| “ | I am not a monster. I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, devourer of the rebels at Yn and Chabosh, consumer of the Dromund system. And I am hungry. | „ |
| ~ Khem Val |
Khem Val, also known as Shadow Killer or Devourer, is a villainous protagonist in Star Wars: The Old Republic, appearing as the first companion in the Sith Inquisitor storyline. He is a male Dashade servant and warrior of the Sith Lord Tulak Hord, and centuries later, to the heir of Lord Kallig, the future Darth Nox, as well as a member of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge of the Sith Empire.
Biography[]
Early Years[]
During his time as a servant of the Sith Lord Tulak Hord, Khem Val devoured many Jedi in his masters battles; being famous for consuming over a thousand Jedi during their battles at the planets Yn and Chabosh. As time passed, Khem formed an unusual bond with Tulak Hord as he continued to feast on every planet his master conquered. However, he was later suspended in a stasis field by Tulak Hord in the tomb of Naga Sadow, where he would stay for centuries due to his masters passing and the Sith Lords fear of releasing him.
Release and Servitude[]
He was eventually freed by Darth Nox, who was tasked by Lord Zash to find the Dashade in order to retrieve an ancient Sith map. Though he was freed, he was enraged to learn that Tulak Hord was dead, and attempted to kill the acolyte. But due to being weak from his years of imprisonment, he was defeated and had no choice but to serve the acolyte; who would later be known as Darth Nox, the heir of Kallig. Khem claimed he would regain his strength eventually and devour his new master.
Possessed by Darth Zash[]
As the power of his master grew, Darth Zash recalled her apprentice. Khem went with his master in what they knew was a trap. Zash revealed that she was dying and intended to take his body. After fighting and defeating her, Zash was able to complete the ritual to transfer herself, but Khem Val attacked to save his master, interrupting the process. By doing this, he became the recipient of Zash's consciousness and was forced to share his body with the Sith Lord. The ghost of Aloysius Kallig, the ancestor of Lord Kallig, stated this as betrayal from Tulak Hord, whether Khem Val liked it or not. Lord Kallig promised that they would one day expel Zash from Khem's body.
Zash soon blackmailed Khem into retrieving the bones of Tulak Hord, sending him nightmares of a thief stashing them in a storehouse on Hoth. Because the bones possessed the same energy that restrained Khem in Naga Sadow's tomb, this weakened his influence over his body, giving Zash enough time to find a way to expunge Khem from his body. Khem, with the help of Kallig, was able to learn of Zash's plans: she attempted to replicate the ritual by using a Rakata Box found on Taris. As the box began to separate their spirits from the body, Khem proved to be too powerful for Zash to maintain control and as a result she was pulled into the box, killing the Sith Lord and finally freeing Khem. The Dashade then declared his master the rightful heir of Tulak Hord and promised to guard his legacy forever.
Personality[]
At first, Khem Val viewed Kallig as unworthy of continuing Tulak Hord's legacy, and vowed to devour him when his powers returned. As time went on, Khem began to respect his new master and later admitted that his opinion of them was wrong. He went from unwilling servant to devoted enforcer of Kallig's powerbase.
As a Dashade, Khem Val was honor bound and willingly served his masters. This had formed a unique bond that was impossible to sever, forcing Zash to serve Kallig when she entered Khem's body. Khem often boasts about Tulak Hord's legacy and was honored to announce Kallig's ascension to becoming a Sith Lord and a Darth. He enjoys killing Force users, and often tends to boast about his victories over Yn and the Battle of Chabosh, where he killed thousands of Jedi.
In spite of his penchant for brutality, Khem Val possessed a strong sense of honor, believing in keeping one's word no matter the cost. In his travels with Lord Kallig, he would often express approval when his master entered into an honorable agreement, and distaste if the Sith broke a trust.
Powers and Abilities[]
Khem Val was trained to be an elite assassin, a near-perfect killing machine stated to be the "very embodiment of death and destruction". Due to his superb Force resistance, Khem Val is very durable and can withstand up to many attacks before succumbing. Armed with a Vibrosword, his melee attacks were also very brutal. Khem Val lives up to his nicknames by consuming the essences of his slain enemies, which restores his health.
