Battle of Sullust (Republic traitor)

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|prev=Battle of Jabiim
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|name=Battle of Sullust
|image=
|conflict=War of the Ring
|date=April 15-18, 1982
|place=Sullust
|result=Separatist victory
|side1=*Galactic Republic
**Night Hammer Command
*Jedi Order
*Republic Outland Regions Security Force
|side2=*Confederacy of Independent Systems
**Sullustan Home Guard
|commanders1=*Jedi General Wom-Nii Gnaden
*Jedi General Rees Alrix
*Brigadier General Gideon Tarkin
|commanders2=*President Beolars Bribbs
*Commander Jinx
*Admiral Oris Ski (Republic traitor)
|forces1=*2 Jedi
*Clone troopers
*Planetary Defense troopers
*BARC speeders
*AT-TE walkers
*SPHA walkers
*TX-130 Saber-class fighter tanks
*Low altitude assault transport/infantry gunships
*Delta-7 Aethersprite light interceptors 
*V-19 Torrent starfighters
*ARC-170 starfighters
*CloakShape fighters
*CR-20 troop carriers
*Arquitens-class light cruisers
*Venator-class star destroyers
*Acclamator-class assault ships
*Centax-class heavy frigates
*Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser
*Consular-class cruisers
|forces2=*B1 battle droids
*B2 super battle droids
*Gossam Commandos
*Sullustan troops
*Droidekas
*Armored assault tanks
*NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers
*Ground armored tanks
*OG-9 homing spider droids
*IG-227 hailfire droids
*DSD1 dwarf spider droids
*HMP droid gunships
*1 Ginivex-class starfighter
*Cutlass-9 patrol fighters
*Vulture-class droid starfighters
*Droid tri-fighter
*Hyena-class bomber
*Dauntless-class heavy cruisers
*Providence-class carrier/destroyers
*Lucrehulk-class battleships
*Munificent-class star frigates
*Recusant-class light destroyers
*Diamond-class cruisers
|casual1=Heavy
|casual2=Medium
}}
The Battle of Sullust took place during the War of the Ring. The Galactic Republic invaded Sullust hoping to capture one of the most important holdings of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Initially the Republic had successes, yet quickly setbacks followed. The Republic had rushed preparations for the battle and used a force mostly consisting of various Planetary Defense Forces, creating a disparate and varied force. The treachery of Admiral Oris Ski was the final nail in the Republic's coffin.
==Prelude==
Sullust was the home of SoroSuub Corporation, a member of the Commerce Guild. Half of the population of Sullust was employed by SoroSuub. In 1979 the Sullustans and the shareholders of SoroSuub elected Beolars Bribbs as President of the Sullustan Council and CEO of SoroSuub. After the Battle of Isengard Sullust initially remained with the Republic and formed a bastion against Separatism together with Eriadu. A year into the war President Bribbs announced that Sullust would secede from the Republic and join the Confederacy of Independent Systems. A move that was welcomed by most of the population, as the parent company of SoroSuub had already joined the Separatist movement. Sullust became a fortress world for the Confederacy and provided a staging ground to launch assaults on the Core Worlds. Nearby Eriadu was one of the few planets in the region still loyal to the Republic and had become a staging ground for Republic assaults into Separatist sectors. The secession of Sullust put even more pressure on the surrounded Seswenna Sector and Eriadu.
The Republic hoped that quickly striking at Sullust would relieve pressure of Eriadu and deal a blow to the Confederacy before they could use the industrial might of Sullust. Brigadier General Gideon Tarkin of Eriadu organized nearby Planetary Defense Forces, like the Republic Outland Regions Security Force, combing them with the parts of the Eighteenth Army. Which was commanded by Jedi Generals Wom-Nii Gnaden, Rees Alrix and Admiral Oris Ski. The preparations were hurried, the PDF's were disparate in skill, training and equipment. Several commanders noted that this discrepancy might effect their combat effectiveness, though these complaints were largely ignored.
Sullust was protected by the Sullustan Home Guard. They were recently reinforced with the new Dauntless-class heavy cruisers. Unbeknownst to the Republic, the Confederacy recieved information about the assault from the Separatist-turned Admiral Oris Ski. Saruman the White tasked Dark Witch Jinx to lead the Confederacy counterattack.
==The Battle==
The Republic task force had arrived in orbit of Sullust. The defensive fleet was quickly routed and pushed back to beyond the moon of Sullust, Sulon. This left the way open for the Republic to commence their invasion. The Republic had to carefully commit their forces, as the surface of Sullust was unstable and the air filled with hot toxic fumes. The Sullustans lived in massive underground caves and tunnels. This left only a few landing zones for the Republic troops. The capital city of Byllurun was a prime target of the invading forces. Byllurun contained the headquaters of SoroSuub and the governing building of the Sullustan council.
The Republic and allied forces made good progress in the early stages. Much of Byllurun fell to the Eighteenth army, with limited casualties. Cities like Fulluusub even welcomed the Republic, as they saw them as liberators from the SoroSuub control of the planet. The commanders on the Republic side became overconfident, suggesting that the native Sullustans and droid forces weren't up to the task of defending the planet. Both Jedi Generals remained skeptical however, as they found it difficult to believe that the Confederacy would give up a planet like Sullust without much resistance.
===First setbacks===
With Byllurum almost under control of the Eighteenth army, Tarkin proceeded with the assault on Serres Sarrano, a city of millions build within a dormant volcano. The city contained some of the largest manufacturing and shipbuilding facilities on Sullust. Tarkin's Outland Regions forces met with heavy Separatist and Sullustan resistance in the tunnel passages leading to the city. Even after several assaults they failed to break the Confederate lines. Increasing amounts of casualties forced Tarkin to take an other approach. The Outland Regions forces would commence a new assault. With the Separatists distracted Tarkin would send an other Planetary Security force over the planets surface to enter the city through the mountain.
With a day preparing, Tarkin's forces engaged the Separatist lines. Like the previous assaults the Outland Regions forces didn't manage to break the Separatist forces. Meanwhile Tarkin's second force, consisting of a division of troops from Phelarion, engaged the city using surface passageways. The Separatists were prepared however. Entrenched droid forces put up tough resistance, supported by NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers and OG-9 homing spider droids. Adding to the problems of the Phelarion troops, breathing equipment of large amounts of troops appeared to be faulty and failed. More troopers died to toxic fumes than to combat, while the Separatist droid forces could continue the fight. Bombardment of the droid positions were of no use, as droid forces could retreat underground and the city was protected by mountain. Serres Sarrano produced Cutlass-9 patrol fighters protected Separatist forces from Republic fighters and bombers.
As the Jedi Generals learned of the setbacks they send relieve forces to support the Phelarion troops and pressured Tarkin to call of the assaults. Reluctant Tarkin eventually gave in. It wasn't until after the attack was called of and both forces returned to their lines that the full scale of the losses became clear. Half of the Phelarion forces got killed by combat or toxic fumes. The Jedi blamed Tarkin for his careless command that cost the lives of many of his men. Tarkin meanwhile was frustrated by the Jedi commanders, claiming they weren't fully committed to winning the battle. This put a futher wedge between the Republic command.
===Treachery===
As the battle on the surface continued Admiral Oris Ski was in charge of the combined fleet, protecting the Republic's supply lines and preparing for a Separatist counterattack. Ski had however become sympathetic to the Separatists after witnessing countless acts of corruption in the Senate's warcommittee. Senators had bribed members of the committee to move warships assigned to protect key worlds to the homeworlds of the senators. Ski's homeworld had also become a victim to this, which left his homeworld defenseless against a pirate assault. Admiral Ski had transmitted classified information to the Confederacy on details of the assault on Sullust and other Republic campaigns. During the battle he was put in contact with Jinx. Jinx informed Ski of the imminent strike of her fleet and provided Ski with a virus. Once uploaded, the virus would self-duplicate amongst the Republic ships and lower the shields once a command was given.
As the relieve force of the Separatists entered the system and engaged the Republic's fleet in orbit joined with the remainder of the Sullustan Home Guard, Ski activated the virus. The shields of the Republic ships failed. Smaller ships within the fleet always fell instantly to Separatist fire, as the larger destroyers suffered hull breaches and internal explosions. Admiral Ski informed Tarkin and the Jedi about the situation in orbit. The Republic command ordered a retreat. The larger warships were deployed as a defensive screen for the troop transsport to evacuate the ground forces. The battle was lost. 
==Aftermath==
The battle was a huge setback for the Republic. Sullust remained a Separatist stronghold during the remainder of the war and would contribute much to the Separatist war effort. Not long after the battle it was discovered that Oris Ski had betrayed the Republic. Ski's flagship was destroyed during the battle, many believed the admiral had gone down with the ship. Only later it was discovered that he had survived and was in service of the Separatists. Republic Intelligence would undertake a mission to Genian to take out the admiral.
Category:War of the Rings battles