Amaranalah Jou
| Amaranalah Jou | |
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| Holocron Page | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Born | Year -19 |
| Race | Human |
| Political Information | |
| Prior Affiliation(s) | Black Sun SoroSuub Corporation Kathol Republic NovaTech Corporation Galactic Empire Jedi Praxium |
- "Well behaved women seldom make history."
― Amaranalah Jou
Vigo Amaranalah "Nalah" Jou (born Year -19) is a former Naval officer, intelligence operative, Senator and member of the Black Sun's Family Council. For unknown reasons, Vigo Jou has been absent from the galaxy since early Year 12. However, her influence on Lilith Delcroix resulted in the creation of the Church of Jou, the predominant religion of One Nation Under Jou. Despite being celebrated within the One Nation as a culturally important icon, and revered religiously by some, Vigo Jou remains a mysterious figure to those that have not known her personally. Throughout the years since the establishment of One Nation in Year 21, attempts have been made by scholars to uncover the Vigo's obscure past.
Biography
This research is a continuous work in progress. Whenever possible, careful approach was taken to cultivate conclusions from credible sources. The conclusions presented by this research can change as more information is uncovered.
Jou was born sometime in Year -19, the most accepted supposition is that she was born towards the end of the year. Jou was born into a nomadic culture, referred to by some as travellers or gipsies, and did not spend more than six years in any one place whilst growing up. Attempts to identify the family of Jou's cultural heritage have been unsuccessful.
Military career: Year 4 - Year 5
According to the earliest available sources, Jou began her military career in the Jedi Praxium in the later half of Year 4, circa Day 300, as a young woman in her early 20s. After a brief training period with the 2nd Praxium Naval Wing, Ensign Jou was assigned to command a squadron of BTL-S3 Y-wing Starfighters in the 1st Praxium Naval Wing of the Defence Fleet, under the leadership of Naval Commander Syn. In the last month of Year 4, the fleet was mobilised for the Battle of Beta as part of the Jedi response on behalf of Jedi Master Reajiad Nero. Although the battle lasted until the early days of Year 5, the Praxium fleet was not deployed.
In the months following the battle, the former Imperials that made up the bulk of the Praxium's military began to leave en masse. This vacuum of power could explain the unconfirmed claim that Jou was the Executive Officer (XO) of the Praxium Navy. Although not a former Imperial herself, Jou eventually also left the Praxium and enlisted in the Galactic Empire. It is believed that Jou was influenced by serving alongside former Imperials, and the Praxium's Naval structure was similar to that of the Empire. Jou graduated the Imperial Academy with Honours [1], likely advantaged by her pre-existing Naval experience and the familiarity with protocols of her former CO Syn, who was partially responsible for the Imperial Naval Academy course material [2]. Flight Corporal Jou was assigned to the 2nd Assault Fleet, the same fleet where Syn used to be part of the command structure. Jou's Imperial career did not last longer than a year; by middle of Year 6 she was no longer part of the Empire [3].
Political career: Year 6 - Year 7
Unconfirmed sources claim that following the Imperial service, Jou was employed by the Novatech Corporation as their Intelligence Director. The corporation was made up of at least three companies, specialising in mining, speeder manufacture and security. The corporation originated in Year 4 as the Horizon Corporation owned by Warlord Venom Kazvar. By early Year 5 the ownership of all three companies was held by Ugo de Paynes, who is presumed to have sold the corporation to Xya Howie by Year 6. Therefore, by extension the corporation was owned by the Black Sun.
In early Year 6 a GNS was released by Zabdoo [4], previously known as Motexx Fazz, listing names and companies that were part of the crime network, which included two of the NovaTech companies and Ugo de Paynes, among others. The list did not include Jou, though some of her future associates were listed. It is unclear if the companies owned by Black Sun during that time only employed members of the syndicate or not, therefore it is plausible Jou was in their social circles but not yet a member. On the same day, Black Sun responded with their own GNS where they claimed that Zabdoo did not list all of their members [5]. Regardless of Jou's level of involvement in NovaTech, it is known she did work in intelligence gathering for a some amount of time before her career in the Black Sun. Eventually Jou left the corporation and joined the Kathol Republic.
The Kathol Republic was founded in Year 6 on Day 232, and although there are no available records of when Jou began her service, it is generally agreed she might have been part of the Republic from its earliest days. It is known that Jou eventually became a Senator, establishing her political ambitions. During her service in the Kathol Senate, Jou was one of the critics of President Auron Tamerin (previously known as Auron Kun). This might have been a contributing factor to Jou leaving the Republic in Year 7, before the Day 275. Jou left prior to the attempted hostile takeover by the Galactic Empire when Vice President Jake Kiltar attempted to sabotage the Republic; as such the length of Jou's service in Kathol could have been only up to one year.
The Family: Year 8 - Year 12
After departing the Kathol Republic, Jou returned to work with her previous associates and was a member of the SoroSuub Corporation, working under Adam A Flynn and Corvis Orion (also known as Beauba Fettt). Research does not suggest she was publicly involved with SoroSuub's operations, but it is presumed she played a role in the successes of the corporation and its rise to becoming one the largest governments in the galaxy at the time. Furthermore, considering the SoroSuub's subsequent role in founding the New Republic, possibility exists that Jou was present for this historic event and served in some capacity in the early days of the New Republic.
Jou was most notorious in Year 10 and Year 11 during her service as a Vigo of the Black Sun crime syndicate. It has been established from available information that Jou was a member of the Family at least since Year 9, however, the predominant theory is that Jou followed Adam A Flynn and the others involved in the conflict within the New Republic towards the end of Year 8. Some historians believe that Jou was a member of the crime syndicate as early as Year 6 when the NovaTech Corporation was sold to Black Sun, but this assumption is not widely accepted.
Prior to ascending to the Family Council in early, or just before, Year 10, Jou was Admiral of the Blades, returning to her roots as a Naval officer. As a Vigo, Jou was well known and feared across the galaxy [6][7]; ruthless to her enemies and loyal to her Family. Jou's involvement in the syndicate's operations is shrouded in secrecy as much as the rest of the Family Council was at the time, but it can be reasonably assumed that as one of the respected Vigos, Jou had a direct impact on the successes of the Family.
In Year 12 on Day 9, Jou ceased all contact with the Family and the galaxy at large for undisclosed reasons. She remains absent to this day.
Personality and traits
- "Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace. I like to draw the lines."
― Amaranalah Jou
Jou was a moderately tall, objectively beautiful woman with blond hair, dark blue eyes and a very distinct accent. It was common for others to find it difficult to properly pronounce her full name, and she appreciated when people took the time to correct this. Jou always presented herself immaculately, in civilian and military clothing alike, and was fond of wearing dark glasses.
Woman of expensive tastes, Jou had an appreciation of finer things in life afforded by her wealth, such as art and items of quality craftsmanship. She enjoyed fine alcohol such as Hapan wine, and spirit cocktails like vodka martinis. Her widely known vice was smoking, for she was often seen with a cigarra.
During combat situations Jou was often equipped with a Black Sun themed vibroblade, and DL-44 was her sidearm of choice. She was skilled in using both, her senses sharpened by military training. The training also instilled the importance of punctuality, and as such Jou was never late.
Jou had a secretive personality due to the nature of her position as a Vigo of the Family Council. She believed in not showing weakness or pain, and rarely allowed anyone to know anything about her besides what she wanted them to know. To Jou, there was power in knowledge, and to know her would be to have a potential weapon against her. Jou learned to disguise her true feelings during her military career, and she kept people at arm's length as a defensive mechanism. Betrayal was one very few actions that could get through her indomitable defences. It was perhaps this mystique that drew people to Jou's social circle. It was evident wherever she was present that people were drawn to her charisma.
In her youth Jou was known to be rebellious. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and did not give in to peer pressure, she was driven by her own morality and ambitions. Jou did not often, if ever, succumb to feelings of guilt or regrets. She was not ashamed of her past, and as a Vigo she understood that her role in the Family had far reaching consequences and every decision she made had intensity far beyond the understanding of the average person.
Whilst many considered her to be a villain, Jou saw herself as neither good nor evil, merely prepared to make the most of every opportunity. Her pragmatic moral philosophy was shaped by her experiences in the galaxy, especially the years prior joining the Family. Jou saw Black Sun as the ideal environment where she would not be held back by pretence and propagandistic morality. In her opinion, morality was like art and someone had to draw the lines, that someone preferably being her.
Jou's experience in the galaxy made her more cynical, and leading within the Black Sun syndicate made her colder. However, she did have a sense of humour, albeit cruel one by her own admissions, and enjoyed teasing and taunting her friends.
Jou was not keen on diplomatic pretence, to her it was tiring and felt artificial. When dealing with others, she was straight forward and did not hide her opinion. It is unclear if Jou's interest in the galactic trading community was merely a front for the crime syndicate's image as a trading company, but she had a clean trading record and often weighed her opinions on the matter of honest trade. Jou did not believe in masking misconduct with idealistic excuses, to her theft was theft, regardless of intentions or moral reasons.
Jou inspired dedication and loyalty in those serving under her, developing easy, but respectable comradery with the crew of her flagship. She expected the best from her subordinates at all times, from their combat performance to their appearance whilst on duty. Especially when it came to ceremonial traditions; to Jou there was no room for negotiation when it came to traditions. However, Jou rarely showed outward pride in her soldiers, believing they knew when she was satisfied and they didn't need to be coddled.
In battle, she was concerned with the well-being of soldiers fighting for her above her own. However, she did not trust others with her own care. Something she recognised as a flaw but did not overcome.
Jou did not enjoy dancing.
Gallery
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Jou's Jedi Praxium signature, Year 4.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Jou's forum signature, Year 11.
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Excerpt from CIA dossier.
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Screenshot, Year unknown.
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Screenshot, Year 11.
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Artistic rendition of Jou.
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Artistic rendition of Jou.
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Promotional poster of Jou, Year 22.
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Promotional poster of Jou as the Lady in Red, Year 24.
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CIS promotional poster, Year 24.
Trivia
- The only time Jou was appointed as a faction leader was in Year 11, when she temporarily became the leader of Black Sun from Day 339 to Day 341.
- On planet Zrak, Jou is known as the Lady in Red.