Venator II-class Star Destroyer

As the Clone Wars ended, the Galactic Republic turned into the Galactic Empire and began switching over to the Tarkin Doctrine, the old Venator-class Star Destroyer was becoming obsolete. However, many within the Imperial's ranks didn't want to see countless perfectly good capital ships go to waste and so the "Venator II Program" began.

The program would take preexisting Venator-class Star Destroyers and refit them new structures, weapons and systems, converting them into Venator II-class Star Destroyers. The program started around 10 BBY with permission coming from the from top after Governor Tarkin believed this program was a waste of resources. With permission from the Emperor, the program picked up pace around 8 BBY and by 5 BBY the first 12 models were placed into the 121st "Dragon" Squadron.

Though the program got permission from the Emperor, Governor Tarkin managed to pull rank and ensure that Dragon Squadron would only serve in backwater worlds were "proper" Star Destroyers were deemed nonessential. During the following years, three more squadrons (122nd, 123rd and the 124th) were formed bringing the total number of converted to 48.

After the destruction of the First Death Star, the Death of Governor Tarkin and now the need for more capital ships to combat the Rebel threat, the four squadrons were taken from their current assignments and given newer ones. These newer tasks were not as glorious as the ones given to Imperial-class Star Destroyers, as the Venator II-class was now given the task to escort aforementioned warships. Never the less, for many Venator II-class Captains, this was a promising change, one that now gave them the change to rise in rank. It was during these escorting missions that the Venator II-class showed it's worth as it's large number of fighters and bombers allowed the to operate in a fleet carrier role and their still powerful complement of weapons did well in supplementing the larger Imperial-classes.

By the Battle of Endor, there was a further 3 squadrons worth of Venator's converted into the Venator II-classes bringing the total up to 84, though by his point around, 6 to 8 had been lost to heavy fighting and following the Battle of Endor, a vast majority either were scuttled by their crew or surrendered to the New Republic.