Devastator

"Did you hear that? They've shut down the main reactor. We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness!"

- C-3PO, during the Devastator attack on the Tantive IV

The Devastator was an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer of the Imperial Navy famous for its participation in the capture of the Tantive IV and as Darth Vader's flagship for a time. It later participated in the Imperial victory at Hoth and was destroyed during the decisive battle fought at Endor.

Description
The Devastator was 1,600 meters long, the standard length for an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer. As such, it was initially armed with turbolaser batteries, ion cannons, and several tractor beam projectors. Several dozens of times in its service life, the Devastator was structurally altered from its original design to include the latest weapons and systems, which kept it more than comptetitive with the battleships that were commissioned later. Unlike some other Imperial I-class Star Destroyers, such as Lawbringer and Relentless, the ventral hangar within Devastator's docking bay was split into two smaller sections, and the dorsal hangar featured a cover, so that the bays behind weren't visible.

History
In 5 BBY, fourteen years after the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Devastator was the flagship of Lord Tion.

However in 0 BBY, it now belonged to the Sith Lord Darth Vader, who used it in his struggle against the Rebel Alliance. Appearing over the planet Scarif near the conclusion of the Battle of Scarif, the arrival of the Devastator proceeded to cut off the escape of the Alliance Fleet, immediately destroying a GR-75 medium transport by colliding with it, and disabling several ships, including the Rebel flagship Profundity which had received the plans for the Death Star. After boarding the Profundity, Vader proceeded to cut through Rebel troopers who were delivering the plans. Vader failed, and the plans were delivered to Leia Organa, onboard the Tantive IV, a CR90 corvette that was docked onboard the Profundity. Fleeing at the last second, the Tantive IV escaped from the system and Vader pursued the starship in the Devastator.

Arriving over Tatooine, a brief skirmish ensued over the planet, resulting in the Star Destroyer successfully capturing the Tantive IV. Imperial troops boarded the enemy ship, and the Devastator also targeted and destroyed any escape pods that were launched in order to ensure none of the Rebels escaped. The sole exception was R2-D2 and C-3PO's pod&mdash;which even then was only because Imperial Gunners did not detect any life signs in the pod, and dismissed it as a malfunction.

When the Super Star Destroyer Executor completed construction, Vader transferred his flag, and Jhared Montferrat took command of the Devastator. However, the legendary vessel remained a part of Death Squadron, Vader's personal flotilla. Under Montferrat's command, the Devastator notably participated at the Battle of Hoth, which resulted in a clear Imperial victory.

The Devastator, the pride of the Death Squadron, met its fate at Endor, during a battle which the Emperor had meant to be the end of the Rebellion. The ship, still commanded by Montferrat, faced Blade Squadron, a group of Rebel B-wing pilots. Ultimately, the ship was destroyed when two of those pilots, Gina Moonsong and Braylen Stramm, caused a chain reaction of explosions that led to the systematic demolition of the Star Destroyer.

Commanders and crew
Prior to the destruction of Alderaan, the Devastator was the property of Darth Vader himself. As of the Battle of Hoth, it was commanded by Jhared Monteferrat, who held the title of admiral when the ship was destroyed during the fight over Endor. The senior ISB officer onboard was Captain Ronnadam.

Appearances

 * Lost Stars
 * The Rebellion Begins
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novel
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * Episode IV: A New Hope Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy
 * Escape from Darth Vader
 * Darth Vader 7: Shadows and Secrets, Part I
 * Darth Vader 21: End of Games, Part II
 * Star Wars 26: Yoda's Secret War, Part I
 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
 * "The Levers of Power"&mdash;The Rise of the Empire
 * Bloodline
 * Bloodline