Rho Squadron

Rho Squadron is a Strike squadron assigned to Wing II on the Imperial-II Class Star Destroyer Warrior.

Equipment

Flight suit worn by the brave pilots of Rho Squadron.

A Rho Squadron TIE Interceptor.

Squadron Achievements

• In the 2020 Raise the Flag competition, Rho Squadron took first place among the 11 squadrons in the TIE Corps with 8,078 points.

Real-Life History

2020

By 2019, the TIE Corps' membership had dwindled from its heyday in the early 2000s, leading to the closure of Beta and Sigma squadrons. This left the Corps with only six active squadrons. Efforts to attract new and returning pilots started working, and by March of 2020, the TCCOM announced plans to reopen two squadrons. Hav Antiel, then Commodore of the Warrior, expressed interest in leading the ship's new squadron. From the available list of inactive Wing II squadrons (Psi, Rho, and Sigma), Antiel chose Rho because it was a relative "blank slate" compared to Sigma (which had been mothballed in 2019) and Psi (which had historical reports and logos on file). Antiel found evidence that a historical Rho Squadron had existed in the past, but he was unable to find any reports, logos, or solid history.

In developing the initial mission and image of Rho Squadron, CMDR Antiel looked to the Imperial squadrons in the original Star Wars trilogy, depicted with gray/blue fighters and black uniforms. When Rho was reactivated, every other TIE Corps squadron consisted of superfighters like the TIE Defender and Missile Boat. Sin Squadron had just earned a signature superfighter, the TIE Sinister, that notably included cupholders and air conditioning. This inspired Antiel to pitch Rho as a throwback to the canonical Imperial mindset: bad guys with expendable ships and pilots and stark black and gray iconography. Antiel told the TCCOM, FA Plif, of his desire for a complement of shieldless TIEs, and Plif helped Antiel decide on the menacing TIE Interceptor. While other squadrons used different fighters for each flight, Antiel followed the examples shown in the films, where squadrons consisted of a dozen of the same fighter.

Rho Squadron was activated on 16 April 2020 with three veteran pilots: Trideo Arkson and Drake Starfire as Flight Leaders and Hav Antiel as CMDR. They were joined by another returning veteran, Jarion Renalds on 18 April. Although Trideo Arkson soon went AWOL and Drake Starfire left to command Inferno Squadron, Rho grew, attracting new pilots to fly the TC's only TIE Interceptors. On 21 June 2020, Rho Squadron became full for the first time with 12 active pilots.

Still reeling from his disappointing Raise the Flag 2019 loss as Commodore of the Warrior, Antiel saw 2020's RtF competition as an opportunity to redeem himself and announce his new squadron as real challengers. Rho began preparations for RtF months ahead of its September start date. As preemptive rule changes scuttled some of Rho's strategies, the pilots adapted, developing alternative strategies before finally settling on a familiar formula: single-player SPAM flying.

Raise the Flag 2020 became a three-way contest between Rho, fellow newcomers Tempest Squadron, and five-time winners Theta Squadron. Rho's SP focus, spearheaded by Antiel, Lo Mar, Epicedion, and Frenchie6, was bolstered by Lo Mar's fiction entries, including his Bonus-winning fiction. At the close of the contest, Rho set a new RtF record with 8,078 points, becoming only the third different squadron to earn the title of TCCOM's Escort Squadron. Four of Rho's pilots ranked among the Top 10, more than any other squadron. For 10 of Rho's 12 pilots, 2020 marked their first-ever Raise the Flag competition. Although Rho's triumph gave the new squadron prestige and enmity, the magnitude of their RtF accomplishment was acknowledged across the TIE Corps.

COL Antiel led a group of junior officers and new recruits to become the TCCOM's Escort Squadron in Raise the Flag 2020. Having tried and failed to overcome the Wall of Theta myself a few times, I'm proud of what Rho Squadron was able to achieve.

—FA Plif

Rho's attitude and sense of community were pivotal to the squadron's success in RtF. Although every member of the squadron contributed to that sense of community, the heart of Rho in 2020 was its XO, acetiepilot. Tommy, as he was known to his peers, coined and epitomized the "Rho looks after Rho" mindset by checking in with other pilots, stoking conversations on comms, and organizing pools to buy copies of games for Rho pilots. Antiel recognized Tommy's potential and made plans with his XO to take over command of the squadron in 2021.

Squadron Commanders

#	CMDR	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Location	Starting Rank	Ending Rank
1	Hav Antiel	16 April 2020	31 December 2020	8m, 15d	ISD Warrior	Colonel	General
2	acetiepilot	1 January 2021	20 June 2021	5m, 19d	ISD Warrior	Commander	Major
2	fr0Zen	20 June 2021	TBA	TBA	ISD Warrior	Commander	TBA

Patches and Banners

Inaugural Rho Squadron Patch, 2020	Unofficial Patches for Flights I, II, and III, 2020

Rho Squadron Banner, 2020	RtF Victory Update, 2020