Brianna

Brianna's birth occurred in 3976 BBY, a consequence of a prohibited relationship between General Yusanis and Jedi Master Arren Kae. Yusanis, a highly skilled Echani warrior hailing from the Republic world of Eshan, was already married and had five daughters, while Kae, as an adherent of the Jedi Order, was prohibited from forming deep attachments. Despite these constraints, they initiated a clandestine affair, jeopardizing their reputations by continuing to meet. Although Kae attempted to conceal the affair and Brianna's existence, the Jedi Council eventually discovered the truth, and Kae was expelled from the Jedi Order as a disciplinary measure.

Subsequently, Kae opted to join her former apprentice, Revan, in the fight against the Mandalorians, who were determined to conquer the Outer Rim. Yusanis also joined their cause, despite his responsibilities for Brianna and his other five daughters. Yusanis and Kae gained recognition as heroes of the conflict, but Kae ultimately perished in battle, and Yusanis returned a broken man, abandoning warfare to become a senator. He avoided discussing Kae, leaving Brianna without any memories of her mother. Later, Yusanis's former ally, Revan, declared himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith and turned against the Jedi, initiating the Jedi Civil War. He sought to weaken the Republic, targeting the Republic worlds of Serroco, Corellia, and Eshan for destabilization. Revan achieved his objectives by assassinating a senator from each world, and the death of an Echani senator drew Yusanis's attention. Upon discovering evidence of Revan's actions, Yusanis challenged him to a duel, but was ultimately killed by the Dark Lord, leaving Brianna an orphan.

After Yusanis's death, Brianna and her five half-sisters entered the service of Jedi Master Atris, one of the few Jedi Masters who survived the Jedi Civil War. The Jedi Order had been severely divided and weakened by the war, and further attacks by a resurgent Sith Order following the war resulted in very few Jedi remaining. Atris hoped to rebuild the Jedi Order after most of the other Jedi Masters had been killed during one of these attacks on Katarr, and she established a secret academy on Telos IV, a planet that had been devastated by Sith forces during the Jedi Civil War. The sisters joined her at the academy and agreed to serve as her handmaidens, assisting Atris in collecting Jedi artifacts from across the galaxy. At some point during their service, Brianna and her half-sisters swore an oath to Atris, promising never to study the teachings of the Jedi or receive any instruction from a Jedi. Brianna was the only handmaiden with any Force-sensitivity due to her heritage. Although Atris knew about Brianna's familial background and her sensitivity, she never acknowledged Brianna's potential, and the handmaiden remained unaware of her innate abilities.

Offspring of Echani parents appeared identical to their parents of the same sex to non-Echani individuals. As such, Brianna resembled her Jedi mother rather than Yusanis's original wife, distinguishing her from her sisters as physical evidence of their father's affair. Her father's infidelity had brought shame upon himself, and after his death at Revan's hands, that shame was thrust upon her, as the Echani believed that betrayal and shame were inherited through bloodlines. Despite her efforts to disprove this stigma, Brianna was branded the "Last of the Handmaidens" by her sisters, indicating her perceived lack of worth and combat ability. Consequently, Brianna felt unworthy of displaying any individuality and renounced her given name in favor of her title.

The Jedi Academy was hidden in the remote polar regions of Telos IV, allowing it to remain undetected, even as the Republic initiated the Telosian Restoration Project to restore the devastated planet's ecosystem. The project was led by the Ithorian Chodo Habat and his herd, and a massive space station was constructed in orbit to serve as a staging area for the project. When Atris learned that the planet Peragus II, the station's primary fuel source, had been destroyed and that the Telos Security Force was holding suspects in the planet's destruction, who had recently arrived in the system, she tasked Brianna with investigating. Acting secretly, Brianna infiltrated Citadel Station and stole the suspects' ship, the Ebon Hawk, along with their droid, T3-M4, which was aboard the ship after it was impounded shortly after arriving at Citadel Station following the destruction of Peragus II. Brianna then transported the ship to the secret academy, where Atris hoped to investigate the events surrounding the planet's destruction. Atris was unaware that the ship's new owner was Meetra Surik, the Jedi Exile and a former friend from the Jedi Order, who was exiled for disobeying the Jedi Council and joining Revan in the Mandalorian Wars. Surik was released from custody after it was discovered that Peragus II had been destroyed as a result of her escape from the Sith Lord Darth Sion, and she began searching for her stolen ship.

Surik, accompanied by Kreia and Atton Rand, whom she had met on Peragus II, eventually located the starship with assistance from a technician of the Restoration Project and entered the academy. Brianna, accompanied by two of her sisters, confronted the group and demanded their surrender. Surik complied to avoid conflict, and Brianna escorted her to meet Atris. Atris, who had been among the masters who decided on Surik's punishment for her involvement in the Mandalorian Wars, was displeased to see her again. After a tense discussion about Surik's seemingly unrepentant attitude towards her actions, Surik informed Atris of the Sith's involvement in the destruction of Peragus II and offered her assistance. Atris suggested that she seek out the other surviving Jedi Masters and gather them at the ruined Enclave on Dantooine to formulate a plan of action, before sending Surik away. Brianna was surprised by her mistress's volatility, which reinforced her growing belief that the Jedi were not the emotionless beings Atris had portrayed them to be.

Before Surik left Telos, Brianna had the opportunity to speak with her privately. Initially wary of Surik, Brianna began to speak more openly when Surik convinced her that she had not turned to the dark side of the Force during the Mandalorian Wars, contrary to Atris's opinion. Brianna confessed that she was the only one of her sisters who did not doubt Surik's combat prowess and was more receptive to Surik's perspective. Brianna also mentioned her frequent distraction by the Jedi teachings that Atris had rescued and stored at the academy, and her eagerness to learn about life as a Jedi. She inquired about various aspects of a Jedi's life, including the issue of attachment. Brianna also informed Surik that she always trained to improve herself, and they discussed the Echani view of expressing feelings through combat. Finally, Brianna asked what it felt like to experience the Force, and she was satisfied with the answers provided by both Surik and Kreia.

Atris ordered Brianna to secretly board the Ebon Hawk and assist Surik in her mission to locate the missing Jedi Masters, a journey that took them to the worlds of Dantooine, Nar Shaddaa, Onderon, and Korriban. Brianna was also tasked with monitoring Surik's activities for Atris to confirm that Surik remained aligned with the light side. Brianna revealed herself after learning that Surik had downloaded some of Atris's records, indignantly protesting what she perceived as theft before regaining her composure and explaining her orders. While Rand vocally objected to allowing a spy to travel with them, Surik welcomed Brianna to the crew. At this point, Brianna remained wary of Surik, having been warned by Atris not to trust her. She secluded herself in the cargo bay to refine her fighting style, while remaining separate from the rest of the crew.

As Surik attempted to get to know Brianna, the Echani remained hesitant to trust her, but through acts of kindness and charity during their journey, Brianna eventually came to believe that Atris had been wrong in her judgments. Brianna occasionally clashed with Visas Marr, a former Sith assassin who had initially been tasked with capturing Surik. Although Marr joined the crew after her defeat at Surik's hands, Brianna did not trust her due to Marr's ties to the Sith. After some persuasion from Surik, Brianna learned to accept her presence, although she continued to keep a watchful eye on the Miraluka.

During their travels, Brianna agreed to teach Surik Echani fighting techniques. As they trained, Surik questioned Brianna's Echani tradition of sparring while wearing only undergarments; Brianna conceded that bulkier clothes would be more practical. She surprised Surik by then changing into a heavy set of grayed robes, the style associated with a Jedi Master. When asked, she revealed that they were the last keepsake of her mother that she had never known. She opened up to Surik and shared her past, but asked that it be kept secret from the rest of the crew, as she had come to trust Surik more than anyone else. Unexpectedly, after their private discussion, Surik was approached by Kreia, who revealed that she had known Arren Kae. Kreia speculated that because Kae had been strong in the Force, the potential to become a Jedi also lay within her daughter. However, Kreia discouraged Surik from training her as a Jedi, as it would mean breaking her oath to Atris.

Surik decided to leave the choice to Brianna and offered to train her to use the Force. By this point, Brianna greatly trusted Surik and realized that she had hoped to follow her mother's path her entire life. Consequently, she accepted the offer. Surik warned her that she would be breaking her oath to Atris, but Brianna was committed, feeling that she would be betraying her heritage if she didn't accept the training. With Brianna's acceptance, Surik passed on her knowledge of the Force and trained her to become a Jedi Guardian. During this time, Kreia sent a message to Atris through the Force, informing her of Brianna's decision to become a Jedi with a single word: "Betrayal." As a Jedi, Brianna continued to assist Surik, who eventually succeeded in gathering the Jedi Masters Vrook Lamar, Zez-Kai Ell, and Kavar on Dantooine. Brianna returned to the Enclave on Dantooine with Surik, who went to meet with the Masters alone. Unfortunately, when the Masters revealed their intention to strip Surik of the Force due to the danger she posed by her ability to feed off the life energy of others, Kreia was forced to act and killed the Jedi Masters. Before incapacitating the Exile, Kreia revealed that she had been manipulating Surik all along and that her ultimate goal was to use Surik's unique nature to end the influence of the Force on all sentient beings.

Following the incident on Dantooine, Brianna, believing Surik to be dead, took Kreia directly to Atris, knowing that her mistress would execute any Sith. However, Atris's belief in the Jedi Council's decision during the Mandalorian Wars, as well as her faith in the Order itself, had been shaken after she observed Surik's conviction. Furthermore, she had been slowly corrupted by her collection of Sith holocrons, which she had gathered in hopes of using their teachings to fight the Sith. Instead, the artifacts' influence proved too strong, gradually twisting Atris's thinking and causing her to fall to the dark side.

Atris finally admitted her fall to the dark side after a conversation with Kreia. Simultaneously, the other handmaidens confronted Brianna. She learned that Atris had told her sisters that Brianna had fallen to the dark side and joined Surik against Atris's wishes. Brianna could not convince her sisters otherwise and was forced to fight them. In doing so, she proved herself to have surpassed her sisters in ability, managing to defeat them all without killing them. Shortly thereafter, Atris arrived and attacked Brianna. Although Brianna was initially able to hold off the corrupt Jedi Master, she was eventually overwhelmed. Atris began torturing her handmaiden with Force lightning; however, before she could deliver the final blow, Surik arrived and defeated Atris in a duel. After the duel, Brianna pledged unwavering allegiance to Surik, renouncing her title of Last of the Handmaidens and embracing her true name, as well as her status as a disciple of the last Jedi.

Before leaving Telos, Kreia manipulated the Sith into attacking Citadel Station, forcing Surik to fight off an assault and help defend the station before she could follow her teacher. Brianna aided Surik and the Telos Security Force in repelling the Sith assault on Citadel Station before joining Surik in pursuit of Kreia. Surik had learned from Atris that Kreia had gone to a secret Sith academy on Malachor V, the site of the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars, and the site where Surik had previously lost her connection to the Force after killing countless combatants on both sides by activating the Mass Shadow Generator superweapon during the battle. The Sith Lord intended to use Malachor V—a site where the Force still echoed from those killed by the Mass Shadow Generator—to create a wound in the Force, which would allow her to carry out her goal of destroying the Force itself. When the group arrived at Malachor V, the massive storms surrounding the planet damaged the Ebon Hawk, causing it to crash. In the crash, the members of the group were separated, and Brianna was unable to help Surik, who went on to confront Kreia alone.

Shortly before her death on Malachor V at the hands of Surik, Kreia foresaw that Brianna would abandon her warrior ways and play a crucial role in rebuilding the Jedi Order. According to her vision, Brianna would follow her passion and assume Atris's role as a historian, teaching future Padawans about the Jedi who relinquished the Force and became better for it.

Centuries later, the New Jedi Order would also remember Brianna for her contributions to the Order's history. Brianna was recognized as one of the Lost Jedi and a vital companion who aided Surik. Due to the incomplete records of the era, the New Jedi Order tentatively identified her as one of the potential slayers of Sith Lord Darth Nihilus, alongside another possible candidate, Visas Marr.

As the daughter of Yusanis and Arren Kae, Brianna possessed white hair and blue eyes. She carried the burden of her parents' forbidden affair, which motivated her to prove her worth to her sisters and Atris. Her shame and her position as the least esteemed among her sisters led her to prioritize the greater good and her oaths to Atris above her own interests, forsaking her name and identity. Only after defeating her sisters in combat and confronting Atris did Brianna develop a sense of self-worth, finally embracing her name and shedding the shame of her parentage. She believed that combat was a pure form of self-expression and that a person's fighting style accurately reflected their character.

Brianna was steadfastly loyal to her superiors, dedicating herself to Atris before Meetra Surik earned her trust. Initially hesitant to trust Surik due to Atris's warnings, Brianna eventually opened up because of Surik's kindness and her ability to read Surik through combat. After Surik saved her life, Brianna completely severed her ties to Atris. However, her trust did not extend to Surik's other companions, and she remained wary of both Kreia and Marr throughout their journey.

Despite being criticized by her sisters for her passion, Brianna was typically reserved and did not interact much with the crew, preferring to isolate herself in the cargo bay. Despite this, her irritation with her fellow crew members occasionally surfaced, particularly with Rand and Marr. She expressed her passion through combat and developed a desire to experience the Force, eventually receiving Jedi training from the Exile. This curiosity stemmed from her examination of some of Atris's Jedi holocrons, and her interest in these artifacts may have led her to become a Jedi historian, as Kreia had predicted.

Having lived a sheltered life in the secret academy on Telos, Brianna displayed some naïveté regarding the workings of the galaxy, a fact noted by Atton Rand. She also struggled to understand jokes made by Surik and the bounty hunter Mira, as well as Rand's sarcasm. Brianna tended to view things in terms of black and white and argued with Surik over some of her decisions, believing that any act of questionable morality was unacceptable, a mindset likely shaped by Atris's strict beliefs.

Despite being dubbed the "Last of the Handmaidens" by her fellow sisters, Brianna demonstrated great skill in Echani martial arts combat and successfully trained Meetra Surik, proving her deep understanding of the fighting style. Brianna discovered that her training aided in maintaining her mental focus, and she frequently practiced while traveling with Surik, particularly when she was irritated by Surik's other travel companions. Furthermore, Brianna possessed adeptness in Battle Precognition, a skill that enabled her to anticipate her opponents' intentions fractions of a second before they acted, granting her a tactical advantage in battle. Recognizing Surik's potential with precognition, she also instructed her in its use. Her fighting abilities extended to a variety of weapons, including Force pikes and blasters. Brianna also wielded a special staff that shared characteristics with a saberstaff, a gift from her father. In addition to her weaponry skills, Brianna's Echani expertise allowed her to engage in unarmed combat effectively.

Being the daughter of a Jedi, Arren Kae, Brianna possessed Force sensitivity and ultimately embraced Jedi training under Surik's guidance, becoming a Jedi Guardian. As a Jedi Guardian, Brianna dedicated herself to combat, mastering lightsaber techniques and Jedi abilities, while enhancing her skills with powers such as Force Jump. Through Jedi training, her combat skills evolved to the point that she surpassed her sisters in ability, even defeating all of them simultaneously in a fight. Brianna even managed to duel evenly against Jedi Master Atris for a period before being overwhelmed by Force Lightning. She also exhibited considerable resilience, remaining standing after being struck by Force Lightning and appearing relatively stable despite the ordeal.

Brianna owned several items gifted to her by her parents, including Jedi robes from her mother and a staff from her father. The light-grey Jedi robe, inherited from her mother Arren Kae, offered some enhancements and protection. The staff, inherited from her father Yusanis, resembled those used by other Handmaidens, with the ability to be folded into the handle.

Brianna made her debut in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, a video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and launched in 2004. Like the majority of companions, her character was penned by Chris Avellone. She stood out as the only party member whose visual design was not conceived by artist Brian Menze. Brianna is a non-player character who joins the player's party if the main character is male. If the main character is female, Meetra Surik will instead be joined by Mical, "the Disciple," and Brianna will only be seen in cutscenes on Telos. Her voice was provided by Grey DeLisle, who also voiced Padmé Amidala, Asajj Ventress, and Shaak Ti in the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series. Despite numerous in-game references to Brianna's distinct appearance from her sisters, and "honoring the face of her mother," Brianna's character texture mirrors that of her five sisters, although her head model features beaded strands of hair on both sides.

When Leland Chee was asked if Brianna still accompanied Surik when Surik was female, he simply replied "maybe." However, a preview for the Star Wars Miniatures Knights of the Old Republic set confirmed Brianna's presence alongside Surik. This preview also provided roleplaying statistics for Brianna for the Saga Edition. Tionne's statements in The Essential Guide to the Force suggested that Brianna was the one who defeated Darth Nihilus, although the accuracy of these records is questionable, as Nihilus is fought and killed in the game by Surik, Marr, and Mandalore the Preserver. This inconsistency is likely due to Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force being written from an in-universe perspective, where the New Jedi Order's records of the battle are inaccurate. This is reinforced by the guide also mentioning Visas Marr as another potential slayer of Nihilus. A game update for Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2013 later introduced Brianna's outfit, "The Last Handmaiden Set," as a purchasable item for players through the game's Cartel Market system.

As with most of the player's allies, players have the option to wait until they have built enough influence with Brianna to train her as a Jedi at a low level. Since she joins Surik at level 6, she has the opportunity to learn more Force powers and abilities if the player waits. A glitch in the game can cause a male Surik to accidentally kill Brianna during her training. If this happens, her space on the character selection screen will lack a picture, and her name will be replaced by the words "I am so very very broken." If the player attempts to speak to Brianna when Surik has more influence with Visas than Brianna, she will become upset and refuse to speak to him for the rest of the game.

Due to Meetra Surik's unique ability to create strong bonds with her companions and even manipulate their motivations, Brianna can be influenced to embrace the dark side. If Brianna joins Surik and subsequently falls to the dark side, Kreia predicts that she will cease admiring the Jedi and fully dedicate herself to battle. She will abandon her Force training and instead punish the Jedi for being overly emotional. Should Brianna fall to the dark side and become a Dark Jedi Guardian, she will also replace her pure white clothing with a similar garment that is completely black and fastened with leather.

Although it is considered canon that Brianna accompanied Surik on her journeys, within the game itself, she only joins Surik if the player is male. Otherwise, she is replaced by Mical. At some point, Surik requested Brianna to teach her Echani fighting techniques, and they sparred three times during their journey, each time learning more about each other and growing closer, to the point that both Atton and Kreia noticed and commented on it.

The main difference in Brianna's journey with a male Surik is the development of romantic feelings towards Surik, as well as her rivalry with Visas for his affections. When Visas is first accepted into the group by Surik, Brianna questions his decision, feeling that Visas could betray them to the Sith, and also shows jealousy at Surik's willingness to accept another woman so easily. If Surik has higher influence with Visas than Brianna, she will confront the Miraluka out of jealousy, accusing her of planning to betray them to the Sith, and ignoring Visas' attempts to appease her. Brianna's envy grows to the point where Kreia exploits it, manipulating the handmaiden's feelings and convincing her to be ready to confront Visas when Kreia deems the time right.

With a male Surik, Brianna also takes Kreia to Atris, with her grief over Surik's death clouding her judgment. She confronts her sisters, as well as Atris, who eventually uses Force lightning. Brianna is unprepared and falls to her knees after one hit, but Atris tortures her with another round of lightning, her jealousy burning over Brianna's closeness to Surik and accusing her of falling in love with him as Brianna lays writhing in agony. Rendered hurt and helpless, it seems Atris is going to finish her off, when suddenly Surik appears at the last second, and challenges Atris to a duel. Only further angered by Surik's display of concern, she strikes Brianna one last time with lightning and, leaving her for dead on the floor, retreated to her chamber to do battle with Surik.

After Surik dueled with Atris, Brianna surprisingly manages to survive the vicious assault, and now without the oath to her sisters or her mistress to hold her there, she once again pledged herself to Surik in gratitude. This time she would never let the stigma of her family hold her back from following her heart again. She renounced her title as Last of the Handmaidens, and accepted her true identity for the first time, as well as her name (which up to this point, she had kept secret even from Surik).

In an earlier iteration of the game, Brianna was originally intended to join Meetra Surik regardless of gender, as long as Surik was light-sided (dark-sided players would have been joined by Visas Marr instead).

Brianna was supposed to fight her sisters in the Telos Academy, with the option to either kill them or stun them, allowing them to live. In the official release, when her sisters become hostile and a fight seems imminent, the scene fades to black, then fades back in to show all the handmaidens except Brianna lying prone on the ground.

Brianna had a few scenes that were ultimately removed from the game: If the player had more influence with Visas Marr than the Handmaiden, or the PC was dark-sided, Brianna would attack Marr in the Trayus Academy on Malachor V, accusing her of seducing Surik. If the PC had more influence with Brianna than Visas and the Mass Shadow Generator was not activated, the PC would leave her in the Trayus Core to wait for others and to teach them as Kreia taught Surik. Like Mira, Rand, and Marr, Brianna would be one of the members to confront and attack Kreia at Malachor V, only to be defeated and imprisoned by Darth Sion. Rand would be the only companion to escape.