In the year 3993 BBY, a covert operation was initiated, tasking Jedi Knights Duron Qel-Droma, Shaela Nuur, and Guun Han Saresh with the hunt for terentateks on Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith. These three Jedi, distinguished within the Jedi Order as premier hunters during the preceding months of the Great Hunt, were specifically chosen by the Jedi High Council for this assignment. Upon their arrival on the planet, the team commenced their investigation within the Dreshdae settlement. However, prior to any confrontation with a terentatek, Saresh departed from the group, expressing disapproval of the developing romantic relationship between Qel-Droma and Nuur. Lacking their comrade, Qel-Droma and Nuur moved forward towards the Valley of the Dark Lords, the supposed habitat of the terentateks.
Entering a cave, Qel-Droma and Nuur eventually encountered a terentatek. Qel-Droma intended to use a mental Force power to confuse the creature, but he discovered his inability to establish a connection with it, and was killed before he could react. Overwhelmed by sorrow and fury at the loss of her lover, Nuur pursued the terentatek deeper into the cave, ultimately finding the beast within the ancient tomb of Naga Sadow, a Dark Lord of the Sith. There, she was attacked by another terentatek and met her end.
The Great Sith War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, led by Sith Lords Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, concluded in 3996 BBY with the Sith forces defeated. Despite the defeat of the Sith armies, numerous Sith-created monstrosities remained alive on various planets across the galaxy, which presented a danger to both the Jedi Order and the general population. Consequently, the Jedi High Council organized the Great Hunt, a joint effort by the Jedi to eliminate these creatures wherever they roamed. During this Hunt, a group of Jedi, including Jedi Knights Duron Qel-Droma, Shaela Nuur, and Guun Han Saresh, became well-known as the Order's most skilled members. They journeyed to planets like Onderon, Tython, and Yavin 4, focusing their efforts on battling terentateks—dangerous, cruel creations of Kun that thrived on the blood of those sensitive to the Force.
Following a successful Jedi mission on Tatooine, the Great Hunt was officially ended. However, the Jedi Council personally selected Qel-Droma, Nuur, and Saresh for a clandestine mission. These Jedi were to journey to Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith, a planet deeply influenced by the dark side, to eliminate terentateks believed to exist there. It was thought that, together, they could withstand Korriban's dark influence. Upon arriving on Korriban, the three Jedi made a stop in the Dreshdae settlement and initiated their investigation into the location of the terentateks. However, tensions arose within the group as Saresh disapproved of the burgeoning romantic relationship between Qel-Droma and Nuur. Believing that their relationship jeopardized the mission, Saresh left the group to hunt a "great beast" that he had heard of, which supposedly lived in the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk. Before his departure, Saresh provided Qel-Droma and Nuur with a keycard that would grant them entry to the Valley of the Dark Lords—where they believed the terentateks resided—leaving his companions to confront the beasts alone.
Three days following Saresh's sudden departure, Qel-Droma and Nuur ventured into the Valley of the Dark Lords. As they neared a cave, the two Jedi sensed something through the Force—they realized that Saresh had died during his pursuit on Kashyyyk at that very moment. Despite being disturbed by the loss of their friend and former teammate, Qel-Droma and Nuur continued into the cave. The hunters together killed several smaller creatures, including shyrack and kinrath, as they moved further into the caverns. Eventually, they finally encountered a terentatek. Qel-Droma planned to use mental Force powers to confuse the creature while Nuur attacked it at close range, however, he was horrified to realize that he could not establish a mental link with their target. Before he could react, the terentatek hurled Nuur aside and seized Qel-Droma with one of its large claws, inflicting a fatal wound.
Nuur rushed to her fallen lover in grief, but Qel-Droma reassured her—as he lay dying, the Jedi had a prophetic vision, which showed him that a Jedi named Revan would eventually discover his body and use his robe to help him defeat a Sith Lord. After sharing this message of hope with Nuur, Qel-Droma passed away. Nuur, now alone, was filled with rage at her lover's death. Driven by vengeance, Nuur pursued the wounded terentatek, following the cave system into the ancient, buried tomb of the Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow. Inside, she found the injured beast but was surprised by a healthy terentatek that had been hiding in the shadows. Before she could engage either creature, her lightsaber flickered and deactivated as the Solari crystal inside reacted to her betrayal of the light side of the Force. The terentateks killed Nuur as she remembered Jedi Master Ood Bnar's warning to always remain in the light.
Although the Jedi Council was reasonably certain that Qel-Droma and Nuur had died on Korriban, the inherent risk in sending someone to recover their bodies meant that their exact fate remained uncertain. In 3956 BBY, Revan discovered Qel-Droma's body during the Jedi's search for the Rakatan Star Maps—as Qel-Droma had foretold in his final words, Revan took the Qel-Droma robe and subsequently defeated the Sith Lord Darth Malak.
The Great Hunt confrontation on Korriban was initially mentioned in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The event initially appeared in "Shadows and Light," a story featured in Star Wars Tales 23, authored by Joshua Ortega, illustrated by Dustin Weaver, and released on May 11, 2005.