Saber 2

Saber 2, which was also designated Saber Two, was an Imperial Navy TIE/IN interceptor manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems serving in the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing's Saber Squadron by 4 ABY. Piloted by the 181st's executive officer Major Turr Phennir in that year, Saber 2 participated in the Battle of Endor, which ended with the Alliance to Restore the Republic destroying the Imperial Death Star II battlestation, although Phennir himself managed to survive.

Description[]

Saber 2,^[2] also designated as Saber Two, was an Imperial Navy TIE/IN interceptor,^[3] manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems.^[1] Saber 2's cockpit featured the standard wheel and yoke control system for TIE pilots.^[4]

History[]

"Split up and head back to the surface. And see if you can get a few of those TIE fighters to follow you."
"Copy, Gold Leader."

―Green Four, Jake Farrell, acknowledges Gold Leader Lando Calrissian's order to draw off Saber 2 and other pursuing Imperial starfighters^[5]

TurrPhennirinROTJ — Turr Phennir flying Saber 2

Saber 2 was assigned to the Galactic Empire's 181st Imperial Fighter Wing's Saber Squadron^[3] by 4 ABY. By that year,^[6] Saber 2 was flown by Major Turr Phennir, an executive officer of the 181st.^[3] In 4 ABY, the Battle of Endor occurred, during which the Alliance to Restore the Republic attacked the Imperial Death Star II battlestation.^[6]

Saber 2 participated in the battle, where it was responsible for Saber Squadron's logistics^[2] along with protecting the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Avenger.^[3] The 181st was also tasked with protecting the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Chimaera and the battlecruiser Pride of Tarlandia during the battle, although the latter starship was destroyed.^[7] As Alliance starfighters entered the Death Star to destroy its reactor core,^[5] Phennir was among the TIE pilots^[4] who pursued the Alliance starfighters within the Death Star.^[5]

The Alliance's Gold Leader, Lando Calrissian, ordered his fellow Rebel pilots to split off and head back to the Death Star's surface to draw away some of the pursuing Imperial starfighters.^[5] Saber 2 was one of the Imperial starfighters that pursued Jake Farrell^[8] and other Rebel pilots away from Calrissian, who successfully destroyed the reactor core, leading to the subsequent destruction of the Death Star itself.^[5] Phennir managed to escape the Death Star's destruction and survive the battle.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

Return of Jedi Death Star fighters — Saber 2 was retconned to be one of the TIE/IN interceptors seen in *Return of the Jedi*.

The Saber 2 name was introduced on a card in 2000's Death Star II Limited expansion set of the Decipher, Inc. Star Wars Customizable Card Game,^[2] simultaneously also being included on Turr Phennir's card within the same set. While Phennir's card shows an image^[4] of a TIE pilot from the 1983 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, that pilot is seen flying a TIE/LN starfighter and not a TIE/IN interceptor. Therefore, the pilot and starfighter must be separate subjects from Turr Phennir and Saber 2,^[5] as the latter was established to be an interceptor in its own card.^[2] Furthermore, neither of the cards link Saber 2 to any of the TIE/IN interceptors seen in Return of the Jedi.^[2]^[4] The image used on the Saber 2 card is^[2] similar to another TIE/IN interceptor image seen in the "Fighter Cover" card within the same set.^[9]

Saber 2 was also mentioned in Phennir's entry in the 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, where it was given the alternate designation of Saber Two.^[3] On June 5, 2015, Tim Veekhoven wrote the article "Death Star II Personnel: An Imperial Human Resources Guide" for StarWars.com, which retconned Saber 2 as one of the TIE/IN interceptors from Return of the Jedi, although erroneously representing Phennir with an image of the TIE pilot from Return of the Jedi^[8] whom the Star Wars Customizable Card Game previously identified him as.^[4] This article treats the Return of the Jedi TIE/LN starfighter pilot used by the Star Wars Customizable Card Game and "Death Star II Personnel: An Imperial Human Resources Guide" as in-universe depictions of Phennir flying Saber 2.