Cheriss ke Hanadi

Cheriss ke Hanadi was a Human female from Adumar and the Cartann Ground Champion in the sport of blastsword-dueling. She served as Red Flight's (Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, Wes Janson, and Hobbie Klivian) guide during their time on Adumar.

Biography
A native of the dominating Adumari state of Cartann, Cheriss took up the dying art of blastsword dueling to escape what almost amounted to indentured servitude in Cartann's underground factories. Her mother was killed by brownlung, a disease contracted in the factories. Cheriss herself worked in the factories for a season longer, until she could make her living solely through the blastsword, and then through endorsements of blastswords. She ignored most of the normal stylistic conventions of blastsword dueling, favoring the styles from the blastsword's prominence in years past. This gave her a reputation as a "gutter fighter" and earned the enmity of some nobles, but she nonetheless earned great popularity simply because she almost always won.

Cheriss developed somewhat of a crush on Wedge Antilles, and was herself crushed when she found he and Iella Wessiri became a couple. She then took on blastsword challenge after challenge, until she was on the brink of death. Wes Janson stepped in and saved her. After her attempted suicide, Wedge talked to her. Cheriss then re-evaluated herself and went with Wedge to the city-state of Yedagon, and led rebellion forces against Cartann after Cartann tried to seize control.

Throughout her life Cheriss had been plagued by vertigo, preventing her from becoming a starfighter pilot in a culture that esteemed such individuals most. When she was taken to the New Republic ship Allegiance to be treated for her wounds, she was also cured by the medical technicians, allowing her to go on to enlist in New Republic Starfighter Command and become one of that body's most reknowned vibroblade combat instructors. She later served as a lieutenant in Moonlight Squadron, an A-wing group off Mon Casima.

In 40 ABY Cheriss was likely one of the half dozen pilots who accompanied Wedge Antilles to the abandoned Imperial outpost on the Endor moon to where Luke Skywalker had relocated the Jedi Order in opposition to Jacen Solo. She later flew as Rakehell Eight. Her fighter was lost in combat, though it is unknown if she went extravehicular or perished.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Starfighters of Adumar
 * Fury