Kell Tainer

"Attention, Implacable. Be advised, you've just become the victims of Dinner Squadron. Consider yourselves humiliated. And welcome to Folor. Out."

- Kell Tainer

Kell Tainer was a human male pilot and member of Wraith Squadron from its inception in 7 ABY through the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. A naturalized citizen of Sluis Van, he was a skilled demolitions expert, hand-to-hand combatant, and starfighter mechanic.

Biography
Prior to his joining Wraith Squadron, Kell served with distinction in Judder Page's Katarn Commandos during the battle of Borleias. He held a bitter grudge against Wes Janson, whom he correctly blamed for the death of his father, Kissek Doran.

During his time in Wraith Squadron, Tainer grew as both a person and a soldier. While on a mission to round up pirates, he performed dangerouly risky maneuvers in an ultimately futile attempt to save the life of squad mate Jesmin Ackbar. He fell in love with Flight Officer Tyria Sarkin during the unit's formative weeks and months, despite her initial rebuffs. Additionally, he came to terms with his loathing of Janson. Years before, Janson had been forced to shoot down Doran's Y-wing when the neophyte pilot's fit of panic jeopardized the entire Tierfon Yellow Aces squadron. The humiliated Doran family changed their name and emigrated from their native Alderaan to Sluis Van, where Kell spent most of his formative years. After treating Janson with what appeared to be barely-restrained hostility for weeks, Tainer realized that he couldn't fault the older pilot for protecting the lives of others. This was because he discovered that Janson did not kill people for a single mistake, thanks to Janson's efforts to hide the currently catatonic condition of Myn Donos. Kell then revealed that he was not truly angry at Janson, but actually fearful of him.

The Zsinj Campaign
Tainer was instrumental in the successful evacuation of Folor base, deceiving Admiral Apwar Trigit into believing that he and his wingmates were actually Rogue Squadron and the Millennium Falcon, buying time for New Republic personnel to escape. He also created the Lunatic vessel, which was used to successfully capture the Zsinj-aligned frigate Night Caller in the Xobome System, and owned an R2 droid named R2-D609. After overcoming an initial attack of panic, he fought in the Battle of Ession, which ultimately saw the destruction of Trigit's Star Destroyer, the Implacable. This attack of panic had happened twice before, and manifested itself as a psychosomatic malfunction (frozen controls) in his X-Wing. This was the main reason black mark on his record.

When Wraith Squadron went undercover as the pirate mercenary group the Hawk-bats, he played the role of General Kargin's (Garik Loran's) bodyguard, Lieutenant Dissek. Under the Dissek disguise, he was supposedly a student of a woman named Qatya Nassin (Shalla Nelprin). Face described her as being capable of killing a Wookiee, barehanded, and Kell provided the gruesome details.

Kell served throughout the Zsinj campaign, and remained with the Wraiths through the end of the Galactic Civil War. He eventually married fellow Wraith Tyria Sarkin sometime before the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. They had a son, Doran.

The Yuuzhan Vong War
"And we have explosives. Lots and lots of explosives."

- Kell Tainer

During the first few years of the Yuuzhan Vong war, Kell worked with his fellow Wraiths to try and break through Vong occupied territory near the enemy-created frontier from Vortex to Bimmisaari. After the fall of Coruscant, he traveled with the rest of the Wraiths to Borleias to assist Wedge Antilles in his fight against the Vong. He also joined Luke Skywalker on his mission to Coruscant, where he and his fellow Wraiths helped defeat Lord Nyax and ultimately end the treachery of Viqi Shesh.

Tainer participated in the final Battle of Yuuzhan'tar, joining up with Shamed Ones and resistance forces on the ground.

Behind the scenes
The likeness of Kell Tainer was based on actor Kristian Sorenson. It was first drawn by noted Star Wars artist Joe Corroney.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Wraith Squadron
 * X-wing: Iron Fist
 * X-wing: Solo Command
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
 * The Unifying Force