Star Wars: Exodus Visual Encyclopedia
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"I try to make this galaxy a better place. What I do might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I figure every little bit helps."
— Rowen Halomek

Rowen Halomek is a longstanding member of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic. He has served with both as a pilot in the Starfighter Command division. Rowen is the leader and founding member of Halo Squadron, a mixed starfighter squadron that operates out of the MC40a Typhoon.

Rowen is one of the many unsung heroes of the New Republic. Loyal, skilled, and courageous in the face of insurmountable odds, he nevertheless tends to fight battles that are important, but don’t grab headlines. As someone who doesn’t like the spotlight, this actually suits him just fine. Although he’s been given numerous offers for promotion, he remains steadfastly with his squadron.

To the galaxy at large, Rowen is perhaps better known for his marriage to popular singer and entertainer Sarren Dolsis; or as the older brother of Sigarr Halomek, current CEO of the Republic Engineering Corporation. Among his fellow pilots, however, Rowen is infamous for his ardent refusal to trade-up his Y-wing, despite his obvious skills, as well as his strong endorsement of all things Koensayr.

Personality and Characteristics[]

"If it weren’t for the injustices of the Empire, I bet Rowen would have been perfectly content to live his life as a garage mechanic fixing up outdated landspeeders or something. He’s not the kind of guy who wants the limelight. Rowen will always put others before himself. I don’t know about you, but that’s the type of person I want leading me."
— Jeg Feniv to Halo Squadron recruits

Rowen’s guiding principle seems to be that all things should be taken in moderation. He’s competitive without being obsessive, fun-loving without being irresponsible, and dedicated without being fanatical. As such he’s seen as very affable by his peers, and tends to get along with almost anybody. The only times when he gets angry are when he sees people being mistreated, which he won’t stand for.

Rowen is a man of strong convictions. He’ll fight for what he believes to be right even if there’s no one else who will side with him. He also knows when to fight and when to hold back, but won’t shy away from a seemingly hopeless battle if the cause behind it is noble enough. Although he’s grown weary of the long state of battle that has gripped the galaxy, he continues to hope for a lasting peace.

Skills[]

"You can keep your high performance starfighters. When it comes down to it, I don’t want something that’s going to give out after one or two shots. Rugged dependability: that’s the true sign of good engineering."
— Rowen Halomek

Pilot[]

Rowen is first and foremost a starfighter pilot. It’s where the majority of his skills are concentrated and where he has the most experience. Although he would deny it, Rowen’s ability in this area is exceptional, which becomes more obvious when one realizes how many difficult battles he’s survived in nothing more than a Y-wing.

Although he rarely flies anything other than his Y-wing, Rowen is capable of flying most small craft without difficulty.

Mechanic[]

Aside from flying, Rowen’s other passion is tinkering with machines, specifically modes of transport. While not gifted, he is very competent in the field and can be depended upon to know how to fix a variety of issues. In fact, he tends to take care of all the maintenance of his starfighter, as well as the Skiron, by himself, with the only exception to that rule being his droid, Gale.

Weapons[]

Rowen doesn’t like to fight outside of a starfighter. The only weapon he’s ever used on a consistent basis is a beat-up Power 5 Blaster that he bought as a means of protection. He’s a decent shot with it, but tries not to use it if possible.

History[]

"In retrospect, I've been a lucky man in some really unlucky times."
— Rowen Halomek

Early Life[]

Rowen was born on the planet Ansion two years before the onset of the Clone Wars. Some of his earliest memories relate to stories of the conflict and the many escapades of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, a hot shot pilot named Anakin Skywalker. A young Rowen idolized Anakin to such a degree that it helped shape his future career. He learned early on that his mother and father, both firmly working-class, would never be able to afford to take him to Coruscant to see if he was Jedi material, so Rowen settled on the next best dream: becoming a starfighter pilot for the Galactic Republic.

During his childhood on Ansion, Rowen also became good friends with Sarren Dolsis, or "Sara" as she liked to be called. They were in the same grade and lived close to each other, so the two would often play together, pretending to be heroes in the Clone Wars. Although Rowen was teased mercilessly by the other boys for his friendship with a girl, he stood his ground rather than cave to peer pressure. This would end up instilling several traits in Rowen that he would carry to adulthood, such as a moral obligation to protect others and also a bit of a stubborn streak.

At the tender age of five, Rowen witnessed the end of the Galactic Republic and the birth of the Empire. Although he was too young at the time to understand the ramifications inherent in the news broadcasts of Emperor Palpatine’s speech, Rowen remembered the moment more for the fact that Anakin had seemingly disappeared with the rise of the Empire and the strange idea that the Jedi had been corrupt. Still, his parents, believing in the promise of the Empire and the stability it would bring to the galaxy, decided to have another child now that the galaxy was at peace; nine months later, Rowen’s younger brother, Sigarr, was born.

Life Under the Empire[]

With the Galactic Empire taking the place of the Republic, Rowen changed his dream slightly to become a pilot for the Empire. To try and nurture Rowen’s committed goal, his father, a mechanic, was able to gets his hands on an old beat-up DC0040 Airspeeder to help teach Rowen how to fly. At first it was just the rudimentary knowledge, but as the years went by and Rowen grew tall enough to see out of the windshield, his father allowed him to try flying the airspeeder by himself, albeit with a locked limit on the repulsorlifts so Rowen wouldn’t be able to go very high or very fast.

By the time Rowen turned twelve, Sara and her family moved away from Ansion to the Outer Rim world of Saldora. It was an abrupt decision and, although Rowen was told that Sara’s parents had simply felt like a change, he overheard conversations later that indicated that the Empire was after Sara’s parents for some reason. It would be the first hint to young Rowen that the new government was not the shining beacon it claimed to be.

Rowen and his family stayed on Ansion for a few more years after Sara moved away and he inevitably lost touch with her. In that time, however, Rowen started to really hone his piloting skills, using the fierce winds that could whip across the plains of Ansion as a way to challenge himself. His father removed the locks on the repulsorlifts once he was confident that Rowen could handle himself without supervision. Rowen also began to acquire a deep-rooted anti-Imperial sentiment as it became more and more apparent that Palpatine was only interested in power. He managed to keep it secret though, rather than risk disappearing mysteriously like so many other protesters.

After Rowen turned sixteen, his parents had had enough of the increasingly strict measures the Empire was using to maintain control. They decided to move away from Ansion and start anew. To Rowen’s great delight, he learned that his parents had decided to follow the example of Sara’s parents and go to Saldora.

Saldora[]

Although the move from the Mid Rim to the Outer Rim was dramatic, Saldora proved to be very similar to Ansion in most respects – if a little more rundown. The big important difference was that the Empire didn’t control Saldora. Rowen adapted to life on the planet quickly, which was more than could be said for his brother. Sigarr would always have a complaint about being forced to live on the backwater world and vowed to move away as soon as he was able to do so.

Jeg

Jeg Feniv, Rowen's longtime friend.

Although initially eager to resume his friendship with Sara, the teenage Rowen learned very quickly that his old friend had grown up in the intervening years. He was stunned, and intimidated, by her beauty. He was also stymied by the fact that Sara was now a part of the popular clique, which he could never hope to enter. These factors and more meant that despite his best intentions, Rowen wasn’t ever able to bring himself to talk to her.

During this time, Rowen became best friends with another boy named Jeg Feniv. He would eventually learn that Jeg was actually the scion to Saldora Shipping, the largest freight company in the system. It was a fact that Jeg liked to hide since he didn’t want credits to color people’s perceptions of him. Rowen became one of the few people that Jeg revealed his secret to, brought on in part by Rowen’s desperate search for a job. After Jeg disclosed his secret, he was able to secure a local delivery position for the young teenager, albeit one that paid a little higher than the average. Rowen saved up the money he earned with the goal of eventually purchasing a starfighter.

Life on Saldora[]

Rowen was quick to discover that one of the biggest differences when it came to living in the Outer Rim was that information was not as tightly controlled as it was on Ansion. He was able to learn more and more about the atrocities the Empire was committing. Of particular interest to Rowen was the Emperor's enforcer, Darth Vader, who was said to be not only responsible for the destruction of the Jedi Order, but also the murder of Rowen's childhood hero: Anakin. All this and more filled the teenage Rowen with a desire to fight the Empire and change things for the better, unfortunately with the Alliance to Restore the Republic yet to be formed, he had no idea how it would be possible. Instead, Rowen harbored his rebellious feelings and focused on more immediate concerns.

All throughout his time in high school, Rowen tried to work up the courage to speak to Sara, having fallen in love with her from afar, however he never ended up doing so. Her beauty was not the only thing that had blossomed since their childhood on Ansion; Sara had discovered a talent for singing and was even doing shows while still in school. If anything it made it even more difficult for Rowen to approach her as he felt unworthy of her attentions. To add to his troubles, some of the girls who hung around with Sara noticed Rowen’s attention and actively did what they could to keep him away from her, believing him to be below her.

Rather than torture himself by thinking of Sara all day, Rowen ended up spending a large chunk of his free time in the school’s speeder shop, learning how to repair various machines. It was there that Rowen met a female Felacatian named Mursa who shared his dream of becoming a pilot. They became fast friends and the three of them; Rowen, Jeg, and Mursa; basically laid claim to the speeder shop as their hangout.

Mursa[]

Mursa 001

Mursa, Rowen's first significant relationship.

In Rowen’s last year of high school, Mursa surprised him by admitting she had feelings for him. Although Rowen liked Mursa a great deal, he was reluctant to start a relationship with her when he couldn’t get Sara out of his head. The Felacatian, knowing full-well how deep a crush Rowen had on Sara, put his fears to rest by stating that she was only looking for a causal relationship. With that in mind, Rowen agreed to give it a try and was immediately glad he did. He and Mursa were seen together everywhere from that point onward.

His relationship with Mursa created another problem for Rowen though. Even though the Empire didn’t control Saldora, there were several pro-Imperial groups on the planet and many of them, following COMPNOR’s Human-first sentiment, took exception to mixed couples. Reports of their pro-Human rallies, as well as their attacks against non-Humans and their associates, was enough to convince Rowen to start practicing with a blaster, so he could carry one when he and Mursa were out and about. It also turned his complete dislike for the Empire into an unshakable conviction that Palpatine needed to be stopped somehow.

The Y-wing[]

"A Y-wing? Why don’t you just strap a pair of engines to a chunk of duracrete? It’d be cheaper and you’d probably get better performance.”
“Anybody can fly a souped-up snubfighter and look decent, Jeg. It takes a real pilot to bring out the full potential in a ship like the Y-wing. I know she’ll treat me right.
"
Jeg Feniv & Rowen Halomek
Y-Wing

Rowen’s starfighter of choice.

At nineteen, Rowen was finally able to buy his first starfighter. Even though Jeg had offered on more than one occasion to buy his friend a ship, Rowen had consistently turned him down. It was something he wanted to do on his own. Even after years of saving his money, all Rowen could afford was a second-hand BTL-A4 Y-wing from a junkyard, but to him it was a move towards the fulfillment of his greatest wish and it was beautiful.

He spent most of his free time repairing the ship, with the only exceptions being going out on dates with Mursa, or going to one of Sara’s shows, or sometimes both. However, much of the time, Mursa would choose to work closely with him on getting the starfighter fixed up. Even Jeg, who cited moral objections to his best friend flying something as slow as a Y-wing, would also drop by and lend a hand on occasion. Within a few months time, Rowen’s starfighter was in top shape and ready to fly. His first flight into space was an experience Rowen would never forget and he made a point to take it up every chance he got and practice with it. Eventually he was joined by Jeg, piloting a Z-95 Headhunter, and Mursa, flying a Toscan 8-Q Fighter. The three participated in mock dogfights with low-powered lasers, which would help them to hone their skills.

Rowen ended up the loser in more than one dogfighting session, but it only made him more determined to become a better pilot. In addition, he started making modifications to his starfighter to give it better performance. One of the most notable of these changes was putting his ion cannons on a rotating turret, which gave him an edge over the forward-firing starfighters piloted by his friends. Before long it was Rowen who was consistently coming out on top of their mock duels.

Pirate Attack[]

While living on an independent planet on the Outer Rim had its advantages, it had its disadvantages too. Rowen would not discover until it was too late that the government of Saldora was paying protection money to a local gang of space pirates. As long as the pirates got paid, they left Saldora alone. However, with no one to stop them, the pirates began to get bolder and greedier, demanding more from the government until it reached a point where Saldora’s government was forced to make a choice between impoverishing its citizens or denying the pirates.

They chose to do the latter and the pirates raided the planet.

What meager resistance Saldora was able to put up was quickly crushed by the pirate fleet. The tiny government was decimated and had no choice but to leave its citizens to fend for themselves. Rowen was on a date with Mursa when the pirate raiding parties began looting the town. During a strafing run by a particular sadistic pirate starfighter, Mursa took a shot from one of the laser cannons and died almost instantly.

Rowen fought back as best he could against the pirates, but ultimately wasn’t able to make a difference. He would later vow at Mursa’s funeral that he wouldn’t allow the pirates to get away with what they had done. Rowen began to round up other citizens who wished to get back at the pirates and had a starfighter to fly. Jeg, of course, was the first to volunteer. When he had assembled as many people as he could, Rowen led the retaliatory strike on the pirate base.

The pirates, expecting Saldora to be crushed, never knew what hit them. They were completely wiped out by Rowen’s ragtag group. The success of the strike prompted the desperate government to commission Rowen and the other pilots to continue protecting the world. With Mursa’s death still fresh in his mind, Rowen agreed, but it was at Jeg’s suggestion that the newly formed squadron be named after him, and thus Halo Squadron was born.

In one final bit of closure, Rowen decided to name his Y-wing in honor of Mursa.

Halo Squadron[]

Officially formed in 2 BBY, Halo Squadron quickly proved its worth to Saldora as other pirate gangs tried to move in on the territory their fallen brethren had once occupied. Each attempt by pirates to move in was beaten back, allowing the planet to retain its independence and even to start prospering again once it was clear that the pirates were unable to threaten Saldora. Halo Squadron’s success even contributed to the addition of two other squadrons to Saldora’s defense; Viper and Hornet.

Unlike Halo, Viper and Hornet were more conventional squadrons, each fielding only a single type of starfighter. All three squadrons had a friendly rivalry with each other, with Viper and Hornet implying that the mixed nature of Halo was somehow inferior to a fixed composition. However, Halo consistently proved itself to be the superior squadron in several engagements.

Rowen firmly believed that the success of Halo came from its mixed nature. He also had a policy to not ask about the backgrounds of those who wished to join up with the squadron. As far as Rowen was concerned, everyone was capable of redemption and as long as they contributed to the wellbeing of the group, anyone was welcome to fly with the Halos. Although some criticized this policy, none could deny that Halo Squadron always got the job done, no matter what was asked of them.

One Fateful Night on Saldora[]

"Sara… I, I… You know, maybe this isn’t… That is…”
“Come in, Rowen. I was wondering when you were finally going to talk to me. I’ve noticed you at some of my performances before.”
“Really? Damn... I’m an idiot, aren’t I?”
“That’s a little harsh, maybe ‘slow’ is more accurate. For example, you’re still outside.”
“Sometimes I still feel like a teenager.”
“A couple of years ago and we still would be. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, you and I…
"
— Rowen Halomek & Sarren Dolsis
Sarren Dolsis 002

Sarren Dolsis

It would be during the squadron's second anniversary that disaster would finally strike Halo Squadron. To commemorate the cap on two successful years, Jeg reserved a table for the entire squadron at the most expensive nightclub in town, the Opal Field. As usual, Jeg had a bit of an ulterior motive in his decision since he was determined to finally hook Rowen up with Sara, who just happened to be doing a show at the Field that very night.

The evening started off well enough, especially when it came to the relationship between Rowen and Sara. In fact, Sara had seen Rowen at several of her pasts performances, but was curious why he had never approached her. During her show that night, she gave Rowen a strong hint that it was time to stop lurking and see her after the show. Feeling emboldened by the jubilant mood of the night, Rowen did just that and was overjoyed, if a little chagrined, to discover that Sara had feelings for him too.

Arrival of the Empire[]

Due to being backstage with Sara, Rowen was unaware that Imperial troops had arrived at the Opal Field in search of two of Halo Squadron's pilots, Sevteyl Groy and Feenan Pensi, who were former members of the Rebel Alliance. Jeg tried to stall the Imperials long enough for the other pilots to get to safety, but the situation rapidly went from bad to worse. Although the Halos were able to avoid the ground troops, the Imperial ship in orbit, a Nebulon-B Frigate known as the Fallout, sent down its TIE Fighters to take out Halo Squadron's hangar. If Sevteyl and Feenan couldn't be taken alive, the commander in charge, Redfalrus Chet, was determined to make sure that they paid for their crimes against the Empire with their lives.

Saldora fought back as best it could, but was ultimately no match for the Imperial might and skill arrayed against it. Hornet Squadron was completely wiped out; Viper Squadron was all but decimated; and Halo Squadron ended up losing some good pilots before they could even get off the ground. After making a promise to Sara that he would find a way to get back to her and free Saldora, Rowen was forced to issue retreat orders or risk seeing Halo Squadron completely destroyed.

The remaining pilots of Halo Squadron, the few stragglers left from Viper Squadron, smuggler Drez Mernik, and defected Imperial pilot Corbett Norradore, fled to the nearby planet of Aloraj. Rowen was quick to blame himself for Saldora's fate, believing that if he hadn't hired Sevteyl and Feenan that the Empire never would have come to the planet. Jeg was just as quick to poke some holes in his friend's self-damnation by pointing out that the Empire would have come whether he had hired the two or not. This seemed to put an end to Rowen's recriminations and put him back on the right track.

The Battle of Saldora[]

After speaking with Corbett about the nature of Redfalrus Chet, Rowen was able to come up with a plan. He had Sevteyl and Feenan reveal themselves to an Imperial patrol and then flee into the asteroid ring around Aloraj. At first Chet only sent his TIE's after the pair, but when the the fighters began disappearing thanks to the other Halo fighters laying in wait, he had no choice but to take in the Nebulon-B to deal with the lot of them. Although Chet was appreciably cautious about flying such a large ship into asteroid ring, he also couldn't let his fugitives escape.

While some of the fighters kept the Nebulon-B busy, Rowen, along with a handful of other fighters, simultaneously fired their warheads at an enormous asteroid. The resulting combined explosions would send the asteroid hurtling towards the capital ship. The impact ended up destroying the Fallout, taking out the biggest obstacle to Saldora's freedom. With Chet no more, Rowen and the rest returned to Saldora to mop up the remaining Imperials on the ground. This sequence of events, despite little of it occurring on Saldora itself, would soon become known as the Battle of Saldora.

Once again, Rowen was celebrated as a hero. He was also in for a shock when Sara revealed to him later that night that she was secretly working as an intelligence operative for the Rebel Alliance. She wanted Rowen and Halo Squadron to join the Rebels and fight the Empire; Rowen's actions in freeing Saldora was only further proof of how much he could offer the Alliance. Rowen was overjoyed to finally be able realize his dream of fighting the Empire's tyranny, but he gave each pilot in Halo a choice as to whether they came with him or not. Most did, a few did not, and a couple of days later, Rowen left Saldora for the larger Galactic Civil War.

The Rebel Alliance[]

"We're moving up now, Rowen, these are the people who blew up the Death Star."
"Yeah, and we're up against the people who built it. Let's hope they never get it in their heads to try and build another.
"
— Jeg Feniv and Rowen Halomek
HaloSquad

Rowen during his time in the Rebellion.

Rowen ended up joining the Rebellion a month after the Battle of Yavin and one of his first memorable experiences was being asked by Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles if he was interested in joining the new fighter group they were assembling, known as Rogue Squadron. Rowen's eligibility stemmed from his actions at the Battle of Saldora and although he was honored to be considered, he turned them down, stating that he intended to get Halo Squadron back up to fighting strength.

This proved to be easier said than done, since most of the best talent went into the Rogue Squadron project, however Rowen had an advantage in that he didn't require pilots to learn how to pilot a particular craft to join Halo since he intended to keep it mixed craft. Thanks to this, he was able to start serious training before the Rogues could acquire enough members to do the same. Since both squadrons started training at roughly the same time, a friendly rivalry of sorts was born between the two squadrons. It was something Rowen encouraged, seeing the competition as a great motivation for his pilots to constantly work on improving their skills.

New Troubles[]

Halo Squadron, in addition to beating Rogue Squadron to active training, also had the honor of being deemed mission-ready before the other squadron. It was during this first mission, a routine hit-and-fade, that Rowen discovered a hidden danger about fighting for the Rebel Alliance. In short, several of the pilots had an excess of moral outrage towards the Empire. Many of the pilots who had joined Halo Squadron refused to listen to his orders to pull out after their primary mission had been completed, believing that they shouldn't stop until every Imperial was dead. This attitude resulted in many of them getting killed when the Empire's reinforcements arrived.

Needless to say, Rowen's first mission, while completed successfully, was considered by him to be a disaster. Only a little over half of the squadron made it back, forcing Rowen to put the squadron back into downtime while more recruits were found. It was a bitter lesson for Rowen, but one he took to heart, as he refined his selection process, and training techniques, to try and keep the situation from ever coming up again. The only bright side Rowen saw to the whole affair was that it gave him more time to spend with Sara.

Or so he thought...

As it turned out, Sara had proven herself well enough to become an agent in the field. Her new operating procedure was to use her gigs as an entertainer to secretly gather intel within Imperial territory. Rowen was dismayed to say the least, even though he knew that their duties to the Rebellion came before their burgeoning relationship. To help make it up to him, Sara gave him an R2-unit to replace the one he had lost in his first mission. The droid, R2-G1, had been in her family since before the Clone Wars, and had worked with her after she had joined up with the Alliance as well. In this way, Sara explained that she'd always be with him on his missions. Rowen was honored, but embarrassed, because he had nothing to give her in return. Amused, Sara simply made him promise to take out some of the enemy for her. Rowen agreed without hesitation.

Gale[]

Gale

R2-G1 (Gale).

"You mean you were actually at the Battle of Coruscant?! Hot damn!"
— Rowen to Gale

R2-G1, or "Gale" as Rowen soon nicknamed him, proved to be an astromech with few equals. As Rowen would find out later, the droid had not only served in the Clone Wars, but had first been activated roughly sixty years before the Clone Wars had even taken place; all without a single memory wipe. This enormous amount of experience benefited Rowen's flying immensely. Gale was able to coordinate the Y-wing's systems so efficiently that there was a noticeable increase in performance. Not only that, the droid proved to be an excellent shot and was soon put in charge of the starfighter's ion cannon turret, making the Mursa a threat from almost any angle.

The two got along famously. Not only was Rowen impressed with the droid's performance, but he was eager to hear everything Gale could tell him about the R2-unit's time during the Clone Wars - particularly anything having to do with Anakin Skywalker. For Rowen it brought back his childhood memories of first hearing about the Jedi's exploits and the firsthand accounts by Gale made them even more special. Gale, on the other hand, was grateful that Rowen treated him like an equal and not a piece of machinery and from that point onward, the two became an inseparable team.

The War Rages On[]

"If I ever get Vader in my sights, I'm going to make him pay for what he did to Anakin."
— Rowen Halomek, circa 2 ABY.

As the Galactic Civil War continued unabated in the years following the destruction of the Death Star, Rogue Squadron quickly took the spotlight as the premier starfighter squadron of the Alliance. Although Halo Squadron acquitted itself well, they were never involved in any high profile missions like Rogue. However, they were recognized as one of the top squadrons and the friendly rivalry between the two continued in spite of the prominence Rogue had received.

As for Halo, they made a name for themselves as convoy raiders and hit-and-fade specialists. Rowen was basically allowed to run the squadron as he saw fit, the only true difficulty he ever received from Alliance High Command was their initial desire to disguise the squadron as pirates due to the mixed craft composition of the squadron. It was something Rowen refused to do. No matter the cause, he wouldn’t sully Mursa’s memory by pretending to be a pirate. He would raid convoys, but only as a member of the Alliance.

This put him at odds with Starfighter Command to the point where he threatened to resign if they tried to force him to go through with the pirate angle. Rowen’s threat was given more weight when it was learned that just about every member of Halo Squadron would leave with him if he went. In the end, a compromise was worked out. Halo Squadron would not deliberately try to pass themselves off as pirates, but they also would not make it known that they were with the Alliance to their enemies. It would be up to the Imperials to come to their own conclusions.

A New Home[]

Typhoon

The Typhoon.

The success of Halo Squadron eventually got them assigned to a MC40a Light Cruiser known as the Typhoon where they became the ship’s sole starfighter squadron. Even though the MC40a was capable of fielding two squadrons, Halo’s divergent composition made it necessary to allow room for the different types of craft that the squadron used. With the Typhoon backing them up, Halo Squadron was given more impressive missions to undertake; a challenge they met eagerly.

The ship became like a second home for the squadron, and in the case of some members, it was the only home they had. The Typhoon would quickly become as indelibly linked to Halo Squadron and its reputation as Rowen was. They never grabbed the spotlight like Rogue Squadron did, but they still managed an impressive record all the same.

A year before the Battle of Hoth, Sara was able to transfer herself to the Typhoon so that she and Rowen could spend more time together. All her future missions would launch from the ship, meaning that her downtime could be spent with him. Rowen certainly had no complaints about the arrangement, but it proved to be beneficial for everyone since Halo Squadron ended up becoming her unofficial guardians.

Rowen and Sara being an item was already well known by the squadron, and she was well-liked by the pilots. At first the squadron just flew cover for her if she needed an extraction, but as time went on several members volunteered to help her out on her missions, which eventually added undercover work to Halo Squadron’s profile.

The Battle of Endor[]

"Alright, Halos, this is the big one! I know it looks hopeless, but if we can pull off a miracle here, we can end this war! And if this turns out to be our last battle, I want you to know that it was an honor flying with all of you."
— Rowen to Halo Squadron at the start of the Battle of Endor.
Rowenendor

Rowen at the pre-battle briefing.

In the lead-up to what would become one of the single most defining battles of the Galactic Civil War, Halo Squadron and the Typhoon were ordered to join the Alliance Fleet amassing at Sullust. It was there that Rowen learned about the incomplete Death Star II during Mon Mothma’s briefing, as well as the news that Vader and the Emperor would be present during the planned attack. It quickly became apparent that Endor represented the culmination of the Rebellion’s efforts. A successful strike could mean an end to the war. A failed strike could well spell the end of the Alliance.

In the little downtime they had before the fleet was to jump to Endor, Rowen allowed his pilots to spend it in their own way, knowing that many of them might not make it back. Rowen himself spent the time with Sara and decided to propose to her. To his delight, she agreed, but told him the ceremony would have to wait until after the battle, to provide a little extra “motivation” for him to come back alive and victorious.

Desperate Struggle[]

Rhyw

Rowen during the Battle of Endor.

Things didn’t start off well when the fleet jumped in and discovered that not only was the Death Star II’s shield still up, half the Imperial fleet was also laying in wait for them. It quickly became obvious that Palpatine had set up everything to trap them, which was further punctuated by the revelation that the Death Star II’s superlaser was fully operational. With retreat not being an option, Rowen found himself privately agreeing with Lando Calrissian’s suggestion that they engage the Imperial fleet at point-blank range and use it as cover against the superlaser.

Rowen and the Rebels gave as good as they got, but it was clear the Imperials had the superior firepower and the superior numbers. Unless the Death Star II’s shield went down, the best the Alliance could hope for was to go down fighting. Thankfully the strike team on Endor managed to come through, allowing Lando to lead Red and Gold groups into the superstructure to try and knock out the reactor.

Rowen was not part of these groups, but he did lead the charge after the Imperial starfighters who pursued them, taking out as many enemy starfighters as he could to give the other pilots a chance at completing their objective. After doing all he could, Rowen found a way out and mere minutes later the Death Star II was destroyed by Lando and Wedge. The Alliance’s seemingly impossible battle had been won.

Aftermath[]

"Anakin and Vader were the same person? I… I can hardly believe it…"
— Rowen to Luke Skywalker

During the celebration on Endor, Rowen was shocked to learn from Luke the truth about Darth Vader, but was able to reconcile the shattered image of one of his heroes when he also learned that it had been Anakin who had disposed of Emperor Palpatine. After the festivities, Rowen put Halo Squadron on extended hiatus while he and Sara returned to Saldora to get married. As it turned out, the hiatus was a necessity since the surviving members of the squadron insisted on attending. Rowen named Jeg as his best man, and Captain Trakan, of the Typhoon, was chosen to officiate. Perhaps the most notable wedding present was Jeg’s, which was a new Koensayr Citadel-class Cruiser, later dubbed the Skiron, that became their personal transport.

After the wedding, Rowen gave Jeg temporary command of Halo Squadron while he and Sara planned to spend their honeymoon visiting the famed Gold Beaches of Corellia. This plan was later derailed after reports came in of a heavy Imperial presence amassed at Corellia, so they altered it to spend it instead at the Lake Country on Naboo. The honeymoon was enjoyed by both, and during it they decided that they both wanted children, but the time wasn’t right; not with the galaxy still in turmoil.

The New Republic[]

"New Republic is a bit literal, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps, but you can’t deny that it makes a statement.”
“It’s less of a mouthful than 'Alliance of Free Planets' at any rate.
"
— Rowen and Sara
Sigarr Halomek 002

Rowen's brother, Sigarr, is put in charge of REC.

With the Rebel Alliance becoming the Alliance of Free Planets after the victory at Endor, hundreds of worlds had the courage to throw off the yoke of the Empire. A short time later, with the Declaration of a New Republic, the New Republic was officially born. With the establishment of the government, many problems cropped up, not the least of which was how to deal with the remnants of the Empire, however the Republic put many of its heroes to use off of the battlefield as well. Rowen, like many of the more well-known members of the Rebellion, found himself being paraded around to try and help sway planets and governments who might be on the fence about joining up with the New Republic. It wasn't something Rowen was comfortable with, preferring to just be a pilot, but thankfully Jeg took to it instantly and helped Rowen on many of his ambassadorial missions.

Rowen was also surprised to discover that his brother, Sigarr, who had served in several functions behind the lines, including as a member of Alliance Underground Engineering, and later part of the Alliance Intelligence division that helped counter Imperial propaganda, had risen to become the CEO of the newly created Republic Engineering Corporation. It wasn't that Rowen doubted his brother could do the job, on the contrary he knew how skilled Sigarr was, his surprise stemmed from the fact that the Provisional Council had given the job to one so relatively young. It made Rowen really notice just how far his brother had come. Sigarr, indeed, quickly proved that the choice to make him CEO was not misplaced as he set to task making REC a business that could compete with the likes of Kuat Drive Yards or Sienar Fleet Systems.

The years the followed the Battle of Endor were relatively peaceful. With the Empire in disarray and its many warlords fighting amongst themselves for territory, the New Republic was able to grow by leaps and bounds. However the steady decline of the Empire was not to continue, for forces within were taking control of the government to unify it and make it a threat once again.

The War Renewed[]

Rebelpilots

Rowen hanging out with his fellow pilots.

The period between 7 ABY and 11 ABY saw the galaxy come as close as it had ever been in recent memory to total anarchy. With the turnabout of the Empire, thanks to a man named James Ardin, the two governments fought each other in bitter conflict and, for the first time, on roughly equal footing.

Rowen and Halo Squadron contributed where they could, but the constant back and forth on the battlelines made any thoughts of a final victory a dubious idea. The idealism of the Rebellion was fading, and the euphoria from the Battle of Endor had long since vanished. The only thing to take their places was bloodshed and questionable practices on both sides.

When things got so bad that the New Republic declared martial law, Rowen deeply considered resigning his commission in protest, feeling that it could lead to a slippery slope situation in which the New Republic became the New Empire. He stayed on, however, in the hope that the New Republic would find a way to carve out a decisive victory to break the stalemate. This was eventually realized after the New Republic managed to take Coruscant. A truce was declared for the first time between the two warring superpowers, bringing about an opportunity for peace. Sure, it wasn’t a total victory, but Rowen was willing to take a tense agreement with an enemy to full-blown warfare any day.

Unfortunately, this truce disappeared after James Ardin mysteriously did the same. More war followed. When Ardin reappeared about a year later, Rowen had hope that another truce could be realized, but these hopes were dashed after Ardin was assassinated at a trial for the terrorist known as Tainer. Even worse, his brother, Delth Ardin, went mad and went on a rampage. Surprisingly this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Delth’s rage knew no boundaries, and he attacked the Empire as well as the New Republic.

By the time Delth was stopped, the newest Regent for the Empire, Kyle Marion, tried to continue the war, but he lacked the leadership skills of his forbearers. The New Republic finally began to gain ground. The war became so one-sided that eventually Marion was willing to strike a deal with the New Republic that would bring about a new peace and effectively make the Republic the undisputed dominant power in the galaxy. It seemed as though the long fight Rowen and so many others had endured would finally be over.

It was not to be.

A New Emperor[]

"Sithspit!”
“You just said a mouthful, Jeg.
"
— Jeg and Rowen

On the eve of the accord that would cede the New Republic the entire Core, Marion was unexpectedly assassinated by the Empire’s Intelligence Director, Damascus, who then declared himself the new Emperor and rallied the Empire to war. At first Rowen and many others believed the resurgence would be short-lived as the Empire had been steadily losing ground for months, however they were quickly proved wrong as the conflict quickly escalated.

The worst surprise of all was the appearance of a third Death Star, one that appeared to suffer none of the weaknesses of its predecessors. The New Republic had no answer for the massive battlestation and was forced to give ground wherever it appeared. The hardest defeat to take came when the Empire retook Coruscant and, by doing so, reestablishing the Empire’s legitimacy.

Things looked dire. The New Republic had to setup a temporary command over Corellia with its ally, the Corellian Commonwealth, but Damascus wasn’t content to give his enemies the chance to recover. Mere weeks after recapturing Coruscant, he rallied the Empire’s forces for one last final strike that would put an end to the New Republic forever.

Rowen and Halo Squadron were among the stalwart defenders who planned to meet the Empire in one desperate last stand.

The Battle of Corellia[]

BoC

The Battle of Corellia.

The Battle of Corellia was poised to be one of the most decisive battles of the Galactic Civil War. It was an odd reversal from the situation at Endor years before, with the Imperial fleet and a Death Star assaulting a New Republic stronghold. Rowen and Halo Squadron fought with all the courage and skill they possessed, but the Empire’s numbers were too great and Death Star III too insurmountable to overcome.

Not even the surprise addition of a rogue anti-Damascus Imperial fleet under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn, or Nichalus Dreadstar’s activation of Centerpoint Station, seemed capable of turning the tide. It took the appearance of a wholly unforeseen third factor, the sudden and unexpected arrival of the A.I. entity known as GAIT, which destroyed the Death Star III before turning on the rest of the combatants, to turn the battle into a stalemate.

With Emperor Damascus killed aboard his flagship by Delth Ardin, Grand Admiral Thrawn assumed command of the Empire. The end result of the Battle of Corellia turned out to be a truce between the New Republic and the Empire in the face of the threat GAIT posed to all. At the time, to Rowen, the attack by GAIT seemed like a blessing in disguise since it created a peace by necessity between the superpowers.

Unfortunately all it really meant was that they were trading one war for another that would prove to be far worse.

The Xen'Chi[]

"Yet another war amongst the stars... Would that make us star warriors?"
"I'm not going to dignify that with a response, Jeg.
"
— Jeg and Rowen

The Xen'Chi Invasion, which Rowen would later learn was spearheaded by GAIT, lasted from the start of 14 ABY to the end of 16 ABY, and seemed to push an already fragile New Republic close to its breaking point. During this time, Halo Squadron saw more action on the front lines than ever before. It seemed as though every world on the Republic's borders was hit by some kind of attack. It was essentially three years of hell for Rowen. Many good pilots and friends that had flown with Rowen throughout the Galactic Civil War didn't end up surviving against the Xen'Chi's numbers and sheer ferocity in battle.

One of the few bright spots for him during the war was the fact that there were no undercover missions for Sara when it came to the Xen'Chi. The culture of the aliens seemed utterly incompatible with the galactic melting pot, which meant there weren't any opportunities for Sara to use her singing career to gain intel on the enemy. As a result, she was kept on permanent standby on the Typhoon as a battle analyst, which afforded Rowen plenty of time to spend with her between the frequent battles - something that both of them made the most of.

Against all odds, the Republic managed to hold together under the onslaught and even eventually mount a counterattack that joined up with the Empire's own counterattack for the epic Battle of Chil'a'Chin. Although the end of the battle saw the Empire initiate a Base Delta Zero on the Xen'Chi's homeworld, Rowen - and indeed anyone from the New Republic - was hardly in a position to stop them or even protest too strongly. It was the only occasion where Rowen secretly found himself condoning an act of Imperial genocide. The Xen'Chi had been a bloodthirsty and ruthless warrior race that had shunned all attempts at diplomacy. Destroying their homeworld seemed like the only possible means to break their might and end the war.

Thankfully, with GAIT destroyed by the actions of Kalja Sairu Leidias, Delth Ardin, and Force-users across the galaxy, the war did in fact end days later. The Xen'Chi Dominion was broken and only a few strongholds of their power remained as the rest of their empire crumbled against the might of a vengeful galaxy.

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