The Battle of Renatasia was an Imperial/Centrality "victory" in 12 BBY that saw the conquest of the Renatasia system, one of the many lost Human colonies founded by Grizmallt under the Galactic Republic.
Prologue
- "In the beginning, the rejoicing was only redoubled-until the fleet began collecting slave levies, demanding taxes, closing schools and forcing the Renatasians to teach their children the major galactic tongues to the exclusion of their own."
- ―Vuffi Raa to Lando Calrissian
In 13 BBY,[2][3] the lost Human colonists of the Renatasia system were rediscovered by the Centrality. Osuno Whett and Vuffi Raa were assigned by the Centrality and the Galactic Empire to win the trust of the Renatasians to make them easy targets for the armed forces to subdue. Covering the droid Vuffi Raa with an organic exterior, he posed as Vuffi's assistant and presented them as representatives of a galactic civilization eager to welcome the Renatasians. After seven hundred days of celebration, Whett transmitted all his data, beginning the invasion by the Imperial and Centran forces.
The battle
- "Whole cities, whole nations resisted. Whole cities, whole nations were leveled."
- ―Vuffi Raa to Lando Calrissian
Early on into the conflict, the Centrality's forces confidence was high, letting the local military lob a few primitive thermonuclear weapons at them to demonstrate the utter futility of resistance. The fleet's shields glowed briefly, restoring energy consumed by the voyage out.
However, the two interstellar governments had overlooked one thing. Until Whett arranged for them to unite, Renatasians had been ruled by multiple, competing governments. Most systems that were forced to join the Empire had fallen under one governing body for quite some time. As such, the Renatasians were used to combat. Uniting against the Empire and the Centrality, the native population savagely massacred 93 percent of the first wave of troopers, using chemical bullet projectors, crude high-powered lasers, poison gases, clubs, meat cleavers, and fists. Eighty-seven percent of the second wave died similarly, even though they'd been forewarned, 71 percent of the third, and so on, the navy was winning a glorious, disastrously expensive victory. Troopships carrying replacements began showing up at hourly intervals, despite the Renatasians' technological disadvantages; they knew how to fight and they did it well, much to the Centrality navy's embarrassment and grateful embarrassment for the locals technological disadvantages. The Centrality forces stepped up their response, and as the war waged on it turned into one of the bloodiest, most brutal conflicts the Empire had ever seen.
Aftermath
It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the population perished in the bungled pacification operations that followed. According to Klyn Shanga, the remaining third were dying from starvation and disease, further reducing their numbers. Even long-time, hardened soldiers were horrified; the battle for Renatasia had been brutal even by Imperial standards, and they along with the Centrality tried to cover it up as best they could. Afterward, Vuffi Raa was nicknamed the "Butcher of Renatasia" since none of the Renatasians realized he was a droid and that Whett was the true butcher. In response, a group of the survivors formed the Renatasian Confederation, commandeered some aging starfighters and vowed to hunt down and kill Vuffi Raa.
Appearances
- Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon (First mentioned)
- Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka (Mentioned only)
Sources
- The Essential Guide to Droids (as pacification of Renatasia)
- The Essential Chronology
"A Campaign Guide to the Centrality" — Star Wars Gamer 5- The New Essential Chronology
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 92 ("Renatasia system")