Siege of the New Jedi Temple

"My name is Belok Rhal. You will remember it. I am here on the orders of the Galactic Alliance to retrieve two Jedi&mdash;Sothais Saar and Turi Altamik. You have been ordered to relinquish them to the care of the Galactic Alliance, and you have refused. All legal methods have been exhausted. Your Chief of State Daala has asked me to ensure that you turn them over. And you will. If you do not comply with this request, which is binding by all laws you claim to adhere to, there will be consequences. If you trust nothing else, take my word on that. I will accept nothing less than seeing Turi Altamik and Sothais Saar coming out of the Temple. You have thirty-six hours to comply."

- Belok Rhal

The siege of the Jedi Temple took place in 44 ABY. In the past half year, several Jedi Knights had begun to succomb to a mysterious psychosis that caused them to believe everyone they knew had been replaced by impostors. The Jedi Order wanted the psychotic Jedi available for study so that they could learn more about the psychosis and possibly develop a cure, but the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances decided to encase the affected Knights in carbonite. Several of the psychotic Knights were successfully smuggled off of Coruscant to Shedu Maad, but other Jedi continued to develop the psychosis. Sothais Saar developed the psychosis during a meeting with Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala's aide, Wynn Dorvan, and was soon after captured by Jedi Master Cilghal. Jedi Jaina Solo and Tyria Sarkin Tainer were preparing to take Saar off-world when Mandalorians attacked the Jedi Temple under the orders of Daala. Soon after, Turi Altamik developed the psychosis and led a chase outside the Temple and in view of the media before she was finally captured by the Jedi.

While the Galactic Alliance demanded the release of the two Jedi Knights into government custody, the Jedi decided to organize a strike team to send to assist the exiled Grand Master Luke Skywalker, who had come into contact with the Lost Tribe of Sith. Before the team could launch from the Jedi Temple Hangars, however, the Temple was beset by a large force of Mandalorian Protectors, again at the orders of Daala. Led by Commander Belok Rhal, the Mandalorians demanded the Jedi to hand the psychotic Knights over. When interim Grand Master Kenth Hamner's aide, Kani Asari, went to negotiate with Rhal, Rhal shot her on sight, killing her.

Afterward, Hamner was contacted by Galactic Alliance Admiral Nek Bwua'tu, who revealed that recordings made by Mandalorians during their raid on the Temple has showed that the Jedi appeared to be preparing for an attack somewhere. Hamner revealed that the strike was not aimed at Daala or the Galactic Alliance, but rather a mutual enemy. Bwua'tu then offered his assistance in dealing with Daala, suggesting that if the Jedi were to launch their strike wait until he gave them the go-ahead, he could ensure that the Jedi Order had the complete cooperation of the Galactic Alliance Navy. Meanwhile, Han and Leia Solo discovered a way to smuggle materials into the Jedi Temple.

Eventually, Skywalker was successful in his mission, defeating Abeloth&mdash;the being who had caused the psychosis&mdash;and causing the psychotic Jedi to be immediately cured. Cilghal and her aide, the Jedi healer Shul Vaal, discovered that Saar, Altamik, and Kunor Bann&mdash;a Jedi who had developed the psychosis in the Temple, and whose condition the Galactic Alliance wasn't aware of&mdash;were all devoid of the psychosis; Cilghal instantly reported the news to Hamner.

Appearances

 * Allies