Evan Piell (Powerstaark)

Even Piell was a Lannik Jedi Master who served on the Jedi Council before and during the early stages of the clone wars. He later resigned his position on the council but still continued his life as a Jedi.

Early life
Even Piell was born into an impoverished family on the war-ravaged world of Lannik during the waning days of the Galactic Republic. Like most of his generation, he was expected to live a life of deprivation and misery on a planet where continuous conflict was commonplace. However, Piell was discovered to be strong in the Force as an infant, and was taken away from his homeworld by a Jedi to undergo training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Even showed an aptitude for the light side of the Force, and proved an capable wielder of the lightsaber. The Lannik Jedi constructed his own lightsaber, and often used it in his duties as a Jedi Guardian. He earned a reputation as a fierce warrior who would never back away from a fight, eventually becoming a revered Jedi Knight. After becoming a Master sometime prior to the Stark Hyperspace War, he was granted a seat on the Jedi High Council alongside the likes of Yoda and Mace Windu. He was also a scholar on the Council of First Knowledge.

Jedi Master
Sometime during the Republic Classic era, Piell became one of select few Jedi to return to his planet of origin after being knighted. He served with the Lannik royal Palace Guard, alongside fellow Lannik Hutar Zash, protecting two generations of Lannik princes; though a Jedi and fiercely loyal to the Republic, he never forgot his roots and served loyally and diligently. The Lannik government were embroiled in a costly war with a group of terrorists known as the Red Iaro, who were opposed to the traditional ways of Lannik and wanted to rule the planet in their own, extremist way. Negotiations between the two groups—mediated by high-profile Corellian diplomats—proved fruitless, and in a desperate, suicidal attempt to gain a foothold in the war, seven members of the Red Iaro, led by General Myk'chur Finux Zug, stormed a meeting between the diplomats and Lannik's prince in the Lannik High Court, holding them hostage.

Piell fought off the revolutionaries, slaying six of them, and saving the lives of the Lannik royalty and the Corellian diplomats. However, Zug was able to flee and continue his rebel activities. During the fighting, Master Piell lost his left eye and suffered many grievous wounds, which scarred his entire face. However, he refused to accept bacta therapy or a prosthetic replacement for his lost eye; to him, the scar represented honor, bravery, and reminded Even of his prevailing against the immoral despite the odds. He carried it as a badge of pride, and he never forgot his efforts in keeping the peace on his homeworld. The Red Iaro continued their insurgent activities, though, under Zug's command; a bounty, later accepted by bounty hunter Aldar Beedo, was put on Even and his fellow Council members' heads by the "Chosen One," the leader of a cult which hoped to increase terrorist activity on Lannik.

The Corellian diplomats' daughter, Adi Gallia, was herself a Jedi, and she forever felt indebted to Piell for his actions in saving her parents. Even after she joined him on the Jedi Council, Gallia sought for a way to repay him, though Even shrugged off her suggestions, insisting it was all part of his duty. Even served on the Council during many conflicts, such as the Stark Hyperspace War, and served directly in many more. He was more outspoken that the majority of his peers, and he was characterized by his somewhat radical—and always direct—ideas and decisions. During the Yinchorri Uprising, when many Council members were investigating in the Yinchorri system, the Temple was infiltrated by a group of Yinchorri warriors in a bold attempt to assassinate the Jedi. Wielding his lightsaber, he, as well as numerous other Jedi, was able to repel the Yinchorri with minimal casualties, though the Council was deeply worried—it was evident that some unknown enemy had guided the Yinchorri into such a foolhardy assault. The mission to the Yinchorr system undertaken by Mace Windu and a team of other Jedi was successful, although not without its casualties; Piell attended the triple funeral of fellow Council member Micah Giiett, as well as Lilit Twoseas and Theen Fida.

Piell was on the Council during the Eriadu Trade Summit in the same year. A team of Jedi led by Qui-Gon Jinn had been ambushed during a mission to Asmeru concurrent with the Summit, and had lost contact with Coruscant; the Nebula Front terrorist organization claimed to have captured a number of hostages on Asmeru, and demanded that the Trade Summit be canceled. Piell advocated stopping the Nebula Front with force, but many of his fellow Council members wished for a more subtle approach. The Lannik also advised offering the houses of the Senex sector—a self-governing domain who existed apart from the Republic, and who controlled Asmeru—a deal in exchange for their co-operation; Piell believed that allowing them free trade with the Republic—something which they had been refused because of their slave breeding—for their assistance in bringing the Nebula Front to justice was the best course of action to take. Ultimately, Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum was able to end the crisis, though not without losing a considerable amount of support in the Senate.

In 32 BBY, the Sith, long thought to be extinct, returned. Qui-Gon Jinn briefly dueled one of the Dark Lords of the Sith on the planet Tatooine, but was able to flee. He told the Council of his encounter, though many of its members were skeptical; nevertheless, Mace Windu agreed to investigate and learn the identity of Jinn's attacker. Jinn had another matter to discuss with the Council: he had found a young boy, named Anakin Skywalker, who was extremely strong in the Force, and who Jinn believed might be the Chosen One. Skywalker was brought before the Council, though they deemed him too old and potentially dangerous to be trained. Windu sent Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Naboo in an attempt to lure out the supposed Sith; the plan worked, and Kenobi was able so slay the Dark Lord, but Jinn perished. Piell and the other members of the Council traveled to Naboo to attend Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral. It was the beginning of a dark time for the Jedi High Council; one Sith had been slain, but they were unsure if it was the Master or the apprentice. Anakin Skywalker became the Padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi, though the Council still had doubts about the boy.

Mission to Malastare
Later that same year, the conflict between the Red Iaro and the government on Piell's homeworld drew to an apparent close, and Myk'chur Finux Zug declared a stalemate, and requested that the peace process begin. The Gran Protectorate offered to hold the negotiations on a neutral ground, the planet Malastare, and the Republic's Judicial Department requested that the Jedi Council send delegates to act as arbiters during the meetings. Adi Gallia, still feeling that she had a debt to repay to Piell, brought the matter up at a meeting of the Council, championing Piell's sacrifice, though he brushed off her comments. As it was a matter of great importance to many systems nearby Lannik, Chancellor Palpatine requested that only members of the Council travel to Malastare. Piell volunteered, as his people's ways—considered somewhat primitive and strange by galactic society—were unknown to the other Jedi, and he felt his presence on Malastare was necessary. Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, Yaddle, and Adi Gallia also volunteered to attend the negotiations.

Traveling in a Consular-class space cruiser, the team of Jedi reached Malastare in days, and were greeted by Gran senators Ainlee Teem and Baskol Yeesrim, who began escorting them to their quarters. The Jedi were suspicious and on guard, as they suspected that the Gran had their own surreptitious reasons for hosting the talks on their adopted homeworld. En route, Even, Adi Gallia, and Yaddle realized the group was being followed and monitored by a Lannik, whom they presumed was a member of the Red Iaro, and a hooded Ffib priest,[6] a member of a theocratic religion established on the planet Lorahns; intrigued, Piell and Gallia doubled back and intercepted the duo, asking why they were following the Jedi Council members. The Lannik and the priest responded by shooting at Piell and Gallia, though the Jedi Masters were able to fend them off with ease, with the help of Ki-Adi-Mundi and his Padawan, A'Sharad Hett, who had just arrived in the corridor. Even's attackers fled, and the Jedi gave chase, but ultimately reached a dead end, where two Gran guards claimed to have seen no beings fleeing in the corridor.

Teem and Yeesrim admonished the guards and sent them to look for the assailants, and took the Jedi to the governor's palace, where Teem assured them they would be safe. The Jedi sensed great danger and deception on Malastare, though they put such thoughts to rest when the actual negotiations took place. They were introduced to Senator Aks Moe and Gujdim Wiphshun, the Grans who would chair the meeting, Lannik prince R'cardo Sooflie IX, the son of the prince whose life Even had saved several years previously, and Sooflie's military advisor, Piell's old colleague Hutar Zash. Sooflie was suspicious of a countryman serving with what he considered "religious ragamuffins," and Even introduced himself; when Sooflie showed no sign of remembering either Piell or his sacrifice, Adi Gallia admonished him, though the Lannik prince remarked that had Piell not saved his parents' lives, he might have become prince sooner.

The Red Iaro representatives, led by Myk'chur Finux Zug, eventually arrived, several minutes late, and were immediately dismissive of the Jedi, believing their presence to be unnecessary. Piell confronted Zug, but the Lannik revolutionary claimed that times had changed; the Red Iaro, he said, was tired of fighting and wished to stop. Piell, however, knew that Zug would be back to his old ways before long. Negotiations started, though it was clear to the Jedi that they would go nowhere; Zug's demands were not unreasonable, but Sooflie refused to accept anything, and after an angry outburst from the prince, Master Windu called a recess in the talks. Hutar Zash and several other Lannik guardsmen offered to give the Jedi a lift to their quarters in the governor's palace, and, hoping to use the opportunity to speak to Zash, Piell accepted.

En route, Zash told Even of matters on Lannik; since Sooflie had ascended to power, the old ways and traditions were dying, and the people growing more and more unhappy with their new prince. Suddenly, Zash and his subordinates revealed that they had thermite charges strapped around their torsos—they hoped that their sacrifice, performed in front of many cam droids recording a podrace on concurrent with the peace talks, would help bring back the old ways on Lannik. Even reacted extremely quickly, using his lightsaber to bisect the EasyRide passenger airspeeder, leaving Piell, Adi Gallia, and Mace Windu on one side and the two Lannik on the other. Zash and his companion's explosives detonated, but the Jedi survived—however, they were plummeting toward the ground.

They managed to grab a hold of a passing podracer, piloted by Sebulba, though the Dug podracer attempted to knock them off. Eventually, Master Windu—whom Even and Adi were holding on to—lost his grip and fell, though the other airspeeder, piloted by Yaddle, was able to collect them. Presuming that Zug and Zash were in league with each other, the Jedi believed that Zug, with his plan to kill the Jedi a failure, would be desperate, and they concluded that he would attempt to assassinate Sooflie. They arrived in the prince's chamber as Zug and his minions were preparing to feed Sooflie to a pair of akk dogs, non-sentient predators native to Haruun Kal. Not wanting to kill the creatures, the Jedi subdued them, but Zug was able to use the opportunity to try and escape with a jetpack through the ceiling window—however, he collided with a podracer, and was killed. Aks Moe and his guards arrived within moments, removing the remaining revolutionaries before the Jedi could question them; the senator announced the peace talks' end, and requested the Jedi return to Coruscant. Sooflie left without showing any sign of gratitude to Even Piell, though he did not mind—he knew he had done his duty to the Republic. Even and his fellow Jedi returned to Coruscant.

Separatist crisis
Some time later, Even took a Padawan learner of his own, a Corellian named Jax Pavan. Pavan's father, Lorn, was once a worker in the Temple, but had been requested to leave after his son was admitted to the ranks of the Jedi Order. Piell taught Pavan that Jedi did not need the Force to exist; even without it, their ideals and dogma still made them Jedi. Pavan found this particular lesson difficult to comprehend, even years later. Even, who became almost like a father to his Padawan, took Pavan on many assignments, including two into the deepest level of Coruscant's undercity.

Piell served on the Jedi Council throughout the Separatist Crisis, and watched with continuing dismay as more and more systems seceded and joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by Count Dooku—a former Jedi. However, the CIS was by far not the only threat the Order, and the Republic, faced. In 8 BBG, a rogue Dark Jedi—former Jedi Padawan Aurra Sing—killed two Jedi Masters, J'Mikel and Peerce, on Coruscant, in the shadow of the Temple itself. Even in particular was shocked by this when it was announced during a Council meeting, and although many efforts were made to apprehend Sing, none succeeded. Piell and the Council attended the ceremony to make Quinlan Vos a Jedi Master and Aayla Secura a Jedi Knight, though the Council lost Yaddle and Yarael Poof, who both perished defending the Republic from terrorists; they were replaced by Shaak Ti and Coleman Trebor, respectively. Piell attended Poof's funeral on Coruscant alongside the Jedi High Council and several Quermian Jedi.