TX-828

"You have a nickname. In the barracks. What do they call you?''" "Torrent, ma'am." "You'll use that as your call sign. For the Empire." "''For the Empire, ma'am."

- Alecia Beck and TX-828

TX-828, known to his comrades as "Torrent," was a clone of the human Jango Fett. Bred in the final years of the Galactic Republic, TX-828 was one of the last clones created on the planet Kamino, and&mdash;following the proclamation of the New Order&mdash;one of the last clones in service. Under the Galactic Empire, TX-828 served in the Stormtrooper Corps, achieving the rank of sergeant and working with Alecia Beck, a commander in the Imperial Security Bureau. By 0 BBY, TX-828 and Beck had begun tracking the Shrikes&mdash;special operatives in the Alliance to Restore the Republic&mdash;and they eventually located the group on the planet Taanab. The day after the Battle of Yavin, in which the Rebel Alliance won a substantial victory against the Empire, TX-828 led an ambush to apprehend the Shrikes. However, one Rebel escaped, and another Rebel killed those who had been captured, committing suicide shortly after.

The remaining Rebel, Caluan Ematt, was tracked to the planet Cyrkon in Hutt Space, and under Beck's command, TX-828 led an investigation. Through bounty hunters searching for the smuggler Han Solo, the sergeant discovered that Ematt was planning to be rescued by Solo and the Wookiee Chewbacca. The Imperials set a trap for the Rebels outside of their starship, the Millennium Falcon, and TX-828&mdash;commanding four squads of stormtroopers&mdash;assisted in Beck's capture of Ematt, Solo, and Chewbacca. However, TX-828 and Beck ultimately lost custody of the trio when Rebel sympathizers aboard the yacht Miss Fortune fired upon TX-828's squads, allowing the three fugitives to escape aboard the Millennium Falcon. In an attempt to recapture the Rebels, TX-828 and Beck returned to the Star Destroyer Vehement, but the Millennium Falcon escaped into hyperspace.

Early service and Taanab
"Search the bodies.''" "''Yes, ma'am."

- Alecia Beck and TX-828, following the ambush on Taanab

Prior to the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas commissioned Kaminoan scientists to create clone troopers to form the Grand Army of the Republic. From the clone template of the human bounty hunter Jango Fett, TX-828 was one of the final clones to be bred on the planet Kamino, and at some point during his service, he gained the nickname "Torrent." In 19 BBY, the Galactic Republic was reorganized into the Galactic Empire, and due to the accelerated aging of clone troopers and his late production, TX-828 became one of the last few in service. By 0 BBY, TX-828 had been promoted to sergeant, and he served under Imperial Security Bureau Senior Commander Alecia Beck, stationed aboard the Star Destroyer Vehement. During this time, Beck had been tracking the Shrikes, operatives for the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and she traced the Rebel cell to the planet Taanab, where she hoped to observe their actions and learn information about Alliance High Command.

In 0 ABY, the morning after the Battle of Yavin, ISB officials received a communique from Coruscant with an order from Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine: apprehend all suspected members and sympathizers of the Rebel Alliance. Following the new order, TX-828, directed by Beck, led a troop of eight stormtroopers to ambush the Shrikes as they attempted to escape aboard an EE-730 transport. With their E-11 blaster rifles set to stun, TX-828 and his fellow soldiers engaged the Rebels in a brief firefight which lasted less than ten seconds. TX-828 and his squad captured four Rebel troopers, but a Rodian Rebel had eluded capture, and the alien shot the unconscious men and women before committing suicide. Beck, convinced that the action was taken to protect Rebel secrets, had TX-828 search the starship. TX-828 believed the Rebels were all accounted for, but Beck was certain a sixth, Caluan Ematt, had escaped.

Following Beck's order, TX-828 had an additional ten squads from the Vehement search the hangars and local cantinas, before sending a scanning crew to deliver the data to the ISB officer. When Beck received the data, she noted that the logs from the ship's navigation computer were absent. TX-828 was subsequently contacted by the commander, and he affirmed that both the ship's computer and hyperspace logs had been wiped. After the update, Beck was notified that three ships had slipped through the planet's Imperial blockade. Deducing that Ematt was aboard one, a MK I bulk transport, Beck contacted the Vehement's captain, Hove, and a course was set for the transport's destination: Cyrkon, a crime-ridden planet in Hutt Space.

Promenade firefight
"Bounty hunters. They're bounty hunters, not rebels. The other two, the human and the Wookiee, where'd they go?''" "I don't see them. They must have run off when we moved on the targets." "''We were just played. They played us. Those two, those two were the rebels. They're here to rescue Ematt&mdash;I'd bet anything on it."

- Beck and TX-828

Arriving at Cyrkon, Beck led TX-828 and a squad to Motok, the planet's capital. In the city, the group began searching for Ematt, eventually coming to a cantina. Upon the word of Beck, TX-828 commanded the stormtroopers to line the bar patrons against the wall and shoot if they resisted. As two of the stormtroopers began searching the patrons for weapons, Beck explained that she was looking for Ematt. When a Twi'lek claimed that none had seen the man, Beck called the Twi'lek on his lie, and she had TX-828 take the alien out of the bar.

Continuing the interrogation, Beck threatened the Twi'lek, who began to comply. When Beck asked the alien if he knew Ematt was a Rebel, the Twi'lek said that he had suspected so. Beck stated that all Rebel sympathizers were to be shot on site, and TX-828 fired upon the Twi'lek. As TX-828 moved the body, Beck was informed by Captain Hove that a marked YT-1300 light freighter under the alias "Lost and Found" had landed in Motok. Inferring that the ship was attempting to rescue Ematt, Beck informed the sergeant, and the squad raced to the suspect hangar.

En route to the hangar, TX-828, Beck, and the squad encountered a firefight in the spaceport's promenade. When a passerby yelled that the shooters were Rebels, the squad advanced, and Beck ordered the assailants to put their weapons down. However, unknown to the Imperials, the passerby was the smuggler Han Solo&mdash;owner of the suspect freighter&mdash;who was accompanied by the Wookiee Chewbacca, and the shooters were not Rebels, but bounty hunters sent after Solo by Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure. Without hesitation, TX-828 ordered his troops to execute plan Sigma Four, so two stormtroopers flanked either side of the promenade, advancing, firing, and advancing again. The pair quickly stunned a Kubaz fighter, as a second team followed TX-828's order, bringing down a Gran. Only a human and assassin droid remained; the human tried to run, but he was shot. As the droid attempted to surrender, the sergeant lifted his short-barreled DEMP gun and fired, disabling the droid.

Beck praised TX-828 for his efficiency, and the sergeant thanked his commander. The stormtrooper sergeant then directed the squad to disarm and bind the suspects. Meanwhile, Beck approached the unconscious human&mdash;whom she expected was Ematt&mdash;but after finding an Imperial Peace-Keeping Certificate, she realized the four attackers had been bounty hunters and not Rebels. Piecing together the situation, Beck asked TX-828 where the human and Wookiee had gone, and the sergeant noted that the two had likely ran when the fight began. Behind them, the droid restarted, identifying itself as "Captivator" and stating that the Imperials had interfered with its mission. The droid elaborated, explaining that the man and Wookiee were the smugglers Solo and Chewbacca, and that there was a significant bounty for their capture.

Seeing an opportunity, Beck asked Captivator if it could identify Solo's ship. The droid hesitated, before claiming that Solo flew a KLT-Kuat light freighter named Roundabout Right. Once given the information, Beck allowed Captivator's crew to leave. Believing that the droid had been lying, TX-828 voiced his concerns to the commander. Beck confirmed his suspicions, and she explained they were searching for a YT-1300 light freighter.

Directing her attention to the owner of a nearby café, Beck told the man to remove his clothing; Beck then ordered the sergeant to remove his stormtrooper armor, don the proprietor's tunic, follow the bounty hunters, and report on their progress while she advanced toward Solo's ship. As TX-828 removed his armor, Beck realized that he was a clone, one of the last still in service. Beck asked TX-828 what he was referred to in the barracks, and the sergeant replied that he was called Torrent. The clone finished dressing, and Beck told him to use "Torrent" as his callsign, handing him her blaster pistol. The sergeant then departed, tracking the bounty hunters through the crowded spaceport.

Springing the trap
"When you arrive, assume command of the units on the promenade. You'll lead them in on my signal.''" "''Yes, ma'am."

- Beck and TX-828

TX-828 followed the four bounty hunters to a yacht/cantina named Miss Fortune, and when the group exited, they piloted a landspeeder further into Motok. To follow them, TX-828 acquired a swoop, and he tracked the four to a low-rent hotel in the city's south side. As the bounty hunters entered the building, TX-828 remained outside, taking cover and waiting. Roughly three minutes later, Solo, Chewbacca, and another human emerged, pursued by the hunters. Although unable to identify the third, TX-828 presumed the man to be Ematt.

In order to let the trio escape and enter the Imperial ambush, TX-828 discreetly intervened, shooting the Gran and human bounty hunters. The three Rebels fled aboard a landspeeder, returning to the spaceport, and TX-828 began to follow. At this time, the sergeant was contacted via comlink by Beck, who informed him that the ship had been found, requesting a report. TX-828 retold the events, and Beck complimented his work. When the Rebels were an estimated five minutes from the trap, TX-828 contacted Beck, keeping her updated.

Beck told the sergeant that once he arrived, he would assume command of the forty stormtroopers stationed on the promenade outside the docking bay. Less than four minutes later, TX-828 arrived at his position, telling Beck that the trio of Rebels was twenty seconds away. On cue, Solo, Ematt, and Chewbacca entered the docking bay, and TX-828, armed with his E-11 blaster rifle, covered their exit as Beck sprung the trap. Outnumbered, the three Rebels surrendered, and once they were disarmed, TX-828 approached Beck and remained at her side. Beck then ordered for the trio to be searched, bound, and transported to the Vehement, so TX-828 began with Ematt, thoroughly searching the human.

However, the search was interrupted when a scuffle started between Solo and Chewbacca, resulting in several stormtroopers being knocked to the ground. Solo grabbed a rifle from one of the troopers, revealing that the fight had been a ruse, and he fired upon the generators which formed the hangar's magnetic field&mdash;the only separation from Cyrkon's hazardous atmosphere. As the toxic heat rushed into the building, TX-828 began grappling with Ematt before being tackled by Solo. Then, the starship Miss Fortune revealed its presence, firing upon the stormtroopers from above the hangar. As the three Rebels ran for the Millennium Falcons boarding ramp, TX-828 got up and quickly escorted Beck to cover just as the Miss Fortunes ventral turret fired on her previous location.

The Millennium Falcon and Miss Fortune then fled from the port, leaving behind the Imperial forces, half of whom were dead or wounded. As Beck contacted the Vehement, TX-828 knelt beside one of the fallen stormtroopers, before ordering his remaining troops to follow Beck into their transport, safe from the noxious air. The ship lifted off, destined to arrive at the Vehement. As they approached the capital ship, the Rebel ships came into view, and TX-828 identified the Miss Fortune to Beck. The commander still hoped to catch the fugitives, and when their transport landed in the Vehement, she ran for the bridge. Despite all efforts, the two Rebel ships escaped to hyperspace.

Personality and traits
"Efficient.''" "''Thank you, ma'am."

- Beck and TX-828

Bred from the clone template of the human Jango Fett, TX-828&mdash;known as "Torrent" by his comrades&mdash;had black hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and a height of 1.83 meters. Due to the accelerated aging of the clone troopers, TX-828 became one of the last clones in service, and by 0 ABY, he had the outward appearance of a forty-year-old with graying hair, a smooth voice, and a likeness which Solo vaguely recognized. Under the leadership of Commander Beck, TX-828 followed orders efficiently and without hesitation, and he nearly always responded with enthusiasm. During Ematt's escape from the Motok spaceport, TX-828 knelt beside a stormtrooper who had been killed, and Beck speculated that the soldier had been a friend of his, also noting that the sergeant was able to distinguish the stormtrooper despite the armor.

Skills and abilities
"I had to exercise initiative to execute your plan as required, ma'am.''" "Discreet, I trust?" "''Very discreet, ma'am."

- TX-828 and Beck

TX-828 was a skilled leader, and his squads were able to defeat enemies in a matter of seconds. The clone also had strategic insight, calling out plan Sigma Four during the firefight with the bounty hunters, leading to a quick victory. Following the exchange, TX-828 successfully acquired a swoop bike, tracked the four through the city of Motok, and discreetly killed the Gran and human bounty hunters during their fight with the Rebels.

Equipment
"Get out of your armor and put those on. Take a comlink and follow them."

- Beck, to TX-828

As a stormtrooper sergeant, TX-828 wore stormtrooper armor with a pauldron, and he was trained to use E-11 blaster rifles, DEMP guns, and blaster pistols. Additionally, TX-828 carried a comlink, which he used while following the bounty hunters through Motok.

Behind the scenes
TX-828 was created for Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure, a junior novel written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Phil Noto, and published by Disney–Lucasfilm Press on September 4, 2015 under the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens publishing label. Introduced in the book's second chapter, "The Pride of the ISB," TX-828 appears throughout the story as a supporting character. TX-828 is pictured in Noto's illustrations for the novel, and the character's design was based on a conceptual piece by Dave Seeley, which embodies the likeness of Temuera Morrison, the actor who portrayed Jango Fett and the clone troopers in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. For the novel's audiobook, the voice of TX-828 was provided by Marc Thompson. After completing Smuggler's Run, Rucka was tasked with writing Star Wars: Shattered Empire, a comic book miniseries set after Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. In Rucka's pitch for Shattered Empire, the story focused on Lando Calrissian and included characters from Smuggler's Run, including TX-828, Delia Leighton, and Alecia Beck. However, after the cover reveal for Shattered Empire, Part I depicted the primary heroes from the Star Wars original trilogy, Rucka abandoned his initial story in fear of misleading and disappointing fans.

Appearances

 * Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure