Defiance (MC80 Home One type Star Cruiser)

The Mon Calamari Cruiser Defiance was a Home One type MC80 Star Cruiser and part of the Rebel Alliance Fleet during the Galactic Civil War.

History
During the Alliance investigation on the Death Star I, and while orbiting Bestine IV, the Defiance was approached by the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Immortal which launched squadrons of TIE Bombers to destroy it. Most of the Defiance's pilots were away flying other missions but the ship was able to scramble three X-wings and two R-22 Spearheads in its defense. The Rebel pilots, including Farlander and Breth Gart, on temporary assignment from the Independence, were able to defend it until the ship was safely in hyperspace.

During the evacuation of Yavin 4, the Alliance High Command requested her presence in order to protect the Rebel ships about to hyperspace away from the Imperial blockade.

The vessel performed numerous missions, both individually and as part of a battle line. Defiance was commanded by Admiral Nammo throughout the Galactic Civil War. Her Tactical Officer was Commander Devers, who assumed his position following the capture and brainwashing of his predecessor, Commander Kupalo.

Shortly after the Battle of Hoth, Defiance was trapped in the Anoat Sector with her task group, hunted by Imperial Admiral Garreth Holtz and his Corrupter task force. Defiance was eventually able to escape deep into the Outer Rim Territories, where she and her task force were able to recover from their campaign, this was accomplished thanks in part to pilot Ace Azzameen.

The vessel later participated in the Battle of Endor, and there is some speculation that she was destroyed by the second Death Star's superlaser.

Behind the scenes
The probable destruction of Defiance in the Battle of Endor is based on the fact that there were only three known Home One-type cruisers at that time. Her sister ships, Independence and Home One, are known to have survived the battle, leaving Defiance the one most likely to have been destroyed.

In one of the Battle of Endor missions in Star Wars: X-wing Alliance the Defiance is destroyed by the second Death Star if the player is too slow to complete that mission. Since this mission is not the final stage of the Endor battle, it is possible that, even if the player completed that mission successfully, story-wise Defiance may have been destroyed sometime during the next mission.

Furthermore: six years after the Battle of Endor the New Republic built a new type of Mon Calamari cruiser: the MC90 Star Cruiser and surprisingly the first ship constructed is called Defiance. This leads to belief that the first Defiance was indeed destroyed and that the second one's name was a tribute to the first.

The assumption that the name of the MC90 Defiance is a tribute is not logical if one looks at the real-world sources for these ships&mdash;the MC90 Defiance is from 1991/1992 Dark Empire, while the first Defiance is from the 1993 X-wing game.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: X-wing
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi