The Black Fleet Crisis
Encyclopedia
The Black Fleet Crisis is a trilogy set in the Star Wars
Expanded Universe
. The books take place 16 years after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
. All three novels were authored by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
and published by Bantam Books
between March 1996 and November 1998.
, and the first time a chance occurs for the Rebel Alliance
to turn their attention to more personal concerns.
in the galaxy
. Yevethan forces (former Imperial
slaves who overthrew their masters) using captured Imperial ships begin a genocidal campaign to conquer the Koornacht Cluster by killing all non-Yevethans. The New Republic
is forced to fight in its own defense, as well as to rescue hostages held by the Yevethans (including Han Solo
). After obtaining an image of Han as a battered hostage, Chewbacca
goes on a desperate rescue mission.
Luke Skywalker
travels to his mother's homeworld, Fallanassi, in search of her and her people. Luke meets the Fallanassi, a mysterious and secretive sect of Force
users who are total pacifists. Luke learns new Force techniques and philosophies from them, and gains their help to aid the New Republic in one battle.
Leia is the only person who doesn’t have chance to rest, who because of her fame
, what others expect of her, and her sense of duty
and obligation
, she has become a prisoner of the Presidency
. But she is far too tired, stressed beyond her limits, and emotionally fragile, and she’s only two steps away from a serious personal crisis of her confidence.
Nil Spaar, the shrewd, coldblooded Machiavellian
Viceroy
of the Yevethan Protectorate
, sees that as an opportunity he can exploit and an opportunity to destroy the New Republic from within.
The three last probes formed in a triangle and began to rapidly and crazily ping the Yevethan fleet, bombarding them with scan rays. This of course negated whatever stealth features they had. The Yevethan political and military leader Nil Spaar, commander of the formerly Imperial Super Star Destroyer Pride of Yevetha, immediately brought the Yevethan flagship and the Interdictor Cruiser Splendor of Yevetha on an intercept course.
Before the S.S.D. and the Interdictor could destroy the trio of probes, hundreds of New Republic warships dropped out of hyperspace.
General A'baht of the Intrepid knew that the odds of a New Republic victory were slim, given the number of Yevethan thrustships, the Imperator-class Star Destroyer
s, and the massive flagship Pride of Yevetha. However, the wily Dornean fleet commander had a card to play, and there was another unknown factor in the battle.
The Black Fleet Crisis had its origins with the enslavement of the Yevetha aliens by the Galactic Empire
at a dozen worlds in the Koornacht Cluster. Twelve years before the Battle of N'zoth, a particularly ambitious Yevetha named Nil Spaar led a revolt, and the shipbuilding aliens turned on their captors, capturing dozens of Imperator-class Star Destroyer
s, three Super Star Destroyers, and also a handful of massive Imperial shipyards.
Imperial High Command immediately withdrew from the Cluster when the danger became apparent, but it was too late, and the Yevetha controlled Black Sword Command and its flagship, the Intimidator, which the Yevetha renamed the Pride of Yevetha.
It was time for the Imperial slaves to now reverse history. Five hundred of them spread on three former Imperial warships: the Pride of Yevetha and the two Star Destroyer
s Harramin and Valorous rebelled simultaneously, overwhelming their captors in specific locations on the three starships.
Then, the Imperials sent an unjammable hypercomm transmission to all the Imperial-made starships, activating all their hyperdrives, sending them all to the planet of Byss, ironically completing the withdrawal of Black Sword Command from the Koornacht Cluster, which had been ordered twelve long years ago.
The remaining group of over twenty Yevethan thrustships relentlessly advanced. They were outgunned, but had the capability to inflict horrible casualties on the New Republic fleet. However, the New Republic general had a Fallanini Force-caster onboard the Intrepid. The Fallanini were a peaceful race of Force-sensitive people before the Yevetha seized control of the Koornacht. They used their powers to hide their small colony in the midst of a jungle world from probing Yevetha sensors, and continued to live as normal. However, Luke Skywalker
convinced them to rise against the Yevetha actively and for them to strike the final blow.
One of the Fallanini used a spell, creating the illusions of dozens of New Republic warships, making the Fifth Fleet look fifty percent larger than it really was. The thrustships methodically fired on the phantoms, not knowing that their energy beams were slashing into illusions. However, the Force-caster was overwhelmed, and after a while, the imaginary "Task Force Token" vanished, and the Yevetha fleet concentrated their firepower on the real targets.
There were many casualties: Commander Farley's Star Destroyer Yakez, the fleet carrier Ballarat, the Aboukir, the Banshee, the Fulimnant, the Garland, the Thunderhead, the Werra, and hundreds and hundreds of New Republic starfighters of various classifications.
At the end, the desperate Yevetha even used their trifoil fighters as suicide bombers, crippling several New Republic warships, and used whatever thrustships left to detonate, taking out New Republic starships in their blast radii.
However, the New Republic triumphed, and the Yevetha military was shattered.
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
Expanded Universe
Star Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
. The books take place 16 years after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
. All three novels were authored by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Michael Paul Kube-McDowell is a science fiction novelist. He has also dabbled in music, written for television, been a stringer for a daily newspaper, and published short fiction, reviews, assorted nonfiction and erotica. He was honored for teaching excellence by the 1985 White House Commission on...
and published by Bantam Books
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
between March 1996 and November 1998.
Books in the trilogy
- Before the Storm ISBN 0-553-57273-3
- Shield of Lies ISBN 0-553-57277-6
- Tyrant's TestTyrant's TestStar Wars: Black Fleet Crisis #3: Tyrant's Test is the third book in The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy and is set in the fictional Star Wars universe. It is authored by Michael P. Kube-McDowell and was published by Bantam Books on December 1, 1996.-Summary:...
ISBN 0-553-57275-X
Background
The Black Fleet Crisis begins in a time of peace for the New RepublicNew Republic (Star Wars)
The New Republic is a government in the fictional Star Wars universe.When the Rebel Alliance re-established the Old Galactic Republic after the downfall of the Galactic Empire, it became known as the New Republic, just as the original Galactic Republic had become known as the Old Republic by that...
, and the first time a chance occurs for the Rebel Alliance
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic is an interstellar faction of the fictional universe of Star Wars....
to turn their attention to more personal concerns.
Summary
The outbreak of the Black Fleet Crisis ends a period of relative peacePeace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
in the galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy may mean:* Star Wars Galaxies, a Star Wars themed MMORPG platform for Microsoft Windows* Star Wars galaxy, the fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs...
. Yevethan forces (former Imperial
Galactic Empire (Star Wars)
The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
slaves who overthrew their masters) using captured Imperial ships begin a genocidal campaign to conquer the Koornacht Cluster by killing all non-Yevethans. The New Republic
New Republic (Star Wars)
The New Republic is a government in the fictional Star Wars universe.When the Rebel Alliance re-established the Old Galactic Republic after the downfall of the Galactic Empire, it became known as the New Republic, just as the original Galactic Republic had become known as the Old Republic by that...
is forced to fight in its own defense, as well as to rescue hostages held by the Yevethans (including Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
). After obtaining an image of Han as a battered hostage, Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
goes on a desperate rescue mission.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
travels to his mother's homeworld, Fallanassi, in search of her and her people. Luke meets the Fallanassi, a mysterious and secretive sect of Force
Force (Star Wars)
The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the fictional universe of the Star Wars galaxy created by George Lucas. Mentioned in the first film in the series, it is integral to all subsequent incarnations of Star Wars, including the expanded universe of comic books, novels, and...
users who are total pacifists. Luke learns new Force techniques and philosophies from them, and gains their help to aid the New Republic in one battle.
Leia is the only person who doesn’t have chance to rest, who because of her fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, what others expect of her, and her sense of duty
Duty
Duty is a term that conveys a sense of moral commitment to someone or something. The moral commitment is the sort that results in action and it is not a matter of passive feeling or mere recognition...
and obligation
Obligation
An obligation is a requirement to take some course of action, whether legal or moral. There are also obligations in other normative contexts, such as obligations of etiquette, social obligations, and possibly...
, she has become a prisoner of the Presidency
Presidency
The word presidency is often used to describe the administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation...
. But she is far too tired, stressed beyond her limits, and emotionally fragile, and she’s only two steps away from a serious personal crisis of her confidence.
Nil Spaar, the shrewd, coldblooded Machiavellian
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct", deriving from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe and other works...
Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of the Yevethan Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
, sees that as an opportunity he can exploit and an opportunity to destroy the New Republic from within.
Battle
The first act of the Battle of N'zoth was even before the New Republic hyperspaced its warships into the vicinity of N'zoth. Fifty hyperspace-capable stasis probes were launched, and they discreetly monitored the Yevethan fleet and relayed their data back to their mother ships. However, even though they were subtle in pinging their targets, forty-seven of them were eventually detected, or else ran out of power. After General A'baht of the Intrepid, commander of the Fifth Fleet, had a good picture of the enemy strength, he gave the order to attack.The three last probes formed in a triangle and began to rapidly and crazily ping the Yevethan fleet, bombarding them with scan rays. This of course negated whatever stealth features they had. The Yevethan political and military leader Nil Spaar, commander of the formerly Imperial Super Star Destroyer Pride of Yevetha, immediately brought the Yevethan flagship and the Interdictor Cruiser Splendor of Yevetha on an intercept course.
Before the S.S.D. and the Interdictor could destroy the trio of probes, hundreds of New Republic warships dropped out of hyperspace.
General A'baht of the Intrepid knew that the odds of a New Republic victory were slim, given the number of Yevethan thrustships, the Imperator-class Star Destroyer
Star Destroyer
Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe. The Imperial Star Destroyer, which first appears in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , is "the signature vessel of the Imperial fleet"...
s, and the massive flagship Pride of Yevetha. However, the wily Dornean fleet commander had a card to play, and there was another unknown factor in the battle.
The Black Fleet Crisis had its origins with the enslavement of the Yevetha aliens by the Galactic Empire
Galactic Empire (Star Wars)
The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
at a dozen worlds in the Koornacht Cluster. Twelve years before the Battle of N'zoth, a particularly ambitious Yevetha named Nil Spaar led a revolt, and the shipbuilding aliens turned on their captors, capturing dozens of Imperator-class Star Destroyer
Star Destroyer
Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe. The Imperial Star Destroyer, which first appears in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , is "the signature vessel of the Imperial fleet"...
s, three Super Star Destroyers, and also a handful of massive Imperial shipyards.
Imperial High Command immediately withdrew from the Cluster when the danger became apparent, but it was too late, and the Yevetha controlled Black Sword Command and its flagship, the Intimidator, which the Yevetha renamed the Pride of Yevetha.
It was time for the Imperial slaves to now reverse history. Five hundred of them spread on three former Imperial warships: the Pride of Yevetha and the two Star Destroyer
Star Destroyer
Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe. The Imperial Star Destroyer, which first appears in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , is "the signature vessel of the Imperial fleet"...
s Harramin and Valorous rebelled simultaneously, overwhelming their captors in specific locations on the three starships.
Then, the Imperials sent an unjammable hypercomm transmission to all the Imperial-made starships, activating all their hyperdrives, sending them all to the planet of Byss, ironically completing the withdrawal of Black Sword Command from the Koornacht Cluster, which had been ordered twelve long years ago.
The remaining group of over twenty Yevethan thrustships relentlessly advanced. They were outgunned, but had the capability to inflict horrible casualties on the New Republic fleet. However, the New Republic general had a Fallanini Force-caster onboard the Intrepid. The Fallanini were a peaceful race of Force-sensitive people before the Yevetha seized control of the Koornacht. They used their powers to hide their small colony in the midst of a jungle world from probing Yevetha sensors, and continued to live as normal. However, Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
convinced them to rise against the Yevetha actively and for them to strike the final blow.
One of the Fallanini used a spell, creating the illusions of dozens of New Republic warships, making the Fifth Fleet look fifty percent larger than it really was. The thrustships methodically fired on the phantoms, not knowing that their energy beams were slashing into illusions. However, the Force-caster was overwhelmed, and after a while, the imaginary "Task Force Token" vanished, and the Yevetha fleet concentrated their firepower on the real targets.
There were many casualties: Commander Farley's Star Destroyer Yakez, the fleet carrier Ballarat, the Aboukir, the Banshee, the Fulimnant, the Garland, the Thunderhead, the Werra, and hundreds and hundreds of New Republic starfighters of various classifications.
At the end, the desperate Yevetha even used their trifoil fighters as suicide bombers, crippling several New Republic warships, and used whatever thrustships left to detonate, taking out New Republic starships in their blast radii.
However, the New Republic triumphed, and the Yevetha military was shattered.