Onderonian Civil War

Prelude

As the Clone Wars began, Onderon's King Ramsis Dendup chose to remain neutral, refusing to align with either the Galactic Republic or the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite Senator Mina Bonteri's admiration for the Confederacy's Head of State, Count Dooku. Recognizing the strategic importance of the Inner Rim Territories for future operations, the Confederacy secretly orchestrated a coup and deployed its Droid Army to the planet, seizing control of Onderon's capital, Iziz, and the entire world. Sanjay Rash replaced Dendup as king of Onderon.

The civil war

Onderon's Rebellion

Popular discontent with Rash's rule and the Droid Army's presence led to the formation of a rebel group. These rebels sought refuge in Onderon's jungle, establishing a camp from which they launched their fight against the Droid Army. Their campaign against the Separatist occupation commenced in 22 BBY.

Eventually, former Senator Lux Bonteri, having left Death Watch, joined the rebel cause. In 20 BBY, recognizing their lack of resources to directly confront the Droid Army, the rebels decided to request assistance from the Jedi Council. Although most Council members considered the conflict an internal matter for Onderon, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker persuaded them to allow the rebels to be trained. Jedi Master Mace Windu concurred that the Jedi should at least provide the rebels with defensive training.

Jedi training

Subsequently, the Jedi Council dispatched an advisory team consisting of Skywalker, his apprentice Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Clone Captain Rex. The Jedi and Captain Rex then trained the Gerreras, Bonteri, and their fellow rebels at their jungle camp, teaching them how to combat droidekas, battle droids, and AATs. Rex primarily oversaw the soldiers' drills, while the Jedi sought to minimize their direct involvement, as the Jedi Council preferred not to fight Onderon's war for them. Nevertheless, the Jedi provided as much assistance and support as possible.

Defense of the Rebel camp

Subsequently, three recon droids discovered the rebel encampment. A detachment of battle droids then launched an attack on the rebels. Saw and Bonteri managed to destroy the AAT, while his sister and the other rebels eliminated the battle droids. Despite their victory, Kenobi informed the Gerreras, Bonteri, and their fellow rebels that they would need to abandon their camp. In spite of this, the Rebels resolved to take the fight to Iziz.

Strikes in Iziz begin

Disguised as merchants, the rebels successfully bypassed the battle droid guards and established a safe house to serve as their base of operations. The rebels then initiated targeted strikes against various droid patrols throughout Iziz, employing only EMP grenades to ensure that only battle droids suffered casualties. Snipers also engaged the droids from rooftops. The Jedi expressed their satisfaction with the rebels' initial successes. During a meeting, the rebels discussed strategies to gain the support of the populace. Generals Kenobi, Skywalker, and Captain Rex then departed to report on the rebels' progress to the council, leaving Commander Tano behind to continue advising them.

Attack on the power generator

Despite their achievements, the people of Iziz remained unconvinced about the rebels' cause. Bonteri and Tano believed that the civilians doubted the rebels' ability to defeat the Droid Army. Consequently, the rebels decided to target the main power generator to disable the droids. To execute this plan, the Rebels intended to steal a Separatist tank.

The Gerreras, Bonteri, and Tano ambushed a droid patrol, allowing only one droid to summon a tank before destroying it. They were confronted by a pair of droidekas, which the Gerreras destroyed using EMP grenades. A tank arrived, accompanied by super battle droids. After Steela eliminated the super battle droids, Saw and Bonteri neutralized the tank's crew. Steela restarted the tank and assumed a sniper position, while Saw and Bonteri drove the tank toward the power generator. As Steela targeted the droids guarding the generator's entrance, Saw and Bonteri destroyed the remaining droids with the tank. While Saw and Bonteri powered up the tank's heavy weaponry, they were attacked by commando droids, but they managed to defeat them. The tank successfully destroyed the generator, cutting off power to the battle droids. During the blackout, the other rebels attacked droid patrols throughout the city.

The rebels' successful attack on the generator instilled hope in the civilians, who began to believe in the rebels' chances of victory. The rebels celebrated their accomplishment. Steela, recognized for her leadership, was nominated and elected as the leader of the rebels.

Separatist reinforcements

King Rash, observing the rebels' increasing boldness, suspected that his predecessor was orchestrating their attacks. In response, Rash requested reinforcements from Dooku. Dooku complied, dispatching the super tactical droid, General Kalani, to assume command of the Droid Army on Onderon. To lure the rebels into the open, Rash and Kalani decided to execute Dendup. Upon hearing of Dendup's impending execution, Steela advocated for waiting until Dendup was brought out. Saw, however, decided to take matters into his own hands and rescue Dendup before the execution. Saw successfully neutralized the guards and freed Dendup. Unfortunately, a shield was activated, resulting in the capture of Saw and Dendup. Saw was taken away for interrogation. Kalani subjected Gerrera to torture while Onderon Royal Guard General Akenathen Tandin observed and questioned these methods. Despite Kalani's efforts, Saw remained unyielding.

The following day, during Dendup's execution, Steela, Bonteri, and the other rebels launched an attack in an attempt to rescue Saw and Dendup. Regrettably, they were captured by Kalani's battle droids and forced to surrender. However, General Tandin and his Royal Guards sided with the rebels and halted the execution. As Tandin held Rash hostage temporarily, the Royal Guards, Dendup, and the rebels made their escape. Tano assisted Tandin in evading Rash's and Kalini's forces by using the Force to push back several battle droids. The battle droids attempted to pursue, but they were stopped by a mob of angry civilians.

The Rebels' final stand

The rebels managed to escape the city and establish a new base in the highlands east of Iziz. The Rebels continued to broadcast messages, with Dendup endorsing their efforts to liberate Onderon. Rash and Kalani, desperate to regain control and capture the Rebels, deployed the droid army to eliminate them. Additionally, Kalani dispatched several new HMP droid gunships to assist in the rebels' elimination.

Gerrera, Bonteri, Tano, and their forces were devising a strategy to defeat the droids. Saw advocated for laying siege to Iziz, but Steela opposed this plan due to the risk it posed to the city's civilians. Consequently, Steela decided to lure the battle droids to the highlands. Upon the droids' arrival, the Rebels engaged them in combat, inflicting significant casualties. The new droid gunships, equipped with heavy weaponry and ray shields, withstood the rebels' attacks and forced them to retreat to the nest.

Tano informed Master Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi of the rebels' predicament. Kenobi, however, refused to intervene, stating that the rebels must find their own way to victory. He instructed her to either fight or return to Coruscant if the battle was lost. Angered by this, Skywalker traveled to Florrum, where he persuaded Hondo Ohnaka to provide the rebels with several rocket launchers. Equipped with rocket launchers, the Rebels were able to destroy the gunships. Unfortunately, one of the gunships crashed into a cliff where Steela and Dendup were standing. Bonteri attempted to rescue Steela but nearly fell himself. Bonteri was saved by Tano, who then attempted to save Steela using the Force. The gunship, still operational, shot Tano in the shoulder. Bonteri managed to destroy the turret on the gunship, but not before Tano was hit and thus unable to save Steela. Tano, Bonteri, and Saw watched as she fell to her death. Despite Steela's death, the rebels were able to defeat the remaining battle droids.

Aftermath

Liberated Onderon

Following the Rebels' victory in the highlands, Count Dooku ordered Kalani to withdraw the remaining Separatist forces to Agamar, much to Rash's dismay. Rash attempted to persuade Dooku to send more reinforcements, but Dooku refused his request. Kalani shot Rash, disregarding his protests, and retreated to Agamar's supply ship. After the Confederacy's withdrawal from Onderon, a funeral was held in Steela's honor, attended by thousands of grieving Onderonians. Following the service, Dendup, reinstated as king, appointed Bonteri as the new senator, entrusting him with leading Onderon back into the Republic.

In the final days of the Clone Wars, the Confederacy besieged Onderon. Following Palpatine's Proclamation of the Republic's reorganization into the Galactic Empire, Gerrera, his fighters, and several civilians were forced into hiding due to their refusal to serve the Empire. Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin dispatched Clone Force 99 to eliminate them, but they refused to comply. Admiral Rampart later sent Commander Crosshair's Elite Squad to eliminate Gerrera's rebels. Fortunately, Gerrera managed to escape before the Elite Squad arrived, capturing and executing several of his rebels.

Legacy

Following the Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire, Saw and the Onderon rebels reorganized into the Partisans. Gerrera's Partisans were among the first rebel cells to resist the Empire. Gerrera carried a holoprojector containing an image of Steela. He continued to mourn her loss and spoke her name when Jedha City was destroyed by the Death Star, shortly before his own death in the resulting devastation.

Behind the scenes

The Onderonian Civil War was initially depicted in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5 episode "A War on Two Fronts" and was formally identified in the reference book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide. It was also referred to as the "Fight for Onderon" in "Front Runners" and "War in the Inner Rim" in "Tipping Points".

Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!, and Star Wars: Timelines state that the civil war concluded in the year 20 BBY. Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide and the Star Wars Insider 203 article "Rebel Rousers: Our Top Ten Rebels" incorrectly place the war's end in 19 BBY, the latter indirectly through its dating of Steela Gerrera's death.