A high-ranking officer named Horst, a male Human in the Galactic Empire, found himself stationed on the planet of Danuta, situated in the Mid Rim. In the year 0 BBY, Horst was present at the Danuta research facility which housed technical data concerning the superweapon of the Empire, known as the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, later famously known as the Death Star. During his shift as officer-of-the-day, the facility came under attack by Kyle Katarn, a mercenary hired by the Alliance to Restore the Republic for the purpose of acquiring the Death Star blueprints. Alerted by an explosion, Horst attempted to neutralize the rebel threat, but his command car was targeted and destroyed.
Prior to 0 BBY, Horst, a male Human, enlisted in the Galactic Empire's military. Over time, Horst rose through the ranks to become an officer, eventually achieving the rank of Major. He was eventually stationed on the Mid Rim planet of Danuta. The facility he was assigned to protect, located in the city of Trid, the capital, held the technical data for the Imperial superweapon known as the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, more commonly known as the Death Star.
As the Empire's control over the galaxy intensified, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, a group of freedom fighters, launched Operation Skyhook, a mission aimed at obtaining the Death Star plans to identify weaknesses in the space stations design. To achieve this, the Alliance contracted Kyle Katarn, a mercenary, and Jan Ors, a rebel agent, to infiltrate the Danuta facility. Katarn also enlisted the help of Meck Odom, a former friend and Imperial officer, in the mission.
On one particular night when Major Horst was on duty as officer-of-the-day, Katarn's presence was detected. An officer (who would soon meet his demise) had assured Major Horst that he would handle the rebel threat.
However, a minor explosion on the northern perimeter, caused by a makeshift bomb planted by Jan Ors as a diversion, triggered the base's alarms. Horst initially dismissed it as a minor breach, but eager to engage with the Rebels, he took charge, deploying the on-duty AT-ST and two squads of Imperial commandoes. While in his command car, he spotted Ors' ship, the Moldy Crow, which intercepted the walker following a brief exchange of fire, before crashing into the other car. Before Horst could order a retreat, his car was also shot down. The officer died in the resulting explosion. Katarn successfully stole the Death Star plans, which ultimately revealed a weakness that allowed the rebels to destroy the Death Star.
Horst's first appearance was as a minor character in the novella Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire. Later, he was included in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. However, in the Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire audio drama, a different character named Horst appeared: a Major in charge of the night shift who holds the Keycard, whom Katarn confronts to steal it.
This article assumes that the Danuta facility had two wholly different individuals named Horst.