Admiral Ackbar

Princess Leia Organa was one of the greatest leaders of the Rebel Alliance, fearless on the battlefield and dedicated to ending the Empire’s tyranny. Daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, sister of Luke Skywalker, and with a soft spot for scoundrels, Leia ranked among the galaxy’s great heroes. But life under the New Republic proved difficult for her. Sidelined by a new generation of political leaders, she struck out on her own to oppose the First Order as founder of the Resistance. These setbacks in her political career were accompanied by more personal losses, which she endured with her seemingly inexhaustible will.

Also known as Mon Calamari or Dac, Mon Cala is a a beautiful aquatic world filled with lush coral reefs and kelp forests bathed by the light of twin suns. It is home to the Mon Calamari and Quarren people. The two cultures have long clashed over their differences, but under the rule of the 82nd King of Mon Cala, Yos Kolina, these disputes were kept civil and respectful. His sudden assassination and the arrival of Separatist forces during the Clone Wars tipped the scales to civil war, with the Quarren staging an uprising against the Mon Calamari, backed by Confederacy forces and Karkaradon leader, Riff Tamson. It was up to the Jedi and Republic envoys to help young Prince Lee-Char, heir to the Mon Cala throne, restore peace to the planet.

The Mon Calamari people are a humanoid, aquatic species with high-domed heads, webbed hands and large, goggle-like eyes. They hail from the oceans of Mon Cala, a planet they share with the Quarren. During the Clone Wars, differences between the two cultures were fanned by Separatist troublemakers to erupt in civil war. During the Galactic Civil War, the Mon Calamari were said to be the soul of the Rebel Alliance. The Empire pressed these gentle, amphibious people into war by subjugating their watery world. In retaliation, the Mon Calamari became one of the key species of the Rebellion, supplying badly needed warships to the outnumbered Alliance fleet.

The Rebel Alliance stood bravely against the evil of the Galactic Empire, never backing down despite overwhelming odds. Formed from resistance movements that arose during the Clone Wars, the Rebellion worked in secret for decades to overthrow the Emperor and restore democracy to the galaxy. Eventually, armed with the firepower of ships like the X-wing and A-wing, and the leadership of figures including Princess Leia and Admiral Ackbar, the Rebel Alliance triumphed over the Empire at the Battle of Endor.

Lando Calrissian may have come late to the fight against the Empire, but his role in destroying the second Death Star cemented his reputation as a hero. In his youth, Lando was a sportsman seeking a fortune at the sabacc tables. After he lost his beloved ship to Han Solo, Lando spent years living the high life and pursuing get-rich-quick schemes, with uneven results. He went semi-respectable as the baron administrator of Cloud City, only to be drawn into the fight against the Empire. After a personal tragedy, Lando sought solace in isolation on Pasaana, unaware that the galaxy would need him again.

The gentle Mon Calamari people brought more than their determination to restore freedom to the galaxy when they joined the Rebel Alliance. They also brought a fleet of powerful capital ships. These immense vehicles were a startling contrast to the straight-lined shapes favored by the Imperial fleet. Whereas the Imperial Star Destroyer resembles a pointed dagger in shape, a Mon Calamari cruiser lacks hard angles, and is covered with ovoid forms suggesting an organic sculpture. Despite their smooth lines, these vessels pack an enormous punch. Turbolasers, ion cannons, tractor beam projectors and shield generators dot the flowing surface of the ships.