The Battle of the Phu system occurred in 22 BBY within the confines of the Phu system during the period known as the Clone Wars. Leading up to this engagement, the Galactic Republic suffered losses as multiple fleets were decimated in a string of assaults perpetrated by the Confederacy of Independent Systems and their novel, enigmatic weapon: the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser Malevolence, under the command of General Grievous. In an effort to pinpoint the location of this formidable warship, Jedi General Plo Koon deployed a task force consisting of three Venator-class Star Destroyers, with leadership entrusted to Jedi Master Ares Nune. However, while navigating through the Phu system, Nune's task force was ambushed and obliterated by the Malevolence.
Subsequently, the Malevolence was traced to the Abregado system by the fleet commanded by General Koon himself. The intention was to neutralize the warship before it could launch further attacks. Although Koon's fleet met its end, being destroyed by the Malevolence, Koon managed to survive the carnage and relay his findings back to the Republic.
During 22 BBY, amidst the backdrop of the Clone Wars fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Confederacy, aided by Quarren engineers from the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps and Pammant Docks, engineered the Malevolence, a Subjugator-class heavy cruiser designed to obliterate entire starfleets using its dual mega-ion cannons. This starship was deployed by the Confederacy in a series of attacks against the Republic Navy, leaving no survivors, under the command of Kaleesh Separatist General Grievous. Consequently, the Republic labeled the Malevolence as a weapon of unknown origin and capability.
As a direct response to these substantial losses, the Jedi High Council resolved to prevent the Malevolence from inflicting further harm on their naval forces. Driven by a desire to eliminate this Separatist threat, Jedi General Plo Koon dispatched a task force of three Venator-class Star Destroyers under the leadership of Jedi Master Ares Nune to seek out and locate the enemy warship.
While traversing the Phu system located within the [Colonies](/article/colonies] region, Nune's task force, executing Koon's directives, was intercepted by the Malevolence, which had managed to anticipate the Republic's movements. Upon its arrival, Grievous, acting on orders from Separatist leader, Count Dooku, initiated jamming of the task force's communications to maintain the vessel's secrecy. Subsequently, the task force endured a barrage of intense fire from the Malevolence, leading to the complete annihilation of all Republic forces, including the demise of the Jedi Master.
Despite the destruction of the Republic task force in the Phu [system](/article/star_system], the heavy cruiser Malevolence was later tracked by the Republic to the Abregado system. Consequently, the Jedi High Council, determined to neutralize the vessel before it could launch additional assaults, deployed General Koon and his fleet to Abregado with the mission of destroying the Malevolence. Despite their best efforts, Koon's fleet suffered the same fate as previous engagements with the Malevolence, resulting in its destruction. However, the Jedi Master managed to escape the clutches of the warship, relaying vital intelligence to the Republic, which ultimately led to the Malevolence's final destruction.
The initial mention of the Battle of the Phu system within the new Star Wars canon occurred in the forty-third issue of De Agostini's Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon magazine, which was released around October 28, 2015. Within the framework of Star Wars Legends continuity, the battle was originally depicted in The Clone Wars: Shakedown, penned by Pablo Hidalgo as the second installment of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars webcomic, which was released on October 2, 2008.