Battle of Endor

The Battle of Endor, fought between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire in 4 ABY, was one of the largest and most important engagements of the Galactic Civil War. It signified the decline of the Empire with the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, as well as many major Imperial leaders, and the destruction of the Death Star II.

Plans for the battle began after the Rebels learned that the Empire was building a new Death Star above the forest moon of Endor. In addition, spies had informed Rebel leadership that not only were the Death Star's defense systems incomplete, but also that the Emperor himself would be overseeing the completion of the superweapon's construction. Seeing an opportunity to strike a crippling blow to the Empire, the Alliance planned an attack on the incomplete space station. Part of the Rebels would fight on the moon's surface in an attempt to destroy the shield generator protecting the Death Star, while another group would fight in space, assaulting the battle station in Endor's orbit once the protective shield was deactivated. Unbeknownst to the Rebels, Palpatine had deliberately leaked false information to them—the Death Star was in actuality operational and ready for combat. The Emperor also had a fleet of Star Destroyers waiting to ambush and destroy the Rebel Fleet upon their arrival.

On the ground, a group of Rebels lead by General Han Solo fought the Imperial stormtroopers stationed on the forest moon in attempt to destroy the shield generator protecting the Death Star. Meanwhile in space, the Alliance Fleet, led by Admiral Gial Ackbar and aided by Lando Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon, battled the Empire's naval forces and attacked the battle station. However, the Empire held a significant advantage in the space battle due to the massive fleet of Star Destroyers defending the battle station. In addition to the numerical advantage of the Imperials, Palpatine's battle meditation further helped the Imperials by scattering the attacking Rebel forces. Shortly, the Rebels realized that they had been tricked for the Death Star's weapon systems were already operational. Despite this quick realization, the Rebel fleet still suffered severe losses through the Death Star's superlaser. With the strike team on the ground still struggling to take down the shield, the Rebels were pinned down by Imperial forces at the generator command bunker while attempting to rig it with explosives. The native Ewoks attempted to assist the Rebels, their golden idol C-3PO urging them on, but they were wholly ineffective, cut down in droves by the superior Stormtroopers. Solo's team fought to the last man, but because their plan was accounted for by the Emperor and they had no element of surprise they were ultimately doomed. With the shield protecting the Death Star still up, the Rebel navy was forced to battle the larger Imperial fleet while the superlaser targeted their largest ships. At the same time, Darth Vader brought Luke Skywalker to the Emperor in order to turn his son to the dark side of the Force.

Skywalker dueled his father in the Emperor's throne room, and used his anger to emerge as the victor. However, Skywalker refused to give in to Palpatine's demands and kill Vader, the Sith Lord attempted to torture the young Jedi using his Force lightning. Unable to see his son die, Vader saved his son and killed his master by grabbing him and throwing him down the Death Star's reactor shaft. He had redeemed himself, becoming Anakin Skywalker once again and fulfilling his role as the Chosen One, though due to the damage inflicted by the Emperor's Force lightning, he died in the act. Realizing the shield was still up, Luke sacrificed himself to bring it down, finally opening up the Death Star to attack by Calrissian and Wedge Antilles and the remaining Alliance snubfighters. In the ensuing battle the Rebels were able to knock out the superlaser and inflict damage to the outside of the Death Star, but because of the delay and the power of the Star Destroyers still facing them the Alliance was finally forced to retreat even after the SSD Executor crashed into the second Death Star, destroying the ship and crippling the still unfinished battlestation.

Fate of Canon Characters

this list may be incomplete, but all canon characters from the movies are dead or otherwise unavailable for inclusion in our continuity

• Luke Skywalker - died while taking down the shield protecting the second Death Star
• Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker - died from injuries after killing the Emperor
• Emperor Palpatine - thrown down reactor shaft by his apprentice, Darth Vader. The Empire begins to rethink their policy of deadly shafts lacking protective energy fields.
• Han Solo - killed on Endor's moon by Stormtroopers
• Princess Leia Organa - killed on Endor's moon
• Chewbacca - killed on Endor's moon
• C-3PO - secreted away by the surviving Ewoks, whereabouts unknown
• R2-D2 - exploded at the back door to the command bunker by an AT-ST
• Admiral Ackbar - Died aboard Home One engaging Imperial fleet in a delaying action so that the Rebel fleet could escape.
• Lando Calrissian - escaped Endor and died in a whore house three days later from wounds received at Endor.
• Wedge Antilles - Died from suffocation after ejecting from his X-wing and not being rescued.
• Mon Mothma - Committed suicide after sending everyone she knew to their death