During the Clone Wars, the Ryloth blockade functioned as a fleet within the Confederacy of Independent Systems' naval forces. This fleet was stationed in orbit around the planet Ryloth and was under the command of Neimoidian Captain Mar Tuuk. In 22 BBY, the Confederacy invaded Ryloth. During this invasion, the Confederacy's warships engaged a Galactic Republic supply fleet in orbit. Simultaneously, the Separatist Droid Army engaged and eliminated a small clone trooper garrison on the planet's surface. Following the destruction of the Republic fleet, the Confederacy, led by Tuuk, established a blockade in orbit around Ryloth.
Subsequently, in 21 BBY, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker led a Republic task force in an assault on the blockade. Upon arriving in the Ryloth system, Skywalker was lured into a trap devised by Tuuk. The arrival of Separatist reinforcements forced Skywalker to retreat. Shortly after, Skywalker returned to the blockade aboard the Venator-class Star Destroyer Defender and feigned surrender to Tuuk. During this ruse, the Jedi Knight intentionally crashed the Defender into the blockade's Lucrehulk-class Battleship, destroying it. Following the loss of the command ship, Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, arrived and oversaw the destruction of the remaining Munificent-class star frigates.
As part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems' naval forces, the Ryloth blockade was a fleet characterized by a single Lucrehulk-class Battleship. This battleship was supported by six Munificent-class star frigates, including Battlecruiser 17 and Battlecruiser 19. Furthermore, the blockade included numerous Vulture-class droid starfighters and various other Separatist cruisers.
The Separatist fleet established a blockade when the Separatist Droid Army invaded Ryloth. This blockade successfully destroyed Admiral Dao's Republic fleet. However, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan managed to navigate three blockade runners through the blockade, delivering essential food and medical supplies to the Twi'leks and their Resistance forces under General Cham Syndulla.
After the Galactic Senate requested the liberation of Ryloth, the Republic Navy and the Grand Army of the Republic responded. At this time, Captain Mar Tuuk was in command of the blockade. Jedi General Anakin Skywalker's task force then launched an assault on the blockade. Commander Ahsoka Tano led a squadron of V-19 Torrent starfighters which penetrated his line of vulture droids. Tuuk responded by summoning reinforcements consisting of four additional frigates and more vulture droids. Tano's squadron was quickly overwhelmed and destroyed by the blockade's vulture droids, which also initiated suicide runs on the Resolute, Redeemer, and Defender. Following a vulture droid's crash into the Resolute's bridge, Skywalker ordered a retreat. The Redeemer and most of Tano's squadron were lost in the initial attack.
Following the initial engagement, Tuuk analyzed Skywalker's tactics and prepared a counterattack. The Defender, piloted by Skywalker, approached the blockade, with Skywalker offering to surrender himself and the ship in exchange for delivering supplies to the Twi'leks. Tuuk considered the offer until battle droids informed him that Skywalker was the only person aboard the Defender. Upon learning this, Tuuk rejected the offer, stating that Skywalker had nothing to bargain with. Tuuk then realized his error and attempted to destroy the Defender before it could collide with his control ship. Tuuk abandoned his position and fled in a escape pod as the Defender destroyed the ship. The remaining ships in the blockade maintained their positions as the Resolute arrived. As the Resolute angled its hull toward the blockade, the battle droids engaged the ship. Tano then executed a flanking maneuver, destroying the remaining ships and allowing Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu to begin their landing.
Mar Tuuk, a Neimoidian captain within the Confederacy navy, commanded the Ryloth blockade. The blockade was also staffed by numerous OOM command battle droids, who followed Tuuk's orders relayed from the command ship to the frigates. Additionally, B1-series battle droids operated the weapons and communications systems on board the Lucrehulk-class Battleship and Munificent-class star frigates.
The Ryloth blockade first appeared in "Storm Over Ryloth," the nineteenth episode of the first season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, which was broadcast on February 27, 2009. The corresponding episode guide on StarWars.com provided further details.