The Battle of Cato Neimoidia, alternatively referred to as the seizure of Cato Neimoidia, marked one of the concluding engagements of the Clone Wars. In this battle, Plo Koon, a Jedi General, commanded the 442nd Siege Battalion of the Grand Army of the Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The objective was to secure control of Cato Neimoidia, the Neimoidian Purse World serving as the headquarters for the Trade Federation. In the waning hours of the war, the Galactic Republic successfully captured the planet. During a subsequent patrol mission above a bridge city, Koon met his end when his clone wingmen, acting under Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's command, enacted Order 66, resulting in his death.
In the final year of the Clone Wars, the Purse World of [Cato Neimoidia](/article/cato_neimoidia], a homeworld of Separatist Council member Nute Gunray and the central base for the Trade Federation, faced an invasion by the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Although Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi General, and Ahsoka Tano, a Commander, spearheaded the 501st Legion of the Grand Army of the Republic in opposition to the Separatists, they received orders to return to Coruscant following the bombing of the Jedi Temple. This recall led to a Confederate triumph, and Cato Neimoidia was brought under Separatist dominion.
Amidst the Outer Rim Sieges occurring in the closing days of the Clone Wars, the capture of Cato Neimoidia was deemed a crucial strategic imperative for bringing the conflict to a close. The Jedi Council tasked Plo Koon, a Jedi Master, with leading the 442nd Siege Battalion, a unit specializing in assaulting enemy defenses, against the Trade Federation's fortified position on Cato Neimoidia.
The battle also involved a sequence of aerial engagements both above the planet and within its atmosphere. These included Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighters and at least one Clone Z-95 Headhunter under Koon's command. Davijaan, known as "Odd Ball," flew alongside Koon over Cato Neimoidia at one point. During the conflict, Koon directed starfighters against a group of Separatist Providence-class Dreadnoughts and droid tri-fighters. Clone Flight Squad Seven also participated in the engagement. Ultimately, the Republic forces seized Cato Neimoidia in the final hours of the Clone Wars.
Shortly following the Republic's triumph, while conducting a patrol flight in the vicinity of a bridge city, Koon remained unaware of the unfolding events within the ARC-170 starfighter trailing behind him, piloted by Captain Jag. Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine contacted the clone trooper pilot and issued the order to execute Order 66. Jag, acting without delay, re-positioned his fighter and unleashed fire upon Koon. The Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor of the Jedi Master sustained a direct hit, resulting in an immediate explosion and death. The remnants of the fighter plummeted into a structure located within the bridge city.