Conqueror (superlaser)

The Conqueror was an Imperial-class Star Destroyer armed with a superlaser that was in operation during the Galactic Civil War. Conceived as a replacement for the Galactic Empire's planet-destroying superweapon, the Death Star, lost at the Battle of Yavin, the Conqueror was intended to slow the momentum of the rapidly growing Rebel Alliance. The superlaser component of the Star Destroyer was constructed at an Imperial research facility on Naboo under the supervision of the Imperial storm commandos. It was projected that the superlaser on the Conqueror, when properly installed, would give the Star Destroyer the ability to break apart a small moon, or crack a continent in half. By 1 ABY, the weapon was equipped on the Conqueror, and the Star Destroyer was located in the Mustafar system, where it was commanded by Admiral Victor Strang. There, the Star Destroyer's superlaser was successfully tested on a small planetoid.
Shortly thereafter, the Alliance's Renegade Squadron came across information on the Conqueror during several raids on Imperial facilities located on Naboo, and they set out to destroy the vessel. After hijacking a shuttle on Mustafar that was bound for the Conqueror, the Renegades were able to infiltrate the Star Destroyer and plant timed explosives on the ship's reactor core, which would cause the vessel to explode once detonated. Strang and the Imperial forces on the ship were unable to stop the Rebels, and after a confrontation with Emperor Palpatine's enforcer, Darth Vader, who had recently arrived on the ship, the Renegades were able to escape the Conqueror shortly before it was destroyed.
==Description==
The Conqueror was a 1,600-meter-long Imperial-class Star Destroyer. The starship had a spacious hangar bay that was large enough to hold several Lambda-class T-4a shuttles, a TIE Advanced x1 starfighter, and an Incom X4 Gunship. In the aft section of the Star Destroyer was the ship's reactor core. The vessel had a number of security measures installed in case of an emergency, including blast doors, an alarm system, and red emergency lights placed along ship's corridors.
The Conqueror most distinguishing feature was a superlaser, similar to the one used on the first Death Star battle station, which was built into the vessel's bow and took up much of the surrounding area, bisecting the forward section of the Star Destroyer., based on visual observation of the Conqueror image The superlaser consisted of several beam generators arrayed around a concave circular dish located on the prow of the ship. When the weapon was fired, beams emanated from the generators and converged into a single green laser capable of destroying a small moon, and at the very least crack a continent in half and melt cities, although it was purported to have the ability to demolish entire planets as well.The description of the overall Threat of the Conqueror campaign located within the game states the following: "The Conqueror, an Imperial Star Destroyer, is armed with a planet-destroying weapon like the one on the Death Star battlestation."
==History==
The Conqueror was conceived as a replacement for the Galactic Empire's first Death Star, a superweapon capable of annihilating planets that was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance at the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. However, the concept itself and to a lesser extent the retrofitting of the Conqueror itself was experimented on as early as 0 BBY, and was included in the official field guide for officers of the Imperial Military, the Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide. During this time, the project ran into issues with miniaturization and power output, as well as plans to create more Star Destroyers equipped with superlasers. With the Rebels quickly gaining momentum in the Galactic Civil War, Emperor Palpatine was intent on swiftly halting the uprising through a crippling counterattack intended to demoralize the Alliance. The project to develop the Conqueror superlaser was spearheaded by the Empire's elite storm commandos, led by Admiral Victor Strang, who intended to use the weapon to destroy worlds affiliated with the Alliance.
The superlaser was developed at an Imperial research facility on Naboo, which was guarded by the Imperial-allied Sith Acolyte Namman Cha. Eventually, the weapon was fitted onto the Conqueror, and by 1 ABY the Star Destroyer had been put under Strang's command and stationed in the Mustafar system. Imperial Intelligence became involved with the project, and Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard herself began overseeing the operation, working in conjunction with the Blackguard, a dark side cult based on Mustafar.Jedi Academy Training Manual At some point, the Conqueror performed a successful test of its superlaser, obliterating a small, uninhabited planetoid in the system. This test was documented and sent to the research facility on Naboo.
Soon after, the Alliance learned of the Conqueror existence after a raid on an Imperial weapons depot on Naboo, which was carried out by the Alliance's elite Renegade Squadron, led by Commander Col Serra. The team turned up datafiles containing information on the Star Destroyer. The Renegades discovered the research facility where the superlaser was developed and infiltrated it, defeating Namman Cha and gaining access to the computer consoles located there. Once they came across the recording of the Conqueror weapons test and discovered the ship's location, they headed to Mustafar and hijacked one of the Imperial supply shuttles that flew between the Conqueror and the surface of the planet each day. The team intended to use it to board the superweapon and destroy the vessel.
The Renegades were able to provide the correct identification codes to dock with the Conqueror, and upon arrival in the ship's hangar, they opened fire on the surrounding stormtroopers. This alerted the Imperials to their presence and set off the ship's alarm system. They made their way to the Conqueror critical reactor core, which the Renegades hoped to destroy using thermal detonators, thereby causing the ship to explode. On the way there, the team was encountered by Strang and his storm commandos. Serra and the Renegades defeated them and eventually reached the reactor core, placing timed detonation charges around it. Simultaneously, the Emperor's enforcer, Darth Vader, arrived aboard the vessel to see to the superweapon's safe delivery to the Emperor. After ten minutes of fighting through the ship's corridors, the Renegades reached the hangar, intending to leave on the very shuttle they arrived in. There, they were confronted by Vader and a group of storm commandos. Serra and the Renegades were able to gain the upper hand in the subsequent firefight and escaped the Conqueror as the detonators exploded and destroyed the ship. Despite their success, two Imperial vessels, including Vader's, were able to escape the destruction as well.
Crix Madine later confirmed its destruction in the Imperial Handbook after a copy was supplied to the Rebel Alliance, in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor.
==Commanders and crew==
At the time that it was stationed in the Mustafar system, the Conqueror was captained by Admiral Victor Strang, a former storm commando leader. Strang kept a personal guard of storm commandos with him on the Star Destroyer, which he brought along when he encountered Renegade Squadron aboard the vessel. He was protective of his ship, disliking the idea of it being stolen or destroyed, and personally confronted the Renegades when they attempted to achieve the latter. Just before the Conqueror destruction, an Incom X4 Gunship, which one of the Renegades thought may have been carrying Strang, escaped the doomed Star Destroyer.
Along with Strang's storm commandos, the Conqueror carried a number of stormtroopers and Imperial Navy troopers. Stormtroopers were present in the ship's hangar when Renegade Squadron first arrived aboard the vessel, and Navy troopers attempted to halt the advance of Serra and his Renegades when they were making their way to the ship's reactor core. Stormtroopers and Navy troopers were also encountered by the Renegades at several critical junctions across the ship on the way back to the Conqueror hangar. Additionally, several groups of workers were spread throughout the large hangar bay at the time.
==Behind the scenes==
The Conqueror was created for the 2010 Threat of the Conqueror expansion set of the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game developed by Sony Online Entertainment. The Star Destroyer was featured in the Light Side scenario campaign for the set, in which the player character joins Renegade Squadron in uncovering information on the ship and destroying it. It also received its own card in the set, an item card usable only by Imperial players, and was referenced on several others. The Conqueror was illustrated by artist Derek Herring.Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game in-game collection manager
===Discrepancies===
Promotional material on Sony's website concerning Threat of the Conqueror indicates that the Rebel Alliance assigns Renegade Squadron to specifically target and destroy the Conqueror. However, the Light Side scenario campaign depicts the Renegades attacking an Imperial weapons depot and coincidentally coming across information on the Conqueror themselves, which they then set out to destroy. A description of the campaign within the game also indicates the involvement of the Jedi in the mission to search for the Conqueror, although they are never mentioned in the campaign. Additionally, promotional material indicates the Conqueror involvement in the Dark Side scenario campaign as a weapon used by the storm commandos, but the Conqueror neither appears nor is mentioned in the narrative of that campaign.
The destructive capability of the Conqueror superlaser is only ever witnessed during the test on the rogue planetoid in the Light Side scenario campaign. However, promotional material on StarWars.com indicates that the Star Destroyer's superlaser has the ability to destroy whole planets, as does the in-game synopsis for the overall campaign and the quote provided for Victor Strang on his card.
The only images of the Conqueror, featured on the Star Destroyer's card and on Sony's website, depict the ship hovering over a city with its superlaser being fired while Strang and his troops engage in combat on the ground. However, this scene is completely absent from the Light Side scenario campaign. In the campaign, the Conqueror is only ever seen stationed in the Mustafar system, where its weapon is tested, and is destroyed by Renegade Squadron shortly afterward.
==Appearances==
* 
==Sources==
*
*Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide
==Notes and references==
==External links==
*
Category:Starships of the Galactic Empire
Category:Superlaser Star Destroyers