Shedao Shai Shedao Shai was a Yuuzhan Vong warrior and commander who , following the defeat of the Praetorite Vong advance force at Helska IV , led the fleet that attacked the Outer Rim Territories during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy . Respected , skilled and devoted to the worship of pain , Shai had his own agenda as he drove deeper into New Republic territory . The warrior sought to recover the remains of his grandfather , Mongei Shai , who had perished fifty years before on a scouting mission for the invasion fleet . Upon his arrival on Bimmiel , the planet on which his ancestor had died , Shai discovered that a pair of Jedi had taken the remains for the purpose of biological study . The furious commander vowed revenge , hunting for the Jedi as he continued to conquer worlds . His opportunity came in the form of New Republic Senator Elegos A ' Kla , who approached the Yuuzhan Vong in order to discover more about the race that had so suddenly attacked the galaxy . Shai learned much from the Caamasi senator , although their companionship caused his subordinates to question the commander ' s motive in inducting A ' Kla in the ways of the Yuuzhan Vong . When Shai became aware that A ' Kla was well acquainted with one of the Jedi from Bimmiel , Corran Horn , he slew the senator , preparing the Caamasi ' s corpse for burial as he would have done his grandfather ' s , before dispatching the remains to Horn . This vengeful gesture incited a private vendetta between the commander and Horn , which would see its denouement during the Battle of Ithor . At Ithor , Shai ' s forces clashed with those of the New Republic and of the Imperial Remnant . His ground assault thwarted , the commander was approached by Horn with a challenge . The two would duel for the fate of Ithor , with Horn pledging to return Mongei Shai ' s remains to the commander if killed , and Shai promising that the planet would be spared if he fell to the Jedi ' s lightsaber . The duel was brutal and resulted in the end of Shedao Shai ' s life ; the warrior died on the surface of the planet , but his subordinate Deign Lian razed Ithor nonetheless . Following Shai ' s death , his domain was disgraced , its warriors relegated to tending the worldships of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet , far from the glory of battle . Biography . In pursuit of glory . The grandson of Mongei Shai , Shedao Shai was a warrior of the Yuuzhan Vong renowned for his devotion to the worship of pain . Born into the illustrious Domain Shai , one of the warrior domains that pledged its allegiance to Shimrra of Domain Jamaane during the coup that toppled Supreme Overlord Quoreal and placed Shimrra in power , Shai was determined to bring further glory to his family . When his grandfather , a member of a scouting party that , in preparation for the impending Yuuzhan Vong invasion , had moved ahead of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet to explore the galaxy , chose to remain behind on the planet Bimmiel to report back to his fellows via villip , his sacrifice , and eventual death , brought honor to the Shai . Shedao Shai hoped that he would someday be able to recover his grandfather ' s remains , a task he had been given by the elders of his domain , who bestowed upon him several of the relics of the Shai in order to encourage him with his mission . Famous for his prowess in battle , Shai was a commander at the time of the Yuuzhan Vong ' s mass incursion into the galaxy in 25 ABY . His rank and prestigious position as leader of the main assault fleet was mainly due to the perceived nobility of his grandfather ' s sacrifice . Shai was tasked both with correcting the mistakes of the advance force , the Praetorite Vong , which had sought to manipulate the invasion for its own means , and with continuing the Yuuzhan Vong advance . To Shai ' s distaste , his mandate was also to pave the way for the arrival of Warmaster Tsavong Lah , whom the commander viewed as a rival despite their differences in rank . The commander also set his sights on the Jedi who protected the galaxy , hoping to consolidate more power by eliminating the Order . Shai was assigned a warrior from the declining and rival Domain Lian , which had once had a notable reputation among the Yuuzhan Vong before its fame began to fade . The commander did not find his new subordinate , Deign Lian , agreeable , often berating and physically attacking Lian , whose obvious fear of Shai quietly amused the commander . In truth , however , much of Lian ' s cringing and cowardice was a charade ; the ambitious warrior was determined to usurp Shedao Shai , and had entered into a secret alliance with Warmaster Tsavong Lah in order to ruin the commander . Lah saw Shedao Shai ' s distinguished reputation as a threat to the power of Domain Lah , and utilized Lian to maneuver the ambitious commander toward an eventual defeat , using Shai ' s obsession with the relics of his ancestor as a means of undermining the celebrated warrior . Aboard the Kor Chokk grand cruiser " Legacy of Torment " , Shai ' s ancient flagship , the commander prosecuted the invasion of the galaxy . First of all , the worlds the Praetorite had conquered — and in some cases lost — were re - taken . Belkadan was converted for the purpose of producing yorik - et starfighters , and a shipwomb was grown in the ruins of Sernpidal , a planet destroyed by the Praetorite Vong . Other worlds fell to Shai ' s forces , and as the Yuuzhan Vong moved through the Outer Rim Territories , the commander dispatched his kinsmen Neira and Dranae Shai to Bimmiel in order to recover the remains of the long - dead Mongei Shai , intending to accrue even more glory for the ascendant Shai . Meanwhile , Shai ' s forces moved in on Dubrillion , a world that had successfully repulsed a Praetorite Vong attack during Prefect Da ' Gara ' s short tenure as the Yuuzhan Vong leader in the galaxy . A cruiser was moved into the asteroid belt that ringed the system , and yorik - et were sent out on forays and strafing runs , gradually whittling down the number of defenders and bringing ruin to Dubrillion ' s cities . Eventually , as the attacks continued , ships from nearby Agamar arrived , along with a Bothan Assault Cruiser , to evacuate the planet . As the convoy readied itself for departure , Shai ' s forces nevertheless did not launch an assault , waiting until the refugee ships and their escorts were leaving the system before engaging . A short skirmish ensued , before Shai ' s cruiser maneuvered itself into position and utilized its dovin basal missiles to block the New Republic retreat to Agamar , forcing the convoy instead to journey to Dantooine , which had already been scouted by the Yuuzhan Vong . In the absence of a New Republic defense , Shai ' s ground troops took Dubrillion ; Chazrach reptoid soldiers and Yuuzhan Vong warriors moved through the destroyed cities , throughout which the citizens of the world conducted a guerrilla war . Shai grew to respect the defenders of Dubrillion in their long struggle , as his forces prepared for an assault on Dantooine . Dantooine and Bimmiel . Already , two training cadres of warriors were present on Dantooine , and were in a running engagement with two Jedi who had been located on the planet . To Shai ' s displeasure , both Jedi escaped , the only recompense being that Domain Lian had lost four warriors in the chase . Reports also reached the commander that a further two of the Force - wielders had been present on Belkadan , but the attack on Dantooine soon dominated his time . The refugees , having fled Dubrillion , had set up a base on Dantooine and a defensive perimeter to protect themselves . The Bothan Assault Cruiser left the planet for Coruscant , the New Republic capital , and thus Shai ' s forces moved in . At night , a Yuuzhan Vong cruiser deployed yorik - trema landing craft , which deposited a large invasion force ; a column five kilometers in length , consisting of Chazrach thrall s , accompanied by their herder vehicle and its own tender , as well as many Yuuzhan Vong warriors . The column was protected from aerial attack by two squadrons of yorik - et , which guarded the troops as they drove toward the base from the south , through the forests . Harassed by starfighter attacks though it was , Shai ' s column sustained its march . At the same time , groups of warriors , in twos and threes , infiltrated the refugee camp wearing ooglith masquers , disguised as Humans . Although this strategy was foiled by Jedi , the main column eventually reached the base , and attacked its perimeter . Casualties on both sides were high , and once again Shai began to think of his enemies as courageous , even if deeply flawed by their love of technology . Ultimately , the first half of the Yuuzhan Vong host was defeated , ravaged as Jedi Master Luke Skywalker manipulated the defensive singularity of the thrall herder creature to consume itself . Without their control vehicle , the Chazrach were driven insane , and four proton torpedoes obliterated much of the column . Shai ' s yorik - et were also all destroyed , though at the cost of almost two and a half squadrons of New Republic starfighters . As the refugee convoy lifted off from Dantooine , Shai brought in a cruiser to interdict its passage to Agamar , and dispatched its starfighter complement to herd the New Republic forces back down to the planet . Before Shai ' s tactic could be realized , however , the Bothan Assault Cruiser returned with a " Victory " - class Star Destroyer , the " Corusca Fire " , and together the two New Republic capital ships drove off the cruiser . Once again , in the absence of a New Republic presence , Shai ' s forces moved in and took the world . Shortly after the Battle of Dantooine , the commander received word from one of his warriors , Krag Val , that there had been developments on Bimmiel . Val ' s preliminary report indicated that both Neira and Dranae Shai were dead , but on arrival Shedao learned that his kinsmen had perished fighting two Jedi who had come to Bimmiel , located Mongei ' s resting place , and removed the scout ' s mummified corpse for scientific observation . As he questioned Krag Val with regards to what had occurred in the grashal in which the Yuuzhan Vong had fallen , Shai became incensed , disgusted by the treatment of the bodies of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors , who had been torn to pieces by the slashrat s that prowled the surface of the planet . The warriors of the New Republic , who at Dantooine and Dubrillion had impressed him to some extent , now seemed unworthy . Shai was critical of the conduct of his cousins , as they had been following the wrong search pattern to locate the cave where Mongei was to have been found , but was more interested in the fate of the Jedi who had killed Neira and Dranae . As Val indicated , blood traces suggested that the Jedi had been wounded , but also that his corpse had been taken away from the grashal , lifted from the organic building via a starship . Shai , deep in thought , determined that this new enemy had not died fighting his kinsmen , as the New Republic had shown at Dantooine that they did not honor the dead , often leaving them where they had fallen . Thus he vowed revenge against the Jedi who had desecrated the corpses of his family members , promising that he would taste the unknown Human ' s blood before his enemy died , before returning once again to the forefront of the invasion . More worlds and systems fell , and incursions were made on many other planets , including the agricultural world of Garqi . Senator A ' Kla . As the conquered population of Dubrillion maintained their resistance against Shai ' s invasion , fighting throughout the ruined cities against the Yuuzhan Vong and their Chazrach , the commander oversaw the subjugation of the planet aboard the " Legacy of Torment " , linked to the grand cruiser via a cognition hood . Musing for some time on the progress of the invasion , Shai used the Kor Chokk cruiser ' s memory retention center to enter into the recorded consciousness of one of the Chazrach soldiers who had died fighting amid Dubrillion ' s toppled cities . Before long , however , the perceived cowardice in the reptoid led Shai to the Embrace of Pain , a torture device in which the commander remained for hours . To furnish the fleet with more supplies , Shai dispatched Krag Val to Garqi , which was to be turned into a resource world for the Yuuzhan Vong advance . Meanwhile , Dubrillion was set up as Shai ' s headquarters , as he viewed it as one of the few worlds his species had conquered that had any profound significance . Before long , a New Republic shuttle appeared in the system , and via a Yuuzhan Vong villip its sole inhabitant contacted his forces and requested transport to the surface of Dubrillion . Landing on the planet ' s surface , Shai journeyed toward the Dubrillion Aquarium , where he had set up his main base , preserving the natural creatures in their habitats — for a time feeding them live and dead Humans — until Dubrillion could be re - created by the Yuuzhan Vong . " En route " to the building , a Human leapt from the shadows to attack the commander . Wearing full Vonduun Skerr Kyrric , complete with a mask , and armed with a tsaisi , Shai easily defeated his assailant , sending the man to the priests to be converted into a slave . Without his bodyguards , Shai traveled with Deign Lian alone , who questioned his commander on his actions and the New Republic . Having already grown to dislike the warrior , but wary of Lian ' s ambition , Shai toyed with his subordinate , criticizing the lesser warrior while carefully observing his reactions . Soon , the two reached the aquarium , where Shai met New Republic senator Elegos A ' Kla , a Caamasi who had sought to approach the Yuuzhan Vong to discover their motives and learn of the species . Shai addressed the senator in Basic , as A ' Kla had not yet been able to master the Yuuzhan Vong , and learned that the Caamasi had no designs on his life . Shocking Lian , he removed his mask and faced the New Republic delegate , ordering his subordinate to fetch refreshments . Shai was soon alone with A ' Kla , intrigued by the prospect of accruing intelligence on the New Republic , and took the Caamasi up on his offer of a mutual trading of information . For A ' Kla ' s first lesson , Shai took the senator to the Embrace of Pain . The warrior and the pacifist . Although the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic Defense Force continued to battle across the invasion corridor , Shai nevertheless remained engrossed in A ' Kla , putting the senator to work on menial , grueling tasks so as to foster in the Caamasi an appreciation for pain . From A ' Kla , the commander learned of a Chiss Grand Admiral , Thrawn , and was intrigued by the story that the Imperial had often investigated the art of the species with which he fought so as to predict their wartime strategies . When Shai also attempted to divine the nature of the Bothan admiral he was fighting , Traest Kre ' fey , A ' Kla was not as forthcoming , and instead Shai interrogated the many captives remaining on Dubrillion . Preoccupied with the senator as he was , the news that a New Republic task force had infiltrated the Julevian system , where the shipwomb was still being constructed in the ruins of Sernpidal , did not faze the commander . He ignored Lian ' s fears that the New Republic were planning an attack on the vital facility there , more interested by the fact that the Bothan Assault Cruiser from Dubrillion and Dantooine , the " Ralroost " , had been the flagship in the incursion at Sernpidal , as well as another intrusion in the Garqi system . The fact that the same ship had appeared in both systems , but had acted differently at Garqi , alerted Shai to the reality that the New Republic had plans for the world . When his aide told him , however , of his theory that Shai ' s closeness with A ' Kla was clouding his judgment , the commander became enraged . As Lian related the gossip of the inferior warriors and confessed his worry that A ' Kla might escape with information on the Yuuzhan Vong , Shai rounded on the warrior , perceiving a slight upon his honor . He struck Lian , shouting at the ambitious aide and kicking him as he lay , proclaiming that he was unquestionable as Lian ' s superior and would not tolerate any doubts in his capacity to lead or to treat the senator objectively . To Deign Lian ' s protestations that he was merely repeating what Shai ' s enemies among the Yuuzhan Vong were propagating , the commander ordered his aide to fetch A ' Kla — without wearing his mask — and reminded Lian to kill those who plotted against him . With one last threat , Shai told the warrior to spend a Dubrillion night in the Embrace of Pain , releasing himself before sunrise only if he wished to die . Having humiliated Lian , the commander waited in the aquarium for A ' Kla to arrive , whereupon Shai questioned the Caamasi on what he had learned during his stay on the planet . He came to respect A ' Kla on his understanding of pain , but remained distant from his new companion ' s attempts to reconcile the Yuuzhan Vong belief in their gods with any profound spirituality . Shai brought the conversation to Kre ' fey . The senator , however , refrained from providing any solid intelligence , and Shai took another approach , reminding A ' Kla of the destruction of Caamas at the hands of Bothans , and testing the pacifistic Caamasi with the specter of inflicting pain upon others . A ' Kla was largely undisturbed by the commander ' s threats , and so Shai turned to military matters . He was approached by Lian , who asked the commander if he could travel to Garqi in order to monitor the progress of Krag Val ' s occupation . Shai , aware of the New Republic ' s earlier activity in the system , ordered his aide to take the " Burning Pride " , a cruiser , and a flotilla of seven corvettes to the planet — a large task force for such a mission . The commander knew that his New Republic opponents would strike at Garqi again , and was proven correct as Lian engaged Kre ' fey over the planet . What he was unable to predict , however , was the appearance of an Imperial Remnant task force , as the remainder of the Galactic Empire had kept out of the war until now . The commander , hearing of Lian ' s reports , traveled to Garqi to determine what had occurred . Garqi . As he traveled down to the planet ' s surface with A ' Kla , Shai noticed a deep black burn scar on the ground far below , which he discovered to be the ruins of the Pesktda Xenobotanical Garden . The use of fire to destroy living organisms was first among the abominations for the Yuuzhan Vong , and Shai was deeply disgusted by what he saw . A skirmish had taken place on the planet , leaving Krag Val and several others dead , and for some reason the New Republic forces had incinerated the garden in which the latter stages of the ground battle had occurred . Determined to discover what had occurred , Shai interrogated a warrior , Runck Das , who had been absent from the fight , ordered by Val to remain behind . The commander placed his foot on Das ' s neck , who lay prostrate before him , ready to kill the warrior should Das reveal any fault in his actions . When Lian , present in the garden , intervened in the interrogation , branding both Krag Val and Das fools , Shai struck him in the throat , silencing his aide . Das continued , and informed the commander that the Chazrach who had survived the battle had given some pertinent information . Val and his troops had engaged three Jedi and their companions , but had fallen to the enemy lightsabers , and subsequently the garden had been burned to ashes . During his report , the warrior referred to the Jedi by the color of their lightsaber blades ; when Das affixed one with the moniker " Silverblade , " Shai noticed A ' Kla react , almost imperceptibly , and realized that the Caamasi knew this particular Jedi . First , however , Shai finished his questioning of Das , popping the warrior ' s skull from his spine when the warrior claimed there was nothing more that could have been done — Shai commented that Das could have been faster in arriving at the garden . Lian assumed he too was to die for allowing Kre ' fey to make off with the infiltration force , but Shai decided to teach his aide a lesson in strategy instead . The commander came to the correct conclusion that the Jedi strike force had destroyed the garden and its Ithorian bafforr tree s on purpose , explaining why he had dispatched Lian with such a large force to Garqi . He criticized Lian ' s actions and ordered his aide to discover the reason why the garden had been burned . Alone with A ' Kla , the commander asked the Caamasi for his opinion on the garden ' s destruction ; when the senator failed to provide a satisfactory answer , Shai demanded to know why the peaceful being consorted with such depraved enemies . A ' Kla attempted to put a case forward defending the honor of his fellows , but Shai grew enraged , citing the failure to provide the corpses of both Yuuzhan Vong and New Republic forces with proper burial rites , on Garqi and on Bimmiel , as proof of the dishonorable nature of his opponents . After a short while , Shedao Shai became calmer , and readied himself to question A ' Kla . He stated that he had seen the senator react to the name " Silverblade " , as well as his mention of Bimmiel , and assumed that A ' Kla knew the true identity of the Jedi . Pressing the senator for information , Shai was finally able to link a name to the blood of the Jedi he had tasted at Bimmiel — Corran Horn . His companionship with the Caamasi was suddenly subordinated to his quest ; Shai planned to kill A ' Kla , in the process issuing a challenge to Horn . He led the senator to believe that he was ready to open peace talks with the New Republic , proclaiming that he had learned much about those who resided in the galaxy , and that A ' Kla was to be his envoy . The commander was being ironic ; A ' Kla was to be a very different kind of ambassador to that which the senator expected . Shai beckoned the ignorant Caamasi from the garden and together they returned to the " Legacy of Torment " . Challenge . Following Garqi , Shai ' s push into New Republic territory slowed . At some point , he led a fleet against Dathomir . Lian ' s investigation into the conflagration in the xenobotanical garden bore no successes , and Shai continued his sessions in the Embrace of Pain . Shai also bade the unsuspecting A ' Kla record a statement by villip for Corran Horn . A ' Kla ' s message spoke of hopes for an eventual peace , unity with his daughter and friends , and reminded Horn that his diplomatic mission was vital if there was to be an end to the conflict . The senator also recorded a brief message on his shuttle ' s communication system , conveying the compliments of Shedao Shai to Horn . Meanwhile , Lian continued to deliver excuses for his lack of success , boring Shai . Eventually , however , the aide discovered what had occurred in the garden . The Vonduun Skerr Kyrric worn by the warriors had reacted to the bafforr tree pollen , suffering an allergic reaction to the fine particles . The allergy had killed the living armor , constricting it and suffocating the warriors within . For Shai , the implications were obvious . The New Republic now possessed on the planet Ithor — to which the bafforr trees were native — an arsenal with which to repel and possibly wipe out Yuuzhan Vong . Furthermore , biological life , sacred to the Yuuzhan Vong , was opposing the advance ; Shai retained faith in the validity of the holy crusade to take the galaxy , but felt that this development meant that the priest caste could take control of the invasion as they tried to divine the importance of this natural opposition . The commander had already witnessed the disastrous state of affairs that had arisen when the Praetorite Vong had attempted to gain prominence among the species . A rare sentiment of respect was afforded to Lian as the aide revealed that all those who knew of the bafforr pollen ' s lethality had been temporarily interned in case they spread word of the threat , but Shai ' s subordinate quickly angered him once again . Lian had come up with a plan to destroy the threat of Ithor with a biological agent , delivered safely from over the planet . Shai , on the other hand , believed that such destruction of a naturally bountiful world could anger the gods , and that taking Ithor , heavily defended as it would be , could shatter New Republic morale beyond repair . When Shai overruled his aide ' s plan to destroy Ithor from afar , Lian protested , claiming that the Yuuzhan Vong would take heavy casualties . Enraged at the insubordination , the commander attacked the warrior , forcing Deign Lian to his knees . Shai proceeded to outline the reasoning behind his decision to prosecute a major space and ground assault . In reality , Lian , in league with Warmaster Tsavong Lah , was observing the commander act exactly as predicted ; it was hoped that Shai ' s plan would fail and the commander killed . Unaware at the hidden forces at work , the commander continued to berate his aide . Another bout of violence was elicited as Lian claimed that too much time had been spent with A ' Kla , and that attacks on the morale of the enemy were inferior to the tactical destruction of a threat . Shai ordered his aide to plan a feint at Agamar and an assault on Ithor , to occur in a month ' s time ; Lian questioned why he was to plan for the attacks , and not the more experienced Shedao Shai , but the commander only stated that he had work to do with A ' Kla , and that he would review the plans when they had been prepared . Finally , before Lian left , Shai indicated that those who had been interned after investigating the bafforr pollen should be killed , so as to keep the knowledge secret . A short time after his audience with Lian , Shai visited senator A ' Kla and , with some regret , strangled the unsuspecting Caamasi . For many hours he lavished attention upon the corpse , preparing it in the manner by which fallen Yuuzhan Vong warriors were venerated . The flesh , organs and other organic matter were removed , until only a skeleton remained . Each bone was coated in gold , the sternum and ends of long bones were adorned with platinum , and violet gems were placed in the empty eye sockets . Shai polished the skull ' s teeth white and , grinding down amethysts to fine powder , replicated the pattern and hue of the purple stripes that had colored the late A ' Kla ' s head fur . The commander then placed the articulated skeleton in the senator ' s original shuttle . Enclosing the corpse in an organic capsule , Shai ensured that it could only be opened by a sample of Horn ' s blood — which had been attained at Bimmiel — with the result that the Jedi would be the first to view the capsule ' s contents . He placed A ' Kla ' s villip on top of the capsule ; inside , nestled in the space between the skeleton ' s crossed legs , was Shai ' s own villip , with a pre - recorded message . In his address , Shai informed the Jedi of who he was , and why he had a vendetta against Horn , blaming his enemy for having caused A ' Kla ' s death . The commander also declared his intention to meet Horn and have Mongei Shai ' s bones returned to him at Ithor , where he indicated that a battle was to take place . Having vowed at Bimmiel to taste Horn ' s blood again before he killed the Jedi , Shai fully expected that the two fight to the death . The senator ' s shuttle , overgrown with Yuuzhan Vong growths , was loaded into a cruiser and dropped off on the outskirts of the Ottega system , where Shai ' s message was successfully received by Corran Horn . The Battle of Ithor . A month after he had told Lian to plan the dual assaults on the two worlds , Shai ' s forces moved in on Ithor and Agamar . The former was well defended , and would be where the main battle was fought ; the latter was largely unprotected , as Kre ' fey had moved his forces to defend the vital bafforr resources on Ithor . Many refugees escaped before Agamar eventually fell to the Yuuzhan Vong . The " Legacy of Torment " headed the fleet that attacked Ithor , with three heavy cruisers , eight light cruisers and many yorik - trema landing craft making up the rest of the force . Shai entered the Ottega system aboard the " Legacy of Torment " and led the ships in a slow advance toward Ithor . The " Tafanda Bay " , the lone Ithorian Herdship remaining over the evacuated world , was targeted for occupation , and another landing force , commanded by Shai , was tasked with taking the planet itself . Meanwhile , Lian was left in charge of the fleet , ordered to battle the combined New Republic and Imperial Remnant forces that defended Ithor . Shai had adapted to the new tactics Kre ' fey had developed against him ; the New Republic starfighters had begun to fire many lower - powered shots at Yuuzhan Vong yorik - et , more than the singularity defenses could handle . The commander correctly predicted that his enemy would attempt to deploy the same tactic against his capital ships at Ithor , and denied them this advantage by having his ships produce many smaller singularities that , although less powerful , were able to intercept the numerous turbolaser strikes with ease . The battle was joined as Shai ' s forces entered attack range and were accosted by starfighter and capital ship fire . Although Shai had blocked the New Republic ' s tactic , and Lian thus scored victories in space , the yorik - trema flotilla took several losses as it approached Ithor . Two of the four landing vessels that headed toward " Tafanda Bay " were destroyed and the Yuuzhan Vong warriors and Chazrach who were deployed on the herdship faced heavy resistance from Jedi who defended it . Commander Shai landed on the surface of the jungle world with his troops , retaining one yorik - trema as a command center while the others were dispatched back to the fleet to collect reinforcements . The Yuuzhan Vong leader separated his landing force into four components ; one squad of warriors remained with the command center , and two flanks , each made up of three squads , protected the body of troops in which he moved , itself likewise made up of three squads . It was too small a force , by Shai ' s estimation , to take the planet , but it served as a reconnaissance unit that advanced toward the New Republic command facility sited on Ithor ' s surface . The commander raced toward the facility when he received a report from one of his warriors that it had been reached , running through the forests , suddenly sensing a hostility from the planet that led him to question whether the gods wished him to act in such a manner . Such doubts were cast aside when he was informed that the New Republic base appeared to be defended by droids . He collected three of his squads together and tore toward the facility across open ground . In space , Lian found himself swiftly taking losses as the defenders of Ithor raised the strength of their turbolaser strikes , overpowering the weak voids Shai had ordered and subsequently destroying several ships with ease . Shai ' s furious aide decided not to send troops down to the surface to bolster his superior ' s strength , and thus the commander assaulted the facility alone . The use of droids in its defense disgusted Shai . They provided little challenge for the experienced warriors and soon two of the ferrocrete towers making up part of the base collapsed . Deep within the facility , Shai realized that he had been tricked ; the foundations of the base were too weak for it to have been a permanent structure . The commander shook himself from the rage of battle and rushed from the New Republic command center . Too late , he gave the order to retreat . An explosion detonated in the basement of the construct , incinerating many of his maddened warriors and toppling the building upon the survivors . On his right flank , the commander suddenly had blaster fire pour in ; the left remained silent , disturbing him further . Shai issued an order to retreat . The warrior was furious , and placed blame on A ' Kla for the ambush he had been led into ; the Caamasi ' s pacifistic nature had disarmed him , drawn him to the belief that the enemy was incapable of such shrewd exploitation of natural Yuuzhan Vong fanaticism when it came to fighting machines . Besieged , and denied reinforcements by Lian , the commander was soon contacted by Corran Horn by villip . Several Jedi , including Horn , had taken Shai ' s command post , having killed the squad defending it . Horn informed the warrior that , as Shai suspected , the Yuuzhan Vong ground force was completely surrounded , and that Mongei Shai ' s bones would be launched into the star of the Ottega system unless the commander agreed to his proposal — Horn and Shai would duel for the fate of Ithor . If Horn defeated the commander , Ithor would be spared invasion . If , however , Shai killed the Jedi , the bones would be returned to the " Legacy of Torment " , to the shrine the commander had prepared . Meanwhile , a truce would exist in the system . The bargain evoked scorn in the proud warrior , but the opportunity to reclaim the relics was too tempting . The two went on to decide on the time until they met in battle . When Horn suggested that he needed to wait for a full moon before the duel took place , Shai reminded the Jedi of Sernpidal and the tactic of Yo ' gand ' s Core — he could have a dovin basal drag a moon down upon Ithor , wiping out the planet . The threat ensured that , after some brief haggling , the duel would occur in a week ' s time , on a mountaintop plateau west of Shai ' s command center . Before their conversation ended , Commander Shai told his adversary that he should come prepared to die . Duel and death . As the sun set over Ithor , seven days after his conversation with Horn , Shai arrived with Lian at the mountain clearing where the duel was to take place . Clothed in scarlet and gold , with his warrior mask covering his face , the commander was impressive in appearance , approaching the duel with a seriousness that Horn failed to acknowledge . A short exchange preceded the fight , and the two warriors then clashed weapons . Both Shai and Horn appeared evenly matched , their lunges , slashes and parries drawing out the duel until either one of them erred in their technique . Eventually , Shai whipped inside his foe ' s guard and punched his amphistaff through Horn ' s side . His opponent fell to the ground , and Shai withdrew , removing his mask and savoring the taste of the Jedi ' s blood from the dripping blade , as he had vowed to do on Bimmiel . Horn , however , was not yet dead , and rose to his feet to challenge the commander , mocking Shai ' s vow and his failure to defeat his enemies . Shai lunged in again and soon forced Horn to sink to his knees against an onslaught of blows . As Shai brought his blade down to hammer the lightsaber down into Horn ' s own body , the Jedi flicked off the silver blade . His amphistaff failing to meet the expected resistance , Shai stumbled forward onto the emitter of Horn ' s deactivated lightsaber . The commander ' s last action was to smile . As Horn re - ignited the blade , it burned a hole through the Yuuzhan Vong warrior ' s torso , severing Shai ' s spine . Legacy . Although Luke Skywalker , at Horn ' s request , took Shai ' s mask , the commander ' s corpse remained where he fell . Lian returned to the " Legacy of Torment " , to take control of the cruiser and the other Yuuzhan Vong forces . Defying Shai ' s wishes , as well as the terms of the truce with the New Republic , Lian followed his orders from Warmaster Lah , firing the bioweapon on Ithor anyway . The bacteriological agents metabolized all life on Ithor ' s surface , turning the verdant forests and wildlife into a planet - wide sea of black sludge . Shai ' s lifeless body was consumed along with everything else . Shai ' s subordinate , however , was not to escape the destruction of Ithor . Kre ' fey and Pellaeon employed tactics they had developed throughout the week , and obliterated the " Legacy of Torment " over Ithor . Meanwhile , the New Republic turned on Horn , branding him as the destroyer of the planet . Within the ranks of the Yuuzhan Vong , Domain Shai was disgraced , as the warmaster had desired , and its lesson reminded other influential warrior domains such as the Carr and the Choka that to present a threat to the primacy of Domain Lah was futile . The members of Domain Shai were relegated to the position of tending to the ailing Koros - Strohna that had transported the Yuuzhan Vong to the galaxy . Shedao Shai was remembered as a failure , a disgraced warrior whose devotion to the worship of pain was later mocked by even the Supreme Overlord . Among the Yuuzhan Vong , Corran Horn nevertheless attained great respect , as Commander Shai had , for all his flaws , been a highly skilled warrior . For the Shamed Ones , it went further than respect ; Horn was revered as one of the most august of the Jedi who featured in the sacred tales of the secretive followers of the " Jeedai " heresy , becoming known as The - Slayer - of - Shedao - Shai . Militarily , Shai ' s death at Ithor led to Tla , another warrior , being promoted to the rank of commander , and leading the next phase of the invasion , as the Yuuzhan Vong continued their path toward Coruscant . Personality and traits . Shedao Shai was a fiercely proud warrior , who believed that the only true constant in reality was pain . He would harm himself to the extent that all he could feel was pain , in the hope of transcending a physical reality to come closer to the gods . His devotion to the worship of pain led others to perceive his actions as foolish — or , as in the case of Supreme Overlord Shimrra himself , pathetic — but Shai chose not to care , believing instead that his sadomasochism placed him above others , such as Deign Lian . Similarly , Shai perceived all other castes as inferior to the warriors of the Yuuzhan Vong , criticizing the priests and intendants and mocking the shaper caste ' s dislike of using the Embrace of Pain , a device that they themselves had created . Such fanaticism tended to cloud Shai ' s judgment , but he nevertheless viewed the battlefield with a high level of strategic wisdom , regularly confusing and manipulating his subordinate , Lian , with tactics that always appeared to defeat the enemy , as well as using his intelligence to battle Traest Kre ' fey and Gilad Pellaeon , two of the leading military minds in the war . The commander also possessed an eye for minutia , registering small changes in body language and acting upon them without allowing others to become aware of the fact . With his military acumen and martial prowess , Shai was thus a respected Yuuzhan Vong warrior , whose actions were tempered or accentuated by his love for the gods . Shai chose a ground assault on Ithor , rather than the aerial destruction later visited upon the planet by Lian , because he did not wish to anger the gods by destroying a world of such natural life , and he declared that if threatened by the lethal bafforr pollen , he would fight unarmored , protected by his faith in the gods . The warrior ' s bravery , and his dedication to his mission , led to him leading the charge against the enemy in person . When matters did not move as expected , however , Shai tended toward inner turmoil , such as when he realized that the natural forces of Ithor opposed the invasion , or to casting blame on others , such as A ' Kla and the intelligence agent Nom Anor . The commander also criticized , threatened , punished or executed his subordinates whenever he saw fit ; he condemned the actions of his deceased kinsmen as lacking imagination , killed Runck Das , and often beat Lian into submission . Much of his anger came from his hatred of weakness , cowardice or stupidity , and when aggravated , Shai could appear unpredictable . Sleights upon Yuuzhan Vong tradition , or upon his own person , were met with an explosion of violence or verbal outbursts , even when the guilty party was ignorant of its fault . Often as sadistic toward others as he was toward his own body , Shai toyed with the idea of forcing the pacifistic A ' Kla to commit harm to others , and developed the habit of feeding live Humans to the creatures in the Dubrillion Aquarium . Obsessed by honor , tradition , and the way of the warrior , Shai ' s personal vendetta arose through his consuming desire to attain glory for his domain and to emulate the actions of his prestigious forefathers . This pursuit of a greater goal gave Shai drive and ambition , but it ultimately played its part in the warrior ' s downfall . It also manifested itself in other ways , such as vanity and self - absorption , and resulted in his killing of Elegos A ' Kla , a being whom Shai had , by his own admission , come to view as a friend . However much he may have enjoyed exerting dominance over others , Shai was eventually overpowered by his own flaws ; his clarity of judgment was subordinated to vanity and arrogance during his final duel with Horn , resulting in his death . Shai ' s weaknesses were also exploited by Tsavong Lah , preluding his death on Ithor . Nevertheless , Shedao Shai remained engrossed in his own interests even in the last moments of his life ; true to his love of combat and a respect for those who could best him , the commander exulted in Horn ' s victory , in the instant before the Jedi killed him . Behind the scenes . Shedao Shai is the primary Yuuzhan Vong villain in the " Dark Tide " Duology , although his introduction occurs only during the epilogue of " " . This , however , sets up his role as Horn ' s antagonist in the second book of the duology , and it is also revealed that Shai had been the commander in charge of the Yuuzhan Vong assaults on Dubrillion and Dantooine . In " " , Michael A . Stackpole portrays Shai as a shrewd and cunning Yuuzhan Vong , whose conflict with Deign Lian allows further depth to be incorporated into the commander ' s tale . Shai ' s ritual killing of Elegos A ' Kla , a character who had first appeared in Stackpole ' s " I , Jedi " as a companion of Corran Horn , consisted of another death of a sympathetic character , following that of Chewbacca during the events of " Vector Prime " , thus continuing the darker theme of . The peripheral presence of Tsavong Lah , a major Yuuzhan Vong protagonist in the series and a clandestine opponent of Shai ' s , also arises in the second novel , setting up Lah ' s later role as a principal character . As Stackpole stated in an interview , Shai ' s worship of pain was intended to provide the reader with a clearer insight into the workings of Yuuzhan Vong society ; the author noted that , being the first paperback novels in " The New Jedi Order " series , the " Dark Tide " Duology had the possibility of being the first novels of the series that many read . Therefore the focus on Shedao Shai and his beliefs , most notably the worship of pain , was to grant the reader a foothold on understanding the species around which a further sixteen novels were to be set .