Prince Isolder

SW Character


bgcolor=tan
fgcolor=#000000
name=Prince Isolder
position=Prince
species=Human
gender=Male
height= 1.88 meters
hair= Brown
eyes= Blue
vehicle="Storm"
weapon=
planet= Hapes
affiliation= Hapes Consortium
portrayer= N/A

Prince Isolder is a fictional character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

History

Early life

Isolder was born into royalty on the isolated, yet incredibly wealthy world of Hapes; he is the son of the Queen Mother, Ta'a Chume. The Hapan culture is primarily maternally dominated; men are reserved as second-class citizens. Despite these limitations, however, Isolder still finds himself plenty to accomplish. Though his older brother is the Chume'da, the heir prince, Isolder takes advantage of the many opportunities that await him on Hapes. He engages in such training as physical conditioning, acrobatics, and piloting. At age 15, he becomes the youngest Hapan in the planet's history to graduate from flight school as an officer.

Four years later, however, Isolder suffers his first tragedy - his brother Kalan is kidnapped near the Terephon system. Instead of ransoming the prince-to-be, Kalan's captors murder him. Isolder quickly discovers a possibly political motive in his brother's death, and begins to suspect that his aunt Seccah is somehow involved. Isolder takes matters into his own hands and investigates the murder himself. For two years Isolder delves into the Hapan underworld, posing as a privateer. In his investigation, Isolder realizes that he actually enjoys his newfound independence, as opposed to being under his mother's thumb. He eventually catches up with another privateer named Astarta, who helps him catch his brother's killers. They discover that Captain Harravan, a pirate, is behind the murders. Isolder promptly duels the pirate and bests him in battle. He brings Harravan back to Hapes, but the pirate is mysteriously murdered in his cell before Isolder can question him.

Impressed by her son's bravery, Ta'a Chume asks Isolder to become the next Prince of Hapes. Although he agrees, tragedy befalls the hapless man once again. The Prince's first love, Lady Elliar (whom the Queen Mother distrusts), drowns in the reflecting pool at the palace's garden.

New Republic

By chance, Princess Leia Organa meets Isolder in "The Courtship of Princess Leia", set four years after the events of "Return of the Jedi". Leia is serving as a diplomat for the fledgling New Republic, which seeks worlds and systems to add to its number; the Hapes Consortium is a perfect candidate. Isolder becomes infatuated with the Alderaanian princess, and the Queen agrees to any possible marriage of the two in the future. Thus, Isolder proposes to the Princess with an impressive display at a reception on Coruscant. Members of the New Republic pressure Leia to accept this gift, for it would greatly benefit both the Republic and the Hapes Consortium. Leia is not ready to accept, however, as she is in love with Han Solo.

Solo remains headstrong and committed to his love for Leia. He eventually wins a planet, Dathomir, in a game of sabacc, and presents it to Leia. Unfortunately for Solo, Dathomir is a dark, dangerous world filled with dark side adept witches and an Imperial garrison. Solo attempts to win the Princess's favor, and travels to the nightmarish world.

New Queen Mother

Isolder, still intent on taking Leia's hand in marriage, and joins with Luke Skywalker to find Han and Leia on Dathomir. There, Isolder discovers that the culture of the Force witches is similar to that of the Hapan people, in that both are maternally dominated and see men as inferior. Isolder meets a witch, Teneniel Djo, and falls in love with her. Isolder turns his amorous attentions toward the witch, as he begins to realize that his own mother is behind the tragedies he faces. The Queen Mother accepts her son's request to step down, and Djo takes on the mantle of Queen of Hapes.

Together, Isolder and Teneniel have a daughter, Tenel Ka, who is very strong in the Force. Isolder and his wife raise Tenel Ka in both Hapan and Dathomirian cultures, and in her teen years, decide to send her to be trained at Skywalker's Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. Isolder makes it clear that he wants his daughter to become the next Queen Mother, but Djo prefers that she take her own path.

In "", the New Republic asks for Hapan support in combating the Yuuzhan Vong, an alien species invading the New Republic. Isolder agrees, but other Consortium members voice their disapproval, insulting Leia and her New Republic. Isolder's decision is put into motion, however, and Hapes lends their navy to help the New Republic attack the Yuuzhan Vong at Fondor. The attack is a disaster; a misfiring tears a hole through the Hapan fleet, and Isolder and the Hapan navy retreat back to their home planet. Tragedy hits the Prince once again as he is informed that, because of a massive disturbance in the Force due to the assault on Fondor, his wife has miscarried.

Once again, Isolder's mother manipulates and conspires against her son. Even without the title of Queen Mother, she creates a coup to take down Teneniel Djo. Teneniel Djo, her spirit crushed by the loss of her child and the devastation of the Hapan fleet, sinks into a deep depression and offers little resistance to her mother-in-law's scheming. Ta'a Chume arranges for the declining Queen to be poisoned, which Ka resents bitterly, as it does not allow her mother the honor of a final battle. She attempts to have Isolder marry Jaina Solo, but the Prince refuses. Finally out of patience, Isolder imprisons his treacherous mother. Isolder's daughter, Tenel Ka, becomes the new Queen Mother of Hapes.

Death

In the Legacy of the Force novel, "Invincible", Isolder is captured by Jacen Solo, now Darth Cadeus, and is held in a cell aboard the flagship "Anakin Solo". Cadeus decides to release the prince, but sensing treachery, Isolder spits in Cadeus' eye. Cadeus then uses the force to snap Isolder's neck, killing him instantly.

References

*"Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia", 1995. Dave Wolverton, ISBN 0-553-56937-6
*"The Essential guide to characters", 1st printing, 1995. Andy Mangels, ISBN 0-345-39535-2
*"The New Essential Guide to Characters", 2002. Daniel Wallace, ISBN 0-345-44900-2
*"Star Wars The essential guide to vehicles and vessels", 1st printing, 1996. Bill Smith, ISBN 0-590-02361-6

External links

* [http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/isolder/index.html Star Wars Databank entry]
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