- "Eight contestants remain. May the Force be with you."
- ―Ilena Xan
Ilena Xan served in the rank of Jedi Master during the last days of the Galactic Republic. She was a close friend of Master Jai Maruk and worked in the Jedi Temple as a hand-to-hand combat trainer, her specialty being the bondage holds. She was called Iron Hand by her students, which was due to her rough nature and strong body. Her top student during the Clone Wars was Scout.
Biography
- "In real life, we rarely get optimal combat conditions. One might find oneself attacked in null gravity, for instance. Or by surprise, or by a droid or other creature whose physiology made certain techniques difficult or impossible. Of course, introducing a Gorax into the Temple is not practical. But there are some things we can do. For instance, in real life it is often dark."
- ―Ilena Xan during the Jedi Apprentice Tournament.
A Force-sensitive, Ilena Xan received training in the ways of the Force by the Jedi Order, attaining the rank of Jedi Master by the time of the Separatist Crisis. A colleague of fellow Master Jai Maruk, Xan was appointed as an instructor of unarmed combat, which she taught at the Coruscant Jedi Temple.[1]
During her tenure at the academy, Master Xan acquired the nickname "Iron Hand," referencing her rough teaching skills when it came to hand-to-hand combat. When the Clone Wars erupted between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Master Xan remained at the Temple instead of fighting on the front lines, continuing to train students in order to keep the Order's supply of Knights steady. Hosting the academy's annual Apprentice tournaments, Master Xan ensured that the students remained civil and disciplined during the competition.[1]
Equipment
Ilena Xan had a red handkerchief that she used to signal the start of a duel during the Apprentice Tournament.[1]
Behind the scenes
Ilena Xan first appeared in Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, a novel written by Sean Stewart and published in 2004.[1]
Appearances
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (and unabridged audiobook) (First appearance, in book and Yoda: Dark Rendezvous audiobook)
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous abridged audiobook