Steadfast ( Ardent - class ) The Steadfast was an " Ardent " - class fast frigate in the service of Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire during the Second Imperial Civil War , seven years after the Dark Lord overthrew Galactic Emperor Roan Fel at the end of the Fel Empire ' s war with the Galactic Alliance . In 137 ABY , under the command of Captain Vaclen Tor , the " Steadfast " was assigned to the Coruscant Third Fleet , which had been tasked with protecting the strategically important planet of Ralltiir . That year , the fleet of the Galactic Alliance Remnant launched a surprise attack on Ralltiir , intending to capture as many of the Third Fleet ' s ships as possible . Under the command of Admiral Peto Kelsan , the Third Fleet engaged the Alliance forces until the Bastion Second Fleet , aligned with Emperor - in - exile Fel , arrived to bolster the Alliance fleet . Facing overwhelming numbers , Kelsan surrendered the Third Fleet to Admiral Edouard Fenel , the commander of the Bastion Second Fleet . However , Tor declared from the command center of the " Steadfast " that he must decline to follow Kelsan ' s orders to surrender , as it was their duty to ensure the enemy did not capture their ships . In response , Fenel ordered the crew of the " Steadfast " to rise up and replace Tor , and when that failed , Fenel ordered his entire fleet to open fire on the " Steadfast " . Refusing to help fire on the now heavily damaged frigate , Kelsan instructed the crews of the Third Fleet to disregard his previous order and to initiate the self - destruct mechanisms on their ships , before using lifepods to evacuate to Ralltiir . When Fenel ordered his ships to fire on the lifepods of the Third Fleet , the commander of the Alliance fleet — Duros Admiral Gar Stazi — intervened , protecting the lifepods and escorting the " Steadfast " , as the frigate ' s lifepod and self - destruct systems had been damaged . After the battle , under orders from Stazi , Tor and the " Steadfast " crew were deposited on the surface of Ralltiir , and the " Steadfast " was given to Fel as a gift . Description . The " Steadfast " was an " Ardent " - class fast frigate , a class of ship originally manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards for the Fel Empire . " Ardent " - class frigates were known to be one of the fastest capital ships in the Imperial fleet . The " Steadfast " was propelled through space by three engine units and carried lifepods . The frigate was also outfitted with a self - destruct mechanism . Internally , the " Steadfast " featured a command center that was equipped with a holoprojector for communicating with other ships . History . In 137 ABY , seven years after Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Krayt deposed Galactic Emperor Roan Fel and established his Sith regime at the end of the Fel Empire ' s war with the Galactic Alliance , the " Ardent " - class fast frigate " Steadfast " was assigned to Krayt ' s Coruscant Third Fleet and served in the Second Imperial Civil War . Under the command of Admiral Peto Kelsan , the Coruscant Third Fleet had been tasked with protecting the planet of Ralltiir , a strategically important Core World and one of the great financial centers of the galaxy . As neither Fel nor the Galactic Alliance Remnant were deemed to have sufficient warships to attempt an assault on Ralltiir , it seemed unlikely to the Imperials that the planet would be attacked . However , in 137 ABY , the fleet of the Galactic Alliance Remnant , led by the Duros admiral Gar Stazi , launched a surprise attack on Ralltiir , intending to seize as many Imperial ships as possible . The Third Fleet engaged the Alliance fleet , with the " Steadfast " commanded by the Human Captain Vaclen Tor during the battle . The two fleets exchanged blows until the reason behind the Alliance ' s audacious attack became clear — an Imperial fleet loyal to Emperor - in - exile Fel emerged from hyperspace and joined Stazi ' s forces . With the " Steadfast " and the Third Fleet now outnumbered and outgunned , Kelsan was contacted by his opponent from the Fel Empire , Admiral Edouard Fenel , commander of the Bastion Second Fleet . Fenel issued an ultimatum for Kelsan ' s command to surrender within ten minutes or face total destruction , ordering Kelsan ' s crews to eliminate their commanding officers if they refused . Kelsan regretfully announced to his fleet that they were to comply with Fenel ' s orders ; however , to the surprise of Kelsan , Fenel , and Stazi , Tor announced from the " Steadfast " that the orders to surrender were not in keeping with Imperial code , and he stated that he must decline to follow them . Speaking over a general frequency from the command center of the " Steadfast " , Tor declared that they had to deny the enemy the chance to seize their ships , as it was both their duty and a matter of honor . Reminding Kelsan that they had sworn oaths to the throne now occupied by Krayt , Tor suggested that they activate their ships ' self - destruct mechanisms and escape in lifepods . Enraged , Fenel ordered the crew of the " Steadfast " to rise up and replace Tor ; however , the crew was loyal to Tor , and Fenel ordered his entire fleet to open fire on the " Steadfast " when they refused . After the " Steadfast " took heavy fire from the Bastion Second Fleet , Tor maneuvered the damaged frigate so that one of Ralltiir ' s moons was between him and Fenel ' s fleet . When Fenel ordered Kelsan to fire on the " Steadfast " , Kelsan refused , instructing the crews of the Third Fleet to disregard his previous order to surrender . Kelsan went on to order the crews to initiate the self - destruct mechanisms on their ships before evacuating in lifepods and fleeing to Ralltiir . In response , Fenel ordered his forces to open fire on the " Steadfast " and the Third Fleet ' s lifepods . However , Fenel was defied by Stazi , who positioned his fleet between the two Imperial fleets to protect the lifepods . The Duros admiral also ordered one of his starfighter units , Rogue Squadron , to escort the " Steadfast " back to the Third Fleet . Now that it was safe to proceed , the crews of the Third Fleet evacuated their vessels , and Kelsan initiated the fleet ' s self - destruct sequence . The ships of the Third Fleet began to detonate , and Kelsan perished with his flagship , the " Pellaeon " - class Star Destroyer " Avenger " . However , the " Steadfast " encountered a problem ; it had suffered severe damage , leaving both its lifepods and its self - destruct mechanism offline . Taking advantage of the situation , Fenel sent his " Predator " - class fighters to destroy the " Steadfast " . Unwilling to let that happen , Stazi brought his fleet around and had his ships spread suppression fire around the frigate . After being contacted by Emperor Fel , Stazi came to an agreement with the Imperial Head of State . Once they had deposited Tor and the " Steadfast " crew on Ralltiir , Stazi would send the " Steadfast " to Fel as a gift . Commanders and crew . As a ship in the Coruscant Third Fleet , the " Steadfast " was under the overall command of Admiral Peto Kelsan . The vessel itself fell under the authority of the Human Captain Vaclen Tor , who commanded the vessel during the battle above Ralltiir . Tor was regarded by Admiral Gar Stazi and others as a good man fighting for a bad cause . The " Steadfast " was crewed by Imperial officers who were loyal to Tor and to the throne on Coruscant . After the battle , Tor and his crew were taken to the surface of Ralltiir under orders from Stazi , and the " Steadfast " was given to Emperor - in - exile Roan Fel as a gift . Behind the scenes . The " Steadfast " made its first appearance in the thirty - sixth issue of the " " series , " " , published in May 2009 . The issue was written by John Ostrander and penciled by Omar Francia .