Rhad Tarn, a Human Jedi Knight (of the male variety), served the Jedi Order as the Galactic Republic approached its final years. During those final years, the galaxy was engulfed in war, and Tarn, disagreeing with the Order, abandoned it because he believed the Confederacy of Independent Systems was justified in wanting to see the Republic fall.
Rhad Tarn's Force-sensitive nature led him to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where he began his training in the ways of the Force. After progressing through the Temple's academy, he became a Padawan under a Jedi Master. Tarn's journey missions to the Outer Rim Territories exposed him to the grim realities of illegal prisons and slave labor. He constructed a lightsaber with a blue blade and eventually passed his Trials of Knighthood, earning the title of Jedi Knight.
Shortly after his ascension to Knighthood, the [Separatist Crisis](/article/separatist_crisis-legends], which had been a persistent issue for the Republic, escalated into a full-blown conflict, pitting the Jedi and the Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. When the Jedi High Council summoned all Jedi back to Coruscant to join the Grand Army of the Republic and fight against the Confederacy, Tarn exercised his Right of Denial. He chose to avoid Coruscant and instead headed for the Outer Rim, explaining that he believed the Republic was too corrupt to be saved and that the Jedi's allegiance should be to The Force, not to any government or military. Tarn's views attracted a group of like-minded Jedi, and he became a well-known figure of dissent within the Order, causing concern among members of the High Council about a potential split. To prevent the Order from fracturing, Master of the Order Mace Windu arranged a meeting with Tarn and other dissident leaders to openly discuss their differing viewpoints.
Three months after the beginning of the war, Tarn was contacted by fellow dissident Master Sora Bulq and agreed to meet with Windu and others at the old estate of the Weequay's family on Ruul, a moon orbiting Bulq's home planet of Sriluur. Tarn, along with Jedi K'Kruhk, Sian Jeisel, and Mira, arrived on Ruul and prepared for the discussion that Windu had called for. Upon Windu's arrival, Tarn was the most vocal of the group, openly expressing his opinion that the Jedi should align themselves with the Confederacy. He advocated for rebellion against the Republic due to its neglect of the suffering in the Outer Rim, which worried his comrades with his extreme ideas. The other dissidents attempted to moderate Tarn's views during the informal discussion, agreeing that the Republic was corrupt but unwilling to side with the Confederacy.
As their time on Ruul went on, Tarn's distrust of Master Windu's motives grew, as he felt Windu was ready to betray them at any moment to preserve the Order's unity. Tarn was indeed correct in his suspicion that the meeting had hidden purposes, but he failed to identify the true source of the deception. In reality, the quiet and thoughtful Sora Bulq had succumbed to the dark side and allied himself with Count Dooku, becoming one of his minions. The meeting was, in essence, a trap designed to bring Mace Windu within striking distance of Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress. Ventress, who arrived on Ruul with only Bulq's knowledge, launched an attack on the Jedi, killing Mira and creating the impression that she was working with Master Windu. While K'Kruhk tried to avoid jumping to conclusions about the events and Ventress' connection to Master Windu, Tarn's pent-up distrust exploded, and he was consumed by rage.
Driven by a desire to find the assassin, Tarn dangerously approached the dark side. During his lightsaber duel with Ventress, the Dark Jedi mocked and played with the young Jedi, further fueling his anger. Ventress exploited this, urging Tarn to embrace his rage, which led him to fall to the Dark Side of the Force. When offered the chance to join Ventress, Tarn deactivated his lightsaber and accepted. By the time K'Kruhk and Jeisel arrived to confront Ventress, they found themselves facing not only a Dark Jedi but also an enraged Tarn. Disarmed and pinned against a rock, Jeisel pleaded with Tarn not to give in to the dark side, but he was too consumed by rage to listen. As he prepared to deliver a fatal blow, Jeisel grabbed her lightsaber and swiftly struck Tarn across the torso, killing him.
Rhad Tarn embodied the Jedi's deepest fears about the potential consequences of the war on the Jedi Order. His easy fall raised concerns about how many others might follow the same path. News of Tarn's death quickly reached the Temple, and the remaining dissident Jedi reached out to his followers, attempting to bring them back into the Order.