Evacuation of Ciutric

The First Battle of Ciutric IV occurred in 5 ABY on and above the planet Ciutric IV.

Background
When Sate Pestage, the former leader of the Galactic Empire, fled to Ciutric to escape execution at the hands of his rival Ysanne Isard, Imperial forces hunted him down. The New Republic sent a rescue force down onto the planet to retrieve him as Pestage would be instrumental in the upcoming capture of Coruscant.

The battle


Rogue Squadron and Aggressor Wing provided air support while Commando Team One infiltrated the city where Pestage was hiding. Several commandos extracted Pestage from the city and proceeded to escape in an evacuation transport. Escape from the planet, however, was prevented by a pair of Star Destroyers under the command of Admiral Delak Krennel, the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Reckoning and Interdictor Star Destroyer Binder.

Aggressor Wing was able to escape to hyperspace, but Rogue Squadron, the commandos, and Pestage were caught in the Interdictor's gravity well and forced to go to ground on the planet's night side. With the retrieval force trapped on the planet, a squadron of TIE fighters ambushed the team, killing Ibtisam before being wiped out by the remaining Rogues.

The following day, Rogue Squadron launched a desperate attack against the Imperial forces in orbit. As the battle was beginning, Aggressor Wing returned, along with at least one additional squadron of Y-wings and the Pulsar Skate, destroying many of the TIEs. The reinforced Republic force returned again to the surface to refuel and plan their escape.

With the Skate and X-wings providing support, the Y-wing squadrons fired volleys of proton torpedoes at the Star Destroyers, knocking out the Binder ' s gravity well projectors and causing artificial gravity to fail on the Reckoning. Both Destroyers retreated, clearing the path for the Republic forces to escape.

On the surface, Stormtroopers and All Terrain Armored Transports attacked Commando Team One before their Bantha-class assault shuttles could launch. However, both shuttles managed to escape in the fighting.

Aftermath
In the confusion, Pestage fled his rescuers, intending for Krennel to command the Ciutric Hegemony in his name. Krennel instead strangled Pestage with his artificial right hand and seized complete control of the Hegemony.

Appearances

 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: Mandatory Retirement
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge