Battle of the World-Well

"This threshold is mine. I claim it for my own. Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn. None shall pass!"

- Ganner Rhysode

The Duel at the Well of the World Brain took place on Yuuzhan'tar (formerly Coruscant) in 28 ABY. This battle pitted two Jedi Knights, Ganner Rhysode and Jacen Solo, against thousands of Yuuzhan Vong. Though Ganner died during the battle, he massacred hundreds of the enemy with Anakin Solo's lightsaber and earned the awe of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Pre-battle
After escaping Borleias, Ganner Rhysode heard rumors that Jacen Solo was alive following the Mission to Myrkr, so he took it upon himself to hunt down the source of the rumors. His hunt eventually led him aboard a refugee vessel which contained a captured Jacen Solo in disguise. Unfortunately, Rhysode was captured and ended up a prisoner on Yuuzhan'tar.

Meanwhile, Jacen allowed Nom Anor to take him captive after having evaded capture in the bio-engineered jungle which now covered much of the planet, claiming to have become a conversion to the True Way of the Yuuzhan Vong. To test his loyalty, Nom Anor suggested that Jacen sacrifice Rhysode at the Well of the World Brain which used to be the old Galactic Senate's Grand Convocation Chamber.

The Battle
Thousands of Yuuzhan Vong were present at the ceremony when Jacen and Ganner were marched to the Well of the World Brain. However, Jacen turned on his captors by opening up his mind to the dhuryam and giving it a special message. Meanwhile, Ganner defended the entrance using the fallen Anakin Solo's lightsaber against a multitude of Yuuzhan Vong warriors led by Nom Anor and Ch'Gang Hool in order to buy Jacen enough time to complete his mission. During the fight, Ganner embraced his destiny and finally found himself in the Force. His battle cry, "None shall pass!", would mark his legacy on both the Galaxy and the Yuuzhan Vong. Thousands of Yuuzhan Vong were up against just two Jedi.

As the fight wore on, Rhysode achieved a state of oneness with the Force. The Force became him, and he became the Force. Calling upon this enormous power, Ganner defeated one Yuuzhan Vong after another, killing hundreds, possibly thousands of warriors. The Vong mentality aided him in this, as at first the Vong concentrated on honorable single combat, and Ganner slew a very large number before they even began to attack in pairs.



As the numbers increased, Ganner drew more and more on the Force, animating the statues of the Core Founders and the heroes of the Rebellion, and battering his enemy with the two halves of the Great Door. Ganner killed all of the Vong, and found himself without any enemies remaining.

That was when the artillery arrived: a fire breather, supported by infantry. Knowing that the fight could not go on for much longer in these circumstances, Ganner performed the ultimate sacrifice. He took the beast's initial attack on one half of the Great Door, and then, using the power of the Force, he collapsed the ceiling on everyone in the chamber, including himself and Nom Anor, thus allowing Jacen and Vergere to escape.

Aftermath
While Nom Anor, Jacen, and Vergere survived, Ganner passed on into the Force. His heroic sacrifice earned the respect and awe of the Warrior caste, and his death helped stir what would become known as the Jeedai heresy among the Yuuzhan Vong Shamed Ones.

During their journey back to New Republic space, Vergere revealed to Jacen a Force Vision she had seen in her dreams. According to this vision, the Yuuzhan Vong would eventually come to live amongst the population of the galaxy, and their mythology would acquire a new demon that would guard the entrance to the underworld. This demon would be known as "The Ganner", and a statue of him would be placed in the former entrance to the World Brain. Carved above this statue would be the words written in Galactic Basic, "None Shall Pass."

In 36 ABY, the Jedi Temple on Ossus had a meeting room called the Rhysode Room named in honor of Ganner.

However, the battle was more significant than the Yuuzhan Vong ever realized. While Ganner was battling the Warriors, Jacen Solo was able to sway the World Brain over to his side. In an attempt to teach the Yuuzhan Vong how dangerous their fanaticism was, Jacen convinced the World Brain to begin sabotaging the Vongforming of Coruscant into Yuuzhan'tar. The Yuuzhan Vong would either be forced to kill the World Brain and start over&mdash;a sacrilege and logistical impossibility&mdash;or be forced to accept compromise.

Appearances

 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Traitor
 * Destiny's Way