L'ulo L'ampar

"I reviewed the after-action reports&mdash;you escalated the situation. You completely blew off the rules of engagement. You fired first. You gave the First Order an excuse to attack us.''" "Absolutely. And I'd do it again. We both know that's where thing are headed. Every TIE fighter we destroy now is one less that can attack us when things really get hot. We have to fight them every chance we get!" "What do you think this is, L'ulo? I'm the best. And you're the best, too. We're all the best. One on one, no First Order pilot can come close to us. Bang bang, boom boom, we win. But the thing is, if we give them a reason to attack us before we're ready, it won't be one on one. It'll be a hundred to one. A thousand. That's why General Organa had me put Black Squadron Together. It's our job to find the things we'll need to beat them when things do go hot, and to help the New Republic understand that they're a real threat. Because you're right, L'ulo&mdash;it is just a matter of time. The clock is ticking. Let's not speed it up'', eh?"

- Poe Dameron and L'ulo

L'ulo was a male Duros who served as a lieutenant (and later captain) in the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. He fought against the Galactic Empire in the Battle of Endor as a pilot of Green Squadron, a group of A-wing interceptors. Originally flying as Green Two, L'ulo was made Green Squadron commander when Green Leader Arvel Crynyd was killed in a suicide run to destroy the Super Star Destroyer Executor. Soon after, the Alliance won the battle and celebrated their victory on the forest moon below.

Despite the Alliance's triumph at Endor, the Empire was not defeated. In the following days and months, L'ulo led Green Squadron in numerous Rebel missions, including the liberation of Cawa City. During this time, L'ulo formed a close friendship with Shara Bey, a Green Squadron pilot. Concerned that Bey was not spending enough time with her family, L'ulo implored her to leave the Rebellion. Three months after the Battle of Endor, Bey gave in to L'ulo's advice, settling into a new home on Yavin 4 with her husband, Kes Dameron. In the time that followed, L'ulo maintained a close relationship with Bey, and he acted as an uncle figure to her son, Poe.

Over the next three decades, the Empire reorganized into the First Order, so former-Rebellion leader Leia Organa created the Resistance, a military group to oppose them and protect the New Republic. L'ulo joined the Resistance's Starfighter Corps, and he was personally selected by Poe Dameron to join Black Squadron. The squadron was tasked with finding Lor San Tekka, an explorer who was believed to know the location of Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi. Black Squadron began their search on the planet Ovanis, where they encountered the native Crèche, as well as Terex, an agent of the First Order Security Bureau who was also seeking Tekka. From Ovanis, L'ulo and Black Squadron traced Tekka to Megalox Beta, a privately owned prison, where they liberated Grakkus the Hutt for additional information on Tekka's whereabouts.

Battle of Endor
"Green Four, nice flying.''" "Thank you, Green Two." "I heard they're shuttling personnel down to the moon. To celebrate." "That is correct. I take it you'd like to join them?" "''You're acting group commander now, so&hellip;yes, sir."

- L'ulo and Shara Bey, following the battle

During the Galactic Civil War, the galaxy-wide conflict between the Galactic Empire and Alliance to Restore the Republic, L'ulo, a male Duros was a lieutenant in the Alliance, serving as an A-wing pilot in Green Squadron under the command of Green Leader Arvel Crynyd. When the Rebel Alliance discovered Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine would be aboard the Death Star II to oversee its construction, Alliance High Command determined that launching an immediate attack on the space station would be their only chance of crippling the Empire.

L'ulo, flying as Green Two alongside the rest of Green Squadron and the Alliance Fleet, exited hyperspace above the forest moon of Endor, approaching the superweapon. The Pathfinders, Alliance military specialists, had been tasked with disabling the Death Star's shield by destroying its generator on the moon's surface, but when the Rebel Fleet arrived, the shield was still up and&mdash;previously unknown to the Rebellion leaders&mdash;the superweapon was fully operational. Quickly realizing that it was a trap set up by the Empire but unable to escape, Rebel fighters engaged the Imperial forces, trying to buy more time for the Pathfinders. Along with Crynyd and a portion of Green Squadron, L'ulo attacked the Executor, an Executor-class Star Dreadnought and the mightiest ship in the Imperial Navy. The attack brought down the Executor's shields, and Crynyd, seeing a chance to even the odds, sacrificed himself in a suicide run to destroy the capital ship's bridge, giving a field promotion to L'ulo. Soon after, the Pathfinders succeeded in lowering the Death Star's shield, giving Gold Leader Lando Calrissian and Red Leader Wedge Antilles an opportunity to destroy the station. Succeeding in their mission, the Alliance Fleet regrouped and began shuttling pilots to the forest moon to celebrate with the Pathfinders and local Ewok population.

Despite their victory, General Crix Madine was wary of an Imperial counter-attack, causing some pilots to remain with their starfighters. When L'ulo was approached by Green Four Shara Bey, she inquired if she could join the festivities. L'ulo, knowing she was concerned about her Pathfinder husband, Kes Dameron, granted her permission to join the celebration. The following morning, Rebel intelligence discovered transmissions from an Imperial holdout on the far side of the moon. Not wanting to leave unfinished business, General Han Solo held a briefing in Bright Tree Village, for which L'ulo was present. Informed of their new mission, the troops, led by Solo and the Pathfinders, launched an assault on the outpost. With aid from the Ewoks, the Rebels defeated the remaining Imperials, only to discover Imperial data and communications confirming that the war was not yet over.

The fight continues
"Not the news any one of us wanted to hear, I think.''" "No, it really wasn't, L'ulo. You ever think that this is never going to end?" "Ah, Shara, you can't think that way. Otherwise we're just fighting'' for the sake of the fight, right?"

- L'ulo and Shara Bey

Seventeen days after the Battle of Endor, L'ulo, commanding Green Squadron and serving alongside the BTL Y-wing starfighters of Feral Group, engaged Imperial TIE fighters to liberate Cawa City, the capitol city of the planet Sterdic IV. The city, which was home to a number of Duros citizens, was dominated by Imperial forces, reasserting that they would not end their fight against the Alliance. During the battle, Bey, now flying as Green Two, assisted L'ulo by flying between the legs of an All Terrain Armored Transport to pick off a pursuing TIE fighter. Shortly after, when Bey's A-wing became damaged and started leaking coolant, L'ulo returned the favor and downed her attacker. Once Bey was safe, L'ulo ordered Feral Leader to issue an attack run on the AT-AT. In response, Y-wing pilots Feral Two and Feral Three dropped explosive clusters, which magnetized to the walker and destroyed it, ending the conflict.

After the battle, while Bey was consulting Rebel technician Wiley about the damages to her A-wing, L'ulo approached her. Bringing up her previous and current roles within the fleet, L'ulo told her that she was working too hard, and that she should spend time with her husband, Kes Dameron, and her son, Poe. When Bey replied that Dameron was on a Pathfinder operation with General Solo, L'ulo reassured her that her husband would be fine. Deciding to keep Bey occupied during Dameron's absence, the lieutenant said he would try find some light work to keep her busy for the next few days.

In the following two months, L'ulo continued to serve the Rebel Fleet in preventing innocent worlds from Imperial attack, receiving a promotion to captain. When Admiral Gial Ackbar and General Madine called a meeting and said the war did not have a foreseeable end, L'ulo confronted Bey again. L'ulo, who learned Dameron had submitted resignation paperwork, took the liberty of submitting Bey's as well, telling her that she'd done more than expected and that she had a family to look after. Bey heeded L'ulo's advice, settling into a Yavin 4 colony with her husband. Soon after, the Rebellion formally became the New Republic, and the Galactic Civil War ended less than a year later with the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Jakku and the signing of the Galactic Concordance. In the following years, L'ulo maintained a personal friendship with Bey and Dameron, and he acted as an uncle figure for their son, Poe. Prior to Bey's death five years after the war's end, she honored L'ulo through the L'ulo Stand, a flight maneuver she taught to her son at their Yavin 4 home.

Forming Black Squadron
"You are my team, you are my friends. We are Black Squadron&hellip;and it's an honor."

- Poe Dameron, forming Black Squadron

Over the next three decades, remnants of the Empire reorganized into the First Order. Believing the First Order to be a threat to the Republic, Leia Organa, a war hero of the Rebellion, created the Resistance to oppose them. L'ulo joined Organa's Resistance, offering his piloting skills to its Starfighter Corps. Bey's son Dameron also joined, becoming recognized as the Resistance's best, most daring pilot.

Soon after Dameron joined, he underwent missions allowing the Resistance to intercept intelligence claiming that Luke Skywalker, Organa's exiled brother and the last Jedi in the galaxy, was being searched for by the First Order. Desperate to find him before anyone else, Organa tasked Dameron to find Lor San Tekka, an explorer believed to know Skywalker's whereabouts. Although trouble was unlikely, Organa authorized Dameron to select a squadron of four pilots and a technician. Choosing friends whom he could trust, Dameron recruited L'ulo, along with technician Oddy Muva and T-70 X-wing pilots Temmin Wexley, Karé Kun, and Jessika Pava, to form Black Squadron. Dameron informed the group that they would be departing on a mission, but, to L'ulo's disapproval, the purpose of their mission was classified.

Mission to the Crèche
"Let me try another pass.''" "Another pass? If it didn't work the first time, what makes you think&mdash;L'ulo! What did you do?" "''Finger slipped. But hey, good news. It worked."

- L'ulo and Temmin Wexley, as L'ulo "accidentally" fires upon the enemy

Black Squadron departed from the secret Resistance base on D'Qar, travelling to Ovanis, an uneven mountainous world where Tekka was last seen. Leaving the rest of his squadron flying above the surface, Dameron flew his X-wing, Black One, into a twisting, narrow artificial cavern, where he landed, finding a seemingly deserted settlement and a large, radiating egg. Dameron reported his findings to Wexley, who asked if there was anywhere to land. Dameron suggested that they should not follow, saying that they should have enough fuel to remain in the air. Immediately after, Black Squadron lost contact with Dameron, and a moment before L'ulo entered the cavern to find him, the transmission was restored. Dameron reported that he was fine, but he found a tracker on his ship, and the First Order was likely to arrive soon. However, Dameron's fears were already fulfilled, as Kun spotted a First Order transport loaded with two Atmospheric Assault Landers, eight TIE/fo space superiority fighters, and numerous jetpack-wearing stormtroopers above the cavern's entrance.

Soon after a group of stormtroopers entered the cavern, Wexley was again contacted by Dameron, who requested that Black Squadron provide him with "leverage." Pava was incredulous of Dameron's order, but L'ulo supported it, saying that Dameron trusted the squadron to figure out the situation, which was better than giving them uninformed orders. Kun agreed with L'ulo's argument, and she suggested destroying the First Order platform stationed above the cave; however, Wexley dismissed Kun's plan, saying that they need to take the platform to land and refuel. Since Black Squadron was not to engage enemy forces unless they attack first, Pava suggested that they prompt the TIEs to attack. Kun approved of Pava's plan, but was wary of the danger, since the TIEs were faster and more maneuverable than X-wings. L'ulo, reminding Kun that he was not piloting an X-wing, volunteered to aggravate the First Order forces with his A-wing.

Flying low and cheering, L'ulo flew past the enemy platform without hesitation. The TIE pilots were unresponsive, so L'ulo concluded that they too were under orders not to engage. L'ulo wished to try another pass, so he again flew low to the platform, although this time he strafed the transport under the premise that his "finger slipped" on the trigger. The TIE pilots quickly responded to the attack, allowing Black Squadron to engage. The TIE fighters were swiftly eliminated, but before L'ulo could land on the platform, it exploded, leading L'ulo to believe his volley was a little too intense. The burning transport crashed over the cavern's entrance and sealed Dameron inside with First Order troops, but Wexley was confident that Dameron would be fine. However, despite Black Squadron seemingly having the upper hand, dozens of TIE fighters arrived from orbit, continuing the fight.

Pava noted that Black Squadron was outnumbered five to one, and she suggested that they remove themselves from the fight. L'ulo agreed, also adding that Dameron might be able to assist if given more time. Deciding on a plan, Wexley commanded Black Squadron to split up, fly into the rocky canyons, and even the odds if possible. However, when Pava's fighter received damage, Wexley realized that they needed to get back into the open air. L'ulo skeptically asked how that would improve their chances, to which Wexley said they could fight the enemy together.

Acknowledging Wexley's order, L'ulo and the rest of Black Squadron flew out of the canyons and resumed the dogfight. As their fighters were running dangerously low on fuel, Dameron contacted the squadron again, warning them that something was heading their way. As Dameron spoke, two gigantic, winged entities (born from the egg Dameron mentioned earlier) broke through the ground, locked in a fight. As the creatures fought, Wexley commanded Black Squadron to enter the newly-formed hole and land at the outpost inside.

Grounded inside the cavern and reunited with Dameron, the members of Black Squadron and the Crèche&mdash;the cavern's religious residents&mdash;rounded up the First Order troops and their leader, Agent Terex. The agent remarked that taking him prisoner would provide the First Order justification to attack the New Republic, so Dameron consulted with L'ulo, Wexley, and the Crèche's religious elder on what to do with the Security Bureau officer. L'ulo suggested refueling and destroying Terex's cruiser, leaving the agent with the Crèche, although Dameron turned down the idea, saying the First Order would send another cruiser, or even a Star Destroyer, to search for Terex. Stumped, Wexley scoffed that they should let the agent go, but the Crèche elder agreed, saying Terex could no longer hurt them. Dameron concurred, and he told the news to Terex. Once refueled and in the planet's orbit, Dameron told his team that the Crèche provided him with a lead on Lor San Tekka's whereabouts: prison.

Visiting Grakkus
"Turns out our man Lor went to see someone named Grakkus the Hutt. He's a collector&mdash;very into all sorts of Force-related things. Jedi stuff. Or he was, anyway. He's been in prison since the days of the Empire. A really nasty prison&hellip;for really nasty people."

- Dameron, informing Black Squadron of their new destination

L'ulo and the rest of Black Squadron returned to the Resistance base on D'Qar, where they drank and celebrated their victory. The Duros enjoyed his drink, telling Dameron how much he had needed it and that fighting off the First Order was a proper cause for celebration. Dameron, who had reviewed the after-action reports and learned of L'ulo escalating the fight, told the Duros that he had broken the rules of engagement and gave the First Order a reason to attack. However, L'ulo held to his actions, telling Dameron that war was inevitable, and that every fighter they destroyed was one less that would attack them when the fight truly began. Dameron argued L'ulo's statement, saying that while Black Squadron was stronger than enemy forces, the Resistance was not, and giving the First Order justification for an attack would set the Resistance against one-to-one-thousand odds. Dameron added that L'ulo was right&mdash;war was inevitable&mdash;but they were not yet ready, and they had to gather the needed resources before time ran out.

As the festivities settled, Black Squadron was addressed by Dameron, who told them of their next mission: visit a prison on Megalox Beta to speak with the Hutt Grakkus, a prisoner who collected relics relating to the Force, and the individual whom Tekka had visited following his stay with the Crèche. Black Squadron embarked on their trip, contacting Luta, the prison's warden, and making arrangements to see the Hutt. Once the squadron arrived in the space station operating the prison, Luta explained the dangerous nature of the place&mdash;prisoners were sent to the planet's surface, which had a gravitational pull ten times standard; the prisoners were left unguarded in a shielded area, and the planet's gravity would crush them if they attempted to leave.

L'ulo and the rest of Black Squadron boarded a ferry to the surface, escorted by prison guards who would show them to Grakkus. Once they landed, a guard warned them to remain attentive, as some prisoners had blasters or other weapons. L'ulo inquired further, and the guard explained that some prisoners salvaged blasters from incidents with other guards. The guard told the group that Grakkus resided in a fortress at the center of the enclosure, and he then sealed the internal door with Black Squadron on the outside. Dameron demanded to know the reason the guards were no longer honoring the agreement to escort them, and the guard commented that someone else had paid them more to remain inside.

As the prisoners prepared for the external door to open, Pava quickly activated canisters of gas and told her comrades to put on their breath masks. The door opened, and Black Squadron fended off the prisoners, making their way to Grakkus' place while trailed by assailants. Once there, the prisoners stopped chasing them, and the building's gates opened. The Resistance pilots entered and were surrounded by the Grakks, a group of cybernetically-enhanced Hutts, with their leader, Grakkus, in front to greet them. The Grakks picked up L'ulo and the other pilots, and Grakkus requested that the guests remain civil while Dameron entered his home, leaving the rest of Black Squadron to wait outside.

After waiting for a time, L'ulo sat next to Kun and asked what was taking Dameron so long. When L'ulo questioned if they should enter Grakkus' fortress and check on him, Pava said that without blasters they only had two options: leave and face the mob outside, or stay put and trust Dameron. As Pava finished making her points, Wexley spotted the entrance to the building opening up, and Terex stepped out, greeting the pilots. Pava questioned how the agent knew to visit Grakkus, and L'ulo added that Terex not only arrived in the right place, but he also beat them there. Speaking Huttese, Terex ordered the Grakks to open the gates, and he walked through the criminal mob, which parted for him. As Wexley incredulously asked who Terex was, Dameron exited the building, answering that Terex was trouble. L'ulo asked Dameron what the First Order was doing on Megalox Beta, and Dameron revealed that they too came searching for Tekka. Dameron further explained that Grakkus knew where Tekka was, and the Hutt would give the information to whoever could break him out of prison first.

Dameron contacted his astromech droid, BB-8, and told the droid to begin Operation Upside, a plan which involved the four astromech droids of Black Squadron (BB-8, R2-HA, O-R10N, and R4) to alter the controls aboard the Megalox space station and help the Resistance members free Grakkus. However, after Black Squadron had gone for hours without hearing from the droids, the crowd of prisoners outside Grakkus' walls attacked the gate, breaking into the enclosure. L'ulo and the rest of Black Squadron were quickly outnumbered, so Dameron told his squadron to retreat into Grakkus' fortress and wait out the attack. As Dameron spoke, he and L'ulo saw that Grakkus had already retreated into his home, closing the large, guarded doors behind him. L'ulo asked Dameron what they could do instead, and Dameron told the Duros to survive.

Fending off the attackers, L'ulo and the rest of Black Squadron retreated to the gates of Grakkus' fortress. Yelling through the metal door, L'ulo addressed Grakkus, calling him a "slug" and demanding to be let inside. In an attempt to reason with Grakkus, L'ulo added that if Black Squadron and himself were killed, the Hutt would not be able to escape Megalox. Grakkus replied that while L'ulo's argument was compelling, he would be freed regardless, reminding the Duros that Terex would still be available for the job.

As the prisoners overwhelmed the Resistance fighters, Dameron received a message from BB-8, informing him that Operation Upside was ready. Upon Dameron's word, L'ulo, and the others quickly activated their gravity belts, shortly before BB-8, R4, and R2-HA overrode the space station's controls and disabled the gravity field. The belts kept Black Squadron from being crushed by the planet's full gravity, while the prisoners, Grakks, and Terex were all pinned to the ground. L'ulo remarked his surprise, and Dameron said he knew it would work, also telling the Duros to retrieve guns for them.

Fully armed, Black Squadron shot down the door to Grakkus' fortress. Dameron approached the Hutt and offered him a gravity belt. Accompanied by Grakkus, Black Squadron returned to the orbiting station, where they found a shuttle for the Hutt. Back in their starships, Black Squadron began escorting Grakkus' shuttle, and BB-8 returned the station's control to Luta. However, before L'ulo and the squadron entered hyperspace, the Megalox station was destroyed by the Carrion Spike, Terex's ship. The station launched escape pods, and when the Carrion Spike began attacking them, Dameron ordered Black Squadron to engage the ship. L'ulo and the other Resistance pilots quickly overpowered Terex's ship, and it jumped to lightspeed. With Terex gone and the escape shuttles safe, Black Squadron left the Megalox system, and Grakkus kept his deal, giving the data on Tekka to Dameron.

Personality and traits
"For a pilot who just helped liberate Cawa City, that's a mighty long face.''" "This coming from a Duros." "I would have you know that my face is considered quite short for one of my people." "And devilishly handsome, too, I'm sure, L'ulo." "''That as well."

- L'ulo and Bey

A male, green-skinned Duros who stood over 1.88 meters tall, L'ulo had red eyes and a relatively short&mdash;allegedly handsome&mdash;face. He placed an importance on making family a priority, often confronting Bey and asking her to spend time talking to her husband and son. Although L'ulo worried for Bey, he had a lighthearted nature, often making jokes in serious situations. L'ulo kept a in contact with Bey's family, and he was like an uncle to the young Poe Dameron. During his service to the Resistance three decades later, L'ulo was recruited by Dameron for a mission; upon hearing the manner of the mission was classified, he scoffed, saying that Organa still did not trust him, despite serving with her for decades. In response to L'ulo's statement, Kun called him an old-timer, joking that he was lucky to be flying at all.

L'ulo believed that a war against the First Order was inevitable, so during Black Squadron's first mission, he broke the rules of engagement and fired upon the enemy fighters. Following the mission, Dameron confronted L'ulo about his actions, but the Duros refused to apologize, arguing that a fighter destroyed then was one less to worry about later.

Skills and abilities
L'ulo was one of the best pilots in the Rebellion, and he flew an A-wing interceptor through numerous Alliance campaigns following the Battle of Endor, during which he became Green Leader. An atmospheric flight maneuver called the L'ulo Stand was named in his honor, which only two other pilots, Bey and her son, Dameron, were able to complete. Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, Dameron, who was recognized as the best pilot in the Resistance, completed an improvised version of a L'ulo Stand in the vacuum of space, during a skirmish against numerous forces of the First Order. Less than a year later, Dameron personally requested L'ulo's participation in Black Squadron, ranking the Duros among the best pilots of the Resistance.

Equipment
"Good thing we're not all flying X-wings, then, isn't it?"

- L'ulo, offering his A-wing's maneuverability

As a pilot of the Rebellion and Resistance, L'ulo wore a green flight suit and helmet while operating an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor, a single-pilot starfighter manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering. L'ulo was the sole member of Black Squadron to not pilot an X-wing, and the diversity showed its usefulness against the maneuverability of the First Order's TIE fighters. L'ulo was also capable with a blaster rifle, and he used one to fend off assailants at the Megalox prison.

Behind the scenes
"L'ulo was like Poe's uncle growing up&mdash;his green, red-eyed uncle. Everyone's got one of those, right?"

- Charles Soule

L'ulo was introduced in Shattered Empire, Part I, a comic book written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Marco Checchetto, and published September 9, 2015 by Marvel Comics as a part of Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In Star Wars: Shattered Empire, L'ulo is a supporting character, while the comic's protagonist, Shara Bey, is an A-wing pilot who flies second to him. The inclusion of A-wing pilots as primary characters was made by Rucka, whose favorite movie starfighter is the A-wing.

On December 18, 2015, Before the Awakening, a junior novel written by Rucka, was published by Disney–Lucasfilm Press as a tie-in to Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. In a segment centered on Poe Dameron, the novel references L'ulo, although the character's name is misspelled as "L'ullo." On April 6, 2016, L'ulo was featured in the first issue of Star Wars: Poe Dameron, an ongoing Marvel comic series written by Charles Soule and illustrated by Phil Noto. In the comic's first story arc, Black Squadron, L'ulo appears as a supporting character. When asked about the relationship between L'ulo and Dameron, Soule stated L'ulo was like an unorthodox uncle to Dameron, comparing the character to memorable relatives at Thanksgiving reunions.

Appearances

 * Shattered Empire, Part I
 * Shattered Empire, Part II
 * Shattered Empire, Part IV
 * Before the Awakening
 * Poe Dameron 1: Black Squadron, Part I
 * Poe Dameron 2: Black Squadron, Part II
 * Poe Dameron 3: Black Squadron, Part III
 * Poe Dameron 4: Lockdown, Part I
 * Poe Dameron 5: Lockdown, Part II
 * Poe Dameron 6: Lockdown, Part III