Cartha

Cartha was an Imperial TIE pilot who served in Black Eight Squadron by 3 BBY. He would later transfer into the Imperial 61st Squadron by 0 BBY, ultimately participating in the Battle of Yavin that year, where he was killed by the Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles.

Biography

Turr Phennir, Cartha's younger brother

Cartha was the older brother of Turr Phennir, a Human male who was born in the Valahari Provinces and raised by his stepfather Count Phennir, a renowned hunting pilot. By 3 BBY, Cartha became a TIE pilot in the Galactic Empire, flying fourth place in the Imperial Navy's Black Eight Squadron and attaining the nickname of "Chaser." That standard year, Black Eight Squadron bombed the planet Callos. Captain Juno Eclipse, who led Black Eight Squadron, was transferred out of the squadron after Callos's bombing. Eclipse recommended Cartha to replace her in leading the squadron, although that position instead went to the pilot Redline.

Less than a year after Eclipse's transfer out of Black Eight Squadron, Cartha remained flying fourth place in the squadron, under Redline's leadership. By 0 BBY, he transferred to the Imperial 61st Squadron. While serving in the 61st Squadron, Cartha participated in the Battle of Yavin, where Imperial TIE/LN starfighter pilots attempted to defend the Imperial DS-1 Orbital Battle Station from the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The battle ended with the Alliance's starfighters destroying the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station. Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles also killed Cartha in the battle.

Behind the scenes

Paul R. Urquhart considered retconning Cartha as DS-61-4, whose TIE/LN starfighter, Black 4, is shown in this image.

Cartha was first mentioned, unnamed, in Turr Phennir's card for the 2000 Death Star II Limited expansion of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game. In 2008, a TIE pilot with the nickname of "Chaser" was mentioned in the novelization of the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed released in the same year. In 2014, the StarWars.com article Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut again referenced Cartha, first naming him, as well as retconning the character as "Chaser" from the Force Unleashed novel.

Although never published, author Paul R. Urquhart's endnotes further intended for Cartha to be the character's surname, and that he was Count Phennir's son and thus Turr Phennir's stepbrother. In stating his intentions to make Cartha the surname, Urquhart also noted that the name is shared with Uthorrferrell Cartha, a native of the planet Eiattu 6 who appeared in the comic X-Wing Rogue Squadron 13, released on October 1, 1996. He further intended to retcon Cartha as DS-61-4, a TIE pilot who was—like Cartha—killed by Wedge Antilles in the Battle of Yavin, with the event specifically shown in the 1977 original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.

Appearances

• The Force Unleashed novel (First appearance) (Retcon)

Sources

•  Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Death Star II Limited (Card: Major Turr Phennir) (backup link) (First mentioned)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III ("Phennir, Turr")
• Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut, Part 10: The Rise of the Empire on StarWars.com (article) (backup link not verified!) (First identified as Cartha)
• Death Star II Personnel: An Imperial Human Resources Guide on StarWars.com (article) (backup link not verified!)

Notes and references

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