Avenger/Legends

"Oh, no! It's the Avenger!"

- Bothan technician, trying to escape while carrying the plans to the second Death Star

Avenger was an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer of the Imperial Navy.

History
One of the Avenger's earliest missions was the attack on the CR90 corvette Karinne, carrying a Twi'lek delegation to the Rebel Alliance. Avenger launched three flights of TIE bombers against Karinne, and entered hyperspace. The intervention of two Alliance Y-wings saved the diplomatic vessel.

After the discovery of an Alliance intelligence facility on Dankayo, Avenger participated in the brutal subjugation of the world. Along side Devastator and Relentless, Avenger executed Base Delta Zero against Dankayo, incinerating its atmosphere and reducing its surface to slag.



As early as 0 ABY, Avenger was commanded by Captain Lorth Needa. Under Needa's command, Avenger earned a reputation for subjugating planets in the Outer Rim Territories, participating in the subjugation of over 436 worlds.

In 1 ABY, Rebel agents destroyed an Imperial depot that contained a large shipment of orbital mines intended for shipment to the Avenger:

Avenger was later reassigned to Death Squadron and served as the lead attack ship at Hoth. During the course of the battle, Avenger was disabled. However, its functions had been restored by the time that the Millennium Falcon departed from the planet during the Rebel evacuation. Avenger unsuccessfully pursued Han Solo's fast freighter, a failure which resulted in Needa's execution by Darth Vader. Nevertheless, despite Needa's failure, Avenger gained a reputation from the chase as it managed to continuously pursue the Millennium Falcon past the Hoth asteroid field while other ships in Death Squadron lagged far behind.

During the Battle of Kothlis, Avenger arrived alongside Executor to disrupt a Rebel transfer with Bothan agents to acquire the Death Star II plans. Avenger captured the CR90 corvette Razor, which held the battlestation plans. However Avenger's attempt was in vain, as the crew escaped with the plans and delivered them to the Alliance.

Avenger remained with Vader's Death Squadron and served as a communications ship during the Battle of Endor. Under Sedriss, the ship participated in the Second Battle of Balmorra.

Behind the scenes

 * Avenger is the only Star Destroyer in the original Star Wars trilogy to be called by name in the script, when an officer tells Admiral Piett, "Sir, we have a priority signal from the Star Destroyer Avenger."
 * The Industrial Light & Magic model of Avenger used in The Empire Strikes Back was 2.59m long and detailed with thousands of parts from model kits.
 * Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back identifies the Avenger as the Star Destroyer that launched the Viper probe droid that discovered Echo Base. This appears to have been based on dialogue between Captain Needa and a subordinate that did not make the final cut of the the radio dramatization of The Empire Strikes Back.  However, the Star Wars Customizable Card Game later contradicted this, as did the PC program Star Wars: Behind the Magic. Both sources identify the Stalker as the Star Destroyer holding this distinction.
 * Star Trek's ISS Avenger was named as an homage to Avenger.*

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Empire At War
 * Scoundrel's Luck
 * Star Wars: X-Wing
 * Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * The Empire Strikes Back radio dramatization
 * Moment of Doubt
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Dark Empire II

Notes and references
Rächer