Thorn was a Naval officer and captain of the TCS Tiger's Claw during the Defense of Firekka campaign.
He had a deep, tight voice, that could be noticed even through a translator's flat tones. He often coughed.[1]
Biography[]
He took part in at least Operation: Crusade by Geoffrey Tolwyn.
In the Firekka system Ralgha nar Hhallas defected to the Terran Confederation. Thorn with Colonel Peter Halcyon, equipped with mini translator-units to talk with him in his Kilrathi language. He asked Ralgha the purpose of his defection, to which he revealed about the rebellion against the Kilrathi Emperor and wanting help from the Confederation. Thorn promised to give suport and recommendation to the Confederation High Command, but can't decide for the whole Confederation. In the process of the discussion Ralgha mentioned that the Kilrathi are preparng or the Sivar-Eshrad ceremony that includes a massacre in the system; Thorn reacted perplexed and went to contact High Command.[1]
Because of the intense Kilrathi presence, Thorn could not send Ralgha to High Command as had promised, so he sent a messenger to notify him so; he also apologized for not delivering the message in person as he was too busy.[2]
A few days later, after the Confederation Marines disrupted the ceremony, Thorn was puzzled why the Kilrathi were withdrawing. He visited Ralgha again, this time without a translator, as the Kilrathi had mastered the Terran language, to ask what was happening. Ralgha explained that the reasons are religious, as after this failure, the Kilrathi fear of Sivar's wrath, to make amendments in their temples. He advised Thorn not to pursue them, as in their desperation they'd do anything, but rather retreat, regroup, and return with reinforcements and consolidate his victory. The Claw returned to Terran Confederation space.[2]
While there, K'Kai's freighter docked in the Claw. Hunter stormed into Thorn's office with her, describing the situaton on Firekka, but Thorn blatantly made clear to him that it was not a matter for him, so he left, hoping that Thorn would get her to Confed High Command to speak to the right people.[2]
Peter Halcyon took over command of the Tiger's Claw after he was stripped of command by Geoffrey Tolwyn, after the admiral made the carrier the flagship of a ramshackle squadron. Tolwyn took her into action against overwhelming odds to hold off a Kilrathi fleet until Terran relief forces could arrive. At the height of the action he relieved old Captain Thorn, the ship's commanding officer, and filed charges against him for cowardice in the face of the enemy. Thorn had later been reinstated, after the Tiger's Claw returned to human space, but no one serving with the old man ever quite forgot the day.[3] He was killed when the Tiger's Claw was destroyed.
Behind the scenes[]
Thorn specifically appears in the Freedom Flight novel. Wing Commander I tends to refer to the ship's captain as Commander on the bridge, or Captain,[Source?] and no names are given, so it is not clear if Thorn commanded at any point during the Vega Campaign or Thor's Hammer. Halcyon is referred to as 'Colonel' or 'commander' on his door during Wing Commander.
He is designated a "Captain", and is introduced to Ralgha as "kalrahr" (which appears to mean commanding officer; Ralgha is a Kalralhar which roughly means "Admiral")[1] and once as "Commander".[4] In a later chapter, Hunters mentions to K'Kai about "when he took her to the Colonel"[5] but this could be a mistaken reference to Col. Halcyon.