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"Order the fleet to close to a more aggressive range."
"We'll be in more danger."
"We are the only danger here."
―Lord Vader and Admiral Ozzel of the fleet during the assault on the Mako-Ta Space Docks[16]

Death Squadron was a naval squadron of the Imperial Navy that served as the personal armada of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, the right-hand of Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine of the Galactic Empire. Following the Battle of Yavin, the Death Squadron was led by the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor, typically supported by five smaller Imperial-class Star Destroyers. One of those support ships was the Devastator, which had been the Lord Vader's flagship before the Executor and had participated in the capture of Princess Leia Organa.

Description[]

"Deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system."
―Lord Vader, to Admiral Piett[2]
Executor and escorts

Death Squadron was led by the Executor.

The Imperial Navy's Death Squadron typically[17] consisted of one Executor-class Star Dreadnought as its command ship, the Executor,[9] as well as five[17] Imperial-class Star Destroyers,[18] including the upgraded[5][19] Imperial I-class Star Destroyers[20] Conquest and Devastator,[17] as well as the Imperial II-class Star Destroyers[2] Avenger, Tyrant, and Ultimatum.[17] The Imperial II-class Star Destroyer[2] Stalker was attached to Death Squadron prior to the Battle of Hoth.[17]

As acting Commander-in-Chief,[21] Darth Vader could requisition any Imperial ship to join his fleet, and could be attached such as the Stalker.[17] The Devastator had been the Dark Lord's flagship before the Executor, and had been refitted on multiple occasions to keep it up-to-date.[5] Death Squadron also featured at least three Arquitens-class command cruisers[13] and multiple Imperial Gozanti-class cruisers.[12]

Death Squadron was under the command of Vader[2] and Fleet Admiral[3] Firmus Piett, who replaced Admiral Kendal Ozzel after the latter's execution.[2] Other officers within the armada included Admiral Jhared Montferrat,[2] Commodore Rae Sloane,[6] and Star Destroyer captains Canonhaus, Lennox, and Lorth Needa.[2] Death Squadron's ground forces included the 1st Legion and the 501st Legion. Although the Squadron had multiple generals, General Maximilian Veers commanded the 501st's Blizzard Force at Hoth.[22]

History[]

Initial attack on the rebellion[]

"At the least, we need more strength—your Death Squadron must be brought to bear immediately. It's ludicrous for us to keep it—"
―Admiral Ozzel, trying to persuade Lord Vader to use Death Squadron[23]

During the Galactic Civil War, Death Squadron was the personal fleet of Darth Vader. Following the Battle of Yavin, where the Empire lost its Death Star battle station to the Rebel Alliance, the fleet's leading officer, Admiral Kendal Ozzel, tried to convince the Lord Vader to bring Death Squadron to bear immediately to destroy the rebellion. However, his superior rejected this direct approach, agreeing with another of Death Squadron's officers, General Maximilian Veers, in that the Alliance was not suitable for such an extermination. Instead, Lord Vader used his agent, Queen Trios, to infiltrate the rebels' command structure, allowing her to provide the location of their own fleet as it finished completion.[23]

Attack on Mako-Ta begins

Death Squadron arrives at Mako-Ta

When Lord Vader's pawn, Queen Trios, informed him of the elusive Alliance Fleet's location,[24] Death Squadron was sent to attack the Mako-Ta Space Docks. At first, the Sith Lord ordered the flotilla's cruiser to hold their fire as the rebels attempted to ascertain their situation. The Squadron opened fired on the rebels' cruisers and started with General Vanden Willard's flagship, Yavin's Hope.[14] The Squadron continued to attack and destroy several more of the Rebels' cruisers.[25]

Death Squadron then spotted the arrival of the Millennium Falcon and sent in TIE fighters, along with the Dark Lord's personal advanced TIE to pursue it. The flotilla also destroyed several rebel escape pods.[25] However, Princess Leia Organa was able to get some codes from the armada's flagship, the Executor, that were able to restore the systems aboard General Jan Dodonna's ship, the Republic.[26] The other rebel commanders were able to use the codes to jumpstart their cruisers and escape. The Republic was immobilized, but covered the retreating rebel fleet before it was destroyed with all hands.[27]

Strike back at Hoth[]

"General, there's a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace in Sector Four."
―a Rebel technician, to General Carlist Rieekan[2]
TheHandOfGod-ESBHD

Vader's fleet preparing to assault the rebel force at Hoth

While Death Squadron was in the Juris sector,[10] a probe droid found the Rebels' base in the Hoth system. Lord Vader ordered the Squadron to Hoth. However, erroneously thinking to surprise the rebels, his second in command ordered the fleet to emerge from hyperspace too close to to the system. Lord Vader, angered by Admiral Ozzel's incompetence, Force choked him to death and and promoted his junior, Captain Firmus Piett, to Admiral as his replacement.[2] As the Millennium Falcon fled Hoth and entered an asteroid field, Captain Lorth Needa deployed the TIE fighters of Theta Squadron to patrol the area. Although the pilots disobeyed orders and entered the field, they did not face retribution for their actions after Captain Needa faced execution at the hands of Lord Vader's invisible grip for letting their quarry escape.[28] While Death Squadron was chasing the Falcon through through the asteroid field, every ship suffered damage, and the Ultimatum was destroyed[17] along with another Star Destroyer.[29]

Failure at Endor[]

"We're not going to attack?"
"I have my orders from the Emperor himself. He has something special planned for them. We only need to keep them from escaping."
―Commander Gherant and Admiral Firmus Piett, regarding the Executor's role during the Battle of Endor — (audio) Listen (file info)[15]
Avenger-ROTJ

Star Destroyers of Death Squadron in defensive orbit of the second Death Star over Endor.

A large fleet, including Death Squadron and the Moddell sector fleet participated in the decisive Battle of Endor.[30] The rebellion, having located the second Death Star, attempted to destroy it. However, it was anticipated that the rebels would attack, and Death Squadron executed an ambush once they arrived at the moon. Towards the end of the engagement, the Executor and Death Star II were destroyed and both Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader were killed.[15]

Behind the scenes[]

Death Squadron first appeared in the 1980 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.[2] It was first given its name in the new Star Wars canon on StarWars.com's Encyclopedia entry for the Super Star Destroyer.[9]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Build the Millennium Falcon Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 27 (Starship Fact File: Super Star Destroyer–Executor)
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  3. 3.0 3.1 Star Wars: The Rebel Files
  4. AltayaCite "Imperial Officers and Agents" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 SWInsider "Blade Squadron" — Star Wars Insider 149150
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Lord Vader Will See You Now" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  7. 7.0 7.1 "The Final Order" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  8. "Tooth and Claw" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 StarWars Super Star Destroyer in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 The Odyssey of Star Wars: An Epic Poem
  11. "Amara Kel's Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably)" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Battlefront: Twilight Company
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 War of the Bounty Hunters 5
  14. 14.0 14.1 Star Wars (2015) 50
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  16. Star Wars (2015) 53
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
  18. Star Wars: On the Front Lines
  19. ToppsDigitalLogo Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Star Destroyer - Star Wars Rebels: Blueprints) identified the tractor beam targeting array the Conquest was seen to have in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. This was replaced by the communications array as seen in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back on the Conquest, so the Conquest must have been upgraded.
  20. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
  21. Bust-Collection-Logo Star Wars Bust Collection 30 (Star Wars Universe: The Emperor's Inner Circle)
  22. AltayaCite "The Battle of Hoth and the Second Death Star" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
  23. 23.0 23.1 "Shu-Torun Lives" — Star Wars (2015) 50
  24. Star Wars (2015) 49
  25. 25.0 25.1 Star Wars (2015) 51
  26. Star Wars (2015) 54
  27. Star Wars (2015) 55
  28. "Amara Kel's Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably)" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  29. Star Wars: Timelines
  30. Build the Millennium Falcon Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 33 (Starship Fact File: Imperial TIE/IN Interceptor)
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