The Battle of Geddes unfolded as one of the conflicts within the Krantian Civil War, which itself was a theater of the larger Galactic Civil War.
The Galactic Empire succeeded in retrieving the Vor'Na'Tu, a relic of great power belonging to the Jedi, from Krant around 0 ABY. They then transported it to Geddes, an asteroid orbiting Krant. Geddes hosted an Imperial research facility, and the Vor'Na'Tu was secured within a Sith Temple. The Sith Lord Darth Vader journeyed to Geddes to claim the artifact.
Subsequently, the Bothan spy Utric Sandov arranged a meeting on Krant with Princess Leia Organa to share crucial intelligence for the Rebel Alliance. After crashing on Krant, Organa encountered Echuu Shen-Jon, an exiled Jedi Master who had remained hidden since the Great Jedi Purge. Together, they located Utric Sandov, who revealed the discovery of the Vor'Na'Tu. Shen-Jon and Organa made the decision to travel to Geddes to secure the artifact.
Organa and Shen-Jon arrived aboard a transport accompanied by a small army: nine Rebel troopers, three T1-B hovertanks, and three pummels. C-3PO, Organa's translator, was also present. During the journey, rumors circulated that Darth Vader was en route. Shortly after landing on the asteroid, Attichitcuk, a Wookiee chieftain, arrived to assist Organa and Shen-Jon. The arrival of Attichitcuk and his Wookiee warriors and war machines was a decisive factor in the battle.
The forces were divided, with one group creating a distraction while Shen-Jon and the pummels approached the base from the rear. They discovered explosive droids constructed by the research facility, and Shen-Jon used his Force abilities to convert them for the Rebel cause. These explosives further damaged the base, allowing the pummels to breach the defenses and destroy the Sith Temple.
Shen-Jon retrieved the Vor'Na'Tu, and the survivors retreated to the landing zone. Upon returning to their transport, they encountered Darth Vader, who was awaiting them. The Dark Lord demanded the relic be handed over to him for delivery to his master, Emperor Palpatine. Shen-Jon, fearing the consequences of the Vor'Na'Tu falling into the Emperor's hands, refused and shattered the artifact into four pieces, rendering it useless to Vader. Engaging Vader in a duel, Shen-Jon's skills were insufficient against the Sith Lord's power, and Echuu Shen-Jon was ultimately killed. However, his duel with Vader provided Princess Organa with the time needed to escape.
Following the battle, Organa became entangled in an Imperial plot involving Finn Darktrin and Dusque Mistflier. The Alliance believed the threat posed by the artifact had been neutralized. However, years after his death, Echuu Shen-Jon contacted Princess Leia through the Force, warning her of the potential power still residing within the shards of the Vor'Na'Tu. A New Republic task force, led by Leia Organa Solo and Luke Skywalker, returned to the asteroid to recover the shards.
The Battle of Geddes was initially referenced in the strategy guide for the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. It was featured in a Princess Leia campaign mission. The game's strategy guide suggests splitting the forces and focusing on acquiring the Vor'Na'Tu. Converting the explosive droids is presented as an optional objective. This article assumes complete fulfillment of all objectives and adheres to the guide's recommended strategy. The mission, and therefore the battle, was also included in the game's 2002 expansion, Clone Campaigns. The reference book The New Essential Chronology from 2005 and The Essential Atlas from 2009 both provide dates for the battle.