- "Just over a week ago, a detachment of the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing ambushed the Hellion's Dare in the Jiruus system. The Dare was a New Republic frigate on a reconnaissance mission, with two fighter squadron escorts—enough firepower to defend itself. I know because I went to investigate sites of likely Shadow Wing activity. Jiruus showed traces of a battle in low planetary orbit but I couldn't find any wreckage."
- ―Yrica Quell, to Caern Adan
Jiruus was a planet home to the Jiruusi species, orbited by the Grinning Moon of Jiruus. The New Republic frigate Hellion's Dare was attacked by the Galactic Empire above Jiruus.
Description[]
Jiruus was a terrestrial planet located in the Jiruus system. It was orbited by at least one moon, known as the Grinning Moon of Jiruus. Jiruus was the homeworld of the Jiruusi species and had an atmosphere breathable the natives as well as other species like humans, Duros, Theelins and Ishi Tib.[1]
History[]
New Republic reconnaissance[]
- "The Hellion's Dare has orders to hold position over Jiruus until the last of the scout reports are in."
- ―Riot Leader Rununja, to Wyl Lark
During the time of the Galactic Empire, the Jiruus system was the prize jewel of its sector's Imperial moff, although Jiruus's residents were resentful of the Empire. However, during the Empire's war against the Rebel Alliance, the Galactic Emperor was killed during the Battle of Endor[1] in 4 ABY,[2] and the Alliance became the New Republic. With the Empire's forces splintering and its territories falling the moff of Jiruus's sector was killed and Jiruus became free from Imperial control.[1]
Several weeks after the Battle of Endor, the New Republic EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Hellion's Dare traveled to the Jiruus system with two escort squadrons—the RZ-1 A-wing interceptors of Riot Squadron and the A/SF-01 B-wing starfighters Hound Squadron—as part of a reconnaissance mission to investigate communications breakdowns across a number of systems. The Hellion's Dare used Jiruus as a muster point for scout vessels, positioning itself in the planet's atmosphere. The people of Jiruus celebrated the pilots of Riot and Hound Squadron, the groups partying in the streets.[1]
An hour after midnight, members of Riot Squadron said their goodbyes to their comrade Wyl Lark, Riot Three, who intended to return to his homeworld, at some gardens during the night, telling stories of past battles they had endured. The Theelin Hound Squadron pilot Chass na Chadic called Lark a coward from afar, but Lark and his comrades dismissed the heckling from the B-wing pilot. With the Riot Squadron pilots gradually peeling off, Lark was left with Riot Five, the Ishi Tib Sata Neek, before he went on to sleep with a Jiruusi at her residence.[1]
The Empire attacks[]
- "Riot Three, coming in."
"Counting thirty eyeballs in tight formation, Riot Three. They're ignoring us except when we disrupt their attack pattern. They want the Dare—they don't care much about fighter kills." - ―Lark and Rununja, as the former enters the battle
Meanwhile, the Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing was carrying out coordinated operations against New Republic outposts and scout parties to maintain the secrecy of their new base of operations in the Pandem Nai system. The fighter wing sent the Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier Aerie, carrying thirty-two TIE/ln space superiority starfighters that formed two squadrons, to the Jiruus system under the command of Lieutenant Preartes to destroy the Hellion's Dare. The Aerie's squadron's thus engaged the New Republic frigate above Jiruus.[1]
Riot and Hound Squadron were quick to come to the Dare's defense, Riot's A-wings engaging the TIE's to scatter their attack runs on the frigate while the Hound's B-wings closely defending the Hellion's Dare from any TIEs which went near. The skirmish initially brought no casualties, with the flights of TIEs using a spiral attack pattern to evade New Republic fire. With one of the Dare's deflector shield generators taking a lot of heat from the 204th's TIEs, the frigate's escorts closed their perimeter around the vessel before jumping to hyperspace.[1]
However, the 204th forces, using a maneuver they called "trapping the Bantha," were able single out and destroy the A-wing of Riot Eight, Nasi Moreno, salvaging its wreckage in order to retrieve the its jump coordinates to find out where the Hellion's Dare and its escorts had traveled. Thus, after the fighter wing's assets destroyed key facilities on Jiruus, the Aerie followed its target into the Oridol Cluster, where its squadrons destroyed the frigate and its escorts squadrons, save for Lark and Chadic, who got away with vital reconnaissance information.[1]
Quell's investigations[]
- "I did a flyby of the planet surface and saw minimal damage from the fight. I made radio contact with the locals. They've got no galactic communications but they sent me scanner logs confirming that a conflict had taken place and that the Hellion's Dare had fled. The fact that the cities are still standing indicates that Shadow Wing didn't stick around long—they busted a few key facilities but didn't bother to purge a planet full of witnesses."
- ―Yrica Quell reports her findings to Caern Adan
In the meantime, the New Republic Intelligence operative and ex-204th member Yrica Quell traveled to Jiruus just a week after the Hellion's Dare had fled, following information that the Dare had failed to report in. Quell, who searching for activity of her former unit outside of the jurisdiction of her superior, Caern Adan, found evidence that an engagement had occurred and did a flyby of the planet's surface, finding minimal damage. She also made radio contact with some of the locals and received scanner logs that confirmed that there had been a battle which had ended with the Hellion's Dare escaping the Jiruus system.[1]
Quell deduced that the New Republic frigate had most likely fled into the Oridol Cluster and predicted the use of the "trapping the Bantha" maneuver, bringing her evidence and conclusions back to Adan and their working group. With Quell's findings, the working group was able to rescue Lark and Chadic and receive their reconnaissance information to locate the 204th at Pandem Nai, recruiting the two surviving pilots in the process.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Jiruus first appeared in Alphabet Squadron, the first novel in the Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron trilogy which was written by Alexander Freed and published in 2019.[1]
Appearances[]
- Alphabet Squadron (and audiobook) (First appearance)
- Victory's Price (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)