Purpose of Star Dreadnaughts in The Empire

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2004-09-08 04:49pm

I'm just curious, what role do you believe the Star Dreadnaughts (vessels presumably will the size and firepower of the Executor) served in Palpatine's Empire? We know that Rebel forces fought against Imperator-Class Star Destroyer's in most of their engagments, and that these elusive Star Dreadnaughts are very few in most Star Wars text.

So then, what role does the Star Dreadnaught play?

Here's what I can think of, from what we've seen in the movies and EU, and a bit of speculation:

Command Vessels. In many large fleets, an Executor type vessel is the centerpiece of the action. True in the Death Squadron, Admiral Giel's fleet, the revived Emperor's armada (though I think the the Eclipse is in a bit of a leauge of its own, same principle) and most of the fleets of the Imperial Warlords post-ROTJ. They are seen rarely in fleet actions, which suggests to me that most are fufilling some of their other roles below, and only a few can be spared for this one.

These next two reasons can actually be said of almost any vessel, but can be best served by a Star Dreadnaught class ship.

Planetary defense. We see this in Dark Empire, where a vast Imperial armada of many thousands of ships orbit Byss, many of which could probably fill the Star Dreadnaught class. No Rebel ships would be able to take an Imperial Core World with these behemoths in place. Since Rebel vessels could actually tangle with the Star Destroyers, send them out in force to crush any Rebel threat, rather than leave your most valuable worlds poorly guarded by sending out the biggest guns.

Extragalactic Threats. The Emperor knew through rouge Chiss admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo that many dangerous threats lie outside the GFFA. Among them, the Ssi-Ruuk and the Yuuzhan Vong. It's possible that these vessels were not only designed with the former roles in mind, but to fend off attacks from these alien threats (of whom he knew only through the hearsay/experience of one man who lived in a small backwater sector of the galaxy using inferior technology, thereby exaggerating the threat they would be to the Empire).

This last one may or may not co-exist with the the third reason.

Relics from the Clone Wars. We know that fleet combat like that seen at Endor is rare in Palpatine's Empire, whereas in the Clone Wars it was bountiful. It seems to me that the Empire could've dominated the galaxy relying solely on Star Destroyers; though the Star Dreadnaughts serve their duties as command ships and planetary defenders well, don't you think a larger group of smaller vessels could've filled their roles? Indeed, it says as much in the EGTV&V. This is telling me that many of the remaining Star Dreadnaughts were made with the still somewhat-recent Clone War in mind, where massive starships like the those were the status quo in fleet actions.

What do you think? Stupid? Obvious? Preaching to the choir? Post your comments, please.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2004-09-08 05:13pm

Compensation.

On a more serious note, I see them serving as anchors in major battles, in a way that the lighter star destroyers simply cannot. You drop one somewhere and simply say 'This flank does not buckle' with some garauntee that it shall be so. That leaves a commander free to employ his lighter, faster star destroyer squadrons to maneuver offensively. After all, even if an enemy strike force managed to pop a dreadnought-defended flank, they'd have to be strong enough to do that AND actually accomplish something against the lighter forces at the same time. And, er, if they're maneuvering in that kind of force, it's not going to come as a surprise anyway

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-09-08 05:15pm

Its a dreadnought; in other words, its a battleship, and they should form the core of the battle line in a full-fledged stategic fleet of the Empire (perhaps something like the fleet out of ANH: Infinities with its multiple Executor-class Star Dreadnoughts).

They are not relics of a beygone era: the Imperial Starfleet was mostly not arrayed against the Rebellion, which at complete sum was only somewhat comparable to a single minimal Sector Group.

The Star Dreadnoughts and Star Battleships would form the battle line in engagements against secessionist worlds (the Empire permitted worlds to maintain their own defense forces, and we know that the "Secessionist Worlds" openly declared their independence when the Declaration of Rebellion was issued) which could have significant military strength: the Rebel fleet is largely the donated forces of the Mon Calamari, and they were a remote alien world. Imagine the might commanded and within the industrial capacity of the Grand Moffs, such as Tarkin, who was able to construct the first Death Star. Kuat during the pre-Empire period created proud starfleets. .

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2004-09-08 05:29pm

All good points, IP. Makes more sense now.

spideycw · Post by **spideycw** » 2004-09-08 05:42pm

I think perhaps one of the roles they fill is giving a fleet commander an almost invunerable platorm to command from. Smaller ships such as Star Destroyers would of course be much more vunerable to enemy fire and not allow an Admiral to command his fleet effectifvely being busy trying to ensure his ship does not meet destruction

FTeik · Post by **FTeik** » 2004-09-08 05:47pm

Mobile shipyard, mobile hospitale, mobile sector-headquater for ships in the Executor-range.

Smaller "Super Star Destroyers" were needed to fight local forces (like IP said), mutinering Imperials and to fare better against planetary defenses, than the Tyrant did in TESB.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-09-08 10:25pm

One must remember that not all Sectors are created equal; the ISB depicts the bare minimum Sector Group levels for the Empire's equivalent of Wyoming backcountry. Afterall, where the Empire was the least, and there were the fewest eyes, the Rebellion thrived.

However, simply astrophysics tells us the more inner regions of the galactic disk, surrounding the bulge, has on the order of one hundred times the density in stars and gas and dust that the outer edges of the disk does. Core World sectors very well may be worth 100 Outer Rim sectors, as they probably do, in a very real way, have 100 times the population, resources, and stars, at least. And quite possibly, over 100 times the military presence? Its not hard to imagine rather powerful forces under the auspices of the Kuat of Kuat, the Corellians, the Alderaanians, and other aristocratic or industrialist centers in the Core. Many of these forces stayed mobilized in one form or another during the reign of Palpatine. And that is disregarding overly...independent Moff and Grand Moff Governors. Indeed, the Empire found itself replacing such individuals as per Goroth: Slave of the Empire. And as the Steele Chronicles demonstrated, even the highest echelons of the Galactic Empire are not above betrayal, muntiny, and coups'd'etat.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2004-09-08 11:45pm

In a battle of the scale they're intended for, I can actually see them being used as Imperial-configurable 'terrain.' Something to amass around and control territory, something to retreat behind, something to channel attacking forces along a preferred path via a gap in the Dreadnought line...something that impels the enemy to want to avoid a given position.