Battle of Tenoo

The Battle of Tenoo was a battle during the High Republic Era between the Jedi Order on the planet Tenoo and an alliance of pirates led by the Ganguls. Seeking to drive the Jedi out from the Bri'ahl sector, the Ganguls' leader Sellaccc Orryak led an attack on the Tenoo Jedi Temple. Despite capturing the temple, she met resistance from the Jedi trainees led by Padawan Wes Vinik and Jedi youngling Kai Brightstar. With the help of several allies including Ace Kallisto, Raxlo, the Durangos and Taborr's gang, the Jedi were able to defeat the Ganguls and defend the Tenoo Jedi temple.^[3]

Prelude

The Ganguls were a three-member gang consisting of the Trandoshan Sellaccc Orryak, the Quarren Jooro "Speeds" Jarrot and the Anzellan Toda-Joh. The gang had originated as a biker gang who terrorized the town of Aklyrr Bend on the planet Tenoo until they were expelled by the Jedi younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay and Nubs.^[4] Later, the Ganguls attempted to steal the Iron Talon, a starship owned by the pirate prince Cyrus Vuundir&mdashwho was also under the pseudonym Taborr Val-Dorn. Vuundir subsequently recaptured the ship and defeated the gang with the help of Brightstar, Solay and Nubs.^[5]

The Ganguls subsequently became perennial foes of both the Jedi trio and Taborr's gang, crossing paths on several occasions. Seeking to expand their operations, the Ganguls acquired a frigate called Rathtar's Revenge and a droid named NX-88. They also attempted to steal starships on the planet Deppani but were foiled by the Jedi younglings and Padawan Wes Vinik.^[6] Later, the Ganguls recruited more pirates at Yarrum Tower and made a second attempt to steal starships from a shipyard on Variax but were foiled by the Jedi younglings and Vinik again.^[7] Other notable schemes included kidnapping Feb Rozo and the Sap Tap Trio and an attempt to disrupt Life Day celebrations of the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk; which were foiled by the three Jedi younglings and their allies.^[8][9]

Later, the Ganguls took over the pirate stronghold of Yarrum Tower, turning it into their headquarters and forcing the other pirates there to serve them. Only Vuundir escaped with the help of the Jedi younglings.^[10] With the help of the Comet Runners gang, the Ganguls later raided the royal palace on Vuundalla, stealing the royal family's jewels. Though Vuundir managed to fight back with the help of the Jedi younglings, Brightstar learnt of his alter ego as the pirate Vuundir, driving a wedge between the two friends.^[1] The Ganguls clashed with the Jedi younglings during an attempt to steal Raxlo's second harvester.^[11] In a separate conflict, the Hutt crime lord Bulcha once raided the Tenoo Jedi Temple during an attempt to capture the codebreaking droid JNX-09 ("Jinx").^[12]

After the Jedi younglings recovered a missing cargo container at Yarrum Tower, Orryak vowed revenge against the Jedi for breaching "their home" and "taking their things."^[13] Orryak assembled a fleet of pirate ships above Tenoo, the location of the Tenoo Jedi Temple and the home of Brightstar, Solay and Nubs. Prior to the battle, Orryak contacted several other pirate groups including the Comet Runners and Captain Blackbolt and his crew. During a brief conference, Orryak outlined her plan to seize the Tenoo Jedi Temple as part of her goal of driving the Jedi from the Bri'ahl sector. Since the Temple's adult Jedi Master Zia Zaldor Zanna was away and only Padawan Vinik and the Jedi younglings were at home, Orryak believed that now was the right time to strike. The Ganguls and their pirate allies Corr Taldaan and Blackbolt endorsed Orryak's plan. The only pirate group to turn down Orryak's offer was Taborr's gang, whose leader Vuundir despised Orryak for endangering his homeworld of Vuundalla and plundering his family home.^[3]

The battle

The pirate invasion

Prior to the battle, Padawan Vinik was supervising an obstacle course in the Temple's training field. The Jedi younglings Brightstar, Solay and Nubs navigated a rolling wooden structure while the other Jedi younglings including Bren, Linh, Zotti and Djovi Resmia watched. Also present were Vinik's astromech droid R0-M1 ("Romi"), the Jedi trio's friend Nash Durango and her droid RJ-83. The Rathtar's Revenge and its escort fleet circled the skies above the Tenoo Jedi Temple. The pirate flagship dispatched three shuttles carrying the Ganguls and their pirate vassals, who used ropes to abseil down onto the training grounds. In addition, the pirates jammed Tenoo's communications to prevent the Jedi younglings for calling from offworld help.^[3]

After landing, Orryak announced her intentions to expel the Jedi from Tenoo and take over their temple. Brighstar and Vinik reacted with defiance and vowed to fight back. Despite fighting back, the Jedi younglings and Vinik were quickly overwhelmed by the adult pirates. To save the lives of the younglings, Vinik ordered a retreat with Brightstar leading the group to Tanglevine Base, which he and Resmia had discovered earlier.^[3]

Following the Jedi retreat, Orryak sent her lieutenants Jarrot and Toda-Joh to hunt down and capture the Jedi. However, they lost track of the Jedi in the Tenoo tree forest. In response, Orryak decided to destroy the Tenoo Jedi Temple in order to make the Jedi leave. She ordered her pirates to begin planting explosives throughout the building.^[3]

Retreat and capture

Since the pirates had jammed regular comlink communications offworld, Durango and RJ-83 repaired an old comm station found inside Tanglevine Base. As the comm station used a different signal frequency from comlinks, Durango warned her Jedi allies that everyone including the Ganguls would be able to intercept it once it had been made. Seeing leadership potential in the youngling, Vinik encouraged Brightstar to send a distress message. Brightstar told listeners that pirates had taken over the Tenoo Jedi Temple and called for help. While Vuundir was reluctant to help the Jedi, his Gamorrean follower Pord was more sympathetic to the Jedi. His droid EB-3 managed to convince Vuundir to reconsider by suggesting that defeating the Ganguls would allow his master to become the dominant pirate power in the sector.^[3]

Shortly later, the Ganguls and their vassals captured the Jedi trainees and their friends at Tanglevine Base. The Ganguls brought their prisoners aboard the Rathar's Revenge and locked them in cells behind energy shields. Toda-Joh also confiscated their lightsabers. Orryak told the Jedi she would force them to watch as she destroyed the Jedi Temple. The Ganguls then left, leaving three security droids to guard the prisoners. Despite reacting with anger, Vinik calmed down and asked the younger Jedi to look for ways to escape their cell. Brightstar was despondent but was encouraged by Solay not to give up.^[3]

Counter-attack

Fortunately for the Jedi, Brighstar's signal was also received by several allies including Raxlo, Ace Kallisto, JNX-09, Nash's parents Ceeli and Kryys Durango, Padawan Celesta Kami and Princess Inaya. Kami and Inaya landed ship inside the hangar of the Rathtar's Revenge. After Kami took out the security droids with her lightsaber, she freed the younglings, Vinik and the droids from their cells. Inaya then evacuated the group aboard her ship back to the Jedi Temple grounds.^[3]

On the ground, the Jedi and their allies regrouped. Inaya returned with Vinik and R0-M1 to join the air battle while Durango and RJ-83 accompanied her mothers aboard the Crimson Firehawk to join the air battle. After a brief reunion with her friend Vinik, Kami joined the Jedi younglings led by Brightstar in retaking the Jedi Temple from the Ganguls and their vassals. Inside the great hall, the Jedi confronted Orryak and her pirates, who had finished applying explosive charges to the Jedi Temple. Orryak intended to detonate them remotely.^[3]

While Brighstar and Kami used the Force to push back Orryak's crew and took out the explosives, Solay and Nubs pursued Toda-Joh, who held their lightsabers in a chest. Jarrot attempted to delay Solay but she knocked him out following some acrobatic moves. After the two younglings reclaimed the lightsabers from Toda-John, Solay and Nubs threw the lightsabers back to the younglings. This allowed the Jedi trainees to regain the upper hand against the pirates on the ground. By that stage, the younglings had also removed and disarmed the pirates' explosives.^[3]

The air battle

In response to the ground setback, Orryak ordered NX-88 to ready the Rathtar's Revenge's claws for an assault on the Tenoo Jedi Temple. In the air, Gossi and an Aqualish pirate pursued Vinik and RO-M1 in their Jedi Vector. Before they could take out Vinik's Vector, their ship was hit by the Crimson Firehawk. Vinik, the Durangos and Princess Inaya attempted to take out the Rahtar's Revenge but were overwhelmed by the larger number of pirate ships and starfighters. Inaya's ship took damage from Captain Blackbolt's Terror of Tenoo.^[3]

After the Ganguls and their vassals had evacuated the Tenoo Jedi Temple, Orryak ordered NX-88 to deploy the claws. The Rathtar's Revenge deployed three mechanical claws, which clung to the side balconies and the middle structure of the temple. Before the frigate could pull the temple down, the Iron Talon arrived and severed the cables holding the claws. The Jedi trainees led by Brightstar and Kami then fought against Orryak and her vassals on the grounds of the Temple.^[3]

The Durangos and Pord then focused their fire on the Rathtar's Revenge, damaging its gun emplacements and one of its engines. Vinik and R0-M1 launched a strafing run against the frigate, taking out its second engine. Without its engines, the stricken pirate frigate crashed into the forest. With the Rathtar's Revenge destroyed, Captain Blackbolt and his crew along with the Comet Runners decided to retreat.^[3]

On the ground, Brightstar appealed to Orryak to surrender. The defiant Trandoshan pirate responded that even if they defeated her, more pirates would rise up. She charged at Brightstar. Solay and Nubs noticed that Brightstar is about to deal a fatal blow but they worked together to clash the blades and Brightstar states their combined resolve. Masters Zia and Drow used the Force to throw her against Jarrot and Toda-Joh, knocking out the Ganguls. Masters Zia and Drow expressed a bit of worry and pride in their younglings and Kami for saving the Tenoo Jedi Temple and defeating the pirates. Orryak, surrounded by Resmia and Bren, collapsed from her exertion. Kai then remarked that is nothing they can handle. The Jedi arrested the Ganguls and their remaining vassals.^[3]

Aftermath

Following the Battle of Tenoo, Brightstar and his friends Solay and Nubs thanked their friend Vuundir for coming to their aid. While Vuundir refused to renounce his ambition of becoming the top pirate in the sector, Brightstar still believed there was good in Vuundir. As Vuundir departed, repair droids also began repairing the visible cracks on the Tenoo Jedi Temple. Durango remarked that the Jedi Temple was tough. Together with Durango and RJ-83, the Jedi trio vowed to face other threats including pirates and thieves together.^[3]

Appearances

• Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures — "The Battle of Tenoo" (First appearance)

Notes and references