The Battle of Bal'demnic unfolded during the culminating year of the Clone Wars, a direct result of the Confederacy of Independent Systems' endeavor to extract cortosis from the planetary crust of Bal'demnic. A specialized unit of the Galactic Republic, commanded by Jedi Knights Halagad Ventor and Sha Koon, was deployed with the mission of disrupting this mining operation.
Way back in 67 BBY, Subtext Mining secretly provided Dark Lords of the Sith Darth Tenebrous and Darth Plagueis with classified information, revealing significant cortosis deposits buried within the planet. During his investigation of this claim, Plagueis committed patricide on Bal'demnic, and experienced a premonition of this very battle. Upon his return to Muunilinst, Plagueis tasked Larsh Hill with purchasing large tracts of Bal'demnic land and securing mining rights to the cortosis-rich mainland. Years later, amidst the Outer Rim Sieges, the Confederacy initiated their mining operations, backed by military force. This action also served the Confederacy's larger strategy of drawing Republic forces away from the Core Worlds as the war neared its end.
Faced with the might of the Confederate military, the indigenous Kon'me leaders had little choice but to permit the extensive mining operation. Jedi intelligence, however, intercepted intercepted encrypted Confederacy communications, alerting them to the situation unfolding on Bal'demnic. Mace Windu understood the grave implications for the Jedi Order should cortosis fall into Confederate hands. The Jedi High Council subsequently assigned Halagad Ventor and [Sha Koon](/article/sha_koon] to spearhead a battalion of clone troopers, accompanied by other Jedi, on a crucial mission to sabotage the mining endeavor.
Although the Kon'me leaders initially conceded to the Confederacy's mining activities, the populace was far from compliant. A revolt erupted, with the Kon'me launching attacks against the Confederate forces using advanced weaponry supplied by opportunistic war profiteers. The Confederacy retaliated by deploying their B1-series battle droids to suppress the Kon'me uprising. OG-9 homing spider droids scaled the planet's steep cliffs, dismantling many of the natives' defensive positions. Despite suffering significant casualties, the Kon'me managed to resist the mechanical invaders, leading to a fierce and widespread battle.
As Halagad Ventor's Republic force entered Bal'demnic's atmosphere, their ARC-170 starfighters encountered immediate opposition in the form of Confederate Droid tri-fighters. Following the aerial engagement, Halagad and his troops landed, intending to support the Kon'me. However, the presence of these external forces on their world only intensified the natives' fury, driving them into a state of uncontrolled rage. In a desperate attempt to expel all outsiders from their planet, the Kon'me launched a powerful counter-attack, indiscriminately targeting both Republic and Confederate forces. With the Confederate forces now caught between two enemies and hampered by the challenging terrain, they initiated a full-scale withdrawal. Ventor and Koon, unwilling to engage the hostile natives, also ordered their troops to retreat.
The battle was first briefly seen in Clone Wars Chapter 22. Arthur Papadam fleshed out the battle's details in Bal'demnic's Databank entry, through the What's The Story? campaign. James Luceno provided further context to the battle's history in Darth Plagueis.