Coburn

This article is about the Republic admiral during the Clone Wars. You may be looking for Brodie Coburn, a starfighter pilot during the Second Imperial Civil War.

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"Admiral Coburn, we have the survivors. Recall all fighters."
"Yes, General. [To his bridge crew] Prepare to jump to lightspeed."

―Plo Koon and Coburn —

Listen (file info)^[src]

Admiral Coburn was a respected fleet officer in the Republic Navy who served with Jedi General Plo Koon during the Clone Wars. A hardline and highly disciplined commander, he had an unmistakable command presence due to his taciturnity and ran a tight ship aboard his Venator-class Star Destroyer. He worked closely with Koon and Clone Commander Wolffe of the 104th Battalion in coordinating some of the most dangerous operations, as part of the Galactic Republic's war effort against the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

In the war's second year, Coburn led a four-cruiser fleet to the Separatist stronghold of Lola Sayu to retrieve a group of Republic hostages and their Jedi rescuers from the notorious prison known as the Citadel. While Coburn commanded the Republic fleet against the enemy blockade of Lola Sayu, Masters Koon, Adi Gallia, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto rescued the survivors from the surface. Coburn and his task force were able to pull out with minimal casualties.

At Kadavo, Coburn took part in another successful operation, overseeing the light cruiser Hand of Justice, which was instrumental in the rescue of a number of Togruta colonists who had been captured and enslaved by the Separatist-backed Zygerrian Slave Empire. As part of the operation, Coburn brought the Hand of Justice dangerously close to the slave processing facility to save the Togrutas from their holding cell.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Rescue from Lola Sayu[edit | edit source]

"We're all ready, Admiral."

―Plo Koon orders Coburn to initiate the jump to hyperspace —

Listen (file info)^[src]

Coburn lived during the final decades of the Galactic Republic's rule, during which time he began a career in the Republic Navy. By the time of the Clone Wars, Coburn had become a respected fleet officer and earned the rank of admiral within the Navy of the Republic. He was given command of his own Venator-class Star Destroyer, from which he oversaw Republic fleets on a number of battlefields. As part of his wartime service against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Coburn was assigned to serve with Jedi Master Plo Koon, an accomplished Jedi General with whom he spearheaded various campaigns in the galactic war theater. Coburn also formed a close working relationship with Clone Commander CC-3636, nicknamed "Wolffe," who led Koon's clone trooper unit, the 104th Battalion of the Grand Army of the Republic.^[1]

In 22 BBY, the first year of the war,^[3] Koon's flagship, the Star Destroyer Triumphant, was destroyed by the Confederate General Grievous's battleship, the Malevolence. Although Koon, Wolffe, and their 104th Wolfpack trooper squad survived the attack,^[4] Coburn could not forget the loss of the Triumphant.^[1]

Coburn commands the Republic rescue fleet from his Star Destroyer at Lola Sayu.

As the war continued, Koon and Coburn were assigned to take a task force^[2] in 21 BBY^[5] to Lola Sayu, a world deep in enemy space that was home to the Separatist prison known as the Citadel. There, an elite team of Jedi and clones had been sent by the Jedi High Council to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell, who had been captured and imprisoned alongside the crew of his Star Destroyer for his possession of the coordinates to the strategic Nexus Route hyperlane. The Republic strike team had succeeded in rescuing Piell and the other hostages from the Citadel, but their shuttle had been destroyed during the course of the operation, necessitating a retrieval from the planet's surface. Koon and fellow Jedi Masters Adi Gallia, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto were dispatched to Lola Sayu with Coburn and a four-cruiser fleet of Venator-class Star Destroyers to perform the extraction. Coburn was to assume command of the fleet to challenge the Separatist blockade over the planet, while Gallia, Tiin, and Fisto were to serve as wing commanders for the starfighter squadrons. Once the enemy blockade had been breached, Koon and Commander Wolffe would move in with a space gunship to extract Piell and the rescue team from the surface of the planet.^[2]

Upon emerging from hyperspace in the Lola Sayu system, the Republic fleet began its assault on the Separatist blockade, which consisted of a Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship, a Recusant-class light destroyer, and four Munificent-class star frigates. While Tiin, Gallia, and Fisto each took a squadron of ARC-170 starfighters to combat the enemy flotilla's droid starfighters, Coburn had his warships exchange heavy turbolaser fire with those of the blockade. Eventually, Koon and his gunship were able to break through the blockade with the assistance of the Jedi wing commanders, and Koon immediately instructed Coburn to recall all starfighter squadrons in preparation to jump to hyperspace. Coburn complied, and the Republic fleet was ready to escape by the time that Koon and his comrades returned to Coburn's Star Destroyer with the strike team aboard. The task force proceeded back to the galactic capital of Coruscant, where the Jedi High Council began discussing the best way to debrief the intelligence on the Nexus Route. Piell, who had divided half of the information with Republic Navy Captain Wilhuff Tarkin for security purposes, had died on Lola Sayu during the strike team's escape, but he entrusted his half of the information to Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano before passing on.^[2]

Battle at Kadavo[edit | edit source]

Tano: "We need to have the cruiser move in underneath the facility. We can escape onto the ship if Admiral Coburn can get in close enough."

Coburn: "You heard Commander Tano. I want the men topside with rocket packs and cable guns. Move it!"

Wolffe: "Yes, sir!"

―Coburn orders Wolffe to execute Ahsoka Tano's plan to rescue the Togruta colonists —

Listen (file info)^[src]

Coburn and Wolffe move in with the *Hand of Justice* to rescue the Togruta colonists.

As part of a later operation to rescue Togruta colonists who had been captured and enslaved by the Confederacy and the Zygerrian Slave Empire, Coburn and his Star Destroyer joined a campaign led by Koon, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, and the latter's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to liberate the Togruta slaves from a slave processing facility on the planet Kadavo. Upon exiting hyperspace in the Kadavo system, Koon launched from Coburn's Star Destroyer with a squadron of clone Z-95 starfighters and LAAT/i gunships, while Coburn boarded his Arquitens-class light cruiser,^[6] the Hand of Justice,^[7] with Commander Wolffe and brought it to the surface, leaving his flagship in orbit of Kadavo. Remaining in the planet's upper atmosphere with the Hand of Justice, Coburn waited for Koon and his Wolfpack pilots to take out the Zygerrians' defenses, consisting of turbolaser turrets and HH-87 Starhoppers. Eventually, Skywalker signaled to Koon and Coburn that it was safe to land the Hand of Justice at the facility's landing pad to evacuate the slaves, in accordance with their original plan. However, Tano reported that they had to reconsider their strategy, as the Togrutas had been trapped in a holding cell and would be unable to reach the landing platform.^[6]

Admiral Coburn as he brings his *Arquitens*-class light cruiser in to rescue the Togruta slaves.

Thinking quickly, Tano developed a plan to have Coburn move in with the Hand of Justice underneath the suspended facility, as the holding cell was opening onto the volcanic crater below. The Togrutas would then be able to escape onto the light cruiser's hull. Committing to Tano's stratagem, Coburn ordered Wolffe and four other troopers, including Sinker and Comet, onto the hull so that they could provide support for the Togrutas with jetpacks and their DC-15A blaster rifles' ascension guns. Coburn had his clone trooper crew move the Hand of Justice underneath the facility as best they could^[6] in spite of the dangerous proximity to the station.^[1] Once they were in place, Wolffe took his men topside and had them fire their ascension cables onto the ceiling of the holding facility, so that the Togrutas would have cables to descend safely onto the hull. Tano and the clones helped the Togruta colonists reach the cruiser, and they were able to rescue all of them from the holding cell. Once Coburn moved the Hand of Justice away from the facility, Koon had his gunships fire upon the slave processing station, compromising its supports and plunging it into the volcanic crater below. Following the Republic's success with saving the colonists, Coburn, Wolffe, and Tano brought the Togrutas aboard the admiral's Star Destroyer, where they received medical treatment.^[6]

Coburn confers with Mace Windu and Wullf Yularen at the Republic strategy conference.

In 20 BBY,^[8] Coburn was one of the attendees at the Republic strategy conference, which was held aboard the Valor space station in orbit of Carida. Just before the conference was about to begin, the Separatists attempted to bomb the space station with the rhydonium-laden Star Destroyer Renown. However, thanks to the intervention of the Republic's D-Squad, the crisis was averted.^[9]^[10]

Following a terrorist bombing at the Jedi Temple, Coburn was among the Republic officers invited to attend the funeral for the six Jedi Knights who perished in the attack. He was one of a select number of guests who were not members of the Jedi Order, other notable attendees being Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and several members of the Galactic Senate. Alongside fellow admirals Wilhuff Tarkin and Wullf Yularen, Coburn stood through the proceedings while Jedi Grand Master Yoda delivered the eulogy memorializing the fallen Jedi, recalling that all of them were luminous beings, their bodies vessels for the Force. The six cloth-draped bodies were then lowered into a lower coffin chamber, ending the ceremony.^[11]

Personality and traits[edit | edit source]

A respected fleet officer, Coburn served under Plo Koon.

A Human male, Coburn stood 1.81 meters high and had fair skin,^[1] light green eyes, and graying hair.^[2] A disciplined commander, Coburn emanated an unmistakable command presence with his stern face and steely gaze, measuring his words exactly and never saying more than needed. His orders were clear^[1] and to the point, making them easy to follow.^[6] He maintained a tight ship aboard his flagship. Coburn earned respect as an admiral of the Republic Navy and was assigned to serve under General Plo Koon. He worked closely with Koon and his clone commander, Wolffe; Coburn coordinated battlefield tasks with the latter to ensure maximum effectiveness. He never forgot the fate of Koon's Triumphant after its destruction by the Malevolence.^[1]

Coburn remained steadfast even while taking part in some of the more daring assignments under Jedi leadership,^[1] including operations at Lola Sayu^[2] and Kadavo. During the latter mission, he did not hesitate to bring his light cruiser, the Hand of Justice, dangerously close to the slave processing facility, as it was necessary to rescue the Togruta slaves from their holding cell.^[6] While on duty, he wore the uniform of a Republic fleet officer. He spoke Galactic Basic Standard in a clipped accent.^[1]

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

"With a stern face, steely glare and unmistakable command presence, Admiral Coburn served at the side of General Plo Koon during the Clone Wars."

―The introduction to Coburn's entry in the StarWars.com Encyclopedia^[src]

The character of Admiral Coburn was created for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. He made his first appearance in March 2011 in the episode "Citadel Rescue," which aired as part of the series' third season.^[12] He was later featured in the fourth season episode "Escape from Kadavo," which was released on January 5, 2012.^[13] As part of his appearance in the latter episode, he received an entry in the StarWars.com Encyclopedia.^[1] Coburn was voiced by voice actor Dee Bradley Baker in "Citadel Rescue,"^[12] but his voice actor for "Escape from Kadavo" has yet to be attributed.^[6] The character has since appeared in the fifth season episodes "Point of No Return" and "The Jedi Who Knew Too Much."^[9]^[11]