Carth Onasi
title: Carth Onasi
Carth Onasi, known as Fleet, was a renowned Human male soldier and a skilled pilot. He was born on the planet Telos IV in 3994 BBY, where he would later establish a family with his wife, Morgana, and their son, Dustil. He served the Galactic Republic, which he cherished above all else, as a member of the Republic Naval Starfighter Corps. He fought in conflicts such as the Mandalorian Wars against the expanding Mandalorian clans, earning several commendations for his courage in battle. During this period, Onasi served under Admiral Saul Karath, who became both his greatest mentor and closest ally. Following the conclusion of the war, Onasi intended to leave the Navy and return to Telos to be with his family.
However, these aspirations were shattered when war heroes Revan and Malak, two Jedi who had chosen to fight in the war, betrayed the Republic. They became Sith Lords and established a Sith Empire that would oppose the Republic, taking with them many Jedi who had followed them to war and Republic soldiers who had served under their command. During this conflict, Karath attacked Telos, bombing the planet from his flagship, the Leviathan, rendering it uninhabitable as proof of his loyalty to the Sith. The orbital bombardment resulted in Morgana's death, while Dustil, who was Force-sensitive, was kidnapped by the Sith for training as a Dark Jedi. Onasi vowed to avenge his family's death and the destruction of his homeworld by seeking retribution against Karath, a grudge he would hold for three years.
In 3956 BBY, Onasi became a key figure in the search for the Star Forge, the Sith's incredibly productive space station that continuously supplied their fleet with new ships. He was stationed aboard the Hammerhead-class cruiser Endar Spire above the planet Taris when it was attacked by the Sith, now under the leadership of Malak, who had seized control from Revan. The Jedi reprogrammed the former leader, erasing his memories as both a Jedi and a Sith, and placed him in the Republic's armed forces aboard the Spire, where he encountered Onasi as they both fled the doomed vessel. They temporarily settled on Taris while searching for Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, the only other known survivor of the attack on the Endar Spire.
After locating her, the three escaped Taris, and Onasi became the pilot of the Ebon Hawk, their personal starship. He transported the trio and an expanding group of allies across the galaxy in search of Star Maps that would guide them to the Star Forge, a mission assigned to them by the Jedi Council. During their interstellar journey, Onasi managed to both find his son, who was redeemed from the Sith's influence by Revan and his father, and exact his revenge on Karath, whom the group killed aboard the Leviathan. Following the location and destruction of the Star Forge during the Battle of Rakata Prime, Onasi was promoted to admiral in the Republic Navy, assuming a leading role in the effort to help the Republic recover from the two successive wars. As part of this effort, Onasi later defended Telos from another Sith attack during another conflict that originated from the Jedi Civil War initiated by Revan and Malak nearly a decade earlier.
Biography
Mandalorian Wars
Carth Onasi, also known as Fleet, resided on his home planet, Telos IV, a planet situated in the Outer Rim, alongside his wife, Morgana, and their son, Dustil. He initially served in the planetary militia before joining the Republic Navy, where he was first stationed at an orbital watch station overseeing the planet Serroco.
In 3964 BBY, he held the position of helmsman aboard the Inexpugnable-class tactical command ship Courageous and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. During this time, he was widely recognized by his pilot nickname, Fleet. He participated in several battles, including the Battles of Vanquo and Serroco, where he encountered the fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick, who was disguised as a janitor named Shad Camper.
The two individuals later crossed paths again when "Shad Camper" stowed away on Onasi's cargo ship. Carrick requested that Onasi take him to Admiral Saul Karath due to a vision he had experienced, which foretold a Mandalorian attack on Serroco. Initially, Onasi dismissed him as a madman. However, after Carrick demonstrated that he was indeed a Jedi, Onasi agreed to take him to Karath, albeit with the acknowledgment that they might face dire consequences for interrupting the admiral during battle preparations.
Onasi escorted him to Admiral Karath on the bridge of the Courageous. Karath was impressed with Onasi, not for returning Shad Camper, but for bringing him the fugitive Zayne Carrick. As Carrick protested his innocence of the Padawan Massacre of Taris, Karath ordered Onasi to inform the Revanchists, Jedi who decided to fight in the Mandalorian Wars, of Carrick's capture. Instead, Onasi attempted to contact a Jedi named Squint, whom Carrick said could prove his innocence. Despite being unable to make contact with Squint who was on a mission elsewhere, and so with his doubts as to Carrick's innocence, Onasi nevertheless believed his story of the vision of the destruction of the Stereb cities. As such, Onasi contacted seventeen cities on the planets surface to set off tornado alarms—hoping to drive anyone into underground shelters. Sure enough, Carrick's vision came true when the Mandalorians launched nuclear missiles and killed billions on Serroco.
When Carrick was sealed in a cell, Onasi paid him a visit and informed him of the possibility of survival on the surface. However, the Courageous came under attack by the Mandalorians. While the rest of the crew was ordered to evacuate, Onasi, Admiral Karath and other Republic forces made their stand on the vessel as Mandalorian shock troopers boarded it. Backed into the brig, Karath ordered for Zayne Carrick's cell to opened to acquire his lightsaber, to cut into the cargo bays. However, his lightsaber was kept on board Onasi's ship, the Deadweight. Carrick had been prying out the bolts on the walls with the Force for several days and escaped, meeting Onasi aboard the ship. Karath reluctantly took Carrick with them as they fled the Courageous on the Deadweight.
Shortly after escaping from the Mandalorians, the Deadweight received a transmission from Eejee, Arkoh Adasca's servant, requesting Karath's presence at a meeting aboard the Arkanian Legacy. After being informed about the exogorths, Karath quickly redirected the ship to the Legacy. Onasi accompanied Karath, Morris, and Carrick onto Adasca's ship, and was just as shocked as his superiors at the arrival of Mandalore the Ultimate, leader of the Mandalorians.
Disgusted at what he witnessed, as the exogorths were tested before Saul Karath and Mandalore the Ultimate, Carth Onasi excused himself to the Deadweight. However, Onasi only visited it to grab Zayne Carrick's gear and lightsaber. Onasi returned his gear to Carrick when he discovered Lucien Draay and him standing about a piles of broken HK-24 units. Carrick came up with a plan stop Adasca. The plan would trick Mandalore the Ultimate into thinking Adasca had lured him into a trap. Carrick, disguised as a Mandalorian, shoved Onasi upon their return to the observatory, creating a distraction for Carrick to get close enough to Mandalore and Adasca. Lucien revealed himself and with the thought that Adasca betrayed him, Mandalore and his warriors opened fire on the Jedi and Adasca's HK-24 units. During the brawl, the elderly scientist, Gorman Vandrayk, seized control of the exogorths and plunged them into the Arkanian Legacy observatory, killing Arkoh Adasca. Onasi, Carrick and the Jedi managed to escape although Mandalore had also escaped to his shuttle. During the fight, Saul Karath was injured and needed to be carried back to the Deadweight, Morvis commanded Onasi to take Carrick. However, Onasi did not view Carrick as an enemy and allowed him to go free, bidding him farewell. Karath, Onasi, and Morvis successfully escaped the crumbling ship in the Deadweight and later reported to the Republic on the events on the Legacy.
Despite the successful escape, Onasi was removed from his bridge post for "losing" Zayne Carrick on the Arkanian Legacy. He was reassigned to the Lance Squadron, whose Aurek fighters were preventing Carrick from reaching Coruscant several months later. When Moomo Williwaw—the ship Carrick was on—entered Coruscant space, the squadron moved to intercept. Onasi demanded the ship to identify itself only to find that "Shad Camper" was indeed on board. Not being able to let Zayne escape again, he commanded the squadron to intercept the intruder. When they chased the Williwaw to the Swiftsure, Onasi's wingmate noticed that the Deadweight was flying away. He allowed his supply carrier to go, knowing that Zayne was on it. Despite letting Carrick escape once more, Onasi redeemed his post on the bridge of Swiftsure and was present for the capture of the Gladiator.
Onasi continued to serve with the Republic forces fighting alongside the Revanchists for the remainder of the war, which eventually began to turn in the Republic's favor. The Republic and its Jedi allies eventually ended the conflict when Mandalore the Ultimate was slain and the majority of the Mandalorian forces were destroyed during the final battle of the war. While the Revanchists pursued the remaining Mandalorians into parts unknown, Onasi and the Republic forces returned home, hailed as heroes for their role in protecting the Republic.
Jedi Civil War
Not long after the Mandalorian Wars came to an end, Revan, once a hero of the Republic, made his return with a Sith armada to wage war against the Republic. The Sith legions quickly gained reinforcements in the form of Republic servicemen who turned traitor; among these defectors, one name stood out to Onasi more than any other: Admiral Saul Karath.
Onasi held Saul in high regard as a mentor and a hero, which made it all the more devastating when Revan's apprentice, Darth Malak, ordered Saul to bomb Telos as a test of his allegiance to the Sith, citing the planet's strategic importance to the Republic. Upon receiving this news, Onasi immediately rushed back to his home planet, only to arrive too late to save his wife, who passed away in his arms. To compound his emotional anguish, his son had vanished, and despite Onasi's efforts to locate him, he eventually resigned himself to the belief that Dustil was dead. These events left a profound impact on Onasi, leading him to resolve never to place his trust in anyone again, lest he be betrayed once more. He vowed that if the opportunity ever presented itself, he would take Saul Karath's life in retribution for his actions.
Onasi eventually found himself aboard the Endar Spire, primarily serving as an advisor and transporting Bastila Shan, a Jedi whose abilities were crucial to the success of the war effort. However, the ship came under attack and was boarded by Sith forces while in orbit above the Outer Rim world of Taris. As Bastila and the remaining crew members abandoned ship, Onasi chose to stay behind, intending to assist any survivors; however, only one Republic soldier remained. Together, they boarded the last escape pod and crash-landed on the planet below.
The other soldier was, in fact, Revan, who had undergone mental reprogramming by the Jedi Council and was using a different name. Revan was rendered unconscious during the escape pod's rough landing, and Onasi tended to him until he regained consciousness. Once Revan recovered, they began exploring Taris, seeking information about Bastila's whereabouts. They learned about other escape pods that had crashed in the Undercity and entered into an agreement with Gadon Thek, the leader of the Hidden Beks swoop gang.
After successfully rescuing Bastila, as well as taking in a street urchin by the name of Mission Vao and a Wookiee named Zaalbar, the group worked to find a way off-planet, which came in the form of the starship known as the Ebon Hawk. The Ebon Hawk was held by local crime lord Davik Kang, and the group recruited the aid of the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo to steal it. They also required clearance codes to escape from Taris, and so three of the group broke into the local Sith base and obtained the codes. Retrieving the remaining members, they made it past the Sith blockade and escaped Taris.
Upon their escape from the Sith bombardment of Taris, Onasi became pilot of the newly-acquired Ebon Hawk, which the group then used to reach the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. As Bastila discussed the matter of their Force-sensitive companion with the Dantooine Council, Onasi expressed his disgruntlement with being "left out of the loop". Eventually it was decided to train Revan, who had no knowledge of his former identity, as a Jedi. Shortly afterwards, the Council gave Bastila and the new Jedi Padawan an assignment to discover the location of the Star Forge—an assignment Onasi begrudgingly assisted them with, despite feeling he could be doing more good on the front lines.
The journey for the Star Forge took the crew of the Ebon Hawk to the planets Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan and Korriban. On these four planets, the group searched for ancient artifacts known as Star Maps. Onasi grew suspicious of Revan's presence with them, wondering why the Jedi Council would send a neophyte Padawan along with them on their quest. Onasi eventually demanded that Revan tell him what the Jedi Council had told him—something Bastila refused herself to do. Revan did inform Onasi of the Force bond he and Bastila shared. However, Onasi did not believe that was the only reason why Revan was with them—still unaware of Revan's true identity as the former Dark Lord, the true reason behind Revan's presence.
Revenge
Eventually the ever-growing group was seized by the Leviathan, Saul Karath's vessel. At last, Onasi found himself face to face with the admiral, yet a force-cage barred his path to revenge. Karath interrogated the group, and tortured all of them when Revan refused to divulge any information. Faced with unfaltering resistance, Karath eventually gave up and left them in their cages–but not before giving them all a strong dose of "Sith mercy".
The resourceful team soon escaped imprisonment with the assistance of a decoy member of the party, and Onasi, Revan, and Bastila set out to free the Ebon Hawk from the docking bay. On the bridge, they faced Saul Karath, allowing Onasi to finally exact his revenge, though Revan counseled him to avoid giving in to his hatred. Regardless, Karath was mortally wounded, and in his final moments, revealed a horrible truth to Onasi: that his mysterious companion was none other than the amnesiac Revan, former Dark Lord of the Sith. Furious, Onasi reluctantly accepted the judgment of the other party members to continue the quest, but still watched Revan, whom he had recently began to trust and consider a comrade, for any sign of a fall. Eventually, he admitted that while he wanted to blame Revan for his losses, he could not bring himself to hate him. Onasi confessed that he had exacted his revenge when Saul Karath was killed, but it did not bring him peace. He then offered Revan his loyalty, along with a promise that, if necessary, he would save Revan from himself.
During their travels, Onasi also encountered his lost son, Dustil, on the Sith planet of Korriban. He was again forced to confront his hatred of the Sith when it was revealed that his son had joined them, blaming his father for failing to protect the family. After finding proof that the Sith had lied to Dustil about the death of a classmate, Revan and Onasi were finally able to convince the boy of the evils of the Sith, and Carth was proud when his son abandoned the dark side. Dustil told his father that he would meet him on Telos later, and there they could begin to repair their relationship.
The Star Forge
After finding Star Maps on Dantooine, Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan, and Korriban, Revan's crew followed the combined coordinates to the location of the Star Forge. Onasi sent word to the Republic fleet, but before they could prepare a plan of attack, a disruptor field around the planet that the Star Forge was orbiting brought the Ebon Hawk crashing down toward the planet's surface.
Onasi managed to land the ship on a beach, but its stabilizers were badly damaged. While Revan, Juhani, and Jolee Bindo set off to disable the disruptor field, Onasi made repairs to the Ebon Hawk. When the three Jedi returned, Onasi was shocked to learn that Bastila had fallen to the dark side, but was relieved that Revan remained loyal to the Jedi and the Republic. With renewed determination, the crew set off for the Star Forge.
Onasi played a role in the battle that erupted next, as the Republic fleet arrived to attack the Star Forge. Amidst the chaos, Onasi docked the Ebon Hawk on the Sith factory, allowing Revan to defeat Darth Malak and redeem Bastila, who used her battle meditation to turn the tide of the battle in the Republic's favor. He then piloted the ship and all of its crew off the factory, just before the Republic fleet sent it crashing into the sun below.
The recovering Republic
After playing a role in the Battle of Rakata Prime, Onasi was promoted to admiral in the Republic Navy. As Revan departed for the Unknown Regions to defeat a growing threat to the Republic, he tasked Onasi with keeping the Republic strong. Onasi would later be involved in bringing Meetra Surik back into known space aboard the Harbinger, and having her transported to Telos with the greatest urgency. When Surik was "detained" at Citadel Station until the Sojourn arrived but left for the planet surface, Onasi told Grenn that the Republic only wanted to observe Surik, not detain her.
Onasi was later forced to carry out his orders, and also to face up to his past, as the Sith attacked Telos for a second time; this time under the command of Darth Nihilus. Onasi swore that he would not see Telos devastated again as he led the Republic fleet into combat and successfully fended off the fleet. Soon after the battle, Onasi requested an audience with the hero of the battle, Surik, who had sabotaged the Sith flagship Ravager and killed Nihilus. Wishing Surik a safe journey, he asked her to look for Revan in the Unknown Regions, and, should she find Revan, to pass along a short message: "Simply tell him that Admiral Onasi is following his orders."
Approximately three centuries later, during the time of the Cold War, Onasi was featured in a holorecord of the Mandalorian Wars that was created by the Kel Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural. By that time, Onasi was long dead, and Tatooine was one of three planets rumored to be his final resting place. A holostatue of Onasi was erected in the Leisure Garden section of the Axial Park in the Coronet City on Corellia, along with the statues of Revan and his other companions in memory of their deeds.
Personality and traits
Carth Onasi was defined by his unwavering loyalty and heroism, a profound commitment to the Republic and its principles that surpassed all else. Closely following this was his devotion to his family, whom he considered his "everything." Years later, he steadfastly obeyed Revan's commands to serve the Republic, despite the absence of any communication from Revan since their shared adventures.
While Carth harbored intense animosity towards Malak and the Sith for their descent into darkness and betrayal of the Republic, his disdain was particularly reserved for the non-Force-sensitive soldiers who chose to defect. He judged them more harshly than the Sith, believing their choices were uninfluenced by the dark side's temptations, making them inherently evil and undeserving of any leniency.
The devastating betrayal by Saul Karath, to whom he had been so loyal, instilled in him a deep-seated expectation of treachery from everyone. Only through Revan's considerable patience was he able to earn Onasi's trust. Ultimately, Revan presented Onasi with his greatest challenge. He was compelled to place his faith in the very person he held most responsible, even above Saul, for Telos' destruction and the Republic's misfortunes. Onasi was overjoyed when Revan ultimately chose to reject the dark side.
After Telos was destroyed, Onasi, feeling he had lost everything, dedicated himself entirely to the fleet, declaring, "Hunting Saul was my only purpose." Yet, even after avenging himself against his nemesis, Onasi remained restless and haunted by his past. Even upon discovering Revan's true identity, he found himself incapable of hatred, instead assuming the role of Revan's conscience and the voice of the Republic. This act of forgiveness ultimately brought him the peace he sought.
Abilities
A skilled tactician and committed soldier, Onasi possessed the capability to expertly and efficiently wield an array of weaponry, though his true expertise lay with blaster pistols. Renowned for his quick draw, he also demonstrated proficiency in dual-wielding weapons.
Trask Ulgo characterized Onasi as "one of the Republic's best pilots." Throughout his travels alongside Revan, Onasi showcased his exceptional piloting skills while navigating the Ebon Hawk across the galaxy. Notable displays of his abilities included maneuvering the Ebon Hawk out of the Sith's orbital bombardment of Taris, executing a safe landing on Lehon despite the ship's damaged stabilizers, and successfully breaching the Sith fleet surrounding the Star Forge with only a minimal starfighter escort. Onasi also exhibited mechanical aptitude, diagnosing the Hawk's issues after the Lehon landing and subsequently repairing the vessel.
Equipment
Onasi typically wore a light brown jacket, paired with dark brown trousers and black boots. A brown blaster holster was secured to his right hip. Later, during the First Jedi Purge, he donned a heavy armor suit, colored red and white.
He carried a personal blaster pistol of Arkanian design, enhanced with advanced Republic technology. Adorned with his family symbol, it was easily identifiable. In addition to his custom weapon, he also carried a standard-issue Republic blaster pistol.
Meetra Surik, during her adventures, came to possess a blaster pistol bearing the Onasi family crest. It is surmised that Onasi lost the pistol sometime after his time with Revan, although it is also plausible that it was a copy, or a blaster belonging to another member of the Onasi family.
Behind the scenes
Carth Onasi was conceived as a character for the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, where he is a playable party member. David Gaider wrote Onasi's character in the initial game, while Raphael Sbarge provided his voice in both the original and its 2004 sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Before Sbarge's casting, Mark Meer voiced Carth in an early demo version of the game. In the games themselves, his name is sometimes incorrectly spelled "Carth Onassi" within the player's dialogue. Onasi is later referenced in the in-game Codex for the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the 2012 reference book Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia lists Tatooine as one potential location of Onasi's final resting place. A subsequent update for The Old Republic enabled players to acquire Onasi's outfit for purchase through the game's Cartel Market. Onasi, along with Zaalbar, Bastila Shan, Canderous Ordo, and Mission Vao, drew inspiration from James Ohlen's contributions to roleplaying campaigns for West End Games.
Alternate choices
The storyline of Knights of the Old Republic allows for several different outcomes, contingent on the player's choices. Should the player, controlling Revan, opt to reclaim the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith through the game's non-canonical ending, Onasi, facing overwhelming odds, retreats upon being ordered to do so. As a result, he does not appear in the sequel if the player indicates that Revan embraced the dark side, and is instead substituted by Admiral Cede.
Similar to how the male Revan can pursue a romantic subplot with Bastila, the female Revan has the option to develop a relationship with Onasi. If the player establishes Revan as a light-sided female in The Sith Lords, Onasi will confide his feelings for Revan to Meetra Surik, the game's main protagonist. The character of Darth Traya will also remark that "it would have helped had she made him understand, but a hero of the Republic, no matter how brave, cannot understand war as Revan did."
Furthermore, Onasi originally had different lines for his devastation upon learning Revan's true identity if the player is playing as a female and has romanced Onasi up to that point. If the player has both romanced Onasi and embraced the dark side, they will have the choice of either killing Onasi themselves or having Bastila do it. In a deleted scene, Revan had a third option to kill Bastila and die aboard the Star Forge with Onasi. It was ultimately omitted from the final version due to the developers lacking sufficient time to complete it. However, these features can be restored to the game through modding.
Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Within The Sith Lords, if Meetra Surik has built sufficient rapport with HK-47, the droid will ridicule Onasi's inherent distrust of others, as seen in Knights of the Old Republic.
If Revan is established as a light-sided character, and the player controls a male Surik, then Mical is shown to be reporting directly to Onasi. However, in cut content of the game, if Surik is female, then Mical would report to Onasi later in the game, revealing that he has found that which hunts the Jedi and informing Onasi of the impending attack on Telos.
Comics
According to John Jackson Miller, the author of the Knights of the Old Republic comic series, the bearded, helmeted figure on the bridge of the Courageous in the series' eighth issue was not initially intended to be Onasi. Dustin Weaver, the artist, was not instructed to depict any specific individual, so he modeled the character's appearance after Miller himself. Nevertheless, the writer now considers this the first appearance of Onasi in the comic series. Onasi subsequently played a significant role in several of the series' story arcs.
Miller has also stated that, among the secondary characters originating from the two Knights of the Old Republic video games, Onasi was his favorite to write, particularly highlighting the "big-brother/kid-brother dynamic" evident in Onasi's interactions with Zayne Carrick.