Wipe the Republic forces from the face of the galaxy! Today, we shall prove that the Republic is not impregnable, and neither are the Jedi.
—Qymaen jai Sheelal
The Siege of Dantooine was a battle in 32 BBY that followed and partially resulted from the Attack on the Legacy. Originally, the Kaleesh had come to negotiate with the Republic. However, when Senator Drazil Drewton, acting as ambassador for the Republic, did not arrive, they thought that they had been tricked and therefore attacked Khoonda, the autonomous government of Dantooine. Not only Kaleesh assisted in the fight against Khoonda, but also Trade Federation B1 battle droids, mercenaries, and the Mandalorian Crusaders. Ludge Ganler himself, the administrator of Khoonda, was captured, along with Tarisian and Raymus, the sons of Drazil Drewton and sole survivors of the previous assassination attempt.
Searching for the captives, Jedi Master Idnum-Ki entered a cave in which he instead found the Pau'an Sith Darth Desolous. After brief resistance from the Jedi, Desolous taught him much of the dark side of the Force which Idnum would use in the concurrent battle. Meanwhile, his Padawan Dular located the captive Drewtons and freed them.
The Jedi then rejoined the battle, and Idnum-Ki fought against General Sheelal in a lightsaber duel. As he himself was not a Force sensitive, Qymaen was no match for Ki's abilities, and he watched as the Dark Jedi turned the tide of the battle in favor of the Republic with Battle Meditation. Though the defeated General was allowed to escape, Khoonda was victorious, and celebrated hours after the conclusion of the battle.
Prelude[]
General Qymaen jai Sheelal.
He says that they have Jedi with them…and that they're preparing for war.
—A Kaleesh officer, speaking of Khoonda
Kalee, the homeplanet of the Kaleesh, had been attacked by Jedi who sided with the Huks during the Huk War. Though the Kaleesh had a deep desire for revenge against the Jedi, they seemingly thought of the Order and the Galactic Republic as separate and requested the Republic's assistance. Negotiations were planned to take place on Dantooine, with Senator Drazil Drewton acting as ambassador.[1] Fearing a possible attack on his world, Ludge Ganler, administrator of the autonomous government of the planet, Khoonda, had a bomb placed within Kaleesh General Qymaen jai Sheelal's flagship, the Invincible, that managed to remain undetected.[2]
While Senator Drewton traveled to Dantooine, his ship, the Legacy, was boarded by an assassin named Mecupa. He and his entire security force were killed, and the only survivors were his sons, Tarisian and Raymus Drewton, who escaped the ship via escape pod.[1] Once crash-landing on Dantooine, they made their way to Khoonda, where administrator Ludge Ganler and the Cerean Jedi Master Idnum-Ki were discussing the situation. Ganler feared that, due to Senator Drewton's delay, they would face the "wrath" of General Sheelal, and claimed that they must put the negotiations on hold.[3]
Meanwhile, in the Invincible, the Trade Federation Commander Troyb, working with the Kaleesh, informed Sheelal that the Legacy had made a hyperspace jump. Another Kaleesh officer further informed him of the situation, saying that a Duros spy they had placed inside Khoonda was reporting that Jedi were present on Dantooine, and that the government was preparing for war. Assuming that they had been tricked, the General ordered Troyb to wipe the Republic forces away from the galaxy.[3]
The battle[]
Battle droids land on the surface of Dantooine.
The siege begins[]
Four Kaleesh cruisers came out of hyperspace and opened fire on Khoonda ships. In retaliation, Khoonda pilots entered their Logitech X2 starfighters and attempted to defend Dantooine against the invaders. Within the next half-hour, transports managed to make their way through Khoonda's relatively meager defense, carrying Trade Federation battle droids.[3] Mandalorian Crusaders led by Daklif Ordo fighting for the Kaleesh soon arrived as well.[2]
Khoonda itself was raided by the bounty hunter Jango Fett and a group of battle droids. Though Jedi Master Idnum-Ki and his Padawan, Dular, attempted to defend them, Ludge Ganler and the sons of Senator Drewton were captured. As the two Jedi attempted to follow them, they found themselves facing a seemingly endless army of battle droids.[3]
Dark Jedi[]
Go, and use what I have taught you to bring peace to Dantooine. Your power will bring you victory.
—Darth Desolous to Idnum-Ki
During the fighting, Idnum-Ki was separated from his Padawan. Searching for the captives, the Jedi came across a crystal cave in which he instead found Darth Desolous, a Pau'an and once the Dark Lord of the Sith. Idnum felt the dark taint within him that he had felt since first entering Dantooine's atmosphere and, correctly assuming him to be a Sith, ordered him to surrender.[4]
Idnum-Ki duels a vision of Darth Nihilus.
Four visions of long-dead Sith appeared around the Pau'an instantly: Darth Bane, Darth Malak, Darth Revan, and Darth Nihilus. Though Idnum-Ki knew them to be visions, he did not want to risk an injury or death that they could possibly inflict through the Force and so dueled them. He managed to defeat the vision of Malak, but following that his lightsaber was taken away from him by Revan, and he was left defenseless.[4]
However, Idnum-Ki's life was saved when through him, the Force cried out in a burst of energy which dissolved the Sith spirits. Desolous, who had been watching the entire fight, was impressed by his abilities and spoke to him of ascending from simply being a Jedi or Sith. He reminded Idnum of when he had killed Ibtiseh, a Jedi who he had envisioned would indirectly cause the deaths of the Jedi Council members, and said that etched on his soul were the deaths of many more Jedi to come. Idnum-Ki said that he had only killed the Jedi because he had to, and claimed that even with that side the Republic would fall under the current Chancellor. The Pau'an, however, told him of the identity of the next Chancellor: Palpatine.[4]
Following the discussion, the Pau'an taught Idnum-Ki much of the dark side, and instructed him to embrace it unlike the Jedi, but to not let it control him as the Sith did. Idnum bowed and promised to return after the battle was won.[4]
Meanwhile, the captive Drewtons had been taken to the same crystal cave, guarded by a Rodian and a Trandoshan. Tarisian, who had seemingly been unconscious, took a blaster pistol from a dead Republic soldier and blasted the two guards with it.[4] Dular, who had already entered the cave, heard the blaster shot and soon appeared. With his help, Tarisian and Raymus escaped the cave, though not before being confronted by Idnum-Ki, who claimed that he had foreseen that the fates of Tarisian, Raymus, and Dular would be linked.[4]
Conclusion[]
Hundreds of innocents had been killed in the conflict, and General Sheelal himself had landed on Dantooine's surface to assist his forces.[2] In the battle that had ensued above Dantooine's atmosphere, Khoonda General Patrian's officers had lost hope, due to the capture of Ludge Ganler and the disappearance of the Jedi. Patrian himself recognized the Invincible, Qymaen's flagship, from the Battle of Kalee.[4]
Qymaen jai Sheelal confronts Idnum-Ki.
Their hopes, however, were renewed when Idnum-Ki and Dular exited the cave and rejoined the battle. Though only a Padawan, Dular was considered by some to be a more powerful ally for Khoonda than ten militia soldiers together. He killed a Kaleesh soldier, dismembering his arm through the Force, and destroyed many battle droids.[2] Raymus Drewton also had a part in the battle, hijacking an Armored Assault Tank and destroying many others tanks with it.[2]
During his captivity, Tarisian had heard Mandalorians speaking of Ludge Ganler's location, and was able to find the captive administrator with the information. Ganler recognized him as one of Drazil Drewton's sons, and Tarisian revealed that he had not come to free him, but to question him. He told the Ithorian that he suspected that, in attempt to gain more power, either he or someone in his government had manipulated events to result in the Senator's death.[2]
Ganler quickly dismissed the accusations, claiming that the act had obviously been orchestrated by the Kaleesh so that they would have an excuse to attack Dantooine. Reluctantly, Drewton said that he would take his word for it and agreed to free him. Before they left, Ludge presented him with the task of activating a bomb that had been placed within the Invincible.[2]
Upon locating Sheelal, Idnum-Ki Force leapt in front of him and executed a Makashi salute, indicating that he intended to duel him. The Kaleesh taunted him, saying that everything he had lived for would burn, before attacking him with two lightsabers of his own.[2]
Ki was unimpressed by his abilities, and commented on how "undeveloped" his Jar'Kai was. He soon easily defeated him, concluding the duel by using the Force to choke him. The Cerean Jedi told Qymaen that he would need prosthetics to at least challenge a Jedi Master.[2]
Bombs are set off within the Invincible.
Releasing him from the grip, Idnum walked towards the edge of the cliff to gaze at the battle. He spoke of how he could bring the General's forces to victory, and then, his eyes turning yellow, of how he could alternatively crush them and assure the victory for Khoonda. As he spoke the words, he simultaneously performed Battle Meditation and choked several Kaleesh and mercenaries.[2]
Fueling Sheelal's rage even further, Idnum informed him that his sons and two of his wives had "passed away from the galaxy". Filled with hate for the Dark Jedi, Qymaen regained control of a lightsaber and attempted to strike him down with it. However, he was stopped midstream through the Force. What immediately followed is unknown, but it is known that Sheelal was allowed to escape.[2]
After getting past Kaleesh forces, Tarisian Drewton found the computer panel that had been specified by Ganler and set off the bomb that had been placed within the Invincible, much to the confusion of Commander Troyb.[2] The flagship's computers were rendered unworkable,[5] and the Neimoidian gave the order to abandon the ship.[2] He managed to escape to Naboo to hold council with Nute Gunray.[5]
Though Khoonda forces were unaware of what was happening, the near-destruction of the Invincible was a welcome surprise. General Patrian, convinced that the opposing ships would fall into disorder, contacted Redemption Five and ordered him to go on the offensive against the Kaleesh forces. With the help from both Idnum-Ki and the bombs set off by Tarisian, Khoonda was victorious. On Dantooine's surface, farmers celebrated the victory, one named Radi Antrell holding the Mandalorian Daklif Ordo at gunpoint.[2]
Aftermath[]
Ludge Ganler making a speech before citizens of Dantooine.
While we grieve for the loss of Senator Drewton, we must also be glad for our freedom.
—Ludge Ganler
When Ludge Ganler located Idnum-Ki, the Cerean Jedi told him that although the battle was over, a mystery remained: of whether the Trade Federation battle droids were supplied by the Trade Federation, or if the Kaleesh had stolen the plans. If it was the former, Ki said, Naboo would be in danger due to the Federation currently blockading the planet.[2]
Hours after the conclusion of the battle, Ganler held a speech before citizens of Dantooine. Though they grieved for the loss of Senator Drewton, he said that they must also be glad for their freedom, which had been given to them by the Jedi, the Drewtons, and Khoonda's militia. Concluding, he declared that they would be forever grateful to them, and that their legacies would remain on Dantooine forever.[2]
Legacy[]
We are forever grateful to them, and their legacies will remain here forever.
—Ludge Ganler, speaking of the defenders of Khoonda
The Siege of Dantooine left what many would consider a notable impact upon the galaxy. Qymaen jai Sheelal, who had previously attempted to "bury the identity of General Grievous"[2] took the title upon himself once again. Years later, he was nearly killed in a shuttle crash and saved only through droid cybernetics which made him stronger[6]—ironically, following the advice of Idnum-Ki.[2] In the Clone Wars, he became what was considered key to the Separatist war effort.[7]
Idnum-Ki, perhaps most affected by the battle of all those who fought in it, used the teachings of Darth Desolous and fed them to his own apprentice.[2][8] He gradually embraced the dark side of the Force more and more, and became a manipulative Dark Jedi who used others for his own ends.[9]
Behind the scenes[]
Development[]
Many elements of the battle were heavily inspired by the Battle of Khoonda from Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and backgrounds used were screenshots taken from the game of locations including Khoonda and the Dantooine plains. The only three-dimensional set that was used during production was for the crystal cave in which Idnum-Ki received training from Darth Desolous.
Drewton Legacy author Andrew Barton found the roles that Tarisian and Raymus played in the battle to be difficult to write. Due to their young age, he claimed, they could not have a major part in the battle while still keeping the story believable, but still needed to do something of importance as they are the main characters of the series. Additionally, while responding to comments for Kaleesh Siege, he said that they could not kill anyone at the time without having "a long emotional drama scene", though ironically that happened in the following chapter, albeit short.[10] When writing Chapter 4, Barton found a way to have the Drewtons fight in a way which he believed to still be believable.[2]
In May, 2008, Star Wars Fanon author Troyb requested that one of his characters of the same name be featured in the series. A scene had already been shot for Chapter 2 featuring an unnamed Neimoidian, and so the scene required only slight altering in order to make the Neimoidian the character in question.[11]
Following his duel with Sheelal, Idnum-Ki's words and actions were meant to show that the characters in the series would not be "black and white", and that either characters could be looked upon as either the hero or villain. While the Cerean Jedi saved Khoonda, the way he did it could be considered questionable, and Qymaen was intended to be both a sympathetic and understandable character.
Reception[]
The battle received praise on the Yakface Forums, particularly for its visuals, though the storyline was criticized when Kaleesh Siege debuted in July, 2008. Justin Cook suggested using the name "Grievous" for Qymaen jai Sheelal, due to the name being more familiar with the Star Wars fanbase, and believed that more sympathy should have been shown to Raymus and Tarisian Drewton when they told Ludge Ganler and Idnum-Ki that there father had been killed. In addition, the choice of using Jango Fett to lead the raid of Khoonda was also criticized, due to the appearance of a character from the Star Wars films seeming random when critics thought that a more obscure Mandalorian should have been used.[10]
Thoughts on the plot, however, were elevated when the third installment of the story arc, Dark Visions of the Sith made its debut, mainly because of the character development of Idnum-Ki and the fight between him and the Sith visions of the past which Lance Quazer claimed to be the "best of the best". Quazer also said that the discussion between Idnum-Ki and Darth Desolous was "wonderfully written and intriguing".[12]
When the final part was completed, Justin Cook said that the fires on Dantooine showed that there was "one hell of a fight going on" better than dialogue could, and that the scene in which Idnum-Ki used the dark side of the Force following his duel with Sheelal was stunning and one of the best photonovel sequences he had seen. However, though he praised those elements, he disliked that Tarisian Drewton, a child, set off a bomb which helped bring about victory for Khoonda, claiming that it was too similar to when Anakin Skywalker destroyed a droid control ship in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.[13]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 2: Kaleesh Siege (First appearance) (Cut content)
- Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 3: Dark Visions of the Sith (Cut content)
- Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 4: Armageddon (Cut content)
- Star Wars: Path of Darkness (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 23: The Threat Within (Mentioned only) (Cut content)
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 1: Attack on the Legacy
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 4: Armageddon
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 2: Kaleesh Siege
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 3: Dark Visions of the Sith
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Drewton's talk page on Wookieepedia.
- ↑ Star Wars: Obsession
- ↑ Star Wars: Clone Wars
- ↑ Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 14: Deceit
- ↑ Star Wars The Drewton Legacy Chapter 19: Visions of the Future
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Yakfaceforums.com, The Drewton Legacy Chapter 2 Page 1
- ↑ Troy's request to feature Troyb in the series.
- ↑ Yakfaceforums.com, The Drewton Legacy Chapter 3 Page 1
- ↑ Yakfaceforums.com. The Drewton Legacy Chapter 4 Page 1