Battle of Umbara/Legends

One of the most prolonged campaigns of the Clone Wars, a battle took place on the planet Umbara between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Prelude
"Onaconda and I were often at odds, but I respected him. I respected him greatly."

- Mee Deechi, whose murder was followed by Umbara's withdrawal from the Republic

During the Clone Wars, the planet Umbara and its native Umbaran people were loyal to the Galactic Republic, being represented in the Galactic Senate by Senator Mee Deechi, a militarist politician who supported expansions for the Grand Army of the Republic. However, around 21 BBY, the second year of the war, Deechi was murdered by a fellow senator, Lolo Purs, who sought to cover her tracks as the culprit of the poisoning of Senator Onaconda Farr. The Umbarans subsequently withdrew their support of the Republic and allied themselves with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, bringing their advanced combat technology to the Separatists. As a result, the Republic and the Jedi Order launched a campaign to retake Umbara, sending Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Jedi High Council members Obi-Wan Kenobi and Saesee Tiin as commanders for clone trooper detachments from the Grand Army.

The northern landing
Spearheaded by Z-95 Headhunters, Republic forces launched a blitz attack on the Separatist blockade fortifying the Umbaran system. After quickly punching a hole through Separatist defenses, the Republic forces consolidated for a ground assault on the Umbaran capital; while Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pong Krell, and Saesee Tiin took command over the southern front, Anakin Skywalker and the 501st Legion were given control over the northern front with the intention of flanking Separatist reinforcements and neutralizing the local Umbaran militia. Upon reaching the atmosphere, the ground forces were deployed in a squadron of gunships vanguarded by a wing of headhunters. A large number of AT-RT scout walkers were deployed from the gunships, and they charged the Umbaran militia, clearing the way for the clone infantry to land. The Umbarans employed tanks which utilized electric current-based weaponry; however, the scout walker's agility allowed them to easily outmaneuver several of the tanks and take them out from the side. Skywalker and his men touched down after a rough landing, losing at least one gunship to surface fire. The attack force proceeded onward to claim a ridge to the north that was viable as a potential staging area for Republic forces. The clone forces charged straight into the Umbaran's frontlines, forcing the enemy militia to fall back. However, the clones encountered a bizarre form of Umbaran fauna: a carnivorous tentacled creature known as the Vixus. The creature grasped several clones with its tentacular appendages and dragged them into its gaping maw. ARC trooper Fives, in the grasp of the creature, tricked it into swallowing a thermal detonator, destroying the monster from the inside.

After securing the landing zone, the clone forces entrenched themselves on the ridge. As they rested, the Umbaran insurgents regrouped themselves for an ambush on the clone camp; by distracting the tired clones with millicreep assassin droids, the Umbarans circled around the camp and attacked the clones from the rear. In response, General Skywalker authorized a carpet bombing of the ridge, and ordered his men to fall back to the south, losing at least one AT-RT walker in the process. Upon reaching the fallback zone, two BTL-B Y-wing starfighters led by Commander Odd Ball carpet bombed the ridge, wiping out the last of the Umbaran resistance in the area.

As the clone forces regrouped for the imminent attack on the Umbaran capital city, General Pong Krell arrived, relaying an order from the Jedi Council requesting Skywalker's return to Coruscant, an order which apparently originated from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Skywalker reluctantly followed the order, leaving Krell to lead the 501st in the interim. Krell then ordered his men march on the capital. Along the way, they were attacked by a couple of Banshees. Krell killed both of the banshees so the battalion can resume marching on the capital. When Krell and 501st reached the outskirts of the Capital, Krell orders the 501st to launch a full frontal assault instead of using preemptive surprise attacks. Capt. Rex complied with the order and then leads his troopers and AT-RTs onto the main road to assault the capital. As the 501st move up the road, they then ran into Mines, killing a couple of troopers. ARC Trooper Fives was able to find more mines and a way through them. The 501st then got caught in an ambush by the Umbaran Militia. The 501st held their ground but were too exposed to hold out for long. Capt. Rex then ordered the 501st to retreat in order to attain a better fighting position. They were then able to rejoin Krell and the rest of the 501st. Together they were able to repel the Umbarans. After that, Krell criticized Capt. Rex for giving up the road. Rex and Fives were able to convince the general that they did what was best for their men. After Krell gives Rex a dubious compliment, the Umbarans launch a counterattack on the 501st.

Capturing the airbase
"They're coming from all directions!''" "We don't have any cover!" "''We need to fall back, get them to follow us. If we can draw them out, we can see them. If we can see them, we can hit them!"

- Dogma, Fives, and Rex

Krell and the 501st continue holding their positions despite the relentless attacks of the Umbaran militia from both ground and air. The 501st could not break through to support Gen. Kenobi's battalion. Kenobi then contacts Krell, ordering him to take out a airbase that is being used as a supply base for the capital. The 501st regroups and proceeds to the airbase. When the 501st got within distance of the airbase, Captain Rex suggest that they try and scout for another way in. Krell, knowing the urgency of Kenobi's situation, orders rex to take the battalion through a gorge single file. Rex's men start to criticize Krell's orders and tactics knowing that their casualties will be high, but Rex is able to convinces them to go through with it. As Rex starts the attack, he divides his men into three groups with Fives, Hardcase, and Rex in charge of these groups. As the 501st makes their way through the gorge, they are attacked by huge caterpillar tanks. Fortunately, their rocket launchers and Thermal detonators are able to subdue the caterpillar tanks. The 501st then resumes the advance towards the airbase. However the 501st then came under fire from Spider cannons, the battalion is force to retreat. When Krell odered Capt. Rex to push attack, his men tried using rocket launchers on the spider cannons to no avail.

Capt. Rex then come ups with a mission for Fives and Hardcase. Rex orders them to acquire a couple of Umbaran starfighters and use them against the tanks. However, Krell ordered Rex to launch a full-scale attack. Rex and his troopers then continue to hold their ground against the tanks. Fives and Hardcase then make it pass the sensor fence surrounding the airbase by climbing a tree. Aft Fives and Hardcase make it over, Fives then blew up the tree to distract the Umbarans. Fives and Hardcase are then able to get into a couple starfighters. Fives and Hardcase were then able to destroy the tanks. Krell then sent Clone Sergeant Appo and the rest of the battalion in to take the airbase. The 501st was successful in taking the airbase. The battalion then rounded up the prisoners and held the base before moving on to aid Kenobi in taking the capital.

Attack on the supply ship
Krell and 501st continued securing the airbase for the Republic. The Umbarans then stepped their attacks, trying to retake their airbase. Krell makes sure that all security measure are reconfigured and that the battalion stays alert to anything. Meanwhile ARC Trooper Fives works on examining the Umbaran starfighters. Krell was then contacted Kenobi. Kenobi congratulated Krell on taking the airbase, though Krell wanted to wait till the battle was over to celebrate. Kenobi then tells Krell that his battalion is being pushed away from the capital by long-range missiles. Kenobi tells Krell that the capital is now being resupplied by Separatist supply ship in the orbit. The supply ship is guarded heavily by the Separatist Fleet. The Republic Fleet was trying to destroy but with little success against Separatist fleet. Also the reinforcement ships that were promised to this campaign did not arrive yet. Krell, however, stated that they would have to take the capital regardless of these missiles. Krell said that he would meet Kenobi and his battalion at the rendezvous. Kenobi's transmission was then lost. Krell then ordered Captain Rex to ready the battalion to move out in 12 hours to advance on the capital. Rex then asked Krell if he should try and get a message throught to kenobi to cooridnate their actions in light of the recent threat. Krell, however, knows that like himself and his battalion, that kenobi has hands full. Krell then asserts that they need to throw everything they have at the capital. Rex however tells krell that they would walking into a blast zone. Krell then says that though Rex has disagreed about his strategies, Rex is loyal and obeys his orders. Krell tells rex to prep his troops.

After Rex briefs his troops, ARC Trooper Fives tells Rex that they have broken the Umbaran acess codes and that they can use the capture starfighters to infiltrate the supply ship, thus cutting supplies off to the capital. Rex tells Krell of this plan, but Krell does not wish to waste men on this plan knowing they will need everyone to help take the capital. The airbase then comes under fire from long range missiles. Despite Krell's orders, Fives decides to go with the mission despite the risk of Court-martial. Fives, Jesse and Hardcase then go into a hangar and train themeselves at flying the captured starfighters. Unfortunately, Hardcase is having trouble at flying it. Krell is informed of this. Fives tells Krell that it's just a safety drill. Krell however does not believe it. After hardcase accidentally shoots the hangar door apart, Krell come down. Hardcas then figures out how to fly. When Krell demand to know what happened, Fives and Hardcase tell him that it was enemy booby trap and that they were lucky they got in control if star fighter before went haywire. Krell then orders the starfighters to be kept locked down, despite Hardcase's objections. After Krell leaves, Jesse and Hardcase volunteer to fly with Fives, regardless of the consequences. Fives tells them his plan knowing how Gen. Skywalker when he was kid, blew up a ship by hitting it's reactors from the inside. Rex was then conducting a perimeter sweep when Fives, Jesse and Hardcase tell him that they intend to go with their plan. Rex give them the go head but tells them that if they get caught, he won't be able to help them.

Fives, Jesse and Hardcase then commandeer the captured starfighters and make their into orbit towards the supply ship. When they got there, they were in the middle of a space battle between the Republic fleet and Separatist Fleet. Luckily, the enemy fighters think they're Umbaran. When Krell finds out about this, Rex tells him that it's merely a reconaisance mission. Meanwhile, the rougue troopers then make their way through the battle towards the supply ship. The battle droids then see that the fighter pilots are clones. The Tactical droid is informed of this. When the droids start closing the doors, Hardcase then shoots it but damages his fighter. The Tactical droid then orders the defense increase and the reactors Ray shields to be activated. Just are the rogue troopers make thier shot on the reactors, ray shields come up. The rogue then come under ground fire from the droids. Harcase then leaves his figher and takes one of his missile pods into the reactor room. Hardcase then tells jesse and fives to get out. Just as Fives and Jesse leave, hardcase rams the missile pod into the reactors, thus destroying the supply ship. After Fives and Jesse land they are taken to see Krell. Though Krell knows it was a brave act, they disobeyed his orders. Rex tries to take the blame for this mission, but Fives insists that it was idea. Krell tells Fives and Jesse that they will be court-martialed and executed.

Behind the scenes
"Umbara makes the 2nd Battle of Geonosis seem like a Lake Country retreat."

- Leland Chee, on Twitter