Battle of Pinnacle Base

"He's destroying the whole fleet! Thousands of warriors are dying!"

- Leia Organa Solo

The Battle of Pinnacle Base was fought between the New Republic and the forces of the Reborn Emperor Palpatine over the Republic base at the Pinnacle Moon.

Background
After Luke Skywalker was taken to Byss and became the reborn Palpatine's apprentice, Leia Organa Solo traveled there to attempt to rescue him. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in getting herself and her companions captured. However, Luke aided their escape and provided them with the command codes that controlled the World Devastators ravaging Mon Calamari, allowing the New Republic to win the battle. However, when Luke attempted to openly rebel against the Emperor, he was beaten into submission by the Sith Lord.

The battle


"Leaders of the Rebel Alliance, I have no quarrel with you. Give me the woman Jedi, sister of Skywalker...return the precious object she stole from me. A shuttle is waiting to send her to my ship, and then I will discuss a truce with the Alliance."

- Palpatine's demands

Arriving above Pinnacle Moon in Eclipse accompanied by two Imperial-class Super Star Destroyers, a third ship and a subservient Luke in tow. Palpatine's sudden arrival caught the New Republic defenders off-guard, allowing the Sith Lord to make his demands unchallenged. He demanded that Leia Organa Solo surrender to him and board his vessel, and bring along the Jedi Holocron she had stolen from him, and he promised that if the Republic complied with his demands, he would discuss a truce. Leia willingly boarded Eclipse, as Palpatine held her brother, Luke, under his influence.

"You still defy me? Perhaps you do not know your own heart in these matters..."

- Palpatine

Attempting to break Organa and bring her unborn child under his influence, Palpatine goaded Skywalker into attacking her and prove himself still worthy of following the way of the dark side of the Force. Parrying his attack with her new lightsaber, Leia reached out to Luke's lingering good side, and managed to bring Luke out of his mental captivity. The Jedi Master turned on his former master.



"My ally is the Force. Through the strength of the Force, your shroud of evil has been lifted from my mind. So be it... THROUGH THE POWER OF THE FORCE YOU WILL DIE!"

- Luke Skywalker and Palpatine

Enraged, Palpatine brandished a blue-bladed lightsaber and attacked Luke. The two then engaged in a lightsaber duel. The fight was quick and brutal, and despite Palpatine's viciousness, he was defeated by Luke, aided by his sisters battle meditation, losing his left hand.

However, the Sith Lord was hardly finished.

"Look at you. Don't think I don't know you plan. The dark side has you...you intend to rule in my place! But utter imbecile that you are, you have still failed to understand my power... Look below. Look at what is happening to you pitiful moon!"

- Palpatine



In his rage, Palpatine summoned a Force Storm and began to destroy the New Republic fleet. Using the Force to counterattack, Luke and Leia surrounded Palpatine with a wave of Light Side energy, cutting him off from the dark side, and thusly his power. With Palpatine unable to control the storm, it spun out of control and began to devour Eclipse. The Skywalker siblings made it out of the ship as it tore apart, taking Palpatine's current incarnation with it. After destroying Eclipse, the storm quickly dissipated.

It is unknown if Eclipses escort fleet retreated or engaged the remnant of the Republic fleet, or were destroyed when Palpatine lost control of the Force Storm. It is probable that they retreated, as the Republic fleet still held numerical superiority.

Aftermath
At the time, it was believed that the Emperor was destroyed aboard his capital ship. However, this was not so. Pinnacle Base along with the whole of Da Soocha V were later destroyed by a single projectile from the Reborn Emperor's new super-weapon the Galaxy Gun.

Behind the scenes

 * This duel features an interesting reversal in that the Jedi involved is wielding a red lightsaber and the Sith involved is wielding a blue-bladed weapon.

Appearances

 * Dark Empire
 * Star Wars: Dark Empire (audio)