History Recap / TIEFighter

The ''Stalwart'' arrives at a cargo loading area where containers full of station parts had previously been set up, only to find that the loading crews have abandoned the area, presumably due to the threat of Rebel attack. Maarek is dispatched to fly around the cargo yard and identify which containers hold the necessary station parts. As soon as he's done scanning the yard and the Imperial lifters have been launched to collect the cargo, Rebel Y-Wing bombers [[WallMaster spring out from several containers]] and begin to attack the lifters. They are followed by multiple squadrons of advanced Rebel fighters coming to hit the ''Stalwart'', including state-of-the-art [[MightyGlacier B-Wing bombers]]. The ''Stalwart'' scrambles its fighters and bombers, defeating the Rebel attack and recovering all relevant containers, destroying the remainder.\\

The Empire has decided to intervene in a protracted civil war between the Dimok and the Ripoblus, the two warring factions of the Sepan people. They have sent the Victory Star Destroyer ''Protector'', under the command of Admiral Harkov, [[ThreateningMediator to end the conflict by force]].\\

The ''Stalwart'' arrives at a cargo loading area where containers full of station parts had previously been set up, only to find that the loading crews have abandoned the area, presumably due to the threat of Rebel attack. Maarek is dispatched to fly around the cargo yard and identify which containers hold the necessary station parts. As soon as he's done scanning the yard and the Imperial lifters have been launched to collect the cargo, Rebel Y-Wing bombers spring out from several containers and begin to attack the lifters. They are followed by multiple squadrons of advanced Rebel fighters coming to hit the ''Stalwart'', including state-of-the-art B-Wing bombers. The ''Stalwart'' scrambles its fighters and bombers, defeating the Rebel attack and recovering all relevant containers, destroying the remainder.\\

The next phase of the operation requires clearing out a local staging area belonging to Pakuuni pirates, so that an Imperial station can be constructed in its place. The Modified Frigate ''Ludwick'' is sent to handle the operation. As leader of a TIE Bomber squadron, Maarek engages and destroys several Corellian Corvettes and their fighter escorts, then discovers that one of the containers is carrying a group of Rebel advisors. The container is stormed and captured by the Imperials. Once this is accomplished, the ''Ludwick'' prepares to hold the area until the ''Stalwart'' and the station construction crews can arrive.\\

Most of the construction goes without a hitch, but as soon as the ''Stalwart'' moves out of the area to tend to some other business, the Rebels make another attack on the partially-finished station - this time backed up by several Corellian Corvettes. Fortunately, the ''Ludwick'' has been provided with several Gunboats for this mission, and they tear into enemy forces easily. During this battle, Maarek disables a Rebel shuttle carrying several high-ranking officers that was fleeing from one of the destroyed Corvettes. The shuttle is captured by the Empire and the officers brought in for interrogation.\\

Maarek Stele is once again transferred to another fleet, this time under the command of Admiral Zaarin. Zaarin is in charge of developing the Empire's new starfighter, the ''TIE Advanced'' (also known as the '''TIE Avenger'''), modeled after [[Film/ANewHope Darth Vader's personal starfighter]]. Zaarin is looking to add a hyperdrive to the design, but the only suitable drive is being developed by the Habeen and Nharwaak on planet Mylok IV. Though the Habeen are quite happy to do business with the Empire, the Nharwaak do not like this idea and prefer to work with the Rebels.\\

With the new hyperdrives in storage, Zaarin hurries back to his R&D facility to install them in the new craft. Soon after, Darth Vader himself arrives to witness a demonstration of the capabilities of the new TIE Advanced fighters. He is most impressed, and even requests to take one of the prototypes to the Emperor himself.

Maarek Stele returns from Mylok IV and is once again reassigned to Admiral Harkov's flagship ''Protector''. Stele is instructed to lead a small TIE Interceptor squadron to clear a Rebel supply cache surrounded by a minefield. Before embarking, he is met by a member of the Secret Order who tells him that the mission puts him in suspiciously high risk, and advises him to be on alert for anything unexpected. \\

The mission starts normally enough, with Stele demonstrating to his wingmen how to clear a minefield with an unshielded fighter. Things take a strange turn when the mission commander begins taunting Stele about his "loyalty". Then, as Stele destroys the Rebel cache, the Modified Frigate ''Osprey'' --a Secret Order ship-- jumps into the area and informs Stele that he has been set up by Harkov. Stele's wingmen turn on him, and multiple waves of TIE Advanced fighters are launched from the ''Protector'' with the explicit orders to shoot Stele down at all costs for being "The Emperor's stool pigeon".\\

The Secret Order now has conclusive evidence that Harkov is indeed a traitor, and that he and the men under his command are collaborating with the Rebellion. The Imperial Navy gears up for a massive pursuit of Harkov's fleet, to try and stop the ''Protector'' from defecting to the Rebels. Darth Vader himself is informed of this turn of events, and after conferring with the Emperor he decides to lead the hunt personally. Stele's familiarity with Harkov's tactics is deemed invaluable for the operation. He is reassigned to Recon Group, an elite squadron of the Secret Order.\\

The second phase involves a surprise attack against a Rebel convoy coming to resupply the ''Protector''. In the third phase, Stele is charged with stripping the ''Protector'' of its TIE Advanced fleet in preparation for the attack on the Star Destroyer itself. For this mission, he gets his first opportunity to fly his own TIE Advanced in combat, giving the enemy TIE Advanced fighters a taste of their own medicine. Partway during the battle, the ''Protector'' sends a shuttle over to the Rebel station, and Maarek flies close enough to determine that Harkov is in fact on board. It is unclear why Harkov is moving himself to the station, but Maarek is given orders not to attack the shuttle, as Darth Vader wants to capture Harkov alive. Soon after this, the ''Protector'' jumps out of the system, and Maarek returns home to prepare for the final assault.\\

The conflict has finally take its toll on the ''Protector's'' fighter contingent, and Admiral Harkov decides to take this opportunity to replace his lost ships with state-of-the-art TIE Advanced fighters. The Escort Carrier ''Tropsobor'' arrives with the new fighters and begins to offload them to the ''Protector''. As soon as the first TIE Advanced fighters take off towards the ''Protector'', the Dimoks and Ripoblus launch an all-out assault on the Star Destroyer in a last-ditch attempt to drive the Empire out of their sector. The Light Cruiser ''Ben Het'' arrives and launches multiple waves of fighters to draw the ''Protector'''s fighters away. Once the ''Protector'' and ''Tropsobor'' are left mostly undefended, multiple Y-Wings arrive to attack the ''Tropsobor'' with torpedoes. Stele's TIE Fighter squadron sticks to its escort duty and deals with the Y-Wings, and eventually the entire Imperial force assaults the ''Ben Het'' and its escorts, destroying them all.\\

A short time later, several Dimok scientists --upset about their government subverting their science to make weapons-- hijack the Dimok System Patrol Craft ''Glas''. They attempt to defect with it to the ''Victory'', requesting Imperial political asylum. Dimok government craft quickly appear to try and stop the defection, but are destroyed by Maarek's TIE Interceptor squadron. Just as the Dimok forces begin to retreat, Ripoblus forces join the battle to replace them. Despite all attempts against it, the ''Glas'' reaches the ''Victory'' in one piece. Its crew is offloaded, replaced with decoys, and sent back out to space on autopilot, to be destroyed by the unwitting final wave of attackers.\\

The rescued scientists reveal that the Dimok and Ripoblus leaders have declared the Empire a common foe, and are now planning to meet in deep space to arrange an alliance. The Imperial Navy decides to capture both leaders simultaneously. The task is very dangerous, since both sides have brought their Nebulon-B Frigates to the meeting. A heavily armed force of Gunboats and Transports assaults the meeting and takes both transport craft intact, despite the sudden appearance of the enemy cruiser ''Falaricae''. It later turns out that the captured shuttles did not in fact contain the leaders of each faction, but rather their ''children'' - intended to be swapped as hostages to ensure the success of their alliance. By capturing the children, the Empire has inadvertently solidified the bond between the Dimok and Ripoblus against them, making further warfare unavoidable. In addition to all this, Stele manages to scan several cargo transports that had unexpectedly arrived at the meeting place, all carrying stolen Imperial goods.\\

The Empire has decided to intervene in a protracted civil war between the Dimok and the Ripoblus, the two warring factions of the Sepan people. They have sent the Victory Star Destroyer ''Protector'', under the command of Admiral Harkov, to end the conflict by force.\\

As soon as the ''Protector'' reaches the sector, a nearby Ripoblus convoy requests Imperial assistance to defend it from a Dimok raid. The Secret Order, suspicious about Admiral Harkov's recent lackluster performance, asks Stele to keep his eyes open once again. During the battle he inspects the Ripoblus convoy, discovering that it is carrying weapons - including a shipment of Imperial arms. Despite the sudden arrival of the Dimok cruiser ''Falaricae'', and several attempts by the Dimok to steal the cargo, they are quickly driven off. The Ripoblus convoy itself is then seized by the Empire. The presence of Imperial weapons in the hands of the Ripoblus greatly troubles the Secret Order.\\