Orla Jareni

During the High Republic Era, Orla Jareni was inducted into the Jedi Order as a young child, establishing a friendship with Cohmac Vitus during their shared time in the crèche. A memorable event from this early period occurred when Orla and her youngling group were granted permission to visit the roof of the Jedi Temple to play in and experience a rare snowfall on Coruscant. Master Yoda supervised the group, and at one point, Orla lost her footing and nearly fell off the roof. However, Yoda intervened, preventing her fall and ensuring her safety.

Eventually, Orla Jareni became the Padawan of Master Laret Soveral, whom she considered an embodiment of Jedi principles. However, as Jareni matured, she began to question the decisions made by the Jedi Council. Initially, her master listened to her concerns and engaged in gentle debates. Over time, Master Soveral grew weary, asserting that a Jedi's purpose was to serve, and that constant questioning hindered that objective. This reprimand affected Jareni, and she resolved to obey rather than question, striving not to disappoint her master.

During her younger years, while exploring the Jedi Temple as a self-proclaimed rebellious Padawan, Orla Jareni discovered a mysterious planet etched into the wall of the Jedi Temple banquet hall. Concealed behind a small pillar, it was marked by a trail of carved stars. Orla and Cohmac, possibly discovering the carving together, then inscribed their full names beneath the planet's image.

Another notable event during Orla's Padawan years involved her journey to a world where sculptors crafted incredibly lifelike statues from the planet's unique stone. The statues possessed an impressive and beautiful sense of vitality.

During her time as a Padawan, Orla, her master, Padawan Vitus, and his master, Simmix, were tasked with intervening in the escalating Eiram–E'ronoh crisis. This marked the first mission for both Padawans, and they were thrilled to be entrusted with flying the T-1 shuttle assigned to the team. This assignment represented a departure from the mundane tasks typically assigned to Padawans and signified confidence in their capabilities. During their approach to the Eiram system, their masters engaged in deep meditation in the passenger area of the craft. The Padawans detected a distress call from a survivor of Monarch Cassel's ship, and Orla responded, directing the Jedi shuttle toward the signal. Master Soveral entered the cabin, demanding an explanation. Upon learning of the situation, the master somberly remarked that the signal originated only from the ship, not a survivor. Subsequently, the shuttle was shot down and crashed on the surface of the lost moon situated between Eiram and E'ronoh.

Following the crash, Jareni and her master emerged unharmed, although Master Simmix perished, causing great distress to Cohmac. Driven by their circumstances, they ventured into a nearby cave system that formed an extensive network across the area. Orla's master urged them to press forward to evade their pursuers and locate the kidnapped monarchs. However, their progress was impeded by the sudden attack of a large white serpent native to the moon.

They battled their way through five such creatures, with Orla Jareni confronting one alone in a challenging position. Unable to attack effectively, she was equally unreachable. Eventually, she broke the deadlock and killed it, feeling remorse for killing the animals, who were merely seeking food. Master Soveral gently pointed out that Orla was not fully utilizing her skills in combating their nonsapient adversaries, which hardened Jareni to follow her master's lead. As they navigated deeper into the tunnels, Master Soveral moved ahead, leaving Jareni to converse with Vitus. She attempted to console him over his master's loss, but he resisted her efforts, and they walked in silence for a time.

Eventually, Master Soveral halted the group, informing them that they were beneath the kidnapper's base of operations, prompting the three to prepare to ascend through the cavern tunnels. At this moment, Queen Consort Thandeka managed to access a handheld communicator, opening an uncoded channel and guiding the Jedi to their location. As the three waited to spring into action, Orla felt a strong urge to disregard her tactical training, which dictated moving in when sounds were farthest from the door, and instead rush in and subdue the kidnappers. She resisted this impulse, and the three entered the space together, shielding themselves from incoming fire and moving to protect the hostages. Lord Isamer, however, leapt over them and fired at the hostages. Master Soveral bisected him, but the Lasat's shot struck Monarch Cassel, who had intervened to protect the Queen Consort. Monarch Cassel succumbed to his injuries shortly after, leaving Orla Jareni deeply affected by the event, questioning both Jedi decision-making and whether she should unhesitatingly follow the call of the Force for many years to come.

Twenty-five years after the Eiram–E'ronoh crisis, Orla Jareni had risen to the rank of Jedi Master and largely reconciled with the events of the crisis. Despite this resolution, she believed that certain decisions made by the Jedi High Council were misguided and that she should be granted the freedom to trust her own instincts fully. Consequently, she declared herself a Wayseeker and sought to leave the Core to explore the Republic's frontier. Her first step in this new direction was to travel to the Starlight Beacon, where she intended to acquire a ship to commence her journey. Orla found herself in the company of three other Jedi: Padawan Reath Silas, Jedi Knight Dez Rydan, and her longtime friend, now Jedi Master, Cohmas Vitus, all bound for the same destination. The two friends briefly reflected on the changes in their lives and their return to the same region of space from a quarter-century prior. However, the starship initially chartered for the mission was unavailable, leading to a last-minute replacement in the form of the Vessel, crewed by Captain Leox Gyasi, co-pilot Affie Hollow, and navigator Geode.

Jareni settled aboard the ship, finding the transition into hyperspace more turbulent than she was accustomed to. She also contemplated her decision to become a Wayseeker, concluding that revisiting the source of her past struggles was likely the right course. Given her desire to find and purchase a new ship, she deemed it prudent to consult with the ship's crew about suitable vessels for her needs, believing, unlike some other Jedi, that all non-Force-sensitives possessed at least one piece of knowledge she lacked. The Vessel's crew also possessed valuable experience. However, she postponed the conversation, instead preparing Chandrilan tea in the ship's mess, further questioning her decision. She felt that discussing the purchase of a ship would make her choice more tangible, and she wondered aloud if she was deceiving herself and whether she could find the answers she sought in the wider galaxy. Realizing she was speaking openly, she resolved to keep her thoughts private for the remainder of the trip.

At this point, the Great Hyperspace Disaster commenced, its effects resonating through the Force and impacting all the Jedi aboard the Vessel. The ship was struck by debris from the destroyed Legacy Run while in hyperspace, necessitating repairs by Reath Silas and Affie Hollow. The craft then exited hyperspace in an uncharted region of space near an unstable star. Orla sensed an overwhelming amount of death, which disturbed her, and the Jedi convened in the communications area to contact the Starlight Beacon. There, they learned the magnitude of the disaster, with multiple signals overlapping from across the galaxy. However, a broadcast from the Republic cut through the chaos, urging all hyperspace travel to cease due to the inherent dangers. The ship then received a message from a signal beacon, but Jareni cautioned against immediate action, her mind briefly returning to the events of the Eiram–E'ronoh crisis.

The others on the bridge concurred, and they assessed the situation, with Orla fetching Cohmac, followed by Reath. She was shaken by the parallels between the current situation and the crisis that had unfolded a quarter-century earlier. Her distress was readily sensed by both Master Vitus and Padawan Silas, but she recovered her composure upon the discovery of the Amaxine space station, where she was tasked with preparing exosuits for boarding and organizing the order of boarding for the eleven vessels also seeking refuge on the station.

Once the station was deemed safe for entry, Jareni stood alongside Master Vitus, Knight Rydan, Padawan Silas, and crewmate Hollow to welcome apparent refugees Nan and her guardian Hague, whose ship had been rescued by the Vessel's crew and was the first to dock. However, she returned to the Vessel shortly after, approaching Cohmac Vitus to request that he delegate his leadership responsibilities to investigate the mysterious statues and technologies the boarding team had discovered. Jareni knew precisely what would pique Vitus' interest, specifically mentioning unknown languages, and the two departed to investigate. Orla then directly addressed the parallels between their current situation and their past mission, but she was interrupted by the sudden sensation of the shadow and accompanying chill previously reported by Reath and Dez.

Shortly thereafter, the pair stood in the station's central sphere, with Orla commenting on the humid air and the arboretum's impressive longevity. She and Cohmac then discussed the idols, with Orla suggesting that they might represent monarchs or historical leaders rather than deities, a possibility Cohmac considered. However, another chill accompanied by a breeze swept over them, prompting the pair to discuss the unfolding events. Moving to inspect the nearby corridor, concerned about an approaching dark force, Orla Jareni was abruptly drawn into an intense Force vision. She was forced to crouch to avoid being knocked down by gale-force winds, while sharp debris tore through the air. Calling out to her friend, she pushed herself up, witnessing collapsed metal beams in the distance and an ominous glow that filled her with horror.

She was pulled back to reality and rushed to find Master Vitus, discovering him lying in the grass before the humanoid statue, having experienced a similar disturbing vision. She helped him to his feet, placing her arm around his shoulder to guide him back to the ship as he declared that it was not a vision but a warning. By the time they reached Reath Silas and Dez Rydan, a battle had erupted onboard the station between the passengers and crews of the newly arriving ships, who were looting supplies, and some were even attempting to abduct others for nefarious purposes.

With Master Vitus regaining his footing and rushing into action, Orla also intervened to halt the fighting, igniting her lightsaber and leaping through the Force to the station atrium's second level. After Cohmac Vitus performed an act of awe that compelled the looters and combatants to comply, Orla Jareni tended to the arm of a red-scarfed man who had attempted to kidnap Nan for malicious purposes and had lost half of his arm due to Reath Silas' intervention. Jareni displayed patience but also contempt for the man. After he received treatment, the Umbaran Wayseeker expelled him and his vessel from the station due to their violent tendencies, countering their protests by asserting that they possessed sufficient supplies and oxygen to meet their immediate needs. She then entered the mess of the Vessel.

Sometime later, as a small group including Nan, Affie Hollow, Dez Rydan, and Reath Silas attempted to breach the station's lower levels, Orla Jareni walked among the mysterious idols, studying them herself. While not a scholar, she trusted her almost primal connection to the Force and allowed it to guide her analysis of the different figures, entering a trance-like state. Her analysis focused on the humanoid queen, and she suddenly concluded that the figure was both defiant and defeated. The supposed bracelets on each figure were actually chains, a revelation that shocked Orla, though she was unable to learn more.

She soon returned to the Vessel and witnessed Affie Hollow storming out of the ship, maintaining her distance and deeming it an inopportune moment to discuss starships with any of the crew. Instead, she sought out Master Vitus onboard the craft and engaged in another discussion about the parallels between the present and their shared past. However, she was rebuffed by Cohmac, and before she could change the subject, the pair were thrust into another intense, terrifying vision.

The four Jedi later gathered in the Vessel's cramped communications area, Reath Silas having also experienced a vision, and the need to address the unseen threat had become too pressing to ignore. Orla provided a summary of what they knew about the darkness onboard the station and concurred with Master Cohmac's assessment of the idols as containing a darkness sealed within, with a psychic warning seal placed over them. Jareni suggested the group consider all possibilities and proposed that the solution was to remove the idols from the station rather than destroy them. However, Knight Rydan's comment regarding a potential connection between the shadow and the station's lower areas prompted Jareni to instruct him to devise a plan for his group to successfully navigate down there (as the previous attempt had resulted in the station's 8-T droids attacking them and Affie Hollow being poisoned). Orla made a joke about avoiding being pruned to death, eliciting laughter, which she deemed necessary to keep them away from the Dark side and closer to the light.

Orla Jareni later pieced together the tragic events from this second attempt to breach the lower levels, where Dez Rydan was supposedly incinerated, and she resolved to persevere despite the difficulties. Cohmac Vitus retreated to his quarters, compelling her to rally the crew of the Vessel, Nan, and Reath Silas, assuming Vitus' leadership role. After confirming that no one required medical attention, she asked Nan to relay what had transpired to the other refugees and requested that someone return the plants taken from the arboretum, as the T-8 droids were hovering at the edge of the ship's airlock, with Leox Gyasi complying.

She offered a few words about Dez Rydan, praising him as a good man and a great Jedi. She also stated that they would investigate the circumstances of his death later, once they had time to reflect on who he was and acknowledge his joining with the Force. Unfortunately, she did not allow herself time to contemplate what was happening with Master Vitus and Padawan Silas, whom she sensed were both out of balance, as she needed to determine their course of action regarding the idols.

Soon after this meeting, the refugees aboard the Amaxine station received word from the Republic that hyperlanes were conditionally open, with the Republic providing starships with sufficient information for essential travel. Jareni met with Geode and Gyasi on the Vessel's bridge, stating that they had unfinished business onboard the station. Her statement, coupled with the comment that they needed to take the idols with them when they eventually departed, was initially met with disdain by Gyasi, but after she assured them that they would take precautions, he urged the Jedi to work their dark magic. Jareni corrected him, stating that it was light magic.

Wayseeker Jareni then met with Padawan Reath Silas, Master Coham Vitus, Captain Leox Gyasi, and co-pilot Affie Hollow in another area of the ship, where she listened attentively to the Padawan's description of Force artifacts. When he briefly suggested that these artifacts were more prevalent in legend than reality, she interjected that they should not disregard legends, with Reath continuing afterward. She agreed with his assessment that the idols were Force containers, as well as with Master Cohmac's belief that they should be removed from the station. The Jedi then agreed to perform a binding ritual on the idols to ensure that the darkness contained within remained contained.

After the meeting, however, Orla confronted Cohmac Vitus, feeling that he was neglecting his duties and allowing Dez Rydan's death to affect him more than was natural. When Vitus angrily retorted, railing against the Jedi practices surrounding death and mourning, Jareni realized that her friend's feelings were deeply intertwined with Master Simmix's death from a quarter-century ago. She carefully refuted his arguments, as she did not disagree with the Jedi teachings he felt were problematic, and attempted to reassure him that what had happened all those years ago was not solely his fault and that all had made mistakes on that mission. Vitus did not accept the argument, but Jareni felt that she could pry no further. Ultimately, she was left wondering if her decision to become a Wayseeker was truly to follow the path of the Force or merely her pushing herself away from others.

Soon after, she, Reath Silas, and Cohmac Vitus went to the center of the Amaxine station's central sphere and commenced their binding ritual on the idols. It was somewhat taxing but ultimately successful, with Jareni quipping afterward that the hard part was now transporting the heavy statues to the Vessel.

Upon the Vessel returning to hyperspace, Orla Jareni unpleasantly discovered that she could still experience motion sickness, commenting to Cohmac Vitus that it felt like they had flown into an asteroid belt as both Jedi stood guard over the bejeweled idols. Their discussion regarding the aftereffects of the Great Disaster on hyperspace was brief and concluded with her contemplating the mental condition of Reath Silas and Master Vitus, although the storm of emotions she had sensed in her old friend had seemingly calmed for now. When a shake of the ship rattled the idols in the cargo bay, she inquired about the likelihood of the darkness within the idols escaping if one fell over and broke. Master Vitus replied with the hope that they would not find out.

They were briefly waylaid by a personal carrier in distress, with Jareni and the other Jedi boarding the ship to help bring the remaining passengers to safety. She and her robes remained immaculate, untouched by soot or damage, and she helped rescue Reath Silas from a terrified Wookiee child who had clung to him after he had saved them from the flames.

Upon the group's return to Coruscant, Jareni was placed in charge of transporting the idols from the Vessel to the Jedi Temple and then through the hallways to the Shrine in the Depths. She noted with unease the effect the idols had on the Jedi and non-Jedi personnel in the temple hallways and overdramatically thought, as the idols were moved into the Shrine, that they were coming home. She immediately dismissed the notion and focused on helping lead their transport.

Shortly thereafter, she joined Masters Cohmac Vitus, Poreht La, Tia Mirabel, and Giktoo Nelmo in surrounding the idols and entering a deep trance. While in the trance, she connected herself profoundly to the other Jedi, and they were all in a deep harmony that would allow them to best combat whatever darkness lay within the idols. However, upon removing the Force barrier around the idols, the group learned that there was nothing present and that the idols had instead been keeping a darkness contained aboard the ancient station.

Jareni was deeply dismayed by the mistake, although the others in the group of experts attempted to alleviate the guilt she and Master Vitus were experiencing. She also grew irritated that the Force had not provided precise warnings to stay completely away from the statues. Upon learning that the Jedi Council would delay sending out a team to return the idols due to the continued demands of the Great Disaster's aftermath, she conspired with Master Vitus to take the idols and return them to the space station themselves. She went and hired the crew of the Vessel before also taking the idols onboard, greeting Master Vitus and Padawan Silas as they arrived, having sought to hire the ship's crew for the same purpose. The group of Jedi then huddled to discuss their plan.

On the way to the Amaxine station, Orla Jareni confronted Leox Gyasi about the fact that the Vessel was hauling spice, which Gyasi assured her was one hundred and ten percent legal as it was medicinal. She was highly skeptical but ultimately let it go as the Vessel and its crew were willing to go on this dangerous mission with them and because she believed Gyasi was not foolish enough to directly lie to her about the cargo's legal status. Upon emerging from hyperspace and realizing a Nihil Storm frigate was anchored with the station, the Vessel hid from the much larger ship, but there was still the question of how to get aboard the facility. Jareni then joined Affie Hollow, Cohmac Vitus, and Reath Silas in getting into exosuits as a plan was formed to move through space from their present location to an airlock. Jareni also decided to allow Hollow to perform her own mission aboard the station, as she did not wish to use force to stop her. The group then exited the spacecraft and used their thrusters to reach the airlock, with the three Jedi using the Force to pull the idols to safety and into the station.

Once they boarded, the darkness that the Jedi had sensed grew, enveloping them, and the group separated. Jareni observed the spreading darkness, and Vitus concurred. She added that the visions they had previously experienced now felt strangely familiar, but she dismissed the feeling before she and Vitus ventured into the thick undergrowth. As they proceeded, Vitus mentioned the clay warriors of Zardossa Stix, a topic that immediately unsettled Jareni, who voiced her apprehension about those foreboding statues. Vitus hypothesized that the idols were maintaining an army's position, based on their perception of the Force in the area, although Jareni couldn't detect any army.

However, their path was abruptly blocked by plant-like entities known as the Drengir, who voiced their delight at finding "meat." The creatures gradually encircled the pair, and an overwhelming sensation settled over them in the Force. During their internal communications, the Drengir revealed their capture by the Sith, a revelation that gave the Jedi reason to pause before attacking. Jareni leaped over the lead Drengir, striking it with her lightsaber, only for the creature to laugh and retaliate, its wounds rapidly healing. Jareni then severed some lower tentacles from another Drengir, causing it to collapse, and the two Jedi continued their fight against the growing number of Drengir closing in.

Regrettably, early in the battle, a whip-like appendage with poisonous thorns grazed her calf, causing intense pain from her toe to her hip, leading to swelling that stiffened her ankle and knee. Just then, her injured foot collided with an 8-T unit, causing her to fall. Initially annoyed by the fall, she quickly realized she could use the gardening droids against the Drengir. She seized the one that had tripped her, but finding no way to reprogram it, she was forced to utilize its existing directives. She then stood and jumped, severing a bower connected to the atrium's ceiling, initiating its collapse. Landing with a jolt of pain in her poisoned leg, she joined Vitus in deflecting the Drengir's probes while retreating, drawing the Drengir directly beneath the collapsing bower.

The vegetation-covered structure crashed down on the Drengir, momentarily halting them. As they tried to break free, they damaged the vegetation, triggering swarms of 8-Ts to descend upon them, perceiving them as threats to the station's plant life. Jareni and Vitus observed this, then centered themselves and formed a new Force construct from the idols in the atrium. The act appeared as a green flash to Jareni, and its effect was immediate, the Drengir dissolving into the station's vegetation. The two Jedi then hurried to find Hollow and Silas but instead encountered the Nihil member Hague.

The aged Zabrak tried to fire his blaster at them, but Jareni used the Force to slow the bolt, stepping aside before releasing it, causing it to impact the nearby wall. The confrontation escalated, with Hague's suppressed rage now unleashed, and he trapped them in the airlock ring by shooting the door controls. After alerting the other Nihil on the station to the Jedi's presence, a group quickly converged as the Nihil vessel docked directly with the airlock ring. Jareni considered their proximity a lesson in humility from the Force, as she had previously boasted to Hague about their lightsabers. However, a grenade thrown by Affie Hollow disrupted the Nihil's advance, allowing Master Vitus and Wayseeker Jareni to counterattack.

Jareni targeted Hague first, slicing his blaster into three pieces and dodging his attacks with the weapon's remnants. She then retreated, witnessing Vitus holding back the remaining Nihil in an archway, preventing their advance. Determining that they were in a stalemate, she moved to activate nearby emergency doors to gain time by blocking the Nihil's path. She accessed the manual door controls on the ceiling, spinning her lightsaber to create a shield against Nihil blaster fire, deflecting many blasts back at their source, and then used the Force to activate the controls.

Unfortunately, they realized too late that they had trapped Affie Hollow on the other side of the doors with most of the Nihil, so they moved to assist her, drawing some of her attackers toward them. Jareni found herself dueling two Nihil wielding energized polearms that could parry lightsaber strikes, but she maintained the advantage, slowly pushing them back. Nearby, Master Vitus used the Force to sweep a metal beam, causing many Nihil to fall. They then strategically retreated, allowing the two senior Jedi to regroup and find Hollow and Silas. While Leox Gyasi located Hollow, and Vitus found Reath Silas and a surprisingly alive Dez Rydan, Jareni continued to scout the damaged station for any strategic advantage against the Nihil. Realizing there was no other option, she decided to release the Drengir but first moved to rejoin her group to inform them of her plan.

On her way, she encountered Padawan Silas and learned of Knight Rydan's survival, as well as the unique hyperspace pods on the station. She resolved to break the Force barrier with Silas, and they hurried to inform the others. They ran into Hollow and Gyasi, urging them to leave without them if they didn't return in ten minutes, but the pilots refused. The Jedi eventually convinced them to prepare the Vessel for departure, while Jareni and Silas headed to the arboretum to unleash the Drengir. Upon arrival, they realized the new barrier was too strong for just two Jedi. Jareni then picked up a blaster, apologized to Silas for desecrating history, and shot the idol of the humanoid queen between the eyes, causing a wave of energy that knocked them both off their feet.

Dazed, they managed to stand and began to retreat, with the rapidly reforming Drengir in pursuit. Reaching the entryway to the equatorial ring, they found the Nihil preparing to attack, a gas grenade launched in their direction. They dodged the grenade, which landed among the Drengir, seemingly igniting a desire for combat in the plant creatures. They surged past the Jedi to engage the Nihil, allowing Wayseeker Jareni and Padawan Silas to escape back to their ship. On the way, they met Master Vitus, who informed them of the plants that had grown around the Vessel, anchoring it to the station. Distracted by this, Jareni and Vitus didn't notice Silas's departure until they reached the airlock.

Reath Silas then vented the arboretum into space, launching all the hyperspace-capable pods. The station remained largely intact, but the death of the Drengir and most of the Nihil allowed the group to carefully cut away the vines trapping the Vessel before leaving. At this moment, Jareni felt the pull of the open galaxy and looked forward to their departure. Just before they left, she witnessed Leox Gyasi using the spice on board to stabilize the weakened Dez Rydan.

Upon their return to Coruscant, Orla Jareni, Cohmac Vitus, and Reath Silas were summoned before the Jedi High Council to answer for their actions. Jareni disagreed with some of Master Adampo's address, but all three ultimately avoided discipline due to the overall positive outcome and their general adherence to Jedi principles.

Shortly after the hearing, Jareni went to a spaceship depot to acquire a new ship for her Wayseeker duties. She negotiated with the sales droid, reaching a fair price, and named the ship Lightseeker. Speaking with Geode, who had accompanied her, she offered him a position on her crew, but he declined, and she boarded alone. She immediately messaged her friend Vitus, who congratulated her on the ship. They discussed his state after recent events, and while she felt the Jedi Order wasn't right for him, she respected his choice to stay and bid him farewell.

Some time after leaving Coruscant to begin her Wayseeker journey, Orla Jareni was drawn to the inhabited astronomical object Chortose when the Force alerted her to Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis's danger of succumbing to self-loathing and despair. Arriving, Jareni apprehended an unspecified number of Nihil attacking Agricultural Hub 42, then used her lightsaber to force another Nihil to surrender rather than harm a hostage. After securing the individual, she purged the Hub of toxic gasses released by the Nihil, ignoring Keeve Trennis's questions until the task was complete. When Trennis asked about her temple, Jareni replied that she had none, revealing her Wayseeker status and the reason for her arrival, sensing the other Jedi's inner turmoil.

Keeve initially resisted, but Orla Jareni countered her denial by pointing out that she was moving away from a high-priority call for Jedi from Marshal Avarr Kriss, who was fighting the Drengir forces of the Great Progenitor. Trennis argued that Jareni was doing the same, but Orla Jareni pointed out that, unlike Keeve, she sensed that Trennis belonged with those distant, embattled Jedi. Trennis claimed they didn't need her, and Jareni asked if any of them had said so, repeating the question as the younger Jedi began to cry.

Keeve Trennis turned to face Jareni, distressed and admitting to her recent struggles following her connection to the Drengir Root-Mind. As she despaired, Orla Jareni listened without interruption, eventually asserting that Keeve Trennis's master must have believed her ready to become a Jedi Knight when Trennis questioned her worthiness. Keeve spoke of how her own master, Sskeer, had also suffered after connecting with the Drengir, stating that her presence might endanger other Jedi. When Jareni pressed for details, Trennis was suddenly struck by a vision from the Root-Mind, causing her to clutch her head, and the Wayseeker asked about her well-being. When Keeve Trennis revealed that the Root-Mind had spoken to her, Jareni asked what it had said, to which Jedi Knight Trennis stated that it claimed the conflict was over, and that the Jedi had lost.

Following this vision, Orla Jareni and Keeve Trennis decided to go to Mulita in Wild Space to assist the Jedi fighting the Drengir. They arrived on the planet in Jareni's starship, the Lightbringer, using its weapons before disembarking to destroy several unidentified native arthropods that the Drengir had controlled. Knight Trennis introduced Jareni to the assembled Jedi and Hutt forces, though Jareni expressed a deep familiarity with Trennis's master Sskeer, exasperating the Trandoshan, Keeve Trennis, and Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus (already present with his new Padawan, Reath Silas). Jareni complimented Sskeer, calling him as handsome as ever, with Sskeer grumbling at her familiarity, asking her not to do so in front of the Hutts. As Trennis left to find Marshal Avar Kriss, she asked Orla to inform Sskeer of Trennis's plan, to which the Umbaran Wayseeker coyly replied that it would be her pleasure, and not for the first time, further exasperating Trennis.

Orla Jareni soon joined the other Jedi in mentally bonding through the Force, using the strength of this connection to sever the Great Progenitor from the Root-Mind. She then joined the other Jedi in containing the creature in a stasis field, and informed a questioning Myarga Anjiliac Atirue that the Jedi would hold the Progenitor in the Bogan Vault on Starlight Beacon. The Wayseeker stood with the other Jedi in making the Hutt forces stand down to prevent battle, and was still with the group when news of the destruction of the Republic Fair reached them.

Months after the attack on the Republic Fair, Orla Jareni remained in orbit with the Jedi serving aboard Starlight Beacon. She participated in a plan by Jedi Master Avar Kriss to infiltrate the Nihil by inserting Jedi Knights Keeve Trennis and Terec into their ranks. The Wayseeker surveyed the Soola System in her ship, the Lightseeker, to ensure it was clear of Nihil raiders. She confirmed there were none, reporting this to Starlight Beacon, before her targes scanner detected an incoming ship. It turned out to be the Ransacker, piloted by Knights Trennis and Terec, who immediately attacked her. Orla continued communicating with the Beacon, noting that the ship was armed like an entire fleet. She transmitted her position, but the Lightseeker's communications were disabled shortly afterward, and the vessel began to drift. Jareni used the ship's weapons to fight back, long enough for the Ataraxia to jump in and rescue her, launching Jedi Vectors to attack the Ransacker.

After her involvement in the Soola system, Orla Jareni recalled the mysterious planet she and Cohmac Vitus had discovered carved on the Jedi Temple wall during their Padawan days. Informing the Jedi Council of her intent to investigate, she used old star charts and lost records to travel to the planet, Lenahra. Initially, she believed she had found a Force nexus planet. However, she soon realized the world was a closed system, mirroring aspects of the Force in a simpler biomechanical parallel. She admired the delicate balance within this system, confirmed by her discovery of the remains of a civilization that had disrupted that balance, dying off to a single member before her arrival.

During her time there, she studied the temple built by the unknown civilization, depicting their rise and fall. Near the end of her trip, she felt tested by Lenahra, confident that the Force had guided her to the planet from the Jedi Temple years ago. She made further findings but couldn't continue her studies, needing to help Jedi Master Elzar Mann regain balance after his destabilization following the Nihil's attack on the Republic Fair. As this mission wouldn't return her to Coruscant, she put her information on a datachip, returning to the species' temple and cutting a hole next to the final mural image, storing the device there. She hoped another Jedi would continue her work, also believing the planet could instruct other Jedi in the ways of balance. The datachip contained holographic information, including a brief interaction Orla had with a gobbler, stating that there was a need for balance.

Shortly after her voyage to Lenahra, Orla Jareni brought Elzar Mann to Ledalau to help him regain his mental balance and reconnect with the Force after his use of the Dark side during the Nihil's attack on the Republic Fair on Valo. Stellan Gios connected them, despite his low opinion of Wayseekers, yet she proved an excellent teacher to the struggling Elzar. While he imagined a tropical, relaxing retreat, Orla dissuaded him and resisted his flirtations with sharp wit.

During their time on Lenahra, Orla and Elzar got along well and had many discussions. She advised him to stop his Force experimentation, which had long been his specialty, and that the island's cold weather made practice difficult, suitable for someone testing himself like Elzar. She also stated that guarding against darkness was more than avoiding fear or anger, but that the real danger lay in emotions that, while positive at first, eventually rooted themselves and took over one's thoughts and actions. Early in their stay, Orla and Elzar discussed meditating in the waters surrounding the small island. Despite Elzar explaining he already did meditation in the water, Orla firmly suggested a different method, telling the master to walk into the surf, enter a handstand, and hold it despite the tide in an exploration of standing firm against the water, but to also be in coexistence with it. He attempted this, and failed, but as the weeks wore on, he grew better at the task. Elzar ultimately found that Orla's tutelage had focused him faster than he ever thought possible.

Sometime during her stay on Ledalau, Orla Jareni contacted Cohmac Vitus via hologram. They discussed Cohmac's difficulties within the Jedi Order and his emotional state, with the Umbaran Jedi trying to help her old friend meditate, but they were interrupted by Reath Silas. The group briefly touched on Cohmac's difficulties, with Orla ultimately signing off, wishing her friend well.

One day, several weeks after their time together had started, Orla was again watching Elzar perform the meditation exercise she had recommended. He had greatly improved so she was impressed and praised him, a gesture she hoped he valued. Elzar stated he did value her praise, before announcing he would refrain from his experiments with the Force going forward. Orla countered, stating her earlier suggestion had not been something she felt was a permanent condition, since Elzar was naturally intuitive to the Force, and his connection was a valuable strength though he would need to establish boundaries. Elzar stated he had yet to form those boundaries, and he would continue as he was now as he felt he was strong enough even without his intuition. Orla stated he was still limiting himself, not just in how he used the Force but also in using the Force overall, as he had neglected other abilities and skills. Elzar compared his weakness to an injured leg, which Orla agreed with.

After toweling his hair, Elzar asked Orla when the time would come for them to leave Ledalau. In response, with a wicked smile, Orla stated that Elzar only needed to trust himself before adding that he should finish drying off and pack up his things. Surprising Elzar, she refined their departure time to within the hour if he was quick enough, before leaving her pupil. When he emerged from his hutt with his belongings, mist shrouded her from him. When he called for Orla, she called back, beckoning him away from the shoreline into the interior of the small island. Orla soon ran into Elzar, who was standing before what he thought to be a plinth, and the Umbaran Wayseeker proceeded to introduce him to Geode, navigator for the Vessel. Seemingly unconcerned by his reaction, Orla then returned to the fog and led the way to the ship which was waiting for them with its ramp down. There, Orla made further introductions, acquainting Elzar with Affie Hollow and Leox Gyasi.

The group received a communication in Affie's ear, informing them that the Nihil were launching simultaneous attacks across the galaxy. Upon hearing this, Orla cursed under her breath, but was relieved that a safe route back to Starlight Beacon remained open. After Orla and Elzar boarded the Vessel and settled into the passenger area, Affie joined Leox in the cockpit. The Vessel departed, and although the initial jump to hyperspace was successful, the crew received a warning about Nihil activity along their flight path. Leox confirmed that the disturbance was not at Starlight Beacon, which brought Orla relief. However, the ship then emerged from hyperspace in the Echerta system, finding itself in the midst of a fierce space battle.

As the ship unexpectedly entered the conflict, Orla Jareni inquired if the Vessel possessed any weaponry. Upon learning that the ship had only a single, underpowered gun, she exchanged a concerned look with Elzar Mann. Elzar then instructed her to take the gun and provide minimal defensive fire. As she headed to the back of the ship where the gun was located, she commented that they were about to find out if it was enough. However, Jareni quickly returned, objecting to the ship's plan to abandon those in need of rescue. She insisted that they could inflict enough damage on the Nihil to allow some of their victims to survive. Leox Gyasi prompted her to continue, and she elbowed Mann aside, explaining that the Nihil's strength lay in their coordinated communication systems. Elzar pointed out that the Nihil would have screened them out, but Orla grinned wickedly and explained that the Nihil only screened warships, combat vessels, or larger ships, not a small hauler like the Vessel.

Leox suggested that it would only confuse the Nihil for a few minutes, but Orla countered that it would be enough time for nearby ships to escape. Elzar Mann realized that Orla Jareni, while avoiding direct confrontation, had cleverly used their limited resources to their advantage, potentially saving hundreds of lives. At Leox Gyasi's suggestion and to his delight, the Vessel began broadcasting the margengai slide at full volume over the communication channels. Orla commented that unfortunately, all non-Nihil ships would likely hear the same music, though they probably wouldn't mind the inconvenience. The distraction allowed ships to flee as planned and even gave a nearby space station enough time to restore its shields. However, the Nihil quickly identified the source of the communication chaos. Despite taking some damage from incoming fire, the Vessel managed to escape into hyperspace. Orla exited the cockpit first, followed by Elzar Mann. He asked her what had inspired her plan to be small, playful, and non-aggressive in a fight. She gently replied that she did not need to be reminded to not be aggressive, and Elzar would see the same if he continued on his current path.

As the Vessel approached Starlight Beacon, the crew noticed a damaged Japealean cutter struggling in space with a blown engine, a result of Nihil fire. As they towed the damaged ship below them, its other engine exploded, showering the underside of the Vessel with shrapnel. The explosion and resulting jolt prompted Orla Jareni and Elzar Mann to appear in the cockpit, both calm but alert, with Orla inquiring about the situation. Despite the explosion below, the Vessel successfully completed its approach to Starlight Beacon and landed in the station's docking bay.

Wayseeker Orla Jareni and Master Elzar Mann led the group off the Vessel to assess the damage and disembark. When Leox Gyasi mentioned that he possessed an old-fashioned tool kit and could make his own couplings, Orla remarked that she didn't think anyone did that anymore, to which Leox replied with a grin that he was an old-fashioned kind of person. Padawans Bell Zettifar and Burryaga approached the ship, accompanied by Ember the charhound. Elzar greeted them first, followed by Orla, though her greeting was more absentminded. Already focused on her next task, she offered to assist the crew of the Vessel with repairs. However, Burryaga stated that Master Stellan Gios, who was temporarily in charge of Starlight Beacon while Avar Kriss was away hunting the Eye of the Nihil, wanted to see the two Jedi first. Elzar and Orla turned to leave, with the Wayseeker quickly emphasizing with a smile that the crew should feel free to ask for help if they needed it. The team of Jedi then departed the docking bay.

After leaving with the other Jedi, Orla whistled, causing Ember to tilt her head and come alongside the group. Unlike the other Jedi, Orla allowed the Force to guide her through Starlight's corridors, taking her wherever it willed. She initially believed her destination to be the station's main cargo bay, but as she approached, her certainty waned. Eventually, she encountered Jedi Knight Regald Coll at the entrance to the vast space, who explained that he too had been sensing the strange disturbance in the Force. The two introduced themselves before examining the bay's manifest, finding nothing unusual except for a ship that had been transporting rathtars.

The pair of Jedi briefly discussed the correct terminology for groups of species and beings, with Orla concluding on a somber note that a group of Rathars was known as a remorse. Jareni then wondered if the disturbance was caused by the rathtars or something else, before her comlink beeped. Answering it, she learned that Stellan Gios was summoning her. He welcomed her to Starlight and requested a meeting in his office to discuss Elzar's progress on Ledalau. Jareni decided to postpone her investigation until later, after addressing other matters, and the two Jedi left the main cargo bay.

When Orla Jareni arrived at the marshal's office, which Stellan Gios was using in Avar Kriss's absence, she found the Jedi Master in conversation with Master Elzar Mann. Upon seeing Stellan's exhausted appearance, she bluntly stated that he looked terrible. Gios dismissed her comment, suggesting it was Orla being coy, but she expressed genuine concern by stepping closer and asking if Stellan would share what was troubling him. Stellan insisted the issue could wait and suggested that the two other Jedi could assist him with tasks he had set aside, primarily involving captured Nihil prisoners who had recently arrived on Starlight Beacon. Elzar agreed, as he was the main focus of the request, and left to attend to the matter, leaving Jareni and Gios alone.

Orla attempted to penetrate Stellan's privacy by directly addressing the issue or issues that were clearly burdening him. She focused her full attention on him, assuring him that he would eventually confide in her. He maintained that there was little to tell, just nightmares, insomnia, and fatigue from managing the station. Orla countered that while those factors might reduce most men to Gios's state, she knew Stellan as an exceptional Jedi capable of much more. She then playfully reminded him of how she had saved him on Pamarthe, to which Stellan groaned, complaining about whether she would ever let him forget that incident. She replied with a straightforward no, and for a moment, she sensed a crack in his defenses.

However, he abruptly suggested that she was wasting her potential as a Wayseeker and should instead be working as an investigator like their colleague Emerick Caphtor. Orla was hurt by the attempt at a joke, as it revealed his underlying disapproval of her choice. She asked him why he felt this way, stating that she had her own theory but wanted to hear Stellan's perspective. He expressed the view that Wayseekers abandoned the responsibilities of a Jedi for tempting desires, which Orla strongly refuted, feeling it was time Stellan heard some honesty. She shared her opinion that Stellan was uncomfortable with the attention he had received from a young age, always the Order's golden boy and now a symbol for the Jedi and Republic following the Nihil's attack on the Republic Fair. As a result, he had never been able to explore and be free, forced to walk a line, and therefore resented Wayseekers who had freedoms he lacked, even feeling threatened by them.

Master Gios coldly stated that he was not threatened and that Jedi were meant to follow the path laid out for them by both the Jedi Order and the Force. Orla shook her head, stating that this was their fundamental difference, as she believed the Force and the Order were not the same thing. She stood up and concluded that she was not saying these things to hurt or argue with Stellan. While they were opposites, she respected him and was concerned about him. Stellan managed a stiff reply, stating that he understood and hoped she knew that he also respected her. Orla then casually left the room, commenting that he couldn't not do so.

Later, Orla resumed her investigation of the main cargo bay with Master Gios's approval. Entering the turbolift first, she resolved to focus this time and not be distracted by trivialities like rathtars. Master Indeera Stokes joined her, receiving a nod of acknowledgment, followed by Knight Regald Coll, who offered a half wave before they continued their descent. Jareni expressed her gratitude for their collaboration, as it would allow them to cover more ground. After Coll sheepishly admitted that having the other two Jedi with him was better than his earlier solo probing, which might have gotten him into trouble, Jareni reminded them that Master Gios had authorized their efforts. However, all three felt uneasy due to the pervasive presence that threatened the station, causing them to doubt themselves, but Jareni urged them to persevere.

Upon reaching the level above the engineering section, the three Jedi exited the elevator and dispersed in different directions. The engineering area below was monitored by Jedi Master Estala Maru and his astromech KC-78, who were aware of the unsettling presence spreading through the station. Orla then divided the team, with the Wayseeker heading left, Indeera Stokes proceeding right, and Regald Coll going straight ahead. While agreeing to stay in touch via comlink at Knight Coll's suggestion, Orla focused her attention ahead, avoiding the cargo bay and its disturbing rathtars.

Shortly after, acting on intuition, she squeezed into a maintenance shaft where she sensed recent activity. She then received a distress call from Regald Coll. Her position forced her to waste precious time extracting herself from the narrow space before running, lightsaber hilt in hand, ready to activate it. Reaching out with the Force, she sensed something moving away, possibly retreating, but continued running, assessing that its departure was due to satiation. She rounded a corridor bend and nearly tripped over Indeera Stokes's unconscious form. Orla quickly assessed that Stokes was alive but unconscious, with shallow breathing and cold, clammy skin. Rushing forward, Orla increased her speed before entering a large, empty cargo area. Adjusting to the change in lighting, she spotted a figure lying nearby. Moving forward, Orla called out for Regald Coll, initially hoping to revive him, but to her horror, she discovered a desiccated husk resembling his form.

Orla immediately contacted Stellan Gios via comlink to report Regald Coll's death. Shocked, he requested confirmation, which she repeated, stating that he was worse than dead, his entire body transformed into a dry, powdery version of itself. She was afraid to touch the body for fear of it collapsing. When Stellan mentioned another husk to the other Jedi in the Hub, Nib Assek and Elzar Mann, Orla demanded more information, unaware of Loden Greatstorm's fate. Stellan replied that as a Wayseeker, she was excluded from the Jedi Order's business and knowledge, but would be fully briefed upon her return. She countered that he first needed to send a medical team or droids and a hovergurney to her location due to Indeera Stokes's condition. Nib Assek expressed horror at Indeera's state, before Orla assured them that Indeera was alive but unconscious and needed immediate medical attention. Master Gios promptly dispatched a med droid to her location and instructed Orla to return to Ops after Master Stokes was safe. The comlink then deactivated.

A short time later, Orla Jareni met Elzar Mann in the cargo bay area. The other Jedi had come to assess the situation, less affected by the oppressive atmosphere weighing heavily on his fellow Jedi. Calling to Elzar from down the corridor, Jareni led him to Regald Coll's corpse. Orla whispered, asking what power could have committed such an act, stealing the life from their comrade. She then accompanied the hovergurney to the medical tower, where Indeera Stokes would receive medical care.

She witnessed Starlight Beacon droids analyzing Regald Coll's body, hazmat pod protocols securing the body while filling the air with artificial sterility due to numerous filters. Orla gazed upon the Jedi's body with sadness and horror, recalling a mission from her Padawan days where locals created lifelike statues from native stone. However, the "statue" before her lacked any vitality. Despite the droids' efforts, Jareni doubted that data analysis alone could determine what had happened.

Elzar Mann entered the room gravely and spoke of Loden Greatstorm's fate, whose body had suffered a similar transformation but collapsed immediately upon touch. Jareni grimly noted that Coll's body had more substance and sought Elzar's assurance that it was the same phenomenon. Elzar confirmed his belief, and she ominously asked if he thought the disturbance affecting the station's Jedi was responsible. The male Jedi admitted he didn't know, as it hadn't affected him as severely as others, a fact that Jareni acknowledged.

She observed that Elzar wasn't reaching into the Force as he once had, providing him with a degree of protection and making him a source of hope for others, a role he seemed uncomfortable with. However, the Wayseeker was confident that he would rise to the challenges ahead, though she wished she had the same confidence in her own abilities. She had mastered her fear long ago as a Padawan, but the mere thought of their current weakness triggered a wave of manic panic, urging her to flee and abandon the station. She steadied herself with a deep breath. Her expression unwavering, she declared that they needed to search again, and unless they found the threat responsible, Regald Coll wouldn't be the last to die.

Soon after, with the return of the Ataraxia commanded by Avar Kriss, the Nihil sprung their trap. Explosions crippled Starlight Beacon, and Orla Jareni was in her quarters during this period. It took considerable skill to remain upright as destruction tore through the station. She then waited fifteen seconds for the agony of being sucked into space and meeting her death. When this didn't happen, she knew she was alive and the real work would begin.

In the early stages of the disaster on Starlight Beacon, Orla assisted where she could. Approaching the quartermaster's office, she found Elzar Mann attempting to transmit a signal, given the communications blackout. Elzar quipped that she would have to explain someday how she kept her robe so immaculate during a crisis. Orla, in no mood for jokes, told Elzar to get to the point. He informed her of the station's dire situation: the upper and lower sections were severed from each other in terms of communication and movement, and the station might physically break apart, with the medical tower being the only accessible area. Orla absorbed the information and stated that as long as both halves remained airtight, things could still be fixed. Stellan Gios emerged from his office and asked if Elzar had had any luck. Upon receiving a negative response, Orla Jareni suggested that their priority should be evacuating the refugees and their ships from the station. Stellan agreed, placing Orla and Elzar in charge of the effort.

Shortly after, Stellan Gios, Elzar Mann, Orla Jareni, and Nib Assek gathered to study information gathered from a jury-rigged network of astromechs connected to Eiram's satellites. Orla deduced the unfortunate truth that the station was not where it should be. This was soon confirmed, and Orla, placing a hand on her chest, refined her statement to confirm that Starlight Beacon had drifted into Eiram's gravitational pull, setting it on a downward trajectory.

As the astromech network gathered more information and Stellan Gios realized that the holding cells had their systems deactivated some time ago, Orla Jareni interrupted him and Elzar Mann's speculation about the culprits. She asked what they would do about the release of all their prisoners. Stellan replied that they could do little besides helping the injured. Jareni interrupted him, stating that they could tell those onboard who were capable of hearing it the truth: their lives were in danger.

Stellan disagreed, stating that if he knew more about the people onboard, especially with many travelers and refugees trapped on the station, he wouldn't hesitate. However, he didn't, so it might create panic and worsen the situation. Orla countered that if the more volatile individuals realized the danger before others, there would be an even greater panic. Stellan concluded that considering the lengths the Jedi had gone to in order to learn their limited information, few, if any, others would be capable of knowing what was happening.

Orla began pacing outside Stellan's office, contemplating various issues. She wished she had brought her ship, the Lightseeker, to the station, so she could be safe and know it was waiting for her after the crisis. She also reflected on her latent desire to leave, though she never would, despite Regald Coll's murder haunting her mind. Regardless of the current situation, she felt this threat couldn't be ignored, especially as the disturbance in the Force grew stronger. She pondered the source and mechanism by which the threat was both blocking Jedi's connection to the Force and killing individuals in such a horrifying way. Despite now knowing the situation faced by Jedi Knights Terec and Ceret, as well as the fate of Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm, she still felt it didn't equal what had happened to Coll. Lacking answers, she had a realization and stopped pacing. She concluded that the Nihil must have brought this threat to the station, and if the Nihil possessed such a power, they were far more deadly than anyone realized.

Shortly after, Orla argued again with Stellan Gios that they needed to inform the public that the station was falling out of orbit, while he resisted. She recognized the wisdom in Stellan's position to wait until after the Jedi had a plan, but also saw flaws, commenting that the idea of a plan depended on them making contact with the Republic soon, which was an enormous unknown factor. After Stellan passionately insisted that it had to be possible, Orla resisted the urge to snap about how the Nihil had repeatedly outwitted the Jedi. She barely succeeded, and told him that she hoped he was right, because the stakes were too high if he was wrong. Stalking off after this confrontation, she realized that she was not herself, with angry words boiling inside her, almost breaking her self-control. She determined that they, specifically she, had to do something to prevent the dark force that was chipping away at her and the other Jedi from spreading any further.

As she left to go on the hunt, Elzar Mann noticed the sweep of her robes and briefly stopped her, asking where she was going. She asked if she was in trouble for defying Stellan's orders. Mann replied that he was the last person to criticize others for bending the rules, but added that they shouldn't split up, especially as radiation levels began to rise across the station. Orla acknowledged this, but stated that she intended to find the disturbance in the Force that threatened them and the station, asking if he could sense it. Elzar could not, and his senses had been warning him against using the Force, which Orla said he should definitely heed. Despite this, Elzar gripped Jareni's arm and tried to argue that, given what had happened to Regald Coll and Indeera Stokes, they needed to stick together. However, the Umbaran would not be deterred and insisted that she could be surprisingly careful. Elzar stated that if she wasn't back within the hour, he would go after her, to which she replied that she expected nothing less. She then grinned and told him to keep his temper in check before moving away.

Upon her arrival in the main cargo hold, Orla came to the conclusion that sealing off the area was essential. She understood that the Jedi should have implemented this measure from the outset, but the situation affecting them was significantly impairing their judgment. Although sealing the area wouldn't resolve the underlying issue, it would confine its source, facilitating a more effective investigation. As Orla Jareni drew near the location where Regald Coll had succumbed, the environmental controls for the area began to fail, causing the temperature to plummet and her breath to become visible in the air. She recalled a time when she and her group of younglings enjoyed playing in the snow under Yoda's supervision, but the memory was tainted by darkness and filled with dread as she reflected on the near-fall she had experienced from the roof. She utilized the Force to strengthen and guide herself, despite its limited effectiveness in her current predicament, and continued onward through the space.

She soon reached a lengthy corridor lined with stacked storage containers. However, Orla quickly detected puffs of breath emanating from behind a towering stack of containers, originating from an elevated position and far too substantial to belong to any humanoid being. Even as Orla attempted to reassure herself that it might not be the menace currently plaguing the station, she was overcome with terror. Her steps forward became labored, and she was reminded of the turbulent waves Elzar had encountered on Ledalu, only these were considerably more intense. She abruptly realized that the creature was aware of her approach, and inexplicably, she also sensed that it was driven by hunger, not for her physical form, but for something far more profound.

She made an attempt to connect through her feelings, but she found it impossible to maintain focus. Shapeless movement emerged from the corridor's end, yet it now manifested as a multitude of shapes, swirling and contorting, yet she was unable to escape. She felt as though the station, and indeed the entire galaxy, was dissolving as these shapes cascaded downward, falling endlessly. She then understood that she had surpassed the point of comprehension, and her mind was no longer under her control. She could not perceive the Force, but she knew it existed, only to question its existence for a fleeting moment. She quickly reaffirmed herself, declaring that the Force would find her, and she would not simply disappear, becoming nothing, or no-one.

Orla Jareni then experienced an all-encompassing cold that penetrated her body to the very core of her bones. She felt the urge to embrace herself, but her arms refused to respond to her commands, as did the rest of her body. It was at that point that Wayseeker Orla Jareni became even paler than before, then as gray as ash before collapsing onto the floor, never to move again. All that remained of her was her fear and silence in the Force.

Concurrently, across the galaxy, while Masters Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy were working to counteract the final stages of the Nihil's operations on Corellia, the two Jedi were alerted through the Force to the agonizing and chaotic events unfolding on Starlight Beacon. While Kantam Sy managed to maintain their composure, Cohmac Vitus was unable to do so, becoming deeply emotional and nearly abandoning his current mission to rush to the station. When Kantam demanded an explanation and insisted on his presence there, Cohmac resisted and stated that she, before correcting himself to say that they, needed the Jedi on Corellia.

The other Jedi immediately surmised that Cohmac was actually referring to Orla Jareni needing him, which was indeed the case as Cohmac emotionally broke down, whispering that Orla was facing a terrible threat, the same threat that had claimed Loden Greatstorm's life and infected the Jedi twins Terec and Ceret. Kantam managed to steady their companion and bring him back to the present by mentioning Cohmac's Padawan, Reath Silas, as well as the ongoing threat on the planet, which Cohmac agreed to help resolve. However, once the battle concluded, and after Reath Silas was knighted, Cohmac Vitus was overwhelmed by his emotions. Likely sensing Orla's death through the Force, the pain drove the Master to resign from the Jedi Order, disappearing into the Corellian night.

Many decades later in 41 BBY, a 16-year-old Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi stumbled upon the same carved planet Orla Jareni had encountered during her own Padawan training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Intrigued by the names inscribed beneath the enigmatic world, Obi-Wan hurried to the Jedi Archives and studied the files on both Orla Jareni and Cohmac Vitus, but his focus remained primarily on Orla. Her file contained her intended flight path to Lenahra, but appeared to have remained untouched since the era of the High Republic.

Obi-Wan eagerly shared his discovery with his Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, hoping that they would embark on a mission together, similar to those his friends undertook with their masters. While Master Qui-Gon expressed interest in the mystery and had his Padawan plan a mission while also securing a ship for them, Qui-Gon ultimately failed to appear when the time came for the mission to commence. Consequently, Obi-Wan departed in anger without him after an extended period of waiting. While the events of the mission initially left Obi-Wan perplexed regarding Orla Jareni's whereabouts on the planet, he eventually located the Lenahra temple and the datachip concealed within by the Umbaran. However, by Obi-Wan's time, the datachip's technology was outdated, and it took the astromech A6-G2 (who had accompanied Obi-Wan on his mission) a considerable amount of time to recover even partial data from the device.

Following the successful retrieval of portions of the stored information, Obi-Wan Kenobi utilized a holoprojector to display the information he had obtained in an attempt to provide answers to both himself and the group of local teenagers and youths trapped on the planet who were unaware of its history. Orla's recording of her fundamental findings then materialized alongside her head, detailing her interactions on Lenahra before glitching and concluding with her encounter with a gobbler. The remaining information on the datachip was inaccessible at that time. Upon the conclusion of Obi-Wan's adventure and his return to the Jedi Temple, Qui-Gon revealed that he had intentionally missed the mission, hoping it would teach his Padawan to become more flexible and rely on more than just academic knowledge. As they walked, Obi-Wan informed him of Orla Jareni's recording, with Qui-Gon expressing his eagerness to learn more about it after the pair had meditated.

As an Umbaran, Jareni possessed striking pale skin and prominent cheekbones, features characteristic of her species. Her hair was styled into a sleek knot and was a silver shade nearly as dark as black. Jareni, while deeply committed to serving the Jedi Order as a whole, harbored private disagreements with the Jedi High Council, particularly regarding their emphasis on training and instruction. Jareni believed that this focus came at the expense of embracing Force-inspired intuition. Partly due to these disagreements, she chose to become a Wayseeker, undertaking missions independently rather than at the behest of the High Council. She was known for her sharp wit and dry humor, as well as her straightforward manner. She rarely used euphemisms, but her intentions were never to be hurtful in her speech, only to be honest and caring towards those she spoke candidly with. Orla also held a strong conviction in the importance of balance towards the end of her life, experiencing and commenting on the phenomena in her holorecording recovered from Lenahra and then again during and after her time with Elzar Mann. She also possessed a remarkable ability to perceive and understand others. However, one of her shortcomings was her anger. While she possessed great self-control and was generally able to keep it in check, that control was significantly weakened in the final hours of her life due to the situation that plagued Starlight Beacon.

As a Jedi Master, Orla Jareni had a profound connection to the Force. Like many other Force-sensitives, this connection granted Jareni a range of notable abilities. Jareni had demonstrated the ability to sense the energies of the Dark side of the Force. On the Amaxine station, she felt the cold chills and invasive visions associated with sensing powerful dark energies. Like most Jedi, Jareni could use the Force to jump many meters into the air with ease. She possessed the ability to slow blaster bolts midair, and her primal connection to the Force granted her a uniquely analytical mind when she focused. Before leaving the Amaxine station for the first time, she learned from Cohmac Vitus the binding ritual to bind the statues, completing the task with some exertion. She later assisted the meditation on the statues by joining minds with other Jedi on Coruscant in the Shrines in the Depths.

Jareni was proficient in the use of a lightsaber. She fought off two Nihil warriors at once, using the Force to augment her reflexes, as well as combatted multiple Drengir effectively despite a physical injury and an unfamiliarity with the creatures. She additionally was a competent pilot, and had some familiarity with repairing a starship.

She also had the uncanny ability to avoid getting herself or her stark-white robes marred with dirt, grime, ash, and other similar substances. This fact was commented on by people around her.

Jareni wore snowy robes. She wielded a white hinged double-bladed lightsaber. After the events on the Amaxine station, Jareni purchased a ship which she named the Lightseeker.

Orla Jareni was first mentioned in the 2021 novel The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, written by Charles Soule, in which Jareni was described as a Jedi Knight. The novel The High Republic: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray, however, states that Jareni was a Jedi Master.