Darth Krayt (Jasca Ducato)

"I find it interesting that we have fought the Sith for over 7,000 years to keep the galaxy safe and secure. And now, after all that time; it is a Sith that the people of the galaxy see as their greatest hero. Krayt brought peace, security and most important of all; unity to a galaxy ripped by turmoil and fear. What more could we have asked for?"

- Tai painj

Darth Krayt was a former Jedi Knight during the and later a Learner, Sith Knight, Sith Lord and a Dark Lord of the Decreton Empire during, and following the Successors War. Born A'Sharad Hett, Hett was a promising Jedi throughout the waning days of the Old Republic. Following the Krayt took to founding his own Sith Order, and settled upon Korriban as his headquarters.

During the Krayt's Sith harassed the forces of both sides before, during and after Krayt's capture by the Yuuzhan Vong warrior. Krayt's escape, and the eventual defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong left the Sith on Korriban free to interfere with the lives of those in the galaxy, particularly during the, as part of his alliance with. Following the conflict Krayt's Order was absorbed into the Sith Order of Decreto, and Krayt trained under the tutelage of two Decreton Sith Masters, the second being Darth Debello.

Following his overthrow of his Master in 126 ABY, Krayt slowly reclaimed all the Sith territories lost to the usurper, Darth Proditor and, within three years had become Emperor, and head of the Sith Council. He would later go on to rule the galaxy in a fair and just way, but made sure that no opposition to his power went unchecked.

Early years
Born on the desert world of Tatooine in 47 BBY, A'Sharad Hett was the son of the exiled Jedi Knight, who had adopted the ways of the s. Brought up as both a Jedi and a Tusken, A'Sharad only began to properly train as a Jedi in 32 BBY when, following his father's death, he inherited Sharad's lightsaber.

Reverse engineering the weapon, A'Sharad learnt to build another, and began training in the use of two lightsabers, eventually mastering the art.

Becoming a Knight
"I am a Tusken, but no longer one with the desert. I am also a Padawan, seeking to complete his Jedi training."

- A'Sharad Hett to

Following his father's death, he was taken as the Padawan of, and under the Jedi Master's watchful eye he partook in several peaceful missions. For two years, A'Sharad trained as a Jedi until one fateful day when his father's killer, resurfaced. A'Sharad accompanied Ki-Adi Mundito track down the Jedi killer to end the threat. Tracking Sing to a planet in the Outer rim, A'Sharad and Ki-Adi-Mundi engaged Sing in a duel, at first Sing had the upper hand, incapacitating Ki-Adi-Mundi. However, during the fight, A'Sharad used his anger to overcome Sing, and was able to knock her unconscious. He was, though, able to regain control over his anger and was able to will himself not to kill the felled bounty hunter. Instead, he turned his prisoner over to the other Jedi Masters who had just arrived.

The Clone Wars
"Lightness and dark have blurred borders."

- A'Sharad Hett during the Siege of Saleucami



During the Clone Wars, A'Sharad served as a General for the Galactic Republic, and flew his Jedi starfighter in air support during the Battle of Geonosis. Following this initial battle however, Hett choose to continue the war fighting on the ground, and would often lead entire armies of s on worlds such as Metalorn and Aargonar

Following the Second Battle of Jabiim A'Sharad Hett and the recently befriended were on New Holstice helping at the Republic military hospital established there. A'Sharad confronted Anakin about many of his actions during the previous battle, and realized that Anakin was having a difficult time accepting that death was a natural state of life, and essentially, the Force.

Following a much needed break from combat A'Sharad and Skywalker led the Republic defense of Aargonar. During the battle, Hett became marooned behind enemy lines after their gunship was shot down.

Unaware of Anakin's dark feelings towards Tuskens, A'Sharad pointed out to him that the two of them shared many qualities. He even remarked that, had the chance presented itself, Anakin would have made a good Tusken. A'Sharad intended the comment as a compliment, but Anakin took it as an insult, which was influenced by the death of his mother at the hands of Tusken Raiders.



Afterwards, Hett served as part of the Jedi force dispatched to the planet of. There, he befriended the Jedi Ausar Auset, who would later die in battle. On Saleucami, A'Sharad worked together with his friend, Xiaan Amersu, to destroy the Separatist's planetary gun, but Xiaan was forced to sacrifice herself to destroy their target. Saddened by Amersu's death, Hett used his controlled anger to aid in the brutal struggle that eventually saw the Republic being successful in their attempts on Saleucami.

But the deaths of so many of his friend's during the battle brought Hett to the verge of collapse, and he fled the planet endorsed in anger and rage.

Fall to the dark side
Following the end of the Clone Wars, A'Sharad was one of the few survivors of the Great Jedi Purge. Returning to his homeworld of Tatooine, Hett once again took to disguising himself as a Tusken Raider. While on Tatooine he silently prepared for his own private war against the Galactic Empire. On Tatooine, he had an encounter with his former Jedi comrade,, now himself living in exile on the desert world. The outcome of this fateful encounter would drive the remorseful Jedi over the edge, forcing him to call upon the dark side for the first time.

Hett made numerous attempts to make contact with his former friend, Anakin Skywalker during the early years of the, but wherever he turned he encountered none-other than Darth Vader. After six years of searching, Hett drew upon the dismal conclusion that Vader and Skywalker were one and the same. This was the final straw for Hett, and he surrendered to the dark side whole-heartedly.

For several decades, Hett trained in the ways of the Sith, remaining outside the detection of both the Empire, and later the. But with the arrival of the in 25 ABY, Hett seized upon the opportunity to become a fully fledged Sith.

Adopting the name of Darth Krayt, after the s, Krayt surrounded himself in a core group of followers who believed like him, that the Yuuzhan Vong could only be defeated by an Order such as the Sith. Krayt and his followers waged a secret war against the Yuuzhan Vong and the Jedi, assisting both through-out the war. It was not until the year of 27 ABY that the Yuuzhan Vong finally discovered the Sith influence in their ranks.

Following his failed mission to Coruscant in 27 ABY, Nom Anor was tasked with tracking down the Solo twins. Nom Anor's path lead to Korriban, where he encountered the newly designated Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt. Nom Anor seized upon the chance and captured the Dark Lord, bringing him before.

Capture of Darth Krayt
Sending Nom Anor back to his mission to capture the Solo twins, Tsavong Lah tortured Darth Krayt with and a variety of other torture devices. Lah, eventually growing weary of torturing Krayt, devised a plan so as to use Krayt to his advantage. Lah order his s to "shape" Darth Krayt into a Yuuzhan Vong warrior; but Lah underestimated the resolve of Krayt. Mid-way through the shaping process Krayt broke free of his shackles and killed the shapers after causing the roof to collapse in on them. Krayt then proceeded to escape from the facility, but not before losing his eye in a duel with.

Having escaped the Yuuzhan Vong, Krayt returned to Korriban to find his Order in near total disarray. The Sith had turned on themselves, and only the arrival of Krayt averted a full-scale civil war.

Replacing his lost eye, Krayt modified his to accomadte his human body and re-commenced his war against the Yuuzhan Vong, all the mean time looking over his shoulder for Nom Anor or Tsavong Lah. Krayt's campaign continued for another two years until the eventual defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Victorious, Darth Krayt led his Sith into a sphere of seclusion. For over ten years Krayt remained on Korriban, training his Sith in the combined ways of the ancient Jedi and Sith. Then, one day, a lone warrior arrived on Korriban seeking the one who commanded that world. Krayt, hiding his true identity, approached the lone warrior, and was surprised to discover that he needn't reveal himself. Lumiya made Krayt an offer.

A dark alliance
If Krayt would support Lumiya in her mission to turn Jacen Solo to the Sith, she would keep the location of Krayt's Order a secret. Blatant bribery though it was, the deal would help Krayt in a multitude of ways; and so he agreed.

Krayt's exact actions during this alliance remained a mystery for many years after his death, as hardly any of those Sith who followed him in his early days survived the Sith Crusade. However, during this time, Krayt's past began to catch up on him. As his body aged, he found it more and more difficult to battle the Yuuzhan Vong shaping that was overrunning his body. Krayt turned to all sorts of answers, but none satisfied him, and he began to believe that his death was closing. Determined to live, Krayt suspended himself in a cript, and gave his followers orders to awake him only in times of great need. But even this did not free Krayt totally from the Yuuzhan Vong, for he still dreamed.

Krayt remained in suspended animation for many years until he was eventually awoke by a Sith he did not recognize. The told Krayt that his Sith Order had been "absorbed" into a greater order, known as the Sith Order of Decreto; and that its Dark Lord sought the assistance of Krayt.

Introducing himself as Darth Wyyrlok, the Chagrian filled Krayt in on the history of the galaxy during his time in carbonite, and how the Sith had returned to the galaxy to wage war. Wyyrlok told Krayt that his master, Lord Abeonis had been searching for Krayt for many years, and now that he had been found, Abeonis wished an alliance with the former Dark Lord.

Sith Crusade
Krayt followed the Chagrian out of his crypt into the glaring Korribani sunlight, and was surrounded by Sith of numerous race and creed. Amongst them stood many he recognized, and many more he suspected to be former Jedi like himself. It was already 63 ABY, and the war was in full motion. Wyyrlok offered Krayt a position in Sith Intelligence, were he excelled, and made him an official Sith Knight.

In 66 ABY, the last year of the war, Krayt left Sith Intelligence to become a "Hand". This drew the attention of the Decreton Order's second highest ranking Sith, Darth Micail, who would later attempt to seduce Krayt into becoming his apprentice. Krayt was highly insulted, and showed Micail that he was above the Sith Lord in many ways, including lightsaber combat. Micail was left humiliated and enraged.

In 74 ABY Krayt finally proved his alliance worthy when Abeonis ordered an invasion of Coruscant. His action during the battle catapulted him into the eyes of Abeonis himself, and the two met for the first time.

Between the wars
Little is known of Krayt's actions between the wars.

It is known that it was Krayt that lead the re-invasion of Rakata Prime in 97 ABY after Darth Cannae's failure ten years earlier, becoming a public icon in the process. Darth Wyyrlok himself noted that Krayt was "&hellip;ambitious, a man to be watched, a man of worth&hellip;".

For the next thirty years Krayt would train himself so that he could surpass his Sith Master and become a Sith Lord, until word spread of Darth Abeonis' death. He would use the death of Darth Abeonis to his advantage.

In this time period, Krayt was responsible for the torture of both Mariz and Jacen Kenobi Solo. Nathaniel Kenobi Solo came to free them from their prisons, but fell victim to Krayt as he watched him kill Jacen.

The Successors War
"Darth Krayt? Oh, him. He's, shall we say, a growing threat to my domain. Eliminate him Berrek."

- Darth Proditor to Berrek Verk

When, in 121 ABY his high lord, Darth Abeonis died, the circumstances surrounding his death unknown. A Decreton civil war broke out and Krayt was quickly drawn into the fighting. By 126 ABY Krayt had become so influential among his own soldiers that he eliminated his Sith Master and took command of his former Master's forces.

He lead his forces to their first victory during the pivotal Battle of Manaan. But he quickly made himself a target for the other factions involved in the conflict, so much so that Darth Proditior considered him a "growing threat". Proditor would later request the services of the famed Sith Knight turned mercenary/bounty hunter; Berrek Verk in an attempt to eliminate Krayt.

And so, in 127 ABY, Berrek Vek tracked down Krayt and attacked him. It became all too apparent all too quickly to Verk however that Krayt could not be bested in lightsaber combat and so he fled. By 128 ABY he had conquered all the Sith Knights fighting Darth Proditor, the usurper of the throne and by 129 ABY; he had taken the throne himself.

Darth Krayt quickly realised that, although his rule was secure, that of his successor was not. So he returned the Sith to the age-old feudal system of control. One Dark Lord, many Sith Lords vying for power; but for once difference.

If a Sith Lord usurped the throne without the full support of the Sith Council, he would become an enemy of the Sith and declared and outlaw. This ruling secured the reigns of many successors to Krayt and secured peace and unity through out the galaxy. He called this, the rule of one.

"I find it interesting that before his death Abeonis spoke of a new era of peace and unity. And that; following his death, this era began with a civil war."

- Darth Krayt commenting on Darth Abeonis' Unity era

Darth Krayt succeeded where Abeonis had failed, he had achieved peace, security and unity throughout the galaxy. By the time of his own death he was regarded, even by his enemies as a hero of the galaxy, and one of the greatest Dark Lord's ever, alongside Darth Abeonis. Although Krayt himself had, in the early years of his reign at least, seen himself as second-rate compared to Abeonis. In the year 143 ABY Darth Krayt returned his thoughts to an old enemy; Berrek Verk. Word had reached Darth Wyyrlok that Verk had left his self-imposed exile and returned to Dantooine. Krayt, seizing upon this opportunity ordered his two hands &mdash; Darth Nihl, and Darth Talon &mdash; to Dantooine with the mission of executing Berrek Verk. They later returned to Krayt bearing Verk's double-bladed lightsaber.

Even after a century, some Jedi admitted that Darth Krayt was one of the greatest things to happen to the galaxy in terms of bringing it peace and unity.

Krayt's reign
Following the Successors War, Krayt lead many reforms throughout the galaxy. He continued Abeonis' policy of Mass terraforming on many worlds that had been ravaged by both the Sith Crusade and the Successors War.

In 143 ABY he ordered the execution of Berrek Verk on unknown pretences. Following Verk's death, Krayt began a systematic purge of all Sith Knights that would disobey Krayt's rule of one, and in doing so secured the hatred and enmity of many of his followers. But many more still followed him loyally.

Then, 17 years later Krayt's Decreton Empire was confronted with a new, serious threat. The Octom Coalition was the first serious threat to the Decreton Empire since the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances but it did not take long for Krayt's closest followers, Darth Nihl and Darth Talon to destroy the forces of Octa Nuun and dissolve the Coalition.

At some point after the Octom War Darth Krayt succeeded in discovering the holocron of Sam Sinays, placing them in the Temple of the Sith'ari on Sith'ika.

Legacy
At some point following his death, Ryan Vex explored the tomb of Darth Krayt, and was encountered by the Dark Lord's ghostly spirit. Krayt attempted to seduce Ryan Vex, but in vain. However, though he failed to seduce him to the dark side, his temptations helped clear the path for others to convert him in other ways.

Personality and traits
Krayt, like many Dark Lords before him felt pressured by the achievements of his predecessor. He believed that he had to surpass the achievements of Abeonis in order to be the greatest of the Dark Lords, and that that required nothing short of pacifying the entire galaxy.

He was noted by his closest advisor, Darth Wyyrlok, as being consumed by his need for power. But due to his life as a Jedi, Krayt knew his limits. He trained in various lightsaber forms, including defensive ones.

Krayt was skilled in pyrokenesis due to his training by his former master and had an unrivalled mastery of using the Force and his Yuuzhan Vong bioengineering, to sustain his life almost indefinitely.

was a sufferer of Power syndrome.

Behind the scenes
Readers have noticed that Darth Krayt, was actually the oldest Sith to take the title of Dark Lord, being a staggering one hundred and seventy-seven years old at the time.

In fact, Krayt did not take the title of Lord until his mutiny against his former master, Darth Debello.