Kestrel's Dive (maneuver)

The starfighter maneuver called Kestrel's Dive was taught to Lieutenant Jerrod Segaru and Princess Xiri A'lbaran of the planet E'ronoh by the veteran pilot Kinni. In 382 BBY, A'lbaran—as a captain—flew with her squadron, Thylefire Squadron, and fought against the Children of E'ronoh dissident group leader Rev Ferrol and his forces in the skies above the planet Eiram. A'lbaran and her colleagues used Eirami starfighters to complete a Kestrel's Dive, tricking Ferrol into crashing into Eiram's seas in his drill ship.
==Description==
The Kestrel's Dive was a starfighter maneuver used in combat to lure enemy pursuers into a dangerous situation to inflict maximum damage. The maneuver was best performed by ships with nimble steering maneuverability compared to their opponents, proving especially effective against heavier, clunkier vessels. To complete a Kestrel's Dive, at least one pilot would start gaining altitude—in tight formation with their colleagues, if any—and taunt their enemy into following them. Afterward, the pilot would swing their craft downward sharply, leaving their pursuer—who was unable to pull up—to crash their ship.
==History==
By the time of the High Republic Era, the veteran E'roni pilot Kinni was familiar with performing a Kestrel's Dive. She taught both the Kestrel's Dive and the Oricanoa Sweep maneuvers to Lieutenant Jerrod Segaru and the Outer Rim planet E'ronoh's princess, Xiri A'lbaran. At some point after the Eiram and E'ronoh War broke out between E'ronoh and its twin planet Eiram in 387 BBY,Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia Kinni reenlisted in E'ronoh's fleet and served under A'lbaran—now a captain—and Segaru as part of Thylefire Squadron.
In 382 BBY, Rev Ferrol—leader of the Children of E'ronoh dissident group—and his forces attacked the Galactic Republic Alif-class Longbeam Paxion on Eiram in an effort to usurp E'ronoh's throne from the world's royal family. A'lbaran and Thylefire Squadron borrowed Eirami starfighters to combat the group's bulky, heavily damaging drill ships. During the engagement, the captain conversed with Kinni and arranged for them to perform a Kestrel's Dive after confirming that the latter pilot remembered teaching her and Segaru how to complete it. A'lbaran led Kinni and the rest of Thylefire Squadron high into Eiram's atmosphere while taunting Ferrol, who was chasing after her in his drill ship, knowing that the latter vessel would have difficulty making sharp turns at high speeds.
The captain dismissed the rest of her squadron to help with the Paxion rescue effort and continued keeping her pursuer's attention on her as Thylefire Squadron pulled out of formation. A'lbaran then began diving sharply toward Eiram's seas, and though Ferrol initially followed her, the latter panicked and attempted to correct his drill ship's trajectory upon approaching the water's surface. However, he ultimately failed and crashed into the world's ocean, resulting in his death. At the same time, A'lbaran flew her vessel—an Eirami ship designed to travel in water—harmlessly into the sea, completing the Kestrel's Dive.
==Behind the scenes==
The Kestrel's Dive appeared in Convergence, a 2022 novel written by Zoraida Córdova as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project's Phase II.
==Appearances==
*The High Republic: Convergence 
==Notes and references==
Category:Starfighter tactics