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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

[EUS Sponsored] Get to know an EU Character thread

Discussion in 'EU Community' started by s65horsey, Jun 13, 2013.

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  1. s65horsey

    s65horsey Otter-loving Former EUC Mod star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2006
    Fellow EUCitizens, it is time to broaden our horizons with the Expanded Universe. Everyone knows and loves characters such as Wedge Antilles, Wes Janson, Corran Horn and Kyp Durron, but there is so much more to the Star Wars Expanded Universe that we don't discuss here in the EUC. We'd like to change that.

    This thread is going to be a hosted discussion thread. If you would like to be put on the list of people willing to showcase and discuss one of the lesser known EU characters, places or eras please send me a PM with some general information about what/who you'd like to talk about and I will add you to the list.

    The goal here is for you to step outside your comfort zone and hopefully learn about some exciting new characters. What you see here will be a building block for you to then seek out more information (books, comics, games) so you can experience the character first hand in the SW Universe.

    If you don't have anything to discuss but are reading along with us please feel free to chime in and say at least that you enjoyed the information so that we know how long to keep this up for and if we're hitting on what people in the EUC want to learn about.

    If you have any questions you can send me a PM and I'll do my best to answer them!

    First up in our adventure through the EU of lesser known character is going to be brought to us by Havac

    The thread is yours!
     
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  2. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Today, I bring you Joram Kithe.

    [​IMG]

    Who is Joram Kithe? Well, he's an Aaron Allston character, so that's a good start. If you're wondering why you've read all of Allston's books and don't remember Joram, it's because he's from a pair of short stories Aaron Allston wrote for Star Wars Insider in 2003 and 2004: The Pengalan Tradeoff and League of Spies. If you're a fan of Allston, it's worth discovering these stories for yourself, as they bear his trademark humor and set it in a new era -- the Clone Wars.

    Joram Kithe is an accountant. A lazy, cowardly accountant for the Old Republic. During the Clone Wars, however, he finds himself sent to the front -- to study the performance of the new clonetroopers for the Department of Cost Accounting and Republic Intelligence. The first story featuring him, The Pengalan Tradeoff, is the story of that mission, in which things go horribly wrong and, due to his temporary Intelligence lieutenant's commission, he becomes the highest-ranked officer left. He is stuck in unwilling command of the remaining clones at their insistence, and has to bungle his way back off the planet while building relationships with the clone soldiers. Of course, his financial acumen eventually proves key to completing the mission.

    In fact, he turns out to have done a sufficiently good job that he keeps his Intelligence commission and goes into Intelligence full-time, while the Republic is so impressed by his ability to use his outside-the-box skills in the job that they bring bureaucrats from other departments into intelligence too. The second Kithe story, League of Spies, follows Kithe and his clone partner, Mapper, through a spy mission in which they're saddled with a gaggle of tedious, amateurish bureaucrats. Kithe, now a veteran of the intelligence game, has to outwit not just the enemy, but also his own incompetent, red-tape-loving teammates to save a captured Republic spy.

    Kithe is a classic Allston character, a wheedling self-preserver who manages to weasel his way through hilarious adventures while growing and maturing as a character. The stories featuring him are short but exciting, funny, and entertaining -- with their intelligence focus, they feel like Wraith vignettes set during the Clone Wars. With their focus on his relationship with clone soldiers, he and his stories should also appeal to clone fans. Joram Kithe is definitely worth seeking out to experience firsthand.
     
  3. s65horsey

    s65horsey Otter-loving Former EUC Mod star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 24, 2006
    Is there an easier place to find these short stories or do we have to ebay an old copy of Insider?
     
  4. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 29, 2005
    Insider would be the only legal route I know of. They were put up on Hyperspace, but we all know that that doesn't do us any good anymore.
     
  5. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    These stories sound great. Something CW era I could actually get into. Mainly because Allston wrote them, but they sound like too much work to get ahold of.
     
  6. SkywalkerSquadron

    SkywalkerSquadron Jedi Knight star 4

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    Feb 2, 2013
    I like this idea. I will enjoy reading about future characters.
     
  7. Mirax Terrik

    Mirax Terrik Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 11, 2000
    This is a cool thread. Looking forward to reading about "new" characters.
     
  8. Robimus

    Robimus Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 6, 2007
    So long ago, forgot this guy existed.:p In fact I probably never had his name etched in my memory, though I do roughly recall the short stories now that Havac mentions them.

    It is a little odd, but during the Prequel film era I wasn't really a fan of that era - so this flew under the radar for me.

    Just revisiting this today my favorite part of The Pengalan Tradeoff is Joram's little discussion with Tooth about if he is a coward or not. Nice little view into the differences between regular folk and clone troopers.

    A twinge of discomfort tugged at Joram. He was talking about personal freedom with someone who probably had no notion of the concept.

    I also enjoy how Joram's entire mission is kinda based upon a sham in that first story - then he realizes he is being manipulated and runs with it anyway.

    "Never a good idea to foul up a cover-up until you know what it is there for" - Joram Kithe
     
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  9. Darth_Arapsis

    Darth_Arapsis Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 21, 2013
    He was kind of interesting.
     
  10. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    I have never really been a fan of the prequal film era. I like pretty much everything from ANH and beyond, all the way to the end of FOTJ I am interested (often disappointed, but interested). I don't know why but the back story has yet to draw me in.
     
  11. Jeff Zach

    Jeff Zach Jedi Padawan star 3

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2013
    Never heard of this character before.

    Thank-you for the details.
     
  12. Robimus

    Robimus Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 6, 2007
    I should mention that I did enjoy the films themselves, and read the novels/Insider shorts as they came out. But my heart was never in it the way it was with the Luke era. The thing that got me more into the era were the Karen Traviss RC novels.

    On revisiting these I find the shorts actually have some similarities to the themes of the RC series. They are both definitly worth a read if you can track down versions of them.
     
  13. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 29, 2005
    Yeah, the Republic Commando series is the most notable and sustained effort, but there was a long stretch in the early going of the first-run Clone Wars material when everyone wanted to jump on the idea of exploring the humanity of the clones -- these stories, The Cestus Deception, the Republic comics. There are definite parallels, though their greatest similarity is to the Wraith stories, just with the starfighter element cut out and a smaller cast.

    I'd love to get some more Joram Kithe stories from Allston, or to have him sneak an older Kithe into Alliance Intelligence and/or NRI during the Galactic Civil War.
     
  14. zark

    zark Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 23, 2009
    I've never read those, but from your description, I'm sold.
    I personally love it when they sneak an older character into later works. It reinforces that feeling on a continuous universe, plus gives you that momentary "OMG! I remember that guy!!!" moment.
     
  15. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    think i'll have to find a way to get my hands on those two stories... probably be easier said than done though.
     
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  16. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Alright, this time around I want to bring up a character whose stories may be easier to obtain legally. I'm going to tackle Ranulf Trommer from the 1990s comic miniseries River of Chaos. A four-issue mini released in 1995, River of Chaos isn't very high-profile. It's not particularly important. It's not the greatest work of all time. But it is an interesting little blast of retro fun if you're interested in classic Rebels-vs-Imperials action.

    [​IMG]

    Ranulf Trommer is a hotshot pilot. There are a couple of things that push him a little outside the norm for that type, though -- he's a hotshot bomber pilot. He's a hotshot Imperial bomber pilot. Trommer is an old-school military type; his father is an admiral, and he grew up around the military. His family's service goes back into the Old Republic. He signed up right away, and made a name for himself as a hero destroying Rebel bases. But he got wounded on a mission in which he destroyed a big Rebel base solo.

    The story really starts when, once he recuperates, Grand Moff Hauser, his father's patron, sends him to join Governor Grigor's staff on M'haeli, because the Grand Moff suspects Grigor of corruption and wants Trommer to spy on him. Grigor is tipped off that Trommer is a spy, though, and sets him up. Grigor sends him to go spy on the Rebels on the planet, and tries to have him killed as a Rebel in a raid. Instead, the Rebels save Trommer and take him off to their secret base, thinking he's just an innocent merchant caught up in the raid. That sets him up for a classic dilemma: does he stay loyal to the Empire, or do the Rebels convert him? On the one side, he's got his loyalty to his father and to his government, he thinks that it's just Grigor who's responsible for the evil he sees, and he'd have a hard time winning the Rebels' trust if he were to confess. On the other hand, there's Mora, a native Rebel who has a whole story of her own, a beautiful young woman for whom he may be falling, and maybe the dawning realization that the Empire isn't everything he thinks it is.

    There's a lot of other stuff the story has going for it, too. It touches on anti-cyborg prejudice. The local species on M'haeli, the H'drachi, have a mystic connection with the Force that allows them to predict the future, and there's a neat relationship in that the human Mora is actually the adopted daughter of a H'drachi. There's a bounty hunter and battles in fighters and on the ground. There's the Imperial element -- for those of you looking for Soontir Fel lite, you may have your man. There's the Rebel element -- classic Rebel insurgents trying to take down an Imperial mining operation. It's primarily a story about original characters, for those looking to break away from the same old, but it does feature Leia working with the M'haeli Rebels, in a very rare and very neat instance of Leia getting to play a role in a story without any of the other big three looming over her -- it's focused on her role as a leader. If you want a love story, you've got a love story. There are a lot of different points of entry to the story for a lot of different fans. Trommer's a neat character and he's pretty much the lead, but there are also several other significant characters from the story who can appeal -- Leia, Mora, and her H'drachi father Ch'no are all major characters who all have something interesting going on.

    Like I said, it's just a simple comic that never really got any follow-up on any of its characters, and it's not likely to turn your world upside down. But it is a fun little story and if you're looking for something new but still old-school, this could do the trick if you've overlooked it in the past. As I said, it also has the virtue of being easily available. It was reprinted a few years ago in the Early Victories Omnibus. That's a quality omnibus. It's also the only way to really get it, since the issues were never collected in a trade paperback originally. And since I'm effectively recommending this Omni to you, I'll also mention a few of the other characters you'll find in it.

    [​IMG]

    Jal Te Gniev is a Rebel pilot. He was a member of Red Squadron and he was set to make the run against the Death Star -- except he came down sick. It was his fighter that Luke used to destroy the Death Star. An old, hard-bitten veteran, he gets resentful, thinking that Luke has stolen glory that rightfully belongs to him, and turns to drink. He's just a supporting character in Vader's Quest, which is really about Darth Vader's hunt for the identity of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star and one of Luke's earliest missions. But Jal gets to hold down his own plotline as he takes off in anger and spite and does something that he may come to regret. I won't spoil it, but I'll leave it open whether Jal Te Gniev is a villain, or if he finds redemption. Vader's Quest is a great story, though, written by Darko Macan, one of the greatest Star Wars comics writers and illustrated by the legendary Dave Gibbons (he did Watchmen). It's notable not just for Jal, who's a cool little relatively unknown character who comes with that great trivia point of being the pilot Luke replaced, but also for featuring the first time Vader discovers that the kid he's seeking is named Skywalker, and for Macan's take on the power of hope and inspiration.

    [​IMG]

    Wrenga Jixton, AKA Jix, is featured in the one-shot Shadow Stalker. Jix is a very, very neat character. Shadow Stalker didn't introduce him; the Shadows of the Empire comic did, but this tells a little standalone story about a mission Jix did that also ties into a storyline from the very, very awesome classic Goodwin/Williamson Star Wars comic strip. Jix is an ex-Imperial soldier who was very, very good at what he did, but ended up getting drummed out of the service. While in retirement, he happened to save Darth Vader's life. Vader took Jix into his service as a personal agent, a killer and spy to do his dirty work for him. In the Shadows of the Empire comic, that meant lurking in the background and protecting Luke from Xizor's killers. In Shadow Stalker, read and see. The neat thing about Jix is the unique relationship he has with Vader. He's one of the select few whose competence and obedience allows them a measure of Vader's respect. He doesn't cower in Vader's presence, and Vader doesn't mind if he's occasionally a little lippy so long as he gets the job done. He's not the most original or even the most compelling character ever, but he's a cool little wrinkle in the canon, a pleasant example of the cool relationships Vader can sometimes get with a competent, loyal underling.

    Also in the Early Victories Omnibus is the Splinter of the Mind's Eye comic adaptation and Tales from Mos Eisley, a single-issue comic that's an anthology of short stories about Mos Eisley. It's a neat little artifact too for anyone who enjoys the anthology approach.
     
  17. s65horsey

    s65horsey Otter-loving Former EUC Mod star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 24, 2006
    I am creating a list of things to buy or ask for come the Holidays. I wish they would've created an Imperial Pilot series based on Ranulf Trommer. I still really want and imperial pilot series like Rogue Squadron. I admit that I am definitely lacking in the comics stories and I need to remedy that.
     
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  18. General Immodet

    General Immodet Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 5, 2012
    I hope they bring Jixton and Trommer back one day in a comic or a novel...
    Those characters just dropped out of view. A pity... They had some potential.
     
  19. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 29, 2005
    I always thought that Invasion should have used Trommer and Mora's kids instead of the Galfridians. I mean, you couldn't have had the mom be a secret Vong, but that was stupid anyway.
     
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  20. Rebecca_Daniels

    Rebecca_Daniels Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2006
    Trommer sounds really interesting, I'll have to borrow the omni from the library. Don't get a huge amount of perspective on Imp hotshots so that's awesome.
     
  21. CrazyOldHermit

    CrazyOldHermit Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 22, 2007
    If it's one thing I'm severely behind on it's the comics. What I have read I have really enjoyed. I'll see if I can track some of these down.
     
  22. General Valerian

    General Valerian Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2013
    How about Sith?

    Freedon Nadd? Darth Plagueis?

    I haven't heard much of these characters around the EUC. I can share my knowledge of them.
     
  23. s65horsey

    s65horsey Otter-loving Former EUC Mod star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2006
    General Valerian I will add you to the list! Thank you! Please prepare what you'd like to talk about.

    The next character is brought to you by the Mandalorian Fan Club
     
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  24. Robimus

    Robimus Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 6, 2007
    Your firendly neighborhood Oya Manda: The Mandalorian/Republic Commando Fan Club is proud to present for your reading enjoyment - Canderous Ordo!

    "Working for Davik was like driving a spike through your head. Sure, you've go something new there, but in the end, you've lost something as well" - Canderous Ordo

    So your saying to yourself, self - this guy is a pretty prominate character for a getting to know thread. In a way you would be correct. He is much more well known than those who have been presented thus far, and yet I suspect there is a segment of fans out there who never had the oppurtunity to play the Knight of the Old Republic video game(a game which just turned ten years young a few short days ago).

    Here is a little introduction, by the man himself, to Canderous Ordo:





    Pretty much the first things I knew about being Mandalorian were the thing I learned from Canderous in KotOR and its Sequel. I loved how he, and the Mandalorians in general, were presented in those games. Being that I wasn't a huge comic reader then, KotOR was my first real exposure to Mandalorians outside of Marvel's early books & Twin Engines of Destruction (and of course the films that spawned them).

    Wookeepedia seems to have done a great job on their Canderous Ordo article so instead of come up with something myself, myself being someone who really isn't that familiar with all of Canderous exploits(thus why I thought it would be interesting to take a look at him), I figured I would borrow a couple paragraphes from them:


    As befitting of the ideals the Mandalorians sought to uphold, Ordo lived for battle. In addition, Ordo lived his life seeking honor, which he believed could only be achieved through conflict with a worthy foe. In his youth, Ordo possessed dark hair, which later began to turn gray from the stresses of a life devoted to combat. He was always impressed by a show of force, and was an advocate of combat before diplomacy. Ordo respected Revan for his aggressive tactics during the Mandalorian Wars, and felt no regret or anger about being bested by such a proficient foe. His driving personality traits were best described as ambition, discipline, aggression, and loyalty. Ordo tended to speak in a gruff, serious manner, and was typically very blunt in expressing his opinions and thoughts. When prompted by others, Ordo was often willing to share stories of his role in various conflicts, taking pride in his related tales of his success. Whenever he encountered war veterans, he would usually ask them about the battles they fought in or what their opinion was of the Mandalorians, hoping to hear accounts from his former opponents. He often displayed disappointment when he found that many on the Republic's side did not share his fondness of the past. As Ordo found that most did not see the past conflict the same way, he became disillusioned after the defeat of the Mandalorians. He once expressed this feeling to Revan, explaining that he felt he was no longer the Mandalorian he once was.

    While Revan and Ordo gradually became friends, Ordo maintained a professional stance and always referred to Revan as his employer. Although he originally only intended to ally himself with Revan as a means of escaping Taris, his respect for the former Sith Lord continued to grow as he accompanied him, even before he learned of his true identity. Despite the fact that he had become distant from his people and culture while serving Davik, Ordo still held true to the ways of the Mandalorians and chose to remain amongst the crew of the Ebon Hawk under the belief that their adventures would bring much needed glory and honor to his heavily diminished pride. Even though he was quite distant to the rest of Revan's companions, Ordo slowly came to respect the programmed persona of Revan. Despite providing Revan with stimulants when asked, Ordo personally felt that a true warrior should develop their own strength and did not require such aid. When it was discovered that the amnesiac Jedi was indeed Darth Revan himself, Ordo was, unlike the rest of his companions, greatly pleased. Ordo willingly pledged his loyalty and allegiance to the former Sith Lord, firmly believing that his service to Revan would bring him all the battles and glory he sought.


    After taking up the mantle of Mandalore the Preserver, Ordo led the reunited clans with strict discipline, reflecting his views of the Mandalorian ideals. In choosing Dxun as his base of operations, Ordo forced the Mandalorians to deal with the violent jungle on a daily basis in addition to the typical brutal training. His troops respected him implicitly, often displaying a willingness to die rather than face public shame at their failure, and obeyed his orders without question. He maintained his strong focus on honor as a leader, and would not aid Surik until she proved her worth among the Mandalorians. As a leader, Ordo always kept a calm and collected demeanor, even when leading troops into battle. When events did not unfold according to plan, his experience enabled him to adapt to new circumstances. One of Ordo's most prominent traits was his loyalty, both to the Mandalorian way as well as to those he followed. Years after Revan's departure, Ordo's loyalty remained undiminished, and even when he did not agree with Surik's decisions, he never did more than briefly express his opinion before following her lead.
     
  25. zark

    zark Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 23, 2009
    Canderous is quite the amusing character. Very glad to have had the opportunity to have played the game about 7 years ago. Great game, great character.
     
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