Hamo Blastwell Hamo Blastwell was a Rebel starfighter pilot who served in Red Squadron on the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " Independence " during the Galactic Civil War . He served as the squadron ' s orientation officer , helping to introduce new pilots to the squadron and assisting with their training . After participating in several battles , and playing an important role in helping to defeat Operation Strike Fear , Blastwell was promoted to commander . Following his promotion he became heavily involved in mission planning and special missions , spending less time flying with the squadron . Blastwell flew in the Battle of Yavin , in which he was believed to have been killed . However , he survived and went undercover in the Imperial Navy using the alias Trace . During his time with the Galactic Empire , Blastwell assisted in bringing a resolution to the Sepan Civil War . Following the defection of Admiral Harkov , Blastwell successfully infiltrated the Secret Order of the Emperor . He eventually came to serve under Demetrius Zaarin , shortly before the Grand Admiral ' s coup against Emperor Palpatine . Blastwell later attempted to steal the plans to the TIE / D Defender for the Alliance . Although he was unsuccessful , he was able to evade capture . Biography . Orientation officer . Originally from a small outpost planet , little was known of Hamo Blastwell ' s life before leaving his homeworld to join the Rebel Alliance as a starfighter pilot — he did once admit to having met Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan but was reluctant to discuss any details . Within a year of joining the Alliance , and still in his early twenties , Blastwell had attained the rank of lieutenant and the status of ace pilot . Serving as a wing leader in Red Squadron aboard the Alliance flagship " Independence " , Blastwell acted as liaison and orientation officer to new recruits , including Keyan Farlander , whose similar background led to the two quickly becoming good friends . In this role , Blastwell would prepare recruits for the pilot proving grounds , drilling them in every spare moment , until they could follow his every move without the need for verbal communication and he considered them ready to begin simulated combat training . Blastwell had high hopes for Farlander early in his training , and so volunteered him for his first mission before the young pilot had completed combat training . Continuing in his role as mentor , Blastwell pulled Farlander from the simulators to get some real flight experience before the mission and selected the younger pilot to serve as his wingman . The mission , to retrieve information stored on the Imperial corvette " Talon " , saw Blastwell flying an X - wing to assist the Nebulon - B frigate " Liberator " in engaging TIE Fighter escorts while Y - wings from Gold Squadron disabled the " Talon " for boarding . Although Blastwell ' s R2 unit sustained damage , leaving him unable to enter hyperspace and forcing him to return to the " Liberator " , the mission justified Blastwell ' s faith in Farlander as the recruit played a vital role in capturing the data . Operation Strike Fear . The Rebels ' recent successes against the Empire provoked an Imperial response — a massive offensive known as Operation Strike Fear . News of what the Empire was planning came to light during a raid on an Imperial convoy in which the captain of the corvette " Bixby " indicated his intention to defect . While Blue Squadron ' s Y - wings covered the defection of the " Bixby " , Blastwell and Farlander were scrambled to destroy the convoy . Shortly after the capture of the " Bixby " , Blastwell was promoted to captain . Blastwell would be heavily involved in the fight against Operation Strike Fear , taking part in several missions . With the Alliance running short of astromech droids , the Rebels mounted an operation to steal some R2 units from the BFF - 1 bulk freighter " Ars Opus " , unaware that the Galactic Empire had modified them to take control of X - wings for the Empire to examine . While he was flying a mission with Blue Squadron , Blastwell ' s X - wing was one of three hijacked and taken to a rendezvous with the " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer " Invincible " . The Rebels mounted a quick rescue mission to recover the stolen ships and their pilots before they could be delivered to the " Invincible " . Tracking the X - wings to the " Invincible " location , three Y - wings from Red Squadron disabled them , allowing shuttles to deliver new R2 units and the pilots to take control of their ships and fly them to the waiting Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " Maximus " . Though two of the Y - wings entered hyperspace as soon as their targets were disabled , Keyan Farlander , aware that his friend was in one of the X - wings , engaged TIE Series fighters launched from " Invincible " and protected the rescue of the pilots . The incident left Blastwell with a badly sprained wrist which prevented him from flying for a time . Though unable to fly , Blastwell remained involved with the campaign . In a private briefing with Commander S ' man three days after receiving his injury , Blastwell was charged with overseeing Farlander ' s preparations for a mission to rescue Sullustan prisoners . The successful rescue helped gain support for the Alliance on Sullust . Blastwell returned to active duty as Farlander ' s flight leader as the two flew R - 22 Spearheads in defense of a diplomatic meeting between the Alliance and the Sullustans near Sullust . After the arrival of the " Invincible " , the two pilots held off Imperial fighters until the meeting was concluded and all ships fled into hyperspace . The " Invincible " attack , however , turned out to be merely a diversion . While the meeting was taking place , stormtroopers kidnapped the Sullustan leader . Blastwell was called into action again , flying cover in an X - wing while Farlander disabled the shuttle that bore the Sullustan to the " Invincible " , and holding off Imperial fighters until a Rebel shuttle conducted a boarding operation and escaped into hyperspace . After the mission , Blastwell helped organize a party to celebrate Farlander ' s promotion to captain and was later one of the senior officers called to a briefing on the Alliance ' s plans to destroy the " Invincible " . Search for the Death Star . The destruction of the " Invincible " put an end to Operation Strike Fear . However , Blastwell would have little time to celebrate as he was called off - ship for an assignment . The mission resulted in Blastwell receiving a promotion to commander , though after his return to the " Independence " , he wouldn ' t discuss the circumstances of his promotion with the other pilots , describing it only as " a long story . " The Alliance had been investigating reports of an Imperial superweapon for some time . The weapon turned out to be the Death Star — a battlestation with enough power to destroy a planet . After managing to acquire a set of plans to the station , the Alliance planned to eliminate the Star Destroyer " Intrepid " in order to prevent it from reporting their accomplishment . After a previous mission left the " Intrepid " stranded , Blastwell joined with Farlander , Samuel Raider , and Ernek Marskan in a mission to destroy its escort of Assault Gunboats and corvettes from Viper group . With the loss of the escort leaving the ship vulnerable , a subsequent assault was launched to destroy the " Intrepid " itself . The Death Star plans were to be transported to Alderaan by Princess Leia Organa . Blastwell flew protection for the transfer of the plans to her ship , " Tantive IV " , and was called on again when the ship came under attack from the Star Destroyer " Immortal " . Although he helped see her safely to hyperspace , her escape was short - lived , as Imperial forces under Darth Vader finally captured her near Tatooine . Blastwell ' s promotion to commander meant that he was more heavily involved in strategic planning and often privy to information before the other pilots . When the Mon Calamari pirate Tuz brought the Alliance information on an Imperial repair facility , he delivered the information to Blastwell and S ' man . A mission was promptly planned to destroy the facility . Between his mission - planning role and increasingly frequent involvement in special missions , which often took him off - ship for several days , Blastwell was spending less time flying with Red Squadron — though he officially remained a member of the squadron — and Farlander took over his role as orientation officer . One mission planned by Blastwell was an assault on the Imperial corvette " Godar " , which was carrying members of the Death Star design team . After a week of planning , Blastwell selected Farlander to pilot a Y - wing to disable the vessel . Despite interference from the " Immortal " starfighters , a Rebel team was able to capture the design team members , and Farlander destroyed the " Godar " before leaving . After another prolonged absence Blastwell returned to the " Independence " shortly before the Battle of Yavin to learn that Farlander ' s experimentation with the Force had led him dangerously close to the dark side and had alienated many of the other pilots . Blastwell waited for Farlander as he returned from a mission but , as he confronted his friend , Farlander collapsed due to a vision experienced through the Force . When he regained consciousness he refused to let Blastwell take him to a medic and asked that Blastwell not tell anybody what had happened . Though he did not really understand , Blastwell agreed and was true to his word . For his part , Farlander realized the error of his ways and resolved not to use the Force until he could control its effects . Blastwell was one of several pilots transferred to the Rebel Base on Yavin 4 to assist in the upcoming battle against the Death Star . After attending the formal briefing by General Jan Dodonna , Blastwell filled Farlander , who had been out on a preliminary mission , in on the plan . Though they would be flying in different groups for the upcoming battle , both were charged with holding off Imperial fighters while others attacked the Death Star itself . Though the Rebels suffered heavy losses , the Battle of Yavin was a resounding success for the Alliance as Luke Skywalker dealt a killing blow to the Imperial superweapon . Blastwell was believed to have been shot down in the battle and , though there were no witnesses and he was officially listed as missing , presumed killed . Blastwell ' s loss was particularly hard on Farlander but the young pilot was able to control his use of the Force and eventually became a Jedi Knight . Infiltrating the Empire . Yet , unknown to those he served with , Blastwell survived the Battle of Yavin . Operating under the false identity Trace , Blastwell embarked on an undercover operation to infiltrate the Imperial Navy . By just after the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY , Blastwell had become a captain in the Imperial Navy and was one of the senior pilots aboard the " Victory " - class Star Destroyer " Protector " , under the command of Admiral Harkov . The " Protector " was sent to intervene in the Sepan Civil War and Blastwell was present at Harkov ' s briefing on the upcoming campaign . Though the extent of Blastwell ' s participation in the campaign is unclear , he did fight in at least one battle in which he helped rescue a Ripoblus convoy from Dimok attack . After the mission Blastwell debriefed one of the " Protector " new pilots , Maarek Stele . Blastwell was impressed by Stele ' s piloting ability but noted that Stele had apparently exceeded orders by investigating the convoy , discovering Imperial weapons in the process . Blastwell instructed Stele to obey orders in the future and gave him a personal warning to avoid attracting the attention of Admiral Harkov . When Stele continued to exceed orders , discovering more illegal weapons in a subsequent mission , Blastwell became suspicious . When he saw Stele conversing with a cloaked figure , he became convinced that Stele was working with the mysterious Secret Order of the Emperor and saw an opportunity to learn more about the group . Disguising himself as a member of the order , he entered Stele ' s quarters one night and attempted to confirm his suspicions . However , when Stele saw through the deception , Blastwell told him to forget the incident had ever happened and left . Stele only saw Blastwell once more aboard the " Protector " when he noticed him watching from behind a bulkhead during Stele ' s next meeting with his liaison in the Secret Order . When Stele mentioned Blastwell ' s apparent interest in the Order he was told that they were already aware of it and would " take care of him . " Soon , however , Blastwell was able to begin working for the Order himself . Soon after Admiral Harkov defected to the Rebel Alliance , the Secret Order made arrangements for Blastwell to flee the " Protector " . Maintaining his cover as a loyal Imperial officer , Blastwell took a TIE interceptor and rendezvoused with loyal Imperial forces on the Star Destroyer " Garrett " . A few days after arriving he was reunited with Stele and attempted to mend fences , though Stele was initially wary . In time , Blastwell was promoted to major and sent to a research facility under the command of Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin . There , he once again encountered Stele . Stele had been having doubts about the Empire and whether he was fighting for the right side — doubts which had only increased following the recent defection of his friend Carith to the Alliance . Blastwell had long thought that Stele was a decent man who simply hadn ' t come to see the evils committed by the Empire , and he decided that now was the time to attempt to draw the talented young pilot to the Alliance . After making Stele promise to keep their conversation confidential , Blastwell confided that he was an Alliance officer and attempted to make Stele see the truth about the Empire . However , though Stele was disillusioned about the Empire , he was not yet prepared to abandon it and the Imperial ideals he had once believed in . Though he refused to join the Alliance and told Blastwell to leave , he did agree to think about his position and to not turn Blastwell in . With Stele true to his word , Blastwell remained undercover in the Imperial Navy , continuing to serve under Grand Admiral Zaarin aboard his flagship , the Star Destroyer " Glory " and receiving a promotion to commander . Soon after Zaarin attempted a coup against Emperor Palpatine , Blastwell attempted to steal the plans for the new TIE / D Defender . Blastwell ' s attempt to steal the plans was thwarted but he managed to escape the " Glory " . Personality and traits . With his shaggy blond hair months overgrown and his uniform typically only partially buttoned up , Blastwell ' s somewhat scruffy appearance and general demeanor seemed in contrast to his position as a military officer . This relaxed attitude extended to his command style , and Blastwell rarely insisted on being addressed by rank , generally preferring new recruits to call him by his first name . Despite his appearance Blastwell was a dedicated orientation officer . He was happy to share his greater combat experience with his recruits and would watch over their training carefully , reassuring them when they had doubts about their abilities and helping to build their confidence while keeping them grounded and reminding them that they had much to learn . Blastwell himself had great faith in his own ability to do whatever was asked of him and his confidence seemed to grow with successive promotions . He was also a sociable person and enjoyed spending time with the other pilots in their ready room , often partaking in games of Horansi or discussing their combat experiences . His friends were important to him and he tried to be there to help them through difficult times — when Farlander was suspended from duty pending an inquest into the loss of two wingmen , Blastwell insisted on taking him for a drink to cheer him up . Later , his concern for Farlander made him confront the younger pilot when the rest of the squadron abandoned him . Blastwell ' s personality would later seem out of place in the more rigid Imperial Navy . A joke he made during Harkov ' s briefing on the Sepan campaign met with general laughter from the other pilots but Blastwell was called to Harkov after the conclusion of the briefing and disciplined . Harkov even went so far as to strike him for his lapse in discipline . Behind the scenes . Hamo Blastwell was created by Rusel DeMaria for " The Farlander Papers " , the short novella which told the story of Keyan Farlander , the player character in " " . DeMaria later expanded the character , along with Farlander ' s story , in " " . Blastwell appeared once more in DeMaria ' s " " , this time as part of the story of Maarek Stele , the player character in " " . Though Blastwell ' s age is not stated in any source , in both " The Farlander Papers " and " X - Wing : The Official Strategy Guide " , Blastwell is described as only a few years older than Farlander , who estimates himself to be about the same age as Luke Skywalker when they meet just prior to the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY . Since Skywalker was born nineteen years earlier , this would seem to indicate that Blastwell is in his early twenties at that time . " X - Wing : The Official Strategy Guide " gives the impression that Blastwell was killed at the Battle of Yavin . Though " TIE Fighter : The Official Strategy Guide " establishes that he survived , it gives no further detail . Since the book shows him working undercover , his " death " was presumably to aid in establishing his cover .