Mission to Rugosa/Legends

"Retreat, you must. On the moon below is my mission. There, I must go."

- Yoda to Captain Zak

The Mission to Rugosa was an operation that took place around 22 BBY during the Clone Wars. The Galactic Republic and the Jedi High Council sought to build a base in the Outer Rim Territories for further combat against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and Grand Master Yoda was dispatched with a convoy of clone troopers to the coral moon of Rugosa to engage in diplomatic negotiations with Katuunko, the King of Toydaria. However, the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress arrived first to negotiate with Katuunko on behalf of the Confederacy and its Head of State, Count Dooku. The Republic convoy was ambushed by several Confederate frigates, but Yoda was able to land on the moon in an escape pod with several clones.

Ventress posed a challenge for the Jedi: she would send her best battle droid forces to capture him, and if he defeated the droids, Toydaria would be given reason to ally with the Republic. Should Yoda fail, Toydaria would join the Confederacy. Yoda accepted the terms, and he and the clone shock troopers Lieutenant Thire, Jek, and Rys separately combated the droids. The three clones defeated a squad of B1 battle droids, but Yoda arrived to rescue the clones from a squad of oncoming B2 super battle droids. After escaping, the four took refuge in a cave, where the Jedi Master imparted his wisdom upon the clones to inspire their efforts.

Yoda defeated several Confederate droid squads and three Armored Assault Tanks single-handedly, and Ventress broke the terms of the competition, dispatching droideka reinforcements to eliminate the Jedi. However, Thire launched a rocket and caused an avalanche, crushing the droids. With the Confederacy's attempt at a treaty foiled, Dooku ordered his apprentice through a hololink to assassinate Katuunko. Yoda and the clones arrived in time to stop the attempt, and Ventress was forced to activate pre-planted explosives to cause a rockfall and escape. Yoda was able to stop the rubble, and Katuunko promised his planet's service to the Republic, before departing aboard an LAAT/i gunship with the Republic diplomatic forces.

Prelude
"Send a Jedi. I have always wanted to meet one.''" "Your world is close to the enemy, king. You would have me risk a Jedi with no troops?" "''No, no, no. Let me propose a neutral meeting ground, shall we say...Rugosa, yes? Three days' time. The coral moon shall do."

- King Katuunko and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine



In 22 BBY, as the Clone Wars continued to rage on across the galaxy, the Galactic Republic sought to further establish a base in the Outer Rim Territories for further combat against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine contacted the king of Toydaria, Katuunko, aboard the Thief's Eye, Katuunko's personal yacht. Palpatine asked the king to allow a base to be established in his territory, and Katuunko agreed to engage in negotiations with the Republic.

The Toydarian king requested for a Jedi to be sent, as he had always wanted to meet one; because of this request, the neutral moon of Rugosa was chosen. The Republic asked Grand Master Yoda to serve as its ambassador in the diplomatic negotiations. Upon receiving his mission, Yoda left the galactic capital of Coruscant with clone troopers Lieutenant Thire, Jek and Rys.

However, the Confederacy used the recently built listening post Skytop Station to intercept the messages between Katuunko and the Chancellor, and dispatched several Munificent-class frigates to lie in wait for the Republic convoy. The Confederacy intended to stop the Republic convoy from reaching Rugosa and prevent negotiations between Katuunko and the Republic to be made, while the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress was sent to Rugosa to persuade Katuunko to join the Confederacy.

Confederate ambush
"I ask, how can the Jedi protect you if they can not protect themselves?"

- Count Dooku to King Katuunko



Being the first to arrive on the moon, King Katuunko and his guards were surprised by the appearance of two B1 battle droids and Asajj Ventress, whom Katuunko did not recognize. The Rattataki Dark Acolyte claimed to be an emissary for her master and displayed a holoprojector, allowing communication to be made between the king and the Confederate Head of State, the Sith Lord Count Dooku. The Count was aware of the Republic's desire to establish a base in Hutt-controlled space and proclaimed the inability of the Jedi Order to protect others, as the Jedi were unable to protect themselves.

The Republic Consular-class frigate arrived above the moon, carrying Master Yoda and several clone troopers. The convoy hailed the Toydarian royal delegation, but received no response. Two Confederate Munificent-class frigates came out of hyperspace and began firing at the vessel. Clone Captain Zak was willing to abandon the mission in order to save Yoda by returning him to Coruscant. However, the Jedi stated that his mission was on the moon's surface and that the convoy should flee while he took three clone troopers to the moon in an escape pod. To increase the chances of the maneuver's success, the convoy launched all of its escape pods.

On the moon below, Dooku stated that the Separatist Droid Army could better protect Toydaria, outnumbering the Grand Army of the Republic one hundred to one. However, Katuunko doubted this, having heard that a single Jedi was worth a hundred battle droids. Meanwhile, with all the pods launched, the Republic convoy left the system. The Confederate warships attempted to shoot down the escape pods, but missed Yoda's pod.

Setting the terms
"If Master Yoda is indeed the Jedi warrior he claims to be, let him prove it. Let me send my best troops to capture him. If Yoda defeats them, join the Republic. But if my forces were to defeat Yoda, consider an alliance with the Separatists."

- Asajj Ventress places the terms of the competition

King Katuunko watched the Republic ship flee through his rangefinder, and Asajj Ventress attempted to use the retreat to illustrate the Republic's weakness. Further away in the jungle, Lieutenant Thire managed to patch into the king's communication system, allowing Yoda to speak to the king through a holotransmission. The king was pleased to see Yoda, having previously believed that Dooku had frightened him away. Yoda had not been aware that Dooku had been invited to the meeting, to which the king responded that the Count had invited himself.

Yoda proclaimed that the military power of both the Confederacy and the Republic was debatable. The Jedi Master became aware of Ventress' presence, as the Dark Acolyte offered a contest to demonstrate which side was superior in strength. Ventress planned to dispatch her forces to capture Yoda, and if he defeated them, the Toydarians would join the Republic. However, if the droid forces defeated Yoda, the king should consider joining the Confederacy. Katuunko was opposed to such a contest, as he did not request a meeting with the Jedi Master to have him engage in a fight. However, Yoda agreed to the terms, and Ventress agreed with the king that the Jedi must be given a fair fight. After returning to her base, the Rattataki contacted Dooku and stated that her forces were being deployed. Ventress did not intend for the Jedi to get his fair fight, and dispatched the recently promoted OOM-224 with the task of leading the droid forces, and the battle droids prepared to ambush the Republic's diplomatic squad.

The trial
"See? See? Size is not everything, hmm? Smaller in number are we, but larger in mind."

- Yoda to Jek, Rys, and Thire



Led by OOM-224 in his Armored Assault Tank, the main column of Confederate forces advanced into the jungle. Yoda and his men made their way to the rendezvous position on a different path, as the Jedi Master was certain that their enemies were already heading towards them. The droids began to go through the coral of the jungle, but the dense foliage prevented the tanks from advancing. Yoda and the clones split up, seeking to use their surroundings to their advantage. The clones engaged a squad of B1 battle droids from the south and managed to defeat the droids. B2 super battle droids came to attack the clones, and the three were forced to flee. Yoda, meanwhile, was able to defeat an entire squad of droids on his own without even using his lightsaber.

Lieutenant Thire was hit by a rocket fired by a B2 super battle droid commander and was wounded in the leg. Yoda appeared and aided the clones, using the Force to turn around a battle droid and destroy the rest of the squad. Droidekas soon appeared, and the Republic forces fled. Yoda, clinging onto Thire's back, deflected the lasers at a nearby tall formation of land coral, causing the droids to be crushed, and the four escaped to a cave to rest. The clones learned that they were low on ammunition, but the Jedi Master imparted his wisdom on the clone troopers to further inspire their efforts.



After hearing the sounds of the droids approaching in the distance, Yoda and the clones exited the cave. The Jedi and his men arrived on a ridge to observe the advancing droids below, which were passing through a narrow pathway. Yoda left the clones on the ridge, and faced three tanks and a large number of droids alone. The Jedi Master destroyed all of them, along with OOM-224, leaving Katuunko amused and Ventress angry. However, Ventress did not give up easily; the Dark Acolyte broke the terms of the competition and secretly sent several droidekas to deal with the Jedi Master. As Yoda destroyed the last Confederate tank, the droidekas arrived, and the Jedi Master began blocking their laser attacks. Thire launched the last of the rockets at an overhanging rock above the canyon, causing an avalanche to crush the droids. Yoda led the clones to the rendezvous point, stating that it was not polite to be late.

Aftermath
"In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side."

- Yoda, after Ventress flees

King Katuunko was greatly amused by the droids' defeat. Through a holotransmission, the king informed Dooku that one Jedi was not worth a hundred battle droids, but rather a thousand, and stated that he would be joining the Republic. The Count urged him to reconsider, but the Toydarian king refused to deal with those who went back on their promises, as Ventress had broken the terms of the competition. The Count, seeing that his plan had failed, ordered Ventress to kill the king, believing that negotiations might go smoother with his successor. Katuunko's guards tried to stop the Dark Acolyte, but Ventress merely Force-pushed them aside, knocking them unconscious. As Ventress attacked the king with her paired lightsabers, she found herself confronted by Master Yoda, having arrived in time to save the king. The Jedi used the Force to stop her death blow from being struck. As her droid escorts were dispatched by the clones, Yoda disarmed Ventress, and after examining her lightsabers, the Jedi returned them to her, having proven they were useless against his telekinesis, while commenting that she still had much to learn. Ventress was outnumbered, and Yoda suggested that she surrender.



In order to escape, Ventress detonated pre-planted explosives and caused the hillside adjacent to the Republic forces to collapse. Yoda was forced to telekinetically stop the rocks from crushing all of them, and as he did so, the Rattataki seized the opportunity and fled to her ship. Dooku, watching the events unfold through the holoprojector, commented before taking his leave that it was a pity that he had not been there himself.

With the Confederate threat over, Yoda was able to begin negotiations with King Katuunko. However, the king stated that negotiations were unnecessary, as the Jedi had already proven his worth. Katuunko presented his ceremonial sword to the Jedi, and entrusted the Jedi with his planet's protection while pledging Toydaria's support to the Republic, declaring that it would be an honor to fight on their side. A Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer arrived in orbit, sending down an LAAT/i gunship to pick up the victors, now that their mission was complete.

Behind the scenes
The mission was featured in the October 3, 2008 premiere of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series on Cartoon Network. It appeared in "Ambush," the first episode of Season One. The events leading up to the mission appeared in the web comic Prelude, which led into the episode. The episode was originally later in the season, but aired in the series' premiere with "Rising Malevolence." The premiere featured the television network's record highest view count and ratings for a series premiere. The mission later appeared in the young readers book Ambush.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Ambush
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Ambush

Notes and references
Mission auf Rugosa Misión a Rugosa Missione su Rugosa Battle of Rugosa