Vegath Tist Vegath Tist was a salt - addicted male Arcona and an outcast from his family . A speculator , Tist spent much of his life traveling the galaxy dabbling in get - rich schemes and questionable endeavors in an effort to make a fortune and keep himself supplied with salt . Trading on his skills as a miner , he eventually made his way to Kal ' Shebbol , the capital of the Kathol sector in the Outer Rim Territories . Shortly after the liberation of the planet by New Republic forces in 8 ABY , he signed onto the crew of the CR90 corvette " FarStar " as a mineralogist . The ship was on a mission to track down the former ruler of Kal ' Shebbol , Imperial warlord Moff Kentor Sarne , and neutralize the threat he still posed to the region . Tist served on the ship and participated in the Battle of Kathol , helping to liberate the planet from its ruler , the bio - engineered insectoid known as the DarkStryder , and defeat Sarne and his forces . Tist stayed on the planet following the conflict , hoping to learn a Ta - Ree ability — a manifestation of the Force practiced by the native inhabitants — to cure him of his salt addiction . Biography . Early life . Vegath Tist , a male Arcona , was addicted to salt , a common condiment that acted as a powerful hallucinogen to members of his species . He required a daily consumption of at least twenty - five gram s , lest he begin to suffer from the early stages of withdrawal . At some point prior to 8 ABY , he was cast out and shunned by his own family for an unspecified deed , although his intense addiction may have been the cause . Tist began to travel the galaxy , seeking his fortune by involving himself in various get - rich - quick schemes and investing what money he made into scams that always failed . He portrayed himself as a geologist by profession and , while he did possess some mining skills , he was hardly the expert he claimed to be . Eventually , Tist ended up in the Mestra system , in the Minos Cluster of the Outer Rim Territories , which had one of the largest asteroid belt s in the galaxy and was rich in durelium ore . He was forced to mine the asteroids as an indentured servant but was eventually able to flee the system with whatever he had facility to steal . Making the short journey from the Minos Cluster to the Kathol sector , Tist ended up on the capital planet , Kal ' Shebbol , where he fell in with a local crime boss . His time as a miner and geologist had given him extensive experience with explosives , and he traded his knowledge and skills for salt to feed his addiction . Serving aboard the " FarStar " . The New Republic liberated Kal ' Shebbol in 8 ABY and drove the Imperial warlord Moff Kentor Sarne from the planet . However , Sarne had escaped the planet with the bulk of his fleet , and the New Republic organized a mission to track him down . Forced to utilize a heavily modified CR90 corvette named the " FarStar " that had previously served in Sarne ' s fleet , the New Republic was unable to spare much manpower to crew the vessel , so an open call was put out to the civilian population of Kal ' Shebbol to assist in the venture . Seeing an opportunity to get out from under the influence of the crime boss , and the possibility of making some money , Tist signed on to the mission . He claimed to be a mineralogist to improve his chances of being selected for the mission . Tist served on the " FarStar " during its mission through the wilderness of the Kathol sector , assisting the expedition in any way he could . Months after launching from Kal ' Shebbol , the " FarStar " tracked Sarne to the Kathol system , where the Moff had gathered the bulk of his forces . Sarne had allied himself with the DarkStryder , a bio - engineered insectoid entity that ruled the system ' s main planet , Kathol , in a mutually beneficial pact . The DarkStryder wanted hyperspace technology so that it could leave Kathol , while Sarne wanted the exotic technology that the DarkStryder produced to augment his military forces and wage war against his enemies . To land on the planet Kathol undetected and investigate both Sarne ' s presence on the surface and the DarkStryder itself , " FarStar " Captain Kaiya Adrimetrum decided to simulate a meteor shower by redirecting some of the system ' s asteroids , then using them as cover for the " FarStar " descent . Tist was part of the team , along with the Guudrian pyromaniac Boom , that primed several asteroids with explosives to nudge them out of their orbits and toward the planet , using his knowledge of demolitions and mining techniques . The tactic was successful , and the corvette made planetfall undetected . A member of one of the initial landing and reconnaissance parties sent out by Adrimetrum , Tist met with several of the indigenous species . The recon teams learned that many of the species on Kathol were the result of genetic engineering experiments by the DarkStryder , who had created each species on Kathol to serve it in some way , and each was designed to fill a certain role . Because of Tist ' s Arconan physiology , several of the tribes believed that he was a new and superior product of the DarkStryder ' s genetic engineering programs , and they regarded him with awe . After Adrimetrum succeeded in uniting several of the indigenous species into a coalition to oppose Sarne and the tyrannical DarkStryder , Tist participated in the subsequent Battle of Kathol . Despite the destruction of the " FarStar " , the New Republic force liberated the planet from the control of the DarkStryder and ended the threat of Moff Sarne . Following the battle , Tist remained on Kathol as the honored guest of one of the native Yapi tribes , a genetically - bred warrior race . Having learned of Ta - Ree magic , which was a manifestation of the Force unique to the planet , Tist hoped to learn an ability that would cure him of his addiction to salt . Personality and traits . Vegath Tist , an orange - skinned Arcona , was addicted to salt , a trait common among his species , and obtaining more of the substance dictated the majority of his actions . Due to his addiction , his eyes turned gold in color , which showed his problem to those around him . He carried his stash in a pouch around his neck and constantly fiddled with it . He was easily exploited if promised more salt ; the crime boss he worked for on Kal ' Shebbol gained Tist ' s knowledge of explosives in exchange for the supply of a common condiment . When he left Kal ' Shebbol onboard the " FarStar " , Tist had one kilogram of salt in his pouch , enough for forty days at his minimum level of consumption , although he was confident of resupplying his stash during the mission . Despite that , Tist knew that his situation was no good for him , and he finally sought a way to break his dependency on it , even if it was to put his faith in Ta - Ree teachings . Tist was also unafraid to bend the truth slightly , exaggerating his own skills and talents to make himself seem more experienced than he really was . This allowed him to take positions and take advantage of opportunities to which he may not have normally have had access . Tist was always looking for the quick payoff , or a way to earn credits quickly , and often put his faith in suspect endeavors . Working as a miner , Tist learned how to survive in mines , and came to recognize the value of minerals . He was aware of other planetary systems , and could operate sensor and security equipment , program and repair computers , and handle explosives . He had experience with melee combat , and carried a shovel and survey datapad . Behind the scenes . Vegath Tist was created for " The DarkStryder Campaign " , a " " supplement , as a member of the " FarStar " support crew . He was not featured much in the following supplements — " The Kathol Outback " and the " Kathol Rift " — but gained several mentions in the final sourcebook of the series , " Endgame " . Although players were free to develop Tist as they wished during the campaign , both " The DarkStryder Campaign " and " The Kathol Rift " specifically stated that he was to be kept alive during the events of the campaign , since he would be developed further in " Endgame " . In the " Gamesmaster Crew Notes " section of " Endgame " , Tist ' s entry states that a " Suggested Development " for the character would be to remain on Kathol and try to cure his addiction to salt by studying the Ta - Ree teachings . This article assumes that Tist remained on the planet as suggested in the sourcebook . Tist ' s name was later mentioned in the 2003 sourcebook " Ultimate Alien Anthology " , as an example Arcona name .