Thane Kyrell

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Thane Kyrell

Thane Kyrell, later designatedAV547 in theImperial Navy, was ahumanmale from the mountainous and remoteplanet ofJelucan, anOuter Rim Territory that was annexed by theEmpire eleven years before theBattle of Yavin. He pursued his childhood dream of becoming a pilot with his best friendCiena Ree, attending and graduating from theRoyal Imperial Academy onCoruscant. After witnessing thedestruction ofAlderaan and the enslavement of theBodach'i species onKerev Doi, Thane soon joined theRebel Alliance to end the tyranny and oppression of the Empire.

After spending some time as the co-pilot and navigator of theWookieeLohgarra, Thane joinedCorona Squadron, anX-wing starfighter squadron. He would fight in several key battles of theGalactic Civil War including theBattle of Hoth, theBattle of Endor, and theBattle of Jakku. Despite fighting in opposite sides, Thane and Ciena maintained a deep connection with each other that eventually blossomed into romance.

Following the Battle of Endor, Kyrell supported theNew Republic, the successor government to the Rebel Alliance. He and Ciena crossed paths again during the Battle of Jakku when he rescued her from a strickenImperial Star Destroyer.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Born in19 BBY,^[2] Thane Kyrell was an aristocrat from theplanetJelucan in theOuter Rim Territories.He was the son ofOris andGanaire Kyrell and had an older brother namedDalven Kyrell. Thane and hisfamily wereSecond-wavers, a group of affluent migrants that had recently settled on the Outer Rim world of Jelucan. The Second-wavers were preceded by theFirst Wavers, an earlier group ofhuman settlers who had settled in the valleys of Jelucan over five hundredyears before therise of theGalactic Empire. Most Second-wavers, including the Kyrell family, looked down on the First Wavers as backward peasants. During his childhood, Thane was regularly bullied and intimidated by his older brother, Dalven, whom hisparents favored at his expense. Thane also had a strained relationship with his father, who verbally belittled him and physically assaulted him on several occasions.^[1]

Meeting Ciena and the Grand Moff[]

In11 BBY,^[2] at the age of eight, Thane once outsmarted Dalven by identifying the hummingengine of aLambda-class T-4a shuttle while traveling to a ceremony to celebrate the establishment of Imperial rule on Jelucan. After listening toGrand MoffTarkin's speech, Thane's parents left his older brother Dalven to babysit him while they attended a private function. When Dalven abandoned him to chat with some friends, Thane went behind Tarkin's stage to inspect the Grand Moff'sLambda-classshuttle. There, he came to the rescue of a First Waver girl namedCiena Ree, who was being harassed by a group of Second-waver boys.^[1]

Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, Thane sprang to Ciena's defense and fought the bullies. Their fight was interrupted by Grand Moff Tarkin and his entourage, which included severalImperial officers andstormtroopers. While the other boys ran away, Thane and Ciena stayed behind to face Tarkin. After Ciena told Tarkin that Thane had saved her from being beaten up by the older boys, a bemused Tarkin counselled Thane not to fight against superior forces. When Thane replied that he had been counting on Tarkin as his superior force, the Grand Moff praised the boy for his strategic thinking.^[1]

Realizing that the two children were curious about thewider galaxy, the Grand Moff quizzed Thane and Ciena about hisstarship, which they correctly identified as aLambda-class shuttle. Impressed, Tarkin allowed them to tour his ship and play in the instruments as acockpit. Having established a rapport with the children, he took the opportunity to encourage them to serveEmperorSheev Palpatine by joining theImperial Military when they came of age. In order to reach that goal, they had to gain entrance to one of the Empire'sImperial Academies. Following their meeting with Tarkin, the two children resolved to study hard so that they could becomepilots. When Ciena revealed she did not have aflight simulator of her own, Thane kindly allowed her to share his.^[1]

An enduring friendship[]

For the rest of their childhood, Thane and Ciena bonded over their love of flying and pushed each other to excel. Over the next five years, Ciena regularly visited the Kyrell family's household where she practiced on Thane's flight simulator. Thane was also tutored in mathematics and the sciences by the family'stutor droidCZ-1. While his parents tolerated Ciena, his brother Dalven mocked her for her poverty and "old-fashioned ways." On one occasion, Thane had struck Dalven in the cheek before their parents pulled them apart. Though his brother had forbidden him the use of hisV-171airspeeder, Thane and Ciena flouted this rule and took rides in the airspeeder.^[1]

At the age of thirteen, Thane once managed to sneak out of a mathematics test by bribing CZ-1 with the offer of alubrication bath, which thedroidheartily accepted. After taking a flying fox to his family'shangar, he encountered Ciena, who had arrived in herfamily'sridgecrawler. After bantering, the two friends borrowed Dalven's airspeeder for a joy ride and flew to their secret hideout, acave called "The Fortress." After discussing Imperialpolitics, Thane asked Ciena why she frequently used the phrase "look through myeyes." Ciena then revealed that she had atwin sister namedWynnet Ree who haddied a fewhours after herbirth.^[1]

By the age of fourteen, Thane and Ciena were studying for the entrance exams for the Imperial Academy's preparatory course. Since theirhomeworld of Jelucan had supported the formerConfederacy of Independent Systems, the Galactic Empire had imposed a quota on prospectiveImperial cadets coming from their world. During revision, Thane encouraged Ciena to persevere despite the odds. While Oris had pulled strings to ensure his older brother Dalven's admission into an Imperial Academy, he did no such favors for his younger son. As a result, Thane had to "pull himself up by his own bootstraps."^[1]

Due to their diligence and hard work, Thane and Ciena were admitted into theJelucan preparatory academy, which prepared locals for the Imperial Academy. At the age of fifteen, Thane's relationship with his father underwent a downward spiral. On one occasion, Oris assaulted his younger son during a fit of rage, leaving punches, bruises, and lashes all over his body. As a result, Thane came to harbor a deep hatred for his father and resolved to gain admission to an Imperial Academy so that he could leave Jelucan for good. Unable to turn to his mother, Thane instead turned to Ciena, who comforted him and attended to the wounds on his back withcurative skin sealant.^[1]

Imperial Academy[]

New horizons[]

As the most accomplishedstudents of the Jelucan academy preparatory courses, Thane and Ciena were selected at the age of sixteen to attend the prestigiousRoyal Imperial Academy onCoruscant, which suppliedofficers for theImperial Navy. The two teenagers were pleased because they would be able to continue their friendship while studying at the Imperial Academy. While Ciena's parents accompanied their daughter, Thane made his own way to thespaceport after wishing his parents farewell. Due to his estranged relationship, Thane was relieved that they did not accompany him. Upon arriving in Coruscant, Thane felt lost and overwhelmed in thecity world. By contrast, Ciena was excited because she had spent her entire life preparing for thisdream.^[1]

After landing on Coruscant, Thane met his room matesNash Windrider, the son of anAlderaanian carpet maker, andVed Foslo, aCoruscanti and the son of an Imperialgeneral. While Thane and Nash took an instant liking to each other, the two cadets found their other room mate Foslo arrogant and snobbish. Thane and the other freshmen later attended an induction ceremony wherecommandantDeenlark exhorted the cadets to put aside their ties to their homeworlds and to redirect their loyalty to the Empire foremost. Despite Deenlark's rhetoric, Thane and Ciena promised to continue their friendship and were relieved to learn that they would be attending some of their classes together. Putting Jelucan behind them, the two resolved to train to be Imperial officers.^[1]

For the next three years, Thane endured the Imperial Academy's rigorous curriculum and studied science, mathematics, piloting, and physical training. All cadets were subject to a battery of tests. Due to the challenging curriculum, the Academy had a high attrition rate. Despite the odds, Thane and Ciena continued their studies and earned high rankings in their class. While they challenged each other to excel, both maintained a close friendship. In addition, Thane developed a warm friendship with cadet Windrider. While training together, Thane shared about his difficult childhood growing up on Jelucan including his dysfunctional relationship with his family. Thane was heartened to learn about Windrider's more enlightened upbringing on Alderaan.^[1]

About threemonths after arriving on Coruscant, Thane encountered his brother Dalven at the Imperial military dispensary while collecting a pair of largerboots. Due to their acrimonious relationship, Thane had not kept in touch with his older brother. This was not a warm reunion with Dalven remarking his surprise that Thane had not washed out yet. Thane quickly learned that Dalven had performed poorly in his studies at the Imperial Academy and had been assigned to work as a third class clerical officer. For Thane, this was another instance of him besting his overbearing big brother. As the months passed, Thane's friendship with Ciena blossomed into a romantic relationship, though they did not act on it since the Academy prohibited romantic liaisons between students.^[1]

Later, Thane and his fellow cadets took part in a flying exercise calledSmall Craft Flight which involved ridingspeeder bikes. This exercise involved the cadets flying through tenReitgen Hoops near the Royal Academy. While flying, Thane'sspeeder bike became entangled with Ciena's. With much difficulty, the two managed to land their bikes safely while at the sametime winning the race. The flight commander was displeased with the two cadets for finding a loophole in the exercise but reluctantly split the prize and awarded them 25 points each. Fearful that two cadets from the same homeworld were close friends, the Academy'sOffice of Student Outcomes engineered an incident to split up the two cadets.^[1]

The laser cannon incident[]

Six months into their first year at the Royal Academy, Thane's relationship with Ciena experienced a serious strain during the "laser cannon" incident. As part of a training exercise, the cadets had to repair thelasercannons on theirTIE fighters using improvised spareparts. After Thane and Nash had left the repair bay, an unidentified intruder had managed to gain access to the facility and severed the wires inside the cannon. The intruder also tampered with the door panel, planting a falsified layer of data that implicated Ciena. The followingday, Thane's laser cannon failed tofire. After determining it had beensabotaged,commanderHarn checked the doorcomputer and found "evidence" that Ciena had been the last person to visit the room after Thane.^[1]

Despite the evidence stacked against his friend, Thane believed that Ciena was innocent and that she had been framed. Ciena was summoned to Deenlark's office for disciplining. Ciena protested her innocence and was supported by her classmateJude Edivon, who presented evidence that someone had tampered with the door computer in order to frame Ciena. Based on the evidence, Jude suspected Thane was the culprit. Thane was promptly summoned to Deenlark's office where the two cadets received a dressing down from the commandant. Unwilling to ascertain the authenticity of the data level, Deenlark failed their laser cannon assignment and downgraded their class rankings.^[1]

Following their disciplining, Thane and Ciena assured each other that they did not sabotage the laser cannon and the door computer. When Ciena pointed the finger at the snobbish Ved Foslo, Thane pointed out that his room mate was a "stickler" for the rules. Later, the two cadets met up with Jude, aslicer who was skilled with computer systems. Jude apologized that her earlier analysis had falsely implicated Thane and uncovered evidence that the Office of Student Outcomes had engineered the incident. While Thane was determined to clear his and Ciena's names, Ciena was unwilling to challenge the Academy authorities since she feared jeopardizing her marks and career prospects. A heated argument ensued between the two friends which ended with Thane storming out after Ciena mentioned his hated father.^[1]

While Thane and Ciena later reconciled, their friendship was damaged by the "laser cannon" incident. As a result, the two found themselves unable to confide in each other as they had previously. Over next two and a half years, Thane and Ciena devoted their energies to scoring top marks and reaching the top slots of their class. As a result, the two cadets clashed frequently for the top place. During his studies at the Academy, Thane began to feel disillusioned with the Empire's policies. While he questioned the officialHoloNet reports which cast the Empire in a positive light, the young cadet still despised theRebellion as a bunch ofterrorists. Still, he conceded that they emerged as a reaction against the Empire's increasing authoritarianism.^[1]

By the end of his third year, Thane had been assigned to the elite fighter track while Ciena had been picked for the commander track. While collecting a new set ofuniform at the uniform dispensary, Thane reconciled with Ciena and comforted her after learning that her petmuunyak had died on Jelucan. A fewweeks before graduating from the Imperial Academy, Thane and Ciena were part of a handful of cadets handpicked to attend a ball at theImperial Palace. The ball was attended by several Imperial dignitaries includingPrincessLeia Organa, the daughter of theAlderaanianSenatorBail Organa and a staunch critic of the Emperor's policies. After learning from a drunken Foslo that the Royal Academy had staged the "laser cannon" incident to force them to direct their loyalties toward towards the Empire, Thane and Ciena decided to out side their old differences and fully reaffirmed their friendship and affection.^[1]

Imperial service[]

Death Star[]

Upon graduation, Thane was promoted to therank oflieutenant and assigned to a top secretspace station, which was later revealed to be theDeath Star. Shortly later, he was joined by Ciena, who had arrived on theImperial-class Star DestroyerDevastator, which hadcaptured Princess Leia. While stationed on the Death Star, Thane witnessed thedestruction of Alderaan and was horrified. Soon after, he was assigned toscout an abandonedRebel military base that had been built onDantooine. He soon came to view them as an organized military force that had the potential to orchestrate precise, yet small attacks on any Imperial military installations or minor planets that were under their control. While he was there, the Death Star wasdestroyed, and the lack of communications from the rest of the Empire left him very worried for Ciena's safety. When he finally did return to the Imperialfleet, he briefly met with Ciena, with whom he shared a first kiss before they were forced to split ways again.^[1]

Deserting the Empire[]

Already disillusioned with the Empire for the destruction of Alderaan and their massive disregard for the lives lost on the Death Star, he witnessed the maltreatment ofBodach'islaves on his next posting onKerev Doi, which pushed him over the edge. Guilt-ridden and horrified by the plight of thealienspecies, Thane made the decision to desert the Empire. After an awkward chat with Ciena viahologram, Thane put his plan into action the following day. After withdrawingcredits from his bank account, he used them to buyspice and then bartered the spice for unmarked credits. Thane used the proceeds to buy civilian clothes and then secured passage on an independentfreighter owned by aFalleen pilot.^[1]

After deserting the Empire, he visited his home planet Jelucan in order to hide from theImperial Security Bureauagents that would be tasked to find him. Upon returning to his hometown ofValentia, Thane was dismayed to find thecity disfigured by what he regarded as ugly Imperial buildings and walls. While Thane toyed with the idea of returning to his parents, he decided that he was unwilling to submit himself to his father's drunken rages and his mother's outrage. Instead, Thane rented a small flat and subsisted on streetfood for several days. Having lost his purpose in life, Thane descended into a state of despondency. Ciena was sent to find him, soon discovering him hiding inside his Jelucan flat.^[1]

Upon finding Thane, Ciena tried to convince her friend to return to Imperial service. She reassured Thane that he would not be arrested since the Empire had a shortage of qualified officers. However, Thane was adamant that he would never return to the Empire. He recounted his disillusionment arising from the destruction of Alderaan and the enslavement of the Bodach'i. When Ciena pointed out that the rebels murdered their mentor Tarkin and friend Jude, Thane assured her that he would not join the Rebellion. During their meeting, Ciena admitted her disillusionment with the Empire but was unwilling to break her oath. When Thane disagreed, she remarked that second-wavers broke their promises.^[1]

Following a tense discussion, Thane and Ciena made love for the first time, but it was short lived. Unable to convince Thane to return to the Empire, Ciena told him to leave Jelucan and catch the next freighter to an independent world. Ciena warned Thane that she would report him to the Empire if he had not left by then. Breaking her oath to the Empire for the first and last time, she warned him not to indenture himself and advised him to find work somewhere in the Outer Rim. Thane reluctantly accepted Ciena's advice and the two embraced each other. To protect Thane, Ciena told her superior officerCaptainRonnadam that he had committedsuicide due to his grief over the loss of many comrades aboard the Death Star.^[1]

Serving the Rebellion[]

Aboard the Moa[]

Seven months after the Battle ofYavin, Thane found work as a pilot andnavigator on theMighty Oak Apocalypse under theWookiee captainLohgarra. While Lohgarra hired several itinerant crew members, her only other permanent crew member was aJJH2 modelastromech droid. Though Thane concealed his past from the other crew, he confided in Lohgarra. Under Lohgarra's captaincy, Thane and her crew often went on missions to help desperate worlds that were abused or neglected by the Empire, something Thane found fulfilling and purposeful. While helping theTarsuntengineerBrill and theIthorian maintenance officerMethwat Tann to deliver a shipment ofconstructor droids on the cold planet ofZeitooine, he witnessed alocal family beingarrested by Imperialstormtroopers. Thane was so distressed by the plight of the family that he forgot to buy a newpower cell; when Brill questioned him, he claimed that the shops did not have anything in their price range.^[1]

Eighteen months after the Battle of Yavin, Thane and Lohgarra took part in a mission to deliver medical supplies toOulanne following a flood that left many without food,water, and medical supplies. While assisting the relief efforts, he was recruited byWedge Antilles who had also sent aid from the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Although they did not have much to offer by way of supplies, this valiant display of concern for the people of thesystems under their control forced Thane to contemplate joining the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Although he resented them for destroying the Death Star and killing many of his friends, he knew they were his best chance of stopping the cruel acts of the Empire.^[1]

Thane subsequently returned to theMighty Oak Apocalypse to inform Lohgarra of Wedge's offer to bring him to the Rebel Alliance. Lohgarra too felt sympathetic to the Rebels' plight, given that her own people were enslaved by the Empire. However, she stated that if they were to join the Rebels, the decision would have to be unanimously by the crew, which would not happen for some time. He then confided to her his concerns that by joining the Rebellion, it would mean fighting against his friends in the Empire, including Ciena. Lohgarra assured him thatthe Force had a way of bringing people together when the time was right.^[1]

Battle of Hoth[]

After joining the Rebellion, Thane was assigned toEcho Base on the icy planet ofHoth. As a trainedstarfighter pilot, Thane was assigned toCorona Squadron. While braving the icy cold, Thane befriended aRebel pilot namedDak Ralter, who later served as the RebelLuke Skywalker'sgunner during theBattle of Hoth. Despite joining the Rebellion, Thane was uncomfortable with Luke for killing several of his former classmates aboard the Death Star and avoided contact with him. When the Empire discovered their base and attacked Hoth, Thane flew asnowspeeder with theTwi'lek co-pilotYendor, who served as his gunner.^[1]

Thane and Yendor's mission during the battle was to harry theImperial ground assault forces until the rebeltransports could escape intohyperspace. Using Thane's knowledge of the blueprints of anAT-AT and his extensive experience in flying, the two were able to destroy a walker by exploiting the weak spot in the armor of the walker, the ankle. After the last transport had lifted off, the two raced to theirX-wings and met with the rebels at the designated rendezvous. As Thane left Hoth, he saw the Imperial fleet and realized that one day he might encounter Ciena in battle and unknowingly kill her.^[1]

Unknown to Thane, his lover Ciena learned that he had joined the Rebellion after analyzing footage of his snowspeeder harrying AT-ATwalkers during the Battle of Hoth. Due to their love, she did not report him to his Imperial superiors. After reaching theMC80 Star CruiserLiberty, Corona Squadron's home base, Thane learned from Wedge that Dak died on Hoth, which greatly depressed Thane. As he was handing out equipment to new recruits, he was reunited with his old friend from his days in the Royal Imperial Academy,Kendy Idele, who had also deserted from Imperial service. Thane and his rebel comrades spent the rest of the day account for lost personnel and stock following the retreat from Hoth.^[1]

Meeting Mon Mothma[]

With some time to spare, Thane decided to get himself drunk withjet juice. After stumbling through theLiberty's corridors, he finally decided to sit down against a wall, before an unknown woman appeared to support him and guide him to a chair. In his drunken stupor, Thane spilled out his life story and how much he loved Ciena to the stranger, who then offered him a cup of water. Thane later found himself waking up in his bunk, where a coy Yendor revealed that theirsquadron was due for a briefing in a half hour. After getting ashower and a treatment from2-1B, Thane arrived in the briefing and was mortified to discover that the woman who helped him the previous night was none other thanMon Mothma,Chancellor of the Rebel Alliance.^[1]

After Mothma told Corona Squadron that they would be permanently based on theLiberty doing special reconnaissance missions for the Rebel Alliance, she requested to speak with Thane privately. Once they were alone, Thane apologized for his previous unprofessional behavior. Mothma told him that she was not concerned with the events from the night before, but wanted to make sure that he did not doubt himself in battle again. He assured her that he was devoted to their cause, and he took heed of her words that it was acceptable to love someone on the other side of the war so long as he loved the principles of the Rebel Alliance more.^[1]

Return to Jelucan[]

Later, Thane and his fellow Corona Squadron pilots took part in a mission to scout the planetD'Qar for Imperial activity. There had been reports from deep-cover agents on Coruscant that the Empire was shipping large amounts of material for an unknown project, later revealed to be thesecond Death Star. While Corona Squadron found no sign of Imperial activity, they identified D'Qar as a possible base. After returning to theLiberty, Thane chatted to one of his fellow pilots Kendy, who had been Ciena's former bunk mate at the Imperial Academy. While Kendy respected Ciena, she opined that "good people" were eventually corrupted by the Empire. Following a heated discussion, Thane concluded that the woman he loved was gone.^[1]

While listening to Imperial transmissions from his home world of Jelucan, Thane learned that Ciena's motherVerine Ree was being accused in an Imperial court of 'embezzling' funds from the localmines that she managed. This prompted Thane to request a few days leave from his commanding officer, so that he may stand with her family during a time of strife and betrayal. He was granted this leave on the merits that he would return, and that he wouldn't be missing when theRebel fleet would jump to another system.^[1]

When he reached Jelucan, he was alarmed and saddened by the state of his homeworld, where the sky wasblack with coal mining soot and themountains were hollowed out from mining. He journeyed through the rapidly modernizing Valentia, awed by the fact that the valley folks and second-wavers were no longer distinguishable from each other. They all now worefactory made clothing supplied by the Empire. Thane rented a ridgecrawler and drove to Ciena's home where he reunited with the nowLieutenant Commander Ree. At Ciena's house, he planted the customary maroon dyed flag into the sandy trench in front, attempting to make amends with her. Throughout their interactions, Thane assumed that Ciena did not suspect he had joined the Rebel Alliance.^[1]

The two flew together in Thane's old V-171 airspeeder, and it was as if they were never apart. Returning to the Fortress, their childhood hideout, Ciena revealed that she knew he joined the Rebellion and demanded to know why he would join a group she designated "terrorists" who had killed Jude. Thane passionately defended the rebels and retorted that Palpatine was the terrorist for ruling by fear. Although they could not agree on who was fighting on the right side of thewar, there was no denying their passion for each other. They shared a night together and made love a second time under the blankets. Afterwards, Ciena revealed that she knew he was involved in the Battle of Hoth by how he flew his snowspeeder. In turn, Thane told her how he respected his superiors in the Alliance and how they in turn trusted him to return to Jelucan.^[1]

Return to the Rebel fleet[]

After the trial of Ciena's mother, Thane returned to the Rebel fleet. Once back, he disclosed to GeneralCarlist Rieekan and Corona Squadron that he had met with Ciena and her status as an Imperial officer. His admission took everyone by surprise, which quickly made him the least popular member of the squadron. Despite his assurance that his starfighter did not have a tracker, it was checked anyway. General Rieekan remarked that the galaxy was full of other women who didn't fight for the enemy whileSmikes chided Kyrell for abandoning his post to "bang his ex." When his friend Yendor warned that Ciena could kill them, Thane angrily defended his judgement and told them to stayed out of his business. While sympathetic, Kendy counselled Thane that his love for Ciena would tear him apart.^[1]

Skirmish in the Hudalla system[]

Following his trip to Jelucan, Thane and his fellow Corona Squadron pilots settled on5251977, a remote planet that served as a base of the Alliance. Due to the world's slow rotation, days and nights lasted weeks. While stationed on 5251977, Thane learned from Yendor that the Alliance Fleet was massing for a planned assault. Thane was further encouraged by the arrival of his Wookiee friend Lohgarra in her shipMighty Oak Apocalypse. Lohgarra and her crew had decided to throw their support behind the Rebellion.^[1]

Ten hours after arriving on 5251977, Thane and Corona Squadron received new orders fromAdmiralAckbar, the commander of the Alliance Fleet. Remotesensors had detected an unusually high level of Imperial ships in theHudalla system. Corona Squadron was ordered to observe the Imperial fleet and to obtain as much intelligence as possible. Upon arriving in the system, Thane and his fellow pilots discovered a large Imperial fleet, which had been massing for the arrival of the Emperor at the second Death Star above theForestMoon ofEndor. While they were assessing the size of the Imperial fleet, Corona Squadron wasattacked by a squadron ofTIE/IN interceptors led by Ciena Ree and Nash Windrider, his former roommate. Ree had received secret orders from AdmiralPiett to let at least one of the starfighters escape.^[1]

During the dogfight, Thane remarked that "thisgalaxy isn't big enough" across the intercom, which was picked up by both Ciena and Nash. While Ciena was horrified at the prospect of having to fight her lover, Nash was furious that Thane had joined the Rebellion and sought to kill him. The only thing that allowed Thane and most of Corona Squadron to escape without heavy casualties was Ree's involvement in shielding Thane'sX-wing from Nash while he was preparing to jump to hyperspace. While the Imperials lost twoTIE fighters, the only Corona fatality was Smikes, who answered to thecallsignCorona Four.^[1]

Battle of Endor[]

Thane Kyrell then participated in theBattle of Endor, where the role of Corona Squadron was to cover theGold,Red,Green, andGray Squadrons as they entered the second Death Star. During the pre-battle briefing, Thane was privy to the details of the rebel assault on the Forest Moon of Endor includingHan Solo'sground strike team which was tasked with disabling thedeflector shield generator protecting the Death Star.^[1]

Two days after the briefing, Thane and the rest of the rebel fleet exited hyperspace above theEndor system. To their horror, they quickly discovered thatHan Solo's strike team had not yet disabled the secondDeath Star's deflector shield. Under GeneralLando Calrissian's orders, Thane and the other pilots took evasive action when the Imperial fleet launched a swarm of TIE fighters and TIEInterceptors. During the Battle ofEndor, Thane witnessed the Death Star'ssuperlaser destroying theLiberty, the MC80starcruiser that had served as the base of Corona Squadron. Under Calrissian's orders, the remaining rebel starfighters and ships ran circles around theStar Destroyers in order to escape the Death Star's blast.^[1]

While they waited for the shield generators on Endor to be taken down, Thane and his fellow Corona pilots Kendy andthe Contessa damaged the engines of the Imperial Star DestroyerSubjugator. When the Death Star's shields went down,rebel forces led by General Calrissian, who was flying theMillennium Falcon, destroyed the second Death Star. Since Ciena had reportedly been stationed aboard theSuper Star DestroyerExecutor, Thane believed that his lover had died and wore a Jelucani mourning band in her honor. While Thane took part in the victory celebrations atBright Tree Village, he found little joy due to his belief that Ciena had died.^[1] Thane later attended thewedding of Han Solo and Leia Organa.^[3]

Unknown to Thane, Ciena Ree had indeed survived the Battle of Endor. She avoided death aboard theExecutor since she had been flying a TIE Interceptor. However, Ciena was badly wounded when debris from the Death Star collided with her TIE fighter, puncturing herliver. Due to her courage and hard work, Ciena was later promoted to the position of captain aboard the Imperial Star DestroyerInflictor.^[1]

New Republic[]

Following the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire entered a state of chaos as various Imperial officers and Moffs jockeyed for control of the reigns of succession. The Rebel Alliance was transformed into theNew Republic, which established itself as a rival to the fragmenting Empire. Seeking an alternative to Imperial authoritarianism and oppression, many worlds joined the New Republic. Despite his pessimistic outlook, Thane came to regard the New Republic as a fairer and more humane government which sought to address the wrongs of the Empire including slavery, pollution, and devoting more expenditure to civilians. While Thane was taken back by the rapid disintegration of the Empire, he and his fellow comrades found themselves still fighting an all-out war from the Imperial remnants.^[1]

Barely a year after the Battle of Endor, Thane and his fellow Corona pilots took part in thedefense of the planetNaboo and helped beat back an Imperial fleet. This marked the third attempt made by the Empire to attack Naboo, which had joined the New Republic. Following the dogfight, Yendor invited Thane and the other pilots to visit theGungan city ofOtoh Gunga in order to taste a dessert that took at least four hominids to eat. However, Thane politely declined his friend's offer because he was still mourning Ciena, unaware that she had survived Endor. Due to his friendship with Ciena, Thane had also gained a greater appreciation of the Force, something that mystified his fellow pilots, including Kendy. With the anniversary of the Battle of Endor only a few weeks away, Thane vowed to remove his mourning band.^[1]

Battle of Jakku[]

One year after the destruction of the second Death Star, Thane took part in theBattle of Jakku, the last major battle of the Galactic Civil War. As an Imperial defector,^[1] Thane, recently promoted to commander,^[4] was placed in charge of a boarding party that was tasked with capturing the Imperial Star DestroyerInflictor for the New Republic, whose nascentstarfleet faced a critical shortage of ships. Using their knowledge of Imperial ship design and procedures, the New Republic forces boarded theInflictor. Thane's knowledge of Star Destroyers came to good use when the strike team successfully disabled the ship's engines andself-destruct system. Unknown to Thane, his lover Ciena Ree was the captain of theInflictor during that assault.^[1] After receiving confirmation that theInflictor was on a crashing course,New Republic pilotIden Versio overheard on her comms that they were sending a recovery team to extract Kyrell and the boarding party.^[5]

During the fighting, Thane recognized the voice of Ciena Ree being played throughout the vessel on the intercoms, calling for the evacuation of all Imperial personnel within the designated time limits to prevent theInflictor from being captured by the Republic forces. Telling the rest of his crew to abandon the ship, he headed to the bridge, which Ciena had sealed off. Remembering the quote Ciena used to show her deceased sister beautiful or surprising moments in her life, "Look through my eyes," he cracked the password and entered the bridge. Although Ciena's oath required her to see the ship destroyed, he tried to take her with him, and the two fought. Eventually, Thane managed to regain his blaster andstunned her and carried her away to an escape pod, narrowly ejecting into the atmosphere in time to survive.^[1]

Thane and an unconscious Ciena survived their crash-landing on the sands of Jakku. After landing, they were picked up by a squad ofNew Republic soldiers. Realizing that Ciena had been wounded, Thane called for the team's medic to attend to her injuries. Instead thesoldiers pulled out their blasters while their leader clamped a pair ofmagnetic binders on Ciena's wrists. Before Thane could utter a word of protest, he realized that the New Republic soldiers were merely doing their duty: capturing a high-ranking Imperial officer who would be tried for her crimes.^[1]

Reunion[]

Following the Battle ofJakku, Thane finally managed to visit Ciena inprison after a week of repeated attempts. Ciena had finally relented but had to wait for Thane to return from a mission. While Ciena was upset that Thane had not allowed her to die, he insisted that he done the right thing. Although Ciena had remained loyal to the Empire, she could see its faults and wished that her oath no longer stood. She thought that the New Republic would make an example out of her, torturing and executing her, but Thane assured her that even if she didn't give up any intelligence, the Republic did not treat its prisoners of war that way and were very lenient. He remained confident in the goodness and fairness of the Republic, vowing to wait for her as long as it took so they could be together. Ciena reluctantly agreed to accept Thane's offer of friendship.^[1]

Meanwhile, Thane's former friend commander Nash Windrider withheld the truth about Thane's survival from his older brother lieutenant Dalven Kyrell, who was serving as his personal assistant. In private, he hated Thane for betraying the Empire and regarded him as a "master deceiver" and believed that his dysfunctional relationship with his parents had driven him into the arms of the Rebellion. Laboring under the misconception that Ciena had perished aboard theInflictor, Windrider swore to avenge her death, promising that when the Empire wasrestored, Kyrell and the former Rebel Alliance would be made to suffer for having placed Captain Ree in a position where she had seemingly been forced to sacrifice her own life.^[1]

Personality and traits[]

Thane Kyrell was a human male with reddish-blondehair. When he was eight years old, Thane was considered to be short for his age but had large hands and feet. As an adult, Kyrell was a tall well-built man. His hair also turned a reddish hue during his adult years. As he reached his full height, he was the third-tallest member of his class at the Academy. Thane had a difficult relationship with his family. His father Oris Kyrell was a harsh disciplinarian who did not hesitate to use physical force to discipline his children. His older brother Dalven regularly bullied and belittled him. While he got on slightly better with his mother Ganaire, he did not receive much love and affection from his family. This dysfunctional relationship was best reflected when none of his family members accompanied him during his sent-off to the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant.^[1]

As a young man on Jelucan, Thane was never interested in drinking. When other boys at school would get wasted on festival nights, Thane remembered never feeling the urge to join them. At some point, he eventually developed a taste forAndoan wine.^[1]

Thane had a warm and deep relationship with his friend Ciena Ree, which dated back to their childhood. Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, Thane bravely defended her against several second-waver bullies until Grand Moff Tarkin intervened. To compensate for his strained relationship with his parents and brother, Thane developed a strong friendship with Ciena that eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship. The two continued their loving relationship despite fighting on opposite sides during the Galactic Civil War. Thane's love for Ree led him to forcibly rescue her during a perilous mission during the Battle of Jakku.^[1]

As a child, Thane had a passion for starships and piloting and aspired to join the Imperial Navy. He was a hardworking and talented student who won the respect of his peers and instructors. Despite his promising career as an elite pilot, Thane became disillusioned with the Empire after witnessing the destruction of Alderaan and the enslavement of Bodach'i aliens on Kerev Doi. After descending into a state of despair, Thane found work as a co-pilot and navigator for the Wookiee Lohgarra and subsequently joined the Rebellion. While Thane was not an idealist, he believed that the Rebellion and their promised New Republic would be a more just and fair government than the Empire. As a starfighter pilot, Thane joined theRebel Alliance's Starfighter Corps and flew in Corona Squadron.^[1]

Thane believed that the Rebel Alliance and their New Republic was a force for good in the galaxy. Despite being a firm supporter of the Rebellion, Thane struggled with the knowledge that many of his former Imperial Academy classmates including Ciena and Nash Windrider were fighting on the other side. The rebel leader and future Chancellor Mon Mothma helped Thane to overcome his self doubts and despair by assuring him that he could still love Ciena provided he was still loyal to the Rebellion. Thane also found it difficult to speak with Luke Skywalker, the young rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star. Thane had a friend named Jude Edivon who had perished aboard the Death Star.^[1]

After the Battle of Hoth, Thane was surprised to see another Academy classmate, Kendy Idele, turn up with a group of new recruits. Thane admired her for her skill with a blaster. Later, Thane joined his comrades at a party, drinking engine-room hooch. Thane began to drink and even playedsabacc. Upset at the loss of his friend Dak Ralter and missing his friend Ciena, Thane decided to drink a lot, eventually becoming so drunk that he could not find his way back to his bunk.^[1]

After a briefing for a scouting mission to the Hudalla System, Thane thought that the plan sounded crazy, citing Admiral Ackbar as deluded when he dismissed them by saying "May the Force be with you."^[1]

Skills and abilities[]

As a starfighter pilot and former Imperial cadet, Thane Kyrell was a skilled pilot who was selected for the Imperial Navy's elite track. He knew how to operate ablaster and could also engage in hand-to-hand combat. Thane knew how to improvise a laser cannon using spare parts. After deserting the Empire, he put his skills to good use by working as the Wookiee Lohgarra's co-pilot and navigator. Due to his training at the Imperial Academy and knowledge of Star Destroyer layouts, he was handpicked for a New Republic mission to capture an Imperial Star Destroyer during the Battle of Jakku.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

Thane Kyrell first appeared in in the2015 young adult novelLost Stars, which was written byClaudia Gray as part of theJourney to Star Wars: The Force Awakens multimedia project.^[1] Kyrell was first pictured in the2016 reference bookStar Wars: Galactic Atlas.^[6]

Appearances[]

• Star Wars Battlefront II(Mentioned only)
• Lost Stars(andaudiobook)(First appearance)
• Lost Stars webcomic
• The Princess and the Scoundrel(andaudiobook)
• Someone Who Loves You

Sources[]

Explore all of Wookieepedia'simages for this article subject. Coming Soon to Your Personal Jedi Archives: Journey toStar Wars: The Force Awakens - Sneak Peek! onStarWars.com(backup link) "Blaster" —Star Wars Insider 159 "Blaster" —Star Wars Insider 160 Star Wars Helmet Collection: Utapau Clone TrooperDatabank A-Z: Kyber Crystals–Laser Cannons Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary "50 Things to Notice inStar Wars: The Force Awakens" —Star Wars Insider 165(reprinted in Special Edition 2020) Star Wars: Complete Locations(Indirect mention only) Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game —ARC-170 Expansion PackCard:Thane Kyrell — ARC-170 Much to Learn You Still Have: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Wookiees onStarWars.com(backup link) Star Wars: Galactic Atlas(First pictured) Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away Star Wars: On the Front Lines Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition —T-65 X-Wing Expansion PackCard:Thane Kyrell — Corona Four — T-65 X-WingReissued inSkystrike Academy Squadron Pack andRebel Alliance Conversion Kit Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy "Pilots of the Rebel Alliance" —Star Wars Encyclopedia Star Wars: Timelines Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire OurStar Wars Reads Picks For Every Type of Reader in Your Life onStarWars.com(backup link)(Indirect mention only) Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy What to Know Before You Go toStar Wars Celebration Japan 2025 onStarWars.com(backup link)(Picture only) Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025: The Anime & Manga Pavilion Celebrates Collaboration onStarWars.com(backup link)(Picture only) Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025: All the News You Need onStarWars.com(backup link)(Picture only) D'Qar in theDatabank(backup link)(Indirect mention only)

Notes and references[]