Executor

> Aboard the *Executor*, being *useful* is the *only* way to survive.
>
> Maximillian Veers,

The ***Executor*** was an *Executor*-class Star Dreadnought and personal flagship of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Under Lord Vader's command, the *Executor* led the Death Squadron following the Battle of Yavin and oversaw the Imperial assault on the Rebel Alliance's Echo Base during the Battle of Hoth. While serving as the Imperial command ship during the Battle of Endor under Admiral Firmus Piett, the *Executor* was destroyed after a wayward Rebel A-wing starfighter piloted by Arvel Crynyd crashed into its bridge, causing the Super Star Destroyer to lose power and collide with the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station.

## Description

One of the largest and most powerful Imperial vessels ever created, the *Executor* was 19,000 meters long, eclipsing its escorting *Imperial*-class Star Destroyers, and boasted more than 5,000 turbolasers and ion cannons. The center of her arrowhead-shaped hull was covered by a city-like superstructure, while the underside hosted most of the engineering systems. The aft end of the *Executor* was marked by a trapezoid command tower crowned by two geodesic communication and deflection domes; at the bottom end of the hull were thirteen thrusters responsible for moving the vessel. It was considered the most imporant ship in the entire Imperial Navy, and could have feasably destroyed entire fleets unaided.

### Crew

The *Executor* was staffed by a total crew of 280,784, including Imperial officers, pilots and enlisted crew. Many of the best and brightest officers of the Imperial Navy were stationed aboard the *Executor*, because Darth Vader's frequent cullings of officers offered a fast chance for promotion. There was also a throne room in one of the highest levels reserved and used at least once by the Emperor himself; it was independent from the rest of the ship boasting its own airlocks and Life support systems. At the time of the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, Admiral Kendal Ozzel was in command of the vessel, but he was executed by Vader, and Captain Firmus Piett was promoted to admiral and took command. Piett served as the vessel's captain until Endor.

### Bridge

 File:Executorbridge.jpg
As in the *Imperial I*- and *Imperial II*-classes, the bridge of the *Executor* featured two elongated pits set below floor level, and a walkway where the superior officers stood. One notable difference was that, around 3 ABY, the pit consoles were aligned parallel to the walkway, instead of perpendicular. However, by 4 ABY, the arrangement of the consoles had been altered to match that of smaller Destroyers.

### Armament

The *Executor* boasted an armament of unimagineable firepower, composed of over 5,000 turbolasers including 750 twin heavy turbolaser batteries, 1000 turret-mounted twin light turbolaser batteries. The *Executor* additionally possessed 125 assault concussion missile launchers, 100 twin battleship ion cannons, and 250 turret-mounted quad laser cannons.

## Service history

### Origins

> The fleet will be yours. The *Executor* will be yours.
>
> Darth Sidious, to Darth Vader,

 File:Executor above Kuat - Darth Vader 20.jpg
Built by Kuat Drive Yards, the *Executor* was part of a class of Star Destroyers of the same name, which were the fruit of a project the Sith Lord Darth Vader had been pushing for. The *Executor* was intended to take the place of the *Annihilator* as the flagship of the Supreme Commander, Grand General Cassio Tagge, and therefore assume the position of the greatest starship in the entire Imperial Fleet. By the aftermath of the War on Shu-Torun, the Super Star Destroyer was entering the final stages of its construction at the orbital shipyards of Kuat.

When the rogue Doctor Cylo attempted to take over the starship and initiate a coup against Emperor Palpatine, he was stopped by Lord Vader. As a reward, the Emperor gifted his apprentice the *Executor* and its fleet. Tagge tried to reason with Vader, who now possessed more authority than him, but Vader did not relent. The Dark Lord of the Sith quickly Force choked the Grand General to death for his blunders, and then asked Admiral Kendal Ozzel when the ship would be ready. Ozzel replied it would be about a month before the ship would be launched due to damages from Cylo's takeover, but Vader gave him two weeks. When the officer began to protest this, the Dark Lord threatened his subordinate by saying he sounded a lot like the late Grand General. Ozzel looked at the now-dead Tagge, and then assured Vader the ship would be ready. Vader looked out at space, and used the Force to briefly connect with his son, Luke Skywalker.

The *Executor* became the command ship of the Death Squadron, the fleet of capital ships assigned to Darth Vader, and also continued to be commanded by Kendal Ozzel, whom Vader began to become increasingly annoyed at. The ship replaced the *Devastator* as the Sith Lord's flagship, and many of the stormtroopers who served aboard the vessel were selected due to their excellent performance in the Imperial Academy. Due to the pivotal Battle of Yavin, that saw the Alliance to Restore the Republic destroy the Empire's Death Star superweapon, the Dark Lord and his flotilla were tasked with finding the Rebels' base.At some point after the *Executor* was given to Vader, it was specially modified to have a mediation chamber, similar to the one at his abode on Mustafar.

### Mako-Ta Space Docks

> I haven't seen anything that big since the Death Star. Vader. It has to be.
>
> Luke Skywalker,

 File:Attack on Mako-Ta begins.jpg
After Queen Trios contacted Lord Vader, revealing the location of the Alliance Fleet at the Mako-Ta Space Docks, the *Executor*, along with the rest of Death Squadron, arrived at the rebel space station, initiating an attack on the fleet. From the *Executor*, the Dark Lord commanded the attack, ordering the destruction of the nearest cruiser, *Yavin's Hope*. When the *Millennium Falcon*, piloted by the smuggler Han Solo, arrived at Mako-Ta and attempted to use a rebel proximity signal to open the locked fighter bay doors, Vader left his flagship to pursue them in his TIE Advanced. Ozzel continue to command the attack from the *Executor*, ordering several more cruisers to be destroyed. Vader's attempt to stop Solo from opening the bay doors of Dodonna's flagship, the *Republic*, failed, and a squadron of X-wings lead by Luke Skywalker entered the battle, forming Rogue Squadron.

The rebels on Mako-Ta continued to search Trios' files for a way to reactivate their fleet, and Leia Organa learned that the override code was located aboard the *Executor*. In order to board the flagship, Princess Organa used the transponder codes of the Shu-Torun monarch's ship to pose as the queen, taking a team of General Davits Draven's forces with her. They were cleared to land, and managed to sneak out of the ship, killing the Imperial officer who had come to greet them. As Draven ordered his forces out of Trios' ship, he noticed Vader's TIE Advanced heading towards them, alerting Organa. The rebels managed to escape, but the Dark Lord landed in the docking bay and drew his lightsaber, aware of their presence.

The rebels succeeded in retrieving the override codes and made it to a hangar where a single TIE fighter was docked. After some discussion they agreed to have Leia take it back to Dodonna's flagship while Draven would lead the rearguard to delay Vader. This succeeded and the Princess escaped however the General and the rearguard were all killed by the Dark Lord. The *Republic* regained power and successfully fled the battle.

As Vader and Ozzel watched the remaining rebel ships get destroyed, Dodonna's ship returned. It opened fire on the *Executor*, which led to the Imperials focusing on that ship. This was a distraction which allowed Han and Leia to take transports to the remaining cruisers to give them the codes to escape. The remained rebel vessels fled except the *Republic* as it had been too badly damaged and was finished off by the Imperials.

### Battle of Hoth

> Move the ship out of the asteroid field, so we can send a clear transmission.
>
> Darth Vader,

 File:ExecutorShuttle-ESB.jpg
In 3 ABY, an Imperial probe droid located the Rebel hideout, Echo Base, on the frozen planet of Hoth. Although Ozzel disagreed with Vader, who sensed they found the Rebels, his superior commanded him regardless to move the armada to the Hoth system. However, the Admiral brought their fleet out of hyperspace too close to the system, which allowed the Rebels to raise their defensive base shields, forcing the Empire to initiate a ground assault. Ozzel was subsequently killed by Vader for his failure, and Captain Firmus Piett to serve as his successor.

 File:Executor side - ESB.png
As the Empire evicted the Rebels from Hoth's surface, the *Executor*, accompanied by several *Imperial*-class Star Destroyers, pursued the fleeing *Millennium Falcon*, into the Hoth asteroid belt adjacent to the Anoat system. Lord Vader eventually ordered the *Executor* to abandon the pursuit and get clear of the asteroid field, in order for him to communicate with Emperor Palpatine without disruptions. He later directed the ship to the gas giant Bespin, where he intended to trap the fugitives headed there aboard the *Falcon* in order to lure out his son, Luke Skywalker.

### The War of the Bounty Hunters

> Our fighters have engaged the Hutt attackers, *Admiral Piett*.
>
> An Imperial officer to Admiral Firmus Piett on the status of the *Executor'*s fighters,

After Lord Vader took Captain Solo, frozen in carbonite, from the Crimson Dawn auction on Jekara, he lured in Luke Skywalker and engaged in a dogfight. Simultaneously, General Hurst Romodi's shuttle was immobilized during the transportation of carbon-encased smuggler to the *Executor*. The bounty hunters Beilert Valance and Boba Fett, aboard the *Slave I*, moved in to retrieve Solo at the same time as Lando Calrissian, Leia Organa, and the rest of the crew of the *Millennium Falcon*. Meanwhile, the Hutt Clan was beckoned by Crimson Dawn into attacking the *Executor*, an overt affront to the Empire. Eventually, Fett acquired Solo, Valance was left for dead, and Vader slaughtered the treacherous Bokku and his fellow Hutt companions.

### Battle of Endor

> We've got to give those fighters more time. Concentrate all fire on that Super Star Destroyer!
>
> Admiral Gial Ackbar, issuing the destruction of *Executor*,

 File:HesGoodButNotTHATGood-ROTJHD.jpg
In 4 ABY, the *Executor*, still commanded by Piett, served as the flagship for an Imperial fleet of Star Destroyers that assembled at the remote forest moon of Endor, where the Empire's new superweapon, the second Death Star was under construction. When a Rebel fleet arrived into the system in an attempt to destroy the incomplete battle station, initiating the Battle of Endor, the *Executor* and the fleet moved into position to prevent the Rebels from retreating. Admiral Piett, however, did not attack the Rebels, as Emperor Palpatine wanted to demonstrate the destructive power of the Death Star's superlaser against the cornered Rebel capital ships.

Fleeing the Death Star's firepower, the Rebels engaged Piett's Star Destroyers at close range while their ground assault team destroyed the shield generator protecting the superweapon, allowing the Rebel fighters to fly into its superstructure. The Alliance Fleet Supreme Commander, Admiral Gial Ackbar, wishing to buy more time for the fighters to accomplish their mission, ordered a concentrated barrage against the *Executor*. As the Alliance warships focused their fire on the Super Star Destroyer, two RZ-1 A-wing interceptors strafed the *Executor* bridge deflector shields, bringing them down. In response, Piett ordered the forward batteries to intensify their firepower to prevent anything from penetrating the window of opportunity.

 File:Rotj112.jpg
Aware that the *Executor* would become the fulcrum of not only the battle but also the balance of power in the entire Outer Rim, Vice Admiral Rae Sloane moved her ship, the *Vigilance* to flank position on the *Executor* to try and defend it. However, Rebel Green Leader Arvel Crynyd, with his A-wing starfighter badly damaged by fire from the *Executor*, managed to retain just enough control of his stricken ship to send it towards the Imperial vessel's unshielded bridge. Seeing the threat, Admiral Piett once again shouted to intensify the forward batteries, but, as Commander Gherant realized, it was too late; the Rebel fighter crashed into the *Executor* command tower. As explosions engulfed the bridge, the massive ship listed to port and plunged towards the Death Star's surface, exploding upon impact.

### Legacy

> Piett, you fool.
>
> Admiral Garrick Versio, after witnessing the *Executor* destruction,

With the desctruction of the *Executor*, many of the best and most capable officers died along with the over 300,000 onboard. The destruction of the *Executor* ended any hope for the Imperials to win the Battle of Endor, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the Galactic Empire.

## Behind the scenes

### The *Eclipse*

In *Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!*, Tom Angleberger's retelling of *Star Wars*: Episode VI *Return of the Jedi*, the Super Star Destroyer present at the battle of Endor was mistakenly referred to as "the *Eclipse*, the Emperor's own Super Star Destroyer." In Angleberger's manuscript, that mistake had been caught and fixed by Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group, who even specifically added that "There's only one Super Star Destroyer [at Endor], and it's the *Executor*." Despite Hidalgo's correction, the mistake still appeared in the released version of the story.

### Other inconsistancies

*Star Wars: On the Front Lines* and *Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition* state that the *Executor* was the first of its class, however, this is contradicted by other sources, and this article assumes *On the Front Lines* and *Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition* are in error.

### Non-canon appearances

* Template:The Freemaker Adventures
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* Template:The Freemaker Adventures
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* *LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens*
* *LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga*

## Sources

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## Notes and references

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1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Aphra 37`
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3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Episode V`
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Battles`
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Starships and Speeders`
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 *Darth Vader* (2015) 25
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 *Star Wars: Galactic Atlas*
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Episode VI`
9. ↑ *Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion*
10. ↑ *Shattered Empire* 2
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 *Star Wars: On the Front Lines*
12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `The Rebel Files`
13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Ultimate SW`
14. ↑ *Thrawn: Treason*
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `White Q&A`
16. ↑ *Darth Vader* (2015) 20
17. ↑ Template:InsiderCite
18. ↑ *Aftermath*
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20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Star Wars 50`
21. ↑ *Star Wars* (2015) 49
22. ↑ *Star Wars* (2015) 51
23. ↑ *Star Wars* (2015) 52
24. ↑ *Star Wars* (2015) 53
25. ↑ *Star Wars* (2015) 54
26. ↑ *Star Wars* (2015) 55
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `War of the Bounty Hunters 5`
28. ↑ Template:Shortstory
29. ↑ *Star Wars Battlefront II*
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 *Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!*
31. ↑ Template:Twitter
32. ↑ Template:Twitter