This sector defense outpost was a New Republic military installation on the planet Ord Pardron. Located under the surface of the planet, the outpost was originally a mining installation for the Galactic Empire, before being converted into a starfighter base used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic after Imperial forces abandoned it in 1 ABY. Starfighters from the base—known as the Ord Pardron Starfighter Base—scored numerous victories against Imperial forces during the Galactic Civil War. Following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY and the establishment of the New Republic shortly thereafter, the base was retasked to serve as a major sector defense outpost with a full complement of starfighters, capital ships, and personnel.
In 9 ABY, Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn waged a military campaign against the New Republic. He ordered task forces of Imperial capital ships to assault several planets within the sector defense outpost's area of responsibility in an effort to draw military assets away from Ord Pardron. With many of its ships and fighters engaged in other systems, the base was attacked by a task force led by the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Death's Head. The base personnel called for reinforcements themselves, which allowed Thrawn to assault his true objective—the planet Ukio. During the assault, the base was severely damaged.
Built on the planet Ord Pardron, the sector defense outpost was located underground. Originally, it started its operational life as a mining outpost for the Galactic Empire until it was abandoned around 1 BBY. It was subsequently taken over by the Rebel Alliance and used as a starfighter base, but was expanded and retasked following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY to be a major New Republic defense outpost. The base had no planetary shield, relying on the presence of heavy metals in the planet's crust to protect it from orbital bombardment.
As a major sector defense outpost, the base was manned by 68,000 personnel, and a full complement of starfighters and capital ships were stationed at the base. By 9 ABY, the outpost had enough resources available to engage Imperial forces in multiple systems across the Abrion and Dufilvian sectors.
The Ord Pardron sector defense outpost was formally established by the New Republic following the Battle of Endor, but the base itself had been used by both the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic prior to that. Over the centuries, Ord Pardron was extensively mined by the Galactic Republic and Empire for ores and minerals used in the construction of starships. Around 1 BBY, the Empire abandoned their base on the planet as they had exhausted most of the mineral resources. The Rebel Alliance took over the Imperial installation shortly before the Battle of Yavin, establishing the Ord Pardron Starfighter Base.
During the Galactic Civil War, forces from the Ord Pardron Starfighter Base conducted attacks on Imperial targets, resulting in numerous successes. Imperial forces were unable to find the subterranean base to launch a counter-strike. After the Battle of Endor, the newly formed New Republic retasked the base, expanding it into a major defense outpost. Extra starfighters, capital ships, and personnel were stationed at the base, which was responsible for protecting New Republic assets in the Abrion and Dufilvian sectors.
Regional map showing Grand Admiral's Thrawn's assaults against Ord Pardron and other planets in the region during his campaign to take Ukio.
In 9 ABY, during his military campaign against the New Republic, Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn intended to capture the planet Ukio in the Abrion sector. In order to leave it defenseless for his forces, Thrawn split his fleet into several task forces. Each force was given a target to assault, with the intention of drawing forces away from the outpost at Ord Pardron. The Imperial-class Star Destroyer Bellicose led a task force to attack Ando, which Ord Pardron responded to by dispatching a force to match them. Similar attacks at other targets, including Crondre and Filve, were launched, and again Ord Pardron deployed reinforcements to those planets. With most of its military forces away from the planet, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Death's Head and its task force hit Ord Pardron directly.
Ord Pardron called for reinforcements from other New Republic bases, which in turn left the planet Ukio—a major agricultural world in the Abrion sector—vulnerable. Thrawn managed to capture Ukio without much effort, while the Death's Head and her task force caused major damage to the sector defense outpost before withdrawing.
The Ord Pardron sensor defense outpost was first referenced in the third book of The Thrawn Trilogy, The Last Command. The history of the base was further expanded on in The Last Command Sourcebook published by West End Games. In 2012, the base was referenced in The Essential Guide to Warfare.
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- The Last Command Sourcebook
- The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Atlas
- The Essential Guide to Warfare