Daredevil Squadron, also known simply as the Daredevils, was a legendary starfighter squadron commanded by Jarmonis Mikellos. Although they originally operated as mercenary pilots, they later flew for the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War.
Your powers are weak, old man.
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History[]
Background[]
Daredevil Squadron was founded shortly after the Invasion of Naboo by seventeen renegade Judicial Forces starfighter pilots who deserted their posts believing they could put their piloting skills to better use; taking their standard-issue CloakShape fighters with them, the Daredevils took to the galaxy as mercenaries and worked for the Mining Guild as well as various planetary defense forces in anti-piracy operations. The Daredevils lived up to their name, coming to fame in the galactic media through their skilled maneuvers and high success rate, and were even sometimes hired by planetary governments to demonstrate their flight skills in public air shows.
Imperial Era[]
After the end of the Clone Wars, the Daredevils found themselves out of work as the planetary defense forces had been merged with the Imperial Military and the Mining Guild was offered protection contracts by the Galactic Empire that rendered mercenaries unnecessary. Desperate to earn credits, the Daredevils began accepting contracts from the Black Sun crime syndicate to attack smugglers and warehouses belonging to the rival Hutt Clan.
In 2 BBY, the Daredevils were ordered by the crime lord Xizor to destroy what he claimed was a Hutt Clan smuggler ship; it wasn't until after the assault that they learned that they had in fact attacked an Imperial customs ship carrying a member of COMPNOR's Select Committee, earning Jarmonis Mikellos a place on the Galactic Empire's most wanted list. Outraged by what they perceived to be a betrayal, the Daredevils violated their contract by destroying a Black Sun storage facility that contained millions of credits worth of spice and illegal weapons, resulting in a large bounty being placed on their heads. Only ten of the original seventeen members remained by this time, as some had either retired or were killed in action over the years.
Galactic Civil War[]
Now on the run from both the Galactic Empire and the Black Sun, and with no other stable source of income, the Daredevils decided to join the Rebel Alliance's Starfighter Corps. They traded in their outdated CloakShape fighters for T-65B X-wing starfighters, the mainline starfighter of the Rebel Alliance. Due to their skill and history, they were given some of the Alliance's most dangerous assignments throughout the Galactic Civil War and played a significant role in the Mid Rim Offensive.
In 5 ABY, the Daredevils flew their X-wings in the Battle of Jakku. By the end of the intense battle, four of their pilots had been killed, leaving only six survivors. They soon after decided that they were too old to continue flying starfighters, and the Daredevils disbanded; some retired to their homeworlds with the wealth they had made over the years while the rest continued their military careers as officers in the New Republic Defense Fleet. Jarmonis Mikellos, who was now in his sixties, returned to his homeworld of Lianna where he founded a civilian flight school called Daredevil Sky Academy.
Legacy[]
Daredevil Squadron's reputation would outlast the group's existence during the New Republic Era. The term "daredevil" became associated with brave and cunning pilots, and some the squadron's unique maneuvers were used in the training of New Republic Starfighter Corps pilots. The future Resistance ace pilot Poe Dameron admired Daredevil Squadron in his childhood, taking awe in reading the early stories of their bravery and ingenuity while fighting space pirates and, later, Imperial TIE fighters.