During the Cold War era, an unsanctioned confrontation erupted in the OR-Kappa-2722 system. This event was triggered by New Republic pilot Poe Dameron's covert operation to locate the captured freighter named Yissira Zyde. This clandestine mission led to a pivotal meeting between Poe and Resistance leader General Leia Organa, resulting in Leia's invitation for Poe and his Rapier Squadron to join the ranks of the Resistance.
Following the Battle of Jakku, the Galactic Concordance was signed by the New Republic and what remained of the Galactic Empire, officially bringing the Galactic Civil War to a close. This agreement placed limitations on the Imperial remnants, restricting their ability to engage in warfare and procure cutting-edge military technology and starships. Eventually, these remnants reorganized themselves as the First Order within the uncharted Unknown Regions. Later, they resurfaced as the governing power for several star systems previously affiliated with the pro-Imperial Centrists, who had seceded from the New Republic to align with the Empire's successor. Sometime after the Battle of Endor, the First Order began testing the Republic's strength through isolated incursions into its territory. During one such incident, the First Order seized the freighter Yissira Zyde and engaged Rapier Squadron, flying T-85 X-wings, in combat. During the aerial battle, pilot Muran met his death when the hijacked freighter jumped to hyperspace, destroying his starfighter.
Poe Dameron, the commander of Rapier Squadron, urged for an investigation into the freighter's cargo and its flight path. However, his superior, Major Lonno Deso, dismissed his concerns, emphasizing that Republic Command considered these skirmishes isolated incidents and did not perceive the First Order as a significant threat to the New Republic. Defying Major Deso's orders, Poe discussed his plan to track down the Yissira Zyde with his fellow pilots Karé Kun and Iolo Arana. To protect his colleagues, Poe emphasized that he would be acting alone. With the assistance of his astromech droid BB-8, Poe discovered that the freighter was transporting 46 high-capacity charging arrays, which could be adapted for military applications.
After Poe's fellow pilots had their astromech droids upload all telemetry data from the Suraz engagement into BB-8, Poe embarked alone on his T-85 X-wing into hyperspace. Utilizing the compiled data, Poe opted to randomly visit one of the five potential destinations of the Yissira Zyde. By chance, BB-8 selected the remote OR-Kappa-2722 system. Upon exiting hyperspace, Poe's starfighter encountered a fleet of First Order warships, including three Star Destroyers, four frigates, two Maxima-A-class heavy cruisers, and one Dissident-class light cruiser. Before BB-8 could pinpoint the location of the Yissira Zyde, they were ambushed by twelve TIE/fo space superiority fighters.
While BB-8 tracked the freighter's location, Poe skillfully maneuvered his starfighter to lead the TIEs on a chaotic chase. Employing various starfighter tactics, Poe successfully evaded his First Order pursuers. Two of the TIEs were struck by friendly fire, causing them to spin out of control. Approximately four TIE fighters collided with each other, resulting in explosions, with Poe narrowly escaping destruction. While circling the First Order fleet, BB-8 managed to trace the Yissira Zyde's transponder signal to the second of the three Star Destroyers. Having accomplished their objective, Poe executed a L'ulo Stand maneuver before jumping into hyperspace.
Despite uncovering the contents of the Yissira Zyde's cargo and locating the freighter, Poe Dameron's actions resulted in repercussions from the New Republic authorities on Mirrin Prime. Upon his return, Mirrin Control directed him to land at Landing Bay 22. There, he was apprehended by Major Caluan Ematt and two shore police, who escorted him to a private meeting with General Leia Organa, the leader of the Resistance. The Resistance was a splinter faction of the New Republic Defense Force that monitored First Order activities and believed the Republic was underestimating the threat posed by the Imperial loyalists.
After hearing about Poe's actions and the Yissira Zyde, Leia extended an invitation for Poe to join the Resistance. She acknowledged that his unsanctioned mission violated Republic military protocol and constituted the theft of a Republic X-wing. While she had the authority to overlook Poe's unauthorized trip to OR-Kappa-2722, she admitted that he would have to operate within a military structure hesitant to confront the First Order. Recognizing Poe's idealism and fervent desire to combat the First Order, Leia advised Poe to resign from the Republic Starfleet and join the Resistance. Poe accepted Leia's offer and was joined by his comrades Kare and Iolo.
The Skirmish in OR-Kappa-2722 made its debut in Greg Rucka's Before the Awakening, a three-part junior novel. It served as a pivotal conflict that contributed to the development of Poe Dameron's character and provided context for his role in the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. It also delved into the complex relationship between the First Order, the New Republic, and the Resistance. In official artwork, Poe's T-85 X-wing is mistakenly depicted as his T-70 X-Wing Black One from the films. This error stems from the fact that the canonical design of the T-85 was not finalized or showcased in fiction until the 2018 animated series Star Wars Resistance. This same error can be observed in artistic representations of the Suraz engagement.