Zayne Carrick

"You're Zayne Carrick, right? Your Master sent me to look for you. He said to follow the trail of debris."

- Alek Squinquargesimus

Zayne Carrick was a Human male who was a Jedi Padawan during the Mandalorian Wars. Hailing from the family of a banker and a gardener, Zayne was barely accepted into the Jedi Order, with his level of Force sensitivity described as "marginal", and spent his youngling days at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. He was later assigned as the Padawan to Jedi Master Lucien Draay who, unbeknownst to both Zayne and the Dantooine Enclave Council, was a member of a secret Jedi organization bent on preventing the return of the Sith by any means necessary.

Training on the ecumenopolis of Taris under the supervision of Draay and four other Jedi Masters, Zayne never expected to go far; he lacked confidence in his abilities, performed poorly for a future Jedi, and was treated as little more than a source of comic relief. Not even expecting to be knighted, he nevertheless attended the knighting ceremony&mdash;but, running late, was shocked to see his four fellow Padawans dead&mdash;killed by their own Masters in cold blood.

As Zayne later discovered, the Masters saw a vision that identified one of the Padawans as a threat to the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. As the only surviving Padawan, still seen as an enemy by the Jedi Covenant, he united with Marn Hierogryph, a Tarisian black-marketeer he used to chase in the past as a law enforcer, and two mysterious Arkanian offshoots, Camper and Jarael in his quest to avenge his murdered friends and force the Masters to confess in their crime and clear his name. Little did he know that, on his run, he would be thrown right in the middle of the emerging Mandalorian Wars, chased by the Republic and the Mandalorians alike.

Early life
Hailing from the planet Phaeda, Zayne was discovered by an unknown Jedi Knight and brought to the Jedi Order for testing when he was quite young, coming from a family where he had four sisters. His father, Arvan, was an accountant with a "dead-end job at a nowhere bank" and his mother, Reiva, was a gardener. Although Jedi Master Vandar Tokare described Zayne's ability in the Force as "marginal," he was accepted to the Jedi Academy on Dantooine. It was hoped that Zayne's ability to quickly form kinships would blossom with Jedi training.

On Dantooine, Zayne was trained by Master Vandar, along with Shad Jelavan, Kamlin, Oojoh, and Gharn. However, his Jedi abilities did not advance as far as he might have hoped for while at the Academy.

Padawan on Taris
"My luck ranges from barely tolerable to cataclysmic. Master Lucien says I'm living proof the Force has a sense of humor!"

- Zayne Carrick to Alek

By 3,964 BBY, Zayne was being instructed by Master Lucien Draay at the Jedi Tower on the city-world of Taris. Here Zayne's ability to form friendships was demonstrated by his emotional attraction to Shel Jelavan, the sister of his best friend Shad. Yet Zayne struggled to keep up with his fellow Padawans on Taris; his clumsiness with the Force was often evidenced in his ongoing pursuit of the black-marketeer Marn "Gryph" Hierogryph.

Zayne was interested in the rapidly spreading Mandalorian Wars and other issues affecting the Jedi Order, but he felt isolated on Taris and doubted his ability to become a Jedi Knight. However, he received encouragement from the Jedi Knight Alek Squinquargesimus&mdash;who, at that point, did not reveal his name, identifying himself as "Squint." While passing through Taris with his Master on their way to the Outer Rim front lines, Squint told Zayne that he was to become a bigger player than he thought.

However, Alek's advice to Zayne that "sometimes you have to enter the darkness to save the light" boded ill for the future. Jedi Master Q'Anilia sensed a dark change in the Force just after Alek spoke to Zayne. Indeed, the Jedi Masters on Taris were apparently worried that one of their Padawans would turn to the dark side or worse, all of them.

Dark prophecy and the Padawan Massacre
"Lines have crossed. Something has happened. Something bad. Something near. Several somethings!"

- Q'Anilia

Soon after Zayne's encounter with Squint, the Padawans on Taris faced a challenge on Taris' rogue moon. Zayne and the other Padawans had to find their way back to their Masters amidst the moon's perpetual meteor bombardment, blinded by their visor's blast shields. As he was the last to complete the task, Zayne felt that he might not become a Jedi Knight along with his friends.

The Masters' fears about their Padawans led them to desperate measures, for as Zayne noted, they hated the Sith&mdash;but hatred was an emotion forbidden to the Jedi. After observing their apprentices' completion of the rogue moon challenge, they retreated into cloister at the Temple. When they emerged, they announced that a knighting ceremony would soon take place.

The ceremony was only a ruse, however, for in consultation with Krynda Draay, the voice of the Jedi Covenant on Coruscant&mdash;a secret Jedi organization dedicated to preventing the return of the Sith with the help of seers &mdash;the Jedi Masters instead killed their Padawans, with the exception of Zayne, who, having finally caught Gryph, was running late. He discovered his masters in the midst of their crime and managed to escape.

Ironically, as Zayne later discovered, his own ineptitude saved him twice. Not only was it his late arrival that saved him: it was expected, and the Masters were prepared to wait for him as long as needed; Shad Jelavan was originally going to be blamed for the crime. However, the delay, and the fact that Lucien was carrying his lightsaber like the other Masters, indicated that Zayne was going to be knighted, which the Masters confirmed with a hastily concocted story about his alleged "special relationship" with the Force and the increasing demand for Jedi Knights. However, Shad grew suspicious, as they never treated Zayne seriously, and his disbelief urged the Masters to strike preemptively. Zayne arrived moments after the other four were killed.

Jedi on the run
On the run from the Jedi Masters he once served, Zayne had no choice but to flee into the seedy Lower City of Taris with Gryph, whom he had finally succeeded in capturing. Meanwhile, the Jedi Masters successfully framed Zayne and Gryph for the Padawan massacre&mdash;and knowing that the Dantooine Council would not believe that he could have done it with his lack of skill, they said that he allegedly received help from the dark side.

After hitching a ride with some Wookiee garbage collectors and a close encounter with some Black Vulkars, Gryph led Zayne to Junk Junction, where they encountered the aging mechanic "Camper" and his friend Jarael. Jarael was suspicious of the fugitive duo and attacked Zayne, upstaging the young Jedi with her electrostaff skills, even in the face of Zayne's lightsaber. Initially both Jarael and Camper refused to help Zayne&mdash;Jarael because of Zayne's indirect role in convincing Lhosan Industries to leave Taris, and Camper because of Gryph's failure to pay him for their last transaction; however, when a force led by Constable Noana Sowrs and Lucien arrived on the scene, Jarael and Camper allowed Zayne and Gryph to escape with them on their ship, the Last Resort.

Unfortunately, the Last Resort had not flown in years, and soon stalled in the asteroid field in orbit around Taris. While the other passengers slept, Zayne sent a transmission to Master Vandar Tokare, who believed his story. But to Zayne's surprise, Master Vandar began to speculate that Zayne might have murdered his friends, but did not remember the incident correctly. He advised Zayne to contact one of the Jedi Consulars on Taris&mdash;who, of course, were trying to catch him. Zayne was interrupted in the middle of his discussion with Vandar by Jarael, who knocked him out with her electrostaff.

After his transmission to Dantooine, Zayne quickly realized that it was odd that four out of the only five Masters stationed at Taris, save for Lucien, were Consulars: Q'Anilia, Feln, Raana Tey, and Xamar. He descended with Jarael to the rogue moon, hoping to find clues to the mystery of the Padawan Massacre. While there, the duo uncovered the destroyed droid T1-LB ("Elbee") that might have had information as to why the Masters murdered their Padawans. Elbee had been present for the Jedi Trials but had foolishly fallen off the edge of a cliff. Zayne realized that his masters had thrown Elbee of the cliff to prevent him from witnessing their conversation, as the Padawans had jumped from orbit without harm. Yet before they could locate Elbee's information, Lucien Draay and the forces of the Republic descended to the moon's surface to apprehend Zayne.

Investigation on the rogue moon
Thanks to a surprise attack by Camper and Gryph, both Zayne and Jarael got away without harm and with Elbee's memory bank in their hands. Camper tried his best to transfer Elbee's memory bank to another droid body and he gave him a vocabulator and holoprojector. Zayne asked Elbee to recall the last moments of his recordings on the Rogue Moon. Zayne saw a revelation: a dark secret had been kept by his own masters. The four Masters (bar Lucien), as it turned out, had all seen terrifying visions of the future, which ultimately led them to commit the murders. All the Masters saw a Sith Lord encased in red armor and armed with a red lightsaber responsible for their own deaths; Feln was the first to make the assumption that the red figure symbolized one of their Padawans, each of whom was wearing a red environmental suit on the moon at that moment.

Zayne now knew the truth about his masters. However, moments after Elbee's projection was finished, the Last Resort was brought in by the tractor beam of the Oroko, a bounty hunter spacecraft captained by Valius Ying. After some negotiations, Gryph determined that Zayne's freedom was non-negotiable, but that the other members of the party could go free; the bounty on Zayne's head was too high for Ying to let the Padawan go. Gryph and Zayne made an alternate plan: Zayne would go and then distract the guard and take the Last Resort for his escape. However, they did not predict that Jarael was waiting there to cut him off. She reminded him that there was nothing wrong with running, but one must not endanger others to save oneself. Zayne did not want to die, but neither did he want to lose his newfound friends. He came to the only decision that a true Jedi would make: he decided to stop the prophecy from happening by surrendering to the Masters.

Justice
"I have a goal now, too. Justice. [&hellip;] Because, you see, I've had a vision of my own. One day, one of you is going to confess and clear my name, and to make sure, I'm going to hunt down each and every one of you. The one that confesses, lives. [&hellip;] Don't look for me, Lucien. Because I'll find you. And if I do end up collapsing the Jedi Order, just remember one thing. You started it."

- Zayne Carrick

Valius brought Zayne to Taris and dragged him through to the Upper City, now filled with an exultant crowd impatient to see the "murderer" punished&mdash;including Shel Jelavan, who was led to believe that Zayne killed her brother&mdash;to the Jedi Tower.

The young Padawan's fate was, at last, in the hands of the five Masters. Having Zayne alone to themselves, Lucien Draay explained to the young Jedi how Shad Jelavan's impetuousness had forced their hand, making Zayne their unintended patsy. They prepared, finally, to end Zayne's life (not before disposing of Ying, who learned too much about the actual circumstances of the crime). It was at that moment that Jarael, dressed as the five masters' mysterious Sith Lord&mdash;complete with the red suit, closed helmet, and Zayne's lightsaber&mdash;chose to rescue Zayne. They escaped together with the help of Camper and Gryph inside The Last Resort, after which Gryph offered him a place in his "organization," consisting only of himself&mdash;to which Zayne agreed, happy that someone finally indicated belief in him.

Lucien, desperate, ran out of the Tower to reach his former apprentice as he was boarding the Last Resort. He admitted underestimating Zayne and asked him to, if he intended to run, to forsake the Jedi ways because, as Lucien put it, he needed to fear his dark destiny that the other Masters had foreseen. Zayne refused, saying that fear leads to the dark side.

Zayne successfully escaped from the masters once again, but with terrible consequences for Taris. Because of the Masters' repeated failure to catch the supposed Jedi killer, public confidence in them plummeted to the point that the Jedi Council recalled them to Coruscant. It was around this time, roughly three weeks after his escape, that Zayne contacted the five Masters and gave them a warning, saying that they now had the death mark, just like the rogue Padawan himself.

Dragged into the Mandalorian conflict
"Elbee! Cargo: Mandalorian&mdash;to orbit!"

- Zayne as he is attacked by a Mandalorian

On the run from the Jedi Order, Zayne Carrick and the crew of the Last Resort made life on Vanquo, a mining colony on the fringe of Republic space. With supplies low, the crew did what they could to survive; they stole.

Disguised as a refugee, Zayne had himself spotted by the mining crew and begged for supplies for his "family." During his "pleading," a distress transmission came in from Master Q'Anilia. At first, the mining crew believed it to be a trick. By using a Jedi mind trick, Zayne convinced the crew that the Mandalorians were indeed attacking and ordered the camp to evacuate.

The plan was successful; the transmission from Q'Anilia had actually been performed by Jarael in disguise. However, while the crew raided the mining camps supplies, the Mandalorians actually attacked. Jarael was surrounded by them and taken prisoner. Stricken with guilt, Camper had to be carried away from the scene by Zayne and Elbee. While trying to flee to the Last Resort, Zayne and Gryph attempted to hold off the Mandalorians with what little they had. However, the Mandalorians managed to beat them to the Last Resort and steal it.

As the single Mandalorian, Rohlan Dyre, attempted to steal the Last Resort, Zayne, Camper, Gryph and Elbee were able to jump to the landing platform and climb aboard as the Last Resort lifted off into space. Camper managed to stun Rohlan with Jarael's stunstaff while Zayne was able to hold him down. Though Rohlan began choking Zayne, the Jedi immediately called upon Elbee to assist him by telling him that it was Rohlan who crushed his hand as the landing platform closed.

When locked inside a smuggling compartment, Rohlan informed Zayne that they would need his help to rescue Jarael. Rohlan informed the renegade Jedi that the Jedi Council on Taris had moved to Coruscant and Taris was in chaos. Zayne vowed to make it right, somehow, and when informed of other Jedi captured on Flashpoint Station, Zayne began to form a plan.

After reaching Flashpoint Station, Rohlan pretended to bring Zayne in as a captured Jedi to Demagol while Camper and Gryph hid in smugglers compartments in the Last Resort. Rohlan managed to convince Demagol to take Zayne immediately. While inside Demagol's laboratory, Rohlan attacked Demagol and locked him in a storage cabinet while Zayne stole his armor. The pair walked out, purposely making a note that Zayne perished. Zayne was attacked by Jarael, though she backed off when he telepathically communicated with her.

Rohlan and "Demagol" walked out onto the facility's surface. Elbee dropped a sack of charges out of the Last Resort, which was docked there, and with the Force, Zayne placed the mining charges on the bases of key structural points. Disguised as a Republic Admiral, Gryph then contacted the Mandalorians there and set off the charges, claiming they were a Republic trap. The Mandalorians evacuated immediately, though Zayne, still disguised as Demagol, claimed to want to save his work and left while Rohlan went after him, telling another Mandalorian to inform Mandalore that he died with the facility. When all the Mandalorians were gone, Zayne revealed himself. He and Jarael left Flashpoint Station with Rohlan stowing away.

Master Raana's bounty
"What, did you say two Ithorians? The Moomo brothers. Why'd it have to be the Moomo brothers?"

- Marn Hierogryph

Cash became a problem afterwards. Luckily for the group, Gryph kept a legal account on the banking world of Telerath, although, because of the misfortunes on Taris, it was frozen. Camper and Jarael disguised themselves as nobility who supposedly owned the account, and were disgruntled by it being frozen due to the similarity of the fake names they used to Gryph's name. As they were about to be given the cash, Arvan, the banker assisting them, was captured by the Moomo Brothers. Zayne went off to stop the brothers from escaping with their captive, and was startled to discover that the banker was his father.

The Moomo Brothers managed to get away with Arvan, but Zayne and Gryph devised a plan to rescue him. While Gryph discovered where Arvan was being kept and distracted the Moomos, Zayne would free his father. The plan was successful, and Zayne escaped with Arvan. During the rescue, Zayne discovered it was Raana Tey who wanted to lure Zayne out with his own family members, which earned her the top spot on his list of the Jedi he would hunt down. He also learned about several bankers working with the Jedi Covenant, specifically the Draay Trust. Zayne requested some of the money that would be taken from Gryph's account on Telerath to be transferred to Taris, and requested his father move to Dantooine for safe refuge with Master Vandar.

Leaving the Last Resort
"So this is really it, isn't it? [&hellip;] I guess it was always just a matter of time."

- Zayne Carrick

Zayne and Gryph decided to leave the rest of the crew of the Last Resort on the planet Ralltiir. As a parting gift, Jarael and Camper gave Zayne a unique pair of phrik vambraces. While on Ralltiir, Gryph hired someone to steal a large freighter for them, much to Zayne's dismay. They were instructed to meet their contact on Pad 223 at the local spaceport, and when they arrived a ship was indeed waiting for them. Before Gryph could finish negotiating with Slyssk, the Trandoshan who had acquired their ship, the true owners showed up, forcing them to take off prematurely. Once in orbit, the three learned that their new ship, the Little Bivoli was in fact a civilian supply for the Republic Fleet in orbit around the planet. In order to maintain their cover, the Bivoli was forced to follow the fleet, led by the Courageous to the planet Serroco.

When they arrived at Serroco, along with the rest of the fleet, Zayne and Gryph quickly developed a reputation with their restaurant, the Little Bivoli, as "the place to be in camp 3". Their restaurant-ship was hailed as the best place to eat, so much so that Gryph remarked: "When the Mandies get here, they'll have to eat standing." Zayne had other concerns about them being with an army fleet, as it made the possibility of them becoming recognized far greater. Gryph dismissed his worries until after the dinner rush was over, when they finally had a chance to talk to one another. After a heated argument about their remaining with the army, Zayne went outside for a breath of fresh air and experienced a Force Vision in which the Mandalorians bombed the entire staging area on the planet, which was due to happen with their arrival the next morning. Having foreseen that event, Zayne returned to the restaurant and urged Gryph to start packing and get off the planet as quickly as possible; he also said that he could not accompany him because he had to talk to Admiral Saul Karath.

Zayne stowed aboard a Republic cargo ship, piloted by Carth Onasi, who he had met before his vision. He explained to Carth his story and how he was not a fringer, but a Jedi. Carth Onasi agreed to take Zayne, or "Shad Camper" to Admiral Karath. Unfortunately for Zayne, Saul Karath immediately recognized him as the killer of the Padawans on Taris. Saul Karath quickly made accusations of Zayne being a Mandalorian spy despite his protests of innocence in his crimes on Taris and on Vanquo when Karath first spotted him.

While Zayne was being cross examined by Karath on the Courageous bridge, Mandalorian ships dropped out of hyperspace and launched nuclear missiles straight towards the Republic fleet. Zayne protested to get the Republic armies away from the Stereb Cities, due to his vision. However, Karath ignored him, and ordered the fleet to countermeasure the attack. However, the missiles veered off from the fleet and steered straight.

Zayne was sealed in a cell shortly after, and was later visited by Carth Onasi. Carth informed Zayne that he had hailed a tornado warning to seventeen cities on the planet, despite his uncertainty of Zayne's innocence; however, he was sure of his kindness, seen earlier when Zayne fed a starving Stereb. Carth left Zayne and told him to, "Hang in there."

Arkoh Adasca's scheme
""I'm not afraid of you anymore!" "That's why we're afraid of you.""

- Zayne and Lucien

While Zayne sat in his cell, the Mandalorians attacked and boarded the Courageous with Shock Troopers, slaughtering almost everyone on board. Admiral Karath hesitantly ordered Carth to take Zayne with them so he would help them escape. Thanks to his ability with the Force, the young Jedi had pried the bolts off of his cell walls and they were able to escape on Carth's ship, the Deadweight. However, Karath was still suspicious about Zayne and about what had happened on Taris.

As the Deadweight sped away from the Courageous, Karath informed Zayne that he was lucky and inevitably, he was going to meet his old master once again. The Deadweight's course was redirected however when they received a transmission from the Duro, Eejee Vamm. Eejee informed those on board the freighter that Arkoh Adasca wanted to meet with them and that he could have the means to end the escalating Mandalorian Wars.

Finally, the Deadweight boarded Adasca's ship, the Arkanian Legacy, in the exogorth-infested system known as Omonoth. As the Deadweight landed on the Arkanian Legacy, and the group disembarked, Zayne was spotted by his old friend Jarael. Jarael kissed him&mdash;though only as a means to give Zayne information on her and Camper's situation. Zayne was taken and secured in a cell. He was soon joined by his old master, Lucien Draay, who was bound to him while they were guarded by HK-24 droids. Despite being bound to his former master, whom he had pledged to hunt down, Zayne and Lucien worked together to release each other of their bonds. Lucien, however, attempted to kill Zayne after acquiring his lightsaber but the vambraces Zayne had received from Camper protected him. Lucien agreed to settle things with Zayne after they dealt with Lord Adasca.

After destroying other droid guards in the security room, Zayne and Lucien were shocked to find Adasca allying with Mandalore the Ultimate. But things started getting easier for Zayne, when Carth had slipped out and brought the Padawan's lightsaber from the Deadweight to him. Even Rohlan Dyre started to help as he agreed to rescue Jarael. Zayne agreed to wear Rohlan's spare armor as a disguise, and by doing so caused Lucien to believe that he had been around Gryph for too long. Lucien voiced his opinion, to which Zayne quickly replied that the Snivvian was the best teacher he ever had.

Zayne and the others set their plan in motion. Upon returning to Adasca, Zayne, disguised as a Mandalorian, shoved Carth who retaliated. Zayne ignited his saber and destroyed several of Adasca's HK-24 units as Lucien revealed himself. The group made it appear as if Adasca was working with the Jedi to capture Mandalore. Mandalore fell for the ruse as the Mandalorians, Adasca's forces, and Republic forces fought each other. Zayne managed to release Jarael from her bindings as she fought her way through HK-24 units towards Adasca. Zayne communicated with Camper that Jarael was released and he took control of the exogorths and of the HK-24 unit watching him.

Zayne, Jarael, Carth, Alek, Lucien and Admiral Karath managed to escape the Legacy observatory as the exogorths devoured it, killing Adasca though Mandalore managed to escape to his shuttle. Carth, despite ordered to bring Zayne with them, let him "escape" with the others. Camper left Elbee and took the Last Resort into wild space, luring the exogorths away from civilization. Zayne's escape from Adasca and Karath was short lived however. As he asked Jarael to accompany him in confronting his masters, Lucien bargained to Zayne that he'd take them away from the crumbling Arkanian Legacy if and only if he'd turn himself in. Zayne agreed though the timely arrival of the Moomo Williwaw intervened with Lucien's capture.

On board were the Moomo Brothers and the Trandoshan thought to be dead, Slyssk. Zayne, ecstatic about seeing Slyssk alive, asked who sent him. Slyssk replied that Marn Hierogryph was still alive and on Taris, leading the resistance against Mandalore's second in command, Cassus Fett.

Reunion with Gryph
Zayne returns to Taris, where his so-called "crimes" had first started, only to find the Mandalorian ships circling the planets. Still in his Mandalorian disguise, Zayne leaped from the Moomo Williwaw and jetpacked slowly to the Lower City, where he encountered an Assault droid Mark II that came from behind him. After destroying the droid, it uncovered the entrance to a Hidden Bek hideout where the swoop biker Brejik and multiple swoop gang members drew their weapons against Zayne. They were ordered to stand down upon the entry of Gryph and Brejik's adopted father Gadon Thek, the Beks' leader. With the Mandalorians beginning to pour in with more firepower, the Hidden Bek gang and Zayne retreated.

While in the Hidden Bek base, Zayne did what he could for the wounded though healing was never a strong suit with him. Gryph explained the situation of Taris and of the resistance there, headed by Jervo Thalien. During their discussion, Zayne noticed a young Twi'lek girl watching him conversing with Gryph. She introduced herself as Mission Vao. Though her older brother, Griff Vao, told her to stay away from him, she wanted to show him something. Mission led Zayne to follow Griff where she claimed that he had a "pet" that he was feeding. However, the two were spotted by Gryph who gave away their position to Griff. Brejik attacked Zayne and though Zayne disarmed him of his vibroblade, Brejik attempted to pull a pistol on him, with the excuse that he was trying to escape. Del Moomo on the other hand followed and restrained Brejik before he could take a shot. Zayne, Gryph and Mission discovered that Griff was actually feeding the missing Constable of Taris' children. Though Gadon was enraged at the kidnapping, it gave the Hidden Beks an opportunity to open up negotiations with the Taris Resistance and then join them.

Raana Tey's manipulations
Gadon led a swoop chase through the Taris Undercity, evading and attacking Mandalorians as they made way for the Resistance base. At base, Zayne was reunited with Shel Jelavan. However, instead of it being a warm welcoming, she pulled a blaster on him and shot him. Though the equipment he was carrying protected him, it still knocked him off of his feet. Shel pointed her blaster at him as Raana Tey, unknown to her as Shad's killer, revealed herself and ordered Shel to finish it.

Del Moomo wouldn't allow the bounty to be taken from him and fired upon his former employer. Gryph took advantage of Raana's distraction and wrestled Shel's blaster away from her. While Zayne lay unconscious, Gadon, Raana and Senator Goravvus debated on the situation. While Raana asked the Senator to finish Zayne and Gryph, Gadon defended him by revealing the constable's discovered children. Raana attempted to discredit Zayne though Goravvus was convinced that the Resistance needed the help of everyone–even criminals such as Zayne and the Hidden Beks. .

During Zayne's stay at the resistance base, Shel avoided him. When he finally confronted her, Zayne asked where Shel's little brother Shay was and he told her that he had sent her the money. Shel was enraged because she thought that he thought that they still had a relationship after Shad's death. Despite Zayne and Gryph's protests of innocence, Shel was still unconvinced. When Raana arrived, she immediately placed blame on Zayne, claiming he had fallen to the dark side. Frustrated at both parties, Shel immediately left them, wishing she had never met either Raana or Zayne.

Later, the resistance learned that Cassus Fett, who was in command of the Mandalorian invasion force stationed on Taris, had placed his headquarters in the abandoned Jedi Tower. The resistance then planned an assault on the Tower but Goravvus did not wish to waste munitions if Fett wasn't there so he planned for a recon mission before the assault. Zayne volunteered for the mission though the Constable, Sowrs, still didn't trust him. Shel also volunteered, claiming that she wished put the past behind. Raana intervened and volunteered herself to accompany them under the guise that Shel needed protection from Zayne if he had fallen to the dark side and that even if he hadn't fallen, he was still an incompetent Padawan. Unknown to Zayne, Raana showed Shel how to install a crystal into her late brother's lightsaber so that Shel could kill Zayne if she failed.

Death of the First Master
While Raana Tey ventured into the temple through a shaft, Zayne would sneak into the tower as Mandalorian bringing in Shel as a prisoner. Walking the same road that Zayne first walked when captured by Valius Ying, Shel still refused to talk with Zayne and be cooperative even while pretending to be a Mandalorian prisoner. The two argued concerning her belief in Raana and not in him, bringing up past feelings about their relationship. When Mandalorian guards took notice of their conspicuous arguing, Shel kissed Zayne, leading the Mandalorian off them under the notion of Zayne "recruiting". The kiss was short-lived, however, as Shel kneed Zayne, hurting both of them. Zayne finally asked her to believe in him simply because he was telling the truth.

Once inside the temple, while in the storage level to open the vents and let Tey in, Shel began to carry out Raana's plans of using Shad's lightsaber against Zayne. However, Zayne began talking about the past and their childhood in the Temple. Shel could not bring herself to murder Zayne after she saw him crying over the death of her brother. Zayne continued on into the Council Chambers just as Raana entered the storage level through the vents. While inside the chambers, Zayne discovered that Cassus Fett had already left to attack the resistance. Unfortunately, his escape was blocked by Raana Tey and her ignited lightsaber. Tey attacked Zayne and began Zayne's first duel with a Covenant member.

Zayne managed to avoid Tey as the two dueled, utilizing the jetpack from the Mandalorian armor. Despite Tey's unstable mental condition and Zayne's improved lightsaber skills, she still manage to be better: she disarmed him of his saber, threw him into the Council chambers glass ceiling and disabled his jetpack. With her lightsaber as well as his own in her hands, Raana informed Zayne of the Prophecy of the Five. Zayne retorted that the prophecy was obviously about the "traitorous, evil Jedi Masters" that hunted him. As Tey was about to kill Zayne, a lightsaber pierced her back, with Shel as its handler. Shel dropped to the floor and finally admitted that Zayne did not kill her brother. The two embraced as Gryph and Gadon Thek swooped over to rescue them.

As they were about to escape, Raana, injured and on the brink of death, rose to stop them. They managed to escape from her as she leapt to the rooftop but just barely missed Zayne. With Mandalorians coming and explosives set, Zayne offered his hand to save Tey even after all she had done to him. Tey at first refused, believing that the catch was that she confess to the Jedi Council that Zayne was innocent, but Zayne told her that he didn't care about that. Tey, finally seeing Zayne's kindness, drew her saber to dislodge her stuck hand. But Gryph, who was high above them and didn't hear the conversation, thought Tey was attacking Zayne, and he blew the charges on the Tower. Knowing her death was before her, Raana asked Zayne to tell her master, Krynda, that she was sorry. The temple exploded, killing Raana, a death that would be felt by her fellow Circle members.

As Zayne and Shel escaped, Shel apologized for making him lose his chance to have his name cleared. However, Zayne was pleased to know that he managed to get a name out of Raana: her master Krynda.

The Muur Talisman
"Where's the talisman? Have you found it?" "I think it's found me!"

- Celeste Morne and Zayne Carrick After Raana's death, Zayne and Gryph left the Taris Resistance and journeyed into the Undercity. After Gryph left the gate of the Outcasts' village open as he tried to scavenge credits, he and Zayne were both forced out of the village. Chased by Rakghouls, Zayne and Gryph managed to meet a Jedi named Celeste Morne, an agent sent by the Jedi Covenant to recover an ancient artifact called the Muur Talisman (as he was in a vision seen by the Covenant, with three others) as well as (unknown to Zayne) to bring the fugitive Padawan in. While Celeste brushed the pair off, the two continued to follow her hoping that she'd provide a route off-planet and onto the Moomo Williwaw.

Through Zayne and Gryph's conversations, Morne figured out that Zayne was the supposed the killer of the Padawans on Taris. While she believed it was her duty to bring them in, she found it difficult to believe that they were capable of killing anyone with the amount of noise they generated. Blasting in the tunnels interrupted their trek and all three fell through the floor due to excavating by the Mandalorians. Upon waking, the trio learned that the Mandalorians had discovered the Muur Talisman and moved out. Celeste followed in pursuit with Zayne and Gryph on her trail.

The trio boarded the excavation team's vessel, the Mar'eyce, led by Demagol's former intern, Pulsipher. Hiding out in the ship's ventilation shafts, Zayne and the others overheard the Mandalorians discussing their discovery, and witnessed the Muur Talisman's power at work when it seized control of Pulsipher and forced him to kill one of his subordinates.

While Pulsipher became ill as a side effect, the Mar'eyce landed on Jebble. While Celeste continued her mission, Zayne and Gryph were mistaken for prisoners to be trained as Mandalorians. Gryph slipped away from Zayne as they were informed of the Mandalorians' plans to invade the Core Worlds, beginning with the defenseless planet of Alderaan. Zayne located Celeste, though she was less than pleased to find him again. Gryph appeared clad in Mandalorian Neo-Crusader armor. Utilizing it, Gryph managed to get Zayne and Celeste inside the War Forge on the planet, telling the guards that he and Celeste were Joam and Hettie Hierogarl also known as the Taris Techno-Terror Twins. However, before a message could be sent to warn the Republic of the impending attack on Alderaan, Gryph alerted the Mandalorians when his rifle went off inside the tunnel.

Before Zayne and Celeste could be taken in, however, the guards themselves began to feel ill and transformed into Rakghouls. The pair held off the transformed soldiers, though they were baffled at the soldiers' quick transformations and the fact that they were still able to utilize their blasters. By the number of recruits in the facility, Celeste determined that it was a massive staging area for every recruit in the Outer Rim, which would lead to a massive infection of the Rakghoul plague if ever let out.

Zayne and Celeste went out to find a way to contact the Republic and warn them about the impending invasion. Celeste became more doubtful of the stories she'd been told of Zayne's supposed murder of the Padawans due to Zayne's means of escape down the mountain side. While Zayne informed Celeste of the secret cabal formed by Lucien and the other masters, he also asked about the name he had heard from Raana Tey &mdash; Krynda. Celeste denied knowing anything although she let it slip that it was called a Covenant &mdash; a name in which Zayne had not mentioned when revealing his masters' murder of the Padawans. Celeste managed to make contact with the Jedi, unknown to Zayne, however, she called Lucien specifically. Lucien ordered her to retrieve the Talisman and take it to one of the Jedi safehouses and kill Zayne. While Zayne contacted the Moomo Williwaw, Celeste drew her saber and prepared to kill him. However, Zayne asked her to stand guard instead while he contacted Cassus Fett to have him stop the invasion from Jebble by ceasing all landings on the planet and quarantining any others from Jebble on their transports. Cassus was hesitant to believe him under the assumption that he was simply trying to save the Republic's worlds. However, Zayne offered that he was also saving the Mandalorian worlds because, in Zayne's eyes, despite being Mandalorians they were people as well. Cassus cut communications to consider Zayne's request.

Zayne set off to find Gryph inside the citadel but was ambushed by a pair of Mandalorian-transformed Rakghouls, also known as "Mando-Raks". Dragged off to Pulsipher, he restrained Zayne inside his laboratory. Pulsipher began to interrogate Zayne in an attempt to learn the Muur Talisman's secrets. While Zayne told him he did not know anything, Pulsipher did not believe him and threatened to have the rakghouls tear him apart or to enclose him in an oubliette, one that belonged to the ancient Sith Lord Dreypa. As Pulsipher continued to threaten him, the Talisman detached itself from Pulsipher and went after Zayne, due to his Force sensitivity. Pulsipher's rakghouls turned on him and as Zayne was facing the Talisman, Celeste attempted to pry it away from him, although he protested that he might be able to stop the invasion force with it. Celeste ordered the Talisman to come to her and immediately she was overwhelmed by it as it attached itself around her neck. Gryph then released Zayne from his restraints. They rushed to her aid, but she had already realized that the rakghouls were not a problem for her, though she was ignorant as to what it meant for everyone else. It quickly became obvious what was happening to Celeste. She became corrupted by the talisman and began manipulating the Rakghouls into killing the Mandalorians on Jebble. Zayne was appalled at her apathatic reactions to the Rakghouls tearing apart the Mandalorians. He began to question the Rakghouls personas and their new abilities to operate machinery. However, Gryph was captured and brought to them by a Rakghoul under Celestes order due to his fumbling around with the Sith artifacts in Pulsiphers laboratory. Gryph revealed that Celeste was an agent for the Covenant and for Krynda Draay, Lucien's mother and the woman mentioned by Raana Tey on Taris. Celeste became enraged at them for questioning her devotion to the Draay family and the Covenant. As Celeste was about to deal with the two of them, Zayne informed her that she was only assisting the Sith, the faction she had sworn to protect the Galaxy against due to the tragedy at Ossus by expanding the growing Rakghoul army. Celeste managed to break free from the Talisman's control and asked Zayne to strike her down. However, he could not and opted for another solution.

Zayne took Celeste to Pulsiphers laboratory to have her temporarily sealed inside Dreypa's oubliette. Celeste willing did so and asked him to take her to the planet Odryn, into the Sanctum of the Exalted using her key. There, Covenant researchers, experts in Sith artifacts, might be able to help her. Before sealing the oubliette, Celeste ordered him to reach Krynda Draay in order to stop the corruption of the Covenant. With the Muur Talismans influence sealed, the Rakghouls turned on each other and on Zayne. Zayne and Gryph managed to make their way to higher ground, surrounded by Rakghouls, when the Moomo Williwaw, carrying Jarael, Alek, Rohlan, Slyssk, Shel, and the Moomo Brothers, arrived from delivering Constable Sowrs' children to their father in the Core Worlds.

As they left Jebble, Cassus Fett's fleet arrived in the system. While Zayne believed them to be landing, they instead fired nuclear warheads onto the surface, destroying the citadel with Celeste still inside, forcing Zayne to relive the destruction of Serroco. He was devastated at the loss of Celeste but was motivated again to stopping the Covenant. Zayne asked Alek if he'd help, due to his debt from Flashpoint. Shel assured him that they'd all help him. The first course of action would be the traveling to Odyrn using the key Celeste had given him.

Personality and traits
Zayne was well known for his kindness to others, even after being betrayed by the Jedi, Zayne nevertheless remained faithful to the ideals the Jedi stood for, tending to the ones in need&mdash;such as Shel and Shay Jelavan or the Stereb at Camp Three, and giving away all the money he earned as Gryph's "henchman." He retained faith in Master Vandar, despite the fact that this trust was not reciprocated. Zayne even offered to take Raana to the Taris Resistance's healer after she was stabbed by Shel despite everything she had done and that he wouldn't be getting a confession from her.

Powers and Abilities
Zayne possessed a "random destructive power" which referred to his tendency to accidentally cause havoc as well as his reputation as an incompetent Padawan (only Marn Hierogryph viewed this as an asset). Despite his clumsiness and ineptitude as a Padawan learner, Zayne (like the Exile) had a natural ability to form bonds with people, signifying a powerful connection to the Living Force.

Zayne sometimes had Force visions, but unlike his Masters, he did not believe in deliberately inducing visions to learn the future, as he himself had seen how prone to misinterpretation such visions were. Instead, he regarded spontaneous visions as the most accurate, believing that if the Force "wanted" to tell him something, it was through a vision. He was known to have at least two visions: one of a Covenant member confessing, although he did not know which one it would be, and the other of the devastation of Serroco.

Behind the scenes
In an interview to Lightsabre.co.uk, John Jackson Miller, the writer of the KotOR comic series, admitted that, while the series was not a direct adaptation of the video game of the same name, Zayne was partially inspired by the early player experience in the game, with the overall feeling of disorientation and the player learning the controls&mdash;with Zayne still "learning the controls" with the Force.

As artist Dustin Weaver said on the official Dark Horse Comics forums, he bases the appearance of Zayne off of a young Christian Slater.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 0: Crossroads
 * The Taris Holofeed: Prime Edition
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Flashpoint
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 9: Flashpoint Interlude: Homecoming
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Reunion
 * Labor Pains
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Days of Fear
 * The Adjudicator Special Report: The Outer Rim
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Nights of Anger
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Daze of Hate
 * The Adjudicator Special Report: Tools of the Trade
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Knights of Suffering
 * The Adjudicator Special Report: The Colonies
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Vector
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Exalted
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 31: Turnabout
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 32: Vindication, Part 1

Notes and references
Zayne Carrick Zayne Carrick Zayne Carrick Zayne Carrick