The Battle of Zaadja unfolded during the Clone Wars, approximately one and a half years following the First Battle of Geonosis. This conflict arose from the significant expansion of the Confederacy military, with Zaadja evolving into a major battle droid production center under Geonosian control. During this battle, clone troopers made planetfall under the leadership of High Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker; General Kenobi's forces were intended as a tactical distraction to facilitate the primary Jedi mission. Accompanying the Republic forces was Jedi Knight Tohno, tasked with the critical objective of infiltrating the Separatist droid factory to detonate explosives, thereby destroying it from the inside. The battle concluded with a victory for the Republic forces, but it also marked the sacrifice and death of Jedi Tohno.
As the Clone Wars intensified, the Separatist forces experienced substantial growth as more planets and allies joined their cause against the Republic. Leveraging numerous planets as manufacturing hubs, the Separatist Droid Army continuously augmented its ranks with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of droids. Zaadja was one of many planets selected to furnish the Separatists with the essential materials for the war effort. Recognizing the need to impede the Separatist's droid production, the Republic initiated various missions aimed at neutralizing these factory-worlds. Upon learning of the facility on Zaadja, the Jedi formulated a special mission, entrusting its execution to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tohno. Accompanied by Kenobi's Padawan Anakin Skywalker and a contingent of clone troopers, Kenobi and Tohno journeyed to Zaadja to accomplish their mission.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tohno devised a plan, which was subsequently approved by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Oppo Rancisis, that called for a dual approach: Kenobi and Skywalker would lead the clone troopers into battle as a diversion, drawing the Separatist forces away from the droid factory on Zaadja; simultaneously, Tohno was assigned the task of infiltrating the droid factory and destroying it using military-grade explosives.
Tohno's unique background in architecture and engineering made her the ideal candidate for this particular mission, as her expertise would enable her to determine the most effective method for destroying the manufacturing plant. If the diversion and mission were successful, Tohno would then extract herself back to Republic lines to rejoin Kenobi and the Republic forces.
Despite initially infiltrating the factory undetected, Tohno was soon discovered by a large contingent of Geonosian soldiers tasked with preventing such intrusions. Utilizing the Force to mask her movements, she bypassed most of the enemy forces, but encountered a Geonosian sentry before reaching the factory's core. After fighting through a significant number of enemies, Tohno managed to plant most of her explosives before more Geonosians intercepted her.
Meanwhile, a restless Anakin Skywalker, grappling with the numerous Jedi sacrifices throughout the war, sensed that Tohno's life was in danger. Communicating via radio, Skywalker assured her that he was en route with a gunship to provide assistance. Disregarding her own safety, Tohno instructed the young Padawan to remain with Master Kenobi and his clone soldiers. Despite Skywalker's continued protests, Tohno convinced him that his intervention would result in unnecessary casualties among the Third System Army troopers. Realizing that her survival was unlikely, Tohno aimed to complete her mission with minimal loss of life. Reluctantly returning to the Republic lines, Skywalker understood that Tohno's sacrifice was essential for the mission's success.
During her exchange with Skywalker, Tohno reached the factory's center, housing the power core for the entire facility—where she was confronted by more Geonosian soldiers. Despite mounting a formidable defense, Tohno was eventually overwhelmed by the enemy soldiers—nevertheless, using the Force she was able to throw her lightsaber at her pack which contained the remaining explosives she had brought with her. The lightsaber ignited the explosives, triggering a massive chain reaction amplified by the power core and the explosives she had already placed elsewhere.
The resulting explosion was immense, completely obliterating the factory and eliminating all Separatist forces in its vicinity.
The battle's success deprived the Separatist forces of a crucial resource for expanding their military. Nevertheless, the Zaadja factory was just one of many such facilities, and the Republic persisted in its efforts to further hinder Separatist manufacturing. The Mandalorian Protectors, allies of the Separatists, also inflicted significant damage on the Republic forces during the battle.
The Battle of Zaadja also marked a significant emotional turning point for the young Jedi Anakin Skywalker, who increasingly struggled with the sacrifices he witnessed. Although reluctant, Skywalker acknowledged Tohno's decision to minimize casualties during the Zaadja mission. Nonetheless, Skywalker would continue to grapple with the necessity of so many young, and promising, Jedi sacrificing themselves throughout the war.
Writer Randy Stradley conceived the Battle of Zaadja for the comic Forever Young, the sixty-seventh issue of the Star Wars: Republic comic series.
Due to several minor continuity discrepancies with the 2008 Clone Wars multimedia project, conflicts exist between Republic 67 and various elements of the project, such as the Clone Wars movie and the ongoing TV series. Given that the new movie, TV series, and other aspects of the Clone Wars multimedia project are all set during the war's first year, the Battle of Zaadja may be re-dated to align with this timeframe. However, as the 2008 Clone Wars multimedia project makes no mention of this battle, Lucasfilm may opt to maintain the existing dating. Similarly, Republic 67 establishes Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi Padawan holding the rank of commander in the Republic military. However, the release of the Clone Wars movie depicts Skywalker as a fully fledged Jedi Knight during the war's first year, creating another minor continuity issue. As of now, Lucasfilm Ltd. has not issued an official statement regarding either the dating situation or Skywalker's Jedi status.