The assault on the Vesper transpired in 9 ABY; it involved the boarding and subsequent attack of the New Republic Defender-class cruiser Vesper by Baylan Skoll, a former Jedi Knight, and his apprentice, Shin Hati, with the aim of rescuing Morgan Elsbeth. Ultimately, the cruiser met its end through scuttling and destruction.
During the Imperial Era, Morgan Elsbeth, a Nightsister and also a witch, threw her support behind the Galactic Empire's war efforts, dedicating numerous factories and [shipyards](/article/shipyard] under her control to the construction of heavy machinery intended for the Imperial Navy's starfleet. Following the Empire's downfall and the subsequent establishment of the New Republic after the Battle of Endor, Elsbeth, a close associate of Grand Admiral Thrawn, went into hiding on the planet Corvus, where she assumed the role of Magistrate governing the village of Calodan.
Some years later, Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi Padawan, initiated a search for Elsbeth, driven by the belief that she possessed crucial information regarding Thrawn's location and fearing the potential resurgence of the former Grand Admiral. Upon discovering Elsbeth's location on Corvus, Tano made repeated attempts to enter Calodan, but she was consistently turned back by the village's scout guards. Eventually, in 9 ABY, Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, arrived on the planet in search of Tano, having learned of her presence there from her former ally Bo-Katan Kryze. After locating the Jedi, Djarin requested her assistance in training Grogu, his foundling, who also shared a background as a Padawan like Tano. In return, she sought his help in reclaiming the city and capturing Elsbeth, a task that Djarin successfully accomplished. Following an intense duel, Tano successfully apprehended the Magistrate and handed her over to the New Republic for interrogation.
The New Republic Defense Force took Elsbeth into custody and placed her aboard the Vesper for transport to Home One to face questioning by New Republic officers. Shortly after emerging from hyperspace near Home One's position in Sector G-38, the navigation droid detected an approaching Eta-class shuttle and requested the vessel's clearance codes. To the crew's bewilderment, the shuttle transmitted an outdated Jedi code, requesting permission to dock and interrogate the prisoners. Captain Hayle, suspecting the involvement of Imperial sympathizers, instructed the crew to allow the shuttle to land, intending to apprehend its occupants alongside Elsbeth.
Hayle, along with eight Defense Force soldiers, personally welcomed Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati aboard. He demanded their peaceful surrender. Hati responded by attacking the soldiers, swiftly killing two before they could react. Skoll then informed Hayle that they were not Jedi, before killing him. Observing the unfolding carnage through the ship's security cameras, Executive officer Jensen Corbyt initiated a ship-wide alert and sealed off the bridge, hoping to stall until they reached the main fleet. However, Skoll swiftly disabled all defenses, massacring the soldiers, and Hati breached the bridge before it could be fully secured, eliminating Corbyt and the crew present. After joining his apprentice on the bridge, Skoll escorted her to the detention cells, where they freed Elsbeth, and the three of them escaped aboard their shuttle.
The New Republic Defense Fleet discovered the ship adrift in space, sustaining considerable damage. Defense command was compelled to order its scuttling. Survivors were seen receiving medical attention in a hangar bay aboard Home One.
With Elsbeth's liberation, she proceeded to oversee the final preparations of the Eye of Sion above Seatos.
The initial depiction of the attack on the New Republic cruiser occurred in "Part One: Master and Apprentice," which served as the inaugural episode of the 2023 television series Ahsoka. This episode, along with "Part Two: Toil and Trouble," premiered on August 22, 2023.