Tech Turn

The title of this article is a nickname, call sign, or alias.

This article is about a subject that has not been identified with an official name and is known only by a nickname, call sign, or alias.

"The Tech Turn? Really?"
"Now that is not what it is called, but I rather like it."

―Tech and Omega^[3]

The "Tech Turn" was a starship maneuver allowing a ship's pilot to move forward at high speeds before deactivating thrust and performing a sharp turn, then re-activating thrust to once again take off at high speeds. The maneuver's nickname was derived from the name of Clone Force 99 member Tech by enhanced clone Omega, though Tech maintained that it was not the maneuver's actual name. It was performed in 19 BBY by Tech during a mission on Ryloth to free the leaders of the Free Ryloth Movement, and was later performed around 18 BBY by Omega while Tech was training her to pilot Clone Force 99's Omicron-class attack shuttle Marauder. The maneuver was also performed by Ace Squadron pilot Torra Doza in 34 ABY during the rescue of Tamara Ryvora.

Description[]

"Execute a sharp swing back to port with zero thruster pull."

―Tech, to Omega^[3]

The "Tech Turn" was a starship maneuver in which the pilot disabled their ship's thrusters to perform a sharp turn with zero thruster pull, then re-activating the thrusters at high speeds out of the turn. The maneuver's nickname was coined by the enhanced clone Omega, who named it after her Clone Force 99 squadmate and piloting instructor Tech.^[3]

History[]

"I gotcha, Bucket!"

―Torra Doza, to R1-J5, just before performing the Tech Turn^[2]

OmegaTechTurn — Omega performs the Tech Turn.

In 19 BBY,^[4] Tech performed the maneuver during an attack on an Imperial doonium refinery meant to distract Imperial forces so Clone Force 99 members Hunter and Echo could extract the Free Ryloth Movement leaders Cham and Eleni Syndulla from the Capitol in Ryloth's capital, Lessu City. As Tech turned the Omicron-class attack shuttle Marauder during the maneuver, Clone Force 99 member Wrecker fired from the shuttle's rear turret on multiple turrets in the refinery, destroying them.^[1]

Around 18 BBY,^[5] Tech instructed Omega to perform the maneuver in the Marauder during flight training over the remote island on^[3] the planet^[6] Pabu. Omega expressed surprise over the order while mentioning her nickname for it, prompting Tech to note that, while "Tech Turn" was not the maneuver's actual name, he did like it. He then instructed her to proceed with the maneuver before he changed his mind, though he was cut off when Omega quickly started. She sent the Marauder flying past the island before deactivating the thrusters and turning sharply, then reactivating the thrusters, sending the Marauder soaring over the island once again at high speed. Following the maneuver, Tech complimented Omega on her improving skills while the villagers on the island below cheered and waved at the Marauder.^[3]

TorraTechTurn — Torra Doza performs the Tech Turn.

During a mission^[2] in 34 ABY^[7] to rescue Tamara Ryvora, a former citizen of the supertanker fuel depot Colossus and a First Order defectee, Ace Squadron pilot Torra Doza performed the maneuver in her racing starfighter Blue Ace to quickly turn towards and eliminate a TIE/fo space superiority fighter pursuing the R-series astromech droid R1-J5 "Bucket," who was piloting the racing starfighter Fireball during the dogfight.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

The Tech Turn first appeared in "The Escape,"^[2] the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes of Star Wars Resistance's second season, which premiered on Disney Channel on January 26, 2020.^[8] The maneuver was first identified as the "Tech Turn" in "Tipping Point,"^[3] the fourteenth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch's second season, which premiered on Disney+ on March 22, 2023.^[9]