The salvation of this Human world lies nowhere else than in the Human heart, in the Human power to reflect, in Human meekness, and in Human responsibility. The same was true in our own time, our own world.
—Ussej Padric Bac LXIV
Ussej Padric Bac LXIV was born to a long line of legendary war heroes, politicians, Jedi Knights, Sith Lords and Bendu High Priests. His most notable ancestors included Jonathan Bac, Ussej Padric Bac, Laili Jeyna Rendar, Kit Corwin Rendar, Ussej Padric Bac II and Ussej Padric Bac III as they had each influenced galactic events for thousands of years after their deaths. He was known to have looked up to them all with high regard, specifically Ussej Padric Bac III due to his conservative viewpoints towards the Jedi Order.
Ussej served as the High Priest of the Bendu Order during the Galactic Civil War. He was reluctant at first to help Mon Mothma after she requested the assistance of the Bendu, but after speaking with the Shaman of the Whills he changed his mind and led the order into the galaxy quickly enough to fight in the first major engagement of the war on the small moon of Endor. There, he first encountered Kane Starkiller. After the battle, he decided to head back to Kal’Shabbol but soon changed his mind and agreed to keep the order in imperial space to help the Alliance. He was instrumental in the major engagements to follow, particularly the Second Battle of Alderaan, the First Battle of Coruscant, the Battle of Bespin and the Battle of Korriban. He had grown to be an informal mentor to Luke Skywalker after Obi-Wan Kenobi was killed and spoke the prophetic words of the Archangel Ranka Darkbroode to Luke before the redemption of Anakin Skywalker.
After the war ended, he and Luke co-founded the Second Jedi Bendu Order, stationed off of Coruscant and Kal’Shabbol. He was instrumental in the successes of the Reunification War, but was unable to prevent the Jedi Bendu from splitting in two. He and Luke knew that the Rizen Order stood a great chance in winning the war, so in order to preserve their order they decided that Ussej would travel as far away from the capital as they could and Luke would stay behind. In the end, Luke was able to lead the Jedi Bendu into a victorious final campaign against the Rizen Order, though he was unable to contact Ussej after the victory. Ussej and his fellow Jedi Bendu travelers found their way into an intergalactic wormhole and were thrust thousands of light years to Earth where Ussej remained until his death.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Ussej Padric Bac LXIV was born the son of Ussej Padric Bac LXIII and his wife forty years before the Battle of Yavin IV of the Galactic Civil War. Both he and his father were descendants of the legendary Bac family of Kal'Shabbol, and his name was in keeping with the tradition set forth by his ancestors where each first born male of the family would be named “Ussej Padric” in honor of the first Ussej Padric Bac.
As a child, Ussej lived life just as every other Bendu child would, though there were differences. He attended school in the city surrounding the Bendu Temple of Light and read up on ancient holy texts and other important Bendu readings to prepare himself for the challenges that would begin on his thirteenth birthday. However, unlike most children, he was able to travel with his father, a prominent member of the Council of Priests, on many peaceful missions throughout the Ashlan Expanse. Ussej was able to be exposed to many other alien cultures and worlds that expanded his understanding of the small corner of the galaxy that the Bendu Order watched over.
However, unlike his father, he developed a deep disliking of the Jedi Order at an early age as he read up on the history surrounding the Great Sovereign Crusades. He blamed them for the deaths of Kit Corwin Rendar, Ussej Padric Bac II and Ussej Padric Bac III and vowed that he would show them no kindness if he ever came into contact with them. His father, who believed that the Bendu should have reached out to join a second alliance with the Jedi, attempted to change his son’s views to no avail.
From the time he was thirteen to the day he turned eighteen, Ussej spent most of his time studying under his father on the trail to becoming a Bendu Knight. He excelled in all of his studies, but he interpreted the philosophies and the religion of the Bendu far more conservatively than most, much to the dismay of his moderate father. His father expressed his concerns to the Council of Priests simply to make them aware of the setbacks in training. However, the council did not feel that there was anything wrong with expressing an opinion different from that of the majority of the members, as they had come to adopt a more liberal view of freedom of self-expression since the crusades.
Days after his eighteenth birthday, his training was deemed completed. He immediately began the Trial of Wills, the first trial in the hopes to achieve Bendu Knighthood. His task, like that of all Bendu hoping to become a Bendu Knight, was to travel to the bottom of the Well of Souls at the base of the nearby mountains and find the first of three sacred stones that were grouped together to form a jewel that would hang around his neck, as well as adorn his blade. As he repelled to the bottom, he discovered why they named it the Well of Souls. The souls of the dark warriors killed one hundred thousand years earlier attacked him. At first, he could not find a way to defeat the dead, but he did discover a way. Diving through a small shaft, all while the souls chased after him, he found the first sacred stone. As he held it out in front of him, the souls were scattered in all directions by its power long enough for him to escape.
With the first stone safely in his possession, he began his long ascent up into the Ashlan Mountains. His first stop was an ancient Jedi Bendu enclave. He searched for a stone within what remained of the one hundred thousand year old ruins and when he found one the sun had already set. Because he was determined to finish his question, he did not stop for sleep or warmth as he traversed the harsh, cold snow he ran into on the way towards the top. When he reached the summit, he made his way onto the Holy Ridge of the Shaman of the Whills, he found the third stone and placed each piece upon an alter at the edge of the ridge. The stones fused together, creating the stunning symbol.
After completing his long and treacherous descent back to the Temple of Light, he showed the jewel to his father. What his father found worried him, yet it filled the old man’s heart with pride. The symbols fused onto the jewel were the symbols of the first three men to bear the name “Ussej Padric”. The Bendu were taken aback, knowing that Ussej was destined for greatness much like his three ancestors.
Days later, Ussej took the Trial of Fear, the final test in becoming a Bendu Knight to determine whether or not one had the appropriate mindset to be considered a noble and virtuous defender. His father reached into his sons mind to find his deepest fear and what he found was the fear of being considered nothing and not having any lasting legacy on the Bendu or anyone else. His father created a vision of Ussej being a great, prophetic messenger of Yahweh who returned from the mountains to deliver an important message. However, before he could deliver, he began to fade into obscurity in a bright white light, meaning he was never able to affect anyone or create any real change. Ussej snapped out of the vision and spent the next weeks pondering what he had seen. When the council was satisfied that his fear had subsided, they granted him Bendu Knighthood and placed the jewel around his neck, dubbing it the Crest of Ussej Padric Bac LXIV.
Re-Emergence[]
Two decades following his trials, Ussej had been elected to the Council of Priests after becoming a Bendu Priest and, later, the High Priest of the Bendu Order. During his tenure, he continued to lead his people through an era of peace and prosperity, establishing and continuing good relations within and just outside the Ashlan Expanse. However, that peace would be short lived. During a routine training session with a group of Bendu Hopefuls, Ussej was contacted by Mon Mothma, one of the leaders of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. She told him that the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order had fallen, the latter much to Ussej’s hidden joy. However, that joy was tempered when she told him that the galaxy was ruled by a Dark Lord of the Sith and the Dark Guardians of Lettow who carried out his will. Though the idea was disturbing to him, especially having found out that Carden Mannux had fulfilled his satanic quest over three millennia earlier, he refused her request and told her that the Bendu would not leave Kal’Shabbol to help them. As she begged him to reconsider, he cut off her transmission mid-sentence.
Hours later, Ussej vanished from the High Priest’s Chambers and mysteriously reappeared on Ashlan Four, the planet that had become the home of the ancient Order of the Whills. It was there that he found his ancestors, Ussej Padric Bac, looking just as he did during his time as a youthful Bendu thousands of years earlier. The Shaman told him that he knew what had taken place with Mon Mothma and urged Ussej to reconsider. Ussej refused his plea, though after much encouragement from his ancestor he agreed to reconsider his decision. The Shaman of the Whills thanked him and told him to put aside his prejudices to do what he believed was right. With that, Ussej was returned to Kal’Shabbol.
When he arrived back in the High Priest’s chambers, he immediately rescheduled meetings and training sessions to shut himself away inside the chambers from the outside world. He spent almost a week alone within the chambers, having his food delivered to him. He was determined to continue meditating upon what Mon Mothma and his ancestor had told him until he came to a decision. After his week in solitude passed, he reached his decision: the Bendu Order would leave Kal’Shabbol and help the Alliance in their fight against the Empire.
Later that day, Ussej gathered the entire order in the courtyard outside the Temple of Light. When they arrived, he told them what had taken place and that he had decided to bring the Bendu into imperial space and help the Alliance. The members of the order were outraged at first, as they still held resentment towards the Jedi Order because of the events of the crusade. However, after Ussej echoed the words of Ussej Padric Bac III’s Address given before the Bendu left to fight against the Sith over three thousand millennia earlier, the outrage subsided and most agreed to travel with him. After he finished speaking, he dismissed them back to their homes within the villages to inform their families and gather their necessary belongings.
After the order returned to their homes, Ussej traveled back to his own home in the capital city for what could perhaps have been the final time. He sat down with his elderly and ailing father and told him what he planned to do. Ussej did not know if he was doing the right thing due to the controversial nature of the Jedi Order’s philosophy in contrast to their own. However, the elder Ussej told his son that he was very proud of him and that he knew in his heart and in his soul that he would make a great difference and that he would bring about peace between the two great orders. With that, Ussej bid his father goodbye and returned to the Temple of Light.
A week later, repairs were finished on the old Bendu flagship, Ashla’s Light, and all of the necessary gear and belongings were loaded into its crew quarters and cargo holds. When all was ready, the members who elected to travel with the High Priest boarded the ship and began their three week journey out into what the Republic called the known galaxy in the hopes of finding Mon Mothma and the Alliance to Restore the Republic before it was too late.
Almost through the third and final week of the journey, Ussej continued to meditate in his makeshift chambers aboard the Bendu flagship. Having taken only necessities, he had grown a rather large beard and was fairly unkempt. However, it did not bother him as personal appearance meant nothing in the fight for freedom. As their journey started to come to a close, the flagship command center picked up a transmission from a nearby imperial base on the moon of Endor, a gas giant. They heard an imperial report of a weapon’s facility on the moon used in the construction of parts for a group of massive imperial super weapons. Rather than wandering aimlessly in their search for the Alliance, Ussej ordered the ship’s course be changed to Endor, while remaining outside of the moon’s sensor network.
When they arrived, Ussej selected a few dozen of his best men, geared up and prepared for a reconnaissance and, if necessary, a demolition mission. Originally planning to try to sneak in with one of their own shuttles, things became easier as an imperial shuttle exited hyperspace near their location. They intercepted the shuttle before the officers onboard could send a distress signal, hijacked it and made their way towards the moon.
When they arrived, they were asked for the clearance code to proceed. Using the codes found within the onboard computer, they were granted access to the base on the moon. After docking within the base, they informed the guards that they were the new soldiers that the officers had requested. Not wanting to question the officers, the guards allowed them to pass. Hours later, they were shown to the soldier barracks and told to go to sleep as they had an early patrol.
When the base shut down for the night, Ussej and a few hours made their way deeper into the base and found the command center that housed most of the plans for the superweapons. What Ussej found disturbed him more than anything he had ever seen before. The Empire was constructing nearly a dozen space stations the size of small moons that could obliterate entire worlds. He found plans for another, more powerful weapon, though the access codes failed and set off the alarms. They ran back to the barracks, grabbed their men and made their way into the swamps to avoid detection.
The next day, they heard what sounded like explosions coming from the area surrounding the base. They made their way to the edge of the forest and found that the Alliance had engaged the Empire and the Dark Guardians of Lettow. Ussej contacted the flagship and asked what their situation was and they told him that they had entered the battle in space. Ussej knew that they could not sit back and do nothing, so they unsheathed their swords and entered the battle.
Breaking off from the main battle, Ussej made his way into bunker once again and headed for the command center. He removed a small data disc from his belt pouch and began downloading the plans for the super weapons. However, Kane Starkiller, one of two Dark Commanders of the Lettow, found him and immediately engaged him. Starkiller believed that he would easily be able to defeat Ussej, so he was taken aback when Ussej unleashed the powers of Corusco Boreas and pushed him back. Knowing that he could not wait any longer, he removed the data disc with only fifteen percent of the information and left the bunker.
When he left the bunker, he found that the vast majority of his men were still alive. Opening a channel to the flagship, he ordered them to open fire on the bunker and destroy the facility. Moments later, a group of missiles made their way down from the sky and slammed into the facility, destroying it. The Empire issued a retreat and the Alliance and Bendu relished their partial victory over them. The Alliance soldiers transported the Bendu back to their flagship immediately following the imperial retreat. After Ussej had cleaned up, he met with Mon Mothma aboard her vessel and she expressed her gratitude for their help, despite the fact that they destroyed the facility prematurely. Ussej handed her the data disc and vowed that they would track down the rest of the information if need be. Mon Mothma thanked him again and gave him the coordinates to follow them to the hidden rebel base on Dantooine.
Rising Tensions[]
For the next six months, Ussej was brought up to speed on major galactic events that had happened since the crusades. He spent hours on end studying the New Sith War, the Clone War and everything that had already happened during the aptly named Galactic Civil War. He was amazed at how little things had changed positively, the Jedi and Republic having become even more corrupt than they were during the time of the last alliance with the Bendu. However, what disturbed him even more was that Alderaanian Viceroy Bail Organa and Alliance co-founder, whose adopted daughter Leia Organa had been kidnapped and brainwashed by the Sith Lord Darth Vader, was still in prison. He immediately began formulating a plot to retrieve him.
After the plan was approved by the Alliance Command Council, Ussej selected three of his best men and five of the Alliance’s most elite soldiers and hijacked a small cargo shuttle headed for the Galactic Prison on Coruscant. The trip took several days from their location near Dantooine, days that they wished they did not have to sit through due to the conditions of the ship and the boredom the waiting carried with it. However, when it landed, they covertly made their way into the prison, avoiding detection.
After they found Organa’s cell, Ussej explained who they were and that he would need to stand back, lest he be injured. They planted blast suppressors around the area and a few charges. When they were set, they activated the charges and the force field around Organa’s cell fell. They rushed him back to the landing pad where he was hidden, though Starkiller soon made his way out of the building and spotted Ussej and only Ussej. Taking him by surprise, armed Lettow made their way up from behind and took him prisoner. Ussej sent a signal to his men telling them to protect the Viceroy rather than save him.
Ussej was brought to the lower levels of the facility where Starkiller began a torture procedure on him to try to ascertain where and how he had hidden Organa, though he refused to talk. As he refused more, the pain increased, though he paid it no mind. He had a mission and he intended to complete it. Before Starkiller could set the pain to the more lethal levels, Organa made his way into the chamber with the Bendu and soldiers and took out the Lettow guards. Starkiller escaped, as did Ussej. When they made their way up to the roof, they grabbed a convoy of speeders and made their way deep into the city towards the rendezvous with an Alliance freighter.
Ussej maneuvered his speeder, the others following, through the Coruscant traffic as quick as he could, but he soon realized that he was being closely followed by Starkiller. The chase made its way throughout a great deal of the city, Starkiller being determined not to lose the rebels. Before Starkiller could finally catch up, Organa aimed his blaster directly at a large power coupling, causing Starkiller to stop lest he be electrocuted. When they arrived at the rendezvous, the boarded the freighter and made their way back into hyperspace with the Alderaanian Viceroy’s sincerest thanks.
When the Alliance ship dropped out of hyperspace in a remote sector of the Mid Rim worlds, it met up and docked with the Old Republic Knight, the Alliance flagship. Ussej led Organa to the bridge to be greeted by Mon Mothma, General Crix Madine and Senator Jar Jar Binks. They welcomed them all back and thanked the Bendu and the soldiers for the rescue before Ussej headed for the medical bay to be treated for his wounds. As he walked away, he could overhear Mon Mothma telling Organa that his daughter had been turned to the Dark Side.
When his short treatment was finished, Ussej joined Mon Mothma and Organa in the briefing room. Ussej explained in greater detail who he was and who the Bendu were, as Organa knew very little about them. Not wanting the legacy of the crusades to get in their way, Organa shook Ussej’s hand and thanked them for their help on Endor and in his rescue. Although it was a hard subject, Ussej asked if there were anymore Jedi left that cold possibly help them. Organa told him that they were all dead, but something told him that the Viceroy was not being entirely truthful.
Later that day, Ussej's presence was requested on the bridge. Organa asked him for any information he had on the Imperial Superweapon. Ussej pulled up the limited information he retrieved from the data disc and showed him partial plans for the weapon’s design, including the firing matrix itself. Madine told them both that intercepted imperial transmission indicated that Darth Vader and Leia were headed for the Anoat System on a secret mission and that the Bothan Spy Network believed the system to be the location of the weapon. Hours later, Organa and his captain, Raymus Antilles, slipped off of the ship in their personal starship. Before the Alliance can track them, they receive word from Queen Arcadia of Naboo that the planet had fallen under attack. They also learned from the queen that the Empire was planning to attack Alderaan as well, something about destroying the planet. The Alliance immediately set a course for Alderaan.
En route to Alderaan, Ussej received a signal from Organa telling them that one of the superweapons, called a “Death Star”, was en route to Alderaan, confirming the intelligence that the Empire hoped to destroy the planet, thereby eliminating most of the Alliance. Upon arrival, the Alliance fleet created a perimeter around the planet. When it was secure, Ussej made his way down to the surface with the Bendu and secured the palace, bringing Queen Organa to a secure location. However, before he had the chance to get her off of the planet, the imperial forces arrived.
After leaving the queen in the hands of his men, Ussej joined the battle that was taking place in the city. He did not understand why the Empire would set foot on a planet that was about to be destroyed, but he soon came face to face with Starkiller once again. The two engaged one another and Ussej expected another quick end, though Starkiller had grown more powerful. It became a great deal harder for Ussej to fight him. The two split away from one another for some time to make their way around debris, and Ussej was contacted saying that the Death Star had been partially destroyed when one of his men flew a star fighter into the weapons matrix just as the weapon was being set off on one of the Alliance ships. Ussej could not help but be proud, but it was tempered when Starkiller returned, further outraged by the destruction of the battleship. Ussej lost his blade and Starkiller lunged towards him, though the Dark Commander was forced to retreat along with the rest of his forces. Ussej returned to his own forces for a debriefing of the battle. When the debriefing was finished, Ussej volunteered to guard the queen until they found new Royal Guards to replace those that had been killed.
Fall of the Lettow[]
After the battle, Ussej was joined by Mon Mothma and Organa and they immediately began forming plans to strike at the heart of the Empire, specifically one or more of the Death Stars. Ussej suggested attacking the one that had already been damaged over Alderaan as it was still being repaired and the weapon itself would have been inoperative, thus making it an easy target. The Alliance would also only have to deal with the imperial fleet in the area. Organa ordered an immediate scan of the Anoat system to ascertain whether or not the Death Star was still there, though he doubted that the Empire would have been foolish enough to keep the damaged space station at the same facility the Alliance had previously discovered it at.
Weeks later, a plan had been set in place that would see the Alliance not only attacking the Death Star and future Death Stars that they discovered, but also to steal the complete plans of all of the superweapons. Immediately following a meeting between Ussej, Organa, Mon Mothma and the Command Council, they received a message from General Madine on the flagship in orbit around Alderaan saying that Starkiller requested an audience with them. Ussej protested the idea, as he believed that Starkiller could have simply been trying to lure them into a false sense of security before baiting them into an imperial trap. However, Organa and Mon Mothma allowed the meeting to take place.
Upon Starkiller’s arrival, Ussej was surprised to see the Dark Commander willingly hand over his lightsaber to the Bendu guards, though he was not entirely convinced that Starkiller had arrived for peaceful purposes. When questioned, Starkiller explained that he had unearthed a tomb on Utapau that contained information about the death of his parents, revealing to him that it was the Sith who had them murdered rather than the Jedi like he had been led to believe. When Ussej asked him what that had to do with them, Starkiller told them that it was the Sith that had him that the Jedi and the Republic had killed his parents, hence why he fought for the Empire and agreed to become a part of the Lettow. With the revelation, Starkiller said that he had changed his views and wanted to help the Bendu destroy the Lettow once and for all, thereby bringing about a devastating blow to Palpatine and Vader. Ussej was not entirely convinced, but Organa ordered them both to go to the Lettow Fortress on Coruscant’s moon and wipe out as many Lettow as possible. Organa also asked Ussej to rescue his daughter if at all possible.
After formulating the plan, Ussej led Starkiller, a large number of Bendu and the Alliance soldiers to Coruscant’s moon. When they arrived, they made sure that they were able to jam the fortress’ communication, as they did not want the Lettow to be able to send a distress call to Coruscant for additional forces. After a few hours, they arrived at the fortress and began a bombardment of its fortified walls. The bombardment lasted for hours until they were able to weaken the gates, knock them down and kill the guards at the front doorway. During the battle, Starkiller told Ussej that he was going to try to find Leia Organa, as he hoped that she was in the building. Though he was skeptical of what Starkiller was planning to do, Ussej did not have time to ask questions as the former Dark Commander ran off. Ussej immediately placed his concentration in the battle and, having studied what was known of the Lettow, was able to determine that the Lettow were not properly trained and that the superior training of the Bendu would cause their defeat. That ended up being the case, as only eleven Lettow warriors were able to make it out of the fortress alive.
Ussej and his men took great pride in in what they had accomplished, but by the battle’s end it was clear that many of the Bendu had been killed. However, there was a glimmer of hope. True to his word, Starkiller returned with a redeemed Leia Organa and told Ussej that they had fought in the main audience chamber of the temple where he was able to show her the truth about her real father, Darth Vader, and convince her to return to Alderaan. Ussej agreed with the decision, and told her so after introducing himself and escorting her back to the transport vessel. Starkiller, however, told Ussej that he had to find Darth Vader and confront him for lying about the death of his parents. Ussej asked him to travel back to Alderaan with them, as he believed that confronting Vader would be too dangerous, but Ussej allowed him to leave when Starkiller told him that it was simply something that he had to do.
When they returned to Alderaan, Ussej brought Leia back to her parent’s residence and watched as they shared a joyous reunion. Ussej could not imagine what it was like for them, knowing that their child had walked the dark path only to leave them behind. To give them the time that he knew they needed, he left the residence and gathered all of his men together on the shores of Lake Aldera. When they arrived, he led a sermon in remembrance of the Bendu that had been killed on Endor, Alderaan and Coruscant’s moon, something he had wanted to do for some time though he had never found the time to do so. They sat in prayer from dusk until dawn with the hope that the dark days would shed light on a brighter future.
Growing Rebellion[]
Days after the fall of the Lettow, Ussej served as Leia’s personal guard until she was able to start adjusting to the return of her old lifestyle. However, he noticed the darkness within her and worried that she would revert to her old, dark ways. Ussej spoke with Organa about an ancient and controversial Bendu practice that involved the wiping of certain memories while replacing them with manufactured ones. After much deliberation, Ussej was able to convince the viceroy that it was in his daughter’s best interest to undergo the procedure. Ussej oversaw it himself and successfully made Leia believe that she had been a prisoner of war for some time and that she had vowed to help the Alliance defeat the Empire.
Within minutes of the procedure, Ussej was called into a meeting of the Command Council. There, they requested his help in leading a mission to Polis Massa to retrieve the remainder of the plans for the Death Stars. Once there, Ussej would transmit the plans to Leia onboard the Tantive IV. Having already made the promise to find the rest of the plans, Ussej immediately agreed and gathered his best men and the most elite soldiers the Alliance had to offer him.
Upon arriving at the facility on Polis Massa, Ussej gave the order to execute the raid. With the element of surprise, they easily took control of the Imperial radar center to avoid having any transmissions sent out to call reinforcements. Making their way through the halls, Ussej came across the room he knew to be the room where Padme Amidala-Skywalker died. He stopped his men for a moment, saying a prayer for the late senator. Moving on, they stormed the command center where the data discs with the schematics were held. Ussej was slashed across the neck with by a Lettow blade, though he was able to continue the fight.
Fighting off the soldiers in the command center, they retrieved the data discs and returned to the radar center where they transmitted the plans to the Tantive IV. When Leia acknowledge that they received the plans, the Bendu and Alliance retreated to their ships. After a brief dogfight over the facility, the ship was able to safely make the jump into hyperspace. When the ship was safely in transit to the newly established rebel base on Yavin IV, the technicians treated Ussej’s wounds and placed him under sedation until they arrived on the base.
After resting for a few days on Yavin IV, Ussej was informed of Leia’s capture by Darth Vader. Even more disturbing, Alderaan had been destroyed by one of the Death Stars and Emperor Palpatine had disbanded the Imperial Senate, gathering all of his power behind his iron grip and the ruling through fear with the superweapons. The next day, after meditating on the events of the days before, Leia was returned to the rebel base by Starkiller, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and the latter’s Wookiee companion Chewbacca. They had boarded the Death Star and rescued her after attempting to travel to Alderaan, though they told them that Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi had sacrificed himself while fighting Vader.
When Ussej heard the news of Obi-Wan’s death, he began to seriously reconsider his views on the Jedi. He did not expect one of the last two Jedi Masters in existence to sacrifice themselves to save the lives of others, but rather for them to do anything in their supposedly corrupted power to stay alive to further their own agenda under the guise of preserving their people. It was a pleasant surprise and he spoke with Luke about how he had changed his views on the Jedi. Later that day, Organa told Ussej that Luke was the son of Darth Vader. Organa also revealed to him that Vader was the one who the Jedi had believed to be the Chosen One, causing Ussej to rethink the way he viewed the Prophecies of The Skywalker. Later that day, he also bid farewell to Starkiller, who said he needed some time to himself before he fought for the Alliance. Ussej agreed and watched as he left alongside the Millennium Falcon, the vessel owned and operated by Han Solo and Chewbacca.
The next day, the Death Star arrived in orbit around Yavin IV. Due to the weak defenses of the rebel base, the fleet that arrived with the Death Star was easily able to land forces on the planet. Ussej immediately took charge of the ground defense and led rebel soldiers and the Bendu through the temples as they tried to fight back against the imperial invasion. He knew that the odds of a successful defense were slim, though he still fought back as intensely as he could. He lost many troops and Bendu Knights, though he swore to make their sacrifice worthwhile.
When Ussej and his men were forced into the jungle, they knew that they would have to change their tactic. Spreading out throughout the area, they performed numerous guerrilla attacks against the imperial aggressors, changing the tide of the ground battle. Gaining ground, he overheard that Luke had destroyed the Death Star before it was able to destroy the planet and kill the rebels and their own men. Before the imperial troops had the chance to escape, Ussej and his men were able to gain more ground and score major strikes against numerous imperial walkers. When the guerilla tactics forced the Stormtroopers into the corner of their base, the imperial commanders gave them the retreat order. Ussej allowed them to escape, as he knew that the Alliance would also give their people a retreat order as well.
Decisions[]
Following the somewhat successful defense of Yavin IV, Bail told Ussej that he and Mon Mothma had given the order to retreat to a rendezvous point near the Rishi Maze in order to avoid detection by the Empire. Ussej agreed and informed his men, who boarded their flagship and followed the alliance to the rarely-explored area of the galaxy. When they arrived, Luke told Ussej that he had heard the voice of Obi-Wan just before and after he had destroyed the Death Star. When Ussej asked what Obi-Wan said, Luke told him that Obi-Wan gave him guidance on how best to destroy the Superweapon. Ussej did not have a clear answer for Luke, though he knew that the Shaman of the Whills had something to do with it.
Ussej later said goodbye to Luke for the time being as the young Jedi-in-training left with Han Solo and Chewbacca, who had returned to help Luke destroy the Death Star, to search for a new remote location for a rebel base. He received the telemetry of ice-world Hoth when the trio happened upon it and agreed with Bail and Mon Mothma when they said it would be a suitable location for a new rebel base. He knew that the asteroid belt near it would provide a difficult barrier and that the remoteness and near unbearable temperatures made it an unlikely planet for imperial probing. The ever-shifting caverns also made it easier to move the base if needed.
Ussej arrived on Hoth with the Alliance and his men helped in construction of the base, codenamed “Echo Base”. He strongly recommended that the base be built in the northern hemisphere on the only livable temperate band near the equator. The commanders agreed and the base was built at that location. Despite remaining on Hoth for months as the base was under construction, Ussej knew that the morale of his own men was low and that they needed to return to Kal’Shabbol, at least for a few days. Though not required, he formally requested the permission of Bail and Mon Mothma to take a leave of absence for a month. When they requested it, Ussej reminded him that he would always be one sub-space transmission away.
When the Bendu arrived back on Kal’Shabbol two weeks later, Ussej was relieved to be home. However, when he returned to his father’s house he found that the aging man had grown increasingly ill and was near-death. Ussej spent as much time as he could with his father, telling him stories about the progression of the war. Ussej old told his father that Obi-Wan Kenobi's sacrifice helped him rid himself of his resentment towards the Jedi, and the old man could not have been happier. Two days later, Ussej Padric Bac LXIII died with Ussej at his side. Ussej was stunned and devastated by the loss, but knew he had to move on. Two days later, Ussej oversaw a ceremony that commemorated his father. When the ceremony ended, the body of the elder Ussej was cremated and, per his request, his ashes were scattered across the Ashlan Ocean.
Ussej spent the next few days in seclusion, not wanting to truly speak with anyone. Despite his seclusion, he came to the conclusion on his own that the Bendu needed to return to Hoth and assist the Alliance once again. He left his self-imposed home exile and informed his men of his decision. Fortunately, they all agreed. After the flagship was prepared, they bid farewell to their planet once again and ventured back into Alliance space.
In the final day of their journey, the Bendu had nearly arrived on Hoth. However, the ship was intercepted by the ship belonging to Kyle Katarn, one of Han Solo’s smuggling partners. Kyle told Ussej that he had received a distress signal from Leia on Bespin and that the Alliance ships were preparing to head there and help Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and Han. Ussej immediately ordered the helmsman on duty to alter course and intercept the Alliance ships.
After meeting up with the Alliance ships just before reaching Bespin, Ussej and his men transferred to their transport carriers and undocked from the Alliance flagship. The transports took them to Bespin where they arrived on the Cloud City just in time to rescue Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and a man named Lando Calrissian from the Imperial garrison that had been stationed there. Ussej also personally rescued Starkiller, who was under attack from the few remaining Lettow warriors. During the rescue, Ussej lost his sword once more and was forced to resort to blasters, weapons which he believed to be uncivilized. Despite this, the rescue of the rebels there and Starkiller proved to be successful. When their remaining personnel were safely back on board the transports, they made their way back to the Alliance fleet.
Personality and traits[]
In keeping with a family tradition that the Bac family would rather forget about, Ussej was the type of person that one could easily get along with, though that was only if they were able to get to know him. He would appear closed off and greatly reserved to those who did not know him well. However, those that did get to know him saw him to be a good friend and a compassionate, emotional soul. His closed nature only stemmed from his own inability to trust those he did not know.
Despite his closed-nature to some people, Ussej was a deeply passionate, spiritual and emotional man. He weighed every decision heavily and felt grief for everyone killed in the two wars he participated in, even if he did not know them. Each night, Ussej prayed to a statue of The Skywalker and the Shaman of the Whills to bring about a quick end to the two wars. By the end of the second war, Ussej realized his prayers were answered, as the Re-Unification War ended within two years.
Much like some of his ancestors, Ussej had a complete distrust of the Jedi Order, despite having never met a member of the order. He blamed the Jedi for every negative event in the history of his family starting with Ussej Padric Bac and particularly Ussej Padric Bac III. The distrust and dislike of the Jedi caused him to feel uncomfortable when he invaded the Lettow-infested Jedi Temple. It was not due to the fact that he was fighting in a sanctuary, but rather be of the fact that he was forced to stand within the ancient halls of the Jedi Order. Ussej’s views on the Jedi Order did not change until shortly before the Battle of Yavin IV and the destruction of the first Death Star. When Luke Skywalker arrived on Yavin IV, Ussej was informed of the sacrifice made by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ussej was amazed that one of two living Jedi Masters would commit such a selfless act, which caused him to have a great epiphany about his views. After that, he became an informal mentor to Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan’s final padawan and the son of the Chosen One.
Talents and abilities[]
It was as if the blade never even touched his hands.
—Kane Starkiller
Early in his childhood, the Council of Priests and Ussej Padric Bac LXIII recognized that Ussej had the potential to be one of the greatest swordsman that the Bendu Order had seen since the death of Ussej Padric Bac III nearly four thousand years earlier. Ussej Padric Bac III had crafted a form of sword combat called Corusco Boreas. The name was the ancient Ashlan term that meant “Fast Wind”, and the name was certainly appropriate to the form and all who used it. In order to use the form, it was required that the user be highly trained and skilled with the powers of the Force of Others. This was due to the fact that the sword was meant to be in flight between the users hands for the duration of the fight, except for when the blade was being used to attack or defend.
The point of having the blade in flight was an art of intimidation. Ussej Padric Bac III crafted it in order to intimidate any Jedi, Sith or Mandalorians that he would be forced to fight during the Great Sovereign Crusades. Despite this intimidation tactic and the fury of the attacks themselves, the form did have a weakness. If an opponent was fast enough with their own form of sword or lightsaber combat, or if they also knew Corusco Boreas, there was a possibility that they could knock the sword from between the users hands while it was still in flight.
Ussej realized the drawback a decade before he even knew about the Galactic Civil War. To perfect the form and reduce the effects of the drawback, Ussej devised a way to keep his hands closer together yet still be in a comfortable position where his hands together would not have been an easy target. It took years to master, despite only having to move his hands in a bit more. It proved that the form was only meant for experienced users and that it truly would be a formidable foe against any opponent.
Ussej was also highly attuned and adept to the Force of Others and its ways. Continuing the legacy set forth by a great number of his ancestors, he was able to master the rare ability known as Incendo Eminentia. The power was a form of combat that could be used offensively or defensively. When used offensively, the bolt of light that it created could burn or burn through an opponent. When used defensively, the output of the power was lessened and could be used to simply blind an enemy. Like his ancestors, Ussej did not use the power often, though he did famously use it against the spirit of the Sith Lord Darth Myst and his cultic followers during the Battle of Korriban. Despite his limited usage of it, the fact that he knew the power and was able to master it was a testament to his genes and to his own power and knowledge.
Behind the scenes[]
Development[]
Ussej Padric Bac LXIV was the second original character author Brandon Rhea developed for the Alternative Star Wars Saga. In early 2005, after the creation of Kane Starkiller, Rhea began to develop the Bendu Order, who were then called the “Bendu Knights of the Ashla”. When writing a plot synopsis for Star Wars: Episode IV, a re-imagined episode following the canon Prequel Trilogy, Rhea created the character Padric Bac who would serve as the Prince of the Bendu. This character was named after the name Patrick Bac, a name that Rhea had used in other stories and went on to use in Patrick Keylan Bac.
It was around this time that Rhea also selected actor Christian Bale, known at that time for roles such as American Psycho and Batman Begins, to portray the character as he believed that Bale embodied the qualities he was looking for in the character. This was a sense of profound seriousness, as well as dignity and determination. He also felt that the character needed to look like an elegant man of religious importance while retaining the look of someone who would be able to handle himself in a fight.
After a few months, Rhea began role-playing on The Star Wars RP, a ProBoards site that he served as an Administrator on, and he wanted his first character to be named Padric Bac. However, the owner of the site, Steven Alldis, worked with him and created the basis for the character Ussej Padric Bac. Eventually, Rhea wanted to name Padric Bac the same thing, and eventually began to call him Ussej Padric Bac LXIV. The reason for the family name continuing was developed later and added into the story of Ussej Padric Bac II.
Parodies[]
Like other members of the Bac family, Bac has been parodied on Darthipedia, the Star Wars Wiki. In the brief parody, he is referred to as “Jesus Patrick Bach, Volume 64”. Although there is no current article about him on the Wiki yet, he is given a mention in Darthipedia’s Christian Bale article in which Bale is referred to as the “great x64” grandson of Jesus Patrick Bach, who is the parody of Ussej Padric Bac. Bale, also referred to as “Batman Bateman”, is also said to be the “mancrush” of supergeeky1.