Defender/Legends

The Defender was a Venator-class Star Destroyer. It was used in the Battle of Ryloth to take out the lead control ship of a Separatist blockade, and was subsequently destroyed there.

History
After the planet Ryloth was invaded by Techno Union Leader Wat Tambor and its inhabitants enslaved, the Jedi Council dispatched General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Commander Ahsoka Tano, to breach the Separatist blockade under the command of Captain Mar Tuuk and allow the invasion forces to land.

The Defender emerged alongside the Resolute and Redeemer out of hyperspace over Ryloth. Ahsoka led a squadron of fighters from the Resolute and managed to cut a path through the Vulture droids to the lead ship, but was ordered to retreat by Admiral Yularen and Anakin once reinforcements arrived out of hyperspace. However, she disobeyed orders, and the three Venator-class cruisers were heavily damaged by suicidal Vulture droids without the cover. The Resolute and Defender managed to retreat to hyperspace, but the Redeemer was too damaged to escape.



Anakin then devised a plan to ram the Defender into the lead ship, leaving only outmaneuverable battle droids in command of the blockade. All of the Defender's supplies were transferred to the Resolute, and Anakin left aboard the Defender with R2-D2. After emerging out of hyperspace above Ryloth, he then appeared to surrender himself, his crew and his vessel to Captain Tuuk in exchange for safe passage to deliver supplies to Ryloth. However, after a complete scan of the Defender discovered only one life-form aboard, Tuuk uncovered Anakin's deception. Anakin then proceeded to gun the engines of the Defender toward the ship, and escaped in an escape pod. The ship tried to fire at the Defender, but was too late to prevent it from smashing into the center sphere of the control ship. Captain Tuuk fled the battlefield, and with only droids left, the Resolute came out of hyperspace and was easily able to destroy the blockade, while Anakin watched the scene from his escape pod before being retrieved.

Behind the scenes
The ramming of the damaged Defender by a skeleton crew into the main enemy flagship is highly reminiscent of the English fire ships, used to great effect against the Spanish Armada. It is also reminiscent of the evacuation and ramming of the Lusankya into the Domain Hul worldship.

Appearances


Defender (Schiff)