Operation Safe Passage

As the Yuuzhan Vong began their invasion, most believed Talfaglio, like countless other planets, would simply be raided to provide sacrifices to the Vong's savage gods. Yet, following the fall of Duro, the Yuuzhan Vong captured numerous refugees; while some were chosen for sacrifice, the vast majority were imprisoned around Talfaglio. Prior to this, Nom Anor had an encounter with Leia Organa at the Bilbringi Shipyards, where he presented her with a straightforward proposition: reveal the location of the hidden Jedi base, Eclipse Station, within one week, or the Vong would execute all the refugees held around Talfaglio.

The New Republic was compelled to respond. However, public opinion was shifting against the Jedi, and most of the unvanquished worlds within the Inner Rim and Core regions were in favor of surrendering the Jedi base. These worlds, including Kuat, Corellia, and others, held significant influence throughout the galaxy. Their [Senators](/article/senator-legends] wielded considerable power, particularly the cunning Viqi Shesh, the Senator representing Kuat. Many of the New Republic's military generals, notably the Bothan Traest Kre'fey, stood by the Jedi, understanding their immense value in combat. Their piloting abilities, enhanced by the Force, and their inherent mental connection with fellow Jedi pilots made them an unparalleled fighting force. For months, Kre'fey had been aiding Jedi operations by secretly supplying Eclipse Station's hangars with the latest XJ3 X-wing starfighters and other vessels.

As the New Republic became entangled in a web of intense political debates and bureaucratic hurdles, the Jedi decided to take matters into their own hands. With the approval of the Chief of State, Borsk Fey'lya, the Jedi prepared to launch an assault on Talfaglio. Their primary objective was to break through the Yuuzhan Vong blockade, while a secondary goal was to capture a yammosk, one of the Vong's war coordinators, for research.

The strike force gathered on the fringes of the Talfaglio system. Approximately fifty personnel were piloting XJ3 starfighters, about half of whom were Jedi. Around two dozen Jedi were operating blastboats and other support craft, including the battle coordinator Jedi Corran Horn. Additionally, Kyp Durron's Dozen and Saba Sebatyne's Wild Knights were also present. Eclipse Station had two primary squadrons: the Sabers, a Jedi squadron led by Luke Skywalker, and the Shockers, a non-Jedi group under the command of Rigard Matl. Each squadron comprised roughly fifteen pilots. Han Solo and Lando Calrissian participated in their respective ships, the Millennium Falcon and the Lady Luck.

Each squadron would independently execute a micro-jump into the mass shadow of Talfaglio. The Dozen initiated the jump, followed by the Wild Knights, and then the Eclipse forces. Upon arriving in the system, they discovered the fleet was larger than anticipated, consisting of four cruisers, a warship-analog, a coralskipper carrier, and approximately twenty frigates. The skip carrier housed around 200 skips, while each cruiser had its own squadrons. Realizing the number of coralskippers was greater than initially estimated, Luke decided to abort the yammosk capture mission and focus solely on breaking the blockade.

Suddenly, the situation changed. Two Star Destroyers, the Mon Mothma and Elegos A'Kla, commanded by Generals Wedge Antilles and Garm Bel Iblis respectively, jumped into the system under the guise of a "shakedown cruise," having been alerted by Talon Karrde. These capital ships were secretly equipped with gravity well projectors and were looking for an opportunity to test them. Squadrons of XJ3s and Series IV E-wing fighters launched from the ships' hangars. Additionally, Antilles dispatched Rogue Squadron to assist the Wild Knights in their attempt to capture a yammosk. With these reinforcements, Luke decided to proceed with the yammosk mission. The two Star Destroyers positioned themselves on either side of the planned escape route, providing crossfire support.

The Dozen spearheaded the attack, employing the newly developed shadow bombs to destroy a cruiser, thereby clearing the escape corridor and allowing refugee ships to begin their escape. Upon Corran Horn's signal, the Shockers and Sabers micro-jumped to Talfaglio and initiated their assault. The Shockers took the lead, with the Sabers providing cover. Together, the squadrons managed to destroy four and damage eight light corvette analogs. By this point, the Dozen had lost three pilots, all EV. Luke ordered the reckless Durron to withdraw and protect the fleeing refugee ships.

The Vong responded by deploying a large number of frigates into a defensive screen. The Shockers and Sabers managed to breach this screen but suffered the loss of three pilots, including Rigard Matl, who went EV. Beyond the defensive screen lay the core of the Vong fleet: four cruisers, the warship-analog, and the coralskipper carrier. The ships immediately maneuvered, with the carrier and the now-identified yammosk cruiser retreating behind the warship, while the other three cruisers deployed their coralskippers and moved to engage. Luke quickly devised a plan to feint an attack on one of the attacking cruisers, but at the last moment, target the skip carrier. His wife, Mara Jade, proposed an alternative: fire at the cruiser, but disable all starfighter's sublight engines and launch shadow bombs at the skip carrier, using a glowing Force sphere as a distraction. The tactic proved successful, and the skip carrier was destroyed.

The path was now clear to capture the yammosk. Saba Sebatyne and Danni Quee, aboard the Wild Knight's blastboat, the Jolly Man, along with the Falcon and Luck, moved to seize the cruiser. However, the cruiser released its coralskippers and prepared to micro-jump away, as the battle was clearly lost for the Vong. The blastboat launched concussion missiles and decoys at the cruiser, distracting it long enough for Wedge to execute his plan. He activated the Mon Mothma's gravity well generators, trapping the cruiser, which subsequently broke apart into three pieces. The fleet then eliminated the remaining Vong forces, while Lando dispatched YVH war droids into the destroyed cruiser to retrieve the yammosk.

The liberation of Talfaglio improved the public image of the much-maligned Jedi. They had rescued tens of thousands of refugees and decimated a Yuuzhan Vong fleet. Fey'lya, now perceived as the orchestrator of Antilles and Iblis's arrival at Talfaglio, threw his support behind the Jedi, issuing a directive mandating military cooperation with the Jedi, despite the protests of Senator Shesh. Talfaglio was a triumph, a symbol of hope amidst a seemingly endless string of defeats.