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- "Enemy fighters straight ahead!"
- ―Ric Olié
Ric Olié was a male Human pilot serving in the Royal Naboo Security Forces. He was the commander of the Naboo Space Fighter Corps, and the leader of Echo Flight, Alpha Flight and Bravo Squadron. An expert pilot, he was qualified to fly any vessel in Naboo's fleet.
Olié's talents also landed him the job of the Queen's personal pilot, often flying the Royal Starship in the service of Padmé Amidala. Due to Naboo's pacifist nature, Olié's skills were rarely in use, although he saw military action during the Invasion of Naboo. He was also slightly superstitious, and thought of his astromech droid R2-A6 as a good luck charm.
Biography
Early life
In his youth, Olié's enthusiastic flying earned him the nickname "Reckless Ric". He flew short flights for civilians in his Sandtek Skyflipper around the land surrounding his small village. One day, he crashed his Skyflipper into one of Naboo's many grassy hills, a disaster that would discourage most from the dangerous profession of flying. However, Olié was far from discouraged. He built a new craft from the broken parts of the old ship and continued his flying.
Early career
Olié in his N-1 starfighter.
After his graduation from public school, Olié decided to enroll in the Chommell Sector's academy, hoping to land a career as a home guard pilot. His patriotism for Naboo prevented him from joining the Republic Defense Academy or any such other place, so he instead chose to join the Naboo Space Fighter Corps. He rapidly rose through the ranks.
When in the company of foreign pilots, namely Republic pilots, Olié was prone to being a bit of a show-off. He participated in many minor skirmishes with Chommell Sector pirates and would often escort dignitaries to Coruscant and back. In time, he became head of the Space Fighter Corps, which put him in charge of Echo, Alpha, and Bravo Flights—Naboo's entire starfighter navy.
Since Bravo flight was the most prominent of the three, Olié naturally took the call sign of Bravo Leader. His only superior in the Royal Naboo Security Forces was Captain Panaka, a stubborn but effective commander. Most of the pilots in Olié's care were simple barge drivers or transport pilots, with very little combat experience, leaving them, like the rest of the Security Forces, ill-prepared for the coming threat.
Invasion of Naboo (32 BBY)
- "Shield generator's been hit!"
- ―Ric Olié
The Space Fighter Corps were given no chance to defend Naboo when the Trade Federation decided to blockade the planet as a protest against the Republic's new trade route taxation. Instead, Olié, along with the rest of his pilots, were captured and arrested by Federation forces when they swept into Theed. Their Queen was also arrested, and Naboo was subjugated swiftly by the forces of OOM-9. However, they did not anticipate the intervention of two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who were able to rescue the Queen, her entourage, Olié, and his pilots. Olié had no time to comprehend what was going on, as he was quickly ushered into the Queen's Royal Starship, and ordered to set a heading for Coruscant.
It was easier said than done. The Federation's blockade provided Olié with a significant challenge. He was flying an unarmed transport against a heavily armed capital ship. He tried his best, but eventually the ship sustained heavy damage, and lost its shield generator. R2-D2, one of the ship's astromech droids, repaired the shields, allowing Olié to pilot the ship through the blockade to safety.
Olié teaches Anakin Skywalker.
During the escape, the hyperdrive suffered extensive damage and did not have enough power remaining to take them to Coruscant. Kenobi suggested that they land on Tatooine, a desert planet, and purchase the parts needed to make repairs. Jinn, the Queen (in disguise), the Gungan Jar Jar Binks, and R2 set out to look for the parts. After a few days, they returned with both the parts and a new member of the group—nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, an aspiring pilot. Olié took to the boy and offered him a few short lessons in starship piloting. Upon reaching Coruscant, the Queen pleaded with the Galactic Senate to send aid to her besieged planet, but it was of no use. She decided to return and take matters into her own hands.
The Battle of Naboo
The Queen had a plan—the Gungan Grand Army would assemble and draw OOM-9's forces out of Theed. She and Panaka would then sneak into the city and capture the Federation Viceroy, Nute Gunray. Olié and his pilots would attempt to knock out the Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship, deactivating all droid units and saving the outmatched Gungans.
Olié watches on as the Droid Control Ship is destroyed.
When the Queen and the Jedi liberated Theed's hangar, Olié and his men sprang into action. They clambered into their N-1 starfighters at the Queen's command and set out for the Droid Control Ship. Upon reaching it, they were met by squadrons of Federation Vulture droid starfighters, and sustained heavy losses. Olié realized too late that the deflector shield was too strong, and that they had no hope of winning. To his shock, the ship began to blow up from the inside. Olié had no idea of the cause until he saw one of their own fighters speed from the ship's hangar. Astonishingly, it was none other than Skywalker who had destroyed it. In jubilation, Bravo Flight returned to their re-captured homeworld.
Post invasion
Olié participated in the celebrations at Theed, and in the years following Naboo's bloodiest conflict, he would gain fame with Bravo Flight. Olié's actions during the Clone Wars are not known, but his one-time protégé, Anakin Skywalker, went on to become a skilled pilot.
Personality and traits
Olié was a very observant man with a tendency to state his observations, meaning that he was often the one to point out the obvious. He was considerably brash in his youth, and instead of learning from his mistakes, they only encouraged him. He was also extremely proud of his homeworld, loyal to a fault, and did not hesitate to "advertise" the skills of Bravo Squadron in front of foreigners.
He was a gifted pilot, and naturally so, and adapted to Naboo's military system quite easily. He was reverent towards his Queen, and always respected her choices.
Behind the scenes
Ralph Brown portrayed Ric Olié in The Phantom Menace.
Ric Olié is referred to by some fans as "Captain Obvious" due to such dialogue that simply states well-observed facts such as:
- There's the blockade!
- The hyperdrive is leaking!
- That's it… Tatooine.
- Coruscant… The entire planet is one big city.
- Enemy fighters straight ahead!
- The deflector shield is too strong!
- We didn't hit it!
Appearances
- The Starfighter Trap
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
