Destruction of Chelloa

"Your idea of surprise is punching with your left hand instead of your right.''" "''You were right, Lord Daiman"

- Daiman and Sith commander

The Destruction of Chelloa occured in 1,032 BBY during the Second Charge Matrica, phase of the New Sith Wars.

Background
"Daiman knows Odion is coming to conquer, not destroy -- and that's exactly what Daiman wants. I don't know why...But you can't choose one side or the other. All you can do is get out of the way."

- Kerra Holt

Chelloa was part of Sith Lord Daiman's principality the Daimanate in the Grumani Sector. By 1,032 BBY, Daiman had discovered the planet was rich in vast deposits of baradium, used to manufacture munitions. To fuel his war effort against his brother Odion and the Galactic Republic, Daiman strip-mined the entire planet, depopulating the planet and destroying its pristine environment. Gorlan Palladane, a local miner and former Jedi Knight, established contact with the Jedi Order, becoming an informant and helping the Order prepare a military strike on Daiman's holdings on Chelloa. He used a transmitter built by the Rodian mechanic Skodo to communicate with the Order. However, the interstellar relays were intercepted by the rival Sith Lord Odion, ruler of the Odionate. A Jedi team under Jedi Master Vannar Treece launched a strike known as Operation: Influx which destroyed several of Daiman's cargo liners and took control of the spaceport.

However, they were interrupted by the arrival of Odion who unleashed a kinetic corruptor that destroyed a large area of the surface and killed many slaves and soldiers alike. The entire Jedi strike team with the exception of Kerra Holt was killed. However, she was rescued by Palladane who managed to evacuate several lucky survivors onto a cargo liner. Arriving at the town of Jenith, they encountered Daiman who expressed little concern for his people but was preoccupied with counteracting Odion's moves. Investigating the source of the intelligence leakage, he tortured Skodo to death and planted a fake transmitter. To counteract Odion, Daiman imported ten more kinetic corruptors disguised as Mobile Munitions Complexes and a fleet of transports, to deceive his enemies into believing he was going to expand baradium mining operations. He intended to lure Odion to land an invasion force on Chelloa where they would be trapped and obliterated by the kinetic corruptors, along with all life on the planet. To provoke Odion, he launched a token starfighter attack and duped Holt into believing this false information and that Odion posed a greater threat with his mobile factory The Spike, which produced more kinetic corruptors. While confronting Odion, she revealed Daiman's expanded baradium operations, playing into Daiman's hands as intended.

Meanwhile, Daiman's troops apprehended Palladane after he tried to communicate with Odion, trying to say Chelloa by telling him that there were no more baradium mines. Palladane was tortured by Daiman who retaliated to this intelligence leakage by ordering a planetwide crackdown including the destruction of Jenith. However, Palladane was rescued by Holt who also saved his family and several Chelloa citizens including village leaders. They then fled to the town of Arboth where they had a safehouse. While scouting Arboth's spaceport, Holt discovered that the transports carrying the workers were empty. Determined to escaped Daimanate oppression, Holt and Palladane made preparations to evacuate Chelloa's population of 60,000.

Brothers at War
"Just like with the token resistance in orbit -- He's let us advance too far, too fast! But why would he--" "Lord Odion! Look there! The pyramids--they're opnening!"

- Odion and lieutenant Having loaded his elite Lightning Guard into landing ships, Odion's invasion force entered Chelloa's atmosphere and landed near Arboth. Daiman's space forces had deliberately retreated while leaving behind a token force of Daimanate Sith troopers and tanks to guard the ten "mobile complexes." Having airborne troops equipped with jet packs and superior tanks, Odion's forces overwhelmed Daiman's troops. Near victory, Odion sensed that he was fighting substandard troops and began to suspect Daiman's true intentions. Meanwhile, Daiman and his commander were observing the battle from a high mountain. With Odion now in his trap, Daiman ordered the "factory-carrier units" to deploy. Within minutes, the mobile pyramids shedded their metal shells to reveal deadly world-destroying Kinetic corruptors.

Odion quickly realised that Daiman's true intentions were to lure him to Chelloa where he could destroy them along with the entire planet but it was too late. His escorting Odionate gunships and landing ships quickly retreated to safety, leaving his ground forces stranded. Meanwhile, Daiman had already evacuated the bulk of his forces offworld. As the corruptors activated, Daiman ordered his shuttle to be prepared and for the decoy fleet at Arboth to lift off. He was willing to sacrifice a portion of his own troops and the Chelloan people along with their planet to destroy his primary foe Odion whom he viewed as the "Destroyer" in his twisted philosophy. Meanwhile, the Kinetic Corruptors unleashed a wave of flammable shale gas and molten magma from beneath the surface which killed many of combatants from both sides. Unable to reach their troop landers on time and bereft of air support, Odion ordered the surviving Lightning Guardsmen to hitchike rides on the Kinetic corruptors and Daiman's transports at Arboth.

Freedom Fleet
"Oh, and if you're watching up there, Daiman -- we quit!"

- Gorlan Palladane

Seeing an opportunity in the fleet of decoy transports at Arboth spaceport, Kerra and Palladane organized the villages into teams. These teams seized control of the vessels, overpowering and disarming the Daimanite crew and security. Thus, the Freedom Fleet was formed and its ships were then dispersed across the ten Chelloan mining settlements to ferry the inhabitants to safety. Towards the end of the evacuation Daiman unleashed his kinetic corruptors which triggered molten activity underground, killing many of the invading Odionate forces. Facing annihilation, Odion ordered his surviving troops to board the transports at Arboth.

However, they were rebuffed and prevent from boarding by the two Jedi Knights and the Chelloan people. Many of the Odionate Guardsmen were killed while boarding while others were consumed in the enroaching magma. During a confrontation, Kerra taunted Odion by daring him to finish her off. Meanwhile, Daiman attempted to contact his decoy fleet to order them to lift off. When he received no reply, he borrowed a telescope and quickly discovered that the Chelloans had recquisitioned his transports. He was even more surprised to discover Palladane free and wielding a lightsaber.

The Freedom Fleet then lifted off into orbit but Daiman was unable to shoot them down since had ordered his defense fleet to tactically retreat from the atmosphere. Still, Daiman and his command managed to evacuate to safety before the mountain collapsed on their command post. Meanwhile, Kerra and Odion engaged in heated lightsaber pursuit in the upper atmosphere above Chelloa. The Jedi Knight commandeered an airspeeder while her Sith opponent donned a jetpack. Kerra managed to reach one of the ascending cargo liners but Odion caught up with her. During a verbal confrontation, Odion tried to provoke Holt by telling her that he savoured his role in the killings on Aquilaris and dared her to kill him.

However, this duel was interrupted by Gorlan who opened one of the entry hatches while fastened to a cable. Armed with a lightsaber, Palladane took on the Sith Lord and drove him to the engine thrusters, expressing his desire for retribution. During the confrontation, both men were severely burnt but Odion managed to escape because of his jetpack. Mortally wounded, Palladane crawled back up to the entry hatch with the assistance of Holt. In his last moments, Palladane commented that Kerra was dying for the wrong thing while he himself was living for the wrong thing. Kerra promised to bring the Chelloan people back into Republic space but Palladane reminded her they were now her people and that she had a responsibility to save billions of other sentients living under Sith domination.

Aftermath
The Freedom Fleet then made its way to the Daimanate world of Nilash where they liberated the native slave workers before making their way to Aquilaris, Holt's former homeworld.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knight Errant 5: Aflame, Part 5