- "As my mentor used to tell me—relish the victory…but savor the hunt."
- ―Ellian Zahra
Ellian Zahra was a human female who held the rank of Commander in the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War against the Rebel Alliance. Both cunning and vengeful, Zahra served at the helm of the Star Destroyer Tarkin's Will. Zahra rose through the Empire as the protégé of Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, becoming a skilled tactician under his guidance. After she failed Tarkin during a mission, Zahra was dismissed by her mentor, though Zahra attempted to regain his favor. Before she could redeem herself, Tarkin perished aboard the Death Star battle station when it was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance during the Battle of Yavin. Zahra held a personal grudge against Princess Leia Organa of the Rebellion for Tarkin's death, intending to kill her to avenge her mentor.
Following the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, Zahra was tasked by the Sith Lord Darth Vader in hunting down the divisions of the scattered Alliance Fleet. She failed to prevent the rebel Fourth Division from escaping due to the intervention of the rebels aboard the freighter Millennium Falcon, including Organa. Zahra continued to hunt down other divisions, but desired to destroy the Fourth Division and Organa along with it. During a battle against the Fourth and Seventh Divisions at Elessia, Zahra confronted Organa personally, wounding the rebel leader with her blade—an act Zahra believed would demoralize Organa.
Biography[]
Service to the Empire[]
Becoming Tarkin's protégé[]
- "The day the terrorists killed my parents, I understood that life has no interest in playing fair. Since that day, I have seen with my eyes, not my hopes."
- ―Ellian Zahra
The human female[3] Ellian Zahra[8] lived during the Imperial Era. Zahra's parents,[4] along with the rest of her family, were killed in a rebel terrorist attack while she was still young. Forced to survive on her own for some time, Zahra eventually entered into the Imperial Academy to serve the Galactic Empire and ensure others would not suffer what she had.[8] She scored at the highest levels on the Empire's selection exams, and was one of several students selected by Wilhuff Tarkin, Governor[4] of the Outer Rim Territories and Grand Moff,[9] for her potential and lack of familial or other ties.[4] Tarkin taught Zahra much, providing guidance and support.[8] Under Tarkin's instruction and influence, Zahra rose through the Imperial Academy.[4]
Zahra earned her place as Tarkin's protégé by defeating the veermok on Eriadu.
Around 1 BBY,[10] Tarkin brought Zahra, along with two other students of his, Beldin and Hannevik, to the Outer Rim[4] planet[10] Eriadu,[4] his homeworld,[9] for a final test to determine the one who would become his protégé. Zahra and her peers were tasked by Tarkin to hunt down a deadly albino veermok in the forest of the Carrion Plateau and bring him the creature's head before he departed in his flagship, the Carrion Spike, at dawn in twelve hours. By dawn, Zahra had killed the veermok, having caught the creature in the trees while it believed it was safe. Additionally, having determined that Tarkin intended for the candidates to hunt one another, Zahra defeated Beldin and Hannevik. Although she had sustained injuries in the hunt, Zahra returned to Tarkin with the veermok's head, also informing him that her peers had been unworthy.[4]
Having passed the test, Zahra was taken in as Tarkin's protégé. As an officer in the Imperial Navy, she accompanied Tarkin to meetings with individuals such as Director Orson Krennic and oversaw the interrogation of rebels alongside her mentor, rising to the rank of Captain. Zahra was introduced to[4] Sith Lord[10] Darth Vader by Tarkin, who recommended her insight during an engagement with rebels. She eventually obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander, having distinguished herself during her years with Tarkin.[4]
Tarkin's final mission[]
- "A Tarkin looks their enemy in the eye and puts their blade in their throat. You did neither, and so you failed. I thought I knew who you were, Commander. I was mistaken. All I know is what you are not."
- ―Tarkin, to Zahra
Eventually, Zahra met with Tarkin on the Death Star[4] battle station and superweapon,[10] where her mentor gave her a mission to eliminate Burnium Ro, a warlord operating on the Mid Rim world Ikkrukk and utilizing imagery associated with the obsolete Nihil criminal organization. When Tarkin assigned Zahra a strike force and the Carrion Spike, she questioned if such firepower was needed; her mentor's description of the Nihil as agents of chaos led her to understand that Ro was the antithesis of the Empire's order and that she needed to send a message. Zahra departed, with Tarkin requesting that she bring him Ro's head.[4]
On Ikkrukk, Zahra incorrectly believed she had been successful in eliminating Burnium Ro.
On Ikkrukk, Zahra deployed a network of probe droids, creating a mobile surveillance net to search for Ro while she waited aboard the Carrion Spike. When one of the vessel's Navy Troopers questioned how she thought of the idea, Zahra explained that she considered everything as a resource using the water she was drinking as an example. The probe droids detected the warlord in Grail City, and Zahra—unaware that he was actually a decoy of Ro's—had the cloaked Carrion Spike follow him. After arriving at Ro's stronghold, Zahra had the corvette deactivate its cloaking system and fire on the stronghold, destroying the base and killing "Ro" and the forces within.[4]
Upon Zahra's return to the Death Star, Tarkin questioned why she had not brought him Ro's head. Zahra insisted that she had destroyed Ro and his operation, but Tarkin, playing a shadowfeed broadcast of the warlord, informed her that the man she had killed was a decoy and that the real Ro was using her failure and his survival to elevate himself. She listened in silence as Tarkin expressed his disappointment, telling Zahra that his beliefs in her had been mistaken before departing. Although Tarkin ordered that Zahra report to the personnel office to be reassigned, she remained determined to locate Ro.[4]
The Battle of Yavin[]
- "Governor Tarkin. I've set this message to be transmitted to you once I've already embarked upon my mission. Forgive my familiarity, but our relationship is…meaningful to me. I would not be who I am without you. You know I would never intentionally fail you. I hope you will give me the opportunity to prove your faith in me was not misplaced. I have taken a shuttle without authorization, but I will return it. I will come back to you soon, and I will hand you the head of—"
- ―Zahra's message to Tarkin, interrupted by the Death Star's destruction
In 0 BBY,[10] a week after her failed mission, Zahra had obtained intelligence that revealed Ro's location. She returned to the Death Star, but her efforts to meet with Tarkin were denied by an officer under orders from her former mentor. Zahra ordered that her information be passed to Tarkin, but the officer reiterated the governor's orders. Relenting, Zahra asked the officer to tell Tarkin that she understood. Intending to kill Ro and regain Tarkin's favor, Zahra headed for a hangar, unaware that the Death Star was currently engaged in[4] the Battle of Yavin, having come under attack by the Rebel Alliance in the Outer Rim's Yavin system as the station prepared to destroy the rebel base on the moon Yavin 4.[9]
Zahra attempted to requisition a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, but the stormtrooper guarding it asked for authorization, informing her of the rebel attack. Although Zahra was confident that the rebels posed no danger to the Death Star, the stormtrooper remained uncooperative, having been tasked to hold the vessel for the potential evacuation of high-ranking officers. Zahra knocked the trooper unconscious and commandeered the shuttle.[4]
Zahra's shuttle departs the Death Star moments before its destruction during the Battle of Yavin.
Flying out of the hangar amidst the battle, Zahra recorded a message for Tarkin, setting it to be transmitted once she had embarked on her mission. She explained her hope that Tarkin would give her an opportunity to prove herself and that she had stolen a shuttle, but assured her former mentor that she would return with Ro's head. However, at that moment, the rebels destroyed the Death Star[4] while Tarkin was still aboard the station.[8] Sustaining injuries as her starship was thrown and damaged by the blast, Zahra looked on in dismay at the destruction.[4]
A stalled career[]
- "He died thinking I was a failure, Princess. I no longer have a chance to show him I am not, thanks to you."
- ―Commander Zahra to Leia Organa, regarding Tarkin
Per one of Tarkin's final orders, Zahra was reassigned to command Mining Facility 81-B on Kessel.
As per one of Tarkin's final orders[11] and a note that the governor had placed in her file indicating she should be indefinitely assigned non-essential duties, Zahra, holding the rank of Commander, was placed in charge of Mining Facility 81-B on[8] the spice mining planet[9] Kessel. Zahra believed that Tarkin had intended her reassignment to serve as a lesson and that she would have been provided with an opportunity to prove herself if her mentor had lived. Having learned of the role played by Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance—who had been held aboard the Death Star shortly before its destruction in the rebel attack that she had also engineered—she believed that Organa's capture had been the reason why Tarkin had been aboard the station. Zahra held Organa responsible for Tarkin's death, vowing to kill her to avenge her mentor.[8]
According to contemporary reports, Zahra attempted to lobby others in the Imperial Military in an effort to reclaim her career. Although some of Tarkin's close allies considered granting her request, others—who wished to distance themselves from what they believed to be Tarkin's failures—did not desire to elevate an heir to the governor's power. In particular, the newly-promoted Grand General Cassio Tagge kept Zahra at a distance.[11]
Tarkin's records of Zahra's progress were eventually stored in the Imperial Archives in the file "Commander Ellian Zahra Progress Reports" under the "Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin" section, while her failure at Ikkrukk was documented in the "Mission to Ikkrukk" file within the "Military Operations" section. Zahra's reassignment to Kessel was stored in the "Personnel Assignment Order #9337118q" file in Tarkin's section, and several communications made by Zahra during her time on Kessel were contained in a file titled "Commander Ellian Zahra #7132-7281" under the "Kessel Communications" section of the archives.[11]
Hunting the rebel armada[]
A chance for redemption[]
- "I am placing you in charge of the effort to hunt down the remnants of the rebel fleet. You will be given all necessary resources."
"Lord Vader…I…I am honored. I will not fail you."
"See that you do not. This assignment does not come solely from me. The Emperor knows your name. This is either your greatest opportunity or the worst moment of your life. Time will tell." - ―Darth Vader and Ellian Zahra
Zahra was still stationed on Kessel[8] by the time of the Battle of Hoth[2] in 3 ABY,[10] which saw the Rebel Alliance defeated by the Empire and forced to scatter its fleet into numerous divisions to regroup at a later point.[2] After Vader was ordered by Emperor Palpatine to hunt down and destroy the the remnants of the rebel fleet,[8] he[2] sought out Zahra, knowing of her record[8] and having previously been introduced to her.[4] While Zahra oversaw the operations of the mining facility, a lieutenant approached to inform her of an incoming transmission; when she sarcastically guessed it was the Emperor, Zahra was taken aback to learn it was Vader.[8]
Zahra was tasked by Darth Vader with hunting down the scattered rebel fleet.
Answering Vader's transmission, Zahra confirmed the Sith Lord's statement that she had been mentored by Tarkin. Although Vader noted Tarkin's order for her reassignment, Zahra explained her belief that her mentor had intended it as a lesson, which Vader agreed was typical of Tarkin. Vader subsequently placed her in command of the effort to hunt the remnants of the rebel fleet, allowing her to use any resources that were necessary. Zahra was honored, assuring Vader she would succeed; the Sith warned her against failure, telling her that the Emperor had been informed of her name.[8]
Zahra was placed in command of an assault group[8] known as the Hunter Fleet.[3] With Vader offering her the choice of any vessel in the Imperial Navy to be her flagship, Zahra chose the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Fortitude, which had been near the Death Star during the battle and had suffered severe damage from the station's wreckage. Zahra named the vessel the Tarkin's Will and selected Imperials who had similarly lost individuals close to them in the station's destruction to serve as her crew. She did not wish to repair the damage, intending for the Star Destroyer to memorialize the loss of the Death Star and those aboard it;[5] the damaged sections were cordoned off, with the bodies of the dead still left where they had fallen.[3] In the days before Zahra intended to embark on her mission, Lieutenant Gorr was assigned to the Tarkin's Will as her second-in-command.[5]
Escape of the Fourth Division[]
- "We attacked both cells. One was completely destroyed. The other…escaped, although they suffered significant losses. I would consider that part of the operation a partial success."
"Partial success does not exist, Commander Zahra. You succeed, or you do not." - ―Commander Zahra and Darth Vader
Zahra watches the attack on the Fourth Division.
Managing to break the Rebellion's codes, Zahra used a signal analysis protocol of her own design to track down two divisions that attempted to communicate—the Fourth and Eighth Divisions. Zahra split her battle group, sending her secondary strike force to attack the Eighth Division near the[2] planet[9] Malastare while she led an attack on the Fourth Division, which was attempting to regroup at Rendezvous Point Delta-Three in the Mid Rim. Zahra utilized a tactic she had previously devised but never tested, using her fleet's turbolasers to form a cordon and blockade the rebels against a nearby star. Unable to escape, the Fourth Division suffered heavy damage from Zahra's TIE fighters. From the Tarkin's Will, Zahra admired the destruction and her tactic's success, discussing her fleet's two engagements with Gorr.[2]
When one rebel X-wing starfighter escaped the blockade, Zahra ordered a technician to transfer her manual control of a single turbolaser. The technician was hesitant but followed the order at Gorr's insistence, and Zahra took control of the turbolaser and destroyed the X-wing, relishing in the rebel's failed escape. The freighter Millennium Falcon soon arrived amidst the battle, carrying Organa and several other rebels. Zahra, recognizing that Organa was likely aboard, ordered Gorr to divert a squadron of TIEs and any non-essential turbolaser batteries to target the Falcon, wishing to eliminate Organa and the vessel that had repeatedly escaped the Empire. However, the Falcon's crew managed to destroy the turbolasers on one of Zahra's light cruisers, giving the survivors of the Fourth Division a gap to escape into hyperspace.[2]
Furious, Zahra snapped at Gorr when the lieutenant reported the escape before ordering the fleet to stand down in resignation. Zahra later reported to Vader via hologram, asserting the operation was a partial success; Vader disagreed, however, questioning her as to why she had failed. The commander noted the Falcon's disruption, but Vader reprimanded her for attempting to destroy the vessel—unknown to Zahra, the Falcon carried the Jedi Luke Skywalker, Vader's son, who the Sith Lord wanted alive. Zahra was dismissed by Vader, but not before he ordered her to destroy what remained of the rebel fleet with a warning against further failure.[2]
Locating additional cells[]
- "That's the last of them. All rebel vessels in this system have been destroyed. That said, Commander Zahra, for the moment we have no additional leads on locations for cells of the remaining rebel fleet."
"That's all right, Lieutenant Gorr. We'll find them. I have many plans in motion." - ―Lieutenant Gorr and Commander Zahra
Zahra and Lieutenant Gorr following the destruction of the Sixth Division.
After locating the Alliance's Sixth Division in the Mid Rim, Zahra led the Tarkin's Will in an attack on the division. Her forces eliminated all targets within the system, though Gorr noted they had no leads as to the locations of the remaining cells. Zahra, however, was certain that her plans would succeed in finding them, quoting her former mentor. When the lieutenant, unaware of the history behind the Tarkin's Will, suggested that repairs be made to the vessel, Zahra chastised Gorr. She informed the apologetic lieutenant that the Tarkin's Will and its damage served as a memorial to those who died aboard the Death Star, rallying the crew in a call to never forgetting the losses. In awe, Gorr gave Zahra sympathy for if she had lost someone aboard the station, and the commander confirmed she had, declaring her intent to exact her vengeance on Organa.[5]
Zahra later intercepted transmissions from what believed was the Alliance Fleet's Seventh Division. Her forces continued to track the division's movements, waiting for it to contact—and subsequently reveal the location of—another cell. Zahra reported her progress to Vader, who commended her but soon became distracted when Skywalker activated a trap the Sith Lord had set at a Jedi outpost on the[12] planet[13] Tempes. When Vader ordered his pilot to set a course for Tempes, Zahra offered to bring the Tarkin's Will to assist, but the Sith Lord insisted that he would handle the matter himself.[12]
The rebel trap[]
- "My name is Commander Zahra of the Imperial Navy. I have deactivated the safety controls on your main reactor. This ship will explode in a matter of minutes. That, however, is not my reason for boarding this vessel. I am here for Princess Leia Organa."
- ―Commander Zahra
The Fourth Division eventually responded to the Seventh Division's transmission, and Gorr reported the news to Zahra. Recognizing the Fourth as Organa's group, Zahra intended to eliminate the division herself and send her secondary strike force after the Seventh. Gorr, however, noted that the positions of the Imperial and rebel fleets made the inverse more efficient. The commander was displeased, but relented, ordering the Tarkin's Will to the Seventh Division's location near the[4] Mid Rim astronomical object[14] Elessia.[15] Jumping to hyperspace, Zahra's fleet arrived at the Seventh Division's location, launching an attack on the rebels.[4]
As the battle continued, Zahra's forces were positioned to overwhelm their foes due to their greater numbers. However, when she asked Gorr about the Fourth, the lieutenant informed her that the secondary force had arrived to find the rebels absent. Zahra was about to reprimand Gorr when the vessels of the Fourth Division—having intended to trap the Imperials in a pincer maneuver—emerged from hyperspace behind her fleet. Zahra was unconcerned, however; intending to lead a boarding party, she ordered Gorr to prepare her shuttle.[4] As Zahra, equipped in her armor, prepared to depart, Gorr questioned whether it was wise for her to lead a boarding party amidst the battle. Determined to face Organa, Zahra insisted it was a necessary risk and that nobody else could complete the mission. She noted that Gorr had been shadowing her since the start of their hunt for the rebels, instructing the lieutenant to follow her own methods as she departed.[8]
Zahra and her spacetroopers board the rebel frigate.
Zahra boarded her Sentinel-class landing craft alongside a squad of spacetroopers, launching from the Tarkin's Will. Headed for the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate that served as the Fourth Division's flagship, Zahra and her stormtroopers boarded the frigate, breaching its airlock. Zahra led the charge, cutting down rebel troopers with her blade and blaster, heading toward the vessel's engine room. Zahra disabled the safety controls on the main reactor, with the vessel threatening to explode within minutes as a result. She contacted the frigate's commanders, informing them that the vessel's imminent destruction was not her objective; Zahra promised to reactivate the systems if Organa came alone—armed or otherwise—to the engine room. Commander Grek questioned her intent, and Zahra claimed she merely wished to speak.[8]
Confronting Organa[]
- "Leia knows I won't stop until I have her. This blade will be the last thing she thinks about before she goes to sleep and the first thing she sees when she wakes up. I did more damage to the Rebellion in that engine room than a thousand Star Destroyers could. In that moment, in the darkness, I took away her hope."
- ―Commander Zahra
Zahra confronted Leia Organa in the frigate's engine room, intending to exact her revenge.
Despite knowing Zahra's request was a trap, Organa complied; when the princess entered the engine room, Zahra shot out the door's control panel, blocking her exit. True to her word, Zahra restored the reactor and holstered her blaster, promising to let Organa go if she reached the exit on the opposite end of the room alive. Hidden in the shadows of the engine room with her blade drawn, Zahra began to recount her life—including the death of her family and becoming Tarkin's protégé—to Organa, who attempted to fire upon her unseen foe. Upon mentioning Tarkin's name, Zahra slashed Organa's arm with her blade. Zahra blamed the princess for the destruction of the Death Star and Tarkin's demise; as she described how her mentor had died believing she was a failure, Zahra cut Organa's hand with another swipe, causing the princess to drop her blaster. Although Organa had almost reached the exit, the commander stood in her path, intending to seek her revenge—and take her time in doing so.[8]
However, Zahra was interrupted by a communication from Gorr, who informed her that the two rebel divisions were too much for the Imperial forces to defeat. Preparing the Tarkin's Will for lightspeed, Gorr urged her to return to the Star Destroyer. At that moment, Skywalker—having defeated Zahra's troopers—confronted her from behind, his lightsaber drawn. Telling Organa to remember her and her blade, Zahra warned that the princess would see both again and then threatened to kill Skywalker; however, having been ordered not to due to Vader's plans for the Jedi, Zahra instead distracted Skywalker by throwing her blade past his head before leaping over him and kicking him in the back. Zahra retrieved her blade and exited the room, shattering a viewport with a shot from her blaster. Using her jetpack, Zahra escaped the frigate and flew into the hangar bay of the Tarkin's Will before it departed.[8]
Although she had not slain her foe, Zahra was satisfied with having taken away Organa's hope.
Aboard the Star Destroyer, Zahra spoke to Gorr in her office. The commander was satisfied with her achievement, showing off her blade covered in Organa's blood. Gorr was surprised, as Zahra's intent had been the princess's demise, but Zahra explained that she had to kill Organa the right way. Zahra noted that the outcome of their confrontation aboard the frigate was better, confident that her nemesis would now be unable to forget her or her blade. Having taken away the princess's hope, Zahra believed that she had caused lasting damage to Organa's status as a symbol of the Rebel Alliance.[8] As Zahra had predicted, Organa indeed felt hopeless for some time following her encounter with the Imperial commander.[16]
The Alliance strikes back[]
Starlight in the darkness[]
- "Our TIE pilots have the rebel fighters boxed in, Commander Zahra. The X-wings can't escape, and the A-wings seem unwilling to abandon them. Should I give the order to shoot them down?"
"Let's not be hasty. The rebel squadron's starfighters bear unique insignia, Lieutenant Gorr. It suggests that they may have a particular purpose or mission. Activate tractor beams." - ―Lieutenant Gorr and Commander Zahra
Despite the rebel victory at Elessia and the reunification of two of the Alliance Fleet's divisions, Zahra and her forces remained on the hunt. The rebels, intending to establish new encryption codes and reassemble their fleet, attempted to devise a system based on the extinct Trawak language using an ancient droid.[15] The Rebellion dispatched its Starlight Squadron to the likely rendezvous points of the other divisions in order to distribute the new code. In deep space near[18] the Outer Rim planet[9] Felucia, the rebels encountered Imperial probe droids[18] that Zahra had left as a trap[19] amongst the wreckage of the Sixth Division.[18] Zahra, aboard the Tarkin's Will, subsequently ambushed the squadron.[17]
Zahra and the Tarkin's Will ambushed Starlight Squadron, though the rebels escaped.
In pursuit of the rebels, Zahra launched TIEs from the Tarkin's Will to box in her foes and prevent their escape. When Gorr asked whether to order the TIEs to shoot down the rebels, Zahra declined; having recognized the unique nature of Starlight Squadron's insignia, Zahra deduced that the starfighters had a particular purpose and instead commanded for the tractor beams to be activated, intending to capture the rebels. Starlight Squadron accelerated into the beam, destroying the generators once the Tarkin's Will had lowered its shields to pull the fighters in. The rebels entered the Star Destroyer's bay, managing to take control of the hangar before the Imperials could muster their forces. Upon being informed by Gorr of the development, an irate Zahra commanded the lieutenant to pass on the order to retake the hangar.[17]
While the rebels captured an Imperial astromech droid in order to replace their own lost droids and perform the hyperspace calculations necessary for their X-wings, Zahra's forces dispatched All Terrain Scout Transports to the hangar. Although the rebels succeeded and were able to escape,[17] Lieutenant[19] Shara Bey, who had lingered to steal Imperial intelligence from the hangar's other astromechs, was left trapped aboard the Tarkin's Will when her A-wing was destroyed.[17] Reported to have died in the destruction,[3] Bey managed to evade capture, and, unknown to Zahra, remained in hiding aboard the Star Destroyer, using her situation to gather Imperial intelligence.[19]
The hunt continues[]
- "We are reunited…but so many of us remain lost. Three divisions of the Rebel Fleet have been reunited after our scattering at Hoth, thanks to the bravery and skill of Starlight Squadron and so many others. That leaves many ships, many members of the Alliance, yet to be found, while Imperial Commander Ellian Zahra remains on the hunt."
- ―Mon Mothma
Not long after the battle, an anomalous transmission from the Tarkin's Will was detected[3]—a message sent by Bey to the Rebellion.[19] Zahra did not know the cause of the anomaly, but became suspicious.[3] At some point following her encounter with Starlight Squadron, Zahra gave a briefing in which she described the squadron as a special missions crew. The Imperial forces eventually discovered the rebels' Eleventh Division, located at Rendezvous Point Lambda-Four on the Outer Rim planet Ab Dalis. Admiral Kalaxo of the Star Destroyer Ultima II was dispatched to eliminate the division. When Starlight Squadron, accompanied by Skywalker, arrived on Ab Dalis to assist the trapped division, Lieutenant Bonnard suggested sending a message to Zahra, having recognized the squadron from the commander's briefing.[21]
Despite Zahra's ongoing hunt for the Alliance Fleet, the rebels managed to reunite an additional division.
Kalaxo, however, was confident in the Imperial ability to destroy the rebels, only intending to contact Zahra when victory was achieved. When the Ultima II managed to break through the shield protecting the rebels' forward ground command post, Kalaxo ordered Bonnard to contact Zahra regarding their imminent victory; however, the rebels were able to destroy the Ultima II, rescuing the Eleventh Division, including Alliance leader Mon Mothma.[21] Although the rebel fleet had managed to reunite three of its divisions, Zahra remained on the hunt for the remaining cells.[20]
Catching a ghost[]
- "You're a fool. An overconfident fool—though I'm glad it worked out this way. Better this than you being dragged out of the bowels of my ship kicking and screaming. This, at least, has some dignity to it. And I'm pleased to meet you too. Surviving down there for all that time…it couldn't have been easy. I'm impressed. Truly. You're going to tell me all about it. And so many other things too."
- ―Zahra, confronting Shara Bey
Unknown to Zahra, Bey remained trapped aboard the Tarkin's Will for some time, sending Imperial intelligence back to the rebel fleet. The pilot hid in the damaged sections of the Star Destroyer—where the internal sensors did not function—scavenging equipment from the fallen bodies and wearing stormtrooper armor as a disguise to move around. As the anomalous transmissions and unauthorized accesses of datahubs continued, however, Zahra's suspicions grew, and she began to question whether Bey had truly been destroyed with her A-wing. The commander kept a project on the anomalies, receiving reports from Gorr on the matter.[3]
When Gorr informed Zahra of a discipline report filed by Warrant Officer Kronauer regarding a substandard stormtrooper whose designation—TK-510—had caused the lieutenant to check their records, Zahra guessed that no trooper of that designation served aboard the Tarkin's Will. Although Gorr reasoned that it was possible the trooper had lied, Zahra correctly suspected the identity of their stowaway. Displaying holographic footage from the battle, Zahra explained her suspicions regarding the pilot's supposed death, further deducing that Bey had been stealing Imperial secrets and living in the vessel's damaged sections to avoid detection. Holding up her blade, Zahra ordered Gorr to begin a search, intending to hunt the pilot.[3]
Zahra caught Shara Bey after the rebel pilot lived in hiding for some time aboard the Tarkin's Will.
Bey, realizing she would soon be found before the rebels could rescue her, commenced her own escape plan; she damaged a Lambda-class shuttle so that it would be transferred for maintenance to the auxiliary hangar, where it would be easier to steal. Zahra, however, noticed the shuttle being unexpectedly scheduled for maintenance, connecting it to the stowaway. Equipped with her armor and blade, she deactivated the shuttle and lay in wait for Bey. When the rebel pilot attempted to steal the vessel, Zahra confronted her. The commander deflected Bey's blaster shots before slicing through the barrel of her weapon, remarking on the pilot's overconfidence but also commending her on surviving for as long as she did. Zahra stabbed Bey through the chest with her blade, declaring that the pilot would tell her about her time aboard the Star Destroyer—among many other subjects.[3]
Failure on Panisia[]
- "This should not end this way. I will kill this thing, and then we will settle our own account like the warriors we are."
- ―Ellian Zahra to Leia Organa, while the former is about to be attacked by an unidentified creature
Zahra's efforts against the rebels ended in failure during the Battle of Panisia, which saw the destruction of the Tarkin's Will.[23] On the surface, Zahra again confronted Organa, who explained to the Imperial commander the differences between how the Empire and rebellion fought. Zahra was left for dead in a cave.[22] Left with scars across the right side of her face, neck, and at least a portion of her upper body, Zahra also lost her right arm and leg, which were both replaced with cybernetics. She joined the ranks of a raider faction and longed for revenge against Organa.[6]
Legacy[]
- "Despite this, there were some notable issues and individuals that Tagge had to navigate. In the years before his death at Yavin, Grand Moff Tarkin had been mentoring a young Imperial officer named Ellian Zahra. […] Tagge seemed determined to keep Zahra at arm's length if for no other reason than she threatened the tentative balance he'd manage to achieve within the armed forces."
- ―Beaumont Kin, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
The historian Beaumont Kin read several files in the Imperial Archives involving Zahra and eventually mentioned her in[11] his[24] book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire[11] in 35 ABY.[25] Briefly documenting Zahra's career during her time as Tarkin's protégé and the period following his death, Kin included her as one of the individuals who posed an issue for Grand General Tagge to navigate in the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin. Kin noted Tagge's apparent dedication to keeping her at a distance, surmising that he saw Zahra as a threat to the tentative balance he could hope to achieve in the Imperial forces.[11]
Personality and traits[]
Servant of the Empire[]
- "The Rebellion, through a combination of luck and sabotage, destroyed the Death Star, the Emperor's greatest effort to maintain peace in this troubled galaxy. Countless loyal Imperial subjects died that day. People. Murdered by Leia Organa's traitorious insurgency."
- ―Commander Zahra
Dedicated to the Empire and the order it brought, Zahra was vengeful and cunning.
A vengeful[5] and cunning[4] commander, Zahra was devoted to serving the Empire, despite her previous failures.[2] After losing her family in a rebel attack and being alone for some time,[8] Zahra had a cynical view on life, believing there was no inherent fairness in life and seeing things things as they were rather than with hope.[4] Zahra signed up to the Imperial Academy in order to prevent others from suffering as she had.[8] In serving the Empire, Zahra believed that the regime brought order, which subsequently made way for peace. She always saw her resources as broadly as possible, considering all the ways to utilize them effectively. Zahra trusted droids—which were incapable of turning against her—more than organic operatives.[4] During her time on Kessel after her reassignment, Zahra was jaded, believing that nobody had interest in someone like her.[8]
Zahra saw the Death Star as the Emperor's greatest effort to maintain peace in a troubled galaxy, believing its destruction to be a tragic massacre of loyal Imperial subjects. After being chosen to lead the hunt for the rebel fleet, Zahra honored those who perished on the Death Star by taking command of the Fortitude, a Star Destroyer damaged in the superweapon's destruction, and recruiting a crew that consisted solely of those who had lost someone on the station. She intended the Tarkin's Will to be an instrument of vengeance, believing that the rebels would come to know and fear the vessel, and criticized Gorr for being unaware of the history and meaning of the Star Destroyer.[5]
Zahra was willing to stop at nothing to destroy the Rebel Alliance,[4] which she saw as terrorists[8] and traitors. She felt that the rebels had only succeeded in defeating the Death Star due to luck and sabotage.[5] Zahra admired the destruction of the rebel fleet, considering the sight to be beautiful, and reveled in destroying a rebel who had attempted to flee.[2] She believed Luke Skywalker to be arrogant, though noted that he was surpassed by Shara Bey's futile attempt to escape the Tarkin's Will. However, Zahra was impressed at Bey's survival and was glad to be able to catch the stowaway herself, believing it to be a more dignified outcome.[3] When she failed to prevent the survivors of the Fourth Division from escaping, Zahra grew angry at Lieutenant Gorr for stating the obvious, although confidently maintained to Vader that the operation was partially successful.[2] She did not wish to repeat her orders to her crew.[17] Zahra had black hair,[5] blue eyes, and light skin.[2]
Tarkin and Organa[]
- "And Commander, please allow me to say that if you also lost someone close to you on the Death Star, you have my utmost sympathies."
"I did. Not long from now, I will whisper the name in Leia Organa's ear. And then my blade will find her throat." - ―Lieutenant Gorr and Commander Zahra
Zahra was determined to seek vengeance on Organa for Tarkin's death.
As Tarkin's protégé, Zahra was close to her mentor and felt that their relationship was meaningful.[4] She was grateful for his support and guidance,[8] believing that she would not be who she was without Tarkin. Zahra was determined in never failing her mentor. When Tarkin scorned her after her failed mission on Ikkrukk, Zahra was initially unable to accept the rejection, intent on doing anything to prove herself, although she understood her mentor's disappointment.[4] She assumed that Tarkin had intended her to learn from his dismissal and that he would have offered her an opportunity to regain his faith. After losing Tarkin in the destruction of the Death Star, Zahra, no longer having a chance to redeem herself, was angered that her mentor had died thinking her to be a failure.[8]
Zahra held Leia Organa solely responsible for the destruction of the Death Star and Tarkin's death, vowing to kill her to avenge her mentor. She had a true hatred for Organa, wanting the princess to feel the pain she had felt in her own life.[8] Wishing to cut Organa's throat in revenge,[5] Zahra became intent on hunting the princess specifically.[4] She studied the Empire's files on Organa extensively in order to learn much about her target.[8] Zahra was reluctant to give up a chance to hunt Organa down[4] and was willing to take risks to exact her revenge. She felt that her vengeance on Organa had to be done right, wishing to take her time with the act. Although Zahra was unable to kill Organa during their first confrontation at Elessia, she was satisfied with having stolen her hope, believing that the princess would be unable to forget her desire for revenge.[8]
Skills and abilities[]
- "People on this ship talk about their commander…this woman Ellian Zahra…like she's some kind of unstoppable hunter. Like she can't be beaten."
- ―Shara Bey
Zahra was a skilled commander.
Showing significant potential and results during her time in the Imperial Academy, Zahra grew to become a skilled tactician and commander as a result of Tarkin's instruction,[4] crediting her mentor for teaching her everything she knew.[8] Her crew aboard the Tarkin's Will praised her as an unstoppable hunter.[3] She developed tactics that she utilized in battle, such as the use of a turbolaser cordon to blockade an enemy fleet against a celestial body.[2] Zahra also devised a unique method of using probe droids to form a surveillance network.[4] She was willing to go against the standard procedures of the Imperial tactical manual. When encountering Starlight Squadron, she was able to deduce its importance based on its fighter's insignia.[17] Zahra claimed to know all that occurred aboard the Tarkin's Will, and eventually determined the presence of Bey aboard her vessel.[3]
Zahra was a skilled fighter with both her blaster and her blade,[8] the latter of which was her preferred weapon.[22] She was able to defeat both a deadly veermok and her fellow students of Tarkin during her mentor's test on Eriadu.[4] During her confrontation with Organa on the frigate, Zahra was able to strike with her blade from the darkness, unseen by her foe.[8] She was also able to take manual control of her Star Destroyer's guns, proving more effective than the automated targeting during the battle against the Fourth Division.[2] Zahra was capable of piloting starships, such as the Lambda-class shuttle.[4]
Equipment[]
- "Remember me, Princess. Remember my blade. You will see both of us again."
- ―Zahra threatens Organa
Zahra clad in her armor and wielding her blade
Zahra possessed a set of black-colored armor that she utilized in battle. The armor—which featured a helmet with goggles, a rebreather, and a jetpack[8]—was capable of deflecting blaster bolts.[3] Zahra wielded a blade, with which she intended to kill Organa. She also carried a blaster.[8]
As an officer of the Galactic Empire, Zahra wore a standard green Imperial military uniform, featuring a rank insignia plaque and code cylinders.[2] During her early time as Tarkin's protégé, Zahra wore a plaque with two red squares above two blue; as a Lieutenant Commander and Commander, her plaque featured four red squares above four blue. She occasionally wore a cap with an officer's disk during her time under Tarkin's tuition, although did not as a commander. On Eriadu, Zahra wore a brown cloak over her officer's uniform. During the hunt, she fashioned a stone dagger, as well as a wooden crutch. While on Ikkrukk, Zahra wore a black longcoat.[4]
In her hunt for the rebel fleet, Zahra commanded the Tarkin's Will, an Imperial-class Star Destroyer formerly known as the Fortitude, which had been severely damaged in the destruction of the Death Star. She did not wish to repair the damage the Star Destroyer had sustained, keeping it as a memorial of the attack.[5] Zahra kept an office aboard the Tarkin's Will, in which she displayed numerous weapons, including her blade and the stone dagger[8] from Eriadu,[4] and other trophies, such as mounted creature heads.[8] During her mission to Ikkrukk, Zahra utilized the Carrion Spike, Tarkin's vessel. She also commandeered a Lambda-class shuttle shortly before the Death Star's destruction.[4] When boarding the rebel frigate at Elessia, Zahra utilized a Sentinel-class landing craft.[8]
Behind the scenes[]
Ellian Zahra was introduced in the first issue of the 2020 Star Wars comic series, written by Charles Soule, illustrated by Jesús Saiz, and published by Marvel Comics[2] on January 1 of that year.[26] Her forename was provided in the series' eighth issue, also written by Soule[8] and published on November 4, 2020.[27] Prior to the release of the comic, Zahra was first mentioned in an article on Marvel's website that covered the series' announcement on October 2, 2019.[28] In the series' first issue, Commander Zahra's uniform is depicted with a plaque featuring three red and three blue squares,[2] although later issues depict her plaque with four squares of each color.[5][8]
Appearances[]
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Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑
SWCE 2023: Marvel Reveals Star Wars: Dark Droids Horror Event and More on StarWars.com (backup link) states that the events of the comic series Star Wars, including the death of Ellian Zahra in Star Wars (2020) 49, take place between the events of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which are dated to 3 ABY and 4 ABY, respectively, by Star Wars: Timelines.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 Star Wars (2020) 1
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Star Wars (2020) 21
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 4.40 4.41 4.42 Star Wars (2020) 7
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 Star Wars (2020) 3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Star Wars (2020) 48
- ↑ Star Wars (2020) 49
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 8.36 8.37 8.38 8.39 8.40 Star Wars (2020) 8
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Star Wars (2020) 6
- ↑ Skywalker: A Family at War
- ↑ Star Wars Galaxy Map
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Star Wars (2020) 9
- ↑ Star Wars (2020) 14
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Star Wars (2020) 11
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Star Wars (2020) 10
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Star Wars (2020) 12
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Star Wars (2020) 19
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Star Wars (2020) 15
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Star Wars (2020) 24
- ↑ Star Wars (2020) 23
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire states that thirty years have passed since the end of the Galactic Civil War and months have passed since the Battle of Exegol. As Star Wars: Timelines dates the end of the war to 5 ABY and the Battle of Exegol to 35 ABY, the in-universe The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire must have been published in 35 ABY.
- ↑
Star Wars (2020) #1 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑
Star Wars (2020) #8 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ NYCC 2019: Coming Next Year, 'Star Wars' #1 and 'Darth Vader' #1 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)