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Rise of the Empire eraRebellion eraNew Republic eraNew Jedi Order eraLegacy era


The Empire decided to have me killed because I found out more than I was supposed to. And if you listen to me, you might find out what that is.
—Kiyoshi Kabayama to a Rebel agent

Kiyoshi Kabayama, nicknamed Frost for his cold personality, was a Human male combat pilot who originally served the Galactic Empire, later defecting to the Alliance to Restore the Republic and serving in the succeeding New Republic, though eventually defecting to the Imperial Remnant. He was a skilled pilot, becoming a flying ace with a total of 97 confirmed kills by the end of his military career. Kabayama was born into an upper class family on the planet of Belazura in the Colonies. His parents were rich individuals, though both him and his brother, Kenji Kabayama, sought careers in the military.

In 2 BBY, at the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the Imperial Navy, and since his parents were rich supporters of Emperor Palpatine, he got into the Imperial City Naval College. He excelled there, and Darth Vader learned of him. As an example, Vader decided to challenge Kabayama to a duel and kill him, to pass the message on to other cadets that there was always someone better. However, Kabayama was able to defeat the Dark Lord of the Sith in a dogfight, which caused Vader to hate him. Kabayama went on to graduate in 0 ABY at the rank of junior lieutenant.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Kiyoshi Kabayama was born in 19 BBY on Belazura, a rich planet in the Colonies. He was born into the Kabayama Family, one of the two sons of Ito and Yamaya, the other being Kenji. His father, Ito, was a businessman who ran much of the companies on Belazura, while his mother, Yamaya, was the senator for the planet in the Galactic Republic Senate. She was one of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's strongest supporters in the Senate, which paid off after the Declaration of the New Order. Yamaya was made the head of the Imperial Ministry of Finance, which made the Kabayama Family even richer.

Kabayama attended several private schools on Belazura, though his grades were often low. He did not like school and preferred spending his time flying a Z-95 Headhunter that his father purchased him. Kabayama flew it through the many mountains of his homeworld since receiving it at age fourteen, target practicing on various objects and sometimes pesky predators that local farmers needed removed. His brother, meanwhile, was a skilled marksman, who liked to hunt often. The two knew of their own skills, and often taught each other sharpshooting and piloting, respectively.

As a result, Kabayama became a good pilot and had decent skills with a blaster. Both of them started thinking of joining the Galactic Empire, which their mother supported, due to her position. Kabayama continued to practice his piloting, even longer than before. He was not a very social person, described by some as being cold. By 3 BBY, he had stopped meeting with the few friends he had and devoted his time to piloting, and a few other skills. At the same time, Kabayama became an avid follower of galactic politics, and supported the ideals of the New Order.

Finally, in 2 BBY, at the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the Imperial Navy. Using his mother's connections, Kabayama was accepted into the Imperial City Naval College, a prestigious pilot school on Coruscant.

At the Academy[]

TIEgt

A TIE/gt fighter-bomber.

Cadet Kabayama appears to be far ahead of the other cadets, I recommend a placement in an advanced class.
—Instructor

Kabayama began training as a combat pilot at the Naval College on Coruscant, though he was far ahead of most of the other cadets due to his practicing back on Belazura. It was noticed not too long after classes began, and he was moved into an advanced class. There, he was trained with a handful of other cadets with TIE Light Duty fighters and TIE/gt starfighter-bombers. He excelled, and was ahead of even the other skilled cadets. The instructors noticed that as well, and later, Darth Vader heard of it in a report.

Vader arrived at the College, and viewed a parade by the cadets, including Kabayama. Afterwards, he gave a brief speech to the assembled cadets, and then had them return to celebrating. However, Vader called up Kabayama and challenged him to a dogfight. He wanted to make an example to the other cadets. The message was that there were always more skilled individuals, and the cadets were to not think too highly of themselves. They would fight in standard TIE/ln fighters. However, the one used by Vader would be armed with actual cannons rather than the EMP stun cannons that Kabayama's TIE was equipped with.

The fight began over the training grounds, but Vader purposely forced Kabayama to fly towards the commons courtyard, so all of the cadets could witness the fight and get Vader's message. As they continued dogfighting, Vader looked like he was on the verge of killing Kabayama. However, the young pilot executed an evasive maneuver that put him behind Vader's TIE. Vader, who was expecting a quick victory, was not expecting it. Vader attempted to get clear, but Kabayama then proceeded to shoot down Vader's TIE with his EMP guns, causing him to crash in front of everyone.

The Dark Lord of the Sith, humiliated, made something else up, saying that it was a test for the young pilot. He then thought about killing some of Kabayama's family members in return, but later found out that his mother was the Minister of Finance, and more importantly, respected by the Emperor for her loyalty in his rise to power. Kabayama himself was proud of himself for the victory, and was glad that he managed to defeat the Sith in front of everyone. It heightened his already good reputation at the Naval College, and both impressed and intimidated his instructors. The rest of the cadets were in awe. But from that point, Vader had a hatred for the pilot.

Nonetheless, Kabayama continued to excel at the College and further impress his already awed superiors. He went on to graduate at the top of his class after more training, which he did not have a hard time with. Other cadets sometimes asked him to teach them some good maneuvers, though Kabayama usually refused. Upon graduating in 0 ABY, he received the rank of junior lieutenant and a placement with the 349th Imperial Fighter Wing.

Serving the Empire[]

Anti-piracy operations[]

Pilot: “Those Headhunters sure have powerful cannons!
Kabayama: “Supplied to them by the Rebels, no doubt.
— Kabayama and another pilot

As a junior lieutenant in the 349th Fighter Wing, Kabayama was stationed aboard a Carrack-class light cruiser in the Outer Rim Territories. There, the 349th was tasked with keeping down pirate attacks. The first location the worked at was Javin, a major hub for a pirate group known as the Mugaari pirates. Their early actions involved patrolling, in which Kabayama witnessed the deaths of many civilians as a result of pirate attacks when they found transports that were their victims.

Cargo ships and TIE

Kabayama preparing to attack several pirate transports.

Their first action came several weeks into the operation, over Javin. A small flotilla of pirate vessels, mainly modified freighters guarded by Z-95 head hunters, was attempting to land at a hideout that was raided by stormtroopers days earlier. Kabayama and his squadron, flying TIE/ln starfighters, engaged and fought the Z-95 pilots. Taken by surprise, the fighter escorts were defeated with almost no casualties. Kabayama himself scored several kills with his fighter, noting that the surprised pirates were easier to take on than most of the cadets back at the Naval College.

Following the skirmish, he was awarded the Imperial Medal of Horror, which was given to pilots who completed their first combat mission. In the following days, Kabayama and his unit flew several sorties against spacecraft that were suspected of being pirate vessels. They were not always correct suspicions, as Kabayama learned, but he carried out his orders nonetheless. The Mugaari pirates, noticing the brutality and relentlessness that the Empire showed in trying to hunt them down, asked the Alliance to Restore the Republic for aid. The Rebel Alliance Intelligence helped the pirates by upgrading their weaponry and giving their ships badly needed maintenance. They also gave them old starfighters that the Alliance Fleet no longer had use for.

Meanwhile, Kabayama was given upgrades to his TIE with heavy rockets, more advanced targeting systems, and stronger laser cannons. It was for becoming an "ace in a day" during the skirmish with the pirates (achieving five or more kills in one battle). The 349th was deployed again to hunt the system for pirates, which Imperial Intelligence suspected were planning another attack to avenge their prior defeats. In a plan for a trap of the pirates to finally defeat them, Kabayama was to pilot a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, the Mogami, which the pirates would believe was transporting officers. As they attacked, the 349th would deploy from their hiding place on the other side of Javin's small moon. The pirates would be overwhelmed.

The operation initially proceeded smoothly. Kabayama piloted the Mogami after the Empire allowed the pirates to acquire false intelligence that led them to believe that there were officials aboard the shuttle. The pirate fleet attacked, though Kabayama prevented them from hitting the Mogami with evasive maneuvering. The 349th attacked afterwards, destroying much of the Z-95 head hunters and Y-wings. But the victory was short lived as a fleet of unmarked bulk cruisers appeared and deployed M-wing fighters.

Mogami

His shuttle during the battle.

Kabayama joined the fray by flying through the battle area and distracting enemy fighters. He himself did not achieve any kills, but managed to get two M-wings to crash into each other. They were large and bulky fighters, which made them easy targets for the 349th pilots. The battle was over fairly quickly, and the bulk cruisers were pursued across the system briefly by TIE Vanguards. Though several of them were damaged, they all escaped. Following the battle, Kabayama was awarded the Imperial Medal of Guile and Imperial Medal of Liberty for his actions, as well as a promotion to senior lieutenant.

Routing the Rebels[]

I do not care who the enemy is. All I am concerned about is killing them.
—Kabayama to another pilot

After the victory at Javin, Senior Lieutenant Kabayama was transferred out of the 349th and was assigned to the elite Upsilon Squadron. It was a unit of TIE/ln pilots that was used for special missions. In 1 ABY, the squadron was called in by Admiral Krieg Kanzler of the Outer Rim Imperial Fleet. With the Fleet, they patrolled the more remote and lawless sectors of the Rim, often fighting criminal groups such as the Black Sun and the Hutt Cartel. For his actions, he was promoted to captain and given the Imperial Medallion of Service. He became experienced with unorthodox fighter tactics that the criminals used against the squadron, but expressed dismay at not being able to face the Rebels.

In 2 ABY, Kabayama got his wish. Near the end of their tour of duty on the fringes of the Rim, Upsilon Squadron was called in to defend a space station from a Rebel attack force. Intelligence falsely made the Rebels believe that the station was a a Navy storage depot. When the Empire defended it, the battle was to be propagandized as a valiant defense of civilian lives. In what became known as the Battle of Otor's Hub, the pilots of Upsilon Squadron fought with ferocity against numerically superior Rebel fighters. Kabayama engaged and destroyed 27 enemy fighters in that battle, the highest kill count out of his squadron. The Rebel forces retreated after losing 73 ships. It was Kabayama's first fight against the Rebel Alliance, and it was successful. For their defense, all a Imperial pilots (even the dead ones, posthumously) were awarded the Hero of the Empire.

The pilots of the squadron were given a break from combat for their service. Kabayama spent the last months of that year patrolling in the Mid Rim, aboard a Lancer-class frigate. He contacted his brother Kenji, whom he had no communication for the past several years. Kenji informed him that he was serving as an Imperial Army sergeant. His younger brother was stationed on a planet in the Expansion Region. Several months prior, Kenji earned the Imperial Medal of Skill during a battle. Kabayama told him of his successes, and they both were glad for each other.

A Treacherous Mission[]

Finally, in 3 ABY, Kabayama's short leave was over. However, Darth Vader had not forgotten the humiliation Kabayama gave him back on Coruscant. Rather than allow the decorated ace pilot return to his unit, Vader personally assigned him to a special mission. Kabayama had not forgotten either, and was suspicious of Vader's actions. The ace pilot remained cautious. Placed under command of Admiral Klavisar Metaxes, Kabayama was to take part in an assault on the planet of Sepan. There, his task would be to destroy Rebel encampments. According to Vader, the Rebels were committing massacres against the civilian population.

Scimitar assault bomber

His Scimitar assault bomber.

Kabayama had no choice but to accept the operation. He was sent to the planet's surface alone, where he bombed Rebel positions in his Scimitar assault bomber. Upon completing the task fairly easily, Kabayama grew suspicious again. He was sure Vader would not send him on such a simple operation, to destroy a few bunkers. After hearing large explosions nearby, he piloted his bomber north, finding a village. There he witnessed a horrific site; Imperial Security Bureau personnel committing a massacre of civilians. It was actually the Empire responsible for the genocide. Kabayama's TIE was noticed, and he was told to land and be arrested for being in a restricted area. He was not supposed to have seen the massacre officially, but Vader knew his curiosity would get the best of him.

Rather than listen to that, he flew back to his Star Destroyer. The crew was not yet informed about what occurred. Officially a wanted criminal of the Empire, Kabayama hijacked the shuttle Mogami from a hangar bay and began leaving the system. Vader informed Metaxes that Kabayama committed a "treasonous act" and to told the admiral to scramble a TIE squadron. He knew that Kabayama would be able to defeat them fairly easily, but wanted even more reason to have the pilot arrested. The TIEs were scrambled but were unable to catch up to him before he left the system.

Enemy of the Empire[]

On the Run[]

We are former Imperials wanting to defect.
—Kabayama to a Rebel

Following Kabayama's escape, Vader angrily ordered the execution of the pilot's family members. On Coruscant, his mother, Minister of Finance Yamaya Kabayama, was informed by two ISB agents of her son's "treachery" before being gunned down in her office. His father, businessman Ito Kabayama, was killed in a drive by committed by agents working out of the ISB office on Belazura. However, due to his lower status, his brother was initially overlooked by Vader. So upon not getting responses when contacting his parents, Kabayama tried to contact his younger brother. Telling him what happened, Kenji was horrified. Kabayama told him that the Empire would most likely want him dead as well. Kenji suggested that they go underground.

Kabayama went to the planet that Kenji was stationed at in the Mogami. Picking him up the two departed to Nar Shaddaa. There, the two ditched their Imperial uniforms and acquired blasters. Kenji purposed that they work as a team of bounty hunters. However, Kabayama sought to join the Rebels, to get revenge on Vader for destroying his successful career and killing their parents. Kenji liked that idea more, and the two used the Mogami to go to Otor's Hub, a black market station that he helped defend earlier. He was sure that Alliance Intelligence had assets there by then.

Aboard the station, they made contact with one Rebel agent, but he was suspicious of them and thought they could have been Imperial Intelligence operatives. Kabayama explained their situation, and managed to convince the agent to let them join the Rebellion. The agent passed the information on to Alliance Security Agency, who interrogated the two defectors, before allowing to join the Alliance Army (Kenji) and Fleet (Kiyoshi).

Battle of Endor[]

M-wing

Kabayama flying an M-class starfighter with the Alliance fleet (bottom centre).

After screening, Kabayama was given the rank of lieutenant in the Alliance Starfighter Corps. Meanwhile, his brother became an infantry corporal in the Alliance Army. Due to lack of other fighters, Kabayama was issued an M-class starfighter, a larger variant of the Y-wing. The technicians apologized for having to give him that rather than an X-wing, but after a few flights in it, Kabayama told them he liked the fighter. It was large and bulky, making it difficult to maneuver, but it had a lot of weapons, which he liked.

Several months later in 4 ABY, Kabayama was assigned to the main fleet that was amassing near Sullust for an attack on the Second Death Star at Endor. Stationed aboard a Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser, he was one of the few pilots using an M-class starfighter in the fleet. When they entered the system, he immediately deployed and began engaging TIE fighters. Kabayama felt that he was actually committing treason upon shooting down several TIEs, but at the same time felt that it was the fault of Vader for betraying him.

Finally, near the end of the battle, Kabayama began bombing Imperial capitol ships. He mainly targeted the Executor, the flagship of Vader, even though he knew that the Sith was not aboard. Kabayama was glad when a Rebel pilot kamikazed into the bridge of the Star Destroyer, which caused it to collapse into the Second Death Star and blow up. When the battle ended not too long afterwards with the destruction of the Second Death Star, he did not celebrate with everyone else, since he still felt loyalty to the Empire, not the Rebellion.

Days later, Kabayama and the other Alliance personnel who fought in the battle were awarded the Battle of Endor Hero's Medal. He pledged loyalty to the new Alliance of Free Planets, the interim government set up by the Rebels.

The New Republic[]

Tour of duty[]

Well, Vader and Palpatine are thankfully gone . . . but was it worth the fragmentation of the Empire?
—Kabayama to his brother

In the following months, Kabayama and his brother continued service under the New Republic. They fought on different fronts, mainly throughout the Outer Rim, against the fragmented Imperial forces. Kabayama tried to stay out of the action to avoid killing less Imperials, to whom he still felt loyal to. At the same time, though, he was glad that Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader were gone. One of his most notable actions was on Milagro, an industrial planet in the Expansion Region. In the three-month siege of the planet, the New Republic defeated Imperial forces.

In 7 ABY, Kabayama took part in the liberation of Coruscant. He flew his M-wing during the battle and mainly engaged TIE bombers in Imperial City, and bombed TIE ground facilities. He had dogfights with a flight of TIE/In interceptors, in which his craft was heavily damaged, but he emerged victorious, clearing the way for ground troops to the Imperial Palace. His brother fought as a lieutenant in the ground forces, and took part in the firefight against General Tal Ashen's troops for control of the Palace.

After the battle, adding to Kabayama's faltering loyalty to the Republic, his brother resigned from the Army and told him he had no reason to continue fighting for them anymore. The Empire was in a too weakened state to hunt for them, and had more important things to deal with. Kenji stated he was going to become a bounty hunter, something he had been thinking of doing ever since he suggested it back on Otor's Hub. Kabayama was awarded the Corellian Cross and the Medal of Honor for his actions.

For the next several years, Kabayama served the New Republic, but is lack of loyalty for it grew. He got himself transferred to a logistical unit to avoid fighting Imperials. After the death of Grand Admiral Thrawn, he thought about defecting to the Empire, but then Palpatine returned as a clone. Hating him, Kabayama decided to stay away. In 12 ABY, after Gilad Pellaeon established the Imperial Remnant, Kabayama chose to defect.

Defection[]

When on duty in the Outer Rim, Kabayama piloted his M-wing to the nearest Imperial world. There, he asked for to defect to the Remnant, but as the Imperial authorities searched their records and saw that he was wanted, they put him into a jail. Pellaeon, who had heard of the incident in his early days in the Empire, visited the jail and talked to Kabayama. He pardoned the pilot of his "crime" and erased it from the records. He was reinstated with his rank of captain.

Into the Remnant[]

Kabayama served the Imperial Navy of the Remnant for a number of years, earning the Imperial Medal of Skill, Imperial Medal of Loyalty, and Imperial Medal of Order. Kabayama eventually reached the rank of colonel, and was placed in command of the 791st Imperial Fighter Wing. He saw action during the Yuuzhan Vong War, during which his brother Kenji was killed in. After the war, he was awarded the Imperial Medal of Victory.

He retired in 39 ABY, and passed away several years later on Bastion in 52 ABY, alone.

Personality and Traits[]

Kabayama was described to have a cold personality, and was noted for having a lack of empathy. In some cases, he even enjoyed killing enemies. He especially hated the Yuuzhan Vong and viewed killing them as a game. That, combined with his piloting skill, made his subordinates and superiors both fear and respect him. By the end of his career, Kabayama was one of the highest scoring Imperial Navy pilots.

He was a loyal Imperial, even after the Empire began declining. He did not blame the Empire for the deaths of his parents, but Darth Vader, whom he had a hatred for afterwards. That is why he felt the Empire's defeat at Endor was necessary, so that Vader and Palpatine, whom he viewed to be too ambitious for the good of the Empire, were killed. Following the Liberation of Coruscant in 7 ABY, Kabayama attempted to stay out of the fighting New Republic squadrons to avoid killing Imperials.

One of the only people he seemed to care for was his brother Kenji, who travelled with him throughout his career in the Empire, Alliance, and New Republic. When he died at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong, Kabayama was infuriated, which caused his hatred for the aliens to grow.

Family[]

Blue Glass Arrow Main article: Kabayama Family

Born into the powerful Kabayama Family, he was the son of Yamaya Kabayama, a former senator and the Minister of Finance for the Empire, and Ito Kabayama, an influential businessman who controlled most of the companies on Belzura. His brother was Kenji Kabayama, who was one year younger than him, and was in the Imperial Army as a sergeant.

Decorations[]

Throughout his service, Kabayama earned a total of twelve military decorations.

Galactic Empire[]

Rebel Alliance[]

New Republic[]

Imperial Remnant[]

Spacecraft[]

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