Ambush on Hashim

Following his defection from the Galactic Empire and the unsuccessful putsch against Emperor Palpatine in 3 ABY, the renegade Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin pressed on with his campaign against the Empire, seeking to deprive it of its technological superiority. After a successful, albeit costly, destruction of the TIE Advanced manufacturing plants, he turned his attention to the Research station that birthed the TIE Defender. After failing to seize the station, not once, but twice, he resolved to demolish it himself.

However, Imperial loyalists, under the command of Maarek Stele, repelled his assaults long enough for the TIE Defender prototypes Proto 11 and 12 to be loaded onto a BFF-1 bulk freighter named Mharsup, along with key personnel, including the project's Chief scientist, who boarded a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle called G'nabgib. The two vessels then made their way to Buoy B-F09 to transfer the fighters to the Modified corvette group designated Hashim. Despite Rebel meddling, all 3 Defenders were successfully placed aboard individual corvettes and departed the area. They soon exited Hyperspace near buoy CRM-114, only to find themselves ensnared in an Ion mine field laid by Rneekii pirates. Unable to escape independently, and facing overwhelming odds against multiple R-41 Starchasers and a Strike-class medium cruiser named Intombe, they sent out a distress call, fearing that help would arrive too late.

Maarek Stele launched in his TIE Defender to defend the stranded ships. Almost immediately after his launch, one of the pirate transports from group Ibutho, specifically Ibutho 1, successfully docked with the G'nabgib and absconded with the Chief scientist. Stele shifted his focus to neutralizing the remaining transports to prevent further captures, all while engaging in a fierce dogfight and evading volleys from R-41 Starchaser squadrons, Dhlovo, Eshowe, Gingin, Hlobane and Khambula Squadron. Soon, Assault Gunboats arrived to reinforce Stele, aiding in the elimination of the enemy fighters and the Ion Mines, causing the Strike Cruiser Intombe to withdraw from the battle.

Though the pirates were repelled, the corvettes remained stranded, awaiting assistance. Furthermore, the Chief scientist and crucial data were now in the hands of the Rneekiii. While it was conceivable that the pirates could utilize this information and the scientist to construct their own TIE Defender, it would require time, time that could be exploited to initiate a "crash program". The prototypes, for the moment, remained secure from falling into enemy hands.

In response to the distress call, three Cargo Ferries named Mssan were dispatched to repair the corvettes and facilitate the transfer of the TIE Defenders, with Maarek Stele instructed to dock with Masan 3. However, two of the ferries arrived 24 klicks away, and a Rebel starfighter strike force, composed of 2 A-wings from Azul Squadron, 2 B-wings from Blue Squadron, and 4 X-wings from Red Squadron, had just arrived, posing a threat despite their distance of approximately 20 Klicks.

Once more, Maarek Stele was deployed in his TIE Defender to intercept the incoming enemy ships. Mssan 3, accompanied by two Assault Gunboats, joined the defense. However, another pirate contingent, known as the Nami, materialized in the form of a YT-1300 freighter called Dhoora, escorted by two Y-wings from Boegis Squadron and two T-wings from Talon Squadron, appearing dangerously close to the corvettes and disabling them. The Dhoora then docked with Hashim 1 and programmed the ship to jump into hyperspace. Stele attempted to intervene but only managed to shoot down one of the starfighters before the rest escaped.

Adding to the chaos, TIE Defenders under Zaarin's command arrived to engage Maarek Stele and the Gunboats. Stele succeeded in destroying all 12 Defenders, while the Cargo ferries arrived to receive the remaining prototype and Maarek Stele's TIE Defender. As Stele made his way to the Cargo ferries, the Rneekii Pirates reappeared in a Mon Calamari light cruiser named Sumpntodo, launching Z-95 Headhunters from Adam Squadron. Stele engaged the Rneekii Pirates, destroying several of their fighters, as Mssan 2 boarded with Hashim 2, picked up the prototype, and jumped into Hyperspace to rendezvous with Admiral Thrawn. Stele was then instructed to do the same, entering Masan 3 to rendezvous with Thrawn.

The two TIE Defenders reached Thrawn's Star-Destroyer safely, and Thrawn ordered the ship to return to Coruscant, giving the Empire the potential to produce TIE Defenders. However, the Empire's situation remained precarious, as two pirate factions possessed vital components for creating their own independent TIE Defenders: the Rneekii had the Chief scientist and the necessary data, while the Nami had the other prototype. In response, Thrawn initiated the design of a new starfighter to counter this unpredictable threat.

This battle is featured in Star Wars: TIE Fighter: Defender of the Empire, the expansion for Star Wars: TIE Fighter, specifically in Battle 9, Combats 5 and 6. This article assumes the completion of all "Primary", "Secondary", and "Bonus" objectives within the game.

It is possible to destroy the Dhoora before it docks, thereby preventing the capture. However, doing so will prevent Zaarin's TIE Defenders and the Rneekii pirate cruiser from appearing, making the completion of "Secondary" and "Bonus" objectives impossible. The player can still complete "Primary" mission objectives and return with "mission success".