Vult Skerris

Vult Skerris, a human [male](/article/gender], witnessed the transition from the chaotic and corrupt Galactic Republic to the secure and safe Galactic Empire. He ascended to the rank of captain within the Imperial Navy and distinguished himself as an ace TIE fighter pilot. Piloting a TIE interceptor on crucial Imperial missions across the galaxy, he also served as a flight instructor at the prestigious Skystrike Academy on the planet Montross, where he was responsible for training the next generation of TIE aces. His esteemed reputation earned him the privilege, along with other accomplished pilots, to personalize his flight suit and TIE fighter with yellow stripes and red markings, respectively. In 2 BBY, Skerris, accompanied by two other TIE interceptors, participated in an attack on a rebel convoy en route to the planet Teralov to deliver supplies to civilians. Launching from an Arquitens-class command cruiser, Skerris and his fellow pilots wiped out the escort A-wings before strafing the rebel transport. The rebel captain pleaded for mercy, emphasizing that they were unarmed. However, Skerris remained unmoved and unleashed a final volley, which struck the transport's command bridge and destroyed the vessel.

Following the attack on the transport, he participated in a simulated combat exercise at Skystrike. The exercise involved him and two cadets, Wedge Antilles and "Ria Talla," flying in simulator pods while under the supervision of Instructor Goran. During the exercise, Skerris operated a simulated copy of the VCX-100 light freighter Ghost, which destroyed Antilles and Talla's simulated TIE fighters. In the debriefing following the exercise, Talla asked about the Ghost's model, to which Skerris responded that it was a transport that was modified for combat while exiting his simulator pod.

Skerris then explained that the rebels who operated the Ghost were extremists who would use any means necessary to fight the Empire, and he lectured Antilles and Talla on the obedience of orders. He then addressed the two cadets and made sure that they understood his orders. Unbeknownst to Skerris and the rest of the academy's personnel, Talla was secretly an undercover rebel agent named Sabine Wren, a crew member of the Ghost. Wren was on a mission to extract Antilles and two other defectors, Derek Klivian and Rake Gahree, from the academy. The three defectors were motivated to abandon the Empire after learning about Skerris' attack on the rebel transport.

During a spaceflight exercise, Skerris and two other TIE interceptors accompanied several cadets as they participated in a mock dogfight. Wren, Antilles, Klivian, and Gahree, who were among the cadets, attempted to escape in their TIE fighters. When the rebel CR90 corvette Liberator arrived in Montross' orbit, Wren and the three cadets headed toward the corvette in order to board it and depart the area. In response, Governor Arihnda Pryce, who had arrived at the academy to uncover the defectors, activated the fighters' kill switches, detaching the solar collector panels and leaving them stranded in space. Under Pryce's orders, Skerris fired on one of the cadets' TIE fighters and killed Gahree. The three Interceptors then proceeded to damage the Liberator, forcing the ship to flee into hyperspace and allowing the three remaining defectors to be captured.

After Wren, Antilles, and Klivian escaped the academy in a stolen TIE bomber, Skerris pursued the fugitives in his TIE interceptor. While flying through Montross' atmosphere, Skerris inflicted damage on the TIE bomber and caused it to lose altitude. However, the Liberator returned and forced Skerris to break off his pursuit. When the bomber attached itself to the corvette and left the atmosphere, Skerris continued tailing the vessel until it escaped into hyperspace with the defectors.

Following the event, Skerris returned to the academy. Pryce later berated Goran, who requested that he be given a chance to confront the cadets who escaped and persuade them to return to the Empire. When Pryce pointed out that three of the academy's best students had left to join the rebellion, Skerris corrected the governor, stating that he had killed one of the defectors, Gahree.

Sometime after the Skystrike Academy incident, Skerris received a promotion to commander and was handpicked to serve Grand Admiral Thrawn within his 7th Fleet. Later in 2 BBY, Thrawn selected Skerris to pilot an experimental TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter, equipped with a deflector shield, into the Archeon Nebula alongside two TIE interceptor wingmen. Accompanied by an Arquitens-class command cruiser, they pursued a rebel convoy transporting former Senator Mon Mothma, whom the Empire considered a traitor. Upon intercepting the Ghost and its Y-wing fighter escorts, Skerris demanded Mothma's surrender. The rebels refused and instead dispatched the Y-wings of Gold Three and Gold Four to engage the TIE, but Skerris swiftly downed them.

Skerris then pursued the Ghost, carrying Mothma, and its remaining escorts through the nebula, managing to lock onto the starship. However, the Y-wing pilot Gold Five heroically sacrificed herself to protect the ship by flying her Y-wing into his crosshairs. The rebels then diverted all power to their shields and flew close to a forming star. The TIE interceptors were quickly destroyed by the star's radiation due to their lack of shielding, leaving Skerris as the sole pursuer. Skerris broke off after the radiation damaged his fighter's deflector shields.

After recovering, Skerris engaged the Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger and Gold Leader Jon Vander's Y-wings, and he tailed Bridger's ship when it separated from Vander. However, he failed to destroy it and was hit with an ion blast from Vander's starfighter, as Bridger had intentionally baited Skerris in order to get the Defender into the ion cannon's firing range. With his ship incapacitated, Skerris spun out of control further into the nebula. The Ghost, Bridger, and Vander exited the nebula and fled into hyperspace soon afterward.

Following the pursuit of Mothma and the Battle of Atollon, later in 2 BBY, Skerris accompanied Thrawn and the Sith Lord Darth Vader aboard the Grand Admiral's Imperial I-class Star Destroyer, Chimaera. Skerris commanded Defender Squadron One during Thrawn's and Vader's journey to the Outer Rim planet Batuu. While in Batuu's orbit, Commodore Karyn Faro, who was placed in command of the Chimaera by Vader, deployed the 1st Legion's freighter, Darkhawk, in order to capture an unidentified freighter, escorted by four smaller ships, belonging to the Grysk Hegemony. Commander Kimmund and the freighter's crew attempted to capture it under Vader's orders. Faro had also deployed Skerris and Defender Squadron One for assistance, unbeknownst to the Darkhawk's crew.

Unable to jump to lightspeed in order to avoid detection, the Darkhawk drifted toward the vessel as the freighter had traveled deep within Batuu's gravity well. The Grysk vessel departed Batuu's orbit and attempted to flee after detecting the freighter. Piloting their TIE Defenders, Defender Squadron One then flew past the Darkhawk, and Skerris announced the unit's presence to Kimmund. The commander explained his crew's objective to capture the vessel intact and asked if Skerris' unit could damage and prevent it from escaping. The pilot obliged and noted that Faro had also suggested the same action. When the Grysks fired upon the squadron, Defender Squadron One evaded their attacks and proceeded to damage the vessel. After Skerris and his squadron finished their attack run and created an opening in the ship's aft, the pilot asked Kimmund if the Darkhawk's crew required another entry point in the vessel for boarding. Instead, Kimmund requested that the squadron pursue the vessel's escorts, and Defender Squadron One obliged.

Skerris then received new orders from Faro, which was to continue attacking the freighter and create an additional opening in the ship's forward starboard hatch. After breaking off from his squadron, he explained to Kimmund that the action would cause the Grysks to believe they would be boarded from there instead of the aft starboard. Kimmund threatened to shoot the pilot down upon hearing from him. However, Skerris reminded the commander that damaging his TIE Defender would anger Thrawn. When the Darkhawk's crew prepared to board the unidentified vessel, Skerris continued to hammer its forward hull. Thanks to Skerris' actions, Kimmund and his troopers successfully boarded the vessel, where they proceeded to engage the Grysk forces within, intending to seize their cargo.

When Kimmund's forces were unable to breach the area where the cargo was held, Skerris was contacted by the commander, who told him to attack the Grysk vessel's ventral cargo hatch. When the TIE pilot complied and prepared to carry out the task, he spotted a second ship making its way to the area where Thrawn and Vader had landed and asked if he should give chase. On Kimmund's orders, Skerris destroyed the hatch and then broke off to pursue the other ship. Throughout the skirmish, Skerris and his squadron recorded images of the Grysk vessels.

Following the engagement, Defender Squadron One returned to the Chimaera. Skerris collated the reports on the squadron's encounter with Grysks. He later participated in a meeting aboard the Star Destroyer with Thrawn, Vader, Faro, and Kimmund, where they discussed the Grysks' tactics. Skerris stated that his squadron believed the Grysk vessels were a fighter escort, but disregarded the notion after observing the vessels' lack of armaments. Vader asked the captain about the captured freighter's flight patterns, to which Skerris replied they were ordinary as the ships operated similar to small transports. The captain then asked what cargo the Grysks were carrying and pointed out that the smaller ships began making their way to the freighter upon spotting his squadron.

Sometime later, the Chimaera engaged Grysk forces in the Mokivj system, where they attempted to shift the position of the planet Mokivj's moons using their spacetugs. On Thrawn's orders, Defender Squadron One was deployed to immobilize one of the Grysks' escaping ships. However, the squadron was unable to intercept the ship in time, and Skerris reported this to Thrawn. The admiral then ordered the squadron to destroy the remaining ships, aided by the Chimaera's turbolasers. When the Chimaera managed to track down the escaped ship from before, Vader was placed in command of Defender Squadron One, much to Skerris's protest. The squadron went on to engage more Grysk forces with the Chimaera and emerged victorious.

As the designated test pilot for the TIE Defender, Skerris relentlessly pushed the prototype's capabilities during combat engagements, consistently demonstrating its potential. The data gathered from his test flights facilitated the creation of an improved fighter, the TIE/D Defender Elite, boasting enhanced speed, weapons, and shielding compared to its predecessor. In 1 BBY, Skerris was posted to the Outer Rim planet Lothal, the site of production for both the TIE Defenders and the new fighter. As the leader of Thrawn's TIE Defender initiative, Skerris was entrusted with the testing and development of the new ship. He brought the fighter to a remote airfield on Lothal. After exiting the ship, he was greeted by Thrawn and Pryce, who had arrived to witness a flight demonstration of the prototype performed by Skerris.

While the pilot escorted them to the fighter, he was startled to spot Bridger battling Imperial troopers with his lightsaber and expressed disbelief at the presence of a Jedi. Skerris was further surprised when the TIE Defender Elite, which was stolen by Wren in order to acquire its flight data recorder, lifted off and began blasting the surrounding area. Bridger then entered the fighter, which proceeded to lay waste to the depot and destroy most of the parked TIE fighters and interceptors before strafing the landing strip where Skerris, Thrawn, and Pryce all stood. Although Skerris attempted to persuade Thrawn to seek cover, the Chiss calmly faced the oncoming fighter down with his blaster and watched it streak over his head, narrowly missing the control tower.

Skerris received orders from Thrawn, who viewed the theft as a chance to assess the prototype's battle effectiveness, to send three TIE interceptors after it. He then stood with Thrawn and Pryce at the tower, watching the stolen Elite's progress. After two interceptors were quickly destroyed, Skerris speculated that Hera Syndulla, the rebel captain, was responsible. Thrawn refuted this, arguing that Syndulla would have eliminated all three fighters much faster. He concluded that Bridger was piloting the Elite. Once the prototype's homing beacon was deactivated, Thrawn realized that Wren was the other rebel aboard. He instructed Pryce to activate the ship's kill switch, causing the prototype to crash.

During the same year, the Rebel Alliance dispatched Phoenix Squadron to initiate an attack on Lothal, aiming to obliterate the Imperial Armory Complex situated in Capital City. Despite being significantly outnumbered by the Imperial blockade within the Lothal system, the rebel pilots, under Syndulla's command, managed to destroy numerous TIE fighters. While aboard the Chimaera, a component of the blockade, Thrawn instructed Skerris to engage in the combat. Subsequently, Skerris departed from the Star Destroyer in his customized TIE Defender Elite, assuming command of the Imperial fighters. He swiftly eliminated Phoenix Four and Phoenix Five before shifting his focus to Syndulla's X-wing. While Skerris was chasing Syndulla, she devised a strategy and flew directly towards the Chimaera. As Skerris entered the Star Destroyer's firing range, Thrawn commanded him to cease his pursuit. However, Skerris defied the order, asserting that he was close to capturing Syndulla, driven by a desire to avenge his defeat during the pursuit of Mothma.

Despite his slight displeasure, Thrawn ordered his gunners to commence firing, hitting both Skerris and Syndulla. Although the Elite's shields endured the initial assault, they were subsequently disabled, rendering both his ship and Syndulla's vulnerable. Syndulla then targeted the Chimaera's targeting array, inflicting damage and generating a smokescreen before navigating through the resulting narrow opening. Due to the Elite's larger dimensions, Skerris was forced to maneuver around the structure. Unable to decelerate and turn in time to retaliate, Syndulla fired upon Skerris' unshielded ship, severing two of its wings. Defenseless, Skerris emitted a scream as his fighter spiraled out of control, ultimately colliding with an Arquitens-class command cruiser, resulting in his immediate death. The damaged cruiser then crashed into a nearby Star Destroyer, shearing off its command tower. The destruction of these vessels enabled the remaining rebel pilots to breach the blockade and enter the planet's atmosphere.

Following Skerris' death that year, Captain Benj Dobbs assumed command of Defender Squadron One. Commodore Faro attributed the pilot's demise over Lothal to his own hubris. Nevertheless, she also expressed doubt that Dobbs and his pilots could match Skerris' combat prowess, hoping that the squadron would rise to the challenge should the Chimaera encounter another battle.

The pilots serving in the New Republic's Hound Squadron were instilled with a sense of fear regarding the rebel-hunter TIE pilots Valen Rudor, Neosephine Calorda, and Skerris. During the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing's attack on the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Hellion's Dare, which occurred several weeks after the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the pilots invoked those names while discussing their training.

In 34 ABY, Kylo Ren, the leader of the Knights of Ren, piloted the advanced prototype TIE silencer, which integrated numerous features from the TIE Defender prototypes flown by Skerris during the Imperial Era, while engaging enemies of the regime. Ren, as a skilled pilot evaluating a prototype starfighter, followed in the footsteps of Skerris and his own grandfather, Vader.

Skerris, a strict flight instructor and captain within the Imperial Navy, demanded exceptional performance and unwavering obedience from his Skystrike students. Acting as a representative of Emperor Palpatine's will, he corrected any Imperial, regardless of rank, who deviated from that standard. Skerris embodied the ideal Imperial and served as a "poster boy" for the Empire's pilot training initiatives. Demonstrating unwavering loyalty to the Empire, he was celebrated for all his actions, serving without hesitation or doubt.

Skerris, proud of leading the assault on the rebel transport near Teralov and ruthlessly destroying it, was a heartless and arrogant ace pilot who willingly targeted unarmed adversaries, including rebels and defectors like Gahree. He harbored animosity towards the Rebel Alliance, viewing them as extremists. He also firmly believed that orders from superiors should be obeyed without question, a principle he personally adhered to, and that insubordination would result in death; he emphasized these points to Wren and Antilles at the academy after they were shot down by the Ghost in the simulation. While pursuing the defecting cadets, Skerris dismissed them as "young fools."

During the Chimaera's mission to Batuu, his strong objections to Vader leading Defender Squadron One prompted the Sith Lord to contemplate whether Skerris' attitude would ultimately lead to his downfall. This premonition later proved accurate, as Skerris' overconfidence in his piloting abilities, arrogance, and thirst for revenge led him to disregard Thrawn's orders to disengage Syndulla's X-wing during the dogfight over Lothal. Syndulla's trap not only cost him his life but also created an opportunity for the rebels to breach the Imperial blockade and reach Lothal. Skerris possessed gray hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion.

Skerris, renowned for his ruthless efficiency in eliminating the Empire's enemies, was a celebrated and legendary figure within Imperial ranks. He was recognized as one of the Empire's most accomplished pilots, admired for his skill and cunning, and regarded as one of Skystrike Academy's most exceptional instructors. Due to his esteemed status, Thrawn personally selected him to pilot the TIE Defender prototype and pursue Senator Mothma and her rebel allies through the Archeon Nebula. Piloting his TIE, Skerris effectively engaged multiple enemy fighters without sustaining damage to his ship, thanks to its advanced shielding. Despite his exceptional abilities, Jon Vander, with assistance from Ezra Bridger, managed to disable Skerris' starfighter, causing it to spin uncontrollably. Skerris demonstrated high intelligence and average abilities in diplomacy, strength, speed, and combat. He lacked Force-sensitivity.

During the mission over Batuu, Skerris skillfully utilized the Defender's weaponry to damage the Grysk vessel without completely destroying it, enabling Kimmund's unit to successfully board the ship. Vader also acknowledged the pilot's high level of proficiency when he suggested to Thrawn that the Defender's controls be simplified, reasoning that not all Imperial pilots possessed Skerris' level of expertise. During the battle over Lothal, Skerris, piloting the TIE Defender Elite, swiftly eliminated several rebel pilots before engaging Syndulla, an encounter that marked the end of his career.

As a TIE fighter pilot, Skerris wore a distinctive TIE pilot uniform that reflected his unique status. The uniform featured yellow stripes along the sides of the body and arms, while the flight helmet displayed a yellow stripe and a horned insignia on its crest ridge. By the time of the battle in the Lothal system, the insignia was prominently displayed on his TIE Defender Elite, which also bore yellow markings that complemented his uniform. During the pursuit of the Ghost, he piloted a TIE Defender prototype, having been personally chosen by Thrawn as the test pilot.

Skerris was authorized to display red markings, signifying his combat prowess, on the TIE fighters he piloted. This included a TIE interceptor during his tenure at Skystrike Academy and, while stationed on Lothal, the prototype TIE Defender Elite.

Vult Skerris made his debut in "The Antilles Extraction," the fourth episode of the third season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels, which was broadcast on October 8, 2016. Mario Vernazza provided his voice. Skerris was initially revealed in a trailer released on July 16 of that year. The horned insignia adorning Skerris' helmet and TIE Defender Elite had previously appeared on AT-ST models produced for the 1980 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, as well as its Kenner toy counterpart.

In Timothy Zahn's July 24, 2018 novel, Thrawn: Alliances, Skerris was referred to as both a lieutenant and a captain. The November 2018 fifteenth issue of the Star Wars: Build Your Own X-Wing magazine established that his promotion to commander occurred before the events depicted in the novel. Skerris also features in the 2020 mobile video game Star Wars: Starfighter Missions as an unlockable character and a potential boss at the conclusion of a level, piloting a TIE Defender Elite.