Tobin, holding the rank of Colonel, was a male Human officer within the military forces of Onderon. His service continued until 3951 BBY, at which point he aligned himself with General Vaklu in an attempt to seize control of Onderon from the reigning Queen Talia. Despite forging an alliance with the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus, their revolutionary efforts ultimately failed. Instead of facing execution, Tobin was forced into service aboard Nihilus' flagship, the Ravager. During the Battle of Telos IV, Meetra Surik infiltrated the Ravager with the intention of destroying both the ship and its Sith master. It was during this encounter that she located Tobin and successfully persuaded him to aid in her mission of destruction.
Prior to the outbreak of the Onderon Civil War in 3951 BBY, Tobin served as the second-in-command to General Vaklu, who held the position of military leader for Onderon. A significant number of Onderonians, including Tobin, felt that the benefits derived from the planet's recently established relationship with the Republic were primarily favoring the interstellar government, leading to a decline in Onderon's culture and resources. As Vaklu initiated his scheme to overthrow his cousin, Queen Talia, a supporter of the Republic, Tobin was entrusted with the responsibility of instigating open conflict between Onderon and the Galactic Republic to ignite a civil war. Sometime before the civil war commenced, the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus approached Vaklu, Tobin, and their supporters, offering his assistance in their endeavor.
Tobin received information from an undisclosed source regarding the imminent arrival of the Ebon Hawk. As predicted, the Ebon Hawk appeared near Onderon, as Meetra Surik intended to search the planet for Jedi Master Kavar. Consequently, Tobin issued orders for his fighter pilots to engage the vessel, compelling Surik to seek refuge in the jungles of Dxun, Onderon's nearby moon. This event led to a space battle between the Republic fleet and Vaklu's forces, effectively triggering the Onderon Civil War.
However, Tobin expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, as his desire was to witness the complete annihilation of the Ebon Hawk. He reprimanded the captain responsible for allowing the ship to escape and dispatched a scouting party to Dxun with the mission of locating Surik and her crew. Before the scouts could relay any information, they were eliminated by Surik and the Mandalorian Kelborn.
When Surik, aided by the Mandalorian leader Canderous Ordo, successfully bypassed Onderon's military blockade and established contact with Master Kavar in the cantina of Iziz, Tobin personally arrived with a squad of Vaklu soldiers, hoping to capture both Jedi simultaneously. However, Kavar employed the Force to stun all of Tobin's soldiers, prompting Tobin to abandon the cantina in pursuit of the escaping Kavar.
Later, during the Second Battle of Onderon, Tobin led the strikeforce that infiltrated the Royal Palace, and while inside, he killed a Twi'lek slicer named Kiph when he betrayed Vaklu and attempted to flee. He deployed a drexl beast to disable the force field protecting the entrance to Queen Talia's throne room, intending to assassinate her. However, his plans were thwarted when the beast broke free from its handler, causing widespread destruction in the hall and incapacitating Tobin. Surik, who arrived at the palace just in time, left Tobin for dead as she pursued Vaklu and his soldiers to the throne room.
Unlike Surik, Kreia recognized that Tobin's injuries were not fatal. She made the decision to exploit him as a tool in her own agenda against Darth Nihilus, the enigmatic Sith Lord who was backing Vaklu and Tobin. She deceived the Colonel, informing him that numerous Jedi were concealed within Atris's secret academy on Telos IV. Initially, Tobin was skeptical of her claims and fled the palace to evade capture by the Royalist forces.
Eventually, he found himself in the presence of Darth Nihilus and shared the information about the academy. Driven by his insatiable hunger for the Force, the Sith Lord summoned his fleet to Telos, initiating the Battle of Telos. During the conflict, Surik encountered Tobin once more aboard the Ravager, Nihilus's flagship. By this point, Tobin had undergone physical deterioration due to the dark side energy permeating the ship, likely a consequence of Nihilus's hunger, as evidenced by his now emaciated appearance.
Tobin finally came to the realization that Nihilus had no regard for Onderon, and had he emerged victorious from the battle, it would have become his next target. Remaining loyal to his homeworld, Tobin renounced his allegiance to the Sith and agreed to assist Surik and her Mandalorian allies in destroying the ship, much to the annoyance of Mandalore, who commented, "We shouldn't waste our time with the weak," and warned Tobin that his men would execute him if he were to "try anything stupid."
As an alternative to convincing Tobin to abandon the Sith (which is only possible if the player possesses strong persuasive abilities), the player has the choice to either kill him or refrain from engaging in conversation with him altogether. If the latter option is chosen, Tobin will perish in the explosion that destroys the Ravager.
Eliminating Tobin results in an increase in "influence" with Mandalore, while assisting him "for Onderon" leads to a decrease in "influence," as previously mentioned.
Aboard the Ravager, the dialogue options available with Tobin remain consistent regardless of whether the player sided with the Royalists and Queen Talia or the secessionists and General Vaklu.
Should Meetra Surik express support for General Vaklu both verbally and through her actions prior to meeting Master Kavar in the cantina, Tobin's leadership of a team of soldiers in an attack is not a genuine attempt to harm Surik again; it is a staged event. After Kavar retreats to the Royal Palace, Tobin calls for a ceasefire and apologizes to Surik, explaining that "We have to maintain appearances." The initial attack on the Ebon Hawk upon its arrival at Onderon was not truly initiated by Tobin or Vaklu; a Sith Lord with whom they had formed an alliance demanded that they do so. Tobin clarifies that the General is aware of Surik's assistance to his cause and wishes to terminate his current alliance with the Sith Lord, forging a new one with Surik instead. If Surik accepts the offer, Tobin cautions that she must depart from Iziz for the time being and will be attacked en route by individuals loyal to Vaklu, ensuring that the Sith "will be satisfied we are still loyal to them."
Instead of being summoned back to Dxun by Kelborn, Surik receives a message from Tobin and communicates with him directly before landing on Onderon again. Upon their initial meeting, Tobin greets her with "It is good to see you" and elaborates that "The war goes well, but victory is not yet certain." Demonstrating strategic and tactical acumen, Tobin identifies two critical areas that must be addressed for General Vaklu's forces to achieve victory in the war: a Sith tomb located on Dxun and the Royal Palace on Onderon. He advises Surik that she will need to dispatch a team to assault the tomb on Dxun, while Surik herself—the Force-capable asset that Tobin and Vaklu require to breach Talia's lines at the Royal Palace—returns to Iziz with a single companion.
Upon Surik's arrival, descending from space in a Basilisk war droid, Tobin expresses dismay, noting that there are vivid memories of the last time those machines appeared in Iziz, a sentiment that Mandalore proudly acknowledges. Surik leads a contingent of secessionist forces in storming the Sky Ramp and reunites with Tobin in the halls of the Royal Palace. Tobin remains in front of the main doors to the Throne Room, providing guidance and direction to Surik from that location. As the secessionist forces break through and launch an assault on the Throne Room, Tobin is still incapacitated by the Drexl larva, and Surik proceeds into the Throne Room, leaving him behind. Despite General Vaklu's triumph in the Onderon Civil War in this particular scenario, Tobin inexplicably disappears and, despite achieving their objectives for Onderon, resurfaces aboard the "Ravager" later in the game.