DS-181-4

DS-181-4 was the callsign of a Human male starfighter pilot who served the Galactic Empire in the Galactic Civil War. After distinguishing himself during the subjugation of Mon Calamari, DS-181-4 received a promotion to Saber Squadron, part of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group, and flew as Major Turr Phennir's wingman. In 4 ABY, DS-181-4 was present for Sith Lord Darth Vader's arrival aboard the second Death Star, and he later participated in the Battle of Endor.

Biography
The Human male designated by the callsign DS-181-4 was a starfighter pilot in the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War. After scoring 12 kills during the subjugation of Mon Calamari, DS-181-4 earned a position in Baron Soontir Fel's Saber Squadron&mdash;part of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group&mdash;piloting the TIE/IN interceptor Saber 4. Flying as the wingman of Major Turr Phennir, DS-181-4 was often assigned to fly in a reserve position during battle. Preferring to fly in the 181st, DS-181-4 repeatedly refused promotions so that he could remain in the unit.

Sometime following the Battle of Yavin, DS-181-4 partook in a skirmish against at least one Rebel pilot. DS-181-4 was defeated in the fight, but managed to escape alive in his crippled TIE/In interceptor. DS-181-4 also participated in battles between Rebel and Imperial forces in the Naboo, Tatoo, Corellian, Dantooine, and Karthakk systems during the Galactic Civil War. These battles involved an Imperial Lancer-class frigate being pitted against a Rebel EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, with numerous starfighters aiding in the defense or offense of the system.

In 4 ABY, DS-181-4 was present when Sith Lord Darth Vader arrived aboard the second Death Star to discuss the battlestation's lagging construction schedule with the station's commander, Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod. The Sith Lord announced that Emperor Palpatine himself would be arriving to personally oversee the remainder of the Death Star's assembly. DS-181-4 later flew on Phennir's wing during the Battle of Endor, during which Phennir was assigned to protect the Star Destroyer Avenger. The battle ended in an Imperial defeat with the destruction of the second Death Star.

Personality and traits
DS-181-4's considerable skill as a TIE pilot earned him a place in the 181st Imperial Fighter Group, known as one of the Galactic Empire's most elite units. Turning down multiple promotions, DS-181-4 preferred to remain as a pilot in the 181st. In battle, DS-181-4 often flew in a reserve position.

Behind the scenes


DS-181-4 first appeared in the opening scene of 1983's Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi as an unnamed background character awaiting the arrival of Darth Vader on the second Death Star. The character's name and elements of his backstory were introduced in the Death Star II Limited expansion set of Decipher, Inc.'s Star Wars Customizable Card Game, released in July 2000. He later garnered an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, released on December 9, 2008.

Because part of the scene showing Vader's arrival on the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi was reused in the Special Edition of The Empire Strikes Back for a scene showing Vader arriving aboard the Executor from Bespin, the actor who portrayed DS-181-4 can be seen in the Special Edition version, alongside other extras who portrayed Imperial officers in Return of the Jedi.

In the 2003 MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, DS-181-4 was added to the game as a non-player character (NPC) in Game Update 20. Rebel players who requested Tier 7 Duty Missions from certain space stations had a chance to battle an elite Imperial pilot during the mission's boss stage. One of these pilots could be DS-181-4. If the player defeated DS-181-4, the Imperial was not destroyed. Instead, a message was displayed to the player, indicating that they successfully defeated the pilot. The player then received a collection icon which added up to award a badge if they succeeded in destroying all ten of the elite Imperial pilots. However, elite Imperial pilots could also be found flying in various space battles, which took place in the Naboo, Tatoo, Corellian, Dantooine, and Karthakk systems. Because DS-181-4 only appeared in the space portion of Star Wars Galaxies, originally added with the Jump to Lightspeed expansion pack, he could normally only be seen inside his respective TIE/In interceptor. However, a comm display could appear during the battle, displaying DS-181-4's face. In addition, the collection icon depicted DS-181-4's physical appearance. Though DS-181-4 piloted a TIE/In interceptor in the game, it cannot be said with absolute certainty that it was the Saber 4. Although players could choose not to participate in any of the battles or collections connected to DS-181-4, this article assumes 100% game completion.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi PhotoComic
 * Classic Star Wars: Return of the Jedi book-and-record
 * Classic Star Wars: Return of the Jedi book-and-record