73rd Recon Squadron

''We are not the lightsaber of the Empire, held up triumphantly as a symbol of Imperial might. We will not be on the forefront of the glorious battles, or the ones whom triumphantly plant the Imperial flag on the planets of the enemy. By the time the glorious charge happens, our job will have already been done. Ours is an ugly war - we are the ones who will pave the way for victory by showing the enemies of the Empire the true meaning of fear. You will kill innocents. You will plant explosives in hospitals. You will turn people against each other. You will do things that will haunt your nightmares. But make no mistake, by doing our jobs, we will ensure that the Empire never again knows the humiliation of defeat.'' -Knight-Lieutenant Avarik Drazin, addressing Besh Flight.

Squadron Specialisation
The 73rd was conceived as a commando platoon that was able to provide its own transportation and air support. Officially titled a Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, long-range scouting is only one of the duties the 73rd is expected to be able to perform for the Sith Empire. In reality, they are Naval Commandos and expected to perform the same infiltration, sabotage, espionage, assassination and rapid government destabilisation duties expected of any Naval Commando. The difference is that they are cross-trained starfighter pilots, and this enables them to perform this role both on ground and in space, anywhere in the known galaxy. The 73rd is the dagger aimed at the heart of the Republic, ready to plunge in behind enemy lines and strike at a moment's notice. In combat, the 73rd are often described as similar to ambush predators - they will attempt to close on the enemy without being detected and finish them in a single, decisive strike. If this fails, they are likely to retreat from a battle that their lightly-armoured fighters are ill-equipped to win, falling back to a position that makes the most of their agility and small target profile.

Squadron Training
The 73rd recruits from the Imperial Marines and the Imperial Starfighter Corps, and are run through the training of whichever of the two branches of the Navy they were not recruited from in an intense training course. They are further run through a heavily condensed version of the training the Imperial Naval Commandos undertake, learning the basics of espionage, sabotage and infiltration. Members are strongly encouraged to pursue further training when they are not actively deployed, and as a result members can have anything from the absolute basics up to a Instructor status in a variety of skills. It is also notable that, unusually for members of the Marine of Flight branches of the navy, ever member of the 73rd is qualified in astro-navigation. This is a necessity as they use hyperdrive-equipped fighters and are expected to handle their own navigation duties in order to deploy to and return from their mission area.

Squadron Equipment
The 73rd has been assigned 12 older-model Supremacy Mk. VI Starfighters, which earned their infamous reputation for exceptional agility and firepower during the Great Galactic War. The 73rd's 'Commando Refit' Mk VI's have been upgraded with a miniaturized Taelios Genetech Hyperdrive, allowing them to make jumps into hyperspace. This gives them unparalleled range for such a small fighter, though the weight and power draw does impact somewhat on the light fighter's infamous agility. Their munitions and cannons are often customized before they are deployed on mission, and therefore there is no 'standard' weapons loadout. The pilots themselves are equipped with environmentally-sealed flight suits, with armourweave padding to help protect them from the hazardous environments they often operate in. Being soldiers, they are equipped with a blaster of some description (most pilots draw one of their preference from the Marine's armoury) and vibroblade as standard, and are issued with a pair of demolition charges for situations that require an explosive solution.

Squadron Roster
''Pilots in the Naval Commandos are given a numerical designation, since there are often times were using names is far too dangerous. This designation is three different numbers. The first number is the wing that the commandos are attached to. The second is the squadron. The third is the number of the starfighter in that squadron they fly. In internal communications, they will use only the last number. This is also a part of the Empire's psychological conditioning - by teaching soldiers to respond to a number, rather than a name, they remind the soldiers of the Empire that they are completely expendable.'' ''The squadron consists of three flights of four commandos, and is led by a Squadron Commanding Officer (SCO) who dictates strategy and provides combat leadership. The SCO is supported by the Squadron Executive Officer (SXO), who is nominally in charge of the logistics and discpline of the squadron, freeing up the SCO to concentrate on the greater strategic picture.''

Auresh Flight:
Commander Bremere Mastigar - 603-73-01 - SCO (NPC) Lieutenant Dlurr'ona'uruodo - 603-73-02 Lieutenant Zarli Dorstar - 603-73-03 (NPC) Lieutenant Tarlson "Stain" Vasch - 603-73-04 (NPC)

Besh Flight:
Knight-Lieutenant Avarik Drazin - 603-73-05 Lieutenant Bree-Anna Thul - 603-73-06  Lieutenant Elias Gal - 603-73-07 (NPC) Lieutenant Yvette Straden - 603-73-08 (NPC)

Cresh Flight:
Captain Inezei Lumen - 603-73-09 - SXO (NPC) Lieutenant Renci Cormin - 603-73-10 (NPC) Lieutenant Marc-Andr Forin - 603-73-11 (NPC) Lieutenant Ommol R?v XII - 603-73-12(NPC)

Operational History
N/A