Jace Malcom

"We must fight&mdash;to victory, or death&mdash;for the Republic!"

- The trooper during the Battle of Alderaan

A Human male Republic trooper served in the Special Forces division of the Republic Army during the Great Galactic War. He was a commander of Havoc Squad, an elite force of Republic troopers dedicated to fighting the reconstituted Sith Empire and its aggressions against the Galactic Republic. At the height of the war, Havoc Squad was stationed on the Core World of Alderaan while the bulk of the Republic Navy was elsewhere in the galaxy, combating the Sith. While he was stationed on the planet, the trooper and his squad were swept up in the Battle of Alderaan, a massive Imperial invasion of the tranquil world. As the Sith forces led by Darth Malgus ravaged the planet, the trooper and his comrades took to the forests of Alderaan to wage a guerrilla campaign against the Imperials.

While Darth Malgus led his army toward the Alderaanian capital city, the trooper and Havoc Squad positioned themselves to ambush the Sith Lord and halt his advance. In a pitched battle in the forests outside of the capital, much of Havoc Squad was killed. The trooper was nearly executed, but was saved by the timely arrival of a Jedi. Together, the two defeated Malgus while Havoc Squad routed the remaining Imperial forces, saving Alderaan from destruction by the Sith.

Biography
"For centuries, Alderaan stood as a beacon of hope in the Republic. But the Empire came, and with one savage strike, brought Alderaan to her knees. Now, time is running out as few are left to face the enemy."

- The trooper

During the Great Galactic War, a Human male was a member of the Republic Army's Special Forces division. The man was enrolled as a Republic trooper of Havoc Squad, an elite Special Forces unit that he commanded. At the height of the Great War, the trooper and his squad-mates were stationed on the tranquil Core World of Alderaan &mdash;a planet seen by many as the embodiment of Republic ideals. That reputation made Alderaan a military target for the reconstituted Sith Empire, which hoped to destroy the world and capitalize on the damage it would cause to Republic morale.

While the trooper and the rest of Havoc Squad remained on Alderaan's surface alongside other Republic ground forces, the Republic Navy was called away from the planet in response to a diversionary feint set up by the Sith Lord Darth Malgus. While the planet's naval defenses were occupied elsewhere in the galaxy, Alderaan was besieged by a massive Imperial invasion. Led by Malgus, the Sith obliterated the local defenses and seized the world. Despite their initial success, the Sith forces were unaware that the Republic forces stationed on the world had fled into Alderaan's forests and mountains to launch a guerrilla campaign against the Imperial advance.

The trooper and Havoc Squad positioned themselves on a ridge outside of Alderaan's capital in hopes of preventing the Sith attack on the city. While Darth Malgus led his forces in a march toward the city, the trooper ambushed him, firing on the Sith's columns of war droids and soldiers with a hand-held blaster cannon. He and the rest of Havoc Squad proceeded to jump from the ridge down into the fray of battle, where they engaged a number of Sith Warriors and their troops. The trooper destroyed several more war droids before taking aim at Darth Malgus, who was able to deflect several of the cannon shots before being engulfed in the flames from one of the trooper's projectiles. Seeing that Malgus survived the blast, the trooper rushed the Sith Lord to finish him off while avoiding the attacks of several Sith who attempted to intercept him. However, upon nearing Malgus, the Sith Lord assaulted the trooper with Force lightning before throwing him back across the battlefield.

The trooper was rendered unconscious by the attack, and upon awakening, found himself at the mercy of two Sith as he watched his comrades being slaughtered by Malgus and his forces. The two Sith dragged the trooper to a third who prepared to execute the helpless soldier via lightsaber, but the three were instead thrown from the trooper by a repulsive blast from the Force, delivered by a Jedi. The Jedi's timely arrival saved the trooper and allowed him to rejoin the fighting against the remaining Sith forces while she continued onwards to engage Malgus. The trooper was provided with a blaster rifle from one of his fellow soldiers, and together they returned to the battlefield to destroy what remained of the Imperial army. He later realized that Darth Malgus had gained the upper hand in his duel against the Jedi who had saved him, and so rushed to aid her. The trooper tackled Malgus, and while they grappled, he activated a grenade. The blast threw the two combatants away from one another and grievously wounded both. The trooper himself was greatly scarred across his face as a result of his action.

The trooper was again rendered unconscious, awakening only after the battle had come to a close. Upon discovering that Malgus and his forces had been defeated, the trooper fired a signal flare into the sky to indicate victory. The flare was matched by dozens of others fired by victorious Republic forces across the Alderaanian landscape, signaling the Empire's defeat on Alderaan.

Personality and traits
"While the sacrifices are heavy, we fight knowing that a single spark of courage can ignite the fires of hope, and restore peace across the galaxy."

- The Republic trooper

The trooper displayed courage during the Battle of Alderaan, directly engaging the Sith forces despite his own forces being vastly outnumbered. He led the charge against Malgus's troops, leaping from atop a high ridge directly into the heat of battle with the Sith. Throughout the battle he gunned for Malgus himself, and charged headlong into battle against the enemy commander several times. During his first attack, the commander was assaulted by a barrage of Force lightning but managed to withstand its effects for a period of time while continuing to approach the Sith Lord. In the second instance, the trooper activated a grenade while still holding it in his hand, nearly killing himself in order to successfully wound Darth Malgus.

In addition to moderate facial hair, he sported several facial scars prior to the Battle of Alderaan. After the conclusion of the conflict, the right side of his face was heavily disfigured as a result of the close quarters explosion from his grenade and the impact he suffered after being thrown by the force of the blast.

The trooper was extremely loyal to the Republic, and was willing to give his life to defend his government. He believed that, despite the strength of the enemy, hope for peace could be restored to the Republic and the galaxy through simple acts of courage in the face of those overwhelming odds.

Equipment
The trooper was outfitted with the standard armor of a Republic trooper during the battle on Alderaan. The armor was adorned with orange markings common to Republic forces at the time and sported the insignia of Havoc Squad, but unlike his fellow squad members, the trooper did not make use of his helmet. He kept a combat knife in a sheath on his chest and in battle he wielded a portable blaster cannon. The trooper also made use of grenades and signal flares during the battle.

Behind the scenes
This trooper's only appearance to date is Hope, the second cinematic trailer for the upcoming video game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. In Hope, the trooper serves as the narrator, explaining events on Alderaan prior to the skirmish featured in the trailer. The character's name is not revealed in Hope.

Appearances

 * Hope