Sirra is a female Kiffar recruited into Clan Odan-Urr of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Abandoned on Nar Shaddaa by her parents due to her telepathic abilities growing far beyond her control, she made a living hunting, scavenging and surviving among the undercity while listening to the thoughts of the dispossessed lurking there. This ended with the coming of Collective troops hunting for Force-sensitive individuals to experiment upon in their campaign to exterminate anyone with a strong connection, but their efforts were thwarted by the Jensaarai Ka Tarvitz. Having never encountered others with a strong connection to the Force, Sirra accepted an offer to follow the Jensaarai and learn how to control her powers. Since that time, she has served as an apprentice, training to focus and enhance her abilities.
Character History
Child of Night (25-37) ABY
Down Into a Sunless City
Sirra was one of a multitude of Force-sensitive children to be born in the backwater reaches of the galaxy, beyond the reach of the Jedi or other factions. Her connection was a strong one from birth, and while most individuals typically required their true power to be unlocked through training, Sirra's abilities blossomed from an extremely young age. Gifted in the various forms of telepathy, her mind reached out to others barely a year after her birth, probing the thoughts of her parents and pushing into the minds of others. While this was initially seen as a promising sign, her powers developed at an astounding rate, and what at first looked to be innocent experiments soon grew far beyond her control. Sirra's intrusions began to torment others, unintentionally bringing fears to the forefront of their thoughts or leaving painful marks in her efforts to connect with them. More than once such acts drew unwanted attention, or left minds damaged after forcefully delving into their innermost impulses.
With little money for themselves and no way to halt these developments, her parents were left with no alternatives beyond killing or abandoning Sirra. Even with her lasting effects, neither parent could bring themselves to kill their child. Instead, they abandoned her in the undercity of Nar Shaddaa, departing from her life never to be seen again. Barely old enough to walk and with little comprehension of her surroundings, for most children this abandonment would have been a death sentence. Yet Sirra learned and adapted, hiding from those she sensed with ill intent and scavenging food from wherever it could be found. Through instinctive use of her powers and sheer fortune, she was able to escape those who might have killed or enslaved her, but also hid from any family who might have taken her in. Thoughts of killers and the predatory instincts of animals were her tutors, showing Sirra what was required in order to survive in the lightless depths of the planet. Left to raise herself, Sirra gradually descended deeper into the corroding tunnels beneath Nar Shaddaa's surface, searching for the most isolated areas of the city to call her home.
Lost Beneath a Steel Sky
Even as Nar Shaddaa itself was undergoing reconstruction, the bones of the old planet encompassing city served as its foundations. Broken monuments of ferrocrete and half destroyed tunnels still stood, allowing for those reclaiming the planet to use as the basis of their new durasteel jungles. As Sirra gradually traveled deeper into the planet, she found more of these monuments to the past. Occupied by only the most desperate of the planet's downtrodden masses, they were a dangerous places to live. Creatures of all forms lived down there, from small colonies of hawk bats to surviving bands of Gundarks which prowled the region, along with stranger entities left behind by other species. These had found shelter among the lowest regions of the planet, and the scavengers down there continually fought for survival against encroaching bands of predators.
Crime ran unchecked in the undercity and, save for the distant neon of city lights far, far above them in the occasional cracks of the overhead levels, those there were forced to hunt among pitch darkness. People died in droves, with overpopulation kept in check only by constant infighting or roaming predators than any unified measure. These were the people that Sirra would learn the most from in her thoughts, as she hid in the darkness and used her telepathy to overcome the sightless depths about her. From them she learned of weapons, images of better places, and the nature of conflict on Nar Shaddaa. These thoughts were little different to those of the beasts which stalked such places, and to Sirra that seemed to be merely an overcomplicated version of their simplistic system of predator and prey. As time went by, she began to view her world as simply being that: One where those ill-fated enough to be caught in a moment of weakness or to draw the attention of more powerful beings served as a mere food source for those better than them. While she felt no joy in this knowledge, it simply seemed to be the way of things.
Sleeping in the shadows of crumbling buildings, the screams of those found by rival gangs became Sirra's cradle songs, which accompanied fitful dreams of the future. She would see hints of life-threatening moments days before they would take place, or dream of a murderer's mind long before they might become a threat to her. While Sirra typically avoided the other sentient races, such glimpses of possible futures became one more weapon to call upon when needed. Those few that approached her did so out of mere self-service. Sirra was one of the few who risked scaling the decaying buildings to steal hawk-bat eggs from their nests, an act which earned her the mocking nickname of "Spider". This act led others to approach her with smiling faces disguising thoughts of opportunity, as they saw her as a means to their next meal. After several too many such efforts, Sirra withdrew even further into the undercity, and actively began to avoid other sentients.
As her solitary life often ensured that Sirra was left alone, a few gangs which roamed the lowermost areas came to regard her as an easy plaything. Most hounded her steps, driving her away or using the girl for target practice, until one went a step too far. One gang by the name of the Bloody Hand came to regard Sirra as an intruder that they could easily overwhelm. Having carved out a territory for themselves in what remained of the Corellian sector's original eighth district, upon seeing Sirra they arranged an effort to hunt her down and end her life. Each of their members was armed to the teeth with any weapon they could carry, from vibroblades to military grade assault blasters. They hounded her, driving Sirra into an abandoned sewer line in an effort to pin her down. In the years to come, beggars and those fortunate to escape the undercity would speak of this moment, often exchanging it for coin. In what would become known as the Bloody Eighth incident, twenty gangers hurried into the tunnel to find and end Sirra's life. Almost two thousand shots were fired over the next four hours, blazing away at the shadows of that place, the burn markings carrying a story of a desperate retreat and regrouping effort by the gang. Not one of them would walk away alive, each meeting their end through friendly fire or devoured by animals which were mysteriously drawn to their position. Sirra herself was never seen once during all of this, but watched them from the shadows, provoking fear and paranoia until they cut one another down.
The Coming of Giants
While Sirra lived as she always had among the undercity, in late 34 ABY she began to notice changes among its populace. Familiar minds were abruptly elated with joy, departing from the undercity never to be seen again. Others were joining them as well, strangers whose thoughts exported visions of figures woven into metal and their hands replaced with weapons which projected light. They sought the strongest of those among the slums, taking them away one by one to impossible places that Sirra knew could not hope to ever exist. Yet as more came and went, her idle curiosity soon diminished into boredom, and she continued to go about her daily business. Their absence simply meant that she had less competition to concern herself with and, with fewer mouths to feed, that simply meant more for her.
Unknown to Sirra, the departure of these individuals would prove to be an ill omen. The Collective had come to the Smuggler's Moon in search for recruits. Searching for those who would not be missed, it actively sought out the strongest of the most desperate individuals, taking them as fodder for their armies of fanatics or as test subjects for cyborg experimentations. Having yet to officially announce their opposition to the Brotherhood, the Collective's agents hid in the forgotten places of the galaxy, setting up recruitment posts in locations like Nar Shaddaa's undercity in order to build their armies. For several years this would continue, as the undercity was gradually robbed of its gangers and those too desperate to ignore an opportunity to leave their squalor. Yet on the last of these occasions, the Collective returned in force with a new recruit in mind: Sirra herself.
Through those they had recruited, the Collective's leaders had come to know of the strange individual who could delve into the minds of others. Recognizing her as a potent Force user without the training or protection of larger factions, a strike team of combat cyborgs was dispatched to capture her along with a second objective. Sirra recognised the team for the threat they posed almost as soon as they arrived, and swiftly withdrew deeper into the more dangerous territories of the undercity. Knowing that her crude throwing blades would likely never penetrate their armour, she attempted to dissuade them from pursuit by drawing them into hazardous terrain, before using other means at her disposal to force them back. For the next three hours, Sirra led them on a chase through the forgotten parts of Nar Shaddaa, wounding some as decaying stonework fell upon them and killing others as she summoned packs of gundarks to their position. Yet even as others were called away to deal with some nebulous threat, she could not wholly halt them. Slowly but surely, the cyborgs herded her toward the main access elevator to one area of the undercity, eventually downing her with a series of stun blasts.
Partially conscious, Sirra fought to give life to her paralyzed limbs even as the cyborgs closed in. Seconds before they could fit an explosive collar about her neck, another figure arrived reeking of blood and ash. A giant in tarnished purple armour stormed free of the elevator, badly wounded and partially on fire. Even slowed by his wounds, the new arrival was nevertheless able to behead one cyborg with his opening strike before barreling into the two remaining members of the team. The other fell after several consecutive blows, severing the cyborg's head in two before he turned on their leader. Yet whatever strength drove him onward was fading fast, and even as he battled against the final one of their kind, he was steadily overwhelmed. Their fight led them away from Sirra as her body slowly regained feeling, and as he was beaten into submission then disarmed, the yellow blazing sword he carried landed near her. Something about the weapon called to her, reaching into Sirra's mind in a manner that she thought impossible. Guided by half-heard commands, she picked up the weapon and turned upon the cyborg leader. Her strike bisected him in one blow, cutting him from forehead to groin from behind.
With one threat out of the way, she rounded on the other intruder. Whatever their feud had been, she had sensed nothing from him besides caged fury and a desire to see the cyborgs dead. For all she knew, he was no better than they had been. She broadcast her thoughts into his, only to be repelled again and again. Yet as she advanced, the sword held high above her head, his defenses fell. His mind directed her to an area in his thoughts, reacting in a manner she had never seen before in another living being. In an instant, she saw memories from decades past. These were older images of a boy younger even than her, terrified of his powers as they constantly threatened to overwhelm him and destroy others nearby, and risking just that with every passing day. The boy was taken by figures clad in the skins of metal animals, trained and taught, his face coming to mirror the person she threatened. Seeing his fear at that time, and his actions mirroring her own lack of control, Sirra realised he was offering her the same opportunity to learn how to better harness her powers.
Though uncertain, the stranger answered with crude images and emotions to reinforce his point, proving that his own abilities were of a similar origin. Upon seeing this, and knowing of the blame others would place on her for drawing the cyborgs to their homes, Sirra accepted this offer with some hesitation. He managed to stand, barely retaining the strength to limp away from the fight, and guided her to the elevator.
Into the Light (37-Present) ABY
And The Sky Was Full of Stars
The journey to the surface took far less time than Sirra would have ever imagined. Having clung to the lowest reaches of the city for as long as she could remember, the sight of intact corridors, working lights, and a relatively well-fed population seemed almost too surreal to be believed. Yet all throughout this, she stayed by the stranger's side, following him as he led her further up into the city, and occasionally offering more images of the world beyond. By the time they reached the surface itself, the sun was high in the sky. The sight was blinding to someone who had not witnessed anything brighter than a handheld glowrod for almost a decade, and Sirra clawed at her eyes as she tried to come to terms with what she beheld. Painful tears streamed down her face and, even after the stranger offered a set of polarized goggles to block out the sun, it was difficult to behold the world about her. Nevertheless, the stranger was able to guide the two of them toward an awaiting ship before blood loss finally took its toll and he collapsed. The ship's two occupants rushed out to meet him, and Sirra delved into the thoughts of each. One was old, with a tired determination fuelled by duty above all else, but kind-hearted and driven to help others. His insectoid face betrayed no emotion, but she could see a humble generosity to his nature. The other one, a barrel-shaped thing of pure metal, gave no thoughts of its own and offered only incessant beeping. The stranger remained conscious long enough to explain the situation to the two of them and issue an order before he slipped into a healing trance.
Sirra watched as the metal thing departed for another part of the planet, while the insect man helped to carry the stranger onto the waiting ship. She was uncertain at first, but when he offered for her to follow, Sirra sensed no falsehood in his offer. Within the hour, she was rewarded with the sight of stars for the first time in her life, and the experience of leaving a planet's atmosphere before the ship entered hyperspace. This sense of wonderment kept Sirra enraptured, questioning what else she had missed while struggling in the darkness, but in time a sense of panic began to take hold. The only minds on the ship were the comatose thoughts of the stranger, the insect man piloting the ship, and a prisoner taken from the group who had tried to capture her. Throughout her life, Sirra had been constantly surrounded by the telepathic background noise of hundreds if not thousands of creatures, from insects to other sentient species. With their absence, Sirra's world had become one of unnerving silence. This clawed at her, quickly become more traumatic than even the pursuit by the cyborgs. Realising her discomfort, the insect man offered his own thoughts to focus upon, with memories of others like the stranger who rescued her. For the next several hours she was given visions of Force-sensitive people acting as peacekeepers, diplomats, and healers, sometimes soldiers when required. It granted Sirra far better grounding as to just what she would find at the end of their flight, and allowed her to see a first true glimpse of Force users who had mastered their powers.
In spite of the insect man - whose name she would later learn to be Essik Lyccane - and his memories, Sirra's introduction to the Jedi Praxeum proved to be a difficult one. Surrounded by strangers and constantly struggling to communicate with anyone, Sirra was perpetually on edge, and was frequently unable to simply come to terms with her new environment. Even when several tutors made an effort to reach out to her, their very ideologies conflicted with her basic visions of what life was like. She was unable to accept the code they offered against all that her life had shown her, and struggled to understand its more complex lessons. Within a matter of months, Sirra was driven to attempt several escapes from the Praxeum, succeeding in hiding in the wilderness surrounding the academy. While the Jedi Masters of the Praxeum would inevitably find her, such periods were the only occasional respite she was given, as the forests at least offered a world that she could more easily comprehend.
On Sirra's final attempt to flee for good, she was met not by one of the Jedi, but the stranger who had rescued her - someone she would come to know as Ka Tarvitz. While still distrustful of others, Tarvitz was one of the few that she could "speak" with, ironically due to his own limitations in telepathic power. Tarvitz's poor skills aligned more with her crude language of memories and internal images than the more complex abilities of others, andhis efforts to protect her had been the closest she had ever come to an act of true kindness. Realising the source of her problems in accepting the Jedi code, Tarvitz opted to instead use the teachings of the Jensaarai in their place, conveying the basic tenants of his Order through his memories. He used it as a starting point to show the difference between aggression and outright hatred, and utilised teachings most compatible with Jedi beliefs. Through this and several hours of efforts, he was slowly able to convince Sirra to return to the Jedi and learn to better control her powers.
Tarvitz's presence helped Sirra substantially in more readily accepting the lessons that the Jedi offered, even if she struggled to accept their ways entirely. With his occasional visits and training her as a "Sometimes Apprentice", she was able to more easily adapt to her environment. While still reclusive and struggling to connect with other Padawans, she was at least able to more readily trust those she trained alongside, and saw them as fellow learners rather than bitter competition. Further introductions to those who had brushed with the Dark Side, risking falling entirely to their baser instincts and self-service, helped to then further express the meaning behind the Jedi teachings, and just what they guarded their practitioners against.
To Know the Road Ahead, Ask Those Coming Back
As Sirra's abilities continued to develop, she found herself having to communicate for both herself and Tarvitz in their meetings. While her own power was growing exponentially, he had already reached the peak of his skill long ago. Tarvitz's inability to keep up with Sirra gradually proved to be a problem in lessons, and a source of frustration for them both. Sirra regarded him with no ill will over it, but more often than not she was forced to use her abilities to maintain a link between them. Without it, there was simply no way for Tarvitz to keep pace with her thoughts. As she still found it difficult to speak with other Jedi, it became clear that she required a kindred spirit to teach her.
Days after a particularly troubling session in which Sirra exhausted herself trying to maintain a conversation between herself and Tarvitz, she was taken away from the Praxum. Bringing her to Kona’li Isle, she was brought before Celevon Edraven Erinos. The Mandalorian was able to more readily form a connection with Sirra due to his own troubled first contact with the Force and a violent childhood. This allowed him to quickly devise methods to more easily communicate with her. Whereas Tarvitz had only been able to coax her into more freely exploring the use of her power, Celevon was able to start making steps toward applying her skills in a more creative manner; first by emulating his own thoughts and then by encouraging her to begin forming images, concepts and mental structures to display to others. Although it was clear that a long period of training would be required to help her overcome the limitations of her unique language, Celevon was able to at least set her on the correct path.
The accidental poisoning of Tarvitz by a Sithspawn formed snake that Celevon had formed a connection with left them isolated in his home for several days. In that time, Celevon was able to initiate periods of deep meditation, allowing Sirra to more freely explore his own past memories. With her permission, he was able to implant some baseline concepts and lessons into subconscious, in the hope that it might speed up her learning process. These lessons were brief, but they were enough to help her gain a baseline understanding of Telepathy that her self-taught methods had lacked.
Physical Description
Unusually short and notably slim for her age, Sirra's pale skin carries the telltale markings of someone who has spent much of their life without ever seeing the sky. While her body is notably athletic it still retains signs of once having been malnourished, and her features indicate an emphasis on pragmatism above all else. Sirra's hair is kept continually cropped short and is rarely in any state besides untidy, while the dark creases about her hazel eyes gives her a notably cynical quality to her otherwise youthful appearance. Both of her cheeks carry the three striped tattoos of clan Vel, but the skin about them is subtly scarred, indicating several fruitless efforts to remove them from Sirra's features. Her body retains a number of small scars, ranging from shallow cuts from daggers to bite marks from hawk-bats. Both hands are notably calloused and their skin thick, a reminder from having to scale the ruins of her home in search of food.
Sirra's clothing is typically based upon practicality over any aesthetic benefit. Lightweight, durable and with no shortage of pockets, they typically consist of very dull and earthy colours which can easily blend into her surroundings.
Personality
Sirra's personality is remarkably difficult to grasp at the best of times, even by those who know her personally. This is largely thanks to her isolated upbringing, and a worldview which is twisted at best. Having gleaned most early life lessons from the minds of criminals through telepathy, she displays extreme caution when dealing with others and will often suspect betrayal if they gain to benefit anything over her. This has only been further enhanced by her need to rely purely upon her own skills throughout much of her life, and her difficulty in understanding any conventional language. Due to this isolation and an inability to properly form any social link with other individuals, Sirra finds it extremely difficult to trust others or even know how best to act in their benefit. As Sirra has long since regarded the world as being one of a simple state of predator vs prey, she is unable to fully grasp the idea of true neutrality in any situation. At best she might see some groups as not directly having an interest in her affairs, but beyond this, she has almost always deemed others threats, possible threats or, on rare occasions, allies. Given her pragmatic ruthlessness in combat and willingness to judge others almost entirely by their thoughts, it can be easy for Sirra to deem others an enemy over even fleeting hostile intentions.
It has only been in the last few years that Sirra has started to become more open to others, or has even come to soften some of her views. Her initial experiences within Clan Odan-Urr have proven difficult, and even after learning of others who can effectively wield the Force there are only a handful which she will treat with any sense of true friendship. Such individuals are those who have experienced similarly troubled beginnings to her or have almost strayed to the Dark Side and can fully comprehend its nature. Ka Tarvitz was the first among these select few and has proven to be a stabilizing factor in encouraging her to stay with the Clan. His ability to treat Sirra with honest kindness and goodwill has helped her to much more easily trust him, as has his willingness to simply find ways to make her laugh and treat her like a friend.
Despite her difficulties in forming social connections, Sirra has shown signs of starting to break away from older habits, or at least take advantage of new opportunities. Of note, her previous desire to purely stick to dull tones or easily disguised colours has begun to waver, as a few items in her wardrobe have started to appear with brighter hues or vivid colours. Furthermore, her previous need to steal items based upon what she personally needs has rapidly disappeared within a remarkably short period of time, at least within Odan-Urr's territories. While some habits will likely never die, these at least show that she is far better adjusted to her new surroundings than might otherwise be expected.
Sirra has little interest in contacting Clan Vel, or the parents which abandoned her. Even with their markings, she regards them as being no better than simple strangers and considers Odan-Urr to be her clan rather than her kiffar progenitors. While she has attempted to treat this as a simple stated fact, there is an underlying bitterness whenever the subject is raised. The light scarring about her cheeks where she previously attempted to remove several of the tattoos only further confirms that she has no desire to be recognised as one of Clan Vel's kiffar, let alone speak with any of their members.
Equipment
Weapons
Having long associated bright light sources with possible danger and risk of discovery, Sirra has abandoned the use of a lightsaber. Having never found the energy swords to her liking, she instead opts to carry a variety of weapons which can more easily counter other Force users and benefits her existing skills. Throwing knives are among her more reliable choices, as they have proven to be both effective in melee and close range engagements. Silent, reusable and easily concealed on her person, their versatility has made them an excellent item in almost any environment. These are backed by a pair of blasters. The first of these is a S-5 pistol for close range use against heavily armoured targets, with reliability and accuracy which makes it effective in bringing down opposing soldiers with single shots when required. Yet the more powerful of these items is a Bowcaster, fitted with plasma bolts. This has been refitted and reworked for human hands, with an auto-cocking mechanism which rapidly readies the bow for the next shot and a stripped down build which makes it far less cumbersome to carry.
Yet the most mysterious addition to her arsenal is a dagger forged from Sith Alchemical methods, allowing the blade to both deflect blaster bolts and even parry strikes from lightsabers. This was gifted to Sirra by Tarvitz upon hearing of her opposition to using lightsabers, but its exact origins remain a mystery to anyone but the Jensaarai.
Armour
The armour Sirra dons, when drawn into battle, emphasizes speed and silence above all else. Favouring the ability to quickly and easily move behind enemy lines over the heavier plating of assault troops, her outfits resemble her civilian clothes in many basic elements: A substantial number of pouches and secure pockets, ruggedly constructed and designed to blend into her surroundings. However, these take it to a new level, using camouflage and limiting the amount of skin exposed below her neck. Light plating is fitted into key points across the chest, thighs, and forearms, each strong enough to block a blade if not a blaster bolt, while reinforced armour across the knees and elbow allows for easier movement while lying prone. The addition of a thermal cape serves to help further conceal her body while also retaining heat, giving her an edge when sitting in ambush positions.
Powers and Abilities
Scout
Already talented in the art of survival, Sirra's self-taught stealth lent itself well to information gathering and observation. Nar Shaddaa proved to be an excellent training ground for both urban stealth and survival talents, with no shortage of animals to hide and use to her benefit but the artificial terrain found in destroyed cities. While the architecture and designs of metropolises might change depending upon the culture who built them, and the abundance of plant life in forests is a stark contrast to her polluted homeworld, Sirra can rapidly adapt to both with remarkably little effort. In her mind, the general elements of each might change, but the basic rules will always remain the same. Her ability to see patterns and pathways allows Sirra to mark out dangerous territories after remarkably little experimentation, track others across miles if required. While favouring moving with as few people as possible, she can and will guide others back through ground she had already explored with an almost total certainty of safety. This is only further bolstered by Sirra's natural talent for psychometry, which allows her to pick out emotions, details and even very basic thoughts from items discarded by others, or even corpses when required. While she relies upon this more than conventional investigative skill or perception, it has nevertheless proven beneficial to predicting enemy movements.
The Force
Having spent her life subconsciously tapping into the Force and sporadically applying more specialized abilities to a variety of situations. Sirra's telepathy is well noted, as she can easily skim the surface thoughts and broader details of those she focuses this upon, but it is often used in combination with her other powers. Her capacity to command and control beasts is remarkable in of itself, but Sirra can utilise their baseline thoughts to her own advantage, and has even been able to tap into their senses if given enough time to form a connection. Furthermore, the typical affinity for sensing others through the Force can be used both in combination with her telepathy and separately, which can assist her in picking out others based upon their thoughts as much as their energy.
Sirra's secondary skills serve to enhance her capacity for stealth as, while she favours using her physical talents over those granted by the Force, she can both cloak herself from sight and conceal her presence from other Force users. Precognition also allows her to react to threats several moments before they can strike, which has been used to avoid both killing blows and circumstances which could have directly led to her death; such as a searchlight moving across her path. Finally, while of only limited use, Sirra has been able to catch occasional glimpses of the future in her sleep or in quiet moments of meditation. This has allowed her to consider possible warnings of what might emerge in the future, but such images are typically vague.