The confrontation known as the Battle of Ession unfolded between the New Republic and the forces under the command of Warlord Zsinj. Zsinj conceived this battle as an elaborate deception. His strategy involved using the Pakkerd Light Transport manufacturing center situated on Ession as an alluring target. The aim was the annihilation of several squadrons of New Republic starfighters, notably including Rogue Squadron. Unbeknownst to Zsinj, the crew of the Corellian corvette named Night Caller had been replaced by members of Wraith Squadron. This battle served as the culmination of the Wraiths' elaborate and protracted ruse. Zsinj's intention was that Ession would be a straightforward operation to eliminate who he believed was Rogue Squadron, but it was in reality a trap designed to destroy the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Implacable, under the command of Admiral Apwar Trigit. Despite being outnumbered, the New Republic forces capitalized on the element of surprise, successfully destroying the Implacable. Furthermore, Apwar Trigit met his demise while attempting to escape the conflict.
Wraith Squadron, utilizing the captured CR90 corvette called Night Caller, had been posing as agents of Zsinj. During this time, they executed a series of clandestine aerial and ground missions aimed at dismantling various assets controlled by Zsinj. Originally, the Wraiths had set their sights on destroying Admiral Apwar Trigit's Star Destroyer Implacable during the preceding Battle of Talasea. However, Trigit chose not to bring the Implacable into the system, limiting the Wraiths to an inconclusive outcome. Subsequently, both Zsinj and his subordinate Trigit came to the conclusion that a New Republic presence was tracking the Night Caller. Consequently, they devised a plan to ensnare the New Republic forces, which they incorrectly identified as Rogue Squadron and associated commando units.
Zsinj transmitted a message to the Night Caller's captain, who he believed to be Zurel Darillian. In reality, it was Wraith Garik Loran in disguise. He informed him of the rendezvous point at Ession, home to a starfighter production facility allied with Zsinj. Under the direction of Atril Tabanne, the Night Caller embarked on a course for Ession, while Wraith leader Wedge Antilles contacted his superiors to request reinforcements.
As the Night Caller maintained formation with the Implacable in orbit around Ession's primary moon, Loran successfully persuaded Apwar Trigit to keep the Implacable stationary near a communications relay. Kell Tainer, the unit's reserve mechanic and demolitions expert, proposed installing a permanent relay dish on the moon's surface. This was supposedly to mask their sensor signature and conceal the Star Destroyer's presence from the New Republic. However, the true purpose was to disrupt the Implacable's targeting systems, with the hope of preventing significant damage to the much smaller corvette.
After the Night Caller received a signal indicating the impending arrival of additional New Republic forces, Trigit contacted "Darillian" to confirm the expected arrival of New Republic units. Loran experienced a brief moment of unease when Trigit used a familiar phrase that Darillian should have recognized. He managed to recover by drawing upon his past experiences with Ysanne Isard to divert the admiral's attention. Furthermore, Loran successfully convinced Trigit to allow his TIE fighters to escort the Implacable, strategically positioning them to inflict considerable damage on the Star Destroyer. At the last moment, Wedge Antilles and Captain Atril Tabanne switched roles. Antilles took command of the Night Caller, while Tabanne piloted a TIE fighter, as Antilles possessed greater expertise in piloting Corellian corvettes. Consequently, Wraiths Wes Janson, Falynn Sandskimmer, and Voort saBinring, along with Tabanne, were situated in TIE fighters docked within the Night Caller's escape pod bays. Meanwhile, the remaining Wraith pilots, Eurrsk Thri'ag, Tyria Sarkin, Kell Tainer, Myn Donos, Ton Phanan, and Hohass Ekwesh, awaited in their T-65 X-wing starfighters inside the Night Caller's cargo hold.
Shortly thereafter, the cargo transport Red Feathers executed a hyperspace jump into the system. This vessel was actually the former pirate Super Transport VI Blood Nest, recovered from the moon of the same name and renamed Red Feathers. It concealed three New Republic starfighter squadrons and was rigged to explode upon entering the atmosphere, releasing the fighters. Aboard the Implacable, Imperial Intelligence analyst Gara Petothel accurately predicted this strategy and alerted Trigit. The transport communicated to Ession's spaceport that it was experiencing structural failure and would self-destruct to prevent crashing into the planet. An escape pod was launched, containing a commando unit led by Judder Page. Page's Commandos sabotaged the launch mechanisms for the Pakkerd facility's own TIE fighters, denying Trigit the reinforcements he anticipated.
As the Blood Nest disintegrated, X-wings from Rogue Squadron, Y-wings of Green Squadron commanded by General Horton Salm, and A-wings of Blue Squadron led by General Edor Crespin, emerged from its cargo bay. The Implacable and the Night Caller launched their TIE fighters. However, while the Implacable's fighters accelerated to engage the New Republic fighters, the four TIEs from the Night Caller established a defensive perimeter around the Implacable as Garik Loran made his way to his starfighter.
The Night Caller swiftly declared its true allegiance by targeting the Implacable with its turbolasers and activating its tractor beam. The X-wings positioned in its bow hangar executed a maneuver known as the Loran Spitball, launching a volley of fourteen proton torpedoes at the Implacable. Simultaneously, the unit's TIE fighters, designated Gray Flight, opened fire on the unshielded Implacable, aiming to deliver a critical blow. Tabanne, piloting her TIE fighter, unleashed a series of laser cannon blasts, destroying the Implacable's bridge and shield generators in her surprise assault. Antilles employed the Night Caller's powerful tractor beam to secure the ship to the moon, while its thrusters oriented towards the lunar surface. The thrusters' exhaust stirred up lunar dust to obscure the corvette from the Implacable's gunners. Antilles then assumed control of the main turbolaser turret. The torpedo barrage successfully destroyed a significant portion of the Implacable's power cells, and with its targeting systems disrupted, the Implacable was unable to effectively utilize its armaments. With its starfighters engaged with the three other New Republic squadrons, the Star Destroyer found itself in an increasingly precarious situation. Trigit ordered his starfighters to return; however, they were pursued by Rogue and Blue Squadrons, while Green Squadron destroyed the TIE manufacturing facility on Ession.
As the Implacable's fighters rushed back, Atril Tabanne's fighter sustained a glancing blow, but she was rescued by Cubber Daine in the Narra, the Wraiths' Lambda-class T-4a shuttle. However, Kell Tainer, suddenly overwhelmed by fear at the sight of the returning TIEs, began to flee the battlefield. His wingmate, Hohass Ekwesh, followed him in an attempt to persuade him to return. Tainer refused, and Ekwesh returned to the fight. Tainer suspected that one of the Wraiths would be sent to destroy him for his cowardice. However, he was snapped out of his fear-stricken state by the thought of forcing his lover, Tyria Sarkin, to destroy him. Realizing that his unit needed him, Tainer returned to battle. As the Implacable's fighters arrived to defend their ship, they became rapidly engaged against Rogue, Wraith, and Blue squadrons in a fierce dogfight. While the TIEs sustained casualties, they also prevented most of the Wraiths from attacking the Implacable.
However, Wraith pilot Falynn Sandskimmer, in defiance of orders, flew her TIE fighter into a hole burned through the Implacable's armor, and began systematically destroying its power cells from within. She was followed in by Eurrsk Thri'ag in his X-wing. Between the two them, they quickly savaged the interior of the Star Destroyer's power cells. The damage to the Implacable was compounded by fire from the Night Caller, which Antilles kept concealed within its dust cloud.
Recognizing that his ship was beyond saving, Admiral Trigit initiated its self-destruct sequence and fled with two bodyguards in hyperdrive-equipped TIE interceptors. Petothel, disgusted by his needless sacrifice of thousands of loyal crew members, announced Trigit's escape to the New Republic forces. She also issued the order to abandon ship and used Trigit's personal escape pod for herself after completing the final preparations for her new identity as Lara Notsil, which she would use in an attempt to infiltrate Wraith Squadron.
Even as the Implacable began its self-destruct countdown, the starfighters continued their engagement. While several Imperial fighters were destroyed, Wraith Ton Phanan was forced to eject after sustaining damage from what appeared to be a TIE interceptor belonging to the 181st Fighter Group, as was Kell Tainer. As the heavily damaged Implacable lost control and plummeted towards the moon's surface, Antilles ordered Thri'ag and Sandskimmer to evacuate the interior of the Star Destroyer. Thri'ag managed to pilot his fighter out of the ship's keel, but was instantly vaporized by a turbolaser battery, killing him instantly. Sandskimmer's ship became entangled in the Implacable's framework. Unable to escape, she perished when the Star Destroyer crashed into the moon.
Despite this, the battle continued, as Imperial fighters remained. After Tetran Cowall, disguised as noted Imperial ace Soontir Fel, eliminated a dissenting TIE pilot, the Implacable's remaining starfighters agreed to a cease-fire proposed by Antilles. However, General Edor Crespin and Lieutenant Myn Donos pursued the fleeing Trigit and his escorts, who had refused to surrender. Crespin shot down the admiral's bodyguards, while Donos killed Trigit himself with a pair of proton torpedoes.
Following the battle, the surviving members of Wraith Squadron were granted leave on Borleias, where they received commendations from Admiral Gial Ackbar for their exceptional skill and dedication. However, Wraith pilot Ton Phanan was absent, recovering from injuries sustained during the battle. Gara Petothel, disguised as Trigit's sex slave, was rescued by the New Republic. She would later infiltrate Wraith Squadron. Kell Tainer, who had been grappling with issues of fear and responsibility, finally felt at ease, having overcome his anxiety in the heat of battle. Myn Donos, whose Talon Squadron had been destroyed by Trigit, finally found peace regarding the loss of his squadron, though he was haunted by the loss of his significant other, Falynn Sandskimmer.
The surviving Imperial fighters on Ession regrouped and eventually returned to service with Zsinj. Cowall, leading a makeshift 181st, would later engage Wraith Squadron on a number of occasions.
The Battle of Ession was conceptualized by author Aaron Allston as the culminating battle in his novel X-Wing: Wraith Squadron. On his personal website, Allston acknowledged an inconsistency in the battle narrative, where Janson's craft transitions from a TIE fighter to an X-wing. Allston clarified that Janson's canonical vehicle throughout the Battle of Ession was a TIE fighter.