- "I've been in this Rebellion for years, but I've never killed anybody. It's bad enough flying a transport, feeling like all those soldiers' lives are in your hands. But taking someone's life? I can't do it."
- ―Sila Kott on her reluctance to become a starfighter pilot
Sila Kott, a female human from Toprawa, was a pilot in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Despite having the qualifications to fly a starfighter, she preferred to fly transports as she was reluctant to take a life. However, after the Battle of Hoth, Commander Wedge Antilles convinced Kott to join Red Squadron and become a starfighter pilot. Later, she flew an A-wing as Red Three at the Battle of Endor, where she was shot down by two Imperial TIE Interceptors in an attempt to lead them away from her wingmates.
Biography[]
- "I don't know who that is."
"That's because she flies troop transports. Commander Narra found her back when he made every pilot do simulator runs. He tried to recruit her for a squadron but she refused."
"She can fly but she doesn't want to. Isn't that disqualifying?"
"Normally, yes. But this isn't normally. I'll ask again. And if her answer is no, I know someone who won't ask." - ―Wes Janson and Wedge Antilles discuss Sila Kott's prior refusal to join a starfighter squadron
A female human[1] from the Outer Rim[7] planet of Toprawa, Sila Kott ended up joining the Starfighter Corps of the Alliance to Restore the Republic,[1] a resistance movement that sought to topple the dictatorial Galactic Empire.[8] In her early days with the Rebel Alliance, she flew troop transports. Commander Arhul Narra tried to recruit her into a starfighter squadron, back when he made every pilot do simulator runs, but she refused and did not explain her unwillingness to fly fighters.[6]
After Hoth[]
- "Still with us, Commander?"
"Thanks to you." [switching to private channel] "You all right, Sila?"
"No. But I will be." - ―Silas Kott and Wedge Antilles, after she shot down her first target
Shortly after the evacuation of Hoth in 3 ABY,[9] Kott was recruited by Commander Wedge Antilles into the newly reformed Red Squadron. She purposely sabotaged her simulator training, before revealing to Antilles that being responsible for the lives of the troops she transported was difficult enough, but she had never killed anybody in all the years she had been with the Rebellion and she would not take someone's life. Antilles explained to her that they "pulled the trigger" to help to create a galaxy where no one has to do it, which meant killing people and that the Alliance and her loved ones needed her.[6]
Kott was assigned the callsign Red Three and flew a T-65B X-wing starfighter as Antilles' wingmate, alongside Tomer Darpen, in an attack on a nearby pirate base, that threatened the safety of the Alliance's rendezvous point. When Antilles was under fire from one of the bandits, Kott initially hesitated but ultimately shot down his assailant to save his life.[6]
Endor[]
- "Got it!"
- ―Sila Kott
In 4 ABY,[10] Kott participated in a decisive battle at Endor, flying an A-wing interceptor with Red Squadron still under the callsign Red Three. Although the rebels managed to destroy the Empire's second Death Star battlestation, Kott did not live to see the Alliance triumph. Indeed, at one point during the battle, the pilot went head to head with swarms of Imperial fighters, and perished under enemy fire when she tried to lead two TIE/IN interceptors away from her comrades.[3]
Legacy[]
To honor her contribution to liberating the galaxy, the Sila Kott flight school was built in her name on her home planet.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Sila Kott first appeared, albeit unnamed, in the 1983 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[3] Although the character is female and was portrayed by English actress Poppy Hands, her lines were dubbed by a male American actor in post-production.[1] In the Star Wars Legends continuity, the character was first named Sila Kott in Hasbro's Star Wars: Shadows of the Dark Side toy line;[11] the name is reintroduced to the current canon by the StarWars.com Databank. While the Databank erroneously identifies Kott as Red Two,[5] the 2017 activity book Star Wars: A-wing Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model by Michael Kogge confirms her callsign as Red Three.[1]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Starfighter Missions
- "Rendezvous Point" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
- "Rendezvous Point" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back audiobook
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi junior novelization
- "The Buy-In" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi
- "The Buy-In" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi audiobook
- "When Fire Marked the Sky" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi
- "The Last Flight" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi
- "The Last Flight" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi audiobook
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z
- Star Wars: A-wing Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 75 (Helmets: A-wing Fighter Pilot) (Picture only)
- "Pilots of the Rebel Alliance" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Jedi at 40 | A Guide to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi's Deleted Scenes on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Rebel Pilots in the Databank (backup link) (First identified as Sila Kott)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Star Wars: A-wing Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi depicts Sila Kott was killed at the Battle of Endor, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 4 ABY
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "The Last Flight" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Rebel Pilots Biography Gallery in the Databank (backup link) (Slide 14)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Rendezvous Point" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- ↑ "Rendezvous Point" is set in the aftermath of the Battle of Hoth, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 3 ABY. As such, the events in "Rendezvous Point" must have taken place around that year.
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ Star Wars: Shadows of the Dark Side (Pack: Battle Over Endor (1 of 2)) (backup link)