Renij Jaa

Biography

Renij Jaa, an Iktotchi male, was a member of the Jedi Order as the years of the Galactic Republic drew to a close. Within the Order's structure, he became a Jedi Guardian, a specialization within the Jedi focused on combat, and he eventually crafted his personal lightsaber and rose to the rank of Jedi Knight. In the wake of the Clone Wars, a war between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems, Jedi Order members were called upon to serve with, and lead the Army of the Republic. Jaa was designated as the primary coordinator for Republic forces stationed in the Druckenwell system within the Mid Rim, and he established his headquarters on the space station New Dawn, a Republic military installation that orbited the planet Druckenwell.

Around 21 BBY, Republic forces operating in the Druckenwell system observed the YT-1300 light freighter Dessin's Dagger in the act of attempting to attach a device to a luxury liner. Consequently, three Republic Z-95 Headhunters were deployed with the mission of apprehending the freighter. Dessin's Dagger attempted to escape the system, prompting a pursuit by the three starfighters, during which it narrowly avoided colliding with a starship carrying the Heroes of Cularin, a band of freelance agents who had traveled from the planet Cularin to Druckenwell.

The agents provided assistance to the Z-95s in disabling Dessin's Dagger. Following this incident, Jaa intended to submit a report concerning the rogue freighter. He requested the presence of the Heroes of Cularin aboard New Dawn to debrief them regarding their encounter with Dessin's Dagger, and he convened with them in one of the station's conference rooms. After expressing his gratitude for their contribution to the freighter's capture, Jaa recorded statements from the agents regarding their identities and their activities within the Druckenwell system. Upon concluding his discussions with them, the Jedi signaled a clone trooper sergeant to escort the agents back to their vessel, after which they departed from the station.

A short time later, the Heroes of Cularin discovered a plot by Separatist sympathizers to detonate an Acclamator-class assault ship docked with New Dawn. The agents concealed themselves aboard the First Light, a freighter used by the conspirators, and contacted Jaa via comlink to inform him of the Separatists' scheme. Despite initial skepticism towards the agents' claims, he consented to place all Republic vessels in the system on high alert and issued an order to halt the replenishment of stores for ships in the system. Ultimately, the agents seized control of the First Light and foiled the plot, leading Jaa to express his appreciation for their efforts.

Personality and traits

Renji Jaa desired to be actively involved in the Republic's defense against the Separatist forces and was frustrated by his assignment to oversee war materials in the Druckenwell system, situated far from the Clone Wars' front lines. While he maintained a professional manner, he struggled to control his frustration, which caused him to be terse and direct. During his investigation into Dessin's Dagger's actions, Jaa became concerned by the crew's willingness to fight to the death, leading him to suspect they were planning something detrimental to the Republic. Jaa was bilingual, fluent in both Galactic Basic Standard and Iktotchese.

Powers and abilities

Renij Jaa possessed the ability to use the Force to influence the minds of others, heal himself, move objects telekinetically, achieve enhanced speed, and perceive his surroundings. Furthermore, he demonstrated proficiency in the use of the powers battlemind and farsight.

Behind the scenes

Jaa was a creation of Morrie Mullins and Lee Pickler for Outward Bound, a 2002 roleplaying adventure that was part of the Looking In trilogy within the Living Force campaign. The scenario involves players role-playing as the Heroes of Cularin, with the option to assist the Republic Z-95 Headhunters in their pursuit of Dessin's Dagger. Should players choose this path, their initial encounter with Jaa on New Dawn begins with him expressing gratitude for their assistance. If any player characters are Jedi, Jaa inquires about where they received their Jedi training and the identities of their Jedi Masters, while internally questioning why those Jedi get to travel the galaxy while he is restricted to the Druckenwell system. If the player characters cooperate during Jaa's questioning, he informs them that the Republic is prepared to cover the costs of repairing any damage sustained to their starship during their involvement with Dessin's Dagger. However, should any players attempt to slice into New Dawn's computer network, Jaa warns them that such actions would constitute treason and would be punishable by imprisonment on Kessel.

When the player characters become aware of the Separatist sympathizers' plan to attack the Acclamator-class assault ship, they have the option to attempt to send a warning to Jaa, with Jedi characters able to reach him via comlink. Non-Jedi characters can only communicate with Jaa after contacting the Druckenwell system's Republic forces and successfully convincing them to connect the agents to Jaa. If the players manage to reach him, Jaa expresses frustration but agrees to listen to their warning.