Rooper Nitani

Rooper Nitani was a human female Jedi Knight who lived during the High Republic Era. As a Padawan, she was apprenticed to Jedi Master Silandra Sho. Hailing from the planet Rohm, Nitani was recruited by the Jedi Order at a young age. She craved adventure, and frequently thought that her journeys with her Master's team of Republic Pathfinders were too routine.
==Biography==
===Early life and training===
Rooper Nitani was born in 397 BBY on Rohm before being taken by the Jedi to the planet Coruscant to be trained. Around 389 BBY,"Shield of the Jedi" establishes that Rooper Nitani is around eighteen years old during its events. In The High Republic: Quest for Planet X, which Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia dates the events of to 382 BBY, Nitani is fifteen years old. Therefore, "Shield of the Jedi" must take place around 379 BBY."Shield of the Jedi" also establishes that Nitani became a Padawan ten years before its events, meaning she became a Padwan around 389 BBY at the age of eight, she became the Padawan of Jedi Master Silandra Sho. Nitani and Sho would sometimes return to the planet Geptish between missions for training. She also trained on the Moon of Barroth where she practiced the skill of Force jumping. She often sparred with Porter Engle.The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness
===Journey to the Dalnan Sector===
Rooper Nitani was with her master exploring the Galactic Frontier on the Outer Rim Territories. When EX-8C was discovered by the communication team of Amos Tillian and Kam, her Pathfinder team was redirected to Aubadas to investigate. She was in the cockpit of the Umberfall when they arrived at the twin planets of Aubadas and Gloam. The padawan discussed the upcoming mission with Dietrix Jago. Nitani felt deep unease when looking at Gloam while the Pathfinder ship entered the atmosphere of Aubadas and prepared to land. Unable to find the Katikoot city at the coordinates provided by the native race, Nitani was commanded by Sho to reach out with the Force to see if she could use her ability to sense people to locate the city. She saw a bright light amidst the colors of the Force and directed the pilot to land near a gully. Once on the ground, she led the group to where she had sensed the large concentration of people to be, but didn't find anything. As the group discussed the situation, Rooper noticed a figure on the crest of the gully observing them. She informed her master, but the figure had disappeared. Worried that they might being drawn into a trap, Nitani was sent to flank the observer while the rest of the group kept the attention on them. She used the Force to calm herself and made her way through the gully to a tree. She climbed it to get out of the gully and made her way along the ridge, using boulders and other natural features as cover. Working in unison with her master, she somersaulted behind the observer the same time as Sho used the Force to leap out of the gully and confront them. When the person turned to flee, Nitani drew her lightsabers and blocked their path. Realizing that she and her friends were severely out-numbered by the natives, she extinguished her lightsabers and attempted to communicate. She demanded to know why the beings had been watching them, but was unable to understand their language. Mittik introduced herself to the two Jedi and explained the situation on Aubadas. When Mittik stated the the Pathfinder team would not be of any use and requested they leave, Nitani plead that they be allowed to stay and assist the Katikoot while they investigated the disappearance of Rok Buran and his team. As Mittik led the group to the capital city of Diurna, Sho praised her Padawan for her diplomacy skills.
Entering the cavern that contained Diurna, Nitani was impressed by the sight of it. She asked Mittik if the Katikoot could fly and was told that their wings were vestigial. The two Jedi were led to the chambers of the Grand Council where they were introduced to the minister of works Kittik. He explained the energy problem on Aubadas and how Buran and his Pathfinder team had traveled to Gloam to investigate the mining issues. Rooper was happy when Sho decided they would also go to Gloam to see if they could find Buran and see if there was a way to help the Katikook.
Nitani traveled to Gloam. During the descent to the surface of the planet, Rillik asked her how she could be so calm amidst the turbulence. She responded that she trusted in the Force, but was privately unsettled by what she sensed when she used it to get an idea of what was happening on the planet. Instead of the bright colors she usually perceived, all the colors on Gloam were muted and subdued. As they landed, Rillik began to cough and collapsed. Nitani had tried to convince him to let Obik Dennisol look at him before, but the Katikoot miner refused. Despite Mittik stating there was no known cure, Nitani insisted that the medic try to help Rillik. After making him comfortable, the rest of the team discussed a plan of action. EX-9B projected a hologram of the topographical map of the surrounding area. Nitani felt a pull in the Force, as if someone was calling out to her. She reached out and found a life form in the wilderness and moved into the hologram to pinpoint the location. She convinced Sho that they had to investigate while Dietrix and Mittik went towards the ruins of a mining facility to look for the other Pathfinder team.
As the two Jedi travelled, Nitani expressed doubt about her knowledge of the Force. Her master reassured her, stating she was proud of Nitani and that she should trust the Force and follow her instincts. They came upon a crashed Pathfinder ship called the Foundling. They investigated it and Nitani had a feeling that the sabotaged ship was related to a deeper mystery on Gloam. The pair continued to make their way toward the person that Nitani had sensed through the Force and entered an area of dense mangroves. She and Sho were attacked by a group of predators but managed to fight them off. They exited the mangroves and discovered the remains of an ancient Jedi temple. Exploring the temple, the pair came across a barricade of large stones blocking a passage. Realizing that someone must have used the Force to move the stones, Nitani and her Master concentrated and together were able to clear the doorway. Nitani commented on how deeply she felt the Force and Sho warned her about not losing herself in it. They went deeper into the temple where Nitani discovered a fresco of ancient Jedi holding back the dark. She realized one of the figures was a Katikoot Jedi. The pair explored further until they found the survivor that Nitani had sensed; Rok Buran. He informed them that he was the sole survivor of his Pathfinder team and Nitani was saddened to hear that his padawan Maliq had been killed by the monsters during an ambush. She went to gather firewood so they could make camp for the night and treat Buran's wounds. The three Jedi sat by the fire while Buran described what had happened to him on Gloam. When they realized Rillik was responsible for the ambush of Buran's team, Nitani got her comlink from her pack and tried to contact Dennisol to warn him but was unable to. Worried, she convinced Sho that they had to return to the Umberfall immediately despite it being nighttime.
On their trip back to the Umberfall, the trio were attacked by undead creatures. Nitani ignited her lightsabers and engaged with one of them. She was barely able to see it visually and the creature showed up in the Force as knots of black and purple instead of the usual bright colors of living beings. She was able to bisect the creature and discovered that, instead of blood, its internals were crystalline minerals. After the fight, Nitani was contacted by Dennisol who told her that Rillik had sent set them all up and that Dietrix and Mittik were heading into danger at the ruined city. The Jedi changed course and went to the ruins to assist the others. When they reached the city, Nitani followed the two Masters and used the Force to leap up to the entrance. The group of Jedi made their way to the central shaft of the city and discovered a swarm of Gloam monsters attacking Dennisol and her group. She leapt into the pit, leaping on the backs of the monsters, and made her way to the alcove where her friends had taken shelter. The padawan fought off the the swarm with the other Jedi long enough to allow the trapped people to escape the shaft. As they fled the swarm, Sho realized they needed to seal the shaft to prevent the monsters from following them. Nitani joined with the two Masters to use the Force to collapse the ceiling of the chamber and starting a chain reaction of destruction. As she fled the destruction of the city, she noticed a discarded lightsaber on the ground and picked it up.
She followed the group back to the Umberfall and noticed one of the creatures approaching the ship. Before it could attack, Rillik stumbled off the ship and began to transform due to the miner's curse. Nitani and Sho grabbed the Katikoot and leapt onboard the ascending ship to safety. Several days after returning to Aubadas, Nitani and Dass sat near a waterfall and discussed their future plans. Sho interrupted them and told them that the Katikoot were throwing a party to thank the Republic workers for the assistance in saving their planet. Before joining the party, Nitani went to the surface so she could talk to Buran before he left with another Pathfinder team. He thanked her for rescuing him and she gave him the lightsaber she had found on Gloam.
Nitani and the rest of the Pathfinder team escorted Dass Leffbruk and his father Spence Leffbruk to Batuu. She planned on meditating and studying at the Jedi Temple located there.
===Hyperspace Chase===
After arriving on Batuu, Nitani spent most of her time in the archives of the Batuu Jedi temple. She read journals and holobooks from across the frontier to help her prepare for future missions. Two days after arriving on Batuu, Nitani was examining the artifacts in the archive when she heard her name being whispered. Not seeing anyone, she centered herself in the Force and let it guide her. She noticed something highlighted in a cool pink color and discovered it was small compass. Shortly after the Battle of Jedha, Nitani went to see her friend Dass at the Black Spire Outpost. She grabbed a couple of spiced cloud-cricket fritters to snack on. As she made her way towards the travelers' hostel where he was staying, she thought about their friendship. She greeted a Mikkian women outside the outpost and stopped to buy two skewers of sweet roasted spire acorns. She made her way through the outpost but suddenly felt an eddy in the Force and turned to see Dass running towards her. He asked Nitani to assist in defending his friend Sky Graf from a group of goons who were trying to take their ship. The Padawan asked why he hadn't gone to the local constabulary and he explained he didn't have time to convince anyone to help and knew that she would trust his assessment of the situation.The High Republic: Quest for Planet X
Arriving at the landing pad, Nitani demanded to know why the trio of armed goons were attempting to board the ship. They told her it was stolen and they were trying to return it to its rightful owner. Deciding to believe her friend, she warned the trio they could either take it up with the Galactic Republic office or leave. Deciding it wasn't worth a fight, the group retreated. Dass thanked her and told her to come aboard the ship to meet his friend.
Nitani boarded the ship and was impressed by its opulence. Graf met them in the cockpit and suggested they have some snacks while Leffbruk and Graf explained how they met and their plans for the Hyperspace Chase. Nitani asked Dass why he had joined Graf instead of working with his father and the young man explained that they had different goals and Dass wanted to return to Planet X to retrieve the Silverstreak. She realized the two were trying to get her to join them on trip. She questioned the pair about their reasons and Dass told her that accompanying them would help his dad to not worry about the trip. Graf revealed they had a supraluminite compass that could resonant with an object and lead them back to its origin. Graf believed that Nitani could use the Force and Dass to find a path back to Planet X since the boy had been there before. She was skeptical but Graf promised to allow the Padawan to use the ship's communication system to contact Master Sho on Jedha and to fly Nitani anywhere she wanted if she would travel with them for a couple of weeks. She agreed to go with them on the journey.
She traveled on the Brightbird to Travyx Prime which was the starting point of the Hyperspace Chase. As they prepared for the start, Nitani noticed Sky was nervous. She confronted them, and they explained that their brother Helis Graf was supposed to fly the ship in the Chase but had instead decided to spend time with his girlfriend Precoria San Tekka. Nitani used the comm station to compose a message for Sho that explained her actions. She also sent a message through the Office of the Frontier in hopes that it would also reach Sho. She then contacted the Algo's Progress so Dass could tell his dad that he was participating in the Chase with Sky and Nitani. Graf cut off the communications as the official race announcement was broadcast. The race was started and Nitani secured herself to a seat as the Brightbird went through violent maneuvers to avoid ion mines, flares, and other diversions from the other prospectors. As they flew towards their hyperspace jump point, Helis was able to slice into the Brightbird's systems. At Sky's request, Nitani opened a channel to Helis so Sky could talk to him. Unfamiliar with the comm system and unable to kick Helis out, Nitani switched with Sky as Dass took over the piloting until Sky was able to regain control on the systems and the Brightbird jumped to hyperspace.
After fleeing to safety, Graf suggested they get the Graf astro-resonance machine so they could show the other two how it worked. Nitani accompanied them to their quarters and examined the device. She asked Graf why they were in the Chase. They responded by asking Nitani why she'd agreed to join them. The Padawan explained that she wanted to follow the will of the Force and help bring light to the galaxy. Graf responded that they just want to prove themselves to their family and to earn fame, glory, and credits. Nitani used the Force to carry the device to the cockpit. Graf and Leffbruk were impressed by her use of the Force. She set the device down in a cradle in the cockpit and Graf mentioned that he'd like to hear about the mision to Gloam and possibly see a demonstration of her lightsabers. She realized that making friends with a member of the Graf family could be advantageous and promised to show them when the group had time. Sky told the group about the history of the device and how it used a piece of supraluminite to match resonances of objects through what Graf assumed to be the Force. Nitani examined the device and determined while it wasn't infused with the Force like an artifact, it still interacted with it. She was skeptical of Graf's theory that it could be used to find objects, explaining that things didn't have signatures in the Force like they suspected. Graf still wanted to try and asked Nitani to retrieve an interface cradle that would allow the device's output to be entered into a navicomputer. The group gathered around the device and attempted to activate it. Nitani reached out with the Force and used it to suspend the pink lodestone in the device, which caused it to glow and highlight some of the astromeridian lines.
They were suddenly interrupted by Helis intercepting them in the Starlily. Nitani entered the cannon nest at Sky's request who told her to fire at their brother's ship so they could escape. She tried to figure out the targeting system but refused to fire without a good reason. Nitani left the cannon nest after Leffbruk was able to evade the Starlily and attended to Sky who had hit their head during the extreme maneuvers. She led Graf back to their cabin so they could recover. They later used the device for another jump. While in hyperspace, Nitani contemplated on why she had joined the mission and decided to use the downtime to meditate and practice. She ignited her lightsabers and went through the forms until she was breathless and sweat covered. Graf and Leffbruk applauded her demonstration and gave her a towel to clean up and some water. She joined them for a meal and then took a shower and slept for a while. When she awoke, she found the other two taking apart the entertainment system of the ship so she contemplated about what little news she had from Jedha. She regretted not going with her Master on her pilgrimage but felt that she was following the will of the Force by joining her two companions on this trip.
Arriving at the Tybal system, Nitani wanted to send another message to her Master before performing another jump but discovered the local relay buoy was being serviced. She attempted contact it but instead got a response from Fel Ix who was working on it. She asked him if she could leave the message with him so he could relay it once the buoy was functional again. He in return asked her if his crew could borrow some tools for the repair job. She agreed and went to meet the Way of Clarity after it docked with the Brightbird. The Padawan was unnerved after Fel Ix boarded the ship with his comrades. After Fel Ix took Leffbruk hostage at blasterpoint, he demanded Nitani drop her lightsaber and kick it over to him, not realizing she wielded two blades. The Kessarine ordered her to tie herself up. She stalled for time, explaining that she didn't know where anything was on the ship. Fel Ix inquired why Nitani was on a ship without her Master and she told him she was serving the Force. Fel Ix responded that he also served the Force and was trying to prevent the Jedi from abusing it. Using the discussion as a distraction, Nitani threw herself at the Kessarine while using the Force to knock the blaster out of his hand. Igniting her other lightsaber, she grabbed Fel Ix's head and held the lightsaber at his throat. She ordered him and his crew to leave the ship or she would use her weapon on him, but he calmly explained that he had met a Padawan before and knew it was not their way to murder someone. He offered to have her join them in the Path of the Open Hand to learn about their philosophy. She refused, leaving the groups at an impasse. When Graf lowered themselves from the cannon nest and fired on Chal, Nitani was relieved. Still holding Fel Ix at lightsaberpoint while the rest of the Open Hand returned to their ship, Graf and Nitani debated what to do with him. Before they could decide, Helis caught up with them so Nitani ordered Fel Ix to decouple the ship so they could flee. She told him to tell his crew he was staying onboard the Brightbird and then to take a seat at the table in the galley so she could keep an eye on him as the ship made its escape.
===A conspiracy===
Once they were safe, Nitani and the rest of the crew met in the galley to try and figure out what had happened. After some brainstorming, Sky realized that the navicomputer was compromised by Helis who had programmed it to broadcast the data for the hyperjump being performed. They suggested they proceed to the Farj system before Helis could catch up with them and Nitani provided details on the system, including that it was uninhabited due to lack of water. During the journey, Nitani watched Fel Ix while the other crew members rested. She made some tea for him and sat with him at the table in the galley. Curious about what he believed, she had a conversation with him about the Path of the Open Hand. She didn't believe their tenet that the Jedi were causing harm by tapping into the Force. As he talked about the Leveler, Nitani grew worried and wished she could talk to her Master on Jedha to get the truth about what had happened on the moon. She was told that the creature came from a planet that was strong in the Force and realized that he was referring to Planet X and that it was a Force nexus. The Kessarine inquired her age and told her she was still young enough to leave the Order and save herself. He told her that he had tried to capture her at the Mother's request. When Fel Ix informed her that he knew a Padawan who had saved his family but was killed, she assumed he was lying. After finding out the name of the Padawan and his Master, she was stricken with grief.
The ship landed on the unnamed moon. Graf suggested that the crew could go outside while they fixed the ship. Nitani reassured Leffbruk that Graf had no intentions of leaving without them. On their way out, Leffbruk asked Nitani if they should bring Fel Ix with them. She thought it was ok and the three exited the ship. The Padawan surmised that the root system covering the surface of the moon was one big organism but thought that it didn't even notice the ship or beings on top of it. Fel Ix suggested to Nitani that she should unbind his hands so he could move freely. As she cut him free, Leffbruk was sprayed with goo from one of the tendrils of the root network. Nitani cautioned Leffbruk to avoid getting the substance in his mouth or eyes. The planet-wide organism notice him and before Nitani could reach the young man, he was swallowed up by a hole that had opened underneath him. The bright colors of the Force had caused the Padawan to partially block some of her awareness so she couldn't reach him in time. Concentrating, she was able to discern the colors of Leffbruk through all the other overwhelming light and figured out that he was being pulled towards a large mushroom fan. She and Fel Ix ran to a spot where she could intercept Leffbruk's progress and used one of her lightsabers to make a cut in the root network. As Fel Ix started to pull Leffbruk out, Nitani used her comlink to contact Sky and told them to be prepared to take off. She then pried the hole open wider so Fel Ix could get Leffbruk out. As they returned to the ship, she commed Sky and told them to start the shower.
While the others cleaned up, Nitani explained to Graf what had happened. After everyone cleaned up, they met in the galley to determine their next step. When Graf questioned why Fel Ix wasn't restrained, Nitani vouched for him due to his deep connection to the Force. Graf and Leffbruk wanted to use the resonance machine again, but Nitani refused. She told them she needed to talk to her Master about the information she had received from Fel Ix. The pair grew upset, feeling that the Padawan was reneging on her promise to accompany them. Unclear on Graf's determination to continue their journey, she asked them why it was so important to find Planet X. They explained to her that it was the last known destination of their father. This convinced Nitani to continue the search for Planet X. She joined the other two and used the resonance device to make another hyperspace jump. While in hyperspace, she took a nap and then met the rest of the crew in the cockpit to see where they would emerge.
Emerging from hyperspace, the group realized they were near the twin planets of Aubadas and Gloam. Nitani felt an urge to contact Master Sho and remembered that a Republic communications team had been there recently and set up a communications buoy network. She contacted a local buoy and confirmed a channel back to Batuu so she recorded a message for Master Sho and sent it to the Jedi outpost on Batuu. She wanted to wait for a response but Graf wanted to depart immediately. Nitani was able to convince the rest of the crew that it would be wise to set down on Aubadas to refuel and confirm the ship was in good shape. She stayed on the ship to keep an eye on Fel Ix and to wait to see if she got a response to her message. As they departed the spaceport, Nitani received a reply from Sho. The Jedi Master explained the ongoing situation with the Path of the Open Hand and instructed Nitani to meet near Dalna. Graf refused to take the Padawan there, wanting to instead continue searching for Planet X. Nitani volunteered to return to Aubadas and find her own way but Graf rejected that suggestion. Despite everyone else onboard wanting to go to Dalna, Graf locked the controls with their personal codes and told the rest they would only go where they wanted. Nitani and the others talked to Graf, convinced them that going to Dalna was more important than their selfish desires and was the right thing to do.
===Back to Dalna===
Traveling to Dalna, Nitani approached Fel Ix as he meditated and complimented his ability to commune with the Force. She asked him about the Path's plans and why they would return to Dalna. When they arrived, Nitani asked Graf to connect to the local comm buoy so she could contact Buran. Due to its instability, Graf suggested Nitani use a ship-to-ship open call and Leffbruk warned her to not announce that she was a Jedi to avoid undue attention. She tried to connect to the buoy again but couldn't get a solid connection. Dass asked her if she could reach out with the Force and find Sho and she explained it was possible but it wouldn't allow communication. Fel Ix revealed that the Path might have control over the buoy and Nitani asked him if he could restore the buoy back to working order. He wanted assurances that his family would be safe and Nitani explained that communication between the various factors would make it much easier to resolve the situation peacefully. Master Buran contacted the Brightbird and updated Nitani on the situation above Dalna. He stated that it would easier if the communications network was functioning and Nitani responded that she thought that they could get the comm buoy working properly. Fel Ix was still hesitant to divulge his secrets but the Padawan persuaded him that the Force had brought them to this place and fixing the buoy was the right thing to do.
The crew planned to grab the comm buoy, bring it onboard, and then jump away to repair it. Nitani put on a space suit and joined Graf and Fel Ix in the cargo hold to help with the capture of the buoy. She used the Force to steady and align the buoy as Fel Ix and Graf used a magnetic rope to pull it into the ship. Leffbruk warned her that a mercenary ship was moving to attack them. Nitani leapt from the cargo hold and used her lightsabers to deflect the incoming fire. Exhausted by the effort, she was dragged back onboard the ship by Graf. She joined Leffbruk in the cockpit while Graf and Fel Ix worked on repairing the buoy. Drained by her extreme channeling of the Force, she decided to enter the cannon nest and use the Brightbird's weapons to defend this ship while they redeployed the buoy in Dalnan space. She fired the three cannons at various ships to drive them off and stayed at the weapons station as Leffbruk fled after releasing the buoy. Firing at pursuing ships, she requested that Graf give her access to the communication system. Nitani called Buran, explained that she had to leave because many people had seen her ship take the buoy and asked him to tell Sho that she would reach out to her as soon as possible.
Before they could flee the system, Helis Graf arrived and demanded Sky surrender the ship. Sky told Nitani to fire at Helis. She didn't want to fire at Sky's brother, but they assured her that the Starlily could handle it. She prepared to fire, but was interrupted when a Republic ship exited hyperspace. The Brightbird was contacted by Sho, who told her Padawan to follow the navigational route that was transmitted to the ship. Nitani urged Sky and Leffbruk to follow the coordinates and told her Master about Fel Ix's family. She implored Sho to find the family and assure that they came to no harm. While travelling away from Dalna, Nitani asked Sky about their actions before jumping to hyperspace. They explained that they sent out a signal that would disable all the Graf tech that was corrupting the buoys and restore them to working order. She comforted Graf who was sad they they hadn't been able to get to Planet X and potentially find their father. The Padawan explained that the Force connected all beings and they could possibly find peace through it. Dass told Nitani that she sounded like a grown up Jedi and wondered if her activities would warrant a promotion to Jedi Knight. The crew discussed their future plans.
Arriving back at Batuu, Nitani disembarked and happily greeted her Master. Sho told Nitani about the activity on Dalna against the Path of the Open Hand. Nitani introduced her to the rest of the crew of the Brightbird. Leffbruk mentioned that he thought his father would be mad at him and Nitani told him to be honest with him and she was sure he would understand Dass' actions. When Sky asked that the Jedi support them in case their brother tried to commandeer their ship, Nitani nodded at Sho and hoped the Jedi would agree with the decision. The two Jedi resumed their conversation and Nitani requested that Sho show her how to use her shield. She realized the nature of her relationship with the Force had changed and liked the thought of being a defender like Sho. 
Two days later, Nitani and her friends waited at the Black Spire market and ate a while while waiting for Buran to arrive with Fel Ix's family. Dass Leffbruk talked about enrolling in a pilot school in a couple of years and Nitani speculated that they could end up on the same Pathfinder team one day. She gave him the compass she had taken from the Batuu Jedi temple archive and told him the Force wanted him to have it. Buran's ship landed and Fel Ix introduced Nitani and the others to his family. 
===Jedi Trials===
Nitani spent several years at the Batuu Jedi temple, studying and training. She participated in several missions that included fighting raiders off the heel of the Stradtofen Cluster, settling an uprising on Banfoden Prime, and exploring ancient Force sects located in the Collus Reach. She also worked with Pathfinder teams and did solo missions without her Master.
In 379 BBYRooper Nitani is established to be fourteen years old in The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City, while The High Republic: Quest for Planet X is set shortly after her fifteenth birthday. As Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia dates both novels to 382 BBY, she must have been born in 397 BBY. Shield of the Jedi states she is now eighteen years old so it must take place in 379 BBY., Nitani was trying to calm herself through meditation but couldn't help but feel as if something important was happening. Master Sho came into the chamber along with P3-7A and told Nitani that it was time for her Jedi Trials. She praised Nitani on becoming a brave and compassionate young women. The Master told her Padawan that her challenge was to simply find her shield which she had hidden. She suggested that Nitani take P3 with her, although the droid did not know the location of the shield. Her final advice to her Padawan was for her to follow her instincts.
Nitani left the temple grounds and headed towards the nearby forest. She attempted to reach out with the Force for some idea of where the shield could be but was unable to concentrate. Deciding to use logic instead, she thought about where her Master liked to go when seeking peace and solitude. She remembered a tall tree that rose above all others that Sho liked to use as a meditation spot. She searched around the base but was unable to find the shield. Using the Force, she climbed to the top of the tree, avoiding the Forrians that dwelt in the tree. As she ascended to the top, Nitani pondered about her future and what kind of teacher she would when she took on a Padawan. Arriving at the top and not finding the shield, she took in the view and thought about her next step. Seeing a rock outcropping in the distance that Sho liked to visit, she decided to descend from the tree and go there to search. While she searched the location, she began to worry that she might not be able to retrieve the shield and thought about the history of the artifact. Not having any luck at finding the shield, Nitani thought about the shield and its meaning. Realizing that it was designed to protect people, Nitani surmised that Sho might have hidden it somewhere were the Padawan could find it and use it to protect people in need. Seeing the lights of Peka nearby, she descended the hillside and made her way to the village.
When she arrived in the village, she notice a young man sitting under a large tree looking worried. She introduced herself to Jerlyn and he asked if she was there to help. She asked for some explanation of the problem and he told her that a salmaca was raiding the village nightly, killing a villager and taking his droid Dee-Twelve when the boy had fallen asleep and not secured the droid. He told her that Sho had come to town, promised that someone would help them, and left her shield in the tree. Nitani was unable to find it and guessed that the salmaca had taken it. The Padawan realized that retrieving the shield and protecting the villagers was just another part of her Master's test. She joined a party who were heading to the cave system that the salmaca lived in.
When they arrived at the cave, she convinced the villagers to wait outside, afraid their anger and thirst for revenge would cause problems. She snuck into the cave with P-3 and made her way to a large cavern. Lighting one of her lightsabers, she was able to see the sleeping salmaca atop a large pile of mechanical debris. Moving quietly, she made her way around the chamber and noticed several corpses of gant spiders hanging from the ceiling. She realized the creature was not aggressive and actually beneficial for the village by consuming most of the spiders before they could attack the village. Nitani determined that the salmaca was provoked into killing Tuntis when the villager attacked the creature. Ruminating on her Master's challenge, she came to the conclusion that a Jedi's job was to protect everything. She quickly came up with a plan to allow the salmaca and Peka villagers to peacefully coexist. She located Dee-Twelve under one of the salmaca's paws and carefully approached. For the first time in the day, she was able to fully connect to the Force due to her conviction in her beliefs. Approaching the beast, she reached out with the Force and sent peaceful and calming thoughts towards the salmaca. It rolled over in its sleep, freeing the droid. Nitani directed P3 to lead the droid to safety and noticed Sho's shield in a pile of junk. Before she could retrieve it, the posse from the village entered the cavern and opened fire on the salmaca. Using the Force, she extracted the shield from the pile of junk and mentally directed it to deflect the villager's fire. She commanded them to leave the cave while the salmaca charged at them and used the shield to distract the creature. She used the Force to calm the creature and then carefully left the cave.
Outside the cave, she encountered Jerlyn who thanked her for rescuing Dee-Twelve. He was surprised when she admitted that she hadn't killed the salmaca but she fully explained the situation with the gant spiders. She returned to Peka and told the villagers that the salmaca was preventing a spider infestation and if they would leave scrap outside, it would satisfy the salmaca and prevent it from attacking the village.
Nitani returned to the Jedi Temple and sought out her Master. She explained her solution to her Master's challenge and returned the shield. She asked if she was ready to be a Knight, but Sho told Nitani that she already knew she was ready and she just needed to realize it herself. Sho told her to clean up and they would talk to the Jedi Council the next day. As Sho left the room, Nitani tried to give her the shield but Sho told her to keep it. Misunderstanding her Master, she asked if it needed to be cleaned but Sho told her she was giving it to Nitani to use. Unsure of the gift, Nitani asked why. Sho explained it was tradition for the shield to be passed down from master to apprentice after passing their Trials. Touched, she promised to make her Master proud of her.
===Knighthood===
Around 377 BBY"Tales of Enlightenment: Missing Pieces" takes place around five years after the Battle of Jedha, dated to 382 BBY in Star Wars: Timelines., Nitani, Sho, and P3-7A had been on the floating city Penumbra infiltrating an arms deal between the Bright Circle and a group of pirates. The leader of the Bright Circle, Ullan Yite, attempted to escape the ambush by fleeing to his yacht after sending enforcer droids to attack the two Jedi. P3-7A disabled the ship by removing the central processor. After successfully completing the mission, Sho suggested that Nitani go to the Enlightenment bar and meet Piralli and his friends. Nitani journeyed to Jedha with P3-7A. Entering the bar, she asked the bartender Old Chantho where Piralli was sitting. Introducing herself, she explained she was a friend of Sho. She told Piralli and Moona that the Jedi Master still thought fondly about her friendship with Keth Cerepath and the other regulars of Enlightenment. Nitani told the pair about the mission on Penumbra and when asked about P3, she brought him into the bar. The droid presented the central processor to the elated Piralli, who had been searching for the expensive part to repair his own Sullustan Mark VIII Legacy-class space yacht. Nitani explained that it was the droid's idea to give the part to Piralli although the Jedi would not condone in trafficking stolen goods. He tried to thank her but she insisted that she had nothing to do with it and it was all the droid's idea.
In 229 BBY,Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia dates the events of The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness to 229 BBY. when Porter Engle was trapped within the Occlusion Zone created by the Nihil marauders, he remembered sparring with Nitani while thinking about his friends.
==Personality and traits==
Nitani had a strong sense of duty and believed that it was a Jedi's responsibility to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. She had black and gold tattoos on her inner arms that represented some of the mythologies she had studied on the frontier and a gold ring in her nose.
==Powers and abilities==
Nitani was skilled in the use of the Force, able to wield dual lightsabers in combat. She was also able to channel the Force to enhance her physical abilities. She could sense people's presence through the Force as a jumble of bright colors.
==Equipment==
Nitani wielded dual blue lightsabers. She wore a simple dark brown robe with a hood. She wore a utility belt to hold her lightsabers. She had small cloth pouches secured to her upper arms and legs by bands for use as storage pockets.
==Behind the scenes==
Rooper Nitani first appeared in the 2022 junior novel The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City, written by George Mann for the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project's Phase II.
==Appearances==
*The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City 
*The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha 
*The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha script 
*The High Republic: Quest for Planet X 
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*The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness 
==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia
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*Star Wars: The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collection
*Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
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==Notes and references==
Category:Females
Category:Humans
Category:Individuals with she/her pronouns
Category:Jedi Knights during the High Republic Era
Category:Pathfinder Jedi