Battle of Christophsis/Legends

The Battle of Christophsis was a battle in Crystal City on the crystalline planet of Christophsis during the Clone Wars, the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Following the Confederacy's invasion of Christophsis, High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker were sent to aid the inhabitants, along with a faction of the Grand Army of the Republic, the clone army manufactured by the Republic to fight in the war. However, after an ambush, during which the Confederacy's knowledge of their plan was revealed, the Republic forces discovered evidence of a traitor. The Jedi went to investigate "behind enemy lines," while clones Commander Cody and Captain Rex stayed to find the turncoat.

Upon arriving at the Confederacy base, the two Jedi confronted Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress, and discovered the presence of an invasion force in far greater strength than they had originally believed. Cody and Rex discovered that Sergeant Slick was the traitor, and after he severely damaged their weapons depot, the two managed to apprehend him. Upon the Jedi's return, Slick was imprisoned for his crimes.

The Republic forces fought off the first wave of droids under command of General Whorm Loathsom, but the Confederacy forces returned. After their discovery of the Republic's use of heavy cannons, Loathsom pulled back again and set up a deflector shield. Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano arrived, and revealed that Jedi Master Yoda had apprenticed her to Skywalker. After the Confederacy's shield was discovered, Skywalker and Tano proceeded to eliminate it, while General Kenobi stayed to fend off the forces. After Kenobi pretended to "surrender" to Loathsom, Skywalker and Tano were able to take out the shield, and Loathsom was captured. With the renewed ability of cannon use, the Republic forces defeated the Confederacy.

Origins
During the Clone Wars, the galaxy-wide conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Confederacy invaded the planet of Christophsis. The inhabitants attempted to defend themselves, but were unable to ward off the Confederacy. General Whorm Loathsom, via a massive holotransmission, told the inhabitants of the planet that they were under Separatist rule, and the Christophsians appealed to the Jedi Council for help. High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were dispatched to aide the planet, along with a faction of the Grand Army of the Republic. A Confederacy blockade was placed around the planet, which would later prove troublesome for Admiral Wullf Yularen.

Ambush
"Obi-Wan, what's going on?" "We're cut off. The droids are onto us!"

- Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi



During reconnaissance on Christophsis, Sergeant Slick and his men located a good ambush point: the adjacent North and South towers in Crystal City. They discovered that the battle droids had ordered the Christophsians not to go to work, and were also about to kill a crippled Christophsian. Slick and his men saved the group of Christophsians by destroying the droids, and Generals Kenobi and Skywalker arrived with the rest of the forces.

Kenobi and Commander Cody stationed their men in the South tower, while Skywalker and Captain Rex were stationed in the parallel North tower. Kenobi's men, led by Cody and Slick, set up several repeating blasters, ready to ambush the droid army as it passed through the plaza. Gus reported that the droids had tanks. Unexpectedly, the droid force split into two. Suddenly, a turbolift door opened, and battle droids flooded the South tower, and it became apparent to Kenobi that their ambush point had been compromised.

Skywalker, watching from the North tower, radioed clone pilot Hawk and ordered an evacuation of the South tower. Skywalker's men fired their ascension cables to the adjacent tower, sliding across the space to assist Kenobi. The droid forces watching from the plaza opened fire, killing one of the clone troopers. Skywalker and the clones arrived to help Kenobi, and the Republic forces proceeded to the roof of the tower for the evacuation, pursued by the droids and a tactical droid. Hawk's LAAT/i gunship arrived and hovered near the roof, and the Republic forces began to board. In one last act before retreating, a trooper attacked the tactical droid and ripped its head off, taking the severed head onto the gunship.

Investigations
"Someone left his comlink on. Someone has been listening to everything we've said!"

- Cody, upon finding the activated comlink



Rex and Cody brought the droid's cranial unit back to base. However, during a robolobotomy, all it did was confirm that the Confederacy had known their plan, and stopped processing before it could reveal more. When the clones reported their findings to the Jedi, Skywalker suggested a security breach. Kenobi, however, suspected that there was a spy in their midst, and that action behind enemy lines was necessary to uncover information. Kenobi ordered Rex and Cody to stay behind as the two Jedi left on the confidential mission.

Cody was shocked to find an activated comlink on the table: someone had been listening to their entire conversation. Rex suddenly noticed a figure in the hallway, and the man immediately fled. Cody and Rex pursued the man, but lost his trail along the way to the mess hall. The eavesdropper had definitely gone into the mess hall, and the only people there were their clone brothers. Through astromech droid R2-D2, an irregular wavelength was discovered in transmissions, taking place every couple of days. The wavelength was tracked to a terminal in Sergeant Slick's barracks.

Trap for the Jedi
"Ventress. And here I thought this mission would be unpleasant." "The pleasure's all mine, my dear Obi-Wan. I've missed you."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress



Kenobi and Skywalker rode through the streets of the crystal city on BARC speeders, noticing the increasing amount of battle droids watching them. As the droids were not attempting to stop them, the Jedi deduced that they were heading into a trap. The droids jammed their transmissions, cutting off communication with the Republic base.

When the Jedi reached the Confederacy headquarters, they were greeted by Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress, who revealed that an informant told her the Jedi would be there. The three engaged in a duel, and Ventress eventually led Skywalker and Kenobi out of the building, where atop a tri-droid she revealed the full strength of the Confederacy invasion force: numerous C-9979 landing crafts were landing, and many battle droids were already deployed and marching in formation. The Jedi severed the tri-droid's legs, breaking its hold on the building, and the duel continued briefly before the Jedi stole STAPs from battle droids and fled. Ventress ordered a tactical droid to have General Loathsom delay the Jedi before leaving on the Trident, which she would later use to capture Rotta the Huttlet and turn his father, crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, against the Republic.

A traitor revealed
"Sergeant, what did you mean, 'till the Jedi come back?' How did you know the Jedi were gone?" "I really wish you hadn't noticed that, sir."

- Commander Cody and Sergeant Slick



Despite protest from Slick, Cody and Rex proceeded to Slick's barracks and began interrogation of his squad. Jester appeared nervous, but had been cleaning his blaster after the battle. Sketch and Punch had been in the mess hall, and an injured Gus had been in the infirmary. Chopper claimed he was in the mess hall with Punch and Sketch, but Sketch objected to the claim. Chopper admitted that he was hiding in the south exit, but only because he did not want to be seen making a necklace of droid fingers, which was an act forbidden by war protocols.

When Slick put Chopper's credibility in question and told him that a proper investigation would commence once the Jedi returned, Chopper lashed out at his sergeant. Chopper claimed that he had seen Slick going towards the command center rather than the barracks, and Slick denied the claim. However, Slick's knowledge of the Jedi's absence revealed himself to be the traitor, as he would not have known the Jedi were gone unless he was listening in on the open comlink during the meeting. When Cody questioned him, Slick struck out at Cody and Chopper and bolted for the exit.

Cody and Rex tracked a signal in the gunship landing pad: it appeared Slick was trying to escape. However, what the two did find was a primed thermal detonator. Numerous explosives went off, completely destroying the landing pad, the AT-TE walkers and the weapons supply depot. Slick was spotted running into the command center, and Cody and Rex pursued, and the two engaged in a ploy to bait Slick out of the vents. Cody left his blaster on the table, while Rex seemed to leave for the south exit. Slick stole Cody's blaster and held Cody at gunpoint, but was unaware that Cody had taken out the ammo. Rex returned, and in the ensuing brawl, Slick was subdued, and was turned in after the Jedi returned.

Counterattack
"What's our plan of attack, sir?" "Follow me."

- Captain Rex and Anakin Skywalker, as they prepare an attack on the advancing Confederacy tri-droids



Although they were only able to salvage the artillery guns from the destroyed weapons depot, the Republic forces regrouped and prepared for an attack. Kenobi and Skywalker defeated General Loathsom's first wave of droids, and the Confederacy was forced to retreat. However, Loathsom's retreat was a ploy. Once the Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer Hunter had been dispatched for supplies, Loathsom launched another attack. Battle droids and tri-droids advanced in the front, while AATs followed close behind, and Loathsom was able to catch the Republic forces off guard.

Despite Loathsom's surprise attack, the Jedi were able to rally their forces to beat back the droids, using the artillery guns to hold the line. Kenobi led Ghost Squadron's charge against the battle droids, and Skywalker and Torrent Company defeated the tri-droids. Loathsom once again pulled back, and it was during the lull in the fighting that a shuttle from the galactic capital of Coruscant landed in City Plaza, bearing young Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano. Tano had been recently apprenticed by Jedi Master Yoda to Skywalker, much to his surprise and alarm.

From the shuttle that had delivered Tano, the Jedi contacted Grand Master Yoda through the Hunter to ask for reinforcements. However, the Hunter, under command of Admiral Yularen, was being damaged under increasing fire from several Confederacy Munificent-class frigates, and communications were soon cut. Loathsom soon launched yet another attack, this time advancing his forces behind an expanding deflector shield, negating the Republic's use of artillery batteries. While Kenobi and Rex marshaled a defense of their base, Skywalker and Tano infiltrated the Confederacy-held ground by hiding under a box.

Once the advance forces passed by, Skywalker and Tano slowly made their way to the shield generator, but ran into a destroyer droid along the way. After defeating it, the pair arrived at the generator. Tano accidentally alerted pre-planted retail droids. As she set the charges to destroy the generator, Skywalker held off the droids. Seeing her master in trouble, Tano brought down a wall with a convenient hole in the middle, destroying the droids without hurting her master.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi "surrendered" to Loathsom and was brought to a crystal table to discuss his "terms of surrender". After having a cup of tea, Obi-Wan requested to have his troops properly fed if taken prisoner. Loathsom suspected he was stalling. The Confederacy general ordered B2 battle droids to seize Kenobi, and Loathsom demanded that he call off his troops. Just then, Skywalker and Tano destroyed the shield generator. Kenobi, seeing the shield vanish, grabbed Loathsom around the neck and forced him to surrender. The clone artillery annihilated the droid armies, and Loathsom was taken into Republic custody.

Admiral Yularen was able to break through the Confederacy blockade aboard the Spirit of the Republic and several other Venator-class cruisers. Grand Master Yoda accompanied Yularen aboard the Spirit of the Republic to deliver orders for Skywalker and Kenobi. After the cruiser landed, clone trooper units were dispatched for further reinforcements, and a gunship was sent to retrieve Skywalker and Tano to bring them back to the City Plaza.

Aftermath
"Kidnapped, Jabba the Hutt's son has been. Negotiate the treaty with Jabba, Obi-Wan will. Find the renegades that hold Jabba's son, your mission will be, Skywalker."

- Yoda gives Skywalker and Tano their new assignment

Following the battle, Grand Master Yoda informed Kenobi and Skywalker that Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta, had been kidnapped by a group of renegades, and they were called upon to rescue him. Based on intelligence reports, Skywalker and the recently-apprenticed Tano ventured to the planet Teth, where they would confront Asajj Ventress.

The battle on Christophsis left much of the planet destroyed, and several Christophsians had been killed in the preliminary stages of the battle. Despite the Republic's casualties, the blockade around Christophsis had been eliminated, and the Confederacy's occupation of the planet had been compromised. In addition, General Whorm Loathsom had been captured.

Behind the scenes
The battle appeared in the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars film, as well as its novelization. As the film led into the television series, the battle was the first battle featured in the series. It also featured both the introduction of the planet Christophsis and Skywalker's new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. The preliminary stages of the battle and the duel appeared in the series' Season One episode "The Hidden Enemy", which served as a prequel to the film. Sergeant Slick and his men's reconnaissance of the planet appeared in the web comic leading into the episode, Shadowed.

A track was composed by Kevin Kiner for the battle, and was used as background music during the battle's appearance in the film. The track was also released in the film's soundtrack. Additionally, an edited version of the track was used during the opening scenes of "The Hidden Enemy".

The battle was originally to appear in a "flashback" episode in the first season of the television series, entitled "The New Padawan", but after producer George Lucas decided to merge several episodes for a theatrical release, the episode appeared in the film with several other episodes from the first season.

Appearances

 * The Clone Wars: Shadowed
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars novelization
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars junior novelization
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * The Clone Wars: Wild Space
 * The Clone Wars: Wild Space

Notes and references
Batalla de Christophsis Schlacht von Christophsis