Pash Cracken

Pash Cracken

Pash Cracken was aHumanmale careerstarfighterpilot who throughout his life served in theRebel Alliance, theNew Republic, and theGalactic Alliance.Born on theplanetContruum around theyear20 BBY, he was taught both morality andstarfighter combat by hisfather,Airen, whom he followed into the Rebel Alliance during his teenage years. Cracken enrolled at theGalactic Empire'sVensenor Flight Academy under a false identity to hone his skills, and after graduating, he led an entirewing ofTIE fighterpilots in defecting to the Alliance. The members of the newly dubbedCracken's Flight Group were assignedA-wing fighters and given patrol duty at an Alliancebase on the planetXyquine II, which was eventually abandoned when the Empireattacked. During the evacuation, Cracken ordered all personnel to subtract the number two from their assignedhyperspace coordinates and then led hisflight group in destroying theVictory-class Star DestroyerExsanguinator. The former maneuver shook the pursuit of eavesdropping Imperials and became famously known as the "Cracken Twist"; both maneuvers turned Cracken into a legend.

When the Alliance became the New Republic, the pilots of Cracken's Flight Group began to view their leader as an invincible hero, and Cracken requested a transfer to the legendaryRogue Squadron in7 ABY so that he might reassess his skills. One of his first missions with the Rogues was a covert insertion onto the Empire'scapital world ofCoruscant in order to gather intelligence prior to a New Republic siege of the planet. Cracken flew aZ-95 Headhunter when the Roguesdisabled Coruscant'splanetary shields, and the New Republic successfully captured the world. Rogue Squadron spent the subsequentweeks obtainingbacta in order to combat the deadlyKrytos virus left on-world by the departing Imperials; after acure was developed, all the Rogues save for Cracken resigned theircommissions and initiated aguerrilla war against former ImperialHead of StateYsanne Isard. Cracken remained with the New Republic due to his father's role asDirector of Intelligence, but he lentRogue LeaderWedge Antilles aid and led an A-wingsquadron into thebattle that toppled Isard.Two years later, he flewagainst theforces of the Empire'sGrand AdmiralThrawn.

In28 ABY, Cracken commanded theInterdictor cruiserMemory of Ithor in thewar effort of the Galactic Alliance—the New Republic's successor state—against theextra-galacticYuuzhan Vong. Thecruiser was destroyed during astrike at the Yuuzhan Vong–heldBilbringi Shipyards, and Cracken and the surviving crew were takenprisoner on the planetSelvaris.While incarcerated, Cracken and the legendarycommandoJudder Page received vital information from the intelligence-gatheringRyn Network and arranged for fourprisoners to escape and deliver it toGalactic Alliance High Command. Their efforts allowed a Galactic Alliance strike force to rescue them, but twosubsequentbattles brought Cracken toCaluula Station, where he was again captured and taken to enemy-occupied Coruscant. There, a group of heretical Yuuzhan VongShamed Ones rescued him from being sacrificed to theYuuzhan Vong gods. The Galactic Alliance soon thereafterstruck at the capital, and Cracken was rescued and recruited into Page'sKatarn Commandos as they stormed thecitadel of the Yuuzhan Vong'sSupreme OverlordShimrra. They secured the fortress, which allowedJedi MasterLuke Skywalker to kill Shimrra and bring the war to anend.

Biography[]

Joining the fight[]

Prodigal pilot[]

Pash Cracken, aHumanmale, wasborn on theplanetContruum around20 BBY^[2] to hismother,Josta, and his father,Airen. He also had a sister namedDena.^[7] The Crackens were a family of rebels who actively resisted theGalactic Empire, and during Pash and Dena Cracken'schildhood, their father^[2] led a group known asCracken's Crew^[7] thatfought a guerrilla campaign against the Imperial occupation of theirhomeworld.^[2] Airen instilled his son with morals, impressing upon him that the Empire was tyrannical and evil, and the young Cracken became eager to join the resistance.^[9] Some of his childhood was spent inZ-95 Headhunterholosimulators, and Cracken's father quickly realized that he was a talentedpilot. Airen encouraged his son's interest in flying by providing him access to additional simulators^[10] and teaching him the basics ofstarfighter combat.^[1] Cracken defeated several skilled pilots in simulator battles, and Airen eventually allowed him to fly realstarfighters.^[10] The younger Cracken took his first solo flight before he reached the age of thirteen.^[9]

During Cracken's teenageyears,^[1] his father's rebellion successfully liberated Contruum from Imperial rule.^[2] Airen joined theRebel Alliance, agalaxy-wide resistance movement that was fighting awar against the Empire, and after Airen told his son about life in the Rebellion, Pash left his homeworld to join his father. The elder Cracken suggested that he enroll in the ImperialVensenor Flight Academy,^[1] a branch of theImperial Academy located aboard theVenator-class Star DestroyerVensenor.^[11] It had proved a fertile recruiting ground for Imperial defectors to the Alliance, and Pash Cracken enrolled under a false identity, as his father had already become a famous Rebelgeneral.^[1] The younger Cracken found that he was a better pilot than most of his instructors,^[10] and though he excelled in all of his studies, his top marks came in classes that involved starfighter tactics. His approach to piloting was unorthodox, innovative, and often reckless,^[1] and in repeated combat simulations, it was unbeatable.^[9] His instructors were astounded.^[1]

During histime at the Imperial Academy, Cracken became a capablecommander who inspired devotion in his teammates.^[9] Theirsquadrons flewTIE fighters in battle simulations and constantly completed missions without losing a single pilot. When his comrades fell behind in their academic studies, Cracken forced them to leave the simulators and open theirbooks.^[10] He attracted considerable attention from his fellows, and Cracken assembled a group of pilots whom he could trust. His plan was for the group to defect to the Alliance following their graduation.^[1] When that time came, Cracken had surpassed all of his instructors in piloting ability,^[10] and he graduated in the top one percent of his class. He was immediatelycommissioned into theImperial Navy.^[1]

Becoming a legend[]

Cracken became theWing Commander of a seventy-two-ship-strongfighter wing^[9] of TIE fighters. During his first assignment, he led the entire wing in defecting to the Rebel Alliance.^[10] The incident took on a nearly mythical quality within both the Alliance and the Empire, but the former organization kept the details of the defection officially classified for years.^[1] To the Empire, it was a scandal that rocked the highest echelons of the ImperialNavy, and the ImperialSith LordDarth Vader took a personal interest in it^[9] by placing a newcommander in charge of the TIE Wing's formerStar Destroyer.^[1]

The former TIE Wing became known asCracken's Flight Group,^[1] and they switched toA-wing fighters, becoming some of the first squadrons in theAlliance Starfighter Corps to pilot the new ships.^[2] Theflight group was assigned to anAlliance base on the planetXyquine II, from where they performed many successful hit-and-run operations against Imperial shipping.^[1] Cracken retained hisrank of Wing Commander.^[12] When the base was discovered by an Imperialprobe droid^[1] at some point between0 BBY and3 ABY,^[1][13] the Empireattacked at a time when an unusually high number of important Rebeloperatives were on-station.^[1] As an Imperialfleet approached,Gingal, the base'sWatch Commander, ordered a standard evacuation. Cracken rushed into the base's control room and informed Gingal that the plan was flawed, as the Imperials would be able to monitor their ship-to-ship transmissions and thus follow their exit vectors.^[12]

Cracken took the dumbfounded watch commander'scomlink and informed everypilot to subtract the number two from thehyperspace coordinates they would soon receive. He reasoned that their exit vectors would be accurate enough to fool the eavesdropping Imperials, yet inaccurate enough to send pursuers in the wrong direction by severallight-years. Cracken then requested permission to lead his flight group against the Imperial fleet, and when Gingal consented, Cracken's Flight Group attacked theVictory-class Star Destroyer^[12]Exsanguinator.^[10] They destroyed theStar Destroyer without suffering a single casualty, and every single Rebeltransport safely jumped tolightspeed.^[12] Cracken's method of altering hyperspace codes went down in history as the "Cracken Twist,"^[1] and his unit's defeat of theExsanguinator made flight group and commander alike into legends.^[10]

At another point between 0 BBY and 3 ABY,^[13][14] Cracken engaged an Imperial pilot in a dogfight. Although he was bested, Cracken's A-wing remained flyable, and he escaped the skirmish with his life. Around the same time, Cracken also participated in severalspace battles between Rebel and Imperial forces that were fought in theCorellian,Dantooine,Karthakk,Naboo, andTatoo systems. In each battle, a RebelEF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate squared off against an ImperialLancer-class frigate, and Cracken was one of many pilots who made up the Rebel starfighter complement.^[14]

Going Rogue[]

A change of pace[]

In4 ABY, the Alliance delivered a crippling defeat to the Empire at theBattle of Endor, and the victors soon thereafter reorganized into theNew Republic.^[13] Cracken's Flight Group continued to serve the new government'sdefense fleet, and shortly afterEndor, they were tasked with protecting theOuter Rim Communications Center in theGeneris system. The flight group was added to Wing CommanderVarth's fighter wing,^[1] and Cracken was promoted to the rank ofcaptain. The pilots serving under him were eager to always follow his lead, believing that he was an unbeatable hero who would lead them to victory in every battle. Attrition gradually wheedled away at the flight group's numbers, and although Cracken knew that he was leading his pilots to theirdeaths, the survivors blamed those who died for making fatal mistakes. Cracken felt that his flight group was getting increasingly careless, and he grew worried that a single mistake on his part would see them all die.^[10]

When Cracken learned that theNew Republic Starfighter Corps' legendaryRogue Squadron was seeking pilots to fill recently opened vacancies, he applied to join their ranks.^[9] The Rogues flewX-wing fighters rather than A-wings, but they wereled by New Republic heroWedge Antilles and considered to be some of the New Republic's best pilots. Cracken's perceived mythical status had caused him to lose perspective on his own abilities, and he hoped that serving under Antilles in such a fabled squadron would help him get a more realistic measure of how well he actually was able to fly. Cracken additionally hoped that his flight group could reassess how they operated in his absence. He was accepted into the Rogues, and he traveled to the planetBorleias to meet with Antilles,^[10] leaving his flight group under the leadership of Varth.^[9] Cracken's father, now theDirector of New Republic Intelligence, warned him that Antilles would grill him with questions prior to his first mission.^[10]

Cracken was shown to Commander Antilles's office in the Borleiasbase along with fellow candidateAril Nunb. Antilles welcomed them to the squadron, but he insisted on knowing why they had chosen to apply. Cracken reluctantly explained his reasons and willingly accepted a demotion tolieutenant; Antilles related to his dilemma, and, although initially suspicious that Cracken might be aNew Republic Intelligencespy working for Airen Cracken, the Rogue leader gladly welcomed both of the new pilots to the squadron. Cracken was given thecall sign ofRogue Four and permitted to fly Antilles's ownX-wing while several damaged fighters were repaired, and he was assignedsleeping quarters withNawara Ven,Rogue Three.^[10]

Around the same time, the ImperialWarlordZsinj dispatched theDwarf Star-class freighterVengeance Derra IV toprobe the New Republic's defenses at their new base.^[10] Although Cracken was already battling suspicions from his fellow Rogues that he was reporting their activities to his father,^[15] he was sent on his first mission: aretaliation against Zsinj.^[10]

Rogue Squadron'sOne andTwo Flights were sent to theGaTir system. The flights were captained by Nunb and Cracken, respectively, and thetransponder codes of all eight fighters were altered to identify them as mishmash, mongrel craft known asUglies that would fail to attract attention. On Cracken's suggestion, they approachedVengeance Derra IV's position overMrisst via that planet's south pole in order to avoid anyastronomical observation posts. After catching a first glimpse of their target, the Rogues spotted an additional vessel:Contruum's Pride, a transport that Cracken, due to naming conventions on his homeworld, realized was posing as acapital ship. Nunb broadcast orders for the Imperials to surrender, but when twelve TIE fighters andinterceptors were launched instead, One Flight engaged them while Cracken led Two Flight in an attack onVengeance Derra IV. The four X-wings of Two Flight avoided thelasers of thefreighter'sgunners before launching fourproton torpedoes in tandem, which brought down the freighter's forward and aftshields and left it derelict inspace. While One Flight destroyed the enemysnubfighters, Cracken contactedContruum's Pride and convinced them to help stabilizeVengeance Derra IV. Victorious, the Rogues returned to base.^[10]

Behind enemy lines[]

Not long afterward, Antilles gathered the Rogues into Borleias's pilots' briefing room and informed them of their nextmission: in advance of a strike at the Imperialcapital world ofCoruscant, the Rogues would land on theprison planetKessel and free several members of theBlack Sun criminal organization, who would then be inserted into theCoruscant Underworld to stir up chaos. Cracken helped Antilles convince skeptical RogueCorran Horn—a former member of theCorellian Security Force—that allowing particularly dangerous criminals to run loose would cause effective damage to the Empire. Twelvehours later, the Rogues launched from Borleias and arrived at Kessel. There, they performed a flyby of the planet'sGarrison Moon and neutralized the remaining defenses of a former Imperial base shortly before doing the same to a landing zone on Kessel itself. While Antilles, Horn, and Ven negotiated the release ofprisoners with facilityadministratorMoruth Doole, Cracken and the rest of the Rogues flew cover forTycho Celchu, the squadron'sexecutive officer. Piloting the modifiedLambda-class shuttleForbidden, Celchu ferried the prisoners to themoon for processing.^[10]

Over the next twoweeks, the New Republicsmuggled the criminals onto Coruscant. Rogue Squadron relocated from Borleias to the nearby New Republic–held planetNoquivzor, where Cracken learned that he would similarly beinserted onto the capital, tasked by the New Republic's governing body, theProvisional Council, with gathering intelligence in preparation for a sabotage of the world'splanetary shields. Although all members of Rogue Squadron were in fact part of the mission, they were separated into small groups for security reasons, and none of them save for Antilles were aware of any other group's presence on the planet. Cracken was paired with Antilles and given the job of assessingCoruscanti citizens' loyalty to the Empire; the two were fitted with disguises by New Republic Intelligence for their insertion onto the capital aboard theDairkan StarlinerJewel of Churba. Assuming the identity ofImperial PrefectParin Dodt, Cracken passed the inspection of acustoms official and greeted his old friend "Antar Roat"—actually Antilles—just after the starliner arrived in theCoruscant system.^[10]

After making planetfall, the two were greeted at thespaceport by a woman calling herselfIrin Fossyr, who used correct code phrases to identify herself as an Intelligence agent placed by Cracken's father. The three operatives boarded alift-car, shed their disguises, and made introductions; Fossyr's real name wasIella Wessiri. The three spent the next week touring Imperialmuseums and other public facilities in an effort to discern how Imperialpropaganda was received by the general populace, and Cracken kept aneye out for what kinds of souvenirs were purchased by museum guests. After a week had passed, they made it to theGalactic Museum, where Cracken purchased a miniature statue of the lateEmperorPalpatine and twoholopaddisplay disks of his life story. They were the gift shop's two most popular items, and Cracken decided that they would make humorous gifts for his father. The group began to suspect that Coruscant's citizens had accepted Palpatine's death and would similarly accept a new government taking control of their world. As they left the museum satisfied, Antilles was suddenly embraced by his old friendMirax Terrik, a smuggler who had lately been working closely with the Rogues.^[10]

Wessiri and Terrik quickly assumed the roles ofwindow shoppers, and Cracken and Antilles followed silently in their wake as they slowly descended through Coruscant'scityscape, stopping at various women'sclothing stores to appear casual and to watch for pursuers. A trip in another of Wessiri's lift-cars brought them to a safehouse, where Terrik explained to a wary Wessiri that her departure from Coruscant had been compromised after she had ferried other Rogues onto the planet. Cracken and Antilles realized that the Imperials were wise to their presence, and Wessiri summoned fellow Intelligence agentWinter to debrief Terrik. After Winter revealed that all of Rogue Squadron was on-world, Antilles noticed laser flashes outside the room and tipped the group'scouch overseconds before aspeeder bike crashed through the window. The vehicle's driver was a Black Sun thug, and the group soon after relocated to a new safehouse inside acantina known asthe Headquarters. There, they learned that Corran Horn—on abike of his own—had sent the other driver through the window while fleeing fromZekka Thyne, one of the criminals who had been freed from Kessel. Soon thereafter, a communication from the New Republic'sAdmiralAckbar informed them of a change of plans: due to anattack on Noquivzor by Warlord Zsinj, the Rogues were now to bring down Coruscant's planetary shields themselves in advance of a New Republic invasion. Winter accordingly connected Cracken and Antilles with the rest of their squadron in order to hatch a plan.^[10]

Conquering the capital[]

The rest of the Rogues—save for Nunb, who had been taken into Imperial custody—were brought to the safehouse along with the anti-ImperialAlien Combine, with whom they had connected during the previous week. Also with them were several Black Sun members, who had agreed to work with them despite badblood between Thyne and Horn. The three groups brainstormed potential attack plans against Coruscant's centralcomputer, and they ultimately decided to use the Alien Combine's access to amemory coremanufacturing plant in Coruscant'sAlien Protection Zone toslice into the computer and gain clearance codes for the planetary shield maintenance programs. Cracken was part of the team assembled to slip rigged cores into the computer system, and he traveled to a warehouse at the plant along with Antilles, Alien Combine memberPortha, andGavin Darklighter,Rogue Five. Posing as plant workers, they delivered the rigged cores to anImperial technician while several other Rogues waited in the warehouse's shadows. When Imperialstormtroopers and aSwift Assault 5 hoverscout suddenly attacked, having been tipped off by Thyne, Cracken and the others fell back as Rogue Squadron membersOoryl Qrygg andRiv Shiel emerged and returned fire with a pair ofE-Web heavy repeating blasters.^[10]

Cracken and the others took cover as therepeating blasters destroyed the Hoverscout, but concentrated fire from the stormtroopers left them little maneuvering room. Thetroopers' ranks were thinned when the Hoverscout collided with arepulsorlift truck, and the Rogues and Portha used the opportunity to retreat deeper into the plant. After they found another exit, they were forced to move in and out of several other buildings to shake Imperial pursuit. They eventually found themselves surrounded by stormtroopersquads while inside a building, but backup called by Antilles—Celchu, flying a Z-95 Headhunter—arrived outside a window and eliminated their foes. A repulsorlift vehicle piloted byM-3PO, the squadron'squartermaster, retrieved Cracken and the others and took them to another safehouse. Celchu's presence on Coruscant was a surprise to all save Antilles, as the executiveofficer had been adejarik piece that the Rogues' Commander had not wanted to play until absolutely necessary. The Rogues gathered in Celchu's safehouse to revise their plan, where they were joined by Wessiri, Terrik, Portha, Portha's allyAsyr Sei'lar, andInyri Forge, a former girlfriend of Thyne who had killed him following his betrayal of the Rogues.^[10]

Darklighter and Sei'lar proposed using anOrbital Solar Energy Transfer Satellite to vaporize awater reservoir, which would produce concentrated humidity and create a thunderstorm, thereby leading to a total power grid collapse. By hijacking a giantconstruction droid, they would evacuate the groundsideSubsidiary computer center Number Four and gain access to thesatellite. Cracken was assigned to fly cover for the assault in one of Celchu's six Headhunters, withRhysati Ynr,Rogue Seven, as hiswingmate. When Sei'lar volunteered for Headhunter duty, a shuffle paired her with Cracken and Ynr withErisi Dlarit,Rogue Eight. Horn served asleader of the ersatzHunter Squadron, and, after the pilots investigated their fighters, Cracken observed Celchu tell Horn that he had made a special inspection of his Headhunter. Horn then accused Celchu of being an Imperial spy responsible for betraying their mission at the manufacturing plant, and the pilots launched.^[10]

The rest of the task force seized the constructiondroid, and Hunter Squadron dogfought and destroyed multiple waves of attacking TIE fighters above Coruscant's cityscape. After thesubsidiary computer center was destroyed and the storm began, Horn manually destroyed a substation that was keeping the final layer of planetary shields intact. The New Republic Defense Fleet arrived in-system, and as Hunter Squadron prepared to return to base andrefuel, Cracken and Horn observed around ten civilian vessels fleeing the planet. Horn detected an anomalous blip on hisscanners, and although Cracken's readings showed nothing, Horn investigated, refusing Cracken's offer to serve as a wingmate. Horn's controls froze, however, which caused his Headhunter to crash into a building. Despite the accident, the New Republic captured Coruscant with little difficulty, which left some officials suspicious that ImperialHead of StateYsanne Isard had wanted them to win.^[10]

Reluctant witness[]

As the New Republic took control of the world, Cracken was united with his father. A search of Horn's crash scene had failed to uncover a body, and, after being pressed by Airen, Pash revealed what he had overheard between Celchu and Horn prior to the battle. Since Celchu additionally knew the command codes for the fighter, Airen decided that he had sufficient evidence to arrest him fortreason and murder. Fourdays after the battle, the two Crackens sought out Antilles at Horn's crash site and informed him of Celchu's charges. Although Antilles was enraged, Cracken assured him that Celchu had expressed a complete willingness to let Horn fully investigate him after the battle.^[10] Positive news came in the return of Aril Nunb, who had escaped from Imperial custody after being used as a test subject for theKrytos virus. The malady was deadly tonon-Humans and had been spread throughout Coruscant by Isard, who hoped that the polarization between Humans and otherspecies would shatter the New Republic from within.^[16]

Due to their role in the conquest of Coruscant, Rogue Squadron were publicly iconized as heroes. Privately, Cracken and his fellows rallied around Celchu and were determined to prove his innocence as preparations for atrial began. One week after the battle, the Rogues stood on a platform erected at Horn's crash site as Antilles delivered a eulogy at a highly publicizedremembrance ceremony, and not long afterward, their Commander gathered them for a pilots' briefing. Zsinj had recently seized abactaconvoy traveling from the planetThyferra to Coruscant, and the New Republic desperately needed the medicinal substance to battle the effects of the Krytos virus. The Rogues were therefore tasked with hitting theYag-primespace station in theYag'Dhul system, where Zsinj had taken the bacta. Although Cracken worried about the possible presence of Zsinj'sflagship, theExecutor-class Star DreadnoughtIron Fist, the Rogues ran through a simulation of the mission and launched twelve hours after the briefing.^[16]

The squadron's ranks were buffered by new members Sei'lar and Forge, but the Rogues were still one pilot short; Cracken was reassigned the call sign of Rogue Five. The group arrived atYag'Dhul along withWarden andChampion Squadrons,Y-wing units from GeneralHorton Salm'sDefender Wing. The Rogues' One Flight engaged four patrolling TIE fighters while Nunb led Cracken and the others toward thestation. After they drew out its starfighter defenses, theB-wing starfighters of Defender Wing'sGuardian Squadron dropped out of hyperspace and aided in the annihilation of the Imperial ships. After the four squadrons began a run on the station itself, its crew surrendered, and several New Republic freighters arrived to retrieve and ship the bacta.^[16]

Following Rogue Squadron's return to Coruscant, Cracken was called on to be a witness in Celchu's trial. After giving a deposition to Nawara Ven—who, as a formerlawyer, was acting as Celchu's defense—Cracken was selected by prosecutorHalla Ettyk as the lead witness. Unwilling to testify against Celchu, Cracken was only compelled to take the stand after receiving a subpoena from Ettyk. In the courtroom, Cracken recounted the events leading to the conquest of Coruscant and his having overheard Horn accuse Celchu of being a spy. When he refused to admit that the conversation had bred any suspicion in him regarding Celchu, Ettyk received permission from Admiral Ackbar, who presided over the trial, to treat the witness as hostile. Cracken eventually conceded that he had been just slightly suspicious, and he was then led by the prosecution to mention Celchu's special inspection of Horn's Headhunter. Ettyk finished her questioning, and, since Cracken had already revealed all of the relevant facts to which he was privy, Ven asked no questions of his own.^[16]

Brokering bacta[]

The trial was put on hold when the Provisional Council discovered that theRylotheanspiceryll kor could be used to fight the Krytos virus, and the Rogues were sent to the planet Ryloth to negotiate for some. Save for Antilles, who rode in Terrik'sPulsar Skate, all of the Rogues and their X-wings made the five-day journey aboard the transportCourage of Sullust. After their arrival at Ryloth'sKala'uun Starport, Cracken and the others were shownhospitality by the nativeTwi'leks, who treated them tomusic and dancing within a circle ofglowstones. The festivities were interrupted by the Twi'lek warriorTal'dira, who publicly called outKoh'shak, the starport master, for leaving his warriors out of the negotiations. Tal'dira then offered the Rogues theryll kor that they desired, as he admired them for being warriors themselves. Cracken and his fellows flew an X-wing escort when the fully loaded transports departed Ryloth, then boarded their own transport for the rest of the trip home.^[16]

Rogue Squadron's next mission was to escort a convoy of bacta obtained from Thyferra'sXucphra Corporation. Cracken led Ven, Darklighter, and Shiel in Two Flight as the Rogues traveled to a rendezvous point in theAlderaan system to meet with the assigned New Republic transports, but upon their reversion from lightspeed, they found the transports destroyed andIron Fist entering hyperspace. Two TIE fighter squadrons, twoLambda-classshuttles, and theStrike-class medium cruiserTermagant remained in-system, and the Rogues quicklycounterattacked the Imperials. Concentrated proton torpedo fire disabled theTermagant before the TIEs could attack, but Cracken and the others soon found themselves engaged in dogfights. When theLambda-class shuttles escaped, the TIEs broke off their attack and, deprived of a larger ship to carry them into hyperspace, surrendered. Antilles ordered Cracken to take Two Flight to the planetTatooine, refuel, and return to the Alderaan system with a freighter that could carry the TIEs. Cracken did so, and Two Flight flew escort for the freighter as it ferried the TIEs to Coruscant, where theirpilots were debriefed by Cracken's father.^[16]

Just before Celchu's trial was re-opened, the New Republic was tipped off to an upcoming strike at aBacta storage facility on Coruscant by aterrorist group known as thePalpatine Counter-Insurgency Front. The Rogues were called to a briefing room and told by Antilles that they would fly cover for acommando force that would infiltrate the facility and neutralize any bomb-carrying vehicles. Cracken and the others hastilylaunched; they made their way to the target zone and waited, although Antilles and Sei'lar were called away to neutralize someAT-STwalkers and anairspeeder that carried explosives. Three squadrons of TIE fighters andinterceptors suddenly appeared, and as Cracken and his fellows engaged the newcomers, theExecutor-classStar DreadnoughtLusankya emerged from the cityscape, having lain hidden beneath the surface for years. Cracken warned a distracted Antilles of an incoming TIE, but all of the enemy fighters veered off and left the fight to follow the massive ship on its course away from the planet.^[16]

The Rogues pursued theLusankya to no avail as it blasted a hole through the planetary shields and escaped. Erisi Dlarit followed, claiming to be caught in atractor beam. However, herR5 unit reported contradictory data to Antilles, who quickly realized that she had been the spy in Rogue Squadron. Dlarit and theLusankya had fled Coruscant after Corran Horn had escaped from the ship'sprison, a location where he had been held after in fact surviving his crash, which had been caused by Dlarit and not Celchu. Horn burst into Celchu's trial while Cracken and the others were fighting and exonerated his accused murderer, and the two rejoined Rogue Squadron as it flew numerous pursuit and cover missions against the Palpatine Counter-Insurgency Front over the next ten days. After they destroyed the group's safehouses and warehouse facilities, a public ceremony was held both to honor the Rogues and to rehabilitate Celchu's image. The celebrations were bolstered by the synthesis of bacta and ryll kor intorylca, which proved to be an effective cure for the Krytos virus.^[16]

The continuing war[]

Friends in need[]

At the ceremony, Cracken and every other member of Rogue Squadron were awarded theCoruscant Star of Valor for acts of bravery and selflessness in battle. During the reception, the Rogues learned that they would be assigned to GeneralHan Solo'sfleet, which washunting for the elusive Warlord Zsinj. They also learned that Isard had seized control of Thyferra through an internal coup, and since the planet was not a member world of the New Republic, the Provisional Council refused to interfere in its internal politics. Nonetheless determined to take down Isard, every member of Rogue Squadron resigned their commission,^[16] save Cracken. Although he desperately wanted to join his brethren, both he and Antilles knew that his involvement would be seen as officially sanctioned by the New Republic due to his father's role as Director of Intelligence. Cracken thus returned to his former role as captain of the Cracken Flight Group, which was assigned to theHunt for Zsinj in the role of monitoring severalCore Worlds systems where the Warlord had previously caused trouble. Theirbase was onFolor, a moon ofCommenor.^[17]

One of the flight group's first assignments was to hit Yag-prime and render it uninhabitable, to prevent the Warlord from ever using it again. Before departing Coruscant, Cracken reflected on his time with Rogue Squadron, and he realized that Antilles had taught him that every member of a unit needed to pull their own weight. He visited Antilles and Celchu in their new, private office, and offered them the use of Yag-prime as their headquarters. He would report it uninhabitable anyway in order to keep it off Isard's radar, and its proximity to Commenor would allow Cracken to lendAntilles's Rogues assistance should they need it. Antilles and Celchu eagerly accepted, and Cracken thanked the former for the lessons he had learned while flying under his leadership. Determined to pass the lessons on to his own team, Cracken shipped out with his flight group at the end of the week and traveled to Yag-prime, where they remained until Antilles arrived to take possession. Cracken then transmitted reports that the station had been destroyed.^[17]

Antilles' Rogues spent the subsequent weeks waging aguerrilla war on Isard and Thyferra'sBacta Cartel. During the conflict, Cracken's Flight Group was patrolling near Yag'Dhul when theengines ofLinna, one of his pilots, failed. They landed at Yag-prime for repairs and stopped in at the station'sFlarestartapcafe for somelomin ale, where Cracken spotted Horn and called him over to join them. As Linna believed that the A-wing's speed rendered it superior to Horn's preferred X-wing, Cracken helped ground her confidence by moderating a round of good-natured boasting between her and Horn. Not long afterward, Antilles devised a plan to lure Isard's Star Destroyers to Yag-prime while his forces attacked Thyferra. When theLusankya and theVirulence arrived in the Yag'Dhul system,Booster Terrik—Mirax Terrik's father—trapped the former in agravity well projector and a series of tractor beams, but theVirulence moved in front of it and allowed theLusankya to return to Thyferra. Around the same time, Cracken was leading his flight group'sAce Squadron through hyperspace, but thegravity wells generated by the powerful tractor beams pulled them into realspace in the middle of the standoff.^[17]

Terrik convinced theVirulence's CaptainVarrscha that the A-wings' appearance was part of his trap, and Varrscha reluctantly surrendered her ship. Ace Squadron loaded their fighters aboard thedestroyer, whose new masters immediately set a course for Thyferra. There, they found Antilles' forcesassaulting theLusankya and theThyferran Home Defense Corps. Cracken contacted Antilles, who granted him permission to attack, and Ace Squadron pounded theLusankya withconcussion missiles while using their speed to avoid thewarship's defensive batteries. Compounded damage prompted the ship's crew to mutiny against the stubborn CaptainDrysso and surrender. Meanwhile, Dlarit's fighter was destroyed by Horn, and ashuttle believed to be carrying Isard was taken out by Celchu. After the battle, Airen Cracken arrived at theLusankya with an Intelligence team to search the ship's massive prison, where they discovered that every inmate had been relocated prior to the battle. He also reported that the Provisional Council had retroactively sanctioned Antilles' mission and given the Rogues their commissions back, and both Crackens attended a celebration held in theLusankya's officers' mess hall.^[17]

Losses and gains[]

With Coruscant firmly under New Republic control, Cracken's Flight Group was sent back toGeneris.^[9]8 ABY saw theIron Fistdestroyed and Warlord Zsinj killed,^[18] and the war against the Empire took on the public image of a clean-up effort. However,one year later, a new Imperial threat emerged whenGrand AdmiralThrawn took command of theImperial fleet and waged adevastating campaign against the New Republic. He captured large amounts of territory over the course of severalmonths and eventuallyattacked the communications center at Generis. Humanclones who had beengrown by Thrawn manned the fighters of the Empire's war machine, and Cracken led his flight group into battle against them.^[3]

The superior numbers allowed by the clones, coupled with Thrawn's cunning tactics, allowed the Empire to capture the communications center and most of theSector Fleet's supply depots. Cracken's Flight Group held the attackers off long enough to allow every intact New Republic ship to escape, and to allow GeneralKryll to evacuateTravia Chan,^[3] theCommander-in-Chief of the entiresector.^[19] During the retreat, Cracken lost contact with Wing Commander Varth but held onto hope that he had escaped. The flight group returned to Coruscant, which wasblockaded by its own planetary shields following thedeployment by Thrawn's forces ofcloakedasteroids intoorbit. Cracken attended a pilots' briefing aboard aStar Cruiser, where he shared the grim news about Generis with Antilles.^[3]

During the briefing, Admiral Ackbar, GeneralCrix Madine, andColonelBren Derlin revealed the New Republic would be attacking the Empire'sBilbringi Shipyards to obtain acrystal gravfield trap, which could detect the asteroids'gravitic signatures. A deception would attempt to convince Thrawn that they would instead be attacking the planetTangrene; Cracken worried that Thrawn would see through the ploy, but Madine dismissed the concern.^[3] Cracken flew with^[8] the task force thatassaultedBilbringi, but the New Republic ships were pulled out of hyperspace byInterdictor cruisers farther out from theshipyards than they expected—Thrawn had anticipated the attack. The starfighter complement immediately screened the New Republic capital ships and defended them from attacking TIE interceptors,^[3] fighters, andbombers,^[20] but a group of New Republic fighters slipped past aGolan II Space Defense SpaceGun^[3] after it was crippled by Rogue Squadron.^[20] During the battle, Thrawn was betrayed andassassinated by hisbodyguardRukh aboard his flagship, theChimaera, and the Imperials suddenly retreated. Deprived of Thrawn's strategic mind, the Imperial campaign was brought to a halt.^[3] Cracken continued to serve the New Republic military in the following years,^[9] and in19 ABY, apeace treaty between the New Republic and theremnants of the Empire finally ended the long war.^[21]

A new threat[]

Strike at Bilbringi[]

After six years of peace, thegalaxy wasinvaded by anextra-galactic species ofreligious zealots known as theYuuzhan Vong. The invaders laid siege to the New Republic withliving weapons, conquering world after world andcapturing Coruscanttwo years into the war. In28 ABY, the New Republic reorganized itself into theGalactic Federation of Free Alliances and launched a massive campaign to reclaim the galaxy.^[13] Cracken served as amajor^[9] in theGalactic Alliance Defense Fleet,^[8] but combat attrition saw him promoted to an acting rank of general.^[9] Stationed at the Alliance's temporary headquarters on the planetMon Calamari, Cracken attended several military briefings, one of which revealed the existence of the intelligence-gatheringRyn Network.^[5] Late in 28 ABY, he commanded the InterdictorcruiserMemory of Ithor inOperation: Trinity, a three-pronged assault at the Yuuzhan Vong–held Bilbringi Shipyards. Capturing the shipyards would allow the Galactic Alliance to isolate Coruscant from the rest of theYuuzhan Vong Empire's territory, and Bilbringi was additionally reachable by the Alliance's allies in the Imperial Remnant.Memory of Ithor joined General Antilles'sAlpha Fleet of six capital ships, which traveled to Bilbringi to assess the Yuuzhan Vong defenses. Afterward, Antilles was to call in twoadditionalfleets.^[8]

Alpha Fleet found a Yuuzhan Vongflotilla composed of twointerdictors and twelve capital ships, and Cracken contacted Antilles aboard the Star DestroyerMon Mothma for some quick reminiscing about the last time they had attacked Bilbringi. Half of the enemy fleet executed amicro-jump, which left Alpha Fleet trapped between two interdictors, at which point Antilles found himself unable to contact his reinforcements; the Yuuzhan Vong had disabled theHoloNet. Cracken and the other commanding officers of Alpha Fleet held a conference with Antilles viahyperwave transceiver, during which they decided that they would attempt to destroy one of the enemy interdictors and escape. However, more than half of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet jumped to hyperspace, believing the strike to be a feint. Still trapped in the system with no way to contact their allies, Alpha Fleet initially hung back from the remaining ships, but Antilles ordered his forces to destroy the Yuuzhan Vong capital ships one by one in a gradual push toward one of the interdictors. After four vessels were destroyed, the enemy forces who had earlier departed returned, leaving Alpha Fleet badly outnumbered.^[8]

Two Galactic Alliance capital ships were destroyed, andMemory of Ithor'sreactor core soon thereafter went critical itself. Cracken ordered an evacuation, but he pointed the dying cruiser toward an enemy interdictor before finding anescape pod of his own. Antilles contacted him and wished him luck,^[8] and Cracken evacuated the ship^[5] moments before it was destroyed. Although Alpha Fleet afterward escaped the interdictors' range and fled the system,^[8] Cracken and the rest ofMemory of Ithor's survivors were captured and taken to a prisoner-of-war compound on the jungle world ofSelvaris. Roughly 100 prisoners were held under the watchful eyes of Yuuzhan Vong CommanderMalik Carr andSubalternS'yito, and every present droid, including aprotocol droid belonging to Cracken, were ritualistically thrown into an immolation pit by the technology-hating Yuuzhan Vong. Using tools scavenged from the pit, Cracken helped complete the digging of an escape tunnel that had already been under construction for months, although Yuuzhan Vong defenses stationed around the compound deterred any plan of escape. Inside of a hut, the tunnel's entrance was below a removable grate hidden by Cracken's ownbed of fronds andgrasses.^[5]

Notions of rank were abandoned among most of the prisoners, who took to referring to each other by the names of their homeworlds. However, Major Cracken and CaptainJudder Page—a legendary New Republic commando^[5] who had accepted a naval posting onMemory of Ithor prior to Operation: Trinity^[22]—became well-respected leaders. Both of them learned theYuuzhan Vong spoken by their captors. Two months after their arrival, the two arrived at the compound's mess hallgrashal and were ushered to the front of the food line. Their server wasRyn one-one-five, a member of the Ryn Network who had infiltrated the prison; he identified himself to Cracken and told the Major to chew carefully. After the prisoners took their seats, Cracken found aholowafer in his gruel and covertly passed it to Page before summoning several additional prisoners into the grashal. ThreeBith and theJenetThorsh arrived along with a Human known asCoruscant, the latter of whom brought asabacc deck inside and began a loud, diversionary game. The other four joined Cracken and Page as they activated the holowafer and viewed several seconds worth of complex mathematical equations. Thorsh andthethreeBith committed the message to memory before the holowaferself-destructed, at which point S'yito and three Yuuzhan Vong guards entered the grashal and ordered the prisoners to quiet down. After the guards' departure, Cracken and Page agreed that the data they had witnessed needed to reachGalactic Alliance High Command.^[5]

Escape from Selvaris[]

The following morning, Cracken and Page brought Thorsh and the Bith to the tunnel's entrance and saw them off. The escapees reached the exterior of the compound and twoswoop bikes that had been left by the Ryn Network, but two of the Bith were killed by Yuuzhan Vong and one captured. Thorsh successfully rendezvoused with Han Solo and hisfreighter, theMillennium Falcon, which was waiting for him after Solo received a tip from the Ryn Network.Sentinel beetles informed Malik Carr of the escape, and Carr subsequently releasedsensislugs into each prisoner hut. The creatures' exhalations knocked the prisoners unconscious, and Cracken soon awoke to find himself in a yard with fifty other prisoners, all of whom had their hands tied behind them to wooden stakes. Suspecting that Cracken and Page had engineered the escape, Carr brought the captured Bith—known as Clak'dor—before them. Both Cracken and Page encouraged Clak'dor to talk and insisted that they be the ones to suffer the punishment, but Carr instead placed atkun creature around Clak'dor's neck and continually prodded it, which caused it to coil tighter. A breathless Clak'dor recited the mathematical codes, but he choked to death before Carr could glean their meaning, and the Commander consequently ordered the prisoners to be thrown into the immolation pit and left to bake under Selvaris'ssuns.^[5]

Cracken and the others spent over twenty-four hours in the pit, and although over fifty prisoners suffocated to death, the survivors—including both Cracken and Page—were loaded onto theprisoner carrierSacred Pyre and stuck to its deck withblorash jelly. Thecarrier's destination was Coruscant, where several hundred prisoners were to be sacrificed to theYuuzhan Vong gods during a religious ceremony. Twelve other prisoner carriers arrived at Selvaris to retrieve the final ship of their convoy, but they were intercepted by a Galactic Alliance strike force, High Command having learned of the convoy's route after decrypting the mathematical formula related to them by Thorsh. Thesurprise attack decimated the convoy, andSacred Pyre was one of the surviving carriers to be boarded by Galactic Alliancestrike troops. Cracken, Page, and their fellows were located by thetroops, Solo, his wifeLeia, and theirprotocol droidC-3PO. After learning to their relief that Thorsh had survived, Cracken and the others were released when the strike troops usedarsensalts to dissolve the jelly. Yuuzhan Vong reinforcements then decanted from hyperspace, and the prisoners quickly boarded theMillennium Falcon.^[5]

Cracken and Page joined the Solos in the freighter'scockpit as they navigated the resurgent melee, which included the Yuuzhan Vong's newslayer ships, advancedcoralskipper fighters that unleashed carnage on theMillennium Falcon. A baffled Cracken was unable to identify them to Solo as the freighter sustained considerable damage, and the ship's captain made a desperate hyperspace jump to the nearby planetCaluula. Cracken and Page remained in the cockpit throughout the five-hour journey and were there with the Solos when the ship emerged from lightspeed outside ofCaluula Station, where a Yuuzhan Vong battle group stationed in-system awaited them. Capitalizing on the disabled HoloNet, the battle group had laid siege to the helpless station for several weeks. When the slayer ships arrived, having followed them through hyperspace, theMillennium Falcon rocketed through an opening that Caluula Station briefly opened in their shields.^[5]

After disembarking in ahangar, Cracken, Page, and the other rescued prisoners answered questions posed by curiousmechanics before being taken away to be fed and treated for injuries. Their brief respite was interrupted by the arrival of another Yuuzhan Vong battle group, who, intent on taking captives, deployed a giantychna beast to eat through Caluula Station's shields. Yuuzhan Vongwarriors boarded, and Cracken and his comrades rushed back to theMillennium Falcon as starfighterslaunched to engage the attackers. The Solos intended to ferry them to Mon Calamari, hoping that each one could rally additional troops to the Galactic Alliance's war effort, but Cracken and several of his fellows decided to remain on-station and aid its doomed residents. The Solos reluctantly agreed, and they fled the system with Page and dozens of others as Cracken stayed behind. Despite his efforts, Caluula Station fell to the Yuuzhan Vong, and Cracken became one of several hundred other prisoners rounded up and taken to Coruscant.^[5]

Nerf to the slaughter[]

On Coruscant—re-christened "Yuuzhan'tar" by its conquerors—Cracken and nearly one thousand other prisoners were deemed worthy of an honorable death by their captors due to bravery shown on the battlefield. They were bathed,perfumed, mildly sedated with sensislug gas, blessed by the smoke oftishwiileaves,tattooed in black, and dressed in white robes before being manacled and marched to the planet'sPlace of Sacrifice. A grand ceremony was held that was overseen by the Yuuzhan Vong'sSupreme OverlordShimrra, who intended to execute Cracken and the others and feed their bodies to a corpse-eatingmaw luur creature. As they descended various spiral staircases leading to the Place of Sacrifice, the ceremony was suddenly interrupted by hundreds of Yuuzhan VongShamed Ones. Traditionally shunned by the rest of their species, the Shamed Ones had recently subscribed to areligious heresy and initiated a rebellion. After emerging from hidden shafts and tunnels in the ground, a number of Shamed Ones battled the present Yuuzhan Vong warriors while others rescued the prisoners. Although scores of captives and Shamed Ones alike were felled by Yuuzhan Vongthud andrazor bugs, over three hundred prisoners, Cracken among them, were ferried to safety.^[5]

While with the Shamed Ones, Cracken made contact withBaljos Arnjak, a member of the Galactic Alliance'sWraith Squadron who had been covertly inserted on Coruscant two years prior and had since earned the Shamed Ones' trust. Not long afterward, the living planetZonama Sekot emerged from lightspeed into Coruscant'sskies, its aid in the Galactic Alliance's war effort having been secured byJedi MasterLuke Skywalker during an expedition into the galaxy'sUnknown Regions. The planet's arrival had been promised by theprophetYu'shaa as a sign of the Shamed Ones' coming salvation, but most Yuuzhan Vong interpreted Zonama Sekot as a portent of doom, and a fearful Shimrra withdrew significant military forces to the Coruscant system. Using the planets Contruum andCorulag as staging points, the Galactic Alliance took advantage of the chaos caused by Zonama Sekot's arrival and ordered a siege of the galactic capital. When the news reached Arnjak, Cracken helped him plan the reception of Galactic Allianceground forces.^[5]

When theattack came, Alliancegunships andtroop transports slipped through the raging space battle and made planetfall near theSacred Precinct, which Shimrra set ablaze in an effort to render Coruscant uninhabitable to its liberators. Cracken, Arnjak, and four Shamed Ones rendezvoused with members of Judder Page'sKatarn Commandos, who brought them to see Page at one of the transports' landing sites. The two former prisoners embraced while Arnjak reunited withKell Tainer andGarik Loran of Wraith Squadron, and Cracken pointed out the billowingfires of the Sacred Precinct to his rescuers. The group finalized their attack plan accordingly and traveled to theGlitannai Esplanade canyon, where theMillennium Falcon was dropping off a team of sixJedi led by Skywalker. After Cracken and Page briefed them on the situation, theMillennium Falcon departed, and Cracken joined the commandos as they moved out alongside theJedi, the Wraiths, and severalYVH 1-series battle droids. Their target wasShimrra's Citadel, which lay in the heart of the Sacred Precinct. The commandos donnedjetpacks to keep up with theForce-using Jedi as they traveled across the rooftops and balconies of theesplanade, and starfighters strafing overhead allowed them to reach theBridge of Unity, which connected to their target.^[5]

At the bridge, amon duul creature conveyed a message from Shimrra throughvillip communication devices that told his foes to perish. The group crossed the bridge anyway and were met by several Shamed Ones and Coruscanti resistance fighters. Skywalker and Page dispatched three Jedi and a group of commandos to help them battle Yuuzhan Vong warriors below the bridge, but Cracken and the others proceeded to the base of the citadel. After rocketing down from the bridge, the commandos andbattle droids opened fire on a force ofChazrachslavesoldiers andrakamat artillery beasts, who responded by launchingplasma,firejelly, and flammablesparkbee honey. The commandos' foes were eventually trampled by the Yuuzhan Vong beastsSgauru andTu-Scart, who had beentelepathically pressed into opening a hole in the citadel byJedi KnightJacen Solo and his unlikely ally, the Yuuzhan Vong's planet-shapingWorld Brain. Cracken and the commandos finished off the few survivors, which allowed the Jedi Skywalker, Jacen, andJaina Solo to enter the Citadel and infiltrate the Supreme Overlord'sHall of Confluence.^[5]

Cracken and the commandos secured the Citadel's lower levels while Skywalker and the Solotwins battled Shimrra and his complement ofSlayers. Not long afterward, the other three Jedi arrived with the Solos, and Page directed them to the Hall of Confluence after being told of its existence by several present Shamed Ones. They returned with an exhausted Skywalker, who had dueled and killed the Supreme Overlord. As Cracken and the commandos rounded up captured Yuuzhan Vong warriors, the Solos and the Jedi retreated to theMillennium Falcon. With his leader dead, Yuuzhan VongWarmasterNas Chokasurrendered to the Galactic Alliance, and the long war was brought to an end.^[5] In36 ABY, achronicle of galactic history detailed parts of Cracken's military career, including Rogue Squadron's exploits during his time with them. It explicitly mentioned Cracken by name when covering the final days of the Yuuzhan Vong War.^[13]

Personality and traits[]

Pash Cracken developed exceptional piloting skills at a young age.^[9] During his time at the Vensenor Flight Academy, his flying abilities outshone those of his instructors,^[10] and he particularly excelled at classes which focused on starfighter tactics.^[1] Cracken became an outstanding tactician,^[9] and his unorthodox and often reckless approach to starfighter combat astounded his instructors^[1] while proving unbeatable in simulations.^[9] In the field, his unorthodox tactics led him to develop the Cracken Twist, which^[1]—coupled with his flight group's destruction of theExsanguinator^[12]—allowed the Rebel Alliance's evacuation of Xyquine II to proceed without a single casualty.^[1] After he joined the legendary Rogue Squadron, Cracken's abilities in the cockpit made an immediate impression upon his squadmates,^[10] and, following his departure from the Rogues, Wedge Antilles was sad to see him go.^[17] By 28 ABY, Cracken was considered a starshipace.^[2] He was able to think on his feet and adjust plans during missions,^[10] and during the battle of Coruscant in 29 ABY, he adapted to a field recruitment into the Katarn Commandos and survived a ground assault on Supreme Overlord Shimrra's Citadel.^[5]

The development of the Cracken Twist gained Cracken legendary status^[10] that was further augmented by his participation in Rogue Squadron's mission to capture Coruscant from the Empire.^[16] In the years immediately after the Battle of Endor, Cracken's mythical status among his flight group caused him to lose track of his piloting abilities, as those serving under him believed him to be unbeatable and incapable of making a wrong decision. Their consequent carelessness caused him to question his skills and to nearly lose his confidence, which prompted his request to be transferred to Rogue Squadron.^[10] During Cracken's time with the Rogues, flying by instinct in difficult situations reaffirmed his confidence in his abilities, and he learned how to better manage a squadron from Wedge Antilles. Antilles gave each Rogue responsibilities which required that they trust each other, and Cracken realized that doing so himself would help the members of his flight group trust in themselves rather than blindly follow their leader.^[17]

Cracken's leadership abilities manifested early in his life, and he inspired devotion in his classmates during his time at the Vensenor Flight Academy.^[9] While teaching his flight group to trust in their own abilities, he urged them to stay grounded and not grow too confident in the speed capabilities of A-wing fighters.^[17] During his incarceration at a Yuuzhan Vong prison camp on Selvaris, he was respected and viewed as a leader by his fellow prisoners, who insisted that he and Judder Page be the first to eat during mealtimes. Galactic Alliance High Command hoped that Cracken's rescue could help rally support for their war effort from his homeworld of Contruum.^[5]

Cracken was schooled in morality by his father, who taught him that the Empire was evil. He was eager to join the Rebel Alliance,^[9] and he later became a determined supporter of the New Republic and its cause.^[1] While on Selvaris, Cracken would have risked his life to have seen any one of the other prisoners live another day, and he encouraged Malik Carr to punish him personally when a fellow inmate was caught trying to escape.^[5] During simulations at the Flight Academy, Cracken paid careful attention to the safety of the squadrons he led,^[1] and when his flight group thought him invincible, he worried that one wrong move on his part would lead to all of their deaths.^[10] When Tycho Celchu was on trial for the murder of Corran Horn, Cracken was very reluctant to testify against his squadmate, only doing so when threatened with a subpoena. He was determined to prove Celchu's innocence, and while on the witness stand, he held back potentially damaging information until he was treated as a hostile witness. Cracken felt that Warlord Zsinj needed to pay for the killing of innocent civilians,^[16] but he nevertheless wanted to join Antilles's Rogue Squadron–in–exile rather than remain with the New Republic and hunt down Zsinj. Cracken aided Antilles's cause and fought with him at Thyferra, even though the battle was not sanctioned by the New Republic.^[17]

Although he was humbled when he met legendary figures,^[10] Cracken could be brash and somewhat sarcastic with superior officers whom he believed were not very superior at all.^[1] He occasionally shunned hierarchy in times of crisis, and when Watch Commander Gingal was offended by his insubordination during the battle of Xyquine II, he simply grinned.^[12] Cracken could be stubborn in the face of orders, such as when he remained on Caluula Station in an attempt to aid its doomed residents rather than be rescued and help Galactic Alliance High Command drum up support in his home system.^[5] Although Cracken remained completely focused on missions during moments of desperation,^[16] he often engaged others in idle banter immediately before battles and during mission briefings, which sometimes earned him reprimands to "cut the chatter."^[3][8][10]

Cracken understood what it meant to be the son of the Director of New Republic Intelligence, and although he was not outraged when Antilles implied that he might be spying on Rogue Squadron for his father, he was disappointed.^[10] Cracken grew to be good friends with officers like Antilles^[17] and Page,^[5] and the former took it as a hard blow when he believed Cracken to be dead after Operation: Trinity.^[8] Although he fought alongside manysentients throughout his career,^[8][17] Cracken was unnerved by the clones that were used to power Grand Admiral Thrawn's war machine.^[3]

Cracken stood taller than 1.67meters^[4] and sported pale green eyes.^[5] As a young man, he looked the part of a brash starfighter pilot, with youthful, ruggedly handsome features; a muscular build;^[1] and curly,^[16] flame-redhair.^[1] In his middle age, Cracken's hair was shot through with gray, which added a measure of distinction to already aristocratic features. He remained handsome and muscular after two months of eating gruel in a Yuuzhan Vong prison camp.^[5] Cracken usually carried with him aflight suit, aheavy blaster pistol, an encrypted comlink,^[2] and adatapad.^[1] He could speakBasic,Bothese,Huttese,^[2] and, after his time in the prison camp, the guttural Yuuzhan Vonglanguage.^[5]

Behind the scenes[]

Pash Cracken first appeared as a minor character inTimothy Zahn's1993 novelThe Last Command.^[3] The sourcebookCracken's Rebel Field Guide, releasedtwo years earlier, had previously mentioned that Airen Cracken had two children,^[24] but Pash Cracken's name was not given until his appearance inThe Last Command.^[3] Cracken's character was developed in detail and represented with a black-and-white picture byMike Vilardi in1994'sThe Last Command Sourcebook;^[1] the picture was later colored and included in Cracken's entry in theStarWars.comDatabank.^[9] Cracken was later added to the onlineMMORPGStar Wars Galaxies in2011 as a starfighter pilot whom the Imperial player character could engage in combat.^[14]

Cracken was listed at #63 in "The 100 Greatest Things About Star Wars... Ever!," an article published on StarWars.com in2007 and inStar Wars Insider 100 in2008. The article showcased the 100 most viewed entries of the Databank, and authorPablo Hidalgo expressed disbelief that a minor character like Cracken warranted placement on the list. However, whenAarrba theHutt was revealed to be #57, Hidalgo immediately withdrew the comments he had made about Cracken.^[23][25]

Several discrepancies regarding Cracken exist in theStar WarsExpanded Universe. Although numerous sources indicate that he attended the Vensenor Flight Academy,^[1][9][26] a 2003 article published online byWizards of the Coast asserts that it was theAcademy of Carida.^[2] Additionally, Cracken is depicted with or stated to have red hair in several sources,^[1][9][10] but the1998comic adaptation ofThe Last Command colors his hair black.^[6] Similarly, "Who's Who in Rogue Squadron," a2002 article published inStar Wars Insider 52, includes a black-and-white picture of Cracken with very dark hair.^[15] Finally, althoughThe New Jedi Order novelThe Final Prophecy identifies Cracken as a general,^[8] the followup volume,The Unifying Force, lists his rank as major.^[5] This conflict was resolved by the Databank, which stated that combat attrition saw Cracken promoted from major to an acting rank of general prior to the events of the former novel.^[9]

Appearances[]

Explore all of Wookieepedia'simages for this article subject.

• "Small Favors" —Star Wars Adventure Journal 12(Mentioned only)
• Star Wars Galaxies(post-NGE)
• "The Cracken Twist" —The Last Command Sourcebook(reprinted inThe Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook)(In flashback(s))
• X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble(andunabridged audiobook)
• X-Wing: The Krytos Trap(andunabridged audiobook)
• X-Wing: The Bacta War(andunabridged audiobook)
• X-Wing: Wraith Squadron(andunabridged audiobook)(Mentioned only)
• The Last Command(andunabridged audiobook)(First appearance, in book)(First identified as Pash Cracken, in book)
• The Last Command 4
• I, Jedi(andunabridged audiobook)(Mentioned only)
• The New Jedi Order: The Final Prophecy
• The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force

Sources[]

• Cracken's Rebel Field Guide(First mentioned)(Indirect mention only)
• The Last Command Sourcebook(First pictured)
• The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook
• Star Wars Encyclopedia
• A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded
• "Who's Who in Rogue Squadron" —Star Wars Insider 59
• The New Essential Guide to Characters
• Pash Cracken onWizards.com(original site is defunct)
• The New Essential Chronology
• The 2007 Databank 100 onStarWars.com(original site is defunct)
• "The 100 Greatest Things AboutStar Wars... Ever!" —Star Wars Insider 100
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Cracken, Pash in theDatabank(original site is defunct)

Notes and references[]