Sanctius Thorne

Sanctius Thorne
Sanctius
Biographical Information
Race	Hapan (Birth), Gotal (After Plague)
Homeworld	Farnica
Mother	Madrona Thorne
Father	Petronius Thorne
Siblings	Caius Thorne
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Height	5' 8"
Eye Color	Hazel/Black
Political Information
Affiliation	Slayn and Korpil
Prior Affiliation	Hapes Consortium, Galactic Empire

Family brief/origins.

The Thorne family is an ancient Hapan bloodline which can trace its’ ancestry back nearly 700 years, and reveres the Queen-Mothers of old. Founded by Charis Thorne, a supposed Lady of the realm who fell out of favour with the Queen-Mother of the day, the family was supposedly cursed 271 years later when their matriarch died giving birth to a son.

That son, Alexis, was born with a genetic abnormality which prevented him having female offspring. This abnormality, or curse as it has became known, has an unknown cause but it is suspected to be down to a defective, recurring gene. The family, has never produced a direct female heiress since.

As staunch supporters of the Draconian Union during the civil war, the family hoped to be granted a fiefdom to rule over in the name of Da'tan Pal'durath but such hopes were dashed with the union's defeat, the signing of the Gallinore Accords and the subsequent rule of Rai’ix Chume Starfyre.

Clinging to the old ways since the end of the war, the family has fell further and further from grace. With the death of their mother, Matrona Thorne, the current generation emigrated from the Cluster at various ages; each prefering to live in a self-imposed exile, rather than a despised multi-racial Cluster.

The Civil War and Beyond

During the civil war period, the family was led by Fidelis 'the faithful' Thorne. The nickname 'The faithful' was given posthumously as a way of mocking him, but has since been adopted by the family as a way of honouring his memory and lifelong service to his people.

Fidelis was first drawn to the Draconian cause after meeting, and becoming infatuated with, Da'tan Pal'durath in a chance encounter on the Rifle world of Vergill. The pair met again at other social gatherings in the build up to, and during the war, but there is little evidence to suggest the princess ever liked or disliked Fidelis and his love for her is considered to be one sided.

Fidelis became so utterly besotted with the princess, that he proclaimed her a 'sanil telocvovim ah madriax' (beauty fallen from heaven) and, in his twilight years, would often fondly recall listening to her speeches, attending banquets held in her honour and other such events.

Within a year of the war's outbreak, he had nearly bankrupted himself raising levies and helping fund the construction of warships. House Thorne, for all of its’ ambition, was not blessed with the seemingly limitless funds of the more prominent families.

Family legend has it that to help fund a Tractia battleship he [Fidelis] sold the ancestral family home on Farnica to a bitter rival, then returned to Farnica to train levies by day and sleep on the streets at night.

His self sacrifice became so well known that he became an unofficial poster boy for the planet and someone very powerful, possibly the Princess herself, became aware of his plight and had his rival shot for profiteering and the estate returned to Fidelis.

The war dragged on year after year, taking with it the sons and daughters of a generation but by luck, fate or a miracle, Fidelis survived and was blessed with a loving wife and son. He survived, but many had not. His lifelong love, Da'tan Pal'durah, died before the end of the war, his wife had taken countless lovers in his abscence and in defeat the family faced ignimony and disgrace.

At the ripe old age of 83, Fidelis died, his dying words were of anger and hated: 'Gnay at bams Belgor!' ('do not forget Belgor'). His funeral was quieter than, perhaps, he deserved. He had fought (and survived) the civil war, he had risked (and lost) much of his fortune for his people, but he'd become recalcitrant to the point of insolent and he'd become too controversial to be popular. He funded performances of a 'requiem for Belgor', hosted private re-enactments of great Draconian victories and while the rest of the cluster tried to move on from the pain and suffering of the war, he died still (in his own way) fighting it.

He was buried on Farnica at an unknown location, to prevent his funeral being protested or his grave being desicrated by ka’zaqash (aliens/foreigners) or liberals. His tombstone reads, ‘Born into a Kingdom of sald erendi (wonder without equal), died in a Kingdom’.

Parents

His son Petronius, younger and less soiled by the great war, understood the need to open a dialogue with outsiders. He embraced it and by embracing it, he was able to rebuild much of the familys' war-wasted wealth. Supporting the open dialogue between the Consortium and the outsiders was easy at first, because everyday life improved as imported food fed the hungry and new technologies made life easier and national warships more powerful.

But as the years wore on things began to change. It started as a small trickle of imported workers, which were an oddity on Hapan worlds. Something which would be a topic of bemused curiosity at social gatherings, but as the Consortium flourished the need for foreigners diminished. Yet rather than see a decreasing number of ka’zaqash, their numbers increased year on year. It started with a scruffy corellian, then a creepy Anzati and before anyone knew it, it wasn't uncommon to see a Falleen or Togrutan on worlds such as Lorell and Hapes Prime.

With the cluster once again powerful and and prosperous, Petronius couldn't understand why the King didn't close the borders. Some worlds transformed into strange multi-species metropoli where as many as 1 in every 300 were alien. So Petronius, with the encouragement of his aging father, began to support the more extreme elements of Hapan society.

He married a middle class woman who, like him, was a passionate conservative. As was appropriate to their beliefs his wife became the public face of the family, she was their own miniature Queen-Mother. She changed her name from Elizabeth to a more respectable, upper class name. Madrona. Madrona Thorne was a fearsome woman who could be warm and kind to her children one minute and whip them bloody the next. The family curse meant she produced two sons. Sanctius, the elder son and heir, and Caius.

From an early age the pair were trained in the use of small arms and often went hunting with their father. They were the best of times for Sanctius, they allowed him to bond with his father (who he adored) and built an unbreakable bond with his brother Caius, but it was on one such hunt when one of the greatest tragedies of his young, then 13, life. During a hunting trip one of the aak dogs caught a scent and raced off after it’s prey. Caius, young and eager to impress his father, chased after the hound in a burst of excitement. His father and brother Sanctius, not knowing Caius had sped off after game, assumed that he had gotten lost and began to search for him.

The overeager Caius shot his father twice, thinking he was the deer he and the aak dogs had been stalking. Petronius spent eight weeks in intensive care, slipping into a coma for much of that time. The shot had only grazed his side, but the second shot tore a hole in his stomach that should have killed him. Blood loss and infection took their toll on their father, who eventually died. During a moment of lucidity he forgave his son and told them both of his love for them. His final words, whether intentional or not is unknown, were the same as his own father’s. 'Gnay at bams Belgor!' ('do not forget Belgor').

He too was buried at a secret ation, though it is near his father and the sons know where. His tombstone reads ‘nëta laidix ke loaid’ (family honour is eternal/forever). Madrona, once so proud and commanding became lost without her husband. They had faced the new, liberal Consortium together and without him she felt adrift. A few months after the death of Petronius’, during a mugging attempt, she was stabbed in the eye by a barabel thug.

Sanctius and Caius refused to allow their mother, their Queen-Mother, to rest eternally in a hidden grave and had her buried in an exclusive cemetery near the mystical caves. Her tombstone is guarded by a pair of automated sentry turrets. With no guiding elders the pair split up for a while, doing their own thing as it were.

Early life

Sanctius was born on Farnica and sent to the Royal Farnican Bording School, where he attained standard grades and spent much of his time fighting and doing various sports.Growing up he experienced a lot of sadness and became intimately acquainted with loss, thanks to his mother.

Madrona wasn't a Thorne by blood, there hadn't been a blood born Thorne for centuries, but she too was afflicted by the curse. The defect always outed, which the docters believed was proof that the genetic gene was found in the male sperm, consequently his mother suffered no fewer than 7 miscarriages, still borns and one baby girl that died after less than after being born.

The latter, Adeodati Thorne (loosely translated as 'Gift from God') died in her cot at only a few days old. Madrona had wept almost none stop for weeks after Donu'mdei died. No one could determine the exact cause of death, the doctors could only return that the innocent little babe had 'given up on life'. Little Adei, as she had been nicknamed during her short life, had died some time during the night but no-one could determine the exact time of death. The doctors hypothesised that it had been several hours, given that her cheeks had a blue twinge to them when the tragedy was discovered.

There was happiness in Sancti's life, most of which revolved around his younger brother, Caius. The pair were forever causing trouble and creating chaos.

Young Adulthood

Sanctius begun his mandatory military service at age 18. With his parents dead and his brother off exploring the galaxy, the teenager quickly re-enlisted when his national service was up.

Originally serving as a member of the Farnican defence militia, his early years were spent in a Miy'Til fighter helping to police the system and arresting smuggles trying to import contraband.

Hapes

Eventually, aged 23, he decided to enlist in the Royal Hapan Armed Forces. The professional branch of the Hapan military that handled national security, rather than regional.

Sanctius was assigned to the Second Fleet and became good friends with the then Flag Lieutenant Tyberius Hayward and the then Sub Lieutenant Jacen Smith. During his time in the Second Fleet, Sanctius recieved two Letters of Commendation and an assortment of other military awards.

It was during his military service, particularly while stationed in the inner regions, that Sanctius became more aware of the political landscape and saw the truth of his father's political leanings.

Despite Petronius never having forced his beliefs on his son, Sanctius was aware of them but he'd never put much stock in the idea that aliens were infesting the cluster, or that centralised government was stifling innovation and creativity. He saw the racial rates of 1 in every 170 individuals on the homeworld, Hapes Prime, and on Lorell that number had sky rocketed to 1 in every 19.

Recognising the scurge that had infested his people, and how the rule of Kings had failed his people, Sanctius resigned at the rank of Wing Commander. Prefering to never again see the beauties of Farnica, Hapes Prime, Vergill and others fouled by the presence of aliens, Sanctius placed himself in a self imposed exile and vowed to fight for Hapan supremacy.

While in his self imposed exile, Sancti joined various factions and tried to find himself a home (and stable employment), but found none.

Galactic Empire

After a while of wandering, he signed up to the Galactic Empire and quickly rose to the rank of Corporal but his heart ached for home and every day spend digging trenches for the Imperial Army was a day less that he could be helping end the scourge of aliens in the Hapes Cluster. So again, after a few short months, he resigned.

Slayn and Korpil

After leaving the Empire, Sanctius began taking freelance work here and there. It was during this period that he became better acquianted with a businessman he'd had some dealings with, that man was Sol Savrek.

Unusually, for Sancti's circle of friends, Sol wasn't a humanoid. Despite Thorne's prejudices, the pair sparked a friendship and very soon Savrek offered Sancti a job. At first Sanctius was reluctant, rejecting Sol's offers several times before finally accepting the job offer.

Sanctius has mellowed a lot since joining S&K, race seeming less important the farther away he gets from the Cluster.

At present he operates as a jack of all trades. Some days providing personal security for Sol himself or in command of a dreadnaught, protecting valuable cargo shipments and others he's hauling raw materials in a Tabder.

Genetic Defect

The Thorne family has long been afflicted by a genetic defect which seems to suppress certain chromosomes which are vital for the conception and maturation of female offspring. This defect has resulted in numerous miscarriages and premature deaths of all daughters born to a member of the family bloodline. While a cure for this family 'curse' does exist, all of the experts Sanctius has spoken with agree that to correct the defective genes could result lead to a wide range of other genetic issues.

While Sanctius has not ruled out the possibility of undergoing this dangerous proceedure, he is waiting in the hope that a safer solution may be found in the future.

Politics

Sanctius is an ardent supporter of the 'old ways'and strongly believes that the Hapes Cluster should be closed to all non-Hapanii. In line with this, he has donated well over 12,000,000 Hapan aquii to various political organisations which campaign for the cessation of all immigrants and for the deportation of all the ka'zaqash (foreigners) who have settled in the Cluster. These groups, while officially operating within the confines of the law, are complicit in many illegal activities and have been instrumental in the organisation of violent attacks on pro-alien businesses, organisations and individuals. They have also helped Sanctius slip in and out of Cluster, undetected by the Royal Armed Forces.

Since the end of the Hapan Civil War the Thorne family, not just Sanctius, have called for a return to the feudal ways that existed prior to the Gallinore Accord. His views are best summarised in a speech he gave to Hapans Against Aliens rally, held on Vergill:

Centralized government government was a great idea, and had many theoretical benefits. It increased political stability, allowed for controlled growth and it made our forefathers feel all safe and unified; But without the competition that was inherent with the feudal system, I believe that the evolution of Hapan technology, culture and arts have suffered. Without the need for one Tarix to outdo another by building a bigger and better warship, Hapan specific technological advances are a thing of the past as we become increasingly dependent on Imperial innovation [...] Importing technology, relying on outsiders, is akin to building a house on the sands of Kicalaryn. [...] But even forgetting the way in which our technological development has been stunted, I ask you what works of art, and I mean major works of art, have been commissioned in the last century? Enough to count on one hand! The age of the extravagant Tarii is over, instead of being given completely free reign to rule as they see fit, they become subject to central planning regulations and dictats from the homeworld. Where once powerful warlords stood, ready to defend our people and our places, there are now beaurocrats, carrying out the will of a failed political experiment that threatens the future of our children, and the future of our childrens' children.

Right, an image of Sanctius with the Hapans against Aliens senior members political peer group, Vergill branch governing body.

The Force & Sanctius

Sanctius had exhibited many small manifestations of the force as a child, but none were recognised until he was around 14 years old. His ability to draw on the force for guidance was wrote off as a superstitous 'sixth sense', feats of physical brilliance were called 'luck', even his ability to trick people into doing what he wanted was thought to be testament to his eloquence and persuasive nature (which is all the less believable, if one were to look at his high school grades).

Eventually, when he was 15, his gift was recognised for what it was and he was allowed to acquire books and other instructional tools which would aide him in his training. Strangely, perhaps because of his parents' xenophobia, he was never offered to the Jedi Order and no tutor was ever hired to instruct him. Over the years he has been able to hone various skills and he considers his ability to weild the force to be a gift from the Gods.

While he has tried to subscribe to both the Jedi and the Sith way of life, both times he found the dogma surrounding their ways too restricting and has learnt that he needs to follow his own path, which does not necessarily adhere to either of path of the Jedi or the Sith.

Metamorphosis Plague

On Year 15 Day 12 Sanctius was struck by the Metamorphosis Plague which transformed him from a Hapan into a Gotal.