Gavin Darklighter

"He's just a Tatooine farm boy who thinks the ability to shoot womp rats from a speeder can make him a hero."

- Horton Salm

Gavin Darklighter was a male Human from Tatooine who flew for the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War.

Galactic Civil War
"His name is Gavin Darklighter, and he's every bit as much a hero as I am."

- Asyr Sei'lar

Gavin Darklighter was the younger first cousin of Red Squadron pilot Biggs Darklighter and son of Jula and Silya Darklighter. He also had a sister, Rasca. As a child he was enthralled by tales of the Rebellion and developed a crush on Princess Leia Organa.

Upon learning of the Alliance's intent to reconstitute Rogue Squadron, Gavin personally asked Wedge Antilles for a place. Despite his only being 16, Wedge felt compelled to give the young man a chance, particularly because of the Tatooinian's familial relationship with Biggs Darklighter. General Salm protested the decision, but Wedge successfully argued for the young man's acceptance - an argument augmented by Gavin's excellent score on the Redemption Scenario.

During the newly-reformed Rogues' first deployment to Talasea, stormtroopers led a night attack on the pilots' base. Gavin was awoken by Corran Horn, and assisted Horn in defeating the stormtroopers, but, being inexperienced, was shot in the stomach fairly early into the incursion. Gavin survived, thanks to bacta, but the wound left a scar&mdash;and taught him to be more careful. However, the loss of fellow pilot Lujayne Forge, who had been tutoring Gavin, was an emotional blow to him&mdash;he had never had anyone he knew personally die before.

Despite his natural skill in the cockpit, he did not immediately distinguish himself on missions. After having failed to amass any kills on their second mission, he became the target of (more or less friendly) ridicule. Corran Horn took Gavin under his wing, protecting him from the bullying of one of the more prominent pilots. He quickly proved himself worthy of Corran's trust, becoming an ace during the second assault on Borleias.

Capture of Coruscant


In the next Rogue Squadron mission&mdash;infiltrating Coruscant&mdash; Gavin was ferried into the planet by Mirax Terrik and the Pulsar Skate and assumed a false identity as a con-man, working with fellow pilot Riv Shiel. On a meeting with other undercover Rogue pilots, including Nawara Ven and Ooryl Qyrgg in a seedy Coruscant underworld largely nonhuman cantina, Gavin was harassed, both by Humanocentric stormtroopers and later by an attractive Bothan female named Asyr Sei'lar. Flustered, Gavin declined her advances, and&mdash;believing him to be bigoted&mdash;Sei'lar and her companions captured Gavin and all the Rogues. Sei'lar was part of the Alien Combine, which planned on executing a Human as a message to the Empire on Coruscant&mdash;and Gavin was to be Human example.

However, an attack by Imperial forces resulted in a confused melee between stormtroopers, Rogue Squadron pilots, and Alien Combine members. In the firefight, Sei'lar and Darklighter saved each other's lives before fleeing in an escape route opened by Corran Horn. Upon receiving new orders to sabotage the throneworld's planetary shields, Gavin was part of a mission to insert a sliced computer core into the main shield controlling complex. An Imperial ambush disrupted the plan, and nearly cost the Rogues their lives.

Fleeing in an airspeeder, they withdrew and regrouped. With time fast expiring for an attack opportunity, Gavin devised a plan to lower the shields by creating a massive thunderstorm to lower the shields. In the pivotal mission, Gavin flew cover for other Rogues on the ground from the cockpit of Z-95 Headhunter. The operation was ultimately successful, and Coruscant was successfully taken by the Alliance.

During his tenure with the squadron, he won the affection of Bothan pilot Asyr Sei'lar&mdash;inducted into Rogue Squadron after the re-taking of Coruscant&mdash; and the two were a couple for several years, despite disapproval of many Bothans, especially Bothan senator Borsk Fey'lya and an tense confrontation with another Bothan over a Bothan's role in the First Battle of Borleias. Gavin, along with the other Rogues, was stationed on Coruscant following its capture by the New Republic.

During the subsequent Krytos epidemic, Gavin was part of medical teams who fought the virus house-to-house, and was a witness in the Celchu Trial. Even amidst the consternation of these two issues, the Rogues still flew missions, including a diplomatic mission to Ryloth, a botched convoy escort mission, and a raid on the Yag'Dhul station owned by Warlord Zsinj. After it was revealed that a large bomb would be used to destroy a vital bacta center on Coruscant, Gavin flew with the other Rogues to stop the Imperial plot, and was present when the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya erupted from the planet's surface.

Bacta War
Gavin would later follow the rest of Rogue Squadron in a mass resignation and the waging of the successful Bacta War against Ysanne Isard. Operating from the refurbished Yag'Dhul station, Gavin and the other Rogues led a successful guerrilla campaign against Isard's regime, raiding bacta freighters and recruiting native fighters on Thyferra. The seized bacta was then diverted to Coruscant or small colonies, such as Halanit.

On one particular freighter raid, the Rogues and their Twi'lek allies were interrupted by the Victory-class Star Destroyer Corrupter. In the initial salvo from the capital ship, several Twi'leks and Gavin's wingmate, Riv Shiel, were killed, and Gavin made a blind jump into hyperspace. After a series of jumps and in need of fuel, Gavin landed at the Halanit colony. While his X-wing was refueled, Gavin enjoyed the hospitality of the colonists. This respite was broken by a full-scale attack by the Corrupter on a revenge raid. Gavin scrambled to his ship and slowed the assault, but was forced to flee, leaving the colonists to certain death.

Despite these setbacks, the Rogues continued the Bacta War, with Gavin and Corran Horn helping to requisition arms for the Thyferran insurgency from his uncle Huff. In the final battle of the war, Gavin flew against the Lusankya in an audacious attempt to defeat Isard's forces. With the aid of a pair of subverted Imperial Star Destroyers, the Rogues were successful, and Isard was presumed killed by fellow Rogue Tycho Celchu.

Return to the New Republic
After the successful resolution of the Bacta War, Gavin and the other Rogues returned to New Republic service. Gavin was deployed on the Mon Remonda under General Han Solo's anti&mdash;Zsinj task force.

During the campaign against Prince-Admiral Delak Krennel in the Ciutric Hegemony, Asyr was believed to have been killed, devastating Gavin. In this one mission of the campaign, the Rogues were ambushed by a much larger force. After a rescue from forces loyal to the resurfaced Ysanne Isard, Gavin posed as a TIE Defender pilot, infiltrating Krennel's forces and aiding in the rescue of the Lusankya prisoners.

He later married Human female Sera Faleur and after the retirement of Rogue veterans Antilles and Tycho Celchu at the end of the Galactic Civil War, became the commander of Rogue Squadron.

The Yuuzhan Vong War
"Rogues, form up. We've got plenty of company on the way."

- Gavin Darklighter

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Gavin continued to lead the Rogues, participating in early battles at Dantooine and Ithor. In his years of service to the New Republic and as kin to one of Luke Skywalker's best friends on Tatooine, Gavin was close to the Skywalkers and Solos. He grudgingly accepted Jaina Solo into Rogue Squadron after the destruction of Sernpidal, and assigned her to fly as Rogue Eleven.

As the war reached its year mark, Gavin led Rogue Squadron at the Battle of Kalarba. There, Jaina Solo was nearly killed when the Bothan Assault Cruiser Champion exploded near her X-wing. Gavin recommended that Jaina recover fully before returning.

Thereafter, Gavin led the Rogues at the Battle of Sernpidal, but was dismayed to learn that Kyp Durron had deceived his squadron into believing they had destroyed a superweapon, when in fact, they had destroyed a worldship.

The Rogues participated in many key battles thereafter, including the Fall of Coruscant, Second Battle of Borleias, Second Battle of Obroa-skai, Battle of Ebaq 9, Battle of Bilbringi, and the final fight at the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar.

For a time, Gavin relinquished command of the Rogues to the Jedi Corran Horn.

At the end of the war, Gavin gave up command of Rogue Squadron after years of dedicated service and admirable leadership.

The Dark Nest
"Captain Solo, will you please stop kriffing around? Chief Omas is serious about this blockade."

- Gavin Darklighter to the Millennium Falcon's captain (Leia Organa Solo at the time)

During the Killik expansion in 36 ABY, five years after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong war, Gavin was a Commodore in the Fifth Fleet onboard the refitted Imperial-class Star Destroyer Mon Mothma. He was a part of Admiral Nek Bwua'tu's blockade group.

Behind the scenes

 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron incorrectly states that he was only six years younger than Biggs.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
 * X-wing: The Krytos Trap
 * X-wing: The Bacta War
 * X-wing: Iron Fist
 * X-wing: Solo Command
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * I, Jedi
 * Star Wars: Union
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin
 * Balance Point
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * Star by Star
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen