Ephant Mon

Ephant Mon was a Chevin male from the planet Vinsoth. Despite his awkward appearance, Mon was a skilled and powerful combatant, and during his youth, he was considered handsome by Chevin standards. He started off as a mercenary in his youth before becoming a gunrunner, supplying arms to all sorts of military factions, from planetary militia groups to the more organized Rebel Alliance. His goods were usually stolen Imperial weapons which, though outdated, were still serviceable. Mon also worked as a slaver at some point in his lengthy life.

An old acquaintance of Jabba Desilijic Tiure, Mon served as the Hutt's liaison and took care of his estate while Jabba was away on business. The Hutt's trust in Mon was founded in their life-long friendship, which saw the two friends pursue many collective paths, both having once worked together as high-risk gunrunners. After Jabba saved his life on Glakka, Ephant became the Hutt's head of security, rooting out several conspiracies and assassination plots. Although he repaid his debt in abundance, Mon's loyalty to Jabba was unswerving, and he kept his position for several decades, until Jabba's death in 4 ABY. Mon was extremely loyal to the Hutt, for Jabba had once saved his life—Mon regularly turned down extravagant offers from Jabba's rival, Lady Valarian, who wanted to see the old Chevin leave Jabba's employ and join her criminal enterprise.

Ephant Mon was friendly with many of the regulars in Jabba's Palace, such as the Klatooinian Barada; however, he particularly despised Ree-Yees and Salacious Crumb. Ephant, who was slightly Force-sensitive, did not perish in the Skirmish at Carkoon, instead preferring to stay at Jabba's Palace after he sensed the Force in Luke Skywalker.

Jabba's head of security
Decades after coming into conflict with Ki-Adi-Mundi, Ephant Mon and Jabba the Hutt planned to raid an Imperial weapons cache on the icy moon of Glakka. However, Jabba soon realized that they had been double-crossed by one of their own, and soon Imperial snowtroopers appeared. Stuck on an icy planet without transport or shelter, Jabba prevented Ephant from freezing by sheltering him within his layers of fat, an act of kindness unusual for any Hutt.

They barely survived the ordeal, and Ephant always felt he owed Jabba for saving his life. He remained in Jabba's inner circle for many years, acting as a secret head of security because of their friendship and Mon's loyalty to Jabba. As Jabba's head of security, his duty was to root out conspiracies and assassination plots. In a den as murderous as Jabba's Palace, the Chevin had his massive hands full keeping tabs on potential assassins. Ephant often got information from the B'omarr Monks, the ancient religious order that built Jabba's desert palace,[1] and he always kept hidden bodyguards near to him. Due to their friendship and Jabba's trust in Mon, Jabba did not keep tabs on the old Chevin, instead letting him conduct his business in whatever way he wished. The Hutt also let Mon run his business when he was visiting home, and although Jabba knew Mon would do a fine job, he always hated leaving Tatooine. The Hutt knew of Mon's loyalty, and may have exploited it.[1] Mon was also one of few regulars in Jabba's Palace to have his own quarters.

Shortly after Princess Leia Organa, disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, arrived in Jabba's palace, Ephant traveled to Mos Eisley to meet with Lady Valarian in her casino, the Lucky Despot. When Mon arrived, he ordered a drink from the Bith bartender, with a number of nearby patrons harassing Mon and mocking his unorthodox face. At first, Ephant ignored them, but after one pulled a knife, Mon attacked them; he slammed his inhumanly hard head down on one of the men and stabbed the other with a vibroblade. Seeing the commotion, Imperial Prefect Eugene Talmont thanked Mon for ridding Mos Eisley of some more scum, before again departing. Mon then made his way to Valarian's personal chamber, where she offered him a fortune to leave Jabba and join her. However, for reasons unknown to her, he turned her down, preferring to stay in Jabba's employ.

Skirmish at Carkoon
In 4 ABY, when Luke Skywalker came to "negotiate" with Jabba, Tessek approached Ephant Mon. The Quarren had used his contacts to check the Imperial wanted lists, and had discovered all of their prisoners were on it, including the droids C-3PO and R2-D2. The nervous Quarren had heard about the group's exploits, including their destruction of the Death Star. Tessek also believed that Skywalker was a Jedi Knight as he claimed, and that they were all in great danger. The accountant begged Mon to persuade Jabba to let Skywalker go free, as Ephant was the only one Jabba would listen to. Mon, despite his dislike for the Quarren accountant, agreed to speak with Jabba, though he visited the young Jedi first.

On his way, Ephant Mon found a drunken Ree-Yees, and uncovered a plot on Jabba's life, orchestrated by Tessek and the Corellian bounty hunter Dengar. Mon continued on to Skywalker's cell, where Skywalker sensed Ephant's friendship with Jabba. Luke asked him, as Tessek had done, to try and persuade the Hutt to release his prisoners, but the old Chevin replied that Jabba would not change his mind easily. Luke then grabbed Mon's shoulder, and the Chevin was treated to vivid visions of his time on Vinsoth. Ephant Mon sensed the Force in Skywalker, and felt that Jabba should not defy him.

Mon, unsure of what to do, went to his friend Barada for advice. He then told Barada something he had never told anyone before: that Jabba had once saved his life, and that was why Ephant was so loyal to him. Barada, surprised at hearing that Jabba was capable of such an act, told Mon to do what he had to do, that Mon had repaid his debt to Jabba. Mon then attempted to convince Jabba to agree to Luke's demands, but the Hutt refused. Ephant Mon also told Jabba of Tessek and Ree-Yees' plot to place a bomb aboard Jabba's sail barge, and tried to warn Jabba, but Jabba would not listen, feeling that his old friend was overestimating Skywalker. Thus, Ephant declared his debt to Jabba repaid and refused to accompany him to the Great Pit of Carkoon. Jabba, outraged at this apparent betrayal, stated that Ephant should be killed for this. However, due to their friendship, Jabba allowed Ephant to live, though he told Mon that he never wanted to see him again.

A New Life
Shortly after Jabba's death, Ephant returned to his home planet, Vinsoth, and founded a religion based on worshiping the Force. However, he was not above occasionally using his old methods to get the funding his sect (and their expensive new temple) required. He also spoke out against the enslavement of the Chev people who shared Vinsoth with the Chevin.

OOC
This character is a Zonk created for a TP that is currently going on. Any questions or comments can be made via page or @mail. Noms should be given using: +zonk/nom =.