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- "There is a woman of our clan who joined the Nightsisters, but has recently left them at a great price. She now lives alone as one of the forsaken and has petitioned to rejoin our clan. Perhaps she could help guide you, tell you where to find what you you seek."
- ―Augwynne Djo to Luke Skywalker
Barukka was a female Dathomiri, a former Nightsister, and the sister of the Nightsister leader Gethzerion. The daughter of the Singing Mountain Clan's leader, Augwynne Djo, she turned to the dark side of the Force but was able to break away from its influence and exiled herself. She petitioned unsuccessfully to rejoin her original clan, and was subsequently tormented mentally by Gethzerion, slowly being driven insane.
After being approached by Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker to find parts for the Millennium Falcon, Barukka was able to start redeeming herself. Skywalker helped her overcome her guilt, and she was able to return to the light side after Gethzerion was killed by the Imperial warlord, Zsinj. After Barukka completed the redemption process, she was able to return to her clan.
Biography
Early life
- "You two must have been close."
"Gethzerion is her sister." - ―Luke Skywalker and Teneniel Djo discuss Barukka's relations with Gethzerion.
The daughter of Augwynne Djo, Barukka was raised in the Singing Mountain Clan by her mother alongside her sisters, Gethzerion, Kara'Teel, and Allaya Djo. However, around 1 ABY, Gethzerion betrayed her mother and attempted to assassinate her, killing Kara'Teel in the process, though Augwynne survived the attempt on her life. After these events, Gethzerion was exiled and chose to become a Nightsister, starting a clan of darksiders who imposed terror on the other clans, as well as the people that were imprisoned on Dathomir by the Galactic Empire. Barukka would later fall to the dark side at some point prior to 8 ABY and joined her sister's clan as a Nightsister. She learned the Nightsisters' spells and became powerful in the process, possessing an aura of dark power surrounding her body in the Force.[1]
During her life as a Nightsister, Barukka committed atrocities that were unspoken of in her old clan. She gained valuable knowledge around the Imperial prison on Dathomir, which served as their base, but she eventually started to regret her actions. She left the Nightsisters, then exiled herself to a cavern known as the Rivers of Stone. During this time, she petitioned to rejoin the Singing Mountain Clan, though her mother seemed hesitant to allow her return, fearing that Barukka was emotionally unstable and untrustworthy due to her former actions as a Nightsister.[1]
Redemption
- "You said that those who follow the dark side can be won back. But what if you yourself become tainted? How can you free yourself?"
"Then you must turn away from the dark side with your whole heart. Give up your anger, give up your greed, give up your despair. And in time, you must give up your guilt." - ―Barukka and Luke Skywalker discuss the redemption process.
Since Barukka lived and did everything alone, she was left completely vulnerable and, in the days that followed her self imposed exile, was tortured by Gethzerion for leaving the Nightsisters. Gethzerion called for her to return and would hunt for Barukka, determined to either bring her back into the clan, drive her mad, or kill her for her betrayal. Barukka heard Gethzerion as if she was right beside her, screaming and cursing at her, and Gethzerion also kept Barukka awake at night by doing this, depriving her of sleep. Eventually, Barukka would become convinced that Gethzerion held a great deal of power over her and that she couldn't stop her or even help herself. This drove Barukka mad; she would talk to herself in the third person, and would tremble at the thought of giving out any information about the Nightsisters to their enemies.[1]
Barukka's madness would soon end with her redemption. Due to her former status as a Nightsister, Barukka was sought out by the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, his sister, Leia Organa, the pilot and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo and Chewbacca, Barukka's niece Teneniel Djo, and the Hapan prince Isolder, in 8 ABY for information about the Imperial prison. However, Barukka commanded the party to leave, reasoning that she was forsaken and couldn't offer them shelter because of this. Skywalker tried to reason with her, but Barukka simply warned them about the upcoming war the Singing Mountain Clan faced with the Nightsisters, and that she was being summoned by Gethzerion. After Teneniel asked for directions to find parts for the Millennium Falcon in the prison, Barukka simply rambled to them about how Gethzerion was driving her mad. Skywalker was finally able to convince her to reveal the locations by explaining that he was a Jedi Knight.[1]
She obliged by conjuring up a perfect full scale model of the prison from the dirt on the ground, with tiny replicas of people walking about it. After pointing out key locations in the prison, the model collapsed when Barukka saw Gethzerion in it, staring at her with accusing eyes. Barukka fell to the floor and grieved to Skywalker, complaining about the damage she had done to herself as a Nightsister. Skywalker then gave her advice on how to give up her guilt and how to begin the first steps towards the light. Fortunately for Barukka, Gethzerion's clan of Nightsisters was killed when their ship was destroyed by the Imperial warlord, Zsinj, who had set up a blockade to prevent the Nightsisters from leaving. After the ordeal, Barukka redeemed herself and returned to her clan.[1]
Personality and traits
- "You seem reluctant to recommend her. Why?"
"She is fighting to cleanse herself. She has committed unspeakable atrocities that have left a great mark upon her. She is forsaken. Such people are…untrustworthy, unstable." - ―Augwynne Djo explains to Leia Organa why she is uncertain about Barukka.
Barukka, being a former Nightsister, committed numerous crimes using the dark side without hesitation and had a dark aura flowing about her, symbolizing her abuse of the dark side. However, she felt guilt for her crimes unlike her sister, Gethzerion, and because of this, was able to begin redeeming herself. Gethzerion would not allow this, and she slowly drove her sister mad by keeping her awake at night, screaming and cursing at her using the Force, and stalking without end. By the time she met Luke Skywalker, she had gone completely insane, speaking in the third person, and believed that Gethzerion had exerted complete control over her.[1]
While she was forsaken, she stayed within the rules, not allowing anyone into her shelter per tradition. She was very fearful of Gethzerion, enough to keep from Skywalker strategic points within the Imperial prison where ship parts were located. When an image of Gethzerion appeared to her from a replica of the prison, she was frightened, but it drove her to want full redemption. She wanted her various physical and mental damages to be healed by Skywalker, and her willfulness and eagerness to return to her clan helped Barukka to rid herself of her anger, greed, guilt and despair. After Gethzerion was killed, Barukka was able to regain her sanity and join the Singing Mountain Clan once again.[1]
Powers and abilities
Barukka, a Force-trained Dathomiri witch and Nightsister, activated her Force powers by exclaiming a set of words that her clan had named a spell. She was known to have some considerable ability with spells of illusion, creating a replica of the Imperial prison with great detail, down to the very people who walked about the prison. According to Princess Leia, she was more powerful than Skywalker was in his early days as a Jedi; Leia saw Force abilities in Barukka that she had not known Skywalker to possess. Barukka was not known for being able to block telepathic connections to her, especially by Gethzerion, and was endlessly tortured by her because of this. Before her redemption, she used the spells of the Nightsisters to terrorize the various clans of Dathomiri, possessing a distinctive, dark aura around her until she was redeemed.[1]
Behind the scenes
Barukka was created by The Courtship of Princess Leia author Dave Wolverton. She would also be given a brief listing in the Star Wars Encyclopedia and in Cracken's Threat Dossier, though her name in that reference book is misspelled as "Baruka".
Appearances
- The Courtship of Princess Leia (First appearance)
Sources
- Cracken's Threat Dossier
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia