Star Wars Fanon
Register
Advertisement
Rise of the Empire eraRebellion eraNew Republic eraNew Jedi Order era
For other uses, see Kyle Katarn .


I'm no Jedi. I'm just a guy with a lightsaber and a few questions.
—Kyle Katarn

Kyle Katarn was a famous Jedi Knight and Rebel operative from Sulon. He was a former Imperial stormtrooper who defected to the Rebellion. Often paired with fellow Rebel agent and smuggler Jan Ors, he performed many covert missions for the Rebel Alliance and later the New Republic, including the sabotage of the Dark Trooper Project. Kyle later discovered his Force sensitivity, and naturally trained himself in the ways of the force while in search of the Valley of the Jedi. While on this journey, he confronted the dark side within both himself and in the form of Dark Jedi Jerec and his minions. Defeating them, Kyle went on to become a Jedi Master, teaching numerous apprentices at the Jedi Praxeum.

After one of his students, Jaden Korr, turned to the Dark Side and took over a faction of the Imperial Remnant and began the Dark Order War, Kyle was disheartened, partly blaming himself for Jaden's turn. Katarn then vowed to track Jaden down and correct his error. After tracking his former student to Bakura, Katarn engaged him in a duel, eventually accepting that fact that his friend was beyond redemption. The Jedi then fled the planet, leaving Jaden to die as an orbital bombardment began. Having put his guilt behind himself soon after, Kyle went on to fight in the Dark Order War, assisting the Republic against the threat of the Sith.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Kyle was born as the son of Morgan and Patricia Katarn on Sulon, a colony moon of Sullust. Kyle grew up on the farm and eventually enrolled for education at the Imperial Academy on Carida after his mother was killed by a malfunctioning perimeter droid. He succeeded quite admirably as a stormtrooper officer, but his father was secretly a supporter of the Rebel Alliance. Morgan was also force-sensitive, a trait which he passed on to his son. During several missions for the Empire, Kyle began to suspect his force-potential when he demonstrated enhanced accuracy, speed, and precognition of events before they happened. These unexplained abilities allowed him to save the lives of numerous other men in his strike team during a raid on a Rebel asteroid base.

While on the mission, Kyle also met Jan Ors, an agent for the Rebellion. Kyle and Jan were on opposite sides of the war, but they experienced a strange connection that led Kyle to spare her life as well as the lives of many of the stations inhabitants. After the battle, Katarn learned that his father had been killed in a supposed Rebel attack on Sulon. This temporarily convinced the soldier that the Rebels were a barbaric and murderous group.

Defection and following adventures[]

Putting his grief aside for the time being, Kyle took a pleasure cruise on the Star of Empire, his last bit of freedom before officially becoming an officer in the Imperial navy. It was while on this ship that he ran into Jan Ors for the second time. The Rebel, using footage of the battle on Sulon, revealed to Kyle that the attack was actually staged by the Empire. After seeing the footage for himself, Kyle defected, becoming a neutral mercenary. Jan introduced Kyle to Mon Mothma, the leader of the Alliance, and he became a rebel spy.

Katarn was sent on numerous missions for the Rebellion and later the New Republic, including the theft of the plans for the first Death Star, the discovery and elimination of the Dark Trooper Project, the capture of an Imperial spy on Space Station Kwenn, as well as many other assignments of infiltration and sabotage. As time went on, Kyle learned of his force-sensitivity and eventually joined the ranks of the New Jedi Order, following his role in the defeat of Jerec's Dark Jedi and the Empire Reborn.

The New Jedi Order[]

Roshkyle

Kyle and his student, Rosh Penin.

Following the Second Battle of the Jedi Praxeum, Kyle became a Jedi Master and instructor at the Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy. He began training two apprentices, two Humans named Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin. Both students were talented and progressed quickly under Kyle's tutelage. When a new threat, a Dark Jedi cult known as the Disciples of Ragnos, began threatening the galaxy, Kyle and his apprentices investigated numerous worlds on the trail of the Disciples. Their investigations spanned the galaxy, from Deep Core worlds such as Byss to Outer Rim planets such as Vjun. During these operations, Rosh Penin was captured by the Cult of Ragnos at Byss and, unknown to his Jedi comrades, had been easily turned to the dark side. Additionally, it was discovered that the cultists were using an ancient Sith artifact called the Scepter of Ragnos to drain dark side energy from various force-sensitive locations across the galaxy, but the purpose for storing this energy was unknown.

Not long after Rosh's capture, Luke Skywalker dispatched Katarn and his remaining apprentice Jaden to investigate the toxic world of Vjun to determine whether the Cultists had already drained the dark side energy from Bast Castle there. After fighting their way through several squads of Imperial Remnant troops into the abandoned base, the two Jedi were forced to split up when Katarn lost his balance and fell down several floors. Jaden went on without him and reached the top of the building, where he encountered the fallen Penin. Accompanied by two highly-ranked Dark Jedi, Rosh revealed his turn to the dark side and attacked Jaden. Despite being outnumbered, Korr overpowered Rosh and killed the two other Cultists just as Katarn arrived. Before any of them could explain the situation, Tavion Axmis emerged and revealed that she formed the cult after Kyle killed her old Dark Jedi Master, Desann. She then blasted the ceiling with the Scepter of Ragnos, causing it to collapse. Although Kyle and Jaden survived, Tavion had escaped with Rosh by the time they freed themselves. Korr's actions on Vjun and Kyle's recommendation convinced Skywalker to promote Jaden to the rank of a Jedi Knight. Unknown to them, however, the dark side had corrupted Jaden during his time on Taspir III. Their inability to realize this would prove costly not long after.

Kyle and Jaden continued undertaking progressively dangerous missions against the Disciples of Ragnos, but were eventually called back to the Academy along with the rest of the Jedi for an emergency meeting, where Luke Skywalker concluded that the Cultists were storing energy in the scepter for the purpose of resurrecting the ancient Sith Lord Marka Ragnos, who had been entombed on the Sith world of Korriban. Although Skywalker had in a response ordered all available Jedi to prepare for an attack on Korriban, Kyle had instead prepared to travel to Taspir III, having received a distress call from the Imperial-controlled planet, apparently from Rosh. Although he was reluctant at first, Jaden accompanied the Jedi Master on the mission.

After reaching the Imperial facility, Jaden and Kyle entered through opposite sides of the base and searched for Penin, engaging numerous guards along the way. As fate would have it, Korr found Rosh first, having been lad to him by a Dark Jedi named Alora, who had been leading him through the facility. Sensing that they had reached a critical moment and knowing that Alora would tempt Jaden to join the dark side, Kyle telepathically urged his apprentice to avoid giving in to his anger.

Korriban duel1

Katarn battles his former student.

Having been corrupted by the dark side during his past missions, Jaden gave in and impaled Rosh on his lightsaber, ignoring Kyle's protests. Refusing to join the Disciples of Ragnos, Korr then killed Alora in a short lightsaber duel and left, moments before Kyle arrived. With his last breath, Rosh told Katarn of Jaden's choice. Fearing what his corrupted apprentice would do next, Kyle rushed to Korriban. After arriving at the Sith world, he had to fight his way through dozens of cultists to reach the Tomb of Marka Ragnos, where Jaden had confronted Tavion Axmis. Tavion had begun the process of resurrecting the Sith Lord, but was interrupted by Jaden, who demanded that she turn over the scepter. Tavion refused and was killed by Jaden just as Kyle arrived. Katarn attempted to redeem his old student, but Korr refused to return to the Jedi and the two men dueled.

Kyle had the upper hand for most of the fight, but Jaden grabbed the Scepter of Ragnos and used it to incapacitate the Jedi. Sensing Luke Skywalker approaching the tomb, Jaden blasted a hole in the wall and fled back to his ship. After Korr's escape, Luke arrived, and Katarn told him of Jaden's turn to the dark side. Wracked with guilt from failing to protect either of his students, Kyle vowed to personally track Jaden down and correct his error.

The hunt for Jaden[]

Following his escape from Korriban, Jaden had taken control of the Disciples of Ragnos, rechristening it "Dark Order of Korr". This new organization, despite severe lack of coordination and leadership efficiency, caused severe damage to the New Republic, including the destruction of the shipyards at Kuat, the capture of Bothan Space, and a terror campaign on heavily populated Republic worlds. Throughout this conflict, known as the Dark Order War, Katarn participated in numerous missions for the New Republic to acquire information pertaining to Jaden's whereabouts.

Katarn's persistence would eventually pay off during his mission to Corellia, where a Republic agent named Heglark Ress informed him of Jaden's presence on the Imperial world of Bakura. Ress also held information on a planned Imperial campaign code-named Operation Dark Disease. After surviving an assassination attempt, Kyle and Ress escaped Corellia. However, because their ship's hyperdrive had been damaged, they were unable to reach Coruscant. Meanwhile, the planet Coruscant itself had been attacked by Jaden's fleet in the first attack of Operation Dark Disease, deploying several hundred dark troopers onto the planet surface, resulting in heavy civilian casualties.

After the attack on Coruscant ended, Kyle and Ress managed to pass their information on to New Republic Intelligence. Dagmar Morlev, Supreme Commander of the Republic fleet, was outraged by the initial success of Jaden's terror campaign. After sustaining an Imperial attack on Taris, Morlev's fleet managed to ambush and destroy the fleet on which the campaign depended, ending Operation Dark Disease. After this victory, Morlev dispatched an assault force to Bakura, where he hoped to end the war with Jaden's capture or death.

Katarn accompanied the Republic forces to the Second Battle of Bakura and managed to sneak onto the planet's surface to confront Jaden. The military base where Jaden was located was mostly empty of personnel, who had gone outside to defend against an enormous Republic ground assault. Remaining undetected by the last few remaining, Kyle infiltrated the main base and found Jaden, who was in an exchange with someone who appeared to be simply one of his shadowtroopers. However, it soon became apparent to Katarn that the situation was far more dire than anyone else knew.

Excecutor bakura

Imperial forces at Bakura shortly before the battle.

By listening in on the conversation, the Jedi learned that the shadowtrooper was a Sith apprentice, named Darth Imperious who served under Darth Persia, one of the Dark Order's most well-known military leaders. Persia and Imperious had joined the Order in order to help build an army for them take control of. Imperious had been sent to the planet's surface to kill Jaden and take the Scepter of Ragnos back to Persia. Having decided that there wasn't any more information to gain, Kyle revealed himself and ordered Jaden to surrender. Predictably, Korr refused, starting a three-sided lightsaber battle which eventually reached the roof of the base.

During the duel on the roof, Imperious stunned Jaden and took the scepter from him. With the artifact in his possession, the Sith apprentice unleashed blasts of dark side energy against his opponents. Although these attacks initially overwhelmed their defenses, he soon began to loose control of the volatile waves of energy. Taking advantage of this, Jaden threw his lightsaber and amputated Imperious' left arm at the joint. Having lost all control over the scepter, Imperious was then incapacitated in an explosion of dark side energy. Before the Jaden could recover the artifact, however, he was stopped by Katarn. His patience growing thin, Kyle told Jaden to surrender for the last time. Jaden again refused, enraging his old master with the realization that both of his students were lost forever. Having nothing more to say to each other, the two began a fight to the end.

Above Bakura, Darth Persia was unable to sense his apprentice due to the latter's unconsciousness. Fearing that he was killed, allowing Jaden an opportunity to escape, the Sith Lord ordered the destruction of the planet's surface in order to ensure that Jaden would not leave the Imperial base alive. Jaden and Kyle were still battling when the fleet was moved into position and began bombardment. Katarn, realizing that he would die if he stayed any longer, used a homing beacon to summon his ship, the Raven's Claw to his location. He then used a bolt of Force lightning to blast off a chunk of the cliff that they were dueling on, hoping that it would send Jaden falling to his death. However, Jaden jumped out of the way and Kyle was the one that fell instead. Fortunately, he managed to land inside of the Claw's cockpit and used it to fly to safety. Jaden died in the bombardment.

Aftermath[]

Ravens claw

Kyle returns to the Jedi Praxeum.

The battle was costly for the New Republic, with much of the fleet sent to Bakura destroyed, and the rest forced to withdraw. Despite the Republic defeat, however, Jaden's death convinced the galaxy at large that the Dark Order War was over. Katarn meanwhile, had been attacked by TIE Interceptors during his escape from Bakura. Although he escaped, the Imperials damaged his ship's hyperdrive system, forcing it to drop out of hyperspace in the Spar Sector. He was stranded there for several days, but was eventually rescued by the Republic cruiser Valiant. Because he had been marooned in deep space for nearly a week, Katarn was unable to warn the Jedi of the Sith plot. However, Darth Persia openly declared the reemergence of the Sith shortly after the Second Battle of Eriadu, where his forces decimated a Republic task force.

Katarn was disturbed by his experience at Bakura, but soon managed to put his guilt over Jaden to rest. Afterward, he ended his absence from the Jedi Praxeum and returned to his responsibilities in the New Jedi Order and continued to undertake missions against the Greater Sith Empire until the end of the Dark Order War. After Bakura, however, Katarn never trained another apprentice.

Personality and traits[]

Kyle's personality was almost a Janus-faced one. On one hand, Kyle appeared very self-confident and possessed a sometimes cynical and dry sense of humor. On the other hand, he often doubted himself and gave every choice a good deal of thought. He was an independent and free-thinking person, but at the same time his primary concern was always the safety and well-being of those he cared for. An ever-present factor appeared to be fear of dying or doing the wrong thing.

Talents and abilities[]

Kyle bunchaguns

Kyle Katarn often carried copious amounts of armament.

Although he was almost completely self-trained, Kyle became one of the New Jedi Order's most respected Jedi Masters. With relatively little lightsaber combat training, Kyle defeated seven trained Dark Jedi: Yun, Gorc, Pic, Maw, Sariss, Boc, and then Jerec himself—an amazing accomplishment for the neophyte he was at the time. Kyle again showed great skill by defeating the Dark Jedi Desann during the Empire Reborn conflict. However, it should be noted that Kyle revisited the Valley of the Jedi to quickly restore his connection to the Force, which increased his raw Force potential as a side-effect. This may have allowed him to relearn powers of both the light and dark sides of the Force in a relatively short amount of time. It is, however, far more likely that because he had used them before, they therefore naturally came back, as in the case of Darth Revan, an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith. Kyle showed a strong will, resisting the many taunts and mind tricks Desann used on him in the Yavin temple.

By the time the Disciples of Ragnos had arisen, Katarn had become one of the most renowned Jedi Masters in the entire Order. In combat, he employed the Soresu, Niman, and Juyo/Vaapad forms of lightsaber combat, depending on his situation. Ever since he began undergoing missions for the Rebel Alliance, Kyle was known for literally grabbing as many weapons as he could possibly carry, causing Imperial personnel to refer to him as "a walking arsenal". His student, Jaden Korr, was also known for employing this tactic.

Kyle, like most other Jedi at the academy, mastered the core force abilities. He was also highly skilled in numerous other powers, including Force Healing, Force Blinding, and the Jedi Mind trick. Despite his fear of the dark side, Katarn sometimes also wielded Force Grip and Force Lightning, although the latter was only used when most other options in combat had been exhausted.

Appearances[]

See also[]

Advertisement