Nala Hetsime

Nala Hetsime was a Human male pilot from Pa Tho, who had joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic by 3 ABY. In that year, Hetsime was stationed at Echo Base on the planet Hoth. He participated in the Battle of Hoth as part of the Rebel Rogue Group under the call sign Rogue Seven against the invading Imperial forces. While the battle resulted in a Rebel defeat, Hetsime's T-47 airspeeder made it through the battle intact.

Biography[]

Nala Hetsime listens to Princess Leia Organa's briefing prior to the Battle of Hoth.

Nala Hetsime was a Human male^[2] from Pa Tho who lived during the Galactic Civil War.^[1] He served as a pilot for the Alliance to Restore the Republic.^[2] In the year 3 ABY,^[4] he was stationed at Echo Base on the planet Hoth.^[2] Hetsime was part of the base's pilot contingent consisting of Rogue Flight, Blue Squadron, and Green Squadron. During the Battle of Hoth, when the Galactic Empire discovered Echo Base, Rogue Group was formed from the three Rebel squadrons.^[1] Hetsime was a part of that formation,^[3] under the call sign of Rogue Seven, with Cinda Tarheel serving as his gunner.^[1]

Shortly after the Empire's invasion of Hoth, Hetsime joined the rest of Rogue Group to listen to a briefing held by Princess Leia Organa, who discussed Echo Base's evacuation plans. The various Alliance transports would depart Hoth one by one, under the cover fire of the base's v-150 Planet Defender, and escorted by two starfighters, which they hoped would allow the ships to slip by the Imperial blockade in orbit of the planet.^[2] Hetsime took part in defending Echo Base from the invading Imperial Blizzard Force.^[3] Although the battle ended with the Rebels being forced to retreat from their base,^[2] Hetsime and Tarheel's T-47 airspeeder made it through without getting shot down.^[1]

Personality and traits[]

A good pilot, Hetsime could fly anything—whether it was streaking through hyperspace or a few meters above Hoth.^[3] Dour and laconic, Hetsime was a mystery to his fellow pilots, who failed to draw more than the most basic information out of him. Nonetheless, they couldn't argue with his bravery in the cockpit.^[1] Nala Hetsime had brown hair and fair skin.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

Nala Hetsime's T-47 first appeared in 1999's Star Wars Manga: The Empire Strikes Back 1, an adaption of 1980's Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.^[5] He was first named on a card for 2001's Masters of the Force expansion set of Decipher, Inc.'s Jedi Knights Trading Card Game, though the character was not linked to any character in the Empire Strikes Back film.^[3] In 2013, Nala Hetsime was established as one of the extra Rogue Squadron pilots seen in The Empire Strikes Back in the Rogues Gallery feature of Star Wars Insider 146.^[6]