Jori Daragon

Sometime before 5000 BBY, Jori Daragon, a Korosian by birth, spent her formative years on the world of Koros Major. During their childhood, Jori and her brother Gav displayed sufficient Force potential to qualify for Jedi training, but they declined, preferring the potential wealth of a spacer's life. They collaborated with their parents, Hok and Timar Daragon, in the city of Cinnagar. Typically, the elder Daragons operated their ship, the Shadow Runner, while the younger Daragons piloted the Starbreaker 12. Despite their frequent requests, Hok and Timar usually prevented them from accompanying them on their runs, insisting they remain on Koros Major. Following the deaths of Hok and Timar at the hands of rebels while delivering supplies to Empress Teta's forces during the Battle of Kirrek in the Unification Wars, their financier, Aarrba the Hutt, extended their credit, asserting that their parents' ship had been paid for with their blood. Overwhelmed with grief, Jori and Gav took control of the Starbreaker 12 and dedicated themselves to charting new hyperspace routes.

The siblings, facing financial difficulties and having already mortgaged their residence to Aarrba, damaged the Starbreaker 12 while navigating the Starswarm Cluster in search of a new route. Although the Hyperspace Navigator's Guild approved their route, the Goluud Corridor, they designated it as hazardous. Soon after, Jori and Gav found themselves targeted by a bounty placed by merchant lord Ssk Kahorr after one of his drone ships collided with the giant star Primus Goluud while using the Goluud Corridor. Kahorr, who had anticipated substantial profits from the route, was enraged by the loss of his ship. Consequently, Kahorr dispatched two assassins to eliminate them, and the Daragons were ambushed one night while sleeping on the streets of Cinnagar. Jori and Gav, unarmed except for rocks and a stick, attempted to defend themselves against the assassins, who were armed with polearms. After fleeing and finding themselves cornered, they lamented their unfortunate circumstances. However, at that moment, two Jedi Knights, Odan-Urr and Memit Nadill, intervened and confronted the assassins. Following the Jedi's victory, Nadill advised Jori and her brother to leave Koros Major, which they did. Subsequently, Jori and Gav reclaimed the impounded Starbreaker 12 and, pursued by Cinnagar security forces, initiated a blind jump into hyperspace using random coordinates. Unbeknownst to them, their unconscious use of the Force facilitated their statistically improbable jump.

Upon exiting hyperspace, the two explorers realized they had ventured far beyond known space. Spotting a nearby planetary system, they landed on Korriban, unaware that it was the homeworld of the Sith, an ancient species of sentient, Force-worshiping humanoids. During their descent, they observed the apparent wealth from the cockpit and hoped that their new route would lead to a profitable trade route. Gav enthusiastically declared that their problems were solved, but upon disembarking, Jori and Gav were surrounded by armed Sith warriors, who took them captive.

The siblings were incarcerated in a prison on the Sith world of Ziost while the ruling Sith Lords deliberated their fates. Naga Sadow, aspiring to succeed the recently deceased Marka Ragnos as the Dark Lord of the Sith, viewed the two as an opportunity to initiate a Sith conquest of the Republic, while his rival, Ludo Kressh, feared their arrival signaled an impending Republic attack. Kressh's arguments ultimately prevailed, and Sith Lord Simus informed the Daragons of their impending execution. Overwhelmed, the siblings regretted their past choices. However, in the initial phase of his plan to become Dark Lord, Naga Sadow and his loyal Massassi warriors attacked the Ziost prison, freeing Gav and Jori and staging it to appear as a Republic-orchestrated attack using weapons seized from the Starbreaker 12. Gav and Jori were taken to Sadow's private fortress on Khar Shian, relieved to be alive, as Sadow advanced to the next stage of his plan. He exploited the prison break, which resulted in the deaths of numerous Sith warriors and Simus, a respected member of the Sith Council, as justification to be crowned Dark Lord of the Sith and commence preparations for an attack on the Republic.

Shortly thereafter, Jori was separated from her brother and sent to Khar Delba, the icy host planet of Khar Shian, where Sadow maintained a decoy fortress, a replica of his stronghold on Khar Shian. Sadow assured her that she was not a prisoner, despite her isolation and limited living space. She inquired about her brother's fate, but Sadow informed her that the still-active execution order prevented their release. In response, she stated that she and Gav needed the Starbreaker 12 to return to Republic space. After several days, she finally contacted Gav via an amulet provided by Sadow, which enabled Gav, who Sadow had been training in the Force, to communicate with her through audio and visual projections, linking the siblings. Sadow also presented her with the Starbreaker 12, which his Massassi warriors had seized from Kressh's forces in a commando raid. However, Kressh discovered Sadow's involvement in the raid, as Sadow had intended, and launched an assault on the decoy fortress where Sadow and Jori were located.

Sadow informed Jori that he had promised her safe return to the Republic and instructed her to enter the Starbreaker 12 and escape. Reluctant to leave without Gav, she was told that she had no choice if either of them were to survive. Upon powering up the engines, she found the navigation computer coordinates for Republic space intact. Navigating through the attacking ships, she managed to evade their fleet and jump to hyperspace back to the Republic, promising herself that she would return with assistance to free Gav. However, she was unaware that Sadow had deliberately allowed her to return to the Republic and had planted a homing device on her ship, enabling him to follow her with an armada to attack the Republic.

As the Starbreaker 12 emerged from hyperspace over Cinnagar, Jori narrowly avoided a collision with a departing ship. She avoided the collision and contacted Cinnagar's authorities, claiming to have vital information. However, they were skeptical of her return given the circumstances of her departure and dispatched interceptors to escort the Starbreaker 12 to the surface, which she complied with. After landing, Jori attempted to share her story but was immediately arrested for various offenses, including stealing the Starbreaker 12. Her attempts to warn the guards were futile, and she was taken to a detention center. Aarrba, her former patron, expressed disappointment, stating that he had grown tired of her lies, and Ssk Kahorr seized her ship as compensation for the loss of his merchant ship. Her trial soon followed, with the guards informing her that the evidence against her was overwhelming. Discouraged, Jori wondered how she would help Gav and convince her captors of her sincerity.

Her trial proceeded with charges including grand theft, firing on Cinnagar security ships, destruction of property, reckless mayhem, resisting arrest, and unauthorized departure through restricted shipping lanes. She confessed to her guilt and attempted to warn her captors about the Sith, but they ignored her. Consequently, she was sentenced to hard labor on the colony world of Ronika. While mining by hand, she decided to escape and stole a Drone Ore Shuttle. Fighters pursued her into orbit, but her ship withstood their weapon fire. Upon returning to Cinnagar, a larger group of fighters awaited her, and her ship sustained severe damage, disintegrating in the middle of the atmosphere. Jori grabbed a repulsorlift chute and ejected from the doomed ore shuttle toward Empress Teta's palace. Scaling the palace walls, Jori reached the throne room and was immediately attacked by the guards, who mistook her for an assassin, as did the Empress. Presenting a Sith amulet she had brought with her, Jori managed to convince Teta and her Jedi advisors, Odan-Urr and Memit Nadill, of her veracity. Odan-Urr had previously foreseen the return of the Sith, and Jori's return confirmed his belief that war was imminent. He stayed on Cinnagar while Nadill returned to Coruscant, the galactic capital, to warn the rest of the Jedi and the Republic.

As Empress Teta prepared for war, assembling her troops and fleet, Jori sought a ship or weapon to aid in the defense of Koros Major. Odan-Urr gave her a lightsaber, and she left the Empress's palace to find a ship at Aarrba's Repair Dock. En route, Sith ships attacked Cinnagar, deploying land troops. The Sith amulet she carried began to tingle, suggesting Gav's presence. At Aarrba's Repair Dock, she found Gav and his Massassi bodyguards standing over Aarrba's lifeless body. Assuming Gav had killed Aarrba, Jori attacked him and his bodyguards, but he escaped in a Sith craft back to a Sith battleship. Jori commandeered a ship and followed him, but Gav's battleship jumped to hyperspace, heading for Primus Goluud, where Naga Sadow had his flagship, a Sith Meditation Sphere, stationed. From his sphere, Sadow used Sith sorcery to create illusions of additional Sith forces across the galaxy and employed battle meditation to influence battles.

Gav confronted Sadow and turned against him, attacking the meditation sphere and causing damage, but Sadow persuaded Gav to meet him in person. Gav agreed and found the sphere deserted upon his arrival. When Jori, accompanied by a portion of Teta's fleet, arrived over Primus Goluud, they discovered the remnants of Sadow's fleet returning from various engagements. As the two fleets clashed, Gav informed them that the Sith Empire was vulnerable, as Sadow had committed his entire fleet to attacking the Republic. However, he became trapped on the meditation sphere when Sadow triggered a supernova in the giant star. Knowing he couldn't escape in time, he instructed Jori and the Empress's forces to evacuate before the star exploded, apologizing for aiding the Sith in their invasion. Tearfully, Jori bid farewell to her brother as Teta's fleet jumped to hyperspace just before Primus Goluud exploded.

Teta's fleet arrived in the Sith Empire at the coordinates provided by Gav, striking a Sith battle fleet already weakened by the failed assault on the Republic and internal conflicts between Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh. The Sith were defeated, and Sadow fled with only one ship in the face of Teta's onslaught. Jori was pleased to see the Sith defeated but remained saddened by the loss of her brother. Upon returning to Cinnagar, she was summoned by the Empress, who acknowledged her sacrifices and asked if she desired anything. Jori requested and received ownership of Aarrba's Repair Dock, a long-held dream for her and her brother.

Odan-Urr conducted several interviews with Jori due to the Jedi's interest in the Great Hyperspace War. With her assistance, the entire history of the War was included in the Tedryn Holocron to preserve all information for the Jedi Order.

In the years following her death, Jori Daragon was remembered for her role in initiating the Great Hyperspace War, including in a compilation of Jedi history and lore created by Jedi Tionne Solusar in 40 ABY. Post-Daragon, some historians suggested that the Great Hyperspace War might have been averted had Jedi Odan-Urr not saved the Daragons from Kahorr's assassins, but Solusar believed the Daragons were not responsible for the war. Their role was long remembered throughout history for blazing what was considered one of the most remarkable hyperlanes of the Old Republic era. The hyperlane, named the Daragon Trail, provided a passage directly from the Deep Core to Sith space. Information about the Daragons was also included on the Omen, a ship bearing a group of people who would eventually found the Lost Tribe of Sith on Kesh.

Jori Daragon possessed an impulsive and impetuous nature, readily taking significant risks without considering her own safety or future repercussions. She was prepared to commit numerous crimes in an attempt to escape her and her brother's impoverished circumstances. She was also prone to emotional outbursts, often weeping openly. Following the death of her parents, her brother and, to a lesser extent, her ship, the Starbreaker 12, were her top priorities. She frequently lamented the injustice of her and Gav's situation, displaying less optimism than her brother. She was also naïve, trusting in the sincerity of others, including the Sith Lord Naga Sadow. She was determined to do what she believed was right, even risking her life to secure an audience with Empress Teta to warn her about the Sith threat. This was also motivated by her concern for Gav, who remained a prisoner of the Sith. When she discovered Gav allied with the Sith, she was horrified and felt betrayed, but she maintained hope for him. The loss of her brother deeply affected her, making the victory in the Great Hyperspace War bittersweet and causing her to be more contrite. She was gladdened to take ownership of Aarrba's Repair Dock, feeling it was what Gav and even Aarrba would have wanted.

Like her brother Gav, Jori was Force-sensitive but never received Jedi training, preferring to pursue wealth as a hyperspace explorer. However, she demonstrated combat skills, wielding a lightsaber and defeating several Massassi warriors in Cinnagar, despite her lack of formal training. She was also a skilled pilot, evading spaceport authorities and Sith patrols on multiple occasions, as well as helping chart new hyperspace routes.

Kevin J. Anderson created and wrote the character of Jori Daragon, who debuted in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith, Anderson's second solo story arc following Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War. Chris Gossett illustrated Jori for Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith 0, and Dario Carrasco, Jr. sketched her for issues #1-5 of The Golden Age of the Sith series. Black and white drawings of the character were included in the back of the first issue of The Golden Age of the Sith. The character was originally named "Jori Pathfinder" during the concept art phase of the series.