Satele Shan

"She does have the gift, Master Zym, just like Bastila did. I'm sure of it."

- Dar'Nala, regarding Shan's lineage

Satele Shan was a Human female Jedi Master who served the Galactic Republic during the Great Galactic War against the resurgent Sith Empire. A direct descendant of the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, she participated in several major conflicts during the war and relocated the ancient Jedi homeworld of Tython before the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant. After the war, Shan helped build a new Jedi Temple on Tython to replace the one destroyed by the Sith during the Sacking of Coruscant. Shan eventually rose to the rank of Grand Master, working to keep the peace between the Republic remnants and the Sith Empire.

Early life and Jedi training
Satele Shan, a Human female, was born during the decades leading up to the Great Galactic War. Descended from the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan &mdash;who fought against Darth Revan and Darth Malak's Sith Empire during the Jedi Civil War &mdash;Satele hailed from the planet Brentaal. She was deemed suitable for Jedi training, becoming the Padawan of the Togruta Jedi Master Dar'Nala. During this time, the resurgent Sith Empire attacked the Galactic Republic, initiating the Great Galactic War. Early in the war, Shan rediscovered the world of Tython. Shan eventually achieved the rank of Jedi Knight.

The Treaty of Coruscant
"I can feel your tension, Satele. You must learn patience if you are to become a Jedi Master."'' "''I know, Master Dar'Nala. I spent all morning in meditation&hellip; I just can't shake the sense that there's something more to these peace talks than the Jedi Council is aware of&hellip;"

- Shan to Dar'Nala

In 3,653 BBY, the Galactic Senate was presented with a peace proposal from the Sith Empire's Dark Council. The Senate was reluctant to accept the offer and was advised by the Jedi Order to approach with caution. However, the Senate accepted, and plans were made for a peace summit to be held on the Core World of Alderaan. The Jedi Council dispatched Shan and Dar'nala to travel with the Cerean Senator Paran Am-Ris to Alderaan in order to discuss a possible cessation of hostilities with the Sith delegation, led by the Sith Lord Darth Baras. Before the meeting began, Shan voiced her concerns regarding the summit to Dar'Nala, believing that the Sith had other intentions that the Council was not aware of.

However, during the conference, Sith forces led by Darth Angral attacked the Republic capital of Coruscant. The Supreme Chancellor contacted Am-Ris and informed him of the Sith betrayal before being killed by Angral. As Am-Ris asked Baras what was going on, Shan attacked the Sith Lord, remarking that the Sith deceived them. Baras, having crossed lightsabers with the Jedi Knight, asked Shan to restrain herself, stating that the Republic had no choice but to accept the Sith's terms for peace. Shan ceased her actions when Dar'nala asked her to, who instructed her to remain on guard while she and Am-Ris conferred with Jedi Grand Master Zym. After consulting with Zym, Dar'nala asked Shan to apologize to Baras for her actions against him. Shan agreed, and the Treaty of Coruscant was eventually signed by the Republic.

A New Order
Shortly after the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, Shan and Dar'nala were instructed by Zym to travel to the Outer Rim and oversee Republic troop withdrawals in accordance with the treaty. Shan and Dar'nala traveled aboard the Republic transport Envoy. As the ship passed through the Kuat sector of the Core Worlds, Dar'Nala was angered by their situation, believing that Zym was trying to keep them out of the way. Dar'nala opined to Shan that Zym should seek Shan's guidance, since the Knight had sensed that the Sith would betray them. As Shan was responding to Dar'nala's comments, the Jedi Master caught the Sith-constructed droid SP-99 listening in on their conversation. As the droid explained his actions to Dar'nala, Shan defended SP-99, and Dar'nala remarked that they could continue their discussion later. Shan apologized to the droid for Dar'nala's aggressive attitude towards him, stating that she was acting like that because the Sith had built him.

Shortly after this, their ship came under attack by a Sith warship. Imperial commandos immediately boarded the Republic ship, and Shan dispatched her attackers, earning a reminder from SP-99 that she was violating the treaty by doing so. Shan witnessed Dar'nala being captured by Sith forces, and the Jedi Master instructed Shan to flee and inform the Jedi Council of what had transpired. Shan fled the ship, with SP-99 in tow, aboard an escape pod, vowing to rescue her former Master. However, SP-99 remarked that it would take approximately 500,000 years for anyone to locate their pod in that sector, and Shan sarcastically remarked that she would be learning patience after all. Shan's escape pod was eventually found by Mandalorian slavers bound for the planet Geonosis. However, a Republic shuttle arrived and destroyed the Mandalorian's vessel. Shan and SP-99 were brought aboard the shuttle by Republic Lieutenant Harron Tavus and Jedi Master Orgus Din. She informed the two men about the Imperial's attack of her's and Dar'nala's ship, and argued for saving Dar'nala after they informed the Senate of their situation. When Tavus remarked that he and Din were headed to the planet Balmorra on a diplomatic mission, Shan was incensed. SP-99 tried to discredit Shan, but Din disregarded the droid and said that they would investigate the matter after he consulted Master Zym. Shan thanked Din and told Tavus that she was not being dramatic in her assessment of their situation. Later aboard the ship, Shan, Din, and Tavus contacted Zym, who informed the three that many senators wanted the war to be restarted due to the Sith's attack on the Envoy. Tavus asked if they could pursue the Imperial transport which captured Dar'nala and rescue the Jedi Master, and Zym informed them of Dar'nala's death. After the meeting, Shan spoke with Tavus, who tried to comfort the Jedi by telling her that he had also lost his loved ones during the war. Shan apologized for the way that she treated him before.

Shan, Tavus, and Din later arrived on Balmorra, where Din prevented Jedi Knight Fortris Gall from furthering the battle between the Republic forces and the Imperials. Shan asked Din to place her in charge of the withdrawal efforts at Dantooine, reasoning that this task was originally assigned to her and Dar'nala. Din, however, placed Tavus in command of the mission. Shan asked Gall whether he was accompanying her and Tavus, but Mirialan stated that he would take his own ship. Shan, Tavus, and SP-99 left Balmorra and headed to the Raioballo sector, where Dantooine was located. During the trip, Shan had a conversation with Tavus, in which he suggested that they take a vacation together after the mission to Dantooine. Although she liked the idea, she refused due to the fact that she was a Jedi. Before he headed back for the cockpit, Tavus told Shan that he could tell that she had feelings for him and asked her to think about his proposal. Shan and Tavus landed at the Republic Base D-55 on Dantooine and met with Republic Major Dael, who told them that Senator Am-Ris wished to speak with them over the holocomm. The Cerean informed Shan and Tavus of Zym's and Commander Lesl's deaths and the bombing in the Senate building's tower; after Am-Ris ceased communications, Dael refused to participate in the withdrawal efforts. Shan was surprised when Tavus expressed his reluctance to urge Dael to withdraw his troops, and Tavus reasoned that the Senate would overturn the Treaty due to the Imperials' attack on the Envoy and their persecution of Coruscant. As Tavus left to contact Din, Shan suggested that a discussion was necessary when Gall arrived on the planet. She was informed that Gall was already on Dantooine on a reconnaissance mission.

Discovery on Dantooine
"Your friends can go, Satele, but you should stay. If Darth Revan's blood flows through your veins, you belong with us."

- Baras to Shan

Shan later greeted Master Din when he arrived on Dantooine with Braden, the bounty hunter who had killed Zym. Braden remembered that Dar'Nala wanted her to know what was really going on, and told her that Baras was behind the attempts to destroy the peace. This revelation shocked Shan, because she sensed that Baras was even more peaceful than Dar'Nala. She later found SP-99 destroyed. After examining the wreckage, the destroyed droid managed to tell her of Tavus talking to Gall, and of the latter asking Tavus to come with him to the ruins of the Jedi Enclave. Din then contacted her and told her that Braden had escaped. He told her to stay where she was while he recaptured the bounty hunter. Impatient, Shan decided to head to the Enclave to investigate Gall's actions for herself.

Satele eventually made her way to the crystal caves, where she walked into a brewing skirmish between the Sith and some Jedi. To her surprise, she discovered her "deceased" Master among the combatants: Dar'Nala invited her former Padawan to join her in the fight against the Sith, stating her conviction that the Treaty was setting the Republic up for a final strike from the Empire. Shan joined her former Master in the fight, attacking Baras. During the fight, Baras revealed to Shan that it had been her former Master who had been responsible for the recent disruptions of the treaty, including the initial attack on the Envoy. Dar'Nala's confirmation of Baras' accusations so devastated Shan that she collapsed to the ground. Baras then put his plan into action: accusing the Jedi of hypocrisy, even to the Jedi Code, he called on Shan to join him, telling her that the age of the Jedi was passing and that her rightful place was with the Sith.

Shan refused to submit to Baras, but also refused to side with Dar'Nala when the latter shouted at her to finish Baras off. This enraged Dar'Nala, who interpreted her former Padawan's refusal as a betrayal. She then called upon Tavus to execute the Sith with whom he had been doing battle. Tavus was about to do so when Shan stopped him, making the observation that the Sith wanted to be attacked; and that if Tavus, a soldier of the Republic, killed the Sith, he would be playing directly into their hands. Thoroughly infuriated, Dar'Nala made an attempt on Tavus' life, stating that as Shan had broken her heart, she would break Shan's in return. Gall realized that Dar'Nala had gone too far, and blocked the strike. Using the Force, Dar'Nala overpowered Gall and ordered the Wookiee bounty hunter Dalborra to kill him. However, Dalborra instead punched Dar'Nala with a massive paw, finally killing her.

As Dalborra fled, Shan gathered Tavus and Gall together and prepared to leave. Angral recovered at this time, and tried to stop them. Baras disagreed with Angral and said they could go. However, Baras said Shan should join them, saying that if Darth Revan's blood was in her veins, she belonged with the Sith. Shan refused, and acknowledged that even if she couldn't defeat the Sith, there would be others who could. The trio returned to the Republic base, where they were informed by Master Din that the Major was finally seeing sense and agreeing to pull out. Without going into too much detail, they reported that a dissident group within the Republic had been behind the disruptions of the treaty and that they had been stopped. The Treaty of Coruscant would hold through.

Grand Master
In the years after the signing of the Treaty, Shan helped establish a new Jedi Temple on Tython. By 3,650 BBY, she had become the youngest individual to assume the position of the Jedi Order's Grand Master. Shan worked to prevent war from reigniting, successfully preventing numerous attempts. However, she knew that another war between the Jedi and Sith was inevitable, and that the Jedi had to win when this occurred. During the events of the Cold War between the Republic remnants and the Sith Empire, the Sith issued a bounty of 100 million credits on her, whether she was dead or alive.

In her late years Shan trained the Kiffu Shigar Konshi. She also participated in the invasion of the mineral world of Sebaddon, and helped coordinate the battle with the Sith Lord Darth Chratis. She worked with the Sith apprentice Eldon Ax to destroy the hexes' central computer to prevent them from spreading across the galaxy.

Personality and traits
"Patience just isn't my greatest strength."

- Satele Shan

The Human female Satale Shan wore a set of brown Jedi robes and used a lightsaber containing a green crystal. During her tenure as a Jedi Knight, Shan was known to be impulsive and quick to act, as demonstrated when she attacked Baras immediately after discovering the Sith's treachery in the peace talks. However, she was willing to admit that she was weak in certain character traits, such as her patience. When the ship transporting her and Dar'nala to the Outer Rim came under attack, Shan would make sarcastic comments to SD-99, who had been assigned by the Sith to watch over the two Jedi. Despite her flaws, Shan knew what was right and always stood by it, as demonstrated when she refused to help Dar'nala sabotage the Treaty of Coruscant while refusing to join the Sith at the same time.

Even after reaching the rank of Grand Master, Shan preferred to be addressed by her first name rather than her surname. Unlike her ancestor Bastila Shan, who was known for being brash and arrogant, Satele possessed a warm demeanor and an approachable personality. However, this belied her real strength and determination. She was respected for her wisdom and her strong connection with the Force.

Powers and abilities
Shan was skilled at lightsaber combat, engaging the Sith Lord Baras on Alderaan and on Dantooine. She was capable of utilizing telekinetic Force powers, demonstrating these against two Imperial commandos when her ship came under attack shortly after the Treaty of Coruscant. By the time she ascended to the position of Grand Master, Shan was revered as a veteran warrior, having fought and survived numerous occasions against the power of the dark side.

Her apprentice; Shigar Konshi, mentioned that she had incredible powers of foresight, and was more advanced in that category than any other Jedi. It was also said that she could predict events with such clarity, that she could simply predict an action to make the future go the way she desired. Her apprentice also noted that her Force Empathy ability was so powerful that she could feel his emotional state and had known exactly what had been troubling him in a simple holographic transmission from halfway across the galaxy. Dar'nala also told the Jedi Grand Master Zym that she had inherited her ancestor Bastila Shan's powerful affinity for Battle meditation.

The Sith apprentice Eldon Ax marveled at the Grand Master's telekinetic power when she fought alongside her against the hexes on Sebbadon and she noted that Shan could simply wave her hand and the hexes would be crushed, broken, or otherwise destroyed. This was an incredible feat because the majority of the forces on Hutta could barely destroy one hex.

Behind the scenes
Satele Shan was created by Rob Chestney for the webcomic Star Wars: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace, which was created as a prelude to the upcoming PC video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. The comic was initially released exclusively online through the Star Wars: The Old Republic official website, but is currently in re-release as comic book issues published by Dark Horse. In the comics, Shan was drawn by Alex Sanchez. Shan's biographical entry in the official site's Holonet feature revealed that she was a direct descendant of Bastila Shan, a character from the 2003 Xbox and PC video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which was developed by BioWare, which is currently developing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Shan will play a role in the game, appearing as the Jedi Order's Grand Master. The game takes place ten years after the events in the Treaty of Coruscant webcomic. Previously, due to misstated dates, it was believed that the game took place about three decades after the Treaty of Coruscant.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace Act 3: Uncertain Surrender, Sith Lord Baras states that he believes Satele is also a descendant of Revan. Also, on Satele Shan's biography page on The Old Republic website, there is an Aurebesh phrase that says "blood of Revan." Although these do not confirm Revan is the ancestor of Satele Shan, they have heightened fan speculation that Revan is the father of Bastila's child, and therefore Satele's ancestor.

Satele Shan's biography page on the official website has several Aurebesh phrases. They translate as "Jedi exiled her mother," "blood of Revan," and "a secret son."

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic