Zodoh, commonly known as Zodoh the Hutt or High Hymmensity Zodoh, was an atypical Hutt mastermind living in the Grumani sector during the New Sith Wars. He had accumulated a substantial crime empire based on slavery and munitions production. In 1,032 BBY, he attempted to expand his influence into the Sith-dominated Grumani sector by testing his Stormdriver superweapon on Aquilaris, intending to browbeat the Sith into submission. These machines were capable of harnessing moisture from planetary atmospheres and unleashing them as storms and floods.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Crimelord 1.2 Imperial Ambitions 2 Personality and Traits 3 Appearances 4 Sources 5 Notes and references

BiographyEdit

CrimelordEdit

Zodoh was a Hutt Lord during the Republic Dark Age who had accumulated a substantial crime empire built on slave trading and munitions production. At some point, he captured an entire Republic Navy task force and enslaved the crew including Captain Jenn Devaad. After five years of captivity, Devaad and other survivors escaped and joined Grace Command, a mercy organization affiliated with the Galactic Republic. Thus, Devaad and other members of the Devil Squadron bore a deep grudge against Zodoh.^[1] Due to the breakdown of the Republic's authority in the outlying regions, Zodoh and other Hutts were able to expand their operations beyond Hutt Space, competing with the squabbling remnants of the New Sith Empire.^[2]

Imperial AmbitionsEdit

By 1,032 BBY, Zodoh had consolidated a substantial fleet of military starships which he used to invade the Daimanate, a Sith principality within the Grumani sector ruled by the Sith Lord Daiman. Leading a strike force consisting of Intruder-class starfighters, he attacked the Daimanate subject world of Aquilaris, wiping out a weak Daimanate military garrison at the oceanic port of Capital Cay. His attacks coincided with a covert operation by the Jedi Knight Kerra Holt which had succeeded in liberating slave miners in that port city. Zodoh's invasion fleet also included several Stormdrivers, capital ships equipped with weaponized vaporators capable of generating downpours by squeezing moisture from the atmosphere. One of these was used to wreck havoc on Daiman's defense forces by creating floods which swept them into the sea. However, Holt attacked the Stormdriver, using a blaster pistol to ignite one of the weaponized vaporators, causing the starship to explode. With the crew preoccupied, the Stormdriver was ambushed and destroyed by the Devil Squadron, a paramilitary squadron affiliated with the pro-Republic mercy organization Grace Command. Facing superior opposition, Zodoh's forces were forced to retreat to his starfighter carrier Voracious in deep space.^[2]

Still, Zodoh managed to identify the young Jedi woman Holt as a threat to his goals. Back at his space station, the Hutt convened a live hologram conference with several Sith warlords including Arkadia Calimondra and Odion, who was still recuperating from his wounds during an earlier battle on Chelloa. By expanding into Sith territory, Zodoh had incurred the wrath of these Sith warlords particularly Odion who swore at Zodoh. Standing by Odion, Calimondra expressed her anger at the inauspicious timing of the holo-conference, accusing Zodoh of treating her as a mere gangster as opposed to a Sith ruler. In response, Zodoh countered that the Sith Lords were indeed a bunch of petty crooks, arguing that they were more interested in short-term gains than long term strategic goals. He also stressed their incompetence by claiming the Sith had been reduced to petty rivalries after the Galactic Republic severed all Holonet comm relays. This power vacuum had allowed the Hutt crimelords to establish greater control in these outlying regions. According to Zodoh, Sith survival was dependent on cooperation with the Hutts. Those who did not had been wiped out effectively.^[2]

Returning to the objective of his conference, Zodoh reiterated he was in Sith space to expand his business franchise, selling slaves and munitions to the Sith warlords. Those who cooperated would benefit as business partners while those who resisted would be effectively eliminated from the political stage. Concluding the conference, Zodoh ordered the Sith lords to inform their spies in the Daimanate to watch for future developments on Aquilaris from a "safe distance." After dismissing the meeting, he confered with his trusted advisore Oon Garat who express his distrust of Zodoh's new Sith business partners. Zodoh replied that the Sith could be trusted to covet what they saw and that they did not know his real intentions. Despite the destruction of the Stormdriver at Capital Cay, the starship had still managed to gather the necessary data on Aquilaris' atmospheric systems. Dismissing Holt as an old nemesis, Zodoh ordered Garat to send a courier informing Nal Hutta that he was ready for the next step in the operation. While he realized that his presence was opposed by the Sith, Zodoh envisaged them working under him by the time he had finished reasserting control over the Grumari sector.^[2]

Following the Aquilaris campaign, Zodoh had gathered enough data on the planet's atmospheric systems which indicated there was enough moisture in the atmosphere for an entire fleet of Stormdrivers to trap as floodwater. Zodoh planned to wring all moisture from Aqualaris' atmosphere and flood the entire planet, submerging all its landmasses in water. Zodoh intended to use these new superweapons to coerce his Sith partners into a hegemonic relationship with the threat of force. Meanwhile, Death Squadron and Holt had finished pacifying the remaining Daimanate forces on Aqualaris. With Republic relief and supplies due to arrive, Grace Command now planned to launch an attack on Sith Lord Malakite's forces on Heptooine. Enroute, they encountered Zodoh who was piloting his Infiltrator starfighter. Overcome by rage stemming from her period in captivity, Captain Devaad pursued Zodoh on a heated dogfight despite Holt advising caution. During the pursuit, he taunted Devaad via intercomm by asking her if she wanted to work as his slave again. In hindsight, Zodoh had intended to lure his Republic foes into a trap. Soon, Death Squadron was engaged by Zodoh's flagship Vociferous and its starfighter complement. With the tables turned on the pursuer, Devaad ordered her starfighters to disengage and make for any jump point. At this moment, a large fleet of Stormdrivers emerged from hyperspace, revealing Zodoh's true intentions which he boasted through the intercomm system. In his eyes, Aqualaris was merely a testing ground for his war machines.^[1]

Personality and TraitsEdit

As opposed to most Hutts, Zodoh was a physically-fit fighter who took a keen interest in military strategy and tactics. A maverick among his species, he enjoyed flying, whether by starfighter or jetpack. He was not easily impressed, and spoke of the Sith Lords in the Grumani sector as equals rather than superiors. Zodoh also took a disparaging view of the Sith Lords, dismissing them merely as selfish petty crooks more concerned with short-term gains than long-term objectives. Zodoh was also blunt and direct in his interaction with other sentients, not being bothered with receiving or dispensing with insults. As with most of his species, Zodoh was involved in crime, primarily slave trading and munitions production. However, he justified his actions by viewing himself as a businessman providing services to associated partners. Zodoh was also cunning and patient, willing to accept small losses to achieve long-term major objectives. This was evident in his acceptance of the loss of one Stormdriver during the Battle of Capital Cay in return for gaining the necessary intelligence on Aqualaris' atmospheric systems and his foes: Kerra Holt and Jenn Devaad.^[2]

AppearancesEdit

• Star Wars: Knight Errant: Deluge (First appearance)

SourcesEdit

• "Blaster"—Star Wars Insider 128

Notes and referencesEdit