Battle of Coruscant

New Republic

Galactic Empire

Admiral of the Fleet Gial Ackbar
Admiral Vacander Malkhan
General Han Solo
General Lando Calrissian
General Tyr Taskeen
Commander Wedge Antilles

Surface Marshal Rallis Cotyngham
Fleet Admiral Yarka
Captain Alestro Deltarir
Royal Guardsman Sergius Tereldon

570,000 New Republic troopers
62,000 Coruscanti insurrectionists
25,000 tanks and mobile artillery
New Republic 1st and 2nd Fleets

264,000 Imperial Army troops
50,000 stormtroopers
24,000 volunteer militiamen
18,000 walkers, tanks, and artillery
Imperial Center Defense Fleet

210,000 New Republic troops killed, missing, or wounded
15,000 vehicles destroyed

190,000 Imperial troops killed or missing
40,000 Imperial troops captured
11,000 vehicles destroyed

The **Battle of Coruscant**, known as the **Liberation of Coruscant** in the New Republic and **Fall of Imperial Center** in the Galactic Empire, also called the **Siege of Coruscant**, was the first major engagement between the Empire and the forces of the New Republic since the Battle of Endor. It was a decisive victory for the New Republic, capturing the galactic capital and intensifying the Post-Endor Imperial power struggle.

## Prelude

It took place four months after the Battle of Endor, after which the Rebel Alliance proclaimed the creation of a New Republic and replenished much of its losses. Many sectors, upon hearing of the new government's creation, overthrew their Imperial overseers and pledged their support. The New Republic was able to drive through the confused Imperial military in Operation Free Stars and reached the Core Worlds.

The fact that many Moffs and Imperial military officers became renegades, going warlord and forming their own fiefdoms from the Empire, aided the New Republic's effort in reaching Coruscant. Imperial Center, or Coruscant, became the rallying point for the units that pledged allegiance to the Interim Ruling Council, which took leadership of the Imperial central government. Surface Marshal Rallis Cotyngham, an accomplished Imperial officer, was appointed Capital Defense Commandant by Grand Vizier Sate Pestage and immediately set about preparing defenses.

The Imperial Center Defense Fleet created a blockade around the planet, while the Imperial Army turned much of the city depths into a labyrinth of defensive fortifications. They also rigged many of the buildings in Imperial City with explosives, to bring them down once the New Republic captured them. The Marshal also oversaw the creation of a system of designated pathways in the lower levels that could be used to get around without being noticed by enemy troops and "strong-points" in different buildings that had ammunition other supplies. He planned to use them to attack the New Republic's rear lines; when New Republic forces took one area and advanced, Imperial soldiers would go to the strong-points through the lower levels and then attack them from behind.

Despite having weakened forces as a result of the infighting, the Empire prepared for a long and arduous defense of Imperial Center.

## Initial assault

The New Republic Starfleet arrived over the planet and immediately engaged the Imperial Center Defense Fleet, which they tricked into firing upon itself by using captured Star Destroyers to wreck havoc among their ranks. Even with this advantage, however, the Republic 1st and 2nd Fleet were forced into a ferocious battle in orbit of Imperial Center, with ships frequently exchanging broadsides and being boarded. In the end, the Imperial ships were overwhelmed, and Fleet Admiral Yarka (in overall command of the fleet) used the remaining forces to evacuate the Interim Ruling Council. They successfully got away despite several Republic attempts at stopping them.

On the surface, the New Republic Army engaged Imperial Army units and stormtroopers in close-quarters urban combat. Thanks to Surface Marshal Cotyngham's skillful command, the Imperials were able to give the New Republic troops heavy casualties. The warfare dragged on for weeks can caused thousands of casualties on both sides, large scale destruction of infrastructure, and many more civilian deaths. However, after weeks of heavy fighting, New Republic forces broke through towards Imperial City, and the Palace itself.

## Battle for the Imperial Palace

The Royal Guard was responsible for the defense of the Imperial Palace, along with a contingent of stormtroopers, dark troopers, and Novatroopers. The number of Royal Guardsmen was around 300, a legion. The fight to take the Palace became one of the bloodiest in the Galactic Civil War. The 300 Guardsmen, 2,000 other Imperial troops, and nearly 25,000 Republic soldiers died in the three month siege of the Imperial Palace. Attacking from all sides, the Republic forces attempted to storm the Palace quickly, but the Imperials defended key crucial points. This allowed them to hold out for long periods of time at each point, and the New Republic was unable to call on air support as they did not want to damage the Palace too much.

Eventually, however, they forced their way into the inner courtyard and fought in the building itself. Imperial defenders took full advantage of the enormity of the Palace, ambushing the Republic soldiers and giving them heavy losses. Despite their fanatical determination, the defenders were eventually cleared out of the Palace, with some survivors fleeing into the Imperial City. A few surviving Guardsmen were believed to have escaped the planet, though sources are unclear on how they escaped and how many were able to get away.

## Aftermath

Despite this, however, the New Republic was able to achieve total victory, and Imperial Center was taken (although pockets of Imperial resistance would continue to hold out for weeks). The total New Republic casualties on the ground were 210,000 troops killed, wounded, or missing, along with more than 15,000 vehicles being destroyed. The Empire took considerable casualties as well, losing the vast majority of the troops stationed on the planet. Imperial Center was renamed back to Coruscant, and it was at that point that the New Republic's Provisional Senate was renamed to New Galactic Senate.

The fall of Coruscant, and the subsequent emergence of the New Republic as a fully-fledged government, sent shock waves throughout the galaxy. Soon more and more planets bid their alliance to the New Republic, and the Empire was driven further and further away, fragmented and riddled with infighting as the Interim Ruling Council tried to regain control.