Kirby Kirby was a starfighter pilot who held the rank of commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War . Following the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY , he led a B - wing patrol to the Dreighton Triangle , accompanied by his wingmate , " Rookie One . " During their patrol , the Rebels received a distress call from the captain of the YT - 1300 light freighter " Corellia Star " who tried to warn the Alliance about the secret TIE Phantom project . As the pair attempted to reach the freighter , a TIE Phantom used its cloaking device to take them by surprise , destroying Kirby ' s B - wing and killing the pilot . Biography . At some point during the Galactic Civil War , the Human male Kirby joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic as a starfighter pilot and , by 3 ABY held the rank of commander . Following the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY , Kirby was assigned to lead a B - wing squadron on a patrol close to the Dreighton Triangle , an area of space known for reports of ghost ship s ever since the Battle of Dreighton during the Clone Wars . Unbenkownst to the Rebels , the Galactic Empire was using the unexplained events in the area as a cover for tests of the TIE Phantom , a new starfighter that was fitted with a cloaking device that rendered it invisible to other vessels . During their patrol , the Rebels received a distress signal coming from inside the Dreighton Nebula . Kirby instructed one of his wingmates , a young Rebel pilot known as " Rookie One , " to accompany him and the two broke away from their squadron and entered the nebula to investigate . Once inside the nebula , the two Rebels made contact with the captain of the YT - 1300 light freighter " Corellia Star " , whose vessel was under attack from Imperial fighters . The captain claimed to be carrying information that was vital to the Alliance , though signal interference prevented the Rebels from hearing the whole message . As they moved to assist , they were quickly intercepted by a swarm of TIE fighters . Though they were heavily outnumbered , Kirby and Rookie One were able to eliminate the enemy fighters , but not before the Imperials boarded and captured the " Corellia Star " . Once the area was clear of threats , the Rebels continued toward the planet Dreighton in pursuit of the captured freighter . Kirby was aware that a Rebel patrol had been lost in the area three days ago and was suspicious of how quickly the TIEs had reached them from the freighter . Suspecting that there may be more , he warned Rookie One to stay vigilant as they approached the planet . The younger pilot soon picked up the distress signal but , moments later , a TIE Phantom de - cloaked behind his B - wing and opened fire . Rookie One ' s fighter lost an S - foil and careened toward the planet ' s surface , though the pilot was able to eject before impact . With one B - wing eliminated , the Imperial pilot fired upon Kirby ' s B - wing . Unable to evade the enemy laser fire , Kirby was killed when his starfighter exploded . Personality and traits . Kirby was a veteran pilot with a no - nonsense attitude . The commander was personable and was both well liked and respected by those under his command . He had a tendency to be cynical and mocked Rookie One for apparently believing the tales of ghost ships in the Dreighton Triangle . Behind the scenes . Kirby was created for the 1995 LucasArts video game " " , in which he appears during the cutscenes for the first two levels . The character was portrayed in the game by actor Chopper Bernet . If Rookie One is killed during the level " The Dreighton Triangle , " the game over cutscene shows Kirby reporting that Rookie One has been killed and that he is continuing to Dreighton alone . " Rebel Assault II " designer Vincent Lee ' s storyboards and scripts document , dated November 16 , 1994 , included a brief description of Kirby . Though not included in the game or its manual , the biography was adapted for use on the LucasArts website and the document was later printed in Rob Smith ' s " " . Lee ' s notes place the character in his early forties but his age is not specified in either the game or his online biography . . Lee also made notes on the people he thought symbolized each character in the game , choosing actor to represent Kirby . The " Star Wars Insider 27 " article " " Excerpts from the Journal of a Rebel Pilot " " by Sue Seserman was presented as Rookie One ' s diary entries surrounding the mission to the Dreighton Nebula . The article erroneously describes the circumstances of Kirby ' s death , stating that his B - wing was destroyed before Rookie One ' s is hit , while " Rebel Assault II " shows Kirby ' s death taking place after Rookie One has already crashed on Dreighton .