TIE Defender
TIE/d, TIE/d Multi-Role Starfighter, TIE Defender Elite
History of TIE Defender
The TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter, also called the TIE/D Defender or simply the TIE Defender, was an advanced experimental TIE line starfighter manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems for the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire. The starfighter was referred to as the TIE Defender project while under development. Unlike previous TIE models, the starfighter featured a hyperdrive as well as deflector shields, and was easily recognized by its three wings mounted around an aft section of the cockpit. These specifications made the fighter much more difficult to destroy than standard TIE fighters. In the year 2 BBY, the Galactic Empire, at the instigation of Grand Admiral Thrawn, began preparations to mass produce TIE Defenders at the Imperial Factory on the planet Lothal. With the help of Ryder Azadi's Lothal resistance group, the Spectres stole the starfighter's schematics. Upon seeing the Defender's specifications, Captain Hera Syndulla of Phoenix Cell feared that if the Empire were to mass produce them, their pilots wouldn't have a chance against them. According to some accounts from the Sienar Advanced Projects Laboratory, Thrawn showed the designers a rare Kamino saberdart to convey several of his proposals for aspects of the Defender. The saberdart showcased the proposed shape and positions of the Defender's wings, as well as the "unparalleled" visibility and heightened maneuverability the design would grant its pilots. Thrawn's project was supported by high-ranking Imperial officials, such as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Grand Admiral Balanhai Savit as well as Emperor Palpatine himself. Although most of the Empire's R&D funding was tied up in Project Stardust, supervised by Director Orson Krennic, Tarkin and other Imperial leaders had become dissatisfied with its progress, which had turned into a costly operation without yielding any results. This allowed Thrawn, backed by the disgruntled Tarkin, who was a rival to Krennic, to acquire the funding necessary to begin production of the TIE Defender on Lothal. Thrawn's fighter initiative was able to produce a prototype for the TIE Defender in a short amount of time, and it was first used during a mission to capture the rebel senator Mon Mothma. The Ghost crew transported the senator through the Archeon Nebula to avoid Imperial capital ships. Thrawn then tasked the TIE fighter pilot Vult Skerris to pilot the prototype and flush the rebels out into the open, with the assistance of two TIE Interceptors. The experimental fighter proved to be very effective against the rebel pilots, as Skerris easily destroyed three Y-wing starfighters of Gold Squadron. The rebels then attempted to defeat Skerris by getting close to a forming star in the nebula, but the ship was able to withstand the extreme temperature which burned up the TIE Interceptors. Eventually, the rebel pilots Lieutenant Commander Ezra Bridger and Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander managed to disable the prototype by hitting the ship with an ion cannon before making their escape. Despite the failed mission, the mission was seen as a relatively successful test of the new ship. Defenders were used by the Seventh Fleet and eventually Darth Vader himself after he, Thrawn, and the fleet engaged in a conflict against the Grysk Hegemony. After completing their mission, Vader spoke to Thrawn about the Defender. He informed Thrawn that he believed the Defender was an excellent ship and that he would speak to the Emperor on behalf of the project. Vader informed Thrawn that the ship, however, needed to be faster and more heavily armed than it currently was. The ship's controls also needed to be simpler to handle. Thrawn thanked Vader for his input and assured him that he would relay the Sith Lord's recommendations to the facility on Lothal once they had returned to Coruscant. Later, a new prototype, the TIE/D Defender Elite, was produced on Lothal, adding Vader's recommendations. This model had superior speed, maneuverability, shields, and weapons. One TIE Defender Elite was stolen by members of the Spectres, who had recently returned to Lothal. Thrawn activated the TIE's kill switch, causing the ship to crash, however the Spectres were able to salvage the ship's hyperdrive and flight data recorder. Eventually, the flight data recorder made its way to the Rebel Alliance and they decided to launch an attack on Lothal. In the ensuing battle, another TIE Defender Elite was used by Skerris, but was shot down by the rebels and crashed into a Arquitens-class command cruiser, which in turn crashed into the bridge tower of an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer. With Skerris's death, Benj Dobbs was promoted to serve as commander of Thrawn's Defender squadron. After the failed attack on Lothal and the capture of General Hera Syndulla, Tarkin contacted Thrawn, telling him that Krennic had been arguing strongly in favor of his project and that the TIE Defender program's funding was at risk of being pulled away to fund the continued construction of the Death Star. In order to persuade the Emperor to continue supporting the TIE Defender, Tarkin arranged a meeting with the Emperor for Thrawn, who immediately departed Lothal for Coruscant. Soon after his departure, a rescue of Syndulla was attempted by the remaining rebels on the planet. Although Governor of Lothal Arihnda Pryce was successful in cornering the rebels as they made their escape through the factory's fuel depot, her determination to stop them led her to order the destruction of the depot. The resulting explosion resulted in the death of rebel leader and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, dealing a crippling blow to the rebels but an even bigger one to the Empire. With the fuel depot destroyed, the factory was instantly shut down and production of the TIE/D Defenders was brought to an indefinite halt. Thrawn was notably displeased with Pryce's actions, telling her that he will deal with her upon his return to Lothal. The funding for the TIE Defender project was ultimately taken away from the program, instead being funded into the Death Star. Nevertheless, Tarkin noted that, after the completion of the superweapon, he will restore funding for construction of the Defender. During the Liberation of Lothal, Thrawn was taken out of galactic affairs by Bridger, who summoned a pod of Purrgil to take the Chimaera away to deep space. Nevertheless, the TIE Defender would still see some use throughout the further Galactic Civil War. Following the battle at Jekara, several TIE Defenders were used by Dark Squadron under bounty hunter Beilert Valance. On the order of Vader, the squadron used their defenders to take out Admiral Tarl Sokoli aboard the Forerunner II. The fighters were available to Captain Kosh of the 68th Legion. At least one Defender flew during the Battle of Jakku and was destroyed, crashing into the Graveyard of Giants. Although the TIE/D never saw widespread use during the Galactic Civil War, its nature was revived by First Order tacticians who saw it as a versatile attack craft to throw at New Republic forces. Many of its features were incorporated into the TIE/sf space superiority fighter, which were later refined in the TIE/vn space superiority fighter. In addition to using the Defenders' features in the TIE/sf and TIE/vn models, First Order officials revived the Imperial TIE Defender program and regarded the TIE/D as a versatile attack craft. Further more, the TIE Defender's hybrid nature as a fighter-bomber influenced the design of Kylo Ren's TIE silencer. A customised TIE/D was used by Kiza, a former member of the Acolytes of the Beyond, in 21 ABY during her hunt to find Exegol.
TIE Defender is also known as; TIE/d, TIE/d Multi-Role Starfighter, TIE Defender Elite
