Susalee

Back in 382 BBY, Susalee, a member of the Lonto species, served as their representative on the Convocation of the Force. This council comprised delegates from various religious groups centered around the Force, operating on the sacred moon of Jedha. During that year, Susalee attended a Convocation gathering at the Convocation Chambers within Jedha City, where an envoy from the Yacombe faith arrived to seek membership. When Sirené, the representative of the Fallanassi religion, attempted to assault the envoy due to her belief that the Yacombe were adherents of the dark side of the Force, Susalee intervened. She restrained Sirené by binding her with vines.

Susalee spoke in defense of the Yacombe, emphasizing their longstanding association with the Lonto and asserting that the Yacombe had disavowed their allegiance to the dark side many generations ago. Subsequently, Waran Val, the representative of the Matukai group, severed Susalee's vines with an axe, causing her distress, imbalance, and an outcry. Following the envoy's withdrawal of their membership application, Susalee proposed postponing further discussion and seeking a fresh perspective the following day. In the same year, a series of religious artifacts were stolen throughout the Holy City. Matthea Cathley, a Jedi Padawan, informed Vildar Mac, a Jedi Master, that Susalee suspected spice runners of stealing the artifacts to use them as collateral in their transactions.

Later, Susalee employed her powers to aid in healing Master Mac's injuries, which he had sustained in a bombing at the Temple of the Kyber. She utilized tragia leaves, wrapping them around his body with the Force. Despite Mac's initial resistance, Cathley urged him to cooperate and heed Susalee's instructions. Susalee then revealed that Zumeg, the Archivist, had died in the explosion, describing his passing as a transition "into the Garden Beyond." Susalee also informed him that the Guardians of the Whills, the protectors of the Temple of the Kyber, had taken Tey Sirrek, the thief, into custody. Cathley then explained to Mac that they were unable to extract any information about Sirrek from the thief's droid, SK-0T, because its memory had been scrambled in the explosion, a circumstance that Susalee deemed suspiciously convenient given the accusations against Sirrek. Subsequently, Susalee attended a Convocation meeting with Mac, where they deliberated on the potential perpetrators of the bombing, ultimately deciding to disseminate a cover story attributing the incident to a buildup of gas.

When Werth Plouth, the Herald of the [Path of the Open Hand](/article/path_of_the_open_hand], a cult that disapproved of Force usage, petitioned for the Convocation's disbandment and a temporary ban on Force use, he also accused Susalee and the Lonto of Force abuse. Susalee and Val defended the organization, asserting that they only channeled the Force for the benefit of the natural world. Later, when Plouth incited a riot, Susalee experienced mental disturbance due to the presence of the Leveler, a Nameless creature employed as a weapon by the Path. This creature preyed on Force-sensitives and induced hallucination. Consequently, Susalee lost control of her powers and attacked numerous rioting citizens and Convocation members with her vines, proclaiming that she was safeguarding peace and the light. Leebon, a Jedi Master, attempted to reason with her but was unsuccessful. The riot escalated into the Battle of Jedha, concluding when the Path withdrew from the moon.

Susalee, as a member of the Lonto, a species revering the light side of the Force and possessing a profound connection to nature, took great pride in her heritage. Standing at 1.85 meters (6 feet 1 inch) tall, she had pale green skin marked with gray lines, pink lips, and dark blue eyes. She styled her long brown hair with half of it tied up and the remainder flowing down her back. Consistent with her Lonto identity, she was committed to channeling the Force for the well-being of the natural world and believed that individuals transitioned to the Garden Beyond upon death. Due to historical ties, she held a special affinity for the Yacombe and advocated for them within the Convocation. Under the Leveler's influence, Susalee became fixated on protecting life and the light, leading her to attack others with vines.

Susalee, like all Lonto, was a Force-user of the light side, capable of manipulating and cultivating plants through the Force. Utilizing a unique mystical ability of the Lonto, Susalee could also employ plants to facilitate healing. However, her powers became uncontrollable when exposed to the Nameless.

Susalee utilized vines and plants for various purposes, including as weapons. Through her abilities, she also employed them as healing aids, treating injuries with tragia leaves. She adorned herself with a blue triangle on her forehead, a leaf headdress, and a necklace crafted from leaves and featuring a round blue ornament. Her attire included sandals made of vines and pink flowers, a light green dress with a blue triangle, and a dark green robe with gray sleeves marked with blue ovals.

Susalee's initial appearance, although without identification, occurred in the comic story "Peace and Unity," authored by Cavan Scott and illustrated by Andrea Broccardo. This story was featured in the first issue of the 2022 comic series Star Wars: The High Republic, as part of Phase II of the eponymous multimedia initiative on October 12 of that year. Her name was first revealed in the fourth issue of the series, also written by Scott, which was published on January 11, 2023. On October 1, 2023, Scott clarified that Susalee's species was Lonto, rather than the Lonto being a religious group. This was later confirmed by Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia released on November 9, 2023.