The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Spectre Kraen

Spectre Kraen, originally Alpha-28 of the Grand Army of the Republic, was one of the founding pillars of the Yanibar refuge. He was legendary among both the Republic military’s elites and the Yanibar Guard for his exploits and his legacy carried on for years after his death.

He began his life as a vat-grown soldier on Kamino, a genetic duplicate of the legendary Jango Fett. A less-restricted variant than standard clone troopers, Alpha-28 was an Advance Recon Commando, or ARC, an elite group. He and his brothers were personally trained by Jango Fett himself to become one-man-armies, capable of completing a wide variety of missions independently or with support. The best of the best of the clones, it was widely said in Republic military officer circles that ARCs were the next best thing to a Jedi Knight.

The first engagement where the ARCs saw use was the defense of Kamino, their homeworld and Spectre awoke from stasis to find the main metropolis, Tipoca City, being overrun by droids. Spectre made his way alone along the city’s supports to reach landing platforms where additional droids were being unloaded. Dangling from the slippery struts in Kamino’s ever-stormy weather, Spectre fended off droid STAPs (Single Trooper Aerial Platforms) and planted explosives on the supports. Detonating them sent thousands of battle droids and heavy weapons into Kamino’s ocean, and Spectre narrowly escaped death by taking a short plunge in Kamino’s aiwha-infested waters and swimming to climb hand-over-hand up another strut until he could rejoin the main battle, where he defended young clones for a grueling six hours.

More deployments followed, and records are incomplete as to all of Spectre’s missions. Recovered records have shown that he was on at least thirty missions. He was present on Muunilist, serving as one of the famous “Muunilist 10” alongside ARC Captain Fordo. Battling street-to-street on the Muun homeworld, Spectre helped destroy Separatist gun emplacements that stood in the way of a Republic advance, even confronting the famed Separatist commander Durge.

Following action on Muunilist, he was deployed to Hypori as part of a large group of ARCs to assist in the extraction of a group of Jedi who were under attack by General Grievous. Spectre helped cover the withdrawal of the surviving Jedi, though overall damage to the droid forces there was small and Grievous was unharmed. For actions on Muunilist and Hypori, Spectre was promoted to captain.

His next major deployment was to Boz Pity, where he helped scout out the location of several Separatist air bases. He also found a lost Jedi Padawan, Selusda Kraen, after being ordered to do so by Jedi Master Plo Koon. Spectre and Selu spent several days together at a remote outpost and Selu showed Spectre a few basic Jedi exercises at the ARC’s request. Despite the disparity between them, they became good comrades, but the war beckoned and Selu departed. Shortly afterward, a group of Separatist gunships attacked the outpost and Spectre was severely wounded defending it. Selu returned in a Republic gunship and engaged the Separatist craft, defeating them, which saved Spectre’s life and the life of every other trooper at the outpost. Spectre was evacuated for medical treatment.

After his recovery, he was dispatched to the Outer Rim world of Tellanroaeg to aid in repulsing a Separatist attack there. He spotted airstrikes on a sizable Separatist column but was again injured in the attempt. However, he was successful, as the entire Separatist formation was destroyed. After being patched up again, he was placed on lighter duty: training a local militia to help defend the planet. Spectre pushed his troops hard, but they served him well in action, fighting valiantly against the advancing droid ranks.

On a return from a patrol with his militia, Spectre was surprised to find that several clone troopers had just killed a Jedi Knight. Demanding an explanation, he was informed that Order 66, a contingency order requiring the immediate execution of all Jedi Knights, had been implemented. Spectre questioned his superior, CC-3433 “Trip”, about the matter and drew close in insubordination before Trip confirmed that the order was authentic. Still somewhat shocked but knowing he would have had to follow the order if it was given, Spectre nevertheless returned to the fallen Jedi and gave her a respectful warrior’s burial, much to Trip’s annoyance.

As punishment, Trip sent Spectre on an aerial reconnaissance of the Separatist positions, but Spectre found all the droids de-activated. Taking his gunship to the main Separatist base, Spectre found that scenario repeated there as well-the droid armies were completely inert. Clearing the base of the few Neimoidians and Geonosians, he contacted Trip with his report, and the commander told him that the same story had been repeated across the galaxy; the war was over with all the droids deactivated.

Returning to the Republic base, Spectre raced to the scene when the Republic headquarters building exploded. Rushing into the burning building, he rescued several people, including Trip, regardless of his own personal safety. He was decorated for this, but the black mark of insubordination that Trip had logged would prevent him from advancing further in the military.

Moreover, Spectre was tired of war. Shortly after the Republic was transformed into the Empire, he retired from the Grand Army, teaming up with another ARC retiree, Alpha-21 “Twone”. The two swiftly found employment as private security guards for Durashield Securities, based out of Commenor, via a very informal hiring process. Their new employer, a Twi’lek named Bwilor, took Twone and Spectre to a nearby residence, as Durashield Securities had been hired to protect the family there from kidnapping.

As it turned out, the family was the Kraens, and Spectre was reunited with Selusda Kraen, though the meeting was a little tense, as both suspected the other of treachery. Selusda had narrowly escaped the Empire’s purge of the Jedi and he suspected Spectre of being an Imperial agent. Things were cleared up, though, and Selu, who had been injured by an earlier attack on his family by Mistryl Shadow Guards, entrusted their safety to Spectre.

Spectre, along with the other Durashield guards and local law enforcement, did their best, moving the Kraen family to a remote safehouse deep in the rural areas of Commenor and maintaining a 24-hour-watch over them. Not two weeks after they arrived at the safe house, the Mistryl located them and launched an attack. Spectre and his comrades beat off the attack, but Spectre was heart-stricken when Twone died as a result of injuries suffered in the attack. His witty partner had been one of the last links he had to his former life and that had been taken away from him now. Resolutely, he continued in his duties despite being wounded himself, but the situation was soon resolved by the return of Selu Kraen.

Meanwhile, the last remaining Mistryl had captured a local law enforcement officer and threatened to kill her unless Sarth Kraen turned himself over. Instead, Selu went in Sarth’s place and obtained the location of the officer, Annita Daowot. Spectre was among the people who accompanied the rescue party and personally saved Daowot before she could drown, disarming several booby traps left for any rescuers. When Selu was taken to the Mistryl homeworld of Emberlene, Spectre agreed to accompany Selu’s brother Sarth and the rest of the crew of the Hawk-bat to Emberlene in a risky rescue attempt.

Against all odds, they were able to land on Emberlene as the planet came under mercenary attack and Spectre helped cover the freighter Hawk-bat as it landed on the planet. Making their way into the Mistryl fortress where Selu was, Spectre accompanied the others in rescuing Selu from the onslaught of a renegade Dark Jedi. They left shortly before the Mistryl world was devastated by a nuclear weapon and Spectre was invited to join the crew of the Hawk-bat by her new captain, Selusda Kraen. He agreed and spent nearly two years as a smuggler and privateer.

Serving on the ship brought him into conflict with a runaway Echani named Milya Tayrce. As both were highly-trained combatants with completely different styles of fighting, they butted heads-literally-on numerous occasions until Selu advised them they would be better off working together. One day, though, the Hawk-bat was ambushed by an Imperial warship and Selu was forced to make a blind jump into hyperspace to avoid being captured. The Hawk-bat ended up in Wild Space and was forced to set down on a remote planet for repairs.

While there, Selu picked up a disturbance in the Force and went to investigate. Spectre and the rest of the crew followed him and they found an ancient refuge populated by the Force ghosts of ancient Jedi. The Jedi, led by the spirit of Revan, told them that they had been waiting for the crew to arrive for years and that they were destined to unite the Force exiles. After an eye-opening vision of the past, Spectre and his companions agreed to undertake the quest and the Jedi spirits imbued all of them with the Force and agreed to teach them the ways of the Force. Spectre sent several months learning how to control his new-found talents in the Force from Selu and the Jedi spirits, but he also learned much from training with Milya. Now that both he and Milya were more open to working with each other, he began to see her as something more than a comrade, though he was uncertain how she felt about him.

Eventually, Spectre constructed his own lightsaber, as did the rest of the Hawk-bat’s crew. It was not a moment too soon, for an Imperial scout ship had arrived insystem, threatening to reveal the secret. Spectre joined the rest of the crew in boarding and capturing the ship, and from there, they split into three groups in order to reach several different groups of Force-users threatened by the Empire’s purge. Selu and Spectre journeyed to the remote world of Yanibar, where the warrior society of the Zeison Sha was located.

Yanibar was a world of harsh terrain and Selu and Spectre had a number of difficulties as they made their way towards the Zeison Sha. The underlying current of tension that had developed from their attractions to and jealousy over Milya Tayrce didn’t help matters. However, they managed to reach the Zeison Sha after saving one of their warriors from an Imperial patrol. Spectre found it difficult to target Imperial soldiers, but he knew that it had to be done; his loyalty was no longer with the Empire.

Selu and Spectre were invited to stay with a Zeison Sha, the guardian of the warrior they had saved. Shortly thereafter, they met with a ruling council of Zeison Sha elders and persuaded them to allow Yanibar to be used as a refuge for Force exiles-with two key conditions. The first was that the ways of the Zeison Sha were not to be infringed upon. The second was that Selu and Spectre would have to not only remove the Imperial presence from Yanibar, but also defend the planet as long as they held breath. The two agreed to the conditions, returning to their ship to scout out the Imperial base.

On the reconnaissance flight, tensions came to a head between Selu and Spectre and the two came to blows over Milya Tayrce. However, the imprisoned Imperial crew took this opportunity to break out of their confinement and attempted to overpower Selu and Spectre. Distracted by their fighting, Selu didn’t see them coming, but Spectre did. Seeing the blaster already pointed at Selu’s back, Spectre threw Selu out of the way and took the blaster bolt in the chest for his friend. Selu instantly realized what happened and dealt with the Imperials and both men regretted their foolish actions. They returned to the surface to gain medical attention for Spectre, but Selu sensed a disturbance in the Force surrounding Milya, who had gone to the Matukai. Not long after they landed, Selu once again lifted off, this time bound for Darlyn Boda, where the Matukai were, but Spectre insisted on accompanying him, despite his injured condition. Selu helped place Spectre in a Jedi healing trance, while a Zeison Sha warrior named Daara who had volunteered to come along kept an eye on Spectre.

Spectre was still weak when they reached Darlyn Boda to find the Matukai compound under Imperial attack. He helped provide covering fire so Selu could evacuate Milya and the surviving Matukai from the planet then piloted the ship back into space. He spent the next few hours recovering fully and he felt fit enough to join his friends on the bridge when their ship, along with Sarth and Cassi in the Hawk-bat emerged into the middle of a space battle in the Hoth system.

Selu opted to board a weakened Imperial transport and take it over to throw off any Imperial pursuit and Spectre joined in the assault. They swiftly secured the ship, but Milya fell back to deal with some Imperial pursuers. Sensing trouble, Spectre came back to find her fallen, ambushed by his former officer Trip. He and Trip exchanged harsh words, with Trip unable to understand Spectre’s actions. The two clones fought a brutal hand-to-hand combat, but Spectre ultimately prevailed and slew Trip. It was one of the hardest things he had to do-psychologically, Trip was still his brother. Killing the clone commander, even in self defense, bothered him for months, as it marked the removal of the last vestiges of his former life.

The reunited crew of the Hawk-bat took their captured transport back to Yanibar and used its weapons to bombard the Imperial base into dust from orbit. They landed and helped introduce the Zeison Sha to their new neighbors, the Matukai and Jal Shey, but shortly after landing, Selu, Sarth, Cassi, Milya, and Spectre left for Commenor to make the wedding of Jorgesoll Knrr and Annita Daowot. Spectre wasn’t present at the wedding; instead, he stayed in the Hawk-bat ready to pick up his friends in case of Imperial entanglements. Sure enough, Imperial forces interrupted the ceremony and Spectre was signaled to come evacuate his friends, the bride, and the groom. He provided supporting fire from the ship’s guns to suppress the Imperial forces. Bounding down out of the ship, Spectre personally fired upon the Imperial troops to allow his friends to escape. As she was running towards the Hawk-bat, Milya was knifed by an Imperial Inquisitor. Firing by pure instinct, Spectre shot him down, but it was too late. Selu, however, used his own much greater Force power to heal Milya of the wound and they all escaped on the Hawk-bat.

Returning to Yanibar, Spectre attended the dual weddings of Sarth Kraen and Cassi Trealus and Annita Daowot and Jorgesoll Knrr. As part of the formation of a new unified government for the Force exiles, Selu was appointed the head of all defense for the Yanibar colony. In turn, Selu appointed Spectre to be in charge of all ground-based militia in the combined Yanibar Guard. However, to his disappointment, Milya chose Selu over him, but Spectre accepted her decision, respecting her too much to protest.

Still, even with his new administrative role, which required him to draw up a completely new plan to organize, train, and equip a militia, Spectre sometimes went on missions personally. In 14 BBY, Spectre accompanied Selu and Milya to Ord Cestus in search of a group of Jedi fugitives. While there, he met a local woman named Sheeka Tull who had once been in love with another ARC, Alpha-98. Sheeka helped them evacuate the Jedi once Selu, Milya, and Spectre located them. Spectre and Sheeka found themselves quickly attracted to each other and Spectre even saved her life from a group of Imperials. He subsequently invited her to return to Yanibar with her family and she agreed.

Following a mission in 12 BBY to bring the paramilitary group Freedom’s Sons into the fold of the Yanibar refuge, Spectre realized how seriously he felt about Sheeka Tull. When he informed Selu of this, his friend offered him the surname Kraen, saying that he had been part of the family of the years. Spectre accepted the name gratefully, becoming part of the Kraen family. He was present at the wedding between Selu and Milya and asked for Sheeka Tull’s hand in marriage shortly afterward.

Appearances

 * Force Exile I: Fugitive
 * Force Exile II: Smuggler
 * Force Exile III: Liberator
 * Yanibar Tales/Crossroads
 * Yanibar Tales/Hand in Hand