Vid Paratool

## **Overview**

> "*History of questioning authority, prankster, troublesome disciplinary record, but a helluva pilot. Sounds like someone we want.*"
> ― Lieutenant Tolamael Benere to Idolon Jdre
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**Vid Paratool** was a Twi'lek pilot in the Alliance Starfighter Corp during the Galactic Civil War. He was one of the founding members of Arrow Squadron and a close friend to both Tolamael Benere and Idolon Jdre.

Born on Ryloth, Paratool worked as a freighter captain and merchant prior to onset of the Rebellion. Always harboring a deep hatred of Empire, Paratool and his crew of fellow Twi'lek's joined the Rebellion in 1 BBY. After flying in a series of small skirmishes, he eventually volunteered to join Arrow Squadron at the request of Benere and Jdre.

He fought in both the Betseedan Campaign and the Glaston Pirate War.  He was shot down over Myyribod during the Battle of Myyribod, but survived and returned to the squadron a short time later. A talented pilot and mechanic, Paratool was usually in charge of keeping the squadron's astromech droids up and running.

Known for a sarcastic, teasing personality and a dry sense of humor, he was popular with squadron mates in the earliest days of their history. As time went on, his personality changed and he grew dark and dangerous. Having survived the war with more wounds than he cared to remember and now posing a danger to both himself and his fellow pilots, Paratool resigned from military. He had been threatened with Court-martial for his actions during the Battle of Ullatak. He returned to Ryloth, but was never heard from again. His call sign was Arrow Three.

## **Biography**

### **Early Life**

Vid Paratool was born on the harsh world of Ryloth. Throughout much of his early life, he proved to be a mischievous child, often getting into trouble with both his parents and the local authorities. While his parents realized that their young offspring was, inherently, just smarter than many of the other children, the local authorities saw him as a troublemaker and forced him into a program teaching him a skill.

Ryloth was in need of talented mechanics and Paratool went to school learning how to repair and rebuild astromech droids. The lessons resonated with the young boy and while he remained smarter than most other children, his behavior improved.

By the time he reached early adulthood, he was piloting ships from Ryloth to planets in the Outer Rim, eventually working his way up to captaincy. Paratool continued to succeed as a captain, but deep down, past the sarcastic exterior, he wanted more, he wanted to contribute to bringing down the Empire.

### **All Together**

After a making a delivery to Tatooine, Paratool and his crew witnessed first hand more of the Empire's barbarity when they observed the execution of a handful of innocent civilians. Furious at not doing anything to stop the murders, Paratool fumed. His crew felt the same and after some passionate discussions, they made the decision to join the burgeoning Rebel Alliance. Every member of his crew joined the cause.

Paratool donated his ship, the *Banshee*, to the Alliance causing. Originally, he worked in much of the same capacity as he had prior to joining the Rebellion. He and his fellow crew members shuttled supplies and troops to and from various Alliance posts. However, when the Alliance issued a call for pilots to strengthen its fledging Starfighter Corp, Vid turned the controls over to his crew and enlisted.

### **The Rebellion**

 Graduating through the program with flying colors, he was commissioned as a pilot. Flying in a number of fierce, quick skirmishes, Paratool earned his stripes, downing a number of Imperial TIE fighters. The combat was quicker than anything he had ever experienced. He realized that though he was a talented pilot and the Rebels had a number of talented pilots, they were almost hopelessly outnumbered.

He grew frustrated with the strategy of running and hiding and the lack of decisive military action, Vid made his frustrations known to his commanding officers. Eventually, he allied himself with Admiral Raddus, a headstrong and battle-ready Mon Cal general of the Alliance. Two other disciples of Raddus were the young humans Idolon Jdre and Tolamael Benere. The three young pilots became close friends, often speaking about ways they would improve the Rebellion or discussing battle strategies. When Benere was given a promotion to Lieutenant and told to form his own squadron, Paratool was a quick volunteer.

### **The Battle of Scarif**

> "*That shield gate isn't showing any signs of damage!*"
> ― **Vid Paratool** during the Battle of Scarif
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Paratool flew as Arrow Three and participated in the squadrons' first engagement, as well as the Alliance's first major battle against the Empire, the Battle of Scarif. Despite the death of Admiral Raddus and the destruction of a great number of Rebel ships, Vid survived the conflict and was shortly thereafter transferred to the Betseeda System with the remainder of the squadron.

### **Betseeda and Early Days**

Vid was quick to realize that the nature of the campaign in the Betseeda System would be brutal and underhanded. Arrow Squadron was facing off against overwhelming odds. Paratool knew that, given his outspokenness, Arrow Squadron was his found a last chance.

Prior to the First Battle of Betseeda Prime, Vid and Idolon Jdre were tasked with training their fellow pilots. On one early mission, the controls of Otan Vebb's fighter went down, destroying her astromech droid and nearly causing her to crash. Using his quick thinking, Vid was able to lock the strike foils to lock with Vebb's and steady her ship. He then remotely patched his astromech - Digger - into her controls and helped land the damaged craft. The incident resulted in the two becoming close friends.

> "*"Arrow Five, Arrow Eight, Arrow Eleven, let's light 'em up."*"
> ― -Vid Paratool[source]
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After obtaining valuable intel from sources within the Betseedan Resistance Forces, Arrow Squadron launched a surprise attack on Imperial forces and facilities across Betseeda Prime. Along with Vebb, Sorshara Bray, and Tozin X'ala, Vid led an attack on the Imperial airbase entrenched in the capitol city of Tazion. They were successful, eliminating many enemy starfighters before they could even take off. This struck a mighty blow to Imperial forces as Madeline Gren and Udas were able to wage their ground attacks with limited Imperial air support. During the battle, Vid was hit by anti-aircraft shrapnel and sustained minor wounds. Vid's leadership was high praised following the engagement.

Stunning the Imperial Navy with their quick victory, Arrow Squadron went underground, plotting their next move. Realizing that timing would be critical, Benere and his pilots discussed the best tactic for their ambush. They would need to make the Imperial Navy believe their sudden arrival was somehow part of the training exercise. Deciding to attack the Star Destroyer Salient and the Star Destroyer Venom, the plans were put into motion.

Jdre and Craal Noarnn were able to hack into the Imperial communications grid and cause mass confusion during a planned training exercise. Vid, flying under the Command of Commander Jdre, attacked the Salient. The surprise attack was brutal, causing extensive damage to the Imperial ship. Vid was credited with downing four enemy TIE fighters before the Arrows executed a planned retreat.

Vid's relationship with Vebb continued to grow into romance. The two had vastly different personalities, but found a commonality in their shared interests. Around this time, Vid also began to supervise maintenance efforts on the squadron's fighters. The nearly founded and freely elected government of Betseeda Prime had begun to secretly funnel resources towards the Arrows and Vid, using his background as a mechanic and craftsman was put in charge of these gifts.

### **Near Death**

During what would become the Battle of Myyribod, Vid was leading a flight group consisting of Danic Polis, X'ala and Jev Talianos. Arrow Squadron had increased it's patrolling of the sector as well as stepped up its attacks on Imperial shipping routes using hit and run tactics. However, Admiral Ensah and his subordinate, Captain Takei set a trap for their Rebel opponents. A distress call from a disabled Imperial freighter was broadcast across open frequencies. Vid, being aggressive as ever, took the bait and lead his wing into a trap. Almost instantly, Talianos was shot down and killed. Moments later, Vid was also shot down while attempting to lead his surviving fighters out of the fray.

His fighter spun far out of view and into the atmosphere of Myyribod. Witnessing this, X'ala reported Vid as killed in action. The Arrows fought a bloody retreat, also losing Arrianne Trient to Imperial pilots. They returned to their secret base to lick their wounds and mourn their fallen. Myyribod proved to be their first defeat.

Vebb was inconsolable at the lose of Vid and Commander Benere blamed himself for sending out such small patrols. Little did they know that Vid, although seriously injured, was still alive on the surface of Myyribod. The Twi'lek had survived his crash landing, but in fairly hostile territory. Of all the worlds and moons in the Betseeda System, Myyribod was the one most firmly loyal to the Imperial cause.

Vid managed to survive for a few days hiding out in the forests. He wisely took whatever supplies he could find from his ship before chucking a thermal detonator into the already damaged cockpit. This made it appear as though he too had vanished and hopefully trick any Imperial patrols into thinking his remains were charred and in the cockpit. His crashed fighter had been noticed by Imperial authorities. However, the Imperial patrol searched the wreckage more closely than Vid had imagined and did not discover a body. An intense manhunt followed with Vid spending several days moving, while injured, through the unfamiliar terrain mostly at night.

It was during one of these nights that the Twi'lek stumbled upon an isolated farmhouse. Unsure of if to approach the occupants, he spent a night observing their actions. Much to his surprise, he encountered a familiar face. Nez Rennoc, an operative with the Betseedan Resistance Forces, had worked with Arrow Squadron when they had first arrived in the system and proved to be a capable ally. Vid observed Rennoc and several other individuals loading what looked like a weapons cache into a battered old speeder.

With his arms raised, Vid approached the group and called out to Rennoc. A hail out laser fire flew in his direction. One bolt found it's mark, grazing his leg and causing even further injuries. Rennoc and his band approached Vid. He was quickly recognized and rushed inside for treatment.

As Vid recuperated, he learned that Rennoc and his band of insurgents had been waging a guerrilla campaign against Imperial Forces on the planet. Vid was happy to be among friends, but expressed his desire to link back up with Arrow Squadron. Communications to and from Myyribod were heavily screened by Imperial agents, but Rennoc agreed to help ferry Vid home.

For nearly a month, Vid hide out with the partisans, fighting alongside them at several small ambushes. With his wounds mostly healed, he was itching to get back to his squadron. Rennoc was planning a blockade run through the Imperial lines orbiting the planet; he and his partisans were desperately low on munitions and the government on Betseeda Prime had covertly offered supplies.

Vid piloted the shuttle through the Imperial blockade and used several old tricks from his smuggling days to shake their Imperial tail. Eventually, with Rennoc's help, he was reunited with his shocked and overjoyed squadron mates nearly two months after they had declared him killed in action.

## **The Campaign Continues**

Vid returned to the unit just in time to fight at the Second Battle of Betseeda Prime. Imperial Forces had grown suspicious of the supposedly neutral government in Tazion. Hooper Croix, the leader of the BRF on Betseeda Prime had won over the support of the Speaker of the Chamber, Betseeda's political leader. While remaining neutral, Betseeda Prime had been resupplying not only the BRF throughout the region, but also Arrow Squadron.

Imperial forces attacked the city in a coordinated assault and caused massive damage. While they were fought off by the combined efforts of the BRF and Arrow Squadron, Croix was killed in the attack. Rennoc assumed command of BRF forces shortly thereafter.

Vid continued to expand his responsibilities in the unit, but also was growing more and more upset with the ongoing campaign. While others in the unit began to see signs of PTSD in the Twi'lek, he rebuffed their offers of help with dry humor and self-deprecation. However, Vid knew he was nearing the end of his mental strength.

The second attack on Tazion convinced Lieutenant Benere of the need to end the campaign as soon as possible and a decisive strike against the Imperials was planned. The Battle of Jonquil Station took place some time after and, during that fight, Vid earned particularly high marks. As the Imperials retreated from the Betseeda System, Vid and the other Arrows were reassigned to the Chommell Sector to fight the insidious Glaston Pirates.

## **Dark Days**

> "*"Truth be old, I'm getting tired of all of this."*"
> ― **Vid Paratool** speaking to S'Hral Glaso
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Vid put on his best face as the unit was transferred to the Chommell Sector. Lieutenant Benere indicated to Vid would play an important role in the campaign given his familiarity with smugglers and pirates. Vid was apathetic about the war, but proved to be a vicious combatant, leading the Arrows in kills during their ill-planned attack at the Battle of Ruaha.

The Twi'lek, once known for his smirking humor and quick wit, grew angrier and darker by the day. Old wounds from Myyribod were not healing. When news reached the unit that two of Vid's old smuggling friends, Twi'leks who had been with him when he was still a freighter captain, had been killed fighting Imperial forces on some nameless moon, he seethed with dangerous fury.

Only days later, when Arrow Squadron captured an Imperial agent who was caught working with the Glaston Pirates, Vid beat the man to death before other squadron mates could stop him. Behind the scenes, Lieutenant Benere and Udas began to discuss having Vid removed from active duty. However, when the Arrows learned the location of the Glaston base at Vagabond's Rest, action was forced and Vid was pressed into service once again. During this attack, Vid openly objected to orders from Lieutenant Benere to fire on escaping non-combatant transports. The transports were carrying members of the Glaston Pirates and their families. Having wiped out the Glaston Pirates, High Command almost immediately shipped the unit to Hutt Space as part of their joint task force to take the planet fortress of Ullatak. It was at this time that Vid broke off almost all contact with his former friend and commanding officer, having grown completely disgusted with the Rebellion.

## **Final Campaign**

> "*The Imperials, the Hutts, the Alliance. What does it matter? They all kill. They all destroy everything that touches them."*"
> ― **Vid Paratool** to Udas
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Despite the objections of several of his fellow pilots, as well as Lieutenant Benere, Vid was forced into service by High Command once again. The publicity/diplomatic stunt of aiding the Hutts became of prime important to the Alliance and all available fighters were pressed into service.

While in transit to Hutt Space aboard the Rebel fleet, Vid stopped talking to virtually all other members of the unit with the exception of his old friend Udas. The two had several long discussions about the concepts of war. Both had lost more than they cared to remember, but Udas still saw the good in their fight. Vid expressed an apathetic view that nothing was good any longer and the Rebellion was virtually indifferent from the Galactic Empire. The decision was made by Lieutenant Benere that Vid would be removed from the squadron as soon as hostilities in the Hutt Campaign ended.

Vid fought at the single battle of the campaign, the Battle of Ullatak. He shot down several Imperial fighters and destroyed a number of turrets. However, midway through the engagement, he turned his communications system off and refused to follow Lieutenant Benere's orders. Frustrations boiled over once Arrow Squadron had landed and Vid was threatened with court-martial for his behavior. Vid resigned from the unit on the spot having pointed out to his once good friend that he had earned enough points in the Alliance's Starfighter system to retire.

## **Resignation and Legacy**

The affair was ugly and left a rift in the tight knit group. Paratool did not say goodbye to a single member of Arrow Squadron, which hurt many of those he had served with some time. His anger and dark energy had been hanging over the unit for some time and many, even if they did not admit to it, were happy to see him gone. Sometime later, it was discovered that Vid had left a small note for Udas indicating that he planned to return to his homeworld of Ryloth. He was never heard from again.