Tales of the Jedi (comics)
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics between 1993 and 1998. They are part of the fictional Star Wars expanded universe, and cover the Great Sith War and the Great Hyperspace War. The series represented the earliest chronological Star Wars stories until the publication of the Dawn of the Jedi series of comics and novels.
The first books released covered the Great Sith War. The latter were prequels that covered the Great Hyperspace War, which happened a thousand years earlier.
Summary
The Great Hyperspace War was instigated when two Republic hyperspace explorers accidentally crash-landed on the Sith graveyard planet Korriban during the funeral procession of Marka Ragnos. His successor, Naga Sadow, provoked war with the Republic, and installed himself as the leader of the Sith Empire. He fought not only the Republic, but the forces of his chief rival, Ludo Kressh, and was forced to destroy his own fleet to cover his escape. Sadow landed on Yavin IV and constructed vast temples with the labor of his Massassi warriors.Six hundred years later, fallen Jedi Freedon Nadd arrived on Yavin IV, and learned Sith sorcery from the spirit of Naga Sadow. He took his knowledge and the treasures of Sadow to the planet Onderon, where he used his acquired gifts to install himself as king. His spirit continued to advise his descendants.
Another Jedi, Ulic Qel-Droma, was sent to Onderon to mediate a conflict, where he met the spirit of Freedon Nadd, who told him he would become a Sith Lord. The prophecy came true when the Krath, a secret dark side society, attacked the Republic and injured Ulic with alchemically treated shrapnel, and then injected him with dark side poisons that would ensure his fall.
Exar Kun left his master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, because his master would not let him learn about the dark side. He went to Onderon, where he learned of Freedon Nadd's tomb. Nadd's spirit told him to go to Korriban, where Nadd tricked him into accepting the dark side. They went to Yavin IV, where Nadd gave him a choice: surrender to the dark side, or die. Kun chose life. After learning about the dark side from Nadd, Kun destroyed him with a dark side amulet.
Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma met on Cinnagar, and their battle was interrupted by the spirit of Marka Ragnos, who declared Kun the Dark Lord of the Sith, and Qel-Droma his apprentice. Together, they waged war on the Republic, stealing Jedi students from Ossus and subverting them to the dark side. Qel-Droma defeated Lord Mandalore, earning the services of the Mandalorian warriors. Qel-Droma attacked Coruscant, but was captured. Kun led a rescue attempt, and killed his former master in the process. Soon thereafter, the Sith Lords caused the Cron Cluster to go supernova, destroying countless Jedi artifacts on nearby Ossus.
Before Ossus was destroyed, Ulic's brother Cay tried to convince him to return to the light. Ulic cut him down in a lightsaber duel and, horrified by what he had done, surrendered himself to his former lover, Nomi Sunrider, when she forever cut off his connection to the Force. Broken, Ulic surrendered to the Republic, and led them to Yavin IV, where Exar Kun committed a ritual that sapped the life from every Massassi on the planet to separate his spirit from his body and bind it to his temple.
The Cleansing of the Nine Houses are the events during the aftermath of the Great Sith War, when, after the repentance of Ulic Qel-Droma, and the death/ascension of Exar Kun, the Old Republic hunted down and bloodily purged the remnants of the Sith Brotherhood.
The video game Knights of the Old Republic, takes place forty years after the end of the Sith War.
Comic series
''Knights of the Old Republic''
Knights of the Old Republic is a five-part series by Tom Veitch, Chris Gossett, Janine Johnston, and David Roach. It is set between 4,000 and 3,999 years before the Battle of Yavin.''The Freedon Nadd Uprising''
The Freedon Nadd Uprising is a two-part story arc by Tom Veitch, Tony Akins, and Dennis Rodier, set during the same era as the previous arc.While attempting to move the sarcophagi of Freedon Nadd and Queen Amanoa to the moon of Dxun, Jedi Knights Arca Jeth, Ulic Qel-Droma, Cay Qel-Droma, Tott Doneeta and Oss Wilum are attacked by several hundred Naddists, led by Warb Null, invading Iziz from underground. While distracting the Iziz forces, a group of Naddists are able to snatch the sarcophagi and take it back with them underground. Master Arca, Ulic and Queen Galia consult Galia's ailing father, King Ommin, for assistance. However, they are confronted by the spirit of Freedon Nadd, and Ommin betrays his seemingly immobile state by attacking Master Arca, knocking him unconscious. Warb Null comes in and attacks Ulic, but is soon bested and killed by the young Jedi. Unfortunately, this gives Ommin the time he needs to kidnap Master Arca.
Meanwhile, on Ossus, Nomi Sunrider, Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, Kith Kark and Qrrrl Toq are chosen to defend Iziz in the forthcoming Second Battle of Onderon. On Coruscant, heirs to the Empress Teta system royalty and members of the Dark Side cult the Krath, Satal and Aleema Keto, enter the Galactic Museum and find a fascinating Sith book. Satal steals it while the curator is not looking, and, after seeing a news report on the Sith practitioners still active in Iziz, the Ketos fly to Onderon to find said practitioners and discover the secrets of their new book.
Satal and Aleema Keto arrive on Onderon to find a massive battle taking place. Their ship, The Krath Enchanter, crashes, but the young Ketos are able to escape with their lives. Meanwhile, the Jedi task force from Ossus, led by Nomi Sunrider, battles their way through Sith war droids and Naddists. Kith Kark is killed in the assault, as the rest of the Jedi infiltrate the royal palace, meeting up with Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, Tott Doneeta and Oss Wilum. Meanwhile, the Ketos are greeted by King Ommin, hoping to unlock the mysteries of their stolen Sith tome. Ommin gives Satal an amulet, with which he can read the book perfectly, as Arca Jeth is hung on the wall, suffering under deadly Sith magic. Out in the battlefield, Cay Qel-Droma has his prosthetic arm cut off by a war droid, which he quickly dispatches with his organic arm.
The group of seven Jedi arrive at King Ommin's stronghold, and Ulic slices off the former King's armature, sending him tumbling to the ground limply. Victorious, the forces of Iziz soon transport the sarcophagi of Freedon Nadd, Queen Amanoa and now King Ommin to Dxun, to forever be laid to rest.
''Dark Lords of the Sith''
Dark Lords of the Sith is a six-part story arc by Kevin J. Anderson, Tom Veitch, Chris Gossett, and Art Wetherell. It is set two years after the previous arcs, continues the tale of Ulic Qel-Droma, and introduces the character of Exar Kun, a dark lord of the Sith. The story details how the Jedi, led by Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider attempt to free the Empress Teta System from the tyrannical control of evil Dark Side adepts Satal and Aleema. It also details Exar Kun's fall to the Dark Side at the seduction of the spirit of Freedon Nadd, becoming Dark Lord of the Sith with Ulic as his apprentice.''The Sith War''
The Sith War is a six-part comic by Kevin J. Anderson, set a year after the previous arc. It continues the story of Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun. The story also shows how the current Mandalore shows great loyalty to Ulic.Mandalore the Indomitable, wage war on the Teta system. Mandalore challenges Ulic Qel-Droma to a duel, which Ulic accepts on the terms that if he wins, he shall receive control of the Mandalorian warriors. Ulic wins, and recruits Mandalore and his army to fight for the Sith. They begin to plan a devastating attack on Coruscant.
Prequels
''The Golden Age of the Sith''
The Golden Age of the Sith a six-part arc by Kevin J. Anderson, Chris Gossett, and Dario Carrasco Jr., set a millennium before the original comic.Odan-Urr is studying Jedi history when his master, Ooroo, sends him to the Koros system to help Empress Teta fight the Unification Wars and unite the seven worlds located in the system. Once he has arrived on Cinnagar he helps to conquer the last planet, Kirrek, with Battle Meditation, a technique he has learned about in his studies. But even with this technique he cannot prevent casualties from occurring; among them are two blockade runners, Hok and Timar Daragon. With their parents dead, Gav and Jori Daragon get their ship, Starbreaker 12, back from Aarrba the Hutt who was holding it back as collateral.
With the ship Gav and Jori have become hyperspace explorers, but their latest route proves less than successful; they just barely make it through. They make it back to Cinnegar, but their ship is heavily damaged. Aarrba the Hutt agrees to make the repairs, but he won't give their ship back until they have paid all the bills.
Ssk Kahorr sends one of his drone ships along the route discovered by Gav and Jori, but it is destroyed when it passes too close to Primus Goluud, a red supergiant. Ssk Kahorr isn't pleased with this and sends two bounty hunters after the two hyperspace explorers. But they are saved by two Jedi, Odan-Urr and Memit Nadill. They advise them to leave the Koros system, because it is not safe for them. Gav and Jori steal back the Starbreaker 12 and desperately flee the system with random hyperspace coordinates.
On Korriban, on the far side of the galaxy, a funeral procession is held for Marka Ragnos, a Dark Lord of the Sith. The procession is led by Sith Lord Ludo Kressh. Just when the tomb is about to be closed, however, Kressh's nemesis, Naga Sadow, arrives. A fight about who should be the next Dark Lord ensues between the two rivals, but they are stopped by the ghost of Ragnos himself, who warns them of what is to come. Meanwhile, back in the Koros system, Odan-Urr has a premonition about the evil Jedi banished centuries ago. He tells Empress Teta about his dreams, and she promises that she will raise the matter on Coruscant.
Back on Korriban, the Starbreaker 12 arrives and Gav and Jori are captured by the Sith forces.
On Ziost, the Sith Lords discuss what to do with the prisoners. After a long debate it is decided to have Gav and Jori killed. But Naga Sadow, seeing in these prisoners a chance to expand the Sith Empire, does not give up this easily. He sends one of his Massassi warriors to retrieve the weapons on their ship. He hatches a plan to capture the prisoners for himself and use them to regain contact with the Republic.
Together with his most loyal Massassi warriors, he frees the Daragons. But to keep his identity hidden from the other Sith Lords, he has to kill everyone in his path, including his old mentor Simus. He leaves a Republic blaster behind, to let others think it was an attack by the Republic. Gav and Jori are sent to his stronghold on Khar Shian and Sadow returns to Ziost where an urgent meeting is held between the Sith Lords. The other Sith Lords are indecisive about what to do and in the confusion he claims to be named the new Dark Lord of the Sith. The other Sith Lords, except Ludo Kressh and his supporters, agree. Sadow immediately calls upon the others to prepare their ships and warriors so they can attack the Republic first. Empress Teta and her two Jedi advisors have arrived at Coruscant, where she addresses the Senate about Odan-Urr's premonition, but the people listening do not believe her. Even without the help of the Republic, Teta decides to prepare her own forces.
In Naga Sadow's hidden fortress on the dark side of Kar Shian, he trains Gav Daragon in the ways of the Sith. Sadow sends his Massassi warriors to retrieve the Starbreaker 12 from Ziost and then travels to his decoy fortress on Khar Delba, where Jori Daragon is held. On Ziost, Sadow's loyal Massassi steal the Starbreaker 12, but not without leaving evidence of their Master's involvement. Ludo Kressh discovers this evidence, and together with his supporters, Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram, he prepares to attack Sadow's fortress on Khar Delba. Meanwhile, the Starbreaker 12 arrives there.
Kressh's forces have arrived at Khar Delba and have opened fire at Sadow's apparently defenseless fortress. Sadow convinces Daragon that she must return to the Republic before the fortress is destroyed. Reluctant to leave her brother behind, she agrees. After the Starbreaker 12 has escaped to hyperspace, Sadow calls in his fleet that he had hidden on the dark side of Khar Shian. But that is not all; Massassi warriors on the ships of Horak-mul and Dol Gal-ram kill the Sith Lords and direct their fire on Kressh, who has no choice but to retreat. After this victory, Sadow prepares his forces to invade the Republic, using the tracking beacon hidden on the Starbreaker 12.