Momaw Nadon

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

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"Sometimes one must turn the soil to save the garden"

―Momaw Nadon^[5]

Momaw Nadon was an Ithorian who was exiled from his homeworld, Ithor, after he revealed secrets of Ithorian agricultural technology to the Galactic Empire. He spent much of his exile on Tatooine, and was present in Chalmun's Cantina when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi came searching for passage to Alderaan.

Biography

Early life

Momaw Nadon, an Ithorian male scholar,^[1] was born^[2] on his homeworld of the planet Ithor.^[1] For many decades, he served as a High Priest and a leader of^[6] the famous^[2] Ithorian Herdship Tafanda Bay. During the reign of the Galactic Empire, Nadon married his wife Fandomar, with whom he had a child with. Shortly after their marriage,^[6] smuggling activity around Ithorian space brought the Imperial Star Destroyer Conquest to his homeworld. Alima, captain of the starship, attempted to infiltrate Tafanda Bay with spies, but failed in his endeavor, causing him to threaten Ithor's Mother Jungle.^[1] After boarding the herdship, Alima demanded to know the secrets of Ithorian agricultural ceremonies, but Nadon refused to tell. The Imperial then had the Star Destroyer's weapons turned on the Cathor Hills, a forest home to thousands of sentient Bafforr trees that had been Nadon's friends and teachers when he was young. After destroying the forest, the weapons were turned to Tafanda Bay and Alima ordered Nadon to surrender. In an attempt to save his people, the priest relinquished the secrets to the Imperial.^[6] The Council of Ithorian Elders excommunicated Nadon^[1] and banished from Ithor^[6] for at least three years,^[7] telling him to consider his evil actions in solitude. As he was banished^[6] and forced to leave behind Fandomar and the rest of his family,^[7] his wife embraced him and told him she would wait for him should he ever return.^[6]

Exile

Momaw Nadon secret garden outside Mos Eisley

During his exile, Nadon settled on Tatooine. While he was there, Nadon still honored the Ithorian traditions and tried to adapt large trees from Ithor to the hot dry weather on Tatooine. He tended a first grove in his Mos Eisley home, including a carnivorous Vesuvague tree. The grove concealed a shelter where Momaw could hide Rebel operatives fleeing the Galactic Empire. He also tended a second grove in the mountains south of Mos Eisley.

He met and fell in love with the fellow Ithorian, Slag Flats who was later killed by Jodo Kast.^[5]

Around 1 BBY Nadon was wanted for espionage, and a security alert for him was displayed in places such as Spaceport THX1138.^[8]

While on Tatooine, he met up with Alima, who had been demoted to a lieutenant. Alima threatened his bafforr trees with death if he did not help him in finding an astromech the Empire was seeking. The pacifistic Nadon got so concerned about this, that he even tried to kill Alima. However, the attempt failed due to Nadon's lack of experience with weapons and Nadon was humiliated by Alima once more.

Finally, Nadon discovered the truth when he saw Obi-Wan Kenobi in Chalmun's Cantina: The old man tried to smuggle the sought droid from Tatooine. Nadon then hid in the background when stormtroopers tried to stop the Millennium Falcon from escaping. After having lost the droids, the Imperial Prefect searched for a scapegoat he could blame for this failure. Nadon then appeared on the scene and told the Imperial Prefect that he had informed Lieutenant Alima that the droids were leaving from this hangar two days before, and Alima was shot dead before he could protest. Horrified, Nadon took two cell samples from Alima's corpse. In keeping with the Law of Life, Nadon made two clones, so that Alima would pay his debt to the Ithorians—and Nadon would pay his to Alima.^[6]

Redemption

"I am Momaw Nadon, and I am honored to be of service to you, Wedge Antilles and Qwi Xux."
"How do you know our names?"
"Mon Mothma asked me to give you special accommodations."

―Momaw Nadon and Wedge Antillies^[9]

Nadon is held at gunpoint in his own home.

After a "great meet" of Ithorian Herd Ships, it was decided Nadon had acted with the best interest of the Ithorian people. His exile was ended, and he was restored as herd leader of Tafanda Bay. Despite this restoration, Nadon still believed he had brought shame upon himself and vowed to spend the rest of his life accounting for his mistake. He was the representative when Wedge Antilles brought Qwi Xux to Ithor, providing them with information on his lush homeworld.^[9]

Yuuzhan Vong War

By 25 ABY, he had been replaced as the high priest and leader of the Ithorian people by Relal Tawron. On Ithor, he had a wife and son, Fandomar and Do-Forow Nadon.

Behind the scenes

"Apparently everyone was cracking up, because it looked like a lush who was trying to get his drink and couldn't quite make it."

―Jon Berg^[10]

Momaw Nadon, originally referred to as Hammerhead,^[10] was created for the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The character was designed by conceptual artist Ron Cobb who, in notes, wrote that the character was a gentle aquatic creature that fed on plankton and had a religion based on tying and untying knots in cord. The original design featured an implanted voice box in character's chest.^[1]

Special effects artist Jon Berg built the Hammerhead mold^[11] from couch foam and duct tape. Originally, the puppet had a mechanism where the head could move forward, but the finished puppet only had mechanisms to make the eyes blink and lights inside the eyes.^[12] Nadon was added to the film during supplemental shots for the cantina scene filmed at Dovington's Hollywood Studio between January 24 and January 25, 1977.^[13] Berg and Phil Tippett operated the Hammerhead puppet,^[12] and film director George Lucas helped set the puppet up.^[10] Right before shooting, the side of the puppets head tore, though camera work hid this.^[12] During a scene where Berg used the character's arm to pull a glass toward themselves, the arms did not work, causing everyone at the studio to laugh.^[10] The film, which marked Nadon's first appearance,^[14] released on May 25, 1977.^[15]

In the Star Wars radio drama, Luke commented on seeing a Meerian Hammerhead while in the cantina.^[16] Since then, another species has been identified as Meerians.