Shae Koda

Shae Koda, a Force-sensitive Human with Dathomiri ancestry, received training in the Force from the Je'daii Order on Tython, one of the nine planets comprising the Tython system known as the Settled Worlds. Raised by her parents until they died at the Battle of Tython, the concluding conflict of the Despot War, Koda reached the rank of Journeyer, carrying a Force-imbued blade for protection in Tython's wilderness. During her travels among the nine Great Temples in 25,793 BBY, Koda studied under Temple Master Quan-Jang at the Temple of Science, Anil Kesh. Together, Koda and Master Quan-Jang utilized alchemy to create a rancor-dragon, which Koda named Butch. At one point during their collaboration, Koda nearly lost her life while venturing into the Abyss of Ruh to gather specimens for their project.

While Koda was in the process of training the rancor-dragon, Xesh, a Force Hound belonging to the Infinite Empire, piloting a Rakatan ship called the Devourer, crashed near the Rift on Tython. The surge of deaths from the crash alerted the Je'daii to the presence of an outsider and triggered a Force storm that swept across the planet. Koda experienced a vision of this disturbance while in the Rift, and Master Quan-Jang rescued her from near-death. After hearing about the vision, Quan-Jang instructed Koda to follow it in order to maintain balance in the Force.

Koda encountered fellow Journeyers Sek'nos Rath and Tasha Ryo at the crash site; they had also experienced similar visions. While searching the wreckage of the alien ship, the trio discovered an escape pod with Xesh inside. The Je'daii drew their blades, but were surprised when Xesh's Forcesaber easily sliced through their durasteel weapons. Despite losing their weapons, the three Je'daii used their Force abilities to gain an advantage over Xesh, and Koda managed to disarm him. With Xesh unarmed and exhausted, the Je'daii forced him into the Rift, toward the dangerous Abyss of Ruh. As they pursued the Force Hound, the three Je'daii experienced hallucinations caused by the dark energies within the Abyss. Koda became enraged by apparitions of her deceased parents, which stirred up her resentment towards them for their deaths. After Rath calmed her down, the trio found Xesh fighting a saarl. When Rath's attempt to distract the beast only made it angrier, the group was forced to retreat deeper into the cave. In a final stand, Koda and her allies tried to fend off the beast but were unable to activate the Forcesaber she had taken from Xesh. At the urging of her companions, Koda gave the saber back to Xesh, hoping he would use it to kill the saarl; however, Xesh took the weapon and left the Je'daii to their fate. To his surprise, none of them died. Xesh then spontaneously aided Koda against the saarl, ultimately killing it.

The Je'daii Masters soon arrived, having determined that Xesh was the cause of the storm threatening Tython, and demanded his surrender. Xesh then turned on the Je'daii, only to be struck by lightning channeled by Master Quan-Jang. In anger, Shae grabbed Xesh's Forcesaber, blaming him for the apparent death of her Master. Xesh willingly resigned himself to death and encouraged her to eat his heart. Shae relented, stating that it wasn't the Je'daii way. Xesh remarked that they were odd beings and passed out.

Later, Koda was training with Ryo and Rath on Stav Kesh with master Tave. Tave realized that three were too focused on Xesh to think about their lessons. They complained to him that their visions were being ignored. Tave assured them that the situation was far too dire to ignore. He then told Rath and Koda to go to The Forge and Ryo to report to Kaleth.

At The Forge Master Madog was studying Xesh's Forcesaber. He asked Koda to ignite it. Failing, she suggested that Madog's testing had broken the weapon. However, Hawk Ryo took and activated the weapon, explaining that he used Bogan to do so. Koda later explained this to Quan-Jang, claiming she had resisted the temptation to ignite the Forcesaber. Quan-Jang ordered her to give into temptation then next time, explaining "We must delve into the Dark for greater understanding". Rath appeared and attempted to cheer up Koda, by saying that he wished that he could be given a chance with the Forcesaber. Koda, however, stated that she would rather forget about certain things. But Rath continued, realizing that brought up memories of her parents' death. Rath continued trying to improve Koda's mood pointing out that her parents' sacrifice saved Tython--and they too had saved Tython from Xesh's ship.

It soon became apparent that Xesh and Daegen Lok, the Prisoner of Bogan, had escaped from their cells. The Je'daii sent out two teams to locate them, one consisting of Sek'nos Rath, Master Jake Fenn, and Ranger Bel Zana, and the other consisting of Rori Fenn, Hawk Ryo, and Koda. Master Fenn's team went to Xesh's cell, where they found him gone and had to fight off several terenta. Ranger Ryo's team went to Lok's abode, discovering the extended equipment of a Pho-V fighter. Koda saw several carvings on the walls, showing a massive bearded man wielding the Force and carrying a Forcesaber. While initially believing Xesh had done the carving, Ryo knew it was actually Lok. Ryo recalled the vision he and Lok had shared in the chasm--nearly driving him insane and causing him to attempt to strangle Ranger Fenn. Recovering, Ryo recalled how he lied to escape Bogan--and how he had convinced himself the vision was a hallucination--but how they had now given Lok the only being in the Tython system capable of building a Forcesaber. And it was also clear that they had escaped the moon in the Pho-V fighter.

The teams now split up. Ranger Ryo's team went to Nox--knowing that Xesh and Lok would need the Forges there to build a Forcesaber. The others went to Krev Coeur knowing that the two would need the crystals found there. In the city of Boneyard on Nox, they saved a child from mutant slashrats. The child expressed the typical inhabitant of Nox's feeling towards the Je'daii--You be Nasties. They then received a communication of Master Fenn on Kalimahr. Zana had suffered from a mind twist from Lok and believed she was on fire. Rath had fallen from a cliff and was presumed dead. Koda was horrified, realizing she could not sense Rath--nor had she sensed his death. Ranger Ryo ordered her to remain in balance and track Xesh. Koda was able to track Xesh to Skrag's Cantina where Lok was meeting with the remains of Queen Hadiya's Inner Circle--to gather an army for attacking Tython. Ranger Ryo was almost shot by several of the ex-generals, but escaped. Ranger Fenn and Koda followed Lok and Xesh--only to split up causing Ryo to send Koda after Xesh while following Lok himself. Koda found Xesh and furiously declared that Xesh had betrayed them by escaping Bogan and killing Rath. Xesh brushed this aside and drew his Forcesaber declaring I give you the same opportunity I gave Sek'nos Rath. Walk away. He warned her that he would only fight to the death. She prepared to fight anyway, and scored a small wound against his side before a giant dianoga broke through the ground under them and dragged her underwater. Xesh considered leaving her to die, but decided to rescue her. He killed the dianoga and dragged Koda to the surface. He gave her respiratory breathing and then declared to her that she was his prisoner before leaving with Lok. Just after Koda was captured, Ranger Ryo received a message from Sek'nos Rath who had been rescued by the mysterious Trill.

With Koda as a prisoner, Lok twisted her mind with the Force which rendered her compliant and semi-conscious. They then went and demanded help from Hawk and Ryo's brother--Volnos Ryo, Crime Baron of Shikaakwa. Ryo attempted to kill Lok and Xesh (though he intended to spare Koda) but was thwarted--then his younger brother arrived with Rath and Fenn. Xesh took Koda to an isolated spot on top of the Ryo Fortress where he briefly fought and defeated Rath. He then moved to help Lok who had been disarmed by Ryo. Xesh attacked Ryo from above, and Lok cut off Ryo's leg with his Forcesaber. This brought Koda back to consciousness and she attacked Lok. Lok ordered Xesh to kill her while he finished off Ryo. Koda asked Xesh whether he would be Lok's slave and told him that there was more to the Force than the dark side--declaring "You must Choose who you want to be!" Lok tossed her into a wall with the Force, declaring himself to be Xesh's master--a horrible miscalculation. Xesh slashed him across the chest declaring he would never again be a slave to anyone and only spared Lok's life when Koda interfered.

After being reunited with Rath, Koda and her allies apprehended Xesh and Lok, and Trill, Rath's unusual companion, transported them back to Tython. Upon their return, Lok was immediately returned to Bogan, while Xesh consented to join the Je'daii officially and share all of his knowledge regarding the Rakata. Koda resumed her duties as a Journeyer, assisting Master Quan'Jang in examining the information provided by Xesh as Tython prepared for the impending war. Their fears were confirmed when the Infinite Empire launched a full scale invasion of the Tython system in 25,793 BBY. Early in the war, Koda was promoted to the rank of Ranger and given a Forcesaber to use against the invaders.

A year into the fighting, Koda participated in the battle of Shikaakwa, riding her rancor-dragon, Butch. Koda followed Xesh from above as he led his troops on the ground and began to rely heavily on the dark side of the Force to defeat her enemies, casting them from their mounts as she fought Force Hounds in the air. After the battle, Koda joined the troops on the ground as they celebrated their victory against the Rakata. Koda argued with her friend, Sek'nos Rath, who was troubled by the lack of Balance in the Force during the fighting and longed for the wars of old where true Je'daii maintained the Balance. After Rath stormed off, Koda and Xesh slipped away from the rest of the camp, only for Koda to retreat from Xesh's familiarity with promises to see him in the morning.

When Xesh began having nightmares that convinced him that his former Rakatan masters were drawing him back to their side, Koda assuaged his fears by reminding him that he had come far in his Je'daii teachings and that he had earned the Order's trust and gratitude. Constantly living under the stress of war and the promise of death, Koda felt it important to reveal to Xesh that she had been harboring feelings of love for him since they had met. Unable to reciprocate her feelings because of his Rakatan training and a lack of knowledge of love, Xesh agreed he also felt something for her and as a sign of his affections, he revealed his true name, Tau. Touched by his confession of something so private to him, they embraced and spent the evening together, making the most of what short time of rest during the chaos and uncertainty of war. Forming a Force bond, the pair fought together again on Ska Gora, with Koda in the air and Xesh infiltrating the Rakatan base. During the fighting, Koda sunk deeply into the dark side and entered into a vicious conflict with a Force Hound mounted on a dragon. Before she could deliver the finishing blow, Master Quan-Jang swooped in and knocked the Force Hound off his mount to fall to his death. Enraged that the Je'daii Master had robbed her of the kill, the Temple Master warned her off from her descent into the dark side.

As the battle worsened and Rath and Xesh seemed to disappear from the front line, Koda and Quan-Jang's aerial assault seemed fruitless. Fearing for Quan-Jang, who refused to give himself over to the dark side, Koda rushed to his side as the battle continued to wear on them and their mounts. Sensing a deepening darkness around Xesh, Koda was unable to determine what was affecting him so and was ignorant to his imprisonment and torture despite their Force bond. While she continued fighting, Xesh was tortured into remembering his life as a Force Hound and was used by his Rakatan master to attack the Je'daii Seers and strike them blind. Unwilling to believe that her lover had betrayed them, Koda obeyed orders to retreat from the battle and return to Tython to defend against the final assault of the Rakata. Once on Tython, Koda acknowledged that the Force was telling her that Xesh was fully entrenched in the dark side and she pledged that should she be confronted by Xesh, she would do her duty as a Je'daii, even if it meant striking him down. When the battle began, Koda rode her mount into battle once more in the defense of Anil Kesh. Descending into the Chasm underneath the Temple, Koda detected Xesh's Force present and rushed to find him. Encountering Rath and Lok in battle with Flesh Raiders, Koda was unaware of the key past the barrier which existed in the Chasm which drove all mad if not adequately protected. Willing to risk it, Koda prepared to cross the barrier but was stopped by Lok who revealed in her mind the key which would let her pass unharmed.

Descending past the Chaos Wall, Lok encouraged Koda to sink deeper into the dark side, playing on her feelings of abandonment which she held towards Xesh and her dead parents. Upon finding Xesh and his master, Predor Skal'nas, Lok and Koda engaged the two in battle. While Lok fought viciously against the Rakatan, Koda attempted to bring Xesh back into Balance but was knocked unconscious by Skal'nas after he unlocked the Prime Gate that he had long sought. Prone on the ground next to the mouth of the gate, Koda was helpless as Xesh unleashed his fury on her attacker. Unknown to any of them down in the Chasm, Tasho Ryo had used her mastery of the Holocron of A'nang to unlock the secrets of the Tho Yor and weaponize it against the Infinity Gate. Unleashing a beam of destructive energy, the Infinity Gate was destroyed as Xesh cut down Skal'nas. Gathering Koda and a wounded Lok, Xesh and his Je'daii companions climbed on the back of Butch the rancor-dragon and escaped the Chasm alive.

After the conflict concluded and the Rakata had retreated, Xesh and Koda met at the edge of the Silent Desert, before beginning their journey across its silent sands.

Shae Koda, a slender Human female of Dathomiri heritage, embraced her cultural roots with a triangular tattoo on her forehead. She wore her hair in tight rows and embodied the martial aspects of the Force, struggling to maintain balance during challenging times. Initially, she disliked Tasha Ryo due to her perceived lack of martial skill and superiority as the Twi'lek daughter of Je'daii Temple Master Kora Ryo. However, Koda formed a bond with fellow Journeyer Sek'nos Rath, appreciating his fighting abilities. Burdened by self-consciousness and the emotional scars of her parents' death, Koda's greatest fears revolved around being alone and unloved by those close to her. Upon meeting the Force Hound Xesh, she immediately formed a Force bond with him and became his advocate among the Je'daii Masters.

During the early battles of the Force War, Koda confessed her love for Xesh, a feeling that Master Quan-Jang disapproved of, reminding her that excessive attachment was not the way of the warrior. Relying on the dark side of the Force for her power, Koda descended into hatred and bloodlust during the fighting but was brought back to the light through her love for Xesh.

As a Je'daii Journeyer, Shae Koda possessed significant Force abilities and demonstrated talent in alchemy under Master Quan-Jang's guidance. She created the rancor-dragon Butch during her time at Anil Kesh and had the capacity for animal friendship, a technique involving a form of will compulsion. During this period, she was one of only four Force-sensitives on Tython who could perceive the Force Hound Xesh as he projected his mind onto Tython.

As a Ranger, Koda was skilled at channeling her rage and hatred to power the Forcesaber, which disrupted her Balance and drew her closer to the dark side of the Force. Proficient in mounted combat, Koda rode her rancor-dragon in battle while defending against attacks from Force Hounds riding winged creatures. Koda was able to use Force lightning, though this attack could be blocked by another Force user.