Avenger

The ***Avenger***, full name **CVS 1401 *Avenger***, was a prestigious *Imperial II*-class Star Destroyer of the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War. As a part of the Galactic Empire's Project Swarm, the *Avenger* was one of the destroyers responsible for deploying thousands of Viper probe droids across the galaxy in hyperdrive pods, in an attempt to discover the Rebel Alliance's secret base.

## Characteristics

An *Imperial II*-class Star Destroyer, the *Avenger* was equipped with a hangar bay, a communications tower, a solar ionization reactor, and two deflector shield generator domes. Measuring 1,600 meters long, it was propelled by three destroyer-I ion engines and four emergency use gemon-4 ion engines. The Star Destroyer carried with it numerous hyperdrive pods containing Viper probe droids.

## History

It was developed by Kuat Drive Yards, with Sienar Fleet Systems, Cygnus Spaceworks, and Taim & Bak providing secondary contracting elements to its design. Its basic blueprints, or SpecPlate, had been drawn up by Raith Sienar and designed by Louis Solis. It had been commissioned by Lorth Needa under special orders. It was developed by a team under the Imperial Navy Research, Development and Engineering Center, composed of the Chief Naval Architect Lira Wessex; Chief Project Engineer J. Johnston, Senior Structural Engineer C. Cantwell; Senior Construction Designer S. Gawley; Chief Design Engineer R. McQuarrie; and Systems Engineering Director D. Beasley. Its keel had been laid, with it undergoing a naming ceremony shortly thereafter. Afterwards, it underwent the stepping of the mast, and was launched. It eventually underwent christening of the name *Avenger*, and had a pre-commission crew man the ship to undergo various trials. It then underwent dock trials, fast cruises, space trails, and contractor fitting out. Eventually, it was delivered to Captain Lorth Needa, and was fitted with an active service crew alongside it undergoing a shakedown cruise before it underwent official commissioning. Upon completion and undergoing its official commissioning ceremony, it had a commemorative SpecPlate placed on the bulkhead until the event where it was stricken from the registry.

One of the *Avenger's* earliest missions was the attack on the CR90 corvette *Karinne*, carrying a Twi'lek delegation to the Rebel Alliance. The *Avenger* launched three flights of TIE/sa bombers against the *Karinne*, and entered hyperspace. The intervention of two Alliance BTL Y-wing starfighters saved the diplomatic vessel.

In 0 BBY, the *Avenger* was under the command of Moff Kalast. When he betrayed the Galactic Empire, the Moff used his ship to secretly support the Rebel Alliance. But after giving secret informations about the Death Star to the rebels, his identity was discovered. Darth Vader tracked Kalast to Thyferra, Atzerri and other systems in the galaxy but the Moff and the *Avenger* always escaped. Eventually Vader managed to capture the *Avenger* thanks to an Immobilizer 418 cruiser. The ship was severely damaged in the battle and Kalast forced to surrender. The *Avenger* was subsequently returned to Imperial service.

At an unknown point, the *Avenger* was presented with the Superior Service Award, the Legion of Merit, the Valor Under Fire Citation, the Combat Victory Accreditation, and the Meritorious Service Award by the Commander Fleet Operations.

As early as 0 ABY, the *Avenger* was commanded by Captain Lorth Needa. Under Needa's command, the *Avenger* earned a reputation for subjugating planets in the Outer Rim Territories, participating in the subjugation of over 436 worlds.

After the discovery of an Alliance intelligence facility on Dankayo, the *Avenger* participated in the brutal subjugation of the world. Alongside the *Imperial I*-class Star Destroyers *Devastator* and *Relentless*, the *Avenger* executed Base Delta Zero against Dankayo, incinerating its atmosphere and reducing its surface to slag.

Eight months after the Battle of Yavin, the ship fought Warlord Nuso Esva's forces in the Poln system as part of Death Squadron.

In 1 ABY, Rebel agents destroyed an Imperial depot that contained a large number of space mines intended for shipment to the *Avenger*.

In 3 ABY, the *Avenger* was commanded by Captain Lorth Needa. It was involved in Project Swarm, an Imperial operation to dispatch Viper probe droids across the galaxy in order to locate the Rebel Alliance's secret base, from which they waged war on the Empire.

Following the Battle of Hoth, the *Avenger* and the rest of Death Squadron pursued the rebel vessel *Millennium Falcon*, although its captain, Han Solo, evaded the Star Destroyer. The *Falcon* flew further into the asteroid field evading TIE fighters. To answer a call from Emperor Palpatine, the *Executor* left the asteroid field. After the *Millennium Falcon* underwent repairs in an asteroid cave, it was sighted by the *Avenger*'s Captain Lorth Needa. He ordered the ship to fire and landed a shot on the *Falcon*'s stern. Solo turned his ship around and charged the Star Destroyer, heading towards the bridge. Needa ordered for the shields to be raised but lost the *Falcon*. The rebel ship had hidden itself on the back of the *Avenger'*s conning tower in a sensor blind spot. Needa decided to take full responsibility for losing the *Millennium Falcon* and left to apologize to Vader. Aboard the *Executor*, Vader ordered to disperse the fleet after killing Captain Needa. Following standard Imperial procedure, the *Avenger* dumped its garbage and flew into hyperspace while the *Millennium Falcon* detached and "drifted away with the garbage". Nevertheless, despite Needa's failure, the *Avenger* gained a reputation from the chase as it managed to continuously pursue the *Millennium Falcon* past the Hoth asteroid field while other ships in Death Squadron lagged far behind.

The *Avenger* remained with Vader's Death Squadron and served as a communications ship during the Battle of Endor. When Vader arrived at the Death Star II to put its construction back on schedule, his personal shuttle was launched from the *Avenger*.

The *Avenger* survived the Battle of Endor and later served under the Dark Empire. By 8 ABY-9 ABY, it had fallen under the command of Major General Maximilian Veers. At some point prior to the Skirmish on Geonosis, the *Avenger* had become the new main flagship of the fractured Dark Empire, replacing the *Eclipse* which had been destroyed during the Battle near the Vanqor system.

## Appearances

* Into the Crossfire (First appearance)
* Into the Great Unknown
* *Star Wars: Veers*