BattleEndor
****Prologue:The battle of Endor came about after the Emporer, seeking to lure the Rebel Alliance out into the open, and into a trap from which they would be destroyed, leaked information about the construction of the Second Death Star in the orbit of the forest moon of Endor. Acting on this information, which was paid for in a heavy toll of Bothan Spies, the Rebel Alliance gathered much of their fleet in orbit above Sullust, and sent in a commando unit to disable the shield generator protecting the Death Star in preparation for a major attack. Their plan, after the shield was disabled, was for the capital ships in the fleet to create a distracting perimeter around the battlestation while starfighters inflitrated the station and detonated it's main reactor.
The Galatic Empire assembled it's own fleet, concentrated on the Super Star Destroyer //Executor// and consisting of twenty four other Imperial class Star Destroyers, a large communications ship, and several hundred starfighters. It was planned to station this fleet on the far side of the moon, then, when the Alliance fleet jumped insystem, circle around and cut off the Rebellion's line of retreat. The Death Star would then pick off the Alliance capital ships one by one. In addition, to ensure the battlestation's security, a full battalion of the Empire's finest stormtroopers, support by a mechanized company of scout walkers, would protect the shield generating station.
****The Battle:
The battle began with the commando unit infiltrating the forest moon of Endor and attempting to destroy the bunker complex. The alliance forces had enlisted the aide of the native Ewoks, but at first attempted to take out the shield generator primarily with their commadoes alone. This proved to be a failure as they were surrounded and taken prisoner.
In the meantime, the Rebel Fleet emerged from hyperspace, and deployed for their planned attack. The leader of the starfighter attack, General Calrissian, sensed that something was wrong and aborted their attack run. The fleet pulled away from the Death Star, and rushed headlong into the Imperial fleet, now emerging from the far side of the moon. Swarms of Imperial starfighters headed to the attack, seeking to eliminate the numerous and annoying Rebel starfighters. This early stage of the battle proved heavy casualties for Imperial starfighter forces present, but numerous Rebel capital ships were scattered and damaged, and Gray wing, tasked with defending the captial ships, suffered heavy casualties.
In the meantime, on the surface of the planet, the Rebel Commando force was lead out of the bunker and into the clearing adjacent to it, where the battalion of stormtroopers were waiting, their rifles held at the ready. However, what should of be the apprehension of the remainder of the commando unit, the two droids C-3PO and R2-D2, turned out to be an ambush, as several hundred Ewok tribe warriors launched a furious but primitive attack on the battalion, killing several stormtroopers and allowing the commando hostages to re-group. As the Imperial ground forces re-deployed to meet this new threat, the fighting move from the bunker out into the forests.
Back into outer-space, the Rebel fleet was unsure of what to do, and it was into this confusion that the Emporer revealed the true state of the readiness of the battle station. The death star fired a blinding beam, obliterating a mon calamari cruiser. The Rebel fleet now recoiled and prepared for a retreat, but was argued against by the starfighter leader Lando Calrissian. Instead of withdrawing, the Rebel fleet flung it's self against the massed Star Destroyer fleet, fighting with nothing to lose. This unexpected turn of events caused the Imperial fleet to fall into partial disarray, as ship commanders turned the leading elements of the fleet around to clear the lane of fire for the battle station's superlaser. Another blast obliterated an MC-85 Cruiser, the //Liberator//, sister ship of the Home One, which had just been crippled by an Imperial starfighter attack, driven off by Lando Calrissian and elements of Red and Gold Groups.
Back on the surface of Endor, the Imperial forces were taking a large toll on the Ewoks, but were also being worn down by sheer numbers. Eventually, the Ewoks used tatics that were able to effectivley defeat the scout walkers, the prime source of their ruin, and went on a furious counter-attack, largely killing or driving back the stormtroopers, all the way back to the bunker entrance. Through a ruse perpetuated by a captured scout walker, the Imperial commanders were fooled into opening the sealed bunker doors, and the Rebel commandoes once again infilrated the bunker complex, this time successfully planting the charges that destroyed the shield generator.
With the shield now confirmed down, the starfighter attack was now at last launched, the starfighter leader, Lando Carlissian, leading the remnants of Red and Gold groups into the heart of the Death Star to blow the main reactor. Admiral Ackbar, in his command cruiser, lead a furious attack on the Imperial fleet to cover the starfighters, launching massed assaults that destroyed several Imperial-class ships at the front of the fleet. With the flanking destroyers eliminated, the combined weight of the Rebel fleet was ordered to assault the Executor, and with it's shields down, a brave Rebel pilot crashed his starfighter into the bridge of the flagship, sending it out of control into the battle station's surface, destroying it instantly. Shocked by these unexpected losses, the Imperial fleet was now thrown into disarray, some vessels fleeing.
The starfighter attack on the reactor was successful, creating a chain reaction that destroyed the station. Seeing the second Death Star destroyed, the majority of the Imperial fleet retreated, thus largely ending the battle of Endor.
****Aftermath:
Immediatley after the destruction of the Second Death Star, most of the remaining Imperial ships fled the battle. An exception was a trio of star destroyers fighting under the command of a Grand Admiral. These three ships were captured and pressed into Alliance service, replacing the ships that had been destroyed by the Death Star. The //Accuser, Adjucator, and Pulsar// became the //Liberator, Emancipator, and Skyhook// respectivley. With the destruction of the Second Death Star, and the deaths of the Emporer and Darth Vader, the Galatic Empire began it's path to ruination, while the Rebel Alliance was firmly established and would later become the New Republic.
****Order of Battle:
Imperial Fleet:
1xDeath Star class Battlestation
1xExecutor class Super Star Destroyer
1xImperial-IIa class Star Destroyer
12xImperial-II class Star Destroyers
12xImperial-I class Star Destroyers
1,000+ starfighters, mainly Fighters and Interceptors.
Rebel Fleet:
3xMC-85 Command Cruisers
4-5xMC-80 Cruisers
about 12 escort frigates
about 30 gallofree medium transports, corellian corvettes, marauder corvettes, and gunships.
4xWings of starfighters, organized by starfighter class into Red Group (72 X-wings), Gold Group (72 Y-wings), Green Group (72 B-wings), and Gray Group (72 A-wings).
Losses:
Imperial Fleet:
1xDeath Star class Battlestation
1xExecutor class Super Star Destroyer
1xImperial-IIA class Star Destroyer
6xImperial-II class Star Destroyers
5xImperial-I class Star Destroyers
about 90% of starfighter forces present.
Rebel Fleet:
1xMC-85 Command Cruiser
1-2xMC-80 Cruisers
perhaps up to three escort frigates and a dozen smaller ships.
About 75% of the starfighter forces deployed into the four wings.
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