Need the help.
The vast knowledge of Star Wars that is XWA.net should know this...
Ackbar - we know he was captured, and Tarkin used him as a slave. I have loked all over place, and cannot find anything before that. I hope there is not, as I am going to tell Ackbar's story in my book, Crossfire.
I have already muffed continuity once (had to restart COMPLETELY over that !). As such, last check - does ANYONE know if there anything out there. Pretty, absoloutley, fairly, 99.9% sure there is not, but REALLY acnnot afford to eff up so badly again, although it would not be QUITE so bad comapred to the first time.
So - come on, help me out here !
Plus, I think I have found a site that tried as I did a while ago, to collect together loads of writers from online. I am going to see if I can coax some over. Woud be great for both crossfire and XWA.net...
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Nova Squadron, the Elite B-Wing flight group stationed aboard the Nebulon B Frigate 'Oracle', home of the tech library.
'No capitol too large, no corvette too armed. NOVA squadron, for ALL your extermination needs. Our special at the moment - SSDs (See our work with the Iron Fist !) !'
Commander Jon 'DFMD' Adamson - leader of Nova Squadron (B-Wing ID = 'The White Witch')
I haven't seen anything, but there are numerous references to his early days.
In Heir to the Empire, Thrawn comments on a sculpture made by Ackbar, seeming to imply that Ackbar has some artistic roots (hardly a surprise considering the typical Mon Cal love of anything beautiful).
It's likely that Ackbar was one of the townsfolk "armed with nothing more substantial than farming implements and kitchen utensils" who rose up after the sea ran red.
Ackbar was probably captured then or shortly before (after the Battle, no Imperials were left alive on the surface or in orbit).
In the X-Wing video game, we see the actual mission of Ackbar's rescue, shortly after Yavin.
Presumeably it was after his time as Tarkin's slave that he helped with the refit of Mon Cal passenger cruisers into warships, and designed the B-wing.
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"Do fish-people eat fish, or would that be like humans eating monkeys?"
"Humans do eat monkeys. In fact humans eat other humans. . . Y'know, as a species, we are really quite unpleasant."
I got that he was rescued after Yavin.
I knew there was some big fight he was captured after, but the added etails you gave are great - cheers.
As for Mon Cal vessels, I have Home One and three smaller ones (say about MC 40ish ?) in service, reconditioned of course. This is a month or two (son to be set at two - should be able to get away with it) after Yavin.
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Nova Squadron, the Elite B-Wing flight group stationed aboard the Nebulon B Frigate 'Oracle', home of the tech library.
'No capitol too large, no corvette too armed. NOVA squadron, for ALL your extermination needs. Our special at the moment - SSDs (See our work with the Iron Fist !) !'
Commander Jon 'DFMD' Adamson - leader of Nova Squadron (B-Wing ID = 'The White Witch')
Yeah - sorry, me again. Posted previous then realised something...
That battle, what was the basis. Is there much know of it (location, reason, whether a colony or faciltiy etc).
Need these details. Cheers again guys.
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Nova Squadron, the Elite B-Wing flight group stationed aboard the Nebulon B Frigate 'Oracle', home of the tech library.
'No capitol too large, no corvette too armed. NOVA squadron, for ALL your extermination needs. Our special at the moment - SSDs (See our work with the Iron Fist !) !'
Commander Jon 'DFMD' Adamson - leader of Nova Squadron (B-Wing ID = 'The White Witch')
Most of the Ackabar sources are metioned in Later SW books, or in the RPG.
from WEG SW Source book:
The first calamari starship met the Empire, and made peacful overtures. The Empire, however, didn't see an advanced cicilization with which to trade; it saw instead an advanced technology and gentle, and therefore stupid, fol ripe for conquest. The Empire saw a natural slave species whose industries could be exploited to serve the Empir's war machine.
When the Imperial forces invaded, they were welcomed as freinds. But when the Empire began seizing proerty and treating the instuments of Calamari power and governace with contempt, a few were moved to passive resistance. The Calamari were enslaved, but they would not easily give up thier freedom.
The Emperor would not stand for any definace. He ordered the destruction of three Calamari cities as an example of his power. The sea swelled with the blood of thousands. That, he was sure, would cow his foes.
The response was unexpected. This peaceful species, this world with no history of war, rose as one turning the utensils of peace -- kitchen devices, gardening implimants, metal working tools -- into weapons of war. The Calamari destroyed their enimies, throwing back the first wave of invasion.
The Emporer tried to make slaves of the Calamari; instead he taught them war.
As far as i know there is no EU information concerning his life before he was a salve, except for him going back to his roots in the Jedi Academy Trilogy.
Ackbar was rescued when tarkin was enroute to the Death star. Rebel special forces planned an Assassination on the Moff, but due to the interferance of a ISD (which resuced Moff) Ackbar was left behind, and later joined the Rebellion.
Tarkin consitantly bragged to Ackbar what the Empire could do, all the while Ackbar was learning Imperial Stratigies, tactics, and even had on some occasions to read classified information.
best of luck
edit: my guess Ackbar was enslaved before the bombardment of Mon Cal cities. And might have been one of the passive resistors that caught the eye of a certain Moff. It makes sense that Grahm Muff Tarkin coudl have had some authority of the Mon Cal system
[This message has been edited by K_Kinnison (edited May 11, 2001).]
*digs up copy of X-Wing Strategy Guide*
What you have to realize is that Ackbar was feeding data to the Rebels before he was rescued (just like Madine did in DF). Ackbar wasn't "rescued" (as a prisoner) so much as he was "extracted" (as an Intell Agent).
The rescue of Ackbar is in the Original X-Wing game, historical combat, Y-wing mission 6: Interception and Capture.
I haven't played X-Wing in years, so the exact details are a little rusty. Recommend you find someone who's more familiar with the specifics than I am.
Tactical Summary (paraphrasing now)
Five Imperial shuttles (Epsilon group) with TIE escorts are en route to the frigate Vehemence. One of them is carrying Ackbar.
The 3 Y-wings attack the TIEs first (the TIEs are flying in several groups of three). After the TIEs are mostly dead, the lead Y-wing switches to torpedoes and starts doleing out one per shuttle (to knock down shields and confuse control systems).
(By now, the other two Y-wings are duelling TIE reinforcements from the Vehemence.)
After all five shuttles have taken one torp, the Y-wing switches to ion cannon and start doing recon flybys. Y-wing sensors aren't all that great, so the Y-wing has to do a few "near-misses" as it zig-zags through the formation.
Shuttle Epsilon 5 is the one carrying Ackbar, and the Y-wing disables it with three or four ion blasts. As soon as Epsilon 5 is IDed, the Rebel shuttle Hasti drops out of hyperspace to dock.
After a few moments, TIE group Gamma leaves the Vehemence heading for Hasti. At this point, the Y-wings turn it into a simple guard mission while the Hasti docks with Epsilon 5, picks up Ackbar, and hypers out, followed by the Y-wings.
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"Do fish-people eat fish, or would that be like humans eating monkeys?"
"Humans do eat monkeys. In fact humans eat other humans. . . Y'know, as a species, we are really quite unpleasant."