Dass Jennir

"I would not throw my life away so hastily&mdash;or so vainly&mdash;but neither am I done fighting for the principles on which the Republic was based."

- Dass Jennir

Dass Jennir was a Human male who served as a Jedi Master during the Clone Wars and survived Order 66. During the Clone Wars, he was stationed on New Plympto, leaving the Republic's war effort against the Separatist Nosaurians. Several months into the campaign on New Plympto, Jennir's clone troopers executed Order 66, attempting to kill Jennir. He evaded them, eventually finding refuge among the Nosuarians he had been fighting against. Jennir led the Nosaurians into battle against the Republic's successor, Palpatine's Galactic Empire, though they incurred heavy losses; of the New Plympto resistance soldiers, only Jennir and his friend Bomo Greenbark survived the Battle of Half-Axe Pass.

The two companions left the planet in a smuggling ship, the Uhumele, after being accepted into the vessel's crew by captain Schurk-Heren. They departed for Orvax IV, where Greenbark's wife and child were being kept as slaves, though by the time they had reached the planet Bomo's wife had been killed and his daughter sold. Jennir, determined to help his friend, broke the Jedi Code in procuring Resa Greenbark's seller, killing the slaver after learning of Resa's location. The Uhumele ferried Jennir and Bomo to Esseles, where Resa's buyer, Dezono Qua, lived; they attacked his fortress, eventually cornering him and holding him at gunpoint. Qua had already killed Bomo's daughter, though, and eaten her. Jennir murdered the man so that Bomo wouldn't have to commit such a deed, though the Nosaurian was furious at him, and the Uhumele left Esseles without Jennir. He continued to live his life as a Jedi, however, vowing to stay true to the Jedi Code and find redemption.

Clone Wars
"&hellip;I can sympathize with a former foe who has discovered that he was doing the wrong the thing for what he thought were the right reasons&mdash;but all who have died in this war believe they fought for what is right."

- Rootrock, to Dass Jennir

A Human male, Dass Jennir was a Jedi Master by the time of the Clone Wars, becoming a Senior Jedi General when the galaxy-spanning conflict began. Close to the war's end, he was sent to the planet New Plympto, located within the Core Worlds. Commanding a sizable contingent of clone troopers, Jennir was tasked with dealing with the native Nosaurian population&mdash;who had allied themselves with the Confederacy of Independent Systems&mdash;as well a large amount of Separatist battle droids. They fought many battles during the Clone Wars, and Jennir found the Nosaurians to be determined fighters.

In 19 BBY, Jennir's clone troopers&mdash;like every other unit of the Grand Army of the Republic&mdash;were told to execute Order 66, which dictated that all Jedi were to be killed immediately. He was able to evade his attackers, however;confused and disoriented, he fled into the forest, hiding from his pursuers in the underbrush. Eventually, the clones left the area to continue their search elsewhere, and Jennir was able to continue his flight into the jungle. Eventually, he encountered Bomo Greenbark, a lone Nosaurian soldier. Greenbark was unarmed, and, fearing that the Nosaurian would alert the clones to his presence, Jennir attacked him. He managed to pin Greenbark down, and made him swear to be extremely cautious and quiet. Eventually, however, Greenbark realized that Jennir was a Jedi, and gathered up his weapons, ready to strike. The Jedi Master was able to calm him down, telling him that changing circumstances meant that the two were on the same side. To Jennir's sadness, Greenbark was able to confirm to him what he had feared&mdash;throughout the galaxy, many Jedi had been slaughtered by the soldiers under their command.

Greenbark decided he could trust Jennir, as they had a common enemy, and began to lead the Jedi back to the Nosuarian settlements. En route, Greenbark told his companion of his people's recent hardships; their main export, rikknit eggs, had been their key to gaining a place within the Galactic Republic, but the Republic had refused their entry and cracked down on exportation of these eggs. With little other options, they threw their lot in with the Separatists. This information had never been given to Jennir, who found himself warming up to the Nosuarian people after hearing of their plight. Greenbark's fellow Nosuarians, however, were less easily persuaded that the Jedi, whom they had been fighting against for months, was now a friend; upon meeting a group of the natives in the forest, Jennir was attacked. They ignored Greenbark's pleas, though under the orders of Commander Rootrock, they eventually backed off. Rootrock and Jennir conferred, and the aged commander told him of the supposed grab for power the Jedi Order had made on Coruscant. They both knew such allegations to be false. Rootrock attempted to recruit Jennir into his army; without the Separatist droids, they were susceptible to attack from the newly formed Galactic Empire and Jennir could provide them with protection and leadership in battle. Jennir, however, wished to visit the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to witness the extent of Order 66 for himself. He promised to join Rootrock's militia when he returned if the commander provided him with a means of transport.

Rootrock agreed, and Jennir departed for Coruscant&mdash;now renamed Imperial Center&mdash;shortly thereafter. Once there, he made his way to the Jedi Temple, which had been closed off to the public. Many had gathered around the building, including several Jedi, though they kept the fact that they were Jedi secret. Jennir could do nothing but watch as a young Jedi, calling for the Order to be rebuilt, was cut down by clone trooper blaster fire; if Jennir had revealed himself, he too would have been killed. The crowds dispersed, though Jennir sought out another Jedi Master, a Bothan by the name of Kai Hudorra. The two spoke briefly, Hudurra encouraging Jennir to dispose of his hidden lightsaber and forget that he was ever a Jedi. Jennir, though, had made promises to Rootrock, and refused. He attempted to recruit Hudorra to his cause, but the old Bothan was adamant that he would live out his life in anonymity. Jennir left Coruscant, feeling that it had been a complete waste of time to have made the excursion in the first place, though he came away with a renewed belief in the Jedi way.

Battle of Half-Axe Pass
"Let's go down fighting."

- Dass Jennir, in what he thought would be his last battle

Jennir returned to New Plympto, upholding his promise to Rootrock and becoming a general among the Nosaurians' armed forces. The Imperial forces remained on New Plympto, hoping to purge the world of its Separatist presence; however, under Jennir’s leadership and guidance, the Nosaurians fought back. They mainly used guerrilla warfare, attacking Imperial forces in valleys and quickly retreating back to their forest dwellings. Jennir found that he still had several allies in the planet's main spaceport, and used them as spies, who told the him of any Imperial arrivals on New Plympto. Despite this, however, the Nosuarians incurred heavy losses during their skirmishes with the Empire, and after several weeks of warfare, Jennir knew that the Nosuarian Separatists would eventually be defeated by the Empire.

Some time after Order 66, the Nosaurians themselves realized they would die fighting, and made arrangements for their loved ones&mdash;children, wives, and parents&mdash;to be transported offworld. Jennir led what little remained of the Nosuarian forces during the Battle of Half-Axe Pass. The Nosaurians did poorly in the initial stages of the conflict, and Jennir&mdash;who had taken to using conventional blasters in place of his lightsaber&mdash;knew they would likely perish fighting. Bomo Greenbark was tasked with evacuating the Nosaurian civilians; Jennir, Rootrock and the others held on to their lives knowing that every extra minute they occupied the Imperials, the longer the civilians would have to escape. The Imperials continued their onslaught, killing General Rootrock and Commander Limbfree, and bringing in heavy TX-130T fighter tanks, which the Nosaurians were unable to defend against.

Greenbark eventually returned to the fighting, having ensured the departure of the civilian transport. Jennir told his friend of the situation, and pleaded with him to order a retreat. The Nosaurians refused, knowing that holding the Half-Axe Pass was a key part of their attempts to evacuate their families. Jennir improvised, using his lightsaber to cut down a large tree, which damaged an Imperial tank and blocked the path of further vehicles. He planned to use this tactic to continue distracting the Empire while the other Nosuarians made a retreat. The stormtroopers had realized this, though, and when Jennir moved into position to cut down the next tree, a powerful blaster shot from one of the Imperial tanks sent him and Greenbark sprawling. The tree was upended and the two soldiers, unconscious, fell into a pit created by the tree's movement. As such, they avoided the rout that followed, in which every single Nosaurian was killed by the attacking stormtroopers, even those who had surrendered.

The Uhumele
"This storm that has engulfed the galaxy has caught us all out, I'm afraid. We must do what we can to aid our fellow sentients."

- Schurk-Heren admits Jennir and Greenbark to his crew

The two eventually awoke and worked together to climb out of their pit, eventually stumbling upon the battlefield where the Nosaurians had been slaughtered. After seeing the bodies of their comrades upset the pair, Greenbark wanted to launch a suicide attack against the Imperials in the spaceport there and then. Jennir's counsel prevailed, however, and the two covertly made their way into the planet's main starport. The Jedi noticed, however, that the port was nearly filled with docked and berthed ships; they had expected it to be deserted, with many spacers ferrying the Nosaurian women and children to various parts of the galaxy. Suspicious, they skulked around the port for a time, eventually entering a smuggling ship called the Uhumele. A woman, Crys Taanzer, was acting as a sentry, though Jennir managed to silence her when she noticed the two in her ship. They had walked into the ship's main entertainment area, however, where the entire crew of the Uhumele&mdash;the captain, Schurk-Heren; Mezgraf and Ko Vakier, who acted as gunners and bodyguards; the navigator, Lynaliskar K'ra Snyffulnimatta; and Meekerdin-maa and Janks, the ship's engineers&mdash;had gathered. Once Jennir told them of his and Greenbark's situation&mdash;omitting the fact that he was a Jedi&mdash;Heren agreed to transport them to whatever destination they wished; he was no friend of the Empire, either. They told him of Greenbark's family, and that the refugees should have arrived earlier in the day. Greenbark's family and all the other civilians, however, were never in the spaceport, as their transport had been intercepted by the Empire. To Greenbark's immense distress, Heren told them that all of those captured had been sold to slavers on Orvax IV.

The two outlaws were given quarters on Heren's ship, and told that they could stay with the Uhumele for as long as they wished. Despite Jennir's attempts to calm him, Greenbark was still distraught at the news of his family's fate. They had little time to settle into their quarters, though; Crys Taanzer reported that Imperial stormtroopers were searching every ship in the starport, and Heren, who had illicit cargo of his own, called a meeting in his lavish living quarters. The Yarkora captain informed the crew of the situation, and asked them what course of action they each wished to take. Several of the crew were eager to attempt to blast their way out of New Plympto, but Jennir, knowing they would be destroyed before they were successful in any such attempt, proposed an alternate plan. If each of the other ship's took off simultaneously, the Uhumele would be able to escape in all the commotion, according to the Jedi Master. The plan was shot down by the crew, who had doubts about the trustworthiness of some of the other ships docked on New Plympto. Determined to see himself and his friend offworld, Jennir decided to give the other ships a reason to leave.

He left the Uhumele and made his way back into the jungle, hiding in the underbrush and lying in wait for an impending Imperial convoy. As the convoy passed, the Jedi Master killed a lone stormtrooper of the 501st Legion, taking his armor. Jennir returned to the city, now disguised as a stormtrooper, and commandeered an Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter. After contacting the crew of the Uhumele and telling them to prepare to take off, he began firing on parked vessels, with the intention of scaring the various crews into fleeing. With the Uhumele in front, every ship in the spaceport took off, leaving the Imperials confused and stretched for personnel. Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighters were sent in pursuit of Schurk-Heren and Jennir, though the combined firepower of Jennir's starfighter and the Uhumele held them at bay. When they reached space, Jennir docked with the other ship and they set off on hyperspace.

Journey to Orvax IV
"For a slave, Orvax is the living hell of the galaxy. There is no worse place that I know of."

- Mesgraf

The Uhumele made inroads towards Orvax IV, and Jennir, exhausted after the day's exploits, was treated to a feast of fine cuisine prepared by the ship's Togorian chef, Mezgraf. A former slave on Orvax IV himself, Mezgraf told Greenbark and Jennir of the planet's horrors. Greenbark was appalled and extremely worried for his daughter and wife's safety, though Jennir urged him to remain hopeful for the future. He, however, was having difficulty holding on to that hope himself. He was unsure of what path to take in life, and was frightened at the prospect of the Sith wiping out all the Jedi. Jennir was also becoming suspicious of Heren's hospitality towards the two of them, and began to wonder if the Yarkora had an ulterior motive in aiding them. He voiced his concerns to Greenbark, though the Nosaurian reasoned that their assisting the Uhumele in getting off planet made Heren indebted to the pair. Jennir's suspicions did not subside, though.

Eventually, Schurk-Heren announced that they had arrived at Orvax IV. Mezgraf and Heren believed that it was likely that the Resa and Mesa Greenbark had already been separated and sold, though Bomo and Jennir were determined to track them down. They had realized that, should they locate the group of Nosaurians taken from New Plmypto, Bomo would have to leave behind many of his friends when rescuing his family; they would be unable to release so many prisoners in secrecy, though Bomo felt that he would be strong enough to do leave his fellow Nosaurians. Eventually, after several members of Heren's crew pledged their assistance, Jennir formulated a plan.

Greenbark, Jennir and three of the Uhumele ' s crew&mdash;Ko Vakier, Mezgraf, and Meekerdin-maa&mdash;infiltrated Orvax IV's slave district, their identities and species concealed by large cloaks. Meerkerdin-maa, a short Tintinna, and Greenbark, who was also considerably shorter than Jennir and the others, wore Jawa disguises. Onworld, Mezgraf guided them to where the slaves were kept, though, en route, they inadvertently caused a Vulptereen driving a swoop bike to collide with a huge, lumbering creature walking on Orvax IV's streets. The creature became flustered, and began to stampede through the boulevard. Mezgraf managed to climb onto the beast's back, though, and subdued him, moments before he would have trodded on Jennir. In dismounting the creature, however, Mezgraf accidentally revealed the tattoo on his bicep which marked him as a former slave. A nearby being alerted the T'surr guards to his presence, though Jennir was able to use a mind trick via the Force to dissuade them. Not wanting to reveal his Force-sensitivity to the others, he told them that he had bribed the guards.

Moments after the T'surr left, Greenbark discovered the location of a group of female Nosuarian captives, and rushed off to speak with them. Jennir and the others gave chase, but so did several more T'surr guards. Ko Vakier, Mezgraf and Jennir arrived just in time to save Greenbark and Meerkerdin-maa from the guards' wrath, managed to incapacitate or kill each of them. Bomo then spoke with the Nosuarian civilians, though they informed him that his wife Mesa had been killed just hours earlier trying to stop the slavers from taking Resa, who was now in captivity.

Straying from the path
"The life of Bomo's daughter&hellip;for the life of a slaver."

- Dass Jennir's thoughts, moments before he killed Orso Meeto

Jennir told the others to return to the Uhumele, and that they should depart Orvax IV if he did not arrive back at the ship by midnight. The others left, Mezgraf having to physically haul Greenbark away, though before he went to follow the others, Meerkerdin-maa revealed that he knew Jennir was a Jedi, hoping for the Force to be with him&mdash;a phrase often used between Jedi. The rest of the Nosaurian captives, trapped in a large, caged pit, pleaded with him to rescue them, though Jennir ignored their cries and left them. If they were to be freed, his chances of find Resa Greenbark would have dropped considerably.

Jennir spent most of his day making subtle and discreet inquiries into the identity of the slaver who sold Resa, eventually finding success. The seller was a wealthy Chagrian by the name of Orso Meeto; after using some more overt methods, Jennir discovered he lived in a penthouse apartment in one of Orvax IV's richer districts, and that he would be staying in his home that evening. Armed with just a single blaster pistol, Jennir climbed up the mass amounts of stories until he reached Meeto's abode. He climbed up onto a balcony, opening a set of doors into a room where Meeto was watching a holographic Chagrian female dancing. Before Meeto could summon his guards, Jennir held him at gunpoint, showing him a tiny holograph of Resa Greenbark, and asked where the girl was currently. Meeto responded that she had been sold to a man from Esseles named Dezono Qua. With all the information he needed, Jennir was left with a difficult decision: kill Meeto and escape without incident, or leave him alive and able to summon his guards. Realizing that he would be departing the path of the Jedi forever, Jennir fired at him from point-blank range, killing him instantly. He initially felt that he had made the right decision, and was exhilarated by the freedom of not having to follow the Jedi Code. The Chargrian's guards, however, entered the room at that time by coincidence. Jennir dodged their blaster bolts and leapt out the balcony window, beginning a lengthly plummet towards a domed building. As he fell, he again began to have doubts about his choices in life, and regretted breaking the Jedi Code.

Jennir smashed through the dome's roof, landing in a heap on a group of Nemoidians. He fled the building, though Meeto's Chagrian bodyguards pursued him and contacted the planet's other security organizations. Jennir eventually managed to evade them, though, arriving at the Uhumele just minutes before his self-appointed deadline at midnight. He handed over Dezono Qua's coordinates, and Bomo thanked him profusely, but Jennir wished to be left alone. He mulled over what he had said to Kai Hudorra on Coruscant, that he would continue to be a Jedi, but realized that in just a few months, he had already made a great many compromises and had committed foul deeds. He began to wonder how much more of his old self he could give for his friends.

Vengeance
"What gave you the right?! He killed my daughter! Vengeance was my right! Why didn't you let me kill him?!" "Bomo, killing this man would not bring your daughter back&hellip;would not change her fate&hellip;nor would it ease your grief. I killed him to protect you from yourself. Killing him would have taken something from your soul."

- Bomo Greenbark and Dass Jennir, on Esseles The Uhumele made the trip to Esseles in several days, arriving at the planet's capital city, Calamar. Once there, Jennir inquired with local officials about Dezono Qua, learning that the Human was the only heir to an affluent family and that he lived alone in a heavily defended mansion atop a steep mountain. Qua was a recluse, and though the local authorities had suspicions about him, his bribes dissuaded them from looking into things. Jennir told the others that Qua's fortress was guarded solely by battle droids, and volunteered himself and Greenbark to carry out the raid on the mansion, since they both knew the capabilities and limitations of battle droids from their time serving in the Clone Wars. Heren and his crew, however, wished to be a part of the attack on Qua and pledged their assistance.

They flew the Uhumele towards Qua's fortress, landing just outside the perimeter. Qua's IG-series security droids went to investigate; Jennir, Greenbark, and all of the Uhumele 's crew burst out of the ship all guns blazing, and were able to easily destroy the first wave of droids. Greenbark, Meerkerdin-maa, and Janks made for where the droids could be shut off, while Heren, Mezgraf, and Ko Vakier assaulted the mansion's ground floor. Jennir used the Force to leap up onto the higher levels of the fortress, using the abilities afforded to him as a Jedi to destroy any droids he came across as he traveled towards Qua's location. He used the Force without restraint, reasoning that if he rescued Resa Greenbark, his earlier unsavory deeds would be redeemed. Bomo's team eventually powered down the droids, so Jennir was able to reach the landing platform with Qua's ship before Qua himself arrived.

Jennir held the recluse at gunpoint, demanding to know where Resa was being held. Qua offered to bribe Jennir, though he refused, and Bomo&mdash;who had arrived with Meerkerdin-maa and Janks, as well as Heren's group&mdash;reiterated his friend's demand. Qua just mocked them, telling them that Resa, like all the other younglings he had purchased, was dead; he had eaten her. Bomo, Ko Vakier, and Mezgraf all prepared to attack the Human, but Jennir reacted the quickest, shooting him three times in the chest. Bomo was furious at Jennir for killing Qua; the Nosuarian wanted to find vengeance himself, and shouted that Jennir had no right to kill the man. Jennir knew that Bomo's killing Resa's killer would not bring her back, and believed that murdering Qua would impact negatively on his friend. Bomo attacked his companion, and in the process inadvertently revealed to the Uhumele 's crew that he was a Jedi.

Alone
"So what if the future is a path that leads nowhere? All he can do is walk that path one step at a time."

- Jennir's contemplations after leaving the Uhumele

Eventually, the others left Jennir on Esseles, departing in the Uhumele. Some, like Mezgraf, expressed their desire for Jennir to remain with the crew, but the majority of them were angry at him for killing Qua and not allowing Greenbark to have his revenge. Bomo's anger toward his friend eventually subsided, though Jennir and the Uhumele were on opposite sides of the galaxy by that time. Jennir decided to continue his life alone, and vowed to himself to remember and continue practicing the principles he had been thought as a Jedi Padawan. Though tempted to dispose of his lightsaber, he eventually decided to keep it. He departed Esseles in Qua's ship, determined to allow the Force to guide his future.

Personality and traits
"You always think you know what's best for everybody? Well, blast you, Jedi!"

- Bomo Greenbark, to Dass Jennir

Jennir was extremely loyal to the Republic, and even after it was abolished and the Empire formed, he held onto the ideals and principles on which the Republic was built. He also had fierce loyalty and kindness for his friends; he repaid Rootrock's providing him with a transport to Coruscant by leading the Nosaurians in combat, honoring the promise he had made. He genuinely cared about those who he believed were being wronged and did whatever he could to help them. Jennir felt a need to repay Bomo Greenbark for saving his life in the aftermath of Order 66; he forsake the principles he believed in to try to find and rescue Bomo's family. Ultimately, though they were both very important to him, his friends were more important than his rules of personal conduct.

Jennir was a man of action, often putting his life at risk where others would not. He could not sit back and do nothing like the crew of the Uhumele while on New Plympto, risking his life to create a diversion. Similarly, he broke into Meeto's home in order to procure Resa's location, and again led the attack on Qua's mansion on Esseles. Jennir was a natural leader; throughout his life, he led teams of clone troopers, the Nosaurian rebels, and the Uhumele 's crew, earning respect for his endeavors. According to Bomo Greenbark, Jennir felt that, because he was a Jedi, he was automatically in charge and always knew what was best for everyone.

Powers and abilities
Jennir was very physically fit as a result of his Jedi training. His fitness, coupled with his Force-sensitivity, allowed him to jump, climb and fight with both effectiveness and ease. During his time serving with the Nosaurians alongside Bomo Greenbark and Rootrock, he fought on rugged, mountainous terrain, diving down steep hills to ambush stormtroopers. He also proved himself to be a proficient climber, ascending hundreds of meters up the side of Orso Meeto's apartment building with the aid of little equipment. He did similarly on Esseles, using just the Force to scale Dezono Qua's castle. Additionally, Jennir was adept at unarmed combat, outmatching stormtroopers on New Plympto, hulking security guards on Orvax IV, and battle droids on Esseles without the aid of a weapon.

Dass Jennir was proficient at several Force powers, though tended to use his lightsaber in battle more than the Force. He was skilled with his lightsaber, using it on several occasions to create hurdles and obstacles for Imperial forces on New Plympto. Generally, though, Jennir preferred to use blasters during the Great Jedi Purge utilizing both pistols and rifles, and sometimes both simultaneously. Jennir was also an accomplished pilot, outflying members of the 501st on New Plympto despite flying a less agile starfighter.

Behind the scenes
Dass Jennir was created by Welles Hartley for the final story arc of Star Wars: Republic, Into the Unknown, where he was illustrated by Doug Wheatley. Jennir and Bomo Greenbark, two of the main characters in Into Unknown, were used by comic writer Mick Harrison almost a year later in a new comic series, Star Wars: Dark Times. There were no plans for Dass and Bomo to appear again when Into the Unknown was published, though Mick Harrison and Doug Wheatley decided to use them for Dark Times 's first story arc, The Path to Nowhere. Jennir featured prominently in The Path to Nowhere, though did not appear in subsequent story arcs. Dark Horse vice-president Randy Stradley has said that Jennir will reappear in later Dark Times issues, though not until Vector has concluded.

An early concept for Dark Times saw Dass Jennir with short hair, a decision which artist Doug Wheatly discarded in the last moment. Jennir has proved quite popular among fans, with many likening his physical appearance to that of Legolas, a character from Lord of the Rings.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Republic: Into the Unknown
 * Star Wars Dark Times: The Path to Nowhere
 * Star Wars Dark Times 7: Parallels, Part 2

Notes and references
Dass Jennir Dass Jennir