Locke Setzer

"If you can't fight it then you don't deserve to fly it!"

Colonel Locke Setzer is currently a flight member in Firebird Squadron, onboard the ISD-II Challenge. He is best known as a three-time former Commodore of the Challenge and a two-time former commander of Tempest Squadron.

Locke has also served as a former Commodore of the ISD-II Immortal, a former Wing Commander of Wing X of the Challenge, a former Wing Commander of Wing VIII of the ISD-II Colossus, a former Flight Leader of Inferno Squadron, and a former member of Inferno Squadron, Tempest Squadron, and Omicron Squadron. Locke is also a former Tactical Officer Command Attache, serving under FA Master.

Locke has held multiple part-time positions during his career with the Emperor's Hammer, including multiple positions with the Tactical Office (as a Surveyor, Tactician, and Coordinator), as well as being a former IWATS professor, having previously taught Eggdrop and X-Wing Mission Design.

Locke is the original co-author of the X-Wing Mission Design course.

It is rumored that Locke may have previously served in Dagger Squadron onboard the SSSD Sovereign and/or with the Infiltrator Wing under an alias, but this has not been confirmed.

Background

Born on Coruscant (presumably), Locke was adopted at birth by a pair of Imperial officers, who raised him with the intention of seeing him become career military. Most of his childhood was spent attending junior military academies. Locke entered the Imperial Academy, promptly, on the day of his eighteenth birthday, and commissioned into the Imperial Navy roughly a year before the Battle of Yavin.

Locke's expertise as a pilot attracted attention, and he was fortunate enough to find himself a transferred to the experimental weapons division, serving as a test pilot. There, he had opportunities to pilot the latest designs, including the TIE Advanced. While testing the TIE Advanced in live combat, Locke was dismayed when his test squadron lost multiple ships, due to many of his fellow test pilots confusing the superiority of their new craft for invincibility. It was here that Locke developed his core training principle: in order to fly a ship, you must be able to beat it.

Upon conclusion of their deployment, Locke recommended that no test pilot be cleared for active duty with a test ship until they had successfully won several simulator battles against the new craft using a far inferior ship. His recommendation was ultimately approved by the admiral overseeing the program: Grand Admiral Zaarin.

Locke was on assignment with the SSD Executor at the time of the Battle of Hoth. It was here that he witnessed Darth Vader's blatant disregard for the lives of his men, in favor of his petty pursuit of Rebels that had personally offended him. With rumors among the ship that it was the Emperor himself that was pushing for this chase, Locke began to see the current Imperial leadership as more hinderance than help to what the Empire could be.

This was an attitude encouraged and cultivated by Zaarin and his officers, whose plans for an Imperial co-op were already well underway. When Zaarin defected, Locke followed the chain of command and continued serving under the officers he knew and trusted. Originally assured of a quick co-op, moral among Zaarin's forces took a quick hit when their initial plans did not come to fruition. Over time, many in Zaarin's fleet began to see themselves as less and less as the "True Empire" and more and more as warlord forces and, worse, traitors. Locke could not abide this. Ashamed, he successfully plotted his own escape, sneaking off with a transport ship he intended to use as a trading vessel once he was sure he was out of Zaarin's reach.

Following his escape, Locke worked as a trader, using his connections and inside knowledge of Imperial protocols to maximize his revenue.

Joining the TIE Corps and Inferno Squadron

Locke was recruited into the TIE Corps by his old friend and comrade Darklord, the Wing Commander of Wing X onboard the ISD-II Challenge. Placed in Inferno Squadron under the command of Colonel [Manitsas], Locke served as his commander's wingman for a brief period, but was soon assigned as Flight Leader of Inferno Flight III. Members of this flight included Sephiroth and Triji Boliv, officers and allies who Locke would serve with for many years to come.

As Flight Leader of Inferno Flight III, Locke eventually reached the rank of Commander, serving in the position for seven months. But Locke grew eager for a command of his own, and hoped to find it somewhere on his new home, the Challenge.

Frustrated, Locke decided to take a leave of absence from his position in order to clear his head and determine his next steps. But in a matter of days, fate would intervene to place him exactly in the position he was looking for...

Commander of Tempest Squadron

Locke was granted command of Tempest Squadron, finally giving him a chance at a command of his own in the TIE Corps. He was soon aided by the transfer of Sephiroth from Inferno, who would serve as his unofficial squadron XO and take over Flight II.

Locke took this as an opportunity to reach out to other former comrades, bolstering the ranks of Tempest Squadron with other pilots whom he had served with in the past, who were now in need of a new organization where they could again serve, grow, and thrive. Mostly notably, this included the addition of Master, whom in time would become the Flight Leader of Flight III.

But it was not merely old friends that made up this squadron. Kaneda Pellail and Rover, old Tempest veterans that remained behind, provided a solid link to the history of the squadron. And new recruits fresh off the Daedalus soon joined as well, including Chris McCollum and Dirk Logan, soon became long-time Tempest stalwarts.

Tempest Squadron quickly earned a reputation for excellence, regularly producing 100% participation in drills and competitions and scoring victories in training exercises throughout the fleet, with an almost perfect record (their first competition with Locke's old squadron, Inferno, being the sole black mark). They also hosted the first TIE Golf competition in the entire fleet, created based on passing remarks from Sephiroth about his low simulator scores.

Locke held the position of Tempest Commander for one year to the day, earning him multiple promotions, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. This was a a period of intense competition among the squadrons of the Challenge, who believed themselves to be the best in the fleet without equal. The pressure to perform was intense, and Locke was not aided by his own ambitions for greater responsibility.

Passed over for the Wing Commander position in Wing X in favor of Tornado Squadron Commander Mairin Astoris, Locke decided to resign his position as squadron commander, but remain in Tempest Squadron as a Flight Member. In honor of his service, BGCOM Mell Kerrigan promoted him to the rank of Colonel. But this "retirement" of sorts was not to be...

Commodore of the Challenge

The command staff of the Challenge had undergone upheaval in recent times. A surprise resignation of Darklord from his Wing Commander position had led to long-time Inferno Squadron commander COL Manitsas taking up the position. Soon after, Challenge Commodore Corran Force resigned, leaving a power vacuum in its place. Manitsas took up the position of Commodore, then convinced Darklord to return to his original post of Wing Commander.

This was not to be a long-term solution. There was tension between the two, who had long served together, but now found themselves in opposite positions in the chain of command. That, combined with the pressure of leading the the perceived greatest ship in the fleet, proved to be too much. Manitsas soon resigned the position and his commission in the TIE Corps. Darklord was elevated to Commodore.

As Squadron Commanders, Locke and Mairin Astoris had held a friendly rivalry. For Locke, that turned bitter upon her appointment to Wing Commander over himself, with his own ambition poisoning his heart.

But the recent chaos of the Challenge command staff was not yet complete. Without warning, Darklord soon submitted his own resignation, not long after finally being appointed to the Commodore position he had long since earned. It was a tragedy for the Challenge, but an opportunity for Locke. He was offered the position, bypassing the traditional route of first serving as a Wing Commander, and in turn quickly leapfrogging his rival. There was a time when Locke would have seen the pitfalls of such an appointment, and politely turned it down. But pride and ambition had taken over sense, and Locke accepted the position of Commodore of the Challenge, elevating him to the rank of Rear Admiral.

History repeated itself. Mairin, much like Darklord before her, found herself with a subordinate, however brief, now her commanding officer. And Locke still resented the circumstances that had brought them to this point in the first place. The command staff of the Challenge, once the most stable in the fleet, had now descended into a theater of political intrigue.

In spite of the tension (or perhaps because of it), the ship thrived, coming out of a lull that had settled in during the previous administration. Both Locke and Mairin, along with Daisuke Airyu, worked together to see Cyclone Squadron reopened (with Airyu placed as its commander), which had been closed in the past year. Again at six active squadrons, the Challenge was finally back to full strength and on the right track. But it was not to be a long-term success.

Multiple incidents required the involvement of BGCOM Mell Kerrigan and his successor, Vice Admiral Drake to sort out. This included an incident where Mairin submitted a resignation that was rescinded the next day, only for Locke to attempt to enforce the original resignation, which Executive Officer Sector Admiral Astatine refused to allow.

Having lost his perspective, unable to cope with the continued tension of the situation and pressure of the position, Locke took out a ship during a training exercise one morning and failed to return. Whispers and rumors about what may have happened to the Commodore circulated throughout the ship. To address the crisis and return the ship to normalcy, Mell Kerrigan, who had recently left his position as BGCOM, took direct command of the ship, becoming the new Commodore.

Locke was officially MIA, and likely would have remained so, had it not been for the tireless work of Captain Chris McCollum to locate the missing Commodore and safely deliver him to the Phoenix for recuperation.

Omicron Squadron

Upon his recovery, Locke was offered a spot in Omicron Squadron, onboard the ISD-III Colossus, by its Squadron Commander, Wysseri Arestar, a former Challenge veteran. Locke accepted the opportunity and took a position as a Flight Member in Omicron Squadron, accepting the mandatory demotion back down to Colonel.

While Locke appreciated the chance to get back to the fundamentals of being a pilot, he was unhappy on the Colossus. His only confidant during that time was Captain Chris McCollum, who had transferred to Iota Squadron. Over drinks in the cantina, they could sometimes being overheard commiserating about the Colossus, with some officers overhearing them refer to the ship as a "ship of sadness", comments that would come back to haunt Locke. Chris soon left the Colossus to return to the Challenge as the new squadron commander of Tempest Squadron. Locke longed to return to the Challenge, his true home in the Emperor's Hammer, but his foolish pride would not let him. Locke languished in Omicron, his lowest point since joining the Emperor's Hammer, with no one to blame but himself.

Return to the Challenge and Command of Tempest Squadron

With Locke's old ally Sephiroth now Commodore of the Challenge, efforts were immediately made to recruit Locke back to his home ship. When Captain Chris McCollum personally requested that Locke take over command of Tempest Squadron, he could no longer resist the calling of his heart. Locke returned to the Challenge and took command of Tempest Squadron, on the condition that it would be a temporary assignment until Captain Chris McCollum felt prepared to take over the squadron again.

The squadron immediately excelled, sweeping the ship awards of Squadron of the Month, Pilot of the Month (for Colonel Master), and Commander of the Month in Locke's first month back, followed by an award of BGCOM's Commander of the Month for Locke.

Locke benefited by having many of his old pilots back with the squadron, but was also happy to include new additions, such as Lieutenant Commander Daniel Bonini and Lieutenant Commander Prost Varsis, both of whom would become a long-time members of Tempest Squadron and the Challenge.

Fully healed and serving the Emperor's Hammer in the capacity he knew best, Locke and Tempest Squadron thrived. But it would not be long until Locke's ambition began to rear its ugly head yet again, and the decorated squadron commander began to look out for his next opportunity... even if it meant leaving the ship he loved most...

Commodore of the Immortal

Upon retirement of Vice Admiral RogueWing, Locke was appointed Commodore of the ISD-II Immortal by the BGCOM, Admiral Krax Tarnisar, returning him to the rank of Rear Admiral. In addition to his new role as Commodore, he was also designated the unofficial BGCOM XO.

Joining him in the command staff of the Immortal was its newly-appointed Wing Commander, Major BubbaX, originally from the SSSD Sovereign. For the Immortal, this meant a command staff of outsiders, at a time when multiple squadrons needed new commanders.

Looking to avoid the troubles of the past, Locke worked with BubbaX to develop a clear demarcation line of duties. Internal ship duties and competitions would be the sole domain of the Wing Commander. External ship duties and competitions would be the domain of the Commodore. This established line of responsibilities would be used as the basis for all future Commodore and Wing Commander positions Locke would hold for the remainder of his career.

The two officers set about getting the ship back on track, with Locke recruiting his old ally Lieutenant Colonel Triji Boliv to take command of Phantom Squadron. When BubbaX left to take command of the Relentless, Locke turned to Triji Boliv as his new Wing Commander.

Throughout his command of the Immortal, Locke regularly struggled with a rotating cast of squadron commanders. This was not the Challenge, where long-term squadron commanders were at the heart of the ship. This was a ship that had suffered too much turn-over, leaving many of its pilots without clear leadership or direction. In many ways, it was emblematic of the period throughout the Emperor's Hammer at this time, with pilot losses high and leadership spread thin. Closure of squadrons had shifted from rarities to being a regular part of reality. And Locke's focus was occasionally distracted not only on the needs of the Immortal, but on that of the whole Battlegroup, whom his ambition desired to command.

In time, the losses became too great to bear. Locke did not return from a planned vacation on time. In turn, the Immortal was turned back over to the command of RogueWing, who would soon serve as its final Commodore before its squadron wing, Wing XI, was disbanded, and the ship was retrofitted to support experimental prototypes.

Wing Commander of Wing VIII of the Colossus

Rear Admiral Sephiroth, now Commodore of the Colossus, made it his personal mission to recover Locke from his "extended leave" and put him back to work as his Wing Commander. While Locke did not feel that he deserved the position after his failures with the Immortal, Sephiroth insisted that he take the role. And so, Locke became Wing Commander of Wing VIII onboard the ISD-II Colossus, accepting the mandatory demotion that came with the position back to Colonel.

His past comments regarding the Colossus had not been forgotten, and the general consensus among the crew regarding Locke and Sephiroth was to regard them as outsiders. But the Colossus was a solid ship with a stalwart crew who had benefited from the stable leadership of Vice Admiral Indaro Gallia and Colonel Wysseri Arestar. Here, there was no political maneuvering, squadron mismanagement, or malcontents; only stability. There was no need for heroics on this deployment. All Locke had to do were the standard duties of a Wing Commander, which he performed to the best of his ability.

Nevertheless, Locke did hear of troubling communiques from his true home, the Challenge. Again, Locke felt himself regretting his decisions to leave the ship, which now found itself in troubled waters. Rumors about the ship swirled in all directions, and private communiques between Locke and his allies onboard did little to discourage the worst of the rumors.

The worst reports were confirmed when Admiral Mell Kerrigan, recently re-appointed to the position of BGCOM, issued new orders to Sephiroth and Locke: return to the Challenge, put a halt to the active mutiny, and take command of the ship, immediately.

Second Stint as Commodore of the Challenge

Much like the Colossus, the Challenge had found itself under the command of an outsider, Rear Admiral Phantom. Always known as a rowdy ship at the best of times, it struggled under neglect, and then bristled when complaints were ignored and accusations were turned upon the commanders and pilots themselves. It had fallen down to four squadrons, with only Inferno Squadron, Tempest Squadron, Typhoon Squadron, and Thunder Squadron open.

While General Master worked hard to keep the ship afloat during his time as Wing Commander, he eventually retired, citing burnout. This opened the position to many applicants, including most of the squadron commanders at the time, Vice Admiral Oldham (a long-time Challenge veteran and former commander of Tempest Squadron, soon to be Commodore of the Relentless), and even Locke himself (while serving as Colossus Wing Commander).

Phantom selected a personal associate, a Flight Member from Inferno Squadron with limited experience as a Squadron Commander and no long-time history with the Challenge, as the new Wing Commander.

Right or wrong, the ship was thrown into chaos. What had once caused grumbling now led to outright accusations, made in all public forums across the fleet holonet. Complaints were no longer spoken in whispers, but openly. Lack of reports from the ship brought the notice of High Command, but no direct action was taken to intercede until the situation escalated, dramatically.

The exact details of what occurred have been kept under lock and key, but what is known is this: at some point, all four squadron commanders locked the Commodore and Wing Commander out of the cantina, and then subsequently placed the command staff under house arrest after they attempted to have the rebellious squadron commanders expelled.

In an unprecedented move, newly re-appointed BGCOM Admiral Mell Kerrigan removed both flag officers from their posts on the Challenge, then immediately tasked Locke and Sephiroth with restoring order back to the ship. In a twist, Sephiroth requested that he be placed as the ship's Wing Commander, and that Locke again serve as Commodore. As such, Locke was returned to the rank of Rear Admiral and placed in command of the Challenge yet again.

Unlike his previous stint, this period as Challenge Commodore was marked as relatively tranquil, with none of the dramatics that had plagued the ship for years. But it was also a time without any major achievements. Colonel Sephiroth retired, leaving Locke to select Colonel Triji Boliv (going under the pseudonym "Wild Bill Kelso" at the time, for reasons still unknown) as his Wing Commander yet again.

The ship was stabilized, but was not growing. Citing burnout from the pressures of command, and perhaps fearing a repeat of his time with the Immortal, Locke decided to retire and focus on his position as an IWATS Professor.

During this period, Thunder Squadron was regularly the best performing squadron on the ship, and had managed to stay out of most of the ship drama during the years of flag staff chaos (although even they had participated in the mutiny). As such, its commander, Stuart, was selected as Locke's replacement, continuing the stable era of the Challenge.

Final Tour as Commodore of the Challenge

With Vice Admiral Stuart's elevation to Training Officer, the Challenge was once again in need of a Commodore. Locke, missing the Challenge, had returned mere days before, accepting the mandatory demotion to Colonel and resuming a spot as Flight Member of Tempest Squadron. He was quickly elevated to Flight Leader by then Squadron Commander Master.

Admiral BubbaX, his former Wing Commander on the Immortal, now BGCOM of the TIE Corps Battlegroup, called upon Locke to again resume his post as Commodore of the Challenge. And so he did, returning again to the rank of Rear Admiral

Locke accepted the post with a fire in his heart and a clear mission: to restore the Challenge to full strength and ensure its continued survival within the fleet.

Locke had witnessed too many losses across the fleet, and worried for the Challenge's long-term viability if the ship could not be restored to full strength and again seen by High Command as the best of the fleet. This time, Locke was aided by having a consistent Wing Commander in Lieutenant Colonel Coranel Both, who had been appointed to the position during Stuart's reign and would remain long after Locke was gone. He also benefited immensely from having the highest-performing squadron in the fleet at the time, Typhoon Squadron. Typhoon Squadron was thriving at the time, benefiting from massive contributions from its three star pilots: Colonel George and Commander TK-9780, two veterans recently returned to the Challenge, and Lieutenant Katherine Cantor Flyer, a pilot Locke once described as the most impressive recruit he had ever seen in his entire career.

The ship back to a thriving state, Locke moved forward with his goal of reopening the closed squadrons, Tornado Squadron and Cyclone Squadron. Working together with Lieutenant Colonel Chris McCollum and Lieutenant Commander Cyprus to recruit new pilots, both veterans and cadets, Tornado Squadron was reopened, with Chris McCollum serving as its commander. And in a calculated move, Typhoon Squadron was split into two, with now-Commander Katherine Cantor Flyer being placed in the position of squadron commander of Cyclone Squadron. The move paid off, with both squadrons continuing to thrive as new positions were awarded to the most successful pilots.

For Locke's work as Commodore of the Challenge, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.

With Wing X back to a full compliment of squadrons, the Challenge could boast the largest roster in the fleet. Locke's mission accomplished, surrounded by the finest officers in the fleet, Locke retired again. After the one-day assignment of long-time Tempest Squadron Lieutenant Commander, Prost Varsis, to the Commodore position, Locke was replaced by veteran Vice Admiral Maverick.

Wing Commander of Wing X of the Challenge

After Locke's last retirement, he had not planned to return to the Challenge in a command staff role. However, upon General Coranel Both's retirement, both BGCOM Admiral BubbaX and Challenge Commodore Vice Admiral Maverick reached out to Locke requesting he take command of Wing X as its Wing Commander.

Tempted to take on a role he had many times pursued but never received, he accepted the position and the mandatory demotion to Colonel. Locke served in the role dutifully for a short time, but he came to realize that his time in command roles had come to an end, and it was time to encourage better officers to take on the duties of command.

Resigning his position, he recommended Katherine Cantor Flyer to the position of Wing Commander. Upon Maverick's resignation as Commodore at the same time, Admiral BubbaX instead decided to appoint Locke's protégé as the Challenge's Commodore (mirroring Locke's own original ascension to the position). The two then successfully recruited Coranel Both back to the Wing Commander position, ensuring the Challenge was set with a talented command staff.

Command Attaché of the Tactical Officer

After Locke's resignation as Wing Commander of Wing X, it was his full intention to continue his work with the Tactical Office, something he had done part-time for the majority of his career in the Emperor's Hammer. This became a more formal role when he accepted the position of Command Attache for the Tactical Officer, offered to him by his long time friend and ally, Admiral Master.

This continued for a short time, until Locke decided it was time to take a look around the galaxy and reconsider his place in it. Officially retiring from the Emperor's Hammer, Locke left the fleet, unsure if he would ever return again.

Firebird Squadron

Many years passed, until a chance encounter brought Locke face-to-face with his old comrade, Triji Boliv, now a Squadron Commander for Firebird Squadron. Boliv attempted to coax his old friend back into military life. Unsatisfied with his resumed trading career, Locke considered the offer, but wasn't sure until Boliv informed him of where Firebird Squadron was housed: the ISD-II Challenge, now the flagship of the fleet.

Locked packed his bags immediately.

Locke quickly found himself in a flight surrounded by his old squad mates Master and Prost Varsis. Flying again for the Emperor's Hammer, under a command he respected and for a ship he loved, Locke knew once and for all he was exactly where he was always meant to be.

Position Links

Preceded by Zulaan

Tempest Commander Feb 2001-Feb 2002

Succeeded by Kaneda Pellail

Preceded by Darklord

Challenge Commodore Feb 2002-Jun 2002

Succeeded by Mell

Preceded by Christopher McCollum

Tempest Commander May 2003-Sep 2003

Succeeded by Christopher McCollum

Preceded by RogueWing

Immortal Commodore Sep 2003-Nov 2003

Succeeded by RogueWing

Preceded by Wysseri Arestar

Wing Commander of Wing VIII Feb 2004-May 2004

Succeeded by Angel

Preceded by Phantom

Challenge Commodore May 2004-Sep 2004

Succeeded by Stuart

Preceded by Stuart

Challenge Commodore Feb 2005-Jun 2005

Succeeded by Prost Varsis

Preceded by Coranel Both

Wing Commander of Wing X Dec 2005-Jan 2006

Succeeded by Coranel Both

Preceded by Master

CA:TAC Apr 2006-Jul 2006

Succeeded by TBA