Battle of Brentaal IV ( Galactic Civil War ) The Battle of Brentaal IV , also known as the Battle of Brentaal , the siege of Brentaal , and the Battle for Brentaal , was one of the first major engagements between the New Republic and the Galactic Empire , approximately nine months after the Battle of Endor . With the Core Worlds Recopia and Ralltiir supporting the New Republic , the Provisional Council began to look toward liberating more of the Core , with an eye toward eventually taking Coruscant itself . Following a reconnaissance by Rogue Squadron , the planet Brentaal IV was chosen as a target of the Republic ' s offensive . The Empire , headed by Imperial Grand Vizier Sate Pestage , struggled to hold itself together , threatened both by internal discontent and the fragmenting of their military force into individual warlord holdings . To appease , a wealthy and politically connected faction whose members all had investments on the world , Pestage vowed to hold Brentaal IV at all costs . The New Republic hit the world in force , with Admiral Gial Ackbar in command of the task force , supported by Rogue Squadron and Aggressor Wing . Due to tactical ineptness on the part of Imperial Admiral Lon Isoto , the Republic forces were able to successfully take the Brentaal IV moonbase . Further operations allowed the Republic forces to establish a presence on the planet itself , in the city of Oradin , although at a cost — the 181st Imperial Fighter Group , led by Colonel Baron Soontir Fel , had reinforced Brentaal IV . Despite their presence , however , it became clear that Brentaal IV was lost to the New Republic . Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard ordered an evacuation of Brentaal IV , sending ships from Coruscant to rescue the wealthy and influential citizens . Fearing that the evacuation would strip Brentaal of its wealth , New Republic forces mobilized to stop the escape . During the battle , Baron Fel was captured by New Republic forces , and Brentaal IV came under firm New Republic control with the withdrawal of Imperial forces . The fallout from the loss of Brentaal IV further split the political leaders of the Empire , mainly due to the plotting of Director Isard . During the course of the Brentaal campaign , she had successfully isolated Pestage and the Cabal from one another , and convinced each party that the other was ultimately to blame for the loss of the planet . Pestage , aware that Isard coveted the throne for herself , began to seek ways to save himself — including dealing with the New Republic — while the Cabal began to plot Pestage ' s overthrow . For the New Republic , the liberation of the planet was a significant tactical victory that strengthened their foothold in the Core , and even enlisted the services of Baron Fel , who defected to the New Republic in exchange for assistance in locating his wife . Prelude . New Republic reconnaissance . Approximately nine months after the Battle of Endor , the newly formed New Republic began to perform reconnaissance operations throughout the Core Worlds with an eye toward staging a campaign to liberate the Core , and the capital of Coruscant . Following the decision of the inhabitants of Recopia to ally themselves with the New Republic , Rogue Squadron — the New Republic ' s elite starfighter unit — was assigned to recon the planet Brentaal IV , in the Bormea sector of the Core . A five - fighter element , consisting of four Incom T - 65 X - wing starfighter s and a T - 65BR X - wing reconnaissance starfighter , entered the Brentaal system and began to collect reconnaissance data . Imperial forces stationed at the Brentaal IV moonbase responded to the New Republic intrusion , deploying TIE fighters to engage the Rogues . A brief dogfight ensued , with the Rogues covering the reconnaissance fighter , piloted by Nrin Vakil . All but one of the TIE fighters deployed was destroyed ; however , as the fighter raced for the safety of the moonbase , Rogue pilot Wes Janson fired two proton torpedoes into the launch bay , causing massive internal damage . Unhindered , the Rogues leaped to hyperspace , returning to Base Delta - Nine . Imperial machinations . Following the death of Emperor Palpatine during the Battle of Endor , Grand Vizier Sate Pestage assumed control of the Empire . However , the Director of Imperial Intelligence , Ysanne Isard , also wished to rule . She offered advice and assistance to Pestage in the months following the defeat at Endor , and acted as a neutral party in his dealings with , a wealthy and politically connected group of Imperial citizens . However , Isard was playing Pestage and the Cabal against each other , causing friction between the two in the hopes of weakening both Pestage ' s rule and the Cabal ' s power base . When report of New Republic reconnaissance missions probing the Core Worlds came to Pestage ' s attention , Isard advised him to invite an attack against Brentaal IV . Setting into motion a plan she called Project Ambition , Isard believed that if she could orchestrate a New Republic victory at Brentaal , it would lead to Pestage ' s downfall and weaken the Ruling Council enough for her to ascend to the throne . In addition , by allowing the New Republic to gain a foothold in the Core , Isard hoped that she could draw elements of the New Republic ' s leadership and military into an exposed and vulnerable position . When Pestage questioned the wisdom of this approach , stating that the members of the Cabal either owned property on the world or shared in its wealth , Isard answered that they would want Pestage to defend the world for those exact reasons . Additionally , they were wealthy enough to pay for upgrading the planetary defenses . Pestage mused that he would have to find a replacement for Admiral Lon Isoto , commander of the planet ' s military forces , since he was incompetent and allegedly addicted to the drug glitterstim . Isard counseled Pestage to take the opposite action and allow Isoto to retain his command — although considered to be an idiot , he was favored by the Cabal . Since he was their man , he was therefore their mistake . Isard also informed Pestage that elements of the elite 181st Imperial Fighter Group were already on their way to Brentaal IV , with the rest of the unit — including their commander , Colonel Baron Soontir Fel — due to follow them shortly . Agreeing , Pestage issued a public statement saying that the Empire would defend any invasion of Brentaal IV . Secretly , Isard saw the upcoming battle as an opportunity to rid herself of Soontir Fel : a popular , respected officer , Isard suspected that the Imperial Military was conspiring to offer Fel the Imperial throne and replace her and Pestage . The battle . Assault on the Brentaal IV moonbase . After analyzing the reconnaissance data provided by Rogue Squadron , Admiral Gial Ackbar , Supreme Commander of the New Republic ' s military forces , decided that Brentaal IV was an ideal target to strike . Brentaal sat at the greatest hyperlane junction in the Core Worlds , and taking it would position New Republic forces within striking distance of Coruscant , while simultaneously limiting Imperial access to the galaxy ' s eastern and southern quadrants . The planet had been a target for several months , but had been a low priority . With Pestage vowing to hold the planet at all costs , Ackbar decided that they needed to strike Brentaal IV swiftly before the world could be extensively reinforced . A task force was assembled , commanded by Ackbar himself aboard the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " Independence " , and including Colonel Horton Salm ' s Aggressor Wing and Rogue Squadron — which was brought back up to full strength for the operation . The task force was allotted two weeks training time for the assault . At the same time , Kapp Dendo of the New Republic Intelligence Service was inserted onto the planet with Commando Team One to relay information back to the New Republic . Following the successful liberation of Ralltiir several days earlier , the task force staged from the planet Recopia , striking first at the Brentaal IV moonbase . The facility was defended by fixed turbolaser emplacements and TIE interceptors from the 181st ' s third squadron . However , Admiral Isoto chose not to engage the New Republic capital ships with his own vessels , keeping them in close orbit around Brentaal IV itself . Unhindered , Colonel Salm ' s Y - wings began their attack runs on the installation ' s defenses while Rogue Squadron provided cover . During the dogfight , Rogue pilot Derek Klivian was shot down , although he managed to eject from his stricken fighter . With the need to land ground troops in the moonbase ' s hangar , Rogue pilot Plourr Ilo raced ahead of the assault transports . Launching two proton torpedoes into the hangar , she proceeded to follow them into the facility . Once inside , Ilo cut in her repulsors and , hovering above the deck , used her fighter ' s weapons to cut down the base ' s defenders that had assembled in the hangar . " Bantha " - class assault shuttles followed her into the installation , disgorging ground troops to secure the hangar . New Republic forces captured the moonbase , intending to use it as a staging ground for the assault on Brentaal IV itself . Shortly after its capture , Rogue Squadron was transferred to the installation from Base Delta - Nine , and began combat air patrols with Y - wings from Aggressor Wing to protect the facility . Establishing a beachhead . Shortly after the capture of the moonbase , Baron Fel — along with the rest of the 181st — arrived on Brentaal IV . Their arrival was noted by Dendo ' s intelligence team , who passed the information back to New Republic command . Establishing his headquarters in Vuultin , Fel was initially impressed by Admiral Isoto ' s efforts to comply with his request for better city defenses by constructing hardened missile sites and a launch bunker for his group ' s fighters . However , Isoto ' s lack of talent when it came to military tactics and strategy became apparent when he insisted that the New Republic ' s next target would be Vuultin itself since it was where he had made his headquarters . Fel argued that the city of Oradin , to the west of Vuultin , was the logical target since it had extensive spaceport facilities that the Republic would need if they wanted to land troops in large numbers . Isoto relented , allowing Fel to deploy his unit as he saw fit , but ordered him to leave a flight or two at the capital in case he was wrong . On the Brentaal IV moonbase , Admiral Ackbar briefed his forces on their attack plan for the planet itself . The strategy called for the capture of the city of Oradin and its spaceports , exactly as Fel had predicted . Aggressor Wing would be used to safeguard the strike force , while Rogue Squadron would feint at the capital of Vuultin . With intelligence placing Fel at the capital , it was hoped that Rogue Squadron would engage the 181st , stopping them from hitting the assault force headed for Oradin . Rogue Squadron assaulted Vuultin at sundown , engaging two flights from the 181st Third Squadron and ground defenses . Captain Wedge Antilles reported that the opposition was light — Case Yellow — to the fleet , resulting in reserves being allocated to the Oradin theater . Even with enemy forces attacking his capital , Isoto ordered his capital ships to move to the night side of the planet , away from the New Republic forces . Despite the light opposition , two Rogue Squadron pilots — Wes Janson and the Mon Calamari Ibtisam — were shot down . Both survived the loss of their craft , going to ground outside of Vuultin . While Rogue Squadron hit Vuultin , Colonel Salm led his Y - wings against Oradin ' s defenses . With jamming coming from the city itself , it was believed that any attack would come from that direction . However , Fel led his interceptors in strafing runs against the Y - wings from behind , inflicting heavy casualties . Tasking his second in command , Major Turr Phennir , to lead his squadron in an attack on the assault carriers on approach to the city , Fel intended to eliminate the Republic fighters with his own squadron . Receiving a communication from Isoto , Fel was ordered to break off the attack and return to Vuultin to protect the admiral from Rogue Squadron ' s attack . Fel argued that they could not , as the main assault was at Oradin , but Isoto insisted . Despite Phennir ' s suggestion to ignore the command , Fel obeyed his orders and withdrew . Phennir ' s squadron performed rearguard duty , inflicting massive damage to the city as they pulled out . With the 181st headed for Vuultin , Rogue Squadron was ordered to withdraw from their assault on the capital and regroup with the fleet in case Fel and his unit were being sent to attack them . Antilles protested that they had people on the ground , and fleet command informed him that rescue assets had been notified of the situation . Rogue Squadron disengaged and headed for orbit . Meanwhile , Republic forces captured Oradin , and immediately set up a garrison and a makeshift hospital . During the fighting , Major Phennir had single - handedly shot down an assault transport , and the craft had gone down into a school . Casualties from Aggressor Wing , the transport , and the school were being treated at the hospital , which was helped by the fact that kiloliter drums of bacta had been discovered . Outside of Vuultin , Janson and Ibtisam were picked up by members of Dendo ' s intelligence team — however , they were dressed in stormtrooper armor so the pair thought they had been captured by Imperial forces . Following the attack on Vuultin , Dendo was performing a damage assessment mission , and since he was not at their headquarters when the two Rogues were brought in , the pilots were kept isolated so they could not compromise the intelligence team ' s safety . Once Dendo returned , he informed Janson and Ibtisam of the situation , and sent a message to the Republic forces informing them of their survival . When the two Rogues inquired about rejoining their unit , Dendo replied that he could not spare the men to ferry them back , as they had a big operation planned for the next day . First , they would be hitting a massive construction droid that was being used to construct defenses for Vuultin , and then they would be attempting to get Isoto — alive , if possible . Dendo told the two pilots that they could do more good for the campaign assisting him , and they agreed . Evacuation efforts . On Coruscant , news of Oradin ' s fall reached Pestage and the Cabal . Having isolated them from each other , Isard took full advantage of the situation , driving a deeper wedge between the two parties . Pestage wanted to relieve Isoto of command , but Isard told him that the Cabal still supported the admiral , and that when he failed , the Cabal would fail by extension . To the members of the Cabal — who did not support Isoto and wished for his removal — she presented a situation where she had counseled Pestage to relieve Isoto of command , and he had staunchly refused . Pestage wanted Isard to convince the Cabal to renounce their support of the admiral , while the Cabal began to contemplate treason — although Isard informed them that it was not treasonous to do one ' s duty . Isard ordered an armada of two hundred five vessels to launch from Coruscant and head to Brentaal IV with the express intention of evacuating the wealthier civilian population . She did this without the knowledge or approval of Pestage ; when confronted over it , Isard admitted that her true plan all along had been to lose Brentaal IV to deny the Cabal a power base , and that the evacuation fleet would be seen as Pestage ' s way of attempting to salvage a cause made hopeless by the Cabal ' s supposed insistence on keeping Isoto in command of the defense . Isard stated that she had kept the truth from Pestage because — had he known about her intent — he would never have allowed her to act . The New Republic task force had set up its headquarters in Oradin and monitored the arrival of the fleet . Fearful that the evacuation would also mean the removal of the planet ' s wealth and cultural artifacts — as Moff Leonia Tavira had done on the planet Eiattu 6 — the New Republic Provisional Council decided to forcibly stop the evacuation . It was hoped that the wealthy elite would then buy their freedom with allegiance to the New Republic . Rogue Squadron was ordered to provide cover for Aggressor Wing — which was tasked with disabled fleeing vessels using their ion cannons — and covering assault transports that would be taking advantage of the confusion to capture the city of Vuultin . Rogue Squadron swept into Vuultin , engaging the city ' s static defenses and TIE fighters . During the opening engagement , Rogue pilot Standro Jcir ' s fighter was clipped by anti - air fire . Out of control , Jcir ' s fighter hit the defense tower that had winged him , destroying it and killing the Rodian in the process . Colonel Salm and his Y - wings then began their attack runs on the city ' s spaceport , with the intention of chasing after fleeing ships . Baron Fel — aware of Director Isard ' s ambitions toward the Imperial throne , and angry at her manipulations that had endangered his pilots — led his unit against Rogue Squadron despite knowing that the chances of any Imperial victory were slim . Despite this , Fel valued honor and duty above all else , and followed his orders , engaging Republic forces . As the New Republic ' s starfighters and assault transports hit Vuultin , Dendo ' s team , including Janson and Ibtisam , attacked their targeted construction droid . Using explosive charges with timers taken from binary load lifter s , the team destroyed the massive automaton , escaping the blast zone aboard personnel skiffs . As the Republic assault on the city continued , Isard contacted Admiral Isoto , commanding him to order an immediate evacuation of Brentaal IV . She informed him that the events on Brentaal IV had unfolded according to her design , as part of an elaborate trap to destroy the Republic forces . Isold told Isoto that he had played his part in her scheme , and that an evacuation order from him would spring the trap . Isoto complied with her order , ordering all Imperial military personnel and civilians to leave the planet . As he was inquiring whether or not he should return to Coruscant , he was assassinated by his concubine , Grania , who was a deep cover agent for Isard . The Director instructed her agent to make Isoto ' s death appear to be a suicide , and to allow herself to be captured . Isard wanted Grania to be taken in by the New Republic , as she was the key to Project Ambition , a plan devised by the Director to neutralize Pestage and the Cabal and allow her to take control of the Empire . With Isoto ' s evacuation order given , every ship on the planet was given immediate clearance for vertical take - off , taking the engagement into orbit of Brentaal IV . As Aggressor Wing continued its attack runs , Rogue Squadron provided cover against the 181st ' s interceptors . Rogue pilot Dar Keyis was killed early in the orbital fight , and the squadron ' s executive officer , Tycho Celchu , dueled with his opposite number , Major Phennir . Fel realized that , despite his squadron ' s constant attacks , the Y - wings were remaining on the assigned mission . He reasoned that it was due to their leadership , and targeted Colonel Salm ' s fighter with the hope that the Y - wing formations would fall apart without their commander . Lining up , Fel engaged Salm ; as he fired at the Colonel ' s Y - wing , his interceptor was clipped by fire from Captain Antilles ' X - wing , throwing the shot off . Salm ' s Y - wing lost its port engine and was crippled , but Salm remained alive . Fel engaged Antilles , but realized that the mission — protecting Imperial citizens — came first , and ordered Phennir to disengage from the battle and lead the 181st to the " Eviscerator " to withdraw from the system . Fel and Antilles dueled briefly , but the engagement ended when Antilles drew Fel toward Salm ' s damaged Y - wing . Hiding the other fighter from view with his own X - wing , Antilles broke hard during the engagement , revealing Fel ' s interceptor to Salm . Using his ion cannons , Salm disabled the Imperial ' s interceptor . Imperial forces withdrew from the system , leaving the New Republic in control . Aftermath . With Brentaal IV lost to the New Republic , the Cabal lost what little confidence they had in Pestage , and were convinced that he would lose the Empire to the New Republic . Publicly , Pestage blamed the defeat on traitorous elements within the Imperial military . Fel was labeled as a traitor and was used as a scapegoat for the defeat , while Isoto was hailed a hero for his " valiant " attempts to stop the New Republic . The Empire created a propaganda campaign surrounding the battle , with Imperial officials — even pilots claiming to have served with the 181st during the battle such as Lorrir — believing that the Rogues had lost eight or nine pilots during the engagements , rather than the confirmed two casualties . However , Pestage finally began to realize that Isard was scheming against him , and resolved to save himself from her plans . He secretly contacted the New Republic , and — in meetings held on the planet Axxila with Princess Leia Organa — offered to leave Coruscant undefended in return for amnesty and several planetary holdings for himself and selected advisors . Isard discovered his plan and revealed his treachery to the Cabal , who appointed a Triumvirate to rule the Empire and issued a warrant for Pestage ' s arrest . Pestage fled to the planet Ciutric IV , and was imprisoned by the local governor — a New Republic mission was launched to rescue him . However , the mission failed to secure Pestage , and he was murdered by Admiral Delak Krennel , the Imperial officer who had been sent to retrieve him . Meanwhile , Isard quietly assassinated all three members of the Triumvirate , and installed herself as head of the Empire . The New Republic had now established a strong foothold in the Core Worlds , and , following its capture by New Republic forces , Chief of State Mon Mothma paid a visit to Brentaal IV to soothe the fears of the local population . Baron Fel , captured during the final battle of the Brentaal campaign , was fully debriefed by New Republic officials . In exchange for helping to locate his wife , holostar Wynssa Starflare — who was also the sister of New Republic pilot Wedge Antilles — Fel offered his services to the New Republic . Fel had long suspected that Isard ' s scheming would force him and his family to flee the Empire if the truth over his wife ' s family connections ever came to light , or that Isard would use her as a pawn to force Fel ' s obedience to her instructions . To this end , Fel instructed his wife to set up a safehouse somewhere in the galaxy that was known only to her . He promised her that he would find her no matter where she went , but did not want to know the location so that he could never unconsciously betray her . In the wake of his capture , Fel knew that his wife would have left their home on Coruscant , and made for the safe house . The New Republic agreed , and Fel was assigned to Rogue Squadron , flying several missions with them . The destruction of Brentaal IV ' s extensive orbital shipping stations during the battle plunged the Brentaalan economy into depression , which it was still suffering from during the New Republic regime . Notable participants . New Republic . Admiral Gial Ackbar . The former slave of Imperial Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin , Admiral Ackbar was a member of the New Republic Provisional Council , and Supreme Commander of its armed forces . Having attained victory over Imperial forces at the Battle of Endor nine months previously , Ackbar personally led the New Republic forces in the Battle of Brentaal IV . Ackbar oversaw all aspects of the operation , leading the assault on the Brentaal IV moonbase and briefing pilots for the strikes on the cities of Oradin and Vuultin . Temporarily transferring to a command base located in Oradin to oversee the final stages of the operation , Ackbar returned to the flagship " Home One " once the planet had been secured . Colonel Horton Salm . Colonel Horton Salm , a veteran Y - wing pilot who had led Gray Squadron during the Battle of Endor , commanded Aggressor Wing during the Battle of Brentaal IV . Salm led his unit against the Brentaal IV moonbase , and his fighters were the main assault unit for the strike on the city of Oradin . Salm and his Aggressors played a critical role in stopping Imperial citizens evacuating Brentaal IV with much of the planet ' s wealth , using their ion cannons to disable escaping craft . He was also credited with the capture of Baron Soontir Fel , disabling his TIE interceptor with his Y - wing ' s ion cannon . Salm was promoted to general for his role in the operation . Captain Wedge Antilles . Captain Wedge Antilles commanded Rogue Squadron , the New Republic ' s elite starfighter unit . A veteran of the battles of Yavin , Hoth , Endor , and Bakura , he had refused all attempts to promote him away from the squadron and even engineered a demotion for himself to allow him to remain in command . Antilles continued to lead the Rogues through several minor operations prior to the Battle of Brentaal . He led the Rogues against the Brentaal IV moonbase , and during the diversionary strike on the city of Vuultin . During the evacuation of the planet , he flew against Imperial ace Baron Soontir Fel of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group , which ended with the Baron ' s capture after his fighter was disabled by ion cannon fire . Kapp Dendo . Kapp Dendo was an agent with New Republic Intelligence , and was often partnered with fellow agent Winter on assignments . Inserted onto Brentaal IV two weeks prior to the New Republic assault , Dendo and his team provided information back to the New Republic , including the fact that Baron Soontir Fel had arrived on the planet and was located at Vuultin . During Rogue Squadron ' s assault on the capital of Vuultin , two of their pilots — Wes Janson and Ibtisam — were forced to eject . Dendo ' s team recovered them , and enlisted their help in an operation to destroy a construction droid , and to either capture or kill Admiral Isoto . The first mission was a success , but the second failed since the admiral had apparently already killed himself — when , in fact , he had been assassinated by an agent of Ysanne Isard ' s . Rogue Squadron . Rogue Squadron was the New Republic ' s elite starfighter unit , led by Captain Wedge Antilles . The unit ' s origins could be traced back to the original Red Squadron that assaulted the first Death Star over Yavin 4 . Formed into Rogue Group under the guidance of Commander Arhul Narra of Renegade Flight , the nascent unit collected some of the Rebel Alliance ' s best pilots . The unit fought at the Battle of Hoth , and at the Battle of Endor , where the squadron was temporarily rechristened " Red Squadron " in honor of the unit that had faced the Death Star at Yavin . The squadron participated in several minor operations following the Battle of Endor , and performed well while understrength . The squadron was bought back up to full strength just prior to the Battle of Brentaal IV . Aggressor Wing . Aggressor Wing , commanded by Colonel Horton Salm , was one of the New Republic ' s BTL - S3 Y - wing starfighter units . Drilled hard by their commander , Aggressor Wing was known for its discipline and composure under fire , staying on its assigned mission despite constant assaults from enemy forces . Members of Aggressor Wing fought at the Battle of Endor as part of Gray Squadron , with newer members added to the pilot roster following the battle . A front line combat unit , Aggressor Wing was adept at using their Y - wing ' s weaponry to their advantage , using proton torpedoes in precision bombing runs , as well as ion cannons to disable enemy craft . Galactic Empire . Admiral Lon Isoto . Admiral Lon Isoto — also known as " Isoto the Indecisive " for his lack of tactical expertise and inept leadership skills — was the Imperial officer charged with the defense of the planet Brentaal IV . Despite having a wife on Coruscant , Isoto had " gone native , " taking to dressing in local clothing and surrounding himself with concubines . Isoto rose to his position through the support of the Cabal , and his lack of military knowledge allowed the New Republic to take the Brentaal IV moonbase . Holding a grand view of his own importance , Isoto firmly believed that the New Republic would choose to attack him at Vuultin rather than strike at Oradin . A diversionary strike on his capital panicked him in to pulling the 181st out of Oradin , effectively surrendering the city to the New Republic . During the evacuation of the planet ordered by Director Isard , Isoto was assassinated by his concubine , Grania , who was an undercover agent of Isard ' s . Colonel Baron Soontir Fel . Colonel Baron Soontir Fel was the most celebrated pilot within the Imperial armed forces , and commander of the elite 181st Imperial Fighter Group . Married to holostar Wynssa Starflare , he and his unit were sent to reinforce Brentaal IV and attempt to deny it to the New Republic . Fel was savvy enough to realize that his unit was being sacrificed by Director Ysanne Isard as pawns in her plot to gain control of the Empire . He first engaged the New Republic in the battle over Oradin , and followed Admiral Isoto ' s orders to withdraw to protect Vuultin despite knowing that doing so would allow Oradin to fall . Resisting the urgings of his second in command , Turr Phennir , to become a warlord , Fel began to see that the Empire he had loyally served had become a mere shadow of itself , and detested the fact that he and his men had been sent to die for the sake of politics . During the evacuation of Brentaal IV , his fighter was disabled by ion cannon fire and he was captured by the New Republic . He subsequently defected and joined Rogue Squadron . 181st Imperial Fighter Group . The 181st Imperial Fighter Group was an elite unit within the Imperial armed forces . Originally considered to be a " joke " unit who went by the moniker of the One - Eighty - Worst , the unit was whipped into shape by Soontir Fel . Although under the command of Colonel Evir Derricote , Fel was responsible for the unit ' s training . The 181st saw action during the Second Battle of Ord Biniir , and was downsized from a wing to a group . The unit participated in the Battle of Derra IV , after which Derricote was promoted and command given to Fel . The 181st served at the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor , before being assigned to defend the planet Brentaal IV . Although a great show was made of their presence and that they would stop the world falling to the New Republic , Director Isard was plotting to take control of the Empire , and the 181st was being used as pawns in her plan . She intended to sacrifice them to weaken both Sate Pestage ' s and the Cabal ' s power bases . The unit survived the Battle of Brentaal IV , although Soontir Fel was captured by the New Republic . Behind the scenes . The Battle of Brentaal IV was depicted in a four - issue arc of " " entitled " " , first published in 1997 by Dark Horse Comics , and written by Michael A . Stackpole . The engagement has since been referenced in several other works , including " The Essential Chronology " , " The New Essential Chronology " , and " Coruscant and the Core Worlds " . In 2012 , the engagement was referenced in " The Essential Guide to Warfare " ; however , it stated that Fel remained behind in Vuultin to defect to the New Republic , rather than defecting after his capture in orbit of Brentaal IV . The date of the Battle of Brentaal IV has changed from source to source . The of the " In the Empire ' s Service " arc , Isard states that it has been six months since the death of the Emperor . " " , published in 2006 , supports this date , while " The New Essential Chronology " placed the battle prior to the Battle of Kashyyyk , which was noted to occur eight months after Endor . However , in 2007 , the " " noted that the events occurred approximately nine months after the Battle of Endor . " The Essential Guide to Warfare " , released in 2012 , placed the Battle of Brentaal IV " after " the Battle of Kashyyyk , which had previously been established to occur at eight months after Endor . This article assumes that the nine month date is correct due to its establishment in more recently released source material .