Battle of Bakura (28 ABY)

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, in the year 28 ABY, the Battle of Bakura unfolded between the forces of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. Molierre Cundertol, the corrupt Prime Minister of Bakura, had previously conspired to hand over his constituents to the Imperium as subjects for entechment in return for his own transfer into a Human replica droid. The Imperium, orchestrating a fabricated popular revolt by the P'w'eck slave class under the leadership of the mutant, multi-colored Ssi-ruu known as the Keeramak, extended peace proposals to both the Bakurans and the Galactic Alliance, thus creating a deceptive atmosphere of tranquility on the planet. The Ssi-ruuk and P'w'ecks, fearful of perishing on an unconsecrated world, the P'w'ecks proposed solidifying their peace accord with the Bakurans through a consecration ceremony. However, Blaine Harris, the Deputy Prime Minister, disrupted the event with a bomb attack, his motive being to depose Cundertol and seize the prime ministership for himself. Jaina Solo, a Jedi Knight, and her mother, Leia Organa Solo, intervened, successfully capturing Harris and averting significant casualties. Exploiting the resulting turmoil, the Ssi-ruuvi ships in orbit initiated a ground and space assault, catching the Bakurans and the Alliance off guard on both fronts. Nevertheless, the Ssi-ruuk suffered defeat following the death of their leader, Keeramak, at the hands of Lwothin, the P'w'eck leader. The Keeramak's demise ignited a genuine P'w'eck insurrection, which swiftly shifted the battle's momentum in favor of the Alliance and the Bakurans. Cundertol managed to escape into Ssi-ruuvi space, only to be killed by E'thinaa, a Ssi-ruu general who was secretly a Yuuzhan Vong operative. ## Battle ### Background Following their setbacks during the Invasion of Bakura, the Ssi-ruuk retreated to their star cluster, remaining isolated for a number of years. To ensure the safety of planets bordering Wild Space from further Ssi-ruuvi incursions, the New Republic, the successor to the Rebel Alliance's, organized an invasion force aimed at the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium's territories. This task force incorporated the captured Shriwirr, rechristened as Sibwarra, along with 12 Nebulon-B2 frigates and a number of escort warships. The New Republic also shared intelligence regarding the Ssi-ruuk with the fractured Imperial warlords, hoping to facilitate a second joint offensive against the Ssi-ruuk. However, upon the New Republic fleet's arrival in Ssi-ruuvi space, they discovered that the Chiss Ascendancy, under the command of Force Commander Thrawn, had already initiated a fierce campaign within Ssi-ruuvi territory, devastating the Imperium's capital, Lwhekk, and disrupting its socio-economic structure. The Chiss's offensive was a response to attacks on several Chiss worlds, during which a number of their citizens had been subjected to entechment. Above the devastated Ssi-ruuvi capital world, the New Republic fleet clashed with the remaining Ssi-ruuvi forces under Ivpikkis. With the battle reaching a stalemate, the New Republic's attempts to negotiate with the Ssi-ruuk proved unsuccessful. Given the Ssi-ruuk's inability to launch another campaign in the near future, coupled with the escalating conflict with the divided Imperial warlords, Chief of State Mon Mothma ordered the New Republic fleet to withdraw from Ssi-ruuvi space in order to attack imperial-held Clak'dor VII. The Chiss attack caused such widespread destruction that the Ssi-ruuvi did not consider resuming their expansionist ambitions until many years later. In the interim, three significant events transpired. The first was the birth of the Keeramak, a Ssi-ruu mutant of mixed ancestry exhibiting all the colors of the different castes, an event of major religious importance to the Ssi-ruuvi. The Keeramak was a skilled strategist and politician. The Imperium's leadership orchestrated a fake P'w'eck slave uprising by the P'w'eck Emancipation Movement under Lwothin, presenting the Keeramak as its leader in 23 ABY. The second event was the development of a technique to preserve enteched souls for longer periods using concentrated algae and microscopic organisms. The final event was the covert takeover of the Imperium by the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong, who secretly appointed one of their own, E'thinaa, as a high-ranking general. Meanwhile, on Bakura, after her uncle Yeorg retired from public service, Gaeriel won the election to succeed him as Prime Minister, becoming Bakura's youngest Prime Minister. One of her key accomplishments was the creation of the Bakuran Defense Fleet, placing Pter Thanas, the former commander of the Imperial garrison on Bakura, in charge. In 18 ABY, Bakura withdrew from the New Republic to protest the misuse of its Defense Force during the attack on Centerpoint Station during the Corellian Crisis. The New Republic, determined not to repeat the mistakes of the Old Republic which had taken a hard line against the Separatist movement, did not interfere with Bakura's decision. E'thinaa and the Keeramak devised a new strategy for resuming the invasion. They secretly conspired with Molierre Cundertol, the Prime Minister of Bakura. Cundertol would betray his people to the Ssi-ruuk as a source of entechment subjects in exchange for "immortality" through entechment into the body of a Human replica droid built by Onadax Droid Technologies. In 28 ABY, the Bakuran population and a Galactic Alliance delegation, including Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, their Jedi daughter Jaina, and C-3PO, were misled into believing that the Keeramak had led a popular revolt of the lower classes, overthrowing the Imperium and implementing reforms such as the abolition of forced entechment. ### Consecration Cundertol orchestrated his own kidnapping by members of the anti-New Republic Freedom resistance movement under Malinza Thanas to discredit the opposition and divert public attention. Freedom was secretly supported by Cundertol's deputy, Blaine Harris, as a means of undermining Cundertol and becoming the new Prime Minister. Lwothin and the Keeramak planned for Bakura to be "consecrated" during a public ceremony at a Salis D'aar podium to facilitate a successful occupation of Bakura. A Ssi-ruuvi contingent, consisting of the two Sh'ner-class planetary assault carriers Errinung'ka and Firrinree, along with a large number of P'w'eck-powered Swarm-class battle droids, arrived with the Keeramak. The Bakuran Defense Fleet and the Galactic Alliance naval contingent, including Jagged Fel's Twin Suns Squadron, unaware of the plot, welcomed their arrival. The stadium was filled with thousands of Bakurans when the Keeramak and his P'w'eck entourage arrived. C-3PO, due to his ability to speak and translate almost any language, was assigned as a translator. The Keeramak utilized his reputation as a liberation leader and his oratory skills to lull the Bakuran and Alliance delegates, causing them to lower their guard. Meanwhile, Jedi Knights Tahiri Veila and her Ryn companion Goure Conor observed Harris and his Rodian accomplice Salkeli leading the missing Jaina, Malinza, and Vyram through a back entrance of the stadium. Harris, the unscrupulous Deputy Prime Minister, had intended to frame Jaina by forcing her at gunpoint to activate a remote detonator located near the Bakuran leadership and Alliance delegates. The bomb would detonate, killing many senators, including Cundertol, creating a power vacuum that would allow Harris to seize power as Prime Minister. Harris would then claim that Jaina had coerced the escaped Freedom operative Malinza into kidnapping him, only to turn against Jaina too late upon discovering that she had planted a bomb. By then, it would be too late to defuse the bomb, and the resulting explosion would kill Jaina and Malinza, leaving Harris as the sole survivor. However, Jaina, sensing her Jedi comrade Tahiri nearby, used her Force abilities to overpower Harris and Salkeli. She then freed Malinza and Vyram from their restraints with a flash from her lightsaber before using the Force to send a warning to her mother, who was seated with the delegates. During the consecration ceremony, Leia received Jaina's warning and alerted her husband and the delegates to the presence of a bomb. This prompted a hasty evacuation of the seats just seconds before the detonation. While this saved the lives of most of the delegates, the ensuing blast killed two senators, two guests, and six guards, and wounded 40 guests, including Cundertol, who was knocked unconscious. Jaina and her companions were unharmed due to their proximity to the blast's epicenter. Amid the rubble and burning wreckage, she encountered an emotionally shattered Tahiri, who had succumbed to her Vong programming following her ordeal on Yavin 4. Jaina reasoned that she had survived because she had used a Force bubble to shield herself from the debris. Meanwhile, Bakuran rescue teams arrived at the stadium and began evacuating the wounded and survivors. In response to the bombing, General Grell Panib declared martial law from the Bakura-class destroyer Sentinel. Jag Fel also received reports from Captain Todra Mayn of increased activity at Salis D'aar spaceport, where the P'w'eck ships were parked. News of Harris's arrest for his involvement in the bombing had spread. Back at the stadium, the Keeramak and his P'w'eck entourage had survived the blast and were continuing the Consecration ceremony. Reinforcements arrived in the form of three D'kee-class landing ships in the skies above the wrecked stadium. ### The invasion In space, the Ssi-ruuvi warships disrupted all communications between Bakura and the orbiting Alliance and Bakuran fleets. Colonel Jagged Fel, son of the renowned Imperial fighter ace Soontir Fel, and the rest of Twin Suns Squadron found themselves engaged in a fierce dogfight against swarms of Swarm-class droid fighters and the rarer but more powerful V'sett-class fighters piloted by living Ssi-ruuvi fighter aces. Jag attempted to contact the Alliance frigate Selonia, but his transmissions were jammed. The droid fighters, which had been flying in formation with their Bakuran counterparts as an honor guard shortly before the battle, began using their tractor beam projectors to capture the Bakuran fighters. The captured starfighters were dragged into the hangar bays of the orbiting Ssi-ruuvi carriers, where their pilots would be enteched. Assessing the situation, Jag and his squadron intervened and came to the rescue of the Bakurans, opening fire on the droid fighters. However, this had little effect due to the tough deflector shields. By now, the Bakura-class destroyers Sentinel and Defender had recognized the Ssi-ruuvi tactic and launched more starfighters to rescue the "kidnapped" fighters. The Twin Suns Squadron found itself fighting enemy fighters over the dangerous, dense, and volatile orbits around Bakura. Piloting his vaunted Chiss Clawcraft, Jag engaged two V'sett fighters in a wild chase over the rocky surfaces of one of Bakura's two moons. Fortunately for Fel, his pursuers were destroyed by a passing BTL Y-wing starfighter. The two Ssi-ruuvi Sh'ner-class carriers and their fighters, with their superior firepower, inflicted a withering attack on the Sentinel and Defender, which formed the core of the small Bakuran Defense Fleet. Clusters of captured fighters hung around the Ssi-ruuvi carriers, awaiting processing and entechment. Emerging from his pursuit, Fel found himself trapped by the combined tractor beam projectors of seven V'sett fighters. On the ground, the three "D'kee"-class landing ships landed at the stadium and began unloading rows of armed, red-scaled Ssi-ruu warriors. The Consecration ceremony was a smokescreen for a full-scale invasion of Bakura. Upon landing, the Bakuran troops fired upon the advancing Ssi-ruuk, who retaliated with their paddle beamers. The Ssi-ruuk, using their trichoid physiology and large size, overpowered the Bakurans, forcing them to retreat. The bomb survivors and remaining troops fled into a series of underground tunnels beneath the stadium, with the Ssi-ruuk close behind them. Along the way, the Solos and C-3PO stumbled upon a bound Harris, who demanded to be released and installed as Prime Minister, believing Cundertol to be dead. Suddenly, the supposedly dead Cundertol emerged from the shadows. He revealed that he had been working for the Ssi-ruuk all along. Discovering Harris's treachery, Cundertol killed his deputy with a blaster shot. Revealing his plans to betray the others to the Ssi-ruuk, Cundertol spoke a phrase in the Ssi-ruuvi language, a feat physiologically impossible for humans. Soon, two groups of Ssi-ruuk warriors arrived, including a large, beautiful female, followed by the Keeramak and his entourage of P'w'eck guards and golden-scaled Ssi-ruuk priests, who had been disguised as P'w'ecks during the Ceremony. Through C-3PO, the Keeramak offered them "productive" tasks following entechment if they surrendered peacefully. However, many of the survivors, including the Solos, rejected the offer, despite Cundertol's attempts to persuade them, claiming it was immortality. The Keeramak then ordered his P'w'eck guards under Lwothin to execute the prisoners. ### Turning the tables Lwothin gripped his paddle beamer and, with a surprising cry, fired point blank. But instead of firing on the Solos and their companions, he incapacitated his master, the Keeramak, killing him with a shot to the chest. This was the signal for a genuine P'w'eck uprising against their Ssi-ruuvi overlords. Taking advantage of the shock, the P'w'ecks attacked the remaining Ssi-ruuk, who fought back tenaciously despite the death of their leader. Realizing that the P'w'ecks were their allies after all, the Solos and their companions joined the battle. Using the Force and igniting her lightsaber, Jaina killed a Ssi-ruu that would have slain Lwothin with a quick slice to the neck while deflecting the paddle beamer beam from another. Demoralized and outnumbered, the surviving Ssi-ruuk quickly surrendered and handed over their paddle beamers to a jubilant Han Solo, who prompted to hand them over to the Bakurans. A bitter Cundertol blamed the Keeramak for the turn of events. In response, a cocky Han Solo commented that he did not see anyone else complaining. Meanwhile, Lwothin informed his allies that the jamming had been temporarily interrupted to allow the Alliance leadership to communicate with the capital ship Pride of Selonia and the hardened Bakuran and Alliance starfighter pilots. Lwothin also told Leia to order the starfighter pilots to allow themselves to be captured by the Ssi-ruuvi fleet. Despite skepticism about Lwothin's plan, Leia and Han reluctantly agreed to give the order to Captain Todra Mayn on the Pride of Selonia, who would transmit the message to the starfighters. Back in space, Mayn openly addressed the Alliance and Bakuran pilots via open frequency, instructing them to submit to the Ssi-ruuvi fighters or the Ssi-ruuk would unleash paralysis weapons capable of immobilizing an entire city on the capital Salis D'aar. Unaware of the new developments, Jag questioned her orders. To convince him to cooperate, Mayn claimed that the Ssi-ruuk had taken his girlfriend Jaina captive. With hundreds of other fighters, Jag was drawn into the space under the Errinung'ka's powerful shields. Meanwhile, on the Ssi-ruuvi cruisers, the P'w'eck crew launched a full-scale mutiny in coordination with Lwothin's assassination of the Keeramak. Back at the scene, the P'w'eck droid fighters quickly lowered the tractor beams holding the Alliance and Bakuran fighters, setting them free. Jag quickly realized that the P'w'ecks were rebelling against the Ssi-ruuk. As part of their plan, they had delivered the undamaged Alliance and Bakuran starfighters under the shields of the carrier Errinung'ka to launch an attack. Lowering the shields to receive reinforcements would leave the carrier open to Bakuran firepower. Jag hastily signaled his fellow pilots by clicking three times rapidly on his dashboard. With the shields lowered, Jag sent the signal to his wing mates to attack. Free of the tractor beam, the resurgent Alliance and Bakuran fighters launched a counter-offensive against the V'sett fighters. Knowing that the droid ships were piloted by allied P'w'ecks, he ordered the other pilots not to open fire on the droid fighters and to remain in formation. Soon, the mighty cruiser was under attack by swarms of enemy fighters. The Ssi-ruuvi onboard were unable to get reinforcements since that would have meant lowering the shields and being exposed to enemy fire from the Alliance and Bakuran capital ships. Jag and the remnants of his squadron descended on the carrier bays of the Errinung'ka, intercepting 12 V'sett fighters that were being pursued by six P'w'eck fighters. Caught between Twin Suns squadron and the P'w'eck droid ships, the V'setts were quickly overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Jag ordered the other pilots to strafe the carrier's tractor beam and deflector-shield projectors. However, he warned them not to inflict serious structural damage since a P'w'eck mutiny was occurring onboard. Due to a sustained attack inside and outside, the Errinung'ka surrendered to the P'w'ecks and their Alliance allies. Eventually, the second Ssi-ruuvi carrier Firrinree also capitulated, effectively ending the Ssi-ruuvi resistance on land and space. News of the change of events for the better in the space battle were transmitted to the ground by the Selonia. On the ground, the remaining Ssi-ruuvi hold-outs were presumably defeated. ### Cundertol escapes However, the sweetness of victory for the Alliance forces on the ground was marred by Cundertol's escape. Using his enhanced abilities from his HRD body, the former Prime Minister escaped and overpowered Vyram. Amid the rubble of the bombed stadium, Cundertol led his pursuer Jaina Solo on a wild chase, running at an impossible speed. Despite her Force-enhanced abilities, Jaina could not keep up with Cundertol, whose body seemed inexhaustible. Using his high vantage point, Cundertol began throwing bolts, something impossible for humans. Even with her Force abilities, Jaina was unable to incapacitate him with a Force push. Continuing the chase through the stairwell, Jaina confronted Cundertol in a dark corridor. During the ensuing fight, Cundertol used his enhanced abilities to attack Jaina, knocking her to the ground and throwing her five meters across the corridor. Attempting to block his escape, Jaina used the Force to hurl her lightsaber at Cundertol, severing his arm. Despite his wounds, he still escaped using his enhanced HRD body. Hurt from her struggle, Jaina could only watch as her companions caught up with her. When the severed arm was examined, Jaina and her mother Leia noticed the absence of blood and an un-human chemical smell. This led Jaina to suspect that Cundertol was a droid. Later, Bakuran lab technicians confirmed her suspicions, concluding that Cundertol was a Human replica droid. Meanwhile, Cundertol escaped on a P'w'eck shuttle carrying the remains of the slain Keeramak to Lwhekk to appease the Ssi-ruuvi leadership. Despite the loss of his arm, Cundertol used his enhanced HRD body to overpower and kill the six P'w'eck crew, hijacking the vessel. He then piloted the shuttle to an abandoned New Republic research base on the borders of Ssi-ruuvi Space, where he had undergone his life-changing operation. Arriving there, his shuttle was picked up by an Fw'Sen-class picket ship, which extended docking grapples that attached the former to the latter. By now, the stump of his severed arm had healed itself. Onboard the Picket ship, the former Prime Minister was confronted by General E'thinaa, who expressed pleasure at the turn of events on Bakura, much to Cundertol's surprise. Cundertol was also horrified to learn that the Ssi-ruu general had sensed his deception despite his HRD body's ability to mask stress and anxiety. Seeking funds to find new contacts and rebuild his arm, Cundertol demanded his "side" of the bargain from E'thinaa, who refused, claiming that he had already provided the HRD body and was displeased by the debacle of the P'w'eck revolt. Desperate, he challenged the Ssi-ruu officer to a duel, believing that his HRD body's enhanced abilities would give him the upper hand. However, E'thinaa used Vong technology to verbally activate a restraining bolt on Cundertol. With Cundertol incapacitated, E'thinaa remarked that Cundertol was just a pawn and revealed himself to be a masked Yuuzhan Vong infiltrator. The Vong agent also informed Cundertol that the Yuuzhan Vong had launched an offensive into Ssi-ruuvi space, defeating the Imperium and slaying many Ssi-ruuk as sacrifices. Unleashing his hatred of technology and droids, E'thinaa ordered his escort of warriors to execute Cundertol. The former leader was lashed and torn apart by the ferocity of the warriors' deadly amphistaff until he died, passing into chaos. ### Aftermath Following the battle, the Bakuran government and the P'w'eck Emancipation Movement signed a formal treaty, forming an alliance between the two peoples. The terms included holding elections in a month, sharing all captured Ssi-ruuvi assets, and supporting a liberation program for the P'w'ecks in the Imperium. In exchange for tracing the missing credits and a promise not to engage in any more illicit activities, Freedom agents Vyram and Malinza were exonerated of their kidnapping charges, and their organization was allowed to participate in the elections. Despite these events, Bakura chose not to rejoin the New Republic's successor government, the Galactic Alliance. However, with the Yuuzhan Vong making new strides with the destruction of the HoloNet, Bakura joined the Galactic Alliance, contributing ships to the Defense of Mon Calamari and giving the Galactic Alliance Defense Fleet access to the HIMS technology for use during the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar. Leia predicted an influx of P'w'eck refugees from the Imperium within months and possible Ssi-ruuvi invasions within a year. However, the Yuuzhan Vong attack appeared to have weakened the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium in coordination with their invasion of the [known