Horzao Darr

"I apologize for the rather abrupt manner you were brought aboard. At first, I believed you to be corsairs from the western canyons. Examination of your unique machines proved this to be an incorrect assumption."

- Horzao Darr to New Republic pilots

Horzao Darr was a Human male from the isolated planet of Exocron within the Kathol Outback. An officer in the Exocron Airfleet, he was a skilled and respected sky-sailor, and commanded the flagship, the sky-dreadnaught Maxion. In 8 ABY, he made first contact with representatives of the New Republic in the shape of the crew of the corvette FarStar. The ruling caste of his homeworld, the Devisors, decreed that the New Republic representatives could never leave the planet to maintain the safety and security of the planet. Disgusted at this turn of events, Darr rescued the stranded crewmembers, and allied with the planet's insurgents to free their commander, Captain Kaiya Adrimetrum. This act of defiance would lead to the ended of the Devisors rule, freeing the planet from their iron-fisted technocracy.

Darr continued to serve in the military, and by 19 ABY had been promoted to the rank of Supreme Admiral. He was commander of the Exocron Combined Air-Space Fleet, the successor to the Exocron Airfleet he had served in several years previously, during the attack on Exocron by the Rodian Rei'Kas and his pirate fleet.

Early service
Horzao Darr's career as a sky-sailor began when he stowed away onboard a sky transport at the age of twelve. Indentured to the captain of the vessel to pay for his passage, he learned the skills necessary to be an effective member of the crew. Darr continued to serve aboard the private vessel for several years until he enrolled in the Exocron Airfleet's academy. Darr graduated from the academy with honors, an officer's commission, and command of the sky-cutter Loristar.

During Exocron's internal conflicts, when rebellious factions challenged the Devisors and the ruling council for control of the planet, Darr commanded the Loristar on a mission to deliver relief supplies to beleaguered council forces, fighting his way through enemy forces to reach them. Because of his actions, he was given command of the flagship of the Airfleet, the sky-dreadnaught Maxion. Darr's new position pulled him into a world of politics and controversy, and several military insiders wanted to promote him to the rank of Supreme Admiral and give him command of the Airfleet. They wanted Darr in a position to take power from the council. However, Darr steadfastedly resisted all efforts to promote him off the Maxion, preferring to remain in the clouds than in a dank Council office.

Despite being a loyal officer in the Airfleet, Darr harbored doubts about the Devisors, and felt that they had denied the people of Exocron their birthright. The Devisors had forbidden space travel of any kind since the founding of the colony, and kept Exocron in a state of isolation from the rest of the galaxy. Darr knew that the Devisors concealed the secrets of space travel from the general populace, and felt that they abused their authority by manipulating the ruling council and maintaining absolute power over the planet. He kept his feelings hidden, but did know of several people, such as his friend Eida Sharden, who were insurgents. However, he disagreed with some of the more radical views they held, and kept them at arm's length.

Arrival of the FarStar
"This world is called Exocron. You are welcome here, as are others of your kind"

- Horzao Darr to New Republic pilots

In 8 ABY, Captain Darr and the Maxion intercepted several strange aircraft in Exocron's airspace. Initially believing them to be rebellious Corsairs from the western canyons, he ordered them to stand down and land on the Maxion, or they would be destroyed. The craft, X-wing starfighters from the New Republic corvette FarStar, complied with Darr's order and put down on the deck of the Maxion. Darr met with the pilots, learning that they were off-worlders, and that they were searching for a probe droid that they had dispatched to survey the planet. After greeting them formally, Darr apologized for his earlier abrupt manner. He informed his guests that their probe droid had been recovered by a cruiser of the Exocron Airfleet, the Desaclates, and that he had been ordered to take them to the capital, Caballa City. Eager to meet with more off-worlders, Darr allowed one of the X-wing pilots to return to the FarStar to inform their superiors of what had occurred, and to invite a delegation down to the Maxion. From there, the Maxion would transport them to the capital to meet with the Devisors and the ruling council.

Captain Kaiya Adrimetrum, commanding officer of the FarStar, accepted Darr's offer, and accompanied a delegation down to the Airfleet vessel. During the journey to Caballa City, Darr held a formal banquet onboard the Maxion for Adrimetrum and her delegation. During the meal, Darr received word that the cruiser Desaclates was under attack from the Corsairs. Since the cruiser was carrying the FarStar's probe droid, he requested the assistance of Captain Adrimetrum's starfighters since he realized that they were more advanced and considerably faster than the Skylark skyfighters stationed onboard his vessel. Adrimetrum agreed to his request as a gesture of good will, and Darr ordered the Maxion to make full speed for the Desaclates. Arriving to find that the X-wings had succeeded in driving off the Corsairs, Darr personally commended them for their actions.

Defying the Devisors
"By frightening the council, Gevtes will once again deny our heritage. The Devisors have always had the knowledge of space travel and other advanced technology. If the Devisors should ever lose control of this knowledge, they will lose control of the council."

- Horzao Darr

Arriving in Caballa City, Captain Darr escorted Captain Adrimetrum to meet with the ruling council at the Ministry of Technology. In a closed meeting, Darr learned from the Master Devisor Pagda Gevtes that the Devisors planned to keep the crew of the vessel on the planet for the rest of their lives, and to impound their starship for study. They proclaimed it was to maintain the safety and isolation of Exocron. Darr saw it for what it was, a way for the Devisors to retain their hold on power, and to increase their powerbase through controlling more advanced technology than was available to any potential enemies. The Devisors ordered a powerful tractor beam to be locked onto the FarStar, and slowly began to draw it down out of orbit. They also decreed that Captain Adrimetrum would be imprisoned for questioning. Not agreeing with the decision, especially in light of the fact that Adrimetrum had assisted in the defense of the Desaclates, Darr finally listened to his inner feelings regarding the Devisors and resolved to do something to help Adrimetrum and the FarStar crew.

As Captain Adrimetrum was led away from the Council, she exchanged glances with Darr. Before the council guards could lead away the rest of the FarStar delegation, Darr ordered his own troops to secure them, and remove them from the chambers. Although the council guards were surprised, they did not question Darr's authority to do so, and allowed him to leave with the New Republic representatives.

Darr took the FarStar delegation to the home of his friend, Eida Sharden, on the outskirts of Caballa City. She was a member of the insurgency against the Devisors, and agreed to assist in the rescue of Captain Adrimetrum. In return for her assistance, however, she wanted data on spaceflight and navigational computers to allow the people of Exocron to re-attain their birthright. A provisional agreement was settled on, although Captain Adrimetrum would have to authorize the release of information.

With the help of Sharden, Darr assisted in formulating a two-pronged assault. One assault would focus on the tractor beam generator that was locked onto the FarStar. The second assault would be to invade the Ministry of Technology and free Captain Adrimetrum. Darr would be vital to the implementation of both plans. Contacting the Maxion, Darr ordered the vessel to a rendezvous point near Sharden's home. He introduced the members of the FarStar crew who would attempt to rescue Captain Adrimetrum from the Ministry to the Master Sergeant of the Maxion's cloud jumper regiment. The Maxion would be used as an insertion platform to allow a strike form to infiltrate the Ministry utilizing repulsorlift personal jump packs.

Darr, however, would not accompany the Maxion during the insertion mission. Using his authority, he delivered the New Republic pilots to the military hangar where their starfighters were being kept. Claiming to be there to inspect the fighters, with the New Republic pilots to assist him, Darr passed through the troops guarding the hangar. His ruse was not suspected until a Devisor arrived at the hangar with several apprentices to study the starfighters. A firefight ensued, but the New Republic pilots prevailed and got their starfighters airborne.

Both assaults succeeded, and troops from the Maxion arrived at the Ministry of Technology in time to arrest the Master Devisor Pagda Gevtes. Following the downfall of the Devisors, Darr was personally thanked by Captain Adrimetrum for his trust and help.

Commander of the Exocron Combined Air-Space Fleet
By 19 ABY, Darr had risen to the rank of Supreme Admiral, having finally accepted the post that many wanted him to ascend to earlier in his career. He was in overall command of the Exocron Combined Air-Space Fleet, the successor to the Airfleet. When Rei'Kas's pirate fleet threatened the planet, Darr delegated command of the space forces to this second-in-command, Admiral Trey David, while he readied the Airfleet ships in case Rei'kas's forces broke through the perimeter. Darr was apparently in contact with the former smuggler Jorj Car'das, and arranged for the orbiting fleet to pull back before engaging the enemy, subsequently drawing Rei'Kas's forces in so they could be destroyed by the Aing-Tii.

Personality and traits
Horzao Darr was a competant and able military commander, who rose to command rank on ability rather than through favors. An honorable and loyal man, he uphead his oath to the Airfleet, even if it meant supporting a regime that he personally felt was denying the people of Exocron their birthright. He resisted attempts to promote him to a flag rank for several years, prefering to remain as an airship commander.

Darr was not without his doubts, though, and held reservations about the Devisors. He also knew of several insurgents, but did not reveal their identities, instead distancing himself from them since he deemed their views "too radical". It took the harsh decision of the Devisors concerning the crew of the FarStar to finally make him turn on the Devisors and support the insurgents. Captain Adrimetrum had risked members of her crew to help defend the Desaclates, and Darr felt that she and her people had been treated unfairly. It appears that Darr was also a practical man, as he realized that the best chance to bring down the Devisors lay with the FarStar and her superior technology.

Darr appeared to many to be born to wear a uniform, and always carried a slugthrower pistol and sword while on duty.

Behind the scenes
Horzao Darr first appeared in the roleplaying adventure The Masters of Exocron, which was a part of the The Kathol Outback supplement. In turn, The Kathol Outback was part of the The DarkStryder Campaign, a multi-book adventure published by West End Games. The Masters of Exocron was written by Anthony P. Russo, and illustrated by Storn Cook.

Horzao Darr's only other appearance within Star Wars literature was several references to the character in Timothy Zahn's Vision of the Future. Zahn had collaborated on parts of The DarkStryder Campaign, and possibly used the character - and the setting of Exocron - in reference to his partipation.

Appearances

 * The Masters of Exocron
 * Vision of the Future