The Raid at Bakura, also known as the First Battle of Bakura, occurred in 3 ABY when the Rebel Alliance discovered that a number of scientists captured from Hoth were being held aboard an Imperial detention center orbiting Bakura.
Having weathered the loss of the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, the Alliance to Restore the Republic set about rebuilding their infrastructure. The ace pilots of Rogue Squadron were sent to Bakura to rescue captured scientists.
When the squadron arrived, three Imperial Dropship Transports were already exiting the prison facility with the scientists.
Rogue Leader Wedge Antilles, in his B-wing starfighter, disabled a fleeing Imperial transport carrying a batch of scientists with his ion cannon. A GR-75 medium transport docked with the Imperial ship and evacuated the prisoners. A number of TIE fighters were patrolling the area, and upon receiving a battle alert rushed towards the battle scene.
After completing its docking, the first Rebel transport moved at top speed away from the battle to escape safely into hyperspace. Several TIEs gave chase, but Antilles drove them off. As that happened, a second rescue transport was inbound. Antilles then disabled another dropship transport to recover the prisoners.
After the third dropship transport was disabled, a TIE Fighter disabled Derek Klivian's X-wing, sending him crashing onto the surface of the planet. Antilles docked with the prison to steal a TIE Bomber to pick him up, as the rescue craft required an accommodation for two. Antilles had to dodge the hundreds of Bakura surface heavy missile batteries and turrets littering the surface. Using his TIE bomber's concussion missiles, he managed to break through the defenses and pickup Hobbie.
Just before picking up Hobbie, Wedge picked up some advanced proton bombs from one of the domed towers that he destroyed.
Upon arrival back in orbit, Antilles noticed that debris littered the area. Crix Madine informed him that an Imperial escort carrier made off with a batch of scientists and destroyed one of the transports and several Rebel starfighters, and it seemed it was headed toward Geonosis due to its communication log.
Determined to rescue the scientists, Rogue Squadron would lead an assault team to Geonosis. Likewise, Emperor Palpatine explains to Vader that the Rebels were still unaware of the scope of their plans, implying that the one responsible was one of their own.
The Rebels eventually tracked the abductor to Geonosis via a transmission, and immediately departed to rescue the scientists. Unfortunately, the lead turned out to be a trap, forcing the other Rebel transports to evacuate without rescuing the scientists.
The Raid at Bakura level in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike was created largely to allow the player to make their own decisions, a method that likewise required script modulators to lessen the difficulty. The space station was based on a rough concept based on some sci-fi movies they saw, and was rendered to be more in-line with the Star Wars universe.
Flying the TIE bomber in the mission is a mini-game unlocked upon reaching silver medal status. Destroying the missile launchers within a certain time limit is necessary to unlock the TIE Bomber as a flyable craft. Alternatively, if the player receives bronze level status, an FMV will play showing arrival of the Imperial Escort carrier and the re-capture of the scientists and the destruction of the Rebel Transport. It was largely created as a reward for the player for putting up with the difficulties of choosing their own path in the mission. This article assumes the full mission was achieved.
Procuring the upgrade will fulfill the bonus objective for the mission.
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide