Sorshara Bray

Overview
Sorshara Bray was a Human pilot from the industrial world of Corellia that served as a member of Arrow Squadron during both the Galactic Civil War and the days of the New Republic. Raised on the rough streets of Coronet, Bray was independent, self-sufficient, and rarely backed down from a fight. Not having many prospects on the streets of Corellia, she did what she needed to do to survive to see another sunrise.

Joining the Empire when she came of age, Bray was admitted to the Imperial Flight Academy. She proved to be a natural pilot and her skills were rivaled by few in her class. However, once she was deployed to the front lines and saw the atrocities being committed in the name of the Emperor, she defected from the Empire and joined the Rebel Alliance.

Assigned to Arrow Squadron, she participated in the campaign to liberate the Betseeda System, the war against the Glaston Pirates and the Hutt Campaign. When the Arrows were assigned to the Rebel Fleet under the command of Admiral Ackbar, Bray severed as a flight instructor for new pilots until Arrow Squadron was reformed under the command of Lieutenant Udas and assigned to the Tingel Arm.

Bray was an original member of Arrow Squadron and one of the longest serving pilots in the history of the unit. Her call sign was Arrow Five.

Corellian Scumrat
Born into abject poverty, Bray learned fast that she would have to depend upon herself to survive. Barely cared for by her absentee parents, she often ran off from home and into the dark, dangerous streets of Corellia. These trips continued as she grew and by the time she was 10 years old, she was stealing from other children and selling her stolen wares for spending money. Her parents did nothing to curb this behavior and she continued her activities.

As she grew into a teenager, she took an interest in speeders and ships, which almost seemed intrinsic to most Corellians. She would often steal craft that she found and joyride through the streets of Coronet. The ability to pilot these ships also gave her the option of stealing large amounts of goods. Usually, she would steal jewelry or precious metals. However, her antics were starting to draw some unwanted attention.

The Empire had a large presence on Corellia and the young Sorshara was questioned and realized a dozen times by Stormtroopers. The heat rattled the young thief and she sought protection from local crime lords. With no family to speak of, she found a small sense of community among the other thieves in Coronet. There was no honor and she would steal from any of them, but at least she was temporarily protected from Imperial authority.

As she grew into young adulthood, she began to lose the desire to steal and wanted something more than just to be another dirty Corellian thief. Her love of piloting and the deep, dangerous thrill of risk never left, however, and Bray made a fateful decision.

By this time, the local Imperial commandant on Corellia had changed and she had been laying low long enough to dissipate any heat. On her 20th birthday, she approached an Imperial Recruitment Center in Coronet and enrolled in the Imperial Navy. With her options growing thin on Corellia and a desire to see the galaxy, the naive young Bray believed this was her best chance to get off world.

False Advertising
With no innate desire to protect the Empire or the galaxy, she had no loyalty to his cause. However, her aptitude test proved her very talented as a pilot and she was admitted into the Imperial Flight Academy.

Training was brutal and difficult. The slightest signs of weakness or indecision were met with dismissal or worse. Hundreds of recruits failed out in the first few weeks. The ones that remained were some of the most talented young pilots in the galaxy. It impressed Bray that the Empire could draw on thousands of young, eager recruits and that her class was only one of many.

She routinely ranked at or near the top of her classes. Her simulations and actual flight procedures earned her high praise and, for the first time in her life, she felt a purpose other than simply eeking out a living. She was, however, not popular with the other recruits with most of them being boys her age. They bullied her relentless and on more than one occasion, made inappropriate attempts at becoming physical with her. She fought off their advances and focused on her training, becoming more and more self-reliant by the day.

Eventually, she graduated form the Academy and was assigned as a TIE fighter pilot aboard the Star Destroyer Avenger. Her, she saw her first tastes of real combat. The Avenger was assigned to put down a revolt by the people on the world of Sernpidal. Despite having no air support, Bray and her TIE fighters ravaged the rebel forces, killing in indiscriminately. Bray had an extremely difficult time with the mission. She initially refused to fire on the civilian centers, but was threatened with death if she disobeyed orders.

For nearly a month, Bray and the Avenger fought a bloody campaign of violence and death that targeted the civilians of Sernpidal. By the end of the affair, she was a shell of her former self. Growing dark and angry, she began to realize that the Empire did not care about her or her skills. She was merely a tool in their arsenal of evil.

On the day that the Avenger was scheduled to leave the system, Bray was assigned on a routine scouting patrol with one other TIE fighter. Using the opportunity to be distance herself from the Star Destroyer, she waited until she was out of range of the scanners aboard the ship before shooting down her fellow pilot and fleeing the scene. She was now a traitor to the Empire and she knew the fate that awaited her should she ever be captured.

Deciding that, perhaps, the growing Rebellion would accept her, she set her coordinates for a possible rebel location on Dantooine, one she had seen in a passing report.

The Alliance
Bray was escorted to the Rebel base on Dantooine once she came into the range of scanners. After going through the proper vetting and debriefing, it was determined that her defection was legitimate and she was accepted into the Rebel Alliance. At this point in the Galactic Civil War, the Alliance was in desperate need of both fighter pilots and ships and Bray's arrival, along with a handful of other Imperial defectors, helped swell the ranks.

Bray and a handful of other pilots were only on Dantooine momentarily. A group of them were being sent to another Rebel base, this one located on the remote planet of Yavin 4. Here, Bray met two fighter pilots that would help shape not only her career with the Rebellion, but also the rest of her life: Tolamael Benere and Idolon Jdre. The two pilots had earned the attention of Admiral Raddus and were forming a squadron of their own.

Benere, who seemed to know every Corellian in the Alliance, was quick to make Bray's acquaintance and, along with Jdre, they struck up a friendship. While it was clear that Bray was a tough nut to crack, her skills were undeniable and when Benere requested she be assigned to Arrow Squadron, the request was granted by Admiral Raddus.

Only a short time later, the newly formed Arrows were hurtled against the Empire at the Battle of Scarif. Bray fought extremely well against her former Imperial colleagues and earned four confirmed kills. Arrow Squadron had two pilots killed in the engagement, but Bray felt as though she was striking back at the evil Emperor she had once served. Her knowledge of TIE factor tactics had come in handy and she was apt to share such information with her fellow pilots during the fight. However, the battle was a Pyrrhic Victory as Raddus and a large number of the fleet were destroyed about the planet.

Bray and Arrow Squadron returned to Yavin 4 where General Jan Dodonna gave them their first solo assignment, the liberation the Betseeda System.

The Betseeda System
Along with the rest of Arrow Squadron, and some reinforcements, Bray was assigned to the Betseeda System to help destroy the occupying Imperial presence. Two Star Destroyers, the Venom and the Salient, had occupied the system for years. Alliance intelligence reported it ripe for conversion and Benere was quick to realize they would be fighting an uphill battle.

Bray, from her time on Corellia, was adept at scavenging and hiding. She helped scout locations for a possible base and came up with a list of necessary supplies that could be "acquired" from nearby Imperial installations. With Lieutenant Benere's blessing, Bray and other members of Arrow Squadron conducted several clandestine operations to steal supplies and equipment from Imperial facilities on Betseeda Prime.

Eventually, Arrow Squadron earned the trust of the local partisans, the Betseedan Resistance Forces, and the two groups coordinated a successful attack known as the First Battle of Betseeda Prime. During this surprise ambush against the Imperials, Bray fought very well and earned a spot as a flight leader in Arrow Squadron.

During this time, she began to bond with other members of Arrow Squadron. She realized that they came from diverse backgrounds and different worlds. For the first time, her worldview was shaped by alien cultures and customs. She befriended the quirky Gungan, Otan Vebb and the former partisan Udas, a Mon Cal. She also began a secretive, romantic relationship with Idolon Jdre.

Bray continued to fight with distinction at the Battle of Faan Shaarada. She also found a sparing partner in fellow female pilot Jev Talianos. By the time of the Battle of Myyribod, Bray felt fully acclimated to her role as a rebel.

Myyribod and Beyond
Bray had earned her position as a flight leader by the time the Battle of Myyribod. As such, her flight consisting of herself, Kubala Ruwassa, Yol Aak, and S'Hral Glaso missed the engagement. She was deeply saddened to learn of the losses sustained at the battle, especially her friend Jev.

Sorshara grew angry for some time following the battle and even pushed away Ide. She was angry mostly at herself for ever serving alongside the Empire and for her actions on Sernpidal. Eventually, through the assistance of Ide and others in the group, she realized that she was making amends for her past actions, something many members of Arrow Squadron related to.

During the trying Siege of Tazion, Bray worked to distribute supplies among Betseeda refugees displaced by Imperial bombing. Bray worked with Ruwassa and Ide to reprogram the new astromech droids acquired after several of Arrow's were destroyed in an Imperial attack. She also volunteered for the dangerous mission that was being developed to break the siege. Posing as an Imperial officer, something she had familiarity with, she piloted the stolen Lambda-class shuttle on it's approach towards the Salient. She had a moment of guilt dawning the stolen Imperial uniform, but her experience as an Imperial pilot was critical as she knew the correct vectors and approach paths that would not raise any alarms.

Once the shuttle had docked on the Salient, Bray was part of the initial team aboard the Star Destroyer. Using her knowledge of Imperial protocol, she was able to gain access to a section of the ship normally off-limits. With her were several BRF commandos in stormtrooper gear. Leading her team towards the environmental controls of the Salient, she was able to successfully plant several charges before being attacked by the ship's defenders. Bray eventually fought her way off the Salient alongside the few surviving BRF commandos and several wounded Arrow Squadron members. She had made it through the attack unharmed and successfully piloted the same shuttle back to the surface of Betseeda Prime.

Bray also missed the small, but important Second Battle of Betseeda Prime as she continued to program astromech droids for Arrow Squadron. She also decided that once her service in the Rebellion was over, she would start a life with Ide as the two had fallen deeply in love.

Arrow Squadron would engage the Imperial forces in the Betseeda System once and for all at the Battle of Jonquil Station. The plan called for three fighter groups to each attack a separate target. Idolon Jdre would take on the crippled Salient, still recovering from the wounds inflicted at the Siege of Tazion, but docked extremely close to the heavily well-defended Jonquil Station. Lieutenant Benere would lead his fighters against the Venom, which was still in good enough shape to defend itself. Finally, Vid Paratool would lead his ships against any incoming fighters that harassed the two other wings. Bray would fly in Paratool's wing.

The battle opened in the Arrows favor as the Imperials were caught somewhat unprepared for such a ferocious attack. Bray managed to shoot down several incoming TIE fighters and Lieutenant Benere and his forces were having success against the Venom. However, Ide and his group were being harried by the anti-aircraft turrets defending the Salient, as well as the Salient's own guns. Ide, sensing that the longer they delayed, the more dangerous the mission would becoming, with the Arrows already taking losses. In a brilliant display of flying, Jdre managed to destroy or damage a large part of the station, buying his fighters the time and cover they needed to complete their attack run. Several missiles, as well as concentrated fire destroyed the bridge of the Salient, killing the long time adversary of the squadron, Captain Takei.

However, as Ide attempted to bank away from the ship, he came under intense attack from a group of TIE fighters. Although he shot down three of his attackers, he was eventually overwhelmed and killed. Sorshara witnessed the entire scene to her horror and screamed out across the comm channels as his ship burst into pieces.

Moments later, with the Salient completely crippled and the Venom slipping beneath the watery surface of Jonquil, the Arrows retreated from the scene having destroyed the Imperial forces in the Betseeda System.

The victory had been extremely costly. Bray was shattered, having lost her best friend in the unit and future husband. The other members of the unit understood her pain and gave her the space she needed. She did not attend any of the celebratory events following the battle and she remained extremely quiet in the days and weeks that followed. Part of Sorshara, her fiery spirit, died with Ide on that day. However, she vowed to make the Empire pay for taking him away from her and she reaffirmed herself to Arrow Squadron duties.

The Glaston Pirates War
Sorshara, still reeling from the loss of Jdre, was with Arrow Squadron when they transferred to the Chommell Sector to battle a group of bloodthirsty thieves known as the Glaston Pirates. Bray, who had retreated inwards, was still in grieving during the first engagement of the campaign, the Battle of Ruaha. However, in the period that followed, Bray was instrumental in helping to bring down the pirates.

Following the inconclusive engagement about Ruaha, Bray and Arrow Squadron began an intelligence gathering mission against the pirates. Unsure of the location of their new base, several different methods of intelligence gathering were attempted by the unit. However, a plan was eventually hatched that, while extremely dangerous, could prove critical in uncovering the pirate's location.

Bray and two other members of Arrow Squadron - S'Hral Glaso and Craal "Al" Noarnn - would pose as musicians with a disabled ship. They would act a bait to lure the pirates into an attack. However, they were to tell the pirates that they were under the employment of Niima the Hutt and she would offer a ransom for their return. The genius in this strategy was that Niima would be extremely difficult to locate and contact herself, but she was known to value her court musicians and dancers. The Arrows were banking on the pirate's pure greed being their undoing and, if they took the bait, the captured pilots would be able to transmit their location back to the other pilots.

After considering the mission, Bray was chosen to lead the small team. She was a veteran pilot and fighter and both Lieutenant Benere and Udas hoped the mission would help restore some of her lost confidence. Quietly, they spoke with S'Hral and informed him that should Bray break from reality, he was to assume command of the mission.

The pirates seized upon their luck and, as the Arrows suspected, did not kill their captives outright. The trio was transported back to the pirate's location, Vagabond's Rest, to be held captive until Niima could be reached a ransom could be determined. During this time, the captive Arrows had the opportunity to gather valuable intelligence from the pirate location. However, one of their guards overheard their quiet discussions and the plan was forced to change.

Luckily, that guard was Saffron DeMeers, the daughter of Hollis DeMeers. The DeMeers family had been looking for a way to defect from the pirates for some time and Saffron saw her chance. She approached the pilots and informed them that she knew their real purpose, but, was willing to ignore their deception if they could help her and her family defect.

Bray asked for time to consider the move.

The captured pilots were initially suspicious of the DeMeers, believing it to be a trap laid by Ras Moltar. However, after speaking to both Hollis and Saffron on a few occasions, they realized that their wish to leave was genuine. It was also noted that the DeMeers had valuable information that could be used against the Glaston Pirates in battle.

With a plan set and foraged ransom communications presented to Ras, and with Hollis and Saffron posing as guards, they were given a small ship and ordered to escort the "musicians" to Niima. Nath DeMeers, the younger brother of Saffron had already stowed away aboard the ship as all three of the leaving together would have raised suspicions. S'Hral Glaso volunteered to stay behind to make it appear as though it was a prison break instead of an organized escape. Bray greatly disagreed with this plan at first, but saw the wisdom in the volunteered danger, and permitted him to remain behind. He would continue to gather intelligence, if he was not killed, until he could be rescued.

The night before their scheduled departure, Nath, Saffron, Hollis, Craal and Sorshara escaped from Vagabond's Rest undetected. The next morning, the base was put into lock down and S'Hral was mercilessly beaten until it was determined that the DeMeers had fled with the intent to join Niima. Ras remained under the ruse that they were indeed musicians and S'Hral's cover was not blown. Instead, the Weequay volunteered to join the pirates. Ras always needed good men and, believing him to be abandoned by the others, admitted him into the pirates. Of course this was a ruse as well, but it worked wonders as he was able to gather more information regarding the pirate defenses and strength.

Meanwhile, Bray and the others returned to the Rebel base on Rori, from which the Arrows had been operating and reported directly to Lieutenant Benere. Once the DeMeers were vetted, Bray began training them to pilot the X-wings on hand as they would help lead the upcoming attack against the pirates. For her service behind enemy lines and recruiting the DeMeers, Bray had restored and doubts regarding her faith and abilities.

The Battle of Vagabond's Rest
Using the intelligence provided by the DeMeers, Arrow Squadron launched a surprise attack against Vagabond's Rest. In what became known as the Battle of Vagabond's Rest, Arrow Squadron sought to destroy the pirate threat once and for all. While Ras was able to scramble some of his fighters, the majority of Arrow Squadron were ordered to concentrate their attacks on the transports that were attempting to escape.

The order was controversial among the unit as some pilots were upset with firing on individuals escaping, especially when some of the ships had non-combatants aboard. However, Hollis DeMeers was the first to obey the command and opened fire with Bray joining him moments later. In the battle that followed, several Arrow Squadron pilots were killed, including Hollis, but the pirates were completely wiped out. Sorshara was able to shoot down Ras's second in command, Farina, when the woman was distracted by Ras's attempted abandoning of the pirates.

Following the battle, Bray landed her fighter among the wreckage and found her friend S'Hral who had been hiding in the pirate base. However, he had gathered valuable information directly implicating the Empire in pirate attacks. This wealth of information was made public and helped convince several systems to defect from Imperial control.

With the pirates eliminated and with almost no rest, the Arrows were assigned to their next target. The planet of Ullatak.

The Hutt Campaign
Bray and the rest of Arrow Squadron were transported aboard the Dawn's Light as it moved towards Hutt Space. The objective of their campaign was to eliminate an Imperial fortress on the planet of Ullatak. This move, which had been negotiated between Alliance High Command and the Hutts, was aimed at bringing the Hutts into the war on the side of the Alliance.

Bray thought the plan was suspect from the beginning, but she took the time while in transit to finally talk to Lieutenant Benere about her grief over the death of Ide and how tired she was of the war. She contemplated retiring after this campaign and spoke openly of her regret at not having left with Ide prior to his death.

Benere and Bray, old friends and fellow Corellians, had a long relationship together and they valued each other greatly. Benere convinced Bray to at least see this campaign out and then to reconsider afterwards.

The Battle of Ullatak was an extremely disastrous affair with Hutt intelligence having greatly underestimated the strength of the Imperial forces. Several fighter squadrons were engaged in the battle, including the Arrows, and veteran pilot Yol Aak was killed. Bray was furious with High Command for it's poor planning and blamed them for many mistakes. Additionally, she was extremely hurt and even sympathetic to fellow pilot and original Arrow Squadron member Vid Paratool resigning his commission immediately following the battle. As she had told Lieutenant Benere, she had considered doing the same.

Finally A Rest
Following the disaster at Ullatak, several senior members of High Command were relieved of their duties. Additionally, Arrow Squadron was assigned back to the main Rebel Fleet and given essentially light duty operations for the foreseeable future. Bray, for one, was happy with the reprieve and enjoyed being assigned to the fleet. She used the time to rest and reflect. After some time of flying relatively mundane tasks and getting to finally rest her weary soul, she informed Lieutenant Benere that she would be sticking around and resignation was no longer on her mind.

For nearly 10 months, Arrow Squadron was used as an auxiliary force, supplementing guard duty where needed and escorting supply trains. When the fleet began to mass near Sullust, Bray correctly predicted that a larger fight was looming. Along with Udas, she was transferred to the flagship of the fleet, the Home One, to serve as tactical analysts for the upcoming battle. Disappointed at missing the fight and desperately wanting to get back into the cockpit, Bray grumbled at the assignment. Lieutenant Benere and a handful of Arrow Squadron pilots did, however, participate in the battle.

During the massive Battle of Endor that followed, Bray served with honor aboard the Home One and felt an overwhelming sense of relief at the destruction of the Second Death Star. She was not a religious or faithful person, but she felt Ide with her that day and knew that wherever he was, he would be proud of their accomplishments.

The destruction of the Second Death Star marked the battle a turning point in the Galactic Civil War. A short time later, the Rebel Alliance was reformed into the New Republic and the New Republic Defense Fleet was formed under the command of Admiral Ackbar.

Arrow Squadron was reformed and retrained under the leadership of the newly promoted Lieutenant Udas as Tolamael Benere had been given a significant promotion within the Fleet. For many months, the Arrows remained attached to the fleet and continued to serve as an auxiliary unit. By now, however, they were once again itching for combat and began to resent their mundane duties. After conferring with his superiors, Lieutenant Udas was given a new assignment and the Arrows would, once again, be dispatched to the far reaches of the galaxy to do battle with the Imperial Navy.

The Tingel Arm
Sorshara, one of three remaining original members of Arrow Squadron, was assigned to the remote Tingel Arm region. Located in the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim Territories, Arrow Squadron was assigned with eliminating any remaining Imperial forces in the region.