Galen Marek, aka, Starkiller, was a male human who the Sith Lord Darth Vader took under his wings during the height of the Jedi Purge. He was born to Jedi Knight Kento Marek and freedom fighter Mallie who were both members of the Jedi Order. In a hush-hush affair, they got married during the Clone Wars and escaped order 66 which called for the termination and destruction of the Jedi order. He was born on the run and the circumstances of his parents’ flight naturally made him grow up with the fear of the empire. He is known have a strong connection to the force. In 5 points, this piece will focus on landmark/watershed stages or moments that led to his formations and transformations in life. So read on.
1. The Orphan and His Secret Adoption
After their flight, Galen’s parents decided to settle down in the vast jungle of Kashyyk. They had hoped that the denseness of the jungle will provide them with a secure shelter. However, the strength of Galen’s connection to the force was such that it was impossible from them to be hidden from Vader’s sense. Next thing we know, Vader decided to hunt them down, with him personally leading the mission. The planet was laid nearly barren with the forest fell and countless wookies killed to track down young Galen. Upon locating the family, Vader killed Kento Marek. Seeing this young Galen used the force to pull Vader’s lightsaber out of his hands. Vader then decided to abduct the child and raise him in secret.
Galen was hidden away from prying eyes when he was taken on board The Executor, Vader’s unfinished ship. The orphan was trained in the ways of the Sith Order. Another reason for this secrecy was due to the fact that Vader was violating the ‘Rule of Two’ doctrine, also called them Banite System. This rule states that there could be only two Siths at one time – Master and Apprentice. During this time, Vader was himself an apprentice to Darth Sidious. Thus, he was violating the Doctrine which governed the Siths.
2. Torturous Training Regimens and Traumas
Galen was put under unforgiving training regimens to combat in order to master his force abilities and become really skilled in combats. The brutal lessons Vader taught young Galen bordered on torture and it gave him physical and psychological traumas. He was nearly driven to insanity. He was instructed to repress all memories of his past and as a result, Galen nearly forgot who he was and how he had come into Vader’s control.
His only company during this period of brainwashing was his sparring partner was the holoroid PROXY. This holodroid is an amalgamation of many Jedi as it was capable of storing the personalities and abilities of various Jedi. No doubt, Vader’s methods were very extremes but it must also be noted that much of the abuse was self-inflicted. Starkilller pushed himself to the limits by ordering PROXY to deprive him of food and water under his goals was achieved.
