Battle of Ryloth

Emir Wat Tambor, a member of the Executive Separatist Council and Foreman of the Techno Union, learned that Passel Argente, a fellow councillor in the Separatist Alliance and Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance, kept his wealth on the Outer Rim planet of Ryloth. As a result, Emir Tambor prioritized the invasion of Ryloth. Furthermore, the Separatist Alliance had existing interests in Ryloth's resources and its strategic hyperspace location, with the Corellian Run and Mumble's Turnaround serving as nearby hyperspace routes.

Despite the Twi'lek citizens and the planet being part of the Galactic Republic with representation in the Galactic Senate, they sought to avoid entanglement in the Clone Wars. They communicated their desire for neutrality to both the Republic and the Separatists. Nevertheless, a small Republic garrison was maintained on Ryloth. The Separatists disregarded the Rylothians' wishes and proceeded with an invasion.

Under the command of Emir Wat Tambor, the Separatist invasion of Ryloth commenced with aerial bombardments by Hynea-class Droid Fighter/Bombers and the deployment of battalions of battle droids via C-9979 landing craft. These droids targeted people and towns, destroyed crops, and demolished Twi'lek infrastructure. The garrison of the Republic's Outer Rim faced increasing pressure as the Separatist Alliance, under the command of Neimoidian Captain Mar Tuuk, established a blockade fleet. The Galactic Senate dispatched Jedi General Ima-Gun Di to assist the Twi'leks in their resistance against the Separatist occupation. Believing that the Republic had abandoned them, General Cham Syndulla formed the Twi'lek Resistance to fight the Separatist occupiers. However, clone troopers and Twi'lek forces ultimately fought together during the invasion. At one point, a group of clone troopers in white armor joined forces with Twi'lek freedom fighters against the enemy.

The Outer Rim garrison eventually engaged Separatist forces in a forest. Republic and Twi'lek forces gathered near a city as the Separatist Droid Army advanced. Utilizing trenches fortified with blaster cannons and supported by two AT-TE walkers, clone troopers and Twi'lek resistance fighters, led by General Di and Clone Captain Keeli, defended against an assault of battle droids, backed by Armored Assault Tank Mk Is and Hyena-class bombers.

Two droid bombers executed a low-altitude flight toward Republic forces but were shot down by an AT-TE. The resulting crashes caused the bombers to collide with buildings near a cliff behind the walkers, and debris fell onto the AT-TE. Subsequently, the second AT-TE was destroyed by Separatist fire as General Syndulla arrived from a canyon to brief General Di. Facing dwindling supplies of food, water, and ammunition, General Di contacted Republic Admiral Dao in orbit to request assistance and supplies. Dao and his fleet of at least two Venator-class Star Destroyers were engaged in combat with Tuuk's Separatist blockade but were critically low on fuel and ammunition. During the transmission, a Venator experienced a significant explosion near its engines. General Di instructed Admiral Dao to re-establish contact with the Jedi High Council and convey the urgent need for reinforcements.

Admiral Dao then contacted the Jedi Council, informing them of the dire situation and warning that the entire Republic garrison would be annihilated without immediate assistance. Despite High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi's confidence in Admiral Dao's continued support, Dao reported that his flagship's reactor had been damaged and systems were failing. Admiral Dao declared that his fleet could no longer support Ryloth, and shortly thereafter, his flagship's deflector shields were deactivated, leading to the ship's destruction. With the Republic fleet destroyed, General Di and his forces were trapped on Ryloth.

Following Dao's transmission, Generals Mace Windu, Kenobi, and Yoda contacted Republic Senator Bail Prestor Organa, who was aboard his CR90 corvette, the Tantive IV. After exchanging greetings, the Jedi informed Senator Organa of the Republic's critical situation on Ryloth, including the disruption of supply lines and widespread starvation among the civilian population. Windu explained that while Republic blockade runners could potentially breach the blockade, they lacked the range to reach Ryloth. Establishing a supply base on Toydaria, located 2,000 parsecs closer than the nearest Republic fleet, would enable timely supply deliveries. The Republic had already dispatched a starship carrying the necessary supplies to Toydaria, accompanied by Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks. Senator Organa understood the assignment and traveled to Toydaria to negotiate a treaty allowing the Republic to establish supply operations.

The Separatist Alliance intercepted and partially decoded this transmission, and the information was presented to Head of State Count Dooku aboard his flagship by TA1313. Dooku instructed the tactical droid to contact Senator Lott Dod of the Trade Federation. Although the Toydarians were nominally led by the Hutts, Toydaria maintained independence on the condition of disregarding the Hutts' trade agreements. To uphold neutrality, King Katuunko of Toydaria had to receive Senator Lott Dod, who emphasized that supporting the Republic would not serve Toydaria's best interests. Feeling betrayed by the Republic, Syndulla continued to lead his resistance as the droid occupation persisted.

Following a period of occupation on Ryloth, the Republic identified an opportunity to liberate the planet. Anakin Skywalker, along with his apprentice Commander Ahsoka Tano, Admiral Wullf Yularen, Clone Captain Rex, and his forces, were dispatched to breach the Separatist blockade commanded by Captain Mar Tuuk. General Skywalker deployed his apprentice and Blue Squadron to engage the blockade's droid fighters. Tano and her squadron initially penetrated the droid fighter screen, but Captain Tuuk outmaneuvered them by deploying unexpected reinforcements. Skywalker and Yularen recalled Blue Squadron, but Tano disobeyed direct orders and continued her attack. Tuuk's forces launched successful counterattacks, including suicide runs against the Resolute, Defender, and Redeemer. Tano reluctantly ordered a retreat, losing all but two members of her squadron. Admiral Yularen sustained severe injuries when a droid fighter collided with the bridge of his command ship. After Tano's depleted squadron returned to the Resolute and the Redeemer was destroyed, Skywalker retreated into hyperspace and contacted Masters Windu and Kenobi to report his lack of progress and the casualties.

Windu warned Skywalker that the invasion would be postponed if he failed to break the blockade. Skywalker, recognizing the urgency of the situation, assured them that he would succeed. He impressed upon his apprentice the critical nature of their mission, but Tano argued that breaching the blockade with only one remaining battleship was impossible. Heeding his apprentice's concerns, Skywalker evacuated the Defender's crew and devised a plan to use the irreparably damaged Defender to ram the droid command ship, with only himself and R2-D2 piloting the cruiser. Skywalker placed Ahsoka in command of the Resolute and their remaining forces, urging her to develop a strategy to eliminate the remaining blockade forces. After Skywalker departed with the Defender, Tano and Rex discussed a maneuver to trap the remaining droid forces and deploy BTL-B Y-wing starfighter/bombers to destroy them. Despite skepticism from Rex and one of the bridge officers regarding the tactic's viability, Ahsoka stressed the urgency of the situation. Yularen, still recovering from his injuries, supported her bold and unconventional plan.

Upon arriving at Ryloth, Skywalker hailed Captain Tuuk and offered to surrender himself, his crew, and his ship to the Separatist forces in exchange for delivering relief supplies to the Twi'leks. When droid scans confirmed that only Skywalker was onboard, Tuuk rejected the offer. Skywalker then quipped that Tuuk could still have his ship, activated the cruiser's impulse engines, and abandoned the battleship with R2 as it hurtled toward the droid command ship. The firepower of the Separatist frigates was insufficient to destroy the Defender, which collided with the droid command ship, destroying it as Tuuk fled in an escape pod. Ahsoka then implemented her strategy, confident that the droids would not recognize the deception until it was too late. As the Resolute executed Ahsoka's plan, it rotated ninety degrees on its axis, exposing its bow and drawing enemy fire to provide cover for the approaching bombers. The droids were slow to react but eventually concentrated their fire on the Resolute as Ahsoka launched her bombers to destroy the frigates. Tambor attempted to contact Tuuk but realized the blockade had been breached when he learned that Tuuk had fled. Ahsoka contacted Masters Kenobi and Windu, who were accompanying the Republic's invasion fleet, and confirmed that they could begin their landing on Ryloth. Skywalker and his forces then fully secured the space around Ryloth.

As the Republic forces descended, General Kenobi, Commander Cody, and the troopers of Ghost Company were deployed by General Windu to secure the landing zone near the city of Nabat. En route to Nabat aboard their gunships, Kenobi and his troopers received orders from Tambor, now the Emir of Ryloth, via the droid commander TX-20, to repel the Republic's landing. TX-20 assured Tambor that the proton cannons would suffice and that the Jedi would not risk a ground assault due to the presence of Nabat's inhabitants as a human shield. As Kenobi and his gunships approached, Kenobi and Cody clarified that they would not use rockets or detonators within the city. TX-20 initiated fire on the gunships and assault ships, damaging the right engine of one of the assault ships. Windu and Commander Ponds contacted Kenobi, informing him that they could not risk landing the larger transports until Kenobi had neutralized the cannons. Kenobi and his gunships eventually landed on the outskirts of Nabat.

Kenobi and Ghost Company encountered heavy fire from the outer defenses, which they suppressed by deploying droid poppers into the machine gun nests. Kenobi dispatched Cody and his "best men" to scout ahead and report on the droids' plans. Cody, along with troopers Wooley, Waxer, and Boil, split into two teams: Waxer and Boil discovered a young Twi'lek girl named Numa hiding in the ruins, while Cody and Wooley located the cannons and learned that the battle droids were using Nabat's survivors as hostages. Meanwhile, TX-20 deployed recon droids to ascertain the clones' plan of attack. Cody and Kenobi informed Windu about the weaponry and hostage situation, and Windu emphasized that prioritizing the hostages' safety was paramount. Kenobi assured him that he would still disable the cannons. Upon learning that Kenobi was leading the attack, TX-20 unleashed a captured herd of starving gutkurrs upon the clones. As Kenobi and Cody prepared to launch their attack, Waxer and Boil, who had decided to bring Numa with them, were late for the rendezvous. As they received a message from Cody, they were attacked by two gutkurrs but escaped through tunnels in Numa's home. As Kenobi, Cody, and their troopers advanced, they were attacked by the gutkurrs, which killed and devoured several troopers before Kenobi used a mind trick to lure them away from his troopers and trap them in an alleyway. Kenobi and Cody then regrouped with Waxer, Boil, and Numa, who emerged from a tunnel. Kenobi asked Numa to show him any tunnels through which he could bypass the droids and free the prisoners, and he ordered Cody to create a diversion.

As Cody, Wooley, and the remaining members of Ghost Company prepared to attack the droids, Kenobi, Waxer, Boil, and Numa navigated through the tunnels to the Gutkurr's cages. Kenobi waited as Cody and his men attacked the droids, leaving only a few guards and the gun crews. While TX-20's battle droids and tanks engaged the clones, Kenobi, Waxer, and Boil freed the prisoners. With the prisoners safe, Kenobi, Waxer, and Boil seized control of one of the cannons and used it to destroy the others. TX-20 learned that Kenobi had freed the prisoners, turned his tank around, destroyed the cannon Kenobi was using, and held him and Numa at gunpoint. However, the liberated Twi'leks rallied, tearing TX-20 from his tank and dismantling him.

With the proton cannons destroyed and the prisoners freed, General Windu and his transports were able to land. As Kenobi and Windu regrouped, they recognized that capturing the capital was necessary to liberate the rest of Ryloth.

Kenobi and his forces continued to liberate other villages from the droids, eventually breaking the Separatist lines, securing the Jixuan desert, and thus gaining control of Ryloth's southern hemisphere. Commander Mekedrix, a member of Roon's military defense forces, served on Ryloth and demonstrated valor in combat.

On their advance to liberate Lessu, the forces of Windu and Ponds were attacked by a contingent of AATs while positioned on a cliff. This assault by the droids caused a temporary standstill for the Republic troops, but Windu's Lightning Squadron eventually overwhelmed them. The battle resulted in 32 casualties for Windu, including the command crews of three walkers. Windu then participated in a hologram conference call with Chancellor Palpatine, Senator Orn Free Taa representing Ryloth, Grand Master Yoda, and Admiral Yularen. Anakin Skywalker briefly joined to report that his forces were pursuing the retreating Separatist fleet remnants. Windu expressed concern that without reinforcements, capturing Ryloth would be impossible, leading him to seek out and enlist the aid of Cham Syndulla's resistance fighters. Palpatine and Taa cautioned Windu about Syndulla's radical political views and perceived untrustworthiness. Yularen stated that no Republic reinforcements were available, prompting Windu to insist that Syndulla's assistance was crucial for victory.

In Lessu, Tambor and his tactical droid TA-175 watched as Windu's forces approached. TA-175 advised preparing for an evacuation, but Tambor dismissed the idea, confident that Windu lacked sufficient troops to seize Lessu. Tambor ordered his forces to fortify the city and secure the bridge. Dooku learned from TA-175 about Tambor's "pitiful job" in safeguarding the Separatist investment on Ryloth. Tambor retorted that the droid was exaggerating, as he had not yet suffered defeat. Dooku, realizing Tambor was no match for Windu, instructed him to retreat with any valuable assets and destroy everything else on Ryloth as a demonstration of "the cost of a Republic victory." TA-175 readied Hyena bombers for a fire-bombing campaign and Tambor's shuttle for evacuation. Tambor, still defiant, refused to leave and instead dispatched the bombers to obliterate every village within range. Ponds observed the systematic destruction of the villages after the droids withdrew. At least two Ryloth villages were completely consumed by the bombers' flames.

Windu and two clone troopers encountered Syndulla and his fighters after the latter group eliminated a droid patrol. Initially, Syndulla was wary of Windu's proposition and hesitant to collaborate, fearing another potential Republic occupation. However, upon discovering the Separatists were bombing Twi'lek villages, he softened his stance and requested a meeting with Taa. Taa pledged that once the Separatists were driven out, the Republic would also depart, provided Syndulla did not seek political power. Syndulla accepted these terms and mobilized his fighters to reclaim the capital. Meanwhile, Skywalker and Ahsoka took to the skies, intercepting and destroying as many bombers as possible.

As the Republic forces advanced on Lessu, Tambor began gathering the remaining valuables. Dooku, growing more and more impatient with the Emir, commanded him to evacuate immediately before the Republic forces arrived. He also ordered TA-175 to bomb the capital city after Tambor's departure. Tambor ignored the order, and waited for his last two MTTs which were full of Twi'lek treasure. As the Republic forces moved into the outskirts of Lessu, Tambor ordered the city inhabitants to be brought outside of the city walls, hoping that their presence would slow Windu down.

As Windu and Syndulla looked for a way to cross the energy bridge, Syndulla noticed the two MTTs on their way. Windu, despite the risk of being scanned, took two of his troopers to infiltrate an MTT in order to cross the bridge. After destroying one of the STAPs, Windu and his two troopers hid inside one of the MTTs. Windu ordered Syndulla and Ponds to commence the attack as soon as the bridge was activated. The battle droids scanned the cargo on the bridge, and discovered Windu and his men. After subduing the droids, Windu pushed his two troopers across the bridge as it was being turned off by the droids. As he fell, Windu was able to jump on one of the STAPs and ride it to other side of the bridge, then held off the battle droids as Stak and Razor ascended to the control room.

Syndulla, Ponds, and their troops began their assault, charging toward the bridge leading to Lessu. Stak and Razor successfully reached the control center, eliminating the droids and the commander stationed there. They then activated the bridge and defended it against a small number of droid reinforcements, including a pair of commando droids. While Syndulla and his forces engaged the battle droids, Windu pursued Tambor, who was attempting to escape towards his ship with two super battle droids as guards. However, TA-175 abandoned Tambor and informed Dooku, who then ordered the immediate bombing of the capital. As Windu subdued the super battle droids, Tambor attempted to negotiate, despite his disadvantageous position. He then laughed, proclaiming that they would all die for the Separatist Alliance, but Skywalker and Tano destroyed the four Hyena bombers sent to bomb the capital. Syndulla demanded that Tambor surrender unconditionally, and the Skakoan quickly complied.

Following the battle, Republic and resistance forces were joined by Senator Taa in a celebratory parade to honor their combined victory over the Confederacy. The successful collaboration between local fighters and Republic forces led Republic High Command to experiment with deploying commando squads to Separatist-occupied planets, coordinating with local resistance groups. This strategy achieved some success on worlds like Aridus and [Tynna]. However, it also sparked controversy due to the risk of exposing civilians to retaliation by Separatist forces. Chopper's Y-wing bomber was later placed near the Syndulla residence in the Tann Province as a war memorial.

Padmé Amidala later shared details of Ahsoka Tano's maneuver during the campaign with Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet Commander Thrawn. During his tenure as Grand Admiral in the Galactic Empire, Thrawn utilized this very maneuver against species such as the Grysk.

During the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire, the people of Ryloth—now classified as a protectorate and subjected to the pillaging of slaves and spice by their Imperial overlords—remembered Windu's valor during the Battle of Lessu, immortalizing both his and Cham Syndulla's names in songs, referring to the battle as "The Hammer of Ryloth."

Around 9 ABY, Tano, by that time a Force-Sensitive Outcast, fell into the World Between Worlds following her duel with fellow former Jedi Baylan Skoll. Inside this realm, she encountered her former master, Anakin Skywalker, who pledged to complete her training. As part of her final trial, she relived the Battle of Ryloth, after also reliving the Battle of Teth, as if she were still a teenager. In her vision of Ryloth, she, her master, Rex, and their clone forces were allied with local Twi'lek fighters on the ground, where Tano suffered heavy clone losses. Skywalker encouraged her to persevere despite her regret. As Skywalker led their forces against incoming Separatist forces, his appearance shifted between that of a Jedi Knight and that of the Sith Lord Darth Vader in his armor.

The Battle of Ryloth was first previewed in the newsreel segment of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Jedi Crash," before becoming the central focus of a three-episode arc later in The Clone Wars: Season One: Storm Over Ryloth, Innocents of Ryloth, and Liberty on Ryloth. Its appearance in "Part Five: Shadow Warrior" of Ahsoka was verified by the Databank after the website was updated with Ahsoka content.