Starhawk

Secretly constructed at the Nadiri Dockyards as a key component of the New Republic's Project Starhawk, the Starhawk functioned as the prototype for the Starhawk-class battleship line. It was built utilizing salvaged components from Imperial-class Star Destroyers, notably including parts from the Victorum. As the Starhawk line's initial prototype, it represented the New Republic's initial effort to confront the Imperial Navy's larger capital ships on a more equitable footing.

Its design incorporated numerous landing bays distributed across multiple levels of its vertical structure, accessible from the rear, capable of simultaneously accommodating multiple CR90 corvettes and GR-75 medium transports. The vessel was equipped with turbolaser batteries, deflector shields, heavy durasteel armor, and a set of six Magnite Crystal Tractor Beam Arrays that generated a tractor beam with a power output ten times greater than those found on a standard Star Destroyer. This exceptionally powerful tractor beam could be used as a weapon, capable of ripping entire sections of hull plating from an enemy starship's structure.

Following the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire became aware of the clandestine project, prompting Admiral Rae Sloane to assign Captain Terisa Kerrill the task of locating Project Starhawk. Kerrill gathered intelligence from various sources, including information obtained from Agent Thorn after her extraction from Hosnian Prime, and later from an attack targeting a New Republic convoy, ultimately revealing the project's location to the Empire.

Vanguard Squadron orchestrated a diversionary attack, using droid-piloted transports to lure the Overseer, in an attempt to shield Project Starhawk from Imperial discovery. The Imperial vessels were ambushed, and the Starhawk made its initial public appearance, employing its powerful tractor beam to drag the Star Destroyer into a field of large asteroids. This resulted in significant damage to the Overseer, forcing Kerrill's forces to retreat.

Prior to initiating a direct assault, Admiral Sloane devised a strategy to draw the Nadiri fleet away from the Nadiri Dockyards by launching a series of attacks against several New Republic outposts, including Mon Cala. This maneuver left the Starhawk and the dockyards vulnerable to attack. The Overseer then arrived and launched a bold assault, spearheaded by Titan Squadron. The dockyards' shield generators and hangars were targeted, after which the Imperials launched a baradium missile attack on the Starhawk, causing extensive damage, including the disabling of its hyperdrive. A volley of missiles fired by the Overseer was intercepted by the MC75 Star Cruiser Temperance, which absorbed the impacts and suffered damage to its own hyperdrive. The arrival of the returning New Republic fleet compelled the Imperials to withdraw.

General Hera Syndulla determined that the next course of action was to move Project Starhawk to the safety of [Chandrila](/article/chandrila]; however, with neither the Starhawk nor the Temperance possessing functional hyperdrives, the fleet was forced to navigate slowly through Sissubo's debris field. Titan Squadron attacked the fleet's smaller vessels, targeting the power cores of salvaged Star Destroyers adrift in the debris field. The resulting explosions from the cores were sufficient to destroy eight CR90 corvettes and one EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate. The hazardous conditions within the debris field forced Syndulla's remaining ships to alter course and enter the Ringali Nebula.

With Syndulla's forces weakened, lost, and critically in need of reinforcements, Vanguard Squadron embarked on a mission to reactivate an old Rebel broadcast hub situated above the nearby moon Galitan and to transmit a distress signal requesting assistance from the New Republic. Anvil Squadron arrived to aid in the defense of the crippled Starhawk. A significant battle ensued, with the Overseer being supported by Imperial reinforcements from Admiral Sloane's fleet. Titan Squadron led the assault on the Starhawk, defeating Anvil Squadron and Lindon Javes in the process. A Titan TIE fighter, piloted by an individual known only as "Titan Three," managed to penetrate the ship's hull, where a baradium missile, which had failed to detonate during the earlier attack at the dockyards, was lodged. Titan Three fired into the tractor beam core, causing a catastrophic overload that would ultimately lead to the vessel's destruction. Kerrill's victorious forces departed the battle, although a portion of the Imperial fleet remained to continue the engagement. Syndulla accepted the doomed fate of the Starhawk, while also recognizing that it could still serve one final purpose.

Syndulla conceived a plan to evacuate the crew and engineers from the crippled battleship and then direct the Starhawk on a collision course with the exposed core of the nearby moon. This required corvettes to tow the Starhawk using a remaining functional tractor beam. Vanguard Squadron engaged waves of TIE fighters to protect the corvettes, and once the Starhawk reached its optimal velocity, it crashed into the moon's core, causing the unstable tractor beam mechanism to detonate. This detonation was amplified by the energy of the moon's core, resulting in a massive explosion of molten rock and a subsequent shockwave that obliterated all nearby Imperial vessels caught within its radius. Javes managed to escape from inside the Starhawk's hull just before the explosion.

Despite the destruction of the Starhawk, its sacrifice proved valuable, as its crew and engineers were safely transported to Chandrila to continue their work and construct additional Starhawk-class battleships.