Zertik Strom

"Nature seems to have compensated for his lack of hair by making him exceptionally thick-headed!"

- Simon Greyshade

Strom was the Imperial Sector Commander of the Mid Rim sector which contained Besh Gorgon. He maintained a tense relationship with Senator Simon Greyshade of The Wheel, neither man hiding his contempt for the other. A tall, bald man with a well-muscled frame, Strom commanded a Pursuit-class cruiser which carried TIE Advanced x1 prototypes similar to the one used by Darth Vader.

Biography
"The Wheel's sanctuary is a courtesy of the Empire. As the Empire's chief representative in this sector, I elect to withdraw that courtesy--until our troopers find and slay every being on that freighter!"

- Commander Strom

Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Strom's small fleet attacked and destroyed a House of Tagge convoy, in an effort to discredit the Rebel Alliance. He used captured Alliance soldiers as evidence, leaving them inside damaged ships and adrift between the wreckage, hoping that any eventual rescue mission would see Alliance personnel and immediately assume it was an Alliance attack.

The Wheel was an artificial city-like satellite in which gambling was the main activity and was a high source of taxes for the Empire. Imperial forces were expected to keep away from it in order to encourage visitors to the Wheel, but if the Rebels were seen to be attacking and stealing the profits this would make an Imperial presence on the Wheel welcome.

When Rebels including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa sought refuge on the Wheel, Strom led his forces in to try and capture them, only to be thwarted by Greyshade who was out to get the Princess, a former Senatorial colleague.

Greyshade then suggested a partnership with Strom in which he would help the Empire take over the Wheel in return for Princess Leia. However, Greyshade took the first opportunity to double cross Strom, who was drugged before he knew it and awoke to learn that Greyshade had stolen profits Strom had taken from the Tagge transport.

In a rage, Strom set out to destroy Greyshade. His plans were utterly smashed when Master-Com discovered the recordings which were hidden inside R2-D2, detailing the Empire's plans to take over The Wheel. When these were broadcast over the station's public communications systems, the gamblers of The Wheel rose up against Strom's forces.

Strom himself tried to flee the station, but was killed when he confronted Greyshade one last time. Rather than allow Strom to shoot him dead, Greyshade lobbed a thermal detonator at Strom, who died instantly in the blast.

Behind the scenes
"Strom" is the German word for "current".

Appearances

 * Star Wars 18: The Empire Strikes
 * Star Wars 19: The Ultimate Gamble
 * Star Wars 20: Deathgame
 * Star Wars 21: Shadow of a Dark Lord
 * Star Wars 22: To the Last Gladiator
 * Star Wars 23: Flight Into Fury