Darth Abeonis

"I once knew a Jedi Knight who was a friend of my father. He was known to be brash, easily to anger and extremly dangerous to all around him, what many called the perfect embodiment of the Sith. But, as my father always said&mdash;he was loyal."

- Jedi Master Ben Skywalker

"The Jedi have been guardians for peace and justice for almost 10,000 years! I think it's time for a change!"

- Darth Abeonis, Dark Lord of the Sith

Jasca Ducato (later Darth Abeonis) was born on the little known world Taris several years after the Purge of the Jedi. Part of a moderately wealthy family and so received a fairly good education but with his world being heavily taxed and ravaged by the Empire he was born into a family sympathetic to the Rebel Alliance.

Early Years


Jasca grew up on Taris with tales of a Jedi Knight who came to Taris 4,000 years beforehand as his bedtime stories, and often wondered what it would be like to become a Jedi Knight. However, by the age of 13 he had forsaken his dreams of becoming a Jedi and had taken a more realistic view of life on Taris, rebelling against the Empire. However in that same year the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant had acheived peace, but that did little to bring the Empire into a new light in Jasca's eyes. In 24 ABY Jasca joined the Black Sun operation on Taris and took part in several raids against the New Republic and Imperial Remnant emmissaries and their escorts. However, he was soon captured by the Republic. After a preliminary Court Hearing (and 6 months in a New Republic rehabilitation centre), Jasca was discovered to be Force-Sensitive by Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and was offered to be trained as a Jedi. Jasca, sensing no deciet in the Jedi Knights words, rather reluctantly accepted the offer, and received his first lightsaber.

Life as a Jedi, before the coming darkness
Only two months after begining his training as a Jedi Knight Jasca was fortunate enough to have been in the Jedi Academy the day a Jedi Master by the name of Suri-lux Theomoni Vi'squis (Vi), one of the few survivors of the Jedi Purge.

"The story goes that Master Vi had just arrived at the academy and within minutes news of his arrival had spread like wild fire. However, at the time Ducato was quite a loner and had few friends at the academy. While all of his classmates spent their time displaying their skills and abilities for the Jedi master, Ducato remained in his room, meditating. Master Vi, not wanting a padawan that was what many would call a "show off", chose Ducato purely for the reason that he had remained in his room meditating, not attempting to impress Master Vi."

- Unknown Jedi

Wiwibringlo
Only a month after becoming his apprentice Master Vi was called to the temperate world of Wiwibringlo to preside over a meeting of the planet's two Superpower nations which would, if successful see the unification of the planet and it applying for New Republic membership.

While on the planet the two Jedi were ambushed by right-wing extremist party &mdash; the Hessiean Alliance, who were attempting to incite a world war on the planet.

The two Jedi were ambushed on the planet and Ducato was injured but a stray blaster bolt, but despite his injury Jasca proved his tenacity by cutting down over twelve Hessiean gun-men.

After much investigation Jasca and Vi discovered the location of&mdash; and made their way too &mdash; to headquaters of the Hessiean Alliance.

After a short but bloody engagment the leader of the Hessiean Alliance, a Twi'lek named Hess, was captured by the Jedi Knights. He was later charged with treason by the newly formed joint Wiwibringlo judicial system.

The planet later applied for membership into the New Republic.

The Quelli Campaign
Two weeks after the mission to Wiwibringlo Master Vi and his apprentice were ordered to assist Jedi Master Suntas in the capture of the crime lord Gunto, a Rodian who had been causing the New Republic a severe amount of trouble with its trading operations in the Quelli Sector. Unbeknownst to the NRI or the [New Jedi Order was that Gunto had managed to secure blueprints for a rudimentary Cortosis woven armour. Having equipped his best melee warrior with the armour and cortosis weaven swords Gunto engaged the three Jedi. Forced to call upon assistances from the Jedi Order. After a week of sporadic fighting Gunto was taken prisoner by the Jedi Knight Heelay on his flagship, the Quaser's Star. He later commited suicide while in custody.

To Corellia and beyond
Three months later, with his master away. Jasca was sent on his frist mission alone, to Corellia. Charged with finding a suspected Force-sensitive female human by the name of Katae-muri. However, when he arrived he found that, by pure coincidence she has been kidnapped, along with many others, by a Corellian terrorist group called Freyas'ias. With little effort he dispatched several of the more influential members of the terrorist group and rescued Katae-muri, and what remaining hostages he could.

But the mission still wasn't over. Having escaped from the Freyas'ias, a corrupted faction of the Corellian Defence Force moved to intercept them, ultimatley they failed and Jasca escaped the planet.

For his heroic actions Jasca was awarded his own aircraft. A modified and updated Jedi Intercepter. Not long after the mission Katae-muri, who had become infatuated with Jasca Ducato, began seeing him often.

The Yuuzhan Vong War
In the year 25 ABY &mdash; after much infection of galactic affairs &mdash; the Yuuzhan Vong finally invaded the galaxy via the planet Helska 4. Word quickly spread of this new threat to the Republic but many saw it as nothing more than what some would consider pirates.

As such Master Skywalker ordered Jedi Padawan Ducato to the Crispin system (on the edge of the galaxy) in order to assist in the elimination of an extensive Mynock population that had been disrupting Ice-extraction operations in the system.

Within days of the inital engagements word had reached Ducato of this powerful new species who had invaded the galaxy. After making sure that the Ice-extractors were safe Jasca left and headed straight for Gyndine, the newly built Refugee centre.

Battle of Gyndine
"Watch out, its the Yuuzhan Vong!"

- Jasca Ducato to Wurth Skidder

Having arrived safely on Gyndine, Ducato soon found himself trapped on the planet courtesty of the enproaching Yuuzhan Vong fleet. Being one of two Jedi on the planet (the other being Wurth Skidder) Ducato realised immediately that Gyndine was a lost cause and ordered the planets evacuation. The two Jedi remained on the planet in order to repel the invading Yuuzhan Vong forces, but to no avail. It was not long before Gyndine's forests were burning and its lakes boiling, the Yuuzhan Vong had unveiled a new weapon in the war.

Reluctantly, both Ducato and Skidder realised that they could not hold the planet and themselves retreated.

Battle of Fondor
Having secured the assistance of the Hapes Consortium in the war the Jedi Council ordered both Jedi Master Vi and his apprentice Ducato to the ship building world of Fondor, which had recently been attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong Nas Choka.

By the time they arrived much of the shipyard had already been destroyed, along with most of the thirty capital ships that had been docked.

After much space-fighting and a blast from the Centerpoint Station in the Corellian System (which almost destroyed the ship he was aboard) the Yuuzhan Vong withdrew.

Defence of Fire Hill
Having been taken as an apprentice by Jedi Master Vi prior to the Yuuzhan Vong war he had proven himself a capable warrior and skilled tactian. Upon the outbrak of war Ducato and his master were seperated by the invading Vong forces. Ducato would lead the historic "Defence of Fire Hill" on Kalarba and would just survive the tell the tale. Leading a force of 10 Jedi and 1000 New Republic troops, Ducato was ordered to help cover the civilian evacuation of the planet. Despite heavy resistance he survived the battle with only 2 other Jedi and 58 New Republic troopers. For his heroic actions he was given the Rank of Jedi Knight and given command of the 39th Heavy Cavalry on Duro.



Battle of Duro
Jasca was believed dead when his flagship, the Hunter's Dagger was destroyed by the Vong fleet during the Battle of Duro. It was discovered he survived because he was not aboard the vessel at the time. For the next year Ducato lead many brave rear-guard actions against the Yuuzhan Vong and their supporters until the Battle of Ylesia. Here he and his division, the 39th engaged a Yuuzhan Vong assault force and defeated it, despite its use of voxyn. Ultimately however he was forced to retreat, but for his actions he was given the rank of Jedi Master an thus, promoted of General. He was given a new warship, The Soiyo and ordered to patrol Sullust system.

Battle of Ebaq 9
After another year of fighting he was ordered to Ebaq 9 where the he fought with the New Republic task force (being uder the command of General Garm Bel Iblis) destroyed the Yuuzhan Vong fleet.

Battle of Dac
Ducato then took part in a series of small skirmishes against the Yuuzhan Vong until he was ordered to Dac. Once he had arrived he was thrust into the Battle of Dac (Mon Calamari). The 39th recieved heavy losses and was almost destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong forces, however, the Yuuzhan Vong withdrawl won the battle for the Galactic Alliance.

Battle of Corulag
Following the battle at Dac Ducato returned to the fleet of General Garm Bel Iblis to participate in the battle at Corulag. Should Corulag fall the Galactic Alliance would control a key hyperspace route to Coruscant.

Placed by Bel Iblis in the now famous Shocker Squadron and tasked with escorting several Scimitar Assault Bombers in their mission to destroy a Yuuzhan Vong base of Corulag's primary moon. With the arrival of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Harbringer Ducato fell back and docked with the warship, ending his action in the battle.

Battle of Coruscant
Despite having suffered devestating casualties at Dac, Ducato took what remained of the 39th too Coruscant to engage the Yuuzhan Vong fleet.

The 39th arrived just in time to join the full scale assault on the World Brains. Ducato left in his fighter for Coruscant itself. Once on the planet he &mdash; along with several other Jedi Knights &mdash; engaged the Yuuzhan Vong hand-to-hand combat. He survived the Battle, but not without his fair share of battle scars.

A Post-Yuuzhan Vong galaxy
Even after the war with the Yuuzhan Vong the galaxy needed the Jedi Order to defend its ways of life. Border disputes, Crime Lords, Terrorist or Seperatists, the Jedi Order would work to its best to return the galaxy to the light.

However, even one fateful word can change the fate of a galaxy&hellip;A Galaxy far far away&hellip;

Exile of a Jedi Master
After the war Ducato returned to his devestated homeworld to help rebuild his civilization. Taris had been devestated by the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, they had gone out of their way to destroy the planet because of its past history. Over 500 million Tarisians had been killed by the Yuuzhan Vong and the remaining were forced underground. When Ducato returned he discovered a war weary and vicious world. It was clear to him that he was not welcome.

Posting on Ossus
Eventually he took up a post on the new Jedi Academy on Ossus become the Academy's Weapon Master. Training many Jedi in the ways of lightsaber combat. He would later take part in the swarm war and would return stronger in the force than ever before.

Marriage
"I do."

- Jasca Ducato

At the behest of Grand Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, Jasca Ducato proposed to his long time love Katae-muri. The day after her knighting ceremony, Jedi Knight Katae-muri and Jedi Master Jasca Ducato were wedded in a cermony presided over by many Hero's of the Republic such as Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Leia Organa Solo, and many others.

Fall to the Dark-Side
"You cannot understand the power of the darkside Katie..."

- Darth Abeonis

Later that year, on a mission to investigate reports of disturbances in the Quelli Sector, Jasca was forced to call upon the darkside of the force to defeat a Dark Jedi warrior who claimed to be the son of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker, Ben Skywalker. The Dark Jedi's true identity was never revealed. However having been forced to call upon the Dark-side of the force proved to strong, even for Ducato to resist. Travelling to Korriban with the 39th, he adopted the title Darth Abeonis and declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith and corrupted the entire crew of The Soiyo, and the rest of the 39th. In the months that followed Abeonis struck fear into the hearts of many Outer Rim, using his fleet of warships and his army of Neo-Sith followers to devestate Republic intrests in the Outer Rim. Eventually Abeonis was tracked down on his flagship The Soiyo by a Jedi taskforce led by Luke Skywalker, Katarn and Katae-muri.

Eventually, after a lengthy duel, Jasca, along with his apprenitce Pantene, was returned to the light-side by the three Jedi when he was swamped with visions of all the suffering he had caused in the past few months. Turning his back on the dark-side Jasca swore that he wouldn't rest until the galaxy had been brought to peace! However, from that day forth, everyone who had known him before his fall noticed the change. He became distant&hellip;isolated.

Following his return to the light many of the ships of the 39th who refused to follow their master's path were destroyed by the Republic or secured by the Jedi. The remaining vessels were transferred into the 4th Fleet and placed under the command of a new Officer.

Second age of a Jedi
"If the Federation only knew of the threat I still pose to them, of the threat the Jedi pose! Do you think they would treat us so lightly?" "No."

- Jasca Ducato and Luke Skywalker

In the year following his redemption Jasca Ducato was once again thrust into the public eyes, this time as a villian. His actions were scrutinised at every turn. If he did something wrong he was pounced upon by the press and vilified on the HoloNet, if he did something right it was almost completely ignored. Before long many of the Jedi, including his wife could see that it was seriously affecting him and decided it was best for him to be taken away from the public eye. As a result the decision, three years after the end of the Swarm War, was taken for Jasca to lead the Jedi Expedition into the Unknown Regions to investigate rumours of a post-Palpatine Sith Order, however its mission took The Soiyo far beyond the edge of the galaxy and was classed "MIA" by the Galactic Alliance. Unbeknownst to the GFFA, The Soiyo had discovered a planet on the far edge of the Unknown Regions, they dubbed it Nerezza.

Campaign on Nerezza
Satisfied that the planet was safe Jasca lead a taskforce of ten Jedi down to the surface of Nerezza to investigate the mysterious ruins in the planets largest rainforest. Arriving at the ruins the Jedi unveiled hundreds-upon-thousands of stone tablets written upon by the planets past inhabitants. Although no-one on the expedition force could translate them it was clear some of the tablets described what could only been thought to be the beginnings of the galaxy. Having requested a large archeological force to come down to the planet and excavate the ruins.

With the Jedi continuing the explorations they made another discovery, this time it was the charred remains of a recent fire. It was clear somebody had been there recently and as such, was possibly watching them.

First Strike
It was then the Ducato began to feel something he had not felt in over a year&mdash; the dark-side of the force, and he was not alone, the rest of the Jedi had felt it too. Ducato ordered the Jedi to seperate and ignite their weapons, which they did. Before long the Jedi were swamped by Dark Jedi bearing crimson-red lightsabers and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Jedi knights. After a long and intense battle all the Dark Jedi had been defeated and killed, two Jedi had also died.

The Sith Temple
"Wipe them out! All of them."

- Jasca Ducato

After tracking the Dark Jedi back to their base of operations the Jedi were astonised to find the fully intact remains of an ancient Sith Temple, seething with the dark-side of the force. Astonished at this discovery Jedi Master Pantene send an immediate transmission to The Soiyo requesting a Jedi assault force to be formed, before long a taskforce of 200 Jedi had been formed and sent to the entrance of the Sith Temple. After a brief speech Jasca ordered the Jedi to destroy the Sith on the planet.

Meeting the Dark Lord
"I am the Dark Lord of the Sith!"

- Lord Guerreiro

After a long and bloody battle the Jedi found themselves surrounded and out-matched by the Ancient Sith warriors. It had become apparant by now that the Sith in the temple had not been affected by the event of the galaxy since before the Mandalorian Wars and as such had not had to limit their training or numbers by Darth Bane's rule of two. Realising he could not win Jasca surrendered on the condition he be brought before the master of the temple.

It was a meeting he would not forget, before him stood the self-styled Dark Lord of Sith, Lord Guerreiro. When Guerreiro inquired as to the presence of the Jedi Jasca refused to reveal the mission of the Jedi Knights.

Imprisonment
Having refused to tell the Dark Lord the mission of the Jedi the entire assault force was imprisioned. Sensing this, the Jedi on The Soiyo prepared for a rescue mission.

Escape
What happened next is unknown, but within hours several thousand Jedi and Sith had been killed. Guerreiro had escaped with Ducato and was fleeing from the trailing Jedi Warship, which had reclaimed those few Jedi that had survived the battle.

Eventually Guerreiro jumped to hyperspace with Ducato on-board and The Soiyo lost the trail. And so, over the next two years, with Ducato in enemy hands and The Soiyo' hot on their tail; Guerreiro began to slowly corrupt the already corrupted Jedi Knight towards the dark-side. Ducato however was determined not to fall once again and put up a valiant defense against the Dark Lord, but in vain.

A new dark knight
"Surrender to the power of the dark-side! Become my apprentice."

- Lord Guerreiro

Then, in 43 ABY, Ducato was given a final choice by Guerreiro; surrender to the dark-side of the Force, or see his precious Galactic Alliance fall within one hundred years! Determined not to fall once again Jasca decided upon a third choice; to kill Guerreiro.

And so, Jasca drew upon his anger and attacked Guerreiro with his own weapon. After a long and intensive duel Guerreiro had succedded in his goal of seducing Ducato once more, but at a cost of his own life.

Soon after Ducato, now reclaiming the Sith moniker of Darth Abeonis returned to The Soiyo and, as he had done years before, seduced the entire crew to the dark-side.

A Sith crusade
Over the next thirteen years, and using the dark-side to sustain him, Darth Abeonis and his new Sith apprentice, Darth Adsec, slowly conquered the Sith Empire of the Order of Decreto and even spread its influence further than ever before. By the year 56 ABY the entire Sith Order of Decreto had pledged its allegiance to Darth Abeonis and its power had surpassed that of all galactic powers save the Galactic Alliance, but its expansion had not gone unnoticed.

Unlike previous Dark Lords of Decreto, Darth Abeonis had not troubled himself with concealing the presence of the Order to the New Jedi Order. Sensing the growing threat from the Unknown Regions the Jedi Order tried to create defence fleet to defend against the new threat but to no avail. The Alliance was already weakened from the Second Corellian Insurrection of 40 ABY and had no intention of entering another war; not that they were given a choice.

In the years 58 ABY the Sith crusade finally began with an invasion of the Chiss Ascendancy. Within six months over two-thirds of the Chiss domain (including the capital world of Csilla) had fallen and the government fractured. Next came a Sith invasion of the Imperial Remnant, the first public expansion of the Neo-Sith into the galactic theatre. Yaga Minor and Bastion fell and the Imperial Remnant collapsed almost entirely.

But the Galactic Alliance still held hope for a peaceful conclusion without being invaded itself. A peace treaty (seen more publically as a policy of appeasement) saw several thousand worlds, including; Er'kit, Agamar, Morishim, Ord Biniir, Bimmiel, Dantooine, Dubrillion, Adumar, Telos, Dorin, Reecee and Anobis fall under Sith control. For a few years this policy of appeasement worked and the Galactic Alliance hoped that an avoidance of war was in fact quite likely, despite the warnings of the Jedi Council.

But three years later the invasion came nonetheless when, in 61/62 ABY the Sith attacked eight Alliance sectors simultaneously, conquering each one within a day. Within a week the Sith Empire had expanded and increased in size three-fold. The outer rim was almost completely under Sith control and even parts of the Colonies had been conquered. Reports of several hundred thousand Sith in each wave of attack did little to improve the morale of the Galactic populous who already regarded the Galactic Alliance as weak for attempting to appease the Neo-Sith invader.

Two weeks later a second invasion occurred which saw the decimation of the Ssi-ruuk, the occupation of Cloud City on Bespin and the fall of Belderone. Ossus, home of the New Jedi Order was on the very fringes of Sith space, prepared itself for invasion.

Death
Following the Sith crusade and many years of uneasy peace in the galaxy Darth Abeonis suddenly found himself losing a battle for the first time.

Ever since his corruption in 43 ABY Abeonis had been using the Force to support him, to keep him young; but now the very thing that had kept him alive for so long was now killing him in the form of the dark side.

Ever since the death of his apprentice during the latter parts of the Sith crusade Abeonis had remained without an apprentice, he had realised that if he stayed without an apprentice, those seeking the position whould be loyal to him. So by remaining without one for so long he had secured his dominance over the Sith Order of Decreto. But by 120 ABY realised that his end was near, and that if he didn't take an apprentice soon civil war would follow his death.

And so; one day, in 121 ABY, Darth Abeonis publically announced that he would announce his successor by the end of the year. This brought shouts of jubilation among the populous of the Empire, but fear and worry among his Sith followers. Who, they thought, would become Abeonis' heir?

The never found out, for two days later he was found dead. The report on his death was "inconclusive". No-one knew if he had died from natural cuases (that is the dark side of the Force), or if he had been assassinated. There was overwhelming evidence to support both theories, but in the end it mattered not. For, as is the way of the Sith, those who believed they should be the next Dark Lord simply fought it out among each other.

It would not be until 129 ABY that the Decreton Empire once again had an Emperor capable of maintaning the Sith domain.