Commander Vult Skerris is a minor antagonist in Star Wars Rebels, appearing in Seasons 3 and 4, a supporting character in the 2018 novel Thrawn: Alliances, and an overarching character in the 2019 novels Thrawn: Treason and Alphabet Squadron.
He was a flight instructor at the Skystrike Academy for the Galactic Empire on Montross until he engaged with a rebel movement that stirred up on Lothal. He was then recruited by Grand Admiral Thrawn to fly the TIE Defender, and use it to track down the rebels.
Overtime, his victories of killing rebel pilots had led him to have a big ego, but he was most envious of destroying the Ghost, piloted by Hera Syndulla. His arrogance eventually led to his demise in 0 BBY in the Lothal System.
He was voiced by Mario Vernazza.
Biography[]
Training at Skystrike Academy[]
Before the rebel movement on Lothal came to the Skystrike Academy, Vult Skerris, along with Commandant Goran, trained young TIE Pilots to fly TIE Fighters. They used a VR System on the pilots for three different TIE Fighters, along with other techniques, in order for them to use a TIE Fighter properly.
During 2 BBY, rebel Sabine Wren went to the academy to recruit new pilots for the rebel movement, after she got a call from Imperial Cadet Wedge Antilles saying that he, along with others, wanted to switch sides. Sabine then disguised herself as "Ria Talla" and went to the academy to find the Imperial Cadet. After training in a simulation with Vult Skerris, Sabine Wren then met Wedge Antilles and talked to him about his switch to the rebel movement later on. After hearing the risk it might take, Wedge agreed to make a plan to break out of the academy and become apart of the rebel movement.
Before escaping, Wedge brought along two others, Derek Klivian and Rake Gahree, who also wanted to be apart of the rebel movement. However, Governor Arihnda Pryce and Agent Kallus were informed of a rebel breakout happening in Skystrike Academy and planned to investigate it. Not turning back, Sabine, Wedge, Derek, and Rake all escaped the academy by flying TIE Fighters through the atmosphere to reach Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, and Commander Jun Sato in there CR90 Corvette. However, Pryce, Kallus, and Skerris caught the pilots escaping through the atmosphere. Pryce then commanded Skerris to fly his TIE Interceptor into the atmosphere to destroy the traitors who switched sides. Before the rebels could arrive to the CR90 Corvette, Pryce disabled their shields and shut down their energy. This then allowed time for Skerris to arrive by the rebels who are drifting in space.
Arihnda Pryce then ordered Vult Skerris to shoot down Rake Gahree and leave the other three rebels to drift in space. With Rake's demise, Sabine then told the CR90 Corvette to hurry, but the corvette retreated into hyperspace when Goran's team destroyed majority of the corvette. Even though the mission was a loss, Jarrus, Bridger, and Sato then eventually rescued the three remaining rebels later on.
Into the Archeon Nebula[]
Later on in 2 BBY, Grand Admiral Thrawn grew weary of having to chase down the rebels. Thrawn, however, recognized an issue with numerous TIE Fighters being easily destroyed by the Ghost and other rebel ships. So, Thrawn created the TIE Defender, a TIE that is more of a defense mechanism then a fighting mechanism. Carrying out the project, with the help of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Emperor Palpatine, he then suggested that Vult Skerris would be the first to fly the new TIE.
This worked out well when the Ghost was carrying Senator Mon Mothma to the rebel fleet after she left the Imperial Senate due to the events happening on Ghorman. Thrawn then predicted where the Ghost would be heading next and sent out Vult Skerris and a team of two other TIE Fighters to destroy the ship.
As Thrawn predicted that the Ghost would fly next to the Archeon Nebula, Vult Skerris and the two other TIE Fighters then attacked the ship. With not many options to go by after numerous Star Destroyers blocked their exit, the only way they could escape was by flying through the nebula. As Thrawn yet again predicted, the Ghost then flew into the nebula, but Vult Skerris still followed the ship. As they went further into the nebula, numerous features from the ships started to burn up, but this didn't distract Skerris as he was determined to destroy the Ghost. Sadly, Gold Five risked her life by flying into the blasters coming from Vult Skerris to save the Ghost. This made Vult Skerris even more determined to destroy the ship.
However, pilots Jon Vander and Ezra Bridger were blocking Skerris' way to destroy the Ghost. Knowing that Skerris wouldn't give up, Hera suggested that she would fly into the nebula core. So, while Vander and Bridger broke off from the course, Hera Syndulla flew the Ghost into the nebula core. This then caused two TIE Fighters to blow up due to the heat that's coming from the nebula, yet Skerris was still determined to destroy the Ghost. As both ships started to overheat, Skerris then knew he would die the same way as the other TIE Fighters and decided to break off from the course the Ghost was heading. Vult Skerris then informed Thrawn that he didn't hit the Ghost, but Thrawn ordered him to destroy Vander and Bridger while Arihnda Pryce and Admiral Kassius Konstantine would deal with the ship.
The Ghost then flew out of the Archeon Nebula, but numerous Star Destroyers were waiting for the Ghost to arrive. As the Ghost was about to jump into hyperspace, Konstantine caught the ship in a tractor beam. Requesting help, Vander and Bridger then hurtled Skerris into the nebula and started coming towards the Ghost. Hera, having an excellent idea, then suggested Vander and Bridger to shoot the nebula to destroy the tractor beam, and escaped into hyperspace.
Testing Gone Wrong[]
During 1 BBY on Lothal, Thrawn, having little luck in destroying the rebel movement, created the TIE Defender Elite to destroy the rebels. He asked Commander Skerris to do a test run, but the test was hijacked by Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren, who went to get information on what Thrawn was doing but decided to steal the entire ship itself. As Vult Skerris walked up to the TIE, the two rebels then blasted off from the base and escaped from Thrawn's hands yet again, crashing the ship nearby as Pryce hit a kill switch located in the TIE Defender Elite.
Defeat and Death[]
During 0 BBY above Lothal, the Rebel Alliance decided to plan an attack on Lothal to free it from the empire. However, before reaching Lothal, Vult Skerris and numerous TIE Fighters, along with Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Chimaera, were awaiting the rebels to strike an attack on the planet. This then caused a dogfight to happen above the planets surface. Thrawn then sent out Skerris to deal with the pilots. Skerris then went out in his TIE Interceptor and shot down Cleat (Phoenix Four) and Duke (Phoenix Five) until fixating his eyes upon Hera Syndulla and tracking her down to get a good shot.
Hera Syndulla, knowing she couldn't destroy the TIE Defender Elite, then decided to head straight toward the Chimaera and its line of fire. Thrawn, knowing the plan that Hera had to destroy Skerris, informed him to break off from his line of attack, but Skerris denied Thrawn, knowing that he was moments from killing Hera Syndulla and winning the battle. Thrawn, knowing it was too late, ordered his gunners to shoot at the two targets, which hit both Hera and Skerris. Due to his shields being fried, Hera then piloted her way around the TIE Defender Elite and fired on the hopeless pilot. With nothing else to do and realizing the trap he was set in, Vult Skerris screamed as the TIE Defender Elite crashed into the Chimaera, killing him immediately.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Vult Skerris is a reference to Top Gun:
- The characters last name, Skerris, is derived from Tom Skerritt, the actor who portrayed Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Top Gun.
- Skerris' appearance is also based off of Mike "Viper" Metcalf from Top Gun.
- Top Gun also happens to be a movie about flying, leading to Vult Skerris being a pilot.
