Jiruus

Jiruus was a planet in the Rolion sector that was home to the Jiruusi species, orbited by the Grinning Moon of Jiruus. Under the Galactic Empire's rule, its star system, the Jiruus system, was the prize jewel of the Rolion sector's Imperial moff. The planet became free of Imperial control in 4 ABY, and the New Republic EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Hellion's Dare used it as a muster point during a reconnaissance mission. The pilots of the Hellion's Dare's escort squadrons partied with the people with Jiruus.

However, the Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing, intent on maintaining the secrecy of their new base of operations, sent forces to attack the Dare at Jiruus. A short skirmsh ensued above the world, ending with the New Republic forces retreating into the Oridol Cluster. Using a tracking maneuver, the 204th forces quickly left the Jiruus system to pursue their target. The ex-204th pilot Yrica Quell, working for the New Republic, visited Jiruus not long after, investigating what had happened there.

Description

Jiruus was a terrestrial planet^[3] located in the Rolion sector's Jiruus system within an intersecting portion of the Outer Rim Territories^[1] and the New Territories regions.^[2] Situated at the coordinates P-7 on the Standard Galactic Grid,^[1] it was orbited by at least one moon, known as the Grinning Moon of Jiruus. Jiruus was the homeworld of the Jiruusi species^[3] and had a type I atmosphere^[4] breathable the natives as well as other species like humans, Duros, Theelins and Ishi Tib.^[3]

History

New Republic reconnaissance

During the time of the Galactic Empire, Jiruus was under Imperial rule and the Jiruus system was the prize jewel of the Rolion sector's Imperial moff, although Jiruus's residents were resentful of the Empire. However, during the Empire's war against the Rebel Alliance, the Galactic Emperor was killed during the Battle of Endor^[3] in 4 ABY,^[5] and the Alliance became the New Republic. With the Empire's forces splintering and its territories falling, the Rolion sector moff perished and Jiruus became free from Imperial control.^[3]

That year,^[6] several weeks after the Battle of Endor, the New Republic EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Hellion's Dare traveled to the Jiruus system with two escort squadrons—the RZ-1 A-wing interceptors of Riot Squadron and the A/SF-01 B-wing starfighters Hound Squadron—as part of a reconnaissance mission to investigate communications breakdowns across a number of systems. The Hellion's Dare used Jiruus as a muster point for scout vessels, positioning itself in the planet's atmosphere. The people of Jiruus celebrated the pilots of Riot and Hound Squadron, the groups partying in the streets.^[3]

An hour after midnight, members of Riot Squadron said their goodbyes to their comrade Wyl Lark, Riot Three, who intended to return to his homeworld, at some gardens during the night, telling stories of past battles they had endured. The Theelin Hound Squadron pilot Chass na Chadic called Lark a coward from afar, but Lark and his comrades dismissed the heckling from the B-wing pilot. With the Riot Squadron pilots gradually peeling off, Lark was left to speak with Riot Five, the Ishi Tib Sata Neek, before he went on to sleep with a Jiruusi at her residence.^[3]

The Empire attacks

Meanwhile, the Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing was carrying out coordinated operations against New Republic outposts and scout parties to maintain the secrecy of their new base of operations in the Pandem Nai system. The fighter wing sent the Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier Aerie, carrying thirty-two TIE/ln space superiority starfighters that formed two squadrons, to the Jiruus system under the command of Lieutenant Preartes to destroy the Hellion's Dare, which had received reconnaissance on the 204th's holdings during its mission. The Aerie's squadron's thus engaged the New Republic frigate above Jiruus.^[3]

Riot and Hound Squadron were quick to come to the Dare's defense, Riot's A-wings engaging the TIE's to scatter their attack runs on the frigate while the Hound's B-wings closely defending the Hellion's Dare from any TIEs which went near. The skirmish initially brought no casualties, with the flights of TIEs using a spiral attack pattern to evade New Republic fire. With one of the Dare's deflector shield generators taking a lot of heat from the 204th's TIEs, the frigate's escorts closed their perimeter around the vessel before jumping to hyperspace.^[3]

However, the 204th forces, using a maneuver they called "trapping the Bantha," were able single out and destroy the A-wing of Riot Eight, Nasi Moreno, salvaging its wreckage in order to retrieve the its jump coordinates to find out where the Hellion's Dare and its escorts had traveled. Thus, after the fighter wing's assets destroyed key facilities on Jiruus, the Aerie followed its target into the Oridol Cluster, where its squadrons destroyed the frigate and its escorts squadrons, save for Lark and Chadic, who got away with vital reconnaissance information.^[3]

Quell's investigations

In the meantime, the New Republic Intelligence operative and ex-204th member Yrica Quell traveled to Jiruus just a week after the Hellion's Dare had fled, following information that the Dare had failed to report in. Quell, who was searching for activity of her former unit outside of the jurisdiction of her superior Caern Adan, found evidence that an engagement had occurred and did a flyby of the planet's surface, finding minimal damage. She also made radio contact with some of the locals and received scanner logs that confirmed that there had been a battle which had ended with the Hellion's Dare escaping the Jiruus system.^[3]

Quell deduced that the New Republic frigate had most likely fled into the Oridol Cluster and predicted the use of the "trapping the Bantha" maneuver, bringing her evidence and conclusions back to Adan and their working group. With Quell's findings, the working group was able to rescue Lark and Chadic and receive their reconnaissance information to locate the 204th at Pandem Nai, recruiting the two surviving pilots in the process.^[3]

Behind the scenes

Jiruus first appeared in Alphabet Squadron, the first novel in the Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron trilogy which was written by Alexander Freed and published in 2019.^[3]

Appearances

• Alphabet Squadron (and audiobook) (First appearance)
• Victory's Price: An Alphabet Squadron Novel (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)

Notes and references