Battle of Vanquo The Battle of Vanquo took place in 3964 BBY , when the Mandalorian Neo - Crusaders attacked the Outer Rim mining world of Vanquo at the beginning of their war with the Galactic Republic . A resource world near the Mandalorians ' true target — the ecumenopolis of Taris — Vanquo was part of a Republic security cordon known as the Jebble - Vanquo - Tarnith line designed to protect Taris from Mandalorian aggression . That did not deter the Mandalorians from attacking Vanquo as part of a three - pronged offensive aimed at Taris , with Neo - Crusader leader Mandalore the Ultimate designing the Vanquo battle to lure away the Republic Navy ' s left flank and open up a corridor to Taris . Squads of Mandalorian Shocktrooper s easily secured the mining camps on Vanquo ' s nightside , while the Mandalorian and Republic fleets engaged in a heated space battle above the planet . Eventually , Republic Captain Saul Karath was forced to retreat , and the Mandalorians conquered the planet . The Mandalorian victory at Vanquo gave the Neo - Crusaders an Outer Rim stronghold they never relinquished and also set the stage for their conquest of Taris not long afterward . Prelude . In 3976 BBY , the Mandalorian warrior clans , at the command of leader Mandalore the Ultimate , began to carve out an empire by conquering unaligned worlds on the Outer Rim , drawing no action from the Galactic Republic . After amassing a sizable amount of territory , the Mandalorian Neo - Crusaders lurched out toward the Core , encroaching on Republic space and threatening resource worlds near the ecumenopolis of Taris . One of the worlds in Mandalore ' s sight was Vanquo , a rugged mining planet that had become a destination for refugees from the Mandalorian crusades . With the Mandalorian threat looming very real , Vanquo became part of a Republic security cordon known as the Jebble - Vanquo - Tarnith line . Designed to defend Taris , the line was host to heavy , stalemated fighting on worlds like Suurja — however , in 3964 BBY , all this changed . At Taris ' Jedi Tower , four of the five Padawans undergoing training as the next generation of Jedi on the planet were murdered , supposedly by the lone surviving classmate , Zayne Carrick . After Carrick escaped pursuit and fled the planet , public confidence in the Jedi Order was severely shaken , leading to the Jedi High Council withdrawing the five Jedi Masters stationed at the Jedi Tower back to Coruscant . Mandalore the Ultimate took this as a signal to begin his attack , launching a three - pronged offensive aimed at seizing Taris . The real Mandalorian Wars had begun . The battle . Mandalore intended all along for the attack on Vanquo to be a diversion , meant to draw the Republic fleet ' s left flank and open the way for the Mandalorians ' main thrust toward Taris . To that end , the Mandalorians landed in force on the nightside of the planet , led by Commander Rohlan Dyre , who had been in trouble for desertion on several previous occasions . The shock infantry touched down among the mining camps that dotted Vanquo ' s mountainous landscape , many dropping down on Basilisk war droid s and scout speeders as well as " Meteor " - class Q - Carriers and " Shaadlar " - type troopships — at one outpost , a Mandalorian force , including Dyre himself , happened across the fugitive Zayne Carrick and his friends , who had previously faked a Mandalorian attack on the outpost to clear it for scavenging . The group was caught by surprise , and the Arkanian Offshoot Jarael , who had been posing as a Jedi in their previous con , was taken prisoner on a " Teroch " - type gunship . As the others attempted to escape , Dyre used the commotion as a cover to escape the battle in the group ' s ship , the " Last Resort " . Carrick ' s group caught up to Dyre as he was flying toward orbit , with the " Last Resort " under heavy Mandalorian blaster fire . However , Dyre succeeded in flying the " Last Resort " out of the Vanquo battle zone . Otherwise , the battle went off without a hitch for the Mandalorians . The shock troops encountered minimal resistance at the mining camps , and Mandalore ' s lieutenant , Cassus Fett , reported that an orbital screen was being set up over the dayside of the planet so the major settlements there could be engaged — also , the Mandalorians had succeeded in drawing the Republic Navy ' s flank away . Meanwhile , an intense space battle raged over Vanquo , as dozens of Mandalorian " Kyramud " - type battleships clashed with Republic " Hammerhead " - class cruisers , with the Hammerheads launching flight s of " Aurek " - class tactical strikefighters that flew against squadrons of Mandalorian " Davaab " starfighters . The Republic forces were led by Admirals Jimas Veltraa and Noma Sommos , who were coordinating the defense against the entirely of the Mandalorian attack toward Taris . At Vanquo itself , the Republic defense fleet was helmed by Captain Saul Karath in his " Inexpugnable " - class tactical command ship , the " Courageous " , which held the center of the Republic line . Karath defended Vanquo with all his strength but eventually had to fall back and retreat , allowing the Mandalorians to take the planet . Aftermath . Not only did the Mandalorian conquest of Vanquo give the Neo - Crusaders a stronghold on the Rim that they would not relinquish , but the battle also helped set the stage for the Mandalorians ' attack on Taris shortly afterward . The Jebble - Vanquo - Tarnith line broken , Republic Admiral Jimas Veltraa reformed the remnants of the Outer Rim fleets into a line to defend Taris . However , the Mandalorians still captured Taris , with Veltraa perishing in the destruction of his flagship , the " Reliance " . Saul Karath ' s strong defense of and fighting retreat from Vanquo proved to be a career - maker for the captain , as he was promoted to admiral after the battle was over . Behind the scenes . The Battle of Vanquo first appeared in " " , a comic written by John Jackson Miller and released in 2006 . The action continued in the ' , and the result of the battle , along with further information about the event , were given in the supplements " " and the 2009 reference book " The Essential Atlas " . The battle ' s name was first given as the " Battle of Vanquo " in the 2008 " Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide " .