Shira Mindé - also known as the Archivist - is a former Jedi Librarian, now a renowned explorer, adventurer and seeker of knowledge. For several years now she has roamed the Outer Rim, sharing ancient knowledge 'liberated' from ruins, old facilities, and, sometimes, from the clutches of the Jedi, Hutts and other keepers of secrets.
Background
Shira Mindé was born on Cerea, and was found at a young age by the Jedi Seekers. Taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, she was trained as a Padawan - but it was soon discovered that she lacked the characteristic Jedi skill with the lightsaber, the Force, and emotional temperance.
Where Mindé excelled was in her learning. She took readily to the Jedi Library, and spent hours tucked away in one corner or another absorbing all the knowledge she could. Perhaps unsurprisingly, instead of finding a Jedi Master keen on field work, Mindé found herself paired with the then-Grand Librarian. Over decades, she eventually rose to take that position herself, safeguarding the works and knowledge of the Jedi Order.
However, as the Republic sought to rebuild after its war against the Sith, Mindé found herself increasingly opposed to the Jedi Order. She called on them to use their ancient wisdom and artifacts to ease the Galaxy's pain and re-establish peace and prosperity; but the Order, fearful of causing more trouble than they solve, refused. They believed that the Jedi should take time to reflect, rather than solve the Galaxy's problems.
Mindé disagreed - and in a bold act of rebellion, renounced the Jedi. Taking as much information as she could take from the Library without arousing suspicion, Mindé left Coruscant, taking with her a
Defender-class starship which would eventually become her signature ship,
The Empyreal Enigma.
Appearance
Mindé is, by the accounts of those familiar with the matter, a relatively normal, relatively attractive Cerean. She carries a long tail of thick, brown hair which falls from the back of her cranial ridge about her shoulders, and dresses most comfortably in adapted Jedi garb - light robes, a tunic, and a simple sash. However, Mindé is also adept at using holographic disguise technology to avoid her many pursuers, so can appear in a range of different ways depending on the circumstances.
Characteristics
Mindé's greatest attribute is her prodigious intellect. A genius by Cerean standards, Mindé's binary processing brains allow her to effect feats of intellect and recall unmatched by other species. In spite of this, Mindé is no innovator; rather, she prefers to explore, to learn, and to share the knowledge which has been dreamed up by others. She is driven by intense curiosity, and a deep desire to help those less fortunate than herself.
Mindé is also known to be dry, brash and firey towards those she considers impediments to her cause, and she rarely adapts her ways to meet the expectations of those around her - particularly those she considers to be in a position of relative privilege. During her time with the Jedi, many saw Mindé's emotions as insufficiently in check to meet the exacting standards of the order. She holds particular frustration and distaste for those who would guard knowledge for themselves.
Beyond the intellectual, Mindé is a savvy orator - if a little jargon-heavy - and is relatively skilled with a blaster (though she prefers strange, elegant gadgets). While she is Force-sensitive and can do minor acts with the Force, she is no great talent, and would be outmatched by most trained Jedi.
Current events
Mindé is currently subject to no fewer than three dead-or-alive bounties issued by the Bounty Hunters' Guild. The first two are relatively ordinary - a bounty of 1,000,000 credits from the Hutt Cartel, and a bounty of 1,500,000 credits from the Droid Gotra. More mysteriously, she is also subject to a further bounty of 5,000,000 credits from an unknown contractor; the bounty simply requires that she be presented to the Bounty Hunters' Guild headquarters on Azure.
On
Dantooine, Mindé damaged the mind of
Jedi Master Low Jannagar in forcing him to activate the Jedi Enclave's computer systems, allowing her to track the
Eye of Xos to
Korriban. Having obtained the Eye, Mindé has committed to support our protagonists to pursue unfinished business - and in doing so, test the Eye's capabilities. To manipulate the Eye, Minde has developed a cerebral band capable of compressing information extracted from the Eye into digital formats.
Comments