Siege of the New Jedi Temple

"A siege, right here on Coruscant. One might think that Daala has run out of ideas, or reverted to the days of the past, where one ruled with an iron fist."

- Javis Tyrr

The siege of the Jedi Temple took place in 44 ABY. Several Jedi Knights had recently begun to succomb to a psychosis that caused them to believe everyone they knew had been replaced by impostors. The Galactic Alliance wanted to encase the afflicted Jedi in carbonite, but the Jedi Order wanted the Knights available for study. Tensions rose between the two factions, and Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala ordered a Mandalorian raid on the Jedi Temple. Not long afterward, Jedi Knight Turi Altamik developed the psychosis and the Galactic Alliance demanded her release, as well as the release of psychotic Knight Sothais Saar.

As the Jedi refused to comply, Daala authorized a Mandalorian siege of the Temple, led by Commander Belok Rhal. Rhal demanded that Saar and Altamik be handed over, and when the Jedi sent interim Grand Master Kenth Hamner's apprentice, Kani Asari, to negotiate, Rhal shot her point-blank, killing her. Hamner was shortly after contacted by Alliance Admiral Nek Bwua'tu, who negotiated a deal with the Jedi that ensured the cooperation of the Alliance Navy with the Order's wish to send a strike team against a mutual enemy.

Later during the siege, Daala's Chief of Staff, Wynn Dorvan, interrupted the Mandalorian operations in time to meet with Jedi Knight Raynar Thul for lunch on the Temple's front steps&mdash;Dorvan took lunch on the steps with Thul every day. Dorvan's presence prevented the Mandalorians from firing on Thul. Leia Solo then devised a plan for smuggling much-needed supplies into the Jedi Temple by using rodents. Luke Skywalker, meanwhile, supposedly succeeded in his mission to deal with Abeloth, the being causing the psychosis, apparently returning the afflected Knights back to health. Daala met with the Jedi, and her chosen Doctor, Thalleus Tharn, proclaimed the psychotic Knights cured, forcing her to end the siege.

Prelude
"I want the Chev Jedi Sothais Saar, and the human Turi Altamik. If the Jedi surrender them, your mission is complete. If they don't&mdash; [shrugs] It's time to make them understand what they're really up against.''" "''Understood."

- Natasi Daala gives the order to Belok Rhal to retrieve Saar and Altamik

Around 43.5 ABY, several Jedi Knights on the galactic capital of Coruscant began to fall prey to a Force psychosis that caused them to believe that everyone they knew had been replaced by impostors. The Jedi Order wanted the psychotic Jedi available for study so that they could learn more about the psychosis and possibly develop a cure, but the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances decided to encase the affected Knights in carbonite. Several of the psychotic Knights were successfully smuggled off of Coruscant to Shedu Maad, but other Jedi continued to develop the psychosis.

The Chev Jedi Knight Sothais Saar developed the psychosis during a meeting with Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala's aide, Wynn Dorvan, and was soon after captured by Jedi Master Cilghal. Jedi Knights Jaina Solo and Tyria Sarkin Tainer were preparing to take Saar off-world when Mandalorians attacked the Jedi Temple at Daala's orders. The raid crippled the Temple's communications and coordination, and a subsequent Galactic Alliance blockade of the Temple prevented Solo and Tarkin from escaping with Saar. Soon afterward, Jedi Knight Turi Altamik developed the psychosis and led a chase outside the Temple in full view of the media before she was finally captured by the Jedi.

Belok Rhal's demands
"My name is Belok Rhal. You will remember it. I am here on the orders of the Galactic Alliance to retrieve two Jedi&mdash;Sothais Saar and Turi Altamik. You have been ordered to relinquish them to the care of the Galactic Alliance, and you have refused. All legal methods have been exhausted. Your Chief of State Daala has asked me to ensure that you turn them over. And you will."

- Commander Belok Rhal addresses the Jedi Order at the Temple on Coruscant

While the Galactic Alliance demanded the release of the two Jedi Knights into government custody, the Jedi decided to organize a strike team of StealthX starfighters to assist the exiled Grand Master Luke Skywalker, who had come into contact with a Lost Tribe of Sith. Before the team could launch from the Jedi Temple Hangars, however, the Temple was beset by a large force of Mandalorian Protectors, again at the orders of Daala. Led by Commander Belok Rhal, the Mandalorian force consisted of at least half a dozen tra'kad starships, several Canderous-class assault tanks, numerous ground vehicles, several bombers, and many warriors.

Jaina Solo had escaped shortly before the onset of the siege, and made her way to the Galactic Empire Embassy on Coruscant, where she found her fiancé, Imperial Remnant Head of State Jagged Fel. She asked for his help in launching the StealthXs, and when he showed hesitation, she revealed that the threat involved the Sith. Fel reassured her that he understood her motives, but insisted that he could not risk initiating a diplomatic incident and possibly a war. They were interrupted by Fel's aide, Kthira'shi'ktarloo, who turned on a viewscreen showing a news report following the developing siege. Fel was shocked, and said he would talk to Daala, but could not promise anything more. As a result, Solo called off their engagement and took off to assist Skywalker on her own.

Meanwhile, the Mandalorians neglected to respond to the Jedi's efforts to establish contact for several hours, intending to unnerve them. Finally, Rhal introduced himself to the Jedi and stated the terms of his mission, threatening consequences if they did not turn over Saar and Altamik within 36 hours. The Jedi Council quickly convened and began to suggest finding a way to get word out of the dwindling supplies that they needed, but interim Grand Master Kenth Hamner's apprentice, Kani Asari, suddenly reported that the Mandalorians were jamming external communications so that the Temple could not contact anyone outside, although those outside could contact the Temple.

The Masters then decided to send a Jedi out to negotiate with Rhal, passing up Hamner when he volunteered, as he was too valuable to the enemy. When Hamner questioned who would go in his stead, Asari was the first to volunteer. Hamner was opposed at first, but Asari convinced him she was the best choice. As she emerged from the Temple entrance, Rhal strode quickly up the stairs to meet her, and pointed out that she was neither Saar nor Altamik. When she replied that she had come to negotiate, the Mandalorian commander shot Asari point-blank, killing her. Rhal then announced that any Jedi leaving the Temple other than Saar or Altamik would meet the same fate, and added that the Order had just 24 hours to comply, before the Mandalorians destroyed the Temple and massacred the Order. He also decided that Asari's body would remain on the steps as a reminder to the Jedi, and that if anyone attempted to recover her body, the Mandalorians would attack the Temple.

Afterward, Hamner was contacted by Galactic Alliance Admiral Nek Bwua'tu, who revealed that recordings made by Mandalorians during their earlier raid on the Temple has showed that the Jedi appeared to be preparing for an attack somewhere. Bwua'tu told Hamner that Daala did not know of the situation, and added that he would rather it remained that way, as he believed she would see it only as an impending attack on the Galactic Alliance. Hamner revealed that the impending strike was not aimed at Daala or the Galactic Alliance, but rather at a mutual enemy. Bwua'tu then offered his assistance in dealing with Daala, suggesting that if the Jedi waited until he gave them the go-ahead to launch their strike, he would ensure that they had the complete cooperation of the Galactic Alliance Navy.

The lunch incident
"I don't know how either of them can eat, sitting there looking at her.''" "Well, nothing Thul does would surprise me at this point, and Dorvan's feeding his half of the sandwich to his chitlik." [Leia suddenly freezes] "What is it? What did you just figure out?" "''How we can help the Jedi."

- Han and Leia Solo

Meanwhile, Wynn Dorvan was contacting Rhal on orders from Daala to organize a Mandalorian team to put down a revolt on Blaudu Sextus, when he realized that his friend, Jedi Knight Raynar Thul, with whom he had lunch with on the front steps of the Temple every day, would be taking his lunch within fifteen minutes. Dorvan quickly ordered Rhal to hold his fire when Thul emerged, and when the Mandalorian was reluctnat to comply, lied that the order was directly from the Chief of State. However, Rhal still refused to go back on his earlier order to the Jedi, and Dorvan rushed to the scene. He made his way through the Mandalorian ranks and climbed to the top of the steps just as Thul emerged from the Temple's entrance. Dorvan's presence there prevented the Mandalorians from firing on Thul, and the two took their lunch on the steps.

The scene was an instant sensation amongst the reporters covering the siege, including journalist Javis Tyrr, who had been portraying Daala's actions negatively thourghout the duration of the event. Meanwhihle, leia Organa Solo, who was watching the event transpire with her husband, Han, noted that Dorvan was feeding his food to his pet chitlik, Pocket, and this inspired suddenly inspired in her a plan for smuggling supplies into the Temple by using rodents. The Solos acted out their plan immediately, and rodents in the underlevels of the Temple were soon discovered by Master Octa Ramis and her Padawan, Seha Dorvald, and Master Corran Horn found that vials with the medications needed to sedate the captive psychotic Jedi had been tied to the rodents' backs.

Meanwhile, Dorvan and Thul finished their lunch, and the Chief of Staff removed Asari's body from the steps, overruling Rhal's decree that it should stay as a reminder to the Jedi of the Mandalorian's terms. Later, the Solos had received a message from Kenth Hamner, attached to one of the returning rodents. They then established consistent contact, and the Solos were able to send the Jedi many supplies on which they had begun to run low.

Siege's end
"When you told Kenth you wanted a public surrender, we thought you meant out here in front of the news, where everyone could see how well you're going to treat the patients.''" "I meant that I wanted the situation resolved publicly. I didn't mean we should endanger scores of beings by making the actual exchange out here in Fellowship Plaza." "Well stang''. I wish you'd told me that earlier."

- Han Solo and Natasi Daala, as Turi Altamik and Sothais Saar emerge from the Jedi Temple

Eventually, Skywalker was supposedly successful in his mission, apparently defeating Abeloth&mdash;the being who had caused the psychosis&mdash;and seemingly causing the psychotic Jedi to be immediately cured. Cilghal and her aide, the Jedi healer Shul Vaal, discovered that Saar, Altamik, and Kunor Bann&mdash;a Jedi who had developed the psychosis in the Temple, and whose condition the Galactic Alliance wasn't aware of&mdash;were all devoid of the psychosis; Cilghal instantly reported the news to Hamner.

The Jedi then arranged a meeting with Daala in an attempt to end the siege by releasing Altamik and Saar, and the Chief of State requested that the Jedi be released publicly. Daala, accompanied by Galactic Alliance Security forces commanded by Captain Oric Harfard, arrived in the Fellowship Plaza outside the Temple and met with Han Solo. Solo told Harfard to order the Mandalorians not to open fire, as Altamik and Saar would be arriving soon. When the two Jedi Knights emerged from the Temple, Harfard quickly ordered his troops to form a guard around the Chief of State, but when Solo suggested that Daala was scared, she ordered Harfard to have his man stand down. Examining them from a distance, Daala claimed that they must be impostors, suggesting that the Jedi were creating an illusion with the Force or else had used plastic surgery, but Solo reasoned that Daala's chosen doctor to examine the patients, the Bith Thalleus Tharn, Chair of xenopsychiatric medicine in the Greater Coruscant University, would be able to tell the difference.

As Solo began to wave the two Jedi forward, Harfard held him at blasterpoint and insisted that he would not let Solo put Daala in danger. Despite his concerns, the Chief of State waved the Captain aside and suggested that the Jedi should be examined then and there by Tharn. The Bith was hesitant to do so outside of his hospital, but Solo pointed out that it would be far less safe to examine them there with only a few Mandalorian guards than it would be in the Plaza. Tharn finally agreed, and after examining the Jedi, pronounced Altamik and Saar to be completely cured. Daala ordered Harfard to lift the siege, although she refused to release imprisoned Knights Valin and Jysella Horn from Alliance custody until she knew more.

Appearances

 * Allies
 * Vortex