Jaalib Brandl

"Where will you go?" "I shall become as the shadows, my lady. And I shall go where only the darkness reigns."

- Alex Winger and Jaalib Brandl, quoting one of Brandl's roles, Dontavian

Jaalib Brandl was a Human male Dark Jedi who doubled as an actor, much like his father, the High Inquisitor Adalric Cessius Brandl. Born in 17 BBY and raised on the planet Trulalis by his mother, Brandl from a very early age displayed an interest in stage performance, particularly those of his absent father, whose true nature as an agent of Emperor Palpatine was kept hidden from the boy. In 5 BBY, Brandl and his mother were visited by Adalric, who was on the run from another Inquisitor, Antinnis Tremayne. Shortly after being reunited with his son, Adalric feigned his own death, prompting the forces of the Empire to search for him on Trulalis. A massacre ensued, and Brandl's mother died protecting him from the attacking stormtroopers. Adalric re-emerged to raise his son, teaching him both stagecraft and the ways of the Force.

In 0 ABY, while rehearsing a new production of the seminal Uhl Eharl Khoehng, father and son were visited by a wayward Jedi, Fable Astin, who was being pursued by the Dark Jedi Vialco. As Adalric instructed her in the art of using a lightsaber, she fell in love with Jaalib Brandl, much to the chagrin of the older man. When Brandl learned that his father intended to present Astin as a gift to Palpatine on Byss, he rebelled against Adalric, helping the young woman flee Trulalis. Brandl himself was pressed into Palpatine's service ultimately, and served the Empire for several years. In 9 ABY, tiring of serving the Imperials, Brandl schemed to assassinate Governor Tork Winger of Garos IV, an act he hoped would render him an undesirable in the Imperial hierarchy and prevent them from trying to reclaim him as one of their agents. During his scheme Brandl became fascinated by Winger's adopted daughter, Alexandra, and ultimately relented on his plan after prompting the young woman to fall to the dark side of the Force, albeit temporarily. Brandl's traumatic influence on Winger would persist for years afterwards, and he became a suspect in Jedi Master Luke Skywalker's speculative conspiracy involving a plot to revive the Sith Order.

Kept in the dark
Jaalib Brandl was a Human male born to the Jedi Knight and actor Adalric Cessius Brandl and an auburn-haired woman circa 17 BBY. Adalric abandoned the family while Jaalib Brandl was still very young, and his status as a Jedi was kept hidden from the boy; the Great Jedi Purge, in which agents of the Galactic Empire hunted down and killed Jedi persisted throughout the galaxy. Growing up in the settlement of Kovit, Trulalis, Brandl nonetheless came into contact with people who knew his father, such as Otias Atori, who had served as Adalric's task director during his career as an actor. Despite his mother's protestations, Brandl was shown holorecordings of Adalric's work as a stage actor&mdash;his mother eventually joined her son in watching the material, although she would inevitably break down crying with each viewing. Atori explained to Brandl that his father had pursued a higher calling offworld, hence his absence&mdash;the young boy aspired to achieve the same heights of performance however, and sought to emulate his father's career. Another of Brandl's childhood exploits was visiting the outdoor theatre of Khoehng Heights, five kilometers from Kovit. The young boy would also try his hand at writing his own tragedies, and under Atori's tutelage, began a minor acting career with the Trulalis Stage Company.

Reuinted
"I want to be as great as you are, father. I won't ever forget you."

- Jaalib Brandl

In 5 BBY, Brandl and his mother wandered the streets of Kovit, and were enjoying themselves until Brandl's mother was startled by a dark figure. Brandl had never seen the man before, and quizzed his mother, who by now was distraught. Instead of responding, she held her son close and made her way across the common, away from the figure. By the time they got home, Brandl's mother was in tears, confirming for him that the figure had been none other than his father, Adalric. The man's return, however, prompted consternation from the residents of Kovit&mdash;Brandl overheard one individual, Menges, preparing to use his ship to drive the outsiders away. Brandl's mother was skeptical that Menges would take action at all, but Brandl thought otherwise.

He ventured out into the forest to find the ship that Adalric had arrived on, the YT-1300 light freighter Kierra. The young boy hid and watched as Adalric and the bounty hunter who the ship belonged to, Thaddeus Ross, prepared to depart Trulalis, Brandl's father sensed his presence, and bade him to come out. Brandl approached with caution, and upon inspecting his father's appearance, he confirmed that Adalric was indeed a Jedi Knight. At first Adalric queried Brandl as to who he was&mdash;the young boy angrily identified himself as the man's son, before becoming fixated on Adalric's lightsaber. Brandl was hesitant to touch it before being encouraged by his father, but the young boy quickly moved onto the intent of his visit&mdash;to warn Adalric and Ross. The bounty hunter overheard the warning, and barked at his ship's droid consciousness to pick up her sensor readings.

At that moment Menges struck, an explosion roaring through the forest. Brandl, though protected by his father, was traumatized by the incident, and Ross urged Adalric to depart lest Menges kill them with the next pass. Adalric could not promise that he would ever return to Trulalis, and Brandl understood&mdash;he signaled his intentions to follow in his father's footsteps when he came of age, performing offworld and reaching what he perceived to be his father's level of greatness. Bidding a tearful farewell, Brandl then dashed into the forest, returning to Kovit. Unbeknownst to the young man at that time, Adalric was actually an Imperial Inquisitor who served Emperor Palpatine, hunting down Jedi and murdering others without a shadow of remorse. Adalric had recently gone rogue and was on the run from High Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne&mdash;shortly after leaving Brandl and Trulalis behind, Adalric had feigned his own death in a thermal detonator blast.

Soon after, Imperial reprisals came to Kovit. Stormtroopers arrived in the settlement and performed a wholesale massacre, killing the inhabitants and the Banthas used for transport. Brandl's mother died protecting him from the Imperial troops, and the town was left empty. Adalric returned soon after, and buried the dead, among them Brandl's mother near the Kovit theatre in a graveyeard called The Barrows. Then, adopting Otias Atori's name as an alias, he raised Brandl by himself in the theatre. At this stage, Brandl's name entered the civilian database for the first time. . Adalric briefly educated his son in the Jedi arts, particularly meditation and the use of a lightsaber. The training was undertaken with the use of candles, as Adalric instructed his son to light the wicks with his blade without marking the wax of the candle proper. In time, the young man became an adept user of the Jedi weapon.

Brandl learned out of what he felt was a misguided sense of loyalty, and was reluctant to pursue further teaching. At the same time, Adalric was reluctant to provide it. On occasion, other Force-sensitives would come to the planet seeking tutelage from Adalric, but no such instruction was given. Jaalib Brandl still had his heart set on being an actor, and so he studied under Adalric, putting the lightsaber skills he had learned to good use in any stage fighting required. His father's temperament and predilection to the dark side of the Force had been prevalent when he first returned, but the process of being sole guardian of the young Brandl gradually eased his temperament over the 5 year period. In due course, Brandl began his acting career offworld on Iscera, but kept his home in Kovit with Adalric. In the early stages of his offworld career, Brandl received various plaudits from both directors and other performers, who were astonished by the amount of gravitas and verisimilitude that the young man could infuse each performance with.

The Edijan-Prince
"Long&hellip;live&hellip;the King!"

- Jaalib Brandl, quoting Uhl Eharl Khoehng

In 0 ABY, Brandl was performing in a small theater on Iscera, in a play entitled For the Want of an Empire. The play entailed a duel, allowing Brandl an opportunity to display his swordsmanship. Brandl's role was that of a tragic character, much like the ones Adalric had played in his heyday, who worked his way through the tiers of government, ultimately discovering rife corruption and bureaucracy afflicting that which he serves. In the third act, Brandl's character became a domineering autocrat, determined to destroy all who opposed him. After the final performance before Iscera's winter, Brandl was approached outside the theater by one smitten audience member&mdash;a young woman named Fable Astin. The woman slipped across the ice and into his arms, before complimenting him on his swordsmanship and performance. Brandl received the compliments warmly, but as time was pressing on him had to leave Astin behind to depart for Trulalis.

Returning to Kovit, Brandl began studying his next role: that of the Edijan-Prince in what Adalric considered the greatest tragedy ever written&mdash;Uhl Eharl Khoehng. Adalric's performance in the same role was among those that Brandl had idolized as a youth, and in attempting to play the part he struggled to reach the same level as his father. Adalric reassured Brandl, however, that the role was the most difficult ever conceived, and whoever could master it was assured of greatness as a thespian. In the forthcoming production, Adalric would take the role of the titual Uhl Eharl Khoehng, a trickster king who deceives the Edijan-Prince into swearing fealty after having effectively tricked the prince into sending all of his people to their doom. As he rehearsed in the Kovit theatre with his father, the pair were interrupted by the arrival of Astin, who had tracked Brandl. In a panic, the young man approached the woman and demanded to know what she was doing in Kovit&mdash;despite Adalric's curiosity and protestations that his son mind his manners, Brandl did everything he could to get Astin to leave immediately. Adalric took further interest however, sensing the Force in the girl and noticing that she had been injured in a recent fight. He bade Brandl to take the newcomer to a comfortable room, as he had decided that she would stay the night. Although he maintained his reservations and anger at the development, Brandl obliged.

Knowing how dangerous his father was, and that Astin sought tutelage from on how to defeat another Force-sensitive opponent, Brandl urged her to leave, warning that she would learn nothing from Adalric. Irritated by Brandl's belligerent attitude, the young woman refused, and demanded to know where the older man was. Brandl begrudgingly directed her towards The Barrows. The young man watch clandestinely from afar as Astin was instructed in the art of using a lightsaber by Adalric, via an exercise involving wax cylinders and ball bearings placed atop them. Eight hours later, Astin returned to the theatre, sopping from the rain and the lengthy, arduous exercise, having found Adalric's tasks to be impossible. His mood had softened&mdash;he prepared a bath and food for her, although Astin demanded a degree of privacy upon taking the bath.

As Trulalis entered autumn, Astin's training by Adalric's hand continued, while Brandl continued to hone his performance as the Edijan-Prince. The young woman began to depend on Brandl's support and comforting words during the arduous process. One day, the young man was startled by a commotion in the theater antechamber, as his father was viciously lambasting Astin for his failure to heed his teachings. Brandl comforted the woman yet again, and sent her away from a bath, while Adalric confided in his son that he found the girl impossible to teach. Amused by the similarities in master and pupil's opinions on one another, Brandl took the opportunity to begin an impromptu rehearsal of Uhl Eharl Khoehng with his father, demonstrating the work he had put into the performance since that had last practiced. Afterwards, Adalric departed on a trip that would take several days. Brandl went to Astin's room and consulted with her. She claimed that Adalric had not yet tried to sway her to the dark side of the Force, but she needed to resume the exercises.

Revealing his father's absence, Brandl invited Astin on a picnic in order to atone for his brusque attitude when she had first arrived on Trulalis. She felt by now that Brandl's attitude had been justified, interpreting it as him trying to protect his father from her, as she revealed that her own upbringing had been quite similar. Her father, a Jedi pupil of her mother, had been slain when she was very young, and so the duty of raising her and training her in the Jedi arts had fallen to her mother. As the town was bereft of transportation after the Imperial attack, Brandl and Astin were forced to hike to their destination, Khoehng Heights. There, after they completed their meal, the young man showed Astin the outdoor theatre, flirting with her and regaling her with the tale of Uhl Eharl Khoehng, for which the location was named. Noticing a set of candles, Astin requested that Brandl impart some of his lightsaber skill to her, and run the young woman through an emulation of Adalric's exercises. Brandl obliged, finding the error in her technique and using physical guidance of Astin to correct it. Sharing a kiss as the instruction was complete, the pair departed and returned to Kovit.

When Astin resumed her training under Adalric she was enthused by the progress she was making, and felt that her master was encouraged as well. Brandl continued to work on the final stages of his and Adalric's production of Uhl Eharl Khoehng, and was soon sent by his father to Iscera to prepare for the play's opening. The young man noticed, however, that his father had recently made a trip to Byss, the pleasure world of Emperor Palpatine. Realizing that Adalric intended to present Astin to Palpatine as a gift, Brandl quickly returned home to find that Astin had confronted her pursuer, the Dark Jedi Vialco. Using the techniques she had learned, the young woman had defeated her attacker, but Adalric had tricked her into slaying her opponent after he was disarmed. Brandl's father had then destroyed both Vialco's shuttle and Astin's own ship, an X-wing starfighter.

Hoping to rescue Astin, Brandl contacted one of her associates, the Socorran Deke Holman, who landed his YT-1300 light freighter the Prodigal at Khoehng Heights and awaited rendezvous. Entering the Kovit theater without attracting his father's attention, Brandl found the distraught Astin in her room. Informing her of his father's plans to take her to Byss, he urged her to leave the theatre and follow him to Khoehng Heights. As Astin and Holman were reunited, he urged the pair to depart without him. Drawing a parallel between his own life and that of his current role, the tragic Edijan-Prince, Brandl explained that he would have to stay to prevent his father's pursuit. Astin bade him a tearful farewell as the Prodigal departed, leaving Brandl to confront Adalric, who had just arrived at Khoehng Heights himself. Lambasting his child's arrogance, Adalric began choking Brandl through the Force, before abruptly releasing him. As Adalric turned back for Kovit, Brandl continued his parallel of his own life and that of the Edijan-Prince, reciting the character's last line from the play, conceding his fealty to the trickster king.

His father's footsteps
"Don't forget, Lord Brandl was clearly able to please the Emperor&mdash;if he hadn't, he wouldn't be alive."

- Governor Tork Winger

In the wake of betraying his father on Trulalis, Jaalib Brandl became a servant of the Emperor himself, becoming a Dark Jedi and utilizing the powers of the Force to execute the Emperor's will, and attaining the title of lord. Brandl served Palpatine as his father had done up until the Emperor's death at the Battle of Endor, after which he continued to serve the Empire in an official capacity. He also maintained his career as an actor, building a reputation and acclaim that held him as second only to his father as a tragic performer. Brandl's reputation as a commander of troops was also impeccable. The young man eventually began to tire of his service to the Galactic Empire, and sought to disassociate himself from his masters in a dramatic fashion. Knowing full well that he would be re-educated and returned to service given his Dark Jedi status, rather than merely pursued and executed as any other deserter would, the young man schemed to place himself in a position where he would never be welcomed back. In 9 ABY he was assigned to oversee the Imperial evacuation of the city Ariana on Garos IV, which was about to be invaded by opposing New Republic forces.

Traveling to the planet with his assistant, Lieutenant Bane Werth, Brandl had no intention of organizing a successful evacuation, and instead plotted to have the planet's Imperial governor, Tork Winger and his adopted daughter Alexandra killed. The assassination, to the Dark Jedi's mind, would allow him to break cleanly from the Empire, who would denounce the treasonous act. He nonetheless opened his operations of Garos IV, on the governor's suggestion, with a tragic performance at Ariana's Tihaz Theatre, situated near the planet's Imperial Headquarters. Governor Winger and Alexandra were in attendance, along with much of the city's Imperial staff. The play was another tale of kings, power struggles, betrayal and corruption, and Brandl, playing the part of "Dontavian," held thrall over the audience with the power of the dark side of the Force. When the performance had concluded Brandl was alerted by Werth of the Wingers' presence, as they sought to congratulate him for his work on the stage. The governor introduced Brandl to Alexandra, and offered the Dark Jedi and his lieutenant hospitality at his mansion. One of Winger's commanders alerted him of an ongoing issue with the local resistance&mdash;detained, the governor instructed Alexandra to look after Brandl and Werth. The Dark Jedi, however, insisted that Werth stay with Winger.

Fashioning a new narrative
"That's not part of my plan. In this scene, the heroine's father must die."

- Jaalib Brandl

Left alone, Alexandra led Brandl to her landspeeder parked outside the Tihaz Theatre. Through the Force, Brandl found it exceptionally easy to read the young woman's mind, and he was able to ascertain a great deal about her. She had been the victim of an Imperial attack on Janara III at a very early age that had left her orphaned&mdash;that attack had been perpetrated by his father, Adalric Brandl, and so her apprehension around him was explained. Having been adopted by Governor Winger, she ultimately came to work with the local resistance and had a particular affection for Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, now of the New Republic. Intrigued by the young girl, Brandl decided to alter his plan, and only have Governor Winger fall prey to his plot. While getting into Alexandra's landspeeder, Brandl noticed a nearby tavern, Chado's Pub, enjoying a large amount of activity from both Imperials and civilians. One individual, Dair Haslip, was waving at Alexandra, piquing the Dark Jedi's curiosity. The young woman explained that he was a family friend, before the pair departed in the speeder. Without Alexandra's knowledge, Brandl arranged to have Chado's Pub bombed, so as to force Governor Winger away from the city and render him vulnerable to more direct attack.

Upon reaching the mansion, Brandl was taken on a guided tour of the building by Alexandra. As the Dark Jedi admired the beauty of the place, the young woman offered to show him the view from a nearby cliff. As they walked Brandl's performance as Dontavian was discussed, before the pair encountered some wild boetay. To Alexandra's astonishment, Brandl was able to control and subdue one of the predators, which allowed itself to have the young woman approach. At that moment, Lieutenant Werth contacted the Dark Jedi, alerting him to the bombing at Chado's Pub. Brandl and Alexandra raced back to the city, where Werth reported that Winger had been nowhere near the blast, but the governor was nonetheless sufficiently shaken by the experience. Brandl feigned relief at reports of Governor Winger's safety, and as Alexandra conferred with Haslip, who had survived the attack, the Dark Jedi began issuing orders, demanding that Ariana's borders be sealed and that all transportation be thoroughly searched.

By the time the governor arrived on the scene Brandl was already being harangued by an officer taking issue with his order, as there was a particular transport that could not be searched given the station of its owner. Brandl was disinterested by the excuse, and summarily threatened the officer should he fail to comply with the order. Conferring with Winger, the Dark Jedi did not hesitate to blame the attack on the Garosian resistance movement. Claiming that he was surprised by the boldness of the move, and given the proximity to Imperial Headquarters, Brandl ordered that Winger and Alexandra be moved to a safehouse outside the city in the intervening hours until their evacuation transport was prepared. He allowed the Wingers only an opportunity to collect several items from their mansion under Werth's supervision before they moved to the safehouse.

With Governor Winger now isolated, Brandl sought to put in motion the final elements of his plan, which would involve killing the older man, "liberating" Winger and freeing himself from the yoke of Imperial control. Waiting in the docking bay, the Dark Jedi managed to lure the curious Alexandra into investigating his actions, while telling some of the scout troopers stationed there that he had encountered strange sensor readings nearby, and meant to ascertain their nature. To avert suspicion, he gave the troops strict orders not to allow Alexandra to leave the complex, while setting off on a speeder bike. The young woman managed to evade the troops nevertheless, and gave chase to Brandl on another speeder bike. He led her into the nearby forest, more than two kilometers away from the safehouse, before dismounting and waiting for her.

As she arrived, she aired her suspicion that he had arranged the Chodo's Pub bombing, which he freely admitted to. She was puzzled by the move, believing that he was there to stamp out the Garosian resistance&mdash;Brandl edified her, letting her know of his wish to abandon Imperial service and the complications therein. He then unveiled his initial plan to kill both her and her father, before explaining that she had been brought away from the safehouse not to be killed, but be saved from the imminent explosion that would claim Governor Winger's life. Horrified at the revelation, Alexandra attempted to pull her blaster on Brandl, who simply drew the weapon away from her with the Force. The young woman then attempted to attack Brandl without a weapon&mdash;the Dark Jedi simply dodged and lashed out at Alexandra's arm with his lightsaber, injuring her.

Brandl then revealed that he knew everything about her, given that her thoughts had "broadcast" all pertinent information about her, including her affiliation with the resistance and the Jedi Skywalker. He was puzzled as to why the young woman would be upset, as she would be free to join her Garosian resistance friends once Governor Winger had been dispatched. Brandl then spoke of his father's involvement in the sacking of Janara III, and told Alexandra that the entire operation and wholesale slaughter had been a hunt for her, as Adalric had been serving in his capacity as a Jedi-hunting Inquisitor. As Brandl began to reminisce about his father, the an explosion in the distance heralded the destruction of the safehouse. Alexandra sped back through the forest on her speeder bike, the Dark Jedi in hot pursuit. He found her at the site of the safehouse attempting to dig her father, who was not yet dead, from the rubble.

Alexandra implored the Dark Jedi for assistance, but none was given. She claimed that she would tell both the Empire and the New Republic of what he had done, and would make sure that the intentions of his actions went fully noticed if he would help her save Governor Winger. Noting that she was not strong enough in the Force to save her adoptive father, she admitted that she would use the dark side of the Force if needs be. Illustrating that the betrayal of oneself through fear and anger was the surest path to the powers of the dark side, Brandl stood and watched as the young woman drained her own life force to save the governor. As Alexandra thrashed about in pain and slipped in and out of consciousness, Brandl held her, warning her to stay away from the light side of the Force and beckoning her to give herself over to the dark side, before she passed out entirely.

Brandl took Alexandra and Governor Winger to a shelter, where the young woman was tended to by Werth, who had abandoned his Imperial trappings. Using the Force, Brandl was able to sustain Winger's health as the New Republic forces descended on the planet. When Alexandra revived, she quoted the play performed earlier, and queried as to whether Brandl would always be watching over him from hereon in. The Dark Jedi, quoting Dontavian, claimed that it would be so if she required it of him. He offered to take Governor Winger back to the safety of the Galactic Empire, but Alexandra claimed that his loyalty was to Garos IV, not the Imperials. She was unsure as to whether she should thank or curse Brandl, but he was sure she would determine the correct option in time as he gave her a prop from his earlier performance&mdash;a Jj'abot board piece, the black knight. With that, the Dark Jedi departed the shelter and stepped out into the night to escape the approaching forces of the New Republic.

Where darkness reigns
"Brandl said I wasn’t strong enough. He knew anger would make me powerful."

- Alexandra Winger

Brandl's actions on Garos IV haunted Alexandra Winger in the following years. She made no effort to disguise the lightsaber scar, as she maintained it as a reminder of the night that she briefly tapped into the powers of the dark side of the Force. Brandl's words of admonishment, that she would never be strong enough to save her father or be a Jedi constantly rang through her head, and his dark presence permeated her dreams. Governor Winger died in 12 ABY from heart failure, never having recovered from Brandl's assassination attempt. That same year, Alexandra sought to break the Dark Jedi's influence on her and confront her own fears. After escaping the clutches of Imperial Captain Brandei, she decided to join Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order on Yavin 4. Skywalker himself was troubled by Brandl's presence, speculating that the Dark Jedi could be part of what he felt was a master scheme to engineer the return of the Sith Order. This came in the wake of the re-emergence of the spirits of Exar Kun and Marka Ragnos, and the death of Sith acolyte Flint. Apart from Brandl, another of Skywalker's suspects for engineering the plot was Irek Ismaren, but in actual fact the perpetrator was the Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya, who would ultimately re-emerge from hiding in 40 ABY.

Personality and traits
"Won't you follow me?" "A fleet of Star Destroyers couldn't hold me away."

- Alexandra Winger and Jaalib Brandl

At an early age, Jaalib Brandl determined that he wanted to act, inspired by the holorecordings of his father's performances on stage. He was able to deduce things that were kept hidden from him by adults, such as Adalric Cessius Brandl's identity, his status as a Jedi, and Menges' plan to attack Adalric in 5 BBY. Although he was brave enough to venture out by himself to warn his father of an impending attack, Brandl was left shocked by the confrontation itself. Brandl's bravery persisted into his adolescent and adult life, giving him the strength to defy his High Inquisitor father, and later the forces of the Galactic Empire itself. As a Dark Jedi, Brandl held no fear of predatory creatures or weapons brandished towards him.

Brandl's relationship with Astin was an affectionate one from the start. He teased her clumsiness on their first meeting, and although his reaction to her following him to Trulalis was one of bitterness and anger, he eventually softened to her presence, providing a stark contrast to the severity of Adalric's Jedi tutelage. Astin ultimately fell in love with Brandl, after he took her to see the sights of Trulalis and regaled her with the tale of Uhl Eharl Khoehng. He was particularly forward with Astin, taking advantage of her imperiled situation to woo her. The young man's winsome demeanor was an element he preserved into his Imperial service, although in the case of Alexandra Winger it was a case of mutual fascination. So compelled was he by Alexandra as an individual that he saw fit to alter his own murderous plans to suit her, and ultimately he abandoned his plans to assassinate Governor Winger entirely, in order to help her.

His playful demeanor when re-telling Uhl Eharl Khoehng helped win her over, as he added what dramatic flourishes he could in an impromptu fashion. The blurring of lines between reality and drama was a constant theme for Brandl, as he both identified with the Edijan-Prince during his experiences with Astin, and later did likewise with Dontavian during his involvement on Garos IV. Like his father, Jaalib Brandl saw himself as a tragic figure, which influenced his actions to both betray his father on Trulalis, and steered his withdrawal from Alexandra Winger's life on Garos IV. Having wanted to follow in his father's footsteps from an early age, Brandl was so influenced by tragic plays that he tried to write them himself, and later devised his real-life plots around what he deemed to be a satisfactorily tragic narrative structure.

Powers and abilities
Jaalib Brandl was an adept swordsman, having learned from his father during his brief training in Jedi arts on Trulalis. Initially, Brandl only put the skills to use in his capacity as an actor, but even in this sense he was accomplished enough to dramatically advance the tutelage of Fable Astin in the art. The young man's presence in the Force was notable, to such a degree that other Force-sensitives such as Astin could pick up upon it when watching him perform on stage. In his later career, Brandl would exude a presence through the Force that would affect his audience, holding them under his thrall. As an agent of the Empire, Brandl's command of the Force had developed to such a point where he could pull others' weapons out of their hands, could sustain the life of another through the power of the Force, and could affect the minds of animals, rendering them placid before him. Brandl's powers also allowed him to read Alexandra Winger's mind though the Force, and glean a significant amount of biographical and emotional information from doing so.

Equipment
In his days as a traveling actor Brandl utilized his father's own ship to travel from Trulalis to Iscera. While serving the forces of the Galactic Empire as a Dark Jedi, Brandl made use of his own lightsaber. He also possessed a comlink.

Appearance and attire
In his childhood, Brandl was tall for his age, and had shoulders that were seemingly too broad for his slender frame. His gait was rhythmic and coordinated, suggesting from an early age that he would develop well into a mature man. When venturing out into the forests of Trulalis, Brandl would wear clothing that matched the colour of the foliage. Brandl grew up to be a handsome man, although stage lighting would often frame his features as being somewhat malevolent and imposing. Brandl wore his black hair at shoulder-length, and had blue, "inquisitive" eyes.

Behind the scenes
Jaalib Brandl first appeared as a child in Patricia A. Jackson's short story "The Final Exit," initially publsihed in Star Wars Adventure Journal 4 (1994), and reprinted in the anthology Tales from the Empire (1997). The character re-appeared as a teenager in Jackson's follow-up, "Uhl Eharl Khoehng," and in the Alex Winger story "Betrayal by Knight," co-written by Jackson and Charlene Newcomb.

Emanations of Darkness
Jackson had written a fourth story in which Brandl would appear, entitled "Emanations of Darkness," but the tale was not published by either the Star Wars Adventure Journal or Star Wars Gamer. "Emanations of Darkness" revealed that Brandl had been trained by Tremayne after being offered by Adalric as a gift to the Emperor. Later, after the events of "Betrayal by Knight," Adalric has turned warlord and created the Protectorate, with Jaalib Brandl as his lieutenant. The younger Brandl is ultimately captured by Moff Darius Onneir, but escapes with the assistance of Fable Astin, and convinces his father into entering an alliance with the New Republic.

Appearances

 * Emanations of Darkness
 * Emanations of Darkness
 * Emanations of Darkness
 * Emanations of Darkness
 * Emanations of Darkness