Hija/Legends

"There goes another one."

- Hija to Gunnery Captain Bolvan

Hija was Human male and a lieutenant of the Imperial Navy during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War. He served as chief gunnery officer aboard the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Devastator when Lord Darth Vader commanded the Lieutenant to bombard the planet Falleen in order to stop a bacterial plague that was spreading from a laboratory there. Later, during the battle of Tatooine, he spotted an escape pod fleeing the captured Tantive IV Corellian corvette. However, he was ordered by Captain Bolvan not to fire because the Star Destroyer's gunnery sensors indicated that no lifeforms were aboard.

Biography
"Prepare for an orbital bombardment of Falleen&mdash;centering on the research facility, and everything within 40 kilometers."

- Darth Vader to Hija

The Human male Hija was a member of the Galactic Empire's Navy during the Imperial Period. By 7 BBY, he was serving under Captain Bolvan as a lieutenant aboard the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Devastator. Hija was one of the chief gunnery officers of the ship when the Devastator arrived at the Mid Rim planet Falleen as a part of Lord Darth Vader's exploration tour visiting Imperial weapon development projects. After hearing Bolvan's report on an accident in a research facility and the following spread of a flesh-eating bacterium, Vader called Hija and commanded him to prepare for the orbital bombardment of the planet. Hija fired on the facility and everything within forty kilometers to prevent any further spread of the leaking bioweapon. Among the 200,000 Falleen casualties was the family of Prince Xizor, who later led the Black Sun criminal organization.

In 0 BBY, during the Galactic Civil War, Hija was still serving as a chief gunnery officer of the Devastator, Lord Vader's flagship at the time. He was under the direct command of the now–gunnery captain Bolvan, while the ship was commanded by Captain Mulchive Wermis. The ship pursued and captured Alderaanian Senator Leia Organa's corvette, Tantive IV, after Rebel agents transmitted the stolen plans of a new Imperial superweapon&mdash;the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, codenamed the "Death Star"&mdash;to the starship. While the troopers of the 501st elite stormtrooper legion boarded the captured corvette, several escape pods were jettisoned from the ship. Hija spotted the pod that, unbeknownst to the Imperials, contained the protocol droid C-3PO and R2-D2, the astromech droid carrying the plans of the battlestation. However, since the Star Destroyer's gunnery sensors detected no life forms on the escape pod, Hija was ordered by Captain Bolvan to hold his fire in order to conserve power.

Personality and traits
"There goes another [&hellip;] Instructions?''" "Hold your fire [&hellip;]'' Don't waste your power."

- Hija to Bolvan

Hija followed the orders of his superiors unhesitatingly. He was a lieutenant, a military rank in the Imperial Navy that was awarded to crew-man cadets who completed training at the Imperial Academy.

Behind the scenes
"I played a star ship Captain in Star Wars. I said the line 'There goes another one.'"

- John Forgeham

Hija was played by John Forgeham in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The character first appeared in the novelization of A New Hope, ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster and first published in December of 1976 by Del Rey. In the Revised Fourth Draft of A New Hope, Hija was addressed as "Chief Pilot," although he managed the ship's weapons.

Appearances

 * The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novelization
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope junior novelization
 * Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition
 * Star Wars Manga: A New Hope 1
 * Star Wars Manga: A New Hope 1