Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac

"Couldn't stop reading it!"

- Solus, Star Wars Fanon

Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac is a fan novel set within the Alternative Star Wars Saga written by Brandon Rhea. The first novel of the Shadows of the Jedi Trilogy, the novel is based on the Role-Plays of TheStarWarsRP.Com. The novel takes place during the final year of the Great Territorial War and deals primarily with the Ussej Padric Bac and his relationship with Laili Jeyna Rendar, as well as his relationships with Kit Corwin Rendar and Damien Nightblade. Because the end of the Great Territorial War was never Role-Played, the novel serves as a closing of sorts to a year’s worth of Role-Playing. It also serves as a prelude to events that happen later in the universe of the Alternative Star Wars Saga.

The author devotes much of the novel to the internal conflict that Ussej Padric Bac must deal with as he transforms into one of the Star Wars Saga’s most mysterious and influential icons, as well as the transformation of relationships with many other characters that will play a pivotal role in events to come. The major theme of the novel is that the Jedi are under enormous pressure. Everyone in the galaxy sees them as perfect beings, representing the epitome of everything good and virtuous. Deep down inside, they are not. They are just like everyone else. They bleed, they cry and they lie to each other. The novel deals solely with original characters who, along with their descendants, will play major roles in galactic affairs later in the Alternative ''Star Wars Saga.

Early Life and Jedi Training
"There’s a whole galaxy of people out there and they need people like us."

- Senator Padric Bac

Ussej Padric Bac was born into a long line of Alderaanian soldiers and politicians. His earliest notable ancestor, Jonathan Bac, was an Admiral in the Alderaanian Navy during the Unification War. After the war ended, he became the first Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Ussej’s father was the honorable Senator Padric Bac II and his mother, Talia Antilles, was an Alderaanian princess. His grandfather, Padric Bac, had been an old, freeloading senator who nearly ushered in a new era of corruption and scandal on the peaceful Core World. However, the son challenged the father for reelection and won out.

When Ussej was six months old, his parents travelled to Coruscant to attend a seminar on homeland security and the aftermath of the Mandalorian Wars. The day before they planned on returning to Alderaan, they were killed by an assassin’s bullet. The preliminary investigations into the assassination pointed to a manufacturing company in the Unknown Regions called Shadows of the Phoenix, though the investigation found a dead end and the case was never solved.

For the months that followed, Ussej was raised by his maternal grandfather, King Antilles, until a Jedi Knight discovered him and recognized the potential within him. The king allowed the Jedi Knight to observe him and bid farewell to him after allowing the Jedi to take him to Coruscant. During his early years as a youngling, the Jedi Council took notice of his vast potential. For months, they believed him to be the prophetic “chosen one” spoken of in an ancient Jedi prophecy about the one who would ultimately bring balance to the Force. However, after studying the prophecy further, they came to the conclusion that the Chosen One would be born to a virgin mother. They knew full well that Ussej had a father, as it was well known that he was the son of Padric Bac II.

For years following his thirteenth birthday, Ussej studied under Jedi Master Brarh Kefle. During his time in the Great Jedi Pyramid, he met and became good friends with fellow padawans Damien Nightblade and Remer Ather, though both were five years older than him. Though Kefle had been teaching him the art of Djem So, the Jedi Master granted Damien and Remer permission to teach Ussej the way of a new form that they called Rizen. They practiced for hours on end, each knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to best exploit them in practice duels. They determined, however, that it was best to use Rizen against one who did not know its form, as the form was so fast that it became dangerous to both wielders.

Ussej, Damien and Remer went on numerous missions with their masters during the course of their training. One notable mission was one of tracking, peacemaking and diplomacy. It was also the first mission that three apprentices went on without the supervision of their masters. The Jedi Council had learned that the oppression of a warlord named Ree-kai-seer had become more and more aggressive on numerous planets and that he had to be stopped. Ussej, Damien and Remer volunteered for the mission and the Jedi Council, along with their masters, granted them permission to undertake it, as they knew that one warlord did not stand a chance against three Jedi, even if they all were apprentices.

Their first destination on the mission was Nar Shaddaa. They learned that Ree-kai-seer received the majority of his arsenal not from a military armory, but from Raski the Hutt on Nar Shaddaa. Using their negotiating skills, such as threatening to reveal to the Galactic Senate what Raski was doing on Nar Shaddaa, they were able to convince the crime lord to stop selling the illegal weapons to the out-of-control warlord. However, Raski told them that although he sold the weapons, he did not make them. For that, the three Jedi travelled to Tatooine and were forced to track down an illegal arms manufacturing company called Sarlaac Arms. The Jedi found their base hidden deep within a cave in the eastern most area of the Dune Sea. The Jedi were able to shut down the operation and convinced Czerka Corporation to arrest the employees. When they made their way through Mos Espa, they located Ree-kai-seer and chased him through the streets. Though the warlord put up a fight, the Jedi were able to arrest him. They returned him to Coruscant where the Galactic Senate dealt with him accordingly.

Immediately following the mission, Ussej watched as Damien and Remer faced and passed their trials in different areas of the galaxy. Because they were immediately sent on numerous missions throughout the Republic, Ussej was left to simply finish his training under Kefle. During the final years of his training, he practiced and continued to perfect his skills in both Djem So and Rizen. Many of the Jedi Masters recognized that he had grown increasingly powerful, even for someone who had once been thought to be the Chosen One. Many members of the Jedi Council feared his vast potential, but other Jedi such as Damien and Remer spoke up on his behalf and were able to convince the hierarchy that Ussej was simply talented, not dangerous. After their final deliberations, the council decided that it was time for Ussej to become a Jedi Knight. He passed his trials in the old Jedi Academy on the northern Telosian pole and was officially welcomed into the ranks of a true Jedi by Kefle, Damien and Remer.

Uvena Crisis
"I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing."

- Kit Corwin Rendar

Ussej spent months travelling on missions of vital importance across the Republic. He was called back to Coruscant, however, one week after Corellian Senator Stavan Jetzt was elected to the position of Supreme Chancellor. Ussej was asked to join the delegation of Jedi to the Supreme Chancellor’s office that included Jedi Masters Kit Corwin Rendar, Dexon Kyjar, Damien Nightblade and Remer Ather, who had not been promoted to the level of masters with the others. In the meeting, Jetzt relayed his concerns that the Sith were preparing a massive invasion of Republic worlds, perhaps even with the help of the Mandalorians. The Jedi could not buy into his concerns, as they refused to believe that the Sith could have built up such a massive force within them knowing about it. However, Jetzt pointed to intelligence sources that claimed that massive amounts of armor had been shipped to worlds once believed to be Sith strongholds in an effort to conduct underground operations. He went so far as to suggest that the economic woes that had been facing had something to do with the maneuverings of the empire. Though the Jedi did not feel it was the workings of the Sith, they agreed to send a team to look into it.

Despite the agreement of the delegation to send in a time, the Jedi Council refused to send anyone on what they believed to be a fool’s errand. However, Rendar sensed that there was something else behind the plot, so he was able to convince the council to send Damien, Remer and Ussej on the mission. After one final routine training session, the team grabbed their gear and boarded their ships. Their destination was the Outer Rim Territories, though that was as specific as they could get as they did not know exactly where to look.

The team’s investigation into the matter eventually led them to the sister worlds of Uvena Prime and Uvena III. They discovered that the worlds were secretly housing underground shipyards and weapon’s manufacturing plants in an effort to rebuild their faltering economy. However, trade disagreements between the two worlds had erupted. The Shistavanens living on Uvena Prime wanted to sell the arms to a group called the Consortium, a company that operated out of Ord Mantell, though the company’s intentions were less than noble. The Shistavanens of Uvena III, however, wanted to sell them onto the open market.

The team, though primarily Remer, believed that the disagreement would lead to war between the two sister planets. After some convincing, Ussej and Damien eventually realized that Remer could be correct. However, it was too late to do anything about it as the two worlds had started to mobilize their troops. Damien contacted the Jedi Council and pleaded with them to allow the team to intervene in the conflict, but the council refused the request. They believed that there was no reason to lose three valuable Jedi in a small civil war, especially one over something as trivial as a trade dispute.

After days of spatial warfare between the two planets with the Jedi on the sidelines, Uvena Prime won out and began selling the arms to the Consortium. The team followed the weapon’s flow all the way to Korriban where it was picked up by a group of Sith Knights. Posing as Sith Lords, the team penetrated the security of the Sith Temple and made their way to the throne room of Darth Woe whom they learned was the Dark Lord of the Sith and the sole surviving student of Darth Revan. The Dark Lord was able to expose them as Jedi, however, and a large battle erupted between them and the Sith. Though it had seemed unlikely, the team was able to escape and report their findings to a very disturbed Jedi Council.

The Plot Thickens
"If you think they’ll give up one planet for me, then you’re either incredibly bold or incredibly naïve."

- Ussej Padric Bac

Following the report to the Jedi Council, Ussej was assigned to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. When he arrived, he immediately began working with Dexon Kyjar to oversee the training of the younglings that were assigned there. When the famed Jedi Master Adena Qel-Droma arrived following the Second Battle of Onderon, they greeted her with open arms. Days later, Adena told them of a different history of the Jedi Order. She claimed that a man called The Skywalker had spoken to the God of the Universe and formed the Order of the Jedi Bendu of the Ophuchi. After eighty-five thousand millennia, a schism broke the order into two different factions: the Jedi Order and the Bendu Order. Not believing a word she said, they chose not to report what she told them.

Months later, the forces of Darth Midknight and Darth Sin arrived in orbit. Sin led the ground forces against the enclave itself, forcing Ussej and Dexon to lead their minimal forces against the forces of the Sith. Ussej believed it to be a cowardly attack, as Dantooine did not have a real strategic importance for the Sith. When the Sith arrived, Ussej was relieved to see that the Sith had become cocky and did not bring a large ground force of Dark Side users, but rather simple Sith soldiers. Ussej and Dexon fought through the fray, making their way to Sin. When they engaged him, Sin held his own for some time, but his goal was to usurp the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith. He knew that there was a chance that the Jedi Knight and the Jedi Master would defeat him, so he called his forces back to their vessels as the Jedi celebrated their victory. Ussej took great pride in himself for it as well, though Dexon sensed overconfidence within him.

Ussej and Dexon tracked the Sith ships back into orbit. They intercepted a transmission between Sin and Midknight where Sin vowed to declare himself Dark Lord of the Sith. When Midknight asked why Sin would kill him, considering they were both the reason the Sith rose to power once again, Sin told him that the Sith needed a strong leader to oppose the rebellion of Darth Boli. Sin’s ships then opened fired on Midknight’s ship and destroyed them. Greatly disturbed, Ussej and Dexon reported their findings to the Jedi Council.

Due to his actions on Dantooine, the Jedi Council promoted Ussej to the military rank of Jedi Colonel and assigned him to the small, backwater world of Onderon to lead the Republic task force. Ussej believed that the assignment was meaningless at first and that he had simply been shoved out of the way, but Ussej then uncovered information about a revival of the Dematri, the forces that had already attacked the planet twice. When the Dematri learned that Ussej had uncovered intelligence about a third rebellion, they captured him in his sleep and dragged his unconscious body to their underground base of operations a few kilometers outside Iziz.

When they arrived in the base of operations, Ussej was brought back to consciousness and placed into a Force cage to drain his powers while holding him hostage. They hoped that the Republic would agree to relinquish the planet in exchange for the return of a valuable Jedi, but the weak Ussej told them that they had to be incredibly naïve to believe that. Ussej was proved right, as he was held underground for weeks while the Republic refused to give up the planet. However, his time as a hostage proved valuable to him and the Republic. While the Republic prepared to crush the Dematri once and for all, Ussej overheard the Dematri leader Devlin make deals with the Chiss Ascendancy for weapons and that the Consortium was truly a front for the Sith. That information meant that the inaction of the Jedi Order in the Uvena System allowed the Sith to rebuild themselves.

When the Republic and the Onderonian forces invaded the Dematri hideout, the rebellion was foiled and the Dematri was crushed. After taking Devlin into custody, Ussej was rescued by Kavari Antrell. When the hideout was collapsed, Ussej was brought to the medical wing on the Republic flagship where he was given immediate medical attention for his wounds. When the ship arrived back on Coruscant, Ussej was given his final treatments in the medical wing in the Jedi Pyramid. When he awoke, he learned that Supreme Chancellor Jetzt had revealed himself to be a reclusive Sith Lord called Darth Myst and had usurped the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith with Kyra Maans as his apprentice. Ussej could not believe that such a betrayal could have taken place.

The Greatest Betrayal
"There were no Sith down there, were there?"

- Ussej Padric Bac

Three weeks after his recovery, the Jedi Council learned that rogue Trandoshan slavers had captured a Human girl and a large group of Wookiees without the knowledge or consent of the Trandoshan government. Ussej and Remer were assigned to investigate what had happened and rescue the hostage. When they arrived on Kashyyyk, Ussej and Remer made their way to the closest Wookiee encampment in the hopes of acquiring information. They spoke with Zaalbar, the chief of the Wookiee tribe, who told them that they last saw the traders bring the hostages deep into the Shadowlands.

Ussej and Remer immediately made the long trip down the Wookiee elevator into the Shadowlands. When they arrived, they were able to track the slavers using numerous footprints that had been left to the mud in the area. When they finally arrived in the encampment, however, they found that only a few Trandoshans remained and were clearing everything out. After a brief interrogation, the Jedi learned that the prisoners had already been taken back to the slave camps on Trandosha for processing. Ussej and Remer made their way back up to the surface and thanked Zaalbar for his help, though they denied his request for them to take a group of Wookiee soldiers with them as they did not want to add to the number of Wookiee slaves should they have failed.

En route to Trandosha, Ussej and Remer debated on the best course of action to take. Remer preferred a diplomatic approach, feeling that it would be best for Republic and Jedi mediators to speak with the rogue Trandoshans and find out what they wanted. Ussej, however, knew that the slaves would have been sold by then so there was no point in waiting. Remer completely disagreed, but Ussej said that even if he was ordered to use diplomacy he would fight to free the slaves. When they arrived on Trandosha, they were forced to do just that as they were attacked immediately upon setting foot on the planet near the processing center.

Luckily Ussej and Remer, the slaves had been kept in an encampment outside the processing center so they only had to fight through a few guards before the majority of the forces arrived. As they broke their way in, Remer fought off many of the guards while Ussej used his blade to cut through the locks on the large cages. The freed Wookiees immediately began attacking the guards, many of them ripping the arms right out of the Trandoshan’s sockets. When the Human girl was freed, she ran up to Ussej and kissed him passionately before running off. When the slaves were free, the Wookiees boarded the Trandoshan vessels and made their way back to Kashyyyk. Shortly thereafter, Republic forces arrived and arrested the Trandoshans that captured the Wookiees and the girl. Though he did not even know the girl’s name, her kiss left a lasting impression on Ussej. Because he had sworn to uphold Jedi principles of avoiding attachment, he had only kissed a few women in his life, and generally it was for the successful outcome of a mission. However, even hours after the kiss, he could still feel its passion which obviously spoke volumes of the girl’s personality. He could only hope that he would have the chance to meet her again in the future.

Following the completion of the mission, Ussej and Remer returned to Coruscant and reported what happened to the Jedi Council. Though Ussej knew that they had helped dozens of people escape slavery, he could not help but think about the girl who had kissed him. She had a tremendous impact on him, but he did not know why. He could only wonder if it had something to do with the kiss being the first passionate one he had ever been given, or if it was because she was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Regardless, she remained on his thoughts for some time. He shared the experience with Remer, though he had been reluctant to do so. Surprisingly, Remer was pleased to see that something like that had happened to his friend, even though Ussej had assumed that the Jedi Master would have simply lectured him on the evils of attachment and possession.

Ussej was given a week of rest before being assigned to the Jedi Academy on Corellia with Kit Corwin Rendar, the latter’s homeworld. For months, Ussej assisted Kit in overseeing the training of numerous younglings and younger padawans. Despite it being his second assignment in overseeing training, Ussej elected not to take on an official apprentice of his own as he felt that the war did not give him adequate time to focus on training a young Jedi. Kit tried for weeks to get Ussej to agree to take on an apprentice and even asked Damien and Remer to try talking to him, though no amount of persuasion was able to get Ussej to change his mind on the matter.

During the time they served together, Ussej and Kit were able to form a seemingly lasting trust and a close friendship. However, Ussej was concerned about Kit’s closed personality as the Jedi Master always chose not to talk about any problems he was facing. Despite his closed nature, they were both able to share in a great discovery. A former Sith soldier that had served on Korriban brought them information about an ancient relic that could be found in a hidden temple in a lost oasis on the Sith homeworld. The relic was called the Medallion of the Saarai-kaar and it had supposedly been forged in the volcanic fires of a lost planet in the Unknown Regions. According to myth, it would grant whoever touched it eternal life in the realm of the living, though it was destined to fall into the hands of a far greater person and grant them eternal life in a far greater realm. Ussej and Kit were given a holocron with the limited information that the soldier had. When the soldier left, Ussej and Kit spent weeks studying the scriptures and the ancient text within it, though it was hard to make sense of it.

Despite their fascination with the relic, Ussej and Kit found themselves with more important things to worry about. Myst had disappeared and Adena had revealed herself to be a Sith Lord. Filling in the vacuum left at the top of the Sith hierarchy, she crowned herself Darth Viea, the Dark Lordess of the Sith. Soon after, Sith soldiers who served Darth Invidius, Viea’s Grand Admiral, infiltrated Centerpoint Station, a powerful space station orbiting the planet, though Invidius himself was not present. The Sith masqueraded as Republic technicians and ordered a lockdown of the station to run a test drill, meaning that the staff would evacuate to the docking bay. The Sith shut them in and lowered the shield barriers, causing the staff to be sucked out into space. The station quickly fell into the hands of the empire, giving them a tactical advantage over the Republic in the sector. Ussej pleaded with the Jedi Council to mount a retaking of the station, but they told him that it would have to wait.

Only two weeks after the incident, Kit informed Ussej and the Jedi Council, albeit separately, about intelligence he uncovered suggesting that the Sith had been planning a massive orbital bombardment of Corellia using Centerpoint Station and a large Sith strike force. Ussej believed him, though the Jedi Council did not as they felt there was a lack of crucial intelligence. Kit was taken aback by their denial, refusing to accept that the Jedi Council would simply stand aside and watch as a major Republic world was blown apart. Ussej pleaded with the council to reconsider their decision, but they still refused. Ussej tried to comfort his friend, but the matter forced Kit to grow distant, not even wanting to talk to Ussej.

When Ussej awoke the next morning, he found that Kit had disappeared. Knowing how hard he had taken the events of the day before, Ussej chose not to report to the Jedi Council that Kit had left the grounds without anyone knowing. He simply continued their work by himself until Kit returned three days after he left. The Jedi Master seemed changed, far more shaken than he had been when he had left. When Ussej asked him about it, Kit seemed reluctant to answer the question. However, he finally told Ussej that while he was gone in uncovered more startling information. According to his intelligence sources, the Sith had covertly taken over key technological and manufacturing facilities on Pho Ph’eah and were planning on using them to construct a far more powerful military than they had already amassed.

Two days later, Kit informed Ussej that he had presented his evidence to the Jedi Council and that they had decided to act alongside the Republic military in retaking the facilities. Ussej agreed to lead Gold Squadron during aerial raids of the surface while Kit would lead the attack itself. When replacement trainers arrived at the academy, Ussej and Kit rendezvoused with the Republic task force and took command of it. Ussej prepared his men for the battle, though they were not entirely comfortable about being led by a Jedi who had never led a squadron before. Ussej assured them, however, that he had thousands of hours of flying time and was more than capable and ready to lead them in what he believed would be a simple surgical bombardment of key installations.

In route to the planet, Kit informed Ussej and the task forces captain, La’El Montrose, of the plan to take back the planet. The Sith were housed in the main technological and manufacturing plants, so the Republic would be forced to sacrifice them to rid them of the Sith. There was also the great possibility that the Sith had infiltrated the Galactic Senate-appointed government and taken over the planet politically, so they would also have to take out the center of government, though they would give the leader of the world ample time to warn his people. The plan greatly disturbed Ussej, but he had faith in Kit’s wisdom. Though he said nothing, part of him wished he had as he did not like the prospect of having to murder innocent government leaders and sacrifice key manufacturing centers.

Regardless of his views of the attack, when they arrived in orbit and Kit gave the order to deploy, Ussej led Gold Squadron out of the flagship, through the atmosphere and over the main centers of technology and manufacturing. The squadron took out a great deal of the targets while laser bolts from the orbiting cruisers hailed down all around them. While flying over the government complex, the planetary leader contacted Ussej and demanded to know why they were being attacked. When Ussej informed him of the matter, the leader assured him that there were no Sith on the planet. Before Ussej could respond, he watched as Kit’s vessel obliterated the capital building. Ussej was furious, as he knew that they could both burn for killing the planetary leaders. Kit almost seemed as if he could care less, which led Ussej to believe that something was not right.

When they returned to the docking bay of the flagship, Ussej relayed his concern to Kit that there were no Sith on the surface. Unexpectedly, Kit did not respond, but rather he stepped into the turboshaft and made his way to the bridge. Fearing the worst, Ussej hacked into the bridge security system and monitored it as Kit stepped onto the bridge. Captain Montrose confronted Kit, saying that the Republic scouts he sent down said that there was no sign of Sith being on the world before or after the attack. Kit said that the scouts were mistaken, as there was one Sith on the surface. Kit revealed that he had turned to the Dark Side and had become Darth Ravinos, the apprentice of Darth Viea, and that he had fabricated all of the evidence in hopes of weakening the image of the Jedi throughout the galaxy. When Montrose attempted to arrest Ravinos, the Sith Lord revealed that the men on the bridge had sworn their loyalty to him. The soldiers held the captain down as Ravinos removed a knife from his boots and peeled the flesh off of the captain’s body. Ussej could not believe what he saw over the monitor. He warned the nearby men to head for the nearest Republic ship and they did just that. After they escaped, the flagship made the jump to hyperspace en route to Korriban.

Reconsidering the Code
"Too many are already gone. First Adena and Kit, now Dex and Lara. I don’t even want to think about who’s next."

- Ussej Padric Bac

When Ussej returned to Coruscant, he relayed the information about what really happened at Pho Ph’eah, as well as his distress over so many Jedi falling prey to the Dark Side, to a shocked Jedi Council. Ussej told them that he blamed the Jedi Code and the type of training used in the aftermath of the Jedi Civil War, as he felt that many of the Jedi were being forced to choose between their heart and the idea that a Jedi should not know attachment or love. The council completely disagreed with his assessment, though Ussej continued to believe and articulate that love should not have been forbidden by the Jedi Code, but rather that it should have been embraced and cherished as a noble and humble Human emotion.

Though most of the Jedi Council disagreed, Ussej knew that at least one member of it would not. He spoke about his concerns to Damien who agreed with him, for the most part. They both agreed that to think such respected Jedi Masters such as Adena Qel-Droma and Kit Corwin Rendar would turn to the Dark Side of the Force was difficult to bear, even more so for Ussej as Kit had been a good friend of his. They could also see that many of their fellow Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters were becoming influenced by the promise of love, most notably Dexon and Lara Jace. Damien also revealed that he too had fallen in love, the woman being Queen Arael Maans of Onderon. Ussej was surprised and happy for his friend, believing that Damien could balance the powers of love and the Jedi Code effectively.

Though Ussej was not directly involved, he became an advisor in a classified mission to try to amass new forces without Viea finding out. Jedi Masters Kain Lightbringer and Sirius Venn had located an ancient holocron with the location of Ossus. When they arrived, they found the planet to be reasonably intact, though uninhabitable for long periods of time. Ussej recommended setting up a relief area around the Great Jedi Library where they would be able to stay for shorter periods of time. With the actions of Lightbringer and Venn and the advising of Ussej, Damien, Remer and Dexon, Ossus quickly became a focal point for the Jedi’s planned counterattack. The Republic also used the world as a staging area, building up larger and more powerful ships in the masses in a shipyard orbiting the planet.

During the building of the new vessels, the Sith fleet attacked Corellia in an attempt to take the planet from the Republic. Ussej was chosen to lead Gold Squadron once again, bringing back the memories of Pho Ph’eah. When he and the Republic fleet arrived, they found that the Sith had already done a great deal of damage on the surface. Ussej led Gold Squadron on a bombing raid of Sith forces near the Jedi academy on the surface, but broke off from the fighters when he saw Ravinos’ vessel just outside the academy. Ussej landed and fought his way in before finding Ravinos in his old chambers, clearly securing the holocron with the information about the medallion as fast as he could. Stopping midway, he attacked Ussej and a brutal duel erupted between them. They were evenly matched for most of the fight, but by the end Ussej was forced to fall back. After watching as Ravinos activated a security system around the holocron, Ussej made his way back to his fighter and made his way back to the fleet where he learned that the Republic was fleeing Corellia. The Sith had successfully taken it away from them, thereby gaining major trade routes in the process.

Immediately following the loss of Corellia, a terminally ill peasant arrived on Coruscant. The dying man carried a single vial of an airborne virus created by the Sith that had the ability to poison and, shortly thereafter, kill all who were exposed to its deadly toxins. The man entered one of the more heavily populated areas of the city in a common upper-middle class area near 500 Republica and released the virus. The Jedi were forced to witness the senseless killing of thousands of innocent civilians, unable to do anything to cure or help them. A medical organization known as the Silver Cross claimed that they had found an antidote and gave it to those who had not yet been killed. When asked who funded the quick research into the virus, the leaders of Silver Cross said that it had been the Dark Lordess herself. The Jedi Council realized that Viea had been able to capitalize on a situation that she herself had created, thereby spinning her web of propaganda in an effort to turn public opinion away from the Jedi Order.

Knowing that they could no longer allow Viea to gain any more advantages over the Jedi Order and the Republic, the Jedi Council ordered Ussej, Dexon, Boreguard Madet and Sabre Aralion to infiltrate the Sith Temple on Korriban and either arrest or assassinate Viea for her crimes. Had it been anyone else, Ussej would have disagreed with the idea of assassination, though he could not stomach the idea of knowing that Viea had a chance to reign supreme any longer. After the group created a battle plan for how to deal with the infiltrate, including anything that they could think of that could go wrong, they boarded a small mercenary vessel and disguised their appearances. When the pilots and other real mercenaries arrived, the ship took off and headed to the Sith homeworld.

When the team arrived, they made their way to the main audience chamber and told a group of students that they were mercenaries who needed to speak with Viea. As the group had masked their presence in the Force, with the students unable to detect that they were doing so, the students pointed them in the direction of Viea’s throne room. When they stepped inside, they sealed the door and Viea immediately prepared to defend herself, as she obviously knew who they were. Though initially there was no fight, there was a heated exchange between Viea and the Jedi. Ussej watched as Viea sensed the conflict that Dexon held between the Jedi Code and his love for Lara Jace and exploited it. She was able to coax the Dark Side out of Dexon, telling him that the Republic would fall along the with the Jedi Order. She told the Jedi Master that because of that, the lives of the woman he loved and their future children would be in danger. When Dexon asked how to save them, she told him that joining her was the only way. In front of the Jedi, Dexon agreed to join her and was dubbed Darth Brenos, a Lord of the Sith. Sabre attempted to step in and save him, but Viea struck the Jedi Knight down. Ussej and Boreguard engaged Dexon, but when Viea threatened to join in on the fight the Jedi were forced to flee. They were able to make their way back to the docking bay and hijack two starfighters, and when they were out of the atmosphere they immediately made their way back to Coruscant and informed the Jedi Council about what had happened.

After Dexon’s turn, combined with the betrayals of Adena, Kit and so many others, Ussej could no longer trust anyone. He felt that if people like that could betray everything they once stood for then anyone could. He vowed to pay more attention to those closest to him to ensure that what happened to the others did not happen to them as well. Damien and Remer noticed Ussej’s change of behavior and spoke to him about it, relaying their concern that Ussej had become paranoid and somewhat arrogant in terms of listening to and trusting others. As Ussej did not know what psychological changes were taking place with him, he assured Damien and Remer that he was just being cautious. However, he felt that they did not truly believe him.

After days of work and thought, Ussej proposed a plan to the Jedi Council that he believed would lead to the retaking of Centerpoint Station. When the council questioned him as to why he would propose retaking the station without retaking the planet, Ussej told them that it was leverage in making sure that none of the citizens of Corellia were harmed by the empire. The Republic would be able to use the principle of Mutually Assured Destruction, as they would be able to tell the Sith that if they did anything to harm the citizens of the world the Sith forces would be obliterated using the station. Feeling that it had a chance of succeeding, the Jedi Council approved Ussej’s plans and placed him in charge of the covert mission.

Before leaving for Corellia, Ussej spoke with the Supreme Commander of the Republic Military and told him to have the fleet secretly waiting in a nearby sector, as the Jedi would need backup once the station was back in their hands. When Ussej and his Jedi team arrived in orbit of the station, they did what the Sith least expected: infiltrated the station that same way that Invidius and his men had. Running a drill much like the one that the Sith had months earlier, the Jedi were able to capture the Sith in an airlock, but they did not kill them. They knew that it would be better to let them escape or for the Republic to rescue them. The last person to leave the station was Invidius. The Grand Admiral lunged at Ussej, trying to kill him, but the rest of the Jedi protected Ussej and Invidius was forced to retreat. Before leaving, the Grand Admiral vowed that he would have Ussej’s head on a stick by the end of the war and that what the Empire had planned for the future would make Pho Ph’eah seem like a historical footnote. Ussej and the Jedi remained on the station until the Republic fleet arrived to secure it, and once they did Ussej and his men returned to Coruscant. With that, the Jedi informed Viea of the plan for Mutually Assured Destruction and the Dark Lordess reluctantly agreed to the terms.

Summary

 * See Ussej Padric Bac

Table of Contents

 * Prologue - Pho Ph'eah
 * Chapter One - City of Angels
 * Chapter Two - Best of the Best
 * Chapter Three - Apocalus
 * Chapter Four - Downfall
 * Chapter Five - A Harsh Reunion
 * Chapter Six - Saarai-kaar
 * Chapter Seven - The Jedi Way
 * Chapter Eight - A Night to Remember
 * Chapter Nine - Secret of the Battle Lords
 * Chapter Ten - In the Pale Moonlight
 * Chapter Eleven - Visions of the Future

Reviews

 * I was around when all this was going on, but you still managed to throw in some twists and turns that you came up with that make it enthralling for me. Plus, my character has a role in it, so that makes it all the much better, plus you did a good job portraying him too. Good job all around. - Dexington, TheStarWarsRP.Com


 * I was expecting an RP love plot, but this is much more. It seems more human. I’m pleasantly surprised. - Sin, TheStarWarsRP.Com


 * The story follows the adventures, pitfalls, challenges and wonderful things that come into the life of an original character named Ussej Padric Bac. This novel was Role-Played in 2005 and contains virtually only original characters. The characters are very well written and interesting. They have plenty of background information and are well fleshed out without ever straying near the dreaded territory of Mary Sue-dom. Like many Star Wars stories, this alternate universe tale has a wide scope and mythical feel. Themes of love, betrayal, friendship and the Dark Side are intricately woven through the well moving plot. Look forward to lots of adventure, a bit of angest and plenty of classic Star Wars action. - "Jaina", the Dark Lord's Council


 * Couldn't stop reading it. Had to read what happened next on Ussej's page or would explode. Is skipping the subject of my sentences. Yeah. While it was, in my opinion, morally lax, it was, for me, difficult to quit reading. Well written, though some of the dialogue isn't el grando excellente, it is better than anything I could do. Character development was good, though in some places I felt things were rushed and I was thinking O.o. Good details. Better than anything I could do, at least for a while. Good storyline, too. I need to hone my imagination more. I especially like your descriptions. - Solus


 * It's rather well-done, and actually follows an original plotline, which is extremely unusual in this day and age. I look forward to reading more, if you manage to publish the novel, and hope that it does not conflict with anything LucasArts decides to do with the KotOR franchise. To be honest, I think this would make a far better story, especially considering their resounding success (sarcasm) with KotOR II. Thank you for writing such a creative novel. - Wildcard


 * Wow. Quality stuff there. Nice to see the art of writing isn't truly dead. Didn't get to read all of it, but I like it so far. It would be great for this to get published. - Cosmis


 * Amazing. This was beautiful. The suspense, when Ravinos revealed himself to Montrose, I didn't see it coming. This story is full of surpirse, action, and other things that make up a good story. I haven't read something this good since I read Shadows of the Empire a few weeks ago. If the Second Wiki Awards had a Best Novel of the Year Award, this would have won it. - Trask Ulgo


 * Now that was some impressive work. I gotta say, I'm jealous. From the creatively made covers right down to the closer, a great piece of work. - Xepeyon

Dramatis Personae

 * Ussej Padric Bac
 * Laili Jeyna Rendar
 * Kit Corwin Rendar
 * Ussej Padric Bac II
 * Damien Nightblade
 * Remer Ather
 * Mathias Helsdain
 * Arael EbonClaw
 * Aletra Jekurra
 * Empress Viea
 * Darth Apocalus
 * Darth Invidius
 * Boreguard Madet
 * Mandalore the Conqueror
 * Ranka Darkbroode
 * Dexon Kyjar
 * Estamme Eerar
 * Enishi Xagan
 * Shara Qel-Droma
 * Aarma Madet
 * Commander Katarn
 * Lieutenant Kaan
 * Kavari Antrell
 * Corwin Rendar
 * Jeyna Rendar
 * The Skywalker
 * Jonathan Bac
 * Revan
 * Darth Malak
 * Jaxia Veers
 * Bao-Dur
 * Darth Traya
 * Darth Nihilus
 * Darth Sion
 * Darth Myst
 * Darth Sin
 * Darth Boli
 * Darth Midknight
 * Darth Woe
 * Darth Devlin
 * Kyra Maans
 * Matron Lirreka

Locations

 * Pho Ph’eah
 * Coruscant
 * Nar Shaddaa
 * Mustafar
 * Corellia
 * Onderon
 * Ziost
 * Kashyyyk
 * Manaan
 * Unnamed Moon
 * Korriban
 * Telos IV
 * Malachor V
 * Dantooine
 * Nem’vaar
 * Shaderon

Starships and Vehicles

 * Laili's Rose
 * The Outrider
 * The Golden Way
 * The Nightsider

Trivia

 * "Ussej" is a respelling of "Jesus".
 * The novel began as an Role-Play in 2005, the title character being Role-Played by Brandon Rhea.
 * Ussej Padric Bac was originally desinged to be Role-Played as a false Chosen One, but that idea was later dropped. However, the idea that Ussej was a false Chosen One still remains in the backstory of his youth.
 * The first chapter of the novel cites events that took place throughout the Mandalorian War and the games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords.
 * Laili Jeyna Rendar and Kit Corwin Rendar are the ancestors of Dash Rendar.
 * Kit Corwin Rendar flies a ship named the Outrider, the same name that Dash Rendar would use for his ship thousands of years later.
 * While chasing Laili Jeyna Rendar and Estamme Eerar, the bounty hunter Chiroke mentions that there is "nothing like starting a party with a bang!" This is a reference to the phrase "this party's over", said by Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.
 * The name of the first Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Jonathan Bac, is an allusion to Jonathan Archer, the lead character on Star Trek: Enterprise.
 * When Ussej first sees Laili, he thinks about creatures called Angels that live on the moons of Iago. This is a reference to Anakin Skywalker referring to Padme Amidala as an Angel in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
 * Ussej reminds Estamme Eerar during the battle with the bounty hunter that "there are alternatives to fighting". Obi-Wan Kenobi was known to give this advice on certain occasions as well.
 * The bounty hunter Chiroke mentions to Ussej that "people keep saying how hard it is to kill a Jedi. It’s really not, just so long as you’re smart about it. Just take their allies out of the equation and they’re done for." Atton Rand alluded to the same idea in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords.
 * Ussej's crack about Laili having never been to Nar Shadda after commenting how she had never been so manhandled is an allusion to an exchance between Captain Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
 * Ussej and Estamme Eerar both use the phrase "May the Force be with you". This is used frequently throughout the Star Wars films and the expanded universe.

Soundtrack

 * Ussej’s Theme: “Someday” by Nickleback
 * Laili’s Theme: TBD
 * Ravinos’ Theme: “Not Giving Up” by Omnisoul
 * Ussej and Laili’s Theme: “Whispers in the Dark” by Skillet
 * Ravinos and Aletra’s Theme: TBD
 * Damien’s Theme: TBD
 * Arael’s Theme: TBD
 * Viea’s Theme: TBD