The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Jasika Kraen Knrr

"You are very much your father’s daughter. Sometimes, a bit too much."

- Selu Kraen to Jasika Kraen

Jasika Kraen Knrr was the daughter of Spectre and Sheeka Tull Kraen, born in 10 BBY on Yanibar. She was their only biological child, though she grew up with her older step-brother, Nate, who was a teenager when she was born. Jasika tended to be impulsive and had a strong independent streak, which alternately pleased and worried her parents.. As a child, her father doted on her and called her his "sunshine" for her bright smile. Growing up, she became close friends with her cousin Rhiannon Kraen and was seemingly unaffected by Rhiannon's blindness. They spent a lot of time at each other's houses playing, which pleased Rhiannon's parents, as they had worried about their blind daughter, particularly with their jobs in the Yanibar Guard often keeping them busy.

In 4 ABY, Jasika had Rhiannon over while Rhiannon's parents, Selu and Milya Kraen, were away on a mission to Honoghr. Spectre likewise was called away on a mission, leaving the girls in the care of Sheeka. Neither of the girls at that time knew of their parents' true occupation other than knowing they worked in the defense force.

However, not long afterward, Yanibar was attacked by the Zann Consortium. The colony was able to defeat the attackers, but at the cost of both Spectre and Nate. Jasika was crushed at learning that her father wouldn't be coming back, and the following year was one of significant hardship for the entire colony. She took the loss as well as she could, knowing that her mother needed her to be strong, burying her pain inside until she was alone.

A year later, the Kraens took a much-needed vacation to the pleasant world of R'alla. Jasika came along and Rhiannon's mother Milya did her best to take care both of girls. After a beachside dinner, they retreated into their bungalow as a storm blew in, but when the adults discovered a body floating in the ocean, the girls, along with their older cousin Akleyn Kraen and Bryndar Knrr, the son of two close family friends were sent upstairs to their rooms. Akleyn and Bryndar planned to sneak out of the house and investigate the body, but Jasika interrupted them and said she could help them get out, with Rhiannon serving as a distraction, but only if they took her along. Akleyn and Bryndar reluctantly agreed.

Tracking along the beach, Jasika found a drain entrance that led to a secret Imperial research laboratory, whose front entrance was being assaulted by the adult Kraens. The three young people entered the lab through the drainage system and Akleyn was able to slice into their systems. He found out what their parents were doing and was able to compromise the installation's security systems. However, they were discovered by a group of stormtroopers.

Selu and his brother Sarth, along with Sarth's wife Cassi, came to their rescue, defeating the stormtroopers and chastising them for their recklessness. The Kraens and Knrrs were able to free the Wroonian test subjects who were held at the lab with the help of a local official, though their interference cut their vacation short. Before they left, the adults told Jasika and the other young people the true story of their identities..

As she grew up, Jasika decided to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a cargo hauler pilot, eschewing anything to do with the Yanibar Guard after how it had claimed her father and older brother. However, despite her distrust of the Yanibar Guard, in 15 ABY, she found herself growing increasingly attracted to Bryndar Knrr, who had joined the Yanibar Guard. She and Bryndar argued many times about his service, and she told him that he couldn't love her and love the Yanibar Guard, but despite their disagreements, Jasika relented in the end. She accepted his offer to marry her in 16 ABY, although their engagement dragged on until late 17 ABY, when they were married. During that time, she also helped her cousin and best friend Rhiannon Kraen develop her relationship with an Outsider farmer named Kavlis Burke. Jasika was supportive once she was sure Kavlis was a good friend for Rhiannon, even coaxing Rhiannon into admitting her feelings for him. The two pledged themselves to each other at a Harvest Ball in late 17 ABY even as Jasika was finishing up her wedding preparations. However, Bryndar's continued service in the Yanibar Guard continued to be a point of contention between him and Jasika, particularly when he joined an elite Yanibar Guard commando unit that Nate had also served in. Their relationship cooled, as Jasika was often away flying cargo runs while Bryndar's job also kept him busy.

Jasika continued flying her cargo ship, the Spindragon II, even after the Yuuzhan Vong War broke out. On one mission, she was ferrying her parents-in-law, Jorge and Annita Knrr, to Manda, when they were interdicted by a Yuuzhan Vong fleet. The aliens disabled her ship after a brief chase and boarded it. She was interrogated and threatened, but saved before she could be transported away by a Yanibar Guard Fleet extraction force and a group of marines. Angered at how helpless she had felt in the face of their wanton cruelty, Jasika resolved to join the Yanibar Guard to fight back against the invaders.

Her unilateral action, taken without consulting Bryndar, angered him significantly, leading to a near-collapse of their marriage. Nevertheless, despite her age, she did well enough in training to merit consideration from the elite Paladin Squadron, who wanted her as a substitute pilot due to her experience flying against the Yuuzhan Vong. After being shown the new Maelstrom fighters the Paladins had received, Jasika accepted their offer.

As such, both she and Bryndar were sent to Ord Mantell on the carrier Vigilant Refuge as part of a sizeable Yanibar Guard force sent to extract survivors of a refugee camp that had been trapped there. Jasika flew an older Sabre II in that battle and scored at least one kill on a Yuuzhan Vong starfighter. The force continued on to Rishi to extract another Yanibar Guard team and fought its way through a Yuuzhan Vong screening force. Jasika's fighter was damaged in the engagement and she was ordered back to the carrier she had shipped on, making a belly landing due to her repulsors being out.

A larger Yuuzhan Vong fleet soon arrived and attacked the extraction force. Jasika participated in combat, defending her carrier until they were overwhelmed. Yanibar Guard reinforcements arrived and helped battle against the Yuuzhan Vong force. Her starfighter, another Sabre II, was damaged, and she was sent back to the Yanibar Guard flagship, the Lightbearer, as the carrier had been lost.

The battle for Rishi turned into a prolonged campaign and Jasika continued to take part in the battle. She received her ace status during the battle, shooting down a total of eight fighters over the course of the conflict.

As the Yuuzhan Vong began their final push on the Yanibar Guard positions, Jasika was shot down over Rishi and crashed outside the perimeter in the rugged mountains. Both of her legs were broken, but she crawled away from the wreck. Her husband and a squad of commandos came to rescue her. They were pursued by the Yuuzhan Vong, but the help of Paladin Squadron and Yanibar Guard Avatar walkers allowed them to be extracted. After coming so close to death, Bryndar and Jasika resolved not to let their differences or careers interfere in their marriage again. Jasika was taken back to a field medcenter to be treated and recover, while the Yanibar Guard and the Yuuzhan Vong negotiated a mutual withdrawal. Upon their return to Yanibar, both Jasika and Bryndar retired from the Yanibar Guard. As Bryndar's parents had remained on the legendary world of Atlaradis, Jasika and Bryndar took over their business, Bexpress Shipping, as Yanibar was forced into a ten-year evacuation effort due to the machinations of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Behind the scenes
Jasika Kraen Knrr was created for Force Exile IV: Guardian as a minor character to show Spectre's attachment to his family and his fatherly nature around his daughter. In Deception of R'alla, Jasika played a larger role and was developed further, showing her headstrong, independent and impulsive nature. In many ways, Jasika's impetuous streak was designed as a foil for the more contemplative and deliberate Rhiannon. She continued to play a minor role as Rhiannon's best friend in Through Her Eyes. The decision to pair her with Bryndar Knrr was due to a desire to integrate the Knrrs with the Kraen bloodline.

For Force Exile V: Warrior, author Atarumaster88 wanted to show the battle at least in part from the perspectives of a Yanibar Guard Army soldier and a Yanibar Guard Fleet pilot. As Bryndar was already half of that pairing, he decided to have the storyline introduce Jasika into the Yanibar Guard to serve as the other perspective, as well as use her decision as a source of dramatic tension that was ultimately resolved.

Appearances

 * Force Exile IV: Guardian
 * Deception on R'alla
 * Through Her Eyes
 * Force Exile V: Warrior