Rescue mission to Kessel

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A rescue mission to Kessel was undertaken by the Rebel Alliance early in the Galactic Civil War.

Prelude

At an early stage[3] in the Galactic Civil War, Rebel Alliance Intelligence of a transfer of Rebel prisoners of war from the prison planet Kessel to the Imperial Star Destroyer[2] Tiger,[4] with only two TIE/LN starfighters from Alpha Squadron escorting the five shuttle loads of prisoners aboard Lambda-class T-4a shuttles 213, 224, 227, 247, and 249.[2]

Attributing the light escort to Imperial overconfidence, the Alliance conceived of a plan, assigning five shuttles of their own, Rescue 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, along with three BTL Y-wing starfighters from Red Squadron, to the rescue mission.[2]

The mission

Red Squadron's pilots initiated the attack, disabling the Imperial shuttles and destroying their TIE escorts. With the convoy incapacitated, the Rebel shuttles arrived in the system, docked with their Imperial counterparts, and recovered all Rebel prisoners.[2] At the same time, the Y-wing pilots intercepted three successive waves of three Beta Squadron TIE/IN interceptors,[4] reinforcements from the Star Destroyer, destroying several of them.[2]

Aftermath

All rebel pilots participating in the rescue were awarded the Corellian Cross for their bravery.[2]

The engagement was later simulated as a training mission by the Rebel Alliance, intended to teach prospective Y-wing pilots to identify enemy craft and disable them with their ion cannons. Agamarian Rebel Keyan Farlander was assigned to the simulation by training officer Wex Dafid prior to Farlander's recruitment into the Alliance flagship Independence's Red Squadron.[4]

Behind the scenes

The battle first appeared in the 1993 video game Star Wars: X-Wing as the fourth Y-wing historical mission, "Prisoners from Kessel."[2]

While the Imperial Star Destroyer present during this mission is identified as the Tiger by X-Wing's strategy guide[4] and gameplay, the pre-mission briefing refers to it as the Predator.[2]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ According to X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide, Keyan Farlander trained in a simulation of the rescue mission to Kessel before his first tour of duty that began in the Dellalt system.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Star Wars: X-Wing
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 This engagement takes place between the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic (which The Essential Guide to Warfare dates to 2 BBY) and the beginning of Star Wars: X-Wing (which can be dated to 1 BBY per the reasoning here).
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide
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