View source for Gunnery captain/Legends

{{Top|ca|notoc=1}}
{{Organization
|image=[[File:BolvanIsNotWermis-ANH.jpg]]
|name=Gunnery captain
|type=
|founder=
|leader=
|subgroup=
|headquarters=
|locations=
|formed=
|founded=
|fragmented=
|reorganized=
|dissolved=
|restored=
|affiliation=[[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]]<ref name="TCSWE">{{CSWECite|I|84|Bolvan, Captain}}</ref>}}
{{Quote|There goes another one."<br />"Hold your fire.|Chief gunnery officer Lieutenant Hija and Gunnery Captain Bolvan|audio=Hija-Bolvan.ogg|<ref name="ANH">{{Film|IV}}</ref>}}
'''Gunnery captain''' was an assignment on the [[Star Destroyer/Legends|Star Destroyers]] of the [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]] during the [[Galactic Civil War/Legends|Galactic Civil War]] fought against the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Alliance to Restore the Republic]]. The [[Gunner/Legends|gunnery]] [[Captain/Legends|captain]] was tasked with overseeing the [[Chief gunnery officer/Legends|chief gunnery officer]], who managed the main weaponry of the [[Starship/Legends|vessel]]. Only one [[Chief/Legends|chief]] gunnery [[Officer/Legends|officer]] could serve under the command of a gunnery captain.<ref name="EP4NOVEL">[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel)|''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' novelization]]</ref> The gunnery captain [[Clothing/Legends|wore]] a [[Color/Legends|black]] [[Imperial Navy crewman]]'s [[Imperial military uniforms/Legends|uniform]].<ref name="ANH" />

The [[Human/Legends|Human]] [[Gender/Legends|male]] [[Bolvan/Legends|Bolvan]]<ref name="ANH" /> served the [[Imperial Navy/Legends|Imperial Navy]] as a gunnery captain<ref name="TCSWE" /> aboard the [[Imperial I-class Star Destroyer/Legends|Star Destroyer]] [[Devastator/Legends|''Devastator'']] during the [[Battle of Tatooine (Galactic Civil War)|Battle of Tatooine]]<ref name="EP4NOVEL" /> in [[0 BBY/Legends|0 BBY]].<ref name="NEC">''[[The New Essential Chronology]]'' dates the events of [[Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope|''Star Wars'': Episode IV ''A New Hope'']], which include [[Bolvan/Legends|Bolvan's]] onscreen presence in the [[Battle of Tatooine (Galactic Civil War)|Battle of Tatooine]], to [[0 BBY/Legends|0 BBY]].</ref> Prior to that, Bolvan served in a more senior position of captain of the ''Devastator''.<ref name="TLE">{{WEGCite|book=Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook|story=The Lesser Evil}}</ref> While Imperial [[Stormtrooper/Legends|stormtroopers]] boarded an Alliance [[CR90 corvette/Legends|CR90 corvette]], the [[Tantive IV/Legends|''Tantive IV'']], Bolvan's chief gunnery [[Imperial officer/Legends|officer]], [[Lieutenant/Legends|Lieutenant]] [[Hija/Legends|Hija]], spotted an [[Escape pod/Legends|escape pod]] jettisoned from the vessel. Bolvan ordered his subordinate not to fire on the pod, as the [[Imperial-class Star Destroyer/Legends|Star Destroyer's]] [[Sensor/Legends|sensors]] detected no lifeforms within.<ref name="EP4NOVEL" />

==Behind the scenes==
A gunnery captain, Bolvan, first appeared in the [[1976]] [[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel)|novelization]] of [[Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope|''Star Wars'': Episode IV ''A New Hope'']],<ref name="EP4NOVEL" /> ghostwritten by [[Alan Dean Foster]].<ref name="ANH novel SE">[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel)|''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' novelization]], [[The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition|Special Edition]] foreword by [[George Lucas]]</ref> One year later, in [[1977]], Bolvan's scene also appeared in the released version of ''A New Hope''.<ref name="ANH" /> The character in question was identified as the captain of the ''Devastator'' in the novel,<ref name="EP4NOVEL" /> and the [[Star Wars (1977) 21|twenty-first issue]] of [[Marvel Comics]]'s [[Star Wars (Marvel Comics 1977)|''Star Wars'' series]], released [[March 21]], [[1979]], established an individual named [[Mulchive Wermis|Wermis]] in that role.<ref name="Marvel">[[Star Wars (1977) 21|''Star Wars'' (1977) 21]]</ref> However, [[West End Games]]' [[1996]] ''[[Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook]]'' gave the name Bolvan to the individual identified as the ''Devastator''{{'s}} captain.<ref name="TLE" />

In [[2007]] [[StarWars.com]]'s [[Visual Guides]] identified these two as separate persons&mdash;Bolvan as the black-uniformed officer who ordered Hija not to fire on the escape pod,<ref name="VG4">{{SWArchive|url=episode-iv/explore/visualguides/chp04.html|text=Visual Guide -- Chapter 4: Artoo's Mission|archivedate=20070905060422}} <small>([https://www.facebook.com/195552901381/photos/a.440439491381/440440316381 image])</small></ref> and Wermis as the captain of the ''Devastator''.<ref name="VG3">{{SWArchive|url=episode-iv/explore/visualguides/chp03.html|text=Visual Guide -- Chapter 3: Imperial Boarding Party|archivedate=20080511153707}} <small>([https://www.facebook.com/195552901381/photos/a.195564781381/195566271381/?type=3&size=604%2C360&fbid=195566271381 image])</small></ref> The term "gunnery captain" was introduced in [[2008]]'s ''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]'', establishing that Bolvan served in that role by the time of the events of ''A New Hope''.<ref name="TCSWE" />

==Appearances==
*[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel)|''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' novelization]] {{1st}}
*{{Film|IV}}
*[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (junior novelization)|''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' junior novelization]]
*''[[Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition 1]]'' {{Voice}}
*''[[Star Wars Manga: A New Hope 1]]''

===Non-canon appearances===
*''[[William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope]]''

==Sources==
*{{FFCite|10|HUN1, ''The Hunt for the Droids''}} {{Po}}
*{{FFCite|11|STA4, ''Imperial Star Destroyer''}}
*{{SWArchive|url=episode-iv/explore/visualguides/chp04.html|text=Visual Guide -- Chapter 4: Artoo's Mission|archivedate=20070905060422}} {{Po}}
*{{CSWECite|I||Bolvan, Captain}} {{1stID|gunnery captain}}
*{{FFCite|y=2014|44|STA4, ''Imperial Star Destroyer''}}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Imperial Navy ranks]]