Able

BL-1707, also designated CT-1707, Able-1707, or unit A-1707, was among the many clones grown on Kamino from the bounty hunter Jango Fett. These clones were created to serve as clone troopers in the Grand Army of the Republic. During the Clone Wars, he was under the command of Jedi General Shaak Ti. In 21 BBY, a LAAT/i gunship carrying Able and other clone troopers was attacked over Lubang Minor by Confederate droid fighters. Before the clone troopers could react, the gunship was shot down, crashing onto the planet. Most of Able-1707's unit died, and while the remaining troopers eliminated the droids, they suffered heavy losses. Able-1707 was the sole survivor of the crash, and he buried his fallen comrades under piles of rocks.

Stranded on the uninhabited Lubang Minor, Able-1707 adapted to survive for over two decades. During this time, significant events occurred: the Clone Wars ended in 19 BBY, the Galactic Republic that Able-1707 had served was transformed into the Galactic Empire, and the Jedi Order was almost completely destroyed. In 2 BBY, the Alliance to Restore the Republic was formed, and the Galactic Civil War began.

About seven months after the Rebel victory at the Battle of Yavin, Able-1707, from his position in the jungle, witnessed an Imperial strike force attack Red Squadron and an Alliance Intelligence shuttle while they were setting up a listening post on the planet. Mistaking the Imperial stormtroopers for clone troopers with new armor, Able-1707 hurried to the wreckage of his gunship, removed the cloth he wore over his battered Phase I clone trooper armor, and put on his helmet. Armed with his DC-15A blaster rifle, Able-1707 returned to the Imperial position and reported to the Imperial officer in charge as "Able one seven oh seven." The confused officer assumed it was a Rebel trick and ordered his stormtroopers to fire, forcing Able-1707 to flee into the jungle. He eventually reached a crater from a recently crashed Imperial TIE fighter, where he found Red Squadron pilots Luke Skywalker and Commander Arhul Narra hiding. Still confused, Able-1707 held the two at blaster point, demanding to know their identities, while Narra asked him the same question.

Narra, a Clone Wars veteran, recognized Able-1707's armor and asked how long he had been on the planet. The trooper recounted his crash, and, remembering the white-armored soldiers chasing the two men, assumed they were Confederates. However, he learned they were not, and the soldiers were stormtroopers, serving the Empire as successors to the clone troopers. Narra informed Able of the events of the past two decades, overwhelming him with the news of the Jedi's destruction, whom he remembered as generals during the Clone Wars. On Narra's advice, Skywalker revealed his lightsaber and introduced himself as a Jedi Knight trained by "Ben Kenobi," known as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars. Hoping to gain Able-1707's loyalty, Narra falsely claimed that "General" Skywalker was a key Rebel Alliance leader. Hearing this, Able-1707 declared that if the Jedi were fighting the Empire, he would serve Skywalker.

After locating the Intelligence team survivors, Able-1707, Skywalker, and Narra put on stormtrooper armor salvaged from nearby dead stormtroopers. They escorted the Intelligence team to the Rebel landing site, which had been captured by the Imperials. Able-1707 told the Imperial commander that the Rebels were planning a counterattack and had been caught by surprise. The officer was initially fooled, but became suspicious upon hearing Able-1707's clipped, clone-like affirmative responses. Ordering Able-1707 to remove his helmet, the officer demanded to know his last commanding officer. Able-1707 replied that it was General Shaak Ti, then removed his helmet and killed the officer with his blaster.

Skywalker, Narra, and the Intelligence team revealed their hidden weapons, and a firefight began. As the Intelligence team boarded the Rebel shuttle, Narra and Skywalker rushed to their X-wing starfighters to provide escort. However, heavy fire from an Imperial Sentinel-class landing craft pinned down the Rebels. Able-1707 ordered the Intelligence team to start the shuttle's engines and charged the Imperial craft, ignoring the blaster fire. He quickly eliminated the stormtroopers near the craft's landing ramp and threw a thermal detonator inside, destroying it. The explosive shockwave threw Able-1707 back, and upon regaining balance, he saw the Rebel forces retreating. Surrounded by stormtroopers with no escape, Skywalker, unwilling to abandon him, returned to the planet, blasted the Imperial soldiers, and picked up Able-1707 with his fighter's front landing skid. Able-1707 was later transferred to a Rebel transport.

The Rebel forces returned to the Rebel fleet, and Able-1707 was taken to the Rebel flagship Home One, where he cut his hair and shaved after many years. He soon learned of Narra and Skywalker's deception. Aboard Home One, Lieutenant Camax offered Able-1707 a position in Alliance Intelligence. The former clone trooper accepted and forgave Narra and Skywalker for exaggerating the latter's role to gain his participation, satisfied that Skywalker, though not a general, was still a Jedi. The trooper joined Alliance Intelligence, taking the name "Able." Despite knowing Skywalker's ruse, he continued to call him "General," which his teammates mocked him for. Reports of Able's reappearance reached Imperial agents, and the Empire grew concerned about the reappearance of long-lived Fett clones like Able.

One month later, Able joined Skywalker and a group of Rebels in the infiltration of an Imperial prison on Kalist VI to rescue Jorin Sol, an Alliance mathematician captured during a recent battle on Jabiim, who knew the coordinates of the Rebel fleet and its hyperspace protocols. The Alliance also aimed to secure fuel supplies. Undercover, the Rebel team, led by Captain Harran and Skywalker, hijacked an Imperial fuel tanker, Nuna's Twins, and, as part of their cover story, arrived at Kalist VI under fire from Red Squadron. Red Squadron allowed themselves to be driven away, and Nuna's Twins landed on Kalist VI, where the prison's commanding officer, General Noils, confined its crew to the ship, despite protests from Harran and Skywalker, posing as Lieutenant "Jundland." Noils assigned stormtroopers to guard the ship, but Harran signaled Able and the rest of the Rebel troops led by Sergeant Basso—disguised as stormtroopers—to deal with them. Able and the others killed the stormtroopers and hid their bodies inside the tanker to take their places.

During a meeting inside Nuna's Twins, Harran explained the mission responsibilities. Most Rebels remained near the tanker to maintain the illusion of it being guarded, while Harran, Skywalker, and Lieutenant Deena Shan continued to pose as Imperial officers. The Duros agent Mouse would rescue Sol, and Skywalker's astromech droid R2-D2 would drain fuel from the facility and pump it into the tanker. Able and Basso were to plant explosives at the facility to create a distraction during the escape. While carrying the charges through a factory inside the base complex, Basso noticed many Jabiimi slaves and decided the Rebels needed to rescue them. Able questioned endangering the mission, but complied with Basso's decision to warn Harran after planting the charges.

Later, during a meeting on Nuna's Twins, Harran, Able, and Basso told Skywalker about the slaves. They realized rescuing thousands of slaves would require a massive airlift and a larger distraction. Able still questioned the need to rescue the slaves, but Basso said he would not abandon them, remembering how the Empire had slaughtered his people on Ralltiir. The Rebels decided to hijack the Acclamator-class assault ship that had transported the slaves to the planet for the evacuation. Able and the Rebels needed precise timing to be ready for takeoff when Red Squadron arrived to cover their extraction.

With less than eleven hours until Red Squadron's arrival, Mouse moved to set the remaining charges and rescue Sol. However, R2-D2 learned Sol was being escorted to Landing Pad 7-B for transport to Coruscant, the galactic capital, for interrogation by Darth Vader. Harran ordered Able and the ersatz stormtroopers to intercept Sol, while Skywalker rescued the slaves. As Mouse detonated the explosives, creating panic throughout the base and sacrificing himself, Basso, Able, and the Rebel team found Sol under escort near the landing pad. They killed the Imperial troops and tried to return to Nuna's Twins, but a blast door blocked their path. Basso decided to meet Skywalker, who had rescued the slaves and was overseeing their escape to the Imperial transport.

Reaching the transport, Able and his group found Skywalker with Imperial officer Janek Sunber, a childhood friend he had met during the mission. Although his cover was blown, Skywalker convinced Sunber to let the slaves go. When Sunber saw Sol, he accused Skywalker of lying and tried to shoot him, but Skywalker deflected the shot with his lightsaber, wounding Sunber. Able and his team boarded the transport Skywalker—the stolen starship's new name—and escaped the planet, followed by Nuna's Twins. Red Squadron, led by Wedge Antilles, arrived with Y-wings and attacked the Imperial base, creating a distraction that allowed all Rebel forces to escape Kalist VI. Unbeknownst to the Rebels, Sol had been brainwashed by the Empire to help track down the Alliance fleet.

Nine months after the Battle of Yavin, while Sol recovered in a bacta tank, the Alliance received intelligence from spy Wyl Tarson about an Imperial cargo convoy passing near Per Lupelo. Hoping to secure supplies, the Alliance launched a raid on the convoy. After Rebel starfighters under Skywalker and Antilles destroyed the convoy's fighter escort, a Rebel strike team led by Able and Basso used a YM-2800 limpet ship to dock with the lead transport. Able and the Rebels assaulted the ship's bridge, securing the ship and capturing the surviving crew. The remaining three transports were captured, providing vital supplies for the Alliance. Soon after, Jorin Sol's Imperial conditioning led to a devastating attack on the Rebel fleet, scattering the remaining ships throughout the galaxy. Able was aboard the Providence-class carrier/destroyer Rebel One, randomly jumping to evade pursuit.

A hyperdrive malfunction brought the ship to Bannistar Station, a key Imperial refueling station the Alliance had wanted to destroy for months. Rebel One was initially undetected, blending with traffic. Realizing this opportunity, the crew decided to destroy the station, knowing it might be a suicide mission. All civilians evacuated, while Able and a team led by Princess Leia Organa boarded a limpet ship for a stealth attack. A skeleton crew commanded by Tungo Li remained aboard Rebel One, bringing it close to the Imperial fleet and self-destructing it, creating an opening for Able and the Rebels to eject and use jetpacks to reach the station.

The team split up: Skywalker and Shan were to disable the station's cooling and fire-retardant systems, while Basso's team would destroy the communications array and capture an escape ship. Able accompanied Organa to damage a fuel tank, hoping to start a chain reaction. They used straps to scale the outer hull, setting detonators. However, they discovered the tank was empty, reducing the potential damage. As they tried to retrieve the detonators and move to another tank, stormtroopers attacked, threatening to cut their straps and let them fall. With no choice, Able and his companions surrendered and were taken to the Imperial control room, where they were tied to chairs. Skywalker and his men, except Shan, had also been captured, while Basso's team was presumed eliminated. In reality, Basso had survived and stolen an Imperial shuttle. Inside the control room, the station's commander, Arno D'Vox, planned to turn Skywalker and Organa over to Galactic Emperor Palpatine. Following D'Vox's orders, security chief Captain Rishyk left to find Shan.

Knowing the Imperials wouldn't be looking for Shan forever, and seeing the guards' attention elsewhere, Able softly told Organa his plan to get them out of there. He'd almost gotten free of his restraints and was going to free the Princess, so she could get Skywalker's lightsaber from the nearby console and attack the stormtroopers. Able also intended to seize D'Vox as a shield to protect the Rebels during their escape. But then, D'Vox grabbed the lightsaber himself and told Organa that she and Skywalker were about to be taken to Palpatine. Elsewhere, Shan managed to eliminate Rishyk and damage the fuel tanks. As the station began to explode, Able used the chaos to attack the nearest stormtroopers, and Skywalker reclaimed his lightsaber.

After strangling a stormtrooper and grabbing his blaster, Able single-handedly eliminated all the Imperials except for D'Vox, who was unarmed. Once he freed the other Rebels, Able raised his weapon to kill the commander, thinking he was too dangerous to leave alive. Organa stopped him, though, because killing an unarmed person was considered murder. While Able argued with her, D'Vox grabbed a blaster from a fallen stormtrooper and tried to kill Organa. Skywalker reacted instantly, however, and severed D'Vox's arms with his lightsaber. Organa's communication device then received a message from Basso, telling the Rebels to go to Platform 13-B, where he'd be waiting with the stolen Imperial shuttle. After Able and the others got on the shuttle, Skywalker and Organa decided to look for Shan, even though Imperial forces were coming because of D'Vox. They soon found Shan hanging from a cable attached to a damaged walkway. Able and Skywalker went onto the walkway, pulled Shan up, and brought her into the shuttle. Just then, the Rebel Dagger Squadron, made up of B-wing fighters, arrived. They'd been sent by Rebel command to find the survivors of Rebel One. With Dagger Squadron providing cover, Able and the Rebels escaped, leaving Bannistar Station burning and D'Vox alive but badly injured.

Later, Able joined a mission led by Skywalker to investigate a secret Imperial weapon on an abandoned moon. The Rebels didn't know that Darth Vader had set a trap, using captured spy Wyl Tarson to give the Alliance false information. Able, Basso, Shan, Skywalker, and Organa, along with other Alliance soldiers, boarded an Alliance shuttle and headed to the moon, escorted by the transport Millennium Falcon, piloted by former criminals Han Solo and Chewbacca. But when they landed on the moon, the Rebels only found crashed Imperial landing craft and no bodies. Shan and Able went to check the area; Able, noticing rocks falling from a ridge, decided to investigate, leaving Shan behind. When he climbed the ridge, he was attacked and overwhelmed by rakghouls, mindless and savage beasts who had once been Imperial soldiers. They'd been transformed by the ancient Jedi Master Celeste Morne using the Muur Talisman, an ancient Sith item created by the Sith Lord Karness Muur. Morne, controlled by Muur's spirit, wanted to find a way to leave the moon with her army of rakghouls.

Able survived the attack, but he broke his ankle, suffered a head injury, and lost consciousness. Meanwhile, surrounded by rakghouls, the surviving Rebels retreated to the Millennium Falcon, except for Able, Skywalker, and Organa. Skywalker fought Morne in a lightsaber battle inside a cave, while Organa felt he was in danger and went to help. When Able woke up, he saw Organa's silhouette disappear into the cave and followed her, determined to protect the Princess at all costs. Inside the cave, Able saw Morne about to kill Organa and opened fire on Morne to save the Princess. Angered by Able's attack, Morne used the Muur Talisman to transform the former clone trooper into a rakghoul. Sensing that Skywalker and Organa were strong with the Force, Muur's spirit let the Muur Talisman leave Morne and attach to Organa. Morne, however, no longer wanting to be a victim, decided to trap Muur and took back the Talisman. She left Skywalker and Organa in the cave and walked toward the abandoned Rebel shuttle, with Able following closely.

Morne, Able, and the other rakghouls boarded the shuttle and escaped the moon, destroying an Imperial Star Destroyer along the way, while Skywalker and Organa were rescued by the returning Millennium Falcon. Back with the Rebel fleet, Skywalker thought about Able's death and wondered if calling him "General" had been a prediction of his future. Five years later, Skywalker did become a general in the Special Forces of the New Republic, the Rebel Alliance's successor, but he resigned after the disastrous Battle of Mindor. With her rakghouls, Morne explored the galaxy, reappearing over a century later and helping Skywalker's descendant, Cade, defeat the current Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt.

Thanks to intense training on Kamino, Able was a skilled soldier who could survive alone on an empty planet. However, he didn't know about the changes that had happened while he was isolated until Narra told him everything. Able was upset by the news of the Jedi Order's destruction because, as a clone trooper, he was very loyal to the Jedi, who had led the Grand Army of the Republic as generals during the Clone Wars. Because of his loyalty, Able swore to serve Luke Skywalker after he said he was a Jedi General. Even after Skywalker admitted he'd lied, Able didn't hold it against him and was willing to serve the Jedi, whom he kept calling "General" out of habit, despite Skywalker's protests. Able's skills helped him single-handedly take out an Imperial shuttle, allowing the Rebels to escape the planet that had become his home.

Like all clone troopers, Able was 1.83 meters tall. He had fair skin and brown eyes. His hair turned gray during his exile, but he later colored it black. During the mission to Kalist VI, he thought rescuing the Jabiimi slaves would make the mission harder and that the Alliance didn't need more people to feed. So, Able tried to warn Basso against it, but Basso explained that the Empire had killed his own people, Able began to understand his desire not to allow any more civilians to suffer. When Able and the Rebels found a blocked door after rescuing Sol, he became pessimistic and thought their mission was over, until Basso decided to move to Skywalker's location instead. Able also had a sense of humor, often joking with Basso. While held captive on Bannistar Station, he quickly came up with an escape plan, which involved taking D'Vox hostage, though he worried he might "accidentally" kill the Imperial.

On Bannistar Station, Able showed his skill in martial arts and shooting, quickly defeating the stormtroopers guarding him and the Rebels. When Able finally broke free, he wanted to shoot D'Vox, believing he was too dangerous to leave alive, but Leia Organa stopped him. When Skywalker disarmed D'Vox, Able thought the matter was settled. Able felt out of place during the Rebellion, like a "ghost of the past," and felt more connected to the Clone Wars era. Because of the clones' accelerated growth, Able was quite old by his last mission—considered unusually long-lived for a clone by the Empire—and he felt his age was catching up to him, making him more of a burden than a help to his friends, though he was afraid to admit it. He also felt bad for being harsh to Deena Shan, who only wanted to help the Rebellion. After joining the Alliance, Able was very loyal to his comrades, especially Organa, and his attempt to rescue her led to his transformation into a rakghoul.

Able first appeared in Star Wars: Empire: "General" Skywalker, a 2004 story arc in issues twenty-six and twenty-seven of the Star Wars: Empire comic series. The comics were written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Adriana Melo and Nicola Scott. Able then appeared in four of the five issues of The Wrong Side of the War story arc, written by Welles Hartley and illustrated by Davidé Fabbri. When the Star Wars: Empire storyline continued in Star Wars: Rebellion in 2006, Able continued to appear, briefly in issues zero—penciled by Michel Lacombe—and two, with art by Brandon Badeaux. Able later played a big role in the Small Victories story arc, written by Jeremy Barlow and illustrated by Colin Wilson. His last appearance was in the two-issue Rebellion part of the 2008 Star Wars: Vector crossover event, where Able was turned into a rakghoul. In his final appearance, Able was illustrated by Dustin Weaver.

Able is known for having several different names. In his first appearance, Able was called "Able-1707," which was also used for his Databank entry on StarWars.com and in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. However, the Databank also called Able "unit A-1707" and said that "Able" was a personal name the trooper adopted, not just a shortened version of his designation. The Hyperspace-exclusive article Underworld Appendix: Swoops, Spice, and Wretched Rogues, by Abel G. Peña and Ryan Kaufman, identified him as "CT-1707." Finally, Rebellion 15 called the trooper "BL-1707." This article uses the latter name as the title but assumes all his designations are interchangeable.

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