Talon Karrde

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Talon Karrde
Star Wars character
Talon Karrde, as seen in the computer game Star Wars: Rebellion
Portrayed by	Timothy Zahn

Position	leader of unnamed smuggling group, leader of the Smugglers' Alliance
Homeworld	Unknown
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	New Republic, Galactic Alliance, Smugglers' Alliance

Talon Karrde is a character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

A smuggler, he began his work as an underling to Jorj Car'das, who left the business after a strange event on Dagobah. Karrde and Booster Terrik took over Car'das' operations, though Booster was caught and sent to Kessel, and Karrde took over much of the organization. While on a safari, he encountered Mara Jade and recruited her into his organization as an advisor. She later became his second-in-command. Karrde's organization, in the meanwhile, expanded to become essentially a premiere smuggling group in the galaxy, rivaling Jabba the Hutt's in scope and power, though not in brutality. Karrde also quite deliberately kept a lower profile than Jabba, to the point that in 9 ABY, Han Solo (who was familiar with Karrde from his own smuggling days) was quite surprised to learn that Karrde's smuggling group was the largest in the galaxy.

Karrde's goal was to stay neutral in the Galactic Civil War, but due to Grand Admiral Thrawn's activities on his planet of operations, Myrkr, he ends up all but siding with the New Republic, though he continues to adamantly claim his neutrality. The Empire, however, decides that he is a threat, and takes him captive. Luke Skywalker, who had been saved by Karrde when found in a crippled X-wing, works with Mara Jade to rescue him. Karrde, wanting to repay the debt, provides the locations of the Katana fleet, a lost battle group of mechanized warships, to the New Republic. During the New Jedi Order series, Karrde works closely with Lando Calrissian to form the Smuggler's Alliance, which aids the New Republic in several important battles.

Karrde, though a smuggler, is a refined and tasteful man, coming up with esoteric collectibles, capable personnel and bizarre details on a regular basis. His business is smuggling, but his hobby and passion is the collection of information; he can infer a great deal from a few facts and comments, much the way Grand Admiral Thrawn is able to decode a culture from its art. During the Thrawn Crisis, Karrde serves (unwillingly) as Thrawn's opposite number, helping to close the divides Thrawn has sown throughout the galaxy and using that conflict's most potent weapon – information – to counter Thrawn as much as possible. To Karrde's chagrin, this often resultes in his aiding the New Republic. He enjoys giving his starships punnish names, such as Wild Karrde, Etherway, Uwana Buyer and Starry Ice.

Karrde was introduced in Timothy Zahn's bestselling Heir to the Empire, which made it onto the New York Times bestsellers list, so far the only Star Wars book to do so. He has become one of the most popular characters in the Expanded Universe because of his charismatic mix of roguish illegality and suave, urbane responsibility to his crews, associates, and to the New Republic and Smuggler's Alliance.