The evacuation of Gelgelar saw the evacuation of the local Rebel base and subsequent retreat of the Alliance forces of Elrood sector to the Airam sector. It also marked Task Force Vengeance's first steps towards pacifying the Airam sector and driving any Rebel presence from it.
The Battle
After getting word of Admiral Wooyou Senn's orders to form Task Force Vengeance, the Alliance knew it was only a matter of time until their assets in the Elrood sector would fall victim to a quick stroke by the Empire.
Preparations went well, and both Rogue and Gold Squadrons were put on constant vigil, patrolling the surroundings of the XQ5 Platform. A few GR-75 medium transports were assigned to evacuate the personnel of the base.
Though what was planned as an orderly retreat soon became a running battle for the very survival of the transports and the base itself.
The first wave of attackers consisted of Assault Gunboats, starting a torpedo attack on the platform. They were soon joined by the Victory-class Star Destroyer Stormhawk, which immediately deployed fighters to deal with the Rebel Z-95s.
To make matters worse, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Rage jumped into the system and deployed Avenger Squadron (piloting TIE/IN interceptor craft) and a separate flight of TIE/sa bombers, as well as conveniently blocking the exit vector of the evacuation vessels.
Rogue Squadron managed to fulfill their role in space superiority and fire suppression well enough to allow the command shuttle Raven and the three medium transports to escape.
Aftermath
The base at Gelgelar was a vital asset to the Alliance, serving as a hospital space station for the Alliance forces present in the Elrood sector. The loss of the base made treatment difficult, and some of the Alliance's supplies had to be left behind in the hurry.
The arrival of Task Force Vengeance further complicated matters and required the Alliance to completely retreat into the remote Airam sector.
Appearances
- Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power Campaigns (First appearance)
Sources
Notes and references
- ↑ Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power Campaigns
- ↑ The game Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter and its expansion Balance of Power Campaigns do not provide any information about their timeline other than it takes place during the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance (2 BBY ― 4 ABY). Nevertheless, some clues permit to place the game and its expansion around 3 ABY. X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter shows the Empire making extensive use of TIE/ad starfighters. The previous game of the series, Star Wars: TIE Fighter, established that the TIE/ad starfighter was introduced during the Sepan campaign (which is set in 3 ABY per the reasoning here). We can conclude that the game is set between 3 ABY and 4 ABY. Moreover, the most advanced Imperial starfighters from Star Wars: TIE Fighter (the TIE/d "Defender" starfighter and the Missile Boat) were not present in X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, suggesting that the game takes place before their introduction, also dated to 3 ABY as the entire TIE Fighter game is set in 3 ABY (per the reasoning here).