Battle of Umbara

"Time and rest are luxuries that the Republic cannot afford. We are the key to this invasion. The other battalions are counting on us for support. If we fail, everyone fails!"

- General Pong Krell

The battle of Umbara took place during the Clone Wars on the planet Umbara. It was also the event during which the treason of Jedi General Pong Krell was revealed, whose ultimate goal was recognition by Count Dooku to become his new apprentice.

Prelude
The Separatists started to tighten their grip over vital and isolated supply routes. Following the death of Umbara's senator, Mee Deechi, the Umbarans withdrew from the Republic and committed their militia to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Republic then sent Jedi Master Pong Krell, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Council members Obi-Wan Kenobi and Saesee Tiin to retake Umbara with their troops.

Northern landing
[[File:RexSkywalker-Umbara.jpg|left|thumb|186x186px| Skywalker and Rex lead the 501st's charge on Umbara.

]] Spearheaded by Z-95 Headhunters of the 327th star corps led by Jedi Commanders Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee, the Republic forces broke through the Separatist blockade. As they made their landing Kenobi spoke to Skywalker, Cody, Rex and their troops to discuss their strategy. Masters Krell's and Tiin's troops would be supporting Kenobi's 212th Attack Battalion in the south, while Skywalker's 501st Legion would come in from the north, and take out enemy reinforcements. The main objective was to conquer the capital as quickly as possible and hold it. As the Acclamator-class transgalactic military assault ship entered the atmosphere, the ground forces were deployed in gunships protected by the Headhunters.

The gunships also deployed numerous AT-RTs that were able to charge the Umbaran Militia's hover tanks and destroy them. Skywalker's troops then landed and moved towards a ridge, fighting the Umbarans and forcing them to retreat. However, one of troopers, Hardcase, was almost eaten by a Vixus. Hardcase was then saved by ARC Trooper Fives.

At the ridge, the clones then entrenched themselves. However, the Umbarans ambushed them by using a Millicreep droid to distract them. The Umbarans then circled around the clones' encampment. Skywalker then called in Odd Ball to bombard the area with Y-wings to wipe out the Umbarans.

As Skywalker forces regrouped for the attack on the Capital, Master Krell arrived with orders from the Jedi Council ordering him to return to Coruscant at the Supreme Chancellor's request. Skywalker reluctantly followed the orders and command of the 501st went to Krell. Krell then ordered the 501st to march onward towards the capital. En route, the clones came under attack by a pair of Banshees. They then resumed the march after Krell killed the last one. When the 501st reached the outskirts of the capital, Krell decided to launch a full forward assault on the capital along the main road, despite Rex's objections. However, they walked into a Minefield, that killed Oz and Ringo. Fives was then able to find a way through the field. The 501st then came under attack by the Umbarans, holding their ground despite being exposed. Rex then ordered a retreat to rejoin Krell and his troops. Together, they were able repel the Umbarans. Krell was disappointed at Rex for not holding the road, but was convinced that Rex and Fives did what was best for their men. Rex and the 501st then fought the Umbarans counterattack.

Capturing the airbase
Krell, Rex, and the 501st continued to hold their ground against the Umbarans from both their air and ground forces. Krell was then contacted by Kenobi, who ordered him and the 501st to capture the airbase. The airbase was supplying the capital with supplies that prevented the 212th from taking the capital. The 501st then regrouped and moved towards the airbase.

As the 501st reached the outskirts of the airbase, Rex suggested that they scout the area first. Krell, knowing the urgency of Kenobi's situation, ordered the 501st to go through a gorge single file. The 501st troopers started to criticize Krell's tactics knowing they would suffer heavy casualties. Despite, Rex was able to convince the 501st to go ahead with the attack. As the 501st entered the gorge, Rex divided it into three groups with Fives and Hardcase. As they made their way through, they came under attack by caterpillar tanks. However, they were able to destroy the tanks with their rocket launchers and Thermal detonators. They resumed moving towards the airbase, until they came under fire by the Umbarans' MHCs. Rex and the 501st attempted to use the rocket launchers against the MHCs to no avail. Rex then sent Fives and Hardcase to infiltrate the airbase and commandeer a pair of Zenuas 33 Umbaran starfighters to use against the MHCs. Krell, however, ordered Rex to launch a full-scale attack. Rex and his men the continue to hold their ground against the MHCs. Fives and Hardcase were able to pass the sensor fence by using a tree. After Fives blew up the tree to distract the Umbarans, he and Hardcase were able to board a pair of starfighters and used them to destroy the MHCs. Krell and Sergeant Appo and brought in the rest of the 501st and took the airbase. The 501st then rounded up the remaining Umbarans as prisoners and held the base before moving on to taking the capital with Kenobi.

Attack on the Supply Ship
"Can't we destroy the supply ship?" "We're trying, but with little success. Their fleet outnumbers ours, and the extra ships we were promised have not yet arrived."

- Captain Rex and Obi-Wan Kenobi

After securing the airbase for the Republic, the Umbarans stepped up their attacks in their attempts to retake the airbase. Krell and 501st made sure security measures were reconfigured and that all the troopers stayed on alert for anything. During this time, Fives was examining the Umbaran starfighters. Krell was then contacted by Kenobi, who congratulated him on taking the airbase, despite Krell wanting to wait until the battle was won. Kenobi told Krell that the 212th was being pushed away from the capital by long-range missiles. The capital was now receiving supplies from a Separatist supply ship protected by a Separatist fleet that outnumbered the Republic's fleet. Krell stated that they would have take the capital, regardless of the missiles and would meet up with Kenobi and 212th at the rendezvous point. Kenobi's transmission was then lost. Despite this, Krell ordered the 501st to be prepared in twelve hours to advance to the capital; Rex then asked Krell if he should try to get a message to Kenobi in order to coordinate the attack. Krell, however, knew Kenobi had his hands full and asserted that they need to throw everything they had at the capital. Despite Rex claiming they would walk into a blast zone, Krell disagreed with him and ordered him to prepare the 501st. After Rex briefed his troops, Fives told him that he had broken Umbaran access codes and that they could use the captured starfighters to infiltrate the supply ship and destroy it. Rex presented the idea to Krell, who shot it down immediately. Fives disobeyed Krell, along with Jesse and Hardcase and preceded with the mission. The three embarked on their mission with the starfighters. After their launch, Krell was told by a Flight Officer about the launch of three fighters, and revealing this to Rex. Rex then lied to the General, and stated he launched the fighters for reconnaissance on the Umbaran capital. Back with Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase, their plan was working until a B1 battle droid spotted Hardcase in one of the ships. The tactical droid in charge of the ship ordered the droids to put the rayshields up to defend the ship's core systems. The droids did so which resulted in the clones being cornered. The troops fought back until Hardcase set his ship down. He detached a part of the ship and used it to blow up the ship, sacrificing himself in the process.

Betrayal of General Krell
Jesse and Fives were then sentenced to being court-martialed. Krell changed his mind from court-martialing the soldiers to sentencing them to execution. Fives and Jesse were led by Appo and other troopers to their execution. Dogma was in charge of leading the execution, the line of which consisted of Kix, Tup and several other troopers. Fives appealed to his brothers, which resulted in the soldiers dropping their weapons. Krell, outraged, ordered Rex and Dogma to his tower. Before Rex and Krell could argue over the matter, the tower received a transmission from a clone scout, informing them that the Umbarans were preparing another offensive, possibly with the aid of clone armor and weapons captured from a platoon. Krell decided on a preemptive strike. The troops moved out, but soon ran into a firefight and began targeting what they believed to be the enemy in disguise. The transmission was fake, which resulted in the 212th Attack Battalion and 501st Legion attacking one another. Rex saved the remainder of their forces by removing the helmet of a fallen 212th trooper. After the battle, Kix had discovered the 212th platoon leader, Waxer, mortally wounded. Waxer revealed that it was Krell who gave the order before his death. Rex gathered the remaining survivors of the 501st and the 212th to capture Krell. Dogma initially accepted this and wanted justice for his fallen brothers. However, due to him being a "loyal" soldier, he stepped out of the coup. The group of soldiers entered the control tower, in which Krell was alone. The 212th and 501st surrounded him, and Rex told Krell that he was being "relieved of duty". Krell, angered, Force pushed all the clones back and killed several of the 501st and 212th present in the room. When pursuing the traitor, Rex, Jesse, Fives, and the others were stopped by Dogma, who was then arrested. The troopers followed Krell into the forest of Umbara, before Krell attacked. He killed several clones, flinging Tup up several meters until he hit a Vixus, which awoke briefly. Tup then contacted Rex to lure the general towards him. The remaining soldiers retreated towards Tup who opened fire on the general. Krell rushed him, but then stepped on a limb of the Vixus, which grabbed Krell. Krell was flung helplessly through the air until he detached the Vixus' tongue and arm that was grasping him. Krell dropped to the ground, and watched as the clones killed the Vixus. He attempted to escape, but Tup stunned him, thus ending the conflict against the former Jedi.

Krell was taken captive by the clones, and then Clone Sergeant Appo reported that Kenobi's 212th Attack Battalion had spearheaded and captured the Umbaran Capital, and now the reaming Umbarans were heading to their position. The troopers realized that if Krell was set free, he would be able to turn over the Republic's security codes and other Intel. Knowing that this couldn't happen, Rex, Jesse, Fives, Kix, and Tup went to confront him and execute the former Jedi. Dogma was also released to stand with his brothers during this. Rex had Krell ready for it, but Krell taunted the captain, stating that he would never be able to take the shot. Krell was then unexpectedly shot mid sentence, and as the troopers turned around they saw that Dogma had taken Fives's blaster pistol and had been the one to fire. Dogma took a gasp of breath and only stated that had to kill him for the betrayal.

Aftermath
"What's the point of all this? I mean, why?''" "I don't know, sir. I don't think anybody knows. But I do know that someday this war is gonna end." "''Then what? We're soldiers. What happens to us then?"

- Rex and Fives, directly after the battle

Dogma was taken into custody and Fives informed Rex that the last holdouts of Umbarans had been taken out. Rex did not feel like celebrating it however, and he spoke with Fives about what the point of the war was, and what would happen to the clones when it ended.

Krell's betrayal was remembered by the Jedi, and Anakin Skywalker used it as an example of how there would be Jedi that would disappoint the Order. Ki-Adi-Mundi would later recall the betrayal of Krell, and the later betrayal of Barriss Offee, when debating the fallen Jedi Quinlan Vos.

Appearances

 * Dark Disciple
 * Thrawn
 * Dark Disciple
 * Thrawn
 * Dark Disciple
 * Thrawn
 * Dark Disciple
 * Thrawn