Battle of Fondor

"They killed most of their reinforcements to eliminate half of our forces. Is such savagery common place?"

- Nas Choka

The Battle of Fondor was fought early in the Yuuzhan Vong War. The New Republic fleet, aided by Hapan forces, fought the invaders in order to defend the planet's shipyards. The battle was infamous because while the Yuuzhan Vong fleet was destroyed, Centerpoint Station's superlaser destroyed many Hapan ships.

Prelude
After the fall of Gyndine and Tynna, New Republic Intelligence believed from intercepted information that the next Yuuzhan Vong attack would be either Corellia or Bothawui. The New Republic chose to fortify Bothawui while leaving Corellia open to attack from the Yuuzhan Vong. Despite seemingly abandoning one world for another, in reality, the Republic hoped to lure the Vong to Corellia and activate Centerpoint Station as a massive gravity well generator to trap them within the system.

In preparation for the showdown, Leia Organa Solo traveled to the New Republic-allied Hapes Consortium to enlist the Hapan Royal Navy to aid in the defense of the Core Worlds. Meanwhile, Commodore Turk Brand assembled a fleet in the Commenor system in preparation for a quick jump to Corellia, while the Fifth Fleet had strewn itself across the Bothan sector in order to protect its backdoor.

The battle
In the interim, it was revealed that the Vong had launched their attack against neither Corellia nor Bothawui, but Fondor, the site of a massive New Republic shipyard complex. Prior to that, Kyp Durron led his squadron in an attempt to rescue slaves being held aboard the clustership Crèche, which was also holding Wurth Skidder. Under siege, Commander Chine-kal jumped the ship to Fondor, the intended target. Satisfied that everything was ready, Nas Choka, the Supreme Commander of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, ordered the fleet to attack. With the routes from Bothawui to Fondor lined with Dovin basals, the Hapans took their fleet from Commenor to Fondor. Caught completely off-guard, the only New Republic ships that could get there were the few ships already stationed there. Before the Hapan fleet could arrive, suicide-bombing coralskipper craft destroyed much of the shipyards, as well as most of the thirty capital ships docked there.

Making their way onto the Crèche, Kyp and Ganner Rhysode managed to rescue most of the slaves on board, but when they found Skidder, it was obvious that he did not have long to live. Asking them to rescue Randa and kill the yammosk, Skidder died. Durron and Ganner managed to rescue Randa and kill the yammosk, but the vessel began to die. The three managed to get off in time, but Chine-kal was able to inform Choka that the Hutts had betrayed them.

When word of the attack at Fondor reached Corellia, Jedi Knight Anakin Solo at the urging of Former Corellian dictator Thrackan Sal-Solo armed Centerpoint nonetheless, while Jacen Solo, who was against the idea tried to talk him out of it. Anakin planned to use the station's massive repulsors to literally smash the Vong fleet, but was dissuaded at the last second by his pacifist brother, Jacen. A disgusted Sal-Solo activated the controls instead.

Sal-Solo was unable to properly aim the beam, however. While the massive repulsor beam destroyed half of the Vong fleet, causing them to withdraw, it came at a large cost. Most of the Hapan fleet was destroyed and the beam grazed and destroyed a section of Fondor's penultimate moon. The beam also singed Fondor's northern hemisphere before continuing away from the planet and out into the black of space. With the yammosk dead and the unsure if there was going to be another energy beam, Choka ordered his fleet to withdraw.

Aftermath
Prince Isolder was blamed for the loss of the Hapan fleet upon his return to Hapes and retired from public life. The Force-feedback from so many deaths caused the pregnant Queen Mother Djo to miscarry. These incidents both helped tilt the balance of power to Isolder's mother, Ta'a Chume. Shortly after the battle, the Hapes Consortium once more closed its borders to the galaxy.

The loss of Fondor, a profitable market, caused an upheaval in Hutt politics, with many of the clans opposing the ruling Besadii.

With their alliance with the Hutts in ruins, and in an attempt to shore up his own position, Choka blockaded Hutt Space and launched an attack on Nal Hutta, driving the Hutts from Hutt Space. Choka would spend the next two years campaigning in Hutt Space, and his victories would eventually cause Supreme Overlord Shimrra to escalate him to Warmaster.

Sal-Solo was elevated to the status of hero by the Corellians, and the next year was elected Governor-General of the Corellian sector.

The Fondor shipyards, although nearly destroyed, continued to service the fleets of the New Republic and Galactic Alliance throughout the rest of the war.

Anakin Solo ended up regretting having not fired Centerpoint Station at Thrackan's urging, believing that he could have destroyed the Yuuzhan Vong fleet without devastating the Hapans as well. As a result, Anakin grew to advocate more aggressive action in the war against the Vong, while Jacen withdrew further.

Appearances

 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Edge of Victory I: Conquest
 * Recovery
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * The Unifying Force
 * Betrayal
 * Bloodlines
 * Tempest
 * Fury