Vult Skerris

Vult Skerris was a human male captain, later commander, who served in the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire. During the Age of the Empire, Skerris was stationed at the elite Skystrike Academy, where he trained TIE pilot cadets as a flight instructor. As a pilot, he flew a TIE/IN interceptor with red markings, a symbol of his skills in flight. Skerris wore a standard TIE pilot jumpsuit with yellow stripes on the helmet and arms.

Skystrike Academy
Captain Vult Skerris was a TIE fighter pilot who flew a TIE interceptor during the Age of the Empire. He was stationed at the elite Skystrike Academy on the planet Montross. Around 2 BBY, Skerris and two other TIE Interceptors took part in an attack on a rebel convoy near Teralov. Skerris and his fellow pilots wiped out the escort A-wings before strafing the rebel transport. The rebel captain pleaded for mercy and stressed that they were an unarmed transport. However, Skerris was unmoved and fired a final salvo, which hit the transport's command bridge.

Later, he took part in a simulated combat exercise at the elite Skystrike Academy. The exercise involved him and two cadets Wedge Antilles and Ria Talla flying in simulator pods. During the exercise, Skerris operated a simulated copy of the rebel freighter Ghost which destroyed Wedge and Ria's simulated TIE fighters. Following the exercise, he took the opportunity to lecture Wedge and Ria on the merits of obeying orders. He personally addressed the two cadets and made sure that they understood his orders. Unknown to Skerris and Instructor Goran, Ria was actually an undercover rebel agent named Sabine Wren - normally a crew member on the ship that had "killed" her, no less - who was on a mission to extract Wedge and two other defectors from the Academy.

When Sabine along with Wedge, Hobbie, and Rake Gahree attempted to escape in their stolen TIE fighters and board a waiting rebel CR90 corvette, Governor Arihnda Pryce deactivated the starfighters' solar collector panels; leaving them stranded in space. She then sent Captain Skerris and two other TIE Interceptors to attack the rebels. Under Pryce's orders, Skerris fired on one of the cadets' TIE fighters; killing Rake. The Imperial attack also damaged the rebel corvette, forcing the ship to jump into hyperspace.

After Sabine, Wedge, and Hobbie escaped the Academy in a stolen TIE bomber, Skerris pursued the fugitives in his TIE Interceptor. During the pursuit, Skerris derided the cadets as young fools. While flying through Montross' atmosphere, Skerris managed to inflict damage on the TIE bomber. However, Sabine and her friends were able to escape when her colleagues returned in their rebel corvette. Taking off his helmet, Vult could only watch as the rebels escaped into hyperspace with the defectors.

Hunting the rebellion
At some point after this incident, Skerris was promoted to commander. He was then became assigned by Grand Admiral Thrawn to fly an experimental TIE/D Defender into the Archeon pass with two TIE Interceptors in pursuit of a rebel convoy that was carrying the former Senator Mon Mothma, who was wanted by the Empire. Skerris' TIE Defender was equipped with a deflector shield. After catching up with the rebel ship Ghost and its Y-wing fighter escorts, Skerris issued an ultimatum that they surrender Mon Mothma. The rebels refused and sent the Y-wings Gold Three and Gold Four to engage the Imperial fighters. Skerris quickly destroyed them.

Skerris then followed the Ghost, carrying Mon Mothma, and its remaining escorts into the nebula, where he gained a lock on the Ghost. However, the Y-wing pilot Gold Five sacrificed herself to protect the ship by flying her Y-wing into his crosshairs. After that, the rebels diverted all power to their shields and flew close to a forming star. Because the TIE Interceptors lack of shielding, they were destroyed, leaving only Skerris. The Ghost sustained heavy damage but managed to escape the nebula. Skerris broke off after the radiation damaged his fighter's deflector shields.

After recovering, Skerris pursued Ezra Bridger and Gold Leader Jon Vander's Y-wings. After again finding the Y-wings, he attacked Bridger's ship. However, he again failed to destroy it and was hit with an ion blast from Vander's starfighter. Disabled, Skerris' TIE Defender spun out of control in the nebula. However, Vander warned that they had to leave since Skerris would return once he had regained control of his fighter.

Personality and traits
Vult Skerris was a skilled TIE fighter pilot who held the rank of captain, later promoted to Commander, during the Age of the Empire. Befitting his elite status, Skerris wore yellow stripes on his helmet and uniform. He also flew a TIE Interceptor with red markings. Skerris was a ruthless pilot who was willing to shoot down unarmed opponents including rebels and defectors like Rake. He despised the rebellion and regarded the defecting cadets as "young fools." Skerris was visibly disappointed when Sabine and the defectors managed to escape into space.

Due to his status as an Imperial fighter ace, Skerris was tasked with pursuing the rogue Senator Mon Mothma and her rebel allies through the Archeon Nebula by Grand Admiral Thrawn. For this mission, Skerris flew an experimental TIE Defender which was equipped with deflector shields and powerful turbolaser cannons. Skerris managed to shoot down three rebel Y-wings but his ship sustained damaged from the intense radiation of the nebula. Despite his skills as a pilot, Skerris' starfighter was disabled by Jon Vander and spun out of control.

Behind the scenes
Vult Skerris first appeared in the Star Wars Rebels episode "The Antilles Extraction", which first premiered on Disney XD on October 8, 2016.