Gavin Darklighter

Gavin Darklighter was a decorated Tatooinian Rogue Squadron pilot and fleet officer of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic and Galactic Alliance. By the time of the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War, Gavin had become an admiral and led GA forces during the Battle of Kuat.

Tatooine farmboy
Gavin Darklighter was born in 10 BBY on Tatooine to Jula and Silya Darklighter. Moisture farmers in the Anchorhead area, they led a life of hard work in difficult circumstances. Darklighter had two sisters, Rasca and Anya. His father, Jula, was the brother of Huff Darklighter, a wealthy local land baron; Huff did not share his fortune with Jula, preferring to instead subtly rub in his excellent circumstances during family gatherings.

His cousin Biggs Darklighter, Huff's son, was ten years older. Biggs and Gavin were not close, but Biggs would sometimes spend time with his younger cousin, even taking him along occasionally when Biggs spent time with Luke Skywalker, during which trips Darklighter met Owen and Beru Lars. When Gavin was ten years old, Biggs was killed in combat, a Rebel pilot at Yavin IV. The entire family was saddened by his death, but Darklighter had simply not known him well enough for his loss to truly register.

Some time later, Darklighter's father purchased the Lars family farm from Throgg, whom Huff Darklighter had been planning to ruin financially due to the imposition of an alien landowner tax, and allowed Throgg to stay on as a tenant rather than let Huff ruin him and gain the farm. At some point, the Darklighters themselves moved onto the farm, and Darklighter spent several of his formative years where Luke Skywalker had grown up.

Darklighter lived a simple life on the family farm. He would visit Anchorhead on a monthly basis, and even made it to Mos Eisley on one occasion. Family celebrations, generally held at Huff's estate, were a highlight.

Darklighter, like many other Anchorhead youths, spent much time flying his T-16 skyhopper through the desert, making runs through Beggar's Canyon, and otherwise honing his piloting abilities. By his mid-teens, Darklighter suffered a growth spurt, becoming a large and gangly youth who looked older than he was. Though his body may have been slightly awkward, his piloting skills remained excellent.

Rogue
"He's just a Tatooine farm boy who thinks the ability to shoot womp rats from a speeder can make him a hero."

- Horton Salm, speaking of Gavin Darklighter

In 6 ABY, at the age of 16, Darklighter joined the New Republic Starfighter Corps, serving as Biggs had. When he heard that Rogue Squadron, the New Republic's most elite starfighter unit, descended from Biggs's Red Squadron, was to be reconstituted, Darklighter approached its commander, Wedge Antilles, and asked to be included in it. Antilles had been a friend of Biggs, and felt an obligation to Darklighter. Additionally, Antilles believed in him and his determination and dedication to prove himself. Darklighter's test scores were as good as any other Rogue Squadron candidate's, but his selection was opposed by Antilles's superior, General Horton Salm, who felt that Darklighter was simply too young for such an elite squadron. Salm instead preferred the inclusion of Deegan. In a discussion before Admiral Ackbar, Antilles successfully argued that Deegan's inclusion would overrepresent Corellians within the squadron and that Darklighter would be a valuable addition. Darklighter was approved, provided he performed well in the Redemption scenario. The training and selection process was not formally over, however, and when Darklighter's time came to complete the notoriously difficult simulation, he succeeded in it and shot down Bror Jace, widely regarded as one of the two best pilot-candidates. He had performed excellently, gaining the second-highest score among the candidates, behind only Corran Horn, the second of the two top prospects. Darklighter new that his cousin's reputation had been key to his acceptance, however, and was determined to work his very hardest and earn the position himself.



Darklighter was assigned his own X-wing, the callsign Rogue Five, and an astromech which he named Jawaswag, and was given the wingmate Riv Shiel, a Shistavanen; Antilles thought the two would make an effective pair. Darklighter was quick to make friends in the squadron, but frequently felt nervous and somewhat overwhelmed by being thrust from the relative isolation of Anchorhead into the cosmopolitan and mature world of the New Republic forces; his youth only compounded the problem. Darklighter took to the squadron, however, and was the one to create its twelve-starfighter crest, which quickly caught on as the symbol of Rogue Squadron despite having no official endorsement.

Though selection was complete, training was not yet over, and Darklighter continued to hone his skills at Folor Base. Darklighter's astronavigation skills were weak, but he accepted tutoring from Lujayne Forge and quickly brought them up to par, demonstrating a natural aptitude. When Horn's targeting data was beamed back to the rest of the squadron without his knowledge during one run, giving all the subsequent pilots knowledge of target locations before they made their runs and leaving Horn with the lowest score of the group, Darklighter was among those who objected, feeling Antilles had been cruel and unfair in his treatment of Horn. After discussing the situation with Antilles, Horn himself told Darklighter and the rest that it had taught him a valuable lesson about flying without ego; any plans to write a statement to Salm protesting Antilles's methods were halted.

First combat
"It's never easy to lose a friend, Gavin." "This is the first time anyone I've known has died."

- Wedge Antilles and Gavin Darklighter on the death of Lujayne Forge

Only one month after the squadron roster was finalized, Rogue Squadron was moved to active duty. They were to be moved to Talasea, but for security reasons the squadron members were told that they were merely on an extended field training assignment and were not given their location. The trip to Talasea was intended to be a practice run, but on their way through the Chorax system, the Interdictor cruiser Black Asp pulled the squadron out of hyperspace. Darklighter and the rest of the squadron safely escaped, with Darklighter scoring his first kill against the Imperial TIEs.

The Rogues' next mission was to Hensara, where they were to rescue the downed frigate Battle of Yavin. When the Strike-class cruiser Havoc returned to the system during the operation, Darklighter flew against the TIEs it deployed, picking up one pursuer, which Horn destroyed. Darklighter picked up no kills in the engagement, however, unlike the rest of his comrades.

During the subsequent celebration back on Talasea, Jace began to pick on Darklighter for his lack of kills. His squadronmates jokingly awarded Darklighter the award of "worst pilot in the squadron" and sent Nawara Ven to speak to the senior officers&mdash;Antilles, executive officer Tycho Celchu, and naval captain Afyon&mdash;and request a fitting punishment. Darklighter was embarrassed and resentful, and Antilles perceived that, knowing that Darklighter's skills were far from the worst in the squadron. Celchu suggested that Darklighter be apprenticed to the best pilot in the squadron, a solution with which Antilles concurred, thinking that Horn, who had the most kills, would not be particularly rough on the young man. However, Jace insisted that he was the best pilot in the squadron, citing his higher percentage of kills relative to the number of fighters he had engaged. Horn stepped in with an offer: he would average his kills with Darklighter's, giving all three men five kills, and continue the contest with the averages in place, requiring either Horn to perform twice as well as Jace or Darklighter to start performing as well as the other two. Jace accepted, and Horn sprang the trick of the agreement&mdash;by averaging the kills, Darklighter gained four from Horn, making Ven, not Darklighter, the worst pilot. Horn's display of confidence heartened Darklighter.

A few nights later, Rogue Ooryl Qyrgg was awake when Imperial stormtroopers landed at Talasea, its location having been deduced by Imperial Intelligence agent Kirtan Loor. Qyrgg and Horn, who awakened just before stormtroopers raided his cottage, defeated some of the troops outside the main building and proceeded within. Darklighter and Shiel were in the nearest room, and Horn woke Darklighter and warned him that there were stormtroopers inside the base, rigging it to explode. Horn gave Darklighter a blaster and moved to engage the two stormtroopers who had just entered the hall. Unprepared for a firefight, Darklighter stepped out into the hall before Horn had cleared it, getting off only one shot before he took a blast directly to the naked abdomen and went down, passing out.

Darklighter and the rest of the Rogues were evacuated and the assault ended. Darklighter was placed in a bacta tank aboard the medical frigate Reprieve. Darklighter was removed at the same time as Horn, who had been shot later in the battle. Antilles arrived shortly and informed them that Forge had been killed in her bed by stormtroopers. Darklighter was devastated to learn that the friendly, bubbly Forge, with whom he had been close, was dead. It was the first time anyone Darklighter had truly known had died; previous deaths, such as Biggs's and the Larses', had simply been too abstract, people whom he was not accustomed to seeing regularly simply never being seen again. When he expressed that emotion, Biggs was brought up, and Antilles shared stories of the man, giving Darklighter a better feel for his cousin as a person.

The drive to Coruscant
The New Republic tracked the stormtrooper platoon to Vladet, and Rogue Squadron was given the honor of leading the retributive strike. After a memorial service for Forge, the Rogues and Salm's Defender Wing struck Vladet. Darklighter was among the X-wings flying cover for the Y-wings bombing the Imperial base.

Vladet was merely a hit-and-fade operation, however. Rogue Squadron's next mission was to take Borleias, a world which would provide a stepping-stone with which to take Coruscant, capital of the Empire. Known to the Rogues only as Blackmoon, Borleias was to be taken in an operation overseen by General Laryn Kre'fey. Darklighter and the other pilots spent two weeks in intense training and simulations for the mission.

When the time came, Darklighter was among the Rogues, assigned to cover the assault shuttles descending to the planet's surface after the shields collapsed. Kre'fey had been overconfident and far from meticulous in his planning, however, and Borleias suddenly began to demonstrate far greater defenses than Kre'fey had believed it to have. General Evir Derricote, the Imperial commander, had reinforced his base with extra starfighters and power generation capacity from the abandoned Alderaan Biotics facility on-planet, the existence of which Kre'fey had not even known. Peshk Vri'syk and Andoorni Hui were quickly killed, with several other Rogues having their fighters destroyed and being forced to go extravehicular. Shiel was wounded but continued flying, and Darklighter had to force him to seek medical care after the New Republic forces retreated.

Darklighter and the other survivors returned to Noquivzor, where they were based. Given data collected by Horn's astromech, Whistler, Horn and Antilles were able to devise a plan to take Borleias in a second assault, having discovered the existence of the Alderaan Biotics facility and a weak point in which the power conduit crossed a rift valley and was exposed. With the dearth of fighters and the difficulties of extraction if a pilot were to be shot down, it was to be a volunteer mission. Darklighter volunteered. As Shiel was grounded, Darklighter was paired with Rhysati Ynr for the mission. The pilots trained relentlessly for the run against the small conduit in the valley; with his Beggar's Canyon experience, Darklighter hit the conduit in simulation more frequently than any other pilot.

The night before the mission, Darklighter recorded a message for his parents in the event he was killed&mdash;something Biggs had never gotten the chance to do. The next morning, Darklighter departed with the rest for Borleias. Their insertion to the planet amid a meteor shower was clear, but a patrol of twelve TIE/ln starfighters was detected crossing their path. Gavin was among those who engaged the patrol while Antilles and Horn began the first canyon run. The two pilots missed, but Darklighter, Ynr, Jace, and Ven were too busy holding off the TIEs&mdash;shortly to be reinforced by TIE Interceptors&mdash;to make their runs. Antilles was successful as Horn, low on fuel, moved to exit. Darklighter became an ace in the dogfight, racking up his fifth kill, before he and the rest&mdash;minus Horn, who did not have enough fuel to leave and had to go to ground on Borleias's moon&mdash;headed back to base to refuel, but not before tangling with ten Interceptors while outbound to think the ranks that would be searching for Horn. The squadron occupied its time on the return trip thinking up plans to rescue Horn, but were pleasantly surprised on their return to find that Horn had been rescued by Celchu and smuggler Mirax Terrik, who had gone to Borleias in Terrik's ship after becoming concerned about a possible security leak.

Commandos took Borleias, and the squadron moved its base there, spending a month simply patrolling Borleias space. When the freighter Vengeance Derra IV, a ship in the use of Warlord Zsinj, probed Borleias, it was eventually tracked to Mrisst, where Darklighter, now under the command of Lieutenant Pash Cracken in Two Flight, was among the pilots who destroyed the ship and forced another ship in league with it, Contruum's Pride, to stand down.

At that time, Rogue Squadron began to prepare for the capture of Coruscant. They were to be inserted covertly on the planet and to scout its defense network for weak points. Councilor Borsk Fey'lya appended to the operation one of his own, which would release Black Sun operatives from Kessel to disrupt Imperial operations on Coruscant. Rogue Squadron was assigned to release them, and Darklighter flew cover while several other Rogues landed on Kessel and negotiated with the warden, Moruth Doole, for the release of several hardened criminals as well as innocent political prisoners.

Covert on Coruscant
"It's just a city, the whole thing, one big, huge, really big city. It's all city."

- Gavin Darklighter, upon first seeing Coruscant

Very shortly thereafter, the time for insertion came. All the pilots were sent down in independent cells, none knowing if any others were along. Darklighter was smuggled onto Coruscant aboard Terrik's Pulsar Skate along with most of the rest of the Rogues. Upon first seeing the planet, he was taken aback by its level of development and activity, never having seen anything even close to Coruscant's urbanization. Upon landing, he was given his cover identity as "Vin Leiger", a small-time con man partnered with "Shaalir Resh"&mdash;actually his wingman Shiel.

In the next Rogue Squadron mission&mdash;infiltrating Coruscant&mdash; Gavin was ferried into the planet by Mirax Terrik and the Pulsar Skate and assumed a false identity as a con-man, working with fellow pilot Riv Shiel. On a meeting with other undercover Rogue pilots, including Nawara Ven and Ooryl Qyrgg in a seedy Coruscant underworld largely nonhuman cantina, Gavin was harassed, both by Humanocentric stormtroopers and later by an attractive Bothan female named Asyr Sei'lar. Flustered, Gavin declined her advances, and&mdash;believing him to be bigoted&mdash;Sei'lar and her companions captured Gavin and all the Rogues. Sei'lar was part of the Alien Combine, which planned on executing a Human as a message to the Empire on Coruscant&mdash;and Gavin was to be the Human example.

However, an attack by Imperial forces resulted in a confused melee between stormtroopers, Rogue Squadron pilots, and Alien Combine members. In the firefight, Sei'lar and Darklighter saved each other's lives before fleeing in an escape route opened by Corran Horn. Upon receiving new orders to sabotage the throneworld's planetary shields, Gavin was part of a mission to insert a sliced computer core into the main shield controlling complex. An Imperial ambush disrupted the plan, and nearly cost the Rogues their lives.

Fleeing in an airspeeder, they withdrew and regrouped. With time fast expiring for an attack opportunity, Gavin devised a plan to lower the shields by creating a massive thunderstorm to lower the shields. In the pivotal mission, Gavin flew cover for other Rogues on the ground from the cockpit of Z-95 Headhunter. The operation was ultimately successful, and Coruscant was successfully taken by the Alliance.

During his tenure with the squadron, he won the affection of Bothan pilot Asyr Sei'lar&mdash;inducted into Rogue Squadron after the re-taking of Coruscant&mdash; and the two were a couple for several years, despite disapproval of many Bothans, especially Bothan senator Borsk Fey'lya and a tense confrontation with another Bothan over a Bothan's role in the First Battle of Borleias. Gavin, along with the other Rogues, was stationed on Coruscant following its capture by the New Republic.

During the subsequent Krytos epidemic, Gavin was part of medical teams who fought the virus house-to-house, and was a witness in the Celchu Trial. Even amidst the consternation of these two issues, the Rogues still flew missions, including a diplomatic mission to Ryloth, a botched convoy escort mission, and a raid on the Yag'Dhul station owned by Warlord Zsinj. After it was revealed that a large bomb would be used to destroy a vital bacta center on Coruscant, Gavin flew with the other Rogues to stop the Imperial plot, and was present when the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya erupted from the planet's surface.

Bacta War
Gavin would later follow the rest of Rogue Squadron in a mass resignation and the waging of the successful Bacta War against Ysanne Isard. Operating from the refurbished Yag'Dhul station, Gavin and the other Rogues led a successful guerrilla campaign against Isard's regime, raiding bacta freighters and recruiting native fighters on Thyferra. The seized bacta was then diverted to Coruscant or small colonies, such as Halanit.

On one particular freighter raid, the Rogues and their Twi'lek allies were interrupted by the Victory-class Star Destroyer Corrupter. In the initial salvo from the capital ship, several Twi'leks and Gavin's wingmate, Riv Shiel, were killed, and Gavin made a blind jump into hyperspace. After a series of jumps and in need of fuel, Gavin landed at the Halanit colony. While his X-wing was refueled, Gavin enjoyed the hospitality of the colonists. This respite was broken by a full-scale attack by the Corrupter on a revenge raid. Gavin scrambled to his ship and slowed the assault, but was forced to flee, leaving the colonists to certain death.

Despite these setbacks, the Rogues continued the Bacta War, with Gavin and Corran Horn helping to requisition arms for the Thyferran insurgency from his uncle Huff. In the final battle of the war, Gavin flew against the Lusankya in an audacious attempt to defeat Isard's forces. With the aid of a pair of subverted Imperial Star Destroyers, the Rogues were successful, and Isard was presumed killed by fellow Rogue Tycho Celchu.

Return to the New Republic
After the successful resolution of the Bacta War, Gavin and the other Rogues returned to New Republic service. Gavin was deployed on the Mon Remonda under General Han Solo's anti&mdash;Zsinj task force.

During the campaign against Prince-Admiral Delak Krennel in the Ciutric Hegemony, Asyr was believed to have been killed, devastating Gavin. In this one mission of the campaign, the Rogues were ambushed by a much larger force. After a rescue from forces loyal to the resurfaced Ysanne Isard, Gavin posed as a TIE Defender pilot, infiltrating Krennel's forces and aiding in the rescue of the Lusankya prisoners.

He later married Human female Sera Faleur and after the retirement of Rogue veterans Antilles and Tycho Celchu at the end of the Galactic Civil War, became the commander of Rogue Squadron.

The Yuuzhan Vong War
"Rogues, form up. We've got plenty of company on the way."

- Gavin Darklighter



During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Gavin continued to lead the Rogues, participating in early battles at Dantooine and Ithor. In his years of service to the New Republic and as kin to one of Luke Skywalker's best friends on Tatooine, Gavin was close to the Skywalkers and Solos. He grudgingly accepted Jaina Solo into Rogue Squadron after the destruction of Sernpidal, and assigned her to fly as Rogue Eleven.

As the war reached its year mark, Gavin led Rogue Squadron at the Battle of Kalarba. There, Jaina Solo was nearly killed when the Bothan Assault Cruiser Champion exploded near her X-wing. Gavin recommended that Jaina recover fully before returning.

Thereafter, Gavin led the Rogues at the Battle of Sernpidal, but was dismayed to learn that Kyp Durron had deceived his squadron into believing they had destroyed a superweapon, when in fact, they had destroyed a worldship.

The Rogues participated in many key battles thereafter, including the Fall of Coruscant, Second Battle of Borleias, Second Battle of Obroa-skai, Battle of Ebaq 9, Battle of Bilbringi, and the final fight at the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar.

For a time, Gavin relinquished command of the Rogues to the Jedi Corran Horn, and then formally resigned command of the unit at the conclusion of the war.

The Dark Nest
During the Killik expansion in 36 ABY, five years after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong war, Gavin was a Commodore in the Fifth Fleet onboard the refitted Imperial-class Star Destroyer Mon Mothma. He was a part of Admiral Nek Bwua'tu's blockade group.

Confederation-Galactic Alliance War
Gavin made the rank of Admiral by the time the conflict broke out in 40 ABY and was a part of the Battle of Balmorra. Darklighter was given command of the fleet after Admiral Ratobo's ship was destroyed. During the battle, he ordered his fighter screens to advance against the enemy capital ships, in defiance of Jacen's orders. The success of the maneuver startled Jacen, and forced him to acknowledge he could still be surprised. This turned a priority communication from Jacen from a planned reprimand into congratulations.

Behind the scenes
X-wing: Rogue Squadron incorrectly states that he was only eight years younger than Biggs Darklighter while it should be ten years.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
 * X-wing: The Krytos Trap
 * X-wing: The Bacta War
 * X-wing: Iron Fist
 * X-wing: Solo Command
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * I, Jedi
 * Star Wars: Union
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin
 * Balance Point
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
 * Destiny's Way
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Inferno