Battle of Hoth (Great Galactic War)

"Hoth's one of the largest starship graveyards in the galaxy. During the war, there was a massive battle in orbit. Dozens of vessels crashed to the surface. Because of the freezing cold, they've remained well-preserved. Some are almost intact."

- Jedi Knight Leeha Narezz

The Battle of Hoth was a major naval battle that occurred in 3,665 BBY, during the second decade of the Great Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. A fleet of highly advanced prototype warships, including the Republic superdreadnaught Star of Coruscant, were ambushed by the Imperial Armada after Imperial Intelligence uncovered the fleet's existence, and the Hoth system became the site of a massive space battle that lasted for days.

Prelude
"I was in a remote part of the Outer Rim, where we were escorting a small fleet of prototype warships on what should have been a secret route."

- Grand Master Satele Shan recounts the Battle of Hoth

In the wake of victories such as the Battle of Alderaan and the Battle of Rhen Var, the Galactic Republic began to gather a fleet of prototype starships and powerful warships, led by the legendary prototype superdreadnaught Star of Coruscant, with the purpose of eventually attacking the Sith Empire's capital of Dromund Kaas and ending the Great Galactic War. However, in 3,665 BBY, Imperial Intelligence uncovered evidence of the fleet's existence and learned of the secret route they were taking through the Hoth system.

The battle
"We were forced to abandon the prototype technology we had been assigned to protect."

- Grand Master Satele Shan

As the fleet passed through the system, a massive strike force from the Imperial Armada ambushed the Republic fleet and began a protracted battle that lasted for days above the icy world of Hoth. The presence of the powerful protoype ships ensured the survival many of the Republic crews&mdashincluding Satele Shan, one of the Jedi Knights assigned to protect the fleet&mdash;but the battle claimed the lives of many on both sides and sent hundreds of ships crashing to the planet's surface. Republic ships such as the Sendant Pride and the Deliverance were damaged or destroyed during the battle and succumbed to Hoth's powerful gravity well, joining the growing number of ships strewn upon the icy surface.

The Vehement Sword, a prototype warship equipped with the newly-developed Null Cannons&mdash;weapons that fired energy blasts to disable entire starships, similar to large-scale ion cannons&mdash;was another casualty of the conflict, breaking in half upon impact and breaking the Null Cannon protoype into dozens of pieces. The Star of Coruscant itself crashed onto the planet, but the dreadnaught's armor was so strong that the ship remained completely intact, buried in the snow and ice. A Valor-class cruiser, the Intercessor, would escape the battle and go on to fight in the Sacking of Coruscant and the Cold War.

Many Imperial craft were claimed by the battle as well&mdash;the Enforcer, Storm Fire, and Indignation were among the ships that crashed to the surface,, and an Imperial scientist's shuttle Deference was also shot down and crashed in the Highmount Ridge region. Among the more notable casualties were an Imperial prison ship carrying the legendary Jedi Master Wyellett, and the Fatality&mdash;a sleek and secretive warship that carried a legion of deactivated HK-51 assassin droids. Admiral Layek Davos was shot down in the battle as well, and was stranded on the surface for six months before he was rescued. A Sith holocron was believed destroyed in the battle, but Imperial forces would recover it over two decades later with help from the Chiss Ascendancy.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic /