The Sabotage at Rhen Var transpired in 0 BBY during the Galactic Civil War on the ice planet of Rhen Var. This engagement followed a Rebel Alliance attack, which had successfully captured an Imperial listening outpost situated on Rhen Var. The Galactic Empire dispatched a contingent to reclaim the outpost. While they achieved this objective, the ensuing conflict resulted in the destruction of the outpost and the complete annihilation of the Rebel forces present.
Deeply rooted in the history surrounding the Galactic Republic, the Empire's predecessor, the Galactic Empire had long maintained a listening outpost within a dilapidated citadel located on Rhen Var, an ice-covered world in the Outer Rim. In 0 BBY, early in the Galactic Civil War – a war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance – the outpost was monitoring Rebel fleet activity. To stop the outpost from tracking them, the Rebel Alliance launched an assault. The Rebels captured the base from the Imperial garrison stationed there and held it for a few days before an Imperial counterattack commenced.
The Imperial assault force, which included snowtroopers, Imperial Army pilots, scout troopers, shock troopers, and Phase Zero dark troopers, arrived with orders to seize the Keep section of the outpost. The Imperials advanced on the Rebels, who had taken up positions at a tower below the station. The Rebel force consisted of troopers, vanguard division soldiers, snipers, Wookiee smugglers, and pilots.
Despite both factions utilizing laser turrets to defend their positions, the Imperials successfully reclaimed the Keep.
The Imperial counterattack overwhelmed the Alliance forces, culminating in the destruction of the outpost and the elimination of all Rebel personnel.
Following the battle, all traces of civilization on the planet were eradicated. Soon after, the Rebel Alliance engaged the Empire in an assault on the moon of Yavin 4, leading to the crucial Battle of Yavin where the Empire's Death Star battle station was obliterated.
The Sabotage at Rhen Var is featured as a mission of the same name within the Galactic Civil War campaign of the 2004 video game Star Wars: Battlefront. The game does not assign a specific battle plan for the player, who plays from the Imperial perspective, to adhere to. The player's objective is to recapture the Keep, which serves as one of the command posts, although victory can still be achieved without completing this task. The Imperials begin with 250 available reinforcements, whereas the Rebels have 200. The game concludes when either side's reinforcements reach zero, but the Imperials are required to win for the campaign to progress.
A discrepancy exists between various sources concerning this battle. Star Wars: Battlefront depicts the Imperial forces as defending the outpost, but this was later contradicted by 2009's The Essential Atlas, which states that the Rebels initially captured the outpost before the Imperials retook it.