The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Alana Darik

"I remember seeing the resolute look on your face when you asked to be posted to this ship, and I always wondered why?"

- Destra Starkellos Zel

Alana Darik was a Human female born and raised on Yanibar. She was the first member of her family&mdash;expatriates from Contruum to be born on Yanibar. She grew up in Union City and though she was just a little girl at the time, vividly remembered when the Yanibar refuge was threatened by the Zann Consortium in 4 ABY. She remembered seeing Yanibar Guard fighters flying over the city's shield as it was hammered by bombardment.

Thankfully, the Yanibar Guard was able to repel the invaders, but the event left a permanent impression on a young Alana Darik. Already a tomboy, she became more and more interested in martial pursuits, joining a pre-military program for teenagers and excelling in it. Despite her diminutive stature, she earned the respect of her peers for her determination and courage. Nevertheless, out of respect for her parents' wishes, she agreed to finish school before attempting a military career.

After completing her education, Alana Darik joined the Yanibar Guard Fleet in 20 ABY. Her hand-eye coordination and visual acuity scores were high enough that she was recommended for starfighter training, finishing in 22 ABY. She was posted to the Makashi-class frigate Tsui Choi and first saw action over Saraswan in 24 ABY. The air opposition was minimal and Alana scored her first kill on an antiquated TIE fighter in atmosphere. Her own Sabre II, which was much newer and designed for atmospheric combat, had a distinct advantage&mdash;and its pilot was also not the same caliber as she and her Yanibar Guard companions. She spent most of the rest of the campaign flying patrols and occasionally providing air support to friendly partisans.

In 28 ABY, the Tsui Choi was sent to Rishi along with a small Yanibar Guard task force to help extract a few Yanibar Guard operatives. However, a force of Yuuzhan Vong warships trapped them there and gave battle. The Yanibar Guard fought desperately against the alien invaders, and Vanguard Squadron was sent to escort B-wing starfighters against Yuuzhan Vong capital ships. They were able to inflict heavy damage, but the Yanibar Guard fleet suffered heavy losses. Surrounded by hostile fighters and with most of her squad dead, Alana was prepared to die in a blaze of glory to help the others escape, but a larger Yanibar Guard force arrived to reinforce them. A Niman-class cruiser-carrier, the Aayla Secura took over coordination duties for the remnants of the assault wave, saving Alana and the other survivors. She spent the rest of the battle in a medical ward, recovering from cracked ribs and a punctured lung sustained when her fighter was hit. Alana did end up earning her ace status over Rishi, scoring a total of four kills on enemy fighters.

After the battle, Alana was able to grieve for her fallen comrades&mdash;she had been the only survivor of Vanguard Squadron. At that point, she made the decision to step away from flying. Instead, she requested a transfer to starfighter coordination, and when she learned that the starfighter coordinator position on the Aayla Secura had opened up, she insisted transfer to that ship. As strange as it sounded, Alana felt like she owed the ship for saving her life over Rishi. The cruiser-carrier's captain, Destra Starkellos Zel, personally looked over and approved her transfer, and she served as starfighter coordinator on the Aayla Secura.

In 35 ABY, the Aayla Secura was decommissioned. Alana, along with Captain Zel and several other veteran members of the crew, gathered on the ship one last time to memorialize and reminisce about their years of service. They walked around the ship, sharing stories. The five crewmembers gathered one last time in the memorial room of the Aayla Secura to share one last memory over a glass of wine of the same vintage as one used to dedicate the ship forty-one years earlier.

Alana remained with the fleet afterward, transferring to a Remembrance-class cruiser called the Daara'sherum. A year later, she met and fell in love with a fighter pilot named Thom Mavise. After he was severely injured in a training accident, Alana stayed with him and helped him recover. They were married in 37 ABY, even though Thom was barely walking by that time.

Meanwhile, she continued to serve on the Daara'sherum. It was on that ship that she helped the Force exiles pursue a rogue Jedi named Ariada Cerulaen, who had once been part of the Yanibar Guard, in 38 ABY. When the Yanibar refuge departed for the legendary world of Atlaradis, Alana Darik was one of many proud servicebeings in the Yanibar Guard Fleet that escorted them.

Behind the scenes
Alana Darik was created for the short story The Final Voyage. Her backstory as a fighter pilot other than her service over Rishi was largely unexplored until her entry in The Essential Guide to Force Exile. Other original elements added to her role were her marriage and participation in the hunt for Ariada in Force Exile VI, as she was never directly mentioned in that work. Her husband's name and backstory are subtle nods to Top Gun. Out of the five characters in The Final Voyage, Darik's character is both the youngest and most lacking in parallels to crewmember roles in the Star Trek universe.

Appearances

 * Force Exile IV: Guardian
 * The Final Voyage