Battle of Utapau
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Template:Outer Rim Sieges infobox
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- "In our bones, we knew the war was almost over. The Galaxy held its breath, waiting to see which side would make the final, daring move. As luck would have it, the Republic moved first. After the Chancellor informed the Jedi Council that General Grievous was hiding on Utapau, General Kenobi gathered an army large enough to capture three star systems. When the orders reached the 501st, our morale soared. For better or worse, this would be the beginning of the end."
- ―Entry from the Journal of the 501st
The Battle of Utapau was one of the final battles of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, and was one of the last battles of the Outer Rim Sieges. It would prove pivotal due to the death of General Grievous at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi. This was the last major battle before the destruction of the Jedi Order and the Republic.
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Prelude
After a long and complex engagement, the Republic began to gain an advantage over the CIS, many of whose leaders were dead. Republic Clone Intelligence soon managed to discover the location of the enemy Head of State, General Grievous.[1]
General Obi-Wan Kenobi organized a fleet of Venator-class Star Destroyers carrying an army of clones large enough to capture three star systems, led by Commander Cody. Some members of the elite 501st Legion were among the clones in Kenobi's force.[2]
Making contact
Kenobi arrived on Utapau in his Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor under pretense of refueling his ship. He was greeted by Tion Medon, the Port Administrator of Pau City, observed from a distance by one of Grievous' MagnaGuards. Medon revealed that the city was being used as a hiding place by Grievous and his army of battle droids. Not only that, but the drodi army was aware of his presence and had ordered Medon to tell Kenobi of their position here. Kenobi sent R4-G9 to summon the clone forces, but stayed in Pau City to engage Grievous.[1]
The Duel
- "Back away! I will deal with this Jedi slime myself!"
- ―General Grievous
Kenobi commandeered a varactyl named Boga as a mount, and rode in secret to the tenth level of Pau City, where Medon had told him the Separatists were hiding. Infiltrating Hangar 10 of the Lucrehulk core ship Unlimited Projection that served as the Separatists de-facto command center, Kenobi witnessed a meeting of the Separatist Council. During the meeting, Grievous informed them that he expected an attack by the Republic and was therefore moving them to the planet Mustafar. However, Tikkes remained behind for reasons unknown.[1]
After the Separatist Council left, Kenobi dropped from the catwalk he was perched on into the midst of a large group of battle droids. General Grievous immediately called upon his IG-100 MagnaGuards to attack Kenobi, who managed to defeat all but one quickly, using the Force to dislodge a cargo module hanging from the ceiling, crushing them. The remaining droid was disoriented by the attack, and quickly beheaded before it could retrieve its weapon.[1]
Grievous's troops prepared to open fire on Kenobi, but Grievous called them off. Deciding to challenge Kenobi, the cyborg split his arms along their lengths into four separate appendages. Drawing four lightsabers, he then spun them rapidly in a dazzling buzzsaw motion and advanced on the surprised Kenobi. However, Kenobi recovered quickly and thrust his lightsaber into the swirling energy blades. The two engaged in a spectacular though brief display of swordsmanship.[1]
Grievous unleashed a flurry of unpredictable attacks and blows, ramping up the attack until he was demonstrating over twenty blows per second. But thanks to the Force crush Mace Windu gave him on Coruscant, Grievous was unable to penetrate Kenobi's defense, so he ramped up his attacks even further. Kenobi, his defense beginning to get overloaded, altered the angle of one of his parries. Kenobi's blade, instead of parrying Grievous's blade, sliced the cyborg's wrist.[1]
Staring in surprise at his smoking stump, Grievous lunged in another attack. Another lightsaber and metal hand bounced on the deck.[1]
At that moment, Cody and the clone army arrived. While Kenobi and Grievous battled, several dozen clones managed to infiltrate the Unlimited Projection and they quickly attacked the droid soldiers.[1]
The Battle
Clone cavalry
- "Army or not, you must realize you are doomed!"
- ―Grievous
Commander Cody led the 212th Attack Battalion in the assault on the Separatist forces in Pau City, aided by native warriors who also wished to drive the Separatists away. Two battalions attacked full force, with the third in reserve to provide reinforcements and cover escape routes. Hailfire droids attempted to repel the clones quickly, but they were destroyed by the clone flagship, Vigilance.[1]
Troopers of the 501st captured several security posts in the Utapaun cities themselves, linking up with Kenobi in the Unlimited Projection's hangar. Once they took down two AA turrets, heavy LAAT/i firepower support wiped out droids in the hangar. They dealt a final blow by taking out a large CIS power complex, leaving the troops in Utapau in disarray.[2]
Grievous in retreat
When the Republic forces arrived, Grievous prepared to resume the duel, but Kenobi violently Force Pushed the general against the ceiling. As Grievous plummeted to the hangar floor, he dropped his lightsabers, and, unarmed, chose to flee. Mounting his wheel bike and speeding out of the hangar, he dropped to the lower levels of the city, crushing everything in his way, as he raced towards the docking platform where his private ship waited. Kenobi pursued on his varactyl, Boga, but lost his lightsaber after the jarring impact on the way down.[1]
Kenobi pursued Grievous in a furious chase through the streets of Pau City as the battle raged around them. Grievous thrust at Kenobi with an electrostaff he stashed in the wheelbike, which Kenobi managed to wrench from the cyborg's hands. Kenobi then attempted to destroy the wheels on Grievous's vehicle with it, but Grievous reclaimed it, and pulled Kenobi along with it. Grievous pulled out a blaster and attempted to shoot Kenobi, but the Jedi dodged the shots. Unfortunately, Kenobi's movements off-balanced the wheelbike and it crashed as they arrived at the docking platform, throwing the combatants to the ground.[1]
The death of Grievous
- "So uncivilized."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi
Kenobi recovered first. He grabbed the electrostaff and attacked Grievous, first knocking the blaster from his hands and then knocking him to the ground. Grievous retaliated with a kick that threw Kenobi across the platform. They then engaged in a melee in which, due to his enhanced strength and durability, Grievous had an undoubted advantage. Kenobi, however, managed to pry apart the armorplast plates protecting Grievous's internal organs before Grievous threw him to the ground. Kenobi counter-attacked by kicking Grievous's leg, but only injured himself against the hard durasteel.[1]
Grievous then viciously threw him across the platform. Kenobi barely managed to save himself by grabbing onto the edge. Grievous picked up the electrostaff and approached Kenobi to deliver the killing blow. Kenobi, desperately hanging from the edge, used the Force to summon the blaster to his hand. Blasting through the gaps in the generals armorplast chestplates at the exposed organs, he ignited the tissue. Grievous's internal organs combusted violently, killing the Separatist general.[1]
Continued fighting
Despite the destruction of the Droid Control antennae aboard the Unlimited Projection, the droid army continued fighting, as the Trade Federation had learned from their loss at Naboo, equipping the new generation of droids with backup programming that gave them a list of standing orders if the command system were ever disabled. Standing order number one was, apparently, 'kill everything that moves', and they were still fighting hard. However, they were hammered into submission by the persistent fire of the LAAT gunships. Hangar 10 was secured by the 501st. Anti-air turrets stationed in the hangar opened fire on the incoming LAAT reinforcements dropping off tanks in the hangar, but the 501st disabled the threat. From the hangar, they launched an attack on another Confederate outpost with TX-130S fighter tanks.[2]
The outpost was pelted by LAATs and hover tanks and was destroyed. The destruction of the CIS main ATX energy pillar assisted a rousing Republic victory.[2]
Order 66
- "Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute Order 66."
"Yes, my Lord." - ―Palpatine and Commander Cody
It was then that Commander Cody received a message from Palpatine, instructing him to execute Order 66. Cody ordered an AT-TE walker to fire its main cannon at Obi-Wan, who was on a cliff heading up to the Separatist headquarters. Boga sensed it and jumped in front of the shot, saving Kenobi at the cost of her own life, who fell down the sinkhole and into the lake at the bottom. Cody then dispatched probe droids to find the Jedi. Kenobi used stealth and discreet violence to make his way up to Grievous's starfighter and fled the world.[3]
Outcome
The clones, after a long period of fighting, eventually triumphed in Pau City. However, as the CIS presumably controlled other sinkhole cities on Utapau—as to control the entire planet—the fighting would continue until the deactivation of the droid army by Darth Vader on Mustafar a short period of time later.[3]
Participants
Galactic Republic
Confederacy of Independent Systems
Behind the scenes
- In the videogame adaptation of Revenge of the Sith, the Utapau levels of the game totally disregard Boga. Also, Grievous is killed after being stabbed in the gut by Kenobi and roasted as his armor malfunctioned. During the Order 66 level, the clones fire at Kenobi from a LAAT rather then firing an AT-TE cannon at him, which would result in Kenobi retreating through the battlefield, killing many clones and walkers and disabling a Juggernaut.
- In Lego Star Wars, Cody is killed by Grievous, whose blaster would be used to kill Grievous.
Appearances
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Grievous: Getaway
- Republic Commando: Order 66
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith video game
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources
- Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections
- Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary
Utapaun in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- Utapau in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- Star Wars: Complete Locations
- Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Star Wars: Battlefront II
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic
- ↑ Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross Sections
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