- Ben: "A Master hanging back to watch her students fight an enemy so she'd learn about them."
- Luke: "Though she seemed perfectly content to sacrifice them."
- Vestara: "You're a big prize, Master Skywalker. Well worth the sacrifice of a few Sabers and apprentices."
- ―Ben Skywalker, Vestara Khai, and Luke Skywalker, following the duel[1]
In 44 ABY, a duel occurred near the pumping station of the city of Kesla Vein on the planet Nam Chorios, when three Sith Sabers of the Lost Tribe of Sith commanded by Saber Tola Annax attacked exiled Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker, his son Ben, and outcast Sith apprentice Vestara Khai. The Sith were dispatched to capture Khai and kill the Skywalkers; additionally, both sides were searching for the dark side entity Abeloth. These aims led to a duel between the two factions. While Annnax watched, her three companions engaged the Jedi and Khai in three separate duels and were quickly killed. Annax escaped and the Jedi group soon came under another attack from their enemies.
Prelude[]
- "Have you found Abeloth yet? We have some justice in mind for her, too."
- ―Tola Annax, to Vestara Khai
In 43.5 ABY,[3] the exiled Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker and his son—the Jedi Knight Ben Skywalker—discovered that a dark side entity called Abeloth was causing a Force psychosis that had befallen several Jedi Knights of the New Jedi Order. The Lost Tribe of Sith—a group of Sith from the planet Kesh—also encountered Abeloth in the Maw,[4] and High Lord Sarasu Taalon convinced the Skywalkers to ally themselves with the Sith to defeat Abeloth. However, their attempt to kill the entity was unsuccessful and the alliance was broken.[5]
Exiled Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker
The Skywalkers and the outcast Sith apprentice Vestara Khai—who was forced to help the Jedi after killing Taalon when the High Lord began to transform into another Abeloth-like being—hunted Abeloth and located her on the planet Nam Chorios[1] in 44 ABY.[2] Luke Skywalker had established a blood trail on Abeloth and was therefore able to find the entity on the world. The Sith also tried to find Abeloth, and Khai sent a secret message to her father, Gavar Khai, revealing that Abeloth and the Jedi group were on Nam Chorios. The elder Khai dispatched several Sith Sabers to the planet in order to find and capture his daughter as well as kill the Skywalkers.[1]
The duel[]
- "Who are you?"
"You know me, traitor. And it's time for your companions to die, and for you to be taken to your father for questioning."
"Tola Annax." - ―Vestara Khai and Tola Annax, shortly before the outbreak of the duel
Led by the Keshiri Sith Saber Tola Annax, a group consisting of Annax and three additional Sabers found the Skywalkers and Vestara Khai near the pumping station of the town Kesla Vein. When the Jedi group returned to their airspeeder, Annax jumped on their vehicle and demanded that Vestara surrender. She neglected to do so, and Annax reacted by sending the rest of her team to attack the Jedi and the Sith girl. While the Keshiri Saber stayed behind, the other three engaged all three enemies in one-against-one duels. Vestara fought against a petty officer of her father's; he tried to use the Force to throw stones at her, but she was able to strike her enemy down by stabbing her blade through his heart. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker cut his enemy in two and rushed to help his son. However, the younger Skywalker beheaded his opponent shortly afterward. Annax escaped after the defeat of her team, using a cable to climb a ravine before driving away in another airspeeder. Additionally, the Keshiri destroyed the Jedi's speeder, leaving them without a vehicle.[1]
Aftermath[]
- "How about you surrender to our justice?"
"Some other time." - ―Vestara Khai and Tola Annax, shortly before the latter's escape
The Sith petty officer used the Force during the duel, an action that caused a Force storm somewhere on the planet, as the tsil crystals on Nam Chorios greatly boosted and redirected Force energy. A short time after the duel, Luke Skywalker received a message from the journalist Kandra Nilitz, who was able to convince the Grand Master to meet with her. Shortly before arriving at Nilitz's landspeeder, the Jedi group once again had to fight off several Sith, but they escaped and continued the search for Abeloth in the city of Crystal Valley. The Sith, meanwhile, also continued their search for Abeloth and the Jedi, leading to another confrontation between the three parties.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
The skirmish first appeared in Fate of the Jedi: Conviction, the seventh novel of the Fate of the Jedi series. Conviction was written by Aaron Allston and published in 2011.[1]
Appearances[]
- Fate of the Jedi: Conviction (First appearance, simultaneous with Fate of the Jedi: Conviction audiobook)
- Fate of the Jedi: Conviction audiobook
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 Fate of the Jedi: Conviction
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Essential Reader's Companion
- ↑
Books, Comics, & Television VIPs on StarWars.com Message Boards. Posted by Sue Rostoni on October 2, 2008 at 10:48 AM. (content now obsolete; backup link) "with FotJ starting at 43.5."
- ↑ Fate of the Jedi: Abyss
- ↑ Fate of the Jedi: Allies