Q'Anilia

"This one is special, no?"

- Krynda Draay

Q'Anilia was a Female Miraluka Jedi Master. In 3,993 BBY she began her training with Krynda Draay, who she remained with for over a decade. It was during this time that she became a Jedi Consular and member of the First WatchCircle within the Jedi Covenant. Q'Anilia was stationed at the Jedi Tower as of 3,964 BBY and was one of the five masters implicated in the Padawan Massacre of Taris. She was a close associate and companion of Jedi Master Lucien Draay, the son of her former master. Together, they led the pursuit of fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick.

Early years and Jedi training
"She knew you would ask to see her."

- Haazen informs Krynda Draay of Q'Anilia's abilities.

After learning of her at the Culu Memorial Center, she came under the tutelage of Krynda Draay. She joined with three other students at the Draay Estate on Coruscant where, for several years, she built upon her abilities and strengthened her connection to the Force. After passing all of Krynda's trials she was allowed to enter into the Jedi Order as a Jedi Knight and would go on to become a consular along with the three other trainees with her.

Assignment on Taris
Once a master, Q'Anilia was assigned to the Jedi Tower on Taris with the other members of the First WatchCircle to secretly recover the Muur Talisman. Because of her connection to the Force, she was second in command of the Circle. Q'Anilia and her partners were forced to keep secret their true mission so when the already suspicious Jedi High Council assigned them to train Padawans, the masters felt they had no choice. They would send their new students on missions that appeared to coincide with their master's commitment to Taris; although it was only a ploy to get the young one out of the way.

As they approached the time Shad Jelevan and his friends would graduate, the masters arranged for their Padawans to have a survival test on the Taris system's Rogue Moon, a place where the Force flowed freely and where the Masters could be alone; a time they needed for meditation on Covenant related issues. They envisioned the destruction of the Jedi Order and the rule of the Sith. Fearing this possibility, the four masters pointed out that the Sith in their visions wore a similar suit as their Padawans were wearing at the same moment. When Raana Tey demanded the Padawans be executed, Q'Anilia was reluctant, but she admitted that the vision had been as vivid as if she had eyes.

After a final celebration with the Padawans and their families, the Covenant members took their students to the Council chambers and executed them; though Lucien's own Padawan escaped. Blaming Carrick, the Taris masters quickly began to find the so-called fugitive.

Searching for Zayne
Joining her fellow Masters Feln, Lucien, and Raana in their pursuit for Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph, the team's search led them to a battle with rakghouls in the Undercity. She was present at the attempted arrest of Zayne and Gryph at Junk Junction, following which the two escaped offworld. Bounty hunter Valius Ying eventually captured Zayne and brought him into custody so that Q'Anilia and her partners would finally be able to set things right. Lucien told Zayne the truth in front of the hunter, who he murdered, and Zayne would have been next if not for the surprise rescue from Jarael and the crew of the Last Resort.

Weeks later, after a series of riots breaking out due to the escape of Zayne, the Miraluka and her partners received a message from Carrick, who gave them an ultimatum: confess and clear his name, or die at his hand. With Taris lost, the Jedi High Council recalled the masters to Coruscant for their failures.

The High Council's decision
"The futher the Mandalorians stab, the more traction our colleague back there will get. The Jedi could lose what little focus they have."

- Q'Anilia worries about Revan's growing popularity.

Upon returning to Coruscant, Q'Anilia and the other masters attempted to meet with Krynda Draay. However, they were denied entrance by the household droid; an event that was upsetting that to her. The Circle met with the Jedi Council and pleaded their point that they needed to be leading the search for the renegade Padawan. Master Vrook Lamar denied them and ordered that they be reassigned to separate postings.

Despite the fact that the former Taris Masters had been sent else where on separate assignments aiding the war effort, they managed to maintain contact. During the Battle of Serroco, Q'Anilia was in ice caverns on an unknown planet. As the Mandalorians rained nuclear missiles down onto Serroco's surface, Q'Anilia immediately felt the impact of thousands of deaths and concluded their vision was coming true. Later, both she and Lucien sensed Raana Tey's death through the force but Q'Anilia was more concerned that Zayne knew about the Covenant's founder and leader as well as her former master Krynda. Q'Anilia attended a memorial to Raana Tey but it was interrupted by a vision of the Muur Talisman. She sees rakghouls who strangely have a mind of their own. She then wonders if it is to happen now or in the future. Then Zayne comes in, saying everything is happening "now", as well said by three others, by Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Cade Skywalker. Lucien manages to snap her out of her vision. They then discussed the Talisman, fearing it may come into the hands of Zayne and corrupt him.

Endgame
Feeling Feln's death, Q'Anilia pleaded Lucien to allow her to see Krynda but he said there would be time later. He had assigned Xamar to the Orbital defense fleet to ensure that Zayne does not reach Coruscant, though Q'Anilia feared the third part of their prophecy in which Xamar would be killed by friendly fire. Though Xamar successfully captured Zayne, Haazen, a devoted member to the Jedi Covenant, gave the commandword "Vindication," which saw to the death of Xamar, who was killed by Saul Karath's fleet, fulfilling Xamar's part of the prophecy.

Personality and traits
"NOOOO!!!! It's what we've been watching for! The Sith! The Sith are returning!"

- Q'Anilia

Q'Anilia displayed great emotional sensitivity and was openly sorrowful about the Jedi Masters' perceived duty to slay their Padawans. Her sorrow stemmed from the fact that she cared for her beloved Padawan Shad Jelavan, but even with that she had the dedication to do what she felt was right for the Covenant's mission.

Powers and abilities
One of the greatest seers of the Covenant, Q'Anilia was greatly respected by Lucien for her ability. Given that she was a Miraluka, Lucien found it awkward when he had to remind her of the nature of the Unifying Force. She was also highly Force-sensitive and was able to detect changes in the Force before the other Masters on Taris. She was the Master who initially sensed the potential for darkness in one of their Padawans, nearly collapsing after Alek advised Zayne Carrick that "sometimes you have to enter the darkness to save the light". There is some evidence that she was able to sense shatterpoints in a way similar to that of Mace Windu. However, her abilities were not infallible; she mistakenly led the Tarisian Jedi Masters to the Undercity during their search for Carrick, where they had to battle rakghouls. She also proved unable to sense the mind of Carrick's ally Marn "Gryph" Hierogryph. Yet she felt sure that Gryph would ultimately betray Carrick to their pursuers.

Behind the scenes
Even though the comics, predictably, never specify whether the first letter "A" in the name is capitalized, John Jackson Miller writes it as uppercase, except the production notes for issue 15, where it's spelled "Q'anilia". The uppercase A was confirmed by the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Handbook.

Although some Miraluka do not have eyes (with Q'Anilia explicitly mentioning that she does not have eyes in issue 5), she drops a tear in issue #1.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 0: Crossroads
 * 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
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 15: Days of Fear, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 19: Daze of Hate, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 20: Daze of Hate, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 23: Knights of Suffering, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 24: Knights of Suffering, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 25: Vector, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 30: Exalted, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 32: Vindication, Part 1

Notes and references
Q'Anilia Q'Anilia