Born during the Imperial occupation on the planet Ryloth, the twin sisters Ysera and Kasula Daegella are celebrities among the galactic racing community. Famous as holostars in addition to their reputation in the races, their talents as Pilots are unmatched to all but a select few contenders.
History
Origins {2 ABY - 20 ABY}
Born during the Free Ryloth Movement to freedom fighters against the Galactic Empire, Kasula and Ysera Daegella's birth parents, Mikam and Zhedra Daegella, died in the twins' infancy. Preserved in the Daegella Kalikori, their sole knowledge of their lineage comes from artwork painted or otherwise carven into the heirloom's surface, passed down to the sisters from their ancestral line. Although neither of them had ever known their birth parents, the trinket had allowed the twins a faint glance of who their birth parents and distant ancestors were. Having inherited their ancestral estate on the outskirts of the Tann Province in Ryloth, the Daegella twins lived there through childhood, bearing no particular attachment to their surroundings. Instead, their attention directed outwards — towards the races.
The Brightlands {16 ABY - 16 ABY}
Podracing was among their first true experiences into what would later become a career choice. Gaining entrance to The Brightlands, the sisters watched over the ledge of the Crater Sea as the fast-moving repulsorcraft passed the stands, drawing shouts of encouragement whenever one overtook the lead. Fascinated with the thrill of watching the dangerous sport, the sisters' obsession grew. Within two months, the two had cobbled together their own design for a podracer, comprised of two seats instead of one.
Unfortunately for the twins, their caretakers forbade the sisters from entering their names into the tournament. It was until the appearance of an off-world "investor," a Devaronian named Jalut D'vul, that the Daegella sisters were barred from attending the races again. Masquerading under a relatively nameless identity, Jalut was in fact one of Kuat Drive Yard's core representatives for The Brightlands — a well-known sponsor for some of the greatest racers in the Outer Rim. In exchange for their signatures on a contract that would allow him to take the twins off-world with a four-year partnership to Kuat Drive Yards, the sisters would be able to enter their podracer into the race.
Excited at the prospect, the twins agreed immediately; their signature a binding contract on what would turn out to be a long career. Jalut D'vul noted the twins' devotion to outperforming their competitors in The Brightlands. Intrigued at their violent tactics and the manner in which each would take a turn at the controls, he saw their potential earlier than either of the twins could have. Even though the Devaronian lost a sizable bet after fire engulfed their engines, he knew he would come out winning.
Entering The Races {16 ABY - 21 ABY}
As the Daegella sisters grew to adulthood, Jalut D'vul began their transition to a life more dangerous than that of a smuggler, but far more rewarding. He became something of a mentor or father figure, teaching them how to act and function in a cutthroat vocation of athletes. Taught to trust none other than themselves, the sisters shunned the interactions of the other racers and took to Jalut as their most trusted confidant, instead. It was during this time 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. Introducing the two to one of the most prolific starship racers in the Outer Rim, a Falleen named Zhymmia Vandreen. Given as the cameras were still recording, their brief introduction ultimately garnered them publicity on the Holonet, along with a small following.
At Zhymmia Vandreen's urging shortly after the interaction, Jalut D'vul allowed the Daegella sisters the use of Zhymmia's 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 Falleen's old freighter over the course of several months.
It wasn't until six 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 with Zhymmia's team.
Holostardom {21 ABY - 27 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 favourable 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 {27 ABY - 30 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 [[starwars:Wild Space|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 betted 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 hastily-bought DL-18 Blaster Pistols to ward off those who might venture too close to their starship.
As a show of good faith from a rival, 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, 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 {30 ABY - 34 ABY}
The Daegella sisters, bearing the logos of their Blastech and Black Sun sponsors.
Gaining something of a ruthless reputation and rumoured to have killed off some of the top competition, 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 their services as racers. Knowing full well that the truth was more complicated, 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.
The Brotherhood {34 ABY - Current}
Race Along The Perlemian Trade Route {34 ABY}
Returning to race against challengers to their fame, Ysera and Kasula Dargella 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 were a nightmare to behold. 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 directed to Kiast, an escort of the Vatali Empire. On receiving the sisters' VCX-100 freighter, the Vatali held the Daegella sisters on criminal charges. Questioning whether the Black Sun held dealings on Kiast, the Vatali High Court was called to trial on their involvement with the criminal organization. Under the terms of their release, the Daegella sisters were made to intercept a package for a resistance calling itself the "White Lotus."
Appearance
File:Kasula1.jpgKasula Daegella.
File:Ysera1.jpgYsera Daegella.
Ysera Daegella is an identical mirror image of her twin sister, Kasula Daegella. White-skinned, the sisters’ daily ritual includes complementing their appearances with brightly-colored cosmetics, preferring shades of blue. Although the Daegella sisters have eschewed the exotic dancing trade, both Ysera and Kasula maintain their shapely, athletic figures for their audience. Long, unadorned lekku can most often be seen hanging behind the twins' shoulders or carefully wrapped around them. Capped at the sides with cone-shaped hearing organs, the sisters' identically-proportioned faces are devoid of blemishes. Known for being so attractive as to not need to surround themselves with good-looking entourages, the twins instead groom themselves before and after a race, in order to have the most Holonet coverage.
Clothing
Ysera and Kasula Daegella coordinate outfits better than most tacticians can coordinate airstrikes. Usually seen in matching racing outfits as opposed to full flight suits, their regular wardrobe balances function with a suitable amount of shown skin for their viewers. These outfits can range, most often chosen to represent their sponsors in a chosen event. Almost invisible at a glance, some of their outfits conceal a holster for a DL-18 blaster pistol, warding off troublemakers and potential saboteurs.
When off the race course, Ysera and Kasula might also be seen in garments reflecting the current fashion, or dressed for the occasion. Possessing a sizable wardrobe, it is not uncommon to see the sisters dressed in elegant Fleuréline for a formal setting, and later in risqué shimmersilk lingerie on the front cover of the Holonet news.