Tarn Mison

Tarn Mison was a former Imperial pilot who defected to the Rebel Alliance in the wake of the Battle of Yavin. By 3 ABY, Mison was stationed at the Rebellion's headquarters of Echo Base on the ice planet Hoth. After serving as Tycho Celchu's gunner on board the Rogue Five snowspeeder at the Battle of Hoth, Mison was among a group of six Rebel pilots who flew X-wing starfighter escort for the GR-75 medium transport Bright Hope through the Imperial naval blockade in Hoth's orbit. Despite Mison's and his group's efforts, the Bright Hope failed to escape destruction during its blockade run.

Biography
Tarn Mison was an Imperial pilot of the Galactic Empire until joining the revolutionary Alliance to Restore the Republic shortly following the destruction of the first Death Star at the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. For a time, Mison served the Rebellion at Massassi Station on the moon of Yavin 4.

As a lieutenant, Mison earned an assignment to the Alliance High Command headquarters of Echo Base on the ice planet Hoth by 3 ABY, where he was passing through the facility's main transport hangar as Captain Shawn Valdez issued orders regarding the base's evacuation procedure to his subordinates in the face of imminent Imperial invasion just prior to the Battle of Hoth. After flying with Tycho Celchu in the battle, Mison, along with Wedge Antilles, Derek "Hobbie" Klivian, and Wes Janson, was one of six Rebel pilots who flew T-65 X-wing starfighter escort for the GR-75 medium transport Bright Hope, the final Rebel evacuation transport to depart the besieged Echo Base.

However, Mison's escort failed to see the Bright Hope through the Imperial blockade waiting in Hoth's orbit. A combined attack by Imperial Star Destroyers and the Mist Hunter, the craft of the bounty hunters Zuckuss and 4-LOM, all but destroyed the Bright Hope before it could reach the safety of hyperspace. Seeing that there was nothing they could do for the Bright Hope and that no rescue attempt could be made for any possible survivors, Mison and the five escorting X-wing pilots escaped into hyperspace themselves.

Personality and traits
Tarn Mison was an expert marksman.

Behind the scenes
"Yes, they got the artist's [sic] together to do a scene that was played out over a Matte painting that I had done of Rebel ships parked in the Ice cave. We were going to be Rebel soldiers&hellip;Joe Johnston, Harrison Ellinshaw [sic] and Mike Pangrazio, stood in the foreground and had a few lines&hellip;"

- Ralph McQuarrie discusses his and his colleagues' role in The Empire Strikes Back

Tarn Mison first appeared fleetingly as an unidentified Rebel pilot extra in the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, barely visible as he passes in front of the camera for a brief moment during the scene in which Echo Base personnel discuss the Rebels' evacuation procedure pursuant to the Battle of Hoth. Although uncredited, Industrial Light & Magic matte artist Michael Pangrazio portrayed Mison in the film. In fact, all of the Rebel characters present in the Mison scene were ILM artists, including Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Harrison Ellenshaw.

The Mison character was first provided a name and a brief backstory on the "Lieutenant Tarn Mison" card as part of the November 1998 Special Edition Limited expansion set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game. The SWCCG information retconned Mison as being one of the X-wing pilots who escort the transport Bright Hope off Hoth in the 1996 short story Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM