Background
Deinonychus Squadron was a decorated and highly elite former Kingdom of Jod Starfighter Corps fighter-interceptor unit under Royal Command with numerous deployments with both Shadow Command & Spider Command while fighting Beast forces in and around Arrado. The squadron also deployed numerous times in top-secret missions aiding Naval Reconnaissance Troopers (NRT) and Special Warfare Division Trooper (SD Trooper) deployments into the Outside Galaxy, as well as several other operations and wars.
The squadron and a Light-class Destroyer mysteriously disappeared in 5 BBY while conducting a search and destroy mission for a high value target in the Northern Stretch under Royal Command using prototype FAIR Raptor-class Fighter/Interceptors. Both the mission---and the reasons why a starfighter squadron and Light were sent into the highly dangerous Northern Stretch using highly expensive prototype starfighters and alone with no support---have remained highly classified by the House of Royal Intelligence ever since and subject to much debate and conspiracy theories.
Deinonychus Squadron had three Squadron Commanders throughout it's service run:
- Commander Jepherd Tallquarrelsome (20 BBY to 13 BBY)
- Commander Eric Yanklee (13 BBY to 10 BBY)
- Commander Joaquin Eraid (10 BBY to 5 BBY)
Tallquarrelsome is one of the most respected men within the Jod Military Force (JMF). After rising up the pilot ranks through several fighter squadrons, the by then 33 year-old veteran was tagged to command the newly minted 92nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was formed during the second year of the Beast War: Darkness Rising as a need to fill in for unexpected high casualty rates among the JMF at the start of the war. Commander Tallquarrelsome would go on to make a name for the otherwise "trouble makers of the JMF" and the squadron of "rejects, misfits, and failures" would go on to become the highest decorated squadron in the whole 11 year conflict; the name Deinonychus and squadron patch were added to the squadron after the first year of service, in which the squadron performed above and beyond the call of duty.
Most of the squadron's surviving veteran pilots would earn squadron commands, wing commands, and academy instructor slots by war's end; Tallquarrelsome would go on to command a Starfighter Wing for the last two years of the war before being appointed the Head Fighter Pilot Instructor by war's end at the selective and highly coveted Royal Pilot Academy on the Planet of Jod (eventually, Tallquarrelsome would become a Honorary Military Professor at the Royal Pilot Academy after retirement and remains there to this day). However, seven pilots would remain with the squadron, welcoming in the 5 new recruits.
One of the veterans who remained behind was Tallquarrelsome's Second-in-Command, Yanklee. Already the full-fledged Squadron Commander during the last two years of the Beast War: Darkness Rising, Yanklee would go on to lead the squadron throughout the War of the Pirates, but would loose his life in an ambush shortly after the first year of the conflict. Yanklee's death was not received well by the squadron; Tallquarrelsome, in specific---upon hearing his best friend's death---would develop a deep hatred for pirates and became an angry drunk after his close friend's death.
After Yanklee's death, Eraid would assume command of the squadron. Eraid had joined the squadron during the last year of the Beast War: Darkness Rising in 10 BBY as a Replacement Pilot for squadron causalities. Earning his keep with the squadron at war's end, the once wide-eyed 20 year-old---now 21 years of age---Eraid would go on to serve the squadron faithfully, developing deep bonds & friendships with the squadron members. Unlike Tallquarrelsome and Yanklee, Eraid was born in the Eastern Region of the Planet of Jod, a place where most recruits were selected into the King's Army. Not particularly qualified for the Starfighter Corps, Eraid had lied on his application to the Northern Sea Field Academy about his noble birth. By the time anyone realized the noblemen he was using as his father---and his name---was a blind old poor noblemen in the Eastern Region, Eraid was already attached to Deinonychus. When notified that Naval Guards were coming to arrest Eraid, Yanklee tried everything in his power to prevent the arrest. But the Naval Guards were under orders---regardless of war conditions---and Eraid was arrested.
Unfortunately, Eraid's arrest left Deinonychus undermanned with war-time casualties already taking a toll on the squadron, even during the last stages of the war. Fielding only 9 starfighters during a mission the next day, only 6 starfighters came back the next day. Blaming himself, Eraid never forgot the hard lesson----neither, however, would he ever forgive the Kingdom of Jod.
Yanklee would ask Tallquarrelsome for help; replacement pilots would just get killed in the highly contested End Game Campaign. He needed veterans back---he needed Eraid back. Yanklee explained to his old squadron boss how Eraid was a raw-natural talent behind the stick. Something that---royal birth or not be excused with the utmost inappropriate language----you couldn't teach in an academy. After meeting with Eraid in prison (he had been in prison for 3 weeks now) and seeing the man's broken spirit at his comrades' deaths, Tallquarrelsome called in a few favors. Having a old King's Army General meet with the old noblemen in the Eastern Region, the General found out that indeed the old man had known Eraid his whole life and had watched (before he had gone blind) the youthful man grow up in a troublesome household where his father worked a farm of a nearby noble and his mother a winery. After his father was killed in Eraid's youth after a bar fight and his mother died two years later of sickness---and with no brothers or sisters and no noble birth and the noblemen where his father woked not caring for Eraid's well-being----Eraid found himself homeless at age 16. Taking the homeless youth in, the blind noblemen would give the child shelter and food in exchange for help around the house and helping the blind man around. The two quickly formed a friendship. Wanting the best for Eraid---but not knowing the official way to do it----the blind noblemen allowed Eraid to use his last name to get into the Starfigter Corps. Despite having no education, Eraid was able to impress instructors enough with his raw understanding and talent of starfighters, becoming the envy of many other more college-educated students at the academy, who looked down upon the poorly educated "street rat" as they called him.
Getting the information from the General, Tallquarrelsome had Eraid released from military prison, the official paperwork provided to the blind noblemen and Eraid to complete the name and lands inheritance, and then Tallquarrelsome put Eraid back with Deinonychus.
Eraid, after Yanklee's death, would go on to lead the squadron through the rest of the War of the Pirates and Beast War: War of the Cities. After War of the Cities, Deinonychus was selected for and officially transferred from JMF to Royal Command.
Whatever the reasons behind Deinonychus Squadron's disappearance, many conspiracy theorists believe that Eraid held an extreme hatred for the JMF and in particular the Noble-powers-to-be within the military ranks that put him in jail and cost Eraid and Deinonychus three comrades killed in action in a single day. Some suggest, from interviews and sworn statements from squadron pilots and support crew veterans who had served with Yanklee and Eraid, that Eraid began requesting under Yanklee---and the outright making it mandatory after Yanklee's death---that Deinonychus focus recruiting and training on Eastern Region (Planet of Jod) and Industrial Region (Kingdom of Jod) recruits, both noticeably poorer, rougher, and anti-Noble areas of the Kingdom of Jod, places like where Eraid grew up in. In time, it was concluded (although never proven since the House of Royal Intelligence refuses to release personnel and/or unit information for military units under Royal Command) that Deinonychus Squadron's pilots and support crew had become mostly Eastern and Industrial Region personnel.
If the above theory holds out, then it can be reasonable concluded that Deinonychus Squadron defected to parts unknown under Eraid's influence while masked in the sensor-baffling Northern Stretch. Furthermore, it has been speculated that Eraid was also heavily influenced by the Truth Movement and aligned himself with their agenda----although Eraid has yet to appear in any of the new Confederacy's military forces or political circles.
However, Eraid's absence from the Confederacy's plans does cast some doubt, at least in part, on the above theory. A new theory gaining steam among academics and conspiracy theorists alike is the notion that while Eraid was influenced, to some degree by the events in the Beast War: Darkness Rising and later the Truth Movement, that Eraid held loyal to the JMF and Royal Command. However, while conducting a top-secret mission for Royal Command, Eraid and his squadron (including the squadron's support crew who was all aboard the Light-class Destroyer, an extremely rare move by both JMF and Royal Command doctrine to have a squadron's whole support crew under a line destroyer ship---most squadrons transplant half of their support crew to a line ship and intermix their reduced ranks with Navy squadron mechanics assigned to each ship, while keeping the other half of the support crew at their home base for intelligence and logistical support) defected as mercenaries and are conducting operations in the Outside Galaxy.
The last theory has gained the most acceptance in recent months with the Confederacy's hold on the Planet of Jod. Multiple theories exist about Deinonychus Squadron, from them being aliens or robots to them being captured or killed in the Northern Stretch. One popular theory among extremist Truth Movement followers was that the House of Royal Intelligence had the squadron taken out by the Light while on mission----then the Light was destroyed by a planted explosive by the HRI---to cover up dirty secrets about the HRI, JMF, and Royal House that Deinonychus Squadron had discovered and was going to release to the public.
Service History
- Squadron Identification
- Official: 92nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
- Moniker: Deinonychus Squadron
- Home Base: Eastern Highlands Starfighter Base
- Entered Service: 20 BBY
- Service Length: 15 years
- End of Service: 5 BBY
- Result: Missing in Action
- Vehicle History:
- Campaign & Operation Service Reward:
- Beast War: Darkness Rising (21 BBY to 11 BBY)
- Tal-Tie Red Campaign
- Shadow & Spider Command Combined Silver Spear Campaign
- Shallow Gulch Campaign
- Hangman Campaign
- End Game Campaign
- War of the Pirates (11 BBY to 8 BBY)
- Blue Run Campaign
- Riders on the Dark Campaign
- 7 Raiders Campaign
- Mailman Operation
- Beast War: War of the Cities (8 BBY to 7 BBY)
- Alpha-Omega Star's End Campaign
- Star City Campaign
- Niners Field Campaign
- Royal Command Service (8 BBY to 5 BBY)
- 20 classified missions
- 21st Mission: Unit went "Missing in Action"
- Beast War: Darkness Rising (21 BBY to 11 BBY)
- Squadron Service Rewards:
- Distinguished Service Medal (23 x rewarded)
- Special Service Reward (18 x rewarded)
- Pilot's Award (41 x rewarded)
- Royal Command Service Reward
- Three-Mission Campaign Medal
- Six-Mission Campaign Medal
- 10-Mission Campaign Medal
- 10 Years of Service Medal
- Elite Gunner Reward (39 x rewarded)
- Dog Fighter Medal (59 x rewarded)
- High Kill Ratio Medal (28 x rewarded)
- Congress Medal of Gratitude (4 x rewarded)
- President's Reward of Thankfulness
- Medal of Honor Squadron Medal