Ali Tarrak was a female Nami who was the leader of her people during the Galactic Civil War. Operating as pirates in the Outer Rim Territories, the Nami captured a prototype of the TIE Defender starfighter from the Galactic Empire around 3.5 ABY. After a subsequent raid to abduct the TIE Defender project's lead scientist, Tarrak was able to begin producing her own TIE Defenders at a manufacturing facility in the region of the Eva-T system.
Tarrak arranged to supply TIE Defenders to the Rebel Alliance, but Imperial forces under the command of Admiral Thrawn were able to seize the first shipment before it reached the Rebels. Thrawn launched an assault on Tarrak's TIE Defender factory, destroying the facility and ending the threat of the TIE Defender technology spreading. Tarrak was captured while trying to escape and, having impressed Thrawn, was offered the opportunity to serve Emperor Palpatine.
Ali Tarrak was a female member of the Nami, a once-powerful nomadic warrior group who were driven into the Outer Rim Territories during the Clone Wars in the years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, and largely forgotten about by the time of the Galactic Civil War. By 3.5 ABY the surviving Nami were operating as pirates in the Outer Rim, with Tarrak as their leader and crime lord. Under Tarrak's leadership, the group were well trained and well equipped with T-wing and Y-wing starfighters, and at least two cruisers.
Tarrak sought to acquire TIE Defender technology from the Empire.
In 3.5 ABY Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin attempted a coup against Emperor Palpatine. Thwarted by loyalist forces, Zaarin began a campaign against the Empire, and hoped to secure a technological advantage over the Imperial Navy by gaining sole control of the new TIE Defender, one of the most advanced starfighters ever developed. The Empire evacuated the TIE Defender prototypes and key personnel from the facility where the starfighter had been developed, but Tarrak saw the perfect opportunity to steal a specimen while the convoy was en route to Admiral Thrawn.
Tarrak's raid piggybacked off the actions of a separate group of pirates, the Rneekii, who were able to snare the Imperials in an ion cannon minefield as they emerged from hyperspace. The pirates captured the shuttle carrying the TIE Defender project's lead scientist before being driven off, and the prototypes were left vulnerable aboard the disabled modified corvette group Hashim. Tarrak dispatched Nami raiders led by the YT-1300 light freighter Dhoora to capture one of the prototypes. The Nami were not the only group seeking to take advantage of the situation and arrived to find the Imperial forces already engaged with starfighters from the Rebel Alliance. With both sides distracted, the Nami boarded and captured one of the corvettes carrying a single TIE Defender unit, escaping into hyperspace before the Imperial defenders could respond.
The Empire was concerned that Tarrak may attempt to use the TIE Defender technology to regain her people's lost territory, but considered the threat to be low as the Nami lacked the expertise to produce more of the starfighters. Nevertheless, Tarrak's actions had brought her to the attention of the Emperor, who issued instructions for her to be taken prisoner. Tarrak soon learned that the Rneekii were to ransom the captive lead scientist to the Empire near Kiilimaar and devised a plan to capture the scientist during the exchange.
Tarrak's TIE Defender manufacturing facility
The Imperials had no intention of allowing the Rneekii to profit from their actions. As soon as the scientist was back in Imperial hands, the Interdictor cruiser Red Claw entered the Kiilimaar system to trap the pirates. While the Imperial forces were occupied with the Rneekii, the Nami YT-1300 light freighter Choora entered the system under T-wing and Y-wing escort. The Imperials were unable to prevent the Choora disabling and boarding the shuttle carrying the scientist, but as the Choora attempted to escape with its prize it was disabled by the Imperial pilot Maarek Stele and captured by the Empire. Several Nami prisoners were taken for interrogation in the hopes of locating Tarrak's base.
Although Tarrak's attempt to capture the scientist had failed, her surprise attack had resulted in damage to the Red Claws hyperdrive, leaving it stranded in the system. A corvette was dispatched to take the scientist to safety but an imposter with a fake transponder code arrived first and picked up the scientist while the Red Claw was fending off an attack by Zaarin's forces. The Imperials concluded that Zaarin was behind the deception, using the attack as a distraction. Whoever was behind the scientist's latest abduction, he soon ended up once more in Tarrak's custody.
Using a manufacturing plant in the vicinity of the Eva-T system, Tarrak quickly began constructing TIE Defenders. Hoping to sell a great portion of the starfighters to the Rebel Alliance, Tarrak arranged for the Rebels to be present as observers while the Nami Strike-class medium cruiser Bognog and a squadron of TIE Defenders assaulted an Imperial cargo transfer area in the Yrrna system.
Both the Emperor and Thrawn were deeply concerned over the prospect of TIE Defenders ending up in Rebel hands. In order to mitigate the risk, Thrawn had been secretly overseeing the development of a new Imperial assault craft, the Missile Boat, which was specifically developed to counter the TIE Defender. The additional risk that Tarrak may have been using the facility as the first target for a new campaign against the Empire, served only to hasten the deployment of the new weapon.
Shortly after the Yrrna attack, Tarrak dispatched the first shipment of eight TIE Defenders to the Rebels in the Strike-class cruiser Nuance, but Imperial Intelligence learned of the planned rendezvous and Thrawn's forces captured the Nuance before it could deliver its cargo. Interrogation of the Nuances crew revealed the location of Tarrak's manufacturing plant and Thrawn planned to personally oversee its destruction.
Admiral Thrawn's Star Destroyer, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Grey Wolf, emerged from hyperspace a short distance from the manufacturing plant and launched its starfighters to engage the T-wings and Y-wings defending the facility. Finding Tarrak's TIE Defenders from Blue Devil and Red Devil squadrons powered down, Stele, piloting a lone Missile Boat, moved quickly to destroy them before they could be brought online, then eliminated the minefield protecting the station, clearing the way for TIE bombers to destroy the facility.
Tarrak flees her TIE Defender manufacturing facility aboard the Dhoora.
When the factory's shields fell, Tarrak attempted to flee, leaving the station aboard the Dhoora with the lead scientist as a hostage. Stele, under orders to capture Tarrak alive, opened fire on the fleeing transport in an attempt to bring its shields down. Tarrak threatened to kill her hostage if the Imperial pilot did not cease his attack, but Thrawn called her bluff, assuring Tarrak that such an action would guarantee her own death. When the transport's shields fell, Stele used his tractor beam to prevent Tarrak's escape until Imperial Assault Gunboats arrived and disabled it with their ion cannons. Despite the arrival of Rebel reinforcements, the Dhoora was captured and Tarrak taken into custody.
Tarrak's defeat ended the threat of TIE Defender proliferation. Impressed by Tarrak, Thrawn convinced Emperor Palpatine of her potential, and the Emperor decided to offer Tarrak the opportunity to serve him.
Maarek Stele uses his Missile Boat's tractor beam to prevent Ali Tarrak's escape.
Tarrak was a competent leader who ensured that the Nami were well equipped and who inspired loyalty in her followers. Although the Nami were relatively obscure pirates early in her tenure, Tarrak's attempts to seize control of the TIE Defender technology displayed both ambition and a willingness to take bold actions, even at the risk of incurring the wrath of the Empire, who viewed her actions a potential attempt to reclaim the Nami's former territory. She was quick to take advantage of the opportunity to steal a TIE Defender, and was cunning enough to utilize the Rneekii pirates as a distraction when making her own move. Tarrak's actions made an impression on Admiral Thrawn, who recognized some of his own traits in her. Thrawn was ultimately able to convince Emperor Palpatine that Tarrak would make a useful servant of the Empire.
Ali Tarrak was created for Star Wars: TIE Fighter: Defender of the Empire, the 1994 expansion pack for the LucasArts video game Star Wars: TIE Fighter. The character has only one line of dialogue, during the mission "Eliminate TIE Defender Factory", and the voice actor is not credited.
- TIE Fighter: Defender of the Empire: Official Secrets & Solutions
- TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM: The Official Strategy Guide
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia