn noted that he acted like everybody's favorite grandson.[3] He was charismatic and skilled at performance and persuasion. In his youth San Tekka was a troublemaker and acted primarily in his family's interests. He was skilled at espionage, and honed that skill in sometimes unethical ways, which he would later regret.[1]
After traveling with Sparkburn, San Tekka dedicated himself to acting as a freedom fighter, and chose to do good and defy the Nihil despite knowing the risk to himself. He remained loyal to his family, as when he risked breaking his cover to return to Naboo after the Stormwall's expansion. He did not consider himself very good at typical San Tekka extravagance and luxury, and preferred to be personally involved with his spycraft and insurgent activity.[1]
Relationship with Xylan Graf[]
- "It almost sounds like you care about what happens to me."
"I care what happens to my assets."
"It's sexy when you call me that." - ―San Tekka, teasing Graf
Though they married because of blackmail, San Tekka held genuine affection for Graf. Graf considered San Tekka to be the one person who saw the best in him and inexplicably liked him.[3] San Tekka was deeply distressed when Viess claimed that Graf was dead, though he did not believe it without proof. Despite his care for him, San Tekka was not blind to Graf's faults, and struggled to entirely trust him.[1] He was very familiar with Graf's motives and behavior, and identified his fondness for Avon Sunvale only through his tone.[3]
Equipment[]
San Tekka wore primarily black clothing and had red ribbons tied around his wrists. He did not carry any visible weapons, but kept the hammers for his dulcimer tucked into his belt.[3] He owned more expensive clothing for use as part of his cover, but did not use it otherwise.[1]
After losing his hand, he acquired a prosthetic replacement, which was made of black alloy and had dark red joints, matching his typical clothing. It had some ability to slice frequencies, which he used in his spycraft, and was stronger and more durable than flesh. Both Kriss and Engle thought it appeared expensive. After he was captured by Viess, she removed the prosthetic, and San Tekka was unable to retreive it.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
San Tekka first appeared in the novel The High Republic: Defy the Storm, written by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland. Across San Tekka's appearances, there has been some inconsistency as to which of his hands was removed. In The High Republic: Defy the Storm, he is described as missing his right hand, whereas throughout most of The High Republic: Temptation of the Force, he is missing his left hand. This changes again in chapter 40, where he is once again missing the right hand.[3][1]
Appearances[]
- The High Republic: Defy the Storm (and audiobook) (First appearance)
- The High Republic: Temptation of the Force (and audiobook)
- The High Republic: Tears of the Nameless (and audiobook) (Hand only)
- The High Republic (2023) 8 (Variant cover only)
Sources[]
The High Republic Authors on Authors: Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland on StarWars.com (backup link) (First mentioned)- New 'Star Wars' Pride Variant Covers Celebrate Pride Month in a Galaxy Far, Far Away on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 The High Republic: Temptation of the Force
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 In The High Republic: Defy the Storm, San Tekka is described as a few years older than Jordanna Sparkburn. As Sparkburn is 20 years old in The High Republic: Out of the Shadows, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 231 BBY, she must have been born around 251 BBY, meaning San Tekka must have been born by 253 BBY. In The High Republic: Temptation of the Force, which is set in 228 BBY, San Tekka is stated to be in his twenties, meaning he cannot have been born before 257 BBY.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 The High Republic: Defy the Storm
- ↑ In The High Republic: Temptation of the Force, which is set in 228 BBY, Xylan Graf states that he and San Tekka have been married for over two years. As such, San Tekka's espionage and their subsequent marriage must have taken place around 230 BBY.