Dallan Morvis
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Dallan Morvis
Descriptive information
Species
Gender
Hair color
Eye color
Chronological & political information
Affiliation(s)
- "It's your career or your life, Morvis. Don't take too long deciding."
- ―Saul Karath, to Morvis[1]
Dallan Morvis was the second-in-command aboard theCourageous during theMandalorian Wars. He fought at the battles atVanquo,Serroco, andOmonoth and was later promoted to the rank of captain and placed in the command of his own capital ship,Veltraa. Eventually, Morvis reached the rank ofadmiral and gained the command ofDiligence.
Biography[]
- "You know, Dallan Morvis was very much misunderstood. People assume that because you're born to wealth, you don't know what you're doing."
- ―Jarrow Rusher on Dallan Morvis[2]
His father was the founder of theCoruscant Financial Exchange andhis mother—thesenator fromChandrila, so Dallan Morvis has been obviously groomed for big things. But instead of typical thrust into theNaval Academy atCoruscant, Morvis choose to become an asset to theAdmiralty.
Upon graduation, he became a junior liaison between theVanjervalis design team andAdmiralNoma Sommos's staff. That assignment eventually lead him to promotion tolieutenant and his first bridge posting onReciprocity under command on then-CaptainSaul Karath. Morvis saw in Karath a leader on the rise, so he followed him toCourageous—and right into theMandalorian Wars. But on Courageous, Morvis encountered a rival in the junior officerCarth Onasi. Onasi shared both Karath's hardscrabble beginnings and penchant for quick and sometimes reckless decision-making - neither of which applied to the high-born, calculating Morvis. In Carth, Morvis saw a competitor for the admiral's favor, so he struggled to make life more difficult for him.
When fugitivePadawanZayne Carrick was brought onboard and later joined them on the escape fromSerroco, Morvis showed no sympathy for Onasi's new friend. But it was Onasi and Carrick, without whom Morvis would never escape a career-ending disaster aboard theArkanian Legacy. There, Morvis suggested to Karath that the Republic useexogorths—weaponized space slugs capable of decimating star systems—to create a firewall of scorched systems between itself and the Mandalorians and urged him to bargain forRepublic control of the slugs. But Onasi and Carrick brought the affair to an unfortunate end, leaving Morvis with empty hands back onCoruscant.
This time however, Morvis choose to turn to his political connections, which resulted in him not only escaping punishment but also winning a captaincy aboard Karath's successor vessel, theSwiftsure and soon enough—the command of his own capital ship,Veltraa. Morvis, thus, continued to show his talents as a survivor willing to do anything to protect his position—a hidden element of Karath's character he struggled to imitate and cultivate. He eventually became Zayne Carrick's commanding officer during the Mandalorian Wars, and both were captured by the Mandalorians. Eventually Zayne took charge during a prison escape, and the rest of the soldiers began to defer to Zayne. Morvis was enraged and blamed Carrick for everything bad that had happened. Zayne finally had enough and told Morvis that it was his own fault; now that he was in a position where he couldn't rely on favors he didn't know what to do. Morvis finally broke down and admitted that he felt the need to live up to his family's proud legacy. Zayne told him that being a hero meant facing danger when the time came.
Eventually, Morvis was promoted to the rank of admiral and was given the command of his ownInexpugnable-class ship, theDiligence. He was described millennia later by themercenarybrigadierJarrow Rusher as a capable yet misunderstood officer.Sith LordArkadia Calimondra, however, claimed that his accomplishments were fraudulent.
Behind the scenes[]
In a series of Twitter posts,John Jackson Miller drew connections between various clues within published works that hint at the future actions of Dallan Morvis andZayne Carrick.[3]
Appearances[]
- Knights of the Old Republic 8(First appearance)
- Knights of the Old Republic 14
- Knights of the Old Republic 15
- "The Admiral's List: Remember Serroco! Edition" — Knights of the Old Republic 16(First identified as Dallan)
- Knights of the Old Republic 17
- Knights of the Old Republic 18
- Knights of the Old Republic 19
- Knights of the Old Republic 20
- Knights of the Old Republic 21
- "The Admiral's List: Karath Home Safely" — Knights of the Old Republic 22
- Knights of the Old Republic 31(Appears in hologram)
- Knights of the Old Republic 34(Appears in hologram)
- Knights of the Old Republic: War 1
- Knights of the Old Republic: War 2
- Knights of the Old Republic: War 3
- Knights of the Old Republic: War 4
- Knights of the Old Republic: War 5
- Knight Errant(Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Handbook
- Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
KOTOR Campaign Guide Web Enhancement 2: Captain Dallan Morvis onWizards.com(original site is defunct)- "Blaster" —Star Wars Insider 131
Notes and references[]
- ↑Knights of the Old Republic 17
- ↑Knight Errant
- ↑
John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Okay, with the OLD REPUBLIC OMNIBUS out today in the 15th anniversary year of the KOTOR comics series, I'd promised I would shine a light on Zayne Carrick's possible future actions after the comics series — drawing only on clues we already published! /1"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"I'm not big on telling "stories we never got to tell" because I try to write every story as if it's complete — and because you never know when you might want to use a story idea later on. Writers are environmentalists — we save everything!
But there's a difference here... 2/"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"And that's that this is all based on material we published. Threads we wove in over the years, that some people caught and others didn't. That's more fair game.
Let me also put a SPOILER WARNING here for all of it — read the stories first! Here goes... /3"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"The Old Republic game has a Carrick Station. As I told the designers, Zayne hadn't yet done anything positive that the public knew about, beyond swoop dueling. Sure, it might've been named for another Carrick — even one of Zayne's four sisters.
But there's another thread... /4"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"...in KENOBI. Millennia later, Obi-Wan Kenobi knows who Zayne Carrick is. It comes up in a meditation about Jedi working alone. Zayne's treatment was a great shame the Order would never live down; it's reasonable Obi-Wan would know such a cautionary tale.
Explanation enough? /5"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Yes, except Zayne isn't the only KOTOR character whose history is known long after his lifetime. And we're not talking Gryph and his memoirs here.
No, we turn now to Dallan Morvis, the Republic officer introduced way back in KOTOR #8. He's Saul Karath's protege — and a jerk! /6"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Readers didn't like Dallan Morvis. They weren't supposed to. He's both a stuffed shirt and an empty suit. His father founded a financial exchange; his mother was a senator. He'd gotten his role as Saul Karath's junior through no merit whatsoever. He gives a lot of BAD advice. /7"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Zayne and crew repeatedly embarrassed Morvis, to the point where Karath washed his hands of him. Yet when Zayne got drafted, his CO was — of course! — Dallan Morvis.
It was just Zayne's luck — and it was my intention all along. Their early days were rocky, to put it mildly! /8"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Yet no one believes more in second chances than Zayne. Knowing he's needed in the war — and that Morvis needs guidance — Zayne agrees to serve on Morvis's bridge as an advisor, helping him make smart and moral decisions.
Like a Jedi. That's where we left Zayne in the comics. /9"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"But there were other stories I told, some overlapping, all with the same plan in mind. Which brings us again some three thousand years into the future...
...where we find in the KNIGHT ERRANT novel that Brigadier Jarrow Rusher is a huge fan of Morvis, all those years later! /10"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"From what Rusher believes, Morvis made admiral at some point and also got command of Diligence, one of the big Inexpugnable-class warships like Karath is shown with in KOTOR. (Presumably fixed, after Haazen hacked them with codes stolen by Gryph -- but that's another story!) /11"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Indeed, Morvis is notable enough that the Sith Lord Arkadia knows who he is — to the point that she knows that the cover story for the First Battle of Omonoth was bogus. Karath and Morvis didn't drive Mandalore from Arkanian Legacy; it was Zayne's pals. (Another long story!) /12"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"So here's Morvis, who's known millennia later, just as Obi-Wan knows of Zayne. What did Morvis do, what was he said to have done, which would give him that notoriety? Well, maybe I told you…
...in yet ANOTHER story. One that was released in between KOTOR #50 and KOTOR: WAR. /13"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH: SENTINEL finds Jelph Marrian, the sole Jedi exile on Kesh and a former member of Lucien's Covenant, listening in on the galaxy two years after we last saw Zayne and Morvis.
He hears the Jedi Civil War has begun. /14"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Jelph — and everyone listening — is warned not to return, that Revan and Malak have fallen to the Dark Side, and that the galaxy is being torn apart.
The thrust of the message is BEWARE and STAY AWAY. /15"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"You may recall another message, years later, telling Jedi to fear Republic forces. This warning is just as broad, because the fallen Jedi Revan and Malak have co-opted part of the Navy, Karath along with it.
As they say, history doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes! /16"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"But who was it that warned everyone — not just Jedi — that Revan and Malak had fallen, and that the Republic and its residents were under great threat?
Who was the Obi-Wan in this case? /17"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Turns out…
...it's an admiral. /18"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"And there just happens to be a Republic admiral, Morvis, who was betrayed by his mentor, Saul Karath -- much like his aide, Zayne Carrick, was betrayed by his own mentor, Lucien Draay, years earlier.
An aide who knows Malak — or Alek, or Squint — very well. Huh. /19"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"Now, to be absolutely clear, I never said WHICH admiral it was, much less who was assisting him.
But I'll bet that if YOU warned the galaxy, history would damn well remember you after that! /20"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"I may have mentioned bits of this before in podcasts — and in my notes at farawaypress.com. It's all stuff that's in the text, if you choose to read it a certain way — and pay attention to where all the pieces happen to be. /21"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"What's that? Are there any more things like that, perhaps that suggest even later events than that one?
Well, yeah. But I have to save SOMETHING for the 20th anniversary!
In the meantime, go get your KOTOR Omnibus and find them for yourself. Tell your retailer I sent you! /22"(backup link) John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) onTwitter (post onJuly 7,2021):"I wholeheartedly endorse this response. I never saw it any other way.(In response to: ""Jedi are killing each other, I need to run away if anything is going to make sense in the future" is a lesson I think Zayne was uniquely positioned to know and share. So I buy this plot thread. And the whole spool.")"(backup link)
