Battle of Malastare/Legends

The Battle of Malastare, one of the longest and fiercest engagements of the Clone Wars, took place on the planet of Malastare around 21 BBY, when the Galactic Republic attempted to stop the Confederacy of Independent Systems' droid army from seizing Malastare and its vital Dug fuel resources. It saw the use of a new Republic superweapon called the electro-proton bomb, which succeeded in depleting the battle droids' numbers, but also awoke a Zillo Beast, which attacked Republic and Dug forces. Eventually, after battling the Zillo Beast, the Republic forces knocked out the monster, which was then taken to Coruscant, the Republic capital world, for study, and a treaty with the Dugs was signed, providing the Republic access to vital Malastarian resources necessary to continue their impending offensive.

Prelude
"We need that treaty signed, so we can gain access to the fuel reserves here on Malastare. Without it our armies shall be vulnerable.''" "''I will do my best."

- Palpatine, the Galactic Republic's Supreme Chancellor and Dug leader Doge Nakha Urus Around 21 BBY during the Clone Wars, Malastare's rich natural fuel reserves became crucial for the Galactic Republic, as the Republic war effort would have suffered a severe setback without them. Therefore, Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic&mdash;who was secretly a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious &mdash; intended to secure the world for the Republic. This made the planet a strategic target, as the Confederacy of Independent Systems was also interested in these natural resources. To ensure the fuel supply of the Grand Army of the Republic and prevent Malastare from joining the Separatists, Palpatine wished to sign a treaty with the Malastarian council. The Dugs' leader, Doge Nakha Urus, headed this body, and therefore, he and the council had control of the fuel reserves.

Beginning battle
"I won't allow my people to become Separatist slaves!"

- Doge Nakha Urus

A T-series tactical droid led the Confederacy's invasion force&mdash;consisting of B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids supported by LR-57 combat droids, Armored Assault Tanks, LM-432 crab droids, Vulture-class droid starfighters, and Hyena-class bombers&mdash;towards the Doge's imperial palace, where several Jedi from the Republic were assembling. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had previously authorized the army to utilize a new superweapon called the electro-proton bomb, which could release an electromagnetic wave capable of disabling droids and vehicles within its explosive radius, and had never been tested before. Although Doge Nakha Urus and Jedi Master Mace Windu initially feared that the weapon could affect Malastare's ecosystem, they eventually agreed, thanks to the urging of the Chancellor. Doctor Sionver Boll, the female scientist who developed the bomb, also assured the two that the weapon would impact neither the world nor its inhabitants negatively.

As clone troopers, led by CC-7567 and CC-0411 and supported by All Terrain Tactical Enforcers and Dug forces &mdash;cavaliers riding insectomorphs and artillery &mdash;went on the defensive, several Y-wing bombers and ARC-170 starfighters escorted by V-19 Torrent starfighters took off from the Doge's palace. While the ARCs began strafing the Confederate army, the bomber carrying the superweapon maneuvered over the target area and dropped its load. The ensuing explosion and electromagnetic pulse damaged and deactivated the droid army, along with several Republic vehicles and pieces of technology.

Zillo Beast
"The ground is sinking!"

- Jedi Master Mace Windu

The detonation of the bomb caused parts of the surface to collapse, creating a sinkhole. Several clone troopers, AT-TEs and LAAT gunships fell into the pit, which also damaged pipes coming from a fuel facility. The Jedi dispatched search parties to retrieve the men, but contact was soon lost with them, so Urus, Windu, and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker traveled to the hole in a gunship to investigate. Windu assigned Skywalker to Urus, while he and CC-0411 flew down the crater with a group of clone troopers. After finding some survivors, the Jedi Master continued his search with three clones, also calling Skywalker to the spot.

When the surface they were standing on began to move, the team realized they were standing on top of a creature. The clones opened fire on the creature, but to no avail, as the blasters could not pierce the beast's skin. They fell off, with the beast killing one trooper, but Skywalker arrived in his starfighter and began circling around the monster's head to distract it. Windu and his escort were airlifted by an arriving LAAT gunship, but Skywalker's fighter was damaged by the creature, causing it to crash. The Jedi Knight attempted to engage the beast, only to find that its skin was lightsaber-resistant. Skywalker was forced to jump on R2-D2, who used his thruster jets to flee the scene. Doge Urus later informed the Jedi that the creature was none other than the last surviving Zillo Beast.

Soon, Dug rail guns and debris loaders arrived and spent the rest of the day bombarding the beast, illuminating the sinkhole. The two Jedi quarreled with Urus on the matter, as the latter intended to kill the creature due to the danger it presented to the Dugs, as a prophecy said that one of them would eventually eradicate the Dug species. The Jedi stated that ending the life of the last member of a sentient species was against the Jedi Code, but the Dug leader did not allow interference into the subject, dubbing it an internal affair and threatening to reject the fuel reserve treaty if he was not allowed to kill the Zillo with Republic support, thus using his position to enforce the Republic to accept it. Seeing that there was no hope in convincing the Doge, Windu and Skywalker left.



The Jedi then contacted Chancellor Palpatine, showing him a holo-recording of the creature, which amazed him. Mace Windu insisted that the beast be carried off-planet and settled in the Outer Rim Territories, while Doctor Sionver Boll suggested further study of the monster due to the ability of its skin to resist most weaponry. Skywalker then proposed that the gaps in its armor be targeted with stun cannons, which would put the animal into an unconscious state similar to death. This would allow the Republic to transport the beast away and examine it and satisfy the Dugs as well.

Upon approaching Urus with stun tanks, the Jedi found that the Dugs had already begun their operation; the sinkhole was being filled up with Malastarian fuel, which was said to be lethal to the creature. Mace Windu attempted to convince Urus by threatening him with his lightsaber, but the Zillo climbed out of the sinkhole, destroying the Dug rail guns set up around the perimeter. Seeing this turn of events, the stun tanks opened fire and eventually managed to daze the beast, albeit at the cost of several tanks.

Aftermath
"Welcome to the Republic, Doge Urus. I'm sure this business arrangement will be mutually beneficial."

- Chancellor Palpatine, just after the treaty had been signed.

Although the victory was costly, and the battle was one of the longest and fiercest engagements of the Clone Wars, Urus was satisfied and signed the treaty, which provided the Galactic Republic war machine with fuel necessary to continue the offensive. The unconscious beast was loaded onto transports after being airlifted by a flight of LAAT/c gunships, but Palpatine and his scientific advisors altered the original plans&mdash;which would have had the monster transported to the Outer Rim Territories&mdash;and ordered to transport the Zillo to Coruscant, the Galactic Republic's capital city-planet, so that its armor could be studied for possible use. The Chancellor tasked Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker to escort it to the world.

Eventually, the beast broke free from the Coruscanti facility in which it was being studied after Dr. Sionver Boll attempted to kill it on the behest of the Supreme Chancellor. The monster made its way to the Senate Building, where it grabbed the fleeing Palpatine's vehicle, attempting to kill him, as it recognized the Chancellor as a Sith Lord. Anakin Skywalker, however, managed to cut the ship in two, thus allowing them to escape. Not long after, LAAT/i gunships arrived, which dropped Malastarian fuel bombs on the creature, killing it. As the lifeless body of the Zillo was transported away, the Supreme Chancellor ordered Sionver Boll to clone it&mdash;a command which surprised her.

Behind the scenes
The battle made its debut in the twelfth episode of the second season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated TV series, titled "The Zillo Beast". It eventually received its official name in the next episode, "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back", and also makes a non-canonical appearance in LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.

Appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
 * LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
 * LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

Notes and references
Schlacht von Malastare Batalla de Malastare Bitwa o Malastare Malastaren taistelu