[SD.net EU Database] Rebel Alliance Sourcebook

[apocolypse]

Okay, so I'm kinda lame. Between overtime at work and papers at school, I've gotten a grand total of one chapter finished at this time. However, I wanted to at least post something cause my contribution to date has been lacking. I'll try to get through the other chapters faster...I didn't realize how long this would take.

Feel free to give critiques thus far. It may be too much info I'm pulling out, I'm not sure. The actual quote line isn't how it's written in the book, I'm just trying to give a brief description of the following quotes to help people when scanning the material.

CHAPTER 1 - BIRTH OF THE REBELLION

To replace the mighty Death Star, infuriatingly lost due to the stupidity of its commanders at Yavin, the Emperor has ordered the assemblage of an unprecedentedly huge fleet, built around the newly-commissioned Super-class Star Destroyer Executor.

A brief historical perspective.

Even now it is unclear who is the true creator of the Rebel Alliance as it exists today. Clearly Mon Mothma played a major role, allying many disjointed resistance groups into larger, more organized units. The former leader of the planet Alderaan, Bail Organa, played a pivotal role as well.

Ghorman is a small planet located in Sern Sector, just outside the Core Worlds. The citizens of Ghorman were staging a peaceful demonstration against new taxes; they staged a sit-in at the spaceport, blocking all of the port’s landing pads. A Republic warship, arriving at the planet to collect the taxes, landed in spite of the citizens, killing dozens and wounding hundreds more. The commander in charge of the warship, one Captain Tarkin, was not prosecuted for the murders; in fact, he was promoted.

The Corellian Treaty, written by her [Mon Mothma] and signed by the leaders of the three groups, signaled the true beginning of the Alliance.

The individual Resistance groups would maintain their existing structures and have limited autonomy in the areas in which they were based; strategic command of the Alliance was strictly in Mothma’s hands. She, with the help of the Alliance Advisory Council, had complete control over supply, recruitment and training, internally communication, intelligence, and all space operations.

It was likely that the Emperor would use every means at his disposal to destroy the Rebels. Even before the Death Star, he has more than enough firepower to wipe out whole planets.

The Corellian Treaty contains one important clause – every two years, representatives from all of the Allies must meet to vote for a leader. The leader is chosen by a simple majority, and all pledge to support him or her to their utmost abilities.

Resources, mostly anonymous untraceable “donations” from wealthy families and corporations, were quietly and efficiently gathered. Ships were purchases through dummy corporations, or “stolen” from friendly governments. Recruitment and training organizations were placed on populated planets. Safe worlds were set up. Within a few short years, the Alliance was recognizably the same organization it is today.

The Declaration of Rebellion was written by Mothma herself and addressed directly the Emperor. Millions of holo-copies of the document were made and distributed by the Alliance’s growing intelligence network.

The destruction of the Death Star brought about a great deal of confusion and upheaval within the ranks of the Imperial armed forces. The highest ranking officers were summarily demoted (or worse), and a major shake-up of command hierarchy followed.

Within the Empire’s Core systems, where Imperial presence is strong and the Imperial Propaganda Bureau is functioning a full power, there is still much skepticism concerning the Rebellion. The Alliance’s success at the Battle of Yavin is attributed to Imperial incompetence rather than Rebel strength.

The Empire is fully aware of the help which the Alliance receives from the planet Calamari, but the Calamarians maintain a formidable defensive fleet in the system. The Empire has yet to be able to spare the ships from other, more important, duties to break through the Cals’ defenses and reduce the annoying planet to rubble.

There are two main organizations within the Alliance structure – the civil government and the military (which is underneath the Minister of War in the civil government). The civil government handles supply, transport, taxation, diplomatic relations, and so forth. Military is the largest portion of the Alliance government and controls the Alliance fleet and ground forces. Both are governed by Mon Mothma, though she tends to concentrate upon civil, leaving control of the military to those better suited to the work.

The position of Chief of State was created to be an elected dictatorship. Mon Mothma, so far the first and only Chief of State, has virtually unlimited powers over the Civil Government. During her two-year term of office, her decisions can be overturned only if two-thirds of the Advisory Council vote her down, in which case she is ousted from office as well. In addition, every two years elections are held for Chief of State. Each Allied government has a single vote and the election is decided by a simple majority.

According to the Corellian Treaty, the position of Chief of State “will be abolished when the Emperor is deposed, killed, or resigns his position of power.” The Advisory Council will immediately assume Executive Power, and a Constitutional Convention will convene to decide the form of government of the Second Galactic Republic.
As Chief of State, she is responsible for planning overall military strategy, mobilizing the industrial might of the Allies into war industries, and keeping the Alliance fleet and armies supplied.

The Chief of State is also responsible for the Alliance’s relationships with non-Allied governments. She [Mon Mothma] is the final arbiter of disputes between Allied governments, as well.

Finally, the Chief of State is responsible for the well-being of every being in the galaxy whose life has been affected by the Rebellion.

The Corellian Treaty orders the Chief of State to “direct all resources not required in the war effort to alleviate the suffering of those whose lives have been disrupted by the Rebellion.”

The Advisory Council is comprised of representatives of the seven Allied governments “who have given the most lives to the battle against the Emperor”. Obviously, this is not a position that the Allied governments strive for, but the system ensures that those Allies who have suffered the most have a say in the running of the Alliance.

The Council’s legal authority is limited to simple approval or disapproval of the actions of the Chief of State. They have the right to dismiss the Chief of State and call for new elections if two-thirds (five of the seven members) disapprove of her conduct.

In addition to their legal power, the Advisory Council wields a good deal of moral clout, as well. Mothma listens carefully to their advice, and is not likely to take any actions of which most of them disapprove.

The Cabinetmembers are chosen for their intelligence, drive, and ability to get things done. Mothma makes the policy decisions for the Alliance, and the Cabinetmembers are responsible for carrying out her decisions.

The Secretary of the Cabinet is responsible for organizing and running the Cabinet’s meetings. The Secretary chairs the meetings when Mothma is unavailable; the Secretary also trains and provides security-cleared staff members for the various ministries.

This ministry is in charge of the Alliance’s income and expenditures. The Finance Ministry is responsible for raising the money necessary to pay for the war.

To cover expenses, the Minister is empowered to levy taxes on Allied governments.

In addition, the Ministry issues “Alliance War Bonds”. These are low-yield, long term bonds redeemable five to 25 years after the war.

The Minister of Finance is also responsible for printing the Alliance’s money. The Alliance Credit (AC) is supposedly worth the same as the Imperial Credit. However, the actual rate on the open (black, that is) market is 25 Alliance Credits to one Imperial…

This Ministry has two primary functions: it is the Intelligence branch of the Civil Government and it is in charge of propaganda as well. (During the present crisis, education is left to the control of the Alliance governments.)

Civil Intelligence concentrates primarily on passive Intelligence-gathering: monitoring Imperial civil broadcasts, news-holos, and so forth.

Civil Intelligence also monitors the Civil Government for Imperial infiltration.

The Propaganda Bureau is charged with presenting the galaxy with a true picture of the Alliance. For the most part, they seek to counter Imperial propaganda, which portrays the Alliance as an organization of lunatics, brigands and anarchists.

The Ministry of State and the subordinate Diplomatic Corps handles relations with non-Allied governments.

In the event of the Chief of State’s death or impeachment, the Minister of State takes charge of the government until a new Chief of State is elected.

This Ministry controls the Alliance’s industrial production. The Alliance has almost no large factories under its direct control – one or two on safe worlds and a couple on planets which have openly declared for the Alliance (such as Mon Calamari).

Most other equipment such as small arms, clothing, medpacs, and so forth is manufactured in small cottage industries hidden on Rebel-sympathetic planets, purchased on the black market, or stolen from the Empire.

This Minister is in charge of begging, borrowing, or stealing the food, clothing, and other supplies necessary to keep the Alliance Fleet and Armies in the field.

The Alliance has an abundance of food. The safe worlds and Outer Rim Territories produce a tremendous surplus of crops. However, the Alliance has a terrible time getting the foodstuffs to the places they are needed.

Transport of goods is handled by the Alliance Military’s Support Services.

The Minister of War is responsible for directing the Alliance’s military forces, turning Mon Mothma’s general directives into concrete military strategy.

The Allied Commands are the governments of the individual Allies and the Sector Commands of those areas of space in which there are no Allies. Each, though answerable to Alliance High Command on most important issues, has limited autonomy within their own operational area.

[Samuel]

The destruction of the Death Star brought about a great deal of confusion and upheaval within the ranks of the Imperial armed forces. The highest ranking officers were summarily demoted (or worse), and a major shake-up of command hierarchy followed.

This line makes no sense whatsoever. The responsible officers are all dead- who does the empire punish aside from the designer?

[Darth Hoth]

The Empire is fully aware of the help which the Alliance receives from the planet Calamari, but the Calamarians maintain a formidable defensive fleet in the system. The Empire has yet to be able to spare the ships from other, more important, duties to break through the Cals’ defenses and reduce the annoying planet to rubble.

This is completely retarded. The Empire allows a member state to persist indefinitely in outright rebellion, supposedly because resources cannot be spared, but very prominent Core worlds such as Ralltiir or Alderaan itself suffer military occupation or worse for much lesser offences? And how does this mesh with the famous RotJ novel line about all the Rebels being at Endor, with a massive Mon Cal fleet hiding elsewhere?

[Master_Baerne]

One would think that the sector group for wherever Mon Calamari is would have a more capable fleet than an assortment of converted liners. And since it's the job of the sector group to squash rebellions, we need a new explanation for Mon Calamari surviving.

[Coiler]

Since the sourcebooks are written in-universe, could the Mon Cal passage be explained away as Rebel propaganda exaggerating their military strength?

[Lord Revan]

The destruction of the Death Star brought about a great deal of confusion and upheaval within the ranks of the Imperial armed forces. The highest ranking officers were summarily demoted (or worse), and a major shake-up of command hierarchy followed.

This line makes no sense whatsoever. The responsible officers are all dead- who does the empire punish aside from the designer?

the officers responsible for the dead ones having gained that status, I'm sure it was (assuming it's not just propaganda) more a case of psychological reasons then actually factual reasons (aka saying "these were responsible and now they've been punished, see that this doesn't happen to you!")

[Samuel]

The destruction of the Death Star brought about a great deal of confusion and upheaval within the ranks of the Imperial armed forces. The highest ranking officers were summarily demoted (or worse), and a major shake-up of command hierarchy followed.

This line makes no sense whatsoever. The responsible officers are all dead- who does the empire punish aside from the designer?

the officers responsible for the dead ones having gained that status, I'm sure it was (assuming it's not just propaganda) more a case of psychological reasons then actually factual reasons (aka saying "these were responsible and now they've been punished, see that this doesn't happen to you!")

The Imperial Navy automatically promotes officers if they are competant. The main officer responsible is Tarkin, and as a Grand Moff he was promoted by the Emperor.

The Empire is fully aware of the help which the Alliance receives from the planet Calamari, but the Calamarians maintain a formidable defensive fleet in the system. The Empire has yet to be able to spare the ships from other, more important, duties to break through the Cals’ defenses and reduce the annoying planet to rubble.

This is completely retarded. The Empire allows a member state to persist indefinitely in outright rebellion, supposedly because resources cannot be spared, but very prominent Core worlds such as Ralltiir or Alderaan itself suffer military occupation or worse for much lesser offences? And how does this mesh with the famous RotJ novel line about all the Rebels being at Endor, with a massive Mon Cal fleet hiding elsewhere?

It could be racism- after all, we are talking about a group that uses converted pleasure craft as the backbone of their fleet. Why would the Empire bother to take them seriously?

[VT-16]

Given that the Mon Cal sector was flooded with Rebel personnel and refugees coming from all around the galaxy, and that they had several Lucrehulk battleships and Bulwark battlecruisers in the Rebel arsenal, it's not too farfetched that it'd require some force to break through and retake the sector. Especially since the Mon Cals managed to kick the Imperial occuption forces out to begin with, on their own.

[Connor MacLeod]

Mon Calamari stood as a valid example of "evil rebellion" Palpatine can use to maintain his power and justify use and expansion of the military, so it stands to reason he wouldn't want to just wipe it out out of hand even if he could. And I'm not sure he could. One could also make the argument that the Mon Cal sector, since it represents a significant shipbuidling capability, may have substantial military infrastructure in place (short range warships, defense stations, etc.) as well as longer range warships which could make any attempt to take the planet exceedingly costly. Just because they have the ships there though doesnt mean they can risk diluting that strength because Mon Cal is the most important shipyard in the Alliance and weakening its defenses too much may risk an Imperial task force slipping in and demolishing the place. And hell, they probably need significant assets to also stop any long range attempts (hyperspaced in asteroid impactors, for example)

[Lord Sander]

It could be that the bulk of the Mon Calamari defense fleet had limited hyperdive restricting it to the Mon Cal Sector, much like the Mandator-class of the Kuat Sector defense fleet. Thereby the entire long-range Rebel fleet being at Endor.
Still, Mon Cal remains an oddity, much like Hapes (which captured and destroyed numerous Star Destroyers, a clear act of war, without retaliation).

[Darth Hoth]

Given that the Mon Cal sector was flooded with Rebel personnel and refugees coming from all around the galaxy, and that they had several Lucrehulk battleships and Bulwark battlecruisers in the Rebel arsenal, it's not too farfetched that it'd require some force to break through and retake the sector. Especially since the Mon Cals managed to kick the Imperial occuption forces out to begin with, on their own.

Is it the entire Sector that the fishies liberated on their lonesome, now? I thought it was only their own planet.

[VT-16]

GATORW says the Imperials withdrew from the entire sector, which enabled Rebels and refugees from all over the galaxy to flock to it. This is consistent with the fact that this and other books also mention several systems with Calamari colonies and industries in them. The sector is also sometimes referred to as "Calamari Space", iirc. It's just Dac that gets most of the attention in all the desperate situations.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

You would think the Calamari would do a sector wide rebellion overthrowing their overlords simultaneously. Otherwise the Imps are bound to do a few Base Delta Zeros on their colonies (which I might add, was established ages ago and now further reinforced by Calamari appearing in the most recent KOTOR based comics) The rebellion must have been one fierce one that sent the Imps running off with their tails between their feet.

[VT-16]

The fact that they managed to build fleets of vessels while under an occupation force, is pretty impressive in and of itself. Then again, individuals who previously made fleets of destroyers and some heavy cruisers for the Confederacy came from one half of the populace, so they got plenty of skill and experience.

[PainRack]

I'm wondering. What on earth did the Bothans do that Borsk got an advisory seat? The loss of a few squadrons of Bothan pilots and some spies?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Actually, in general, any of the founding members of the Republic served on the advisory council. If I recall correctly.

[PainRack]

Actually, in general, any of the founding members of the Republic served on the advisory council. If I recall correctly.

Bothawui wasn't a founding member, it entered after Yavin. Similarly, it wasn't as important as Mon Calamari, nor did Bothans form as significant a part of the Rebel fighter corps as the Sullustans.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Actually, in general, any of the founding members of the Republic served on the advisory council. If I recall correctly.

Bothawui wasn't a founding member, it entered after Yavin. Similarly, it wasn't as important as Mon Calamari, nor did Bothans form as significant a part of the Rebel fighter corps as the Sullustans.

Bothawui was a founding member of the "New Republic". It wasn't certainly that of the Rebel Alliance, but neither was Sullust, or Mon Calamari. And being a founding member practically granted it a place in the Advisory Council of the New Republic. There are in general no founding worlds for the Rebellion except perhaps Alderaan and maybe Chandrila.

If you are referring to that during the Rebellion, then obviously it was Borsk who bandied around the Bothan Spynet like a badge of honor.

[Solauren]

Personally, I think the Mon Calamari sector 'was a trap'.

Consider;
That area just became THE haven for rebels and malconents.

So, let them all run their and 'hide'. It's okay, it's well mapped.

Let them build up (like a cancer), but keep outside of the sector clear. Confine the majority of rebel growth to that sector.

Then, when the Death Star is ready, blockade the sector, go in, and deal with it in a few days, like a surgeon with a knife.

Cure the galaxy, by removing the diseased sector.

Then, you have this wonderful example for the rest of the galaxy; the Empire just slagged an ENTIRE SECTOR, in a matter of days (if not hours), with BDZ, and several planets nicely blown up. They turned a Sector into a Graveyard.

Quite frankly, that should terrify any world into not only not rebelling, but trying to keep others from rebelling.

[Darth Hoth]

I'm wondering. What on earth did the Bothans do that Borsk got an advisory seat? The loss of a few squadrons of Bothan pilots and some spies?

The Zahn and Stackpole books had several viewpoint characters thinking so, at least. It is not impossible; sometimes, operations are blown completely out of all proportion, especially high-profile commando stuff.

[TC Pilot]

Still, Mon Cal remains an oddity, much like Hapes (which captured and destroyed numerous Star Destroyers, a clear act of war, without retaliation).

Grand Admiral Teshik was actually sent against the Hapan, though with what was deemed woefully insufficient forces (as punishment for past failures). However, comments in, I think, Courtship suggest Teshik or someone else, actually succeeded in making the Consortium a tributary state.

I'm wondering. What on earth did the Bothans do that Borsk got an advisory seat? The loss of a few squadrons of Bothan pilots and some spies?

They basically gave the Rebels one of the most developed non-Imperial intelligence organizations in the galaxy, as well as the sympathy, if not outright loyalty, of more than just one world.

[Connor MacLeod]

I'm wondering. What on earth did the Bothans do that Borsk got an advisory seat? The loss of a few squadrons of Bothan pilots and some spies?

Fey'lya was a politician and a manipulator, that's pretty much been a trademark characteristic throughout his entire "life" in the EU. I vaguely recall some mention of this somewhere, but he likely played politics to get himself a position of power through using his fellow Bothans like he uses anyone else for his own end.

[Connor MacLeod]

It could be that the bulk of the Mon Calamari defense fleet had limited hyperdive restricting it to the Mon Cal Sector, much like the Mandator-class of the Kuat Sector defense fleet. Thereby the entire long-range Rebel fleet being at Endor.

That depends on what happened to those forces after the Empire occupied them the first time. They might have been all destroyed first off. The Empire might have rebuilt them (or allowed them rebuilt) later on, or maybe their own short range warships, but that's purely hypothetical.

Still, Mon Cal remains an oddity, much like Hapes (which captured and destroyed numerous Star Destroyers, a clear act of war, without retaliation).

There's at least one other example I can think of (Dornea form the Black Fleet crisis) and if you go into the fluff from the video games, the Airam Sector rebelled too (and managed to establish a shipyard at least as big or nearly as big as the Mon Cal). In truth, the Alliance had to have held some actual territory in the so called "Galactic Civil War" to be a credible threat of any kind - it couldn't have just been all guerilla/terrorist activity - so other planets must have successuflly rebelled and held off the Empire as well.

Its also important to remember (yet again) that just because the Empire has collossal resources and industrial potential at its command (as witnessed by the Death Star) it doesn't automatically follow that they use it, or even use it intelligently. Military expenditures take away from other areas of the Empire (the economy and business sectors for eample, who are big backers of Palpy remember.) and while it might bring swift resolution its going to be pretty uesless afterwards. And it doesn't really suit palpy's purpose to swiftly end the threat anyhow -he's had to actually make up threats to support himself, so why would be eliminate what actual "threats" there are?

[Connor MacLeod]

You would think the Calamari would do a sector wide rebellion overthrowing their overlords simultaneously. Otherwise the Imps are bound to do a few Base Delta Zeros on their colonies (which I might add, was established ages ago and now further reinforced by Calamari appearing in the most recent KOTOR based comics) The rebellion must have been one fierce one that sent the Imps running off with their tails between their feet.

That depends on how much fleet strength they had in the Mon Cal sector prior to the uprising. The Empire has never been over-militarized (why should it be? It would be a drain on the resources for no purpose - the military was more a political and economic tool than it was for actual defense at that point.) so they probably didn't station tremendous resources there at all times unless they had to. If the Mon Cals had been "pacified" for a long period of time, they could very well have lulled the Imperials into thinking things were safe while they built up forces in secret. And once they were ready, they can then overthrow a complacent and unprepared Empire, especially if those assets get drawn off or deployed elsewhere (or whatever mobile assets they have on-call to respond to emergencies are occupied elsewhere. Even in a relatively "secure" sector you could have things stirring up on a local basis that might distract Imperial forces. Intersystem warfare, piracy, rebel/terrorist activity, etc.)

`
This line makes no sense whatsoever. The responsible officers are all dead- who does the empire punish aside from the designer?

You're forgetting how big, complicated, and dangerous political intrigue is in the Empire (as per Palpatine's design.) They don't neccesarily NEED a sensible reason other than "There's someone I dont like and I want to get rid of him" to do that. It could be that many people simply used this deabcle as an excuse to settle old debts or eliminate rivals or superiors through trickery. It's happened before.

[Connor MacLeod]

Feel free to give critiques thus far. It may be too much info I'm pulling out, I'm not sure. The actual quote line isn't how it's written in the book, I'm just trying to give a brief description of the following quotes to help people when scanning the material.

There is no such thing as "too much." One thing about SW analysis you'll have to remember is that outside Curtis' work, you won't find material neatly organized in any coherent manner that makes it easy to look up (despite all the "guides" and "encyclopedias".) Putting together analysis (nevermind actual numbers) requires piecing together differnet bits of information (often a patchwork affair at best) and digging into alot of sources. Sometimes a bit of info will only become useful some time after the fact (sometimes years after - The Last Command had a bit that estalbishes combat ranges of Imperial starships beyond ground weapon ranges, and it was only until the NEGW&T came out that ion cannons got an actual weapons range - 180,000 km, IIRC.)

That means you put down anything that you not only can pull a definite calc from, you try ot put down anything oyu think you MIGHT be able to pull a calc from in the future if you get more information. That can happen, especially when you get multiple sources and authors commenting on the same event (IE BAttle of Hoth, Battle of Endor, etc.)