View source for Rand Ecliptic/Legends

{{Top|title=''Rand Ecliptic''}}
{{Individual_ship
|image=[[File:Class_II.jpg]]
|name=''Rand Ecliptic''
|manufacturer=
|line=
|model=[[Imperial II-class frigate|''Imperial II''-class frigate]]<ref name="Darklighter1">[[Empire 8|''Empire'' 8]]</ref>
|class=[[Frigate/Legends|Frigate]]<ref name="Darklighter1" />
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|complement=*[[Twilight Squadron (Imperial)|Twilight Squadron]]<ref name="Darklighter2">[[Empire 9|''Empire'' 9]]</ref>
**At least 6 [[TIE/LN starfighter]]s<ref name="Darklighter2" />
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|affiliation=*[[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]]<ref name="Darklighter2" />
*[[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Alliance to Restore the Republic]]<ref name="Darklighter3">[[Empire 12|''Empire'' 12]]</ref>
|navy=
|fleet=
|owners=
|captains=*[[Heliesk]]<ref name="Darklighter2" />
*[[Derek Klivian/Legends|Derek Klivian]]<ref name="Darklighter3" />
|namedcrew=*[[Biggs Darklighter/Legends|Biggs Darklighter]]<ref name="Darklighter2" />
*[[Delund]]<ref name="Darklighter3" />
*Derek Klivian<ref name="Darklighter2" />
*[[Peate Kurin]]<ref name="Darklighter3" />
*[[Tars Nandy]]<ref name="Darklighter3" />
|registry=
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{{Quote|Signed aboard the ''Rand Ecliptic'' last week.|[[Biggs Darklighter/Legends|Biggs Darklighter]]|List of scenes cut from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope}}
The '''''Rand Ecliptic''''' was an [[Imperial II-class frigate|''Imperial II''-class frigate]] during the time of the [[Galactic Civil War/Legends|Galactic Civil War]], captured by [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Imperial]] defectors to the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Rebel Alliance]] among its crew.

==History==
The ''Rand Ecliptic'' was an [[Imperial II-class frigate|''Imperial II''-class frigate]] and was first commanded by [[Captain/Legends|Captain]] [[Heliesk]], serving the [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]] early in the [[Galactic Civil War/Legends|Galactic Civil War]].<ref name="Darklighter2" />

Upon the graduation of [[Pilot/Legends|pilots]] [[Biggs Darklighter/Legends|Biggs Darklighter]], [[Derek Klivian/Legends|Derek Klivian]], and their classmates from the [[Imperial Academy/Legends|Imperial Academy]],<ref name="Darklighter1" /> they were assigned to the ''Rand Ecliptic'' as part of its complement of [[TIE/LN starfighter]]s, [[Twilight Squadron (Imperial)|Twilight Squadron]]. Both Darklighter and Klivian were involved with different rebel cells on the ship, two of the ''Rand Ecliptic''{{'s}} four such cells, none of which knew of the existence of the others.<ref name="Darklighter2" />

While Darklighter and his cell were having a secret meeting discussing their planned defection, they were discovered by Klivian, leading to a confrontation between Klivian and Darklighter, and forcing Darklighter and his cell to defect from the Empire sooner than they had originally planned. Unbeknownst to Darklighter, Klivian, likewise accelerating his plans, began his own [[Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic/Legends|insurrection]] with his rebel cell with the help of the other pair of cells aboard the ''Rand Ecliptic''. Klivian was able to lead the mutiny to success, taking over the [[Frigate/Legends|frigate]].<ref name="Darklighter2" /> Ironically, unbeknownst to any of the rebel cells, the captain himself was a [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Rebel]] agent codenamed Starfire, though he could not afford to reveal himself.<ref name="CSWE">''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''</ref>

Meanwhile, Darklighter and his group escaped the ''Rand Ecliptic'' during the chaos on TIE fighters&mdash;which lacked [[Hyperdrive/Legends|hyperdrives]].<ref name="Darklighter2" /> Hiding out in deep space for hours with few supplies and little air, they eventually decided to return to ''Rand Ecliptic'' to raid the ship's fuel and oxygen supplies, only to find that Klivian had commandeered the vessel. Under the command of Klivian, with Darklighter as his first mate, the ''Rand Ecliptic'' set out to join the Rebel Alliance.<ref name="Darklighter3" />

At some point after the mutiny, Imperial forces attempted to stop the ''Rand Ecliptic'' from escaping to the Rebellion, but the mutineers, with the assistance of [[Lindy]], a friend of Hobbie's,<ref name="CSWE" /> dumped the ship's cargo into the path of the pursuing TIE fighters, destroying them and allowing the ship to escape to [[Hyperspace/Legends|hyperspace]].<ref name="XWRS">[[X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25|''X-Wing Rogue Squadron'' 25]]</ref>

Taken to the [[Great Temple/Legends|Rebel base]] on [[Yavin 4/Legends|Yavin 4]], the ''Rand Ecliptic'' participated in a [[strike at an Incom Corporation facility]], carrying captured [[Incom Corporation/Legends|Incom]] [[X-wing starfighter/Legends|X-wing starfighters]] back to Yavin.<ref name="Darklighter3" />

==Behind the scenes==
[[File:Randecliptic.png|thumb|The ''Rand Ecliptic'' as seen in ''X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25: The Making of Baron Fel'']]

The ''Rand Ecliptic'' was mentioned by Biggs Darklighter in a scene cut from [[Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope|''A New Hope'']], and has appeared several times in various sources, with numerous inconsistencies in its appearance, role, and history, identified by [[West End Games]] roleplaying material as a merchant [[Freighter/Legends|freighter]],<ref name="GG1">[[Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope'', Second Edition]]</ref><ref name="GG3">[[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'', Second Edition]]</ref> and depicted by [[X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25|''X-Wing Rogue Squadron'' 25]] as a distinct model of starship from its later appearance in ''[[Star Wars: Empire: Darklighter]]''.<ref name="XWRS" /> The latest incarnation, ''Darklighter'', depicts the ''Rand Ecliptic'' as a wedge-shaped Imperial frigate, as described in this article.<ref name="Darklighter2" />

The mutiny and events leading to the mutiny in ''Darklighter'' differ greatly from Hobbie's retelling of them in ''[[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back]]''{{'s}} short story [[Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic (short story)|"Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic"]].<ref name="Darklighter2" /><ref name="Darklighter3" /><ref name="Mutiny">{{WEGCite|book=Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|text=''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'', Second Edition|story=Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic (short story)|stext=Mutiny on the ''Rand Ecliptic''}}</ref> It is not known which source is more accurate, although this article presents ''Darklighter''{{'s}} version of events for the sake of clarity.

According to "Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic", Klivian and Darklighter planned to jump ship together, meeting Lindy and his Rebel contact "Starfire" while the ''Rand Ecliptic'' was delivering a consignment of [[rubindum]] ore in the [[Bestine system/Legends|Bestine system]]. Through the covert efforts of "Starfire", in fact Alliance sympathizer Captain Heliesk, Lindy and his rebel allies were taken aboard the ship, while Darklighter and Klivian staged a mock mutiny. With Lindy's rebels as their crew, they took control of the ''Rand Ecliptic'' by threatening to set the ship to self-destruct, allowing the Rebel Alliance to take possession of the frigate's cargo of rubindum without exposing Heliesk's allegiance.<ref name="Mutiny" />

==Appearances==
*[[Empire 8|''Empire'' 8]] {{Mo}}
*[[Empire 9|''Empire'' 9]]
*[[Empire 12|''Empire'' 12]]
*[[Star Wars (radio)|''Star Wars'' radio drama]]
*[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel)|''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' novel]] {{1stm}}
*[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (junior novelization)|''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' junior novel]] {{Imo}}
*[[Star Wars (1977) 1|''Star Wars'' (1977) 1]] {{Mo}}
*{{WEGCite|book=Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back|story=Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic (short story)|stext=Mutiny on the ''Rand Ecliptic''}} {{Mo}}
*{{WEGCite|book=The Movie Trilogy Sourcebook|story=Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic (short story)|stext=Mutiny on the ''Rand Ecliptic''}} {{Mo}}
*{{WEGCite|book=Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|text=''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'', Second Edition|story=Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic (short story)|stext=Mutiny on the ''Rand Ecliptic''}} {{Flash}}
*''[[Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron: In the Empire's Service]]'' {{Mo}}
*[[X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25|''X-Wing Rogue Squadron'' 25]] {{1st}} {{Flash}}
*''[[Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron: Mandatory Retirement]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[X-Wing: Wraith Squadron]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe]]''
*''[[Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope]]''
*''[[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back]]''
*''[[The Movie Trilogy Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Star Wars Screen Entertainment]]''
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded]]''
*[[Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope'', Second Edition]]
*{{CCG|set=Premiere Limited|link=Premiere-Light/large/biggsdarklighter.gif|cardname=Biggs Darklighter}}
*''[[The Essential Guide to Characters]]''
*[[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'', Second Edition]]
*{{CCG|set=Hoth Limited|cardname=Derek "Hobbie" Klivian}}
*''[[Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition]]''
*''[[Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*''[[The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary]]''
*{{InsiderCite|59|Who's Who in Rogue Squadron}}
*{{FFCite|24|DAR2-3, ''Biggs Darklighter''}}
*{{InsiderCite|67|Ask Lobot|Star Wars Q&A}}
*''[[Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Comics Companion]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Special Edition]]''
*''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded]]''
*[[Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook|''Star Wars: Age of Rebellion'' Core Rulebook]]
*[[Stay on Target (sourcebook)|''Stay on Target'']]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{Interlang
|de=Rand Ecliptic
|nl=Rand Ecliptic
|fi=Rand Ecliptic
|ru=Кромка эклиптики
}}

[[Category:Alliance to Restore the Republic starships]]
[[Category:Captured starships]]
[[Category:Imperial II-class frigates]]
[[Category:Starships of the Galactic Empire]]