Duel at the Pool of Knowledge

"But trust me, it would be better for everyone if you just forgot we ever found this place.''" "''It's too late for that, Ben."

- Ben Skywalker to Vestara Khai, interrupted by the arriving Sarasu Taalon

In 44 ABY, a duel took place at the Pool of Knowledge, a Force nexus located on Abeloth's planet. After a group of Sith and Jedi defeated the dark side entity Abeloth, the Sith High Lord Sarasu Taalon, Saber Gavar Khai, apprentice Vestara Khai, and their Jedi allies Luke and Ben Skywalker discovered that Abeloth had not died. In their ensuing search, they were led to the Pool, wherein lay the Throne of Balance. Ben glimpsed a view of the Sith homeworld and, Gavar, who suspected betrayal, moved to attack him. Luke pushed Gavar aside with the Force, but Taalon saw a Jedi queen on the Throne, and, fearing that she would prevent the Sith's rise to power in the galaxy, dove into the pool&mdash;an action that the Jedi had been hoping to prevent.

Ben prepared to dive after Taalon, but Luke stopped him. Gavar fired Force lightning at Luke while Vestara engaged Ben in combat. Taalon then emerged from the pool, and Luke quickly attacked him while Gavar threw his parang at Ben. The Jedi cut the weapon in half, but Gavar used the Force to guide the blade in between Ben's ribs. Gavar moved to attack Luke, but Luke threw him into Taalon and Vestara, and cut off Gavar's forearm. Luke was repelled with Force lightning, and the Jedi fled the grotto. As they escaped, Luke collapsed the entrance, delaying the Sith's escape. Afterward, the Sith beat Vestara and sent her to the Jedi&mdash;making it appear as though she was fleeing their punishment&mdash;to find out more about the Jedi queen. After his dive in the pool, Taalon began transforming into the same type of being as Abeloth. The Jedi tracked Abeloth to the moon Pydyr, where the Sith again joined them in confronting Abeloth.

Prelude
"Ship put us down right on top of the Pool of Knowledge. It wanted to make sure we found the grotto quickly, so we'd all still be relatively close together.''" "The ambush my father warned about?" "''In a way. Ship is trying to start a fight between us again&mdash;between your side and ours, I mean."

- Ben Sywalker and Vestara Khai

In 44 ABY, Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker and his son, Ben Skywalker, embarked on a mission with the Lost Tribe of Sith to confront Abeloth, a dark side entity who had been causing a Force psychosis among the Jedi Order's Jedi Knights. Although the Sith betrayed the Jedi and attempted to capture Abeloth, Luke defeated the entity and apparently killed her. The Sith and Jedi repaired their alliance in order to investigate more into what Abeloth was, allowing only High Lord Sarasu Taalon, Sith Saber Gavar Khai, and Khai's daughter, apprentice Vestara Khai, to remain on Abeloth's planet with the Skywalkers.

The allies soon discovered that Abeloth had actually survived, and began to hunt for her once more. The Sith Meditation Sphere Ship&mdash;which had been called to the planet by Abeloth herself, although the Sith claimed responsibility for that act&mdash;suggested that they look for her at the Pool of Knowledge, a Force nexus that Luke had seen while beyond shadows at a nearby space station. Ship flew them to a location near the pool, leaving them to find it themselves. The allies broke up into two groups to search&mdash;Vestara and Ben in one, Luke, Gavar, and Taalon in the other. Vestara and Ben found the pool housed in a grotto, but Ben quickly realized that Ship had been trying to pit the Jedi and Sith against each other&mdash;the Jedi could not allow the Sith to immerse themselves in the pool, as the promise of knowledge was too deadly, but the Sith would insist on doing so. He attmepted to convince Vestara to leave the place, but she had already called the Sith to her, and they soon arrived.

The duel
"Jedi treachery! I should have killed you days aaah&mdash;''" [Luke Force-pushes him away] "Days ''ago, Gavar, you might have had a chance to succeed."

- Gavar Khai and Luke Skywalker

In the pool, Ben and Vestara first each saw adult versions of themselves. The pool then changed to show Abeloth running toward the allies' ships, and Ben realized that she had used Ship to bring them here so that she could escape. Ben insisted that they leave quickly, but Gavar said that they wait until they know for sure. As Vestara looked into the pool, it morphed to show the Tribe's homeworld, Kesh, and its capital city, Tahv. Suspecting that the Jedi were trying to betray them and learn of their homeworld, Gavar used the Force to disperse the image and began to threaten Ben, but Luke Force-pushed Gavar away.

Taalon, however, was unconcerned with the developing fight, as he looked into the pool and saw the Throne of Balance, on which was seated a Jedi queen. He feared the queen might prevent the Sith takeover of the galaxy, and thus demanded to know who she was. The Jedi chose that moment to attack on their terms, knowing that a fight was coming. Luke activated his lightsaber, while Ben did the same and turned quickly to ge past Vestara and attack Taalon. Vestara was shocked at his sudden attack on her, and neglected for a moment to counter. Meanwhile, Gavar unleashed a shikkar at Luke, but the Grand Master dodged the throw and the blade smashed against the stone floor.

Ben managed to get past Vestara, but Taalon had already dived into the pool. Ben began to make as if to follow him, but Luke warned him off, and Force-pushed him away from the pool. Gavar then unleashed Force lightning on Luke while Ben was attacked by Vestara. He was knocked back by her attack, but managed to draw an opening with his blaster and knock her away. She hit Taalon as he jumped out of the pool, and Taalon let his fury out on the apprentice, punching her. Luke quickly beset the High lord, and Ben moved to help, but Gavar threw a parang at the Jedi Knight. Ben sliced it in two, but Gavar use the Force to jam a shard straight into Ben's ribs anyway. The Sith Saber then rushed to help Taalon, and countered Ben's attempt to shove him away. Luke, however, used the Force to smash Gavar into the other two Sith, and managed to cut off his forearm. The Sith responded with Force lightning, knocking Luke away from them. Luke quickly pushed Ben to the exit and fled the grotto, cutting down one of the outer columns, causing the entryway to collapse.

Aftermath
"Sith. Probably chasing Vestara.''" "Or wanting us to think they are. Go prep the Emiax."

- Ben and Luke Skywalker

The Sith escaped the grotto, and Taalon and Gavar decided to use Vestara as a spy&mdash;Taalon beat her and then told her to catch up to the Skywalkers, claiming that she had been attacked by the two Sith, but had escaped. While Ben recovered from his injuries, the Jedi returned to the beach to find their ship, the Jade Shadow, gone&mdash;Abeloth had already fled in it. Ben went to break into Taalon's shuttle, the Emiax, while Vestara suddenly arrived. Taalon and Gavar were not far behind, and Taalon attacked her with Force lightning. Luke laid in hiding and ambushed the Sith with blasterfire, then readied a thermal detonator. After laying down more covering fire, he rushed to Vestara's aid. He did not fall for her ploy, but decided to allow her to come, anyway. Luke's thermal detonator stalled the two Sith, allowing the Jedi to leave with Vestara aboard the Emiax.

They tracked Abeloth to the Fallanassi on the moon Pydyr, where Vestara managed to send a message to a Sith post on Boonta. The Sith arrived soon after, and again they confronted Abeloth.

Appearances

 * Vortex