During the final years of the Galactic Republic, a Human male named Rast'tul held the rank of colonel within the armed forces of the Thaereian system. In the era of the Clone Wars, specifically around 21 BBY, Rast'tul conceived a scheme involving the kidnapping of Night Wren, who was the daughter of Senator Lavina Wren representing the Cularin system. His motivation was to exert leverage over the senator, compelling her to advocate for Thaereian interests. Rast'tul brought the child to his residence on the planet Thaere Privo, intending to mold her into a devoted Thaereian. However, more than one year after Wren's abduction by Rast'tul, she was liberated by the Heroes of Cularin, a group of independent operatives originating from the Cularin system.
Later, the colonel was assigned to the Grand Army of the Republic, leading a Thaereian military contingent that joined Strike Force Cularin, a flotilla that also included Republic regulars and forces from the anti-Thaereian Cularin Militia. Rast'tul was designated as the second-in-command of the task group's ground troops. Strike Force Cularin's initial assignment was to attack a Separatist base located in the Ando system. During this operation, Rast'tul devised a plan to take the lives of the Heroes of Cularin, who were present with the flotilla as part of the Cularin Militia detachment. However, after being wounded in battle and then rescued by the agents amidst Separatist fire, Rast'tul inadvertently admitted to orchestrating Night Wren's kidnapping and the attempt on the freelancers' lives. Consequently, he was apprehended and faced trial for his offenses.
Sometime between approximately 50 BBY and 60 BBY, a Human male was born who would become a member of the Thaereian military—the armed force responsible for safeguarding the Thaereian system. As a highly skilled officer, Rast'tul rapidly ascended the ranks, ultimately achieving the rank of colonel. He also presided as the chair of several significant Thaereian committees. He possessed a house situated on Thaere Privo, the Thaereian homeworld, where he maintained a box containing thousands of credits in dataries and Thaereian Stock Certificates within his office.
By the time the Clone Wars erupted, a conflict between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems, Rast'tul was in his mid-forties. Around 21 BBY, the Cularin system, located in the Expansion Region, reemerged after a decade-long absence from the galaxy due to the temporal effects of the Darkstaff, a Sith artifact. As a protectorate under Thaereian protection by Republic charter, Rast'tul was sent to the system as part of the stationed Thaereian military contingent. Soon after the system's return, Ras'tul became entangled in a scheme to blackmail Senator Lavina Wren, the Cularin system's representative in the Galactic Senate, aiming to force her support for pro-Thaereian policies. Rast'tul plotted to abduct Wren's seven-year-old daughter, Night, using her as leverage against the senator, and tasked his spies with monitoring Wren's activities. Upon acquiring details of Wren's routine, the colonel arranged an attack on Wren's transport to school, followed by his men apprehending her under the guise of a rescue.
Wren was then taken to Thaere Privo and held within Ras'tul's personal quarters as a guest. Rast'tul deceived the child, claiming her parents had sent her to live with him for her safety. He reinforced his claims by citing the attack on Night's vehicle and her mother's increased workload due to the war, convincing the child of his sincerity, leading her to develop affection for him and call him "Uncle Colonel." He also arranged for Wren's education with a home tutor and selected playmates, hiring the teenage babysitter Nannat to care for her. He took Wren on outings to amusement parks and cultural events, attempting to manipulate her into believing her parents didn't love her, hoping to transform her into a loyal Thaereian servant. Despite these efforts, Rast'tul felt no genuine affection for the child and informed Lavina Wren that he would kill Night if the senator defied Thaereian wishes. Consequently, the senator complied, refraining from opposing the Thaereians as they intensified their security measures in the Cularin system and engaged in a conflict with the loyalist Cularin Militia.
Several months later, the Thaereian military instructed Rast'tul to organize two task forces for special operations in the Cularin system, designed to instigate unrest, justifying an increased Thaereian military presence and tighter control over Cularin. Task Force Pest, led by Lieutenant Dalin, was tasked with rounding up and incarcerating all Force Adepts and non-Jedi Force users in the Cularin system, while Rast'tul commanded Task Force Vermin to abduct children from Cularin's streets, coercing and brainwashing them into serving Thaereian interests. However, the Heroes of Cularin intervened, freeing the captured Force Adepts and exposing Task Force Vermin's actions, thwarting their efforts.
Over a year after Night's abduction, Lavina Wren hired the Heroes of Cularin to rescue her daughter from Rast'tul. The agents traveled to Thaere Privo, infiltrating Rast'tul's residence while he was away and persuading Wren to leave with them. They escaped with the child aboard their starship, Night stealing Rast'tul's lockbox from his office. Thaereian starfighters pursued them, but Rast'tul, unwilling to risk the child's life, recalled the fighters. Contacting the agents via their ship's communications, he appealed to Wren to remember his support, attempting to maintain influence over her. The child was safely returned to her mother, and Lavina Wren publicly opposed the Thaereian presence in the Cularin system. Consequently, Rast'tul's chances of further advancement within the Thaereian military were ruined.
Despite the Thaereian military's clandestine connections to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, they anticipated a Separatist defeat in the Clone Wars. Consequently, they sought to strengthen their ties with the Republic. To this end, Colonel Rast'tul was chosen to lead a Thaereian military volunteer detachment assigned to the Grand Army of the Republic as part of Strike Force Cularin, a combined force comprising Thaereian units, Republic regular forces, and the Cularin Militia. Lavina Wren suspected that Jir Tramsig, the commander of Thaereian forces in the Cularin system, had specifically selected Rast'tul for this role. She believed the colonel intended to exploit the situation to create discord between the Republic and the Cularin Militia, thereby securing Republic support for the Thaereians' control over Cularin. Strike Force Cularin was placed under the command of Republic officer Colonel Lazlo Ardine, with Rast'tul serving directly under Ardine as the second-in-command of the task group's ground forces.
Strike Force Cularin's inaugural mission involved assaulting a Separatist base located on a planetoid within the Ando system. The task force assembled in orbit above Cularin, and during preparations for the upcoming engagement, Rast'tul transmitted a message to the Heroes of Cularin, reminding them of their past encounter and warning against interfering with Thaereian plans. Shortly thereafter, the flotilla moved toward the Cularin comet cloud to exit the system. The Heroes of Cularin departed in their vessel ahead of the main fleet, but encountered Thaereian customs forces who, mistaking them for criminals, harassed them and deployed starfighters. The task force arrived to find its exit route blocked, prompting Captain Meeba, commander of the Republic cruiser Relentless and leader of the task group's space forces, to demand an explanation from Rast'tul. To save face, Rast'tul contacted Lieutenant Marko, the customs forces' officer, reprimanding and relieving him of command. The flotilla then resumed its course out of the Cularin system and entered hyperspace.
Upon reaching the Ando system, the task force encountered a Separatist corvette, which was disabled after a brief exchange of fire. A Thaereian envoy was aboard the Separatist ship as a passenger. When the Heroes of Cularin were assigned to board the wrecked vessel, Rast'tul secretly arranged for them to be attacked by a Thaereian Z-95 Headhunter to prevent evidence of Thaere's dealings with the Confederacy from falling into Republic hands. The Headhunter, supposedly acting as a rearguard, opened fire on the bridge of the corvette, but the attack failed, and the freelance agents survived. Upon their return, Colonel Ardine, Captain Meeba, and Rast'tul met with the agents to discuss the attack, with Rast'tul claiming the Headhunter had gone missing and that Cularin dissidents were responsible.
The task force advanced and commenced its assault on the planetoid housing the Separatist installation. Rast'tul landed and led the ground forces into battle, but was wounded and pinned down in a trench by Separatist fire. Unable to escape, he took cover behind a damaged artillery piece amidst fallen comrades. CIS forces spotted him and dispatched six Separatist troopers to eliminate him. However, the Heroes of Cularin intervened, repelling the soldiers and saving Rast'tul's life. As he began to thank his rescuers, Rast'tul recognized the freelance agents and became enraged, feeling humiliated. In his anger, he denounced the freelancers, confessing to Night Wren's kidnapping and the Headhunter attack. Ardine overheard Rast'tul's confession and promptly arrested him. The Thaereian colonel was stunned and taken into custody by two clone troopers. The raid succeeded for the Republic, and Rast'tul was tried. The Thaereian military demanded Rast'tul's return for punishment, but Republic Supreme Chancellor Palpatine refused, stating that because Rast'tul's crime was committed during Republic service, he would be held under Republic jurisdiction.
Rast'tul was a proficient military officer who achieved rapid advancement within the Thaereian military. However, his arrogance and inability to admit fault led him to blame subordinates or unforeseen events for military failures, undermining his leadership. He was deceitful and avaricious, willing to arrest innocents, kidnap children, and blackmail Senator Lavina Wren to advance his own agenda. While ostensibly acting for the Thaereian military, he sought greater personal power and used his actions to enhance his own influence on Thaere.
The colonel attempted to manipulate Night Wren into becoming a loyal Thaereian servant, presenting himself as a loving uncle. In reality, he lacked emotional attachment to her, viewing her as a bargaining chip to be killed if necessary, and a means to control her mother. Even after Night's rescue, Rast'tul maintained the pretense of caring for her to retain influence. He despised the Heroes of Cularin for thwarting his blackmail attempts and disliked Senator Wren personally, considering her overly self-righteous.
Margaret van Poelgeest-Heintz created Colonel Rast'tul as an antagonist in the Night Eyes trilogy of the Living Force roleplaying game, debuting in Night's Homecoming. The adventure suggested using the 1991 film Hook to portray Rast'tul, comparing his manipulation of Night Wren to Captain Hook's efforts to turn Jack Banning against his family.
Rast'tul reappeared in the 2004 Living Force adventure Decision: Almas, by Ronald A. Heintz. Players roleplay as the Heroes of Cularin. During the raid on the Separatist base, players can choose to save Rast'tul from Separatist fire or let him die. If they rescue him, his anger leads him to confess his crimes, overheard by Lazlo Ardine. Confessing only to kidnapping Night Wren results in a criminal trial; admitting to the attack on the player characters leads to charges of treason and court-martial by the Republic Military, followed by a civilian trial for Wren's abduction. Decision: Coruscant confirmed Rast'tul's trial but not his court-martial.
The spelling of the colonel's name varies. The Night Eyes trilogy uses "Rast'Tul," while Decsion: Almas and Decision: Coruscant use "Rast'tul." This article uses the latter spelling, as Decision: Almas and Decision: Coruscant are the most recent sources.