Airen Cracken

Even prior to the formal establishment of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Airen Cracken, a human, had already distinguished himself as a dedicated freedom fighter. He spearheaded the planetary militia that liberated his homeworld from the oppressive rule of the Galactic Empire. This achievement led to his rapid advancement to the position of general within the Alliance Military.

By the time the Battle of Scarif occurred, Cracken was serving as the Chief of Rebel Intelligence. Cracken personally oversaw the establishment of spy networks across the Outer Rim. Consequently, Davits Draven, one of his trusted field operatives, represented Rebel Intelligence on the rebel council. Even while occupied with other duties, he still assembled a dossier on Operation Fracture at the request of Mon Mothma.

After the Battle of Yavin, while fulfilling his duties as Head of Security and Intelligence, Cracken hesitated to enlist the smuggler Han Solo for a mission to rescue three Rebel spies in danger of being captured by the Empire. Princess Leia Organa ultimately persuaded him, emphasizing their dwindling options and the urgency of the situation.

Following their victory over the Empire at Yavin, the Rebels were compelled to abandon their headquarters located on Yavin 4. Protecting Senator Mon Mothma, the Alliance's Chief-of-State, became a top priority for Intelligence. At some point, Chief Cracken reasoned that assassinating Emperor Palpatine could bring a swift end to the war. However, prior attempts had failed because of the Emperor's ability to sense intentions through the Force. As a result, Cracken believed it was necessary to create a superweapon capable of firing from a great distance, making detection impossible. After Imperial propaganda revealed that the rogue archaeologist Chelli Aphra possessed the ancient lightsaber/sniper rifle known as "the Farkiller," Cracken dispatched Extraction Team Misericorde to retrieve both Aphra and the artifact, and bring them to the Trading Post Sh'ung-tesk. There, the Chief of Intelligence sought to enlist the archaeologist in the Alliance's cause. He explained that the Rebels could create a high-energy superweapon by reverse-engineering the Farkiller, giving them the ability to destroy the Imperial Palace from afar.

In 4 ABY, the Alliance received intelligence from Bothan operatives indicating that the Empire was constructing a second Death Star in orbit around Endor. As Chief of Intelligence, Cracken was among the first to be informed, along with Chancellor Mothma and Admiral Gial Ackbar. He attended the emergency summit on Zastiga, where the Chancellor revealed the existence of the new superweapon to the Alliance's leadership. While General Crix Madine suggested they could destroy the new Death Star as they had the first, Cracken noted that the Empire had likely addressed the vulnerability that had been exploited at Yavin.

Following a night of deliberation, the Rebel leaders reconvened. They concluded that the second Death Star's main reactor was vulnerable due to its incomplete state. Therefore, if the station's deflector shield could be disabled, destruction would be possible. Princess Leia Organa proposed a plan to divert the Empire's attention to the Corva sector, allowing the Alliance Fleet to gather over Sullust and launch an assault on the Death Star. Despite Chancellor Mothma's concerns, Cracken quickly recognized the plan's merits, and his support swayed the decision in Organa's favor. Before the meeting concluded, the Chief of Intelligence inquired about Organa's choices for "Operation Yellow Moon," and he assigned Kidi Aleri as the team's communications specialist. To ensure the Empire was deceived, Cracken instructed his agents to spread rumors about their mission through various communication networks.

Despite incurring losses, Operation Yellow Moon ultimately succeeded, enabling the Battle of Endor to commence. As agreed upon on Zastiga, the Rebels launched a two-pronged attack: a strike team would disable the battle station's shield generator on Endor, while a squadron of fighters would target the Death Star's exposed reactor. Chief Cracken participated in the fighter assault, serving aboard the Millennium Falcon with Lieutenant Blount. Initially positioned in the ship's cockpit with pilot General Lando Calrissian, co-pilot Nien Nunb, and a navigator, they later manned the ship's quad turrets as gunners. The Rebels successfully destroyed the second Death Star, and Emperor Palpatine was finally defeated. The Alliance reorganized into the New Republic, and Cracken assumed command of the New Republic Intelligence.

Just a few weeks after the New Republic's formation, Agent Caern Adan met with Cracken to discuss the mission to eliminate the lethal force of TIE fighters known as Shadow Wing. The meeting was brief, as Cracken emphasized that Shadow Wing was a lower priority for the provisional government.

Within Star Wars Legends continuity, the character Airen Cracken was conceived for the 1991 sourcebook Cracken's Rebel Field Guide. A Rebel aboard the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, played by [Michael Stevens](/article/michael_stevens] who was unnamed, was later integrated with that character. Current Star Wars continuity has maintained the identity of General Cracken for that Rebel from Jedi.

The 2018 reference book Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition indicates that Cracken was a spy and colonel who conducted missions for General Crix Madine's Rebel Commandos before being promoted to general and Chief of Rebel Intelligence. This contradicts sources such as Star Wars: The Rebel Files, which establish that Cracken was already a general and Chief from the Alliance's early days.