Redsen: “Damn! Someone's upgraded her engines!”
―Lieutenant Aderon Klev and Admiral Polus Redsen while being pursued through hyperspace by the Defender
Defender, originally named Phantom, was the personal flagship of Imperial fleet admiral and later Ethereal champion Arius Valdayn. The ship deviated from the original Executor-class design immediately upon completion at Kuat Drive Yards, having automation systems in place for the ship's command computers and black stealth armor across the ship's hull, advanced sensors (including a crystal gravfield trap), cloaking devices, upgrades to its weapons and engines and additional communications systems and shield generators.
History[]
Under Construction[]
Defender was part of the original set of Executor-class Star Dreadnoughts constructed by Kuat Drive Yards, and while under construction, it had already effectively become admiral Arius Valdayn's new headquarters as soon as its command tower was livable. Nevertheless, at this time he rarely spent extended periods aboard except to observe progress, order modifications and bring in personal effects, instead preferring to remain active largely aboard his former flagship, the Void Dragon, which remained under his command.
Initial Deployment[]
Following the ship's fairly rapid completion in 1 ABY, it was secretly brought into active service. Under the guise of being moved to the shipyards at Luctanem and Noctorem for finishing touches, the Defender was in reality immediately deployed under admiral Valdayn's direct command. It was during this time that he led the highly-secretive Ethereal Sector Expansion Project, aimed at occupying star systems in the uncharted areas immediately bordering Valdayn's home sector.
Later Usage[]
In 3 ABY, the Defender was officially commissioned with the name Phantom, having been moved back to Kuat for the ceremony. Over the course of the ensuing year, Valdayn used the ship to great effect, officially under the Imperial banner, but before the year was out, he and his entire fleet, including the Phantom, had vanished. In fact, they had secretly defected to the Rebel Alliance and, using the advanced stealth systems aboard his fleet, Valdayn had managed to avoid being tracked by Imperial authorities. Following the battle of Endor, the ship officially took on the name Defender, as admiral Valdayn revealed himself openly to his former comrades in the Imperial military with several blistering Imperial defeats, including the near-bloodless liberation of the Ethereal Sector.