Estala Maru

Estala Maru was a Kessurian male Jedi Master of the Jedi Order during the High Republic Era. Maru was the Jedi head of operations aboard the Starlight Beacon, a space station on the frontier of the galaxy that served as a symbol of unity between the Jedi and the Galactic Republic. Aboard Starlight, he worked with Jedi Master Avar Kriss, marshal of the station, and Controller Rodor Keen, Maru's Republic counterpart. Sarcastic yet hands-on, Maru coordinated numerous tasks on Starlight, monitoring the station's various departments.
During the Great Hyperspace Disaster, which threatened to destroy the Hetzal system, Maru assisted the Jedi rescue effort and coordinated the medical care of victims of both the disaster and its resulting Emergences. From Starlight, Maru also worked alongside Kriss, the Jedi Master Sskeer, the Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis, and the Jedi twins Ceret and Terec as they investigated the circumstances behind a Hutt starship that was attacked by Nihil marauders. Maru provided the Jedi with information pertaining to the Vratixian barley that the ship had carried from the planet Sedri Minor, as well as begrudgingly undertaking an autopsy of the dead Hutt found in the wreckage. The investigation led to the sentient carnivorous plants known as the Drengir emerging from the corpse, and Maru attempted to defend the station from the Drengir attack.
==Biography==
===Coordinator of Starlight===
Estala Maru was a Jedi of the Jedi Order during the time of the High Republic Era, attaining the rank of Jedi Master. In 232 BBY,Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Starlight: First Duty" to 232 BBY. he was placed in charge of organizing operations aboard the Starlight Beacon, a space station situated on the frontier of the Outer Rim Territories and co-managed by the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, where he was to work alongside the Republic's own head of operations, Controller Rodor Keen, and would serve Starlight's marshal, at that time set to be Jedi Master Jora Malli.The High Republic: Into the Dark Maru was assisted by the astromech droid KC-78. Due to the hands-on nature of both Maru and Keen, the two men developed a tense working relationship.
Around that time, wreckage from the Great Hyperspace Disaster—an incident in which the freighter Legacy Run was torn apart while in hyperspace—threatened to destroy the Hetzal system. The Jedi and the Republic responded to the distress call of the planet Hetzal Prime with a rescue effort led by Jedi Master Avar Kriss. When a container of tibanna gas from the wreckage headed for Hetzal's largest star, Kriss called to Jedi from across the galaxy to use the Force to redirect the container in order to avert causing a chain reaction that would destroy the system. Maru was one of the Jedi who responded to the call, with Kriss connecting the effort through the Force, and was the first to locate the module of tibanna after it was briefly lost. Kriss directed the other Jedi to its location, coordinating an effort to redirect the tibanna container away from the star and saving the Hetzal system from total destruction.
===Disaster aftermath===
====Final preparations====
Though the Hetzal system was saved, fallout from the Great Disaster continued to wreak havoc across the Outer Rim Territories in events known as Emergences, during which the Jedi learned of the involvement of the Nihil marauder organization. Following the Great Disaster and the Emergences, the Starlight Beacon took in the most severe victims of the incident, caring for 18,474 patients in its medcenter. Malli was also killed in the Battle of Kur against the Nihil organization, leaving the Starlight Beacon without a marshal. Despite the events, the Starlight Beacon's upcoming dedication was still to go ahead; nine hours prior to the opening, Maru organized the arrival of the hundreds of delegates who were to attend, while also testing the station's signal beacon that helped travelers navigate the Outer Rim and coordinating care for the victims of the Great Disaster.
While coordinating the dedication's preparations, Maru was approached by Kriss, who wished to know the location of Jedi Master Sskeer. When Maru told her that he was not aware of Sskeer's location, Kriss was surprised, and Maru reminded her of his numerous duties, stating that he was unable to track every Jedi Master. Kriss guessed that Maru was displeased with that fact, subsequently expressing concern over Sskeer's wellbeing following the Battle of Kur, and Maru suggested that the Trandoshan Jedi blamed himself for Malli's death. The two were then approached by Grand Masters Pra-Tre VeterThe High Republic 1 Behind-the-Scenes Exclusive and Yoda, who appointed Kriss as the new marshal of Starlight Beacon.
====Launched at last====
Shortly afterward, Keeve Trennis, Sskeer's Jedi Padawan, contacted Maru, having encountered a swarm of insects ravaging the planet of Shuraden. Maru deduced that the creatures were the star-locust known as ridadi, which migrated through that area, but noted that they avoided inhabited worlds. The Jedi Master suggested that Trennis ask the ridadi what had caused the change in their behavior, prompting the Padawan to connect with the insects, learning, to Maru's surprise, that the signal emitted by the Starlight Beacon was interfering with the ridadi's navigation.
Trennis rigged her Jedi Vector to replicate Starlight's signal, leading the ridadi away from Shuraden, while Maru complimented the Padawan on her idea, recalibrating the station to broadcast on a different frequency. When Trennis asked him if the new frequency would be one that did not interfere with the ridadi, Maru sarcastically remarked that it would instead broadcast Arcadian Jazz in response to the obvious query. With the station recalibrated and the preparations complete, the dedication of the Starlight Beacon was held, and the station was formally opened.
====The Nihil mystery====
A week after the Padawan Academic Cruiser Star Hopper, carrying Padawans under the supervision of Masters Yoda and Torban Buck, returned to the Starlight Beacon from rescuing the Trymant system from an Emergence and a Nihil attack with Zeen Mrala, a Force-sensitive resident of the planet Trymant IV,The High Republic Adventures (2021) 2 Maru, accompanied by Masters Kriss, Yoda, Buck, and Kantam Sy, approached Mrala, intending to speak to her about her future. Shortly afterward, the Masters discussed options for Mrala amongst themselves, with Maru noting that she was too old to begin her training. While the Masters spoke, the Padawan Lula Talisola proposed asking Mrala herself, and the Padawan Farzala Tarabal suggested also asking the other Jedi who Mrala had made the acquaintance of.
After the Padawans retold the story of the events on Trymant IV, Maru conceded that while Mrala could not be formally trained, she could remain on the Starlight Beacon until her planet had recovered, also adding that she could be of use due to her friend, Krix Kamerat, having been taken in by the Nihil. However, Maru questioned how to locate the Nihil, whose cruiser had escaped Trymant IV after the Emergence, prompting Yoda to bring up a pair of holoprojectors he had given to both Mrala and Kamerat before the Nihil's escape.
Maru noted that the Trymant attack appeared to be different from the Nihil's usual movements, while Yoda remarked upon an artifact he had found aboard their cruiser. Kriss suggested that the Nihil had been on a high-level secret mission, and together the Jedi resolved to search the Bright Jewel system, where the marauders had been spotted, in an attempt to pick up on the signal of the transponder beacon within Kamerat's holoprojector.
====Medcenter tensions====
At some point, Maru, alongside Controller Keen and KC-78, was present in the station's medcenter, overseeing the care for its patients. The two men were greeted by Administrator Velko Jahen, Keen's new aide, and the Controller apologized for the hectic circumstances. Maru protested, claiming that Starlight was operating at peak efficiency, but admitted that he had identified 173 possible improvements through his constant monitoring of the station. Head of Security Ghal Tarpfen approached to inquire about the improvements, and Maru stated his intention to discuss his recommendations with her.
Tarpfen then noted that Starlight's medcenter held patients from warring territories in close proximity, expressing her concern of an imminent diplomatic incident. Maru responded with a sarcastic comment on the Great Disaster's lack of political boundaries before stating that they were there to ease tensions for that reason. KC-78 reminded Maru that he and Keen had duties elsewhere, and while the Jedi Master claimed that he could perform his tasks from the medcenter with no more difficulty than in the operations hub, the astromech droid gave him an unsubtle nudge, prompting Maru to begrudgingly follow Keen out of the ward.
====Alleged assassination====
However, shortly after Maru's departure, one of the medcenter's patients, the Skembo ambassador Ceeril, fell victim to a supposed assassination attempt, which was discovered by Administrator Jahen. In the hours after the attack, Maru and other Starlight personnel convened in the operations hub to discuss the incident. They were joined by Marshal Kriss, as well as Jedi Master Nib Assek and her Padawan, Burryaga Agaburry, who had returned from a diplomatic mission to the Malaga Cluster. Maru stepped forward to greet the arrivals, inquiring on the success of their mission. Kriss noted that while they had avoided a diplomatic crisis on their own mission, another was underway on Starlight; Maru acknowledged the heated nature of the situation, which an irritated Keen saw as an understatement. When Kriss asked what had happened aboard the station, Maru suggested that the marshal see for herself, ordering KC-78 to inform the medcenter of Kriss's imminent arrival.
The party made their way to Ceeril's room, where Kriss inquired about the attack and Ceeril's destroyed bodyguard droid. Agaburry questioned about the security footage, and Maru responded by having his astromech droid project an image of the events; the signal had been scrambled, obscuring the moment of the attack in the footage. Keen expressed outrage over the attack, furious that it had happened within the sanctuary that Starlight was intended to be. Maru responded to the controller's question regarding the number of survivors the station was caring for, though realized it had been rhetorical upon receiving a harsh glare from Keen.
They were joined by Ambassador Ceeril, having survived the attack, who placed the blame for the attempt on his life on the Hassarians, a rival species to the Skembo. Ceeril was escorted from the room by the nurse Okana, but his claims led the group to discuss the status of two severely injured Hassarian patients in the medcenter, and Kriss requested to see them. The group left the room, save for Jahen, who Keen had ordered to write a report for the Senate. Maru remained in the room with Jahen, noting his envy over the writing of the report. He turned down Jahen's offer to write it himself, citing his duties running the station, but wistfully hinted that the administrator should investigate the remains of the bodyguard droid. He located the droid's remains in evidence room three of Starlight's security tower, leaving KC-78 to allow Jahen to access the evidence room.
Jahen's investigation of the bodyguard droid determined that Ceeril had not been subject to an assassination attempt at all—the ambassador had faked the attack to give the appearance that the Hassarians were to blame. Upon being confronted by Jahen, Ceeril attempted to defend himself with Tarpfen's blaster. Maru, along with Kriss, followed Keen into the room after hearing the commotion, and Jahen explained the true account of the supposed attack. Ceeril attempted to deny the accusation, but Kriss saw through his lie. Maru noted the extensive evidence that Jahen had provided, sending it to the Republic security service on the capital world of Coruscant. Kriss complimented the teamwork of the Jedi and the Republic, and Ceeril was taken to be held in the station's detention center.
===Growing darkness===
====Intrigue on Sedri====
The success in solving the mystery would not last long, however; the station soon received a distress signal from the Kazlin system. Sskeer, the newly-knighted Trennis, and the Jedi twins Ceret and Terec were sent to respond, finding a derelict Hutt starship that had been attacked by the Nihil. The Jedi contacted Starlight to inform Kriss of the situation, and Maru analyzed data gathered by Terec on the remains of the crop that the ship had been transporting.The High Republic (2021) 2
Maru determined the crop to the Vratixia renanicus, a barley that was a key component of the medical substance bacta, while Ceret ascertained the ship's origin point from the wreckage of its navidroid: the Sedri system. Bringing up information on the Sedri system, Maru noted that one of its planets, Sedri Minor, was largely arable and had an independent colony that was founded twelve years prior. Kriss resolved to have the Jedi investigate Sedri Minor, where Ceret went missing, taken captive by the sentient carnivorous plants known as the Drengir. While Kriss took the cruiser Ataraxia to Sedri, she had Maru perform an autopsy on the deceased Hutt trader that the Jedi had found aboard the wrecked ship.
Though Maru was unimpressed by the task, he did as Kriss had asked, assisted by KC-78, the Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, and her Padawan, Imri Cantaros. Maru also reported the task to the Jedi Council and Grand Master Xo Lahru, who was perturbed by Kriss' request. During the autopsy, Maru contacted Kriss, reporting their progress and informing her of Lahru's opinion. Kriss was irritated that Maru had informed the Council, but thanked Maru, ending the communication to attend to the matters on Sedri.
====Starlight under attack====
Maru later left the autopsy in the hands of Archivist OrbaLin, who discovered that the Hutt had not been killed from the injuries inflicted by the Nihil, but instead infected by what appeared to be a root system. Though Maru was concerned by the discovery, OrbaLin assured him of their strict adherence to quarantine procedures. While OrbaLin reported to Maru, Cantaros discovered that the Hutt was moving; though it was not alive, its corpse had been infested. The corpse burst apart, releasing the Drengir onto the Starlight Beacon.
Maru joined the Jedi in attempting to fight off the Drengir, making contact with Kriss to inform her of the attack. Kriss, however, was similarly occupied; the Jedi on Sedri Minor had fought the Drengir themselves, and Sskeer had been infected. At the same time, the Drengir were awakening across the entire frontier, and Starlight was flooded with distress signals. The Drengir, increasing in number, began to infest the station, infecting its occupants. On Sedri Minor, a confrontation was sparked between the Jedi and the forces of the Hutt Clan, and Kriss called for reinforcements from Starlight. Fending off a Drengir, Maru informed Kriss of the numerous other reports and that Starlight would be unable to provide help, apologizing to the marshal.The High Republic (2021) 5
Despite the efforts of Maru and the other Jedi on Starlight, the Drengir began to overwhelm the station. Maru himself was trapped within the tendrils of one of the Drengir. Kriss contacted Maru, asking about the incoming distress calls, and Maru confirmed that thousands of alerts were still being received by Starlight. Hoping to convince the Hutt commander Myarga Anjiliac Atirue to join forces against the Drengir, Kriss requested that Maru relay the distress calls through her comlink.
On Sedri, Trennis performed a mind touch on the infected Sskeer, tricking the Drengir into believing that the meat of their harvest was spoiled. The ploy was successful; the Drengir, including those on Starlight, began to retreat. As the Drengir pulled back, Maru and the other Jedi were released, cutting down their attackers. Maru contacted Kriss, asking if she knew why the Drengir were retreating. Though Kriss herself did not, Maru suggested that the tide had turned, but the marshal believed that the Drengir would not give up.
====Return of the Drengir====
In the time following the Drengir attack, the personnel aboard Starlight Beacon remained on edge due to the recent infestation. Prior to the approaching Republic Fair, the Starlight Beacon was to host the annual meeting of the Galactic Agricultural Alliance—the first large event since its inauguration—accommodating 106 agricultural scientists from across the galaxy. On the first day of the meeting, however, a riot broke out in the dining facility of the station. Maru gave an emergency alert to all Jedi and security personnel aboard Starlight, ordering them to report to the facility. The conference ultimately saw the Drengir once again infiltrate the station.
Marshal Kriss forged an alliance with Myarga and the Hutt Clan to take down the Drengir, which had continued spreading throughout the Outer Rim. Maru once told KC-78 while in his hub on Starlight that he found their new allies challenging and hoped Kriss hadn't misjudged the situation. He was then unexpectedly contacted by Jedi Master and Jedi Council member Stellan Gios, who revealed that the Council was uneasy about Kriss's pact. Maru insisted that the alliance was delivering results and that the Drengir's spread was slowing. Gios then told Maru that the council was still waiting for a report on Sskeer, Maru revealing that there had been very little change as Sskeer had been sent into a comatose state.The High Republic (2021) 6
Eventually, Kriss, who was fighting the Drengir on Daivak, called for backup from Starlight. Maru prepped to leave and advised Trennis, who was with Sskeer, to come with him too. Trennis was shocked Maru was leaving but did not want to leave Sskeer's side. Kriss then contacted Maru as he started to leave and revealed she could feel that Trennis had become one with the Drengir. Doctor Gino'le then revealed to Maru that Trennis had connected to the Drengir hive mind via Sskeer. Maru initially thought Trennis was infected, but she explained that she was looking for the heart and leader of the Drengir, the Great Progenitor. Maru and Jedi Archivist OrbaLin used the Force to help Trennis get deeper into the hive mind. When he asked, Trennis told Maru that they had found the Progenitor. Sskeer then ripped out the vines in his body, Maru telling Kriss Sskeer had cut himself off from the Drengir when she revealed the creatures had started screaming.
Trennis revealed that she had learned from the experience that the name of the Progenitor's location was Mulita. Maru understood that she had got it through telepathy, as it cut both ways. Searching using Starlight's computers and accessing the primary archive on Coruscant, Maru found no record of Mulita within the Republic, but found a system with the name in ancient records from the time of the Nightmare Conjunction. He told Kriss that it was deep within Wild Space, but that thanks to Trennis the Progenitor was within their grasp.
====Attack on Mulita====
Using his command on Starlight, Maru attempted to gather as many Jedi as possible for Kriss's assault on Mulita but revealed to her that many were already occupied with other concerns including the Nihil remnants and the Valo Republic Fair. Kriss was annoyed at the mention of the fair and guessed correctly that Maru had been in communication with Master Gios. She told him to get her the Jedi she needed, and he promise to do his best.
Trennis then approached Maru asking for something to keep busy, though Maru said his time was limited. He pointed out that Kriss was in need of help, and Trennis said she could make a difference, but Maru pointed out that Trennis did not appear to truly believe she could even though she had with locating the Progenitor. Administrator Jahen then approached with a category three alert from the Rseik sector, Maru thanking her. Maru presented the case to Trennis and told her the Force was providing her with an opportunity, before asking if she could be trusted to get the job done.
Later, as Kriss's assault on Mulita raged in full force, Sskeer contacted Maru asking for reinforcements. Maru explained that he had gotten them every Jedi he could and that they were stepping on the council's toes, reminding him of the Republic Fair on Valo. Sskeer insisted that the fair was insignificant before they lost connection. Maru asked Administrator Jahen to boost the transmitter array, but she explained that the comms network as a whole was not working and that they were dispatching a maitenance team. Maru tried to get KC-78's help to raise Master Gios on Valo, ignoring the droids comments about his belief system and saying they needed all the help they could get.The High Republic (2021) 8
Later, Kriss reached out to Maru when the comms network started working again and she and Trennis, who had joined the fight on Mulita, revealed that they had defeated the Drengir and asked him to inform council member Gios. Maru revealed that he had just been in communication with Master Gios, revealing that the Nihil were back and had destroyed the Republic Fair. On Starlight, Maru stared at a horrific image in a hologram of the massive destruction caused at the Fair.
==Personality and traits==
Estala Maru was a Kessurian male who had red skin, gray hair, and blue eyes. Despite his nature as a Jedi, Estala Maru displayed a mastery of sarcasm and dry humor which often took others by surprise, including his fellow Jedi. Maru had a reputation of being extremely hands-on, a trait that brought him into tension with Controller Keen, who had a similar nature. He took pride in the efficiency at which the Starlight Beacon was running under his administration. Maru's literal disposition caused him to miss rhetorical questions, answering such queries with seriousness. He also enjoyed the depth of detail that came with full reports.
Though he was able to coordinate a number of duties at once, Maru was strained by the tasks he had to perform in the aftermath of the Great Disaster and the leadup to the Starlight Beacon's dedication. He was additionally irritated at being unable to keep track of the Jedi who departed the station. While Maru believed that Zeen Mrala could not be trained as a Jedi due to her age, he accepted her remaining on Starlight temporarily, acknowledging that she would be helpful to the Jedi. When Velko Jahen was tasked with reporting the supposed assassination attempt on Ambassador Ceeril, Maru less-than-subtly hinted that she should investigate the destroyed bodyguard droid, mischievously providing her the location of its remains and allowing her access to the evidence room. As Jahen confronted Ceeril with the accusation that he had faked the attack, Maru was amused by the unfolding of events. Maru was hopeful when the Drengir retreated from their attack on Starlight, praising the light.
He was committed to help others, and was willing to leave Starlight and his duties there to help Marshal Kriss against the Drengir on Daivak. He also defended her alliance with the Hutts to the Council, despite having reservations about it himself. He also worried for Trennis when she connected to the Drengir and did his best to help her. He became strained and overworked by his duties once again as the Jedi took on the Drengir, and became somewhat desperate for help and support. Despite his limited time, he was still willing to help Trennis understand that she needed to believe she could make a difference if she wanted to actually make one.
==Powers and abilities==
Estala Maru was sensitive to the Force, viewing it as an endlessly spiraling nighttime city and individual elements as lit windows. Maru was able to multitask, keeping track of numerous different duties on his posting aboard the Starlight Beacon. While coordinating tasks in Starlight's operations hub, Maru would levitate himself in the air, surrounded by various holograms and screens. He was able to use the Force to help Keeve Trennis get deeper into the Drengir's root mind. The Kessurian was adept in the use of his lightsaber.
==Equipment==
Maru utilized a yellow-bladed lightsaber in combat. The Jedi Master wore a set of white temple robes, also wearing gauntlets and gray boots underneath. Maru utilized a number of holographic screens while monitoring the Starlight Beacon, which he could also use to access information. He also possessed a datapad that frequently carried and kept in his robes or within his sleeve. Maru owned the astromech droid KC-78, who assisted him aboard the Starlight Beacon. While peforming his duties on Starlight, Maru often levitated a cup of mei-mei tea beside him.
==Behind the scenes==
===Debut and origins===
Estala Maru was created by Cavan Scott for the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative as part of the comic series of the same name. He was revealed in a preview from the series within The High Republic Free Digital SamplerThe High Republic Free Digital Sampler on December 12, 2020, while his forename was identified in the live launch event for the publishing project on January 4, 2021. Maru later appeared in the comic series' first issue, penciled by Ario Anindito and published by Marvel Comics on January 6. Maru appeared the in Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures episode "Stuck in the Muck" and was voiced by actor Liam O'Brien.
The character of Maru originated from a piece of High Republic concept art by Phil Noto that featured a Twi'lek Jedi. He was changed to a Kessurian after fellow High Republic writer Charles Soule created the Twi'lek Jedi character Loden Greatstorm for the novel The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, despite having been a Twi'lek in previous outlines for the series.
===Background and continuity===
Scott, who described Maru as one of his favorite characters in the series, established that Maru's ability to multitask was not a Force power, but rather a particular skill that allowed him to see things happening simultaneously. Scott also stated that Maru had a very ordered view of the world—having held the perception of that being how the Force and the galaxy worked for a long time—which would be challenged by the events of the initiative, forcing Maru and other older Jedi to become more flexible. The script of The High Republic 1 described Maru as gruff, often officious, and in his mid-to-late forties, while Scott established in an interview that he meditates through multitasking.
Though Maru is referred to with the pronouns "he/him" in prior and subsequent media in the initiative, as well as by Scott in interviews and the script for The High Republic 1, Light of the Jedi refers to Maru using the pronoun "her." The 2023 reference book Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia explicitly lists Maru's pronouns as "he/him." The Star Wars Insider short story "Starlight: First Duty," written by Scott, misspells Maru's forename as "Estalu" in its first part, though the second part of the story uses the correct spelling. Although he is depicted with both grey hair and eyes in The High Republic, Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures portrays him with brown hair and red eyes, and "First Duty" describes his eyes as being scarlet. The Young Jedi Adventures episode "Stuck in the Muck" portrays him with white hair and blue eyes.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Jedi Masters during the High Republic Era
Category:Kessurians
Category:Males
Category:Starlight Beacon residents