Yamarus

"Many lives have been sacrificed for our effort&hellip;but many more will be lost if we do not succeed."

- Yamarus

Rebel Alliance Admiral Yamarus was the commander of the Liberty task force during the Galactic Civil War. He was probably killed when the second Death Star first fired upon the Alliance Fleet at the Battle of Endor, effectively destroying the Liberty.

TIE Experimental Project
"This offers us an extraordinary opportunity to strike a major blow against the Empire&hellip;an offer I will not refuse."

- Yamarus

Following the Battle of Hoth, the Liberty was sent to the Vilonis Sector, sans task force, to investigate reports of attacks on neutral freighters. Having lost some support staff recently, the Liberty received a transfer of fighter pilots and officers from the Defiance. One of the pilots, Ace Azzameen, investigated a distress signal during the transfer with his wingman. After a skirmish in the Belat system, Azzameen reported that he had helped save a civilian convoy from destruction at the hands of unusually modified TIE Fighters. Pleased that he had a new lead in his investigation, Yamarus had his technicians review Azzameen's flight recorder data, while welcoming the new pilot to the Liberty ' s fold.

Hoping to inspect some of the mysterious craft at closer range, Yamarus had a set of droid-piloted Mobquet Medium Transports from Sulin Group travel around the sector, utilizing fake transponders and dodging customs checkpoints. It was the admiral's hope that the Imperials would take the bait, and attempt to destroy the convoy with their experimental fighters. Hoping to ensnare these attackers, he worked with his new starfighter officer, Commander Kupalo to devise a trap. Since he hoped to keep a low profile in the sector, Yamarus chose to have Z-95 Headhunter deployed, although they would be equipped with Ion pulse warheads to help disable the Imperial craft.

The operation was a success, with two of the new fighter variants brought in, as well as one of the Beta-class ETR-3 Escort Transports that was accompanying the attackers. Before Yamarus' staff had an opportunity to question the crew of the transport, however, they learned that its life-support system had "malfunctioned" upon the disabling of the ship. What his technicians did learn was that the transports were equipped with elaborate communication devices, used to control the unmanned fighters. Yamarus concluded that the new TIEs were a part of an experimental program, although he had no idea as to who the arbiter could be.

Alliance Intelligence was able to provide a lead, since one of their agents had established that the Bretie Facility was being used to develop the experimental fighters. With orders to destroy the facility once they had extracted any pertinent information, Storm Unit was sent by Yamarus to sweep Bretie for valuable data. Before the data could be look into, however, the Liberty was beset by multiple squadrons of the experimental TIE craft, who had tracked and followed Storm Unit. Yamarus and Kupalo rushed to scramble all fighters, hoping to buy time for the Liberty to escape. Thanks to the efforts of the pilots, however, the attackers were completely driven off.

With the data decrypted, it was confirmed that the experimental project was exploring the use of droid-piloted craft. The project, headed by Director Lenzer, was top secret&mdash;no files on it or its director were found by Intelligence agents at all. Faced with the threat of an inexhaustible supply of totally loyal pilots in the Emperor's control, Yamarus became even more determined to stop the project at its source. Dispatching reconnaissance flights, he located Obsidian, Lenzer's center of operations. Wasting no time, Yamarus had his fighters demolish the station and every last experimental TIE. A master control ship, the Sardis, was also destroyed, in the hopes that the Empire would be dissuaded from attempting another similar project in the future.

Zaletta's defection
Following the experimental TIE incident, the Liberty was re-teamed with its task force. While monitoring the Imperial communications network, Yamarus' men located a transmission sent with an outmoded Alliance code. Though the transmission was only several seconds long, the technicians determined that it came from deep within Imperial space, where the Alliance had no presence whatsoever. The transmission contained coordinates for a slave convoy transfer, and also insisted that the Alliance would be interested in these particular slaves. Yamarus sent out fighters to determine the accuracy of the claim, and had assault teams on standby just in case it were true. Sure enough, Tango Group returned with the slaves: Bothans with Alliance sympathies that had been arrested simply due to their beliefs. Alliance High Command grew interested in Yamarus' source, and requested that he look further into it.

Shortly thereafter, Yamarus received another anonymous transmission, this time claiming that an Imperial research facility in the Kuat system was vulnerable to Alliance attack. Cautious, the admiral again sent out reconnaisance flights to determine the validity of the claim, before dispatching an attack force. Fearing that it might be a trap, Yamarus ordered his pilots to knock out the facility's communications array first, before Imperial reinforcements could be called in. When it was determined that the facility was used for testing reactors, High Command approved of its destruction.

After the Kuat attack, the admiral learned that although the informant was using Alliance codes, he was using Imperial equipment to broadcast the messages. Hoping to pinpoint the location of their curious informant, Yamarus sent his fighters and the corvette Python to the relay station Comm Center, hoping to inspect the apparatus and extract any pertinent information. During the operation, however, the Python received a transmission from the informant, who claimed to be an Imperial officer seeking asylum with the Alliance. Yamarus dutifully forwarded the request onto High Command.

The request was approved, and Yamarus sent Commander Kupalo aboard the frigate Redemption to discuss the terms of defection. With security tight due to the defector's high ranking position in the Empire, the admiral sent his fighter squadrons to attack Outpost DX-11a in the Eidoloni system, where the defector was stationed. It was Yamarus' hope that the attack would force an evacuation of the base, allowing his contact to slip away without arousing Imperial suspicion. The operation went smoothly, as the defector, who identified himself as Zaletta, escaped in shuttle AA-23.

However, when he boarded the Redemption, the Imperial Star Destroyer Subjugator and the Immobilizer 418 cruiser Restrainer entered the system, preventing the Alliance frigate from leaving the battle. Enraged, Kupalo had Zaletta arrested, and then contacted Yamarus with a distress call. Taking the Liberty to the intended rendezvous, the admiral had his ship engage the Restrainer, allowing the Redemption to depart. Yamarus soon followed suit, and although Zaletta insisted that he had not set up an Imperial ambush, he was kept in the Liberty ' s holding cells.

The situation was complicated further when an explosion rocked one the Liberty ' s hangar bays. Commander Kupalo. had hijacked AA-23 and killed several Alliance technicians and pilots in the process, before departing the system. Rushing to brief his pilots himself, Yamarus sent out his craft to reel in the renegade. Although he nearly reached the Star Destroyer Imperator, he was forced to power down his engines by Ace Azzameen, and then retrieved by Storm Unit. Apparently, Kupalo had been brainwashed before his rescue by the Alliance several months before, and was now working as an Imperial agent. Although Yamarus was sombered by the fact that Kupalo would likely never recover, he could now clear Zaletta's name, and have his technicians extract vital information from AA-23.

Intelligence and counter-intelligence
"We must do everything in our power to destroy this battle station before it becomes fully operational."

- Yamarus

Zaletta, hoping to prove his value to the Alliance, claimed that the Imperials had been moving large convoys through the Eidoloni system, although the logs he had brought with him on the AA-23 did not stipulate the contents of the ships, which was unusual. Alliance Intelligence were able to confirm Zaletta's claims, and they also discovered that the convoys were accompanied by a large escort, which tended to mean that the goods being shipped were of the utmost importance. The admiral sent out two A-wings from Blue Squadron to determine just what it was that the Empire deemed so precious. It was discovered that a huge amount of raw material was being shipped by Xizor Transport Systems, one of the biggest conglomerates in the galaxy. Yamarus speculated that the Empire might have been trying to expand their shipyards or establish a new base of operations in the sector.

The Alliance was subsequently contacted by Koth Melan, a Bothan spy who had gained intelligence of a fertilizer freighter headed for Bothawui that supposedly contained the technical readouts of a new Imperial construction project. Yamarus found it curious that the information had come from the notorious criminal organization Black Sun, but decided to send aid anyway. The freighter, Suprosa, was to be disabled and boarded by Commander Luke Skywalker, the mercenary Dash Rendar, and a squadron of Bothan BTL Y-wing starfighter pilots. The Bothans, however, had one vacancy, which prompted Yamarus to offer the services Ace Azzameen, due to the young pilot's exemplary record.

While Skywalker and his team retrieved the plans, Yamarus took the Liberty to Kothlis, to await delivery of the Suprosa ' s data. Though they ran into Imperial entanglements on the way, Skywalker returned with the plans, and took them to the Rebel base on Kothlis for decryption. The Empire, however, wasted no time whatsoever in attempting to retrieve the stolen plans. Lord Darth Vader, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy was himself leading the attack on Kothlis. As his Super Star Destroyer, Executor, bore down on the Bothan colony world, the Rebel safe house was attacked by Barabel bounty hunters, with Melan dying the ensuing firefight. One of his agents, Borsk Fey'lya, had managed to escape with the computer core, and was en route to the Alliance platform Kothlis II. Yamarus hoped to be able to send the plans to Admiral Ackbar's Independence, where they would be considerably safer.

While the platform Sentinel attempted to hold off the Executor and the Avenger, the Liberty oversaw the evacuation of Kothlis II. Fey'lya was delayed, but he was able to deliver the data safely to the corvette Razor. While the Razor escaped, Sentinel fell prey to the turbolasers of the Executor, prompting Vader to turn his attention to Kothlis II. Liberty, sustaining heavy fire from the attacking ships, was able to make it to safety. Yamarus was now convinced that the data was of the utmost value, if the Executor was being sent after it.

Yamarus' suspicions proved to be correct, as the Imperials did not relent in their pursuit of the plans. Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wings disabled the Razor, and were waiting for a ship to arrive and board it. Ackbar decided to take the Independence to the Razor in the hopes of offering aid, but couldn't make it in time, prompting Yamarus to dispatch fighters. It was his hope that his pilots would be able to drive off the gunboats and safeguard the Razor until Ackbar arrived. Though the Avenger and the Executor arrived on the scene, one of the Razor ' s crew members was able to escape with the data, and make it to the Independence with the aid of the Mercury. Ackbar sent Yamarus his thanks for the fighter aid, but, unfortunately for the Alliance, the Imperial construction project was in fact a new Death Star. Hoping to find out more about the new battle station, High Command ordered the fleet to disperse.

Desperate measures
"The time to strike is now."

- Yamarus

It was the hope of High Command that the Alliance Fleet would be able to gain enough momentum and power to destroy the Death Star II before it was completed, but a major setback was suffered at the Battle of Gal Milnor. Not only did the Alliance lose their main supply center on the planet, but the bulk of their freighter fleet, which was in orbit. As High Command despaired, General Lando Calrissian presented a solution: that the Alliance band together with a coalition of smugglers, headed by Dunari. The smugglers would be able to procure the needed supplies, and provide their own ships as freighters. Though dubious as to Dunari's legitimacy, Yamarus sent a delegate to meet with the entrepreneur, in a secluded area of space.

Though pirates and Imperials happened upon the rendezvous, Dunari agreed to aid the Alliance, in exchange for escort and aid during raids against Imperials. Dunari also provided Yamarus with some intelligence: Admiral Garreth Holtz was in charge of the Imperial presence in the Outer Rim Territories. This was due to the fact that he had let the Defiance task force slip out of his clutches in months prior. Yamarus surmised that Holtz would not make the same mistake twice. As Dunari began supplying the Alliance with freighters, the Alliance sent fighters to aid Golov Nakhym, leader of the Hurrim and member of the coalition. Nakhym was targeting a civilian convoy carrying Imperial goods, and he agreed to split the takings with the Alliance if they were to lend assistance. Yamarus agreed, but only on the condition that the civilians were not harmed.

During the mission, however, the Hurrim went back on their agreement, and began to attack the civilians. Quick thinking on the part of Yamarus' pilots saved the day for the Alliance, but Yamarus feared that some worlds would now look at them as nothing more than a bunch of rogues. Dunari subsequently kicked Nakhym out of his coalition, but Yamarus' suspicion of the "entrepreneur" only deepened. Nevertheless, he sent his fighters to aid in the evacuation of Dunari's Casino, the center of operations for the coalition. Dunari suspected that Nakhym had been selling secrets to the Empire, and resolved to go after him. High Command was being exasperated by reports of the Hurrim attacking civilians in the name of the Alliance, and the Rebel diplomats were being hard-pressed to keep up. Yamarus, understanding that the situation needed remedy, and fast, agreed to help Dunari track down and defeat the Hurrim.

Dunari's anger at Nakhym proved to be well-founded: during the evacuation of Dunari's Casino, the Hurrim had attacked the coalition, and captured several of the board members in a bid for power in the sector. Several of the board members were able to escape on the shuttle Merte, and reached Camen Spaceport before being pursued by Hurrim starfighters. Yamarus hastily sent his fighters to escort the Merte and its passengers back to the Liberty. When the board members recovered from their injuries at hands of the Hurrim, they divulged the location of Hurrim Base, allowing the admiral to stop the threat once and for all.

During the Battle of Hurrim Base, Nakhym was captured, and any remaining coalition frieghters under Hurrim control were reposessed. Holtz attempted to come to the aid of his allies in the Corrupter, but was in turn destroyed by the combined forces of the Alliance and Dunari, who arrived in the Longshot to lend aid. With the Hurrim threat eliminated, Yamarus devoted all his time and resources to gathering intelligence on the Death Star II.

Diplomacy, theft, and final preparations
Councilor Borsk Fey'lya, owing the Alliance a debt of gratitude for rescuing Bothan slaves in months prior, agreed to meet with members of the Alliance on behalf of the Bothan Spynet, to discuss Death Star II reconnaissance. Arriving in the Tal'cara, Fey'lya's journey to the Liberty in the shuttle Jade was beset by attacks from an unidentified group of mercenaries. Zaletta's pilots were able to drive them off, but not before capturing one of their escape pods. The mercenary inside the pod claimed that he had been hired by the Sullustans to attack the Bothans. Yamarus was disturbed by the news, as Sullust was a member of the Alliance. Apparently, several years prior, the Bothans had gained knowledge of an Imperial reprisal against Sullust but had failed to divulge the information, resulting in the deaths of many Sullustans. Though it looked like revenge, the Sullustans denied that they had any degree of involvement. Despite the attack Fey'lya and his delegation agreed to send spies to the Forest Moon of Endor, where they would investigate the Death Star II and hurry back to High Command as quickly as possible.

Thanks to the efforts of the Azzameen family, the mercenary base was discovered to be, ironically, the Azzameen Home Base, which had been converted for their use. Emon and Aeron Azzameen, as well as their family droid MK-09 offered to join their brother, Ace, in the Alliance attack on the station. Yamarus believed that the station's data banks would store any information that might connect the mercenaries to the Bothans, but he feared that the occupants might destroy the base if the battle turned against them. Dispatching Storm Unit to join the attack, it was the admiral's hope that the station could be captured and converted for Alliance use.

The operation was a success, and Aeron Azzameen began working with the Alliance techs to scour the base's data banks. Yamarus was particularly impressed with the work of Ace Azzameen in the battle, and believed that his family should have been proud of him and his actions. Little time was given to celebrate, however, as Yamarus received word that the Bothan spies that had been inspecting the Death Star II had been stopped by the Star Destroyer Accuser and the Interdictor Grappler, and the cruisers they were hiding on were awaiting inspection. With the intelligence the Bothans held being so valuable to the war effort, Yamarus dispatched his fighters post-haste to remedy the situation.

Though some of the Bothans perished in the ensuing skirmish, Councilor Fey'lya appreciated the Alliance's efforts to rescue those who survived. However, Zaletta had contacted the Sullustans for help during the small battle, and they had refused, provoking the Bothan councilor's rage. Nevertheless, the intelligence from the Bothan spies revealed that the second Death Star was protected by an energy shield, located on the moon of Endor. They had also learned that a shuttle called Tydirium had the required clearance codes to land on the planet. Yamarus and Zaletta agreed that procuring the Tydirium would be key in securing victory for the Alliance in the long run.

Acting on the intelligence, Yamarus decided to send a disguised freighter to the Zhar system, insert a commando team, and bring the Tydirium back to the Liberty. To pilot the freighter, he selected Ace Azzameen, who had worked with his family's shipping company before it was shut down by the Empire. With the help of Rogue Squadron, Yamarus' commandos retrieved the Tydirium, allowing the final preparations for the attack on Endor to begin. Simultaneously, the Sullustans explained that the Empire had hired mercenaries to attack the Bothans in their name, hoping to destroy Sullust's credibility and tear apart the Alliance from within. With evidence provided in the form of the mercenary leader, who the Sullustans had captured, Yamarus was convinced that they were cleared of any suspected foul play.

Holding station at Sullust, Yamarus received word that both the Defiance and the Independence were being held up by the Imperials. Sending a group of RZ-1 A-wing interceptors, and his most elite pilots, including Olin Garn and Ace Azzameen, Yamarus hoped that his colleagues would be able to reach the rendezvous in time, as an assault on the Death Star II with just the Liberty task force would be suicidal. Sure enough, both the Defiance and the Independence were able to make it to Sullust. Shortly thereafter, the attack on the Death Star took place, with the Tydirium ferrying a group of commandos led by General Han Solo, who succeeded in knocking out the battle station's energy shield. The Death Star II was destroyed, and both Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine perished, leaving the Alliance the victors of one of the largest battles of the Galactic Civil War.

Personality and traits
A proud and dedicated man, Admiral Yamarus believed strongly in the cause of the Rebel Alliance. He would risk both his ship and his life on moral issues, defending the helpless and weak at the expense of power. He cared for his pilots and respected them, particularly lavishing praise upon young Ace Azzameen. He would also leap to the defense of his allies, personally taking his ship into the heat of battle to save the Redemption during Zaletta's defection.

Yamarus was also a suspicious man, and he did not trust known criminals or characters of dubious repute. It took a great deal for Dunari to convince the admiral of his good intention, and Yamarus would not trust certain organizations at all. He was occasionally exasperated by politicians such as Borsk Fey'lya, but was never as vocal about their maneuvering as some of his colleagues. Even though he was a military man, Yamarus would sometimes have to act as a politician himself, meditating disputes between races and improving the public view of the Alliance. The admiral was exceptionally critical of Imperial policy, and was disgusted by projects such as that of the experimental TIEs, which used civilians for target practice.

Behind the scenes
Admiral Yamarus was created for Lawrence Holland's Star Wars: X-wing Alliance by David Wessman. Portrayed by Jarion Monroe, the character is never actually seen in the game&mdash;instead, he provides the character with the "Commander Briefing": a general overview of the upcoming mission, and any story context surrounding it. The Yamarus character is the most common provider of the "Commander Briefing" in the game, with the other three characters to do so being MK-09, Admiral Nammo and Admiral Ackbar.

While Yamarus' ship, the Liberty, is shown destroyed at the Battle of Endor in Star Wars: X-wing Alliance, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and its various adaptations, it is not known if he was still commanding it at that point.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance