Destruction of ZA-13


During the Zaarin insurrection, Demetrius Zaarin, the rebellious Grand Admiral, obliterated platform ZA-13.

Background

The second assault targeting Omar represented yet another attempt by the renegade Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin to cripple the Galactic Empire's capacity to manufacture the TIE Advanced fighter. This aggressive action was designed to give Zaarin a technological edge over the loyal Imperial military, as he retained the ability to produce his own TIE Advanced fighters. His strategy involved the annihilation of platform ZA-13, the sole remaining Imperial TIE Advanced production center within the Omar System, which had recently undergone upgrades and modifications in a desperate attempt to sustain TIE Advanced production.

The Battle

Two EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates and multiple squadrons of TIE/IN interceptors and TIE/fc starfighters defended ZA-13. These units were stationed to protect the facility in the wake of Vice Admiral Thrawn's defense of ZA-13. Thrawn was occupied elsewhere, spearheading an offensive against the Rebel Alliance's RS-32 to seize the Rebels' newly developed magnetic pulse warheads. Zaarin discerned Thrawn's intentions and exploited the opportunity to decimate the inadequately defended platform.

Zaarin launched an attack on the space station utilizing a full complement of TIE Bombers, TIE/IN interceptors, and Gamma-class ATR-6 assault transports. Despite the presence of the two frigates, they were quickly overwhelmed by Zaarin's numerically superior forces. One frigate was promptly destroyed, while the other barely managed to escape with heavy damage. The assault transports and Bombers proceeded to bombard the space station relentlessly, ultimately causing it to disintegrate and explode in space.

Aftermath

The destruction of ZA-13 signified the complete elimination of the Imperial TIE Advanced factories within the Omar System, severely hindering the Empire's ability to manufacture these fighters. Adding insult to injury, Zaarin had located Thrawn's forces aboard the Victory I-class Star Destroyer Sceltor and launched an unsuccessful ambush against Thrawn, who managed to escape thanks to Maarek Stele.

Subsequently, Zaarin instructed Commander Raveen to withdraw his forces to the Outer Rim Territories, where he resumed his campaign against the Empire. The loss of the TIE Advanced factories represented a significant setback for the Emperor's forces in their conflict with Zaarin.

Behind the scenes

This battle was initially presented in Star Wars: TIE Fighter: Defender of the Empire, the 1994 expansion for the LucasArts video game Star Wars: TIE Fighter. The concluding cutscene of the game's eighth campaign tour, "Strategic Warfare," portrays the battle.

The battle is further detailed in the debriefing for mission 5, "Capture Mag Pulse Weapon," of the eighth campaign tour.

Appearances

Unkown
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