Battle of Kashyyyk

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The Battle of Kashyyyk, also referred to as the invasion of Kashyyyk, defense of Kashyyyk, or Kashyyyk campaign, was one of the final engagements of the Clone Wars, a pan-galactic conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was fought on the Mid Rim planet of Kashyyyk, the homeworld of the Wookiees, and included the Battle of Kachirho, where the Republic and Wookiees defended Kachirho, the capital of the planet.

PreludeEdit

Due to being located on key hyperspace routes, the planet of Kashyyyk was a strategic location for conflicts in the the galaxy.^[16] However, after being rescued from Trandoshan slavers^[17] by Republic clone commandos, the Wookiee^[7] chieftain^[16] Tarfful pledged that he'd fight anyone to the death if they tried to occupy Kashyyyk or enslave his people,^[7] but, towards the end of the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems launched a massive invasion of Kashyyyk with heavy artillery and their Droid Army.^[16] As Wookiees looked up, the Separatist fleet strew the night sky of Kashyyyk in a harsh light.^[7]

Following the rescue of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine during the Battle of Coruscant and subsequent Republic victory, the Jedi High Council gathered at the Jedi Temple to discuss their next move. It was decided during the meeting, due to his good relations with the Wookiees, that Grand Master Yoda would travel to Kashyyyk to aid them in their fight against the Droid Army,^[1] as the Jedi Master had served as a Jedi negotiator in many incidents involving the Wookiees and their Trandoshan neighbors before. This had earned him the ancient title of "Defender of the Home Tree", as well as becoming a member of many Wookiee leaders' and all the inhabitants of Kachirho's honor families.^[18]

The battleEdit

Confederate assaultEdit

The Separatist Droid forces targeted the planet's oil refinery,^[6] and, while^[12] Grand Master^[16] Yoda's Republic taskforce drove the Separatist invasion fleet away, droids occupied the Wawaatt Archipelago.^[12] In addition to the Grand Army of the Republic, the Wookiee Army was present in Kachirho, as Wookiees from across the planet arrived to defend the city.^[19] Clone troopers and Wookiee warriors set up a perimeter on the beach to confront the enemy as more warriors swung from the cliffs along the archipelago to place mines on the NR-N99 enforcer tanks. Meanwhile, clone scout troopers fired from trenches and along the branches of Tree Kachirho. On the vehicle front, Wookiee Oevvaor Jet Catamarans were aided by HAVw A6 Juggernauts, AT-RTs, AT-APs and other assault vehicles. They faced enormous opposition from Separatist NR-N99 droid tanks, Dwarf Spider Droids and HMP droid gunships. Atop the seawall were two concussion turrets and multiple clone troopers. Few attempts from the CIS to destroy the seawall were made, and eventually the tide of the battle turned in favor of the Republic.^[1]

Order 66Edit

As the battle raged on, Yoda felt a great disturbance in the Force as Anakin Skywalker was converted to the dark side and became Darth Vader, followed by an even stronger disturbance as Order 66, which was carried out throughout the galaxy, had begun. Clone Commander Gree received a call on his comlink, in which Darth Sidious instructed him to execute the order. A scout trooper joined Gree in the attempt to assassinate Yoda. As the clones prepared to execute him, the Grand Master drew his lightsaber, sensing what was about to happen, and in one fell swoop decapitated his would-be assassins. Yoda then proceeded to escape from into the nearby jungle along with the still loyal Wookiee warriors Tarfful and Chewbacca as the battle raged below.^[1] The confusion that followed Order 66 allowed the Separatist military to breach the line, but they were beaten back again.^[19]

AftermathEdit

As the Galactic Empire rose, Yoda and the Wookiees would proceed to escape into the nearby mountains. Later that evening, Chewbacca and Tarfful brought Yoda to an escape pod. After exchanging farewells, Yoda left the planet in the pod.^[1]

Though the clone troopers won the day, they would soon take the place of the Separatists as an invading force, except they would be successful in conquering the world, and the Wookiees would not be able to hold them back. The Empire, the successor state of the Republic, legalized slavery, leading many, the Empire itself in particular, to take Wookiee slaves due to their immense strength.^[20]

Yoda managed to meet up with Obi-Wan Kenobi, having also escaped Order 66, and the two infiltrated the Jedi temple to reverse the message being sent to Jedi, warning them to stay away. He then attempted to kill Palpatine, but failed, and exiled himself to Dagobah.^[1]

Chewbacca was one of the slaves taken by the New Order from Kashyyyk, and suffered many years as one, until he was freed by a^[21] defecting Imperial soldier named Han Solo.^[22]

In regards to the Separatists, the remains of the B1 battle droids who fought in the battle were left behind to rust and were still laying on Kashyyyk by 14 BBY.^[13]

Behind the scenesEdit

A climactic battle between the technologically advanced Empire and a race of primitive hairy aliens, the Wookiees, was present in George Lucas's original treatment for the 1977 original Star Wars film Star Wars : Episode IV A New Hope. As the story changed and the trilogy structure was solidified in Lucas' mind, the battle was postponed until 1983's Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, where it developed into a battle featuring Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor. At the same time, the Wookiees developed into a more technologically savvy, though not less hairy, species. Lucas' original conception of the battle featured hundreds of Wookiees on screen. Due to costs, the original idea was scrapped and replaced by a battle featuring relatively few diminutive Ewoks, who did not play a very significant tactical role in the battle. A large-scale battle with hundreds of characters was eventually realized in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in the form of the Battle of Naboo.

AppearancesEdit

• Star Wars Journeys: Beginnings
• Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
• Star Wars: Galactic Defense
• Star Wars Battlefront II
• Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (First appearance)
• Adventures in Wild Space: The Nest (Indirect mention only)
• Adventures in Wild Space: Prequel and Books 1–3 audiobook (Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Wreckage only)
• Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures – "Chewbacca - Wookiee Warrior" (Appears in flashback(s))
• The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear! (Indirect mention only)
• Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure (Indirect mention only)
• Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure audiobook (Indirect mention only)

Non-canon appearancesEdit

• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – "Zander's Joyride" (Indirect mention only)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – "Peril on Kashyyyk" (Indirect mention only)

SourcesEdit

Notes and referencesEdit