Cratala

An Arkanian of some renown, Cratala was once a leading cybernetics designer and researcher in the Republic; not only was she personally-skilled, but also well-versed in forgotten Old Republic technology. Her reputation as a burgeoning genius caught the attention of Chancellor Palpatine's personal medial research staff, who recommended she be ordered to join it. However, Cratala hated the corruption within the Republic and decried being drafted into service. Unfortunately for her, the Chancellor's staff wouldn't take no for an answer, and attempted to abduct her along with the rest of her department. Luckily, she was able to see the move coming, defecting to the CIS and bringing her staff with her.

Recognizing her skills, the Separatists set her up with a lab and a small staff on a deep-space station near the Mid-Rim, working on improved droid-cyborg integration on the battlefield. When the CIS force collapsed at the end of the Clone Wars, her friendship with a Separatist captain, Harsol, ensured both her and her team's rescue from the failing Confederacy.

However, her escape from the newly-formed Empire, still as intrigued with Cratala as it was before the war, suffered as the Sa'Nalaor was damaged as it fled. Crashing down on the wilds of Cholganna, the Arkanian was lucky to survive, along with a good number of her research staff. In the years the followed, even under the harsh circumstances of surviving in a vast wilderness, Cratala remained committed to her work, turning the fauna of the planet into her specimens, the most notable of which were the fearsome Nexu.

Twenty years later, during the events of Beyond the Rim II: Welcome to the Jungle, the survivors of the crash were discovered by two groups. The Agents of the Broker, temporarily employed by the engineering firm Isotech, and the leaders of Yiyar Salvage, competitors with Isotech (and bearing a grudge against the Agents). While the politics that followed concerned her, seeing as how she previously promised to work for Isotech's now-dead founder, she also found herself "courted" by the Agent's chief scientist, Balken Oppen.

Balken was quite intrigued with Cratala, and her work, experiencing her cybernetically-enhanced Nexu firsthand. So impressed, he allowed the her to install his newly-acquired cybernetic brain implant. Overnight, a slight bond was forged between the two of them, motivated by mutual respect, and Balken's desire to see Cratala's work reach its full potential.

To that end, Balken concerned himself with Cratala's well-being when the Empire struck the next day, trying to save her himself as she loosed the Nexu on everyone (disabling their inhibitors so their aggression would remain unchecked). However, quickly taken out by Imperial blaster fire, Balken had to leave her to ROC-K4, another Broker Agent, who took her fate quite literally into his hands, foregoing diplomacy in exchange for forcibly seizing her and carrying her to the Sunflare.

As they traveled to the Isotech headquarters on Raxus Prime, Balken and Cratala continued their intellectual exchange, though the researcher's feeling had chilled, now feeling more like an object to be bargained over than an actual person. When the group finally arrived at the Isotech HQ, in Beyond the Rim III: Toxic Motherlode, the CEO, Reom, appeared overjoyed at the sight of Cratala alive, expecting her to hold up her original deal with his father to work for the company. However, after changing the terms of the original plan with the Agents, an argument ensued that again treated Cratala more like a piece of valuable tech than a person.

It was here that Balken stood up for her, championing that it was up to her to decide where she wanted to work (while also emphasizing that she should work with him), and Reom should simply uphold the original deal and take the data she escaped Cholganna with. Durin Boge, another Broker Agent, backed Reom's side of the argument (that Cratala was free to choose, but that she should uphold her deal with his father and join him), tempted by the prospects of a better payout and solidifying relations with Isotech for his small smuggling ring.

Cratala was swayed by Balken, impressed by his intellect and wary of Isotech's proximity to the Empire (Raxus Prime itself sporting a heavy Imperial presence). Her fears were confirmed after the Isotech base was uncovered by the Empire, but she luckily escaped on a junk CR90 Corvette Reom and the Isotech leadership were hiding as a simple building withing the HQ.

Safe in deep space, Balken summoned this Research Team's private ship, the Farseer, and handed over a large space onboard to Cratala to use for her purposes (along with giving her access to the resources necessary for her work). For the moment, Cratala shares the ship with Dr. Maronea, another member of Balken's team, and there appears to be tension forming between the more biologically-inclined Selonian and the tech-focused Arkanian.