Jendon

Jendon
Descriptive information
Species	Human
Hair color	Graying
Skin color	Light
Chronological and political information
Affiliation(s)	Galactic Empire Imperial Navy's officer corps Imperial Starfighter Corps

"You are clear to proceed."
"We're starting our approach."

―Jad Bean and Captain Yorr as Yorr and Jendon being their approach

Jendon was a colonel of the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy who co-piloted the Sith Lord Darth Vader's shuttle, ST 321, with Captain Yorr. In 4 ABY, they transported Vader from the Star Destroyer Avenger to the Death Star II superweapon while in the Endor system. During the Battle of Endor, Jendon then piloted a TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter against the Alliance to Restore the Republic, although the Empire was ultimately defeated and the Death Star destroyed.

Biography

Captain's co-pilot

"Command station, this is ST-321, code clearance blue. We are starting our approach. Deactivate the security shield."
"The security deflector shield will be deactivated when we have confirmation of your code transmission. Stand by."

―Captain Yorr and Jad Bean

Jendon (right) and Yorr piloted the shuttle ST 321 while transporting Darth Vader to the second Death Star in the Endor system.

Jendon was a human who served the Galactic Empire and held the rank of colonel in the Imperial Navy's officer corps while working as co-pilot of ST 321, the Sith Lord Darth Vader's Lambda-class T-4a shuttle. In 4 ABY, Jendon piloted the shuttle alongside Captain Yorr when it departed from the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Avenger's hangar while the Star Destroyer was in the Endor system near the construction site of the incomplete Death Star II superweapon in orbit over the moon Endor.

Escorted by two TIE/ln space superiority starfighters that also exited the hangar, Jendon and Yorr flew ST 321 toward the Death Star in order to transport Vader there. During the journey, Yorr informed the Death Star of the shuttle's approach over comms and asked flight controller Jad Bean to deactivate the battle station's shields. Once Bean had received the shuttle's transmission codes, he temporarily deactivated a section of the shields and cleared them to land, allowing Yorr and Jendon to pilot the shuttle into one of the Death Star's hangars as their TIE escort departed. On board the Death Star, Vader exited the shuttle and meet with Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod in the hangar to discuss the station's construction.

Death Star defender

"Fighters coming in!"

―Lando Calrissian spots the Imperial starfighters at the Battle of Endor

Jendon piloted a TIE Defender during the Battle of Endor.

Vader was soon joined on the Death Star by Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine, who put a plan into action to lure the fleet of the Alliance to Restore the Republic into attacking the Death Star so that he could end the Galactic Civil War by destroying them with the station's fully functional superlaser. With Palpatine's presence and the station's incomplete status as bait, the Alliance fell for the trap and launched an assault. As soon as its fleet arrived in the Endor system, the rebels were surrounded by Imperial forces and engaged in combat. Jendon was amongst those who flew against them, piloting a TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter as part of the Starfighter Corps near the Death Star.

Palpatine ordered that only the Empire's starfighters engage the rebel fleet and had the Imperial capital ships hold their fire, as he wished to send a message by having the Death Star's superlaser pick off the Alliance's major vessels. Ultimately rebel forces on the moon succeeded in deactivating the Death Star's shield generator, which allowed the rebel fleet to destroy the Death Star and defeat the remaining Imperials present.

Personality and traits

Jendon had light skin and graying hair.

Equipment

Jendon wore a black Imperial officer's uniform including an Imperial kepi with an officer's disk while piloting ST 321. During the Battle of Endor, the colonel flew a new variant of the TIE/d "Defender" armed with proton cannons. The vessel was also equipped with computer-assisted handling and incorporated secret Chiss engineering.

Behind the scenes

Mike Havrod portrayed Jendon and Chiraneau in Return of the Jedi and an Imperial Officer (pictured) in A New Hope.

Jendon appeared in the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which was released on March 25, 1983. Mike Havord portrayed the character uncredited and also appeared as Admiral Chiraneau in the film. According to actor Kenneth Coombs, Havrod had also portrayed an Imperial officer in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, although this character has not been identified as Jendon, Chiraneau, or a separate individual.

The shuttle cockpit scenes were filmed on Stage 6 at Elstree Studios between March 24 and March 31, 1982. According to actor Jasper Jacob, who portrayed Yorr, the pair's scene took two days of filming with director Richard Marquand directing both days.

In the current Star Wars canon, Jendon's name was first used in a preview for the Battle Over Endor Scenario Pack set for Atomic Mass Games' Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition board game posted on February 5, 2024. In the Star Wars Legends continuity, Jendon was first identified in 2000 on cards in the "Death Star II Limited" set for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game published by Decipher, Inc.

Appearances

• Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)

Sources

• Star Wars: X-Wing — Battle Over Endor Imperial Preview on Atomic Mass Games' official website (backup link) (First identified as Jendon)
• Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition — Battle Over Endor Scenario Pack (Card: Colonel Jendon)
• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: A Visual Archive (Picture only)