The Battle of Cato Neimoidia, also known as the invasion of Cato Neimoidia or the defense of Cato Neimoidia, was a battle fought during the later stages of the Clone Wars when the planet Cato Neimoidia, which housed the headquarters of the Trade Federation, was invaded by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. That prompted the Galactic Republic to launch a defense of the planet, which it had assumed control of previously. Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano took part in this battle, but they were recalled to Coruscant following the bombing of a Jedi Temple hangar.
In 19 BBY, the Confederacy of Independent Systems attacked the planet Cato Neimoidia, which they had previously lost to the Galactic Republic. The Republic dispatched Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano, and the elite 501st Legion to defend the planet. Droid tri-fighters played an important role in the fighting after a group of them was deployed from a Providence-class Dreadnought. After punching through Separatist warships in orbit, Skywalker and Tano led a squadron of Z-95 Headhunters to the surface, followed closely by another squadron of Republic LAAT/i gunships ferrying Clone Captain CT-7567 and clone jetpack troopers, as smaller Republic cruisers engaged Separatist vessels around them. After a dogfight in the atmosphere resulted in Skywalker's starfighter getting hit by Pistoeka sabotage droids, his fighter was disabled and he lost consciousness.
After Tano was alerted to Skywalker's status by R2-D2, also onboard Skywalker's fighter, she mounted a daring rescue by first telling R2 to crash land in a nearby mountain plain, and then jumped from her starfighter to his and was able to rescue him, just as his starfighter went over the cliff and was destroyed, but not before R2 also escaped.
As Skywalker regained consciousness and became aware of what transpired, he received a transmission from Jedi Master Yoda who informed Skywalker and Tano that the Jedi Temple had been bombed, and that they were being recalled to aid in the investigation. Afterwards Skywalker contacted Captain Rex for a pickup, as the battle continued.
Even though the battle had begun to swing in the Republic's favor before Skywalker and Tano were called away, the Separatists ultimately won the battle at Cato Neimoidia, and their tri-fighters had again proven their worth in combat. Additionally, Cato Neimoidia would become embroiled in the war again, being the site of another battle during the Outer Rim Sieges.
Star Wars: Build Your Own R2-D2 44 stated that the defense of Cato Neimoidia ended in a Republic victory, but Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy later established it was a Separatist victory.
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