Zarah Bliss

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For other uses, see Zara and Bliss.

"Zarah would not approve of this…"
"Zarah Bliss is dead—we answer to Zeva now, Gen Tri. Zeva is the one who united us, who made the Spice Runners who we are."
―Gen Tri and Marinda Gan[4]

Zarah Bliss was a female spice runner and pilot who led the Spice Runners of Kijimi. In 40 BBY, Bliss allowed the runaway Jedi Padawan Lizel Liit to travel with her; however, the spice runner ultimately brought Liit to the planet Desinta to be auctioned to the highest bidder. Zarah eventually had a daughter, Zeva Bliss, who worked with the former majordomo Bib Fortuna to overthrow her mother and rise to lead the Spice Runners herself.

Biography

"I meant to tell my master—I should have. But I felt something… drawing me away. Something nudging me along to leave. Next thing I knew, I was on a spice-running ship headed for the Outer Rim. The pilot, a woman named Zarah Bliss, seemed to know where to go. She wanted to help me, or so I thought. Instead, she brought me here—and sold me to the highest bidder."
―Lizel Liit to Qui-Gon Jinn about how she had ended up on Destina[2]

Zarah Bliss was a female spice runner and pilot[2] who served as the leader of the Spice Runners of Kijimi.[4] In 40 BBY,[5] the Jedi Padawan Lizel Liit ran away from the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant and hitched a ride with Bliss en route to the Outer Rim Territories. Bliss told the young girl she would help her but instead brought Liit to the ice planet Desinta, where she auctioned the Jedi to the highest bidder—the Dan'Gar faction, which politically opposed Prefect Aminar, Desinta's nominally elected leader.[2]

Zeva Bliss (pictured) succeeded her mother, Zarah Bliss, as leader of the Spice Runners following the latter's death.

Zeva Bliss (pictured) succeeded her mother, Zarah Bliss, as leader of the Spice Runners following the latter's death.

Eventually, Zarah had a daughter, Zeva Bliss. During her leadership of the Spice Runners, she dreamed of consolidating power in the underworld, of which her daughter became aware.[3] At some point by 4 ABY,[1] Zeva rose to power within the Spice Runners and spurred her mother's downfall with the help of Bib Fortuna, the former majordomo of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt.[3] Upon Zarah's death, Zeva succeeded her as leader of the Spice Runners. During this time, the spice runners Marinda Gan and Gen Tri discussed the former taking credits for transporting the bounty hunter Lan-Drus to the hunter's next job. Though Tri noted that Zarah would disapprove of their actions, Gan reminded them that she was dead and they were being led by Zeva, who had united the Spice Runners and formed them into their existing organizational state. Around the same time, news of Zarah's death reached Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebel Alliance, and when she met with the spice runner Tomasso on Desinta[4] in that year,[1] she offered her condolences to Tomasso.[4]

Later in 4 ABY,[6] on the planet Tatooine, Zeva and her colleagues visited Fortuna in Jabba's former palace. Fortuna questioned the surprise visit and felt it was disrespectful, asking if her lackeys knew of his role in Zarah's fall from power. Zeva dismissed the former majordomo's statement, allowing Tomasso to step forward and speak to Fortuna about another matter. After the group left, Zeva indicated to Tomasso that the Spice Runners had the chance to sow chaos amid the galaxy's instability, which would allow them to consolidate power in ways Zarah had only been able to aspire to.[3]

Personality and traits

"But you come as a suprise—and I hate suprises. It's a sign of disrespect. Which makes me wonder, Zeva Bliss… do your lackeys know how helpful Bib was to your rise? And your mother Zarah's fall?"
―Bib Fortuna to Zeva Bliss, after the latter facilitated Zarah Bliss' fall from power[3]

As leader of the Spice Runners, Zarah hoped to consolidate power in the underworld. After Zarah's death, one of the spice runners that had worked under her—Gen Tri—felt that taking credits from the Galactic Empire was an action she would have disapproved of had she still been alive. Despite being Zarah's daughter, Zeva worked with Bib Fortuna to bring about her mother's downfall and seize leadership of the Spice Runners for herself afterward.[3]

Behind the scenes

Zarah Bliss was first mentioned in the short story "Resolve," written by Alex Segura and published in the 2022 anthology Stories of Jedi and Sith.[2]

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 StarWars.com The Illustrious Jabba the Hutt Bids You Welcome to His New Marvel Comic, Jabba's Palace - Exclusive Reveal on StarWars.com (backup link) establishes that Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, including Return of the Jedi – The Rebellion 1, takes place in the era of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 4 ABY. As Return of the Jedi – The Rebellion 1 establishes that Zarah Bliss had died prior to the events of the comic, she must have died by 4 ABY.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Resolve" — Stories of Jedi and Sith
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising 2
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Return of the Jedi – The Rebellion 1
  5. ↑ "Resolve" specifies that it takes place after Qui-Gon Jinn received an offer to join the Jedi High Council and before he ultimately rejected the offer. As both take place in Master & Apprentice, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 40 BBY, the short story must also be set during that year.
  6. ↑ The events of issues 1 and 2 of Star Wars: Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising take place hours after the Battle of Endor and during the deployment of Operation: Cinder, respectively. Both events are dated to 4 ABY by Star Wars: Timelines.
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