Sigel Dare

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Sigel Dare was a female human master within the Imperial Knights during the Second Imperial Civil War. Fiercely loyal to Roan Fel, Emperor of the Empire-in-exile, Dare was rigid in her belief that an Imperial Knight’s duty was to obey the Emperor’s commands above all else, even the will of the Force. Her icy, unwavering demeanor saw her express open distaste of those not aligned with Fel’s Empire, including Jedi, Sith, and members of the Galactic Alliance. This mindset often blinded her to the larger galactic picture; she saw potential allies of her Emperor only as enemies.

In 137 ABY, Dare accompanied Fel as he retook the fortress world of Bastion from Darth Krayt’s Imperial forces, and was later sent with Treis Sinde, her former master, to sabotage the construction of a new Star Destroyer belonging to Krayt’s Empire. When the Star Destroyer was seized by Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance Remnant, Dare and Sinde infiltrated the planet Dac and rescued several Alliance pilots from the clutches of Krayt’s Empire in an attempt to warn Stazi of the explosives they had planted. Although the mission resulted in Sinde being stranded on the planet, the actions of the two paved a pathway towards an eventual alliance between Stazi’s fleet and Fel’s Empire.

Dare was later sent back to Dac to retrieve Sinde, accompanied by the Jedi Master Asaak Dan. When Sinde informed Dare that he would be staying on-planet to continue aiding the Mon Calamari Rangers, Dare angrily drew her lightsaber and engaged her former master in a duel that was soon halted by Dan’s intervention. Dan offered to take Sinde’s place as an advisor to the Rangers, and Dare and Sinde prepared to return to Bastion.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early service 1.2 Second Imperial Civil War 1.2.1 Returning to Bastion 1.2.2 Sabotaging the Imperious 1.2.3 Escape from Dac 1.2.4 Retrieving Sinde 2 Personality and traits 3 Powers and abilities 4 Behind the scenes 4.1 Figures 5 Appearances 6 Sources 7 Notes and references 8 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early service

Sigel Dare was trained as an Imperial Knight by Master Treis Sinde,^[2] and, after reaching knighthood, became fully qualified to serve Emperor Roan Fel as a bodyguard and agent.^[3] At some point prior to 137 ABY, Dare attained the rank of Master,^[4] a title reserved only for the highest-ranking Imperial Knights.^[3] During sparring sessions with Sinde, she would come to surpass her teacher’s skills with a lightsaber.^[2]

[edit] Second Imperial Civil War

[edit] Returning to Bastion

After seven years of conducting hit-and-run tactics on the fleets of Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire, Roan Fel, former Emperor of the Galactic Empire, returned to the Imperial stronghold of Bastion, which the Sith Lord Darth Krayt had claimed shortly after the conclusion of the Sith-Imperial War. Dare accompanied Fel as he arrived on-planet, along with fellow Imperial Knights Antares Draco and Ganner Krieg. After securing the loyalty of the Imperial forces stationed on the fortress world, Fel believed that his Empire could now become a more potent threat to Krayt.^[5]

[edit] Sabotaging the Imperious

Weeks later,^[6] Fel sent Dare and Sinde on a mission to sabotage the Advanced Star Destroyer Imperious, which was nearing completion at the Mon Calamari Shipyards; destroying the vessel would mean denying its usage to Darth Krayt's Empire. Undercover and in plainclothes, Sinde and Dare were dispatched to Dac to infiltrate and destroy the vessel. The pair planted three sets of explosives, the first two of which they expected to be found, and the third anticipated to remain undiscovered. The explosives were primed to go off when the Imperious's weapon systems came online during its shakedown cruise; the hope was that the ship would be far enough away from Dac that the Mon Calamari would not be blamed for its destruction.^[7]

The plan hit a snag, however, when Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance Remnant executed his own bold mission to steal the Imperious from Krayt's Empire, hoping to add the ship to his fleet's arsenal. Stazi's plan succeeded, although it cost him his flagship, the Indomitable, in the process, along with one third of the Mon Calamari shipyards.^[8] Sinde realized that the explosives would not be discovered by the Alliance, and decided that he and Dare needed to warn Stazi of the sabotage. Dare did not share the view of her former instructor, feeling that the Duros Admiral was as much an enemy of Roan Fel’s Empire as Darth Krayt was. However, Sinde knew that Fel hoped to ally with Stazi against Krayt, and felt that he and Dare could convince him of their good intentions by warning him of the threat posed by the explosives.^[7]

[edit] Escape from Dac

Angered at the loss of the Imperious, Darth Krayt brought a legion of Sith and stormtroopers to Dac, and ordered the execution of ten percent of the Mon Calamari population, beginning with the members of the Mon Calamari Council. The remaining ninety percent throughout the galaxy were to be interred in work camps. As Sith and stormtroopers swarmed New Coral City, Dare and Sinde, still in plainclothes, fought their way through Krayt's forces in order to locate Monia Gahan, niece of former Senator and Galactic Alliance Triumvirate member Gial Gahan; Dare and Sinde anticipated that she would prove vital in relaying their warning to Stazi. Gahan was a member of Rogue Squadron,^[7] and had been assigned to slice into Dac’s planetary defenses during Stazi’s assault, co-opting them for use by the Alliance.^[8] Finding Gahan, Dare and Sinde saved her from execution at the hands of a squad of stormtroopers, and informed her both of the situation, and that they would be taking her off-planet to in order to help them reach Stazi. Still wary of their plan, Dare taunted Gahan, telling her that her Admiral had been outsmarted, but was in turn reprimanded by Sinde, who felt that she was failing to see the larger picture.^[7]

Gahan agreed to help them, on the condition that they assisted in the rescue of Alliance pilots captured during the battle. While Gahan felt that it would be a sign of Emperor Fel’s sincerity if the Imperial Knights brought Stazi all of his missing people, Dare saw it as an unnecessary risk. However, she was willing to defer to Sinde’s wisdom. With Gahan at their side, Dare and Sinde cut their way through legions of stormtroopers as the Mon Calamari rescued her fellow Rogues from a prison cell. Sinde quickly laid out a plan that involved everyone who could fit into stormtrooper armor donning it, and Dare posing as an Imperial lieutenant; with the plan put into motion, the ensemble made their way to the hangar levels. Dare used a mind trick to convince the captain on-duty that they were authorized to load prisoners aboard the personal shuttle of Darth Azard, a Quarren Sith Lord. Boarding the shuttle, Sinde and Dare incapacitated the crew, and Dare continued to taunt the Rogues, sarcastically asking if the pilot Ronto could fly the shuttle. Before they could take off, Sinde saw Azard, who had sensed a disturbance in the Force, approaching, and ordered Dare to take the shuttle to a rendezvous with Stazi; Sinde then leapt down into the hangar to engage Azard.^[7]

Unfazed by Gahan’s horror that she would leave her partner behind, Dare prepared to follow Sinde’s instructions. As her former master dueled Azard in a delaying action, Dare used the Force to jettison a fuel tank into the path of the shuttle’s rear guns, and instructed one of the Rogues to fire on it. A massive explosion occurred in the hangar, covering the shuttle’s escape, and distracting Azard long enough for Sinde to dive off of the hangar level and escape.^[7]

Piloting the Sith Lord’s shuttle to the Imperious, now in the hands of Stazi and rechristened the Alliance, the Rogues brought Dare to an audience with the Duros Admiral. Dare informed him of the third set of explosives, which were swiftly disarmed, but sarcastically told Stazi "You’re welcome", prompting him to remark that as an Imperial, she was lucky to have not yet been shot. Gahan cut the tension between the two by venturing her opinion that Master Sinde had been correct: The Sith were the common enemies of both Stazi and Emperor Fel, and it would be beneficial for the two to become allies. Dare and Gahan agreed that Sinde had been willing to sacrifice himself to the greater good, and Dare expressed her belief that he was still alive, joining up with a resistance group that the Mon Calamari were no doubt creating. Swayed by Gahan’s words, Stazi realized the necessity of bringing down Krayt, and instructed Dare to contact Roan Fel and inform him of his willingness to create an alliance. Bowing to the Admiral, Dare acquiesced to his request.^[7]

[edit] Retrieving Sinde

The resulting alliance between the Empire-in-Exile and the Galactic Alliance Remnant went on to decimate Krayt’s Coruscant Third Fleet at Ralltiir,^[9] while on Dac, Sinde fought alongside the Mon Calamari Rangers in an effort to protect Mon Calamari refugees stranded on the planet. When Fel was finally able to make contact with Sinde and to confirm his survival and location, he ordered him back to Bastion, but was told by the stubborn Knight that no shuttle was available.^[10] Shortly thereafter, Fel summoned Dare to an audience, along with Antares Draco and Ganner Krieg, who had just reported back from a mission that saw the death of Darth Krayt.^[11] In the wake of such a momentous event, the Emperor handed out orders to all three Knights; Dare was to go to Dac and retrieve Treis Sinde,^[4] who was needed to train more Imperial Knights.^[10]

Dare traveled to the Arkanis Sector and once again met with Admiral Gar Stazi aboard the Alliance. During Dare’s visit, the Admiral was also host to four Jedi, all of whom had been dispatched by the Jedi Council in order to aid Stazi’s alliance with Roan Fel. Jedi Master Te Corso invited Dare to join a private conversation about the bounty hunter Cade Skywalker, but the Imperial Knight declined, instead asking Stazi for the use of one of the Alliance’s imperial shuttles, which would allow her to covertly slip into Dac. Fascinated by what he had heard about Sinde’s work with the Mon Calamari Rangers, Jedi Master Asaak Dan asked to come along, but his request was met with steadfast refusal. However, her conviction was overridden by the Admiral, who reminded her that the shuttle, and consequently the decision, was his.^[2]

En route to Dac, Dare hatched a plan that saw her dress as an Imperial Intelligence officer, and Dan as one of her agents. Bothered by Master Dan’s presence, she repeatedly informed him of the plan and its details, creating a hostility between the two of them, albeit one that was reciprocated in a largely mock-serious manner. After landing on Dac, they were able to bypass security with the aid of a mind trick on Dare’s part, and rendezvoused with Sinde and the Mon Calamari Ranger Tanquar. Hoping to leave the planet quickly, Dare informed her former master of the awaiting ship, and was shocked to hear that he intended to remain on Dac. Sinde believed that the Force was telling him to remain with the Rangers, but Dare, angrily igniting her lightsaber, insisted that an Imperial Knight’s personal loyalty to the Emperor transcended what the Force told them. Sinde didn’t wish to fight, but Dare was adamant: He would return with her, or he would die on Dac. Dismayed that Dare, and younger Imperial Knights in general, were losing sight of the true purposes of their organization, Sinde reluctantly engaged his former student in a lightsaber duel.^[2]

As the two fought, Master Dan ignited his own lightsaber and intervened, enraging Dare in the process. Halting the duel, he told Sinde that if he thought that younger Imperial Knights were forgetting that an Imperial Knight's duty was to the Force as embodied by the Emperor, then it was his duty to return to Bastion and train them correctly. Seeing, however, that the Rangers still required assistance in their struggle, he offered to stay on Dac in Sinde’s place. Seeing the wisdom in Dan's offer, Sinde accepted. As Dare and Sinde prepared to depart the planet, Dare grudgingly admitted that the Jedi was skilled and brave.^[2]

[edit] Personality and traits

As of 137 ABY, Sigel Dare was a master^[4] within the Imperial Knights; the title indicated that she was one of the organization’s highest-ranking members.^[3] Dare was fiercely loyal to the cause of Emperor Roan Fel, and was very rigid in her approach to her duty,^[1][12] an approach which her former master, Treis Sinde, saw as blinding her to the larger picture. While with Sinde on Dac, Dare was very reluctant to warn Admiral Gar Stazi of the explosives planted aboard his new flagship, as she felt that he was as much an enemy to her Emperor as the Sith were. Even while working to warn him, Dare was smug in her actions, taunting several members of Rogue Squadron and insisting that she and Sinde had outsmarted the Admiral, and even sarcastically muttering "You’re welcome" to Stazi after the explosives had been disarmed. During the mission, Dare indicated that that if it had been up to her, all members of the Galactic Alliance would rot on Dac, and Stazi would die in space.^[7]

Dare maintained that an Imperial Knight’s duty was ultimately to the Emperor and not to the will of the Force; when retrieving Sinde from Dac, she insisted that he obey their Emperor’s orders rather than listen to what the Force was telling him. Her staunch devotion to this attitude even saw her draw her lightsaber on and attack her former master; as he hadn’t been willing to return to Bastion, she attempted to kill him until Asaak Dan intervened.^[2]

Severely critical of both the Jedi and the Sith,^[1] Dare was greatly annoyed when Jedi Master Asaak Dan was permitted to accompany her on a retrieval mission to Dac, and felt that she needed to explain her plan to him several times in order for him to understand it. In spite of her open disregard for those who weren’t part of Fel’s Empire, however, she was known to show humility, such as when she acknowledged Master Dan’s skills and bravery,^[2] when she bowed to Gar Stazi upon hearing his decision to open talks with Fel regarding a potential Alliance, and when she was willing to defer to Treis Sinde’s wisdom on Dac.^[7] As cold as ice, Dare did not want to admit that the galaxy was falling apart around her.^[1]

[edit] Powers and abilities

As an Imperial Knight, Dare was part of an organization that was said to be among the most talented and dangerous Force-users in the galaxy.^[3] Dare was skilled with a lightsaber, and during her training, came to surpass Treis Sinde’s abilities with the weapon. She was also proficient with various uses of the Force, such as mind-tricks^[2] and levitation.^[7]

[edit] Behind the scenes

Sigel Dare was created by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema for the comic book series Star Wars: Legacy, and, along with the Imperial Knights in general, was first revealed in Legacy’s Issue 0, released in June 2006.^[1] She went on to make her first appearance in a brief scene of the third issue of the series,^[5] and appeared on the cover of its sixth issue, despite not appearing within its pages.^[13] Dare’s first major role came in Issue 22 of Legacy, written by Ostrander and pencilled by Alan Robinson;^[7] she later went on to play a significant role of the series’ forty-second issue, also written by Ostrander but pencilled by Dave Ross.^[2]

[edit] Figures

In 2008, Dare received her own miniature figurine, as part of the Legacy of the Force set of Star Wars Miniatures. Although Dare’s likeness was used, the figurine was simply called “Imperial Knight”.^[14] The following year, Dare also received her own action figure. Hasbro, as part of its Legacy Collection comic packs, released Dare and Darth Krayt as 3 ¾ inch action figures, packaged with Issue 22 of Legacy.^[15]

[edit] Appearances

• Star Wars Legacy 3: Broken, Part 3 (First appearance)
• Star Wars Legacy 6: Broken, Part 5 (Appears on cover only)
• Star Wars Legacy 22: The Wrath of the Dragon
• Star Wars Legacy 33: Fight Another Day, Part 2 (Mentioned only)
• Star Wars Legacy 35: Storms, Part 2
• Star Wars Legacy 42: Divided Loyalties

[edit] Sources

• Star Wars: Legacy 0 (First mentioned)
• Legacies of Future Orders - Star Wars Insider 88
• Star Wars Legacy 0½
• Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
• Star Wars Miniatures: Legacy of the Force
• Legacy Era Campaign Guide
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

•  Dare, Sigel in the Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia