Jace Malcom

"We must fight&mdash;to victory, or death&mdash;for the Republic!"

- Jace Malcom during the Battle of Alderaan

Jace Malcom was a Human male Republic trooper, who served in the Republic Special Forces during the Great Galactic War. He was a corporal in the Republic Military as of 3,681 BBY, during which time he was serving aboard a Jedi-run space station in orbit above Korriban. In that year, the reconstituted Sith Empire returned to known space to reclaim their lost territory and exact revenge upon the Republic. During these early days of the Great Galactic War, the Empire launched a massive strike against the Jedi and Republic forces at Korriban in an effort to retake the world which had once been their holy capital. Malcom was caught in the battle, but managed to escape the onslaught alongside Jedi Padawan Satele Shan and incarcerated smuggler, Captain Nico Okarr.

The war continued on for nearly three decades, during which time Malcom earned the position of commander for Havoc Squad, an elite force of Republic troopers dedicated to fighting the Sith Empire and its aggressions. At the height of the war, Havoc Squad was stationed on the Core World of Alderaan while the bulk of the Republic Navy was elsewhere in the galaxy, combating the Sith. While he was stationed on the planet, the trooper and his squad were swept up in the Battle of Alderaan, a massive Imperial invasion of the tranquil world. As the Sith forces led by Darth Malgus ravaged the planet, Malcom and his comrades took to the forests of Alderaan to wage a guerrilla campaign against the Imperials. When Darth Malgus turned his army toward the Alderaanian capital city, the trooper and Havoc Squad positioned themselves to ambush the Sith Lord and halt his advance. In a pitched battle in the forests outside of the capital, much of Havoc Squad was killed. Jace Malcom was nearly executed, but was saved by the timely arrival of Satele Shan. Together, the two defeated Malgus while Havoc Squad routed the remaining Imperial forces, preventing Alderaan from being destroyed by the Sith.

Escape from Korriban
In the centuries following the Jedi Civil War, the Human male, Jace Malcom, was a member of the Special Forces of the Galactic Republic, serving as an elite trooper. By 3,681 BBY, Malcom had attained the rank of corporal, and was serving the government while stationed in the Outer Rim Territories aboard a space station orbiting above the Republic's protectorate world of Korriban. There, Malcom served alongside fellow troopers and members of the Jedi Order to maintain a constant vigil over the planet that had once been home to the ancient Sith Empire. In that year, a reformed Empire of the Sith emerged from hiding in the Unknown Regions and launched a massive surprise assault against the Republic. The Imperials' early campaigns focused primarily in the galaxy's distant Tingel Arm region, and pulled the bulk of the Republic's navy away from their previous duties and into battle against the Sith.

As a result of the fighting, Korriban lost most of its naval defenses, and was left with only a small defense force consisting of the Republic troopers aboard the space station and the Jedi guardians who were watching over the Sith's holy world. While the battles elsewhere continued to rage, Malcom assisted the Jedi Master Kao Cen Darach and his Padawan, Satele Shan, in escorting the incarcerated smuggler Nico Okarr to detention aboard the Korriban station. The smuggler captain had been found guilty of transporting Sith artifacts, and was being taken into custody when the young Shan sensed a disturbance in the Force. At that moment, a fleet of over thirty Sith battlecruisers emerged from hyperspace above the planet and began to assault the space station with starfighters and boarding parties. Master Darach decided that their first priority in the battle must be to escape the system and inform the larger Republic that the Empire had returned to its ancient homeworld. Although he agreed, Malcom insisted that none of the Republic's NR2 gully jumper shuttles would be able to outrun the attacking Imperial interceptors. Okarr, who had been listening in on the conversation, offered his own XS stock light freighter as a means of escape, as it was allegedly the fastest ship in the Esstran sector.

The Jedi and troopers present accepted the offer and hastily fled towards the space station's hangar. While Shan and her Master ran ahead to clear the landing zone, the corporal and a fellow trooper covered their rear by remaining behind in one of the station's corridors to engage Imperial boarding parties. As the two rounded a corner towards the hangar, an Imperial soldier launched a missile at them. The resulting blast temporarily incapacitated Malcom and killed his comrade, which prompted the Okarr to engage the Imperial troops himself. While he dispatched a number of approaching enemies, Malcom recovered and appropriated his fallen compatriot's laser chaingun to assist Okarr in destroying a pair of Imperial assault droids. Although they cleared the corridor of hostiles, the Imperials again pushed forward, forcing the Okarr and Malcom to fall back into the hangar and seal the entry behind them. As they regrouped with Shan and Darach, an Imperial Fury-class interceptor landed in the hangar and deposited the Sith Lord Vindican and his apprentice, Malgus, onto the landing bay floor.

Kao Cen Darach recognized the danger of the situation, and so ordered the corporal to join the smuggler in preparing his freighter for take-off while he and Shan dueled the intruders. With the assistance of the captain's astromech droid T7-O1, the two were able to get the ship running and lift off from the hangar floor. As they moved to flee the station, the captain maneuvered his ship into a hovering position so as to allow Shan and her Master an opportunity to board. Meanwhile, Malcom lowered the boarding ramp and fired a missile at the Pureblood Sith Lord, who was attempting to damage the vessel with blasts of Force lightning. The shot was ineffective, but allowed Okarr to move closer to the Jedi, the hangar airlock, and space beyond. Master Darach ultimately elected to stay on the station and hold the Sith back so that his Padawan might escape, thereby allowing Shan to run and attempt to jump into the departing craft. The corporal caught the Padawan mid-leap and pulled her into the freighter just before the ship slammed into the Imperial's interceptor and escaped into space. He and the young girl both operated the vessel's laser cannons in an effort to blast away attacking Sith interceptors while the smuggler made the jump to hyperspace. After narrowly avoiding collisions with a battlecruiser, the freighter jumped to hyperspace, escaping Korriban.



Trials and triumph on Alderaan
"For centuries, Alderaan stood as a beacon of hope in the Republic. But the Empire came, and with one savage strike, brought Alderaan to her knees. Now, time is running out as few are left to face the enemy."

- Commander Jace Malcom

The war continued for a further twenty-eight years, by the height of which Jace Malcom found new responsibility as the commander of Havoc Squad, an elite Republic Special Forces unit. During this period, the trooper and his squad-mates were stationed on the tranquil Core World of Alderaan &mdash;a planet seen by many as the embodiment of Republic ideals. That reputation made Alderaan an enticing military target for the reconstituted Sith Empire, which hoped to destroy the world and capitalize on the damage it would cause to Republic morale.

While the commander and the rest of Havoc Squad remained on Alderaan's surface alongside other Republic ground forces, the Republic Navy was called away from the planet in response to a diversionary feint set up by the recently-promoted Sith Lord Darth Malgus&mdash;the same Sith who had engaged the Republic defenders at Korriban. While the planet's naval defenses were occupied elsewhere in the galaxy, Alderaan was besieged by a massive Imperial invasion. Led by Malgus, the Sith obliterated the local defenses and seized the world. Despite their initial success, the Sith forces were unaware that the Republic forces stationed on the world had fled into Alderaan's forests and mountains to launch a guerrilla campaign against the Imperial advance.

Malcom and Havoc Squad positioned themselves on a ridge outside of Alderaan's capital in hopes of preventing the Sith attack on the city. While Darth Malgus led his forces in a march toward the city, Malcom ambushed him, firing on the Sith's columns of war droids and soldiers with a hand-held blaster cannon. He and the rest of Havoc Squad proceeded to jump from the ridge down into the fray of battle, where they engaged a number of Sith Warriors and their troops. Malcom destroyed several more war droids before taking aim at Darth Malgus, who was able to deflect several of the cannon shots before being engulfed in the flames from one of the commander's projectiles. Seeing that Malgus survived the blast, Malcom rushed the Sith Lord to finish him off while avoiding the attacks of several Sith who attempted to intercept him. However, upon nearing Malgus, the Sith Lord assaulted the trooper with Force lightning before throwing him back across the battlefield.

Commander Malcom was rendered unconscious by the attack, and upon awakening, found himself at the mercy of two Sith as he watched his comrades get beaten by Malgus and his forces. The two Sith dragged Malcom to a third who prepared to execute the helpless soldier via lightsaber, but the three were instead thrown from the trooper by a repulsive blast from the Force, delivered by now-Jedi Knight Satele Shan, who had been tasked with defending Alderaan. The Jedi's timely arrival saved Malcom and allowed Havoc Squad to refocus their assault while she continued onwards to engage Malgus. Malcom was provided with a blaster rifle from one of his fellow soldiers, and together they returned to the battlefield. He later realized that Darth Malgus had gained the upper hand in his duel against Shan, and so rushed to aid her. Malcom tackled Malgus, and while they grappled, he activated a grenade. The blast threw the two combatants away from one another and grievously wounded both.

Jace Malcom was again rendered unconscious, awakening only after the battle had come to a close. Upon discovering that Malgus and his forces had been defeated, he fired a signal flare into the sky to indicate victory. The flare was matched by dozens of others fired by victorious Republic forces across the Alderaanian landscape, signaling the Empire's defeat on Alderaan. Malcom continued to serve the Republic through the remainder of the war and into the following Cold War, during which time he rose to a higher command role within the reorganized Special Forces division. During the political unrest of the Cold War era, he served as a military consultant for the Republic's allies.

Personality and traits
"While the sacrifices are heavy, we fight knowing that a single spark of courage can ignite the fires of hope, and restore peace across the galaxy."

- Jace Malcom

Jace Malcom was extremely loyal to the Republic, and was willing to give his life to defend his government. He believed that, despite the strength of the enemy, hope for peace could be restored to the Republic and the galaxy through simple acts of courage in the face of those overwhelming odds.

As a corporal, Malcom served the Republic fiercely, and defended the Korriban space station despite the simultaneous need to escape. He followed the orders issued by the Jedi, and was willing to work alongside a criminal who had been in Republic captivity only moments before the Sith assault began. At great personal risk, Malcom ensured Satele Shan's escape by descending the loading ramp of a freighter in-flight and pulling the Jedi aboard. He later displayed courage during the Battle of Alderaan, directly engaging the Sith forces despite his own forces being vastly outnumbered. Now a commander, he led the charge against Malgus's troops, leaping from atop a high ridge directly into the heat of battle with the Sith. Throughout the battle he gunned for Malgus himself, and charged headlong into combat against the enemy commander several times. During his first attack, Malcom was assaulted by a barrage of Force lightning but managed to withstand its effects for a period of time while continuing to approach the Sith Lord. In the second instance, he activated a grenade while still holding it in his hand, nearly killing himself in order to successfully wound Darth Malgus.

In addition to moderate facial hair, he sported several facial scars prior to the Battle of Alderaan. After the conclusion of the conflict, the right side of his face was heavily disfigured as a result of the close quarters explosion from his grenade and the impact he suffered after being thrown by the force of the blast.

Equipment
Jace Malcom was outfitted with the standard white-and-orange armor of a Republic trooper during the Great Galactic War. While fighting above Korriban, he made use of a blaster cannon, as well as a laser chaingun and a missile launcher. During the battle, the corporal lost his helmet, and on Alderaan he elected not to utilize one. He kept a combat knife in a sheath on his chest and in battle on the Core World he again wielded a portable blaster cannon. Malcom also made use of grenades and signal flares during the conflict on Alderaan.

Behind the scenes
Jace Malcom first appeared in Hope, the second cinematic trailer for the upcoming video game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. The trailer, released by BioWare on June 14, 2010 depicts the trooper as the narrator, explaining events on Alderaan prior to the skirmish featured in the trailer. He later received a brief mention in Paul S. Kemp's short story, The Old Republic: The Third Lesson, and novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived. The same character later appeared in Return, the third cinematic trailer for the game, released on June 6, 2011. The trooper was given his name in an interview with Charles Boyd, Bioware’s Lead Writer for the Trooper class in The Old Republic. His voice actor has not been confirmed by official sources to date.

Appearances

 * Return
 * Hope
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic