Domus Publica
 |  |
| Who’s Who Nefta |
Nefta (d. 45 rS) was a Privy Counsellor and dark side adept in the service of the Imperial State. He first appeared in Dark Empire II, in which he and
his fellow Privy Counsellor Sa-Di were described as “two of the Emperor’s closest friends.” He and Sa-Di were evidently leaders of a party of
“certain powerful adepts, members of the Emperor’s Inner Circle” that began “spreading rumors that the Emperor will not take a new clone body”
following his death at Da Soocha V in Dark Empire, and at the same time called for the termination of the late Emperor’s “dark-side executor and
military dictator of all Imperial forces,” Military Executor Sedriss, after he signed a treaty with Balmorra in 45 rS. When Sedriss returned to Byss, he
found Nefta and Sa-Di in the Galactic Emperor’s Clone Lab, “providing a final solution to all the young clones that Luke Skywalker failed to
destroy”; Nefta wielded a lightsaber while Sa-Di used a vibroax. Nefta described the work as “most distasteful,” but comforted himself with the
thought that each clone that died was “one less future Emperor... one death closer to power over the galaxy,” justifying his actions to himself by
saying that “Palpatine should have known... we can’t wait indefinitely. The throne cannot sit empty or the Empire will collapse”; when caught by
Sedriss in flagrante delicto, Nefta told him that “we had to do it, Sedriss... Palpatine is trapped in the netherworld – he could be there for a thousand
years!” Sedriss declined to accept the dark side adept’s argument, and disembowelled him with his lightsaber (sai tok in High Galactic), taunting
“what’s the matter, Nefta – is your magic of no use to you against a dark-side warrior?”
The New Republic Historical Council writes in The Essential Chronology that Nefta and Sa-Di had “completed destroying the clone laboratory,”
leaving only one last clone for the Galactic Emperor to inhabit. “The Emperor’s Pawns” indicates that Nefta and Sa-Di had been in league with the
treacherous former Ruling Councilman Sarcev Quest, a faithless Emperor’s Hand, but were betrayed by him (however, the article’s sequence of
events is disordered, and would actually have Quest betraying the two dark side adepts after Sedriss had already executed them). This is clarified
somewhat by the Historical Council’s version in The New Essential Chronology, in which it is said that “Palpatine’s traitorous adepts had not been
working alone,” and mentions in connection with their repeated regicides the conspiracy of Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax, Quest’s partner.
Presumably, then, the Quest-Jax cabal used Nefta and Sa-Di to conceal their own plot, and one supposes that Quest’s betrayal consisted of tipping
Sedriss off to what was going on in the Clone Lab while he was on campaign.
At the time of his summary execution for high treason, Nefta wore a floor-length cloak and some sort of body armor, with a decorative lightsaber
baldric slung from his left shoulder to his right hip; The Dark Side Sourcebook states that the generic dark side adept carries a dark side talisman.
Like many of the Galactic Emperor’s courtiers, his clothes appear to be inspired by his culture, and notably include the same type of necklace worn
by Sa-Di and a number of the Emperor’s Dark Jedi in Dark Empire II, T’iaz in Empire’s End, and Malvander, Governor of Solem, in “Sacrifice.” He
bears a very strong visual resemblance to T’iaz from Empire’s End and both his facial features and the fashion of his clothes – most strikingly his
headgear – are strongly reminiscent of those of Malvander and the natives of Solem; it is possible that both Nefta and T’iaz are Solemites (or
whatever the preferred ethnonym may be).
References:
his fellow Privy Counsellor Sa-Di were described as “two of the Emperor’s closest friends.” He and Sa-Di were evidently leaders of a party of
“certain powerful adepts, members of the Emperor’s Inner Circle” that began “spreading rumors that the Emperor will not take a new clone body”
following his death at Da Soocha V in Dark Empire, and at the same time called for the termination of the late Emperor’s “dark-side executor and
military dictator of all Imperial forces,” Military Executor Sedriss, after he signed a treaty with Balmorra in 45 rS. When Sedriss returned to Byss, he
found Nefta and Sa-Di in the Galactic Emperor’s Clone Lab, “providing a final solution to all the young clones that Luke Skywalker failed to
destroy”; Nefta wielded a lightsaber while Sa-Di used a vibroax. Nefta described the work as “most distasteful,” but comforted himself with the
thought that each clone that died was “one less future Emperor... one death closer to power over the galaxy,” justifying his actions to himself by
saying that “Palpatine should have known... we can’t wait indefinitely. The throne cannot sit empty or the Empire will collapse”; when caught by
Sedriss in flagrante delicto, Nefta told him that “we had to do it, Sedriss... Palpatine is trapped in the netherworld – he could be there for a thousand
years!” Sedriss declined to accept the dark side adept’s argument, and disembowelled him with his lightsaber (sai tok in High Galactic), taunting
“what’s the matter, Nefta – is your magic of no use to you against a dark-side warrior?”
The New Republic Historical Council writes in The Essential Chronology that Nefta and Sa-Di had “completed destroying the clone laboratory,”
leaving only one last clone for the Galactic Emperor to inhabit. “The Emperor’s Pawns” indicates that Nefta and Sa-Di had been in league with the
treacherous former Ruling Councilman Sarcev Quest, a faithless Emperor’s Hand, but were betrayed by him (however, the article’s sequence of
events is disordered, and would actually have Quest betraying the two dark side adepts after Sedriss had already executed them). This is clarified
somewhat by the Historical Council’s version in The New Essential Chronology, in which it is said that “Palpatine’s traitorous adepts had not been
working alone,” and mentions in connection with their repeated regicides the conspiracy of Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax, Quest’s partner.
Presumably, then, the Quest-Jax cabal used Nefta and Sa-Di to conceal their own plot, and one supposes that Quest’s betrayal consisted of tipping
Sedriss off to what was going on in the Clone Lab while he was on campaign.
At the time of his summary execution for high treason, Nefta wore a floor-length cloak and some sort of body armor, with a decorative lightsaber
baldric slung from his left shoulder to his right hip; The Dark Side Sourcebook states that the generic dark side adept carries a dark side talisman.
Like many of the Galactic Emperor’s courtiers, his clothes appear to be inspired by his culture, and notably include the same type of necklace worn
by Sa-Di and a number of the Emperor’s Dark Jedi in Dark Empire II, T’iaz in Empire’s End, and Malvander, Governor of Solem, in “Sacrifice.” He
bears a very strong visual resemblance to T’iaz from Empire’s End and both his facial features and the fashion of his clothes – most strikingly his
headgear – are strongly reminiscent of those of Malvander and the natives of Solem; it is possible that both Nefta and T’iaz are Solemites (or
whatever the preferred ethnonym may be).
References:
- Anderson, Kevin J. and Daniel E. Wallace. The Essential Chronology. Del Rey Books, 2000.
- Peña, Abel G. and Juan Schwartz with Pablo Hidalgo. “The Emperor’s Pawns.” Star Wars Gamer No. 5. Wizards of the Coast, Inc., 2001.
- Slavicsek, Bill and J. D. Wiker. The Dark Side Sourcebook. Wizards of the Coast, Inc., 2001.
- Veitch, Tom. Dark Empire. Dark Horse Comics, 1991 - 1992.
- Veitch, Tom. Dark Empire II. Dark Horse Comics, 1994 - 1995.
- Veitch, Tom. Empire’s End. Dark Horse Comics, 1997.
- Wagner, John. “Sacrifice.” Star Wars Empire No. 7. Dark Horse Comics, 2003.
- Wallace, Daniel E. The New Essential Chronology. Del Rey Books, 2005.
| This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement of any kind is intended. Star Wars and related materials are © Lucasfilm Ltd., which reserves all rights thereto. All original material is © Julius Sykes. Please do not use without permission. |
| This biography was originally added in 2005. It was republished on 7 October 2007. |