- "Victory Above All Else"
- ―Sapphire Squadron's motto
Sapphire Squadron was the lone squadron aboard the Modified Corvette Reaper's Call and a former Battle Team in House Ludo Kressh of Clan Naga Sadow created by Manesh Sadow.
History
The Beginning
Shortly after the great House Naga Sadow became a clan in the year 15 ABY, Grand Master Justinian Arcanious Khyron declared all Houses in the Dark Brotherhood would be Order specific. House Ludo Kressh was declared to be the home for the Sith of Naga Sadow.
All of the Sith from Primus Goluud and Marka Ragnos traveled to Ullyr to report for duty, including Nova and Denarii squadrons. Upon arrival, Quaestor Manesh Sadow announced the new squadron structure of Ludo Kressh and renamed the three squadrons.
Nova squadron from House Primus Goluud was to be Emerald squadron. Denarii squadron from House Marka Ragnos was declared Diamond squadron. And Zealot squadron, the elite Sith of House Ludo Kressh, was to be Sapphire squadron.
The first year of the Squadron’s history was uneventful; Jedi Hunter Kanasu was the first to be named Commander of Sapphire. His command was short lived and Jedi Hunter Xander Drax was next in line. Commander Drax was one of Ludo Kressh’s finest pilots and helped form Sapphire into the Deep Strike squadron it is today. After a short time however, he was called away due to a civil war happening on his home planet. Sapphire was left commander less for some time until a young Dark Jedi Knight decided it was time for a change.
In May of the year 16 ABY Dark Jedi Knight Scithe was named commander of Sapphire. He took the position with great enthusiasm and began to mold the squadron into what it is today. Scithe created a structure for the squadron that it had never had before. He created Flights, assigned ships, created nicknames and mottos, and even formed his own merit system to award the pilots. Assigning Jedi Hunter’s Janos Silverwulf Sadow and CrimsonAngel to Flight Leaders he helped teach these young Dark Jedi so they could be future leaders of Naga Sadow. Commander Scithe did such a good job that when Aedile Darth Vexatus was promoted to Quaestor of House Ludo Kressh the only chose for the open Aedile position was Dark Jedi Knight Scithe.
Xanos Zorrixor; before he took the name Darth Vexatus
The Uncensored Time
The next few years of Sapphire Squadron are looked upon highly to some while others like to push these years under the rug and forget about them. No matter what your opinions are of the events, the fact remains these things really did happen.
Next to be named Commander of Sapphire was a Flight Leader from Diamond Squadron named Robert Daragon. Commander Daragon quickly filled the open positions in the squadron with new members including Malik, Carl Lost, Karimicus, and Neo. These members, along with Flight Leaders Silverwulf and CrimsonAngel, would make sure House Ludo Kressh was never the same again.
Sapphire began to separate itself from Emerald and Diamond as the elite Sith of Ludo Kressh. The squadron led in the conflict with House Oriens Obscurum of Arcona which resulted in a Ludo Kressh victory. Half of Ruby Squadron, the elite members of the house, was made up of Sapphire pilots. Not to mention the comradery that existed among the members of the squadron, it was truly the golden age of Sapphire, until a simple squadron mascot changed everything.
It started out as a simple joyride in one of Ruby squadron’s Phalanx Gunboats that lasted a little two long and ended up bringing back extra company. Commander Daragon “borrowed” CrimsonAngel’s gunboat and went on a gambling/drinking trip. Not remembering too much about the journey he was welcomed back by most of the Clan’s Summit. Upon his very noble attempt to explain where he was a passenger was noticed in the gunboat. It seemed the commander had won a seal in a sabaac game and it was to be the new mascot of Sapphire. That seals name was Fred.
That one event set of a chain reaction that made the other members of Ludo Kressh very afraid of any encounter with a member of Sapphire. CrimsonAngel began to have an obsession with vodka and hotpants. Neo, who would only answer to Eddie the Ewok, had the entire Kressh Fortress ventilation shafts mapped out and it was his only mode of transportation. Malik began planning to build a hut for himself on the moon of Ullyr. Carl Lost was continually confused by the new Sapphire Lost and Found department. Karimicus began to babble incoherently (although we think this just might have been normal for him). The rumors of the hookup between Commander Daragon and Fred were the hottest topic in Ludo Kressh. And the main objective for every member of Sapphire was to somehow annoy Quaestor Darth Vexatus.
Quaestor Darth Vexatus took most of the abuse from Sapphire squadron, from being nominated for Ms. EH to them cooking up and eating his pet vornskr. The Quaestor was the first suspected when Commander Daragon went missing. The first couple of weeks no one realized he was gone and he was prone to go a drinking binges. But after a month the rumors began to start, first it was the Quaestor had got tired and had him killed, and then it was a lover’s quarrel with Fred. Three months went by and no one knew the whereabouts of Robert Daragon. With a missing in action commander, Quaestor Vexatus was forced to find a new one and he didn’t have to look very far.
Longtime Sapphire member Jedi Hunter CrimsonAngel was appointed to replace the missing Robert Daragon. CrimsonAngel quickly named Neo as the new guardian of Fred the seal as he was still the prime suspect in the former commander’s disappearance. This decision would start to turn the members of Sapphire against each other.
The more time Neo and Fred spent together the closer they got and soon became a couple. However, little did Neo know that Fred was sneaking around behind his back with Janos Silverwulf. Janos soon became tired of being the “other women” and wanted Fred to dump Neo and marry him, but before Fred could decide his original master Robert Daragon returned from his leave of absence. When Neo found out that Fred had been cheating on him he was devastated and demanded that Fred choose once and for all who he was going to be with. Fred chose Neo.
Neo was so delighted he immediately asked Fred to marry him and Fred accepted. Robert Daragon couldn’t take the pain of not being chosen and left Sapphire to House Marka Ragnos. Janos Silverwulf began to drink himself into oblivion because of the rejection. The demise of Sapphire squadron had begun.
All of Clan Naga Sadow was eagerly anticipating the wedding of Neo and Fred. The invitations had gone out and the great hall of Sadow Palace was reserved. Neo had chosen CrimsonAngel as his best man while Fred had chosen Quaestor Vexatus as his bridesmaid. Robert Daragon, now a Krath Priest was to perform the ceremony. Everything was going great, than tragedy struck.
While Fred was trying on wedding dresses Consul Shan Long stormed into the room with a group of men with large guns and strange accents. Shan Long plucked Bob the goldfish out of his bowl and swallowed him in one gulp. With a snap of his fingers shots rang out and the smoking carcass of Fred fell to the floor. The Consul had all he could take of Fred the seal.
A full investigation was ordered by Commander CrimsonAngel on the death of their mascot, widower Neo was devastated at his loss. Upon investigation it turned out it was not Fred at all, but Janos Silverwulf in a seal costume and dress that was shot. Than a ransom note showed up at Kressh Fortress from Robert Daragon stating that if they ever wanted to see Fred again they would pay for his rather large bar tab he had accumulated. It appeared the entire Shan Long attack had been a cover for Daragon to kidnap Fred and take him to the planet Loki. Commander CrimsonAngel was furious and refused to pay the ransom, Sapphire would get Fred back and Robert Daragon would pay.
The members of Sapphire squadron teamed up with Emerald squadron, which now had former Sapphire pilot Malik as its commander, and headed towards the home of House Marka Ragnos on Loki. Successfully infiltrating the Cathedral the pilots all went their separate ways to locate their kidnapped friend. Sapphire pilot Abel Malik managed to urinate in the Cathedral’s water system while Neo and CrimsonAngel defeated Robert Daragon locking him up in pink furry handcuffs and rescuing Fred from the clutches of the Krath. Fred was back in Sapphire and together again with his true love Neo; the wedding would take place as planned. Robert Daragon was officially charged by the Quaestor Vexatus of seal abuse and was sentenced to ten days in a locked room with ten gungans.
The next few months saw lots of drinking, gambling, and one Ludo Kressh marriage. Commander CrimsonAngel decided he was bored and when a Sapphire commander is bored something happens to the Ludo Kressh Quaestor. CrimsonAngel stole the Quaestor’s personal shuttle, and decided Vexatus needed a wife. Upon CrimsonAngels return, he had a wife on board for the Quaestor and decided that he needed to make it all official, so he called up the one person he knew that would help out in this kind of
situation. Still wanting to get a little revenge for the seal abuse conviction, Robert Daragon was more than willing to assist the commander. Together they both set to work, preparing the Quaestor’s wedding ceremony. Flowers, Vodka, Cake, it was all ready to
be used in the celebration. While Quaestor Vexatus sleep, CrimsonAngel and Robert Daragon escorted the Quaestor’s new wife to his room. Laying his new wife next to him, they gathered all of House Ludo Kressh to witness the occasion. Every thing was ready, CrimsonAngel had the camera, and Krath Priest Robert Daragon spoke the final words as Vexatus awoke; "I now announce you Man and Hutt. You may now kiss the Hutt."
With one wedding out of the way the members of Sapphire eagerly awaited what would surely be the party of all parties; the Neo Fred wedding. Just weeks prior to the date, Neo was appointed the new Aedile of House Marka Ragnos along with the rank of Dark Jedi Knight. Neo was ecstatic, not only was he getting married and a new position, but he would finally get to build his own lightsaber. However, before any of this could happen, tragedy struck. In September of the year 17 ABY, Dark Jedi Knight Neo in route to his new home in House Marka Ragnos was killed in a shuttle accident. The entire Clan mourned the loss of one of the truly remarkable members to ever grace its halls. Fred the seal went into recluse and the partying in Sapphire came to a halt, but after some time passed Commander CrimsonAngel regrouped Sapphire and they once again began to drink into stupors as the late Neo undoubtedly would have wanted it.
The next few months Sapphire squadron was busy with many operations. A Dark Brotherhood Vendetta, the Quest, took place; along with Operation Blackhammer and the Orbs of Power. Then, there was the Pregnancy Mystery League. Former Consul of Clan Naga Sadow Shan Long’s wife was pregnant and the entire clan wanted an explanation as it was obvious Shan Long could not be responsible for it. The members of Sapphire and Diamond squadrons united to find the answers to this mystery. They staked out the Dark Hall watching the Long’s quarters for weeks until at last they caught someone trying to sneak in. The intruder turned out to be Fred the seal. He had turned to the former Consul in his time of grief and revealed that he was the father of Shan Long’s baby. But that was only half of the story as it was not Shan Long’s wife who was impregnated but Shan Long himself. After the Shan Long event Fred the seal was sent back to Sapphire squadron and forbidden ever to set foot near the Dark Hall ever again by the Dark Council. Commander CrimsonAngel quickly appointed Abel Malik as the new guardian for Fred.
The next few months were anarchy as usual in House Ludo Kressh. Sapphire and Diamond squadrons squared off in the Kings of Tomorrow competition with Sapphire being victorious. Abel Malik proved to be no match for Fred and the seal caused numerous disruptions among House Ludo Kressh. And than Quaestor Darth Vexatus was promoted to the Clan Summit thus causing a leadership chain reaction in Ludo Kressh with Scithe becoming Quaestor and Commander CrimsonAngel becoming Aedile. There was only one logical choice to replace CrimsonAngel, a long long member of Sapphire; Janos Silverwulf Sadow.
The Fourth Age of Sapphire
Commander Silverwulf had lived through the times of glory and his reign as commander would be a difficult one. With most of his fellow pilots from the past moving on, CrimsonAngel as Aedile, Robert Daragon as commander of Diamond, DarkMage as commander of Emerald; Sapphire fell from its days of glory. The squadron was beaten in a rematch against Diamond squadron and than Abel Malik left Sapphire and Fred to join Darkmage in Emerald. And than House Ludo Kressh went silent, Robert Daragon was named the Quaestor of House Primus Goluud going with him were CrimsonAngel and Fred the seal to lead the new Dark Element battleteam. Darkmage and Abel Malik left the clan entirely leaving Commander Silverwulf and Carl Lost as the last remaining members of a lost era. Janos took the title as the Last Drunken Commander.
After over eight months of struggling to keep Sapphire alive while the likes of Emerald squadron got closed, Commander Silverwulf stepped down from his position but remained in Sapphire. Replacing him was an unfamiliar to Sapphire, Sith Warrior Crix Madine. Commander Madine would not even last two weeks in Sapphire before he left leaving Sapphire once again without a commander.
The Return of Bob
Robert Daragon
Returning from slumming it with the Obelisk of Naga Sadow, Robert Daragon once again took charge of Sapphire. Naming his old friends, Carl Lost and Janos Silverwulf as the Flight Leaders and returning Fred the seal to his rightful place as squadron mascot, the heart of Sapphire slowly began to beat once again.
With the strong leaders of Sapphire working together they quickly began to move in the right direction with the help of newer members Uther and Konus Auryus Sadou. A rematch was organized against Diamond squadron to avenge Sapphire’s last defeat and the squadron did just that by defeating their rival. Than a Great Jedi War broke out and Sapphire was called to active duty. However during the War, Quaestor Scithe resigned from his long reign as leader of Ludo Kressh and Commander Robert Daragon was called away to replace him. Taking over as commander of Sapphire was long time member Carl Lost.
Commander Lost’s reign was a short one as soon after he took command the great Exodus from the Emperor’s Hammer Strike Fleet took place. Carl Lost was a dedicated member of the Emperor’s Hammer Tie Corps and stayed behind with some members while other members of Sapphire packed up and left with Clan Naga Sadow to the Orian System.
A New Era
It took a month for Sapphire squadron to reorganize in the Orian system. Quaestor Malik, the new leader of House Ludo Kressh, appointed Konus Auryus Sadou as the new commander of Sapphire. Commander Sadou led through a very difficult time in the Sith Order. Many of the Sith remained behind in the Exodus leaving House Ludo Kressh with very little manpower. When Quaestor Malik was promoted to Proconsul and Commander Sadou resigned, newly appointed leader of Ludo Kressh Manesh Sadow was forced to close the squadron he had originally created. Sapphire Squadron was out of business. For nine months the Sapphire hangar remained empty, until in April of the year 21 ABY a familiar face returned to Ludo Kressh and brought with him the ways of old.
Robert Daragon returned to Ludo Kressh and found his old stomping grounds were all closed up, so with the permission of Quaestor Manesh he reopened the once mighty squadron. Commander Daragon’s first task was to get some members in the empty squadron, which he quickly did with the help of some old faces of Naga Sadow. Out of semi retirement came Jonuss Rai Sadow, Scithe, and Konus Sadou and together they helped the squadron slowly return to the ways of old. After a short time Commander Daragon was promoted to Quaestor of House Primus Goluud and Konar Sadou took over for his second term as Commander of Sapphire.
Commander Sadou led the squadron through another Great Jedi War which Sapphire really didn’t have much of a factor in. To try to spark up moral, Konar assigned a new squadron mascot, Rory the blue kangaroo. But sadly after only two days Rory was killed in a tragic landspeeder accident. The death of Rory was very difficult for Commander Sadou and soon they grief was too much and he stepped down as commander. Taking his place in a game of musical chairs was once again Robert Daragon fresh off his time from leading the Obelisk of Naga Sadow.
The new Quaestor of Ludo Kressh, Jonuss Rai Sadow, put much more focus on the battleteams than his predecessor helping Sapphire regain its old prestige. New members began to join Sapphire and make instant impacts. One such individual was Macron Goura who in no time was awarded with a Flight Leader position. Sapphire helped the Clan in the next Krath of Supremacy even though it went against all of the instincts to take part in a Krath event. There were the usual Sapphire parties of legend, one that saw the demise of Steve the baboon but then the Coconut Monkey Revolt happened. When Quaestor Jonuss Rai decided to step down as leader of Ludo Kressh, his life partner named Coconut Monkey was not happy with the decision. He became irate and began to try to take total control over Ludo Kressh. If not for the brave heroics of Sapphire squadron he might have succeeded and the house would not be the same as it is today. For leading Sapphire in the house’s time of need, Consul Malik Sadow appointed Commander Robert Daragon the new Quaestor of House Ludo Kressh.
In the next week Quaestor Daragon made some small changes in Ludo Kressh. He closed down the inactive Diamond squadron and appointed Diamond’s commander, Erlandil Valenthort, as the new commander of Sapphire. The format of the battleteams in Ludo Kressh changed also as they were no longer multi-order and Sapphire was once again a Sith only squadron. The Clan Summit created the Khar Shian Task Force and House Ludo Kressh was to lead the navy portion of this. The members of Ludo Kressh left their meager home on Dentavii and took their places on various ships of Clan Naga Sadow. Sapphire squadron was assigned to the flagship of the fleet: Strike Cruiser Wandering Soul. Commander Valenthort spent most of his days of seeking adventure instead of leading the squadron, so after a few weeks Quaestor Daragon was forced to remove him as commander. It was a easy decision for whom should take the reigns as the next commander as a young Dark Jedi had proven himself time and time again that he had earned the chance to lead Sapphire, so Mononoke “Macron” Keibatsu-Goura was appointed the next commander of Sapphire.
Sapphire squadron continued to elevate among the elite of Naga Sadow with the guidance of Commander Macron. Former commander Konar returned and took the position of Flight Two Leader and together with Flight Three Leader Maximus Raidoner Mandalore the squadron took part in numerous operations. When the Aedile of Ludo Kressh stepped down, Quaestor Daragon appointed the proven Commander Macron to the position.
The next in line for the coveted position of Sapphire Commander was Revenant “Caligula” Mandalore. Commander Revenant led Sapphire through battle after battle including spearheading the attack on Korind, a small country on the sun side of Antei, which paved the way for the Grand Master’s invasion force. After a short time Revenant stepped down as Commander of Sapphire and the person to fill his position was to be decided after the True Brotherhood incident. Quaestor Xia Long watched to see how the members of Ludo Kressh handled the events looking for the leadership qualities it took to lead a battleteam. Draken-Korin “Ylith” Elariel Atema proved him self capable and was appointed Sapphire commander. Due to the True Brotherhood incident the Iron Fist brigade was closed and that left the house with only two battleteams. It was decided that the teams would once again be multi-order and Obelisk and Krath were allowed to be members of Sapphire squadron.
Commander Ylith continued the strong tradition of Sapphire and assisted Ludo Kressh in thrashing anyone who dared to face its wrath. During this time House Ludo Kressh began to make its new home on Aeotheran and Sapphire adapted to its new surroundings. Soon Ylith’s ability to lead got him noticed and he was appointed as Aedile of House Marka Ragnos.
No Squadron for Old Men
It took very little time of Quaestor Malisane Sadow to find a replacement because as soon as the job was vacant he had a smelly old drunk sitting in his office refusing to leave until the decision was official. After a week, which made the man even more smellier, Malisane appointed Robert Daragon commander of Sapphire Squadron.
Rejoining the squadron were the elite of the clan such as Malik Sadow, J'Rai Sadow, Xayun, and Macron. Combined with new members such as Davin Olar and Billy the fainting goat as the newly appointed mascot, Sapphire once again grew to be a force to be reckoned with.
With a full squadron, Commander Daragon decided he wanted a headquarters away from the watchful eye of the house summit. He found such a place in the western part of Seng Karash naming it Zafiro Torre. This four story building is a smaller replica of the former Kressh Fortress and to this day remains as the home of Sapphire.
After a short time Macron was promoted to Proconsul of the clan and Commander Daragon was promoted to Quaestor of House Satal Keto and once again Sapphire was in search of a Commander.
The Quiet Year
The next year saw Commanders Corin Solander, Davin Olar, Aries Vorak, and Krath Priest Starlion lead the squadron through numerous battles and adventures. There was a Rite of Supremacy: Second Darkness, an Assault on Jaginos, the Invasion of Orian, and the Eighth Great Jedi War. Sapphire continued to help lead House Ludo Kressh through each battle and set an example to the other members of the house. It was a difficult time for Sapphire, but better times were on the way.
With Commander Starlion wishing to slide back among the members of the house, Sapphire needed a new leader. Proconsul Ashia kicked over the nearest rock and asked Robert Daragon to once again become a Commander of Sapphire Squadron…..and the drunk was once again in charge.
Betrayal on Thor
On a routine mission to the planet Thor in the Phare system, Sapphire Squadron was shook upside down. The members had walked into a trap that had been set in motion for years. Fred the Seal had revealed himself as a traitor to Naga Sadow working for the remnants of the Phare system.
Along with Walord Kwanda Rosman, the leaders of the Phare system wanted their revenge on Clan Naga Sadow for their abandonment. Equipped with the deadly Sadow Virus, Fred flew the Sapphire Star towards Sepros planning to release the virus during the clan conclave. The members of Sapphire on Thor had already been infected with the virus, including Commander Robert Daragon. The Commander had been given a deadly dose of the virus that would soon end the veteran’s life.
After finally getting the upper hand on Warlord Rosman, Commander Daragon took the former Imperial Admiral’s life and contacted his former friend trying to stop him from his mission. Fred laughed at his former master’s request, telling him this was his destiny. The seal than revealed that he was the one responsible for the disappearance of former Commander CrimsonAngel; a betrayal that Daragon could never forgive Fred for. So the Commander than entered in the override code for the Sapphire Star and set a course for Orian Minor. The former flagship of Sapphire squadron crashed into the second sun of the Orain system, thus taking with it the long time mascot; Fred the Seal.
Thanks to the resident alchemist of Sapphire, Macron Sadow, a vaccine was created to stop the effects of the Sadow Virus. While certain members of Sapphire still have some effects from the virus, including Commander Daragon who was given a deadly dose, no one was killed by the virus and it can no longer be used against the Clan.
A New Path
Sapphire Flight Gear
In 31 ABY, Quaestor Malisane Sadow disbanded the current Battle Teams of House Ludo Kressh. The House moved in a new direction with the discovery of The Bastion. It would take two years for the name of Sapphire to be once again spoken among the members of Naga Sadow.
As the newly re-born Disciples of Kressh began their duties as servants of Naga Sadow, they began by utilizing the Reaper’s Call as their mobile command center. Aboard this ship was a squadron of HLAF-500s that the leader of the Disciples renamed after the legends of past glory. Thus a new era of Sapphire squadron began.
=== Squadron Commanders === (Battle Team)
- Kanasu - July 25, 1999 – October 5, 1999
- Xander Drax - ??? - ???
- Scithe – May 4, 2000 - January 5, 2001
- Kharon Daragon – Jan 5, 2001 – May 26, 2001
- CrimsonAngel – May 26, 2001 – Feb 6, 2002
- Janos Silverwulf Sadow – Feb 6, 2002 – Oct 19, 2002
- Crix Madine – Oct 23, 2002 – Nov 15, 2002
- Kharon Daragon – Nov 20, 2002 – March 7, 2003
- Carl Lost – April 3, 2003 – May 1, 2003
- Konus Auryus Sadou - May 27, 2003 – Aug 8, 2003
- Closed - Aug 8, 2003 - April 9, 2004
- Kharon Daragon – April 9, 2004 – May 26, 2004
- Konus Auryus Sadou – Oct 4, 2004 – Jan 31, 2005
- Kharon Daragon – Jan 31, 2005 – March 12, 2005
- Erlandil Valenthort – March 13, 2005 - May 6, 2005
- Mononoke "Macron" Keibatsu-Goura – May 9, 2005 – Aug 28, 2005
- Revenant "Caligula" Mandalore – Sept 3, 2005 – Oct 16, 2006
- Draken-Korin 'Ylith' Elariël Atema – Oct 16, 2006 – Feb 8, 2007
- Kharon Daragon – Feb 12, 2007 - March 7, 2007
- Corin 'Liwaen' Solander - March 12, 2007 - June 13, 2007
- Davin Olar - June 13, 2007 - July 12, 2007
- Aries Taral Kyi Vorak - July 12, 2007 - September 19, 2007
- StarLion - September 27, 2007 - January 21, 2008
- Kharon Daragon - January 21, 2008 - August 14, 2008
- Tsingtao Ming - August 14, 2008 - October 20, 2008
- Alexander Anderson - October 21, 2008 - May 27, 2009
- Talos Omerta - May 27, 2009 - July 8, 2009
- Nix Graves- August 5, 2009 - Closed
=== Squadron Commanders === (Dlarit Starfighter Corps)
Squadron Mascots