TK-626

A stormtrooper with the designation TK-626 served the Galactic Empire on Lothal several years prior to the Battle of Yavin. TK-626 was a hardened school-bully who was specifically recruited by the Empire due to his aggressive tendencies. He and several other stormtroopers attempted to apprehend Sabine Wren, a rebel on Lothal, while she planted an explosive device in the TIE/ln space superiority starfighter landing platform as a diversion to allow the Ghost to flee the area undetected. The device exploded, leaving TK-626 and the other troopers covered in blue paint. Several months later, he again was guarding the TIE depot and attempted to stop Sabine, but the depot ended up getting destroyed.
==Biography==
===Imperial career===
TK-626 was a young human male who served as an Imperial stormtrooper on the planet Lothal. In his youth, he was a prolific bully at his school which was reflected in his hefty detention record. At some point, an Imperial recruiter visited his school and recruited him because of his aggressive traits. The recruiter told TK-626 that bullies made excellent stormtroopers because they did not question orders or think for themselves. As with many fellow stormtroopers, TK-626 exchanged his name for a stormtrooper designation number: TK-626. As a stormtrooper stationed on Lothal, TK-626 enjoyed bullying and intimidating the local population. He also hated rebels and desired the opportunity to capture one in order to prove his loyalty to the Galactic Empire.Star Wars Rebels: Rise of the Rebels
===Enter the artist===
One night, TK-626 and his fellow stormtrooper MB-223 were patrolling an Imperial airfield on Lothal which stored several TIE fighters. After patrolling the airfield for 108 times without any incident, they discovered the young Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren spraying the starbird emblem onto the wings of a TIE fighter. Sabine goaded the two stormtroopers into shooting at her but their shots missed and instead hit the TIE fighter's wing. Sabine then taunted them and led them on a chase through the airfield. TK-626 and MB-223 fired their blaster rifles at her but kept on missing the agile rebel. The two stormtroopers were determined to catch since they were already in trouble for damaging the stabled TIE fighters and knew that they would be in even more trouble for letting a rebel escape.
While MB-223 continued the pursuit, TK-626 used his helmet's comlink to contact his commander to bring reinforcements. Later, he caught up with MB-223 who had cornered Sabine near a TIE fighter. While Sabine hid in a secure hiding place, she repeatedly taunted her pursers into shooting at here. At some point, TK-626 caught side of her swerving between two rows of TIEs. He and MB-223 pursued her and snaked through the assembled TIE fighters. Despite repeatedly firing at Sabine, TK-626 and his companion were unable to catch her. Sabine was familiar with stormtrooper procedures and was able to run rings around her pursuers. Shortly later, his commander arrived with three other stormtroopers. He order his men to split up and capture her alive.
While TK-626 and his fellow stormtroopers spread out across the airfield to hunt down Sabine, the young Mandalorian rebel continued spray-painting starbird symbols onto a TIE fighter's wings. As a final "parting gift," she also planted a paint bomb on the TIE's wing, which was disguised as the starbird's "beak." Before Sabine could sneak away, she was cornered by one of TK-626's companions. However, Sabine escaped by kicking him to the ground. The trooper's yell and blaster fire drew the attention of three his comrades who tried to apprehend Sabine. However, the young rebel was able to escape their blaster bolts by darting between and underneath the TIE fighters. Sabine succeeded in escaping the airfield by drawing all of the Stormtroopers into one group. While the commander was preoccupied with questioning his men, she took the opportunity to sneak past them and climb over a wall.
By the time TK-626 and his comrades had arrived at the scene of the blaster fire, Sabine had escape. At that point, TK-626 saw the blinking "beak" on the TIE fighter wing but it was too late. As planned, the TIE fighter exploded, destroying the vessel and throwing all the stormtroopers onto the tarmac. TK-626 and his comrades survived the explosion but their armor was covered in purple paint. The paint bomb also created a starbird-shaped purple cloud that was seen by many Lothal locals. Sabine's diversion enabled her rebel friends on the Ghost to escape the city unnoticed.
===Bigger trouble===
As punishment for their failure to apprehend the graffiti artist Sabine Wren, TK-626 and MB-223 were not allowed to rotate for service aboard a Star Destroyer and were relegated to night patrol duty. Months after his encounter with Sabine, he and MB-223 were performing their 109th patrol of the airfield when they encountered Sabine while patrolling the wall on north side, sector nine. Having learnt that her rebel leader Kanan Jarrus was being imprisoned above Mustafar, Sabine and her friends decided to steal a transport from the airfield in order to rescue him.
TK-626 and MB-223 attempted to shoot Sabine but she dodged their blaster bolts. TK-626 alerted the other stormtroopers at the airfield who joined the pursuit. Eventually, Sabine leapt onto the fuselage of a TIE fighter. In the midst of the commotion, Sabine's rebel friends stole a Gozanti-class cruiser which began taking off from the airfield. Sabine escaped on the transport but not before leaving her signature parting gift. When TK-626 noticed the bombs attached to the assembled TIE fighters, he remarked "not again!" before diving for cover as the explosives destroyed an entire row of TIE fighters. TK-626 and MB-223 survived the explosion which also left behind a smoke plume in the shape of the starbird symbol. Humiliated for a second time, TK-626 bowed his head in shame.
==Equipment==
TK-626 wore a full set of stormtrooper armor and carried an E-11 medium blaster rifle.Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide
==Personality and traits==
TK-626 was a hardened bully who enjoyed intimidating other people. He was specifically recruited into the Empire's stormtroopers because of these traits. TK-626 often did not question orders or think for himself. He was not bothered when he lost his name and was given a stormtrooper designation, which became his new identity. As with many other stormtroopers, TK-626 hated rebels and sought to prove his loyalty to the Empire by capturing one. TK-626 and other stormtroopers also subscribed to a "Shoot first; ask questions later" mentality.
TK-626 also expected other sentient beings to automatically show him respect because he was a stormtrooper. TK-626 was irritated when he and MB-223 accidentally damaged several TIE fighters while hunting down the rebel Sabine Wren because they knew that the TIE pilots were very protective of their starships and enjoyed bullying the lower-ranking stormtroopers. TK-626's inability to "think outside the box" enabled Sabine to run circles around him and his comrades. In addition, TK-626 hated art and despised artists.
TK-626 also joined the Lothal stormtrooper corps because he hoped to be assign to a Star Destroyer which would allow him to travel the galaxy. As punishment for his failure to apprehend the rebel graffiti artist Sabine Wren, he and his comrade MB-223 were relegated to night patrol duty. Following the theft of a transport from the Imperial airfield, TK-626 feared being reassigned to permanent cleaning duty.
Despite being known for his mean streak TK-626 seemed to respect and work well with fellow stormtroopers and never targeted his bullying side towards his comrades.
==Behind the scenes==
TK-626 was created as a minor antagonist in the Star Wars Rebels television series, which premiered on Disney XD on October 13, 2014. He was given a point-of-view chapter in the Michael Kogge's children's spinoff chapter book Rise of the Rebels, which is based on episodes from the Star Wars Rebels TV series.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars Rebels: Rise of the Rebels 
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*Sabine's Art Attack
*Star Wars Rebels: Battle to the End
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==Sources==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Enlisted stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire
Category:Humans
Category:Males