Attack on Soren

The Attack on Soren was a space battle between elements of the Galactic Empire's Task Force Vengeance and the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The Imperial forces' mission was to uncover valuable information at a Rebel starship component facility before destroying it.

Background

A group of Rebel starfighters had attacked the interdictor Compellor while it was in the Goff system, signaling to the Empire that the Alliance High Command had recognized that Task Force Vengeance depended on using its gravity well projectors tactically. After their force was routed, the surviving Rebel pilots were captured and interrogated. A number of them divulged valuable information, hoping to avoid termination.

The intelligence gained from the pilots had led Admiral Wooyou Senn, commander of Task Force Vengeance, to believe that a Rebel shipyard would be found in the Mobetta system. Instead he found the less important component factory Soren. As the target was a stationary one, the Compellor was excluded from the mission. The interdictor was instead sent to the repair yard at Swellen to have an anti-warhead missile defense system installed.

The Battle

Upon entering the Mobetta system, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Rage launched the TIE/IN interceptors of its elite Avenger Squadron to destroy Gavial Squadron, a force of Rebel T-65 X-wing starfighters. While the Avengers engaged the X-wings, the Rebel YT-1300 freighter Goldhawk made a run for the Soren and succeeded in getting into the hangar bay.

After the static defenses and Rebel starfighter opposition surrounding the Soren had been eliminated, Beta Squadron's TIE/sa bombers launched a volley of proton torpedoes at the factory, draining its shields. The Rage proceeded to deploy stormtrooper transports.

But the fight was not yet over. The Goldhawk, along with two Lambda-class T-4a shuttles, attempted to make a run for the Calamari Cruiser Crucible which had arrived to rescue the panicking factory personnel. However, the YT-1300 made the crucial mistake of attempting to destroy the Imperial stormtrooper transports from Sigma Squadron, only to be destroyed by Avenger Squadron. After the Imperial TIEs destroyed both shuttles as well, the Crucible elected to withdraw. It launched Y-wings and Z-95 Headhunters to cover its retreat. The Blood Squadron Y-wings targeted the Rage, while Sundancer Squadron's Z-95s attacked the TIEs. Beta Squadron, in turn, moved against the Crucible. Both Rebel squadrons were smashed.

After both squadrons were destroyed, the Mon Calamari warship managed to escape into hyperspace. When the Imperial boarding party finished slicing into the Soren's datacore and copying the data, they set charges, departed the factory, and blew it up.

Aftermath

The success of the attack resulted, to the Empire's delight, in an intelligence bonanza. Analysis of the recovered databanks began at once and refinements for the campaign were planned based on the results. However, yet again Task Force Vengeance was forced to admit possible further danger. Since the Rebel Alliance had developed the capability to assemble fresh cruiser-class combatants in the sector, the threat posed by their Airam operations was considerable. Left unchecked, such production would in time shift the balance of power in the Rebellion's favor. Imperial intelligence and reconnaissance efforts were soon focused on locating the shipyard.

Brighter news was extracted concerning the Airam themselves. The clans' participation in the Rebels' efforts was found to be less than wholehearted. Intelligence agreed that the fractiousness of the Airam themselves was ripe for exploitation. With work, Imperial Intelligence concluded triumphantly, the Empire might be able to undermine the Rebellion's efforts to recruit the Airam Clans into the Alliance. The Rage's next mission was to be directed toward this end.

Appearances

• Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power Campaigns (First appearance)

Notes and references