Battle of Serroco

"This...is a new phase of the war. We're going to have to change the way we look at things."

- Saul Karath

The Battle of Serroco was a major confrontation between Mandalorian Neo-Crusader and Galactic Republic forces during the Mandalorian Wars, in 3,963 BBY. The Stereb cities of Serroco were destroyed by Mandalorian nuclear devices during the battle.

Background


Prior to the battle, the fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick received a vision from the Force that the Mandalorians would use nuclear devices to destroy the Stereb cities, with the Republic soldiers camped next to them. Realizing that this vision was for real, Zayne Carrick stowed aboard the Deadweight, Carth Onasi's ship, and requested an urgent meeting with Admiral Karath. Karath was on board the Courageous, where Onasi agreed to take Zayne.

Unfortunately, once they boarded the Courageous, Admiral Karath quickly recognized Zayne Carrick and revealed him to be allegedly responsible for the Padawan Massacres of Taris. Further, Karath accused Zayne of being a Mandalorian spy and subsequently had him arrested. Zayne made every attempt to warn the Republic of the Mandalorians' plans, but Karath would have none of it.

The battle


Soon enough, the Mandalorian fleet arrived to challenge the Republic Navy. Instead of directly engaging the Republic Fleet in any way, they held their position outside the range of the Republic's weaponry. They launched nuclear missiles at the planet, though the Republic believed they were aimed for the fleet itself and incorrectly launched countermeasures against the missiles. However, the missiles were not aimed at the fleet, but at the planet Serroco itself.

The missiles hit the planet surface at various points, destroying whole cities and the Republic troops stationed there. The Republic fleet recorded impacts near 27 population centers, estimating heavy damage to the human settlements while the Stereb were wiped clean. They were "nuked into glass craters", as Atton Rand, a Republic officer, would later state.

However, Carth Onasi was down at the communications center trying to contact Squint to see if he would vouch for Zayne's innocence. He couldn't, but he managed to call 17 cities and alert them to the incoming Mandalorian assault. The Jedi general that would come to be known as the Jedi Exile participated in the battle, but the extent of her involvement would remain lost to history.

The aftermath
""ThatThat was what it feels like when a vision starts to come true.""

- Q'Anilia

In the aftermath of the battle, the Republic fleet in space had become completely taken aback by the tactics the Mandalorians were willing to use to achieve galactic conquest. Admiral Karath declared that they would have to resort to new options to counter the threat to the Republic.

In the meantime, Zayne Carrick was placed in a holding cell, left with the thought that his friend, Marn Hierogryph, must have been lost in the attack. It turns out that Zayne's friend, plus Slyssk, somehow got off of the planet in time and made their way to Taris. Later on, the Serroco Battle Group was finished off by the attacking Mandalorians.

Although Saul Karath, Carth Onasi, and Zayne Carrick escaped with a number of Republic personnel, the Courageous was lost to the battle and melted for scrap parts. Mandalore the Ultimate would forge his personal war axe from the remains of the Courageous.

Following the war, a host of military personnel that had fought in the battle became refugees on Nar Shaddaa and formed a gang.

Behind the scenes
There are some notable disparities between the account of the battle given by Atton Rand and that portrayed in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series. One possible solution to the continuity discrepancy is provided by Carth Onasi. During a conversation with Zayne Carrick just prior to the battle, he says "they warned me there might be Jedi scouts snooping around the lines -- guys who want the Jedi involved in the war." The Jedi Exile may have been one such Jedi scout.
 * In Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Atton explicitly states that the Jedi Exile was present during the battle, saying "you were at Serroco, when they turned the Stereb cities into glass craters." The presence of the Exile causes problems, however, because the Jedi Crusaders had not yet begun their rebellion against the Jedi High Council at this early point in the war.
 * A more difficult continuity issue to resolve stems from another statement made by Atton: "I heard about Dxun. Everyone has. I heard about Serroco, and I sure as hell know about Malachor V. What makes you think you've got the right to interrogate me on anything? You've got plenty of lives to answer for&mdash;all you Jedi do." His words clearly assign blame for the events at Serroco to the Jedi Order and the Jedi Exile in particular.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 14: Days of Fear, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 15: Days of Fear, Part 3
 * The Taris Holofeed: Siege Edition
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 16: Nights of Anger, Part 1
 * The Admiral's List: Remember Serroco! Edition
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 19: Daze of Hate, Part 1
 * The Adjudicator Special Report: Tools of the Trade
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 22: Knights of Suffering, Part 1
 * The Admiral's List: Karath Home Safely
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Notes and references
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