History of the Conflict

Old Republic History

Introduction

The Old Republic was a utopia, a democratic government that spanned a hundred thousand systems over a thousand generations. It was ruled by an equally represented Galactic Senate of the Galactic Republic, and justice and law was upheld by the Jedi, who, fairly, kept the government in line. Over its history, it was established by an invention, nearly crumbled by a near extinction of the Jedi, and finally destroyed, not by forces on the outside, but by corruption on the inside.

The Invention That Changed The Galaxy

The invention that changed the galaxy would not have come about without the discovery that changed the galaxy. The discovery of hyperspace, or coordinating points in hyperspace to realspace, which can only be attained by light-speed, and is caused by "space wrinkles" lead to the invention of the hyperdrive. The hyperdrive is powered by fusion generators, and throws a ship into hyperspace by harnessing on to hyperspace itself. With distant systems becoming "closer," a government had to be formed. The Galactic Republic, which oversaw the galaxy, but trusted the systems to govern themselves and follow a few guidelines. Alas, more and more systems were found. As the Republic grew, so did the order of the Jedi.

Lore of Lightsabers and Jedi

Indeed, the technology of lightsabers is roughly twenty thousand years old. Made from Ilum Crystals, also known as Adegan Crystals, they are found mostly in the Adega system, hence the name Adegan Crystals. The crystals are powerful enough to produce light or energy. The Jedi Knights took advantage of both qualities and created a weapon strong enough to cut through anything---except another lightsaber. It is believed that the first self-known Jedis began the Order of the Jedi on Ossus, a planet in the Adega system. However, mysteriously, four thousand years ago the planet was abandoned.

The Galactic Encyclopedia

Starting about ten thousand years before the fall of the Republic, the information in the galaxy had to be kept for the future generations to learn from. Therefore, the Galactic Encyclopedia was commissioned by the Republic to be made, with periodic times for new editions. Whether a new edition was made every year, decade, etc., is not known. However, the Encyclopedia was made for the future of the Republic, as knowledge gave it strength. The Senate believed that if everyone knew the history, the bad parts of the history could be prevented. Unfortunately, during the purges of the beginning of the New Order, most were destroyed, and only a few volumes have been found intact or legible.

The Jedi Holocron

The Jedi Holocron is a cube of Jedi lore and knowledge specially designed to detect a Jedi's presence. With it, Jedis can talk with and see Jedi Masters of ages past and learn lessons from them. It was created four thousand years ago, in case a great many Jedi were killed, as they nearly became extinct around that time. Little was it known that it would be needed for the Jedi purges thousands of years after their time.

Nomi Sunrider

Nomi Sunrider was the wife of a Jedi Knight traveling to Jedi Master Thon for advanced training, when her husband was killed in a robbery of his Adegan Crystals. Little known to Nomi, she too was force-sensitive. She journeyed to seek out this Master Thon and learn from him. After a few attacks by Hutts, she had advanced enough to earn the title of Jedi Knight, herself.

Ulic-Qel Droma

Ulic-Qel Droma was a Jedi Knight who, along with his brother and a Twi'lek, traveled to Onderon to stop a civil war. There, they found a woman who had enveloped herself in the Dark Side. She worshipped the tomb of the worst Darksider ever to live at the time--Freedon Nadd! When she died, the Onderon Civil War ceased. Little did Ulic know that this would not be his last ordeal with the dark side of the Force!

The Freedon Nadd Uprising

Indeed, when the tomb of Freedon Nadd was opened, it released his spirit. Nomi Sunrider and Ulic-Qel Droma together had to fight off this spirit. Yet their troubles were not over. A young Jedi named Exar Kun had turned to the Dark Side and founded the worst Dark Jedi ever, the Dark Lords of the Sith!

Deneba

It was on the planet of Deneba that the ten thousand Jedi Masters met. Ulic, now a Jedi Master, gave a speech stating his intentions. He planned to learn the Dark Side secrets to conquer it. Master Thon warned him that no Jedi had ever started down the Dark Path and come back. If Ulic tried this, he would only destroy the light in him. Ulic, ignoring the warnings, went through with his plans, anyway.

Ulic was not heard of for many years. Finally, after a number of years Ulic reappeared as the High Priest of the Krath, a sect of the Dark Side! He joined forces with the Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun, and together they planned to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. The outcome of the war was unknown, but much bloodshed occurred, and the Jedi were slaughtered. Though they survived, their numbers had dwindled greatly. Obviously, the Republic held its own, but the war destroyed many of the Jedi Knights. Dark times they were...

Naboo

Almost a millenia later, the planet Naboo was beseiged by the Trade Federation. An invasion ensued, and the Chancellor sent two Jedi Knights, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Apprentice, Obi Wan Kenobi, to investigate. As the invasion begun, the two Jedi were attacked during diplomatic negotiations, and they smuggled on to the planet unnoticed. Now seperated from his Apprentice, Qui-Gon saved the life of the exiled Gungan warrior Jar Jar Binks, and used the Force to find Obi Wan. They met up and travelled in to the secret underwater lair of the Gungans, and sought passage through the centre of the planet to infiltrate the capital city of Theed, taking the doomed Jar Jar with them. Once in the city, they rescued Queen Amidala and fled in to space.

Anakin Skywalker

Fleeing to Tattooine to repair their damaged hyperspace engines, Qui-Gon Jinn and one of the Queen's retainers (actually the Queen herself) entered the city of Mos Espa. There, they found a repair yard owned by a small flying creature named Watto, who proved immune to the powers of Force Persuasion. They also met a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker. After failed attempts to purchase a new hyperdrive unit, Qui-Gon, Amidala and Jar Jar left. A sand storm soon began, and the young slave boy Anakin invited them in to his home. Qui-Gon began to suspect something different about the young boy, and took a small blood sample, sending it to Obi Wan to analyse with their shuttle's computer. The results were off the scale; not even Light Jedi Master Yoda had such concentrated levels of midi-chlorians. The boy's mother, Shmi Skywalker, explained to Qui-Gon that there was no father, that the boy had been created solely from the midi-chlorians.

The Pod Race

Anakin had been working on a new pod racer of his own design, and begged his mother to let him race for the necessary hyperdrive unit. As a side wager, Qui-Gon Jinn bet with Watto that the boy would win, staking the freedom of both boy and mother. Watto agreed to stake one but not the other, and rolled a dice to decide which one should be wagered. Qui-Gon used the Force to subtly fix the dice roll, and the boy was wagered. Anakin won the race, beating his long-time rival Sebulba through the boy's instinctive control of the Force. After winning both the race and his freedom, Qui-Gon sent Amidala and Jar Jar on ahead to the ship (with the hyperdrive unit) while the boy made preperations to leave, and Qui-Gon explained the wager to Shmi. She already knew. Somehow, she seemed to know that Anakin had been specifically created to go with and help them, and after a heart-wrenching good-bye from the young Anakin, Qui-Gon and the boy left for the shuttle.

The Appearance of Darth Maul

As Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker approached their shuttle, Qui-Gon sensed a disturbance in the Force and turned around. Darth Maul, the new Dark Lord of the Sith, arrived, almost hitting the boy with his sandspeeder. Darth Maul and Qui-Gon fought, and Anakin raced on to the shuttle. The shuttle interrupted the fight and Qui-Gon leapt aboard. They left, alive and safe from this new threat.

The Return of the Sith

Darth Maul was none other than the new Dark Lord of the Sith. He reported back to his Master, Darth Sidious. The Dark Master of the Sith was using the Trade Federation to capture Naboo, and he sent his Apprentice Darth Maul down to oversee the operation.

Coruscant, the Jedi Council and the Galactic Senate

Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi Wan Kenobi, Queen Amidala and her retainers (now including Jar Jar Binks), and young Anakin used their new hyperdrive unit to fly to Coruscant. The young boy was brought before the Jedi Council, who conducted several tests to see just how strongly the Force was in the boy. Sensing that the boy would turn to the Dark Side, Jedi Master Yoda denied the boy any Jedi training. Qui-Gon stubbornly rebuked the Council's decision as Queen Amidala made an appeal before the Galactic Senate with the aid of Senator Palpatine. The Queen's appeals were tied up in bureaucracy, so the Queen and Senator Palpatine made a vote of no-confidence in the Chancellor's abilities. A new election was started, but it became clear that the Queen had to fight this war with the Trade Federation herself. She left, taking her retainers with her. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi went with her, taking the young boy Anakin as well.

Return to Naboo and the Gungan Alliance

After returning to Naboo, it became clear to Queen Amidala that she could not take the city without aid, and she begged for the aid of the Gungans, who gladly agreed to assist. They had now been driven fromt he waters, and this new alliance worked to both their advantages. The Gungan army held off the Trade Federation's droid army while Amidala and her retainers, Qui-Gon, Anakin and Obi Wan infiltrated Theed once again. They went through the palace, where they expected to find the Trade Federation's leaders. The two Jedi freed many Naboo pilots, and they climbed in to their starfighters and flew off in to space to attack the Trade Federation's droid control platform. Anakin was instructed to hide in one of the Naboo starfighters, and accidentally started it off while trying to help his friends. He flew off in to space, flying in to the control platform and destroying it from within. He escaped the wreck just in time, and headed back to Naboo with the other pilots. The Trade Federation's droid army deactivated.

Duel of the Fates

In the hangar, Darth Maul appeared, and Qui-Gon instructed the Queen to use an alternate route as the two Light Jedi fought with this Dark Lord of the Sith. After a very long and difficult fight during which the two Light Jedi were seperated from each other, they were driven in to a small room whose entrance was protected by forcefields. Darth Maul and Qui-Gon fought each other in this small room as Obi Wan, trapped by the forcefields, watched helplessly as his Master was killed by the Dark Lord of the Sith. Now Obi Wan fought him, but was driven down the chasm in the centre of the room. Holding on to a light that jutted out from the side, Obi Wan Force-leapt himself high in to the air, using the Force to grab his Master's lightsaber, and he viciously struck back at Darth Maul. Slicing the Dark Lord of the Sith in half, both pieces of this Dark Jedi fell in to the chasm.

Victory for the Naboo

The battle on Naboo was over, and now the Queen and her retainers held victory in their grasp. Scaling the walls of the palace, they survived to the throne room where the Trade Federation leaders waited. Ordering their guards to follow the Queen's decoy, the real Amidala grabbed hidden pistols and held the Trade Federation leaders hostage, winning the difficult struggle.

Aftermath of Naboo

After the battles on Naboo had been won, Senator Palpatine arrived to congratulate the Queen after being elected as the new Chancellor of the Galactic Senate. Obi Wan took Anakin back to Coruscant, where his training was finished off by Jedi Master Yoda. He made it clear that he would train Anakin as a Jedi, with or without the Concil's consent, and though Yoda was against the idea, he did not exercise his right of veto, allowing Obi Wan to train the young boy in the ways of the Jedi. This mistake would cost him dearly, in time.

The Clone Wars

Finally, fifteen years before the fall of the Republic, a last threat was given to the Republic. Using Spaarti cloning cells, the enemies of the Republic banded together under the Sith to destroy it. The Jedi Knights and Republic Army and Navy banded together to defeat this final threat. Bail Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker all became heroes by war's end, ten years before the fall of the Republic.

Their Own Demise

Finally, the Republic was defeated not by its enemies, but by its friends. Corruption had become overrun. A president was created to bring this to an end. Instead, it was brought to new heights as this president, Palpatine, declared himself Emperor and, using his new Sith Apprentice Darth Vader, he killed off the Jedi Knights. After twenty-five thousand years the Republic was dead. Cue in the Empire...

Bibliography

Beidler, Mike. The Star Wars Literature Timeline.
Lucas, George. Star Wars Episode 1 : The Phantom Menace
Slavicsek, Bill. A Guide to the Star Wars Universe.
Veitch, Tom. Dark Empire.
Veitch, Tom. Tales of the Jedi.
West End Games. Star Wars: The Imperial Sourcebook.

Imperial History

Introduction

Imperial history is a long, learned, and detailed history. Most is inconsequential skirmishes, uprisings, and political rivalries and betrayal. In fact, the bulk of known Imperial history lies not in its relatively short dynasty of total control, but in its insecurities. Most of this involves its downfall, which, inevitably, involves the Alliance to Restore the Republic, aka, the Rebellion. Rebellion with a capital R. Of course, this group later evolved to become the New Republic, the current ruling body of Galactic affairs and government, headed by Leia Organa Solo. But we'll get into that in my upcoming volumes, the Rebellion/New Republic History. The start of Imperial history begins at the end of my previous volume, Old Republic history.

The Weak Republic

The Republic was an age-old government, with twenty-five thousand years experience and a seemingly strong government. However, it was a facade. In reality it was a puppet government, where money and the bureacracy ruled. Those with money who wished to remain anonymous used bribes to get the senators to do their wishes. The Republic was ruled by a group of senators from each of the millions of systems, as more were literally being discovered each day and pledging allegiance to the Republic. It was kept in order by the Jedi Knights, who were each assigned to planets, moons, and systems. It seemed like a utopia---almost. Eventually, the corruption spread like a disease. Soon, nearly all of the senate was crooked. They debated for months over how to solve the problem, and it seemed it was going nowhere, until suddenly, a decision, one that would seal the fate of the Republic, the Jedi, and millions of innocent lives, was made. It would be decided that a president would preside over the Republic, with the guidance of the senators to keep him or her from becoming too powerful, and creating a monarchy. The search for candidates began.

Senator Palpatine

Palpatine was a middle-aged senator who looked like he had little drive and ambition. He was not associated with any corruption, and had done little that made him influential or well known. He only served his represented system as best he could in a time of political corruption and strife. It seemed like he was the perfect candidate to use as a puppet to keep the Republic secure, while the senators really ruled. Palpatine had risen from a virtually unknown senator to head of the Senatorial Council and President of the Republic. However, there was only one thing that made Palpatine's plans even more secure. Unknownst to even the great Jedi Masters, Palpatine was a force-sensitive. This made him potentially dangerous if he knew of his powers and if he chose the dark path. Alas, both were true. Whether Palpatine used his powers to get his name chosen as president or not is unknown. He had risen as a Dark Jedi before the events on Naboo, secretly resurrecting the old Sith and declaring himself the Dark Master and taking an Apprentice to his side. They trained many more Dark Jedi, but these were urged to remain Force-insensitive until called for. He soon become power hungry, and employed the Trade Federation to attack his represented planet Naboo. Knowing that the current Queen would seek the aid of the Galactic Senate, and also knowing that the Trade Federation representatives would object to ay accusations made against them, he manipulated both the Queen of Naboo and the Trade Federation to overthrow the Chancellor. Using the plight of his planet to gain sympathy votes, and also using his seemingly uncorrupt reputation, he was elected the new Chancellor of the Galactic Senate. The man who once was the only senator who lacked in enemies was about to make quite a few in the process, though. He brought government in a whole new direction, as the future looked bright. This was all a facade, however, for the darkest cloud ever in the galaxy was rising. The New Order...

The Birth of an Empire

Palpatine proved himself to be a capable leader, and as this became widespread, the challenges that faced the Senate became harder. They saw Palpatine's capabilities and gave him more and more responsibilities, hoping he would either help the problems facing the Republic, or would balk at the challenge and another president would arise, with the possibility of it becoming an elected post, not so much a throne. This strategy was too dangerous. Too dangerous because it only gave Palpatine more power. Soon, everyone looked to Palpatine for the answers. Palpatine silently had opponents of his reign "temporarily moved," and waited for the moment to attack. Finally, the Senate became weak, ineffectual. Palpatine then promised to lead the Republic to new heights and greater glories. He promised what was for the "good of the galaxy." He proposed the Galactic Empire! Soon, the new Emperor began massing a gigantic Imperial war machine. Using intimidating weapons and gargantuan battleships, he took the galaxy by force. There was only one more thing blocking him: the Jedi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Jedi Knight trained by two Masters: the stubborn, wise and strong Qui-Gon Jinn, and the best of the best, Yoda. He became renowned throughout the galaxy as a successful general in the Clone Wars, alongside his Apprentice Anakin Skywalker. He "took it upon myself to teach him. I thought I could do as well as Yoda. I was wrong." Obi-Wan had taught Anakin for almost ten years, but he was not a Jedi Master, and had not adequately prepared him from the Dark Side of the Force. Around the time of the rise of Empire, the Emperor sensed the strength of the Force that ran through Anakin, and knew that he was a once in a million chance: he was young, easily able to be seduced by the Dark Side, and a fully trained Jedi with the Force very strongly within him. These opportunities were rare. Palpatine knew that the only way he could kill off the Jedi was by using one of their own. He finished Anakin's training and gave him a very high ranking in the Empire if he would command only one mission: the extermination of the Jedi and all potential Jedi. When Obi-Wan learned of this he rushed to convince Skywalker to come back to the light. Anakin was now fully seduced by the Dark Side, and could not turn back to the Light as Obi Wan urged him to,and soon a lightsaber battle ensued. Eventually, Obi-Wan won the battle, but lost the war, along with a great friend. Kenobi caused Anakin to fall into a lava pit. Anakin Skywalker was destroyed.

Darth Vader

Anakin Skywalker was destroyed, but his body was barely not. From that lava pit rose a body that was very weak--so weak it could not breathe again and so hideous it should never be seen again. After weeks in a bacta tank and on life support droids, a suit was constructed to make this man mobile and keep him alive. Customized for him, it became the epitome of the fear of the Empire. From the ashes of the soul of Anakin Skywalker arose a Dark Lord of the Sith, possibily the worst ever to walk the galaxy. Darth Vader was born.

The Dark Times

Darth Vader and his personal entourage began to scour the galaxy, put Jedis and Jedi potentials in Force cages, where the Force became absent and killing them off. Vader was very successful in his ventures. Successful in numbers, not percentages. He had to kill 100% of the Jedi. He came to about 99.99% at the end of his quest. There were at least four Jedi he knew he had not killed. One was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who changed his name and started the rumors that he was killed. Vader knew he was alive, but could not track him down. He had left the Core Systems, possibly for the Outer Rim. Another was Kenobi's teacher, though Vader knew next to nothing of him, and it was rumored he was over a hundred when he taught Kenobi. Vader thinking Yoda harmless, if not dead, decided not to pursue that lead. The third was Vima-Da-Boda, who could not be detected, because she had vanquished all of her powers in her misery. Fourth was his unborn child. The Emperor and Darth Vader knew that this would be thier most serious threat in the future if it was not destroyed. Little did he know he had not one, but two children, a boy and a girl, who, along with their mother, Queen Amidala of the Naboo, were hidden. The girl went with her mother to Alderaan, where Kenobi knew the royal family well and had the two females taken in. The mother died soon after, but the girl became a figure of prominence in the later Imperial Senate and the Alliance. (See the Alliance/New Republic History.) The boy was taken to Obi-Wan's brother, who raised him as his uncle. He too would become a major figure in the Alliance. Other than that, Vader's journey's were immensely successful. Now the Emperor used the final stage of his plan to make his reign a long one. With no Jedi to oppose him, he implemented law after law, "just temporarily" that gave rise to his greatest accolade, The New Order.

The New Order

The New Order was what became the Emperor's regime of tyranny using terror, social injustice, and reneged promises to become the sole proprietor of millions of systems, each with millions of inhabited asteroids, moons, and planets. He organized the government so that everyone distrusted each other and had to cross through so many of each other, that the Emperor had absolute power and complete authority, without the influence of others. With advisors, moffs, grand moffs, COMPNOR, Ubiqtorate, the military, planetary governors, and the bureaucracy all cross checking each other, no one group had more power than another. Each of these have further been convoluted. Truly, only the Emperor has any power. By destroying the HoloNet, he kept simultaneous rebellions from starting, and he used the credits he saved not having to maintain it to step up the military even more.

The Tarkin Doctrine

Imperial Communique 001044.92v. This means very little to most people in that name. Better known as the Tarkin Doctrine, it made the Empire much more fearsome and powerful. Sent by Governor Tarkin of the Seswenna System, it outlined creating oversectors, where rebellions were possible and supply extra troops there, giving command of this oversector to one person who reports directly to the Emperor, using HoloNet only for the Imperial Navy, for better communications between fleets, rule through fear, then force, and the creation of what would later become the Death Star. As you may know, all of these greatly changed the way the Empire operated.

Tarkin

Upon the Emperor's approval of the Tarkin Doctrine, Governor Tarkin of the Seswenna Sector, an aggressive and ambitious leader, was promoted to Moff, controlling all of the Seswenna Sector, which included the system of the same name he used to be in charge of. He was also promised to rise to the rank of Grand Moff upon the creation of the Death Star, which he would be put in charge of. From there, he could go anywhere in the galaxy, sending endless fleets if he wanted to conquer a planet, or destroying it in a matter of seconds if he wanted to make it no more.

The Death Star

The Death Star, as outlined in the Tarkin Doctrine, was to be constructed as soon as possible. Many in the Imperial Senate started to talk out against the Empire, but were separate. They finally banded together, forming the Alliance to Restore the Republic. This was good for the Emperor, as he could destroy the last remnant of the Old Republic forever. Wookiees were enslaved. Non-humans were not allowed to serve in any part of the Empire. All skirmishes were tightly controlled by an endless supply of stormtroopers. Finally, the leader of the Rebellion was known, Bail Organa. It was decided that the first target for the Death Star would be Alderaan, with further missions at planets like Mon Calamari, Kashyyyk, and other known rebellious worlds. Meanwhile, in the Outer Rim, in the Horuz system, orbiting Despayre, the construction of the Death Star ensued. It was in a little known area, where not the media, or even the Imperial Senate could know about it. It was the size of a small moon, and by destroying just a few systems, the rest would be too terrified to join the Alliance. It had the firepower of a fleet, and had countless supplies of TIE fighters, small class corvettes, and even quite a few Star Destroyers. When the Death Star was learned about by the Rebels, they made plans to get the plans the find a weakness. They had to work fast - or else.

The Beginning of the Galactic Civil War

When the Rebels had gotten their hands on the plans to the Death Star, they immediately had to get it to another agent far away, who they knew could get the message to Bail Organa, and probably would not be caught by the Empire. They sent the plans to Tantive IV, on which Princess Leia Organa, adopted daughter of Bail Organa and youngest senator in the Senate, was on. She was trusted to get the plans to him by any means. A spy on board, though, contacted Darth Vader and told him where the plans were and who had them. A blockade was created around the ship's course, Tatooine, where Leia planned to enlist the help of General Obi-Wan Kenobi. After passing the blockades, Vader had good enough reason to arrest Senator Organa. He sent his Star Destroyer, Devestator, to catch her personally. Organa quickly implanted the plans in R2-D2, an astromech droid, and left a message for Kenobi. She then gave the droid the mission of finding him and giving him the message. The droid escaped with his friend, C-3PO in an escape pod. Meanwhile, the crew of the ship was captured, and Leia was sent to the Death Star for interrogation. The Galactic Civil War had just begun...

To the Rescue

The droid did find Kenobi after escaping his master. His master, a farmboy named Luke Skywalker, tracked him down with C-3PO to the home of Ben Kenobi. It was their Kenobi started to instruct Luke in the ways of the Force and enlist his help in the mission. Luke, doubtful, went back home. He discovered his aunt and uncle were killed by the Empire, who were searching for the droids. Luke, who had nothing left for him, went to Mos Eisley to hire a pilot to take them to Alderaan. They hired the first-mate and captain of the Millennium Falcon, none other than Chewbacca and Han Solo, respectively.

Torturous Times

Back on the Death Star, Princess Leia was being tortured to tell the Imperials of the location of the rebel base, so that they could use the Death Star to destroy it. Leia resisted the mind probes, so Tarkin and his triumvirate had to make a decision. Ever since the construction of the Death Star, all senatorial meetings were held there and controlled by a triumvirate of Grand Moff Tarkin, General Tagge, and Admiral Motti. Soon after Leia's capture, the Senate was dissolved personally by the Emperor. Leia was forced to tell the location of the rebel base, or see Alderaan destroyed. Tarkin needed the location, but he also needed to destroy Alderaan, so when Organa gave him a location to find them, he carried out the mission anyway, as Leia Organa was forced to watch everyone she ever cared for destroyed in an instant. The planet she specified as the rebel base, however, was a false one, and she saved the Alliance's fate.

Arrival at Alderaan

When Kenobi's band of men arrived at Alderaan, they found an asteroid field, the result of its destruction. When seeing a TIE fighter, they followed it to none other than the Death Star. As they tried to turn away, they were caught in a tractor beam. Hiding in the Falcon, they waited for the right moment to leave the ship. As they tried to decommission the tractor beam so they could leave, the presence of the princess was discovered. The group split up, Kenobi went to turn the tractor beam off, while the others went, disguised as stormtroopers, to rescue the princess. Eventually, the group found its way back to the ship, but not before witnessing a lightsaber dual between Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi. As Vader's saber cut through Ben's cloak, though, he disappeared. The others had no choice but to leave before the tractor beam came back on.

Yavin IV

The Imperials, sensing that the rebels might escape, placed a bug on the Millennium Falcon so that they could track it to their base. There, the Death Star could follow them and destroy the base. The plan worked. The rebels arrived at the fourth moon of the planet Yavin. Back at the base, the rebels used the infomation in R2-D2 to find a weakness in the Death Star, which was on its way towards the base. They found a weakness and briefed their meager fleet of X-Wings and Y-Wings on it. The target area was two meters wide and could only be shot at with proton torpedoes. It seemed an impossible mission, but even Luke Skywalker joined in as a X-Wing pilot. The Death Star was only closer.

The Battle of Yavin

With the Death Star within thirty minutes of firing range, the Rebellion mounted its last stand. The Death Star was not designed for firing at small fighter ships. As the turbolaser battery towers had little success in warding off the fighters, a squadron of TIE fighters was sent to deter the attack at least long enough to get in firing range. Many casualties occurred on both sides, but their were still about ten Alliance fighters and no more TIE fighters. Lord Vader, in his customized TIE fighter, along with his two best pilots, took on the rest of the group. They successfully had destroyed or disabled all but one pilot---Luke Skywalker. Vader sensed the Force in him and decided to go for the kill himself. He was about to fire when suddenly, the TIE on his left exploded. The Millennium Falcon had joined in the fight. Another shot from the Falcon hit the other TIE, which, in turn, collided with Vader's fighter, which shot up into space, spinning uncontrollably. Luke was clear for a shot without interference. Just as the order to fire on Yavin IV had been made, the target was hit, and Luke and Han rushed as far away from the Death Star as they could be. A split second before the Death Star was to fire, a great ball of fire was seen in the heavens. The Death Star had exploded. The Battle of Yavin was lost by the Imperials.

The Battle of Hoth

As the rumors that Luke Skywalker fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star were confirmed, Vader began a quest to find Skywalker and make him a disciple of the Dark Side. Probots were sent all over the galaxy to find the new hidden rebel base. After three years of unsuccessful searching, a probot sent to the Hoth system found them. Admiral Ozzel sent a fleet in to catch them, but his clumsiness alerted the Rebels to the attack, and sufficient time was made to escape. Using an ion cannon, the Star Destroyers were temporarily disabled as Rebel transports were leaving the system. AT- ATs were sent to destroy the base. The Alliance responded by sending out Rogue Squadron, a squadron of snowspeeders led by Luke Skywalker. Most of the snowspeeders crashed or were destroyed, but a few, like Luke Skywalker, escaped. Eventually all were evacuated, but the Millennium Falcon, which had Princess Leia and C-3PO, along with Solo and Chewie, was pursued by the Empire. At last! The Empire had struck back!

Fleet Commanders

Vader, dismayed at Ozzel's error, killed him through the Force and gave Piett the assignment of Admiral. Captain Needa was later killed by Vader for losing sight of the Millennium Falcon, which had clamped on to the back of a Star Destroyer. Meanwhile, Vader enlisted the top bounty hunters in the galaxy to capture Han Solo, who already had a price on his head from the gangster Jabba the Hutt. Boba Fett, the greatest bounty hunter of them all, found Solo and followed him to his destination: Bespin

Dagobah

Luke left the Battle of Hoth on his X-Wing, with R2-D2, to go to Dagobah, where he had been instructed by the spirit of Kenobi to find Yoda, who would instruct and complete his training. Luke did find Yoda, who gave Luke almost all of the training that he needed to become a Jedi. It was there that he became disturbed by a vision of his friends in pain on Bespin. Yoda advised him not to, but Luke disagreed and left for them anyway. He was getting lured in a trap devised for him...

Bespin

Solo and his party arrived at Cloud City in Bespin, where a friend of his, Lando Calrissian, had developed the place. He found himself in a trap by the Empire. All were taken prisoner, and Solo was tested to be frozen in carbonite, which was intended eventually for Skywalker. Luke fell into the bait, and waged a lightsaber dual with Darth Vader, in which his right hand was cut off. Rather than be seduced by the Dark Side, he fell through the bowels of Cloud City, and wound up hanging precariously off of the bottom. Meanwhile, the rest of the Falcon crew were being led to Vader's ship when the troops were surrounded by Cloud City guards, freeing them. Lando led an attack to save Han, but it was too late. Boba Fett had left. They instead went to the Falcon, where Leia sensed Luke and convinced them to turn back and get him. As the ships orbiting Bespin got ready to capture the tramp freighter, which had a disabled hyperdrive, R2-D2 fixed it, and the Millennium Falcon got away.

The Second Death Star

The second Death Star was redesigned to prevent the tragedy at the Battle of Yavin ever happening again. The original exhaust port weakness was taken away, more batteries specially designed for small fighters were added, and the superlaser was more powerful, accurate, and better designed for hitting capital ships. Its only time that it would be at a weakness was at its construction. Therefore, it was built orbiting the planet of Endor, with a station on Endor which provided a high-energy shield to prevent any unwanted ships from entering the construction area.

Meeting at Sullust

After a rescue of Han Solo from Jabba's Palace, in which Jabba himself was killed, the Rebel Fleet massed near Sullust to discuss an important matter. Information brought by Bothan spies gave the information on the second Death Star. Two groups would be involved in the attack, one to destroy the shield, and one to attack the battlestation itself. Luke arrived late to the meeting, as he met Yoda for his final training to become a Jedi. He learned that it was true that Darth Vader was his father, and that Leia was his sister. Leia, Han, Chewie, the droids, and an attack group were sent to destroy the shield. Lando and Admiral Ackbar headed the Death Star attack group. But the Emperor had other plans...

The Battle of Endor

When the shield attack group arrived near Endor, they used a stolen code to break the shield. Vader, however, felt his son's presence in the group. He let them go, though, which, conceivably, caused the downfall of the Empire. The attack group made it to Endor, where they met a species of small, furry, bearlike creatures named Ewoks. The attack group easily conquered the shield generator. A little bit too easily... The night before, Luke had surrendered to confront his father who, in turn, gave him to none other than the Emperor. The Emperor than revealed his true plan. He knew of the pending attack of the Rebel Fleet. He would send his best legion to Endor to corner the shield attack group in the building. When the Fleet came out of hyperspace, they would be jammed, so that they could not detect the shield was on. If they turned around, they'd be surrounded by an entire Imperial fleet of about twenty Star Destroyers and one Super Star Destroyer. Then, the Death Star would wipe out the Calamarian cruisers, putting a total end to the Rebellion.

Back on Endor, the Rebels were indeed caught by an entire legion of stormtroopers. Little did they know, however, that the Ewoks were one step ahead of them. The Rebels, with help from the Ewoks, obliterated the legion and continued to blow up the shield generator.

With the shields down, the groups of X-Wings, Y-Wings, A-Wings, B-Wings, and the attack group leader, the Millennium Falcon, piloted by Lando Calrissian, continued their attack towards the core of the Death Star, to knock out the main reactor, causing it to detonate. All of the TIE squadrons were sent with the highest priority: to destroy all who attempted to knock out the reactor.

Back in the Emperor's throne room, Luke fought Darth Vader in lightsaber dual and defeated him. When he refused to turn to the Dark Side, the Emperor tried to kill him with lightning. Darth Vader, seeing his son in pain, turned back to the Light and killed the Emperor himself. He died shortly after, and Luke fled the Death Star, already knowing its fate.

The Rebellion was successful in destroying all of the reactors, and the Death Star exploded. The fleet had been decimated by the Rebellion, and very few ships survived. With the main fleet gone, the Death Star destroyed, and Darth Vader and the Emperor dead, the Empire was no longer the main one in power. It was replaced by the New Republic, founded by the Alliance.

The Truce at Bakura and the Ssi-Ruuk

Less than a day after the Battle of Endor, the Bakura system was invaded by the Ssi-Ruuk, who enslaved the souls of humans for their battle droids. They were to lay siege to Bakura. The New Republic, seeing that this would hurt the Empire and the New Republic both, raced to Bakura, where a peace treaty was made and combined efforts to defeat the Ssi-Ruuk were made. Unfortunately, after they won, the governor of Bakura, Wilek Nereus, turned on the New Republic. However, the Bakurans rebelled for their freedom for the Empire, and the Bakuran system soon became a part of the New Republic.

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