Battle of Haruun Kal

"&hellip;This particular Jedi&mdash;Master Depa Billaba&mdash;is hardly a threat. Our intelligence identifies her as a failed commander, a liability to the Republic. In fact, according to this, you yourself faced her on Haruun Kal&hellip;where you decimated her troops and very nearly ended her life."

- Confederate General Kleeve, to Grievous

A battle took place on the planet Haruun Kal during the Clone Wars. Jedi General Depa Billaba led her battalion of clone troopers from the Grand Army of the Republic against enemy forces from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Separatist commander, General Grievous, engineered an onslaught that claimed the lives of ninety percent of Billaba's troops, resulting in a Confederate victory. Billaba was critically injured and remained comatose for the next six months, but she eventually recovered and received command of a new battalion of soldiers.

The battle
"Her last mission? Her battalion suffered ninety percent casualties. ''Ninety!" "Who was she up against?" "Way I hear it, General Grievous." "Whoa&hellip;" "Best case, he out-generaled her. Worst case, she's bad luck. Cursed''."

- Jedi initiates Sammo Quid and Tai Uzuma

During the Clone Wars, the planet Haruun Kal became a battlefield when battle groups from the Grand Army of the Republic and the military of the Confederacy of Independent Systems clashed there. Overseeing the Republic infantry was Jedi General Depa Billaba, a member of the Jedi High Council. Her battalion of clone troopers encountered resistance in the form of the Confederate General Grievous. Grievous's forces decimated Billaba's troops, causing her unit to suffer ninety percent casualties. Only four soldiers survived: Commander CC-10/994, nicknamed "Grey"; Captain Styles; Sergeant Soot; and Corporal Big-Mouth. Billaba, meanwhile, sustained critical injuries and was rendered comatose.

Aftermath
"Am I&hellip;'damaged goods'? I imagine the answer is yes.''" "But you seem fully recovered." "From physical injury, yes. Nevertheless, the inescapable truth is&hellip;many good men died under my command. Those deaths are my responsibility. And I fear causing more&hellip;which makes my usefulness as a commander in the field&hellip;suspect''."

- Depa Billaba and Caleb Dume

Due to the Republic's catastrophic losses, the Confederate forces claimed victory on Haruun Kal. Billaba was brought back to the Jedi Temple on the Republic capital of Coruscant, where she entered medical treatment. She did not emerge from her coma until six months later, at which point her fellow Jedi Masters evaluated her and allowed her to return to her seat on the Jedi High Council.

Despite her physical recovery, Billaba's defeat on Haruun Kal not only tarnished her reputation as a military commander, but it also forced her to live with the guilt of losing so many soldiers. Nevertheless, she helped to thwart a Separatist attack on the Jedi Temple and resumed her military service with a new Padawan, Caleb Dume. Grey, Styles, and the other survivors of Billaba's previous unit became the commanding officers of her new battalion within the Grand Army.

Behind the scenes
The battle of Haruun Kal was created as part of the backstory for Star Wars: Kanan, a canon comic series published by Marvel Comics. Writer Greg Weisman developed the details of the battle for the series' second story arc, First Blood. The battle was initially alluded to in the story arc's first issue, while the third issue revealed that the conflict had taken place on Haruun Kal, a location that was introduced in the non-canon Star Wars Legends continuity. Both comic issues were released in late 2015.

The plot point of Depa Billaba entering a coma after a battle on Haruun Kal originated in Shatterpoint, a Legends novel that was written by author Matthew Stover and published in 2003.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Kanan 7: First Blood, Part I: The Corridors of Coruscant
 * Star Wars: Kanan 9: First Blood, Part III: The Canyons of Kardoa