Carida Academy

Perched high in the mountains of Carida, a planet within the Colonies' Carida system, stood the Carida Academy, a combined military school and university. The Academy of Carida, which once served as a training facility for the Galactic Republic's army, educated its students in both the art of war and diplomatic practices. It also housed a department dedicated to hyperspace theory and philosophy.

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, the Carida Academy functioned as a specialized academy, providing officer instruction to Imperial cadets that exceeded basic-level academies such as the Academy for Young Imperials on the Outer Rim Territories planet of Lothal. Furthermore, it operated as the Imperial Naval Academy, offering training to cadets enlisting in the Imperial Navy to become Imperial Starfighter Pilots. Cadets were regarded as Imperial property, with the expectation that they would either graduate as skilled military personnel or perish during training.

Upon entering the Imperial Naval Academy, droids would delouse and cut the cadets' hair, confiscate their civilian clothes, and outfit them in white Imperial cadet uniforms paired with black boots. Cadets were addressed by their designated number instead of their names. Subsequently, they underwent basic training under the supervision of a training officer, which involved a series of ground exercises designed to weed out cadets, including an endurance course in Imperial Army trooper uniforms. Those who successfully completed the training regained their names, and a selection process determined who would advance to flight training.

The next phase of training involved more specialized exercises, such as underwater training with seatrooper equipment and parachuting. Cadets also received instruction on Imperial starfighters before entering the cockpits of TIE fighters and maneuvering through obstacle courses that included turbolaser cannons. One exercise required cadets to work in pairs to destroy a shielded cannon. Deflector shield generator domes were also used as practice targets. Another exercise involved traversing open space or serving on larger vessels, such as Quasar Fire-class cruiser carriers, as a form of discipline. Throughout this period, cadets were ranked based on their piloting abilities and academic performance, which were displayed on class leaderboards.

In the subsequent training stage, cadets were deployed into actual combat scenarios as part of their own squadrons. Carida Squadron and Onyx Squadron were academy squadrons primarily composed of cadets. Disciplinary measures included confinement to the brig or being assigned to soup preparation duties. More severe offenses, such as insubordination, could lead to dismissal from the Academy and reassignment to other Imperial military branches.

The Carida Academy was built along the edge of a cliff, featuring a number of landing pads that protruded from the cliff's face. The Academy's facilities included an assembly area, a brig for detaining unruly cadets, a landing strip for TIE fighters, a mess hall, and barracks. Stormtroopers and Imperial Navy troopers provided security for the Academy.

In the early years of the Galactic Republic, the Carida Academy functioned as a training camp, providing instruction to a significant portion of the Republic army. During the High Republic Era, it educated students in the arts of warfare and conflict resolution. Given the relative peace of the galaxy at that time, most students hailed from worlds experiencing conflict. Professor Thaddeus Wolk, a Gungan physicist specializing in theoretical hyperspace, headed the university's hyperspace theory and philosophy department. Around 255 BBY, Wilson, a human, and Lalutin, a Selkath, held the rank of senior cadet at the Carida military academy.

Chancey Yarrow, a doctoral candidate at the Carida Academy, was researching the use of artificial gravity wells to extract starships from hyperspace, a topic deemed absurd by her faculty and peers. To satisfy the Academy's requirements, Yarrow feigned a change in topic while secretly continuing her gravity well research. Upon discovering her misconduct, she was expelled. Yarrow then sold her skills and knowledge to the Nihil marauders and the Graf family.

Around the same time, Lourna Dee, a Twi'lek, enrolled in the Carida Military Academy under the name of her deceased brother, Inun, after being freed from a Zygerrian camp by Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis and his Padawan, Dal Azim. Dee ultimately fled the academy after engaging in a severe altercation with two older cadets who had been harassing her, seriously injuring them before escaping in a stolen starfighter, and subsequently becoming a mercenary.

During the later years of the Republic, Kendal Ozzel, the son of a wealthy Carida family, attended Carida Academy, in addition to several schools in the Core Worlds. After becoming an officer in the Republic Military, Ozzel's superiors assigned him as a teacher at Carida Academy because of his limitations in leading field missions. The Confederacy of Independent Systems was founded in 24 BBY to oppose the Republic, triggering the Separatist Crisis. Amidst the political turmoil, the Military Creation Act was proposed in the Republic's Galactic Senate. The Carida government supported the bill and contributed over two million credits to the campaign in support of it, benefiting the Carida Military Academy.

The Separatist Crisis culminated in the Clone Wars in 22 BBY. Amidst the chaos of the war, Ozzel entered active service. At some point during the conflict, an anti-military_protest_at_the_carida_academy against the Republic's increasing militarization took place at the Carida Academy. Cassian Andor's father was killed during this protest.

In 19 BBY, the Republic was replaced by the Empire at the conclusion of the Clone Wars, and the Empire continued to utilize Carida Academy as a training center for Imperial officers and naval personnel, including pilots. Niles Gavla and Danith Nodar were graduates of the Imperial Academy. Captain Tabor Seitaron, a veteran of both the Republic and Empire's navies, taught military history at Carida Academy after retiring from active duty by 14 BBY. In his classes, he tended to penalize students who regurgitated the official historical narrative promoted by the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order instead of what he believed actually occurred, including Tian Karmiya. Karmiya was rumored to have reported two higher-performing cadets for selling answers, resulting in their expulsion and her advancement.

In 14 BBY, a rebel cell led by Berch Teller launched a campaign against Imperial installations with the assistance of an informant within the Empire, Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, utilizing Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin's stolen starship, the Carrion Spike. However, they misled Rancit into believing that they intended to attack the Carida Academy with the Carrion Spike. Consequently, the Academy and Carida were placed on high alert, and Imperial forces were deployed to defend the Academy. Rancit intended to destroy the Carrion Spike and the insurgents to conceal his involvement in aiding them. However, the Sith Lord Darth Vader exposed him, seized control of Rancit's Secutor-class Star Destroyer, and executed the Vice Admiral. The Carrion Spike was subsequently recovered.

To escape his homeworld of Corellia, the criminal Han Solo enlisted in the Imperial Navy in 13 BBY, becoming an Imperial cadet at the Carida Academy. His class included Beilert Valance from Chorin, the twins Lyttan and Tamu Dree from Boiyuh, Kanina Nico from the Huru system, and Jarwen. Solo frequently clashed with his fellow cadets during basic training, particularly Valance, as well as his training officer, Sergeant Triosa Broog.

Solo eventually attempted to desert in a TIE fighter. Although his escape was unsuccessful, he managed to outmaneuver all pursuing security except for Flight instructor Yurib Nakan. Solo was imprisoned, with termination being the standard punishment for desertion. However, Nakan recognized Solo's exceptional flying abilities and a rebellious streak that reminded him of himself. Solo, Valance, Nico, Jarwen, and the Drees continued into flight training, with Valance ranking at the top of their class. Despite initially being at the bottom of the leaderboard, Solo began to rise to second place through his performance in flight exercises alone.

During a paired pilot exercise, Jarwen was killed, and Solo saved Tamu's life, earning the respect of the Dree brothers. However, the cadets ultimately failed the exercise and were assigned to make soup for the entire academy. While Valance was reassigned earlier to TIE fighter training, Solo, Nico, and the Dree brothers were tasked with delivering the training squadron, including Valance, aboard Imperial Cruiser 07200823, a Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier. During the mission, the four visited a Pantolomin cruiser where Solo evaded the Ithorian criminal Pjolan, who was attempting to collect Lady Proxima's bounty on Solo.

As their training progressed, Solo and his fellow cadets were later assigned to Carida Squadron, which participated in the mission on Qhulosk on the planet Qhulosk. During the battle, Valance was shot down, leading Solo and his cadet companions to defy orders and embark on a mission behind enemy lines to rescue Valance. Despite saving Valance's life, Solo was imprisoned for insubordination. Meanwhile, Nico intentionally vanished during the rescue mission to return to her homeworld, and Tamu Dree was transferred to the medical branch, while his brother remained at Carida. Valance lost an eye and a leg and was informed that he was permanently grounded due to his failure during the battle. The Imperial Army was considered the most viable option for Valance, but he was determined to pursue a career in the Imperial Navy.

Solo remained at the Academy, and Valance began working to regain his flight status. One day, Captain Tarl Sokoli, the officer who inspired Valance to join the Empire, visited Carida Academy for a lecture. Valance rushed to attend, and Solo joined him, when they encountered Sokoli himself. Valance told the captain about how he was an inspiration, but Sokoli, having become disillusioned with the Empire's cause, apologized for inspiring the cadet and told him he would never fly again.

Solo and Lyttan Dree were eventually assigned to Onyx Squadron, under Onyx Leader Ubbel, for a mission flying TIE/rb heavy starfighters. During the mission, they engaged with raiders, and Solo disobeyed orders and broke formation to save Dree. As a result, Solo was tried under Commodore [Almudin], who expelled him from the Academy and reassigned him to the Imperial Army on Mimban. Dree successfully became a TIE pilot in the Imperial Navy, eventually joining the Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing.

In 5 BBY, Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko of the Academy for Young Imperials on Lothal described the Carida Academy and the Raithal Academy as potential destinations for Lothal cadets who had excelled in their training. During the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, Bansu Ro and Rac Syrmo were among a class of cadets being trained by Nakan. The pair were highly competitive and became the top-ranked in their class.

However, Ro's career prospects were diminished because his family had sided with the rebels, leading him to be assigned as a shuttle pilot. However, the Imperial Navy decided to commandeer the class for the war effort. The 204th had suffered two casualties, including Dree, and requested Ro and Syrmo as the top two in their class. The pair were informed of their immediate transfer following a training exercise in TIE fighters.

• Sergeant [16] / Training officer Triosa Broog [3]
• Flight instructor [14] Yurib Nakan [4]
• Teacher Kendal Ozzel [20]
• Captain Reese [18]
• Captain Tabor Seitaron [5]
• An instructor [18]
• Captain Nettic Whain [16]
• Professor Thaddeus Wolk [6]

• Lourna Dee (as Inun) [18]
• Lyttan Dree [3]
• Tamu Dree [3]
• Niles Gavla [2]
• Jarwen [4]
• Tian Karmiya [21]
• Lalutin [18]
• Kanina Nico [3]
• Danith Nodar [25]
• Kendal Ozzel [21]
• Han Solo [25]
• Rac Syrmo [13]
• Bansu Ro [13]
• Wilson [18]
• Beilert Valance [3]
• Chancey Yarrow [6]

The Carida Academy was initially referenced in Tarkin, a 2014 novel authored by James Luceno. Subsequently, it was identified in Battlefront: Twilight Company, a 2015 novel penned by Alexander Freed. The academy made its first appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition, a novel written by Mur Lafferty and published on September 4 2018 which served as an extended adaptation of Ron Howard's film Solo: A Star Wars Story, released earlier that year on May 25.

The Carida Academy was first visually depicted in Han Solo - Imperial Cadet 1, the first issue the Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet comic series, written by Robbie Thompson and published by Marvel Comics on November 7 of 2018. The comic issue identified it as the Imperial Naval Academy. The 2021 novel The High Republic: Out of the Shadows, written by Justina Ireland, introduced the name Academy of Carida, while the 2022 audio drama The High Republic: Tempest Runner, written by Cavan Scott, identified it was the Carida Military Academy.