The attack on Cerberon, also known under names like the battle above Troithe, the battle over Troithe, and the Battle against the Lodestar, was a conflict initiated by the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing, under the command of Colonel Soran Keize, with the objective of engaging General Hera Syndulla's New Republic forces stationed within the Cerberon system.
The initial phase of the attack involved the Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier Aerie, accompanied by a squadron of training drones, all led by Colonel Soran Keize, who successfully drew New Republic starfighters into a Battle above Catadra. This maneuver compelled the Acclamator-class transgalactic military assault ship Lodestar to remain in proximity to Troithe and confront the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Edict in isolation, receiving only limited support from X-wing starfighters launched from the Troithe Garrison. While en route to Catadra with Meteor Squadron, [Wyl Lark](/article/wyl_lark] received a warning message from Palal Seedia advising a return to Troithe, which was, in reality, a deceptive tactic. The Edict then activated a system-wide jamming field, effectively disrupting all ship-to-ship communications and sensor capabilities, and also cutting off Seedia. Upon realizing that Shadow Wing was the true adversary, Lark accelerated his return to warn the Lodestar, with Nath Tensent closely following.
Keize's initial strategy involved Shadow Wing destroying the Lodestar and escaping into hyperspace aboard the Aerie. However, a freighter piloted by Yrica Quell inflicted critical damage to the hangar bay's magnetic field, causing Keize to adapt his strategy and commit to a sustained engagement.
With the New Republic starfighters above Catadra neutralized, all six squadrons of Shadow Wing emerged from their concealed positions, which were hidden by a debris field and the sensor jamming emitted by the Edict. Once the TIE fighters engaged the Lodestar, the jamming ceased, and the TIEs began eliminating the X-wings that were defending it.
Tensent exerted his utmost effort to attack the Star Destroyer, while Lark defended him from the TIE fighters. However, the Lodestar was unable to endure the assault. The ship fractured into three segments and descended toward Troithe below. The Edict persisted in its attack, but Troithe's planetary defenses severely damaged the Star Destroyer as it approached too closely. Both capital ships collided with Troithe's protective shield, which faltered momentarily before collapsing, allowing the wreckage of both vessels to plummet into the city below. Shadow Wing's TIE fighters seized this opportunity to descend into the city before the shield reactivated.
The attack on Cerberon was first depicted in the 2020 novel titled Shadow Fall, which is the second installment in the Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron trilogy authored by Alexander Freed.