Alliance to Restore the Republic

The **Alliance to Restore the Republic** (2 BBY-4 ABY), also called the **Rebel Alliance**, or simply the **Alliance** or **Rebels**, was an alliance of various planets, systems, and sectors that rose in rebellion against the Galactic Empire in the Galactic Civil War. Founded at the Corellian Treaty in 2 BBY, the Alliance united several groups that aimed at overthrowing Emperor Palpatine and destroying the empire. In 4 ABY, after the Battle of Yavin and Battle of Jakku, the Alliance defeated the Empire and formed the New Republic, restoring the Galactic Senate.

## History

### Origins

The Old Republic was destroyed in 18 BBY when the Galactic Empire was founded by the former Chancellor Palpatine, and Palpatine kept the Galactic Senate in Coruscant to give people the illusion that there was still some form of democracy. However, the Sith lord Palpatine ruled over the empire absolutely, and the Empire committed atrocities on numerous planets to carry out their goal of taking over the whole galaxy. Imperial stormtroopers were sent to planets from the Outer Rim to the inner planets, and the Empire grew more powerful by the day.

After the Great Jedi Purge and the Rise of the Empire, the galaxy seemed like it would be taken over by Palpatine. However, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan and his ally Mon Mothma decided to assist resistance against the tyranny of the Emperor. Palpatine's servant Darth Vader secretly had a hand in the creation of the alliance to draw his enemies out of hiding, identifying Organa, Mon Mothma, Rahm Kota, and all of the rebellion's leaders as the threats that had to be wiped out. The resistance movements on Chandrilla, Corellia, and Alderaan united into one alliance, and more insurgents decided to pledge their allegiance to the Rebel Alliance.

   In 2 BBY, the leaders of the rebellion formally created the "Alliance to Restore the Republic" at the Corellian Treaty. The rebellion spread to other planets such as Sullust, Mon Calamari, and Kashyyyk, whose species provided soldiers to the rebels such as Nien Nunb of Sullust, Gial Ackbar of Mon Calamari, and Chewbacca of Kashyyyk. Mon Calamari provided transport ships to the rebels, and the rebel starfleet was formed. The rebellion was not strong in its early days, being based on the moon of Yavin 4 and only a few other planets, and they suffered many losses to the Empire.

    The rebels gained a new hope in 0 BBY when some rebels raided the planet of Polis Massa and stole plans to the Death Star, the powerful space station that had the capability to destroy any planet in the galaxy. Princess Leia Organa, Senator Organa's daughter, attempted to transport the plans to the rebels aboard Tantive IV, but the ship was intercepted above Tatooine and captured. Leia inserted the plans into an R2 droid, R2-D2, and sent the droid in an escape pod to Tatooine to ensure that the Empire would not recover the plans. The droid was sent to search for Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Order master who had gone into exile during Order 66. R2-D2 and its human-cyborg translator companion C3PO wound up in the hands of plantation worker Luke Skywalker after several events, and Darth Vader dispatched stormtroopers to the planet to track down the droids. They massacred Jawas who sold the droids to the Skywalker plantation before killing Skywalker's family. However, the droids were with Luke, who met up with Obi-Wan and promised to bring the droids to Alderaan so that the rebels could get their information.

    After a long journey involving several encounters with the Empire and escaping the Death Star, Skywalker and the droids were taken to the rebel base of Yavin 4 by smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca on their ship, the "Millennium Falcon". In their escape from the Death Star, they managed to free Princess Leia from the empire's clutches, but Obi-Wan was killed by Darth Vader, his former apprentice. The rebels reached Yavin 4 and were able to get the plans to General Jan Dodonna, who planned out the attack on the Death Star. Skywalker decided to join the attack as an X-wing pilot with his friends Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles, and he flew very well during the attack on the space station. Almost all of the rebel pilots were killed in the attack, but Skywalker was able to shoot his proton torpedoes into the exhaust shaft of the space station thanks to the "Millennium Falcon" arriving and incapacitating Darth Vader's ship. The Death Star was destroyed, removing the threat to the rebellion, and Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia became important leaders of the Alliance in the following battles.

        Unfortunately, over the next three years the rebels continued to have defeats, as the Empire's elite 501st Legion was able to drive the rebels from Yavin 4. The rebels moved to the icy planet of Hoth, and their base was discovered there when Darth Vader's probes located a shield generator. General Carlist Rieekan was alerted to the imperial fleet's presence when Admiral Kendal Ozzel made the jump to hypserspace too close to the planet's surface, allowing for the shields to be put up. The ensuing Battle of Hoth led to the Imperial destruction of the rebel base, but not without heavy losses and the escape of Luke and the rebel command. While the rebel fleet left, Luke headed to Dagobah to be trained as a Jedi by master Yoda, and Han Solo, Leia, and Chewbacca fled in the Millennium Falcon, trying to escape the imperial fleet. The Empire subjugated Bespin when Lando Calrissian allowed for Han, Leia, and Chewbacca to repair their ships there, and Luke rushed there to duel Darth Vader to protect his friends. Luke lost a hand and found out that Darth Vader was his father, and he later escaped with Leia, Lando, and Chewbacca while Han was captured and frozen in carbon for bounty hunter Boba Fett to give to Jabba the Hutt.

        Six months later, Lando, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca rescued Han and killed Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine before heading to meet up with Admiral Ackbar's fleet. The rebels learned that the Empire was building Death Star II above the forest moon of Endor, so they decided to send a team led by Han Solo to disable the deflector shields on the planet while Lando Calrissian led the fleet in the attack on the Death Star. Emperor Palpatine set a trap for the rebels, using the fully-operational weapons of the Death Star to take out two Mon Calamari ships and sending star destroyers and TIE fighters out to attack the rebel fleet. However, the rebels on Endor teamed up with the native Ewoks to fight off the stormtroopers there, and after a long and costly battle they were able to destroy the shield bunker. This allowed for Lando, borrowing the Millennium Falcon, to enter Death Star II and destroy the main reactor with help from Wedge Antilles. Luke fought Darth Vader in the Death Star after turning himself in so that he could fulfill his destiny of confrontation with Vader, and he convinced his father that there was still good in him. Vader saved his son from electrocution by the Emperor by throwing the Emperor down a well, but Vader was mortally wounded in the process. Luke took Vader's body aboard his shuttle as he left the space station, having seen his real father for once. Soon after, the Death Star II exploded, and the Empire was defeated.

The Battle of Endor was a critical blow to the empire, as they lost their emperor, the Death Star II, their capital super star destroyer *Executor*, and several of their ships. However, the Empire was still strong after their defeat, and they continued to fight the Alliance. At the 4 ABY Battle of Jakku, however, their supply cache was destroyed and several star destroyers were blown up, while on the ground many AT-ATs were also destroyed. The battle was seen as the end of the empire, as it disintegrated by 34 ABY. The Alliance transitioned to become the New Republic on Hosnian Prime, with the Galactic Senate being restored and democracy coming back to the galaxy.