The One (being)

The entity known as the One was a prominent member of an extragalactic droid society named Silentium, manufactured in the image of a starfish-like species who had gone extinct when the star of their planet went supernova. Their droids, however, lived on and achieved full sentience. The Silentium eventually modified their forms into spacefaring spheres fifty kilometers long, and eventually traveled across the Intergalactic Void to settle in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Like others of his kin, the One was a tremendously powerful, starship-sized droid with the ability to travel through hyperspace at a speed far beyond those attainable by ships of the time. By the Imperial Period, the One had taken a position of paramount leadership among the Silentium, alongside another of his kind called the Other, but was the youngest of his culture.

After many years in their new galaxy, the One suggested the creation of a new Silentium—a peaceful, nonaggressive example of their kind, imbued with a curiosity to explore the galaxy and learn about its cultures. This new offspring, given the name Vuffi Raa, set forth on a journey of discovery soon after his creation, with a mandate to eventually return home and share what he found. The One allowed Vuffi Raa to roam the galaxy for many years, but began searching for his offspring around 3 BBY—he saw that his people's long life and insight into the course of galactic events had made them complacent, and foresaw racial stagnation and decline if they did not reintroduce the element of the unknown which Vuffi Raa represented. Together with the Other and the Rest, the massive droid followed a trail of clues that led them to the ThonBoka nebula, where Vuffi Raa was helping his latest master, Lando Calrissian, to defend the native Oswaft against the wrath of the Galactic Empire and their Centrality allies.

The Silentium arrived in the middle of a pitched battle between the two sides, and immediately threatened the Imperial/Centrality fleet with destruction, which drove the Imperials and the Centrality to quietly leave. By the time they arrived, they found that Vuffi Raa had suffered severe damage while trying to defend Calrissian from the wrathful Sorcerer of Tund Rokur Gepta, who had attempted to use the battle to prosecute a longstanding grudge against the pilot. Although Calrissian feared greatly for Raa's life, the One shortly repaired Raa back to full capacity. Afterwards, the One and the Other joined Calrissian and Raa for a sabacc game, sharing their backstory with the Human Calrissian. They soon after left the ThonBoka behind to return home, with Vuffi Raa rejoining his people.

The One's nearly unlimited lifespan, well-practiced logic and strong sources of information gave him—along with the rest of his people—a deep insight into the path of galactic events. However, the One came to see this insight as a potential flaw of his kind, leading them to complacency and eventual death. Although now highly unaccustomed to, and uncomfortable with, uncertainty, the One believed that only the reintroduction of the unknown could save the Silentium. Despite this apprehension, the One found himself excited by the concept of learning new things for the first time in uncounted eons upon the embarkment of his quest to find Vuffi Raa. Although the One had previously seen Vuffi Raa has an experiment, the One discovered that he had paternal feelings toward his creation during the journey, and came to see himself as Raa's father. Although he sometimes argued with the Other, the One cared deeply for his counterpart, and for the Rest.

The One appeared in Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka, written by L. Neil Smith and released in 1983.

• The Essential Guide to Droids
• The Essential Chronology
• The New Essential Chronology
• The New Essential Guide to Droids