Aayla Secura – Character biography
[ ] : Marks the source.
( ) : Marks unconfirmed conjecture.
Aayla Secura is a cerulean blue Rutian Twi’lek of the Secura clan from Ryloth -The Twi’lek homeworld-.
Aayla is athletic, graceful as well as a sensual exotic beauty. She is highly empathic, intelligent and impulsive. Aayla had an impish and sometimes mischievous sense of humor.
While very capable and well trained with a lightsaber, Aayla chooses to use it in a strictly defensive mode instead of offensively, she prefers cunning over violence.
[Official Site
www.starwars.com) character databank]
When Aayla was just a young infant she was sold as a slave by her uncle Lon Secura to a Hutt. -Slavery is common amongst Twi’leks, women are considered as inferior.- Lon Secura wanted to place his young niece in a secure home, thinking a Hutt stronghold was the best choice.
As young Aayla was taken on the Hutt repulsorsled the teenage Jedi Padawan named Quinlan Vos was intrigued by her, the little girl seemed to look right into him. The teenage Quilan Vos had traveled to Ryloth with his Jedi Master, Tholme investigating the possible illegal trafficking of dangerous beasts.
Moments later Quinlan felt young Aayla was in distress through the Force. He came to the little girls rescue as a loose Wampa had attacked and killed the Hutt and his followers and was about to do so with Aayla as well. Quinlan however lost his lightsaber and in the clutches of the Wampa the teenage Padawan could not master the necessary focus and calm to call it to him with the Force. To his surprise young Aayla showed her inherent Force abilities and helped him get his lightsaber through the Force.
Jedi Master Tholme would have Aayla tested and brought to the Jedi temple for traning.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Rite of Passage 1]
(These events must have taken place before Star Wars Episode I the Phantom Menace according to logic calculations, Aayla seems to be about 4 to 5 years old.)
(Aayla is taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and trains as a youngling, amongst others one of her teachers is Master Yoda. When she is a teenager she is assigned to then adult Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos as his Padawan learner.)
Aayla, a young teenage Padawan, gives fellow Twi’lek Xiaan a ‘heart of fire’, a small stone she received from her Master Quinlan for her thirteenth birthday.
-Xiaan later returns the ‘heart of fire’ stone to Quinlan when Aayla is missing.-
[Dark Horse Star Wars Extra Heart of Fire & possibly Dark Horse Star Wars The Hunt for Aurra Sing]
Aayla and her master, Quinlan investigate the trafficking of a new drug called ‘glitteryll’ on Ryloth but as they come close to the truth Aayla is shot. -Not fatally, she survives.- They are both drugged with ‘glitteryll’ and because of this loose all of their memories. -The drug strips them from their memory.-
Aayla has a red lightsaber and wears a -somewhat revealing- catsuit type outfit with standard Jedi robes and cloak over it.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Twiligth 1 & 2]
Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos who awakes with not memory on Nar Shaddaa goes through a dangerous journey to find his Padawan, Aayla, and answers to his questions.
Eventually the trail leads him to Pol Secura, Aayla’s -other- uncle who is involved in the ‘glitteryll’ smuggle and has drugged them both to keep them alive. With Pol Secura, Quinlan finds Aayla who was fed continuous doses of the drug because her memory wanted to reassert itself. Pol Secura had kept her hidden at his home.
Aayla however remembers nothing of her past, and doesn’t remember Quinlan. She only knows her uncle. An enraged Quinlan blasts Pol Secura with Force lightning. Frightened to see her uncle hurt Aayla lashes out with the Force and pushes both Pol Secura and Quinlan over a balcony. Her uncle perishes but Quinlan manages to hang on to the ledge. Aayla flees the scene and Quinlan cannot pursue her.
The Jedi Council promises Quinlan they will search after Aayla.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Twiligth 3 & 4]
Aayla is blinded by anger and hate towards Quinlan Vos whom she blames for her uncle’s death. This anger prevents her memories from reasserting themselves. She has been missing for months but somehow finds her way to Kiffex, Quinlan’s homeworld.
There she falls under the influence -hypnoses almost- of the vampiric Jedi Volfe Karrko, who was in stasis in a hidden prison temple on Kiffex. Volfe Karrko sends his minions to kill the ‘Guardians’ as Kiffex is a prison planet.
-Aayla is first seen here in her most known outfit, the same as in Episode II.-
[Dark Horse Star Wars Darkness 1]
Quinlan Vos is sent by the Jedi Council to Kiffex to investigate, aided by his former Master, Tholme. -Unaware of Aayla’s presence or Volfe Karrko’s involvement.-
Aayla confronts Quinlan and tries to kill him but under the influence of Volfe Karrko she breaks off her attack.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Darkness 2 & 3]
Quinlan reaches Volfe Karrko’s hideout and engages Aayla who in all her hate and rage seeks to kill Quinlan.
Quinlan refuses to fight his Padawan and reasons with her to let go of her hate and anger, citing their deep bond as Master and Padawan. As Aayla lets go of her anger her memories suddenly surface and she remembers Quinlan. -Volfe Karrko strikes her down with Force Lightning but he looses his life in the ensuing duel with Quinlan.-
Aayla and Quinlan reconcile. The Jedi Council decrees however that both have ventured too close to the Dark Side and Aayla becomes the Padawan of Master Tholme who will complete her training.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Darkness 4]
Jedi Master Plo Koon helps Aayla to sort through her returning memories with his telepathic abilities. The Jedi Council tell her the tale of the ‘Stark Hyperspace War’ to aid her regain and focus on her returning memories who were all perfectly stored in her lekku.
-Aayla once again wears her catsuit type outfit with standard robes and cloak over it.-
[Dark Horse Star Wars The Stark Hyperspace War]
(Jedi Master Yoda tells Aayla that her venturing close to the Dark Side is the reason she is still a Padawan learner and not yet a Jedi Knight.)
(Aayla trains with Master Tholme for a whole year and builds a new, blue lightsaber.)
Aayla and Master Tholme travel to Ryloth to help settle disputes of which are the 5 valid ruling clan members. -This situation was upset when 1,5 years before Aayla accidentally killed the ruling clan member Pol Secura, her uncle.-
They discover a plot by ruling clan member Fenn to kidnap the heir of Lon Secura. -Pol’s brother and Aayla’s other uncle.- However the heir is kidnapped along with Master Tholme by Morgukai warriors with cortosis weapons and armor.
-Aayla had gone undercover as a slave and wears a slave outfit much like Leia’s in Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi.-
-Aayla’s general comic book appearance has subtly changed, she’s now the perfect double of Aayla as played by Amy Allen in Star Wars Episode II Attack of The Clones. E.g. her lekku tattoos have disappeared and changed into the more hexagon shaped lighter spots.-
[Dark Horse Star Wars Rite of Passage 1]
Aayla pursues the Morgukai kidnappers who took her Master, Tholme and the Secura prime heir to Ord Mantell. There she looses track of them but encounters Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos, her former Master who is being attacked by a pack of bounty hunters. Aayla aids Quinlan and fills him in on the events that have transpired before.
Quinlan helps Aayla track the Morgukai and the pair travel to the Nikto homeworld where Master Tholme is being held by the Morgukai. It is the first time in a year since the events on Kiffu -in ‘Darkness’- that Aayla and her former master are reunited.
Aayla has clearly become a mature and accomplished Padawan, on the verge of becoming a full Jedi Knight, she's strong, calm, focused, subtly uses her beauty when necessary.
Over the past year Aayla has recovered all her lost memories, as they were perfectly stored in her lekku. She has found herself, from the person she was -with her memories- she grew and matured. Her former master Quinlan Vos however has no memories that have returned, he himself has made peace with that, but Aayla is uneasy about him. To her he is a different person now.
When the pair arrives on Kintan, the Nikto homeworld, their ship is shot down by the Morgukai and crashes in the desert.
-Aayla is again wearing her ‘Darkness’, Episode II outfit, with a Jedi cloak over it at one point and she now has her blue lightsaber.-
[Dark Horse Star Wars Rite of Passage 2]
The Morgukai investigate the wreckage of the Jedi ship but they are surprised as Aayla’s and Quinlan’s lightsabers almost behead them, twirling through the air.
The Jedi manage to destroy the Morgukai’s ship leaving them stranded in the harsh desert as well. Having to flee the scene Aayla and Quinlan set out towards the fortress where Tholme and the Secura heir are being held.
Quinlan remarks again that Aayla is hesitant, especially when they reach a river of ‘fire’ (lava no doubt) and have to cross by leaping from rock to rock. As Quinlan has crossed over, the Morgukai ambush Aayla. Here Aayla truly demonstrates her Jedi powers, her strength and realized potential. She faces both Morgukai and disables them long enough so she can leap across safely, aided by Quinlan who steadies her jump with the Force. (The Morgukai Bok perishes.)
Quinlan however is wounded and Aayla aids him as they escape and continue on to Khariss’ fortress.
Climbing a steep cliff towards the mountain top where the fortress is set it is Aayla’s intuitive Force potential and powers that save the Jedi when a sandstorm appears and threatens to crash them into the ground below. Aayla holds on to Quinlan and manages to safely land both of them in a cave. Quinlan observes how Aayla acted devoid of doubts.
Aayla confesses her work undercover as a slave triggered memories of her childhood where she was to be sold as a slave. The sense of being ‘worthless’ and a mere object now influencing her and emotions making her doubt herself.
Quinlan observes these events are Aayla’s trail to Knighthood and that she will overcome them if she believes in herself and is one with the Force. Quinlan remarks that Aayla’s intuitive Force powers are greater than his own or even Master Tholme’s.
Aayla and Quinlan make their way into Khariss’ fortress only to be awaited by the Morgukai Tsyr who challenges them into battle.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Rite of Passage 3]
Aayla and Quinlan engage the Morgukai Tsyr and Khariss’ droids. Having quickly dispatched the droids Quinlan orders Aayla to go to the rescue of Master Tholme and Nat Secura while he faces Tsyr.
Aayla reluctantly agrees but hesitates still as suddenly Bok joins in the battle, having survived his fall in the river of lava before. Quinlan faces off against both Morgukai and orders Aayla away.
Aayla arrives in the nick of time to destroy the termination droid set out to kill the imprisoned Master Tholme and Nat Secura. Tholme instructs that they should leave for Ryloth at once though Aayla senses that she must go to the aid of Quinlan. (Who in his duel with Bok and Tsyr has managed to kill Tsyr by beheading him, but he is garvely wounded by a vengeful Bok.)
Aayla again arrives just in time to stop Bok, the Morgukai taunts her stating she is but a mere apprentice. Aayla retorts she is a true Jedi Knight and in the following battle severs Bok’s right arm. As a true Jedi walking the path of the Light she spares his life, stating the value of each life, even his.
(Bok however fails to grasp this concept and jumps from the cliff where he has been defeated by Aayla.)
Aayla uses Jedi healing techniques on the wounded Quinlan who almost scolds Aayla for returning, Aayla states she followed her instincts and the will of the Force as she was taught to. Quinlan says he is proud of her, his former padawan.
After delivering Nat Secura to Ryloth, where Kahriss Fenn has escaped the authorities, Master Tholme, Quinlan and Aayla return to Coruscant, to the Jedi Temple. In a traditional ceremony before the Jedi Council Aayla Secura is officially knighted and ascend to the rank of Jedi Knight. (Quinlan Vos is elevated to rank of Jedi Master.)
Aayla muses that it seems her true journey of learning has just begun. Quinlan tells Aayla that their deeper bond as master and padawan will in a way always remain and that though she will now go out and learn for herself, that she will never truly be by herself.
[Dark Horse Star Wars Rite of Passage 4]
(Aayla aids Jedi Master Adi Gallia to test the new Kuat Drive Yards Delta 7 Aethersprite or know as ‘Jedi Starfighter’. Aayla later attends it’s official launch ceremony with Adi Gallia.)
Jedi Knight Aayla Secura is stationed at the Jedi Temple just before and during the crisis on Geonosis. She is one of the 200 Jedi of the Jedi task force led by Jedi Master Mace Windu that battle the Seperatist battledroid army on Geonosis. Though separated from the inner Jedi circle Aayla shows her combat prowess and Jedi skills by surviving the battle on her own outside of the circle of Jedi.
As the combat ceases for a moment she is lead by a Geonosian warrior to the circle of Jedi survivors. With them she is rescued by the Republic gunships as Master Yoda arrives.
Aayla then leads her own Clonetrooper squad into the thick of the Geonosian battle, her lightsaber shimmering in the billowing dust, forming a luminiscent beacon for the trained Republic infantrymen to follow. She survives this first engagement of the Clone Wars.
-Aayla is played by Amy Allen, wearing the ‘Darkness’ outfit and wields her blue lightsaber. Lucasfilm officially acknowledged her survival of the Geonosis battle.-
[Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones]
(Aayla returns to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.)