The conflict known as the Battle of Brentaal IV, which also goes by the names Battle of Brentaal, siege of Brentaal, and Battle for Brentaal, marked one of the initial significant clashes between the New Republic and the Galactic Empire. This confrontation occurred roughly nine months following the Battle of Endor. With the Core Worlds of Recopia and Ralltiir pledging allegiance to the New Republic, the Provisional Council began strategizing to liberate more sectors of the Core, ultimately aiming to seize Coruscant. Following a scouting mission led by Rogue Squadron, the planet of Brentaal IV was designated as the New Republic's primary target for their offensive. The Empire, then under the leadership of Imperial Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, faced challenges in maintaining cohesion, grappling with both internal dissent and the fragmentation of its military into independent warlord domains. To placate the Cabal, a powerful and politically influential group with vested interests on Brentaal IV, Pestage pledged to defend the planet at all costs.
The New Republic launched a substantial assault on Brentaal IV, with Admiral Gial Ackbar commanding the task force, supported by Rogue Squadron and Aggressor Wing. Due to the tactical missteps of Imperial Admiral Lon Isoto, Republic forces successfully captured the Brentaal Moonbase. Subsequent operations enabled Republic forces to establish a foothold on the planet itself, specifically in the city of Oradin, although not without losses. The 181st Imperial Fighter Group, under the command of Colonel Baron Soontir Fel, had reinforced Brentaal IV. Despite their presence, it became evident that Brentaal IV was destined to fall to the New Republic. Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard ordered an evacuation of Brentaal IV, dispatching ships from Coruscant to rescue the affluent and influential residents. Fearing the evacuation would drain Brentaal of its resources, New Republic forces mobilized to prevent the escape. During the ensuing conflict, Baron Fel was captured by New Republic forces, and Brentaal IV was secured under New Republic control following the retreat of Imperial forces.
The repercussions of the loss of Brentaal IV further exacerbated divisions among the Empire's political leaders, largely due to Director Isard's machinations. Throughout the Brentaal campaign, she successfully alienated Pestage and the Cabal from each other, convincing each faction that the other bore primary responsibility for the planet's loss. Pestage, aware of Isard's ambition for the throne, began exploring options to safeguard himself, including negotiating with the New Republic, while the Cabal initiated plots to overthrow Pestage. For the New Republic, the liberation of Brentaal IV represented a significant strategic triumph, solidifying their presence in the Core and even gaining the allegiance of Baron Fel, who defected to the New Republic in exchange for assistance in locating his wife.
Around nine months following the Battle of Endor, the recently established New Republic initiated reconnaissance missions across the Core Worlds, intending to launch a campaign to liberate the Core, including the capital city of Coruscant. After the decision of the people of Recopia to align with the New Republic, Rogue Squadron, the New Republic's premier starfighter unit, was tasked with scouting the planet of Brentaal IV, situated within the Bormea sector of the Core. A group of five fighters, comprising four Incom T-65 X-wing starfighters and one T-65BR X-wing reconnaissance starfighter, entered the Brentaal system to gather intelligence. Imperial forces stationed at the Brentaal Moonbase responded to the New Republic's incursion, deploying TIE fighters to engage the Rogues. A brief dogfight ensued, with the Rogues protecting the reconnaissance fighter, piloted by Nrin Vakil. All but one of the deployed TIE fighters were destroyed. As the remaining fighter sought refuge at the moonbase, Rogue pilot Wes Janson launched two proton torpedoes into the launch bay, causing significant internal damage. Unopposed, the Rogues jumped to hyperspace and returned to Base Delta-Nine.
Following the death of Emperor Palpatine during the Battle of Endor, Grand Vizier Sate Pestage took control of the Empire. However, Director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanne Isard, also desired to rule. She provided advice and support to Pestage in the months after the defeat at Endor, acting as an impartial figure in his dealings with the Cabal, a wealthy and politically influential group of Imperial citizens. However, Isard was manipulating Pestage and the Cabal, creating tension between them to weaken both Pestage's rule and the Cabal's power. When reports of New Republic reconnaissance missions into the Core Worlds reached Pestage, Isard advised him to invite an attack on Brentaal IV. Initiating a plan she termed Project Ambition, Isard believed that orchestrating a New Republic victory at Brentaal would lead to Pestage's downfall and weaken the Ruling Council, allowing her to ascend to the throne. Furthermore, by allowing the New Republic to establish a presence in the Core, Isard hoped to lure elements of the New Republic's leadership and military into a vulnerable position.
When Pestage questioned the wisdom of this approach, noting that members of the Cabal either owned property on Brentaal IV or shared in its wealth, Isard responded that they would expect Pestage to defend the world for those exact reasons. Additionally, they possessed the resources to fund upgrades to the planetary defenses. Pestage considered replacing Admiral Lon Isoto, the commander of the planet's military forces, due to his incompetence and alleged addiction to the drug glitterstim. Isard advised Pestage to take the opposite course and allow Isoto to remain in command, as he was favored by the Cabal despite being considered an idiot. Since he was their appointee, his failures would reflect poorly on them. Isard also informed Pestage that elements of the elite 181st Imperial Fighter Group were en route to Brentaal IV, with the remainder of the unit, including their commander, Colonel Baron Soontir Fel, scheduled to follow shortly. Agreeing, Pestage issued a public statement affirming the Empire's commitment to defending Brentaal IV against any invasion. Secretly, Isard viewed the impending battle as an opportunity to eliminate Soontir Fel: a popular and respected officer, Isard suspected that the Imperial Military was conspiring to offer Fel the Imperial throne and replace her and Pestage.
After analyzing the reconnaissance data provided by Rogue Squadron, Admiral Gial Ackbar, Supreme Commander of the New Republic's military forces, determined that Brentaal IV was an ideal target for attack. Brentaal was located at the most significant hyperlane junction in the Core Worlds, and capturing it would position New Republic forces within striking distance of Coruscant, while also restricting Imperial access to the galaxy's eastern and southern regions. The planet had been considered as a target for several months but had been a low priority. With Pestage vowing to defend the planet at all costs, Ackbar decided that they needed to strike Brentaal IV quickly before it could be heavily reinforced. A task force was assembled, commanded by Ackbar himself aboard the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Independence, and including Colonel Horton Salm's Aggressor Wing and Rogue Squadron, which was brought back to full strength for the operation. The task force was given two weeks to train for the assault. Simultaneously, Kapp Dendo of the New Republic Intelligence Service was deployed to the planet with Commando Team One to transmit information back to the New Republic.
Following the successful liberation of Ralltiir several days prior, the task force launched from Recopia, striking first at the Brentaal IV moonbase. The facility was defended by fixed turbolaser emplacements and TIE interceptors from the 181st's third squadron. However, Admiral Isoto chose not to engage the New Republic capital ships with his own vessels, keeping them in close orbit around Brentaal IV. Unopposed, Colonel Salm's Y-wings commenced their attack runs on the installation's defenses while Rogue Squadron provided cover. During the dogfight, Rogue pilot Derek Klivian was shot down, but he managed to eject from his damaged fighter.
To land ground troops in the moonbase's hangar, Rogue pilot Plourr Ilo raced ahead of the assault transports. Launching two proton torpedoes into the hangar, she followed them into the facility. Once inside, Ilo activated her repulsors and, hovering above the deck, used her fighter's weapons to eliminate the base's defenders who had gathered in the hangar. Bantha-class troop carrier assault shuttles followed her into the installation, deploying ground troops to secure the hangar. New Republic forces captured the moonbase, intending to use it as a staging area for the assault on Brentaal IV itself. Shortly after its capture, Rogue Squadron was transferred to the installation from Base Delta-Nine and began combat air patrols with Y-wings from Aggressor Wing to protect the facility.
Shortly after the capture of the moonbase, Baron Fel, along with the rest of the 181st, arrived on Brentaal IV. Their arrival was reported by Dendo's intelligence team, who relayed the information to New Republic command. Establishing his headquarters in Vuultin, Fel was initially impressed by Admiral Isoto's efforts to comply with his request for improved city defenses by constructing hardened missile sites and a launch bunker for his group's fighters. However, Isoto's lack of military tactical and strategic acumen became evident when he insisted that the New Republic's next target would be Vuultin itself, as it was where he had established his headquarters. Fel argued that the city of Oradin, located west of Vuultin, was the logical target because it possessed extensive spaceport facilities that the Republic would need to land troops in large numbers. Isoto relented, allowing Fel to deploy his unit as he saw fit, but ordered him to leave a flight or two at the capital in case he was wrong.
On the Brentaal IV moonbase, Admiral Ackbar briefed his forces on their attack plan for the planet itself. The strategy involved capturing the city of Oradin and its spaceports, exactly as Fel had predicted. Aggressor Wing would protect the strike force, while Rogue Squadron would feign an attack on the capital of Vuultin. With intelligence placing Fel at the capital, it was hoped that Rogue Squadron would engage the 181st, preventing them from attacking the assault force heading for Oradin.
Rogue Squadron attacked Vuultin at sundown, engaging two flights from the 181st Third Squadron and ground defenses. Captain Wedge Antilles reported that the opposition was light—Case Yellow—to the fleet, resulting in reserves being allocated to the Oradin theater. Despite enemy forces attacking his capital, Isoto ordered his capital ships to move to the night side of the planet, away from the New Republic forces. Despite the light opposition, two Rogue Squadron pilots, Wes Janson and the Mon Calamari Ibtisam, were shot down. Both survived the loss of their craft, going to ground outside of Vuultin.
While Rogue Squadron attacked Vuultin, Colonel Salm led his Y-wings against Oradin's defenses. With jamming originating from the city itself, it was believed that any attack would come from that direction. However, Fel led his interceptors in strafing runs against the Y-wings from behind, inflicting heavy casualties. Tasking his second in command, Major Turr Phennir, to lead his squadron in an attack on the assault carriers approaching the city, Fel intended to eliminate the Republic fighters with his own squadron. Receiving a communication from Isoto, Fel was ordered to break off the attack and return to Vuultin to protect the admiral from Rogue Squadron's attack. Fel argued that they could not, as the main assault was at Oradin, but Isoto insisted. Despite Phennir's suggestion to ignore the command, Fel obeyed his orders and withdrew. Phennir's squadron performed rearguard duty, inflicting massive damage to the city as they pulled out.
With the 181st heading for Vuultin, Rogue Squadron was ordered to withdraw from their assault on the capital and regroup with the fleet in case Fel and his unit were being sent to attack them. Antilles protested that they had people on the ground, and fleet command informed him that rescue assets had been notified of the situation. Rogue Squadron disengaged and headed for orbit. Meanwhile, Republic forces captured Oradin and immediately established a garrison and a makeshift hospital. During the fighting, Major Phennir had single-handedly shot down an assault transport, and the craft had crashed into a school. Casualties from Aggressor Wing, the transport, and the school were being treated at the hospital, aided by the discovery of kiloliter drums of bacta.
Outside of Vuultin, Janson and Ibtisam were picked up by members of Dendo's intelligence team. However, they were dressed in stormtrooper armor, so the pair initially believed they had been captured by Imperial forces. Following the attack on Vuultin, Dendo was conducting a damage assessment mission, and since he was not at their headquarters when the two Rogues were brought in, the pilots were kept isolated to prevent them from compromising the intelligence team's safety. Once Dendo returned, he informed Janson and Ibtisam of the situation and sent a message to the Republic forces informing them of their survival. When the two Rogues inquired about rejoining their unit, Dendo replied that he could not spare the personnel to transport them back, as they had a major operation planned for the next day. First, they would be targeting a massive construction droid that was being used to construct defenses for Vuultin, and then they would attempt to capture Isoto, alive if possible. Dendo told the two pilots that they could contribute more to the campaign by assisting him, and they agreed.
On Coruscant, news of Oradin's fall reached Pestage and the Cabal. Having isolated them from each other, Isard fully exploited the situation, deepening the divide between the two parties. Pestage wanted to relieve Isoto of command, but Isard told him that the Cabal still supported the admiral and that when he failed, the Cabal would fail by extension. To the members of the Cabal, who did not support Isoto and wanted him removed, she presented a scenario where she had advised Pestage to relieve Isoto of command, but he had steadfastly refused. Pestage wanted Isard to convince the Cabal to withdraw their support for the admiral, while the Cabal began to contemplate treason, although Isard informed them that it was not treasonous to fulfill one's duty. Isard ordered an armada of two hundred five vessels to launch from Coruscant and head to Brentaal IV with the explicit intention of evacuating the wealthier civilian population. She did this without Pestage's knowledge or approval. When confronted about it, Isard admitted that her true plan all along had been to lose Brentaal IV to deny the Cabal a power base and that the evacuation fleet would be seen as Pestage's attempt to salvage a situation made hopeless by the Cabal's supposed insistence on keeping Isoto in command of the defense. Isard stated that she had kept the truth from Pestage because, had he known her intent, he would never have allowed her to act.
The New Republic task force had established its headquarters in Oradin and monitored the fleet's arrival. Fearing that the evacuation would also entail the removal of the planet's wealth and cultural artifacts, as Moff Leonia Tavira had done on the planet Eiattu 6, the New Republic Provisional Council decided to forcibly halt the evacuation. They hoped that the wealthy elite would then buy their freedom by pledging allegiance to the New Republic. Rogue Squadron was ordered to provide cover for Aggressor Wing, which was tasked with disabling fleeing vessels using their ion cannons, and to protect assault transports that would exploit the confusion to capture the city of Vuultin.
Rogue Squadron swept into Vuultin, engaging the city's static defenses and TIE fighters. During the opening engagement, Rogue pilot Standro Jcir's fighter was struck by anti-air fire. Out of control, Jcir's fighter crashed into the defense tower that had hit him, destroying it and killing the Rodian inside. Colonel Salm and his Y-wings then began their attack runs on the city's spaceport, intending to pursue fleeing ships.
Baron Fel, aware of Director Isard's ambitions for the Imperial throne and angered by her manipulations that had endangered his pilots, led his unit against Rogue Squadron despite knowing that the chances of an Imperial victory were slim. Despite this, Fel valued honor and duty above all else and followed his orders, engaging Republic forces.
As the New Republic's starfighters and assault transports attacked Vuultin, Dendo's team, including Janson and Ibtisam, attacked their targeted construction droid. Using explosive charges with timers taken from binary loadlifters, the team destroyed the massive automaton, escaping the blast zone aboard personnel skiffs.
As the Republic assault on the city continued, Isard contacted Admiral Isoto, ordering him to issue an immediate evacuation of Brentaal IV. She informed him that the events on Brentaal IV had unfolded according to her design, as part of an elaborate trap to destroy the Republic forces. Isoto told Isoto that he had played his part in her scheme and that an evacuation order from him would spring the trap. Isoto complied with her order, directing all Imperial military personnel and civilians to leave the planet. As he was inquiring whether he should return to Coruscant, he was assassinated by his concubine, Grania, who was a deep cover agent for Isard. The Director instructed her agent to make Isoto's death appear to be a suicide and to allow herself to be captured. Isard wanted Grania to be taken in by the New Republic, as she was the key to Project Ambition, a plan devised by the Director to neutralize Pestage and the Cabal and allow her to take control of the Empire.
With Isoto's evacuation order given, every ship on the planet was granted immediate clearance for vertical take-off, shifting the engagement into orbit around Brentaal IV. As Aggressor Wing continued its attack runs, Rogue Squadron provided cover against the 181st's interceptors. Rogue pilot Dar Keyis was killed early in the orbital fight, and the squadron's executive officer, Tycho Celchu, dueled with his opposite number, Major Phennir. Fel realized that, despite his squadron's constant attacks, the Y-wings were remaining on their assigned mission. He reasoned that this was due to their leadership and targeted Colonel Salm's fighter, hoping that the Y-wing formations would collapse without their commander. Lining up, Fel engaged Salm. As he fired at the Colonel's Y-wing, his interceptor was clipped by fire from Captain Antilles' X-wing, throwing the shot off. Salm's Y-wing lost its port engine and was crippled, but Salm remained alive.
Fel engaged Antilles but realized that the mission, protecting Imperial citizens, came first and ordered Phennir to disengage from the battle and lead the 181st to the Eviscerator to withdraw from the system. Fel and Antilles dueled briefly, but the engagement ended when Antilles drew Fel toward Salm's damaged Y-wing. Hiding the other fighter from view with his own X-wing, Antilles broke hard during the engagement, revealing Fel's interceptor to Salm. Using his ion cannons, Salm disabled the Imperial's interceptor. Imperial forces withdrew from the system, leaving the New Republic in control.
With Brentaal IV now under New Republic control, the Cabal's already fragile faith in Pestage shattered, leading them to believe he was on track to surrender the Empire to the New Republic. Pestage publicly attributed the loss to disloyal elements within the Imperial forces. Fel was branded a traitor and made a scapegoat, while Isoto was celebrated as a hero for his supposed efforts to defend the planet. Imperial propaganda surrounding the battle claimed that the Rogues suffered eight or nine pilot casualties—a fabrication believed even by Imperial officials and pilots like Lorrir who claimed service with the 181st—despite the actual loss being only two. However, Pestage finally became aware of Isard's plotting against him, and decided to act to save himself. He secretly reached out to the New Republic, offering to leave Coruscant undefended in exchange for amnesty and planetary holdings for himself and his chosen advisors, in meetings with Princess Leia Organa on Axxila. Isard uncovered his betrayal and revealed it to the Cabal, who then established a Triumvirate to govern the Empire and issued an arrest warrant for Pestage. Pestage escaped to Ciutric IV, where the local governor imprisoned him. A New Republic mission was launched to rescue him, but it failed, and he was assassinated by Admiral Delak Krennel, the Imperial officer sent to retrieve him. Meanwhile, Isard systematically eliminated the Triumvirate members, seizing sole power over the Empire.
Having secured a firm presence in the Core Worlds, and following the planet's capture by New Republic forces, Chief of State Mon Mothma visited Brentaal IV to reassure the local population. Baron Fel, captured during the final battle for Brentaal, underwent extensive debriefing by New Republic officials. In return for assistance in locating his wife, the holostar Wynssa Starflare—sister to New Republic pilot Wedge Antilles—Fel offered his services to the New Republic. Fel had long anticipated that Isard's machinations would force him and his family to flee the Empire should his wife's family connections be exposed, or that Isard would exploit her to control him. Therefore, Fel had instructed his wife to establish a secret safehouse somewhere in the galaxy, known only to her. He assured her he would find her, but deliberately remained ignorant of its location to prevent unintentional betrayal. Following his capture, Fel knew his wife would have fled their Coruscant home for the safehouse. The New Republic accepted his offer, and Fel was assigned to Rogue Squadron, participating in numerous missions.
The destruction of Brentaal IV's extensive orbital shipping infrastructure during the battle caused a severe economic downturn, which persisted under the New Republic's administration.
Formerly a slave under Imperial Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, Admiral Ackbar served on the New Republic Provisional Council and held the position of Supreme Commander of its military forces. Fresh from his victory over Imperial forces at the Battle of Endor nine months prior, Ackbar personally commanded the New Republic forces during the Battle of Brentaal IV. He directed all aspects of the operation, spearheading the assault on the Brentaal IV moonbase and briefing pilots for strikes against Oradin and Vuultin. Ackbar temporarily relocated to a command base in Oradin to oversee the final stages of the operation, returning to the flagship Home One after securing the planet.
Colonel Horton Salm, a seasoned Y-wing pilot and former leader of Gray Squadron during the Battle of Endor, commanded Aggressor Wing in the Battle of Brentaal IV. Salm led his unit against the Brentaal IV moonbase, with his fighters serving as the primary assault force for the strike on Oradin. Salm and his Aggressors played a crucial role in preventing Imperial citizens from evacuating Brentaal IV with the planet's wealth, using ion cannons to disable escaping ships. He also received credit for capturing Baron Soontir Fel, disabling his TIE interceptor with his Y-wing's ion cannon. Salm was promoted to general for his contributions to the operation.
Captain Wedge Antilles led Rogue Squadron, the New Republic's premier starfighter unit. A veteran of the battles of Yavin, Hoth, Endor, and Bakura, he consistently declined promotions that would remove him from the squadron, even orchestrating a demotion to remain in command. Antilles continued to lead the Rogues through several minor operations leading up to the Battle of Brentaal. He led the Rogues against the Brentaal IV moonbase and during the diversionary strike on Vuultin. During the planet's evacuation, he engaged Imperial ace Baron Soontir Fel of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group, resulting in the Baron's capture after his fighter was disabled by ion cannon fire.
Kapp Dendo served as an agent for New Republic Intelligence, frequently partnering with Winter on assignments. Deployed to Brentaal IV two weeks before the New Republic assault, Dendo and his team provided intelligence to the New Republic, including the information that Baron Soontir Fel was present on the planet and located in Vuultin. During Rogue Squadron's assault on Vuultin, Wes Janson and Ibtisam were forced to eject. Dendo's team rescued them and recruited them for an operation to destroy a construction droid and either capture or eliminate Admiral Isoto. The first mission succeeded, but the second failed, as the admiral had seemingly already committed suicide—though he was actually assassinated by an agent of Ysanne Isard's.
Rogue Squadron represented the New Republic's elite starfighter unit, under the command of Captain Wedge Antilles. The unit's origins can be traced back to the original Red Squadron that attacked the first Death Star above Yavin 4. Formed into Rogue Group under the direction of Commander Arhul Narra of Renegade Flight, the nascent unit gathered some of the Rebel Alliance's most skilled pilots. The unit saw action at the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor, where it was temporarily renamed "Red Squadron" in honor of the unit that had confronted the Death Star at Yavin. The squadron participated in several minor operations following the Battle of Endor, performing admirably despite being understaffed. The squadron was brought back to full strength shortly before the Battle of Brentaal IV.
Aggressor Wing, led by Colonel Horton Salm, was a New Republic unit composed of BTL-S3 Y-wing starfighters. Known for their discipline and composure under fire, Aggressor Wing maintained focus on their assigned missions despite constant enemy attacks, a testament to their commander's rigorous training. Members of Aggressor Wing had previously fought at the Battle of Endor as part of Gray Squadron, with new pilots joining the roster after the battle. As a front-line combat unit, Aggressor Wing effectively utilized their Y-wing's weaponry, employing proton torpedoes for precision bombing runs and ion cannons to disable enemy vessels.
Admiral Lon Isoto—nicknamed "Isoto the Indecisive" due to his lack of tactical acumen and poor leadership—commanded the Imperial forces tasked with defending Brentaal IV. Despite having a wife on Coruscant, Isoto had "gone native," adopting local attire and surrounding himself with concubines. Isoto's rise to power was facilitated by the Cabal, and his military incompetence allowed the New Republic to seize the Brentaal IV moonbase. Overestimating his own importance, Isoto was convinced that the New Republic would target him in Vuultin rather than strike at Oradin. A diversionary attack on his capital caused him to panic and withdraw the 181st from Oradin, effectively ceding the city to the New Republic. During the planet's evacuation ordered by Director Isard, Isoto was assassinated by his concubine, Grania, who was secretly an agent of Isard.
Colonel Baron Soontir Fel, the most celebrated pilot in the Imperial military and commander of the elite 181st Imperial Fighter Group, was married to holostar Wynssa Starflare. He and his unit were dispatched to reinforce Brentaal IV and prevent its capture by the New Republic. Fel recognized that Director Ysanne Isard was sacrificing his unit as pawns in her scheme to seize control of the Empire. He initially engaged the New Republic in the battle over Oradin, complying with Admiral Isoto's orders to retreat to protect Vuultin despite knowing it would lead to Oradin's fall. Rejecting the urgings of his second-in-command, Turr Phennir, to become a warlord, Fel began to realize the Empire he had faithfully served had become a mere shadow of its former self, resenting the fact that he and his men were being sent to die for political gain. During the evacuation of Brentaal IV, his fighter was disabled by ion cannon fire, leading to his capture by the New Republic. Subsequently, he defected and joined Rogue Squadron.
The 181st Imperial Fighter Group was a highly regarded unit within the Imperial armed forces. Initially dismissed as a "joke" unit known as the One-Eighty-Worst, it was transformed under the leadership of Soontir Fel. While officially under the command of Colonel Evir Derricote, Fel was responsible for the unit's training. The 181st participated in the Second Battle of Ord Biniir, after which it was reduced from a wing to a group. The unit saw action in the Battle of Derra IV, after which Derricote was promoted and Fel assumed command. The 181st served at the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor before being assigned to defend Brentaal IV. Despite the fanfare surrounding their deployment and promises that they would prevent the planet's fall to the New Republic, Director Isard was plotting to seize control of the Empire, and the 181st was being used as pawns in her plan. She intended to sacrifice them to weaken the power bases of both Sate Pestage and the Cabal. The unit survived the Battle of Brentaal IV, although Soontir Fel was captured by the New Republic.
The Battle of Brentaal IV was portrayed in a four-part story arc of Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron titled In the Empire's Service, initially published in 1997 by Dark Horse Comics, and written by Michael A. Stackpole. The battle has since been mentioned in numerous other works, including The Essential Chronology, The New Essential Chronology, and Coruscant and the Core Worlds. In 2012, The Essential Guide to Warfare referenced the engagement, but incorrectly stated that Fel remained in Vuultin to defect to the New Republic, rather than defecting after being captured in orbit of Brentaal IV.
The date of the Battle of Brentaal IV has varied across different sources. In the first issue of the In the Empire's Service arc, Isard states that six months have passed since the Emperor's death. Star Wars: The Comics Companion, published in 2006, supports this date, while The New Essential Chronology placed the battle before the Battle of Kashyyyk, which was said to have occurred eight months after Endor. However, in 2007, Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Volume 3 indicated that the events took place approximately nine months after the Battle of Endor. The Essential Guide to Warfare, released in 2012, placed the Battle of Brentaal IV after the Battle of Kashyyyk, which had previously been established as occurring eight months after Endor. This article assumes that the nine-month date is accurate due to its establishment in more recently published source material.