Cay Qel-Droma

Jedi Master Lien-Tsai Qel-Droma was the mother of Cay Qel-Droma, who was born on Alderaan. Although he possessed considerable skill in the Force, his mother chose not to train him, feeling unable to maintain the necessary emotional detachment for instructing both Cay and his older brother, Ulic, in the ways of the Jedi. Subsequently, Cay Qel-Droma, along with Ulic, was dispatched to Arca Jeth's Jedi training center on Arkania for further education. The two brothers shared a close bond from a young age. Alongside the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta, they received instruction in the Force from the esteemed Jedi Master. The three young Jedi received substantial training from the respected Master in areas like lightsaber combat and diverse Force abilities. Cay Qel-Droma also pursued his passion for mechanics by frequently repairing malfunctioning droids and other machines. During their training, Cay grew concerned about Ulic's increasing frustration when facing setbacks. He attempted to lighten the mood with humor, but Ulic remained intensely focused on his training.

In the year 4000 BBY, Jeth was appointed as the Jedi Watchman for the Onderon system. His aspiration was to resolve the centuries-old Beast Wars that had plagued Onderon. However, he opted not to undertake the mission himself. Instead, he entrusted his three apprentices with their first significant challenge—a mission where lives were at stake. Onderon was inhabited by numerous wild creatures, some of which had been tamed by outlaws known as Beast Riders. These beasts had forced the remaining inhabitants of Onderon to retreat into a massive walled city, Iziz, which faced constant attacks from the Beast Riders, who had been engaged in a centuries-long conflict with the city's monarchy.

Upon the arrival of the three Jedi in the Qel-Dromas' ship, the Nebulon Ranger, they were ambushed by a group of Beast Riders riding their drexl mounts. Nevertheless, thanks to the exceptional piloting skills of Doneeta and the Qel-Droma brothers, the ship managed to land safely in Iziz. Once inside the city, they introduced themselves to a group of security officers who had been dispatched to greet them, only to witness Tott Doneeta nearly being arrested due to the city's policy against alien species. Enraged, the brothers brandished their lightsabers, leading the guards to reluctantly release Doneeta. Subsequently, the three were escorted to the throne room of Queen Amanoa.

The Jedi were presented to the queen and her daughter, Princess Galia. Moments later, a group of Beast Riders stormed the palace, shattering the glass windows and landing in the throne room. The trio, along with the guards, fought against the Riders, but they were unable to prevent them from abducting Galia. After seizing her, the Riders withdrew. Amanoa expressed her fury at the Jedi, accusing them of aiding the Beast Riders. Ulic pledged that the three of them would rescue her daughter, insisting that they would not return until they had secured her freedom.

While flying over the forests, the Nebulon Ranger came under fire from Beast Riders, resulting in a crash. Although the three Jedi survived, they were compelled to reach the Beast Riders' fortress on foot. En route to the Riders' citadel, they were attacked by Boma beasts. However, Doneeta's ability to speak beast languages enabled him to make the creatures stop, providing him and his companions with a ride to the fortress. Upon arrival, they crashed in, disrupting the wedding between Galia and the Beast Riders' second-in-command, Oron Kira, the son of chief Modon Kira. Although Ulic attempted to rescue Galia, he was taken aback when she revealed that she did not wish to be saved. In an effort to establish peace with the Jedi, Kira extended an invitation for them to lay down their weapons and partake in the wedding banquet.

During the banquet, Kira explained that he possessed a secret route into Iziz, and during one of his undercover missions, he had encountered Galia. The two had fallen in love, but given that the queen would never permit her daughter to marry a Beast Rider, Galia had orchestrated her own "kidnapping." She informed the Jedi that she desired to escape her parents, who were practitioners of the dark side. Kira revealed that four hundred years prior, a rogue Jedi named Freedon Nadd had introduced knowledge of the dark side to Onderon. Nadd, a Sith Lord, had ruled the planet for many years before his death. His successors embraced his teachings, and Sith artifacts were passed down through generations among the kings and queens, who upheld Nadd's legacy.

Kira implored the Jedi to assist them in defeating Amanoa and her husband, King Ommin, another darksider. The Jedi, with Ulic serving as their spokesperson, consented. As Kira gathered the other Beast Lords and their Riders, the Nebulon Ranger, escorted by drexls, returned to Iziz. The ship landed in the city, and the Jedi proceeded to the palace with Galia. However, Amanoa denied them an opportunity to speak, condemning her daughter for her betrayal. Then, asserting that the darkness within her would vanquish the Jedi, she summoned Freedon Nadd, unleashing her fury and enveloping the palace in a shroud of darkness. Realizing that their allies had failed in their attempt at a peaceful resolution, Kira commanded the Riders to attack, swiftly overwhelming the city.

Within the palace, the Jedi engaged in combat with a group of security guards. Unable to see through the darkness, Cay Qel-Droma was shot in the hand by a guard. Defenseless, he was unable to prevent a guard from severing his left arm. Seizing his brother, Ulic fled the throne room, away from the conflict. Cay Qel-Droma survived thanks to a medkit, and he attached an XT-6 droid arm to his body as a replacement limb.

Despite their valiant efforts, the Beast Riders were unable to overcome the soldiers due to Amanoa's manipulation of the dark side—employing a form of battle meditation, she bolstered the morale of her forces while weakening that of the Riders. However, the tide shifted with the arrival of a peculiar starship carrying Jedi Master Arca Jeth, who had come to assist his apprentices. Utilizing his own battle meditation, he neutralized Amanoa's abilities and motivated the Riders to continue fighting. Although Jeth was initially displeased with the three Jedi, he conceded that perhaps this test had been too demanding for them.

Jeth guided the Jedi to the Tomb of Freedon Nadd, where Amanoa was concealed. Upon exposure to the light side, she weakened and perished. Jeth revealed Nadd's remains to the group and explained that the dark side's grip on Onderon had been broken. In the ensuing days, Galia and Kira were appointed as the rulers of Onderon. However, the Jedi could still sense the darkness, and Jeth believed that some of Nadd's supporters remained.

During the funeral procession for Queen Amanoa and Freedon Nadd, where the remains of the beings were to be transported to a moon of Onderon, the darksiders launched their attack. Employing a groundborer, a group of Naddists tunneled their way to the surface, disrupting the funeral. A mysterious armor-clad darksider, Warb Null, assaulted Qel-Droma and the Jedi Oss Wilum, while other Naddists seized the sarcophagi of Amanoa and Nadd. Struck by a blast of dark side energy, Jeth was unable to intervene. Once they had secured the sarcophagi, the Naddists fled as quickly as they had appeared.

Recognizing the dire situation, Galia suggested that they consult her father, King Ommin, who resided in a secret underground facility. Ulic and Jeth decided to accompany Galia, while Qel-Droma, Doneeta, and Willum remained above to assist in securing the palace. However, events took a disastrous turn for the Jedi. Ommin was empowered by Freedon Nadd, whose spirit had endured for centuries, spreading the dark side on Onderon. The old man unleashed a surge of dark side energy, paralyzing Jeth. Ulic and Galia were forced to escape, while Jeth was taken prisoner by Ommin and Nadd's spirit. Above, the three Jedi had lost the palace, and, along with Ulic, Galia, and Kira, were compelled to flee. They resolved to head to Oron Kira's fortress, establishing it as a base of operations.

The Jedi were trapped in the fortress by the Naddists when, unexpectedly, their fortunes changed. A group of Jedi, dispatched along with the Republic Fleet from Coruscant, had arrived to assist those stranded on Onderon. Led by Nomi Sunrider, the Jedi and the Beast Riders forced the Naddists to retreat. Ulic and his companions made their way to Iziz, where they confronted Ommin in his underground lair. Ommin had hung Jeth on the wall as a trophy, and although he was still alive, he was suffering greatly. During the skirmish, Qel-Droma lost his droid arm to a Sith War Droid, though he continued to fight, and he would later construct another replacement limb for himself. Ulic, determined to rescue his Master from the clutches of Freedon Nadd and his puppet Ommin, fought through the droid ranks before confronting and slicing through the King's body. In his dying moments, Ommin called for Nadd, but the spirit declared that he was abandoning Ommin. Nadd informed the Jedi that one day, one of them would embrace the dark side, and they would realize the truth—they had lost. With that bold declaration, Nadd's spirit vanished.

However, the Jedi's mission was not yet complete. Shortly after liberating Onderon from the dark side, Jeth learned that the Empress Teta system was now embroiled in conflict. A political coup appeared to be linked to Freedon Nadd, prompting Jeth to decide that the Jedi would address this issue. He informed the Jedi that two youths, Satal and Aleema Keto had seized control of the system. Furthermore, they had somehow acquired knowledge of the dark side, establishing a secret dark side society known as the Krath. Dace Diath, Oss Wilum, Qrrrl Toq, and Shoaneb Culu were to travel to Ossus in an attempt to recruit additional Jedi, while the others would remain on Onderon. Jeth intended to dispatch Sunrider and Ulic to the system shortly after imparting more knowledge about battle meditation to Sunrider. During their time together, Ulic and Sunrider fell in love.

Several days later, Exar Kun, a Jedi archaeologist, landed on Onderon, seeking to learn more about the Sith from the artifacts that Ommin had possessed. Qel-Droma and Tott Doneeta greeted him, although, under Jeth's instructions, Qel-Droma revealed very little to Kun. Angered, Kun insisted on being allowed to examine the relics, but he was confronted by Jeth, who informed Kun that he knew he was not an archaeologist and ordered him to leave. After Kun departed, Jeth revealed to Qel-Droma and Doneeta that he had sensed Kun's malicious intent and that no good would come from allowing him to view the Sith artifacts.

Meanwhile, a battle was raging in the Empress Teta system for Koros Major, the last Tetan world still resisting the Ketos' coup. Despite the arrival of a joint Jedi-Republic fleet led by Captain Orley Vanicus, Sunrider, and Ulic, the defenders were still unable to defeat the Ketos' military forces. Unable to gain an advantage, the Republic force retreated. During the battle, Ulic was wounded by a piece of slag from a Chaos fighter imbued with Sith magic.

Forced to flee the battle, the Jedi now had another destination—Deneba, the site of a great meeting between Jedi from across the galaxy. On Deneba, Qel-Droma saw his brother again and was surprised to see him wounded. Ulic explained what had happened to him as the meeting got underway. Jedi Master Odan-Urr presided over the meeting, explaining its purpose—to discuss the recent failure of the task force in the Empress Teta system and what the Jedi could do to defeat the Krath. Odan-Urr then welcomed Ulic, newly appointed Watchman of the Empress Teta system, to the stand. Ulic informed the audience of his plan—to destroy the Krath from within. As he elaborated on his scheme, he encountered resistance from the crowd. Many Jedi, most notably Jeth, opposed Ulic joining the Krath. At this point, Cay Qel-Droma, who also disapproved of Ulic's plan, noticed that the servant droids present at the meeting to assist the Jedi were acting strangely, but he dismissed this feeling.

During Ulic's speech, the Jedi suddenly felt a great disturbance in the Force as a strong pain resonated through all the Jedi. Unbeknownst to anyone on the planet, the disturbance originated from a distant planet by Exar Kun, who had just renounced the light side, joining the Sith. At that moment, a group of ships jumped out of hyperspace above Deneba. A flurry of escape pods rained down on the planet. They opened to reveal war droids, created by the Krath, who had declared war on the Jedi. The servant droids at the meeting suddenly turned on their masters, revealing themselves to have been modified by the Krath to make them Jedi-killers.

The Jedi engaged the deadly droids in combat, but found them to be nearly their match. Using methods learned during the Great Droid Revolution eighteen years earlier, Jeth short-circuited the droids' systems, a skill he intended to teach his apprentices, but he would never have the opportunity. Attacked from behind by a droid, Arca Jeth, the beloved master of Cay and Ulic Qel-Droma, was killed. Although the Jedi ultimately prevailed, it was not a complete victory. Ulic was devastated by Jeth's death, blaming himself for not sensing the droid. Distraught, he decided to put his plan in motion, against the advice of many Jedi, including his love, Sunrider, and his brother.

Promising that everything would work out, Ulic departed for the Empress Teta system, hoping to convince the Ketos that he was a fallen Jedi seeking to learn from the two darksiders. The Ketos discovered and tortured him. However, he was gradually seduced to the dark side, eventually losing sight of his original goal. Concerned about Ulic, who they could no longer sense in the Force, Qel-Droma, Sunrider, and Doneeta decided to head to Cinnagar, hoping to find him.

In keeping with his now all-too-real charade, Ulic imprisoned Sunrider, ordering her execution. She managed to escape, sending her coordinates to Qel-Droma and Doneeta to pick her up in the Nebulon Ranger. However, the Jedi were not yet ready to abandon Ulic. Using a secret passage discovered by Sunrider, they made their way into the royal quarters. There, they confronted Satal. However, before he could attack them, Ulic appeared and lunged for Satal, engaging him in combat. The two dueled, with Ulic, empowered by rage, emerging victorious. Qel-Droma encouraged Ulic to flee with them, but he refused. When Qel-Droma persisted, Ulic flattened his friends with a blast of dark side energy. Despite Sunrider's misgivings, the Jedi retreated. Ulic had changed. He was no longer the brother Qel-Droma had known and loved.

Back on Ossus, the Jedi planned their next move against the Krath, still hoping to rescue Ulic. Cay Qel-Droma was involved in testing the new Star Saber XC-01 fighters along with Dace Diath. Following a test flight that seemingly killed Diath, Oron Kira arrived with his Beast Riders. Diath had not died but instead ejected at the last moment and used Force Levitation to save himself after the destruction of his fighter. The Jedi were planning another rescue mission, this time with the help of the Riders and their drexl mounts. However, before they could leave, the Masters wished to speak with them. Vodo-Siosk Baas and Thon informed the young Jedi that Ulic had to be the one to see the error of his ways and turn from the dark side of his own volition. If he did not, he would destroy himself, as was the way of the Force. And so, with that fateful message, the Jedi prepared for departure. Flying Star Sabers and Stingers, they headed for Cinnagar, hoping to succeed where Cay Qel-Droma's crew had failed earlier. Once again, Sunrider and Qel-Droma would be the ones who would have the responsibility of speaking to Ulic while the other Jedi and the Beast Riders held the enemy at bay.

Caught by surprise, the Jedi were able to breach the defenses and fly into the inner city. Disembarking, Qel-Droma, Sunrider, and Qrrrl Toq leapt into the Iron Citadel, the capitol building. Although Aleema Keto attempted to use her Sith sorcery to force the Jedi to retreat, Sunrider negated her powers with her newly improved battle meditation. Sunrider then tried to convince Ulic to leave with her, calling on the love the two felt for each other. However, Ulic refused. When Cay Qel-Droma and Sunrider persisted, Ulic attacked them with dark side energy. Toq and Qel-Droma grabbed Ulic, planning to haul him to their ship and force him to come to Ossus with them. They were stopped, however, by Sunrider, who reminded the Jedi what the Masters said—Ulic must renounce the dark side under his own power. Ultimately, Qel-Droma relented, and the Jedi left his brother behind. Ulic had changed, as Qel-Droma now realized. He had fallen to the darkness, although Qel-Droma refused to accept the notion that his brother was beyond saving.

Not too long after this encounter, Exar Kun engaged with several Jedi Knights, including Cay Qel-Droma, on the planet Ossus. He made an attempt to persuade them to join his cause, asserting that he had discovered novel techniques that the Jedi Masters were afraid of. According to him, he had been granted significant power and was willing to impart this knowledge to the younger Jedi. However, Cay remained unconvinced and challenged Kun's claims. In the end, Kun departed aboard his starship with a number of Jedi, though Cay was not among them. Unbeknownst to all, Exar Kun had succumbed to the dark side of the Force and was actively trying to corrupt them. Furthermore, Kun had taken Ulic Qel-Droma as his apprentice, and together they were devising a strategy to conquer the galaxy.

Fate would bring Cay and Ulic together once more. While Kun was training his new disciples on Yavin 4, the Krath forces, under the leadership of Ulic and with the assistance of the Mandalorians, launched an assault on Coruscant, the Galactic Republic's capital. Caught off guard, the planet was initially almost defenseless, but the Jedi rallied to repel the invaders. As the Republic Fleet arrived, the tide of the battle began to turn in favor of the Jedi. Abruptly, the Krath forces executed a retreat. Aleema Keto, driven by a desire to seize more power for herself, betrayed her lover, Ulic. Abandoned, Ulic found himself facing the Jedi, including his own brother. They placed Ulic under arrest, employing a Wall of light to neutralize his dark powers.

Ulic was subjected to a trial before the Galactic Senate to be held accountable for his transgressions, and Cay Qel-Droma stood as one of the few who defended his brother, despite Ulic's repeated rejections. Regrettably for Qel-Droma, the Senate turned a deaf ear, and Ulic's death sentence seemed unavoidable. Ulic, too, spurned his brother's assistance, denouncing the Republic and proclaiming the imminent Sith conquest of the galaxy. However, the proceedings were disrupted by the arrival of Exar Kun, who had come to rescue his apprentice. Cay made an attempt to stop Ulic, but when faced with the prospect of killing his own brother, he found himself incapable of doing so. Paralyzed by Kun's Sith magic, the Senate's guards were rendered helpless. Uttering curses against the Republic, Kun and Ulic made their way toward the exit, but Kun was confronted by Vodo-Siosk Baas, his former master. Without hesitation, Kun struck him down, and the two Sith departed the Senate chamber. Coruscant remained under the Republic's control, but Ulic's escape and the Sith's continued strength were a grim reality.

Shortly thereafter, a Jedi task force stumbled upon a Sith battle group within the Cron system. However, this turned out to be a cleverly laid trap, as the Sith battleship Corsair, the flagship of the Sith task force, stood poised to obliterate the Jedi—and the star system itself. Harnessing ancient magic developed by the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, the Corsair ripped apart one of the stars, triggering a massive supernova that set off a chain reaction, engulfing the entire system and killing all within it. The colossal shock wave then surged toward Ossus, the location of the Great Jedi Library. However, this was all part of Kun's elaborate scheme. As the Jedi evacuated, he planned to swoop in and pilfer as many artifacts as possible before the destructive firestorm struck.

As the Jedi scrambled to gather what they could in the limited time available, Kun and Ulic arrived. After plundering the storehouses, the two Sith boarded their ships and took flight. However, Ulic's escape was not clean, as he came under attack by a ship within the atmosphere and was forced to take evasive maneuvers. This ship was, in fact, the Nebulon Ranger, piloted by Cay Qel-Droma, who, still unable to bring himself to kill his brother, attempted to disable his ship instead. With the assistance of a Mandalorian riding a Basilisk war droid, Ulic gained the advantage and retaliated against his brother. Cay Qel-Droma's ship sustained damage, causing him to crash on Ossus, with Ulic hot on his heels, ready to engage in combat.

In contrast to Cay Qel-Droma, Ulic was prepared to end his brother's life. Igniting their lightsabers, the two engaged in a fierce duel, with Qel-Droma imploring Ulic to return to the light. Ulic vehemently refused, boasting of his newfound power. In a moment of uncontrolled rage, he slashed through Qel-Droma's droid arm and into his chest, inflicting a mortal wound. However, this act sent shockwaves through Ulic. Horrified by what he had done, Ulic renounced the dark side, weeping for his brother, who died in Ulic's arms. Though he had failed to redeem his brother in life, Cay Qel-Droma had ultimately saved his brother in death.

Nomi Sunrider, witnessing Ulic's slaying of his brother, was stunned and resorted to the rarely employed technique known as Sever Force, permanently severing his connection to the Force and depriving him of what defined him as a Jedi. Distraught over the death of his beloved brother and now his inability to feel the Force, Ulic surrendered to the Jedi, no longer a Sith. He guided the Jedi to Yavin 4, where Exar Kun was hiding. Amidst the chaos of evacuating Ossus, Ulic made sure to take Cay's body with him as he led the Jedi to Yavin 4. There, they succeeded in defeating Kun, bringing an end to the Great Sith War. However, Ulic had suffered irreparable damage. Unable to forgive himself for his transgressions, he spent the subsequent years of his life wandering the galaxy aboard his ship, Cay's Dream.

Ulic would later experience visions of Cay Qel-Droma on both Yavin 4 and Rhen Var, echoes of the past born from his guilt. However, in 3986 BBY, he finally found the capacity to forgive himself, thanks to Sunrider's daughter, Vima, who willingly became his apprentice, seeking to learn about the Force. Shortly after achieving inner peace, Ulic was fatally shot in the back by the spacer Hoggon. However, cradled in Nomi's arms and with Vima by his side, he passed away peacefully and became one with the Force. In the years following Cay's death and the destruction of Ossus at the hands of Exar Kun, the site where he was slain was marked off by the local Ysanna tribesmen with a 30-meter perimeter of large black stones. The site was also believed to be a potent dark side Force vergence, created by the severing of Ulic's connection to the Force.

Cay Qel-Droma possessed a compassionate nature. He held deep affection for his brother and was devastated when Ulic embraced the dark side. During their upbringing, the two were inseparable, and when their mother expressed concerns that they might develop sibling rivalry, Cay simply laughed, as their bond was exceptionally strong. Years later, Cay Qel-Droma's demise shattered the dark side's grip on Ulic. Cay also exhibited a more optimistic disposition than his brother, refraining from dwelling on setbacks, such as when he failed to complete a task. Unlike Ulic, Cay did not feel an overwhelming need to excel in everything to avoid failure. He was not preoccupied with living up to his family name as his brother was. In fact, this ambition of Ulic's ultimately led to his downfall.

Qel-Droma found joy in the life of a Jedi, pursuing the path with unwavering pleasure and determination. He also held his master, Arca Jeth, in high regard. When Jeth passed away, Qel-Droma was shocked and deeply saddened, although he was not as profoundly affected as his brother. He also cared deeply for his fellow Jedi and was grieved by the loss of his friends. Qel-Droma shared a particularly close bond with Nomi Sunrider and Tott Doneeta, with whom he trained under Jeth.

He also had a passion for working with machines. He could often be found tinkering with droids and was once reprimanded by Jeth for working on a droid instead of listening to his lecture. Cay's affinity for machines was exemplified by the fact that when he lost his left arm, he replaced it with a prosthetic droid arm, "welding" it to his body. Even as a young boy, he displayed a keen interest in machines and would spend hours watching speeders dock at the port on Alderaan. He possessed a greater mechanical aptitude than his brother, who focused more on the Force and becoming a stronger Jedi, although Qel-Droma was certainly dedicated to the Jedi Order. Like Ulic, Cay wielded a green lightsaber.

Cay Qel-Droma possessed a strong connection to the light side of the Force. He was also a skilled duelist, nearly on par with his brother, who was considered one of the most powerful Jedi of his era. He had mastered Form IV: Ataru. He also possessed keen perception, as demonstrated by his ability to sense the servant droids' true intentions on Deneba. He was also adept at repairing machines. Furthermore, the Jedi was a talented pilot and was chosen to test fly the Star Saber starfighter due to his exceptional piloting skills.

Cay Qel-Droma was conceived for the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comic series by Tom Veitch. Unlike Ulic, Cay Qel-Droma did not originate in the Dark Empire endnotes and was created when Tales of the Jedi commenced. He made his debut in Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon as one of the primary protagonists and subsequently reappeared in three more story arcs as one of the central heroes. Qel-Droma's role is that of a hero; he consistently supports the Jedi throughout the series and opposes the darksiders. His most significant contribution lies in redeeming Ulic from the dark side of the Force. The character was voiced by Skip Lackey in the Tales of the Jedi audio drama and by Jack Noseworthy in the Dark Lords of the Sith arc audio drama. He was later immortalized as a Miniatures figure in the Masters of the Force set, which was released in April 2010.

Cay Qel-Droma is depicted wielding a green lightsaber on numerous occasions, as evidenced by several images within this article. However, in some instances, his lightsaber appears to be blue. This is likely a coloring error or a simplification for artistic purposes.