Matta Tremayne Matta Tremayne was a Human female from the planet Corroth who served as a Master within the Jedi Order . Tremayne ' s delicate physical appearance belied her true nature as a consummate lightsaber duelist , one highly acclaimed for her expertise with the weapon . Her service to the Jedi was given in the form of lightsaber combat instruction to the Order ' s students . She also personally undertook the training of the Jedi apprentice Freedon Nadd . In 4400 BBY , Tremayne was approached by Nadd on the outskirts of Ossus City after the apprentice stormed out of the ceremony in which he had been denied the promotion to Jedi Knighthood . Ignoring him for a time while in the midst of practicing lightsaber cadences , Tremayne finally acknowledged Nadd as he prepared to depart in a furious rage . A heated argument ensued between them in which the impetuous young man declared himself a full - fledged Jedi , and Tremayne challenged Nadd to prove the validity of his claim — with the activation of her lightsaber . Her apprentice responded in kind , and the two engaged in a lightsaber duel , one that ended when Tremayne was struck down and slain . Freedon Nadd fell to the dark side of the Force as a result and eventually became one of the most influential Dark Lords of the Sith of all time . Biography . Swordmaster . Matta Tremayne was a Human female from the planet Corroth who lived prior to the onset of the Great Sith War . Her Force - sensitivity saw her enrolled in the Jedi Order , in which she eventually earned the rank of Jedi Master . In her later years , Tremayne lived on the library - world of Ossus , where she spent much of her time perfecting her dexterity with the lightsaber . She honed her skill with the weapon to such a degree that by 4400 BBY , she was renowned by many as a master lightsaber duelist . When not practicing her own technique , Tremayne served as lightsaber combat instructor for the students of the Jedi Order . Among her students was a prodigious young Human named Freedon Nadd , whose Jedi training she attended to personally . The test of Freedon Nadd . Tremayne ' s apprentice was regarded by many of the Masters on Ossus as one with a profound natural talent for understanding and using the Force . Because of this , they believed that Nadd would ascend to Jedi Mastery far sooner than any other student who had come before him . When the time arose for promotion to Knighthood , however , he was overlooked . Nadd left the Knighting ceremony dejected , seeking out Tremayne for some insight as to why he had not been promoted . The elderly Jedi was practicing lightsaber cadences in a garden on the outskirts of Ossus City when Nadd approached her , and ignored him as she continued her exercise , in a state of meditation while doing so . For half an hour she paid Nadd no mind while he stood there , until finally he was so overcome with impatience that his feelings exploded in a tirade . In an elaborate flourish , Tremayne brought the tip of her lightsaber to bear mere centimeters from his chest . She then resumed her drills as though she had never even noticed him , leaving Nadd to stare at her in awe . Tremayne ' s apprentice was overtaken with frustration at that moment , and he prepared to depart in a fit of rage . The Jedi Master then called to Nadd , deactivating her lightsaber when he responded . She began explaining to the young man that some lessons could not be taught , but rather learned through personal experience . Time and again she refused to give him the answers he sought , until Nadd accused Tremayne of purposely withholding the truth out of fear of losing her power to him . He professed that he no longer needed her help to become a Jedi , and that he would become the greatest Jedi who ever lived . Seeing the situation as a prime test for him , Tremayne challenged Nadd to prove to her that he had rightfully earned the rank of Jedi Knight . He hesitated for a brief moment as Tremayne ignited her lightsaber and again issued her challenge . Nadd then answered the summons by activating his own weapon , and an intense lightsaber duel ensued . Tremayne nearly ran him through in their first exchange of blows , and the Jedi Master ' s superior skill forced her apprentice to assume the defensive for much of the contest . Toward the end of the duel , Tremayne gave Nadd an opportunity to strike her down . Perceiving Tremayne ' s move as a miscalculation , Nadd capitalized on the opening that she had given him . Tremayne deliberately ignored the incoming strike , staring into her apprentice ' s eyes as his blade came down toward her shoulder ; Nadd was unable to stop his weapon in time , which struck and killed Matta Tremayne . She then vanished into the Force , leaving only her Jedi robes where she had once stood . Nadd initially grieved for Tremayne but quickly resolved in his mind the belief that she had brought her death upon herself . His anguish turned to hatred for the Jedi Order , and in his anger , he embraced the dark side of the Force . Tremayne was only the first Jedi whom Freedon Nadd killed ; he subsequently became a Dark Lord of the Sith , and the corpses of countless Jedi were left in his wake until his own physical death . Personality and traits . Matta Tremayne was a diminutive woman who , by 4400 BBY , was considered elderly for a Human . She was possessed of an inner peace through which she viewed the universe in what she believed was its true form , not the distorted perceptions of most other individuals . Although she was aware of the internal conflict from which her apprentice suffered , she refused to resolve it for him . She recognized the necessity of gaining wisdom through personal experience and tried to impart this philosophy upon a less - than - receptive Freedon Nadd . The elderly woman remained unfazed by her apprentice ' s accusations and literally stood her ground as he moved toward her in a blind fury . When Nadd declared himself a Jedi despite the denial of the Masters , Tremayne sought to conduct one final test , in an attempt to subtly teach him the importance of self - discovery . Nadd failed to grasp the wisdom of her lesson , and the Jedi Master lost her life because of it . Powers and abilities . Matta Tremayne was held in high esteem among her peers as a quintessential lightsaber duelist , one who had mastered the weapon ' s various forms of combat . Her skill was such that she was tasked with training other Jedi in its use . She executed her technique with expert proficiency , flawlessly repeating her lightsaber sequences as a form of meditation . In combat she performed effortlessly with great speed and precision . The aggressive nature of her assault forced her opponents to constantly defend themselves and allowed few opportunities for them to retaliate or to even gain the offensive . Tremayne became one with the Force upon the moment of her passing , as was only the way of Jedi Masters . Behind the scenes . Matta Tremayne was first mentioned in the " Tales of the Jedi Companion " in the story of Freedon Nadd ' s fall to the dark side . In the " Companion " , Tremayne is referred to as a Master from whom Nadd only sought counsel , and not specifically as his actual Jedi Master . She received the same ambiguous recognition in , in a section titled " The Shadow of Freedon Nadd . " Both " The Dark Side Sourcebook " and " " allude to Tremayne being the Master of Freedon Nadd whom he slew just prior to his abandonment of the Jedi Order . Although she receives no entry of her own , she is mentioned in 2008 ' s " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , again under the entry of Freedon Nadd , where she is explicitly identified as Nadd ' s Jedi Master .