Origin
Shae Koda was a Je’daii Journeyer from the planet Tython. She was taken in by the Je’daii after she was found to be Force sensitive and trained at their Temples. During the Despot War, where Je’daii forces fought Queen Hadiya, she lost her parents and was orphaned. She would persevere, though, completing her Je’daii Padawan training and becoming a Journeyer, traveling from Temple to Temple to master the subjects taught at each one.
Creation
Shae Koda was created by John Ostrander to be one of the main characters and focuses of his Dawn of the Jedi series, which took place more than 25,000 years before the events in the Original Trilogy.
Character Evolution
Shae Koda was orphaned at a young age after she lost her parents in the final battle of the Depsot War at the Temple of Kaleth. Because of this, she harbored anger inside of her towards her parents that “abandoned” her and for fellow Journeyer Tasha Ryo because her people, the Twi’leks of Shikaakwa, fought with Queen Hadiya during the war. These feelings were kept under control until she ventured into the Abyss of Ruh and fell victim to the dark side energies around. When the Force Hound Xesh used his Force powers to locate Tyton, she was one of the Journeyers who received a Vision of him, drawing her to his crash site near the Abyss. As she and fellow Journeyers Tasha Ryo and Sek’nos Rath engaged the Force Hound, forcing him to retreat further into the Abyss. Koda convinced her fellow Journeyers to follow Xesh into the Abyss, feeling that the Force brought them there for a reason and feeling responsible should Xesh harm anyone. As she caught up to him, she helped him defeat a rift worm that was attacking him, entering into a Force Meld with the Force Hound which would strengthen the bond that had through the Vision.
Koda wouldn’t be able to keep Xesh off of her mind, voicing her disagreement with the Je’daii Council’s decision to send Xesh to Bogan, believing that he could be trained to gain balance like the Je’daii are. She would help track him down after he escaped the prison and convince him to start being trained as a Je’daii.
When the Infinite Empire invaded Tython, Koda would fight alongside Xesh in many of the battles, and would share an intimate night with after a battle, admitting to him that she was on love with him. As the bond between the two strengthened ever deeper, Koda would track down Xesh after he had been proclaimed a traitor by joining with his former Master again. Knowing he had to have had a reason for doing such, she tracked him down into the Abyss, forgoing all safety for herself, and forgave him for what he’d done. This allowed Xesh to defeat the Rakata leader Skal’nas, resulting in the eventual defeat of the Infinite Empire.
With the conflict ended, Koda joined Xesh, who re-named himself Tau, on his journey through Tython to seek balance, starting a relationship with him.
Major Story Arcs
Force Storm
“If you didn’t make me give our only weapon back to that greasy pile of rancor droppings who deserted us, I’d be carving saarl steaks right now!”
— Shae arguing with Sek’nos Rath while fighting the saarl in the Abyss of Ruh.
As part of her training to ascend from Je’daii Journeyers to Ranger, Shae needed to train at each of the nine Temples the Je’daii have built on Tython. As she’s training with Master Quan-Jang at Anil Kesh, the Temple of Science, her rancor dragon gets out of control and descends into the Abyss of Ruh. As she attempted to subdue the beast with the Force, she had a Vision of Xesh, a Force Hound of the Rakata, and a glimpse of where to go and where he would be. Taking her rancor dragon, Koda heads deep into the Abyss, where she meets up with fellow Je’daii Rangers Sek’nos Rath and Tasha Ryo. The three witness the crash of Xesh’s ship and head towards it to search for survivors. Xesh emerges, and shortly after a battle between the four ensues, one that sees Xesh get the better of the Journeyers and retreats further into the Abyss. Koda tells the other Journeyers that if anyone were to be harmed by Xesh, it would be their responsibility. She convinces them to go after him, catching up to the injured Force Hound just as a large rift worm starts to attack him. Koda and the Journeyers engage the worm, and with the help of Xesh and other Je’daii Rangers who came to aid, defeat the large creature. During the battle, Koda would enter into a Force Meld with Xesh, combining both of their minds to become stronger together. In doing so, a bond is sparked between the two. At the end of the battle, Koda moves in to finish Xesh off, but decides against it, stating that is not their way. As Xesh is taken to Mahara Kesh to heal, the Je’daii Council decide to send him to Bogan, the prison moon. Koda objects, stating that the people sent to Bogan have willingly chose the dark side of the Force over the light; Xesh didn’t even know what the light side was. Ranger Hawk Ryo tells her this is the only way, informing her that Xesh is dangerous to Tython. Koda reluctantly drops the topic.
Prisoner of Bogan
“We were your friends–Sek’nos, Tashsa, and I! We vouched for you before Master Ketu! Before the Council! You were supposed to stay on Bogan and find balance! You were supposed to prove that our faith in you was right!”
— Shae confronting Xesh on Nox.
After Xesh was sent to Bogan to meditate on the light side of the Force, Shae went to Stav Kesh high in the snowy mountains to practice her martial skills in an attempt to clear her mind. She voices her anger at the Masters for not taking her Vision seriously, but is reassured that the Masters are doing all they can about it. She would then make her way to the Forge at Vur Tepe in order to try an activate Xesh’s Force saber as she had done in their fight against the rift worm. She is unable to, however, and after comming Master Quan-Jng, she reveals to Sek’nos Rath that when she activated the blade the first time, it stirred up angry emotions that she had been harboring and trying to deal with since the death or her parents. Hearing that someone has escaped their cell on Bogan, Koda is chosen to accompany Rangers Hawk and Rori Fenn to the moon, hoping to get her mind off of the Force saber.
On Bogan, Koda discovers a large statue of Daegen Lok, which had been constructed some time earlier, wielding a Force saber. This causes Ranger Hawk to became mad, attempting to attack Koda and Ranger Fenn. After they subdue him, he tells him that he shared Lok’s previous Vision – the one of a shadowy figure wielding a Force saber and leading a dark army against Tython – and informs them that Lok will make his way to Kev Coeur to acquire a crystal and Nox to allow Xesh to create a Force saber for him. Informing the other Je’daii team of Lok’s plan, Hawk, Fenn, and Koda head to Nox to cut off Lok before he can make the saber. Once there, Koda uses her connection to Xesh in the Force to track him, finding him in a cantina with Lok. As her group catches up to the two escapees, Koda tracks down Xesh and duels him, enraged at him, thinking he had killed Sek’nos on Kev Couer. After dueling for a short time, a large octopus creature comes up from below, grabs her, and drags her underwater. Xesh would dive in after her, killing the creature and taking Koda prisoner.
Xesh would take Koda to Shikaakwa where Daegen Lok intended to gather an army to combat the impending invading force he knew was coming. Koda was placed under a Force technique that made her a sort of “sleep walker”, unable to think or act out against her captors. She would be freed from this spell soon, however, as the Je’daii had tracked down Xesh and Lok, intending again to capture them. Koda would save Ranger Hawk before Lok could finish him off, imploring Xesh to choose a side – be a slave to the dark side, or explore the light. Her words would reach Xesh as he took down Lok after the latter Force pushed Koda against a wall. She would then help Xesh as he chose to be trained as a Je’daii and explore the light side and balance. The two would work together to prepare and train for the Infinite Empire’s imminent invasion of Tython, as Xesh taught her and the other Je’daii how to construct and work Force sabers.
Force War
“Sorry Quang-Jang, but I won’t prove you right! I will survive! I’ll rescue Xesh–even if I have to fight Skal’nas myself!”
— Shae promising to herself to rescue Xesh.
When the Infinite Empire invaded their system, the Je’daii fought back, protecting Shikaakwa and Tython from their initial assaults. They would do battle for a year, in which Koda wook part in many battles, fighting alongside and under Xesh for a majority of them, all the while strengthening the bond they shared. After they successfully fended off an attack on Shikaakwa, Koda would tell Xesh her true feelings, that she had fallen in love with him. The two would share an intimate night after Xesh told her his true name – Tau, a word that means “soul”.
As the Je’daii began to realize that they would eventually be depleted if the war kept dragging on, they decided to strike at the heart of the Rakata – Skal’nas, the leader of the invading forces. As Xesh located the base on Ska Gora, a Je’daii force was sent to attack, believing they would catch the Rakata off guard. Koda took part in the battle, but fought in the skies on the back of her rancor dragon Butch. As the Je’daii forces on the ground were overrun by a Flesh Raider trap, Koda sensed that Xesh had gone underground and been captured, sensing his pain through their bond. As Xesh was manipulated into joining back with the Rakata, the Je’daii’s Seers would be blinded by Skal’nas, giving the Flesh Raiders a boost and forcing a Je’daii retreat. Back at Anil Kesh, Koda still believed in Xesh and that he must have had a reason for what he did, and told her Master that she would be able to strike him down if need be. She prepared with the rest of the Je’daii forces for a ground assault.
As the Rakata send their Flesh Raiders to take Anil Kesh, Koda engages more enemies in the skies with the aid of Butch. Sensing Xesh close by, Koda takes her rancor into the depths of the Abyss, preparing to confront the “traitor”. On her way down, she picks up Lok who had been ditched by Xesh and Skal’nas on their way into the Chasm. With his help, they travel to the bottom of the Abyss, finding an Infinity Gate, a gate that allows travel to any planet. As the four engage each other, Koda tells Xesh that she forgives him for everything that he’s done, saying “That is what it means to love someone.” Once again, her words reach Xesh, allowing him to defeat Skal’nas as Je’daii Seer Tasha Ryo activated the Thor Yor at Anil Kesh and destroyed the Infinity Gate. With their leader gone, the Rakatan Sub-Predor’s fought amongst themselves for power, allowing the Je’daii to easily defeat them and drive them out of the system.
With the war ended, Koda would accompany Xesh, who renamed himself Tau, on his journey traveling around Tython as the two started an intimate relationship.
Martial Skill
Shae Koda was a skilled duelist, able to utilize single steel blades, double steel blades, staffs, and eventually a Force saber during the invasion of the Infinite Empire. Although just a Journeyer, Koda would be able to contend (albeit with help) with the top Force Hound of the Infinite Empire Xesh when his ship crashed on Tython’s surface, and again on Nox when she tracked him down after he escaped the prison moon Bogan, this time by herself with two steel blades. Her dueling ability wouldn’t be compromised on the back on a creature, either, as she was able to defeat other Force Hounds while flying on the back of her rancor dragon. At Stav Kesh, she utilized a staff to train with Master Tav.
Force Powers
Shae was a skilled and powerful Force user, able to use her powers in an overpowering and also subtle manner. Her skill with Telekinesis allowed her to open bracers holding her hands seconds after being released from a Mind Trick variation and was strong enough to lift her rancor dragon Butch out of a pool of acid. Her abilities in Force sense allowed her to track Xesh through their Force bond on Nox, sense where to be when his ship crashed, as well as sense the deaths of those on board, and sense when he was captured and taken prisoner by Trill. She showed proficiency in Force Lightning as well, able to overpower the defenses of a Force Hound during the invasion of the Infinite Empire. Her most advanced move would be Force Light, as she created a ball of light with fellow Journeyers Sek’nos Rath and Tasha Ryo.
Her abilities extended to Force Meld, Beast Control, Empathy, and physical augmentation.