Shayoto

"Does anybody remember the Vultar Cataclysm? Or the Gank Massacres? I do! I have lived a very long time."

- Shayoto

Shayoto was a Human male Jedi Master active in the Jedi Order in the years leading up to the Great Sith War. Born some time before the year 4,800 BBY, Shayoto went on to live for more than 800 years. Shayoto was trained in the Jedi way by another long-lived Jedi Master, who in turn had a master who lived for thousands of years. Shayoto was also instructed by his master's master, who taught him about events such as the Hundred-Year Darkness and the Great Hyperspace War, and about the modus operandi of the followers of the dark side. After completing his Jedi training and rising to the level of Jedi Master, Shayoto would live for centuries, living through the Gank Massacres in 4,800 BBY and the Vultar Cataclysm in 4,250 BBY. In 3,997 BBY, Shayoto attended the Conclave on Deneba, a Jedi meeting on the Mid Rim planet of Deneba meant to address the recent threat posed by the Empress Teta-based dark side organization known as the Krath. The aging Jedi Master made himself heard during the Conclave, sharing his knowledge of the workings of darksiders given to him by his master's master. During a recess, the Jedi gathered on Deneba's Mount Meru were attacked by Krath war droids. However, Shayoto and the other assembled Jedi Knights were able to fight the droid army off.

Biography
"My master's master told me about the Hundred-Year Darkness&hellip; and the Great Hyperspace War. He taught me how the agents of the dark side do their work."

- Shayoto

Shayoto, a Human male, was born some time before 4,800 BBY, and eventually was found to be a Force-sensitive. He joined the Jedi Order, and was placed under the tutelage of a very old Jedi Master. Shayoto was also taught by his master's master, who told him about the events of the Hundred-Year Darkness and the Great Hyperspace War, which the ancient Jedi Master had lived through. Shayoto's master's master also taught him how the agents of the dark side operated, telling him that darksiders acted in secrecy and waited until the leaders of society had fallen under their grasp, before striking with great suddenness. After completing his training, Shayoto rose to the rank of Jedi Master. Shayoto went on to live for many centuries, living through the Gank Massacres in 4,800 BBY, and the Vultar Cataclysm five hundred and fifty years later.

In 3,997 BBY, a conclave of Jedi on the Mid Rim planet of Deneba was called to deal with some events that had recently transpired; a dark side-wielding group known as the Krath had seized power in the Empress Teta system, and declared war on the Jedi Order. By this time, Shayoto had lived for hundreds of years, but that did not stop the aging Jedi Master from going to Deneba. A large crowd of Jedi, including Shayoto, attended the gathering on Deneba's Mount Meru. During the conclave, the Jedi tried to find a way to neutralize the Krath threat. Eventually, the young Jedi Watchman of the Tetan worlds, Ulic Qel-Droma, was called to the stage, and claimed that an all-out war with the Krath would not eliminate the true dark side threat. After hearing this, Shayoto asked to speak, and although he had not been recognized by Master Odan-Urr, the conclave on Deneba's spokesman, fellow Jedi Master Arca Jeth proclaimed that Shayoto should be allowed to address the other Jedi.

Stepping forward, Shayoto told the assembled Jedi Knights his memory of the events of the past; the Hundred-Year Darkness, Great Hyperspace War, Gank Massacres, and the Vultar Cataclysm, and related to them his knowledge of the methods of darksiders. The aged Jedi Master made the point that the Krath conspiracy should be torn out by its roots before it could spread beyond the Empress Teta system. Ulic Qel-Droma agreed, and proposed that he infiltrate the Krath organization and learn their secrets, an idea that did not sit well with the gathered Jedi. Arca Jeth in particular was strongly against it, fearing that Qel-Droma would fall to the dark side himself if he attempted to do this. A recess was then called, and before the conclave could resume, the Jedi were ambushed by hundreds of life pods containing Krath war droids launched from orbit. Shayoto and the other Jedi were forced to fight them off, and after a fierce battle, they were successful. However, many Jedi Knights, including Master Jeth, were killed.

Personality and traits
"The dark siders act in complete secrecy, until the leaders of society have fallen to their evil seductions. Then they strike with great suddenness, bringing down civilizations it took aeons to build."

- Shayoto

Over the course of many centuries, Shayoto, through the teachings of his master and his master's master, accrued a great knowledge of galactic history, the conflicts between the light side and the dark side of the Force, and the workings of agents of the dark side. The Jedi Master did not hesitate to share his knowledge with the rest of the Jedi Order, as he did during the Conclave on Deneba. Although by the time of the conclave Shayoto was several hundred years old, he was still spry enough to attend. Shayoto possessed a measure of boldness, as he stepped forward to speak during the Jedi meeting although he had not been recognized yet by the meeting's spokesman, Odan-Urr. The centuries-old Jedi Master resented the dark side of the Force and its followers, seeing them as "evil", and blaming them for the fall of many civilizations, some of which took eons to build.

Behind the scenes
The character of Shayoto first appeared in Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith, the fourth story arc of the Tales of the Jedi comic book series, written by Kevin J. Anderson and Tom Veitch over late 1994-early 1995. Shayoto appeared in the arc's third issue, titled Descent to the Dark Side, where he played a minor role. Shayoto did not appear or was mentioned in any other issues in the arc, and it is so far his only appearance in the Star Wars canon. In his appearance, Shayoto was illustrated by Christian Gossett. In addition, Shayoto was mentioned in the Star Wars Encyclopedia, the third edition of A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, and in 2008 Shayoto was given an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.

Although Shayoto appears in the comic version of Dark Lords of the Sith, the Jedi Master is absent from the Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama. In the audio version, Shayoto's lines are attributed to Arca Jeth.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith 3: Descent to the Dark Side

Notes and references
Shayoto Shayoto