Kartessa

Kartessa was an adolescent during the time of the Galactic Civil War. She was a native of the planet Chandrila but regarded her homeworld as too peaceful and boring. Kartessa and her mother were part of the New Republic Senator Tia'dor Emshwa's diplomatic to Ithor. They were traveling on the CR90 corvette Starfall, which was carrying Ithorian artifacts, food, medicine, and technology. On the way, their ship was boarded by the Super Star Destroyer Annihilator, which had been commandeered by the alien pirate Eleodie Maracavanya. After confiscating their goods, Macavanya offered the crew and passengers the opportunity to join zher crew or to escape in the corvette's escape pods. Seeking adventure and an opportunity to escape her placid life, Kartessa volunteered. Kartessa's mother objected but Eleodie overruled her and told her to let Kartessa choose for herself. In the end, her tearful mother reluctantly followed Kartessa aboard the Annihilator. Kartessa smirked upon seeing her mother's despair.

Several months later, Karteesa found work servicing the Super Star Destroyer's engine rooms. By then, the Annihilator had been renamed the Liberty's Misrule. By the time of the Battle of Jakku, Eleodie's pirate fleet had grown to 24 ships which became the foundations of a pirate nation called the Sovereign Latitudes of Maracavanya. Tiring of her mother following her around, Karteesa abandoned her in the engineering sublevel. When Eleodie found out, zhe chastised her for mistreating her mother. When Karteesa questioned Eleodie about the viability of zher pirate nation, Eleodie explained that zhe was embarking on a bold experiment to get the pirates to work and stay together. When Karteesa pointed to the selfish nature of pirates, Eleodie likened zher crew to predators forming a pack in order to hunt.

While Kartessa was reflecting on Eleodie had explained, the pirate ruler's crew the Omwati Shi Shu and the Gunner Carklin Ryoon reported that three Imperial II-class Star Destroyers had exited hyperspace. These Star Destroyers were survivors of the Battle of Jakku. When Eleodie ordered the crew to attack the ships and then send the New Republic the bill, Kartessa responded that the New Republic was no friend of theirs. However, Eleodie countered that destroying the Imperial ships would allow them to curry favor with the Republic. After the tractor beam was activated, Karteesa asked Eleodie if zhe knew what zhe was doing. Eleodie admitted that zhe did not but likened it to tossing a dice.

Kartessa was a rebellious female adolescent from Chandrila who despised her homeworld for being too peaceful and boring. According to Eleodie, she was as plain as dirt with nothing exceptional except for the fire in her eyes. She chafed under her mother's authority and longed for adventure. When the pirate Eleodie offered her the choice to join zher crew, Kartessa willingly took up the offer in order to spite her mother.

By the time of the Battle of Jakku, Kartessa had found work maintaining the engine room due to her skills with machinery. She also sheared her hair down to the scalp. When her mother would not stop following her, Kartessa abandoned her in the engineering sublevel. Eleodie disagreed with the youth's decision and told her to think about her mother. Kartessa was an intelligent and perceptive young woman who took an interest in Eleodie's plans to unify the pirates into a nation. She also regarded Eleodie's decision to attack the Imperial remnants in an effort to win over the New Republic as a dangerous gamble.

Kartessa first appeared as a secondary character in Chuck Wendig's 2016 novel Aftermath: Life Debt, the second installment in Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy. She reappeared in the 2017 sequel Aftermath: Empire's End.