Around 3 ABY, this conflict unfolded both on the surface of and in the airspace above the world of Geonosis. This clash was triggered by the capture of a group of scientists affiliated with the Rebel Alliance from a detention center located over Bakura. General Crix Madine from the Alliance managed to trace the unidentified abductor to Geonosis, which prompted the deployment of Rogue Squadron with the objective of rescuing the captured individuals.
The instant the engagement commenced, it became clear that the Alliance forces were facing a significant setback. An ambush, orchestrated by Sarkli, an Imperial operative acting as a double agent, was sprung upon the Rebel fleet. This forced the surviving transport vessels to execute an emergency retreat into hyperspace. Following a confrontation between Commander Wedge Antilles of Rogue Squadron and Sarkli, who was commanding an Imperial escort carrier, both individuals experienced crash landings within the canyons of the planet. Together they battled past Separatist holdouts. Ultimately, Antilles managed to make his way back to the Rebel Fleet utilizing a relic Jedi Starfighter.
Following the disastrous defeat at Hoth during 3 ABY, the Rebellion desperately needed successful operations. The skilled pilots of Rogue Squadron received orders to extract scientists from an Imperial prison facility. After the scientists had been rescued, one of the transports was intercepted and boarded by Imperial Storm commandos, who subsequently transported the scientists to Geonosis. A Rebel listening post picked up communications, suspecting it was from the ship that came from Bakura, the same ship that destroyed a rebel transport.
General Crix Madine tasked three T-65B X-wing starfighters from Rogue Squadron with the mission to rescue the scientists, and they escorted four GR-75 medium transports, including Rescue 1, to Geonosis. Rogue Squadron was also expecting supporting ships. Upon entering Geonosis' asteroid field, they were ambushed by three escort carriers. Antilles instructed the rescue transports to call off the mission, but the lead escort carrier destroyed one of the transports while the other two carriers retreated. The abductor revealed himself as Sarkli, a former member of Rogue Squadron and the Rebel Alliance. Antilles managed to destroy Sarkli's escort carrier, but Sarkli and some stormtroopers survived the blast by using the ship's escape pods, although they suffered casualties as they collided with asteroids. Antilles's X-wing was caught in the explosion, which destroyed his starboard stabilizer and caused him to crash in a canyon near a derelict Lucrehulk-class Core Ship.
A large number of B1-Series battle droids on Geonosis had remained active due to being outside the range of the deactivation signal at the end of the Clone Wars. When the survivors of the carrier crash-landed, some stormtroopers were killed by "native" droids that were in the area, and suffered system malfunctions. As Antilles crashed, they turned their blasters on him. In an attempt to flee the droids, Sarkli used a crashed, but working LAAT/i to escape the area. Antilles now had to deal with waves of battle droids, as well as the survivors from the carrier. Antilles' R5 unit spotted something and started rolling down the canyon. Antilles protected the droid as it rolled forward.
While trying to navigate through the chaos of the battle, Antilles used thermal detonators to destroy several battle droids and stormtroopers. Before getting out of the chaos, Antilles investigated one of the escape pods from the downed escort carrier and discovered some advanced homing proton torpedoes inside, procuring them for future use.
When Antilles finally came out of the chaos, Sarkli's gunship attacked him. Sarkli then taunted Antilles by telling him that, like Skywalker, he is a coward who is nothing without his forces. Using a dead stormtrooper's E-Web heavy repeating blaster, Antilles shot him down, although not before Sarkli vowed revenge. Antilles then found an old Jedi starfighter from the original Battle on Geonosis with good hull condition, but lacking power. Arfive transferred electricity and power from its circuits into the engine, reactivating it. Antilles and his R5 unit then escaped the planet.
Crix Madine's EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate exited hyperspace and linked up with Antilles. The remaining two escort carriers attacked and launched several TIEs, but Antilles found out the starfighter had a payload of seismic charges and repelled them. He also took out TIE bombers which were threatening the frigate. With assistance from the frigate and his wingmates, he dispatched the last two carriers, and jumped into hyperspace with an old, but still working, hyperspace ring floating nearby.
Following the engagement, the Rebels made their way back to the fleet. Soon after, Antilles was given command of a strike on Destrillion.
Sarkli survived the destruction of his gunship at the hands of Antilles, and he would later reappear during the Battle of Endor.
This article is based on a mission in the video game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike. Seismic charges are not standard equipment for Delta-7 starfighters, so it is not known if their presence in the mission is a personal upgrade or apocryphal.
During the mission, the player can pick up the upgrade to complete the bonus objective. In addition, the strategy guide suggests using thermal detonators to destroy enemies in order to get a gold medal for the mission.