Battle of Anaxes

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Battle of Anaxes

TheBattle of Anaxes—also known as thebattle for Anaxes, thebattle on Anaxes, and thedefense of Anaxes—was a prolonged engagement that was fought on theplanetAnaxes for severalmonths during theOuter Rim Sieges in19 BBY, the finalyear of theClone Wars. Instrumental to theGalactic Republic's war efforts, the HarchSeparatist AllianceAdmiralTrench launched an assault on Anaxes, which served as one of the Republic's strongholds and the location of a crucialshipyard for the Republic during the war. However, following Trench's secured early key victories against the Republic,Jedi GeneralsMace Windu,Obi-Wan Kenobi andAnakin Skywalker were dispatched to intervene in the engagements.

With the Republic's loss of the planet in reach alongside the Confederacy's capture of the Anaxes shipyards,Clone CaptainRex suspected Trench's utilization of a Republicstrategy algorithm. As a result, he believed the confederate government had managed to obtain the algorithm through theAdvanced Recon CommandoEcho, who was thought to have beenkilled earlier in the war. After learning of Echo's survival andcustody by theTechno Union, the Republic dispatched the eliteclone commandosquad,Clone Force 99, also known as the "Bad Batch", alongside Rex and Skywalker to the planetSkako Minor in order to retrieve the captiveclone trooper from theTechno Union.

After Echo's retrieval, the Republic prepared its final assaults against Trench'sbattle droid forces as the Harch remained unaware of the Techno Union's loss of theclonetrooper. While Windu and Kenobi directed an assault on the shipyards, Echo was escorted to Trench'sflagship, theProvidence-class DreadnoughtInvulnerable, by Clone Force 99, Rex and Skywalker in order for the clone trooper to provide the Separatist admiral with a counterattack to the Republic's assaults. As Echo informed Trench to divert all battledroids engaged on the surface to the shipyards, the clone trooper activated an energy pulse which resulted in the deactivation of Trench's droids. However, as a backup strategy, the Harch activated abomb hidden within the facility in an attempt to destroy most of Anaxes, but was prevented following Skywalker's acquisition of the deactivation sequence and Trench's death alongside the destruction of the Separatistfleet, claiming victory for the Republic.

Prelude[]

During theClone Wars fought between theGalactic Republic andConfederacy of Independent Systems, theplanetAnaxes served as one the Republic's strongholds in their efforts against the Separatist Alliance,^[13] as well as the location of a crucialshipyard to theRepublic Navy,^[3] one of the war effort's largest shipyards.^[14] Anaxes was also the site of the reveredRepublic Navy War College, which had been heavily protected during the war.^[13]

Prior to theBattle of Lola Sayu,Clone CaptainRex of the501st Legion, along withARC trooperEcho, developed battle plans for theRepublic Military.^[3] Along with fellow ARC trooperFives, Echo also knew of analgorithm Rex had created to improve Republic strategies.^[8] With Echo's apparentdeath during the action onLola Sayu^[15] and Fives' later death onCoruscant,^[16] Rex was seemingly the only one alive who knew about the algorithm.^[8]

Unbeknownst to the Republic, however, Echo had not actually died at theCitadel, but had barely survived the explosion of theSheathipede-class Type B shuttle he had been attempting to reclaim, and was recovered by the Separatists.^[4][15] Albeit grievously injured, he eventually wound up in the hands of theTechno Union, who turned him into acyborg so they could extract information from hisbrain, including the strategy algorithm. He was kept in a facility on the planetSkako Minor, the headquarters of the Techno Union.^[4]

Following the Republic'sassault on Cato Neimoidia,^[1]GeneralGrievous attempted to seize control of the Anaxes shipyards, resulting in a bloody battle^[17] when Admiral Trench attacked. Confederate forces under the command of Trench laid siege to the Republic shipyards and clone forces on Anaxes, starting^[3] one of the most important battles of the final phase of the war.^[14]

The battle[]

Losing ground[]

WithJedi GeneralMace Windu leading Republictroops on the ground, whileJedi GeneralAnakin Skywalker led the Republic's counterattacks in the skies,^[3] the Battle of Anaxes^[18] took place over many different battlefields all over the planet. During the early stages of the battle the Republic seemed to be in control of the battle, containing thedroid armies on the ground and in the air, but after weeks of perilous fighting the Republic's grip on the planet started to slip away.AdmiralTrench, commander of the Separatist forces at Anaxes, had access to the stolen algorithm being extracted from Echo, which was being broadcast from Skako Minor to aCyber Center on Anaxes, and was using it to counter the Republic's strategies.^[3]

As the Republic fleet (made up of Venators, Arquitens and C70 chargers) defended the shipyards from Trench's fleet (a combination of Munificents, Recusant-class destroyers and DH omnis, and Providence class dreadnaught) and the Separatist frigates and dreadnaughts quickly gained the upper hand and inflicted devastating damage to the Republic defenses, destroying twoVenators and oneArquitens, though the Republic was able to heavily damage a Separatist dreadnaught. Clone starfighter squadrons also suffered heavy losses in dogfights against Confederate droid fighters. Eventually, despite the Republic defenses, the droids were able to overrun and seize the main production facility, which jeopardized the Republic's reserve fleet.^[3]

Windu and Skywalker were concerned about the losses. Captain Rex believed that the droids had learned his strategic "playbook", and he shared this theory with Skywalker and Windu. However, he did not tell them that because the strategies used by the Separatists were plans he had created with Echo, there was a chance Echo was still alive, as he felt that the Jedi would think it was a crazy idea.Clone CommanderCody of the212th Attack Battalion suggested that they take a small squad behind enemy lines to infiltrate the Cyber Center, a plan which was approved by Windu.^[3]

Cody decided to call inClone Force 99, a squad of clones with unique but combat-useful mutations informally known as the "Bad Batch", and with whom he had worked before, to participate in the mission due to their high success rate. The squad was dealing with aninsurrection onYalbec Prime when they received theCommander's transmission, resulting in them arriving atFort Anaxes late. Rex told Cody about his theory that Echo was still alive prior to their departure, although Cody was skeptical. Along with ARC trooperJesse andmedicKix, Cody and Rex met the Bad Batch as they arrived in theirgunship theMarauder. After greeting Bad Batch leaderClone SergeantHunter, Cody and the rest of the strike team departed on anLAAT gunship.^[3]

The Cyber Center[]

En route to the Cyber Center, Cody briefed the team on the infiltration plan. However, the gunship was spotted by patrolling battle droids, subsequently being shot down as it flew through acanyon. The pilot was killed in the crash, and although the other passengers were uninjured, Cody was pinned under the gunship. Bad Batch memberWrecker used his extreme strength to push the wreckage off of the Commander, who Kix determined to have sustained internal injuries. The canyon was shortly attacked by Separatist reinforcements, speculated to have been drawn to the area in part by the explosion caused when Wrecker had pushed the gunship off of Cody. Hunter gathered his squad together and they executed "Plan 82" against the attacking droids, using the damaged door of the gunship,emp grenades (droid poppers), and their blasters to swiftly rout the force. Rex ordered the strike team to move out as more reinforcements would likely be sent. After the clones were gone, a force ofBX-series droid commandos with aC-9979 landing craft inspected the site and called in atactical droid to report to Trench that the droids had been defeated by clones using unusual tactics. Trench ordered his droid forces to locate the clones.^[3]

The clones continued onward on foot, guided by Hunter's enhanced senses. At a rest stop, Rex announced that he was taking command since Cody was clearly too injured to continue, as he had already called in an evac for Cody and decided Kix would remain with him. This led to a disagreement between Jesse and Kix, who defended their captain, and Wrecker andCrosshair, who didn't respect most regular clones and disliked the idea, as Rex andTech attempted to break up the fight and force Wrecker to release Jesse. Hunter ordered Wrecker and Crosshair to stop fighting the other clones and agreed to follow Rex's lead. The remaining strike team continued onwards.^[3]

Encountering theAnaxes Separatist Security Outpost near the Cyber Center, Rex decided to take it using the Bad Batch's prior performance as his attack strategy. The clones swiftly overwhelmed the droids on guard, but when Tech accessed the computers to find out the Cyber Center's defenses, he discovered that aplatoon of reinforcements were on their way there. Rex decided to abandon the outpost, with Hunter, Tech and Wrecker using stolenspeeder bikes to flank the droids and enter the Cyber Center's back door while Rex, Jesse and Crosshair distracted the guards at the front. While the distraction was going on, the three Bad Batchers neutralized the droids in the Cyber Center, with Tech staying to access the computers while Hunter and Wrecker went to open the front door.^[3]

As Hunter, Wrecker and Jesse held off attacking droids at the front entrance, Rex joined Tech in the control room and gave him the algorithm so he knew what he was searching for. However, both clones were surprised when Tech discovered that the algorithm was not stored in the Cyber Center's memory banks, but was instead being broadcast from Skako Minor. Digging deeper, Tech discovered a transmission that sounded like a human voice. Shocked, Rex asked him to transmit a request for the voice's identity. The response they received, with the vocal masking falling away to make it clear it was the voice of a clone trooper, was "CT-1409": Echo's identification number. As the Separatist reinforcements arrived, Hunter, Wrecker and Jesse fell back, with Hunter ordering Crosshair to secure some transportation. Hunter had to shout at Rex a few times to get him to leave, due to his deep shock that Echo was still alive. The clones retreated from the Cyber Center in a stolenspeeder.^[3]

When Trench's tactical droid investigated the site afterwards, it reported to the Admiral that the clones had abandoned the facility without stealing any data. Trench was not pleased, however, to discover that the strike team had apparently made a transmission to Skako Minor.^[3] The Admiral contacted Techno Union foremanWat Tambor on Skako Minor to warn him that a Republic strike team was likely to violatecorporate neutrality and attempt to retrieve the source of their algorithm.^[4]

Rescuing Echo[]

Main article:Mission to Skako Minor (Clone Wars)

After informing the Jedi and the general staff about Echo's situation, Rex, Hunter and Skywalker waited for word as to whether arescue mission would be given the go-ahead. Eventually,Obi-Wan Kenobi came to inform Skywalker that theJedi High Council hadnot given permission for the rescue, but Skywalker resolved to go on the mission anyway, to Kenobi's resignation. Departing on theMarauder, Skywalker, Rex and the Bad Batch landed on Skako Minor and got into a confrontation with the nativePoletecs, who did not want more war on their world. The strike team managed to negotiate a truce, stating that they were simply there to rescue one of their own, and thechief loaned them some scouts to lead them toPurkoll, the city where Echo was being held.^[4]

Infiltrating the building Tech had traced Echo's signal to, the strike team was confronted byD1-series aerial battle droids when they located the door leading to where Echo was being held. Tambor appeared on a viewscreen and taunted the clones before ordering the droids to execute them, but they fought them off with Skywalker's assistance. As Skywalker, Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair held off more approaching droids, Rex and Tech entered the room where Echo's signal was coming from and released him from astasis chamber.^[4]

After unplugging Echo from the Techno Union's computers, the team escaped Purkoll by riding some of the planet's nativekeeradaks. When Tambor sentdroid forces after them and attacked thePoletec village thereptiles had brought them to, Rex managed to persuade the Poletecs to help them, and the groups joined forces to repel the attack before the Republic forces departed to return to Anaxes. Informed of the droids' failure to recapture Echo, Tambor decided to hold off on informing the Separatist military as the loss of the clone constituted a blow to the Techno Union's profits, and the greedy foreman wished to find some way of recouping the losses first.^[19]

Taking back Anaxes[]

Upon the team's return to Anaxes, Echo was outfitted with new cybernetics and armor, but kept the socket arm with itsscomp link. Although the Separatists unknowingly no longer had their biggest advantage against the Republic forces, they were still winning in most of the over one dozen fronts active around the planet. Despite concerns over his fitness, Echo came to the Jedi Generals and Rex with a plan to use his cybernetics and the fact that Trench was unaware of his rescue against the Separatists. His plan was to, with the Bad Batch's help, infiltrate Trench's flagship and feed him false strategies, while Windu and Kenobi led a large attack on theassembly complex. This time, as the Republic would know all of the moves Trench was going to make, victory would be assured.^[7]

As the team prepared to depart, Hunter and Tech were both skeptical of Echo's loyalty, noting how long he had been used by the Separatists, although Rex had no such concerns. The strike team departed on theMarauder while the main attack force was preparing to move out. As the Bad Batch's gunship approached Trench's fleet, Echo plugged in and sent the flagship a signal masking it as Separatist shuttle TC-159. Two battle droids on the bridge detected the approaching ship, but were fooled by the signal masking. TheMarauder docked with an airlock on the underside of the ship. The team entered the com-vault undetected, and Echo asked Tech to rig up an interface for him.^[7]

On Anaxes, Windu and Kenobi's attack force approached the main assembly plant, with the Jedi Generals riding in gunships with their assault force. As Separatist fire began to bear down on the gunships, Windu gaveGold Leader and hissquadron ofY-wing starfighters the go-ahead to launch.Gold Squadron subsequently bombed the droid forces atop the assembly plant. When their gunships arrived above the assembly plant, Windu and Kenobi jumped out, smashed through a large skylight, and landed on the assembly floor. Confronted by large numbers of battle droids, Windu offered them a chance to surrender and be reprogrammed, which the Separatist forces did not take. The 212th and187th Battalion in the gunships followed the two Jedi Generals down viajetpacks andascension cables.^[7]

Trench, informed of a massive Republic assault on the shipyards, ordered hissuper tactical droid to send a request for the algorithm to Skako Minor. Echo, plugging into the com-vault's computers, detected the request and remarked he was just in time, but Tech prevented him from immediately responding as they had to make his transmission look like it was coming from Skako first, as otherwise Trench would realize the team was onboard his ship. Echo, posing as the algorithm, gave Trench the strategy to sendall droids on Anaxes to the shipyards, as the Republic would place all their faith in the Jedi and not send reinforcements. He explained to Rex, Hunter and Skywalker that this was so he could shut down all of the droids with a feedback pulse in one go. Despite Hunter and Tech's skepticism, Rex insisted that they had to trust Echo.^[7]

Windu and Kenobi, informed of the plan, were apprehensive due to how much they and their men would be outnumbered, but continued fighting. After the first wave of droids, Kenobi commented that things weren't as bad as he had anticipated, just as the Separatist reinforcements arrived, whereupon the Jedi Master quipped to Windu that the numbers of droids exceeded his expectations. At that moment, Echo sent the feedback pulse, which worked as planned and took down all of the Separatist ground forces on Anaxes. Trench, watching from the bridge of his flagship, was shocked and demanded an explanation, as the algorithm had never been wrong before. His super tactical droid reported that they were working on tracing the source of the feedback pulse. Informed that it had originated on his ship, Trench ordered security droids sent to deal with the Republic infiltration, and turned to his backup plan: "Total annihilation."^[7]

The bomb[]

In the com-vault, Echo was about to unplug so the team could leave when he detected the command sent from the bridge activating a countdown. Trench, not wanting to rely solely on algorithms, had hidden a bomb powerful enough to destroy most of Anaxes near thefusion reactor of the assembly plant, and had ordered it activated. The Admiral's super tactical droid also intended to send a pulse back to whoever had shut down the droids, but despite the danger, Echo refused to unplug, working to decrypt the bomb's deactivation code as fast as he could. Skywalker, concerned that Echo wouldn't be able to get the deactivation code, headed for the bridge of the cruiser to try and get it out of Trench personally. Informed of the bomb, Windu and Kenobi ordered their men to evacuate the assembly complex. Windu headed down to the fusion reactor to locate the bomb, as one person was needed on the ground to help disarm it.^[7]

However, Skywalker, having singlehandedly stormed the bridge, contacted Windu, having intimidated Trench into giving over the code. After the bomb was disarmed, Trench tried to kill Skywalker, but the Jedi Knight fatally stabbed the admiral and took a detonator. Once he and the clones were fleeing aboard theMarauder, Skywalker gave the detonator to Wrecker as a gift, allowing the clone commando to annihilate the entire Separatist fleet.^[7]

Aftermath[]

As thanks for his actions, Echo was promoted to the rank ofClone Corporal. Additionally, he was dubbed the "Hero of Anaxes."^[20] The Republic victory ensured their shipyards could get back to work.^[7] It also meant that the Separatists could no longer take advantage of Echo's knowledge involving Republic battle plans, most specifically being Anakin's tactics

For their role in making the Battle of Anaxes a Republic victory, the Republic preparedmedals for Rex, Echo, and the Bad Batch, but the commando unit instead planned to leave before the ceremony. Now that the squad trusted him and, given that he was now a cyborg, feeling at home with his fellow irregular clones, Echo wanted to leave with them. Though he had only just gotten his friend back, Rex let Echo go. Before departing, Echo and his new squad-mates saluted the Clone Captain.^[7]

The battle was one of many victories for the Bad Batch and led to them having a stronger force during later events.^[12]

Despite the droid army's defeat on Anaxes, this battle proved that even the Core Worlds were vulnerable to Separatist attack. This would prove true weeks later when General Grievous exploited this vulnerability and led amassive assault on the Republic capital ofCoruscant to kidnapSupreme ChancellorPalpatine.^[21]

Additionally, the death of Admiral Trench and the substantial loss of battle droids and Confederate warships at Anaxes served as a devastating blow to the Separatist war effort in the final weeks of the war. With Trench's death and the serious depletion of the SeparatistDroid Army andNavy from Anaxes and the rest of the Outer Rim Sieges, General Grievous deployed the remaining forces of the droid army in a desperate counteroffensive on numerous Outer Rim Worlds in a final effort to halt the Republic advance following the Battle of Coruscant.^[12] The Separatist Droid Army ultimately collapsed weeks later following Grievous' owndeath and theexecution of theSeparatist Council, bringing the Clone War to an end.^[21]

Behind the scenes[]

The Battle of Anaxes first appeared in "The Bad Batch," an episode ofStar Wars: The Clone Wars that was initially released as an unfinished story reel in2015 before a completed version premiered onDisney+ in2020.^[3]

Before the planet of Anaxes was moved to be in the Outer Rim^[22] by theLucasfilm Story Group,^[23] "The First Order" issue ofStar Wats Encyclopedia tied the Battle of Anaxes to the history of the planetAlsakan. According to the magazine, although it was never attacked by the Confederacy during the battle, as the Separatists had preferred to focus their assault on Anaxes, the nearby Alsakan was scared by the battle because of their proximity to it.^[14] After the Republic reformed into theGalactic Empire,^[21] the magazine said the battle ensured Alsakan became one of the Empire's greatest supporters.^[14]

Appearances[]

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Bad Batch"(First appearance)
• The Clone Wars: Season 7: Volume 1
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "A Distant Echo"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Unfinished Business"
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "Aftermath"(In flashback(s))

Sources[]

Notes and references[]