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The Anakin Solo, also known as the Anakin for short or Black Annie to its crew, was a modified Imperial II-class Star Destroyer that served as the command ship of the Galactic Alliance Guard during the Second Galactic Civil War—a pan-galactic conflict between the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and the Confederation. Serving as the personal flagship of Colonel Jacen Solo, the Anakin Solo was named after Solo's deceased brother. The commissioning of a GAG Star Destroyer reflected the Guard's expanding influence and responsibilities; by then the Guard had taken a more active role in the war, whereas their original purpose as a covert police force was to enforce domestic security on the capital world of Coruscant.

Commissioned in 40 ABY at the General Crix Madine Military Reserve of Coruscant, the Anakin Solo secured its first victory at the Battle of Hapes. It was also deployed to Corellia alongside the Galactic Alliance Defense Fleet as a result of the Alliance's decision to blockade the Corellian homeworld in response to the Corellian terrorist attacks on Coruscant. The Anakin Solo would continue to have an active part in the conflict following the withdrawal of Alliance forces from Corellia, participating in several battles across the galaxy at Gilatter VIII, Kuat, Kashyyyk, and Centerpoint Station.

The Anakin Solo also played a role in Jacen Solo's plans as an aspiring Dark Lord of the Sith. Solo, who had secretly renounced his role as a Jedi Knight in favor of becoming the Sith Lord Darth Caedus, tortured his cousin, Ben Skywalker, aboard the Anakin Solo in an effort to convert the young Jedi to the dark side of the Force. The attempt failed, however, leading Caedus to shift his attention to another potential Sith apprentice—the Jedi Knight Tahiri Veila. Veila joined the Galactic Alliance Guard as a junior lieutenant and demonstrated her willingness to become Caedus' apprentice by ordering the Anakin Solo's gunners to destroy a squadron of Fondorian starfighters. During the Second Battle of Fondor, the Anakin Solo participated in a joint-fleet operation between the Galactic Alliance and the Imperial Remnant. It was at Fondor where the partnership between Caedus and Admiral Cha Niathal broke apart, resulting in the Anakin Solo's return to Coruscant where Caedus secured his position as the sole Chief of State.

The Anakin Solo went on to fight Caedus' enemies at the Battle of Uroro Station in 41 ABY. In the course of the battle, the GAG battleship sustained heavy damage and was boarded by the forces of the Jedi Coalition, resulting in the deaths of many GAG troopers. At the same time, Caedus was confronted by his twin sister, Jaina Solo, who killed the Dark Lord in single combat. With Caedus' death and the fall of the Anakin Solo, the Galactic Alliance reconciled with the New Jedi Order and agreed to a ceasefire with the Confederation, hence marking the end of the Second Galactic Civil War.

Characteristics[]

The Anakin Solo was a Galactic Alliance Guard Imperial II-class Star Destroyer that possessed both the usual features of its line and several modifications that ultimately distinguished it from other Star Destroyers of the similar design. In recognition of the Anakin Solo's status as the personal transport vessel of the Galactic Alliance secret police, the ship's durasteel hull was painted in matte black rather than the typical white of Alliance Star Destroyers. In addition to its role as a mobile base of operations for the Guard, the Anakin Solo also functioned as a carrier for smaller ships,^[1] such as the Duracrud,^[3] the Rover, XJ5 X-wing starfighters and various TIE fighter models.^[1]

Designed for war, the Anakin Solo was equipped with an array of state-of-the-art armaments, ranging from standard and long-range turbolaser batteries to baradium and concussion missiles, proton torpedos and advanced anti-starfighter weaponry. The ship's four long-range turbolasers, mounted in her nose, were cutting-edge technology, although they exhausted a substantial amount of the vessel's power, which necessitated the shutdown of non-essential systems prior to firing. As a result, their recharge speed was slower than the average rate. Other systems incorporated into the Anakin Solo's design included tractor beam projectors, a gravity well generator located at the belly of the Star Destroyer, a cloaking cone that rose midway down its spine, and Berda—an advanced tactical computer system operated by a group of Bith programmers.^[1]

Further additions to the Anakin Solo were devised by^[1] the Sith Lord Darth Caedus,^[8] who served as the overall commanding officer of the GAG Star Destroyer in his public guise as Colonel Jacen Solo. One of the new additions was the Detention Center, an area in the ship's belly that was unmarked so that detainees would not be aware of how close they were to the ship's prison. This was done to lessen the chances of resistance that could result in harm to inmates and security personnel.^[1] A secret interrogation chamber was constructed near the long-range batteries and housed a Yuuzhan Vong torture device known as the Embrace of Pain.^[6] The Colonel also had many concealed passageways built to connect the vessel's key areas, such as his personal quarters and the Command Salon.^[4]

History[]

Beginning[]

Launched in 40 ABY from the General Crix Madine Military Reserve, the Anakin Solo was designed specifically for the Galactic Alliance Guard, and as such was painted black and crewed at least partially with GAG personnel. Jaina Solo and Han Solo, still stewing over Anakin Solo's death, made complaints in colorful vocabulary on the name of the Anakin.^[1]

The defense of Hapes[]

The Anakin Solo had just completed its shakedown cruise when Jacen Solo took the ship to Hapes to defend Queen Mother Tenel Ka from the burgeoning insurrection there. The ship also served as a safe location to keep Allana away from assassins.^[1]

The Anakin Solo saw its first victory during the Battle of Hapes, where its commander, Jacen Solo, succeeded in dismantling the Hapan fleet assembled by Ducha AlGray and her Heritage Council.^[1]

At Hapes, Jacen ordered the Anakin to fire on the Millennium Falcon when he suspected his parents to be involved in the plot by the Five Worlds to kill Tenel Ka. The Falcon was nearly destroyed, and his parents' Noghri bodyguards, Cakhmaim and Meewalh, were killed.^[1]

Further actions[]

Jacen later commanded the Anakin Solo during an attempt to break up a smuggling operation near Bespin. Solo succeeded in his endeavor, capturing Uran Lavint and her ship Breathe My Jets. It was later used in combat during the Blockade of Corellia and the Battle of Gilatter VIII.

The bombardment of Kashyyyk[]

The Anakin Solo later participated in the Battle of Kuat, before breaking off of the battle with the Galactic Alliance Fifth Fleet to go to Kashyyyk to confront the Wookiees and the Jedi after the Order had deserted the Galactic Alliance at Kuat. While above Kashyyyk, Jacen, who had recently renamed himself Darth Caedus, ordered the Anakin Solo's long-range turbolasers to bombard the planet's surface, on the advice of his younger cousin Ben after the Wookiees refused to yield to him. The bombardment caused a massive forest fire, which destroyed numerous wroshyr trees. In retaliation, a Wookiee squadron of Owool Interceptors attacked the bridge and wiped out the command crew.

The Jedi, under the leadership of Grand Master Luke Skywalker, attacked the Anakin Solo and the Fifth Fleet surrounding it in their StealthXs. As the Jedi were beginning their attack, the Bothan and Corellian fleets from the Battle of Kuat arrived.

As Luke and Jaina Solo began an attack run on the Anakin Solo, Caedus took his StealthX out into the battle. After Luke's StealthX was destroyed by friendly fire from Jaina, he and R2-D2 managed to sneak aboard the Anakin. While onboard, Luke sabotaged all of the Anakin's long-range turbolasers before confronting Caedus, who at that point had Ben trapped in the Embrace of Pain in a secret hangar bay aboard the Star Destroyer. A fierce lightsaber duel ensued, leaving all three men severely injured, but the Skywalkers managed to flee, sparing Caedus' life on moral grounds. The destruction of the long-range turbolasers caused two thousand casualties aboard the flagship.

Towards the end of the battle, the increasingly surrounded Anakin Solo was nearly destroyed by the Hapan fleet. Caedus' parents Han and Leia Organa Solo had convinced Tenel Ka that her lover had turned to the dark side, and when Caedus refused to surrender, the Hapans opened fire on the already damaged vessel. The Anakin Solo and all aboard would have likely been destroyed had the rogue Dark Jedi Alema Rar not aided Caedus in his battle meditation, allowing for indecision on the Confederation's part and the escape of the failing Star Destroyer. Caedus succeeded in diverting the Confederation's advance on the Core Worlds, but had completely lost the love and support of his family and friends. In his isolation and bitterness, he came to regret naming his flagship after his late brother, claiming he "despised the brat".

Solo command[]

The Anakin Solo would again see action during a "negotiation" between the Galactic Alliance and Corellia. However, the negotiations were merely a ruse to lure Caedus out to an area of deep space so that a now functioning Centerpoint Station could wipe out Caedus, the Anakin Solo, and the Galactic Alliance Second Fleet.

Due to interference by the Jedi in StealthXs, who were tracking Caedus and had managed to plant a holocom aboard the Anakin Solo, Caedus left the vessel in a Blur scouting vehicle as he fled his flagship, suspecting a bomb had been planted aboard. As the Jedi pursued him, Caedus ordered the Anakin Solo to provide cover, and thus the ship was not with the rest of the Second Fleet when Centerpoint Station was fired.

In retaliation to the firing of Centerpoint, Solo took the Anakin Solo as the flagship of the force which attacked Centerpoint in an attempt to capture the gravitic weapon. During the battle, the Anakin Solo was boarded by Iella Wessiri Antilles, Leia Organa Solo, Han Solo, R2-D2, Luke and Ben Skywalker, and Saba Sebatyne, in a successful attempt to rescue Hapan Chume'da Allana, whom Caedus had kidnapped in order to force Hapan alliance with the Galactic Alliance.

When Centerpoint was destroyed by Jedi saboteurs during the battle, the Anakin Solo avoided destruction, as it was positioned far away from the blast radius. Enraged at the loss of his daughter and the destruction of Centerpoint, Caedus murdered Lieutenant Patra Tebut on the bridge of the Anakin Solo before ordering a return to Coruscant in light of the disaster.

Endgame[]

Towards the end of the war, the ship participated in the Battle of Uroro Station, alongside the Megador and a fleet of Imperial Remnant ships.^[7]

The vessel was badly damaged in the battle, with most of the bridge tower destroyed and the remainder of the ship being heavily damaged by Jedi-flown StealthX fighters. Jaina Solo infiltrated the Anakin during the battle and dueled Caedus one last time. With Caedus more focused on saving Tenel Ka and Allana from an Imperial nanovirus attack than defending himself, he was ultimately struck down by his sister.^[7]

After Caedus' death, the surviving crew members who had not defected were taken off the ship and sent to ground based detention centers. Luke Skywalker, a number of Jedi, and their allies captured the Moff Council which had holed up on the Anakin. There, he forced them to return to the Galactic Alliance, and placed them under the command of Jagged Fel.^[7]

Behind the scenes[]

Although the novel Legacy of the Force: Invincible stated that it was solidly black, the artwork for the Anakin Solo included in The Essential Guide to Warfare depicted it with a slightly darker gray color of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer.

Appearances[]

• Legacy of the Force: Tempest (First appearance)
• Legacy of the Force: Exile
• Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice
• Legacy of the Force: Inferno
• Legacy of the Force: Fury
• Legacy of the Force: Revelation
• Legacy of the Force: Invincible
• Millennium Falcon (Mentioned only)
• Millennium Falcon audiobook (Mentioned only)
• Fate of the Jedi: Abyss (Mentioned only)
• Fate of the Jedi: Abyss audiobook (Mentioned only)

Sources[]

• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Galaxy of Intrigue
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• "The Art of Warfare" — Star Wars Insider 133
• "The Art of Warfare" — Star Wars Insider Special Edition 2017

Notes and references[]