Attack on Sentinel Base

The title of this article is conjectural. Although this article is based oncanonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

Attack on Sentinel Base

In14 BBY,Berch Teller'srebel cell launched an attack against theGalactic Empire'sSentinel Base. Using communications equipment supplied byVice AdmiralDodd Rancit, the rebels sent a fake holotransmission claiming thatRampart Station was under attack.Tarkin detected that the message was a fraud and sent hisVenator-class Star Destroyer,Electrum on amicrojump to the edge of the system. Shortly after, a modifiedProvidence-class Dreadnought entered thesystem. Tarkin then deployed theVenator and ordered it to ambush the intruders. TheProvidence cruiser retreated tohyperspace shortly afterward.^[1]

Prelude[]

In17 BBY,^[3]MoffWilhuff Tarkin was assigned toSentinel Base to keep an eye overLieutenant CommanderOrson Callan Krennic and ensure further setbacks did not occur with abattle station project^[4] known in time as theDS-1 Orbital Battle Station.^[5] It was Tarkin's ambition to take control of the project, something also desired by Krennic. However, Krennic's standing in theGalactic Empire had been damaged by the escape of the key scientistGalen Walton Erso,^[4] As of14 BBY,^[2] the project involved several different locations includingGeonosis,Desolation Station, and Sentinel Base. Sentinel Base was an outpost used to relay supplies along a supply route that ended at Geonosis. Tarkin's appointment came at the expense ofVice AdmiralDodd Rancit, who was reassigned as Director of theNaval Intelligence Agency, a branch ofImperial Intelligence. Resenting Tarkin's position, Rancit conspired with the formerRepublic Intelligence officerBerch Teller, another enemy of Tarkin who hated the Moff for his role in theAntar Atrocity, which saw the mass murder of manyGotal andKoorivar civilians onAntar 4 includingloyalists. Teller became the leader of agroup of dissidents who opposed the Empire.^[1]

Using his position and connections, Rancit supplied the dissidents with proscribed armaments, communications equipment, and confiscated Separatist war materiel including aProvidence-class Dreadnought,Vulture droids, anddroid tri-fighters. Themodified Separatist warship was assembled by theTenloss Syndicate and members of theCrymorah Syndicate at shipyards in theBajic sector. Teller also had a network of helpers in the form of workers, salvagers, and scientists who supplied materials and intelligence to his cell.^[1]

The raid[]

While trying anImperial officer's uniform, Moff Tarkin received word of a priority dispatch fromRampart Station, claiming that the station was under attack. Posing asLieutenantThon, Teller's rebels had created a fake holotransmission to lure Sentinel Station's garrison away from the base. While examining the footage, Tarkin suspected that the transmission was a fake but kept the matter to himself. After checking the base's inventory, Tarkin ordered theVenator-class Star DestroyerElectrum to do a microjump to the Rimward edge of Sentinel Base's system. He orderedCaptainBurque to remain there until further orders.^[1]

Shortly later, Teller's warship exited hyperspace and disgorged severalSeparatist-model droid starfighters. The droid starighters led some of the Sentinel Base officers to suggest they may have been attacked by aSeparatist holdout. Tarkin orderedCommanderCassel to sound general quarters, boost power to the base'sdeflector shields, and to initiate counter-measures. Under Tarkin's orders, Sentinel Base's artillery bombarded the unidentified warship and its droid starfighters. Due to the strident defense, the intruders began to retreat. After theElectrum reverted to realspace, Tarkin instructed Captain Burque to deploy his starfighters to harry the enemy droid starfighters and to incapacitate the carrier.^[1]

Amidst the battle, Tarkin was contacted by Rampart Station's Commander Jae, who informed him that their base'sHoloNet relay had been down. Despite theElectrum's efforts, the enemy carrier managed to escape into hyperspace. The remaining droid starfighters were wiped out by ImperialTIE fighters. Tarkin instructed Commander Cassel to dispatch a forensic team to examine the enemy droid starfighters. While chatting with a specialist, Tarkin revealed that he knew that the holotransmission from Rampart Station was a counterfeit due to the interval noise in the replay. They deduced that someone had managed to introduce a false real-time feed into the local HoloNet relay.^[1]

Aftermath[]

Following the failed attack on Sentinel Base, Moff Tarkin attended a meeting of theRuling Council onCoruscant. He andDarth Vader weredispatched byEmperorPalpatine to investigate a communications cache onMurkhana. However, the communications cache was a ruse set up by Vice Admiral Rancit to enable Teller and his cell to steal Tarkin's personal starshipCarrion Spike, which was equipped with an advancedhyperdrive and prototype stealth technology. Teller planned to use theCarrion Spike to attack several Imperial facilities along thePerlemian Trade Route as part of hiscampaign against the Empire.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The attack on Sentinel Base serves as the exposition ofJames Luceno's2014 novelTarkin, the second in a line of newCanon adult novels published byDel Rey. The battle is told from the point of view of the titular character Tarkin.

Appearances[]

• Tarkin(andaudiobook)(First appearance)

Notes and references[]