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}
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-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.
It came to no surprise that just before sisters reached adulthood in 26 ABY, both 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, to remind them of home and as a token of unconditional love to their daughters. Their initial studies at Reena University had been focused around all things related to starships — piloting, engineering, astrogation and most fascinating, the histories of Galactic racing. 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.
In their final semester, one of the university's counselors had informed them 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 sympathetic Dean's intervention. Rather than graduating, the twins were introduced to a man known as Jalut D'vul, a Devaronian who had followed the sisters' progress through records sent from the Dean's office.
Entering The Races {28 ABY - 30 ABY}
Zhymmia Vandreen, racing icon and mentor to the Daegella sisters.
- "The other racers? They'll scoff and stare, but it's not them that I'm mentoring; remember that."
- ―Jalut D'vul
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, teaching the sisters how to act and function in a cutthroat vocation of athletes. Most racers with tenure scoffed at Jalut's willingness to train fresh blood; others applauded the opportunities to prove themselves against new contestants. Taught to trust none other than themselves, the sisters shunned the advice of the other racers and took to Jalut as their most trusted confidant, instead. 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. At Zhymmia Vandreen's urging shortly after the introductions, 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 Squamatan'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 {30 ABY - 33 ABY}
The Daegella sisters' first holonet feature, 31 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
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}
The Daegella sisters, engaging in the lawless fringes, 34 ABY.
- "Out here, there's no press. No galactic news or holojournals — so hold that blaster close."
- ―Unknown Arms Vendor
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}
The Daegella sisters, couriers, 34 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
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}
The Daegella sisters engaging in the races, 34 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
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}
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 allowed themselves to be 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. 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 — 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.
Appearance
The Daegella sisters, 35 ABY.
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.