Jaldine Gerams

"We're having no effect on that shield."
"How much more can that thing take?"

―Red Twelve and Jaldine Gerams —

Jaldine Gerams was a human female from the planet Fresia who authored advanced flight simulators and tirelessly practiced in them with the dream of flying a real starfighter. When the Alliance to Restore the Republic arrived on Fresia, she jumped at the chance to join and fly an X-wing starfighter. A thoroughly professional pilot, she flew as Blue Three in Blue Squadron, a mixed unit based out of the moon Yavin 4.

In 1 BBY, Blue Squadron was scrambled with the Alliance fleet to aid rebels who were trying to steal the Galactic Empire's plans for the Death Star superweapon on the planet Scarif. Gerams eagerly followed General Antoc Merrick into battle but did not manage to pass through the Imperial Shield Gate above Scarif with him, instead engaging Imperial forces above the planet.

During the battle, Gerams sounded the alarm when an additional wave of TIE fighters launched from the Shield Gate. She later fired proton torpedoes into the gate in an unsuccessful effort to destroy it. The Alliance managed to eventually destroy the gate and steal the plans, although not without heavy losses.

Biography[]

From simulators to Scarif[]

"Attention, all flight personnel, please report to your commanders immediately. All flight personnel, please report to your commanders immediately. We have been redirected to Scarif. Pilots, you'll be briefed by your squadron leaders en route. May the Force be with you."

―An announcement by rebel Wedge Antilles in the Great Temple scrambles Blue Squadron and other rebel pilots —

Listen (file info)^[5]

GeramsCockpit-RO — Jaldine Gerams flew for the Rebel Alliance as Blue Three.

Jaldine Gerams was a human female^[3] native to the planet Fresia^[1] who was born around 61 BBY.^[2] A programmer^[1] and computer specialist, she authored several^[4] advanced^[3] starfighter simulator programs^[4] and tirelessly immersed herself in them,^[1] logging many hours^[4] before she ever saw any real combat.^[1] When the Alliance to Restore the Republic arrived on Fresia, Gerams jumped at the opportunity^[4] to put her intense practice to use and fly a real X-wing starfighter, joining up with the Alliance on the day that she first encountered them.^[1]

Flying under the callsign Blue Three, Gerams joined Blue Squadron, a mixed rebel starfighter squadron under the command of General Antoc Merrick within the Massassi Group of rebels based in the Great Temple on the moon Yavin 4.^[4] Shortly after the squadron was partially scrambled for a mission to attack an Imperial laboratory on the planet Eadu^[5] in 1 BBY,^[6] the whole squadron was scrambled for the first time^[4] in order to travel with the rest of the Alliance fleet to the Scarif system, where a group of rebels was attempting to steal the plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star superweapon.^[5]

A squadron separated[]

"More fighters. Form up at six-five."

―Jaldine Gerams spots incoming TIE fighters —

Listen (file info)^[5]

GeramsTIEs-RO — Gerams sounded the alarm when more TIEs emerged from the Shield Gate.

After exiting hyperspace in the Scarif system, Blue Squadron was immediately ordered by Admiral Raddus, commander of the Alliance fleet, to head for the planet's surface to provide support to the rebels there. This required haste, as the Imperials had a planetary shield around Scarif that could only be passed through via a Shield Gate that they were rapidly closing. Merrick led the squadron in a dive through the gate; however, it finished closing before the entire unit made it through.^[5] Within the first moments of the battle, Gerams skills were put to the test when she managed to pull away from the gate without crashing, avoiding the fate of her squad mate Vangos Grek^[1] and two other pilots.^[5]

Separated from Merrick and those who had made it through, Gerams and fellow Blue Squadron members,^[5] including Barion Raner and Heff Tobber,^[1] instead joined the other rebel starfighter squadrons in fighting the Imperial fleet above Scarif. When many additional TIE fighters launched from the hangars of the Shield Gate,^[5] it was Gerams who sounded the alarm^[1] and ordered two X-wings flying with her to form up at the coordinates six-five. The trio then flew away from the gate past the bridge of Raddus's flagship,^[5] Profundity,^[4] with the TIEs giving chase.^[5]

Shield Gate strike[]

GeramsShieldAttack-RO — Gerams' attacks on the Shield Gate had little effect.

Later in the battle, Gerams flew alongside rebel pilot Red Twelve and another X-wing pilot in an attack run on the Shield Gate. After firing proton torpedoes directly at the sealed gate to no effect, the trio of fighters pulled up and away from the gate as Red Twelve reported their lack of effect, causing Gerams to wonder how much damage the Shield Gate could sustain. Eventually, the rebels managed to destroy the gate by causing the^[5] Imperial I-class Star Destroyer^[7] Persecutor^[1] to collide with it, allowing the rebels on the surface to successfully transmit the plans to the fleet.^[5]

The rebels on the ground^[5] and all members of Blue Squadron who had passed through the gate then perished^[8] when the Death Star itself then arrived and fired on Scarif, although some members of the squadron did manage to then escape with the remainder of the rebel fleet. Between Eadu and Scarif, Blue and Red Squadron lost a combined total of nineteen pilots. So few members of Blue Squadron were left that the Alliance was unsure they would even be able to field it when the Death Star then attacked the rebel base at Yavin^[9] in 0 BBY.^[10] Ultimately, only Red Squadron, Green Squadron, and Gold Squadron participated.^[11]

Personality and traits[]

Jaldine Gerams always dreamed of flying a starfighter^[8] and grabbed the opportunity when first encountering the rebellion.^[1] Her quiet^[8] and tireless^[1] training on simulators honed her real-life aerial skills^[3] and qualified her as a pilot.^[8] A thoroughly professional flier,^[3] she eagerly followed Merrick to Scarif when given the opportunity.^[8] Gerams had blonde hair, light skin, and blue eyes.^[4]

Equipment[]

JaldineGeramsHelmet-ROUVG — Jaldine Gerams' flight helmet

While flying an X-wing at Scarif,^[5] Gerams wore a blue flight suit with a white flak vest, gray gloves, and a gray Diagnostech life support unit. Her K-22995 light flight helmet was primarily gray with white portions around the visor and sides and a gray and black grid above the visor, with light blue lines along the top ridge and on the grid.^[4]

On each side of the helmet there was a black symbol with several lines passing through a circle, an emblem that was also found on the helmets of a number of other rebel pilots including her squad mates Raner and Torius Chord.^[4]

Behind the scenes[]

"They rang up and said 'Would you like to do two days on Star Wars, playing an X-Wing pilot?' and I said there was nothing I'd like to do more in my life but sadly I couldn't because I had to organise my daughter's wedding."

―Geraldine James^[12]

Jaldine Gerams was portrayed by Geraldine James in the 2016 Anthology Series film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.^[5] Despite wanting to, James almost did not take the role, as the two days of filming^[12] on a gimbal^[13] was scheduled to take place two weeks before her daughter's wedding; however, her daughter^[12] and husband^[13] demanded she not miss the opportunity and James greatly enjoyed playing the pilot.^[12]

Credited only as Blue Three,^[5] the character was first identified with a tuckerization of James's name in the reference book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide, which was written by Pablo Hidalgo and released alongside the film.^[4] James found the naming hilarious.^[12] The guide erroneously states that Gerams managed to fly through the Shield Gate to Scarif.^[4]