I am a weapon of the Force, the light in the darkness and the shadow in the light. Robed in darkness and wielding the light, enemies of the Force shall be brought to justice.
—Galen Marek, member of the Jedi High Council
Galen Marek was a male Human Jedi Master and a famed member of the Jedi High Council during the Jedi Renaissance era. A powerful Force-wielder and noted Jedi Shadow, Marek originated from the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk as the sole offspring of two Jedi Knights—Mallie and Kento Marek—who secretly gave birth to him during the Clone Wars. Following the conclusion of the war, Grand Master Tomac Moorcé reached an agreement with Marek's parents where he would be raised at the Order's academy on Ossus and later taken as the Grand Master's apprentice. Under the Grand Master's tutelage Marek became exceptionally strong in the Force and eventually took a seat on the Order's governing Council.
Biography[]
Early years[]
You have my word, your son shall train by my side and I will see him ascend through the ranks of our Order, achieving all that he can and excelling in his duty to the Force.
—Grand Master Tomac Moorcé's deal with Jedi Kento Marek
Galen Marek was a Force-sensitive Human male and the son of Jedi Knights Kento Marek and Mallie Tila. Born with an extremely powerful connection to the Force, Marek's parents married in secret during the Clone Wars, a conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems which they continued to participate in until Tila became pregnant. As a result, they reluctantly deserted the Jedi Order and fled to the Outer Rim Territories and took up refuge on Kashyyyk briefly before the war came to a sudden close. Surprised by the news, the family traveled to the Republic's capital for the Conclave of Coruscant where it was announced that Tomac Moorcé was the new Grand Master and that the Order would begin a period of introspection and growth. Reporting to the Chamber of Judgement separately for evaluation by the Order's leaders, Kento Marek and his wife agreed to terms laid out by the new Grand Master: hand their son over for training in the Order's academy and they were free to marry and remain within the Order. To seal the deal Moorcé vowed to take on the young Galen Marek for training when he came of age and teach him to be one of the finest Jedi the Order had ever seen.
Separated from his Jedi parents, Marek entered into the academy on Coruscant briefly before being transferred with the rest of his clan to the new academy on Ossus to continue his training in Year 17. Once the Order settled in on Ossus, Marek began to stand out from his peers as an individual deeply immersed in the Force and a natural for calling on its power. Marek became fast friends with another student in his clan, the young Damon Carlyle, son of the notorious crime lord and bounty hunter Boon of the Underworld, and together they ran paces around their clan mates while gladly offering them advice and support. Well-liked and goodhearted, the pair became inseparable and considered to be an example for camaraderie among the other students. When the Apprentice Tournament of Year 28 arrived, they dueled each other to a stalemate in the final round. Having just celebrated his thirteenth name day, Marek was expecting to be selected as an apprentice along with his friend but was astonished when the Grand Master himself chose him. Honored by the selection, Marek listened as Grand Master Moorcé explained that his apprenticeship would be long and rigorous, and labored by the fact that he was the apprentice of the Grand Master and thus would be held on a pedestal by the rest of the Order. Understanding the challenge, Marek agreed to the apprenticeship and accompanied his new master to the Grand Jedi Temple high above the city of Knossa in the Eocho Mountains.
Apprentice to the Grand Master[]
Moving into his new quarters in the Grand Temple, Marek was ecstatic to discover that Carlyle had been selected by Master Yohn Lahk, a close friend and adviser to the Grand Master. Training under Moorcé was both a challenge and a game; the Grand Master was very playful and encouraged that same spirit in his Padawan. When he wasn't training on the Temple veranda in the shadow of the High Council tower or researching historical accounts of Jedi past in the Great Library, Marek was joining his master on diplomatic missions and meeting politicians and philosophers from Republic and Confederate worlds. Much to Marek's pleasure, Master Lahk was one of Moorcé's closest advisers and Damon Carlyle joined them frequently in their travels. On an early mission, Marek and Carlyle accompanied their masters and Jedi Sinsor Khal to the Hapes Consortium's capital world to treat with Queen Mother Ta'a Chume in the capital city of Ta'a Chume'Dan and entice her to open the borders of the Consortium to the Order. Received at the Fountain Palace, the Jedi delegation met the Queen Mother in her throne room and engaged her in debate over the Order's role in Hapan affairs. Possessing a hatred for Jedi passed down from her mother and predecessor, the Queen Mother denounced the Jedi and frowned upon the fact they were all male. While remaining at the Palace after the audience, Marek and Carlyle were approached by Prince Isolder, a young man the same age as the two Padawans and more inclined to seeing the Consortium opened up than his mother was. Promising that he would work on a way to see the Consortium open to the rest of the galaxy as well as the Jedi, the delegation departed the Consortium having failed.
By the side of his master Marek met with Chancellors and Heads of State and witnessed elections and protests, all the while studying to become a well-rounded Jedi. While learning politics, diplomacy, history, and all seven lightsaber forms, Marek hoped to follow in the Grand Master's footsteps as a Shadow and hunt down those using the Force to harm others or attack the Order. While his master tended to Council meetings or desk work, Marek would train extensively at the side of some of the wisest Masters and Knights on Ossus. Because of his master's extreme work schedule, it was necessary for Marek to accompany other Jedi on missions to acquire experience in the field. To ensure that Marek received proper training abroad, Moorcé scheduled a yearly excursion to Tython for a four-week trek across each of the world's continents. The treks were designed to test Marek against the harshness of the verdant world, while building the strong bond between Master and Padawan. Typically accompanied by member's of the so-called "Grand Master's Court" such as Master Maladi Guidicelli, Master Lahk and his Padawan, the group would travel on foot through forest and desert in a mission to explore and survive.
During this time, especially during the treks across Tython, Marek began a sexual relationship with Damon Carlyle that would last the rest of their apprenticeship. Seeking guidance from their masters, Marek received reassurance that so long as their relationship did not compromise their vows to the Order, they were not required to be chaste. Overtime, Marek let his curiosity guide him into his master's tent during a trip to Tython in Year 37 where he pursued an on and off sexual relationship with the Grand Master of the Order. Despite this, Marek's own integrity kept him on the Jedi Path, and enabled to lead a strong life as a Jedi having overcome these numerous tests against his character and strength of self-control.