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For other uses, see Ganner (disambiguation).

"I am Ganner Krieg—Knight of the Empire! You have betrayed my Emperor, sullied the Empire, killed my friends, and struck down she I have sworn on my life to protect! I will leave your bones for the beasts to crack."
―Ganner Krieg to the Sith on Vendaxa[3]

Ganner Krieg was a Human male Master of the Imperial Knights who served Emperor Roan Fel's Empire-in-exile during the Second Imperial Civil War. Noted for his calm and serious demeanor, Krieg was a trusted friend of fellow Knight Antares Draco and was often paired with him on missions during the war. In 137 ABY, the two of them accompanied the Emperor as he retook the planet Bastion from the Sith Lord Darth Krayt's Imperial forces, the fortress world having been wrested from Fel's control following the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War seven years prior. Krieg and Draco soon after disobeyed a direct order from Fel and traveled to Vendaxa, where the Emperor's daughter, the Princess Marasiah Fel, was being pursued by agents of the One Sith. After joining forces with two Jedi and the pirate crew of the starship Mynock, the Imperial Knights were able to fight off the Sith and bring the princess back to Bastion. Fel punished them by designating them the Empire's foremost heroes and prime candidates for its most dangerous missions.

Over the next several months, Krieg and Draco were sent to locations such as the Wheel space station and the Jedi Order's Hidden Temple on Taivas. On the latter mission, while Marasiah attempted to negotiate an alliance with the Jedi Council against Darth Krayt's Empire, Krieg, Draco, and fellow Knight Azlyn Rae joined a strike team put together by Cade Skywalker, a former Jedi and the captain of the Mynock. The team journeyed to the Deep Core world of Had Abbadon and set a trap for Darth Krayt, hoping to assassinate him and destabilize his Sith Order. Krayt took the bait laid by Skywalker and nearly died in the ensuing battle, and Fel afterward sent Krieg to the planet Kiffex to retrieve Rae, who had been mortally wounded while fighting Krayt and then been taken to Kiffex by Skywalker to be healed. Krieg, Rae, and Draco were later part of a bodyguard contingent who accompanied the Emperor to Agamar in order to finalize negotiations with the Jedi.

An alliance was struck, but the process was interrupted by an attacking group of Sith. The new allies banded together to protect the Emperor and were able to evacuate the planet, although Marasiah did not make it aboard the escape shuttle. Draco then recruited Krieg and the Jedi Knight Shado Vao for an infiltration mission to the Sith world of Korriban, where they successfully freed Marasiah from her imprisonment. Draco remained onworld to buy his allies time to escape and was captured by the Sith, but Krieg was soon after reunited with him during a visit to Taivas. Draco had revealed the Hidden Temple's location to the Sith under torture; he and Krieg stood with the rest of the allies and defended the temple from attacking Sith forces. After they evacuated to Bastion, Krieg joined a strike team that brought down the orbital defenses of Krayt's throneworld of Coruscant, which allowed the allied fleets of the Empire-in-exile, the Jedi, and the Galactic Alliance to attack the planet. Krayt was killed and the war was won for the allies, although the Emperor died at Draco's hands after falling to the dark side of the Force. In the battle's aftermath, Krieg attended Fel's funeral.

Biography[]

Rescue at Vendaxa[]

"I know my father. He didn't send you on this mission."
"Actually, he forbade it."
―Marasiah Fel and Ganner Krieg[4]

The male[source?] Human Ganner Krieg completed his training as an Imperial Knight[2] and earned the title of Master at some point prior to 137 ABY.[3] The title indicated that he was one of the organization's highest-ranking members.[5] Before 137 ABY he developed a romantic interest in fellow Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae.[6]

ImperialKnightacrobatics

Krieg and Draco's explosive arrival on Vendaxa

In that same year, after seven years of conducting hit-and-run tactics on the fleets of Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire, Roan Fel, former Emperor of the Fel Empire, returned to the Imperial stronghold of Bastion. Krayt had claimed the planet shortly after the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War, a war between Fel's Empire and the Galactic Alliance that had concluded with Krayt seizing control of the galaxy. Krieg accompanied Fel as he arrived on-world, along with two other Imperial Knights, Sigel Dare and Krieg's trusted friend, Antares Draco. After securing the loyalty of the Imperial forces stationed on the planet, Fel believed that his Empire could now become a more potent threat to Krayt. Fel refused to let his new base be discovered, even to the point of forbidding Draco from rescuing his daughter, Princess Marasiah Fel, who had been reported missing on Socorro.[7] Draco disobeyed the order and secretly departed Bastion on a rescue mission, accompanied by Krieg.[4]

The two Imperial Knights made their way in stolen Predator-class fighters to Vendaxa, where Marasiah and her companion Astraal Vao had been picked up by the bounty hunter Cade Skywalker and had rendezvoused with two Jedi Knights, Wolf Sazen and Astraal's brother Shado Vao. Arriving at the site of Skywalker's grounded ship, the Mynock, their fighters were shot down by a Sith Fury-class fighter, but Krieg and Draco managed to escape the flaming wrecks of their ships. They arrived on the scene simultaneously with the Sith Lords Darth Talon, Darth Nihl, and a legion of other Sith, who had been pursuing Marasiah since her escape from Socorro. Along with the Jedi and the Princess, Krieg and Draco drew their lightsabers and engaged the Sith in combat. Despite seven years of tension between the Jedi and Roan Fel's Empire, the Jedi and Imperial Knights fought side-by-side against their common enemy, the Sith. A short time into the battle, Marasiah was cut down by a Zabrak Sith while protecting a derelict Skywalker.[4]

Believing that a person they had sworn to protect had been killed, Krieg and Draco fought with renewed vigor, and Krieg managed to kill several Sith. Draco soon realized that the Princess was alive and rushed her aboard the Mynock; Krieg, Skywalker, and the Jedi soon followed. Jariah Syn and Deliah Blue, respectively the ship's co-pilot and mechanic, managed to get the ship off the ground and away from the surviving Sith. Krieg stayed by Marasiah's side as Draco instructed Syn and Blue to set a course for Bastion, and realized that she would soon die. Skywalker, who possessed healing powers, offered to help, but his offer was met with suspicion from Krieg and Draco, even earning a punch in the face from the latter. As Shado Vao prevented a fight from ensuing, his sister convinced Krieg and Draco to let Skywalker heal Marasiah. After the bounty hunter used his powers to bring her back from the edge of death, the Mynock safely arrived at Bastion.[3]

Vendaxa fallout[]

"We're going to win back the Emperor's trust."
―Antares Draco, speaking for himself and Krieg[8]
Gettingthejobdone

Krieg and Draco protect Mingo Bovark while aboard the Wheel.

Shortly after Skywalker and the Jedi departed Bastion in the Mynock, Fel requested an audience with Draco and Krieg and berated them for having disobeyed a direct order. The Emperor believed that the Sith had likely tracked the Mynock to Bastion and that he now had a stalemate with Krayt's Empire. Expecting a serious punishment, Krieg and Draco were shocked when Fel told them that they would be receiving medals. He was retroactively approving their mission to Vendaxa, rather than having news of their insubordination undermine his authority. Their punishment was thus that they were being declared the Empire's foremost heroes and thenceforth being tasked with its most dangerous missions. He then sent the two on their next mission—escorting Captain Mingo Bovark to the Wheel,[8] a space station in the Besh Gorgon system that had remained neutral throughout Fel's conflicts with the Galactic Alliance and the Sith.[5] Bovark would be discussing a possible alliance against Krayt with Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance Remnant, and Krieg and Draco's mission was to ensure Bovark's safety at all costs and to see that the negotiations went smoothly. Before their departure, a ceremony was held where they received their medals.[8]

Aboard the Wheel, Stazi and Bovark met in a conference room, with each participant's set of guards required to wait outside. Krieg and Draco, despite having been required to leave their lightsabers aboard their ship, smuggled them aboard the space station.[8] While the talks were happening, Morrigan Corde and Jor Torlin, spies from Krayt's Empire, managed to cause Bovark's shuttle to fire on Stazi's ship using a Command Override Limpet Droid, prompting Stazi to believe that Roan Fel had betrayed him. A firefight erupted between the Imperial Knights and the Galactic Alliance Intelligence officers, and Krieg held off the guards while Draco burst into the room to save Bovark from an angry Stazi. Wheel Administrator Pol Temm and several security guards arrived and called on the Imperial Knights to surrender their weapons immediately. Draco refused, and Temm ordered the Imperials off of the Wheel, declaring the station off-limits to all of Roan Fel's forces.[9]

Several weeks later,[10] Fel received word that Cade Skywalker had escaped from the Temple of the Sith on Coruscant and enacted a plan to hunt him down. Krieg and Draco were summoned to an audience with the Emperor, but Draco failed to attend. The Emperor lamented his earlier decisions to Krieg, and, worried that Skywalker had divulged Imperial secrets to the Sith,[11] he sent Krieg, Draco, and the recently knighted Marasiah to the Iego system, where their fellow Knight Azlyn Rae had been dispatched on a mission to locate Skywalker. Undercover and posing as a bounty hunter, Rae confronted Skywalker as he visited his uncle "Bantha" Rawk on Iego. Because of her status as a former Jedi Padawan and a childhood friend of Skywalker's, Rae was able to learn of the existence of the Jedi Order's Hidden Temple. As she prepared to follow the Mynock to the temple in her ship, she relayed its coordinates to Krieg, Draco, and Marasiah, who waited nearby in a ship of their own. Although both Krieg and Draco suspected that she might be setting them up, the three Imperial Knights set a course for the Hidden Temple on Taivas.[12] Their hope was to negotiate an alliance between Fel's Empire and the Jedi Order.[13]

Emissary to Taivas[]

"Is this how you welcome all visitors, Jedi?"
"Uninvited visitors who arrive with lightsabers in hand, yes!"
―Krieg and Shado Vao, while dueling at the Hidden Temple[13]

The Imperial Knights cloaked their ship and followed the Mynock to the Hidden Temple, landing behind their quarry at one of the base's hangars. Krieg, Draco, and Marasiah disembarked just as the Mynock's crew was being greeted by Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao, Krieg and Draco with their lightsabers drawn in an effort to protect the Princess from any potential danger. Misinterpreted as hostility, the move prompted Vao and Skywalker to draw their own weapons and engage the two Imperial Knights in duels; Krieg dueled Vao and exchanged taunts with the Jedi Knight. Furious that they had hitched a free ride on his ship, and realizing Rae's true identity as an Imperial Knight, Skywalker Force-pushed both Krieg and Draco across the hangar. In response, Marasiah ignited her own lightsaber, informing Skywalker that the Imperial Knights had come on a mission of peace.[13]

Guesswhoscomingtodinner

The Imperial delegation arrives at the Jedi's Hidden Temple.

After tensions between the gathered parties had died down, the Imperial delegation was permitted to see the Jedi Council. In the Council Chamber, Skywalker, Rawk, Sazen, Vao, Krieg, Draco, and Marasiah appeared before Jedi Masters K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, and Tili Qua. Saa believed that the Force had allowed the Imperial Knights to come to the Hidden Temple for a reason. Krieg stood by as Marasiah gave a long speech, revealing that her father had not ordered the Massacre at Ossus, and calling on the Jedi to open talks with him so that they might cooperate against their common enemy, the Sith. Skywalker chimed in and proposed a plan of his own: assassinate Darth Krayt. Although the Jedi Council was taken aback by Skywalker's proposal, the Imperial Knights were impressed by it—Krieg posited that if the Sith were to fight for the throne amongst themselves, an alliance between Emperor Fel, Gar Stazi, and the Jedi could potentially defeat the Sith Empire.[13] Ultimately, the council did not support the mission, but Skywalker decided to proceed without their assistance. Marasiah assigned Krieg, Draco, and Rae to accompany him on his mission, while she would stay behind to continue negotiating an alliance with the Jedi. Skywalker's astromech droid, R2-D2, opened the cargo bay doors of the Mynock and allowed Krieg and Draco to load their TIE Predators into the ship's hold. With their fighters already aboard his ship, Skywalker reluctantly allowed the Imperial Knights to join him on the mission. Vao joined the strike team as well, as the sole representative of the Jedi.[14]

Skywalker formulated a plan to lure Krayt to the planet Had Abbadon. En route, Krieg and Draco watched Vao practice lightsaber technique against a remote in the ship's cargo hold, before the Mynock was drawn out of hyperspace by the interdiction field of the Star Destroyer Iron Sun, which the Old Republic Jedi Celeste Morne had commandeered ten years before and kept dormant in the Deep Core. After the Mynock was locked in a tractor beam, and Vao and Skywalker sensed the presence of a Force-user on the ship, the crew set out to explore the derelict vessel. Skywalker ordered Krieg and Draco to investigate the corridors connected to the hangar bay, where they found several bones, some of which had been gnawed on. After Skywalker, Rae, Vao, and Jariah Syn were attacked by beasts known as Rakghouls, Krieg and Draco were joined by Deliah Blue and located Syn and Vao in front of a locked door, along with several apparently tame Rakghouls. Morne was able to control the beasts with the power of the Muur Talisman, an ancient Sith artifact that housed the spirit of the Sith Lord Karness Muur. Before anyone could force their way into the door, it opened suddenly, revealing a weary Skywalker and Rae. Morne followed, and, having been impressed by Skywalker's healing abilities, decided to join them on their mission.[15]

Battle in the Core[]

"If Azlyn will not obey—worse, if she speaks of what she knows—I may have to kill her."
"You'll have to kill me first."
―Draco and Krieg argue over new orders given to them by the Emperor[6]

With Morne as their newest passenger, the Mynock arrived at Had Abbadon, a planet that was under the control of Krayt's Empire. Posing as pilots from the planet's Imperial base, Draco and Krieg flew their TIE Predators after Shado Vao's TwinTail Fighter and blasted grounded TIE pilots before they could get to their ships, helping to rid the base of Krayt's Imperials. The base was clear, and as Draco reported to Fel via the holonet, Krieg found some quiet time with Rae, where the two discussed their feelings for one another. The tender moment was interrupted by Draco, who brought new orders from their Emperor: obtain the Muur Talisman. Seeing the Sith device as evil and disgusted by the order, Rae stormed off, prompting Draco to remark that he would have to kill her if she compromised the mission. In a moment of defiance to his trusted friend[6] and the leader of the mission,[16] Krieg told Draco that he would have to kill Krieg first. Tension mounted between the two as they argued over their primary duties as Imperial Knights, and, with the argument unresolved, Krieg walked away.[6]

Ganner Protect Azlyn

Krieg protects Azlyn Rae from Draco during the Battle on Had Abbadon.

Lured to Had Abbadon by the bait of the Muur Talisman, Darth Krayt arrived along with four of his most trusted Sith Lords: Darths Stryfe, Wyyrlok, Talon, and Maladi. All of the Sith Lords save Wyyrlok confronted Morne and Skywalker, before Krieg, Draco, Rae, and Vao emerged from hiding, having managed to conceal themselves in the Force. The six members of the strike team attacked the Sith, aided by Morne's army of Rakghouls, which ended up cutting the Imperial Knights off from the battle. Krieg and Azlyn were ordered by Draco to take care of Krayt while he attempted to obtain the Talisman. Rae protested, but was angrily Force-pushed away by Draco, who was in turn physically restrained by Krieg. A frustrated Krieg bid Draco to go confront Morne while he and Rae dealt with Krayt.[16]

Krieg and Rae made their way back-to-back through a sea of Rakghouls until Rae saw that Krayt was distracted by Morne. Krieg watched in horror as she stabbed the Dark Lord through the chest; Krayt was then Force-pushed off of a cliff by Morne and nearly killed by his own servant, Darth Wyyrlok. The Force lightning produced during the confrontation scattered most of the combatants, including Krieg and a mortally wounded Rae. Skywalker was able to destroy the Talisman and kill Morne, but could not effectively heal Rae with the Force. As the crew of the Mynock prepared to depart for Kiffex with Vao and Rae, Skywalker refused Krieg and Draco passage, as he knew that they had tried to secure the Talisman for their Emperor. Vao held the two Knights back with the Force and the Mynock left the planet. Krieg, watching the ship depart, questioned the meaning of his duty.[17]

After returning to Bastion, the two were joined by Sigel Dare in appearing before the Emperor, who was not pleased that they had allowed the Talisman to be destroyed, and, without proof, was not entirely convinced that Krayt had been killed. Krieg was sent by Fel to retrieve Rae from Kiffex. He journeyed to the agricultural planet and was directed to the Palace of the planet's Sheyf, where a physically and emotionally exhausted Rae was staying as a guest of Sheyf Zharia Vos. She was being kept alive in a life preserving suit designed by "Bantha" Rawk and his wife Droo. Krieg brought her back to Bastion.[18]

Peace talks on Agamar[]

"Imperial Knights—Defend your Emperor!"
―Antares Draco's order to Krieg and a group of other Imperial Knights on Agamar[19]

Some time later, Rae was fitted with new armor, crafted by the master armorer of the Imperial Knights, Hogrum Chalk. Hoping to get a feel of how she could fight while wearing it, she sparred with Krieg in the Imperial Knights quarters on Bastion under the direction of Master Treis Sinde in a session that was observed by Masters Draco, Dare, Chalk, and Emperor Fel.[20] Krieg then joined a contingent of Imperial Knights and accompanied the Emperor and his daughter to Agamar in order to conduct peace talks with the Jedi Order—Fel and the Jedi had already forged pacts with the Galactic Alliance, and an agreement between the Empire-in-exile and the Jedi Order would solidify the greater alliance. On the planet's surface, the Imperial Knights made camp for the night on Agamar's grassy plains.[21]

Assindecommands

Treis Sinde orders Krieg and Sigel Dare to open fire on an uninvited guest to the peace talks on Agamar.

The next morning, they met with representatives from the Jedi, led by Master K'Kruhk. Everyone present disguised themselves as Agamarian farmers,[21] and several of the Imperial Knights positioned themselves away from the meeting, pretending to work on a nearby field.[21][19] A formal alliance was struck, and Fel declared Bastion a safe haven for both the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance, but the parleying was soon interrupted by an approaching intruder riding a local animal. Master Sinde ordered Krieg and Master Dare to open fire, and the two hit the beast with shots from blaster rifles until Fel recognized the rider as Nyna Calixte, the Director of Imperial Intelligence for Krayt's Empire who had held the same title under Fel's leadership prior to the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War. Calixte hurriedly told the assembled party that the Sith were aware of the meeting and had sent a task force under the command of Moff Rulf Yage to capture or kill the Emperor. As the task force, led by the Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer War Hammer, engaged Fel's Dauntless in orbit, she suggested that the Imperial Knights and Jedi run if they wanted to survive.[21]

The Imperial Knights and Jedi were quickly advanced upon by a group of Sith emerging from nearby swamps. Draco and K'Kruhk called on their respective parties to defend Emperor Fel, and all disguises were shed as a battle ensued. At least ten Sith fell to the blades of the Imperial Knights and Jedi, as well as to Calixte's blaster. Krieg killed a member of the One Sith by slashing his foe's midsection. Draco hailed the Imperial Knights' escape shuttle, Defender One, which landed near the site of the melee in order to evacuate the Emperor. As Sinde and K'Kruhk began clearing a path toward the shuttle, the surviving Imperial Knights and Jedi boarded, save for Marasiah, Rae, and the Jedi Rasi Tuum, who were too far away. Reminded of his duty to the Emperor by Sinde, Draco gave the order for the shuttle to lift off. Defender One escaped the planet as the Dauntless held a corridor of space open for them, taking the brunt of the War Hammer's attack and being destroyed in the process.[19]

Defender One brought the Imperial Knights and Jedi to Bastion. On Agamar, Marasiah was kidnapped by the Sith, but Rae and Tuum stole a Sith–Imperial attack ship and returned to Bastion. As the vessel approached the Imperial fortress world, Krieg, Draco, Sinde, Shado Vao, and the Imperial Knights' Master armorer Hogrum Chalk were roused from their sleep by alarms and rushed to a landing platform. Chalk unsuccessfully attempted to contact the ship, but when Rae contacted Krieg via comlink, Chalk ordered Bastion's defensive artillery batteries to cease firing on the ship. When Rae and Tuum landed, a furious Draco began berating them for not having brought Marasiah with them. The ensuing argument was ended when the Emperor summoned them to his quarters, however. Fel had received word from his spy in Krayt's Empire that Marasiah had been brought to the Sith world of Korriban, and worried that his daughter knew all of the Empire's codes. He gave Draco three hours to form a plan to rescue her.[22]

Standing with the Jedi[]

"Azlyn did everything she could. You struck out in anger. You can't do that. You're the leader of the Imperial Knights—you must master yourself."
―Krieg advising Draco just prior to their rescue of Marasiah Fel[22]

Krieg sensed Draco's agony over Marasiah's capture, and followed his friend to his quarters to speak with him and advise him to master his anger. Conversely, Draco planned to use his anger to rescue the princess. Dressing as a member of the One Sith, he harnessed his anger to complete the disguise and went to Korriban with Krieg and Vao posing as his captives. On Korriban, Draco bullied a Neimoidian Sith into allowing them access to the Sith Inquisition chambers.[22] Therein, they found the princess in chains and exhausted from torture, and seized the lightsabers of several Sith guards via telekinesis. The trio quickly disposed of the guards and brought Marasiah back to their ship; she joined in the slaughter of more Sith en route. When a path to the ship was cleared, Draco opted to remain onworld and buy his allies time to escape with the princess. Marasiah protested, but Krieg dragged her to the ship as Draco was rushed by a new group of Sith guards. Krieg and Marasiah manned the vessel's guns as Vao piloted it away from Korriban, but, to their horror, they felt Draco's death in the Force on their way into orbit.[23]

Whenourpowerscombine

Krieg and Shado Vao battle Sith forces on Korriban.

After their return to Bastion, the Emperor hosted a remembrance ceremony to honor both Draco and the Imperial Knights who had fallen on Agamar. Krieg, along with Vao and a large group of Imperial Knights, attended the ceremony.[24] Krieg, Vao, and Rae were afterward assigned to escort the Princess to Taivas as she met with their new allies. After rendezvousing with Wolf Sazen, they arrived at the Jedi's Hidden Temple. While they were there, the Jedi Council received word from Cade Skywalker that Draco was alive, but had been imprisoned on Korriban and tortured into revealing the location of the Temple. As Darth Krayt had a personal vendetta against Skywalker, he had Draco frozen in carbonite and delivered to Skywalker as a gift. When the Mynock arrived at Taivas, Krieg, Rae, and Vao met with Skywalker and Draco and brought their broken leader before the Princess. Krieg and Rae watched as she reprimanded Draco for betraying their alliance with the Jedi rather than dying; she was, however, proud of the courage he had displayed while rescuing her, and gave him a chance to regain his honor by helping defend the Hidden Temple from the inevitable attack by the Sith. Krieg then found Draco battle dress that he could wear in place of his armor.[25]

Krieg, Draco, and Marasiah once again appeared before the Jedi Council with Sazen, Vao, Skywalker, and Rawk, who had reactivated as a Jedi, by their side. The Emperor and Gar Stazi joined the council of war via hologram and pledged their support to the Temple's defense. Skywalker and his uncle devised a plan to stand firm and lure Krayt's forces into the Temple, thereby allowing the fleets of both the Emperor and Gar Stazi to emerge from hyperspace behind them and lock their naval forces in a trap. The attack quickly came, and the four present Imperial Knights stood with Skywalker and the Jedi at the Temple's outer portal as a group of Sith advanced upon them. Krieg and Rae fought side-by-side as they cut down the invaders. When Rawk contacted the Galactic Alliance and Empire-in-exile fleets, their warships arrived in the system to spring their trap.[25] A space battle raged overhead, and Rae and Krieg worked together to down an Imperial walker that marched towards the Temple. When Krayt's secret army of Sith troopers arrived in-system, a group of them landed on the surface and surrounded the defenders, who had been pushed back to the Temple's council chambers. The Skywalkers and three other Jedi Masters remained in the chambers to protect Master T'ra Saa, who was coordinating the allies' defense with Battle meditation, while Krieg and the others retreated. The starships that composed the Hidden Temple then blasted off into the sky and were able to flee the battle, protected by a wave of Force energy that rose from the ground and by several ships that defected from Krayt's Empire and declared their allegiance to Fel. After having taken heavy losses from the Sith troopers, the surviving allies retreated to Bastion.[26]

Into the fire[]

"Remember—We are Imperial Knights. There are none better."
―Krieg, to Draco, prior to the Battle of Coruscant[27]

Three days after the Hidden Temple's fall, the Emperor, Admiral Stazi, and the surviving members of the Jedi Council agreed to strike at Krayt's throneworld of Coruscant before Krayt and his Sith troopers could attack Bastion. While preparations were being made, Krieg caught up with Draco in the latter's quarters aboard the Emperor's flagship, the Jagged Fel. Draco felt that he had betrayed his honor when he was broken by the Sith and worried that he might have been programmed as a sleeper agent, but Krieg urged his friend to reject fear, find strength in the Force, and forge himself anew.[27]

Goodadvice-LW5

Krieg advises Draco aboard the Jagged Fel.

Draco remained at Fel's side aboard the Jagged Fel during the attack, but Krieg and Masters Rae and Dare joined a strike team that also included Skywalker, Vao, Sazen, Tuum, and Morrigan Corde, a recent defector from Krayt's Empire who had also worn the hat of Director of Imperial Intelligence as her alter ego Nyna Calixte. Syn and Blue brought them to Coruscant in the Mynock and covertly landed them at a hidden location; their task was to follow Corde to the central computers that controlled the planet's orbital defenses. Two minutes before the allied fleet was set to arrive in-system, the strike team arrived at their target, where Tuum and Rae used telekinesis to blast several technicians away. While the others battled stormtroopers and Sith troopers, Krieg, Vao, and Skywalker destroyed the computers and brought down Coruscant's orbital defenses.[27]

Using secret tunnels that Skywalker and Vao had discovered while studying at the Temple of the Sith—then the Jedi Temple—years before, the strike team made their way into the One Sith's Temple, hoping to find Darth Krayt and force him into a showdown with Skywalker. Darth Talon and Darth Stryfe were waiting for them with several other Sith, and a fierce skirmish erupted that saw Master Dare stabbed in the chest and Sazen and Stryfe each cut the other down. Krieg and the others fought on, but Skywalker left to confront Krayt[27] and ultimately killed him. The Sith troopers, whose wills were linked to Krayt through the dark side of the Force, went mad, and the strike team was able to kill the rest of their opponents. The troopers flying Annihilator-class starfighters in the space battle above plummeted their craft toward Coruscant's surface, and the rest of Krayt's fleet fled into hyperspace, ceding control of the capital to the allies. The surviving Sith went into hiding, and the war came to an end.[28]

Emperor Fel was one of the battle's casualties, having been slain by Draco himself after attempting to unleash a Sith-created pathogen onto Coruscant that would kill all life onworld. The Imperial Knights had vowed to kill the Emperor if he were ever to fall to the dark side, and Draco had held true to his oath. In the battle's aftermath, a funeral was held for Fel; Krieg and Draco stood next to Master Chalk with ignited lightsabers in their hands as the master armorer delivered a eulogy. Chalk also announced the formation of a Galactic Federation Triumvirate, composed of Admiral Stazi, Jedi Master K'Kruhk, and the newly-crowned Empress Marasiah, which would unify the galaxy.[28]

Personality and traits[]

"We serve with honor and if we are asked to sacrifice our honor as our duty, then we are betrayed."
―Ganner Krieg to Antares Draco[6]
KriegtheIK

Ganner Krieg, a calm and serious Imperial Knight

As an Imperial Knight, Krieg was mindful of the oath of loyalty he had sworn to the Emperor,[4] but also placed stock in friendship; his dedication to his trusted friend[1][2]Antares Draco saw Krieg disobey a direct order from his Emperor when he accompanied Draco to Vendaxa in an effort to rescue Marasiah Fel.[4] Noted for his calm and serious demeanor,[1] and a level-headed foil to the brash actions of Draco, Krieg had reservations about killing Imperials who served Darth Krayt's Empire[6] and was far less critical of the Jedi than his friend, to the point of praising Shado Vao's skills with a lightsaber. Krieg saw folly in Draco's dismissal of Vao's abilities and was willing to point it out to his friend.[15] He also believed that Draco's anger was unbefitting of the leader of the Imperial Knights, and advised his friend to master it.[22] In Draco's darkest hour, after he had been broken by the Sith, Krieg supported his friend at a time when many other Knights doubted him. Krieg urged Draco to find strength in the Force and overcome his guilt.[27]

In addition to his oath of loyalty to the Emperor, Krieg was dedicated to his having sworn to protect the Princess, and fiercely fought legions of Sith after they struck her down on Vendaxa.[3] He also believed in the value of promises, reminding his Emperor that Marasiah had promised Cade Skywalker safe passage from Bastion and that Fel had honored that promise.[11]

While it was said that the first loyalty of the Imperial Knights was to the Empire as personified in the Emperor,[1] Krieg maintained that it was ultimately the Force that the organization owed their allegiance to. He was very mindful of the policy which stated that they only served the Emperor if he himself served the light side of the Force and was very skeptical of being asked by Fel to obtain the Muur Talisman, an ancient Sith device that held devastating powers. This skepticism, coupled with his allegiance to the Force, saw him verbally quarrel with a dissenting Draco, whom Krieg saw as letting his feelings for the Princess cloud his judgment during their mission to Had Abbadon.[6]

Krieg had romantic feelings for fellow Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae,[6] but was willing to consider the possibility that her loyalties were divided between the Imperial Knights and the Jedi.[12] During their mission to Had Abbadon, Rae informed Krieg that she was aware of his feelings and that she cared for him too, but that she felt their duty as Imperial Knights would always keep them apart. Despite her doubts, Krieg defended her from Antares Draco; when Draco suspected that her actions might compromise their mission, he remarked that he would have to kill her, prompting Krieg to remark that Draco would have to kill Krieg first.[6] Krieg later restrained Draco from physically attacking Rae during the ensuing battle with the Sith,[16] although unbeknownst to Krieg, Rae had recently rekindled her old romance with Cade Skywalker.[6] Krieg's feelings for Rae led him to question the meaning of his duty as an Imperial Knight following the Battle of Had Abbadon,[17] and to feel agonized over what he believed to be her death.[22]

Powers and abilities[]

"Ganner, can you hold off these guys while I retrieve the ambassador?"
"That's a joke, right? Go!"
―Draco and Krieg while battling Galactic Alliance forces on the Wheel[9]

As an Imperial Knight, Krieg was part of an organization that was said to be among the most talented and dangerous Force-users in the galaxy.[5] He was confident in his abilities[9] and demonstrated them on several occasions, aiding in fighting off legions of Sith on Vendaxa, Agamar, Korriban, and Coruscant. Sith fell to his blade during at least three of the skirmishes.[3][4][19][23][27] While defending the Jedi's Hidden Temple, Krieg and Rae cooperatively took down an Imperial walker.[26] Krieg also showed some prowess as a pilot, having flown a TIE Predator at Had Abbadon.[6]

Behind the scenes[]

"I am Ganner Krieg. Actually, I really am."
―Thomas J. Spanos[29]
SpanosKrieg

Jan Duursema has used photos of Costumer Thomas J. Spanos as a reference for drawing Krieg.

Ganner Krieg was created by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema for the comic book series Star Wars: Legacy, and, along with the Imperial Knights in general, was first revealed in Legacy's Issue 0, released in June of 2006.[1] He went on to make his first appearance in the third issue of the series,[7] and played a prominent role as a major character in Legacy throughout its fifty-issue run.[3][6][9][13][15][21][19] He has since appeared in Legacy's follow-up miniseries, Star Wars: Legacy—War.[24][25][26][27]

When naming the character, Ostrander and Duursema chose the name "Ganner" with the logic that in-universe, he was likely named after Ganner Rhysode, a heroic and historical figure.[30] Krieg's appearance was based on Costumer Thomas J. Spanos, who modeled for the character and later constructed a Krieg costume of his own.[29][31] Photos of Spanos in costume, requested by Duursema, were later used as a reference for Krieg's appearance in the Loyalties arc of Legacy.[32]

In 2008, Krieg received his own miniature figurine as part of the Legacy of the Force set of Star Wars Miniatures. Although Krieg's likeness was used, the figurine was simply called "Imperial Knight."[33] Later in the year, Krieg also received his own action figure. Hasbro, as part of its Legacy Collection comic packs, released Krieg and Antares Draco as 3 ¾ inch action figures, packaged with Issue 6 of Legacy.[34]

In the seventh issue of Legacy, Astraal Vao speaks to Ganner Krieg and refers to him as "Master Draco." Although her dialog specifically refers to Draco's romantic feelings for the Princess,[3] Duursema has asserted that she is speaking to Krieg.[35] The 2007 hardcover release of Star Wars: Legacy: Broken reflected this by changing the dialog to "Master Krieg."[36]

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Star Wars: Legacy (2006) 0
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Star Wars: Legacy (2006) 0½
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Legacy (2006) 7
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Legacy (2006) 6
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Legacy Era Campaign Guide
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 Legacy (2006) 29
  7. 7.0 7.1 Legacy (2006) 3
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Legacy (2006) 9
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Legacy (2006) 10
  10. Legacy (2006) 17
  11. 11.0 11.1 Legacy (2006) 23
  12. 12.0 12.1 Legacy (2006) 24
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Legacy (2006) 25
  14. Legacy (2006) 26
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Legacy (2006) 28
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Legacy (2006) 30
  17. 17.0 17.1 Legacy (2006) 31
  18. Legacy (2006) 35
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Legacy (2006) 46
  20. Legacy (2006) 43
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Legacy (2006) 45
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Legacy (2006) 49
  23. 23.0 23.1 Legacy (2006) 50
  24. 24.0 24.1 Legacy—War 1
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 Legacy—War 3
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Legacy—War 4
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 Legacy—War 5
  28. 28.0 28.1 Legacy—War 6
  29. 29.0 29.1 Imperial Knight Ganner Krieg, model and costume by Spanos, Thomas J on what_they_were_really_made_for (November 18, 2007) (archived from the original on January 30, 2008)
  30. Dhlogo Legacy # 16 Preview! on Dark Horse Message Boards (content now obsolete; backup link)
  31. JCF-favicon The Official Jan Duursema Discussion Thread on the Jedi Council Forums (Authors and Artists board; posted by Jan_Duursema on 9/29/09 6:22am; accessed December 2, 2009) (backup link)
  32. Imperial Knight Ganner Krieg returns on The Dented Helmet (May 30, 2008) (archived from the original on April 19, 2020)
  33. Swminatures-mini Star Wars MiniaturesLegacy of the Force (Pack: Imperial Knight) (backup link)
  34. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Antares Draco & Ganner Krieg) (backup link)
  35. JCF-favicon Legacy #7: Broken, part 6 (of 6) - Glowing Luke on the cover! on the Jedi Council Forums (Literature board; posted by Jan_Duursema on 1/11/07 10:07pm; accessed February 28, 2011) (backup link)
  36. Star Wars: Legacy: Broken hardcover
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