Ace Azzameen

"I always said you were a good boy, Ace."

- Antan Azzameen

Ace Azzameen was a Human male who became a highly regarded pilot in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Starting out as a freighter pilot for his family's business, Twin Suns Transport Services, Azzameen was pulled into the Galactic Civil War between the Alliance and the Galactic Empire when his father and older brother perished while docked with the hidden Rebel space station Hospital during a bacta delivery. On the run from both the Empire and the family's rivals, Viraxo Industries, Azzameen, his brother Emon, his sister Aeron, and the family droid, MK-09, sought refuge with the Defiance Task Force in the Anoat sector.

Azzameen, despite the objections of his Uncle Antan, joined the Alliance as a starfighter pilot and aided the Defiance in its flight from the Anoat sector. Upon transferring to the Liberty, Azzameen fought off threats such as the TIE Experimental Project and helped with the defection of Commander Zaletta. He became involved with the Bothan Spynet and aided Commander Luke Skywalker in stealing the Death Star II plans. Additionally, he still aided his siblings in their private fight against the Viraxo, which even led to him becoming caught up with the Black Sun crime syndicate. Azzameen eventually helped the Alliance Fleet mass their forces at the planet Sullust, and also served aboard the Millennium Falcon during the pivotal Battle of Endor.

Working for the family business
Ace Azzameen grew up during the Imperial era on the orbital space station Azzameen Home Base, where he would often use the station's flight simulator to pass the time. The youngest member of the Human Azzameen family, Ace lived with his father Tomaas, his older brothers Emon and Galin, his sister Aeron, and the family MK-series droid, MK-09, or Emkay as he was often called by the family. Ace was particularly close to Aeron, who would often look out for him in seemingly dire situations. Tomaas was the co-founder, along with his brother, Antan Azzameen, and head of the shipping company Twin Suns Transport Services. As such there were many freighters passing through the Home Base, which only fueled Ace's desire to fly, although his duties with the family business were initially limited to maintenance tasks.

First missions for the family
"Way to go, hotshot!"

- MK-09, referring to Azzameen's piloting

In 3 ABY, after Tomaas and Galin were forced to escape the Alliance to Restore the Republic's base on the ice planet Hoth at the onset of an attack by the Galactic Empire. Following the debacle at Hoth, Antan decided that it was time to allow Ace to put his simulator skills into practice in the real world, giving him his first real opportunity to contribute to the family business.

The siblings took the family's matching YT-1300 light freighters, with Aeron in the Selu and Ace and MK-09 in the Sabra, Ace took his first trip through hyperspace as he delivered some supplies to the XQ1 Platform Harlequin Station. Exchanging them at the station for coolant and fuel cells intended for the Otana, Tomaas Azzameen's YT-2000 light freighter, the two Azzameen ships prepared to leave just as two Viraxo Industries Pursuer-class enforcement ships, the Enkidu and the Gilgam, entered the system and approached the station on an attack vector. The station's Director hurriedly contacted Ace and Aeron, begging them for help. Harlequin's own defensive craft, the IPV-1 System Patrol Craft Kouerd, had been bought off by the Viraxo, leaving the station defenseless and vulnerable. While Aeron was apprehensive, MK-09 longed for some excitement, and Ace obliged. Attacking the Viraxo ships, the Azzameens were able to drive off the Pursuers, earning them the gratitude of the Director. Following the skirmish, the Azzameen collected the coolant and fuel cells and returned home. Shortly thereafter, Ace was awarded the key to Harlequin Station by Mayor Brauken, as a token of appreciation.

Antan, concerned that Ace's actions at Harlequin Station would provoke K'Armyn Viraxo, leader of the rival shipping company Viraxo Industries, into directly attacking the Azzameens, requested that Emon teach Ace basic gunnery skills. With MK-09 piloting the Sabra, Ace used the ship's turret to destroy Emon's planted target drones, before Emon helped him clear a field of junk containers. Impressed, Emon offered to buy Ace a drink at Dunari's Rest. Upon reaching the casino, however, they came across the Enkidu, complete with fighter escort. Emon, hungry for battle, raced towards the Enkidu in his ship, the Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft Andrasta, and engaged it. Eager to get another shot at the Enkidu, MK-09 followed suit, and Ace was able to help pick off the starfighter escort. The Enkidu was able to escape to hyperspace, but Dunari's officials requested that Emon and MK-09 leave the system. The Azzameens complied, but Emon kept his promise, giving Ace a token for a drink at the casino.

Now properly versed in piloting outside the holosimulator, Ace was enlisted by Aeron for aid in cataloging three container storage areas, the records for which she had accidentally destroyed while upgrading Azzameen Station's systems. Aeron took the Selu, with Ace flying the Sabra and MK-09 as his copilot, as the pair of ships made their way to the first area. After completing their scans without incident, the Azzameens entered the second location and stumbled across the cargo ferry Raider attempting to steal a pressure tank full of liquid oxygen. The Azzameens were able to rout the intruding ship, but upon arrival in the third location, Ace and Aeron once again came across the Enkidu. Rushing to engage, the pair forced the withdrawal of the Viraxo ship and the destruction of its fighter escort. Continuing their inspection mission, the Azzameens discovered that the Enkidu had planted spice into a container in order to frame the Azzameens for possession of the illicit substance. Frustrated, Aeron retrieved the spice and returned home with the knowledge that their container storage areas had been compromised.

Challenging the Viraxo
Antan was outraged at Ace's transgressions against the Viraxo at Harlequin but was even more disgusted at the Viraxo and their underhanded tactics. Together with Aeron and Emon, he devised a plan in which Aeron, piloting the Selu under the transponder alias of the Venix&mdash;one of the Viraxo's regular suppliers&mdash;would dump the Viraxos' planted spice container at the orbital cargo facility Viraxo 54, near the planet Denbo. Ace and Emon were to arrive shortly after in the Sabra and the Andrasta respectively, launching a small "hit and fade" attack on the outpost, covering Aeron's departure and prompting an investigation by the local Imperial garrison. It was Antan's hope that the Imperials would discover the spice and that Viraxo would be forced to pay copious amounts in fines and bribes, or even be forced out of business permanently.

Unfortunately for the Azzameens, the gambit did not work as planned. Emon and Ace entered the Denbo system far too early, while Aeron attempted to convince those in charge of the outpost that her delivery was legitimate. Hoping to salvage the situation, Emon and Ace hurtled into the Viraxo defenses, engaging Razor-class starfighters in a frenzied firefight near the main depot. The Enkidu was present and Ace demolished the Pursuer-class ship, much to the joy of the frustrated Azzameens. Aeron seized the moment, dumping her cargo and preparing to flee the system. However, the remaining Viraxo craft disabled the Selu, forcing her to abandon the ship. She was picked up by Emon, while Ace destroyed the Selu to prevent it becoming a Viraxo asset, and the Azzameens safely departed before the Imperials arrived to investigate. Antan was pleased with the overall outcome despite the loss of the Selu and felt that Tomaas would be proud of his children upon his return.

Imperial entanglements
Tomaas, however, condemned the family's actions against the Viraxo, ordering a halt to any future operations like the Viraxo 54 incident, as he desired a more diplomatic approach. He was impressed with his children's abilities and requested that they assist in his mission to supply the Alliance. He had planned a bacta transfer near Saruwen Station from an unidentified black market dealer, enlisting Ace, Emon, and Aeron to fly cover for him. Setting out in the Sabra, once again, with Aeron in the Otana, Emon in the Andrasta and Tomaas with Galin in the GR-75 medium transport Vasudra, the group met their contact at Saruwen. Progressing to the transfer point, the Vasudra docked with the Xiytiar-class transport End Run, and the bacta transfer ensued. The End Run technicians, however, feigned a fault, and sent out Zero-G workers to investigate.

Emon was the first of the group to detect the ruse, just as the DP20 frigate Loose Cannon emerged from hyperspace. The Azzameens, realizing that the transfer was a trap, rushed to engage the enemy forces, while Tomaas and Galin fought the crew of the End Run. Ace was able to destroy the spacebound workers and help destroy the Loose Cannon, its CloakShape fighter escort, and the contact's ship. Tomaas was able to obtain the bacta from the End Run, and the family returned home safely. Tomaas was very proud of his children, and was given renewed confidence to approach Antan with the proposition of joining the Alliance wholesale. Antan was the only member of the family who was opposed to the Rebellion, and he put up a great deal of resistance to Tomaas' attempted assistance.

His confidence boosted, Tomaas prepared to deliver the bacta to the Alliance, and let Ace fly the Otana as a sign of his new faith in the boy. Ace, Tomaas, Galin, and Emon set out to the space station Brint-wo Colony to meet with Olin Garn, Aeron's friend and the Azzameens' contact in the Alliance. Garn led them to the XQ2 Platform Hospital, where the Vasudra began its bacta transfer. Halfway through the transfer, an Imperial strike force entered the system, led by the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Corrupter. As Admiral Garreth Holtz broadcast his request for the surrender of the Rebel craft, the Alliance command on Hospital demanded that the Andrasta and the Otana join their fighter screen, and that command of the Vasudra be turned over. Tomaas grudgingly obliged, despite Emon and Galin's objections, as he feared that the Alliance suspected the Azzameens in leading the Empire to their hidden facility.

Ace, in the Otana, covered the evacuation of the Rebel craft, but as the Corrupter began launching more craft, Emon ordered Ace to leave the system. The Vasudra, stranded after attacks from Imperial ships, appeared to be destroyed along with Tomaas and Galin just as the Otana and Andrasta escaped the system. Emon and Ace were able to make it back to the Azzameen Home Base, but only with the knowledge that their father and brother were likely dead. Antan, while mourning, was exceptionally frustrated, and though he did not blame Ace, he continued to decry Tomaas' choices. Preparing for the worst, the family expected the liquidation of Twin Suns Transport Services, and the seizure of the Home Base.

Fractured family
The Empire responded by issuing warrants for all members of the Azzameen family. Antan's contacts informed him that the Imperials were planning to move against Twin Suns and the Azzameens, and to transfer all holdings over to the Viraxo. Desperate, hoping to keep the family together, Antan made plans to retrieve all he could from Azzameen holdings before moving to the Outer Rim. He let all of the employees go, and had Azzameen Station evacuated and its hangar sabotaged to cause trouble for invading forces. Ordering Ace and Aeron to secure warheads and valuables from the family's orbital repair yard Twin Suns Station, he and Emon retrieved valuable resources from a variety of Twin Sun holding areas.

At Twin Sun Station, Aeron and Ace set about their task with little resistance, but upon retrieval of the warheads, an Imperial/Viraxo force entered the area and began to bombard the facility. Ace began to engage the enemy, but a hit on the Otana from the CR90 corvette Blast Radius forced him to disengage and follow Aeron to hyperspace. Making it back to the Home Base safely for the rendezvous with Emon and Antan, Ace determined that the warheads had escaped damage during the previous skirmish. When MK-09 began to suggest a better strategy, Ace responded by shutting down the droid's communication systems. After a short period of waiting, a Viraxo Razor Fighter squadron attacked the Otana and the Sabra, though they were easily defeated. Eventually, Emon arrived, with the news that Antan had been captured by Viraxo forces. Since Antan had been the only one who knew where they were headed, the siblings deliberated about their future course of action. Their ponderings were cut short, however, when the Corrupter entered the area and bombarded the Home Base, while launching wing after wing of fighters to halt, capture, or destroy the Azzameens. In the heat of their flight from the Imperials, Aeron remembered that Olin Garn had given her the coordinates of the Alliance's Defiance Task Force, and suggested that they look to the Alliance for help. Emon was skeptical, but nevertheless agreed, and the three remaining Azzameens, along with MK-09, safely evaded the Corrupter and sought refuge with the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Defiance.

Joining the Rebellion
"I've missed you, kiddo, since you joined the Rebellion. I hear of so much activity going on&hellip; I worry about you.''" "Do you worry about me, too?" "Of course I do, Emkay. You're expensive to repair." "''I will delete that remark from my memory banks."

- Aeron and MK-09 discuss her concerns about the action Ace got into as a member of the Alliance.

The Azzameens soon went their separate ways. Emon set out to establish a new base of operations while Aeron worked to consolidate the family's assets. Ace, however, chose to remain with the Rebels and, with Olin Garn's aid, joined the Alliance Fleet as a starfighter pilot. Azzameen was stationed on the Defiance, where he was run through a pair of tests to discern his suitability for recruitment as a starfighter pilot. The first test involved deep space bombing strikes, where several mock situations, based on historical raids, were played out. Azzameen successfully demolished an Imperial tibanna gas factory, a Carrack-class light cruiser in dry dock, and a lightly defended convoy. His next test was a Starfighter Superiority Evaluation, in which he and his instructor, Garn, would engage wave after wave of Imperial fighters in more mock situations. Azzameen passed his test, and became a certified pilot in the Alliance. After qualifying, Azzameen spent some time practicing his skills in the unofficial obstacle course known as the pilot proving grounds, achieving scores that compared well to some of the Alliance's best pilots. Azzameen would recount his experiences on the proving grounds to MK-09, which the droid then compiled in a memoir of his time with Ace.

With the Defiance Task Force
The Defiance Task Force was, at the time of Azzameen's ascension into the ranks, pinned down in the Anoat sector by an opposing Imperial task force. Alliance Admiral Nammo had been able to recover a significant portion of those who had escaped the chaos at Hoth, and needed to reunite Admiral Gial Ackbar and the bulk of the Rebel fleet. Feeling that spreading the Imperials thin was the wisest tactic, Nammo dispatched a group of BTL Y-wing starfighters from Green Squadron to demolish an Imperial convoy. His hope was that the Imperials would assign more craft to the escort of supply convoys, in turn detracting from their efforts to find the Rebels. Azzameen flew with Red Squadron in a T-65 X-wing starfighter, covering Green Squadron's attack. Nammo's gambit succeeded, and the convoy was totally obliterated.

Though Ace was often the only Azzameen asset located aboard the Defiance, MK-09 would visit often, bringing the Otana to whenever he was needed and acting as Ace's regular gunner. Shortly after the destruction of the supply convoy, Emon contacted Ace with intelligence on their captured uncle's location aboard the Viraxo space station Viraxo Industries. Fortunately for the Azzameens, the family had placed a mole on the station in years prior, making his rescue somewhat easier. Emon was able to distract the station's defensive garrison of Planetary Defender starfighters while Ace docked the Otana with the station, sending MK-09 in to rescue Antan. The operation was a success, and Antan was freed. As a sign of gratitude, Antan gave Ace his prized Jar'Kai dueling sabers.

After returning to the fleet, Azzameen was promoted to flight officer. He was shortly sent out on his first reconnaissance mission, with his objective being the Imperial task force that thwarted the Defiance movements. Commander Devers assigned Azzameen to Blue Squadron, and sent him and another pilot out on a mission to ascertain the location of the task force. Searching the first two probable locations with no results, Azzameen discovered the Imperials in the third area, where he discovered that the flagship was none other than the Star Destroyer Corrupter, commanded by Admiral Garreth Holtz, which had previously been used to capture Azzameen Home Base. Quickly identifying the rest of the craft, Azzameen destroyed Holtz's probe droids before returning to the Defiance with his valuable intelligence.

Nammo's hit-and-fade techniques against supply convoys proved to be effective, allowing the Task Force to dedicate itself to other concerns. Word reached Nammo of a prison ship, the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser VTR-LX, which was carrying Alliance prisoners taken at Hoth. Azzameen joined Red Squadron in escorting a group of Y-wings, in the hope that they could ambush VTR-LX at Calast. They were unable to stop the prison ship, but they did track it to the penal facility, Bundil II. There, the craft was disabled and boarded by the Gamma-class ATR-6 assault transport Storm Unit and its team of commandos. Azzameen and Red Squadron fought off TIEs launched from Bundil II, and were able to safely cover Storm Unit and its quarry. Upon his return, Azzameen learned that among those rescued was Commander Kupalo, a tactical expert thought lost at Hoth.

Aeron contacted Ace with intelligence of a stray Viper probe droid in the Saila Na system. With the reasoning that such a droid may prove useful in tracking Viraxo movements, she requested that Ace retrieve the droid, and deliver it to her. MK-09 was dispatched in the Otana to pick up Ace and the pair headed to Saila Na, where they encountered a squadron of R-41 Starchasers and the Muurian transport Pelican attempting to capture the same probe droid. Azzameen dispatched the fighters, destroyed the Pelican, and collected the abandoned pod before jumping to the customs checkpoint Tinoon Station. Though MK-09 hoped that the customs officials would not look too closely at the Otana illicit cargo, Tinoon Station did wish to inspect the YT-2000 but were distracted as a group of mercenaries entered the system and began attacking the station. Azzameen helped to defeat the attack and the grateful customs officials allowed him to go on his way. Ace delivered the droid to Aeron on the Sabra, and returned home to the Defiance. Pleased, Aeron made him a toy probe droid as a gift, but Emon managed to break it somehow.

When Admiral Nammo was able to suitably survey Azzameen's findings from his earlier recon mission, he learned that the Corrupter had been heavily damaged at Hoth in its attempt to bar Tomaas Azzameen from leaving the planet. It had sustained heavy ion cannon fire, and was in dire need of resupply. Not long after Azzameen returned to the Defiance, the admiral dispatched B-wing starfighters from Green Squadron to destroy a supply convoy headed for the Corrupter, in the hopes that they would immobilize the battleship, and buy the Defiance Task Force time to escape the sector. Azzameen, in his first mission in a B-wing, was able to help destroy the convoy in the Bettel asteroid drift, though the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Monitor was able to escape to the Corrupter. The Rebels, in dogged pursuit, were able to demolish the ship before it could transfer any of its technicians to the Corrupter, effectively stranding Holtz and stemming his efforts to find the Defiance. Azzameen was later credited with the killing shot on the Monitor.

Nammo felt that this was the right time for the Task Force to break free of the sector. Dispatching Green Squadron to destroy the local sensor array and the accompanying control station, it was his hope that the confusion amongst the Imperials following the sensor blackout would buy them time for escape. Azzameen flew cover for Green Squadron in an X-wing, and allowed the B-wings to utterly pulverize the array and station. The four Gamma-class ATR-6 assault transports of Cloak Group jammed all communications in the area, and the Defiance Task Force successfully made their escape. For his efforts during the campaign, Azzameen was awarded the Badge of Merit.

The TIE Experimental Project
"They were odd-looking things."

- Ace Azzameen on the experimental TIE fighters

Following the Battle of Hoth, the MC80 Star Cruiser Liberty had sustained heavy losses to its support staff. Following his excellent service on the Defiance, Azzameen was transferred to the Liberty, along with Commander Kupalo and several other pilots from his unit. During the transfer, the group had to make a stopover in the Belat system, where they received a panicked distress call from a nearby system. Word had spread in weeks prior of mysterious new starfighters attacking civilian convoys and leaving virtually no survivors. Azzameen investigated the distress call, and discovered heavily modified TIE Fighters attacking the civilian Xiytiar-class transport Calico. Rushing to the transport's aid, Azzameen and his wingmate routed the fighters and their escort, the Beta-class ETR-3 escort transport Suluk. As soon as the convoy was deemed safe from further attack, Azzameen flew to the Liberty with this intelligence.

Admiral Yamarus, commander of the Liberty, was curious about the new TIE variants. Setting up a mock convoy of Mobquet medium transports, he hoped that the Imperials would be lured out into the open, allowing his pilots to capture several of the new variants. His ploy worked, and Kupalo dispatched the Z-95 Headhunters of Bandit Squadron to meet the TIEs. Azzameen, using new ion pulse warheads installed in his Z-95, was able to aid in the capture of several of the new craft as well as the ETR-3s that seemed to accompany them everywhere. Upon analyzing the captured craft, the Rebels learned that the new variants were in fact remote-controlled by technicians in the ETR-3s. Following this mission, Azzameen was promoted to lieutenant junior grade.

While Azzameen was taking a short break, MK-09 arrived in the Otana to take him to his Uncle Antan at the temporary Azzameen headquarters. Antan had concocted another plan to wreak revenge on the Viraxo. His sources claimed that K'Armyn Viraxo himself would be passing through a luxury resort orbiting Destreg II, flying his Personal Luxury Yacht 3000, the Highroller, with little to no escort. Meeting Emon in Destreg's system, Ace waited until Viraxo entered the system. Sure enough, the Highroller exited hyperspace with a modest escort of R-41s. Rushing to engage, Ace prepared to destroy the craft, but MK-09 noted that there were no lifeforms aboard. Upon realizing that the entire situation was a trap, Emon warned Ace of an impending ambush. True to the Azzameens' fears, a mercenary component of two Muurian transports, Vembri and Tolarus, along with the Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wings of Raven Squadron, entered the system. The ships began swarming all over the Andrasta and the Otana as Emon and Ace destroying the Highroller, with Emon collecting the ship's steering wheel as a souvenir before moving to engage the attackers long enough to escape. Ace followed suit, and upon his return, Antan apologized profusely. However, he was confident that the Viraxo would start to think twice before crossing the Azzameens.

Admiral Yamarus learned from Alliance Intelligence that some of the Experimental TIEs were being developed at Bretie Facility, over Nomlis III, and sent out Storm Unit, along with Red and Blue squadrons, to retrieve vital data from the installation. Azzameen, in Red Squadron, cleared the station's static defenses and covered Storm Unit's approach, but the situation took a turn for the worse when a group of TIE/D Defenders entered the system. Nevertheless, the Rebel squadrons were able to ensure Storm Unit's return to the Liberty with the datacore vital to the success of the mission. With the facility destroyed, production of the prototype TIEs stemmed, and Lieutenant Paling, a member of Storm Unit, thanked Azzameen for his aid at Bretie via e-mail.

Shortly after, the Imperials retaliated with a punitive attack on the Liberty. Yamarus and Kupalo ordered all pilots to their craft immediately, and by the time Azzameen had launched, the battle was raging all around the cruiser. The pilots of the Liberty were eventually able to drive off all the attackers, although they faced a new threat: TIE Bombs, kamikaze craft that attempted to ram the Liberty. Though these were also destroyed, it became apparent that there were more of these variants than had originally been thought. The Rebels took heavy losses during the battle; Azzameen's own X-wing was heavily damaged and he was barely able to land it intact.

Examination of the Bretie datacore showed that the TIE Experimental Project, under the control of an Imperial Director by the name of Lenzer, was primarily developed at the space station Obsidian. Yamarus wanted to end the project before it could do any more damage, and dispatched Green Squadron, with Red Squadron as cover, to eliminate the project's headquarters. Upon reaching Obsidian, the Rebels encountered the Imperial Research Ship Sardis, the master control ship for all experimental TIEs, and a number of TIE starfighters. Azzameen helped destroy the Sardis, Obsidian, and their accompanying craft, and was given a Group Commander Citation for his efforts.

The defection of Zaletta
"I could not let my emotions get the better of me. I decided to save him for ATR Storm Unit."

- Ace Azzameen, on the capture of Kupalo

With the TIE Experimental Project threat neutralized, the Liberty was able to rejoin the main fleet and assist in the Alliance's war effort. Alliance Intelligence contacted Admiral Yamarus with reports of a slave convoy deep in Imperial territory. As the report had come from an Imperial using an antiquated Alliance code, Yamarus, wary of a trap, dispatched Azzameen and his wingmates in Y-wings, accompanied by the X-wings of Red Squadron, to validate the report. At a planet orbited by the space station Golan I, Azzameen identified the Sentinel-class landing craft of KDT Group, disabling the vessels with slaves on board. Fighters launched from the Imperial II Star Destroyer Goliath present in the system, but Red Squadron was able to cover the rescue attempt. Gamma-class assault transports from Tango Group liberated the slaves and brought them to the Liberty. It was discovered that the slaves were in fact Bothans who had been imprisoned for supposed crimes against the Empire.

Shortly after the mission, Emon set Ace up on a date with former Miss Liberty Lady Blue. However, before Ace could accompany her on an outing, Lady Blue perished during a recon mission in the Japai system. Around the same time, Aeron and MK-09 arrived on the Liberty in the Sabra with a proposition for Ace. Planning to raid the Viraxo orbital facility 1 and steal warheads, Aeron figured they could use the stolen goods to supply the Rebellion&mdash;a move with twofold benefits for the Azzameens. Ace agreed and piloted the Sabra to the Viraxo platform, eliminating its defenses. With 1 unprotected, a collection of former Twin Suns employees in Magnum Group arrived to retrieve the weapons. The Viraxo's intended customers, traveling in the bulk cruiser XTS-673, arrived just as Magnum was absconding with the warheads. Allied with the criminal organization Black Sun, the XTS-673 sent its complement of its employer's new Supa Fighters to engage the Sabra while the cruiser moved to bombard Magnum group. After a brief skirmish, Magnum and the Sabra escaped the system and delivered the warheads to the Alliance. Aeron found the Black Sun involvement curious, and decided to inform Antan.

Some time later, Alliance High Command received more transmissions from Imperial territory, using the same outdated codes as before. This time, they were told of a top secret research station in the Kuat system. Unsure of the station's priority, High Command ordered Yamarus to dispatch a recon group to determine the station's worth. Azzameen, along with Red Squadron, entered the Kuat system, destroying the station's static defenses and communication capabilities. Based on data gleaned from inspection of the station, Yamarus ordered the destruction of the facility. Red Squadron were able to comply just as the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Juggernaut entered the system. Outnumbered, the Rebels cut through the middle of the Imperial line and escaped to hyperspace, with Azzameen the last to leave. Yamarus was confident that their efforts had at least halted critical Imperial research for a while.

With two successful missions made possible due to the information provided by the mysterious Imperial informant, Yamarus dispatched a team to investigate the listening post Comm Center, comprised of a multitude of satellites arranged in an asteroid field. Once the relay station's defenses were destroyed, Azzameen covered the Assassin-class corvette Python approach and fended off TIE/sa bomber attacks from the Ton-Falk-class escort carrier Halberd, before destroying the carrier itself. While the Python was downloading logs from the station, it received a transmission from an Imperial officer. Yamarus believed this to be the informant, and sought to investigate deeper.

When Antan heard of the raid on the relay station, he enlisted Aeron to install an Azzameen bug in the facility. Taking MK-09 along, she piloted the Sabra to the Liberty to meet with Ace and requested the Rebel pilot's assistance in the family mission. Ace agreed and piloted the Sabra to Comm Center, where the Azzameens discovered that the ETR-3 Minelayer had already begun replacing the station's static defenses. Clearing these, Ace eliminated the small patrol of Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wings, while Aeron, in a zero-G suit, planted the bug on relay satellite Commsat-6, which had been compromised in the preceding Alliance mission. During the operation, the Gamma-class assault shuttle Omicron entered the system; spotting the Azzameens, the ship deployed Zero-G assault stormtroopers to investigate Aeron's actions. Ace fended them off, and retrieved Aeron just as the Strike-class medium cruiser Hurricane exited hyperspace in an attempt to catch the trespassers. Ace evaded the Imperial forces, and returned to the Liberty unscathed. Antan was pleased with the fact that he would be able to keep tabs on the Viraxo, and word of the operation spread. Bothan Spynet leader Koth Melan commended Ace for his efforts via e-mail, claiming that the Bothans respected anybody with the skill to pull off a stunt like that.

After the Alliance's work at Comm Center, the Imperial informant contacted the Alliance again, stating his intention to defect and supplying High Command with his location. Azzameen returned to the Liberty in time to be assigned to Red Squadron for an attack on outpost DX-11a, in the Eidoloni system, where the defector, Commander Zaletta, was stationed. It was Yamarus's hope that Zaletta could safely and quietly defect during the guise of an Alliance attack. Ace, alongside the other X-wings in Red Squadron, eliminated the TIE Fighter defenses before identifying the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle AA-23 as the shuttle carrying Zaletta. The station was destroyed, but as AA-23 rendezvoused with the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Redemption, the Imperial Immobilizer 418 cruiser Restrainer entered the system, accompanied by the Star Destroyer Subjugator. The captain of the Redemption, outraged at what seemed to be a set up, had Zaletta thrown in the brig and called the Liberty for help. Azzameen and Red Squadron fought off swarms of TIE Fighters waiting for the Liberty arrival; when the MC80 cruiser arrived, Yamarus gave the order for the Restrainer to be destroyed, which Azzameen aided in. The Alliance made a full retreat, though Zaletta's sincerity was sharply thrown into question.

After the retreat, AA-23, stationed in the Liberty hangar bay 2, was commandeered by Kupalo&mdash;who had been set up as a sleeper agent by the Empire after his capture in the Battle of Hoth&mdash;who detonated a bomb in the hangar to mask his escape. Scrambling fighters to pursue, Yamarus sent Azzameen and Olin Garn to capture Kupalo. He considered the recapture of AA-23 to be of top importance, due to the invaluable Imperial information it may have contained. Azzameen was able to subdue Kupalo after evading the traitor's homing mines, but before Storm Unit could retrieve the shuttle, the Star Destroyer Imperator entered the system and began deploying TIEs. Azzameen and Garn fought them off, and Kupalo and his stolen shuttle were successfully apprehended. After discovering Kupalo's brainwashing at the hands of the Empire, the Alliance cleared Zaletta of all charges and integrated him into the Liberty crew. Azzameen and Garn were highly praised by Yamarus for their part in Kupalo's capture and Azzameen was awarded the Mantooine Medallion for his efforts, though it was officially noted that Azzameen had not donned the appropriate attire under his flight suit as a result of his swift response.

A decorated Alliance pilot
"Did someone call for a ride?''" "''Stow it Emkay! Get your rusted bolts over here!"

- MK-09 hails Aeron, trapped aboard Vergesso Base, as Ace pilots the Otana to recover her

Aeron planned to raise some funds for Antan's proposed resurrection of Twin Suns. However, she knew that Antan would not want her dealing with the Alliance, and so she kept her idea secret from him, instead contacting Ace for help. She planned to raid the Viraxo industrial complex VXO-33274 for supplies she intended to deliver to the Alliance via Vergesso Base, a base located within the largest asteroid in the Vergesso asteroid field. Aeron contacted several former Twin Suns employees to aid in the operation, who rendezvoused with Ace at Bilbringi V, one of the shipyards located in the Bilbringi system, before making their way to the Viraxo facility. SecForce Squadron, comprised of Toscan 8-Q starfighters, helped cover Ace, piloting the Otana, against VXO-33274's Supa Fighter garrison. After the Otana destroyed the IPV-1 System Patrol Craft Scylla, Juno and Lara groups entered the system and moved to steal containers from the facility. Aeron urged Ace and the freighters to hurry, suspecting that a Viraxo convoy would arrive soon. Sure enough, the convoy, along with Marauder-class corvette Charybdis and Gundark Squadron, entered the system and moved to engage the interloping Twin Suns craft. Fortunately, the Azzameens were able to escape, but upon reaching the Vergesso Asteroids in the Lybeya system, they were once again set upon by Black Sun fighters. Ace was able to destroy these, however, and drop Aeron off at Vergesso Base. She, in turn, sent the money earned from the mission on to the employees who had helped out, as well as to her Uncle Antan. Ace returned to the Liberty to await his next mission as MK-09 departed in the Otana.

Zaletta, hoping to further prove his innocence and utility to the Rebellion, informed Admiral Yamarus of a large convoy that would be heading through the Eidoloni system. Yamarus took particular note, due to the fact that the convoy would have a large escort, which tended to deem importance in the Empire. Assigning Zaletta as the new flight officer to replace Kupalo, he had Azzameen and Garn investigate the convoy to determine its contents. Azzameen found and inspected the convoy&mdash;comprised entirely of Xizor Transport Systems ships&mdash;escorted by the Lancer-class frigates Furious and Black Hawk, and the Victory II-class Star Destroyers Protector and Vanguard. Once the Alliance pilots returned to the Liberty, Yamarus assessed the data, hypothesizing that the equipment being shipped may be for the construction of a new shipyard or base of operations for the Empire.

Shortly thereafter, MK-09 received an urgent distress call from Aeron in the Vergesso Asteroids, which were under attack from a sizable Imperial force. The family maintenance droid took the Otana and rushed to meet Ace aboard the Liberty before the pair set off for the Vergesso Asteroids. Upon exiting hyperspace, however, Ace found himself in the midst of the ships of Death Squadron, Darth Vader's personal fleet, under the command of Admiral Ledre Okins. The Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor, along with the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger and the Victory Star Destroyers Victory 1 and Victory 2, laid waste to the Rebel defenses while approaching Vergesso Base itself. Ace skillfully piloted the family YT-2000 through Vader's fleet, eventually reaching the doomed asteroid base; once Aeron and some of her colleagues were aboard, Ace turned back to the wall of Imperial cruisers. Again dodging fire from starfighters and capital ships alike, the Otana successfully reached the exit vector and returned safely to the Liberty.

Working with the Bothan Spynet
Black Sun contacted the Bothan Spynet, tipping them off about a highly important computer core that could be found on the freighter Suprosa. In turn, Koth Melan contacted Commander Luke Skywalker, enlisting his help in capturing the ship. Skywalker, however, only had a group of Bothan pilots at his disposal, all of whom were limited in skill. Fortunately, he had one more Y-wing than he had pilots, and requested that Admiral Yamarus send a suitable pilot to fill the role. Based on Azzameen's outstanding service in past campaigns, Skywalker selected him to fill the vacant spot. When the Liberty reached Bothawui, Azzameen set out to join Commander Skywalker and Blue Squadron, who were escorting Dash Rendar and Melan in Rendar's YT-2400 light freighter Outrider. Upon encountering the Suprosa, it seemed that the ship was relatively unarmed, and the captain asserted that he was hauling nothing but fertilizer. Skywalker, unconvinced, ordered Blue Squadron to attack, but was unprepared for the Suprosa hidden defense mechanisms. It fired a Diamond boron missile at Blue Squadron, killing almost half of the Bothan pilots.

Pressing the attack in spite of the heavy losses, Azzameen, Rendar, and Skywalker were able to disable the craft, allowing Rendar to board and steal the computer. He was met with heavy Imperial resistance, but was able to return to the Outrider safely. Once the computer was aboard, Melan found that he was unable to decrypt the device, and requested that it be taken to a facility on Kothlis for further investigation. Unfortunately for Azzameen and his comrades, they were pulled out of hyperspace by the Interdictor cruiser Claw en route to their destination. Trapped in the hyperspace-nullifying gravity well created by Claw, the Rebels were engaged by Victory-class Star Destroyer Hunter. Skywalker and Rendar engaged the fighters, while Azzameen and the remainder of Blue Squadron attacked the Claw. Azzameen scored the killing shot on the Claw, allowing the Outrider to jump to Kothlis while he held off the remaining Imperial fighters. Azzameen was later contacted by Skywalker to commend him on his performance and frequently spoke proudly of the mission.

While the Bothans were able to decrypt some of the Imperial protection protocols, their attempts were cut short when a group of Barabel bounty hunters attacked Koth Melan's safehouse, intent on claiming the large bounty on Skywalker's head. Melan was killed in the ensuing firefight, but he was able to dispatch his agent, Borsk Fey'lya, to take the computer and get it safely away from Kothlis. The Liberty, however, had detected a Super Star Destroyer on the edge of the system, bearing rapidly down on Kothlis, and so Admiral Yamarus ordered the evacuation of the orbital platform Kothlis II and charged Azzameen to cover the fleeing vessels. Shortly after the first ships fled the station, ships from Death Squadron&mdash;including the Super Star Destroyer Executor and Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger&mdash;arrived and began their bombardment of the craft and station. Azzameen moved to engage the waves of fighters coming from the Imperial ships as the Executor destroyed the defense platform Sentinel, as Zaletta urged the Bothans to hasten their exit. Fey'lya, in his own Lambda-class shuttle, the Fey'lya's Pride, docked with the corvette Razor transferring the data, before fleeing to the Liberty. In turn, the Liberty and its fighters escaped the Executor just as Kothlis II was destroyed.

Unfortunately for the Alliance, the Razor was assaulted during its flight, and disabled. Having only just returned to his quarters following the last mission, Azzameen was called to rejoin the fight as part of Blue Squadron. Entering the battle, the squadron picked off the Assault Gunboats that had stopped the corvette; the crew, unable to complete repairs of the Razor before the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger entered the area, jettisoned the computer in an escape pod, though no Rebel forces were able to pick him up. The civilian Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser Mercury was able to retrieve the pod, with Azzameen covering its escape to a rendezvous with the MC80 Home One type Star Cruiser Independence. They had not escaped Imperial capture yet, however, and the Super Star Destroyer Executor entered into the fray, exchanging fire with the Mercury and deploying craft to stop the escape pod on its course to the Calamari Cruiser. The Executor efforts were in vain, however, as Azzameen picked off the TIEs and ensured the computer's safety. When the data reached Admiral Ackbar, it was determined that it was in fact plans for a new Death Star, which prompted High Command to disperse the fleet. For his efforts in securing the plans, Azzameen was given the Corellian Cross, and was personally thanked by Ackbar, via e-mail.

Alliance with the Smugglers
"I could not believe the radio. The Hurrim were going crazy shooting civilian vessels. I forgot about the freighters and targeted one of the Preybird traitors."

- Ace Azzameen

Following the Kothlis incident, the Liberty returned to the Outer Rim, in order to resupply for the inevitable attack on the new Death Star. However, the Liberty former supply station at Gal Milnor had been destroyed by Imperial forces. Admiral Yamarus believed that the only way to keep up would be to forge an alliance with a newly formed coalition of smugglers in the sector. Alliance General Lando Calrissian, former Baron Administrator of Cloud City on the gas giant Bespin, provided Yamarus with a contact: Dunari, owner of the profitable casino Dunari's Rest. Yamarus arranged a meeting with Dunari, and tasked Azzameen with flying cover for the Alliance delegates. At some point prior to the meeting, Azzameen had purchased a Z-95 Headhunter called Bandit, which he used in the meeting, outfitted with a civilian transponder. The meeting fell under attack from both mercenaries and Imperials, but it was successfully defended, and the pact was secured.

One of the members of the coalition, Golov Nakhym of the Hurrim, requested that the Alliance help them in a raid on a civilian convoy near Corvalis, in the Nezni system. Yamarus dispatched Azzameen and the Y-wings of Blue Squadron to help, but the operation turned sour when the Hurrim breached their agreement with the Alliance and began attacking civilians outright. Thinking quickly, Azzameen was forced to dispatch the Hurrim Preybird-class starfighters before disabling the civilian freighters, allowing Alliance GR-75 medium transports entering the system to board and retrieve the civilian ships' cargo. Covering the retreat of the Alliance craft, Azzameen engaged TIE interceptors in his Y-wing bomber, a feat that not many could emerge unscathed from due to the comparative slowness of the Y-wing. Yamarus was livid about the situation, and Dunari, in turn, ejected Nakhym from his coalition.

After the encounter with the turncoat Hurrim, Dunari contacted Ace with news on Emon, who had been captured and held at the space station Quesna Base. Dunari, who had been good friends with Tomaas Azzameen during their smuggling days, felt he owed Emon's rescue to his late partner in crime. Rapidly assembling a strike team and a plan, Dunari had a bomb planted in a pressure tank at the Imperial station Stockyard, which was then picked up by Ace in the Otana and delivered to Quesna Base. Upon delivery, it exploded, causing chaos amongst the station defenses and allowing Dunari to slip through in his ship, the Murrian transport Deadman's Hand, and rescue Emon. Though Emon was badly beaten, Dunari's medical team at his casino helped nurse him back to health. Dunari, grateful, requested that Ace put in a good word for him with Alliance High Command.

Any recommendation that Azzameen could have given was soon rendered irrelevant by the Imperial attack on Dunari's Rest. Yamarus hurriedly dispatched fighters to intercept the Imperial force, led by Admiral Holtz and the Corrupter. Azzameen volunteered for the mission and used an X-wing to fend off Gunboats and wave after wave of TIEs, allowing Dunari's staff to safely evacuate. Dunari personally collected Emon before evacuating the station, which was shortly after taken by the Imperials. During the battle, Azzameen attempted an assault on the Corrupter itself. When the Star Destroyer's shields fell, Azzameen's wingmates joined in the attack, but the arrival of the Imperial Nebulon-B2 frigate Cerebus prompted Azzameen to order his wingmates to break off and engage the frigate's TIE interceptors. Within moments, the rest of Azzameen's flight group was destroyed and Azzameen was forced to break off the attack. It was later confirmed that the Hurrim were behind the attack; as a result, Alliance High Command took it upon themselves to find Nakhym's base and destroy it.

Apparently, Nakhym had already taken advantage of the attack, and had captured several members of Calrissian's smuggling coalition. Fortunately for the Alliance, several of the smugglers had escaped from the Hurrim in a stolen Lambda-class shuttle, the Merte, and had reached Camen Spaceport. There, they called upon Yamarus to investigate as the escapees were set upon by Hurrim pursuers. Commander Zaletta dispatched Azzameen and a wingmate to defend the shuttle until it could reach the Liberty, a mission which Azzameen was able to complete with minimal damage. The escapees, fortunately, were able to provide Yamarus with the location of the Hurrim base and Yamarus quickly prepared a mission to have it destroyed.

By this time, Emon had fully recovered, and jumped at a chance to get back at the Viraxo. He planned to retrieve the old Azzameen Station datacore, discarded after the family base had been Imperialized, from an Imperial junkyard so he could research Tomaas' data on their rivals. Ace, piloting the Otana alongside MK-09, slipped into the Imperial facility Junkyard Control, where he found the container and sent the droid into space to retrieve the datacore as Emon flew cover in the Andrasta. The Azzameens were inexplicably set upon by raiders during the operation, though Emon suspected they had been hired by the Viraxo. When MK-09 had retrieved the datacore, the Azzameens returned safely to the Liberty, where they parted ways: Emon planned to study the datacore and find ways to get back at K'Armyn Viraxo while Ace continued his service in the Rebellion. Ace's efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was given honorary Bothan Spynet membership for his feat of stealth in the core recovery.

Once back aboard the Liberty, Azzameen joined the Y-wing bombers of Green Squadron as they launched an assault on the Hurrim base of operations. With cover from the X-wings of Red Squadron, Azzameen and his comrades destroyed the base's static defenses, which were built into the asteroid field surrounding the base. Nakhym's men put up more resistance, though, in the form of the Marauder corvettes Broadside and Plank. Green Squadron destroyed the incoming corvettes, however, and prepared to disable the station. Golov Nakhym himself attempted to flee in the Lambda-class shuttle Lendros. Azzameen disabled his craft, while the Alliance Nebulon-B frigate Jericho and Storm Unit Group moved in to seize Hurrim assets. Admiral Holtz arrived in the Corrupter to end the Rebel attack, but was beaten back by the arrival of Dunari in the Dreadnaught Longshot. Eventually, the Corrupter was destroyed, and the Hurrim eliminated. For his efforts in the campaign against the Hurrim, Azzameen was awarded the Admiral of the Fleet Commendation.

Preparations at Sullust
Hungry for intelligence on the Death Star II construction site over the Forest Moon of Endor, Alliance High Command enlisted Admiral Yamarus to make contact with the Bothan Spynet. Councilor Fey'lya owed a debt to the Alliance following the liberation of Bothan slaves several months prior, and so he agreed to meet with the admiral on the Liberty. At the rendezvous, his ship, the Dreadnaught cruiser Tal'cara, held station, while Fey'lya himself was transferred to the Liberty on the Lambda shuttle Jade. Shortly after the Jade launched, however, several squadrons of Skipray Blastboats entered the system and attacked the Tal'cara. Azzameen was dispatched to intercept the Blastboats, but the situation escalated when the Marauder corvette Intruder joined the fray. Several IRD starfighters attempted to destroy Fey'lya's shuttle, but Azzameen was able to stop them in time. Eventually, the Intruder was critically damaged, forcing the evacuation of its crew. The Alliance picked up one of the escape pods, and questioned the occupant, who insisted that the Sullustans had ordered the attack. Concerned, Yamarus prompted an investigation, and Fey'lya was livid, but still agreed to pledge spies to investigate Endor.

Yamarus enlisted Aeron in locating the mercenary base, as he thought that a civilian craft and civilian operative would ensure that the investigation would stay as low-profile as possible. Aeron agreed, and took the Otana, as well as MK-09, to meet Ace aboard the Liberty. Ace piloted the family freighter to the orbital facility Cargo Station, where, according to the captured mercenary, the bulk cruiser Redhawk&mdash;a ship with ties to the mercenary group responsible for the earlier attack on Fey'lya&mdash;would be taking on supplies. Upon arrival, Ace docked with the Redhawk and moved to the Otana dorsal turret as the cruiser's complement of Preybird fighters attacked. Aeron worked on slicing the Redhawk flight logs, eventually finding the coordinates for the mercenary base, and Ace detached the ship and headed for the destination through hyperspace. Upon arrival, however, the Azzameens discovered that they had returned to realspace in the center of an Imperial Weapons Testing Facility near Carida during a live-fire turbolaser testing of five Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Panicking, Aeron and MK-09 quickly plotted a course back to Cargo Station as Ace evaded swarms of TIE Fighters. Escape coordinates were found, and the Otana escaped the Carida system and returned to Cargo Station, where they found that the Redhawk had departed. Aeron, figuring that the mercenary cruiser had possibly left for the mercenary base, downloaded the station's logs and fed Ace new coordinates, which he followed. However, upon arrival at the new location, the Azzameens were stunned to find that the mercenary base was none other than their own former home. Now dubbed Falcon's Nest, Ace began to approach the station and its surrounding mercenary craft in anger, but eventually heeded Aeron's pleading to return to the Liberty.

Upon the Azzameens' report, Admiral Yamarus planned an attack on the Home Base, hoping to recapture it for the Alliance. Emon and Aeron were invited to join the operation, while Ace flew a B-wing starfighter with his squadron. The civilian Azzameens agreed and joined the flight group in their own ships: Emon in the Andrasta and Aeron, alond with MK-09, in the Otana. Once in the proximity of Falcon's Nest, Ace's B-wing group destroyed the mercenary group's static defenses, allowing the ATR-6 assault transport Storm Unit a clear path to the station. During the fighting, Emon spotted Antan's ship, the Action IV transport Big Score, fleeing the system, and alerted his siblings, arousing their suspicions. Storm Unit boarded the base and eliminated all resistance aboard the station. However, they discovered that someone had wired the station to self-destruct to prevent the former Azzameen Station from changing hands once more. Aeron docked the Otana with the captured base and managed to disarm the base with only seconds to spare. Following this, Ace was given the Azzameen Family Crest, as he was considered the best pilot in the family. Thankful for the Azzameen family's continued service, the Alliance gave ownership of the liberated station to the Azzameens, who returned it to its former name and glory.

Shortly after this, Admiral Yamarus received a distress call from Bothans trying to leave the Endor system. They had completed their recon mission for the Alliance, but had been stopped by the Imperial Star Destroyer Accuser and the Interdictor cruiser Grappler. Hidden amongst a civilian convoy, the Bothans were saved by Azzameen and the other X-wing starfighters of Gold Squadron, who destroyed the Interdictor quickly enough for all of the Bothans to escape the Accuser and deliver their intelligence to Yamarus. They had discovered that a shield generator on the forest moon protected the half-finished battle station, and that an Imperial Lambda-class shuttle, the Tydirium, had the access codes to reach said generator. Yamarus decided that the capture of Tydirium was of top priority.

Capture of the Tydirium
The Sabra was requisitioned for Alliance use in the capture operation. As Azzameen was the most experienced at flying freighters in his group, he, with MK-09 as copilot, piloted the commando-laden craft. Avoiding an Imperial customs checkpoint, Azzameen made his way to Outpost 327 in the Zhar system, where the Tydirium was docked. There, a Rebel commando team led by Crix Madine stole the craft, while Azzameen called in Rogue Squadron for backup. The ship was successfully stolen, along with its Imperial access codes, and Azzameen returned to the Liberty. Though the Empire managed to take Tydirium shortly after, Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron recaptured the shuttle again, and the Alliance prepared the Tydirium for use in a later mission. During the Tydirium mission, the Sullustans were able to prove their innocence in the mercenary debacle, and claimed that it was an Imperial machination. Fey'lya, however, was still unimpressed, but Azzameen was personally able to convince him otherwise.

The Alliance soon began assembling its forces for a major attack on the new Death Star. The Liberty Task Force was able to reach the staging point at above the planet Sullust with little diversion, but the Defiance and Independence Task Forces were not as fortunate. Admiral Yamarus sent Azzameen and Garn as part of Gold Squadron, a collection of RZ-1 A-wing interceptors, out to assist the delayed fleets. Upon rendezvous with the Defiance, the Victory Star Destroyer Vagrant and the Carrack cruisers Xerxes and Nexus mounted an attack. Azzameen and Gold Squadron prevented TIE Bomber squadrons from reaching the Defiance until the Mon Calamari cruiser escaped the system. Following this, Gold Squadron raced to the Independence, which was under siege by a multitude of Imperial ships, including the Star Destroyers Immortal, Protector, and Vanguard. Azzameen and the rest of Gold Squadron again kept the Alliance ship from sustaining too much damage, and it escape. Upon returning to the Liberty, he was awarded the Star of Alderaan.

Shortly before the fleet's departure for Endor, Antan contacted Ace and his siblings, telling them that he would explain his suspicious actions of the past few months, including his appearance at Falcon's Nest. Ace, his siblings, and MK-09 journeyed to the meeting place at Azzameen Station, where Antan explained that he, on orders from the Empire, had hired the mercenaries to attack the Bothans. Antan claimed that Tomaas and Galin were still alive, and that they would have been turned over to him for his cooperation; however, that Alliance's reclamation of the family station and the subsequent dispersal of the mercenaries there jeopardized his efforts to recover the missing family members. Emon was highly skeptical, but Aeron decided to trust Antan, who led them to the penal colony Kessel Station, orbiting the oddly shaped planet of Kessel, where Tomaas and Galin were supposedly being held. Ace docked with the station, allowing Aeron to board and investigate. As the Azzameens investigated, however, the Star Destroyer Devastator entered the system, demanding the arrest of the intruding Azzameen craft. Antan, responsible for the double-cross, hailed the Devastator, alerting them that Tomaas' children were to be captured, before leaving the system. Emon, enraged, commanded MK-09 to find an exit vector, a task made difficult due to the station's proximity to the Maw&mdash;a large collection of black holes that hindered hyperspace travel. The arrival of family friend Dunari in the Deadman's Hand saved the droid the trouble, and Dunari provided the necessary escape coordinates and guided Emon, in the Andrasta and Ace, Aeron, and MK-09, in the Otana, through an asteroid field and past the station Outpost AS-27, providing them a route to return to the Liberty.

Battle of Endor
"Gener &hellip; er, Lando asked me if I knew how to reattach a thrust vector magnet in midflight. He muttered something about medical adhesive tape and packing foam. I told him that I didn't but that I knew someone who did. Care to come along?"

- Ace Azzameen asks MK-09 to join him in the Battle of Endor

With the Alliance fleet gathered in the Sullust system and news that Galactic Emperor Palpatine was personally inspecting the Death Star II, the Rebels decided to launch their attack on the battlestation. General Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa and Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker led a strike team, ferried in the previously captured Tydirium, to Endor to destroy the shield generator protecting the Death Star ahead of a strike by the Alliance Fleet. Azzameen was assigned to Solo's YT-1300 freighter, the Millennium Falcon, to be flown under the command of General Calrissian in the upcoming space battle. In turn, Ace asked MK-09 to accompany him aboard the ship after Calrissian asked the young pilot about repairs; the maintenance droid complied and took position as a gunner. The Rebels entered the Endor system to find that the deflector shield was still up and that the Imperial Navy was waiting for them. As Calrissian began issuing orders to the rest of Gold Squadron in the hopes of buying some more time for the commando team, he turned over control of the Millennium Falcon to Azzameen, who helped drive Imperial fighters away from the medical frigate Redemption.

The battle soon turned against the Rebels and Azzameen soon saw his former home, the Liberty, destroyed by the Empire's new superweapon. On Calrissian's orders, Azzameen took the Millennium Falcon in close to the Imperial capital ships, assisting in the destruction of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Vehement and the attack on the Super Star Destroyer Executor. The Rebels' combined attack ultimately succeeded in knocking out the Executors bridge shields and the ship was destroyed when Green Leader crashed his damaged A-wing into the bridge. By that point, the Endor strike team had destroyed the Death Star's shield generator, allowing the Rebels, including Azzameen aboard the Millennium Falcon, to commence the attack on the Death Star itself by flying into the massive superstructure. The Millennium Falcon fired the shots on second Death Star's central core, destroying it and striking a major blow against the Empire, before escaping the space station. Azzameen was awarded the Battle of Endor Hero's Medal for his actions during the battle and was transferred to the Independence.

Personality and traits
"I had to ram the sucker!"

- Ace Azzameen, after ramming an Imperial shuttle with an X-wing to prevent its escape

During his youth, Ace Azzameen was restricted to maintenance work while his older relatives were assigned more adventurous duties. When Azzameen was presented with the opportunity to fly a mission for the first time, he was nervous, but also enthusiastic and confident in his abilities. When his father asked him to help secure the bacta for the Alliance, Azzameen was thrilled to have the opportunity to help in their fight against the Empire. Azzameen was an extremely skilled pilot and went on to fly in many of the Alliance's key battles during 3 ABY, one of the most grueling years of the Galactic Civil War. He was able to adapt to almost any situation, sometimes using a certain type of craft in an unorthodox fashion for exemplary results. His piloting skills were twofold: He was both proficient in the use of a starfighter, be it bomber or superiority fighter, and he was a skilled freighter pilot, which would work to the Alliance's advantage on several occasions. Additionally, he was able to train on a multitude of spacecraft, including Imperial vessels, thanks to his proficiency in holosimulators. Azzameen's piloting skills did not go unrecognized, as he received no less than seven medals and commendations over the course of a single standard year. Azzameen was competitive with other pilots and enjoyed testing his performance against theirs in the pilot proving grounds. As a veteran pilot, Azzameen's wingmates trusted his judgment, obeying his orders without question.

Azzameen's piloting skills were not limited to combat, however. He was also proficient at covert operations, something that was noticed by the Bothan Spynet. They granted him honorary membership, which was rare for non-Bothans. His skills were also employed by the Alliance during the theft of Tydirium, and by his siblings on numerous occasions. Azzameen's savvy in such matters not only benefited him behind the control stick of a starship, but behind the conference table. Although a mere pilot, Azzameen was able to use his footing in the elite Bothan group to convince Councilor Borsk Fey'lya (a feat accomplished by few) of the Sullustans' innocence in an attack on his shuttle.

A sociable, though quiet, person, Azzameen remained in constant contact with family and friends via e-mail. He always liked to know where his kin were at any given time, though they were not always willing to divulge. His love life, on the other hand, turned sour, when his girlfriend left him due to his affiliation. In spite of this, Azzameen did try and begin a relationship with Lady Blue, although she was killed before their first date. Azzameen was a generally good-tempered individual, but MK-09 considered him particularly difficult to be around when he was in a bad mood.

Azzameen held family above all, a value he demonstrated time and time again. He was eager to help his father out with the family business, and would always help out his kin in times of need. Indeed, his siblings and uncle knew that he was someone they could turn to if they needed an exceptionally gifted pilot, and they never hesitated to call for his assistance. Although Ace held his family in high regard, he never compromised the Alliance, despite requests from Antan. Though MK-09&mdash;self-admittedly biased, being a droid himself&mdash;expressed that he felt Ace was nonplussed by the plight of certain droids, including MK-09 himself as well as the R2 unit found in the pilot proving grounds, Ace showed the same loyalty to the family maintenance droid as he did to the rest of the family, insofar as requesting MK-09's assistance aboard the Millennium Falcon during the Alliance's attack on the second Death Star. Ace was especially close to Aeron, who regarded him as her favorite in the family. Ace was both stubborn and, in combat, often hot-headed, traits he shared with Emon. He enjoyed combat missions and considered escort missions to be usually "snoozers."

One of Azzameen's foibles was his tendency to collect "souvenirs," be they scrap metal from a kill or gifts from someone he had saved or helped out. Azzameen kept all these trinkets in his room aboard the Otana, which he kept following Tomaas' death at Hospital. He also purchased Bandit, a Z-95 Headhunter, during his time in the Alliance Fleet, in which he kept a stormtrooper helmet. He was able to fly the Z-95 on occasion for the Alliance, but he would use the Otana far more frequently.

Behind the scenes
"I'm breaking up!"

- Azzameen calls out upon the destruction of his ship

Ace Azzameen was created by David Wessman for Lawrence Holland's Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance. Azzameen is the player character in the game, and as such, he can only be seen by switching to external flight view and rotating the "camera" to look at the cockpit. Though Azzameen's voice is never heard in normal gameplay, he can be heard exclaiming "I'm breaking up" or "Ejecting" upon the destruction of any craft he is piloting.

The missions in Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance are, for the most part, free-form, and can be completed in any number of ways. Due to this, Azzameen's precise actions during each mission are often ambiguous. Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide included a CD containing videos of the recommended path for completion, and excerpts from the book written from an in-universe perspective by MK-09 reveal certain paths Ace took in his adventures. The final missions of X-Wing Alliance present the assault on the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor, placing the player, as Azzameen, aboard the Millennium Falcon during the battle. Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide elaborates on Azzameen's role in the battle, describing him piloting the Millennium Falcon as it enters the Death Star and firing the shot that destroys the battlestation. This contradicts the depiction of the battle in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi which shows Lando Calrissian in control of the vessel at that stage of the battle.

The character of Ace Azzameen went unreferenced in any other Star Wars media until 2002's The New Essential Guide to Characters. Later, 2007's Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections created a continuity error surrounding his theft of the Tydirium, and Azzameen is also mentioned in connection with the capture of the Tydirium in the junior novelization of Return of the Jedi. He was additionally referenced in the 2008 expansion of the Star Wars PocketModel TCG&mdash;titled Scum & Villainy&mdash;when his Z-95 Headhunter was represented as a miniature.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novelization