Cinda Tarheel was a Captain in the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic civil war, and a member of Rogue Squadron.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Cinda Tarheel was born on the planet Socorro at the end of the clone wars. Cinda was raised in one of Socorro's major cities, and gained skills such as hand-to-hand combat, and fast reactions and thinking in order to survive in the planet's criminal-dominated society. Tarheel eventually became a smuggler when she joined the crew of a ship known as The Stellar-Wyrm.
Smuggler[]
The crew of The Stellar Wyrm (usually referred to as simply; The Wyrm) initially consisted of Tarheel, Zaag Vayhk, a Duros former hyperspace scout who became Cinda's mentor, BoShek, a Corellian smuggler and a mysterious and possibly force-sensitive Falleen known as Xeron.
BoShek soon left the crew, but their smuggling operations continued effectively without him. Until the crew began to have an increasing number of encounters with the Empire. Tensions arose as Cinda expressed desires to fight against imperial atrocities and often attempted to disrupt Imperial activities during their smuggling missions. While Xeron insisted that they should only look after themselves.
On the planet Durkteel, Xeron abandoned Zaag to a group of ferocious Trandoshan pirates and used his pheromones to seduce Cinda into taking off in The Wyrm. Once the ship was in space, the pheromones began to wear off and Cinda was about to turn the ship back when Xeron forcibly kissed her. Cinda struggled against Xeron but the pheromones reasserted their control over her. Cinda returned Xeron's physical advances and allowed him to take her to his sleeping quarters on the ship, where he kissed her neck and commanded her to remove her clothing. Cinda was saved when The Wyrm came out of hyperspace in the middle of a battle between the Rebellion and the Empire; providing a distraction to the pheromones which allowed her to fight back against Xeron and lock him in the sleeping quarters.
The Wyrm became damaged in the battle and Cinda was forced to make a crash landing on a nearby planet. Cinda left Xeron trapped in the wreckage of The Wyrm walked a long distance to the nearest settlement. Cinda heard that the Kashyyyk System had been placed under a blockade, making it impossible for her to return to Durkteel to rescue Zaag.
Cinda decided to join the rebellion and accompanied them to their base on Yavin.
The battle of Hoth[]
During the battle of Hoth,Cinda Tarheel served as a gunner in a T-47 airspeeder piloted by Nala Hetsime.
Captive on Serphidi[]
Luke Skywalker, Cinda, and Berl where sent on a mission to establish a rebel presence on Serphidi; a planet located in the Belial system, which was a potential stage for an imperial sneak attack. As the pilots arrived in the Belial System, they were ambushed by four TIE fighters,the imperials were defeated in the dogfight, but Cinda's x-wing's engine was damaged. Cinda Tarheel skillfully maneuvered a crash-landing on the nearby planet's surface. Shortly after Berl and Luke landed, the rebels were attacked by native Serps, led by Serphidi's imperial-leaning King, S'shah. Cinda and Berl were hit by the Serp's energy lances,while Luke Skywalker managed to dodge the lances and fought back with his blaster, but was son forced to retreat. When a Serp named Chahis reported that Berl was dead, and Cinda unconscious, King S'shah decided not to pursue Luke.
Cinda was taken back to Shah's castle, where the King had her dressed in a beautiful gown and brought before him. Cinda believed that the King wanted to marry her, but he revealed that he intended to eat her and was merely toying with her by subjecting her to his seemingly lustful acts.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker was being trained by a Serp known as Elglih, to compete against S'shah in the upcoming 'doom joust', if Skywalker defeated S'shah,the Serp king's reign over the planet would end. While Cinda Tarheel was being dressed for the joust she fought her way through two guards,and tried to escape to the outer walls, but S'shah loomed behind her, pleased to see 'fire' within her, the King placed his hand over her mouth, muffling her cry, and struck her across the face, knocking Cinda to the floor. When the joust began, Cinda was seated next to S'shah in the royal viewing box. Elglih was announced as the first and only challenger, but the aged Serp requested that Luke Skywalker would be allowed to fight on his behalf. When Cinda and Luke recognised each other, S'shah accepted the challenge. Luke eventually won the joust, and allowed Elglih to be King instead of him, though of course with a strong bond to the Rebel Alliance. As Cinda Tarheel and Luke Skywalker left Serphidi, Cinda mourned Berl's death, and they both agreed that he would have been happy knowing that he died on a mission brought freedom to the galaxy.
Personality and traits[]
Cinda Tarheel was confident and fast-talking. She could sometimes make reckless decisions, but she relied on her fast reflexes and quick-thinking to escape dangerous situations. Cinda was a skilled gunner and pilot, this was shown when she served as a gunner in the battle of Hoth, shot down a TIE fighter, and landed a critically damaged X-wing fighter. She was quick to talk back to her enemies and captors, but also seemed vulnerable and afraid by the threat of being eaten by S'shah, and was outraged when she thought that he intended to make her his bride. She was also proud of her status as a Captain in the Rebel Alliance. Tarheel was capable of feeling regret and mourning, as evidenced by her reaction to Berl's death.
Physical appearance[]
Cinda Tarheel had long,dark hair, and blue eyes, and a slim build. She was considered attractive by many people.
Behind the scenes[]
Cinda Tarheel first appeared in Star Wars#64:Serphidian Eyes,written by David Micheline, and penciled by Joe Brozowski. She was also referenced in Star Wars the Essential Guide to Warfare, by Jason Fry; where she was referenced as being a gunner in the battle of hoth.