The First Order Navy, also referred to as the First Order fleet, was the naval branch of the First Order military. Consisting primarily of Star Destroyers and TIE fighters, the First Order fleet proved to be paramount during the regime's gradual conquest and colonization of the Unknown Regions.

Following the annihilation of the New Republic in 34 ABY, the naval forces of the First Order were deployed from within the Unknown Regions in an attempt to seize military control of the galaxy. One year later, following Kylo Ren's ascension to the position of Supreme Leader, the fleet was on track to be bolstered by the might of the Final Order, a massive armada of Xyston-class Star Destroyers built by the Sith Eternal.

History[]

Origins[]

Following the Galactic Empire's decisive defeat at the Battle of Jakku and its subsequent surrender to the New Republic with the signing of the Galactic Concordance, the Empire reformed into a military junta known as the First Order which would eventually cement its political sphere in the galactic frontier known as the Unknown Regions. There, away from prying New Republic eyes, the First Order would rapidly expand its military and research some of the former Empire's greatest military secrets in a bid to return to power. Via Project Resurrection, the First Order Navy would end up constructing hundreds of vessels within the Unknown Regions, including the Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought. The First Order possessed enough capital ships to reclaim control of the entire galaxy as of the Battle of Starkiller Base.^[9]

About thirteen years before the destruction of the Hosnian system,^[10] the First Order began channeling billions of credits into the hitherto minor Nikto crime lord Rinnrivin Di's cartel through a militia group called the Amaxine warriors. Rinnrivin's cartel was involved in smuggling and gambling activities in New Republic space with the Amaxines serving as their financiers and partners. In addition, Rinnrivin's cartel and the Amaxines raided legitimate commercial shipping and extorted protection money from merchants. The proceeds were funneled to shadow corporations in the Outer Rim Territories and Centrist sources like Lady Carise Sindian, who transferred the funds back to the First Order, which used it to rebuild the Old Imperial fleet, which became the basis for the First Order's fleet.^[11]

Although impressive on its own terms, the First Order navy was nevertheless a mere fraction of that of the Imperial Navy that acted as its basis.^[7]

Road to war[]

Roughly thirty years after Endor, the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer would represent the Order's newest vessel, however older models such as the Imperial-class continued to see service in the First Order's Navy, and would be maintained by unmanned repair drones.^[4]

During the Cold War, First Order forces engaged in skirmishes with both the New Republic and the Resistance, a private paramilitary force that had been established by General Leia Organa to keep an eye on the First Order's movements. In 33 ABY, a First Order boarding party backed by TIE fighters captured the freighter Yissira Zyde near Suraz 4. The New Republic Rapier Squadron led by Commander Poe Dameron responded but were unable to stop the heist. Later, Dameron undertook a rogue mission to find the Yissira Zyde and encountered several First Order capital ships including three Star Destroyers, four Lancer-class frigates, two Maxima-A class heavy cruisers, and one Dissident-class light cruiser.^[4]

In response to Operation: Sabre Strike, the First Order fleet deployed several ships including Resurgent-class Star Destroyer and a Nebulon-K frigate to prevent the Resistance from capturing Senator Erudo Ro-Kiintor's luxury yacht Hevurion Grace, which carried evidence of the senator's collusion with the First Order. Despite their efforts, Dameron managed to escape with the ship back to the Resistance. As a result, the Resistance obtained information about the explorer Lor San Tekka, who held the key to finding Luke Skywalker.^[4]

During the attack on Demir, First Order starfighter forces engaged in battle against the Demirian in support of First Order ground forces. After Captain Phasma lured the Demerians out of their stronghold by using her forces as bait, a starfighter assault commenced and destroyed all forces.^[13]

During the First Order's activities, naval forces blockaded the Otomok system and at least three Resurgent-class Star Destroyers were sent to Hays Minor to take over the planet's mines and OreDiggers were deployed. During the occupation, rebels including the Tico family fought back against the First Order, although the planet was ultimately destroyed.^[14]

During the hunt for Lor San Tekka, the First Order fleet sent the Maxima A-class heavy cruiser Ravenous to assist First Order Security Bureau Agent Terex in finding the explorer first. The Ravenous and its TIE fighters clashed with Poe's Black Squadron in a dogfight above Ovanis.^[15] After Black Squadron left with information from the Crèche elder, Terex and his surviving troops were allowed to radio the Ravenous for a pick-up. The Resistance fighters allowed them to leave in order to avoid provoking a way between the First Order and the New Republic.^[16]

Later, a Maxima-A class heavy cruiser led by Commander Malarus was sent to chastise Agent Terex, for embarking on an errant campaign to destroy the Resistance. Malarus' cruiser emerged towards the end of Terex's battle with Poe's Black Squadron and destroyed Terex's starship Carrion Spike. The heavy cruiser's TIE fighters then wiped out the remainder of the Ranc Gang's "Uglies" before dispatching a landing party to apprehend Terex.^[17]

Around this time, Kylo Ren led an invasion on Benath to stop their expansion in the region. An admiral participated with Ren, while a First Order gunship supported ground troops. The battle ultimately resulted in a First Order victory.^[18]

Prior to the Hosnian Cataclysm, the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Finalizer traveled to Jakku to attack Tuanul village, where Poe was meeting Lor San Tekka. After Poe escaped with the defecting stormtrooper Finn, the Finalizer engaged in a brief dogfight with their stolen TIE/sf space superiority fighter, which crashed on Jakku. Despite sending a landing party, Finn managed to escape with the scavenger Rey and the BB-series astromech droid BB-8, who was carrying the map to Skywalker.^[19]

Counterattack against the Resistance[]

Shortly after the Hosnian Cataclysm, the Star Destroyer Retribution participated in the Battle of Kestro along with its starfighter complement, although the Retribution was infiltrated by the Resistance and eventually forced out of hyperspace near the Battle of Starkiller Base.^[9] After the destruction of Starkiller, surviving First Order elements regrouped near a terrestrial body, including the Finalizer,^[21] and the First Order Navy began an invasion of the New Republic with Rey estimating that the Republic's core systems would fall within weeks.^[2] Around this time, a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer was sent to the planet Castilon to secure the Colossus after Resistance sympathizers managed to overthrow the First Order garrison there.^[22] Before the Resistance could fully evacuate D'Qar, a First Order fleet of three Resurgent-class Battlecruisers under General Armitage Hux entered the system, and were joined by the Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought Fulminatrix, which destroyed the Resistance base. During the battle, the Fulminatrix was destroyed by the Resistance Cobalt Squadron, which took heavy casualties. Though the Resistance fled into hyperspace, the First Order was able to use a hyperspace tracker to track them down.^[2]

A larger First Order fleet now consisting of at least twenty Resurgent-class ships ambushed the Resistance fleet and, was shortly joined by Supreme Leader Snoke's Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy, launching an attack on the fleet, reducing the Resistance forces to three capital ships and killing several command crew including Admiral Gial Ackbar. For the next eighteen hours, the First Order pursued the Resistance through space, waiting for them to run out of fuel. The Resistance fighters evacuated on a fleet of thirty U-55 orbital loadlifters to the planet Crait. However, the slicer DJ exposed the Resistance's plan and the First Order bombarded the loadlifters, destroying all but six.^[2]

In response, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo ploughed the MC85 Star Cruiser Raddus, the Resistance flagship, into the Supremacy, seriously damaging the vast warship and destroying twenty other Resurgent-class Star Destroyers. Meanwhile, Snoke was killed by his disciple Kylo Ren, who claimed the title of Supreme Leader. Ren then led First Order ground forces against the Resistance during the Battle of Crait but failed to destroy the rebels due to Luke's intervention.^[2]

Conquering the galaxy[]

Despite the loss of the contingent of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers and the Supremacy,^[2] the Finalizer was intact.^[23] The First Order launched an offensive on the galaxy, with the Maxima-A class heavy cruiser Fortitude participating in the Battle of Grail City, although it was destroyed.^[24] The Finalizer was later part of a flotilla consisting of at least seventeen Resurgent-class ships and a Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought that chased the remnants of the Resistance. Evidence was found that the Resistance received aide on the Mid Rim planet of Tah'Nuhna, and as such, the flotilla made its way there and destroyed the planet via bombardment by starships and TIE/se Bombers, with snowtroopers slaughtering civilians.^[23]

A short time later, a fleet of at least twelve Resurgent-class warships arrived over Mon Cala acting on intelligence that the Resistance was there. After killing General Nossor Ri, a fleet of Mon Cala warships led by Aftab Ackbar managed to escape the planet's surface from the far side and jump to hyperspace, although the First Order managed to destroy a Nebulon-C escort frigate. Now knowing that Mon Cala supported the Resistance, the First Order prepared to make an example of Mon Cala.^[25]

Around some time after, the First Order light cruiser Ladara Vex was dispatched to Minfar in order to obtain the Echo Horn. Despite receiving reinforcements via a Resurgent-class, the Ladara Vex was destroyed by Resistance members and Resistance sympathizers while a fleet of starships sent by Aftab arrived and destroyed the Star Destroyer.^[26] Some time after, a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer was attacked by a Resistance fleet that consisted of various capital ships and starfighters.^[27]

After the Finalizer sustained serious damage above the planet Batuu, the Steadfast became the Supreme Leader's new flagship.^[7]

During the conflict with the Resistance, the Thunderer—a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer under the command of Commander Pyre and Agent Tierny—was dispatched by Captain Phasma to hunt down the mobile refueling platform Colossus.^[28] The inhabitants of the Colossus led by Jarek Yeager and Captain Imanuel Doza evaded First Order fleet forces on several occasions at various locations including the Ileenium system and Aeos Prime.^{[29][30][31][32]} A sizable First Order fleet later devastated the surface of the planet Aeos Prime to punish the indigenous Aeosians for sheltering the Colossus, prompting First Order TIE Fighter Pilot Tamara Ryvora to defect to Team Colossus, who had by then joined the Resistance. Pyre and Tierny's Star Destroyer and forces were annihilated by the combined forces of the Colossus and Resistance in the Barabesh system.^[33]

The Final Order[]

In the year 35 ABY, First Order TIE/sf and TIE/wis were deployed in action against a Resistance team led by Poe Dameron that obtained invaluable intelligence from the Resistance informant Boolio at the Sinta Glacier Colony, who had obtained them from the disaffected General Armitage Hux. First Order forces failed to prevent the Resistance team from escaping back to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, sustaining several casualties. As a result of this intelligence leak, the Resistance learned that Darth Sidious had returned from the dead with a Sith armada known as the Final Order.^[3]

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren confronted the Emperor on Exegol, where he discovered the Xyston-class Star Destroyers that comprised the Final Order. Sidious offered to make Ren his successor, granting him control of the fleet in exchange for killing Rey. While some within the First Order welcomed the opportunity to augment their forces, others distrusted the Sith Eternal, a group of Sith cultists who served the Emperor and created the Final Order. General Domaric Quinn, a member of the First Order Supreme Council, objected to affiliating the First Order with a Sith cult, whereas Allegiant General Enric Pryde favored the additional resources that their allies would bring to the First Order.^[7] Ren regarded the Sith fleet as an opportunity to transform the First Order into a true empire,^[3] thereby restoring military rule to the galaxy.^[7]

Following Ren's redemption, the Sith Eternal forces, along with Pryde, were defeated by the Resistance and the Citizens' Fleet at the Battle of Exegol. In the wake of the Emperor's second death, various worlds rose up against the First Order. First Order warships were downed on Endor, Jakku, and Bespin.^[3]

Organization[]

Administration[]

The First Order Navy was led by First Order High Command, a council of leaders which included General Hux and the Supreme Leader.^[4] The fleet was composed of at least two corps, including the First Order starfighter corps which served as the Starfighter Corps, and the Transport Corps, a unit which was also composed of pilots but flew shuttles instead of starfighters.^[34]

Order of battle[]

Consisting of various ranks including lieutenants and captains, officers who held the rank of general^[2] or colonel could also command naval assets.^[24] At its height, the First Order Navy had constructed hundreds of capital ships.^[9]

Starships of the First Order Navy[]

Starkiller[]

The headquarters of the First Order along with the Supremacy, Starkiller Base was a devastating superweapon that could destroy entire star systems.^[19]

Space stations[]

The First Order used Station Theta Black to mine dedlanite for blasters.^[35] The First Order briefly occupied the Colossus^[36] and used the other supertanker fuel depot the Titan.^[37] The First Order also had control of old Imperial shipyards above Fondor.^[38]

Capital ships[]

During the cold war^[19] and its rise to power in the galaxy, the First Order navy employed a variety of capital ships, ranging from Star Destroyers to Star Dreadnoughts. The flagship of the First Order, the Supremacy, was the sole Mega-class Star Dreadnought^[34][39] of the navy.^[2] The navy was also bolstered by Siege Dreadnoughts, specifically Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnoughts^[9] of the Mandator line.^[39] Star Destroyers included Imperial-class Star Destroyers of the old Empire,^[4] as well as Resurgent-class Star Destroyers^[1] The naval forces of the First Order also included Maxima-A class heavy cruisers.^[15]

Smaller craft[]

The First Order navy was equipped with a large degree of smaller warships, including frigates, light cruisers, and more. Frigate models included Lancer-class frigate and Nebulon-Ks, while light cruiser models included Dissident-class light cruisers^[4] First Order Light Cruisers,^[40] and the old Imperial Gozanti-class cruiser.^[41] Other craft included First Order landing platforms,^[42] a First Order tanker,^[43] First Order bomber,^[44] and the modified IPV-2C Stealth Corvette, Carrion Spike.^[15]

During the blockade of the Otomok system, the First Order repurposed MG-100 StarFortress SF-17 into "OreDiggers," where they were used for mining purposes.^[45]

Transports[]

The First Order Navy was composed of an array of transports and shuttles. Transports included AAL-1971/9.1 Troop Transports^[19] and First Order dropships,^[20] and First Order gunships,^[46] while shuttles included Griffin-class light shuttles,^[47] Upsilon-class command shuttles,^[48] Xi-class light shuttles,^[40] and TIE/es assault shuttles.^[49] During the mission to Cato Neimoidia, the First Order stole Leia Organa's ship.^[50]

Starfighters[]

The First Order's composition of starfighters include standard TIE/fo space superiority fighters,^[1] First Order Special Forces TIE/sf space superiority fighters,^[19] TIE/ba Baron Space Superiority Interceptors,^[51] TIE/se Bombers,^[23] First Order bombers,^[44] First Order TIE Brutes,^[52] TIE/wi Interceptor,^[7] TIE/wi modified interceptor^[53] and the elite TIE/vn space superiority fighters.^[39] During the mission of Cato Neimoidia, the First Order also stole the T-70 X-wing starfighter Black One.^[50]

Starfighters were organized into both squadrons and wings. At least one fighter wing, Tarkin's Revenge, was given a non-numerical designation. It was based at Starkiller Base.^[54]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

• LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season — "Sithmas Battle"

Sources[]

Notes and references[]