Marcus Trant

Biography

Early career

Marcus Trant, a male Human, began his career as a decryption analyst within the Galactic Republic's Strategic Information Service. At the time, to avoid scrutiny of its funding, the SIS operated as a clandestine subsection of the Senate Library. The Great Galactic War erupted in 3681 BBY with the Sith Empire's return. As the war intensified, the Senate mandated the SIS's transformation into a fully independent intelligence agency, separate from the Senate Library, and Trant became one of its field agents. In 3674 BBY, Trant was stationed on the planet Bomodon, where a platoon of the Republic Military's 45th Infantry Division, under the command of Lieutenant Elin Garza, had been shot down. Trant assisted Garza in waging a ten-month guerrilla campaign that ultimately succeeded in expelling the Imperial forces from the planet.

During the battle, Trant and Garza became romantically involved, and they married soon after. However, their marriage lasted only twenty-six months before ending in divorce. Garza later married a naval captain named Joron Tal'vor, who died in 3671 BBY. Trant remarried, but the demands of his work created friction in his marriage, leading to another divorce from his second wife. His relationship with Garza remained strained throughout their lives, despite their frequent interactions when Garza became the commanding general of the Republic Special Forces Division, a unit that worked closely with the SIS. Trant participated in numerous classified SIS operations across the galaxy during the war, including those on Ralltiir. In 3654 BBY, he was appointed Bureau Chief on Nar Shaddaa. Over the next four years, Trant established fifty-six safe houses on the moon and oversaw several successful operations.

Director of SIS

Three years after the Treaty of Coruscant brought the Great Galactic War to an end in 3653 BBY, the then-SIS director resigned due to failing health. He designated Trant as his replacement, and Trant was promoted to Director of Republic Strategic Information Service. His challenges began immediately: despite the end of the Great War, the Republic and the Empire were locked in a tense Cold War. The galaxy became a battleground for intrigue and spies, rather than soldiers on the front lines. A bounty was placed on Trant's head, and both governments prioritized intelligence and counterintelligence as they sought to strengthen their positions in anticipation of renewed warfare. The Sacking of Coruscant, the Empire's attack that forced the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, had devastated Coruscant. Other planets, ceded by the Republic under the treaty, were seized by the Empire. Planets like Ord Mantell, Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, and Balmorra became contested territories between the SIS and Imperial Intelligence. Trant initiated and personally supervised operations, including those involving Agent Theron Shan and Director of Mid Rim Operations Ardun Kothe. Trant tasked Shan with scouting the planet Makeb in preparation for possible Republic intervention. Shan provided Trant with a field report detailing key locations, important figures, and the local military strength.

The SIS intensified its activities to gather more information about Imperial Intelligence and the Empire in general, and Trant personally monitored the Republic's most dangerous adversaries. Under Trant's leadership, the SIS began assisting the overwhelmed Coruscant Security Force by providing intelligence on Coruscant's most dangerous criminal and militant organizations, such as Black Sun and the Justicars' Brigade. Recognizing the Jedi Order as a valuable asset, Trant encouraged SIS agents to collaborate with the Jedi, which was evident in operations on Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, and Taris. As SIS director, Trant had to manage both the daily operations of an intelligence service and the ongoing politics associated with leading a government agency. Senate budget and oversight hearings demanded information on covert operations, which Trant refused to provide for security reasons. He deemed the risk of exposing his agents too great, and only a select few had access to SIS personnel records. Nevertheless, the bureaucrats responsible for the Republic's finances demanded tangible results for the credits spent, forcing Trant to constantly justify the SIS's existence, as the outcomes of his agency's work were inherently covert.

In 3643 BBY, Trant summoned Theron Shan to his office to brief him on the SIS's efforts to undermine the Empire. Together, they traveled to the SIS operations center for a mission to locate a missing Jedi named Ngani Zho. Despite initial hesitation, Shan accepted the mission, as Zho had raised and trained him in place of his mother, Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan. Upon arriving in the Vesla system, Shan located Zho, who revealed the existence of a powerful weapon called the Sun Razer being developed under the command of Sith Lord Darth Mekhis. Determined to destroy the weapon, Shan contacted Trant to report his findings. Despite Zho's mental instability, Shan believed his information was significant. A week earlier, an SIS station on Nar Shaddaa had been shut down, and Trant had received reports of the Sith Empire's Imperial Guard mobilizing. Consequently, Trant recognized the Republic's need to exploit every advantage, including Shan's mission. Trant and Shan agreed that the latter would proceed with locating and reconnoitering the weapon. As the mission unfolded, Shan ultimately killed Darth Mekhis and destroyed the Sun Razer. Trant later remarked to Shan that his actions might have triggered a renewed war with the Sith. Trant offered Shan vacation time, but Shan declined, stating his commitment to pursuing leads on stopping the Sith.

Renewed war

A renewed war did indeed begin, and with the apparent death of the Sith Emperor at the hands of a Jedi Knight, the Republic gained an advantage. Trant continued to monitor the Republic's enemies, eventually classifying Cipher Nine, a former Cipher Agent of Imperial Intelligence responsible for destroying the Shadow Arsenal on Quesh, as the third most significant threat. In 3640 BBY, the new Republic Supreme Commander Jace Malcom collaborated with Trant to devise a plan to liberate Republic prisoners-of-war from slave markets. This mission, known as Operation Transom, was successfully executed, and the SIS identified a major hub for slave trading on Nar Shaddaa, located in the palace of Morbo the Hutt. Three months into the surveillance, Trant was informed by field agents that Theron Shan, who was not assigned to the mission, was snooping around Morbo's palace. Trant contacted Shan, demanding his immediate departure from Nar Shaddaa. At that moment, Shan was approached by a Houk and abruptly ended the call with the director. The Houk demanded an explanation for Shan's presence, which Shan refused to provide. A fight ensued, and Shan gained the upper hand, subduing the Houk. Under questioning, the Houk admitted to being an SIS agent and revealed the details of Operation Transom, much to Shan's surprise. Despite the director's orders, Shan continued to ignore them and infiltrated Morbo's palace, aiding several captive Republic soldiers in their escape, thereby alerting the Hutts to the Republic's surveillance. Trant was quickly informed of Shan's actions and the subsequent compromise of Operation Transom.

Meanwhile, Trant visited the Supreme Commander's office in the Senate Building. When Malcom inquired about Shan's interference with Operation Transom, Trant, covering for Shan, took responsibility for the mission's failure. Privately, Trant was enraged and vowed to thoroughly question Shan about the incident. To advance the defeat of the Sith Empire, Malcom had developed a plan to capture and destroy a new Imperial warship, the Ascendant Spear, commanded by Darth Karrid, a Falleen Sith Lord. Malcom presented the plan to the SIS director as a joint operation involving the military and the Jedi, and Trant agreed. Upon returning to Coruscant, Shan was escorted to the Director's office by SIS agents posing as Coruscant Security Force police officers. Trant was furious with Shan, not only for disobeying a direct order but also for compromising a three-month surveillance operation. As punishment, Trant removed Shan from field duty and reassigned him to the Analytics Department. However, Trant tasked Shan with developing the details for the new mission against the Ascendant Spear, known as Operation End Game.

Chasing the Spear

Shan submitted his final operational plan to Trant, who removed Shan's name. However, Shan reinserted his name on the document before it was submitted to Jace Malcom. During the discussion about which SIS agent would lead the operation, Malcom requested that Trant assign Shan to the mission. Trant, frustrated by Shan's maneuvering, reluctantly agreed. Malcom also requested the assistance of Jedi High Council Master Gnost-Dural, Darth Karrid's former Jedi Master, who arrived on Coruscant shortly after. Shan, Gnost-Dural, and Trant met in the Supreme Commander's office to finalize the mission details. Meanwhile, Trant had been developing a flirtatious relationship with Malcom's receptionist, leading Shan to suspect that she was Trant's next romantic interest. With the mission details finalized, Operation Endgame was initiated. While the mission was formally under Malcom's direct supervision, Trant provided frequent tactical suggestions and information, as well as overseeing reports from Shan. On the planet Ziost, Shan and Gnost-Dural secured a black cipher, a special encryption device of the Imperial Navy. The cipher was handed over to Trant, who immediately passed it on to the analytics team. Shan and Gnost-Dural continued their mission and enlisted the help of a smuggler named Teff'ith. Trant, however, was skeptical of Teff'ith's abilities and loyalty to Shan and the Republic.

Using the black cipher, the SIS discovered that the Ascendant Spear would dock at the space station known as Reaver Station for two days. Trant informed Shan of this, and the team proceeded to the station. Shortly thereafter, the SIS intercepted information about a planned assault on the planet Ruan. Trant presented this information to Malcom, and they decided to allow the assault to proceed to protect their access to Imperial communications. The battle at Ruan resulted in a devastating Republic defeat. Trant briefed Malcom on the damage and casualties. They then decided to allow a second attack by the Sith, this time on the planet Duro, to occur. Meanwhile, upon arriving at Reaver Station, Shan learned about the attack on Ruan. Concerned that the cipher was compromised, Shan contacted Trant, who was in a briefing with Malcom. Trant and Malcom explained their actions to Shan, who was horrified and angered by their decision. After disconnecting with Shan, Trant provided the Supreme Commander with estimated casualty figures for the attack on Duro. Malcom agonized over the correctness of their decision and sought Trant's opinion. The Director assured Malcom that their decision was justified in the larger context, although he joined Malcom for several drinks that evening. Meanwhile, Shan and Gnost-Dural infiltrated the Ascendant Spear and set its course for the Duro system. Simultaneously, Shan dispatched Teff'ith to Coruscant to inform his mother, Satele, about the Ascendant Spear's movements and to persuade Trant and Malcom to defend Duro.

Teff'ith warned Master Shan, who in turn convinced Malcom to take action. When the Ascendant Spear arrived at Duro, a Republic fleet under Malcom's direct command ambushed the ship, leading to a battle. During the fighting, Shan killed Darth Karrid, enabling the Republic forces to destroy the Ascendant Spear and achieve the mission's objective. Shan submitted his final report on the operation to Trant, who then attended the official debriefing in the Supreme Commander's office. Shan did not attend, sending his regrets to the Supreme Commander. Following the debriefing, Trant returned to his office to continue his duties as head of the SIS.

Later in the war, when agents of the secretive Order of Revan falsely accused Shan and others of murdering Colonel Rian Darok, an officer in the Special Forces Division, the Director mitigated the consequences for Shan. Instead of a death sentence, Shan was labeled a "disavowed rogue agent, to be apprehended on sight." Following the uncovering of the Revanite conspiracy and their downfall on Yavin 4, Shan was fully reinstated into the SIS with a promotion and a new job title. Trant continued to lead the SIS during the conquest of the galaxy by the Eternal Empire of Zakuul, during which the Republic surrendered to the invaders' Eternal Fleet and signed a peace treaty that allowed the Republic to retain its independence in return for a substantial tribute of raw materials and resources. In 3631 BBY, former Sith Intelligence Minister Lana Beniko initiated a war against Zakuul, and Shan left the SIS to join her Alliance that opposed Zakuul's Emperor Arcann, much to Trant's dismay.

Personality and traits

Marcus Trant possessed dark skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. Of average height and build, he maintained a relatively unassuming presence when navigating the Senate halls, a quality he preferred. Although inherently pessimistic, Trant held a strong belief in the Republic's ideals and dedicated himself to his work. As Director of SIS, he faced difficult decisions, often involving life and death. He never evaded his responsibilities. He was prepared to sacrifice hundreds, if not thousands, if it served the greater good and secured a Republic victory. His clandestine work placed a severe strain on his personal life, leading to the failure of both his marriages. However, this did not deter him, and he was known for being somewhat of a womanizer. His personal failings contrasted sharply with his professional achievements. Trant was one of the Republic's most accomplished agents during his lifetime. His ability to manage multiple missions simultaneously proved invaluable as Bureau Chief of Nar Shaddaa, a trait he carried with him when he became Director of SIS. Though not required, he would personally oversee several missions instead of delegating the task to subordinates.

Behind the scenes

The character Marcus Trant was conceptualized for the Star Wars: The Old Republic expanded universe, a setting primarily explored through its massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. This game, developed by BioWare, launched on December 20, 2011. Trant's debut occurred in The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 1, the comic released on June 8, 2011. While he was a recurring figure throughout The Lost Suns narrative, he was simply known as "The Director" at that time. His full name, Marcus Trant, was first revealed in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia, which Dorling Kindersley published on October 15, 2012. The encyclopedia entries dedicated to both Trant and Elin Garza fleshed out Trant's history, notably his connection to Garza. The Encyclopedia came out shortly before Trant's most recent appearance in The Old Republic: Annihilation, an Old Republic novel that takes place after the game's individual class storylines in the timeline. Drew Karpyshyn authored this novel, which was released on November 13, 2012.

Trant's in-game debut happened in the flashpoint "The Nathema Conspiracy," which arrived with Update 5.9 on May 3, 2018. This flashpoint is accessible to characters from both the Republic and Imperial factions. However, Marcus Trant will only make an appearance if the player is an Imperial Agent who remained loyal to the Empire or chose to become an independent agent by the end of their class story. In this scenario, Trant seeks to eliminate the agent who rose to become the Commander of the Eternal Alliance. His plan involves destroying the Alliance to isolate the agent and remove their support network. To achieve this, Trant joins the Order of Zildrog, led by Vinn Atrius, a former member of the Horizon Guard. He travels with the Order to Nathema, where Atrius and GEMINI 16 intend to awaken Zildrog, an ancient Iokath superweapon capable of obliterating the Alliance. Trant confronts the agent, alongside Theron Shan and Lana Beniko, via hologram, and dispatches an Ancient Guardian Droid to intercept them. After the player defeats the droid, they discover that GEMINI has deceived and betrayed many of her allies, trapping them in energy transfer chambers to fuel Zildrog's awakening. Marcus Trant's life ends shortly before the player manages to destroy both GEMINI 16 and Zildrog. However, if the agent chose the light-side path by sparing Ardun Kothe on Quesh and later accepted his offer to infiltrate the SIS as a double agent, Shara Jenn will take Trant's place. The other classes will face antagonists from their own storylines, meaning Trant's involvement with the Order is merely one possibility among many.

Trant held a strong interest in Theron Shan's development. He knew that Shan's mother was Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan, a truth only a select few were privy to. Trant held Shan in high regard as an operative, viewing him as one of the SIS's finest. While he afforded Shan considerable freedom during assignments, Shan also caused his director frustration, particularly when he disobeyed explicit directives. Trant watched over Shan as if he were his own child, assigning him missions that he personally oversaw, and showing concern for Shan's well-being. Trant, as director, prioritized the safety and secrecy of his personnel above all else. He was known to tell his agents that their success was measured by their invisibility. Because the SIS was a clandestine organization, Trant faced a constant struggle in withholding operational details from the Senate. The political maneuvering irritated him, as senators consistently tried to reduce his resources. Nevertheless, Trant remained steadfast and sought allies to advocate for the SIS's importance. One such ally was Jace Malcom, the Republic Military's Supreme Commander. Their relationship progressed smoothly, and Trant generally enjoyed collaborating with Malcom, as they shared similar objectives and beliefs. Trant's achievements as both an agent and director made him one of the Republic's most valuable intelligence assets.