The assault on the Iziz Royal Palace, which occurred in 4000 BBY, was a carefully crafted scheme masterminded by the Beast Riders originating from the wilderness of the planet Onderon, with the express purpose of capturing Galia, the Princess of Onderon. Having endured years of banishment from the solitary city of Iziz, the Beast Riders successfully managed a clandestine entry into the city, initiating the exchange of intelligence with citizens who opposed the reign of Queen Amanoa. It was during this period that Beast-Lord Oron Kira encountered and became enamored with Galia. Recognizing the Queen's inevitable disapproval of their relationship, they devised a strategy wherein the Beast Riders would launch an attack on the Royal Palace of Iziz and seize Galia. As part of the planned abduction, the Princess was to be transported to Kira's forest stronghold for a marriage ceremony with the Beast-Lord. Awaiting the opportune moment, their chance arrived when three Jedi Knights journeyed to Onderon with the intention of mediating peace talks between the Beast Riders dwelling in the planet's wilderness and the inhabitants of Iziz.
Utilizing their network of clandestine contacts, the Beast Riders discovered that the city's residents had sought assistance from the Republic. Consequently, the Riders resolved to exploit the Jedi's arrival as a diversion to facilitate their planned abduction. The mounted warriors intercepted the Knights within Onderon's atmosphere, unleashing blaster fire upon their starship before they could even make planetfall. The Jedi received support from Iziz's defense towers, however, which provided cover for their landing and successfully repelled Kira's forces through turbolaser bombardment. The Beast Riders briefly suspended their pursuit as the Jedi successfully landed within the city, where they were escorted before the Queen and her daughter.
As one of the Jedi extended the protection of both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order to the Queen, Kira and his followers managed to breach not only the city's defensive walls but also the palace itself. A contingent of warbeasts and their Riders stormed the throne room, prompting Amanoa's Royal Protectors to escort her and Galia to safety while the Jedi engaged the intruders in combat. Two elite warriors, specialized Beast Warrior Commandos, bypassed the Jedi and pursued the Queen's entourage. This warrior pair overcame the Royal Protectors and successfully abducted Galia. Amanoa sustained a minor concussion during the commotion, and the Beast Riders promptly retreated, having successfully executed their mission. Subsequently, the Queen demanded the Jedi ensure the Princess's immediate return.
Originating around 4400 BBY, the world of Onderon, an Inner Rim planet situated within a star system bearing the same name, was embroiled in a global conflict known as the Beast Wars. The Beast Riders hailing from the planet's wilderness, sought to overthrow the dark side–influenced rule and oppression imposed by Amanoa, the Queen of Iziz, from Onderon's singular city. By 4000 BBY, the Beast Riders had successfully gained entry into the city. Within the city's confines, certain city-dwellers also opposed Amanoa's governance. These individuals formed Iziz's clandestine political network, offering assistance to the Beast Riders and exchanging information with their young leader, Beast-Lord Oron Kira. Throughout the years of consistent collaboration with these dissident city residents, Kira encountered and fell in love with Galia, the Princess of Iziz. Both Kira and Galia desired to be united in marriage, but recognized that such a union would never be sanctioned by the Queen. They conceived a plan to orchestrate a kidnapping, wherein Galia would be seized from the Royal Palace by the Beast Riders and transported to their fortress for their wedding.
Amanoa, realizing the futility of winning a war against the Beast Riders, sought assistance from the Galactic Republic, who tasked the Jedi Order with mediating the dispute on her behalf. The Jedi appointed Jedi Master Arca Jeth as the watchman of the Onderon system, who in turn dispatched his apprentices, the Humans Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, along with the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta, to Onderon. The Beast Riders learned of the impending arrival of the Republic's emissaries and resolved to proceed with their plan to assault the palace, utilizing the Jedi's presence as the necessary distraction to abduct the Princess.
Leading a specialized squad of Riders known as Beast Warrior Commandos, Oron Kira and his second-in-command, Gobee, immediately spotted the Nebulon Ranger's entry into the Onderonian atmosphere. They launched an attack, bombarding the ship's deflector shields with blaster fire. In response to a distress comlink transmission from the Jedi's ship to the city, Iziz directed the fire of its network of wall defenses to provide cover for the Jedi, repelling the Beast Riders' initial assault over the city's northern wall. During this engagement, the insurgents sustained several casualties. The Beast Riders ceased their attack in the face of such superior firepower and regrouped. Meanwhile, the Jedi landed safely at the royal starport and were promptly escorted into the Queen's presence.
As the Jedi were being introduced to the Queen, Kira and Gobee prepared to resume their assault. They attacked the northern wall once more, this time successfully breaching its defenses. Subsequently, they proceeded unhindered to the palace, crashing through a transparisteel window and into the throne room. There, Kira, Gobee, and the Warrior Commandos engaged both the Jedi and the Queen's minions. Amanoa and Galia were immediately encircled by the Royal Protectors, who were determined to safeguard the Queen and her daughter at all costs. The Jedi deflected blaster shots with their lightsabers and eliminated several warbeasts and their riders. While the Knights were occupied, Kira and Gobee dismounted from their steeds and abandoned the melee in pursuit of the Queen and their intended target, Galia. They caught up with Amanoa's Royal Protectors, who had successfully secured the Queen and her daughter and were now focused on preventing the intruders from advancing further. Kira and Gobee easily overcame the Protectors and stormed the room where the Queen and her daughter were sequestered. Kira and Gobee swiftly dealt with the remaining guards as they burst through the doors and confronted Amanoa, who, in a moment of despair, attempted to invoke the spirit of the deceased Sith Lord Freedon Nadd. When her attempt proved futile, Gobee stunned the Queen with his blaster. Kira then seized Princess Galia and took her into custody. Accompanied by Gobee, the Beast-Lord immediately departed from the palace.
Kira and his men rapidly retreated back into the wilderness, leaving the city's inhabitants to recover from an attack for which they were utterly unprepared. With him and Galia united and away from Amanoa, preparations commenced for their wedding. Within the palace, Amanoa cursed the Jedi, holding them accountable for failing to protect both her and her daughter. When they inquired about Galia's whereabouts, the Queen lamented that she had been spirited away by the Beast Riders. As the foremost of the Jedi, the Queen held Ulic Qel-Droma personally responsible for the events that had unfolded. She then demanded that the Jedi depart in search of the Princess, with instructions not to return until Galia was safely returned. Qel-Droma readily accepted the Queen's order but was rebuked by his Jedi brethren, who suggested reporting the deteriorating situation to Master Jeth before proceeding. Qel-Droma rejected this plan, vowing that the Jedi would not return until Galia had been safely rescued.
The raid on the Iziz Royal Palace was conceived and penned by author Tom Veitch, making its debut in the Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon story arc within the Tales of the Jedi comic series. Veitch employed this event as a means of introducing a new cast of characters and narrating the lives of Jedi Knights, four millennia prior to the era of Luke Skywalker. Veitch also utilized this event as the inaugural official mission for his newly created characters Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, along with Tott Doneeta, who were initially illustrated by artist Chris Gossett. The story was subsequently revitalized through the full-cast audio drama rendition of Tales of the Jedi, scripted by John Whitman.