Ernek Marskan was a captain in the Alliance Starfighter Corps during the Galactic Civil War. He served as a pilot with Blue Squadron on the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Independence, participating in many missions during this time. When his younger brother, Casal, was killed during a mission with fellow pilot Keyan Farlander, Marskan blamed Farlander for his death. However, when Marskan confronted the other pilot, Farlander used the Force to choke him. The incident led to animosity toward Farlander from the other pilots. Marksan was later one of several pilots transferred to Yavin 4 for the battle against the Death Star, and among the few pilots to survive.