Durne was a Cantrosian intelligence operative. In 4 ABY, Durne was hired by the Nagai commander Knife to sow conflict between two Rebel Alliance–supporting resistance groups in the Cantros system by convincing the members of each faction that the other was loyal to the Galactic Empire. While this ruse resulted in open warfare and serious casualties among his species, Durne's plot was foiled by the Rebel heroes Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo, and the two sides were reunited.
Durne (left) with Minka and Sami
As of 4 ABY, the Cantrosian Durne had been hired by Nagai commander Knife to destabilize the Cantros system in the Outer Rim Territories and assist in paving the way for a Nagai expeditionary force. To this end, Durne was able to inveigle his way into two Rebel Alliance–supporting resistance groups—in one faction, he befriended Niru, while in another, he met Minka and Sami. After separately gaining everybody's trust, Durne became head of intelligence for both organizations. One of his ploys involved withholding the news that Emperor Palpatine had died from Cantrosian information channels.
With control over this information, Durne convinced each side that the other was working for the Galactic Empire, and soon both factions were striving to destroy each other. Having been briefed on the situation by Minka, Rebel heroes Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo traveled to an asteroid base to investigate; while there, they met several Cantrosian fighters, including Durne. When informed by the Rebels that Imperial activity in the sector was zero, Durne lied to them and said that the information gathered by his network was accurate. He was unable, however, to stop the Rebels from departing with Minka and Sami for the opposing faction's base. Despite claiming he would remain on the asteroid, Durne traveled to the base himself.
Durne apprehended
Having located the Rebel group, Niru and her faction captured Sami, Solo, and Skywalker and brought them to the faction's base. Though Niru was against torturing or otherwise harming the alleged Imperial sympathizers, Durne attempted to persuade her to kill the prisoners, but he was spotted by the Rebels. Sami and Solo appealed to Niru's followers and affirmed their allegiance to the same cause, declaring that Durne was a traitor. Durne drew a blaster pistol and prepared to execute the group. Minka and Organa, however, arrived on the scene, having evaded capture, and Organa disarmed Durne.
An armed exchange ensued, and Durne was able to escape focus. Reasoning that Niru dying would sway the group back under his influence and that the fog of battle would obscure a deliberate shot, he prepared to shoot her. Seeing this, Skywalker intercepted Durne's shot with his lightsaber and incapacitated the double agent. As the fighting ended and the Cantrosian factions began to reconcile, Durne attempted to flee but was stopped by Niru. With the other members of his species no longer at war, Durne was bound and slated for honorable, nonviolent interrogation.
Durne showed no remorse for cultivating tensions between members of his own people or any resulting deaths, though he separately claimed loyalty to members of either faction and was persuasive enough to set the two factions against each other successfully. He was also entirely willing to kill others to fulfill his mission, first threatening to shoot Skywalker before planning to do the same to Niru. Durne had white fur and hair and green eyes.
Durne appeared in the Marvel Comics issue Star Wars (1977) 93, which was published on December 18, 1984 as part of the Star Wars comic series and written by Mary Jo Duffy. In the comic, Durne was drawn by Sal Buscema.