Murtag was a male Human enlisted man who saw action with the Republic Military's 301st Infantry during the Galactic Republic's renewed conflict with the re-established Sith Empire. Stationed on the planet of Hoth as part of a squad led by Sergeant Fideltin Rusk, Murtag participated with his unit in the retrieval of Imperial survey maps of the nearby Starship Graveyard area. This was done to support several Jedi Knights in their secret operation on Hoth. However, Imperial forces pursued the squad, leading to a desperate firefight in an abandoned outpost. Critically injured by the exploding probe droids deployed by the Imperials, Murtag became one of only two survivors of the engagement, along with Rusk, eventually escaping with assistance from the Jedi known as the Hero of Tython.
During the Cold War era between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, Murtag, a male Human, joined the ranks of the Republic Military. By 3642 BBY, he had attained the rank of private within the 301st Infantry, serving in a six-man squad commanded by the Chagrian Sergeant Fideltin Rusk on the ice planet of Hoth. As the renewed war with the Empire unfolded, the 301st Infantry received orders to assist two Jedi Knights—the Nautolan Leeha Narezz and the Jedi known as the Hero of Tython—in their secret mission to acquire schematics for the personal space station belonging to the Sith Emperor. Rusk's squad was assigned the task of securing Imperial survey maps detailing the nearby Starship Graveyard, a mission they successfully completed.
However, Imperial forces gave chase, forcing Murtag and his comrades to establish a defensive perimeter within an abandoned outpost situated in Crescent Canyon. Despite the Imperials deploying probe droids as suicide weapons—the droids would charge at the Republic troopers and detonate upon reaching close proximity—Rusk, Murtag, and their squad fought fiercely, managing to eliminate nearly all of their Imperial pursuers. Yet, the battle resulted in the deaths of four squad members, while Murtag sustained extensive third-degree burns and severe shrapnel injuries, leaving Rusk as the sole combat-capable member. Fortunately for the wounded soldier, the Hero of Tython, dispatched by Leeha Narezz with a companion to reinforce Rusk's quad, neutralized the remaining Imperials.
When the Knight arrived, Murtag was in a state of shock and injury. Despite this, his commanding officer instructed the private to regain his feet and prepare for an anticipated second wave of Imperial attackers. However, the Hero intervened, overruling Rusk and directing Murtag to seek cover, while the Knight, the Knight's companion, and Rusk engaged the Imperials. Following the engagement, the Chagrian officer escorted Murtag to the nearest medcenter, where the injured Human received medical attention for his wounds.
As a member of the 301st Infantry, Murtag's armor was adorned with the division's signature white and dark blue colors. He wore a white chestpiece and equipment over a black jumpsuit, along with dark blue shoulder pauldrons, blue-and-white gloves, and boots. In combat, Murtag wielded a standard-issue blaster rifle, having received training in its use as a soldier of the Republic.
Murtag's first appearance was in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts in 2011, during the Jedi Knight-class mission "Suicide Squads" on Hoth. Players can choose the light-side option of instructing Murtag to remain in place, ensuring his survival, or they can opt for the dark-side option of forcing him to fight, leading to his death. This article operates under the assumption that the player consistently chooses the moral light-side options as a Republic Jedi Knight character, thereby assuming Murtag's survival.