Rescue mission to Kessel

|prev=Defense of the KarinneStar Wars: X-Wing
|conc=
|next=Rescue mission to Mytus VII
|name=Rescue mission to Kessel
|image=
|conflict=Galactic Civil WarStar Wars: X-Wing
|date=August 8th, 2002According to X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide, this engagement follows the establishment of the Rebel Alliance, which The Essential Guide to Warfare dates to 2 BBY, and precedes the capture of Minnie Mouse. The Essential Atlas establishes that Minnie's capture takes place on 35:3:3 under the Great ReSynchronization dating system, placing it at the beginning of 2004 according to the following explanation. Therefore, events occurring between the Alliance's establishment and Minnie's capture must take place in 2002 at the earliest.
|place=Kessel system
|result=Rebel victory
|side1=Alliance to Restore the Republic
|side2=Galactic Empire
|commanders1=
|commanders2=
|forces1=*3 BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighters
**Red Squadron
*5 Lambda-class T-4a shuttlesX-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide
**Rescue 1
**Rescue 2
**Rescue 3
**Rescue 4
**Rescue 5
|forces2=*2 TIE/LN starfighters
**Alpha Squadron
*9 TIE/IN interceptors
**Beta Squadron
*5 Lambda-class T-4a shuttles
**213
**224
**227
**247
**249
*1 Imperial-class Star Destroyer
**Tiger
|casual1=
|casual2=*Both TIE/LN starfighters
*Several TIE/IN interceptors
}}
A rescue mission to Kessel was undertaken by the Rebel Alliance early in the Galactic Civil War.
==Prelude==
At an early stage 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 Tiger, 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.
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.
==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. At the same time, the Y-wing pilots intercepted three successive waves of three Beta Squadron TIE/IN interceptors, reinforcements from the Star Destroyer, destroying several of them.
==Aftermath==
All rebel pilots participating in the rescue were awarded the Corellian Cross for their bravery.
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 Red Squadron.
==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."
While the Imperial Star Destroyer present during this mission is identified as the Tiger by X-Wing strategy guide and gameplay, the pre-mission briefing refers to it as the Predator.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars: X-Wing 
==Sources==
*X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide
*X-Wing Collector's CD-ROM: The Official Strategy Guide
==Notes and references==
Category:Galactic Civil War battles
Category:Missions