The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Nate Kraen

Nate Kraen was the biological son of Sheeka Tull and the ARC trooper Alpha-98, better known as Jangotat. He was born during the Clone Wars after his parents had fallen in love during a Republic mission on Ord Cestus. With his father dying in combat shortly after his conception, Nate and his three step-siblings were raised by their mother on Ord Cestus. She tried hard to make ends meet by flying cargo runs across the desert planet, though the occupation of Ord Cestus by the Empire made her job more difficult. As he grew up, Nate took after his father, becoming fiercely protective of his mother.

In 14 BBY, at the age of six, Nate's mother was confronted by a group of offworlders, including another clone of Jango Fett, the former ARC trooper Spectre. Nate protectively (and rashly) informed them that if they tried to harm his mother, he would kill them. Spectre took him seriously, which prompted Nate to ask him about the lightsaber he was carrying. His mother sent him on his way, though, and assuaged the offworlders' concerns over her mother's curiosity in them.

To his surprise, only a few hours later, Nate learned that Spectre had saved Sheeka's life from the Empire and offered her and her family a new home on the refuge world of Yanibar. She accepted his offer, as the two had quickly become attracted to each other. On Yanibar, Nate felt a natural affinity for Spectre due to his similiarities to his biological father, and when Spectre married Sheeka in 11 BBY and took the last name Kraen, Nate agreed to be adopted into the family, taking the same surname.

Following in the footsteps of his biological and adopted father, Nate decided to enter the military, in this case the defense force of Yanibar, the Yanibar Guard, in 2 BBY. Though Spectre was the head of the Yanibar Guard Army, Nate never attempted to use his stepfather's position to obtain advancement. Instead, he earned his way through the ranks, his natural talents, education from Spectre, and dedication serving him well. He quickly earned himself a position in the elite commando unit Cresh Squad by 2 ABY, a rapid advancement and one that he worked hard to obtain.

As part of Cresh Squad, Nate participated in numerous missions and earned the rank of Sergeant by 4 ABY. He was the team's scout, a perilous duty, but one he did well. However, he also made time for his personal life, falling in love with a Corellian immigrant named Ana Vondar. They married in 3 ABY, with Ana becoming pregnant in 4 ABY. That same year, Nate was deployed to Bespin along with the rest of Cresh Squad en route to a covert mission against a Hutt syndicate on Nal Hutta. Before they could arrive, though, their mission was altered to take them to Nar Shaddaa, where they were assigned to a long-term mission to disrupt the holdings of the Zann Consortium criminal organization.

Nate participated in a raid on a popular cantina that served as a front for Zann's organization. He helped subdue the security and the establishment's occupants before freeing a number of slaves. Rage filled him at seeing the abuse inflicted upon the hapless creatures, particularly after a Mandalorian brutally killed a Togrutan slave in front of him. When a vehicle loaded with Zannist reinforcements arrived just as Cresh Squad prepared to egress, Nate destroyed it single-handedly, feeling that his retribution was well-deserved after witnessing the treatment of the slaves.

Cresh Squad continued their covert operations against the Consortium for weeks, freeing slaves, attacking enforcers, and destroying weapons caches that were being funneled to the Zann Consortium by Yanibar's Kraechar Arms. This latter activity was done to allow the Yanibar refuge to make money off of the Zannists without actually allowing them to have the weapons. Nate and the rest of the squad participated in one final mission, a raid on a warehouse with the last major Kraechar Arms shipment. The warehouse was quickly taken and Nate noticed a brothel for the warehouse workers nearby. Obtaining permission from his captain, he raided it also and rescued another dozen slaves. The Yanibar Guardsmen then returned home in an unmarked ship.

Upon return to Yanibar, Nate was greeted by his step-uncle, Supreme Commander Selusda Kraen, and learned that his wife was expecting to give birth shortly. He was given two weeks leave and spent it with his wife, rejoicing in the birth of their son, Zeyn Kraen. He also learned that Zeyn was Force-sensitive despite their being no history of it in their bloodlines. He was thrilled, but was forced to inform Ana that his leave was cut short due to an emergency recall of all Yanibar Guard personnel. Tyber Zann, the head of the Zann Consortium, had learned the location of a unit that had cost him dearly and brought his fleet to exact vengeance.

As the Zannists landed, Cresh Squad was initially sent out to harass Zannist forces advancing through the Daizon Valley. They fought against Mandalorians and other Zannist mercenaries, inflicting heavy casualties, before they were overwhelmed and forced to retreat. The help of a Zeison Sha warrior, Daara Sherum, allowed them to escape to mountain tunnels mostly unharmed. From there, they returned to base to await further orders, held in reserve until they were needed.

When Spectre planned a quick rescue mission to save Sarth and Cassi Kraen from Zann's flagship, Nate accompanied Cresh Squad on a daring infiltration. He, Spectre, and Cresh Squad's medic, Jabri, fought through the ship to reach Sarth and Cassi while the rest of the squad sabotaged the warship. The commandos freed Sarth and Cassi and attempted to escape, but ran into Tyber Zann and his henchman Urai Fen. Nate was hit twice by Zann's blaster, but the others dealt with both Zann and Fen. He was ambulatory despite his wounds thanks to the armor he was wearing, but as they prepared to depart, they were met with a parting gift from Tyber Zann: a grenade. The explosion caught mostly Spectre and Nate, wounding them both mortally. Spectre ordered Jabri to convey Sarth and Cassi to safety even as the rest of Cresh Squad had armed the ship's self-destruct. Barely conscious, Nate asked Jabri to tell Ana and Zeyn that he loved them. She obeyed her orders and Spectre and Nate perished in the destruction of Zann's flagship. They were memorialized as selfless heroes.

Nate's death led to his step-sister, Jasika, to shun a career in the Yanibar Guard like much of his family had pursued. It also left Ana widowed and Sheeka Tull Kraen bereaved of her youngest son. Selu Kraen personally brought the news to his mother and wife, and Sheeka never fully recovered from the loss of her husband and son. She died prematurely in 21 ABY. Nate's son, Zeyn, was raised by Ana and Sheeka and eventually followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and joined the Yanibar Guard, serving as a Force-wielding Elite Guardian.

Behind the scenes
Nate Kraen was selected as the name for the canonical son of Sheeka Tull and Alpha-98 from The Cestus Deception. Atarumaster88 chose it because it was the nickname of Alpha-98 before he adopted the name Jangotat. When writing Crossroads and trying to incorporate Sheeka Tull into the Force Exile saga, Atarumaster88 chose to include Nate as a minor character, but one with whom Spectre would identify closely with.

Nate received a larger role in Force Exile IV: Guardian as a member of the Yanibar Guard, an elite Cresh Squad commando. Originally, he was just supposed to cameo but Atarumaster88 felt there was untapped potential in his story arc and expanded it. Parts of the Nar Shaddaa storyline were influenced by the idea of having Cresh Squad play the role of high-tech vigilantes in the vein of DC Comics' Batman character. Nate's ultimate sacrifice at the conclusion of the novel was a subject of debate for the author, as he considered allowing Nate to survive.

To portray Nate, Atarumaster88 selected an image of Aiden Ford, a character played by Rainbow Sun Francks in the sci-fi television series Stargate Atlantis. Both Francks's character and Nate coincidentally died trying to save their companions.

Appearances

 * Crossroads
 * Force Exile IV: Guardian