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- "Welcome to my Empire. This is where you die, and where a new counter-Rebellion will be born."
- ―Weir, to Ten Numb
Weir was an Imperial general during the Galactic Civil War. A sadistic warrior who conducted his own torturous interrogations, Weir was given command of an Imperial outpost on Tralus and a force of hundreds of stormtroopers prior to the Battle of Endor. Following the death of Emperor Palpatine in 4 ABY, Weir started his own counter-Rebellion movement in an attempt to disrupt the Rebel Alliance.
Two weeks after the Battle of Endor, Weir launched an attack against an unarmed Coronet City as a demonstration of Imperial control over the Corellian system. His attack was disrupted by Luke Skywalker and a handful of Rogue Squadron pilots, but Weir captured Ten Numb before fleeing to his Tralus base. Weir tortured and killed Numb during an interrogation, but was himself captured and arrested by Wedge Antilles before he could provide any information to Imperial High Command.
Biography
Early career
- "Blasted Rebel scum!"
- ―Weir
General Weir in a storm commando uniform during the assault on Coronet City.
Prior to 4 ABY, Weir was taught in the ways of Imperial interrogation and was fiercely devoted to the Imperial doctrines of rule by fear and Human superiority. His cruelty and dedication helped him ascend to the rank of general, and he was given command of an Imperial outpost on Tralus in the Corellian system. The outpost was concealed underground, accessible via foot or starship through a series of hidden tunnels. Both the Human and Selonian populations of the planet were aware of the existence of the base, but Weir and Darth Vader terrorized the populations to the point that they were too fearful to take any steps against the Imperial presence.[1]
Among the forces under Weir's control were hundreds of stormtroopers and scout troopers, a handful of storm commandos and dozens of speeder bikes, AT-STs, and AT-PTs. He was also in command of dozens of TIE Fighters, flown by both pilot droids for suicide runs and Human pilots, including Sunspot Squadron. Weir was also supplied with his own personal TIE Interceptor. Weir wore a storm commando uniform into battle.[1]
After the Battle of Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine in 4 ABY, Weir started a counter-Rebellion movement to interfere with the Rebel Alliance as it attempted to transition into the New Republic. He hoped these efforts would disrupt the newly forming government from establishing itself as the dominant force in the galaxy. He launched attacks against Imperial star systems that joined the Rebellion or demonstrated Rebel sympathies, and strengthened his own resolve to inspire his fellow Imperials and prevent them from becoming disheartened.[1]
Attack on Coronet City
- "We've done enough damage for one day. I think the Corellians now understand that the Empire still rules this system."
- ―Weir
Two weeks after the Battle of Endor, General Weir ordered a small strike against Coronet City, the capital of Corellia. While the city had once been so gripped in fear that citizens refused to leave their houses, the death of Emperor Palpatine turned it back into a bustling metropolis. In order to demonstrate a continued Imperial presence there, Weir personally led an assault on Coronet City despite its lack of a military force or ability to defend itself, resulting in a high number of Corellian civilian deaths.[1]
General Weir torturing Ten Numb.
As the attack proceeded, Weir was surprised to discover a small band of Rebels defending the Coronet citizens, including one wielding a lightsaber. He quickly deduced that the Jedi defender was Luke Skywalker; with him were Rogue Squadron pilots Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, and Wes Janson, as well as Ten Numb of Blue Squadron. Weir ordered the deaths of Skywalker and anyone who stood with him, military and civilian alike.[1]
Although his men were unable to eliminate Skywalker and the Rebels, Weir was satisfied with the amount of destruction they caused and ordered them to pull back to their transport ships. As he was fleeing with them, Weir quickly detected that the Sullustan Ten Numb had pursued him on a speeder bike, and as his men were preparing to leave, Weir personally climbed the canyon mountain to where Numb was observing the transports and waiting for Rebel reinforcements. Weir captured Numb by knocking him unconscious with his blaster rifle and returned with his prisoner to the transports, which soon departed Corellia. Rogue Squadron pursued the ships in X-wing and A-wing starfighters, but Weir escaped them by ordering his suicide drone TIEs to attack a civilian convoy, forcing the Rebels to fly to their assistance.[1]
Upon returning to Tralus, Weir personally undertook the interrogation of Ten Numb. He quickly found a homing beacon attached to Numb's wrist and punished the Sullustan by severing his right hand. He proceeded to torture Numb with electricity from a live wire, combined with psychological torments and taunts about the supposed weakness of the Rebel Alliance. Numb soon broke and supplied Weir with all the information he wanted, including sizes and secret locations of military forces. Weir planned to provide the information to Imperial High Command for planning strikes against the Rebel forces. Weir then left Numb without providing medical treatment, and the pilot soon died.[1]
Capture and arrest
- "Defeating me won't stop the Empire. I'm just one man. The Empire is legion."
- ―Weir
Luke Skywalker and the Rogues found the secret Tralus base by enlisting the help of Lady Leyli, a Selonian who reluctantly agreed to risk helping the Rebels upon learning of the death of Emperor Palpatine. The Rebel astromech droid R2-D2 also helped the pilots track down the base. In response, Weir ordered a full-scale evacuation of the Imperial outpost. Although aware that his soldiers could not defeat the Jedi, he ordered his stormtroopers to attack the Rebels as a stalling tactic, while Weir fled in his TIE Interceptor to provide Numb's information to Imperial High Command.[1]
Wedge Antilles subduing and capturing General Weir.
As Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu pursued the general in stolen TIE Fighters, Weir scrambled Sunspot Squadron and led the Rogue pilots through narrow underground tunnels in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy them. Once the fighters reached the surface, Antilles shot the left wing off of Weir's interceptor, causing the starfighter to crash land on Tralus. As Celchu destroyed the remaining Sunspot Squadron ships, Antilles landed and apprehended Weir, who escaped from his ship's wreckage before it exploded but was unable to flee due to injuries.[1]
Antilles was tempted to kill Weir in retaliation for Ten Numb, but resisted the urge because he did not want to reduce himself to the general's level. Instead, Weir was arrested and extradited to Sullust, where he was to be interrogated by Rebel officers.[1]
Personality and traits
- "Do not hope for much in your quest. The Imperial leader, this General Weir, is quite sadistic. If your friend still lives, he's surely wishing for death by now."
- ―Lady Leyli
General Weir held such strong beliefs in the doctrines of the Galactic Empire that he made it his personal responsibility to further the Imperial cause, as demonstrated by the counter-Rebellion he launched following Emperor Palpatine's death. Weir actively embraced most Imperial philosophies, including the "rule by fear" theory of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, which Weir implemented by ordering attacks against systems that began to display any sign of independence from Imperial rule. Even upon his arrest, Weir maintained a strong conviction in the superiority of the Empire and the weakness of the Rebel Alliance.[1]
He also embraced the Empire's Humanocentric speciesism, demonstrating an unconcealed and unapologetic hatred for aliens. Regardless of species, Weir thought nothing of taking the lives of any being who got in the way of Imperial domination. He regularly ordered the deaths of civilians in this regard, including his strike against Coronet City for a perceived embrace of the Rebel Alliance, and his launch of suicide drone TIE Fighters against a civilian starship convoy to escape Rogue Squadron.[1]
Weir was a sadistic man who not only tortured his prisoners, but also enjoyed it, and preferred to conduct interrogations himself rather than leave them to a subordinate. In addition to pain, Weir enjoyed applying psychological attacks against his subjects, such as his statements to Ten Numb about the superiority of the Empire and the inferiority of the Sullustan race. This combination of physical and mental attacks made Weir an effective torturer who was able to break even strong-willed soldiers like Numb.[1]
The general was also an extremely strong and effective leader. Through his strong convictions in the Empire, he was able to inspire and retain loyalty from his troops after the death of Palpatine, when many Imperials lost faith in their commanders. Although a high-ranking officer, Weir joined his fellow soldiers on the battlefield rather than directing from the sidelines. The fact that he wore his storm commando uniform rather than a standard gray uniform underscored his belief that he was warrior, as well as an officer.[1]
As a fully trained storm commando, Weir mastered a wide range of weapons and fighting tactics. He was a proficient TIE pilot, as demonstrated by his ability to navigate the narrow tunnels of his Tralus base while fleeing Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu. Weir was also proficient in operating speeder bikes.[1]
Behind the scenes
Weir was created by author W. Haden Blackman and artist Tomás Giorello for the final two issues of X-Wing: Rogue Leader, a three-issue comic series published by Dark Horse Comics in 2005. Although never referred to by first name, Weir was used as the chief antagonist of the series and a symbol of the challenges the Rebel Alliance would continue to face even after victory at the Battle of Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine.[1] In 2010, Weir was made into an action figure and released alongside a storm commando figure in one of Hasbro's comic packs for their Star Wars: The Legacy Collection set. The figures came with a copy of the second issue of X-Wing: Rogue Leader.[2]
Appearances
- X-Wing: Rogue Leader 2 (First appearance)
- X-Wing: Rogue Leader 3
Sources
Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Storm Commando and General Weir) (backup link (TLCcomicpacksWM102.asp) not verified!)- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 14
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Notes and references