Deathstick

The woman shrouded in mystery known as Deathstick was born to Shelish, a member of the Nightsister coven of Dathomiri witches, who were native to the planet Dathomir in the Outer Rim Territories. In 20 BBY, during the Clone Wars fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Asajj Ventress, the former Sith apprentice who had been abandoned, reunited with her Nightsister family and, with their aid, tried to assassinate her master, Count Dooku, the Separatist Head of State. In response to Nightsister Mother Talzin's schemes against him, Dooku dispatched the Kaleesh warlord General Grievous and the Separatist Droid Army to completely wipe out the Nightsisters.

Following the battle, only a handful of Nightsisters survived, Deathstick among them. Her mother had already left their homeworld before the slaughter of her people. As a child, Deathstick carried the burden of knowing she had once been part of something greater that had been taken from her.

Growing up in the Anoat sector of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories, Deathstick embarked on her criminal journey as a hired assassin. She gained notoriety through a series of public murders of gang leaders, eventually transitioning into the drug trade. At some point, she encountered the Galactic Empire, resulting in significant damage to her face and requiring a prosthetic lower face. This led her to wear a mask that only revealed her eyes.

By the time the Galactic Civil War was underway, Deathstick had risen to become the leader of the Kouhun, a highly secretive and structured order of assassins based on Mataou. Under her command, the Kouhun carried out the assassinations of several prominent individuals in the sector, including the wife of Governor Ubrik Adelhard.

In 3 ABY, Lady Qi'ra of Crimson Dawn recruited Deathstick to join her as an assassin. Qi'ra informed Deathstick that Emperor Palpatine was responsible for the death of her people and that by joining her, she could witness the Empire's downfall. Deathstick was tasked with hunting down the bounty hunters Beilert Valance and Dengar on Nar Shaddaa. While Valance was in conversation with Devono Vix, an arms dealer, regarding his knowledge of Crimson Dawn, Deathstick shot Vix in the head, killing him. She then shot Valance in the arm, wounding him and damaging his core.

Valance and Dengar managed to escape aboard a ship. They briefly thought they saw Deathstick on the ship, but dismissed it. However, Deathstick tracked them to the hideout of Mama Stammoch and her crew. Upon arriving, she overheard Stammoch warning Valance and Dengar that the assassin would kill them all. When Dengar suggested she was overreacting, Deathstick blew up the entrance to the hideout, assuring Dengar that she was not. Entering the hideout, Deathstick and her droids decimated most of Stammoch's crew, forcing her, Valance, and Dengar to flee. They threw a thermal detonator, creating a hole in the wall and escaping in a landspeeder. Deathstick's droids chased them, but they jumped out of the speeder as it crashed, losing the droids. However, Deathstick continued to monitor them and contacted Qi'ra. When she insisted on killing them, Qi'ra told her that guiding them in the right direction was crucial to her plan, assuring her that she would have the chance to kill them soon enough.

Deathstick then traveled to Coronet City on the planet Corellia, entering the Unbroken Clan safe house. She helped herself to the spice wine while waiting for General Vukorah of the Unbroken Clan to enter the room. When Vukorah and her Mimbanese underling entered, Vukorah shot the Mimbanese, suspecting him of betrayal or incompetence. Deathstick presented Vukorah with an invitation from Crimson Dawn to the Auction for Han Solo, an auction where various crime syndicates would bid for the carbonated body of smuggler Han Solo. She then traveled to the city of Canto Bight on the planet Cantonica, ambushing Dengar and Valance who were seeking information on the Auction for Han Solo's location. She kicked Dengar and prevented Valance from getting a clear shot, then threw a [thermal detonator](/article/thermal_detonator]. After kicking Dengar into a crate and Valance off the edge of the platform, Deathstick took an emergency contact device and departed. However, Dengar managed to steal a device from her containing the auction's location.

Heading to the ice planet of Jekara, where the Crimson Dawn starship, the Vermillion was located, Deathstick rescued Dengar from a zugorak that was about to attack him. In exchange, Dengar gave Deathstick a drive containing the location of Cadeliah.

Deathstick then boarded the Vermillion, where she hid and observed Gallin Crae, Just Lucky, and Ariole Yu engaged in combat. As Lucky aimed a sniper rifle at Crae, Deathstick suddenly launched multiple bladed projectiles from the ceiling shadows, laced with Dathomirian poison, one slicing off part of his blaster and others causing cuts all over him. Deathstick leaped down, pointing her blaster rifle at Lucky and Yu, and suggested to Crae that he keep only one of them alive. Gallin refused, and she proceeded to shoot Lucky and Yu with a stunning harpoon to disable them. She then informed them that Lucky would die within ten minutes due to the poison if they did not surrender. She had the two locked in a cell, but they escaped with the help of Doctor Aphra and Sana Starros. When the four entered the ship's art gallery, they found Qi'ra and Margo talking, unaware of their presence. However, when Qi'ra left, Deathstick reappeared, leaping down from the ceiling ready for an attack, while Lucky shot at her in vain.

Lucky, Yu, Starros, and Aphra sought cover behind display cases in the gallery, as Deathstick launched a vicious blaster assault. Deathstick then charged forward, throwing bladed projectiles at Aphra and Lucky, narrowly missing them but causing them to lose their cover. Aphra fled as Deathstick pursued her, throwing more blades and successfully pinning Aphra to the wall by her clothes. Deathstick then held her knife, coated with Dathomirian poison, to Aphra's throat, warning her against movement to avoid cutting herself on the poisoned blades. However, Yu and Starros rallied behind Deathstick and began shooting at her, causing her to quickly disengage and disappear. Deathstick then alerted Crimson Dawn guards to reinforce the gallery, re-engaging in combat. Amidst the shootout, Aphra noticed a thought dowser in the gallery and used her electro-tattoos to activate it. The mind-controlling device caused Deathstick and the Crimson Dawn guards to freeze and retrieve Deathstick's poisoned blades from her belt-pouch, stabbing themselves against their will. This gave the four time to escape, taunting Deathstick as she endured the stab wound and poison on the ground. However, Aphra and Starros abandoned Lucky and Yu in the hangar during their escape. Shortly after, the wounded Deathstick and Gallin Crae stumbled into the hangar after them. Deathstick, surviving her own deadly poisons, questioned why she still could not kill them, when Qi'ra walked in and refused Deathstick's requests, instead inviting Lucky and Yu for a chat. Deathstick was later present in the room when Qi'ra chatted with Lucky and Yu, silently observing from the background while sipping Alderaan Starlight brandy.

After the events involving Doctor Aphra and her company in the gallery, Qi'ra gathered Deathstick and other prominent Crimson Dawn members and briefed them on the upcoming "Reign." Deathstick retreated to her residence, meditating privately and preparing for the next mission anticipated by Lady Qi'ra. Deathstick contacted a member of Crimson Dawn and continued their plot to capture Cadeliah. The transmission was intercepted by a group of bounty hunters. Deathstick was later notified about the intercepted transmissions and told the Crimson Dawn member to assume the bounty hunters knew everything. Later on, Deathstick went to meet Qi'ra for a mission assignment aboard the Vermillion, where she met Ochi briefly on her way to the meeting. The two displayed mutual mistrust during their tense exchange, and Deathstick noted to herself that Ochi was a crazy bastard.

She then entered the offices to meet Qi'ra, Margo, and Trinia, who briefed her about the current war between the criminal syndicates in the galaxy. Qi'ra gave Deathstick a datacard containing information about her next target, Cadeliah, who would be seeking refuge with the Rebel Alliance from the Imperials. The target surprised Deathstick, prompting Qi'ra to ask if there was a problem, to which she replied that there was none as long as she received her credits.

Deathstick left the Vermillion and camped alone in the woods on her way to Cadeliah, examining her hologram from the datacard in the evening gloom. Sometime later, Deathstick found the rebel base in Panisia in the Outer Rim Territories. She scouted the base from a distance with binoculars, searching for Cadeliah, eventually finding her sitting idle in the open. Noting the large number of rebels, Deathstick anonymously contacted the Imperial Anti-Terrorism Watchline, revealing the rebel base's location to create a distraction and an opportunity to reach Cadeliah. She successfully captured Cadeliah, who tried to defend herself with a knife to no avail.

Deathstick returned to the Vermillion with Cadeliah and handed her over to Qi'ra. Deathstick inquired about Qi'ra's plans for Cadeliah, to which Qi'ra replied that her job was only to deliver the girl and that Cadeliah's fate now belonged to Qi'ra.

When Qi'ra and the Archivist were preparing to use the Fermata Cage against Darth Vader and Darth Sidious despite losing valuable Crimson Dawn allies in the previous attempt, Qi'ra asked Deathstick to defend the Archivist while the device was operated. Deathstick wished Qi'ra well but stated that she was neither a warrior nor a guard, but an assassin, and that she had already fulfilled her obligations. Deathstick refused to assist Qi'ra further, telling her to find someone else for the job.

After ending her partnership with Crimson Dawn, Deathstick spent time in the Bounty Hunters Guild Social Club in a black-market district on the planet D'assem. When T'onga arrived to meet Khel Tanna to negotiate hiring a new crew, a bar brawl broke out, and Deathstick allied with Durge to defeat everyone. Impressed by their performance, Khel Tanna hired Deathstick and Durge for T'onga's crew.

As part of T'onga's crew, Deathstick traveled with the others to pursue Boba Fett. On the Enigma Catalyst, she observed the crew members arguing and thought this new crew would be entertaining. Deathstick entered T'onga's personal quarters while she was resting and warned her that Boba Fett would be unusually dangerous due to a large bounty placed on his head by the Black Sun Syndicate.

Later, T'onga's crew successfully tracked Boba Fett to the Rishi Moon, leading to a fight. After Boba Fett defeated several crew members, Deathstick saw an opportunity and disarmed Boba Fett of his knife with a throwing blade while he was fighting Bossk'wassak'Cradossk, but was quickly caught in a stun net in retaliation. Eventually, T'onga revealed that they were there to hire Fett for a job, which he accepted. However, Fett insisted that the group complete a job for him first.

After forming a partnership with Boba Fett, the crew and Deathstick traveled on Slave I to the moon Quantxi to help Fett deal with Lord Xanak Grunseit, a Black Sun gangster who had placed the bounty on his head. The crew pretended to have captured Boba Fett and delivered him to the Black Sun leader. While the crew escorted Fett into the gangster's base to claim their reward, the Black Sun betrayed them and held the crew at gunpoint, intending to eliminate them instead of paying. Boba Fett acted first, assassinating Xanak by throwing Syntox at his face. In the ensuing battle, Deathstick vaulted around, felling gangsters with her throwing blades, exclaiming that she knew this crew would be fun. After surviving the mission on Quantxi and helping Fett with his bounty, Fett rewarded T'onga with coordinates to Tarr Kligson, a cyborg fixer, claiming that he could help save Beilert Valance, which had become the main goal for T'onga's crew.

The bounty hunter crew traveled on the Enigma Catalyst to the coordinates provided by Boba Fett, finding a large space station floating in a remote location in the Outer Rim Territories. They entered the docking bay of the space station and were welcomed by Telemak, the guardian of the station, and a group of droids. The droids took Beilert Valance further inside the station for treatment but requested that the bounty hunters wait in the docking bay. The crew grew bored waiting as hours passed without news of Valance, prompting them to start investigating despite Telemak's request. T'onga instructed Zuckuss and 4-LOM to gather intel from the droids deeper in the station, while Deathstick and the rest of the crew remained in the docking bay.

While 4-LOM and Zuckuss secretly investigated, they were caught by the station's droids. Telemak reappeared in the docking bay to inform the crew that they were welcome to visit the haven but that it would have been preferred for them to wait in the docking bay. T'onga chastised Telemak for the lack of updates on Valance's condition, demanding information. Deathstick asked Durge if he also felt that they would soon be fighting their way out of the station. Unbeknownst to the crew, Tarr Kligson had been controlling Telemak and observing everything through the droid. He asked the bounty hunters to wait a little longer, assuring them that T'onga would soon see Valance again.

After more waiting, Telemak shut down in the docking bay, prompting the bounty hunters to investigate and argue. Deathstick informed the crew that something was happening as the door to the docking bay opened, revealing Beilert Valance accompanied by Tarr Cligson himself. Unbeknownst to the crew, Cligson had secretly reprogrammed Valance into a vessel for the Scourge, who then turned against his friends and blasted Catak with his palm blaster as he tried to calm Valance and converse with him disguised as Yuralla Vega. The Scourge-infected Valance quickly departed the station, leaving Cligson to the mercy of the bounty hunters. 4-LOM was also separated from Zuckuss, escaping into the galaxy at Zuckuss's urging to flee the Scourge.

Deathstick secretly agreed to overthrow T'onga and install Tanna as the crew's new leader. Just as the crew reached Valance's current location on the planet Epikonia, Deathstick, Durge, Bossk, and Tanna turned on T'onga and Zuckuss, who were thrown from the _ Enigma Catalyst_ and onto the Scourge-infested world. As Deathstick and her compatriots took up a new life under Tanna's leadership, T'onga and Zuckuss, aided by T'onga's wife Losha Tarkon and former foe Vukorah, were actually able to restore Valance to his senses and back up his memories up to the Attack on the Executor thanks to data provided by defected Imperial officer Jyala Haydenn.

Deathstick and her allies embarked on a successful bounty hunting career. One week after the Death Match on Tatooine carried out by Valance and his allies, who had reunited with 4-LOM by that time, Deathstick and the rest of Tanna's crew were celebrated one of their successful bounties in a cantina, where Deathstick noticed Durge had finished his drink. As Deathstick, Durge, and Tanna discussed that, however, Bossk remained by himself, pondering if he had made a mistake in betraying T'onga and Zuckuss. At some point, Deathstick and her allies returned to the Bounty Hunters Guild Social Club on D'Assem, where Valance and many of his allies also happened to be.

Following several months of the Iron Blockade that spanned from 4 ABY to 5 ABY, the substance known as Deathstick was originally presented at the Shadow Market located on Bespin. The recipient was the Smuggler, a youthful rogue hailing from Burnin Konn, who had previously established a collaborative relationship with both the Ivax Syndicate and the exiled Noble Court. Shortly after this introduction, the Smuggler successfully completed the initiation rituals associated with the Kouhun. Despite Deathstick's initial skepticism about the scoundrel's ability to fully embrace the Kouhun's core beliefs, she nonetheless consented to participate in the anti-Imperial alliance, which would eventually become known as the Uprising. Their first significant collaborative endeavor involved the Nobles, the Syndicate, and the Kouhun formulating a strategy to capture Commander Bragh, who commanded the formidable Imperial Purge Troopers. The plan itself was devised by Deathstick, who also contributed some of her personal assassins to the operation.

The planned ambush, however, took an unexpected turn when the Smuggler's sister, Riley, and the Ivax Syndicate betrayed the Uprising by revealing their scheme to the Imperials. Their motivation was to have their respective death marks removed. During the subsequent conflict on Anoat between the Uprising and Imperial forces, numerous members of the Kouhun and their allies were captured, while Deathstick managed to evade capture and went into hiding. Shortly after this incident, she established contact with the Smuggler via a communicator. As the Smuggler began to explain the unfortunate events, she interrupted him, stating that if she desired his death, he would already be experiencing a painful and possibly comical demise. Deathstick then inquired whether the Ivax Syndicate was responsible for the betrayal, to which the Smuggler responded that it was irrelevant and instructed Deathstick to leave Riley unharmed. Having obtained sufficient confirmation from the Smuggler, Deathstick abruptly terminated the call with a farewell.

Deathstick would later make a surprise appearance during a communicator conversation between the Smuggler and Loathe, which occurred while they were in the process of rescuing members of the Uprising from the Crypt. Actively participating in the rescue operation, she tasked Loathe with delaying the Imperial forces as the prisoners made their escape, emphasizing that no Kouhun should be taken alive and that Loathe's sacrifice would redeem the others. Deathstick then admitted that she had been too hasty in dismissing the Smuggler earlier, expressing her gratitude for his role in saving the Kouhun members from the Crypt. When the Smuggler objected to the sacrifice of Loathe, she retorted that he was not a member of the Kouhun and therefore had no right to interfere in their internal affairs.

Subsequently, Deathstick contacted Riley and informed her that her Kouhun were creating chaos within the Crypt. She then transmitted the location of Her Majesty's prison cell, as acquired by Loathe, to Riley and the Smuggler for their rescue mission.

Following the Uprising's success in the rescue mission and their partial success in their original objective of eliminating Commander Bragh, Deathstick attended a meeting in Paradise Atrium. This meeting included members of the Uprising, including representatives from the Rebel Alliance led by Tam Bastion, and was convened to discuss the future of their allied resistance movement and the impending threat posed by Adelhard's Imperial remnant. Amidst the accusations and heightened tensions between the groups, she jokingly suggested giving in to her impulses and attempting to kill everyone present, particularly Voras, whose Ivax Syndicate was accused of betrayal by numerous individuals from the various factions. The Smuggler successfully intervened to mediate the situation, and when he demanded that everyone acknowledge the reasons for the Uprising's initial success, Deathstick hinted that their mutual cooperation within the Uprising was a critical factor. This prompted the Smuggler to successfully persuade the others to continue the cause. Alongside the other groups present, Deathstick accepted the Smuggler's invitation to continue their Uprising with him as the leader, cryptically stating that she and her Kouhun had their own reasons for remaining in the alliance.

Deathstick found herself drawn to individuals possessing power, competence, and a talent for survival, although she occasionally indulged in playful teasing and taunting of such individuals. She sometimes presented these individuals with the opportunity to prove themselves by undergoing the Kouhun initiation ritual, observing their skills and potential during the process.

Deathstick engaged in killing as a result of the profound sense of isolation she experienced following the massacre of her people, seeking to inflict a similar feeling upon others. She also conveyed to Qi'ra that she was not inclined to excessive conversation and frequently adopted a posture with her arms crossed while standing or engaging in dialogue with others.

Impatience was a notable characteristic of Deathstick. During her employment by Crimson Dawn, Deathstick questioned Qi'ra's decision not to immediately eliminate Beilert Valance and Dengar when a clear opportunity presented itself, expressing skepticism about the plan. Deathstick disliked protracted operations or plans and would assume control to expedite them. Furthermore, Deathstick exhibited a strong sense of self-assurance, lacked moral scruples, and occasionally spoke in a clipped manner.

Deathstick had a penchant for physical conflicts and believed in acting based on what was achievable, rather than for familial or financial reasons. She also enjoyed collecting exotic items.

Deathstick possessed exceptional combat skills, including proficiency in the use of exotic weaponry. She was also highly skilled in unarmed hand-to-hand combat, capable of engaging multiple opponents simultaneously, and possessed remarkable agility that enabled her to evade blaster fire and execute daring leaps and vaults. She favored the use of shadows and deception when confronting her adversaries, and her skills extended to the utilization of various gadgets, such as droids and explosives.

Deathstick was also a proficient infiltrator and tracker, capable of breaching secure locations and following her targets across the galaxy. She possessed keen observational skills, noting changes in others' respiration rates and deducing information accordingly. She was often the first to detect impending changes in situations. Her skills also encompassed leadership and strategy, enabling her to devise assassination plans and direct the members of the Kouhun order.

Despite being the daughter of a Force-sensitive Dathomirian Nightsister, it remained uncertain whether Deathstick herself possessed any Force powers. However, when the young Smuggler from Burnin Konn sought to pursue and learn dark side powers from Shelish, he discovered that Deathstick had attained her current mysterious stature through her mother during the events of the Iron Blockade. She also appeared to possess the ability to appear and disappear at will.

Deathstick maintained an arsenal of weaponry, including various bladed melee and throwing weapons. She also possessed a unique scoped blaster capable of firing debilitating harpoons that could stun or kill targets. Additionally, she utilized a staff for close-quarters combat and occasionally coated her blades with Dathomirian poison.

Deathstick made her initial appearance in the 2015 mobile game, Star Wars: Uprising, developed by Kabam. She was voiced by actress Sara Cravens. Early concept art by Brian Matyas depicted Deathstick with green eyes and a prosthetic right side of her face. Ethan Sacks, the writer of the Star Wars: Bounty Hunters comic books series, chose to reintroduce Deathstick because he believed her backstory aligned well with the events unfolding with Crimson Dawn.

Uprising portrays Deathstick as a Dathomirian Zabrak. However, several comics set earlier in the timeline depict Deathstick as a human. Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy later confirmed that Deathstick was Dathomirian. This article assumes the original depiction is accurate.

In Crimson Reign 2, Qi'ra states that Deathstick and Shelish escaped the Battle of Dathomir. However, this contradicts Uprising and Dawn of Rebellion, which both state that Shelish left years before the event even happened. This article assumes that the latter mentioned sources are accurate.