Ace Azzameen

"I always said you were a good boy, Ace."

- Antan Azzameen

Ace Azzameen was a highly-regarded pilot in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Starting out as a freighter pilot for his family's business, Twin Suns Transport Services, Ace was pulled into the Galactic Civil War when his father and older brother perished while docked with the hidden Rebel space station Hospital during a Bacta delivery. On the run from both the Galactic Empire and the family's rivals, Viraxo Industries, Ace, his brother Emon, his sister Aeron, and the family droid, MK-09, sought refuge with the Defiance Task Force in the Anoat sector.

Ace, despite the objections of his Uncle Antan, joined the Alliance as a starfighter pilot, where he served on the Defiance, aiding in its flight from the sector. Upon transferring to the Liberty, Ace fought off threats such as the TIE Experimental Project and helped with the defection of Commander Zaletta. He became involved with the Bothan Spynet and aided Commander Luke Skywalker in stealing the Death Star II plans. Additionally, he still aided his siblings in their private fight against the Viraxo, which even led to him becoming caught up with the Black Sun crime syndicate. Ace eventually helped the Alliance Fleet mass their forces at Sullust, and also served aboard the Millennium Falcon at the famed Battle of Endor.

Early life
Ace grew up on the Azzameen Home Base, where he would often use his family's flight simulator to pass the time. He lived with his father, Tomaas, his older brothers Emon and Galin, his sister Aeron, and the family droid, MK-09. Occasionally, his uncle Antan would visit. Tomaas, being the co-head of Twin Suns Transport Services, had many freighters passing through the Home Base, which only fueled Ace's desire to fly. Ace was particularly close to Aeron, who would often look out for him in seemingly dire situations. Eventually, Ace was old enough to start piloting craft in the real world, where his skills gleaned from years in a simulator would be put to the test.

First missions for the family
"Way to go, hotshot!"

- MK-09 referring to Ace's piloting.

Following the debacle at Hoth, Antan decided that it was time to allow Ace to put his simulator skills into practice in the real world. With Aeron in the Selu and Emkay guiding him as a copilot in the Sabra, Ace delivered some supplies to Harlequin Station, which were to be exchanged for coolant and fuel cells for the Otana. Just as the Azzameens had dropped off the supplies, however, two Viraxo Pursuer-class enforcement ships, the Enkidu and the Gilgam, entered the system and approached the station on an attack vector. The station's Director hurriedly contacted Ace and Aeron, begging them for help. Harlequin's own defensive craft, the Kouerd, had apparently been bought off by the Viraxo, leaving the station defenseless and vulnerable. While Aeron was apprehensive, Emkay longed for some excitement, and Ace obliged. Attacking the Viraxo ships, the Azzameens were able to drive off the Pursuers, earning them the gratitude of the Director. With a minimum of fuss, they were then able to pick up the coolant and fuel cells and return home. Shortly thereafter, Ace was awarded the key to Harlequin Station by Mayor Brauken, as a token of appreciation.

Antan, concerned that Ace's actions at Harlequin Station would provoke K'Armyn Viraxo into directly attacking the Azzameens, requested that Emon teach Ace basic gunnery skills. With Emkay piloting the Sabra, Ace was able to effectively destroy Emon's target drones, and Emon helped him clear a field of junk containers. Impressed, Emon offered to buy Ace a drink at Dunari's Rest. Upon reaching the casino, however, they came across the Enkidu, complete with fighter escort. Emon, hungry for battle, raced towards the Enkidu in his ship, the Andrasta, engaging it and starting a dogfight. Eager to get another shot at the Enkidu, Emkay followed suit, and Ace was able to help pick off the starfighter escort. The Enkidu was able to escape to hyperspace, but Dunari's officials requested that Emon and Emkay leave the system. The Azzameens complied, but Emon kept his promise, giving Ace a token for a drink at the casino.

Now properly versed in real piloting, Ace was enlisted by Aeron for aid in a fairly simple task: cataloging three container storage areas. Aeron had accidentally destroyed the inventory while upgrading to a newer system, so she had to quickly repair the damage done to the database before Tomaas returned. Flying the Sabra, with Emkay as his copilot and Aeron once again in the Selu, the pair came across the Cargo ferry Raider, which was trying to steal a pressure tank full of liquid oxygen. The Azzameens were able to drive the intruders off, but their troubles were not over. In a separate cargo area, Ace and Aeron once again came across the Enkidu. Rushing to engage, the pair forced the withdrawal of the Viraxo ship and its fighter escort and discovered that the Enkidu had not been planning to steal supplies. Rather, it had planted a container of spice amongst the Azzameen stocks. Frustrated, Aeron retrieved the spice and returned home with the knowledge that their container storage areas had been compromised.

Challenging the Viraxo
Antan was outraged at Ace's transgressions against the Viraxo at Harlequin but was even more disgusted at the Viraxo and their underhanded tactics. Together with Aeron and Emon, he devised a daring plan in which Aeron, piloting the Selu under the transponder alias of Venix, would dump the Viraxos' planted spice container at outpost Viraxo 54, near Denbo. Ace and Emon would then arrive in the Sabra and the Andrasta respectively, launching a small "hit and fade" attack on the outpost, covering Aeron's departure and prompting an investigation by the local Imperial garrison. It was Antan's hope that the Imperials would discover the spice and that Viraxo would be forced to pay copious amounts in fines and bribes, or even be forced out of business permanently.

Unfortunately for the Azzameens, the gambit did not work as planned. Emon and Ace entered the Denbo system far too early, while Aeron attempted to convince those in charge of the outpost that her delivery was legitimate. Hoping to salvage the situation, Emon and Ace hurtled into the Viraxo defenses, engaging Razor-class starfighters in a frenzied firefight near the main depot. The Enkidu was present, much to the delight of the Azzameens, who sought the destruction of the elusive craft. Ace demolished the Pursuer-class ship, permanently ending its career of harassment and discord.

Aeron seized the moment, dumping her cargo and preparing to flee the system. But the remaining Viraxo craft began harrying her retreat, forcing her to abandon the Selu. She was picked up by Emon, while Ace destroyed the Selu to prevent it becoming a Viraxo asset, and the Azzameens safely departed before the Imperials arrived to investigate. Antan was pleased with the overall outcome despite the loss of the Selu and felt that Tomaas would be proud of his children upon his return.

Imperial entanglements
Tomaas, however, was far from impressed, and actually condemned the family's actions against the Viraxo, ordering a halt to any future operations like the Viraxo 54 incident. He did, however, want to get his children involved with his latest exploits, namely, supplying the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Tomaas had lost faith in the Empire, and told Ace that the Alliance was their only hope for survival. He had planned a bacta transfer near Saruwen Station from an unidentified dealer. Though he did not believe any mishap would occur at the transfer, he enlisted Ace, Emon, and Aeron to fly cover for him.

Setting out in the Sabra, once again, with Aeron in the Otana, Emon in the Andrasta and Tomaas with Galin in the GR-75 medium transport Vasudra, the group met their contact at Saruwen. Progressing to the transfer point, the Vasudra docked with the Xiytiar-class transport End Run, and the bacta transfer ensued. The End Run technicians, however, feigned a fault, and sent out Zero-G workers to investigate. Emon was the first of the group to detect the ruse, just as the Corellian gunship Loose Cannon emerged from hyperspace. The Azzameens, realizing that the transfer was a trap, rushed to engage the enemy forces, while Tomaas and Galin fought the crew of the End Run. Ace was able to destroy the Zero-G workers and help destroy the Loose Cannon, its CloakShape fighter escort, and the contact's ship. Tomaas was able to obtain the bacta from the End Run, and the family returned home safely. Tomaas was very proud of his children, and was given renewed confidence to approach Antan with the proposition of joining the Alliance wholesale. Antan was the only member of the family who was opposed to the Rebellion, and he put up a great deal of resistance to Tomaas' attempted assistance.

His confidence boosted, Tomaas prepared to deliver the bacta to the Alliance. He let Ace fly the Otana, as a sign of his new faith in the boy. Ace, Tomaas, Galin, and Emon set out to Brint-wo Colony to meet with Olin Garn, Aeron's friend and the Azzameens' contact in the Alliance. Garn led them to the space station Hospital, where the Vasudra began its bacta transfer. Halfway through the transfer, an Imperial strike force entered the system, led by the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Corrupter. As Admiral Garreth Holtz broadcast his request for the surrender of the Rebel craft, the Alliance command on Hospital demanded that the Andrasta and the Otana join their fighter screen, and that command of the Vasudra be turned over. Tomaas grudgingly obliged, despite Emon and Galin's objections.

Ace, in the Otana, covered the evacuation of the Rebel craft, but as the Corrupter began launching more craft, the situation became progressively dire. The fighting grew to an such an intensity that Emon ordered Ace to leave the system, effectively abandoning the stranded Vasudra, along with Tomaas and Galin. Emon and Ace were able to make it back to the Azzameen Home Base, but only with the knowledge that their father and brother were likely captured, if not dead. Antan, while mourning, was exceptionally frustrated, and though he did not blame Ace, he continued to decry Tomaas' choices. Preparing for the worst, the family prepared for the liquidation of Twin Suns Transport Services, and the seizure of the Home Base.

Antan's contacts informed him that the Imperials were planning to move against Twin Suns and the Azzameens, and to transfer all holdings over to the Viraxo. Desperate, hoping to keep the family together, Antan made plans to retrieve all he could from Azzameen holdings before moving to the Outer Rim. He let all of the employees go, and had the Home Base evacuated. He also had the Home Base hangar rigged with explosives, in order to wreak some havoc amongst either the Imperials or the Viraxo. Ordering Ace and Aeron to secure warheads and valuables from Twin Suns Station, he and Emon retrieved valuable resources from a variety of Twin Sun holding areas.

At the Twin Sun Station, Aeron and Ace set about their task with little resistance, but upon retrieval of the warheads, an Imperial/Viraxo force entered the area and began to bombard the facility. The siblings were able to make it back to the Home Base safely for the rendezvous with Emon and Antan, but they were met by no one. After a short period of waiting, a Viraxo Razor Fighter squadron attacked the Otana and the Sabra, though they were easily defeated. Eventually, Emon arrived, with the news that Antan had been captured by Viraxo forces. Since Antan had been the only one who knew where they were headed, the siblings deliberated about their future course of action. Their ponderings were cut short, however, when the Corrupter entered the area and bombarded the Home Base, while launching wing after wing of fighters to halt, capture, or destroy the Azzameens. In the heat of their flight from the Imperials, Aeron remembered that Olin Garn had given her the coordinates of the Defiance Task Force, and suggested that they look to the Alliance for help. Emon was skeptical, but nevertheless agreed, and the three remaining Azzameens, along with Emkay, safely evaded the Corrupter and prepared to join the Alliance.

Joining the Rebellion
"I've missed you, kiddo, since you joined the Rebellion. I hear of so much activity going on&hellip; I worry about you.''" "Do you worry about me, too?" "Of course I do, Emkay. You're expensive to repair." "''I will delete that remark from my memory banks."

- Aeron and MK-09 discuss her concerns about the action Ace got into as a member of the Alliance.

With Olin Garn's aid, Ace joined the Alliance, while Emon and Aeron would aid the Rebels, though not in an official fashion. Azzameen was stationed on the Defiance, where he was run through a pair of tests to discern his suitability for recruitment into the Alliance Fleet. The first test involved deep space bombing strikes, where several mock situations, based on historical raids, were played out. Ace successfully demolished an Imperial tibanna gas factory, a Carrack-class light cruiser in dry dock, and a lightly defended convoy. His next test was a Starfighter Superiority Evaluation, in which he and his instructor, Garn, would engage wave after wave of Imperial fighters in more mock situations. Ace passed his test, and became a certified pilot in the Alliance.

Breaking the Corrupter hold
The Defiance Task Force was, at the time of Ace's ascension into the ranks, pinned down in the Anoat sector by an opposing Imperial task force. Admiral Nammo had been able to recover a significant portion of those who had escaped the chaos at Hoth, and needed to reunite Admiral Gial Ackbar and the bulk of the Alliance fleet. Feeling that spreading the Imperials thin was the wisest tactic, Nammo dispatched a group of BTL Y-wing starfighters from Green Squadron to demolish an Imperial convoy. His hope was that the Imperials would assign more craft to the escort of supply convoys, detracting from their efforts to find the Rebels. Ace flew with Red Squadron in a T-65 X-wing starfighter, covering Green Squadron's attack. Nammo's gambit succeeded, and the convoy was totally obliterated.

Ace had practically inherited the Otana, and would use it when his family needed him. Though it was kept on board the Defiance, it was still technically a civilian craft. Shortly after the destruction of the supply convoy, Emon contacted Ace with intelligence on their Uncle Antan's location. He was being held prisoner at the Viraxo space station Viraxo Industries. Fortunately, the family had placed a mole on the station in years prior, making his rescue somewhat easier. Emon was able to distract the station's defensive garrison of Planetary Defender starfighters while Ace docked with the station, sending Emkay in to rescue Antan. The operation was a success, and Antan was freed. As a sign of gratitude, Antan gave Ace his prized Jar'Kai dueling sabers.

Ace was sent out on his first reconnaissance mission, with his objective being the Imperial task force that thwarted the Defiance movements. Commander Devers assigned Ace to Blue Squadron, and sent him and another pilot out on a mission to ascertain the location of the task force. Searching the first two probable locations with no results, Ace discovered the Imperials in the third area, where he discovered that the flagship was no other than the Corrupter, commanded by Admiral Garreth Holtz, the hammer of the Azzameens. Quickly identifying the rest of the craft, Ace destroyed Holtz's probe droids, before returning to the Defiance with his valuable intelligence.

Nammo's hit-and-face techniques against supply convoys proved to be effective, allowing the Task Force to dedicate itself to other concerns. Word reached Nammo of a prison ship, VTR-LX, which was carrying Alliance prisoners taken at Hoth. Ace joined Red Squadron in escorting a group of Y-wings, in the hope that they could ambush VTR-LX at Calast. They were unable to stop the prison ship, but they did track it to the penal facility, Bundil II. There, the craft was disabled and boarded by Storm Unit, ferried in the ship of the same name. Ace and Red Squadron fought off TIEs launched from Bundil II, and were able to safely cover Storm Unit and its quarry. Upon his return, Ace learned that among those rescued was Commander Kupalo, a tactical expert thought lost at Hoth.

Aeron contacted Ace and Emkay with intelligence of a stray Viper probe droid in the Saila Na system. With the reasoning that such a droid may prove useful in tracking Viraxo movements, she requested that Ace retrieve the droid, and deliver it to her. Upon reaching Saila Na, Ace was met by a hostile squadron of R-41 Starchasers, which were flying cover for the Muurian transport Pelican. Ace dispatched the fighters, and destroyed the Pelican, which was attempting to steal the probe droid. Picking up the abandoned pod, Ace jumped to Tinoon Station, a customs checkpoint. Emkay hoped that Tinoon would not look too closely at the Otana cargo, but a stroke of fortune fell upon Ace. A group of mercenaries entered the system and began attacking the station, allowing Ace to escape. He delivered the droid to Aeron on the Sabra, and returned home to the Defiance. Pleased, Aeron made him a toy probe droid as a gift, but Emon managed to break it somehow.

When Admiral Nammo was able to suitably survey Ace's findings from his earlier recon mission, he learned that the Corrupter had been heavily damaged at Hoth, ironically, trying to bar Tomaas Azzameen from leaving the planet. It had sustained heavy ion cannon fire, and was in dire need of resupply. The admiral dispatched B-wing starfighters from Green Squadron to destroy a supply convoy headed for the Corrupter, in the hopes that they would immobilize the battleship, and buy the Defiance Task Force time to escape the sector. Ace, in his first mission in a B-wing, was able to help destroy the convoy in the Bettel asteroid drift, though the frigate Monitor was able to escape to the Corrupter. The Rebels, in dogged pursuit, were able to demolish the ship before it could transfer any of its technicians to the Corrupter, effectively stranding Holtz and stemming his efforts to find the Defiance.

Nammo felt that this was the right time for the Task Force to break free of the sector. Dispatching Green Squadron to destroy the local sensor array and the accompanying control station, it was his hope that the confusion amongst the Imperials following the sensor blackout would buy them time for escape. Ace flew cover for Green Squadron in an X-wing, and allowed the B-wings to utterly pulverize the array and station. Cloak Group jammed all communications in the area, and the Defiance Task Force successfully made their escape. For his efforts during the campaign, Ace was awarded the Badge of Merit.

Transfer to the Liberty
Following the Battle of Hoth, the MC80 Star Cruiser Liberty had sustained heavy losses to its support staff. Following his excellent service on the Defiance, Ace was transferred to the Liberty, along with Commander Kupalo and several other pilots from his unit. During the transfer, the group had to make a stopover in the Belat system, where they received a panicked distress call from a nearby system. Word had spread in weeks prior of mysterious new starfighters attacking civilian convoys, and leaving virtually no survivors. Ace investigated the distress call, and discovered heavily modified TIE Fighters attacking the Xiytiar-class transport Calico. Rushing to the civilians' aid, Ace and his wingmate fought off the fighters, and identified the ship accompanying them as the Beta-class ETR-3 escort transport Suluk. As soon as the convoy was deemed safe from further attack, Ace flew to the Liberty with this intelligence.

The TIE Experimental Project
Admiral Yamarus was curious about the new TIE variants. Setting up a mock convoy of Mobquet medium transports, he hoped that the Imperials would be lured out into the open, allowing his pilots to capture several of the new variants. His ploy worked, and Kupalo dispatched Bandit Squadron to meet the TIEs. Ace, using new ion pulse warheads, was able to aid in the capture of several of the new craft, and the ETR-3s that seemed to accompany them everywhere. Upon analyzing the captured craft, the Rebels learned that the new variants were in fact remote-controlled by technicians in the ETR-3s.

While Ace was taking a short break, he was contacted by his Uncle Antan, who had concocted another plan to wreak revenge on the Viraxo. His sources claimed that K'Armyn Viraxo himself would be passing through a luxury resort orbiting Destreg II. He would be flying his Personal Luxury Yacht 3000, the Highroller, and would have little to no escort. Meeting Emon in Destreg's system, Ace waited until Viraxo entered the system. Sure enough, the Highroller exited hyperspace with a modest escort of R-41s. Rushing to engage, Ace prepared to destroy the craft, but Emkay noted that there were no lifeforms aboard. Emon, realizing that the entire situation was a trap, prepared for ambush, and, sure enough, two Muurian transports, Vembri and Tolarus, along with Raven Squadron, entered the system. Mercenaries hired to eliminate the Azzameens, the ships began swarming all over the Andrasta and the Otana. Destroying the Highroller, Emon collected the ship's steering wheel as a souvenir, and fought off the attackers long enough to escape. Ace followed suit, and upon his return, Antan apologized profusely. However, he was confident that the Viraxo would start to think twice before crossing the Azzameens.

Admiral Yamarus learned from Alliance Intelligence that some of the Experimental TIEs were being developed at Bretie Facility, over Nomlis III. With the desire to learn more about the project, he sent out Storm Unit to retrieve vital data from the installation. Ace, in Red Squadron, cleared the station's static defenses and covered Storm Unit's approach, but the situation took a turn for the worse when a group of TIE/D Defenders entered the system. Nevertheless, Red and Blue Squadrons were able to fight them off, allowing Storm Unit to return to the Liberty. The facility was destroyed, stemming the development of the fighters, and Storm Unit was able to successfully retrieve the vital datacore for examination. Lieutenant Paling, a member of Storm Unit, thanked Ace for his aid at Bretie via e-mail.

Ace was given no time to rest, however, as the Imperials launched a punitive attack on the Liberty. Yamarus and Kupalo ordered all pilots to their craft immediately, and by the time Ace had launched, the battle was raging all around the cruiser. The pilots of the Liberty were eventually able to drive off all the attackers, although they faced a new threat: TIE Bombs, kamikaze craft that attempted to ram the Liberty. Though these were also destroyed, it became apparent that there were more of these variants than had originally been thought.

Examination of the Bretie datacore showed that the TIE Experimental Project was under the control of one Director Lenzer, and the primary development was taking place at a space station called Obsidian. Yamarus wanted to cut the project off at the head before it could do any more damage, and dispatched Green Squadron, with Red Squadron as cover, to do the job. Upon reaching Obsidian, the Rebels encountered the Sardis, the master control ship for all experimental TIEs. Ace helped destroy both the Sardis and Obsidian, and was given a Group Commander Citation for his efforts.

The defection of Zaletta
Now reunited with its task force, the Liberty was able to join the war effort wholesale. Alliance Intelligence contacted Admiral Yamarus with reports of a slave convoy. Apparently the convoy was deep in Imperial territory, and the report had come from an Imperial using an antiquated Alliance code. Wary of a trap, he dispatched Ace and his wingmates in Y-wings to determine whether or not the report was true. At an unknown planet orbited by the space station Golan I, Ace identified the Sentinel-class landing craft of KDT Group, disabling the vessels with slaves on board. Fighters launched from the Imperial II Star Destroyer Goliath, but X-wings from Red Squadron were able to cover the rescue attempt. Assault Transports from Tango Group liberated the slaves, and brought them back to the Liberty. It was discovered that the slaves were in fact Bothans, who had been imprisoned for supposed crimes against the Empire. Shortly after this, Emon set Ace up on a date with former Miss Liberty Lady Blue; unfortunately, Blue perished during a recon mission in the Japai system before she could go out with Ace.

Aeron contacted Ace with a proposition: that they raid the Viraxo facility 1 and steal warheads, in turn supplying the Rebellion. Ace agreed, and, setting out in the Sabra for a change, eliminated 1's defenses, allowing former Twin Suns employees in Magnum Group to retrieve the weapons. The Viraxo's customers, traveling in Black Sun Bulk cruiser XTS-673, arrived just as Magnum Group was stealing the warheads. Launching new Supa Fighters to the Sabra, the XTS-673 moved to bombard Magnum Group. The Azzameens, however, were able to escape and deliver the warheads to the Alliance. Aeron found the Black Sun involvement curious, and decided to tell Antan.

Alliance High Command received transmissions from Imperial territory, using the same outdated codes as before. This time, they were told of a top secret research station in the Kuat system. Not sure whether or not it was a priority target, High Command ordered Yamarus to send out a recon group to determine the station's worth. Ace, along with Red Squadron, entered the Kuat system, knocking out the station's static defenses and communication capabilities. Based on data gleaned from inspection of the station, Yamarus ordered the destruction of the facility. Red Squadron were able to comply just as the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Juggernaut entered the system. Yamarus was confident that their efforts had at least stemmed critical Imperial research for a while.

Curious who this informant was, Yamarus dispatched a team to investigate. Clearing the defenses of the relay station Comm Center, Ace covered the Assassin-class corvette Python approach, and fended off TIE/sa bomber attacks from the Escort carrier Halberd. While the Python was downloading logs from the station, it received a transmission from an Imperial officer. Yamarus believed this to be the informant, and sought to investigate deeper.

When Antan heard of the raid on the relay station, he enlisted Aeron to install an Azzameen bug in the facility. She, in turn, asked Ace to pilot her to the facility. Piloting the Sabra once again, Ace discovered that the ETR-3 Minelayer had already begun replacing the station's static defenses. Clearing these, he eliminated the small patrol of Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wings, while Aeron, in a zero-G suit, planted the bug. During the operation, the Gamma-class assault shuttle Omicron entered the system, and deployed Zero-G assault stormtroopers to investigate Aeron's actions. Ace fended them off, and retrieved Aeron just as the Strike-class medium cruiser Hurricane exited hyperspace in an attempt to catch the trespassers. Ace evaded the Imperial forces, and returned to the Liberty unscathed. Antan was pleased with the fact that he would be able to keep tabs on the Viraxo, and word of the operation spread. Bothan Spynet leader Koth Melan commended Ace for his efforts via e-mail, claiming that the Bothans respected anybody with the skill to pull off a stunt like that.

The Imperial informant, one Commander Zaletta, stated his intention to defect, and supplied High Command with his location. Yamarus dispatched Red Squadron to attack the station at which Zaletta was stationed, outpost DX-11a in the Eidoloni system, in the hopes that Zaletta could safely and quietly defect during the chaos. Ace, in Red Squadron, eliminated the TIE Fighter defenses, and identified AA-23 as the shuttle carrying Zaletta. The station was destroyed, but as AA-23 rendezvoused with the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Redemption, the Imperial Immobilizer 418 cruiser Restrainer entered the system, accompanied by the Star Destroyer Subjugator. The captain of the Redemption, outraged at what seemed to be a set up, had Zaletta thrown in the brig, and called the Liberty for help, while Ace and Red Squadron fought off swarms of TIE Fighters. When the Liberty arrived, Yamarus gave the order for the Restrainer to be destroyed, which Ace aided in. The Alliance made a full retreat, though Zaletta's sincerity was sharply thrown into question.

Shortly after this, Commander Kupalo hijacked AA-23, and set off a bomb in hangar bay 2 of the Liberty. Scrambling fighters to pursue, Yamarus sent Ace and Olin Garn to capture Kupalo. He considered the recapture of AA-23 to be of top importance, due to the invaluable Imperial information it may have contained. Ace was able to subdue Kupalo after evading the traitor's homing mines, but before Storm Unit could retrieve the shuttle, the Star Destroyer Imperator entered the system, and began deploying TIEs. Ace and Olin fought them off, and Kupalo was successfully apprehended. Apparently he had been brainwashed after the Battle of Hoth into serving as a sleeper agent, deliberately sabotaging the Alliance's attempts. Zaletta was cleared of all charges, however, and integrated into the Liberty crew. Ace was awarded the Mantooine Medallion for his efforts during the defection.

Working with the Bothan Spynet
Aeron planned to raise some funds for Antan's proposed resurrection of Twin Suns. However, she knew that Antan would not want her dealing with the Alliance, and so she kept her idea secret from him, instead contacting Ace for help. She planned to raid the Viraxo facility VXO-33274, and steal vital supplies, which would be delivered to Vergesso Base, Vergesso Prime. Aeron contacted several former Twin Suns employees to aid in the operation, who rendezvoused with Ace at Bilbringi V, Bilbringi. SecForce Squadron helped Ace in fending off VXO-33274's Supa Fighter garrison, and Ace destroyed the IPV-1 System Patrol Craft Scylla, paving the way for Juno Group and Lara Group to steal containers from the facility. Aeron urged Ace and the freighters to hurry, as she knew that a Viraxo convoy would arrive soon. Sure enough, the convoy, along with Marauder-class corvette Charybdis and Gundark Squadron, entered the system, with the intent of destroying the Twin Suns craft. Fortunately, the Azzameens were able to escape, but upon reaching the Vergesso Asteroids in the Lybeya system, they were once again set upon by Black Sun fighters. Ace was able to destroy these, however, and drop Aeron off at Vergesso Base. She, in turn, sent the money earned from the mission onto the employees who had helped out, as well as to her Uncle Antan.

Commander Zaletta, hoping to further prove his innocence, informed Admiral Yamarus of a large convoy that would be heading through the Eidoloni system. Yamarus took particular note, due to the fact that the convoy would have a large escort, which tended to deem importance in the Empire. Assigning Zaletta as the new flight officer to replace Kupalo, he had Ace and a wingman investigate the convoy, to determine what it was in fact carrying. Ace found and inspected the convoy, which was completely made up of Xizor Transport Systems ships, escorted by the Furious, the Black Hawk, the Protector, and the Vanguard. Yamarus assessed the data, hypothesizing that the equipment being shipped may be for the construction of a new shipyard or base of operations for the Empire.

Shortly thereafter, Emkay received an urgent distress call from Aeron in the Vergesso Asteroids, which were under attack from a sizable Imperial force. Ace rushed to help, but was unprepared for the actual size of the attack: a portion of Death Squadron, Darth Vader's personal fleet, was present, under the command of Admiral Ledre Okins. The Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor, along with the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, and the Victory Star Destroyers Victory 1 and Victory 2 laid waste to the Rebel defenses before honing in on Vergesso Base itself. Ace skillfully slipped through Vader's fleet, and picked up Aeron, along with some of her colleagues, from the station, before once again running the gauntlet and escaping back to the Liberty.

Black Sun contacted the Bothan Spynet, tipping them off about a highly important computer core that could be found on the freighter Suprosa. In turn, Koth Melan contacted Commander Luke Skywalker, enlisting his help in capturing the ship. Skywalker, however, only had a group of Bothan pilots at his disposal, all of whom were limited in skill. Fortunately, he had one more Y-wing than he had pilots, and requested that Admiral Yamarus send a suitable pilot to fill the role. Yamarus selected Ace, due to his outstanding service in past campaigns. When the Liberty reached Bothawui, Ace set out to join Commander Skywalker and Blue Squadron, who were escorting Dash Rendar and Melan in the YT-2400 light freighter Outrider. Upon encountering the Suprosa, it seemed that the ship was relatively unarmed, and the captain asserted that he was hauling nothing but fertilizer. Skywalker, unconvinced, ordered Blue Squadron to attack, but was unprepared for the Suprosa hidden defense mechanisms. It fired a Diamond boron missile at Blue Squadron, killing almost half of the Bothan pilots.

Pressing the attack in spite of the heavy losses, Ace, Rendar, and Skywalker were able to disable the craft, allowing Rendar to board and steal the computer. He was met with heavy Imperial resistance, but was able to return to the Outrider safely. Melan, however, was unable to decrypt the device, and requested that it be taken to a facility on Kothlis for further investigation. Unfortunately for Ace and his comrades, they were pulled out of hyperspace by the Interdictor Claw, and set upon by the Victory Star Destroyer Hunter. Skywalker and Rendar engaged the fighters, while Ace and the remainder of Blue Squadron attacked the Claw, successfully driving it away, and allowing the Outrider to reach Kothlis.

While the Bothans were able to decrypt some of the Imperial protection protocols, their attempts were cut short when a group of Barabel bounty hunters attacked Koth Melan's safehouse, intent on claiming the large bounty on Skywalker's head. Melan was killed in the ensuing firefight, but he was able to dispatch his agent, Borsk Fey'lya, to take the computer and get it safely away from Kothlis. The Liberty, however, had detected a Super Star Destroyer on the edge of the system, bearing rapidly down on Kothlis, and so Admiral Yamarus ordered the evacuation of Kothlis II. Ace was charged with covering the evacuation, and when the Super Star Destroyer turned out to be the Executor, he found himself hard pressed to keep up with the seemingly endless waves of fighters. The defense platform Sentinel fell to the Executor turbolasers, while Zaletta urged the Bothans to hurry up. Fey'lya, in his own shuttle, the Fey'lya's Pride, docked with the Corvette Razor transferring the data, before fleeing to the Liberty. In turn, the Liberty and its fighters escaped the Executor just as Kothlis II was destroyed.

Unfortunately for the Alliance, the Razor was assaulted during its flight, and disabled. Ace, with Blue Squadron, picked off the Assault Gunboats that had stopped the Corvette, but the crew of the Razor were unable to make repairs before the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger entered the area. One of the crew members, however, was able to jettison with the computer in an escape pod, though no Rebel forces were able to pick him up. The civilian Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser Mercury was able to retrieve the pod, with Ace covering its escape to a rendezvous with the cruiser Independence. They had not escaped Imperial capture yet, however, and the Super Star Destroyer Executor entered into the fray, exchanging fire with the Mercury and deploying craft to stop the escape pod on its course to the Calamari Cruiser. The Executor efforts were in vain, however, as Ace picked off the TIEs and ensured the computer's safety. When the data reached Admiral Ackbar, it was determined that it was in fact plans for a new Death Star, which prompted High Command to disperse the fleet. For his efforts in securing the plans, Ace was given the Corellian Cross, and was personally thanked by Ackbar, via e-mail.

Alliance with the Smugglers
Following the Kothlis incident, the Liberty returned to the Outer Rim, in order to resupply for the inevitable attack on the new Death Star. However, the Liberty former supply station at Gal Milnor had been destroyed by Imperial forces. Admiral Yamarus believed that the only way to keep up would be to forge an alliance with a newly formed coalition of smugglers in the sector. General Lando Calrissian provided Yamarus with a contact: Dunari, owner of the profitable casino Dunari's Rest. Ace was tasked with covering a meeting between Alliance delegates and Dunari, though he had to fly his personal Z-95 Headhunter outfitted with a civilian transponder. The meeting fell under attack from both bandits and Imperials, but it was successfully defended, and the pact was secured.

One of the members of the coalition, Golov Nakhym of the Hurrim, requested that the Alliance help them in a raid on a civilian convoy near Corvalis, in the Nezni system. Yamarus dispatched Ace and Blue Squadron to help, but the operation turned sour when the Hurrim began attacking civilians wholesale, breaching their agreement with the Alliance. Thinking quickly, Ace was forced to dispatch the Hurrim Preybird-class starfighters, before disabling the civilian craft, allowing Alliance craft to board. Covering the retreat of the Alliance craft, Ace engaged TIE interceptors in a much slower Y-wing bomber, a feat that not many could emerge unscathed from. Yamarus was livid about the situation, and Dunari, in turn, ejected Nakhym from his coalition.

Dunari was apologetic, but he had more pressing matters to deal with. He contacted Ace with news on Emon, who had been captured and held at Quesna Base. Dunari had been good friends with Tomaas Azzameen during his smuggling days, and felt he owed Emon's rescue to his late partner in crime. Rapidly assembling a strike team and a plan, Dunari had a bomb planted in a pressure tank at the Imperial station Stockyard, which was then picked up by Ace in the Otana and delivered to Quesna Base. Upon delivery, it exploded, causing chaos amongst the station defenses and allowing Dunari to slip through in the Deadman's Hand and rescue Emon. Though Emon was badly beaten, Dunari's medical team at his casino helped nurse him back to health. Dunari, grateful, requested that Ace put in a good word for him with Alliance High Command.

Any recommendation that Ace could have given was soon rendered irrelevant, with the Imperial attack on Dunari's Rest. Yamarus hurriedly dispatched fighters to intercept the Imperial force, led by none other than Admiral Holtz and the Corrupter. Ace, in an X-wing, was able to fend off Gunboats and wave after wave of TIEs, allowing Dunari's staff to safely evacuate. Dunari himself personally took Emon, before the station was taken by the Imperials. It was confirmed that the Hurrim were behind the attack; as a result, Alliance High Command took it upon themselves to find Nakhym's base and destroy it.

Apparently, Nakhym had already taken advantage of the attack, and had captured several members of Calrissian's smuggling coalition. Fortunately for the Alliance, several of the smugglers had escaped from the Hurrim on the shuttle Merte, and had reached Camen Spaceport. There, they were set upon by Hurrim pursuers, and called upon Yamarus to investigate. Commander Zaletta dispatched Ace and a wingmate to defend the shuttle until it could reach the Liberty, a mission which Ace was able to complete with minimal damage. The escapees, fortunately, were able to provide Yamarus with the location of the Hurrim base, allowing the Alliance to strike back and end the threat.

By this time, Emon had fully recovered, and was jumping at the chance to get back at the Viraxo. He planned to retrieve the old Home Base's data core from an Imperial junkyard so he could research Tomaas' data on their rivals. Ace slipped into the Imperial facility Junkyard Control, where he found the container and sent Emkay out to retrieve the datacore, while Emon flew cover in the Andrasta. The Azzameens were inexplicably set upon by raiders during the operation, but it is likely that they were thugs hired by Viraxo. When Emkay had retrieved the datacore, Ace returned safely to the Liberty. Emon planned to study the datacore and find ways to get back at K'Armyn Viraxo while Ace continued his service in the Rebellion. Ace's efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was given honorary Bothan Spynet membership for his feat of stealth.

The rescued coalition members divulged the location of the Hurrim Base, and Yamarus quickly prepared to have it destroyed. Ace was sent out with Green Squadron to destroy the base's static defenses, which were built into the asteroid field surrounding it, while Red Squadron dispatched the Hurrim fighters. Nakhym's men put up more resistance, though, in the form of the Corvettes Broadside and Plank. Green Squadron tore through those, however, and prepared to disable the station. Golov Nakhym himself attempted to flee in the shuttle Lendros. Ace disabled his craft, while Jericho and Storm Unit Group moved in to seize Hurrim assets. Admiral Holtz arrived in the Corrupter to end the Rebel attack, but was beaten back by the arrival of Dunari in the Longshot. Eventually, the Corrupter was destroyed, and the Hurrim eliminated. For his efforts in the campaign against the Hurrim, Ace was awarded the Admiral of the Fleet Commendation.

Preparations at Sullust
Hungry for intelligence on the Death Star II construction site over the Forest Moon of Endor, Alliance High Command enlisted Admiral Yamarus to make contact with the Bothan Spynet. Councilor Fey'lya owed a debt to the Alliance following the liberation of Bothan slaves several months prior, and so he agreed to meet with the admiral on the Liberty. At the rendezvous, his ship, the Tal'cara, held station, while Fey'lya himself was transferred to the Liberty on the shuttle Jade. Shortly after the Jade launched, however, several squadrons of Skipray Blastboats entered the system and attacked the Tal'cara. Ace was dispatched to intercept the Blastboats, but the situation escalated when the Corvette Intruder joined the fray. Several IRD starfighters attempted to destroy Fey'lya's shuttle, but Ace was able to stop them in time. Eventually, the Intruder was critically damaged, forcing the evacuation of its crew. The Alliance picked up one of the escape pods, and questioned the occupant, who insisted that the Sullustans had ordered the attack. Concerned, Yamarus prompted an investigation, and Fey'lya was livid, but he did agree to pledge spies to investigate Endor.

Yamarus enlisted Aeron in finding the mercenary base. He thought it would be wise to use civilian craft, as he wanted the investigation to be as low-profile as possible. Aeron agreed, and had Ace fly her to the facility Cargo Station, where, according to the captured mercenary, the cruiser Redhawk would be taking on supplies. Apparently, the Redhawk was affiliated with the mercenaries, and made frequent stops at their base of operations. Downloading the Redhawk flight logs while Ace held off enemy starfighters, Aeron determined the location of the base, which Ace flew to with little fuss. Upon exiting hyperspace, however, they discovered that they were in an Imperial Weapons Testing Facility near Carida. Not only that, but five Imperial Star Destroyers were testing their turbolasers that day. Panicking, Aeron and Emkay quickly plotted a course back to Cargo Station while Ace evaded swarms of TIE Fighters. Back at the facility, Aeron downloaded the station's logs, feeding Ace new coordinates. What was at this second location, however, was even more shocking: The Azzameen Home Base, now dubbed Falcon's Nest. Aeron was both shocked and outraged, and Ace vented his anger by engaging the mercenary craft with a vengeance, but Aeron pleaded with him to return to the Liberty.

Upon his return, Admiral Yamarus planned an attack on the Home Base, hoping to recapture it for the Alliance. Emon and Aeron joined the operation, while Ace flew a B-wing, destroying the static defenses installed by the mercenaries. During the battle, Antan's ship, the Big Score was spotted fleeing the system, arousing suspicion amongst the Azzameen siblings. Storm Unit boarded the base, eliminating all resistance, but discovered that someone had wired the station to explode in the event of forced entry. Aeron hurriedly rushed to their aid, and she was able to disarm the bomb, thereby reclaiming the Azzameens' childhood home. Following this, Ace was given the Azzameen Family Crest, as he was undoubtedly the best pilot in the family.

Shortly after this, Admiral Yamarus received a distress call from Bothans trying to leave the Endor system. They had completed their recon mission for the Alliance, but had been stopped by the Imperial Star Destroyer Accuser and the Interdictor Grappler. Hidden amongst a civilian convoy, the Bothans were saved by Ace and Gold Squadron, who drove off the Interdictor. Unfortunately for the Alliance, the captain of the Accuser opened fire on the civilians, killing many of the Bothans. Some were able to escape, and brought their intelligence back to Yamarus. They had discovered that a shield generator on the forest moon protected the battle station, and that a shuttle named Tydirium had the access codes to reach said generator. Yamarus decided that the capture of Tydirium was of top priority.

The Sabra was requisitioned for Alliance use in the capture operation, and since Ace was the most experienced at flying freighters in his group, he was selected to pilot the craft. Avoiding an Imperial customs checkpoint, Ace made his way to Outpost 327 in the Zhar system, where the Tydirium was being kept. There, a Rebel commando team led by Crix Madine stole the craft, while Ace called in Rogue Squadron for backup. The ship was successfully stolen, and made ready for the inevitable infiltration mission. During Ace's absence, the Sullustans were able to prove their innocence in the mercenary debacle, and claimed that it was an Imperial machination. Fey'lya, however, was still unimpressed, but Ace was personally able to convince him otherwise. Unfortunately, the Tydirium would eventually be recaptured, but it was successfully stolen again by Wedge Antilles.

The Liberty Task Force was able to reach the Sullust staging point with little worry, but the Defiance and Independence Task Forces received no such luck. Admiral Yamarus sent Ace and Olin Garn out to help, as a part of the A-wing Gold Squadron. The Defiance was attacked by the Victory Star Destroyer Vagrant and the Carrack Cruisers Xerxes and Nexus. Ace and Gold Squadron prevented TIE Bomber squadrons from reaching the Defiance until it left the system. Following this, they raced to the Independence, which had received far more attention, in the form of the Immortal, the Protector, and the Vanguard. Ace repeated his earlier effort, allowing the flagship of the Alliance fleet to escape. Upon returning to the Liberty, he was awarded the Star of Alderaan.

Shortly before the fleet's departure for Endor, Antan contacted Ace and his siblings, telling them that he would explain his suspicious actions of the past few months. Ace and Aeron journeyed to the Home Base, where Antan explained that it was he who had hired the mercenaries to attack the Bothans, on orders from the Empire. He claimed that Tomaas and Galin were still alive, and that they would have been turned over to him, had Ace, Aeron, and Emon not reclaimed the Home Base and driven off the mercenaries. Emon was highly skeptical, but Aeron decided to give Antan another chance. He led them to Kessel Station, where Tomaas and Galin were supposedly being held. Ace docked with the station, allowing Aeron to board and investigate, but as he did this, the Star Destroyer Devastator entered the system, demanding the arrest of all Azzameen craft. Antan had set his nephews and niece up, much to the rage of Emon. Panicking, Emkay scrambled to find an exit vector, which would be hard to do with all the black holes in the area, but one was provided by Dunari, who turned up in the Deadman's Hand just in time. He guided Ace and Emon through an asteroid field and past the station Outpost AS-27, which allowed them to return to the Liberty.

Battle of Endor
The Alliance fleet finally attacked Endor, where, luckily enough, Galactic Emperor Palpatine was inspecting the Death Star II. Ace, along with Emkay, served on the Millennium Falcon in an unknown capacity during the battle, where he saw his former home, the Liberty, destroyed by the Empire's new superweapon. General Calrissian, pilot of the Falcon, personally fired the shots that destroyed the second Death Star, striking a major blow against the Empire. As the Liberty was destroyed by the Death Star II during the critical stages of the battle, Ace was transferred to the Independence. For his efforts during the battle, Ace was awarded the Battle of Endor Hero's Medal.

Personality and traits
Ace Azzameen was an extremely skilled pilot, flying in many of the Alliance's key battles during 3 ABY, one of the most grueling years of the Galactic Civil War. He was able to adapt to almost any situation, sometimes using a certain type of craft in an unorthodox fashion for exemplary results. His piloting skills were twofold: He was both proficient in the use of a starfighter, be it bomber or superiority fighter, and he was a skilled freighter pilot, which would work to the Alliance's advantage on several occasions. Ace's piloting skills did not go unrecognized, as he received no less than seven medals and commendations over the course of a single standard year.

Ace's piloting skills were not limited to combat, however. He was also proficient at covert operations, something that was noticed by the Bothan Spynet. They granted him honorary membership, which was rare for non-Bothans. These skills were also employed by the Alliance during the theft of Tydirium, and by his siblings on numerous occasions. Ace's savvy in such matters not only benefited him behind the control stick of a starship, but behind the conference table. Although only a mere pilot, Ace was able to use his footing in the elite Bothan group to convince Councilor Borsk Fey'lya (a feat accomplished by few) of the Sullustans' innocence in an attack on his shuttle.

A sociable person, Ace remained in constant contact with family and friends via e-mail. He always liked to know where his kin were at any given time, though they were not always willing to divulge. His love life, on the other hand, turned sour, when his unnamed girlfriend left him due to his affiliation. In spite of this, Ace did try and begin a relationship with Lady Blue, although she was killed before their first date.

Ace held family above all, a value he demonstrated time and time again. He was eager to help his father out with the family business, and would always help out his kin in times of need. Indeed, his siblings and uncle knew that he was someone they could turn too if they needed an exceptionally gifted pilot, and they never hesitated to call for his assistance. Although Ace held his family in high regard, he never compromised the Alliance, despite requests from Antan.

One of Ace's foibles was his tendency to collect "souvenirs", be they scrap metal from a kill or gifts from someone he had saved or helped out. Ace kept all these trinkets in his room aboard the Otana, which he kept following Tomaas' death at Hospital. He also purchased Bandit, a Z-95 Headhunter, in which he kept a Stormtrooper helmet. He was able to fly the Z-95 several times for the Alliance, but he would use the Otana more often than not.

Behind the scenes
Ace Azzameen was created by David Wessman for Lawrence Holland's Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance. Ace is the player character in the game, and as such, he is rarely seen, and his voice is never heard. Ace's figure (composed of 3d polygons) can be visible while in the external flight view, and if the player rotates the "camera" accordingly; this, provided that visual effects such as transparency are enabled (if not, the cockpit shielding will appear as an opaque black)

The missions in Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance have no concrete canonical representation, as they are, for the most part, free-form, and can be completed in any number of ways. Due to this, Ace's precise actions during each mission are ambiguous. However, the CD packaged with Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide does contain videos of the recommended path or completion.

The character of Ace Azzameen went unreferenced in any other Star Wars media until 2002's The New Essential Guide to Characters. Later, 2007's Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections created a continuity error surrounding his theft of the Tydirium. He was additionally referenced in the 2008 expansion of the Star Wars PocketModel TCG&mdash;titled Scum & Villainy&mdash;when his Z-95 Headhunter was represented as a miniature.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novelization