During Darth Angral's, a Sith Lord, campaign of vengeance against the Galactic Republic following the death of his son Tarnis in 3643 BBY, Angral's apprentice, Lord Praven, engaged in a duel with the young Jedi Knight who had killed Tarnis. This confrontation unfolded on the planet of Tatooine. Praven, though seeking retribution for Tarnis, disagreed with his Master's dishonorable command to obliterate the deactivation sequences for the Shock Drum superweapon, which would have prevented the Jedi from neutralizing the weapon and saving Tatooine. Consequently, Praven challenged the Knight to a duel on the Esus Mesa for control of the codes. The Knight emerged victorious, but instead of killing the honorable Praven, the Jedi persuaded him to forsake the ways of the Sith and embrace the Jedi path. Subsequently, the Knight journeyed to the Dune Sea to deactivate the Shock Drum, while Praven surrendered to the Jedi Order.
The Jedi was on a mission to disarm the stolen Republic superweapon called the Shock Drum, and Praven proposed a deal: he would relinquish the deactivation codes if the Knight could defeat him in combat. Upon accepting Praven's proposition, the Knight, accompanied by their Padawan Kira Carsen, ventured into the rocky terrain separating the Jundland Wastes from the Dune Sea on Tatooine. Their destination was the Esus Mesa, where the Sith Lord awaited their arrival.
Praven revealed to the Knight that he was the master of Tarnis, lamenting that he should have provided better training. The Knight attempted to sway the Sith away from the dark side, appealing to the Sith's deep-seated values of honor and courage. However, Praven remained steadfast, believing that the Jedi and the Sith had irreconcilable differences. Forced into a duel, the Knight and their Padawan managed to overcome Praven, but the Jedi refused to deliver the final blow to the wounded Sith.
The Jedi renewed their plea to Praven, urging him to reject the dark side and embrace the light. The Knight assured him that he would be welcomed into the ranks of the Jedi Order, emphasizing that his past was inconsequential—only his present choices mattered. Convinced by the Knight's words, Praven accepted the offer and handed over the deactivation codes as agreed. He informed them that he would contact the Republic and the Jedi, as his injuries prevented him from assisting the Knight further. Determined to destroy the Shock Drum, the Jedi pressed on into the Dune Sea.
The duel on the Esus Mesa is featured in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game launched by BioWare on December 20, 2011. The mission titled "Desert Duel" serves as the initial major boss encounter on Tatooine for players choosing the Jedi Knight class, preceding the battle against the sand demon within the Shock Drum facility. Robert Chestney conceived the scenario for the mission, while Hall Hood penned the dialogue for the conversations.