Vernestra Rwoh was a Mirialan female Jedi Master who lived during the High Republic Era. She was also occasionally nicknamed "Vern," although she disliked it. Rwoh was the Padawan of Jedi Master Stellan Gios and she was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight at the age of fifteen, making her the youngest Jedi to achieve that rank in a long time. Inspired by a Force vision, Rwoh wielded a unique purple lightsaber that could elasticize its blade to become a lightwhip. Rwoh was aromantic, focusing on her training, and eventually climbed the ranks of the Jedi Order to become a respected Master.

Several months after being knighted, after turning sixteen, Rwoh's first proper Jedi mission was supervising Avon Starros, an aspiring inventor and the daughter of Senator Ghirra Starros, at the remote outpost Port Haileap. However, when Rwoh and Starros joined a party traveling on the starship Steady Wing to the Starlight Beacon, a new space station, the cruiser was bombed, leaving the two of them, Padawan Imri Cantaros, and a few others stranded on the jungle moon Wevo. After facing members of the pirate organization known as the Nihil, Rwoh took Cantaros on as her Padawan. Rwoh, although young for her rank, was devoted to the ideals of the Jedi Order and wished to help others as best she could.

After helping fight off the carnivorous plant-like Drengir on Starlight Beacon, she and her Padawan continued to fight the Nihil during the Jedi's conflict with the group, including facing them during the Valo Atrocity. She later helped take down the Nihil's Gravity well projector space station called the Gravity's Heart, where she received a mysterious hyperspace path from captive hyperspace savant Mari San Tekka. She also embarked on a mission to free several children captured by the Nihil on the planet Dalna, including Starros.

During the Destruction of Starlight Beacon, Rwoh was on Eiram, where she witnessed its fall to the planet's surface. She learned of her former master's death and assumed Cantaros and Starros perished as well when their bodies were not found. Suffering from grief and losing faith in the Jedi Council, Rwoh became a Wayseeker to follow the will of the Force instead. She returned to fighting to search for Cantaros when Starros came to her for help. After locating Cantaros in the Nihil-controlled space known as the Occlusion Zone, Rwoh knighted him before returning to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and sharing what she learned behind enemy lines.

Eventually, Rwoh would train another apprentice, an individual that would come to be known as "the Stranger," who would abandon the ways of the Jedi and align himself with the Sith. Nearly a century after the fall of Starlight Beacon, Rwoh would direct an investigation attempting the solve a string of Jedi murder cases. Though she would uncover that her former apprentice and his acolyte were behind the Jedi deaths, Rwoh would ultimately blame one of the victims—her friend and fellow Master Sol—for the killing spree in order to protect the Jedi Order's reputation in the eyes of an increasingly scrutinous Galactic Senate.

Biography

Early life

Vernestra Rwoh was a Mirialan^[2] female^[2] who was born around the year 248 BBY.^[1] She joined the Jedi Order at a young age,^[9] with her family group celebrating the discovery of her Force-sensitivity.^[2] As a Jedi Initiate, she met a human and fellow youngling named Reath Silas, whom she befriended.^[4]

She eventually became the Padawan of a human male Jedi Master, Stellan Gios.^[2] Assigned to train with him at the Jedi Temple on the planet Hynestia Prime, she arrived a few days early and found Gios and Jedi Master Lynela Kabe-Oyu in the middle of a Force sparring session. After the two Masters excitedly introduced themselves, Gios invited Rwoh to Force spar with him to test the breadth of her skills. Although Rwoh was very hesitant, she went along with it, ending up throwing Gios across the room with the Force as soon as their duel started. Impressed, Gios and Kabe-Oyu decided to invite her to a banquet at the Hynestian royal palace^[8]

When they arrived, Gios explained that the banquet was being held in the hopes of concluding a treaty between the Hynestian royal family and the Hutt Clan. Rwoh soon spotted that Povo Punch—which Hutts could not ingest and considered an insult if served—was being served, forcing Gios to physically stop a droid from delivering punch to the gathered Hutts. However, the punch had been a trick that the Hutts were planning to use as an excuse to attack.^[8]

When the Hutts and their forces attacked anyway, Gios asked Rwoh to use her lightsaber to defend the innocent people, teaching her that a Jedi should protect life unconditionally and assuring her that he did not fight Hutts often. After Master Kabe-Oyu got the royal family to safety, Rwoh offered up a plan to take down the Hutt forces. Leaping onto and off of Gios's shoulder, Rwoh cut down a massive banner with her lightsaber and trapped the Hutt goons beneath it. Although the treaty fell through, Kabe-Oyu and the Hynestian queen Nyla commended Rwoh on her quick thinking, the latter hoping to get to know her more. As Rwoh and Gios walked to a palace balcony, she asked her master why he had not sensed the Hutts' plot, with Gios explaining that they could not only depend on the Force and that there would always be surprises. When Rwoh said she did not like surprises, Gios realized they would work very well together and asked her to teach him the vault she used to stop the Hutt henchmen.^[8]

Protecting a senator's daughter

Vernestra was enough of a prodigy that she eventually attained the rank of Jedi Knight at the age of only fifteen,^[2] making her one of the youngest Knights in a generation.^[3] A few months later, during which time she had turned sixteen, Rwoh, on her first proper assignment, was tasked with taking care of twelve-year-old aspiring inventor Avon Starros while she was at the outpost Port Haileap, under the supervision of the outpost's marshal, Jedi Master Douglas Sunvale. Although Avon's mother, Senator Ghirra Starros, had sent her daughter to the remote spaceport to get her out of trouble and to make her appreciate her life on Coruscant more, Rwoh believed that being at Port Haileap only gave Avon more opportunities to do whatever she wanted. Rwoh liked Avon Starros and found her inventions fascinating, but the two often butted heads because Starros disliked being told what not to do. Starros was accompanied by her protocol droid, J-6. While at Port Haileap, Rwoh had a dream about a new design for her lightsaber which would also allow it to become a lightwhip. After completing the modification that very night, Rwoh kept her weapon's new design secret, practicing with the whip in private and not telling either Master Sunvale or her former Master Gios.^[2]

Master Sunvale eventually requested that Starros and Rwoh join the passengers of the starship Steady Wing, which was taking a Dalnan delegation, including Ambassador Weft and his son Honesty, to the dedication ceremony of the new space station Starlight Beacon. Although Starros would not play any official role on the journey and her mother had not sent for her, Sunvale hoped that she would befriend the ambassador's son, who was the same age, and ease the Dalnans' concerns about the Galactic Republic. Rwoh also hoped that the two would become friends, as she felt that Starros needed one.^[2]

On a last walk around the port prior to departure, the young Jedi Knight caught Starros messing around with a homemade scoot speeder, catching her in midair with the Force and chiding her for not being on board. After the arrival of J-6, the three headed for the Steady Wing. As they were about to board, Rwoh suddenly had a foreboding feeling about an Aqualish mechanic who was one of several workers tinkering with the ship, but she tried to dismiss the feeling as it seemed to be nothing. After boarding the cruiser, Rwoh parted ways with Starros and J-6 prior to the vessel's departure from Port Haileap.^[2]

Destruction of the Steady Wing

Rwoh later met Master Sunvale and his Padawan Imri Cantaros in one of the Steady Wing's dining areas, where they would be dining with the Dalnan delegation, including the Wefts, Janex, and Starstriker. Starros arrived late with J-6, stating her dress had needed refitting, and Rwoh was struck by the sharp contrast with the girl's usual appearance. The party sat down to eat, but just as they were about to begin, the Steady Wing shook. It quickly became clear the ship was in trouble. When the room was exposed to the vacuum of space, Rwoh launched herself towards the breach in order to clear debris preventing a blast door from sealing with her lightsaber. Sunvale ordered Rwoh to lead the way as the group left the room and headed for the escape pods. However, it soon became clear that the pods were gone, even though the Steady Wing was carrying far less passengers than its full possible capacity.^[2]

Rwoh, Starros, J-6, Cantaros, and Honesty Weft were separated from Sunvale and the others by a closing blast door. Searching for a way to escape, the group located a hangar containing a maintenance shuttle. With Starros quickly claiming piloting duties for herself, the group fled the doomed Steady Wing shortly before it exploded with no survivors.^[2]

As their ship traveled through space, Rwoh did her best to comfort Cantaros, who had lost his master, and Honesty, who had lost his family. As they ran low on supplies, Rwoh requested Cantaros help her probe for habitable planets using the Force. Together, the two Jedi sense a nearby moon, Wevo, and guide their ship to land there.^[2]

Struggle on Wevo

Landing on Wevo

Rwoh suggested that the group hike through the jungle to reach higher ground, which would give them safety in case of a storm. During the hike, Starros revealed that she took a scout droid from the ship, much to Rwoh's agitation. While clearing the brush, Rwoh activated her lightwhip to clear the area quicker. Cantaros and Rwoh came upon a massive boulder, which Rwoh believed is blocking a cave. After some time in the cave, Cantaros and Rwoh felt a disturbance in the Force. After investigating, they stumbled upon a cargo hauler crushed by the boulder that Cantaros had moved on their first day on the moon. Upon closer inspection, they found two members of the Nihil that had pursued them there, an Aqualish male named Gwishi and a Human female named Klinith Da. Returning to the cave, Weft informed the group of the Nihil, who were more than ordinary pirates.^[2]

Battle against the Nihil

The next day, Rwoh awoke and found Cantaros and Weft missing. Believing they had gone to attack the Nihil despite her warnings, Rwoh led Starros after them. They made their way to the cargo hauler, and J-6 lured out the Nihil before pulling out her many arms, each holding a blaster. Rwoh activated her lightsaber and joined the blaster fire, first attacking the Aqualish pirate, knocking him unconscious. After being held at blasterpoint by the human woman, Rwoh realized that someone had Force choked her opponent, realizing it was Cantaros. Using the Force, she picked him up and flung him over the ship. Rwoh then confronted him and realized that Cantaros' anger was drawing him to the dark side. Cantaros decided to exact his revenge and kill the pirates, telling Rwoh that he would kill her to if she stood in his way. Rwoh flipped over Cantaros, and pulled back his arm using her lightwhip, causing him to drop his lightsaber. With another strike of her lightwhip, Rwoh destroyed his fallen lightsaber. Two days after the battle, the group was rescued by the Jedi, Master Sskeer and his Padawan, Keeve Trennis.^[2]

Starlight Beacon

After their battle with the Nihil, Rwoh and Cantaros traveled to Starlight Beacon for the dedication ceremony. Cantaros ashamedly approached Rwoh and apologized for his loss of composure on Wevo. However, Rwoh gently accepted his apology and then offered to take Cantaros on as her Padawan, to which Cantaros was extremely grateful. He delightfully accepted,^[2] and new master and apprentice attended the dedication ceremony together.^[10]

Fighting the Drengir

Rwoh joined Jedi Master Avar Kriss aboard the Ataraxia to a deserted ship in the Kazlin system that Jedi Master Sskeer and Jedi Knights Terec, Ceret, and Keeve Trennis had found.^[11] Following a lead to Sedri Minor, Sskeer and Ceret depart as Rwoh joined Kriss and Trennis assessing the damage on the Hutt ship. After transporting the Unidentified Hutt trader back to Starlight Beacon, Rwoh and Cantaros assisted Archivist OrbaLin in performing an autopsy on the dead Hutt.^[12] While performing the autopsy, Orbalin determined that the cadaver was infested, by the Drengir. It began wreaking havoc on Starlight, and Rwoh, Cantaros, and Maru began fighting the Drengir.^[13] Cantaros was hit by the Drengir, but Rwoh turned her lightsaber into its lightwhip state and used it to cut the Drengir's tendrils and freed him before he could be infested. After a mind touch by Trennis on Sskeer, who had already been infested, the Drengir pulled back after Trennis convinced them the meat was spoiled.^[7]

Battle of Valo

Consulting with Sy

Rwoh contacted the Star Hopper and spoke to Jedi Master Kantam Sy, Padawan Lula Talisola, and Zeen Mrala. Rwoh stated that she looked into the initial battle on Trymant IV where the Jedi had found Mrala, and noticed that the Nihil did not follow their usual raid patterns. She suspected that those raiders might have something to do with the Nihil she had faced on Wevo. She turned to Mrala and asked if it was true that one of her closest friends, Krix Kamerat had ran off with the Nihil, and Mrala gave a small nod in confirmation. Rwoh continued that the Jedi believed Elder Tromak had some ancient information the Nihil wanted, and Master Yoda went to investigate. Talisola asked if there was any word from Master Yoda, and Rwoh replied that there was not but they would continue to investigate, revealing the purpose of her call. She asked Master Sy if they and the Padawans could investigate as well, perhaps finding some answers from the elders that were not taken from the Nihil. Sy accepted and Rwoh quickly reminded them of how dangerous the Nihil were, and ended the transmission.^[5]

After consulting with Elder Barbatash, Master Sy and the Padawans headed for Stygmarn system, where Barbatash informed them the Nihil cell of Kamarat was located. Sy spoke with Rwoh again, who informed them there was a moon on the far edge, and Sy said he would meet her there. Upon meeting up, Rwoh informed the group that she and Talisola would go while Sy and Mrala would stay on the bridge of the Star Hopper, along with Rwoh's Padawan Cantaros, who she wanted to get experience in in running operations from the bridge.^[5]

Working with Lula

Rwoh asked Talisola to pilot the Varonchagger, to which she happily agreed, eager to show off her piloting skills. Once on their way, Rwoh asked Talisola what they should do, much to Talisola's surprise. She said that Rwoh was supposed to tell her what to do, immediately regretting her words, but Rwoh laughed and said she could tell her what to do, but then she would not learn. Talisola finally said they saw a signal from this area, and they would fly low with their scanners on, and once they found the Nihil base they would stay out of sight and gather information. All of a sudden, a flurry of dots erupted on the scanner, and Rwoh activated shields and cannons. The duo deduced that the dots were Nihil ships on the move, and Rwoh informed Cantaros to keep an eye out in that sector. Cantaros acknowledged and also mentioned that they had received a message from Starlight and he was forwarding it to her, because they knew she was investigating the Nihil. All the Nihil ships in front of them jumped to hyperspace, and then the message from Starlight came through. It showed a very confused Neimoidian and a young Jedi Padawan, who informed them about a possible Nihil attack at the Republic Fair on Valo, and that the comm tower had been sabotaged. Rwoh declared they would head for Valo to make sure of the threat, and they would tell Starlight what they found.^[5]

While en route to Valo, Rwoh asked Talisola what was bothering her, and Talisola simply asked how she did it. Rwoh replied that they could not go into details of their final trials, but then realized that was not what she was asking. Talisola finally asked that as Jedi, they were not supposed to form attachments, yet she was attached to everything around her - her friends, her master, and even her ship, finishing off by saying she was a failure. Rwoh slid a comforting hand on Talisola's shoulder and assured her that she was very strong and being a Jedi was not about not having feelings or caring about anything, but it was about balance. A Jedi must be able to balance the Force within themselves and the Force around them. Rwoh gave an example that she would save her master and her friends if they were in danger, but she would also save an enemy, because she cared about life. Talisola began to see the light in Rwoh's words, realizing that her actions and choices revealed the balance a Jedi required. With both of them pleased, they arrived on Valo to find an attack already underway.^[5]

Arrival on Valo

Rwoh ordered Talisola to get a message to Starlight, and she replied that comms were down. Talisola began firing on the Nihil, feeling regret after killing one of them. Rwoh slid a hand over Talisola's and told her they would heal and rebuild, but now they could only make sure they got out of this alive. Talisola asked Rwoh if she was scared, and the Knight replied that she was terrified, but this is what she meant by balance. If she was not scared, she could not be courageous, but if she was overcome by terror, she would be useless. After being hit multiple times and losing shields, Rwoh crashed the ship near the bank of a lake. She activated her lightwhip to get them out of the ship, telling Talisola not to tell anyone about it. Rwoh said she would go find the elder Jedi and make sure the chancellor was safe, and ordered Talisola to find the Padawan who sent them the message and find out what he knew.^[5]

After the Padawan Ram Jomaram had restored the communication on Valo, Rwoh provided some much needed assistance at the Battle of Valo. Along with the padawans of the Star Hopper, Rwoh came to the aid of her former master Stellan Gios and the countless other Jedi on the ground and in the air at Republic Fair on Valo.^[14]

Battles Against the Nihil

Second Battle of Cyclor

Rwoh and her Padawan were present at the second battle of Cyclor, where her former master Stellan Gios prepared a trap for the Nihil of Pan Eyta's Tempest. Rwoh, along with ships belonging to the Jedi, Republic, and Togruta destroyed the entire tempest over the Cyclor Shipyards.^[14]

Battle over Grizal

After the victory over Cyclor, Rwoh, Gios, and the rest of the Jedi Drift traveled to Grizal, where Jedi Elzar Mann, Indeera Stokes, Padawan Bell Zettifar, and Ty Yorrick infiltrated the Nihil base. Before engaging the enemy, Gios teased his former Padawan by asking her not crash this ship, which earned him a playful nudge through the Force.^[14]

Back on Starlight Beacon

Reconnecting with Reath

Some time after the Attack on Valo, Rwoh and Cantaros were stationed back on Starlight Beacon, turning down an offer to return to the temple at Port Haileap. While in the meditation chamber, Cantaros informed Rwoh that a comm droid was waiting for her outside the chambers. While trying to unlock the comm droid, Rwoh encountered her friend Reath Silas, who was now a Padawan and had just returned from the ruins on Genetia with his master, Cohmac Vitus. With the help of Silas, Rwoh unlocked the droid and learned that her former master, Stellan Gios, was calling her. Gios informed her that she and Padawan Cantaros were being recalled to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to assist a senator, who had requested her presence by name, to handle an issue in the Berenge sector. Rwoh was displeased with the news, feeling she could do more good in taking down the Nihil.^[4]

Later that day in the community dining area, Rwoh met up again with Silas, where she introduced him to Cantaros. Using his empathetic abilities, Cantaros soothed Silas' mild jealousy about Rwoh being a Jedi Knight whereas he was still a padawan, which displeased both Rwoh and Silas. Rwoh admonished Cantaros, saying that he must learn to control his abilities without using it to manipulate others. She suggested talking to Jedi Master Estala Maru, who may know some exercises to help Cantaros.^[4]

Meeting with Avar Kriss

Rwoh and Cantaros soon made their way to the restricted section of Starlight Beacon, stopping to soak in the view from the Jedi Tower. The pair discuss Cantaros empathetic abilities, with him mentioning that something had changed after Valo. Unable to explain, Cantaros opted to show Rwoh what he meant, and she felt her worry and concern melt away. Cantaros asked if his abilities came from the dark side, which Rwoh confirmed that they did not. She told him that his abilities were not a bad thing, but that he should be mindful not to overstep boundaries. Rwoh recalled her days as a Padawan, when she had ability of losing herself in hyperspace, which had since faltered.^[4]

Cantaros and Rwoh went out looking for Jedi Master Avar Kriss, finding her in the marshal's grand office speaking with Master Gios. Kriss invited them in, and Gios reiterated that he expected his former Padawan on Coruscant as soon as possible. Rwoh asked for a moment alone with Kriss, and Cantaros exited. Rwoh told Kriss that she has not had leave to document her lightsaber modifications with the main temple, and fears that her former master may not agree with the modifications, seeing as he was a stickler for protocol. Kriss told Rwoh that she should hold off telling Gios for some more time until she was able to work out her own feelings regarding the modifications.^[4]

Late night dueling

Later that night, Rwoh caught Silas roaming the halls of Starlight, neither of them able to sleep. Rwoh mentioned that it always took her body some time to readjust to the gravity on Starlight. Rwoh asked Silas if he would like to duel, noting that it is something she does when she is unable to sleep, to which he agrees. Both grab their tunics and Training lightsabers. Rwoh gave tips to Silas as they duelled, telling him to breathe or else he will end up exhausted very quickly. After a long while, both Silas and Rwoh felt their attacks slowing, with Rwoh finally back flipping over Silas and pointing the saber to his back, causing him to surrender.^[4]

Rwoh applauded him on his impeccable form, to which he replied that he still lost. Rwoh told him that he had opportunities to win many times, and only lost because he focused too much on defense. She told him that she understands the Jedi Order wants them to defend life, which Silas emulated into his dueling, but she was firm in her belief that sometimes the best way to defend life is to go on the offensive. No longer on the subject of dueling, Rwoh told Silas that she thought when she became a Jedi Knight, she would have more insight into the Force and her duty as a Jedi, but she is still at the same place a year later. She worried that no one takes her seriously because of her young age, with the exception of her Padawan. Rwoh wondered if wanting to seek out the Nihil and destroy them is the right thing to do, because, while taking so much life, they would be saving much more life by destroying them.^[4]

Departure for Coruscant

The next morning, Rwoh awoke feeling better than she had in a long time, citing dueling with Reath that helped her. She found Cantaros and the pair went to the quartermasters office to locate a ship to return to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They headed to a desk at the end of the hall, where a young human Padawan was seated. The Padawan, Preeti, was nervous, but eased up after seeing Cantaros. Cantaros introduced Preeti to his master, who was in awe of Rwoh, and mentioned that Rwoh passed her trials at age fifteen. Rwoh asks Preeti for a ship, but she replied that she cannot issue a ship to them, under orders from Master Nubarron. Nubarron telepathically informed Rwoh that she is a terrible pilot and he will not let her destroy what is left of his fleet. Rwoh and Cantaros are saved by Master Cohmac Vitus and his Padawan Reath Silas, who offer the pair to join them on their ship, as they are also heading to Coruscant. Vitus asked Rwoh how many ships she had destroyed to upset Nubarron, to which she replied two since she had come to Starlight. After finding out that her master was Stellan Gios, Vitus remarked that he was an excellent Jedi, but not the greatest pilot. Together the group headed for their ship, the Fraunesaa.^[4]

Detour on Tiikae

Visions and Voices

While en route to Coruscant, Vitus planned to jump to hyperspace closer to Starlight than usual, prompting a question from Cantaros. Vitus replied that the reason for it was to avoid hyperspace lanes that had been flagged by the Republic, due to reports that some ships had been pulled out of hyperspace, back into real space, and then disappearing. As soon as the Fraunesaa jumped to hyperspace, Rwoh saw herself on a desert planet she had never seen before, due to her hyperspace ability that had been dormant for many years. She walked along a ridge that led to the planet's Jedi Temple, as she saw a blue skinned Jedi exit, lightsaber in hand, ready to take on the Nihil. She headed towards a lodging house where a family of Ugnaught's was huddled, and on the table lay a small box they had stolen from the Nihil. A voice called to Rwoh, which told her to take the box and find her. As she reached for the box, Rwoh was waken by Cantaros, who was concerned about her. Vitus informed them that the Jedi Temple on Tiikae had requested for aid fighting the Nihil. Silas, Rwoh, and Cantaros left to aid them. Arriving, Rwoh recognized the town as the one she had just seen in her vision.^[4]

A joint effort

They joined forces with the Chagrian Jedi Master Oprand Qwen, the marshal on Tiikae. Qwen told them that he was the only Jedi on site, and the San Tekka clan Deputy was unavailable at the time, leaving them with no backup. Rwoh and Silas made way to the lodging house that the Nihil had taken over, fighting a barrage of blaster bolts fired that way. While searching the house, Rwoh heard the same voice from her vision again, telling her to "find the cube." The Nihil re-emerged from a doorway, which Rwoh cleared and entered, and found the same family of Ugnaughts from her vision, bound and gagged. Rwoh spotted the Nihil fleeing on a speeder bike, as another speeder headed her way, with a feminine voice telling her to jump on.^[4]

While pursuing the Nihil, Rwoh switched places with the driver as she jumped off their speeder onto the speeder of the fleeing Nihil. Rwoh's own speeder was engulfed in flames, causing her to jump off as well. The mystery woman had killed all but one of the Nihil, the last one becoming prey of the woman's Vollka, Remy. The woman introduced herself as Jordanna Sparkburn, the San Tekka Clan Deputy on Tiikae. Sparkburn informed Rwoh that over the last year, Tiikae had become a warzone, with trouble from the Nihil, Hutts, Zygerrians, and the Drengir. Sparkburn found a cube-shaped box on one of the bodies, with Rwoh recognizing it as the same box from her vision. Silas arrived on a speeder, and he, Rwoh, and Sparkburn headed back into town. The group decided that Sparkburn would join the Jedi heading to Coruscant, with the rest joining Master Qwen en route to Starlight Beacon. Silas returned from the lodging house, showing the Jedi a high powered comm unit, where a message from a Nihil girl played, directed at the Ugnaught family. She told the family that the Nihil know they took it, and if they continued to resist, they would be dead soon. Silas identified the girl as Nan, who he and Vitus had met a year prior on the Amaxine space station. Rwoh pulled out the box she had taken from the Nihil, suggesting it was the item the Nihil were after. The group took their leave to Coruscant, leaving Master Qwen with the residents of Tiikae to make their way to Starlight Beacon.^[4]

Arrival on Coruscant

Meeting with Stellan

Upon arriving on Coruscant, Silas and Cantaros headed to the Jedi Temple library. Meanwhile, Vitus guided Rwoh to the lift that would take her to her destination before taking his leave. Confused as to where to go, Rwoh was greeted by Master Yaddle, who instructed her to not reject her instincts. Yaddle pointed Rwoh in the direction of Gios' office, and the young Jedi Knight prepared to meet her former master.^[4]

As she entered his office, she was introduced to Emerick Caphtor, who had heard much about her from her former master. Gios informed her that her mission was to accompany Senator Ghirra Starros and a member of the Graf family to the Berenge sector, where the Graf family believed the Nihil had been testing experimental technology. Trying to hide her disappointment, Rwoh asked why a Jedi was needed for this mission, to which Gios answered that her affinity for hyperspace might prove useful in the situation. Trying to avoid the topic of her lightwhip and her hyperspace vision, Rwoh showed Gios the box she had found on the body of the Nihil. After a short while, Gios recognized one of the glyphs as on old Prospector symbol, and advised her to speak to Professor Thaddeus Wolk.^[4]

Crisis on Coruscant

Later that day, Senator Starros brought Rwoh and Cantaros into her office, where she met with Xylan Graf and Sylvestri Yarrow. Starros informed Graf that the Jedi and her Padawan would accompany he and Yarrow on their trip to the Berenge sector, providing security. Graf countered by calling Rwoh and Cantaros children multiple times, much to Rwoh's annoyance. Yarrow informed Graf that she would like to meet with Professor Wolk, and Rwoh and Cantaros joined her, mentioning they also needed to visit him. Rwoh asked Yarrow if she had done something to offend her, noticing Yarrow's clear displeasure of the Jedi. She replied that it was not personal, and asked if they knew Senator Starros was going to use them like that. Yarrow explained that Starros had used to Rwoh and Cantaros to get under Graf's skin, something that both Jedi has missed entirely. The group was met by a girl named Kyrie, who led them towards Wolk's office. Nearing their destination, the group ran into Sparkburn, who froze at the sight of Yarrow. Rwoh and Cantaros carried on, leaving Sparkburn and Yarrow behind. As they were trying to find Wolk's office, the hallway exploded.^[4]

Rwoh used the Force to block the debris, but she and Cantaros were still hit. A Gungan came running through the smoke, not long before a blaster bolt hit him squarely in the back. Rwoh pursued the shooter, and Republic forces met them at the other end of the hallway, firing a barrage of shots in their direction, killing the shooter. Rwoh was greeted by a Balosar woman, Ashdree Marq. Marq interrogated Rwoh about the events that had conspired on their walk back to Cantaros, coming the the conclusion that someone had tampered with their security feed before the attack. Yarrow and Sparkburn arrived on the scene, informing Rwoh that the Gungan—Professor Wolk—was already dead when they arrived.^[4]

Planning for Berenege

After being ushered away from the Senate building, the group made way to a nearby diner where they discussed Wolk's death and the parties responsible. The answer was given by Graf, who appeared with his Gigoran bodyguard Basha. Graf informed them that Wolk was killed to throw suspicion on Graf and his family. While discussing their trip to the Berenge sector, Graf asked Rwoh why she had to see Wolk, and she informed him about the puzzle box. Graf told Rwoh that his grandmother would be able to read it, and that their first stop would be at her compound near Neral's moon, prompting confusion from the group. Graf said he needed a craft from the compound that had experimental weapons, mentioning a regular cruiser would not suffice. He offered the group to spend the night at his tower, to which everyone reluctantly agreed.^[4]

The next morning in Graf's tower, Rwoh asked Yarrow why she did not like the Jedi, to which she replied that she did not dislike like them, just that she wondered why the Jedi were never there when they were needed. Yarrow pointed out that the Nihil had been terrorizing the galaxy for years, but only after Valo did the Jedi take them seriously. Rwoh mentioned that the lift doors were locked, and that his Grand Theljian snow dog, Plinka was on the guest floor, causing suspicion among the two about Graf's intentions. Sparkburn, who was surprisingly calm about the situation, argued that there could be many reasons about the lift doors being locked and Plinka being on the guest floor. Just then, Graf entered through the lift, Vitus and Silas tailing him. Graf informed he group that there had been another attack attempt, resulting in the locked lift doors. Vitus added that he and Silas would be joining them, under request of Master Gios.^[4]

While reviewing their next steps, Vitus inquired about Graf's true intentions for the sector, to which he replied that the sectors lack of planetary life made it excellent for risky experiments. Yarrow asked why it was necessary to involve Jedi into the matter, and Vitus replied he also wondered why they were called into to settle a business dispute. Rwoh wondered internally why Vitus and Silas had been assigned to accompany them, thinking the reason was Graf calling her a child a day prior. After settling the worries for a possible Nihil trap, the group headed out for Neral's moon.^[4]

Departure from Coruscant

A hard truth

Aboard Graf's pleasure yacht, the Resplendent Pearl, Master Vitus walked the younger Jedi through guided meditation to help them better work together should a battle situation arise. After sending the Padawans away, Vitus put Rwoh's mind at ease, informing her that he could tell from her face that she thought Gios had sent him to keep an eye on her, though that was not the case. Vitus mentioned that Gios felt that Senator Starros had not been completely honest in her request for Rwoh's assistance, and there was politics being played, with the Jedi unsure about both Graf's and Starros' true motivations. Vitus told Rwoh that he believed it was wrong for Gios to push Rwoh to become a Knight so early and for her to take a Padawan, not because he doubted her abilities, but because she was still young and did not have much experience. Vitus informed her that being a Jedi is more than having a strong connection to the Force, but also having an understanding of the galaxy. Rwoh retorted that the Jedi should be out fighting the Nihil, not settling business disputes. Vitus finally assured Rwoh that his presence had nothing to do with her abilities and everything to do with politics. After Vitus' departure from the hold, Rwoh closed her eyes to let go of the anger built up in her at Graf and Senator Starros for manipulating her, and when she opened them she found herself aboard a completely different ship.^[4]

More visions and voices

She heard the same voice from earlier telling her she "draws near" and that "the way is clear." Rwoh followed the voice down a hallway until it branched, and she took the left path. The voice called out "so close" and Rwoh began to run, only to realize she was not going anywhere. Nearing the voice, Rwoh was woken by Cantaros, to whom she revealed her hyperspace episodes. Yarrow stepped into the hold and informed Rwoh and Cantaros that while double checking the coordinates, she discovered that the destination Graf had plotted was actually going to the Dalnan sector, not Neral's moon. Rwoh was seated in the crew mess when Yarrow confronted Graf about the change in coordinates, to which he replied he did so to ensure they were not being followed, by the San Tekka clan nor the Nihil.^[4]

Ambush on Neral's Moon

Rwoh watched in awe of the Graf family compound, called Everbloom, as the Resplendent Pearl approached Neral's moon. As they prepared to dismount the ship, Cantaros informed Rwoh that he had the feeling that someone is up to something bad, but he could not tell who or what. Just as the boarding ramp lowered, Basha grabbed Graf by the waist and yanked him backwards, revealing a group of people wearing masks, led by a woman who told Graf he was out of time. The Nihil deployed gas canisters and began firing, which hit Sparkburn and Silas first. Cantaros stepped back to give Vitus space, who fell immediately after activating his lightsaber. Rwoh severed the hand of a Nihil, but was hit in the face and deprived of her rebreather. Cantaros, the last Jedi standing, was ordered by his master to warn Yarrow, who was in the cockpit, but was hit by a blaster bolt and also crumpled to the ground.^[4]

Rwoh awoke in immense pain, with a Twi'lek woman in front of her telling her the pain would falter soon. The woman revealed herself as Saffa, and told Rwoh she would take her to the Matriarch when she felt up to it. Rwoh tried reaching out to the Force, only to find nothing there. Rwoh spotted Sparkburn running down the holding Beti, who informed her that they had taken Yarrow, Silas, and Cantaros. The pair spotted Vitus, all three of them being chased by their attendants. They were met by an old woman who told them it was not Xylan Graf that had set them up, just as Rwoh sensed the woman using the Force, which had come back to her. The Matriarch apologized for the attack, and returned the lightsabers to their respective owners. Catriona Graf denied having any involvement with the Nihil, which Rwoh sensed was a lie. She gave the trio her fastest ship to pursue the Nihil, though she was unsure of their whereabouts. Rwoh remembered the voice she had been hearing, and thrust the puzzle box into the Matriarch's hands, who opened it to revealed the answer is "Always return home." The Matriarch gave the group Xylan Graf's prototype ship, the Vengeful Goddess, and they took their leave, all in agreement that the Matriarch was hiding something. Rwoh opened the puzzle box, revealing a projection of a little girl playing with blocks that had numbers on them. Sparkburn had an idea as to what the projection meant, and they made way to the ship.^[4]

Destruction of the Gravity's Heart

Arrival at the Berenge sector

Aboard the ship, Sparkburn entered the code on the blocks into the navicomputer, revealing a beacon in the Berenge sector. She continued that the San Tekka clan were nomads in the Berenge sector until Mari San Tekka, who was a genius that took the family from haulers to prospectors. Rwoh found an empty spot in the cargo hold and began meditating. She felt herself being drawn out into the cosmic force, and once again found herself aboard the mystery ship from her previous visions. She made way to the same hallway and entered the door, and found a medical pod with a frail old woman inside. The woman said she had a gift for Rwoh, one last path before she passed on. Rwoh was awaken by Sparkburn and Vitus, the latter of which told her to rest so she would be at one-hundred percent before arrival.^[4]

The ship exited hyperspace as they laid eyes on the wheel constructed of a hundred ships, spinning in the emptiness of space. Sparkburn and Rwoh entered the escape pod to enter the ship, Sparkburn opting for Rwoh to fly. A dozen Nihil ships attacked the escape pod, with the guns overheating and the shields failing. Rwoh twisted the Yoke sending the ship into a spiral, and crashed the pod into the landing deck. The Nihil began firing on Rwoh and Sparkburn, and Sparkburn told Rwoh to stay down while she handled it. She pieced together bits on her belt to create and object and threw it at the Nihil, slicing through every and any thing in its path.^[4]

Rwoh ordered Sparkburn to turn it off, declaring that all the death was not necessary. Remy ran off and Sparkburn chased after him, Rwoh following. She entered the same hallway from her visions, and stumbled upon the room with the medical pod, along with Sparkburn, Yarrow, and the Padawans. Rwoh reached out to the old woman, seeing flashes of her life until finally she was given the Path. She felt the memory being carved into her mind, a place where no living thing should go and had not gone to for a very long time. As the old woman faded away, Rwoh understood why Master Gios had been so enamored by his padawan's hyperspace visions. She slashed the hoses connected to the pod, concealing San Tekka from view, and dashed out the room.^[4]

The group made their way to the hangar bay, where Rwoh informed them that Master Gios had summoned Master Elzar Mann from the Jedi Outpost on Dubrovia, and that the Jedi and Republic were making short work of the Nihil. As they were looking for a ship to escape in, blaster fire began raining down on them, and Yarrow found out it was her mother, Chancey Yarrow, who was indeed alive the one shooting. Using the Force, Rwoh snatched the blaster out of Chancey's hand, who retreated into the Yarrow's ship, the Switchback. Rwoh asked them to a ship that Remy had found, and they made their escape, leaving the Gravity's Heart in ruin.^[4]

Aftermath of the Gravity's Heart

Rwoh and Cantaros found themselves subject of a Jedi Council Meeting, with the elder Jedi interrogating her about whether she believed her young age led Graf to use and manipulate her. Courtesy of Master Gios, Rwoh and Cantaros were dismissed from the meeting and found Vitus and Silas outside. Rwoh explained her frustrations about the meeting and Vitus put her mind at ease, telling her they did the best they could. Rwoh and Cantaros took their leave, and Cantaros asked Rwoh why she did not tell the Jedi Masters about the Path Mari San Tekka had given her. Rwoh replied that for the time being she would keep that information to herself, as well as her lightsaber modifications. The pair made their way to the Vengeful Goddess, now signed over to Yarrow, hitched a ride from her, Sparkburn and Remy.^[4]

Training on Kirima

A few months after the destruction of the Gravity's heart, Rwoh took her Padawan to the planet Kirima to give him lessons in using the Force for feats of strength. Between fighting the Drengir and the Nihil, and going to Coruscant to help Master Gios, they did not have much time to practice. But as the Eye of the Nihil was on the run, Rwoh finally had time to actually teach Cantaros. The idea for this certain exercise was given to Rwoh by Master Sskeer, and when Rwoh asked his former Padawan Trennis about it, she laughed and said Cantaros would enjoy it. Rwoh stood on the opposite side of the canyon as the boy used the Force to push himself over it. Rwoh had caught the boy at least thirty-two times before he plunged to his death. Rwoh told Cantaros that they would try it one more time before they went for lunch, to which he agreed.^[15]

As Cantaros jumped, Rwoh smiled as she saw the trajectory and speed of his jump, knowing he would be successful. Suddenly, the planet in front of her faded away and she saw a human Nihil shoot at Avon Starros, and the girl fell to the floor in a laboratory Rwoh had never seen before. Coming back to reality, Cantaros crashed into his master, thrilled that he had successfully made the jump. Having abilities to read the emotions of others better than any Jedi, Cantaros sensed something was wrong and asked her what it was, and she replied that she had a vision, which was abnormal as she previously only had visions while in hyperspace. She told her Padawan of the vision she just had on Port Haileap, and they decided they would send a call to Haileap just in case.^[15]

They returned to their ship, the Wishful Thinking and Rwoh noticed that Cantaros' expression had gone from worried to distraught, and instructed her Padawan to accept his worry and let it wash over him instead of letting it take hold of him. She wondered if the sudden connection to Avon was a vision of the future or a call for help. As they powered up the ship, the received a transmission from Jedi Master Estala Maru from Starlight Beacon saying that they had received a report from Master Jorinda Boffrey that there was a possible Nihil attack on Port Haileap, and since they were the closest, they were being asked to go to Haileap and assess the situation. The duo powered up the ship and headed for Haileap, both hoping that Starros was okay.^[15]

Return to Port Haileap

Assessing the damage

Rwoh and Cantaros arrived over Port Haileap and found the forest aflame, with a long scar marred along the thickest part of the forest. That section also held what looked to be a Jedi Vector, which shocked both master and Padawan. After landing, they were greeted by the Delphidian Jedi Master Jorinda Boffrey, who informed that five or six ships entered from hyperspace and did not seem unusual, so Jedi Knight Kohta Jarik and herself were not alarmed. She mentioned that Jarik fought valiantly, but ultimately was defeated as there were too many Nihil, and the vector in the forest was hers. Boffrey also mentioned that only a few of the ships had path engines, which she found odd, and Rwoh mentioned that without Mari San Tekka, the Nihil had no more paths and resorted to using hyperdrives once more. Rwoh went to go look for Starros while Cantaros helped with the cleanup efforts, and Rwoh began recalling her first days on Port Haileap as a newly anointed Jedi Knight. On her way to the infirmary, Rwoh was greeted by J-6, Starros' part childcare, part security droid, who informed her that the girl was not in the infirmary. Rwoh and J-6 made their way to Professor Glenna Kip's lab and J-6 reported that she did not pick up any of Starros' vitals but there was someone hiding in a cupboard. Rwoh called out to the person telling them it was okay to come out, and a young girl named Talia came out and informed Rwoh that the Nihil had taken Starros.^[15]

Finding a lead

Rwoh and J-6 returned outside and informed Cantaros that the Nihil had taken Starros and they were going to get her back. They wondered if the Nihil knew who the girl was, being the daughter of Senator Ghira Starros, and they went to Master Boffrey to ask. Boffrey summoned Administrator Rico and asked him to continue the head count, as one person was already missing, and it would be best to see if any more were. Cantatas pointed out that the Nihil did not usually strike only one place at a time, and buy coordinating with Master Maru they might be able to locate which planets in the area the Nihil had hit recently and try to find Starros. Rwoh and Boffrey both liked the idea, and Boffrey told them she would contact Starlight to continue the cleanup and rebuild effort, the the two young Jedi should go find their friend. Along with J-6, they made way to their ship to contact Maru, who told them of five attacks in the last three hours - one on Hon-Tallos, one on Thelj, and another near Tiikae. He reported that no one went missing from those attacks, but the Jedi on Dalna had reported cases of people disappearing from the capital city of Saludad. Rwoh informed Maru of the Starros situation, and he said he would contact Senator Starros and let her know, as well as Marshal Kriss, stating that if the Nihil began kidnapping people, they need to get that information out. They signed off and prepared to head to Dalna, and Cantaros asked Rwoh if she mediated with Starros in mind, she would be able to find her, and Rwoh replied she was not sure but she would try.^[15]

The Search for Avon

Arrving on Dalna

While en route to Dalna, Rwoh meditated aboard he Wishful Thinking in an effort to locate Starros. She viewed herself as a small burbling brook that flowed into a stream, then into a river, and on until she reached a wide ocean ripe with possibility. This was the way the she visualized the force, as it also flowed and twisted, and conformed to its container. She heard the voice of Starros, saying her name was Avon Sunvale, and another name, Kara Xoo. There was a bump and she snapped out of her vision, and told Cantaros what she had heard, both wondering how long ago that exchange took place. Cantaros in turn informed his master that he had contacted the Jedi Temple on Dalna, and they were glad he reached out as they were having trouble working with the local government. They landed near the temple and were met by Jedi Master Nyla Quinn, who welcomed them to Dalna. Rwoh asked Quinn what the situation was with the missing people, and the Twi'lek Jedi replied that the matter was not very clear, and said it would be best if the went inside the temple.

Upon entering the temple, Rwoh appreciated the coolness of it, and contemplated coming back to this temple after they found Starros to practice being one with the Force again. Master Quinn informed them that some families had left, and it was unclear that if that was by choice or force, and the Dalnans were hesitant to work with the Jedi. Quinn told them that some time before the Dalna temple was built, there was a tragedy and the Dalnan people blamed the Jedi, and had been standoffish since. She continued that the Dalnan Jedi keep to themselves, as that was the way the Dalnans liked it.^[15]

Yacek Sparkburn and Lyssa Votz, the other Jedi of the Dalna temple, returned bearing food and once again welcomed Rwoh and Cantaros, and gave them Durga berries to eat while they prepared some real food. Both Jedi departed to attend to their duties, and Rwoh asked Quinn if she did not believe the Nihil were involved, where had the families gone missing, if they were in fact missing. She replied that she was not sure but she was hoping Rwoh and Cantaros would be able to help, as they had experience fighting the Nihil and the Drengir. She also brought up their travels aboard the Stead Wing where they had met with Dalnan ambassadors, and hoped that their history would be able to smooth things out with the government. Rwoh reluctantly agreed, as she did not want to stay on Dalna if it was a dead end for her search for Starros, but if something was happening on Dalna it could tie back to thr Nihil. Quinn thanked her and advices her to get some rest while Sparkburn prepared the food, and she would contact Saludad to arrange a meeting for the next day. Twig decided to join Votz in the archives to try to gather information to drive her next steps.^[15]

Entering Saludad

The next morning, Rwoh greeted Cantaros when he woke, and informed him that Sparkburn was giving her an overview of the people and city of Saludad. Sparkburn once again mentioned the people of Dalna's shaky relationship with the Jedi, and Rwoh asked him if something had recently happened that made the people more suspicious, as they had a Dalnan friend, Honesty Weft, and he was nothing like that. Sparkburn told them that Ambassador Weft was much different than most Dalnans, and his death was the largest reason Dalna joined the Republic. He told them they were ready to take the speeder into the city, and they would be meeting with the Vice President. When they entered the city, Sparkburn and Rwoh headed inside the building while Cantaros waited outside. Cantaros was greeted by Honesty Weft, who told him he would tell the truth of the kidnappings at the temple later that night. Inside, Rwoh met with the Theelin Hackrack Bep, who denied the story about missing families, as well as telling them there were no Nihil on Dalna. They returned outside where Cantaros told them about his conversation with Weft, and Rwoh wondered why the Bep had lied to them. They made way back to the temple where they waited for Weft and his friend, who knew more about the truth then he did.^[15]

The truth of Dalna

Rwoh spent the time waiting for Weft and his friend dueling with Cantaros and Sparkburn, while Quinn critiqued their skills. Both Quinn and Sparkburn applauded Rwoh's abilities, understanding why she became a Jedi Knight so young. As the sun began setting, Rwoh went to check on J-6 and the ship, where the droid told her that she had been narrowing down all the comm channels to see which one Starros would likely use to call for help. Out of two millions, J-6 had narrowed it down to a little more than three thousand, but had found nothing, in terms of Starros and the Nihil in general. Rwoh left the ship and met Cantaros outside, who both greeted Weft and his apprenticeship partner Sha'nai Plouth, a pantoran. Weft mentioned that the Dalnans still blame the Jedi for the Night of Sorrow, when the Republic and Jedi answered a call for help when Dalna was newly settled, and there was much confusion leading to many deaths. Sha'nai was reluctant to tell the Jedi what she knew, and Imri used his abilities to soothe her. She explained that there was an attack a few days prior, and she informed the security chief who then took her to the president, who told her to let the matter rest. She continued by saying she liked to ride her glider near the Maawat Mountains, and she saw the Nihil. She reported it to the security chief, but she did not believe he did anything about it. Quinn asked if the security chief could be trusted and Weft replied that he could, although he thought the president was a bit odd. He explained that she was elected earlier this year and everyone was surprised as no one really knew her. They decided that they would visit the Maawat Mountains to see if they could find anything.^[15]

Everyone except Master Quinn piled into the Wishful Thinking, the elder Jedi staying behind as someone should always be in the temple, and they headed off for the Maawat Mountains. Upon arrival, Weft pointed out that the area was highly sulfurous, and the area and the water were not good for growing crops, and Votz added that the area was also the source of much of the volcanic activity on Dalna. The disembarked the ship and Sha'nai pointed out the area where she had seen the Nihil ships, and the Jedi wondered what the Nihil could possibly want on a small planet like Dalna. Rwoh asked J-6 if she had any information on the Maawat Mountains, and the droid replied that she found a geological study done by the republic about seismic events and their roles in Force confluences. Rwoh wondered why the Republic would be interested in force theory, but before she could ask J-6 to elaborate, she saw everyone else being chased by some type of animal. Sparkburn yelled for everyone to get aboard the ship, and Rwoh decided she would have to redirect the animals from the ship. She had gotten some of them to move around the ship, but realized the herd was much bigger than she had thought. Cantaros had managed to power up the ship and started to lift off, and Sparkburn called to Rwoh to board the ship. Sparkburn explained that the Boolsa were harmless, but once they were startled, there was no stopping them. Rwoh asked Cantaros to take them to the place the herd started from, and they came upon a ramshackle building not too far from where Sha'nai reported seeing the Nihil. Ice gators were attacking the building, and they determined that someone was inside the building. Rwoh, Sparkburn, and Votz jumped from the ship to rescue whoever was inside, and Sparkburn asked them to drive away the gators instead of killing them. Rwoh used her lightwhip to strike the ground near one of the gators, which in turn scurried away.^[15]

Finding Theo

Votz returned to the ship and Rwoh pressed ahead with Sparkburn, and inside Rwoh noticed some flowers tied up placed inside a metal container. Sparkburn said they looked like lompop, a summer plant. They heard a noise, and Rwoh opens the hatch using the force to reveal a young boy with the same hair color as the Vice President's. They took the boy straight to the Vice President's house, and the boy, Theo, ran straight towards another Theelin man. The main introduced himself as Zian, Vice President Bep's husband. They met with Bep and he informed them that he lied, and Theo had gone missing a week ago when he was playing with some other children in the meadowlands. They received a message from the Nihil, who had taken Theo and had planted charges on the Bensha Fault, and they would detonate the charges if someone came looking for Theo. Votz explained that the Bensha Fault was the main space between tectonic plates, which used to cause frequent ground quakes. An explosion there could cause massive natural disasters, including volcanic eruptions. Sparkburn advised evacuating the planet, and Rwoh said Starlight would be happy to help as well. Bep explained that someone had taken down their relay satellite. Suddenly, J-6 entered the room and informed Rwoh that Starros had called, and had explained that the Nihil were kidnapping kids and forcing them to join the Nihil, or else be reduced to farm work. Rwoh stated that since the satellite relay was down, it would've been impossible to Starros to send a message, unless she was on Dalna the entire time.^[15]

Hatching a plan

The next morning, Cantaros awoke to find the Jedi along with some Dalnans, and Rwoh told him that they might have found Starros based off what Theo told them. The Dalnans had reluctantly agreed to let the Jedi search the area, but Rwoh wanted Cantaros to head back to Starlight and ask Master Maru for help with the damaged relay. Cantaros agreed, and Rwoh said that she would send Votz and Bep with him, incase Bep wanted to request Republic aid. Rwoh pulled Cantaros into a hug and assured him she was proud of the Jedi he had become, and let him about his mission while she continued hers. Rwoh and the remaining Jedi met with the President of Dalna, and human woman named Sachary Jeffington and her aide, a Toydarian, as well as the security chief, a Vodran named Tracer Lore. Rwoh was irritated that Jeffington did not seem concerned with the Nihil, and believed that she was stalling. The Jedi asked for permission to check out the Maawat Juncture and the Bensha Fault, and Rwoh wanted to fly over the area and see if there were any Nihil. The Dalnan delegation said they did not have any shuttles at the moment, and since Cantaros had taken the Wishful Thinking, the only option was to ride a trappu up the mountain. They decided they would leave first thing the next morning, with even Master Quinn joining them as J-6 would stay at the temple. After everyone left, Rwoh prepared herself for the upcoming potential battle.^[15]

Meeting Liam

Halfway through their ride the next morning, the group was challenged when a ground quake struck. Lore stated that it was odd, considering it was not ground quake season. They continued trekking until the reached a grassy meadow where Lore called a halt, and said they would take a break as pushing the trappus and themselves too hard was a bad idea. Rwoh dismounted her trappu and was about to reach into her pack when something in the trees caught her eye, and suddenly a dirt-covered human boy, no older than eleven, bolted out of the trees and straight at Master Quinn. Quinn used the Force to stop the boy, and determined the was just hungry and gave him the instant bun she was holding. She asked him for his name and he replied it was Liam and asked if she was a Jedi here to rescue Starros, and maybe the rest of the children as well. He said that he heard Kara Xoo let Deva Lompop eat Starros, and Rwoh asked who they were, as she had heard the name Kara Xoo in one of her visions. Liam replied that Kara Xoo was the Tempest Runner, and Deva was her friend. Quinn said to let the boy eat in peace, and they would ask him questions after he finished. They question Liam the next morning and they determined that the Nihil had been kidnapping children and bringing them to Dalna, where the officials were too afraid to disturb them. They sent Liam back to the city with Honesty and Sha'nai, so they could also contact Cantaros on Starlight. The three children departed, and Rwoh suggested it would be best to continue on foot, as the trappus could alert the Nihil about their approach. Master Quinn said the plan would be to liberate as many children as possible without fighting, and Rwoh mentioned that the Nihil plans were always evolving, and they themselves should make a plan fit for the situation they find.^[15]

Saving Starros

After the Nihil departed their Dalna base to raid Saludad, Starros and Dr. Zadina Mkampa activated Mkampa's machine that Starros had rigged with faulty Sunvale crystals. The crystals caused a few explosions, as Starros had planned and she made a run for it, trying to flee the base. During her escape attempt, she was confronted by Mkampa, who threw her against the wall. Rwoh called for Starros to stay down and launched into the area, using the Force to throw the Doctor into a far-off tree line. Mkampa came back and grabbed Rwoh's tabard and threw her so she slammed into a tree. Rwoh ricocheted off the tree and slashed at Mkampa again, who began firing at her from a concealed blaster barrel. Rwoh activated her lightwhip and slashes at the barrel, sealing it shut. Mkampa retreated into the forest, and Rwoh wrapped Starros in a hug, relieved she was okay. Starros informed Rwoh that the Nihil were heading to Saludad, and they had to warn the city. Rwoh, Sparkburn, and Quinn had freed all the children they could find, and they also found the five families that were missing from Saludad. The ground quakes began again, and the Jedi rushed all the children onto the lone Nihil ship left behind. Starros informed the Jedi that the ground quakes were occurring due to a crystalline power matrix that Mkampa had tied into the planet's crust. Quinn pointed out a plume of red smoke coming from the trees, and Starros stated that Mkampa must've found a way to restart the machine. Rwoh said she and Sparkburn would take care of the doctor, but before they could go after her, the forest caught on fire and everyone boarded the Nihil ship, ready to flee. As they took off, they noticed that the forest was not only on fire, but there was a river of lava flowing through it.^[15]

Dalna's end

Mystery distress call

The ship returned to the Jedi Temple and Rwoh began helping all the families and children, by assigning them rooms and finding pallets for them to rest on. Starros assisted Rwoh, giving a group of kids some things to do to speed up the process. Rwoh was approached by Sparkburn, who informed her of a distress call from the Dalnan council, reporting that the volcanic system had been activated, and they needed help to evacuate. Rwoh asked if it was true, and Sparkburn replied that he was not sure, and he reached out to Saludad but had gotten no response. Sparkburn asked Rwoh to accompany Lore back to Saludad, and he would try to contact Starlight Beacon for help. When Rwoh and Lore reached Saludad, the found the city smoldering, some houses had been set aflame and families were out and about, upset and crying.

They headed to the President's house and knocked, and an elderly human woman called to them and told them that the president and her aide had ran off with the Nihil. Rwoh asked about the Dalnan council, and the woman replied that they fall fled, and were probably paid off by the Nihil as well. Rwoh asked who sent the distress call, and Weft appeared and said it was him, as he came back to the city after dropping Liam off at the temple. Rwoh, Lore, Weft, and Sha'nai headed to the security office and looked at a holomap of Dalna, showing yellow and red flashing lights, for ground quakes and volcanic activity, respectively. Rwoh asked how bad the situation was, and Lore replied that in two weeks, all of Dalna would be covered in lava. Weft suggested evacuating everyone to the emergency shelter on Hanisbel Island, but Lore said the toxic gases would be more of a problem then the lava. Rwoh headed back to the temple to inform Sparkburn and Quinn of the situation, while also trying to think of a way to get everyone on Dalna to safety.^[15]

Dalnan evac

Rwoh spend the next few days assisting in trying to get everyone to Hanisbel Island, as they had to cross a body of water to get there. A day after the ground quakes began, the volcanoes in the Maawat Mountains began erupting, and every day that passed added more eruptions. Rwoh found Weft, who seemed to be extremely calm given the situation, and he explained that it had not really felt like his home ever since his father had died. He decided the he and Sha'nai would continue their apprenticeship somewhere else, perhaps with the San Tekkas. Weft thanked Rwoh for all her help on Dalna, and told her if she ever needed something, she should let him know. The next day Starros ran to Rwoh and informed her that Starlight Beacon had arrived to save them, a plan that Cantaros had engineered. With all the Dalnan's safely aboard Starlight, Rwoh, her fellow Jedi, and Starros were the final people to board. Rwoh comforted Starros and told her none of what happened was her fault, and Starros replied that it was, as the crystals Mkampa used for her machine were based off a kyber crystal she stole from Imri's lightsaber. Rwoh told her to hold on to it and give to Imri, and he would be excited to see her. As soon as she stepped onto Starlight, Rwoh was engulfed in a hug by Cantaros, thrilled that his master was there.^[15]

Starlight goes dark

Avar's offer

Before Rwoh could make it to her room, she was met by Avar Kriss, who applauded her on her effort in the Dalnan evacuation. Rwoh informed Kriss that the Tempest Runner, Kara Xoo, had escaped, and Kriss replied that Maru was looking into it. She informed Rwoh that they had some intel that the Nihil were gathering at one of their old hideouts, and she was leading a mission to root them out once and for all. She asked Rwoh if she would like to come, and Rwoh replied by asking when they would leave.^[15]

The fall of Starlight

Rwoh was present on the planet Eiram with Votz helping to rebuild desalination plants and wrangle local officials in the aftermath of a cyclone disaster when Starlight Beacon, which was orbiting the planet, was bombed by the Nihil.^[16] When Avar Kriss activated her song to connect the Jedi on the station, Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis sensed Rwoh's song within the connection, which assured her that Rwoh was alive.^[17] Rwoh was unable to help anyone caught up in the disaster until the station started plummeting into the ocean. She felt guilt about not being able to help or save Cantaros, Gios, or Starros and her droid J-6, who had all been on the station.^[16]

In the weeks after Starlight's fall, Rwoh participated in many missions to try and fight back against the Nihil, but the pirates' Stormwall they had erected made it hard to safely navigate hyperspace and thus made the Jedi's offensive often end in failure. After a battle near Genetia, Rwoh started to believe her efforts were pointless and that the Jedi Order was lost. She thus decided to become a Wayseeker Jedi so that she could follow the will of the Force and not that of the Order and the Jedi Council, hoping to avoid fighting a fight her heart was not in. She bid farewell to Votz on Genetia and eventually was called to the Wild Space planet Miekos by the Force. There, she helped Togruta pirate Tanabi Yar and her family, after which Yar suggested that Rwoh go to the peaceful Wild Space planet Ibbe to process her grief and heal.^[16]

Jedi mastership

Rwoh eventually climbed the ranks of the Jedi Order and became a Jedi Master.^[3] She would train another apprentice, and individual that would come to be known as "the Stranger". This "Stranger" would turn to the dark side of the Force, breaking away from the Jedi Order to become a Sith, leaving Rwoh unaware of his survival.^[6] By 132 BBY,^[18] when she was 116 years old,^[19] Rwoh had become a revered leader and high-ranking official in the Order. By that time, she had become less prone to performing missions and dreaming and became enamored with and in tune with the Force.^[20]

Something to tip the scales

That year,^[21] Jedi Master Indara was murdered by the Force-sensitive assassin Mae-ho Aniseya. Since Mae was presumed to have died in a fire sixteen years earlier, her twin sister and former Jedi Padawan, Verosha Aniseya, was suspected of the killing. After Osha's arrest, Rwoh, who was at the Coruscant temple, informed her friend and Osha's former master, Sol, that Osha was a suspect in the crime. After a failed mutiny on the prison transport Osha was on, she went missing. Rwoh spoke with Sol at the prison where the convicts were being held, telling him that Osha was not among the survivors. Even after Sol learned that Osha had saved one of the prisoners, Rwoh remained skeptical of the possibility of Osha's innocence.^[22]

Later, Rwoh spoke with Sol again via hologram. Sol told her that Mae was alive, and likely had killed Indara. Rwoh agreed, and informed Sol that a suspect matching Osha's description had broken into a Jedi temple on Olega. She told Sol to bring Osha with him to assist in the investigation. After a fight with Mae on Olega, she escaped. Rwoh again spoke with Sol via hologram, telling him she had convened with a small council to discuss the next steps. The two disagreed on what to do next, with Rwoh wanting to deliberate further while Sol wished to go after Mae.^[23]

At the Jedi Temple on Corcuscant, Rwoh and a group of Jedi observed a hologram of Mae and tried to analyze her combat style. After Sol dismissed a warning that the assassin could be dangerous with the claim she was undisciplined, Rowh countered him by saying she indeed could pose a major threat as she had already murdered two Jedi Masters and was evading Sol personally. She believed that these specific Jedi were targeted because they were all stationed on Brendok, Mae's homeworld, sixteen years ago and also that Mae was trained by a Jedi due to observations of her fighting style. When Ki-Adi-Mundi suggested informing the Jedi High Council about the situation, Rwoh advised against it as the High Council would have to inform the Galactic Senate, which in turn would create unwanted opportunities for the Jedi's political enemies to stir controversy with the public. Rwoh then said that the Jedi should keep the matter private, and not spread it beyond the members of the secluded group. Rwoh ordered Jedi Master Holden to notify Master Kelnacca about the assassin and travel to Khofar for a confrontation. Holden asked her what to do if Mae would not surrender herself willingly, to which Rwoh replied to expect a violent encounter.^[24]

After Rwoh concluded the meeting, Sol followed her into the hallway and pleaded with her to let him capture Mae himself. Rwoh asked him why he did not tell her sixteen years ago that there was a possibility that Mae survived the fire on Brendok, to which Sol answered that he did not know that such a possibility even existed, and that he witnessed her fall to her certain demise himself. Once again, now to the ears of other Jedi, Sol pleaded with her to leave and bring Mae into custody. Rwoh denied him due to his personal connection to the twins. Sol implored her that Mae's objectives were not only hers and hers alone. Rwoh agreed, musing that it was all part of her master's overarching plan to tip the scales. Sol then alerted Rwoh that if Holden succeeded in killing Mae, then the knowledge of her mysterious Master would perish with her, believing that Mae would not surrender herself without getting something in return. Rwoh asked if they had something that she wanted, and Sol replied with a nod.^[24]

Jedi investigation

Later at the Jedi Temple, Rwoh spoke to the Senator Isedwa Chuwant, who informed her that Senator Rayencourt had garnered enough support in the Senate to initiate an external review of the Jedi Order. Rwoh was concerened about Rayencourt's spreading of anti-Jedi sentiment, but Chuwant assuaged her, assuring that there should be no alarm as the Jedi had always been transparent the Senate. After finishing the conversation, Rwoh's Jedi understudy Mog Adana entered the room and told her that the Jedi had received a distress call from Master Sol who was currently in the Outer Rim Territories. Adana informed her that it sounded like Sol's entire team had been killed. Rwoh ordered the young Jedi to restore communications with Sol, but Adana couldn't as they had lost contact. Rwoh then ordered him to prepare a rescue team to depart to Khofar at once, and when Adana questioned how she knew Sol was there, Rwoh answered that she was the one who sent him there.^[25]

At the Jedi spaceport, Rwoh met with Adana and a Selkath Jedi dressed in her mission robes. Adana wondered if Rwoh should go on the mission out of concern for her getting nauseous during hyperspace travel. Adana dismissed his concern, as she did not get sick during hyperspace, simply finding it unsettling. When Adana suggested that Sol's team's high casualties were because of Khofar's dangerous and uncharted nature, Rwoh reassured him and said that he should not take it personally, and that he did not have to go with them to Khofar. The team then boarded a parked starship.^[25]

When Master Rwoh and Adana landed on Khofar, Adana informed her that an umbramoth colony had hatched the night before, and that it could explain the high casualty rate of Sol's team. Rwoh nodded, remaining skeptical.^[25]

Rwoh and Adana arrived at Kelnacca's shelter upon the corpses of Jecki Lon, Yord Fandar, and the rest of Sol's team. They found the remains of more Jedi deeper in the forest, as well as the site of the Stranger's Force push, marked by reddish sand. Rwoh heard echoes in the Force of the battle, including the sounds of clashing lightsabers and Sol's shouts. When an umbramoth emerged and dove towards Rwoh and Adana, Rwoh activated her lightwhip and slew the creature. After attempting to reconstruct the battle at Rwoh's behest, describing a powerful enemy, Adana asked Rwoh if she thought Master Sol was responsible. Rwoh deflected the conclusion with exasperation, describing it as an extraordinary accusation. Rwoh whispered to herself that this was something to tip the scales, and told Adana they should get back to their starship and prepare the bodies for burial.^[25]

An external review

After the Jedi returned to Coruscant, Senator Rayencourt met with Rwoh to discuss the murder investigation, asking Rwoh about her condition after traveling through hyperspace. Rwoh assured him that she was fine and that the investigation was being kept internal as there was no larger threat. Rayencourt doubted this, however, considering there were multiple victims and the possibility of the perpetrator being a Jedi. Though Rwoh avoided providing further details, Rayencourt asked Rwoh if she believed his campaign to conduct an external review was a personal vendetta, which she confirmed. Providing his own opinion, Rayencourt stated his belief that the Jedi were a delusional cult with unchecked power posing as a religion. Rayencourt held that it was only a matter of time before a Jedi snapped, and that no one might be powerful enough to stop such a Jedi. Rwoh maintained that Rayencourt's opinion was not shared by the Senate at large and Rayencourt agreed, claiming that his fellow senators look up to the Jedi in order to avoid facing problems right in front of them. As Rwoh showed Rayencourt the door, the senator told her that he had announced the Order's lack of transparency to Chancellor Drellik, hoping that Rwoh would have the suspect in custody before a potential Senate tribunal. Raynecourt bid Rwoh good luck and, as the Jedi said, "may the Force be with you."^[6]

Later, Mog Adana informed Rwoh that they had located Master Sol on Brendok. Rwoh told Adana to gather as many Jedi Knights as he could without raising alarm, expecting a resolution. The Jedi embarked for Brendok, and as the Jedi landed on the planet, Rwoh sensed the presence of her former pupil, "the Stranger," surprised at his being still alive. Rwoh and the other Jedi would enter the derelict fortress to find Sol's body in the aftermath of a confrontation. Rwoh sent the other Jedi away to find the perpetrator, telling Adana to use their tracker, Bazil, as the Tynnan had been reunited with the Jedi. Seemingly alone, Rwoh would kneel down to apologize to her old friend as "the Stranger" watched from afar. Though she sensed his presence, Rwoh would not glimpse her former student before he vanished. Before departing Brendok, Rwoh would give Sol a Jedi funeral, lighting his body ablaze on a lake.^[6]

Returning to Coruscant, Rwoh would don formal white robes and attend the Senate tribunal to represent the High Council and explain recent events. She explained the history of the four Jedi once stationed on Brendok and chronicled their conspiracy to hide their actions, framing Sol as the one behind the Jedi murders, lying that he had done so to maintain a cover story. She informed the tribunal that Sol was dead on Brendok, purporting that he had likely taken his own life. Though she condemned Sol's supposed actions, painting him as one flawed man who acted alone, the tribunal decided to begin their external review of the Jedi Order before an official Senate vote could be made.^[6]

Later, Rwoh met with an amnesic Mae-ho Aniseya, whose last remaining memories were from when she was eight years old. Mae had no recollection of her sister, her involvement in the recent murders, or her Sith tutelage, and only incomplete echoes of her fateful night on Brendok sixteen years before. Rwoh explained that a Jedi named Sol was responsible for many of her life's events, having justified every selfish step with the love he had for Mae's sister, Osha, though Mae did not remember her sister or her sister's name. Rwoh asserted that the Jedi had failed Mae but that she was determined to make things right. The Jedi Master asked for Mae's help in finding someone: "the Stranger" who was once Mae's master and earlier Rwoh's pupil, before he had turned to evil.^[6]

Personality and traits

Vernestra Rwoh was a Mirialan female with green skin, purple-black hair,^[4] and blue eyes. Rwoh bore the markings of her family, six tiny black diamonds stacked in two rows of three tattooed on the outside corner of each eye.^[2] Later in her life, she was bald, with additional diamond tattoos atop her head and on her hands.^[22] She was compassionate and devoted to the ways of the Jedi.^[2] She could be apologetic and unsure of herself when she was young, and hated surprises. However, she was knowledgeable and a quick thinker, as she was able to spot and help prevent an assassination attempt as a Padawan.^[8]

Although Rwoh found her charge Avon Starros exasperating at times, she enjoyed her company and wanted to get to know her better. Rwoh's prodigious talent, which vaulted her to the rank of Knight at an unusually young age, left her in an unusual position, and she was still learning to deal with her rank. This uncertainty, however, led her to occasionally dismiss genuine threats if she sensed them.^[2]

In her days as a newly promoted Jedi Knight, the young Rwoh struggled to set a good example for the younger of the Jedi Order while also fitting in with older Jedi.^[9] Despite this, Rwoh still acted as a leader, and did so with unwavering faith in the Force and devotion to the Jedi Order. However, after the fall of Starlight Beacon, Rwoh was overcome by grief at the perceived loss of her Padawan, friends, and way of life, causing her to pull back from the order and become a Wayseeker in order to focus on healing herself.^[3]

As a Jedi Master later in her long life, Rwoh became more serious and serene. She involved herself with the Jedi's higher affairs, shouldering more responsibility than she did as a Padawan or Knight, conducting investigations and directing groups of other Masters and Knights.^[23][25] Though she was a powerful Jedi and an exemplary leader, Rwoh would become secretive and duplicitous, hiding the truth of her one-time apprentice "the Stranger's" fate from both the Jedi Order and the Senate.^[6][25] Though she did so somberly and apologetically, she also framed her late friend, Sol, for murders he did not commit in order to protect the reputation of the Jedi Order from outside power-hungry forces.^[6]

Rwoh was aromantic, and therefore not interested in romance with other individuals.^[26] Despite this, she was aware of the attractiveness of other beings but did not feel attraction to them in return. As she had never experienced any of the emotions related to falling in love, she found it difficult to have conversations about such feelings. She also disliked holo adventures that focused on overwrought romances or being present for lovers' quarrels. Sometimes she thought it was easier not to have developed those attractions the way Padawans who came of age often did.^[4]

Powers and abilities

As a teenager, Rwoh was a prodigy,^[3] though wasn't exceptionally powerful.^[27] Her Force abilities included telekinesis, which she used to stop Avon Starros when the girl was flying around Port Haileap on a scoot speeder.^[2] When she was only a Padawan, she was able to throw her master, Stellan Gios, across a large room with the Force.^[8] According to Gios, Rwoh had the ability to navigate ships using only the Force while in hyperspace. Additionally, Rwoh would often receive visions in hyperspace during her apprenticeship with Gios, an ability he urged her to explore, but she refused. Following her promotion to the rank of Jedi Knight, Rwoh stopped having hyperspace visions until her trip to Tiikae.^[4] She was also capable of sensing threats through the Force, although she did not always realize the threat was genuine, occasionally dismissing such feelings as nothing.^[2] Rwoh was capable with her lightsaber from a young age, and could perform an acrobatic vault over a person.^[8]

Equipment

As a Jedi Knight during the Great Hyperspace Disaster and ensuing Nihil conflict, Rwoh wore brown and cream Jedi robes with short sleeves and fingerless gauntlets on her forearms. Later in life, as a Jedi Master, she would wear a variety of robes, such as gold-brown mission robes and sets of white temple robes. She carried a purple-bladed lightsaber, which she had modified to also serve as a lightwhip. Uncertain of the reception the modification would get, she kept it secret as long as possible, eventually coming to use the weapon in its lightwhip state openly.^[2][25]

Behind the scenes

Vernestra Rwoh was created for the 2021 novel The High Republic: A Test of Courage, written by Justina Ireland^[2] as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project.^[29] Rwoh later made her live-action debut in "Lost / Found" and "Revenge / Justice"—the first and second episodes of the Disney+ television series The Acolyte where she was portrayed by Rebecca Henderson^[22][23]—which simultaneously premiered on June 4, 2024.^[30]

Concept art of Vernestra shows her with purple hair, the same color as her lightsaber.^[3] Her hair is described as "purple-black" in The High Republic: Out of the Shadows.^[4]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

External links

• Every Star Wars: The High Republic Book and Comic Series (So Far) on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Learn More About the Characters of Star Wars: The High Republic in New Series of Digital Shorts on StarWars.com (backup link)