Chimaera (Star Wars)

A typical Imperator-class Star Destroyer

For other meanings, see Chimera.

The Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera was a starship in the fictional Star Wars universe. Even though the ship was at Endor, the vessel has not been seen in any of the movies. It was first encountered in the Timothy Zahn book Heir to the Empire.

The Chimaera's early history has been left largely unrevealed. The ship was part of the Imperial fleet that participated in the Battle of Endor. After the destruction of the Star Dreadnought Executor, the second Death Star, and the death of the Emperor, the Imperials found the tide had turned against them. Six Star Destroyers and a Star Cruiser operating as a communication ship were lost, and the Captain of Chimaera was killed during the course of the battle. Pellaeon took command of the Chimaera, and withdrew with the rest of the fleet when the order to retreat was given.

For the next five years, the ship was in what was later termed "rear guard harassment" of New Republic forces. A crew shortage became so acute that the Empire was forced to conscript young people into the crew. Young and inexperienced people who never would have even seen the bridge of a Imperial warship when the Emperor was alive were now running the ship.

About four years after the Battle of Endor, Grand Admiral Thrawn returned from the unknown regions of the galactic halo. Thrawn found the Chimaera, and decided to use the it as his flagship. Pellaeon remained in command of the ship while Thrawn commanded the fleet. Thrawn took over the former Captain's suite and remodeled it into his personal command room. There, Thrawn used his understanding of art and psychology to craft stratagies against the New Republic, which he used to devastating success. Over the next year, the Chimaera participated in a number of actions that were directed by Thrawn, including Sluis Van.

Thrawn directed the Imperial forces during the Battle of Bilbringi. During the battle, Thrawn was assassinated by his Noghri bodyguard Rukh. At this point, the tide of the battle began to turn against the Imperial forces. Pellaeon ordered the Imperial forces to retreat. Rukh was killed attempting to escape from the ship.

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Little is known about the Chimaera over the next ten years. Pellaeon left the Chimaera for a time after being promoted to Vice-Admiral. Pellaeon commanded other vessels, including both Victory and Imperator-class Star Destroyers. He returned to the Chimaera when he became Supreme Commander of the Imperial Starfleet, a position once held by Darth Vader.

The Chimaera was next seen in the Timothy Zahn book Spectre of the Past. This took place during the Camassi Document crisis in the New Republic. Pellaeon spent time investigating the unauthorized use of Imperial troops by an unknown person. He also devoted resources into investigating rumors that Grand Admiral Thrawn was still alive and had recently returned to Imperial service. Pellaeon also opened discussions into finally ending the war between the Imperial Remnant and the New Republic.

Finally, Pellaeon was able to prove that Thrawn's reappearance was an elaborate hoax. A few days later, Imperial and Republic representatives signed the treaty that finally ended the decades long civil war.