Rescue on the Tranquility

|prev=Mission to Rodia
*Battle of unidentified planetThe War of the Ring: Transfer
|conc=*Battle of AngmarStar Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded
|next=Mission to Vassek 3
|name=Rescue on the Tranquility
|image=
|conflict=War of the Ring
|objective=Free Viceroy Nute Gunray
|date=July 16, 1981
|place=Tranquility, near Rodia in the Tyrius systemThe Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
|result=*Confederacy of Independent Systems victory
**Viceroy Nute Gunray freed
|side1=Confederacy of Independent Systems
|side2=Galactic Republic
|commanders1=*Commander Jinx
*Viceroy Nute Gunray
*Captain Faro Argyus †
|commanders2=*Senior General Luminara Unduli
*Commander Eowyn
*Commander CC-1004
*Tranquility captain
*Green Leader†
*Clone Captain
|ppl1=*1 Dark Witch
*1 viceroy
*1 Senate Commando captain
*B2 super battle droids
*1,000 Goblins
**At least 1 B2-HA series super battle droidStar Wars: The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia
*3 Droch-class boarding ships
*Vulture droids
*1 Consular-class cruiser 
|ppl2=*2 Jedi
*Clone naval officers
*Clone troopers
**Green Company
*Senate Commandos
*1 Venator-class Star Destroyer
**Tranquility
|casual1=B2 super battle droids
*Captain Argyus
|casual2=*Most of Green Company
*4 Senate Commandos
*Tranquility severely damaged
}}
The Confederacy of Independent Systems launched a mission in 1981 during the War of the Ring to free Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, who had been captured on Rodia by the Galactic Republic. Gunray was being taken in the Star Destroyer Tranquility to Minas Tirith for trial by Senior Jedi General Luminara Unduli, Jedi Commander Eowyn, Clone Commander CC-1004, nicknamed "Gree," and Senate Commando Captain Faro Argyus. However, the latter was a long-time ally of Saruman the White, and had been paid to participate in freeing the viceroy. As the Jedi began interrogating Gunray aboard the Tranquility, Dark Witch Jinx took a boarding party of Vulture droids and several boarding craft to the Republic warship.
Once battle droids and Goblins had boarded the Star Destroyer and attacked Unduli and clone troopers of Green Company, Jinx planted explosives in the vessel's engine room before confronting Eowyn outside of Gunray's cell. After Unduli arrived with Commander Gree on the detention level, Jinx activated her explosives, crippling the entire ship. Jinx escaped, and while Unduli instructed Eowyn to stay and guard Gunray, the Jedi Master pursued the Dark Witch to the engine room. Eowyn disobeyed Unduli's orders and proceeded to assist Unduli in her duel against Jinx, however. Meanwhile, Argyus betrayed the Republic and freed Gunray. The captain engaged Gree in close combat, but Gunray managed to sneak up behind the clone commander and knocked him out with a blaster. Argyus and Gunray then stole a Republic frigate and escaped from the Tranquility, while Jinx joined them, jettisoning from the Star Destroyer in an escape pod to the fleeing vessel. However, Argyus was executed by Jinx as the three escaped in a stolen Consular-class cruiser.
==Prelude==
In 1981, during the War of the Ring, Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray was captured on Rodia by Senators Padmé Amidala and Onaconda Farr of the Galactic Republic. Gunray was to be taken to Minas Tirith on Middle-Earth to stand trial for his war crimes, as a trial on the Gondor capital would rally support for the war, and Senior Jedi General Luminara Unduli was assigned to oversee his transfer to Minas Tirith. In the midst of an ongoing battle, Jedi General Frodo Baggins learned that his wife, Amidala, had been involved in Gunray's capture and sent his Padawan, Jedi Commander Eowyn, to protect her from potential danger from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Receiving clearance from Masters Bilbo Baggins and Aragorn of the Jedi High Council, Eowyn joined Unduli and Clone Commander CC-1004, nicknamed "Gree," in escorting the viceroy to Unduli's waiting flagship, the Venator-class Star Destroyer Tranquility, via a Consular-class cruiser. Upon the group's arrival on the Star Destroyer, Senate Commando Captain Faro Argyus—who had been personally assigned to the mission by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine—and his fellow Senate Guards placed Gunray in a cell, ready for interrogation.
Meanwhile, Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sauron learned of Gunray's capture and contacted his Sith apprentice, Darth Tyranus, who was with a Separatist fleet of Munificent-class star frigates under his command. Saruman—as Tyranus was also known—stated that he already had a plan in operation to rescue Gunray involving Dark Witch Jinx, and while Sauron was doubtful of her abilities, he allowed Saruman to proceed. Jinx planned to infiltrate the Tranquility, and as a squad of B2 super battle droids and Goblins attacked the clone troopers aboard the Star Destroyer, she would plant explosives to cripple the cruiser. Once the Tranquility had been damaged, Jinx planned to lure the Jedi away from Gunray and signal Argyus—who was a long-time ally of Saruman and had been given a hefty payment to assist the Confederacy in the mission—to free Gunray. Jinx departed Saruman's fleet with a squadron of Vulture droids and several Droch-class boarding ships to attack and board the Tranquility.
==The operation==
===Infiltrating the Tranquility===
As the Jedi began to interrogate Gunray inside his cell block, the Confederate and goblin boarding party arrived. With Vulture droids attacking the Tranquility, the captain of the cruiser, on the bridge of the Star Destroyer, reported the appearance of the boarding craft to Gree, Argyus, and the Jedi. Gree alerted Green Company and sent the troopers to repel the enemy. The three Confederate boarding ships breached the hull of the Tranquility and lodged themselves in the Star Destroyer near its hangar bays. The troopers of Green Company arrived and took cover behind several crates from the battle droids that were being deployed from the boarding craft. In the ensuing crossfire, the droids and Goblins attacked the over-matched clones with lasers and, in the case of a B2-HA series super battle droid, rockets. The advance clone forces were subsequently defeated, including Green Leader.
Jinx emerged from one of the boarding ships and quickly decapitated the last surviving clone trooper with her paired lightsabers. Stealing the trooper's comlink, Jinx cut a hole in one of the vents in the ceiling of the hangar with her lightsabers and proceeded to the Tranquility engine room. The Dark Witch was able to slip past 327-T, the WED-15 Treadwell droid that was inspecting the area, and plant several thermal detonators around the Star Destroyer's main reactors before escaping and heading to the detention level to personally confront the viceroy's captors. Meanwhile, Eowyn remained with Argyus to guard Gunray while Unduli and Gree went to assist the clone troopers in fighting the droids. Elsewhere, super battle droids marched through one of the Star Destroyer's hallways, engaging six remaining Green Company troopers. The troopers' numbers were cut in half, but they were saved by the arrival of Unduli and Gree. The Jedi and the troopers attacked the battle droids and eventually defeated their opponents, leaving the hallway ridden with fallen battle droids. Nevertheless, Unduli sensed that their troubles were not over. Indeed, Jinx was preparing to face off with Eowyn and Argyus on the detention level at that very moment.
As Argyus received word that the enemy had been repelled and reported the update to Eowyn, Jinx cut a hole in the detention level's ceiling and knocked the two Senate Commandos manning the control station of the Tranquility there unconscious. The Dark Jedi then confronted the handmaiden, and the two exchanged insults before engaging in a lightsaber duel. While the pair fought, Unduli overheard the lightsaber clashes and quickly headed back for the detention block with Gree and the remaining clones. Eowyn ordered Argyus and the other Senate Commandos to open fire on Jinx, but the Dark Witch deflected and rebounded the lasers, killing all of the Commandos save for Argyus. The Senate Commando captain himself blocked the reflected shots with his shoulder armor, but in order to keep the Separatist agent's cover from being compromised, Jinx attacked him as well and Force-pushed him toward the control station, knocking him unconscious. Breaking away from dueling Eowyn, Jinx proceeded to deactivate the laser gate of Gunray's cell. As the handmaiden arrived and slashed at the viceroy, Jinx kicked her into the detention cell. Gunray quickly stepped out and reactivated the lasers, trapping Eowyn. Nevertheless, Unduli arrived at the detention blocks with the clone troopers, changing the course of the fight with her reinforcements. Running to engage Jinx, the Jedi Master also telekinetically deactivated the laser bars of Eowyn's cell. Jinx dueled both Jedi at once, and Unduli ordered the Dark Witch to surrender.
===Duel in the engine room===
With no intention of giving up, Jinx activated the explosives planted in the engine room. The Tranquility shook under the resulting blast, and as everyone in the room lost their balance, Jinx took the opportunity to Force-push Unduli to the ground. The Jedi Master rolled aside, avoiding several lightsaber slashes aimed at her head. Although the clone troopers opened fire at the Dark Witch, Jinx jumped over them and opened a turbolift shaft door with the Force. The Dark Witch escaped, plunging her lightsabers into the side of the turbolift shaft to control her descent. Checking the Star Destroyer's sensors and controls, Argyus reported that all systems—including communications—had been disabled from the explosives. Jinx had crippled the entire ship. While Gunray was taken back to his cell, Unduli decided to face Jinx alone. Although Eowyn, having previously faced Jinx, stated that the Dark Witch was too powerful for a single opponent and offered to help, Unduli refused the handmaiden's assistance and left to face Jinx alone.
Following a trail of fallen clone troopers that the Dark Witch had left in her wake, Unduli arrived in the engine room. After the Jedi Master had entered the room, Jinx appeared and slashed at her, diffusing a pipe and injuring Unduli's left eye. The Jedi Master back flipped onto another reactor with Jinx in pursuit. While the two exchanged blows, Unduli commented on the sloppiness of Jinx's fighting style, seeking to distract her adversary. Enraged, Jinx jumped toward Unduli, and the two continued their fight with renewed force. Back on the detention level, Eowyn decided to disobey Unduli's order to guard Gunray and proceeded to assist her in her duel, believing that Jinx was too powerful for any one Jedi. As the lightsaber battle continued though the reactor room, Jinx and Unduli employed Force-pushes against each other. After a few moments, both Jedi Master and Dark Witch released the energy and were pushed backward.
Unduli jumped over Jinx, aiming several lightsaber blows before landing behind her. The pair turned back around to face each other, and Jinx lunged at the Jedi Master, but instead of slashing at her, she kicked her off the reactor to the floor far below. As Unduli fell and lost hold of her lightsaber, Jinx jumped up and detached several fuel pipes from the ceiling. Unduli tried to use the Force to avoid being crushed by the resulting falling debris, but her leg had been caught under one of the pipes. Taking advantage of Unduli's vulnerability, Jinx leaped to kill the Jedi Master, lightsabers spinning. However, Eowyn arrived in time to Force-push Jinx into an open pipe. The handmaiden freed Unduli and retrieved her lightsaber for her, and Unduli accepted Eowyn's help. Jinx climbed out of the pipe and, making use of Saruman's training to duel more than one Jedi at once, engaged the two Jedi in simultaneous lightsaber combat. Jinx eventually ascended the large reactors and disappeared from sight to keep Unduli and Eowyn occupied. Believing Jinx to be after Gunray, the Jedi jumped up and searched for Jinx, but the Goblin agent instead used her stolen comlink to secretly signal Argyus to free the viceroy.
===Betrayal and escape===
On the detention level, Argyus received Jinx's signal and killed both of his Senate Commando companions. Engaging Gree in blaster combat, the traitorous Senate Commando forced the clone to take cover from the incoming fire. While the two exchanged laser shots, the captain freed Gunray from his cell and used the viceroy as a "living shield," forcing Gree to cease fire to avoid killing the prisoner. Back in the engine room, Unduli and Eowyn came across 327-T, who had been trapped under some debris, and freed the droid before continuing their search for Jinx. Receiving word of Argyus's betrayal from Gree, the two Jedi headed back to the detention level to assist the clone. Intending to keep them occupied, Jinx hurled a pipe at them with the Force. Turning around, Unduli severed the projectile, and she and Eowyn continued their duel, engaging Jinx in a saberlock.
Gree shot Argyus's blaster out of his hand, but as the clone commander ordered Argyus to surrender, the captain shoved Gunray at the trooper. Gree pushed the viceroy aside, and Argyus used the clone's momentary distraction to kick his blaster out of his hand and his helmet off. As Gree confronted Argyus concerning his loyalty to the Republic, the captain bent down to grab the clone's fallen blaster. The commander punched the Senate Commando in the head, knocking him to the ground. As the clone commander took aim at the captain, however, Gunray sneaked up behind the clone and knocked him out with the butt of Argyus's blaster, mocking the unconscious clone's single-minded loyalty to the Republic. Back in the engine room, Eowyn and Unduli took turns advancing at Jinx, forcing the Dark Witch to give ground. The two Jedi cut through the debris that the Goblin agent Force-pushed at them, and the Jedi Master rebounded the last piece back at Jinx. The Dark Witch Force jumped, avoiding the projectile, and charged at the pair again.
As the duel continued, Argyus signaled Jinx with his comlink that Gunray had been freed. The Dark Witch broke off from her fight with the Jedi and jumped up, propelling herself off a reactor into an overlooking air vent. When Eowyn followed, Jinx threw a thermal detonator back at the reactor and escaped as the explosive detonated. Eowyn fell off the walkway of the engine room, but Unduli caught her and managed to pull her back up. Argyus and Gunray escaped in the Consular-class cruiser docked in the lower hangar, while Jinx disposed of two clone troopers guarding the Star Destroyer's escape pods. Stealing a pod for herself, Jinx departed the Tranquility, and Eowyn and Unduli arrived too late to prevent her from escaping. With the Star Destroyer still crippled, the Jedi could only watch from one of the Tranquility viewport windows as the Separatist agents fled with the newly liberated Viceroy Gunray.
==Aftermath==
In space, Jinx docked her escape pod to the Consular-class cruiser and climbed aboard. Yet, when Argyus claimed credit for the mission, Ventress executed him with her lightsaber. Back aboard the Tranquility, Eowyn and Unduli informed Frodo and Jedi Grand Master Bilbo Baggins of Gunray's escape via holotransmission. Argyus and the viceroy had used a Republic vessel to escape, but Unduli had been able to track the ship through its tracking beacon. Unduli had alerted Master Legolas and his fleet, which had been near Gunray's position, to follow the viceroy's signal and recapture him. After Unduli reported the developments to Bilbo and Frodo, Eowyn left Unduli and departed the Tranquility to rendezvous with her master.
Meanwhile, Saruman had come to doubt the abilities of his best general, The Mouth of Sauron. In order to reassess the general's powers, the Isengard Head of State planted the Republic tracking beacon in The Mouth of Sauron's own lair on the third moon of Vassek in order to lure Legolas and his former Padawan, Nahdar Vebb, to the planet. Once the Jedi were in place, The Mouth of Sauron was able to hunt them for sport, allowing Saruman to review The Mouth's abilities.
==Behind the scenes==
The battle first appeared in "Cloak of Darkness," an episode in the 2008 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring television series. It featured the series introduction of Captain Argyus, who had previously appeared throughout the series' supplementary online comic series, and also featured Luminara Unduli, who first appeared in the series as a hologram in the episode "Destroy Malevolence." Additionally, the duel during the battle appeared in the 2008 video game The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring: Lightsaber Duels.
==Appearances==
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*The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring: Lightsaber Duels
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:War of the Rings battles
Category:Duels