The Battle of Ord Mantell transpired during the initial year of the Yuuzhan Vong War. Notably, it was the first instance in the war where a qworlth skaal was deployed.
As the Yuuzhan Vong advanced into the Mid and Inner Rims, the Jubilee Wheel space station, situated in orbit around Ord Mantell, transformed into a crucial point of passage for refugees fleeing the encroaching battle lines. The Yuuzhan Vong resolved to initiate an assault on Ord Mantell, ostensibly with the expectation that the anticipated death of numerous refugees would significantly undermine the already unstable New Republic. However, the battle served as a deception intended to mislead New Republic leadership into placing trust in the potential Yuuzhan Vong defectors, Elan and Vergere. Before the conflict, Elan, as part of her endeavor to secure the confidence of the New Republic Intelligence Service and gain entry to the Jedi, had alerted the New Republic to the Yuuzhan Vong's scheme to attack Ord Mantell. By intentionally sacrificing a portion of their forces in a preliminary attack on the system, the Yuuzhan Vong aimed to persuade their adversaries that Elan's intelligence was reliable, thus reinforcing the perception that her defection was genuine.
Leveraging the intelligence provided by Elan, the New Republic strategized to ensnare the Yuuzhan Vong. The main body of a task force, under the command of New Republic General Yald Sutel, concealed itself behind Quatin, the fifth planet within the system. Upon the Yuuzhan Vong's emergence from hyperspace, the New Republic task force moved to intercept them from the rear, initiating combat. Both fleets exhibited comparable strength in terms of numbers and offensive capabilities.
At the peak of the engagement, the New Republic's battlecruiser was overwhelmed and obliterated by enemy fire. In response, Sutel deployed his flagship, the Imperial Remnant star destroyer Erinnic, commanded by Imperial Vice Admiral Ark Poinard, into the fray. However, as the Erinnic attempted to engage the solitary Miid ro'ik warship, the Yuuzhan Vong vessel veered away and commenced bombardment of Ord Mantell's surface before launching a qworlth skaal beast towards the Jubilee Wheel. Despite the efforts of New Republic starfighters, the beast, shielded by the warship's dovin basals, inflicted significant damage on the station and managed to ingest a number of its inhabitants for enslavement by the Yuuzhan Vong.
Notwithstanding the devastation caused by the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, the New Republic and Imperial forces soon gained the advantage. As the Yuuzhan Vong began their retreat, Poinard concluded that his ship had sustained too much damage to pursue. Sutel concurred, expressing his belief that the sight of their damaged vessels retreating might give the Yuuzhan Vong reason to reconsider their actions.
The New Republic's triumph at Ord Mantell offered a temporary boost to the perceived authenticity of Elan's fabricated defection. The seemingly credible intelligence she provided ultimately persuaded the Jedi to meet with her. However, her scheme began to fall apart when she was intercepted en route to Coruscant by members of the Peace Brigade. The considerable cost of Elan's deception, including the losses incurred at Ord Mantell, prompted Supreme Commander Nas Choka to punish the Priest Harrar and Commander Tla, the masterminds behind the plot, by exiling them back to the Outer Rim.
Han Solo, present on the Wheel in his search for Reck Desh, was among the few who managed to evade the qworlth skaal's grasp. Piloting a stolen shuttle away from the Wheel with the assistance of the Ryn Droma, Solo successfully escaped the battle and continued his pursuit of the Peace Brigade member.
Despite the New Republic's victory, Ord Mantell would eventually succumb to the Yuuzhan Vong. Many refugees from the planet sought refuge on Gyndine, which was subsequently attacked as well. Ultimately, the planet was liberated by Mandalorian forces under Mandalore Boba Fett.
The New Essential Guide to Droids erroneously conflates the Jubilee Wheel and the Wheel space stations, incorrectly asserting that Big Bunji served as the Wheel's administrator and that the Wheel's Master-Com controlling intelligence aided Big Bunji against the Yuuzhan Vong assault.