Vansen Tyree

"I don't trust Jedi. You are peacekeepers. Diplomats. At best, you're half-decent Generals; but Generals have no place commanding fleets in battle. ... You may be pretty formidable with those laser swords of yours, but I'd much rather have a squad of clones watching my back than a single one of you."

―Vansen Tyree, to Loklorien s'Ilancy

Following in the footsteps of his father, Tyree joined the Rendili Home Defense Fleet at sixteen. He served first aboard the Triumph and then the Relentless - both Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers. Once his officer training was complete, he eventually left the Home Defense Fleet in order to join the Republic's Judicial Forces.

Tyree served aboard the Brenik, where he qualified as a fighter pilot. He was still aboard and serving as a Major when the Clone Wars broke out; but the influx of clone troopers caused many of the "less expendable" veterans to be reassigned into leadership and command roles. Vansen became a Tactical Officer commanding the V-19 Torrent Wing aboard the Challenger, a Venator-class Star Destroyer|Venator Attack Cruiser.

The Challenger was badly damaged during the Battle of Bothawui; Vansen was selected by Captain Anpher Inirial to serve as his Executive Officer aboard the Valkyrie, one of the new Victor Star Destroyers. After participating in the Victory Fleet's early campaign against the Bulwark Fleet, the Valkyrie entered mainstream service: for a time, Padawan Loklorien s'Ilancy was assigned aboard, to gain experience in starship combat and tactics. After Captain Inirial was injured in the line of duty, Vansen assumed command, and remained Captain of the Valkyrie for the rest of the Clone Wars and well into the New Order.

As an Imperial officer, Captain Tyree was ultimately given command of an Imperial Star Destroyer: the Horizon (ISD)|Horizon. He remained in command for the rest of his career, which ended prematurely after the destruction of Alderaan. While visiting home on shoreleave, he became caught when a protest outside a Rendili Navy Yard turned violent. Already unsettled by the planet's destruction - and the death of Anpher Inirial and his family, who were on Alderaan at the time - he chose to use the medical grounds to retire from service, and settled down into what he hoped would be a quiet life on Thalia.

After the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance found itself in need of experienced veterans to replace its losses. Vansen was approached and, after quite some convincing, was drafted to serve within the Rebel fleet. He first commanded the Valiant, an MC40a Star Cruiser assigned to hit-and-run operations against Imperial supply lines along the Hydian Way. Having witnessed such battle tactics from the Imperial side, Captain Tyree was well aware of the weaknesses that could be exploited, and used them to great effect.

He was later given a Task Force to command, and assumed command of a Vindicator Heavy Cruiser, which the Alliance named Horizon in honour of his earlier command. Tyree led his Task Force during the Liberation of Bothawui, and was responsible for a decisive Alliance victory. Promoted to Commodore, his Task Force was subsequently deployed to run interdiction and interception along the Perlemian Trade Route, cutting off one of the main supply routes in and out of the Corporate Sector.

Some time later, the Rebel Alliance pledged to defend a convoy of Jedi refugees, known as The Wheel. Secrecy was paramount, and so great lengths were taken to covertly reallocate resources without alerting the Alliance at large. Tyree was ultimately selected to command the defense forces, and transferred his flag to the Challenger - the same ship he had served on nearly thirty years previously - so that the Horizon could continue her mission without arousing Imptel's suspicion. He commanded the Wheel through a number of scuffles with Imperial patrols, and pioneered a number of initiatives to increase the Wheel's defenses without relying on the Alliance for resources.

"Your mother asked me to keep an eye on you. But I will not accept misbehaviour on my ship. Is that understood, young lady?"

―Vansen Tyree, to Teagan s'Ilancy

Tyree was born to be an Executive Officer: his premature baldness came hand in hand with premature bitterness, a quick temper, and glaring. His callsign - "Tyrant" - is incredibly fitting: at first it was selected because of his apparent enjoyment of ranting like an old man, but became even more apt given his near tyranical approach to command.

Beneath the incredibly thick and cantancerous hide of his personality however are occasional glimpses of good nature and even tenderness. Tyree can be incredibly supportive, sensitive, and understanding when the situation calls for it, making it difficult to determine how much of his apparent personality is an exaggerated front.

Anpher Inirial
During the Clone Wars, Tyree became the Executive Officer to Captain Anpher Inirial: who in turn had served as the XO to Vansen's father. Inirial became something of a mentor to Tyree, and though their service together was comparatively brief, the friendship that resulted outlasted it by decades. Not only was the destruction of Alderaan a galactic tragedy: the death of Anpher Inirial turned it into a deep, personal loss for Tyree. Discovering that two of Inirial's children - Adonis and Carré - he has taken it upon himself to keep an eye on them.

Loklorien s'Ilancy
Tyree first met Loklorien s'Ilancy during the Clone Wars, back when he was a Commander and she was a Padawan. The two had a confrontational relationship to start with, but eventually managed to establish a grudging respect and even friendship. The two were reunited by the Rebel Alliance, both as Commodores: Tyree commanded the vessels protecting the Jedi fugitives in The Wheel, while s'Ilancy served as their liaison to the military. The two now get along like old friends - emphasis on the 'old'.

Teagan s'Ilancy
The Commodore's self-appointed nemesis, Teagan s'Ilancy knows no fear, and has no patience for grumpy old men who aren't any fun. She has inherited her mother's ability to get under Tyree's skin, and her invulnerability to his otherwise devastating glare. Babysitting for young Teagan is Vansen Tyree's own personal hell.