The clash known as the Battle of Kolatill represents a minor engagement that transpired in 8 ABY. Its stage was the planet of Kolatill, situated within the Kathol sector found in the Outer Rim Territories. This battle pitted the combined might of the New Republic, along with the local Kolatill Defense Force, against Imperial forces loyal to Moff Kentor Sarne, the Imperial warlord who controlled the Kathol sector. Earlier that year, Sarne had been driven out of his capital, Kal'Shebbol, by New Republic forces. Subsequently, Kolatill revolted, removing its Imperial governor and pledging its allegiance to the New Republic. As punishment, the Ton-Falk-class escort carrier Kathol Protector initiated a bombing campaign against the capital city of Domaz.
In the aftermath of the bombing, the Kolatill Council urgently transmitted a distress signal aimed at the New Republic's forces stationed at Kal'Shebbol. The CR90 corvette FarStar answered this plea and was in planetary orbit when the Kathol Protector returned. The Imperial ship's mission: a second time to attack Kolatill, this time deploying TIE bombers carrying deadly pathogenic bombs. The New Republic corvette, supported by its starfighter complement, engaged the Imperial attackers. They were joined by TIE/LN starfighters from the local Kolatill Defense Force. Combat raged both in orbit and within the planet's atmosphere. The FarStar and some of its starfighters directly confronted the Kathol Protector, while the Kolatill Defense Force and the rest of the corvette's fighter screen battled the escort carrier's bomber wing. This combined defense managed to neutralize the pathogenic threat and force the escort carrier to retreat. However, the victory came at a price: Captain Keleman Ciro, the commanding officer of the FarStar, was captured by Imperial forces. Furthermore, his younger brother, pilot Noell Ciro, perished in the fighting.
During 8 ABY, New Republic forces liberated the planet of Kal'Shebbol, the capital of the Kathol sector. This freed the world from the control of Moff Kentor Sarne, an Imperial warlord. Soon after, the nearby planet Kolatill followed suit, overthrowing its own Imperial governor, Tetrum. As retribution, the Ton-Falk-class escort carrier Kathol Protector, a component of Moff Sarne's military forces, entered the system and launched TIE bombers. These bombers targeted the capital city of Domaz, unleashing a heavy assault that engulfed the city in flames before retreating. The planet's government then sent an urgent distress call to New Republic forces at Kal'Shebbol, requesting immediate assistance.
The New Republic CR90 corvette FarStar, tasked with tracking down Sarne after his escape from Kal'Shebbol with the majority of his fleet, picked up the distress signal while in orbit. As the FarStar was the only ship capable of a rapid response, Captain Keleman Ciro ordered a course set for Kolatill. Monjai, the new New Republic governor of Kal'Shebbol, pledged to send reinforcements as soon as possible.
After several days in hyperspace, the FarStar arrived at Kolatill. Captain Ciro immediately deployed teams to assist with relief and recovery. He also directed the FarStar to maintain continuous system scans and a combat air patrol. The Kolatill Council, seeking an alliance with the New Republic, arranged a meeting with Ciro and dispatched a diplomatic shuttle to transport him to the surface.
Captain Ciro boarded the diplomatic shuttle, but en route to Kolatill, the escort carrier Kathol Protector reappeared from hyperspace. The Imperial vessel had returned to execute a second strike using a straightforward strategy: the TIE bombers would disperse across the planet, attacking as many cities and populated areas as possible. Each bomber carried highly unstable pathogenic bombs designed to spread poison over a wide area upon detonation. The bomb's payload was so dangerous that its components were stored separately and mixed only moments before deployment. When separated, the components were harmless. Upon discovering the FarStar in orbit, the attack plan was modified to account for the unexpected presence of the ship.
The Imperial vessel launched its starfighter complement, consisting of two squadrons of TIE bombers and four squadrons of TIE Fighters. The bomber squadrons headed towards the planet, while the fighter squadrons moved to intercept the FarStar and the diplomatic shuttle. The TIE Fighters divided their attack: one squadron engaged the shuttle, using superior numbers to force it towards the Kathol Protector. The remaining three squadrons harassed the New Republic corvette, preventing it from launching its own fighters.
Under pursuit by TIE Fighters, Ciro's shuttle was gradually forced toward the escort carrier. Once within range, the vessel's tractor beam locked onto the shuttle, pulling it into the hangar bay and capturing the Captain. The FarStar, outnumbered by TIE Fighters, fought a desperate defensive battle under the command of the First Officer, Kaiya Adrimetrum.
As TIE bombers descended towards the surface, the Kolatill Defense Force launched its limited number of TIE Fighters to intercept. Fortunately for the planet's inhabitants, several of the FarStar's T-65 X-wing starfighters were already planetside. These X-wings, including those piloted by Lieutenant Ranna Gorjaye and Noell Ciro, were assigned to escort the two transport shuttles ferrying relief supplies and personnel.
The combined force of TIE Fighters and X-wings engaged the bombers within Kolatill's atmosphere. When a New Republic fighter destroyed the first bomber, its sensors detected a small concentration of highly toxic poison near the explosion. Realizing the bombers carried pathogenic bombs capable of killing millions, Kolatill's defenders intensified their efforts. During the fight, Noell Ciro's X-wing sustained damage that disabled its weapon systems. Detecting a bomber nearing its target, and realizing he was the only fighter in range, Ciro, unable to fire, set a collision course and rammed the bomber. The resulting explosion destroyed the Imperial ship and its payload, but also cost Ciro his life. With the entire bomber force eliminated and its payload destroyed, the Kathol Protector's primary mission was a failure. Recalling its TIE Fighters, the escort carrier disengaged and jumped to hyperspace.
Having successfully repelled the Imperial attack, Kolatill owed a debt to the New Republic. The Kolatill Council provided the FarStar's crew with the coordinates to the planet Gandle Ott, enabling them to continue their pursuit of Sarne. The Moff had erased all navigational records of the sector from the computers at his headquarters on Kal'Shebbol. Kaiya Adrimetrum, the FarStar's First Officer, assumed command of the vessel after Captain Ciro's capture. The Rodian Security Officer Gorak Khzam became her second-in-command. Following his capture, Ciro was taken to the Q'Maere Research Facility in the Kathol Rift, where Sarne had established a prison for interrogation.
The Battle of Kolatill is a key event in the West End Games Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game adventure Omens, the opening scenario of The DarkStryder Campaign, released in 1995. While the battle can be played in various ways, the capture of Captain Keleman Ciro and the death of Noell Ciro are essential events. The rest of the series assumes that Noell Ciro is dead, Keleman Ciro is a prisoner, and Kaiya Adrimetrum commands the FarStar. A later plot point in Harm's Way, an adventure within The Kathol Rift supplement, focuses on Keleman Ciro's rescue and continues the FarStar's story.