Quaal Tavier Catharius

Quaal Tavier Catharius
Biographical information
Homeworld	Guiteica
Descriptive information
Species	Bitthævrian
Gender	Male
Chronological and political information
Affiliation(s)	m'Yalfor'ac Order

"Colonel Tavier, the leader of the m'Yalfor'ac Order, is a hero of the Bitthævrian people, respected and admired across Guiteica for his anti-Republic rhetoric and strong leadership."

―Ayla Shar

Colonel Quaal Tavier Catharius was a formidable warrior and a charismatic leader who served as the thirty-first leader of the m'Yalfor'ac Order, his reign lasting over a dozen years during the Galactic Civil War. A Bitthævrian male from Guiteica, Tavier proved himself a keen soldier in battle against the Galactic Republic, and was eventually promoted to the leader of the m'Yalfor'ac Order and the Guiteica Militia—two organizations dedicated to maintaining strong military forces and protected Guiteica from outside invasion. He quickly became one of the most revered and successful Bitthævrian leaders, surviving many attempts at his ouster; he wore his numerous scars as signs of his bravery and worthiness in combat.

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, Tavier was badly wounded in a botched assassination attempt by the traitorous Jael Ganton Farvash; Ganton was sentenced to execution, though he used an old Bitthævrian tradition to force an injured Tavier into accepting a hand-to-hand arena challenge. Ganton cheated in the encounter, sneaking several of his cohorts into the arena, though Tavier's bodyguard, Aul Tarrus Vishav, was able to fend them off; Tavier slew Ganton, saving face before his subjects. He was still in charge of the Order as of 10 ABY, when he publicly declared war with the New Republic.

Biography

Early life

Quaal Tavier Catharius was a Bitthævrian male from the planet Guiteica in the Tertiary Kadok system, and like most members of his species, he joined the Guiteica Militia at a young age, eventually becoming a colonel. He also became a member of the fabled m'Yalfor'ac Order, sworn enemies of the Galactic Republic. The Order had been almost wiped out by the Jedi Knights and the Republic decades before Tavier's birth, and the Order's lust for revenge never subsided. Tavier fought against the Republic with distinction, participating in attacks on Republic troops and using guerrilla warfare against Republic-allied corporations; he also proved himself to be an exceptional leader, and during his career he acquired a great many admirers. Tavier fought alongside a Khil named Tarlo Ganar, becoming friends with the alien.

Hero of the Bitthævrian people

"Colonel Tavier is the 31st leader of the m'Yalfor'ac Order, and like his predecessors, gained his position through meritorious action in combat against Republic-allied troops, guerrilla operations against pro-Republic corporate complexes, and exceptional leadership."

―Ayla Shar

Around the time of the dissolution of the Republic and the formation of the first Galactic Empire, Tavier was among the most revered members of the m'Yalfor'ac Order, eventually becoming its thirty-first leader. Under Tavier, the Order—and by extension, the Bitthævrian people—publicly denounced the Empire, which he felt was immoral. The Bitthævrians and the Empire clashed several times during Tavier's reign; whenever Imperial scout ships ventured into Bitthævrian space, the m'Yalfor'ac Order attacked and destroyed them, making relations between Tavier's regime and the Empire somewhat shaky. Despite this, the Imperial moff of the sector, Rhain Towith, never took any actual measures against the Bitthævrians, and allowed them to do as they wished if they did not encroach on Imperial territory; Tavier never did, as most Bitthævrians never wanted to leave their homeworld.

The Guiteica Militia's weaponry

Tavier served his people as best he could, and he was regarded as one of Guiteica's best leaders; he cared for his people and hoped to take them on a prosperous path. He allowed two non-Bitthævrians to join the m'Yalfor'ac Order as a part of his four-member leading committee: Khil tactician Tarlo Ganar, a former comrade of his; and an unidentified Adnerem mercenary. He also had a small number of personal bodyguards, most of them Guardians from the m'Yalfor'ac Order. One of these was Aul Tarrus Vishav, a hulking Bitthævrian known for his fearlessness and strength.

Under Tavier, the m'Yalfor'ac Order faced many external threats; Guiteica had considerable mineral resources, and many corporations and other species in the sector sought to reap them for their own benefit. The Guiteica Militia owned a considerable amount of outdated vehicles—AT-PT walkers, Espo Walker 91s, C-73 Tracker starfighters, Z-95 Headhunters, and Toscan 8-Q starfighters—acquired during raids on pirates and through other means; although this force was considered archaic and useless by many, it was enough to protect Guiteica from any invasion attempts. Tavier was able to fend off all who attacked, further endearing him to the planet's population.

Assassination attempt

"While Tavier slew Ganton to prove his worthiness, Tarrus ended the circle of betrayal by ending the life of the Succession Judge: there would be no question that Tavier would be the rightful leader of the m'Yalfor'ac Order."

―Ayla Shar

While Tavier was greatly popular among his kin, some wished to usurp him and take his mantle; during his reign, he survived numerous assassination attempts by turncoats, further proving his prestige and worthiness to rule with the Bitthævrians. Sometime during the time of Emperor Palpatine, a major named Jael Ganton Farvash attempted to kill Tavier after turning traitor. Ganton hoped to take Tavier's place at the head of the m'Yalfor'ac Order. The attempt failed, though Tavier incurred serious injuries, and Ganton was sentenced to death. However, Ganton demanded that he be given the right to engage Tavier in a challenge duel; despite his injuries, Tavier was bound by Bitthævrian tradition to accept, and to refuse would result in considerable loss of face. Accompanied by his bodyguard, Tarrus, Tavier met with Ganton in a Bitthævrian arena—Bitthævrian custom allowed each participant to bring one comrade to ensure the fight was a fair one, though they were not expected to enter the fray themselves.

Only the two participants, Tavier and Ganton, their "Defenders," and the Succession Judge were allowed to witness the encounter. Ganton and Tavier attacked each other with the traditional dematoils of their species, dealing each other many painful blows; suddenly, however, several of Ganton's supporters entered the arena, armed with dematoils. Despite the objections of Tarrus, the judge allowed the lopsided fight to continue, as he was a supporter of Ganton's bid for power. Enraged, Tavier's bodyguard attacked the new arrivals, besting and killing them all. Tarrus left Ganton for Tavier while he killed the corrupt judge; Tavier slew his opponent, proving his worthiness. After that, he found he had no others attempting to overthrow him. Grateful for Tarrus's intervention and bravery, Tavier appointed him as one of the Order's four main leaders—the other three being himself, Tarlo Ganar, and the Adnerem. Despite the permanent injuries he suffered at the hands of Ganton, Tavier continue to serve as the Order's leader.

Conflicts

"If he stirs his people too well, he may just decide to confront the Alliance, or worse yet, the Empire. Then he'll understand just how outdated his 'great army' truly is."

―Andrephan Stormcaller

When the Alliance to Restore the Republic was formed in 2 BBY, Tavier used them to further increase his popularity: the Alliance sought to reinstate the Old Republic, which made it a much-hated organization on Guiteica. Tavier saw the Alliance as even worse than the Empire, because it championed the Old Republic that had cut down his ancestors. The m'Yalfor'ac Order publicly denounced the Rebellion, though they never actually engaged them in combat; the Rebels, aware of Tavier's hatred for them, stayed well clear of Bitthævrian space. The Alliance High Command saw Tavier's Order as such a great threat that they had Lieutenant Ayla Shar commission a report on the Bitthævrians, which eventually made its way to Airen Cracken, chief of Alliance Intelligence.

Tavier was still in command of the Bitthævrians by around 10 ABY, after the Alliance had formulated into the New Republic. The Order, still bitter at the Republic's actions generations prior, loudly reviled the Republic, and attempted to make itself a pest in local politics. Tavier also laid claim to a large area of land outside the Bitthævrians' official territory, though in reality they had no colonies or outposts to legitimately hold the area. The New Republic did not see the m'Yalfor'ac Order as a great threat because of their out-of-date weaponry, though they had another report, written by Zgorth'sth, filed to several prominent New Republic tacticians.

Personality and traits

"He is a capable leader and very charismatic, but dangerous for the general uprising he may cause."

―Andrephan Stormcaller

From an early age, Quaal Tavier Catharius proved himself to be a competent fighter, and throughout his life he incurred numerous wounds and scars, which only served to highlight his achievements even more. He had a strong sense of tradition, so much so that he risked his life when accepting Ganton's offer rather than defy tradition. He was proud of himself, his people, and his achievements, and was determined and dedicated to help them enact their revenge on those who had wronged their ancestors; he put all his effort into leading the Bitthævrians, and did not marry or attempt to start a family. He was extremely charismatic, and was able to instill great confidence and belief in his people that they would triumph over their enemies. Respected and admired across the lands of his homeworld, Tavier was seen by the Rebel Alliance as a great danger, though they knew his outdated weapons would pose little threat to any established military.

Behind the scenes

Tavier was created by Bill Smith in 1995, appearing in West End Games' Alliance Intelligence Reports. He was later mentioned briefly in Timothy S. O'Brien's Special Military Unit Intelligence Update, appearing in Star Wars Adventure Journal 15 in 1997. He has not been referenced by any Star Wars media since.

Sources

• Alliance Intelligence Reports (First mentioned)
• "Special Military Unit Intelligence Update" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 15