The Battle of Panisia unfolded as a conflict within the larger Galactic Civil War, occurring in 3 ABY. This engagement took place on the planet Panisia, situated in the Outer Rim Territories. The catalyst for this battle was the discovery of a division belonging to the rebel fleet by the forces commanded by Imperial Commander Ellian Zahra. This information was provided to the Imperial Anti-Terrorism Watchline regarding the rebel base by Crimson Dawn assassin Deathstick. Subsequently, Zahra directed her Star Destroyer, known as the Tarkin's Will, to Panisia, initiating an bombardment of the base and its stationed ships. Concurrently, Deathstick achieved her personal objective of capturing Cadeliah, the heir to the Mourner's Wail Syndicate and Unbroken Clan criminal enterprises, who had found refuge with the rebels. Following the arrival of Imperial forces at Panisia, rebel reinforcements materialized due to coordinates provided to General Leia Organa by Lady Qi'ra, the leader of Crimson Dawn, with the intention of countering Zahra's forces. After delivering an inspiring address to her crew, Zahra commanded the Tarkin's Will to descend towards Panisia, prompting the rebels to pursue the vessel into the planet's gravity well. There, the Tarkin's Will unleashed its ion cannons, disabling several rebel ships, causing them to plummet towards the planet's surface. This situation presented the rebels with a difficult choice: either target their own disabled ships to prevent them from impacting the base and allow the division stationed on Panisia to evacuate, or prioritize evacuating the crews of the disabled ships, risking a collision with the rebel base. Ultimately, the rebels opted to fire upon their own vessels. As the Tarkin's Will continued its descent, it ascended shortly before impact, resulting in the destruction of numerous ships at the base. Zahra then ordered the Tarkin's Will's thrusters to operate at maximum capacity, incinerating the remaining ships and the base as it ascended into space. Upon reaching space, Zahra directed the Tarkin's Will to engage the rebel flagship, Home One. Unbeknownst to her, rebel Pathfinders led by Sergeant Kes Dameron had infiltrated the ship in an attempt to rescue his wife, [Shara Bey](/article/shara_bey], who was held captive aboard the Tarkin's Will. After successfully rescuing her, three Pathfinders sabotaged the ship's primary reactor, leading to significant damage, including the disabling of its shields. This action allowed rebel ships to target the Tarkin's Will, inflicting catastrophic damage. Despite the crew's efforts to repair the hyperdrive and request reinforcements, Zahra ordered the ship to be abandoned as it descended towards Panisia. She escaped via an escape pod. Upon reaching the surface, Zahra contacted Organa directly, inviting the general to pursue her in her abandoned state.