Devastator/Legends
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The Devastator is mine, and those who oppose me will meet a swift end.Darth Vader
The Devastator was an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer of the Imperial Navy famous for its participation in the capture of the Tantive IV and as Darth Vader's flagship for a time.
At some point in its service life, the Devastator was structurally altered from its original design to hold an increased amount of armament and munitions.[2]
I.S.D. Mark One, flagship of late Lord Tion. Saw extensive action in Subjugation of Ralltiir. Post-Yavin, Lord Vader assumed control.Colonel Kell Bircher
In 7 BBY, the Devastator was serving with Darth Vader's personal fleet. When a secret biological weapons research laboratory on Falleen required containment, Vader ordered the Devastator to bombard the surface with turbolaser fire, despite Captain Bolvan's preference for a ground assault.
By 0 BBY, the Devastator was acting as Lord Tion's flagship in his campaign against Rebel outposts. Under Tion, the Devastator also participated in the Subjugation of Ralltiir.
Following Tion's death, Vader raised his flag on the Devastator and began his pursuit of the Rebel who had stolen the plans to the first Death Star. Vader caught the Tantive IV at Toprawa and chased it to Tatooine, where it was successfully captured by the Devastator. Vader quickly dispatched a TIE/br boarding shuttle filled with the troops of the 501st Legion, and boarded the Tantive IV. Later the crew of the Devastator attached a portable accessway to the corvette. The Devastator also targeted and destroyed any escape pods that were launched in order to ensure none of the Rebels escaped. The sole exception was R2-D2 and C-3PO's escape pod—which even then was only because they didn't detect any life signs in the pod, and dismissed it as a malfunction.[14][15]
During those events, Blue Squadron of the Anchorhead Base moved to intercept it. Rookie One and Ru Murleen were called from Kolaador and joined with Thurlow Harris against the Devastator. They intercepted the TIE/LN starfighters moving against them while Rookie One destroyed the Star Destroyer's emplacement cannons, destroyed its shield generators and managed to damage its bridge.[16]
It was the Devastator's forces, including the famed 501st Legion, that defeated the Rebel forces on Tatooine and gave chase to the fleeing Millennium Falcon. Captain Mulchive Wermis served Vader as the vessel's captain throughout this time period and in the following months, during the blockade of the Gordian Reach, the assault on Ultaar, and other missions.
The next year, the vessel served in the Blockade of Kashyyyk.
Later history and destruction
Rest easy, gentlemen. Your fears betray you. I am not here to take command of this ship again.Darth Vader, to the command staff of the Devastator
When the Executor completed construction, Vader transferred his flag, but the Devastator remained a part of his roving, Rebel-hunting Death Squadron.
Prior to the completion of the Executor, the vessel was commanded by Captain Nevik. Agent Sollaine, head of the Imperial Security Bureau and Vader's rival, commandeered the ship to track down undercover Rebel spies. Nevik and Sollaine came to a clash of opinion, Sollaine believing the agents to be on Corulag while Nevik believed they were in the Alfestril system. Sollaine executed Nevik to have his way, but Vader intercepted the vessel at Corulag and killed Sollaine for executing Nevik.[8]
Eight months after the Battle of Yavin, the ship fought Warlord Nuso Esva's forces in the Poln system as part of Death Squadron.[10]
Around 2 ABY an ISB captain Jeffren Brek arrived to the Devastator to present a report to his superior, General Nevar.[18] The Devastator had participated at the Battle of Hoth under command of an unnamed captain as part of the Death Squadron.
It was finally destroyed during the events of the Battle of Endor, under a concentrated attack of A-wings and B-wings.[19]
Although the Devastator was Darth Vader's flagship prior to the Operation Skyhook, the authors of X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide mention that Vader was on Immortal.
A Devastator appears in the game Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance, but it is an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer. The limited context doesn't provide enough information to determine whether this is a blooper or a different ship altogether.
In Death Star, the Devastator is, at one point, erroneously identified as a Super Star Destroyer. This may be a mistaken reference to Darth Vader's Star Dreadnought flagship, Executor, which was called a Super Star Destroyer by the Rebel Alliance's Admiral Ackbar.
The Devastator was the second ship seen in the entire series, after the Tantive IV. Although in-universe it dwarfed the Tantive IV, its production model for filming was half the size of the Tantive IV's production model.[20]
Non-canon stories
In the non-canon story Tantive IV, originally published in Star Wars Manga: Black issue of Tokyopop's Star Wars Manga, the Devastator mistakenly captures Tantive V over Tatooine, a decoy ship masquerading as Tantive IV and manned entirely by Gungans. Vader soon realizes the mistake and captures the real Tantive IV less than an hour later.[21]
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Non-canon appearances
- † Tag & Bink Are Dead
- † Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
- "Trooper" — Star Wars Tales 10
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
- "Tantive IV" — Star Wars Manga: Black
- Star Wars: Visions of the Blade
- LEGO Star Wars: Bombad Bounty
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (Indirect mention only)
- The Star Wars Sourcebook
- "Inside ILM: Visual Effects Design" — The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 2 (Indirect mention only)
- Lightsaber Dueling Pack (Indirect mention only)
- The Star Wars Sourcebook, Second Edition
- "Around the Galaxy" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 1 (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Premiere Limited (Card: Devastator) (backup link) (Card: Devastator)
- Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1995)
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Indirect mention only)
- Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- "Expanding the Fleet" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 9 (Indirect mention only)
- Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition
- Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition
- The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited (Card: Obsidian 8) (backup link)
- "ComicScan: Coming Full Circle" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 3
- Anakin Skywalker: The Story of Darth Vader
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Special Edition Limited (Card: Red 7) (backup link) (Card: Red 7)
- Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Endor Limited (Card: Major Marquand) (backup link) (Card: Major Marquand)
- C-3PO: Tales of the Golden Droid
- The Essential Chronology
- Aurra Sing: Dawn of the Bounty Hunters
- Jedi Knights Trading Card Game — Masters of the Force (Card: Devastator) (backup link)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 3 (VAD1, Darth Vader)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 4 (SKY2, Luke Skywalker) (Indirect mention only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 7 (DEA1, Deploying the Death Star; LEI4, Princess Leia Organa)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 8 (TAN1–2, Tantive IV and Escape Pod)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 9 (ELE1, Electrobinoculars) (Indirect mention only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 10 (HUN1–2, The Hunt for the Droids)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 11 (GAR4, Garindan; STA3–4, Imperial Star Destroyer)
- Star Wars: Power of the Jedi (Pack: R4-M9) (backup link)
- Vader: The Ultimate Guide
- "Heroes of Revenge of the Sith" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Episode IV Visual Guide — Chapter 3: Imperial Boarding Party on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars PocketModel TCG — Base Set (Card: Devastator Imperial-class star destroyer) (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 5
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- Friday Feature – Game Update 12 -- Engineering Trader on the official Star Wars Galaxies website (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Essential Atlas
- Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game — The Shadow Syndicate (Card: Devastator) (backup link)
- "We Need to Talk About Jar Jar" — Star Wars Insider 131 (Picture only)
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
- Star Wars: The Card Game — Core Set (Card: Devastator)
- Star Wars: The Card Game — Escape from Hoth (Card: The Executor Arrives) (Picture only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 11 (TAN1, Tantive IV)
- Alderaan cruiser in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (as "Darth Vader's Star Destroyer")