Rescue of Rahm Kota

The rescue of Rahm Kota was a mission that took place around 1 BBY, during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War. Captured during a failed raid on the planet Cato Neimoidia, the Rebel Alliance General Rahm Kota was placed in the Tarko-se Arena, the local gladiatorial arena, for execution. But, he managed to stay alive for several days. While Kota endured wave after wave of ravenous monsters and bloodthirsty gladiators, one of the clones of Galen Marek, former apprentice of Darth Vader, arrived on-planet, recently escaped from the watery-world of Kamino. Following up on information inadvertently provided by Darth Vader, Sith Master and creator of the clones of Galen Marek, the clone had come to rescue Kota. After a brief "misunderstanding" with the local Imperial Governor, Baron Tarko, the clone fought it's way through Tarko's military forces to the arena, where he linked up with an exhaused Rahm Kota. The desperate Tarko unleashed the arena beast known as the Gorog on the two Force-wielders, though the creature burst it's restraints in it's pursuit of Starkiller. In the chaos, Tarko was devoured by the monster, and the arena was destroyed. Starkiller and Kota were retrieved from the falling wreckage by an auto-piloted Rogue Shadow.

Prelude


During the war, Rahm Kota had been a notorious wild card within the Rebel Alliance, acting without authorization and performing off the books military raids against the Galactic Empire. In short, he continued acting as though he were managing his own militia rather than being part of a larger organization. During a raid on Cato Neimoidia, this independant streak finally got the better of him, and his squad was killed off while he was captured. The local Imperial Governor, Baron Merillion Tarko, placed Kota in the local gladiatorial arena to execute him. However, Kota held out for several days.

Meanwhile, on Kamino, Darth Vader had secretly been managing a Cloning project, seeking to recreate his fallen apprentice, Galen Marek. Due to the inherent difficulty in cloning Force-sensitives, many of the clones were abject failures, either hideously deformed or falling prey to Clone madness. His current Starkiller clone was only the latest in a long line. During a training session, Vader informed the clone of Kota's capture on Cato Neimodia, stating that he would go to execute the Jedi General at the conclusion of his training. However, the clone ultimately failed Vader's tests, unable to overcome the memory imprints from the original Galen Marek. Before Vader could execute him, Starkiller lashed out at his former master, and broke out of the facility. After fighting his way through the local Imperial garrison, Starkiller hijacked Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1 and escaped the planet. Following up on Vader's information, Starkiller travelled to Cato Neimoidia, though he was looking to rescue rather than execute Kota.

The Rescue


Having failed to change the transponder signal on the TIE fighter, Starkiller was identified as Darth Vader and directed to an executive landing platform, recieving a full TIE fighter escort and being greeted by a Stormtrooper honor guard detail, and the local Imperial Governor Baron Merillion Tarko. When Starkiller disembarked the fighter and demanded Kota's location, the puzzled Tarko revealed that Kota had been fighting in the Tarko-se Arena for several days, before quizzing Starkiller on the local Imperial security codes. When Starkiller failed to answer, Tarko pulled a blaster on him while the Stormtroopers readied their weapons. Starkiller ignited his lightsabers, and Tarko ordered the troopers to attack before retreating. Starkiller made short work of the Stormtroopers, though Tarko escaped. Destroying an AT-MP and killing two Imperial Sith Acolytes guarding the entrance to the landing platform turbolifts, Starkiller descended into the hanging city of Tarko-se.



Starkiller initially followed the streets, but Imperial resistance prompted him to ascend to the rooftop ledges to save time. The Imperials quickly wised up to this tactic, and activated fixed gun emplacements at the rooftop level he was travelling along, though Starkiller easily held off these attacks as he continued on. However, he was soon driven down by a sudden attack from a Nemesis gunship, and he burst into the Infinite Nebstar Casino. Most of the patrons scattered out of his way, though Imperial forces flooded in to replace them, with even the Imperial Sith Acolytes joining the fray. Clearing several of the rooms, Starkiller then descended to the lower levels of the casino through the turbolift shafts, where he was confronted by a Carbonite war droid. Starkiller destroyed the automaton before exiting the casino. Finding a passenger tram to the western arch of Tarko-se city, Starkiller leapt onto the vehicles roof and hitched a ride. However, the tram was attacked by Imperial air forces en route, forcing Starkiller to defend it, though it still sustained heavy damage despite his best efforts. Just short of the trams docking station on the western arch, it finally failed and fell out of the sky, forcing Starkiller to leap the remaining distance. Starkiller fought his way through the remaining Imperial forces, and finally destroyed the Nemesis gunship that had been persistently harassing him before entering the arena.

The Gorog


Entering the arena floor, Starkiller walked over to a surprised Kota. Despite being exhausted and injured after several days of combat in the arena, Kota opted to continue fighting to settle his score with Baron Tarko. Tarko himself was desperate to defeat the resilient Starkiller, and released the massive arena beast known as the Gorog, despite the objections of his aids. The creature consumed a Bull rancor released into the arena before hauling itself out of its holding pit. Kota broke off to hunt down Tarko, leaving Starkiller to contend with the beast.

Starkiller initially harassed the beast with Force lightning and telekinetic attacks at it's feet, though these had little effect. Following tactical advice from Kota, Starkiller used the restraint systems built into the arena to snare the Gorog's arms, allowing him to leap onto the creatures head. Using a combination of lightsaber slices and concentrated blasts of Force lightning, Starkiller amputated the large plate attacked to the creature's massive cranium, exposing it's brain. He stabbed his dual-lightsabers into the exposed grey matter, injuring the beast. In it's pain, the Gorog burst free from it's restraints and swiped Starkiller off it's head, sending him flying into the arena supports above. The Gorog aggressively pursued, destroying the beams and cables supporting the Tarko-se Arena, causing the structure to break apart and fall off of the Tarko-se city arch. Expecting the Gorog to fall with the arena, Starkiller made a beeline for Merillion Tarko's executive box, which had it's own devoted support beam. Rendezvousing with Kota, the two Force-wielders made quick work of the Baron's guards before advancing on him.

However, before they could capture or kill Tarko, the Gorog grabbed hold of the box, hoping to avoid falling, causing it to tip and unceremoniously dump Tarko into it's mouth. Now seeing the box as a food containing rather than a support, the Gorog reached in and seized Kota before losing it's grip and falling. Starkiller leapt after the falling beast, using the Force to increase his velocity. He managed to propel himself onto the Gorog's back, before firing a concentrated blast of Force lightning into it's torso, stopping it's heart. The Gorog went limp and released Kota. As the two fell, Kota activated a remote transponder he had concealed on his person, which summoned the Rogue Shadow. The ship swooped beneath them and scooped them up before flying away.

Aftermath


Unaware that the Rogue Shadow was flying on autopilot, Starkiller charged into the cockpit, expecting to find Juno Eclipse. Kota revealed that he didn't know where she was, as the Rebel fleet had been scattered, though he did agree to provide the rendezvous coordinates with the fleet in the Athega system. However, upon arrival, they were ambushed by an Imperial fleet, forcing them to flee. Kota was quick to try convincing Starkiller to join the Rebellion and counterattack against the Empire, brushing aside Starkiller's claims of being a clone with the supposed certainty that cloning Force-sensitives was impossible; he even trying to drill Starkiller for information on the Kamino cloning facilities. However, Starkiller remained unconvinced that he could be the real Starkiller, believing that Vader found a way to successfully clone Force-wielders with the aid of Kaminoan technology. Furthermore, he remained committed to finding Juno and also stated that he simply needed a quiet place to meditate on his situation. Kota was enraged that Starkiller would not immediately commit to the Rebellion, believing that the clone was putting one woman and his own inner conflict above the needs of the galaxy. Realizing that he could not convince or force Starkiller to change his mind, Kota stormed out of the cockpit, but not before giving the Rogue Shadow to him, feeling that the ship had always been his, and demanding to be let out on the nearest spaceport before Starkiller got "lost in the stars".

Starkiller dropped Kota off on Malastare before following up on one of the hints Kota had inadvertently dropped, travelling to Dagobah. Making his way through the swamps of the world, Starkiller encountered Jedi Master Yoda, who was watching over the Dark Side Cave. Yoda steered Starkiller into entering the cave, where the he experienced a vision of Juno Eclipse being attacked and wounded on the bridge of the Salvation. Determined to prevent this outcome, Starkiller retrieved Kota on Malastare and the two rendezvoused with the Rebel fleet near the Itani Nebula. However, Starkiller and Kota were too late, and Juno was captured by Boba Fett.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II