- «I am General Crofyp of the Kilji Illumine. Move aside or be destroyed.»
- ―Crofyp to Uingali foar Marocsaa
Crofyp was a Kilji general who served the Kilji Illumine, the Kilji species' nation, as the commander of a task force consisting of his flagship, the Kilji war cruiser Anvil, and Colonel Tildnis's Kilji picket cruiser Hammer. In 18 BBY, the Grysk operative known as "Jixtus" dispatched Crofyp's task force to the Unknown Regions' Rapacc system, tasking the Kiljis with capturing a group of refugees hiding on the planet Rapacc. After the Illumine task force arrived at Rapacc, it was confronted by the Paccosh-commandeered Nikardun blockade frigate Aelos. Crofyp threatened Commander Uingali foar Marocsaa, the blockade frigate's captain, to allow his forces to retrieve the refugees they sought. Marocsaa refused, however, prompting the general to prepare a cross fire attack on the Aelos.
After the Anvil moved past the Aelos along its starboard and the Hammer did likewise along the frigate's portside, the Chiss heavy cruiser Springhawk arrived in the system, firing two starship-disabling plasma sphere weapons at Crofyp's flagship before joining the confrontation in the inner system. The Chiss commander, Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, core name "Thrawn," commanded Crofyp to move clear of the Aelos, angering the general, who had his vessels fire spectrum laser salvos at the Springhawk; however, the plasma spheres disabled the Anvil and several Chiss breacher missiles destroyed the war cruiser, killing Crofyp while the Hammer fled.
Biography[]
Confronting the Paccosh…[]
- «Enough. The Nikardun are defeated, Pathfinder, and will never again arise. Speak lies and soothings when it is only your time that you waste. We are the Kiljis, and we will take what we want. Move from our path, Nikardun, or die. Here is the enlightened truth. Yiv did not serve with Jixtus, but under Jixtus, as a slave serves under a master. Nor are the Kiljis associates of Jixtus, but his masters. We use him as a guide and adviser to our voyages, nothing more.»
«Then you do not in fact serve with Jixtus, as the Pathfinder said?»
«The Pathfinder told you what you wanted to hear. Here is the enlightened truth. Yiv did not serve with Jixtus, but under Jixtus, as a slave serves under a master. Nor are the Kiljis associates of Jixtus, but his masters. We use him as a guide and adviser to our voyages, nothing more. He identifies which of the ignorant peoples of this region require enlightenment. Your Nikardun remnant will be one of those, have no fear. But that task will be for later. For now, we merely require that the refugees who fled from their world and now hide here among the Paccosh be handed over to us.» - ―General Crofyp and Uingali foar Marocsaa
Crofyp was a Kilji who served the Kilji Illumine, the nation of the Kilji species, as a general, commanding a task force that consisted of his flagship, the Kilji war cruiser Anvil, and Colonel Tildnis's Kilji picket cruiser Hammer. At some point, the general was enlightened to the Kilji way of order and enlightenment, the Illumine's religion.[2] In 18 BBY,[1] the Grysk agent known as "Jixtus," who had allied himself with the Illumine's ruler, Generalirius Nakirre, sent Crofyp's task force to the Unknown Regions' Rapacc system, tasking the Kilji force with capturing a group of refugees that had taken refuge on the planet Rapacc and bring them to a rendezvous point Crofyp would specify. Jixtus also hired Pathfinder navigators Qilori and Sarsh to navigate the Anvil and Hammer respectively.[2]
During the Kiljis' hyperspace journey to the Rapacc system, the picket cruiser slowed down, prompting Qilori to stop the war cruiser's voyage to allow Tildnis's cruiser to catch up. Annoyed by the sudden stop, Crofyp asked why the navigator had ceased his flagship's voyage. The Pathfinder answered Crofyp's question and the Kilji deemed the answer incorrect and believed that Tildnis's cruiser would pass the Anvil by unnoticed; however, the Hammer appeared near the Anvil after fifteen minutes, proving Qilori right. After the navigator resumed the Kiljis' journey under Crofyp's directive, the vessels arrived at the Rapacc system at the same time, as Crofyp desired.[2]
The Kilji task force was confronted by the Paccosh-commandeered Nikardun blockade frigate Aelos, which was orbiting Rapacc. The Aelos's captain, Commander Uingali foar Marocsaa, questioned Crofyp on his target and identity. The general introduced his task force and purpose in the Rapacc system, threatening the blockade frigate's captain to allow his forces to continue to Rapacc so that he could capture the refugees they sought.[2]
However, the Paccosh did not move, prompting Crofyp to threaten to destroy the Aelos. Seeking to end the conflict peacefully, Qilori, believing Marocsaa was a member of the Nikardun species, claimed that with the Kiljis' arrival, the Nikardun could arise once again with Jixtus's guidance. However, his Kilji general cut him off and remarked that Qilori's claim was false, confronting the Paccosh commander verbally and instructing Marocsaa to move aside or die. As the Paccosh did not comply with his demands, Crofyp had his Kilji vassals—followers of the Kilji way—prepare a cross fire attack on the Aelos.[2]
…and dying at the hands of the Chiss[]
- «Unidentified ships, this is Senior Captain Thrawn of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet warship Springhawk. You stand near our prey. Move clear of the Nikardun blockade frigate Aelos or suffer the humiliation of becoming collateral damage.»
«Who are you to speak of prey? And who are you to give orders to warships of the Illumine?»
«I already gave you my name. Do you need me to repeat it?»
«Your name will die with you, unenlightened fool.» - ―Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo and General Crofyp
Under Crofyp's directive, Vassal One moved the Anvil along the frigate's starboard, Vassal Four signaled Tildnis to do likewise along the Nikardun vessel's portside, and Vassal Three prepared to destroy the Paccosh when they moved to attack. Once the Kilji ships were in position, the Chiss heavy cruiser Springhawk arrived in the outer Rapacc system and fired two vessel-disabling plasma sphere weapons at the starboard of Crofyp's flagship. The Chiss vessel then performed a microjump and joined the confrontation in the inner system. The Springhawk's commander, Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, who was also known by his core name of "Thrawn," instructed Crofyp to move clear of the Aelos, which Thrawn classified as his prey.[2]
Furious upon an unenlightened being's orders to move clear of the frigate, the general had his task force fire three spectrum laser salvos at the Chiss following his ships' turn to face the newcomer. As the Chiss began to trade fire with the Kiljis, the plasma spheres slammed into the Anvil's starboard, disabling its weaponry, sensors, and systems. Qilori attempted to warn Qilori about the attack; however, the general did not see it.[2]
While Crofyp moved the Anvil to shield the Hammer from the Chiss attack, Qilori moved to escape the battle in an escape pod; however, the Anvil's commander noticed Qilori's movement and, while speaking with Tildnis via comm, told the navigator that he would not flee as those enlightened to the Kilji way stood, fought, and prevailed. However, the Pathfinder did not care, calling Crofyp a fool and rushing to the escape pods while Crofyp pointed a large, black weapon at him to threaten the navigator for fleeing. Qilori escaped before the Anvil's bridge exploded when the Springhawk's breacher missiles hit it, killing Crofyp. The Hammer fled to the Unknown Regions' "Sunrise" system, where it was destroyed by Thrawn and the Paccosh.[2]
Personality and traits[]
- «Are you deaf as well as unenlightened? Like all others, they walk in darkness. We are here to take them to a place where they can be enlightened.»
«Can you not enlighten them here? They are useful servants to us. We don't wish to lose them.»
«The wishes of the unenlightened are of no importance. Do you move aside, or do you die?» - ―General Crofyp and Uingali foar Marocsaa
As an enlightened Kilji, Crofyp held great contempt for those that "walked in darkness," the unenlightened. He deemed their wishes unimportant and did not accept their opinion, treating them with disdain. According to Qilori, Crofyp had an overinflated opinion of himself, which prompted him to dismiss the unenlightened's concerns, such as Qilori's warning about the Chiss attack. While speaking to Marocsaa, the general claimed that the Kiljis were Jixtus's masters, not the other way around, which was false, as Jixtus commanded Nakirre and the Illumine. The general called the Paccosh commander deaf after Marocsaa asked what the Kilji wanted with the refugees.[2]
The Kilji was impatient and short-tempered, threatening Qilori with the Pathfinders' enlightenment when he attempted to tell the general that a cross fire attack on the Aelos could result in significant damage to his task force. He believed that instead of retreating after the Springhawk disabled the Anvil's starboard, the Kiljis should stand, fight, and prevail. The Kilji was short and had wrinkly, rubbery skin that Qilori considered utterly repulsive. When the Springhawk's Mid Captain Ufsa'mak'ro "Samakro" heard Crofyp's voice via comm, he noted that it was rich in fury and arrogance.[2]
Skills and abilities[]
During his attack on Rapacc, Crofyp spoke the Kilji language with the Anvil's sensor operator, Vassal Two. When speaking to Qilori, the Paccosh, and Thrawn, he spoke the Taarja trade language, chewing words like sour fruit.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
General Crofyp appeared in the 2021 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, the final installment of the Ascendancy Trilogy written by Timothy Zahn.[2]
Appearances[]
- Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (and audiobook) (First appearance)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: Timelines dates the main events of Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, including the death of Crofyp aboard the Anvil in the Rapacc system, to 18 BBY.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil