Palo Torshan

Palo Torshan was a Human male Rebel Alliance major and one of the top security personnel at the Alliance High Command headquarters of Echo Base on the ice planet Hoth by 3 ABY, where he developed counterintelligence tactics. Torshan formerly served under General Jan Dodonna on Yavin 4, participating in the strategy conferences in preparation for the Rebellion's assault on the first Death Star during the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY.

Biography
Major Palo Torshan was a member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War. Torshan served under General Jan Dodonna at the Rebellion's secret base on the moon of Yavin 4, where he attended the strategic conferences planning the Rebel assault on the first Death Star during the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. By 3 ABY, Torshan continued to serve Alliance High Command at the Rebellion's new headquarters of Echo Base on the remote ice world Hoth.

At Hoth, Torshan served as coordinator of Rebel security for Echo Base and developed counterintelligence techniques. He suggested that the Rebels reprogram R-3PO, one of Echo Base's more temperamental and troublesome protocol droids, to be set loose in the base in search of Imperial espionage droids. Torshan also suggested the Rebels not give R-3PO a memory wipe or repaint his red-colored outer casing, since no one would suspect such a flamboyant and moody droid of being a spy. R-3PO would go on to foil several Imperial infiltration attempts at Echo Base.

Torshan was present in Echo Base's tauntaun stable, struggling with all his physical strength with another soldier to calm one of the agitated beasts that was trying to break free, during the night Rebel Commander Luke Skywalker went missing after a scouting mission of Echo Base's perimeter, just prior to the Battle of Hoth. He watched as Han Solo departed the base on his own tauntaun in search of Skywalker.

Personality and traits
Palo Torshan's instincts concerning R-3PO's value as a spy droid proved correct, after R-3PO snuffed out several Imperial infiltrations of Echo Base and, later, with Alliance Command. Torshan also possessed a certain level of Force-attunement.

Behind the scenes
Palo Torshan appears briefly as a background extra in the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, during the scene in which Han Solo takes a tauntaun out into the Hoth night to locate the missing Luke Skywalker. The character was first identified by name and provided a brief backstory on the "Major Palo Torshan" card as part of the November 1998 Special Edition Limited expansion set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back