The New Republic launched an undercover operation on Axxila to meet with Grand Vizier Sate Pestage. However, Imperial forces attacked Axxila in order to capture Princess Leia Organa.
Several months after the Battle of Endor, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Leia Organa impersonated by Winter, and Rogue Squadron members were in a reception on Eiattu 6, when agents of Leonia Tavira, knocked out and captured Winter and Tycho Celchu, bringing them to their boss on Axxila.
Han Solo and Soontir Fel identified a smuggler involved, Rayt, and caught him on the StarForge Station. He revealed them he transferred Winter and Tycho for the Kavil's Corsairs to Axxila. Han Solo and Rogue Squadron immediately departed to the planet.
Under the cover of the meeting on Eiattu, the real Princess Leia met with Grand Vizier Sate Pestage on Axxila. In exchange for his life, along with ten worlds for himself and fifteen worlds for four friends, Pestage offered to leave Coruscant virtually undefended from attack. He also arranged for his agent Kavil to arrange the release of Winter and Tycho from Tavira.
Yet Tycho and Winter managed to escape on their own, breaking out of their separate cells, fighting past the guards, stealing a Y-wing, and out-flying the pursuit offered up by Kavil's corsairs. Fortunately, they managed to send out a distress call, and Rogue Squadron and the Millennium Falcon cleared the way back to base for Tycho and Winter.
However, an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Reckoning, arrived in the system at the same time. The ship under command of Admiral Delak Krennel was sent by Ysanne Isard to capture Leia. After have recovered Pestage, the Admiral launched his TIE fighters on the planet and began orbital bombardment. The New Republic agents situation was critical when Krennel was stopped by an AT3 Directive issued by Soontir Fel. Delak Krennel was forced to obey at the behest of Sate Pestage and left the system.
When Pestage returned to Coruscant, he confronted Isard and claimed not to have known Fel had defected, shifting the blame onto her for not informing him. When Isard accused him of meeting with Leia Organa, he implicitly denied it and reminded her that she had no proof.
Isard was not to be thwarted, however. She went before the Imperial Tribunal and accused Pestage of collaborating with the New Republic. She claimed to have proof of this from confidential sources, and reminded the Tribunal that Pestage had allowed Leia Organa to escape from Axxila, had lost Brentaal, and informed them that he planned to turn over Coruscant to the New Republic. The Tribunal agreed with her, charged Pestage with treason, and issued an order for his arrest.
- Star Wars Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron
- The New Essential Guide to Characters
- The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- The Official Star Wars Fact File105
- The Official Star Wars Fact File139
- The New Essential Chronology
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Atlas