The Liberty functioned as a command ship within the Republic Navy's Open Circle Fleet, specifically belonging to the Galactic Republic's Fifth Fleet; it was a Venator-class Star Destroyer. Serving as both the command ship and flagship for Jedi General Aayla Secura and her Republic task force during the Clone Wars, the Liberty was dispatched to the planet Quell in 21 BBY. During that year, it, along with Secura's other three Venator-class vessels, faced an attack from a Separatist Alliance squadron consisting of five Munificent-class star frigates. This Separatist squadron was under the command of the T-series tactical droid TF-1726. The lead Venator-class Star Destroyer suffered extensive damage from the Separatist forces, while the other two Star Destroyers were destroyed. Consequently, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker journeyed from across the galaxy to the Quell system aboard the Venator-class Star Destroyer Resolute.
Upon Skywalker's arrival, the [Jedi Knight](/article/jedi_knight], accompanied by several clone troopers, initiated a boarding action onto Secura's flagship with the intention of rescuing her, which was necessitated after several B2-RP super battle droids infiltrated the ship through breaches in the hull. Once aboard the Liberty, Skywalker orchestrated the docking of a retrofitted Consular-class cruiser within the lower hangar, facilitating the escape of the Jedi and the remaining clone troopers. During this escape, the Separatist frigates unleashed a barrage of heavy turbolaser fire, triggering a series of explosions within the Star Destroyer and severely injuring Skywalker before he could be evacuated onto the Republic frigate. Abandoned and adrift, Secura's flagship, the Liberty, began its descent towards the surface of Quell as a burning wreck.
As a Venator-class Star Destroyer in service to the Galactic Republic Navy, the Liberty featured a pair of command towers illuminated with white lights. These towers were painted red, a visual indicator of the warship's designation as a flagship. One tower served as the primary helm and command center, while the other managed starfighter flight control; both were equipped with hyperwave comm scanners at their apex. Within one of the towers, two sections featured pitted surfaces and numerous control consoles manned by the starship's crew. A panoramic, 180-degree view of the surrounding space was provided by numerous viewports located at the front, with additional consoles positioned directly beneath them. Furthermore, the Liberty included hallways and corridors lit by integrated lights within its grey walls, alongside blast doors designed to automatically seal off sections in response to internal explosions and fires.
Externally, the Liberty was armed with a variety of weapon systems, including four DBY-827 heavy turbolaser turret emplacements on both the port and starboard sides. These were supplemented by medium dual turbolaser cannons—one on each side—and numerous other laser cannons distributed along its outer hull. In addition to its armament, the Star Destroyer utilized a propulsion system comprised of eight ion drive units situated at its stern, arranged in groups of four behind each wing. A docking bay and boarding tube on the ventral hull were capable of accommodating a single retrofitted Consular-class cruiser, and had blast doors leading to a starboard hangar bay. The Liberty also possessed a deflector shield generator with the capacity to withstand the combined firepower of four to five Munificent-class star frigates for a limited time. However, when the deflector shield was offline, the Venator's armored hull was durable enough to withstand impacts from a Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunship. Five red stripes were painted on both the port and starboard hulls, indicating its allegiance to the Republic Fifth Fleet, alongside the symbol of the Open Circle Fleet.
During the Battle of Quell, the Star Destroyer Liberty sustained heavy damage from an assault by several Munificent-class star frigates. The fleet requested assistance from Anakin Skywalker and Admiral Wullf Yularen, who soon arrived aboard the Resolute. Three LAAT/i gunships were deployed from the Resolute to extract all personnel from the damaged Star Destroyer. However, the Separatist tactical droid gave the order to destroy the Galactic Republic flagship. Skywalker chose to remain behind, sealing the blast doors to protect his comrades from the ensuing explosions. Jedi General Aayla Secura and Skywalker's Padawan Ahsoka Tano managed to pull him onto a Consular-class cruiser before the Republic starship was obliterated.
The Liberty made its debut in "Jedi Crash," the thirteenth episode within the first season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, which was originally broadcast on January 16, 2009. Later, it was officially identified in the 2021 reference book titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!, which was written by Jason Fry.