Ussej Padric Bac III

"The real test of a hero is knowing when the greater good will be served by an evil act."

- Ussej Padric Bac II

Ussej Padric Bac III was born on Aquilae to Ussej Padric Bac II and Tesiana Al-Dubrir during the Ashlan Civil War, making him a part of a long line of legendary war heroes, politicians, tyrants, Jedi Knights, Sith Lords and Bendu Knights. He was the third man of the Bac family to bear the name “Ussej Padric Bac”, and was the first to bear the name after the tradition began to name every first born male of the family “Ussej Padric Bac” in honor of his grandfather, Ussej Padric Bac. Because of his abilities and his family name, he became the Bendu High Priest and led the Bendu Order during the Great Sovereign Crusades. During that war, he was one of the main catalysts in bringing about a disastrous holy war that exiled the Jedi Order and inadvertently brought the Third Sith Empire to power once again and nearly annihilated the Galactic Republic in the process.

During the war, Ussej was one of the players in a major trinity of the three most unlikely individuals. Falling in love with Isabella Dashin and eventually allying himself Kalel Kitsune, Isabella’s eventual lover and father of her daughter, he was able to use the trinity to rectify his mistakes, thereby becoming a Prophet of the Whills as stated in the Prophecy of the Nine Prophets. His spirit was carried to Ashlan Four after he sacrificed himself to save Kalel and kill Carden Mannux in the Temple of the Ancients on Lehon. After visiting his home one last time in the form of a spirit, he made his way into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Ussej’s mistakes during the war brought about an age of awakening for the Bendu Order. After Ussej’s death, his greatest friend and successor as High Priest, Josiah Rendar, helped the order rebuild itself from the ground up. Josiah always remained cognizant of his friend’s life story to ensure that what happened during his time would not happen again. During the age of awakening, there were not only changes in appearances but a change in the way that the order viewed itself in comparison to the rest of the universe. Ussej, along with his father and grandfather, was able to help the order realize what would happen to someone if they allowed pride get the better of them. For that, Ussej was never forgotten.

Early Life
"The real test of a hero is knowing when the greater good will be served by an evil act."

- Ussej Padric Bac II

Ussej Padric Bac III was born on Aquilae into the famous Bac family, making him a part of a line of war heroes, politicians, tyrants, Jedi Knights, Sith Lords and Bendu Knights. His ancestor Jonathan Bac was the first Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. His grandparents were Laili Jeyna Rendar, who was the sister of his great-uncle Kit Corwin Rendar, and Ussej Padric Bac. His grandfather on the side of his mother Tesiana Al-Dubrir, was the much-hated warlord Husen Al-Dubrir of Had Abaddon. His father was Ussej Padric Bac II, one of the catalysts of the Ashlan Civil War. Ussej himself was also one of the major controversies of the war, as the Bendu Order did not take kindly to the fact that Ussej the Second and Tesiana had conceived a child without being married. Husen Al-Dubrir did not care about Ussej’s conception or birth, but rather was insulted that his daughter would be involved with any member of the Bendu Order.

Shortly after his birth, Tesiana was killed by radical citizens of Kal'Shabbol after a fierce chase in the streets of Ondus. Shortly thereafter, Ussej the First was killed while fighting Adena Qel-Droma, sacrificing himself to save the life of his son and his infant grandson. Ussej’s father also spent a great deal of time being faced with the repercussions of the Ashlan Civil War, meaning Ussej was left with the Rendar family many times for his childhood. Because of that, his early childhood was filled with loneliness and the longing to be with his father, as well as the longing for his mother to come back from the dead.

Shortly before his tenth birthday, his father was set to become a Bendu Priest, meaning that Ussej would have to move to the city of Vattica and leave his friends and family. Shortly before taking the position, Ussej the Second elected to travel to Dxun to recover an ancient Jedi Bendu artifact that had supposedly been discovered. Before leaving, his father spoke with him about responsibility. Ussej the Second’s final words to his son stayed with the young boy for the rest of his life, resonating in many of the decisions he would make as an adult.

After two months, the order had received no word from Ussej the Second. They sent a scouting party led by David Rendar to ascertain why they had not heard from him and found his body in an abandoned Mandalorian dueling ring. Ussej was given the news and spent weeks in solitude alone in his chambers at the Bendu Temple of Light. However, Ussej finally agreed to live with David Rendar, his wife, his son Josiah Rendar and his mother, Aletra Jekkura. Ussej and Josiah became very close, many believing them to actually be brothers. They received apprenticeship together and both studied under David Rendar.

When he was eighteen, his training was deemed to be complete by both David and the Council of Priests. Immediately, he began his Trial of Wills, the first trial towards Bendu Knighthood that was the same for all Knighthood hopefuls. His task, which clearly was no surprise to him, was to travel to the bottom of the Well of Souls at the base of the nearby mountains and find the first of three sacred stones that were grouped together to form a jewel that would hang around his neck, as well as adorn his blade. As he repelled to the bottom, he discovered why they named it the Well of Souls. The souls of the dark warriors from the Valley of the Shadow of Death killed one hundred thousand years earlier attacked him. At first, he could not find a way to defeat the dead, but he did discover a way. Diving through a small shaft, all while the souls chased after him, he found the first sacred stone. As he held it out in front of him, the souls were scattered in all directions by its power long enough for him to escape.

With the first stone safely in his possession, he began his long ascent up into the Ashlan Mountains. His first stop was an ancient Jedi Bendu enclave. He searched for a stone within what remained of the one hundred thousand year old ruins and when he found one the sun had already set. Because he was determined to finish his question, he did not stop for sleep or warmth as he traversed the harsh, cold snow he ran into on the way towards the top. When he reached the summit, he made his way onto the Holy Ridge of the Shaman of the Whills and found the third stone and placed each piece upon an alter at the edge of the ridge. The stones fused together, creating the stunning symbol. After completing his long and treacherous descent back to the Temple of Light, he showed the jewel to David who told him that he had passed his trial. It was then that he began preparing for the Trial of Fear.

After three days of rest and recovery from his toilsome journey, Ussej took his Trial of Fear, the final test in becoming a Bendu Knight that would determine whether or not he had the appropriate mindset to be considered a noble and virtuous defender. David reached into Ussej’s mind to find his deepest fear and what he found was the fear of failing his friends, his family and his people. David created a vision of Ussej fighting on a lush and beautiful world, surrounding by water and crashed starships. There, Ussej fought against a blue skinned, red-eyed demon to defend a woman, a young man and an older man from death. In the end, Ussej saved their lives, but the vision showed him that his own life had ended in the process. When the vision ended, Ussej spent a week pondering what he had seen. When the council was satisfied that his fear had subsided, they granted him the rank of Bendu Knight and placed the jewel around his neck, dubbing it the Crest of Ussej Padric Bac III. It was Ussej’s proudest moment, and he could only hope that his father would have been proud as well. Though his birth family was not there to celebrate in his accomplishment, Ussej was able to celebrate with Josiah who had also been promoted to Bendu Knight.

After a few weeks of normal, around-the-temple Knighthood duties, Ussej was selected to go on his first solo mission. Three weeks earlier, it had been reported that Bendu Knight Jack Prime travelled to the outskirts of the farming community of Setena to help calm a land disagreement between two neighboring farmers. After three days, he was to report to the Council of Priests to discuss his progress. However, he did not report in and the farmers claim they never saw him, despite testimony from locals who said that he did arrive in their village. The Council of Priests told Ussej that they believed Prime was either being held captive by one of the farmers or had been murdered. They assigned Ussej to question them and locate the missing knight if at all possible.

When Ussej arrived in Setena, he immediately questioned the two farmers. The first farmer he questioned was Montague Capulet, who claimed that he would have been more than happy to welcome Prime into his home but that he had never seen him. After the interview was over, Ussej questioned Sandral Matale, the second farmer, who had been less than enthusiastic about the prospect of having to deal with a Bendu Knight. Not surprising to Ussej, Matale also claimed to have never seen the Bendu Knight. After a three day investigation, questioning many members of the community, Ussej uncovered that Prime had been captured and was being held hostage by Capulet. Ussej took him into custody and, because Capulet was the only member of his family, the land of the Capulet Farm was given to the Matale family. After taking Capulet into custody, Ussej brought Prime back to the Temple of Light where he was given proper medical treatment. Two weeks later, Ussej learned that Capulet had been tried and convicted for kidnapping a Bendu Knight and conspiracy to kidnap a Bendu Knight. Ussej also learned that Prime had been released from the medical center. He went to visit the recovering Bendu Knight at his home and, within a short amount of time, the two became good friends, despite the fact that Prime was nearly twenty years Ussej’s senior. Prime was unable to express how grateful he was for Ussej’s help, but Ussej told him that there was no need to express any thanks or gratitude because he was only doing the right thing by helping another person.

Ussej received high praise from the Council of Priests for his performance and was immediately given a new assignment. According to the council, the then-still young democratic government of Had Abaddon was having trouble with a vicious bounty hunter called “Slayer” on the planet’s southernmost continent. Instead of finding and arresting the remnants of the former tyrannical regime of Ussej’s grandfather, Slayer was wreaking having havoc by disrupting government and private operations. Normally, the Bendu Order would have left the matter to the Had Abaddon military, but Slayer had killed a Bendu apprentice so they decided to bring him to justice. Ussej was sent to the planet and, once there, he apprehended him and returned him to the Temple of Light for trial where he was convicted and sentenced to death for his crimes.

To Have Loved and Lost
When Ussej was thirty years old, the Council of Priests let go of their resentment towards the Bac family and elected Ussej into the Bendu Priesthood. Just as he had been when he became a Bendu Knight, Ussej was immensely proud of his accomplishment and could only hope that his parents, had they been alive, would have been as well. Not long after he became a Priest, Josiah was also elected into the position. The two had a week before they would be sent out into the villages to begin their duties, so they spent a great deal of time together as they knew that it could have been some time before they saw each other again in person. After the week was over, they bid farewell to one another and received their assignments.

Ussej became the Priest in the city of Vattica, one of the larger villages of the planet that had come to be known as an actual city. He served there for two months before a deadly virus broke out among the population. No one knew how it had manifested itself into so many people, but in the end hundreds had contracted it and dozens died within weeks. At the end of every week, Ussej gave a sermon to all those who had become sick and prayed that those who had already passed away were receiving eternal love and warmth in Heaven. During one of the sermons, Ussej met a young woman named Jana DesOrz whose father had just died from the disease. Ussej immediately felt a strong connection to her and they began to frequently see one another.

After six months, Ussej asked Jana’s mother for Jana’s hand in marriage. Though her mother was hesitant at first about Jana marrying a member of the Bac family, she gave Ussej her blessing and told her how she had noticed that her daughter had been incredibly happy since they had met one another. Ussej thanked her for her kind words and left to find Jana. Ussej brought Jana to the Holy Ridge where his grandfather had sacrificed his life. Because it was a clear, beautiful day, Ussej brought her to the edge of the ridge and showed her the vast landscape of the planet. It had been the first time she had been up that far in the mountains, so she was completely enamored by the view. Before leaving, Ussej got down on one knee and proposed to her. Without a second’s hesitation, she accepted his proposal.

Ussej and Jana immediately began planning their wedding. They decided to get married on the shores of the Ashlan Sea, right on the edge of the mountains that had their base very near the water. When the wedding day finally came, Ussej welcomed Damien Nightblade to Kal’Shabbol for the first time since the funeral of Ussej Padric Bac II. Along with Damien came his grandson, Ein Nightblade. Damien introduced the two and while they’re views on certain issues were certainly different, Damien later noted that he could tell that the two had the potential to become good friends. Damien and Ein took their seats when Ussej made his way to the altar, and as Jana made her way down the aisle Ussej could not believe how beautiful she was. Within half of a standard hour, the ceremony ended and Ussej and Jana began their honeymoon where they made love for the first time.

Two months later, when Ussej and Jana were eating dinner in their home in Vattica, Jana felt ill. Ussej took her to the cities best doctor who examined her. After only ten minutes, the doctor found the cause of Jana’s brief illness. He told the couple that Jana was two months pregnant with Ussej’s child. They could not have been happier, as they had both always wanted children. Ussej, however, could not help but be worried, as his own birth and the birth of his father were filled with complications. However, he tried not to let that preoccupy him during what he knew was supposed to be a joyous time in his life. Ussej and Jana immediately decided that they did not want to know the sex of the child or anything about it other than whether it was healthy or not.

When Jana was six months pregnant, she became worried about her pregnancy. In her mind, she was much larger than most women in their sixth month of pregnancy, as she felt that she looked more like she was eight or nine months along. Ussej told her that some women simply are larger than others when they are pregnant, but Jana was not convinced. The next day, they went back to the medical center to see if everything was proceeding with the pregnancy as it should have been. What the doctor told them came as a pleasant surprise: Jana was carrying twins. When they heard that news, they decided that they did not want to wait for anymore surprises so they asked the doctor the sexes of the babies. They were ecstatic to find out that there was one boy and one girl, though Ussej still could not help but feel nervous as the news of twins only made him fear more complications.

Later that day, they decided to pick out names for their two children. They decided to name the girl Elizabeth Tesiana Bac in honor of both of their mothers, and the boy would be named Ussej Padric Bac IV in honor of the tradition started by Ussej’s father. Picking names made the idea of twins a lot more realistic for Ussej and Jana was able to sense his apprehension about it. Knowing he could not hide anything from her very well, Ussej confided in her about his fear of complications. Always the optimist, Jana assured him that everything would be fine and that he should concentrate on the happy life that they would have with their family.

Jana went home to Vattica for the two months to spend time with her parents, but returned to the Bendu Temple of Light at the beginning of her ninth month. Less than a week before she was due, Jana wanted to take a shuttle back to Vattica to visit her parents one last time before she became a mother. Ussej, however, protested. He said that it was too dangerous considering she was only a few days from giving birth, but she disregarded her warnings and left anyway without his knowledge, as he was on the other side of the planet tending to plague victims in the far away villages. She told herself that she would only be gone for a few hours and that he would never notice anyway. Not even fifteen minutes into her shuttle flight, Jana went into labor while flying over the Ashlan Mountains. Because she had been flying on a manual setting, the intensity of the pain that the contractions brought prevented her from piloting the craft. She quickly lost control of the shuttle and crashed in the snow-covered mountains.

Ussej was soon informed of the crash and took a shuttle with a Bendu Medical Officer into the mountains. When they arrived, additional medical personnel had already arrived on the scene. From what Ussej could tell, Jana had been thrown from the shuttle before it had become mangled and filled with twisted metal. As he approached her, he could see that she had hit her head and that there was blood everywhere, most of it from the childbirth. Ussej noticed a small, covered bundle wrapped in the arms of one of the medical technicians. The technicians told him that it was Elizabeth who did not survive. However, they believed that the boy would live. When Ussej Padric Bac IV was born, the medical personnel quickly took him away to the warm shuttle for treatment. Jana lay dying in her husband’s arms and he tired to keep his composure long enough for her to be able to pass peacefully. With her last breaths, she told him not to worry and that everything would one day be fine again. She apologized for taking the shuttle and told him that he was right, though he calmed her by telling her not to worry and that she did nothing wrong. With that, she died in his arms, shattering Ussej’s heart and mind.

Three days later, both Jana and Elizabeth received a traditional Bendu burial ceremony and were buried within the Bac family cemetery just outside the Temple of Light and the capital city. Jana’s parents were present and they thanked Ussej for everything he had done for their daughter. Ein Nightblade had also made the journey from Shaderon to consol his friend, a gesture that Ussej greatly appreciated. With his infant son in his arms, Ussej did not know how he would be able to survive about his wife, though what he did know was that he would somehow find a way just as he always did and just as he always would.

The Curtain Falls
"We will get to the promised land."

- Ussej Padric Bac III

Ten years after the death of his wife, Ussej was now the sole Bendu High Priest within the Order and Josiah had become his most trusted Priest on the Council of Priests. Ussej’s day to day tasks included monitoring the training of all Bendu Apprentices and making sure that all Priests were being sent out where needed, as well as dealing with the governmental affairs of Kal'Shabbol as he was, in a sense, it’s king.

The now ten-years old Ussej Padric Bac IV had also gained Apprenticeship at the age of ten, remarkably earlier than most others in the order due to his strength with the Force of Others. He began training under his father, who had yet to find love again. Ussej did not really want to after Jana’s death, but he decided that someday he would if he found the right woman.



Out of nowhere, a large disturbance in the Force of Others was felt by everyone in the Bendu Order. Ussej attempted to meditate on it, but he soon found himself in the middle of a soft wind on the mythical world of Ashlan Four, the planet of the Whills. His grandfather, the Saint Ussej Padric Bac, appeared before him and told him that a new Dark Lord of the Sith had awakened, even though the galaxy believed the Sith to be extinct. He told his grandson that the Bendu Order would have to put aside their prejudices against the Jedi Order and travel out into the galaxy to help them. Ussej accepted this task, albeit reluctantly.

That evening, Ussej addressed the entire Bendu Order and all of the citizens of Kal'Shabbol and told them that the Bendu would be leaving the planet to assist the Jedi Order. He wished all of Kal'Shabbol well and, the next day, Ussej bid goodbye to his son and Josiah and an eager Bendu Order boarded their flagship to head out into the galaxy under the watchful eye of Saint Ussej the Shaman and The Skywalker.

Upon completing their month long journey, the flagship, which had been dubbed Ashla’s Light, began searching worlds that the Bendu Order knew to be presently or at one time Sith worlds. First they traveled to Korriban, yet they found nothing. Then they traveled to Ziost, yet they still found nothing. They then traveled to Thule where they located a large outpost with only minimal lifesigns. Choosing to go ahead and scout the area, Ussej took a shuttle down to the surface and landed at the bottom of a small ridge. On the way down, he was able to spot a fierce duel between what he believed to be a Jedi Knight and, quite possibly, the new Dark Lord of the Sith.



Ussej chose to climb the ridge so that his presence would be a surprise to the Dark Lord. Ussej ran to the aid of the Jedi, who told him that his name was Arlon Kyjar, a member of the Jedi Council. The opponent was, as he feared, the Dark Lord, one called Darth Viscerus. Now in the heat of battle, Ussej was able to quickly ascertain how powerful this new dark one was. Tragically, Kyjar was struck down and Ussej was forced to flee, but not after he severely injured the Sith Master. With Kyjar’s body over his shoulder, Ussej made it back to his shuttle and quickly returned to the flagship, which quickly changed course for Coruscant.

A Shaky Alliance
"We share a common enemy. As long as all sides of this alliance do not try to impose their ethical, moral and philosophical views onto others then we should be able to coexist well enough to focus our strengths on defeating the Sith."

- Khaluq Chan'drane

After half a day of travel, the Bendu Flagship arrived in orbit around Coruscant. Ussej took Kyjar’s body into a shuttle and flew to the surface, landing in the Jedi Temple’s docking bay, the entire complex having been rebuilt after the Great Territorial War. He introduced himself to the Jedi Council and presented Kyjar’s body before expressing the importance of stopping this war before it truly begins. At that moment, a legendary alliance between the Orders of the Jedi Order, Bendu and Shadourians, a group that was able to use the shadows and their neutrality in the Force to their advantage, was forged.

After leaving the Council chambers, the leaders of the three factions began putting together a plan to attack Yavin IV, as they believed the Sith to be hiding there. Once the plans were completed, Ussej left the flagship and returned to the Jedi Temple. At the base of the staircase, a large parcel was handed to him by a Thulian slave. Inside was the body of Darth Viscerus, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Ussej was able to come to two possible conclusions as to why the Dark Lord died: first, he died due to wounds received during the duel on Thule; second, he had an apprentice that killed him to usurp the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith. He assumed the latter, though he knew that assumptions could be dangerous at such a trying juncture.

He carried the body of the former Dark Lord back to the Jedi Council chambers where it was decided that, along with the mission to Yavin IV, a small team would be sent to Thule to investigate his death. Ussej then went back to the flagship to ready his men for the likely battle they would be partaking in on Yavin IV. When the Jedi and Shadourian forces arrived, the ships shot into hyperspace.

Ussej was the first to land on the fourth moon of Yavin. Once he scouted the area, he sent the strike team the coordinates just a few kilometers southwest of his position where he detected a lot of activity and Dark Side presences. When the team arrived at the temple, they found the Sith, along with Kalessh warriors, waiting for them. A fierce duel erupted and Ussej managed to fight his way into the temple, as he knew that whoever he was looking for would be inside. He found his way to the throne room and found a large Chiss that he assumed was the new Dark Lord of the Sith. However, the man introduced himself as Carden Mannux, the Commander of the Obsidian Guard. Not knowing what the Obsidian Guard was or what it was capable of, he knew he would have to be cautious.



The throne doors slammed shut and a fierce duel erupted between Ussej and Mannux. It was not the fiercest duel the galaxy had ever seen, nor was it the longest. However, as Mannux ignited his lightsaber and Ussej drew his blade, the two crowning forces of good and evil clashed in a spectacle of talent that would amaze even the strongest of Force users. Ussej used an ancient Bendu Power on the commander, subduing him. Ussej felt that because he was not the Dark Lord he was not worth his time.

When Ussej left the throne room, what he saw amazed him, though not in a good way. The Jedi were failing in their mission, though in his mind “failing” would have been an understatement. The Sith were running rampant across the area, and he even saw two Jedi Apprentices kiss one another as a Knight came down from the roof, preparing to attack them. At that moment, he realized his worst fears: the Jedi were incompetent. He did not intend to let that stand. Ussej ordered his men to retreat and Ein did the same with the Shadourians. The Jedi were reluctant, though they followed suit and the teams abruptly left the fourth moon of Yavin.

Of Jedi and Failure
"I’m afraid the prejudice is beginning to come out."

- Ussej Padric Bac III

In the weeks following the Battle of Yavin IV, Ussej could not help but be amazed at what the Jedi Order did, or in this case did not do. For two weeks, Alderaan pleaded for the Jedi to help them as a virus had been spread by Sith warriors into their water supply. The Republic was unable to deal with the problem due to threats from the Sith and the Mandalorians, as well as limited supplies and resources, so they turned it over to the Jedi. However, the Jedi Council simply debated it rather than acting upon it. Similar reports then came in from Corellia and Mon Calamari, yet the Jedi continued to debate until millions were dead on the three planets. Ussej let them know how disappointed he was, though they turned a blind eye to his protests.

Unable to deal with what they were saying to him, he left Coruscant and returned to the Bendu flagship. He remained there only for a few days before receiving an urgent distress signal from Ein Nightblade saying that the Jedi Temple and it’s surrounding area had come under attack by the forces of Darth Dire, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and King Bree Mibu of Kalee. Adding to that, the distress signal warned that a deadly toxin had been spread into the atmosphere, much like the toxins that that had been released on Alderaan, Corellia and Mon Calamari.



Hours later, he arrived at the Jedi Temple. Running to the lower levels in an attempt to help Jedi who were trying to escape, he was suddenly overtaken by a group of Kaleesh warriors, though they were no match for a Bendu High Priest. Still searching for Jedi who were trying to escape, he ran to the upper levels and once again came face to face with Carden Mannux. However, as they fought, a deep, low rumble was heard and fires broke out around him. Parts of the great spire of the Jedi High Council began to telescope down on itself, and Ussej and Mannux were directly underneath it. They both ran in their separate directions to avoid the rubble and within minutes they found each other once again, continuing the fight.

Ussej knew that he had no time for a fight with the Chiss. As he began to retreat back, another explosion went off nearby, throwing them both to the side. Ussej sprained a bone in his leg and managed to hobble away, all while avoiding a barrage of dark Sith lightning being thrown at him from the hands of the Obsidian Commander. He was able to escape to the upper levels, hiding his presence from the Sith disciple.

Mannux eventually caught on to his charade and became fed up. Using all of the energy he had, he sent the rubble that Ussej hid in crashing through three stories of the temple, though Ussej was able to move out of the way before it all fell on top of him. Because the Obsidian Commander was arrogant, he assumed that he had killed the High Priest and left the area. However, Ussej moved to the edge of the Jedi Temple and Mannux was able to see this. As Mannux charged towards him, Ussej called upon the Winds of the Ashla to teleport him away from the Jedi Temple, using a variant of a Unifying Force power, as the Jedi would call it. Mannux was able to stop himself from falling off the ledge, though he vowed revenge on the High Priest.

A New Alliance
"Perhaps, in the end, this endeavor can be a new hope for all peoples....a hope for a brighter tomorrow, one free of war and suffering."

- Ein Nightblade

After Ussej left Coruscant, he sent a message to the flagship telling them to pull his vessel into the docking bay, but he warned not to open the door because they would risk being contaminated by the virus. He then moved into the back of his craft and entered into a stasis sleep, shutting down all bodily functions and ridding himself of the virus he had acquired. Soon, he would be back with his people and would be able to begin planning a counter attack, as well as letting the surviving Jedi know just how he felt about their complacency and incompetence.



Days later, Ussej eagerly awaited the transmission from the Jedi that told him the coordinates to the new Jedi base, which would be codenamed “The Station”. However, before the transmission arrived, a different transmission arrived. It was from Ein Nightblade, requesting that Ussej meet him outside of Theed on Naboo. Once he arrived, Ein began speaking of an alliance to be formed only between the Bendu Order and Shadourian Order, an alliance that would be opposed to the Jedi. This alliance would launch attacks against the Jedi Order in a Holy War. Ussej was opposed to this at first, but after he considered everything that had happened he knew it could be an option. Ein left, urging him to think about it.

A New Love
"Such sadness surrounding someone so great."

- Isabella Dashin

The day after Ein left, Ussej was contacted by Supreme Chancellor Cos Jonathan Dashin. Dashin told him that his daughter was headed for Naboo and that she would need protection, and because Ussej was on Naboo the Chancellor told him that he would like him to watch over his daughter. When Ussej questioned him about why he did not ask the Jedi, Dashin told him he would rather have a Bendu take on a task of such grave importance to him as he did not truly trust the Jedi. Ussej accepted the mission, albeit reluctantly, though he requested that no reward be given for the successful completion. Before Ussej could find out the name of the First Daughter, the Chancellor closed the transmission.

Two days later, he found his way into a bar on Theed for relaxation. A young woman, referring to herself only as “Bella”, sat beside him and requested that he try to get two men that were following her out of the area. With a simple wave of his hands and a bit of help from the Force, the guards left. The two began talking and she eventually mentioned how her father had sent her to the planet to be protection. He then realized that he was sitting with Isabella Dashin, the Chancellor’s daughter.



After a few moments, he felt a connection that felt only once and that was when he first met his late wife. The feeling puzzled him and he was not sure if he would be able to handle such a connection again. After they got to know each other, the two took a trip to the waterfalls, as Bella had always been mystified by them. Ussej told her stories of Kal'Shabbol and all about the Bendu Order, as well as what had happened thus far during the war. When he leaned in to try to kiss her, she pulled away and requested that they go back to the hotel where they were staying.

Three days later, Mandalorian forces assaulted the capitol city. Ussej and Bella were soon met by Kalel Kitsune, a friend of Bella’s, and they launched a mission to try to rescue the Queen of Naboo. They perceived her to be the target of the attack. Once they entered the throne room, Kalel left to contact Chancellor Dashin. When it seemed that the capitol would fall, Ussej rushed the Queen to safety only to see that Isabella had been left behind. He dove onto her, knocking her to the ground as a war droid slammed through the walls. Ussej was knocked out, but as the darkness overtook him he saw Mandalore enter the throne room, though that was all he saw. When he awoke, he found himself being scolded by Kalel, finding out that Isabella had been kidnapped.

A Desperate Rescue
"My life, and your life, are meaningless in this great journey."

- Kalel Kitsune

Ussej and Kalel made their way back to Coruscant. Using intelligence that said that Isabella was on Onderon and the help of Joshua Reydel, the Supreme Commander of the Republic, they put together a plan to launch a daring rescue mission. In a classified meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ussej presented the plan to the Supreme Chancellor who approved it. Minutes after the meeting ended, Kalel joined Ussej and Dashin where tensions between the three of them rose. Kalel could not bear to be a part of a mission led by Ussej, but he eventually backed down. Twelve hours later, half of the Republic fleet took off on its way to rescue Isabella and liberate Onderon from the Mandalorians.



The mission was easier than any of them expected, as the Mandalorians were less powerful than they expected. While Kalel led troops to Dxun to wipe the encampments off of the map, Ussej led a squadron of fighters to Iziz to take out the orbital and anti-aircraft defenses. The now-landed troops stormed the palace while Ussej fought his way to the throne room. He found Isabella and freed her from her restraints, bringing her back aboard his ship.

When they arrived back on Coruscant, every officer involved with the rescue received a commendation from the Supreme Chancellor. After checking to see that Isabella would be alright, he returned to his flagship for much needed meditation. While en route, he contacted Kalel to thank him for his help, though Kalel ignored him and cut off the transmission. After he returned to his flagship, he began to reflect on what had happened and seriously began considering Ein Nightblade’s proposal.

Decisions
"You are letting simple and primitive discrimination get the best of you, causing you to make an irrational decision such as launching a campaign that has the potential to kill hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians."

- Ussej Padric Bac

Ever since they had arrived, the Bendu Order realized that they were being discriminated against. At first, Ussej assumed that the discrimination would subside as the two great orders got to know each other more and were able to interact with one another. After the liberation of Onderon, he knew that this had not happened. Ever since the blunder that was the Battle of Yavin IV, the two orders did not think highly of the other. The Bendu were never able to understand this, as they were able to hold their own far more effectively than the Jedi were. The discrimination was a bias he held when he had considered and recently agreed to the Holy War against the Jedi Order.



During a meditation session where he became angrier at the current happenings than ever before, he was thrust into another sector of the galaxy. He was once again on Ashlan Four, surrounded by the great race that was the Whills. He then saw his grandfather, Ussej Padric Bac, speaking to him once again. The Shaman told Ussej that he should not be bothered by simple, primitive discrimination. He also went on to express his disagreement over the impending crusades that the Bendu and Shadourians would be launching. The Shaman asked Ussej what his reasoning for doing so was, and the third man to carry the name of Ussej Padric Bac replied by saying that the Jedi had become old, corrupt and incompetent, along with the fact that they were unable to act even with the Sith right under their noses. The Shaman of the Whills told him that it was up to him to do what he felt necessary, and thus his essence was carried back into the Winds of the Ashla. Ussej vowed to try to rise above the discrimination, but swore not to give up on the impending war.

After his second disorienting visit to the planet was over, Ussej marched straight into the Jedi Council Chambers on Hoth with Ein Nightblade to let them know just how he felt about them. He stated how he was going to rise above the discrimination, though the line would not be drawn there. He also stated his dissatisfaction in their handling of past events and mentioned how they were now forced to split up across the galaxy with a minimal force just like they did during the Great Territorial War, whereas the forces of the Sith were growing each day. Ussej decided to stay on the Jedi Council as a liaison from the Bendu Order, as he had to keep a low profile in order to avoid suspicion.

With the eventful meeting behind them, Ussej and Ein met on the Bendu flagship to discuss the first series of attacks. They agreed to set up the first one or two missions in a way that the Jedi Order could not trace anything back to either of them. Ussej’s plan for the first attack was to hire Jensen Adun, an ailing mercenary that had always dreamed of dying in a blaze of glory for a cause that actually meant something. After the meeting ending, Ussej went to Nar Shaddaa to find Jensen, who was currently living in the refugee sector. Under the cover of darkness, he met with Jensen and told him of the plan. Jensen would pose as a port authority mechanic and load gas tanks onto a Jedi shuttle that would be landing on Barab I in one week. Once aboard, he would ignite the fuel and destroy the starport, along with whatever Jedi were in it.

First Strike
"Cry havoc and lit slip the dogs of war."

- Ussej Padric Bac III

Jensen agreed to the proposal and made his way to Barab I to wait for the Jedi envoy that would soon be arriving for a diplomatic mission. Ussej, in the meantime, was on board the Bendu flagship with Ein Nightblade to monitor the situation from the Outer Rim.

The plan was executed perfectly. Jensen made his way into the starport under the cover of darkness just as the Jedi envoy landed. As Jedi Masters Sen Helto and Xiantos Zosimus exited the vessel with a group of Jedi Knights, Jensen approached them with a calm and welcoming manner, which came across as odd to the Jedi. Two Knights stayed behind, but they allowed Jensen onto the ship to refuel it. Once on board, he dropped a match into the crate and the ship exploded, destroying the starport as well. Helto and Zosimus hurried back to see what had taken place.



After the Bendu detected the explosion, they closed into orbit. Ussej sent a transmission down to the surface, hoping to hear the voice of any Jedi that might have survived so he could tell them how many errors they had made, thus leading to the death of two Jedi Knights and two pilots. After making contact with Helto, Ussej and Ein took a shuttle to the planet’s surface where Ussej was accused of being behind the attacks. He denied all such charges before they retrieved the shuttle’s cockpit recording devices. Ussej and Ein brought the Jedi onto their shuttle and they made their way back to Coruscant.

Revelations
"Your broken council is now forced to make a decision."

- Ussej Padric Bac III

After returning Sen Helto and the other Jedi to the Jedi Temple so they could analyze the data from Barab I, Ussej went to the Galactic Senate at the behest of Supreme Chancellor Dashin. Dashin told him that Bella had talked about him for days on end after the Battle of Onderon and that he could tell she had grown fond of him. He said that he could see in his eyes that he also cared greatly for her. Dashin asked Ussej if he would marry Bella, but Ussej could not. It would not have been proper, as they did not know each other that well. However, the Chancellor was persistent. He knew that his daughter needed someone to help her walk the right path, so he gave Ussej the ring that Bella’s mother had worn until the day she died and asked him to think it over.



As he prepared to leave the planet, he received a message that had been broadcast to all Jedi asking anyone who was available to return to the Jedi Temple for an important meeting. Once there, he found out that Grandmaster Khaluq Chan’drane had gone missing after a duel with the Sith. Ussej took this as an opportunity to grandstand the meeting, letting the Jedi Order know through his smugness his dissatisfaction with the events. Jedi Masters Sen Helto and Jar Todur both asked him to leave, though he refused and said that the only way he would is if they removed him from the position of liaison from the Bendu Order. When the timing was right, he revealed that he was the one behind the terrorist attack on Barab I and fled, leaving the Jedi dazed and confused. He had not anticipated letting them know so early on, but he felt that it was the right moment.

Later that night, Ussej entered Bella’s apartment to wait for her to return. When she did, she found him standing in the pouring rain on the balcony. Worried he was going to become sick, she brought him inside and gave him a towel, but he assured her that he would be fine. As they sat down on the couch, Ussej told her how he felt about her and how he hoped she felt the same. He took the ring that the Chancellor had given him and asked her to marry him. She rejected the proposal, and Ussej saw a genuine look of disgust and embarrassment on her face. He quickly left for his flagship, his heart broken. Yet, he cared for her enough to want her to be happy, even if that meant being happy without him.

Ussej walked through the rain towards the starport, thinking about all that had taken place that day. However, he knew he had to speak with Chancellor Dashin before he left about what had taken place with his daughter. As he turned to the Galactic Senate, he noticed a thin red blade moving towards the window outside of the Chancellor’s Office. He took out his electro-binoculars and centered on the figure, recognizing him as Carden Mannux. The window shattered, and the figure of Mannux entered the office.



By the time he arrived at the office, the Chancellor had already been knocked unconscious and Bella was in the hands of Mannux. Taking Ussej by surprise, the dark one threw a wave of invisible energy at him and escaped. As the Sith jumped to the roof, a thermal detonator went off, throwing Ussej and the Chancellor into the hall and destroying the office.

Within minutes, Ussej woke up and quickly made his way to the starport. He followed Mannux’s vessel into orbit and a dogfight ensued between the two. They weaved around cargo and passenger ships, Ussej trying desperately to rescue Bella. He fired at the vessel’s engines, but the blast proved to be too much and the small ship was destroyed, killing Mannux and Bella with it. Overcome with grief, Ussej unleashed his anger and tore apart the interior of his vessel before beginning his short journey back to the office. When he arrived, he told Dashin the terrible news as best he could and apologized, but the Chancellor told him to leave and never returned. Honoring the request, Ussej vowed never to return unless asked to. He returned to the flagship, entering into a meditation session that would result in days of solitude.

Anger and Grief
"You're just a lonely old man, trying desperately to find the meaning to your existence."

- Kalel Kitsune

For the next few weeks, Ussej remained on the flagship in solemn meditation, wallowing in his grief and sorrow over what he had done to the woman that he loved. On the two week anniversary of Bella’s death, Kalel Kitsune finally tracked down the flagship and requested permission to board. Ussej granted it, though he knew full well what was about to take place. However, he was so caught up in his own guilt that he no longer cared if he lived or died.



Ussej and Kalel exchanged words once he arrived, though Kalel’s anger got the best of him and he attacked first. A torch was knocked from the wall and a fire erupted in Ussej’s chambers. The duel moved from the fiery chambers to the halls, though with the fire uncontained it quickly spread all around them. A large part of the ship was destroyed as they fought, though they paid it no attention. Eventually, Kalel’s anger and Ussej’s sorrow gave Kalel the upper hand. However, Ussej was able to conflict the young warrior with the memory of Isabella, telling him that she would never want him to become a murderer simply to avenge her. Kalel spared Ussej’s life and quickly left the vessel, though he vowed to return and one day finish the job that he had started. At that point, there was only one person Ussej knew he could take to and he would do anything to be able to speak with him.

Brotherhood and Betrayal
"My powers compared to those of any normal Force User may seem extraordinary, Ussej, but I am not God."

- Ussej Padric Bac

After a long night’s sleep, Ussej went to the lower decks to the statues of Ussej Padric Bac and The Skywalker that had been built within the common meditation chambers. Ussej asked for all of the Bendu within the chambers to leave, as he had an urgent matter to take care of. He fell to his knees and prayed to both statues, hoping for a response. His prayers were answered, as the voice of his grandfather suddenly overtook the room. He looked around, seeing nothing, though he could sense the Shaman’s presence.

Ussej pleaded with his grandfather to bring Isabella back into the realm of the living, though it was no use. Instead, his grandfather lectured him on what was happening with the continuing Holy War, though he was able to give him some comfort by saying that he was doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons. The Shaman agreed that the Jedi Order had become corrupted and stagnant, but he expressed the same feelings about the Bendu Order. Insulted, Ussej asked him to return to his own realm. Ussej Padric Bac honored the request and his presence disappeared from the meditation chambers.



Ussej could not help but feel that his grandfather had betrayed him, however his grandfather’s arrogance gave him a newfound resolve to continue forward with the war to ensure that no harm ever came to someone he loved again. Before rising, Ussej said one final prayer at the statue of The Skywalker, asking him to bring back the woman he cared so deeply for.

When Ussej returned to the scorched ruins of his personal chambers, he found Ein Nightblade standing there waiting for him, wondering what was happening. He told Ein what had happened as they made their way to a conference room where they began plotting their next move. They mentioned targeting the Great Jedi Library on Ossus or attacking Centerpoint Station in an effort to damage the Republic and take control of trade routes. However, Ussej refused to allow civilians to be so much as injured, something that regrettably happened during the attack on Barab I. They finally decided to set their sights on the rebuilt Jedi Tower in the remains of Taris and Jedi sites on Telos IV, though Ussej refused to allow the Jedi Academy on the Telosian North Pole to be damaged as that was where his father was born.

One week later, Ussej led a group of fighters to Taris and targeted the recently re-built Jedi Tower, removing it from the Tarisian skyline that had already been virtually destroyed by Dark Malak one hundred years prior. At the same time, Ein led a group of technicians to plant bombs at Jedi sites on Telos IV. However, he decided to step around Ussej’s wishes and planted bombs at the Jedi Academy as well, reducing the legendary complex to ruins.



When the two leaders returned to the Bendu flagship, they exchanged data on what had taken place during their respective missions. When Ussej saw that the temple on Telos IV had been destroyed, he was overcome with anger and attacked Ein, but quickly drew back. Though furious, he managed to explain why it meant so much to him. Ein apologized, though he reminded him that what was past was past and they still had a job to do. Ussej agreed and the two made their way to the communication room.

Once inside the communication room, they contacted the Jedi Council and informed them of the destruction that had taken place on Telos IV and Taris. They also informed them that no one, not even a single Jedi, was killed in the attacks. However, this did not soften the blow to the Jedi Council. They were greatly disturbed by these course of events, and Ussej could detect this so he offered an alternative to bloodshed: the Jedi Council would have to immediately an unconditionally surrender to the forces of the Bendu Order and the Shadourian Order, giving them the authority of guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. The Jedi Council immediately rejected this proposal, leaving Ussej and Ein to promise that more attacks would soon follow, even though Ussej did not want them to.

Going Too Far
"You've made a deal with the devil. He always comes to collect."

- Xiantos Zosimus



It was not long until Ussej and Ein set their eyes on the next site that would be attack, that site being the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. After formulating the plan to take four hostages, one of them being Jedi Council member Kal Yast, the two flagships made the jump into hyperspace. While en route to the planet, the vessels were intercepted by the flagship of the Sith Empire. Ussej and Ein came face to face with Darth Udun, the new Dark Lord of the Sith, who was also planning an assault on Dantooine. To spare Bendu and Shadourian losses in the battle, Ussej and Ein allowed Udun to take control of the mission so long as they could take their own hostages prior to the main battle. Udun agreed.

When the three mighty vessels arrived in orbit, a Shadourian fighter squadron knocked out all communications and both hangar bays, leaving the planet isolated from the rest of the Jedi Order. Shuttles were quickly sent to the surface filled with Bendu Knights. A group of Jedi guarding the door were immediately killed, their bodies being thrown onto the shuttles. Four additional Jedi, including Kal Yast, were sedated and brought aboard the Bendu flagship.

Less than an hour after the Bendu and Shadourians left the Sith forces behind, Ussej contacted the Jedi Council where he attempted to use the hostages as leverage in forcing the Jedi Order to surrender. However, even after the brutal beheading of Kal Yast in cold blood over the HoloNet, the Jedi Council still refused to surrender. Ussej knew that more drastic action would have to be taken in order to ensure victory, even though he was beginning to question whether or not he was doing the right thing by waging war against the Jedi Order.

Exile
"This is far from over."

- Khaluq Chan’drane

At the behest of Chancellor Dashin, Ussej returned to Coruscant and made his way to the Galactic Senate. Once there, he professed his deepest sorrow and regret for Isabella’s death, though the Chancellor was surprisingly understanding. He told him that he had forgiven him long ago and now all he needed to do was forgive himself. With the apologies out of the way, Dashin told Ussej that he had watched the execution of Kal Yast over the HoloNet and that it deeply disturbed him. Ussej admitted to being behind the Holy War, though he also admitted that he was having regrets about it. However, much to his surprise, Dashin told him that he too wanted the Jedi Order off of Coruscant, as the polls were now showing that the people no longer trusted the order. Therefore, Ussej was granted full authority over the Republic fleet with Supreme Commander Joshua Reydel and full access to any resource he would need to force the Jedi off of the planet. Ussej agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Later that evening, Ussej ordered a group of Republic technicians to begin altering two Republic shuttlecrafts so they could be controlled via remote control. High-yield explosives were then placed into the cargo holds. Kilometers away from the Jedi Temple, a technician remotely piloted the shuttles into the traffic lanes as Ussej and Ein watched on. Without warning, the shuttles veered out of the traffic lanes and were flown into two of the great spires of the Jedi Temple. Though the spires themselves remained intact, the sides eventually collapsed to the ground, leaving the interior exposed. Dozens of Jedi died in the explosions, just as Ussej had promised.

That morning, the commanders of the fleet began moving their vessels inside the atmosphere of the planet, only a few kilometers away from and above the Jedi Temple. Ussej, Ein and Reydel stood on the bridge of the lead ship while Ussej made contact with Khaluq Chan’drane, giving her two options: first, the Jedi Order would give up it’s mandate of guardians of peace and justice in the Republic and leave Coruscant peacefully; two, watch and die as the fleet fired upon the Jedi Temple, destroying the lives of everyone inside. Chan’drane reluctantly agreed to the first choice and, by the end of the day, the Jedi Temple stood empty, not a single soul within its great halls. After months of war, the Bendu Order had finally won their war against the Jedi Order. Though Ussej had wished it could have happened another way, he could not help but smile as he realized that the Shaman of the Whills was wrong.

As he left Coruscant, the Force of Others drew him to the remote planet of Anaxes, though he knew not why it would do so. However, it did not take long to discover why once he arrived. Chan’drane was there, which made it even more surprising as to why he would have been called there. He followed her for a time, but when she realized this the search became harder. He followed her to an abandoned warehouse where he was able to bring out her darker emotions. When the time came, she used her anger to strike against him, though she was no match for him. Though he was in a position to strike her down forever, he backed away. He knew that he had bested her, and that was more than enough for him.

Genesis
"For what it’s worth, I’m sorry."

- Kalel Kitsune



Ussej returned to the flagship to meditate on everything that had transpired and what was yet to come. However, his meditations were disrupted as the vessel’s tractor beam locked onto a small shuttle that had been drifting through space. Ussej made his way to the shuttle bay and discovered something that he never thought possible: Isabella was alive, though she was lying in the shuttle unconscious, her body naked and battered with obvious signs of torture and rape. As she was rushed to the medical wing, Ussej contacted Kalel Kitsune to deliver the news.

A day later, Kalel arrived at the flagship. At first, he simply struck Ussej across the jaw. He accused Ussej of bringing the entire ordeal upon them in the first place, talking about how his soul had been tortured and ripped to shreds thinking that she was dead. Ussej desperately wanted to tell him that he too was tortured, as he cared deeply for her and thinking that he had killed her tore him up inside. But, he could not. It was there, listening to Kalel’s words, that he discovered a truth about himself: he did not truly love her. He loved the idea of her and the idea of filling the empty and lonely void within his heart. He knew that Kalel and Isabella were destined to be together, so he vowed to no longer stand in their way. He let Kalel enter the medical room alone, walking away as the two lovers were reunited.

After leaving the Medical Wing, he stepped onto the bridge where he found a HoloNet broadcast from a few hours earlier of Chancellor Dashin giving a speech. In it, he told the Galactic Senate that he had been attacked by a Dark Lord of the Sith who threatened that he, his family and his loved ones would be murdered unless he resigned. Therefore, in the interest of the Galactic Republic, he announced his resignation and placed his support behind his long-time friend and political ally Senator Romulus Augustus. Ussej returned to the Medical Wing to tell Kalel the news, as well as the results of a medical report he had just received: Isabella had given birth to a child, a child that belonged to her and Ussej. The three were shocked to hear this news.

A few days later, Coruscant had fallen under siege by the Sith Empire. It was revealed that Chancellor Augustus was being controlled by the Dark Lord of the Sith to make it easier for them to invade and set up their capital on Coruscant. Knowing that this was his fault, Ussej announced that the Bendu Order would be returning to Kal'Shabbol.



Days later, Isabella went to the Outer Rim world where the Bendu Order was preparing the flagship for takeoff. She and Ussej argued about him leaving her and their child as if they were nothing, but in the end she left without so much as a true goodbye due to her frustration with him. Ussej regretted the things he had said, but knew that regrets no longer mattered.

Hours after the vessel left, Ussej met with the Shadourian flagship where he told Ein his feelings on the Holy War and that they were going back to Kal'Shabbol. Ussej left the ship, seeing the look of betrayal and anger in the eyes of the Shadourian leader. Ussej could only hope that Ein would not do anything rash.

Home
"All of Kal’Shabbol rejoices with you today."

- Josiah Rendar

After weeks of traveling back into the far reaches of the galaxy, the Bendu flagship finally landed in the plains of Kal'Shabbol. Thousands of people came from their villages to greet the return of their noble protectors, including the apprentices and priest that had never left to go to war. Ussej was greeted by Josiah Rendar and the two were obviously happy that all who had survived were now home, though they could not help but realize that they had much explaining to do and it would take many years before the people of the Ashlan Expanse fully trusted the Bendu Order once again.

As he entered the Bendu Temple of Light for the first time in three years, he immediately walked in the direction of the living quarters. Once there, he found his son, Ussej Padric Bac IV, and the two shared a joyous reunion. They spoke of how far the young Ussej had advanced in the time that his father had been gone, and it was as if the two never left. They spent the rest of the afternoon together, catching up on things that had happened. For the first time since they had left Kal'Shabbol, the two felt at peace.

The Price of Terrorism
"Even I cannot stop the tides of fate."

- Ussej Padric Bac

A year after their return home, the Bendu Order had returned to their mandate of serving all those who dwelled within the light of the Ashlan Nebula. There were sermons and prayer sermons once more, just as there had been. Everyone, including Ussej, enjoyed the return to normality. It was as if nothing could harm anyone anymore. However, that normality soon changed. Without warning, a squadron of Shadourian fighters fell from the skies, destroying dozens of buildings surrounding the Bendu Temple of Light, as well as parts of the temple itself, and killing dozens of Bendu and innocent civilians. Ussej Padric Bac IV was injured, though not severely. Ussej now knew that there was only one person he could talk to in order to settle the mess he had gotten himself into. That person was his grandfather, Ussej Padric Bac.

Ussej flew a shuttle to the Holy Ridge on the top of the Ashlan Mountains, and it was there that he begged his grandfather to tell him what he had to do. The Shaman of the Whills told him that it would be Josiah’s responsibility to rebuild the Bendu Order, whereas Ussej would have to correct everything that he wronged, starting with the Shadourians. Unsure at first what that meant, Ussej realized that he would have to attack the Shadourians and “cut off the head” by killing Ein. The Shaman realized how hard that would be for him, and it was personal to him as well as he had been a good friend of Damien Nightblade, Ein’s grandfather. Ussej would have help, however, as he would be given the Sword of The Skywalker, known in the legends as “the brand Excelsior”. Strangely, a large temple appeared behind Ussej and his grandfather told him that it was the Jedi Bendu Temple that was built when the first Jedi Bendu arrived almost one hundred thousand years before.



Ussej made his way into the temple, finding many strange and interesting artifacts. One that struck his interest was the painting of Jonathan Bac, the first Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic as well as an ancestor of his. When he made it to the top of a large gold staircase, he found himself in the chambers that housed the sword. Pulling it from its resting place, he admired the ancient Ashlan markings upon it, though before he could explore the rest of the temple he found himself back inside the rubble of the command center within the Bendu Temple of Light.

Once there, he and Josiah created a battle plan for striking Shaderon. It was the only place where Ein would be, as he would not expect a retaliation from the Bendu Order. Once the plan was completed, Ussej selected a small group of Bendu to travel to Shaderon with him. He addressed Kal’Shabbol once more, telling them what would take place and how he was proud to have served them for so long. He relinquished command of the Bendu Order to Josiah, who was immediately elected as the new High Priest. After he said goodbye to his son, possibly for the last time, he piloted his starship to meet the other vessels waiting in orbit and they made the jump into hyperspace towards the Shadourian homeworld.

The Shadow Falls
"And shall we sit upon a hillside and tell sad stories of the death of kings? This is your sad story, Ussej."

- Ein Nightblade



A week later, the fleet of shuttles arrived in orbit around Shaderon. Under the cover of darkness, they made their way down to the surface one-by-one and landed a few kilometers away from the Shadourian Temple. By the time they had reached the Shadourian Temple, the sun had come up and they knew they would have to tread carefully. In a decisive action, they blew the large gate of the temple off of its hinges and entered, being met by immediate resistance. Ussej fought through the Shadourians who attempted to stop him and eventually found his way to Ein Nightblade’s chambers, only to find it empty. In the distance, he could see Ein and a group of Shadourians quickly heading into the hills.

Ussej left the chambers and quickly began the chase after the small group. They saw him and picked up their pace, though Ussej was able to use the Force of Others to bring himself to a tremendous speed, quickly catching up with the group. The Shadourians attacked Ussej and Ein was able to make his way back to the Shadourian Temple. It took some time for Ussej to prevail against his attackers, but nevertheless he was able to. Once they were no longer a threat, he quickly made his way back to the Shadourian Temple to finish the job.



Once he arrived, he found himself in the thick of the battle once more. Ein stood in the middle, slaying many Bendu in his path. The anger rushed through Ussej like a waterfall and he quickly made his way through the crowd, watching as numerous Shadourians were killed. He and Ein fought brutally with one another until Ein was able to lose him in the crowd. However, a shot rang out and Ein was hit with blaster fire in the back, dropping his lightsaber and falling to the ground. Ussej picked Ein up from the ground and stabbed him through the chest. With their leader dead, the remaining Shadourians retreated into the hills. Ussej ordered his men to return to their shuttles, as the job was done. However, he would not be joining them on their trek back to Kal'Shabbol. His journey would take him to Arcura.

Righting a Wrong
"An old friend has returned."

- Kalel Kitsune

After two weeks of travel, Ussej arrived on the world of Arcura. He scanned the planet for the lifesigns of Kalel and Isabella and he located them in the frigid arctic of the northern hemisphere. He took the ship down and as he exited it he found Kalel waiting for him in the doorway of a large tent, apparently their home. Before they entered the tent, Ussej returned the katana that Kalel had left on the flagship after their brutal duel. Kalel thanked him and the two entered into the tent where Ussej was introduced to Jorel, the son of Kalel and Isabella. Ussej was shocked to see that they had a child, but he was very happy for them nonetheless. After putting the baby down, Isabella could not help but ask why Ussej had returned. He said it was to right his wrongs, specifically killing the Emperor as well as Carden Mannux. Ussej could not stay long, however, as he would be meeting the Republic fleet just hours from then to launch the invasion of Coruscant. They both volunteered, but he said it was something he had to do alone. They reluctantly accepted that.



Hours later, Ussej met up with the fleet and they launched the Third Battle of Coruscant of The Great Sovereign Crusades, the battle that could potentially end the war. As the Republic forces dealt with the Sith navy, Ussej made his way to the Imperial Throne where he was attacked by Emperor Nefarius, the Dark Lord of the Sith. The duel was brutal and Nefarius had the upper hand for most of it, though he became arrogant and made a fatal mistake, one that Ussej exploited. Nefarius was killed and when Ussej left the Imperial Throne he had discovered that the Sith Empire had detected the death of the Dark Lord of the Sith and was preparing to retreat back to Korriban. Both Cos Jonathan Dashin and Joshua Reydel thanked him for his help before he returned to Arcura.

When he arrived back at the tent on Arcura, he was not able to make it a meter before collapsing onto the ground. He woke up three days later to find that Isabella had nursed him back to health. He was grateful, but he told her that he would not be able to stay much longer as he had to complete his mission. Kalel came in and told him that he and Isabella were going with him to confront Carden Mannux, though he refused to allow them to come. Kalel, however, said that there was no way he could stop him, and that he would need all of the help he could get anyway. Jorel was left in the care of his grandfather and the three made their way to Mustafar to end the war once and for all.

The War Ends
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."

- Carden Mannux



When they arrived on Mustafar, they were met by immediate resistance. Kalel and Isabella agreed to take care of the guards while Ussej went inside to find Mannux and the child he created. Ussej pushed the doors open and immediately found Mannux waiting for him, as if the dark one anticipated his arrival. The dark one immediately attacked, sending Ussej on the offensive.

Moments later, Isabella and Kalel arrived and joined in on the fight. Isabella pleaded with Ussej to go and find their child, so Ussej broke out of the fight and made his way into the catacombs. After searching dozens of corridors, he came upon a chamber inhabited only by an infant and two nurses. The nurses immediately moved to defend the child, but Ussej subdued them long enough to where he could see his second son. As guards moved into the room and shot Ussej in the back, Ussej placed his hand upon the boy’s brow, imparting his caring and wisdom into the child. As the guards left, Ussej fell unconscious.



No more than a few minutes later, he woke back up again and made his way back to the entrance. Once there, he found Kalel mourning over the body of Isabella, as she had been killed by Mannux. Kalel was ready to unleash his fury on the dark one, but Ussej restrained him and reminded him that he had a son that needed him. Kalel agreed and he took Isabella’s body back outside and headed back towards their vessel, but not before Ussej gave him the coordinates to Kal'Shabbol and the Sword of The Skywalker so he could return it to the Jedi Bendu Temple. Ussej found Mannux locked beyond a large, durasteel door and opened it, the two engaging in yet another violent duel. Ussej sent Mannux out of the way long enough to engage an option on the control panel behind him. Mannux came out of no where and grabbed Ussej by the neck, choking him and slamming him into the console. Mannux warned Ussej that he would not be escaping alive, but Ussej told the dark one that he had never said anything about escaping. Mannux looked at the controls to see that Ussej had lowered the facilities shields and the temperature of the exterior was rising critically. The facility exploded before anyone was able to react, thus ending the lives of Ussej Padric Bac III and Carden Mannux.

Aftermath
"I've made a severe mistake in judgment."

- Kalel Kitsune



Immediately after the explosion, Ussej felt himself being carried to another plane of existence. He found himself completely surrounded by nothing but a bright, white light that soon faded into the familiar surroundings of Ashlan Four. Once there, he found his grandfather and his father waiting for him. His grandfather welcomed him as a Prophet of the Whills and told him that the war had been a test to see if he was ready to take his place amongst the Prophets, as well as an age of awakening for the Bendu Order. With that, for the first time in thirty-five years, Ussej embraced his father and prepared to serve for eternity as a Prophet of the Whills along with his father and his grandfather, the Shaman of the Whills, until God decided that their task was done and they could enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

After the encounter on Mustafar, Kalel returned to Arcura to deliver the tragic news to Cos Jonathan Dashin. Dashin was mortified, but he could not help but be proud that his daughter and his good friend died saving the lives of countless innocents. Dashin thanked Kalel for everything he had done for his daughter and left, leaving Kalel and Jorel to be with each other. Kalel opened the datapad that Ussej had given him, expecting to only find coordinates to Kal'Shabbol. However, he found a message, one that said simply “Tell the Jedi, I said thanks. You’ll know what it means”. And, it was true. He did know what he meant.

The next day, he contacted the Jedi Council and told them of everything that had happened since the Shadourians attacked Kal'Shabbol. Though it was not easy, the Jedi Council was able to forgive Ussej, though they vowed never to forget the hard lessons that he taught them during the war. They also thanked Kalel for what he had done before saying farewell.

Three weeks later, Kalel arrived on Kal'Shabbol with Jorel and the Sword of The Skywalker. He was greeted by Josiah Rendar who took brought him to the Bendu Temple of Light for a ceremonial dinner in honor of their fallen friend. The next day, the Bendu Order assembled in formation before the Jedi Bendu Temple. Kalel could not help but be amazed that so many people would gather for one sword, but he quickly realized that they had actually gathered in honor of him. At that moment, Kalel realized that he had truly made a severe mistake in judgment about the Bendu Order.



After placing the sword back into its resting place, Kalel made his way to the Ashlan Ocean with Jorel in his arms. He thought about everything that had happened since he had met Ussej on Naboo and was truly sorry that he had lost someone who he now considered a friend to his own bitterness. Sensing Ussej’s presence, he turned to see the ghost of Ussej Padric Bac III standing beside him. Ussej smiled before fading back into the Winds of the Ashla, though the brief moment in time left a lasting impression on Kalel. They both knew that it certainly would not be the last time that the Prophet of the Whills left a lasting impression on someone.

Legacy
"The Shaman loved the galaxy so much, he gave his only grandson to it. He sent him into the galaxy not to condemn it, but in the hopes that, through him, the galaxy might be saved."

- Ussej Padric Bac LXIV

Ussej's mistakes during the war brought about an age of awakening for the Bendu Order. After he died, the newly elected High Priest Josiah Rendar helped the Bendu Order rebuild itself from the ground up. During this time, not only were there changes in appearance to a more formal and monk-like style, but also a change in the way that the Order viewed itself. The three men of the Bac Family helped them to realize what happens when pride gets the best of people, including those held in such high regard.

Kal'Shabbol also went through many changes during this time as well. Fearing annihilation, a few dozen citizens began protesting the government led by the Bendu Order, stating that their recklessness during the Holy War was what caused the attack on Kal'Shabbol. Though the Bendu certainly could not deny those claims, they were not prepared to sacrifice their mandate as the protectors of Kal'Shabbol. They had already done that once, to no avail. The few dozen protesters were eventually exiled by the citizens of Kal'Shabbol to Had Abaddon where they were not heard from again.

Ussej Padric Bac IV fell into a depression that lasted for several months. He had been fine the first time his father had left him, as he always knew that he would return. But, after he learned that he was an orphan, he could not bear the loss of the only parent he ever knew. He knew not how he would ever resume his normal life, but he was able to pull out of his depression and managed to rise through the ranks until he became the High Priest of the Bendu Order, using his father's mistakes as a guide for how to better himself and work for the common good of the people of Kal'Shabbol.

Kalel Kitsune used his experiences with Ussej as a way to better himself and become a good father for Jorel. Though he was never able to find a new love or the son of Ussej and Isabella, he and Jorel lived a meaningful life as Kalel trained his son in the ways of the Force of Others. Kalel never forgot Ussej Padric Bac III, and his final words were the same words he uttered when he saw the ghost of his friend on the shores of the Ashlan Ocean: "I made a severe mistake in judgment."

Just as many predicted, Ussej's actions changed the very tide of fate itself. Though the Jedi Order promised Kalel Kitsune that they would use the lessons Ussej taught them to make sure they would be the protectors of the galaxy forever, they eventually broke that promise. Thousands of years after Ussej's death, Darth Sidious destroyed the Jedi Order and overthrew the Galactic Republic, creating a new Galactic Empire in its place. Ussej's descendant, Ussej Padric Bac LXIV, was able to help restore freedom and democracy, however. After that war ended, freedom and democracy once again reigned for thousands of years.

Personality and traits
Much like his father, Ussej was the type of person that one could easily get along with but not easy to get to know. To those who did not know him well, he would appear closed off from everything and everyone. However, those who did get to know him, such as Josiah Rendar, Cos Jonathan Dashin and Isabella Dashin, knew him to be a good friend and a compassionate soul. His closed nature essentially came from his own inability to trust those he did not know, stemming from the loss of his parents at such an early age.



Ussej struggled greatly with the task given to him by his grandfather to seek out and help the Jedi Order combat the Sith. The prejudice held towards the Jedi by the Bendu had been held by almost all Bendu ever since the Jedi Bendu schism, yet the Jedi did not even know of the existence of the Bendu. Ussej tried to put aside the prejudice as he, Ein Nightblade and the Jedi Council came together to form a plan for the attack on Yavin IV, yet he continued to see a lack of resolve in their dealings. He realized that incompetence of the Jedi Order on Yavin IV as well as their stagnation during the crisis on Alderaan, Corellia and Mon Calamari.

After the loss of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, he had enough of the Jedi Order and had begun contemplating the Bendu return to Kal’Shabbol. It was not until he spoke with Nightblade did he ever think to begin a war against the order to try to claim the mantle of peace and justice in the galaxy. However, when the plans were formulated, he quickly thrust himself into the position of the leader of the opposition and, because of his forceful and abrasive nature, ensured that everything went exactly as planned.

However, Ussej was not without compassion and remorse. When he realized that the Sith Empire had risen to power due to his actions, he was devastated. Not wanting to interfere in galactic politics once again, he had the order return to Kal’Shabbol. However, when the Shadourians attacked and his grandfather told him to kill Nightblade, Nefarius and Mannux, he took the task very seriously and did so, even though it had cost him his life. Selflessness had always been a part of his personality and it remained so until that final explosion.

Talents


From a young age, many within the Bendu Order realized that he was one of the greatest duelist they had seen in millennia. He created his own form of sword combat, Corusco Boreas, that ended up being used throughout the ages by many notable warriors, including Ussej Padric Bac LXIV. The name of the form stood for “Fast Wind” in the ancient Ashlan language and it required one to be highly trained in the Force of Others, as it required one’s sword to be in flight in-between the warrior’s hands for the duration of a fight.

As he was also highly attuned to the Force of Others and highly adept in its ways, Ussej also created a legendary power that very few were ever able to master. The power was called Incendo Eminentia and it astounded many warriors as it could be used for both offense and defense. It could be used as an offensive power in a form of a bolt of energy, only it appeared to be a stream of light so bright it could burn through its target. If used to a lesser degree, it would simply blast the enemy away. It could be used as a defensive ability by blinding the enemy combatant, causing enough disorientation that the user could not be tracked through the Force of Others, as the light had its own signature within the Force of Others.

Behind the scenes

 * Ussej was Role-Played on TheStarWarsRP.Com from November 11, 2005 to March 15, 2007. His story in the Role-Play was never completed.
 * Ussej is first featured towards the end of Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac II. He is portrayed as a child who believes deeply in what his father tells him, so much so that he vows to follow in his footsteps.
 * Ussej is the main character of Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac III, portrayed as a highly tragic character who must confront ghosts of his families past.
 * In Brandon Rhea's vision, he is "portrayed" by actor Viggo Mortensen.
 * "Ussej" is a respelling of "Jesus".
 * Ussej was Brandon Rhea's second Role-Play character. He was not supposed to do anything significant, but rather he was merely supposed to be a secondary character used for fun now and then.
 * In a vision from Skyu Lon created by Steve Young, the Bendu Order attempted to defend Dorin from an attack by the Sith Emperor Darth Nefarius as the Jedi Council had neglected to help them during their times of need. While defending a group of Force Sensitive children, Ussej was struck down. The disaster was averted however, and this never came to pass. This is detailed in the biography of Skyu Lon.

Appearances

 * Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac II
 * Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac III