Insurrection on Culroon III

The history of Culroon III, a planet, is characterized by numerous wars between the tribes of the Culroon natives. These conflicts persisted until the introduction of off-world weapons, which were employed by the Culroon warlord Kloff to bring an end to the fighting and unify the planet under his rule. While the Galactic Republic was aware of Culroon III, these internal wars led to the planet being largely ignored until the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY. Sometime between that year and 9 BBY, Emperor Palpatine commanded General Irrv of the Imperial Army to bring the planet under Imperial control, utilizing any necessary means. Given Culroon III's limited strategic or resource value, the Emperor's orders were simply standard Imperial procedure for world subjugation. The Empire initiated the occupation of Culroon III by establishing an Imperial garrison within Kloff's territory.

Maximilian Veers, a Junior Lieutenant deliberately assigned to a remote location by his superiors who saw him as a threat to their careers, arrived with an advance research team as the Imperial garrison was constructed over several weeks. Veers was tasked with protecting the Imperial engineers and technicians using an All Terrain Armored Transport and an All Terrain Scout Transport, along with a stormtrooper legion under the command of Commander Grath. During this time, Veers studied the history of the Culroon and concluded that a peaceful surrender was highly unlikely.

General Irrv, seeking cooperation with the Culroon, devised a formal ceremony with Kloff involving the exchange of a ceremonial blaster and a Naval sword to symbolize a peaceful transfer of power. During a staff meeting, Veers openly mocked the plan, unaware that it was Irrv's own idea. He argued that the Empire should instead forcefully assert its authority through an attack, rather than holding a ceremony. Irrv dismissed Veers' concerns as a product of bloodlust instilled by his Imperial Academy training, threatening to reassign him to riding a dewback on Tatooine if he persisted. Irrv then issued Veers a demerit, confining him to the Imperial base for the duration of the occupation.

For the ceremony, Veers was placed in command of a single AT-AT, staffed with a pilot and a gunner. They were assigned to perform non-essential maintenance with the aid of B-3Z technical droids. The lieutenant observed the proceedings from a shuttle docking platform above the vehicle, situated less than ten kilometers from the site. The Imperial garrison possessed two other AT-ATs, but they were on patrol several miles away. At the ceremony, Irrv stood alongside a dozen Imperial officers, including his aide, Colonel Jeffers, all dressed in Imperial dress uniform. They were accompanied by a legion of stormtroopers equipped with underpowered, cumbersome dress-weapons designed for display rather than combat. Kloff arrived with a dozen male Culroon warriors in ceremonial dress. As the ceremony began, Veers watched through macrobinoculars, believing Irrv's plan to be foolish. He also noted the absence of the majority of Kloff's warriors, suspecting a plot. In secret, thousands of Culroon warriors, armed with powerful weapons, surrounded the area.

The insurrection began when General Irrv presented Kloff with the Naval sword, which the Culroon leader then calmly used to stab Colonel Jeffers. The Culroon warriors revealed themselves, encircling the Imperials. Reacting instantly, Veers dropped his macrobinoculars and ordered his subordinates to activate the AT-AT immediately. Despite knowing he risked a court-martial for abandoning his post, they drove the walker through the jungle toward the ceremony. Irrv ordered the stormtroopers to form a defensive circle around him, but many were killed as their ceremonial weapons were no match for the Culroon's blaster firepower.

Kloff's warriors began to overwhelm the stormtroopers, aiming to reach and capture the general. Just as Kloff ordered them to press the attack, Veers' AT-AT arrived, shaking the ground as it crushed trees and bushes. The sight of the AT-AT caused many Culroon to panic and flee, believing it to be a giant monster. Veers directed the walker's blaster fire to clear the area around the stormtroopers. Commander Grath ordered the surviving stormtroopers to regroup beneath the AT-AT and use its legs for cover. The remaining Culroon warriors realized their blasters could not penetrate the AT-AT's armor and retreated. Veers ordered his gunner to fire upon the retreating warriors. Afterward, Veers looked down at Irrv through the viewport and demanded an apology. Irrv began to reprimand Veers and threaten a court-martial, before Grath, the superior officer on Culroon III, fatally shot him for his perceived incompetence.

Grath stepped over Irrv's body, holstered his blaster, and requested an escort back to the garrison, addressing Veers as "Major Veers" in recognition of his heroism. Veers was pleased with the outcome and offered Grath a ride inside the AT-AT instead. The newly promoted major was subsequently assigned to Corellia, and his actions during the insurrection caught the attention of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, who arranged for Veers to command the ground forces of Death Squadron, Vader's personal fleet group. Veers continued to climb the rank until he achieved the rank of general, thanks to Vader's support.

The insurrection on Culroon III was first detailed in the short story "The Promotion of Lieutenant Veers," published in 1987 within West End Games's The Star Wars Sourcebook, authored by Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith. It was initially identified in Veers' Databank entry on StarWars.com, released in 2001. In the short story, Veers observes the ceremony's beginning from a shuttle docking platform above the AT-AT, implying that he would have needed to enter the AT-AT's cockpit to participate in the counterattack, although this is not explicitly stated. Issue thirty-one of De Agostini's The Official Star Wars Fact File magazine, published around July 31, 2002, specifies that Veers watched the ceremony and the subsequent ambush from within the AT-AT cockpit.

Furthermore, the short story depicts General Irrv presenting Kloff with the Naval sword, which he then uses to stab Colonel Jeffers. In contrast, the Fact File states that Kloff was supposed to present the sword to Irrv when he instead used it to attack Jeffers. This discrepancy was repeated in issue fourteen of the revised run of The Official Star Wars Fact File, published on April 9, 2014. This article adheres to the short story's version of events.