The Illudium Star was the third-highest honor bestowed by the Alliance High Command. This decoration was presented to members of the Alliance Military who demonstrated exceptional bravery in combat situations, exceeding normal expectations, but not to the extent required for a more prestigious award. It ranked below the Corellian Cross and above the Mantooine Medallion.
The Alliance High Command presented the Illudium Star, its third-highest honor, to personnel within the Alliance Military. This interservice accolade recognized acts of valor that went beyond the call of duty during engagements with enemy forces, but did not quite justify the awarding of the Kalidor Crescent or the Corellian Cross. Despite its interservice nature, the Alliance Army received the majority of these awards, likely due to the greater frequency of opportunities for demonstrating extraordinary personal courage compared to other branches of the Rebel Alliance.
The Alliance Navy also qualified for this recognition; starship and vehicle pilots attaining five confirmed kills and ace status were considered eligible. In cases where the pilot of a vehicle during an action warranted the award, the crews of vehicles or smaller starships, such as a repulsortank crew, the gunner of a BTL Y-wing starfighter, or the crew of a patrol ship or gunboat, also became eligible.
The Illudium Star was presented both as a wearable medal and as a ribbon bar for ribbon racks. The medallion itself was a five-pointed star, approximately five centimeters in diameter, crafted from polished illudium. A laurel wreath encircled a red enameled Rebel Alliance starbird at the star's center. The short, tapered ribbon suspending the medallion was metallic silver with a thin red stripe bordering its edge. The ribbon-rack version was silver with red stripes at each end. Multiple awards of the Illudium Star did not result in additional medals; instead, a small starbird pin, about five millimeters across, was affixed to the medal's ribbon for each subsequent Illudium Star earned.
The creation of the Illudium Star occurred shortly before the Battle of Yavin during the Galactic Civil War between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire in 0 BBY.
The Illudium Star received a mention in the 2016 Fantasy Flight Games canon sourcebook titled Lead by Example.