The Anvil was a Kilji war cruiser commanded by General Crofyp of the Kilji Illumine, the nation of the Kilji species. The Anvil was one of two Kilji warships in Crofyp's task force, the other being the Kilji picket cruiser Hammer. Crofyp's war cruiser was equipped with escape pods and electrostatic barriers, which shielded the Anvil's hull. Its armament included spectrum lasers.

In 18 BBY, the Grysk operative known as "Jixtus," who had allied himself with the Illumine's ruler, Generalirius Nakirre, sent Crofyp's task force to the Unknown Regions' Rapacc system. The Grysk tasked Crofyp with capturing several refugees hiding on the planet Rapacc. However, when they arrived at Rapacc, Crofyp's forces were confronted by the Paccosh-commandeered Nikardun blockade frigate Aelos. After the Kilji ships moved for a cross fire attack on the Aelos, the Chiss heavy cruiser Springhawk, whose crew codenamed the Anvil as "Cruiser One," arrived and fired plasma sphere weapons at the war cruiser's starboard. The Springhawk destroyed the Anvil while the Hammer fled.

Description[]

The Anvil was a Kilji war cruiser noticeably longer than the Kilji picket cruiser Hammer. The Anvil was armed with several shoulder and bow weapons clusters that featured spectrum lasers. It was equipped with engines, a hyperdrive and electrostatic barrier nodes that produced electrostatic barriers that shielded the war cruiser's hull. The Anvil was outfitted with sensors on its starboard side.^[1]

The Anvil's bridge, which featured a viewport, housed several control stations, including the commander's station and that of the navigator. The bridge featured orange-rimmed doors that led to two Kilji escape pods positioned to starboard and portside, which was closer to the navigator's station, respectively. The crew was protected by restraints.^[1]

History[]

Refugees and the Paccosh[]

The Anvil served the Kilji Illumine, the nation Kilji species, as one of the two cruisers of Illumine General Crofyp's task force, the other being Colonel Tildnis's Hammer. The war cruiser served as Crofyp's flagship.^[1] In 18 BBY,^[2] the Grysk operative known as "Jixtus," who had allied himself with the ruler of the Illumine, Generalirius Nakirre, dispatched Crofyp's task force to the Unknown Regions' Rapacc system. Jixtus, who commanded the Kiljis to retrieve a group of refugees hiding on the planet Rapacc, assigned Pathfinder navigator Qilori to the Anvil. During the Kilji cruisers' hyperspace journey to the Rapacc system, the Hammer slowed down, prompting Qilori to stop Crofyp's war cruiser. After the picket cruiser appeared nearby, the navigator continued navigating the Anvil until both cruisers arrived at their destination simultaneously.^[1]

Following the warships' arrival at the Rapacc system, Crofyp's task force was confronted by the Paccosh-commandeered Nikardun blockade frigate Aelos. Crofyp commanded the blockade frigate's captain, Commander Uingali foar Marocsaa, to move aside and let his forces retrieve the refugees; however, the Paccosh refused, and the general prepared a cross fire attack on the Aelos. The Anvil moved past the frigate along its starboard, and the Hammer did likewise along the vessel's portside.^[1]

Thrawn's attack[]

Once the Kilji ships were in position, the Chiss heavy cruiser Springhawk arrived at the outer system. The crew of the Springhawk codenamed the Anvil as "Cruiser One" and fired two ship-disabling plasma sphere weapons at Crofyp's flagship before joining the confrontation in the inner system. The Chiss commander Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, core name "Thrawn," who believed that the Anvil and the Hammer were sister ships to the Kilji war cruiser Whetstone, ordered Crofyp to move clear of the Aelos, which Thrawn classified as his prey. The Kilji general, furious upon the senior captain's orders to move clear of the Paccosh frigate, had his vessels fire spectrum laser salvos at the Chiss heavy cruiser after the Kilji vessels turned to face their new foe.^[1]

As the Kilji and Chiss cruisers traded laser fire, the plasma spheres disabled the Anvil's starboard side, deactivating weapons and defenses. The vessel's Kilji crew attempted to reactivate the paralyzed weapons, but the Springhawk destroyed those weapons. Qilori told Crofyp to flee; however, the general remarked that they would not be fleeing, explaining that those enlightened to the Kilji way of order and enlightenment religion stood, fought, and prevailed. The Pathfinder dismissed the Kilji's claim and ran to the portside escape pod.^[1]

Crofyp moved the Anvil to shield the Hammer while the picket cruiser fled and attempted to threaten his navigator with a large weapon for fleeing from battle; however, Qilori escaped before the general's flagship exploded after several breacher missiles slammed into its paralyzed side. Tildnis's picket cruiser fled to the Unknown Regions "Sunrise" system. Qilori—who did not enjoy his time aboard the Anvil as he had endured the Kiljis' arrogance and their conversations about the Kilji religion—later reported to Jixtus that the Chiss and the Paccosh had destroyed the war cruiser.^[1]

Commanders and crew[]

The Anvil, which was commanded by Crofyp, was crewed by several Kilji vassals, beings enlightened to the Kilji religious beliefs. The war cruiser's crew included: Vassal One, a weapons operator; Vassal Two, the sensor operator; Vassal Three, another weapons operator; and Vassal Four, the comm operator.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The Anvil appeared in the 2021 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, the final volume of the Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy written by Timothy Zahn.^[1]

Appearances[]

• Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (First appearance, simultaneous with Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil audiobook)
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil audiobook

Notes and references[]