Keyan Farlander

Keyan Farlander was an Agamarian who joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic after his parents were killed in an attack by the Galactic Empire. Serving as a pilot in Red Squadron aboard the Independence, he participated in many of the early battles of the Galactic Civil War, including the Battle of Yavin. He later trained as a Jedi Knight, combining the life of a Jedi with his life as a military commander for the New Republic during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Recruitment
Farlander grew up in Tondatha, a small town on Agamar, an agricultural world in the Outer Rim Territories. He never had any objections to Imperial rule until the Empire, alleging that the residents of Tondatha had been plotting against Emperor Palpatine, destroyed the town with an orbital bombardment. Although Farlander survived with only minor burns, his parents were killed, and his sister, Kitha, was badly burned.

Farlander sent his sister to live with their aunt Mimya and uncle Trinn on Oorn Tchis, where she might receive treatment. Three months after the attack, Farlander moved to Calna Muun and became involved in the Agamar Resistance. Several months later, he attended a secret rally held by Mon Mothma to encourage the Agamar Resistance to become part of the Rebel Alliance.

Inspired by Mon Mothma's speech, Farlander decided to join the Rebellion as a starfighter pilot. He did his initial training, along with fellow Agamarian recruits 'Ndranth Poussan, Sunnar Jan-lo and Breth Gart, onboard the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Independence with Lieutenant Hamo Blastwell assigned as his liaison and Commander Wex "TIE-Die" Dafid as his tactical training officer. During his training, Farlander met the legendary Rebel pilot Halley Kadorto.

First mission
"Just keep your wits about you. You're a natural, you know."

- Hamo Blastwell to Keyan Farlander



Farlander was still undergoing combat training when he was picked for his first mission. A shortage of pilots forced the Alliance to make use of the rookie in a mission to retrieve information stored on the Imperial corvette Talon. Farlander would fly a T-65 X-wing starfighter as part of Red Squadron, assisting the Nebulon-B frigate Liberator in engaging TIE Fighter escorts while Y-wings from Gold Squadron would disable Talon. Storm Unit would then board the ship and retrieve the information. The strike force would then retreat into hyperspace before Imperial reinforcements could arrive.

Red Squadron emerged from hyperspace and began engaging TIE Fighter escorts. However, a call from Storm Unit needing an R2 unit caused Farlander to break off and dock with Talon. While Storm Unit fought against defending stormtroopers, Farlander and his R2 unit worked their way to the bridge where they deactivated any remaining turbolaser batteries and began downloading data from the ship's computer. He also relieved an Imperial officer of some disks which he was attempting to destroy before returning to Independence.

Farlander's actions earned him a promotion to lieutenant. The mission was later entered into the historical missions database for training of new pilots. Impressed by Farlander's performance in his first mission and his near perfect scores in the simulators, General Jan Dodonna requested that he enter active duty as soon as possible.

Operation Strike Fear
"Just remember everything you've learned here, and don't take this hero business too seriously. Heroes who fly starfighters most often meet with a quick end."

- Wex Dafid to Keyan Farlander

Farlander was instrumental in the Rebellion's actions over the coming months. The Rebels had learned of a massive Imperial offensive, Operation Strike Fear, and defeating it was the first priority. The campaign saw Farlander in action several times, playing an important role in the Battle of Brigia and capturing an Imperial explosive device which the Rebels then used to destroy the Star Destroyer Invincible, putting an end to Operation Strike Fear. Farlander's actions during his first tour of duty saw him promoted to captain. He also started to develop a romantic interest in Lynia Delline during this time, although she was frequently off-ship and the two found it hard to find time together.

Search for the Death Star
"It's the war. You can't stay young for long. The young die young."

- Keyan Farlander

Shortly after the end of Operation Strike Fear, the Alliance began to hear rumors that the Empire was developing a new superweapon and began to search for information regarding the nature of the threat. Farlander would be involved in several missions during this period, including the attack on the Star Destroyer Intrepid, the first time the Rebels destroyed a Star Destroyer in a frontal attack, and helping to rescue Biggs Darklighter, whose X-wing had broken down and come under attack from Imperial forces. The two pilots became friends after the mission.

Operation Skyhook initiated; during an attack on an Imperial weapons convoy near Orron III, Farlander made a mistake by calling on his wingmen, Tan'tro and Ahsmar, to assist him in destroying a freighter, causing them to turn tail on attacking assault gunboats. Both pilots were killed and Farlander's briefing officer, Commander Lagrane, suspended him from operations pending an official inquest regarding the incident. He was eventually returned to active duty with a warning and a compulsory visit to the flight simulators for some brushing up. However, the pressure of battle combined with losing so many friends was starting to have an effect on him. Also, although he was not yet aware of it, Farlander was Force-sensitive, which started to manifest itself in his dreams and was affecting his concentration.

The Empire's secret weapon turned out to be the first Death Star. The Alliance was able to acquire plans for the battle station, which were to be transported to Leia Organa. Farlander flew protection for the transfer of the plans to her ship, Tantive IV, and was called on again when the ship came under attack from the Star Destroyer Immortal.

The gathering storm
"The Force is the ultimate power. With it, you can destroy your enemies. Just open yourself to it, let it guide you, and you'll be unbeatable."

- Keyan Farlander

Farlander became a liaison to Breth Gart, recently accepted as a pilot. On a temporary assignment to the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Defiance, Farlander and Gart defended it from the Star Destroyer Immortal. Gart was killed flying with Farlander during an attack on the Imperial base at Kalla VII.

Farlander found it difficult to cope with Gart's death, but when his dreams returned, he heard voices telling him that Gart was weak and that only power would defeat the Empire and end the war. His superiors, concerned about his mental state, planned to ground him, but Farlander used the Force to persuade them to let him stay active, going on to assist in the capture of the frigate Priam.

Farlander's first experiences with the Force were untrained, and he was influenced by spirits from both the dark and light sides of the Force, leading him dangerously close to the dark side before he finally discovered that the Force was more than just a source of power. He discovered that he could touch the minds of enemy pilots, almost being able to steer them right into his sights. Hoping to produce an unstoppable squadron of pilots guided by the Force, he took on a group of young pilots to instruct, promoting aggression and a sense of invulnerability in them. Although the rookie pilots looked up to him and believed what he had to say, his unusual behavior started to alienate the more experienced pilots.



Farlander was assigned to cover the recapture of the Corellian corvettes Ethar I and II. He decided to show that he was right by taking two of his followers, Casal Marskan and Horodi, with him. Although the mission was successful, both of his wingmen were killed and, for the first time in his career, Farlander's ship was destroyed, though he safely ejected.

Back on Independence, Farlander was confronted by Casal's older brother, Captain Ernek Marskan of Blue Squadron, who blamed him for his brother's death. Farlander used the Force to choke Marskan but released him before it was too late. Farlander was appalled by the thought that he almost killed Marskan but was convinced that his wingmen had been unworthy of the Force and others would have more success. He found several more young pilots willing to listen, though he was no longer considered welcome by those he had previously called friends, including Marskan, Sam Raider and Speedy.

When he was confronted by Blastwell, Farlander heard a voice warning him to turn away from the dark side before he was consumed by it. Eventually, the light side spirits won out, and he turned his back on the other, darker voices. He decided not to use the Force again until he better understood it.

Shortly afterwards, Independence came under attack from Immortal on its way to Yavin 4 and Farlander helped defend the ship. Shortly after arriving at Yavin 4, Farlander was one of several pilots transferred to Yavin Base to help in the upcoming battle against the Death Star. It was there that he met Luke Skywalker. The two began talking and Farlander introduced him to the basics of flying an X-wing. Skywalker passed on some of what Obi-Wan Kenobi had taught him about the Force, and, though Farlander still didn't feel that he could trust himself to use it, he was relieved to meet somebody who understood what he was going through.

While the Rebels waited for the Death Star to arrive, they planned some actions against its support fleet. Farlander flew some preliminary missions to disrupt communications and defenses around the thermal exhaust port. For the main attack on the Death Star, Farlander was temporarily reassigned to Gold Squadron and flew a Y-wing in the battle. His role was to hold off enemy fighters while others made a trench run.

He was one of the few pilots to survive the attack on the Death Star and was promoted to commander after the battle. He didn't enjoy the victory as much as many at Yavin Base. Hamo Blastwell, his best friend and the only pilot who had stood by him recently, had apparently been killed during the battle and Farlander still faced a tough fight to redeem himself in the eyes of the other pilots. However, Lynia promised to spend more time with him and he hoped one day to master the Force and become a Jedi.

Imperial pursuit
Over the next few years Farlander was involved in many more missions. He provided fighter cover for the evacuation of Yavin Base during the Imperial counterstrike after the Battle of Yavin and helped evacuate the cruiser Maximus and the frigate Anvil when they were attacked by Imperial forces during the retreat.

When Ghorin, an apparently sympathetic Imperial overlord, betrayed the Alliance, Farlander was involved in missions to capture some of Ghorin's Y-wings and use them against the Empire in an effort to discredit him.

He also helped capture TIE Avenger and assault gunboat starfighters in an effort for the Alliance to better understand the new Imperial fighters, took part in the assault on the Frigate Red Wind, and assisted in the capture of an Imperial Corvette which was used to ram the bridges of several Star Destroyers. Farlander's protection of a Habassan convoy helped convince them to join the Alliance.

Keyan worked on experimental projects such as the B-wing starfighter with Slayn & Korpil, a Verpine starfighter manufacturer operating in the Roche asteroids, providing fighter cover during the later stages of the project. He went on to use the new fighter in attacks on several Imperial targets, most notably the Star Destroyer Relentless.

By this point the Rebels had established a new base on Hoth. Farlander covered the cruisers Cathleen, Yali and Maria as they transferred personnel to the new base, helping to destroy an Imperial strike force consisting of several frigates in the process.

Later career
"I hope that we may once more operate together against our common enemy. I will cooperate with you to the utmost of my power, and if the Hapes Cluster is again attacked, I hope you will feel free to call for my assistance. But I can't speak for my superiors, and I may be superceded at any time."

- General Farlander to Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo

Farlander continued to serve the Alliance, and later the New Republic, after the Battle of Endor. He earned the respect of Luke Skywalker, and, after training at the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, eventually became a Jedi Knight. He often worked as a Jedi pilot instructor.

He later became a general during the Yuuzhan Vong War. He juggled his life as a Jedi with his life as a military commander, playing a pivotal role in several battles against the Yuuzhan Vong, including the Fall of Coruscant, the Battle of Ebaq 9, and the Liberation of Coruscant. During the Second Battle of Obroa-skai he worked with Queen Mother Tenel Ka and Jaina Solo to destroy the flagship of Supreme Commander Komm Karsh.

After the Liberation of Coruscant, Farlander served under Admiral Traest Kre'fey aboard Ralroost.

Powers and abilities
"The Force isn't as I described. You've got to understand this. It's not about powers. It's about knowledge. It's not about controlling. It's about trusting."

- Keyan Farlander

Farlander's Force sensitivity first manifested itself in his subconscious while he slept. Taking the form of a dream in which he was in a large, glowing sphere, Farlander described hearing two opposite voices and not knowing which he should listen to. As the dreams started to disrupt his sleep, affecting his concentration, Commander Lagrane suggested he seek medical advice. It was while consulting with a doctor that Farlander experienced the Force for the first time, using the Force to persuade the doctor that there was nothing wrong with him.

After the death of Breth Gart, Farlander started to find one of the voices in his dream helped ease the pain. It assured him that he could seize control of his life, and use his power to help others. It was this that led him on a path toward the dark side.

Despite his lack of formal training in the use of the Force, Farlander quickly developed an ability to control the minds of others, though he found it difficult to control at times. His behavior caused Lagrane to order him for a psychiatric evaluation by one of the ship's medical droids, the results of which almost led to him being grounded. Only Farlander's use of the mind trick on Commanders Lagrane and S'man convinced them to let him remain active. Farlander even found that he could almost control the mind of enemy pilots, forcing them into his sights.

Farlander also developed other abilities, using Force choke on Ernek Marskan and Force Push on Sam Raider. It is unclear how much further Farlander's abilities would have developed had he not turned his back on the dark side and decided not to pursue his abilities further.

Behind the scenes

 * As stated in X-wing: The Official Strategy Guide, Luke Skywalker flew in Keyan's X-wing, while Keyan borrowed a Y-wing and flew with Gold Squadron. Since then, it is believed that the only Y-wing shown in A New Hope leaving the battle is Keyan.
 * Keyan is the player character in the game Star Wars: X-wing, although reconciling his story in The Farlander Papers and X-wing: The Official Strategy Guide results in some inconsistencies with the game storyline (like the player ranks).
 * In the downloadable e-book Ylesia, Farlander is referred to as "general". When Ylesia was reprinted as a bonus included with The Joiner King, his rank was changed to "commodore". He was named as a general in Destiny's Way, The Unifying Force, and The New Essential Chronology. The reason for this inconsistency is unclear.
 * In the article Who's Who in the New Jedi Order, Keyan was identified as a Jedi. However, when Walter Jon Williams wrote him into his novel Destiny's Way, he was not aware Keyan was a Jedi and his characterisation reflected this, with Keyan ignorant of how the Jedi meld worked.

Appearances

 * The Farlander Papers
 * Star Wars: X-wing
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Missions 1: Assault on Yavin Four
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * The Unifying Force