Lumiya

"I'm actually more machine than organic... There's a point, I think, at which a woman ceases to be a human with cybernetic implants and becomes a machine with organic parts. I believe I've crossed that threshold.  And you know what?  I'm not unhappy with that."

- Dark Lady Lumiya

Lumiya, originally known as Shira Elan Colla Brie, was a female Human dark side adept trained by Darth Vader, and, later, a Dark Lady of the Sith. Lumiya is also know for her exotic weapon choice, the lightwhip.

Brie was a member of Imperial Intelligence, and on Vader's orders she went undercover to infiltrate the Rebel Alliance and discredit Luke Skywalker. After Brie had suffered serious injuries due to being shot down by Skywalker, Vader rescued her and had her enhanced with cybernetic parts.

Now calling herself Lumiya, she was secretly instructed in some Sith lore by Vader and was offered to Palpatine as an Emperor's Hand. After the deaths of Palpatine and Vader at the Battle of Endor, Lumiya proclaimed herself Dark Lady of the Sith. She went on to turn and train Jacen Solo as a Sith and inflame the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War before falling to the lightsaber of her former lover, Luke Skywalker in 40 ABY, enabling her apprentice, now Darth Caedus, to fully inherit the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith.

Shira Brie
Born on Coruscant around 21 BBY as Shira Elan Colla Brie and raised on one of Palpatine's estates, she began her service to the Galactic Empire as a pilot trainee at the Coruscani Pilot Institute. During her final year, she transferred to the Academy of Carida to complete her training. During this time, Myrette Davani was her bunkmate and closest friend.

In addition to her field and pilot training, Brie came under the Force tutelage of Darth Vader. There she got her first taste of destruction and was given free reign to test her budding powers. An example of this was the incident where, while testing MT-STs, her walker was equipped with actual lasers as opposed to training ones; Brie ended up killing six students and destroying a dozen of the MT-STs, and was never as much as investigated by the Academy staff.



After graduating from Carida, Brie was trained as an Imperial Intelligence agent and underwent numerous biological alterations to her body's defenses, giving her accelerated healing and a high pain threshold. After the Battle of Yavin, she was dispatched by Vader to infiltrate the Rebel Alliance. Imperial forces razed the planet Shalyvane to provide a background cover story for her, and she used as her alias the shortened version of her name: Shira Brie. Posing as a Shalyvane refugee, she accomplished her infiltration with ease, working her way into Rogue Squadron. Her vivacious beauty and intelligence made her a popular member of the Alliance, and lover of Luke Skywalker, although apparently they never consummated the relationship. While serving with the Rebels, Brie would work alongside Kyle Katarn, Corwin Shelvay, and Erling Tredway on a mission to D'rinba IV to disable the superlaser of the second Death Star.

While based on the planet Arbra, Shira requested leave to return to Shalyvane, ostensibly to honor her family who, she alleged, had been killed in the Imperial attack on her home. As the precise coordinates of Arbra were known only to a few in the Rebellion, she required an escort from Skywalker as well as two other members of Rogue Squadron, Hanc Thorben and Wald. While on Shalyvane in the capital city of Chinshassa, Brie privately approached the Circle of Kavaan to perform what she claimed was a blood-ritual in honor of her fallen family, but her blood was actually a trigger for a hidden communication device; she was secretly contacting Darth Vader. But during the ceremony she and the rest of Rogue Squadron were attacked by a horde of Em'liy, the native species of Shalyvane. Using her knowledge of the underground drainage system, Brie made her way past the Em'liy to her X-wing fighter and piloted it back to the scene of the battle, strafing the attackers from above, and saving her fellow squad members from certain death.



In recognition of her heroic actions Princess Leia Organa presented Brie with the Burdine Cluster and promoted her to the rank of Captain.

Members of Rogue Squadron were assigned to covertly attack an Imperial fleet and destroy a captured teezl, a luminous being whose special abilities would have given the Empire an advantage in galactic-wide communication. As part of the mission, Brie, Skywalker, Thorben, and Alph were chosen to pilot modified TIE fighters and infiltrate the armada. During the battle, the Imperials used the teezl to prevent the Rebels from signaling each other, thus they were unable to determine friend from foe. As Skywalker approached the primary target, another TIE moved into his line of fire. Unable to use his signaling device to determine if the TIE was a Rebel, he relied on sensing through the Force&mdash;which led to the unexpected result of shooting down Brie. When he returned to base after completing his mission, Leia revealed to Luke that Thorben's fighter camera recorded visual proof that Skywalker had fired on Brie, presumably killing her. Due to the undeniable evidence against him, as well as Brie's tremendous popularity among her comrades, Luke was stripped of his commission until an investigation and trial could be held.

However, Skywalker enlisted the help of Chewbacca and together they secretly went to Shalyvane to determine the truth behind Shira's past. He returned to the Circle of Kavaan to enact the same blood-ritual he saw Shira perform earlier, but when his blood contacted the altar, the communication device displayed a hologram of Darth Vader, who revealed that Brie's true purpose was to kill Luke, or failing that, to discredit him with the Rebellion so that he would join Vader. But, undaunted, Skywalker went to Krake's Planet, home of an Imperial data vault where he was able to infiltrate the vault and obtain proof of Brie's true mission, clearing himself of the charges against him.

Dark Lady of the Sith


"Don't put it past Lumiya to engineer events to serve her purposes."

- Luke Skywalker

It was thought that Brie had perished in her fighter's crash; but she had survived due to her biological modifications and unknown to most, Vader had her damaged body nursed back to life and enhanced with cybernetic parts, giving her the ability to fire energy blasts from her hands. Now, taking the name Lumiya, she was taken further under Vader's tutelage and was instructed by him in the more advanced methods of the dark side and even some of the ways of the Sith. Knowing his master would not approve of him taking an apprentice, he presented her to the Emperor as an Emperor's Hand.

Prior to the Battle of Endor, Lumiya had traveled to the planet Ziost to train further in the dark side. When she had learned both her masters had perished in the Battle of Endor, she vowed revenge and claimed for herself the title of Dark Lady of the Sith. While on Ziost, she had constructed her signature weapon: the lightwhip. Crafted from Mandalorian iron and a shard of the Kaiburr crystal, it resembled a lightsaber, but with the ability to flex and move like a leather whip. Lumiya then set out to take revenge upon the Alliance.

"Run back to your friends, little Leia…but you have worse things to worry about than stormtroopers. Before long, you and everyone you hold dear will learn just how 'pretty dangerous' a foe I can be."

- Lumiya

Shortly after, Lumiya begun training a young stormtrooper from Belderone named Flint as her Sith apprentice. She then sent Flint, now calling himself the Dark Lord of Belderone, to oversee the subjugation of the planet Naldar. When Luke Skywalker later managed to turn Flint back to the light, Lumiya was furious enough to order the execution of her former apprentice. When the attempted execution failed, she then decided to cut her losses and set about consolidating her forces.

Lumiya controlled some Imperial forces (including a contingent of stormtroopers), but initially much of the danger she posed came from alliances she had forged with slavers and alien invaders. She had forged an alliance with the Near-Human Nagai race and set up their mutual headquarters on the planet Kinooine.

After posing as a cyborg and being assigned as the head of planetary security on Herdessa, she encountered Princess Leia Organa and Mon Mothma and was narrowly prevented from capturing them. She then ordered a kidnapping attempt of a Rebel Alliance diplomatic gathering on Kabray and allowed Luke Skywalker to track her to Kinooine. Upon arriving on Kinooine, Skywalker discovered that Lumiya had allied her forces with the Nagai invaders. Initially, Lumiya triumphed over Skywalker and his companions Dani and Kiro, and she revealed that the reason for her success was that Skywalker's Jedi training prepared him for energy weapons or solid weapons, but not both.



After being rescued by Kiro, Skywalker constructed a shorter lightsaber with a synthetic red blade—a shoto. He confronted Lumiya again and defeated her, shredding her cyborg armor and revealing the scarred face of Shira Brie. The arrival of the entire Nagai fleet on Kinooine forced Luke to abandon Lumiya, recover Dani and flee the planet. Lumiya continued to harry the Rebel Alliance, launching a two-pronged assault on their capital world of Endor. Using an inside agent — the half Nagai, half Corellian Bey — they gained the Alliance battle plans and engaged the Alliance with a number of fighter squadrons. Lumiya led these forces personally, reveling in her return as a fighter pilot. A ground force composed of Nagai and Maccabree attempted to kidnap the grounded leadership. This ground maneuver failed, and as the Rebels abandoned their flight patterns, the space battle also began to turn. Lumiya ordered a retreat, although their efforts still caused the Alliance to abandon the planet.

After other engagements on Mandalore and Iskalon, Lumiya and her Nagai allies launched an invasion of Zeltros. Unforeseen by Lumiya, and ultimately fatal to her plans, another invasion force of Tofs—mortal enemies of the Nagai—was also launched. The return of their old enemy caused the Nagai to abandon their alliance with Lumiya and instead join with the Alliance, Empire, Zeltrons, and Hiromi Empire to repel the Tofs.



Abandoned by Flint and the Nagai on Zeltros, and with her plans of destroying the Alliance crumbling, Lumiya lent her support instead to the Tofs, convincing Prince Sereno to ally with her using flattery. Pursued by this new coalition however, Lumiya and the Tofs were attacked on their base planet of Saijo. As this battle too, turned against Lumiya, she tried to exert some personal revenge by shooting Princess Leia. Only an unexpected blast from a Tof—Lumiya's former Nagai agent Bey in disguise—prevented this, and it was Lumiya instead who was left for dead. With the Tofs surrender, Lumiya's second invasion force had failed. Though she managed to escape and survive, the many betrayals she received only hardened her desire for power.

Following the failure of the Tof invasion, Lumiya withdrew into the shadows and set about rebuilding her forces. Within a few months, she had a modest fleet under her command, and Ysanne Isard had assigned her a detachment of the Imperial Royal Guard. In return, Lumiya agreed to investigate Rebel infiltration of Imperial Intelligence facilities in the Cron Drift, and to track down Mara Jade. Lumiya discovered Mara Jade on Caprioril and engaged her in a duel; she was apparently defeated, and both the Empire and the Alliance believed Lumiya to be finally dead. Jade survived to join Talon Karrde's organization a few months later. Around this time, Lumiya had also begun training another apprentice in the ways of the dark side&mdash;one of her Royal Guard detachment, Carnor Jax.

Later activities


After the incident on Caprioril, little is known for certain of Lumiya's activities. She and Jax slew the Prophets of the Dark Side on Bosthirda that had not been killed by Azrakel. In 10 ABY, she may have been the driving force behind the successful coup which briefly saw Lord Jax and the Interim Ruling Council take control of the Empire; but an unlikely alliance of Kir Kanos and the New Republic saw this plan defeated. In 14 ABY, exacting the revenge she promised years earlier, she killed her former apprentice Flint on the planet Belderone. At some time during this period, she also acquired a Sith Holocron. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, she apparently attempted to steal bafforr pollen samples from Yaga Minor to use against the invaders, and used her fleet to battle the attacking Yuuzhan Vong to a standstill.

It is known that, around the same time, a Force-sensitive female Yuuzhan Vong captured Jedi Master Daye Azur-Jamin on Nal Hutta, and temporarily turned him to the dark side. Azur-Jamin was rescued by Kyle Katarn and Mara Jade soon after the end of the war, and though it remains unknown who had trained the Force-strong Yuuzhan Vong, it is possible she encountered and gained knowledge from Lumiya.

Confederation-Galactic Alliance War
"Don't judge me so soon, Jacen. My history is much like your Aunt Mara's…except she received some lucky breaks I didn't. I took longer to straighten out my life."

- Lumiya



Sometime before the Battle of Ebaq 9 (or possibly before the Yuuzhan Vong War itself), Lumiya had somehow entered into contact with Vergere, a former Jedi Knight and Sith apprentice who had been captured by the Yuuzhan Vong prior to the Clone Wars. After this contact was established, Vergere passed on her view of Sith teachings (influenced by Darth Vectivus, Darth Sidious, and the Potentium) to Lumiya. From these lessons, Lumiya accepted that she was incapable of realizing her full Sith abilities due to her cybernetic additions, but also felt that though powerful in the dark side, Palpatine and Vader had not been true Sith either.

Lumiya's skills at Force projections allowed her to manipulate many Galactic Alliance and various security personnel at the Toryaz Station near Kuat. Through Force ghost projections she sent to her prey, Lumiya unleashed her plan to not only bring about a civil war between the Galactic Alliance and Corellia, but to also seduce the versatile and powerful Jedi Jacen Solo.

Using the name "Brisha Syo", Lumiya took Jacen Solo, Ben Skywalker, and Nelani Dinn to Vectivus' dark-side-infused residence near Bimmiel in 40 ABY. Acting under the orders of what was apparently an apparition of a future Sith Lord Jacen Solo, she separated current-Jacen from Ben and Nelani and revealed to him her true identity. She also told Jacen that Vergere had sacrificed herself in an attempt to pass the Sith philosophies through him, should he choose to accept that fact. Denying at first what his instincts told him to be true, Lumiya questioned Jacen's purpose, forcing him to acknowledge his disillusionment with his life as a Jedi. Accepting his destiny, Jacen killed Nelani when she tried to arrest Lumiya—receiving a premonition that her survival would inevitably lead to a fatal confrontation with his former master Luke Skywalker—allowing the Dark Lady to go free. He agreed to Lumiya's suggestion that he needed an apprentice who, unlike Ben, could be molded to Sith teachings.

Exactly how much of Lumiya's story about Vergere, Vectivus, and her own limitations as a Sith are true is currently unknown.

After their original encounter, Jacen summoned Lumiya to Coruscant to answer him and to test her for her true intentions, bringing her into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in proximity of her enemy Luke Skywalker. Though disguised, Lumiya proved to him her intentions, passing on an easy attempt to attack and kill Skywalker. Little did Lumiya know that Luke felt her presence and was intent on rooting her out, around the same time Lumiya suggested to Jacen one part of his training required him to become a Jedi Master, albeit to his surprise. In the end she told him he had to commit the ultimate sacrifice that would put him on the path of a Sith; he needed to kill someone he loved.

She later saved Jacen from Alema Rar's attempt to assassinate him in the depths of Coruscant, although Alema was successful in killing the World Brain. After a meeting with Jacen, she agreed to assassinate members of the Bothan True Victory Party. At another meeting with Jacen, where his apprentice Ben Skywalker was also present, Tresina Lobi eavesdropped on their conversation as she had been instructed to follow Ben, but Alema, who was also watching the meeting, attacked Tresina and warned Lumiya, who joined the fight and killed her. Alema agreed to partner with Lumiya, to help Jacen become a Sith and preserve the Balance. Lumiya had also been furnished with a GAG apartment safehouse and access to various GAG resources by Jacen, and Luke discovered its location but not until after Lumiya had already left. She later met with Jacen on the Anakin Solo to discuss their next moves, and knowingly agreed to go to the Roqoo Depot, even though it was a trap. At the same time, she and Alema removed proton detonators from missiles on the Anakin Solo and attached them to themselves with dead-man triggers as last-ditch resorts: if they were killed, the bombs would incinerate anyone around them. Lumiya also revealed to Alema that there was a plan in place to ensure Jacen became a true Sith Lord and implied that there were some Sith still active in the Galaxy other than herself.

Lumiya did later engage Luke and Mara Skywalker, drawing them out by attacking patrons in a cantina. While Luke battled her using the Jar'Kai style of shoto and lightsaber, Mara Jade was attacked by Alema Rar, who was hidden nearby, but was saved from certain death by Luke's warning. That distraction gave Lumiya enough time to ensnare Luke with her lightwhip, burning his chest and severing his artificial hand. Luke continued to fight by drawing heavily on the Force, but was disarmed by Lumiya. As she taunted him and moved in for the kill, Luke used a blaster to shoot her five times in the chest. Mara stopped him from shooting her anymore, keeping the bomb strapped to her from immediately detonating. Approximately two minutes after the Jedi fled, the bomb detonated.

"You're stalling. You don't know whether he will be fit to become a Sith apprentice. The time to learn that is now, not when you reveal yourself. You must test him."

- Lumiya tells Jacen Solo to test Ben Skywalker

Jacen later learned that Lumiya survived the Duel on Roqoo Depot, and went into a healing trance. She had been severely injured by Skywalker's blaster shots, hitting flesh and cybernetics alike. She told Jacen that he needed to choose a Sith apprentice, but only after revealed himself to be a Sith Lord and made his sacrifice. Jacen, wanting Ben to be his apprentice, decided to test Ben. Disguising herself as Jacen, she sent Ben on a mission to recover the Amulet of Kalara on Drewwa. Lumiya then tricked an insane Matric Klauskin to bring Commenor, his homeworld onto Corellia's side on the conflict by using the Force to pose as Klauskin's dead wife, Edela Klauskin She then posed as a Hapan to bring Bothawui onto Corellia's side as well. The planets, allied with Corellia, were able to break the Galactic Alliance's blockade of Corellia.

Lumiya tricked Ben into going to Ziost, and manipulated all of Ben's mission. Disgusted with Ben's choice to save Kiara, she ordered Byalfin Dyur to kill Ben. Ben, surviving, returned with the amulet and a Sith Meditation Sphere which Jacen then gave to Lumiya. While traveling with Jacen undercover on a GA mission, they were ambushed. In the resulting chaos, Lumiya again teamed up with Alema Rar to combat the Masters Skywalker, and Han and Leia Solo, who had arrived to help Jacen. Lumiya and Luke dueled yet again. In the course of the duel, Lumiya told Luke that she didn't hate him and offered him her hand as a peace offering, which he accepted. When Alema crashed the Duracrud into the station they were on, Lumiya escaped in the frantic struggle to get out. After the Battle of Gilatter VIII, Jacen told Lumiya that he was to make his parents his Sith sacrifice. Lumiya questioned if they would leave a hole in his heart, and told Jacen that they might not be a suitable sacrifice. When he made his final choice for his sacrifice, Lumiya said she'd be waiting.

Lumiya was injured in a duel with Mara Jade on Hesperidium and escaped thanks to the Sith Meditation Sphere. She followed Jacen to Hapes and finally learned of Allana and planned to kill all things that distracted him. After Mara's death, Lumiya willingly made it look like she killed Mara in Luke's eyes and sacrificed her self for Jacen's future as the new Dark Lord of the Sith as she was killed when decapitated in a brief duel with Luke.

Behind the scenes

 * Shira's last name was spelled "Brei" in her first appearance. In all subsequent appearances "Brie" was used.
 * In the early stages of planning for the Legacy of the Force series, Lumiya was not included. However, after early drafts had a character similar to her, Lucasfilm Ltd. decided to make her into Lumiya.


 * The name Brisha is an anagram of Shira B. When the Dramatis Personae for Betrayal was revealed, this led to some fans correctly predicting that Brisha Syo was Lumiya, who was known to feature in the series but did not appear on the Dramatis Personae. Lumiya has been listed in the subsequent books in the series.


 * Shira is a Hebrew name which means 'song'.

Appearances

 * Star Wars 56: Coffin in the Clouds
 * Star Wars 57: Hello, Bespin, Goodbye
 * Star Wars 58: Sundown
 * Star Wars 60: Shira's Story
 * Star Wars 61: Screams in the Void
 * Star Wars 62: Pariah
 * Star Wars 63: The Mind Spider
 * Star Wars 88: Figurehead
 * Star Wars 95: No Zeltrons
 * Star Wars 96: Duel With a Dark Lady
 * Star Wars 97: Escape
 * Star Wars 100: First Strike
 * Star Wars 107: All Together Now
 * Lumiya: Dark Star of the Empire
 * Betrayal
 * Bloodlines
 * Tempest
 * Exile
 * Sacrifice