Battle of Sullust/Legends

This article details a subject that falls under the Legends brand.The subject of this article appeared in the Rise of the Empire era.This is a Wookieepedia Featured Article.

Template:Otheruses

### Concurrent

* Foerost Siege
* Battle of Drongar

## Battle of Sullust

### Outcome

* Confederacy of Independent Systems withdraws
* Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress presumed dead

Combatants| * Confederacy of Independent Systems
* Dark Acolytes
* Jedi Order

Commanders| * Count Dooku Orders via hologram
* Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress betrayed late in battle
* TJ-912
* OOM command battle droid
* General Anakin Skywalker
* Admiral Wullf Yularen

Strength| * 1 Dark Acolyte
* 1 T-series tactical droid
* B1 battle droids
* OOM command battle droids
* 1 *Ginivex*-class starfighter
* Droid tri-fighters
	+ Trident Group One
	+ Trident Group Two
* *Hyena*-class bombers
* Vulture droid starfighters
* 6 *Munificent*-class star frigates
* 1 *Providence*-class carrier/destroyer†
* 2 *Recusant*-class light destroyers
* Clone troopers
	+ Clone naval officers
* Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighters
* BTL-B Y-wing starfighters
* 2 Delta-7B *Aethersprite*-class light interceptors
* V-19 Torrent starfighters
* 1 *Acclamator*-class assault ship
* 3 *Arquitens*-class light cruisers
* 3 *Consular*-class cruisers
* 1 *Pelta*-class frigate
* 5 *Venator*-class Star Destroyers
	+ *Resolute*†

Casualties| Majority of forces* Battle droids and droid starfighters
* *Ginivex*-class starfighter; Ventress severely injured
* The *Providence*-class carrier/destroyer
* Extensive damage to Obi-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7B interceptor
* *Resolute*

> Master, I need your help, quickly. I am surrounded.*"
> "*You have already lost the battle, child. I've ordered your reinforcements to return.*"
> "*No! I will destroy the Jedi. I'll show you!*"
> "*You have failed me for the last time. You are no longer my apprentice. And now, you shall die.
>
> Asajj Ventress is betrayed by Count Dooku during the Battle of Sullust, Nightsisters (episode)

The **Battle of Sullust** took place in 21 BBY during the Clone Wars, when the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic clashed over the planet Sullust. While a Confederate fleet waged an intense space battle against a Republic flotilla commanded by Admiral Wullf Yularen and Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress personally led the Separatists' starfighters against the Republic task force. Spearheading droid tri-fighter attacks, Ventress destroyed the *Resolute*, the flagship of Skywalker and Yularen, before moving in to challenge Skywalker and Kenobi in starfighter combat, dealing losses all the while. However, her push for success soon saw interference from her own Master, Count Dooku.

Charged by his Sith Master, the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, with killing Ventress to prove his true allegiance to his Master, Dooku ordered an attempt on his apprentice's life. After recalling Ventress's reinforcements, Dooku had the tactical droid TJ-912 and her Separatist destroyer directly assault and destroy the Separatist command ship, where Ventress had engaged Skywalker and Kenobi in a lightsaber duel. With the Confederate fleet sustaining heavy damage, Dooku ordered TJ-912 to recall their armada from the Sullust system. However, both Ventress and the Jedi escaped from the command ship prior to its annihilation. Presumed to have died at Sullust, the betrayed Ventress turned to her people, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, for aid in taking revenge on Dooku.

## Prelude

> There is a disturbance in the Force. Your assassin, she has become very powerful.*"
> "*Yes, my Lord. She is quite important to me.*"
> "Too* important.
>
> Darth Sidious and Count Dooku, on Asajj Ventress, Nightsisters (episode)

 File:AnakinVentressDuel-Kamino.jpg
By 21 BBY, the second year of the Clone Wars, the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress had become the most trusted and cunning assassin of Count Dooku. As a Sith Lord and an apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, Dooku considered taking Ventress as his own Sith apprentice to overthrow his Sith Master, in accordance with the Sith's Rule of Two. To that extent, Dooku trained Ventress in the Sith arts, though he abstained from officially taking her as his Sith apprentice, a decision of his that Ventress resented.

Growing strong in the Force, Ventress supported Dooku's breakaway Confederacy of Independent Systems in its struggle against the Galactic Republic. At times, she acted as Dooku's personal emissary to potential Separatist member worlds, and on other occasions, she operated as a spy and special agent. However, she primarily served as a Separatist field commander in a number of wartime campaigns. When battle groups from the Republic and the Confederacy met in the Outer Rim Territories' Sullust system to do battle, it was Ventress who led the Separatists' assault.

## The battle

### Separatist pushes

> Looks like I'm her favorite!*"
> "*I'm kind of disappointed. Only the *droids* follow me.
>
> Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, after Asajj Ventress divides her forces and pursues the former, Nightsisters (episode)

The Sullust system became a battlefield when a fleet from the Confederate Navy—led by a *Providence*-class carrier/destroyer, in turn being flanked by two *Recusant*-class light destroyers and six *Munificent*-class star frigates—launched numerous droid starfighters to battle a flotilla from the Republic Navy. Commanded by Admiral Wullf Yularen from the *Venator*-class Star Destroyer *Resolute*, an *Acclamator*-class assault ship and five *Venator*-class Star Destroyers openly challenged the Confederate armada over the planet Sullust, deploying squadrons of ARC-170 starfighters, BTL-B Y-wing starfighters, and V-19 Torrent starfighters to combat the Confederacy's Vulture droid starfighters and *Hyena*-class bombers. The Republic's escort ships—comprised of three *Consular*-class cruisers, a *Pelta*-class frigate, and a trio of *Arquitens*-class light cruisers—additionally provided supporting laser fire to counter the Separatist fleet's attack.

 File:BattleOfSullust-VentressAttack.jpg
As the Republic's starfighters moved in to harass the larger Separatist frigates, the Confederacy responded with similar offensives. While the T-series tactical droid TJ-912 supervised the Separatist fleet from one of the *Recusant*-class destroyers, Asajj Ventress led their droid starfighters in a vicious assault on the embattled Republic task force. Spearheading the charge from her *Ginivex*-class starfighter, Ventress took several squadrons of the Confederacy's new, formidable droid tri-fighters to target the *Resolute*—the flagship of Yularen and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker. While the Republic's *Consular*-class cruisers began to fall to Separatist fire, Ventress had the tri-fighters of Trident Group One attack the *Resolute*Template:'s starboard engines, while she sent Trident Group Two to assault the cruiser's port-side shield generators. Once the tri-fighters had done their work, Ventress brazenly maneuvered through the *Resolute*Template:'s intense turbolaser fire and blasted away at the defenseless battleship's bridge, where Yularen and several clone naval officers were overseeing the battle. Although the *Resolute* was subsequently destroyed, Yularen was able to escape before its destruction.

Generals Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi soon joined the battle in their Delta-7B interceptors, though they too ran afoul of Ventress and her armada of droid starfighters. When Ventress chased after the two Jedi Knights and directed laser fire at Kenobi's interceptor, Skywalker and Kenobi split up to divide the Dark Acolyte's pursuant forces. Driving the Jedi toward the Separatist fleet, Ventress personally went after Kenobi, while her tri-fighters were sent to assail Skywalker and his starfighter. Two trios of tri-fighters split up to pursue Skywalker, but the famed Jedi pilot was able to maneuver around one of the *Recusant*-class destroyers, causing the two groups of droid starfighters to crash into each other. With the Republic's assault ships bearing down on the Separatist frigates, Ventress pursued Kenobi past one of the Republic Star Destroyers and finally landed a laser shot on his starfighter, sending him careening toward the Confederacy's *Providence*-class command ship. As Ventress followed Kenobi to the Separatist flagship, Skywalker caught up with them and compromised the engines of the Dark Acolyte's starfighter. Both of their ships now critically damaged, Kenobi and Ventress crash-landed in the main hangar of the Separatist flagship.

### The betrayal of Asajj Ventress

> Yes, my Lord. Ventress is battling the Jedi on board the command ship.*"
> "*Turn your guns on our command ship and open fire!*"
> "*But, my Lord, I calculate that will destroy Ventress, the Jedi, and all our forces.*"
> "*Precisely.
>
> TJ-912 is ordered by Count Dooku to betray Asajj Ventress, Nightsisters (episode)

 File:VentressVsKenobiSkywalkerNightsisters.jpg
As Separatist reinforcements were dispatched to the Sullust system, Ventress's growing powers, as displayed in the ongoing battle, caused Darth Sidious to sense a disturbance in the Force. Suspecting that Dooku was training her as his own Sith apprentice to overpower him, Sidious demanded that Dooku eliminate Ventress as an admission of loyalty. Not wishing to lose his valuable assassin but unwilling to disobey his Sith Master, Dooku complied with Sidious's demands. He recalled Ventress's reinforcements, and Ventress discovered his abandonment of her when she contacted him for assistance. Left by Dooku to die, Ventress faced the Jedi alone aboard the command ship. Skywalker soon joined Kenobi in the destroyer's hangar, freeing him from his damaged interceptor with the help of his astromech droid, R2-D2. The two Jedi then confronted Ventress, who—despite being injured from the crash—refused to surrender and engaged the Jedi in a lightsaber duel. Ventress managed to evade several of her adversaries' attacks until Skywalker and Kenobi Force-pushed against her starfighter, at which point she unleashed a wave of dark side energy, capturing both Skywalker and Kenobi in a Force choke.

However, Dooku's campaign to kill Ventress was not over. He ordered TJ-912—who was overseeing her own *Recusant*-class light destroyer with an OOM command battle droid—to open fire on the *Providence*-class command ship, despite the fact that such a move would destroy all of the Separatists' forces in addition to killing Ventress and the Jedi. TJ-912 obeyed Dooku's orders, and with the Republic and Confederate fleets still facing off against one another over Sullust, the tactical droid had her *Recusant*-class destroyer turn on their own *Providence*-class flagship. Moving her destroyer into attack position, TJ-912 ordered her B1 battle droids to direct turbolaser fire at the command ship and its main docking bay. The damage wrought by TJ-912's friendly fire shook the flagship, and Ventress subsequently lost her Force hold on the Jedi. In spite of the fact that the *Providence*-class destroyer was failing and dangerously close to obliteration, the Jedi continued their duel with Ventress, though all three opponents were forced to dodge around her damaged starfighter as the listing cruiser caused it to drift. Eventually, Skywalker and Kenobi disarmed Ventress of both of her lightsabers, and the unarmed Ventress was left cornered against her starfighter at lightsaber-point.

At that moment, TJ-912 ordered a *Hyena*-class bomber to terminate its flight path in the command ship's main hangar, right at the location of the duel. The bomber crashed into the hangar on a suicide run, forcing Skywalker, Kenobi, and Ventress to dive for cover. In addition, two *Venator*-class Star Destroyers moved in from the Republic armada and began to fire upon the flagship, further compromising the vessel. With damage increasing, the destroyer's battle droid operators ordered all personnel to abandon ship. Skywalker and Kenobi broke off from their duel with Ventress and escaped from the ship in their starfighters. Once the Jedi had left, Ventress piloted the wreckage of her *Ginivex*-class starfighter—with its life support systems still intact—out of the hangar, crashing through several battle droids in the process. She escaped moments before the flagship was completely destroyed. Not finding any survivors of the command ship via scanning, TJ-912 reported Ventress's apparent death to Dooku, who then ordered the tactical droid to recall the depleted Confederate fleet from the system.

## Aftermath

> Dooku. He betrayed me.*"
> "*I know. I had hoped you would find your way to us sooner.*"
> "*I *will* have revenge.*"
> "*Yes, you shall, Sister. We will see to it.
>
> Asajj Ventress and Mother Talzin, Nightsisters (episode)

 File:DookuNightsisterClash2-Nightsisters.png
Darth Sidious was pleased with Dooku's obedience in killing Ventress, though Dooku was now without his most trusted assassin. Both Dooku and the Republic presumed that Ventress had been killed during the Battle of Sullust, though this was not in fact the case. The battle left a large debris field over Sullust, in which Ventress continued to survive in the derelict cockpit of her starfighter. She was eventually found by the crew of the GS-100 salvage ship *Raider*, captained by the scavenger Ratch. After killing Ratch and his crew, Ventress commandeered the *Raider* and returned to her homeworld of Dathomir to seek aid from her people, the Nightsisters, in exacting revenge on Dooku for his betrayal. Once she had been healed by the Nightsisters and their leader, Mother Talzin, the jilted Ventress set out with fellow Nightsisters Naa'leth and Karis for Dooku's palace on the planet Serenno, where she intended to assassinate him. Posing as Jedi, Ventress and her Nightsister accomplices took along stolen Jedi lightsabers to engage the count in combat.

Following the Republic assault, Sullust, which had been a member world of the Confederacy, made strides toward changing its political allegiances. SoroSuub Corporation replaced Beolars Bribbs, who had served as Sullust's senator as well as SoroSuub's Chief Executive Officer, with Siin Suub, a Republic supporter.

## Behind the scenes

> In the past, only Dooku's assassin was capable of such an effort. But she was presumed dead at the Battle of Sullust.
>
> Jedi Master Adi Gallia provides the official name for the battle in "Witches of the Mist", Witches of the Mist

 File:VentressDooku-COD.png
Created for the *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* television series, the Battle of Sullust was featured in the third season episode "Nightsisters," which aired in January 2011. Count Dooku's betrayal of Asajj Ventress, the central element to the battle, was first alluded to at the August 2010 Celebration V convention by Series Producer George Lucas, though the manner in which Dooku betrayed his apprentice was not specified. The battle received its official "Battle of Sullust" name in the episode "Witches of the Mist," which served as the conclusion to the "Nightsisters" story arc that began in the eponymous episode. In addition to showcasing a number of starship models that had been created for the television series, the battle featured the series' debut of the droid tri-fighter, as well as the series' debut of Ventress's *Ginivex*-class starfighter. It also depicted the destruction of the *Resolute*, which had long served as the flagship of Anakin Skywalker and Wullf Yularen.

### Alternate storyline

> **Tano**Master, are you all right?**Skywalker**I am now. With your help and Master Ma'kis, we can blow that witch out of the stars!**Ma'kis**Copy that, General Skywalker.

In an early script draft of "Nightsisters," the battle progressed differently than the final version in the episode. In that version, the fact that Ventress is grossly outnumbered is much more palpable. Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Jedi Master Ma'kis'shaalas arrive at Sullust with reinforcements in the form of four *Venator*-class Star Destroyers and their own Delta-7B starfighters. Tano and Ma'kis assist Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in chasing down the severely outmatched Ventress, whose *Ginivex*-class starfighter is shot down and forced to crash-land inside the hangar of the Separatist flagship. Just after the four Jedi land in the hangar, a Republic starfighter attack shakes the flagship, allowing Ventress to gain the upper hand over her first opponent, Ma'kis, whom she kills. Further starfighter assaults force Skywalker, Tano, and Kenobi to abandon the fight and evacuate from the flagship. Ventress, meanwhile, hails Dooku for reinforcements and learns that she will not be receiving any help, just as the flagship explodes. This version would have created further continuity problems, as Ma'kis originally perished in the Expanded Universe comic *Star Wars: Purge*, which takes place in 19 BBY, chronologically later in-universe. Nevertheless, this version did not make it past the 3D story stage of production for the episode.

## Appearances

* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Nightsisters" (First appearance)
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Monster" (Indirect mention only)
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Witches of the Mist" (Mentioned only) Template:1stID
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "To Catch a Jedi" (Indirect mention only)

## Sources

* Template:SWArchive Template:1stm (Indirect mention only)
* Template:SWArchive (Indirect mention only)
* "Launch Pad"—*Star Wars Insider* 122 (Indirect mention only)
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine 2* (Indirect mention only)
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic UK 6.16* (Indirect mention only)
* Template:SWArchive
* Template:SWArchive (Indirect mention only)
* Template:SWArchive (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com "Nightsisters" - *The Clone Wars* Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link)
* StarWars.com "Witches of the Mist" - *The Clone Wars* Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* The Complete Season Three
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic UK 6.31*
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine 11*
* *Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded*
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars: What Is a Sith Warrior?*
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Who Are the Jedi?* (Picture only)
* "100 and Counting"—*Star Wars Insider* 139 (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com "To Catch a Jedi" - *The Clone Wars* Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic UK 6.45*
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Episode Guide*
* *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine 18*
* Template:FFCite
* Template:FFCite (Indirect mention only)
* *Star Wars Comic 6* (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Asajj Ventress in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Count Dooku in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Darth Sidious in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Jedi starfighter in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Mother Talzin in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Nightsisters in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Republic attack cruiser in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Savage Opress in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* StarWars.com Encyclopedia Separatist dreadnought in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
* Template:FFCite (Indirect mention only)
* Template:FFCite
* Template:FFCite
* Template:FFCite
* Template:FFCite
* *Strongholds of Resistance*

## Notes and references

1. ↑ *Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Episode Guide*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *The New Essential Chronology*
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 3.47 3.48 3.49 3.50 3.51 3.52 3.53 3.54 3.55 3.56 3.57 3.58 3.59 3.60 3.61 3.62 3.63  *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Nightsisters"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:TCWdates
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 StarWars.com "Nightsisters" - *The Clone Wars* Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link)
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3  *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Witches of the Mist"
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 Template:SWArchive
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:SWArchive
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 *Yoda: Dark Rendezvous*
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Template:CN
11. ↑  "The Sultry Sith"—*Star Wars Insider* 122
12. ↑  *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Ambush"
13. ↑  *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Rookies"
14. ↑  *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "Cloak of Darkness"
15. ↑ *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* film
16. ↑  *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* – "ARC Troopers"
17. ↑ *The Essential Atlas*
18. ↑ Template:HasbroCite
19. ↑ *The Clone Wars: Defenders of the Republic*
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 *Strongholds of Resistance*
21. ↑ Template:Hnn
22. ↑ Template:SWArchive
23. ↑ *The Clone Wars: Wild Space*
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* The Complete Season Three, "Jedi Temple Archives" Blu-ray feature for "Nightsisters"
25. ↑ *Star Wars: Purge*

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