Jerai

"This will probably get us all killed, but I’ll not have it said that I retreated from a fight that the rest of the pack agreed to."

- Jerai

Jerai (3 BBY) was born into the prestigious Kular Clan on Barab I. She grew up, as all Barabel do, learning to hunt and kill the myriad prey that dominate the planet’s wilds; demonstrating early on a particular knack for the art of the hunt. However, her interests went far deeper than simply tracking down the prey, she also strived to learn as much as she could about what it was she was hunting.

This desire to understand her prey better made her a more efficient hunter but it also tended to make her more cautious before she launched an attack as she liked to wait for the optimum moment to strike. Due partly to this, Jerai was often overshadowed by another talented young Barabel named Rulnar who matched her in skill but was much more charismatic. She bore the other no ill-will though and even joined his pack along with other talented young Barabel: Sila, Xranic, and Krae.

While in Rulnar’s pack, Jerai took on an informal position as the beta to Rulnar’s alpha. There was often talk from other clan members that she had the abilities to challenge Rulnar for the alpha position, but in truth leadership didn’t appeal to her. She preferred instead to focus on improving her own skills and leaving the tough decisions to Rulnar. She ran with the pack for several years, content with her simple life on Barab I - until the day Skarrek arrived.

As an avid follower of offworld Barabel, Jerai knew all about Skarrek and his many public exploits across the galaxy, even idolizing him to an extent. So it was with great shock to her when Skarrek was brought into the clan by Rashrak and then allowed informal control of Rulnar’s pack during one of their nightly hunts. Jerai secretly feared that Skarrek couldn’t possibly live up to the image she had formed of him in her head, but her worries were all for naught as the mighty Barabel assassin led the small pack in taking down a fearsome durgolosk despite the statistical odds against it.

Skarrek would go on to impress Jerai by eventually liberating Barab I from the New Republic as well as taking down the oppressive Surax Clan in the process before eventually leaving. His raw intensity and astounding power forced Jerai to come to a decision about her own life as she realized that she wanted to leave and make a name for herself like Skarrek had done.

When Skarrek unexpectedly returned to Barab I a few weeks later looking for volunteers to follow him into Xen’Chi territory, Jerai was the first to join him. She has since proven herself time and time again against the galactic invaders and is secretly thrilled to be fighting alongside Skarrek, ready to follow him to hell and back if need be…