Death Squadron/Legends

"Deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off that system."

- Darth Vader to Admiral Piett

Death Squadron was the codename applied to Darth Vader's personal fleet of Star Destroyers following the Battle of Yavin, led by the Super Star Destroyer Executor. The fleet, designed to instill terror in dissidents of the Empire's New Order, was in fact tasked with locating and destroying the Rebel Alliance headquarters. Moreover, Vader used his fleet in a more personal mission to find and capture his son, Luke Skywalker. Death Squadron represented the largest fleet of warships ever gathered in the history of the galaxy.

Composition


About half a dozen or so Imperial-class Star Destroyers comprised Death Squadron at any one time, while Vader or the fleet's admiral could reassign ships from other fleets to Death Squadron whenever needed. Likewise, ships assigned to Death Squadron could be sent off from the main fleet on reconnaissance missions when appropriate.

The centerpiece of Death Squadron was Vader's flagship, the Super Star Destroyer Executor, while a number of smaller vessels routinely acted as support ships. Together, Death Squadron was the most powerful assemblage of warships in galactic history.

Famed units attached to the fleet included Baron Soontir Fel's 181st Imperial Fighter Group, Major General Maximilian Veers' Blizzard Force and elements of Stormtrooper Commander Bow's 501st Legion.

Ships
Death Squadron consisted of the Executor and five Star Destroyers (the Avenger, Stalker, Conquest, Tyrant and Devastator), though Vader and Admiral Ozzel had authority to temporarily attach other fleets' ships when it was necessary.

Executor-class Star Dreadnoughts

 * Executor

Imperial-class Star Destroyers

 * Accuser (temporarily)
 * Adjudicator (temporarily)
 * Avenger
 * Conquest
 * Devastator
 * Stalker
 * Tyrant
 * Vengeance II (temporarily)

Victory-class Star Destroyers

 * Firewind (temporarily)

History


Darth Vader formed Death Squadron after the Imperial defeat at the Battle of Yavin. For three years, Death Squadron hunted the Rebel Alliance from system to system under the command of Admiral Kendal Ozzel, mercilessly crushing any Rebel forces it encountered. Eventually, a probe droid launched by the Stalker succeeded in locating the Rebel Alliance base of operations on the ice world of Hoth.

After participating in the space and ground battles at Hoth, Death Squadron pursued the Millennium Falcon, which was lost in the Hoth asteroid belt.

One year later, Death Squadron, under the command of Admiral Firmus Piett, served as the core of the Imperial fleet at the Battle of Endor. During the battle, Devastator and Executor were destroyed, and a number of ships were captured. With the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, the unit was disbanded.

Known officers

 * Supreme Commander Darth Vader
 * Admiral Amise Griff
 * Admiral Kendal Ozzel
 * Captain/Admiral Firmus Piett
 * Admiral Okins
 * Captain Lorth Needa
 * Captain Xamuel Lennox
 * Captain Venka
 * Lieutenant Cabbel
 * Major General Maximilian Veers
 * Brigadier Nevar
 * Colonel Freja Covell
 * Colonel Starck
 * Colonel Evir Derricote
 * Colonel Soontir Fel
 * Major Turr Phennir
 * Lieutenant Arnet

Appearances



 * Race for Survival
 * The Final Trap
 * Splinter of the Mind's Eye 3
 * Payback: The Tale of Dengar
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novel
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Classic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back book
 * Star Wars 39: The Empire Strikes Back: Beginning
 * Star Wars 40: The Empire Strikes Back: Battleground Hoth
 * Star Wars 41: The Empire Strikes Back: Imperial Pursuit
 * Star Wars 42: The Empire Strikes Back: To Be a Jedi
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back arcade game
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * Murder on the Executor
 * Star Wars: TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars 51: Resurrection of Evil
 * Star Wars 63: The Mind Spider
 * Star Wars 76: Artoo-Detoo to the Rescue
 * Shadows of the Empire (novel)
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron 25: The Making of Baron Fel
 * The Last Command
 * The Last Command