Rahm Kota's lightsaber

"General Rahm Kota. He is attacking a critical Imperial shipyard above Nar Shaddaa. You will destroy him and bring me his lightsaber."

- Darth Vader

This lightsaber was the chosen weapon of Jedi Master Rahm Kota, and was a heavy-duty model that saw frequent use. During the Dark Times, Kota's lightsaber was wielded by the Jedi General during his personal insurrection against the Galactic Empire. In 2 BBY, Starkiller was dispatched by Darth Vader to kill Kota and bring the lightsaber to Vader. Starkiller blinded Kota with his own weapon, and though the Jedi escaped, Starkiller turned it over to Darth Vader.

Darth Vader later gave the lightsaber to Starkiller to replace his original weapon after it's loss. Masquerading as a Rebel, Starkiller wielded the lightsaber against various Imperial agents while assembling the Rebel Alliance, and modified it to suit his own needs. After Starkiller was betrayed by Darth Vader, he wielded the lightsaber in combat against his former master and bested him. Starkiller perished in a subsequent confrontation with Galactic Emperor Palpatine, and the lightsaber was destroyed by Vader.

Specifications


Kota's lightsaber was a heavy-duty model, with a solid hilt and an emitter shroud. The hilt was covered with an interwoven fabric wrapping that acted as the grip of the lightsaber. Kota's lightsaber evidently saw frequent use, as by 2 BBY, the metal casing was heavily scratched and pitted. The blade originally featured a green crystal, and was perfectly servicable. Uniquely, Kota kept his lightsaber in a custom made sheath on his back, rather than hanging from his belt as was the norm among Jedi.

When Galen Marek took possession of the lightsaber, he found it to be perfectly adequate to his needs, but remained uncomfortable with the bold green blade. He was largely troubled by the issue of ownership, as he felt that it still belonged to Kota. He solved this issue by removing the green crystal and replacing it with the blue crystal from his father's lightsaber, and concluded that this customization made the weapon his. He noted that with this new crystal, the lightsaber handled more easily and possessed superior optical properties.

History
"Darth Vader: Master Kota is dead?" "Galen Marek: Yes." "Vader: His lightsaber."

- Galen Marek presents Kota's lightsaber to Darth Vader.



It is unknown when Rahm Kota constructed this weapon, but he wielded it frequently during his personal guerilla war against the Galactic Empire. When Darth Vader dispatched Galen Marek to hunt down Kota, he ordered Marek to bring back Kota's lightsaber as proof of kill. In the ensuing duel aboard the TIE Fighter Construction Facility above Nar Shaddaa, Marek won when he forced Kota's own blade into the Jedi's eyes, blinding him. Kota dropped his lightsaber before falling through a shattered viewport into Nar Shaddaa's upper atmosphere. Marek claimed the weapon before escaping himself.

Returning to Darth Vader, Marek presented the weapon to his master. While Vader was pleased with his students success, he felt that Marek was still unfocused and easily distracted, drawing the lightsaber on him to prove his point. The lightsaber remained in Vader's possession until he dispatched Marek on a new mission. As Marek's own Sith lightsaber had been lost in the vacuum when he was spaced, Vader provided him with Kota's lightsaber.



While Marek was able to wield the weapon effectively in combat, he had difficulty using it in his meditations, his favorite exercise being to stare into his lightsaber blade to focus his fury. He overcame this when he replaced the green crystal used by Kota with the blue crystal from his father's lightsaber, retrieved on Kashyyyk. He found that the weapon performed better with this new crystal, though he noted that the aqua hue made him think more of oceans and rain rather than the blood and fire fostered by his original, red lightsaber. The blue blade saw first use during his mission to Raxus Prime.

When Galen Marek was ultimately betrayed by Darth Vader, he rejected the Sith and fought back. Assaulting the Death Star in a bid to rescue the captured leaders of the Rebel Alliance, Marek wielded the lightsaber against various divisions of the Imperial forces. Ultimately, the weapon saw use against Darth Vader, and Marek proved himself the superior duelist, bashing off the Sith Lord's helmet. Galen Marek even attacked Galactic Emperor Palpatine himself, using the lightsaber to absorb his Force lightning attacks while countering with telekinesis.

Galen Marek ultimately perished in the engagement, the lightsaber found with his corpse. Darth Vader destroyed the weapon, crushing it underneath his prosthetic heel.

Backups/Replacement


Kota's loss of the weapon would not prove dehabilitating for him, as he would quickly gain possession of a replacement. While hiding out on Bespin, he carried a blue lightsaber, wielding it during his escape. He took up a new green blade, possibly the same lightsaber with new crystals, during the Corellian Treaty, unsuccessfully wielding it against Darth Vader. This weapon was cosmetically identical to his original lightsaber, and it, or a similar replacement, likely saw continued use during the Galactic Civil War.

Kota wielded his weapon during his tenure in the Tarko-se Arena, slaying numerous beasts and Gladiators with it. He also used it during the Battle near the Itani Nebula and the Battle of Kamino. At the conclusion of the latter, Kota would hold a captured Darth Vader at bladepoint with the lightsaber while the Sith Lord was detained.

Behind the Scenes
Galen Marek's use of Kota's lightsaber is a plot element unique to the novelization of The Force Unleashed, and is not featured in any of the video game versions.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II comic