| Kyle Katarn | |
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| Kyle Katarn - By kaio89 | |
Vital statistics
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| Position | Jedi Master of New Jedi Order |
| Age | 50 |
| Status | Deceased (Spirit Intact) |
Physical attributes
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| Height | 1.80 Meters |
| Weight | Unknown |
Kyle Katarn was a member of the Rebel Alliance from Sulon who later became a member of the New Jedi Order. He was a member of the Empire's Stormtrooper Corps who deserted service after learning the Galactic Empire was responsible for the death of his father. He eventually became a mercenary of no side, but eventually provided his services to the rebellion. During the course of the Galactic Civil War, he took part in a great many covert missions for the Alliance and later the New Republic. He was born Force-Sensitive, and through his life would train himself to use his powers. His training advanced when he learned of his family history with the Jedi, and went on a quest to find the Valley of the Jedi, during which time he faced the darkness within himself and others. Kyle would go on to become one of the few new Jedi Masters, teaching the new youthful recruits of a New Jedi Order of Luke Skywalker.
Biography
Early Life
Kyle Katarn was born the son of Morgan Katarn and his wife Patricia Katarn, who were farmers of the Sullust colony moon of Sulon. As a result of growing up on an farm surrounded by his father's custom-made Labor Droids, Kyle became one of the Humans in the galaxy fluent in the electronic language of droidspeak. After his mother passed away as a result of one their droids malfunctioning, Katarn enrolled at the Imperial Academy on Carida. While in the course of his training, Kyle began to suspect that he was a Force-Sensitive, a trait which he would keep to himself due to rumors of numerous Force-Sensitive individuals within the ranks of Imperial Academys vanishing after they were identified by the Galactic Empire.
Service to the Empire
Mercy to the Rebels
Living out on the rim, he had few other opportunities to obtain an education. During one of his earliest missions, Katarn was part of a Stormtrooper unit tasked with raiding a rebellion base under the control of Saw Gerrera's Partisans. In the course of that mission, Kyle's connection to the Force helped him save the lives of many of his fellow Stormtroopers. In addition, it was during that mission that Katarn would encounter Jyn Erso, one of Saw Gerrera's most valued soldiers. The two would engage one another in combat with Katarn ultimately gaining the upper hand, and even though Kyle and Jyn were on opposite sides of the war, the Force compelled Kyle to spare her life and let Erso flee. Kyle would keep the details of his encounter with Jyn a secret, fearing that because of him letting rebels escape he would be removed from the Corps or worst. As a result of the success of his first mission against the Partisans, Kyle Katarn became known as a decorated officer of the Stormtrooper Corps, but his own father, unknown to him, was a supporter of the Rebel Alliance.
Uncovering the Truth
Following the mission against the Partisans, Kyle learned that his father had been killed in a suspected rebellion attack on his homeworld of Sulon. Katarn, recalling the life he had spared on the enemy base, became extremely hateful at the rebellion, believing them to be murderers. However, his view of right and wrong would be altered when while serving the Empire during an attack on the rebels, Kyle discovered rebel records of the attack on his homeworld. In an unexpected turn, Kyle discovered that his father was in fact a supporter of the early rebellion movements, and that the Empire had him killed all the while concealing his death with the illusion that it was a rebel attack. At first Kyle could not believe that he had been serving the very order that had killed his father, but after studying the data he recovered from the rebels, he became distrustful towards the Galactic Empire and when the time was right deserted the it and became a mercenary. Within the first years of his new life he stayed neutral in the Galactic Civil War, having mixed feelings about both sides.
Service to the Rebels
Joining the Rebellion
Instead of providing his services to either side of the war, Kyle instead offered them to criminal organizations who would offer large amounts of credits for jobs that Kyle was skilled at given his training with the Imperials. One day, Katarn was hired by the leader of the Black Sun, Xizor, to capture a female Twi'lek named Rianna Saren who had stolen information that could prove harmful to the Black Sun. Rianna had managed to get a healthy start to avoid Black Sun spies, but by relying on the Force Katarn managed to track Rianna down, but just as he did, enforcers hired by Xizor were converging on their position and the two were taken into custody. While Kyle and Rianna were being transported to the planet Ord Mantell, Kyle discovered that Rianna was in fact a rebel spy who had been gathering intelligence on connections Black Sun had with the Empire. When they arrived at Ord Mantell City, Rianna and Kyle were separated and placed in different cells. One of Xizor's thugs revealed to Kyle they knew about his defection and that they used his skills to track Rianna.
After a few days imprisoned by Black Sun, a rebel unit designated Extraction Team Bravo infiltrated the Black Sun with the hopes of finding Rianna. Team Bravo came across Katarn's cell and Kyle told them that if they set him free he would help them find Rianna, a deal they accepted. By using the Force, Kyle found Rianna, who was tortured by Black Sun for the information, which she refused to surrender. Near death, Rianna revealed that she had hidden the intel she managed to secure inside a hidden space inside her cybernetic lekku which looked organic, and handed the intel to Kyle before passing away from the pain. Feeling responsible for what had happened to Rianna, Kyle felt he had to finish her mission to make up for getting her captured. With intel in hand, Katarn and the rebels escaped, and made way to Yavin 4. After arriving at the base and delivering the intel to command, Kyle decided to follow in the footsepts of his father and side with the rebels, working for the rebels as a mercenary on missions deemed too dangerous or sensitive for actual rebels.
Apart of the New Jedi
Seeds of the Past
One year after the destruction of Death Star II, and around the time of the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Jakku, Katarn set out on a quest to find his fathers murderer after having been visited by the voice of Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda, who told Katarn of the Jedi heritage of his father. Yoda also spoke to Kyle of how Morgan discovered an ancient site strong with the Force and thought to be legend, the Valley of the Jedi, where an ancient battle took place between the Sith and the Jedi thousands of years ago. After the ancient battle, the site would imprison the spirits of the dead for all that time, making the Valley a nexus of power from which Force-Sensitives could draw great power from the Force and make themselves more powerful than any Jedi could ever dream. With the dangers of the Valley, Morgan kept its location a secret, telling only the Jedi Council of it actually existing. Although only the Council knew of the Valley being more then legend, others sought its power over the years, one of which was the Inquisitor Jerec. Jerec was a former Jedi and the apprentice of Jocasta Nu, who when the order fell, joined the Galactic Empire as one of their Inquisitors.
Hearing the legends of the Valley from his former master, Jerec became obsessed with finding the Valley of the Jedi and using its power to further his own agenda. To this end, Jerec hunted down Morgan Katarn, because Jerec could not get Morgan to surrender the secrets of the Valley, he killed Morgan to prevent him from telling others of his plans. Before Yoda's spirit left, he gave the young Force-Sensitive a prophecy that came with the legend of the Valley, "a knight shall come, a battle will be fought, and the prisoners go free", and with that Yoda's spirit vanished. With this new threat to the galaxy, and the fact that Jerec murdered his father, Kyle set out to stop the Inquisitors plans of darkness. In search of clues that might lead to the Valley of the Jedi, Kyle returned to his family farm, he searched for hours and could not find anything useful, everything else was seized by the Galactic Empire. However, it was not until Katarn looked through the droids his father made and the Empire left behind, that he found a recording from his father that told Kyle of his history with the Jedi including the secret location of his old Lightsaber, and clues that would lead Kyle to the Valley of the Jedi.
Ways of the Force
In a secret compartment in the farmhouse, Kyle discovered his father's Lightsaber from his brief time in the Jedi Order, a tool that would stay with him on his path to become a Jedi. Through clues left behind by his father and infiltrating the hidden of the enemy, Kyle eventually discovered the location of the Valley on Ruusan, and after learning of this sought to prevent Jerec from using the Valley to threaten the balance of the Force. Katarn discovered that Jerec had already found his way to the Valley and was trying to tap into its power along with several other dark side Force-Sensitives and a legion of Stormtroopers. With so many adversaries, Katarn decided that he needed backup to overcome the Imperial Remnant, and so sent out several transmissions to old allies Kyle had made from the Galactic Civil War. Reinforcements would arrive in the form of the Katarn Commandos, war veterans from the Rebel Alliance made up of both soldiers and mercenaries. An inevitable battle would begin between the forces of the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant forces, with Kyle assisting his allies by taking on agents of Jerec, and at first he proved ill suited to take on Dark Side servants.
Through the Force, Kyle would receive guidance on how to overcome his adversaries without any formal training. Katarn made his way deeper into the Valley where he encountered Jerec as he was just about to tap into the Valley of the Jedi for more power. Jerec attempted to lure Kyle to the dark side with the anger that he felt because of Jerec murdering his father, but Kyle still determined to follow the ways of the Jedi refused to let anger consume him. With Kyle resisting the Dark Side, Jerec unleashed his now fully realized power from the Valley onto Katarn, but before Jerec could finish the job one of the Katarn Commandos stopped him, resulting in the soldiers death. Katarn then temporarily embraced the dark side of the Force, and used that along with his connection to the Valley of the Jedi to challenge Jerec's power. But even the Dark Side was not enough to challenge Jerec, and so Kyle managed to accomplish what few beings in history could, he managed to tap into the powers of both the light and dark sides of the Force simultaneously. Only by tapping into both the light and the dark was Katarn able to overpower Jerec and strike him down thus ending his reign of terror.
After Jerec was defeated, Kyle used his new connection to the Force along with guidance from Yoda's spirit to allow the souls of the Valley of the Jedi to ascend and become one with the Force at last resting in peace. By freeing the trapped souls, Katarn would be preventing anyone from ever using the Valley of the Jedi for sinister purposes again and fulfilling the prophecy by freeing the souls of the countless Jedi and Sith trapped for thousands of years. After performing this act, Kyle emerged from the Valley to find that the Katarn Commandos had been massacred and the Imperial forces had retreated, taking with them all major evidence of the Remnants direct involvement. The Valley was without its power had become a monument of the past, as such Kyle left it behind in peace and would keep the location of the Valley a secret which he would take to his grave. When he returned to the New Republic, Kyle tried to make his case of the Remnants extreme aggression's against the Katarn Commandos to the Senate so as to enlist the aid of the New Republic to move against the Imperial Remnants. But to his misfortune, the Senate said that they could not for risk prolonging the conflict.
Instructing New Jedi
The case of not continuing the war against the Empire Remnants was in part due to there being not enough evidence to confirm that it was a coordinated attack but rather a small group of extremists. With so many of Katarn's friends dying as a result of his search for the Valley of the Jedi, Katarn became determined to follow and track the Imperial Remnants that Jerec affiliated with in the hopes of finding the true masterminds behind the conflict at the Valley, even if he had to face them all himself. His search led him to find other Dark Side warriors dedicated to ensuring the return of the Empire, giving Kyle a reputation as a aspiring Jedi that would reach many people including the hero of the Rebel Alliance Luke Skywalker. Skywalker was in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War was looking for Force-Sensitives to recruit into his New Jedi Order, with Kyle appearing to be an exceptional candidate. Kyle would indeed come to Luke Skywalker with the hopes of being properly trained in the arts of the Jedi of old with the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker agreeing, but not before having him pass a brief series of trials in order to make sure he was capable of becoming a Jedi of his Order.
His skills were impressive for someone with a lack of training, making Luke skeptical, and causing Katarn to reveal the truth that he used the Dark Side along with the Light. Luke warned Kyle of the risks of the Dark Side and what it could do to him, He also told Kyle that the dark siders he had been chasing were apart of a dark side cult calling themselves the Church of the Dark Side. The Church had been created by Sith worshipers who hoped to create a legacy similar to the actual Sith themselves. Kyle Katarn would find that after being given the title of Knight by Luke Skywalker, that his place was with the Jedi. In the years following his introduction into the Luke's new generation of Jedi he would become an instructor to the young Force-Sensitive children recruited into the New Jedi Order, though Katarn respected his new title of Master he would rather be called by his name. Also for the next decade that followed the Galactic Civil War, Kyle Katarn would assist Master Luke Skywalker in tracking down any destroying any remnants of the Galactic Empire that might allow for the rise of another Dark Side order such as the Sith to rise again and bring terror upon the entire galaxy.
Fall of the New Jedi
These missions would take Kyle around the galaxy, to planets such as Yavin 4, and have him face off against foes such as Dark Jedi, or even Sith cults such as the Disciples of Ragnos, whom hoped to honor the legacy of the ancient Dark Lord, Marka Ragnos. In the decades following the Galactic Civil War, Luke Skywalker would allow his nephew Ben Solo to receive training to become a Jedi. Ben was consumed with rage, and as such was manipulated by the person known as Snoke to turn against the New Jedi Order with a group of followers known as the Knights of Ren. This form of attack left the New Jedi Order vulnerable as they never thought this kind of threat level to be possible from one of their own, especially from one who was raised by heroes of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Ben Solo was reborn as the evil Kylo Ren, who with his Knights of Ren slaughtered the Jedi both young and old and did not stop until they were dead.
Kyle was among the experienced Jedi who stood his ground against the Knights of Ren, he lasted against most Knights but proved to be no match for Kylo who finished Kyle off. Kyle's efforts were not in vein as Luke Skywalker managed to escape though heart broken at leaving Kyle and so many others behind. Katarn was in pain after facing Kylo Ren, who left Kyle alive only so he could answer where Skywalker would go into hiding. After refusing to tell Kylo the whereabouts of any surviving Jedi and making peace with the Force, Kylo struck him down with his Lightsaber and ending Kyle's life. Kyle's body may have died but he utilized the lessons that Yoda had taught him to become immortal. As a spirit Katarn would act as a guide to those lost with a connection to the Force, helping them the same way the spirits of the old Jedi helped him. Katarn would be remembered as a hero who sacrificed himself to ensure the survival of the Jedi legacy.
Powers and Abilities
The Force: Despite being almost completely self-trained, Katarn became one of the New Jedi Order's most respected instructors. Despite knowing the dangers of the Dark Side, Kyle Katarn utilized the dark powers of Force grip and Force lightning even as a Jedi Master. In spite of this, he was equally strong in light-side powers, which he demonstrated in one of his missions. His general mastery of the Force was incredible and surpassed all but the strongest Jedi Masters, even Kylo Ren acknowledged Katarn's abilities, something he rarely did. Kyle's telekinesis abilities were considerable. As a Jedi Master, he was able to grab a lot of heavy debris from collapsing buildings, keeping it in mid air long enough for fellow Jedi to cut a hole in the floor to escape. Kyle showed a strong will, resisting many mind tricks used on him.
Abilities
Lightsaber Skills: Katarn was adept at using a variety of weapons. His training at the Imperial Academy gave him great skill in using Imperial weapons. This training, along with a natural intuition, allowed him to effectively use every weapon he came across in his travels. With relatively little Lightsaber combat training, Katarn beat Dark Jedi, and Jerec himself. However, it should be noted that Katarn did learn many techniques from the spirits of deceased Jedi from the Valley of the Jedi and from the legendary Jedi Yoda's spirit. Katarn was a master of the fifth form of lightsaber combat Djem So. Likewise, he held other forms such as Shii-Cho and Ataru. He proved to be ambidextrous, wielding a weapon in his right and left hand. In later years, Katarn had become one of the strongest swordsmen in the Jedi and trained several Jedi.