Eclipse(Eclipse-class)

Eclipse

TheEclipse was the firstEclipse-class dreadnought ever constructed and the leadship and prototype of its class. It was built as aflagship forEmperorPalpatine, who used it after beingreborn into one of hisclone bodies. Both a powerful technological tool and a potent psychological weapon, theEclipse boasted aplanet's worth of weaponry and was almost unstoppable.

TheEclipse was equipped with a bevy of weapons and other technologies, includinggravity well projectors, but chief among its weapons was anaxial superlaser, capable of cracking a planet's crust or destroying acapital ship in a single shot.

For much of its existence, theEclipse was under construction around the planetKuat. Crime lordTyber Zannraided the vessel fromGalactic Empire forces in4 ABY to retrieve data from its memory banks, and left it shortly thereafter, realizing that it would present far too big of a target to both the Empire andRebel Alliance forces. The ship was later moved toByss, where the reborn Emperor Palpatine took control of it as his personalbattle station and flagship. TheEclipse led his newDark Empire in anassault on theNew Republic stronghold ofDa Soocha V in10 ABY, and in the battle was destroyed by one of Palpatine'sForce storms.

Specifications[]

TheEclipse was the leadship of the 17.5kilometerEclipse-class dreadnought, the prototype of that class,^[1] and one of only two ships of the class to ever be built.^[9] Encased in ajet-blackdurasteel andquadranium^[4] alloyed hull,^[1] the immense ship was said to be the deadliestcapital ship in the galaxy.^[10] By volume, theEclipse was one of the largestwarships ever built^[1] and the largestStar Destroyer ever,^[11] though in length it was somewhat shorter than the 19 kilometerExecutor-class Star Dreadnoughts andVengeance-class dreadnoughts.^[2] The ship's hull was also designed to resemble naval warships of eras long past.^[12]

The interior of theEclipse was similar to that of a Star Destroyer, though it was also outfitted with repair facilities anddocking bays reminiscent of those found onspace stations. The vessel had several war rooms suitable for high-level meetings ofImperial Navy staff.^[11] Troop quarters were located near the bow, at the aft end of the keel-like structure. The fore launch bay and hangar sat approximately midships, and about 2.5 kilometers behind them lay the aft launch bay.^[12] The vessel had other, smaller hangars throughout the ship as well, suited forshuttles and the like.^[3][6] The large hangars on theEclipse were big enough to hold aVictory-class Star Destroyer. In practice, they were occupied by 600TIE Interceptors, organized into fiftysquadrons, and 96TIE bombers, comprising eight squadrons.^[1] TheEclipse'sfighter escort alone could take on almost anyNew Republic fleet.^[3]

In offensive weaponry, theEclipse was outfitted with 550 heavylaser cannons, 500turbolasers, 75ion cannons, and asuperlaser mounted along the spine of the ship,^[1] the equivalent of aplanet's worth of weaponry.^[7] TheEclipse was one of the most heavily-armed starships ever built,^[3] and was in fact capable of holding off an entire New Republic fleet by itself.^[9] Its fighting ability was unmatched, and were it not for the unconventional means by which it was destroyed it is likely that it would have been a formidable power for the Empire even without accompanying starships.^[2] Other combat-oriented technologies included tengravity well projectors, able to prevent enemy ships from enteringhyperspace, 100tractor beams, and an enhancedshield system.^[1] The shield systems, combined with the design of the hull were also powerful enough to be capable, without hesitation, of ramming enemy vessels and not suffer any major damage to the hull.^[12]

Though theEclipse was primarily designed forspace combat, the vessel was geared for ground assaults as well.^[3] Every trooper stationed aboard theEclipse, 150,000 in total, was specially selected. The soldiers on the vessel included aCompForceAssault Battalion, a newly createdlegion ofRoyal Guards, and a group ofImperial Sovereign Protectors asPalpatine's personal guard. Fiveprefabricated garrison bases and 100All Terrain Armored Transports rounded out theEclipse's ground assault forces. 708,470 crew were assigned to the vessel as well, including 4,175gunners, though the ship could run with as few as 88,500 crew members. TheEclipse had a tonnage of 600,000metric tons,consumables capable of lasting 10years,^[1] and was entirely self-sufficient.^[9]

The ship's communications tower sat atop the bridge, its main communications array jutted from the tower's side,^[12] and the long-rangecommunications system extended downward from the prow.^[3] The communications systems on the Eclipse were powerful enough to broadcast over all frequencies and drown out other signals, asEmperor Palpatine did during hisinvasion of theCyax system in10 ABY.^[6] Palpatine had a private command console on the vessel that could be used to access his personal records.^[7] Thebridge tower of theEclipse was asymmetric, with the main sensor array on the other side of the bridge from the communications array, and the deflector shield command perched on top of the bridge tower.^[12]

An array of sixdrive engines on theEclipse's stern gave it a sublight acceleration of 940 G,^[3] and the ship'shyperdrive was rated at 2x—the backup hyperdrive, 6x. Both sublight and hyperdrive were enhanced to give theEclipse maximum reaction speed.^[1]

Superlaser[]

The most important development in the design of theEclipse was its main weapon,^[1] a concealed superlaser running along the spine of the ship.^[3] Based on the technology of theDeath Star,^[9] theEclipse's single superlaser could fire at two-thirds the power of one of the Death Star's superlaser components,^[2] a feat made possible by advances in superlaser focusing and generator technology. The weapon was capable of destroying even the most powerfulplanetary shields and entire continents in an instant.^[1] It could also crack the crust of planets^[12] and rip enemy capital ships apart with a single shot, although early in theEclipse's construction, the laser was prone to breakdowns.^[7] The superlaser was difficult to aim, as the entire vessel needed to be aligned with the target for it to do so.^[2] According to Admiral Motti in the field manualImperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide, the superlaser's primary purpose was to penetrate planetary shields as well as destroy cities in a single blast.^[13]

Role[]

TheEclipse was equipped with the firepower of an entire planet,^[7] making it a powerful foe in standard ship-to-ship combat. But the vessel's heavyhull plating and strong shields also made it possible to use the ship as a ramming device against virtually anything, destroying enemies through sheer impact force.^[3] According to AdmiralConan Antonio Motti, theEclipse, alongside that ofits class as well as its sister ship classSovereign, were intended in early development to be next-generation Star Dreadnoughts for the purpose of solidifying Imperial rule within the next century.^[13]

Though theEclipse was a powerful warship in its own right, it was also designed as a psychological weapon. Its enormous size and black hull made for a powerful effect against enemies, and in battle it handily demoralized the opposing forces.^[9] The vessel's resemblance to ancient naval ships further enhanced its fearsome image.^[12] In addition to its use as a warship, theEclipse also served for some time as anorbital space station above theImperial capital ofByss. As well as being a constant symbol of Imperial dominance to the people of Byss, it was used as a meeting ground for officials in the Imperial Navy.^[11]

History[]

Early construction[]

Intended to serve as a symbol of Imperial power, theEclipse, alongside theEclipse II, were commissioned directly by Palpatine, designed to meet his exact specifications. The first of a new line ofSuper Star Destroyers and the most recent of the Empire's plethora ofsuperweapons,^[1] the Empire began construction on theEclipse around the time of theBattle of Yavin,^[2] above Kuat. Although it was not the only prototype of theEclipse-class dreadnought, with another having been converted into the mobile superlaser platform known as theTarkin,^[14] it was the first of the class to be completed.^[1] During the early phases of construction, Palpatine visited the vessel several times.^[7] However, theEclipse was later delayed in completion thanks to Palpatine'sdemise and the ensuing power vaccuum.

Crime lordTyber Zann, leader of theZann Consortium, first became aware of theEclipse shortly after Yavin, while following up rumors of secret vaults of treasure belonging to Palpatine. Amidst the wreckage of theDeath Star, Zann's crew retrieveddata pods with details and construction schedules of theEclipse, and believing that the records he sought were on the warship, Zann vowed to capture it.^[7] By a few months after Yavin, Zann had already begun sending outagents to investigate theEclipse, an act that did not go unnoticed by the Empire.^[15]

An armada of Imperial ships was assigned to guard theEclipse at Kuat, and despite Zann's efforts to find a weakness in the Empire'sblockade, it would be four years until he made his move. The crime lord discovered that thepass key to Palpatine's command console on theEclipse was kept in a vault in theImperial Archives onCoruscant, and even as Palpatine andDarth Vader went to theDeath Star II in preparation for theBattle of Endor, Zann launchedhis raid on the archives. He was successful, and it was not long before he seized his chance to take theEclipse in the chaos that followed the Imperial loss at Endor. The ships that would normally be guarding the warship had to regroup upon their return from Endor, and so Zann took his forces to Kuat.^[7]

TheRebel Alliance sent a force to the system as well. Zann claimed he wanted to destroy theEclipse, and while the Alliance engaged the forces of the Empire, his fleet made their move towards the vessel. As a heatedbattle broke out between the rebels and Empire, Zann's crew meanwhile took aboarding shuttle onto theEclipse, wrested control of the warship, and brought the superlaser online. The Consortium turned the superlaser on the amassed fleets, and with their motives revealed, the rebels turned on them.^[7]

As the conflict progressed, an Imperial fleet commanded by theExecutor-class Star DreadnoughtAnnihilator entered from hyperspace to aid the thinning Imperial forces, after the Rebel Alliance navy had retreated. Unfortunately for the Consortium, the superlaser failed at this moment. However, Zann's boarding party aboard theEclipse was soon able to reactivate the superlaser and destroy much of the Imperial fleet, after which the Consortium fleet mopped up the rest. After retrieving the pertinent data from Palpatine's records he abandoned theEclipse for the Empire to retake. Zann knew the ship was too big of a target for the Empire and Alliance to ignore, and so left it to the Imperial Navy to complete its construction.^[7]

After Endor[]

TheEclipse was seen by many as emblematic of the problems with Palpatine's military policy. The Imperial naval planners did not approve of lavish spending on a single behemoth over several smaller ships of the line, seeing it as a self-aggrandizing waste, and after Palpatine's apparentdeath in the Battle of Endor it was felt that this kind of purchasing could no longer be justified. Some even suggested scrapping it and using the freed resources to build more Star Destroyers. But Palpatine was not actually dead. Whilethe galaxy believed him to have been killed at Endor, the Emperor hadescaped to aclone body on Byss, and under his orders construction on theEclipse continued.^[1]

Still, to many it seemed as if construction on the vessel would never end.^[1] TheEclipse was said to have taken as long to construct as either of the Empire's Death Stars.^[9] Over the course of theEclipse's lengthy construction the builders incorporated decades' worth of the latest achievements in technology, including the gravity well projectors, enhanced ion cannons, and improvements to the sublight engines and hyperdrive.^[1]

In8.5 ABY, the half-completedEclipseleft Kuat for theDeep Core, used by theKuat Drive Yards staff to evacuate asthe planet fell to the New Republic.^[8] It became a permanent fixture in orbit around the world of Byss, where construction resumed, aided byslave labor, and was eventually completed. In this time it served as an orbitalbattle station, whereGrand Admirals and other high-ranking members of the Imperial navy met to plan Imperial strategy.^[11][14] From its deck, Palpatine commanded his fleets in their campaign against the New Republic.^[12]

Service[]

In 10 ABY, Palpatine at last decided to make his move against the New Republic, and determined that the world ofMon Calamari would be the first of the major Republic worlds to die. After aninitial assault on the planet with hisWorld Devastators, Palpatine planned to personally lead the final attack on Mon Calamari from theEclipse.^[1] He would not get this chance though, as his commander, the defected RebelLuke Skywalker, sabotaged the Devastators, giving victory of the battle to the New Republic.^[6]

But the Emperor was determined to destroy those who opposed him. TheEclipse was deployed into other battles, often scattering enemy fleets through sheer fear without a single shot being fired. When Palpatine made it his personalflagship, the terrible reputation it already held was increased even further.^[3]

After the loss at Mon Calamari, Palpatine soon found a new target, theRepublic headquarters onDa Soocha V. Accompanied by several Star Destroyer escorts, including twoAllegiance-class battlecruisers,^[17][6] theEclipse leapt into the Cyax system, almost destroying aCorellian gunship as it plowed by the much smaller vessel.^[6] The New Republic instantly identified the massive vessel as Palpatine's flagship.^[17]

As the Rebels began broadcasting emergency commands, theEclipse's communications systems cut across all frequencies, transmitting a message from Emperor Palpatine toLeia Organa Solo that demanded she board his shuttle and be taken to theEclipse. Leia was brought to a small hangar near the bow of the vessel, and was escorted off the shuttle to meet the Emperor himself. Throughthe Force, Leia felt only oppression and thedark side emanating from the ship.^[6]

Leia met with Palpatine and her brother Luke Skywalker in a room much farther aft, close to the bridge. Leia, despite Palpatine's efforts, was able to convince Luke to turn against the Emperor. In response, Palpatine summoned aForce storm, an enormous conflagration of dark side energy, and turned it on the massed New Republic fleet.^[6] Using their own powers of the Force, Luke and Leia created awave oflight side energy that stunned Palpatine and disrupted his control of the storm.^[12] The Force storm, its energies no longer directed by Palpatine, began consuming theEclipse. As the pair of Jedi escaped the doomed flagship, the storm destroyed the last of it.^[6]

Post-destruction[]

After Palpatine's return from his second death, he utilized a replacement vessel of the same class as the original, christened the "Eclipse II," until it was destroyed byR2-D2 sending it on a collision course with theGalaxy Gun.^[18]

Behind the scenes[]

Star Wars: Dark Empire describes theEclipse as "ten miles long from stem to stern"; theDark Empire Sourcebook and subsequent sources have clarified its length as 17.5 kilometers, or slightly less than eleven miles.

The total design and construction time of theEclipse is uncertain. Most sources, such as theDark Empire Sourcebook, indicated that it had been under construction ever since theBattle of Hoth. However,Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, andUnderworld: A Galaxy of Scum and Villainy, which references the game, show theEclipse as already being under construction since the Battle of Yavin. Additionally,Dark Empire Sourcebook states that the ship was in construction as long as either Death Star; since the publication of that and other sources that repeat the same information, the Death Star I was revealed to have been under construction for at least 19 years. However, the2007 edition ofStarships of the Galaxy explicitly states that theEclipse began construction around the time of the Battle of Yavin.

Appearances[]

• Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
• Dark Empire audio drama
• Dark Empire 6(First appearance)
• Tyrant's Test(Indirect mention only)

Non-canon appearances[]

• "Fragments from the Mind's Eye" —Star Wars Adventure Journal 11

Sources[]

Notes and references[]