 |  |
Gemmer Sojan was a human rebel pilot who in 3 ABY was stationed in Echo Base on the planet Hoth. After the Galactic Empire discovered the base, Sojan attended a briefing by Princess Leia Organa shortly before the base was evacuated. Sojan survived the evacuation and participated in the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, piloting an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor during the attack on the Death Star II.
Biography[]
- "All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports."
- ―Leia Organa briefs the assembled pilots
The human[1] Gemmer Sojan was a pilot who flew in the Starfighter Corps of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.[2] In 3 ABY,[3] Sojan was among the pilots stationed at Echo Base, the secret rebel headquarters on the planet Hoth. After the Galactic Empire discovered the base, the rebels began preparing to evacuate. Once they arrived in the Hoth system, the Imperials blockaded Hoth with Star Destroyers in preparation to attack the base. Princess Leia Organa then briefed the base's pilots on the plan in one of the hangars, with Sojan and[1] Tarrin[4] running to arrive last to the briefing.[1]
Organa explained that the pilots would be flying in pairs to escort the GR-75 medium transports being used for the evacuation through the blockade, with the deflector shield that the rebels had around Echo Base being opened briefly to let them through. Sojan then nodded when the princess asked if those present had understood, after which[1] Major Bren Derlin[4] dismissed the pilots, causing Sojan and the others to rush off into the hangar. With an ion cannon disabling the blockade Star Destroyers from the ground,[1] thirteen of the thirty rebel transports successfully escaped Hoth,[4] with Sojan among those who survived the evacuation.[2]
In 4 ABY,[5] Sojan flew an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor during the Battle of Endor,[2] in which the rebel fleet attacked the Empire's Death Star II superweapon while it was under construction over the moon Endor in the Endor system. Although the battle had been a trap set up by Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine, the rebels managed to disable the Death Star's shields and then destroy it.[6]
Personality and traits[]
Gemmer Sojan had black hair and light skin.[1]
Equipment[]
While on Hoth, Sojan wore an orange flight suit, with a white flak vest, a gray Diagnostech life support unit, a white flight harness, white gloves, and black boots. The pilot's K-22995 light flight helmet was white with a black emblem on the side consisting of a circle with lines through it.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Gemmer Sojan first appeared in the 1980 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.[1]The character's scene was filmed on the Star Wars Stage at Elstree Studios on May 22, 1979.[7] According to fan site Aveleyman, Anthony Guilding portrayed the character and can also be seen as a rebel crewmember in the 1983 sequel, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[8] In the current Star Wars canon, Sojan was first identified on a card in the 2024 Battle Over Endor set for Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition board game, appearing before release on the set's product page.[2]
In the Star Wars Legends continuity, the character of Gemmer Sojan, initially known as just Gemmer, originated in Star Wars (1977) 55, the fifty-fifth issue in the Marvel Star Wars series of comics, which was written by David Michelinie, illustrated by Walter Simonson,[9] and published on October 20, 1981.[10] The character's surname was first revealed in the 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare, written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart.[11] The character was then retconned into appearing in The Empire Strikes Back in the article "Rogues Gallery: Clearance for Immediate Launch", which was published in Star Wars Insider 146[12] on December 10, 2013.[13]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (First appearance)
Sources[]
Star Wars: X-Wing – Battle Over Endor Rebel Preview on Atomic Mass Games' official website (backup link)- Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition — Battle Over Endor (Card: Gemmer Sojan) (First identified as Gemmer Sojan)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
Star Wars: X-Wing – Battle Over Endor Rebel Preview on Atomic Mass Games' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back to 3 ABY.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Star Wars: Complete Locations
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi to 4 ABY.
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ Anthony Guilding on Aveleyman (archived from the original on November 5, 2018)
- ↑ Star Wars (1977) 55
- ↑ Amazing Heroes #5, The Comic Reader #195 and The Comics Journal #67
- ↑ The Essential Guide to Warfare
- ↑ "Rogues Gallery: Clearance for Immediate Launch" — Star Wars Insider 146
- ↑ Star Wars Insider 145
