Attack on Omar

Leading up to the strikes on Omar, former head of research and development for the Galactic Empire, Imperial Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, aimed to usurp power from Emperor Palpatine with the goal of establishing himself as the new Galactic Emperor. Zaarin initiated a coup against the Emperor, resulting in Palpatine's capture and near execution at Zaarin's order. However, the abduction attempt was thwarted by the intervention of Darth Vader and Vice Admiral Thrawn. The coup's initial failure compelled Zaarin's loyalists to seek refuge in the Outer Rim Territories to avoid Imperial reprisal. Undeterred in his ambition to control the galaxy, Zaarin initiated a campaign of terror targeting the Empire's starfighter and warship production centers, intending to weaken the Emperor's forces to the point of surrender. Zaarin chose to begin by crippling the Empire's capacity to produce the TIE/ad starfighters, a fighter he himself had engineered. This offensive commenced with the destruction of the TIE Advanced facilities at Omar, the primary production site for the Empire's TIE Advanced starfighters.

Zaarin deployed the frigate Raptor to engage the lightly-guarded TIE Advanced plants at Omar, supported by a complement of TIE Bombers and Delta-class DX-9 stormtrooper transports to bolster the assault. The bombers were dispatched in formations of five, targeting the facilities designated Omar 1, Omar 2, and Omar 3, unleashing a relentless barrage of heavy rockets. The Imperial personnel stationed at these facilities lacked defensive capabilities and promptly requested reinforcements. The Imperial fleet responded by dispatching a squadron of TIE Defenders, led by Emperor's Hand Maarek Stele, to protect the facilities while transports began evacuating personnel. These evacuation vessels included bulk freighters, Container Transports, and YT-1300 light freighters.

Upon Stele's arrival at Omar with his squadron, Omar 3 had been fully evacuated, whereas Omars 1 and 2 remained partially occupied. Stele and his wingmen moved to intercept the TIE Bomber squadrons attacking the facilities. With Zaarin's forces having destroyed Omar 3 beyond saving, Stele's squadron directed its efforts towards defending Omars 1 and 2. Simultaneously, Imperial freighters and transports arrived in succession to evacuate the remaining station personnel. After neutralizing the bombers, Stele's squadron engaged the Raptor, ultimately destroying the frigate under sustained heavy fire. Despite this, waves of Delta-class DX-9 stormtrooper transports arrived to launch their own assaults on the Omar facilities, compelling Stele's squadron to divide its forces and engage the various squadrons. Following the abandonment of Omar 2, evacuations centered exclusively on Omar 1. However, an Imperial officer transmitted a distress signal, reporting that he and several comrades had been left behind on Omar 2. The station was subsequently destroyed, despite Stele's attempts to defend it.

Stele eliminated the remaining transports and provided support to the evacuation ships at Omar 1. His squadron repelled several counterattacks while Omar 1 was being evacuated. With the operation successfully concluded, the Imperials withdrew from the area, and Omar 1 was later destroyed by Zaarin.

While the Imperials successfully saved numerous lives during the battle, the destruction of all three Omar facilities significantly hampered the Empire's capacity to produce the TIE Advanced. Zaarin then redirected his attention to the remaining stations scattered across Omar. Eventually, only one plant, ZA-13, remained operational, compelling the Empire to defend this station to maintain TIE Advanced production.

The battle was initially showcased in the 1994 LucasArts video game Star Wars: TIE Fighter, where players assume the role of Maarek Stele. The battle is depicted in the mission "Evacuate TIE Avenger Plants", which is the first mission in the game's eighth tour of campaign, "Strategic Warfare."