Battle of Yuuzhan'tar

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Battle of Yuuzhan'tar

TheBattle of Yuuzhan'tar, also known as theRecapture of Coruscant or theSecond Battle of Coruscant,^[3][4] was the final battle of theYuuzhan Vong War, fought between the combined forces of theGalactic Alliance,New Jedi Order andChiss Ascendancy against theYuuzhan Vong and theirempire. After the arrival of the livingplanetZonama Sekot to theCoruscant system, and the retreat of the fleet underWarmasterNas Choka from thebattle atMon Calamari, the Galactic Alliance set route toCoruscant, or Yuuzhan'tar as the invaders had renamed it, to take it back and end the war.

The battle was long, with the biggest fleets both combatants could gather. The fighting had several fronts in space and on the surface ofterraformed Yuuzhan'tar, and at the end, the Galactic Alliance was victorious, helped by Yuuzhan Vong followers of theJeedai heresy, theShamed Ones andWorkers. It ended with the death ofSupreme OverlordShimrra and his secret puppeteerOnimi, and afterwards, the Yuuzhan Vong went toexile on Zonama Sekot so they could redefine their culture in peace.

Prelude[]

The arrival ofZonama Sekot caused mass panic and awe amongst theYuuzhan Vong. The prophetYu'shaa, in truthNom Anor, had been preaching to theShamed Ones that Zonama Sekot's arrival would signal the fall of the Elite's oppression of the Shamed Ones. The Shamed Ones, seeing their hour at hand, went into open revolt, dividing the forces of theWarrior caste. Zonama Sekot also dispersed theRainbow Bridge of asteroids, causing the planet'sDovin basals to focus on keeping asteroids from falling to the planet. Alreadyengaged atMon Calamari,WarmasterNas Choka ordered theYuuzhan Vong fleet to return toYuuzhan'tar, and recalled forces from many other planets in theYuuzhan Vong empire. However, someDomains refused to acknowledge the order, for fear they would have to attack Zonama Sekot. Regardless, Choka was able to amass a huge force, ready to attack the planetary intruder. When it was assembled,Shimrra Jamaane, theSupreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong, ordered them to hold position.^[1]

Shimrra was utterly terrified of Zonama Sekot. Hisascension to the throne had come about by overthrowingSupreme Overlord Quoreal, who had balked at invading over the presence of Zonama Sekot. However, he reasoned that since its technology was similar to Yuuzhan VongShaping protocols, it thus could fall to things designed to attack the Yuuzhan Vong. Shimrra thus ordered aSlayer ship infected with theAlpha Red virus to crash into Zonama Sekot.^[1]

But things just got worse for Shimrra. Sekot had furnished theJedi Knights withZonama Sekotan fighters, which were living vessels, just like the Yuuzhan Vong's ships. Saying that theGods had provided Sekot with the Vessels in punishment of allowing theJeedai heresy to continue, Shimrra ordered all Shamed Ones executed at once, placingNom Anor in charge of the killing squads. However, apparently believing he was going to lose, Shimrra commanded theWorld Brain to begin a series of fire and earthquakes that would ultimately render the planet uninhabitable. Anor, believing Shimrra psychotic, defected over to the Shamed Ones.^[1]

The battle[]

Meanwhile the rest of theGalactic Alliance Defense Fleet hurried to reach Yuuzhan'tar and opened fire with all their guns over thedovin basal screen that protected the planet. Many battle groups jumped tohyperspace from Mon Calamari,Eriadu,Hapes and other planets and focused their vessels on the planets near Yuuzhan'tar, such asMuscave andStentat. The Jedi arrived at Zonama Sekot, and there they met withMasterLuke Skywalker, who told them of the events that had happened since his team began their quest for the legendary world. Some Jedi were selected by Sekot to fly Zonama Sekotan Fighters, among themKyp Durron,Corran Horn, andAlema Rar; however,Jaina Solo wasn't chosen. She was to be part of a Jedi team that would get into the surface of the planet, with Luke,Mara Jade,Kenth Hamner,Jacen Solo andTahiri Veila. The reasoning behind this was that the psychological impact at seeing bothSolo twins together on Yuuzhan'tar would affect the superstitious Yuuzhan Vong. Meanwhile Han and Leia Solo and the Yuuzhan VongpriestHarrar would go to theWell of the World Brain to neutralize thedhuryam, for Shimrra could use him to destroy Yuuzhan'tar.^[1]

The Supreme Overlord was doing precisely that. He convinced the World Brain to cause great fires to cleanse the parts damaged by the groundquakes and magma streams to remove the fallen buildings. The World Brain had to obey Shimrra's orders, but he was conscious that he was causing a great deal of damage to the planet that he was bred to take care of. Warmaster Nas Choka could see the damage to Yuuzhan'tar from space, but he was convinced that Shimrra would take care of it, and his only worry was to stop the Alliance assault. Choka ordered the Alpha Red infected Slayer ship to be ingested by a larger warship, so it could safely arrive at Zonama Sekot and successfully poison the planet.^[1]

With large parts of theYuuzhan Vong fleet fighting Alliance forces in the system's other planets, Yuuzhan'tar was relatively unprotected, and its defensive screen of dovin basals were fully occupied stopping the asteroids from falling. Even so the fighting was fierce, and many ships were destroyed. Three transports carriedPage's Commandos and other ground forces, however one was destroyed in space and another crashed into the surface. Nevertheless the Alliance successfully put soldiers on the ground of Yuuzhan'tar, and severalstarfighters passed through the dovin basal screen to attack planetary objectives.^[1]

On the streets and squares of Yuuzhan'tar, the heretics and Shamed Ones rebelled against theElite. They were poorly armed, but there were so many that thewarriors sent to kill them were hard pressed. TheMillennium Falcon arrived to the surface and its crew reunited with the commanders of the ground forces, and several commandos went to help the heretics and Shamed Ones. Luke asked Mara to go with them, and she grudgingly accepted, taking Tahiri and Kenth with her. The Yuuzhan Vong rebels were being overwhelmed; however the Alliance reinforcements came to support them. When they saw the Jedi the heretics' morale soared, and they fiercely attacked the warriors, who were now trapped between two forces. Tahiri caught sight of Nom Anor, and Mara went after him. Anor tried to kill her, but Mara defeated and apprehended him.^[1]

Han, Leia, theirNoghri bodyguards, Harrar, and thedroidsR2-D2 andC-3PO went aboard theMillennium Falcon to the Well of the World Brain. The only entrance was a maze of thorns hard asdurasteel with a potent neurotoxin, but with Han Solo's piloting abilities theFalcon made it to the atrium. ThereHigh PriestJakan,High PrefectDrathul andMaster ShaperQelah Kwaad were about to sacrifice several captives, and their warriors captured the Solos and Harrar to sacrifice them too. A small group of heretics arrived, however they were only two dozen badly-armed rebels against fifty able warriors. Among the heretics were Mara, Tahiri, and Kenth, guided by Nom Anor. Before both groups could engage each other, fifty more warriors arrived and the heretics and Solos lost all hope. Fortunately, the new arrivals joined the heretics and together they defeated the forces of the Elite. Nom Anor killed Drathul, and Harrar overpowered Jakan and captured Kwaad.^[1]

On Zonama Sekot the Jedi flew their fighters to protect the planet, but the living ships took some time for the pilots to get used to, and vice versa. Sekot's defenses efficiently repelled the enemyyorik-ets, but the number of adversaries continued to grow. In space the fighting was still intense, and with each minute thousands of Yuuzhan Vong warriors and Galactic Alliance soldiers were killed. Nas Choka was satisfied; it was only a matter of time until the ship infected with Alpha Red reached the planet so the war could end.^[1]

Meanwhile, Luke, Jacen, Jaina and Page's Commandos were reachingShimrra's Citadel. The Jedi jumped withForce assistance, and the commandos followed them the best they could with theirjetpacks. Even so, on one point the road was blocked byTu-Scart andSgauru, the huge battle beasts that destroyed refugee settlements onDuro three years before,^[5] and the attacks byChazrachslave troops andrakamats was constant. Jacen communicated with the World Brain so he could convince the war beasts to stop their attacks. Jacen and the World Brain had a special bond, since it had been the young Jedi who chose which dhuryam would become the one who would shape Yuuzhan'tar,^[6] so he was the only one who could convince the World Brain to disobey Shimrra. The World Brain was angered with Jacen because of the heretics arrival at the Well, as he thought they were going to kill him. Nevertheless Jacen convinced him to side with the Galactic Alliance to put an end to the war, and his destructive actions ceased. The World Brain ordered Tu-Scart and Sgauru to help Jacen, so the Jedi could enter the Citadel. The Chazrach were angered by the apparent betrayal of the war beasts, and attacked them. Therakamats felt betrayed in turn because the Chazrach were attacking Tu-Scart and Sgauru and attacked them, and soon the area around the Citadel was under Alliance control.^[1]

On Zonama Sekot the Jedi fighters abruptly descended to the surface, leaving the Jedi perplexed. No one could explain what just happened, but with theSmugglers' Alliance having told them about the vessel infected with Alpha Red, everybody feared the worst: that the infected ship had reached the planet. Corran Horn believed that Sekot was trying to contain the Alpha Red to prevent its spread, but in any case, for the moment the Jedi on Zonama Sekot were out of the battle.^[1]

Shimrra was informed that the Jedi had arrived at the Citadel, and ordered hisSlayers to let them enter, so he could witness their deaths. The three Jedi went though the seldom used paths and found few warriors, although when they reached Shimrra the Supreme Overlord was protected by fifteen Slayers. These modified warriors were so powerful that even Kyp Durron wasn't able to defeat one of them onCaluula, but the three Jedi proved that the Force was with them that day and were able to defeat several. They were helped by the fact that the Citadel would spontaneously tremble, causing the slayers to lose balance and giving the Jedi the advantage. During the fighting, Jaina noticed that behind Shimrra wasOnimi, and following her instincts, went after him. Luke and Jacen didn't understand Jaina's departure, and the Slayers still outnumbered them. Wounded, the Jedi kept on fighting, and Luke became a maelstrom of the Force, keeping their enemies at bay. Jaina was ambushed by Onimi, who poisoned her with his enormous fang. Jaina was shocked, however, for before Onimi knocked her down she felt him through the Force.^[1]

Meanwhile Galactic Alliance reinforcements arrived to Coruscant system, includingAdmiralTraest Kre'fey's forces. The space battle was going badly for the Galactic Alliance, although the Yuuzhan Vong also suffered heavy losses. Since the beginning of the battle, the fleets of theGeneralsWedge Antilles andKeyan Farlander had been constantly attacked, though Alliance reinforcements kept coming up to keep the field even. However, Warmaster Choka still was confident that the Gods weren't going to abandon the Yuuzhan Vong with victory so close at hand.^[1]

Inside the Citadel, Shimrra moved to attack Luke Skywalker. TheSupreme Overlord was huge and powerful, the greatest warrior of the Yuuzhan Vong. He wielded a specialamphistaff, theScepter of Power, bigger and more powerful than the common ones, which he used to poison Luke. With the Scepter asphyxiating the Jedi Master, to the amazement of Luke and Jacen, Shimrra produced from his ceremonial robesAnakin Solo'slightsaber, with the intent of killing his hated foe with his kinsman's weapon. Nevertheless, Luke cut the Scepter of Power with his own lightsaber and, using the Force to pull Anakin's, used both sabers to behead the astonished Shimrra. Jacen wanted to help his uncle, visibly affected by the powerful poison, but was instead instructed to go after Jaina.^[1]

Han, Leia, Mara, Tahiri and Kenth were guided by Nom Anor to Shimrra's throne, where they found the wounded Jedi Master and the dead Supreme Overlord. This last sight shocked theexecutor, for never before had the Yuuzhan Vong been without a Supreme Overlord. While Mara and Tahiri took Luke, Han, Leia and Anor went after the Solo twins and Onimi, however that moment the Citadel rose to space, at Onimi's command. Without knowing about Shimrra's death, Nas Choka thought that the Citadel's arrival was his Supreme Overlord's personal support, which renewed his warrior's spirit. Meanwhile, Sekot toldDanni Quee that its only interest was to welcome home the Yuuzhan Vong, stunning everyone present, Jedi andFerroan alike.^[1]

Onimi had tied Jaina's hands, and calling her "Yun-Harla," told her his story; when he implantedyammosk neural tissue in his brain and gained the power to control others, even Shimrra – which made him the real power behind the throne. Nevertheless his experiments made him aShamed One, something he blamed on Jaina-Yun-Harla and the other Gods, who he hated. As the true Supreme Overlord, Onimi had the intention to kill Zonama Sekot, which he believed would grant him the powers of a god, and kill every living being in the galaxy as well. Jacen arrived to confront Onimi, who had the ability to create toxins and poisons manipulating his body's chemicals, but Jacen entered a state ofoneness with the Force and, shining with the full power of the Force, neutralized all the venoms that Onimi threw him. Such was Jacen's power that he reverted Onimi's deformities, thus reverting the latter's use of the Force, and his foe died victim of his own unchecked poisons within his body, dissolving him completely. Han, Leia and Anor arrived just in time to see Jacen's victory.^[1]

With the death of the true Supreme Overlord, the ship they were in started to die, and Nom Anor guided the Solo family to a waste disposal system, making them believe that they were going to anescape pod. However, Jacen discovered his deceit and stood in front of Anor'splaeryin bol poison, directed at his father and sister. Leia cut the treacherous executor's hand with her lightsaber, stopping him from releasing a gas that would render them unconscious to die with the Citadel. Jacen and Han offered Nom Anor another opportunity to go with them, but he refused saying that he wanted no part in whatever was going to happen next, and he chose to die with Onimi. The Solos used the escape pod, which was picked up by Mara Jade, piloting theFalcon. Inside the ship Jacen, atVergere's suggestion, used Mara's tears and his own to make an antidote to Shimrra's Scepter poison, saving Luke. Meanwhile Zonama Sekot released small insectile craft that took the Slayer ship to deep space, saving the planet from destruction.^[1]

The aftermath[]

Witnessing the destruction of Shimrra's Citadel,Nas Choka knew that the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong was dead, and therefore thegods had abandoned them. Horrified, the Warmaster communicated with hisSupreme Commanders and told them that, as the gods had abandoned the Yuuzhan Vong, anyone who wished to fight until death or commitsuicide was allowed to do so, and he himself would surrender to the Galactic Alliance. Most of his command staff chose death, and barely after Nas Choka's transmission ended many opened themselves withcoufees, and hundreds (or thousands) ofcoralskippers andpickets became living missiles, hurling themselves towards Alliance vessels.^[1]

The Liberation of Coruscant was a success and the planet was once again renamed Coruscant. Many Yuuzhan Vong survivors surrendered, shocked by what just happened, although others said they would keep fighting to the death. Warmaster Choka formally surrendered to the Alliance, and grudgingly accepted the Yuuzhan Vong's exile to Zonama Sekot, revealed as the heir of their long lost home,Yuuzhan'tar. TheSekot Accords were the peace treaty that, at last, ended the war. However, Coruscant had been stronglyVongformed, and though there still was a substantial quantity of working technology underneath the foliage, many years would pass until it became habitable again. Many Yuuzhan Vong refused Nas Choka's call to surrender, and kept fighting for at least several more months.^[1]

While the war had been won, the casualties were incalculable on the side of the Galactic Alliance. In the final battle alone, five million were killed, and ten million were wounded; it was said that the death toll of four years of war was 365 trillion. There were dozens of devastated planets – Vongformed likeTynna,^[7] ravaged likeIthor,^[8] or outright destroyed likeSernpidal^[9]. Manyspecies went extinct, and there were still millions of homeless refugees. Additionally, remnants of Yuuzhan Vong activity, such asdovin basal mines, were still all over the galaxy. Nevertheless, the galaxy had united like never before, and the main factions and governments worked together towards a common goal. The Alliance had plenty of work ahead, but there was the will to do it.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The planning team of theStar Wars: The New Jedi Order book series, includingJames Luceno, debated whether to wipe out the Yuuzhan Vong species at the conclusion of series. They ultimately choose toexile the Vong, feeling that a merciful option would be more interesting, less stereotypical, and more in keeping with the spirit of the saga and the series.^[10]

Appearances[]

• The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force(First appearance)
• The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force abridged audiobook
• Dark Nest I: The Joiner King(Mentioned only)(First identified as Battle of Yuuzhan'tar)
• Dark Nest I: The Joiner King abridged audiobook(Mentioned only)
• Legacy of the Force: Tempest(Mentioned only)
• Legacy of the Force: Tempest abridged audiobook(Mentioned only)
• Legacy of the Force: Inferno(Indirect mention only)
• Legacy of the Force: Inferno abridged audiobook(Indirect mention only)
• Legacy of the Force: Fury(Mentioned only)
• Legacy of the Force: Fury abridged audiobook(Mentioned only)
• X-Wing: Mercy Kill(andaudiobook)(Mentioned only)

Sources[]

• "Bookshelf" —Star Wars Insider 72
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 140YUU 11-12: Yuuzhan Vong Incursions
• The New Essential Chronology(First identified as Recapture of Coruscant)
• Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia(First identified as Second Battle of Coruscant)
• The Essential Atlas
• Galaxy of Intrigue
• The Essential Guide to Warfare

Notes and references[]