Ilena Xan served in the rank of Jedi Master during the last days of the Galactic Republic. She was a close friend of Master Jai Maruk and worked in the Jedi Temple as a hand-to-hand combat trainer, her specialty being the bondage holds. She was called Iron Hand by her students, which was due to her rough nature and strong body. Her top student during the Clone Wars was Scout.
A Force-sensitive, Ilena Xan received training in the ways of the Force by the Jedi Order, attaining the rank of Jedi Master by the time of the Separatist Crisis. A colleague of fellow Master Jai Maruk, Xan was appointed as an instructor of unarmed combat, which she taught at the Coruscant Jedi Temple.
During her tenure at the academy, Master Xan acquired the nickname "Iron Hand," referencing her rough teaching skills when it came to hand-to-hand combat. When the Clone Wars erupted between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Master Xan remained at the Temple instead of fighting on the front lines, continuing to train students in order to keep the Order's supply of Knights steady. Hosting the academy's annual Apprentice tournaments, Master Xan ensured that the students remained civil and disciplined during the competition.
Ilena Xan had a red handkerchief that she used to signal the start of a duel during the Apprentice Tournament.
Ilena Xan first appeared in Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, a novel written by Sean Stewart and published in 2004.
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia