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Rise of the Empire eraRebellion eraNew Republic eraNew Jedi Order era


Let's show these rebels what happens to traitors!
—Sozin Sakai

Sozin Sakai, nicknamed "Winged Gundark" and going by callsign Viper Eight, was a Seoularian human male ace TIE pilot in the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire. After being recognized as an elite pilot by Naval Command, Sozin was appointed as a pilot in the Venom Guard, an Imperial Navy Special Forces unit, or more specifically, the Guard's starfighter squadron, Viper Squadron. Sozin was originally from the planet of Seoul 5 in Wild Space, which was once the capitol of the ancient Seoularian empire. By Sozin's time, the Seoularian population dwindled to less than 1 million people. He did not have contact with the greater galaxy until 6 BBY, when a Viper probe droid rediscovered Seoul 5. Three years later in 3 BBY, Sozin decided to join the Galactic Empire after flying a TIE/In interceptor at the Imperial Airbase, near his hometown of Ornai.

He seemed to be a natural pilot, being as skilled as an average Imperial pilot when first trying to fly a TIE interceptor. The Naval Command and Admiralty were interested in his skills, and had planned for him to be put into the Navy special forces since he entered the academy. He became even more skilled training with them. In special forces, Sozin gained the nickname "Winged Gundark" for his high kill count. Though Sozin had no political views most of his life, he came to be devoted to the New Order. For his service, Sozin was awarded the Emperor's Will medal and given the title of Tan.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Can I try flying that one?
—Sozin pointing at a TIE interceptor

Sozin was born on Seoul 5, a terrestrial planet in Wild Space, in 19 BBY. It was a planet with no contact to the greater galaxy, though, as records of Seoul 5 were lost in the aftermath of the Rakatan Infinite Empire's collapse thousands of years before his birth. Sozin was among the last remaining Seoularians, as their population dwindled after thousands of years of regress in technology due to the Rakatans. In his early childhood, he did not do much.

However, in 6 BBY, a probe droid scouting for a new planet to build one of Emperor Palpatine's storehouses on found the planet. Following contact with the Seoularians, the Empire established an airbase on Seoul 5, outside his hometown of Ornai. The town itself was recognized as the capitol and became the only spaceport on the planet as news of it's discovery spread. Sozin made friends with Verox Jemson, a TIE pilot in the Imperial Navy about his age.

At some point after they became friends, Verox took Sozin to the airbase after the latter requested to see some of the technology there. Sozin grew up with relatively low technology that was considered by the rest of the galaxy to be low quality at best. Verox complied, and during the tour of the airbase, he showed Sozin the hangar. He became interested with the TIE fighters there, and requested to try piloting one. Verox reluctantly let him get into the cockpit of an interceptor, but not fly it. Sozin then simply took off in the interceptor hi self after studying the controls thoroughly. Taking it for a flight over Ornai, he returned it to the hangar with slight difficulty. By the time he returned, a group of base personnel, including the commander, were waiting. Verox yelled at him for stealing it, but the base commander was impressed that someone that had no experience with starfighters, much less other technology that was considered a standard in most of the galaxy, could fly it well.

Within several weeks following the incident, the base commander encouraged Sozin to try again. He gladly accepted, and flew various TIE series spacecraft. His favorite was the interceptor, though he admitted that he had some difficulty piloting it. Sozin often flew the standard TIE/ln starfighter and TIE Light Duty for more practice. The base commander realized that Sozin was a natural pilot, and contacted Naval Command with a description of the occurrence. He himself did not expect a response, but Naval Command was in need of elite pilots for a new special forces unit, and were pleased with the finding. They told the commander to get Sozin to join the Navy.

At age 17, in 3 BBY, the commander told Sozin that he could be highly successful if he joined the Navy. Desperate to see the galaxy, Sozin gladly accepted the offer. He was sent to the Cattamascar Naval Academy, a small training school for TIE pilots in Wild Space.

Imperial Academy[]

Sozin Sakai 1

Sozin upon graduating.

Welcome to Cattamascar, cadets. For the next two years you will come to loathe me and this planet. But if you survive, you'll thank me.
—Instructor to naval cadets

At Cattamascar, Sozin began his training as a pilot of the Imperial Navy. It was a minor academy on the frontier, used by the Empire to train pilots from remote locations. Because of that, the academy suffered from lack of funding and equipment that institutions such as the Bastion Military Academy and the Carida Imperial Military Academy had plenty of. The pilots who graduated were looked down upon by officers, who dismissed any graduate of Cattamascar as an unskilled backwoodsman. As a result, many graduates became stationed at remote, backwater garrison bases. The instructors at the academy also had different teaching methods than most Imperial Naval Colleges, due to the lack of equipment. It caused more physical training and less flight training, and thus cadets had to spend more time there than at other institutions.

Sozin was reasonably fit, and got used to the physical training after several weeks. He noted there were a small number of cadets at the academy. After a couple of weeks with just physical training, the cadets began the piloting simulations. The simulators were programmed for them to fly regular TIE fighters in the beginning, for them to master the controls. Having flown various TIEs back on Seoul 5, he mastered them before anyone else. By the time everyone was reaching an intermediate level, Sozin was an ace in the simulators. The instructors made note of his progress, and tracked it. Sozin seemed emotionless, though, and did not say anything to anyone else about his skill, such as bragging.

Several months into the training, they preformed mock squad dogfights. Two squads of fifteen people each, with five flying regular TIEs, five flying TIE/gt starfighters, and five flying TIE Vanguards. The simulation normally lasted twenty minutes, but this one ended up being only nine. Sozin preformed well, flying a regular TIE. He eliminated eight of the fifteen opponents. The instructors and cadets alike were impressed, congratulating Sozin afterwards. He thanked them politely, and began to talk of it more, but not enough to make himself look like a bragger. He was at the top of the class.

The instructors, wanting Sozin's talent to not go wasted, update the Airbase commander's file on Sozin to Naval Command. They forgot about him the entire time, and upon finding him at Cattamascar, ordered Sozin to be transferred to the more prestigious Imperial City Naval College. There, he continued the portion of his training. Though he missed much at the Cattamascar academy that Imperial City cadets received, Sozin proved to be more skilled than the rest of his class after entering the simulators. At that point, rumors spread throughout the college of the "mysterious Wild Space frontiersman ace", and his reputation grew. Sozin enjoyed it.

Sozin was even invited to an officers' ball at the Imperial Palace by an admiral named Ozai Azulon. He was head of a Navy special forces unit known as the Venom Guard, and wished to access Sozin before accepting him into special forces. During the ball, Sozin talked to him briefly, and Ozai determined that he would be sent on missions as part of a different unit first. Afterwards, Sozin's reputation became even higher for being invited to an officers' event by an admiral.

In 1 BBY, he graduated at the top of his class. Sozin was placed into the 188th Imperial Fighter Wing. He took pride of his decision in joining the Empire. Seoul 5 and Cattamascar were too remote to hear news of the atrocities and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, while Coruscant was too propagandized to learn of it. Thus, Sozin had no idea of what the Empire did. He was given the rank of lieutenant.

First Blood[]

Sozin Sakai's TIE

Sozin's TIE fighter.

I do not know what these Confederate Remnant people are trying to accomplish, but whatever it was, it is now cancelled. Permanently.
—Sozin before the battle of Iskalon

As part of his first assignment, Sozin was sent to a battleground with the 188th. What he did not know was that Admiral Azulon specifically requested the transfer so that Sozin's combat piloting skills would be tested. A Confederate Remnant group, remaining loyalists of the Confederacy of Independent Systems defeated during the Clone Wars, had popped up mysteriously in the Mid Rim, on the aquatic planet of Iskalon. There, the Confederate Remnant Navy was preparing to invade other Imperial systems, and the 188th was deployed to stop them.

At Iskalon, the 188th was scrambled from three Victory II-class frigates that were sent. Their mission was to get passed swarms of vulture droids (which outnumbered them 4 to 1) and destroy the Providence-class battleship used by the remnant navy as their flagship. Sozin flew a regular TIE fighter, something the other pilots complained about. As they entered the swarms, Sozin had a fairly easy time shooting them down, scoring many kills. During the fight, he did not proceed to the enemy vessel as the mission objective stated. His comrades did not care as long as he kept the vultures off their backs.

Eventually, the enemy battleship was destroyed. By the time that happened, Sozin had scored 47 kills after an hour of fighting. His TIE took minor damage, though he was able to get it to the hangar. A Super Star Destroyer known as the Yamato was observing the battle the entire time, and ordered Sozin to get aboard. An unidentified Imperial admiral congratulated him on passing, but when Sozin asked what he passed, the admiral ignored him. The Yamato went to the lifeless Dominus system.

Into SpecForces[]

Viper Eight

Sozin flying through the system.

After entering the system, the destroyer Yamato ordered Sozin to scout a planet nearby. Shortly after he left the hangar in his TIE from the last battle, the Yamato left the system. Sozin panicked, and tried to desperately contact help from the nearest fleets and bases. However, his comms were jammed. After flying around for about twenty minutes, an Imperial-class Star Destroyer emerged out of no where. The comms officer ordered Sozin to land in the aft hangar bay.

There, he was greeted by Admiral Azulon. He informed Sozin that he made a test for the pilot by having him attack a Confederate remnant fleet. He passed, by surviving and getting a high kill count. Sozin was then made a member of the Venom Guard, a unit of the best TIE pilots, Navy troopers, gunners, crewmen, and marines of the Imperial Fleet. The unit preformed special operations directly for Naval Command.

After introducing Sozin to the rest of the Venom Guard's pilots, Viper Squadron, the heavily modified Star Destroyer Cerberus (equipped with even a cloaking device) left the system.

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