Thane

Name Thane

Position Lord Know-it-all

Basic Info
Personality
Skills and Abilities
History

Character Information

Written by		Christopher
Title(s)		Heritur (Caanan Crown Prince) (unclaimed) Lord (secret Sith title) Commissar (Bastion political rank)
Other Names		Lord Serus (secret Sith identity)
Gender		Male
Species		Human
Age		26
Class/Occupation		Sith Lord Jedi Guardian
Affiliation		Sith • Order of the Sith Lords (Darth Bane's Holocron) • Himself Third Galactic Republic Reborn Jedi Order (formerly)
Alignment		-25
Born		1,192 ABY, Caanus
Homeworld		Caanus
Weapon(s) of Choice		Single-Bladed Lightsaber (Violet)

Physical Appearance

Height		5ft 11in
Skin Colour		White (Pale)
Weight		12st 6lb
Hair Color		Brown
Eye Color		Ice Blue Blue/Gold Swirls (Dark Side Throes)
Physical Description		Of an average height, Thane has a certain degree of dense musculature, with his broad shoulders but slight frame belying his true strength. With thick brown hair that is often swept back, Thane has the pale white skin indicative of his Caanan heritage and a scar running across his right eye. His right hand was crushed during a drug-induced arena battle with Bomoor Thort on Jericho, in 1,217 ABY, forcing cybernetic prostheses and reconstruction of its outer half.
Form of Dress		Thane typically wears a variant on the usual Jedi robes, with either dark grey and black tunics and a black greatcoat, or a form-fitting black jumpsuit, sometimes with white undershirt. He also has in his possession a more reinforced military-style battle tunic, often worn with a black Jedi cape. As civilian garb, he often sports a fitted red spacer’s jacket. His jacket’s right shoulder has been fitted with a strong cortosis-based guard, not pure enough to disable lightsaber blades, but enough to deflect blows, with a small communications device is attached to the jacket, near the mouth.
Prosthetics/Cybernetics		Cybernetic digits and hand reconstruction (last two fingers on right hand)

Important Figures

Mentor(s)		Dora-Sul† (Kel Dor, informal master) - killed by Axion, Caanus, 1,198 ABY Master Sotah (Selkath, Jedi Master) Darth Bane (Holocron Gatekeeper, Sith Master) Zenarrah Sozo (Nautolan, lightsaber combat mentor)
Mentee(s)		Amare (formerly Zaracoda Wolph) (Nautolan, Sith apprentice) Bería "Berry" Z. Fieros (Aquar/Firrerreon, informal Force apprentice) (briefly)
Father		Archae Wulhart of House Verus (former Senator)
Mother		Amica of House Vraal† (missing, presumed deceased, taken by Axion on Caanus, 1,198 ABY)
Brother(s)		Ventul of House Verus† (missing, presumed deceased, taken by Axion on Caanus, 1,198 ABY)
Other		Bomoor Thort (Ithorian former Jedi Knight, closest friend, Force bond) Loren† (Human Jedi Sentinel, fellow Padawan of Sotah, close friend) - killed by Thane on Jericho, 1,217 ABY
Notable Kills		Gran Cultist - Nar Shaddaa, 1,217 ABY One Sith K'Errekh - Tython, 1,217 ABY Jedi Shadow Loren† - Jericho, 1,217 ABY Spirit of Darth Cabal - Vaa, 1,217 ABY Rift Master Ise-Kai Formeri - Lucazec, 1,218 ABY GWC Superintendent Mosquith - Bastion, 1,218 ABY

Other

Voice		Your browser does not support the audio element.
Music and Themes		Fury of the Prince (Thane's Theme) Your browser does not support the audio element. Sacrifice (Loren's Death - Thane Suite) Your browser does not support the audio element.

Personality & Traits

General Overview		A proud and often arrogant man, Thane is nevertheless guided by a desire to see order prevail in the galaxy, as well as a drive to see a justice of sorts meted out upon the world around him. Once devoted to the tenets of the Jedi and Republic, looking to defend the weak from those who would exploit them, his beliefs on justice have shifted, deciding true justice is permitting each individual to attain their greatest potential, and not to be hampered by the failings of the weak or inept. With this great individualist identity in mind, coupled with his fascination for ancient scripture from all facets of the Force, leaves him always searching for the best way to improve himself, so that he may do more for the galaxy - and himself - as a whole, as a form of "enlightened self-interest", a mantra strongly rejected by his former peers. Outwardly cynical and sarcastic, Thane has a heavy disdain for corruption and incompetence within both the government and other echelons of society, with a great disdain for the pretentiousness of the Jedi – he would rather use their abilities to refine the system, forging a galaxy where sentients can aspire to great heights, a side effect of which would see the fortunes of the world improve accordingly - or so Thane believes. Philosophies aside, Thane keeps few friends, partly due to his headstrong views and actions, but largely through his distrust of most others, finding respect something hard to give, given how most people behave. However, the few friends he does keep, he whole-heartedly respects and appreciates, and would go to extreme measures to ensure their safety and survival. Recent developments, however, have led to Thane adopting a more ruthless approach to his goals and relationships. Becoming increasingly pragmatic and waning in his sympathies, more of the former Jedi's personality subscribes to elitism and resorting to whatever methods necessary to achieve his ends.
Strengths & Weaknesses		With an increasingly polarised moral compass, Thane has a very strict sense of what is right and wrong, but feels that others are not always aware of which is which themselves and that his morality rises above that of the typical, unthinking man. He does not outwardly believe that knowledge, for example, is strictly evil, but how it is applied, and often feels that doing nothing is as bad as doing something “evil”. Also, despite his belief in there being an absolute authority, he often chafes against most authority figures, not actually believing them to know what’s best. A primary weakness, however, is his lack of self-control concerning concentration and his views on others, which goes completely against much of his training, and is something that frustrates him further – particularly given his goals and beliefs in life, often holding him back from what he truly wishes to achieve.
Ambitions		To restore order and peace to the galaxy; to root out corruption and incompetence and try those who would let it go on, mentally judging them as weak and/or absurd; for those with the greatest potential to be unhindered by those who prove the greatest liability. A perfectionist, Thane also has a deep-set desire to increase his own power and knowledge of the Force and his abilities with the blade, for he could not possibly judge others and do he feels must be done if he does not have the ability to do so. As such, he intends to focus more on his self-control.
Interests and Hobbies		A lot of Thane’s time is devoted to training his combat abilities, frequently sparring, both by himself and with others, and immersing himself in studies he has chosen for himself, rather than those given to him by others, i.e. Vaapad. He is often found reading history, philosophy, politics and teachings of the Force, which has led to a certain degree of fascination with archaeology as well, inspiring him to collect ancient pieces of Jedi, Sith and other Force sects’ history.
Languages		Can speak: Basic, Huttese, Sith (choice words and phrases) Can Understand: Droidspeak, Twi'leki, Selkatha, Rodese Can Write: Aurebesh, High Galactic

Skills/Abilities

Fighting Style		Primarily a practitioner of the Form VI “Niman” lightsaber style, Thane also specialises in Form II “Makashi”, whilst also self-tutoring the advanced Form VII “Juyo”. As such, his current lightsaber hilt, an ornate electrum style, is smaller than the norm - perfectly designed and curved for a one-handed saber form. Niman is his primary form, which he practises relentlessly, as it gives him an edge in nearly all combat situations, ranging from many enemies to few, from swordplay to blasters. Whilst panned by many for being neither notably good or bad, someone experienced in Niman is able to diversify their style for every potential situation; a master of Niman is a master of most forms, and whilst Thane is not there yet, he is able to use the Force to augment his quick style of combat with easy, thanks to Form VI. As a keen duellist, Thane has also trained with some of the Order’s more experienced warriors in the traditional Form II Makashi, which is primarily designed for lightsaber combat and suits Thane’s typical use of the one-handed hold of his hilt, with his offhand coming into play to add strength to his attacks. In one-on-one combat, Thane’s saber moves with ease with quick slices being made for the limbs of his opponents. Whilst not yet a master of the Form, he is nevertheless well versed, but has to switch to his more basic Niman when in a bigger area with more enemies. When he was briefly without use of his dominant hand, Thane called upon the dark side and his skill in Niman to best a lightsaber-wielding opponent with a metal blade. He was considered by a few select Jedi warriors to be a contender for a future battlemaster of the Order; whilst he has specialised in particular forms, his tutelage under Sotah and experience with other Jedi has lent him a broad understanding of every form. In teaching Zaracoda Wolph/Amare the lightsaber arts, he has been able to impart wisdom, for example, of Soresu, his Jedi Master's preferred form, due to his historic exposure to it. Nevertheless, he would not be confident enough to utilise this on the battlefield or against a superior lightsaber-wielding opponent of skill. His understanding of the seventh – and frowned upon – form, known commonly as Juyo, was basic. With a temper of his own and a degree of enjoyment for saber battle, the Jedi Masters discouraged his practice of it, and did not train him, leaving him to do his own research into the topic, which has only recently revealed the more-developed Form VII perfected by Mace Windu over a thousand years ago: Vaapad. A highly aggressive form that draws on one’s own anger – as well as that of the opponent – it takes absolute control and focus of one’s emotions to make it successful, rather than a crazy string of slashes, and is something Thane is far from perfecting. However, the arrival of his own apprentice's mother, Zenarrah Sozo, has offered him a unique opportunity; a master of the adapted seventh form, she has taken to training the fledgling Sith Lord in the archaic, dangerous form. With a growing knowledge of dark side and Sith abilities, Thane is starting to draw upon his darker emotions to augment his fighting style with Force Lightning and to focus his more erratic - and "light"-resistant - techniques, improving his prowess in combat and diversifying his technique.
Notable Abilities		Skilled saber duellist (Makashi competence), kinetic Force abilities (augmenting speed, saber, telekinesis etc), telepathic Force talents (Mind Trick, illusions). His abilities in the dark side are also growing, now reaching an intermediate level, beyond the scope of most typical Force users. Thane's natural ability in Force Telekinesis has also lent itself to a competence in Force Choke, and he can now wield - and block - Force Lightening with frightening competence. Through some additional training with Bomoor, he has also developed an ability to shield his thoughts, and invade others, in turn. From having shared a Force bond with Bería for a time, which was later passed on by accident to Bomoor, Thane has grown adept at limiting what he shares through this connection. Even so, rogue thoughts and feelings are often projected and received, and the two former Jedi can share talents, under the right circumstances. (Above: Thane's original Jedi lightsaber.) Thane built his current, second lightsaber shortly after his completion of the Jedi Trials, utilising a rare Hurrikaine crystal within. His original blue-bladed weapon remained in storage in his quarters at the Coruscant Jedi Temple for a few years, until he tried to bequeath it to Bería, a brief informal apprentice. When she ultimately rejected his mentorship, the weapon was returned to Thane, who kept it until the arrival of Zaracoda Wolph, who would become his formalised Sith apprentice, Amare. She replaced the blue jewel with her own amber crystal, wielding the blade for a few months until it was destroyed by the Dark Jedi cultist, Nala Sao, on Korriban in 1,218 ABY.
Melee		Very Good
Marksmanship		Average
Lightsaber		Very Good
Force Sensitivity		Excellent
Force Ability		Good
Engineering		Poor
Computers		Very Poor
Piloting		Good
Medical		Very Poor
Charisma		Good
Stealth		Average
Specific Skills/Abilities		• Force Telekinesis (Choke/Lightsaber Throw): Very Good • Force Speed: Good • Force Telepathy (Mind Trick): Average • Force Lightning: Average/Good (strengthened by alignment) • Force Concealment: Poor • (Force) Dark Rage: Poor (strengthened by alignment) • Force Absorption/tutaminis: Very Poor • Force Healing/Revitalise: Poor (weakened by alignment) • Form I (Shii-Cho): Good • Form II (Makashi): Excellent • Form III (Soresu): Average • Form IV (Ataru): Poor • Form V (Shien/Djem So): Poor (Shien), Very Good (Djem So) • Form VI (Niman): Excellent • Form VII (Juyo/Vaapad): Average (Juyo), Poor (Vaapad)

History

Contents

Youth and the Reborn Jedi Order (1,192 ABY - 1,217 ABY)
• Early Life on Caanus
• Knight of the Third Republic
The Sith and the Hunt for Axion (1,217 ABY - )
• Nar Shaddaa: An Unlikely Alliance
• Coruscant: Momentous Decisions
• Tython: Mind of Madness
• Jericho: The Lost Jedi
• Nar Shaddaa to Vaa: The Apprenticeship of Zaracoda
• Korriban: Discoveries in Darkness (1,218 ABY)
• Mustafar & Beyond: Sith of the New Age

Youth and the Reborn Jedi Order (1,192 ABY - 1,217 ABY)

Early Life on Caanus
Born on the world of Caanus, a planet on the edges of the Outer Rim Territories, near to the locations of the Sith Empires of old, Thane was born into House Verus, a noble family of monarchical descent from generations past, and the present ruling family.

Born in 1,192 ABY, Thane spent his first few years with his family and the family’s ‘protector’, Dora-Sul, a Kel Dor and one of the many Jedi Knights who had chosen to exile themselves to pursue their own beliefs following his allegiance to the Rift Jedi during the Second Outer Rim Conflict. Wielding a rare white-bladed lightsaber, he found Senator Wulhart a noble and respectable political figure and had been friends with him for years before pledging himself into servitude to him, and soon found Thane to be Force Sensitive, and was given permission by Wulhart to train him in the ways of the Force.

Shortly after, Thane’s younger brother, Ventul, was born and was also found to be a Force Sensitive, but obviously too young to train. Although a boy, Thane enjoyed his training with Dora-Sul and eagerly took to learning the ways of the Jedi (or at least the Kel Dor’s ways), but it was not long after that that a band of unknown criminals came to Vaarthul (the Verus family keep) and paved a path of destruction, stealing the Verus Bloodfist (a sizeable crystal, which was built into a sceptre, and was – unbeknownst to Thane – one of the extremely rare and powerful Kaiburr crystals, able to augment a Force user’s ability exponentially), as well as claiming both Ventul and Amica – Thane’s mother – for themselves. Wulhart was left a broken man, and Dora-Sul died defending the young Thane. Unable to look after his son, Wulhart withdrew himself from public life, and locked himself within his keep, whilst Thane – at the behest of an old friend of Dora-Sul’s – was taken to be trained by the Jedi Order.

Knight of the Third Republic
Although hesitant at training Thane, given what had transpired already in his young life, the Jedi Coucil provided a wise and experienced Jedi Master, a Selkath named Sotah, who had trained one padawan – Loren - previously, who had passed her Trials with flying colours. At first, Loren had been a troubled student, often brash and aggressive, quick to anger and judge, but had turned into a model Jedi Knight and Shadow. With this track record, Master Sotah was the obvious choice for Thane.

Despite never fully getting over the tragedy he had experienced as a young boy, Thane nevertheless remembered much of what Dora-Sul had taught him, which sometimes contradicted with the Jedi’s versions of education, and hastily took on board Sotah’s teachings. The Selkath proved a patient and friendly master, understanding of Thane’s troubles and past, and the two became close friends, with Thane looking to Sotah as a form of father figure. However, as time progressed, Thane could not help but find himself more at odds with the Jedi Code and Council, as well as their teachings generally. Whilst he always acknowledged the wisdom of his own master and friend, generally being respectful in the criticisms he directed towards Sotah, he still struggled with others and the way they approached things, as well as a certain disdain developing the stagnant Republic itself.

With much of his faith lost in the Republic and the Order, Thane frequently came into conflict with Jedi Masters and other students who were vehemently supporting the status quo and system, but he did find a friend and ally in the form of fellow Padawan Bomoor Thort, who was apprenticed to one of Master Sotah’s closest friends, Master Thurius. As such, the four were frequently alongside one another in their missions, growing used to one another’s skills and abilities, with each Padawan even learning a certain amount from each other’s Masters.

During his training, Thane mastered the Shii-Cho form like all others do, easily slipping into its primitive and fairly effective way, whilst it was soon discovered more of his Force potential lay in his combat skills. As a Jedi Guardian, he began to out-spar Master Sotah and his use of Soresu, and was advised to focus on the more offensive forms. Given his enjoyment of the form and his belief he would need to see its use in the future (a conclusion drawn following a mission to the war-ravaged world of Onderon alongside Bomoor), Thane devoted himself to the tenets of Makashi, enhancing his duelling capability and allowing him to succeed in quite enclosed spaces, but also began dabbling in Niman, which he was criticised for by others. With his potential to be a greater duellist, other Jedi suggested he specialise in other more focused forms, but Thane felt that the openness of Niman allowed him to truly expand his abilities for all situations, rather than leaving himself open to weakness in an unknown environ. Whilst he remained superior in Makashi, his ability in Niman became respectable, but could still be outmatched by someone who mastered another form, i.e. Shien.

Whilst Thane’s disillusionment was shared by Bomoor, it was perhaps not to such a severe degree, or he did not quite agree with Thane’s attitudes towards solving the problem, and so the pair have mostly agreed to disagree. When the Trials came, Thane faced a lot of opposition from the Jedi Council and other Masters, but with Sotah’s encouragement and his desire to become more than he was (an ambition he tried to downplay), Thane managed to pass them and be elevated to Jedi Knight status a short time after Bomoor.

Due to the Order’s numbers being significantly reduced in recent generations by exile, abandonment and defection, many more free-spirited Jedi were encouraged to have a looser lead than others, and were assigned objectives that were further-reaching, as was so with Thane and Bomoor. Still close with Master Sotah, he would often join them during their adventures, but it was during this time that Thane grew even more apathetic towards certain aspects of government and the Jedi, as some missions put them in tricky moral situations that could be easily resolved, in Thane’s opinion, but in which they were superseded by the Council, or he was punished for his actions following, with Bomoor often being the one addressed, more than Thane.

It is this, particularly recently, that has led Thane to think more on the teachings he received as a young boy from the exile Dora-Sul, which involved open-mindedness and independent thought. With these tenets handy, Thane began several self-taught lessons to realise his abilities and potential, as well as to better serve his goals and the galaxy as a whole. Whilst he recognised that people are mere individuals, he also recogniseddthat mere individuals can have significant impacts on the galaxy, and that these usually came in the form of Sith or powerful Jedi, leading him to begin extensive studies into history and philosophy, which in itself lent itself to an amateurish fascination with archaeology.

Whenever the opportunity arose, Thane would try to make use of the Jedi Archives, but found much of the information limited or classified, and was overtly discouraged from freelance exploration to some systems he deemed noteworthy to examine, both Jedi and Sith, as well as from other cultures. As he was denied more and more, Thane began to feel as though the Jedi were trying to hamper him, as gone were the days of the openness of Luke Skywalker’s New Jedi Order – today was the product of the “Grand Proclamation” and the “New Golden Age of the Republic”. Upon hearing that, Thane snorted, and became one of the millions who said the phrase in jest.

However, he still saw value in his objectives and enjoyed his time with Bomoor, often taking their ventures into the unknown as opportunities to explore new avenues to expand and explore his power and understanding, which led him to begin training himself in the seventh lightsaber form, in which he could use others’ feeling and efforts to augment his own. This is a key tenet in Form VII, which in turn then became a focus of Thane's to perfect, but his own poor concentration and control of volatile instincts has made mastery a long way off.

The Sith and the Hunt for Axion (1,217 ABY - )

Nar Shaddaa: An Unlikely Alliance
In 1,217 ABY, Thane and Bomoor were dispatched to apprehend the former Jedi slayer and Mandalorian bounty hunter, Sev Rezer. Rezer had been sighted on Nar Shaddaa, but the mission was far from standard as soon after touching down on the Smuggler's Moon, the pair stumbled upon a Force sensitive young girl with a great potential as a Force user, a part-Aquar named Berry. This, however, was just the start of the coincidences, as they uncovered a Dark Jedi Master's involvement in a turf war between two rival Hutts to claim the Force-empowering Kaiburr crystal shard Grogga had in his vault.

In a peculiar turn of events (and reinforced by a dark vision of the future where Sev fought alongside Thane against a greater evil), Thane, Berry and Bomoor found themselves allying with Sev Rezer, who approached them with information concerning the Dark Jedi, supposedly named the Cult of Axion, named for their Master, whom had apparently slighted the Mandalorian. In an alliance of convenience, the four hatched a scheme to follow Axion's attack upon the estate and stop him from claiming the Kaiburr shard, but during their own infiltration, Thane happened upon a Sith holocron. This holocron was revealed to have been created by none other than Darth Bane, but he had little chance to engage it before finding himself in a duel with Axion, enraged by both the darkness of the holocron... and the revelation that Axion was the one who had attacked his home during his childhood and stole the Bloodfist/Kaiburr shard.

Axion was clearly the superior combatant, but the four (also assisted by a mysterious Devaronian, Kip Hoddai), managed to stave off absolute defeat, even though were unable to stop the shard from being taken. Luckily, they managed to escape aboard the Red Raptor, a capable smuggling freighter owned by Grogga, to reach Coruscant, and decide on how to proceed.

Coruscant: Momentous Decisions
During the journey to the capital of the Third Republic, Thane opted alongside Bomoor to informally educate Berry in the Jedi arts, albeit with their own ideals, rather than those of the Reborn Jedi Order, the Council of which he and Bomoor soon faced. Explaining the circumstances on Nar Shaddaa, Grand Master Quellus was not overly supportive of Thane's decisions, but agreed in the necessity to deal with Axion and his cult.

However, with the reprimands delivered to him, a great deal of deliberation and the arrival of another to their motley group - the fugitive Morgo Le'Shaad (whom Thane saved from arrest by CoruSec), Thane made the decision to resign from the Jedi Order, but was given a tentative blessing to work against Axion and his pursuit of the Kaiburr shards with Bomoor's continued involvement and oversight. Free from an organisation he no longer agreed with or cared for, he departed with the others on the Red Raptor, and began further embracing the teachings of Darth Bane, already developing some basic dark side powers.

Tython: Mind of Madness
Knowing Tython to be considered the birthplace of the early Jedi Order, the crew of the Red Raptor set course for their next destination, armed only with steely determination and Sev Rezer's navigational skills. Finding ancient ruins held within a great Force storm of immense destructive power, the crew entered, and soon discovered the temple had been refuge to another group only too recently.

Quickly assaulted by visions of their greatest fears, the lone member of this first group, a crazed Whiphid tormenter deeply immersed in the dark side and madness, Thane found himself unable to call upon the Force as a spectre of Axion marched towards him. Although he and the others overcame their trials, slaying the lunatic, the Raptor crew discovered what it was that had driven the Whiphid to madness and murder: the holocron of once-Galactic Emperor, Darth Krayt.

With the death of this creature, it seemed Thane and the others had eliminated whatever fractured descendants of the One Sith still existed - and also retrieved yet another Sith holocron.

Opening it, they were greeted by the gatekeeper; a retrospective, self-aggrandising being, much like Darth Bane's keeper, but who unlike Bane, had taken stock of his creator's failures and had adopted a new, adapted persona. Although Thane was certain to listen to the teachings and thoughts of Krayt, it was the tutelage of Bane he engaged with more, and whom he found greater wisdom.

Jericho: The Lost Jedi
Three months passed on from Tython, with the crew finding no luck in hunting down either Axion or more shards. In that time, however, Thane continued paying heed to the words of Bane's holocron whilst trying in vain with Bomoor to impart Force teachings to the rebellious Berry. The mysterious Kip Hoddai left for parts unknown and Thane's relationship with Morgo became increasingly strained. Within that time, Thane became increasingly comfortable with the lessons he drew on from the millennium-dead Dark Lord, and he found his sight turning outwards - but certainly not before the scourge of Axion's Cult was purged.

Morgo provided Thane with intelligence that the maniacal Mandalorian Exile leader - Zrad Rezer, cousin of crewmate Sev - had come into possession of a Kaiburr shard. As such, the pair launched a daring raid on the ancient Imperial penal asteroid fortress of Jericho. Little did they know that yslamiri had been placed strategically about the facility, negating their connection to the Force. Caught unawares and without their power, the duo were bested and imprisoned, cruelly tortured and beaten for days.

During that time, Thane was forced to face his mortality and his greatest, Force-less fear. He and Bomoor were drugged and forced into a barbaric pit fight against one another, both blinded by the chemicals coursing through them. In this fight, inflicting great injuries on one another, Bomoor crushed Thane's right hand - an injury that resulted in losing the last two fingers and shattering most of the other small bones.

Planning to create a bloodbath so that he could declare himself the True Mandalorian, Zrad lured both the Cult of Axion and the Hutt Cartel forces of Grogga to Jericho with promises of the Jedi and shard. At the same time, with Berry having discerned with Morgo that the Force had been stripped from Thane, the pair hatched a plan with Sev and an old ally of Berry's, pirate Nimo Lemere, to get into Jericho and save the pair, and seize the shard.

Sev allowed himself to go undercover, promising to join his reviled cousin's traitorous war against Manda'toma, and sneaked Morgo and others aboard the station, as the cultists and Cartel arrived, too. Morgo helped free the two beleaguered, ill and heavily beaten Jedi. It was then that Loren, Thane's master's first padawan and closest friend second to Bomoor, presented herself. Sent by the Council to observe the two, she assisted in their escape.

It quickly became apparent that Loren had learned of Thane's tutelage under the holocron, and she saw first hand his dark actions as the Force returned to them. During a firefight with Exiles, Loren took the chance to slip away from the group, apparently determined to leave without confronting Thane to inform the Council. Pursuing her, and after they both failed to convince the other, Thane did what he felt was the only thing he could, and cut Loren down - his Sith sacrifice.

Nar Shaddaa to Vaa: The Apprenticeship of Zaracoda
Following the traumatic events of Jericho, Bomoor confessed to Thane that he had been working under the orders of the Jedi Council to report back on the group’s progress. Chiefly, they were interested in information on Thane and his behaviour – something Bomoor himself was uncomfortable with. Forgiven by Thane, Bomoor resigned from the Order as well, although this decision would result in the pair being declared fugitives from the Jedi. Whilst this was not sanctioned by the Republic itself, they were now being pursued through the galaxy by their former comrades, even whilst they continued to seek out Axion and the kaiburr shards.

With the sacrifice of Loren made to preserve both his secret and cement his destiny within the Sith, Thane finally and formally pledged himself to Darth Bane’s teachings. Although the former Jedi rejected the title of Darth, he did choose a new name to serve as his Sith identity – to serve as his truth: Lord Serus.

After upgrading the Red Raptor with a dedicated vault and strategy room, Thane took the vessel to Nar Shaddaa again to alter its codes for added security. When returning to the vessel, he discovered an unexpected stowaway in the form of Zaracoda “Coda” Wolph, a particularly talented Force sensitive Nautolan who had just escaped from slavery on the Smuggler’s Moon. Despite a tumultuous start to their relationship, Thane (as bid by Bane’s holocron), sought to make Coda his apprentice, to be the Sith student that Berry could never have been.

Coda was quick to learn and to drink in the power of the dark side, freeing herself from her former life as a slave, even if the shackles of her past identity restricted her at times, but she committed herself to both Thane’s teachings and to their quest against Axion. Following the discovery of an ancient Force-imbued key on the planet Sheva, Thane experienced a vision which led the Raptor crew to Vaa, the dead and petrified second moon of his homeworld Caanus.

On Vaa, they faced the threat of the grotesquely-mutated Thaalda, the exiled and semi-sentient natives of Caanus itself. Generations before, they had been twisted and enslaved by the Sith Lord Darth Cabal, the once-despot of Caanus. Whilst Thane, Coda and Bomoor were ultimately successful in vanquishing Cabal’s lingering spirit, the ancient Sith Lord having discovered some means of prolonging his connection to the living world, Thane survived through the efforts and remarkable powers of Coda, who then admitted to her master the part she played in her own parents’ demise – a confession Thane accepted without judgement.

As part of her training, Thane provided his original lightsaber, sans some key components (including the crystal), to Zaracoda, and sent her to the world of Lorrd with little to no supplies. Her objective was reconstruct the weapon and to use her own crystal, a gold-hued gem that had been a family heirloom of sorts, and to then meet him and Bomoor on Yavin IV some weeks later. When she arrived, with a new ship and two lightsabers, it was clear that the darkness had taken the young woman.

Whilst he had reservations as to the shift within her character, Lord Serus knew he had chosen his apprentice well.

Korriban: Discoveries in Darkness (1,218 ABY)

Following consultation with the holocron of Darth Krayt, Bomoor gleaned information regarding a potential location for another Kaiburr shard: the One Sith's millennium-old temple on ancient birthplace of the Dark Lords of the Sith, Korriban. Armed with this information and the strategic use of ysalamiri to slip past the Jedi orbital station, the trio landed within the Valley of the Dark Lords and began their trek, not realising their movements had not gone entirely unnoticed.

Following consultation with the holocron of Darth Krayt, Bomoor gleaned information regarding a potential location for another Kaiburr shard: the One Sith's millennium-old temple on ancient birthplace of the Dark Lords of the Sith, Korriban. Armed with this information and the strategic use of ysalamiri to slip past the Jedi orbital station, the trio landed within the Valley of the Dark Lords and began their trek, not realising their movements had not gone entirely unnoticed.

After an arduous trek across the ruined canyon, dark whispers of secrets long-forgotten hissing across the dead stone, the group realised that their arrival had awakened an ancient subspecies of the fabled terentatek, a vicious hunter of Force users. Small and deadly, the beast pursued the group into the cavern system that led towards the ancient temple of one of the original Dark Lords of the Sith, and the headquarters of the fallen One Sith: the Temple of XoXaan.

There was a deadly battle against the beast, causing Thane and Bomoor to be separated from Coda and G2-O7. Fending off the monster, Thane and Bomoor were left to divine a means to enter XoXaan’s Temple. Eventually, through the use of Sith magicks learned through his tutelage under Bane’s holocron and the revelation of his Sith name and ambitions to his old friend, Thane managed to gain entry for the pair into the Temple.

Inside, they were met by the spectres of Darth Nihl and XoXaan, who led them through the storied chambers until they came upon an artefact later discerned to be a Mind Prison, constructed by the Rakata; the ancient ‘Builders’ believed to have originated hyperspace travel, early galactic rulers. Drawn into the Mind Prison, they discovered it housed the Pureblood Sith King Hazzarah Talmuz, who had taken part in the prehistoric Rakatan invasion of Korriban, repelling them from his planet. Joined shortly thereafter by Coda, who had endured her own trials prior to entry into the Mind Prison and was now referring to herself as Amare, Sith Apprentice, the group was offered a deal by the Sith King: if they could overcome a series of tests within a recreation of the Battle of Trayset (from his war with the Builders), they could return to their bodies. Otherwise, he would claim their physical forms for himself.

Within this simulated reality, they were each presented with a ‘Trial’ unique to them, which they each had to succeed to escape. For Thane, this was the Trial of Strife. Positioned as a leading general within the Pureblood Sith army, he was responsible for facing down an army of overwhelming proportions that outnumbered his several times over, formed of the reanimated techno-revenant husks of fallen comrades. For an entire day, Thane fought and held his ground, until such time the origin of these Fabricants was revealed and loomed large over the city, threatening to twist its entire populace into more undead machines: the Infernal Engine.

Thane invaded the Engine and faced down its master, the creator of the Fabricants, and was ultimately successful in defeating the Builder, declaring himself the true ‘Lord of the Sith’ in mockery of the alien’s designs. Rather than choosing to turn the Engine to the benefit of the Pureblood cause, Thane instead allowed the Engine to be destroyed. A floating fortress, it eventually collapsed into Trayset, destroying almost half of the city and its remaining populace in the process.

Each successful in their trials, the trio were released with a grim parting message from Hazzarah. When they awoke, however, they discovered the Heart of Typhojem – a sister jewel to the original Kaiburr crystal – released by the Mind Prison, as well as several other relics that had been housed within the Temple of the One Sith, including an ancient war droid with Fabricant design elements.

As they drew close to returning to the Red Raptor, they met the rogue cultists Mentis, who had betrayed the Cult of Axion, and the smuggler Rex and his Jawa companion, Reave. Their interactions were cut short, however, when they discovered Jedi Master Rynseh Lahan standing before the Red Raptor, accompanied by Amare’s biological mother, Zenarrah Sozo, although this was fact was not revealed until after their departure. Before any action could be taken between the parties, the Cult of Axion revealed themselves, having destroyed the Jedi orbital station above Korriban, and attacked the group.

During the conflict, Thane immersed himself within the Dark Side of the Force and entered into a cataclysmic duel against the dark sorcerer Kelderesh, with the pair locking blades and Force lightning on the mountainside, although Thane was blasted from the summit before either party could fell the other.

Eventually, despite suffering injuries, the allied group retreated into the Red Raptor and began their escape. Master Lahan had clearly discovered the darkness within Thane, but he also realised Zenarrah’s own betrayal of him. The former master and apprentice entered into a brief battle, until Thane interceded on Zenarrah’s behalf and locked blades with the elder Cathar, eventually using the Force to push the Jedi Master off of the ship, and into the clutches of the waiting cultists below, further affirming his rejection of the Jedi.

Mustafar & Beyond: Sith of the New Age