In the year 0 BBY, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, otherwise known as the Rebel Alliance, initiated an offensive operation. Their goal was to preemptively neutralize or severely cripple the first Death Star while it was still under construction in orbit around the planet of Despayre.
The outcome for the Rebels was an utter failure. The Alliance suffered the loss of at least 500 of their best starfighter craft, along with a substantial carrier class capital starship. Conversely, for the Galactic Empire, this event marked the initial operational test of the Death Star's superlaser, boosting the crew's confidence in the battle station's capabilities.
Leading up to the battle, a series of sabotage acts occurred during the Death Star's construction, culminating in the destruction of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer named Undauntable. This led Grand Moff Tarkin to suspect the presence of a Rebel cell or sympathizers within the project, and he privately anticipated a military strike of some kind.
The Rebel's modified Lucrehulk-class starfighter carrier, the Fortressa, emerged unexpectedly from hyperspace very near the Death Star, achieving a surprise attack. Re-entering realspace at a distance of 2,200 kilometers from the battle station within Sector Seven of its defensive perimeter, the Rebel vessel successfully bypassed the Sector Fleet, commanded by Admiral Motti, which was stationed in the system to safeguard the Death Star. The Fortressa immediately began launching two waves of T-65 X-wings, each consisting of 250 starfighters. Approximately 1,120 TIE fighters from various squadrons, including Alpha Squadron, which were engaged in training exercises near the Death Star's surface, quickly mobilized to respond. They were under the command of Flight Commander Drolan and included skilled pilots such as Lieutenant Commander Villian Dance.
The Imperial fighters maintained a perimeter at a distance of 1,000 km from the station as the Rebel fighters approached. From the command center, Moff Tarkin gave the order to target the Fortressa with the Death Star's superlaser. Within just 28 seconds of the initial warning, the Rebel starship was completely vaporized at a distance of 2,209 km, using only four percent of the station's total destructive capacity.
The Imperial starfighters then engaged the first wave of disoriented Rebel fighters, who continued their mission towards the Death Star. Flying directly towards their objective without evasive maneuvers, the Rebel fighters were largely destroyed, with relatively minimal losses for the Imperial forces. The second wave of 250 Rebel fighters was intercepted and destroyed by TIE squadrons launched from the Star Destroyers, with none reaching the Death Star's fighter screen.
During the battle, Admiral Daala, who was en route to the Death Star when the Fortressa arrived, sustained critical injuries when her ship was attacked by a squadron of X-wings, causing damage to the bridge.