Thrackan Sal-Solo

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"I'm not going to defend Thrackan Sal-Solo because he's a distant cousin—"
"A cousin who's vicious as a slashrat and slippery as an Umgullian blob."

―Jacen and Jaina Solo^[9]

Thrackan Sal-Solo was a Human male who was the son of Randil Sal and Tiion Sal-Solo and the first cousin of Han Solo. He was a few years older than Han and bore a striking resemblance to his cousin. Thrackan even had a voice that corresponded to Han's. Known to the galaxy as a convicted felon, Sal-Solo, despite his vicious crimes, came into power multiple times. As of 40 ABY, Thrackan became Head of State of Corellia and its Minister of War. He was responsible for the Second Galactic Civil War.

During the war, Thrackan issued a bounty on Han Solo's family, hiring Boba Fett's daughter, Ailyn Vel, to carry out the job. However, his plan to rule Corellia backfired as he was killed by Boba Fett, Mirta Gev, and Han Solo.

Biography[]

Meeting Han Solo[]

"You were always the one who liked to play games. And I was always the one who had to come in and clean up after you."
"That’s not exactly the way I remember it."

―Thrackan Sal-Solo and Han Solo^[6]

His father died when he was very young, and his mother was a reclusive, distrustful woman, who surrounded herself with a staff of droid servants. The family was apparently descended from the ancient emperors of Corellia, and while his lonely childhood left him arrogant and domineering, Tiion Sal-Solo nevertheless raised her son to think of himself as a gentleman.

In 18 BBY, Thrackan encountered his cousin Han, a teenage orphan who had run away from gangster Garris Shrike and was searching for clues about his own origins. His mother, when introduced to Han, became hysterical after noticing his resemblance to her lost loved ones. Thrackan angrily pulled Han from the room, blaming him for upsetting her. When Han asked what was wrong with her, Thrackan became angrier and struck him, shouting that there was nothing wrong with Tiion and that Han had no right to talk about her.^[5]

Despite the way this first meeting unfolded, Han stayed with Thrackan for a short time in an attempt to learn about the rest of his family and because he had nowhere else to go—Han feared Thrackan would turn him over to the authorities if he were ever to defy him, which would result in his being found and recaptured by Shrike.^[5]

Han found his cousin to be a violent bully; seen from the other side, however, it is not impossible that Han's existence had shattered Thrackan's belief that he was the rightful heir of Corellia's ancient monarchy. Be that as it may, during his stay with Thrackan, Han endured much abuse both physical and verbal from the older boy. In order to placate his cousin Han was required to do everything he was told, including helping to break into and burglarize neighboring homes and try to teach Thrackan to pilot a speeder. Thrackan would torture animals or insects for fun, doing it more frequently once he realized how much it unsettled Han to have to watch.

One day, Thrackan's bullying became too much for Han. When Thrackan held a knife to him and threatened him with cutting off his ears, Han attacked his bigger cousin with a viciousness and talent that he learned on the street, which caught Thrackan off guard. Han savagely beat Thrackan and finally held a knife to his throat, the same knife Thrackan had been threatening Han with moments earlier.

Han forced the terrified Thrackan to tell him about everything he knew about their family, with Thrackan answering truthfully. Once Han became calmer and let down his guard, Thrackan overpowered him and locked him in a storeroom for three days, feeding him only bread and water, vowing to make him sorry. Han's confinement ended when Thrackan walked into the room accompanied by Garris Shrike; his cousin had cruelly decided to turn him back over to the sadistic captain. This incident was the first of many which would lead to a lifelong family feud between Thrackan and Han.

Serving the Corellian government[]

"By the time your stinking Rebellion won its first battles against the Empire, I was heir presumptive to the Diktat. Dupas Thomree was the Diktat, Daclif Gallamby was heir apparent, and I was third in the line of succession."

―Thrackan Sal-Solo drunkenly bragging to Han Solo^[6]

Thrackan later attempted to pursue a career in the Imperial Navy, but Han's cashiering, smuggling career and fighting with the Rebellion thwarted his ambition, and confined him to a bureaucratic role within the Corellian sector. Nevertheless, Thrackan's ruthless ambition and his family connections enabled him to prosper in the Imperial administration, eventually becoming third in the line of succession for the Diktat, behind Daclif Gallamby. When the latter became Diktat in 2 BBY, Thrackan was appointed as his deputy.^[6]

His sense that his cousin thwarted him in every aspect of his life was further compounded when the Imperial government on Corellia was undermined by the Battle of Endor and the subsequent rise of the New Republic—with Han, of course, playing a vital role in the Rebel victory. Additionally, having previously grown unhappy with Gallamby's policies, Sal-Solo had begun plotting to overthrow him, but news of the Empire's defeat at Endor galvanized the non-human population into resisting the Corellian government's rule, and he was forced to call off the coup attempt.^[6]

The Corellian Crisis[]

"So that’s your goal. Bring back the Empire? Give up now, Thrackan. It’s dead, dead and gone."
"I know that. I don’t like it, but I can see it. Could see it the day Palpatine and Darth Vader died. All over. But Palpatine’s New Order, the Imperial system—that we can bring back, at least here. Just no Emperor over the Diktat. No one telling the Corellian Sector what to do. In-de-pen-dent. Just us here, putting the aliens back in their place."

―Han Solo and Thrackan Sal-Solo^[6]

Eventually, when the New Republic took control of Corellia, Thrackan disappeared, to the point that Han thought he was dead. He formed a speciesist underground movement known as the Human League, where he was often referred to as the "Hidden Leader" to conceal his identity.^[7] Allying himself with the rulers of Sacorria, the Sacorrian Triad, the two began a plot to take control of the entire Corellian sector. With the Human League on Corellia, small extremist groups on the other four planets of the Corellian system received large amounts of funding and support to artificially grow them to prominence. Each group was tasked with uncovering their respective planet's planetary repulsor — ancient underground devices capable of generating massive bursts of energy. Meanwhile, the Triad's scientists analyzed Centerpoint Station — a massive space station between the Corellian system's double worlds, Talus and Tralus — discovering that it contained a massive superweapon capable of imploding stars.^[10] At some point, the Space Service of the Corellian Defense Force secretly became loyal to Thrackan.^[7]

By 18 ABY, the Corellian system had become politically unstable. Coupled with the fact that Corellia's New Republic government was forced to fill positions with ex-Imperials due to the lack of qualified candidates, general resistance to governmental authority grew with the prior tight grip of the Empire being gone. The Human League took advantage of this by holding nightly torchlight marches around Corona House, the residence of Corellia's Governor-General, Micamberlecto. It was decided that a trade summit would be held on the planet in order to bring prominence to the system's issues. Prior to the event, smuggler Mara Jade, who planned to attend, received a message cube addressed to Micamberlecto and Han's wife, New Republic Chief of State Leia Organa Solo.^[7]

Han, Leia, and their family, along with Han's co-pilot Chewbacca arrived on Corellia a few days before the summit began. As the former walked the streets of Coronet City one night, he stumbled into one of the Human League's marches, catching the attention of two participants who noticed his resemblance to Thrackan. Han was knocked out and brought to a cell in the League's base, where Thrackan was informed. Though he personally ordered his men to release Han, he now knew his cousin was on the planet.^[7] On the summit's first day, Mara Jade delivered the message cube to its intended recipients and watched it alongside them and Han. The message contained coordinates, times, a visual recording of the star TD-10036-EM-1271 exploding, and an audio recording of Thrackan warning them not to call for any outside help and that their communications were being monitored. The listeners did not recognize Thrackan's voice and incorrectly believed it was an attempt at synthesizing Han's. The group recognized the coordinates as stars, with the final one on the list being the Corellian system's star, Corell, and came to the conclusion that whomever sent the message was threatening to blow up the listed stars if their, at that moment, unknown demands weren't met. That night, with all preparations finished, Thrackan ordered the insurrection to begin.^[7]

The next morning, fighting erupted across the five worlds between the human, Drall, and Selonian populations. In the chaos and with the help of the CDF Space Service, Corellia fell under control of the Human League. Thrackan revealed himself by publicly addressing the planet via its broadcast systems, where he proclaimed himself Diktat and declared the Corellian sector independent of the New Republic. Additionally, he claimed responsibility for TD-10036-EM-1271's destruction and ordered the deportation of all non-humans from the planet in thirty days, or else more stars would suffer the same fate,^[7] Secretly, he knew this task was impossible and only meant to make his enemies sweat.^[6] In actuality, Centerpoint Station's ability to destroy stars had been pre-programmed in by the Sacorrian Triad and out of the Human League's control, with Thrackan's claim only being a power-play.^[10] What he did control, however, was the station's powerful jamming and interdiction abilities. After Thrackan's speech ended, the entire system's communications were blocked and a massive interdiction field was raised, spanning throughout the whole sector.^[7] With this, he had ultimately chosen to betray his Sacorrian allies, as the field restricted lightspeed travel to and from their planet, as well.^[10]

Later on, Han helped New Republic Intelligence agent Belindi Kalenda escape the planet, though he was captured and once again brought to the Human League's base in the process.^[7] Thrackan personally met with Han. Words were exchanged and the former forced the latter to fight a fellow prisoner, a Selonian named Dracmus, in hand-to-hand combat. Dracmus knocked out Han, who was brought back to his cell, where Thrackan, now drunk, woke him up by splashing a bucket of water in his face. The two then spoke again, with Thrackan, holding his family to a higher standard in his mind, unable to believe his own cousin didn't see things the same way as him. He attempted to convince Han to join him, which he of course refused. Thrackan then left, though before he did, he placed Dracmus in the same cell as Han, under the impression that the Selonian would hurt him. He was mistaken when the two managed to escape together.^[6]

Concurrently, the Human League stormed Corona House and captured the building,^[6] where Micamberlecto was executed by Thrackan.^[11] The League was unable, however, to stop Leia and Mara from escaping on the latter's ship, the Jade's Fire. In addition, before the League took the building, Chewbacca; Han's children Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin; their tutor Ebrihim; and his droid Q9-X2, fled the planet on the Millennium Falcon and traveled to Drall, another planet within the system.^[6] There, with the help of Ebrihim's aunt Marcha, they found the planet's repulsor and activated it, which was detected back on Corellia by the Human League. Thrackan was informed by one of his generals and decided to personally accompany a strike team to take control of it. On Drall, they quickly captured the Solo children and their companions. Triumphant, Thrackan remotely disabled Centerpoint's jamming and interdiction before broadcasting to the Corellian system a recording of the Solo children. In addition, he falsely announced that the Human League had rescued them from aliens holding them prisoner and that they were keeping the children safe until Leia announced her whereabouts and recognized the Corellian sector as independent. Several hours later, Anakin's Force abilities allowed the group to escape their containment, after which they boarded the Millennium Falcon and took off. Furious, Thrackan pursued them in an assault boat, personally taking the gunnery controls and firing at the fleeing ship, while the captain, Thrag, piloted. Jaina fired back, managing to disable the boat's guns and sublight emitters, leaving it dead in space.^[10]

The Bakuran Defense Fleet, who had previously pushed through the interdiction field using hyperwave inertial momentum sustainers and arrived in the Corellian system to help the New Republic take it back, noticed the two ships and captured them in a tractor beam. On the Bakuran Namana-class light cruiser Intruder, the Human League strike team members, Captain Thrag, and an angry Thrackan were taken into custody. Han met with his cousin a third time, albeit with Thrackan now as the prisoner, where the latter chided the former how even if he himself lost, the Bakurans still had to face the Sacorrian Triad's fleet, who had arrived in the system after the interdiction field was disabled. Though they sustained heavy loses, the Bakurans ended up victorious. In addition, though Centerpoint had previously fired and destroyed the star Thanta Zilbra, causing numerous deaths, the station was knocked off kilter by Anakin using Drall's planetary repulsor when it fired on Bovo Yagen, causing the shot to miss. Eventually, the weapon's pre-programmed countdown was disabled before it could shoot again, and the Corellian Insurrection was finished for good.^[10]

Yuuzhan Vong War[]

"My allegiance is to the Corellian system alone. And you'd be smart to curb that lightsaber tongue of yours, Princess Leia. An insult to the man is an insult to the office."
"Really? In this case, I should think it is the man himself who is the insult."

―Thrackan Sal-Solo and Leia Organa Solo, about Sal-Solo's election as the Governor-General of the Corellian sector^[12]

Having spent the next eight years at Dorthus Tal Prison, he was released during the Yuuzhan Vong War, to help make the main weapon on the Centerpoint Station work, after it was unlocked by Anakin. Thrackan Sal-Solo appealed to his first cousin once removed, Anakin Solo, to help him activate Centerpoint Station and destroy the Yuuzhan Vong armada in orbit over Fondor. After a lengthy debate involving Thrackan, Anakin, and Anakin's brother Jacen, the younger Solo decided that firing Centerpoint could lead to the dark side. Angered, Thrackan fired the device himself, decimating not only half of the invader's fleet, but nearly all of the Hapan fleet rendering aid at Fondor. Despite the friendly fire casualties, Sal-Solo had administered one of the few reverses then inflicted upon the Yuuzhan Vong, and he was hailed as a hero in many quarters. He became the leader of the Centerpoint Party and was elected Governor-General of the Corellian sector a year later. A few months later, he informed the Yuuzhan Vong about the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4.^[8]

After the Battle of Coruscant, Sal-Solo traveled to Yuuzhan'tar, to meet with Shimrra Jamaane, the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong, and Nom Anor. He offered to sign a treaty of friendship in exchange for Corellian neutrality, but the Yuuzhan Vong took him captive (none too gently) and forced him to become the president of the Peace Brigade, Jedi hunters working for the Yuuzhan Vong. Shimrra knew that being associated with the Peace Brigade would destroy Sal-Solo's reputation among Corellians. Sal-Solo was later captured at Ylesia after a battle between New Republic and Peace Brigade forces (by Jaina Solo, adding insult to injury), and was extradited back to Corellia to stand trial for treason.

Second Galactic Civil War[]

"I apologize, I actually do have to kill you now."

―Jacen Solo^[3]

ThrackanEC — The infamous Thrackan Sal-Solo.

Thrackan was able to reverse his bad fortune by portraying himself as a nationalist and fighter for the Corellian cause, and returned to a position of power following the Yuuzhan Vong conflict. This time, however he returned to power as an independent (not a member of a party), although with considerable support from members of the Centerpoint Party. In the Second Galactic Civil War, Sal-Solo served as the Head of State of the planet Corellia under the system's Prime Minister, Aidel Saxan. During this time Thrackan had planned to use Anakin Solo's biometrics to activate the Centerpoint Station to use on the Galactic Alliance. However his plans were foiled when Ben Skywalker convinced the droid Anakin Sal-Solo to shut it off.^[4]

Jacen Solo saw through the Force how Thrackan was the main cause of a war, one that would spread out from Corellia causing pain not felt since the last War and attempted to kill him, although thwarted by Thrackan's clever devices.^[4]

In 40 ABY, when Saxan was assassinated and Admiral Gilad Pellaeon nearly killed, Sal-Solo was suspected of involvement. As it turned out, Thrackan was indeed responsible for Saxan's death by conspiring with the Sith Lady Lumiya to assassinate her. To make matters even worse, Thrackan Sal-Solo approved Wedge's plan, Operation Noble Savage, thus starting a full-scale war.^[4]

At this point in his life, he had at least three mistresses, as well as an estate that was more like a military fortress than a mansion.^[4]

As the crisis continued to flare up across the galaxy, Sal-Solo placed a bounty on his cousin Han, and the rest of Han's family. The bounty was picked up by Ailyn Vel, the daughter of Boba Fett. However, she was captured by the GAG before she could carry it out and later died at the hands of Jacen Solo during a torture session. Sal-Solo then tried to hire Boba Fett to finish the job and have his Mandalorian warriors provide security for the Corellian teams that were trying to make Centerpoint Station operational again. Fett was only interested in the job because he knew that if he found Han then he would find his daughter, but after being approached on Corellia by Dur Gejjen's offer to kill Sal-Solo for one million credits and then Han who wanted to kill Sal-Solo himself, he decided to join forces with him and along with his granddaughter, Mirta Gev to assassinate him.^[3]

Sal-Solo end — Thrackan Sal-Solo, minutes before his death at the hands of Mirta Gev, Boba Fett and Han Solo

After the three of them had Sal-Solo alone in his office, and Han attempted to choke him with his own hands, Sal-Solo revealed that he had sold out Ailyn to the GAG. Enraged, Gev felled Sal-Solo with three shots to the forehead. Fett then shot him twice in the chest to make sure that he was dead. However, Sal-Solo's death was not the end of the crisis, and the events of the Second Galactic Civil War that followed would deal grievous blows to many of those involved.^[3]

Personality and traits[]

"He is not a nice man, to put it mildly."

―Han Solo's character assessment of his cousin^[7]

Thrackan Sal-Solo was widely known for his firm Humanocentrism, love of Corellia, and support of the Empire's New Order. However, his pro-Empire leanings had a limit, and the speciesism professed was more akin to xenophobia and isolationism. He also tried to portray himself as a Corellian nationalist and a proponent of the Corellian Independence cause, with considerable success as he rose to power three times before his death. Once in power, he used bullying tactics to get his way. Sal-Solo was traumatized as a child since his father, Randil Sal, died when he was one year old. His mother, Tiion, never recovered, and constantly wept. This made Thrackan angry and sad, as his mother was full of life when his father was alive. This lead to him developing an aggressive and mean-spirited personality that would characterize him later in life. He was unpopular with his peers, such as his cousin Han, did not think of him as a nice person, although he remained well loved by the people of Corellia. Despite outwardly rejecting the Corellian value of family loyalty, he did care for his kin, and held them to a higher standard in his mind. When speaking with Han during the Corellian Crisis, Thrackan initially couldn't believe that his cousin didn't see things the way he did, and figured that he would once everything was explained to him. Han caught on to this and played along by telling Thrackan that the upon the death of the Emperor, the Rebellion had mourned the loss of a worthy adversary. Despite being an obvious lie, Thrackan believed him.^[6]

Behind the scenes[]

In Legacy of the Force: Betrayal, it was hinted that Thrackan would attempt to become Prime Minister by killing or toppling Denjax Teppler. But in Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, mention is made neither of Teppler or the Prime Minister position, and he is still listed as being "Head of State." However, he is also called "President" and made to seem the head of the full Corellian government. Presumably this was the result of editing errors as well as due to Bloodlines having been finished before Betrayal. These errors were retconned near the beginning of Legacy of the Force: Tempest when it was stated that Thrackan had declared himself President of Five Worlds in addition to his position as Head of State of Corellia. Dur Gejjen abolished this position and took up the titles Head of State of Corellia and the previous executive position Five World Prime Minister.

Thrackan's name is frequently misspelled as "Thracken," even in official sources, such as Cracken's Threat Dossier and the back cover of the Assault at Selonia paperback.