This brief conflict, known as the Ambush, unfolded in the Surd Nebula, involving the Galactic Federation Triumvirate against a duo of Sith. It transpired on the roaming planet of Mala, a few months subsequent to the Second Imperial Civil War. Within this swift engagement, the One Sith Darth Wredd alongside his mentor downed an Imperial shuttle that was transporting the Triumvirate's representative, the Imperial Knight Yalta Val, en route to the Carreras system. The Galactic Triumvirate dispatched Val to oversee the final construction phases of the Carreras G51 communications array, an integral component of a galaxy-spanning G51 communications array network. Wredd's master eliminated Yalta Val's crew, along with the stormtrooper escort, and obliterated the shuttle. However, Darth Wredd then murdered his own Sith master, taking Val as a captive and assuming his identity by donning his armor. This deception ignited the Carreras Incident and Darth Wredd's insurgency directed against the One Sith.
Following the downfall of Darth Krayt and the conclusion of the Second Imperial Civil War, a novel governing body emerged: the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, comprising the Fel Empire, the Jedi Order, and the Galactic Alliance Remnant. The newly appointed Galactic Empress Marasiah Fel initiated an ambitious endeavor to establish a network of communication arrays, designed to enhance connectivity between the Outer Rim Territories and the remainder of the galaxy. The Carreras system was chosen as the ultimate link in this galactic communications grid. In the year 138 ABY, Yalta Val, an Imperial Knight, received the assignment to oversee the completion of the Carreras G51 communications array. His shuttle navigated through the Surd Nebula, a spatially congested region notorious for its communication challenges. Accompanying Yalta Val were a small contingent of stormtroopers and a communications droid.
Shortly after deploying their comm droid, Yalta Val's shuttle suffered a missile strike, resulting in an emergency landing on an uncharted world: the mysterious, free-floating planet of Mala. Unbeknownst to Yalta Val and his team, they were under assault by a pair of operatives from the clandestine One Sith order. Prompted by Darth Wredd, his mentor initiated the attack on Yalta Val's shuttle. Darth Wredd's forced induction into the One Sith followed the destruction of his homeworld, Mala, and the extermination of his family through the use of a bioweapon. This Sith-engineered bioweapon also destabilized Mala's orbit, transforming it into a wandering planet adrift in space. Motivated by a desire for retribution against the One Sith, Darth Wredd manipulated his master into targeting the Triumvirate vessel. Darth Wredd planned to exploit the ensuing chaos to assassinate his master and liberate himself from the One Sith's grasp.
Yalta Val's pilot skillfully managed to set the shuttle down atop a dark cliff edge. Upon touchdown, the shuttle's stormtrooper protectors exited to establish a defensive perimeter around the craft, intending to initiate repairs. Before they could finish their task, they were swiftly ambushed and slain by Darth Wredd's master, who brandished a Sith lightsaber. Yalta Val emerged from the shuttle, only to be blindsided by the Sith master. During the ensuing lightsaber duel, the Sith master employed the Force to shove the shuttle over the cliff, eliminating the remaining personnel onboard. Yalta Val narrowly evaded being crushed by the falling shuttle and engaged the Sith in a lightsaber clash. By channeling the dark side of the Force, the Sith master gained the advantage over Val.
Before the Sith master could deliver the final blow to Yalta Val, Darth Wredd, his apprentice, ran him through the chest. Implementing his scheme, Darth Wredd disarmed Yalta Val and compelled him to remove his armor and swap attire. During his imprisonment, Val was obliged to wear Darth Wredd's Sith helmet, engineered to corrupt its wearer with the dark side's influence. Darth Wredd successfully impersonated the real Yalta Val, posing as an emissary of the Galactic Triumvirate. However, Darth Wredd was unable to locate Yalta Val's lightsaber, which was recovered by Val's comm droid. The comm droid was shortly thereafter struck by space debris within the Surd Nebula, rendering it inoperable. The droid, along with its valuable cargo—the lightsaber—was later salvaged by a pair of scavengers who sold it to a young Human woman named Ania Solo, a remote descendant of Han Solo who operated a junk yard on the planet Carreras Major, the most populous world in the Carreras system.
A week following the events on Mala, Carreras security forces detected the false Yalta Val's escape pod within the Surd Nebula. He was subsequently transported to the Carreras communications array, under the command of the local Governor Biala. The Sith imposter claimed to have been ambushed by Sith forces, who had murdered his crew, and that his lightsaber was lost during the skirmish. Citing the Sith presence as a threat to the Carreras system, the Sith imposter swayed the governor into granting him complete authority over her security forces to address the perceived danger. Concurrently, the genuine Yalta Val remained captive at Darth Wredd's base on Mala.
At the same time, Ania Solo presented her newly acquired comm droid to Sauk, her Mon Calamari friend and an engineer employed as a miner within the ice rings orbiting Carreras Minor. Upon inspecting the comm droid, they discovered Yalta Val's lightsaber. Recognizing a chance for quick wealth, they attempted to sell it to a technology broker. However, they became embroiled in a confrontation with several Carreras security officers, during which Ania killed one of the guards. Following a prolonged chase, Ania and Sauk managed to return to Ania's junkyard. This incident triggered a series of events that thrust Ania and her companions into Darth Wredd's insurgency against both the One Sith and the Galactic Triumvirate.
The Ambush in the Surd Nebula functioned as the core exposition in Star Wars: Legacy: Prisoner of the Floating World, the opening five-part narrative arc in Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman's Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2 comic book series. It marked the introduction of Yalta Val, one of the protagonists, and Darth Wredd, the primary antagonist.