Long years of struggle ensued, during which the Imperials regained strength, pushing back the Alliance until the majority of worlds, including the vital Imperial System, fell once again under Imperial control.

Then, without warning, civil war erupted, as factions within the Imperial Navy battled the former Emperor's ruling circle for control of the Empire.

The Rebels seized the opportunity to sow confusion among the feuding Imperials, using captured Star Destroyers to conduct hit-and-run sorties into the war zones.

One such raid, over the raging Imperial City battleground, ended in disaster: the Alliance Star Destroyer Liberator, commanded by Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian, crashed on the planet's surface. Only Luke's skillful use of the ship's deflector shields and anti-grav braking system prevented all aboard from being killed.

As our story opens, Princess Leia Organa and her husband Han Solo, together with the Wookiee Chewbacca and the protocol droid C-3PO, are on a daring mission to rescue their fallen comrades.