Empire Reborn

Darth Vader, the Sith Lord, personally selected Hethrir, a member of the Firrerreo species, to undergo training as a Dark Jedi. Hethrir proved to be a highly capable student, and as a reward for his achievements, he was appointed as the Procurator of Justice, overseeing the entire Imperial justice system. In this largely unknown role, he secretly exiled countless prisoners on sleeper ships and accumulated a vast fortune through his exclusive rights to harvest body-wood.

Anticipating the eventual downfall of the Empire, Lord Hethrir proactively prepared for this event. When the Empire finally collapsed, he absconded with his resources and loyal followers, seeking refuge in the shadows. Shielded by the obscurity of his former position, he secretly plotted to reclaim his power and restore the Empire's former glory. He envisioned a revitalized Empire, the Empire Reborn, with himself as its new Emperor.

To realize his ambitions, he understood the necessity of gaining greater access to the Force, leading him to forge an alliance with the demigod known as Waru. Waru, a being from another dimension, was summoned through savage rituals conducted at Crseih Research Station. In exchange for a steady supply of Force-sensitive victims to consume, Waru promised to grant Hethrir absolute mastery over the Force.

Operating from both Crseih Station and his personal worldcraft, Rebirth—a unique gift bestowed upon him by the Emperor himself—Hethrir diligently established a broad base of power. He financed his movement through a thriving slave trade, fueled by the thousands of prisoners he had condemned and imprisoned on sleeper ships, including members of his own Firrerreo species. He established Crseih Research Station—under the alias Asylum Station—as the central hub for this illicit trade. Disgruntled Imperial lords, eager to regain their lost power and influence—such as the Lords Brashaa, Cnorec, and Qaqquqqu, and Lady Ucce—joined his cause, pledging their secrecy and loyalty, and bringing with them a substantial number of followers and starships.

Utilizing these funds, the Empire Reborn acquired weaponry from underworld figures like the Rodian Reelo Baruk. They also repurposed armor, shield generators, and power cores salvaged from derelict Star Destroyers orbiting Endor to equip their fleet, with the Doomgiver serving as its flagship. Hethrir recruited Admiral Galak Fyyar from the Imperial Remnant to his cause in 10 ABY, providing financial backing for many of his technological endeavors. Fyyar, while not renowned for his military leadership, was highly regarded for his technological innovation and had worked closely with the Emperor before disappearing after his death. They solidified their presence in the Outer Rim, while simultaneously pursuing alliances with Deep Core warlords like Admiral Harrsk to bolster their support within the Core Worlds.

Galak Fyyar discovered Desann, a Chistori and a disgraced Jedi Knight who had abandoned the Jedi Academy after murdering a fellow student. Recognizing Desann's potential, Fyyar introduced him to his enigmatic master. Despite his anti-alien bias, Hethrir appointed Desann as his second-in-command, entrusting him with the responsibility of creating an army of Dark Jedi. They began searching for Force-sensitives on remote worlds such as Tatooine. Those who exhibited potential were abducted and brought to Rebirth for indoctrination. Hethrir, possessing the ability to suppress the Force abilities of others, would often prevent non-Humans from demonstrating any Force-related skills, condemning them to be sold as slaves. Humans with Force potential were promoted through the ranks of the Helpers, Proctors and Empire Youth. Many of Hethrir's trainees were sent to the temple of Waru on Crseih Station for "purification". Waru pretended to be a healer, but would occasionally kill those brought for healing, absorbing their strength.

Many of the Empire Youth who survived the purification were dispatched into the Republic, operating covertly to undermine its stability. Others were assigned to Desann for training. He chose one of them, a young Human female named Tavion Axmis, as his personal apprentice. Working alongside Galak at Cairn Installation in the Lenico Belt, they conducted experiments on Empire Youth with limited Force talent, attempting to artificially infuse them with dark Force powers using artusian crystals and Sith alchemy. It was during this period that the New Republic Intelligence Service began receiving reports of their activities, including several accounts of Tavion's involvement around the Lenico system, and Imperial recruiters on Tatooine. Preliminary investigations were initiated, but the full extent of the threat remained unrealized.

To further Galak's experiments, a Republic mining facility on Artus Prime was seized in 12 ABY. This facility had recently uncovered rich deposits of artusian crystals, which the Empire Reborn confiscated, imprisoning the miners. These crystals were subsequently transported to Kejim for experimentation. The NRI intercepted fragmented transmissions from Kejim containing the words "Reborn" and the "Valley of the Jedi", prompting them to dispatch Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors to investigate. After razing the facility, the two commandos were then sent to investigate the mine on Artus Prime.

Desann, aware of the destruction of his Kejim facility and the subsequent mission, used it as a trap for Katarn, another former Jedi. While Kyle investigated the mining facility, summoning a Republic task force to retake the plant, Desann and his apprentice Tavion captured Jan Ors. In a staged confrontation designed to humiliate and enrage Kyle, Desann defeated him and mocked his diminished Force abilities—Kyle had neglected his training during his time away from the Academy. Faking Jan's death, they escaped the planet before the Republic troops arrived, leaving Kyle devastated. This was a carefully orchestrated plan to force Katarn to reveal the location of the legendary Valley of the Jedi, a powerful Force nexus. (Lord Hethrir had tasked Desann with locating the Valley, after his ally, High Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne, revealed its existence.) Kyle complied, traveling to Ruusan and restoring his Force powers, vowing revenge against Desann. A tracking device concealed on his ship, the Raven's Claw, allowed Desann to follow him.

Desann then led his Empire Youth into the Valley's Force nexus, amplifying their innate powers fourfold, and renaming them "Reborn." Galak's successful research yielded several technological advancements to aid the Reborn, including lightsaber-resistant cortosis armor, mined from the Lenico Belt, and equipped with embedded artusian crystals to enhance their connection to the Force. Some of these troops were outfitted with stealth armor, forming an elite Shadowtrooper corps.

Alerted to Desann's activities and the threat posed to the Jedi, Kyle, Luke, and the other Jedi Knights worked to disrupt his operations. Luke visited the Valley of the Jedi and decimated Desann's forces, preventing him from creating more Reborn. Kyle tracked Reborn activities to Nar Shaddaa. There, from Baruk's Bar he infiltrated Reelo Baruk's organization, where, with the help of Lando Calrissian, he neutralized the base, and killed the crime lord. Tracing the crime lord's operations to Bespin, Kyle and a Republic strike team further disrupted the Reborn's activities. In Cloud City Kyle encountered Tavion Axmis, engaging her in a lightsaber duel. Overpowering her, and tempted to kill her as revenge for the death of his partner Jan Ors, he Force choked her. Fearful of death, Axmis revealed the deception—Ors was still alive. Showing mercy, Katarn spared her life. She subsequently fled the Empire Reborn, fearing retribution from her master.

Despite these setbacks, Lord Hethrir, confident in his army of Reborn, supplemented by Imperial Stormtroopers, believed the time was right for a decisive confrontation with the Republic—an invasion of the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. This would be a symbolic victory, destroying a symbol of hope and good within the Republic, and providing a powerful platform to launch the Empire Reborn into prominence. It would also be a personal triumph, allowing Desann to return to his former academy and demonstrate his true power.

The assault was planned to be launched from the Reborn's flagship, Doomgiver, deploying hundreds of All Terrain Rapid Deployment Pods onto the moon. Each AT-RDP assault ship was intended to carry troops and AT-STs. However, the assault turned into a complete disaster. Kyle Katarn had managed to infiltrate the ship just before it departed from Cairn Installation. During the hyperspace jump, he confronted Galak Fyyar, who was encased in a unique shielded suit, and killed him. Emerging from hyperspace, he rescued his partner Jan Ors and alerted Rogue Squadron to the ship's location. By disabling the shields, he enabled the elite fighter squadron to destroy the ship, including many of the fully loaded but undeployed assault ships. This drastically reduced the invasion force of the Empire Reborn.

The Reborn who had already landed on the jungle moon were quickly outmatched by the better-trained Jedi. Escaping from the Doomgiver, Kyle finally caught up to Desann in the heart of the Great Temple. Despite mutual attempts to sway their opponent, a duel ensued. Empowered by the Valley of the Jedi, the combatants were evenly matched, but Katarn ultimately prevailed, killing Desann. The dramatic entry into galactic affairs envisioned by Lord Hethrir and his followers lay in ruins. However, even with his two main lieutenants dead, Hethrir refused to abandon his dream; he would simply have to resort to more drastic and radical measures.

Despite growing pressure from his remaining supporters and the significant loss of resources invested in research and training, Lord Hethrir retained control of the younger Empire Youth and affiliated indoctrination programs. Having exhausted his supply of freighter children to sell, he began abducting children from Republic worlds. This allowed him to continue supplying Waru with Force-sensitives and uphold their agreement. With the Republic preoccupied by Gilad Pellaeon's Orinda campaign, Hethrir gained a brief respite, reorganizing some of his facilities, such as the one on Alzoc III. However, Kyle Katarn and the Republic continued to pursue him relentlessly, destroying that base and eliminating more of his dwindling number of Reborn. Rumors of abducted children also surfaced, prompting the Republic to dispatch agent Winter to investigate.

Still, Hethrir was convinced that if he could only persuade Waru to empower him, he could realize his vision. What he needed was a child exceptionally strong in the Force that would enable Waru to return to his home dimension and allow Hethrir to receive the boundless power he craved. Hethrir believed the Solo children would serve this purpose.

Fortunately, Chief of State Leia Organa Solo was planning a tour of the Outer Rim worlds in 14 ABY, accompanied by her children. While Mon Calamari and Gbu, the first planets on her itinerary, presented no opportunities, Munto Codru, the third planet on the tour, offered the ideal setting for a kidnapping attempt. Its political system involved ritualized "coup abductions" of noble children, who were later ransomed unharmed. Hethrir correctly reasoned that any pursuit or retaliation would be delayed, as the kidnapping would be perceived as part of the political games.

Temporarily suppressing Leia's ability to sense her children and using a pressure bomb to incapacitate the children's protectors—the Wookiee Chewbacca and a local page—Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina Solo, along with the Munto Codru chamberlain's wyrwulf, were captured and whisked away by skiff. They were transported off-world to Hethrir's worldcraft, while Leia was still being advised to await a ransom demand.

On his worldcraft, Hethrir informed the children that their parents were dead and that he would care for them as their hold-father. The children, however, were suspicious and proved remarkably resistant to the programming. Hethrir assigned his own son, Tigris, to look after Anakin, and placed the twins with the other imprisoned children, including a Chironian girl named Lusa. The kidnapped children caused considerable trouble at the station, using the Force to harass the young Proctors.

Despite being held in separate cells, the Solo twins managed to escape, taking a number of other children with them. With the assistance of a female sand dragon that Jacen communicated with, they escaped the compound and hid from the Proctors and Helpers in a swamp.

Meanwhile, Leia and Chewbacca had been tracking Hethrir through the Force. They discovered a cluster of 24 sleeper ships, including one containing Hethrir's former mate, the Jedi Healer Rillao. Five years earlier, Hethrir had imprisoned her in a web-like torture device on the ship. This ship was filled with Firrerreo that Hethrir had imprisoned as a sign of his loyalty to the Emperor, after which he destroyed their entire world. Joining their group, Rillao led Leia and Chewbacca to the bureaucrats of Chalcedon—a rival in the slave trade to Hethrir's own Asylum Station. Rillao revealed that Hethrir had stolen their son Tigris from her, hoping that he would succeed Hethrir as leader of his Empire Reborn. Upon realizing Tigris had no Force potential, Hethrir had not even revealed his parentage to the boy, but kept him around as his personal servant.

Arriving at the worldcraft, Leia, Chewbacca, and Rillao rescued Jacen, Jaina, and the other children in the Alderaan. They were too late to rescue Anakin, however, as Hethrir had already departed for Crseih Station with a phalanx of Proctors, intending to relaunch the Empire Reborn and sacrifice Anakin in the temple of Waru. Pursuing closely behind, the two mothers followed.

Also on Crseih Station, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker were investigating reports of a lost Jedi, leaked by con-artist and former acquaintance of Solo, Xaverri. Xaverri had been on the station for a number of years and was deeply concerned about the "healer" Waru, and wanted them to investigate. Luke, however, seemed to be taken by the strange being, his judgment and Force ability crippled by the resonance of the nearby crystallizing star. He became distrustful of Han and Xaverri and convinced he needed Waru's help and healing.

The conflict reached its climax as the three parties converged in the temple of Waru. In a grand ceremony surrounded by his followers, Lord Hethrir planned to sacrifice Anakin on the altar of Waru. The newly arrived Rillao revealed to her son the truth about his father, and Tigris, realizing the infant Anakin had no choice in being "purified," turned against Hethrir, preventing the sacrifice. The unbalanced Skywalker dove into the Waru in Anakin's place, forcing Han and Leia to follow. Hethrir, realizing that Luke was a better sacrifice than Anakin anyway, believed his plans were finally coming to fruition. Rillao, however, launched herself onto Hethrir in a furious attack.

Inside the golden ichors of the Waru, Han and Leia managed to pull Luke back, aided by the cries of the Solo children. Enraged by the missed opportunity and Hethrir's failure to fulfill his bargain, Waru consumed Hethrir instead. With Hethrir's Force power the being returned to its home dimension, presumably killing Hethrir.

Following the perilous dragging of the crystallizing star into the black hole, Crseih Station was entirely connected to the _ Millennium Falcon _. Together, they initiated a jump to hyperspace, arriving at the Codru system. The remaining Proctors, along with numerous supporters of Hethrir, were apprehended and placed under arrest on the station. With the demise of Hethrir, Fyyar, and Desann, the Empire Reborn movement met its end. Having become aware of its existence, Leia made a commitment to locate the remaining Empire Youth saboteurs. Some evaded capture and eventually aligned themselves with Tavion Axmis, Desann's former apprentice, in a Sith cult known as the Disciples of Ragnos. Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, and his new apprentice Jaden Korr later collaborated to dismantle the cult.

The Republic took possession of the worldship and Crseih Station, and the kidnapped children were returned to their respective families. Among these children, Lusa from Chiron, would later enroll in the Junior Jedi Academy located on Yavin 4. Crseih Station was eventually relocated to orbit the planet Pakuuni.

Hethrir's slaveships were recovered, and the Firrerreo people eventually established a settlement on the planet Belderone, where they were welcomed by Flint, a former Dark Jedi. Republic engineers, including Bevel Lemelisk, a former designer of the Death Star, studied Hethrir's captured worldcraft. The technology acquired was subsequently incorporated into the New Class project.

Ultimately, Hethrir's aspiration for a revitalized Empire was never realized, as the Imperial Remnant was pushed back to a small number of sectors in the Outer Rim. The Bastion Accords, a treaty later signed with the Republic, brought the lengthy Galactic Civil War to a conclusion.

The connection between the Empire Reborn movement in The Crystal Star and Desann's Reborn Jedi from Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was established in The Dark Forces Saga, Part 6: Outcasts and Megalomaniacs Welcome.