Battle of Empress Teta

In the year 3997 BBY, after several months of silence from Jedi Knight Ulic Qel-Droma, who, after a battle on Deneba, had decided to infiltrate the secret society known as Krath with the intention of destroying them from within, a number of Jedi Knights grew concerned that he was in danger. The Jedi organized a mission, led by Knight Nomi Sunrider, with the goal of establishing contact with Qel-Droma who was undercover. The mission achieved its goal of contact, as Jedi Knights Sunrider, Ulic's brother Cay, and Tott Doneeta successfully reached their undercover agent. However, the mission diverged from its original plan when Ulic unleashed a surge of dark side energy upon the Jedi team, informing them that he would not be returning with them to Ossus. Convinced that Ulic was dangerously close to completely succumbing to the dark side's influence, Sunrider led her team back to the Jedi stronghold on Ossus to present the situation to the Jedi Masters.

Upon their arrival at Ossus, Sunrider, Cay, and Doneeta recounted to the Masters the experiences they had on Empress Teta. Sharing their belief that Ulic was indeed succumbing to the dark side, the Knights presented a new plan to the Masters, aimed at extracting Ulic from the Krath. Nomi informed the Masters that the Knights intended to attempt to persuade Ulic to return with them, at which point he could then renounce the dark side. They explained that if persuasion failed, they were prepared to forcefully extract Ulic if necessary. After Sunrider and the other Knights had presented their plan, the Jedi Masters contributed their wisdom and perspectives to the discussion. The Masters cautioned the younger Knights against forcefully removing Ulic, explaining that Ulic himself must make the decision to turn away from the dark path and return to the light. They argued that without this personal choice, Ulic would not fully comprehend the grave consequences of his actions. Heeding the Jedi Masters' wisdom, Sunrider and the other Knights adjusted their plan to incorporate this new perspective. With the Masters' approval of their plan, the Jedi Knights organized an attack force, which included the Beast Riders of Onderon under the leadership of Oron Kira, and set off for the Empress Teta system to once again attempt to rescue Ulic.

The combined Jedi–Beast Rider force successfully arrived undetected at the Krath headquarters on Cinnagar. The Jedi fighter squadrons, consisting of Sabers and Stingers, led by Oss Wilum, initiated the attack with a strafing run against the Iron Citadel. While Wilum, Shoaneb Culu, and Dace Diath spearheaded the aerial assault against the Krath forces, Oron Kira commanded his Beast Riders to transport Sunrider, Cay Qel-Droma, and Qrrrl Toq to the citadel's upper balconies, where they would commence their search for Ulic. Upon breaching the upper levels of the citadel, the Jedi and the Beast Riders successfully defeated the Krath soldiers who were serving as Ulic's guards. With the enemy soldiers neutralized, Sunrider attempted to persuade Ulic to return with the strike force back to Ossus.

However, Ulic was not alone in his quarters. He was accompanied by Aleema Keto, his mistress, who believed that the Jedi's attempt to rescue him was futile, and that her Sith magic could easily defeat the Jedi. Employing her powers, Keto conjured several illusions in an attempt to instill fear in the Jedi attackers. Nevertheless, Sunrider was able to employ her battle meditation against the Sith sorceress, thereby overwhelming Keto's senses and causing her to lose control of her powers.

Despite the Jedi's most valiant efforts, Ulic remained burdened by immense guilt for his inability to prevent the death of Jedi Master Arca Jeth during the earlier Battle on Deneba, and he believed that he owed it to his former master to eradicate the Krath. Informing Sunrider and the others that he could not return with them until he had destroyed the Krath and the Sith, Ulic turned his former friends away. Nevertheless, Sunrider and the others refused to accept that Ulic was lost to them, and persisted in pleading with him to reconsider his decision. Frustrated by what he perceived as unwarranted intervention on the part of the Jedi, Ulic unleashed the power of a Sith amulet that Aleema Keto had bestowed upon him. The attack compelled Sunrider and the other Jedi, including Ulic's brother, Cay, to acknowledge that Ulic was lost to them. Upon this realization, the Jedi and Beast Riders retreated from Krath space after fighting combating Chaos starfighters that had entered the battle. The Jedi then returned to Ossus to meditate on their failure.

Observing the Jedi and Beast Riders retreating, Qel-Droma and Keto quietly celebrated their shared victory. However, their celebration was interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected visitor: Exar Kun, a fallen Jedi who had become a Sith. Kun had journeyed to Cinnagar from his Sith base on Yavin 4, with the intention of eliminating those he considered threats to his newfound power. Recognizing that the true threat resided with Qel-Droma, Kun employed his Sith powers to attack Keto, rendering her unconscious. Witnessing the attack on his lover by Kun, Qel-Droma confronted him in a rapid lightsaber duel. The duel persisted for several minutes, with each warrior striving to overcome the other. However, during the fight, several spirits of long-dead Sith Lords materialized, including that of the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos. Ragnos immediately intervened, halting Qel-Droma and Kun, proclaiming that through the unification of their power, the Sith would once again ascend to their rightful position within the galaxy. Ragnos proceeded to declare Exar Kun as the new Dark Lord of the Sith, citing his dedication to learning the Sith ways and the immense power he possessed. Ragnos then designated Ulic Qel-Droma as Kun's first and foremost Sith apprentice, due to his willingness to embrace the dark path and reject the attachments he once cherished. With the two fallen Jedi united as Sith Lords, Kun and Qel-Droma swore an oath that together they would conquer the galaxy, overthrow the Republic, and annihilate the Jedi Order.

The battle was initially featured in Dark Lords of the Sith 6: Jedi Assault, an issue within the Tales of the Jedi comic series. The battle was conceived and written by authors Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson, with artwork by artist Chris Gossett. Veitch and Anderson utilized this pivotal battle as the catalyst for the alliance between the two fallen Jedi, Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun, where they portrayed both characters being anointed as Sith Lords.

Following the publication of the Dark Lords of the Sith story-arc, the battle on Empress Teta was adapted into the Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama, brought to life through the voice acting of various cast members, including John Cygan (Ulic Qel-Droma), Glynnis Talken (Nomi Sunrider), and Jack Noseworthy (Cay Qel-Droma).