Battle of Belderone

The Battle of Belderone resulted from intelligence gained via the captured mechno-chair of Nute Gunray.

Using it, the Jedi intercepted a message from General Grievous, informing the members of the Separatist Council that they were to be moved to Belderone after Grievous conquered the world. The Jedi High Council dispatched a military force under Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to defend the planet from Grievous.

When Grievous's fleet emerged from hyperspace, they immediately came under attack by a Republic battle group of sixty capital vessels. Launching from the Integrity, the Jedi and Captain Davijaan&mdash;leading Clone Fight Squad Seven&mdash;rushed out to confront the Separatists. Kenobi and Skywalker fought their way past a swarm of over five hundred droid starfighters to the Invisible Hand, where Skywalker made a risky attack against the Separatist flagship.

Grievous himself witnessed Anakin's audacious assault, and though the little starfighter was no threat to his vessel, he was obligated to protect the lives of the Separatist Council members, and end the battle. The Invisible Hand opened fire on a refugee convoy attempting to flee the besieged planet, causing the deaths of approximately ten thousand innocents. This caught the Republic forces by surprised, and it allowed Grievous' fleet to escape into hyperspace.

Despite the heavy losses, the Battle of Belderone was deemed a victory for the Republic, and representatives of the planet expressed their gratitude to the Senate. However, some, including Master Yoda, considered the battle not to be a rout, as Grievous had retreated only to ensure the safety of the Separatist Council, and not because of Separatist casualties.

Because of their ambush at Belderone, the Republic knew it could no longer use the captured mechno-chair to eavesdrop on Separatist communications - the Separatists would surely realize the channel had been compromised. Grievous threatened Nute Gunray over the loss of his valuable mechno-chair, and on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine debated with the Jedi the effectiveness of the rout at Belderone, balanced against the loss of a means of spying on Separatist channels.