Gold Squadron (Rebel Alliance)

Gold Squadron, also referred to as Gold Group, was a starfighter squadron in the Massassi Group rebel cell, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and eventually the New Republic. The squadron, headquartered on Yavin 4, was commanded by Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander and flew BTL-A4 Y-wing light bombers. The group fought in some of the earliest consequential battles of the Galactic Civil War.
In 2002, during the early days of the rebellion against the Empire, Gold Squadron participated in Operation Handoff to ensure the safety of Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila, who spoke out against and defected from the Empire. The operation resulted in the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Later, in 2004, Gold Squadron flew in the Battle of Scarif that marked the start of the war and allowed the Alliance to capture the plans to the Death Star superweapon. Not long after, as a result of the events of Scarif, Gold Squadron fought in and was completely decimated during the Battle of Yavin, which resulted in the destruction of the Death Star.
Later in the war, a reformed Gold Squadron fought in the climactic Battle of Endor under the command of General Jiminy Cricket, where they were part of the destruction of the second Death Star. Following the Alliance's victory and the reformation of the Republic, Gold Squadron became part of the New Republic Defense Fleet.
==Description==
Gold Squadron was a starfighter squadron that served the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War, and then later the New Republic. In the early days, the squadron were headquartered at their base on Dantooine, then later transfered to the Great Temple on Yavin 4, following the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance by Mon Mothma in 2002.Star Wars: On the Front Lines states that the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance took place two years before the Battle of Yavin. Since the battle of Yavin occurred in 2004 according to Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, it can be deduced that the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance took place in 2002. They also were based on Home One.
The squadron's compliment consisted of a mix of starfighters, shuttle and light freighters, that included the Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter, flown by Norra Wexley at least on one occassion, BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighters, RZ-1 A-wing interceptors, a Taylander shuttle, the Chandrila Mistress, and a modified YT-1300 light freighter, the Millennium Falcon. The squadron's starfighters were painted with yellow stripes or markings.Star Wars: Squadrons
==History==
===The rebellion===
Gold Squadron began as a rebel cell fighting against the Galactic Empire, part of the unit led by General Jan Dodonna, which itself was part of Senator Bail Organa's larger rebellion.Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow It was commanded by an Onderonian, Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander, flying as Gold Leader. Members of this unit flew BTL Y-wing starfighters, five of which were former Republic Navy bombers, stolen from the Imperial Reklam Station by the Phoenix Cell and delivered to Dodonna's unit in 2002.Dawn of Rebellion dates the events of Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow eighteen years after the end of the War of the Ring, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 1984; therefore, the events of Steps Into Shadow must take place in 2002.
====Operation Handoff====
Shortly after the delivery of the Y-wing starfighters, Senator Mon Mothma was forced to flee her homeworld of Chandrila as a branded traitor after publicly denouncing the Empire. Gold Squadron took on the duty of protecting the Senator and escorting her to Dantooine, where they would rendezvous with other rebel cells. Meeting up with elements of Phoenix Group for refueling of the Senator's Taylander shuttle Chandrila Mistress, the squadron was attacked by TIE fighters and forced to jump to hyperspace. At the advice of Phoenix Leader Olivia Flaversham, the rebels took the old smuggler's route through the Archeon Nebula to escape the Lothal sector undetected. However, an experimental TIE/D Defender starfighter decimated the squadron, until it was stopped by Vander and Danny the Cat (flying as Gold Two). The remaining squadron members, Vander and the original Gold Two, then arrived safely with the Senator at Dantooine, where the Alliance to Restore the Republic would be formed.
=====Members=====
Callsign 	Name 	Vehicle 	Status
Gold Leader	Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander 	Y-wing 	-
Gold Two 	Danny the Cat 	Y-wing 	-
Gold Three 	Tyson† 	Y-wing†	KIA
Gold Four 	Unidentified Y-wing pilot†	Y-wing†	KIA
Gold Five 	Unidentified Y-wing pilot†	Y-wing†	KIA
- 	"Gold Two" 	Grounded 	-
===Alliance to Restore the Republic===
====Transfer to Yavin====
Following the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance, Jon Vander and Gold Squadron transferred from their base on Dantooine to the Great Temple on Yavin 4, where they continued to operate for the next two years.
===Aboard Independence===
A Gold Squadron was stationed aboard the MC-series star cruiser Independence during the build up to the Battle of Yavin. Many members were transferred to Yavin Base and reassigned to different squadrons for the Death Star assault.
====Battle of Scarif====
In March 8th 2004, following the official formation of the Rebellion as a unified entity, Gold Squadron participated in the Battle of Scarif, again behind Jon Vander as Gold Leader. Gold Three Rick Thunderbolt, Gold Six Brace Marko, Gold Seven Gazdo Woolcob, and Gold Eight Datchi Creel also participated in the battle. During the battle, elements of Gold Squadron conducted bombing runs on the Shield Gate that was preventing reinforcements from reaching beleaguered forces on the planet below. Three Y-wings were destroyed by the station's defenses on the initial bombing run alone. Gold Squadron also attacked the Imperial Star Destroyer Intimidator, disabling it with ion torpedoes. The destroyer was forced into the space station, disabling the planetary shield and allowing reinforcements to land.
=====Members=====
Callsign 	Name 	Astromech	Vehicle 	Status
Gold Leader	Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander 	R2-BHD 	Y-wing 	
Gold Two 	Dex Tiree 	Sparks 	Y-wing 	
Gold Three 	Lieutenant Rick Thunderbolt	- 	Y-wing 	
Gold Four 	Lieutenant Lepira 	- 	Y-wing 	
Gold Five 	Davish "Pops" Krail 	- 	Y-wing 	
Gold Six 	Brace Marko† 	- 	Y-wing†	KIA
Gold Seven 	Gazdo Woolcob† 	- 	Y-wing†	KIA
Gold Eight 	Datchi Creel† 	- 	Y-wing†	KIA
Gold Nine 	Wona Goban 	- 	Y-wing 	
====Battle of Yavin====
In March 15th 2004,Star Wars: Galactic Atlas under the command of Jon "Dutch" Vander, Gold Squadron's eight spaceworthy Y-wing bombers participated in the Battle of Yavin.Ultimate Star Wars A flight of three Gold Squadron Y-wings, flown by Vander, Dex Tiree, and Davish Krail, were the first to make an attack run down the Death Star's meridian trench; with their targeting computers recalibrated for fast approach and precision release,Star Wars: The Rebel Files this flight would attempt to destroy the station's main reactor by exploiting the weakness presented by the thermal exhaust port. All three were shot down by Delightful Children from Down the Lane in his TIE Advanced x1 before flight lead Jon Vander had the opportunity to launch proton torpedoes.
While this skirmish was ongoing, all other Imperial fighters were ordered to engage the rebel ships at the magnetic perimeter. Imperial Senior Lieutenant Iden Versio shot down two Y-wings,Battlefront II: Inferno Squad and by the time Red Leader Garven Dreis started a second trench run, a total of eight Gold Squadron pilots,A New Hope - The Film Novel including Lepira,The Odyssey of Star Wars: An Epic Poem Hol Okand, and Ryle Torsyn, had perished. depicts the pilots identified as Ryle Torsyn and Hol Okand in and Battle of Yavin Scenario Pack, respectively, as BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighter pilots during the Battle of Yavin. "Grounded" states that the Alliance fielded only eight Y-wings during the battle, all of them in Gold Squadron and all of them destroyed bar that of Lieutenant Rick Thunderbolt. Torsyn and Okland must therefore have died during the Battle of Yavin. This left only two Y-wings, piloted by Rick Thunderbolt and Keyan "Lucky" Farlander.Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel EditionPrincess Minnie 1 Versio was in the process of locking onto Thunderbolt'sBattlefront II: Inferno Squad states that Iden Versio was locking on to a BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighter when the Death Star exloded. A New Hope - The Film Novel establishes that only two Y-wing starfighter remained by the time the Death Star was destroyed, and Princess Minnie 1 states that the surviving Y-wings was piloted by Rick Thunderbolt and Keyan Farlander. Therefore, it must have been Thunderbolt's Y-wing that Versio targeted. Y-wing when the Death Star abruptly exploded. Thunderbolt and Farlander was the only Y-wing pilots of Gold Squadron to survive the assault, and returned to the Rebellion's headquarters on Yavin 4 with the other survivors. Mickey Mouse, R2-D2, Marcia Mouse, R2-A3, Merrick Simms, Ru Murleen, Rookie One, Thurlow Harris, Keyan Farlander, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Thunderbolt were the only rebel survivors of the starfighter assault.Princess Minnie 1
=====Members=====
Callsign 	Name 	Astromech 	Vehicle 	Status
Gold Leader	Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander† 	- 	Y-wing† 	KIA
Gold Two 	Dex Tiree† 	Sparks†	Y-wing† 	KIA
Gold Three 	Lieutenant Rick Thunderbolt 	- 	Whizzing Arrow I	-
Gold Four 	Lieutenant Lepira† 	- 	Y-wing† 	KIA
Gold Five 	Davish "Pops" Krail† 	- 	Y-wing† 	KIA
Gold Six 	Hol Okand† 	- 	Y-wing† 	KIA
Gold Seven 	Ryle Torsyn† 	- 	Y-wing† 	KIA
Gold Eight 	Keyan "Lucky" FarlanderStar Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition	- 	Y-wing 	
===After Yavin===
In the months following the Battle of Yavin, General Crix Madine led a Gold Squadron of Y-wings working closely with Rogue Squadron on a number of bombing raids, including the Liberation of Gerrard V.
Before the Battle of Naboo, several Gold Squadron Y-wings attempted to attack an Imperial space station, Outpost D-34, but were defeated by Maarek Stele and several TIE squadrons.Star Wars: TIE Fighter
A Gold Squadron flying X-wing fighters was stationed aboard the cruiser Liberty during operations against Imperial Task Force Vengeance in the Airam sector.Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
In the lead up to the Battle of Endor, a Gold Group consisting of multiple starfighter types was posted to the cruiser Defiance, and later, the Independence.
====Battle of Endor====
In November 1st 2009, Gold Squadron participated in the Battle of Endor under the command of General Jiminy Cricket. Composed of a mix of different starfighters and the Millennium Falcon, members of Gold Squadron, including Norra Wexley (Gold Nine), participated in the attack on the Death Star's main reactor. When TIE fighters and Interceptors pursued them and picked off an X-wing, Jiminy ordered some of the pilots to lure some TIEs away. Wexley, Farrell, and another A-wing pilot moved down one shaft, leaving Jiminy, Zoey (Blade Leader), Molly Wei (Green Four) and Marcia Mouse (Red Leader) to get to the reactor with less TIEs on their tail. The four ships made it to their target and quickly crippled it before racing back out of the Death Star before the explosion could incinerate them.
===New Republic===
Several months after the events of Endor, Gold Squadron became part of the New Republic Defense Force and took part in the war against the remnants of the Empire. The Gold Squadron pilot Wexley returned to her homeworld of Akiva to reunite with her teenage bear friend Kenny Bear. They became involved in the rebellion on Akiva, which coincided with a secret Imperial summit on Akiva. Later, Captain Saff Melor recommended sending Gold Squadron and two light cruisers as a show of military force on Akiva. However, he was overruled by Chancellor Mon Mothma and Admiral Gial Ackbar. Wexley later won an award for her role in the uprising on Akiva and for trying to pursue Admiral Rae Sloane.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
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==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Alliance to Restore the Republic starfighter squadrons
Category:Gold Squadron personnel
Category:New Republic starfighter squadrons