My analysis on Inquisitor Jerec, will be taken from Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II the video game, The Dark Forces novellas from Dark Horse, The New Essential Guide to Characters, The Dark Forces Saga, Power of the Jedi Sourcebook from Wizards of the Coast, Book of the Sith, and the Dark Side Sourcebook from Wizards of the Coast.
Jerec was a powerful Miraluka Jedi Archaeologist who turned to the dark side of the Force during the Empire’s reign. He was trained by Jocasta Nu, who shared Jerec’s quest for greater knowledge and understanding. Jerec, though born blind, bore the ability to “see” by using the Force. This added to his physical discipline and helped him master the Makashi form of lightsaber combat. As an archaeologist during the Clone Wars, he would seek out ancient lore and artifacts for the order. He discovered a site that existed called the Valley of the Jedi, an area he would seek for his entire life but only for personal gain.
Jerec began to feel he had seen all that the light side offered and began to consider the dark side as an option to gain more knowledge.
Jerec departed with a strike team to the unknown regions and did not return until after the Clone Wars ended and Order 66. When he arrived on Coruscant, he realized that the order had been wiped out. The beacon that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda had set up had been obviously deactivated.
He and his group tried to flee, though they were captured by the inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne. Tremayne offered Jerec a choice; accept the dark side and serve the Emperor or be killed. Jerec converted easily to the dark side and he became a member of the Inquisitorius, an association of Jedi hunters. Many of these Jedi would be recruited by Jerec and would build a clan of dark Jedi loyal to him. One such notable member was Maw.
Jerec would be given the task of seeking Jedi and Sith lore-similar to his life as a Jedi. As one of the prime Sith scholars and as a strong dark side Force user, Jerec gained great favor with Palpatine. It was even said that if Darth Vader was not already Sidious’ Sith apprentice, Jerec would be a prime candidate to fill the position. He began to loathe Vader and would attempt to undermine his position as often as he could. However, Vader stayed. By the Galactic Civil War, Jerec would have the privilege of reporting directly to Palpatine.
Jerec longed to eventually become a Sith and he gave himself Sith tattoos on his face. Three lines on either side of his face on the lower part of the mouth. He also read the Dark side Compendium written by Palpatine himself. From these writings Jerec came up with the idea to form a group of 7 Dark Jedi as loyal followers. This concept would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Palpatine eventually caught wind of Jerec’s intentions and cut his off connection to the compendium. This would not hinder Jerec though. He created a close relationship with Lord Cronal. It from him that Jerec learned more of the Valley of the Jedi. It was the location of the 7th Battle of Ruusan. It held the trapped spirits of hundreds of Jedi and Sith which could be utilized by a skilled master. Jerec dreamed in harnessing its power. He also encountered Qu Rahn at this point, an exiled Jedi who had survived the Great Jedi Purge.
Jerec’s goal was to topple the Emperor. It was now that he began to build his network, knowing full well he could not challenge the Emperor alone. These allies included Maw, Boc the Crude, Gorc and Pic, and finally Sariss. Palpatine was understanding Jerec’s ambitions. Having cut his access to Sith learning. He would make use of him, though he would frequently assign Thrawn to Jerec’s star destroyer Vengeance as its captain to keep an eye on Jerec.
Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Jerec led a mission to Sulon to capture a Rebel named Morgan Katarn. Jerec would capture and decapitate Morgan with a vibroblade. Jerec would then attend the graduation of new stormtroopers. He learned from General Rom Mochc, that Morgan’s son, Kyle, had performed top of his class. It has been speculated Jerec felt the Force in Katarn and might have sought to make him a potential dark Jedi.
Jerec would keep a low profile during the Battle of Hoth. He went to Sulon and ruled as governor, building a large tower in Baron’s Hed.
Jerec’s tower
After the Battle of Endor it was confirmed that Darth’s Sidious and Vader were dead. This fact allowed Jered to expand his reach with his prime target being the Valley of the Jedi. A new dark Jedi, Yun, was also added to his group.
Jerec also learned that Qu Rahn had discovered the Valley’s location. He captured and probed the Jedi’s mind with the Force. Rahn actually did not know where in fact the Valley was located, but Morgan Katarn did. In his home on Sulon, there was a map in his home. Jerec left Rahn to die but Rahn attacked with Yun’s lightsaber that he called to him with the Force. He cut Maw in half but was not able to harm Jerec. Jerec used the Force to paralyze Rahn and decapitated him with his lightsaber.
Jerec dispatched his agents to Sulon where they removed a map carved into the stone ceiling of Morgan’s workshop. The map was taken to Barons Hed where the droid 8t-88 decoded the map to Jerec. With the location now known to him, Jerec sent Gorc and Pic to “reward” the droid. (deactivation was rewarded to him.)
Jerec’s Imperial servants began constructing a base on Ruusan, drilling their way into the Valley. However, the Jedi in training, Kyle Katarn, tracked Jerec to the Valley with his partner, Jan Ors. Rather than kill the operatives, Jerec decided to attempt to turn Katarn using Ors as leverage. He allowed Maw to engage Katarn in lightsaber combat, while he captured Ors. Katarn struck down Maw in anger when Maw taunted the Jedi about his dead father. Jerec used this moment to appear with Ors. He ordered Kyle to strike Ors down to join him on the dark side. Katarn refused and deactivated hi lightsaber.
Jerec was not very surprised at this and used a blast of Force energy to knock Katarn on to a collapsing cruiser plummeting down to the canyon below. Thinking Katarn dead, Jerec made his way to the Valley with Ors as his captive. Boc, Yun, and Sariss would make sure Katarn was dead.
Katarn would not perish and would be saved by Yun from Sariss’ lightsaber, though the act cost Yun his life. Boc had left to rejoin Jerec and Katarn set out after them. Jerec had already entered the valley and leached the spirits strength. Jerec gained total knowledge, something he craved for many years.
When Katarn finally did arrive at the valley, he defeated Boc. Jerec finally appeared, ready to challenge Katarn.
Kyle Katarn vs Jerec
Katarn, using the light side of the Force, severed Jerec’s connection to the Valley. Defeated, Jerec fell to his knees as Katarn’s lightsaber flashed over him. Though being goaded to kill the dark Jedi, Katarn refused. He threw Jerec’s lightsaber to him in an act of Jedi mercy.
Jerec did not accept mercy and instead, ignited his lightsaber and charged. Katarn charged as well. It wasn’t until it was over that Jerec realized Katarn’s blade had found his chest. Understanding his fate, he stood still for a few seconds and then he fell to the ground, dead. His body burst in a blast of dark side energy and his soul was sent to suffer for eternity in the Void.
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