Sirra Werd'la is a female Mandalorian 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. Following Jensaarai traditions and concerns over his influences, Sirra was trained by a number of different masters, each a year at a time. It was thanks to this that she encountered the Werd’la, and was adopted into the small clan, and would eventually opt to embrace a variation of Resol'nare and the Canons of Honor.
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 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, 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 becoming 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, and his 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 tenets 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.
Although sticking closely to Tarvitz for the most part, Sirra was able to open up to a few others. The primary ones among these were a pair of humans, older twins, that Tarvitz occasionally took to keeping an eye on. Efforts to communicate between them were difficult, meeting with the same barriers as before. Yet what helped was how one had prepared for it in advance, seemingly foreseeing the issue before it might arise and giving an alternate means to exchange basic meanings, and how the other was of a nature that Sirra could more easily follow. Even if the situation ended with some violence after as misunderstanding, they were able to nevertheless reach an understanding quite quickly. The two, Adenn and Xin Suoh, would become a close association in the coming years.
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, and the only breakthrough had been with the Suoh twins, 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 Praxeum. 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 Sithspawned 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 her 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. By the time that they left, she had a far greater understanding of how words could be utilised and their patterns than any prior point in her life.
Over the following year, Tarvitz shifted the direction of her training from a broader focus to the use of her skills in combat. The two could not have been less alike, and Sirra simply had no hope of following his fighting style. Lacking the sheer size and physical strength that befitted his nature as a brawler, she was only able to adapt a few of his abilities to her fighting style. As such, sparring lessons began to emphasize how to exploit weaknesses in larger opponents and to create openings amid their attacks. Sirra relished the opportunities these provided, as they offered her a chance to do more than merely flee and indirectly fight back against her enemies. As their sparring gradually escalated, utilising Force powers of various forms along with a variety of weapons, Sirra could sense an underlying feeling of unease within Tarvitz. The exact reason behind this was unclear to her, as she was following his every lesson and overcoming the challenges presented before her. Having spent almost a decade absorbing the thoughts of Nar Shaddaa's murderers and thieves, the fact that she retained any degree of stability was a miracle unto itself. However, without the rigid mental discipline and training that other Force users benefitted from, it was clear that those experiences could overwhelm her entirely. In his eyes, she could all too easily fall to the Dark Side if pushed too far.
In the following lessons, Tarvitz attempted to encourage restraint and control with mixed results, as Sirra frequently focused upon quickly ending a fight at the cost of all else. The idea of bringing in someone alive, let alone unharmed, was proving to be a challenge. More often than not she simply could not understand why he might desire such a thing, especially when there was no direct benefit to her. Knowledge could be gained through delving into the minds of others, supplies could be gathered from the bodies of enemies, and if they were dead they were not likely to become a threat to her. Nevertheless, Tarvitz continually attempted to encourage means besides outright murder as a direction for her skills. They were to be tested far sooner than either could have ever expected.
Thirteenth Great Jedi War
The Thirteenth Great Jedi War came as a surprise to many within the Clan. A meeting established between representatives of the Collective, Brotherhood and the enigmatic Severian Principate seemed at first to be a matter which would not directly involve them. The clans were required to support this action as a sign of solidarity - even if Clan Odan-Urr itself regarded its ruling Council with distrust and contempt - and military might if required. Sirra only knew fragments of this from surface thoughts, and many essential details were entirely lost on her. However, the opportunity to take revenge upon the Collective was something she desired above all else. The death of the cyborgs on Nar Shaddaa had merely been a token victory and, so far as Sirra was concerned, she and her new friends would not be safe so long as they lived.
Even with her hunger for combat, Odan-Urr was directed toward more humanitarian efforts as the conflict broke out. Deploying their troops to the primary colony moon within the system, the Odanites worked to secure and rescue the populace surrounding its vast mining hub. Sirra urged Tarvitz to lead them into battle several times, but he intentionally kept her away from the fighting, and instead offered her a challenge: To use her innate familiarity of subterranean environments and her Force powers to find those trapped and rescue them. He framed this as a greater challenge than any sparring match than him, which Sirra took to heart as a chance to prove herself. Between her abilities, Telepathy, and psychometry, she was able to pinpoint and rescue those separated in the fighting, or buried beneath cave-ins caused by the relentless combat. By the time they withdrew, Sirra had helped to gather and locate far more of those from the surrounding area than some entire groups.
Over the course of several hours, the Odanites withdrew to the surface and were forced to take a holding position. Their transport had been lost under enemy fire and, with more hostiles closing in with every passing minute, they were slowly being pinned down and surrounded. Rescue only came in the closing minutes of the battle, when a transport from Clan Arcona was diverted to the Odanites' position and offered them safe passage out of the system. Clan Odan-Urr was able to escape with relatively few casualties, having saved the lives of several hundred miners and their families. The experience of the battle and the lesson within was something that Tarvitz tried to impress upon Sirra several times as they returned to Kiast, outlining how the preservation of lives was more important than merely ending them. Sirra had difficulty accepting the idea of this, but these efforts had given her a different sense of accomplishment to any past victory. The spark of joy, of appreciation from those they had saved, was something wholly alien to her. Sirra would silently dwell on this throughout much of their return flight.
After the Odanite Expeditionary Force was able to regroup and withdraw back to their home system, they were left waiting for several days on Pharos station as small musters of troops were permitted into the Kiast system at a time. No longer isolated from the clan, Sirra was granted the opportunity to better communicate with the combatants of Odan-Urr and a few individuals that she would have otherwise been encouraged to avoid. Most lacked anything of interest to her, save for one whose memories proved to be oddly familiar. Drawn to his thoughts of smuggling contraband, Sirra was able to create an odd link between herself and Ethan Martes, and the two entertained one another through (often one-sided) conversations. While Tarvitz was busy using his powers to heal wounded troops, Martes took it upon himself to teach her few details he felt were essential to her wellbeing. Lying, cheating, and stealing were among these, but one especially curious subject was that of Pazaak. Sirra had seen such card games before but they had never made any degree of sense to her. Martes began to explain the rules, details, and ideas as best he could, before realising that he would need to start at the very beginning. In a move that no one would have expected, Martes became Sirra's first teacher of basic mathematics, using his cards to explain addition and multiplication to her.
Among Her Own Kind
Several days after their return home, Tarvitz left Sirra in the care of the Praxeum once more. He seemingly had other business on a distant world, but he refused to bring her with him. She asked him, all but begging, to be brought on his next mission but he insisted that she remain here. Sirra only gained fleeting glimpses of a far greater plan that he had in mind, but he did not offer anything or substance or even a basic explanation. However, his insistence that she remain within the Praxeum was at least in part an effort to challenge Sirra to improve. She was still a hunter, still someone who had experienced things that most adults thrice her age would not need to endure. However, the fact that she would far more easily connect with far older individuals than anyone her age was a sign of concern for him. Tarvitz wanted Sirra to at least somewhat experience what it was like to live a relatively normal life, and to experience some happiness. That meant being surrounded by other Padawans, and seeing into the thoughts of other children.
Although unhappy at Tarvitz's decision and silent throughout much of her early months in the Praxeum, Sirra did manage to strike up a few odd friendships with others her age. Although strained due to both the language barrier between them and her willingness to resort to violence, a few personal adventures still offered her a means to form a few tenuous connections with the others. Through them, she at least felt the enthusiasm and optimism of younger minds, and was given some insight into brighter emotions. This eventually led to a rather unfortunate misadventure involving hunting for a mascot gizka.
After the hunt and with little reason to remain, Sirra would return to the Suoh homestead for a time and spend several weeks with Adenn and Xin. Faux hunts and time spent in the surrounding forests helped Sirra to refine and regain some of her talents for hunting and hiding from others. Even if these meetings could turn violent, leaving one another with bruises, it was enough to help her quickly bond with Adenn while Xin's farsight and understanding a step removed from normality gave them a link she had yet to fully gain beyond Celevon.
The Kiast Uprising
After several weeks of travel, Tarvitz returned once more. Sirra spent some time venting at him for leaving her behind, but could not wholly deny that the experience had not been worthwhile. The two spent some time reconciling - largely through practice sparring - but before he could begin training them once more they were called to investigate a possible disturbance on the Vatali homeworld of Kiast. Sirra did not wholly understand why they were being tasked to investigate this, or what the concern truly was, but Tarvitz offered it as a challenge to her skills. Joining him, Essik Lyccane and a pale skinned woman with some telepathic capabilities, they traveled to the settlement of Foothold and began investigating the area. Sirra was left with admittedly little to do in this time, save for getting on the nerves of the newcomer, and only played a part once night fell upon the township. After pinpointing a gathering of individuals to a warehouse on the outskirts of Foothold, Sirra was sent to infiltrate and monitor those within. Maintaining telepathic contact with the blue woman - or Rhan, as she was apparently known - Sirra was able to broadcast details of the meeting back to the group, covering both their inner thoughts and their voiced concerns.
What little that Sirra made sense of implied a bid of freedom of some form, but it had clearly set the others on edge. No sooner had she returned than the group moved to another part of town, and departed for the Clan's holdings with all speed. She remained largely in the dark over the following weeks, but what she had seen clearly concerned the others. Both Essik and Tarvitz attempted to pass on the implications of what she had seen and the wider concerns of these actions, but she still struggled to fully come to terms with the situation. It was only when Rhan condescendingly broke down the situation into more animalistic comparisons that Sirra was able to follow their meaning. This was nevertheless concerning, as Sirra soon found herself questioning if she was on the right side given the apparent values of their enemies. The concern remained with Sirra for days following the outbreak of conflict, and even after she was selected to carry out a mission to disable an enemy threat.
As one of the most capable stealth operatives within their ranks, and suiting the mission thanks to her smaller size, Sirra was tasked with reaching the mines beneath Cainstead and collapsing them. The settlement had been a major power bankrolling the more violent efforts of the Quorahi uprising and its mines were a major source of that income. By using seismic charges, the Clan hoped to at least temporarily stall any uprising attempts if their money was forced to repair the mines and recover from a seemingly freak cave-in. Clambering up the mountainside with a seismic charge strapped to her back, Sirra was able to infiltrate the base without trouble. Yet, upon realising that others were active in the mine outside of their planned work shifts, she chose to trigger a fire alarm and drive out the workers before the weapon detonated. This resulted in her cover being blown and quickly being forced to engage the local Quorahi militia. A lucky shot struck Sirra in the chest as she fled, passing through her body just below her heart as she leaped off of the mountainside. Only Tarvitz's intervention ensured her survival, but this left her in a healing coma for some time.
Under the Raven's Banner
Sirra awoke in a bacta tank some weeks after her injury, only regaining consciousness after her body had all but completely healed itself. Although pained by the new scar for some days after this, she nevertheless made a full recovery. Even with the trauma, the wound had barely impacted Sirra, but it had left Tarvitz in a dark mood. He blamed himself for multiple failures as her teacher, and for encouraging her to avoid taking lives no matter the cost to herself. She was able to secretly glean these details, and soon understood why he was passing her training onto Rhan. This hardly impressed Sirra, as the two had disagreed on every subject since her arrival and even casual conversations had hardly been friendly by any standard. She was more concerned that Rhan would fail to understand Sirra's skills and divert them toward an entirely new goal that she was ill-suited for, but Tarvitz would not be swayed on the matter. Even when Sirra attempted to communicate her lack of blame for him, he failed to fully comprehend her meanings.
Sirra rarely enjoyed the lessons she faced against Rhan as she had with Tarvitz. There was a challenge to them, but it seemed to her that Rhan was using them as a mere excuse to beat her in practice bouts over training her to overcome her enemies. Even when Sirra came close to victory, some elements of the environment would shift, or an abrupt change would quickly leave Rhan victorious. This quickly left the two in a bitter state of constant disagreement which often bordered upon a feud. Sirra's skills were improving steadily, but she felt that they were in spite of Rhan's lessons rather than because of them.
A much more successful change came in the form of Celevon. Her other master had been constantly training her all the while, improving her telepathic skills and continuing to expand the way in which she could employ her powers. Beyond reading the minds of people and creatures or passing on memories, he taught her to delve deeper into their memories to retrieve specific information and how to craft entirely new images over emulating existing concepts. Toward the end of 37 ABY, he made an offer to adopt Sirra into his family. She agreed, but with one condition: That Tarvitz visit periodically to keep in contact. It was easy to tell that the Jensaarai was attempting to isolate her from his life, but she had no desire to see him disappear entirely. The Werd'la homestead was situated extremely close to those of the Suoh bloodline, and contact between the Twins and her new family offered some welcome permanence to her life.
This relative stability did not last. Celevon's home was built on a volcanic island and, after months of tectonic instability, the dormant volcano began to spark into life once more. They were forced to abandon Celevon's home by any means possible. Most escaped through the intervention of a transport shuttle, while a number of others were able to flee by clinging onto the one-man aircraft belonging to certain family members. Mere months after joining them, Sirra found herself without a home once more. With few other choices, she moved into The Fang and took up permanent residence there.
Fire and Ice
Sirra's enjoyment had stemmed from the relative isolation and nature of Celevon's home. Although unconcerned with the cold, there was little escape from Rhan's constant lessons, each of which was less training than they were opportunities to have her fail. What's more, rather than an island teeming with life, her home was now an isolated crumbling castle that was bereft of life. Besides the occasional creature that emerged within its halls, it was bereft of other minds to hear and examine. Worse still were the strange oddities. More than once Sirra felt as if she was being constantly watched, or being questioned without anything substantial emerging in her mind. She could never pinpoint the origin, nor even discern the nature of the questions, but they were always there. Efforts to communicate this with Rhan, or even Tarvitz, were met with failure.
Changes began to emerge as House Sunrider became active as a peacekeeping force, and worked to enact policing operations throughout the galaxy. Even though he had left Sirra to be trained by Rhan, and soon even taken on a new apprentice in the form of Elyon de Neverse, Tarvitz often brought her with him on these missions. The first of these, a hostage situation on Felucia, was easily accomplished. Sirra was at home among the hostile jungles, and the compound that they were tasked with infiltrating was easily breached. Within hours of their arrival, the entire facility had been breached and much of its staff taken alive. Yet it was the second mission, one to the moon of Dorumaa, that proved to be a true challenge. The moon was covered by vast oceans and teeming with life of every size and form. Sirra had been exposed to aquatic life before in her lessons with Rhan, but they paled before this experience. It opened her eyes to the true immensity of the galaxy, and the sheer diversity of life which dominated its worlds. Sirra's role in their operation wasn't one of direct engagement, but to instead contact and then control one of the vast whales that navigated its oceans. The creature's mind was ancient and Sirra found herself having to guide its instincts over true control, but she was able to briefly take over the animal and use it in their plan. It was a far greater act of control than anything she had accomplished before that time, but Sirra did not equate this newfound power to Rhan's lessons. With the growing hostility between them, she was simply unwilling to credit her current tutor with any real accomplishment.
Upon their return, Sirra continued her lessons with Rhan. Her efforts were bolstered by a new boldness that the experience had encouraged, and pushed to more creatively apply her abilities to new solutions. While Rhan offered warnings in response to this, she did not level criticisms against these victories or chastise the application of Sirra's powers. Yet every accomplishment brought with it only new barriers, and Rhan seemed to use them as an excuse to place ever more difficult tasks before Sirra. This, unfortunately, served to quickly erase any understanding between the two and reinforced Sirra's feelings of animosity toward her Master.
Matters were only made more troubling with the arrival of new visitors to the Fang. Sirra remained out of sight, watching and listening out of personal curiosity. Many of the visitors showed sparks of potential, their minds humming with a stronger connection with the Force that was untapped and unrefined. Yet Tarvitz and Rhan showed signs of discontent upon their visit. Even after they accepted the group and allowed them to remain, Sirra kept at a distance, only briefly speaking with those few that showed telepathic potential and contacting them in fleeting meetings. She was met with the same problems as before, and struggled to limit herself to what they could comprehend. Yet through a combination of images, emotions, and choice words, she was able to hold brief conversations with certain members.
Sirra soon found that these new arrivals were not treated with the same lessons that Rhan reserved for her; bereft of seemingly impossible tasks or endless challenges. Although she felt some resentment at this apparent favouritism, she soon came to understand that this was simply a matter of first teaching them founding lessons over more advanced techniques. On a few occasions, Sirra was asked to serve as an assistant in training those who showed a similar talent for stealth or broadcasting imagery into the minds of others. This did much to help remove the barriers between herself and the newer students, even those that mistook her lack of communication for dulled intelligence.
It was at this time that others arrived to further reinforce the castle. A towering droid by the name of Orion emerged, seemingly given the task of guarding and ordering the Fang's archival history, while Yuki Suoh had been recruited as a medic. Sirra had met Yuki before through Celevon, but Orion proved to be an enigma to her. A dislike of droids coloured her perception of the librarian, but she made some effort to avoid hostility between the two.
Hearthguard
Word eventually reached the Jensaarai that a new war had erupted, this time about the world of Arx. Having somehow managed to bypass every defence placed in their path and once more simply shrugging off losses which would have crippled most governments, the Collective was now besieging the planet. As the capital of the Brotherhood, Rhan, Tarvitz, and Yuki were oathbound to answer its defence, but they could not leave the Fang unguarded. With no other choice left to them, duties were split between Sirra and Orion. She was to guard and train the students until their return, while Orion was to see to the wellbeing of the castle. Tarvitz took the time to constantly explain and outline this arrangement until Sirra fully understood the nature of their departure and their importance. He also took the time to make it clear that she was not being abandoned or denied the chance to utilise her skills. They simply needed someone who could be trusted to continue their work until they returned. Sirra was uncertain of the truth in this, but she accepted it with a little persuasion.
As the adults departed, Sirra took to teaching others in any skill or technique that their more traditional lessons had not covered. Often this returned to the subject of survival and building upon Tarvitz's lessons of breaking rules, while others attempted to further explore Rhan's teachings about telepathy. Teaching was not one of Sirra's talents, and she struggled to effectively communicate certain points without simply broadcasting images into their minds. It wasn't long before she was challenged by an older figure, a Mirialan, who felt insulted that someone younger was attempting to train him. With neither of them able to fully understand the other, this quickly turned into a fight and then a brawl. At several years her senior, strongly muscled, and with an advantage in height, the Mirialan had expected an easy victory. This ended with the man lying wheezing on the ground, brought low by a savage kick between his legs after she had telepathically warped his senses. This could have easily turned into a full-scale brawl, but Sirra was able to quickly placate the students with offers to show them how to overcome his mistakes and to win such seemingly unfair fights.
Sirra's particular talents would be put to the test sooner than any of them would have expected. In spite of its substantial defences, intruders soon stalked the battlements of the Fang. Their identities and allegiances were unknown, but it rapidly became clear that they were intent upon killing all who lurked within its walls. Leaving Orion to pick off those on the building's exterior and ordering the other students to remain within their rooms, Sirra began to hunt those that had dared to intrude upon her home. Picking them off a few at a time, she targeted isolated groups or pairs, quickly killing one of their number before withdrawing into the darkness. Over the course of the night, she preyed upon the fears, allowing paranoia and terror to overwhelm any sense of discipline. Snuffing out lights and leaving bloody hints of her work, she used their growing terrors as a beacon to home in on their locations throughout the castle. All the while the Fang itself seemed to help her, dividing their numbers, causing rooms to suffer flash-freezing effects to isolate them, and giving ghost readings to fool their equipment.
With so many people at risk and knowing at a single mistake would result in her death, Sirra did not hesitate to kill those she found. Each met their death with swift single strikes, their lives brought to an end before they realised she was upon them. None of them saw just who it was that was hunting them. Half-heard whispers echoed in the back of Sirra's mind all the while, encouraging her to drive out the intruders and make them an example to any who would threaten this place. By dawn the next day, there were only two survivors. The first, the leader, took his own life in a final act of desperation rather than share the fate of his men. The other was a Nexu that they had brought as a hunting beast. Abused and ill-treated, Sirra opted to instead pacify the animal. Guiding it into one of the rooms once left as a stable, kept it isolated and under control until the Jensaarai returned.
The Necropolis Ceasefire
Sirra's actions were met with a divisive range of opinions. While some wished to laud Sirra for single-handedly defeating the intruders, her current master instead reacted with horror. Kept distant from the discussions that followed between her masters, Sirra listened in and read the Nautolan's emotions, feeling the mix of disgust, disappointment, and regarding the kills as a failure. When her lessons continued once again, Rhan sought only to caution and further limit Sirra's use of reliable abilities in her tests. Once again she found herself facing near-impossible tasks, or being seemingly encouraged to face those that were utterly alien to her. The images that she gained in trying to speak with Rhan were those of towering dark armoured monstrosities and tyrants, or less coherent visions of potential ideas above all else. As Rhan continued to talk with Tarvitz in private and the Jensaarai further distanced himself from her training, Sirra began to grow increasingly suspicious of her master. When a few stray images implied that they wished to remove or even outright kill the Nexu that she had pacified, Sirra freed the creature and disappeared with it into the surrounding wastes.
Navigating her way through the Sea of Blades via the traces of creatures left within the snow, Sirra was easily able to traverse into the open plains. Hunting and killing a number of the creatures drawn to the Fang, she learned from them in the same manner as her first tutors. Leeching off of their stray memories, instincts, and thoughts, the girl was able to readily adapt to the freezing environment. Taking shelter within one of the subterranean caverns, Sirra tested herself against the hostile environment and readily adapted to life there. Harsh, brutal, and where mistakes could easily result in death, it was little different from the undercity of her home. It was only when the Nexu began to show signs of suffering in the extreme cold that Sirra returned to the Fang. Although she was reprimanded for her actions, Rhan was too tied up in her personal projects to truly devote time to this effort. Instead, she was largely threatened with the removal of the Nexu unless it was given a name and properly kept under control. Much like her own choice, Sirra picked the name for the feline purely at random, eventually settling on Severen.
Sirra remained largely in the background as Tarvitz and Rhan worked to restructure their enclave in the wake of new threats, and pushed for new training regimes. Recognised largely as someone who would not fully fit in with their new doctrine of group training, she continued training largely under Rhan but was also used to test less capable groups of students. Engaging them in hunting games, she was typically either designated a target and required to be overcome or someone they were required to guard an objective against. Yet at every turn, even when she pushed to teach the other students rather than simply beat them, the only reaction from Rhan was one of continual disappointment. Frustrated at this, Sirra began to wonder if only constant failure would satisfy her master and her resentment quickly grew. Matters quickly became worse, when Rhan singled her out to help with an off-world operation. Still retaining an intense dislike for space travel, this already set Sirra on edge before she even fully understood what the operation required.
Without a willing mind to focus upon, the silence of the journey frayed upon Sirra's nerves. Meditative trances served as a fleeting distraction, but any active period brought about feelings of constant unease throughout the long hyperspace jump. Matters only became worse after she learned of their intended destination - A remote and vast derelict graveyard of ships. Barren of almost all life and bereft of an atmosphere save for what little was left within the vessels, her task was to help Rhan with ferrying components that her master identified as useful to their cause. Sirra held no obvious skills for this, only enhancing her feelings of animosity as she became increasingly reliant on Rhan's direction and continually made errors. Worse even than the silence were the memories written into the metal of the hulks, each etched with the last moments of crews before they had been killed. Resentful and bitter, Sirra's feelings of contempt finally boiled over in their last days on the site.
As Rhan once again seemingly pushed her, trying to encourage Sirra to follow her example, she lashed out. Telepathically hammering against Rhan's defenses, she channeled past feelings and older memories in an effort to fuel her attacks. Sirra took the upper hand, catching the older woman by surprise and pushing her back with every effort. Rhan, by comparison, sought to undermine Sirra's resolve and weaken her offensive capabilities. The brawl would drag on for hours, eventually resulting in Rhan's victory as experience won out over raw talent. However, it was obvious that the fight had been much needed. As she broke past Rhan's defences, Sirra caught glimpses of what her master had intended with each lesson, and the fears of what Sirra's abilities might lead to. At the same time, it was obvious that she had constantly misread the emotions behind Sirra's aggravated behaviour, and better understood the reasoning. While animosity remained between them, it was enough for a truce to be declared between the two, and for them to gradually open up to what the other had been saying. While it was unlikely that either would become friends, they returned to the Fang with a greater sense of unity along with their salvaged equipment.
Voices of the Stone
Upon their return, Rhan was soon forced to concentrate once more upon her wider duties. As proof of her stronger trust in Sirra, she granted the girl free reign to travel among the castle as she willed and reassociate herself with the surroundings. After the lengthy time spent in relative isolation on the ship, the opportunity was welcome, both to examine how the Fang had changed in her absence and to quietly readjust to the sound of so many voices. Returning once more to wandering the halls, Sirra soon put her mind to exploring the outer reaches of the castle. She did so as much out of curiosity as a quiet drive to pin down a particular new "voice" underlining the telepathic backdrop of the students' thoughts. While not a singular series of coherent thoughts or even a conscious series of emotions, the background feel of something more had become a notable presence since her return.
When she approached others of this, the mention was made of new items that Tarvitz had retrieved during his travels and the fact most were connected with the Force. Yet this feeling had never occurred even during previous relics rescued in past ventures, nor had there been any definitive changes in the environment. Sirra remained half-conscious of this as a background presence and quietly hunted for the origins on multiple occasions, but was never able to effectively pin down its original source. Over the following weeks, Sirra made an ever-increasing point of searching for the cause, sometimes to the point of roping other students into her efforts. She was unable to shake the impression that her actions were being constantly observed, and somehow even encouraged.
Seeking to further her understanding and to better secure the help of others, Sirra began redoubling her efforts to learn Basic, seeking to expand her ability to hold conversations and examine written texts. Celevon remained her primary tutor in these matters, but Rhan soon joined in assisting with such efforts. Taking the time to educate Sirra in the use of explosives, she used the written details as a new guideline in recognizing certain terms and symbols. Before long, Sirra could readily pick out those associated with chemicals and warnings.
It was also during this time that Sirra finally accepted a surname. With Tarvitz refusing his own to prevent her being tied to his fate, and having no desire to use the clan name of her biological parents, she instead accepted the designation Werd’la. After the way in which Mandalorians form their groups was explained to her, and the meaning behind the name, it seemed like the most obvious choice to accept; especially with her adoptive family taking it as their own for reasons she had yet to understand.
The Haunter of the Dark
Still exploring the abandoned reaches of the Fang for some weeks, Sirra was able to gradually help map out a number of previously inaccessible areas. Some were poorly understood, while others were in such a state of decay that it was estimated that they would need to be reconstructed from scratch. Rhan expressed some frustration at this, but made it clear to Sirra that she appreciated her efforts and these were focused purely upon the castle.
Before further plans could be made, a call for help was sent from Kiast. Essik had disappeared from the Fang for some time for reasons unknown to Sirra, but his words brought first reactions of concern and then alarm from the Jensaarai. Rhan and Tarvitz were soon sent hurrying to depart for the planet in a shuttle, bringing Sirra with them for reasons unknown. Tarvitz did his best to explain the exact situation to her, but this largely amounted to her following that there was something old, evil, and extremely dangerous lurking on the planet.
Regrouping with Essik on one of the flying cities that dotted Kiast’s surface, Sirra was given a medallion of tarnished silver to examine. Delving into its history, she was greeted with feelings of screaming hunger, contempt, and a desire to destroy anything that was a threat to it. Were she not guarded against such visions, Sirra would have been overwhelmed. She soon understood why the others had rushed to confront the monster that had once carried this item; it hunted those with a strong link to the Force, but it was so powerful that only Force users could hope to destroy it.
Reading through its memories, she guided them to where it had dwelled for a time, and Essik’s further knowledge led them to an exact location. An escape pod, rusting with age, lay in one area. The bodies of its victims occupied the interior, and every inch of it was tattooed with memories of the creature’s acts. After stealing a piece to gather further information, the others destroyed the remnants of its hideout. After regrouping with others in a governmental chamber and explaining (at least to Sirra’s understanding) that the creature had somehow been a Jedi, they put her skills to good use. Combined with Rhan’s telepathy, they delved back through its memories, learning of how the creature had both arrived on Kiast and partially how it had come into being.
Their effort was successful, but they awoke to find the room under threat. Having guarded the group during this examination, Tarvitz was locked in combat with the abomination and bleeding from multiple wounds. Striking it repeatedly with blows that should have slain it, he was eventually felled and flung away. Both Sirra and Rhan responded with their own attacks, driving it away but leaving Tarvitz in a critical condition. Although her skills were needed, Sirra understood that the creature would focus upon a single prey if given the choice. While the others led a contingent of city guards in a hunt for the creature, Sirra remained to keep watch of Tarvitz as he was held in a bacta tank.
Standing vigil over him for several hours, Sirra was alarmed when she felt an explosion of power from far beneath the city. Countless voices screamed out in release before disappearing, along with a shriek of something crying out in denial. Reaching out, Sirra felt another dying presence almost buried beneath the outburst and rushed for the tunnels beneath the city. Easily navigating them thanks to her upbringing, she soon found Essik's unconscious form. Having somehow killed the creature, he had been left badly broken by the effort.
Although unable to move the Gand, Sirra was able to stabilize him while summoning Rhan for help. This kept him alive long enough for them to move him to the city’s medical facilities. It took days for both he and Tarvitz to recover, allowing Sirra some time to better explore the location, and more openly speak to Rhan now they were on better terms. While limited, their conversations seemed to leave some impact on her. The older woman in turn took time to explain some of the details Sirra had missed, about how the creature had been formed by darkness and sorcery. It was only in this moment that Sirra truly realised just where such uncontrolled emotions could lead, and the monsters that their foes could create.
Although she expected them to return to the Fang, word soon reached them of a new crisis emerging on a distant world. Most raced to rejoin Odan-Urr’s fleet as they were confronted by an old enemy.
The Ruin of Kings
Despite joining the fleet, a dispute between Rhan and the other two members soon caused their group to split. Seemingly more concerned with the safety of the Fang, Rhan was opting to return to their home rather than leave it unguarded. Knowing what had happened last time, Sirra opted to follow her in order to counter any potential assaults or even reclaim the castle if it had been taken in their absence. Thankfully, there had been no harm inflicted upon the walls or its occupants. Rhan soon busied herself with her usual matters and, with no other duties required of her, Sirra returned to exploring the castle and sparring with others.
While training bouts were one of her best sources of entertainment, Sirra noted that she was struggling to keep up with others. Those that she had previously matched or had been able to counter with her own talents were outstripping her physically, and she was lacking in many areas. Even after taking further measures to try and improve upon this, Sirra's strength and stamina were still lacking, causing her to lose several sessions thanks to attrition over skill at arms. Keeping this fact to herself for a time, she instead focused her efforts purely upon exploration, hoping to find satisfaction in these ventures. Travelling further and deeper than ever before, she was guided by the same constant presence toward an area directly above the dungeons. Hidden within a labyrinth of corridors, she found a room guarded on all sides by silver totems and icons.
One wall had seemingly collapsed, allowing her easy entry and finding within it a sword. Broadly structured and curved in its design, it was clearly ancient and yet it looked as if it had been crafted only earlier that day. Sirra could feel echoes of the weapon pulsing through the Force, and caught glimpses of a bloody history even without touching it. Yet for all this, there was none of the same darkness she had felt in the likes of the vampire or fouler creations. Realising that another student could all too easily be brought to the weapon by the same sense, and without any means to block up the collapsed wall, Sirra opted to take it with her. Utilising her cape as a means to avoid touching it, she returned to the surface with the relic. For her part, Rhan soon locked it away until it could be more safely studied, showing equal measures of thanks and concern at this discovery. Although much of her time had been spent contacting others for an unknown means and examining a recently arrived freighter, her spare time had been spent helping to craft and repair new weapons. Some of these - a set of Mandalorian gauntlets - were granted to Sirra as a replacement for her damaged bowcaster.
The Shaper of Flesh
Even as she pushed herself harder, Sirra continued to fall behind her contemporaries, relying ever more upon underhanded tactics or sheer experience to keep an edge. As the others seemed to grow steadily stronger, her own physical and mental capabilities seemed to have plateaued. While staved off for a time thanks to a combination of sheer determination and some creativity, doubt ate away at her personal certainty, making her second guess herself. This finally reached its peak when the same Mirialan student that she had handily defeated months prior was easily able to trounce Sirra in a practice match. Although communicating nothing of this to her peers, it was obvious to those close to Sirra that the stagnation of her progression was badly influencing her performance. For a time some hoped that was all that it was, but the truth was soon revealed. The Fang's newly installed medical droids ran a diagnostic check, confirming that lifelong malnutrition had limited much of Sirra's overall potential. Softer bones, stunted growth, and a far weaker constitution when physically tested would hold back any future progress that she made.
Sirra was able to gain the essential details of this from Rhan, and later on Tarvitz upon his return, but a number of other matters eluded her understanding at first. Celevon was at the core of it, having suggested something that might offset this, but the Jensaarai had reacted with horror at the prospect of what he implied. They argued for some time, heated emotions overriding the clear imagery of what was being suggested, with Tarvitz at least relenting and accepting Celevon's suggestion. Sirra's understanding was further hindered by a growing presence about her, and a constant hammering of voices she could not physically hear, emanating through the surrounding walls. The telepathic noise surrounded her, blocking out her senses, until she could only pick out the barest of details when the three came before her. She understood that what Celevon implied would repair the long-term damage of her childhood, but the fine details and reasons for concern by the others were lost entirely to her. Struggling to think clearly in this matter, she agreed with Celevon's suggestion despite not fully comprehending its meaning.
Taken deep into the innermost halls of the Fang, Sirra was brought before Celevon as he and others drew upon a wealth of knowledge amassed from years within the Brotherhood's clans. The deafening bellow of the Force remained constant in her head as the process was initiated, accompanied by images and a warning of things that she had no context for. By the process' end, she slipped away into unconsciousness, using the last of her strength to broadcast a single image with a sense of danger to it. Days passed before Sirra awoke again, with no memory of what she had witnessed in the Force or her telepathic message, but with her fatigue banished.
A Glimpse through the Doorway
After spending a considerable amount of time unconscious, Sirra began steadily pushing herself once more, trying to test the upper limit of her skills. Intelligent enough not to directly enter training bouts until she was certain of her status, she nevertheless made efforts to test her new limits and make up for lost time. During the early days her most common opponent was Vega of all people, opting even to decline matches against Tarvitz in favour of the droid. This was intended largely to leave herself at a considerable disadvantage, and with the understanding that the Magnaguard would not so readily pull his punches as others might. Communication between the two was difficult, leaving Sirra to primarily learn from her mistakes without direct feedback, but the experience was nevertheless a welcome one. The newfound well of strength allowed her to keep pace in the duel, at least for a considerable amount of time before giving out. It, along with a number of suggestions by Tarvitz, soon became part of a daily routine.
During her recovery, both Rhan and Essik made various attempts to revive her memories, and bring up any information she might offer. While Sirra was wholly cooperative and desired to know what had happened for herself, their efforts proved fruitless no matter their direction or means of coaxing them from her subconscious. During one of Rhan's telepathic contacts, Sirra made the suggestion that it might have stemmed from a trace memory of the chamber that she touched, or even something that had been channelled through her by the ritual or location. Rhan had already considered this, and revealed that neither she or Tarvitz had been able to gain any details of the castle's history, and it was a point of concern for them. In secret, Sirra made an effort to return to the chamber and attempted to read her surroundings. While these revealed the thoughts of those involved - and the fact that none of them were wholly comfortable with the means she had been restored - she was unable to glean anything further from the stonework.
Any plans to further investigate the chamber were soon broken up when Tarvitz approached her with the suggestion of visiting another world. The planet that he had visited shortly after the Shindelgeist investigation held a sizable number of secrets, and Odan-Urr was backing a further expedition there. Sirra immediately volunteered herself before Tarvitz spoke further, already predicting that he had come to her in an effort to jog her memory as they investigated the ruins. To her surprise she was not the only one taken, and among twenty selected to join the expedition in this venture, with Tarvitz justifying it as an educational trip.
Much of the expedition proved to be uneventful, with transportation arranged by the larger clan, and no indications of any threats beyond the local wildlife. Although disconcerted at the knowledge of creatures on the planet that were anathema to the Force, Sirra was nevertheless fascinated by their findings. The ruins held traces of ancient civilisations that had wielded the Force in manners beyond anything she could have imagined, and secrets that made the existing Force sects seem like a pale imitation by comparison. Even with her lifelong connection to the Force and lack of interest in legacies or wider worlds, she was nevertheless awed by some of what it implied about the galaxy. This was only made all the more clear when a mural linking to a portal was found, giving them a gateway to an unknown realm. Though the archaeologists wished to more cautiously examine it, their efforts were interrupted as a sizable mercenary force attacked the base site, having tracked them there. While the Jensaarai made a good showing, the group was outnumbered and severely outgunned by the enemy's air support, and they were forced to take shelter within the portal. No sooner did they enter than they lost consciousness.
Sirra awoke sometime later floating in a void, which soon reshaped itself into a more idealised version of the undercity; one dangerous but blending the elements of Kitast that she had most appreciated. Even so, without a direct connection to the Force and reading no history from the surroundings, Sirra was put on edge. When a being formed of shifting bodyparts appeared, she made an effort to end his life, followed by several more efforts when the first was intercepted. Although Sirra relented, communication between the two proved to be fruitless, as did his efforts to offer her visions of possible futures. Sirra turned this down entirely, ignoring them as they simply hadn't happened. Ever unwilling to be caught up in "What if?" questions and agonizing over possibilities, she turned the being down entirely and simply requested to leave; an act that for some reason impressed the being, revealing itself to be the guard of the place. Although he offered no more answers, she, Tarvitz, and the rest of the expedition were released, with no sign of the mercenaries when they emerged. Tarvitz promised to explain it in more detail once they were done, but appeared bothered over a matter that he refused to discuss.
The Broken Chrysalis
Although Tarvitz remained elusive in offering answers to what he had experienced, he did enough to outline just what the realm had been. Utilising the Force and two glasses of water as an example, he was able to outline to Sirra how places could be hidden away, folding reality in upon itself or utilising energies to form a space too large to fit in a space of its exterior dimensions. It was enough for Sirra to follow, and easily accept given what she had seen throughout her life. In the same way that the Force was hidden to more mundane senses or history could be written into a subject's surface through memories, greater powers could be utilised to form more tangible connections and anchor them into reality. The concept was fascinating to someone who had spent so many years on the run or hiding from more powerful foes, and was disappointed to find that none alive supposedly knew how to form such realms. However, it helped to spark a greater interest in the sorcery that the others wielded, and its wider applications in forming objects or enhancing their surrounding environments.
Expanding upon what Rhan had taught her, Sirra spent considerable amounts of time in the Fang's archives. Her focus was spent on a variety of works detailing the ways in which the Sith utilised this method to enhance themselves, and how the Jensaarai had adapted it without falling to the same level of corruption. Upon learning of the subject of Sithspawn, she quickly understood to some degree just why the others had been so reluctant to allow Celevon to go ahead with his plan, and the examinations that followed. Although irritated that the others had not openly explained this concern, the risks involved were undeniable. As the weeks drew on, Sirra found herself suffering from abrupt losses in stamina and lengthy bursts of energy, and even brief periods in which her flesh reshaped itself about a rapidly growing skeleton. She began catching up with those that had surpassed her, but found that the focus of any training bout moved toward control and precision of her movements over enhancing her existing skills.
Sirra's unstable state meant that she missed on a sizable number of operations other worlds, but was recruited into the mission to confront one of Tarvitz's old enemies. A death cult venerating the worst aspects of the Mandalorian Crusaders had arisen from its apparent destruction, and was threatening a settlement that Tarvitz had protected. Seeing it both as a test of the students' skills and a chance to end a threat, almost the Fang's entire complement of Jensaarai were dispatched on the mission. Most were dispatched to defend the primary settlement and draw them in, but Sirra was granted the duty of operating alone and silencing their scouts. Hiding among the arid environment, she was able to ambush and kill many even without the use of the Force, slitting throats and killing others with close-range shots. In each she saw thoughts of only bloodshed, imprinted upon them by a harsh training regime that had stripped them of anything besides their role as a living weapon. It was another reflection of a path she could have easily travelled, and allowed her to more easily slay them as their bloodlust made them careless. Two dozen died before the battle began, and once it was joined she remained on the outskirts, killing many as they tried to coordinate the attack, and then manage their retreat.
Hour of the Wolf
The success of the group's mission was met with jubilation, and it was seen as a sign of the Jensaarai reaching their intended goal of true protectors. Along with displaying a martial prowess that they had long trained toward, it also confirmed that they were capable of working effectively as a combined army. Sirra worked to hunt down and either capture or kill the remainder of their number trapped on the planet, while Rhan enacted another stage of their plan elsewhere. The details of this were unknown to Sirra, along with the involvement of another group of Jensaarai, but there was no immediate alarm or even concern from anyone involved. Because of this Sirra instead dealt with the matters in front of her, leaving whatever that situation was to those best informed.
After the victory there was a period of relative peace in the Fang, with Rhan and Essik both disappearing frequently to pursue their own objectives. Rhan in particular dealt with frequent communications and the transfer of certain items, typically asking Sirra to assist them with tracking down and moving certain key objects. While dull for the most part, it was an excuse for Sirra to find out more of what was taking place, tapping into stray thoughts and picking out essential information. Yet it was during this that she began to notice growing disturbances within thee castle. These were not sounds, emotions, or even memories, but the awakening presence that seemed simultaneously vast in its power but simpler than any sentient mind. Concerned about the growing presence and how it was intensifying, Sirra began making concerted efforts to track it, attempting to pinpoint the source. Disappearing for days and even weeks at a time, she travelled ever deeper into the castle's innards, hoping to pinpoint the source but met with no luck. A growing feeling of constant dread accompanied the presence, but she was surprised when no others indicated that they could feel it either. Tarvitz did not wholly believe her, but was clearly equally unease, and asked Sirra to remain close in the coming days.
During a period where Essik had departed to deal with his own matters, Rhan returned with a potential breakthrough on the Fang's origins. She did not speak of the matter immediately, wishing to investigate it before speaking on the matter. This was dropped, but what little that Sirra picked up from Rhan's unguarded mind put her on edge. As such, during the late evening, she took to sleeping fully clothed and with her weapons at the ready. This proved prudent when the whisper of the presence she felt rose to a constant roar. Departing from her room and hiding herself from the Force, she watched as the Fang turned upon the occupants, unleashing wild animals upon them, twisting corridors into an endless maze, and altering temperatures in a constant blend of endurable and freezing that shifted every other second. Sirra worked to pacify a number of the animals, but sensed that several students were being dragged away, alive but unconscious. Fearing what might become of them, Sirra silently followed them and began reading the constant flow of images and messages that filled the either, seemingly emerging from the surrounding walls.
Sirra was unable to understand much of it, but made vague messages and contacts as she probed it for information, until realising something of the presence's nature. It wasn't a truly sentient mind, or even an organic one. It was the Fang itself, partially awakening and acting under ancient orders. This ended as a group led by Rhan and Tarvitz breached the lower levels that Sirra had followed them to, down into the deep dungeons that they had previously blocked off. Broadcasting what she had seen while not fully understanding it, Sirra worked with Rhan to follow images to shut down the castle. With Tarvitz fighting to buy them time, they used the sword that had been found to drive the castle into a slumber, blunting its attacks. With its attacks halted and it back under control, they were able to communicate with it and understand the past months of activities. The castle was a prison, established to house and guard a Dark Jedi thousands of years ago by his rivals. It had fallen dormant without minds to contact and fuel it, until the Jensaarai had arrived. As more of them established themselves there and drew upon aggression, it slowly regained its strength. It had tried to communicate with Sirra repeatedly, identifying her as the most viable Dark Jedi present both thanks to her murderous nature and then the enhancements spawned by sorcery. Although not openly hostile to the group, it was nevertheless a threat, and its older orders could not be overwritten.
With its nature revealed and no way to oppose it, the order was given to evacuate the Fang. Several students had died in the fighting, along with almost all of the security droids, and no one had any wish to see a repeat of that mistake. In a bitter twist of irony, as they were freeing the students imprisoned within the dungeons, they came upon the cell where the prisoner had been held, and found that it was empty.
Returned to Embers
The retreat saw the group returning to the town of Steepmouth to gather themselves. With Tarvitz and Rhan arguing over their next move, Sirra arranged with the others to maintain some cohesion in the wake of the battle. As some rested or tended to the wounded, others made an effort of establishing a small perimeter around the ships, and investigated the local area. Sirra, hiding her presence through the Force, examined the local town to gauge their potential hostility toward the Jensaarai. To her surprise, most of them were more uneasy at the reason for their arrival over their presence, with several families having blood relatives among their ranks. Even having read so many accounts of the reformations among the Jedi and efforts to correct the isolation of their members, retaining that link was nevertheless a shock, and she realised the benefits of it. Although often cited as a weakness, it granted them a level of support and direct connection that would be a natural strength.
Essik returned from his own operations during this time and joined in the arguments, but seemed frustrated. Sirra could see other thoughts playing through his head, relating to an entirely different matter from what was taking place there, but she could not glean specifics without intruding upon his consciousness. Remaining outside of the argument, she learned of the decision only by the end: Most of the Jensaarai would be given the opportunity to follow Rhan to an allied location and continue there. Others, those who opted to stay, would be helped to hide and continue their ways by Tarvitz. Sirra naturally opted to remain with Tarvitz, and quietly convinced a number of similar students to do the same. These were picked primarily due to their skills and those considering staying, but several were also those she knew had bolstered morale in the past and would serve to anchor the group. By the end, a small but effective number of Jensaarai remained.
As Tarvitz helped to negotiate and arrange for lodgings, Sirra helped them to avoid detection and to survive. Going beyond even what they had been taught before, she offered a variety of means and manners for survival that they had previously overlooked and even avoided entirely for the risk of crossing a line. While several were encouraged as a last line of protection in the name of survival, they were nevertheless a means to help endure another threat that could come close to annihilating them. This continued for some months until they were acclimatised in the township, and Essik had found the group a new home on a sizable transport ship.
Unfortunately, it was during this time that Sirra was forced to give up Severen to a location suited for handling abused and violent animals. The Nexu had adapted to the colder weather, but there was simply no way it could be kept under control or healthy on a moving transport vessel. Sirra was tempted to depart the ship to remain with it, but opted to stay with the Jensaarai on the promise she would be given the chance to return and visit the feline predator.
The Empty Frontier
Adapting to life on a ship was extremely trying to Sirra, especially as she had grown to love spending time on Solyiat's various continents. Returning once more to spending much of her time with few to no minds to communicate with, and the same interior of a vessel to prowl through, she was driven to vent more and more of her frustration in sparring matches against Vega or the others. Although Rhan helped to a degree, stepping in when needed and even giving some meditation rituals to distract herself, it was only a partial solution. Time on planets were limited, and even then they were granted few opportunities to fully explore any of them. Sirra was often at the forefront of any required task as a means to escape the ship, volunteering for any duty to see the world beyond its walls and sense new minds. The others quickly granted this leeway as much for their own peace of mind as for Sirra's sake, even if their landings were usually fleeting at best.
The visit to the planet of Merrivale was their first major landing since gaining the ship, almost three months into their travels. Sirra departed with a number of the others but, realising that the world was closer to her home of Nar Shaddaa than any they had seen in its culture, grew curious enough to go exploring. Keeping to the shadows and hiding from mundane sight, she found stark differences between her home and that of this world. There was lawlessness there, but loyalty among certain members. Key rules, a clear structure beyond simple violence, and recognised leaders. While much of what she knew remained, the place retained a soul and a sense of safety absent in the undercity. Though more of a curiosity than a true revelation, it helped to confirm to her how places of savagery could evolve into the societies she had seen.
It was during this travel that Sirra found that she was being followed by a series of individuals. Employing several means to try and escape them, they continued to track her, even finding her through the Force. Cornering Sirra in a place that risked heavy collateral damage if a fight broke out, she was eventually abducted and held by them, before being thrown into a cell alongside a number of other individuals. Sirra was quick to recover, and felt the others about her more clearly through the Force than those in the city. Most were children, younger even than her, though a small handful of badly beaten adults were among them. Recognising them as those similar to the students in the Fang, Sirra was able to encourage a few of them to assist her in lifting the bars enough for her to slide free. Killing two guards, she returned with keys and began letting them loose. Although Sirra attempted to communicate that they should follow her, returning to the ship Rhan owned, each opted to disappear once more into the city. Sirra stayed for a short time more, trying to get more information from their captors, but what little she could discern from the items and bodies was contradictory, even after reading the history imprinted into them.
She returned in time to join Tarvitz in the fight against their enemy, with Rhan returning shortly after, ending an effort to board and capture their ship. Missing key details on what had happened as she, Vega, and several droids scoured the interior for details on possible sabotage or survivors, she would only learn the truth behind what had happened much later.
The Fifteenth Great Jedi War
With the Yastobaal's return to Kiast, many of the crew split up to pursue their own agendas. Essik and Tarvitz were left largely to follow their own matters, while Rhan stated that she needed to access the Clan's major information archive to pin down essential information. Sirra had been left in the dark about this last point but, after speaking several times with Orion and Vega, came to understand that the issue surrounded recovering droids lost in the Fang's final hours. The point was one of fascination to Sirra, largely as she had considered them to be lifeforms of another means. Death meant death to them so far as she was aware, so to come to terms with how their minds could be stored and then placed into a new form was a revelation to her.
Sirra spent a considerable amount of her time on the ship but, after finding few diversions or work to do, she headed off into the Praxium to revisit how things had changed. This was just in time for the major assault being mounted by a new enemy of the Clan. Armed with crystals of an unknown origin that spread through the Force like an infection, tides of warriors landed and began attacking at the head of undead monsters and with warships dominating the skies. Bastions of the same crystals formed about the area, giving them a means to launch their attacks. Sirra saw them as a plague, a warped version of the Force that she had felt throughout her life, and an unnatural perversion of what was supposed to be there. Secretly departing the Praxium, she began moving through the enemy lines on the outskirts of the battle and began removing any threat she could find.
Moving as she had done against the Mandalorian cult, Sirra picked off stragglers, scouts and those working against the Clan's right flank. While careful to avoid the vast hordes where her skills would be of little use, her dagger found the throats of many groups trying to probe their defenses. She found that their bizarre armour plating, glass-like and jagged, was resistant to any forms of attacks, and fell back on training to pinpoint weak points and create openings. Although she had little success in hunting their monsters, she could tell that each was hollow. Her attempts to take control of them or turn them on their owners had little success, and there was no instinct or guidance left to them. This removed any mercy when it came to ending the lives of those threatening her home.
Odan-Urr's troops eventually won out, helped by the arrival of its naval elements over the battlefield. Driving back the Children, they disappeared into some unknown means, leaving behind only the carnage of their attacks. Not knowing how the others might react given her private decision to arrive at the Praxium without notice or her willingness to operate without their oversight, Sirra kept her role in the battle to herself.
Time Again At Last
In the wake of the attack by the Children of Mortis, each member of the Yastobaal's crew were finding reasons to remain in the Kiast System. Having been away for some time, Sirra took the time to revisit her father and see how things had changed among them, noting his enhanced cybernetics and a number of alterations that he had undergone. With the loss of the Fang, the Wed'la clan had managed to find a new home elsewhere, and they were making efforts to reestablish what had been lost. Along with items already recovered from hidden vaults and equipment bartered by certain means, they had been able to set up a small workshop and expand upon the building they had claimed. Artemis had buried herself in her work, and her relationship with Ruana Suoh had been cemented, with the Pantoran formally joining the clan. Although seeing Ruana as a barrier to the connection she had with Artemis, the positivity of their romance was something she couldn't deny, and Sirra made an effort to give them space.
A welcome distraction soon came in the form of Tarvitz and the Suoh twins. With the volcanic activity that had buried the Suoh homestead a year prior finally calming down, they were seeking to retrieve anything of worth. As they needed an additional pair of hands, Sirra jumped at the chance to join in, and spent the initial two days helping to retrieve and salvage anything of worth. It was a period of relative stillness that was surprising, interrupted only by the return of Yuki Suoh to the ruins. The others were notably on edge, and Sirra was even easily discovered after fading to invisibility, but she could not so easily pinpoint the source of the concern that the others felt. It was only when a contingent of others arrived after her, their minds oddly shaped by an unknown means, that she understood at least some of their caution about the woman.
It was also during this time that Sirra began to learn more of Mandalorian culture, and found aspects of it to her liking. Having experienced some elements indirectly thanks to Celevon, she found concepts such as how its clan were structured, the martial focus of its ways, and even appeal to strength far easier to comprehend than many other ways of life. Seeing a number of key links to her existing worldview, she soon began participating in a number of typical rituals, and asking questions of the local Okami clan. Even so, the main stumbling point she found stemmed from their favour of armour plating and its partial role in their honour code. Believing that the heavy armour plating they favoured would erase her natural strengths, she proved very resistant to accepting it and even tried to find loopholes in the event she more readily embraced their way of life.
A Shadow in Hyperspace
Sirra would only become a part of wider events after some months, being largely left to spend time with her adoptive family while the others in her group pursued their own agendas. Tarvitz made an effort to keep her in contact, but after a botched effort to use S.E.E.R. almost burned out his mind, chose not to have her help investigate a likely pressing threat. At the same time, Rhan was able to track down an old objective, but largely kept Sirra in the dark about details surrounding it, and had her act as a rearguard during a deployment to an unknown world. Although clearly distressed upon her return, the Nautolan refused to speak of what had happened.
While once frustrated at being kept on the fringe of events, Sirra grew to feel as if she was being constantly watched at all times. Even when alone or in moments of sleep, she felt an inexplicable presence on the edge of her thoughts, and something moving close by. For some weeks Sirra put this down to the experiments placed upon her body to restore it, and the dark nature of the rituals that Celevon had delved into. Yet even so, there were too many occasional thoughts and coherent directions for it to be purely her imagination. Sirra tested her limits during this time, trying to gather information on it, or even snatching out telepathically as it emerged, only to force it to withdraw. It would inevitably return again soon, and try to hide itself in the background buzz of lifeforms.
Sirra acted with extreme caution during this time, testing and probing against it, even trying to bait it into a fight. Yet even this proved illusive as it would avoid being pinned down or drawn into a protracted engagement, and Sirra was only ever able to gain fleeting glimpses of vague thoughts over more coherent memories. Even so, the last of these, featuring lights, an ancient tomb, and the half-seen face of a figure, finally produced a clear feeling from the entity: Rage. The thing attacked Sirra telepathically, initiating a powerful assault that Sirra was able to avoid and then strike back. Surprised and not expecting this development, the being made several other failed attempts before withdrawing entirely, issuing a threat or statement in some unknown language.
Having ripped certain details from its mind during the fight, Sirra was able to return both to her father and then Tarvitz. She learned from Tarvitz that he had faced a similar encounter not long ago, and had fared much worse against it due to his limited telepathic abilities. After forcing Tarvitz to admit that isolating Sirra and keeping her away from events was still a failing he needed to correct, the two exchanged information and details through a telepathic link. Although most details were still hazy and extremely incomplete, most were put into a semi-coherent order. From them they found that the images were spaced across centuries if not longer, of blood and fire, and some moments of a great betrayal. Although he attempted to hide it, Tarvitz saw something more, and after briefly attempting to avoid the subject, admitted it had shown him a detail they had lost for some time: The identities of who had been responsible for the assassins dispatched to kill the Fang's students.
Sins of the Sunless City
Even with his confession, Tarvitz remained largely evasive when it came to the subject, but it was clear that what he had found had disturbed him. Although willing to divulge a great deal of information surrounding their identities and the situation, he continued to stave off giving anything definitive. It was only when he slipped up and confessed that the two individuals were Kiffar, that Sirra realised what he had uncovered - Her lost parents were behind the attack.
Cursing himself for letting her know of that detail, Tarvitz admitted that was what he strongly suspected. Those he had seen were members of Clan Vel, and held an extremely strong resemblance to Sirra. He admitted that this complicated matters, but he didn't wish to see Sirra actively hunt down or kill them for their abandonment of her. However, Sirra admitted she had no intention of doing this. Her parents were complete strangers and, while undeniably bitter and hungering to know more of what had taken place on Nar Shaddaa, she was more concerned as to what their link was to the threat they now faced. Yet when Tarvitz pressed her on the point, Sirra expressed far more resentment than she even realised she held. Tarvitz could not give up this lead and Sirra refused not to at least see the people who had abandoned her, and called themselves her parents. After some hours of arguing, a deal was eventually made between them - Tarvitz would use methods of contact to reach them, claiming to know of Sirra and have information about her. Sirra would watch and telepathically observe them, but would not raise any weapon or make any violent act against them.
Posing as someone who had worked at the Fang but not revealing his position in the fortress, Tarvitz arranged a meeting place on Trepus and met with the two in one of the outlying taverns in a township. Watching while cloaked against organic sight, Sirra telepathically scanned each of their minds as Tarvitz spoke, detecting hostility and rage, but burried beneath that was extreme guilt and concern. She was able to gain fleeting details as they communicated, but much of it related more to her own treatment and their absence in her life over anything that could help them. The only detail which did emerge in their minds was of a curious message which contacted them directly, giving them the Fang's exact location, a time in which the teachers would be absent, and even knowing that Sirra would be there to help encourage their financial support. She was able to pick up on detail further, that they had been blinded to certain questions, and had even learned information which was no passed onto them, such as how to contact very specific underworld contacts.
The matter came to an end with an outburst of hostility by Sirra's parents, with her father drawing a blaster on Tarvitz when they felt he was evading their questions. This ended without Tarvitz raising his hand, as Sirra revealed herself before either group could hurt the other. She said little, only giving a terse word of forgiveness for their abandonment of her and that she understood it was a difficult choice, but revealing that Clan Werd'la was her family now. When her father tried to force her into staying and talking, demanding she at least look at them, Tarvitz just as bluntly forced them back. Sirra headed from the building, disappearing into a side alley. Tarvitz would catch up after several minutes, refusing to press her on what she had learned, only telling her to take all the time she needed, and that tomorrow could wait after what she had seen tonight. Sirra remained silent, neither of them speaking further on the matter until returning to the Suoh homestead, before breaking down into tears when finally granted a moment alone.
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 give 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. A large scar from an energy burn is present on her left and right sides, marking where a high power blaster bolt punched through her torso.
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 proved 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.
It was for the same reason that her integration into the Werd'la proved to be a vital stabilizing factor, allowing Sirra to spend her final few years of childhood in a much more healthy environment. Surrounded by those that she could be relatively open with and with a parent that had undergone similar struggles, her mindset was gradually shifted away from the same mindset that could see her grabbing power or easily sacrificing others. Gaining an actual concept of a reliable ally and friend was a vital part of this, along with giving reason to fight for the survival of a group rather than an individual. While still showing an alarming ease when it comes to inflicting death upon others, it is at least a response made for their benefit rather than herself.
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. 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.
For a number of years she carried a Bowcaster, fitted with plasma bolts. This was refitted and reworked for human hands, with an auto-cocking mechanism that rapidly readied the bow for the next shot and a stripped-down build that made it far less cumbersome to carry. Unfortunately, damage during one operation rendered this weapon inoperable. This was replaced by a set of Mandalorian vambraces, both due to their benefits in combatting enemy Force users, and to reflect her acceptance into the Werd'la. The Bowcaster's remains were later used to build the "Jigsaw Gun" alongside the remnants of other rifles. Based upon a weapon carried by one of the Knights of Ren, the design is intended to cover a multitude of ranges from sniper to close-range actions.
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.
Menagerie
Severen
A Nexu, and the sole survivor of a force dispatched to undermine and assassinate the Fang's occupants at their weakest hour, Severen was spared only thanks to Sirra's warped sense of mercy. Peering into the thoughts of every mercenary dispatched into murder those within her home's walls, she was content to kill each of them in turn, utilising their fears to end their lives and broadcasting their final moments into the thoughts of the other intruders. She did so without hesitation or regret, but stayed her hand when it came to the Nexu. Scarred and abused as an attack animal by its owner, Sirra was able to easily pacify its killing instincts and found no justification for ending its life. The creature had been tormented for much of its existence and the simple act of sparing its life and scratching its fur was a greater sign of affection than its previous owner had ever shown.
Managing to argue in favour of keeping the large feline in the wake of the attack, Sirra formed a loose connection with the Nexu and worked to at least somewhat pacify its more hostile tendencies. Giving it the name Severen, largely due to the insistence of those bereft of telepathic skill, she came to utilise the Nexu as a partner in hunts. While effective in battle, a weakness existed in that Sirra was highly reliant upon telepathic communications and control to keep it in line. This would ultimately lead to her releasing the creature from her care following the loss of the Fang. Unable to ensure the safety of others or its well-being following their move to the Yastobaal, Sirra was forced to hand it over to a sanctuary situated in Is Brea that specialised in the care of abused and violent creatures.
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.