Battle of Scrim Island A battle was fought on Scrim Island during the Batonn insurgency , a sub - conflict of the larger Batonn sector insurgency . After the Batonn insurgents captured the Imperial garrison on Scrim Island in the planet Batonn , Fleet Admiral Jok Donassius dispatched Admiral Durril to take back the island . However , Donassius underestimated the ingenious tactics of the Batonn rebels and his 103rd Task Force sustained considerable damage . Admiral Thrawn and Commander Eli Vanto infiltrated Batonn and obtained intelligence on the Scrim Island insurgents ' tactics and their leader Nevil Cygni . Using this information , Thrawn ' s 96th Task Force neutralized the insurgents ' defenses and forced their surrender . Prelude . During the Imperial Era , the Outer Rim world of Batonn hosted an Imperial garrison on Scrim Island , which lay 300 kilometer s west of Batonn ' s main continent . Batonn was also home to several mine s including the Creekpath Mining and Refining complex near Paeragosto City on the main continent . Prior to 2 BBY , dissatisfaction with the rule of the Imperial Governor Restos led to the emergence of a planetary insurgent movement , led by Nevil Cygni . Using his pseudonym " Nightswan " , Nevil had harried Imperial shipments of tibanna gas , iridium and doonium metals , and Wookiee slaves . Nightswan found his nemesis in the form of the Imperial Navy ' s Chiss rising star Admiral Thrawn . After being frustrated by Thrawn on numerous occasions , Nightswan engineer ed the Battle of Scrim Island in a final attempt to destroy the skilled tactician , whom he regarded as a threat to his plot to bring down the Empire . The Batonn insurgents overran and seized control of the Imperial garrison on Scrim Island . They captured a hundred hostages including Imperial Navy trooper s , technician s , and some civilian workers . They also seized control of the island ' s deflector shield , shoreline defenses , and three of its ion cannon s . The insurgents also obtained a turbolaser cannon . Five days later , Fleet Admiral Jok Donassius convened a meeting of the Imperial admirals and governors in the Batonn sector . After briefing them about the situation on Scrim Island , he gave Thrawn command of the mission . When Thrawn insisted on studying the situation on Scrim Island in further detail , Donassius ordered that the island be captured or destroyed in order to protect the Empire ' s reputation . Thrawn disagreed and the Scrim Island operation was instead assigned to Admiral Durril of the 103rd Task Force . Thrawn ' s 96th Task Force was instead dispatched to pacify the Sammun insurgents . The battle . First assault . Durril commanded the 103rd Task Force ' s assault on Batonn from the Imperial Star Destroyer " Judicator " . The " Judicator " and its escort Imperial light cruisers and frigate s bombarded Scrim Island but were unable to pierce through the deflector shield . Since Durrill had exposed his forces ' capabilities , the insurgent commander on Scrim island ordered the ion cannons on the western and southern shorelines to bombard the " Judicator " . With the " Judicator " damaged , Durril ordered his escort ships to bombard the western and southern ion cannons but the insurgents expanded their shield . As the escort ships continued firing in vain , the ion cannon on the northern shoreline struck the frigate and cruiser s on the " Judicator " portside flank , damaging their sensor s and turbolaser targeting and control systems . Instead of adjusting to his opponents ' tactics , Durril continued his ineffective attacks . While the northern ion cannon bombarded the escort ships , eight small freighter s took off from the eastern edge of the shield and headed to the main continent . Seven freighters flew under low cover to avoid detection while the eighth rose into space . While Durril ' s task force was immobilized by ion damage , a turbolaser cannon to the north of the western ion cannon fired a barrage which struck the " Judicator " starboard superstructure . The " Judicator " was struck by three turbolaser salvos . The four undamaged starboard escort ships fired at the weapon but their shots dissipated when the insurgent commander closed the shields again . The insurgent commander then retracted the shields over the eastern shorelines to bait the Imperials . While the Imperial ships redirected their fire towards the eastern shorelines , the western ion cannon struck the ships , immobilizing them . With the escort ships immobilized , the Scrim island insurgent commander then bombarded the turbolaser cannon at the " Judicator " , damaging its hull and weapons . The ion cannons then fired at the weakened escort ships , preventing them from assisting the " Judicator " . Unknown to Durril or the Batonn insurgents , the space battle was being watched by Thrawn and Commander Eli Vanto . Taking advantage in a loophole in Donassius ' orders , Thrawn dispatched Commander Karyn Faro and the 96th Task Force to deal with the Sammun insurgents . He and Vanto then used the captured smuggler freighter " Slipknot " to approach Batonn and monitor the battle . Posing as a weapons smuggler , Vanto managed to secure coordinates to meet with the insurgent leader on Batonn . Thrawn also transmitted a distress signal on behalf of the 103rd Task Force . Thrawn also secretly detached Captain Brento ' s light cruiser " Shyrack " from the 96th and used the ship to monitor the seven freighters ' movements . Studying Nightswan . Eli and Thrawn flew the " Slipknot " to the coordinates where the freighter was waiting . Posing as the smuggler " Horatio Figg " , Vanto followed the freighter to a Nomad starship , a traveling ship – repair shop that was common during the Clone Wars . At Thrawn ' s instruction , Vanto donned an oversized Imperial officer ' s tunic to create the impression that he was a toughened gun dealer who had murdered an Imperial officer and stolen his uniform . Thrawn also outfitted Vanto with a hold - out blaster that was designed to explode when Vanto activated the title closest to the center of his chest . Thrawn remained aboard the " Slipknot " to engineer their escape . Upon disembarking , Vanto was searched by three armed insurgents who confiscated his hold - out blaster , which played into Thrawn ' s plan . The insurgents brought him to their leader who identified himself as Nightswan . Nightswan recognized Vanto and told the Imperial officer that he knew that Thrawn had sent him . Nightswan claimed that the Empire was corrupt , dangerous , and ultimately self - defeating and that he was helping to bring its downfall . When Vanto disagreed , Nightswan replied that the Empire had no other officers with Thrawn ' s caliber and added that he had engineered the Battle of Scrim Island in order to bring about Thrawn ' s political demise . Realizing that Nightswan did not know that Thrawn was not commanding the 106th Task Force , Vanto flattered his captor . Nightswan revealed that one of his contacts in the Thrugii asteroid belt had seen Thrawn with the Jedi General Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars . Meanwhile , Thrawn started a radiation leak in the " Slipknot " engine compartment . Believing it to be a typical Imperial ruse , Nightwan ordered his men to override the ship ' s controls . Nightswan then questioned Eli about Thrawn ' s interest in his capabilities as a commander . Before they could continue , the " Slipknot " exploded . Thrawn had in fact engineered the radiation leak to create a distraction that would allow the two of them to escape . He then ejected himself out of the ship ' s escape pod . Realizing this was Thrawn ' s signal , Eli used his fake insignia plaque to detonate his hold - out blaster . Eli then fought his way back to the hangar and escaped with Thrawn aboard one of the insurgents ' freighters . Upon returning to the space around Batonn , Thrawn and Vanto found that Bento had evacuated the battered 106th Task Force including the damaged " Judicator " . After returning to Thrawn ' s Imperial Star Destroyer " Chimaera " , Thrawn attended a hologram conference with Donassius and the other commanders . Despite the failure of Durril , Admiral Kinshara and Commander Faro had succeeded in pacifying the insurgents on Denash and Sammun . Donassius ordered the humiliated Durril to bring the 103th Task Force to the Marleyvane shipyards for repairs . After learning that Thrawn had gathered intelligence on the Batonn insurgents , Donassius assigned Thrawn the task of taking back Scrim Island . Second assault . Thrawn commanded the Galactic Empire ' s second assault on Scrim Island . Thrawn commanded the 96th Task Force , which consisted of the " Chimaera " and three light cruisers " Shyrack " , " Flensor " , and " Tumnor " , and two frigates . Based on the intelligence he had gathered during their undercover mission , Thrawn devised a strategy to break the siege of Scrim Island . To trick the insurgents into underestimating his forces , Thrawn ordered the three light cruisers to descend into Batonn ' s atmosphere and bombard Scrim Island . While the ships exchanged fire with three ion cannons , their sensors and weapons were disabled by a fourth cannon . Though the three cruisers had lost their primary weapons and main drives , their communications , secondary weapons , and auxiliary drives still remained intact . Thrawn ordered the light cruisers to activate their auxiliary drives and shift positions . With the insurgents ' fourth cannon breaking down , the " Chimaera " moved behind the three partially disabled cruisers and shifted closer to the surface . This new position prevented the insurgent commander from firing his ion cannons at the Imperial ships but the " Chimaera " was still unable to fire its turbolaser at the ion cannons . As the Imperial ships descended towards the surface , Thrawn ordered the " Chimaera " turbolaser crew to bombard the waters around Scrim Island , generating tsunamis that overwhelmed the insurgents ' ion cannons and turbolaser emplacement . The frigates relayed reports of the tsunami waves to Thrawn . Thrawn then ordered the insurgents to lower their shields and surrender . The Scrim Island commander accepted Thrawn ' s terms and lowered the shields . He and his men also complied with Thrawn ' s orders to leave their weapons in the building and await the arrival of assault boats . The Imperial hostages on Scrim Island were presumably liberated . Thrawn also ordered Commander Faro to tractor the three light cruisers back into space so that they could initiate repairs . Vanto also reported the pacification of the Scrim Island insurgents to the galactic capital Coruscant . Aftermath . While the Battle for Scrim Island was over , Thrawn warned that the " war for Batonn " had not yet been won . Thrawn ' s prediction was proven right . In fact , Nightswan had engineered the events on Scrim Island in order to distract the Empire while he regathered his forces and weaponry at the Creekpath Mining and Refining complex , which was protected by a deflector shield . While Nightswan had expected the Empire to withdraw , Vanto had managed to trace the freighters ' shipping vectors to the Creekpath facility . As a result , Imperial forces and the allied Batonn Defense Force blockade d the complex , leading to the events of the Siege of the Creekpath Mining and Refining complex .