Horst, a male Human, achieved the rank of major within the Galactic Empire during the time of 0 BBY. This officer was assigned to the Imperial installation on the planet of Danuta, situated in the Mid Rim. On Danuta was a research facility where the schematics for the Death Star, a massive Imperial superweapon, were stored. This facility was located in the city of Trid, the [capital](/article/capital/legends]. Horst possessed a red keycard that granted entry to the facility's lower levels; he was stationed at a small security and operations post built into a rock wall outside the facility. A stormtrooper and an Imperial commando accompanied the officer, and at least a pair of stormtroopers guarded the security station's turbolifts. The Rebel mercenary Kyle Katarn killed all of them during his raid on the facility.
Horst, a male Human, became a member of the Galactic Empire and, by the time of 0 BBY, had risen to the rank of Major within the officer corps. Stationed on the planet of Danuta, in the [Mid Rim](/article/mid_rim-legends], Horst served at an Imperial research facility in Trid, the [capital](/article/capital-legends] city. His primary duty was at a security and operations station embedded in a rock wall, just outside the main facility. Two turbolifts provided access to the station, which was guarded by a minimum of two Imperial stormtroopers.
Later that year, Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working with the nascent Rebel Alliance, infiltrated the facility. He was armed with only his Bryar pistol and the extensive knowledge of Imperial procedures gained from years of training at the Imperial Academy of Carida on Carida.
On that very night, Horst, while on duty, instructed the squad leader to signal the shift change, deploy the night watch probe droids, and record that he possessed the red keycard for the secure room in the facility's lower levels. This room contained the schematics for the Death Star, an Imperial superweapon. Assuming his duties for the night, he then ordered a standard security scan of all access ways and hatches. Shortly after, he was informed by the squad leader that the alarm system had been deactivated in sector S-2. Horst was preparing to contact the rapid response team and dispatch a squad of walkers when Lieutenant Meck Odom arrived. Odom explained that he had been performing remote tests on the door locks and had fallen behind schedule. Horst reprimanded the Lieutenant, noting that his watch had ended five minutes prior and that the false alarm would mobilize a squad of Imperial commandoes. Odom apologized and assured him it would not happen again. Unbeknownst to Horst, Meck was a friend of Katarn from the Academy, and his "mistake" was intentional, designed to facilitate Katarn's infiltration of the base.
Katarn successfully navigated the main facilities, but Horst dispatched his men, trapping him in the south corridor. However, Katarn managed to escape outside and then entered the security station. By this point, Horst was accompanied by a stormtrooper and an Imperial commando who was eating a doughnut. He was communicating with At One via radio, reporting that an intruder had been detected in the south corridor and that his men had him contained, while all other areas were clear. Claiming to have the situation under control, he declined backup, instead ordering walkers to patrol the south perimeter in anticipation of an incoming Rebel ship. At that moment, Katarn reached the security station, killing the unarmed commando and the stormtrooper, who was in the middle of ordering the agent to identify himself. Katarn held Horst at gunpoint, demanding the key. Horst, shocked and questioning the fate of his men, refused to comply. Instead, he drew his blaster pistol and was killed by the rebel in response. After a moment of surprise at the officer's defiance, Katarn retrieved the keycard and used it to access the facility's lower levels, eventually acquiring the schematics.
Horst was indoctrinated to serve the Empire and held rebels in contempt, viewing them as scum. He favored melee weapons, but relied on his accuracy with his blaster pistol. Horst was also quite stubborn; rather than surrendering the keycard to Katarn at gunpoint, he attempted to kill the intruder, a decision that proved fatal. He had light skin, brown hair, and a heavily scarred face.
Horst carried a blaster pistol, but despite his proficiency with the weapon, he was unable to prevent Kyle Katarn from killing him and stealing his keycard. He wore a brown uniform.
Horst's first appearance was in the 1994 video game Star Wars: Dark Forces. All officers shared the same appearance throughout the game, potentially making certain aspects of their appearance ambiguous. Denny Delk voiced all Imperial troopers in the game, although the Imperials were collectively credited as "Stormtrooper".
The officer also featured in the 1997 novella Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire by William C. Dietz. While the game's difficulty level affected the number of enemies in a level, the novella describes him being accompanied by a commando and a trooper who are killed after him. The officer remains unnamed, while a completely different character is named Horst. This article assumes these are two distinct characters with the same name.
In the audio drama based on the novella, the officer was named Horst and voiced by Gary Groomes. Unlike the game and novella, Horst appears alone in the operations room, communicating with a unit called At One, and engages in a brief dialogue with Katarn before being shot. While the game and novella depict Horst's room as accessible via an elevator, the audio drama suggests it is at the end of the "south corridor". This article combines elements from both sources, assuming that Kyle eliminated Horst's companions before interacting with him.