Rajah Ubooki

Rajah Ubooki, a male of compact stature belonging to the Bimm species, was one of numerous brothers comprising a litter, eighteen of whom collectively managed the chain of establishments known as Glah Ubooki's Strange & Wondrous Imports under the shared alias "Glah Ubooki." Rajah, possessing talents as a thespian and con artist, served as an operative for Imperial Intelligence during the Galactic Civil War. In 4 ABY, members of the clandestine, Imperial-aligned Prophets of the Dark Side, under the leadership of their Supreme Prophet, Kadann, situated on Coruscant, foretold that Galactic Emperor Palpatine would face defeat at the hands of his adversary Luke Skywalker during the impending Battle of Endor. Incensed by this unfavorable prediction, Palpatine determined that Kadann and his followers were no longer necessary. The Prophets sought refuge on Dromund Kaas, but Imperial Inquisitors pursued them, resulting in the deaths of many. Palpatine believed that all the Prophets had been killed, but in actuality, some, including Kadann, had concealed themselves on the remote world of Bosthirda. Their prophecy ultimately materialized: Palpatine perished at Endor, and an Empire lacking leadership descended into chaos.

Months later, in 5 ABY, certain Imperials wielding authority on Coruscant devised a strategy to maintain the loyalty and contentment of their subjects. Under Palpatine's rule, religion had been largely prohibited, so acting-Emperor Sate Pestage mandated the establishment of a new religion, hoping to attract widespread adherence. He tasked former Director of Imperial Intelligence Cronal—himself once a Prophet of the Dark Side—with founding the Church of the Dark Side, which the Empire asserted was led by the restored Prophets of the Dark Side. The scheme was also intended to aid certain Imperial Moffs in retaining their positions of power. Numerous Imperial Intelligencers were enlisted to impersonate prominent Prophets, with Ubooki assigned to pose as Supreme Prophet Kadann, while his Null comrade Heingort Giddis assumed the role of High Prophet Jedgar. The Church of the Dark Side achieved considerable success, and its members were venerated by both Imperial citizens and members of the Imperial Military and other institutions. The "false Kadann," as he was known to those aware of his true identity, lacked the Force-sensitivity of the genuine Prophets, yet he issued numerous "prophecies," relying on an extensive network of spies and informants to provide him with information for informed predictions. When these predictions proved inaccurate, the Prophets resorted to other, more conventional means to ensure their fulfillment. They were unscrupulous in their endeavors, readily employing murder, bribery, or any number of illicit activities to preserve their fraudulent reputation.

Eventually, the sham Prophets grew weary of taking orders and decided to create their own Imperial faction, beholden to no higher power. The devotion displayed by their Imperial subjects afforded them considerable support. Kadann established his base of operations at Space Station Scardia, situated in the Null Zone within the Mid Rim. The region was exceedingly remote and plagued by intense radiation, deterring most beings from venturing into the Prophets' territory. Kadann brought with him vast quantities of valuable artwork and stolen possessions, transforming much of the space station into his personal museum. While the majority of Imperials remained loyal to Ysanne Isard, who had assumed control of the Empire following Sate Pestage, Kadann's network of spies remained solely loyal to him. This, combined with the reverence held by most religious Imperials for the Church of the Dark Side, rendered him and his cohorts powerful figures.

Kadann adopted the true Supreme Prophet's signature sparkling black regalia and utilized trance-inducing tree bark from Endor, along with colored chalk powder, to project an image of mysticism and clairvoyance. He also bestowed upon himself a plethora of grandiose titles, such as "Dreamer of Dark Dreams, Supreme Prophet of the Empire." After dedicating some time to attracting the attention of Imperial warlords and the nascent New Republic, Kadann delivered his first major prophecy since departing Imperial Center: he "foretold" that the rightful heir to Palpatine's Empire would discover and don the Glove of Darth Vader, a nearly indestructible gauntlet that had purportedly survived the destruction of the second Death Star at Endor. Numerous Imperial warlords, desperate to secure Kadann's "dark blessing" and ascend to the position of Emperor, raced to locate the glove, initially with limited success. The newly formed Central Committee of Grand Moffs was promoting Trioculus as the rightful heir to the Empire, asserting that he was Palpatine's son. While many accepted his claim to the throne and rallied to his banner, others refused to support anyone lacking Kadann's endorsement. Consequently, they sought the glove, eventually locating it on Mon Calamari. Trioculus' right-hand-man, Grand Moff Bertroff Hissa, who was effectively the power behind the throne, arranged to meet with the Prophets at Scardia Station, although Kadann held Trioculus in low regard, viewing him as another fraud.

Kadann instructed his agents to investigate Trioculus, and they discovered that he was not who he claimed to be: while Palpatine had indeed fathered a three-eyed son, albeit unconventionally, his third eye was located at the back of his head, whereas Trioculus' was situated on his forehead. Kadann's spies learned that Palpatine's true son, Triclops, had been killed due to his mental instability. Trioculus, Bertroff Hissa, and some of their personnel arrived at Scardia Station to meet with the Prophets. Kadann greeted them in the Chamber of Dark Visions and addressed Trioculus, but he treated the former slavelord with disrespect, accusing him of fabricating his lineage and murdering Palpatine's true son, over whom he had held authority while overseeing slave operations in the Spice Mines of Kessel. Trioculus denied murdering Triclops, and Hissa explained that Palpatine's son had been secretly exiled to a secure facility on the planet Duro. The Grand Moff informed Kadann that the Central Committee deemed Triclops too unstable to rule the Empire, but that Trioculus would serve as a suitable figurehead to whom many would pledge allegiance, thereby preserving the Empire's unity. Kadann found his reasoning satisfactory and bestowed upon Trioculus his dark blessing—along with another fabricated prophecy. He informed the former slavelord that there was a prophecy of a Jedi Prince from the Lost City of the Jedi on Yavin 4, who could challenge and overthrow the one who donned Vader's gauntlet.

Trioculus journeyed to Yavin 4 and devastated the moon in his search for the Lost City of the Jedi, but with the assistance of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and the New Republic, the Jedi Prince—known only as Ken—escaped, and Trioculus failed to locate the Lost City. Around this time, Trioculus ceased wearing the Glove of Darth Vader because it was adversely affecting his health, opting for a replica gauntlet instead. Kadann's spies discovered this, and Prophet Jedgar promptly retrieved the true glove for his master, who added it to his art collection. Trioculus and Hissa invested considerable effort in capturing Ken, eventually apprehending him at Cloud City on Bespin; however, Trioculus himself fell into a trap set by crime lord Zorba Desilijic Tiure. The self-proclaimed Emperor was imprisoned in carbonite, and Ken escaped into the custody of the New Republic. By this point, Kadann no longer intended to cooperate with the Central Committee; he desired power for himself, planning to launch a coup d'état and usurp Trioculus' rule.

Kadann assembled all his fellow ersatz Prophets to deliver another prophecy, foretelling their futures, even though all present knew it was false. Before his followers in the Chamber of Dark Visions, he revoked his blessing of Trioculus and his support for the Central Committee, declaring that the "Dark One" of ancient times would succeed Trioculus, but that he would communicate with the physical world through Kadann; in effect, the false Prophet had proclaimed himself Emperor. Like Trioculus' reign, however, it lacked legitimacy; Ysanne Isard was the official head of the Empire at that time, but Kadann still commanded great reverence from a segment of the Imperial populace, who steadfastly supported him. In addition to substantial ground forces, he commanded numerous Star Destroyers. He instructed his enthusiastic "disciples" to retrieve ancient relics from the planet Duro; promising that when the relics were placed at his feet, he would destroy the light side of the Force. He also issued another grandiose, false prophecy that when a being "pierced by gold" visited Mount Yoda on the planet Dagobah, the New Republic would begin to crumble. Kadann's underlings swiftly disseminated his message to those who had pledged allegiance to Trioculus, until each Imperial faction and the New Republic became aware of his coup.

Trioculus' frozen body was being held by Zorba Desilijic Tiure in Cloud City, so Kadann dispatched his Null accomplice, "Jedgar," to retrieve it in the Prophets' personal ship, the Scardia Voyager. As Jedgar approached Bespin, the Central Committee members were launching their own rescue operation and had already stolen the carbonite slab from Zorba. The false prophets boarded Grand Moff Hissa's Moffship, and Jedgar informed the Moffs of Kadann's coup. He decreed that their lives would be spared if they pledged allegiance to Emperor Kadann; when Hissa refused, Jedgar blackmailed him with sensitive information compiled by Kadann's spies that would expose Hissa as an Imperial traitor, and the Grand Moff eventually relented and accepted Kadann's rule. Jedgar transferred Trioculus' body onto the Scardia Voyager and returned to Kadann's headquarters. With fellow false Prophet Gornash, Kadann had the carbonite slab destroyed, eliminating any trace of Trioculus. Gornash suspected that they might not have destroyed Trioculus because Vader's supposedly-indestructible glove would have survived, but when Kadann showed him the true glove in his collection, Gornash's doubts were allayed. Kadann was adamant that he had not made a mistake and destroyed a fake, but in actuality, he was wrong: Zorba had outwitted everyone, publicly displaying the replica carbonite slab that Kadann had just destroyed, while the true Trioculus remained aboard his ship, the Zorba Express.

While Kadann believed he was eliminating all trace of Trioculus, Jedgar traveled to Duro to retrieve the planet's treasures. His attempt was thwarted, however, after an encounter with the New Republic, which received assistance from Ken and Triclops, Palpatine's true son, who had escaped the penal facility and allied with the New Republic. After a large amount of toxic fluid threatened to wipe out Jedgar's forces, he fled the planet, empty-handed. With his newfound power, Kadann sought to implement changes to the administration of his empire, aiming to diminish the power of any groups, such as the Grand Moffs, that could pose a threat to him. Fearing this, the Central Committee went rogue and abandoned the Empire. Kadann dispatched a large force to locate and apprehend them, but it was initially unsuccessful. The Moffs encountered Zorba Desilijic Tiure over Tatooine and discovered Trioculus' real body in his ship. They disposed of Zorba and revived the former slavelord, but he was soon assassinated by the New Republic.

Meanwhile, Kadann issued yet another fraudulent prophecy, claiming that when Luke Skywalker was imprisoned in Scardia Station, Ken would betray the location of the Lost City to the Prophets. The former Imperial Intelligence agents were later visited by Zorba, who had survived the Moffs' attempts to feed him to Tatooine's sarlacc. Zorba informed them that he possessed vital information on the activities of the Central Committee, but he knew nothing Kadann was not already aware of. The false Supreme Prophet hoped that Zorba might know about the Lost City of the Jedi; he was desperate to locate it so that he could access its main computer library, which contained much hidden knowledge of the Jedi that Kadann could use against his foes, but Zorba had no information. However, the Hutt proved useful in that he recorded a statement declaring the Grand Moffs traitors, authorizing its use as evidence against them in their trial. Eventually, Kadann's forces apprehended Hissa and his accomplices, and immediately held a sham trial—the jury members were all Prophets of the Dark Side, with Kadann serving as the judge and Defeen, a Defel interrogation and torture expert, as the chief prosecutor.

Grand Moffs Hissa, Muzzer, Dunhausen, and Thistleborn were brought to the Chamber of Dark Justice for the trial. Kadann made a secret prophecy as to the outcome of the trial, showing it to the jurors but instructing them not to allow it to influence their final verdict. Zorba's evidence was presented, and the Grand Moffs were accused of treason and disloyalty. Muzzer, Dunhausen, and Thistleborn pleaded guilty, but Hissa refused, claiming that for his service to the Prophets on Duro, he should be hailed as a hero. The jury disagreed; they found all the Grand Moffs guilty but decreed that Hissa, as the Central Committee's leader, should be punished more severely than the others. Kadann sentenced each of the traitors: Thistleborn to three years' hard labor on scorching Bnach; Dunhausen to four years in prison on icy Hoth; Muzzer to five years serving as the sentry of the planet Arzid, home to deadly macaab mushrooms, tentacle-bushes, and arachnors; and Hissa to a slow and agonizing death.

As the trial concluded, Prophet Gornash entered the chamber to inform Kadann of a breakthrough in the search for the location of the Lost City of the Jedi. Triclops, Palpatine's son, had become an ally of the New Republic and was unknowingly transmitting information back to Kadann due to a hidden recording and transmitting system implanted in his skull. The latest transmission had provided exact details and coordinates to the Lost City's entrance and was presented to Kadann by his subordinate. The faux Supreme Prophet was suspicious of the information, however, believing it had reached him too easily. His suspicions were correct; Triclops was working in collusion with the New Republic to provide Kadann with misinformation, but the Bimm Intelligencer had no way to confirm this. Nevertheless, he decided to travel to Yavin 4 and act on the information, albeit with extreme caution.

Before doing so, Kadann and Jedgar accompanied the Scardia Voyager on a journey to deliver Grand Moff Muzzer to Arzid. They waited in orbit above the planet while a shuttle transported Muzzer to his sentry post; when the shuttle returned, however, it carried two extra passengers: Luke Skywalker and Ken, who had been captured by a group of stormtroopers on Arzid. The two, as well as some of their New Republic allies, had encountered Kadann's forces by chance, though their comrades had escaped. Skywalker and Ken were taken to a cold chamber aboard Kadann's flagship, where they were interrogated by the faux Supreme Prophet. Kadann eventually persuaded Ken to drink a beverage containing avabush spice, a potent truth serum. However, as Ken only consumed a small quantity of the avabush spice, it did not have the full effect, merely slowing his reactions and making him groggy. Hoping to lure Ken to ally with him, Kadann promised to provide him with the identity of his parents once they reached Yavin 4. Eventually, some time after the interrogation had finished, the Scardia Voyager arrived at Yavin 4. Kadann, wary of how easily Triclops' information had reached him, instructed Jedgar to send a team of stormtroopers ahead to discern if they were walking into a trap. He ordered that Hissa be sent down the tubular transport into the subterranean Lost City first.

Kadann watched via hologram as Hissa was sent down the tubular transport and into a sea of molten lava; Triclops' information had been a ruse. Enraged, Kadann threatened to send Skywalker to the same fate as Hissa if Ken did not lead him to the Lost City's actual entrance. Kadann reiterated his offer to inform Ken of his parentage once they reached the Lost City; the Jedi Prince relented, succumbing to Kadann's demand. Skywalker was taken away and imprisoned aboard the brig of the Scardia Voyager by Jedgar; Ken provided the Prophets with the coordinates to the Lost City's entrance. The false Prophets set their ship down on Yavin 4's surface, and Kadann, Jedgar, Gornash, Ken, a tech specialist, and a team of stormtroopers traveled to the Lost City's entrance. When they reached it, they descended in the tubular transport and arrived at the Lost City of the Jedi.

Kadann instructed Ken to lead him to the location of the Lost City's central computer database. En route, they passed Ken's former home, and his pet mooka, Zeebo, bounded into his arms. The mooka attacked Kadann, scratching and biting at his face, but the Bimm Intelligencer threw Zeebo away and kicked the animal, before a stormtrooper stunned it. They eventually reached the Jedi Library, and though its caretaker droid, DJ-88, attempted to stop them, Kadann had his men access the computer. He spent some time studying its records on the New Republic. Once satisfied, he turned his attention to Ken, using the computer's database to show the Jedi Prince his parents: Triclops, Palpatine's true son, and Kendalina, a Jedi who had escaped Order 66 in 19 BBY. Kadann had DJ-88 deactivated before ordering his subordinates to remove the computer and relocate it to the Scardia Voyager; attempting to remove the datafiles themselves would result in the computer formatting itself.

They followed his orders, and the troupe began to make their way back to the tubular transport that would lead them to the surface, deactivating everything in their path as they went. However, their path was soon impeded by Luke Skywalker, who was brandishing his lightsaber. Kadann was perplexed, as the transport—the only way to enter or exit the city, he believed—had not been used while he and his subordinates were there. Skywalker attacked Kadann, ordering him to free Ken; as the computer was the main priority, the impostor Supreme Prophet agreed to his demands. However, as Skywalker fled with Ken, a stormtrooper, firing after them, inadvertently destroyed the computer. Additionally, the New Republic deactivated all power in the city, trapping Kadann and his allies there.

They remained in the Lost City of the Jedi for some time. Eventually, with the help of Triclops, who had remained on Yavin 4 when the New Republic moved on to pastures new and whom Kadann made his slave, Kadann alone escaped. Though the Scardia Voyager had been slagged, they eventually made a way offworld and set a course for Scardia Station. En route, they learned that Ysanne Isard had reinstated galactic freedom of religion, nullifying any power the false Prophets wielded over the galaxy's citizens. Expecting to return to Scardia to meet with his fellow con Prophets, Kadann, accompanied by Triclops, arrived to find the space station littered with the bodies of his former comrades. A message came over the comm system damning Kadann; it was from Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati, an old foe of the true Kadann's. With the help of another of the real Supreme Prophet's enemies, his embittered former pupil Azrakel, Makati had tracked down what he believed to be the Prophets of the Dark Side and slain them. Before the faux Kadann could explain himself, he was gunned down by numerous turbolaser blasts. Makati met his demise soon after, but Azrakel eventually discovered that the true Kadann still lived. With the help of Dark Jedi Lumiya, he tracked Kadann to Bosthirda and killed him, before being slain by the other Prophets.

This individual, known as the false Kadann, possessed considerable skills in the art of deceit. During the Galactic Civil War, he served as an operative for Imperial Intelligence. His selection by the highest levels of Imperial Intelligence to pose as a prominent figure like Kadann speaks volumes about his acting prowess. He convincingly portrayed the role, propagating a fabricated religion to the spiritually vulnerable populace of Imperial Center alongside his accomplices, thereby cultivating a substantial following. Very few people suspected his actual identity. Even the Jedi Library situated in Yavin 4's Lost City, a repository thought to hold one of the most comprehensive collections of information in the galaxy, remained unaware that the Bimm was not the real Kadann. Ysanne Isard, the Director of Imperial Intelligence, along with Makati and Azrakel, the genuine Kadann's sworn adversaries, were also under the impression that he was authentic.

However, Kadann had a deep hunger for power. After experiencing its allure on Coruscant, he and his associates desired even more. As a result, they severed all ties with the legitimate Empire, establishing their own independent faction, with Kadann ultimately declaring himself Emperor. He reveled in authority; those who disappointed him were permanently removed from the equation, and he compelled his foes, including Hissa and the Grand Moffs, to kneel before him and swear their allegiance. The counterfeit Prophet exhibited vanity and excessive self-assurance, always confident in his abilities and the accuracy of his information. His extensive network of informants kept him abreast of happenings throughout the galaxy, particularly those involving his enemies or potential adversaries. He refused to accept the possibility of their errors, boasting that the one thing no one would ever witness was Kadann making a mistake. One crucial aspect that the false Supreme Prophet failed to recognize when initiating his deception was that Kadann had numerous enemies eager to exact revenge, which ultimately led to his undoing.

The false Kadann also displayed a fondness for grandeur, a trait entirely uncharacteristic of the real Kadann, who preferred to avoid the limelight. The false Kadann bestowed grandiose names upon the rooms within Space Station Scardia, such as "the Chamber of Dark Visions." He styled himself "Dreamer of Dark Dreams, Supreme Prophet of the Empire," and frequently disseminated non-rhyming four-line prophecies, ensuring they received widespread attention.

Paul and Hollace Davids conceived the character of Kadann for their series of children's books, Jedi Prince. Kadann functioned as a primary antagonist in the series, appearing in three of the six books and receiving mentions in the remaining three.

However, an article published in Polyhedron 103 in 1994 sought to retcon this portrayal, asserting that the Jedi Prince books were merely a bedtime story narrated by Leia Organa Solo to her children and that the true Kadann possessed far greater power than his depiction in Leia's tale. The canonicity of this article, penned by Bill Slavicsek, an editor at West End Games, and Michele Carter, remains questionable, as it may not have undergone proper licensing with Lucasfilm at the time of its publication. Nevertheless, it has been referenced in canon on multiple occasions by The Dark Side Sourcebook, Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties and Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals. Furthermore, Star Wars author Abel G. Peña has indicated that portions of the article should be considered canon unless contradicted by subsequent material.

Several years later, The Dark Side Sourcebook—authored by Slavicsek and J.D. Wiker, with Michele Carter serving as its editor—introduced another layer to the character's identity. While referencing some of Kadann's history from Polyhedron 103, it posited that the Kadann depicted in the Davids' books was, in fact, an imposter who was active while the real Kadann was in hiding. Although this contradicted the Polyhedron article, the retcon implies that the sections of the Polyhedron article concerning Kadann in the immediate aftermath of Return of the Jedi actually pertain to the imposter Kadann.

Since the creation of the false Prophet, he has been mentioned in various sources, including Abel Peña's Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals and Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties. The former establishes the fate of the imposter Kadann, while the latter identifies him as a member of the Bimm species. He also received entries in the appendix of The New Essential Guide to Characters and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, and the imposter retcon retroactively granted him an entry in the first Star Wars Encyclopedia.

An entry for "Kadann" appears in Daniel Wallace's New Essential Guide to Characters, but it describes the actions of the false Kadann while referring to him as the true Prophet. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia fails to distinguish between the two Kadanns, mistakenly treating them as a single character.

The character's actual name was not revealed until the 2013 article The Star Wars Spy Game: SPIN Declassified, penned by Greg Mitchell and Abel G. Peña for the official StarWars.com blog. He was also identified as one of the numerous Ubooki brothers, who were initially introduced in the 1994 article Glah Ubooki's Strange & Wondrous Imports, written by Shane Lacy Hensley for Star Wars Adventure Journal 1.