Defender / Legends The Defender was a " Venator " - class Star Destroyer that served in the Grand Army of the Republic ' s navy during the Clone Wars . In 22 BBY , the planet of Ryloth was seized by the Separatists , and a large Confederate fleet , under the command of the Neimoidian Captain Mar Tuuk , blockaded the world . The " Defender " was dispatched in a Republic task force under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan , Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano , to eliminate the Confederate blockade . Upon the arrival of the " Defender " and its fellow Star Destroyers , the " Resolute " and the " Redeemer " , in the Ryloth system , Tuuk was able to lure the Republic forces into a trap . The Confederate captain ' s summoning of reinforcements forced the cruisers to retreat , but not before the " Resolute " and the " Defender " had sustained damage and the " Redeemer " was destroyed altogether . Regrouping , Skywalker devised a plan to pilot the heavily damaged " Defender " into Tuuk ' s lead ship , leaving Tano to command the " Resolute " and eliminate the remaining frigates in the blockade . Skywalker and his astromech droid , R2 - D2 , piloted the " Defender " into the system and put it on course before fleeing in an escape pod , and the cruiser destroyed Tuuk ' s flagship when it collided with the bridge . Description . At 1 , 137 meters long , the " Defender " was a " Venator " - class Star Destroyer manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards that served in the Grand Army of the Republic ' s navy during the Clone Wars . The " Defender " had an armament of fifty - two laser cannons , eight DBY - 827 heavy dual turbolaser turret s , two medium dual turbolaser cannons , four proton torpedos tubes , and six tractor beam projectors . The " Defender " had a hyperdrive , and was equipped with at least one shield generator . It also featured a pair of command towers and eight engines , and was outfitted with escape pods . History . First assault . In 22 BBY , the planet of Ryloth was invaded by Techno Union Foreman Wat Tambor and the Confederacy of Independent Systems , and the world ' s Twi ' lek inhabitants were subjugated to a harsh rule . Tambor also blockaded the planet and placed Mar Tuuk , a Neimoidian captain , in charge of the Confederate fleet . In response , the Republic dispatched Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan , Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano , to breach the Confederate blockade and make way for Republic invasion forces — under the command of High Jedi General s Obi - Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu — to land and liberate the planet . The Star Destroyer " Defender " , along with the " Resolute " and the " Redeemer " , was assigned to Skywalker ' s task force , while Admiral Wullf Yularen accompanied Skywalker and Tano aboard the " Resolute " . When Skywalker ' s battle group arrived out of hyperspace in the Ryloth system , the cruisers immediately engaged the Confederate fleet . Tano led a starfighter squadron on an attack run against Tuuk ' s " Lucrehulk " - class Droid Control Ship and the two " Munificent " - class star frigates flanking it . The three Republic Star Destroyers remained behind and provided heavy support fire . Tano ' s squadron managed to cut a path through the Confederate Vulture droid starfighters to Tuuk ' s command ship , but Tuuk summoned reinforcements in the form of four more " Munificent " - class frigates . The Confederate ships began to fire upon the Republic fleet , causing heavy damage to all three of the Star Destroyers . With the Republic fleet outgunned and outmaneuvered , Admiral Yularen ordered a full retreat from the system , and called Tano and her squadron back to the " Resolute " to give fighter cover . However , Tano disobeyed orders , believing that she could reach Tuuk ' s flagship and destroy it . Without Tano ' s assistance , the " Defender " and the other two Star Destroyers were heavily damaged by Vulture droid suicide attacks . After losing most of her squadron , Tano returned to the Republic fleet , and the " Defender " and the " Resolute " were able to retreat to hyperspace . However , the " Redeemer " had taken heavy damage and broke apart in space . Second assault . The remainder of Skywalker ' s fleet retreated from the battlefield to consolidate their forces and treat the injured . The " Defender " itself had lost one of its command towers , and large fires had sprouted along its hull . After conferring with Generals Kenobi and Windu via hologram , Skywalker was given one planetary rotation to breach the blockade , even though only half of his original forces remained . General Skywalker devised a plan to evacuate the heavily damaged " Defender " and pilot the Star Destroyer with his astromech droid , R2 - D2 , into Tuuk ' s lead ship . Skywalker and R2 - D2 would escape the collision in an escape pod , while Tano — in command of the " Resolute " — would engage and destroy the six remaining Confederate frigates . After the " Defender " personnel were transferred to the " Resolute " , Skywalker and R2 - D2 piloted the " Defender " back to the system . The Jedi opened a hololink to Captain Tuuk and lied to the Neimoidian , stating that he would surrender himself , his crew , and the " Defender " in exchange for the safe passage of food and medical supplies to Ryloth . At first , Tuuk believed the Jedi ' s deception , but Skywalker ' s lie was uncovered when a complete scan of the " Defender " discovered that the Jedi was the only life - form aboard . Skywalker leveled the " Defender " at the control ship and gunned the cruiser ' s engines before he and R2 - D2 made their way to an escape pod . Tuuk ' s battleship opened fire at the " Defender " , but could not stop the vessel or force it to change its course . When it became clear that his flagship would be destroyed , Captain Tuuk fled in an escape pod , leaving the droids in control of the remaining ships in the blockade . The " Defender " smashed into the center sphere of Tuuk ' s control ship , and the " Resolute " arrived out of hyperspace to engage what remained of the Confederate blockade . Tano ' s forces were able to defeat the frigates , and Generals Windu and Kenobi arrived with three " Acclamator " - class assault ships out of hyperspace , ready to land with the Republic invasion forces . Tano dispatched a " Nu " - class attack shuttle to pick up General Skywalker ' s escape pod . The destruction of the Confederate blockade , due in part to the sacrifice of the " Defender " , allowed Kenobi and Windu ' s ground forces to land on the planet and eventually liberate Ryloth . Commanders and crew . During the first assault on the Confederate blockade over Ryloth , the " Defender " sustained heavy damage , and its remaining starfighters , supplies , and crew were later transferred to the " Resolute " for Skywalker ' s plan to pilot the cruiser into Tuuk ' s command ship . Skywalker assumed control of the " Defender " when he and R2 - D2 took the Star Destroyer back to the Ryloth system . Behind the scenes . The " Defender " was first mentioned in the reference book " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , released on December 9 , 2008 . The Star Destroyer made its first appearance in " Storm Over Ryloth , " an episode in the of the . An animation error in " Storm Over Ryloth " showed the " Defender " with both of its command towers intact , just moments after showing the ship with the starboard tower destroyed .