Even Piell, a Force-sensitive Lannik male, was a Jedi Master who served as a senior member of the Jedi High Council in the final decades of the Galactic Republic Era. A native of the politically unstable planet Lannik, the battle-hardened Piell was regarded as brusque and bellicose and was renowned as a warrior and swordsman. Despite his small stature and gruffness, Piell was a larger-than-life and empathetic figure, traits he gained in part by revisiting his troubled homeworld, during which he lost his eye to terrorists. Piell believed that all beings were his kin and that it was his duty as a Jedi to help anyone in need. Inspired by the Lannik people, Piell was one of the Jedi's major advocates for younger generations and those at risk and considered himself far more in tune with common people and the Living Force than his peers.

Prior to the Clone Wars, Piell served as a Councillor during the Defense of Kwenn, during which he led a project that restarted funding for the local school system, and later served during the Invasion of Naboo and the Separatist Crisis, which resulted in the outbreak of the Clone Wars between the Republic and its splinter state, the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Piell was among the Jedi involved in the First Battle of Geonosis, after which he was given the formal rank of Jedi General within the newly-commissioned Republic Military. A reliable asset to the Jedi, Piell carried out many of the Clone Wars' most sensitive missions and was attributed with protecting Republic territories and information alongside Captain Wilhuff Tarkin. As the war carried on, Piell and Tarkin discovered the coordinates for the Nexus Route, information that could prove disastrous in Separatist hands because of the route's direct connection to the Republic capital planet Coruscant.

As the custodians of the Nexus Route coordinates, Piell and Tarkin's fleet group was targeted by Separatist forces, and while under attack they purged the data from their Star Destroyer and each memorized half of the coordinates as a safeguard in case either broke under interrogation. Upon his capture, Piell, Tarkin, and what remained of their crew were taken to the Separatists's maximum-security Citadel prison complex on Lola Sayu. The Republic launched a covert rescue operation led by the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano, who managed to free Piell and Tarkin but were trapped on the planet's surface by prison warden Osi Sobeck's forces. While fleeing the Citadel to reach a designated rendezvous point with a Republic extraction team, the group was hunted by a pack of anoobas dispatched by Sobeck, and Piell was fatally mauled by one of the creatures. Piell revealed his half of the Nexus Route coordinates to Tano before dying from his injuries.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Even Piell was born on the^[2] Mid Rim planet Lannik, the homeworld of the Lannik species,^[10] during the late Republic Era.^[2] Lannik had a long history of war and,^[11] at the time of Piell's birth, was in a state of constant political unrest. Piell's innate The Force sensitivity was identified when he was a youngling, and it was eventually brought to the attention of the Jedi Order, a monastic religious order of Force-sensitives based on the Core Worlds planet Coruscant. When the Jedi offered to raise Piell as they did other Force-sensitive children, his parents readily sent him away, and in his later life, Piell speculated that they may have believed they had done right by sending him away from a life of struggle on Lannik. Although Piell was young when he left his homeworld,^[2] he was older than most Jedi Initiates were when taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. As a result, Piell did not have any training as an infant and had a relatively late start to his tutelage compared to his peers.^[12]

As a Jedi trainee, Piell continued to differ from his companions in the Order, and even amid the mix of species and cultures at the Temple, he retained traits of his homeworld, speaking more bluntly and colloquially than others his age. When he moved to the Padawan stage of his learning, Piell took part in efforts to help troubled civilians, and from such missions, he learned a practical sense of how suffering manifested in society. While young, Piell wanted to return to his homeworld, and he was eventually able to make the trip when he was older. During his first return to Lannik, Piell's consciousness was changed, and seeing himself in the hard, suffering faces he had lived apart from gave him a new understanding of his purpose as a Jedi.^[2] At some point while on Lannik, Piell had a confrontation with terrorists,^[13] supposedly the Red Iaro.^[14] Despite winning the battle,^[15] he lost an eye and had extensive scarring on his face,^[2] wounds he viewed as a badge of honor.^[1]

Defense of Kwenn[]

A call to action[]

By 33 BBY,^[16] Piell had risen to the status of Jedi Master and had been granted a seat on the Jedi High Council, the Jedi Order's governing body.^[2] Piell had one of the Council's long-term seats and often sat near Master Yaddle.^[11] Despite his position among the Order's leaders, Piell continued to take field missions and perform diplomatic roles for the Galactic Republic,^[2] a democratic union based on Coruscant that governed much of the galaxy and had a long history with the Jedi,^[3] even though he had a disdain for politicians.^[2] In 33 BBY,^[16] Piell answered a request by Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum and the Galactic Senate calling for Jedi intervention in a conflict on the Mid Rim world Yitabo between two agricultural corporations and the local civilian government. Although unexcited by the assignment, Piell accepted the task because he was already in the area and knew some of the people involved. While on Yitabo, Piell took notice of the number of people leaving the Mid Rim for the Core Worlds via the Ootmian route.^[2]

While Piell was on Yitabo, he appeared at Council meetings infrequently. For one such meeting, he could only attend for the final part of the agenda, in which Master Qui-Gon Jinn was to address the Council about a recent mission. Piell joined the meeting holographically at the same time Jinn entered the High Council chamber on Coruscant, and the Master of the Order, Mace Windu, addressed Piell before allowing Jinn to speak. At Windu's questioning, Piell informed the Council what his task on Yitabo was, leaving Windu and Master Ki-Adi-Mundi surprised that the Senate had sent a High Council member to settle a small dispute. After talking with Piell, Windu turned to Jinn and allowed him to speak before the Council. Jinn opened by mentioning that Piell was already in the region he wanted to discuss with the Council, then segued into how the string of recent Jedi outpost closures in the Mid Rim had made life for the locals more difficult.^[2]

Jinn mentioned that the closures created a revolving chain of events in which corporations relocate, the region loses political power in the Senate, and then people begin immigrating elsewhere. Master Depa Billaba, who was investigating pirate disturbances in the Slice, confirmed Jinn's testimony and stated that even the young were affected, at which Piell pointed out that an entire generation was at risk in the area. Jinn continued his address and slowly made his point clearer: the Jedi Council had become detached from the everyday aspects of the Living Force in favor of larger-scale efforts on behalf of the Republic. Though his comments received initial opposition from some Council members, including Masters Windu, Oppo Rancisis, and Saesee Tiin, Piell voiced his support of Jinn's notion. When Master Adi Gallia mournfully stated that the Council did not have time to deal with everyday beings because they were on a different level, Piell countered that the Jedi were not supposed to be different from everyone else.^[2]

Gallia responded to Piell that the Council had worlds of responsibilities before them, after which Jinn continued. Qui-Gon expressed his belief that the citizens of the galaxy thought little of the Jedi because the Jedi had not engaged with them, to further opposition from Windu and others, but found another supporter in Yaddle. Jinn finished his talk by asking the Council to find a way to reconnect with those the Order served by individually helping people in need, then left the chamber. Though Mundi and Tiin remained skeptical of Jinn's claims, Windu voiced his opinion that Jinn was correct about the Council's disconnect and stagnation, to which Yaddle and Master Depa Billaba agreed. Just then, Gallia interrupted and stated that she had just received the year's final list of suggestions regarding Jedi assets from the Chancellor's office. Piell snidely commented that the list was as "final as a politician's promise" but earned a hand wave from Windu, who told Gallia to continue.^[2]

Gallia read from a Jedi-conducted study of outposts that could be shuttered to allow Jedi to divert their resources into areas where the Chancellor's office and the Senate were likely to require future Jedi aid. Among the list of unfrequented outposts on desolate worlds was Sanctuary Mount, a nearly two-hundred-year-old outpost on Kwenn. When Gallia named Kwenn, the Council members went silent in shock. Piell immediately pointed out Sanctuary Mount's longevity, and others began reminiscing about Kwenn and the outpost. Windu asked Gallia how Kwenn had changed to the point the outpost was unsustainable, and she pointed out that traffic to the Kwenn Space Station had slowed due to piracy and corporate taxes along the Ootmian route, leaving the planet economically challenged. Piell cut in that Gallia had missed a step, that the Jedi had left Kwenn behind first, adding that he had seen people leaving the Slice for the Core while on Yitabo.^[2]

Realizing the opportunity before the Council, Windu suggested that the twelve Jedi Masters travel to Kwenn to oversee a public commemoration of the anniversary of the outpost's founding. Windu's idea, formed in response to Jinn's prompt, was that the Council could engage with the people of Kwenn while identifying the artifacts the Order would retrieve from Sanctuary Mount in case of closure. As the Council debated whether the trip was viable, Master Plo Koon brought up the logistics of supplying enough provisions for a group of twelve, but Piell waved away his concerns by reminding his colleagues that he was on Yitabo, which served as the larder for surrounding worlds and could stock up on necessary food there. Despite the initial trepidation, all the Councillors present were in agreement that a ceremony on Kwenn would be beneficial, both for the planet and for themselves.^[2]

Finding trouble[]

At Master Windu's insistence, the twelve Council members agreed that it would be best if they arrived on Kwenn at their individual convenience instead of coordinating altogether. After gathering up provisions and loading them onto a Limulus-class courier, Piell made the short trip to Kwenn. Before bringing the supplies to the Sanctuary Mount, Piell decided to get a headstart on Qui-Gon's challenge to help citizens and took a speeder bus to Essafa Key, home to the Gem Cities' educational district. At a tourist information station near the bus stop, Piell asked the adviser stationed there where to go to get "socked in the jaw," hoping to learn where to find troubled sections of the population. Piell's directness confused the adviser. When asked to clarify, Piell repeated the question and asked where the rough part of Essafa Key was, but the adviser dismissed him and walked away. Before leaving in turn, Piell yelled at the guide, sarcastically thanking him for his help.^[2]

Leaving the information station, Piell decided to head towards the oceanside, remembering an adage from his Padawan days that he could usually find trouble near a waterfront. While halfway there, however, Piell heard a commotion down a side street and saw a patrol officer ignoring it. Asking about the disturbance, Piell explained that he was seeking out troubled people, and the officer informed him that Essafa Key housed the local school system. At Piell's inquiry, the officer further stated that the schools were the source of Essafa Key's troubles because the children had been running wild instead of attending classes. Piell suggested they hire a truant officer, but the patrolman revealed that he was the truant officer and removed his badge, quitting his job on the spot. Taking the badge from the former officer and pinning it on his tunic, Piell decided to investigate the noises and walked towards the plaza down the street.^[2]

In the plaza, Piell noticed several graffiti-covered buildings engraved with markings that showed they had been built during the Grand Renewal of Kwenn. As Piell chuckled at the derogatory graffiti, he was suddenly approached by a dozen or more raggedly dressed youths. A young Twi'lek stepped forward and asked if Piell was admiring his handiwork, and Piell responded by joking about the boy misspelling "poodoo." Piell questioned the Twi'lek about the target of the graffiti, who he realized was a teacher, and learned that the teacher no longer worked after being thrown out a window. Piell decided to build a rapport with the children, first by laughing alongside them when they laughed about the former teacher, then by joking that school was good for the Twi'lek, Hadaro, since his name was painted on several buildings. Hadaro remained aloof, however, and four of his companions flanked Piell, who reacted mildly and remarked that the children thought they could push him around because of his size.^[2]

At Hadaro's command, the children swarmed Piell and lifted him from the ground, which he allowed them to do since he was in no danger. As the children carried Piell around the corner and down an alley, he heard one call to have the Jedi Master put in a trash compactor, but another assured him that the compactors were full and did not work. Recognizing that a pipe spanning the space between the buildings was part of the fire suppression system, Piell reached out with the Force and snapped it in half, resulting in an explosion of white foam. The children dropped Piell and ran for cover, allowing Piell to run back into the plaza while a group of pursuers slipped on the foam. In the plaza, a larger group of children had amassed, attracted by the chaos, and Piell swiftly bounded over them and landed on a plinth where statues once stood. Safe for a moment, Piell removed his soaked robe to wring it out, revealing his lightsaber in the process. Seeing the weapon, Hadaro exclaimed that Piell was not a Jedi.^[2]

The sight of Piell's lightsaber excited the crowd, and several children wondered aloud why a Jedi had come to Essafa Key. Just then, a chime sounded from across the quad, and Piell told the children to go inside and take a lunch break. To Piell's dismay, Hadaro explained that the Mercantile Guild-operated school's lunch program lost funding when Rendili Hyperworks stopped subsidizing it, a result of the recent population decline. Realizing that the children were, in part, acting out of hunger, Piell contacted his droid co-pilot and requested a pick-up. Hadaro mockingly asked if Piell was calling for backup, but the Jedi responded by asking if he had classes, which Hadaro denied, stating that many no longer met. Soon, Piell's Limulus courier arrived, and Piell guided his droid to land on the plinth. Calculating that he had enough food at the minimum for the children present, Piell unlatched the cargo hold and began unloading the provisions from Yitabo.^[2]

As he tossed food into the crowd, Piell asked Hadaro if the students had learned about the Jedi while in school. When Hadaro replied that they had not, Piell announced to the crowd that he would answer any questions they had about the Jedi once every child had something to eat. Smiling at the children's enthusiastic response, Piell told them that if anyone asked, they were having class outside. Over the following days, Piell began organizing activities and outings for the children, substituting an improvised and creative alternative for the shuttered school system. During this time, Piell received a call for help from Master Eeth Koth, who had arrived and had begun work in the Sanctuary Mount archives. Piell offered to send a group of children to aid Koth, but Koth declined. Piell also received a modified speeder bus from Masters Koon and Tiin, who had started aiding Kwikhaul, a local taxi company on Zyboh Key, which Piell used to shuttle his students to other islands.^[2]

Temporary schoolmaster[]

Armed with the speeder bus provided by Masters Koon and Tiin, as well as several bikes repaired by the children, Piell began organizing trips to other islands, where he held informal "classes" meant to give the children a creative outlet while beautifying the environment. On the morning of the day Master Yaddle arrived on Kwenn, Piell began the day with a "class" at the Mercantile Guild headquarters, where the children planted trees, which was followed by an "art class" at the Rendili Hyperworks factory on Addoa Key, an industrial island that suffered from lax regulations and disrepair. There, he permitted the children to paint the large walls that enclosed the factory. Having already gained the attention of Kwenn Holofeed, in part because Hadaro had attempted to paint their studio on a previous night, Piell invited a press team to the factory grounds to cover his work, believing public knowledge of his work would pressure Rendili to continue funding the school districts.^[2]

When Master Yaddle arrived on Kwenn, she contacted Piell for help acquiring transportation. Piell sent a Rodian child to deliver Yaddle a speeder bike, simultaneously inviting her to join him on Addoa Key, where he hoped she would take his place in front of the Kwenn Holofeed cameras. When Yaddle arrived, Piell enthusiastically welcomed her to "art class" and introduced her to his project. Because she was among the last High Councillors to arrive at Kwenn, Piell also informed her of what the other Masters were doing on the islands. Piell also explained the economic situation concerning the education system but found that Yaddle was unhappy about Piell's attempts to restart the former system, in which the children were forced to rely on the Rendili corporation for basic necessities. Though he shared her concerns, Piell reasoned that allowing the children to paint on the factory walls gave them an alternative to illegal activities.^[2]

At that moment, the reporters from Kwenn Holofeed arrived, and Piell asked Yaddle if she would speak with them since his appearance would be off-putting. Though she was surprised, Yaddle was understanding when Piell told her why he had not asked her directly, as he was afraid she would have suggested they consult other Councillors. Accepting that she was the best spokesbeing the Council had to offer, Yaddle approached the reporters and, speaking with a holofeed engineer for Remember Kwenn host Reezingrom Abbayav, began discussing the Jedi Council's purpose for visiting Kwenn. The impromptu press conference Piell had garnered outside Rendili Hyperworks brought him and Master Yaddle increased reach, with Yaddle becoming the Council's unofficial spokesperson in a series of interviews and Piell gaining a hundred new students. Concerned about the unstable home lives of many of his schoolchildren, Piell decided to start a food drive.^[2]

Late one evening, Piell and Yaddle decided to visit Master Koth on Kinnawah Key, where he was busy organizing a number of texts from the Sanctuary Mount that had ended up in the Lamplighter Boutique antique store. When Piell and Yaddle entered the store, they were met by the owner's wife, Pogee Shrag, and several Shrag's boolah kits, which crawled over the two Jedi. Shrag showed the two inside, and Yaddle thanked her for her hospitality and complimented her boolahs. Piell, annoyed by two boolah kits hanging off his ears, remarked that he could use the creatures in a soup for his food drive, which earned him a reprimand from Yaddle but a laugh from Shrag. Koth led the two inside a courtyard and asked why they had come to Kinnawah Key since they had their own work elsewhere. Piell replied that his schoolchildren had to go home at the end of each day, and despite their troubled home lives, it was a better alternative to keeping them out at dangerous times.^[2]

Koth was happy that Piell and Yaddle had both answered Qui-Gon's challenge, but both questioned Koth about how he felt about his work digging through the outpost archives. Though Koth tried denying his dissatisfaction, Piell and Yaddle saw through his façade and offered to help. Despite Koth's hesitation to let them help, Piell began looking at the piles of datapads, which he noted were mostly dull, minor texts that would put his students to sleep. Yaddle reasoned that she and Piell could share Koth's duties, and the Zabrak relented and told them to begin managing the shorter stacks, given their diminutive heights. Yaddle then dismissed Koth, and Piell ordered him to go out and see Kwenn. Though Koth started to object, he smiled and thanked Piell and Yaddle for their help instead. Thanks to Piell and Yaddle's intervention, Koth left the Lamplighter Boutique and spent a night on Kinnawah Key as a tourist.^[2]

A few days later, as the bicentennial commemoration neared, information about an alleged pirate attack reached the Council. While Piell had been occupied with his schoolchildren, several of his colleagues had been engaged in dealing with criminal activity on the islands and in the space around Kwenn, and Master Depa Billaba informed the Council that she had discovered local pirate leader Zilastra's plan to attack Kwenn, and more specifically the Councillors themselves, during the celebration. When Yoda asked for evidence, Master Windu added that recent observations revealed sudden ceasefires between several pirate groups. Recalling what information he knew about the pirate activity, Piell asked why the pirate gangs would follow Zilastra's Riftwalkers, the newest of the group, and Billaba explained that Zilastra had decapitated the leadership of the rival gangs. Concerned about potential danger, Adi Gallia and Yaddle called for the bicentennial to be canceled.^[2]

Master Rancisis and Piell both spoke out against canceling the festivities. When Gallia and Yaddle again argued that the danger was too great, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Yarael Poof pointed out that no matter what the Council decided, their intel pointed to a pirate uprising taking place against both the Jedi and the local civil authority. As the Council discussed their prospects, it became clear that the bicentennial had already been compromised by Zilastra's underlings. Yoda and Gallia described an attack on an arena manager and an Ithorian leaving the venue, who Billaba realized was Zilastra's bomb maker Tokchi. Taking charge, Billaba announced that she knew what Zilastra had planned and that the Council had to take her head-on. Billaba told her peers that they had to present the appearance that nothing had changed and continue with the celebrations as initially planned.^[2]

Battle at the Bicentennial[]

Following Master Billaba's plan, Piell and the rest of the Council continued planning for the bicentennial. Amid final preparations on the day of the celebration, Piell decided to hire about a dozen of his children, including Hadaro, as ushers for the evening. Piell brought them to the Gala Key Arena aboard several speeders, where they joined Masters Yoda, Yaddle, Poof, Rancisis, and Koth. Seeing Piell and the children enter, Poof joked that it was too early for a parade, and Piell informed his peers that the children with him would serve as ushers for the festivities, with more joining the following day. After Piell introduced Hadaro, the Twi'lek boy criticized the arena decorations and told Piell that there were art supplies still in the speeders. To Rancisis' horror, Piell agreed with Hadaro's suggestion that the children paint a mural on the base of the dais. Though Rancisis argued the children could paint outside instead, Piell replied that it looked like rain.^[2]

After Piell sent his students to retrieve their supplies, Koth became concerned by a notification on his comlink while Yaddle reentered the arena, accompanied by Morna. Koth briefly left to consult his caller, who he referred to as a woman he knew. When he returned, he looked around furtively before approaching Piell and asking for advice. Koth led Piell to the edge of the stage. After conferring quietly for a few moments, Koth turned to the other Councillors and asked for him and Piell to be excused, and Piell added that it would take a while. In private, Koth revealed that he had met a member of the Poisoned Blades gang, Inisa, who tipped him on several plots the local pirate gangs were planning with Zilastra. When Piell learned that the Blades and the Filthy Creds were plotting to disguise themselves as food vendors working for the Tasty Comet Frozen Confection Company, he insisted on being involved with thwarting their plan.^[2]

Later that night, Piell and Koth struck the Tasty Comet warehouse just after the gangs had loaded up their street carts, which were outfitted with blasters and grenades. After removing the weapons, the Jedi put locks on the hovercarts. Coinciding with the Council's plans to continue the celebration and stop the pirate insurgency, Piell and Koth left the hovercarts in the warehouse so the disguised gang members would take to the streets. Aided by the inclement storm, the Council wanted to ensure no civilians were on the streets of Gala Key and ordered that any would-be attendees from other islands remain in their homes to watch the bicentennial while nearby residents would be allowed inside the arena. Empty tents would be set up to throw off the pirate gangs by creating the illusion that civilians were watching inside them to avoid the storm, meaning the only beings on the streets of Gala Key during the celebration would be those affiliated with Zilastra.^[2]

The next day, Piell and the Council, minus Billaba, attended the first ceremony marking the bicentennial. After announcing that attendees should shelter from the storm, Masters Rancisis and Yoda gave opening comments. Having learned from Billaba that the bomb Zilastra planted in the arena was activated by the phrase "The Jedi stand with you," Yoda ended his speech by rewording it as "With you, the Jedi stand," foiling Zilastra's immediate plan of bombing the arena. Enraged, Zilastra attempted to infiltrate the arena but was stopped by Billaba. Zilastra revealed that the phrase was also a signal for her pirate groups to begin their attack, and the Council quickly sprung into action. While the rest of the Council dealt with the imminent insurgency in other areas, Piell and Koth left the arena and headed to Tasty Comet hovercart-lined streets, where the would-be vendors struggled to remove the locks. Together, they approached a Gotal vendor trying to open his cart.^[2]

Piell and Koth teased the Gotal, first by mockingly asking for Tasty Comets, then by commenting on the pirate's struggle to open the hovercart. Piell used his lightsaber to destroy the lock, revealing he was a Jedi. The Gotal hurriedly reached into his cart for a blaster, only to find it was empty. Piell smirked and told the Gotal that he and Koth had removed the weapons from the carts. Taken aback, the pirate pulled a blaster out of his uniform. Aiming it at the Jedi, the pirate moved toward a sealed viewing tent behind him. When he opened the tent, he found it empty, prompting Piell and Koth to explain how the Council had evacuated nearby civilians and thwarted the Blades' and Creds' plan. The Gotal raised his weapon, but Piell and Koth jointly used the Force, throwing him to the ground and knocking him senseless. The pirate's hat fell off, revealing the markings of a Staved Skull pirate. Noticing the altercation, at least a dozen other pirates disguised as vendors drew their weapons and turned to the Jedi.^[2]

Reactivating his lightsaber, Piell told Koth that they had to keep the pirates away from the arena, and both advanced toward the oncoming gang. Piell laughed as they charged, joking that his medical droid on Coruscant would love that the two were "declaring war on dessert." As Piell and Koth battled the pirates, Master Koon began organizing his Kwikhaul employees to rescue civilians trapped in the arena and the surrounding area. Coordinating with them, Koon dispatched drivers to Piell and Koth, who were traveling to hot spots of pirate activity on the island. Later, Piell and Koth were joined by Yoda and Yaddle in fighting Zilastra's pirate horde. As the defense of Kwenn continued, the Jedi began clearing the battlegrounds and assisting Kwenn's law enforcement in capturing the remaining pirates, whose attacks had been broken up and were now scattered. Though the planned pirate insurgency was nearly over, however, Zilastra's whereabouts were unknown.^[2]

Departure[]

While the Jedi continued their work on the ground, they received a report that a repuslorlift skiff was climbing the Sanctuary Mount, and the Council realized that Zilastra was planning on attacking the Jedi outpost, where the Council had taken the suitcase bomb originally planted in the arena. Master Billaba set out to stop Zilastra, but her attempt failed. Narrowly escaping on her skiff, which plummetted towards the sea, Zilastra successfully set off the explosive and destroyed the outpost. Zilastra's half-functioning skiff was able to cushion her fall into the ocean, where she was found unconscious by rescue teams alerted by Master Tiin and brought to the shores of the Windward Chain. Curious to learn Zilastra's intentions, Piell and the rest of the Council went to the beach to speak with her. After a set of medical droids tended to the Nautolan pirate, who regained consciousness, Billaba placed her in handcuffs. Rancisis asked why Zilastra held a vendetta against the Jedi, and Zilastra explained that the Order had taken her friends in as younglings while leaving her behind.^[2]

When Gallia asked when the Jedi had sought out her friends, Zilastra informed the Council that it had happened over thirty years prior when a Jedi had arrived at her orphanage. Windu asked who this Jedi was, and to the Council's shock, Zilastra stated that it was Master Sifo-Dyas, a former member of the Council controversial among the Order. Windu told Zilastra that Sifo-Dyas had been heavily focused on the Order's future, which Koth explained meant he had urgently tried to bring potential younglings into the Order. Piell added that Sifo-Dyas was too urgent as a Seeker as if he believed the Republic would fail if the Order didn't expand rapidly. To Zilastra's bewilderment, the Jedi Masters revealed that Sifo-Dyas had broken protocol with his recruitment tactics and was no longer the Council. Taking pity on Zilastra, Billaba apologized to the pirate for the Order's failure to take her into account as a child but admonished her for her actions before Yoda ordered a team of constables to take her away.^[2]

In the aftermath of the defense of Kwenn and Zilastra's arrest, the Council decided it would not rebuild the destroyed outpost but replace it with a new brazier, which they announced in a press conference broadcast by Morna and her news team. As the Jedi wrapped up their revitalization efforts on Kwenn and prepared to leave, Piell saw several of his works come to fruition after the publicity the Jedi's actions had gained. The Mercantile Guild had resumed funding the school system, while Rendili Hyperworks restarted its lunch program on Essafa Key. Though still uncomfortable with how Kwenn's education operated and upset he could not solve the deeper issue of schools subsidized by corporations, he decided it was more important to ensure the children were alright in the short term. While walking across the quad on Essafa Key, Piell saw that the children were inside the school buildings instead of loitering outside them.^[2]

Piell saw Hadaro running across the plaza, and the boy stopped in front of the Jedi Master. Piell asked if Hadaro was running from someone, but the Twi'lek nodded to the school building and stated he was late for class. Piell replied that being late was good because being late meant that Hadaro was going, to which the teen shrugged and said that he was fulfilling their deal before adding that Piell had shown him that falling down a criminal path did not work out well. Shaking Hadaro's hand, Piell thanked Hadaro for his help during the bicentennial since Hadaro and the other older children had kept civilians inside the arena during the fighting. When Piell commented that it must have been tempting to peek outside at the battle, Hadaro told him that he and the other children were watching the fight from their datapads, which made Piell laugh. Saying goodbye, Piell told Hadaro to head inside before he remembered he was the truant officer.^[2]

The Naboo Crisis[]

In 32 BBY,^[3] taxation disputes in the Outer Rim Territories resulted in open military conflict. Protesting Chancellor Valorum's tax reform policies, including the Galactic Senate's passing of Prop 31-814D, which stripped it of its exploitative control of Outer Rim trade zones, the Trade Federation blockaded the planet Naboo.^[17] The Jedi Council was kept informed about the Federation's activities before the blockade by Master Gallia^[18] and afterward maintained an interest in ending the dispute. Chancellor Valorum and the Council authorized Master Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with the Federation's leader, Viceroy Nute Gunray. Their efforts faltered when the Federation launched an all-out invasion of Naboo, forcing the two Jedi to remove Queen Padmé Amidala from the planet and bring her to Coruscant to speak before the Senate.^[7] After the invasion went through, Piell led several vital missions on behalf of the Republic, protecting the government's interests from Nute Gunray's greedy grasp.^[19]

Before arriving on Coruscant, the malfunction of Amidala's starship forced Jinn to stop on Tatooine, where he found a young boy, Anakin Skywalker, who he believed to be the prophesied Chosen One, the one who would bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith, the ancient enemies of the Jedi. Jinn also encountered a mysterious warrior he suspected to be a Sith Lord and, once on Coruscant, brought this information before the Council. Piell was present in the Jedi Council Chamber when Jinn and Kenobi informed them of the possible Sith warrior, who Jinn noted was highly trained in the Jedi arts. Despite initial disbelief, the Council elected to devote its resources to uncovering the warrior's identity. At Master Yoda's inquiry, Jinn revealed what he believed about Skywalker, that the boy was conceived by the midi-chlorians as the Chosen One. When Jinn requested Skywalker train as a Jedi, Yoda and Windu decided the Council would test Skywalker themselves before any final decision was made.^[7]

Piell was later present with the full Council to test Skywalker's Force-sensitivity. Although the results of Skywalker's viewscreen test showed the boy's power, the Council was indecisive about his future, given his age and deep attachment to his mother.^[7] Piell was among those on the Council who voted against allowing Skywalker to begin his training^[15] despite having been older than most when he joined the Order.^[2] The Council ultimately decided that Skywalker could prove susceptible to the dark side of the Force and informed Jinn that they had rejected the boy, but Jinn decided to train Skywalker regardless. The Council contentiously reversed its decision when Jinn was slain by the warrior, identified as the Sith Lord Darth Maul, when helping the Naboo repel the Trade Federation forces. Following Jinn's dying wish, the Council agreed to allow Kenobi to train Skywalker. With other Councillors, Piell traveled to Naboo to attend Jinn's funeral and later observed the victory parade in Theed, standing on the steps of the Royal Palace to watch the festivities.^[7]

The Clone Wars[]

First Battle of Geonosis[]

In 24 BBY, after years of political turmoil, the Republic became embroiled in a crisis over the burgeoning Separatist movement, spearheaded by Count Dooku of Serenno, a former Jedi, who formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems to rival the Republic as a central galactic government. By 22 BBY,^[3] the growing influence of the Separatists led to debate over the need to create a proper military to combat an impending war, forcing the Jedi to enter talks with Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, hoping to maintain peace and stall a Senate vote on the Military Creation Act. A series of assassination attempts on Senator Padmé Amidala, formerly the Queen of Naboo and an opponent of the Military Creation Act, would lead the Council down the path to war. Master Piell and the Council assigned Obi-Wan Kenobi to track down the bounty hunter suspected of arranging the attempts on Amidala's life and ordered Anakin Skywalker to protect the senator, who was discreetly relocated from Coruscant to Naboo.^[20]

Kenobi's investigation brought him to the extragalactic planet Kamino, where he made the startling discovery that a clone army was being produced by the Kaminoan government for the Republic. To Kenobi's surprise, Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su alleged that the army had been ordered by Master Sifo-Dyas, who had been dead for ten years. Kenobi also learned that the template for the army was the bounty hunter he was searching for, Jango Fett, who only added to the mystery by claiming to have never met Sifo-Dyas. After following Fett to the planet Geonosis, Kenobi discovered the Confederacy's droid foundries, where Dooku and other Separatist leaders were building a massive droid army. Before being taken prisoner, Kenobi sent a transmission to Coruscant about his findings, and the confirmation that the Separatists had formed an army spurred the Senate to grant Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers to commission the clone army from the Kaminoans to fight the inevitable war.^[20]

Piell was selected to join a team^[8] of over 200 Jedi^[21]assembled by Master Windu to rescue Kenobi, as well as Skywalker and Amidala, who had failed in their own attempt to rescue him, from execution on Geonosis. In addition, the team, the largest deployment of Jedi since the High Republic Era,^[22] was dispatched to investigate Kenobi's reports of organized Separatist militarization and end the potential war in its infancy. Upon arriving at Geonosis, most of the assault team infiltrated the Petranaki Arena while the rest secured their landing site. In the arena, the Jedi hid and waited for Windu's signal to reveal themselves.^[22] Far above the arena pit, Dooku, Fett, and other Confederate leaders watched as three Geonosian execution beasts, an acklay, nexu, and reek, fought the prisoners. After Kenobi, Skywalker, and Amidala managed to evade the creatures, they were surrounded by a contingent of droidekas. Before Dooku gave the order to kill them, Windu revealed himself and confronted the former Jedi.^[20]

When Windu moved to arrest Dooku, the Jedi stationed in the arena ignited their lightsabers in kind, leading Dooku to unleash hordes of battle droids to counterattack.^[20] In the resulting clash between the assault team and the Separatist Droid Army, the outnumbered assault team began taking heavy casualties, and Piell witnessed the deaths of many companions and friends. While a small group of Jedi, including several Council members, were surrounded by droids in the arena pit, Piell became separated from the rest. Piell was only able to survive due to the timely intervention of Master Yoda, who arrived with the newly deployed Grand Army of the Republic.^[14] The surviving Jedi and the new clone armies quickly organized an attack on the Confederate forces, which were in full retreat. Despite their efforts, the Jedi's improvised and rushed strategy, as well as the failure to establish a proper orbital blockade, allowed the Separatists to achieve a full retreat.^[22]

Capture and imprisonment[]

Despite ostensibly winning the First Battle of Geonosis, the Republic's failure to stop the Confederate retreat marked the beginning of the Clone Wars, bringing the Separatist Crisis to an end.^[22] In the weeks after the battle, the war spread quickly across the galaxy, and the Jedi Order faced uncertainty over what role it would play in the conflict. After a bombing in the Zarra, the capital city of Cato Neimoidia, Kenobi, recently promoted to the rank of Jedi Master and made a permanent member of the High Council after the death of Coleman Trebor on Geonosis, was sent to investigate the matter on behalf of the Republic. In the aftermath of his mission, Kenobi contacted the Council and presented Master Piell and the rest with a chronological recap of the events, including the public emergence of Count Dooku's apprentice and assassin, Asajj Ventress. The results of Kenobi's investigation spurred Chancellor Palpatine and the Senate to pass the Jedi Military Integration Act, formally establishing the Jedi as officers in the Republic Military.^[24]

As a Jedi Master and member of the High Council,^[4] Piell was given the rank of Jedi General^[25] and command over a fleet group.^[9] Among those serving under Piell was Captain Wilhuff Tarkin, a former member of the Republic Judicial Forces whose cruiser was assigned to the flotilla.^[25] Though never introduced, Piell had heard of Tarkin^[14] in 33 BBY^[26] during the disastrous Eriadu Conference, when Tarkin had served as the Governor of Eriadu. Because of the Council's failures during the incident,^[14] as well as his own conviction that the Jedi were unequipped for military leadership,^[25] Tarkin did not think highly of the Order but respected and maintained a professional relationship with Piell,^[14] under whom Tarkin served as Fleet Commander.^[9] Always a reliable asset to the Jedi Order, Piell was tasked with carrying out many of the Clone Wars' most sensitive missions, and he and Tarkin were attributed with regularly protecting Republic territories and information.^[6]

In 20 BBY,^[3] one year and nine months into the war,^[27] Piell and Tarkin were dispatched to investigate a rumored hyperspace route^[25] that connected Republic territory in the Core Worlds, including Coruscant, to Separatist-held space in the Outer Rim. Believing that control over the Nexus Route, as it was known, could tip the scales in the stagnating Clone Wars, the Republic sought to discover its location before the Separatists, who could launch a devastating attack on Coruscant with access to the route.^[23] Despite the peril their secret mission entailed, Piell and Tarkin successfully recovered the information. While on patrol^[14] during the return voyage, Piell's Venator-class Star Destroyer was ambushed by a Confederate fleet consisting of two Munificent-class frigates and a Providence-class Dreadnought that aimed to capture the Jedi Master. Caught by surprise, Piell's flagship was trapped, and the Separatist fleet launched droid starfighters and fired relentlessly on the Venator.^[23]

To safeguard the Nexus Route coordinates, Piell erased his ship's computers, but not before ensuring that he and Tarkin each memorized half of the intel; that way, if either he or Tarkin broke under interrogation or torture, the recovered information would be useless without the other half. As Piell and his crew watched the space assault from the bridge, the Separatist forces boarded the cruiser. Piell easily dispatched four B2 super battle droids, but the arrival of three droidekas forced him to surrender himself and his crew.^[23] Though they initially assumed only Piell knew the coordinates,^[14] the Separatists took Tarkin and at least four clone Naval officers captive as well. The prisoners were transported to the Confederate-controlled planet Lola Sayu, where they were imprisoned in the maximum-security Citadel complex, notorious for its reputation of impenetrability and history of holding rogue Jedi.^[23]

Rescue and recapture[]

In the Citadel, Piell, Tarkin, and the clone officers were imprisoned under the supervision of the sadistic prison warden, Osi Sobeck. Tasked by Count Dooku himself with obtaining the Nexus Route coordinates from Piell, Sobeck decided to hold Piell in a separate cell from the officers. On Sobeck's orders, Piell was suspended above the floor by a containment field.^[23] Over the next several weeks,^[25] Piell was tortured repeatedly by an EV-series medical droid and her four BX-series commando assistants. Piell refused to break despite the harsh conditions, including repeated electrocution with an electrostaff. In the meantime, the Republic learned of Piell's capture, and the Jedi quickly organized a rescue operation to extract Piell before the Separatists could learn the Nexus Route coordinates. Led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, a team consisting of soldiers from the 212th Attack Battalion and the 501st Legion, as well as Skywalker's Padawan Ahsoka Tano, set out for Lola Sayu.^[23]

Piell was being tortured in his cell when the rescue team arrived at Lola Sayu and infiltrated the Citadel, but they alerted Sobeck in the process. After several rounds of electrocution, the EV-series droid tried to proposition Piell, stating that the pain would stop once he gave up the information. Still reeking from the shock, Piell remained strong and replied that no droid could break him. Telling Piell to "say goodbye to [his] one good eye," the droid prepared to impale Piell's remaining eye with a needle when the rescue team reached the cell. After Captain Rex and ARC Troopers Echo and Fives destroyed the five droids in the room, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano entered while the rest of the team secured the hallway. Skywalker used his lightsaber to destroy the containment field generator, and Kenobi caught Piell before he could fall to the ground. Seeing his Jedi rescuers, Piell jokingly asked what had taken them so long, then proudly told Skywalker it would take more than the Citadel to break him.^[23]

When Skywalker asked if Piell had the Nexus Route coordinates, Piell informed the team that he only had half the information and Captain Tarkin had the other half. Upon learning that Piell's officers were also being held prisoner, Kenobi and Skywalker revised their plan to incorporate their rescue. While the team made their way to the other cell blocks, Sobeck sent a squad of commando droids to intercept them. Given back his recovered lightsaber by Kenobi, Piell helped destroy the droids. Sobeck, watching the proceedings from his command center, activated the magnetized ceiling, sending the team's weapons and Skywalker, propelled by his mechanical arm, upwards. Another squad of commandos arrived shortly after, and Sobeck warned the group through the intercom that they would be his prisoners for a long time. With Kenobi and Tano, Piell pushed at the oncoming commando droids using the Force, only to find they were magnetized to the floor.^[23]

While the Jedi below continued pushing against the droids, Skywalker managed to reach his lightsaber and slice through the magnet components in the ceiling. Recovering their weapons, Piell and the rescue team made quick work of the droids. With Sobeck on their trail, the group rushed to the cellblock, where they freed Tarkin and the other officers. Seeing Piell, Tarkin remarked that he did not believe he would ever see him again, and Piell introduced the captain to Kenobi and Skywalker. Speaking to the two, Tarkin inquired what their escape plan was, pointing out that if Sobeck had locked down the facility, there would be at least ten squads on their way to stop them. Kenobi proposed splitting the team in half, with one group under his command and another under Skywalker's. Kenobi believed this plan would allow at least one group to find an escape route while keeping Piell and Tarkin separate so that if either group were captured, the Nexus Route intel would be incomplete.^[23]

Though Tarkin protested Kenobi's plan, arguing that keeping the group whole would give them a better chance of safeguarding the information, Piell agreed with Obi-Wan. Piell told Tarkin to go with Skywalker while he would go with Kenobi, and the captain relented. While Skywalker's team left to escape the Citadel from its underground tunnels, Piell and Kenobi's team headed for the upper levels to create a distraction. As the group ran through the facility, the clones placed explosives along the hallways. After Kenobi detonated the bombs, rocking the entire Citadel tower,^[23] he, Piell, and the clones hid in the ventilation shafts to avoid detection by Sobeck's droid forces. Coordinating an escape plan with R2-D2 and his squadron of reprogrammed battle droids, who were piloting the rescue team's shuttle, Kenobi led Piell and the others to a shaft that would bring them to the rear landing platform for pickup. If timed correctly, the shuttle would pick up Skywalker's group from a nearby pipeline exit.^[28]

While the group climbed up the ventilation shaft, Commander Cody ran into a Separatist probe droid, which attempted to flee. Handily leaping from level to level, Piell caught up with the droid and sliced it in half with his lightsaber before falling back down to the team below. Kenobi yelled to Piell to ask if he had taken out the droid, but Piell looked upward, noticing the security doors beginning to close on each level. Kenobi warned the team to move out of the way, and he was cut off from the rest of the group when the door closed underneath him. Piell was also isolated by the closing doors but cut through to the others with his lightsaber, notifying Kenobi that one of his soldiers had been crushed. Re-igniting his lightsaber, Piell told Obi-Wan that they had some cutting to do. Piell and Kenobi cut their way through the remainder of the ventilation shaft, then led the clones down another series of paths to the landing pad, where they saw the Republic's stolen shuttle but no sign of R2.^[28]

Believing they could be walking into a trap, Piell, Kenobi, and the clones used ascension cables to reach a platform below the landing pad. When Kenobi attempted to contact Skywalker, he instead heard Sobeck, who revealed that he had predicted the team's movements. Suddenly, several turrets came online and aimed at Piell and the others, and a squad of commando droids, droidekas, and an LM-432 crab droid surrounded them. The group was brought to the command center at the peak of the Citadel, where Sobeck ordered Piell to give him his half of the information, or else he would start executing the clones. Piell refused, telling Sobeck that he and all his men would die to protect the intel. Sobeck laughed at Piell and then shot one of Kenobi's soldiers point-blank, killing him. Before Sobeck could execute another clone, the tactical droid K2-B4 informed him that Skywalker's team had been located. Sobeck ordered his droids to take Piell, Kenobi, and the surviving clones to interrogation to be tortured.^[28]

Flight from the Citadel[]

While Piell and Kenobi's group was being escorted to the prison block, they were intercepted by R2-D2 and his droid squad, who had learned of their capture from a computer terminal in the facility. R2-D2's second-in-command, OOM-10, convinced the droid escort to transfer the prisoners to the squad. Freed from their binders, the group returned to the rear landing pad, where they found a detachment of battle droids guarding the shuttle. OOM-10 attempted to cover the escape by claiming the prisoners were being transported to an outpost at Point Tarron, but the ruse did not fool the guards, who replied that there was no outpost there. Piell shared a look of concern with Kenobi, but R2 and OOM-10 insisted that they had orders to board the shuttle. The droid guards briefly relented but, while letting the group pass, were notified by K2-B4 that the prisoners were escaping with the aid of reprogrammed battle droids. Kenobi activated his lightsaber and cut one of the droids down, and OOM-10 shot the other.^[28]

Their escape compromised, the group ran for cover as four manned turrets surrounding the landing pad began firing at them. Piell, Kenobi, and two of Piell's clone officers hid behind one stack of shipping crates while the rest of the team split behind two others. One of R2-D2's droids was downed in the chaos, and a unit of Separatist battle droids, including two crab droids, entered the landing zone. While Piell and Kenobi's group was taking cover, Skywalker and his team arrived from the rear of the landing pad, having carried out Plan B after the shuttle failed to arrive at their pickup. With no foreseeable solution to the problem, Tarkin suggested the group launch a frontal assault against the oncoming droids and retake the shuttle. Kenobi reminded him of the turrets, which would destroy the ship. Before they reached a decision, Skywalker pointed out an incoming trio of STAP vehicles, which opened fire on Piell and the rest. After evading the blasterfire, the four Jedi ignited their lightsabers and prepared to deflect the second volley.^[28]

When the STAPs closed in during their second run, Piell jumped onto Skywalker's shoulders before using him to launch himself higher above the ground, where he sliced through one of the STAPs and their droid pilot. Taking a cue from Piell, Skywalker jumped into the air and took control of another STAP. When the third STAP tried shooting Skywalker down, Anakin flew close to the ground, allowing Piell to leap into the air and catch onto him. Hanging off Skywalker's back, Piell used his lightsaber to deflect the blasterfire back to the STAP, which exploded. Meanwhile, a squadron of commando droids entered the landing pad, one of which the droids went to control one of the turrets. ARC Trooper Echo notified Skywalker of this, and Skywalker piloted the STAP towards the turret. Both opened fire, but the commando droid was able to hit the STAP first, sending Piell and Skywalker hurtling toward the ground. Echo tried to board the shuttle, but the commando droid fired at the ship, destroying it.^[28]

With the explosion of their craft and Echo's apparent death, Piell and the strike team were forced to escape into the cave system underneath the Citadel. Resorting to a final contingency plan, Kenobi and Skywalker contacted the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Upon hearing of the shuttle's destruction, Masters Koon and Tiin immediately prepared to muster a much larger rescue operation and transmitted a rendezvous point to the group. In the caves, Captain Rex told the group that they would have to hold out until the Republic ship arrived. Piell responded with resolve, stating it would not be a problem for them. Fives replied that the Lola Sayu landscape would be difficult to cross, but the group remained committed and began the trek to the rendezvous point.^[28] During the hike, their route was compromised by Sobeck's droid forces, who were on patrol of the region. After evading notice and finding a clear spot, Tano asked what the team's next move would be.^[29]

Kenobi stated they had to contact the Council to see when the rescue would take place. Piell insisted on handling it himself, and R2-D2 established contact with Masters Windu and Yoda. Windu commented that it was good to see Piell alive, and Piell informed his old friend that their route had been compromised and Sobeck's droids were closing in. Windu replied that Koon's fleet was already en route. Yoda added that LAAT gunships would head to the surface to evacuate the group, but the rescue had a limited window of opportunity. After the briefing ended, a trio of commando droids arrived and opened fire. Rex and Fives were able to take the droids out, and the group continued on their journey. After leaving the caves, the group ended up on the edge of a cliff face, where Sobeck's droids began boxing them in. While R2 and his squad held off the oncoming droids, Piell and the others used ascension cables to descend the cliffs to the lava riverbank below.^[29]

Despite their effort, the Separatist droids decimated R2's squad. One droid fired at the cables, snapping one and sending two clones, including one of Piell's officers, to their deaths. The surviving group escaped into another cave opening, which led further down the river. After ensuring they were clear, Kenobi and Piell led the group out of the caves and back into the open.^[29] Emboldened in his belief that the Jedi could not handle military strategy,^[25] Tarkin asked what the strike team would do if Koon's gunships did not arrive. Annoyed by Tarkin's demeanor, Piell responded that Tarkin would not have to worry about that as long as he kept moving. Shortly after, Piell heard the howls of a pack of anooba hounds that Sobeck had unleashed and remarked that they were going to have company. As they continued walking, Skywalker told Tarkin that it was a poor career choice to argue with Piell, but Tarkin dismissed his concern by stating that he could stand by his principles since he was in Chancellor Palpatine's favor.^[29]

Death[]

As the group continued their trek, the howls were becoming louder, and Piell realized that if the creatures had caught their scent, they would lead the droids right to the fugitives. He suggested that if they got Sobeck's forces to pass them by, they could surprise attack them from behind. Skywalker, Kenobi, and R2 volunteered to continue forward to distract the hounds and the droids, and Piell directed the rest of the survivors to follow him into the caves. Piell's plan worked, and the anoobas followed Skywalker and Kenobi's scent right past the rest of the group. While following the anooba hounds, however, they were ambushed by two crab droids, which killed one of Piell's two remaining clone officers. After using his lightsaber to destroy one of the droids, Piell ordered the rest of the strike team to continue moving while he and Tano took care of the droids. As Tarkin and the clones fled to Kenobi and Skywalker's position, Piell and Tano engaged the crab droids. Using his leaping abilities and stature to evade blasterfire, Piell was able to slice straight through one of the droids.^[29]

Soon, Piell and Tano had destroyed the remaining two. While plunging his lightsaber into one, however, Piell failed to notice an anooba stalking the cliff above. The hound pounced and attacked him. Grabbing hold of Piell's neck with his teeth, the anooba lifted him and slammed him back onto the ground before Tano intervened. Standing between the Piell and the anooba, Tano used the Force to launch the hound over the cliff. Distraught by Piell's condition, Tano went to get help, but Piell ordered her to stay and told her he would give her his information about the Nexus Route and that she had to deliver it directly to the Jedi Council. Despite his pleas, Tano suggested finding Kenobi or Skywalker before revealing that she had lied to be a part of the mission. The dying Piell dismissed her worries, telling her she was now the most important part of the mission. In his final moments, Piell gave Ahsoka his half of the intel before dying from his injuries.^[29]

Legacy[]

After Piell died, Tano carried his body to Kenobi and Skywalker's position, where the rest of the strike team had defeated the other anoobas and more of Sobeck's forces. Kenobi expressed disbelief at Piell's death, and Tano despondently told the group that he had died honorably and revealed that she now had his half of the Nexus Route coordinates.^[29] With little time left and no opportunity to take Piell's body with them, Kenobi, Skywalker, and Tano wrapped his body in cloth and held a brief funerary service. Honoring their fallen comrade with a makeshift Jedi funeral, Kenobi and Skywalker gently lifted the body using the Force and placed him on the lava river,^[14] where it burned and fell down a lava-fall,^[29] and Piell's body became one with the Force.^[14] Carrying on with their mission, the strike team reached the rendezvous point while Master Tiin led a naval fleet in battle above Lola Sayu. Sobeck himself attempted to stop the fugitives but was slain by Tano when he tried killing Tarkin, after which Koon arrived to pick them up.^[29]

Narrowly escaping Lola Sayu, the Republic task force fled the planet and returned to Coruscant with the Nexus Route coordinates safe. At the Jedi Temple, Yoda and Windu stated that they were sorry to hear of Master Piell's death. Koon added that Piell's sacrifice saved the coordinates from falling into Separatist hands. An issue arose when Tarkin refused to give the Order his intel, having been told to deliver his half to Chancellor Palpatine. Maintaining her promise to Piell, Tano was adamant in giving her half of the information to only the Council, and Yoda elected to consult Palpatine to find a solution to the problem. Though honored for his sacrifice and protection of the Nexus Route,^[29] Piell's death was ultimately in vain. Historians believed that Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious who had engineered both sides of the Clone Wars, provided the Nexus Route coordinates to his Separatist pawns to facilitate a surprise attack on Coruscant in the closing stages of the war.^[22]

At the end of the Clone Wars, Sidious oversaw the capitulation of the Confederacy and the transformation of the Republic into the first Galactic Empire. As part of his Grand Plan, he also implemented the Great Jedi Purge, wiping out most of the Jedi.^[3] Among the officers to carry on into the Empire was Tarkin, whose career saw rapid promotion. Despite his influence and high status within the Empire, as well as prevailing anti-Jedi sentiment, Tarkin still held personal respect for Even Piell many years after the general's death. Though he respected Piell for his combat skills, Tarkin long maintained that Piell suffered as a strategist and that their fateful capture at Separatist hands would have not happened had Piell deferred to him instead.^[25] In 14 BBY,^[3] during a mission to Murkhana, Tarkin took issue with his commander Darth Vader's practice of splitting their forces in two, remembering how the same tactic used by the Jedi on Lola Sayu led to the deaths of Piell and several others.^[25]

Long after his death in the Clone Wars, the late Piell was held in high regard by some, and stories of his exploits continued to spread. At some point an unknown artist, suspected by archivists at the Graf Archive to be the reclusive Ithorian Gammit Chond, had learned of the legendary tales of the Jedi Master and depicted him in a journal containing sketches of various species. The journal made its way into the Shadow Stacks of the Graf Archive on Orchis 2, where it was eventually restored and given a public release. For the publication, the Archive paired each artwork with data drawn from its library. In the entry on Lannik, Piell was named among the most famous of his species.^[30]

Personality and traits[]

Even Piell was a male Lannik^[4] with blue eyes and hair that was graying^[7] by 32 BBY.^[3] Piell tied his hair atop his head in a Jedi topknot, which was kept in place by a band near the base of his scalp and a decorative clip that held it together at the end.^[11] In a confrontation with terrorists on his homeworld, Piell suffered severe damage to his face that left him with extensive scarring and only one eye. Piell chose not to conceal his missing eye or heal the^[14] grisly^[11] scars on his face, viewing the wounds as a mark of honor and a prize for his bravery.^[14] As was common for the Lannik, Piell had a diminutive stature, standing at only 1.22 meters, or 4 feet.^[5] Additionally, he weighed 41 kilograms^[6] and personally compared his build to a "hovertank." As a Lannik, Piell's sensitive ears were long and pink and, among his kind, were considered attractive even though they sometimes posed difficulties due to their length.^[2]

Despite his short appearance, Piell was a bigger-than-life figure amongst the Jedi whose height often led others to underestimate him.^[11] As a mighty warrior^[15] and battle-hardened Jedi^[4] who staunchly defended the Order's traditions,^[5] Piell garnered a reputation for gruffness.^[4] Some saw him as brusque and bellicose,^[25] an image fostered by his scarred face, which always made it appear as though he were scowling.^[2] Because of the relatively late age he joined the Jedi Order,^[12] Piell retained some influences from his homeworld and, throughout his life, spoke far more colloquially than his peers, including the use of slang and expletives. Piell's voice had a rough quality that made it sound like he was growling, and he spoke in a thick accent that was difficult for some to understand, an issue he learned to expect when talking with people unaccustomed to his voice. He often spoke with a marked bluntness, making statements or asking questions that could leave someone blindsided by his directness.^[2]

Although Piell was unashamed of his physical appearance and mannerisms, he was acutely aware that he could be off-putting. Because of this, Piell had trouble with strangers, who seldom knew what to make of the Jedi Master.^[2] Despite his gruff nature,^[15] he had a distinct love for people, and he accepted that it was his lot in life to scare some away despite his outgoing personality. Piell's intrinsic care for others was developed during his first return trip to his homeworld after leaving to join the Jedi Order. On that trip, Piell saw the suffering and hardships of his fellow Lannik and saw parts of himself in each of the individuals he had lived apart from. Piell believed that the trip changed his consciousness, and it only took a minor leap for him to conclude that all beings were his kin. For that reason, he believed he was probably the closest in his attention to the Living Force of the High Council members. Unlike some of his peers on the Council, Piell found it far easier to communicate and interact with the ordinary people of the galaxy.^[2]

Far more at home spending time with everyday citizens than with matters considered by the Galactic Republic to be of importance, Piell had a distaste for the minutiae of politics and a distrust of politicians. He additionally had little positive to say of corporate and industrial entities and, during the Council's mission to Kwenn, only tolerated the education system's subsidization by Rendili Hyperworks and the Mercantile Guild because it was not in his time or position to conduct the reforms he would have preferred. As a member of the Council, Piell also found a place to advocate for generations younger than him, including those in the Slice, such as on Yitabo and Kwenn. On Kwenn, his service was mostly in organizing outings for absentee students, and he spent much of his time on the planet providing a positive role model for the hundreds of troubled children he taught, many of whom had difficult home lives in addition to a lack of schooling. Armed with understanding and a sharp sense of humor, Piell easily endeared himself to the children.^[2]

Even during the Clone Wars, a time when he witnessed the deaths of many associates and suffered torture^[14] for weeks^[25] at the Citadel, Piell remained the battle-ready and larger-than-life Lannik he had always been,^[4] even displaying his usual humor after being freed from imprisonment.^[23] As a General, Piell had mutual respect with his second-in-command, Wilhuff Tarkin,^[14] though the two disagreed on strategy,^[25] and their relationship could be tense at times.^[29] Tarkin, believing the Jedi were unfit for military leadership, criticized Piell's strategic decisions and blamed him for their capture during the Clone Wars,^[25] while Piell found Tarkin's displays of arrogance bothersome. Though arguing with Piell was seen by some, including Anakin Skywalker, as a losing battle, Tarkin was vocal about his opinions because his career was backed by Chancellor Palpatine.^[29] Despite their disagreements, Piell and Tarkin formed a practical team, leading numerous successful missions during the war.^[14]

While he retained his sense of humor even in battle,^[23] Piell understood the gravity of certain situations and showed resilience^[28] in his devotion to the Jedi.^[5] In the Citadel, he notably refused to break despite the torture Osi Sobeck put him through,^[23] returning to his feet quickly after being freed^[14] and staunchly holding the opinion that nothing in the Citadel could break him.^[23] When later recaptured by Sobeck, Piell remained strong in his defense, stating that he and his soldiers were willing to die to protect the Nexus Route coordinates. Even after the difficulties the strike team faced escaping the prison complex, Piell looked to inspire the others with proud claims that they could beat back Sobeck's forces a second time.^[28] In his dying moments, Piell continued to demand resilience, this final time from Padawan Ahsoka Tano. To convince her to accept the responsibility, Piell dismissed her concerns regarding her age and status on the mission before giving her his half of the Nexus Route coordinates.^[29]

Powers and abilities[]

A battle-hardened and strong warrior,^[8] Even Piell was an accomplished swordsman, and his elite Council rank attested to his skills as a combatant.^[31] According to Captain Tarkin, Piell excelled in lightsaber combat and, by his estimation, appeared to have integrated every Form into his fighting style.^[25] Due to his short height, Piell relied on an acrobatic style that favored smaller duelists.^[31] As a Force-sensitive, Piell could use telekinesis during battle, as seen during his capture during the Clone Wars and the Battle of Lola Sayu.^[23] In addition, Piell had strong meditative abilities.^[5]

Though Piell excelled in combat^[25] and was a natural-born leader,^[6] some regarded his strategic abilities as lackluster. According to Tarkin, a renowned military strategist, Piell's tactical skills were somewhat subpar.^[25] As a Lannik, Piell benefitted from enhanced hearing due to his species' long ears,^[1] though they could prove awkward^[2] and were sensitive in thin atmospheres.^[11]

Equipment[]

As a member of the Jedi Order, Piell wielded a lightsaber, but due to his diminutive stature, he required a shoto lightsaber. Like Master Yoda, Piell utilized a half-sized shoto considerably shorter than the standard lightsaber length, a practical acknowledgment of the different combat styles needed to accommodate his height. The hilt of Piell's lightsaber gleamed with a chrome-like sheen, and the plasma energy blade emitted burned green.^[31] Where some Jedi wore distinctive cultural attire,^[15] Piell wore standard Jedi robes^[11] and was also the owner of a medical droid he kept stationed on Coruscant.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

Even Piell first appeared in the film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, written and directed by George Lucas^[7] and released on May 19, 1999.^[32] Although the character is male, Piell is portrayed in The Phantom Menace by actress Michaela Cottrell,^[33] and is seen in scenes featuring the Jedi High Council. To portray Piell, Cottrell had to wear facial prosthetics and heavy makeup.^[31] Piell's short height and long ears caused some fans to speculate there was some relation between Piell and the character Yoda, and the resemblance led some to refer to Piell as "the pink Yoda," though he is a different species entirely.^[33] Archival footage of Cottrell as Piell is used for Council scenes in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.^[20]

In the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Piell is voiced by Blair Bess in a trilogy of episodes "The Citadel,"^[23] "Counterattack,"^[28] and "Citadel Rescue,"^[29] released between February 18 and March 11, 2011.^[34][35] Before the release of these episodes,^[36] Piell's in-universe death is depicted in the Legends novel Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight,^[37] but the story was retconned by The Clone Wars when Piell dies during the events of "Citadel Rescue."^[36]

When writing the 2024 novel The Living Force, which features Even Piell and develops the character's Canon backstory, author John Jackson Miller, whose works often offer a critique of the Jedi Order, wanted Piell to be among the members of the High Council who represented openness to new ideas and thus had Piell sympathize with Qui-Gon Jinn's criticism of the Council.^[38] For inspiration when writing Piell, Miller read his appearances in the 1998 comic series Star Wars: Republic and based his personality on the background the comic gives the character. In The Living Force, Miller wrote Piell as a "street-wise and tough" Jedi, further taking the heavy accent he has in The Clone Wars as a way to differentiate Piell from the other High Council members.^[39]

In the 2015 reference book Ultimate Star Wars, Piell's species is mistakenly identified as Zabrak.^[8] "A Jedi Tale," a 2021 short story published in Star Wars Galactic Storybook, depicts the Jedi High Council as it appears in The Phantom Menace but omits Piell, who is replaced by a human Jedi in the adaptation.^[40]

Appearances[]

• The Living Force
• Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special 1
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Graphic Novel Adaptation
• Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Graphic Novel Adaptation
• Brotherhood (Appears in hologram)
• Brotherhood audiobook (Appears in hologram)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Citadel"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Counterattack"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Citadel Rescue"
• Tarkin (Mentioned only)
• Tarkin audiobook (Mentioned only)
• Darth Vader (2020) 26 (In flashback(s))

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

The Jedi High Council (32 BBY)
Yoda Mace Windu Ki-Adi-Mundi Plo Koon Saesee Tiin Even Piell Yarael Poof Oppo Rancisis Yaddle Eeth Koth Adi Gallia Depa Billaba
[edit]

The Jedi High Council (22 BBY)
Yoda Mace Windu Ki-Adi-Mundi Plo Koon Saesee Tiin Even Piell Coleman Trebor → Obi-Wan Kenobi Oppo Rancisis Shaak Ti Eeth Koth Adi Gallia Depa Billaba and Kit Fisto
[edit]

The Jedi High Council (20 BBY)
Yoda Mace Windu Ki-Adi-Mundi Plo Koon Saesee Tiin Even Piell† Kit Fisto Oppo Rancisis Shaak Ti Eeth Koth Adi Gallia Obi-Wan Kenobi
[edit]