Sa'Kalla

This article is about the singer. You may be looking for the resistance movement formed in her name.

"Sa'Kalla!"

―Pao using Sa'Kalla's name in a battle cry — 20?cb=20250116042720

Sa'Kalla was a young Drabatan singer who spoke out against the Galactic Empire's tyranny by 1 BBY. In retaliation, the Empire blockaded her home planet of Pipada and held her in captivity, where she was tortured. A movement was organized in her name that opposed the Empire. As the movement began to threaten the Imperial occupation, Sa'Kalla was brought to the Pipada Auditorium by the Imperial governor. There, she urged her people to continue fighting before she was quickly killed on stage in front of the crowd. Her death inspired the Drabatans to rise up against the Empire.

Biography

Songs of freedom

Sa'Kalla spoke out against the Galactic Empire.

Sa'Kalla was a young Drabatan singer who lived on the Drabatan homeworld^[1]—the Outer Rim^[4] planet Pipada—during the Imperial Era.^[1] By 1 BBY,^[2] she wrote popular protest songs condemning the Galactic Empire's tyranny and become one of its most vocal opponents, which quickly reached the Imperials. The Empire responded by conducting a crackdown on Pipada and blockading the planet, deploying garrisons of swamptroopers to its surface.^[1]

Sa'Kalla was captured and tortured. While she was held, a movement was organized in her name, and as it threatened to overwhelm the Imperial occupation, Sa'Kalla was brought to the Pipada Auditorium by the planet's Imperial governor in front of half a million Drabatans. The Empire believed they had broken her through torture and ordered her to convince her people to submit to Imperial rule. Instead, Sa'Kalla defiantly shouted to her people that they should continue to resist the Empire before being immediately killed on stage. The enraged Drabatans, incensed by her death, tore apart the Imperial security forces present in the auditorium.^[1]

Legacy

"Drabatans are freshwater amphibiods, so the salt water on Scarif was unpleasent for Pao. He nevertheless charged into battle with his Drabatese war cry of 'Sa'kalla!' against his Imperial enemies, inspiring his many squad mates to follow suit."

―A section of the entry on Drabatans in an artist's journal^[5]

Drabatans such as Pao (pictured) used Sa'Kalla's name as a battle cry.

As a result of Sa'Kalla's cries for rebellion, the Drabatans briefly retook their homeworld while many fled offworld. Despite their efforts, the Empire returned to Pipada, taking over with heavy reinforcements and imposing martial law across the planet. The Drabatan people adopted Sa'Kalla's name as a war cry as they charged into battle.^[1] One such Drabatan was the rebel commando Paodok'Draba'Takat, who shouted her name during the Battle of Scarif^[6] in 1 BBY.^[7]

Sa'Kalla was remembered years later through Paodok'Draba'Takat's use of her name in his battle cry, which was included in an artist's journal written^[5] no earlier than 34 ABY.^[8] The battle cry was included as part of an entry on the Drabatan species. The journal eventually came into the possession of the Graf Archive—a vast depository owned by the Graf family that contained documents that held historical importance.^[5]