Rebel Alliance (Star Wars)
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In the fictional Star Wars universe, the Rebel Alliance, or more formally, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, was an interstellar political resistance force formed in direct military opposition to the Galactic Empire.
It is not yet known exactly when the Alliance formed, but we do know it was at some point during the onset of the Galactic Civil War when Chancellor Palpatine transformed the Galactic Republic into the Empire with himself as Emperor. In Revenge of the Sith, the first resistance to Imperial rule laid the foundations of the Rebel Alliance, but according to the role-playing game, while the Cantham House Meetings on Coruscant to discuss the future of the Republic were still going on, resistance was relatively quiet until a military ship commanded by Tarkin was blocked by peaceful protesters who stood on the ship's landing pad and refused to move. With implied permission from the Emperor, Tarkin landed the ship anyway, right on the protestors, injuring and killing many in the Ghorman Massacre.
Senators Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Garm Bel Iblis finally realized the Empire had absolutely no regard to the rights, or even the lives, of its citizens and normal political channels were useless to address the problem. With their help, an underground rag-tag organization, the Resistance, was formed to plan the removal of the Emperor, but the growing ruthlessness of the state forced them into initial secrecy as they were unable to undermine the Empire's regime.
When they were ready to fight, it became clear that the cause needed legitimacy with something public. Mon Mothma supplied an open Declaration of Rebellion in which the grievances of the Alliance were stated and concluded with an open threat to depose the Emperor and the Corellian Treaty was signed at the Corellian System Meetings. With these acts, the Empire went to work to crush the insurrection, while various allies secretly made their contributions to the Alliance.
The most notable equipment contributions include the defection of the Incom Corporation staff and all relevant material involved in the development of an advanced spacefighter, the X-wing. Later the fish-like species called the Mon Calamari joined the rebellion and used their renowned skill in ship construction to supply badly needed capital ships that could take on the Imperial Navy.
According to the RPG, part of the Alliance's strategy was the doctrine of space denial. That is, the alliance would attack Imperial shipping in hit and run raids both to disrupt Imperial supplies and operations and to confiscate desperately needed materials. In that regard, their fighters had hyperdrive capability along prearranged routes which would allow this kind of harassment and escape before the Empire could react.
Through their intelligence network, the Alliance learned of the construction of the Death Star, an enormous terror weapon intended to secure the Empire's power. An operation headed by Princess Leia was successful in retrieving the schematics of the station, but Darth Vader discovered and captured Leia. However, in the events described in the film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Luke Skywalker and his friends managed to free the Princess and deliver the plans to the Alliance. This not only allowed the Alliance to destroy the station in the Battle of Yavin, but also in Luke, they gained their only loyal member with training in the use of the Force and the skills of the purged Jedi Knights.
The Alliance suffered a setback on Hoth when one of their main bases was overrun by Darth Vader's forces, but eventually they later managed to mass a fleet to destroy the second Death Star in the Battle of Endor in which both the Emperor and Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker were also killed.
About six months after the death of the Emperor at Endor, Mon Mothma declared the Rebellion (which became the Alliance of Free Planets) to be at an end, and she declared the New Republic to be established as the successor state. Mon Mothma was initially the Supreme Chancellor in conjunction with the restored Senate. However, this government collapsed quickly during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy.
Senior Civil Government/Military High Command Personnel included:
- Mon Mothma - Chief of State and Supreme Commander-in-Chief
- Admiral Ackbar - Supreme Admiral of Naval Forces
- Leia Organa - Senior Diplomat
- Han Solo - General
- Lando Calrissian - General
- Wedge Antilles - General and commander of Rogue Squadron
- Luke Skywalker - Commander and Jedi Knight
- Carlist Rieekan - General and commander of the Alliance's Echo Base on Hoth
- Jan Dodonna - General and commander of the Alliance base on Yavin 4
- Chief Chirpa - leader of Council of Elders of Bright Tree Village and commander of Ewok and other Alliance ground forces on Endor