Wraith Squadron

Wraith Squadron, originally dubbed Gray Squadron, and also known as the Wraiths, was a hybrid New Republic starfighter/commando unit developed in 7.5 ABY by Wedge Antilles. The original Wraith Squadron was largely made up of wash-outs and misfits, which gave the unit a number of psychologically and emotionally unstable pilots, albeit experienced members of the military with useful commando skills. The Wraiths were designed to fulfill the mission responsibilities of both a traditional starfighter squadron and a commando unit—a revolutionary concept in tactics for the New Republic, and one that its founder felt was an essential development for the New Republic.

The Wraiths first saw action against Admiral Apwar Trigit, which resulted in the destruction of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Implacable and the death of Trigit following a prolonged campaign that started with the Wraiths' seizure of the modified Corellian corvette Night Caller. Following Trigit's demise in the Battle of Ession, they continued to mount a number of often unorthodox covert operations against Warlord Zsinj. At one point, members of Wraith Squadron posed as a pirate group in an attempt to become employed by Zsinj. They were successful in that aim, which allowed them to assist in the destruction of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Razor's Kiss. During this time, Garik Loran assumed command of Wraith Squadron from Wedge Antilles. Afterward, they returned to more normal fleet service in a lengthy campaign against Zsinj, culminating in the Battle of Selaggis, an engagement made possible by a double agent from Wraith Squadron who was stationed aboard Zsinj's flagship, the Iron Fist. At Selaggis, the Wraiths helped scatter Zsinj's forces, believing they had destroyed the Iron Fist and largely defeated Zsinj himself.

Their success was such that the unit was then moved from Starfighter Command to the New Republic Intelligence Service, undertaking missions such as the elimination of Imperial admiral Kosh Teradoc in 13 ABY. Wraith Squadron continued to play a vital, if unique role in the military into the Yuuzhan Vong War, during which its members jammed yammosk war coordinators, flew covert missions behind enemy lines, crafted a psychological campaign by helping Jaina Solo impersonate a Yuuzhan Vong deity, and infiltrated Coruscant. After the New Republic government transitioned into the Galactic Alliance, the Wraiths served the reformed government through the Swarm War.

Following the Second Galactic Civil War, the Wraiths were viewed with suspicion by the new Daala administration and disbanded. However, Daala's ousting in 43 ABY by the Jedi Order gave the Wraiths a new chance at life when former commander Garik Loran was asked by the head of Galactic Alliance Security, Borath Maddeus, to investigate the chief of the Galactic Alliance Army, General Stavin Thaal, for treason. Loran unofficially assembled two Wraith Squadron teams led by unit veterans, one under Bhindi Drayson and another under Sharr Latt, and kept them isolated from each other. The two units separately discovered evidence of Thaal's duplicity while Loran was also able to implicate Maddeus as a co-conspirator with Thaal. Following Thaal's and Maddeus's exposure, Loran was promoted to head of Galactic Alliance Security and unofficially reinstated Wraith Squadron.

Text and facts from the “Wraith Squadron” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.