Gav Daragon

Gav Daragon, a Human male, was born on the Deep Core planet of Koros Major. This Korosian was the son of starship operators Hok and Timar Daragon, and he had a sister named Jori Daragon. During his childhood, Daragon was discovered to be Force-sensitive and received training in the ways of the Jedi. However, he ultimately chose not to fully commit to the Jedi Order. As children, both Gav and Jori Daragon were given pendants, each containing one half of the same crystal; these halves would tingle when they were in close proximity to each other.

In 5000 BBY, the Koros system was plunged into civil war when its political leader, Empress Teta, initiated a war to unify the system's seven worlds. Teta and her forces achieved significant success in this endeavor, successfully uniting six of the seven worlds through mutual commerce and aid. However, Koros soldiers on the seventh world, Kirrek, found themselves encircled and besieged by pirates and rebels led by a man named Llaban. As the Koros soldiers were under siege, many civilian ships were called upon to deliver supplies, including Hok and Timar Daragon. Prior to their parents' mission, the Daragon siblings accompanied them to Aarrba's Repair Dock in the city of Cinnagar, a starship repair facility owned by a Hutt named Aarrba, to have their parents' primary ship, the Shadow Runner, repaired. Aarrba agreed to restore the ship for a percentage of the Daragons' profits, and Daragon and his sister offered to follow in the Daragons' other ship, the Starbreaker 12. However, their parents declined, deeming it too dangerous. Aarrba decided to retain the Starbreaker 12 as collateral until the Daragons returned, preventing their children from following.

Meanwhile, the Koros forces on Kirrek were joined by two Jedi Knights: Empress Teta's personal advisor, Memit Nadill, and Odan-Urr, a Draethos scholar who had never experienced battle before. Together, the two Jedi employed an exotic Force power known as battle meditation, which could bolster the morale and resolve of the Koros soldiers while amplifying the fears and doubts of the Kirrek rebels. This ability proved highly effective, enabling the Koros forces to repel the rebels. However, the battle meditation had an unforeseen consequence, as it unleashed the rebels' last reserves of desperation. They began targeting the weakest targets in an attempt to inflict as much damage as possible before their inevitable defeat. The Shadow Runner arrived at Kirrek soon after and was immediately targeted by pirate guns. Hok and Timar attempted to fly in low and fast to drop the cargo, but they were unable to evade the attacks, and the ship was destroyed. Daragon and his sister were still at Aarrba's Repair Dock during the battle, working on repairs for the Starbreaker 12. When Aarrba received news of Hok and Timar's death, he attempted to inform the Daragon siblings; they initially believed that their parents were returning home. However, Aarrba revealed that their parents had been killed and gave them the Starbreaker 12, stating that their parents had paid for it in blood. While Daragon and his sister were initially shocked and saddened, they resolved to take the Starbreaker 12 and explore the galaxy, hoping to honor their parents' memory.

Now in possession of the Starbreaker 12, Gav and Jori Daragon became hyperspace explorers. Despite their efforts, they were not particularly successful and accumulated debts to numerous creditors, including Aarrba. However, Daragon remained optimistic about their chances of discovering a lucrative trail. One of their most notable achievements was the Goluud Corridor, a route through the Goluud system. The route was approved by the bureaucrat Shodon Ko of the Navigators' Guild, but it was assigned a high risk factor due to its proximity to the system's unstable red supergiant star, Primus Goluud. During their travels, the Daragons gained a reputation with Cinnagar Control for being both reckless and persistent explorers. As their debts mounted, they were forced to sell their dwelling in Cinnagar to Aarrba as collateral for repairs after one run. One day, Daragon and his sister embarked on a hyperspace jump that Daragon had a good feeling about; they attempted to navigate the treacherous Starswarm Cluster, a route that could potentially earn them a fortune from the Navigators' Guild. They successfully navigated the Cluster, but their ship sustained damage, and they only managed to map a dangerous trail that yielded no profit. Daragon and his sister limped back to Koros and lost several more critical parts during the journey. They made their way to Aarrba's Repair Dock, but Aarrba was hesitant to assist them, stating that they had no more collateral to offer. However, the Hutt agreed to repair the ship on one condition: Aarrba would retain the Starbreaker 12 at his dock until the repairs were paid in full.

Soon after, Daragon received word from Shodon Ko that a Cha'a merchant lord named Ssk Kahorr had used the Goluud Corridor and that a substantial bonus was forthcoming. Daragon took pride in this and promptly informed Aarrba of the incoming funds that he would use to pay for the Starbreaker 12's repairs. Upon leaving Aarrba's Repair Dock, Daragon was confronted by two armed men who informed him that Ssk Kahorr wanted him and Jori dead. The men explained that Kahorr was angry because the Goluud Corridor had resulted in the destruction of one of his ships, and that Shodon Ko had recently been found murdered. Following this incident, Daragon returned to Jori on the Cinnagar streets and recounted his encounter with the men, assuring her that he would petition the Navigators' Guild for their money. However, they were interrupted by the same two men that Daragon had encountered earlier; this time, the men revealed their allegiance to Ssk Kahorr and attacked. Daragon and Jori attempted to flee, pursued through the streets of Cinnagar, before being cornered in a dead-end alley. However, they were rescued by Memit Nadill and Odan-Urr, who happened to be passing through the area. One of the attackers was slain by Odan-Urr's lightsaber, and the other fled. Nadill warned Daragon and his sister that they were not safe in Cinnagar, or on all of Koros, and they decided to leave the system. Finding themselves without a means of escape, Daragon proposed stealing the Starbreaker 12. Jori agreed, and they took the ship; they left Aarrba's dock without incident but were forced to evade security ships once in orbit. Jori entered random coordinates into the navicomputer, and the two fled into the unknown.

The Starbreaker 12's hyperspace flight path took it farther than any recorded vessel from Galactic Republic space had ever ventured. After a lengthy journey, Daragon decided to pull the Starbreaker 12 out of hyperspace. Upon reverting to realspace, they found themselves overlooking a mysterious world. It was then that they realized how far they had traveled; Daragon checked the navicomputer and discovered that they were in a remote, unmapped region of the galaxy. However, the return course was locked in the navicomputer, ensuring they could find their way home. With a smile, Daragon assured Jori that their route would earn them a fortune from the Navigators' Guild. Unsure if the dark world before them was inhabited, Daragon decided to land and explore, recognizing that he and his sister were representing the Republic. Daragon landed the ship in a monument-filled valley and introduced himself and his sister to the planet's inhabitants. To their surprise, the Daragons were not welcomed but were instead promptly arrested and detained. Unbeknownst to Daragon, he and his sister had stumbled upon the legendary Sith Empire, which had been isolated from the galaxy for centuries. He had landed in the middle of the funeral of the recently deceased Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos, which had devolved into a duel between two Sith Lords, Ludo Kressh and Naga Sadow.

Now prisoners, Daragon and his sister were held in the prisoner level of a fortress on the planet Ziost, the capital world of the Sith Empire. Meanwhile, a heated debate raged above concerning their fate. The more conservative Ludo Kressh advocated for their immediate execution, arguing that they were precursors to a Republic invasion, while the progressive Naga Sadow wanted to keep them alive, believing they possessed vital information that could facilitate the Sith Empire's expansion. In the dungeons, Daragon struggled to maintain his optimism, noting that all great explorers occasionally faced hardships. Eventually, they were approached in their cell by a Sith Lord named Simus, who informed them that their fate had been decided: they were to be executed as soon as possible. Daragon was enraged by this news, protesting that they had not been given a fair trial and that they had provided the Sith with no information, but his complaints were ignored. Unbeknownst to the Daragons, Naga Sadow had devised a plan to free them in order to reestablish contact with the Republic.

Sadow secretly led a task force of Sith Massassi warriors to Ziost and attacked the fortress. Sadow ordered the Massassi to proceed to the prisoner level and retrieve the Daragons to ensure their safety. At the time, the Daragons were at their lowest point, huddled together and lamenting their fate. Daragon surmised that he should have continued his Jedi training and bemoaned the fact that the random coordinates entered into the navicomputer had brought them there. When he heard the Massassi approaching, Daragon straightened up and vowed to fight to the end. However, they were greeted not by executioners but by Naga Sadow, who had eliminated the guards. Sadow informed the Daragons that he was rescuing them and ordered them to follow the Massassi to his ship. Sadow had Daragon taken to his hidden fortress on the moon of Khar Shian, while he returned to Ziost for an urgent meeting of Sith. Daragon and his sister were finally safe.

Upon arriving at Khar Shian, Daragon and his sister were separated, with Jori being taken to Sadow's decoy fortress on Khar Delba. Although Sadow insisted that Daragon was not a prisoner, the young man soon grew bored. In the meantime, Naga Sadow recognized Daragon's Force-sensitivity and taught him several rudimentary techniques in the dark side of the Force, powers that Daragon realized were very different from those he had learned from the Jedi. Daragon was also instructed in the exotic arts of Sith magic. Sadow encouraged Daragon, revealing that he possessed a strong, undeveloped talent. Daragon learned that Sadow expected him to become a Force adept before he would be allowed to return home. Unbeknownst to Daragon, Sadow was working on his own machinations; he staged a Republic attack on the Starbreaker 12's hangar—which was under Kressh's direct control—and had his men steal the ship. Arriving after the attack, Ludo Kressh was infuriated to find Sadow's emblem at the scene. Enraged by Sadow's treachery, Kressh gathered two of his allies, Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram, and launched an attack on Sadow.

Kressh and his allies attacked Khar Delba with all their firepower. On Khar Shian, Daragon noticed the battle and was bewildered by the events, having no knowledge of what was happening. When he attempted to ask the Massassi guards what was going on, they refused to respond. Although Daragon was distressed at being out of the loop, he assumed that Sadow knew what he was doing and was solely concerned with his sister Jori's safety. Eventually, Daragon discovered a way to monitor the battle from Khar Shian and surmised that Naga Sadow could dedicate all his time to teaching him Sith abilities, as he was the only student Sadow had left. Additionally, Daragon discovered that the Starbreaker 12 was gone; with Sadow's help, Jori had escaped the Sith Empire in the ship. Meanwhile, during the battle, Sadow used deception and trickery to decimate Kressh's fleet. Defeated, Kressh fled.

On Khar Delba, Daragon stood beside Naga Sadow as he supervised the restoration of the citadel, which had been the target of Kressh's assault. It was during this period that Sadow—having ascended to the position of the new Dark Lord of the Sith after Kressh's demise—bestowed jewels upon him and extolled the grandeur and magnificence of the Sith Empire, asserting that the Republic would provide them with everything they required. Despite Daragon's initial hesitation to assist Sadow in launching an attack against the Republic, the memories of his impoverished and sorrowful existence on Koros Major following the death of his parents, coupled with Sadow's persuasive arguments, ultimately swayed him. By then, Sadow had secured the allegiance of all the other Sith Lords. One day, Sadow requested Daragon to accompany him to a gathering at the newly renovated citadel on Khar Delba, where Sadow declared that the Sith Empire's fleet was prepared to traverse the starlanes and wage war against the Republic. However, Sadow's proclamation was interrupted by an urgent communication: Ludo Kressh had resurfaced aboard his flagship. Swiftly, Sadow and Daragon received a message from Kressh, in which he denounced Sadow as a traitor. Upon hearing this message, Daragon was instructed to activate the automated systems designed to disrupt the transmission. Yet, upon activating the system, the citadel's defense turrets were triggered, obliterating Kressh's vessel and seemingly eliminating Kressh himself. Daragon was incensed by Sadow's deception, as he had never taken a life before, but Sadow reassured him that he had performed a crucial act, paving the way toward the Republic. Sadow then revealed that he had surreptitiously placed a tracking device on the Starbreaker 12, guiding them back to the Republic, and that the moment to strike had arrived.

As war preparations reached their peak, Daragon accompanied Sadow to Ch'hodos, the primary stronghold of the Sith Lord Shar Dakhan, for a military assembly. It was there that Daragon was informed by Sadow that he would be celebrated in history as a triumphant hero upon his return to the Republic. Daragon responded that his primary anticipation was to reunite with Jori and expressed his desire to ensure her safety during the impending conflict; Sadow assured him that the conflict would be brief and result in a swift victory. In the meantime, preparations continued, with Sadow assembling a formidable force from every corner of the Sith Empire, including a substantial fleet and an even larger army composed of ground troops and war beasts. When the Sith force was finally assembled, the fleet congregated near Khar Shian, which served as the army's staging ground. Daragon assumed his position aboard Naga Sadow's personal Sith Meditation Sphere. With the commencement of the war imminent, Daragon questioned the wisdom of leaving the Sith Empire's planets undefended while the fleet engaged the Republic. However, Sadow countered that their focus must remain on their new objective. Sadow then entrusted Daragon with a significant responsibility; in recognition of his service and familiarity with the Republic, Sadow appointed Daragon as the commander of the force from the bridge of Sadow's flagship. Despite Daragon's initial reluctance, stemming from his lack of prior command experience, he ultimately accepted the offer. Now poised for battle, the Sith force launched its assault, initiating the Great Hyperspace War.

Guided by the Starbreaker 12's beacon, the immense Sith fleet materialized in the Koros system and promptly located the Starbreaker 12 navigating within local space. Daragon was taken aback, believing that he had located Jori. However, despite Daragon's objections, Sadow commanded his forces to lock onto the vessel and unleash their firepower, obliterating it. Enraged, Daragon hoped that Jori was not aboard the ship; Sadow responded by instructing Daragon to consult his sensors, which indicated the absence of any Human lifeforms on the Starbreaker 12. Sadow then initiated the plan, ordering the fleet to divide into two segments. One segment launched an assault on the Koros system, while the remaining force struck at the Republic's core, Coruscant. Retreating to his meditation sphere, Sadow informed Daragon that he would be leading the primary fleet. Daragon spearheaded the Sith force in a major attack on the Koros system, engaging both Teta's soldiers and Llaban's fighters—who had united with the Empress—on Kirrek. With the battle in full swing, Daragon resolved to personally land in Cinnagar with a contingent of Massassi guards, convinced that neutralizing Cinnagar's defenses would secure a nearly bloodless victory. He also harbored the hope of finding Jori amidst the chaos.

Daragon journeyed back to Cinnagar aboard a Sith dropship and was overcome with sorrow upon witnessing the devastation he had inflicted upon his city. He landed near Aarrba's Repair Dock and entered the establishment, hoping to locate Jori, as his pendant was emitting a glow. Daragon implored Aarrba for assistance; however, the aged Hutt merely spat in his face. Interpreting this gesture as an assault on their commander, the Massassi guards retaliated against Aarrba, piercing his abdomen with a spear. Mortally wounded, the Hutt's final act was to crush his assailants by toppling off his hoversled onto them. Appalled, Daragon rebuked the remaining guards, asserting that Aarrba's action was not an act of aggression. At that moment, Jori Daragon entered Aarrba's Repair Dock and, upon witnessing the scene, held Daragon responsible for Aarrba's demise. Stunned and heartbroken, Jori declared that Daragon was no longer the brother she once knew. She brandished a lightsaber, bestowed upon her by Odan-Urr prior to the battle, and attacked and killed the Massassi guards. Jori confronted Daragon, demanding an explanation for his actions. Overwhelmed by grief, Daragon cast his pendant at Jori's feet and fled.

Daragon sprinted to his dropship and returned to his main battleship. He knew that he had to stop Naga Sadow and bring an end to the war. Daragon commanded the battleship to enter hyperspace, following his old route, the Goluud Corridor, and proceed to the Goluud system, where Sadow was awaiting in his meditation sphere. Alone on the bridge, Daragon reflected on the events of the Great Hyperspace War and expressed profound regret for the deaths he had caused. His faith in the Sith Empire utterly shattered, Daragon ordered the ship's gunners to target Sadow's meditation sphere, where Sadow was secluded, conjuring illusions to bolster the war effort. The attack did indeed disrupt Sadow's concentration, and on both Coruscant and Koros, Sadow's illusions dissipated, causing the battles to shift in favor of the Republic. Sadow contacted Daragon, requesting that he come to the meditation sphere to confront him, and he agreed. Upon reaching the meditation sphere, however, Daragon found it deserted and realized that he had been deceived.

A message from Sadow echoed over the intercom speakers, denouncing Daragon as a traitor and vowing to deal with him after the conflict had concluded. Inside the damaged sphere, Daragon frantically searched for a functioning system, discovering that only the comm remained operational. Daragon attempted to contact Teta's forces, and they arrived almost immediately, including both Jori and Empress Teta, who instructed Daragon to surrender and prepare to be boarded. Daragon instead informed them that the Sith Empire had left their home worlds vulnerable and that the Koros fleet could launch an attack and secure victory. However, at that moment, the remnants of Sadow's battered fleet arrived in the Goluud system, attacking the Koros forces. Sadow, now in control, employed a secret weapon to trigger solar flares in the unstable Primus Goluud. Knowing that Sadow's actions would inevitably lead to his demise, Daragon urged Jori and the Koros forces to escape while they still had the chance. Sadow's forces retreated back to the Sith Empire, while Jori could not bring herself to abandon her brother. Gav Daragon's final words were to bid his sister farewell, and the Koros forces departed the Goluud system while Daragon perished in the meditation sphere.

Upon returning to Cinnagar, Gav Daragon's sister, Jori, assumed control of operations at Aarrba's Repair Dock following the war's conclusion. Years after his death, Gav Daragon was remembered for his role in initiating the Great Hyperspace War, including in a compilation of Jedi history and lore compiled by the Jedi historian Tionne Solusar in 40 ABY. In the years following the Daragons' era, some historians speculated that the Great Hyperspace War might have been averted had Jedi Odan-Urr not rescued the Daragons from Kahorr's assassins, but Solusar maintained that the Daragons could not be held accountable for the war's outbreak. The siblings' role was long commemorated throughout history for pioneering what was regarded as one of the most significant hyperlanes of the Old Republic era. This hyperlane, known as the Daragon Trail, provided a direct route from the Deep Core to Sith space. He was also mentioned in a historical text authored by the historian Voren Na'al long after Daragon's passing. During the Cold War between the Republic and the reconstituted Sith Empire, a Valor-class cruiser was christened the Gav Daragon in Daragon's honor. Information pertaining to the Daragons was also included on the Omen, a vessel carrying a group of individuals who would eventually establish the Lost Tribe of Sith on Kesh.

Despite his challenging financial circumstances, Gav Daragon possessed an unwavering sense of optimism. With each hyperspace journey, he remained steadfast in his belief that it would be the one to secure fortune for him and Jori. Even in the face of numerous setbacks, he never relinquished his optimism, and when he and Jori were confined to a small, cramped cell within the Sith Empire, Daragon continued to assert that their situation could be worse. His optimism was only matched by his profound love and concern for his sister, Jori, which motivated him to willingly serve Naga Sadow in the hopes of providing her with a better life. Daragon was prepared to do anything for Jori's well-being, including aiding in the assault on his home city of Cinnagar and the Galactic Republic as a whole. Even as his life drew to a close and the Koros forces demanded his surrender, Daragon assisted Jori by informing them of the Sith Empire's critical vulnerability and urging them to evacuate before they were consumed by Primus Goluud's solar flares. Although he initially aided Sadow to benefit Jori, Daragon came to deeply regret his involvement in the Great Hyperspace War. While aboard his dropship, witnessing firsthand the devastation he had wrought upon his home, Daragon wept for his role in igniting the conflict. Furthermore, when confronted by Jori in Aarrba's Repair Dock, Daragon was unable to articulate his actions, overwhelmed by grief and remorse.

Gav Daragon was an exceptionally daring individual; even as a relatively young and inexperienced pilot, he volunteered to accompany his parents on a perilous mission to deliver supplies to the besieged Koros soldiers on Kirrek. When confronted by Kahorr's bounty hunters, Daragon recklessly commandeered his ship from Aarrba's Repair Dock, executed a daring escape from Cinnagar security forces, and fearlessly ventured into uncharted territory. He displayed no fear upon encountering the Sith for the first time on Korriban, greeting them with a smile. However, his faith quickly waned, and he became apathetic and despondent when they were imprisoned on Ziost. Nevertheless, by the culmination of his apprenticeship under Naga Sadow, Daragon had regained his courage. Knowingly defying Sadow, Daragon rebelled and attempted to eliminate his Sith Master over Primus Goluud, recognizing that he had an opportunity to end the violence. Despite being aware of the risks, Daragon chose to confront Sadow within his Sith Meditation Sphere. Even after being tricked, Daragon remained composed and managed to guide his sister and the Koros forces to safety in the final moments of his life.

Gav Daragon possessed a natural affinity for the Force, and during his childhood, his connection to the Force was so strong that he underwent training in the Jedi arts under the tutelage of Jedi Masters. Although he ultimately declined to fully commit to the Jedi Order, he retained some of the techniques he had learned, which he recalled in adulthood. This Force-sensitivity was later rediscovered by Naga Sadow, who instructed him in the dark side of the Force and the practices of Sith magic. Daragon noted that the powers imparted to him by Sadow, including the ability to create illusions, were fundamentally different from those he had learned from the Jedi.

The character of Gav Daragon was created and written by Kevin J. Anderson for the Tales of the Jedi comic book series and made his debut in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith, Anderson's second solo story arc following Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War. Gav was initially illustrated by Chris Gossett during his first appearance in Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith 0, but for the subsequent five issues of The Golden Age of the Sith series, he was sketched by penciller Dario Carrasco, Jr., and black-and-white drawings of the character were included in the back of the first issue of The Golden Age of the Sith. He later appeared in the next installment of Tales of the Jedi, titled The Fall of the Sith Empire, and various reference materials detailing the events and characters of the series, including The New Essential Guide to Characters and The New Essential Chronology, both by Daniel Wallace.

The Daragon Trail was subsequently explicitly mapped and depicted in the 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas. Gav Daragon was also portrayed in that work, with the illustration created by Chris Trevas. Although Gav Daragon's eyes were described as blue in The New Essential Guide to Characters, they are clearly brown in both of the Tales of the Jedi arcs in which he appears. This article adheres to the color specified in The New Essential Guide to Characters, as it is the only source that explicitly states the eye color.