This attack on Imperial holdings located on Balmorra, executed by Rogue Squadron, occurred during the time of the Galactic Civil War. The objective of the assault was the destruction of two manufacturing plants producing vehicles.
The strike on Balmorra by Rebel combatants was another in a series of rapid, surprise operations orchestrated by Lieutenant Kasan Moor, a Rebel supporter who formerly served the Galactic Empire. Utilizing her insider knowledge, Rogue Squadron achieved a string of successful engagements against Imperial forces. Her familiarity with the Balmorra construction complex's structural design and defense systems enabled Rogue Squadron, under the command of Luke Skywalker, to infiltrate the installation without detection.
Due to the element of surprise, the Galactic Empire response was disorganized. Rogue Squadron flew through a trench on Balmorra to launch a surprise assault on the facility, while simultaneously eliminating a series of scanning array antennas, preventing their presence from being detected. Upon reaching the trench's end, they entered the main compound where the factories were situated, and began their destructive actions. TIE Fighters were destroyed before they could achieve liftoff, and Lambda-class shuttles were downed during their ascent. The Empire was unable to mount a substantial defensive effort. By the conclusion of the incursion, the Empire had lost a factory producing AT-ATs and a factory producing AT-STs. As the engagement was intended to be quick and efficient, with only three starfighters participating, the squadron rapidly withdrew after demolishing the two manufacturing plants.
During the aerial assault, Rogue Squadron specifically targeted a domed structure located near a TIE fighter landing platform, successfully acquiring Advanced bombs for future missions.
Rogue Squadron successfully executed this covert operation, destroying the factories and inflicting significant casualties on the defending forces. They were surprised and pleased that, for once, they were attacking an Imperial facility, reversing the Empire's usual role. With Kasan Moor's assistance, they will continue to formulate additional assaults on other Imperial locations, leading up to the assault on Kile II.
The Raid on Balmorra, or Imperial construction yards, represents the seventh level within the Nintendo 64 and PC game, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. The level's design emphasizes stealth, demonstrated by the idle movement of walkers and TIE fighters that do not pursue Rogue Squadron unless provoked. Furthermore, the mission will fail if the player neglects to destroy the scanning posts before entering their detection range.
Two operational AT-AT walkers are present during the battle, and can be disabled using the Airspeeders' tow cables. However, given that this mission occurs before the Battle of Hoth, where Luke Skywalker conceived the tow cable strategy, and considering that the mission can be completed without disabling the walkers, this aspect is likely non-canonical.