Aayla Secura

"Sometimes it takes courage to stick to one's beliefs, young Padawan."

- Aayla Secura, to Ahsoka Tano

Aayla Secura, a Force-sensitive Rutian Twi'lek female, was a Jedi Master who served as a Jedi General of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Prior to the Clone Wars, Secura learned the ways of the Force as the Padawan of Jedi Master Quinlan Vos. With the outbreak of civil war between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Secura and her fellow Jedi supported the Republic by becoming officers in its newly-formed military. As a general, she commanded the clone troopers of the 327th Star Corps, with Commander CC-5052 "Bly" serving at Secura's side.

Throughout the conflict, Secura fought alongside her soldiers in multiple battles across the galaxy, from Geonosis to Quell, Coruscant, and Felucia. As the war drew to an end, the clones were instructed by Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine to execute Order 66, resulting in a sudden purge of the Jedi Order at the hands of their own troopers. As a result, Secura was among the first casualties of the purge, having been shot in the back repeatedly by Bly and several other clone troopers.

The demise of Secura and many other Jedi was sensed through the Force by Grand Master Yoda, who survived the purge and ultimately escaped into exile, while the Galactic Empire rose to power in place of the Republic. Secura's death was also witnessed in a Force vision by Depa Billaba and her apprentice, Caleb Dume on Kaller.

Genesis of the Clone Wars
At some point before the Clone Wars, Aayla Secura was apprenticed to Quinlan Vos, whom she regarded as a father figure and was very close to. Under his guidance, she completed her Jedi training and achieved the rank of Jedi Knight.

She was part of the Jedi rescue team sent to the planet Geonosis to rescue Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, his Padawan Anakin Skywalker and the Senator Padmé Amidala. Igniting her blue-bladed lightsaber, Secura and her fellow Jedi met the Separatist battle droids head-on in the Geonosian arena. At one point, Secura dispatched a super battle droid by kicking it in the face. Unfortunately, the Jedi were overwhelmed and picked off by sheer force of numbers and soon only a few remained standing in a circle, desperately fending off blaster fire. When Count Dooku called a halt, Secura was escorted from elsewhere in the arena by two Geonosian warriors and joined the survivor's circle. Led by Master Mace Windu, the remaining Jedi rebuffed his offer of surrender and prepared to die fighting, but the timely arrival of Master Yoda and a fleet of gunships bearing the newly christened clone army saved them from death. Boarding a gunship out of the arena, Secura then led a squad of Clone troopers into battle against the droid army, a battle that led to the galaxy-wide conflict known as the Clone Wars.

The Clone Wars
Secura was assigned Clone Commander CC-5052, known as "Bly", as her second in command and his 327th Star Corps.

Battle of Quell
At some point during the Clone Wars, her fleet came under attack at Quell. Damaged in the battle, her flagship began falling through the atmosphere. The situation was made worse when rocket droids started boarding her ship. She and Bly managed to fight them off until Skywalker, his apprentice Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex arrived to rescue her and Bly. Secura and the others then fought their way to Skywalker's frigate. However, en route, Secura and the others were pushed out of the way of an explosion by Skywalker, who tried to hold it back with the Force. However, it was too strong for him and he was flung against the bulkhead and badly injured. Secura then helped Tano get Skywalker aboard the frigate. As they tried to dock with the Resolute, the hyperdrive was activated when the ship was struck by laser fire and Secura ordered Admiral Yularen to detach. She then ordered Tano to assist Bly in flying the frigate before it could collide with one of the stars. Secura then ordered the power to be turned off, despite the risk to Skywalker's life. However, during the chaos, she was pushed away from the switch but was able to use the Force to turn the power back on. The ship then crashed on the planet Maridun.

Defense of Maridun
After the crash, Secura then decided to find help and ordered Tano to accompany her, Bly, Cameron, Lucky, and Flash to do so. En route, Secura began sensing Tano's doubt and confusion. Worried about her master, she started questioning the Jedi philosophy concerning attachments. Secura assured her that it was nothing to be ashamed of as she went through the same thing with her own master, but in time she learnt to let go. Secura and her group then came under attack by Mastiff phalones that killed three of her troopers. She, Ahsoka and Bly then found a village of Lurmen. Secura then asked the village elder Tee Watt Kaa for aid but he refused to help them. However, upon hearing of their friends' plight, he allowed his son to go with Ahsoka and Bly to treat them as long as Secura stayed at the village. Secura and Tee Watt Kaa then started discussing the Jedi's involvement in the war and how she believed it was their intention not to spark conflict but to restore peace to the galaxy.

Secura, Skywalker, Tano, Rex and Bly were then forced to leave the village when Separatist General Lok Durd arrived and searched the village for contraband. Secura then destroyed a scout droid and found Durd's base. There she witnessed Durd's secret weapon, the Defoliator tank, and rescued Bly from its effects. Despite Tee Watt Kaa's wishes, Secura and Skywalker decide to steal Durd's shuttle and stop him from using it on the Lurmen village. Secura and Tano then snuck into the base, destroyed the droids and took the shield generators. Secura and the others then made their way back to the village and set up a barrier and shield around its periphery, despite Tee Watt Kaa's objections. She and the others then fought against Durd's Squad until Skywalker disabled Durd and his weapon. With the Lurmen finally deciding to defend their village, they along with the remainder of the republic forces were able to destroy the rest of the Separatist droid army. Secura then took Durd and the Defoiliator's gunner into custody aboard their shuttle just as the Republic fleet arrived.

Later Conflicts
"We aren't having much of an effect!"

- Secura regarding her efforts to distract the Zillo Beast

Secura was in the Jedi Temple's communications center when Cad Bane infiltrated the Temple to steal a Holocron. Secura then aided Yoda in distracting the Zillo Beast while Skywalker worked on a plan to save himself, the Chancellor, Senator Amidala, C-3PO, and R2-D2. After realizing that their efforts weren't amounting to much, Yoda and Secura leapt off the beast and joined the others as it was assailed with gas bombs, holding the cloud back with the Force to protect themselves. Secura also owned a pink astromech droid called QT-KT, who was chosen to join D-Squad for a special mission. She dropped off QT for the mission briefing.

Secura attended the funeral service for the victims of the Jedi Temple's hangar bombing. Secura later went with Masters Windu, Kenobi, Tiplee and Commander Wolffe to investigate the recent battle on Ord Mantell. She and Master Windu then assisted Masters Kenobi and Tiplee in fighting Darth Maul and Count Dooku. After Tiplee was killed, Secura then left Maul's ship with prisoners.

By the end of the Clone Wars, Secura had achieved the rank of Jedi Master.

Death
"Execute Order 66."

- Darth Sidious ordering the deaths of the Jedi, including Aayla Secura

Shortly after the Battle of Coruscant, Secura was sent to the exotic Outer Rim planet of Felucia, along with Clone Commander Bly, where she and her troops fought against the Separatist forces stationed there. As she and her troops prepared to engage Separatist spider tanks, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine issued Order 66, calling for the extermination of all Jedi throughout the galaxy. Bly, having received the orders, ordered his fellow clones to open fire on the Twi'lek Jedi. Secura, who was distracted at the time by a bird suddenly taking flight, was unable to even draw her lightsaber before being shot twice in the back by the same clones she had trusted and even risked her life for. As she crumpled beneath a large fungal tree, the clones continued to hammer her body with blaster fire, killing her.

Grand Master Yoda felt the death of Secura and many other fellow Jedi while on Kashyyyk, which allowed him to defend himself and escape. Master Depa Billaba, who was meditating at the time, witnessed Secura as one of those killed in her Force vision which she shared with her Padawan Caleb Dume on Kaller. She sacrificed herself soon after so Dume could survive.

Personality and traits
"Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one."

- Aayla Secura

Aayla Secura was intelligent, skilled with a lightsaber, and was sometimes mischievous. She was also compassionate and sympathized with Tano about her bond with her master. She compared it to her own bond with her own master, Quinlan Vos, who she saw as a father figure. However, knowing she had to let go of him for the greater good, Secura told Tano that she would have to let go of Skywalker for the same reason.

Powers and abilities
Aayla Secura was a master of Form IV of lightsaber combat, but she also practiced Form V. Aayla used her athletic lightsaber skills to outwit her opponents. She wielded a blue-bladed lightsaber during her time as a Jedi Knight and later Master.

In combat, Secura was known to use the nexu-stance evasive roll.

Behind the scenes
Aayla Secura was portrayed by Lucasfilm Ltd. employee Amy Allen in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. She was voiced by Jennifer Hale in Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series with a French-type accent to resemble the dialogue a post World War II veteran as Director Dave Filoni wanted.

Unlike many Jedi Knights from the prequel trilogy, Secura wasn't originally created for the films. She was created by artist Jan Duursema and writer John Ostrander for the Star Wars Legends comic book series Star Wars: Republic.

In early concept art for the character by artist Dermot Power, she was a fish-like creature rather than a Twi'lek, but the concept later evolved into the character of Kit Fisto. After seeing a piece of comic book cover art of the final character, George Lucas decided to place her in Attack of the Clones.

While Aayla Secura made non-speaking appearances in the films, the illustrated screenplay of Revenge of the Sith shows that Secura was meant to have at least two lines of dialogue during the Order 66 sequence, assuring her troops of the stability of the area and asking Commander Bly if he thought there were some droids nearby before getting blasted by Bly and his troops.

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens