Dak Ralter/Legends

Dak Ralter was a Human male starfighter pilot and gunner of Rogue Group, who served the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. He was Luke Skywalker's aerial gunner during the Battle of Hoth.
==Biography==
Dak Ralter's parents were children of the Galactic Republic, who greatly valued the peace and prosperity of those days, later political prisoners in the Imperial labor colony on Kalist VI. Born to prisoners into captivity, Ralter instead only knew the galaxy as a place of fear, oppression, and the Empire. As a youth, his parents would often model his dreams with tales of the wonder and delight that existed before the formation of the Empire. These stories were about all that kept him going during his days living inside the huge transparisteel dome of Kalist VI.
His parents' stories helped to keep alive a spark of hope inside the young Ralter. He knew that someday his hopes would come to fruition, as they did when he was seventeen standard years old. A new prisoner named Breg came to the camp one day, and being just a bit older than Ralter, the two became fast friends. Breg was a Rebel pilot who was downed while on a reconnaissance mission. Luckily for Breg, the Empire did not know of his affiliation, or he likely would have faced an interrogation droid, or worse.
Breg was a free spirit who fueled the flame of liberty inside of Ralter with further tales of a life beyond the confines of Kalist VI. He made quite an impact on the impressionable Ralter. Together they planned an escape from the penal colony. Ralter took to this opportunity with all the energy born of a lifetime of pent-up anger and aggression. When his parents learned of their son's plan, they encouraged him, knowing it might be his only chance for a life beyond captivity. They also knew that trying to go with him would only hamper his chances, and they insisted he go without them. It was a difficult choice for the teenage Ralter, but he heeded their wishes.
Their plan was to hijack an Imperial prison barge and blast away from the planet. While waiting for the barge, Breg and Ralter vaulted the inner power fence of the camp, shorted out the outer fence, and managed to make it past the unsuspecting sentries. Once a few slightly-used Imperial guard uniforms were "borrowed," gaining access to the landing area was relatively easy. They triggered a false reactor alarm and staged a prearranged power outage in order to board the prison barge and clear all moorings. But before they could lift off, an Imperial stormtrooper saw what was happening, boarded the ship, and tried to stop the two youths. Breg was shot before Ralter could blast the trooper in return. The Rebel fugitive lay wounded and dying on the cockpit floor.
This left the piloting duties up to Ralter. He had no previous experience with any technology more sophisticated than a laser drill. He bravely manned the ship's controls while Breg, only able to speak, directed him through takeoff. Ralter displayed a natural affinity for flying. Under Breg's guidance they were able to blast away from the planet and escape into hyperspace. Breg instructed Ralter to plot a course for the Rebel base on the planet Tierfon. When they arrived, Ralter was forced to land the ship unaided. Breg's condition had worsened and he now lay unconscious. The landing was by no means pretty, but it was in many respects miraculous. Despite the best efforts of Ralter to save his friend, Breg died soon after landing. Nevertheless, with Breg's help Ralter was able to escape imprisonment and start a new life with the Rebel Alliance.
To honor the man responsible for his freedom, Ralter joined the Rebellion's pilot corps, completing his training as a Tierfon Yellow Ace. After proving his piloting abilities, he was assigned to the burgeoning Rogue Flight under the command of Luke Skywalker after the Battle of Yavin. Officially, Ralter replaced Biggs Darklighter's spot in the squadron. He was one of the youngest pilots to serve with the group during his tenure.Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
His earliest service with the Rogues saw him escorting convoys through Imperial territory and participating in some of the squadron's most dangerous early conflicts. He assisted in protecting supply convoys against Imperial forces on the planet Barkhesh; recovering the downed Rebel ship, the Nonnah, on Chorax; the evacuation of General Crix Madine from the Imperial assault on Corellia; the liberation of Gerrard V; the destruction of Imperial installations on the Jade Moon of Loronar; destruction of the AT-AT manufacturing facility on Balmorra; the destruction of the Kile II spaceport; and the rescue of Wedge Antilles from the penal colony of Kessel. In 1 ABY, he fought in the campaign against Moff Kohl Seerdon, including service at the Battle above Taloraan, the Escape from Fest, Seerdon's blockade on Chandrila, the Raid on Sullust, and the ultimate destruction of Seerdon during his invasion of the bacta facilities on Thyferra.
Also in 1 ABY, he was seen in Dearic on the planet Talus.
When the Alliance High Command moved their operations to the newly established Echo Base on the planet Hoth in 2 ABY, Ralter was assigned there with the rest of the Rogues. He flew with Rogue Group during the Imperial invasion of the planet, serving as Rogue Leader's gunner in the rear of his snowspeeder.Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary It was the responsibility of the Rogues to hold off the Imperial advance long enough to buy time for the highly vulnerable transports carrying vital equipment and personnel to evacuate the planet, and Ralter's gunnery skills paired with Skywalker's flying abilities proved deadly to several enemies. Eventually, Skywalker prepared to make the first attack run on the line of AT-AT walkers, and he ordered Ralter to use the speeder's harpoon and tow cable to trip the massive war machine. However, the speeder's aft section took a direct hit from an AT-AT's powerful laser barrage, killing Ralter instantly. Any chance of recovering Ralter's body was then lost when the speeder was crushed under the massive footpad of one of the advancing AT-ATs, after Skywalker was shot down.
==Personality and traits==
Born inside Kalist VI's transparisteel enclosure, the only understanding Ralter had of the outside world was what his parents and fellow prisoners told him of their past life, and what new information he could cobble together from the newly imprisoned. In an environment populated by those unjustly held by the Empire, it was only natural that a great sense of anger and anxiety developed within the youth.
To say Ralter was overly-enthusiastic with a longing for excitement and a chance to take on the Empire would be an understatement. He still strongly exuded these tendencies by the time he was transferred to Echo Base on Hoth, even after nearly three years of service to the Rebellion. In his first days with Rogue Group, his exuberance was likened to that of a young Luke Skywalker. Skywalker saw something of himself in him.Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
==Behind the scenes==
Dak Ralter was portrayed by John Morton in the 1980 movie The Empire Strikes Back, the second installment of the Star Wars Original trilogy. In the video game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Dak's voice is provided by Raphael Sbarge.
The character's name appeared in the movie credits as "Dak (Luke's Gunner)," and "Dak" was used in the DVD subtitles. However, many third party products and official resources released after the film, such as the StarWars.com Databank, the PhotoComic adaptationStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Cine-Manga and The Complete Star Wars EncyclopediaThe Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia showed Ralter's first name misspelled as "Dack," even well after Lucasfilm Ltd. continuity expert Leland Chee went on the record to state that "Dak" was the accepted form. This naming conflict has hopefully been resolved with the 2012 release of The Essential Guide to Warfare, where the character is correctly referenced as "Dak."
Dak Ralter appeared in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts, prior to its closure on December 15, 2011. Dak Ralter was intended to be the Rebel quest giver for the fifth and final chapter of the story arc "Secrets of the Syren". This chapter was achieving its development in October 2005 but was delayed and planned to be introduced in April 2006 with the "Publish 28." Dak Ralter and Officer Edgar, the Imperial quest giver, were both added to the game with the Publish 28, released on April 26, 2006. Nevertheless, the final chapter of "Secrets of the Syren" was never released and these NPCs did not provide any quest.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
*Choose Your Own Star Wars Adventure: The Empire Strikes Back 
*LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
*LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
==Sources==
===Non-canon sources===
*LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Cut content from Star Wars Galaxies
Category:Humans
Category:Males
Category:Red Squadron personnel
Category:Rogue Squadron personnel
Category:Tierfon Yellow Aces personnel