Jarael

In the wake of the Great Sith War, Antos Wyrick, a Zeltron scientist, discovered DNA from the deceased Arkanian Jedi Master Arca Jeth. Wyrick, however, required suitable facilities to utilize this discovery. Consequently, Wyrick reestablished contact with the Mandalorians who sought vengeance for their defeat in the Sith War. Together with Arkanian Offshoots purged from Arkanian universities by the Adasca family, Wyrick and his fellow researchers established a research colony on the uncharted world of Osadia—far from the scrutiny of the Galactic Republic—aiming to create a race of Mandalorian Knights using Arca Jeth's cells. Initially, the project was unstable and unsuccessful, as Wyrick couldn't produce clones of Jeth. Nor could a pure Arkanian be produced, until he discovered that Jeth had not been a pure Arkanian but one who had Sephi blood. The mixture made it impossible to introduce Jeth's DNA into the test tube growing organisms. However, the Arkanian Offshoots were discovered to be able to adapt to the introduction of the DNA in vitro. A male and a female Arkanian Offshoot researchers were the first to successfully grow a child with Arca Jeth's DNA. The child, a girl, was named Edessa, meaning "triumph" in ancient Arkanian.

Following Edessa's success, more children with Arca Jeth's DNA were created. Wyrick transformed his research facility—deliberately designed to resemble Arca Jeth's praxeum on Arkania—into a school for the children, all of whom possessed exceptional physical talents. During her early childhood as a student, Edessa developed a close bond with Wyrick and became his most accomplished student, or, as he described her, his "triumph." However, Wyrick began collaborating with a vast slaving organization known as the Crucible to acquire parents for his test-tube-grown children. The Crucible subsequently attacked the school while Wyrick was away, reporting his progress to Mandalore the Ultimate. Led by Dace Golliard using Skyreaper drones, the organization set the school ablaze and enslaved the planet's inhabitants. While adults attempted to shield her and the other children, Edessa fled from the drones alone until Golliard found her and nicknamed her "snow-hair" as snowflakes began to fall. Unaware of his identity, Edessa took Golliard's hand and went with him to become a slave of the Crucible. Upon returning to his school, Wyrick discovered it pillaged and the students gone. He launched a quest to find Edessa, but nearly twenty-five years passed before he saw her again. Wyrick's researchers then broke off their connections with him due to the loss of what were essentially their children.

Within the Crucible, Edessa engaged in combat with other slaves as part of their rigorous training. She also became subordinate to a Zeltron woman named Chantique. As a teenager, she challenged and defeated Chantique, assuming the role of the new trainer and slaver, leaving Chantique to be discarded. At one point, she assisted in a delivery to the Sungrazer cooperative in the Koornacht Cluster, where she believed eight to ten slaves were held. There, she realized that slaves who lost their matches were not being freed but were instead sent to mine on comets, such as those in the Koornacht Cluster, or to corrupt medical researchers. She began assisting younger slaves in avoiding failure and shipment. The slaves under her care called her "Jarael"—meaning "protector" in the Crucible language—which she adopted as her new name.

Eventually, Jarael could no longer endure being part of the Crucible. She encountered an older Arkanian named Camper who aided her escape. Jarael stowed away with a merchant the Crucible had dealings with and fled. Out of gratitude, she traveled with and protected him, seeking to repay his kindness. She also hoped that no one would recognize the meaning of the marks the Crucible had placed upon her. Ultimately, the two wanderers arrived on the planet Taris, concealing themselves in a dump in the Lower City district known as Junk Junction, residing in an old ship called The Last Resort. The pair intentionally avoided contact with the gangs inhabiting the Lower City, such as the Hidden Bek gang and the Black Vulkars. Jarael worked daily as a scrap hauler for a Kedorzhan reclamation plant, though that eventually closed and the pair turned to selling items Camper had fixed for credits. The Last Resort was kept on top of an old abandoned apparel warehouse, and while growing up, she frequently played "dress-up" to pass the otherwise boring and tiring time.

Following the Padawan Massacre on Taris, Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph sought Camper's assistance, but Jarael nearly killed them both, demonstrating her proficiency with a shockstaff. Jarael ordered them to leave immediately and never return, fearing that the Republic would trace Carrick's path directly to them and uncover their hiding place. Meanwhile, the Padawan Massacre incident had prompted Lhosan Industries to announce their withdrawal from Taris, causing financial ruin for many in the Lower City. Annoyed by Jarael's attitude, Carrick referred to her as "Darth Sunshine." Nevertheless, when an arrest party arrived at Junk Junction, she and Camper helped Carrick and Hierogryph escape aboard The Last Resort.

Pursued by the Jedi and the Taris Civil Authority, the group fled into a nearby asteroid field. While Jarael wanted to throw Gryph out the airlock for dragging them out of the Lower City and into the forces of the Civil Authority, he pointed out that they were in this together until they got out of the system. Jarael reluctantly agreed and dropped the Snivvian. While Camper had a dizzy spell and Jarael went to assist him, Zayne attempted to fly out of the asteroid field to make a holographic transmission to Master Vandar Tokare on Dantooine. When Zayne attempted to explain what happened to the small Jedi, Jarael arrived in time to knock Zayne unconscious with her shockstaff and fly The Last Resort back into the asteroid field, where they could avoid further detection. While the pair pried Gryph from a large pile of environmental suits, Zayne realized they were directly on top of the Rogue moon, the site of the former Padawans' last training exercise. Jarael accompanied him to the surface of the moon, where they discovered the remains of T1-LB, the Jedi's bulk-loader droid, just before Jedi Master Lucien Draay discovered them. The Last Resort's repaired weapon systems scattered the Civil Authority forces and allowed Jarael and Zayne to escape with the remains of T1-LB.

Inside the battered droid, thanks to repairs made by Camper, Carrick and Jarael found a recording that revealed that the Jedi Masters had received a vision of a Sith Lord in red armor, killing Jedi and destroying cities across the galaxy. The hologram was cut off when it was revealed that T1-LB or simply "Elbee" was pushed off the cliff side by Lucien Draay. Soon after the revelation of the Jedi Master's vision, The Last Resort was attacked by the bounty hunter vessel Oroko and trapped by its tractor beam.

On board the Oroko, they were detained by the bounty hunter Valius Ying. However, due to Marn Hierogryph's bartering, all but Zayne were allowed to go free—the price on Carrick's head was too high to ignore. On Gryph's suggestion, Zayne pretended to leave with the bounty hunters, but sneaked away and tried to reach The Last Resort. Zayne, though, was surprised to find Jarael patiently waiting for him. She immediately told him to stop running away, and that, by giving himself up, he would save the lives of his friends. Feeling defeated, Zayne tossed his lightsaber to Jarael, and decided to give up himself to the bounty hunters in order to stop the dark prophecy from coming true—doing this, he reasoned, would also save his friends from any persecution.

As Zayne finally stood before his former Masters, blaster fire rocked the Jedi Temple. Touched by Zayne's sacrifice, Jarael had disguised herself as the Sith Lord which had appeared in the Masters' vision and crashed into the Council chambers, fit with audio and helmet trick. After threatening the Masters with Zayne's lightsaber, she revealed herself to Zayne. While Lucien ordered the Masters to take her down, she used the suit's rocket thrusters to launch her and Zayne onto the rooftop where The Last Resort hovered. Due to the efforts of Jarael, Gryph, Camper and Elbee, Zayne escaped Taris and avoided being wrongly convicted of a crime he did not commit.

Following The Last Resort's escape from Taris, the team of fugitives fled to the mining colony on Vanquo. Low on supplies, the team devised a plan to steal what supplies they could from the miners there. While Zayne disguised himself as a refugee to get into close contact with the head of the mining staff, Jarael disguised herself again as a Jedi—this time as one of the Jedi Covenant's members, the Miraluka Q'Anilia. In a holographic transmission on the miners' distress channel, hijacked by Camper, to the miners, "Q'Anilia" reported that the Mandalorians were invading Vanquo. Though the miners were initially skeptical of the transmission, Zayne used a Jedi mind trick to convince them that the Mandalorian Invasion was real and they should abandon their camp. Distracted by Vanquo's scenery—its trees, mountains and skyline, far different than the Taris scenery in the Undercity that she had become accustomed to—Jarael honed her lightsaber skills, finding it fun, while Zayne and Gryph gathered the supplies.

Against all odds, the Mandalorians attacked Vanquo under the command of Mandalorian Commander Rohlan Dyre. Distracted by her practicing with Zayne's lightsaber, Jarael quickly found herself surrounded by the Mandalorians. Vastly outnumbered, Jarael attempted to break free was soon overwhelmed, captured and dragged off to a teroch-type gunship. Despite her protests of not being a Jedi, her cries fell on deaf ears as they lifted off Vanquo and brought her to a former Republic research station, Flashpoint Stellar Research Station. Though still claiming not to be a Jedi, she was dragged into the facility's waiting room to join other Jedi captured by the Mandalorians on Suurja. These Jedi were experiments for the Mandalorian scientist known as Doctor "Demagol"—or Demar'agol, "the flesh carver" in Mando'a. Soon after Jarael's arrival, the Jedi known commonly as "Squint" was tossed back into the waiting room after being experimented on by Demagol and bearing the scars to prove it. Despite the obvious pain Squint was in, he volunteered to take Jarael's place, knowing Jarael was not a Jedi, when Demagol stepped in and wished to make Jarael his next experiment. Squint would only be able to keep the doctor occupied for so long. He immediately wanted to make Jarael his next test subject; however, when he pulled Jarael's hair away and saw her ears, gained from Arca Jeth's DNA introduced into her during her conception, Demagol recognized her from Osadia, though Jarael would remain unaware of Demagol's true identity of Antos Wyrick for months.

Fortunately for Jarael, the Mandalorian commander from Vanquo had attempted to desert the Mandalorians to discover the true reason behind the invasion of Republic space by stealing The Last Resort. Zayne, Camper, Elbee and Gryph subdued the Mandalorian and struck a deal with him in order to rescue Jarael. Rohlan brought the "captured" Zayne to Flashpoint Station and insisted to Demagol that he be the next test subject due to his desire to see the young Jedi suffer for "nearly breaking his neck." Demagol complied with Dyre, and the three exited to his laboratory. Moments later, only Dyre and Demagol came out, commenting on Zayne's apparent death in the lab. This prompted Jarael to lash out at Demagol, strangling him while keeping him tackled to the floor. Jarael heard a simply telepathic voice and released Demagol, allowing him to throw her off. Demagol, in reality a disguised Zayne, used the Force to throw mining charges on key points at the facility, with Gryph, disguised as a Republic fleet admiral, made it seem that they sabotaged Flashpoint Station. The Mandalorians, in response to the confusion, fled the station, leaving only Dyre, Carrick and the captured Jedi. The true Demagol had actually been locked inside a storage cabinet. Rohlan and Zayne freed the captured Jedi, and during the evacuation of the facility, Squint and Jarael said their goodbyes to each other—Jarael was told that the next time they met, she was to simply call him Alek. Following the evacuation of the other prisoners, Zayne and Jarael left Flashpoint Station on The Last Resort. Unbeknownst to anyone, when Rohlan Dyre left to bring Demagol out from the storage cabinet, the Zeltron doctor injected Dyre with a substance that weakened him and induced a coma. Taking his armor, Demagol gave Dyre to the Jedi leaving Flashpoint while he himself, wishing to discover if the other children from Osadia survived, stowed away on The Last Resort under the guise of Rohlan Dyre.

After escaping Flashpoint Station, Jarael and Camper encountered difficulties on the banking world of Telerath. Disguised as high-ranking officials, the pair anticipated a world of offices with large cities and an impersonal atmosphere. Instead, they found a beautiful resort planet with beaches, warm weather, and a relaxed environment, where they were greeted by the droid GG-36. Jarael and Camper lacked funds, but Gryph possessed a perfectly legal bank account on Telerath. The pair disguised themselves as "Baron Hyro Margryph" and "Chantique." Jarael explained that the bank administration must have mistaken the baron for the fugitive Marn Hierogryph, resulting in the account being frozen. Following a brief validation process, the account was reopened, and they were permitted to collect the funds. However, while admiring the beautiful scenery with the banker, they were intercepted by the Moomo Brothers, a pair of second-rate bounty hunters. During their attack, Jarael displayed amazing fighting prowess as she defended Camper. However, the two bounty hunters quickly made off with the banker who had assisted Jarael in reopening the account. The banker, as it turned out, was Arvan Carrick, Zayne Carrick's father.

The Moomo Brothers were contracted by Master Raana Tey to observe and watch Arvan and his family in case Zayne contacted them. Once Zayne had made contact with his family, the Moomo Brothers were to contact Raana and allow her and the other Masters to take control of the situation. However, the Moomos had a history of being third-rate bounty hunters, and decided to go against Raana's orders and capture Arvan instead of merely watching him—their reason being that it was less boring, and that it made more sense to them, and therefore, more sense overall. Raana expressed her anger to the two bounty hunters and advised them that she would have to consult the other Masters to see what should be done. Meanwhile, Camper, Zayne and Gryph developed a plan which allowed them to rescue Arvan: Gryph convinced Dob, one of the Moomos, that Zayne was on the planet and was willing to trade his life for Arvan's. Gryph and Dob negotiated a trade, since Dob believed that this was a better deal for Raana. When Gryph arrived with a hooded Jedi, who was in fact Camper, Zayne secretly infiltrated the Moomos' ship and rescued his father from the two bounty hunters. Jarael personally refused to disguise herself as a Jedi to rescue Arvan, since the debacle which had led to her being previously captured by the Mandalorians. Once Arvan was rescued he helped transfer the money needed by both Gryph and Zayne.

Following the successful rescue of the banker Arvan, Jarael, Camper, and T1-LB separated from Zayne and Gryph. As they parted ways, Jarael conveyed to Zayne her deep respect for his unwavering moral code, even though he was a wanted fugitive. She wished him success in his quest and ended by expressing her hope that the Force would accompany him.

However, Camper's history resurfaced, and Jarael was confronted by an assassin droid identified as HK-24. After T1-LB was disabled by the droid, Jarael engaged HK-24 in combat but was ultimately defeated. Demagol, who had been secretly hiding within the ship's smuggling compartments disguised as Rohlan Dyre, emerged to neutralize the assassin droid and save Jarael's life.

During the altercation, Camper sustained injuries from the HK unit, triggering a severe episode far exceeding his previous experiences. Camper had always been susceptible to these episodes during times of high stress, leading him into a coma-like state. Demagol addressed Camper's visible wounds, but Jarael realized she needed to transport The Last Resort to Arkania, the Arkanian homeworld, to discover a remedy—despite the intense prejudice faced by hybrids like herself and Camper from "pure" Arkanians.

While in Adascopolis, Jarael, concealed by bulky attire and goggles, sought assistance for Camper. However, her mixed Arkanian heritage was immediately detected, forcing her to flee the city. During her escape, Jarael encountered a young mixed-blood Arkanian named Zadawi. Zadawi shared with Jarael the hardships faced by other mixed-bloods, who were being exploited in mining camps. That night, Zadawi brought Jarael to her grandmother, where she was welcomed. However, her grandmother became ill after a disagreement with Jarael regarding Adascorp.

Jarael still desperately needed medical attention for Camper. Aided by Zadawi, she improved her disguise to resemble a pure-blood Arkanian, using clawed gloves, blank contact lenses, and makeup. While attempting to find help, the Adascopolis authorities were immediately alerted to her presence due to her providing doctors with a mixed-blood's blood sample. Jarael managed to fend off several guards, but was eventually captured by Lord Arkoh Adasca himself. Jarael contacted Camper and Rohlan, informing them that Adasca had offered his assistance in Camper's treatment.

Camper was promptly admitted for medical care, and Jarael found herself under the protection of Lord Adasca. Adasca revealed to Jarael that Camper had been a promising Adascorp employee before contracting the Balinquar's Virus and deserting. Jarael received lavish treatment during her stay on the Arkanian Legacy. However, Adasca and one of his associates, Eejee Vamm, concealed the truth about Camper's condition—he was not infected with any virus. Her stay on the Arkanian Legacy was a ruse to persuade Camper to complete the project he had abandoned for Adascorp.

Unbeknownst to her, Jarael was essentially a prisoner of Arkoh Adasca. Eejee Vamm continued to perpetuate the lie of Camper's Balinquar's Virus by displaying images of him in quarantine aboard the Arkanian Legacy. Adasca also maintained the facade of a benevolent businessman by expressing sympathy for her and Camper's difficult circumstances. Despite Jarael being a mixed-blood, the pure-blooded Adasca developed an attraction to her and invited her to dinner in the Arkanian Legacy's observatory.

During their dinner, Adasca shared his plans to ensure the prosperity and expansion of the pure-blooded Arkanian race—beginning with Jarael's future offspring, a suggestion she found disturbingly premature. Adasca declared his ambition to make Arkania the center of the galaxy and his strategy to utilize the enigmatic creatures known as exogorths to achieve this. Adasca explained that these creatures consumed metal and minerals and that a scientist named Gorman Vandrayk had discovered a way to control them. Once controlled, Adasca could implement his plan—though he refused to provide Jarael with further details at that time. He stressed that this scientist was the man she had protected—Camper.

Almost immediately, Adasca's other guests began to arrive. The remnants of Battle Group Serroco, aboard a freighter called the Deadweight, reached the Arkanian Legacy. Although Eejee Vamm suggested imprisoning her, Adasca believed she could be useful in greeting their guests. Jarael refused to participate in Adasca's scheme to sell the exogorths to the highest bidder and fled. She was intercepted by several HK-24 units, but she destroyed them in the ensuing battle.

Holding Adasca at blaster-point with an HK-24 rifle, Adasca threatened to sever Camper's hands if she disobeyed his orders. As she surrendered the blaster rifle, the first of Adasca's guests landed in the hangar bay. As the members of the Serroco Battle Group disembarked, Jarael recognized her old friend, Zayne Carrick. Jarael rushed to him and kissed him—solely to convey information about the true situation on the Arkanian Legacy and Camper's predicament. Zayne was quickly escorted to a secure area, despite Jarael's pleas to Adasca not to send him back to Coruscant—a request Adasca used to manipulate Jarael into compliance, threatening to place her under constant HK-24 guard.

The representative of the Jedi Crusaders arrived next, accompanied by another of Jarael's old friends, Alek. Jarael attempted to convince Alek that Adasca was insane, but Adasca quickly interrupted and restrained her. While in the observatory with Adasca and his guests, showcasing the exogorths, Adasca's final guest arrived. The guest was Mandalore the Ultimate—his presence revealed that Adasca had ensnared Demagol in his scheme, just as he had her.

Despite Adasca's constant surveillance, she managed to slip away to the observatory alcove to receive a transmission from Camper. Jarael apologized for allowing Adasca to find him. Camper instructed her to locate The Last Resort and escape. Jarael knew she couldn't escape with the armed guards surrounding her but reassured Camper by informing him that Zayne and Alek were on the Legacy. Adasca discovered her and terminated the transmission. She resisted him, fighting him off, but he subdued her by striking her. Adasca, using Jarael's locator bracelet (torn from her during the assault), threatened Camper, stating that Jarael would become the plague designers' next test subject if he didn't continue his work.

However, Zayne Carrick had escaped, and along with Demagol, Republic lieutenant Carth Onasi, and Lucien Draay, who had also been captured by Adasca, they sprung a trap, resulting in a battle between Republic forces and Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders. Zayne freed Jarael and grabbed a guard's shockstaff and joined the brawl. Jarael, Zayne, Demagol, and Alek fled the Arkanian Legacy's observation deck as the exogorths breached it, consuming Arkoh Adasca. The four reunited with Elbee, who displayed a holographic transmission from Camper. Camper announced that he would take The Last Resort and lead the exogorths into wild space. Jarael and Camper tearfully bid farewell as Camper jumped into hyperspace.

Feeling responsible for bringing Camper to Adascorp, Jarael was told by Zayne that he needed her help to confront his masters. At that moment, Lucien arrived and offered to take them away from the burning Arkanian Legacy if Zayne turned himself in. Zayne agreed, but another ship arrived. The Moomo Williwaw crashed into the vessel, and the Moomo Brothers and Slyssk emerged. Slyssk revealed that Marn Hierogryph was still alive on Taris and had summoned Zayne to aid him in his resistance against the Mandalorians.

Jarael traveled with Zayne and the others to Taris aboard their new, temporary vessel, the Moomo Williwaw. While Zayne departed to find Marn Hierogryph, Jarael, Demagol, and Alek remained on the vessel, floating amidst the Mandalorian blockade in orbit. With Camper in wild space and due to the events that had transpired at Omonoth, Jarael felt isolated and distrustful. Demagol noticed her behavior and suggested she address her issues in the Mandalorian way: a sparring match. In the cargo hold of the Williwaw, Jarael sparred with Alek and defeated him. Her abilities were noted to be improved and capable of further development with training.

The match, however, fostered a closer connection between Alek and her. Alek explained that since the Great Sith War Jedi have avoided forming such relationships, but he still desired a romantic relationship with her. Jarael requested time before pursuing any relationship due to the betrayal of trust by Arkoh Adasca. Alek remained unconvinced and urged her to consider whether it was truly the timing or simply him that she didn't want a relationship with.

The stay at Taris was short-lived after Zayne's encounter with Raana Tey. When the resistance base was besieged by Mandalorians, Zayne requested Jarael, Alek, and Rohlan to transport two children, the children of Constable Sowrs, to their father on Alderaan with the assistance of Zayne's childhood friend, Shel Jelavan. While on Alderaan, Jarael received another message from Zayne to come to the ice planet Jebble for pickup. Upon arrival, they discovered the planet overrun with Rakghoul-turned Mandalorians, with Zayne and Gryph at the center. Despite being rescued, Zayne ordered the Williwaw to turn around to pick up a friend of his, Celeste Morne, an agent for the Jedi Covenant. Before they could, Cassus Fett arrived and launched nuclear warheads, effectively eliminating the entire Mandalorian force stationed there. Jarael, Alek, and Shel reassured Zayne that they would help him clear his name after he became distraught by Celeste's apparent death. First, they would travel to Odryn, using the key Celeste provided Zayne.

At Odryn, Jarael disguised herself in heavy robes, makeup, and black hair dye to resemble Celeste Morne. While Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph hid in a laundry hamper, the Moomo Brothers assisted in carrying it into the Sanctum of the Exalted on Odryn to create the impression that she was delivering an artifact—specifically, the Muur Talisman. Upon landing, she was greeted by a native Feeorin, Borjak. Borjak immediately noticed her Ithorian companions and informed her of the one-outsider-per-visit rule. Jarael, disguised as Morne, struck the larger man several times and held him at the mercy of Zayne's borrowed lightsaber. Jarael convinced Borjak that they were simply pirates hired to transport the Talisman. He approved, provided they did not enter the Sanctum itself. En route to the Sanctum, Borjak showed Jarael the troubled state of the local village and how the weather has been negatively affecting it. Borjak showed her the temple and explained how only the Exalted, the oldest Feeorin—Jedi Covenant member Feln—could enter along with any guest. Before leaving her and the Moomo Brothers, he asked to tell Feln that he did his duty.

With Borjak gone, Zayne and Gryph emerged from their cramped hiding place and entered the Sanctum using Celeste's key. Inside, they discovered a storeroom filled with ancient artifacts and trinkets encased in green containers embedded with Covenant identichips. While photographing the artifacts, Zayne recounted his escape from Taris and expressed his gratitude for her assistance, asking why she was helping him when Demagol wanted her to be a warrior and Alek wanted her to help against the Mandalorians. She simply replied that he had asked first. Jarael and the Moomo Brothers departed for the rendezvous point while Zayne and Gryph continued to document the artifacts.

Aboard the Moomo Williwaw, Jarael discovered that the Moomo Brothers had stolen several artifacts from the Sanctum and concealed them inside their laundry hamper. When the Williwaw returned to Odryn to pick up Zayne and Gryph, the Jedi Master, Feln, believed that they were returning to raid the Sanctum again and, as such, destroyed it. After the Feeorins on Odryn turned on Feln and killed him, Jarael and the Williwaw landed on the surface. While Zayne and Gryph, believing they had reached a dead end due to Feln's destruction of the evidence, didn't need to see the Ithorians' laundry, Jarael revealed the stolen artifacts.

The Moomo Williwaw, carrying its cargo of ancient Sith artifacts, set course for Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic and the location of the Jedi Temple. As the Williwaw approached the planet, Admiral Saul Karath, commanding the Swiftsure, noticed the gunship's approach and dispatched Lance Squadron to intercept them. The Moomo Brothers manned the gun turrets while Rohlan attempted to dissuade Jarael from Zayne's mission, Jarael refused to listen, however, stating she wanted to start her life over by doing something and that was to help Zayne.

As the Williwaw continued its course toward Coruscant, Karath's coordinated fleet opened fire, nearly destroying it. Zayne prepared to retreat when he and Jarael realized that he simply needed another ship. Jarael agreed to allow Zayne, Gryph, Slyssk, and the stolen artifacts from Odryn to escape while she, Demagol, and the Moomo Brothers allowed themselves to be captured though Zayne was hesitant to allow Jarael to do this for him. Demagol attempted to dissuade Jarael from this but she berated him and told him to go hide in a crawl space. Jarael took the Williwaw and crash-landed it in the hangar of the Swiftsure. Admiral Karath recognized Jarael instantly from the Arkanian Legacy and ordered his men to find Zayne and Gryph—who had already escaped to Coruscant aboard the Deadweight.

Zayne and Gryph were, however, captured by Covenant member Xamar, who brought them to masters Vrook Lamar and Vandar Tokare, where he confessed to them the true killers of the Padawan Massacre. A plan was devised to secure the headquarters of the Covenant at the Draay Estate. There, as Jedi Knights attempted to infiltrate the estate, the retainer and actual Sith Acolyte Haazen revealed himself to have been manipulating the Covenant from under Krynda Draay's, Lucien's mother and founder of the Covenant, notice. During the encounter, the Republic fleet was taken control of by Haazen, who had the fleet fire upon Coruscant to prevent the Jedi Council's Knights from storming the estate. During the chaos, the entire Covenant fell apart as Xamar was killed by cruiser fire and Q'Anilia committed suicide. Krynda was revealed to have been trapped in stasis ever since the Padawan Massacre and died soon after her release. While at first, Lucien Draay believed Marn Hierogryph had caused his mother's death, during his duel with Zayne, Lucien turned against Haazen and launched both Zayne and Gryph away from the estate as he took control of the fleet and destroyed Haazen, the estate and seemingly himself.

While the Republic forces and Jedi Order agreed to make the public believe the Mandalorians caused the destruction, Zayne and Gryph were cleared of the murders and their bounties paid off. Alek testified on their behalf, during which Jarael hoped that the Jedi Council would make their peace with the crusading Jedi. In protest, Alek decided to go under the alias of Malak until the war ended. Jarael considered going to fight the Mandalorians with Zayne but decided that Demagol needed her help to find the answers in his own quest. During Saul Karath's speech regarding the supposed Mandalorian terror plot, Gryph gave Jarael Zayne's Padawan braid, wanting her to give it to him. However, Zayne turned down the offer of being promoted to a Jedi Knight and opted to partner with Gryph while protecting the little people who slipped beyond their notice.

One month after the events of Vindication, Zayne took leave of Jarael and Gryph to visit his family —which Gryph found suspicious. Despite the circumstances of losing his now-partner, Gryph created a new scam. On Metellos 3, planetary exchanges were being made for a hefty sum of money. Jarael and Rohlan Dyre, with a mining ship called the Hot Prospect, entered the trading floor of Metellos 3. Demagol, disguised as a disgruntled native speaking an unidentified language, and Jarael, disguised as Brackel, the captain of the Hot Prospect, stormed the area and held up the Chev Cipiter. "Brackel" explained how the natives of the planet Italbos were disgruntled with their planet being claimed and sold off by the auctioneers. Gryph, disguised as Gryphomarn, a professor of law, volunteered to represent the natives of Italbos in a new auction where the natives would get paid a large sum of money for their supposed mineral-rich planet.

Cipiter, to arrange the new auction, closed the market for the rest of the day and allowed Brackel and her Italbos friend to stay with the professor. Without hearing from the auctioneers, Jarael felt they were stalling, though Gryph simply thought that it allowed the traders to come up with more money—money that would be transferred to the crew of the Hot Prospect, though Jarael wanted to send her share of the money to friends on Arkania. While discussing Zayne Carrick's whereabouts, the trio was ambushed by a task force of Chevs utilizing energy bolas and Sentinel droids. Demagol and Jarael held off the task force while Gryph attempted to make a getaway but was captured in the end. Restrained with energy leashes, the two met Cipiter's master, the Chevin Nunk Plaarvin of the Raff Syndicate. While being led away, Jarael attempted to escape as she attacked Mongorrt, the head of the security forces on Metellos 3. However, Plaarvin stopped the escape attempt with his massiveness and had them restrained even further.

The Chevin had both Jarael and Demagol strung up in an observation tower whose glass was meant to magnify and increase the intensity of Metellos's already powerful sunlight and incinerate anyone in the room. Left to their fates by Nunk and his slaves, the companions watched as the sun began clearing the edge of the observatory's lens. As the heat built up, Demagol revealed his suspicion to Jarael that she might be Force sensitive. Having seen her spar with multiple Jedi, he encouraged her to reach out with the Force and break the chains that bound them. Despite an initial protest that she did not have the power, Jarael did her best to call upon the Force to break the chain and both her and the impostor Mandalorian believed she had broke it herself. Upon a happy reunion with Zayne, Gryph and Slyssk, after they had dealt with Nunk Plaarvin, Demagol remarked that Zayne would need to instruct Jarael in the ways of her supposed newfound powers.

After Metellos 3, Gryph departed for Pantolomin with the intention of initiating his latest scheme. Concurrently, Jarael and the Hot Prospect stumbled upon the derelict luxury liner, the Chancellor Fillorean. While investigating the zero-gravity environment of the vessel, the crew discovered a grim scene: all passengers deceased, except for Toki Tollivar and his droid companion, Kayo. Toki recounted to Zayne and Slyssk how the passengers had mysteriously died during hyperspace travel, leaving him as the sole survivor. As Zayne left to contact a Republic ship, Jarael found Slyssk strangled in the kitchen. While Zayne struggled to use the Force to aid Slyssk, Jarael urgently requested Demagol's help. The Mandalorian scientist then performed a surgical procedure, inserting a temporary breathing tube into Slyssk's throat, which would sustain him for a limited time.

Zayne noticed Toki observing the surgery. Toki asserted that he had been resting in his quarters and had dispatched Kayo to retrieve his meal. Zayne and Demagol immediately set out to capture the droid servant, while Jarael remained to watch over Toki and Slyssk. Contrary to initial suspicions, Kayo was not responsible for the murders, nor the attempt on Slyssk's life. Instead, Toki Tollivar was revealed to be the true culprit, known throughout Republic territories as the Corellian Strangler. Toki exposed himself as a Sith adept from the era of the Great Sith War as he subjected Jarael to a Force Grip. However, Toki, much like Arkoh Adasca, detected an unusual quality within Jarael. This disruption seemed to agitate the Bimm, intensifying his pleasure in killing. Before he could fatally constrict Jarael, Zayne fired upon Toki. Although not immediately fatal, the blast prompted him to attack Zayne. The Sith adept gained the upper hand against Zayne, but Kayo's timely intervention saved him. Kayo seized Toki and electrocuted him while Toki voiced angry comments about the Jedi and Jarael. Demagol then shot Kayo in the back, causing an explosion that incinerated the Bimm. He then pushed Zayne and said he was useless if he couldn't protect Jarael.

Upon their arrival on Jervo's World, a vast complex of swoop-dueling arenas situated above Pantolomin and controlled by Lhosan Industries, Zayne Carrick escorted Jarael to the Hall of Champions. As an avid swoop bike enthusiast, Carrick was eager to share the history of the track and the rules governing the dueling matches. While observing one of the competitions, they encountered Marn Hierogryph, who had infiltrated the arena under the guise of inspector Bulgryph Mandrake. The con artist intended to exploit a minor delay in the broadcast feed from the secondary dueling arenas, enabling him to place bets on the winners before the audience knew the results. However, much to Hierogryph's frustration, Zayne had entered the dueling games himself, hoping to win a replica swoop bike belonging to his idol, Goethar Kleej. With Zayne occupied, Hierogryph tasked Jarael with placing the bets based on information he would provide. However, she found herself unable to place the bets due to her being uncomfortable making wagers on brawls—for reasons even she didn't understand. As Gryph expressed his discontent with Zayne's actions, Demagol was spotted, recognizable by his wearing of Rohlan Dyre's armor, and apprehended by security forces who suspected him of being involved in the Vindication cover-up sabotage. Gryph protested, explaining that Demagol's appearance was merely for show, clarifying that he was Jarael's client and she wished to sign him up for the duels.

Later, while resting on the Hot Prospect, Jarael experienced a Force vision. In this vision, she found herself back on Taris in the Jedi Tower, wearing the red spacesuit and wielding Zayne's lightsaber. However, instead of Zayne's Masters she saw the men who played significant role in her life over the past few months: Malak, Rohlan Dyre, Demagol and Arkoh Adasca. The four men who expressed interest in Jarael in reality, told her that the reason for that was hidden within herself, pointing to her clouded past and mysterious destiny. Moments later, Zayne Carrick appeared in the vision as well, bound in chains and accusing Jarael of betraying him. A mysterious woman holding Carrick's chains informed Jarael that he now belonged to her and left her at the mercy of the four men. At that moment, Jarael awoke and unintentionally overheard Zayne Carrick speaking to what appeared to be T1-LB. Realizing that Zayne was concerned about Goethar Kleej, Jarael showed him the unedited version of his "retirement speech," which Hierogryph had obtained from the broadcast center.

Returning to Jervo's World, Jarael disguised herself as a member of a blue-skinned species and engaged in flirtatious conversation with the composer for the games. She replaced his data cube containing musical scores for the duels with one containing the full version of Goethar's speech, as well as a statement by Jervo Thalien concerning the illegal funding for the duels, which exposed the slave dealings. While Thalien's attempts to kill Zayne, Demagol, Goethar, and his son, Aubin Kleej, were unsuccessful, the composer unknowingly played Goethar's speech and Jervo's confession for the audience. The resulting chaos allowed Goethar and Aubin to escape the duels in a garbage bin, while Demagol emerged as the dueling champion, receiving a swoop nicknamed Goethar Special as his prize. After Zayne offered to assist Jarael with her Force abilities, Goethar recognized her tattoos as being the Flames of the Crucible—worn by members of the same organization that provided the slaves for the duels. Goethar forced her away in disgust and stormed off with Aubin—telling Zayne that that a person like him would never be around someone like Jarael. Distressed, Jarael fled the scene to her quarters aboard the Hot Prospect while Zayne went after her to ask what Goethar had meant. Jarael confessed that she was once a slaver herself before meeting Camper. Later, Jarael's bitter arch-rival and former slaver colleague, Chantique, executed Thalien and stated that she would be coming after Jarael and her friends.

For some time, Zayne attempted to engage Jarael in conversation regarding her past, particularly concerning her reasons for keeping it a secret. The crew of the Hot Prospect journeyed to Wor Tandell, where Zayne was scheduled to meet with representatives from the Republic. During this period, Jarael took to riding a tandreed in the local forests. During the ride, the creature stumbled and fell, throwing her off, though she was kept afloat by Zayne who was passing through. Jarael finally opened up and revealed how she ended up with the Crucible and how she attempted to help the slaves. While Zayne asked to help her in bringing the organization down, Jarael angrily returned to the Hot Prospect demanding that he simply help her run from it as she helped him during his run from the Jedi Covenant.

Instead of finding Slyssk waiting for her at the ship, she was greeted by Malak who had come to officially recruit her into the joining him against the Mandalorians and, though he tried to mask it, win her over romantically. Malak explained how the Jedi had sanctioned the war effort and hoped to recruit Jarael due to her uncanny fighting abilities. Gryph unwittingly mentioned her recently discovered Force talents which overjoyed Malak though Jarael was still unwilling to go with him. While Malak continued to try and convince her, Demagol returned and was enraged at the fact that Malak was attempting to take her away. He struck Malak, and a brawl between the two began. Jarael begged Malak to stop fighting, but he refused to listen and slashed Rohlan's blasters with his lightsaber, forcing Demagol's head into a campfire. Malak was only stopped when two of his own comrades, Captain Telettoh and Ferroh, arrived and restrained him, along with Zayne, who accompanied them. Malak explained how he simply wanted Jarael to join him, claiming that the Jedi would welcome her. Zayne could see that this was not what Jarael wanted, and, in an attempt to get Malak to leave, Zayne kissed Jarael and claimed that they were in love and were going far away from the war. The ruse was successful, and Malak, rejected again by Jarael, left along with Ferroh and Telettoh. Zayne later promised to Jarael to use the resources, which he acquired after the events of Vindication and that he had kept a secret from Gryph, to break the Crucible.

Utilizing Zayne's contacts, he and Jarael discovered that the Crucible was still active, operating in conjunction with the Sungrazer Cooperative on comets within the Koornacht Cluster. With the goal of undermining the Crucible's relationship with the Cooperative and liberating the slaves forced to mine thorilide crystals, they disguised themselves as Crucible officers. Jarael and Zayne forced the Koorivar officer in charge, Sariyah Budan, to hand over a portion of the Cooperative's crystal harvest or else she'd be collecting the crystals herself. Budan obliged and invited the two to stay in a cabin while they waited for the harvest to be transferred to the Hot Prospect. While Zayne went to find the slaves, Jarael went to find a shuttle to transport the slaves out. Budan, however, discovered that the two of them were not sent and ordered them held and survey shuttles deactivated. With their escape ruined, Jarael and Zayne were forced into environmental suits and onto the surface of a comet, pursued by security forces while enduring the comet's violent storms.

Finally hailing the Hot Prospect, Zayne ordered all the airlocks on the vessel opened while he used the Force to transport the eighty slaves on the comet inside—much to the displeasure of Gryph, who was unaware of Jarael's past involvement in the Crucible and believed it was a simple con to rip off the Sungrazer Cooperative. During the rescue, however, the Crucible vessel called the Gladiator arrived under the command of Fleet Captain Dace Golliard, who had dispatched Skyreaper drones. Distracted by the unexpected reunion with the man who had kidnapped her as a child, Jarael was taken by a drone but quickly rescued by Zayne and subsequently Rohlan, who hauled them back into the Hot Prospect. The Gladiator pounded the Prospect with its superior firepower, preventing it from turning its thrusters and allowing Jarael to blast it with its cannons that were fixed in one direction. However, the Hot Prospect used its array of drills, hooks and cables to considerably damage the Gladiator and eventually, by jamming one of the ship's main components, allowed the Prospect to spin wildly and Jarael to fire upon the Gladiator and escape into hyperspace.

At a transit hub near the Koornacht Cluster, the released slaves were unloaded and taken to a refugee center. Jarael finally came clean with Rohlan and Gryph regarding her past as a slaver and made a resolution to stop the Crucible. While Demagol did not hesitate in agreeing to assist her in any way, Gryph proved reluctant in crossing a slaving organization, though agreed when Zayne informed him he was going to work his next con alone. Disguised as a Republic navy officer, by the name of "Carth Kamlin" in a salvaged Aurek fighter, Zayne infiltrated the Crucible on Volgax. However, Chantique discovered his true identity as Zayne Carrick and as a Jedi just prior to revealing Jarael's birth name and the meaning of "Jarael" as "destroyer."

With Zayne's tracker discovered, the crew of the Hot Prospect had no means of locating Zayne. Jarael became desperate for help in finding Zayne even going as far as to ask the rejected Malak for assistance, much to Rohlan's discomfort. Knowing Elbee was aware of Zayne's new contacts, Jarael pleaded with the bulk-loader droid in help finding him. Elbee established a connection to his contacts who turned out to be Shel Jelavan on Coruscant, working for Senator Haydel Goravvus of Taris. With Shel's help and records of travelers gone missing, Jarael and the crew located Zayne on Volgax, stranded in the pouring rain. However, Jarael found Zayne disgusted with her and miserable from his experience with the Crucible, where Chantique made him witness the thousands of years of torture by melding minds with a Caamasi slave known as Ralthar Sitan, then informed him of Jarael's actions in the organization when she was a teenager. Jarael defended herself by explaining that she was merely trying to help the slaves, but Zayne believed that she could have done more for them than simply running away from the Crucible and keeping her name, which he still believed to mean "destroyer." Jarael, now dejected herself over Zayne's anger, declared that if he really didn't know her after all they had been through together, it was time for the two to part ways, for he had standards that no one could possibly meet. While she went to tell the crew of the separation, she informed Zayne of the true meaning of her name.

Accompanied by Demagol, Jarael journeyed to Wor Tandell, where she expressed her despair that there seemed to be no way to dismantle the Crucible. However, Demagol revealed to Jarael that he had learned the Crucible had a power base on the planet Osadia. He also believed that Jarael's kidnapped schoolmates were being held captive on Osadia. Demagol plotted a course for the planet, then revealed his true identity as Antos Wyrick. Wyrick promised Jarael that he would help her find her fellow students. Throwing her arms around her lost teacher, Jarael was ecstatic to find her old master alive and well. Wyrick informed Jarael of how he became a Mandalorian after the school fell. However, Wyrick kept the Rohlan Dyre persona—claiming to have taken the name Rohlan Dyre when joining the Mandalorian Wars and constantly running away to find her. Wyrick did not inform Jarael of his other identity, Demagol, and of drugging the real Rohlan Dyre on Flashpoint Station—a fact which Zayne and Gryph were discovering on Coruscant during "Demagol"'s trial.

Upon arriving at Osadia, Wyrick prepared Jarael's equipment, expressing his desire to be the students' savior and for Jarael to be his redemption. The pair found the school heavily guarded by security forces led by Bar'injar. Wyrick gave Jarael a lightweight armor he had crafted over the past several weeks, as well as a weapon stolen from the cache of weapons brought from the Jedi Covenant's artifact storehouse on Odryn: Sith Lord Exar Kun's lightsaber. Jarael used the weapon to wound the guards while Wyrick killed Bar'injar. Wyrick then told Jarael to search the training hall, stating that she could not hold back against the people who had ruined their lives. As Jarael investigated, she heard a familiar voice taunting her, that of Chantique, whom Jarael had presumed dead. The Zeltron used the Force to send spears flying toward Jarael, who easily cut through them with her lightsaber. Chantique gloated on her successful attempt to turn Zayne against Jarael, implying that she would attempt to get him back to the dueling pits. This provoked Jarael into attacking. After a brief struggle, Jarael overcame Chantique and stood above her rival, ready to strike the killing blow. As fate would have it, Zayne Carrick fell through the ceiling and landed on top of Jarael. The distraction gave Chantique an opportunity to seize the double-bladed saber and engage Zayne in a duel, demanding to know why he came back for Jarael. With her own Force powers being amplified by the dark power of the saber itself, Chantique saw into Zayne's thoughts and discovered her father, Wyrick, was also at the academy. Chantique fled from the battle to search for her father, allowing Zayne and Jarael to escape. During their escape, Zayne informed Jarael of Wyrick's identity of Demagol and the switch that took place at Flashpoint Station while Jarael confessed to not feeling anything odd or cold regarding Exar Kun's lightsaber. Chantique returned, unable to find Wyrick, stronger than ever with the saber amplifying her powers. As she used the Force to throw Jarael and Zayne around the room, she seized Zayne's lightsaber and declared that she no longer needed the Crucible. However, her father found her and sank a dagger into her shoulder. Wounded, Chantique told him where the other children—the other genetically modified children he created—were. However, he soon realized that she'd buried them alive.

Despite the loss, Demagol still believed he still had hope for his Mandalorian Knights with Jarael. Zayne, however, revealed that, due to Jarael's inability to feel the dark side emanating from Kun's saber, she was only minimally Force sensitive. In other words, his project many years ago was a failure, and his daughter, who he believed was no use to him, was the one immensely strong in the Force due to his own Force sensitivity though he didn't even realize it. Suddenly, Chantique lashed out at Demagol with the dagger he put into her back. Attempting to use the Force to grab one of the two lightsabers—Kun's double-bladed saber or Zayne's single-bladed hilt—he grabbed Kun's saber and accidentally activated both ends. The blade went through both him and his daughter, killing them both.

Returning to Coruscant and with the help of the real Rohlan Dyre, Zayne tracked down former researchers who were on Demagol's project years prior. He discovered two researchers, and after meeting with them, concluded that these were Jarael's parents and arranged a meeting between the three as an anniversary gift for their meeting one year prior. With tears in her eyes as well as in her parents for the return of their Edessa, Jarael thanked Zayne for the reunion, though he confessed it was Rohlan who found them, though Rohlan had disappeared by this time. Finally reunited with her parents, Jarael decided to stay on Coruscant to get to know them. The following evening at Marn Hierogryph's restaurant, Goodvalor's Little Bivoli, Jarael, dressed in a lavish evening gown, staged a romantic meeting with Zayne with the help of Gryph. Believed to be helping a customer, Zayne approached Jarael's table. She suggested that Zayne wasn't like the other Jedi—free of emotional connections and physical contact, which Zayne agreed with. He and Jarael shared a kiss and began a more intimate relationship.

During her involvement with the slaving syndicate known as the Crucible, Jarael witnessed firsthand the appalling treatment of slaves. Initially a slave herself, she sought to improve the lives of others in similar situations. She challenged the Zeltron, Chantique, and emerged victorious, becoming a slave minder and striving to enhance the well-being of the slaves under her care. However, she could no longer endure the situation and fled, hoping to escape the Crucible's reach forever. Years after her time with the Crucible, she still carried immense guilt over working with the Crucible despite her best efforts in helping the slaves. Jarael was a fierce and hot-tempered Arkanian Offshoot, passionately devoted to the older man she only knew as Camper. While living in the lower cities of Taris, Jarael was emotionally defensive, not allowing anyone to see her true self. Despite Jarael's fierce temper, a softer side of her emerged upon traveling with Zayne Carrick after he had sacrificed himself to the Jedi Covenant in order to spare her, Camper and Gryph. When captured by Mandalorians, she felt more concern towards others, notably the Jedi Alek when she witnessed the wounds dealt to him by the sadistic scientist Demagol. When she was led to believe Zayne was killed by Demagol, she lunged at the scientist, enraged by the death of her friend, although, she soon discovered that it was Zayne in Demagol's armor. When Zayne and Gryph parted from her and Camper's company, despite her distaste for Gryph and initial feelings of Zayne, she felt saddened by the loss of their presence.

Jarael's letting her guard down around others proved to be an undoing when Camper fell ill and she traveled to Arkania to get him aid. She unexpectedly found help in the very company Camper was running from. Lord Adasca charmed Jarael by granting her a suite to stay in and a vast wardrobe, though she was unknowingly being used to further Adasca's agenda, until he revealed his plans of making her children purebloods. Learning from this experience, Jarael became distant from others again, turning away from the romantic relationship sought by the Jedi Alek Squinquargesimus and later again when he came to recruit her for the Mandalorian Wars.

Even with Camper gone, Jarael found herself assisting her friend Zayne in his quest to bring the Jedi Covenant to justice—despite Rohlan's attempts to stop his foolhardy quest, going as far as throwing herself in front of the Republic fleet to allow Zayne to make it to Coruscant. After Zayne had cleared his name, Jarael became torn between her friends in Zayne, Rohlan and Alek. She could not abandon Rohlan, a Mandalorian stuck in Republic space, but did not wish to part from Zayne and Gryph's company. During this time, she was exposed to the slavery and brawls of Jervo's World and disliked the usage of brawlers and slaves for entertainment due to her own past as a slaver.

After she was discovered to have the ability to use the Force, Rohlan constantly spoke to her to learn about how to use it from Zayne. Though she did not appreciate what she defined as nagging, she did appreciate that Zayne did not concern himself with her previously benign ability and let her ask him for training herself, though he still opened himself to her if and when she ever needed help. Still fierce and hot-tempered, however, she snapped back at Zayne when he became angry with her for her past actions in the Crucible slave organization, finding that he had too high of standards, and ended their partnership in bringing down the Crucible.

Antos Wyrick, a Zeltron, appeared to be the kind and well-liked teacher of Jarael during her early years at the Osadia School. In reality, unbeknownst to Jarael, Wyrick was a sociopath cultivated by the Iskalloni. He used living, sentient beings for his experiments, adopting the Mandalorian identity of Demagol during the initial phases of the Mandalorian Wars. Wyrick considered Jarael his finest student and, after she was abducted by Crucible slavers, he began a search for her. Despite not initially recognizing Jarael upon their first encounter after her kidnapping, he promptly identified her by observing her ears. However, Zayne Carrick's prompt arrival prevented him from delving further into the matter. Jarael would later lament the lost opportunity to bid Wyrick farewell before her abduction.

Although Jarael viewed Wyrick as a respected elder—"perero" in the ancient Arkanian tongue—Wyrick resorted to deception and frequent falsehoods in his interactions with her. For example, he assumed the identity of Rohlan Dyre after the Mandalorians abandoned the station, all to foster a closer relationship with Jarael. Furthermore, he withheld his true identity from Jarael until her return to Osadia, supposedly fearing her rejection due to his failure to protect her. Moreover, he maintained the Rohlan Dyre persona and did not disclose that he was Demagol—the brutal figure who had tortured and attempted to experiment on two of her companions at Flashpoint. Despite these flaws, while disguised as Rohlan, Wyrick pledged to safeguard her soon after Camper ventured into Wild Space following the Battle of Omonoth. He consistently voiced his ambition to enhance Jarael by honing her combat skills and exploring her Force sensitivity. He also bravely defended her against threats, including the Jedi Lucien Draay when he advocated for her execution, and again when the Jedi Malak attempted to persuade her to join the Revanchists, leading to a fierce confrontation.

Jarael did not learn his real name until several years after their initial meeting, referring to him only as "Camper." While Antos Wyrick acted as a paternal figure during her formative years, Camper filled that role after her escape from the Crucible at the age of thirteen. This reason alone was enough for Jarael to vow to protect him for the remainder of their lives. Due to his advancing age and the lifestyle he led in Junk Junction—residing in an old junk hauler named The Last Resort—Camper depended heavily on Jarael for assistance when he occasionally fell ill or needed protection from attacks. Jarael was deeply impressed by Camper's intellect, despite his senility and inability to fully explain what he was fleeing from, only vaguely alluding to "The Company." Camper had crafted Jarael's shockstaff—which she frequently used as her weapon of choice—and a communicator bracelet for her.

However, when The Last Resort was reactivated during Zayne and Gryph's escape from the Jedi Covenant, Camper's health deteriorated significantly. Jarael found herself torn between aiding the man she now considered "perero" and shielding him from "The Company," better known as The Adasca BioMechanical Corporation of Arkania. Despite Jarael's determined efforts to find a cure for Camper during her time on Arkania, her actions inadvertently led Adascorp directly to Camper, resulting in their capture. Jarael assisted in bringing medics to transport Camper to the Arkanian Legacy, marking the final time Jarael would see Camper in person. During this period, Jarael discovered Camper's past as scientist Gorman Vandrayk, who had worked on the exogorth project for Argaloh Adasca before fleeing upon learning of Adasca's intent to utilize the creatures for galactic domination. Argaloh's grandson, Arkoh, attempted to maintain Jarael's contentment by posing as a sympathetic friend, constantly feeding her misleading information about Camper's condition—details that included him remaining in a coma, which deeply saddened Jarael. Arkoh soon revealed his ambition to continue his grandfather's plan for galactic dominance using the exogorths and Camper's knowledge of them, along with the truth that Camper had recovered and was being held against his will by Adasca. Despite being a prisoner herself, Jarael managed to slip away during Adasca's sale of the exogorths to Admiral Saul Karath and Mandalore the Ultimate and communicate with Camper using the bracelet he had created. During this exchange, she expressed her deepest apologies for leading Adascorp to him and urged him to cease assisting Adasca, but he refused, driven by his own desire to protect Jarael. Their conversation was abruptly ended by Adasca, who seized her communicator and threatened to use Jarael as a test subject.

However, a battle between Republic forces and Mandalorians erupted on the Arkanian Legacy, allowing Camper to steer the exogorths into Arkoh Adasca's command bridge. Camper piloted the exogorths into wild space, but not before establishing a holographic communication with Jarael. Jarael pleaded with Camper to wait for her, but Camper confessed that she deserved a better life than the one they had been living in hiding. Camper entrusted Rohlan Dyre with her protection before bidding her a final farewell and severing communications. In her sorrow, Jarael attempted to embrace the fading holographic image. Camper's departure left Jarael feeling distant from Zayne Carrick and Rohlan Dyre, uncertain of her future. She found purpose in fully committing herself to Zayne's mission to clear his name of the Padawan Massacre of Taris and later joined Cargryph Capital as a con artist, which led her back into the Crucible slaving organization. After a falling out with Zayne, Jarael confessed that her farewells were rarely pleasant due to Camper's farewell being a hologram.

Upon their initial encounter, the relationship between Zayne and Jarael was marked by intense hostility, with Jarael attacking him and paralyzing his arm with her shockstaff in the Undercity of Taris. The two could hardly occupy the same space without exchanging insults, with Zayne referring to Jarael as "Darth Sunshine." Zayne found Jarael difficult to tolerate due to her volatile temper, and she blamed him for Lhosan Industries' departure from Taris, which resulted in the loss of hundreds of jobs in the wake of the Padawan Massacre of Taris, adding to her already resentful demeanor. Despite Zayne's discomfort around Jarael, he expressed concern for her well-being, which Jarael angrily dismissed, striking Zayne again during his holographic transmission to Dantooine.

As they spent more time together hiding in the asteroid field near Taris, the pair recognized the importance of collaboration as they ventured onto the surface of the Rogue Moon in search of the bulker-lifter droid, Elbee. However, they soon found more reasons to argue after retrieving the droid and evading the Taris Civil Authorities once again. Marn Hierogryph prepared to negotiate a deal with the bounty hunter Valius Ying upon their discovery, aiming to secure the escape of himself, Jarael, and Camper, but this meant Zayne would be handed over. Zayne attempted to steal The Last Resort to escape, but Jarael stopped him. Jarael passionately criticized Zayne for his selfishness, which Zayne took to heart and willingly sacrificed himself to save her and the others, throwing his lightsaber at Jarael's feet. This act of selflessness moved Jarael and prompted her, along with Gryph, Camper, and Elbee, to stage a daring rescue and assault on the Jedi Tower. Jarael crashed through the Jedi Tower's glass ceiling, wielding Zayne's lightsaber and wearing a red environmental suit, the same one seen in Zayne's captors' Force vision. Zayne and Jarael escaped from the Tower aboard The Last Resort, with Jarael remarking that they couldn't allow Zayne to continue sacrificing himself for others, marking the end of Jarael's life on Taris and leading her to begin a new life of conning targets for credits.

Zayne and Jarael's friendship blossomed rapidly after their escape from Taris. They consistently protected each other, with Zayne rescuing her from Flashpoint Station and shortly before her attacking the mad scientist Demagol (actually Zayne in disguise) for Zayne's supposed death. When they parted ways, to their mutual regret, Jarael masked her sadness with a jab at Marn Hierogryph. Due to Camper's deteriorating health, Jarael admitted she was glad she hadn't killed him. As Jarael and Camper sped away on The Last Resort from Ralltiir, Zayne wished he had company other than the con artist Gryph.

Although separated for a time, the friendship between Jarael and Zayne did not diminish. In fact, when they reunited on the Arkanian Legacy, Jarael kissed Zayne—solely to get close enough to provide him with information about her and Camper's situation as Arkoh Adasca's prisoners. When Camper departed for Wild Space with the exogorths, leaving Jarael without a clear purpose, Zayne asked for her assistance in bringing down the Jedi Covenant, believing he would die without her. While they were not yet romantically involved, their relationship was evolving beyond mere friendship, although Jarael often forgot about Zayne being five years her junior due to his experiences on the run. Upon returning to Taris to aid Gryph and the Taris Resistance, the Jedi Alek remarked soon after Jarael rejected his romantic advances that she should consider whether it was just "not now" or if it was not him. The Taris Resistance was soon attacked by Cassus Fett and forced to retreat further underground. Jarael was tasked with Zayne's childhood crush, Shel Jelavan, to bring Constable Sowrs' children to Alderaan. During the trip, the two became acquainted without any signs of tension, with Jarael finding Shel to be "nice," although Shel later wondered and commented to Alek if there was anything more to Jarael and Zayne's relationship. Jarael helped Zayne run and then gave him time to confront the Covenant and finally "face the music" when he was ready.

Before long, the Jedi Covenant was defeated, and Zayne and Gryph were exonerated for their crimes. Jarael and, consequently, Rohlan Dyre, continued to assist Zayne and Gryph with their criminal activities (targeting those Zayne believed deserved it). After nearly being killed by the Raff Syndicate, Jarael discovered her dormant Force sensitivity, but this discovery heightened her guilt about her past as a Crucible slaver, which tainted her feelings for Zayne. She experienced at least one Force vision mirroring her rescue of Zayne from the Jedi Covenant on Taris, but the masters were replaced by Demagol, Arkoh Adasca, Malak (formerly Alek), and Rohlan Dyre. Zayne was also present in the vision, as Jarael saw him beaten and in chains, being pulled in by Chantique, who questioned how she could have done it. On Jervo's World, the dueling champion Goethar Kleej recognized her as a Crucible slaver and warned Zayne to stay away from her. Despite Goethar's advice, Zayne pursued Jarael, who fled to her private quarters. Jarael revealed to Zayne that she was, in fact, a slaver and slammed the door. This revelation strained their relationship. Whenever Zayne tried to talk to Jarael, she avoided him, believing that his desire to become a Jedi Knight would create conflict between them. Jarael simply wanted Zayne to drop the subject and help her escape the Crucible.

To Jarael's surprise, Zayne refused to reject her and expressed a strong desire to help her and dismantle the Crucible's slaving organization. Zayne evidently sympathized with Jarael for who she was and believed her explanation that she was only a slaver to help the other slaves. When Malak approached Jarael and asked her to join him against the Mandalorians, Jarael was clearly uncomfortable with the still-smitten Jedi and his request. Discouraged, Malak ceased pursuing Jarael and departed, while Jarael and Zayne prepared to dismantle the Crucible. Although Zayne was unsure if Jarael wanted to be with Malak, he preferred that she make that choice herself. Zayne's trust in Jarael did not last long, however. Zayne was soon captured by the Crucible and brought before Chantique, the minder Jarael had known and defeated in the past. Chantique informed Zayne that Jarael was a liar and that the marks on her face signified "destroyer." She also manipulated his mind, suggesting that "his Jarael" was not worthy of his trust, and deep down, he knew it. Chantique exploited the fact that Zayne was uncertain of Jarael's age of twenty-five—a detail relevant to the nineteen-year-old Jedi who may or may not have had romantic feelings for the woman. Although Zayne sensed that Chantique was influencing his thoughts with the Force, he still believed her. The Crucible abandoned Zayne and Jarael, and the crew of the Hot Prospect found him. Overjoyed to see him again, Jarael rushed to him, but Zayne was less than pleased and rejected Jarael, prompting her to admit that Zayne had standards that nobody could meet, despite his own shortcomings. The two parted ways again on far less than good terms. Jarael was once again lost and unsure of what to do, deeply upset over her fight with Zayne, while accompanied by Rohlan Dyre, who wanted to continue her fight against the Crucible and returned her to Osadia.

Despite their argument, Zayne felt immense guilt upon discovering that Rohlan was actually Demagol, or Antos Wyrick, in disguise and used all the resources he had available, including the debt owed to him by Cassus Fett for the events that occurred at Jebble. Zayne discovered where Wyrick had taken Jarael after Cassus Fett lured Dace Golliard and the Gladiator into a conflict with Saul Karath and the Republic fleet, resulting in his capture and confession of where Chantique had also gone. Zayne and Rohlan rushed to Osadia where Zayne stopped Jarael from killing Chantique and dueled with the Zeltron himself. Zayne professed he finally figured out that Chantique manipulated him and that he was wrong for not trusting Jarael. Zayne assisted Jarael, though still believing that Jarael thought less of him, in escaping but not before Wyrick killed himself and Chantique with Exar Kun's lightsaber accidentally. Jarael and Zayne returned to Coruscant and with Rohlan's help, Zayne reunited Jarael's parents with her as a one year anniversary of their meeting gift.

The evening following Jarael's family reunion, exactly one year from the day Zayne encountered Jarael in Junk Junction, Jarael and Marn Hierogryph arranged for Zayne to meet her at Goodvalor's Little Bivoli. Dressed in an elegant evening gown, Jarael asked Zayne if he was a Jedi who avoided physical and emotional connections, to which he replied that he wasn't a Jedi at all. At that, the two shared an intimate kiss—one that was not a ruse, though Zayne asked if Jarael was going to attack him as she did a year prior.

Jarael's initial encounter with the Jedi Knight she knew as "Squint" occurred under unfavorable circumstances: both were held captive by Mandalorians on the unstable world of Flashpoint. The Mandalorians, mistakenly believing Jarael to be a Jedi, had brought her there for the experiments of the notorious Mandalorian scientist Demagol, a sadist who studied Jedi to uncover the source of their considerable powers and abilities. Squint met Jarael shortly after one of Demagol's "studies," recognizing her as a new prisoner and, not detecting her latent Force-sensitivity, realizing she wasn't a Jedi. Aware that Demagol's experiments would likely kill anyone lacking a Jedi's resilience, Squint volunteered to continue as Demagol's subject in Jarael's place, despite his own weakened state. Jarael recognized Squint's sacrifice, and following the arrival of Zayne Carrick and Rohlan Dyre and the liberation of the prisoners, Squint and Jarael parted on good terms, during which he revealed his real name, Alek.

Jarael and Alek were later reunited on Omonoth aboard Arkoh Adasca's Arkanian Legacy, where Adasca had invited several parties, including the Revanchist's group of Jedi represented by Alek, to negotiate a price for rights to the exogorth swarm Adascorp had discovered. Jarael was delighted to see Alek again; he was a friendly and familiar face in an increasingly dangerous situation as Adasca held her hostage for Gorman Vandrayk's hidden knowledge of the giants slugs. Alek appeared equally pleased by this unexpected reunion. When Adasca later struck Jarael, claiming he thought her to be special compared to her fellow Arkanian Offshoots, Alek defended Jarael, holding his lightsaber to Adasca's throat and stating that she was indeed special and promising to end Adasca's life if he hurt her again.

After the situation on Omonoth deteriorated and the Arkanian Legacy was destroyed, Alek accompanied Zayne, Jarael, and their companions back to Taris, where Alek remained with Jarael, Rohlan, and Dob Moomo aboard the Moomo Williwaw in orbit. Hoping to distract her from the loss of her longtime friend Vandrayk, Rohlan suggested she spar with Alek. Despite the Jedi's considerable skill, Jarael knocked him down during their match, surprising Alek. After finishing sparring, Jarael to Alek expressed her regret and sorrow that Camper was gone. Alek, with his own fondness and attraction for Jarael growing and seeing her distress tried to comfort her, both emotionally and physically. Jarael rebuffed him, however, stating that it was too soon after being taken advantage of by Adasca as well as losing her longtime friend and father figure to consider any kind of physical companionship. Alek claimed to understand, but questioned if it was necessarily a bad time for her or if he simply wasn't the person she wanted.

Alek soon parted ways with Jarael again when he went ahead to Coruscant with Shel Jelavan to make contact with members of the Jedi Council in an effort to help Zayne clear his name. He returned to the Revanchist's Jedi Crusaders shortly after the Vindication incident, though not before he offered to take Jarael with him. Jarael was tempted to go with Alek, now going under the alias Malak, but chose to stay with Zayne and the others, noting that her companions, particularly Rohlan, still needed her help.

Shortly after this, the Jedi Crusaders encountered a vision of Mandalorian barbarism on Cathar, strengthening their resolve to stop the Mandalorians and making the Revanchist Jedi and the Republic military official allies. With this sanction and the fact that Rohlan was now a sports hero thanks to swoop dueling, Malak felt that there was nothing stopping Jarael joining him and the Revanchist movement. He tracked Jarael to Wor Tandell, where he made the offer to join him once again, claiming that they needed her and her natural combat abilities, which he had witnessed firsthand at Omonoth as well as in their sparring. Though Jarael was reluctant to accept, she also couldn't reject him outright, and Malak was insistent, especially when he learned of her Force-sensitivity. It was only when Zayne kissed Jarael, claiming to be with her, that Malak gave in. Malak was unhappy to have seemingly lost Jarael for good, for both his movement and especially himself, but he departed without incident to continue fighting the war.

Jarael first encountered Arkoh when her plan to get medical attention to Camper failed and she was immediately brought before the Arkanian businessman aboard the massive vessel the Arkanian Legacy. Distrustful of Arkoh and his intentions but with no other option but to turn Camper over to Adascorp to save his life, she allowed the Arkanian Legacy to capture The Last Resort. While Camper was taken into the quarantine centers on the Legacy, Arkoh charmed Jarael with his seemingly good-intentioned kindness despite her own reluctance to trust the young pure-Arkanian. Despite that, she bought into his false story of Camper's illness with the Balinquar's virus. Arkoh presented Jarael with a luxurious suite on the Arkanian Legacy with holographic recordings of Camper's condition—though these were also false, as they were one constant image of Camper laying still. Seeing the man she swore to protect in this condition deeply upset Jarael, and Arkoh preyed upon her, showing vulnerability and manipulating her into trusting him and accepting Adascorp's "help." He provided expensive clothing and droid wait-service while she believed Camper was being cared for; all the while, Camper was being manipulated into finishing Project Black Harvest, a secret project involving exogorths else Jarael would be harmed.

Even though Arkoh had lied and manipulated Jarael, he was truly fascinated by the Arkanian off-shoot despite the fact that he and his family believed that off-shoots were a taint on the Arkanian race. He obtained a blood sample from Jarael to determine what exactly she was—due to him finding her so pureblooded. Upon arrival on Omonoth, Arkoh had invited Jarael for dinner on the observation deck. By then, Jarael had been swayed by the charming Arkoh and found his company pleasant. However, the dinner quickly turned sour when their discussion turned to the Arkanian offshoots and Arkoh revealed his own prejudice against them. Arkoh also revealed his intentions to restore the true Arkanian race starting with Jarael's children—a proposition Jarael found discomforting. Finally, he told her about the exogorths and how he wanted to use the space slugs to place Arkania at the center of the galaxy with him brokering deals with the major forces such as the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorians with Camper being forced to make the exogorths be controlled by Adasca.

As a small team of Republic operatives, led by Saul Karath, arrived at Omonoth, Jarael attempted to flee. Destroying several HK-24 units and pointing one of their rifles directly at Adasca, Arkoh threatened to remove Camper's hands. Jarael was compelled to go along with Arkoh to greet his guests. Zayne Carrick happened to be captured by Saul Karath and brought along. After Jarael kissed Zayne to feed him information regarding the situation, Arkoh struck Zayne and seized Jarael away, finding her display of affection "charming." While Arkoh attempted to broker his deals with Mandalore the Ultimate, Saul Karath and Alek (representing the Revanchist leader), Jarael walked away to communicate with Camper through her bracelet. Arkoh witnessed this, and after a brief struggle with Jarael, he struck her, declaring that he thought she might have been special. Jarael's blood had been finished being analyzed by then, and Eejee Vamm determined the reason for Arkoh's fascination with Jarael: she had the blood of the Arkanian hero Arca Jeth, though Eejee took this fact to the grave when he was shot by Antos Wyrick, disguised as Rohlan Dyre. Soon afterwards, Zayne Carrick escaped with the help of Lucien Draay and began a fight in the observation deck, allowing Jarael to escape and Camper to turn the exogorths on Arkoh—killing the Arkanian businessman.

Arkoh's abuse of Jarael and Camper fleeing into deep space with the exogorths hurt her—making her reclusive. Eventually, she moved on and officially pledged herself to Zayne Carrick's goal of clearing his name. Even after he had cleared his name, Jarael was haunted by Arkoh Adasca. On at least one occasion, she had a dream of him, Malak, Demagol and Rohlan Dyre taking her away while Zayne was chained by the Zeltron Chantique.

Jarael's time in the Crucible's training programs forged her into a formidable combatant, skilled in both hand-to-hand fighting and melee weapon usage. She leveraged these abilities to challenge and ultimately defeat her minder, Chantique, whose injuries led to her being sold off. Later, Jarael's combat prowess proved invaluable in repelling bounty hunters, numerous law enforcement officers, and highly dangerous assassin droids. Even in situations where fighting seemed futile, such as when surrounded by Mandalorians, Jarael displayed fierce and unwavering determination. While not her primary strength, she also possessed a knack for riding beasts across difficult terrains, though this skill failed her when she was thrown from a tandreed on Wor Tandell.

Jarael possessed significant talent for disguises. Throughout her journeys with Zayne Carrick, she adopted various personas, including twice impersonating a Jedi, once a Sith Lord, a wealthy official, and a pureblood Arkanian, only revealing her true identity when she chose to or when her actions aroused suspicion. Her most impressive disguise occurred during her infiltration of Odryn, where she convincingly portrayed Celeste Morne using face paint and black hair dye. In this guise, Jarael seamlessly entered and exited the Sanctum of the Exalted without raising any alarms among the Sanctum's Feeorin guards. Following the exoneration of Zayne, Jarael employed disguises on two further occasions: once as Captain Brackel, a space pirate, to defraud the Raff Syndicate on Metellos 3, and again as a Crucible slaver, to liberate slaves from a mining facility in the Koornact Cluster.

Despite carrying the genetic material of the Arkanian Jedi Master Arca Jeth, Jarael's connection to the Force was minimal. Prompted by Demagol, she initially believed that she had instinctively used the Force to break free from her chains on Metellos 3, despite lacking formal Jedi training. However, it was later revealed that Demagol had been the one to sever the chains. Jarael experienced what was either a Force-induced vision or a mere dream, triggered by her anxieties about her mysterious past. In this vision, she encountered Malak, Rohlan, Demagol, and Arkoh Adasca—all figures who sought to expose her past—and, finally, Zayne, beaten and chained, being dragged into the shadows by her old adversary, Chantique.

After parting ways with Zayne's group, Jarael and Demagol journeyed to Osadia with the intention of freeing the former students of the New Generation Academy of Crucible from enslavement. On the planet, the cruel scientist presented her with the double-bladed lightsaber of the Sith Lord Exar Kun, a lethal weapon that she quickly mastered. Jarael effectively wielded the saberstaff against Chantique, deflecting the numerous sharp projectiles hurled at her by the Zeltron before they could make contact. Following the revelation that her connection to the Force was negligible and that her abilities stemmed from years of physical training, any potential for training Jarael as a Force-user appeared to have vanished.

John Jackson Miller conceived the character of Jarael for the Knights of the Old Republic comic book series, with her initial appearance occurring in the opening story arc, Commencement, illustrated by Brian Ching. Originally a supporting character alongside the main protagonists Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph, the 2007 story arcs comprising Days of Fear, Nights of Anger, and Daze of Hate elevated Jarael to a pivotal role in the narrative, revealing the origins of Camper to the audience. Upon the conclusion of the series' initial overarching plotline centered on Zayne's mission to expose the Jedi Covenant, the series shifted its focus towards Jarael's past, highlighting her and Zayne's efforts to dismantle the slaving syndicate known as the Crucible, culminating in the final story arc, Demon.

Jarael, like Camper, is identified as an Arkanian offshoot. However, her pointed ears, reminiscent of those possessed by Aleco Stusea and Jedi Master Fay, suggest the involvement of a third species in her lineage. These ears made her a subject of interest to Demagol and also captured the attention of the young Arkanian Zadawi. Jarael maintained that she had no knowledge of their origin and preferred to conceal them with her hair. The series' concluding story clarified the origin of her distinctive ears: they were a genetic trait inherited from Arca Jeth through in vitro DNA manipulation. This genetic revelation retconned Arca Jeth, establishing him as part Arkanian and part Sephi. All prior depictions of Jeth either showed him after an accident that burned his ear tips or were images altered by the Adasca family to preserve the "pure" image of their Arkanian hero.

According to Brian Ching, his design for Jarael intentionally deviated from the conventional portrayal of comic characters with excessive sex appeal, opting instead for a look that conveyed a sense of hard work and practicality. Dean Zachary, while illustrating the thirty-eighth issue, Faithful Execution, reportedly stated that he based his depiction of Jarael on the actress Liv Tyler.

John Jackson Miller noted that his initial concept for Jarael's character was rougher, but his intentions shifted upon realizing that her attitude stemmed from her life on Taris. Once removed from that environment, her resentment would "melt away." Jarael's overall demeanor, especially towards Zayne and Gryph, was later attributed to Jedi Shadow Celeste Morne.

While humorously referring to the week of April 13th, 2008 as "National Offshoot Week" due to Jarael's prominent placement on the Wookieepedia main page, Miller remarked that he envisioned actress Catherine Zeta Jones as the ideal voice for Jarael.

In Nights of Anger, Part 3, during the entire sequence of Jarael's dinner with Arkoh Adasca, she is depicted without the tattoos on her arms. John Jackson Miller explained this discrepancy by stating that Madam Darvla, the woman who dressed Jarael for the occasion, had applied cover-up.

Her nickname "Darth Sunshine" (given that the Knights of the Old Republic comics are set in 3964 BBY, four years prior to the Battle of Malachor V) confirms that the title Darth existed before Darth Revan.

In a promotional ad for Star Wars Miniatures: Knights of the Old Republic, Jarael is shown fighting Mandalore the Ultimate and Darth Sion alongside Zayne Carrick. When a character named "Todd" appears and claims he is roleplaying as a Jedi, using them as his unwitting pawns, Jarael asks Zayne to hold her, while Marn Hierogryph eagerly volunteers.

Jarael's given name, Edessa, is also the name of a city in Greece and a city in Mesopotamia.

Despite her limited Force sensitivity, Jarael stands out as one of the few non-Jedi/Sith characters to have mastered the use of a lightsaber, a skill typically exclusive to Force-sensitive individuals in the Star Wars universe (see lightsaber for more details).