Battle of Taanab

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Previous Battle of Skorrupon Concurrent Blockade of Yavin Next Third Battle of Yavin 4 Battle of Taanab Conflict Pirate raids on Taanab, Galactic Civil War Date 0 ABY (35:8)[1] Place Taanab[2] Outcome Taanab victory[2] Combatants Taanab local defense forces[2] Norulac Pirates[2] Commanders Lando Calrissian[2] Strength Taanab local defense fleet Civilian freighter (Lando Calrissian)[2] 19+ pirate vessels[2] 4 Z-95 Headhunter[3] 1 Marauder-class corvette[3] 1 Action IV transport[3] Casualties None or very light[2] Nearly all Norulac pirate forces[2] [Source]

The Battle of Taanab, while a minor engagement by galactic standards, had a great effect on the career of Lando Calrissian. His utter defeat of the Norulac Pirates helped give him a heroic reputation.^[4]

Contents 1 Background 2 The battle 2.1 Calrissian's "little maneuver" 3 Aftermath 4 Appearances 5 Sources 6 Notes and references

[edit] Background

The Inner Rim Territories world of Taanab was a backwater agricultural planet, too insignificant for the Imperial Navy to put much effort into protecting from regular pirate raids. Five months after the Battle of Yavin, an armada of Norulac pirate ships arrived in the fringes of the system.^[2]

[edit] The battle

Taanab's small defense fleet moved out to intercept them at the Banthal Company's orbiting docks, but with little hope of stopping the raiders.^[2]

Lando Calrissian happened to be in a cantina in Taanab's spaceport city of Pandath, observing the situation on a holovid. Suddenly, he declared to the other patrons that he could defeat the pirates single-handedly. One of the skeptical patrons, Gathal Anager,^[5] made a bet with Calrissian. Anager announced that the deed to a Clendoran brewery would be Calrissian's if he made good on his boast.^[2]

[edit] Calrissian's "little maneuver"

Calrissian began the battle by hiding his vessel in the ice ring of Taanab's moon, and lying in wait for the pirates. When the pirates were close enough, he intercepted them, ejecting his ship's cargo–a full load of electrified Conner nets–in the midst of the pirate fleet. While most of the pirate vessels were entangled and disabled by the drifting nets, Calrissian used his tractor beams to bash their ships with heavy chunks of ice from the moon's ring. Finally, Calrissian rallied the Taanab fleet, leading them to a decisive and swift victory. Calrissian himself was credited with nineteen kills.^[2]

[edit] Aftermath

Though the Taanab government offered Calrissian a permanent commission in their military, Calrissian politely refused. His new brewery sounded like a more lucrative business.^[2] However, he would later accept the general's commission that the Rebel Alliance offered him before the Battle of Endor based on these actions.^[4]

[edit] Appearances

• "Galaxywide NewsNets" - Star Wars Adventure Journal 5
• Galaxy of Fear: The Nightmare Machine (Mentioned only)
• Tag & Bink Are Dead (Non-canonical mention)
• The Return of Tag & Bink: Special Edition (Non-canonical mention)
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novel (First mentioned)
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Mentioned only)
• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 3: Mission to Endor (Mentioned only)
• Vision of the Future (Mentioned only)

[edit] Sources

• Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1995)
• A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, First Edition
• The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
• The Essential Chronology
• The New Essential Guide to Characters
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 96 (TAA1-2, The Battle of Taanab)
•  Bespin: Action Tidings on Wizards.com (article)
• The Essential Atlas

[edit] Notes and references