Ariana Surabat was an intrepid female explorer who piloted the starship known as the Ravenstar with her team. She established the planet of Batuu located in the Outer Rim Territories. The Surabat River Valley on Batuu was given her name as a tribute.
Legend states that Surabat came into possession of the Ravenstar, which then became staffed by Zekiel, Okbu, and J'Gam. Throughout her career, Surabat gained notoriety for acquiring ancient artifacts for prestigious institutions and searching for the remnants of alien civilizations. Furthermore, Surabat and her team were recognized for their careful selection of employers and contracts, rejecting offers from all recognized criminal organizations to ensure their continued safety.
On one occasion, Zekiel informed Surabat and the rest of the crew of a possible opportunity to earn more than their typical earnings. He spoke of a planet, rumored to exist in the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim, which served as a waypoint for traders, explorers, and travelers intending to venture into uncharted territories. If settled, this planet could potentially serve as a trading post for dealing with undiscovered civilizations beyond the Outer Rim. A specific sum of prize money had been allocated for those who could successfully reach this planet and establish an outpost. Consequently, Surabat became the third captain to join the competition to find the planet, despite some reservations from her crew.
On the day the competitors were to set out to find Batuu, Surabat and her crew were met with considerable mockery from the crowds and their rivals, primarily because the Ravenstar was significantly smaller and less impressive than the other two competing vessels. Surabat, however, remained unfazed, even delaying the ship's departure until the first two competing ships had vanished, a decision quickly criticized by observers.
Over the following days, the Ravenstar crew followed the course charted by the stellar cartographers, encountering no other ships or activity along the way. While the crew attempted to maintain their morale, they were often anxious due to stories they had heard about lost ships, missing crew members, and even ghost ships. One evening during a meal, J'Gam raised the possibility that one of the two galleons might have already secured the outpost, suggesting that the Ravenstar should return home instead. However, Surabat remained resolute, believing that the crews of the two galleons lacked the necessary qualities to reach the outpost before them.
Several days after this discussion, the Ravenstar came across the wreckage of one of the two galleons, and the crew quickly concluded that it had been attacked. While Zekiel suggested that the other galleon might have been responsible, Surabat suspected pirates operating in that sector. Surabat then ordered the galleon to be boarded to search for survivors, a decision that was met with opposition from J'Gam and Okbu.
Ariana Surabat was originally conceived for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which opened its doors to visitors at Disneyland on May 31, 2019. Her debut occurred in the story "The Skiff & the Galleons," published exclusively for the Galaxy's Edge edition of the book Myths & Fables.