The gathering known as the Kessel Conclave represented a meeting point for Jedi who had managed to survive the treachery of Order 66, held within an abandoned mine on Kessel. In the wake of Order 66's implementation and the commencement of the Great Jedi Purge, numerous Jedi quietly made connections with one another. Among these was Jedi Master Shadday Potkin.
Shadday had grown to distrust the Jedi's established practices of meditation, contemplation, and meticulous strategy, viewing them as passive approaches that facilitated the Galactic Empire's ascent. Driven by a desire for proactive engagement, she devised a plan to exploit the potential Jedi assembly as bait to ensnare Emperor Palpatine's chief enforcer, Darth Vader, in a carefully laid trap. Through her network, she discovered Vader's intense pursuit of Obi-Wan Kenobi's location, though the reason remained unknown to her. She issued a summons for Jedi to convene at a disused spice mine situated on the planet Kessel, intentionally leaking this information to the Empire, coupled with the false claim that Kenobi would be present, hoping to tempt Vader into a swift, reckless, and solitary arrival.
Besides Shadday, seven other Jedi responded to the invitation, including notable Masters such as Tsui Choi. Their discussions regarding the Jedi Order's future path quickly revealed divergent opinions on the most appropriate course of action. Some advocated for patience, others for direct confrontation with the Sith, and one, Koffi Arana, even suggested harnessing the power of the dark side as an aid. These debates were abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Shadday's ninth invitee: Vader.
Vader forcefully breached the entrance, storming into the chamber and demanding information about Obi-Wan Kenobi's whereabouts. Potkin then disclosed that Kenobi's presence was a fabrication designed to draw Vader in. Offering to spare the life of anyone who divulged Kenobi's location, Vader instead provoked Sia-Lan Wezz, who, losing her composure, launched an attack. Vader responded by plunging his lightsaber into her chest and severing her hand as she collapsed.
The remaining Jedi swiftly retaliated, although Tsui Choi and Bultar Swan remained hesitant, reluctant to engage Vader in combat. While Vader battled Ma'kis'shaalas and Roblio Darté, Koffi Arana attempted a flanking maneuver to strike Vader from behind. Vader countered by employing a rapid Force Push to repel Arana, sending him hurtling backward, while Shadday Potkin advanced. Vader capitalized on this distraction to fatally wound Ma'kis'shaalas. However, in eliminating Ma'kis, Vader exposed himself, allowing Jastus Farr to seize the opportunity and slash Vader across the back with his double-bladed weapon.
Vader, reacting with a cry of pain, jumped atop one of the mining vehicles to dodge an attack from a recovering Koffi Arana and gain a tactical advantage, briefly clashing with Tsui Choi in mid-air. He was pursued by Shadday Potkin, who utilized her cortosis blade to deactivate his lightsaber. As Vader discarded his now-useless weapon, Shadday raised her blade and lunged forward, aiming for a decisive blow, only for Vader to seize her neck with one hand and clamp down on her wrist with the other.
Vader swiftly broke her neck, resulting in her immediate death. As Potkin's lifeless body fell to the mine floor, Vader retrieved her cortosis blade and attacked the remaining Jedi, disabling the lightsabers of Jastus Farr, Koffi Arana, and Roblio Darté. Just as Vader prepared to eliminate them, Tsui Choi and Bultar Swan unexpectedly intervened, with Choi severing Vader's lightsaber-wielding arm while Swan slashed him across the leg. Vader, disarmed, wounded, and having sustained three lightsaber strikes, then yielded.
Koffi Arana recognized the ruse and urged Swan to kill him, as his lightsaber was not yet functional. She refused, invoking the Jedi principle of never harming defenseless opponents. Arana then seized her lightsaber and killed her, before charging at Vader, blade raised. Vader telekinetically summoned the cortosis blade, still gripped by his severed arm, and launched it at Arana, impaling him.
Vader then picked up Swan's lightsaber and turned to face the remaining Jedi, reiterating his previous offer to spare the one who revealed Kenobi's location. However, instead of engaging him directly, they used the Force to assail Vader, summoning the contents of the abandoned mining carts and hurling them at him. The debris struck Vader, inflicting severe injuries and partially burying him. Choi then demanded Vader's surrender, but Vader simply vowed to destroy them.
As Choi prepared to attack Vader, clone stormtroopers, under the command of Commander Bow, arrived and unleashed a barrage of blaster fire upon the Jedi. Jastus Farr, his lightsaber still disabled, was mercilessly gunned down. As Farr fell, Roblio Darté sought cover behind a piece of mining equipment while Choi deflected the bolts aimed at him. Choi then leapt onto the catwalk from which the clone stormtroopers were firing, hoping to divert their attention long enough for Roblio Darté to escape, only to be ensnared mid-air by Vader's Force grip.
While Darté was killed by blaster fire, Choi hurled his lightsaber at Vader before being killed himself, hoping to eliminate the Sith Lord. The lightsaber slashed open Vader's helmet, exposing his eye, but failed to kill him. As Choi's body was unceremoniously dropped to the floor, Vader inquired about the clone stormtroopers' presence, learning that the Emperor was requesting, and therefore commanding, his presence.
All the Jedi were dead. Like the ancient Conclave at Katarr, the attempt to lure out and defeat the Sith had resulted in nothing but failure.
Upon his return to Coruscant, Vader received medical attention for his injuries and had his armor repaired. Subsequently, Vader appeared before his master. Palpatine remarked that while Vader had acted against his orders, Vader's disobedience had proven beneficial. By the time of their meeting, Palpatine had already disseminated rumors regarding the events on Kessel, further solidifying Vader's image as a symbol of terror for the Empire, and a stark warning to anyone who opposed him.
Palpatine further declared that Vader must overcome his obsession with Obi-Wan Kenobi, as it was a lingering aspect of the Anakin Skywalker personality, which Vader needed to eradicate.
The official report issued by Sate Pestage stated that some of the Jedi had perished during an internal power struggle, while the remaining survivors were executed for various offenses.
- Shadday Potkin (killed by Darth Vader via neck-breaking)
- Bultar Swan (killed by Koffi Arana so he might slay Vader with her lightsaber; the only member not killed directly by the Empire)
- Tsui Choi (killed by stormtrooper blaster fire with the assistance of Darth Vader)
- Roblio Darté (killed by stormtrooper blaster fire)
- Koffi Arana (killed by Darth Vader using Shadday Potkin's cortosis blade shortly after he killed Swan)
- Sia-Lan Wezz (killed by Darth Vader through impalement and dismemberment)
- Ma'kis'shaalas (killed by Darth Vader with a lightsaber)
- Jastus Farr (killed by stormtrooper blaster fire)