Hetton

Hetton's origins trace back to the Galactic Republic world of Serenno. His father died not long after he was born, leaving his mother, Loranda, to lead their family. Given their distant relation to House Demici, a leading member of the Great Houses of Serenno, Hetton's family possessed some influence in the planet's politics. Consequently, his mother devoted most of her time to political endeavors aimed at advancing their family's standing and wealth. As a result, Hetton was primarily raised by servants. From an early age, he sensed his connection to the Force, a fact that the servants tasked with his care concealed from everyone, including his mother. By the time Loranda discovered his abilities, Hetton was already a young man in his twenties. He persuaded his mother to utilize the family's resources to seek out ways for him to learn more about the Force. With no allegiance to the Jedi or the Sith, and believing that his skills could enhance the family's power and wealth, she consented.

Loranda hired Gula Dwan, a bounty hunter with some aptitude for sensing and using the Force, to tutor her son. She also invested some of their family's wealth in acquiring artifacts to supplement her son's education. However, the artifacts and knowledge Hetton acquired, combined with Dwan's instruction, enabled him to surpass his Master's limited abilities. It was at this juncture that Hetton made the decision to embrace the dark side. Through his study of artifacts, Hetton realized that his "Master" lacked a true understanding of the Force and that Dwan merely viewed his abilities as a professional advantage. Following discussions with his mother, they both concurred that Dwan had outlived his usefulness to Hetton. Loranda was wary of the Jedi or Sith discovering her son's training, so Hetton eliminated his former Master.

In 1006 BBY, the Sith Lord Skere Kaan initiated a search for Force-sensitives to join his Brotherhood of Darkness, believing that a large number of Sith could overwhelm the more numerous Jedi. Loranda urged Hetton to join the Sith and bring honor to their family. However, Hetton was reluctant to join them, as Kaan's promise of "equality" contradicted every other Sith artifact he had examined. He realized that his mother's thinking was limited to governmental alliances and politics, and he feared that she would reveal him to the Sith. To prevent this, he resorted to what he believed was the only option: he committed matricide, poisoning her in her sleep. He continued to evade both Jedi and Sith throughout the duration of the New Sith Wars, all the while utilizing his connections to continue seeking information on the ancient Sith to augment his knowledge.

Following the Brotherhood's defeat on Ruusan, Hetton began to gather followers who desired to overthrow the Republic. Serenno wielded significant political and economic influence and boasted a flourishing trade. Many individuals disagreed with the laws enacted by the Republic Senate concerning certain goods across all member worlds, leading to the formation of numerous factions protesting against Republic membership. Hetton's connections through his family ties and his ample funding ensured that his newly formed Anti-Republic Liberation Front would rapidly become one of the largest and most prominent rebellious groups. Its members possessed superior equipment and weapons, and professionally trained individuals such as soldiers and guards were commonplace rather than exceptional.

Hetton welcomed individuals of all species into his rebel movement, including the Lethan Twi'lek Kelad'den and the elusive Chiss Cyndra. He was also a leader whose opinions held considerable sway over his followers. Some, like Paak, were hesitant to follow the instructions of others without confirmation from their leader.

Darth Zannah infiltrated a small group of ARLF members under the guise of an embassy worker, persuading them to attempt an abduction of the Republic envoy and former Supreme Chancellor Tarsus Valorum. However, the group's attempt was foiled by Jedi Knight Johun Othone, Valorum's unofficial protector. The two survivors of the attack believed Zannah, as the most recent recruit, had betrayed the syndicate and revealed the plot to Valorum. They located Zannah and brought her before Hetton.

Hetton observed in silent awe as Zannah employed Sith sorcery on Cyndra, forcing her to witness her worst nightmares until she clawed out her own eyes, leaving her mentally incapacitated, and again as she used the Force to free herself and used her lightsaber to deflect Paak's blaster bolts back upon himself. Once she had freed herself from her guards, Hetton bowed before her.

Hetton led Zannah through his gallery of Sith artifacts, revealing to her the details of his past and how he had come to learn about the dark side. He also revealed his true purpose for the Anti-Republic Liberation Front: a cover for the resurrection of the Sith and its domination of the Republic. Utilizing the sum of his collected information and knowledge to sway her, he pledged himself to becoming her apprentice, promising her control over him and the eight Shadow Assassins in his employ. Hetton also revealed that he possessed information that provided the coordinates to Tython and the resting place of Belia Darzu, a Sith Lord rumored to have mastered mechu-deru, the ability to infuse organic creatures with metal using the dark side. He also believed that Darzu had uncovered the secret of constructing holocrons.

With his new Master and Shadow Assassins by his side, Hetton journeyed to Ambria with the intention of eliminating Zannah's Master, Darth Bane. The assassins surrounded Bane, anticipating his demise when attacked by their force pikes. However, the Sith Lord sensed their presence and was protected by his orbalisk armor. He dispatched the assassins before turning his attention to Hetton. It was only then that Hetton realized Zannah had deceived him to acquire his knowledge, and Bane stabbed him through the chest with his lightsaber.

Being distantly related to House Demici, Hetton was born into a position of political privilege on Serenno. Consequently, he was taught from a young age how to project an image of authority. He carried himself with grace and pride, maintaining a composed demeanor even in situations that would cause discomfort to most others. By the time he committed matricide, he had become a wealthy and influential political figure.

Having been raised in political circles, he had developed into a shrewd and cunning individual, adept at achieving his objectives through persuasion and coercion. This political experience also enabled him to conceal his true intentions from others, as he publicly appeared to support the Republic with the Great Houses while secretly working to undermine it through the Anti-Republic Liberation Front.

Hetton was an ambitious man who sought power through the dark side, which superseded the planetary political power that his parents had prioritized. This ambition drove him to eliminate both his former Master, Gula Dwan, and his mother, to facilitate his continued development in the dark side.

Despite acquiring numerous Sith artifacts and relics, Hetton's ability to utilize the Force was limited by a lack of proper training. He ultimately relied more on his established connections and the Shadow Assassins who served as his bodyguards for his defense. However, he did train himself in the use of basic telekinesis and Force lightning, which he unsuccessfully employed against Darth Bane. Although he obtained a green lightsaber, he had minimal training in its use, as evidenced by his stance and the way he held the weapon, as noted by Bane.

Hetton was a creation of Drew Karpyshyn. He made his debut in Darth Bane: Rule of Two and is killed by the title character. Hetton serves two primary purposes within the novel. The first is to advance a key plot point: Bane seeks to create a holocron, and Hetton has acquired information that can guide him. The second purpose is to demonstrate that not all Sith were destroyed on Ruusan. The assassins under Hetton's command provide evidence that at least some Sith agents survived, indicating that not all Sith joined Kaan's Brotherhood. Hetton was later mentioned in Karpyshyn's 2009 novel, Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil.