Markona

Markona was a human male who served as the Thane of Clan Markona, an isolated community on the moon of Hubin. He met the rebels Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo, who crash-landed on the moon. He continued to give the rebels his hospitality until the Galactic Empire's SCAR Squadron arrived on Hubin in pursuit of the fugitives. Acting as if he was allowing the Imperials to hunt down the rebels, Markona made a decision to choose a side, giving his life so his clan could escape and join the Rebel Alliance.
==Biography==
===Clan life===
Markona was born on Hubin, a moon in the Dene Gois Cluster,Star Wars (2015) 56 as the child of a former Jedi and a roguish stranger she had fallen in love with. Markona's parents both taught him everything they knew, including things that his mother wished her husband hadn't known. He lived through the end of the Clone Wars, witnessing the Galactic Republic's transition to the Galactic Empire. When his parents died and were buried on the family plot near their mansion, Markona left Hubin, founding a mercenary company.
During his time as a mercenary, he met a field technician who eventually became his wife, having a daughter named Tula. When his wife died, she left Markona a message in her will, telling him to give a better life to both Tula and all of Clan Markona. As members of the clan were becoming older, they agreed to retirement, taking one last mission for the Empire, that required gathering data from a secure location. Completing the mission gave them permission to keep Hubin as their own private property, with Markona serving as their Thane. The clan became a community of isolationists, allowed to stay on Hubin by the Empire as long as they paid a small portion of their earnings to them. However, upon hearing about what the Death Star had done, he began to regret the assistance he gave to the Empire.
===Meeting the rebels===
Around 2 ABY, after Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo landed on Hubin in the escape pod of Sana Starros' ship, the Volt Cobra, to evade the Empire, Markona scared off a thanrax that was chasing them. Confronting the Rebel Alliance leaders, he asked them why they were on Hubin, taking them back to the mansion shortly afterwards. Markona left the rebels in the service of his butler droid MK-1 while he and his trackers warded away a pack of thanrax that had migrated into the area. During the next day, Markona returned, formally introducing himself to the rebels. They met inside the mansion shortly afterwards, where they had a conversation as they ate lunch. Markona told the rebels about life on Hubin, and informed them that while there was no way off the moon aside from infrequent trader arrivals, they would have his hospitality. After he had learned who they were, he decided to test them to see what the Rebellion was like.
Markona later noticed Luke speaking with Tula, who was about to tell him why they lived on Hubin. He interrupted, stating that he wished to tell that to Luke himself. He apologized for interrupting and embarrassing Tula, telling Luke that his duty as a father was difficult. Learning that Luke believed his father had died in the Clone Wars, Markona showed him the family plot where his wife and parents were buried. Markona's avoidance of specifying what his previous career had been made Luke suspicious of him, but as Luke tried to inquire further, MK-1 arrived to inform Markona of an incoming thanrax attack.
He and Luke rushed away to help, discovering that several thanrax were approaching a farmhouse. Luke asked him whether blasters would work to fight the creatures off, but Markona extended the blades he had hidden on his arms, rushing forward to fight the thanrax. Having noticed Luke's lightsaber, Markona asked him whether he could use it. As one thanrax picked up a farmer, Markona killed it, saving the man. He and Luke continued to fight the creatures, but one escaped, and Luke chased after it. When the remaining thanrax ran away from the village, Markona returned, telling two of his men to keep the creatures at bay while he prepared to pursue them. He thanked Luke for his help, but told him that his skills with a lightsaber could use some work. Once the thanrax had been dealt with, Markona dueled with Luke to give him practice. Afterwards, Luke continued working on a transmitter he had been building, and was discovered by MK-1. Markona was aware of Luke's plans, and had the butler droid assist him to see whether he would activate it.Star Wars (2015) 59 When Luke did, Markona blocked the signal, preventing it from causing harm to his clan.
===Arrival of the Empire===
Once Tula learned that the rebels would take the risk to get off of Hubin, Markona spoke with her, telling her to be ready to prepare for their contingencies. During that night's dinner, Markona revealed he had known about the transmitter. As he spoke, Emkay-One interrupted him, informing him that an unidentifiable ship had landed in the village. Markona left, putting on his armor to meet with the Sentinel-class landing craft. He welcomed the shuttle's passengers, who revealed themselves to be SCAR Squadron, sent by the Empire to capture the rebels.
Markona brought the squadron back to his estate, where Sergeant Kreel demanded that the rebel guests were given to him. Markona feigned innocence, pretending that he was unfamiliar with the names Kreel told him, but Kreel assured him that the rebel presence was known, bringing forward Sana Starros, who had been captured and interrogated after letting the rebels escape to Hubin. When Kreel threatened to kill Starros if the rebels continued to hide, Organa, Solo and Skywalker exited the mansion, aiming their blasters at the stormtroopers. However, Tula stunned Leia and Han to prevent a shootout from occurring. Kreel prepared to leave with the rebels, but he was stopped by Markona, who requested they follow the martial code of Hubin and settle the issue with trial by combat. Both Kreel and Luke agreed, and prepared to duel while Markona watched.
===Forsaking the past===
Before the two could duel, Tula secretly told Luke to run to the estate's graveyard, handing him a smoke grenade. Markona called his daughter back before starting the duel. Kreel began to duel with Luke, who defended himself with his own lightsaber. Shortly after the duel had commenced, Luke used the smoke grenade, running into the forest. Markona claimed that Luke had broken the clan's martial code, announcing that he no longer needed to remain hospitable towards the rebels. He led the stormtroopers away, allowing Tula to stun the guard, waking Organa and Solo with stim packs.
Markona separated from SCAR Squadron, finding Luke at the graveyard, revealing that he had tricked Kreel and the stormtroopers. He explained to Luke about the regret he had for serving the Empire, telling him to return to the village while he held back the stormtroopers. Luke refused to leave him alone, but Markona insisted, telling him that it would be pointless for both of them to die there. Luke thanked him and ran away, but he was spotted by Kreel and SCAR Squadron, who had arrived in the graveyard. Markona turned around to confront the stormtroopers, unholstering a pair of blaster pistols. As he fought off the stormtroopers, Clan Markona evacuated their village, boarding SCAR Squadron's shuttle. Kreel managed to strike Markona in the shoulder, knocking him down. Markona complimented the sergeant's aim before telling him that he believed Luke could have won the duel. He leapt at the stormtroopers, who all fired their blaster rifles towards him. Markona was hit several times in the chest, falling dead onto the ground.
===Legacy===
Markona's sacrifice allowed the rest of his clan, led by Tula, to depart Hubin aboard the Imperial shuttle. Having seen the rebels and their determination, he decided to have Clan Markona join the Rebellion to renounce the actions he had guilt for.
Tula led Clan Markona on Novka, where they assisted the rebels and Starros retrieve the Volt Cobra. Combat against the stormtroopers on Novka distracted her from her father's death, but she had to face it once reuniting with the rebels on Brentaal IV. She and her clan parted ways with the rebels, who gave her the location of Hera Syndulla's Geist. Tula had no desire to see Luke again due to being reminded of her father's death, but told him not to carry any blame for it.Star Wars (2015) 61
==Personality and traits==
While Markona appeared intimidating in his armor, he showed hospitality towards the Rebel Alliance fugitives that crashed on Hubin, letting them stay in his mansion and leaving them in the care of his butler droid, MK-1. Despite this, he was not opposed to the Galactic Empire, showing the same level of hospitality towards SCAR Squadron, allowing them on Hubin. He did not immediately betray the rebels, attempting to pretend that he was unaware to protect them. However, the reception he showed them was a ruse, as he had already decided to side with the rebels. He sacrificed his life, both to let the rebels escape and to let Tula lead Clan Markona into leaving Hubin and joining the Rebellion.
Like the rest of his clan, Markona enjoyed the simple life he led on Hubin, and was protective of the rest of the community. He liked to fight honorably, requesting that others followed his clan's martial code, and even giving monstrous creatures such as thanrax a warning before he attacked them. Though he was not willing to reveal his entire past, Markona regretted the help he had given to the Empire, turning to the Rebel Alliance to make up for it. Markona had long black hair, gray eyes, and tanned skin, though he often wore a helmet that concealed his face.
==Skills and abilities==
Markona was an adept fighter, having been taught many skills by his parents. He managed to defeat thanrax, and often had to do so while living on Hubin. He also had some knowledge of lightsaber usage, and was able to help Luke Skywalker practice with his own. He defended himself against the elite stormtroopers of SCAR Squadron for some time, but was nevertheless shot down by Sergeant Kreel.
==Equipment==
Markona wore a set of armor, complete with a helmet and cape. His armor had intense lights attached to his shoulders, which he could use to scare off animals. He fought using vibroblades that were attached to gauntlets on his arms, and could be retracted and hidden when not in use. The gauntlets were also able to produce a small shield that was strong enough to resist a lightsaber attack. He also wielded a pair of blaster pistols which he used for long-range combat. After Markona's death, his daughter Tula wore a similar set of armor.
==Behind the scenes==
Thane Markona first appeared in the 2018 canon comic Star Wars (2015) 56, written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Andrea Broccardo. His name was later given in Star Wars (2015) 57, also written by Gillen.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars (2015) 56 
*Star Wars (2015) 57 
*Star Wars (2015) 58
*Star Wars (2015) 59
*Star Wars (2015) 60
*Star Wars (2015) 61 
==Sources==
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*Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
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*Star Wars: Timelines
*Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
==Notes and references==
Category:Alliance to Restore the Republic members
Category:Humans
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Males
Category:Mercenaries