Battle of Vrogas Vas

After the Battle of Yavin, the Sith Lord Darth Vader aimed to find the Rebel Alliance pilot responsible for destroying the Death Star. During the rebel attack on Cymoon 1, Vader encountered Luke Skywalker, who revealed his presence at the Battle of Yavin. Vader continued his pursuit of Skywalker, questioning Sergeant Kreel, who had a brief encounter with Skywalker while serving Grakkus the Hutt on Nar Shaddaa.

Luke Skywalker, having discovered the existence of a Jedi Temple on the planet Vrogas Vas, journeyed there, where a Rebel Refueling Base was situated. Skywalker was positioned in orbit with Red Squadron. Blue and Yellow Squadrons were with him. During training exercises, Lord Vader, who had been searching for Skywalker since the Battle of Yavin, emerged from hyperspace, having learned Skywalker's location from Chelli Lona Aphra.

Unbeknownst to Aphra and Lord Vader, this information had been leaked by Vader's competitor Commander Karbin, a Mon Calamari cyborg who planned to exploit Vader to eliminate the rebels on Vrogas Vas, allowing him to claim Skywalker for the Emperor Palpatine.

Upon exiting hyperspace, Lord Vader was met by Blue, Yellow, and Red Squadrons. Mistaking Vader for a scout fighter, the X-wings of Blue Squadron attacked him. However, the Sith Lord's TIE Advanced evaded the rebels' laser fire due to its strong deflector shields and destroyed the entire squadron. The rebel commander then ordered all units to engage.

Yellow Squadron X-wings targeted Vader with proton torpedoes, but he detonated them early using the Force before they could strike his fighter. Vader then easily eliminated Yellow Squadron. During the dogfight, Luke Skywalker, engaging Vader with Red Squadron, sensed the Dark Lord's presence. Vader similarly sensed Skywalker, noting his strength in the Force.

Recognizing that his wingmates could not stop Vader through conventional means, Skywalker broke formation and collided his X-wing head-on into Vader, sending both pilots crashing to the planet's surface. Red Leader informed Alliance forces that they had shot down Lord Vader at great cost and requested assistance in apprehending the Emperor's second in command.

The rebels regrouped, eager to capitalize on their opportunity to kill Darth Vader. At the refueling base on the planet's surface, the local infantry [garrison](/article/garrison] prepared for a ground assault on the Sith Lord. At the Alliance Fleet, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo were informed of the situation. An entire company was mobilized against Vader, and General Doddana dispatched a battalion to support them. Organa, Solo, Chewbacca, and C-3PO departed for Vrogas Vas to assist Skywalker. Aphra, fearing Vader's wrath, also headed to the planet, accompanied by her droids Triple-Zero and Beetee.

Alliance command dispatched Y-wing Gray Squadron to bomb Vader's wrecked TIE Advanced. However, the Sith Lord destroyed the fighter-bombers by hurling debris at them. The rebel infantry company caught up with Vader and surrounded him, demanding his surrender. The Sith refused, engaging them in battle and using the Force to activate their grenades, wiping out much of the unit.

Lord Vader then killed many rebel troopers with his lightsaber. He also destroyed several tanks. During the fighting, Organa, Solo, Chewbacca, and C-3PO arrived on the Millennium Falcon at the Vrogas Vas base. Following an argument, Organa remained at the base to command rebel operations, while Solo and Chewbacca left on the Falcon to rescue Skywalker, who had crash-landed on the planet.

Later, Commander Organa dispatched the T-47 airspeeders of Cyan Squadron to hunt down Vader. However, the Sith Lord used his TIE Advanced's blaster array to shoot them down. Later, Commander Organa led Delta Squad into the battlefield, accompanied by C-3PO. However, the unit was ambushed by Lord Vader, who Force choked the entire squad, except for Leia and C-3PO.

Around this time, Aphra arrived in-system aboard her starship Ark Angel and took her two murderous droids, the protocol droid Triple Zero and Beetee, with her to the surface of Vrogas Vas to find and capture Skywalker and bring him to Vader. Triple Zero and Dr Aphra also discussed Skywalker's rebel associates and decided what to do should they pose a threat.

After disguising Triple Zero as C-3PO using an airbrush, Aphra and her droids managed to capture Skywalker. R2-D2 attempted to defend his master but was no match for Beetee's weaponry and was forced to retreat. Before Aphra and her team could return to their ship, they were ambushed by Han Solo and Chewbacca. While Solo exchanged fire with Aphra, Chewbacca ripped off one of Triple Zero's arms but was incapacitated by Mandalorian xenotox.

During the fighting, Solo and Aphra disturbed two nests of wasp-worms and were incapacitated by the creatures. Before Triple Zero could eliminate Chewbacca, Skywalker cut off his remaining arm with a lightsaber and impaled him through the chest. Skywalker, Solo, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 then escaped Beetee, who unleashed his flamethrower but was blinded by a paint bomb fired by R2-D2.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Lord Vader confronted Organa but sensed a new threat through the Force. While Lord Vader was distracted, Princess Leia returned to C-3PO and told him to find Skywalker and get out of there. Leia planned to order a bombing run by Amber Wing on her position, hoping to kill Vader in the process.

Meanwhile, Skywalker, Solo, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 returned to the Falcon and decided to rescue Princess Leia after learning of her planned last stand via R2-D2's transmitter. Before they could assist Leia, the Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan, who was in the service of Dr Aphra, rammed his Auzituck anti-slaver gunship into the Falcon. While Chewbacca and Krrsantan grappled with each other, Skywalker was sent by Solo to save Organa.

In the midst of the fighting, Triple Zero and Beetee encountered C-3PO. After incapacitating him, the two droids stole his arms and rotated his head, leaving him standing in the mist alone. Elsewhere, Lord Vader caught up with Princess Leia at a speeder. Princess Leia then transmitted her coordinates to Amber Wing.

However, Amber Wing was unable to carry out her orders when they were intercepted and shot down by a TIE fighter squadron under the command of Imperial Commander Karbin, who wanted to kill Lord Vader and curry the Emperor's favor by capturing Skywalker. Karbin revealed his plans to a surviving Amber Wing pilot before killing him.

Interrupting Lord Vader's argument with Leia, Karbin confronted Vader, revealing his plan to seize Skywalker and Princess Leia and to take Vader's place with the Emperor. He then engaged Vader in a lightsaber [duel](/article/lightsaber_duel]. Princess Leia seized the opportunity to escape. Vader managed to sever one of Karbin's limbs. The cyborg retreated into the Jedi Temple where he ambushed Vader.

Meanwhile, Black Krrsantan overpowered both Chewbacca and Han Solo. Solo managed to get R2-D2 to inject Chewbacca with a drug that counteracted the effects of the Mandalorian xenotox, allowing Chewbacca to stop Krrsantan from crushing him with a rock. However, Krrsantan was still too strong and managed to gain the upper hand over both Chewbacca and Skywalker.

Near the ruins of the Jedi Temple, Skywalker was fired upon by a squad of stormtroopers, but the troopers were attacked by BT-1, on orders from Aphra to capture Skywalker for Vader, allowing the rebel pilot to flee unharmed. However, Karbin's troops eventually caught up with Skywalker and apprehended him.

Shortly later, a damaged C-3PO arrived at the Falcon where Black Krrsantan was choking Solo. Unable to help, C-3PO got R2-D2 to record a distress call to Princess Leia. Hearing C-3PO's message, Leia abandoned her plan to kill Vader told C-3PO to do all he could to help Han and promised to rejoin them. C-3PO attempted to reason with Black Krrsantan but the Wookiee punched him. However, C-3PO's circuits had been damaged during his encounter with Aphra's droids and the Wookiee was electrocuted. This allowed Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 respite from Black Krrsantan.

After sighting Karbin's forces loading Skywalker aboard a shuttle, Dr Aphra contacted Vader and offered her services as compensation for her failure to capture Skywalker. Under Vader's instructions, Aphra rammed the Ark Angel onto a natural stone bridge that Vader had maneuvered Karbin into. The ensuing crash destroyed the ship and badly wounded Karbin. Lord Vader then killed Karbin but not before telling the Mon Calamari cyborg of his deep interest in Skywalker.

The Battle of Vrogas Vas resulted in a significant defeat for the Rebel Alliance, which suffered considerable losses in both space and ground forces on the planet. After repairing C-3PO, Solo and his team sighted Karbin's shuttle departing with the captive Skywalker. However, Vader brought down the shuttle Karbin's forces and Skywalker, allowing the young Jedi to make his escape. Beetee killed the surviving Imperial guards under Triple Zero's orders.

Returning to the Falcon, the rebels met Dr Aphra who attempted to force them to surrender by threatening to activate micro-mines buried beneath then. While Dr Aphra was distracted by a verbal argument with Skywalker and Solo, Princess Leia knocked her unconscious with a sucker punch. Since Dr Aphra had valuable information, Leia decided to take her prisoner. The rebels escaped aboard the Falcon after exchanging fire with a stormtrooper patrol.

Following the battle, Princess Leia transferred Dr Aphra aboard the rebel ally Sana Starros' ship Volt Cobra. Dr Aphra was transported to Sunspot Prison, a secret rebel prison for Imperials. After the prison was attacked by a vengeful rebel named Eneb Ray, Aphra joined forces with her captors in defeating Ray. She subsequently escaped with the help of Starros, who shoved her into an escape pod.

In 28 ABY, Organa's bravery at the battle was mentioned by New Republic senator Varish Vicly in a New Republic Senate session during Organa's campaign to become First Senator.

At some point after the battle, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron read reports of the battle and noted in The Rebel Files that no pilot, including himself, should ever be as skilled as Vader had been during the battle.