User:Harrar/Workbench

"Let's talk about Kyp Durron." "Master Durron is a fine, responsible Jedi." "I'm not talking about the Jedi he is now. I'm talking about the teenager who destroyed most of the life in the Carida system all those years ago." "He was under the influence of the dark side of the Force at that time, affected by the mental sendings of a long-dead Sith Lord. And in the years since, he has proven himself to be courageous, a defender of life&mdash;" "Yes, he has. I'm not questioning that."

- Natasi Daala and Luke Skywalker

A polarizing figure in galactic history, Kyp Durron was both a leading Jedi Master in Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order and a man responsible for the deaths of millions during his anti-Imperial rampage in 11 ABY. Incarcerated in the spice mines of Kessel by the Galactic Empire at an early age, Durron's deep anger against his imprisoners was easily exploited by the spirit of Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun, once Han Solo rescued the young Force-sensitive and took him to Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. Under Kun's guidance, Durron stole the Sun Crusher superweapon and embarked upon a vendetta, destroying several Imperial targets and unwittingly killing his own brother in the process. Only once Kun's influence had been banished did Durron begin a long quest for absolution which led him to become Skywalker’s most talented pupil and one of the first Jedi Masters of the New Jedi Order.

Despite Durron’s reformation, his desire to repent for his actions manifested itself in a high-profile campaign against smugglers in the Outer Rim Territories as part of a philosophy of direct action against those whom he perceived as wrong-doers. When the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong attacked the galaxy in 25 ABY, Durron was one of the first to meet the threat, losing his apprentice and many other fellow Jedi in the opening months of the war. His policy of aggressive action was enhanced in the face of the Yuuzhan Vong menace and Durron began leading like-minded Jedi to war, against the wishes of Skywalker. Following further losses, Durron briefly took Jaina Solo as his apprentice and was later reconciled with Skywalker following Galactic Alliance Chief of State Cal Omas' creation of the High Council, upon which both men had seats. Durron saw the war through to its conclusion and remained one of Skywalker’s leading advisors on the newly formed Jedi High Council.

In 35 ABY, when a border conflict between the Chiss Ascendancy and the insectoid Killik species flared out of control, a group of younger Jedi departed to fight on behalf of the Killiks, provoking Chief of State Omas to attempt to gain more control over the Jedi Order. Durron, as the proponent of the philosophy that Jedi should follow the guidance of the Force rather than the policies of the reigning government, stridently opposed Omas, upholding his principles throughout the course of the conflict. The Jedi Master later found himself fighting the Galactic Alliance directly during the Second Galactic Civil War, when Jaina Solo’s twin brother Jacen Solo took control of the government and attempted to impose Sith rule upon the galaxy as Darth Caedus. Following Jacen Solo’s defeat, the galaxy entered into a period of reformation under the direction of Chief of State Natasi Daala, one of Durron’s former Imperial enemies. Daala’s policies included attempts to curb the autonomy of the Jedi Order, which Durron weathered alongside the emerging threat of a mysterious Force psychosis.

Early years
Kyp Durron, a Force-sensitive Human male, was born in 7 BBY on the planet Deyer, a colony world in the Anoat system. Durron, who was an active child during his childhood, had an older brother, Zeth, with whom he had a close relationship. As small boys, Kyp and his brother used to fish, swim and play in the lakes that covered the planet's surface. Zeth, who was an intelligent youth, had dreams of attending Deyer's civil engineering school to help out in the running of the colony. Kyp, however, was six years younger than his brother and was content with his simple life on the waterworld. The Durron family lived in one of Deyer's many raft cities, which floated upon the lakes as the inhabitants fished and sold their produce through a co-operative system which brought the backwater colony a decent profit. While Durron's parents were not, as far as the young man knew, Force-sensitives themselves, they were political opponents of the Galactic Empire, the authoritarian government that had come to power in 19 BBY following the dissolution of the Galactic Republic. The Deyer colonists, even though they had modelled the charter of the fishing co-operative on the ideals of the obsolete Galactic Republic, were largely ignored by Emperor Palpatine while they experimented with civil liberties, due to planet's backwater status.

Following events in 0 ABY, however, the political activism of the Deyer colonists could no longer be tolerated. The Galactic Empire's Death Star superweapon was used to destroy the planet Alderaan, a world known for its pacifism, an action that provoked outrage across the galaxy. Many of the colonists, among them Durron's parents, spoke out against the Galactic Empire's actions, believing that democracy and peaceful protest could effect change. Deyer's representatives denounced Alderaan's destruction and requested that Palpatine dismantle his New Order. The emperor's response came in the form of repression. In 1 ABY, stormtroopers moved in on the colonies, putting an end to the co-operative and its liberal propensities. Deyer's raft cities were rapidly overwhelmed, its capital city of Feiya conquered and its population rounded up for imprisonment. Kyp Durron was eight years old at the time and the attack came as a complete surprise. One evening, stormtroopers burst into the Durron family's home, breaking the door open and stunning the young man's parents with blasters. When Zeth, who was fourteen at the time, attempted to resist, he too was stunned. The four family members were taken into Imperial custody. Whilst Zeth, who was old enough to be conscripted, was taken to the Imperial training center on Carida to be indoctrinated and trained as a stormtrooper, Kyp Durron was incarcerated alongside his elderly parents in the spice mines of Kessel, sentenced to hard labor.

From prison to power
"Kyp agreed to undergo serious training, but didn't know what he was getting into. He'd been a mine slave all his life. You showed him how powerful he was. He was learning how to make his own decisions and suddenly, grand new vistas opened up for him."

- Corran Horn, to Luke Skywalker

Incarceration and tutelage
"An old woman who spent part of her sentence in the spice tunnels told me I had some sort of tremendous potential. She showed me how to use something called "the power" or "the strength" or something." "The Force! Why didn't you say so? Who was this woman?" "Her name was Vima-Da-Boda. Down in the spice mines she taught me only a few things before the guards hauled her away. I never saw her again, but I've been practicing what she taught me. It's helped a few times, but I don't really understand how."

- Kyp Durron and Han Solo

Durron was brought to the spice mines of Kessel when he was eight. p. 273 Vima da Boda. By the time of Zeth's death, Kyp has no surviving relatives.

Flight from Kessel
"Get one of those ships and we're away from Kessel. We can go home."

- Han Solo, to Kyp Durron

It was one black day in the mines, sometime in 11 ABY, that Kyp Durron met a Corellian and a Wookiee who would change his life forever. Awaiting a seat on one of the mine carts which was preparing to make its way down into the deepest levels of the spice mines, Durron observed Boss Roke introducing two new captives to their service in the mines. Once the workers were herded into the mine cart and the vehicle began its descent, Durron, intrigued by the prospect of news from above ground, decided to climb forward to meet with the new arrivals. It was a difficult task in the pitch darkness; when one guard, equipped with infrared goggles, ordered Durron to return to his seat, the young prisoner used a mind trick to distract the attention. Taking a seat next to the new arrivals, Durron introduced himself and talked of his past. The Human, Han Solo, informed him of the news in the galaxy; Durron was happy to hear that the Emperor had been defeated at the Battle of Endor.

Solo also introduced his Wookiee partner, Chewbacca, with whom he had come to Kessel as an ambassador from the New Republic, the fledgling galactic government based on Coruscant. Solo revealed that they had been incarcerated due to Moruth Doole's suspicions of their purpose on Kessel. The mine carts were soon separated, dispatching their occupants to different parts of the mines. Durron acted as the guide for the Human male and the Wookiee, helping them orientate themselves to their new surroundings and descending with them further into the tunnels, through the various checkpoints and over the usual obstacles until they reached the spice-mining areas. Once they arrived at a glitterstim fault, Durron taught his new companions how to sort through the rocks to find the spice and worked alongside them for a long time in the darkness. Later, when a bogey moved through the area, the guard grew frightened and called an end to the shift. The workers returned to the lit sections of the mining complex and Durron introduced himself to Solo and Chewbacca under the artificial light, brushing off Solo's exclamations at his youthful age.

Over the next days, Durron formed a closer bond with Solo and Chewbacca, despite their advanced ages. After one shift, when an irate Solo threw a punch at one of the guards and started a small-scale riot in the muster room, Durron joined in the fight, attacking a number of guards himself. Boss Roke shortly restored order, directing his guards to stun several prisoners. The workers were taken to their bunks and forced to go to sleep once Roke turned on the sleep-generating field. Due to his role in the riot, Solo was an obvious choices for being part of a small team of prisoners that would descend into the lower tunnels, where more prisoners had recently gone missing, with Boss Roke the next day. Durron volunteered to accompany Solo, knowing the older man had something in mind. Roke selected the prisoner Clorr and another guard to fill out the team before the small group descended into the lower tunnels. Solo divulged that he believed that prisoners were not being killed, but were rather escaping, locating new tunnels to the surface. The Corellian felt that if Roke and his guard could be overpowered, they could all flee the spice mines together.

Boss Roke took the mine cart deep into the tunnels before ushering the small groups out of the vehicle and taking spice readings. As Roke had suspected, the tunnels were full of glitterstim deposits; the boss led Durron and the others deeper, until Clorr, who was at the front of the group, was suddenly whisked away into the darkness by a massive unseen creature. Moments later, Roke was grabbed; Solo, Durron and Chewbacca ran away from the mysterious creature as it began its pursuit. Solo was able to grab the infrared goggles from the last guard and observe as a giant energy spider impaled the man with razor sharp legs and fed on his body heat. Durron and Chewbacca raced to the mine cart and powered it up; once Solo was aboard, with the energy spider in close pursuit, the three prisoners took the mine cart at speed back up on the only possible course&mdash;the muster room. Durron proposed putting the mine cart on manual control and finding their own escape route but Solo, terrified by the thought of more energy spiders, rejected the idea.

On arrival in the muster room, Durron and his companions opened the door to find Arb Skynxnex waiting to execute Solo and Chewbacca. The three prisoners were forced to flee back to the mine cart and head back into the tunnels with Skynxnex and more guards in close pursuit. In their slower mine cart, made up of three carriages, Durron and his companions lost ground to their pursuit and Skynxnex began firing upon them from an individual mine cart at long range. Unknowingly relying on the Force to enhance his reaction times, Durron managed to swerve the mine cart manually out of a collision and avoid blaster fire from Skynxnex. When he realized, however, that the automatically inputted course was taking them back down to the lair of the energy spider, Durron took manual control of the mine cart, relying on his unusually enhanced senses to survive. When another bogey moved through an opening in the tunnel wall made by a stray blaster shot from Skynxnex, Durron followed it, taking the mine cart into what was, unbeknownst to him, the energy spider's lair.

Although Durron managed to evade the creature, Skynxnex drove his mine cart straight into it by accident and was killed. Solo directed the young Human to a new passage, which led them to the artificial upper tunnels. Once they burst out onto the brightly lit surface of Kessel, Solo took the controls. The next step was to find a starship and flee the planet; Durron directed Solo toward an atmospheric factory where they spotted a pair of supply shuttles. While Durron kept watch, Solo and Chewbacca attempted to gain entry into one of the shuttles but the trio were forced to switch to the second shuttle, a 500-X model, once Solo tripped the automatic lockout systems. Durron watched nervously as a team of guards on a routine patrol arrived and noticed the damage to the first shuttle. As the alarm was triggered and guards rushed out to prevent their escape, Solo piloted the shuttle away from the factory. Moruth Doole contacted the trio of escapees through the communications system and informed them that their escape was doomed; the entire Kessel fleet, garrisoned on Kessel's lone moon, was scrambled to intercept them. Just as the 500-X shuttle neared the edge of Kessel's weak atmosphere, Durron received a premonition in the Force and slammed on the starship's acceleration. Moments later, Kessel's planetary shield was powered up&mdash;Durron had saved himself and his new companions from death by a fractional distance. Despite the close call, the trio was still in danger. Doole's forces jammed the shuttle's communications and pursued the fleeing starship. Solo pumped all power into the vessel's shields, which failed to offer much protection. Desperate but aware that his powers could give them a chance at survival, Durron told Solo to fly the shuttle into the Maw. The Corellian was deeply skeptical but when Durron divulged the knowledge of his tutelage under Vima-Da-Boda&mdash;whom Solo had in fact met previously&mdash;he decided to trust in Durron's abilities.

Shunting all power to the engines, Solo piloted the shuttle into the Maw at great speed. The Kessel fleet abandoned pursuit on the edge of the cluster of black holes. Durron took the controls from the nervous Corellian and closed his eyes, allowing the Force to guide the shuttle and its crew to safety. For a long period of time, in silence, with the black holes on all sides, the young Force-sensitive flew the shuttle toward the area of gravitational calm in the center of the cluster. By the time the journey finished, Durron was exhausted from the exertion of his abilities and encouraged a period of recuperation while they repaired the shuttle in the comparative safety of the region. On arrival in the center of the cluster, however, the trio of escapees discovered a fresh danger. Four Imperial I-class Star Destroyers were in orbit around a habitational complex built into a cluster of asteroids in the center of the region.

Another prison, another escape
"The kid knows what he's doing. He'll get us through, if anybody can."

- Han Solo

The Star Destroyers immediately scrambled squadrons of TIE/ln starfighters and TIE/In interceptors in response to the shuttle's arrival and, following the failure of the old starship's shields, capture once again appeared inevitable. To the surprise of the trio of escapees, the Imperials present aboard the Star Destroyers contacted them, requesting a security clearance code, in the belief that the 500-X shuttle was bringing news from the Galactic Empire. Solo's attempts to bluff the Imperials failed, however, and Durron and his companions were taken aboard the flagship of the four Star Destroyers, the Gorgon, for interrogation. In the Gorgon ' s ventral hangar, a group of Imperial stormtroopers took them into custody. Leading the Imperials was a Human woman who identified herself as Admiral Daala, who had been on duty in the Maw, unaware of the Galactic Empire's collapse, for approximately the same amount of time as Durron had been in the mines.

Durron was separated from Solo and Chewbacca and subjected to deep interrogation, his pain receptors manipulated by an interrogation droid until he was desperately searching for useful information to stave off further torture. After it emerged that he knew nothing of the outside galaxy, the young Force-sensitive was thrown into one of the Gorgon ' s detention cells, pronounced useless by the Imperials and sentenced for execution. While sitting in his sparse cell, Durron brooded, recalling the consistent role played by the Galactic Empire in preventing him from living in freedom. Angrily trying to wield his Force powers, Durron swore to himself that he would learn how to manipulate his abilities to prevent himself from ever being in such helpless situations again.

As Durron increasingly immersed himself in the Force, he was able to sense the emotions of those aboard the Gorgon and observed as the crew appeared to enter a heightened state of readiness. Convinced that something important was about to transpire, Durron prepared himself to attack the Imperials as he heard activity outside his cell door. When Han Solo killed the stormtrooper guard and entered the cell, Durron eagerly joined the Corellian and the Omwati scientist, Qwi Xux, with whom Solo had allied to effect their escape. The trio set off to locate Chewbacca, who had been drafted into a work detail in one of the Star Destroyer's hangar bays. Durron disguised himself in stormtrooper armor and accompanied Solo and Xux to Chewbacca's location, whereupon Xux&mdash;who was defecting due to her belated realization that the Death Star superweapon she had designed had been used to destroy planets&mdash;used her credentials to secure the Wookiee's release. Xux then urged them all to travel with her to Maw Installation where she promised that a starship could be stolen. Upon arrival, the Omwati scientist led the trio to a heavily secured hangar. Utilizing her official documents to facilitate their entry, Xux revealed to the group their escape craft&mdash;the Sun Crusher superweapon, a small starship clad in near-indestructible quantum-crystalline armor and armed with Resonance torpedoes capable of inducing a supernova in a star.

As the group boarded the superweapon, stormtroopers rushed to prevent their escape. Durron watched as Solo sealed the craft and used its laser cannons to blow a hole in the hangar roof before piloting the Sun Crusher through the gap to open space. Admiral Daala scrambled her forces to intercept the superweapon; while the quantum-crystalline armor prevented it from physical harm, the sheer quantity of TIE fighters in space around the Sun Crusher penned Solo in and as the fourth of Daala's Star Destroyer's, the Hydra (Imperial-class Star Destroyer), moved into their path, Durron's friend made a snap decision. Solo piloted the small craft directly toward the bridge of the Star Destroyer and punched the Sun Crusher straight through the superstructure. The Hydra, deprived of its command center, drifted into one of the black holes, its destruction enabling Durron to take over the controls and pilot the Sun Crusher into the Maw. Repeating his earlier technique, Durron surrendered control of his senses to the Force and navigated a safe path through the black hole cluster. Solo sat alongside him during the journey, which exhausted the young Force-sensitive. Once the Sun Crusher emerged on the other side of the Maw, however, it was met by Moruth Doole's onrushing Kessel fleet. Solo was perplexed by the fact that the fleet had apparently not moved in the days since they had entered the Maw aboard the 500-X shuttle but when Durron realized that the lead starship in Doole's fleet, Solo's own YT-1300 light freighter the Millennium Falcon, captured by the Rybet's forces, was in fact fleeing the rest of Doole's fleet.

As Natasi Daala's pursuing Star Destroyers emerged from the Maw and engaged Doole's fleet, believing it to be a New Republic flotilla, Solo acted quickly, contacting the pilots of the Millennium Falcon from the Sun Crusher, who happened to be Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and entrepreneur Lando Calrissian&mdash;Solo's brother-in-law and close friend, respectively. Having come to Kessel to search for Solo and Chewbacca, Skywalker and Calrissian had been forced to flee aboard the Millennium Falcon when Doole realized their purpose. As the light freighter's navicomputer was disabled, Solo sent the Millennium Falcon data from the Sun Crusher and the two starships made a hyperspace jump to Coruscant, the capital of the New Republic, leaving Doole and Daala to battle it out.

Civilization
"I'm glad we've had so much fun, Han. I've done a lifetime's worth of healing since you rescued me."

- Kyp Durron, to Han Solo

Jedi training
"I'm ready, Master Skywalker. Teach me the Jedi ways."

- Kyp Durron

Durron emerged from the New Republic transport behind Antilles and Xux to be greeted by Luke Skywalker and an assembled crowd of Jedi trainees. After helping to unload the transport alongside the other Jedi, Durron was introduced to life at the Jedi Praxeum and commenced his training.

Corruption
"Who are you?" "I could be your teacher. I could show you many things that even your Master Skywalker does not comprehend." "What things?" "I could show you techniques that were lost thousands of years ago, secret rites and hidden doorways of power that no weak Jedi Master like Skywalker dares to touch. But you are strong, Kyp Durron. Do you dare to learn?" "I'm not afraid to learn. But you have to tell me your name. I won't learn from a man who is afraid to identify himself." "I was the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith. I am Exar Kun."

- Kyp Durron and Exar Kun

Plagued by nightmares after his trip to Temple of Exar Kun.

Legacy of the Sith
"Now I am the Lord of the Sith."

- Kyp Durron

Theft of the Sun Crusher
"We have to send the Sun Crusher back. At one time you yourself insisted that it should never be used." "I spoke out of ignorance. Just as you do."

- Luke Skywalker and Kyp Durron

Nicked the Sun Crusher.



Vengeful rampage
"I will do what must be done to eradicate the Empire."

- Kyp Durron

Guided by Exar Kun's spirit, Durron took the Sun Crusher to the Cauldron Nebula in the Outer Rim Territories, where Kun informed him that Natasi Daala and her two remaining Star Destroyers were located. Durron recognized the terror his destruction of the entire nebula would instill the hearts of surviving Imperials and moved the superweapon, undiscovered by Daala's two warships, toward the seven stars that made up the nebula. Deciding that Daala deserved no warning, Durron launched one resonance torpedo into each star and settled in to wait. As time drifted by, Durron grew impatient, wishing he could taunt Daala before sudden death consumed the Gorgon and the Basilisk. When the two Star Destroyers went on the move, however, preparing to leave the system, Durron realized that he had to stall Daala. He raced the Sun Crusher toward the two warships and made his presence obvious. Daala scrambled TIE fighters against the superweapon in attempt to force Durron to dock the craft with the Gorgon, playing right into the Jedi's hands.

Durron easily used the small craft's speed to evade the tractor beams of the Star Destroyer and its TIE fighters, before communicating with Daala to mock her efforts. Durron watched as Daala finally comprehended his delaying tactic and ordered the Gorgon and the Basilisk to retreat. As the Star Destroyers moved away, the nebula's seven stars exploded, sending a cataclysmic shockwave of energy pulsing across the star system. The scores of TIE fighters were wiped out along with the Basilisk and, as Durron's viewports turned opaque due to the high quantities of radiation, he believed that he saw the Gorgon explode as well, bringing his personal vendetta against Daala to a close. Before leaving the system, Durron left one of the Sun Crusher's message pods behind with a statement claiming responsibility for the nebula's destruction and an explanation for his actions.

Days after the destruction of the Cauldron Nebula, Durron arrived in the Carida system, having set his sights on the academy to which his brother Zeth had been taken almost ten years prior. The young Jedi did not expect his brother to be alive and awaited the opportunity to destroy the system and its Imperial presence. Entering the orbit, he warned the academy personnel not to attempt to apprehend him, issuing an ultimatum when they attempted to tractor beam the craft down to the surface. When Ambassador Furgan, the head of the academy, communicated with him, Durron informed the Caridan that he would destroy the Carida system within the hour unless Furgan revealed the fate of his brother. When Dauren, the communications officer for the academy, informed him some time later that Zeth had died during a training exercise. Durron asked for the files to be uploaded, consumed by rage and grief.

When a large force of TIE fighters rose from the academy to attack the Sun Crusher, Durron realized that he had been stalled by the Caridans and decided to take vengeance on the planet immediately. Following an extended dogfight with the Imperial starfighters, Durron flew toward the star Carida, drawing so close to the sun that his pursuit retreated. The Jedi then loosed one of his four remaining torpedoes into the heart of the star and awaited the system's impending destruction, transmitting a message of victory to the academy. The system only had two hours and Durron watched as the Imperials scrambled to evacuate the system in time. When less than half an hour remained, Durron received an urgent message from Dauren on the surface of Carida.

Dauren informed the Jedi that Zeth Durron was alive and that the information had been falsified in order to keep Durron waiting. By the time Durron had raced the Sun Crusher back to Carida, he had only sixteen minutes left. Lieutenant Dauren brought Zeth before the communications display and Durron got a brief look at his older brother before he sped the Sun Crusher to the main academy complex. With only seven minutes left on the chronometer, Durron knew that time was running out as he neared the buildings and demanded the precise location of Dauren and his brother. The static tower defenses fired at the small superweapon as it descended over the academy, wasting Durron's time as he returned fire and steadied the Sun Crusher. With two minutes to go, Durron lowered the craft toward his brother and Dauren. Just as they prepared to clamber aboard, Dauren struck Zeth with a piece of material and attempted to climb aboard himself.

Zeth shot the lietenant while Durron brought the ship back in reach&mdash;by this time, there was only one minute left. As his brother collapse, dazed after Dauren's attack, Durron locked on to Zeth's body with a tractor beam and rushed to the Sun Crusher's hatch, just as the star exploded. Buffetted around the inside of the superweapon as an intense wave of radiation scoured Carida of life and killed Zeth in an instant, Durron could only watch in horror. Carida was cracked in half by the second pulse of heavier radiation; in his grief the young Jedi managed to fly the Sun Crusher away from the dying planet and enter hyperspace. The Destruction of Carida sent shockwaves of mental anguish through the Force, reaching across the galaxy to the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, where Durron's former companions experienced the disturbance in the Force that was the destruction of the star system. Consumed by grief, Durron headed to the Deep Core, where he was aware bastions of Imperial power remained. Kun's presence still remained with him, fueling his anger and rage. His next target was a shipyard and weapons depot in a small system on the outskirts of the Core. Durron released another resonance torpedo into the system's red dwarf and waited in the system as it exploded, wiping out the Imperial presence there. While Durron remained in the system, however, the Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace. Han Solo and Lando Calrissian had pursued Durron on his destructive campaign and tracked him down. Durron immediately sped the craft toward a jump into hyperspace but the Millennium Falcon intercepted him. Solo began broadcasting to Durron but the Jedi refused to listen, firing warning shots at Solo's starship in order to ward the Corellian off. When the light freighter's tractor beam ensnared the Sun Crusher, however, Durron decided to put a halt to Solo's interference and brought the superweapon's torpedo launcher to bear against the Millennium Falcon.

A tense standoff ensued as Solo attempted to remind Durron of their friendship together; Durron began to relent, remembering the times he and Solo had spent together on Kessel and on Coruscant. Solo's words began to counter the ever-present voice of Exar Kun in Durron's mind, especially once Solo pointed out to him the role of the dark side of the Force in his vendetta. At that moment, however, an electronic signal from the Millennium Falcon powered down the Sun Crusher and Durron realized he had once again been tricked by a delaying tactic. Kun's influence came flooding back and Durron used the Force to restart the Sun Crusher's systems. As he prepared to launch the resonance torpedo, however, Kun's presence suddenly vanished as the Sith Lord's spirit was defeated on faraway Yavin 4. With the weight of Kun's influence gone, Durron's anger lifted and he realized what he had been about to do. Powering down the torpedo launcher, the Jedi surrendered to Solo.

Judgment
"Kyp Durron, you have the blood of millions, perhaps billions, on your hands. We are a governing body here, not a judicial council. We have no right to decide your fate. You&mdash;you must be judged by the Jedi Master. We are not qualified to judge your crimes. Take him to Yavin. Let Master Skywalker decide his fate."

- Mon Mothma

Kyp Durron was ashamed and guilt-ridden as Solo took him to Coruscant and the Council. On arrival, New Republic forces took the Sun Crusher away and Durron was placed under a heavy guard, separated from Solo. The young man was placed in a dock while the Council assembled; finally Chief of State Mon Mothma, deeply ill following an assassination attempt on her life, entered the chamber. Solo attempted to speak up on Durron's behalf but Jan Dodonna, an aged general of the now defunct Alliance to Restore the Republic, silenced the Corellian and read out a list of Durron's crimes. General Carlist Rieekan, another veteran of the First Galactic Civil War, reminded Durron that the Jedi had knowingly contravened their wishes when he had retrieved the Sun Crusher from the heart of Yavin. Durron announced that he would accept whatever consequences but when Senator Hrekin Thorm demanded execution, Solo spoke out, defending Durron on the grounds of Exar Kun's involvement. It was to be Mon Mothma who pronounced the final verdict; due to the role of the Force in the matter and Durron's killing of an untold number of sentients, the Chief of State decided to leave the matter of the Jedi's punishment to Jedi Master Skywalker, whom Durron learned had recovered following the demise of Kun's spirit.

Durron returned with Han Solo aboard the Millennium Falcon to Yavin 4. On arrival, Solo exited the light freighter to greet his family while Durron waited for Skywalker to approach. Terrified at having to meet the man whom he had put into a coma, Durron awaited his judgment. The young Jedi asked Skywalker if Exar Kun really had been vanquished; the Jedi Master confirmed the matter before asking Durron what he wanted to do with his potential. The young man was shocked that his training could continue but Skywalker revealed that he needed to determine whether Durron had irrevocably consumed himself with fear and anger or left himself the opportunity for redemption. Only when Durron promise that he would try to forsake the dark side did the serene Jedi Master become harsh, warning his pupil that he had to believe that he could become a Jedi if he wanted it to happen. Durron tearfully answered that he wanted to be a Jedi.

Once Skywalker had taken him back to the Jedi trainees at the Praxeum, Durron sunk into a cycle of refusing to use his abilities, ashamed as he was of what he had done and frightened of what he could do again. He came to wish he had never been born with Jedi abilities. One day, however, Skywalker asked Durron to accompany him into the jungles of Yavin 4, insisting that he arm himself with the lightsaber of the fallen Gantoris. Durron went with the Jedi Master, nervous around the presence of the man whom he had attacked and incapacitated. For hours he trekked alongside Skywalker through the jungle, eventually breaking the silence and asking the Jedi Master about the dark side of the Force. Contradicting the teachings of Exar Kun, Skywalker told Durron that whenever he used the Force for his own advancement, he was drawing upon dark side energy. The Jedi Master then brought Durron before the Temple of Exar Kun. Disturbed, Durron protested that he did not want to enter but Skywalker urged him to confront his fears.

Equipping himself with Gantoris' violet-bladed lightsaber, Durron crossed the lake entered the tomb of he death Sith Lord once again while Skywalker waited outside, refusing to offer guidance. It was not long before Durron was confronted by a familiar black shadow who informed Durron that he lived in the Jedi's memory. Believing it to be the specter of Kun, Durron prepared to strike down the spirit with black Sith lightning, reveling in the irony of utilizing Kun's own teachings against the long dead Sith Lord. As the spirit remained cloaked and silent, Durron retreated from the use of Sith powers and took up Gantoris' lightsaber instead, meaning to vanquish his enemy with a Jedi weapon. When Durron realized that he did not need to resort to violence at all, the spirit revealed itself to be that of Zeth Durron and thanked him. Durron returned outside to Skywalker, who warmly received him back into the ranks of the Jedi.

Righting wrongs
"Kyp and I have&hellip;made our peace. He has the potential to become the greatest of the Jedi I am training, but there's one thing he must do before I can consider him completely absolved." "And what is this 'one thing'?" "The Sun Crusher must be destroyed. Everyone in the New Republic knows that. But Kyp must do it himself."

- Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo

Despite Durron's success in Exar Kun's Sith Temple, Skywalker decided that for his pupil's absolution to be truly complete, one final task lay in store for the young Jedi. The two agreed that the Sun Crusher, as the tool of Durron's destruction, had to be destroyed and that Kyp would have to be the man to do it. As the starship was indestructible, the only possibility lay with the black holes of the Maw, which the Sun Crusher could be dropped into and pulverized. As the superweapon still lay in the hands of the New Republic, however, Skywalker and Durron set off to Coruscant to speak with Leia Organa Solo, who had been appointed the new Chief of State by the ailing Mon Mothma, to secure permission for their venture. Upon arrival at Organa Solo's apartment, Durron was informed that Han Solo had traveled to Kessel with Lando Calrissian in order to liberate the spice mines from Moruth Doole for their new administration under Calrissian.

Once Skywalker asked his sister for permission to take the Sun Crusher to the Maw, Organa Solo grew skeptical but eventually relented. After an hours-long meeting with the Council, Chief of State Solo emerged and informed the pair, who were dining in a café, that they had permission to dispose of the Sun Crusher. Skywalker contacted his friend Mara Jade of the Smugglers' Alliance, which was operating on Kessel and asked for a ship on which he and Durron could return to Yavin 4 after the mission. Skywalker and Durron left for Kessel shortly thereafter; after a short trance to recover some of his strength, Durron began sharing memories of his childhood on Deyer with Skywalker, who revealed that he had undergone a test similar to Durron when he had entered a cave on Dagobah and encountered a vision of his father. Eventually, the Sun Crusher emerged over Kessel, only for the two Jedi to discover that the garrison moon had been destroyed and that a fleet of smuggling vessels were waiting in the system.

Skywalker explained the mission to Kithra, an officer in the Smugglers' Alliance, only to be informed that the Death Star prototype had exited the Maw, destroyed the garrison moon and retreated back among the black holes with Han Solo and Lando Calrissian trapped inside its superstructure. Durron and Skywalker took the Sun Crusher into the Maw, working together to navigate a safe path using their Jedi abilities. On arrival in the center, they discovered the Gorgon engaged with a New Republic fleet that had been sent previously to recover information from Maw Installation. Admiral Daala, having barely survived the destruction of the Cauldron Nebula, had returned with her flagship to the Maw to protect the installation. Durron piloted the Sun Crusher down to Maw Installation where General Wedge Antilles was waiting, while Skywalker communicated ahead. Upon landing, Durron accompanied the Jedi Master to a tense meeting with Antilles and Qwi Xux, who was also on the mission as an advisor.

Fortunately for Durron, Antilles was preoccupied and the Death Star prototype soon emerged over the installation. As the Gorgon intensified its attack on Maw Installation, Durron absented himself during the chaos. He knew that it was his duty to destroy the Death Star prototype and Daala with the power of the Sun Crusher in an attempt at atonement. Aware that Skywalker would not have allowed him to go off alone, Durron used his Force abilities to ease his passage through Maw Installation, blanking memories and hiding his Force presence as he raced to the Sun Crusher. Durron powered up the small craft and left the installation, heading for the prototype. With only two more supernova torpedoes left in the superweapon, Durron was unsure of the best strategy. When the Millennium Falcon streaked out from the prototype's superstructure and an explosion blossomed from the Death Star's reactor core moments later, Durron was heartened and approached the prototype.

While the Gorgon destroyed Maw Installation in a final attack run and vanished in the explosion, with Natasi Daala presumed dead, Durron made a strafing run on the Death Star prototype's command center before launching one of the supernova torpedoes at the battle station. To his concern, however, the torpedo destroyed only seven percent of the battle station's mass&mdash;due to its framework structure, no chain reaction would occur. Durron decided instead to lead the Death Star prototype toward the black holes, hoping that in their overconfidence the pilots of the giant battle station would stray too close to one of the gravity wells. He piloted the Sun Crusher to the edge of the black holes and, as he had hoped, the battle station pursued the Sun Crusher, firing its superlaser beam at the flitting craft and missing. Loosing his final torpedo against the battle station, Durron drew the prototype in closer to the black hole, making his calculations to avoid his own destruction.

As the Death Star fired again, the beam grazed the Sun Crusher, sending the craft spinning and damaging the navigation systems. Durron realized that he would be unable to escape the black hole and rushed to one of the craft's message pods. Utilizing the Force to deaden the vast pain, Durron crammed himself into the message pod, the inside of which could barely hold a child. Despite the breakage of many of his bones, including those in his limbs and ribcage, Durron managed to squeeze himself in to the message pod and placed himself in a hibernation trance.. The pod fired away from the doomed Sun Crusher as the superweapon spiraled into the black hole. The Death Star prototype followed the small craft to its demise, unable to withdraw from the gravity well in time. The Millennium Falcon flew toward the black hole and intercepted the message pod before it could be lost. When they discovered Durron's broken body in the message pod, Solo and Calrissian were shocked at the extent of Durron's injuries and prised him out of the small container. The young Jedi opened his eyes long enough to check that the two superweapons had been destroyed before sinking back into his hibernation trance to heal. The Millennium Falcon returned Durron to Yavin 4 to continue his recovery. It took considerable time for Durron's extensive injuries to heal but, a while after the destruction of the Death Star prototype and of the Sun Crusher, he was well enough to join Luke Skywalker and the other Jedi at the Praxeum for an address on the top of the Great Temple. Moving with a distinctive limp, Durron arrived with his fellow Jedi and listened to Skywalker's brief speech. Despite the outward calm he projected to others, however, Durron was in emotional turmoil and near-suicidal.

Haunted by guilt and misery, still wary of potential misabuses of the Force and quietly hoping that someone would bring an end to his tormented existence, Durron set out on his own. There were many who could not comprehend Durron's fate. To the galaxy at large, Durron appeared to have escaped punishment for the destruction of Carida and his other actions at the helm of the Sun Crusher. To some he was a war hero, to others a mass murderer. Durron's case was often cited by those who espoused anti-Jedi sentiment; for years after Durron's artificial creation of the Carida Nebula, sections of society would continue to call for an increasingly belated punishment.

Atonement
"There are days when I think the guilt will drive me mad."

- Kyp Durron

Guilt-ridden
"They have a word for what you did. It's called genocide." "I know." "Then tell me, Jedi. How come you're allowed to roam the galaxy recruiting others, recruiting my partner, to follow in your footsteps? Why aren't you in jail? Why weren't you executed?" "I don't know. I should be. I should be dead. No one would ever blame you, Fen, for killing the murderer of billions of sentients."

- Fenig Nabon and Kyp Durron

Durron trusted the call of the Force, which led him to take upon himself a mission to investigate rumors of a powerful Jedi on Prishardia known as Ghitsa. Durron was motivated chiefly by fears that Ghitsa, unprotected and powerful, could be suborned by criminals and led down the same path as he had been. Durron made his way to Prishardia, a backwater planet located near Chad in the Outer Rim Territories. On arrival, Durron did not sense any powerful Force presences on the backwater planet and concluded that whoever Ghitsa was, she was no Force-sensitive. The guilt-ridden Jedi decided, nevertheless, to investigate the situation, trusting the call from the Force, and set out to look for Ghitsa. The rumors of Ghitsa were vague and Durron had a hard time tracking down leads; he hired a landspeeder and set out for Lesvol, the planet's second city, where reports indicated he could locate Fenig Nabon, Ghitsa's partner, and their starship, the Star Lady.

Unwilling to divulge his true identity, well-known among fringe elements such as Nabon and Ghitsa, Durron introduced himself as Zeth Fost and asked Nabon to take him to Ghitsa. The smuggler, following her initial abrasiveness, agreed and the two set off in the rented landspeeder. On arrival at the dwelling where Ghitsa had been living, however, Nabon and Durron discovered that Ghitsa was gone, kidnapped by the same group that had sabotaged the Star Lady ' s hyperdrive a month previously and landed Nabon and Ghitsa on Prishardia. Durron and Nabon returned immediately to Levsol, with the young Jedi explaining to the smuggler that he would see the situation through, due to his guidance from the Force.

On returning to Lesvol, the two Humans were informed by Gibb, an associate of Nabon's, that Ghitsa had been taken to Nad'Ris City, Prishardia's capital. Nabon ordered Gibb to hack into Nad'Ris City's spaceport records, a task that the mechanic undertook with some nervousness on account of Durron's presence. Durron reassured Gibb that he was not interested in investigating petty crimes and quickly discerned through the guidance of the Force that the Rook was the starship they were looking for, a Class 720 freighter that had arrived around the same time as Nabon. As the Rook had filed for depature from Nad'Ris spaceport, however, it appeared that they would be unable to save Ghitsa in time. With Durron's Force powers unable to resolve the situation, Nabon used her expertise to ensure that the Rook was held at the spaceport for quarantine until they could arrive.

Durron followed the smuggler woman back to the disabled Star Lady while she equipped herself for the coming battle against Ghitsa's kidnappers with a variety of weapons. They then set off in the rented landspeeder for the long overnight drive to Nad'Ris. During the journey, Nabon, an introverted woman with a chequered past, began to open up to Durron, as she had begun to trust him. When Durron, still using his Fost alias, divulged that he had been imprisoned on Kessel for a time, the two swapped stories about the late Moruth Doole. Sensing Nabon's inner self and her hidden loyalties and emotions, Durron cautiously probed the smuggler about her past, learning that her guardian Jett Nabon had been killed when she was young and that she had issues with what she saw as Jedi self-righteousness and authority. As they talked and joked, however, Nabon made an off-hand comment that reminded Durron of Exar Kun. The smuggler noticed the young Jedi's sudden withdrawal and queried him on the reaction.

Durron decided to tell the woman about what he had done and a shocked and disgusted Nabon quickly realized that she was sharing both a landspeeder and her past with someone she viewed as a mass murderer. The smuggler halted the landspeeder, got out and vomited, leaving Durron to follow her tearfully and explain himself and his moral dilemma over what he felt was his undeserved freedom. Nabon physically attacked him in her shock and drew her blaster to kill him but when Durron encouraged her to pull the trigger, the smuggler realized that Durron was in emotional turmoil and refused to grant him the release he wanted. Deciding to use Durron to free Ghitsa she ushered the young Jedi back into the landspeeder. The journey continued in silence. When they arrived at Nad'Ris spaceport and Nabon began hacking into a service entrance that would take them to Ghitsa and Rook, the two finally spoke, with Durron drawing parallells between Nabon's revenge slayings of those who had killed her protector and the Imperial lives he had taken in response for the death of his brother.

Despite the similarities, Durron remained unable to come to terms with his grief and terror that he would repeat his actions. The smuggler, feeling some pity for the young man, told Durron to do the best he could and ensure that he never relapsed into the person he had once been. As Nabon's attempts to hack the door were failing, the smuggler led Durron around the outside of the spaceport wall near to the docking bay were the Rook was located. Durron revealed that he knew of Ghitsa's lack of Force-sensitivity but that he would help free the con-artist from her kidnappers anyway. Together they scaled the wall and ran along it to where the Rook was berth, before infiltrating the freighter from a top hatch. Before doing so, Durron urged Nabon to set her blaster to stun rather than kill Ghitsa's kidnappers; despite a short argument, the smuggler relented and followed the Jedi into the starship.

Unable to locate Ghitsa among the many individuals on the starship, Durron waited with Nabon until she captured Culan Brasli, one of the kidnappers, and used him to locate Ghitsa. They learned that Ghitsa, who had previously worked for Durga Besadii Tai of the Besadii Hutt clan, was being interrogated by Counselor Ral of the rival Desilijic clan for information on the affairs of Durga the Hutt. Ral was in charge of the kidnapping and demanded via Brasli's comlink to know what was going on. While Brasli stalled Ral, Nabon disabled the hull breach sensors and Durron cut through the hull with his lightsaber. The trio leapt out through the hole to the ground and fled the scene; as the Rook ' s forward laser cannons powered up and began firing, however, Durron told the others to run while he deflected the incoming fire with his lightsaber.

Ghitsa soon discovered that the spaceport exit door was locked and Nabon rushed to Durron's side to aid him while her partner hacked the door. The increasingly desperate situation was only resolved when Gibb, piloting the repaired Star Lady, appeared overhead and began strafing the Rook with its own laser cannons. The Rook fled to the upper atmosphere, leaving the trio in safety. As Durron and Nabon congratulated each other, Ghitsa reminded them of the Rook ' s undiscovered hull breach. Alarmed, Durron watched as the Rook streaked toward space and its imminent destruction, unable to use his powers to compell Counselor Ral to return and unwilling to use the Force in that manner anyway. Despite Ghitsa's attempts to warn Ral, the Rook continued into the atmosphere and was destroyed, much to Durron's distress.

Once Gibb landed the Star Lady, Nabon agreed to take Durron back to the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. On arrival, Durron spoke briefly to Ghitsa, urging her to be true to herself, before heading outside to a crowd of his fellow Jedi. Tionne, slightly suspicious of Durron's new company, informed the young Jedi that Luke Skywalker had been injured and that they were awaiting his arrival. Durron returned to Nabon, waiting at the hatch of the Star Lady, to say his farewells. The woman, having warmed to Durron in their days together, wished him luck and offered him a place on his crew should the need ever arise. Durron thanked her in return for her help in helping him to deal with his turmoil before leaving with a silent message through the Force, telling her that it guided her actions as well. As Durron joined the Jedi on the ground and waited for Luke Skywalker's arrival, the Star Lady lifted off and departed the Yavin system. Upon Skywalker's return, the Jedi learned that their unofficial leader had defeated another of Emperor Palpatine's superweapons, the Eye of Palpatine dreadnought, following the discovery of a plot conceived to anoint a new Emperor. Skywalker brought back with him his lover Callista Ming, a former Jedi of the Old Republic whose spirit had been rehoused in the body of Cray Mingla, one of the Praxeum's deceased Jedi. The revelation of the Eye of Palpatine ' s long-hidden existence, as well as Daala's campaign of the previous year, encouraged Durron's belief that the remnants of the Galactic Empire still posed a threat to the New Republic. Others had the same opinion; Dal Konur, a Force-sensitive who had formerly been in the Alliance Special Forces, struggled with Skywalker's teachings just as Durron had and finally set off as a rogue Jedi on a mission to assassinate the Imperial leadership. Skywalker met with a group of adventurers at the Jedi Praxeum in order to assign them the task of tracking Konur down; Durron was on hand at the time to prepare a meal for the new arrivals. Konur was eventually apprehended and returned to Yavin 4.

Skywalker, who perceived Durron to be the finest of his students, eventually instructed the young Jedi to complete his final test&mdash;the construction of his own lightsaber. With his training period at the Jedi Praxeum at an end, Durron set about constructing his lightsaber. The Deyer native elected to construct a weapon with a silver blade. By this time, Durron felt that the time to leave the Praxeum and head out in to the galaxy to aid the New Republic as a Jedi had at last come. The date of his graduation ceremony was set and Durron awaited it with mixed emotions of fear and eagerness. With him would be Cilghal and Durron's close friend Dorsk 81, who had also completed their trials.

Travels with Dorsk 81
"You and I together must discover what's become of the Empire."

- Kyp Durron, to Dorsk 81

On the day of his Knighting ceremony, Durron, Dorsk 81 and Cilghal proceeded out into the rainy jungle and took part in a short ritual with Jedi Master Skywalker and a number of trainees watching. After Skywalker's short congratulations speech, Durron and his two companions were announced Jedi Knights. While Cilghal elected to blah, Dorsk 81 announced that he would be returning to his homeworld of Khomm to act as his planet's Jedi guardian. As Khomm was located near the Deep Core, where Durron knew the remnants of the Empire to be amassing strength, he decided to accompany Dorsk 81 on his journey.

Defense of the Jedi Praxeum
"Master Skywalker will not always be here to help whenever we are in trouble. Dorsk 81 and I have already sounded the alarm, and New Republic forces should be on their way. For now, though, we must defend the academy ourselves."

- Kyp Durron

Trusting in Dorsk 81's own faith, Durron followed his friend to the top of the giant Massassi temple, where the Khommite clone readied himself on the observation deck. Around the thirty assembled Jedi, Yavin 4's jungles burned and more Imperial ships descended to continue the conquest. As Dorsk 81 tapped into the Force, Durron and the other Jedi leant their own power to the Khommite clone, filling him with the potential of the Force. As the Force began flowing between the assembled group, passing through all of them into Dorsk 81 and filling the Khommite with tremendous amounts of raw power, Durron felt as Dorsk 81 drew even deeper on the Force, hoarding its power in preparation for the effort. Finally, the Khommite loosed the built-up power in one massive exertion of the Force, hurling Pellaeon's fleet to the outskirts of the Yavin system. Upon the release of the energy, Durron collapsed, only to see his friend tottering on the brink of the Great Temple. Durron rushed to aid the Khommite, whose role as the conduit of the Force had burnt him from the inside out, but found himself too late to save Dorsk 81. The Khommite managed to inform Durron that the Star Destroyers were gone before dying in his arms. Durron, although greatly saddened, had great respect for his friend's actions. He lifted up the Khommite's lifeless body and took it down to the base of the Great Temple.

Following the battle, Durron decided that rather than return Dorsk 81's body to Khomm, his friend should be buried on Yavin 4 with the others who had fallen. Interring Dorsk 81 alongside Gantoris in a quiet glade, Durron then set to work with the other Jedi repairing the damage to the Great Temple. When Luke Skywalker returned to Yavin 4 from Coruscant, Durron and Tionne went to greet the Jedi Master and informed him of events, before going back to their work.

The Battle of Nam Chorios
"Even though Master Skywalker trains more Jedi every year, the New Republic is a big place. There are lots of missions to send Jedi Knights on and not enough of us to handle all the situations that need our attention."

- Kyp Durron

In 13 ABY, Durron joined Han Solo on a mission to the Meridian Sector, where an Imperial plot to take over the region had been discovered. Chief of State Organa Solo had traveled to Nam Chorios, a world in the region, to discuss the request, made by political leader Seti Ashgad, for New Republic intervention in the affairs of the planet. Organa Solo had been captured by Ashgad, however, as part of the politician's plot to conquer the galaxy by unleashing the deadly Death Seed Plague. Ashgad had allied himself with Imperial Moff Getelles and the Loronar Corporation; the former wished to invade the Meridian Sector once the plague had reduced its defenses and the latter wished to harvest the sentient tsil crystals of Nam Chorios for use in its Centrally Controlled Independent Replicant technology, which would enable them to field mass-produced pilotless, computer controlled fighters. Solo, discovering his wife's plight, assembled a makeshift New Republic fleet to defend the Meridian Sector against Ashgad's plan and Getelles' invasion. Durron accompanied the fleet, personally piloting the Sundance, a light scoutship.

When Solo's fleet emerged over Nam Chorios it was assaulted by the CCIR needle fighters. The small craft, powered by the sentient tsil crystals and directed by CCIR technology, were able to overwhelm the New Republic forces while Ashgad departed Nam Chorios to rendez-vous with one of Getelles' warships, once the Moff's forces, led by Admiral Larm, arrived to conquer the world. Durron took part in the battle, which soon had Getelles' forces outnumbering those of the New Republic three to one. As Ashgad's personal vessel, the Reliant, bearing the Death Seed Plague, neared its Imperial escort, Luke Skywalker appealed to the tsil crystals through the Force and beseeched them to turn on Ashgad and the Imperials. The CCIR needle ships complied, destroying Ashgad's starship. Once Admiral Natasi Daala's forces emerged over Nam Chorios and forced the remains of Getelles' forces to surrender, the crisis was over.

It transpired that Daala had renounced the affairs of the Imperial warlords and attempted to relocate to Pedducis Chorios, a nearby planet, with the crews from her fleet. Learning of what she saw as a distasteful alliance between Getelles and Ashgad, Daala decided to come out of retirement and use her military forces to end the threat. Following the Battle of Nam Chorios, Durron's nemesis then vanished to the Deep Core. Daala later emerged to battle New Republic General Garm Bel Iblis and the Fourth Fleet in a campaign running from 17 ABY to 18 ABY, although following a defeat she vanished into hyperspace aboard her flagship. Visiting the Jedi Praxeum only briefly during the next years in between missions assigned by Skywalker, Durron nevertheless built up a reputation among the younger Jedi. Admired by the new generation for his boldness, Durron became something of a legend.

Following Luke Skywalker's marriage to Mara Jade in 20 ABY, the Jedi Master decided to alter the teaching methods of the Jedi Praxeum. Along with Streen, Kam Solusar and several other of the more advanced Jedi, Durron was instructed by Skywalker to begin training students one-on-one in the wider galaxy. Due to his hands-on approach, Durron eventually became a mentor to many new trainees, and stories of his exploits and adventures were common among the youngest of the Praxeum's students. Although Nabon had eased much of his guilt on Prishardia, Durron remained embarrassed and typically unwilling to discuss many of the events of 11 ABY.

Further assignments
"I've been off saving colonies, slaying monsters, rescuing the universe&hellip;you know, the usual."

- Kyp Durron

Devoted to the Jedi, Kyp Durron remained at the forefront of Skywalker's Order, proving himself instrumental in many missions. In 24 ABY, Kyp Durron paired with Streen to complete a high-risk assignment for Master Skywalker. Upon its completion, the two Jedi Knights returned to Yavin 4, where the training of the next generation of students, including the sixteen year old Solo twins, was underway. Exhausted, both Durron and Streen recuperated in the Great Temple in preparation for their presence at a speech Skywalker was delivering to the new trainees that evening. At the base of the temple, Skywalker had a bonfire built and addressed his students. The Jedi Master spoke of the need to be protected during the learning process but emphasized too much in the way of sheltering would stunt advancements. As Skywalker made his point, Durron emerged in front of the assembled students and discussed how he had made mistakes due to his impatience. Durron stayed at the Great Temple that evening in order to rest.

The next morning, Durron's old friend Han Solo arrived to visit Jacen and Jaina, both of whom were studying at the Jedi Praxeum. Durron set out to meet his friend and the two exchanged warm greetings with one another before journeying back to the Great Temple with Solo's children in tow. The two men discussed Durron's actions during the past years, including the Deyer native's mission to Corbos of 12 ABY. As they talked, Solo revealed the reason for his visit; he had been offered the chance to oversee the prestigious Blockade Runners' Derby on Ord Mantell and was collecting his children so that they could accompany him. Regretfully, Durron explained that he and Streen would no doubt be dispatched on another mission in the near future, preventing him from journeying with the Solos to Ord Mantell. Before leaving, however, Solo and Durron managed to spend some time reminiscing further about events of a decade prior.

As it happened, however, Durron and Streen were next called up to help none other than Solo himself. Events at the Blockade Runners' Derby led Solo and his children to war-torn Anobis, where a civil war between miners dependent on Imperial trade and farmers aligned with the New Republic was in process. In the process of resolving the dispute, Solo contacted Durron and asked him to pick up the Hapan passenger cruiser Rock Dragon&mdash;the personal starship of Jedi trainee and Hapan princess Tenel Ka Djo&mdash;from Ord Mantell before bringing the starship to Anobis to aid him. Accompanied by Streen, as well as the Chiron Lusa and Raynar Thul, both of whom were trainees at the Jedi Praxeum, Durron piloted the Rock Dragon to Anobis. Durron and his companions arrived just as Solo, aboard the Millennium Falcon with his children, Djo and trainee Zekk, was in the process of disarming extensive minefields laid during the civil war.

Greeting those aboard the Millennium Falcon, Durron and the other Jedi spent the afternoon using the Force to sense the various mines and traps laid during the civil war and remove them from the safety of their low-flying spacecraft. Oncethe planet's fertile lands were eventually free of traps and snares, Durron landed the Rock Dragon alongside the Millennium Falcon and met with Solo once again. With the situation resolved, the group enjoyed a meal before returning to Yavin 4. Durron returned to his duties as a Jedi, although his hands-on approach to which a younger generation of Jedi had proved so receptive soon developed into a policy of proactive response to the ills Durron saw as prevalent in the galaxy. Eventually Durron took on a single apprentice, Miko Reglia, who had great respect for his new teacher. Reglia rose to the rank of Jedi Knight under Durron's guidance, leading to Skywalker's own promotion of Durron to the rank of Jedi Master.

Durron's high-profile campaign against those who threatened galactic peace and stability had the effect of splitting the New Jedi Order into two blocs; those who supported Master Skywalker and his traditional approach of using the Force for defense and the protection of innocents, and those who believed that Durron's policies of striking first against enemies and wielding the full power of the Force to do so made more sense. His assertive attitude swayed younger Jedi Knights to his side, such as the Chandrilan woman Octa Ramis, who was in love with Miko Reglia, and two brash younger Jedi, Wurth Skidder and Ganner Rhysode. Durron's followers, who acted as mentors to Skywalker's younger students, propagated the newly-anointed Jedi Master's ideals and won more support among the next generation. Most of Durron's former classmates, such as Streen, Corran Horn and the Solusars, stood by Skywalker in the matter, with the result that the Deyer native became the leader of his faction and a rival Jedi Master.

Anti-smuggling crusade
"Do you think it beneath us? When innocent people are robbed of all their wealth, or taken captive, perhaps, and tortured, is it not the province of the Jedi to come to their aid?"

- Kyp Durron, to Jacen Solo



As the target of his campaign against criminality and societal ills, Durron decided to take action against smugglers and pirates operating in the Outer Rim Territories, mindful of the criminals who had killed his parents deep within the spice mines of Kessel so many years ago. The Outer Rim was a region traditionally recognized for its lawlessness and Durron felt that Jedi could do much to rectify the problem. With Reglia, he formed the Dozen-and-Two-Avengers, a squadron of non-Jedi starfighter pilots led by himself and Reglia dedicated to pursuing viligante action against outlaws. Durron's squadron quickly gained prominence, coming to be known as a force to be reckoned with. Likewise, Durron himself won a reputation as a skilled pilot. Operating with the official support of the New Republic military, the Jedi Master's Dozen-and-Two Avengers regularly visited military bases for supplies and assignments, completing missions until routine set in and Durron moved the squadron of elite pilots onto another base. Durron and Reglia flew T-65XJ X-wing starfighters while the rest of the squadron was composed of a number of different craft such as B-wings and A-wings.

Durron's actions, however, did not merely split the Jedi Order. Sentiment was emerging among elements of the New Republic that indicated opinion was turning against Skywalker's students. With the New Republic Defense Force ensuring the safety of the galaxy, the actions of the Jedi, unsanctioned by the New Republic Senate, were increasingly seen by Bothan Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya and several other prominent senators such as Fyor Rodan of Commenor and Niuk Niuv of Sullust, as vigilantism and a danger to the peace. Matters were further complicated by the possibility that certain senators were connected to the Outer Rim smugglers pursued by Durron and his squadron. Reports of Durron's activities frequently made their way to the New Republic Senate where they were discussed in terms of Jedi attacking civilians unprovoked. Durron held firm to his beliefs that his actions were in the defense of innocents who would be otherwise unprotected and refrained from involving himself in galactic politics, as Skywalker did. He continued to train his pilots, making use of the entrepreneur Lando Calrissian's newest venture in the Dubrillion system. There, Calrissian had set up a starfighter obstacle course known as Lando's Folly within an asteroid field, in which pilots would fly a heavily shielded and modified TIE/Advanced starfighter and attempt to remain within the field for as long as possible.

Shattering losses
"They wiped out my Avengers, capturing and later killing Miko. I barely escaped with my life."

- Kyp Durron

New agenda
"With the Force as our ally and lightsabers as our tools, we'll destroy the Yuuzhan Vong."

- Kyp Durron

Whilst the New Republic Senate reacted to the news of the invasion with disbelief and remained unconcerned, Luke Skywalker convened the Jedi Order on Yavin 4 to discuss the threat. A small memorial was erected for Miko Reglia, in the same site where Gantoris and Durron's friend Dorsk 81 lay. Durron's apprentice had died a martyr and, when the Deyer native arrived on a shuttle, he was greeted by a large crowd of followers, including Skidder, Rhysode and several younger Jedi. The Jedi assembled in the Grand Audience Chamber in ranks, dividing themselves between those who supported Skywalker and those who supported Durron. Durron had the majority of the adult Jedi on his side, but lacked support from the senior Jedi. When Skywalker entered the chamber with Corran Horn at his side and asked the younger Jedi to leave, Durron once again formed ranks with his supporters, facing off with Streen and Horn. To Durron's surprise, Skywalker asked him to brief the assembled Jedi on what he knew of the Yuuzhan Vong; once he had recounted events at Helska, the Jedi discussed the New Republic's apathy. Durron was vocally scornful and promised to fight the Yuuzhan Vong without New Republic support if necessary. His comments and those of his supporters received retorts from Streen and Jacen Solo and ultimately Skywalker intervened and requested unity. Following the discussion, Skywalker dispatched Jedi off on different assignments.

The Yuuzhan Vong continued their advance, seizing planets in the Outer Rim Territories such as Dubrillion. Elements of the New Republic military began to take note, among them Bothan Admiral Traest Kre'fey, who directed his forces against the Yuuzhan Vong. A major engagement was fought at Dantooine, where the New Republic suffered heavy losses. The Yuuzhan Vong took the world following the New Republic defeat there; Durron once visited the planet, observing with disgust a massive pit filled with the bones of slaves and sacrifices and the Yuuzhan Vong treatment of their captives.

Fighting madness
"Will you be prosecuting Master Durron next?" "I will not, But I could authorize extradition for him to the Imperial Remnant to face their charge of planetary genocide. Head of State Jagged Fel has rather reluctantly presented me with a proposal from the Moff Council on that very subject. But such a thing could be avoided, of course, if we had already set another decisive example." "I came here hoping that, face-to-face, without advocates whispering in our ears, we could negotiate a deal. Now, having heard what you have to say, I am certain we can." "Tell me."

- Luke Skywalker and Natasi Daala discuss the fate of the Jedi

In 43.5 ABY, representatives from star systems, governments and factions across the galaxy congregated on Coruscant for the Unification Summit, at which the future of the galaxy would be discussed. All Jedi Masters were invited to attend and deliver reports on the welfare of the galaxy, including Kyp Durron. The Unification Summit was arranged with much pomp and grandeur and was enacted in a large room in the Senate Building, rebuilt following the Yuuzhan Vong War. Durron arrived on the morning the summit was due to start along with Luke Skywalker and his son, Han and Leia Organa Solo, Tionne and Kam Solusar and several others. Durron focused only a little on proceedings as Tiurrg Drey'lye, Bothan chair of the Unification Preparations Committee, introduced the summit and began to discuss its purpose. Chief of State Daala, Moff Jagged Fel and Turr Phennir, the latter in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Confederation forces, observed from the center of the chamber. For two hours, speeches were delivered inaugurating the summit, after which Skywalker led the Jedi party outside to the plaza in front of the Senate Building. It soon emerged that Daala had decided to make her move against Skywalker at that point, as a quartet of Galactic Alliance Security airspeeders arrived and disgorged troops onto the plaza along with several bounty hunters. Captain Savar came forward to arrest Skywalker; Durron and the assembled Jedi readied themselves should Skywalker give the order to resist, but the Grand Master decided to cooperate. As Skywalker was shackled, one of the bounty hunters opened fire when he mistakenly believed the Jedi used a mind trick on Captain Savar. Durron and his companions ignited their lightsabers but Savar diffused the situation. Skywalker was taken away by the Galactic Alliance Security troops, accompanied by Han Solo, and Durron and the others could do little except return to the Jedi Temple.

On their return to the Jedi Temple, however, the Jedi learned of a new threat facing the Jedi. Valin Horn, the elder child of Durron's fellow Jedi Master Corran Horn, had seemingly fallen pray to the same psychosis that had claimed Seff Hellin weeks prior. In response to Veila's successful case, Daala ordered the incarceration of Valin Horn in carbonite.

Power and abilities
"Kyp, you have amazing power!"

- Luke Skywalker

Kyp Durron considered himself to be more powerful than Luke Skywalker, who was himself the son of the Chosen One of Jedi legend, Anakin Skywalker. The fallen Jedi Knight Vima-Da-Boda recognized the young Force-sensitive's vast potential in the spice mines of Kessel and, when Luke Skywalker tested Durron's power in 11 ABY, he was stunned by the teenager's potential as it was unlike anything he had yet witnessed. Durron did not believe his parents to have been Force-sensitive and was surprised to learn of his abilities.



Under Vima da-Boda's tutelage, Durron learned the rudiments of the Force. He became proficient in the employment of mind tricks and practiced the abilities taught to him by the old Jedi after she was taken away, although Durron did not understand their providence or science.

Even untrained, Durron had strong powers of precognition. These gave him fast reaction times, enabling him to avoid death in the Kessel spice mines and over the surface of the planet, when he had a premonition of the activation of the shields. This ability also enabled Durron to navigate his way through the dark spice tunnels and the Maw, the latter of which was a feat mastered only by a handful of other Jedi.

Mostly reaacted without understanding before training. Unable to wilfully utilize his powers at first. Aboard the Gorgon tentatively attempted telekinesis and had fractional success. Expanded his Force sense following concentration to detect emotions, heighten his hearing and perceptions.

Had surpassed all other trainees within a week of intensive training.

Believed by Skywalker in 13 ABY to be "frighteningly powerful".

Once his official Jedi training began, Durron progressed a speed that startled all other Jedi at the Praxeum.

Able to deaden his pain to the extend that he could break loads of bones deliberately.

Used calming techiniques to silence his emotions and prevent other Jedi such as Skywalker from discovering him.

Used memory blanking to obscure the minds of those who he passed on the way to the Sun Crusher.

Under Exar Kun: Black Sith lightning against Zeth Durron. Anger - was able to recharge Sun Crusher's systems with a mental pulse. Force-assisted speed to utilize the controls. "Automatic pilot" usage of the Force during Carida's destruction.

Durron also possessed a powerful Force sense and was able to locate other Force sensitives with ease, quickly determining that there were none present on Prishardia despite the size of the planet. He was able to detect the presence of Han Solo, distinctive to him, from the outside of the Maw while Solo was inside.

Luke Skywalker considered Durron his finest student around 12 ABY.

He was proficient at the use of Force grip, making use of the power to balance himself on precarious surfaces and levitate others through the air.

Able to deflect torrents of starship laser cannon fire with his lightsaber.

Could not use the Force to manipulate minds over very long distances. Unable to locate one individual in a ship with many feeling the same emotions but did not know her.

Piloted shuttle and Sun Crusher without training - natural pilot. Was an ace pilot and won Lando's Folly. Jaina was better. Highly skilled.

Equipment
Prior to constructing his own silver-bladed lightsaber in the course of his trials to become a Jedi Knight, Durron wielded the violet-bladed lightsaber of the fallen Gantoris, utilizing the weapon during his test at the hands of Luke Skywalker in Exar Kun's Sith Temple, as well as during his trip to Prishardia.

Bantam Spectra
The character of Kyp Durron was created for Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy, the first installment of which, Jedi Search, was published in March 1994. The early 1990s bore witness to the creation of several key Expanded Universe works upon which years of future continuity would be built. Despite a bloc of negative reviews Anderson felt he received from a narrow section of Star Wars fans, the three books of the Jedi Academy trilogy were all best-sellers and elements of his new continuity, such as Kyp Durron, the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, Admiral Natasi Daala, Cilghal, Tionne and Streen went on to become firmly entrenched in the Expanded Universe. Anderson later stated that he felt that his biggest contribution to the Star Wars Expanded Universe was his creation of the next generation of Jedi Knights. Kyp Durron's destruction of Carida and the death of his brother Zeth, which secured a high rank in an online poll of the greatest moments of the Expanded Universe, was also frequently referenced throughout continuity over the next years.

Kyp Durron next featured prominently in Darksaber, written by Kevin J. Anderson, which comprised of the middle novel of a loose trilogy of Bantam era installments known as the "Callista trilogy", all three of which were released in the years 1995 and 1997, and which dealt with the romance between Luke Skywalker and female Jedi of the Old Republic named Callista. The cohesive planning of the trilogy undertaken by Anderson and Barbara Hambly, who wrote Children of the Jedi and Planet of Twilight, allowed for Durron to be referenced in both of Hambly's novels.

In May 1998, Kevin J. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta made use of Kyp Durron's character in the twelth book of their Young Jedi Knights, entitled Young Jedi Knights: Return to Ord Mantell and set in 24 ABY. Several days later, prolific Star Wars author Michael A. Stackpole's novel I, Jedi was published. I, Jedi was set in the first person and featured the Force-sensitive New Republic pilot Corran Horn as the main character. The novel was notable in that it retconned the Jedi Academy Trilogy to include Horn as having been present at the Jedi Praxeum contemporaneously with Durron, along with other characters such as Gantoris, Tionne and Mara Jade. Several scenes were included in which Durron, when he was "off-screen" during Jedi Academy Trilogy events, was revealed to have been interacting with Horn.

The publication of new materials in which Durron featured continued to be placed erratically in the in-universe timeline, as was customary during the Bantam Spectra era. The Jedi was used as a principal character in Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy: Leviathan, a series of four comics that debuted late in October 1998 and continued with monthly releases into 1999. The Jedi Academy: Leviathan comics were set after the events depicted in Darksaber. Published by Dark Horse Comics, the series was notable in that it provided numerous illustrations of Durron, who had hitherto been drawn only in reference guides such as The Essential Guide to Characters. The Jedi Knight was drawn throughout the series by Dario Carrasco, Jr. and colored by Ray Murtaugh.

On the various covers of the series, Durron was depicted by Ray Logo for Jedi Academy: Leviathan 1, and by Paul Chadwick for issues 2 and 3. On the cover of the trade paperback collection of the four Leviathan comics, Durron's hair was erroneously colored blond, despite his portrayal within the comic, and through the Expanded Universe, as a man with dark brown hair. The cover artist on this occasion was David Michael Beck. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, released in 2008, utilized the image in Kyp Durron's entry, confirming that it was indeed Durron depicted on the front cover.

Durron's final appearance in Bantam Spectra novels and short stories was in December 1999, when the void in Durron's history between 11 ABY, in which the Jedi Academy Trilogy was set, and 12 ABY, in which Darksaber took place, was filled by a short story, Simple Tricks. Authored by Chris Cassidy and Tish Eggleston Pahl, Simple Tricks and explored Durron's grief following his redemption, placing him alonside Fenig Nabon, a creation of Cassidy and Paul and a recurrent character in their Star Wars short stories. Simple Tricks also tied into events depicted in Children of the Jedi and Darksaber. In the five years since his debut in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, therefore, Durron had appeared directly in, or had been mentioned in, a significant quantity of Expanded Universe works.

Inclusion in the New Jedi Order
In 1997, the license for Star Wars novels had been renegotiated with Del Rey, a division of Ballantine Books, whose contract included the rights for the release of a sequential series&mdash;an idea that evolved into The New Jedi Order series. Bantam Spectra's contract for Star Wars novels was scheduled to come to an end in 1999, leaving the fate of the extensive Bantam era continuity uncertain. Del Rey and Lucasfilm planned the series together in 1998, deciding upon certain over-arching plot elements such as the death of Chewbacca and the excision of the status of primary hero from Anakin Solo's character. By August of that year, the author of the first novel of the nineteen book series, R. A. Salvatore, was contacted and introduced to his task. Despite not having read any of the Bantam era novels and having an unfamiliarity with the Expanded Universe continuity, Salvatore was aided in this regard by Lucasfilm, who provided the author with information on the Expanded Universe.

Due to the fact that The New Jedi Order series was intended to secure a new range of readership, Del Rey did not wish to inundate the upcoming novels with Bantam era continuity and communicated this desire to R. A. Salvatore. The Del Rey staff felt that new readers could be put off by their unfamiliarity with Expanded Universe lore, their last experience of Star Wars having been, presumably, the Original trilogy of films. Despite Del Rey's edict and the author's personal desire to make the first novel of the series, to be titled Vector Prime, accessible, Salvatore did not deliberately contradict the Bantam era material, including key aspects such as the relationship of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker, the Solo children and veteran New Republic politician Borsk Fey'lya, as well as more obscure references such as the shieldships from Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire.

Salvatore refrained from utilizing other well-established Expanded Universe characters such as Cilghal or Tenel Ka as he felt they would distract new readers and could be incorporated by later authors. The character of Kyp Durron, however, was not originally included. When Salvatore wrote in a rogue Jedi character in Vector Prime, who would serve the purpose of encouraging Luke Skywalker to consider creating a new Jedi Council to constrain maverick Jedi activity, Lucasfilm recommended that he fit Kyp Durron into the role and sent Salvatore information on Durron. It was in this way that Durron, a prominent Expanded Universe figure, went on to play a role in the Del Rey era continuity. Durron's anti-smuggler crusade in Vector Prime was tied in to his hatred for lawless types who had killed his parents in the spice mines during his youth.

Following his appearance in Vector Prime, Durron was developed throughout The New Jedi Order series as Luke Skywalker's opponent among the Jedi. Michael A. Stackpole, who had already explored the relationship between Corran Horn and Kyp Durron in I, Jedi, expanded upon the rift among the Jedi in his Dark Tide Duology, including Durron in both installments. Durron was taken up again in this role in James Luceno's Agents of Chaos Duology, albeit in a greater role in the second novel, Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse. While not a villainous character, Durron was portrayed as the antithesis of Luke Skywalker's view of how the Jedi Order should act. Durron's stance served to explore the motives of the Solo children, who similarly questioned whether defense or affirmative action should be employed when fighting the Yuuzhan Vong.

Durron received a mention in Kathy Tyers' Balance Point, playing a more prominent role in Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, in which Durron suborned the aid of Jaina Solo and the military in the attack on Sernpidal. The division between Solo and Durron was explored further in Dark Journey; in Elaine Cunningham's novel, which revolved around Jaina Solo, Durron played a major role as her mentor. The events of Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy were heavily referenced in the novel, in which Durron underwent an evolution of character to become a less arrogant and headstrong figure. This change was featured in Aaron Allston's first installment of the Enemy Lines Duology.

Following the resolution of the Jedi division plot in Destiny's Way, Durron's was developed as one of several Jedi Master characters who played supporting and background roles in the later novels. With The New Jedi Order finishing in 2005 with James Luceno's The Unifying Force, the future of Kyp Durron's character in Star Wars novels lay with Troy Denning, Aaron Allston and Karen Traviss, who were contracted to write the Legacy of the Force series. Prior to Legacy of the Force, however, was Denning's Dark Nest Trilogy, in which Durron emerged once again as a faction leader, this time championing his belief on the High Council that the Jedi should remain separate from the Galactic Alliance.

In the High Council plotline, Durron's character was featured alongside original Kevin J. Anderson creations such as Cilghal and Tionne Solusar, as well as other prominent Jedi figures introduced and developed in Del Rey's continuity; Octa Ramis, Saba Sebatyne, Tresina Lobi and Kenth Hamner. This hybrid Bantam and Del Rey era group played a background role in the Legacy of the Force series, in which Durron advised Luke Skywalker in the fight against Jacen Solo. In 2009, Durron was featured in a minor role in Outcast the first installment of the new Fate of the Jedi series. Since Dark Journey, Durron has therefore featured consistently, albeit in subsidiary roles, in Del Rey continuity.

Power
Blah blah blah KJA blah blah blah Enemy Lines.

Continuity issues
p. 273 Jedser Teenager in 7 ABY so earliest birthday is 6 BBY Durron is 18 in Dark Apprentice. Death of "billions". Self admittedly killed billions. Mon Mothma says millions, if not billions. Lightsaber? Violet. Silver and his own.

Merchandise
In 1996, Topps, a company that published trading card sets, released a collection of cards known as the Star Wars Finest set. Included in the set were several characters introduced in the Jedi Academy Trilogy; among them was a card featuring a scene from Champions of the Force, in which Durron is shown wielding Force energy between his palms during his standoff with Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon in the Deep Core.

Wizards of the Coast, the company behind the Star Wars Miniatures roleplaying game, released an expansion pack for the game on March 17 2009 named Imperial Entanglements. The expansion pack featured several figurines from the Expanded Universe, including one of Kyp Durron. The model of Durron has him wearing the apparel similar to that which he was first illustrated with in The New Essential Guide to Characters, which in turn was based upon Durron's garments in Jedi Academy: Leviathan.