The tale of Ulic Qel-Droma is an epic saga of youth, power, humanity and redemption. It is often lauded as an example to those who believe themselves untouchable, and it is said that young Jedi must study the tale as an example of the dangers of the dark side. Attempts have been made to adapt the following tale into a drama performance, one that would compliment the highly-acclaimed play The Chronicles of Nomi Sunrider. Most attempts, however, have failed. Many critics believe this a direct result of the fear and loathing that still clings to the name Ulic Qel-Droma. After all, it is widely believed that he was responsible for the Sith War. Thanks to some time I and others from the Institute spent recently with Jedi Tionne (keeper of artifacts at the Jedi Academy), the tale of Ulic Qel-Droma can now be told in its entirety. I really must schedule a return visit with that young lady. At any rate, we must begin our tale:

It was four thousand years ago. The galaxy was a different place. The Republic was a beautiful, shining example of government and administration. The respect and admiration heaped upon the Republic and its officers was only outweighed by that held for the Jedi Order. The Jedi were, perhaps, at their strongest -- the Order claimed thousands of Knights, even excluding Masters and apprentices. Then based on Ossus, the Jedi were not considered a department of the Republic, but were rather a seperate entity. As I said, the galaxy was a different place. Peace, something not seen in over a generation now, had at that time held for nearly a thousand years. The last great war had been the Great Hyperspace Wars. Fitting, actually, since this tale will build upon that foundation.

Among the most promising of the Jedi apprentices at that time was a young man named Ulic Qel-Droma. Ulic and his brother Cay were both students of Master Arca of Arkania, widely considered to be among the best swordsmen in the Order's history. Strong in the Force and confident in his abilities, young Ulic often gave way to brashness, a tendency that Arca often tried to dissuade without success. Ulic and Cay, along with their fellow apprentice Tott Doneeta, were given their first mission as an initiation rite into the rank of Knighthood - a mission to quell a civil war on the planet Onderon between the two tribes indigenous to the planet. What the three did not know, however, was that the planet Onderon was also where a former student of the Sith named Freedon Nadd (former apprentice of Naga Sadow) had landed centuries before and throned himself as king. His lifetime of rule had left the planet steeped in the dark side of the Force and his descendants (the rulers of the city-dwellers) versed well in its use. The mission quickly deteriorated as Ulic's brashness led him to make hasty vows to both sides of the war and the situation ended in full-scale war. Only the timely arrival of Master Arca prevented further bloodshed. Using the light side of the Force, Arca was able to vanquish the darkness permeating the planet and bring peace to Onderon.

Shortly thereafter, however, it was revealed that the spirit of Freedon Nadd was loose in the galaxy. It was through this spiritual form that Nadd spread his Sith teachings to a group of spoiled aristocratic youngsters from the Empress Teta system. These arrogant youngsters took their newfound power and used it to conquer their home system. Calling themselves the Krath, this group of dark-side adepts would not be satisfied with this feat alone. Fearing the reprisal of the Jedi, the Krath plotted to destroy the Order and launched a full-scale assassination attempt by planting an army of re-programmed droids at the Jedi gathering on Deneba IV. The resulting conflict left many Jedi dead, including Master Arca. The heartbroken Ulic Qel-Droma blamed himself for his Master's murder, believing that if he had done a better job on Onderon, the events on Deneba would not have happened. Despite the warnings of both the Jedi Masters and Nomi Sunrider, Ulic convinced himself that the only way to destroy the Sith evil for good was to learn its secrets from within.

Thus Ulic became determined to join the Krath and defeat the dark side of the Force using its own power against it. Unfortunately, Ulic underestimated the dark side, or the cleverness of its weilders. Knowing full well the plans of Ulic, the Krath captured him and injected him with a Sith poison designed to ignite and magnify his anger. They then accepted him into their ranks and began to introduce him to the dark side. At first resisting, Ulic finally began to succumb and savagely murdered one of the Krath when he lost control of his anger. Convinced more than ever that the evil had to be stopped, Ulic foiled attempts by his fellow Jedi Knights to rescue him and ultimately became that which he hated most - a thing of evil. When fellow dark Jedi Exar Kun arrived at the Krath palace to slay those he saw as competitors for the mantle of Sith, he and Ulic found themselves evenly matched in combat. As the two men dueled with lightsabers, the spirits of ancient Sith Lords appeared and decreed that the two would become the first Sith Lord and apprentice in several generations, and that they would carry on the legacy of the Sith. The time that followed will never be forgotten.

The two quickly set upon planning on Exar Kun's base on Yavin IV. There Kun introduced his new apprentice to the Sith teachings he had discovered and unlocked. The pair grew in power. Qel-Droma fortified his position in the Empress Teta system, basing his operations from there. After obtaining the loyalty of the Mandalorian mercenaries, Qel-Droma soon took to piracy, waylaying and capturing fleet after fleet of ships throughout the galaxy. Throughout most of the conflict, now called the Sith War, it was unknown who was leading the highly successful pirate raids, although some among the Jedi suspected Qel-Droma's involvement. After amassing a significant fleet, Qel-Droma struck out at Coruscant itself, nearly capturing the capital planet. If not for betrayal among his ranks, he surely would have conquered the Republic in a single blow. It was not to be - Jedi reinforcements arrived and captured Qel-Droma. His forces, broken and scattered, retreated back to the Empress Teta system.

In perhaps the most famous trial in history, Ulic Qel-Droma was charged with numerous war crimes against the Republic while publicly displayed on the floor of the Senate. It is said that Qel-Droma showed nothing but contempt for the Republic, a far cry from the idealistic youth who studied under Master Arca. As judgement was about to be passed, the trial was interrupted by Exar Kun and a large force of Massassi warriors. The newcomers quickly overrode any defenses present as Kun's Sith sorcery paralyzed all Senators and left the few Jedi present in awe. Although helplessly outnumbered, the Jedi attempted to defeat Kun and his warriors, resulting in the death of Jedi Master Vodo Siosk Baas, Kun's own former Master. Freeing Qel-Droma, the Sith then retreated back to Yavin IV and began to unite their scattered forces. Although shaken by how close conquest had reared, the Republic instantly began building its own forces in planned retaliation. The Sith, however, then struck where least expected -- the homeworld of the Jedi Order.

While under pursuit by Republic forces, a Sith starship ignited an enormous superweapon which caused the nearby star to reach critical mass. The resulting supernova explosion forced the evacuation of numerous nearby systems, one of which included the Jedi homeworld of Ossus. As the Jedi evacuated, several Sith starships landed amid the confusion. Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma had arrived with many Massassi warriors intent on looting the world of its precious artifacts. In the chaos that ensued, Kun escaped with innumerable artifacts and teachings, but Ulic Qel-Droma was not so fortunate. While being pursued by his brother Cay, Qel-Droma's ship was disabled and forced to land. In a final attempt to redeem his brother, Cay refused to let Ulic escape. The two began to duel, and Ulic brutally cut his brother down with his lightsaber. Seeing his brother lay dead before him finally caused Ulic to realize the horror he had become. Shortly thereafter, when Nomi Sunrider came upon the sight of a broken Ulic holding his brother's crumpled body, she was shocked. In her anger and grief, she used a light-side technique to strip Ulic of his Force-sensitivity, rendering him blind to the Force. Although the Jedi Masters disapproved of the act, it effectively ended the danger of Ulic Qel-Droma. Exar Kun was another matter entirely. In an attempt to atone for his crimes, Qel-Droma led the combined forces of the Jedi and the Republic to the planet Yavin IV, where the Republic military began to combat the Massassi forces of Kun. However, the fate of Kun is a tale for another time, and can be found in my essay entitled A Treatise on Exar Kun and his role in the Sith War. With the destruction of Kun, thus ended the Sith War. Its repercussions, however, would be felt until this day. The name Ulic Qel-Droma and the term Sith are still associated with evil throughout much of the galaxy.

The once proud and mighty Ulic Qel-Droma, now a broken shell of his former self, was detained by the Jedi for over a year. It is assumed that attempts were made at rehabilitation, but any such attempts failed. After deeming that he was no longer a danger and would not be held accountable for his crimes, he was released and soon disappeared into the fringes of the galaxy. It was not until ten years later that Qel-Droma's path would cross that of the Jedi again. Little is known of what became of him over the decade following the Sith War, but he was later found searching for a world of seclusion in which to live the remainder of his days. Apparently, whatever attempts he had made at redemption had failed. Finally settling on a remote, frozen world, Qel-Droma waited there to die. When the young Jedi apprentice Vima Sunrider fled to him in rebellion against her mother, Nomi, Qel-Droma reluctantly agreed to teach her the ways of the Force. The enthusiasm and energy shown by the young woman eventually led him to realize what he had left behind, and ultimately led to his redemption, finally allowing him to forgive himself.

History shows that his newfound happiness would be all too brief, I'm afraid. He was soon set upon by a female Jedi who had slipped dangerously close to the dark side and blamed Qel-Droma for the death of her mate during the Sith War. When Qel-Droma refused to fight her and forced her to choose between murder and mercy, she, too found redemption. The pilot of the craft that brought her, however, saw an opportunity to kill the greatest war criminal the galaxy has even known, and promptly took advantage of it. Ulic Qel-Droma, a Jedi Knight whose name would go down in history, was shot through the chest by a blaster. Falling into the arms of Nomi Sunrider and her daughter, Ulic then became one with the Force, vanishing like a true Jedi Master.

History records that both Nomi and her daughter, both reknowned Jedi Knights, have claimed that Ulic's life is a testament to the true path of the Jedi, and ultimately served as examples to both of them throughout their lives. It is because of this that I choose to remember Ulic Qel-Droma not as a war criminal, but as a hero and Jedi Knight. This is a lesson that I attempt to teach my students, but I have often been met with criticism and close-mindedness. Ah well, I suppose that at the very least this story will end up in my memoirs. Hopefully there it will touch someone.