- "Okay. That is your hot zone."
"Shut it down."
"TAC 171 initiating a sector comms scramble. All non-essential frequencies will be down until further notice." - ―The pilot and Avril Heert
A human pilot for the Tactical division of the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau flew the tactical shuttle TAC 171 during a mission to capture Axis network member Kleya Marki in 1 BBY. He dropped off a group of eight tactical agents and bureau Supervisor Avril Heert at Tomkip Towers on the planet Coruscant, the location of Marki's safehouse, and then put his feet up in the shuttle's cockpit while he waited for their return. The rebel droid K-2SO then entered the shuttle and smashed the pilot's head into the vessel's comms unit, killing him.
Biography
Into the hot zone
- "They'll pick you up out front."
- ―Joydali, to Avril Heert
The pilot transported Supervisor Heert and a group of tactical agents to Tomkip Towers.
A human served as a pilot for the Imperial Security Bureau's Tactical division during the reign of the Galactic Empire.[2] In 1 BBY,[1] the bureau Supervisor Avril Heert and[2] his[3] attendant, Joydali, contacted ISB Tactical to request support in capturing the rebel Axis network member Kleya Marki, whose location he had narrowed down to Tomkip Towers on[2] the planet[3] Coruscant. The pilot then flew eight tactical agents in[2] the tactical shuttle[3] TAC 171 to pick up Heert from Marki's place of work, the gallery Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest, before heading to Tomkip Towers.[2]
En route, the pilot summoned Heert into the shuttle's cockpit to inform[2] him[3] and the lead tactical agent, Sergeant Gharial, that they were approaching the target area. When the supervisor ordered him to shut down all communications around the hot zone, the pilot then relayed the request to the control center of the ISB Central Office, which initiated a blackout on all non-essential frequencies. This was noticed by the rebel KX-series security droid K-2SO, who was part of an extraction team sent to collect Marki.[2]
Feet up, head down
The pilot landed TAC 171 beside Tomkip Towers to deliver the tactical agents.
Upon reaching Tomkip Towers, the pilot set the shuttle down outside and Heert and the tactical agents disembarked, splitting into Team-One, who were led by Gharial and entered the apartments with the supervisor, and Team-Two, which was led by Sergeant Benzi and remained outside the building near the shuttle. The pilot remained in the cockpit, removing his helmet and putting his feet up on the controls, while he waited for the agents to return.[2]
Concerned about his allies' safety while the comms were down, K-2SO then headed for the Imperial shuttle and was spotted by the Team-Two tactical agent TAC 2C. TAC 2C then checked in over comms, asking if they had requested droid support. Hearing this from the cockpit, the pilot was confused and asked for TAC 2C to repeat the question, but Benzi cut in and denied that they had made any request. K-2SO then killed TAC 2C and carried on to the shuttle, where the pilot was questioning Benzi over comms about backup.[2]
K-2SO killed the pilot of shuttle TAC 171, breaking the vessel's comm unit in the process.
K-2SO then incapacitated another member of Team-Two on the shuttle's ramp, alerting the pilot to his presence. The pilot scrambled for[2] a blaster pistol[4] and demanded the droid stay back[2] but K-2SO slammed the pilot's head into the shuttle's comm unit, killing him and severing the remaining tactical agents' connection to the control center. The droid and his allies then killed or incapacitated all of the tactical agents and successfully extracted Marki.[4]
Personality and traits
- "Stand back! No—"
- ―The pilot tries to stop K-2SO
The pilot was confused by K-2SO's approach, not acting until it was too late. He had light skin, blue eyes, and brown hair that included a mustache.[2]
Equipment
- "Are we calling for backup?"
"Nah, must be a local patrol. Send him back." - ―The pilot and Benzi speak over comms
While flying TAC 171, the pilot wore a black shirt, black pants, black boots, and black gloves with a white helmet, white greaves, white vambraces, and a white chest plate that had a comms unit mounted on the right breast.[2] He used a blaster pistol.[4]
Behind the scenes
The pilot was portrayed by David Stoller in the live-action Disney+ series Andor, first appearing in "Who Else Knows?," the eleventh episode of the show's second season,[2] which aired on May 14, 2025.[5]
Appearances
Star Wars: Andor — "Who Else Knows?" (First appearance)- Star Wars: Andor — "Jedha, Kyber, Erso" (Appears as a corpse)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Make It Stop" dates the events of "Who Else Knows?" and "Jedha, Kyber, Erso" to 1 BBY. The pilot is shown to have been killed on Coruscant during the latter's events.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24
Star Wars: Andor — "Who Else Knows?"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Star Wars: Andor — "Who Else Knows?" (Audio description from Disney+)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Star Wars: Andor — "Jedha, Kyber, Erso"
- ↑ First Andor A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer and Poster Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
