Bio:
Commander Dave Ru'kaart was born on the planet of Salhar VII, in the Garna system. He joined the crew of a Corellian Corvette Aquis I at the age of 20. After a few years he transferred over to the Escort Carrier Na'zar'ah and quickly rose through the ranks to become captain of the Na'zar'ah in four short years. However, during that fourth year the Na'zar'ah was destroyed during a raid on a neutral platform by two pirate groups that had joined forces to take the supplies. Dave and most of the crew were able to escape in pods and shuttles.
Four months before the Battle of Hoth, Ru'kaart joined the Rebellion to help their cause. He was assigned the position of a Lieutenant on the Corvette Galla. During the evacuation, the captain of the Galla was injured by some falling ice; Dave helped him onto the ship, then assumed command and got the ship to safety. Afterward, he was promoted to Captain and assigned to the newly-captured Imperial Star Destroyer Octavian - later renamed the Happy Jack - along with Blue Squadron.
As the skipper of the Jack, Ru'kaart faced many trials, not least of which was keeping order despite the hard-partying antics of the Blues. At one point, Blue Squadron was briefly reassigned to another ship (the Rebel frigate Loyal) so that the full might of the Happy Jack could be directed against the Empire. However, Jonas "Groznik" Malmof - then Blue Leader - was able to convince Alliance High Command to let Blue Squadron continue to use Happy Jack as their command ship.
Ru'kaart commanded his ship well until right after the Battle of Endor. He and his crew were ordered to turn the ship over to Hera Syndulla for a top secret project. When he asked what his next assignment would be, he was chagrined to find out that his crew would not be getting a new ship of their own at this time.
The consummate professional officer, Ru'kaart accepted the posting aboard the newly completed CRS Vigilant as a flight control officer. The position was below his rank, but he wanted to work with a competent crew and knew the pilots of Renegade Wing were more than likely to be the tip of one of the many spears being thrust into the stubborn Imperial Remnant.
The move paid off, as after a very nasty battle, the Vigilant Taskforce suffered the total loss of one of their escort Corvettes. When a new, heavier armed variant was provided to replace that loss, Captain Quelle knew who deserved the job, having performed so admirably on the bridge of the Vigilant during the battle. For his part, Ru'kaart laughed at the irony. "I took a Star Destroyer with a CRV before, I reckon I could do it again."
Captain Dave Ru'kaart is a stern man who wants to know about everything that goes on aboard his ship, an attitude that has sometimes brought him into conflict with the mavericks of Blue Squadron. His attitude reflects a sincere concern for those under his command, however. In battle, he is a quick thinker with attention to detail; his bold actions (and the ability of his crew) have saved many lives.
