Shedao Shai

Shedao Shai, grandson of Mongei Shai, was a Yuuzhan Vong warrior celebrated for his deep commitment to the worship of pain. He was born into the prestigious Domain Shai, a warrior domain that pledged allegiance to Shimrra of Domain Jamaane during the coup that ousted Supreme Overlord Quoreal and installed Shimrra in power. Shai was determined to enhance his family's honor. His grandfather, a member of a scouting party that preceded the Yuuzhan Vong invasion to explore the galaxy, chose to stay on planet Bimmiel to report back using a villip. This sacrifice, and his subsequent death, brought great honor to the Shai family. Shedao Shai aspired to recover his grandfather's remains, a mission entrusted to him by his domain's elders, who provided him with Shai relics to motivate him. Renowned for his combat skills, Shai was a commander when the Yuuzhan Vong launched their large-scale invasion in 25 ABY. His high rank and leadership of the main assault fleet were largely due to the perceived nobility of his grandfather's sacrifice. Shai was tasked with rectifying the advance force's errors, taking control of the Praetorite Vong (who had tried to manipulate the invasion for their own gain), and continuing the Yuuzhan Vong's advance. He also had to prepare for the arrival of Warmaster Tsavong Lah, whom he saw as a rival despite their differing ranks, much to Shai's displeasure. Additionally, the commander aimed to eliminate the Jedi Order to consolidate more power.

Shai was assigned a warrior from the declining Domain Lian, a former rival domain that had lost its prominence. He found his new subordinate, Deign Lian, disagreeable, often verbally and physically abusing him, which amused Shai. However, Lian's fear was mostly a facade; the ambitious warrior was secretly allied with Warmaster Tsavong Lah to undermine Shai. Lah viewed Shai's reputation as a threat to Domain Lah's power and used Lian to manipulate Shai towards defeat, exploiting his obsession with his ancestor's relics. Aboard the Legacy of Torment, the Kor Chokk grand cruiser and Shai's ancient flagship, he led the invasion of the galaxy. He first retook worlds conquered, and sometimes lost, by the Praetorite. Belkadan was transformed into a production site for yorik-et starfighters, and a shipwomb was grown in the ruins of Sernpidal, a planet destroyed by the Praetorite Vong. As the Yuuzhan Vong advanced through the Outer Rim Territories, Shai sent his relatives Neira and Dranae Shai to Bimmiel to recover Mongei Shai's remains, hoping to further enhance the Shai family's glory.

Meanwhile, Shai's forces targeted Dubrillion, a world that had successfully repulsed a Praetorite Vong attack during Prefect Da'Gara's brief leadership. A cruiser was positioned in the asteroid belt around the system, and yorik-et were sent on raids, gradually weakening the defenders and destroying Dubrillion's cities. Eventually, ships from nearby Agamar arrived with a Bothan Assault Cruiser to evacuate the planet. Shai's forces waited until the refugee ships and their escorts were leaving the system before attacking. A brief skirmish occurred before Shai's cruiser used its dovin basal missiles to block the New Republic retreat to Agamar, forcing the convoy to Dantooine, which had already been scouted by the Yuuzhan Vong. Without a New Republic defense, Shai's ground troops seized Dubrillion. Chazrach reptoid soldiers and Yuuzhan Vong warriors moved through the ruined cities, where the citizens waged a guerrilla war. Shai scorned the Dubrillion defenders for their struggle to survive and avoid pain, as his forces prepared to attack Dantooine.

Two training groups of warriors were already on Dantooine, engaged with two Jedi who had been located there. Shai was displeased that both Jedi escaped, with the only consolation being that Domain Lian had lost four warriors in the pursuit. Reports also indicated that two more Force-users were on Belkadan, but the attack on Dantooine soon became his priority. The refugees from Dubrillion had established a base on Dantooine and a defensive perimeter. The Bothan Assault Cruiser left for Coruscant, the New Republic capital, and Shai's forces moved in. At night, a Yuuzhan Vong cruiser deployed yorik-trema landing craft, delivering a large invasion force: a five-kilometer column of Chazrach thralls, their herder vehicle and its tender, and many Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Two squadrons of yorik-et protected the column from aerial attacks as they advanced south through the forests towards the base.

Despite starfighter attacks, Shai's column maintained its advance. Simultaneously, warriors infiltrated the refugee camp in twos and threes, using ooglith masquers to disguise themselves as Humans. Although Jedi foiled this strategy, the main column eventually reached the base and attacked its perimeter. Casualties were high on both sides, and Shai again saw his enemies as courageous, despite their flawed love of technology. Ultimately, the first half of the Yuuzhan Vong force was defeated when Jedi Master Luke Skywalker manipulated the thrall herder's defensive singularity to consume itself. Without their control vehicle, the Chazrach went insane, and four proton torpedoes destroyed much of the column. Shai's yorik-et were also destroyed, at the cost of almost two and a half squadrons of New Republic starfighters. As the refugee convoy lifted off from Dantooine, Shai brought in a cruiser to block its passage to Agamar and dispatched its starfighters to force the New Republic forces back down. However, the Bothan Assault Cruiser returned with a Victory-class Star Destroyer, the Corusca Fire, and together the two New Republic capital ships drove off the cruiser. Again, without a New Republic presence, Shai's forces moved in and took the world.

Shortly after the Battle of Dantooine, Shai received word from Krag Val about developments on Bimmiel. Val reported that Neira and Dranae Shai were dead, but upon arrival, Shedao learned that they had fought two Jedi who had located Mongei's resting place and taken his mummified corpse for scientific study. Questioning Krag Val about the events in the grashal where the Yuuzhan Vong had fallen, Shai was enraged by the treatment of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors' bodies, which had been torn apart by slashrats. The New Republic warriors, who had impressed him at Dantooine and Dubrillion, now seemed unworthy. Shai criticized his cousins' search pattern, but was more concerned about the Jedi who had killed them. Val indicated that blood traces suggested the Jedi were wounded and their corpse had been removed from the grashal via starship. Shai concluded that this new enemy had not died fighting his relatives, as the New Republic did not honor the dead. He vowed revenge against the Jedi who had desecrated his family's corpses, promising to taste his enemy's blood before their death, and returned to the invasion's forefront. More worlds and systems fell, and incursions were made on planets like the agricultural world of Garqi.

As the conquered people of Dubrillion continued to resist Shai's invasion, fighting in the ruined cities against the Yuuzhan Vong and Chazrach, the commander oversaw the subjugation of the planet from the Legacy of Torment, connected via a cognition hood. Pondering the invasion's progress, Shai used the Kor Chokk cruiser's memory retention center to enter the recorded consciousness of a Chazrach soldier who had died in Dubrillion's ruins. However, the reptoid's perceived cowardice led Shai to the Embrace of Pain, a torture device in which he remained for hours. To supply the fleet, Shai sent Krag Val to Garqi, which was to become a resource world for the Yuuzhan Vong advance. Dubrillion was established as Shai's headquarters, as he considered it one of the few conquered worlds with any significant value. Soon, a New Republic shuttle arrived, and its sole occupant contacted Shai's forces, requesting transport to Dubrillion. Upon landing, Shai traveled to the Dubrillion Aquarium, where he had set up his base, preserving the natural creatures in their habitats (initially feeding them live and dead Humans) until Dubrillion could be re-created by the Yuuzhan Vong.

On the way to the aquarium, a Human attacked Shai. Wearing full Vonduun Skerr Kyrric, including a mask, and armed with a tsaisi, Shai easily defeated the assailant, sending him to the priests to be enslaved. Without his bodyguards, Shai traveled with Deign Lian alone, who questioned his actions and the New Republic. Disliking Lian but wary of his ambition, Shai toyed with him, criticizing him while observing his reactions. They reached the aquarium, where Shai met New Republic senator Elegos A'Kla, a Caamasi seeking to understand the Yuuzhan Vong's motives. Shai spoke to the senator in Basic, as A'Kla had not mastered Yuuzhan Vong, and learned that the Caamasi had no ill intentions. Shocking Lian, he removed his mask and faced the New Republic delegate, ordering his subordinate to fetch refreshments. Shai was intrigued by the prospect of gaining intelligence on the New Republic and accepted A'Kla's offer to exchange information. For A'Kla's first lesson, Shai took him to the Embrace of Pain.

While the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic Defense Force continued to fight across the invasion corridor, Shai remained engrossed in A'Kla, assigning him menial tasks to instill an appreciation for pain. From A'Kla, the commander learned of a Chiss Grand Admiral, Thrawn, and was intrigued by the Imperial practice of studying enemy art to predict wartime strategies. When Shai attempted to understand the Bothan admiral he was fighting, Traest Kre'fey, A'Kla was less forthcoming, and Shai interrogated captives on Dubrillion. Preoccupied with the senator, Shai was unfazed by news that a New Republic task force had infiltrated the Julevian system, where the shipwomb was being built in Sernpidal's ruins. He dismissed Lian's concerns about a New Republic attack on the facility, more interested in the fact that the Ralroost, the Bothan Assault Cruiser from Dubrillion and Dantooine, had been the flagship in the Sernpidal incursion and another intrusion in the Garqi system. The ship's presence in both systems, acting differently at Garqi, alerted Shai to New Republic plans for the world.

When his aide suggested that Shai's closeness with A'Kla was clouding his judgment, the commander became enraged. As Lian relayed gossip and worried that A'Kla might escape with Yuuzhan Vong information, Shai turned on him, perceiving a slight to his honor. He struck Lian, shouting and kicking him, proclaiming his unquestionable superiority and intolerance for doubts about his leadership or objectivity. Despite Lian's protests that he was repeating what Shai's enemies were saying, the commander ordered him to fetch A'Kla without his mask and reminded him to kill those who plotted against him. Threateningly, Shai ordered Lian to spend a Dubrillion night in the Embrace of Pain, releasing himself before sunrise only if he wished to die.

After humiliating Lian, the commander waited in the aquarium for A'Kla, questioning him about his experiences on the planet. He respected A'Kla's understanding of pain but remained distant from his attempts to reconcile the Yuuzhan Vong belief in their gods with spirituality. Shai brought up Kre'fey, but the senator refrained from providing solid intelligence. Shai then reminded A'Kla of the destruction of Caamas by the Bothans, testing the pacifistic Caamasi with the idea of inflicting pain. A'Kla remained largely undisturbed, so Shai turned to military matters. Lian asked to travel to Garqi to monitor Krag Val's occupation. Aware of the New Republic's earlier activity, Shai ordered him to take the Burning Pride, a cruiser, and seven corvettes to the planet—a large force for such a mission. The commander knew the New Republic would strike Garqi again and was proven correct when Lian engaged Kre'fey over the planet. However, he did not anticipate the appearance of an Imperial Remnant task force, as the remainder of the Galactic Empire had stayed out of the war until then. Hearing Lian's reports, Shai traveled to Garqi to assess the situation.

As he descended to the planet with A'Kla, Shai noticed a deep black burn scar, which he discovered was the ruins of the Pesktda Xenobotanical Garden. The use of fire to destroy living organisms was an abomination to the Yuuzhan Vong, and Shai was disgusted. A skirmish had occurred, leaving Krag Val and others dead, and the New Republic had incinerated the garden where the ground battle's final stages had taken place. Determined to learn what happened, Shai interrogated Runck Das, a warrior who had been ordered to stay behind. The commander placed his foot on Das's neck, ready to kill him if he revealed any fault. When Lian intervened, calling Val and Das fools, Shai struck him in the throat. Das continued, informing the commander that the surviving Chazrach had provided pertinent information. Val and his troops had engaged three Jedi and their companions but had fallen to the enemy lightsabers, leading to the garden's burning. During his report, the warrior referred to the Jedi by their lightsaber color; when Das called one "Silverblade," Shai noticed A'Kla react and realized the Caamasi knew this Jedi. First, Shai finished questioning Das, killing him when he claimed nothing more could have been done, commenting that Das could have been faster.

Lian fully expected to face death for his role in Kre'fey's successful escape with the infiltration team. Instead, Shai opted to impart a strategic lesson to his subordinate. The commander correctly deduced that the Jedi strike team intentionally destroyed the garden, along with its Ithorian bafforr trees, which explained why he had dispatched Lian with such a substantial force to Garqi. He rebuked Lian's decisions and tasked him with uncovering the reason behind the garden's destruction. When alone with A'Kla, the commander sought the Caamasi's perspective on the garden's demise. Unsatisfied with the senator's response, Shai demanded to know why such a peaceful being associated with such vile adversaries. A'Kla attempted to defend the honor of his people, but Shai, growing increasingly furious, cited the failure to properly bury the corpses of both Yuuzhan Vong and New Republic soldiers on Garqi and Bimmiel as evidence of his opponents' dishonorable nature. After a pause, Shedao Shai regained his composure and prepared to interrogate A'Kla. He revealed that he had observed the senator's reaction to the name "Silverblade," as well as his mention of Bimmiel, and concluded that A'Kla knew the Jedi's true identity. Pressing the senator for information, Shai finally connected a name to the Jedi blood he had tasted on Bimmiel—Corran Horn. His association with the Caamasi became secondary to his quest; Shai planned to murder A'Kla, thereby issuing a challenge to Horn. He misled the senator into believing he was ready to begin peace negotiations with the New Republic, claiming to have learned much about the galaxy's inhabitants and that A'Kla would serve as his envoy. The commander's words were laced with irony; A'Kla's ambassadorship would be far different from what the senator anticipated. Shai summoned the unsuspecting Caamasi from the garden, and together they returned to the Legacy of Torment.

Following the events on Garqi, Shai's advance into New Republic territory slowed down. At some point, he led a fleet in an assault against Dathomir. Lian's investigation into the fire at the xenobotanical garden yielded no results, and Shai continued his sessions within the Embrace of Pain. Shai also instructed the unknowing A'Kla to record a villip message for Corran Horn. A'Kla's message expressed hopes for eventual peace, unity with his daughter and friends, and reminded Horn that his diplomatic mission was crucial for ending the conflict. The senator also recorded a brief message on his shuttle's communication system, conveying Shedao Shai's regards to Horn. Meanwhile, Lian continued to offer excuses for his lack of progress, which bored Shai. Eventually, however, the aide discovered the events that had transpired in the garden. The Vonduun Skerr Kyrric worn by the warriors had reacted to the bafforr tree pollen, experiencing an allergic reaction to the fine particles. This allergy proved fatal to the living armor, constricting it and suffocating the warriors inside. For Shai, the implications were clear. The New Republic now possessed, on the planet Ithor—where bafforr trees were native—a weapon capable of repelling and potentially annihilating the Yuuzhan Vong. Furthermore, biological life, revered by the Yuuzhan Vong, was resisting their advance. Shai maintained his belief in the holy crusade to conquer the galaxy, but he felt this development meant the priest caste should assume control of the invasion to interpret the significance of this natural opposition. The commander had already witnessed the disastrous consequences when the Praetorite Vong attempted to gain dominance within the species. A rare moment of respect was given to Lian as he revealed that all those aware of the bafforr pollen's lethality had been temporarily detained to prevent the spread of this knowledge, but Shai's subordinate quickly angered him once more. Lian proposed a plan to eliminate the Ithorian threat with a biological agent, delivered safely from above the planet. Shai, however, believed that such destruction of a naturally abundant world could enrage the gods, and that capturing Ithor, despite its heavy defenses, could irreparably shatter New Republic morale.

When Shai rejected his aide's plan to destroy Ithor from afar, Lian protested, arguing that the Yuuzhan Vong would suffer significant losses. Enraged by this insubordination, the commander attacked the warrior, forcing Deign Lian to his knees. Shai then explained his reasoning for launching a major space and ground assault. Unbeknownst to Shai, Lian, in league with Warmaster Tsavong Lah, was observing the commander's actions, which were unfolding precisely as predicted. The hope was that Shai's plan would fail, resulting in his death. Oblivious to these hidden machinations, the commander continued to berate his aide. Another outburst of violence occurred when Lian suggested that Shai had spent too much time with A'Kla, and that undermining the enemy's morale was less effective than tactically destroying a threat. Shai ordered his aide to plan a feint at Agamar and an assault on Ithor, both to occur within a month. Lian questioned why he, rather than the more experienced Shedao Shai, was tasked with planning the attacks, but the commander simply stated that he had matters to attend to with A'Kla and would review the plans once they were prepared. Finally, before Lian departed, Shai instructed him to execute those who had been detained after investigating the bafforr pollen, to maintain secrecy.

Shortly after his meeting with Lian, Shai visited Senator A'Kla and, with some remorse, strangled the unsuspecting Caamasi. For hours, he meticulously prepared the corpse in the manner reserved for fallen Yuuzhan Vong warriors. The flesh, organs, and other organic matter were removed, leaving only the skeleton. Each bone was coated in gold, with platinum adorning the sternum and the ends of the long bones, and violet gems placed in the empty eye sockets. Shai polished the skull's teeth to a pristine white and, using finely ground amethyst powder, recreated the pattern and hue of the purple stripes that had marked A'Kla's head fur. The commander then placed the articulated skeleton in the senator's original shuttle. Encasing the corpse in an organic capsule, Shai ensured that it could only be opened by a sample of Horn's blood—obtained on Bimmiel—guaranteeing that the Jedi would be the first to see its contents. He placed A'Kla's villip on top of the capsule; inside, nestled between the skeleton's crossed legs, was Shai's own villip, containing a pre-recorded message. In this message, Shai identified himself to the Jedi and explained his vendetta against Horn, blaming him for A'Kla's death. The commander also declared his intention to confront Horn and have Mongei Shai's bones returned to him on Ithor, where he indicated a battle would take place. Having vowed on Bimmiel to taste Horn's blood again before killing him, Shai fully anticipated a fight to the death. The senator's shuttle, now covered in Yuuzhan Vong growths, was loaded onto a cruiser and released on the outskirts of the Ottega system, where Corran Horn successfully received Shai's message.

One month after instructing Lian to plan the dual assaults, Shai's forces launched their attacks on Ithor and Agamar. Ithor, heavily defended, was the primary battleground, while Agamar was largely unprotected, as Kre'fey had redeployed his forces to defend the critical bafforr resources on Ithor. Many refugees managed to escape before Agamar ultimately fell to the Yuuzhan Vong.

The Legacy of Torment led the fleet that attacked Ithor, which included three heavy cruisers, eight light cruisers, and numerous yorik-trema landing craft. Shai entered the Ottega system aboard the Legacy of Torment and guided the ships in a deliberate advance toward Ithor. The Tafanda Bay, the only remaining Ithorian Herdship above the evacuated world, was targeted for occupation, and another landing force, also commanded by Shai, was tasked with seizing the planet itself. Meanwhile, Lian was placed in command of the fleet, tasked with engaging the combined New Republic and Imperial Remnant forces defending Ithor. Shai had adapted to the new tactics Kre'fey had developed against him; the New Republic starfighters had begun using numerous low-powered shots against Yuuzhan Vong yorik-et, overwhelming their singularity defenses. The commander correctly anticipated that his enemy would attempt to employ the same tactic against his capital ships at Ithor, and countered it by having his ships generate numerous smaller singularities that, while less potent, could intercept the numerous turbolaser strikes with ease.

The battle commenced as Shai's forces entered attack range and were met with starfighter and capital ship fire. Although Shai had neutralized the New Republic's tactic, allowing Lian to achieve victories in space, the yorik-trema flotilla suffered several losses as it approached Ithor. Two of the four landing vessels heading toward Tafanda Bay were destroyed, and the Yuuzhan Vong warriors and Chazrach deployed on the herdship faced fierce resistance from the defending Jedi. Commander Shai landed on the surface of the jungle world with his troops, retaining one yorik-trema as a command center while the others were sent back to the fleet to collect reinforcements. The Yuuzhan Vong leader divided his landing force into four groups: one squad of warriors remained at the command center, two flanks of three squads each protected the main body of troops (also composed of three squads), in which he traveled. This force, in Shai's estimation, was too small to conquer the planet, but it served as a reconnaissance unit advancing toward the New Republic command facility on Ithor's surface. The commander rushed toward the facility upon receiving a report from one of his warriors that it had been reached, running through the forests and sensing a hostility from the planet that made him question whether the gods approved of his actions. He dismissed these doubts upon learning that the New Republic base appeared to be defended by droids. He gathered three of his squads and charged across open ground toward the facility.

In space, Lian found himself quickly sustaining losses as the defenders of Ithor increased the power of their turbolaser strikes, overwhelming the weaker voids Shai had ordered and destroying several ships with ease. Shai's enraged aide chose not to send troops to the surface to reinforce his superior, leaving the commander to assault the facility alone. Shai was disgusted by the use of droids in its defense. They posed little challenge to the experienced warriors, and soon two of the ferrocrete towers forming part of the base collapsed. Deep inside the facility, Shai realized he had been tricked; the base's foundations were too weak for it to be a permanent structure. Shaking off his battle rage, the commander rushed from the New Republic command center, but it was too late to prevent disaster. An explosion detonated in the basement of the construct, incinerating many of his maddened warriors and collapsing the building upon the survivors. On his right flank, the commander was suddenly met with a barrage of blaster fire; the silence on the left flank disturbed him further. Shai issued an order to retreat. The warrior was furious, blaming A'Kla for the ambush he had been led into; the Caamasi's pacifistic nature had disarmed him, leading him to believe that the enemy was incapable of such shrewd exploitation of natural Yuuzhan Vong fanaticism when it came to fighting machines.

Besieged and denied reinforcements by Lian, the commander was soon contacted by Corran Horn via villip. Several Jedi, including Horn, had seized Shai's command post, killing the defending squad. Horn informed the warrior that, as Shai suspected, the Yuuzhan Vong ground force was completely surrounded, and that Mongei Shai's bones would be launched into the star of the Ottega system unless the commander agreed to his proposal: Horn and Shai would duel for the fate of Ithor. If Horn defeated the commander, Ithor would be spared invasion. If, however, Shai killed the Jedi, the bones would be returned to the Legacy of Torment, to the shrine the commander had prepared. Meanwhile, a truce would be in effect throughout the system. The bargain evoked scorn in the proud warrior, but the opportunity to reclaim the relics was too tempting. The two proceeded to agree on the time of their duel. When Horn suggested waiting for a full moon before the duel, Shai reminded the Jedi of Sernpidal and the tactic of Yo'gand's Core—he could have a dovin basal drag a moon down upon Ithor, obliterating the planet. This threat ensured that, after some brief negotiation, the duel would take place in a week's time, on a mountaintop plateau west of Shai's command center. Before ending their conversation, Commander Shai warned his adversary to prepare to die.

As the sun descended over Ithor, seven days after his discussion with Horn, Shai, accompanied by Lian, arrived at the mountain clearing designated for the duel. Dressed in scarlet and gold, his warrior mask concealing his face, the commander presented an imposing figure, approaching the duel with a seriousness that Horn did not seem to share. A brief exchange preceded the fight, and then the two warriors clashed. Shai and Horn appeared evenly matched, their lunges, slashes, and parries prolonging the duel until one of them made a technical error. Eventually, Shai bypassed his opponent's guard and plunged his amphistaff into Horn's side. His opponent collapsed, and Shai withdrew, removing his mask to savor the taste of the Jedi's blood from the dripping blade, as he had sworn to do on Bimmiel.

Horn, however, was not yet defeated and rose to his feet to challenge the commander, mocking Shai's vow and his failure to vanquish his enemies. Shai lunged again, soon forcing Horn to his knees under a relentless assault. As Shai brought his blade down to drive the lightsaber into Horn's body, the Jedi deactivated the silver blade. With his amphistaff meeting no resistance, Shai stumbled forward onto the emitter of Horn's deactivated lightsaber. The commander's final act was to smile. As Horn reactivated the blade, it burned through the Yuuzhan Vong warrior's torso, severing Shai's spine.

Although Luke Skywalker, at Horn's request, claimed Shai's mask, the commander's body was left where it fell. Lian returned to the Legacy of Torment to assume control of the cruiser and the remaining Yuuzhan Vong forces. Defying Shai's wishes, and the terms of the truce with the New Republic, Lian followed his orders from Warmaster Lah, deploying the bioweapon on Ithor regardless. The bacteriological agents consumed all life on Ithor's surface, transforming the lush forests and wildlife into a planet-wide sea of black sludge. Shai's lifeless body was consumed along with everything else. Shai's subordinate, however, would not escape Ithor's destruction. Kre'fey and Pellaeon used tactics they had developed throughout the week to obliterate the Legacy of Torment above Ithor. Meanwhile, the New Republic turned against Horn, branding him as the destroyer of the planet.

Within the Yuuzhan Vong ranks, Domain Shai was disgraced, as the warmaster intended, and its fate served as a reminder to other influential warrior domains, such as the Carr and the Choka, that challenging Domain Lah's supremacy was futile. The members of Domain Shai were relegated to tending the ailing Koros-Strohna that had transported the Yuuzhan Vong to the galaxy. Shedao Shai was remembered as a failure, a disgraced warrior whose devotion to the worship of pain was later ridiculed even by the Supreme Overlord. Among the Yuuzhan Vong, Corran Horn nevertheless garnered great respect, as Commander Shai, despite his flaws, had been a highly skilled warrior. For the Shamed Ones, this went beyond respect; Horn was revered as one of the most esteemed Jedi in the sacred tales of the secretive followers of the Jeedai heresy, becoming known as The-Slayer-of-Shedao-Shai. Militarily, Shai's death on Ithor led to Tla, another warrior, being promoted to commander and leading the next phase of the invasion, as the Yuuzhan Vong continued their advance toward Coruscant.

Shedao Shai was a male Yuuzhan Vong characterized by dark eyes, a thick mane of black hair, and leathery, gray-green skin that appeared polished. Shai was tall, slender, and long-limbed, possessing a cadaverously thin physique that belied his immense physical strength. He had horns on his knuckles, and hooks and barbs adorned his limbs at the wrists, elbows, knees, and heels. His face was uneven, with harsh, mismatched features, and his body was covered in the marks of numerous honors, disfigurements that signified the respect he commanded among his people.

Shedao Shai was an intensely proud warrior who believed that pain was the only true constant in reality. He would inflict harm upon himself to the point of experiencing only pain, hoping to transcend physical reality and draw closer to the gods. His devotion to the worship of pain led others to perceive his actions as foolish—or, in the case of Supreme Overlord Shimrra, pathetic—but Shai disregarded their opinions, believing that his sadomasochism elevated him above others, such as Deign Lian. Similarly, Shai considered all other castes inferior to the warriors of the Yuuzhan Vong, criticizing the priests and intendants and mocking the shaper caste's aversion to using the Embrace of Pain, a device they themselves had created.

This fanaticism often clouded Shai's judgment, but he possessed a keen strategic mind on the battlefield, frequently confusing and manipulating his subordinate, Lian, with tactics that consistently overcame the enemy. He also used his intelligence to challenge Traest Kre'fey and Gilad Pellaeon, two of the war's leading military strategists. The commander also possessed a sharp eye for detail, noticing subtle changes in body language and acting upon them without alerting others. His military acumen and martial prowess made Shai a respected Yuuzhan Vong warrior, whose actions were tempered or amplified by his devotion to the gods. Shai chose a ground assault on Ithor over the aerial destruction later inflicted by Lian because he did not want to anger the gods by destroying a world so rich in natural life. He also declared that if threatened by the lethal bafforr pollen, he would fight unarmored, protected by his faith in the gods. The warrior's bravery and dedication to his mission led him to personally lead the charge against the enemy.

However, when events deviated from his expectations, Shai tended to experience internal conflict, such as when he realized that Ithor's natural forces opposed the invasion, or to blame others, such as A'Kla and the intelligence agent Nom Anor. The commander also criticized, threatened, punished, or executed his subordinates whenever he deemed it necessary; he condemned the actions of his deceased kinsmen as lacking imagination, killed Runck Das, and frequently beat Lian into submission. Much of his anger stemmed from his hatred of weakness, cowardice, or stupidity, and when provoked, Shai could appear unpredictable. Offenses against Yuuzhan Vong tradition, or against himself, were met with explosive violence or verbal outbursts, even when the offender was unaware of their transgression. Often as sadistic toward others as he was toward himself, Shai entertained the idea of forcing the pacifistic A'Kla to commit acts of violence and developed the habit of feeding live Humans to the creatures in the Dubrillion Aquarium.

Obsessed with honor, tradition, and the warrior's path, Shai's personal vendetta arose from his consuming desire to achieve glory for his domain and emulate the actions of his esteemed ancestors. This pursuit of a greater goal fueled Shai's drive and ambition but ultimately contributed to his downfall. It also manifested in other ways, such as vanity and self-absorption, leading to his killing of Elegos A'Kla, a being whom Shai had, by his own admission, come to consider a friend. Despite his enjoyment of exerting dominance over others, Shai was ultimately overcome by his own flaws; his judgment was clouded by vanity and arrogance during his final duel with Horn, resulting in his death. Shai's weaknesses were also exploited by Tsavong Lah, foreshadowing his death on Ithor. Nevertheless, Shedao Shai remained engrossed in his own interests even in his final moments; true to his love of combat and respect for those who could best him, the commander reveled in Horn's victory in the instant before the Jedi killed him.

During his final duel with Corran Horn, Shedao Shai wore a sleeveless, scarlet robe, split down the middle, paired with a knee-length gold loincloth. A mask made of hardened ebon inlay covered his face. The ensemble was completed with a pair of boots, gauntlets, and a vonduun bracer.

Shedao Shai serves as the primary Yuuzhan Vong antagonist in the Dark Tide Duology, although his introduction occurs only in the epilogue of The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught. This sets up his role as Horn's adversary in the duology's second book and reveals that Shai had commanded the Yuuzhan Vong assaults on Dubrillion and Dantooine. In The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin, Michael A. Stackpole portrays Shai as a cunning and shrewd Yuuzhan Vong, whose conflict with Deign Lian adds depth to the commander's story. Shai's ritualistic killing of Elegos A'Kla, a character who first appeared in Stackpole's I, Jedi as a companion of Corran Horn, represented another death of a sympathetic character, following that of Chewbacca during the events of Vector Prime, thus continuing the darker themes of The New Jedi Order series. The peripheral presence of Tsavong Lah, a major Yuuzhan Vong protagonist in the series and a clandestine opponent of Shai's, also emerges in the second novel, foreshadowing Lah's later role as a principal character.

As Stackpole stated in an interview, Shai's worship of pain was intended to provide the reader with a clearer understanding of Yuuzhan Vong society. The author noted that, as the first paperback novels in The New Jedi Order series, the Dark Tide Duology had the potential to be the first novels many readers would encounter. Therefore, the focus on Shedao Shai and his beliefs, particularly the worship of pain, was intended to provide readers with a foundation for understanding the species around which the subsequent sixteen novels would be based.