Ussej Padric Bac II

"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 II was the son of Ussej Padric Bac and Laili Jeyna Rendar, the father of Ussej Padric Bac III, a Bendu Priest during the time of The Great Rim Lines War and eventual Prophet of the Whills.

A Prophet Rises
Ussej Padric Bac II was born the son of Ussej Padric Bac and Laili Jeyna Rendar on Telos. Unlike many children, he was not born into a happy, fully functional family. His father was the Sith Lord Darth Mantus. His parents, who were still unmarried, constantly fought and those close to them believed that the relationship would never last. However, they were eventually married and the age-old advice of his father proved to be true: "Redemption comes from the release of self, not the exaltation of self. Redemption comes through compassion, not greed. One lone candle is enough to fight the darkness. But love....love is more than a candle. Love is the answer to the darkness. Love can ignite the stars."

Through Laili’s love and the sake of his child, Ussej Padric Bac was redeemed and, along with the also now redeemed Kit Corwin Rendar, he traveled to Coruscant and toppled Empress Viea’s Sith Empire. However, they failed in ensuring that a new Sith Empire would rise and were forced to flee from immediate area along with Laili and Ussej II, whom they called “Ussej Jr.”.

Months after the new Sith Empire rose to power on Korriban, the group of escapees was picked up by a ship in the Unknown Regions. Fearing for their lives, Ussej and Kit prepared for a fight. However, the unknown people were not attackers: they were rescuers. The people introduced themselves as Bendu Knights, part of the Bendu Order. They had been on an exploration mission in the area. The Bendu explained their philosophies and Ussej and Kit were stunned to learn that the Bendu had once been part of the Jedi Order. Normally, the Bendu would not allow outsiders to become part of their order but they believed Ussej to be the one spoken of in an ancient Bendu Prophecy, so they made an exception for them. The journey to Kal’Shabbol took three months, but it was well worth it. Laili received Bendu training, but she decided not to become an active Bendu Knight so she could raise Ussej II.

A Prophet's Test
Because he had not been truly exposed to the life of a Sith, he lived a normal Bendu childhood. He attended classes, played with friends and became a Bendu Apprentice at the age of thirteen. However, his normal life changed when he was seventeen. Ussej II met a girl named Jaxia Segroll and felt as if he had fallen in love with her. One night, under the stars of the Ashlan Expanse, the two made love in the Grasslands of the Ashla. Jaxia became pregnant, but the two decided to have an abortion. Because abortion was forbidden in Bendu culture, Ussej II was almost expelled from the Bendu Order. Had it not been for his father’s intervention, he would have been expelled. He broke off his relationship with Jaxia and went into a deep depression that had lasted for seven months.

Days after his thirty-ninth birthday, Ussej II traveled to the small village of Vattica and met a woman named Bara ErMez. One year later, they exchanged vows and became husband and wife. Two months later, Bara found out she was pregnant. They were thrilled, but the memory of his relationship with Jaxia haunted him. However, he soon put it in the past and focused on the future.

Nine months later, a terrible began ravaging the area surrounding the Bendu Temple of Light and the Ashlan Mountains. During the storm, Bara went into labor. After hours of despair, Ussej realized that the storm was meant for him. He climbed to the Holy Ridge atop the Ashlan Mountains and sacrificed himself to save his family and friends. At the same moment of Ussej’s supposed death, Bara gave birth to a baby boy. This joyous event was marked by sadness as Laili, Kit and Ussej II were devastated by the loss of a father, a husband and a friend but they soon came to terms with his sacrifice. At that moment, Ussej II decreed that all first born males in the Bac family would carry the name of his father, so he and Bara named their son Ussej Padric Bac III.

Within the following years, Ussej II watched both Laili and Kit pass away of old age. While tragic, he fully understood the circle of life and knew that he would one day see them again. When Kit passed, Ussej II was selected to be his replacement as one of only two Bendu High Priests. But, there was always a six month transition period before becoming a High Priest. During this transition period, it was discovered that an ancient Jedi Bendu artifact was somehow on Dxun. Ussej II and Bara volunteered to retrieve it, and the Council of Priests agreed to let them go. Before leaving, Ussej II had a conversation with his five year old son about responsibility and his final words to him would remain with the young boy for the rest of his life: “The real test of a hero is knowing when the greater good will be served by an evil act.”

A Prophet's Destiny
The trip to Dxun took two months in the modified hyperdrive engine of Laili’s Rose. However, they soon found themselves caught up in the Battle of Dxun, the final battle of The Great Rim Lines War. Thinking he was better than the rest, Ussej II valiantly fought, with the Jedi Order, against the forces of the Mandalorians and Sith. However, he was soon shot and was captured by the Mandalorians. As he and Bara were being taken away, he naturally assumed that the Jedi would try to help him. However, that was not the case. They were brought back to the Mandalorian Base as Prisoners of War. The Mandalorians believed Ussej II to be a Jedi Knight, though he told them that he was not and that he knew nothing about what was going on. After deciding that he was not worth the effort they were putting into finding out information about the Jedi Order, Ussej II was promptly beheaded by Mandalore himself in front of Bara. She tried to run, and was chased by a group of Mandalorians. They reached the edge of a cliff and, when she tried to dodge a Mandalorian bullet, she lost her footing and fell hundreds of feet to her death.

At the moment of his death, Ussej II found himself surrounded by the lush landscape of Ashlan Four. He found his father sitting amongst the gardens and the two shared a joyous reunion. Ussej revealed that Ussej II had been put through a test, much like he had, to see if he could handle what was necessary to be a prophet of The Skywalker. Ussej II passed, and was granted eternal life. Ussej also told his son that Ussej III would be tested when he was ready, thus completing the circle of the hero, the prophet and the savior.

Though he no longer walked among the living, the legacy of Ussej Padric Bac II lived on within his son. When Ussej Padric Bac III launched his part of The Great Sovereign Crusades thirty-five years after his father’s death, he never forgot his father’s last words to him. They always ran through him, reminding him that good would come from the struggle he was now locked in. Those nineteen simple words defined an entire generation. That is the legacy of Ussej Padric Bac II, and it is something that was never forgotten by the Bendu Order nor would it ever be.

Behind the Scenes

 * He is featured in Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac' as well as its two sequels
 * In the mind of his creator, he is portrayed by actor Joaquin Phoenix
 * "Ussej" is a respelling of "Jesus"
 * He is the only one of the three main Bac family members that has not been RPd