Cris Pieterson

Cris Pieterson was a Human male who was conscripted into the Galactic Empire's service, being trained by Ensign Colclazure. During the Thrawn campaign of 9 ABY, Pieterson served Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn aboard the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Chimaera. During the campaign, Thrawn attempted to capture Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and his X-wing with one of the Chimaera tractor beams. Skywalker was able to destroy Pieterson's tractor beam projector, something Pieterson claimed he had not been trained to fight against, and fled. As a result, Thrawn spoke with Pieterson, who attempted to shift the blame onto Colclazure. Unhappy with the tractor beam operator's inability to adapt to new situations and his attempt to place the blame on his commanding officer, Thrawn ordered his Noghri bodyguard Rukh to cut off Pieterson's head, killing him.
==Biography==
Cris Pieterson was a Human male who was conscripted into serving the Galactic Empire, eventually being trained by Ensign Colclazure to serve as a tractor beam operator aboard the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Chimaera, flagship of Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn and his confederation. In 9 ABY, during the Thrawn campaign, the Chimaera attempted to capture Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, bringing his T-65 X-wing starfighter out of hyperspace with an Interdictor Cruiser. Once the starfighter was out of hyperspace, Pieterson locked one of the Chimaera tractor beams on the X-wing; however, Skywalker fired several proton torpedoes at the Chimaera, which were captured by the Star Destroyer's tractor beam, pulling them in to one tractor beam projector. After the projector was destroyed, Skywalker lanced his starfighter upward and fled to hyperspace.
Thrawn was displeased with the Jedi's escape, and walked to Pieterson's station. The Grand Admiral asked the other if Skywalker's escape had been his fault, prompting the conscript to claim that his training had not trained him to fight against the X-wing's maneuver. Colclazure told Thrawn that similar scenarios to Skywalker's escape had been part of Pieterson's training. The Chiss then explained the difference between an error and a mistake—that an error did not become a mistake until someone refused to correct it—to Colclazure as he ordered his Noghri bodyguard Rukh to behead Pieterson. Once the tractor beam operator was dead, the Grand Admiral told Pieterson's commander that his error had been corrected, instructing him to find a replacement for the dead conscript.
==Personality and traits==
The tractor beam operator was willing to shift the blame onto his teacher and commander when he committed an error. Pieterson had black eyes and fair skin.
==Equipment==
Pieterson wore an Imperial Navy trooper's black uniform and a black protective helmet.
==Behind the scenes==
Cris Pieterson first appeared in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire, the first installment of the Thrawn Trilogy. Pieterson was later pictured in the third issue of the novel's Dark Horse Comics comic-book adaptation, written by Mike Baron, pencilled by Olivier Vatine and Fred Blanchard, and colored by Isabelle Rabarot. Pieterson was a Tuckerization of a fan, Chris Peterson, who won a charity auction event that allowed him to be in Zahn's next book. Fellow winner Brian Colclazure, who's name was used for Ensign Colclazure, won the decision on whether Peterson's character would die.Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition
==Appearances==
*Heir to the Empire 
*Heir to the Empire 3 
*The Last Command 
==Sources==
* 
==Notes and references==
Category:Humans
Category:Males
Category:Thrawn's fleet personnel