Kasula and Ysera Daegella are Twi'lek starship pilots, racers, and occasional couriers for illegal crime organizations. Both are currently affiliated with the Shroud Syndicate, one such criminal organization, and reside aboard the Godless Matron. Rylothian by birth, the twin sisters are celebrities among the galactic racing community. Famous — or infamous — as holostars in addition to their reputation in the races, their talents as pilots are unmatched by all but a select few contenders.
Character History
Origins {10 ABY - 31 ABY}
- Mikam Daegella: "There's two of them! Both pale as snow, just like the Angels of Iego. What shall we name them?"
- Zhedra Daegella: "Our little Tchun and Tchin!"
- ―Mikam and Zhedra Daegella, on naming their twins.
The Daegella sisters' home on Ryloth under the Imperial Occupation.
Born to freedom fighters of the Free Ryloth Movement in 10 ABY, Kasula and Ysera Daegella's birth parents Mikam and Zhedra Daegella were both war heroes of the Galactic Civil War. Their earliest lives were spent on the outskirts of Tann Province on Ryloth. Nicknamed "tchun" and "tchin" for being inseparable since birth, the sisters were energetic, troublesome siblings. Brought together with friends from across the galaxy, thanks to the Rebel Alliance's victory over the imperial occupation, the duo became enamored with stories of distant worlds and other cultures. Oftentimes, Ysera and Kasula would lie down to stare at the stars, weaving these tales into their imaginations of shared adventures.
Before sisters reached adulthood in 26 ABY, each of them received an early admittance to Reena University — one of the most prestigious universities in the Tapani sector. When the time came to leave their homeworld behind, Mikam and Zhedra passed the Daegella Kalikori down to their children, as a reminder of their home and as a token of unconditional love. Their initial studies at Reena University had been focused around all things related to starships — piloting, engineering, astrogation and most fascinatingly, the histories of Galactic racing. Drawn to their joint excellence in academia, even the dean was aware of their immense talent and co-dependency, but made no effort to remove either of the sisters from the other's presence during exams or demonstrations, much to the chagrin of the university's proctors who were forced accommodate their joint efforts.
Nearing the end of their final semester, one of the university's counselors had informed the siblings of their parents' role in the New Republic, stationed on Hosnian Prime as security officers to the Galactic Senate. The First Order had tested its superweapon, Starkiller Base, annihilating the Hosnian System in an instant. The news struck a sour chord with the sisters, sending them down an irreversible path of mourning that lowered their academic prospects and would have meant the end of a bright future, were it not for the timely intervention of a man known as 'Jalut D'vul, a Devaronian who had followed the sisters' progress through records sent from the dean's office. Rather than graduating from a prestigious university, the duo transitioned into the glamorous — and dangerous world of starship racing.
Entering The Races {28 ABY - 30 ABY}
- "The other racers? They'll scoff and stare, but it's not them that I'm mentoring; remember that."
- ―Jalut D'vul
Zhymmia Vandreen, racing icon and mentor to the Daegella sisters.
Jalut D'vul began their transition to a life more dangerous than that of a smuggler, but far less rewarding in terms of fortune. He became something of a mentor, teaching the sisters how to act and function in a cutthroat vocation of athletes, personalities and icons. Most racers with distinction scoffed at Jalut's willingness to train fresh blood; others applauded the opportunity to prove themselves against new contestants. Taught to trust none other than themselves and Jalut's guidance, the sisters shunned the advice of the other racers and took to the Devaronian as their most trusted confidant. It was due to Jalut's contacts that the Daegella sisters gained their first glimpse of themselves in the background of the Holonet's live coverage of a race along the Corellian Run, featuring one of their idols.
Jalut D'vul, being one of the first to spot their talent, was well aware of the twins' influences; he had worked with most of them. Zhymmia Vandreen, a Squamatan and one of the most prolific starship racers in the Outer Rim had agreed to further the Daegella sisters' mentorship under her own wing. At Jalut's urging shortly after the introductions, Zhymmia Vandreen allowed the Daegella sisters the use of her own racing team for training purposes, in the hopes that the sisters would be able to launch into a career that shunned new blood altogether. Zhymmia was a proponent of cultivating the next generation of talented racers — she grew tired of seeing the same names and the same starships on the covers of Holonet magazines. Added to that, she saw it as a means to retain her influence after retirement. Pit crews and Zhymmia's own mechanics taught Kasula and Ysera the fundamentals of starship maintenance and operation using the Squamatan's old freighter over the course of several months.
It wasn't until six of those months had passed that Zhymmia Vandreen took the twins into the cockpit of her own vessel, a J-type 327 Nubian starship outfitted with the latest and greatest ion drives, hyperdrive and navicomputers that one could afford. Surrendering the controls mid-flight after watching the sisters' mouths agape in awe, she began her first lessons in teaching the next generation of starship pilots to carry on her legacy. After several years had passed and the sisters began to show talents comparable to the greatest in the industry, Zhymmia presented them with their first starship — the same VCX 100 Light Freighter the sisters had worked on restoring under the guidance of Zhymmia's pit crew.
Holostardom {30 ABY - 33 ABY}
- "Take the fastest starship, and hit the accelerators. In the race, there's no tactics, just instinct. And no small degree of luck."
- ―Zhymmia Vandreen
The Daegella sisters' first holonet feature, 31 ABY.
Landing their first race with Kuat Drive Yards, Ysera and Kasula Daegella became overnight holostars. An instant sensation, their first race along the Corellian Run was a success that earned them second placement after a 42-hour long race. Their rise to fame cumulated in just three months, appearing on the front cover of Holonet magazines and having their likenesses appear on merchandise. Blastech Industries was among one of the first arms manufacturers that saw the value to investing in the duo, having their logo displayed alongside the likes of Kuat Drive Yards and Rendili Star Drive.
Known as much for their looks as their talents as starship pilots, the Daegella sisters increased their following after releasing a series of fashion magazines published by their sponsors and distributed across the Core Worlds. As their industries molded into each other, fans flocked to their races, betting on victories for the Twi'lek sisters whenever their credit chips allowed.
Jalut D'vul continued to aid them in an advisory role, acting as the twins' agent in matters of business and negotiation. He gained a reputation for turning down the biggest sponsors available, only to have the likes of Blastech Industries return with a deal more favorable to the aging Devaronian and his clients. However, his direct interactions with the sisters became distant as he was drawn closer to a grandfatherly role than his earlier mentorship allowed. Knowing that his heath was failing due to his old age, Jalut began to teach the sisters once more in the dealing of business and negotiation; skills both of them would need to continue their career without him.
Games Without Rules {33 ABY - 34 ABY}
- "Out here, there's no press. No galactic news or holojournals — so hold that blaster close."
- ―Unknown Arms Vendor
The Daegella sisters, engaging in the lawless fringes, 34 ABY.
Urged by the banking clans to broaden their sponsorships, Ysera and Kasula sought after increasingly dangerous races far from the Outer Rim. Going as far as Wild Space, the sisters went where the Outer Rim's Holonet new outlets wouldn't dare go. However, investors with deeper pockets — gangsters and criminals — watched and gambled from their sheltered hideouts. Possessing little protection in a game with few rules and regulations, the sisters began to draw dangerous enemies and few friends. At the behest of Blastech Industries, the Daegella sisters learned the rudiments of using modified DL-44 Blaster Pistols to ward off those who might venture too close to their starship.
Hutt gangsters were among the first the invest in the Daegella sisters, watching their progress even as the overgrown slugs gorged themselves on Adegan eels from their lavish balconies. One effect of the sisters' presence on the course was that none fell asleep, for fear of missing some game-changing maneuver or hazardous stunt. Opposing investors would occasionally send their thugs to harass the sisters in-between races or at the refueling checkpoints. However, Ubese thugs in service to the sisters' supporters warded off the rabble.
As a show of good faith from a rival racer, the sisters were given an astromech outfitted with basic defense mechanisms. However, the droid was in fact a BT-1 series assassin droid programmed to terminate one, or both of the Daegella sisters. Fortunately, the droid malfunctioned following a botched reset following inspection, installing overrides that did not allow it to harm the sisters; rather, it was overridden to protect them from harm. Aware of this programming override, it was forced to go against its original purpose, but hid its most violent protocols from the sisters' notice.
The Black Sun {34 ABY - 35 ABY}
- Kasula Daegella: "I wouldn't go so far as to call it smuggling —"
- Ysera Daegella: "We're couriers."
- ―Kasula and Ysera Daegella, Black Sun affiliates
The Daegella sisters, couriers, 34 ABY.
Gaining something of a ruthless reputation and rumored to have killed off some of the top competitors — due in no small part to the overrides installed in their astromech unit — one of the gangs saw profits where the others felt investment was too risky. The Black Sun, a crime organization unparalleled in reach, offered vast sums of credits for the sisters' services as racers. Knowing full well that the Black Sun's intentions were far less than legal, the sisters nonetheless were molded to take risks and fell into criminal dealings. Filling a niche in the criminal underworld between smugglers and no-holds-barred racing, Ysera and Kasula referred to themselves as "couriers." Where time was a matter of importance to intercept a specific parcel or communication, the Daegella sisters were given the task to race against the clock, or in some cases, rivals to complete the objective. Unlike smugglers, discretion was discouraged; wherever the sisters went, the Black Sun wished others to know the sphere of their influence. Painting the Black Sun onto the hull of their vessel while making such runs, the Daegella sisters' dealings with the Black Sun went unfounded while the vessel — and thus, the Black Sun — was recognized as being the one that finished these missions ahead of the competition.
Continuing to work legitimate races as a cover, the Damsels' Distress was re-branded between races to reflect the Black Sun's influence, and changed back before the authorities could notice. Run-ins with both New Republic and First Order authorizes were inevitable — those with local authorities and rival organizations were commonplace. Although the sisters had been unable to unwind themselves from the other, Ysera grew sentimental over the legitimate business, and the kalikori passed down from their deceased parents. Kasula, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to chase adrenaline in the murkiest corners of the galaxy without limits.
Race Along The Perlemian Trade Route {35 ABY}
- Ysera Daegella: "Ten credits says we make it through the nebula."
- Kasula Daegella: "How is that fair? We'll be dead if we don't!"
- ―Ysera and Kasula Daegella, navigating the Shroud
The Daegella sisters engaging in the races, 34 ABY.
Returning to race against challengers to their fame, Ysera and Kasula Daegella were given a contract to participate in a grand race along the entire Perlemian Trade Route. Perceiving a shortcut that would cut across a substantial length of the trade route, the sisters instead encountered an uncharted anomaly, the Palioxis Cloud nebula. The immediate loss of their navigational systems proved a minor hindrance to their combined knowledge and skill, but the dense asteroid fields blocked and shifted their original route. Having lost their original heading after avoiding a near-death experience, the sisters drifted through the nebula without a sense of direction. Before either one could find their bearings, the two were forced to surrender to Sephi pirates operating within a carved-out asteroid who took note of the starship's design and linked it to the Black Sun.
Holding the sisters for ransom, the pirates transferred the sisters onto a shuttle destined for Kiast. Finding not a life of servitude under Hutt cartels, but a thriving civilization and a mounting resistance, the sisters regained ownership of the Damsels' Distress. While Ysera grew sympathetic to the resistance calling itself the White Lotus, believing it to be not so different than the Rebel Alliance that aided their parents during the Free Ryloth Movement, Kasula reminded her of the ongoing race. Wanting nothing to do with a resistance against insurmountable odds, Kasula convinced Ysera to get back on course.
Soon thereafter, the Black Sun contacted the sisters regarding a courier run along their route. Ysera refused, wishing for nothing more to continue their legitimate business or join the resistance, should Kasula be convinced. It was a near-fatal mistake — one that resulted in a chase off the Perlemian Trade Route, and into the Shaltin Tunnels. Encountering new associates of the Black Sun wherever the Tunnels took them, Kasula and Ysera were forced to lose their marks.
Salvation came in the form of a black hole; rather, several of them. An abnormality termed The Shroud, the field of ionized particles and debris was not unlike that of the earlier-encountered Palioxis Cloud nebula. Risking their lives against the bizarre anomaly rather than against the Black Sun's bounty hunters, Kasula and Ysera Daegella maneuvered their starship through an uncharted passage. Skirting close to gravitational pull of the black holes and near the event horizon had allows them to avoid the worst of the debris, at the risk of being forever lost to the Shroud.
The Shroud Syndicate {35 ABY - Current}
- Morgan B. Sorenn: "Our scouts brought back your ship from the debris field. Fortunate, as my first mate suggested firing on sight"
- C'ree: "Make good practice."
- ―Initial introductions aboard the Matron
The Daegella sisters, onboard the Godless Matron, 35 ABY.
Exhausted and malnourished from their daring feats through the Shroud, Kasula and Ysera found what appeared to be a derelict vessel within the asteroid fields, a Lucrehulk-class battleship. It, however, was the Godless Matron, the base of operations for the Shroud Syndicate under the service of Morgan B. Sorenn. Having run afoul of dense debris fields and ionized clouds that disabled all but the Damsels'' life support, the Daegella sisters were brought aboard the Matron via tractor beams after having their freighter scanned for munitions.
Their initial treatment had been one of distrust — the outer coat of paint on the Damsels' hull had been shed to reveal the faint Black Sun beneath it, set against a purple exterior. Although standard procedure was to shoot on sight, the Matron's crew were not unaware of the Daegella sisters' fame or fortune. Nights passed under guard before the crew had found a price on the twins' heads through underworld contacts. It was both a blessing and a curse clouded in uncertainty — either the syndicate would collect the reward, sell them to the highest bidder, or kill them outright, regardless.
Brought before Morgan B. Sorenn, the Pirate Queen herself, the twins' fate was weighted in one of the most unconventional settings possible for an interrogation — The Sinning Den. Basking in the artificial lighting of the neutral atmosphere, the Matron's Captain sipped on Corellian brandy as she contemplated what would befall the identical racing icons. At her side, the First Mate let her unsettling presence set a different tone for the "meeting." C'ree, as she was called, surveyed the twins with a grimace one moment, and sadistic smile the next. Whether the First Mate held some grudge or ill intent was anyone's guess, as the three others engaged in surprisingly banal conversation.
Baring a fresh paint scheme and a cargofull of consumables, munitions and other assorted goods, the Damsels' Distress was once again set to traverse the hyperlanes. With it, the Daegella sisters had struck a deal with the Matron's master that afforded them new challenges and new opportunities as born-again couriers. Although, their taste for the excitement that came with it led to increasingly criminal activities — piracy, smuggling, and best of all, illegal racing. Outside of the view of hololenses and galactic journalists, the Daegella sisters made their home aboard the Godless Matron.
Collective Profits {36 ABY}
- Ysera Daegella: "Wouldn't have crashed if you hadn't tried to steal those supplies!"
- Kasula Daegella: "Wouldn't have been here if you hadn't holo'd the wrong Sorenn!"
- ―The Daegella sisters, after having crash landed on Nancora
The Daegella sisters, hijacking a Collective speeder, 36 ABY.
Caught in the middle of a deal between the two Sorenns and motivated with the promise of upgraded freighter and speeder components, Kasula and Ysera engaged the Collective on Nancora at Morgan Sorenn's behest to liberate certain technologies from the Technocratic Guild. Working alongside Clan Odan-Urr as a cover for their ulterior motives, the twins ran a blockade and subsequent boarding of Collective resupply shuttles destined for Nancora. Their task was doomed to fail when one of the shuttles, still docked to the Damsels' Distress, plummeted to the planet's surface. Rocked from orbit, both vessels crashed into the perilous wasteland; fortunately, the Damsels' Distress was able to recover from the fall after retrofits from the debris scattering the landscape. Following the resulting chaos, the sisters were reunited with the freighter following a dastardly speeder chase through the Badlands.
It wasn't until after the battle of Nancora that the Daegella sisters were recognized for having inadvertently re-routed the Collective's support for the blockade during their daring chase, leading to their subsequent "induction" to the White Lotus — a collection of do-gooders with the likes of Clan Odan-Urr and Arcona among them. Unfortunately, this had also meant that the technologies destined for the Matron were likewise surrendered while the Lotus took stock of the Damsels' cargo.
Appearance
Physical Description
The Daegella sisters, 35 ABY.
Kasula Daegella is an identical mirror image of her twin sister, Ysera Daegella. Their white, alabaster skin tone can sometimes be mistaken for other hues of the spectrum when colorful light is cast over it. The sisters' daily ritual includes complimenting their appearance with brightly-colored cosmetics matching the aesthetic of their wardrobe, most often in shades of teal. Both maintain the toned hourglass figures of athletes, showing off the alluring frames beneath accentuating outfits. Dressed in thick eyeshadow, thee twins' ice-blue irises are outlined with dark lashes matching the shade of their tattooed brows. Long, unadorned lekku can most often be seen hanging behind Kasula and Ysera's shoulders or carefully wrapped around them. Capped at the sides with ear cones, the twins' identically-proportioned faces are devoid of blemishes.
Attire
The twins' sizable, fashionable wardrobe usually has something for everything, and a headdress to match. Usually seen in matching racing outfits as opposed to full flight suits, the Daegellas' vocational wardrobe varies from functional attire best suited towards harsh climates to designer cuts with a suitable amount of shown skin for the viewers. Most often chosen to represent sponsors in a chosen event, the design of these outfits range from common to exotic; sometimes with a helmet, other times without.
When off the race course, Kasula and Ysera might be seen in garments reflecting the current fashion, always dressed for the occasion. Possessing sizable wardrobes, it is not uncommon to see each one dressed with their sibling in elegant Fleuréline weave for a formal setting, and later in risqué shimmersilk lingerie on the front cover of the Holonet news. Both take great pride in maintaining their lekku, and choose to make use of simple or elaborate headdresses no matter the event.
Personality and Traits
The Daegella sisters, with Morgan and C'ree, 35 ABY.
Living for the thrill of being behind the controls of a starship, the Daegella sisters are fun-loving, adrenaline-chasing fantatics of their chosen profession. Craving fun and excitement, it matters little what the sisters are doing, so long as it sustains them on living life to its fullest. So long as the sisters are united, there is little reason for either of them to express emotions such as guilt, sadness or anger. Undeterred from unscrupulous activities, the sisters are constantly drawn to dangerous dealings or circumstances. Ever-increasing challenges have led to one other desire the two share: the desire to win.
Although both Kasula and Ysera Daegella has managed to avoid the monotonous exotic dancing trade, neither eschewed her species’ natural talents or tendencies. Known for being so attractive as to not need to surround themselves with good-looking entourages, the Daegellas instead groom themselves or each other before and after a race in order to make the most out of their combined Holonet coverage.
As a result, the Daegellas' celebrity status has seen them on the front covers of several Holonet outlets, whether for claiming prestige on the lanes or performing a dance at a designated venue. Kasula and Ysera's status can be seen as both a boon to their platform and a curse where they cannot go unnoticed in most urban settings without an excited fan demanding autographs. The twins, however, thrive on the attention, and have built a significant sum of their career on posing for photoshoots for various fashion and risqué outlets.
Tchun-Tchin
As countless documentaries and fans can attest, Kasula Daegella and her identical twin sister Ysera Daegella are one in the same person. Kasula is never seen without Ysera, and the twins seem to share an empathetic connection that often has them finishing each other’s sentences and performing simultaneous tasks without needing to formally communicate. It is not uncommon to mistake one for the other in their ever-matching attire, though their individual identities become self-evident whenever the sisters are caught in a disagreement with one another.
When separated from each other, the sisters will often be rendered incapable of forming complete thoughts, stuttering over words or forgetting the half of a starship manual that the other would be familiar with. Together, each one is able to fill the blanks of the other's knowledge, forming a collective intelligence that can rival that of most individuals.
Relationships
Morgan B. Sorenn
Morgan B. Sorenn shares an unconventional relationship with each of the Daegella sisters. As with a maelstrom, the sisters find themselves drawn to the apparent dangers in being associated with the former starship captain, pirate, mercenary, and crime boss. Yet, the twins' thirst for adrenaline and lack of morals have given them an outlet with which to gorge themselves on excitement with the former crime boss. Whether seeking ulterior motives or to test the limits of the racers' capabilities, Morgan has chosen the Daegellas as her personal couriers — a less unscrupulous term for what would otherwise be described as smugglers, pirates and messengers trading underworld secrets.
C'ree
C'ree, or Carrie as she is otherwise known, is something-to-be-avoided in the Daegellas' dealings with the Shroud Syndicate. Morgan Sorenn's enforcer and right hand, C'ree first met the Daegellas when the Damsels' Distress first ran afoul of the Shroud's dense debris fields and ionized clouds. Despite the Daegellas' involvement with Morgan Sorenn, Carrie's apparent mental deficiencies often causes immediate discomfort for the twins, in spite of promises that C'ree would not cause them harm without Morgan's consent. Nonetheless, the woman has proved unavoidable in dealings with Morgan Sorenn, and thus the sisters often trade glances at the unstable first mate — lest they be caught staring.
Turel Sorenn
Turel Sorenn is another to-be-avoided individual in the Daegellas' lives. Although, whether due to his family ties to Morgan Sorenn or Ysera's fondness for "doing the right thing," the sisters have found themselves in the thick of one conflict or another against impossible odds at the behest of a Sorenn. With his sister unable or unwilling to travel into the Kiast System at times, the Daegellas have often acted as messengers between the Sorenns, or voluntold into engagements alongside Clan Odan-Urr or the White Lotus.
Tali Sroka
Tali Sroka is one of the Daegella sisters' biggest fans, and closest friends. While the sisters are sympathetic to the former slave's troubled past, it was her keen sense of fashion garnered from her former profession that first sparked the interest of the Daegella twins. It was for this reason that the Daegellas agreed to assist in the marketing of lekwarmers — along with several other articles of Tali's own fashionable trends being sold across galactic borders. In exchange, Tali has often made guest appearances in holoshoots and events alongside the Daegella sisters where Twi'leks are in high demand.