Arrow Squadron

Overview
Arrow Squadron, also known as The Arrows, was a mixed squadron of X-wing star fighters and Y-wing star fighters/bombers that served as part of the Rebel Alliance's starfighter corps during the Galactic Civil War. Formed by Tolamael Benere and Idolon Jdre, the squadron was formed just before the Battle of Scarif and took part in several campaigns, including the Battle of Endor. The squadron missed the destruction of First Death Star at the Battle of Yavin 4. However, Arrow Squadron served throughout the length of the conflict with some members serving well into the New Republic Era.

After Scarif, the unit was sent to the Betseeda System to counter begin liberating the worlds from Imperial control, the squadron participated in a number of battles including First Battle of Betseeda Prime, Battle of Faan Shaarada, the Battle of Myyribod, the Siege of Tazion, the Second Battle of Betseeda Prime, and the Battle of Jonquil Station. This final battle helped break the Imperial will to occupy the system and the Imperial Navy evacuated the system. Shortly thereafter, High Command reassigned the squadron in order to combat a group of pirates.

While fighting against the Glaston Pirates in the Outer Rim before the destruction of the Second Death Star, Arrow Squadron participated in several skirmishes, capped by the Battle of Ruaha and the Battle of Vagabond's Rest.

The Arrows were dispatched to Hutt Space as the Alliance worked to strengthen their alliance with the powerful Hutts. In what became known as the Hutt Campaign, the Arrows participated in the disastrous Battle of Ullatak. Following this battle, they were called back to the Rebel Fleet. Here, they refitted, trained, and served escort duty for a number of months before participating in the decisive Battle of Endor.

Shortly after the war ended, the unit transitioned into the New Republic Defense Fleet. Udas took command of the squadron from now Commander Benere and a new wave of pilots enlisted, joining the fight. The unit was then assigned to the wild and dangerous part of the galaxy known as the Tingel Arm.

Formation
Seeing the need to expand the Alliance's fledgling starfighter corp, Admiral Raddus commissioned Lieutenant Tolamael Benere, a young pilot from Corellia to begin assembling a squadron of pilots in O BBY. Benere, an early member of the Alliance, quickly recruited his good friends Idolon Jdre, a human male from Chandrila and Vid Paratool, a Twi'lek male from Ryloth. Shortly thereafter, five additional pilots were assigned to the unit by command. Udas, a veteran combat pilot and resistance fighter Mon Cal from Dac. Sorshara Bray, a wild, unpredictable female fighter pilot, from Naboo. Elon Borgg, a human male from Corellia. Tozin X'ala, a male Ikotchi pilot, and Umbe Shembo, a Zabrak from Coruscant.

Battle of Scarif
Battle of Scarif The newly formed Arrow Squadron participated in the Battle of Scarif along with Red Squadron, Blue Squadron, Green Squadron, Gold Squadron and several other units. It was Lieutenant Benere first taste of command. Arriving shortly after the shield-gate over Scarif was closed, Benere and his fighters moved in to engage the Imperial TIE Fighters and Imperial Star Destroyers plaguing the Rebel Fleet. In a pitched battle that saw heavy rebel losses, Shembo, flying as Arrow 4 and Borgg, flying as Arrow 7 were killed. The surviving fighters jumped to hyper speed, making for the Rebel Base on Yavin 4.

Members present at Scarif
 * Arrow Leader: Tolamael Benere
 * Arrow Two: Idolon Jdre
 * Arrow Three: Vid Paratool
 * Arrow Four: Elon Borgg (KIA)
 * Arrow Five: Sorshara Bray
 * Arrow Six: Udas
 * Arrow Seven: Umbe Shembo (KIA)
 * Arrow Eight: Tozin X'ala

Transfer
Only days after the returning to Yavin 4, the majority of Arrow Squadron was ordered to the remote Betseeda System. Alliance leaders were quick to realize that the vast Imperial Navy posed just as much of a threat as the Death Star. High Command began transferring select fighter squadrons to various sectors of the galaxy in order to counter Imperial movements and, hopefully, rally the local system to the Alliance cause.

Arrow Squadron also received its first round of replacement pilots, most of them helming the venerable, tough Y-Wings. These new pilots, many of them veterans in their own right, included Danic Polis, a quiet man of unknown origins. Craal "Al" Noarnn, a petite female human from Coruscant. Kubala Ruwassa, a quirky Rodian male. Cedric Rex, a semi-famous speeder bike pilot who had had his career winnings seized by the Empire. Jev Talianos, the daughter of an Imperial Governor, and Otan Vebb, a female Gungan from Naboo.

Benere began putting his pilots through a rigorous training regimen. The notable exception was Talianos, whose connections to the Empire were a concern to High Command. Senior Rebellion officials were worried about the impacts of her possibly being killed or injured as well as the public bounty that her father, Governor Tel Talianos, had put on her head. Eventually, Benere relented and allowed her to join her squadron mates.

The Arrows also had a difficult time procuring enough supplies and replacement parts for their mission. Given the quick nature in which their assignment was determined, the Alliance sent only basic supplies with the unit. Each fighter carried only a few replacement parts for their ship and only one crate of weapons and explosives could be mustered up between all members. They knew that the Betseeda Government, filled with sycophantic Imperial sympathizers, would be no ally to their cause.

Initially, the newly arrived unit found no friends among the native population. Forced to make their base, hiding it, on a small moon in orbit one of the gas giants in the Betseeda System, Arrow Squadron members undertook several missions to Tazion, the capital city of Betseeda Prime, in an attempt to gather intelligence on the occupying Imperial force.

The Betseeda System, though heavily occupied by the Empire, had remained neutral throughout the early stages of the Rebellion. With the destruction of the First Death Star shortly after Arrow Squadron had departed Yavin 4, an insurgency element of the government in Tazion of Betseeda Prime, the largest and most powerful planet in the system, reached out to Lieutenant Benere to broker an alliance. It wasn't long before they struck their first blow.

First Battle of Betseeda Prime
First Battle of Betseeda Prime

In 1 ABY, members of Arrow Squadron and the Betseeda Resistance Forces (BRF) under the commander of Madeline Gren, a former Senator from Betseeda Prime, began to plot their first moves against the Imperial occupation. In a coordinated attack, the BRF and Arrow Squadron pilots attacked Imperial facilities all across the city of Tazion.

While Udas and Gren led forces on the ground in a block by block battle for the symbolic and political heart of the Betseeda System, Benere and his X-wings provided air support. Polis and his detachment of Y-wing fighter/bombers destroyed Imperial facilities on the surface. In a bloody engagement, Gren was killed by Imperial forces, but Udas led the BRF soldiers to victory. A well targeted bombing run by Polis and his pilots helped destroy large swaths of the Imperial base and, having been completely caught off guard, the Imperial Navy retreated back to their Star Destroyers, Salient and Venom. This battle proved to be the first major victory in the Arrow's campaign and a gigantic morale boost for both the pilots and the locals.

Members at the First Battle of Betseeda Prime

 * Arrow Leader: Tolamael Benere
 * Arrow Two: Idolon Jdre
 * Arrow Three: Vid Paratool
 * Arrow Four: Danic Polis
 * Arrow Five: Sorshara Bray
 * Arrow Six: Udas (commanding ground forces)
 * Arrow Seven: Craal "Al" Noarnn
 * Arrow Eight: Tozin X'ala
 * Arrow Nine: Cedric Rex
 * Arrow Ten: Kubala Ruwassa
 * Arrow Eleven: Otan Vebb
 * Arrow Twelve: Jev Talianos

Forward Progress
In the weeks following the engagement, Betseeda Prime elected a new government headed by Speaker Tomas Ust. While Ust and his government did not openly support the Rebellion, they remained, at this point, officially neutral in the campaign. However, the government did turn a blind eye to private citizens assisting the Rebellion's efforts. Additionally, Arrow Squadron moved their base of operations to a small island located in the near ocean sized Shonzu Lake. The Imperials had kept an airbase on the island, but with their forces being pushed off the planet, the Arrows had taken over the abandoned facilities.

In the weeks that followed, a relative period of quiet enveloped the system. The Imperial Navy, shocked by its defeat on Betseeda Prime, licked its wounds and plotted its next steps. Meanwhile, Arrow squadron members Vid Paratool, Udas, and Danic Polis posed at smugglers in Rook's Haven, a rough and tumble spaceport located in the outer reaches of the Betseeda System on the planet of Zallos II.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Benere was able to secure a shipment of new astromech droids as several of Arrow Squadron's droids were sadly lost to an Imperial virus that had laid dormant and had now spread through computer systems of the recently acquired Shonzu Base.

The Battle of Faan Shaarada
The Battle of Faan Shaarada

Deciding to act