Ariana Surabat was a plucky female explorer who flew the starship Ravenstar with her crew. She founded the planet Batuu in the Outer Rim Territories. The Surabat River Valley on Batuu was named after her.[1]
Biography
Early life
According to legend, Surabat came to own a ship called the Ravenstar which came to be crewed by crewmembers Zekiel, Okbu and J'Gam. Over the years of her career, Surabat became known for sourcing ancient relics for renowned institutions and seeking the ruins of alien civilizations. In addition, Surabat and her crew developed a reputation for choosing their employers and contracts carefully, refusing work from all known criminal gangs to ensure their continued survival.[2]
The Search for Batuu
At one point, Zekiel informed Surabat and the rest of the crew about a potential opportunity for them to earn more than their usual finds. He told them about a planet that supposedly existed within the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim which was used as a staging post by traders, explorers and travelers looking to go into the unmapped regions. The planet, if settled, could supposedly be utilized as a trading outpost to deal with such civilizations still undiscovered beyond the outer Rim. A given amount of prize money had been set aside for those who could successfully reach and establish an outpost on this planet. Thus, Surabat became the third known captain to join the competition to seek out the planet, even though some of her crew voiced misgivings in the venture.[2]
On the day that the competitors would set out to seek Batuu, Surabat and her crew faced much ridicule from the crowds and their competitors, owing mostly to the fact that the Ravenstar was dwarfed in both size and grandeur by the two other competing ships. Surabat however, was unperturbed, to the point of even delaying the ship's departure until the first two competing ships had disappeared, a move quickly criticized by the commentators present.[2]
For the next few days, the crew of the Ravenstar followed the path set out by the stellar cartographers, encountering no other ships or activity on their route. While the crew tried to keep up their spirits, they were frequently concerned mainly due to the stories they had heard about lost ships, missing crew and even ghost ships. Over a meal one night, J'Gam brought up the possibility that one of the two galleons might very well have secured the outpost already, thus making it more reasonable for the Ravenstar to fly home instead. Surabat however stood firm, believing that the crews of the two galleons lacked the traits necessary to reach the outpost ahead of them.[2]
Days after the conversation, the Ravenstar encountered the wreck of one of the two galleons, and the crew quickly determined that it had been subject to an attack. While Zekiel brought up the possibility that the other galleon might have been the cause, Surabat believed it to be the work of pirates within that sector. Surabat then ordered the galleon to be boarded to check for survivors, a decision that was met with protest by J'Gam and Okbu.[2]
Behind the scenes
Ariana Surabat was first created for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which opened to guests at Disneyland on May 31, 2019.[1] She made her first appearance in the story "The Skiff & the Galleons" which was exclusively published for the Galaxy's Edge edition of the book Myths & Fables.[2]
Appearances
- "The Skiff & the Galleons" — Myths & Fables (First appearance) (In flashback(s))
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (First mentioned)
- Star Wars: Datapad (Mentioned only)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has official backstory elements that, though not directly published for the public, are officially canon details that can be obtained verbally from cast members working in the land.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "The Skiff & the Galleons" — Myths & Fables (Galaxy's Edge edition)