Star Wars : Dawn of the Jedi Star Wars : Dawn of the Jedi is a comic book series from Dark Horse Comics , written by John Ostrander and pencilled by Jan Duursema , the creative team behind Dark Horse ' s critically - acclaimed " " series . " Dawn of the Jedi " is set almost 26 , 000 years before , and the series focuses on the Je ' daii Order , a group of Force - sensitives on the planet Tython who are the predecessors to the Jedi Order . Aside from the beginning of the , " Dawn of the Jedi " is primarily set in the year 25 , 793 BBY , in a time before the polarization of the light and dark sides of the Force , and the series is the first to be set " Before the Republic " — a new publishing era that includes all material set before the founding of the Galactic Republic . A preview was released on February 1 , 2012 , and it was followed by the series ' first issue on February 15 . Not a monthly series , " Dawn of the Jedi " released fifteen issues as part of three five - issue story arcs , " " , " " , and " " . The series focuses on three young Je ' daii Journeyer s — Shae Koda , Tasha Ryo , and Sek ' nos Rath — as well as Xesh , a Force Hound of the Rakata n Infinite Empire who recently arrived on Tython , and the mad Je ' daii Daegen Lok ' s plans to take over the Je ' daii Order . " Force War " focuses on the Infinite Empire ' s arrival and attempted conquest of the Tython system . " Dawn of the Jedi " ended after the third arc , as Marvel Comics acquired the " Star Wars " comic publishing license from Dark Horse in 2015 . Plot summary . " Force Storm " . In the year 36 , 453 BBY , the Talid monks of the Order of Dai Bendu on the planet Ando Prime feel the call of the Tho Yor , a massive pyramidal starship that has been buried in the Andobi Mountains for centuries . The Dai Bendu monks board the Tho Yor as seven other Tho Yor across the galaxy call out to the natives of the planets upon which they rest ; the Tho Yor then travel the galaxy and visit other planets , gathering Wookiees , Humans , Twi ' leks , Selkath , Cathar , and a number of other Force - sensitive species , before all eight travel to the planet Tython in the Deep Core . There , the eight Tho Yor gather around the ninth and largest Tho Yor , which floats above a pinnacle of stone , and the starships scatter themselves across Tython as the planet is engulfed in a ferocious Force Storm . The pilgrims come to realize that they have been brought to Tython to study the Force , and they form the Je ' daii Order — an order of warriors and scholars whose name is a Dai Bendu word meaning " mystic center . " Tython is a planet that reacts violently to imbalance in the Force , so the Je ' daii develop a philosophy of balance between the light and dark sides of the Force , which they name after the twin moons of Tython : bright Ashla and dark Bogan . However , the Je ' daii eventually come to realize that Tython is unsafe for those who are not sensitive to the Force , and so all those who cannot touch the Force migrate out across the Tython system , settling the ten other planets in the star system . However , resentment of the Je ' daii grows over the millennia , and in 25 , 805 BBY the Twi ' lek Despot Queen Hadiya of the planet Shikaakwa begins the Despot War in an attempt to conquer the Tython system . Hadiya is defeated at Tython , but the scars of the Despot War remain fresh for some even twelve years later in 25 , 793 BBY . Across the galaxy , the Infinite Empire of the Rakata species conquers the planet Tatooine , which was discovered by the Force Hound Xesh in the service of his master , Predor Tul ' kar . Tul ' kar ' s superior , Predor Skal ' nas , requests Xesh ' s services in locating a Force - strong planet in the Deep Core that his own Force Hound , Trill , is unable to locate . As Xesh leads Tul ' kar ' s warship " Devourer " to the Tython system , three young Je ' daii Journeyer s — Shae Koda , Sek ' nos Rath , and Tasha Ryo — receive a vision of Xesh , a vision that is also shared by the mad Je ' daii Daegen Lok , who has been exiled on Bogan for the last seven years ever since he went insane and fell out of balance . The three Journeyers leave their studies and follow the call of their vision into the wilds of Tython , where the stricken " Devourer " crashes with Xesh as the only survivor . The hostile Force Hound briefly battles the three Je ' daii , a fight that sees Shae Koda gain possession of Xesh ' s Forcesaber before he flees into the nearby Rift — an enormous ravine that was saturated with the dark side of the Force and home to strange creatures as well as intense seismic activity . Xesh ' s presence on Tython , with his strength in the dark side , and the death of so many Force - sensitives among the slaves and crew aboard the " Devourer " triggers an immense Force Storm that begins to sweep across Tython . Koda , Ryo , and Rath pursue Xesh into the Rift , where the wounded Force Hound is fighting through Force - induced hallucinations and nightmarish beasts . Temple Master Quan - Jang of Anil Kesh , one of the nine Je ' daii Temples across Tython , investigates the crash site with Je ' daii Ranger s Hawk Ryo and Rori Fenn , and they pursue the Journeyers into the Rift as Ketu , the Temple Master of Akar Kesh , gathers the other Temple Masters so that the Je ' daii Council can counter the Force Storm . The three Journeyers rescue Xesh from a saarl , an enormous worm creature , but Xesh abandons them to the creature after retrieving his Forcesaber and retreats to watch them fight the saarl . However , Shae Koda ' s demonstration of the light side of the Force and her determination to protect her friends intrigues the Force Hound , who returns to join Koda in her fight as Rangers Fenn and Ryo arrive to aid them . Xesh succeeds in killing the saarl , but the Force Storm continues to grow in power with the Force Hound at its center . With the aid of the other Temple Masters , Quan - Jang shifts the Force back into balance and ends the storm , though his apparent death in doing so leads an enraged Koda to activate Xesh ' s Forcesaber — a feat only the Force Hound had been capable of — and to try and kill Xesh in revenge before she comes to her senses . Xesh , Quan - Jang , and the others are healed of their injuries at Mahara Kesh , the Temple of Healing , but despite the Journeyers ' protests , the Je ' daii Council exiles Xesh to Bogan so that he can find balance . " The Prisoner of Bogan " . Several weeks later , Xesh is assaulted by Daegen Lok on Bogan as a way of testing Xesh ' s abilities , and Lok then disables Xesh ' s manacles and tracker before telling of him the vision that had driven him insane many years earlier : an army of dark warriors carrying blades of fire . When Xesh identifies that weapon as a Forcesaber , Lok convinces him to build more Forcesabers so that he can prove his vision to the Je ' daii , and the two use a Pho - V fighter that Lok has hidden to escape Bogan after Xesh restores the ship ' s power with his Force lightning . Temple Master Tem Madog of Vur Tepe , the Je ' daii Forge , tests the Forcesaber , but gives it to Hawk Ryo when the Ranger proves himself capable of wielding the blade . When Xesh ' s absence from his compound on Bogan is detected , a team of Je ' daii — Temple Master Jake Fenn , Rangers Bel Zana , Ryo , and Rori Fenn , and Shae Koda and Sek ' nos Rath — are sent to the moon to locate him . Xesh and Lok arrive at the crystal planet of Krev Coeur in their failing starship , which forces them to parachute to the surface and begin their search for the proper crystals . On Bogan , the Je ' daii search for Xesh , and they discover evidence of Lok ' s starfighter and carvings he drew of his vision . Hawk Ryo admits to the fact that he shared the vision with Lok when the two friends were exploring the Chasm , and the Je ' daii realize that Lok is seeking to construct Forcesabers , so half of the Je ' daii pursue the two fugitives to Krev Coeur while the others head to the factory world of Nox . At the same time , the Force Hound Trill arrives in the system , having followed Xesh . Ranger Bel Zana attempts to capture Xesh and Lok when she locates them , but Lok manipulates her mind to incapitate her by preying on her fear of fire . Master Fenn and Sek ' nos Rath arrive to aid Zana , but their fight goes sideways when Lok , sensing Fenn ' s fealings for Zana , casts her off of the nearby cliff , and Rath seemingly falls to his death saving her as Xesh and Lok escape . On Nox , Xesh completes the two Forcesabers and Lok attempts to recruit Hadiya ' s former generals in his effort to conquer the Je ' daii . Shae Koda helps track down Xesh , but he captures her after rescuing her from a dianoga that interrupted their fight . Xesh and Lok then escape with their new prisoner and head to the planet Shikaakwa to try and gather an army there . Rath is saved from death by Trill , who claims to be a ship thief , and Trill helps him head to Shikaakwa to meet up with the other Je ' daii . Meanwhile , Tasha Ryo attempts to identify the remains of a Rakata who died in the " Devourer " crash , but her efforts in the Je ' daii Library in Kaleth yield no results until Master Ters Sendon shows her the Kwa Holocron — an ancient holocron left on Tython by the Kwa species that activates in Ryo ' s presence . The holocron ' s gatekeeper , A ' nang , identifies the mysterious skull as that of a Rakata , and with the help of Master Rajivari , the Je ' daii convince A ' nang to tell them more about the Rakata . The Kwa explains that long ago , his species traveled the galaxy with their Infinity Gate s and taught species about the Force , but the Rakata used the Kwa ' s knowledge to forge an Infinite Empire based on the dark side . On Shikaakwa , Lok , Xesh , and a captive Shae Koda meet with Baron Volnos Ryo , Hawk ' s brother and Tasha ' s father , who helped Lok infiltrate the Despot Army and kill Hadiya during the Despot War after Hadiya killed Ryo ' s father . Lok ' s attempts to enlist Ryo ' s aid turn sour quickly , and the arrival of the Je ' daii turn the encounter into an all - out battle . Sek ' nos Rath attacks Xesh and attempts to free Koda , but he fails , and Trill is pleased to see that the memory blocks Predor Skal ' nas placed in Xesh ' s mind are working — the Force Hound does not recognize his former brood mate when the two see each other during the fighting . Hawk Ryo and Lok begin their own fighting , but with the arrival of Xesh , Lok gains the upper hand just as Shae Koda frees herself from her restraints and rushes to Ryo ' s aid . Koda ' s pleas for Xesh to choose his own path and not be a slave to Lok reach the Force Hound , who turns on the power - hungry Lok and helps the Je ' daii capture him . With the news that the Rakata are likely coming to the Tython system , the Je ' daii begin to manufacture Forcesabers despite the weapon ' s reliance on the dark side , and the Je ' daii prepare for war as Xesh is trained as a Je ' daii and Lok is imprisoned on Bogan once more . Unbeknownst to the Je ' daii , Trill sends a message to her master , who prepares the forces of the Infinite Empire for war . " Force War " . A year after the Infinite Empire invaded the Tython system , the Rakata have devastated Fury Station and taken Obri and Mawr , and though they were repelled at Tython , the Infinite Empire captured Ska Gora and established their command post , Rakatan Base Prime , there . The Je ' daii have joined forces with the Settled Worlds in defense of their star system , and Master Rajivari has been appointed General of the allied forces . With Xesh ' s aid , the Je ' daii have constructed Forcesabers , and though the weapons force them to forsake the Balance , it is only because of the Forcesabers that they have survived thus far . Daegen Lok is also recalled from Bogan and made to serve as the Je ' daii ' s general . Sub - Predor Ceh ' let launches an assault on the planet Shikaakwa , with her Flesh Raider soldiers seeking to assault Ryo Fortress through the surrounding swamps ; however , the Je ' daii have foreseen their attack and ambush the invaders . Xesh quickly dispatches a horde of Flesh Raiders , and when he is confronted by another Force Hound , Shae Koda flies to his rescue . Xesh and Daegen Lok then flee from the destructive firepower of Rakatan Annihilators , and Lok orders Hawk Ryo ' s fighter squadrons to airstrike the Annihilators despite his and Xesh ' s proximity to the targets . Rajivari then orders the bulk of his forces to engage the enemy ; as the Je ' daii overrun her forces , Ceh ' let is permitted to withdraw her forces back to Ska Gora . In the battle that follows , the Je ' daii leave no survivors , and Sek ' nos Rath is disgusted by Lok ' s victory speech and the Order ' s willingness to forsake the balance . On Ska Gora , Ceh ' let openly challenges Skal ' nas ' s authority before the other commanders . Skal ' nas then explains to Ceh ' let in private his true goal — the acquisition of the Infinity Gate on Tython — before killing her . Xesh dreams of his past as a Force Hound . Shae Koda wakes him up , and he shares his fears that he will be pulled back under Rakatan control . Shae confesses her love for him , and Xesh rejects his old name , given to him by his old Rakatan masters , and tells her that his true name is Tau . Shae and Tau kiss . The next day , Xesh proposes a plan to end the Rakatan invasion by killing their leader , Skal ' nas . To find him , Xesh uses his old Force Hound abilities , falling into darkness . He tells the Je ' daii that Skal ' nas ' s base is on Ska Gora . Trill , who has been spying on the Je ' daii , contacts Skal ' nas and tells him about the Je ' daii plan . Skal ' nas tells Trill not to interfere and let the Je ' daii attack . The Je ' daii attack Ska Gora , but back on Tython , Tasha Ryo has a vision and realizes that the Je ' daii are walking into a trap . Lok also realizes that it is a trap , and tells Rath to take command . Rajivari contacts the strike team and tells them to pull out , but it is too late . Koda attacks a Force Hound with lightning , and Quan - Jang saves her life by pushing the Hound off of its mount . Koda snaps at Quan - Jang , who warns her not to lose the Balance . Xesh finds Trill , but still does not remember her . She cajoles him to take her with him . They go to the Rakatan base , where they find that the Rakatan have imprisoned the surviving Je ' daii , including Rath , in glass tubes . Trill shocks Xesh with lightning , stunning him . Shae Koda and Quan - Jang continue to fight Rakatan forces . Koda tells Quan - Jang that Rath and Lok have gone missing , and that she fears for Xesh . Skal ' nas restores Xesh ' s memory using a Rakatan device . Xesh remembers how he first found Tython for Skal ' nas , who decided to send Xesh as his spy among the Je ' daii . He remembers how he sabotaged Tul ' kar ' s ship the " Devourer " on Skal ' nas ' s orders , then killed Tul ' kar himself . Xesh initially refuses to return to slavery , but soon returns to his role as a Force Hound . Xesh tells Skal ' nas about the Je ' daii seers and about Lok ' s vision . Skal ' nas interrogates Lok , and confirms that there is an Infinity Gate in the Chasm on Tython . The Je ' daii seers predict that the Rakatan will attack Tython again , this time with Xesh leading them . Skal ' nas uses Xesh ' s connection to Tasha Ryo to blind the seers . Rajivari tells the strike force on Ska Gora that Xesh has betrayed them , and orders them to retreat . Shae Koda denies that Xesh could betray them . Sek ' nos Rath and Daegen Lok both swear to kill Xesh . The Je ' daii fall back to Tython . Shae Koda and Quan - Jang discuss whether she can kill Xesh if necessary . Tasha Ryo retrieves the Holocron of A ' nang , and says that she and Ters Sendon will meditate on it for guidance . Skal ' nas begins the Second battle of Tython by first destroying a strike force hidden on Tython ' s moon Ashla . Rori Fenn and Hawk Ryo fight against the Rakata in their fighters . Skal ' nas orders Trill to lead his army while Xesh remains at his side . She is angered by this , and swears she will kill Xesh . Skal ' nas tries to get Daegen Lok to tell him how he entered the Chasm , but Lok reveals nothing . The Je ' daii fight Trill ' s forces , but Koda senses Xesh and goes to confront him . Skal ' nas lands at the Chasm with Xesh and Lok . He reveals that the Infinity Gate at the bottom of the Chasm is not an ordinary gate , but a Prime Gate , which needs no other gate to function . Skal ' nas and Xesh descend into the Chasm . Sek ' nos Rath frees himself from his confinement and kills the Rakatan guards around him . He frees the Rakatan slaves and leads them against their former masters . Tasha Ryo and Ters Sendon activate A ' nang ' s Holocron . A ' nang says that now that the Rakata have arrived , it is time for Tython to awaken . Flesh Raiders attack Lok , who is chained up next to the Chasm . He frees himself and attacks the Raiders . Sek ' nos Rath arrives and saves him from a Flesh Raider . They both say that they want to kill Xesh , and agree that whoever kills the most Raiders gets the first strike . Shae Koda also arrives . Lok reveals that the way to enter the Chasm safely is to focus on the sigil on the Tho Yor . Koda and Lok descend into the Chasm . Skal ' nas and Xesh reach the Prime Gate . Quan - Jang finds Rath , who tells him that Koda and Xesh entered the Chasm . As they descend , Lok urges Koda to give into her anger . Trill finds Rath , and they fight . Rath abandons the Balance and gives in to the dark side despite Quan - Jang ' s warnings . He kills Trill . Koda and Lok reach the Prime Gate . Lok fights Skal ' nas while Koda fights Xesh . Xesh says that their relationship was all a lie and he was a willing spy for Skal ' nas . Koda refuses to believe it and urges him to throw off Skal ' nas ' s control once again . Lok tries to use his mind twist ability on Skal ' nas , but is overwhelmed by the darkness in Skal ' nas ' s mind . Skal ' nas stabs him , and urges Xesh to finish off Koda . Skal ' nas activates the Prime Gate and declares himself ruler of the galaxy . Tasha brings A ' nang ' s Holocron to the lowest level of Anil Kesh . A ' nang tells her that she needs to reawaken the Tho Yor , but it will cost her mortal body . Tasha bids farewell to Ters Sendon . Koda urges Xesh one last time to return to the Je ' daii . Skal ' nas attacks her with lightning , and tells Xesh that love is a lie . Xesh attacks Skal ' nas . Tasha steps into the beam of light in Anil Kesh , awakening the Tho Yor , which attack the Rakatan ships . Skal ' nas and Xesh duel , but the Tho Yor fire a beam which destroys the Prime Gate . Xesh kills Skal ' nas , and declares that he truly is Tau . Koda tells Tau that Lok is alive . They narrowly escape the Chasm as it explodes . The Rakata turn on each other and flee the Tython system . After the battle , Daegen Lok tells the masters that he and his followers will continue using the Forcesabers , despite how they skew the Balance , since there are still dangers such as Flesh Raiders who escaped into the wilderness . The Masters warn that he could be sent back to Bogan , but he replies that he will never go back there . Shae Koda and Tau explore Tython together and kiss . They walk off together into the Silent Desert . Main characters . Xesh . Xesh is a Human male Force Hound of the Infinite Empire who is in the service of Predor Tul ' kar . Xesh and Trill were broodmates , though Tul ' kar set the two against each other years ago and Xesh was forced to sever their friendship to save Trill ' s life — an action that Trill saw as a betrayal . Xesh leads Tul ' kar to Tython , though when the " Devourer " crashes on Tython , the Force Hound kills his master and uses the ship ' s escape pod to survive . Believing the three Je ' daii to be enemies , Xesh engages them in battle before he flees into the Rift . Xesh is rescued from a saarl in the Rift by the Je ' daii and leaves them to die , but he is fascinated by Shae Koda ' s demonstration of the light side of the Force and joins her in battle to save her friends . Xesh is then struck down by Master Quan - Jang with the Force , bringing the Force Storm to an end , and he is healed at Mahara Kesh where the Je ' daii decide to exile him to Bogan . Several weeks later , Xesh encounters the mad Je ' daii Daegen Lok , who recruits Xesh in his quest to construct Forcesabers and take control of the Je ' daii . Xesh uses Force lightning to restore power to Lok ' s downed fighter and the two escape Bogan , traveling to the crystalline planet Krev Coeur in order to acquire crystals for the Forcesabers . When the Je ' daii catch up to them , Xesh is forced to fight Sek ' nos Rath , and Rath seemingly falls to his death as Xesh and Lok escape to the planet Nox and construct Forcesabers . As Lok and Xesh ' s alliance continues , Xesh grows more and more uneasy with the mad Je ' daii ' s desire to control him , and the Force Hound ' s growing feelings for Shae Koda leads him to save her from death and capture her after the two fight on Nox . Xesh ' s anger comes to a head on Shikaakwa , where Koda convinces him to become more than Lok ' s slave and he turns on his ally to join the Je ' daii . However , Xesh is unaware that he is actually a spy for Skal ' nas . Xesh fights with the Je ' daii during the Rakatan invasion , which lasts a year . During this time he begins a relationship with Shae Koda , and tells her that his real name is Tau . Xesh is captured by Trill on Ska Gora . Skal ' nas restores his memories , and Xesh rejoins the Infinite Empire as Skal ' nas ' s Force Hound . He accompanies Skal ' nas to Tython , where they descend into the Chasm to access the Prime Gate . Shae Koda pursues them there , and ultimately convinces Xesh to return to the Je ' daii . Xesh kills Skal ' nas and , as Tau , resumes his relationship with Shae . Shae Koda . Shae Koda is a Human female Je ' daii Journeyer of Dathomiri descent whose mother and father were killed by Queen Hadiya in the last battle of the Despot War . Brave , restless , and reckless , Koda has an incessant curiosity and finds her calling studying alchemy under Master Quan - Jang . While working with the rancor - dragon Butch that she created , Koda receives a vision of Xesh , and she meets up with Sek ' nos Rath and Tasha Ryo . Koda is friends with Rath , though she resents Tasha Ryo as she sees her as a spoiled brat . During the fight with Xesh , Koda proves to be the only one capable of igniting Xesh ' s Forcesaber with her anger , but it is Koda ' s manifestation of the light side that convinces Xesh to aid them against the saarl . Koda and her friends are dismayed when Xesh is exiled to Bogan , and when she joins the team of Je ' daii pursuing Xesh and Lok , Koda harbors intense anger towards Xesh : she saw his escape from Bogan as a betrayal of the trust Koda and the others had placed in Xesh as his friends . Xesh ' s feelings for Koda leads him to save her from death and take her prisoner , and Koda is able to convince the Force Hound to choose his own path and stop serving Lok on Shikaakwa . Shae fights with Xesh and the other Je ' daii in the Rakatan invasion that follows . She begins a relationship with Xesh , who tells her his true name Tau . However , during the attack on Ska Gora , which she took part in , Xesh betrayed the Je ' daii and rejoined the Infinite Empire . Nevertheless , she still believed that he served Skal ' nas unwillingly . During the battle of Tython , she and Lok pursued Xesh and Skal ' nas into the Chasm , where she dueled Xesh . She was ultimately successful in convincing Xesh to abandon Skal ' nas and return to the Je ' daii . Shae and Xesh , now Tau , resumed their relationship after the war . Sek ' nos Rath . Sek ' nos Rath is a male Sith Je ' daii Journeyer who is the son of Je ' daii diplomats , though he was raised by his maternal grandmother , Temple Master Miarta Sek , and his paternal grandfather Thok Rath . A bold and adventurous Je ' daii , Rath is fond of weapons and is a ladies ' man , and he desires to achieve the greatness of the Je ' daii of myth . Rath receives his vision of Xesh while experimenting with Force lightning , and he joins Shae Koda and Tasha Ryo in battling and then pursuing Xesh when they encounter the Force Hound . After the events in the Rift come to a close , Rath , Koda , and Ryo all protest Xesh ' s exile to Bogan , and like the others he is unhappy with being seemingly ignored by the Je ' daii Council in the weeks afterwards . He jumps at the opportunity to leave Tython and hunt down Xesh when he and Lok escape Bogan , and Rath willingly sacrifices himself to save Ranger Bel Zana from death . Rath is rescued by Trill , however , and the mysterious " ship thief " aids Rath in returning to the other Je ' daii and capturing Xesh . Rath fights against the Rakatan invaders in the ensuing war . Trill continues to accompany him , pretending to be an ordinary woman while spying for Skal ' nas . Rath is betrayed by Trill on Ska Gora , and is imprisoned with the Rakatan slaves , where his anger and suffering is used to power the Rakatan ships . In the battle for Tython , Rath breaks free and hunts down Trill . He kills her , but abandons the Balance , giving into his anger and hatred . Tasha Ryo . Tasha Ryo is the Twi ' lek daughter of the crime baron Volnos Ryo and the Je ' daii Temple Master Kora Ryo , and Tasha was raised at Kaleth under her mother ' s tutelage , leading some Je ' daii such as Shae Koda to view her as pampered and spoiled . Empathic and calm , Ryo forgoes a sword in combat and uses only the Force . Tasha is deeply divided by the obligations she feels towards her parents , as she is a Je ' daii but her father constantly urges her to come to Shikaakwa and serve him . Tasha receives her vision when she saves her father from the assassin Jaris Kan , and she attempts to communicate with Xesh amid their battle on the edge of the Rift . As the three Je ' daii descend into the Rift , Ryo is tormented by visions of her inner turmoil , but her anguish brings Koda to realize that the Rift is affecting them . After the battle in the Rift ends , Ryo helps Xesh unlock some memories of his past , and she is horrified by the pain and loneliness that the Force Hound has experienced . While Rath and Koda are chosen to chase after Xesh , Ryo works with Master Ters Sendon to investigate the source of the crashed ship , and she is able to unlock the Kwa Holocron , which teaches the Je ' daii about the Rakata . During the Rakatan invasion , Tasha becomes a Je ' daii seer . She and the other seers foresee Xesh ' s betrayal too late , and Skal ' nas uses Xesh ' s connection to her to blind all the seers to the Force , including her . During the battle of Tython , she and Ters Sendon activate the Holocron of A ' nang . A ' nang guides her to the lower levels of Anil Kesh , where she becomes one with the Force to activate the Tho Yor . Because of her sacrifice , the Tho Yor turn the tide of the battle and the war . Hawk Ryo . A Twi ' lek Je ' daii Ranger , Hawk Ryo is the brother of Volnos Ryo and Tasha Ryo ' s uncle ; he was Daegen Lok ' s best friend in the years before Lok ' s exile , and the two ventured into the Chasm together and shared the vision of the dark army . Ryo denied his vision and left Bogan , continuing to serve as a Ranger , and in 25 , 793 BBY he was on Furies Gate when he senses a dark presence — the " Devourer " — enter the system . Ryo , Quan - Jang , and Rori Fenn follow the Journeyers into the Rift , joining Shae Koda and Xesh in battling the saarl , and Fenn and Ryo take Xesh to Bogan . Ryo later proves to be the only one capable of igniting Xesh ' s Forcesaber , and heads one of the teams that pursues Xesha and Lok when they escape Bogan . Ryo encounters Lok on Nox , but when Lok escapes , Ryo and the others pursue him to Shikaakwa — and atop his brother ' s fortress , Ryo battles Lok and acknowledges his vision . but he refuses to join Lok in his quest to bring the Je ' daii into the dark side . Ryo loses his leg in the fight and receives a prosthetic , and he tells Master Ketu the truth of his vision : he foresaw Xesh leading the Je ' daii against the dark army . Daegen Lok . Daegen Lok is a Je ' daii Master who played a pivotal role in ending the Despot War , as he went undercover as a disgraced Ranger and became one of Hadiya ' s generals and her lover before he ultimately killed her . However , when Lok was promoted to the rank of Master in 25 , 800 BBY , he and his best friend Hawk Ryo decided to explore the Chasm of Anil Kesh and ignored the warnings that the Chasm drove all those who entered it mad . Lok experienced a vision of an army of dark warriors wielding blades of fire , and the vision — which he shared with Ryo — drove him mad , driving him to the dark side and resulting in his exile to Bogan . Lok refused to renounce his vision and remains on Bogan for the next seven years , viewing Ryo ' s denial of their vision as a betrayal and seeking to fulfill what he sees as his destiny to be leader of the Je ' daii . Lok recruits Xesh ' s help in building Forcesabers and gathering an army , and the two journey across the Tython ssystem to do so while pursued by Je ' daii , but Lok ' s continued treatment of the powerful warrior as his slave and his casual manipulation of the minds of others ultimately leads Xesh to betray Lok on Shikaakwa . Defeated , Lok is imprisoned on Bogan once more , though the insane Je ' daii remains adamant that the Je ' daii will need him to defeat the dark army that is coming . Lok was soon proven correct , as the Infinite Empire invaded the Tython system . Lok was made a General during the year - long war that followed . However his " little brother " Xesh betrays them and rejoins the Infinite Empire on Ska Gora . Lok is imprisoned by Skal ' nas . Skal ' nas takes Lok with him to the Chasm and learns the secret to entering safely . He leaves Lok chained up next to the Chasm to die . However , Lok is saved by Sek ' nos Rath . Lok and Shae Koda enter the Chasm to stop Skal ' nas and Xesh . Lok duels Skal ' nas , but is stabbed in the chest . Miraculously , Lok survives , and is pulled out of the Chasm by Shae Koda when it collapses . After the war , he tells the Je ' daii Masters that he and his followers will continue using the Forcesabers , and he will never return to Bogan . Trill . Trill is a Force Hound of the Rakata and a former brood mate of Xesh . The two were friends as children , banding together to protect one another from other slaves , and Trill and Xesh swore a blood bond to always protect one another . However , when the two became Force Hounds , Xesh defeated Trill in battle , and he refused to kill his former brood mate — instead , he proposed that she be given to Tul ' kar ' s rival and superior , Skal ' nas . Believing this to be a betrayal on Xesh ' s part , Trill grew to hate her former brood mate , and she maintains a fierce rivalry with Xesh . Trill is sent to the Tython system by Skal ' nas to locate the " Devourer " , and she uses her bond with Xesh to follow him to the system . Trill rescues the Je ' daii Journeyer Sek ' nos Rath from death on Krev Coeur , and proceeds to pose as a simple ship thief while aiding the Je ' daii in pursuing Xesh . Trill ' s true purpose in the Tython system is to confirm that Xesh does not remember Trill thanks to Skal ' nas ' s manipulations , and she sends word to her Predor that the Tython system is ready for the taking in the days after Daegen Lok ' s capture . Trill continues spying for Skal ' nas during the year - long invasion . She betrayed the Je ' daii on Ska Gora , where she captured Xesh and turned him over to Skal ' nas . However , after Xesh rejoined the Infinite Empire Skal ' nas decided to make him his new Force Hound , leaving Trill angry at this betrayal . Nevertheless she led Rakatan forces during the battle for Tython . She was ultimately killed by Sek ' nos Rath . Development . Randy Stradley , Vice President of Publishing at Dark Horse Comics , began lobbying for a comic story regarding the origins of the Jedi as early as 2003 . In that year , a was commissioned of two characters — male and female Humans — by artist Rodolfo Migliari . At Celebration V in August 2010 , John Ostrander and Jan Duursema , longtime collaborators and the author - artist pair behind " Legacy " , announced that they were working on a new comic that was different from anything they had written for " Star Wars " before . Their current series at the time was " " , a six - issue miniseries that ran from December 2010 to May 2011 and was a follow - up to their popular " " series . " Dawn of the Jedi " was first announced to the public at the 2011 on October 13 . Ostrander stated that the series is intended to be epic in scope , while personal in storytelling , and he and Duursema are working closely with Expanded Universe continuity while also attempting to make " Dawn of the Jedi " accessible to casual " Star Wars " fans . At Comic Con , it was announced that like " Legacy " , " Dawn of the Jedi " would feature a large cast of species - diverse characters , but would primarily focus on the Tython system instead of the larger galaxy . A , serving as an official guide for readers much like " " , was announced with a release date of February 1 at Comic Con , and the release date was set for February 15 . Rodolfo Migliari ' s original painting for the series was used as the cover for Issue # 0 . " Dawn of the Jedi " comprises three five - issue miniseries . It was not published monthly , in the same vein as " " and " " . This is because Ostrander and Duursema worked on the entirety of each arc together instead of one at a time . John Ostrander and Jan Duursema wrote the story for the series , while Ostrander penned the script and Duursema pencilled the artwork . Dan Parsons was the inker , Michael Heisler was the letterer , and Wes Dzioba handled coloring duties . Duursema was the cover artist for the five issues of " Force Storm " , but David Michael Beck took over as the cover artist starting with the first issue of " Prisoner of Bogan " . Gonzalo Flores was responsible for the variant cover for issue 1 that was used as the cover for the first trade paperback . Continuity . " Star Wars : Dawn of the Jedi " authors , John Ostrander and Jan Duursema , intend the series to be rooted in pre - existing " Star Wars " continuity , while also being accessible to newer readers . The series is set in an era that was largely unexplored — " Dawn of the Jedi " necessitated the creation of an entirely new publishing era , " Before the Republic " — and builds off what little information existed before hand : namely , the fact that the Jedi Order was established on the planet Tython in the Deep Core , the conflicts known as the Force Wars began in the year 25 , 793 BBY and the early Jedi left Tython after the Force Wars and migrated to Ossus . " Dawn of the Jedi " also expands on the Rakata , a species that ruled the galaxy before the Republic and was introduced in the 2003 " " video game . " Dawn of the Jedi " has encountered relatively few contradictions in continuity , but there are elements in the " " video game , which was released shortly before " Dawn of the Jedi " , that contradict the series . " The Old Republic " gives a loose summary of the Force Wars , claiming that they were a conflict between the followers of Rajivari , one of the four members of the first Jedi Council , and the rest of the Jedi Order . " Dawn of the Jedi " initially did not reference any of the characters or elements introduced in " The Old Republic " , but " The Prisoner of Bogan " saw the appearance of both Rajivari and Ters Sendon , another member of the Jedi Council in the game . However , another contradiction that has not been addressed is the issue of the Mother Machine , which is a Rakatan computer that claims to be responsible for the creation of a number of Force - sensitive species in its efforts to restore the Force - sensitivity of the Rakata species during the Rakatan Civil War . Among those species it claims responsibility for are the Twi ' leks and the Zabrak , but " Dawn of the Jedi " depicts a relatively advanced Twi ' lek society on Ryloth as well as numerous Zabrak in 36 , 453 BBY , thousands of years before the collapse of the Infinite Empire . When developing the ships , characters , and environments for the series , Jan Duursema was forced to virtually work from scratch , as very little of Before the Republic had been depicted previously . Duursema purposely differentiated the Je ' daii from the Jedi in their appearance , exchanging lightsabers for the swords they were known to use at the time and replacing the traditional robes with more individualized armor and clothing . Unlike her work on " Star Wars : Legacy " , Duursema was unable to build on existing designs for ships and technology , and instead she worked from a " retrofitting " mindset , developing ships and technology that would eventually give rise to the technology of the modern " Star Wars " era . Duursema and Ostrander also created the worlds of the Tython system from scratch , choosing to focus only on the Tython system instead of using pre - existing locations from across the galaxy . " Dawn of the Jedi " has also received a tie - in novel entitled " " , which was written by Tim Lebbon and begins just days before the events of " Force Storm 2 " . The novel greatly expanded on the organization and rituals of the Je ' daii Order , as well the surface of Tython , and the Force Storm caused by the " Devourer " crash appears in the final chapters . A short story entitled " Eruption " appeared in " Star Wars Insider 141 " , which features Hawk Ryo and acts as a prelude to both " Into the Void " and the main series . Reception . " Dawn of the Jedi 0 " and " Force Storm 1 " sold particularly well in stores , and both issues were sold out across the country by the end of February . This prompted Dark Horse Comics to order a second printing of both issues , followed by a third printing with special variant covers by Jan Duursema . However , some critics believe that the series caters more to serious " Star Wars " fans and is not particularly well - suited for the average fan of the films . The " Force Storm " arc sold better than " The Prisoner of Bogan " , ranging between 18 , 000 - 20 , 000 copies sold worldwide on each issue ' s release date compared to " The Prisoner of Bogan " ranging between 13 , 000 - 17 , 000 . " Force Storm 4 " was the best - selling issue of the series in terms of initial release numbers , with 19 , 756 copies of the issue sold worldwide on May 16 , 2012 . " Force War " was one of Dark Horse ' s highest - selling comics during the months of its release , though " The Prisoner of Bogan " was beaten out by other " Star Wars " comics . " Dawn of the Jedi " has received generally positive reviews , and while some have criticized the writing , many praise Duursema ' s artwork . The series was highlighted in the fan magazine " Star Wars Insider " " Blaster " department , which showcases upcoming " Star Wars " products , in issues 132 and 138 , and the first two arcs of the series were collected in two trade paperbacks : " " and " " , which were released on December 12 , 2012 and July 24 , 2013 respectively .