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Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Canon version of this subject.  This article covers the Legends version of this subject. 
For other uses, see Rogue Squadron (disambiguation).
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"Well, you know the Rogues. All we need is a ship and rock to land it on."
―Wedge Antilles[src]

Rogue Squadron was a legendary starfighter squadron that flew for over 130 years. Originally a part of the Rebel Alliance, it went on to serve the Alliance of Free Planets, New Republic, Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, and Galactic Alliance Remnant. Its roster routinely included some of the galaxy's best pilots, and its successes in battle gave the squadron an almost mythical presence that reassured galactic citizens someone was in space protecting them. The Rogues were important symbols to the different governments they served and a key part of public morale. Led by a pilot with the callsign Rogue Leader, the squadron flew various types of fighter craft throughout their history, usually a version of an X-wing starfighter, and they were assisted by astromech droids in the fighters' droid sockets.

The Rogues were originally a smaller flight group known as Rogue Flight, formed by the Alliance's Commander Arhul Narra in 0 ABY from the remnants of Red Squadron following the Battle of Yavin. Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles led a core group of pilots on various missions, and the flight's members were a part of the Rogue Group that flew against the Galactic Empire in 3 ABY's Battle of Hoth. Antilles expanded the Rogues into a full twelve-person squadron after Hoth was evacuated, and they went on to serve in the Battle of Endor one year later as Red Squadron, where Antilles helped destroy the Empire's Death Star II battlestation. As the group went on to serve the New Republic, it was disbanded for a year due to the amount of new recruits who were dying too soon after signing up.

Rebuilt with a heavily-trained group of elite pilots in 6 ABY, Rogue Squadron played a key role in capturing the galactic capital world of Coruscant from the Empire, but its twelve members soon afterward resigned their commissions in order to pursue a private guerrilla war against the warlord Ysanne Isard. The operation was retroactively sanctioned by the New Republic, and the Rogues went on to fight for their government in such conflicts as the reborn Emperor Palpatine's assault on Calamari, the Orinda campaign, and a battle at Yaga Minor that brought the long Galactic Civil War to an end. When the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy in 25 ABY, Rogue Squadron were among the first defenders on the front lines.

Although they suffered devastating losses against the unknown enemy, Rogue Squadron persevered and helped fight the tide of the invasion for four years under the command of Gavin Darklighter. They were among the few New Republic forces who took a stand at Borleias, and they flew in the decisive Battle of Yuuzhan'tar that finally defeated the invaders. Now a part of the Galactic Alliance, the Rogues took on the insectoid Killiks during the Swarm War, and a unit called Rakehell Squadron in the Second Galactic Civil War. Loyalties had been blurred during the conflict, and Rakehell Leader Wedge Antilles shot down and killed Rogue Leader Lensi. Nearly 100 years later, Rogue Squadron were a part of the Galactic Alliance Remnant, and they fought the forces of Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire in such engagements as the Battle of Mon Calamari and a climactic strike at Krayt's Coruscant stronghold.

Organization

"I'm with Rogue Squadron. Impossible is our stock in trade, and success is what we deliver."
―Corran Horn[src]

Rogue Squadron was a twelve-person starfighter squadron that, throughout its history, served the Rebel Alliance,[1] Alliance of Free Planets,[25] New Republic, Galactic Federation of Free Alliances,[1] and Galactic Alliance Remnant.[23] It was composed of the Alliance's top pilots,[1] and later, the best pilots in the New Republic Defense Force. The Rogues were the symbol of the New Republic's starfighter superiority and its most effective tool against enemy aggression;[26] their successes gave them an almost mythical presence in battle and could sometimes prompt an enemy to surrender without any shots being fired.[18] As long as Rogue Squadron endured, the citizens of the New Republic had hope that there was someone in space protecting them.[26] Still later, the Rogues became a symbol of the bravery and fighting spirit of the Galactic Alliance,[1] and in 137 ABY, they were the most elite of all squadrons in the Galactic Alliance Remnant.[23]

RogueSquadron-Aurebesh

The Rogue Squadron crest

Rogue Squadron was originally a flight group known as Rogue Flight, and was, along with Renegade Flight, formed from the remnants of the Rebel Alliance's Red Squadron following the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[27] The pilots of Rogue Flight, together with the pilots of Blue and Green Squadrons, flew as the ad hoc Rogue Group in the Battle of Hoth[3] in 3 ABY,[28] after which the Rogues became a full squadron,[29] designed by Skywalker to operate without a set mission profile in order to take on any assignment that came their way.[1] Throughout their history, the Rogues were led by a pilot designated Rogue Leader;[2] some Rogue Leaders broke the squadron up into smaller flight groups of four starfighters a piece.[15][16]

For many years, the Rogues flew X-wing fighters, with astromech droids assisting them from the fighters' droid sockets.[1] The Rebel Alliance and the New Republic originally used the T-65 X-wing starfighter model,[17] but in 11 ABY,[19] the squadron was reconfigured into a multi-fighter unit that included A-wings,[18] E-wings, and B-wings.[20] The Rogues were back in X-wings within the year, however.[30] By 25 ABY, Rogue Squadron was flying in the new T-65 A3 X-wing,[21] and in 40 ABY, the XJ7 model.[22] Nearly 100 years later, the Rogues flew CF9 Crossfire starfighters.[23]

In the New Republic's early years, Rogue Squadron was so key to citizens' morale that when its members resigned their posts to wage the independent, guerrilla Bacta War against the warlord Ysanne Isard, the New Republic put together an ersatz Rogue Squadron to be visible while Antilles's Rogues were away. Two unique Rogue Squadrons existed simultaneously with each other, but after Isard's defeat, the New Republic retroactively deemed the Bacta War an officially sanctioned operation, and Rogue Squadron was once more whole.[5]

Rogue Squadron's crest featured a blue Alliance Starbird surrounded by a twelve-pointed red star, with an X-wing fighter at each of the star's points. It was designed by Rogue pilot Gavin Darklighter in 6.5 ABY. The Rogues began to use it before it was officially sanctioned by New Republic Starfighter Command, sporting it as a patch on their flight suits and having it painted on their X-wings.[31]

History

Rebel aces

Origins

"One day the whole galaxy will know Rogue Squadron ― Mark my words."
Wedge Antilles, to Tess Alder and Rus Kal Kin[src]
Battle of Yavin

Red Squadron flies into the Battle of Yavin.

In the year 0 BBY,[27] the Rebel Alliance cobbled together an ad hoc starfighter squadron composed of rebel pilots from such groups as the Ecliptic Evaders, the Dantooine Squadron, the Tierfon Yellow Aces,[29] and the Griffon Flight Wing.[32] The new group was known as Red Squadron, and its task was to destroy the Galactic Empire's massive Death Star battlestation,[29] which was approaching the Alliance's base on the moon of Yavin 4. In T-65 X-wing starfighters,[33] Garven Dreis flew as Red Leader, Wedge Antilles as Red Two, Biggs Darklighter as Red Three,[32] John D. Branon as Red Four, Luke Skywalker as Red Five, Jek Tono Porkins as Red Six, Elyhek Rue as Red Seven, Bren Quersey as Red Eight, Nozzo Naytaan as Red Nine, Theron Nett as Red Ten, Wenton Chan as Red Eleven, and Puck Naeco as Red Twelve.[34] Of the entire squadron, only Skywalker and Antilles survived the Battle of Yavin, with the former firing two proton torpedoes into the Death Star's thermal exhaust port and destroying the entire station.[33]

After the battle, Red Squadron was reconstituted as two different flight groups: Renegade Flight, led by Commander Arhul Narra, and Rogue Flight, led by Rogue Leader, Luke Skywalker. Wedge Antilles was his second-in-command.[3] The latter developed when Antilles was permanently assigned to Alliance High Command following the Alliance's Evacuation of Yavin. He was part of a core team of pilots that began to form under Skywalker, that flew, trained, and developed tactics together.[29] Narra placed Skywalker in[35] charge of the nascent Rogue Flight, which began to take form under Narra's wise tutelage. Its members included Wes Janson, a capable pilot and gunner who struck up a fast friendship with Antilles,[29] and Derek "Hobbie" Klivian, who bonded with Skywalker over the loss of their mutual friend Biggs Darklighter.[36] Skywalker and Antilles were surrounded by some of the best pilots in the galaxy,[37] and during several skirmishes of the Alliances' evacuation of Thila, Rogue Flight proved their effectiveness as a team that lived together and flew together.[29]

Early missions

"How pathetic, allying yourself with those Rebel criminals—Rogue Squadron. You and your so-called Rogues helped in the absconding of my AT-PTs and the plundering of my Research Facility. My retaliation shall be swift and just…"
―Moff Kohl Seerdon, to Kasan Moor[src]

Some of the earliest missions undertaken by Rogue Flight included an escort operation on Barkhesh and the rescue of the downed Rebel supply ship Nonnah. While the Rogues were stationed on Tatooine, Skywalker and Antilles fought a brief skirmish with TIE bombers at the Mos Eisley spaceport. On Corellia, when the Empire learned of a secret meeting between Imperial officer Crix Madine and Rebel commanders, Rogue Flight helped cover the officers' escape. The Rogues began to work on a number of missions under the direction of Madine, including the liberation of Gerrard V from the oppression of Moff Kohl Seerdon. On that mission, they disabled the TIE interceptor of Lieutenant Kasan Moor, commander of the 128th TIE Interceptor Squadron. Moor took the opportunity to defect to the Alliance, and her inside knowledge proved vital as she flew with the Rogues in the Battle of the Jade Moon, a raid on Balmorra, and an assault on Kile II. Antilles was gunned down during the Kile II assault, but the Rogues quickly rescued him and other Alliance POWs from Kessel.[24]

File:Starwarsrogueleader03.jpg

Rogue Flight takes on Imperials in the Ison Corridor.

The pilots of Rogue Flight then put an end to Moff Seerdon's schemes on a number of worlds, flying in a battle above Taloraan, a mission to Fest, and a Blockade on Chandrila—while Seerdon invaded Chandrila, the Rogues escorted an armed hovertrain loaded with supplies to the besieged city of Nayli and several evacuation shuttles full of civilians away from it. They also took out Seerdon's TIE bombers and interceptors, thus saving the city. After raiding one of Seerdon's bases on Sullust, the Rogues had a final showdown with the Moff at Thyferra, which saw Seerdon finally perish.[24] At Poln Major, the Rogues flew with an Alliance armada in battle with the forces of Warlord Nuso Esva;[38] other Rogue missions included escorting a convoy of transports through the Ison Corridor[39] and a battle with a droid army on Vactooine.[40] Rogue Flight also headed to Dantooine to rescue the Imperial pilot Tycho Celchu, a double agent whose spying for the Rebels had been discovered. Celchu eventually became a Rogue, and the pilots were later dispatched to the defense of Ralltiir to help cover the escape of scientists working for the Alliance. Since the evacuation of Yavin, the Rogues' Lieutenant Sarkli had caused tension among he and his fellow pilots, believing he was not getting the credit he deserved. At Ralltiir, Sarkli decided he had enough and joined the Empire.[41]

When Rogue Flight was sent to Kwenn Space Station to search for tips on seldom-used hyperlanes that might be used to establish a new Rebel base,[42] Antilles, Janson, and Celchu were forced to evade a group of Imperial stormtroopers. They also discovered an Imperial–aligned vessel en route to the planet Bonadan and passed on the intel to fellow Rebels Leia Organa and Han Solo.[43] For a mission to set up a listening post on Lubang Minor, three Rogues—Skywalker, Antilles, and Zev Senesca—flew under Commander Narra[44] as Red Squadron.[45] There, they rescued Able, an aged clone trooper left abandoned on the planet during the Clone Wars.[44] Antilles and Klivian later escorted a diplomatic party of Rebels to Jabiim after the Jabiimi Loyalists requested Alliance aid in their fight against Imperial control of their planet. The two Rogues' X-wings remained in orbit, but they were soon ordered out of the system by the Loyalists, who were furious with one of the diplomats: Luke Skywalker.[46]

TIE fighters aligned with the Imperial Jabiimi Nationalists suddenly arrived, but the Rogues elected not to attack them in an effort to maintain diplomacy. When the TIEs were followed by an Imperial fleet, Antilles and Klivian decided to rescue their comrades, diplomacy be damned.[47] After outrunning the fleet of slave ships,[48] they made it to the surface of Jabiim in time to save the Rebels Leia Organa and Nera Dantels from a group of TIEs. Although Organa did not want to abandon the Jabiimi Loyalists, Antilles insisted that they flee from the encroaching Imperial fleet.[49] Before departing, they rescued Skywalker and Loyalist leader Nolan Gillmunn from the Nationalists, with Antilles's and Klivian's X-wings blasting their way into an Imperial Army garrison. On their way out of atmosphere, the two Rogues held off TIE fighters, allowing themselves and Dantels's Starduster to jump to lightspeed.[50]

Fire and ice

"Rogue Group, use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs. It might be our only chance of stopping them."
―Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Hoth[src]
Rogue Squadron by Tommy Lee Edwards

Rogue Group is briefed at Echo Base.

In 3 ABY,[28] the Alliance had set up the secret Echo Base on the icy world of Hoth. While escorting a convoy of supplies and reinforcements to Hoth from Derra IV, Renegade Flight was attacked and destroyed along with the entire convoy, and when word reached Echo Base, Rebel General Rieekan promoted Skywalker to Commander as a replacement for the fallen Narra.[51] With the Renegades gone, Skywalker and Antilles decided to expand Rogue Flight into a full-fledged squadron that would serve Rebel High Command. The two pored over lists of pilots[3] until a wampa attack forced Skywalker and Captain Han Solo to spend a night out in the cold; Rogue Flight took to snowspeeders the next morning to search for them in the fields of snow. The missing Rebels were found by Rogue Two,[52] Zev Senesca.[53]

Shortly after the rescue, base sensors detected a nearby metallic presence, and Rieekan dispatched Rogues Ten and Eleven to Echo Station 3-8 to investigate.[54] Their progress was tracked by the presence, in fact an Imperial Viper probe droid,[55] but the droid was destroyed by Captain Solo and his first mate, the Wookiee Chewbacca, who were investigating on foot. Certain that the Empire had discovered the base, Rieekan ordered a full evacuation. Preparations were made for an Imperial ground assault, as the Rebels' shield generator protected them from an orbital bombardment,[56] and an ersatz snowspeeder unit was created out of Rogue Flight, Blue Squadron, and Green Squadron; the twenty-three person strong "Rogue Group" was made up of twelve pilots and eleven gunners. Dak Ralter served as Rogue Leader Skywalker's gunner, while Kit Valent joined Senesca in Rogue Two. Antilles and Janson flew as Rogue Three, Klivian and Kesin Ommis as Rogue Four, Celchu and Tarn Mison as Rogue Five,[3] Samoc Farr and Vigrat Pomoner as Rogue Six, Nala Hetsime and Cinda Tarheel as Rogue Seven, Vekozev Kabir and Stax Mullawny as Rogue Eight, Stevan Makintay and Barlon Hightower as Rogue Nine,[57] Tarrin Datch and Hosh Hune as Rogue Ten, Tenk Lenso and Jek Pugilio as Rogue Eleven, and the mercenary Dash Rendar flying solo as Rogue Twelve.[58] Delivering foodstuff to Echo Base when its shield went up, Rendar found himself piloting a snowspeeder while waiting for the chance to leave the planet.[59]

Luke leads Rogue Squadron

Skywalker leads Rogue Group into the Battle of Hoth.

The Rogues flew into the Battle of Hoth against the AT-AT walkers of the Empire's Blizzard Force, tasked with delaying the ground assault while a groundside ion cannon aided Rebel transports in escaping the system. When the snowspeeders' laser cannons proved ineffective against the walkers' armor, Skywalker suggested tripping the AT-ATs' legs via harpoons and tow cables. An enemy laser blast killed Ralter, his gunner, but Antilles and Janson were able to take down[56] Blizzard 2.[60] Another hit on his speeder forced Skywalker into a crash landing, and command of Rogue Group was given over to Antilles by both Skywalker[41] and by Rieekan.[61] Other Rogues were not as lucky as their leader—Senesca, Valent,[3] Pomoner, Kabir, Mullawny,[57] Hune, Lenso, and Pugilio were all killed when their speeders were shot down.[58] Farr[57] and Datch survived being shot down, however,[58] and Klivian and Ommis survived[3] taking out the lead walker of the Empire's General Veers with a suicide run.[62]

Following his crash, Skywalker ascended a magnetic grapple and cut into the AT-AT Blizzard 4 with his lightsaber. A lobbed concussion grenade knocked the walker down,[60] and another walker was destroyed by Rendar in Rogue Twelve.[58] Blizzard Force was ultimately successful in their mission of destroying the shield generator,[56] and the surviving Rogues took to the skies in starfighters to protect fleeing Rebel transports.[63] Thirteen of thirty transports escaped from the system, with the other seventeen destroyed or captured by the Empire.[64] Antilles was promoted to commander to fill the gap left by the loss of Renegade Flight,[29] and he assumed command of the Rogues[4] while Skywalker traveled to the planet Dagobah to train as a Jedi under the mysterious Master Yoda.[56]

A complete squadron

"Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron are with the fleet… they can provide all the backup we need!"
―Luke Skywalker[src]

The loss of so many Rogues at Hoth was felt heavily by the survivors, and a plaque to the fallen Rogues and Renegades was hung on the command deck of the Rebel frigate Chancellor. Antilles expanded the Rogues into a full squadron: Rogue Squadron. Although they were an escort squadron for the main Alliance Fleet,[29] Skywalker designed them to be a unit without a set mission profile, able to take on any mission that came their way.[1] Stationed aboard the MC80 Star Cruiser Home One, the Rogues acted as a rapid response team that could transfer to hot spots as needed. The squadron was composed of the Alliance's twelve best pilots who had survived its fiercest battles against the Empire, and its pilots were famed for their ability to fly nearly anything. Antilles led the Rogues, but Skywalker sometimes still served with them, taking the call sign of Rogue Leader while Antilles flew as Rogue One.[65] Other squadron members included Rogue Two Will Scotian, whom Antilles recruited due to his fine combat record at Oracle Base; Rogue Five Dix Rivan, who acted as the Rogues' rear guard; and Wes Janson as Rogue Six.[66] Barlon Hightower also formally joined Rogue Squadron at some point following the evacuation.[67]

After Hoth, the Alliance Fleet rendezvoused outside the rim of the inhabited galaxy. Skywalker was a latecomer[68] following his Jedi training and a duel with the Empire's Darth Vader on Bespin's Cloud City,[56] and several hours after his arrival an Imperial strike cruiser appeared.[69] Rogue Squadron moved to intercept in an effort to keep the cruiser from escaping and revealing the Rebel fleet's location. They destroyed several TIE fighters, with only Rogue Three taking damage to his engines, and the cruiser diverted power to its rear shields while attempting a getaway. Rivan swooped in and fired on the cruiser's front side, however, blowing it to pieces. Rebel jamming had prevented the enemy vessel from transmitting its coordinates, and the fleet's location remained safe, but the Alliance altered course as a precaution anyway[70] and remained on the move over the next few months.[69]

Shirainfiltratesroguesquadron

Imperial spy Shira Brie infiltrated Rogue Squadron after the Battle of Hoth.

Antilles led the Rogues in dangerous missions to rescue prisoners from an Imperial installation at the Maw. Karie Neth was one of the prisoners,[39] and she joined Rogue Squadron as a replacement for a Bothan pilot who had been lost during a secret mission.[71] Keir Santage was another rescued prisoner who joined the Rogues;[72] Kin Kian[73] and Gemmer Sojan were also members of the squadron around that time.[74] The Rogues next rescued prisoners from a prison orbiting Bakura, but several scientist prisoners were taken by the Empire from Bakura to Geonosis, where the squadron encountered former Rogue Sarkli. Antilles shot down the defector's gunship, but Sarkli survived the crash and swore revenge. The squadron then joined a task force under Rebel General Crix Madine and were sent to Destrillion to destroy an Imperial tibanna gas facility, but no such facility was found. After taking out Tie Hunters, the task force passed by neighboring Dubrillion while preparing to leave the system, and the Empire sprung their trap with a superlaser facility that sat on Dubrillion's surface. In the ensuing battle, Antilles commandeered an Imperial AT-ST and personally took out the superlaser facility. Later on, the Rogues led a Fondor shipyard assault and destroyed a prototype Super Star Destroyer.[41]

At some point in the first half of 3 ABY,[75] young Rebel Shira Brie was drafted into Rogue Squadron and flew with Skywalker on a mission to Cloud City.[76] Former Baron Administrator of the city and fellow Rebel Lando Calrissian had been sent there from the Alliance's Haven Base on the world of Arbra, and when he failed to report in, Skywalker and Brie decided to investigate.[77] When they landed in an empty city, Skywalker's astromech droid R2-D2 sliced into the central computer and learned that the population had been evacuated after a number of bombs had been planted. A firefight with arriving Imperial stormtroopers quickly ensued, but the arrival of Calrissian, his aide Lobot, and a group of Ugnaughts brought the confrontation to a standstill. Lobot was prepared to detonate the planted bombs until Imperial Captain Hugo Treece shot him, so Skywalker used the Force to blow the bomb's primers and trick the Imperials into fleeing from Cloud City.[78] Not long afterward, intelligence reported the Empire was building a secret armada[79] that was transporting to Coruscant a Teezl, a strange creature capable of naturally amplifying hyperspace communications.[80] After Rebel pilots acquired four stolen TIE fighters and obtained the armada's coordinates,[79] four members of Rogue Squadron[81]—Skywalker, Brie, Hanc Thorben, and Alph—made their way to the armada.[82]

The Rogues' TIEs were modified to fire just six standard-strength laser bursts before releasing powerful shots that would cut through even the strongest shields, and also included signal transceivers so the Rogues could recognize one another.[82] Dubbed Flying Bantha Squadron,[80] they gained entrance to the armada with stolen Imperial codes and each attacked a Star Destroyer. Imperial pilots were unable to tell friend from foe and destroyed several of their own before managing to take out Alph's fighter and kill the Rogue. Imperial Admiral Mils Giel responded by using the teezl to interfere with local comm frequencies, thus nullifying the Rogues' signal transceivers, and Skywalker instead relied on the wisdom of the Force to judge which TIEs were friendly. Thorben retreated from the battle when one of his fighter's solar arrays was hit, after which Skywalker used his last regular shot to destroy an unfriendly TIE. The squadron leader's ultra burst then took out the teezl and much of Admiral Giel's flagship, but his return to Haven Base was not welcomed with open arms. In a briefing room he was shocked to discover, via a holographic recording from a camera on Thorben's TIE, that the final TIE he had destroyed had been Shira Brie's.[82] Facing severe backlash for killing a fellow Rogue,[76] and with his faith in the Force severely shaken, Skywalker resigned his officer's commission and left Arbra.[83] He soon discovered that the Force was indeed his ally: Brie had been an Imperial spy,[84] tasked with alienating Skywalker from the Alliance and delivering him into the hands of Darth Vader.[76]

The road to Endor

"Wedge is in command of Rogue Squadron now, and he told me if I ever needed them they'd come running."
―Luke Skywalker[src]
File:Rogue Squadron TEA.jpg

The X-wings of Rogue Squadron

At some point in the year after Hoth, Rogue Squadron participated in Operation: Quick Strike, a series of deep-space engagements intended to harass Imperial military-industrial operations.[85] They also teamed with Gold Squadron to defend the evacuation of the Rebel hospital Hormuuz in the Gelgelar system, which marked the Rebellion's beachhead in the Elrood sector. The hospital was under attack by Admiral Wooyou Senn's Task Force Vengeance. After the battle, while the wounded were being transferred to the Redemption, the Rogues and Golds flew Headhunters to cover the Rebel fleet's escape from the Star Destroyer Nemesis. After being forced to retreat from the sector, the Rogues went on to participate in the Rebel campaign to expand Alliance activities into the Airam sector, piloting various starfighters and serving in a number of disparate mission profiles, including fighter interception and anti-capital ship striking. The first was another defense, this time of a Rebel convoy in the Halbara system, and the Rogues next worked with Green Squadron and several capital ships to steal supplies from the captured Hormuuz.[86]

Flying A-wings to the Almaran system to gauge the strength of Task Force Vengeance, the Rogues identified the Super Star Destroyer Vengeance as Senn's flagship. They then supported the Alliance's MC80 Star Cruiser Liberty in the Goff system, where a Rebel trap destroyed two of the Task Force's Star Destroyers. The campaign against Admiral Senn also saw Rogue Squadron hold off an Imperial counterattack in the Battle of Swellen while the Alliance captured the Immobilizer 418 cruiser Compellor, guard the Compellor as it arrived at Mobetta and then hold off a second Imperial assault, ambush an Imperial fleet that had been sent to reinforce Task Force Vengeance, and defend the X7 factory Gallofree from the Empire at Mobetta. Although the Rogues covered the retreat of the Airam rebels, the Compellor was lost. Rogue Squadron's next engagement was beating back an Imperial attack while the grateful Airam rebels were supplying the Alliance with warheads. They then captured the Airam leader Ilay, who was attempting to negotiate with Senn, and later destroyed Imperial supply freighters at Dega. A weakened Senn took his task force to the Nocto system to attack the Alliance, but the Rebels destroyed both the Vengeance and the Rage, finally killing and defeating Senn.[86]

Captain Solo, meanwhile, had been frozen in carbonite and taken by the bounty hunter Boba Fett just before Skywalker's confrontation with Vader at Cloud City.[56] Six months into 3 ABY,[75] Fett's location was pinpointed on the moon Gall by a group of Solo's close friends: Skywalker, Organa, Calrissian, Chewbacca, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. Given Solo's importance to the Alliance, his friends planned a rescue operation, and asked Antilles and the Rogues to participate.[87] The squadron accordingly set up a temporary base on Kile, a moon of Zhar, and did some flybys of the Imperial Enclave on Gall, which was also a moon of Zhar. Solo's group of friends soon rendezvoused with them at the base, as did Dash Rendar, who had been hired by Calrissian to lead them to Fett. After Antilles briefed the new arrivals, Skywalker devised a plan: He and the Rogues would distract the Imperial ships while Rendar led Calrissian to where Fett's Slave I was docked at the enclave.[59]

Battleovercoruscant

Rogue Squadron escapes Coruscant through the wreckage of Prince Xizor's skyhook.

Skywalker flew into the Battle of Gall as Rogue Leader with Antilles as Rogue One. The young Jedi switched off his targeting sensor and allowed the Force to guide him, and the result was a large amount of TIE fighter scrap metal. Scotian was forced to retreat from the battle after taking a nasty hit to his fighter,[88] and Rivan was killed by enemy lasers, but the Rogues managed to keep a massive Star Destroyer from targeting them by drifting the engagement back and forth through space. When another Destroyer came in from the moon's nightside, the Rogues made a final pass at the first warship[89] before breaking away from the fight, hoping that they had bought the others enough time. Before he could jump to lightspeed, however, Skywalker found himself targeted by the guns of Janson's X-wing—the Rogue's R2 unit had taken control of his starfighter. Skywalker only survived the surprise due to a warning from the Force, and after maneuvering a pursuing TIE fighter into Janson's line of fire, he was able to take out Janson's engines and laser cannons.[90]

Janson's craft was towed back to base, where his droid was fitted with a restraining bolt. R2-D2 plugged into the rogue robot and discovered some grim news: it had been programmed by someone to target Skywalker. That someone was Rogue Squadron's crew chief,[90] Viera Cheran,[91] who had been paid 10,000 credits to assassinate Skywalker.[92] She quickly destroyed the Artoo unit,[90] and Antilles shot her in the chest when she turned her blaster on him and Skywalker. Meanwhile, Organa and the others returned to base empty-handed, as Fett had gotten away.[93] The Rogues were next assigned to cover a meeting over the planet Kothlis between the medical frigate Redemption and the CR90 corvette Razor, but the Rogues arrived with the Redemption to find the Razor under attack. When Antilles disabled the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Motivator, it crashed to Kothlis's surface, necessitating a commando mission to retrieve the data that had been stolen from the Razor. The data was quite alarming to the Alliance: The Empire was constructing a second Death Star.[39]

While with the Alliance Fleet, the Rogues received word from Dash Rendar that Skywalker, Organa, Calrissian, and Chewbacca were on the surface of Coruscant and would need assistance. Antilles brought his squadron to the outermost fringes of the Coruscant system to await for a signal from Rendar, and when he received it,[94] he took the Rogues into the middle of a space battle to lend aid to the harrowed Millennium Falcon and to Rendar's Outrider. Their foes were fighters belonging to the criminal syndicate Black Sun, who outnumbered them badly. However, Darth Vader arrived in the Super Star Destroyer Executor to destroy his foe—Black Sun's Prince Xizor—and the destruction of Xizor's Skyhook opened an escape corridor for the Rebels, who quickly fled the system.[95] Plans were put into place for a Rebel assault on the second Death Star, and the Rogues helped cover the retrieval of the stolen Imperial Lambda-class shuttle Tydirium from the Zhar system to the Alliance's Liberty.[96] The Rogues also raided Imperial-held Cloud City for valuable tibanna gas.[39]

Endor and aftermath

"… if you are selected for this duty, you will be part of a storied tradition. Rogue Squadron is tasked with the most dangerous assignments, the missions that only a nimble and highly trained squad can handle…"
―Admiral Ackbar, addressing Rogue Squadron candidates[src]
File:DS2 attack run.jpg

The X-wings of Rogue Squadron follow the Millennium Falcon into the second Death Star.

In 4 ABY, the Alliance Fleet gathered near the planet Sullust and prepared to strike at the Empire's unfinished Death Star II battlestation, which sat in orbit of the moon of Endor.[97] Rogue Squadron was directly attached to Admiral Ackbar's Home One, the flagship of the entire fleet, but Antilles temporarily renamed the Rogues "Red Squadron" in honor of the original Red Squadron from the Battle of Yavin.[98] Many top X-wing pilots had recently transferred to the new A-wing fighters,[99] and the Battle of Endor saw the Rogues divided among a number of ad hoc squadrons,[100] with Rogue veterans as Gemmer Sojan[74] and Tycho Celchu flying A-wings in Green Squadron[101] and both Karie Neth[71] and Kin Kian both serving as gunners in Gray Squadron.[73] Antilles was allowed the opportunity to equip the Rogues with newer A-wings and B-wings, but he personally elected to stay in his X-wing.[37] In addition to Antilles, Red Squadron included a Human male in a Y-wing as Red Two, Sila Kott in an A-wing as Red Three,[97] Derek Klivian as Red Four,[102] Grizz Frix as Red Five,[103] Keir Santage as Red Seven,[104] Randi, Wes Janson,[105] Kirst,[106] and Wister.[107]

Before the battle, Antilles gathered Red Squadron into a briefing room and told them the plan of attack: Rebel starfighters would enter the Death Star's superstructure and fire on its reactor core.[105] A strike team on the moon's surface would disable the shield generator that protected the Death Star before the Alliance Fleet arrived in the Endor system, but upon their arrival, the fleet found that the shield was still up. What they thought was going to be a surprise attack was countered by a massive force of Imperial starfighters,[97] and although several Alliance squadrons were devastated by the onslaught, Red Squadron remained mostly intact and racked up a large number of kills.[98] Kott was killed by a TIE pilot, however.[97]

The Death Star joined in the battle, firing its superlaser at Rebel capital ships, forcing the Alliance Fleet to attack Imperial Star Destroyers at point-blank range so as to avoid the battlestation's destructive power. Grizz Frix perished during the daring attacks. When the strike team finally destroyed the shield generator, Antilles, Santage, and several other pilots entered the unfinished Death Star. Santage was killed, but Antilles and Gold Leader Lando Calrissian knocked out the reactor core, which started a chain reaction that destroyed the entire station. The day was won, and Galactic Emperor Palpatine was one of the Imperial casualties.[97] The Imperial Navy fought on for nearly four more hours[108] before finally retreating.[109]

The victory was costly for the Alliance, including a starfighter casualty rate of more than twenty percent, itself almost matched by shipboard casualties. Nearly three quarters of all surviving vessels required extensive repairs, and Ackbar ordered immediate repair and salvage operations.[109] A quickly-put-back-together Rogue Squadron[100] aided with cleanup operations,[106] and they were sent to help reestablish a sensor perimeter after the Rebels' sensor net was destroyed by the intruding Imperial system patrol craft Daggerblade.[110] One day after the Death Star's destruction, Antilles intercepted an Imperial message drone while flying patrol duty and accidentally set off its self-destruct cycle. He was rescued by Luke Skywalker, who flew under the Rogue Leader call sign and was able to disarm the explosives. The drone's message, intended for Imperial reception, revealed that an alien invasion force was attacking the planet Bakura, and the Alliance immediately dispatched assistance to the besieged world.[111] The Rebel task force included Rogue Squadron.[112]

The Rogues and the entire Alliance Task force engaged the strange Ssi-ruuk aliens upon their arrival at Bakura, with Antilles flying once again as Rogue Leader. At one point, all of Rogue Squadron were surrounded by enemy fighters, and were only able to escape when Skywalker—commanding from the carrier Flurry—used the Force to convince one Ssi-ruuvi pilot to ram into a squadron mate. After the Alliance's Red Squadron destroyed an enemy cruiser, the Ssi-ruuvi Fleet retreated into hyperspace.[112] The Alliance ships then joined an Imperial orbital defense web while a team of Rebel diplomats went planetside.[113]

File:New rogues.jpg

New Rogues being selected shortly after the Battle of Endor

The combined forces of the Rebels and Imperials were able to repel the next attack launched by the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, but the Alliance's success was quickly followed by an Imperial double cross.[114] The Rogues protected Skywalker, who had commandeered the Shree-class battle cruiser Shriwirr from the Ssi-ruuk, from the Empire's forces[115] while Skywalker convinced Imperial Commander Pter Thanas to surrender.[116] The Rogues racked up a large number of kills against both Imperial and Si-ruuvi foes during the incident.[117] Back at Endor, Antilles and two other Rogues—Kirst and Wister—came upon several TIE fighters that remained in the Endor system while flying a cleanup operation. The resulting chase led them to the remains of the Super Star Destroyer Executor,[118] downed during the Battle of Endor,[97] which took out Wister's fighter with its still-operational turbolasers. Antilles and Kirst were able to finish off the massive ship by using proton torpedoes to cause an avalanche.[118]

Seven days after the Battle of Endor, several of the Rogues were performing salvage duty and other cleanup at the Alliance's Endor Station. Other Rebel squadrons were out in the galaxy, assessing the political situations in major sectors, and Skywalker—once again acting as Rogue Leader— gathered several members of his squadron together for a mission to Corellia. One week later, he had arrived in the planet's capital, Coronet City, along with Antilles, Celchu, Janson, and Blue Leader Ten Numb. Although two sweeps of the entire Corellian system had failed to detect any Imperial presence, the group was quickly targeted by Imperial snipers while in a Coronet cantina. Biker scouts and AT-STs soon followed,[119] but the Rogues were able to send their attackers into retreat. They learned from a captured officer that Coronet had been struck in order to send a message: the Empire still lived.[120]

Ten Numb was captured while pursuing the fleeing Imperials, and when the Rogues followed his homing beacon into space in their snubfighters, they were intercepted by TIE fighters. In fact suicide drones, the TIEs all detonated, and the Rogues narrowly avoided the deadly explosions. Numb's signal was lost during combat with three remaining TIE drones, but R2-D2 was able to extrapolate his destination from his last signal.[120] The Rogues followed Numb's captors to neighboring Tralus, where they learned that the Imperial General Weir had set up base in the underground Selonian Tunnels. Locating it with the aid of Selonian scouts, they held off Weir's stormtroopers largely thanks to Skywalker's lightsaber.[121]

File:Second Battle of Endor.jpg

The Rogues and the Cobra defend Endor from the Nagai.

Antilles and Celchu commandeered TIEs to chase a fleeing Weir, taking out enemy pursuit and ultimately downing their target. Although Numb had been tortured to death, Weir was placed in Rebel custody and the Rogues returned to the Alliance fleet. Several days later, Skywalker gave permanent command of the Rogues to Antilles so that he could focus on rebuilding the Jedi Order, and the new Rogue Leader was surprised to find that a large number of pilots had volunteered to fly with Rogue Squadron.[121] By this point in time, the Rebel Alliance had transitioned into the Alliance of Free Planets, an interim government that was intended to be a stepping stone en route to establishing a New Republic.[122]

A temporary Rogue Squadron was called into action for the Alliance of Free Planets when their Endor base was attacked by the Nagai expeditionary force. Antilles led the Rogues as they flew alongside Calrissian in his modified Mu-2 long range shuttle Cobra,[25] Chewbacca and Nien Nunb in the Millennium Falcon,[123] and a Mandalorian Resurrector Squadron of Cabur-class starfighters commanded by the Mandalorian Protector Fenn Shysa. Led by Shira Brie, now known as the the Sith Lady Lumiya, the Nagai pilots seemed to anticipate the allied fleet's every move and quickly overwhelmed them.[25] Admiral Ackbar soon informed his space forces that a traitor in the Alliance's midst had transmitted all of their flight plans to the enemy, and that their only chance was to formulate a new strategy on the fly. Calrissian quickly told Antilles to start winging it, and to have their allied snubfighters lock diretily into their computers. The resulting erratic flight paths of the Alliance's ships masked each other's movements and allowed them to easily pick off their opponents, and Lumiya soon fled the system.[123]

New Republic heroes

Fighting for the New Republic

A few weeks after the Death Star's destruction,[124] Rogue Squadron struck at Tandankin, a planet recently seized by the Empire's Grand Moff Nivers. Flying as Red Leader, Antilles had his squadron target an AT-AT, but a lone stormtrooper with a big gun was able to disable the craft of Red Seven. The downed pilot discovered a landing strip filled with dozens of TIE fighters, which Antilles neutralized by shooting down a nearby tower. Nivers was captured, and it took Skywalker regaling the world's citizens with tales of Antilles's heroics through the years to placate their anger over the destruction of what turned out to be an important monument.[125] The mission was Skywalker's last with Rogue Squadron, as he afterward made his resignation official.[126] The New Republic was declared one month after the Emperor's death,[127] and Antilles engineered a demotion for himself from commander down to captain, in order to remain Rogue Leader in the face of New Republic pressure to move up to fleet command.[4] Celchu became the squadron's second in command.[128]

With its new roster, the Rogues undertook their first mission with a lean team of six: Antilles, Janson, Klivian, Celchu, Plourr Ilo and Dllr Nep.[129] Around one month after the Death Star's destruction,[130] the Rogues were on Cilpar[129] to pick up supplies from the Cilpari Resistance[131] and escort a food convoy to Mrlsst.[129] Their contact, codenamed Targeter, failed to show up for two weeks,[131] and they found themselves dogfighting Imperial TIE fighters. Although they won the day, four of the Rogues were soon captured by Elscol Loro and the distrustful Cilpari Resistance,[129] but the two groups eventually worked together against Moff Boren Tascl, a common enemy. Janson and Celchu, who had avoided capture by Loro, meanwhile rendezvoused with Targeter, real name Winter Celchu. She sent Celchu to infiltrate the local Imperial base,[131] and he was able to help the Rogues defeat the Moff's forces from the cockpit of a TIE.[132]

File:Roguesmeetmirax.jpg

Antilles introduces the Rogues to Mirax Terrik on Mrlsst.

Loro became the squadron's newest member, and flew with them to Mrlsst,[133] where they met the young student Koyi Komad,[134] and ran into Antilles's old friend Mirax Terrik[133] as well as his old enemy, Imperial officer Loka Hask.[134] During a battle with Imperial forces over the world, Antilles authorized the use of a gravitic polarization beam weapon that Terrik had stolen from the planet, and Hask's Interdictor-class Star Destroyer was vanquished, with the Rogue Leader's old foe among the casualties. Afterward, the weapon was submitted to the New Republic.[135]

Five months after battling on Endor, the New Republic and the Nagai found themselves uneasy allies against the marauding Tof Kingdom. A joint assault on the Tof stronghold of Saijo with the aim of capturing the Tof Prince Sereno saw both Rogue Squadron and Gold Squadron deployed,[25] and Calrissian, piloting the Millennium Falcon alongside Chewbacca, told Antilles to destroy as many Tof starfighters as possible until the enemy agreed to surrender. The flagship Merriweather did just that after half of its fighter escort had been taken out, and on the planet's surface Skywalker was able to acquire the target after his ally Bey subdued Lumiya.[136] The Nagai–Tof War was brought to an end,[25] and one month later[124] the Rogues were sent on a mission to Tatooine.[137]

A New Republic Intelligence agent who turned out to be Winter was on-world investigating Imperial arms dealing, but Admiral Ackbar dispatched Rogue Squadron to aid her in case a strike force was required. While Janson, Nep, Ilo, and Klivian mixed with the locals to learn more about the ongoing gang wars that had resulted from the death of local crime lord Jabba the Hutt, Antilles met up with Biggs Darklighter's father Huff alongside Celchu and Loro.[137] The mission not only reunited the squadron with Winter, who was working with New Republic commando Kapp Dendo, but it also mixed them up with the Twi'lek gangster Firith Olan.[138] The events culminated with a battle that saw the Empire's Captain Marl Semtin defeated by the Rogues, who had teamed up with a disgruntled group of Imperial Special Intelligence troopers that Semtin had betrayed. Loro parted ways with the squadron following the battle after she disobeyed one of Antilles's orders, and she went on to form a new partnership with former Special Intelligence trooper Sixtus Quin.[139]

Rogue Squadron's ranks grew from the mere six they had been boasting when Ackbar's aide, Firstpilot Rekush, recommended that Antilles interview Feylis Ardele from the Commenor Militia.[140] Other new recruits were the Mon Calamari Ibtisam, the Quarren Nrin Vakil, and a Bith pilot[141] named Herian I'ngre.[142] Seven months after Endor,[124] Antilles was using Ardele's experience flying TIE fighters during her training at Commenor and was pitting her against the rest of the Rogues in daily simulations.[143] During one such exercise, he also had I'ngre rig the simulator seats with electical charges in a bid to produce more realism.[141]

Tea-rogue

Members of Rogue Squadron, left to right: Wedge Antilles, Plourr Ilo, Hobbie Klivian, Corran Horn, and Tycho Celchu

Over the following year, Rogue Squadron were involved in skirmishes on various worlds, including Brentaal IV where they captured Baron Soontir Fel, who defected and joined the squadron. They were also involved in the failed defection and rescue of Sate Pestage on Ciutric IV and the Battle of Mindor. Eventually, Fel disappeared and Nrin transferred out to deal with his grief. In 5 ABY, Tycho Celchu was still a Rogue when he infiltrated the Imperial capital world of Coruscant in a TIE fighter on a New Republic espionage mission. While there, he was uncovered and captured by Ysanne Isard, the current leader of the Empire. Celchu managed to escape after a few months in the hellish Lusankya prison, but many in the New Republic suspected that he was a brainwashed sleeper agent.[144]

Reorganization

"No choice at all Luke. We're, ah, we were Rogue Squadron. We do."
―Wedge Antilles to Luke Skywalker on going after Ysanne Isard[src]

About a year and a half after Endor, Admiral Ackbar approached Antilles with plans from the New Republic Provisional Council for re-forming Rogue Squadron[13]—they directed Antilles to rebuild the legendary unit from the ground up,[145] revitalizing it[13] with the galaxy's best pilots.[145] Having seen too many new members die soon after joining the Rogues, Antilles saw the wisdom in the decision; although all of the squadron's veterans wanted to see it continue unbroken, they also wanted its pilots to get the necessary training for survival.[13] Rogue Squadron was temporarily disbanded,[4] and Antilles was taken off active duty.[146] The Rogues became an important symbol of New Republic propaganda,[12] and Antilles was sent on a nearly year-long publicity tour,[4] visiting new member worlds to deliver speeches, kiss babies, and pose for holograms.[12] The squadron's exploits were played up[145] in an effort to depict the new government as heroes, rather than the bandits they had been cast as by the Empire.[12]

Klivian and Janson were assigned to train new squadrons,[12] and Antilles was recalled to active duty in 6.5 ABY[146] to help interview and test hundreds of pilots for the empty Rogue positions. The New Republic needed an elite group of pilots who could perform the impossible jobs for which Rogue Squadron was known, and who could live up to its legend.[13] After some last-minute negotiations with Ackbar and with General Horton Salm over some political appointments to the squadron, Antilles had his twelve,[12] and preparations for the New Republic's push toward Coruscant could begin.[146] The New Republic believed it was important that their allies, including the Bothans and the planet Thyferra, have representatives in the celebrated squadron, but Antilles was able to secure Celchu as his executive officer, provided that his friend—still under heavy suspicion by many—only fly a Z-95 Headhunter with low-powered lasers during training missions and remain under house arrest when not flying.[12] The protocol droid Emtrey served as Antilles's administrative assistant.[13]

File:Wedge's Gamble.jpg

Rogue Squadron's Headhunters disable Coruscant's planetary shields.

At the New Republic's Folor Base, Antilles gathered his new roster together for the first time: former CorSec agent Corran Horn, former lawyer Nawara Ven, Gand pilot Ooryl Qrygg, Thyferrans Bror Jace and Erisi Dlarit, Kessel native Lujayne Forge, Bespin native Rhysati Ynr, Rodian Andoorni Hui, Shistavenan Riv Shiel,[13] Bothan Peshk Vri'syk,[147] and Gavin Darklighter,[13] cousin to former Red Squadron pilot Biggs Darklighter.[12] They had been chosen for both their elite flying abilities and for other skills, as Ackbar wanted them to operate as more than just a fighter squadron—he envisioned them operating independently if necessary, performing operations that usually required far more than twelve operatives.[13] Antilles wanted pilots who could also serve as commandos, and he had prioritized ground-based skills when faced with applicants of equal piloting skill.[6] He reminded his new team that statistically, most fighter pilots died within their first five missions, and he told them of his plans to intensely train them over the following month.[13]

The pilots were quickly thrust into the line of fire in the disastrous First Battle of Borleias. Very soon after, Borleias was taken in a second, heated assault. From Borleias, the New Republic was in position to take an offensive action toward the core, particularly the capital world of Coruscant. Rogue Squadron would continue to lead the way. With two new additions of Aril Nunb and Pash Cracken, the Rogues infiltrated Coruscant. They went in as teams of two but all subsequently met up, gaining an ally in Asyr Sei'lar, a Bothan who was an alumnus of the Bothan Martial Academy. Celchu shocked the Rogues, when he showed up on Coruscant after having been presumed killed in a disastrous attack by Warlord Zsinj on Noquivzor. He had been brought in beforehand by Wedge as backup. Tycho had purchased six Z-95 Headhunters, of which five were used in the attack to bring down Coruscant's orbital shields. The sixth was flown by Corran Horn into a storm created by the Rogues by boiling the city's water supply with Coruscant's orbital mirrors.

Their goal was to take down a power Grid Subsystem buried under a Statue, and although this endeavor was successful, Horn was subsequently captured by Ysanne Isard using the Headhunter's override codes which were given to her by turncoat Erisi Dlarit. Horn was taken to Lusankya but presumed dead in the rubble where the storm and his attack had taken place. Corran's death was used by the New Republic to rally more troops and raise overall morale. Tycho Celchu was accused of being the traitor and was brought on trial, defended by Nawara Ven. Meanwhile, Corran Horn was trapped in Isard's Lusankya facility. Ysanne Isard couldn't change him, so she put him in the highest security area on Lusankya. He managed to escape, while Celchu's trial was tearing Rogue Squadron apart. Finally, when Ysanne Isard blasted out of Coruscant on the Lusankya, Erisi Dlarit, the real traitor, faked being pulled by a tractor beam, and rendezvoused with the Super Star Destroyer.

To pursue Isard, Rogue Squadron resigned their commissions and participated in the Bacta War. With only minimal resources, they managed to lure the Star Destroyer Avarice to the New Republic, and they heavily damaged Lusankya, making her surrender. Ysanne Isard was presumed dead, shot down by the Rogues as she tried to escape. Thyferra was liberated, and Rogue Squadron gained a pilot in Tal'dira. However, Nawara Ven became the Squadron's XO, never to fly an X-Wing again, for he had lost his leg and wasn't able to fly well enough with a prosthetic.

Rogue Squadron Scalf

Antilles' Rogues (left) perform aerial maneuvers with the ersatz Rogue Squadron in 7 ABY.

Rogue Squadron's resignations were never documented by the New Republic—Leia Organa of the Provisional Council later explained to Antilles that they had been "creatively misfiled"—and while they were away, the government brought Klivian and Janson back from training duty to cobble together a temporary Rogue Squadron that could be visible for morale purposes. Their promised reward was a permanent return to the Rogues' ranks upon Antilles's homecoming. Rogue veterans like Will Scotian, Gayla Riemann, Carithlee, and several more were recruited for the auxiliary squadron, and its roster was rounded out by two pilots each from Gauntlet Squadron and Corsair Squadron. When Antilles's Rogues returned to Coruscant[5] in 7.5 ABY,[148] Klivian's squadron flew up to meet them and informed them that New Republic High Command was broadcasting their arrival over the holonet. Taking on the "Red Squadron" designation out of respect, Klivian's group engaged the Rogues in a friendly contest of aerial maneuvers as they all descended to Imperial Plaza.[5]

Antilles was whisked to a platform in front of an adoring crowd, where Organa spoke about his recent accomplishments, alerting the Rogue Leader to the fact that the Bacta War had been retroactively sanctioned as an official New Republic operation.[5] A night of raucous celebration followed, with Rogues old and new partying together. It was Aril Nunb's last night with the squadron,[6] as she planned to retain command of the cruiser Valiant that she had captained during the Bacta War.[149] Antilles met with Admiral Ackbar the next morning to outline what he had planned for his immediate future: a new X-wing squadron with a full range of intrusion and subversion skills, that would operate as commandos first and pilots second, to serve in the New Republic's hunt for Warlord Zsinj. He would act as the commander for it and for Rogue Squadron, but he would personally lead the new squadron with Janson as his second-in-command. Celchu would take over as Rogue Leader, with Klivian as his second and Nawara Ven as his Executive Officer. Ackbar agreed, on the condition that if Antilles's plan failed, he would accept a promotion to general and join Ackbar's advisory staff.[6] Thus, Wraith Squadron was born.[150]

Imperial resurgence

"I say let the Imperials keep coming, because every time a new admiral crawls out of the Outer Rim or some Imperial goon finds a lost superweapon, Rogue Squadron gets a new starfighter. Seems like a good deal to me."
―Wedge Antilles[src]

By the year 9 ABY, Imperial territory had been reduced to a quarter of its former size, most of it in outlying sectors along the Rim, but when the brilliant Grand Admiral Thrawn returned from the Unknown Regions and reorganized the Imperial fleet, he began to execute strategic raids along the Empire's border with the New Republic.[151] After a hit-and-fade on the Bpfassh system, Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon were sent to reassure the people of Bpfassh that their government was stil able to protect them, and Rogue Squadron were assigned to escort Solo and his twenty-ship convoy.[152] Antilles was on-world with Han and Leia Organa Solo when Thrawn's Noghri commandos attacked, and only Organa Solo's Force powers saved them from boarding a decoy Falcon. After Solo cut through the enemy ship's coolant lines and released korfaise gas into the air, Rogue Squadron swooped in to protect them.[153] The group's next assignment was escort duty to Sluis Van, with their X-wings remaining aboard the frigate[154] Larkhess as its undermanned crew hauled cargo from Coruscant. Outside of the Sluis Van Shipyards, Antilles noticed a suspiciously empty freighter lurking nearby and ordered the Rogues to their fighters, but as soon as they were spaceborne the freighter blew up.[155]

CloakSquadron-HTTE6

TIE fighters surprise the Rogues at the Battle of Sluis Van.

Out from the explosion poured a wave of TIE fighters, concurrent with the arrival of an Imperial fleet. Rogue Squadron's only backup was the Millennium Falcon, coincidentally also at Sluis Van, with both Skywalker and Calrissian among Solo's passengers. After he and Rogue Five took out some TIEs, Antilles was fired upon by a friendly Mon Calamari Star Cruiser that had a strange cone-shaped ship nestled against it, and he spotted another such ship being escorted through the battle by four TIE fighters. The Falcon helped him polish those four off, and Solo revealed that the strange cones were mole miners, recently stolen from Calrissian's mining operation on Nkllon. The Imperial were using the miners to burrow into New Republic ships' hulls and commandeer them; without sufficient backup, Solo made it a priority to destroy whichever ones hadn't yet attached themselves to anything. After Antilles and Rogue Five took care of one miner's TIE escort, a space trooper popped out of the cone and impeded the Falcon, leaving it to Antilles to take out the miner as well.[155]

The battle came to an end when Calrissian used his command codes to activate every mole miner, which then cut through the lengths of their captured ships and left them all disabled. Denied their prizes, the Empire's Star Destroyers withdrew.[155] The New Republic military forces at the shipyards remained on full alert in the battle's aftermath,[156] but Rogue Squadron were later back on Coruscant when Skywalker asked Antilles to gather them up and meet him at a spaceport. Their X-wings were loaded into a transport[157] for a five-day journey to the location of the lost Katana fleet,[158] which had been found by the smuggler Talon Karrde. Joining them on the unsanctioned mission were a team of technicians, whom Karrde, Skywalker, and others hoped could get to the fleet before the ambitious New Republic senator Borsk Fey'lya did.[157]

Rogue Squadron later fought in the Battle of Bilbringi, and immediately afterwards, the conquest of Prince-Admiral Delak Krennel's Ciutric Hegemony. The New Republic took one of its outlying planets, Liinade III and then prepared to attack Ciutric, the capital planet of the Hegemony, while simultaneously looking for clues that would lead to the remaining Lusankya prisoners. One of them, Urlor Sette, unexpectedly turned up at a party for the squadron, but when Corran Horn recognized him and said his name, an implanted device killed Sette. The Squadron went on a mission to Commenor, finding some of the prisoners and learning that Isard might be alive.

During the attack on one of Krennel's outlying planets, Horn was shot down. He found a secret facility that showed evidence of a Pulsar Station, not unlike the Death Star, and the Rogues moved to attack it at a moon orbiting a gas giant, only to be ambushed. They were saved by two squadrons of TIE/D Defenders, Stranger and Interloper Squadrons, under the command of Colonel Broak Vessery, and taken to a secret base, having suffered the death of 2 pilots and the critical injury and presumed death of 2 more. Surprisingly, they met Ysanne Isard, who was responsible for their rescue. She revealed that the Isard they had thought they had killed was a clone, and she had survived to make herself a threat, and that all Isard wanted was her demise.

The squadron was trained to use TIE Defenders and then attacked Ciutric. The New Republic attacked at the same time, killing Krennel in the ensuing space battle. The real Isard tried to recapture Lusankya at Bilbringi, but was shot and killed in the attempt by Iella Wessiri. The real Isard had already betrayed Rogue Squadron by not supporting them in their attempt to kill the clone Isard and rescue the rest of the Lusankya prisoners at Ciutric. Rogue Squadron was successful however, and the clone of Isard was killed.

While the New Republic was still celebrating their victory over Thrawn, the Imperial Military mounted a massive attack on Coruscant[159] in 10 ABY.[160] Rogue Squadron covered the New Republic's retreat from the embattled world,[159] with Antilles helping coordinate the evacuation.[161] Due to devastating losses in New Republic Army Command, Ackbar promoted him to general and transferred him to the army as a figure around whom the troops could rally, but the two reached a compromise: Antilles would be his Fighter Command Liaison and would retain command of the Rogues, able to fly any missions that did not interfere with his new duties.[159] He was also given command of a fighter wing, which he named Rogue Wing.[161] Meanwhile, an Imperial Civil War erupted within the leaderless Empire,[162] and the New Republic took advantage of the confusion by sending their own Star Destroyers into war zones to stir up further confusion.[163]

Rogue Squadron CE4

Rogue Squadron fights in the battle of Phaeda.

Antilles was soon sent to coordinate the air defense of the Battle of Calamari.[164] The planet was being ravaged by World Devastator superweapons under the command of Luke Skywalker, who had been turned to the dark side and was serving as the Empire's Supreme Commander under a reborn Emperor Palpatine.[165] Rogue Squadron was deployed into the battle, with Antilles piloting a V-wing airspeeder and Kasan Moor once again flying for the Rogues.[166] The battle was finally won when R2-D2 beamed the Emperor's master control signal—given to him by Skywalker, whose dark turn had partially been a deep undercover ruse—into the World Devastators' control computers, which caused the massive machines to turn on and destroy each other.[167] Although Palpatine managed to unite the feuding Imperial factions into a Dark Empire,[168] his final death halted his destructive campaign and saw the Imperial fleet again splinter into warlordism.[169] With the Empire in ruins, the New Republic was able to retake Coruscant, with Antilles commanding Rogue Squadron during the siege.[170]

With secure control of the galaxy once more, the New Republic began to reassess its military forces. Although Rogue Squadron was a nearly mythical name by this point, Antilles's superiors wanted it changed, and ordered him to reconfigure it into a versatile unit composed of several different kinds of fighters, which they felt would allow for more flexibility in battle. Antilles's protests were overruled, and his distaste for bureaucracy prompted him to request command of the Rogues from the bridge of the captured Super Star Destroyer, Lusankya. One hundred fighters from a broad range of ships in Lusankya's hangars were available for Rogue Squadron alone, the new version of which saw its first round of action in the Battle of Phaeda[18] in 11 ABY.[19] The Lusankya arrived at the planet to defend its New Republic outpost from the Steadfast, a Star Destroyer of Lord Carnor Jax's Crimson Empire. Tycho Celchu served as Rogue Leader in a squadron composed of E-wings, B-wings,[20] and A-wings.[18] The Steadfast and its TIEs were easily outmatched by Lusankya and the Rogues, and the Imperials were defeated.[20] Not long afterward, central Imperial leadership collapsed, and the Galactic Empire ceased to exist.[171]

Pirates and remnants

Rogue Squadron

The Rogue Squadron rec-room

Later in 11 ABY, the Rogues were yet again a squadron exclusively composed of X-wings. They were assigned to hunt for the Invids, an elusive pirate group led by ex-Imperial Moff Leonia Tavira, who eluded every attempt by the New Republic to capture her. The Rogues found themselves with about a week of down time in between raids. On one raid, they intercepted a group of Invid ugly starfighters in the K'vath system and easily disposed of them, capturing the modified bulk cruiser Booty Full. The New Republic capital ships waiting just outside of the system were disappointed, however, that Tavira's Star Destroyer Invidious was not present. Squadron members flying under Rogue Leader Celchu included Corran Horn as Rogue Nine, Darklighter, Klivian, Janson, Qrygg, Reme Pollar, Vurrulf, and Ghufran,[30] but Horn left the squadron shortly afterward in order to train as a Jedi in Master Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order.[172] He ended up going undercover with the Invids during a hunt for his missing wife, Mirax, and when the New Republic tracked the Invidious to Xa Fel and attacked, the Rogues were unaware that they were flying against Horn, who narrowly avoided proton torpedoes fired by Celchu's fighter before escaping. The Rogues later removed the Invid-affiliated Khuiumin Survivors from their base on Courkrus, and Horn was able to rescue his wife from the Force-sensitive Jensaarai, who had been helping Tavira anticipate the New Republic's strikes. The threat of the Invidious was thus effectively neutralized.[173]

Although the Empire was dead, Imperial Admiral Daala united the holdings of twelve Warlords sequestered in the Deep Core in 12 ABY, and Admiral Pellaeon then took her United Warlord Fleets to the galaxy's northern quadrant and absorbed various surviving Imperial Rim factions into a new government: the Imperial Remnant.[171] He quickly demonstrated the might of his new Empire with the Orinda campaign, taking the Super Star Destroyer Reaper and the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing to Orinda and capturing it. He also took six systems coreward of Orinda along the Entralla Route, and the New Republic responded by sending in Rogue Squadron and the Lusankya, commanded by General Antilles.[174] As the two dreadnaughts stalked each other through the Mid Rim, the Rogues clashed with the 181st in a series of strikes and parries, with the first engagements occuring in the Darkon and Traval-Pacor systems. The Lusankya and the Rogues won both battles against their counterparts, securing the systems, but the 181st fought the Rogues to a stalemate at Orocco afterward.[175]

Adumarbattle

Four Rogues fly during the Battle of Adumar.

After the 181st bested the Lusankya at Tyan,[175] the New Republic military sent Admiral Areta Bell and the fleet carrier Endurance to support their forces, and Pellaeon gradually fell back,[176] losing to the combined New Republic forces at Obredaan.[175] Although Antilles was merely hoping to destroy what he thought was the Empire's last Super Star Destroyer, Bell was under pressure to prove that starfighters, and especially her E-wings, were superior to dreadnaughts. Orinda played host to a final showdown,[176] where Rogue Squadron and the rest of the New Republic forces engaged the Lusankya and the 181st,[175] and where Pellaeon sprang a trap. Six interdictor cruisers and the dreadnaught Dominion, commanded by Admiral Teren Rogriss, emerged from hyperspace and destroyed the Endurance, along with the E-wing squadrons in its hold. As the Lusankya's shields became a sheet of flame, Antilles prepared to abandon ship, but when the Rogues punched a hole in the interdictor screen he was able to flee with them. The Remnant's southern borders were secured,[176] but the New Republic fortified surrounding systems.[177]

A situation on the newly found planet of Adumar called for Wedge to return to the cockpit with Tycho Celchu, Wes Janson and Hobbie Klivian in 13 ABY. Antilles led a diplomatic envoy which succeeded in bringing the neutral world to the New Republic. The four pilots used Rogue Squadron markings on their X-wings and flew as Red Flight with call signs Red 1 through Red 4.

The Caamas Document incident also called for Rogue Squadron's unique talents as they were pressed into ground-based service in an attempt to find out the truth behind the document. The return of Thrawn also saw the Rogues thrust back into the frontlines in an attempt to protect the New Republic.

The signing of the peace treaty ending the Galactic Civil War marked the time for many pilots from Rogue Squadron to retire.

Yuuzhan Vong War

"Rogue Squadron to Borleias. We're back. We kicked your butt twenty years ago. Now we're here to do it again."
Colonel Gavin Darklighter, 27.5 ABY[src]

Under the leadership of Colonel Gavin Darklighter, Rogue Squadron played a central role in a number of battles against the Yuuzhan Vong. The conflict saw Rogue Squadron suffer heavy losses, including nine pilots killed, one resignation and one transfer — the Battle of Dantooine took the lives of half the squadron. The war also saw the adoption of several new technologies, including the shadow bomb and XJ3 model X-Wing fighters. The Rogues joined a small group of New Republic forces who took a stand at Borleias.

Following the conclusion of the war, Colonel Darklighter accepted a Fleet command and handed Rogue Squadron over to a new Rogue Leader.

In 36 ABY, the Galactic Alliance found itself caught in the midst of the Swarm War between the Chiss Ascendancy and the the Colony. Gilad Pellaeon, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, hoped to decimate the Colony's swarms of insectoid Killiks at the Unknown Regions world of Tenupe, but Jedi Master Luke Skywalker proposed a different plan: He would neutralize the Colony's Force‐sensitive Joiner leaders, Lomi Plo and Raynar Thul. Although the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force would consequently face the Killiks without Alliance assistance and would take heavy casualties, Skywalker knew that the hive minded Colony would collapse without its leadership and bring a quick end to the war. The mere destruction of their fleet would simply prolong the conflict and prompt the Chiss to commit speciecide with their parasite bomb weapon.[178] Rogue and Wraith Squadrons were assigned to support Skywalker[179] as he made his way to the Admiral Ackbar, a captured Star Destroyer where Thul and Plo were stationed.[178]

As the Rogues and other squadrons escorted Skywalker's shuttle to the Admiral Ackbar, Alliance turbolasers brought down the target's shields and took out Killik dartships. Proton torpedoes from the Alliance fighters destroyed more dartships, and the Rogues personally took care of the enemy starfighters that were launched from the Admiral Ackbar's hangar bays. A tractor beam from an Alliance Star Destroyer removed the remaining dartships, and Skywalker was able to board the target and achieve his objective.[180] With the Killik threat removed, the Chiss Ascendancy agreed to not continue pursuing the war.[181]

Galactic Alliance vets

Second Galactic Civil War

"A minute ago, I just vaped a Rogue."
"I did, too. Rogue Leader. A Duros named Lensi. A good man."
―Syal and Wedge Antilles, flying for Rakehell Squadron[src]
Jainasolo

Jaina Solo briefly served as Rogue Leader during the Second Galactic Civil War.

In the year 40 ABY, the Five Worlds government of the Corellian system came into conflict with the Galactic Alliance, and Chief of State Cal Omas imposed a blockade of Corellia. Rogue Squadron were stationed with the blockade,[182] and Jaina Solo, who had been prompted by the crisis to reenlist as an active starfighter pilot,[183] served as a colonel[184] and as Rogue Leader.[2] In XJ7 X-wing starfighters, the squadron flew patrol duty in the Corellian Exclusion Zone behind Colonel Jacen Solo of the Galactic Alliance Guard,[22] who had been given temporary command of the battle group.[184] Due to tensions between the Solo twins, they were unable to maintain a Force meld with each other and with fellow Jedi Zekk. Tensions between the three further escalated when Jacen ordered Zekk to turn back a water tanker that was attempting to supply some Corellian shipyards, an order to which both Zekk and Jaina objected on moral grounds.[22]

For three hours, the Rogues intimidated transports and supply vessels into turning around, albeit without firing any shots. When ships of the Corellian defense fleet finally arrived, Jacen destroyed a Corellian attack fighter after it launched a missile at him, effectively firing the first shot of the Second Galactic Civil War.[22] When the blockade reached its sixth day, capital ships from several worlds sympathetic to Corellia's cause arrived to lend aid to the bedevilled planet. To avoid a major confrontation, Jaina and Zekk were the only two Rogues to accompany Jacen in that day's harrying sortie, which saw a spirited Atzerri freighter nearly collide with both Solo twins. Jaina disabled both of its laser cannons but was nevertheless ordered to destroy it by her brother; as the vessel was civilian, no longer a threat, and had already begun to flee, Jaina refused the order. Her brother consequently took out the ship and immediately suspended Jaina from duty.[185] When Jacen attempted to court-martial her, Zekk resigned his commission in Rogue Squadron, and he and Jaina instead dedicated their war effort to the Jedi Order.[186]

By 41 ABY, Jacen Solo had become a co-Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, and in that year he led a strike at the Corellians' Centerpoint Station. Rogue Squadron launched from his flagship, the Anakin Solo,[187] and soon encountered Rakehell Squadron,[188] a group of Rogue alumni and other veteran pilots that was flying for the Alliance-opposed Jedi Coalition.[187] Aerial combat commenced between the two squadrons. As former Rogue Leader Wedge Antilles and his daughter Syal, both flying for Rakehell, engaged in a dogfight with their enemies, Syal took out a Rogue[188] and her father killed Lensi, the Rogue Leader. The Rakehells were not without losses of their own: the Jedi Knight Twool, Rakehell Six, was killed, and two more of their fighters were heavily damaged.[9] When a Commenori task force reverted from hyperspace in support of the Corellians, the Rogues broke away from the Rakehells to engage the new threat. The battle came to an end when Centerpoint was destroyed, owing to sabotage from a Jedi strike team[189] that had been escorted aboard the station by the Rakehells.[188]

Sith-Imperial War

"Ho ho ho! You all right! Welcome to Rogue Squadron, Hondo Karr! Come! Andurgo give you ale! Brew it myself!"
"A drink's a drink."
―Rogue pilots Andurgo and Hondo Karr, after a knife-fight with each other[src]

Rogue Squadron was still an active squadron in 137 ABY as the most elite of all of the squadrons in the Galactic Alliance Remnant.[23] Although the Galactic Alliance had since fallen, Admiral Gar Stazi was leading its Remnant in a campaign of hit-and-run battles against Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire, that formed a large theater of the ongoing Imperial Civil War.[190] The Rogues were stationed aboard the Indomitable, a Scythe-class battle cruiser that served as the flagship of the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet, and were flying CF9 Crossfire starfighters.[23] The Weequay Jhoram Bey was Rogue Leader, and the squadron members included the Klatooinian Ronto, the young and brash Human Anj Dahl, the hot-headed Dug Andurgo, and the Mon Calamari Monia Gahan, niece of former Galactic Alliance Triumvirate member Gial Gahan. In 137 ABY, the former Mandalorian Hondo Karr joined the squadron, and he quickly got into a knife fight with Andurgo aboard the Indomitable. After Commander Bey broke it up, Dahl and Gahan reported to Admiral Stazi that Gahan's uncle would help them capture the Imperious-class Star Destroyer Imperious from Krayt's Empire.[10]

Knivesout

Andurgo welcomes Hondo Karr to Rogue Squadron.

During the Battle of Mon Calamari, two members of Rogue Squadron fought not from their cockpits, as Monia Gahan sliced into the Mon Calamari Shipyards' guns[191] using codes provided by her uncle,[10] and Karr led a task force that took control of the Imperious's bridge. Admiral Dru Valan of Krayt's Outer Rim Third Fleet let the captured ship escape so that he could focus on Stazi, but the Alliance Remnant fleet evaded him by moving to the far side of the planet-ringing shipyards. The Rogues took on incoming waves of Predator-class starfighters, flying interference and destroying several fighters, but Ronto was shot down and barely managed to get to an escape pod. From the Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer Relentless, Valan obsessively closed in on Stazi while letting the rest of the Remnant ships escape, and Bey returned to the Indomitable to rescue an injured Stazi from his crippled flagship. When Captain Jaius Yorub refused to let Stazi, who had become a symbol of hope, pilot his ship on a suicide run, a punch to the admiral from Bey let Yorub take his commanding officer's place.[191]

Bey and Stazi, escorted by Dahl and Andurgo, jumped to hyperspace and made it safely back to the Alliance rendezvous point, while Yorub and the Indomitable took out one third of the enemy shipyards. Bey was promoted to captain and took Yorub's former position at Stazi's side,[191] and Dahl became the new Rogue Leader.[11] Three days later, Darth Krayt enacted retribution on the Mon Calamari by declaring a genocide of the entire species, and Monia Gahan—trapped in Dac's New Coral City—witnessed the execution of her uncle and scores more of her kin via hologram. Only the intervention of Imperial Knights Treis Sinde and Sigel Dare prevented Gahan herself from being subdued by stormtroopers, as the two had sabotaged the Imperious before its capture and needed her help to warn Admiral Stazi. Gahan convinced them to also rescue Ronto and several other captive Alliance pilots, and Ronto piloted a shuttle free of the besieged world while Treis Sinde stayed behind to fend off the Sith Lord Darth Azard. Back aboard the Imperious, the seeds of an alliance between the Galactic Alliance Remnant and the Imperial Knights' Empire-in-exile were planted, and Stazi defiantly renamed his new ship the Alliance.[192]

The alliance was tested in the Battle of Ralltiir, a joint operation between the Alliance Remnant and the Empire-in-exile, where each government fielded an armada in an attack on Darth Krayt's Third Fleet. Stazi's ships arrived first, and the Rogues were tasked with taking out an ion cannon on Ralltiir's Moon Twelve before it could set up a force field. Gahan and Andurgo quickly achieved their objective before moving on to target TIE predators. When Admiral Edouard Fenel showed up with the Bastion Second Fleet to aid Stazi, Krayt's Admiral Kelsan surrendered to overwhelming enemy strength, but his subordinate Captain Vaclen Tor of the frigate Steadfast refused the order, vowing to deny so many captured ships to their foes. Buoyed by Tor's resolve, Kelsan ordered all ships of the Third Fleet to self-destruct, and an enraged Fenel instructed his forces to fire on the enemy escape pods. Stazi quickly placed his own ships, including Rogue Squadron, in between the rival Imperial fleets in a bid to prevent a massacre.[11]

Dogfightondac

The Crossfire starfighters of Rogue Squadron destroy TIE Predators above Dac.

The Steadfast's escape pods and self-destruct mechanism had been damaged, however, and the Rogues flew cover for the frigate as Fenel launched his own TIE predators to destroy it. Unwilling to be treated as less than an equal in his alliance with Fenel's government, Stazi had his fleet lay down suppressing fire to ward off Fenel's starfighters, and a breakdown of the alliance was only averted when Stazi was able to contact exiled Emperor Roan Fel and remind him of their equality.[11] Later, while the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet was stationed in the Arkanis sector, Captain Bey told the Rogue pilots of their next mission in a briefing room aboard the Alliance: They were to rescue a group of Mon Calamari refugees from Napdu, a moon of Da Soocha. While the rest of the squadron waited a quick hyperspace jump away, Anj Dahl and Hondo Karr landed on Napdu to meet with their contact: the Hutt Azzim Anjiliac Atirue.[193]

Azzim arranged for his guards to stun the two Rogues at their landing site in order to fool potential Imperial spies, but he treated them cordially inside his Maya Armus spa as details were finalized. When the Mandalorian bounty hunter Tes Vevec—Hondo Karr's ex-wife—suddenly dropped in and attacked Karr, he fended her off as Dahl contacted Rogue Squadron to execute the plan: protect a decoy YZ 3000 tanker from waiting bounty hunters while another tanker, in fact packed with refugees, made it to lightspeed safely. Dahl went back for her teammate, but Karr decided to leave the Rogues and team up with Vevec to pursue the Mandalorian traitor Yaga Auchs. One member short,[193] the squadron continued serving Stazi, and during a quick reconnaissance flight over enemy-occupied Dac, they were horrified to discover millions of corpses floating on the surface of the water world—Krayt's Empire had expedited their planetary genocide by releasing viral spores into the oceans.[194]

An enraged Andurgo launched his Crossfire at some nearby TIE predators, and after the Rogues quickly took out their foes, Dahl overlooked his actions due to the gravity of the situation. Their Admiral's response was to quickly organize a massive Evacuation of Dac, during which the Rogues helped fend off Imperial forces who were targeting the volunteers of the ad hoc emergency evac fleet. The Imperials retreated when Roan Fel's General Oron Jaeger showed up with a fleet of his own, and evacuation continued unimpeded until time ran out.[194]

When Galactic Emperor Darth Krayt began an aggressive military push against the Alliance of the Remnant, the Empire-in-exile, and the New Jedi Order, the Rogues and Stazi's Imperious, since renamed the Alliance, stopped Imperial forces from bombing Falleen. There, they met the famed Sith hunter Cade Skywalker, descendant of their founder Luke Skywalker, who aided them in the battle against Krayt's Imperials.[195] Rogue Squadron later fought with the Alliance fleet in the evacuation of the Jedi's Hidden Temple[196] and in the final battle of the war over Coruscant. Although the Allies ultimately won the battle and, consequently, the war, both Ronto and Andurgo were killed.[197][198]

Rogue Leaders

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker was one of two Red Squadron pilots to survive the Battle of Yavin in the year 0 BBY, an engagement in which he personally fired the proton torpedoes that destroyed the Empire's Death Star battlestation.[33] New to the Rebel Alliance, the Force-sensitive Skywalker initially honed his talents as a pilot rather than his skills as a Jedi,[126] and he was placed in charge of the burgeoning Rogue Flight by the Alliance's Commander Arhul Narra, leading them in various missions[3] and racking up a number of victories.[126] Skywalker commanded the ersatz Rogue Group in 3 ABY's Battle of Hoth,[3] after which Wedge Antilles ascended to the Rogue Leader position.[87] Skywalker flew often with the new Rogue Squadron over the following year, however,[81][88][120] taking the position of Rogue Leader with Antilles flying as Rogue One.[65] In 4 ABY, Skywalker permanently retired from the Rogues, deciding to finally concentrate on rebuilding the Jedi Order.[121] Nevertheless, he was promoted to the rank of general in the young New Republic, a commission which he did not resign until one year after Endor.[126]

Wedge Antilles

WedgeAntilles

Wedge Antilles leading Red Squadron at the Battle of Endor

A veteran of the cockpit, Wedge Antilles was often acclaimed as the best starfighter pilot in the galaxy.[199] He developed tactics which were used as textbook examples for new Rebel pilots, and his X-wing piloting was used in simulators throughout the galaxy. His name was revered even among Imperial squadrons,[200] and it went on to become synonymous with Rogue Squadron itself.[199] A Red Squadron survivor of Yavin[33] and a member of Rogue Flight right from its inception, Antilles was initially Skywalker's second-in-command in the nascent flight group. The two decided to expand Rogue Flight into a full squadron while stationed on Hoth, and Antilles participated in Rogue Group's defense of the Alliance's Echo Base,[3] downing an AT-AT walker along with his gunner, Wes Janson.[56] Finding himself the new Rogue Leader following that battle,[87] Antilles led Rogue Squadron as a unit operating with no set mission profile.[1] Placed in permanent command of the squadron a year later,[121] just after leading it into the Battle of Endor,[97] he commanded the Rogues until their temporary dissolution in 5 ABY and resumed his post when the unit was rebuilt one year afterward.[4]

That post was resigned by Antilles when the New Republic refused to wage war against the warlord Ysanne Isard, and he commanded his own, unofficial Rogue Squadron to defeat her in the Bacta War. That conflict was retroactively deemed an official New Republic operation,[5] but Antilles promoted Tycho Celchu to Rogue Leader and instead focused on building the new Wraith Squadron.[6] He later returned to Rogue Squadron as Rogue Leader,[155] but an eventual promotion to general took him out of active pilot duty, although he would still sometimes oversee Rogue Squadron from the bridge of a capital ship.[20][174] He was back in the cockpit as Rogue Leader in 19 ABY,[201] but following peace accords between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant in that year, he retired from the military.[4] Decades later, Antilles flew against the Rogues as a member of Rakehell Squadron, which was supporting the Galactic Alliance–opposed Jedi Coalition in the Second Galactic Civil War. To his deep regret, he shot down and killed Lensi, the current Rogue Leader.[9]

Derek "Hobbie" Klivian

Derek Klivian, also known as Hobbie, enlisted in the Imperial Academy as a young man[202] but quickly defected to the Rebel Alliance, becoming one of its most talented pilots.[36] Although he missed being a part of Red Squadron at Yavin due to injury,[34] Klivian was one of the earliest Rogues[36] and flew with them at Hoth[3] and Endor.[105] When Rogue Squadron was recommissioned by the New Republic in 6 ABY, Klivian was assigned elsewhere to train new starfighter squadrons,[12] but the New Republic brought him in to lead an ersatz Rogue Squadron one year later. He and Wes Janson cobbled together the temporary squadron in order to keep up New Republic citizens' morale following Antilles's resignation. After this brief run as Rogue Leader,[5] Klivian continued flying with the squadron[6] until his retirement, which came in the wake of the peace between the New Republic and Imperial Remnant.[16] During his years as a Rogue, Klivian was known for his cautious pessimism[202] and beloved for his vast experience in an X-wing fighter. He was also a survivor of many crashes and a frequenter of healing bacta tanks.[203]

Tycho Celchu

Tychocockpitshot

Tycho Celchu in the cockpit

A superior pilot,[204] the Alderaanian Tycho Celchu served in the Imperial Academy until the Empire destroyed his homeworld. Defecting to the Alliance, Celchu soon joined the ranks of the Rogues and flew with them at the Battle of Hoth.[205] Although he piloted an A-wing in the Alliance's Green Squadron at Endor,[101] Celchu was soon back with the Rogues, but a brief period of Imperial imprisonment led some in the New Republic to suspect him of being a brainwashed sleeper agent.[205] Antilles had to settle for installing Celchu as his Executive Officer in the recommissioned Rogue Squadron[12] until the man's innocence could be proven.[205] After the Bacta War, Celchu became temporary Rogue Leader while Antilles was building Wraith Squadron,[6] and he took the position permanently following Antilles's promotion to general.[20] Major Rogue operations under his command included the hunt for the Invid Pirates[30] and the Orinda campaign.[174] Although Antilles was Rogue Leader during the Caamas Document Crisis of 19 ABY,[201] it was Celchu who handed over command of the squadron to Gavin Darklighter before his retirement, which came shortly after Antilles's own.[204]

Gavin Darklighter

After learning how to fly from behind the yoke of a T-16 skyhopper on his homeworld of Tatooine, Gavin Darklighter joined Rogue Squadron at the age of sixteen, making the cut in part due to his martyred cousin, Biggs.[7] Support from his fellow Rogues enabled the young pilot to realize his full potential,[206] and he proved his skills many times over, becoming a master of the strafing run.[207] After years in the squadron and many battles fought, Darklighter became the new Rogue Leader when Antilles and Celchu both retired, but his command of the Rogues was tested by the threat of the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong. Serious squadron losses were suffered against the mysterious enemy coralskippers[7] until Darklighter devised a countermeasure involving his X-wing's inertial compensators,[208] and he went on to lead a rebuilt Rogue Squadron in numerous battles against the Yuuzhan Vong, including the evacuation of Coruscant[7] and the later recapture of it.[209] After the war, he became a commodore in the Galactic Alliance Defense Fleet.[210]

Corran Horn

CorranHorn-NEGTC2

Corran Horn briefly commanded the Rogues despite being a full-time Jedi.

The Force-sensitive ace pilot Corran Horn joined a restructured Rogue Squadron[211] after the New Republic took notice of his flying skills and invited him to apply.[212] He remained with the squadron for years, flying in some of the most important and dangerous missions in which any starfighters had ever been engaged. He also spent time honing his skills with the Force,[213] and when he finally retired from the military, he became a full-time Jedi in Skywalker's order.[211] Despite this, Horn briefly took command of Rogue Squadron during the Yuuzhan Vong War, serving as Rogue Leader during battles at Obroa-skai[8] and at Ebaq 9.[214]

Jaina Solo

Jaina Solo was a Jedi student and the niece of Luke Skywalker, skilled both with the Force and behind the controls of a starfighter. She was accepted into Rogue Squadron by Gavin Darklighter early in the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, and she flew in such engagements as the Battle of Dantooine.[215] Darklighter quickly developed a great respect for her talents,[206] but she was asked to take an indefinite leave of absence from the squadron when the Yuuzhan Vong began calling for the extermination of the Jedi.[215] Solo soon took over Twin Suns Squadron from her uncle and commanded it for much of the remainder of the war.[216] When the Corellian government began to rebel against the Galactic Alliance over a decade later, Solo volunteered for active flight duty[183] and was put in command[184] of Rogue Squadron.[22] Her tenure as Rogue Leader[2] was cut short, however, when her morality prompted her to refuse an order from her brother,[185] who was in charge of the Rogues' battle group,[184] and he suspended her from duty.[185]

Lensi

Lensi, a Duros, had claimed a spot in Rogue Squadron[217] a year and a half into the Yuuzhan Vong War.[218] He flew in the Second Battle of Sernpidal, in which the Rogues were told by the rogue Jedi Kyp Durron that they were attacking a gravitic superweapon, but were in fact tricked into helping destroy an enemy worldship that was being grown for non-military purposes.[219] The sting of Durron's lie remained with Lensi, and when he was involved in a feint attack on Yuuzhan Vong–held Duro[220] more than two years later,[221] he was kept in the dark about the battle's true nature[220] and resigned his commission, feeling betrayed. Lensi later rejoined the squadron and eventually came to command it,[222] but the Rogue Leader was shot down and killed by Wedge Antilles during the Second Galactic Civil War.[9]

Jhoram Bey

Anvilandhammer

Anj Dahl, Rogue Leader

In the year 137 ABY, the Weequay Jhoram Bey led Rogue Squadron[10] during their assignment to the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet. He was dedicated to the fleet, and although the irregulars under his command were lacking in discipline, his strong presence and personality kept them in order and ensured that they were always combat-ready.[223] When the flagship of the Galactic Alliance Remnant's leader, Gar Stazi, took major damage during a battle at Dac, Bey docked his fighter aboard the warship and rushed to its bridge. Stazi was planning to sacrifice his own life, but Bey punched his superior in the face in order to keep him alive and a symbol of hope to the embattled Alliance. As a reprisal, Stazi promoted Bey to be his new second-in-command.[191]

Anj Dahl

A talented pilot and an enthusiastic troublemaker, Anj Dahl joined the Rogues several years after[224] 130 ABY's[225] Battle of Caamas. Feeling that everything could end at any moment, she embraced all that was fun in life.[224] Dahl saw combat with Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire at Dac[191] and at Raaltiir, replacing Jhoram Bey as Rogue Leader between the two battles.[11] She was unhappy with the promotion, feeling that Bey had been a more capable commander, but fellow Rogue Hondo Karr believed that her only problem was treating her squadron mates as friends.[193] Dahl stayed on as Rogue Leader through the war's end, leading the squadron against Krayt's forces in major engagements at Taivas[196] and Coruscant.[198]

Pilots

In alphabetical order

Original (Pre-Endor)


Post-Endor

Reformation


Yuuzhan Vong War and beyond


Sith-Imperial War/Second Imperial Civil War

Support personnel


Behind the scenes

Genesis

"And then in 1995, out of the blue, I picked up the phone and there was Mike. It seemed he'd just been contracted to write a series of Star Wars X-Wing books for Bantam and wanted to discuss the Rogue Squadron group I'd created for my own Star Wars books."
―Timothy Zahn[src]

Rogue Squadron's origins date back to Irvin Kershner's 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, wherein Luke Skywalker commands a team of snowspeeder pilots during the Battle of Hoth that he calls "Rogue Group."[56] The movie's novelization also designates them Rogue Group,[226] but its radio drama identifies the group as "Rogue Flight,"[61] a name that would be echoed in 1984's A Guide to the Star Wars Universe.[227] Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, published in 1989, uses Rogue Group, and describes them as both "the brainchild of Luke Skywalker" and "a squadron of starfighter pilots who, in times of need, were pressed into service as snowspeeder pilots."[228] Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, published one year later, also calls them Rogue Group, and it states that Antilles took command of their remnants after Hoth and "formed them into the Rebel fleet's elite starfighter squadron."[229]

Battle-of-hoth-mcquarrie

Ralph McQuarrie's concept art of Rogue Group at the Battle of Hoth

It was author Timothy Zahn who coined the term "Rogue Squadron" in his 1991 novel Heir to the Empire,[230] which established the Rogues as an elite fighting force of the New Republic, active[152] five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[231] According to Zahn, his first mention of Rogue Squadron was half a throwaway line and half convenience, as he wanted a unit that could be moved around wherever he needed it and thought that Wedge Antilles would be a good commander for such a unit.[232] The Second Edition of Galaxy Guide 3, published in 1996, went on to state that "Rogue Group" was born just after Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope's Battle of Yavin, and that it fell under Antilles's command following the Battle of Hoth before being remodeled and renamed Rogue Squadron.[29] More recently, 2012's The Essential Guide to Warfare set down a definitive timeline of the squadron's nomenclature: The unit formed just after the Battle of Yavin was a small flight group called Rogue Flight, and while Skywalker and Antilles were later stationed on Hoth, they were considering expanding the flight into a full-fledged squadron. Hoth's Echo Base was attacked, however, and "Rogue Group" was an ersatz snowspeeder unit created from Rogue Flight, Green Squadron, and Blue Squadron, and tasked with defending Echo Base.[3] The Rogues then became a full twelve-person squadron named Rogue Squadron after the battle.[59] Nevertheless, a number of sources released before Warfare refer to the pre-Hoth Rogues as either Rogue Group[29] or Rogue Squadron.[24][43]

A different origin story for the Rogues is given in Brian Wood's 20132014 comic series Star Wars. The series' tenth issue sees Skywalker and Antilles flying in the Rebel Alliance's black ops Stealth Squadron, which Antilles suggests renaming Rogue Squadron.[233] Two issues later, he formally requests that Stealth Squadron be dissolved so that he may form Rogue Squadron, a proper Alliance squadron that fights out in the open. His request is approved.[234] This runs contrary to the Rogue Squadron origin story given in the second edition of Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back[29] and reiterated in such sources as The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia[1] and The Essential Guide to Warfare.[3] The two conflicting stories have not been reconciled.

As Return of the Jedi features Antilles leading a "Red Group" rather than a Rogue Squadron during the Battle of Endor,[97] 1990's Galaxy Guide 5 asserted that Antiles renamed the Rogues prior to the battle to honor the pilots who had fought bravely at Yavin.[229] It was later confirmed that the name was merely a temporary one,[235] and the 1993 novel The Truce at Bakura sees them flying as Rogue Squadron again just one day after Endor.[111] Rebel pilots flying X-wings in the time period between Hoth and Endor featured in several issues of Marvel Comics' 19771986 Star Wars series,[77][82][123] and some of the pilots and their missions were later retconned into being part of Rogue Squadron.[25][76][81]

Development and impact

"… because of your reaction to and reception of the novels. The way you embraced them and the characters opened a whole new realm within the GFFA. Before you latched on to the eclectic collection of pilots, Star Wars™ was all princesses, pirates, droids and Jedi. Everyone else was expendable set dressing."
―Michael A. Stackpole, thanking fans for the success of the X-Wing books[src]

Rogue Squadron has been the focus of a multitude of Expanded Universe works. Author Michael A. Stackpole was contracted by Bantam Spectra to write four X-Wing novels about the squadron in the mid-1990s,[236] and he logged a large number of hours playing the X-Wing and TIE Fighter video games in preparation. He also consulted real-life pilots, read pilots' biographies, and watched television documentaries on fighter squadrons, which were being prominently featured on television around the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day.[237] Stackpole has referred to the books as "Star Wars meets Top Gun,"[238] which was in fact a theme suggested by Bantam editor Tom Dupree.[239] The books were initially pitched to Stackpole as simply X-Wing books, and Lucasfilm Ltd.'s Sue Rostoni suggested to him that the first volume be about the Red Squadron pilots of A New Hope. He ultimately decided that Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron would be the ideal main focus, however,[240] and he contacted Timothy Zahn to ask for details about the group in the New Republic era.[230] The novels proved to be massive hits, pleasing fans and reaching The New York Times Best Seller list.[241] Six additional X-Wing novels were later written, by Stackpole and by Aaron Allston.[242]

SWroguesquad1

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the first of three video games to star the Rogues

After being hired to write the novels, Stackpole was asked by Lucasfilm's Lucy Autrey Wilson if he had ever worked in comics before. She ultimately helped him get hired to author an ongoing comic series about Rogue Squadron,[240] a long-running and much-loved title[243] that, although canceled due to comparatively low sales, consistently remained one of Dark Horse Comics' most requested titles for years.[244] A number of the Rogues from the series were later immortalized as Hasbro Inc. 3¾ inch action figures.[245][246][247][248][249][250] The Rogues have factored into the plots of other Expanded Universe works as well, such as The New Jedi Order novel series and the Star Wars: Legacy comics.[193][251][252][253]

Three Rogue Squadron video games were developed by Factor 5 and published by LucasArts. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was released for the Nintendo 64 and PC CD-ROM in 1998,[24] and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike were respectively released in 2001 and 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube.[39][41] Factor 5 also developed a compilation of the three games, entitled Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: Rogue Leaders,[254] for the Xbox, but the project was canceled by Lucasarts. Further attempts to bring it to the Nintendo Wii were halted when Factor 5 went out of business. Another unfinished game, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, was also canceled and eventually became the 2007 PlayStation 3 game Lair.[255] Borrowing its name from the Rogue Squadron games, Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts is a 2008 book about the history of the company.[256]

A 2002 Star Wars Insider article written by Jason Fry asserted that "In the Expanded Universe of comics, books, and videogames, no military unit is more famous than Rogue Squadron." It also highlighted the Rogues' status as loyal, working-class heroes who follow orders and perform impossible missions, setting them apart from the Force-using movie heroes who often decide the fate of the galaxy.[257] Fans of Stackpole's X-Wing novels and comics agreed, telling the author that it was "very good to see someone else saving the universe."[238] The analysis was echoed by Peet Janes, who edited the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics and called the Rogues "some of the galaxy's greatest heroes, the 'working stiffs' of the Star Wars universe."[258] On writing the 2005 comic miniseries X-Wing: Rogue Leader, author Haden Blackman described Rogue Squadron as "a microcosm of the Rebel Alliance as a whole, composed of different people from different backgrounds all working together."[244]

Writer Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly opined that Stackpole's best contribution to the Rogues' saga "was to portray Rogue Squadron as the everymen-and-women of the Star Wars galaxy. They didn't fight zero-sum battles against Death Stars; they fought renegade Imperials and war lords, they fought on land and over sea, in space and beyond."[259] To Ryan Britt of Tor.com, the adventures of working-class pilots were both "something to see" and "endlessly interesting," and he suggested that the X-Wing comics were less like Top Gun in space and more akin to a mixture of The A-Team and Ghostbusters.[260] While praising Stackpole's books, Andrew Liptak of The Verge expressed a belief that it was their popularity which proved Star Wars could exist without its figurehead characters.[261]

The Rogues' adventures in the Expanded Universe received significant attention in online media in 2015 when the title of the first Star Wars Anthology film was revealed to be Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Amid speculation that the movie would center on the Rogues, various websites related tales of the squadron that had been told throughout Star Wars media, some suggesting that they be adapted for the silver screen.[259][262][263] Although Rogue One was ultimately not about the famous squadron,[264] the Rogues are alive and well in the post-2014 rebooted Star Wars continuity,[265][266] with the in-universe inspiration for their name coming from the events of the movie.[266]

Appearances

Non-canon appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 106-107 ("Rogue Squadron")
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 106 ("Rogue Leader")
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 169
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Wedge Antilles")
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 X-Wing: Wraith Squadron, chapter 1
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 X-Wing: Wraith Squadron, chapter 2
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Gavin Darklighter")
  8. 8.0 8.1 The New Jedi Order: Destiny's Way, chapter 4
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Legacy of the Force: Fury, chapter 34
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Legacy 20: Indomitable, Part 1
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Legacy 36: Renegade
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, chapter 2
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, chapter 5
  14. Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (under "Koyi Komad")
  15. 15.0 15.1 X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, chapter 13
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught, chapter 15
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 345 ("X-wing starfighter")
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Handbook 2: Crimson Empire (Wedge Antilles & Rogue Squadron)
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 The New Essential Chronology, p. 159
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 Crimson Empire 5
  21. 21.0 21.1 The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught, chapter 2
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, chapter 14
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 Legacy Era Campaign Guide, p. 125
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 HyperspaceIcon The Forgotten War: The Nagai and the Tofs on Hyperspace (article) (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
  26. 26.0 26.1 The New Jedi Order Sourcebook, p. 52 (Rogue Squadron)
  27. 27.0 27.1 The New Essential Chronology, p. 109
  28. 28.0 28.1 The New Essential Chronology, p. 118
  29. 29.00 29.01 29.02 29.03 29.04 29.05 29.06 29.07 29.08 29.09 29.10 Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition, p. 27
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 I, Jedi, chapter 1
  31. X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, chapter 11
  32. 32.0 32.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 157
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
  34. 34.0 34.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 159
  35. Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition, p. 26
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition, p. 31
  37. 37.0 37.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 35 ("Antilles, Wedge")
  38. Choices of One
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
  40. Star Wars Missions 12: The Vactooine Disaster
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
  42. Star Wars Missions 17: Darth Vader's Return
  43. 43.0 43.1 Star Wars Missions 18: Rogue Squadron to the Rescue
  44. 44.0 44.1 Empire 27: "General" Skywalker, Part 2
  45. Empire 26: "General" Skywalker, Part 1
  46. Empire 29: In the Shadows of Their Fathers, Part 1
  47. Empire 30: In the Shadows of Their Fathers, Part 2
  48. Empire 32: In the Shadows of Their Fathers, Part 3
  49. Empire 33: In the Shadows of Their Fathers, Part 4
  50. Empire 34: In the Shadows of Their Fathers, Part 5
  51. The Empire Strikes Back radio drama, chapter 1: Freedom's Winter
  52. The Empire Strikes Back radio drama, chapter 3: A Question of Survival
  53. Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameHoth Limited (Card: Rogue 2) (backup link)
  54. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization, chapter 3
  55. Star Wars 39: The Empire Strikes Back: Beginning
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 56.3 56.4 56.5 56.6 56.7 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  57. 57.0 57.1 57.2 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 170
  58. 58.0 58.1 58.2 58.3 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 171
  59. 59.0 59.1 59.2 Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 6
  60. 60.0 60.1 Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy, p. 20-21
  61. 61.0 61.1 The Empire Strikes Back radio drama, chapter 4: Fire and Ice
  62. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization, chapter 6
  63. WEG icon2 "Running the Gauntlet" — Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition
  64. The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 168
  65. 65.0 65.1 Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook, p. 16
  66. Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook, p. 17
  67. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 41 ("Hightower, Lieutenant Barlon")
  68. C-3PO: Tales of the Golden Droid, p. 83
  69. 69.0 69.1 C-3PO: Tales of the Golden Droid, p. 84
  70. Shadows of the Empire 1
  71. 71.0 71.1 Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Karie Neth) (backup link)
  72. Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Keir Santage) (backup link)
  73. 73.0 73.1 Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Kin Kian) (backup link)
  74. 74.0 74.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 179
  75. 75.0 75.1 The New Essential Chronology, p. 121
  76. 76.0 76.1 76.2 76.3 The Official Star Wars Fact File 111 (BRI1, Shira Brie)
  77. 77.0 77.1 Star Wars 56: Coffin in the Clouds
  78. Star Wars 57: Hello, Bespin, Good-bye!
  79. 79.0 79.1 Star Wars 60: Shira's Story
  80. 80.0 80.1 WizardsoftheCoast "Arbra: Sanctuary In the Storm Part 4: Rebels In Disguise" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
  81. 81.0 81.1 81.2 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Shira Brie")
  82. 82.0 82.1 82.2 82.3 Star Wars 61: Screams in the Void
  83. Star Wars 62: Pariah!
  84. Star Wars 63: The Mind Spider
  85. Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
  86. 86.0 86.1 Star Wars: X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter: Balance of Power
  87. 87.0 87.1 87.2 Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 4
  88. 88.0 88.1 Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 7
  89. Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 8
  90. 90.0 90.1 90.2 Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 9
  91. Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook, p. 18
  92. Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook, p. 19
  93. Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 10
  94. WEG icon2 "Let's Go!" — Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook
  95. Shadows of the Empire novel, chapter 40
  96. Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
  97. 97.0 97.1 97.2 97.3 97.4 97.5 97.6 97.7 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  98. 98.0 98.1 Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, Second Edition, p. 41 (Wedge Antilles)
  99. Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Green Squadron Pilot) (backup link)
  100. 100.0 100.1 The Essential Atlas, p. 195
  101. 101.0 101.1 Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Tycho Celchu) (backup link)
  102. Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Red Squadron 4) (backup link)
  103. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Vintage Collection (Pack: Battle Over Endor (2 of 2)) (backup link (tvcexbattleoverendor2.asp) not verified!)
  104. Swccglogolg Star Wars Customizable Card GameDeath Star II Limited (Card: Red Squadron 7) (backup link)
  105. 105.0 105.1 105.2 WEG icon2 "The Briefing of Red Group" — Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi
  106. 106.0 106.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 220 ("Kirst")
  107. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 332 ("Wister")
  108. The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook, p. 8
  109. 109.0 109.1 The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook, p. 9
  110. The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook, p. 13
  111. 111.0 111.1 The Truce at Bakura, chapter 1
  112. 112.0 112.1 The Truce at Bakura, chapter 4
  113. The Truce at Bakura, chapter 6
  114. The Truce at Bakura, chapter 18
  115. The Truce at Bakura, chapter 19
  116. The Truce at Bakura, chapter 20
  117. The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook, p. 34
  118. 118.0 118.1 "A Day in the Life" — Star Wars Tales 12
  119. X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1
  120. 120.0 120.1 120.2 X-Wing: Rogue Leader 2
  121. 121.0 121.1 121.2 121.3 X-Wing: Rogue Leader 3
  122. The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook, p. 36-37
  123. 123.0 123.1 123.2 Star Wars 100: First Strike
  124. 124.0 124.1 124.2 Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Volume 2
  125. Star Wars: X-Wing—Rogue Squadron Special
  126. 126.0 126.1 126.2 126.3 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Luke Skywalker")
  127. Heir to the Empire Sourcebook, p. 8
  128. Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (under "Tycho Celchu")
  129. 129.0 129.1 129.2 129.3 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 1: The Rebel Opposition, Part 1
  130. Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Volume 1
  131. 131.0 131.1 131.2 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 2: The Rebel Opposition, Part 2
  132. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 4: The Rebel Opposition, Part 4
  133. 133.0 133.1 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 5: The Phantom Affair, Part 1
  134. 134.0 134.1 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 6: The Phantom Affair, Part 2
  135. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 8: The Phantom Affair, Part 4
  136. Star Wars 107: All Together Now
  137. 137.0 137.1 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 9: Battleground: Tatooine, Part 1
  138. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 10: Battleground: Tatooine, Part 2
  139. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 12: Battleground: Tatooine, Part 4
  140. Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (under "Feylis Ardele", not reprinted in Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Volume 1)
  141. 141.0 141.1 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 13: The Warrior Princess, Part 1
  142. Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (under "Herian I'ngre")
  143. Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (under "Feylis Ardele")
  144. The New Essential Chronology, p. 135
  145. 145.0 145.1 145.2 SWInsider "Who's Who in Rogue Squadron" — Star Wars Insider 59, p. 54
  146. 146.0 146.1 146.2 The Essential Chronology, p. 72
  147. X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, chapter 8
  148. The New Essential Chronology, p. 141
  149. X-Wing: The Bacta War, chapter 42
  150. X-Wing: Wraith Squadron, chapter 8
  151. The New Essential Chronology, p. 148
  152. 152.0 152.1 Heir to the Empire, chapter 9
  153. Heir to the Empire, chapter 10
  154. Heir to the Empire, chapter 27
  155. 155.0 155.1 155.2 155.3 Heir to the Empire, chapter 31
  156. Dark Force Rising, chapter 2
  157. 157.0 157.1 Dark Force Rising, chapter 26
  158. Dark Force Rising, chapter 27
  159. 159.0 159.1 159.2 WEG icon2 "A Change of Command" — The Jedi Academy Sourcebook
  160. The New Essential Chronology, p. 155
  161. 161.0 161.1 Dark Empire Sourcebook, p. 19
  162. Dark Empire Sourcebook, p. 33
  163. Dark Empire Sourcebook, p. 34
  164. Dark Empire Sourcebook, p. 20
  165. Dark Empire 3: The Battle for Calamari
  166. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Chapter IV: The Battle of Calamari
  167. Dark Empire 6: The Fate of a Galaxy
  168. The Essential Chronology, p. 90
  169. The Essential Chronology, p. 97
  170. The Essential Guide to Characters (Wedge Antilles)
  171. 171.0 171.1 The Essential Atlas, p. 209
  172. I, Jedi, chapter 5
  173. I, Jedi
  174. 174.0 174.1 174.2 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 211
  175. 175.0 175.1 175.2 175.3 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 212
  176. 176.0 176.1 176.2 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 213
  177. The Essential Chronology, p. 117
  178. 178.0 178.1 Dark Nest III: The Swarm War, chapter 23
  179. Dark Nest III: The Swarm War, chapter 20
  180. Dark Nest III: The Swarm War, chapter 25
  181. Dark Nest III: The Swarm War, epilogue
  182. Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, chapter 13
  183. 183.0 183.1 Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, chapter 7
  184. 184.0 184.1 184.2 184.3 Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, chapter 12
  185. 185.0 185.1 185.2 Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, chapter 17
  186. Legacy of the Force: Tempest, chapter 2
  187. 187.0 187.1 Legacy of the Force: Fury, chapter 31
  188. 188.0 188.1 188.2 Legacy of the Force: Fury, chapter 33
  189. Legacy of the Force: Fury, chapter 37
  190. Legacy Era Campaign Guide, p. 122
  191. 191.0 191.1 191.2 191.3 191.4 Legacy 21: Indomitable, Part 2
  192. Legacy 22: The Wrath of the Dragon
  193. 193.0 193.1 193.2 193.3 Legacy 41: Rogue's End
  194. 194.0 194.1 Legacy 47: The Fate of Dac
  195. Legacy—War 2
  196. 196.0 196.1 Legacy—War 4
  197. Legacy—War 5
  198. 198.0 198.1 Legacy—War 6
  199. 199.0 199.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare, p. 195
  200. Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (under "Wedge Antilles")
  201. 201.0 201.1 Specter of the Past, chapter 6
  202. 202.0 202.1 Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition, p. 29
  203. SWInsider "Who's Who in Rogue Squadron" — Star Wars Insider 59, p. 55
  204. 204.0 204.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 114 ("Celchu, Tycho")
  205. 205.0 205.1 205.2 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Tycho Celchu")
  206. 206.0 206.1 The Official Star Wars Fact File 90 (DAR5-6, Gavin Darklighter)
  207. The Official Star Wars Fact File 14 (ROG1-2, X-wing Rogue Squadron)
  208. The New Jedi Order: Dark Journey, chapter 25
  209. The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force, chapter 38
  210. Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen, chapter 10
  211. 211.0 211.1 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Corran Horn")
  212. The Official Star Wars Fact File 70 (HOR1-2, Corran Horn)
  213. The Official Star Wars Fact File 90 (HOR3-4, Twist of Fate)
  214. The New Jedi Order: Destiny's Way, chapter 25
  215. 215.0 215.1 The New Essential Guide to Characters (under "Jaina Solo")
  216. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 270 ("Twin Suns Squadron")
  217. The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, chapter 36
  218. The New Essential Chronology, p. 213
  219. The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, chapter 45
  220. 220.0 220.1 The New Jedi Order: The Final Prophecy, chapter 4
  221. The New Essential Chronology, p. 224
  222. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 250 ("Lensi")
  223. Legacy Era Campaign Guide, p. 135
  224. 224.0 224.1 Legacy Era Campaign Guide, p. 136
  225. Legacy Era Campaign Guide p. 6-7
  226. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization, chapter 5
  227. A Guide to the Star Wars Universe (under "Rogue Flight")
  228. Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (under "Snowspeeder pilots")
  229. 229.0 229.1 Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, p. 41
  230. 230.0 230.1 Introduction to Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Volume 2
  231. The Essential Chronology, p. 83
  232. Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition, chapter 9 footnotes
  233. Star Wars 10
  234. Star Wars 12
  235. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 88 ("Red Squadron")
  236. 7 min - 8 min mark: Michael Stackpole Interview Part 1 on www.theforce.net (backup link not verified!), link available at Podcast: Michael Stackpole Interview (Part 1) on TheForce.Net (archived from the original on January 6, 2016)
  237. 15 min - 17 min mark: Michael Stackpole Interview Part 1 on www.theforce.net (backup link not verified!), link available at Podcast: Michael Stackpole Interview (Part 1) on TheForce.Net (archived from the original on January 6, 2016)
  238. 238.0 238.1 SWInsider "Bookshelf" — Star Wars Insider 48, p. 75
  239. SWAJsmall "The Adventures of Rogue Squadron" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 7, p. 89
  240. 240.0 240.1 Copy, Rogue Leader! Author Mike Stackpole leads Rogue Squadron on new missions on Echo Station (archived from the original on September 6, 2015)
  241. Rogue One by Michael A. Stackpole on Stormwolf (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on April 19, 2024)
  242. X-Wing novels
  243. SWInsider "Bookshelf" — Star Wars Insider 48, p. 74
  244. 244.0 244.1 SWInsider "Drawn By The Force" — Star Wars Insider 83, p. 13
  245. HasbroInverted Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection (Pack: Baron Soontir Fel & Hobbie Klivian) (backup link (TACcomicpacks12.asp) not verified!)
  246. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Ibtisam & Nrin Vakil) (backup link (TLCcomicpacksWM091.asp) not verified!)
  247. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Corran Horn & Whistler) (backup link (tlcDF05.asp) not verified!)
  248. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Wedge Antilles & Borsk Fey'lya) (backup link (TLCcomicpacks14.asp) not verified!)
  249. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Baron Soontire Fel & Ysanne Isard) (backup link (TLCcomicpacksLC17.asp) not verified!)
  250. HasbroInverted Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Plourr Ilo & Dllr Nep) (backup link (TLCcomicpacksWM103.asp) not verified!)
  251. The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught
  252. The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin
  253. Star Wars: Legacy: Indomitable
  254. Canceled Star Wars Rogue Squadron Wii Game Footage Found by Jose Otero on IGN (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on July 25, 2015)
  255. Canceled Star Wars Rogue Squadron Game Details Emerge by Emanuel Maiberg on GameSpot (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on July 20, 2015)
  256. StarWars Recounting Rogues: Rogue Leaders Author, Rob Smith on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
  257. SWInsider "Who's Who in Rogue Squadron" — Star Wars Insider 59, p. 52
  258. SWInsider "Straight from the Horse's Mouth" — Star Wars Insider 34
  259. 259.0 259.1 'Rogue One' explained: A brief history of Rogue Squadron by Darren Franich on Entertainment Weekly (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on October 17, 2015)
  260. Working Class Star Wars Comics Were Something to See: Rogue Squadron by Ryan Britt on Tor.com (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on February 2, 2016)
  261. An ode to Michael A. Stackpole's X-Wing series, Rogue One's spiritual ancestor by Andrew Liptak on The Verge (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on May 23, 2019)
  262. 5 Great Rogue Squadron Stories To Use In Star Wars: Rogue One by Joseph Baxter on Cinema Blend (archived from the original on September 6, 2015)
  263. Star Wars Episode 8 and Rogue One: what we know on The Guardian (bad argument #2 to 'formatDate' (not a valid timestamp)) (archived from the original on January 4, 2016)
  264. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  265. StarWars-DatabankII Zev Senesca in the Databank (backup link)
  266. 266.0 266.1 Star Wars 52: Hope Dies, Part III

External links

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