Emancipator

Originally named the Accuser, this warship was one of two Imperial I-class Star Destroyers captured by the Rebel Alliance after the Battle of Endor, when it was boarded by Rebel forces under the command of Han Solo and Judder Page.

Renamed the Emancipator, this ship went on to serve in the New Republic fleet and was destroyed during the Operation Shadow Hand.

Imperial service
"He had graduated from the Academy and was assigned to a Star Destroyer, the Accuser. On the occasion of his birthday, something most TIE pilots celebrate because of their rarity."

- Winter, about Tycho Celchu

The Accuser originally worked as a patrol ship in the Imperial Starfleet. It was extensively modified in order to operate at optimal speed during a crisis and its crew was veterans experienced in monitoring the shipping lanes and Imperial port traffic.



In 0 BBY, the Accuser was modified with more modern weapons, he also fitted with a powerful proton beam cannon. The ship was placed under command of Captain Firmus Piett. When Dac joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic, a group of Star Destroyers, including the Accuser were charged to attack the planet. However they were intercepted by a Rebel fleet before reaching the system and the Accuser retreated after the rest of the fleet was destroyed. Tycho Celchu served as a TIE pilot aboard the starship prior to his defection following the Destruction of Alderaan.

During the blockade of Yavin 4, Piett's Accuser joined the Death Squadron under the leadership of Admiral Griff. Several months after the Battle of Yavin, the Accuser came across the planet Kabal, which was claiming neutrality in the Galactic Civil War. But the Empire had learned that the planet was the site of the Rebel conference. Piett had the Accuser attack Kabal. Among the craft fleeing from the planet was the Millennium Falcon. Piett's fighters pursued the Rebel craft, until it entered a collapsed dwarf star.



Eight months after the Battle of Yavin, the ship fought Warlord Nuso Esva's forces in the Poln system as part of Death Squadron.

In 3 ABY, the Accuser fought at the Battle of Hoth. At this time, Piett became a Fleet Admiral and took command of the Executor. Following the Duel on Cloud City, Admiral Piett was briefly reassigned to the Accuser to lead the fleet while the Executor, under the command of Captain Kallic, escorted Lord Vader back to Coruscant.

When Bothan operatives gathering information on the second Death Star returned from the Endor construction site hidden aboard civilian cargo vessels in 4 ABY, Accuser and the Interdictor cruiser Grappler pulled the convoy out of hyperspace in search of the spies. A quick deployment of X-wings launched from the cruiser Liberty was able to neutralize the Interdictor, and in desperation, Accuser began firing on the civilians, in an attempt to get them to halt. However, Accuser was unable to prevent the information the Bothans carried from reaching the Alliance.

Capture
"Lieutenant Page, how did you manage to fight your way to the bridge? This is not meant to denigrate the abilities of you and your men&hellip;I realize that you and your men are exceptionally capable soldiers, and that ground combat is not my area of expertise&hellip;but those kind of odds sound overwhelming.''" "''Well, actually, we didn't fire a shot."

- Admiral Ackbar and Lieutenant Page, regarding the capture of the Accuser



The Accuser participated in the Battle of Endor, where it was captured by Rebel forces, along with the Adjudicator. The Rebels managed to capture the ship without firing a single shot. Han Solo and Judder Page's Katarn Commandos used the Imperial shuttle Tydirium and stolen Imperial clearance codes to board the Star Destroyer. Solo, wearing a stolen Imperial general's uniform and posing as an Imperial officer with his Stormtrooper escort, walked onto the bridge and relieved the Accuser's captain. Then he activated the ship-wide hull breach alarm and ordered the crew to abandon ship.

New Republic service
Not long after Accuser was renamed Emancipator, the vessel served as the New Republic's command ship at the Third Battle of Saijo. Fighter squadrons launched from the Star Destroyer engaged and defeated Tof starfighters in the battle.

It was planned to use Emancipator and Adjudicator (renamed Liberator) in a Borderland campaign between Republic and Imperial space, to infiltrate Imperial territory and instigate conflict between the various feuding Imperial factions. The Rebels sent their two captured Star Destroyers to the Hast Shipyards for repairs but they were severely damaged when an Imperial fleet attacked the shipyards.



After the First Battle of Ciutric IV, General Laryn Kre'fey used the vessel as his flagship in a bid to retake Ciutric from Prince-Admiral Krennel. It underwent extensive refitting after this operation, and returned to active duty under the command of Admiral Ragab.

When the Emancipator was finally put back into service, it boasted a number of improvements, including six proton torpedo launchers, improved sensors, a faster Class 1.5 hyperdrive, and reduced crew and gunnery requirements. It had also lost its proton beam cannon.

In 6.5 ABY, the Emancipator led the New Republic forces at the First Battle of Borleias. At Borleias, the Emancipator attempted to use its turbolasers to knock out the Imperial base's shields. However, this plan was foiled when General Evir Derricote reinforced the shields with the use of an Alderaan Biotics facility. The Emancipator was hit by an ion bolt during the battle, but was able to withdraw. The vessel was later used with the Liberator as a feint at Ord Mirit in order to lure the Eviscerator far from the Second Battle of Borleias. The ship later participated at the Liberation of Coruscant where it fought on the frontline with the Home One and the Liberator.

The Emancipator and Liberator suffered severe damage during the Post-Zsinj campaign and were recalled to undergo extensive repairs at the Hast shipyards.



The Emancipator fought at the Second Battle of Ciutric IV in 9 ABY. The battle resulted in the death of Admiral Krennel and in the liberation of the Ciutric Hegemony.

In 10 ABY it fought at the Battle of Coruscant where it carried Rogue Wing. Kane Griggs served as its navigator and Zevulon Veers was its chief gunner.



The Emancipator served valiantly in the Battle of Calamari where it led the New Republic fleet. Under the command of Generals Lando Calrissian and Wedge Antilles, it destroyed the Imperial command ship Allegiance, buying valuable time to reinforce the frantic defenders. It launched an X-wing and V-wing attack upon the Empire's World Devastators. The Republic fleet eventually arrived, but not in time to save the Emancipator from being consumed by one of the World Devastators, Silencer-7.

Behind the scenes
Star Wars: X-wing Alliance and X-wing: Isard's Revenge both classify the Accuser as an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer, while Star Wars: Behind the Magic describes the vessel as a "standard Imperial Star Destroyer." The Dark Empire Sourcebook and the Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide also designates it as a Imperial I-class Star Destroyer.

Star Wars: Behind the Magic identifies one of the Star Destroyer seen in The Empire Strikes Back as the Accuser.