Sila Kott

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"I've been in this Rebellion for years, but I've never killed anybody. It's bad enough flying a transport, feeling like all those soldiers' lives are in your hands. But taking someone's life? I can't do it."

―Sila Kott on her reluctance to become a starfighter pilot^[6]

Sila Kott was a rebel pilot who flew an A-wing as "Red Three" at the Battle of Endor. Kott was a human woman from the planet Toprawa who fell in love with Lante when they were teenage girls under the Galactic Empire's reign; to Kott's chagrin, their neighbors in Toprawa City often compared the two, though they grew close over the years. While Kott's three older brothers and their father ran a small family business as transport pilots, Lante worked in the local Imperial Research Station, and Sila became her test pilot. After bonding over a scenic hike to the Ansharii Caverns, the pair found that Sila's family perished in their freighter when it was struck by a test-firing from the Research Station. Imperial authorities refused to acknowledge the tragedy, and the prospect of growing Imperial impunity frustrated Sila—Lante tried to comfort her and reasoned that they had no choice but to accept the reality of the galaxy's corruption and warfare.

Sila Kott later left Lante to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic, opting to fly troop transports rather than a starfighter. Following the Rebellion's costly setback at the Battle of Hoth, Commander Wedge Antilles persuaded Kott to join Red Squadron. Kott flew an A-wing under the callsign "Red Three" at the pivotal battle against the second Death Star in the Endor system, where she defied Antilles order for her and "Keyser Salm to stay close to him. Instead, Kott believed they needed a diversion and gave her life to lead Imperial TIE Interceptors away from her fellow pilots, thinking of happy times with Lante in her final moments.

Biography

A better song

"They're nice, but they're not the only people on the planet."
"What do you mean?"
"There are other options. You could go on that same excursion with others."
"Like…who?"

―Lante and Sila Kott^[4]

Sila Kott grew up on the Outer Rim planet Toprawa. Although she had scant recollection of her mother, Kott lived with her three older brothers—Gave, Set, and Corl—in Toprawa City, where they were raised by their father. They maintained a family business as transport pilots during the reign of the Galactic Empire. A girl a few months younger than Sila named Lante lived several steps along the road of the Kotts' house, and much to Sila's frustration, residents of the area often compared the two. When she was thirteen years old, Sila Kott's father visited the local tavern and heard Lante singing with the band there one night. While making caf on the next morning with Sila by him, he commented on Lante's confidence in improvising "five minutes' worth of gliz" with a casual remark that Sila's singing was poor in comparison with Lante's.^[4]

When she was seventeen years old, Lante began to work for the local Imperial Research Station. Several months later, Lante invited Sila Kott to help her research as a test pilot, telling Kott that she was the "best pilot I know." Kott refused, on the basis that it was Imperial work. Her brother Set did the testing instead. Two months later, Sila offered to do the flight testing. She was amazed by the experience at the helm of a starfighter and told Lante that "it's the best ship I've ever flown." Lante placed her hand on Sila's shoulder and thanked her. At eighteen years of age, Sila fell in love with Lante.^[4]

Later, Sila Kott and Lante went out of the city together to fulfil Kott's childhood dream of visiting the Ansharii Caverns. They argued over who would drive their speeders and eventually reached the caverns. The pair hiked, snacked on sweet starfruits they had packed, and then viewed the sunset; the moments engraved in Kott's memory, isolated yet as real as a Jedi temple's ruins. Lante held her arms tight around Kott's waist; they laughed after succumbing to a slippery boulder; Kott took Lante's hand to cross a river and forgot to let go.^[4]

Everything has changed

"I'm sure they didn't mean it. It was an accident."
"It was. But they didn't even acknowledge that they accidentally killed four people. And tomorrow they're going back to building weapons that will kill more people, on purpose. Who gave them the right."
"But—"
"The Empire is taking over the entire galaxy, and you know what that means? It means they'll have even more power, and they'll be able to do whatever they want, where they want, with no consequences."
"Maybe. But that is what the Empire does—what everyone does. The entire system is corrupt, and the war is bigger than you and me. We can only accept it. What is the alternative—going off with the rebels?"

―Lante and Sila Kott^[4]

They agreed, reluctantly, to head back home. Sila went home to news of tragedy. Gave, Set, Corl, and their father were aboard their family freighter when the test firing of a laser at the Imperial Research Station destroyed the starship. Lante supported Sila through the funerals.^[4]

Hoth to go

"Still with us, Commander?"
"Thanks to you." [switching to private channel] "You all right, Sila?"
"No. But I will be."

―Sila Kott and Wedge Antilles, after she shot down her first target^[6]

Sila Kott eventually joined the Starfighter Corps of the Alliance to Restore the Republic,^[1] a resistance movement that sought to topple the dictatorial Galactic Empire.^[7] Kott initially piloted troop transports for the Rebellion. When Commander Arhul Narra tasked every pilot on flight simulator runs, Kott was found to be capable of flying starfighters. Narra tried to recruit her into a starfighter squadron, but she refused. Although capable pilots who refused to fly fighters were typically disqualified in the Alliance, Kott continued her service in rebel transports.^[6]

Shortly after the evacuation of Hoth in 3 ABY,^[8] Kott was recruited by Commander Wedge Antilles into the newly reformed Red Squadron. She purposely sabotaged her simulator training before revealing to Antilles that being responsible for the lives of the troops she transported was difficult enough, but she had never killed anybody in all the years she had been with the Rebellion and she would not take someone's life. Antilles explained to her that they "pulled the trigger" to help to create a galaxy where no one has to do it, which meant killing people and that the Alliance and her loved ones needed her.^[6]

Kott was assigned the callsign Red Three and flew a T-65B X-wing starfighter as Antilles' wingmate, alongside Tomer Darpen, in an attack on a nearby pirate base, that threatened the safety of the Alliance's rendezvous point. When Antilles was under fire from one of the bandits, Kott initially hesitated but ultimately shot down his assailant to save his life.^[6]

Shoot another shot

"Got it!"

―Sila Kott, during the Battle of Endor^[3]

The Alliance Fleet mustered in the Sullust system^[3] in 4 ABY^[9] in preparation for the Battle of Endor, where the rebels expected to strike a critical blow against the Empire. Overlooking the planet Sullust from the rebel flagship, Home One, Sila Kott felt as though she had nowhere to go while her fellow pilots discussed a future in which the Rebellion wins the war—Wedge Antilles expressed his desire to become a flight instructor, either on his homeworld Corellia or along the Trade Spine.^[4]

Sila Kott flew an A-wing interceptor with Red Squadron to the Endor system. Upon emerging from hyperspace, the rebel vessels were ambushed by the Imperial Death Squadron and swarms of TIE fighters. Wedge Antilles told Red Three and Red Two to stay close to him, and Red Three—Sila Kott—replied "got it" yet defied her order. Believing that her comrades needed a diversion instead, Kott led two TIE/IN interceptors away from the other fighters and perished under enemy fire. She died thinking of Lante, filled with joy.^[4] The Rebel Alliance managed to destroy the second Death Star battle station and freed the galaxy from the Imperial regime.^[3]

Legacy

To honor her contribution to liberating the galaxy, the Sila Kott flight school was built in her name on her home planet.^[1]

Personality and traits

A female human,^[1] Sila Kott loved her three brothers as well as their father, and though she could barely remember her mother, Sila heard good stories of her. Sila yearned to be a transport pilot and expected to take the reins of her father's business alongside her brothers. She fell in love with Lante, a girl only a few months younger than herself. Although Lante supported Sila following the accident that claimed the lives of her brothers and father, Sila was irked by Lante's expectation that they return to the Imperial Research Station and left Toprawa to join the Rebellion.^[4]

After calling off her relationship with Lante, Sila Kott reflected that she was angered by Imperial authorities' failure to acknowledge the lethal accident that killed her family and the continuation of research into developing more lethal weapons for the regime. The rebel cause resonated with her sense of justice, though she did not want revenge.^[4]

Behind the scenes

Sila Kott first appeared, albeit unnamed, in the 1983 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.^[3] Although the character is female and was portrayed by English actress Poppy Hands, her lines were dubbed by a male American actor in post-production.^[1] In the Star Wars Legends continuity, the character was first named Sila Kott in Hasbro's Star Wars: Shadows of the Dark Side toy line;^[10] the name is reintroduced to the current canon by the StarWars.com Databank. While the Databank erroneously identifies Kott as Red Two,^[5] the 2017 activity book Star Wars: A-wing Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model by Michael Kogge confirms her callsign as Red Three.^[1]