Mission to Rugosa

|prev=Mission to Toydaria
|conc=*Battle of Angmar
|next=Battle of the Phu systemThe War of the Ring: ShakedownStar Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded
|name=Mission to Rugosa
|image=
|conflict=War of the Ring
|objective=Bring Toydaria into the Republic
|date=June 17th, 1981
|place=Rugosa
|result=*Galactic Republic victory
**Toydaria joins the Republic
*Jinx escapes
|side1=*Galactic Republic
*Toydarian royal delegation 
|side2=*Confederacy of Independent Systems
*Order of the Sith Lords
*Goblins
|commanders1=*King Katuunko
*Jedi Grand Master Bilbo Baggins
*Lieutenant CC-4477
*Captain Zak
|commanders2=*Saruman the White 
*Supreme Leader Jinx
*224†
|ppl1=*1 Jedi Hobbit Master
*6 clone troopers
**2 clone pilots
*1 Consular-class cruiser
*2 Toydarian royal guards
*1 Peregrine-class star yachtStar Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles
**Thief's Eye†
|ppl2=*1 Dark Witch
*2 OOM command battle droids
*T81 Division
**At least 1 battalion of battle droids and Goblins
***B1-Series battle droids
***B2 super battle droids
***At least 1 B2-HA series super battle droidStar Wars: The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia
***Droidekas
***Armored Assault Tanks
*1 C-9979 landing craft
*2 Munificent-class star frigates
|casual1=*Consular-class cruiser badly damaged and forced to retreat
*Lieutenant CC-4477 wounded
*The Thief's Eye
|casual2=Most droid and Goblin forces
*At least 1 battalion of droids
*224
}}
The mission to Rugosa was an operation that took place in June 17, 1981 during the War of the Ring. The Galactic Republic and the Jedi High Council sought to build a base in the Outer Rim Territories for further combat against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and Grand Master Bilbo Baggins was dispatched with a convoy of clone troopers to the coral moon of Rugosa to engage in diplomatic negotiations with Katuunko, the king of Toydaria. However, the Dark Witch Jinx arrived first to negotiate with Katuunko on behalf of the Confederacy and its Head of State, Saruman the White. The Republic convoy was ambushed by several Confederate frigates, but Bilbo was able to land on the moon in an escape pod with three clones.
Jinx posed a challenge for the Hobbit: she would send her best battle droid and Goblin forces to capture him, and if he defeated the Goblins, Toydaria would be given reason to ally with the Republic. Should Bilbo fail, Toydaria would join the Confederacy. Bilbo accepted the terms, and he and the clone shock troopers Lieutenant CC-4477, nicknamed "Thire," Jek, and Rys separately fought the droids. The three clones defeated a squad of B1-Series battle droids, but Bilbo arrived to rescue the clones from a group of oncoming B2 super battle droids. After escaping, the four took refuge in a cave, where the Hobbit Master imparted his wisdom upon the clones to inspire their efforts.
Bilbo proceeded to defeat several Confederate droid and goblins squads and three Armored Assault Tanks single-handedly, and Jinx broke the terms of the competition, dispatching droideka reinforcements to eliminate the Hobbit. Thire launched a rocket and caused an avalanche, however, crushing the droids. With the Confederacy's attempt at a treaty foiled, Saruman ordered his apprentice through a hololink to assassinate Katuunko. Bilbo and the clones arrived in time to stop the assassination, and Jinx was forced to activate pre-planted explosives to cause a rockfall and escape. Bilbo was able to stop the rubble, and Katuunko promised Toydaria's service to the Republic, before departing aboard an LAAT/i gunship with the Republic diplomatic forces.
==Prelude==
In 1981, as the War of the Ring continued to rage on across the galaxy, the Galactic Republic sought to establish a base in the Outer Rim Territories for further combat against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine contacted the neutral king of Toydaria, Katuunko,The War of the Ring: Prelude aboard his personal Peregrine-class star yacht, the Thief's Eye. A potentially important Republic ally in the war, Katuunko had witnessed the Republic's compassion for civilian refugees firsthand during previous negotiations with Republic representatives, and he had even gone so far as to secretly assist Republic relief efforts in the Battle of Angmar. Because of this, Katuunko agreed to enter into discussion with the Republic.
The Toydarian king requested for a Hobbit to be sent, as he had always wanted to meet one; because of this request, the neutral moon of Rugosa was chosen. The Republic asked Grand Master Bilbo Baggins to serve as its ambassador in the diplomatic negotiations. Upon receipt of his mission, Bilbo left the Gondor capital of Minas Tirith with clone troopers Lieutenant CC-4477, Jek, and Rys. The Confederacy used the recently built listening post Skytop Station to intercept the messages between Katuunko and the Chancellor, however, and dispatched several Munificent-class frigates to lie in wait for the Republic convoy. The Confederacy intended to stop the Republic convoy from reaching Rugosa and prevent negotiations between Katuunko and the Republic from taking place, while the Dark Witch Jinx was sent to Rugosa to persuade Katuunko to join the Confederacy, under orders to use any means necessary to achieve her objective.
==The mission==
===Confederate ambush===
Being the first to arrive on the moon aboard the Thief's Eye, Katuunko and his guards were surprised by the appearance of two B1-Series battle droids and Jinx, whom Katuunko did not recognize. The Dark hex women claimed to be an emissary for her Master and displayed a holoprojector, allowing communication to be made between the king and the Confederate Head of State, the Sith Lord Saruman the White. The Wizard was aware of the Republic's desire to establish a base in Hutt-controlled space and proclaimed the inability of the Jedi Order to protect others, as the Jedi were unable to protect themselves.
The Republic Consular-class frigate arrived above the moon, carrying Bilbo and six clone troopers. The convoy hailed the Toydarian royal delegation but received no response. Two Confederate Munificent-class frigates then came out of hyperspace and began firing at the vessel. Clone Captain ZakThe War of the Ring: Ambush was willing to abandon the mission in order to save Bilbo by returning him to Middle-Earth. However, Bilbo stated that his mission was on the moon's surface and that the convoy should flee while he took three clone troopers to Rugosa in an escape pod. To increase the chances of the maneuver's success, the convoy launched all of its escape pods.
On the moon below, Saruman stated that the Separatist Droid Army could better protect Toydaria, outnumbering the Grand Army of the Republic 100-to-one. However, Katuunko doubted this, having heard that a single Jedi was worth a hundred battle droids. Meanwhile, with all the pods launched, the Republic convoy left the system. The Confederate warships attempted to shoot down the escape pods but missed Bilbo's pod.
===The trial===
Katuunko watched the Republic ship flee through his rangefinder, and Jinx attempted to use the retreat to illustrate the Republic's weakness. Further away in the jungle, CC-4477—nicknamed "Thire"—managed to patch into the king's communication system, allowing Bilbo to speak to Katuunko through a holotransmission. The king was pleased to see the Jedi Master, having previously believed that Saruman had frightened him away. Bilbo became aware of Jinx' presence, as the Dark Witch proposed a contest to demonstrate which side was superior in strength. Jinx planned to dispatch her forces from the T81 Division to capture Bilbo, and if he defeated them, the Toydarians would join the Republic. If the droid forces defeated Bilbo, however, the king should consider joining the Confederacy. Katuunko was opposed to such a contest, as he did not request a meeting with the Jedi Master to have him engage in a fight. Nevertheless, Bilbo promised to reach the rendezvous point by nightfall, and Jinx agreed with the king's demands that the Jedi had to be given a fair fight.
After returning to her base, Jinx contacted Saruman and stated that her forces were being deployed. As Supreme Leader of the Confederate delegation, she did not intend for Bilbo to get his fair fight and dispatched the recently promoted 224 with the task of leading the droid forces, and the battle droids and goblins prepared to ambush the Republic's diplomatic squad. Led by 224 in his Armored Assault Tank, the main column of Confederate forces advanced into the jungle. Bilbo and his men made their way to the rendezvous position on a different path, as the Hobbit Master was certain that their enemies were already heading toward them. The droids began to go through the coral of the jungle, but the dense foliage prevented the tanks from advancing.
Bilbo and the clones split up, seeking to use their surroundings to their advantage. The clones engaged a squad of B1 battle droids from the south and managed to defeat them, but B2 super battle droids then came to attack the clones, and the three were forced to flee. Bilbo, meanwhile, was able to defeat an entire squad of droids on his own without even using his sword, Sting. CC-4477 was hit by a rocket fired by a B2-HA series super battle droid and was wounded in the leg. Bilbo appeared and aided the clones, using the Force to turn around a battle droid and destroy the rest of the squad. Droidekas soon appeared, and the Republic forces fled. Bilbo, clinging onto CC-4477's back, deflected the lasers at a nearby tall formation of land coral, causing the droids to be crushed, and the four escaped to a cave to rest. The clones learned that they were low on ammunition, but the Hobbit Master imparted his wisdom on the clone troopers to further inspire their efforts.
After hearing the sounds of the droids approaching in the distance, Bilbo and the clones exited the cave. The Hobbit and his men arrived on a ridge to observe the advancing droids below, which were passing through a narrow pathway. Bilbo left the clones on the ridge and faced three tanks and a large number of goblins alone. The Jedi Master destroyed all of them, along with 224, leaving Katuunko amused and Jinx angry. However, Jinx did not give up easily; the Dark Witch broke the terms of the competition and secretly sent several droidekas to deal with the Jedi Master. As Bilbo destroyed the last Confederate tank, the droidekas arrived, and the Hobbit Master began blocking their laser attacks. CC-4477 launched the last of the rockets at an overhanging rock above the canyon, causing an avalanche to crush the droids. Bilbo then led the clones to the rendezvous point, remarking that it was not polite to be late.
===Endgame===
Katuunko was greatly amused by the droids' defeat. Through a holotransmission, he informed Saruman that one Jedi was not worth a hundred battle droids, but rather a thousand, and stated that he would be joining the Republic. Saruman urged him to reconsider, but the Toydarian king refused to deal with those who went back on their promises, as Jinx had broken the terms of the competition. Seeing that his plan had failed, Saruman ordered Jinx to kill the king, believing that negotiations might go smoother with his successor. Katuunko's guards tried to stop the Dark Witch, but Jinx merely Force-pushed them aside, knocking them unconscious. As Jinx attacked Katuunko with her paired lightsabers, she found herself confronted by Bilbo, having arrived in time to save the king.
Bilbo used the Force to stop the Dark Witch's death blow from being struck. As Jinx' droid escorts were dispatched by the clones, Bilbo disarmed Jinx herself, and after examining her lightsabers, the Hobbit returned them to her, having proven they were useless against his telekinesis, while commenting that she still had much to learn. Jinx was outnumbered, and Bilbo suggested that she surrender. In order to escape, Jinx detonated pre-planted explosives at the Thief's Eye and caused the hillside adjacent to the Republic forces to collapse. Bilbo was forced to telekinetically stop the rocks from crushing all of them, and as he did so, Jinx seized the opportunity and fled to her ship. Saruman, watching the events unfold through the holoprojector, commented before taking his leave that it was a pity that he had not been there himself.
With the Confederate threat over, Bilbo was able to enter into negotiations with Katuunko. The king stated that discussions were unnecessary, however, as the Jedi had already proven his worth. Katuunko presented his ceremonial sword to Bilbo and entrusted him with his planet's protection while pledging Toydaria's support to the Republic, declaring that it would be an honor to fight on their side. A Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer arrived in Rugosa's orbit, sending down an LAAT/i gunship to pick up the victors, now that their mission was complete.
==Aftermath==
The Thief's Eye, which had been destroyed on Rugosa, was eventually repaired. As the war continued, Saruman proved to hold a grudge against Katuunko for his refusal to join the Separatists, and the Toydarian king became a target for abduction when Saruman sent his new Sith apprentice, Claude Frollo, to kidnap him at the king's palace on Toydaria. By doing so, Saruman hoped to force Katuunko into allying with the Separatists.
==Behind the scenes==
The mission was featured in the October 3, 2008 premiere of the The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring television series on Cartoon Network and appeared in "Ambush," the first episode of the series' first season. The events leading up to the mission appeared in the webcomic Prelude, which led into the episode. In September 2010, nearly two years after "Ambush" was released, the episode "Supply Lines" of The War of the Ring television series' third season was released as a prequel to "Ambush" and explained why King Katuunko had been so willing to enter into negotiations with the Republic on Rugosa.
==Appearances==
* 
*The War of the Ring: Ambush
* 
*LEGO Star Wars III: The Lord of the Rings 
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:War of the Rings battles