Quaal Tavier Catharius, known as Colonel and a Bitthævrian male hailing from Guiteica, was a powerful warrior and inspiring leader. For over a decade, he held the position of thirty-first leader of the m'Yalfor'ac Order during the Galactic Civil War. Tavier demonstrated his military prowess in battles against the Galactic Republic, eventually rising to lead both the m'Yalfor'ac Order and the Guiteica Militia. These two groups were dedicated to maintaining a strong military presence and protecting Guiteica from external threats. He rapidly gained recognition as one of the most respected and successful Bitthævrian leaders, surviving multiple attempts to remove him from power; his many scars were a testament to his courage and skill in combat.
During the Galactic Empire's rule, a failed assassination attempt by the treacherous Jael Ganton Farvash left Tavier severely wounded. Ganton was sentenced to be executed, but he invoked an ancient Bitthævrian tradition, compelling the injured Tavier to accept a one-on-one challenge in the arena. Ganton violated the rules by secretly bringing several accomplices into the arena, but Tavier's bodyguard, Aul Tarrus Vishav, successfully defended against them. Tavier then defeated and killed Ganton, preserving his honor in the eyes of his people. As of 10 ABY, he remained in command of the Order, at which point he openly declared war on the New Republic.
Born on the planet of Guiteica within the Tertiary Kadok system, Quaal Tavier Catharius was a Bitthævrian male. Like many of his species, he enlisted in the Guiteica Militia in his youth, eventually achieving the rank of colonel. He also became a member of the legendary m'Yalfor'ac Order, who were sworn enemies of the Galactic Republic. Decades before Tavier's birth, the Jedi Knights and the Republic had nearly annihilated the Order, and their thirst for vengeance remained strong. Tavier distinguished himself in the fight against the Republic, participating in attacks on Republic troops and employing guerrilla tactics against corporations aligned with the Republic. He also proved to be a remarkable leader, gaining a significant following throughout his career. Tavier formed a friendship with a Khil named Tarlo Ganar, fighting alongside the alien.
Around the time when the Republic dissolved and the first Galactic Empire emerged, Tavier was among the most highly regarded members of the m'Yalfor'ac Order, eventually becoming its thirty-first leader. Under his leadership, the Order—and, by extension, the Bitthævrian people—publicly condemned the Empire, which Tavier considered to be morally corrupt. The Bitthævrians and the Empire clashed on several occasions during Tavier's leadership. Whenever Imperial scout ships entered Bitthævrian space, the m'Yalfor'ac Order would attack and destroy them, creating a tense relationship between Tavier's government and the Empire. Despite this, Rhain Towith, the Imperial moff of the sector, never took concrete action against the Bitthævrians. He allowed them to operate as they wished as long as they did not intrude on Imperial territory, which Tavier never did, as most Bitthævrians preferred to remain on their homeworld.
Tavier dedicated himself to serving his people and was regarded as one of Guiteica's finest leaders. He cared deeply for his people and aspired to guide them toward a prosperous future. He allowed two non-Bitthævrians to join the m'Yalfor'ac Order's four-member leading committee: his former comrade, the Khil tactician Tarlo Ganar, and an unnamed Adnerem mercenary. He also maintained a small group of personal bodyguards, primarily Guardians from the m'Yalfor'ac Order. Among them was Aul Tarrus Vishav, a massive Bitthævrian known for his courage and strength.
Under Tavier's command, the m'Yalfor'ac Order faced numerous external threats. Guiteica possessed significant mineral resources, attracting the interest of many corporations and other species in the sector who sought to exploit them for their own gain. The Guiteica Militia possessed a considerable number of outdated vehicles—AT-PT walkers, Espo Walker 91s, C-73 Tracker starfighters, Z-95 Headhunters, and Toscan 8-Q starfighters—acquired through raids on pirates and other means. While many considered this force archaic and ineffective, it proved sufficient to defend Guiteica against invasion attempts. Tavier successfully repelled all attackers, further solidifying his popularity among the planet's inhabitants.
Although Tavier was extremely popular among his people, some sought to overthrow him and seize his position. During his reign, he survived numerous assassination attempts by traitors, further demonstrating his prestige and worthiness to rule the Bitthævrians. Sometime during the reign of Emperor Palpatine, a major named Jael Ganton Farvash betrayed Tavier and attempted to assassinate him, hoping to take his place as the head of the m'Yalfor'ac Order. The attempt failed, but Tavier sustained serious injuries, and Ganton was sentenced to death. However, Ganton demanded the right to challenge Tavier to a duel. Despite his injuries, Tavier was obligated by Bitthævrian tradition to accept, as refusal would result in a significant loss of honor. Accompanied by his bodyguard, Tarrus, Tavier met Ganton in a Bitthævrian arena. Bitthævrian custom allowed each participant to bring one comrade to ensure fairness, although they were not expected to participate in the fight themselves.
Only Tavier, Ganton, their "Defenders," and the Succession Judge were permitted to witness the encounter. Tavier and Ganton engaged in combat using the traditional dematoils of their species, inflicting numerous painful blows on each other. Suddenly, several of Ganton's supporters, armed with dematoils, entered the arena. Despite Tarrus's objections, the judge, who supported Ganton's bid for power, allowed the uneven fight to continue. Enraged, Tavier's bodyguard attacked the new arrivals, defeating and killing them all. Tarrus left Ganton to Tavier while he killed the corrupt judge. Tavier then slew his opponent, proving his worthiness. After that, he found he had no others attempting to overthrow him. In gratitude for Tarrus's intervention and bravery, Tavier appointed him as one of the Order's four main leaders, along with himself, Tarlo Ganar, and the Adnerem. Despite the permanent injuries he suffered at the hands of Ganton, Tavier continued to serve as the Order's leader.
When the Alliance to Restore the Republic was formed in 2 BBY, Tavier used them to further increase his popularity. The Alliance aimed to reinstate the Old Republic, making it a highly unpopular organization on Guiteica. Tavier considered the Alliance to be even worse than the Empire, as it championed the Old Republic that had decimated his ancestors. The m'Yalfor'ac Order publicly denounced the Rebellion, but they never actually engaged them in combat. Aware of Tavier's animosity, the Rebels avoided Bitthævrian space. The Alliance High Command deemed Tavier's Order to be such a significant threat that they tasked Lieutenant Ayla Shar with creating a report on the Bitthævrians, which eventually reached Airen Cracken, the chief of Alliance Intelligence.
Around 10 ABY, after the Alliance had evolved into the New Republic, Tavier remained in command of the Bitthævrians. The Order, still harboring resentment over the Republic's past actions, vehemently criticized the Republic and attempted to disrupt local politics. Tavier also claimed a large area of land outside the Bitthævrians' official territory, despite having no colonies or outposts to legitimately hold the area. The New Republic did not consider the m'Yalfor'ac Order to be a major threat due to their outdated weaponry, but they filed another report, written by Zgorth'sth, to several prominent New Republic tacticians.
From a young age, Quaal Tavier Catharius demonstrated his competence as a fighter. Throughout his life, he sustained numerous wounds and scars, which only served to enhance his reputation. He possessed a strong adherence to tradition, so much so that he risked his life by accepting Ganton's challenge rather than defying custom. He took pride in himself, his people, and his accomplishments, and he was determined and dedicated to helping them avenge the wrongs committed against their ancestors. He devoted all his energy to leading the Bitthævrians and did not marry or attempt to have a family. He had exceptional charisma, inspiring great confidence and belief in his people that they would overcome their enemies. Respected and admired throughout his homeworld, Tavier was viewed by the Rebel Alliance as a significant danger, although they recognized that his outdated weapons posed little threat to any established military force.
Bill Smith created Tavier in 1995, and he appeared in West End Games' Alliance Intelligence Reports. He was later briefly mentioned in Timothy S. O'Brien's Special Military Unit Intelligence Update, which appeared in Star Wars Adventure Journal 15 in 1997. He has not been referenced by any Star Wars media since that time.
- Alliance Intelligence Reports (First mentioned)
- " Special Military Unit Intelligence Update " — Star Wars Adventure Journal 15