The current wing commander of Ghost Squadron stops in to tell us about the group's philosophy and the importance of the Elite Dangerous community

Tell us a little but about what the Ghost Squadron get up to.

We are a diverse team of galactic Combat Pilots, Merchants and Explorers who work together to maintain justice and order throughout inhabited space. Our only allegiance is to Justice.

We started off as a small group of people wanting to join a wing and now we are a large team of commanders. There are no restrictions such as dedicated "raid" nights or mandatory events and rules except No Piracy, No Cheating, No Griefing. We are always looking for commanders to join our fight to decimate the criminal element.

How did the Ghost Squadron start out. Tell us a little bit about your group’s history?

Corruption, oppression, terrorism, and injustice went unchecked for decades on the frontier without a dedicated opponent. The Federation, Alliance and Empire all hindered by bureaucracy and infighting, turned a blind eye to those who suffered injustice. The team that would eventually become the Ghost Squadron was formed by two individuals who had seen enough.

The humble origin of Ghost Squadron began when Verz and Belstarion took on and slayed a well known high ranked Pirate Lord and his gang leaving no survivors and the local authorities baffled. The duo made a living by killing wanted pilots, often baiting pirates with decoy trade ships filled with gold. Dubbed by the public as the Shadow, due to the tactics the duo employed, which primarily involved stealth, ambush and surgical strikes; by the time they were detected by enemy scanners it would be to late.

The reputation of the duo grew as they decimated all of the criminal elements they encountered; occasionally leaving a lone survivor to warn others about the price of injustice. Cryptic warnings with the phrase "Ex Umbra" (Translated "From the Shadow" ) and flight recorded footage of various criminals and pirates often depicted begging for their lives and being slaughtered mercilessly began to be broadcast via GALNET to inhabited space. Attempts to trace the sources of these signals by local authorities, governments, communications corporations and private individuals proved futile and for the first time it was the pirate factions and criminals who became the prey.

Not much is known about their past as much of it is intentionally shrouded in mystery, but what is known is that they have an unflinching sense of justice and will not hesitate execute judgement on any who run afoul of the Interstellar Law. Ghost Squadron was founded on their initial goals, which were to create an organization of combat pilots of different ranks and bring order to the inhabited galaxy; this was done by dispatching unflinching justice on the criminal element. This proved to be a deterrent for others who had considered a life of crime. Later, various explorers and merchants were recruited to actually fund the infra-structure and gather knowledge through trade routes and unexplored systems.

Some say they fight between shadow and light, to restore balance between factions and ensure safety for the innocent. They are deeply tied to an old group of justiciars who were sworn to protect uphold justice and maintain peace. In the Golden Era of interstellar travel the organization known as the Order of Justiciars functioned independently of the 2 major factions of the time (Federation and Empire) and therefore acted autonomously. The order consisted of a network of investigators, fighters, explorers and traders from every corner of civilized space. In the declining years of the order, declining membership and the fact that the majority of its members were caught in a major battle led to the order's disbandment and eventual extinction 136 years ago. The only thing left to do...REBUILD.

What exactly do you get up to for the Ghost Squadron? Did you start the group?

I am the groups current Wing Commander it is my job to promote and motivate this group, build cohesion and provide the team with a vision of this squadrons objectives. Effective leadership of this group by one person is not possible nothing I do would be possible with out Cmdr Dobermann IX and all of the pilots who step up and take leadership roles, they are what make this group great and I have the highest respect for them especially our very own Cmdr Reykur who is charge of minor faction operations and is assisted by Cmdr Coragon.

I did not start Ghost Squadron, it is the brainchild of Cmdr Verz and Cmdr Belstarion both of whom I consider close friends and mentors. Slightly prior to their departure I was appointed Wing Commander.

What is it about Elite Dangerous that keeps you coming back?

Honestly it is the community... I have met some really great people here and forged real life friendships.

What are your thoughts about the Elite Dangerous Community?

This is my first real foray into MMO... don't get me wrong... I have played MMO before however I usually remained disconnected from the community. I am hooked because of the wide range of friends I have made. Elite: Dangerous really transcends borders, nationalities, and race allowing us to make friends all over the globe.

What events or notable activities have the Ghost Squadron been involved in?

Currently we have been assisting various groups in combating criminals in the starter systems, we also have members participating in the Distant Worlds Expedition and you can usually find us participating in CGs.

What’s next for the Ghost Squadron?

Currently we are on a march to reach a milestone of 1000 members currently we sit at a little over 800... after that we'd like to work on becoming a power.

Anything you’d like to tell the community about?

We have a lot of talent in our group... one commander in particular stands out, CMDR Lancer is our resident FA Off master, not only is he an excellent Pilot but he produces some of the most astonishing videos, and I feel that it would be a shame if I didn't tell as many people about his youtube channel "Look Inverted" check him out. We also have a combat training program which will sharpen your skill as a pilot.

I also want to take time an mention our wing page INARA - Elite:Dangerous companion if what I have said appeals to you then I urge you to sign up. Our group is hosted on Inara, this site is constantly improved and painstakingly maintained by our beloved Artie!