Shen

For other uses, see Shen (disambiguation).

"Fight. Fall. Get up. Fight again. All for the Empire."

―Shen^[3]

Shen^[3] was a human^[1] male^[2] pilot who served in the Galactic Empire's Titan Squadron following the Battle of Endor. Due to numerous injuries, he was equipped with cybernetics and was required to keep his flight helmet on at all times.^[3]

Injured in service[]

Prior to 4 ABY, Shen served in the Imperial Navy where he suffered numerous injuries that led him to need cybernetics to keep him going. He was unsure of the number of times he broke his neck, claiming it to be five or six times, but the consistent hard landings and crashes led to him suffering from a mechanical cough.^[3]

He claimed the first crash was the hardest as he had to learn how to breathe and walk again in the aftermath and he would see his cockpit in his nightmares. Shen knew the incident wasn’t personal and his wingmate returned the favor to the rebel who shot him down. The pain, though, was personal for him. He believed his team deserved his best and the Empire demanded as much, so step by step he conquered the pain to rise and fly again. ^[3]

He lost two vertebrae during a crash caused by a member of Anvil Squadron and he vowed to get revenge on the squadron eventually.^[3]

Fighting the New Republic[]

Following the Battle of Endor, Shen served in Titan Squadron for the Empire and was based on the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Overseer. When a Star Destroyer was liberated by the New Republic and Vanguard Squadron, Titan’s Captain Terisa Kerrill discovered that Imperial spy Agent Thorn had intel that connected the heist with the New Republic’s secret Project Starhawk. Shen and Titan Squadron were dispatched to Hosnian Prime to extract Thorn from an outpost above the planet with orders to ensure her safety.^[3]

Following his numerous injuries, Shen harbored no love lost for the pilots of the Rebel Alliance or New Republic and would relish the chance to strike a blow at his enemy, telling the team as they approached the plan that the rebels would arrive but would not be leaving. When Thorn was successfully extracted following a short skirmish with A-wings, CR90 corvettes, and Nebulon-B frigates, Shen readied the team to retreat as they had secured what they came for.^[3]

Titan Squadron headed to Desevro following the extraction to locate and track a convoy of New Republic engineers who were heading to Project Starhawk’s secret location. During the mission, Imperial Captain Amos, who claimed the planet as his own aboard the ISD Tormentor, arrived to destroy the corvettes against the wishes of Captain Kerrill. Shen was forced to prevent the Tormentor from destroying the corvettes to ensure Titan could gather intel on their destination. He found it strange to be saving rebels rather than killing them. The data was eventually physically retrieved from the convoy and Titan Squadron regrouped aboard the Overseer.^[3]

Near Destruction[]

Shen and Titan Squadron were later sent to the Zavian Abyss to intercept a convoy of magnite crystals that were crucial to the completion of Project Starhawk. During the skirmish, Titan were able to learn that Project Starhawk was based at the Nadiri Dockyards. Unbeknownst to them, they had fallen into a trap and the powerful Starhawk was waiting for them. Nearly disabling the Overseer with its tractor beam, the squadron, and their flagship were able to escape to the Remitik system . Whilst there they were tasked by Colonel Gralm to protect his depot from invading rebel forces.^[3]

With morale down following the Starhawk’s near-deadly ambush, Shen felt the routine was familiar. He knew he and Titan Squadron had suffered before but one setback was not the end. He believed the next steps were to heal up, find Vanguard Squadron, and take revenge against them. He knew that Nadiri was ahead, but until then, surviving would act as revenge.^[3]

Fighting Back[]

Before they would launch an assault on the Nadiri Dockyards, Titan Squadron were sent to Mon Cala as part of a wider plan formulated by Admiral Rae Sloane to lure defense forces away from the Starhawk. Their mission required them to sow chaos by destroying refueling pods as well as civilian and medical transports whilst drawing Anvil Squadron away from the planet. This provided Shen with a chance to gain revenge against a squadron that had wronged him previously. Before the mission, Shen told Titan Three that he was happy the Overseer was repaired as the superstructure groaning had kept him awake. His implants were sensitive to metal stresses which he believed to be handy in combat but a nuisance otherwise. Whilst not able to sleep, he would observe the MSE droids and attempt to work out why they always seemed scared.^[3]

Upon arriving over the oceanic planet, Shen observed that Mon Cala was quiet which made it the perfect target to strike against. The squadron began destroying the fuel pods and Shen took point when Anvil Squadron entered the fray, telling them they should have finished the job with him previously. When Shen and the team destroyed Anvil’s flagship Silver Coronet, they quickly made short work of departing civilian and medical vessels, and Shen checked that squad leader Varko Grey was not having second thoughts when he enquired about the necessity of their actions.^[3]

Battling the Starhawk[]

With the New Republic’s forces scattered, Titan were clear to launch an assault on the Nadiri Dockyards and the Starhawk. Before the mission, Shen told Grey that once the war was over, he would remain with the Imperial Navy as that was what he knew.^[3]

Shen and Titan Squadron launched a ferocious attack on the Dockyards, destroying its defenses before disabling the Starhawk’s hangars bay and shield generators leaving it helpless. Before the decisive blow could be struck, Captain Lindon Javes of the New Republic arrived to aid the ailing Starhawk. Javes previously flew with Kerrill in Helix Squadron before defecting to the Rebel Alliance following the destruction of Alderaan. With the Starhawk burning and New Republic reinforcements arriving, Titan Squadron and the Overseer jumped to hyperspace.^[3]

Titan Squadron headed to the junkyard fields near Sissubo with the plan of creating a minefield designed to destroy or divert the damaged Starhawk from its oncoming path. Following their briefing from Captain Kerrill, Shen agreed with Imperial controller LT-514 that the plan would leave the rebel fleet exposed and defenseless. The plan was successful and the Starhawk was diverted into the nearby Ringali Nebula. Despite this, Shen did not underestimate the threat they still posed, saying they were not fools.^[3]

Shen and Titan Squadron continued their mission to destroy the Starhawk at Galitan where they were able to breach the ship’s hull allowing Titan Three to fly into the structure and destroy the core omitters. The station was now rendered defeated as it was inevitable that it would explode at some point due to internal damage. During the battle, Javes was shot down following a dogfight with Titan Squadron and assumed dead. Shen knew the war would go on even after Starhawk had been destroyed just as it didn't end at the Battle of Endor and knew that whatever was destroyed would eventually rise again. The Imperials would always need soldiers and pilots, as they always had done, and whether it was the Rebels or the Republic, he knew his duty and took strength in that.^[3]

Titan Squadron launched one final assault on Starhawk, again near the moon of Galitan, but the New Republic instead towed the dying battle station into the shattered moon, destroying the moon and nearby Imperial forces.^[3]