Kappa Squadron

Kappa Squadron is an Escort squadron attached to Wing II of the Imperial-II Class Star Destroyer Warrior.

Kappa Squadron has a battle cry: KAPPA HYPE!!! coined by COL Ulrich Drachen

Weekly Squadron Reports for Kappa can be found at --Kappa Report Archive--.

Roster

Kappa Flight I

Nickname - Dragon's Fury

Motto - Strike Hard, Strike Fast

1. KMDR/LC Aardvark
2. FM/LT Cole Veerhaan
3. FM/LT Ason Tsang
4. FM/GN Mark Schueler

Kappa Flight II

Nickname - Dragon's Fire

Motto - We Bring Glorious Deliverance

1. FL/MAJ Sparky
2. FM/COL Farrin Xies
3. FM/CM Rachel Drakon
4. FM/COL Ulrich Drachen

Kappa Flight III

Nickname - Dragon's Wings

Motto - Borne on Steel Wings

1. FL/CPT Shang Khan
2. FM/LT Purpletiger_z
3. FM/xx
4. FM/GN Dunta Polo

Kappa Flight IV

Nickname - Dragon's Fangs

Motto - Our Bite Is Worse Than Our Roar

1. FL/LC randyrumrnr
2. FM/LT Crono Zeal Mawell
3. FM/xx
4. FM/xx

Squadron History

• Written by Algaron Xerves and Shimir Sheerelk

Last Updated:

Special Thanks to: COL Gallows, COL Sasquatch, COL Inkwolf and COL Jan Wemmel

Introduction

• Intro Written by Tempest, January 1st 2006

The record of the "History of Kappa Squadron" you are looking at was started by Algaron Xerves in March 2001, when he (then a Flight Leader under CMDR Astarosta), published the first chapters of this historic record on the Kappa homepage. These original first chapters covered the early days of Kappa from its reformation in January 1999 to the beginning of Astarosta's reign. Thanks to this huge effort of researching and compiling historic information, I think it can be said that Kappa's early history is one of the best documented ones among all squadrons in the TC today. It did not only give veterans an opportunity to dwell in memories, but also it gave valuable information to new cadets who joined the squadron, so they were not entirely clueless when older squadron members started to talk about the "good old days". One of those new pilots who read Algaron's Kappa History with great interest was Shimir Sheerelk, who joined the squadron in May 2002. He liked the "History" a lot, but felt a little disappointed that there was already almost one year missing.

In January 2004, Shimir submitted a summary of the "Algaron Years", with the "Tempest Years" following in February. While these additions were well-written and informative, there were several problems to them. As a start, Shimir had not been around in the days of Astarosta. So, while Algaron had told the beginning of Roasty's tenure as Kappa CMDR, its end remained untold. Also, Shimir didn't have all the facts and figures correctly and missed some events relevant to the squadron history. Most important of all, though, was that his text was very long. I really had to shorten it a lot, and while doing it, I also cross-checked the given information with my own mail archive. With the many abbreviations I had to make and some things to add, most of the text was in fact rewritten. I have also changed Algaron's system of introducing new pilots and giving their career information. While Algaron had these as tables in the text, the problem with that is that these are hard to place. I was always wondering if I should set such an info box whenever someone new joined, or left, or became promoted, or whatever. I therefore used links instead and made an info page for every Kappa member past and present. A list of all of them was put at the end of this document.

I think these changes make sence and were necessary to make this now rather lengthy document easier to access and more enjoyable to read. I hope nobody will think of it as disrespect towards the original authors. To prevent their works from being lost, or prevented only in an altered form, you can still see them here: "Kappa History" by Algaron Xerves, 2002. "The Algaron Years" and "The Tempest Years" by Shimir Sheerelk, 2004.

The updating and rewriting was tiresome for me and took me so much time that the new version of the "History" was outdated again when I was done with it. Having worked on it for such a while, and being the longest serving active member of Kappa, I therefore decided to write the Zyrax Years and the beginning of the Daar Years myself. I don't think of me as a great writer, but I also didn't want this fine project to die.

So here it is... Kappa Squadron's history from 1999 to 2006. I hope you'll enjoy reading it, and I also hope that there are many chapters remaining to be written. Many squadrons that are mentioned in here are no longer in existance. We are proud to serve in a squadron that has been here for seven years, and of course we hope that this fine old squadron won't have to be closed anytime soon. As Algaron, the starter of the history project, put it: "We are proud to say that some of the very finest officers inhabit the Kappa barracks and it is their consistently outstanding contribution which makes the Squadron what it is today - one of the finest in the TIE Corps. Long may it continue!" Yeah... long may it continue.

The Shador Years January 1999 to June 1999

Wing II was officially re-opened in January 1999 under the command of Colonel Gallows and it was at this point that the "Modern History" of Kappa Squadron begins. Kappa was one of three Wing II Squadrons to be re-opened during the "Reformation" along with Psi and Rho. Nominated to lead Kappa in this new beginning was TIE Corps veteran Captain Shador. Shador had already made a name for himself within the Corps and was a highly respected officer. He began the tradition of strong, dedicated Kappa Commanders which remains to this day.

CPT Shador inherited a small group of Squadron members after we re-opened early in 1999, but with Wing II attracting new recruits in numbers, Kappa benefited from an influx of quality cadets. The membership of Kappa grew from three to a high point of nine pilots within just two months. Many of these pilots would go onto great things both within Kappa and the wider scope of the TIE Corps. Notable recruits included veteran pilot LCM Jens "Bushmaster" Vigsted and SL's Wlodek, Lothar Galland and Hawkins, two of whom would go on to command the Squadron. With more pilots coming in Shador had more scope to increase the activity and functionality of the Squadron. He introduced the Squadron Commander's Own Award (SCO). This was a weekly citation given to the most hard-working and active pilot in the Squadron. It encouraged Kappa members to excel and instigated a period of prosperity for the squad. Hawkins flourished as an adept TIE mission creator and would go on to receive the Palpatine Crescent for his achievements in this field. Wlodek was the main beneficiary of the SCO award, taking the honour on no less than five occassions, through his exceptionally dedicated service. He would later receive the Imperial Security Medal for this feat.

Other promotions and awards came thick and fast for this fledgling group of pioneers. Shador himself quickly rose to Captain soon after taking command, and his two Flight Leaders, Wlodek and Lothar Galland, both moved up to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during this time. Kappa itself was also honoured with the Wing Commander's Own Award (WCO) in February, and later the illustrious Commdore's Own Award for the month of April. Much of these tributes came as a result of Kappa's performance in the inaugural Sovereign League competition. After seven combat rounds Kappa lay in 8th place overall amongst TIE Corps Squadrons, putting them in line for a place in the end of season Playoffs.

This was also a time of creative expansion. Kappa Squadron's first website was created during Shador's tenure. The creator of this site was none other than the Commander himself, giving a further demonstration of his all round abilities. It can be loaded up by following the picture link to the left. Although the site is incomplete it gives a fascinating insight into Kappa's early roots, offering a historical snapshot of the composition of the Squadron as it stood at the time. Last updated at the end of February 1999, the first Kappa homepage makes for very nostalgic viewing and was a portent for bigger and better things to come.

Sadly, but perhaps inevitably, Kappa pilots came and went during this period of development and transformation under Shador's leadership. Two pilots who only stayed very briefly, but shall be listed here in order that their achievements are always remembered in the chronicles of Kappa History, are LT's Platimum and Rhinok Maul.

As with many great leaders a time comes when the strain of command can become too great. So it was with Captain Shador. Due to hectic real-life commitments he was forced to step down from his post as Kappa Commander on the 14th July 1999. Fortunately Shador's excellent leadership had produced a number of ideal candidates to succeed him. Lothar Galland had proved himself an adept Leader of Flight III. Hawkins was another dedicated pilot who had shown potential leadership qualities, winning the Squadron Commander's Own Award on a number of ocassions. Hawkins time would come however, and it was down to another Kappa veteran eventually chosen to take the Squadron forward...

The Wlodek Years June 1999 to September 1999

Wlodek had already proven himself as one of the finest Flight Leaders in the Wing and was perhaps the natural choice to succeed Shador as Squadron Commander.

One of Wlodek's first tasks as Squadron Commander was to secure Kappa's place in the Sovereign League Playoffs. A month of hard flying meant that the excellent achievements in this competition under Shador did not go to waste, as Kappa maintained 8th position and took their place amongst the TIE Corps elite. However, the draw for the first round pitted Kappa against the mighty Tornado squadron, and as expected they proved to be too strong. Our run had come to end, but what a glorious run it had been.

The membership of Kappa Squadron fluctuated during Wlodek's brief tenure. When he took over in June 1999 Kappa had 8 pilots on the roster. During his three months in command some of Kappa's most famous pilots joined up, most notably Amadeo, Jan Wemmel and Deacan. All three of these guys would go on to have renowned careers within Kappa and help forge our reputation as one of the finest Squadron's in the TIE Corps. However, along with new recruits coming in there was also a steady stream of pilots leaving our ranks, thus preventing us from ever rising to full strength. Captain Shador was one of the pilots to leave during this time, although he would eventually return to Kappa for a final farewell under the next administration. For others, though, the end was much more final. The pilots who left Kappa in the summer of '99 were LT Kata'ng, SL Motti, LCM Lothar Galland and LT Warthog. All these only had a rather short stay in Kappa, but they won't be forgotten as part of our history.

As was the case under Captain Shador, a number of pilots excelled during Wlodek's term. Most prominent among them was Amadeo, claiming three Imperial Security Medals, promotion to Lieutenant and the leadership of Flight II before Wlodek was done. Hawkins also continued to make excellent progress. Wlodek immediately made him a Flight Leader upon taking command, and from this position his career flourished. The Palpatine Crescent came his way from the creation of 3 TC-TIE Battles, and his promotion to Lieutenant Commander demonstrated his leadership potential. Jens 'Bushmaster' Vigsted and Jan Wemmel also maintained admirable levels of activity and were rewarded in kind.

Unfortunately, Wlodek's time as Kappa Commander was brought to an end prematurely. He resigned just 60 days into his command. Wlodek was destined for great things within the TIE Corps, but we can only look back at his all too short period in charge with a fairly sizeable hint of sadness. We may have achieved great things, but Kappa had been robbed of a legend in the making. Wlodek had proved what a great commanding officer he could and would on to be, which made it a bitter pill to swallow to see him step down. However, things always go on and once the dust had settled, the pieces had to be picked up and a replacement found. Amadeo was too inexperienced, and Jens 'Bushmaster' Vigsted didn't want the job. That left one man to take up the reigns...

The Hawkins Years - September 1999 to March 2000

Hawkins had been well groomed in the art of commanding by his two predecessors. Although the unexpected resignation of Wlodek thrust him into the position of Squadron Commander perhaps earlier than he would have liked, he was certainly equipped to do the job as well as anyone. It is highly unfortunate that the period of Hawkins' leadership also coincided with the fortunes of Kappa Squadron ebbing to the lowest level in our recent history. This is not to be seen as an indictment of Hawkins as a commanding officer. He was a more than capable Commander who suffered from an ill-fated and Irreversible chain of events.

The initial weeks of Hawkins' tenure were very promising. Jens 'Bushmaster' Vigsted moved to Flight III leader, the Palpatine Crescent was awarded to Amadeo for his excellent record both in and out of the cockpit, and Deacan received a very well deserved promotion to Lieutenant. More importantly veteran pilot, and former Kappa Commander, Captain Shador returned to the Squadron he had built. Amadeo also created a new set of Squadron link banners which can still be seen on the Files section of this website. Kappa had nine pilots in its ranks for the first time since the early weeks of Shador's command. Things were looking good for Kappa Squadron.

Indeed things continued to go well right up to the end of November. A flood of commendations came the way of Kappa Squadron members. Among these Amadeo received the coveted Bronze Star of the Empire for re-designing Wing II's web site and Wlodek's career as a quality Mission Designer began with the creation of his first of many TIE Battles (TC-120). The Medal of Tactics would be his reward. Also promotions came for both of Kappa's Flight Leaders. 'Bushmaster' rose to Commander, and Amadeo advanced to Lieutenant Commander. Kappa also had an excellent new website created by the ever active Amadeo. Since then, all Kappa homepages followed more or less this design. For example, since that time all Kappa websites had white as basic colour, while most other squadron (or generally SW) pages are mostly black. You can view his original design by following the picture link on the left.

However, events were about to take a drastic turn for the worse. The period from December 1999 to the end of January 2000 can be genuinely described as Kappa Squadron's darkest hour. The catalyst for this was Wlodek's transfer to Wing VIII's Pi Squadron in the first week of December. Kappa had already suffered from his resignation as Commander, but now we had also lost his valuable services as a Squadron member. In the two depressing months that followed a further six pilots left the Squadron! Jan Wemmel moved to the Reserves due to personal commitments, Lieutenant Vengeance transferred to Cheth Squadron, and Lieutenant Talos Magnus was declared AWOL. Transfers also robbed Kappa of the services of three more highly experienced and valued members. Shador chose to accept the offer of seeing out the rest of his career in the elite Praetorian Squadron, and Jens 'Bushmaster' Vigsted moved to take command of Spear Squadron aboard the ISD Relentless. Finally and most distressingly, Amadeo put in a transfer to Cyclone Squadron, unable to bear what was happening around him. In the cold light of day Kappa had lost seven pilots in only eight weeks, including two former Squadron Commanders and both of its Flight Leaders. After this "Black Christmas", as it was henceforth known, we were down to just two active members (Hawkins and Deacan), the lowest level in the Squadron's history.

After the setback of the "Black Christmas" period it was touch and go as to whether Kappa would remain an active Squadron. It is here that the command ability of Hawkins really shone through, as he transformed the Squadron's fortunes during the last few weeks of his reign. It is also a highly important period in our history given that Kappa's favourite son joined the Squadron to begin his magnificent career. The inspired recruitment drive headed by a re-invigorated Commander Hawkins, and the hard-working Deacan saw four pilots join Kappa during February 2000, among them the return of Jan Wemmel from the Reserves, and a little-known, green recruit from the far-flung reaches of the Empire who went by the name of Sub-Lieutenant Astarosta. No one at the time would have foreseen the sensational impact these two pilots, especially the latter, would have on the fortunes of our Squadron.

The end of Hawkins reign also saw the re-introduction of the Sovereign League competition which Kappa had fought so valiantly in during it's run in 1999. This band of mainly inexperienced pilots managed to secure 21st place after the second Combat Round. However, as stated before the end of Hawkins' reign was near at hand. Deacan had already been made Acting Commander two weeks before Hawkins eventually decided that the move should be made permanent. The strain of commanding Kappa during this extraordinarily unstable period had eventually proved too great. Hawkins stepped down allowing his successor to take Kappa into a new era...

The Deacan Years

There can be no question that Deacan was one of the finest and influential Squadron Commanders that Kappa has had in it's history since the "Reformation". He had a superb pilot record during his time under Wlodek and Hawkins, and his loyalty and dedication to the Squadron was a significant factor in turning things around following the "Black Christmas" period. When Hawkins finally stepped down, Deacan was a more than worthy replacement. Many of the new procedures that Deacan introduced have become part of the standard practices within Kappa Squadron. Much of Kappa's current daily activity is influenced by Deacan's original work.

Deacan took over command of the Squadron during a time of great prosperity for Wing II, having just been awarded the TIE Corps Commander Citation for the month of March (pictured left). For his two Flight Leaders Deacan chose the old campaigner Hawkins, and the rising star Astarosta within a six pilot strong Squadron. Astarosta had already begun to demonstrate his supreme piloting skills having accumulated enough FCHG points in his short career to make him Kappa's new flying ace. Promotion to Lieutenant Commander and the award of the Imperial Security Medal for extremely high activity marked Astarosta out as a future candidate for a Squadron command position of his own.

As stated before Deacan's original work instigated much of what is now taking for granted amongst Kappa Squadron members. The first such instance of this was the establishment of regular Inter-Squadron competitions. For Kappa's first ever challenge Deacan got in contact with ex-Kappa Flight Leader Jens 'Bushmaster' Vigsted who was now in command of Spear Squadron. Deacan himself top-scored in this competition, but sadly the final result did not go our way, narrowly beaten on overall average score. Spear had prevailed, but Deacan, through this inaugural event, had set in motion a tradition which remains strong to this day. The Kappa vs. Spear contest was also one of the first of its kind to use the Laserless Scoring system, again a Wing II creation, which is now recognised as the primary method for calculating results in TIE Corps competitions. Deacan also brought the Squadron together to a much greater extent than had his predecessors. With the help of Astarosta, the Kappa Online Meeting was established. Using mIRC technology Kappa gatherings were occurring with increasing frequency, greatly enhancing the camaraderie and togetherness of the Squadron. Also our interaction with the wider populace of the TIE Corps helped build our reputation as one of the craziest and hardest drinking Squadrons in the Wing - a precedent which has not abated in the time since!

With these traditions firmly put in place Kappa continued forward as a small, but highly active Squadron. As evidence of that Kappa triumphed in a three-way Squadron competition against fellow Wing II rivals Theta and Sin in May 2000. This was to be our first taste of success, but as our recent results will tell you, certainly not our last. The taste of success was sweet and the taste of the beer in the Wing II bar afterwards was even sweeter! Kappa had further reason to celebrate when our website was chosen by the Internet Office as Site of the Week in July, with major credit going to Deacan for continuing to maintain the excellent quality of Amadeo's original design.

The unrelenting pace continued unabated into the Summer. Kappa members battled valiantly with 100% participation as Wing II triumphed over Wing X, and no more so than Astarosta, who received the Palpatine Crescent for top-scoring in the competition. The next Inter-Squad contest brought Kappa up against the similarly sized Sword Squadron. This one went down to the wire, but a handful of points secured a hard-fought win for our rivals from Wing IX. With such a great deal of activity within the Squadron, it is to be expected that a few would not be able to keep up with the pace. SL Moniax, LT Talamius and LT Torgo Reyes were pilots who fell by the wayside, that is, joined during that very active period and left again shortly after.

Another shock departure from Wing II was the resignation in June of Colonel Gallows after 14 months in command of the Wing. He had served with incredible dedication and aptitude for the duration of his tenure, and had turned Wing II into one of the finest in the TIE Corps. Chosen as a temporary replacement was Rho's Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Harkonnen. Unfortunately for Harkonnen, technical difficulties forced him to resign after just one month at the helm. It was at this point that the now legendary "Mad Doctor" of Wing II rose to take up her destined position commanding the craziest bunch of pilots aboard the Sovereign. Colonel Inkwolf is one of Wing II's most popular characters, and with the help of her hairy support crew Private Squeaker, Seargent Akela and Corporal Melvin (pictured left), she made the Wing a joy to be part of. The picture link to the left will take you to the Wing II Website of that time which Inky maintained herself. It's a great resource for historic information, and was of great help to Algaron in compiling the early parts of the history of Kappa Squadron.

Spurred on in his new role as Kappa Recruitment Co-ordinator, Jan Wemmel set about increasing the size of the Squadron roster. Two new pilots joined the Kappa ranks during Deacan's time in charge, and both of them are genuine Kappa legends. Ninja's first stint in Kappa began in August, and he immediately set about building a reputation as one of the hardest flyers in the TIE Corps. His flying record was phenomenal and he kept Deacan incredibly busy submitting Battle TFRs on an almost daily basis. Reb Crush was the other notable recruit, joining right towards the end of the Deacan period. Reb brought an invaluable array of technical, as well as piloting skills to the Squadron. With the impetus of new blood the Squadron maintained it's good form in the ongoing Sovereign League 2000. Kappa was very well placed to secure a placing in the Top 20, thus progressing to the playoff stages of this distinguished competition, in spite of our relatively small size in comparison to many of the other Squadrons' we were flying against. Another exciting event which began during this time was the Free-TIE Challenge, run by Wing IV WC Colonel Ricardo. Both Astarosta, who's activity record was second to none, and Jan Wemmel took up the challenge to complete 95% of the TIE Corps Free Missions by the end of the Summer.

The term embryonic is perhaps a good way to describe the time that Deacan spent in command of Kappa Squadron. His original and dynamic approach to commanding did so much to shape Kappa into the great Squadron that it is today. Unfortunately he never had the opportunity to work his magic on a larger scale, with the membership of the squadron never rising above 50% for his entire period in charge. When RL pressures eventually called an end to Deacan's glorious seven months as Squadron Commander the job of continuing his work passed into the hands of Kappa's most dedicated servant. Would it be possible to improve on Deacan's leadership?

The Astarosta Years - September 2000 to February 2002

There can be little doubt that Astarosta was the greatest Commander in the history of Kappa Squadron, because it was under his leadership that Kappa was enjoying its "Golden Age". He was certainly helped by the experience he received under such great officers as Hawkins and Deacan, but he has taken Kappa to another level of success and prosperity to which there seems to be no boundary.

Astarosta inherited a Squaron of six experienced pilots, with Deacan and Jan Wemmel as his Flight Leaders. His first month in command was incredibly active, although somewhat turbulent. Reb Crush took over as Webmaster of the Kappa Website and brought it up to date. Kappa also brought home the first Inter-Squadron victory in the Astarosta era with a convincing victory over our Wing II colleagues from Sin Squadron. Our Commander also successfully participated in the Summer Challenge started back in June. This great run of activity insured that Kappa Squadron was named as the Wing Commander's Own for the month of September. However, on an unhappy note September also saw the transfer of Ninja to Trapper Squadron and the retirement of a true Kappa legend, Commander Hawkins. It had certainly been an interesting opening month for the Squadron!

The membership of Kappa Squadron remained relatively stable for the rest of the year, with some new faces joining the squadron, such as Hawk Hunter (who only stayed for about four months, though) and Razor. Also, two leading figures for the later development of the Squadron joined up in the form of ex-Zeta Commander Algaron Xerves and new recruit Tempest. Both of them would later become Commanders of the Squadron themselves, as well as true Kappa legends. Sadly, there would also be another departure, with Captain Deacan choosing to retire to the Reserves after a glorious career. He will always hold a place of honour within our ranks and we all wish him well. Undaunted Kappa continued to maintain the progress made in Astarosta's opening month. Further Inter-Squadron victory came in November with a unanimous triumph over Sadhe Squadron. Also Kappa pilots were instrumental in bringing victory for the Blue Team in the excellent Operation Release the TIEs competition organised for Wing II Squadron's by Sin's Commander, Stele Pellaeon (follow the picture link to the left for full details). Further more, towards the end of the year the Combat Run phase of the Sovereign League 2000 came to an end. Kappa qualified as the 16th best placed Squadron and eventually made it as far as the Quarter Finals before valiantly bowing out after an admirable effort against the elite.

In stark contrast to the previous year the Christmas period marked a big upturn in fortunes for Kappa Squadron. A sudden influx of new pilots swelled the roster's size into double figures for the first time in the Squadron's history. LT Reb Crush rejoined Kappa from the reserves, shortly followed by three other reservists who returned to active duty coming from the Daedalus, but joining Kappa for the first time. These three were LT Steffen Daniel Dunkat, LCM Tim and LT Max Danzig. The Kappa Barracks were a busy place to be throughout January 2001. Given this upsurge in activity it was somewhat inevitable that the Wing Commander's Own award for January went to Kappa. Little setbacks, like LT Max Danzig, who didn't join in Kappa's activity frenzy and had to be removed only one month after he had joined, or CM Ninja, who rejoined the Squadron in February, but already left a few days later following an invitation form the elite Praetorian Squadron, couldn't hide that things were really beginning to take off for the Squadron.

If one area in particular were to be highlighted as a mark of Kappa's success under Astarosta's command it would undoubtedly be our outstanding competition record. Inter-Squadron wins over Sin and Sadhe have already been mentioned previously, and a third victory came in February against Cyclone, albeit by just a handful of points in a closely fought encounter. Furthermore, Kappa's record in Fleet and Wing competitions in the Astarosta era is similarly impressive. The Sovereign League and Operation Release the TIEs campaign demonstrated the pilotting skill of Kappa members, but greater success was to follow. Colonel Inkwolf's wide ranging Squeaker Hunt competition gave Kappa the opportunity to exhibit a whole host of assorted skills. In total Kappa members took first place in three of the five categories within the Wing, specifically Reb Crush in Graphics, Astarosta in Flying and Tempest in the Web Hunt. Kappa pilots, especially Tempest and Astarosta, excelled themselves in the Wing II Pilot League organised and run by our very own Captain Algaron, and widely acknowledged as one of the finest competitions organised within the TIE Corps. We also defended the EH's honor in a match against Wraith Squadron, of the Rebel Squadrons, where we achieved an outstanding victory. Not every competition was a success, as we lost a competition against the combined forces of Sin and Theta in August, but we fought well, and the fact that it took two squadrons to take us down shows how strong Kappa was at that time.

It is not just in the cockpit where Kappa has excelled during Astarosta's tenure. Our record in website design must also rank with the best squadrons in the TIE Corps. Kappa's members were also highly influential within the wider realm of the Emperor's Hammer. Reb Crush, Dash Riprock and Tempest were active members of the Corporate Division, whilst Algaron, Astarosta and Razor were often seen studying the darker side of the force as Sith pilots within the Dark Brotherhood. Special mention should also go to Jan Wemmel who was instrumental in spreading the Empire's reach through his role in the Advanced Guard. His participation in the Jedi Cons in Germany and the creation of the EH Publicity Leaflet have also been deservedly rewarded. He was also part of the Wing II medical team, with Jan being the Nurse and Astarosta the mad Doctor. However, if one occasion was to picked out to encapsulate the achievements of Kappa Squadron it would be in Lieutenant Commander Tempest's creation of the new official logo of the Emperor's Hammer. A large number of entries were made, but it was his design (pictured left) which was chosen by the Fleet Commander as the winner. For his great efforts Temp received the Grand Order of the Empire - an honour few will ever match.

As for the roster development during that time, there was unusual high fluctuation. Of course, there are always some pilots joining and leaving, that's the way it goes. However, during the summer of 2001, there was a change of roster in almost every Weekly Report that Roasty sent out. Our numbers were constantly shifting between ten and eleven, and everyone was wondering if it would be possible to ever achieve full numbers. It began with SL TK-9135, who joined our ranks freshly coming from the Daedalus in March, shortly followed by CM Sauron Tarrke, a Rho veteran coming from the Reserves in April. This put our strength at eleven (a landmark at that time), and it stayed that way when, at the end of the month, TK-9135 was AWOLed and SL Dark Horn joined on the very same day. As unlikely as it seems, the very same thing happened only a few weeks later, when LT Steffen Daniel Dunkat retired to the Reserves and was promptly replaced by Lieutenant Hermann, a former pilot of Hammer Squadron. Our numbers dropped to ten when Lieutenant Dark Horn was declared AWOL, but only a few days later they were back to eleven, with the arrival of old Wing II veteran Colonel Calias. However, he didn't live up to the expectations and because of inactivity, he was removed from the roster again in August, on the same day replaced by returning Kappa veteran and former CMDR Hawkins. And then finally, when it already seemed like the twelfth member would never come, Hermann got in contact with a cadet on the Daedalus and convinced him to join. This new pilot, who made such a great impact on the squadron already when joining, was no other than LT Zyrax. It certainly had been a good first showing for one of the longest-serving members and future CMDR of Kappa Squadron. All Kappans, and especially Astarosta, were highly excited about reaching a full roster. In a time where most of the TC squadrons were about 50% to 75% of their strength, this was an incredible achievement for a non-elite squadron, and this success has not yet repeated itself in the history of our Squadron.

To honor those twelve pilots who stood for the greatness of Kappa Squadron in August 2001, the roster is displayed below.

The Full Kappa Roster of August 2001'

Flight 1	Flight 2	Flight 3
CMDR/LC Astarosta	FL/CPT Algaron	FL/CM Jan Wemmel
FM/LT Zyrax	FM/LCM Reb Crush	FM/LCM Tempest
FM/LT Razor	FM/CM Hawkins	FM/LCM Hermann
FM/LCM Tim	FM/LCM Dash Riprock	FM/CM Sauron Tarrke

The full roster lasted only until early September, when LCM Reb Crush left Kappa because he wanted to concentrate on his work for the Corporate Division, shortly after followed by LCM Dash Riprock for the same reason. But Kappa had used these weeks of high strength well, with LCM Tempest winning the Wing II Arena competition and bringing the "Champions of the Ring" title to Kappa. Also, CPT Algaron fired up the second season of his famous Wing II Pilots League, in which Astarosta, Tempest, Hermann and Zyrax stormed the charts right form the start.

The Squadron size being back at ten didn't mean any setback in activities at all. Tim was busy designing webpages, most notably Commodore Proton's Sovereign Site, while Algaron took over the Kappa webmaster job and also started work on his fiction epic "Apocalypse Rising". Tempest continued to make graphics and released the first version of the highly appraised TTT, Tempest's Tailoring Tool, a program that easily creates TC uniforms. Hermann put some effort into contacting cadets on the training platform Daedalus to fill Kappa's empty spots, while Zyrax flew and won the Sovereign Surprise Contest. It probably doesn't even need to be mentioned that everyone was engaged in the Wing II Pilots League, too - and with quite good results. Roasty eventually won the overall event, and other Kappans placed excellent as well. All this outstanding activity surely contributed to Wing II being awarded the "TCCOM's Own" award that September.

Activity remained at that high levels until the end of the year. Excellent competitions like the Kappa Oktoberfest, Jack's Ultimate Scramble, the Sov Mascot Power Battles and an inter-squad competition against Stalker kept the Squadron busy, and the high and successful participation in almost everything that was going on ensured Kappa being named Wing Commander's Own for the month of October. Unfortunately, but perhaps inevitably, Kappa lost a number of pilots during that period of high activity. CM Sauron Tarrke and LT Razor left the Squadron because RL obligations took too much time away from them, while CM Jan Wemmel accepted an invitation from Praetorian for a Tour of Duty. However, these losses were compensated for when the ever-transfer-happy CM Ninja returned once more, and veteran pilot LC Todbringer stepped down from Sigma Command and took a Flight Member's spot in Kappa.

Dark butts were gathering on the horizon at the beginning of 2002. Turmoils in Argentina, Astarosta's home country, caused his communications to become sporadic, then ceased entirely. For quite a long time, it remained uncertain if Roasty would be able to come back to active duty. Tempest filled in as A-CMDR, however he couldn't prevent the activity to drop from extremely high to almost nothing. In January, LCM Tim left the Squadron to take on a FL position in Sin Squadron, soon followed by LCM Hermann, who, displeased with Kappa's paralyzed state, followed an invitation for a Tour of Duty in Praetorian Squadron. The rest of us kept waiting and hoping for Astarosta's return. Unfortunately, nothing was heard from Kappa's Commander until early February, when Wing Commander Ford was forced to declare him AWOL and remove him from the roster. This truly was a black day in Kappa's History. To the present day, Roasty is considered the best CMDR Kappa ever had, and he was the first inductee into the Kappa Squadron “Hall of Fame”. He would eventually return to the Squadron as a pilot. But for the moment, the commanding chair was vacant, and despite the sadness about Roasty's sudden disappearance, Kappa had to look into the future and find its way back to activity. The man to fill Roasty's big boots and achieve this goal had obviously a stony road ahead of him, but Algaron, Leader of Kappa's Fight II and former Zeta Commander, was not afraid to walk down that road and write his chapter in the annals of Kappa.

The Algaron Years - February 2002 to October 2002

Captain Algaron was no stranger to the Command Chair. He had been the successful head of Zeta Squadron before his transfer to Kappa. But here, the situation would be different. Here, he inherited a Squadron full of both legends and rising stars. He also had the immense responsibility of following Astarosta. The challenge facing him was undoubtedly daunting. It is the belief of this historian, that had any man other than Captain Algaron Xerves stepped into the spot, he would have failed.

Algaron took over a Squadron at half strength, and immediately set aside recruitment as one of his chief goals. He asserted this position by endowing Lieutenant Commander Tempest with the position of Kappa Squadron Recruitment Coordinator. It would be an appointment that would yield promising dividends. Algaron also implemented several new ideas during his tenure. The first was the Kappa Activity Points System (KAPS), a new method of tracking the activity of a given pilot. Built into this was a "Roll Call" system used to keep pilots in contact, with a reward in KAPS points. The entire system kept a pilot engaged, busy, and successful. Training missions and fiction competitions led Kappa back to activity. The beginning of March saw the return of Commander Jan Wemmel from his tour with Praetorian, and it was at this time that the storied lineage of Kappa’s past met the cutting edge of it’s promising future. Unfortunately, Jan didn't stay very long, as he was appointed as the new Fleet Medical Officer in April, gaining the rank of Rear Admiral. Shortly before we had already lost another veteran, CM Hawkins, who had been inactive for a while and was declared AWOL.

However, the return of Kappa legend COL "Roasty" Astarosta as well as Kappa veteran LCM Dash Riprock evened things out again.

Prior to this time, the Kappans had been known as "The Spirits of Wing II" which had many comical inferences as to the pilots time spent in the Cantina. Smashed beer kegs and naked women adorned the hulls of many of the pilots, and good times were the norm. But the kids that Colonel Astarosta had brought up from infancy were now maturing into veterans. The party boys of Kappa had grown up, and were ready to change, to accommodate a look that would mirror their status as one of the premier squadrons of the Wing. Thus, Captain Algaron announced a new look was to be adopted, and the Squadron was to decide upon it. Kappa would henceforth be known as "The Dragons of Wing II", and the flights were renamed to "Gryphon", "Wyvern", and "Midgard". And so passed the birth of the Dragons of Kappa, who continue to ride to this day. Another novelty introduced by Algaron was the Kappa Hall of Fame, created to honour those who had contributed the the Squadron's success in a special way. The first seven names to get written down there were Astarosta (obviously), Tempest, Jan Wemmel, Wlodek, Deacan, Amadeo and Algaron himself. Following the picture link to the left, you will find the Kappa Homepage as it looked in March 2002. It's interesting how the colour scheme is already as it is today. You can also see some of the novelties, like the Hall of Fame, while the old Squadron and Flight mottos/nicknames are still in place.

All throughout April, Captain Algaron had felt the sentiment of anxiety among his men. These boys had a new look, new pilots, and new energy. Training and competing for KAPS was one thing. Now it was time for the Dragons to spread their wings and put their newly found strength to a test. Immediately Algaron went to work looking for a suitable opponent. He would find two, and fight both - simultaeneously. The first was an inter-wing rivalry with Sin Squadron, the second was a slightly larger fish: The elite Praetorian Squadron, poster boys of the Intelligence Division, dreaded for good flying as well as having snatched the one or other good Kappa pilot away from the Squad in the past. It was obvious that Algaron wanted to put Kappa to a true test of skill - and his pilots wouldn't disappoint him. Both competitions were won, through excellent participation and skill. Especially the one against Praetorian, who went over four rounds, was a very tough fight. After Praetorian had lost the first round by a very close margin and scored quite badly in the second one due to low participation, they woke up for the third encounter and closely won it. It all would be decided in the fourth and final week. At that critical point, it didn't bode well that CM Ninja left us again, to take command of Slayer Squadron. Kappa was lucky that it had been reinforced by MAJ Artyis shortly before, a former Sigman and experienced pilot. Despite an impressive fightback by the elite Praetorians in the final week, they couldn't win back the ground they had lost in the first two rounds, and Kappa emerged victorious. Shortly after the competition had ended, Kappa got another new member in form of CM Regis Knox. Just like Artys, he had been a Sigma pilot before and decided to serve in Kappa when his old squadron was closed due to lack of pilots. These two veterans were a great help in the upcoming competitions, before they returned to Sigma when it reopened in September.

And competitions were coming thickly for Kappa. Parallel to the two previously mentioned competitions, Imperial Storm III was running, although it must be said that it didn't create much distraction for the Kappa pilots. After the initial rounds were over, the Battlegroup Forces, who had been beaten badly and promptly claimed that the competition was run badly, fled not only from the battlefield, but from the entire war-game as well. This gave the Sovereign eternal bragging rights, as well as affording Kappa Squadron the luxury of focusing on the next upcoming inter-squad competition. Unimpressed by our victory against the elite Praetorians, Hammer challenged us for a similar four-week tournament. At the same time, another competition was going on at Wing level, with Wing I being the opponent. This ended in another victory for Wing II, as always with Kappa having its good share in it. With all these victories, it appeared that Kappa had gone from one legend in Colonel Astarosta, to a new one with Major Algaron.

During that time, Kappa was not only highly active and successful in their cockpits, but it was also a time of increased website creation. Algaron constantly worked on improving the Kappa site, aided by Dash Riprock, who was also maintaining Kappa's Ship Encyclopaedia and the Kappa Battle Board. Meanwhile, Kappa's Recruitment Coordinator CM Tempest created a training guide for cadets and newcomers, which you can see by clicking on the picture link to the left. His efforts in contacting and assisting cadets paid off when in late May, respectively early June, some fresh blood came to the Squadron with Cadets Shimir Sheerelk and Grinning Donkey. Both were up to a very active start in both the cockpit and the IWATS classrooms and were promoted to Lieutenant only days after arrival. Despite these new arrivals, who brought the Squadron's size back to ten, the competition against Hammer, which had started in the meantime, wasn't going well. All of Flight II (Todbringer, Regis Knox, Astarosta and Artyis) were either on leave or having technical difficulties. The newer pilots were struggling to compensate for the veteran's absence, but Kappa winning the first two rounds was more due to Hammer's low participation than Kappa's performance. With a desastrous participation of three pilots in the third round, and four in the fourth and last one, we turned the lead into a loss. Hammer became the first squadron in two years to defeat the Dragons.

It was mainly for the high motivation of the newer members that the Hammer competition didn't end even worse. It was a hard blow when one of these active newcomers, LT Grinning Donkey, was faced with an HCI trial and found guilty of cheating. Despite a valiant effort from both Major Algaron and Wing Commander Colonel Pellaeon, the verdict stood, and Grinning Donkey was reduced to a Sub-Lieutenant. He quickly was elevated to his previous rank, but the conviction left deep-running scars. He would stick around for some more time, but never became very active again. CM Regis Knox, seeing that his RL prevented him from being active, returned to the Reserves a short while later. And although there were opportunities for activity, such as the Tag Team Tournament, the Sovereign Bombing Run, or a Wing competition against Wing III, Kappa's participation in these events was everything but overwhelming. As if all this had not been bad enough, In early September Algaron was also forced to remove the legendary Astarosta from the Kappa roster again, as he had been inactive for some weeks. Todbringer and Artyis left at the same time to flog to the banner of the reforming Sigma Squadron once more.

All these unfortunate setbacks, combined with hectic real-life conditions, seemed to mount increasingly against the stalwart Major Algaron, and he stepped down from command in early October. In his own words he cited the reason being "I can no longer do this prestigious position the justice that it deserves". Although these may have been his sentiments at the time, I am positive that all the Kappans who had the privilege of serving under Algy would beg to differ. It would have been easy, following in the footsteps of such a legendary Commander as Colonel Astarosta, for Algaron to have resigned himself that he was doomed to fall short. However, Major Algaron Xerves was a Kappan, and thus could not do this. It would also be easy for us,looking comparatively at the two eras to pass judgment on who was the "better" Commander. This would be a grievous error. Astarosta was a great Commander, there is no questioning that fact. But Algaron was no less of a leader. The Squadron enjoyed eight months under his command, during which they undertook a suave new look, and saw their numbers swell to 10, even if it didn't last very long. He will be most noted however, for commanding Kappa to victory over Praetorian; considered by most to be the greatest Kappa victory in a one on one Squadron Competition. Algaron will forever have a place in the Kappa Hall of Fame, as well as in all our hearts.

Again, it was time to search for a replacement. The Squadron had enjoyed tours of duty from two of the most respected Kappans in history, and everyone was eager to see who was willing to step up to the challenge. They could not have found a better candidate. He had the experience, youth and energy that had become a trademark of the Kappa Commander. He had recieved one of the highest decorations the fleet had to offer, and was among the foremost in graphics design in the Emperor’s Hammer. Finally, after spending nearly two years as a loyal Kappan, and a considerable amount of time as Algaron’s right hand man, Commander Tempest was ready at last to take his rightful spot in the chair.

The Tempest Years - October 2002 to February 2004

It seems that all great Kappan Commanders do not inherit the prestige; it must be earned through a period of hardship. Tempest’s time would be no different. He would undergo several months of relative non-activity before getting his first big break. But once it came, it would rival all of the Squadron’s previous successes. Tempest took over the Squadron in mid-October, 2002. His first actions were similar to that of the previous group: He tried the reinstitution of the weekly "Kappa Meeting" in Airlock 54, and ordered the men to begin an extensive recruiting campaign in hopes of bringing new blood to the Dragons. It seemed tragically ironic, that his first two acts as Squadron Commander were to AWOL Kappa’s two newest members, Grinning Donkey and Shimir Sheerelk, who had both been inactive for several weeks. The Squadron’s roster fell to only four members, and Kappa was stripped of it’s hard earned Combat Citations. Thus the outlook during these first few weeks was rather grim.

However, a monumental piece of good news seemed to shift these minor setbacks to the side. Colonel Astarosta, the man who had led Kappa into this golden age of prosperity was to return to Kappa after a brief time in the reserves. Indeed, Tempest’s tenure would eventually become marked by returns, culminating in the Squadron’s own return to greatness - but that comes later. Roasty made his return in style, initiating a ruthless campaign of flying that earned him several high scores and contributed a lot to Kappa's fighting power. The first combat operation that Tempest had the pleasure overseeing was one of what Kappa had become famous for: inter-squadron matches. This time it was to be against Sin. Beleaguered and beset by low numbers as Kappa may have been, it was still ready as ever for a fight. Low participation plagued Sin, and high motivation on Kappa's side let us win this competition with more than double the score Sin had achieved. Astarosta showed just how well "old farts" like him could fly by top-scoring in the contest.

Despite this promising start, Kappa did not live up to the expectations in the following Wing II RPG competition. If the Dragons were just tired of flying, or if the rules of that event were too difficult for some, or if they just went into hibernation over the Christmas holidays, is hard to say in retrospective. This sluggish pace continued, as all members of the Squadron seemed to be in a sort of recess. Things got worse when LCM Dash Riprock left the Squadron heading to the Reserves, leaving Kappa with only four members again at the beginning of February. The lack of activity at that time was surely caused by the lack of competitions. However, this was only partly Tempest's fault. All CMDR's had been asked to postpone all entanglements to concentrate on "Operation Outrageous Fortune", which had been promoted as "the comp to end all comps". Sadly it turned out that this wargame wasn't so great at all. It was going very slowly (and would eventually be ended in an unspectacular ceasefire), and pilots all over the Sovereign spent most of their time waiting for the next move to occur.

To compensate for the lack of flying competitions, some Kappans turned to other activities, for example CPT Tempest, who won a graphics competition for a new TC banner, or Major Algaron, who gave another facelift to the Kappa Homepage, and pretty much the design it has until the present day (see picture link to the left). Flying activity, however, was very rare at that time. This would change with the return of LT Shimir Sheerelk to active duty in March 2003. He immediately returned to the levels of activity that he already used to show after his first arrival to the squadron. His activity records, be it in flying, IWATS classes or recruiting (for which he was appointed the Squadron's Cadet Assistance Officer later), were second to none for many weeks and greatly contributed to the older Kappa guys getting their motivation back. And just in time, too: A storm was brewing on the bow of the Sovereign that would engulf the lives of these five pilots for the span of four months.

The Sovereign League (also called Sovereign Pilots League) was a competition concept familiar to some veterans, however, it had been sleeping for some time until LC Todbringer of Omega and MAJ Artyis of Sigma, both former Kappa pilots, decided to revive it and host a third round of this very prestiguous competition.

As is previously stated in this anthology, Kappa had fared well in the inaugural Sovereign League, making the playoffs and placing eighth (1999) respectively sixteenth (2000) in a very competitive field. Undoubtedly, this previous success was playing in the back of every Dragon’s mind, as there would be nothing better to mark their re-entry into prominence than a playoff berth in one of the premier tournaments in TIE Corps history. From the outset, things looked grim, though. Kappa was one of the smallest squadrons in the tournament. Indeed, they had but five members: Two old farts (Colonel Astarosta and Major Algaron) a middle aged Commander (Captain Tempest), a cock-sure rookie (Lieutenant Shimir) and an ace veteran who, for reasons known only to himself (rumor has it he liked the sound of "Lieutenant" the best) refused any and every promotion that came his way (Lieutenant Zyrax). In fact, Captain Tempest himself was quoted in a Squadron Report as saying "With our five pilots, there is no chance of winning much in this competition, that's clear... but I nevertheless want you to show some olympic spirit and participate in this." This rather sceptical attitude came from the fact that from each squadron, the best six scores would count. With Kappa having only five members, they were obviously disadvantaged. As it would turn out, Kappa's motivation to rise to the top again compensated for that. They were encouraged by some motivational speeches from Shimir, by the good results during the playoff phase (Kappa emerged 3rd from it, after Omega and Praetorian), and by their very good showing in another competition that took place at the same time as the SL playoffs.

That second competition was The Theta Squadron Invitational, a knockout tournament between eight squadrons. Zekk Terrik, Theta's CMDR and host of this event, had originally wanted this comp to be a good deal larger, but unfortunately, he found only eigth squadrons brave enough to go into this comp while at the same time the prestiguous Sovereign League was on. The squadrons were Theta, Eta, Yod, Tempest, Inferno, Sin, Sigma, and, of course, Kappa. Although the Dragons mainly concentrated on the SL playoffs, they showed an excellent performance. With victories over Theta, Sigma and Yod, Kappa emerged victorious from this event and was declared champion, earning every pilot in the squad an Iron Star with Gold Wings. Apart from these awards, the success greatly contributed to the Dragons' self-confidence in the upcoming knockout phase of the Sovereign League.

And still, the good luck for Kappa wasn't running out yet. In early June, the squadron saw the return of one of its most famous and oldest members, Jan Wemmel, who had retired from his desk job as Medical Officer and his rank of Rear Admiral to fly with the Dragons again. The timing could not have been better, as the final phase of the Sovereign League, the all-deciding knockout round, was about to begin.

Even with the unfortunate fact that Shimir had problems flying TIE battles on his Mac, and therefore couldn't contribute to the knockout matches, Kappa handily beat Pi Squadron to win their quarter finals match of the Sovereign League, and advanced to a semifinal battle against Praetorian. Everything depended on if Kappa could duplicate the success that had enjoyed under Algaron, which had been the last time Kappa had gone head to head with the Praetorians. Unfortunately for the Dragons, the Praetorians lived up to their elite reputation this time, and through flying skill and higher numbers, they advanced to the finals against Omega (where they were defeated), while Kappa fought and won its last SL battle against Yod for third place. Although Kappa finished this competition with a third place "only", it has to be counted as one of the greatest successes in the competition history of Kappa, since the Dragons showed that they were second only to the elite squadrons, despite being below half strength. Out of the 29 squadrons that were in the SL, Kappa had beaten 27, most of the time with only five pilots, and had presented itself as one of the best squadrons in the TIE Corps.

Despite this great and unexpected success, Kappa did not waste too much time on celebrating. Shimir was already engaged in another comp, the "General's Sovereign Summer Patrol", a competition led by WC Stele Pellaeon that had started already while the SL was still going and which required every participating pilot to fly seven missions a week... for nine weeks without reprieve. Shimir's flying energy appeared to be limitless and earned him another IS-GW in the end. Follow the picture link to the left to see the competition homepage.

But also for the rest of the squadron, a new challenge was already waiting. Only days after the SL had come to its happy end, the Dragons found themselves in an inter-squadron-matchup with Tempest Squadron, whose Commander had challenged Kappa for a test of skill. Needless to say, the mood was optimistic. Just in time for this, so it seemed, was the arrival of a new pilot from the Training Platform Daedalus. Sub-Lieutenant Jules Vega joined the Dragons in early August of 2003 and was greeted with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Vega never became an active member of the squadron. After some initial mail activity, he was never heard from and was removed from the roster only five weeks later.

Even without the expected reinforcement, Kappa defeated Tempest Squadron without greater problems and soon looked out for new challenges. Kappa did its share in Imperial Storm IV, which was won by the Sovereign team (again), as well as in a wing competition against the Grey Wolf (Wing XI) and the Challenge (Wing XIII), which had TIE, XvT, XWA and graphics portions and in which Wing II totally destroyed the opposition with 144 to 60 to 3 points. One of the strongest pillars of activity up to this time had been LCM Shimir Sheerelk. Unfortunately, his activity dropped significantly towards the end of the year 2003, and with him, the squadron went back to a state of hibernation for a while. When the Sovereign wings engaged the Intrepid and the Vanguard in an inter-ship-competition, they did so without any participation from Kappa. Another Tournament cooked up by Todbringer (one of the Sovereign League initiators), named the "Sovereign Cup", was unfortunately cancelled because he had massive problems with the newly introduced EHBL.

More sad news were in store for Kappa in mid-November, when the long-serving veteran Algaron decided to leave Kappa and retire to the reserves due to RL obligations and his low activity level. A newcomer from Daedalus, SL Thud Asphalt joined the squad only days later, but obviously, that couldn't fully cushion the blow. Fortunately, it turned out that Algy's absence didn't last long - he moved back into his quarters two months later, in January of 2004.

The Zyrax Years - February 2004?? to ???

• records lost - Archivists are on the job to locate them.

Modern Squadron History

March 31, 2014 - Gamma Squadron becomes the new Kappa

*The following was written by FA Elwood the Brave - current TIE Corps Commander

When I returned to the TIE Corps as Flight Member in Gamma squadron the TIE Corps was struggling with a bad bureaucratic system and decreasing numbers.

Gamma CMDR back in those days was General Daniel Bonini. The finest and most likely strongest and most experienced leader I have ever met during my times in the TIE Corps. He was the one that pulled the strings in the background that were meant to change the whole future of the TIE Corps. He pushed forward the restructuring of the TIE Corps bureaucratic system, away from the far to centralized Emperor's Hammer based system to separated and far more efficient TIE Corps own one.

When Fleet Admiral Jedi Eclipse stepped down from his TIE Corps Commander position to concentrate on his work as Command Attache of the IO, Daniel Bonini was appointed as TCCOM and High Admiral.

Daniel Bonini's successor as Gamma CMDR was the former Flight Leader of Gamma Flight 2, Colonel Mark Schueler. New Flight 2 Flight Leader, after Mark Schueler freed up the spot was no other than myself, as MAJ Elwood the Brave back than. Unfortunately the good Colonel was too busy and far to involved in the office of the Logistics Officer and thus had to step down from the Gamma CMDR spot after only 4 months in service. And again I followed the good Colonel and became CMDR of Gamma.

During the next 9 months I was allowed to lead Gamma through a time of great unrest and hectic changes for the TIE Corps. Every day new recruits were coming, every day those fresh recruits were dying. Still the TIE Corps numbers were growing and that lead to new squadrons being commissioned within short times. The new threat coming from the huge offensive called "Star Conflict" drove all the loyal and enthusiastic among the young men within the Emperor's Hammer territories to join our fleet as pilots.

With these growing numbers the ISDII Hammer soon became crowded and a new ISDII, the Warrior was planned and, after a fantastic short time, commissioned. The crew, or better the squadron commanders, aboard the ISD II Hammer were asked by the TIE Corps Commander, High Admiral Daniel Bonini, which squadron volunteered for the new ISD. About the same time, HA Bonini told me in secret that I would be the future Commodore of the ISDII Hammer and that High Admiral Frodo March would take the command over the ISDII Warrior.

Even though I didn't want to lose those pilots under my command I decided, together with the rest of Gamma squadron, that Gamma should be one of the squadrons that would transfer to the Warrior. When I heard that HA Bonini decided to agree to this transfer, I contacted HA Frodo March and recommended my most promising pilot in Gamma to be my successor as commander of Gamma, Lt. Commander Starkillerny, Flight Leader of Gamma Flight 2 back then. HA March agreed and, once Gamma was transferred over to then Warrior and renamed to Kappa, Starkillerny was promoted to the rank of CM and appointed as Gamma Commander, while I was appointed as Commodore of the ISD II Hammer and promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral.

From that moment on I knew I would most likely never ever command such a fine and exclusive squadron again. I still look back at those times with a smile on my face and a tear in the eye. We've had great times together in Gamma, I've had great times there. But those times are the past now and it is up to the next generation to lead former Gamma, now Kappa Squadron into the future.

Competition History

TIE Corps Competition History

• Raise the Flag 2014 - The squadron had a good all-around performance with 5 pilots participating in the event. Earning 619 Points and Finished in 5th Place.
  • Kappa's Top Pilots
    • KMDR/CPT Ulrich Drachen with 199 points
    • MAJ Repulsor with 134 points
    • LC Tempest with 71 Points.

• Raise the Flag 2015 - The Squadron showed massive improvement with 5 Pilots participating in the event earning a total score of 1010. The Squadron finished in 5th place.
  • Kappa's Top Pilots
    • KMDR/CPT Ulrich Drachen with 406 Points taking 1st place in the MP Bonus Comp.
    • CM Hawkins with 181 points who also took 1st Place in the Bonus GFX Comp and placed 3rd in the Fiction Comp.
    • MAJ Repulsor with 52 points.

• Raise the Flag 2016 - Kappa came out strong for this years Raise the Flag competition earning 2556 points and finishing in 2nd Place! With a lot of new faces and some returning Veterans, Kappa squadron was the only squadron in the modern history of the RtF to have all 12 members earn points in the event. The Squadron joined forces with Theta Squadron to help secure the Warriors 3rd straight RtF Victory. KAPPA HYPE!
  • Kappa's Top Pilots
    • KMDR/LC Ulrich Drachen with 1026 points (and a 5th place finish)
    • COL Daniel Stephens with 577 points, and a 9th place finish.
    • LC Repulsor with 116 points.

The Full Kappa Roster for 2016 Raise the Flag ---100% Event Participation!

Flight 1	Flight 2	Flight 3
KMDR/LC Ulrich Drachen	FL/CPT Sparky	FL/CM leocadio
FM/LC Repulsor	FM/COL Crsepe	FM/LT Lucifer Scorpio Romanov
FM/LCM Bodhan Grayson	FM/LT Rachel Drakon	FM/LT Christopher Winchester
FM/COL Daniel Stephens	FM/LT Volac Kingang	FM/LCM Junazee

• Raise the Flag 2017 - For the 2nd straight year Kappa was the TIE Corps #2 Squad earning 1698 points behind Theata Squadron. This of course helped the ISD Warrior earn it's 4th straight victory!
  • Kappa's Top Pilot's
    • KMDR/COL Plif with 572 points
    • COL Hawkins with 461 points
    • COL Ulrich Drachen with 54 points.

• Raise the Flag 2018 - Dropping to 5th place Kappa still earned an impressive 1133 points helping the ISD Warrior earned its 5th straight victory.
  • Kappa's Top Pilots
    • KMDR/CPT Aldaric with 435.5 points
    • COL Hawkins with 267 Points
    • LT Kiba with 57 points

• Raise the Flag 2019 - Due to the delayed shipment of KAPPA Hype the ISDII Hammer stole the victory away from the Warrior Squadrons and Kappa's disappointing turnout. Only earning 5 points from General Dunta Polo. :(

• Raise the Flag 2020 - Due to Kappa's closure in July 2020 the squadron didn't take part in this event. This event did see the Warrior return to its winning ways by claiming it's 6th Title in 7 years!

The Full Kappa Roster for 2021 Raise the Flag ---100% Event Participation!

Flight 1	Flight 2	Flight 3
KMDR/MAJ Aardvark	FL/MAJ Sparky	FL/CM Shang Khan
FM/LT LIMiNAMO	FM/COL Farrin Xies	FM/LT Purpletiger_z
	FM/CM Rachel Drakon	FM/GN Dunta Polo
	FM/COL Ulrich Drachen

• Imperial Storm 4 (Apr/May 2022) - Kappa Squadron helped push The Warrior to victory in Imperial Storm 4.

• TIE Corps in Battle - Season 4 (Feb-May 2022) - KMDR/LC Aardvark wins the event and the title of TIE Corps Battlemaster. GN Mark Schueler and LC randyrumrnr contribute to the efforts that clinch Kappa Squadron a second place victory.

Wing Competition History

• Warrior League 2015 - Single PLayer Missions - 3rd Place
  • Top Scores - LC Repulsor with 85.50 points, LCM Bodhan Grayson with 13.02 points and Maj Ulrich Drachen with 3.16 points.

• Warrior League 2016 - Multiplayer - 1st place with 727 Point
  • Top Scores - LCM Bodhan Grayson (262 points) 1st place Overall, LC Ulrich Drachen (221 points 3rd Place overall and COL Daniel Stephens with 111 points.

Squadron Competition History

This section is under construction.

Squadron Awards

Kappa Squadron members with a history of strong activity and meritorious service to both the Squadron and the TIE Corps as a whole are eligible to be inducted to The Order of the Eddyphotamus Dragon. The award was inaugurated in 2015, with two-time Squadron Commander LC Ulrich Drachen as the inaugural inductee.

Order of Induction

• LC Ulrich Drachen - Inaugural Inductee - Awarded December 2015
• VA Hawkins - Inducted on June 28, 2016
• LC Repulsor - Inducted on December 24, 2016

Images

• Weekly Squadron Report (created by LT Rhace) -

• Squadron Patch and Banner were also created by LT Rhace
  • See Above

• KAPPA HYPE Beverage Can Created by LC Impulse

Squadron Kommanders

#	Kommander (KMDR)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Location	Rank
1	Shador	January 31, 1999	June 11, 1999	5 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Captain
2	Wlodek	June 12, 1999	September 17, 1999	2 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Rank Unsure
3	Hawkins	September 18, 1999	March 24, 2000	6 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Commander
4	Deacan	March 25, 2000	September 1, 2000	6 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Captain
5	Astarosta	September 3, 2000	February 7, 2002	2 Years 5 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Colonel
6	Algaron	February 7, 2002	October 1, 2002	8 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Captain
7	Tempest	October 21, 2002	May 24, 2004	1 Year 8 Months	SSSD Sovereign	Lieutenant Colonel
8	Zyrax	February 1, 2004	Unknown	?? months	SSSD Sovereign	Commander
9	Moagim Daar	April 17, 2005	October 21, 2006	1 Year 6 months	SSSD Sovereign	Lieutenant Colonel
10	Kaisin Mirtez	January 25, 2009	August 24, 2009	6 months	ISD II Warrior	General
11	Starkillerny*	April 4, 2014	August 28, 2014	5 months	ISD II Warrior	Captain
12	Drake Starfire	September 21, 2014	November 27, 2014	2 months 1 week	ISD II Warrior	Commander
13	Repulsor	December 4, 2014	October 20, 2015	10 Months	ISD II Warrior	Lieutenant Colonel
14	Ulrich Drachen*	October 20, 2015	November 1, 2016	12 Months	ISD II Warrior	Colonel
15	Plif	November 1, 2016	August 6, 2017	9 months	ISD II Warrior	General
16	Dunta Polo	August 20, 2017	February 16, 2018	5 months	ISD II Warrior	General
17	Aldaric	May 15, 2018	December 13, 2019	1 year, 6 months	ISD II Warrior	Major
18	Plif**	December 13, 2019	May 3, 2020	4 months, 28 days	ISD II Warrior	Fleet Admiral
19	Aldaric***	May 3, 2018	July 8, 2020	2 months 3 days	ISD II Warrior	Commander
20	Sparky	October 15, 2020	March 15, 2021	5 months	ISD II Warrior	Captain
20	Aardvark	March 15, 2021	n/a	n/a	ISD II Warrior	Lieutenant Colonel Notes *Starkillerny aka Ulrich Drachen. **Plif served as acting CMDR, first as SOO and then as TCCOM. ***Aldaric served as KMDR a short time. With the KMDR spot vacant and for other reasons Kappa Squadron was closed (again) on July 19th, 2020 Kappa Fictions This is a list of Fictions written by Kappa Members or about the Squadron itself: Raise the Flag 2015 fictions Another Day in Kappa Squadron by Capt Deacan With the Back Against the Wall by Capt Deacan