This lightsaber, with its green blade, served as the preferred weapon of Jedi Master Rahm Kota, a robust model frequently employed in combat. Throughout the Dark Times, this lightsaber was brandished by the Jedi General as he waged his own rebellion against the Galactic Empire. In the year 2 BBY, Darth Vader tasked Starkiller with the mission of eliminating Kota and retrieving the lightsaber. Starkiller used the weapon to blind Kota, and despite the Jedi's escape, Starkiller delivered the lightsaber to Darth Vader.
Subsequently, Darth Vader bestowed the lightsaber upon Starkiller to replace the lightsaber he had originally possessed after it was lost. Disguised as a Rebel, Starkiller employed the lightsaber against various Imperial agents while in the process of forming the Rebel Alliance, modifying it to better suit his preferences. Following his betrayal by Darth Vader, Starkiller turned the lightsaber against his former master, ultimately defeating him. Starkiller met his end in a later confrontation with Galactic Emperor Palpatine, after which Vader destroyed the lightsaber.
The lightsaber used by Kota was a durable design, featuring a sturdy hilt and an emitter shroud. The hilt was wrapped in an interwoven fabric, which served as the lightsaber's grip. It was clear that Kota's lightsaber was used often, because by 2 BBY, the metal casing exhibited significant scratching and pitting. The blade was powered by a green crystal, and functioned perfectly. In a departure from the norm among Jedi, Kota carried his lightsaber in a specialized sheath on his back, rather than attaching it to his belt.
When Galen Marek acquired the lightsaber, he found it to be adequate for his purposes, but he was bothered by the bright green color of the blade. He was also concerned about the issue of ownership, feeling that the lightsaber still rightfully belonged to Kota. To resolve this, he removed Kota's green crystal and replaced it with the blue crystal that belonged to his father, deciding that this change made the weapon truly his. He observed that with the new crystal, the lightsaber was easier to handle and had enhanced optical characteristics.
This lightsaber was frequently used by Rahm Kota during his personal war against the Galactic Empire. When Darth Vader sent Galen Marek to find and eliminate Kota, he instructed Marek to bring back Kota's lightsaber as proof of the kill. During their duel aboard the TIE Fighter Construction Facility above Nar Shaddaa, Marek emerged victorious by forcing Kota's own lightsaber into the Jedi's eyes, blinding him. Kota dropped his lightsaber before falling through a broken viewport into Nar Shaddaa's upper atmosphere. Marek took the weapon before making his own escape.
Upon returning to Darth Vader, Marek presented the lightsaber to his master. While Vader was pleased with his apprentice's success, he felt that Marek was still unfocused and easily distracted, so he drew the lightsaber on him to make his point. The lightsaber remained in Vader's possession until he sent Marek on a new mission. Because Marek's own Sith lightsaber had been lost in the vacuum when he was spaced, Vader provided him with Kota's lightsaber.
While Marek was effective with the weapon in combat, he struggled to use it during his meditations, which he liked to do by staring into his lightsaber blade to focus his anger. He overcame this by replacing Kota's green crystal with the blue crystal from his father, which he recovered on Kashyyyk. He found that the weapon performed better with the new crystal, although he noted that the aqua color made him think more of oceans and rain, rather than the blood and fire that his original, red lightsaber evoked. The blue blade was first used during his second mission to Raxus Prime.
When Galen Marek was ultimately betrayed by Darth Vader, he rejected the Sith and fought back. Assaulting the Death Star in an attempt to rescue the captured leaders of the Rebel Alliance, Marek wielded the lightsaber against various units of the Imperial Military. Eventually, the weapon was used against Darth Vader, and Marek demonstrated that he was the better duelist, knocking off the Sith Lord's helmet. Galen Marek even attacked Galactic Emperor Palpatine, using the lightsaber to absorb his Force lightning attacks while using telekinesis to save his Jedi mentor and the other leaders of the Rebel Alliance from Palpatine's wrath and stormtrooper reinforcements.
Galen Marek died during the battle, and the lightsaber was found with his body. Darth Vader destroyed the weapon, crushing it beneath his prosthetic heel.
General Kota's loss of the lightsaber did not hinder him for long, as he quickly obtained a replacement. While in hiding on Bespin, he carried a blue lightsaber, which he used during his escape. He acquired a new green blade, possibly the same lightsaber with different crystals, during the Corellian Treaty, unsuccessfully using it against Darth Vader. This weapon looked just like his original lightsaber, and it, or a similar replacement, was likely used throughout the Galactic Civil War.
General Kota used his weapon while fighting in the Tarko-se Arena, killing many beasts and Gladiators with it. He also used it during the Battle near the Itani Nebula and the Assault on Kamino. At the end of the latter, General Kota held a captured Darth Vader at lightsaber-point while the Sith Lord was being held.
The plot point of Galen Marek losing his lightsaber and then using Kota's lightsaber is only in the novelization of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The different game versions and the graphic novel adaptation show Marek continuing to use his original lightsaber, but with a blue blade. However, because the novelization is generally considered the final word on the story due to the inconsistencies between the game versions, the replacement of Marek's lightsaber with Kota's is considered part of the official storyline.
The fabric wrapped around the handle of Kota's lightsaber makes it look like the grip of a traditional Japanese sword, like a katana. This is probably to match Kota's overall design as a ronin, or wandering samurai.