Battle of Minas Morgul (501st Legion)

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|conc=*Battle of MoriaStar Wars Character Encyclopedia
*Siege of SaleucamiThe New Essential Chronology
*Bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar
|next=Funeral of the Jedi Temple bombing victims
|name=Battle of Minas Morgul
|image=
|conflict=War of the Ring
|date=August 21st, 1983 places the events of "Sabotage" within the final seven months of the War of the Ring, which The New Essential Chronology more specifically dates to 1983.
|place=Minas Morgul, Middle-Earth
|result=Confederacy of Independent Systems victoryStar Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
|side1=*Galactic Republic
*Jedi Order
|side2=Confederacy of Independent Systems
|commanders1=*General Frodo Baggins
*Commander Eowyn
*Captain CT-7567
|commanders2=
|forces1=*2 Jedi
*Clone troopers
**501st Legion
*Clone trooper pilots
*Clone Z-95 Headhunters
*2 Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptors
*1 Consular-class cruiser
*6 Low Altitude Assault Transports/infantry
**Lucky Lekku
*3 Venator-class Star Destroyers
**Frodo Baggins's flagship
|forces2=*Pistoeka sabotage droids
*Droid tri-fighters
*Vulture droid starfighters
*6 Munificent-class star frigates
*1 Providence-class carrier/destroyer
|casual1=*Clone troopers
*Several starfighters
**Baggins's Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor
|casual2=*Droid starfighters
*Buzz droids
*1 Munificent-class star frigate
}}
The defense of Minas Morgul took place in 1983, the third year of the War of the Ring, when a Confederate Navy fleet defended Minas Morgul, the tower of sorcery from Mordor and major base of the Trade Federation. Despite the planet's ties to the Confederacy of Independent Systems through secret Trade Federation dealings, the Republic launched an attack of the former Gondor Tower, with Jedi General Frodo Baggins and his Padawan, Eowyn, commanding an assault force from the 501st Legion. While a fleet from the Republic Navy held off the Separatist frigates in orbit, Frodo and Eowyn breached the enemy aerial defenses with an escort of starfighters, clearing the way for LAAT/i gunships with Clone Captain CT-7567 and his 501st clone troopers aboard. They then moved in to engage the squadrons of droid tri-fighters that the Confederate fleet, which was occupying the Mordor tower hangers, deployed.
Both Jedi were separated from their squadron when a swarm of buzz droids disabled Frodo's starfighter, forcing Eowyn to stage a mid-air rescue of her Master before his ship crashed. While the 501st Legion continued its efforts to repel the Separatists, Jedi Grand Master Bilbo Baggins recalled Frodo and Eowyn from Minas Morgul to investigate a bombing of the Jedi Temple on Minas Tirith.
==Prelude==
Minas Morgul, a former Gondor Tower of the Moon, served as a major holding of the Trade Federation and Mordor, which claimed Separatist side during the War of the Ring between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Lott Dod, the Trade Federation's delegate to the Republic Senate, maintained a palace on Cato Neimoidia, from where he conducted dealings with the Separatists, isolated from the scrutiny of Republic Intelligence. As a result of one such contractStar Wars: The Clone Wars: New Battlefronts: The Visual Guide in late 1981, the first year of the war, Dod and the Federation elite were forced to sign over their assets—allegedly, Cato Neimoidia itself—to another pro-Separatist megacorporation, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, in exchange for a share in a new Confederate battle droid foundry on Isengard.
Although Dod's deal with Banking Clan Senator Rush Clovis collapsed when the Grand Army of the Republic destroyed the Geonosian droid and Orcs foundrys, the War of the Ring eventually engulfed Mordor itself. In 1983, the Confederate Navy mounted an defense of Minas Morgul, which—through the Trade Federation—was still part of the Confederacy, in spite of the Separatist ties held by Dod and Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. In response, the Republic and Jedi Order mobilized the Grand Army's 501st Legion, led by Jedi General Frodo Baggins and his Padawan, Commander Eowyn, to stage to recapture of the Gondor's former city.
==The defense==
On August 21st, by the time Frodo's Republic Navy fleet reached the skies over Minas Morgul, the Separatists had divided their defenses between the surface and orbit. Three Munificent-class star frigates and a Providence-class carrier/destroyer occupied one of Minas Morgul's main camps, while another trio of frigates were saved for aerial support. In response, Frodo had his flagship and his task force's other two Venator-class Star Destroyers remain in orbit to engage the enemy frigates stationed there. While the opposing fleets exchanged turbolaser fire, Frodo and Eowyn boarded their Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptors, leading a squadron of clone trooper–piloted Z-95 starfighters to provide escort for their ground forces, the soldiers of the 501st Legion under the command of Clone Captain CT-7567, nicknamed "Rex." With Rex and his troops following in six LAAT/i gunships, Frodo and Eowyn worked with their clone pilots to clear a path for the gunships, blasting through groups of Vulture droid starfighters that the Confederate frigates launched. The Jedi-led squadron breached the droid aerial defenses and entered the atmosphere, heading to assault the Providence-class carrier/destroyer and the three frigates flanking it.
As Frodo, Eowyn, and their troopers approached the Separatist fleet occupying the bridge cities, the Providence-class destroyer deployed several squadrons of droid tri-fighters in retaliation. The tri-fighters swarmed the clone pilots from behind and shot down several of their Z-95 starfighters before moving in on Frodo and Eowyn. The two of them evaded the tri-fighters' discord missiles but fell prey to the munitions' contents: Pistoeka sabotage droids, more commonly known as "buzz droids." While Eowyn and her astromech droid co-pilot, R7-A7, escaped the buzz droids unscathed, a number of the sabotage droids landed on Frodo's starfighter, quickly getting to work doing as much damage as possible with their buzz saws. Frodo's astromech droid, R2-D2, smashed a buzz droid with one of the solar panels, while the Jedi Knight himself used the Force to telekinetically repel the rest of the saboteurs within sight.
Unbeknownst to Baggins, the majority of the buzz droids had crawled onto the underside of his starfighter, drilling into the cockpit and sparking an explosion that knocked him unconscious. The blast also compromised the engines, preventing R2-D2 from flying the starfighter back to Frodo's flagship. Eowyn pursued her Master's starfighter, with their flight path separating them from the rest of their squadron. With Frodo in trouble, Eowyn told R2-D2 to land on an approaching cliff ledge while she resorted to staging a mid-air rescue attempt. Having R7-A7 match her own starfighter's speed with that of Baggins's, Eowyn jumped ship just as R2-D2 crashed his starfighter onto the cliff, crushing the buzz droids underneath. With the long drop at the opposite edge of the plateau drawing near, Eowyn activated her shoto lightsaber and sliced open the cockpit, dragging out the still-inert Baggins and pulling him to safety. R2-D2 ejected from his astromech socket before the starfighter careened over the edge to its destruction many meters below; the astromech droid joined Frodo and Eowyn back on the cliff face.
After Baggins regained consciousness, Eowyn reported her actions to her Master, as he had been comatose throughout the entire incident. Frodo contacted Captain Rex via comlink to request a retrieval, and Rex had his gunship, the Lucky Lekku, and the rest of his 501st troop convoy adjust course for their position. The Republic's assault continued without the leadership of Frodo and Eowyn, with their task force's Consular-class cruiser moving in to provide support amidst the bridge cities. One of the Separatists' Munificent-class frigates was crippled as a result of the Republic's efforts. Several bridge cities also suffered damage, with fires erupting amidst the canopies.
While waiting for Rex's arrival, Frodo and Eowyn received a high-priority holographic message from Jedi Grand Master Bilbo Baggins, who informed them that the Jedi Temple on the Gondor capital of Minas Tirith had been bombed. Despite Frodo and Eowyn's ongoing efforts on Minas Morgul, Bilbo recalled them to Minas Tirith to assist in the investigation of the bombing. Rex eventually returned to Coruscant with them as well.
==Aftermath==
Even though the battle had begun to swing in the Republic's favor before Frodo and Eowyn were called away, the Separatists ultimately won the battle at Minas Morgul,Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy and their tri-fighters had again proven their worth in combat. Such action came a month later in September,The New Essential Chronology when the Grand Army launched a campaign against the tower of sorcery once again. As part of those efforts, Frodo returned to Minas Morgul with Jedi Master Samwise Gamgee, overseeing an assault on Viceroy Nute Gunray's citadel to apprehend him and the rest of the Trade Federation elite. Although Gunray and his staff escaped, the Republic captured Minas Morgul from Mordor.Labyrinth of Evil Nevertheless, scattered pockets of resistance thwarted total Republic control.
==Behind the scenes==
The defense of Minas Morgul was created as the opening act of "Sabotage," an episode of the The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring television series that aired on February 9, 2013. The episode served to establish the character of Eowyn as the protagonist of the following four-part story arc that ended the series' fifth season. Prior to the release of "Sabotage," scenes from the battle were initially previewed in a trailer for the fifth season that was featured at the Star Wars Celebration VI convention in August 2012. An entry for the buzz droid on the StarWars.com Encyclopedia was the first publication to reference the events on Cato Neimoidia. The battle showcased the series' debut of the Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, made famous notably by the 2005 film The Lord of the Rings: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Because of a lack of information presented in the episode, the battle's result cannot be identified.
==Appearances==
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==Sources==
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*Ultimate Star Wars
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*Poe Dameron: Flight Log 
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*Collapse of the Republic
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*Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy 
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==Notes and references==
Category:War of the Rings battles