Xivhkalrainik, alternatively known as Xalek, and insultingly called bone-face by Overseer Harkun, was a Kaleesh male Sith Lord who served the Sith Empire during both the Galactic War and the war against Zakuul. As an apprentice to Darth Nox of the Dark Council, Xalek achieved the title of Sith Lord after his master vanished during the Eternal Empire's war of conquest.
Born on the Kaleesh home planet of Kalee, Xalek gained considerable knowledge concerning his people's traditions, his family's past, and the potential path of a warrior.
He once battled against the Sith Empire along the shores of the Jenuwaa Sea, but was ultimately captured. Initially destined for enslavement, his Force-sensitivity was soon discovered by the Empire, leading to his reassignment to the Korriban Sith Academy for training to become a formidable Sith.
The Human Overseer Harkun bestowed the name Xalek upon the Kaleesh, as he struggled to pronounce Xalek's name in his native language. Xalek was also responsible for the deaths of two fellow acolytes before they arrived, and apparently got away with it. Although Darth Thanaton passed over his group, Lord Kallig, the future Darth Nox, expressed interest in acquiring a new apprentice following the massacre of their previous two by Thanaton, particularly as having a Korriban acolyte was a marker of prestige. Kallig, who had also risen from slavery to become a Sith Lord, was very interested in the Kaleesh, and even bet with Harkun that he would rise above the other acolytes.
Xalek successfully completed his trials; however, when it seemed that the Twi'lek Seferiss was about to be chosen, Xalek simply approached and brutally struck him to death. He then took the required item—a Sith carving artifact—from his body and presented it to Kallig. Harkun disapproved of this, as acolytes were prohibited from killing one another, and decided to reject Xalek. Despite this, Kallig accepted Xalek and executed Harkun for his defiance.
Xalek was not the first apprentice of his master; the former Jedi Ashara Zavros and Kallig's two deceased apprentices—Corrin and Kaal—had all been apprenticed to Kallig previously. However, Xalek was the first that Kallig trained and personally taught in the ways of the Sith, as Ashara was mentored by Jedi Masters Ryen and Ocera before Kallig killed them and she remained a Jedi disciple despite now serving a Sith. Corrin and Kaal were trained by Darth Zash beforehand, but killed by Thanaton before Kallig could instruct them further.
During his service to his master, Xalek revealed aspects of his past, sought out powerful artifacts, and eliminated Kallig's adversaries. Xalek maintained contact with his father, who died on Ilum while Xalek was apprenticed to Kallig. Xalek was permitted to give his father a proper burial so he could ascend to godhood. Xalek came to view Kallig as a living deity, referring to them as "father" or "mother" and pledged unwavering service and protection of Kallig's legacy.
Following his master's disappearance during the initial stages of the war against the Eternal Empire, Xalek refined his skills during this period of turmoil and was elevated to the rank of Sith Lord. He eventually visited his father's shrine on Ilum, only to discover it had been desecrated by miners. Consumed by rage, Xalek initiated a campaign of terror and retribution against them, ultimately confronting the Outlander, who had arrived to investigate the miners' distress signal on behalf of Sana-Rae.
Xalek was portrayed as a feral creature, whose interpretation of the Sith code was simply "kill or be killed." He relished combat and killing, even when facing overwhelming odds, preferring actions over words. Similarly, Xalek held contempt for any display of mercy or weakness.
As a Kaleesh, Xalek believed that "honor is [his] duty." Therefore, he was resolutely committed to upholding his culture and his family's heritage by becoming Kallig's apprentice, even resorting to killing three of the other five acolytes during his training on Korriban, allowing nothing to deter him from his objective.
He was unwaveringly loyal to those he considered his family. Upon learning of his father's impending death, Xalek hastened to his side and ensured a proper burial. Xalek maintained a formal demeanor towards Kallig, addressing them as "Master" or "Lord" and occasionally bowing. He frequently inquired about how he could serve his master, such as by eliminating Kallig's rivals. However, despite Xalek's profound loyalty, he occasionally hinted at the possibility of surpassing Kallig in the future.
Xalek's dedication to upholding honor, even while fighting any and all opponents to the death, was likely a sincere effort to reconcile the Sith code's extreme social opportunism with the Kaleesh warrior culture. He blended the Sith's fierce, brutal lightsaber combat and dark-side powers with his own warrior instincts, showing little regard for the deceptive and subtle tactics employed by most Inquisitors. Harkun lamented this, arguing that the Empire would not endure if subterfuge and discretion were replaced by outright murder. However, as Kallig demonstrated, his opinion mattered little to Xalek.
He expressed a desire to attain godhood upon death, believing that Sith training was necessary to achieve this. He also held a deep admiration for the Sith, telling his master that the Kaleesh considered the Sith to be gods who had not yet died.
Xalek disliked talking and lengthy conversations, preferring brevity in his speech. He only spoke when actions could not adequately convey his meaning. His actions were similarly direct and unambiguous. Consequently, he appreciated his master's use of conciseness and direct action over drawn-out discussions. This was evident when Kallig inquired about his great-great-grandfather having multiple wives; Xalek offered no explanation, simply replying "Of course," seemingly unable to comprehend why this might be problematic for other species. Kallig acknowledged this trait, noting that Xalek didn't "waste words."
Like his master, Xalek was a Sith Inquisitor. He was skilled in the use of the double-bladed lightsaber, suggesting he chose the Sith assassin training path. Besides his brutal melee attacks, he was a proficient Force user, employing potent dark-side techniques such as Force lightning, Force bomb, and Force barrier. Unlike Kallig's other companions with the exception of Khem Val, who specialized in either offensive or defensive combat techniques, Xalek specialized in both.
Xalek is one of the companion characters available to players who choose the Sith Inquisitor class in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Tony Armatrading provides his voice.
The Star Wars: The Old Republic Classes app identifies his primary weapon as a polesaber, which is another term for a lightsaber pike.
It is also possible for Kallig to persuade Harkun to overlook the murder and either give Xalek his lightsaber or simply allow him to leave.
Xalek is a potential recruit for the Alliance against the Eternal Empire in the Knights of the Fallen Empire storyline. The Alliance dispatches the player to locate Xalek, put an end to the killings, and secure the mined resources for the Alliance. The Outlander must decide how to address Xalek's grievance against the miners: they can negotiate a deal with the miners to rebuild the shrine for light side points, arrest Xalek, also for light side points, or they can let Xalek kill the last of them for dark side points. Once the miners are dealt with, Xalek can be recruited. If the player is a Sith Inquisitor, Xalek will choose to follow his former master of his own free will, and join the Alliance. If the player is not an Inquisitor, they must first fight Xalek before choosing to recruit him. The player—even as an Inquisitor—also has the option of rejecting him as a member of the Alliance, or even killing him. If the Outlander later aligns with the Republic, Xalek will warn that while he respected the Outlander's strength and would remain in the Alliance, this may not always be the case.