A brief skirmish took place in the Morobe system orbiting the planet Talasea during 7 ABY. This confrontation involved Wraith Squadron clashing with elements belonging to the fleet of Warlord Zsinj.
Under the direction of Admiral [Apwar Trigit], an offensive group, spearheaded by the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer called Implacable, journeyed to Talasea within the Morobe system. This was prompted by intelligence gleaned from Project Morrt, which suggested that survivors from Trigit's failed assault on Folor had gathered there. Unbeknownst to Trigit, the New Republic had infiltrated Project Morrt. Instead of stragglers, a substantial fleet lay in wait, poised for an ambush. Gara Petothel, an intelligence analyst aboard the Implacable, discerned the ruse, but only after the task force had initiated its jump to hyperspace. Unable to reach his support vessels, Trigit was compelled to exit hyperspace prematurely and could not alert them to the impending danger.
Consequently, the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Provocateur and the CR90 corvette Constrictor entered the Morobe system independently of the Star Destroyer. Their companion ship, the CR90 corvette Night Caller, had actually been seized by New Republic's Wraith Squadron, and was immediately used against Zsinj's forces. Its initial objective was to disable the communication systems of the enemy vessels, preventing them from disclosing the Night Caller's change in allegiance. Garik "Face" Loran, a Wraith pilot present on the bridge in case he was needed to impersonate Zurel Darillian, the Night Caller's deceased captain, proposed that the X-wings stationed in the ship's forward hold launch a volley of proton torpedoes at the Provocateur before deploying from the forward hangar. This strategy would later be known as the "Loran Spitball." As the other Wraith pilots engaged in combat, a turbolaser barrage from the Provocateur obliterated both Face's fighter and the ship's bridge before he could reach his fighter. Loran assumed command of the ship from its secondary bridge, while the Wraiths' X-wings targeted the frigate and their TIE fighters engaged the enemy corvette. Kell Tainer orchestrated a coordinated proton torpedo assault that cleaved the Provocateur in two along its central spar, causing its atmosphere to be expelled. The severely damaged Constrictor subsequently surrendered to the New Republic. A substantial New Republic fleet, commanded by the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Home One and including Rogue Squadron, had been stationed at Talasea awaiting the Implacable, but they did not participate in the engagement. The New Republic ships were unable to reach the Provocateur in time to rescue any of its crew, and the ship was deemed beyond repair. The covert capture of the Night Caller remained a secret, enabling Wraith Squadron to maintain their deception and orchestrate another trap for the Implacable.
The Talasea conflict initially appeared in X-Wing: Wraith Squadron, the fifth installment in the Star Wars: X-Wing novel series, penned by Aaron Allston and released in 1998. It shares its title with the historical Battle of Talasea, a minor conflict in New Guinea during World War II involving the Empire of Japan against combined forces from Australian and American armies.