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- "What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?"
"It is critical we send an attack group there immediately."
"He's right. It's a system we cannot afford to lose." - ―Ki-Adi-Mundi, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Battle of Kashyyyk, also referred to as the invasion of Kashyyyk, defense of Kashyyyk, or the 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.
Contents
Prelude[edit | edit source]
- "Go I will. Good relations with the Wookiees I have."
- ―Yoda
Due to being located on key hyperspace routes, the planet of Kashyyyk was a strategic location for conflicts in the the galaxy.[20] After being rescued from Trandoshan slavers[21] by Republic clone commandos, the Wookiee[7] chieftain[20] 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.[20] As Wookiees would look up, the Separatist fleet strew the night sky of Kashyyyk in a harsh light.[7]
The Jedi High Council deployed a battalion of clone troopers to defend the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk.
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.[22]
The battle[edit | edit source]
Confederate assault[edit | edit source]
- "The droids have started up their main power generators."
"Then now, the time is, Commander."
"Yes, sir." - ―CC-1004 "Gree" and Yoda
The Separatist Droid forces targeted the planet's oil refinery.[6] While Yoda's Republic taskforce drove the Separatist invasion fleet away, droids occupied the Wawaatt Archipelago.[15] 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.[23] 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 66[edit | edit source]
- "The time has come. Execute Order 66."
"It will be done, my lord." - ―Darth Sidious, to CC-1004 "Gree"
Jedi General Yoda survived the betrayal of his clone troopers, who tried to kill him under Order 66.
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.[23]
Aftermath[edit | edit source]
- "Goodbye, Tarfful. Goodbye, Chewbacca. Miss you, I will."
- ―Yoda
Yoda escaped from Kashyyyk with the help of his Wookiee allies.
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.[24]
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[25] defecting Imperial soldier named Han Solo.[26]
In regards to the Separatists, the remains of the B1-series battle droids who fought in the battle were left behind to rust and were still laying on Kashyyyk by 14 BBY.[16]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
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.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- 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: Books 1–3 (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures – "Chewbacca - Wookiee Warrior" (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 appearances[edit | edit source]
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – "Zander's Joyride" (Indirect mention only)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – "Peril on Kashyyyk" (Indirect mention only)
Sources[edit | edit source]
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48 1.49 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- ↑
Star Wars Helmet Collection 68 (Databank A-Z: Pre Vizsla–Quinlan Vos)
- ↑ Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
- ↑ Kanan 1
- ↑ Collapse of the Republic
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
- ↑ Star Wars: Card Trader
- ↑ Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: König Grakchawwaa - Topps Choice 2)
- ↑ Captain Merumeru in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars Helmet Collection 10 (Databank A-Z: Chewbacca–Cloud City)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Story Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars Helmet Collection 27
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Star Wars Journeys: Beginnings
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- ↑ "Starfighters of the Rebellion, the Republic and the Resistance" – Star Wars Encyclopedia
- ↑ Star Wars: Droidography
- ↑ Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, New Edition
- ↑ Star Wars: Complete Locations
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Wookiee Army - Galactic Republic - Base Series 1)
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide
- ↑ Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- ↑ Solo: A Star Wars Story
