Sarkli



Sarkli is a character from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. He is the nephew of Admiral Piett and a pilot of the Rebel Alliance's Rogue Squadron who later defects to the Galactic Empire, and serves as the main antagonist of the Nintendo GameCube game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike.

Rogue Squadron
Sarkli started out as a member of Rogue Squadron as a wingman to Luke Skywalker alongside Wedge Antillies. He participated in the defense of Yavin 4 when the Empire launched a counterattack on their base in the aftermath of the destruction of the first Death Star, even saving Luke's life a few times.

Sarkli would later accompany Luke on a mission to the planet Dantooine to recover an Imperial officer named Tycho Celchu, who wished to defect from the Empire to the Rebel Alliance. Sarkli is instructed by Luke to remain with the Rebel camp, to which Sarkli voices his disapproval, but does nonetheless. During Skywalker's absence, the team was wiped out by a sudden Imperial ambush by the Empire's elite storm commandos, leaving Sarkli the only survivor, who reported what was happening to Skywalker when he and Celchu were arriving back to the landing area. Sarkli was impressed by the storm commandos, and decided he wanted to defect to the Empire.

Shortly after, Sarkli again flies with Rogue Squadron as one of Luke's wingmen as part of a mission to the planet Ralltiir to rescue a group of Rebel scientists under siege by Imperial forces. During the battle, Sarkli officially defects to the Empire, openly declaring that the Empire was where "someone of [his] caliber" belonged.

Service to the Empire
Sarkli would make a name for himself in the Empire rather quickly, working his way to become captain of his own squadron of storm commandos, while also becoming a renowned spy, finding personal favor with Emperor Palpatine himself.

Shortly after the Battle of Hoth, Rogue Squadron (now commanded by Wedge Antillies) were dispatched to the planet Bakura to recover a group of scientists captured by the Empire from Hoth who were being held aboard an orbital detention station. Sarkli interfered in the mission, piloting an Imperial escort carrier, where he boarded and destroyed a Rebel transport carrying several of the scientists that were rescued before fleeing to Geonosis. He was pursued there by Wedge, luring him and Rebel reinforcements into a trap.

After Wedge crashes onto the surface of Geonosis, he encounters Sarkli piloting an old Republic gunship. Wedge finds an E-Web blaster turret and uses it to bring down the gunship.

Sarkli would survive this encounter and would go on to serve aboard the second Death Star. During the Battle of Endor, Sarkli and his storm commando squad are assigned to the shield bunker. His unit failed to prevent a Rebel strike team led by General Han Solo from entering the bunker and planting explosives. In a last ditch effort, Sarkli confronted Solo with a blaster rifle and attempted to block his escape from the exploding bunker, with Solo telling him that the Empire was finished, and Sarkli had chosen the wrong side. The two men simultaneously tried to kill each other and retreat from the bunker. Sarkli ultimately received a fatal wound from Solo's blaster near the main entrance after a short skirmish through the hallways, falling to Solo despite his skill with a blaster.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Sarkli makes a brief, voice-only appearance in the non-canonical ending of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, where he is commanded by Emperor Palpatine to destroy the Dark Apprentice (the secret Sith apprentice of Darth Vader.)