Noell Ciro

"I don't suppose he'll be able to spare us any X-wings.''" "''I've already asked him. He says that if he can, your brother will definitely be at the top of the list."

- Keleman Ciro and Lieutenant Judder Page, discussing Noell Ciro's transfer to the FarStar

Noell Ciro was a Human male from the planet Dolomar. Along with his brother, Keleman, he joined one of his homeworld's resistance groups and assisted in the liberation of the planet from Imperial forces. Seeing a way to leave his home planet, he joined the New Republic military at the same time as his elder sibling. Ciro underwent training as a starfighter pilot, and fought in several campaigns against Imperial forces before being assigned to the task force to liberate the planet Kal'Shebbol. Following Moff Kentor Sarne's flight from Kal'Shebbol, Ciro was assigned to the FarStar mission, which was charged with tracking down the rogue warlord and neutralizing any threat he posed. He was transferred at the behest of his brother, who was commanding the mission, and was part of the ship's starfighter complement. Shortly after the beginning of the mission, Ciro participated in the Battle of Kolatill, a conflict against forces loyal to Moff Sarne where the young pilot lost his life.

Early life
Noell Ciro was born on the planet Dolomar, located in the Dolomar sector of the Core Worlds. Ciro grew up in one of the planet's underground cities with his elder brother, Keleman, and their family. As a youth, he raced swoop bikes on the local racing tracks. When the Galactic Empire began to tighten its grip on the planet, Ciro and his brother fell in with one of the local resistance groups. Ciro participated in assaults against Imperial forces, and, shortly after the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, he assisted in overthrowing the Imperial governor and liberating his homeworld. With Dolomar free from the Empire, Ciro joined the New Republic military along with his brother as a way to leave his homeworld behind. While Keleman trained as a commando operative, Noell opted to train as a starfighter pilot.

New Republic service
Scoring well in initial simulator testing, Ciro was accepted into pilot training at the Sluis Van Outer Starfighter Base. He sailed through the training program, and entered regular service, piloting a T-65 X-wing starfighter. Ciro fought in several campaigns against Imperial forces before being assigned to the task force charged with liberating Kal'Shebbol, the capital of the Kathol sector in the Outer Rim Territories in 8 ABY. His experience in the military changed Ciro, converting him from a wise-cracking cocky individual into an effective combat pilot who would help newer pilots mature before their own enthusiasm got them killed. Following the successful liberation of Kal'Shebbol, Ciro was at the top of a list of pilots to be transferred to the FarStar. The ship, a CR90 corvette heavily modified to act as a starfighter carrier, was being sent on an extended mission to track down the former Imperial ruler of the Kathol sector, Moff Kentor Sarne. Sarne had escaped from the planet into the depths of the Kathol sector with the bulk of his fleet, as well as some potent exotic technology, and needed to be neutralized. Keleman Ciro&mdash;who had participated in the Kal'Shebbol operation as a member of the elite Page's Commandos&mdash;had been assigned to command the mission and the ship despite his role as a commando, and he had requested that his brother be part of the FarStar starfighter complement.

Serving aboard the FarStar
Aboard the FarStar, Ciro saw it as his responsibility to facilitate a smooth working relationship between his brother and Lieutenant Ranna Gorjaye, the commander of the corvette's starfighter squadron. Gorjaye was unhappy at having to take orders from commandos, and Ciro knew that any disharmony between the command staff could affect the success of the mission. Shortly after launching from Kal'Shebbol, the FarStar responded to a distress call from the nearby planet Kolatill. The planet had been attacked by forces loyal to Moff Sarne in retaliation for the population's overthrowing of its Imperial governor when they had learned that Kal'Shebbol had fallen to the New Republic. Relief operations were organized, and Ciro, along with Gorjaye, found themselves on the planet after escorting shuttles from the FarStar to the surface.

In orbit, the escort carrier Kathol Protector, which had perpetrated the earlier attacks on the capital city of Domaz, returned for a further assault on the planet. Ciro and Gorjaye scrambled their fighters to intercept two squadrons of TIE bombers that were bearing down on the planet, and were assisted by Kolatill's own planetary defense force. In space, the escort carrier's starfighter complement engaged the FarStar and her remaining fighter screen directly.

Sensors aboard a New Republic starfighter determined that the TIE bombers were armed with biological weapons, and that they were intent on striking not only Domaz, but other major population centers across the planet. Knowing that even a single successful strike could kill millions of beings, Ciro and the other defending pilots engaged the Imperial fighters. During the engagement, his X-wing fighter took a hit that disabled its weapons systems. Detecting a bomber nearing its target site using his sensors, Ciro realized that he was the only fighter in range. Changing course, Ciro intercepted and rammed the bomber, destroying both ships and killing himself, but saving millions of lives in the process. With its bomber force destroyed, the Kathol Protector recalled its fighters and withdrew from the Kolatill system.

Personality and traits
On Dolomar, Ciro was a wisecracking and cocky young man. After joining the New Republic, he came to understand the seriousness of his duties, and became a more thoughtful and serious individual. As a result of seeing many good friends die, he helped young pilots with an abundance of enthusiasm to become more serious and focused to prevent their being killed. Despite this, he was still an aggressive fighter pilot. Before he died at Kolatill, he was excited to be serving under his brother on the FarStar, and wanted to assist him in smoothing the relationship between the command crew and the starfighter detachment.

Behind the scenes
Noell Ciro was created for West End Games The DarkStryder Campaign as a member of the FarStar starfighter contingent. Although much of the DarkStryder Campaign, including its supplements The Kathol Outback, The Kathol Rift, and Endgame, can be altered to suit the individual playing styles of the Gamemaster and players, Ciro's death at Kolatill is a required event in the campaign. The three subsequent supplements make no mention of the character, and proceed on the premise that he is dead.