COMING SOON PART 1 In your OFFICIAL STAR WARS FACT FILE ISSUE YODA – legendary and 2 powerful Jedi Master MUSTAFAR – lava planet where Darth Vader came into being Full plans of the T-65 X-WING starfighter PLUS: Hoth, Droid Tri-Fighters, Clone Commander Cody, Hunting R2-D2 and C-3PO on Tatooine, Electrostaff The first of your OFFICIAL FREE STAR WARS FACT FILE Binders R2-D2 ISSUE BRAVE ASTROMECH DROID HAN SOLO – the secret life of a resourceful 3 smuggler and Rebel hero GENERAL GRIEVOUS – ruthless Jedi killer Fast and furious – PODRACING on Tatooine SITH ASSASSIN PLUS: AT-AT, Rodia, Arakyd Probot, firespeeders, laser cannons Your first set of OFFICIAL DARTH FREE STAR WARS FACT FILE Dividers THE MILLENNIUM THE FASTEST HUNK www.starwarsfactfile.com MAUL FALCON OF JUNK IN THE GALAXY The Official Star Wars Fact File is © 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. and ™. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization. IT'S EASY TO CONTINUE YOUR COLLECTION To receive your issues by post: Ring the Order Line on CONTENTS UK and Ireland 0845 1489 255 Australia (03) 9872 4000 New Zealand (09) 308 2871 Part 1 South Africa (011) 265 4304 Singapore (65) 6287 7090 BATTLES & EVENTS Malaysia (603) 8020 7112 Hong Kong 3965 7810 The Battle of Yavin 0 BBY 45-48 The destruction of the Death Star: or ask your newsagent to reserve a deciding moment in history. future issues for you to collect. MISSED A COPY? DROIDS & MACHINES Please ring Customer Services UK and Ireland 0845 1489 254 R2-D2 (Artoo-Detoo) ART 1-4 Australia (03) 9872 4000 Astromech and hero of the Rebellion. New Zealand (09) 308 2871 Pistoeka Sabotage Droid: Buzz Droid BUZ 1-2 South Africa (011) 265 4304 Small metal piranhas. Singapore (65) 6287 7090 Malaysia (603) 8020 7112 Hong Kong 3965 7810 HUMANS & ALIENS Editorial and design by Continuo Creative, Jawas JAW 1-2 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP Mysterious desert scavengers. All rights reserved © 2014 De Agostini UK Ltd, Battersea Studios 2, 82 Silverthorne Darth Maul MAU 1-4 Road, London SW8 3HE, UK The deadly Sith assassin who served Darth Sidious. PLANETS & LOCATIONS VISIT THE WEBSITE www.starwarsfactfile.com Felucia FEL 1-4 Site of three battles in the Clone Wars. PUBLISHING INFORMATION WEAPONS & TECHNOLOGY The Official Star Wars Fact File is © 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. and ™. All Rights Reserved. Darth Vader’s Lightsaber LIG 27-30 Used Under Authorization. Secrets of the Sith Lord’s weapon. Published by De Agostini UK Ltd, Battersea Studios 2, 82 Silverthorne Road, STARSHIPS & VEHICLES London SW8 3HE, UK Millennium Falcon MIL 1-2 ISBN 978-1-4439-2337-8 ‘The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.’ SWFFN01 14 01 01 Printed in Italy Visit the official site www.starwars.com© BATTLES & EVENTS 0 BBY 45 THE BATTLE OF YAVIN THE BAttLE OF YAVIN B S A T TT N LES & EVE DATE: 0 BBY ‘You must use the information in this R2 unit to help plan the attack.’ Princess Leia THE BAttLE OF YAVIN The Rebel attack on the Empire’s mighty Death Star as it orbited the planet Yavin was one of the decisive battles of history, and is recognised as marking the beginning of a new era. As the mighty Death Star moved into position to destroy the Rebel stronghold, everything depended on a small force of single-seat starfighters. Right: At the pilot o avoid detection by the Empire, the Rebel briefing, Rebel General Alliance was forced to move its base from Dodonna showed his T team of starfighter pilots planet to planet. At the time Princess Leia Organa how to penetrate the was captured by Darth Vader, the Rebels had Imperial defences. established a hidden base on Yavin 4, fourth moon of the Outer Rim world of Yavin. Here, they gathered a small force of starfighters and prepared for the arrival of the Death Star battle station, which had already destroyed the peaceful planet of Alderaan on the orders of Imperial Grand Moff Tarkin. TARGETING THE WEAK SPOT Princess had acquired blueprints for the Death As the Death Star neared, the Rebels’ crack Star, which enabled the Rebels to pinpoint the starfighter pilots prepared to launch a giant space station’s solitary weak spot, a small desperate counter-attack. Their mission thermal exhaust port in a trench on the surface. was masterminded by the Rebel military Although only two metres wide, this port led tactician General Jan Dodonna, and directly to the station’s reactor core. depended on crucial information brought General Dodonna realised that a small, one-man by Princess Leia. Through espionage, the starfighter launched from Yavin 4 could penetrate ’It’s not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they’re not much bigger than two metres.’ Luke Skywalker 25 0 BBY 46 THE BATTLE OF YAVIN THE BATTLE OF YAVIN the Death Star’s defences. If just one ship could recognised the danger. He ordered some of the The Rebel tacticians watched fire a single proton torpedo into the exhaust port, station’s TIE fighters to engage the Rebel craft. the progress of the battle on their viewscreens as Gold it would destroy the station. But the Rebel pilots Accompanied by his two wingmen, he flew his Squadron’s heavily armed had to act quickly, before the Death Star could own fighter to engage the Rebels in the trench. Y-wings and Red Squadron’s move around the giant planet Yavin and get its agile X-wings neared the Death Star. Although the own clear shot at the planet's fourth moon. The commanders could offer small force of Rebel starfighters ranged against advice, the outcome of the the Death Star consisted of three squadrons – counter-attack was entirely in the hands of their small Gold Squadron, composed of heavily-armed band of starfighter pilots. Y-wings, Red Squadron, a group of fast and nimble T-65 X-wings and Blue Squadron. Once through the magnetic field of the Death Star, Gold Squadron swooped down for an attack run on the trench that contained the thermal exhaust port, while Red Squadron moved in to As the Death Star neared its firing position, all Princess provide cover for their comrades, attacking Leia and her faithful protocol surface turrets. Though Tarkin dismissed the droid C-3PO could do was threat of the Rebel fighters, Darth Vader wait and hope. REBEL FORCES AT THE BATTLE OF YAVIN COMMANDERS RED SQUADRON - 12 T-65 X-WINGS Commander Red Leader Red Two Red Three Red Five Bob Hudsol Garven Dreis Wedge Antilles Biggs Darklighter Luke Skywalker Red Four Red Nine John D. Branon Nozzo Naytaan Red Seven Red Eleven Elyhek Rue Wenton Chan General General Red Six Red Ten Red Eight Red Twelve Jan Dodonna Vanden Willard Jek Tono Porkins Theron Nett Bren Quersey Puck Naeco 26 0 BBY 47 THE BATTLE OF YAVINTHE BATTLE OF YAVIN B S A T TT N LES & EVE The Rebel forces’ X-wings were outclassed by the Imperial TIE fighters sent against them. Lightly built and heavily armed, the TIE fighters’ weapons and targeting systems were superior to the armaments of the X-wings. A graphic display at the Rebel base showed the Death Star’s field of fire in red as it manoeuvred around the giant planet Yavin to target Yavin 4 in the green sector. Though the Rebel pilots managed to score a few covering fire. Once again, Vader’s wing of TIE hits against the TIE fighters, they struggled fighters intercepted the Rebels, destroying the against the sheer numbers of Imperial ships. Red ships of Reds Ten and Twelve. Red Leader Squadron continued to engage the fighters and managed to battle far enough along the trench to cannons above the Death Star’s surface, while fire a torpedo at the exhaust port, but his aim was Gold Squadron was intercepted by a wing of off and he missed the target. Vader then calmly three TIE fighters. Within minutes the Imperial picked off the Red Leader’s ship, leaving only ships, led by Vader himself, had almost completely three Rebel fighters to make the final attack run. wiped out Gold Squadron. Although they were relics of the Clone Wars, and slower and less agile than the DIVIDE AND CONQUER X-wing, the heavily armed Under the advice of General Dodonna, Red BLT-A4 Y-wing fighter- bomber was a vital part of Squadron broke into two wings of three pilots. the Alliance forces. During The first, headed by Red Leader Garven ‘Dave’ the Battle of Yavin, a Dreis, swooped in to attack the exhaust port. The squadron of Y-wings made the first run on the Death other group – Luke Skywalker, Biggs Darklighter Star exhaust port. and Wedge Antilles – held position to provide REBEL FORCES AT THE BATTLE OF YAVIN (cONTINUED) GOLD SQUADRON - SEVEN Y-WINGS MILLENNIUM FALCON Gold Three Ryle Torsyn Gold Four Lepira Gold Six Hol Okand Gold Leader Gold Two Gold Five Gold Seven Jon Vander Tiree Davish Krail Keyan Farlander Han Solo Chewbacca BLUE SQUADRON - SIX T-65 X-WINGS A heavily customised Corellian YT-1300 Blue Leader Blue Three stock light freighter belonging to smuggler Merrick Simms ‘Rookie One’ Han Solo, the Falcon’s upgraded engines and military-grade weaponry played an Blue Two Blue Four important part in fatally surprising the Ru Murleen Thurlow Harris Imperial TIE fighters at Yavin. 27 0 BBY 48 THE BATTLE OF YAVIN THE BATTLE OF YAVIN IMPERIAL FORCES AT THE BATTLE OF YAVIN THE DEATH STAR A moon-sized battle station with the power to destroy an entire planet, the Death Star was the Empire’s most powerful weapon.