Ulic Qel-Droma

SW Character


bgcolor=#000000
fgcolor=#FFFFFF
name=Ulic Qel-Droma
position=Jedi Knight, Jedi General, Sith Apprentice, High Priest of the Krath, 1 of 4 heads of the Brotherhood, redeemed Jedi Master
species=Human
gender=Male
height= 1.77 meters
hair= Brown
eyes= Brown
vehicle="Nebulon Ranger"
weapon= Lightsaber
planet= Alderaan
affiliation= Jedi Order, Galactic Republic, Krath, Brotherhood of the Sith
portrayer= N/A

Ulic Qel-Droma is a fictional character in the "Star Wars" Expanded Universe, primarily featured in "Tales of the Jedi", a Dark Horse comic book series set 4000 years before "".

Character overview

Ulic is portrayed as strong in The Force, as well as a prodigiously talented warrior. He is vain and arrogant, however, and he eventually falls prey to the dark side. After betraying the Jedi, he goes on to become a powerful warlord, massacring many planets; his reign of terror leaves a permanent scar on the galaxy. He eventually redeems himself, however, and returns to the light side of the Force.

History

Path to Knighthood

Ulic is introduced in "". He was born on Alderaan. His mother was a Jedi Master held in high regard. Unable to remove the emotional attachment necessary for the Jedi Order, Ulic's mother chooses not to train him and his brother, Cay, to be Jedi. Though denied the training to become as powerful as his mother, Ulic focuses his efforts on every other form of competition. With a boundless ambition, Ulic proves that he can easily challenge and defeat nearly all who oppose him, in almost any field. He soon becomes a hero on his homeworld.

left|thumb|250px|Ulic Qel-Droma as a Jedi Knight.

Due in part to his heritage, Ulic is already naturally gifted in the Force, something his mother could no longer deny. Casting aside her previous reservations, Ulic's mother agrees to send the young hopeful to Jedi Master Arca Jeth on Arkania to begin his path to Jedi Knighthood.

Ulic's apprenticeship is filled with adventure and intrigue. Ulic trains with his brother and a Twi'lek named Tott Doneeta. In "", the three are sent on their first real assignment, to bring peace to the world of Onderon, in which a ravaging series of civil wars had been fought for centuries.

The Jedi entourage touches down in the walled capital of Iziz, after nearly being shot down by a Beast Rider patrol. With King Ommin recuperating from illness, the Jedi are forced to contact the Queen and her daughter, Princess Galia. In little more than a few hours, the Beast Riders storm the palace, kidnapping Galia. Leading his fellow Jedi, Ulic orchestrates the attempted rescue of the Princess. In their ship, the "Nebulon Ranger", the Jedi plunge deep into Beast Rider territory in search of the kidnapped royalty.

Storming the Beast Rider citadel on giant boma beasts after the "Ranger" is shot down, the Jedi interrupt the ceremonial wedding of Princess Galia to the Beast Riders' leader, Oron Kira. In a startling realization, the young Jedi discover that the true perpetuator of the war was Iziz, not the Beast Riders. With Galia professing her love to Kira, the Jedi learn dark and terrible secrets in the capital city of Onderon. They learn that Freedon Nadd, an ancient and powerful Sith Lord, has brought the dark side to Onderon- and that the royalty in power are his descendants. The Jedi peacekeepers ally themselves with the Beast Riders to end the corrupted royalty's reign in Iziz.

As they enter the palace, the Jedi demand that Queen Amanoa step down as ruler of Iziz. She refuses, and a bloody battle ensued. To the Beast Riders' rescue, Arca Jeth enters Iziz and uses his powerful Battle Meditation to turn the tide in favor of the Riders and his Jedi apprentices. The battle ends with a Jedi/Beast Rider victory, but Cay is seriously wounded. Arca Jeth temporarily quells the darkness in Iziz, but is not pleased at his pupils' actions. He chides Ulic for failing to detect the dark side on Onderon, and contemplates to himself that perhaps his apprentices were not suitable for such a mission.

Back in Iziz, Galia's marriage to Oron Kira briefly reunited Onderon's people. Not all would come to recognize Kira and Galia as rightful rulers of Onderon, however. A cult controlled by Freedon Nadd's spirit lead an uprising against their rule. Caught in the middle of a rebellion, Ulic and his fellow Jedi are forced to act. Arca Jeth is seized by the deathly ill King Ommin during the Uprising- an opportunity Ulic uses to gain his master's favor, and strikes the king down. In an unsettling display, Freedon Nadd claims the King's life, and declares to Ulic that he will soon become the greatest Sith the galaxy had ever seen. Nadd reveals he had brought Force-sensitives from the Empress Teta System to Onderon- a process that would ensure a new, elite generation of Sith.

In "", Satal Keto and his cousin Aleema begin the secret society known as the Krath, and eventually overthrow their parents. Ulic and his new companion, Nomi Sunrider, are sent to investigate.

Krath Conflict

In an assault on the Empress Teta System, Aleema uses the dark side to hide the Krath's numbers. In a state of confusion, Ulic's forces are unprepared to handle the Krath defense, and are forced to retreat. He is wounded in the first attack, but Nomi heals him.

On the planet Deneba, the Jedi assemble en masse to resolve this new threat. In the conclave, Ulic argues that one Jedi could infiltrate their ranks and bring the darkness down from the inside. The Jedi Masters scoff at Ulic's suggestion, pronouncing it to be foolhardy and dangerous. Before they decide upon a course of action, however, they are overwhelmed by a Krath attack. In the dire battle between Jedi and battle droid, Ulic's respected master, Arca Jeth, is killed.

In despair, the young Jedi blames himself for his master's death. Blinded by emotion, Ulic decides to put his plan into action. After studying a Sith holocron held by another Jedi, he meets with his brother. Cay fears for his Ulic's safety, and does not believe he will see his brother again. Before leaving for the Tetan city of Cinnagar, Ulic embraces his love for Nomi Sunrider, violating the Jedi Code's rule against emotional attachments.

While deep in the city, Ulic sees a public execution being held by Aleema. The imprisoned man breaks free from his captors and attacks the Sith. In his first chance to display loyalty to the Krath, Ulic kills Aleema's attacker. Although Aleema is grateful for his service, Satal Keto does not trust this mysterious newcomer. Keto sends Ulic to be tortured beneath Cinnagar. In his interrogation, Ulic's blood is poisoned by Sith chemicals.

Meanwhile, Nomi, Cay, and Tott Doneeta travel to Cinnagar. Ulic orders Nomi imprisoned. In what he believes to be a secret communication to Nomi, Ulic says that he intends to stay in disguise for a while longer, in an effort to learn more of the Krath's plans. Satal intercepts his conversation, however, and sentences them both to death.

With the Sith poison working on him, Ulic is cast into a deep depression. Nomi escapes, however, and calls Cay and Tott to stage a rescue. Destroying the Krath's defenses, the Jedi pull Nomi from her captivity, but Ulic decides to stay behind. In a fit of rage, Ulic kills Satal Keto, demanding vengeance for the death of Arca Jeth. Cay pleads with him to join the other Jedi on their ship, but Ulic warns his brother that he will kill him too unless he leaves. The Jedi depart from Cinnagar, and Ulic becomes one with the dark side.

Aleema progresses Ulic further and further down the dark path, giving him an ancient Sith amulet. With a major Jedi invasion on the way, Ulic renounces his ties with the Jedi to his friends. Cay and Nomi meet Ulic in Cinnagar's Iron Citadel, and attempt to bring him back to the light. Ulic refuses, condemning his brother and his former love as weak pawns of the Jedi. In that moment, he holds Cay and Nomi at bay with his newfound Sith relic. Cay eventually has no choice but to leave his brother to the ravages of the dark side.

Exar Kun's apprentice

In "", Exar Kun, a rogue Jedi turned Sith Lord, comes to Cinnagar to challenge Ulic. In an epic battle, each combatant's amulet springs to life. They display a vision of a former Golden Age Sith Empire that had existed 1,000 years before. Suddenly, the spirit of the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Marka Ragnos, appears to the two opponents. The spirit proclaims them the next rulers of the Sith, who would bring an order of Sith might to the galaxy once again. Ragnos brands the two with dark side tattoos on their foreheads to add to their power, and Exar is made Dark Lord of the Sith, with Ulic as his apprentice.

In the ensuing war, Ulic allies with Aleema as warlords of the Empress Teta System. One warrior, Mandalore, contests Ulic's rule. In a duel between the two, Ulic defeats the Mandalorian warrior, who subsequently pledges his allegiance to Ulic's reign. The soldiers under his command are now part of Ulic's ever-growing army. With this new addition, the Sith Lord disobeys his master's order and takes the fight directly to the Republic's capital world of Coruscant. In the raging battle over the skies of Coruscant, Ulic is captured by a group of Jedi, which includes Nomi Sunrider, and is brought before the Galactic Senate to answer for his crimes.

Ulic Qel-Droma is as defiant as ever, refusing to apologize for any of his actions. He speaks to the Senate of the coming Golden Age of the Sith, which he and Exar Kun would propagate. With respectful timing, Exar Kun arrives at Ulic's trial and kills all the Senators present. After the master and his apprentice leave their mark, they depart from Coruscant.

After their brutality on Coruscant, Ulic and Exar Kun decide to dupe Aleema into detonating the stars of the Cron Cluster, hurtling a path of destruction at the Jedi library on nearby Ossus. With the Jedi on Ossus in dismay, the Sith Lords venture to the stronghold to steal what artifacts they can from the library before it is destroyed. On the planet, Ulic confronts his brother and kills him in a duel. Ulic, much to his own surprise, is suddenly stricken with grief. Nomi uses a forbidden technique in an effort to stop Ulic's rampages. She uses all her power to totally cut him off from the Force. Ulic's spirit is shattered from the effects, and the Force is no longer his to command or feel.

Redemption

In "", Ulic goes into exile. For nearly 10 years he wanders in search of some understanding of who he is — and what he has become. Ulic seeks to settle down on Yavin IV with the help of a pilot named Hoggon. Exar Kun, who had trapped his spirit within the walls of a Massassi temple on the fourth moon, haunts Ulic, and he desires to move to somewhere even more isolated. Hoggon takes the broken Jedi to the ice-world of Rhen Var, where he is tortured even further by memories of his friends after falling victim to a cave-in. His will is still strong despite being cut off from the Force, and he gathers enough strength to allow himself to live, although he is not sure if that is truly what he wants.

Hoggon, meanwhile, is hired to seek Ulic out by Nomi Sunrider's daughter, Vima. Although Hoggon is shocked to learn he had transported a wanted criminal on his ship, he agrees to help Vima find the fallen Jedi.

Vima confronts Ulic on the icy world, and asks to become a Jedi through his teachings. Ulic promptly rejects her offer, believing his teachings would only cause harm. He eventually relents, however, and takes her as a Padawan. Although Ulic is deprived of the Force, they craft lightsabers and built statues honoring such Jedi as Arca Jeth and Vima's father, Andur Sunrider.

After Vima's training is complete, Nomi arrives on Rhen Var to seek out her daughter. Though her meeting with Ulic is awkward, Nomi is moved to see him finding peace. Unknown to Ulic, however, a Cathar Jedi named Sylvar arrives at Rhen Var at the same time — but her mission is one of vengeance, for the death of her mate at Ulic's hands years before. Sylvar attacks Ulic, who refuses to fight, and eventually convinces the Jedi to put down her weapon. He then speaks his final words:

"I cannot change the past. I meant to do good. But the dark side is slippery, as you yourself should know. I tried to hide. I tried to die. And finally, I tried to atone. You are not my judge, Sylvar. You are simply a pawn of your own emotions. I will not fight you."

At that moment, Hoggon, who deeply respects the Jedi Order, shoots Ulic through the heart. As Ulic dies in Nomi's arms, he gives Vima a necklace as a sign of eternal thanks, for she has allowed him to make peace with himself. He also begs Nomi for forgiveness, to which Nomi replied:

"Rest easy, Ulic. I have already done that."

His spirit lay dormant for 4,000 years until it is awakened by Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars (as portrayed in the video game ""). Anakin comes to Ulic's burial site on Rhen Var seeking guidance in his plight to destroy the Dark Reaper reactivated by Count Dooku. Qel-Droma teaches the young Jedi much, and because of his own experiences frequently warns Anakin to avoid the destructive path of the dark side.

It is known that he fathered at least one child because his descendant was a mercenary during the time of Luke Skywalker.

In the popular game Star Wars Battlefront, a playable level on Rhen Var includes a citadel with a tomb inside. Whether or not this is Ulic's is unclear.

References

*"Tales of the Jedi: Redemption", paperback, Dark Horse 2001. Kevin J. Anderson, Chris Gossett, ISBN 1-56971-535-1
*"Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War", paperback, Dark Horse 1996. Kevin J. Anderson, Dario Carrasco, Mark G. Heike, ISBN 1-56971-173-9
*"Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith", paperback, Dark Horse 1996. Kevin J. Anderson, Tom Veitch, Chris Gossett, Art Wetherell, ISBN 1-56971-095-3
*"Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising", paperback, Dark Horse 1997. Tom Veitch, Tony Akins, Denis Rodier, ISBN 1-56971-307-3
*"Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic", paperback, Dark Horse 1994. Tom Veitch, Chris Gossett, Janine Johnston, David Roach, ISBN 1-56971-020-1

External links

* [http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/ulicqeldroma/?id=eu Star Wars Databank entry]
*
* [http://www.wheelon.com/comics/redemption.htm Tales of the Jedi: Redemption Series]
* [http://www.wheelon.com/comics/the_sith_war.htm Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War Series]
* [http://www.wheelon.com/comics/dark_lords_of_the_sith.htm Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith Series]
* [http://www.wheelon.com/comics/the_freedon_nadd_uprising.htm Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising Series]
* [http://www.wheelon.com/comics/knights_of_the_old_republic.htm Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic Series]