Borjak

Borjak, a member of the primitive and traditional Feeorin species, matured into a warrior's life on the isolated Feeorin colony world of Odryn. Born approximately three centuries prior to the Mandalorian Wars, Borjak gained experience in the days of tribal conflicts among Feeorin settlements. Borjak's village held particular significance, situated closest to the Sanctum of the Exalted, Odryn's most sacred location, believed to be where the spirits of the deceased shaped Odryn's seasons. During this period, Borjak developed a close bond with Feln, another native of his village, who became a legendary warrior on Odryn. After years of combat, Feln successfully united all the warring villages of Odryn under his leadership, thereby becoming the Feeorin's revered Exalted: a title awarded to the oldest, and therefore strongest, Feeorin. Feln's combat skills were so remarkable that Borjak and others considered them magical. Soon after, a Jedi scout confirmed their suspicions: Feln possessed Force-sensitivity and subsequently departed Odryn to study with the Jedi Order. Upon his return, Feln was a transformed Feeorin. Now a Jedi Master and a member of the clandestine Jedi group known as the Jedi Covenant, Feln defied the ancient traditions of the Feeorin by opening the Sanctum of the Exalted—traditionally accessible only to the Exalted—as a storage facility for the Covenant's collection of Sith artifacts, attracting numerous Covenant agents to Odryn. This new policy was highly unpopular among the xenophobic and isolationist Feeorin, including Borjak, yet they remained obliged to obey the Exalted's commands.

By 3963 BBY, Borjak had become a grandfather and a village leader, assisting in the oversight of the Sanctum during Feln's frequent absences. However, this presented challenges, as the weather surrounding the Sanctum became increasingly unpredictable in the Exalted's absence, leading to a decline in the village's prosperity. Despite Borjak's disdain for Feln's treatment of Feeorin traditions, he reluctantly continued his duties, "welcoming" offworlders destined for the Sanctum to Odryn. By this point, Borjak was the second-oldest Feeorin and next in line for the title of Exalted. In 3963 BBY, what seemed like a routine visit from a Covenant agent took an unexpected turn, forever altering Borjak's life. One rainy evening, a new ship landed on Odryn, disembarking a cloaked offworlder and two Ithorians. The agreement between the Feeorin and the Covenant stipulated only one offworlder per visit—the presence of the Ithorians constituted a breach, prompting a furious reaction from Borjak. However, the hooded stranger, identifying herself as "Celeste Morne," swiftly attacked and incapacitated Borjak, explaining that the Ithorians were solely there to transport an item to the Sanctum and would not enter the structure. Humiliated, Borjak relented and escorted the group to the holy site, leaving them upon reaching their destination. Two days later, Borjak encountered another pair of offworlders—Republic fugitives Zayne Carrick and [Marn Hierogryph](/article/marn_hierogryph]—sneaking out of the Sanctum, having been smuggled in by "Morne." Suspecting foul play, Borjak and a group of Feeorin warriors captured the trespassers and detained them in the village's old blockhouse for interrogation.

Borjak's interrogation of the fugitives was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Feln, who had his own reasons to confront Carrick. The previous year, Feln and four other Jedi Masters massacred their apprentices after misinterpreting a vision, and Carrick, the sole survivor, was publicly blamed for the murders. Carrick thus became a liability the Covenant sought to eliminate, and Feln fully intended to kill Carrick on Odryn. After imprisoning Carrick and Hierogryph in their village, Borjak and Feln returned to the Sanctum, where Borjak stood guard as Feln consulted with his Covenant associates. There, Borjak was horrified to overhear Feln's contact suggesting that Feln destroy the Sanctum to prevent the disclosure of its secrets. Feln objected, and the matter remained unresolved as the two Feeorin returned to the village to deal with Carrick first. Upon their return, Borjak released the prisoners, and Feln prepared to strike Carrick and Hierogryph down with his lightsaber—however, Borjak intervened, citing the ancient Rime Feeorin tradition that the fugitives could only be challenged to unarmed combat, as they had been inside the Sanctum. Although Feln was angered by Borjak's insubordination, he reluctantly agreed to adhere to tradition, only for Carrick to surprise him with a kick to the chest and flee.

Carrick managed to evade Feln for a time during the ensuing chase through the village, but the Jedi Master eventually caught his prey, only for Borjak to intervene again when Feln was about to execute the fugitive. This time, it was to inform Feln that their radar device had detected the ship that brought the outsiders at the edge of the system, leading Feln to fear that Carrick's allies had arrived to raid the Sanctum. In response, Feln detonated pre-set explosives that completely destroyed the Sanctum, an explosion that interacted with the dangerous artifacts within, creating a firestorm that devastated the village and the surrounding area. With Odryn's most sacred site reduced to a crater, Borjak made his decision: he seized his knife and stabbed Feln in the back. Although Feln protested that he had been inside the Sanctum, Borjak, supported by surviving warriors from the village, declared that since the Sanctum no longer existed, they were changing the rules. With that, they attacked the Exalted and tore him apart, making Borjak the new Exalted. Borjak then promptly initiated the recovery process, and a timely rainstorm helped extinguish the fires, allowing him and the other warriors to locate many other survivors in the rubble of their village. During the excavation, Borjak found Carrick's lightsaber, which he returned to the former Padawan—Carrick attempted to gift him Feln's blade, but the new Exalted wanted nothing to do with Jedi artifacts and had his granddaughter throw the weapon into the pit with the rest of the debris. Borjak and Carrick parted ways shortly afterward, as the fugitive Padawan returned to Coruscant to clear his name.

Reflecting the traits of his species, the gruff and rugged Feeorin warrior Borjak harbored distrust towards outsiders, a sentiment only tempered by his respect for the Exalted's authority. Although Feln was a long-time comrade and Borjak was bound to obey his kinsman's commands, Borjak still lamented the state of Odryn since Feln's departure for the Jedi Order, openly criticizing Feln to friends and offworlders alike. Over three hundred years old by the time of the Mandalorian Wars, Borjak held the ancient Feeorin traditions in high regard and was dismayed when Feln violated the Rime Feeorin, attributing it to the recent turbulence in Odryn's skies. Despite his opposition to Feln's actions and attitude, Borjak faithfully performed his duties, yet he was not afraid to challenge the Exalted to ensure adherence to tradition. Ultimately, his respect for Feeorin tradition outweighed his loyalty to Feln's position—once the Sanctum was destroyed, Borjak decided it was his turn to alter the rules, and he did not hesitate to strike Feln down. Along the way, Borjak developed a grudging respect for Zayne Carrick despite his initial hostility towards offworlders, although Borjak actively sought to sever all ties with the Jedi after Feln's death. Borjak's muscular, blue-skinned frame bore numerous scars from a long life as a warrior, and the Feeorin also possessed yellow eyes.

Borjak made his two appearances in the Star Wars Legends canon in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Exalted, a story arc of the Knights of the Old Republic comic book series, authored by John Jackson Miller and released in 2008. In these appearances, Borjak was illustrated by Bong Dazo.