Gial Ackbar/Legends

"Be smart! Be victorious!"

- Admiral Ackbar

Admiral Ackbar (44 BBY–30 ABY) was a Mon Calamari, and perhaps the finest military commander in the service of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic. However, unlike many career officers, he was unable to play the political game, relying on his trusted friend Mon Mothma to cover him. When Mon Mothma retired from political service, Admiral Ackbar found severe difficulties in facing the political realities of high command, though he did have an ally in Leia Organa Solo, Mothma's successor. Admiral Ackbar held the distinction of having been the Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Force for nearly two decades and defeating two Imperial Grand Admirals, Osvald Teshik and Peccati Syn. He wrote the manual for the New Republic Fleet Academy, titled 'Fleet Combat and Methodology'.

Biography
Born on the water world of Dac, Ackbar as a young man was interested in science and the sea. He eventually entered the Mon Calamari navy, as well as a brief stint on the Calamarian Council. When the Empire first invaded Mon Calamari, Ackbar was a leader of the resistance movement. Unfortunatley, Ackbar was, for a time, enslaved to Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, where it appeared that he learned much about the art and skill of command. As a result of his enslavement, Ackbar was not able to see his plans come into being. Mon Calamari and Quarren united against the invaders, repeling them and pushing them off planet. Rebel forces later rescued him, and he swiftly rose through the ranks, finally achieving the rank of Admiral after his role in the Shantipole Project, which was a secret project to develop the Verpine designed B-wing starfighter. Mon Mothma, noticing the skills of Ackbar, named him Supreme Commander of the Rebel Fleet and head of all Rebel military operations. In terms of tactics, he is most well known for his audacious, close-range assaults first seen at the Battle of Endor. He fought numerous campaigns against the Galactic Empire, and numerous splinter warlord groups. His successes in the Mid and Inner Rims paved the way for the eventual liberation of the Core, which Ackbar personally commanded. At Kashyyyk he outfought Grand Admiral Syn, vaporizing his flagship and defeating his fleet. Ackbar commanded the fleet that liberated Coruscant from the Empire. He weathered the political manipulations of Borsk Fey'lya and an attempt at framing him for treason masterminded by Grand Admiral Thrawn. His niece Jesmin Ackbar fought in Wraith Squadron alongside Wedge Antilles; however, she died in combat. As the New Republic grew stronger, Ackbar took a less active role in the day to day fighting against the remnants of the Empire, though he continued to personally lead major campaigns and assaults.

He retired four years after peace was signed with the Remnant, when his old rival Fey'lya was elected Chief of State. However, senior members of the Defense Force (including Dif Scaur, Etahn A'baht, Traest Kre'fey, and Sien Sovv, Ackbar's replacement) managed to ensure that Ackbar received a number of important analyses.

When the Yuuzhan Vong War came, Ackbar was in very poor health. As he explained, there was nothing specifically wrong with him, just age and the strain he had put on himself during the Galactic Civil War. But he was still fully cognizant. When the New Republic relocated to Dac, he pulled himself out of retirement, to plan a trap against those forces in the Deep Core. That plan, which culminated in the Battle of Ebaq 9, was highly successful. In addition to being a legitimate strategic victory, was crucial in restoring morale after the losses suffered in the invasion. Near the very end of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Ackbar died of natural causes, to the great grief of the Mon Calamari and the Galactic Alliance. A grand memorial service was held on both the newly reclaimed Coruscant and his watery homeworld, attended by countless Mon Calamari and numerous dignitaries from across the Galactic Alliance.

Military Campaigns
Ackbar shaped the military strategy of the fledgling New Republic, begining within days of the victory at Endor. Some early operations, like the liberation of Clak'dor VII, were conducted in the Outer Rim. For the first few months following the battle, Ackbar rebuilt and expanded his fleet, preparing it for the eventual liberation of the galaxy from the Empire. Consolidating is holdings, the New Republic expanded through diplomacy, buying time as new warships like the MC80B Star Cruiser came off the lines at Mon Calamari and found their way into the fleet. Once his fleet was ready, Ackbar began the long trek Coreward.

Early gains were made in the Core before the main invasion began, including the liberation of Ralltiir, the capture of Brentaal, and Recopia joining the New Republic. Still, the majority of the Core would be in Imperial hands until the main fleets of the New Republic had a secure line of supply. To do this, Ackbar invaded the Mid and Inner Rims. His major victory over Grand Admiral Syn opened up a major line of travel and communication, paving the way for numerous other sucesses in the Mid Rim. After securing the Mid Rim, a brutal campaign began in the Inner Rim. Ackbar's fleets were involved, supporting ground campaigns led by General Luke Skywalker. Despite the growing stresses placed on Ackbar as the Supreme Commander of the New Republic military, he continued to lead major engagements personally. Such was his devotion to the service and the beings who served with him.

As the New Republic fleet began to gain a foothold in the Colonies region, the main objective of the New Republic finally seemed within reach. After securing Borleias, the New Republic had a secure base of operations for an attack on Coruscant itself, the capital of the Galactic Empire, and the Old Republic before it. Bringing in the bulk of his fleet, Ackbar brushed aside the Imperial forces defending the capital world. The New Republic was finally in possession of the galactic capital.

This major symbolic and military victory did not bring Ackbar's offensive to an end. During much of the third and fourth year after Endor, Ackbar's forces liberated other key Core worlds, including Chandrila, Esseles, and other key worlds. Despite the major problems caused by Warlord Zsinj and his forces, the New Republic continued to solidify its hold on the galaxy. Following the defeat of Zsinj at Dathomir, Ackbar led a campaign into the regions held by the former warlord. After securing those planets for the New Republic, Ackbar's forces succeeded in capturing the shipbuilding world of Kuat. Despite the fierce fighting and damage sustained to Kuat Drive Yards, the battle was a major victory. Now entering the fifth year after the victory at Endor, three quarters of the galaxy, including the entire Core, were in the hands of the New Republic.

The battle against Thrawn was a costly one for the New Republic, weakening their forces and nearly bringing them to the brink of defeat. Campaigns in the Ciutric Hegemony and operations to reclaim worlds lost to Thrawn spread the New Republic across the Rim. This left the vital Core worlds, and Coruscant in particular, open to a attack by reunified Imperial forces. The campaign of the Reborn Emperor was the most costly struggle in the history of the New Republic up until the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion. Countless regions were lost, as the government went into hiding. Ackbar managed to keep the bulk of his fleets intact, moving them across the galaxy much in the same way he had during the Rebellion. Following the final death of Palpatine, the New Republic re-established itself. Ackbar's forces were dispatched to liberate worlds yet again, bringing them back into the fold of the New Republic.

Following the threats of Daala, the Hutt Darksaber weapon, and other small scale engagments, the galaxy entered a relative time of quiet. This was shaked up during the conflict with the zenophobic Yevetha. This campaign was unique in that Ackbar did not take to the field directly, instead leaving command to his subordinate admirals and generals. From the Fleet Command offices on Coruscant, the Supreme Commander coordinated his forces and ensured that they were equipped with the necessary weapons and supplies. Following this and the incident at Almania, the Imperial Remnant decided to launch a major offensive against the New Republic, hoping that the problems of the past few years had weakened them. they were sorely mistaken. Taking personal command in the field once again, Ackbar commanded the Third and Fifith fleets in a series of major battles with Pellaeon. Despite some setbacks, like the Battle of Gravlex Med, Ackbar's forces managed to trounce the Imperial forces. The victory was secured during the climactic battle over Anx Minor. Ackbar ordered a barrage of concentrated fire on the experimental Imperial warship EX-F. Igniting its volatile antimatter reservoir, the subsequent explosion vaporized six additional Star Destroyers. This massive sudden loss sapped the morale of the Imperial forces. Pellaeon, hoping to save what he had left, retreated. By the time the campaign was over, the Imperial Remnant had been reduced to a mere eight sectors of the Outer Rim and a fleet of 200 Star Destroyers and a few thousand lesser vessels. Ackbar's victory was tremendous. It was a major reason that Pellaeon decided to make peace with the New Republic and sign the Pellaeon-Gavrisom Treaty. This was in no small part due to Ackbar.

Ackbar remained Supreme Commander until his retirement. While he did not actively command forces again, he did develop the strategy and plan for the Battle of Ebaq 9. This victory turned the tide of the Vong war, and ensured the eventual establishment of the Galactic Alliance. Upon his death, shortly before the end of the war, Ackbar was hailed as one of the greatest military commanders in the galaxy.

Starfighter Development

 * B-wing

Space Warfare

 * Ackbar Slash
 * Thrawn Pincer

Behind the Scenes
Admiral Ackbar was played by Timothy M. Rose in Return of the Jedi.

For SomethingAwful.com, LUELinks.net and Fark.com users, Ackbar has risen to level of Photoshop cliché, often used with the phrase "it's a trap!" or a variation thereof. The basis for this cliché is "Next time you watch Return of the Jedi, note that all Ackbar wants to do, from the minute the assault on the Death Star begins, is leave." "It's a trap!" became so overused that any use of either the phrase, or Ackbar's image, was banned from SomethingAwful.

Ackbar, however, ordered a retreat just once, when it was revealed that the Death Star II was operational. Also, the risk of the entire Alliance fleet being eliminated by the superiorly numbered and armed Imperial fleet was more than enough reason to withdraw.

Appearances

 * A Death Star is Born (non-canon)
 * Empire at War
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * The Glove of Darth Vader
 * Heir to the Empire
 * Dark Force Rising
 * The Last Command
 * Dark Empire
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * Darksaber
 * Specter of the Past
 * Vision of the Future
 * Vector Prime
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * The Unifying Force

External link

 * Ackbar on Wikipedia
 * Ackbar on Wikipedia