Sedriss QL

The Human Qaga Lok, who came into existence sometime after 20 BBY, was a descendant of the Jedi Knight and Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma, a figure from the Great Sith War that occurred thousands of years in the past. He became a mercenary during the era of the Galactic Empire and showed an inclination for using the Force. He was employed by Imperial Intelligence as a hired gun at one point. Despite several attempts by various Galactic Empire factions to recruit him, they were largely unsuccessful. At some point, Lok caused the deaths of a group of Imperial officers, resulting in his capture and death sentence for the offense. Before his sentence could be executed, members of the Imperial Inquisitorius intervened, taking him into custody and presenting him to Galactic Emperor Palpatine himself. The Emperor proposed a duel to Lok: victory would grant him the freedom to kill Palpatine, while defeat would require unwavering loyalty to the Emperor or face a painful death.

Lok accepted the duel, only to be instantly overwhelmed by the Emperor's Force abilities. Acknowledging his loss, the mercenary agreed to abide by their agreement. Nevertheless, Palpatine continued his assault, pressing down on Lok and fracturing his ribs. Despite Lok's repeated assurances of service, Palpatine only ceased his attack when the young man begged for his life. Regaining his composure, Lok knelt before the Emperor, recognizing the superior Force wielder. Subsequently, Lok underwent extensive training under Palpatine, aspiring to wield similar power. To honor his new Master, Lok adopted the name "Sedriss QL," retaining only his original initials and deriving "Sedriss" from the ancient Sith language. Throughout his training in the ways of the dark side of the Force, Sedriss remained unaware of his intended role within the Empire, as the Emperor never discussed it. In addition to the skills acquired during his instruction, Sedriss was trained to wield a lightsaber.

When Palpatine died at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Sedriss, like many Dark Side Adepts, retreated to the Emperor's Deep Core planet of Byss. Sedriss personally oversaw the planet's defenses, while the Empire's disparate factions, lacking a unifying leader, fought amongst themselves. Despite this, Sedriss understood the importance of safeguarding the Emperor's clone labs within his citadel on Byss for Palpatine's potential return. In 9 ABY, the Emperor was finally reborn in a new clone body. As a reward for Sedriss' loyalty, he was granted the rank of Executor, granting him total command of the Imperial Military.

The Emperor also charged his new Executor with preventing any ostensibly loyal Imperial agency from seizing control of the Empire in the event of his death. To this end, he entrusted Sedriss with the security of his clone labs. Another task assigned to the Executor in the event of Palpatine's death was the execution of Operation Shadow Hand, a series of attacks against non-Imperial worlds using advanced weaponry to bring them under Imperial control. During this period, Sedriss was also placed in command of the Dark Side Elite, a select group of seven warriors empowered by Palpatine with the dark side of the Force. While the Elite were under Palpatine's direct control, Sedriss possessed slightly greater autonomy.

When Palpatine died again at the Battle of Pinnacle Base in 10 ABY, Sedriss, commanding the Dark Side Elite, initiated Operation Shadow Hand, launching attacks against worlds near the Core Worlds. The Executor remained loyal to the deceased Emperor, believing that Palpatine would return. At Bast Castle on the planet Vjun, a holding of the late Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, Sedriss had the Dark Side Elite prepare for Palpatine's rebirth, erecting a large statue of Vader. During these preparations, Kam Solusar, a member of the Dark Side Elite, defected to the New Republic after encountering the Jedi Luke Skywalker. Despite this loss, Sedriss remained resolute. To lead his ground forces in Operation Shadow Hand, the Executor appointed General Maximilian Veers, a man he disliked but recognized for his battlefield prowess, demoting him to captain for the task.

One of the strikes encompassed in Operation Shadow Hand garnered Sedriss' personal attention: the disciplining of Balmorra, a world on the fringes of the Core Worlds. Balmorra, the manufacturing site of the Empire's All Terrain Scout Transports, had its Governor, Hinch Beltane, begin arming the New Republic following news of Palpatine's death at Pinnacle Base. Accompanied by fellow Dark Side Elite members Vill Goir and Krdys Mordi, Sedriss traveled to Balmorra aboard the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Avenger. Upon arrival, Goir directed the ship and its fleet to withhold fire and deploy troops for ground assault.

On the Avenger's viewscreen, Sedriss was contacted directly by Beltane, who demanded an explanation for the fleet's presence. Sedriss, seeing through Beltane's pretense, offered the governor the chance to surrender and face execution for treason. Otherwise, Sedriss threatened to attack Balmorra. The governor retorted, claiming to still provide the Empire with advanced armor. Mordi reminded Sedriss that Balmorra was now producing cutting-edge battle droids, specifically the SD-10. Aware of this, the Executor remained confident that the dark side would enable the Imperials to overcome any resistance Beltane could muster. As the Executor landed his troops, he informed Beltane that he would accept the governor's surrender, which Beltane refused, welcoming the opportunity to fight off an Imperial invasion with his new war droids.

Sedriss directed his forces under Captain Veers to move into the plains surrounding Balmorra's capital, Bin Prime, hoping to draw out the governor's forces. As the Executor predicted, Beltane deployed his SD-10 battle droids. Sedriss' stormtrooper forces were massacred in large numbers, and his year-old SD-9 battle droids were easily outmaneuvered by the newer models. Satisfied that Beltane had committed his full strength, Sedriss ordered Mordi to have the Imperial troops retreat. The Avenger carried a complement of a new type of starfighter, the Shadow Droid, designed by Umak Leth, one of Palpatine's top engineers. Sedriss deployed the fighters to Balmorra, where they decimated the SD-10s. However, the governor deployed a new type of war droid, unknown to the Empire's forces: the X-1 Viper. The X-1 engaged Sedriss' Shadow Droids, and Captain Veers was killed during the combat.

Surprised by these events, Sedriss demanded to be reconnected with Beltane. While the Executor could have unleashed his fleet's firepower on Balmorra, he chose to admit Beltane's victory on the planet's surface and inquired about the governor's demands in exchange for the X-1. Beltane sought Balmorra's freedom, proposing that the Galactic Empire purchase munitions from the planet on a contractual basis, subject to the governor's approval. Sedriss was outraged, claiming that the Emperor did not buy weapons from free planets, but Beltane reminded him that Palpatine was dead. Conceding the point, Sedriss prepared to send representatives to the planet to negotiate terms. Despite Goir and Mordi's desire to level the planet, Sedriss refused, needing Beltane's weapons urgently. He clarified, however, that he would destroy Balmorra once he secured the war droids and their designers.

Meanwhile, rumors circulated among the Dark Side Adepts at the Emperor's Citadel on Byss that Palpatine would not assume another clone body. These adepts suggested that Sedriss should be executed for his failure to subjugate Balmorra. Sedriss and four other members of the Dark Side Elite returned to Byss in their I-7 Howlrunner. Upon landing at the Emperor's Citadel, Sedriss entered the Emperor's cloning laboratory, discovering most of Palpatine's clone bodies destroyed. The perpetrators, adepts Nefta and Sa-Di, were present. Nefta confronted Sedriss about his failure at Balmorra, and the two adepts attempted to justify their destruction of the clone bodies. However, the Executor swiftly engaged Nefta in a duel, striking him down before killing Sa-Di.

At that moment, Emperor Palpatine, reborn in a younger clone body, entered the lab. Upon seeing his reborn Master, Sedriss knelt and informed the Emperor that he had eliminated the remaining unfaithful adepts. Palpatine, satisfied, ordered Sedriss to bring him the pregnant Jedi Leia Organa Solo before she gave birth to her third child, hoping to possess the child should his current clone body fail. He also ordered Sedriss to direct the entire Imperial military against the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, Organa Solo's brother, a persistent enemy of Palpatine. The Emperor stated that he would handle the New Republic's armed forces himself.

Sedriss decided to send Dark Side Elite members Zasm Katth and Baddon Fass to capture Organa Solo, but they were killed in the attempt, and the Star Destroyer Invincible was lost. Palpatine expressed his displeasure, suggesting that Sedriss should be executed for his failure. Sedriss quickly dismissed the issue, claiming to have located Skywalker and his companion, former Dark Side Elite member Kam Solusar, on the world of Ossus, a former Jedi headquarters thousands of years ago. Without New Republic support, Sedriss reasoned, Skywalker would be easier prey. Palpatine speculated that Skywalker was investigating the Jedi's past to revive their former strength. Realizing that Skywalker could not be allowed to succeed, he insisted that the Jedi be stopped, but Sedriss was already prepared, having authorized the probe droid to kill Skywalker and Solusar upon their arrival on Ossus. However, Palpatine vehemently opposed this plan and ordered his Executor to travel to Ossus and personally capture Skywalker and the traitor, promising great power for success and "madness beyond death" for failure.

Sedriss ordered the probe droid to stand down, but the message was lost in hyperspace static. The droid engaged Skywalker and Solusar, who destroyed it unharmed. Meanwhile, the Executor researched Ossus, specifically the legends of the Jedi who survived its destruction thousands of years prior. Sedriss learned of the primitive Ysanna tribesmen and decided to enlist them as his servants. He then traveled to Ossus aboard the Imperial hunter Scourge One.

Skywalker and Solusar were located near old Jedi ruins, accompanied by several Ysanna tribesmen. Darktrooper squads were deployed to engage the Ysanna, hoping to clear a path to Skywalker and Solusar. He and Goir, who had accompanied him, watched as the Jedi moved to engage the darktroopers. Within twenty minutes, all the Imperial troopers were dead.

Sedriss observed that Skywalker had been weakened by the battle and moved in with Goir to attack the Jedi, using Force choke against their adversaries. While Solusar felt the effects, Skywalker blocked the attack. Angered by Skywalker's taunts, Sedriss ordered Goir to sever both Jedi's fighting arms, intending to take them alive. Lightsabers drawn, the two Dark Side Adepts engaged the Jedi. Goir was sliced in two by Solusar, and Sedriss was sent flying back by a Force push from Skywalker.

Disarmed and with his back to a tree, Sedriss took Jem, one of the female Ysanna natives, hostage. He threatened to destroy her with the dark side, but the native attempted to use the Force against him. Surmising that Skywalker intended to train the Force-adept Ysanna as Jedi, the Executor declared that he would take Jem back to Byss and turn her to the dark side, also stating his intention to bring Solusar back with him, which the turncoat refused.

At that moment, the tree, revealed to be the Neti Jedi Master Ood Bnar in hibernation since the Great Sith War, reawakened and grasped Sedriss with his tendrils. Sensing his final battle, Sedriss resolved to prevent Skywalker's escape. Channeling all his power, he drew energy from the planet's charged atmosphere, using it in lightning to attack Bnar. Still holding Jem, Skywalker was able to free her just as Bnar called upon the planet's energy to obliterate both Sedriss and himself. Following Sedriss' death on Ossus, the Emperor appointed Xecr Nist as the new Executor.

As a young man, Qaga Lok was deemed insolent, insubordinate, and violent by Imperial authorities. Upon meeting him, Emperor Palpatine concluded that he could not respect anyone he could easily kill. After his defeat by Palpatine, Lok pledged unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, respecting him enough to change his name to "Sedriss QL." Sedriss was devoted to his liege, immediately kneeling upon seeing the Emperor. While Palpatine was not always pleased with Sedriss' performance as Executor, Sedriss managed to appease him by promising results. Even outside the Emperor's presence, Sedriss displayed great fealty, vowing to avenge those responsible for the Emperor's deaths. Sedriss also spoke highly of Palpatine's ability to grant considerable power.

Sedriss was pragmatic enough to avoid the total destruction of valuable worlds like Balmorra. Although he disliked Governor Beltane, he recognized the impracticality of bombarding the planet, as it would destroy valuable factories. While Sedriss was angered by Beltane's initial victory, he considered men like the governor insignificant compared to adversaries like Luke Skywalker. Sedriss believed he possessed considerable foresight as a military commander, willing to sacrifice his men to capture valuable worlds like Balmorra intact. However, when faced with unexpected events, Sedriss did not retaliate in rage, instead choosing to negotiate with Governor Beltane.

The Executor was confident that the dark side of the Force would aid him in battle and overcome the advanced weaponry encountered by him and the Dark Side Elite. He also attributed his superior combat abilities to the dark side when dueling Nefta. In battle, Sedriss would not hesitate to strike down an opponent, even if they were unprepared. When defeated by Skywalker, Sedriss became desperate, using an innocent bystander as a hostage. Even trapped by Ood Bnar, he refused to surrender, intending to take Skywalker and the other Jedi with him in death. Sedriss had black hair and brown eyes.

After Darth Vader, Executor Sedriss was considered one of Emperor Palpatine's strongest students. Despite this, Palpatine considered Sedriss only moderately skilled in the Force and chose not to train him as a Sith apprentice. Sedriss was skilled with a lightsaber, quickly outmatching Nefta and killing Sa-Di. He could also use Force choke, but his powers were easily deflected by Luke Skywalker. Skywalker bested Sedriss in combat, using Force push effectively. In his final moments, Sedriss delved deep into the dark side, conjuring Force lightning and drawing upon Ossus' charged atmosphere to destroy Ood Bnar. Sedriss was capable of piloting an I-7 Howlrunner starfighter.

As Military Executor and leader of the Dark Side Elite, Sedriss wore a gray shirt and loose black pants, held up by an ornate brown-and-silver belt with a large round buckle and an additional strap around his groin. The outfit included heavy black boots and armguards, as well as a short black jacket with a high raised collar. He wielded a red-bladed lightsaber.

The debut of Sedriss as a character occurred within the pages of Dark Empire II 1, specifically in the inaugural issue of the Star Wars: Dark Empire II comic book series. This series was penned by the writer Tom Veitch, the artwork was created by Cam Kennedy, and it was brought to the public by Dark Horse Comics on December 20, 1994. Later on, Jim Ward lent his voice to bring the character to life in the audio drama adaptation of Dark Empire II.

Originally, Sedriss was planned to be featured in Veitch's proposed novella, Lightsider, intended to serve as a prelude to the events depicted in Dark Empire II. In this story, he would have been given the birth name "Qaga Lok." However, Lightsider was ultimately canceled. Instead, the birth name "Qaga Lok" was subsequently incorporated into the German version of the 85th edition of The Official Star Wars Fact File. This particular piece of information was absent from the English version of the 85th issue. The name "Sedriss QL" had previously been seen in a special edition of issue #1 of Dark Empire II, which was published by Hero magazine.

In comparison to the original Dark Empire II comic book, the Dark Empire II audio drama presents several differences, beyond just alterations to the dialogue, concerning Sedriss's narrative. During the Battle of Balmorra, Beltane orders his planetary defenses to target Sedriss's fleet, which then causes the Executor to deploy ground forces. Furthermore, when Palpatine makes his return, Sedriss only faces and engages Sa-Di in combat, and he does not directly witness the destruction of the Emperor's clones. Another subtle change occurs during the battle on Ossus, where Skywalker defeats Sedriss in the lightsaber duel, instead of Sedriss being pushed back against Ood Bnar via the Force. These portrayals of events may be considered canon within the context of Star Wars Legends continuity, but for the purposes of this article, the biography will present the events as they unfold in the comic book.