Horton Salm

Colonel (Rebel Alliance)
 Age
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**Horton Salm** was a Human male from the planet Norval II in the Calaron sector of the Outer Rim Territories who was a military officer of the Rebel Alliance and its successor, the New Republic. An accomplished pilot, leader, and training commander, he preferred to fly Koensayr Manufacturing BTL Y-Wing starfighters over newer models, as he felt that the older craft were more reliable and would get him home in one piece. Salm led the Alliance's Gray Squadron at the Battle of Endor, surviving the run through the second Death Star's superstructure. Salm continued to serve in the war against the Empire months after the Battle of Endor, earning the rank of General as a result of his dedication to the cause.

## Biography

### Joining the Rebellion

The Human male **Horton Salm** hailed from the planet Norval II, located in the Calaron sector of the Outer Rim Territories. At some point during the Galactic Civil War, he joined the Rebel Alliance as a starfighter pilot, preferring to fly Koensayr BTL Y-Wing starfighters rather than newer craft, stating that they always got him home in one piece. While others held that the Alliance's most common starfighter was a poor dogfighter, Salm and Grisserno's proper handling of the starfighter proved that Y-Wings did not need to dogfight, and instead could rely on their shielding, tail gunners, and wingmen to deal with enemy interceptors while they accelerated toward bigger targets.

### Battle of Endor

Rising to the rank of colonel by four years after the Battle of Yavin, he was assigned to command Gray Squadron during the assault on the Galactic Empire's second Death Star over the forest moon of Endor. The Alliance's plan called for a strike force of starfighters led by General Lando Calrissian to fly into the superstructure of the half-completed battlestation to destroy the main reactor core, while the cruisers created a perimeter around the Death Star. Although the station was protected by a shield emanating from a deflector shield generator located on the forest moon, a strike team was assigned to infiltrate the garrison and destroy the facility. By the time the Alliance Fleet was due to arrive, the shield should have been down, allowing the naval forces to enact their plan.

The Alliance's leaders hoped to catch the Empire by surprise, having learned that Emperor Palpatine himself was overseeing the final construction stages, and that the weapons systems including the super superlaser were not operational. Operating under the call sign Gray Leader, Salm and his squadron of Y-Wings were part of the fleet massed in the Sullust system. Launching from their assigned capital ship, Salm and his pilots made the short hyperspace jump to the Endor system in their fighters, already deployed to engage and destroy the Death Star. Upon reversion to realspace, General Calrissian designated as Gold Leader and flying the modified YT-1300 light freighter *Millennium Falcon* requested all fighter wings to check in. Salm responded in the affirmative, leading his squadron toward the station.

On the approach, General Calrissian was informed by his co-pilot, the Sullustan Nien Nunb, that he could not get an accurate reading on whether the shield protecting the Death Star was up or down due to jamming interference. Calrissian suddenly realized that their arrival was expected by the Empire, and rationalized that the jamming meant that the strike team had failed and that the shield was still in place. He immediately ordered all fighters to break off the attack. Salm led Gray Squadron away from the Death Star just as the Imperial Fleet, led by the Star Dreadnought *Executor*, rounded Endor and appeared. Calrissian led several squadrons of fighters towards the main bulk of the Imperial Fleet, engaging their advance fighter force and drawing fire away from the Rebel cruisers. The entire operation had, in fact, been an elaborately planned trap devised by the Emperor to lure the Alliance into the open so that they could be annihilated.

He had leaked intelligence on the operational readiness of the station to the Alliance, and arranged for a large naval force to be waiting for the Alliance Fleet when they emerged from hyperspace. The superlaser was fully operational, and capable of targeting capital ships. In addition, a ring of Interdictors surrounded the system, ensuring that a retreat by the Alliance would be just as costly as a direct confrontation. Committed to battle, the Alliance Fleet moved into close range with the Imperial Fleet, hoping to protect themselves from the firepower of the Death Star and give the strike team on Endor more time to bring down the shields. Eventually, the strike team led by General Han Solo managed to destroy the shield generator. With the shield around the Death Star lowered, General Calrissian ordered all available fighters to follow him.

Salm was the only member of Gray Squadron to respond, joining Red Leader Wedge Antilles, Keir Santage, and Jake Farrell from Green Squadron among others. Skimming the surface of the battlestation, Salm dodged turbolaser fire, entering an access shaft to the Death Star's reactor core behind an A-Wing, and ahead of Santage's X-Wing. Several TIE Interceptors followed them into the shaft, scoring direct hits on Santage's fighter and destroying it. General Calrissian ordered several of the fighters in the shaft to double back and head for the surface, hoping that they would draw several of the pursuing fighters with them. Salm followed orders, leaving Antilles and Calrissian to complete the attack run on the reactor core. Successfully exiting the Death Star, Salm survived the destruction of the battle battlestation and the subsequent four-hour fleet battle.