Battle of Kolatill
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The Battle of Kolatill was a small engagement fought in 8 ABY between the combined forces of the New Republic and the Kolatill Defense Force, and the Imperial escort carrier Kathol Protector. The Imperial vessel, allied to the warlord Moff Kentor Sarne, assaulted the planet Kolatill for the second time in retaliation for the overthrow of their Imperial governor in the wake of the liberation of Kal'Shebbol. The escort carrier used TIE bombers armed with pathogenic bombs to assault the planet, but the joint effort of the Kolatill Defense Force and the New Republic CR90 corvette FarStar managed to drive off the attackers.
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[edit] Background
Following the New Republic's liberation of the planet Kal'Shebbol in 8 ABY, the neighboring planet of Kolatill followed suit and ousted their own Imperial governor, Tetrum. In retailiation for this act, the escort carrier Kathol Protector arrived in the system and launched TIE bombers. Targeting the capital city of Domaz, the bombers unleashed a heavy assault that left the city in flames before retreating. The government of the planet issued an emergency distress call to the New Republic, pleading for assistance.[4]
The New Republic CR90 corvette FarStar, charged with tracking down Imperial warlord Moff Kentor Sarne, intercepted the distress call while in orbit of Kal'Shebbol. Since the FarStar was the only ship capable of heading to Kolatill immediately, Captain Keleman Ciro gave orders to make for the planet. Governor Monjai, the New Republic official then in charge of Kal'Shebbol, promised to send relief ships as soon as possible.[4]
Arriving at Kolatill, Captain Ciro immediately dispatched teams to the surface to assist in relief and recovery operations. He also ordered the FarStar to constantly scan the system and maintain a combat air patrol. The Council of Kolatill agreed to meet with Captain Ciro, and dispatched a diplomatic shuttle to ferry him to the surface.[4]
[edit] The battle
Captain Ciro boarded the diplomatic shuttle, and was in transit to Kolatill's surface when the escort carrier Kathol Protector emerged from hyperspace. The Imperial vessel had returned to the planet to conduct a second strike, and its commanding officer had devised a simple battle plan. The TIE bombers would spread across the planet and attack as many of the cities and population areas as possible. Each bomber had been loaded with highly volatile pathogenic bombs that would spread disease over a large area when detonated. The bomb's payload was so toxic that each of the prime components were stored separately, and only mixed together immediately before deployment. Kept apart, the individual components were harmless. Arriving to find the FarStar in orbit, the captain altered his attack plan slightly to deal with the unexpected ship.[4]
The Imperial vessel launched its starfighter complement, which consisted of two squadrons of TIE bombers, and four squadrons of TIE Fighters. Both of the bomber squadrons angled towards the planet, while the four fighter squadrons moved to intercept the FarStar and the diplomatic shuttle. The TIE Fighters split their attack; one squadron engaged the diplomatic shuttle, using their superior numbers to herd the small vessel towards the Kathol Protector. The other three squadrons were assigned to harass the New Republic corvette and prevent it from launching its fighters.[4]
Pursued by TIE Fighters, Captain Ciro's shuttle was slowly directed toward the escort carrier. Once in range, the vessel's tractor beam generators locked onto the shuttle and pulled it into the hangar bay, capturing the captain. The FarStar, outnumbered by TIE Fighters, fought a desperate defensive action under the command of the First Officer, Kaiya Adrimetrum.[4]
With TIE bombers descending to the surface, the Kolatill Defense Force scrambled its own few TIE Fighters and sent them to intercept the incoming Imperial ships. Fortunately for the planet, several of the FarStar's T-65 X-wing starfighters were also on the surface. The fighters, including those flown by Lieutenant Ranna Gorjaye and Noell Ciro, had been assigned to escort duty for the two transport shuttles that were being used to ferry relief supplies and personnel to the planet.[4]
The combined force of TIE Fighters and X-wings engaged the bombers in Kolatill's atmosphere. As a New Republic fighter destroyed the first bomber, its sensors detected a small concentration of highly toxic poison in the immediate area of the explosion. Suddenly aware that the bombers were carrying pathogenic bombs that could kill millions if allowed to detonate, Kolatill's defenders increased their efforts. During the engagement, Noell Ciro's X-wing took heavy damage that rendered his weapons system inoperative. His sensors detected a bomber nearing its target site, and realized he was the only fighter in range that could stop it. Deprived of weapons, Ciro set a collision course and rammed the bomber. The resulting explosion destroyed the Imperial ship and its payload, but also cost Ciro his own life.[4]
With its bomber force defeated, the Kathol Protector's primary mission was a failure. Recalling its TIE Fighters, the escort carrier disengaged and made the jump to hyperspace.[4]
[edit] Aftermath
With the Imperial attack repulsed, Kolatill was indebted to the New Republic. The remaining members of the Council of Kolatill provided the crew of the FarStar with the coordinates to the planet Gandle Ott to allow them to continue their hunt for Moff Kentor Sarne.[4] Following his capture, Captain Ciro would be delivered to the Q'Maere Research Facility for interrogation.[6] The FarStar's First Officer, Kaiya Adrimetrum, assumed the captaincy of the vessel, with the Rodian Security Officer Gorak Khzam taking over her role as second-in-command.[4]
[edit] Behind the scenes
The Battle of Kolatill is featured in the West End Games Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game adventure Omens. Although the battle can be run in any way the gamemaster and players see fit, the capture of Captain Keleman Ciro and the death of Noell Ciro are required events.
[edit] Appearances
"Omens" - The DarkStryder Campaign (First appearance)
[edit] Sources
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ The Saga Begins
- ↑ Shintel Downtime
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The DarkStryder Campaign
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 Omens
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Number taken from known complement of starfighters onboard the FarStar at the time.
- ↑ The Kathol Rift
