Outback Squadron
From FEInfobase
In the late 2380s, Starfleet was suffering heavily in the Borg War. Ship and personnel losses were heavy, and Star Fighter Command in particular had just found itself to be at almost half of its original strength. Borg ships would almost literally cleave through starfighter squadrons, and they proved to be somewhat ineffective against their enemies, prompting both heavy losses and little desire to rebuild them.
When Falcon Squadron, one of the foremost fighter squadrons of the Federation, was all but destroyed at the battle of Khitomer, some thought this would signal the end for an effective starfighter presence in Starfleet. The recovery of the sole survivor, Lieutenant Joseph Ryan, was the catalyst for change. Ryan, a devoted pilot, managed to convince Starfleet Command to give him control of a final, spear-heading project to revitalise the fading presence of Starfighter Command in the Fleet.
This project was the new, elite, cutting-edge unit that was Outback Squadron. Made up of officers who were not just the best pilots of their generation but also the most innovative, Outback Squadron set out to both become one of the most effective front-line fighter squadrons in the Federation and a test-bed for a new age of starfighter combat tactics. Under the command of Ryan, the squadron developed modern smallcraft combat and brought it into the modern age, an age where battles against an enemy like the Borg were common.
As such, Outback was ultimately recognised across the Federation, for both its individual achievements in the Wars and the way in which it had influenced. The Squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions at the Battle of Delonnois III in 2395, and many of its pilots were highly decorated as the wars went on.
When the Battle of Sol came around, the squadron was at full strength - and yet, Outback met its demise over the long conflict on Earth. All but the three senior officers were killed in the battle, though the unit remained strong throughout the fighting and had several significant kills to its name by the end of the fight.
Outback Squadron, although too devastated once the battle was over to be reformed, was awarded a second, 'posthumous' Presidential Unit Citation for its role in the fighting, one of the very few units to be awarded such an honour twice in the Borg War. The three survivors, Squadron CO Joseph Ryan, Squadron XO Kate Galloway, and Flight Leader Jason McQueen went their separate ways with the conflict over, and the squadron has since faded into memory and myth in Starfleet.
The squadron's motto was 'Alea Jacta Est', meaning 'The Die is Cast', a quote of Julius Caesar and signifying that, for Outback Squadron, there was no turning back from their duty of eradicating the Borg threat. Considering their mortality rating, with only four pilots who ever joined the squadron seeing the end of the war, the motto is considered to have been accurate.
Pilots of Outback Squadron
Outback One:
Joseph Ryan (Edge), 2389 - 2398, Squadron Commanding Officer and One-Flight Leader (Human Male from Earth) [Current Status: Squadron Commanding Officer, 12th EDF]
Outback Two:
Jason McQueen (Flash), 2389 - 2394 (Human Male from Luna) [Current Status: Test Pilot, Zephyria Base]
Iara Bauw (Archer), 2394 - 2398 (Betazoid Female from Betazed) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Three:
Antonia Young (Angel), 2389 - 2398 (Human Female from Earth) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Four:
Valen Fiore (Spectre), 2389 - 2398 (Bajoran Female from Bajor) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Five:
Michael Pulaski (Minotaur), 2389 - 90, Squadron Executive Officer and Two-Flight Leader (Human Male from Io) [Current Status: DECEASED, Borg Skirmish at Yunta Fava]
Kate Galloway (Blitz), 2390 - 2398, Squadron Executive Officer and Two-Flight Leader (Human Female from Earth) [Current Status: Base Executive Officer, Chief Test Pilot, Flight Manager, Zephyria Base]
Outback Six:
Bevan Garr (Shock), 2389 - 2391 (Cardassian Male from Cardassia) [Current Status: DECEASED, Borg Skirmish at Betazed]
Harrick (Gambit), 2391 - 2395 (Andorian Male from Andoria) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Delonois III]
George Southerly (Blackjack), 2395 - 2398 (Human Male from Elannis VI) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Seven:
Korad Jarn (Jester), 2389 - 2395 (Bolian Male from Bolarus IX) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Delonois III]
SuDaj (Huntress), 2395 - 2398 (Klingon Female from Qo'noS) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Eight:
Dusev Kallovus (Pilgrim), 2389 (Bajoran Male from Bajor) [Current Status: DECEASED, Accident in Drilling]
Scovek (Psycho), 2389 - 2398 (Vulcan Male from Vulcan) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Nine:
Erika Dagmar (Cobra), 2389 - 2394, Three-Flight Leader (Human Female from Earth) [Current Status: Squadron Commanding Officer, 4th Earth Defence Force Squadron]
Jason McQueen (Flash), 2394 - 2398, Three-Flight Leader (Human Male from Luna) [Current Status: Test Pilot, Zephyria Base]
Outback Ten:
Fiarinna (Obsidian), 2389 - 2391 (Orion Female from Orion) [Current Status: DECEASED, Borg Skirmish at Betazed]
Jovus (Smokey), 2391 - 2395 (Denobulan Male from Denobula) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Delonois III]
Juan Cortez (Bear), 2395 - 2398 (Human Male from Earth) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Eleven:
James O'Malley (Vertigo), 2389 - 2398 (Human Male from Titan) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]
Outback Twelve:
Lann Caulrey (Maestro), 2389 - 2398 (Betazoid Male from Betazed) [Current Status: DECEASED, Battle of Sol]