I'm just doing what matters
—Jali Dawler
Jali Dawler was a private investigator on Coruscant in the waning years of the Galactic Republic. A former member of the Coruscant Security Force, Jali ran a private practice in Coruscant Security Force and was assisted by the maverick Jedi Knight Antiene Laras.
Biography[]
Early Years[]
Jali when he was younger
Jali Dawler was born on Coruscant to immigrant parents in 80 BBY, yet his father left him and his sister Orla when Jali was about three. His mother Merla worked long hours at a water treatment plant, so from a young age Jali felt responsible for his younger sister, an obligation that was to grow when Merla was killed in a street accident when he was fifteen.
Jali worked nights as a loader at Eastport Docking Facility, encouraging his sister to stay in school as that had been their mother's plan. Orla went on to study to be a teacher, but was murdered before she could complete her course, this spurred Jali on to apply to the Coruscant Security Force and for the rest of his life he blamed himself for his sister's untimely death.
Corusant Security Force Officer[]
In 60 BBY when Jali was barely twenty, he entered the Security Force but he rose through the ranks, much to the chagrin of his superior Leyon Vantell. He worked closely with his friend and fellow Security Force Officer Tollan Antilles. Jali also had quite a number of contacts in the Coruscant underlevels including Bolar Giderra, Guren Trell, Meren Lok and Cergan.
It was after he attained the rank of Sergeant (50 BBY) that he first met Tira Sengel who was working as a dancer in the bar The Seventh Star. Months later, he arrested Senix Breen on a trafficking charge, the charge was overturned when it was revealed that Jali had been paid to arrest Breen. Jali was convicted and sentenced to seven years in CoCo Town Penitentary.
Private Investigator[]
The Seventh Star case[]
I’m not quitting until I know for sure who killed Tollan.
—Jali Dawler
Jali at The Seventh Star
When Jali was released in 45 BBY he renewed some of his own contacts including Trell and Giderra, yet he was not sure what to make of his life given that neither side of the law would trust him.
Shortly after, Jali was contacted by his friend Antilles who said that there was new information regarding his arrest seven years ago, but before Antilles could pass this on he was killed and Jali took it upon himself to locate his killer. Through Miarka at The Seventh Star he spoke to Trell who told him that it was a criminal organization called the Silver Ring that had arranged to have him arrested. Trell put him in contact with Nami Kotour who told him about Nuada Vekstar, a Miraluka who had a significant role in the organization. Probably as a warning, Jali's apartment was blown up and Balor Giderra (who had saved his life by telling him about the bomb), revealed that since Jali had talked to Nami her life was in danger. This was true, Jali and Giderra were the first to find the Twi'lek dead from an apparent overdoes, yet she had in fact been murdered.
Jali had intended to look for Vekstar, but instead the Miraluka found him. Vekstar kidnapped Jali and took him to The Seventh Star where he revealed Tira as the real murderer who had been working for Vekstar all along. Vekstar left, thinking Tira would kill Jali in order to save herself but Jali managed to talk her out of it. he later testified at her trial for the two murder charges and still felt regret about her, despite the fact that there was nothing he could have done. As a sign of good will, Vantell offered Jali his old job back but he declined, saying he was doing what mattered.
The Case of the White Twi'lek[]
Jali in his office
I'm doing what I do best. Getting up to my neck in something that’s in your way.
—Jali Dawler
Several months later, Jali had set up his own private practice in Eastport, employing Ayan Retov as a secretary. It was about this time that he briefly dated the Security Force Officer Pallavi Dashiell, though they remained friends afterwards. Jali had quite a lot of cases, to the extent that he hired Xhen Rinner, a former security operative, as an associate. Some of his clients included Cel’uura’na and Deri Lanco.
It was when Elya Vertey approached him to find her husband Lucen that Jali crossed paths with the Silver Ring again. Lucen had been a dockworker at Eastport Docking Facility and had been missing for three days. Jali and Xhen went to speak to Lucen's boss, W'kar Fenn who knew nothing, but Lucen was found in a shipping container while all the ships at Eastport were undergoing a mandatory inspection.
At Security Force headquarters, Leyon Vantell once again warned Jali off the case, and this warning was echoed by Pallavi Dashiell. Jali and Xhen were permitted to view the body and the results of the autopsy, as Vertey's wife was Jali's client, but nothing further. It was here that he met Antiene Laras, thinking she was a Judicial Officer. Like Vantel, she told Jali to give up the case, which he ignored.
Jali contacted Daur Kremoine, who was the last to see Vertey, and they met at the Idobal, where Kremoine and Vertey had been that night. Kremoine revealed that there had been animosity between Vertey and their boss Fenn and it may have had something to do with a Twi'lek woman Fenn met. That evening, Vertey had left the Idobal after encountering a Both and a Twi'lek woman named Trevali who gave him a warning.
At Elya's request, Jali then investigated Vertey's murder. He met with Nobu Djuren at The Seventh Star who explained the smuggling operations that were going on at Eastport, with W'kar Fenn being paid to look the other way with Trevali acting as an agent for a backer. Jali then accompanied Djuren to Eastport as another shipment was coming in on the Shadowfire that evening. Yet before they could get to the hangar, Djuren was shot. Jali ran in pursuit of who he thought had been the shooter, but it was revealed he had been chasing Antiene Laras, a Jedi Knight who had been investigating the shipments and was angered by the fact Jali had blown her cover.
The next morning, Jali received an anguished call from Elya Vertey which convinced him to go over there. He and Xhen managed to get into Elya's apartment, where the found her dead. Vantell and Dashiell arrived on the scene and Jali lied, saying he was not continuing with the investigation to keep Vantell from pestering him to quit. He next wanted to interview Fenn again, but Fenn had fled and Jali was out of leads.
Antiene Laras then offered to hire Jali so he could continue with the investigation and she told him about what she had found out about the smuggling operation in Eastport, saying there were links to the Silver Ring and't elusive head Aurek and Senator Aldar Stoll or Vergoda. Jali next visited Tira in prison and asked her about Trevali, Tira was bitter but promised to contact Trevali in exchange for a prison transfer. Soon after, Jali received a package with an invitation to Luba Luft's where he met Trevali. Trevali refused to give him anymore information, but revealed that the Silver Ring had placed someone close to Jali who would betray him.
Jali returned to his office and confronted Xhen about the murders, Xhen confessed and after trying to kill himself contacted Nuada Vekstar and Jali was taken by Vekstar to a Silver Ring clearing house. He was knocked out and when he woke he was on a narrow bed and a Zeltron named Kura tried to seduce him–without success. Jali had tied her up when Xhen arrived, Jali didn't trust him but he let Xhen lead them out of there. Just as they were about to leave via a droid's exit, security arrived. Jali was trapped behind the droid's door and he heard Xhen being killed. He made his way outside to where Antiene was waiting with the Security Force. After Jali told her what happened, she promised to help him hunt down the Silver Ring.
End of the Silver Ring[]
Personality[]
Jali confronting Tira
Aside from his dry wit and sense of humor, Jali was also known for his loyalty to his friends as well as his persistence in seeing things through—-often to his own detriment. Yet this didn't come at the expense of common sense, which made Jali a thorough investigator as he was always willing to revise his views based on what he found. Coupled with this was a firm sense of justice and duty—which was not limited to the role he had in the Coruscant Security Force and later as a private investigator—as well as his strong independent streak. Jali and Vantel had clashed over this during Jali's time in the Security Force, so it should have been no surprise to his former superior when Jali declined his offer to rejoin them.
This sense of independence probably explains Jali's relationships with women, as he much preferred to be the one in control and the one defining the boundaries. A trait that was known and exploited by the Silver Ring on several occasions. The death of Jali's mother and sister may have had something to do with this, as well as the relationship he had with Tira Sengel.
Relationships[]
Tira Sengel[]
Jali met Tira when she was a dancer at the Silver Ring not long before he was imprisoned. Upon his release seven years later, Tira had, supposedly, remained faithful to him but their relationship was changed by the time Jali had spent inside. While Jali was ready to make a long-term commitment to her, perhaps even marriage, Tira was not and this abruptly ended their relationship.
Tira was later revealed as the murderer of Tollan Antilles and several others and had made a few feeble attempts at Jali's life. Jali knew these attempts were not sincere due to the feelings she still had for him to the extent he knew she would not kill him when Nuada Vekstar had told her to.
After her trial and incarceration, Tira was embittered towards Jali as she though he should have helped her more. However, she was willing to assist him against the Silver Ring, for a price.
Pallavi Dashiell[]
Though a Coruscant Security Force Officer, Pallavi and Jali first met after the latter was out of prison—perhaps sometime during or after Tira Sengel's trial. Jali's relationship with her was rather different than the one he had had with Tira. They dated only briefly and parted friends, each assisting the other in their lines of work.
Antiene Laras[]
A Jedi Knight, Antiene was not supposed to form attachments yet during the time she spent working with Jali she ended up doing just that. The two had initially clashed, both of them resenting the other's interference until circumstances forced them to work together.
Behind the scenes[]
Jali Dawler is portrayed by Dulé Hill.
Appearances[]
- The Seventh Star (First appearance)
- The White Twi'lek
- The Silver Ring