Yavin 4 Rebels: Guardians of the Hidden Fortress

After abandoning their base on Dantooine, the Rebel Alliance established a new HQ in the ruins of the eerie Massassi Temples on Yavin 4. The Great Temple housed several levels of Alliance activity, including a hangar for the starfighters and a majestic audience chamber. After finally procuring the Death Star plans from Princess Leia Organa, General Dodonna spearheaded a search for a tactical weakness in the battle station’s construction. When the Death Star approached Yavin 4, a valiant attack with little chance of victory was launched. However, a new hope was given to the galaxy when Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star against all odds. Let’s meet the brave Rebels who were stationed at Base One during the Battle of Yavin!

High Command

General Jan Dodonna was the military leader of Base One. This Clone Wars veteran from Commenor devised the tactical plan to direct the assault on a small, vulnerable thermal exhaust port. The seasoned Alderaanian General Vanden Willard was relieved to see Princess Leia alive after the destruction of their homeplanet. Willard was a former spy of House Organa and responsible for Base One’s planetary defenses. Other experienced Commanders were Bob Hudsol, a Corellian with connections in Bothan Space, and Evram Lajaie, whose expertise helped the Alliance to uncover the flaw in the Death Star’s design. Also present at Base One was Pashna Starkiller, a former Imperial General.



Colonel Feyn Gospic worked in the strategy center during the Battle of Yavin as one of Dodonna’s main strategic advisers. A bunch of officers were seen during the ceremony after the destruction of the Death Star. Among them was Major Arhul Hextrophon, a Master Historian for Alliance High Command who carried the Medals of Bravery in a box. Hextrophon was assisted by Lieutenant Voren Na’al, a young historian who served under him. Na’al handed out the medals to Dodonna during the ceremony. Other officers seen at the ceremony were Colonel Anj Zavor, Major Tyr Taskeen, Major Duron Veertag, Captain Deacon Eso and Captain Morts Werl.

Pilots of Red and Gold

General Dodonna had analyzed that the defenses of the Death Star were arranged around a large scale assault. The Imperials counted 30 Rebel ships during the battle, most of them were a part of Red or Gold Squadron. Red Squadron consisted of T-65 X-wing starfighters and was led by the veteran Garven Dreis (Red Leader), sometimes nicknamed “Dave” or “Boss”. Dreis had confidence in Luke’s skills since he had once met Luke’s father during the Clone Wars. Dreis and R5-K6 performed an unsuccessful trench run and were ultimately shot down by Darth Vader. Wedge Antilles (Red 2) was skeptical about the tactical plan at first, but fought bravely, and the young Corellian only had to abandon the final trench run when he got hit by a TIE fighter. Biggs Darklighter (Red 3) had been Luke’s best friend on Tatooine. When Biggs encountered Luke on Yavin 4, he almost couldn’t believe that “the shooting stars” had been reunited. In the final trench run, Biggs and R2-Q2 covered Luke, but despite his flying skills, Biggs couldn’t evade Vader’s deadly lasers that ended his life. John D. Branon (Red 4) was a native of Dalandae and was shot down when the TIE fighters entered the battle.





Luke Skywalker (Red 5) was a rookie pilot and the best bush pilot in the Outer Rim, according to Biggs. Assisted by R2-D2 and by a mystical energy field, Luke easily grew accustomed to the controls of the T-65 that were similar to the ones of the T-16 Skyhopper he had owned on Tatooine. Lieutenant Jek Tono Porkins (Red 6) was a native of the ocean world Bestine IV. Porkins couldn’t eject in time when his X-wing got hit. R5-D8 was destroyed in the blast as well. Elyhek Rue (Red 7) from Brentaal IV was present during Dodonna’s briefing. Bren Quersey (Red 8) from Lantillies had been trained by Wedge Antilles. Nozzo Naytaan (Red 9) hasn’t (yet) been properly identified in A New Hope though he’s credited by saying the line: “It’s a hit!” Theron Nett (Red 10) from Ord Mantell considered Dreis his mentor. Together with R2-X2 Nett took part in the first X-wing trench run, but was killed by Vader. Lieutenant Wenton Chan (Red 11) from Corulag led Red Squadron’s third flight. Puck Naeco (Red 12) got transferred from the Independence to Yavin 4 where he covered Dreis in the failed trench run until his own demise.



Gold Squadron consisted of BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighters and was led by Jon “Dutch” Vander (Gold Leader). Together with Gold 2 and Gold 5 Vander performed the first trench run, but the Y-wings were no match for Vader and his wingmen. Tiree (Gold 2) was shot down by Vader during the aforementioned trench run. Ryle Torsyn (Gold 3) was recruited by Dreis and discovered an Imperial homing beacon on the Dantooine base. Lieutenant Lepira (Gold 4) was present at Dodonna’s briefing, and the young pilot entered the battle with his Astromech R5-F7. Veteran Davish ‘Pops’ Krail (Gold 5) told Vander to stay on target during their failed run. Krail had been a friend of Garven Dreis. Hol Okand (Gold 6) had seen action on Kashyyyk before he was killed at Yavin. Rookie pilot Keyan Farlander (Gold 7) was one of the few pilots to survive the battle.

Miscellaneous crew

Corporal Osleo Prennert was the sentry on duty when the Millennium Falcon landed on Yavin 4. Corellian musician Grondorn Muse joined the Alliance when the Empire blacklisted his songs. Muse was present during Dodonna’s briefing. Engineer Firin Morett had final launch authority in the hangar of Base One, a working place that he shared with R4-D6. Del Goren, an expert of communications and sensor jamming, followed the battle with other members of Alliance High Command. He warned the pilots for incoming enemy starfighters. Alderaanian Rebel Honor Guard Galen Torg and Chief Caf Treblanc were both present during the ceremony.



Tim Veekhoven (Sompeetalay) from Belgium is president and co founder of TeeKay-421, the Belgian Star Wars fanclub. He has contributed to Star Wars Insider (Rogues Gallery) and has written four character back stories for “What’s the Story?”.

Sources:

A Guide to the Star Wars Universe (1984)

CCG (Decipher)

Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope (1989)

Razor’s Edge (2013)

Scramble on Yavin Battle Pack Hasbro (2009)

Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope novelization (1976)

Star Wars Insider 92 (Refresher Reading)

Star Wars Insider 133 (Rogues Gallery: Celebrating a Rebel Victory!)

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (2008)

The Essential Guide to Warfare (2011)

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