Y-wings were a useful addition to the Republic starfighter ranks during the Clone Wars, serving primarily as bombers. Their relative lack of speed and maneuverability made them ill-suited for dogfighting, though skilled pilots could overcome these limitations, pushing the ungainly fighters to their limits while onboard gunners targeted enemies.

At Reklam Station, an Imperial salvage yard, 14 Republic Y-wings were set to be turned to scrap. Coming upon this intel, the Ghost crew attempted to steal the starfighters for the rebellion’s growing fleet. While the mission was not easy, they did come away with the Y-wings, and the station was destroyed in the process.

Y-wings saw service during the Galactic Civil War, with rebel pilots respecting their ability to take a beating in combat and still return home. But these starfighters were showing their age by the time of the struggle against the Empire – many had been stripped of hull plating and engine nacelles to make maintenance easier, and models that eliminated the gunner’s turret had been introduced. Y-wings took part in the attacks on the Empire’s Death Stars at Yavin and Endor, and were mainstays of the Alliance starfighters corps in the years between those epic battles.