The Warlord's Capture involved combat between the Lakran mercenary army commanded by The Warlord and the 501st Aurek Company's stormtroopers, supported by their Eickarie allies, in 22 ABY.
Around 29 BBY, a mysterious armored figure, The Warlord, and his Lakran mercenary force invaded and occupied Kariek. For approximately five decades, the Eickarie people of Kariek were subjected to oppression and exploitation by the Warlord, with even the smallest offenses resulting in imprisonment or death. To maintain control, he and his subordinates utilized a network of fortresses and watchtowers to monitor the surrounding area.
Despite his well-documented history of brutality, the Warlord garnered some limited support from the local population, particularly collaborators. To ensure the population's obedience, he imprisoned several prominent Eickarie nobles and elders within the fortress located in his capital, aiming to maintain the compliance of the various Eickarie tribes. In the event of an armed uprising, he planned to use these hostages as leverage, threatening their execution to secure his survival.
In approximately 22 ABY, the United Tribes of Kariek emerged as a resistance movement against the Warlord, receiving clandestine support from the Empire of the Hand, which sought to expand its influence in the Unknown Regions while much of the known galaxy was under the control of the New Republic.
To assist the underground United Tribes of Kariek in their campaign to overthrow the Warlord's regime on Kariek, the Empire of the Hand deployed an expeditionary force, including four companies from the elite 501st Legion. Hundreds of these soldiers were positioned in the forests and plains surrounding The Warlord's fortress, preparing for a direct assault with significant air and ground support. An initial plan to reduce the Warlord's fortress to rubble via orbital bombardment was abandoned due to uncertainty regarding the Warlord's presence within the fortress.
The Imperial command ultimately opted for a covert infiltration strategy, utilizing a small, highly skilled, and motivated unit to enter the fortress through tunnels connecting it to the watchtowers, coordinated with a simultaneous ground and air attack. Disguised in an armored personnel carrier, the Stormtroopers entered the city surrounding the Warlord's fortress. En route, they encountered Su-mil, an Eickarie freedom fighter, who informed them of a third watchtower with an unguarded tunnel, unlike the other two, which were heavily defended by Lakra mercenaries.
Accompanied by Su-mil and several other Eickaries, the four-member squad entered these tunnels. They eventually reached their target, only to find it sealed by a heavy metal door, which the troopers breached using a specialized flash paste. However, a second barrier, consisting of stone blocks cemented together with a grayish mortar, stood behind it. The Eickaries then deployed a catalytic mortar solvent, which dissolved the second barrier.
Twister and Su-mil guided Unit Aurek-Four and a group of approximately 20 Eickaries through the corridors leading to the dungeons. Along the way, they engaged and quickly subdued six Lakran guards. As the Stormtroopers and their Eickarie allies entered another corridor, they were captured by a larger group of Lakra. Su-mil then deceived the Lakra by feigning loyalty to the Warlord, claiming that he and the other Eickaries had apprehended Aurek Four on the streets outside the Warlord's palace.
Su-mil then showed the Lakran commander the supposed entry point of the unit. Initially, Twister was taken aback by Su-mil's apparent betrayal but soon realized that Su-mil was still on their side, as he used his blaster to send coded messages. Movement to the "left" indicated a lie, while movement to the right indicated truth. Using his helmet's comlink, Twister signaled Aurek Company for assistance. Reinforcements quickly arrived and ambushed the Lakrans, with the Eickaries joining the fray.
With this group of Lakra neutralized, Su-mil and Twister, along with several of their men, rushed to the dungeons, which had been left unguarded as most of the guards were preoccupied with engaging the enemy and protecting their leader. They discovered that the Eickaries imprisoned there were captured nobles and elders from various tribes, unaware of the United Tribes Agreement that united the Eickaries against the Warlord's regime. Speaking in the Eickarie language, Prince Ha-ran revealed his identity and convinced them to join the fight against the Warlord and the newly formed United Tribes of Kariek.
After successfully persuading the prisoners, they proceeded to the circular inner stronghold of the fortress, where the Warlord was reportedly hiding. They entered the storm banquet chamber, a space used for feasting during spring storms, only to discover it was booby-trapped with hidden explosives beneath the furniture. Watchman, using his helmet's advanced sensor systems, quickly identified two sniper nests and their occupants positioned on either side of a door beneath long banners.
The Stormtroopers moved their Eickarie allies back towards the entrance and the corridor, then used their whipcords to pull two grenade-rigged chairs near the door. The resulting explosion devastated the chamber, with the troopers narrowly escaping a fiery demise. While the blast only incapacitated one of the guards, the other was swiftly killed by several of the Eickarie prisoners. These actions earned the Stormtroopers the admiration of the Eickaries.
Following a fierce and brutal battle, the Warlord was captured. Pinned to the floor in his full-body armor, he was at the mercy of Su-mil, who stood over him. However, instead of executing him, as was the Eickarie custom, Su-mil handed the Warlord over to the Imperials, who took him into custody.
Because the Warlord always appeared in public wearing his full-body armor, the Empire of the Hand sought to determine whether he was a rogue Eickarie, the leader of the Lakra invaders, or a member of an unknown species from the Unknown Regions. If he belonged to the third category, the Imperials intended to investigate whether his species was warlike and dangerous or if he was even considered disreputable among his own kind.
While Su-mil was resting at the Imperial base's rehab room's resistance machine, Twister approached him and expressed his gratitude for his assistance in capturing the Warlord. Twister also commended him for his heroism and quick thinking during the battle and offered Su-mil a position in the 501st Legion. Su-mil was among those who boarded the next Imperial transport.
Many Eickaries expressed disappointment that the Warlord had not been turned over to them for execution, given the numerous atrocities he had committed during his 50-year reign in Kariek. However, the United Tribes later agreed to join the Empire of the Hand, presumably to establish trade or military ties with a more powerful entity to deter potential aggressors.