The CZ-198 Seizure was a conflict that occurred between several factions: rebellious elements within the Czerka Corporation's installation located on the CZ-198 moon, forces representing the Galactic Republic, and the newly emerged Sith Empire. During the Galactic War that pitted these two galactic superpowers against each other, the Republic's Department of Adjudication finally took action against the Czerka Corporation's unethical and corrupt practices. The department initiated legal proceedings to seize the corporation's assets. Upon learning of this, the Imperial Ordnance Acquisition Corps also began their own efforts to seize the same assets. The leader of a clandestine Czerka facility on the desolate moon, fearing nationalization and restrictions on immoral experimentation, resisted the planned seizure of what he considered his own domain.
Originally conceived as a storage depot for Czerka's extensive collection of forbidden weaponry, classified research endeavors, and the company's most deeply guarded secrets, Facility CZ-198 evolved into a cutting-edge, top-tier research institution focused on producing groundbreaking consumer goods. Under the leadership of the ambitious Special Executive Rasmus Blys, characterized as a dangerous man with an inflated ego, the facility thrived due to its isolated location, shielded from public scrutiny.
Amidst the Galactic War raging between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire, the galactic community became aware of Czerka Corporation's dubious business practices and morally bankrupt corporate culture. The Republic's Department of Adjudication, tasked with regulating corporations and safeguarding the galactic economy, was urged to confiscate the corporation's vast holdings.
Torkel Laphmer, a high-ranking executive, sought to mitigate his personal financial losses by negotiating a deal with Adjudicator Refain, the leader of the seizure operation, offering classified information in exchange for a mansion and a lifetime salary. The confidential documents contained details about the secret facility on the remote moon of CZ-198, its contents, and a prototype security system known as "the Vigilant". Recognizing the facility as a potential threat and anticipating that his forces might be insufficient to handle the unknown dangers within if negotiations failed and violence erupted, the Adjudicator leader requested assistance from a specialized strike team.
When news of Czerka's impending downfall and the Republic's planned seizure reached the Sith Empire, Moff Kresk, who headed the Imperial Ordnance Acquisition Corps, an organization dedicated to securing any scientific or technological advantages for the Empire's defense, was approached by the Mirialan Eva Kaayz. As the chief operations officer of Czerka's weapons division, Kaayz garnered the young Moff's attention by demonstrating her division's R-6000 blaster rifle. Following the demonstration, the executive revealed the contents of CZ-198 and her personal interest in the Empire's involvement in restructuring her company under the Republic's bureaucratic control. In accordance with his organization's directives, Kresk assembled a strike team and prepared to seize the cache of technology and research from the clandestine facility before the Republic could.
Upon hearing rumors of Czerka's collapse and the Republic's subsequent seizure efforts, Rasmus reassured his employees at CZ-198, claiming that he was actively developing solutions to prevent a similar fate from befalling their facility. These solutions involved implementing new security protocols and deploying radical personnel, loyal to Blys' cause, who were prepared to defend the facility at all costs.
Republic and Imperial forces successfully landed and secured opposing sections of the facility. After securing their respective areas, both galactic factions proceeded to capture nearby personnel and establish supply depots to support further incursions into the facility's depths.
Strike teams from both sides were assigned the task of eliminating militant Czerka personnel and destroying deactivated ZX-10 Combat Droids that were deeply entrenched. Subsequently, Imperial forces were tasked with acquiring a novel biotoxin, while Republic forces aimed to seize an alternative form of kolto, both of which had been developed at CZ-198. Czerka forces disposed of an anti-toxin specifically designed to counteract the biotoxin in the area, which was later recovered by a strike force from the facility's sewers. The toxin was guarded by Project DS-5, a tentacled experiment presumed to have been discarded.
The strike team departed from their staging area and advanced towards the main offices using the facility's internal rail system. To conclude the siege of CZ-198 and unlock the establishment, the strike team was tasked with confronting Rasmus Blys. Overcoming significant resistance while avoiding fleeing non-combatants, the team progressed from the office's reception area to the Atrium, where they discovered three security cards. After reaching the bottom of the flooded atrium, they encountered a blocked path guarded by the facility's eradicator droid, CZ-8X, and a shielded corridor.
Engaging the droid from a distance, the strike team attempted to avoid its electrifying attacks, which surged through the shallow water accumulating in a small depression around the droid. Despite the eradicator periodically pulling members of the strike team into the water, they were able to quickly retreat to the drier area surrounding the depression. Confident in their eventual success, the team continued to attack the isolated droid, unaware that the prototype droid had summoned reinforcements. Small CZ-2X infiltrator droids began to advance on the team, unleashing a barrage of lethal blaster fire. With swift reactions, the strike force quickly eliminated the agile droids, but more continued to arrive. The team intensified their efforts and defeated the massive eradicator droid, which appeared to halt the influx of infiltrator droids. The team ventured deeper into the facility, passing through the Seario Memorial Showroom and neutralizing the standard Czerka security forces they encountered.
Upon reaching the security office, the strike force was confronted by the chief of security, Zokar. Armed with a variety of weapons, including CryoBan grenades and a plasma launcher, and supported by a squad of battle droids, Zokar fought valiantly but was ultimately unable to withstand the strike team's attacks. Continuing towards the facility's labs, the strike force discovered the personal experiments of the deranged special executive. Project TG-5 and EK-8 were mutated Flesh Raiders that detonated upon contact. Numerous specimens were scattered throughout the halls the team traversed, posing a constant threat as TG-5s unleashed massive concussive blasts on anyone who ventured too close. Contained within cryotanks, EK-8s engaged in fierce combat when released but emitted a pheromone that attracted the crimson TG-5s. The team exploited this to their advantage, enduring the onslaught of concussive force while releasing the blue-tinged EK-8s to quickly eliminate both threats.
As the strike team entered the door to Rasmus' lab, they were greeted by his loud, booming voice. While denouncing the strike force for destroying the facility and its ideals, Rasmus Blys activated the prototype Vigilant security system and engaged the team in combat. Blys struggled to fight the team armed only with a blaster pistol, so he would periodically disappear from their sight using a personal stealth generator to unleash his personal experiments against his enemies. Employing the same tactics as before, the strike team defeated the horde of EK-8s and TG-5s and refocused their efforts on the beleaguered executive, only to be thwarted by Blys' personal shields. However, the shields soon failed, and the once formidable Rasmus Blys lay defeated. The strike team approached the command console at the back of the lab, and as they began to access it, a holographic avatar of the Vigilant appeared above it, threatening their demise.
Determined to neutralize the Vigilant, the strike team advanced toward the Biodome facility. Upon arrival, they were greeted by a Czerka informational hologram, which outlined the facility's purpose and rationale, identifying the team members as potential investors. Suddenly, the dome began to shake, doors sealed shut, and artificial lights dimmed. The image of the feminine holoprojection transformed into the grotesque, ruby-colored visage of the Vigilant. The mutated Flesh Raider had seized control of the once serene facility, and to progress, the team had to disable all the information kiosks scattered throughout the dome.
Fighting through heavily defended pockets of security droids, the team successfully disabled all three kiosks and advanced through the now-unsealed door towards the facility's energy core. There, they once again encountered a blocked path leading to the Vigilant. Upon investigation, they deduced that the Vigilant's rampage had destabilized the biodome's experiments, and to proceed safely, they needed to subdue the berserk inhabitants.
Within the desert biome, the strike team discovered an enhanced duneclaw. As the team engaged the massive creature, the biome's sandstorm simulation activated, making the already challenging fight even more difficult. While retreating, the strike team spotted generators responsible for the sandstorm. Unable to damage them with their weapons, the team regrouped near one of the generators and allowed the rampaging failed experiment to destroy the dynamo powering the sandstorm. The strike team repeated this process with the other generators, permanently disabling the sandstorm and then quickly dispatching the creature. Accessing a nearby console, the team deactivated the arid biome and moved on to the next.
Entering the humid Jungle biome, the strike team encountered an enhanced Vrblther. Before engaging, they noticed nearby colonies of poisonous spores. Intending to use them against the creature, the team positioned themselves strategically while a member lured the failed experiment towards them. The creature noticed their presence and hurled a large rock at their location, suggesting that their trap had failed. However, the team regrouped and maintained their position, prompting the beast to move closer to swing its claws. When the beast was within range, the team triggered the trap, detonating the spores and infecting the creature. Weakened by the trap, the creature became easy prey for the team, but a flock of bogwings suddenly appeared as if to rescue the isolated vrblther. The team disengaged from the enhanced beast and quickly eliminated the bogwings. Before they could re-engage the enhanced creature, they discovered that it had recovered and regained its full strength. The team reapplied their previous strategy, ensuring that each application of poison was more potent, and ultimately defeated the beast once and for all. Once again, the team accessed the console for the special biome and deactivated it.
The strike team unlocked the doors to the Bioweapon Observation Chamber, and upon entering, they witnessed the wholesale slaughter of Czerka scientists trapped in the cells formerly occupied by experimented-on Flesh Raiders. Now freed, the enhanced Flesh Raiders, designated as bioweapons, ambushed the surprised strike team. The experimental bioweapons stood no chance against the strike team, but the lockdown in effect once again hindered their progress. Accessing several consoles around the chamber, the team managed to disable power conduits for the final door leading to the Vigilant Integration Chamber.
As they entered the Vigilant's chamber, the strike team witnessed the experimental security system's final initialization protocols commencing. Attempting to halt this process, the strike team sprang into action, destroying several data integration points around the cylindrical room while battling numerous groups of mutant Flesh Raiders summoned by the imprisoned security system. As the strike team destroyed the last point, the Vigilant completed its initialization protocol, charged itself to full power, and lunged to attack them. The team engaged and retreated whenever the massive being of metal and flesh spun to strike, repeating this pattern of attack. The tactic proved successful, and the team emerged victorious over the once ruthless beast.
The CZ-198 seizure is featured in daily single-player missions and two 4-player flashpoints in the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel, which was released as part of Game Update 2.3: Titans of Industry on June 8, 2013.
The flashpoints (Flashpoint: Czerka Labs and Flashpoint: Czerka Meltdown) are accessible to both factions in the game, meaning that the victory conditions are not considered canon, and the aftermath of the battle is limited to secondary observations. If an Imperial player completes the flashpoint, the Empire seizes the facility and assumes control of Czerka Corporation, gaining an industry that aligns with the Empire's ruthless ideals. If a Republic player completes the flashpoint, the Galactic Republic seizes the facility, assumes control of Czerka Corporation, and initiates the indictment of several of its former executives.