Skirmish in the Maw

The First Battle of Maw Installation was a circumstancial battle brought about by coincidence. The Imperial forces of Admiral Daala were chasing the escaped Sun Crusher piloted by Han Solo, Chewbacca, Kyp Durron and deserting Maw Installation scientist Qwi Xux. At their point of leaving the Maw, a cluster of black holes, they encountered the mercinary force of Kessel that had been gathered to protect the planet by it's administrator, Moruth Doole. The fleet of mis-matched ships was chasing the Millenium Falcon piloted by Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian, which was fleeing into the Maw. Neither fleet was aware of the other's existance, and when the Star Destroyers emerged from the Maw the undisciplined Kessel fleet attacked out of self preservation.

Prelude to the battle
Shortly before the battle, Qwi Xux had rescued the captives Han Solo and Kyp Durron from their cells in the Maw Installation, and released Chewbacca from his slave duties repairing TIE fighters. They had escaped in the Sun Crusher, a virtually indestructable vessel of unparalleled destructive capability. Unwilling to let the Sun Crusher escape her control, Admiral Daala ordered the Star Destroyer Hydra to block off the only safe exit from the Maw. However, due to the Quantum-crystalline armor of the small vessel, Han Solo piloted the ship directly through the bridge of the Hydra, causing it to loose all control and fall into one of the Maw's Black wholes, killing all aboard. Outraged, Daala ordered a full pursuit of the Sun Crusher.

Meanwhile, on the moon orbiting Kessel, Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian were investigating the disappearence of Han Solo and Chewbacca during their diplomatic mission fro the New Republic. Moruth Doole had, in fact, shot them down and imprisoned them in the spice mines. Unbeknownst to Skywalker and Calrissian, the pair had escaped with Kyp into the Maw. However, when inspecting the defensive fleet Doole had developed, The pair found the Millenium Falcon and realised what had happened. They stole the ship and fled. Unfortunately, the ship's hyperdrive computor was disabled, forcing them to flee into the Maw. Fearing New Republic retribution, Doole ordered a full pursuit of the craft.

The Battle
The battle istelf was swift and violent. The mercenaries were unorganised and unprepared for any large-scale assault. The highly trained and drilled Imperial troops laid waste to the many various ships in the opposing fleet; many fled the system just before and soon after enguagement, fearing the power of an organised Star Destroyer fleet.

The clash of these two forces granted both pursuees to join up and escape undetected.

Results of the battle
Following the near irradication of the Kessel fleet, Daala lauched her fleet into hyperspace. She eventually sought refuge in the Cauldron Nebula as a staging base to launch her guerilla strikes against the New Republic. The first of these would be the Dantooine Massacre.

The Millenium Falcon and Sun Crusher escaped in tandem (the Falcon using co-ordinated from the Sun Crusher's navicomputor) and informed the New Republic of the situation in the Maw Installation, appealing to send an invesitgational force. They dispatched some ships to assess the situation on Kessel, gain access to the Installation, and free the Wookiee slaves captive there.

Appearences

 * Jedi Search {1st}
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force