Exal Kressh was a Sith female who was apprenticed to the Sith Emperor of the resurgent Sith Empire during the early years of the Great Galactic War. A descendant of the Sith Lord Ludo Kressh, Exal betrayed her Master when she learned of his plan to create "Children" who were connected to his will. She gave intelligence on Imperial fleet movements to the forces of the Galactic Republic, so they could plan an attack on the planet Korriban.
When she was confronted by Sith apprentice Teneb Kel on a space station near the planet Lenico IV, Kressh sabotaged the station and escaped, resulting in the colony's destruction. Kressh made her way to Korriban so she could raze the Sith Academy and halt the Sith Emperor's project during the Republic's assault on the planet. However, she was defeated by Kel at the Academy.
Exal Kressh was selected to be the Sith Emperor's apprentice, a role in which she served until the early years of the Great Galactic War, when she discovered he intended to hollow her mind out and fill it with his own, making her the first of his "Children." In response, Exal abandoned her duties in the Kathol Rift and fled toward the fringes of Republic Space, and possibly sending information to the Republic. The Emperor and the Dark Council responded by assigning the Sith apprentice Teneb Kel to hunt her down and kill her. Kressh destroyed Lenico Colony Blue while fighting against Teneb. Teneb barely survived the duel, but was able to escape from the colony and continue his mission to find her.
Kressh attempted to destroy the Emperor's project to make his children by assisting the Republic on an assault on Korriban. Secretly helping the Republic, she intended to sabotage the planet's defenses to allow the Republic to infiltrate the planet. She was met again by Teneb Kel, though she once again held the upper hand against him in combat. However, when Teneb's warrior slave Maggot intervened, Teneb took his chance by killing Kressh, therefore preventing her from sabotaging the planet's defenses or destroying the Emperor's project. She finally came to the point that her arrogance and superiority undermined her when Teneb used the Force to bring a fallen Sith's lightsaber to stab her from behind. Before dying, she heard the Emperor's voice in her head one last time, giving words of mockery, "You are nothing", the voice said, then she fell to the floor.
As the Emperor's apprentice, Exal Kressh at first believed she was special when the Emperor took her under his tutelage. This fact gave her a severe superiority complex, which she expressed during her duels with Teneb Kel. Kressh was supremely proud of her Sith heritage. She believed it was her right and privilege by blood to become the Emperor's apprentice and heir. However, after the Emperor attempted to make her his slave instead of his heir, she felt betrayed by her Master. Her hatred towards the Emperor was such that she was willing to give vital Imperial information to the Jedi and the Republic that would potentially undermine the Empire's campaign in the Great Galactic War.
Still, even though she left the Emperor's side, Kressh was constantly tormented by the persistent taunts and commands he projected into her mind, which was gradually driving her mad. However, even though she resisted the Emperor's presence in her consciousness, she felt invincible just because the Emperor hollowed her out and filled her with his strength, believing she could defeat any agents the Dark Council sent after her. Unfortunately, it was her arrogance and superiority complex that caused her to underestimate her enemies, which led to her death at the hands of Teneb Kel.
Exal Kressh was a member of the Kressh bloodline, strong in the Force, and was trained in the ways of the dark side by Vitiate. She was remarkably skilled in martial aspects of combat as she was able to kill numerous Sith on Korriban and outmaneuver Teneb Kel. Her attacking strategies involved leaping at the opponents with ferocious two-handed strikes and attacking their flanks with one-handed thrusts.
Kressh was proficient in the use of Force lightning, using it to obliterate Teneb Kel's lightsaber and incapacitating Qawohl. She was also proficient in the use of the protection bubble, utilizing this talent to defend herself from countless shards of crystalline permaglass thrown at her by Teneb Kel. Furthermore, she was proficient in the use of telekinesis, using these powers to overwhelm multiple opponents, destroy the space station known as Lenico Colony Blue, disintegrate a large stone column of the Sith Academy on Korriban, and immobilize Teneb Kel.
Kressh shared a powerful bond with Vitiate, evidenced by the frequent telepathic taunts and commands he sent into her mind. Kressh also appeared to have an extremely high tolerance to physical pain; this was demonstrated when Qawohl shot her twice and she was still battle-capable.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia