The Needle, or Snapper's Needle, as named by New Republic pilots, was a combat maneuver used by TIE fighter pilots of the Galactic Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing during the Galactic Civil War in which a flight of TIEs would entrap an enemy starfighter, ensuring it had nowhere to go prior to its destruction.
204th pilot Garl Lykan favored the Needle maneuver while he, among two TIE fighter squadrons, hunted the New Republic EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Hellion's Dare in a series of battles in 4 ABY. The New Republic pilots gave the Needle its nickname during the battles and referred to Lykan as "Snapper." Lykan used the Needle another time to kill the New Republic airspeeder pilot Ubellikos during a battle at the planet Troithe in 5 ABY. When Lykan later perished in the Ghonoath system, a funeral was held for him, and Lieutenant Darita of the 204th showed the Needle, by sketch, to the fighter wing's new recruits.
The maneuver nicknamed the Needle or Snapper's Needle by pilots of the New Republic was an offensive tactic where a flight of starfighters pinned down its target so that it had nowhere to go before destroying it.
Members of the 204th (unit pictured) used the Needle maneuver.
In 4 ABY, TIE fighter pilots of the Galactic Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing deployed the Needle during their hunt of the New Republic EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Hellion's Dare and its escort squadrons, Riot Squadron and Hound Squadron, in the Oridol Cluster. One of the 204th pilots, Garl Lykan, favored the maneuver and used it to kill the Hound Squadron pilot Rawn in one of the attacks on the Dare.
The pilots of Riot and Hound Squadron gave nicknames to the 204th pilots and their tactics, labeling Lykan as "Snapper." The New Republic pilots also conjured the Needle's nickname and knew it as "Snapper's favorite." During the penultimate attack on the Hellion's Dare, Lykan attempted to do a variant of the Needle, but Riot Five Sata Neek moved in to disrupt his attack. The Dare and almost all of its escort fighters were destroyed by the end of the following battle. Wyl Lark and Chass na Chadic, the sole survivors of Riot and Hound Squadron respectively, passed on their knowledge of "Snapper's Needle" to their new Alphabet Squadron, led by the ex-204th pilot Yrica Quell.
Yrica Quell (pictured) recognized the Needle being sketched by Darita.
In 5 ABY, the 204th fought a New Republic strike force led by Wyl Lark at the Core Nine mining megafacility on the planet Troithe. Lykan again used the Needle, killing the New Republic airspeeder pilot Ubellikos. The battle resulted in the 204th's eventual retreat from Troithe.
That year, Lykan was killed during a battle with New Republic forces in the Ghonoath system. At Lykan's subsequent funeral, Lieutenant Darita sketched out maneuvers, including the Needle, on the floor for several newer recruits within the 204th. Quell, who had rejoined the 204th as a secret New Republic saboteur, recognized Snapper's Needle from what she had been told by Lark and Chadic.
The Needle was first mentioned the 2019 novel Alphabet Squadron by Alexander Freed.