Kephess was a Trandoshan male mercenary leader and warlord at the time of the Cold War. He was the commander of the infamous mercenary unit, the Warstalkers. The Galactic Republic military hired them due to manpower shortages with the intention of securing the planet Denova for its strategic supply of Baradium and to hold the invasion force of the similarly interested Sith Empire at bay. During a battle with the Imperial forces, however, he was fatally injured but was miraculously saved by the Dread Masters, at this time rogues on the run from the Empire, who imbued Kephess with some of their considerable power. This led to Kephess' full recovery and he became capable of performing feats beyond that of typical Trandoshans. The Dread Masters' selected Kephess to be their “chosen one,” their