Mission to Florrum

For other uses, see Battle of Florrum (disambiguation).

Concurrent

Mission to Florrum

Conflict

Clone Wars^[5]

Objective

Rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker from the Weequay pirates^[5]
Take Count Dooku to Coruscant for trial^[5]

Date

22 BBY^[6]

Place

Florrum^[5]

Outcome

Kenobi and Skywalker rescued^[5]
Count Dooku escapes^[5]

Factions
Galactic Republic^[5] Confederacy of Independent Systems^[5]	Ohnaka Gang^[5]

Commanders
Count Dooku^[5] High General Obi-Wan Kenobi^[5] General Anakin Skywalker^[5] Senator Kharrus†^[5] Associate Planetary Representative Binks^[5] Commander CC-5869^[5] Unidentified clone sergeant^[5] Pilot Mack†^[5]	Captain Hondo Ohnaka^[5] Turk Falso†^[5] Barb Mentir†^[5] Pilf Mukmuk^[5]

Participants
1 Sith Lord^[5] 2 Jedi^[5] 1 Senator^[5] 1 Representative^[5] Clone troopers^[5] 1 G9 Rigger freighter^[5] Twilight^[5] 1 Nu-class attack shuttle†^[5]	Hondo Ohnaka^[5] Pirate tanks^[5] Swoopbikes^[5] Flarestar-class Weequay ship^[5]

Casualties
Kharrus^[5] Two clone pilots^[5] Nu-class attack shuttle^[5]	Several pirates^[5] Turk Falso^[5] Barb Mentir^[5] Several swoops^[5] One tank^[5]

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"The last time I went on one of these ransom missions, I spent three weeks in a dungeon."

―Senator Kharrus —

Listen (file info)^[src]

A mission to Florrum took place in 22 BBY, during the Clone Wars. The mission was to give spice ransom to a group of pirates on Florrum, who captured Confederate Head of State Count Dooku for ransom. After High General Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Anakin Skywalker were ordered to make sure that Count Dooku was really captured by the pirates and to then make contact with the Chancellor. Hondo Ohnaka wanted to triple his spice payment and the Jedi were taken prisoner by the pirates and were held captive in the same cell as Dooku. Prior to the Jedi's capture, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatched Senator Kharrus and Representative Jar Jar Binks to Florrum with a squad of clone troopers, led by Commander Stone. The group's objective was to deliver the ransom of spice to the pirates. Unbeknownst to them, the pirates had already captured Kenobi and Skywalker.

After the group arrived in Florrum, Barb Mentir, a member of the pirate gang shot down their Nu-class attack shuttle, killing Kharrus and the pilots. Binks was then named leading commander of the group, though Commander Stone had doubts of Bink's leading the mission. Weequay pirate, Turk Falso, the lieutenant of Ohnaka tried to stop the group and take the ransom for himself. However, Binks and the clones managed to stop Falso and his men before proceeding to the pirate camp. In the camp, Kenobi, Skywalker and Dooku tried to escape from Ohnaka, though failed. Dooku is locked up back in his cell, while the Jedi were being tortured by Ohnaka. Binks disabled the electricity to the pirate camp before entering it, which allows Dooku to escape his cell and steal a ship to leave Florrum. Kenobi and Skywalker escape from their torture device and kidnap Ohnaka by using a lightsaber. Jar Jar then enters the base with two stolen tanks and he and the clones and the Jedi departure from Florrum in the Twilight.

Prelude

Dooku: "They are devious and deceitful and most importantly, stupid."

Kenobi: "It's a wonder you don't get along with them, Dooku. You have so much in common."

―Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi^[src]

Skywalker Ohnaka Kenobi — Ohnaka gets chummy with Skywalker and Kenobi

After Count Dooku was captured by Hondo Ohnaka and his pirate gang, Ohnaka contacted the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and offered to turn him over for one million credits' worth of spice. Palpatine was reluctant to believe Dooku had been captured by a group of simple pirates, despite being shown holographic proof. Senator Padmé Amidala suggested sending a pair of Jedi to Ohnaka's base in order to confirm the pirate's claim. Once assured Dooku was indeed captured, the Republic would pay the demanded ransom for the Separatist leader.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were dispatched to verify the veracity of Ohnaka's claim. When they arrived on Florrum, and after meeting Hondo Ohnaka, the two Jedi were taken to Dooku's holding cell. There, Skywalker proceeded to taunt the Sith Lord. Dooku replied by warning them that the pirates were lacking intelligence and not to be trusted.

Kenobi and Skywalker were then invited to a banquet with the pirate leader. During the feast, several attempts were made to incapacitate the Jedi by drugging their drinks and food. These all were foiled by the pair until Ohnaka's pet monkey-lizard, Pilf Mukmuk succeeded in dispersing the drug into the ventilation system, rendering the Jedi unconscious.

The Mission

"Kill him! Kill him! He's no representative! He's a plague!"

―Weequay pirate after dealing with Jar Jar —

Listen (file info)^[src]

Unaware that the Jedi had been taken prisoner, Chancellor Palpatine sent the requested ransom with senator Kharrus of Malastare and representative Binks, who were accompanied by a team of clone troopers. However, as they arrived on Florrum, a saucer craft pursued them, shooting them down. Kharrus and both pilots were killed in the crash.

Shot down — The Nu-class shuttle is shot down over Florrum.

Meanwhile, Dooku used the Force to levitate a knife into the key slot of their holding cell, overriding the locking mechanism. Their escape was short-lived however, as they were re-captured and chastised by Ohnaka. Kenobi then used a mind trick to convince their guard to open the door and go get something to drink. The trio escaped again and made their way, unimpeded, through the halls to the base exterior.

At the crash site, the surviving clone troopers informed Jar Jar that he was now in command of the mission following Kharrus's death. Jar Jar and the clones buried the Gran senator before a group of pirates, led by Turk Falso, showed up to steal the ransom and kill the crash survivors. Jar Jar and the clones took cover in a geyser while the pirates took the spice. The pirates fled with Jar Jar and his troops in pursuit riding native skalders. The pirates were fired on from behind, destroying several of their speeders and losing the spice in the process.

Meanwhile, the three escapees reached the exterior of the building though they were now spotted after tripping an alarm. Skywalker attempted to poll vault the three over the wall but came up short, all while being shot. While struggling to hang on to the perimeter wall, Ohnaka came and stood over his prisoners, once again taking them into custody. Falso, having survived the skirmish with Binks and his troops, falsely reported that the Republic had sent an army to wipe out the pirates and take their prisoners by force. He convinced Ohnaka to send tanks out to destroy the Republic forces. Ohnaka then personally oversaw the torture of Skywalker and Kenobi. Dooku escaped once more, make his way to the hangar and stole a saucer craft, killing Falso and his partner in the process.

Binks tank — Jar Jar Binks inadvertently takes control of one of the pirate tanks.

Binks and the clones, having taken shelter behind an outcropping of rocks, spotted the tanks sent to destroy them. Commander CC-5869, nicknamed "Stone," sent Binks to negotiate with them, knowing that the pirates would be distracted by the bumbling Gungan. As Binks climbed aboard one of the tanks, he slipped, causing the driver to lose control and send the tank crashing into another pushing them both into the power lines. This knocked out power to the base and inadvertently freed Anakin and Obi-Wan. The two Jedi quickly recovered their weapons and proceeded to capture Ohnaka. Using the Weequay as a shield and hostage, they made their way out of the base to the landing pad where the Twilight was docked. There, Jar Jar and his clones arrived in the remaining commandeered Weequay tank. The Jedi let Ohnaka go and told him that they did not want revenge for all he had done to them. Though they warned Ohnaka that while they were forgiving, Dooku would not be, and he now knew where the pirates lived. The group then departed, leaving Florrum behind.