This article is dedicated to Ms. Gerda Pikali, Hungarian voice of Aayla Secura, twi'lek Jedi master

Aayla Secura, born Aaylas'ecura, was a Rutian Twi'lek. Aayla Secura was strong with the Force, and at a young age was discovered by the Jedi during a mission on Ryloth undertaken by the young Quinlan Vos, the Kiffar Padawan of Jedi Master Tholme. The very young Aayla was kept with the Twi'lek slaves of the local Hutt to be safe from any possible threat. She was Lon Secura's niece. One day the wampa guard of the Hutt went on a rampage, and the little Aayla was in peril. Fortunately she was sensed and saved by Quinlan Vos. He and Secura had a strong connection with each other through the Force. Vos persuaded master Tholme to test Secura on Coruscant for Jedi training where she passed the tests.

Aayla Secura is one of the few Jedi that does not have to wear traditional Jedi robes, most likely due to her Twi'lek origins, as Twi'lek females traditionally wore less clothing. Twi'lek females are often depicted as the most beautiful women in the Galaxy, often having a role of a dancer, a slave, or a courtesan. Aayla was seen wearing a Jedi robe as a Padawan though, but later as she became a master, and a really gorgeous woman, she chose to wear rather a sexy outfit, than a puritan Jedi robe. Female Jedi wore traditional Jedi clothing, that covered all of their body, but Aayla wore short skirts, and deeply de'colleted tops, even an ornamented belly button jewelry. For that, maybe not accidental that she had a very close relationship with fellow Jedi learner Kit Fisto, which connection pushed the limits of the Jedi Code at times. Aayla Secura had a brief romantic relationship with Kit Fisto but she was dedicated to the Jedi Order and decided the Order was more important than her relationship with Fisto. She also appeared to have a close bond with Quinlan Vos, at least before he turned to the dark side, because she mentioned that he had been like a father to her. She had also a good relationship with a young Twi'lek Padawan named Xiaan Amersu. Some jokes even say that even Master Yoda was dreaming of the beautiful Jedi ladies. :-)

Aayla soon became a skilled swordswoman and studied Form IV: Ataru and Form V. She also studied the Jar'Kai form, using a green and a blue lightsaber. She also occasionally used a violet lightsaber. Aayla Secura was an empathic and highly intelligent Jedi but was also impulsive and somewhat mischievous. Thanks for the teachings of her Masters (Vos and Tholme) she learned how to infiltrate and spy on the enemy, even using her charm she could act like Mata Hari in WW2. She was also a good leader and a skilled tactician and her quick thinking years later earned her the respect of many Clone Troopers during the Clone Wars.

She and her master, Quinlan Vos went on many successful missions together. They haven't failed any, but when Vos and Secura were assigned on a mission to Ryloth, the two were captured and drugged. Aayla and her master suffered heavy amnesia. Secura forgot that she was a Jedi; she forgot she had a master and had Force powers. One day a strange man came to Pol Secura's quarters, looking for his "Padawan" Aayla Secura. He showed Aayla her lightsaber, but she still couldn't remember anything. After a while, when the man figured out that Pol Secura was behind the drugging he came back for him. They managed to escape, but when Aayla tried to rescue her uncle, she accidentally Force pushed him off the balcony. A Dark Jedi Volfe Karkko wanted to lure Aayla Secura to the Dark Side. He used Secura's anger, who wanted revenge on the man who she blamed for her killed uncle. She gave in to the dark side of the Force because she was manipulated and controled by Karkko, and was even willing to face off against Quinlan Vos, Tholme, and Master Zao and got away with their captured people. Vos followed her and reached the prison of Karkko. Again she fought against her former master, but then she at last realized her true identity. At that moment Karkko used Force lightning to knock her out. When she woke up, she found Karkko dead, and Vos has disappeared. Later on she was assigned to Master Tholme, Vos's former master.

Aayla and Tholme returned to Coruscant and, like Vos, she was re-trained in the Jedi Temple. Master Plo Koon agreed to use his telepathy to guide Aayla as she arranged her newly-recovered memories. Later on, again as a Jedi, Aayla Secura discovered that the Secura clan's heir Nat Secura was planned to be attacked. She informed Tholme and hurried to her master, ready to help him. Tholme however faced off against two Nikto Morgukai alone, and was defeated and imprisoned. Aayla followed Vilmarh Grahrk, who was in league with the Nikto, and she found her former master, Vos and decided to free Nat Secura and Master Tholme. They traced the two Nikto, Aayla rescued Nat Secura and Tholme, Vos fought the Nikto, and he was defeated, like his former master, Tholme, before. Secura freed Tholme and Nat and went to Vos to help him. Vos had already smacked to the ground by a Nikto. Aayla saved Vos's life by fighting the Nikto before he could deliver the final blow. The three Jedi and Nat survived. They returned the young Twi'lek boy to his father, and finally went home. Back on Coruscant, Secura and Vos were both promoted by the Jedi High Council. Secura was granted the rank of Jedi Knight and Vos a Jedi Master.

Aayla Secura was in the Jedi Temple at the time of the Battle of Geonosis and thus was a member of the 212 Jedi task force sent to Geonosis to rescue two Jedi and the Senator Padme Amidala held captive. She was one of the few survivors of the battle between the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Jedi that ensued in the Petranaki arena and then led her own squad of clone troopers into battle. These events were the first acts of the war, later known as the Clone Wars. Like almost every other fully trained Jedi in the Order, Secura became a Jedi General.

After the Battle of Geonosis, she was sent on several missions, first to Corellia. Later in the war, Aayla met and fought the bounty hunter Aurra Sing, an ex-Jedi, which was shown in a comic book, too. Later, Aayla went to locate Quinlan Vos, who hadn't reported from his undercover mission since the Battle of Geonosis. Together, they secured a copy of the plans of the impending Confederacy attack on Kamino. In the Battle of Kamino, Secura defended the cloning facilities in her Jedi starfighter. She remained on the planet, alongside Master Kit Fisto, and saved the facilities once again, this time from sabotage from within - a Kaminoan nano-virus meant to wipe out the clone troopers. Aayla felt into the ocean and nearly drowned before being saved by Kit. Later into the war, Secura ascended to the rank of Jedi Master.

Four months after Geonosis, the Twi'lek Jedi participated in the Battle of Hypori, where she was one of the Jedi who survived their first encounter with General Grievous. This was shown in the Clone Wars cartoon. She suffered grave wounds in the attack, and only survived due to the intervention of a squad of ARC troopers.

It was after this mission that she was assigned to the 327th Star Corps, and later forged a close relationship with Commander Bly. In the first season of the Clone Wars animated film Aayla's ships were assaulted by Rocket droids in the battle of Quell, but Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano, arrived just in time and helped Bly and Secura evacuate the decimated Republic Cruisers. Anakin seriously injured, but fortunately, Tano and Secura rescued him, but, the Jedi and the few surviving clones in their company crash landed on the planet Maridun.

Following the siege of Saleucami, Aayla and her troops were sent to Felucia to help Jedi Knight Barriss Offee uncover a plot to poison Felucia's water supply. There, Aayla had also gained the respect of the 501st Legion in the time they served with her. After freeing Offee and her new Padawan Zonder, Secura and the Padawans Ekria and Drake Lo'gaan were able to discover that President Shu Mai of the Commerce Guild had arranged the poisoning of Felucia's water supply. In the meantime, Commander Bly received word from the Supreme Chancellor ordering him to carry out Order 66, who attacked Aayla at once. Aayla seemed confused, maybe she didn't wanted to fight her friend, Bly, and made some steps forward, seemingly decided to run away instead, in the meantime defending her back with her lightsaber. Before the Twi'lek could ignite her lightsaber she was struck by blasterfire from behind; her troops continued to fire at her body repeatedly after she had fallen to the ground. Soon after, the AT-TE walker that was closest to her fired at Barriss Offee, making her the next victim of the Great Jedi Purge. When the Galactic Empire emerged, official records compiled stated that Aayla Secura and Barriss Offee were both executed because they were plotting to poison Felucia's water supply, although it was really the Separatists.

Aayla Secura was originally created for the Expanded Universe by artist Jan Duursema and writer John Ostrander. George Lucas noticed a painting of the character near the end of that film's production. Lucas was so impressed by the artwork that he decided to include the character in the film. Amy Allen, a production assistant at Industrial Light and Magic, was given the role, and digitally added to scenes in the Jedi Temple and during the battle on Geonosis. Amy Allen reprised the role for Revenge of the Sith and was even given a few lines of dialogue, although these were cut from the final film. However, the character's appearances in the films are brief. Aayla appears twice in Attack of the Clones, as she was seen in the background while Obi-Wan Kenobi is going to visit Yoda and the younglings. The next time she is seen is at the Geonosis arena scenes, and in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, when she consults with Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda via a holographic communication device and finally when she was murdered, where she can be seen carrying one lightsaber in her hand and another on her belt. She was seen mostly in Expanded Universe materials, such as cartoons, and comic books, and games. She is voiced by Jennifer Hale in the Clone Wars TV series. It is noted that Jennifer gives Aayla a slight French-type accent in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Director Dave Filoni wanted Aayla Secura to have something slightly different for her voice, resembling a post World War II veteran dialogue.

Check out the connecting Aayla Secura in the world of games article, too!

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 written by: Norbert Rostas 2010.04.31.