Yavin blockade

The Blockade of Yavin was a military action of the Galactic Empire after the destruction of the Death Star in 0 BBY. Darth Vader led a fleet that surrounded the system to defeat the Core Group of the Rebel Alliance. The blockade was so extensive, it covered the entire Gordian Reach Sector. Though it was a large blockade, small ships could escape, while the large transports and capital ships couldn't. The Blockade was more political than military, because the Empire didn't want the galaxy to know than an enemy was threatening the Empire.

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Han Solo had managed to escape the blockade multiple times. Once to the Wheel, to Hoth, Drexel II, Aduba III, Akuria II, Keeper's world and other planets.

Just before the blockade, Tyber Zann searched the debris of the first Death Star, locating several jettisoned pods that contained secret plans to the Eclipse and other plans. Tyber Zann left the system just after the Imperial Fleet arrived.

The original commander for the blockade was General Ulric Tagge and was assisted by his family's company, led by Baron Orman Tagge. Several TaggeCo ships helped take part in the blockade, and his family helped in the early blockade. It was Orman Tagg'es goal to gain favor with the Emperor, creating a rivalry with Darth Vader.

Baron Orman Tagge used his vast resources of TaggeCo to develop weapons to defeat the Alliance at Yavin. The first was a station in the planet of Yavin that carried a turbine to allow fighters through, called the Achtnak Turbine Station. TIE Fighters used this station as depot that allowed them to have continuous siege of Yavin 4. This station was destroyed by Luke Skywalker.

The second attempt used a new freezing bomb weapon, the Omega Frost. Han Solo led a Rebel Fleet through an unknown gap of the Imperial Fleet. Luke Skywalker managed to relocate the bomb, and the Alliance Fleet attack Orman Tagge's fleet and led to his defeat.After the failure the last attempt, Vader held Orman and Silas Tagge prisoner, and thus had leverage over Ulric Tagge, who believed his brothers dead, assumed the title Baron of TaggeCo and retired from the military.

At the same time, Darth Vader was being pressured Imperial commanders to strike, having lost patience in the blockade. A group of Admirals secretly revealed the existence of the Super Star Destroyer being built at Fondor to the Rebels. Luke Skywalker led a team to destroy the new weapon, but failed. Admiral Amise Griff, one of the treasonous admirals, was actually a spy. Vader killed the admirals, except Griff for their betrayel.

Vader rewarded Griff by placing him in command of the blockade. Griff launched stunning raids on the Rebel Base on Yavin. His TIE fighters were slowly winning the battle of attrtion. Fortunately, Princess Leia and a pirate fleet led by Silver Fyre ran the blockade and defeated the TIE fighters.

The Empire continued to siege the base, launching several raids to destroy transport and and kill leaders. The Bothan High Command were killed in one attack, while Rebel Fighters led by Commander Skywalker defended the transports in another attack.

When the Super Star Destroyer, Executor, was finished, Vader led a final strike on Yavin Base with his new flagship. At the advice of Luke Skywalker to relocate to Hoth, the Alliance were evacuating the last of the base, and attempted to delay the arrival of the Super Star Destroyer. The first attempt failed, and its commander, Vrad Dodonna, fled the battle, damaged his own ship to appear he barely escaped. Luke Skywalker had caught Vrad from escaping, but did not want to hurt General Dodonna's feelings for his son. Vrad and Luke then volunteer on a mission to use a power gem to weaken the Executor's shields. Vrad, however, left Luke behind to escape on his own and sell the power gem. Attacked by the Executor, Vrad changed course and rammed the ship. As the Executor redirected all power to its forward shields, the Mellinium Falcoln damaged the ship's rear.

Unable to strike the Rebel Base, Darth Vader called upon Admiral Griff at Jovian Station to use the blockade force. Admiral Griff responded by sending a TIE Bomber fleet to destroy the base. However, General Dodonna detonated the temple - the blast destroyed the bomber fleet. This allowed the last Alliance transport to escape.

Despite successfully evacuating the base, they must still escape from the Imperial blockade. Admiral Ackbar and his Mon Calamari forces attacked the Vallusk Cluster and two other locations along the blockade as a diversion. This allowed a gap in the blockade for the Alliance to escape. Admiral Griff was not fooled, and sent his three Star Destroyers to a nearby star to hide and await to ambush the Rebel Fleet. Luckily, Luke Skywalker discovered the Star Destroyers and warned the fleet.

Instead, Princess Leia led the fleet through a stellar flare around the star, with Skywalker guiding through the force. Meanwhile, with the repairs complete, Darth Vader and the Executor awaited on the other side of the star to ambush the fleet. Darth Vader had used Griff to draw the Alliance near him, and exhaust them. But the ambitious Griff, foolishly miscalculated a hyperspace leap to catch the Alliance, and his three Star Destroyers collided into the Executor. Admiral Griff was killed, but fortunately for Vader, the Executor's shields protected him from the collision. Meanwhile, the Alliance escaped.

The Alliance escaped the Imperial might and spent a year relocating to Hoth and building Echo Base.

Appearances

 * ''Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * The Night Beast
 * The Return of Ben Kenobi
 * The Power Gem
 * Iceworld
 * Revenge of the Jedi
 * Doom Mission
 * Race for Survival
 * Star Wars 25: Siege at Yavin
 * Star Wars 26: Doom Mission
 * Star Wars 27: Return of the Hunter
 * Star Wars 31: Return to Tatooine
 * Star Wars 32: The Jawa Express
 * Star Wars 33: Saber Clash
 * Star Wars 34: Thunder in the Stars
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Force Commander
 * Star Wars: Dark Forces
 * The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
 * Imperial Spy