The Minefield Skirmish occurred during the Battle for Honor segment of the larger Galactic Civil War.
Following the Mylok IV skirmish, Maarek Stele was reassigned to the Victory I-class Star Destroyer named Protector. Admiral Harkov was putting the finishing touches on his arrangements with the Rebel Alliance when he was informed of Stele's presence by his advisor Vondruln. Aware that Stele posed a danger to his schemes, Vondruln plotted to have Stele killed in a staged 'accident'. Vondruln instructed Stele to demonstrate to two inexperienced pilots the method for clearing a minefield in an unshielded spacecraft. An agent belonging to the Secret Order of the Emperor cautioned Stele about the unnecessary danger this assignment presented; furthermore, he was told to remain vigilant and not hesitate to request reinforcements, as they had made "special arrangements".
Stele lifted off from the Protector in TIE Interceptor Gamma 1, accompanied by a pair of Interceptor escorts. Stele proceeded to eliminate the minefield surrounding four cargo pods. Admiral Harkov intercepted the comlink communication as Stele detonated Type A mines. Harkov suggested Stele move faster, questioning his loyalty. Increasingly annoyed by Stele's success in clearing the minefield, Harkov brought the charade to an end. He branded Stele "the Emperor's informant" before ordering Stele's supposedly "rookie" wingmen to destroy Stele's starfighter.
Stele requested reinforcements as his wingmen opened fire. The Nebulon-B2 frigate Osprey responded to the call, emerging from hyperspace. The Protector launched TIE Avengers and TIE/sa bombers, which were quickly met by loyalist TIE Interceptors from the Osprey. Imperial fighters engaged in a fierce exchange of laser fire as Stele diverted all power to his engines to evade his pursuers.
The Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Margaret appeared as Gamma 1 approached the safety of the Osprey's firing range. A Lambda shuttle departed the Protector's hangar shortly after the Margaret's arrival. The frigate Osprey instructed Stele to inspect the Lambda, curious about its cargo. Stele complied, hoping the intense battle among Imperial starfighters offered some degree of protection. Gamma 1's passive scan revealed an Officer aboard the Lambda, en route to the Margaret.
Stele steered his Interceptor back toward the Osprey, six kilometers distant, through a chaotic mix of Imperial and Rebel starfighters, all while piloting an unshielded craft. Approaching the Osprey, Stele briefly joined the battle, eliminating some of Harkov's fighters with assistance from the Osprey's laser batteries, and by channeling his laser generator power into his engines to overtake the much faster TIE Avengers. Once safely inside the Osprey's hangar, the Secret Order agent again approached Stele, assuring him they now possessed undeniable proof of Harkov's betrayal.
Aboard the Protector, Admiral Harkov was enraged. Harkov rebuked his advisers, particularly Vondruln. Harkov, spitting in anger, was furious that Stele had escaped, that the Empire had uncovered his treasonous scheme, and that he now lacked the leverage to guarantee payment from the Rebellion with the Empire now hunting him. Reaching his breaking point, Harkov drew his blaster and executed Vondruln with a shot to the chest. Harkov concluded by ordering his men to clean up the mess and disappear.
Stele was equally furious with the Secret Order, realizing they would have allowed him to die if he hadn't been useful to them. He threatened to resign from the order but was persuaded to stay when they revealed that Harkov was responsible for the death of Admiral Mordon, who was like a father to Stele. Stele resolved to remain so he could bring Harkov to justice.
This engagement is featured in Star Wars: TIE Fighter as Battle 5 Mission 1. This summary assumes the completion of secondary mission objectives. The bonus objectives involve clearing all mines, securing the supply containers, the two TIE Intercepters, the Lambda-class shuttle, and destroying all enemy squadrons. Achieving all bonus objectives is considered exceptionally challenging.
The "Hard" difficulty setting includes even more mines to clear compared to the "Medium" difficulty.