Skull Squadron

"Name's Fenn Rau, General. And Skull Squadron is happy to demonstrate&hellip;that not all Mandalorians have forgotten their honor and obligations."

- Fenn Rau, to Depa Billaba

Skull Squadron was a squadron of Fang fighters flown by Mandalorian Protectors who assisted the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. In the final months of the war, Skull Squadron was led by Skull Leader Fenn Rau, who commanded the squadron in the Third Battle of Mygeeto. During the battle, Jedi General Depa Billaba and Padawan Caleb Dume had been trapped by Separatist battle droids, and Rau led Skull Squadron to save their lives. Over fifteen years later, Dume, under the name "Kanan Jarrus," met Rau on the third moon of Concord Dawn, and he offered to return the favor.

Organization
A squadron of Mandalorian Protectors, Skull Squadron consisted of four Fang fighters, starfighters which were crafted specifically for combat. In order to handle the maneuverability of the ships, the Mandalorian pilots were personally trained by Fenn Rau, the squadron's commander, who held the callsign of "Skull Leader." A legendary and respected veteran of the Clone Wars, Rau also served as a flight instructor for the Grand Army of the Republic. Rau believed that many Mandalorians, such as the members of Death Watch, had forgotten their honor and obligations, but he felt that the members of Skull Squadron still demonstrated those duties.

History
"My master, Depa Billaba, and I were pinned down, trapped by droids. You and your Skull Squadron flew into the Separatist fire over and over to cover us. You saved our lives."

- Kanan Jarrus, to Fenn Rau

In the final months of the Clone Wars, Skull Squadron assisted the Galactic Republic during the Third Battle of Mygeeto, a campaign to liberate the war-torn planet from the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Jedi General Depa Billaba and her battalion of clone troopers were tasked with clearing the Southern Mesas of all battle droids, so she, along with Padawan Caleb Dume, Clone Captain "Styles," and the young clone trooper CT-1157 ("Stance") made their way through the Separatist forces. However, the four became stranded when the bridges of the mesa they traversed were destroyed, and they could not be extracted for an estimated four minutes. As they were quickly overwhelmed by dozens of B1 battle droids, Skull Squadron, led by Rau, eliminated the droid threat, repeatedly flying into the Separatist fire to cover the Jedi. Once the droids were defeated, Skull Squadron left. Dume wished to meet Rau in person to thank him, but he never received the chance.

At the end of the Clone Wars, the proclamation of the New Order saw the Republic's reorganization into the Galactic Empire. With the Imperial occupation of Mandalore, the Protectors established a camp on the third moon of Concord Dawn, and they formed an alignment with the Empire. The war's end also saw the destruction of the Jedi Order, although Dume managed to escape the slaughter, assuming the name "Kanan Jarrus." Fifteen years later, in the third year before the Battle of Yavin, Jarrus underwent a mission to the third moon of Concord Dawn, hoping to secure passage through the Concord Dawn system for the rebellion against the Empire. Finally meeting Rau, Jarrus recounted how Skull Squadron had saved his life on Mygeeto, telling Rau that he would like to return the favor. However, Rau stated that his actions with Skull Squadron had been reckless, and the Mandalorian dismissed Jarrus' offer.

Behind the scenes
Skull Squadron first appeared in Kanan 10: First Blood, Part IV: The Mesas of Mygeeto, a comic book written by Greg Weisman, penciled by Pepe Larraz, and published by Marvel Comics. The comic was released on January 27, 2016 in conjunction with "The Protector of Concord Dawn," an episode in the second season of Star Wars Rebels which featured Kanan Jarrus meeting Fenn Rau.

Appearances

 * Kanan 10: First Blood, Part IV: The Mesas of Mygeeto