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| Next: Desert Extermination | |
| Battle of Tantive IV | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conflict: Galactic Civil War | |
| Date: 0 BBY | |
| Place: Tantive IV, over Tatooine | |
| Outcome: Imperial victory | |
| Combatants | |
| Commanders | |
|
Darth Vader |
Raymus Antilles † |
| Strength | |
|
501st Legion |
Several rebel soldiers |
| Casualties | |
|
heavy |
total |
The Battle of Tantive IV (0 BBY) was a battle of the Galactic Civil War that occurred when the Galactic Empire boarded the consular ship Tantive IV over the planet of Tatooine, crewed by Rebel Alliance personnel that were protecting Princess Leia Organa and stolen Death Star plans. Organa was captured and her crew killed, but the data was embedded in the astromech droid R2-D2 and jettisoned from the ship.
Background[]
Following the raid on Polis Massa, the Galactic Empire discovered that the plans to the Death Star battlestation had been stolen by the Rebel Alliance and were en route to the rebels' hidden base. The Empire discovered that Princess Leia Organa had stolen the plans and was carrying them on her consular ship Tantive IV, and Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin sent a Star Destroyer to capture and board the ship. Captain Raymus Antilles attempted to fire back with the ship's limited defenses, but it was intercepted over the planet of Tatooine by the Imperial star destroyer. It was sucked into the star destroyer's hangar, and stormtroopers breached the door and assaulted the ship.
Battle[]
Immediately after the door was destroyed, rebels in the hallway engaged the stormtroopers as they poured through the doorway. Thermal detonators were thrown and several on both sides were killed, but the stormtroopers were successful in clearing a path for Darth Vader to board the ship. The stormtroopers took over the engine room and proceeded to destroy the data systems of the ship, searching for the plans. However, all they found was more resistance from rebels. Meanwhile, Princess Leia hid the plans in an R2 droid, R2-D2, and sent the droid and its counterpart C-3P0 to an escape pod, fleeing the ship. Leia was hit by a stun gun from a stormtrooper and was arrested by the Empire, and she denied knowing of the plans or being a rebel; Captain Raymus Antilles was choked to death by Darth Vader while being interrogated. Organa was captured and held on the Death Star, but the Empire did not know where the plans were - they sent a team to Tatooine to find them.