Ludo Kressh

"I fight for the Sith Empire, Naga Sadow... you fight for yourself!"

- Ludo Kressh to Naga Sadow

Ludo Kressh was a Sith Lord during the years leading up to and during the Great Hyperspace War. Descended from a mixed ancestry of Dark Jedi and members of the Sith species, Ludo Kressh rose to be a powerful Sith Lord, all the while clashing with his greatest rival, fellow Sith Lord Naga Sadow. In 5,000 BBY, Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos died, and both Kressh and Sadow angled for the title. Kressh led the dead Dark Lord's funeral procession, but it was interrupted by a late-arriving Naga Sadow. Sadow proclaimed that the title of Dark Lord of the Sith was rightfully his, and an angered Kressh attacked him; however, their duel was stopped by Ragnos' ghost. After the duel, two outsiders landed in the middle of the funeral; hyperspace travelers Gav and Jori Daragon. Kressh, who feared that they were precursors to an invasion by the Galactic Republic, while Sadow believed they were the key towards expanding the Sith Empire's territory.

Kressh and Sadow butted heads repeatedly over the matter of the Daragons, and Sadow, seeking to make his dream of a war with the Republic a reality, staged a Republic attack on the Empire. Kressh was convinced at first, and advocated bolstering the Empire's defenses against a Republic invasion. However, Kressh soon discovered Sadow's treachery, and attacked Sadow's fortress in the Battle of Khar Delba, but Kressh was outwitted and defeated by Sadow. Kressh then faked his death, by sending his empty flagship towards Sadow's citadel where it was shot down and destroyed. Without a strong opponent, Sadow launched the Great Hyperspace War against the Republic. However, Sadow returned to the Sith Empire defeated, and with a diminished fleet; it was then that Kressh revealed himself, telling Sadow that he had indeed faked his death. What ensued was the First Battle of Korriban, and Kressh at first seemed to have taken the upper hand against his weakened opponent; but the ever-cunning Sadow ordered one of his doomed ships to take a suicide run on Kressh's flagship, and the collision killed Kressh.

Early life
Ludo Kressh was born in the area of the Outer Rim Territories known as Sith Space, and was descended from a mixed ancestry comprised of the Sith species and dark side of the Force-following Jedi Knights. Those Jedi had first come to Sith Space after clashing with the Jedi Order at large in a conflict known as the Hundred-Year Darkness; after they were defeated, the Dark Jedi, as they were known, fled into the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Arriving the sector known as Sith Space, they encountered the Sith, a native species who worshipped them as gods. Some Dark Jedi, such as Kressh's ancestors, intermarried and bred with native Sith. At some point, Kressh was discovered as Force-sensitive and was trained in the dark side of the Force, eventually rising to be a powerful Sith Lord. He formed a rivalry with a fellow Sith Lord, Naga Sadow, who he would clash with many times in later years. Kressh at some point acquired the Sith Space world of Rhelg as his private retreat.

Arrival of the Daragons
"They must be precursors to an invasion&hellip;we should kill them at once!"

- Ludo Kressh to Naga Sadow, after the arrival of the Daragons

In 5,000 BBY, Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos died after a century of iron-handed rule. Ragnos' funeral was held shortly after, with Kressh leading the funeral procession as they laid Ragnos to rest in a tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Following the Sith traditions and rituals, Kressh carried Ragnos' victory helmet, which he placed on Ragnos' sarcophagus for him to wear during his battles in the afterlife. Naga Sadow arrived late to the funeral, as the tomb was being sealed. Sadow proclaimed that he had come to take his rightful place at the procession; a furious Kressh responded by telling Sadow that his insolence had shamed the memory of Ragnos. Sadow believed that the title of Dark Lord of the Sith was rightfully his, and that the Sith Empire had grown stagnant in the centuries following the banishment of the Dark Jedi who fought in the Hundred-Year Darkness; Kressh thought that Sadow's progressivism was endangering the Sith's existence. The argument escalated into a duel, with Sadow quickly getting the upper hand. However, their duel was interrupted by the spirit of Marka Ragnos, who warned that the fate of the Sith Empire hung in the balance, and advised the two to choose their battles wisely. Kressh offered to reconcile with Sadow after this encounter, but their discussion was ended by the arrival of a foreign ship. The ship identified itself as the Starbreaker 12, and its crew, Humans Gav and Jori Daragon, proclaimed that they had come in peace from the Republic. The pair were promptly captured by Massassi guards, with Kressh telling Sadow that the two should be executed immediately. Sadow, however, believed that the two should be interrogated, thinking that they may have valuable information.

The Daragons were jailed, and a council of ten Sith Lords was called on Ziost to discuss the prisoners' fate. Kressh contended that the two were spies for the Republic, and the precursor to an invasion, and that they should be executed; Naga Sadow and an older Sith Lord, Simus, believed that the two had valuable information and should be kept alive. Although Kressh expressed that his route was safer for the general health of the Sith Empire, Sadow proclaimed that the Daragons provided a window for the Sith to expand their Empire, and control the very galaxy itself. The meeting ended without a definite conclusion drawn, but Sadow had his own plans; Sadow, along with Massassi warriors, attacked the prisoners' guards and freed them from their jail cells. After freeing the Daragons, Sadow was happened upon by Simus, who had heard the disturbance on the prisoner level. Sadow, using a Republic blaster obtained from the Starbreaker 12, shot and killed Simus, planting the blaster at the scene to give the impression that the Republic had been responsible for freeing the Daragons and murdering Simus. The council of Sith Lords met again on Ziost after Simus' death, and Kressh was irate; he believed his fears of Republic attack confirmed, and that the Sith Empire should bolster its defenses. Sadow, however, proclaimed that the time had come to fight back, and pronounced himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith. The other Sith Lords agreed that Sadow should be Dark Lord; a furious and shocked Kressh left, proclaiming that he would take his supporters and refuse to join in Sadow's crusade, and that he would become the true Dark Lord.

Battle of Khar Delba
"We must make this a quick and devastating strike."

- Ludo Kressh

Ludo Kressh subsequently sent Massassi guards to the Starbreaker 12 's impound dock on Ziost, to guard it. However, his guards were attacked and defeated by Massassi loyal to Naga Sadow. In his chambers, Kressh was alerted to the attack on the Starbreaker 12, and believing that it was being attacked by the Republic, gathered his forces and rushed to the hangar. However, by the time Kressh arrived at the dock, the Starbreaker 12 had already been stolen by Sadow's forces. Kressh, observing the carnage in the hangar, found Naga Sadow's emblem amidst the Massassi corpses, and realized that Sadow was responsible for the attack. Kressh returned to Rhelg, where he met with two of his supporters, Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram. Kressh told them about the attack on the hangar and the theft of Starbreaker 12, and revealed to them Sadow's complicity in the attack; Kressh then ordered Horak-mul and Gal-ram to gather their forces, so they could make a surprise attack on Sadow, with Kressh vowing to stop Sadow before it was too late. With the assault force prepared, Kressh commenced an attack on Sadow's fortress on the planet Khar Delba, taking the firing controls on his own ship, as to land a few personal hits.

Kressh, commanding the attack, ordered his ships to attack and destroy Sadow. Horak-mul and Gal-ram were behind him fully, commenting that they had caught Sadow with his guard down and that victory was inevitable. Sadow responded by ordering Massassi warriors to man the citadel's turrets. Kressh shrugged this off, believing that the turrets were Sadow's only defenses, and that victory was assured. However, Sadow had another trick up his sleeve; a secret fleet of battleships, hidden in orbit of Khar Delba's moon Khar Shian. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos of the battle, Naga Sadow allowed Jori Daragon to take control of the Starbreaker 12 and flee the Sith Empire. Daragon was able to evade Kressh's fleet and flee into hyperspace. After Daragon's escape, Sadow ordered his secret fleet to attack, catching Kressh off guard. A taunting Sadow informed Kressh that he had struck at the wrong fortress; all his defenses had been at Khar Shian. Sadow then set the next part of his plan in motion. Sadow ordered the Massassi crew of Horak-mul and Gal-ram's ships, who had secretly been loyal to him all along, to betray and attack their masters. Horak-mul and Gal-ram were killed, and their ships commandeered by Sadow's minions, who attacked Kressh. Kressh ordered his intact ships to flee, and the Battle of Khar Delba was lost.

Faking his death
"You are the greatest threat the Sith Empire has ever known, Naga Sadow&mdash;and you must be stopped! You are exiled from the Empire, forever!"

- Ludo Kressh

After Kressh's retreat at the Battle of Khar Delba, Naga Sadow began a vast militarization, in preparation for a war against the Galactic Republic. His defeat of Kressh garnered him the support of all the other Sith Lords, who pledged their fleets and armies to his cause. However, Kressh had a plan; while the other Sith Lords met with Sadow on Khar Delba, Kressh sent his empty flagship to the planet. Kressh simultaneously transmitted a message to Sadow and the Sith Lords, proclaiming that Sadow was leading them on a path of destruction. A confident Sadow ordered Gav Daragon, who he had kept with him to become a Sith acolyte, to destroy the ship, seemingly killing Kressh. Little did they know, Kressh had actually faked his death, intending to claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. Sadow soon launched his fleets, following a beacon he had placed on the Starbreaker 12 to find the Republic. Sadow's forces, upon reaching the Republic, began the Great Hyperspace War. Sadow attacked the Republic on two fronts; Koros Major, and Coruscant, the heart of the Republic, located in the Core Worlds. While Sadow was away fighting the war, Kressh gathered a fleet, and declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith.

Although Sadow's surprise attack worked at first, the Republic was eventually able to drive back and defeat the Sith in the Great Hyperspace. Naga Sadow returned to Sith Space defeated, with his fleet a shadow of what it was before the war. When Sadow returned, Ludo Kressh revealed himself, proclaiming to Naga Sadow that he was the true Dark Lord of the Sith. A joyous Kressh, feeling victorious, declared that Naga Sadow was the greatest threat that the Sith Empire had ever known, and that he must be stopped. Kressh therefore banished Sadow from the Sith Empire forever. However, Sadow would not go down without a fight; what ensued would be called the First Battle of Korriban. The already-diminished Sadow fleet would find itself diminished even further during the conflagration, and Kressh appeared the victor; however, the always-cunning Sadow knew there were other ways to win a battle. Finding himself with no other options, Sadow ordered one of his already-damaged ships to make a suicide run to collide with Kressh's flagship. Kressh protested to Sadow to stop the ship, but it was too late; the ship crashed into Kressh's flagship, killing the Sith Lord.

Legacy
After Kressh's defeat and death during the First Battle of Korriban, Sadow was attacked again by Republic forces who had chased him back to the Sith Empire. Sadow was forced to flee the Second Battle of Korriban, and exiled himself to the jungle moon Yavin 4. There, Sadow put himself into stasis, and was revived six hundred years later by Jedi Knight Freedon Nadd. After his death, Ludo Kressh was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords, cut into a shyrack cave. In 3,951 BBY, over a thousand years after the Sith Lord's death, the tomb was visited by an exiled Jedi Knight known only as the Jedi Exile. While in the chamber, the Exile had several visions, including of Jedi-turned-Sith-turned-redeemed Jedi Darth Revan, and Revan's former Sith apprentice Darth Malak. The Jedi Exile also might have taken Kressh's Sith war sword while she was in Ludo Kressh's tomb.

Personality and traits
"Ludo should be blindfolded so he can't see the changing universe around him."

- Naga Sadow

Unlike his rival and counterpart, Naga Sadow, Ludo Kressh was a cautious man, one concerned with the safety and well-being of the Sith Empire. Kressh was content with the holdings of the Sith Empire, and feared that going into the wider galaxy and challenging the Republic would be disastrous for the health of the Empire. Even when Sadow faked the Republic attack and theft of the Starbreaker 12, Kressh advocated confining themselves to their worlds in Sith Space and bolstering their defenses, unlike Sadow, who proclaimed that the Sith Empire should strike back at the Republic. Kressh despised Sadow, his greatest rival for the crown of Dark Lord of the Sith, with a passion; Kressh saw Sadow's more progressive views as potentially harmful for the well-being of the Sith Empire. Kressh had no reservations in clashing with Sadow, both through words and in battle, but when the bold Sadow proclaimed himself the Dark Lord of the Sith, Kressh decided to break off the war of words and retreat to gather his followers.

Kressh was also a very cunning man; he tricked Sadow with his empty flagship, faking his death, and re-emerging after Sadow's defeat at the hands of the Republic in the Great Hyperspace War. However, he was outwitted by Sadow on multiple occasions. At the Battle of Khar Delba, a disastrous affair for Kressh, Kressh believed he had caught Sadow off guard with a surprise attack on his fortress; however, the fortress was a decoy, and Sadow's forces were massed at Khar Shian. After Sadow's Khar Shian fleet attacked, Sadow did Kressh one better by having Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram's subordinates mutiny and betray their masters. Later at the First Battle of Korriban, Kressh was overjoyed at seemingly defeating Sadow's weakened fleet; however, Sadow turned the tables and killed Kressh by using a doomed ship on a suicide run. Upon noticing the ship headed in the direction of his flagship, Kressh quickly lost his poise and begged Sadow to call off the ship, but to no avail.

Powers and abilities
As a powerful Sith Lord, Kressh was trained and proficient in the dark side of the Force. Kressh possessed some knowledge of Sith alchemy, and was capable of using the exotic Battlemind Force power. In battle, Kressh utilized a Sith war sword that he infused with the power of the Force before a duel; however, he was not as skilled a duelist as Naga Sadow, who quickly and easily gained the upper hand on Kressh in their duel after Marka Ragnos' funeral. Kressh was trilingual, as he could speak Galactic Basic Standard, the Sith language, and the Massassi language.

Behind the scenes
Ludo Kressh first appeared in Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith, a story arc of the Tales of the Jedi comic series, which was written by Kevin J. Anderson and released in 1996. He would later appear in The Golden Age of the Sith ' s follow-up arc, Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire, in which his character was killed. In these appearances, Kressh was illustrated by Dario Carrasco, Jr. During these two story arcs, Kressh played a major role, and his clash with Naga Sadow was a major storyline. He was seemingly killed off in The Fall of the Sith Empire 's first issue, Desperate Measures, only to return in the arc's final issue, End of an Empire, where it was revealed he had faked his death. However, his character was then killed in End of an Empire. In 2008, Kressh would get an entry in ''The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 29: Exalted, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Notes and references
Ludo Kressh Ludo Kressh Лудо Кресш Ludo Kressh