During the Imperial Era, an elite squadron of TIE fighter pilots known as Special Unit One served within the Galactic Empire's Imperial Starfighter Corps. This unit, commanded by Senior Lieutenant Yve, was stationed aboard the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Chimaera, which belonged to Commodore Thrawn. In the time leading up to a battle above the planet Botajef, Thrawn strategically positioned Special Unit One, along with other TIEs, to form a protective barrier around the Star Destroyer.
As the battle commenced, Yve directed the unit to detach from the formation and proceed towards the governor's palace on Botajef. There, the pilots effectively neutralized the palace's turbolasers. Following the Imperial victory, Special Unit One resumed its position within the defensive perimeter surrounding the Chimaera, remaining on high alert for further combat situations.
Special Unit One was comprised of six TIE fighters and was considered an elite squadron within the Galactic Empire's Imperial Starfighter Corps. The unit's base of operations was the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Chimaera, under the command of Chiss Commodore Thrawn.
During 9 BBY, the six pilots who made up Special Unit One underwent training supervised by Senior Lieutenant Yve. At a later time, Special Unit One was stationed on the Chimaera upon the Star Destroyer's arrival above the planet of Botajef in the Outer Rim. Upon the arrival of the Chimaera two CR90 corvettes from the Botajef Defense Force and several V-19 Torrent starfighters attempted to flank the ship. Commodore Thrawn instructed Senior Lieutenant Yve to deploy their TIEs to perform close flybys around the corvettes, while Special Unit One and other TIEs were to form a defensive perimeter around the Star Destroyer. Thrawn ordered the pilots to hold fire while he contacted Quesl, the governor of Botajef, and demanded that he obey a treaty signed by the Jefies, the native species of Botajef.
Quesl, attempting to steal artwork and escape the planet aboard one of the corvettes, refused and prepared to attack the Chimaera, prompting Thrawn to signal Yve, who then ordered Special Unit One to engage. The unit broke from its defensive perimeter and advanced through the V-19 formation toward Botajef's capital city. Upon reaching the capital, the fighters were fired upon by turbolaser emplacements on the governor's palace. The unit evaded the blasts and destroyed the turbolasers without losing a fighter. The battle ended in Imperial victory, and the governor's corvette was captured and brought aboard the Chimaera. Yve ordered Special Unit One to return to the defensive perimeter with the other TIE fighters and remain alert for additional combat, as instructed by Thrawn.
Special Unit One consisted of six TIE fighter pilots. Yve, a Starfighter Commander who trained them, directly commanded these pilots.
Special Unit One was featured in Timothy Zahn's 2017 novel Thrawn, the first book in the Star Wars: Thrawn trilogy.