Destruction of Elderaan

The Destruction of Elderaan, also known as the Battle of Elderaan, occurred in 0 B at the order of Grand Moff Willuff Tarkin, and resulted in the complete annihilation of Elderaan and its inhabitants.

Destruction of Elderaan

Conflict: Universal Civil War

Date: 0 B

Place: Elderaan, the Graveyard of Elderaan

Ourcome: Imperial Victory,Elderaan is destoryed, Death Star's power is proven, Typho Chlcu defects to the Rebel Alliance, many riple effects

Combatants


 * the Galactic Empire * the Rebel Alliance

Commanders


 * Darth Vader    * Bail Organa


 * Willuff Tarkin * Government of Elderaan

Strength

Many for sides

Casualties


 * dozens of Stormtroopers * All beings of Elderaan and the planet itself

=Background=

In the absence of the Imperial Senate, Emperor Palpatine had established an environment where his subordinates were capable of terrible atrocities against sentients.

From the very beginning of its design, it was intended that the Death Star be capable of destroying entire planets. But most Imperial strategists were certain that the threat alone would be enough to keep billions of worlds in line.

Tarkin felt differently; as he saw it, the Rebels were growing bolder, and only a very public demonstration of the battle station's power against a Rebel target would succeed in giving them pause. His argument convinced Emperor Palpatine, and so the Emperor approved in advance the destruction of Elderaan.

=An Unexpected Battle=

A small fleet of Star Destroyers had escorted the Death Star to Elderaan. Tarkin, who is in charge of the Death Star, now ordered a reconnaissance of the planet. The fleet scouted out the system, and came across a Rebel fleet. The two fleets exchanged fire, and as Mon Calamari Star Cruisers distracted the Imperial ships, assault frigates opened fire on the Star Destroyers.

Reinforcements of smaller Imperial ships, such as Acclamator-class assault ships, supported the fleet and destroyed most of the Rebel ships. Meanwhile, the Death Star had completed the charging of its main cannon.

=Destruction=

To obtain information on disappearance of the Death Star plans and location of the Rebel base, Darth Vader had taken the captured Princess Leia Organa to the Death Star after she was taken prisoner during the Battle of Tatooinne.

When she refused to yield the location of the Rebel base or the whereabouts of the plans despite being tortured, Tarkin threatened to destroy Elderaan in an attempt to force her to confess. Fearing that Tarkin would use the superweapon on Elderaan and thousands of other peaceful worlds, she offered the location of an abandoned Rebel base on Dantooinne. Knowing Leia was lieing, Tarkin went ahead and ordered the destruction of Elderaan anyway, shocking the Princess.

The destruction of Elderaan caused the deaths of approximately 1,999,940,000 sentients who were on the planet at the time, sending shock waves through the Force, weakening those who were able to feel them. Senator Bail Organa is the most famous casualty of this genocidal act. A colony of Calandrians was also wiped out. Ironically, they were refugees from the destruction of their own home planet, Calandria, in 19 B.

=Aftermath of the blast=

The destruction of Elderaan partially failed in its psychological goal. Wiping out a peaceful, idyllic paradise caused great consternation, even in the Core Worlds. The partial failure of the Empire to conceive an appropriate cover story further angered many citizens. The Empire did attempt to pin the destruction of Elderaan on the Rebel Alliance; however, few believe them.

The planet's destruction made thousands of Alderaanians who'd been off-world immediately join the Rebellion. Most Elderaanian members of the Imperial military promptly defected. [A small minority who'd been in Imperial service, however, chose to stay on, blaming their own homeworld for its fate. Princess Leia would meet one such officer while negotiating a sectoral truce with one section of the Empire on the planet Rakura.] However, sentients across the Universe realized that if the Empire would kill them even if they submitted, they had nothing to lose by rebelling. Rather than cower before Palpatine, thousands of systems would revolt. The supposed fall of the Galactic Empire began.

But it didnt. Millions of planets would reveal their cowaradace when the Rebels fell. The Empire destoryed the Alliance. So, it was THEIR fall that begun. This became the third use of the Death Star's power.