Darth Vader's personal fleet of Star Destroyers, the
Death Squadron was feared across the galaxy.
After the loss of the Death Star during the Battle of
Yavin, the Super-class Star Destroyer was created to
show the power of the Empire was still as strong as
ever. The Death Squadron was also formed to fufil that
purpose. Six capital ships made up the Squadron; five
Imperial-class Star Destroyers - the Avenger, the
Accuser, the Tyrant, the Adjudicator and the Stalker -
plus Vader's own Super Star Destroyer, Executor.
Squads of TIE fighters and other smaller vessels also made up part of the fleet.
When an Imperial probe droid located the Rebel base on Hoth, the Death Squadron was mobilized to launch an assault. Under the command of Admiral Ozzel, the fleet entered hyperspace but emerged too close to the system. The Rebels were alterted, and managed to prepare for the attack. For his mistake, Ozzel was killed by Vader, and command of the Squadron passed to the newly-promoted Admiral Piett. The Death Squadron attempted to blockade Hoth while General Veers launched a ground assault. Though the Tyrant was disabled by an ion blast from the planet, the Imperial fleet was able to destroy or damage many of the fleeing Rebel transports.
Later, the Death Squadron chased the Millennium Falcon into the Hoth asteroid field. Though two of the Squadron's Star Destroyers were damaged after a collision caused by wily maneuvering from the Falcon, the pursuit continued. TIE fighters and bombers were launched to locate the Falcon amidst the asteroids, while the Star Destroyers blasted their way through to the other side. The Avenger sustained major damage, and lost track of the Falcon. Captain Needa was also killed for his mistake.
Most of the Squadron was present at the Battle of Endor, though the Adjudicator and the Accuser were captured by the Alliance: the Adjudicator was abandoned at Endor and the Accuser was lost shortly after. The Executor itself was destroyed in the battle, when the bridge was breached and the Super Star Destroyer smashed into the second Death Star. The Stalker - the Star Destroyer which had launched the probot that had found the Rebel base on Hoth - patrolled the Elrood sector after the Battle of Hoth, while the Tyrant became Leia Organa Solo's consular ship Rebel Dream after it was captured by the New Republic. The Avenger went on to assist in the Battle of Calamari, and fell under Executor Sedriss's command. |
