Battle of Utapau

"In our bones, we knew the war was almost over. The Galaxy held its breath, waiting to see which side would make the final, daring move. As fortune would have it, the Republic moved first. After the Chancellor informed the Jedi Council that General Grievous and the Sep leaders were hiding on Utapau, General Kenobi gathered an army large enough to capture three star systems. When the orders reached the 501st, our morale soared. For better or worse, this would be the beginning of the end."

- Entry from the Journal of the 501st

The Battle of Utapau was one of the final battles of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, and was one of the last battles of the Outer Rim Sieges. It would prove pivotal due to the death of General Grievous at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi. This was the last major battle before the destruction of the Jedi Order and the fall of the Republic.

Prelude
After three years of fighting, the Galactic Republic began to gain an advantage over the Confederacy of Independent Systems, many of whose leaders were dead. Republic Clone Intelligence soon managed to discover the location of the enemy Head of State, General Grievous.

Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi organized a fleet of Venator-class Star Destroyers carrying an army of clones large enough to capture three star systems, led by clone Commander Cody. Some members of the famed 501st Legion were among the clones in Kenobi's force, tasked to set up perimeter defenses around Hangar 10.

Making contact


Kenobi arrived on Utapau in his Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor under pretense of refueling his ship. He was greeted by Tion Medon, the Port Administrator of Pau City, observed from a distance by one of Grievous' MagnaGuards. Medon revealed that the city was being used as a hiding place by Grievous and his army of battle droids. Not only that, but the droid army was aware of his presence and had ordered Medon to tell Kenobi of their position here. Kenobi sent the droid R4-G9 fly back to the forces and inform the clones of the situation, but he stayed in Pau City to engage Grievous. Kenobi commandeered a varactyl beast named Boga as a mount, and rode in secret to the tenth level of Pau City, where Medon had told him the Separatists were hiding. Infiltrating Hangar 10 of the Lucrehulk core ship Unlimited Projection that served as the Separatists de-facto command center, he went to a platform overlooking the hangar where he witnessed a meeting of the Separatist Council.

The Duel
"Back away! I will deal with this Jedi slime myself!"

- General Grievous

During the meeting with the Separatist leaders, Grievous informed them that he expected an attack by the Republic and was therefore moving them to the planet Mustafar. However, one member, the Quarren Tikkes, remained behind.

After the Separatist Council left, Kenobi dropped from the catwalk he was perched on into the midst of a large group of battle droids. General Grievous immediately called upon his IG-100 MagnaGuards to attack Kenobi, who managed to defeat all but one quickly, using the Force to dislodge a cargo module hanging from the ceiling, crushing them. The remaining droid was disoriented by the attack, and quickly beheaded before it could retrieve its weapon.



Grievous's troops prepared to open fire on Kenobi, but Grievous called them off. Deciding to challenge Kenobi himself, the cyborg split his arms along their lengths into four separate appendages. Drawing four lightsabers, he then spun them rapidly in a buzzsaw motion and advanced on the surprised Kenobi. However, Kenobi recovered quickly and thrust his lightsaber into the swirling energy blades. The two engaged in a spectacular though brief display of swordsmanship.

Grievous unleashed a flurry of unpredictable attacks and blows, ramping up the attack until he was demonstrating over twenty blows per second. However, he remained unable to penetrate Kenobi's defense, so he ramped up his attacks even further. Kenobi, his defense beginning to get overloaded, altered the angle of one of his parries. Kenobi's blade, instead of parrying Grievous's blade, sliced the cyborg's left lower wrist.

Staring in surprise at his smoking stump, Grievous lunged in another attack. After a moment of fencing, another lightsaber clutched in Grievous's metal right lower hand bounced on the deck.

At that moment, Cody and the clone army arrived. While Kenobi and Grievous battled, several dozen clones managed to infiltrate the Unlimited Projection and they quickly attacked the droid soldiers.

Clone cavalry
"Army or not, you must realize you are doomed!"

- Grievous

Commander Cody led the 212th Attack Battalion in the assault on the Separatist forces in Pau City, aided by native warriors who also wished to drive the Separatists away. Two battalions attacked full force, with the third in reserve to provide reinforcements and cover escape routes. Hailfire droids attempted to repel the clones quickly, but they were destroyed by the clone flagship, Vigilance.

Troopers of the 501st captured several security posts in the Utapaun cities themselves, linking up with Kenobi in the Unlimited Projection's hangar. Once they took down two AA turrets, heavy LAAT/i firepower support wiped out droids in the hangar. They dealt a final blow by taking out a large CIS power complex, leaving the troops in Utapau in disarray.

Grievous in retreat


When the Republic forces arrived, Grievous prepared to resume the duel, advancing on his opponent. However, Kenobi Force Pushed the general, sending him flying up and crashing against the ceiling. Dropping his two remaining lightsabers as he plummeted to the hangar floor, an unarmed Grievous chose to flee. Grievous crawled insectlike to his wheel bike and mounted it, speeding out of the hangar and he dropped to the lower levels of the city, crushing everything in his path, as he raced towards the docking platform where his private ship waited. Kenobi pursued on his varactyl, Boga, but lost his lightsaber after the jarring impact on the way down.

Kenobi pursued Grievous in a furious chase through the streets of Pau City as the battle raged around them. Grievous thrust at Kenobi with an electrostaff he stashed in the wheelbike, which Kenobi managed to wrench from the cyborg's hands. Kenobi then attempted to destroy the wheels on Grievous's vehicle with it, but Grievous reclaimed it, and pulled Kenobi along with it. Grievous pulled out a blaster and attempted to shoot Kenobi, but the Jedi dodged the shots. Unfortunately, Kenobi's movements off-balanced the wheelbike and it crashed as they arrived at Grievous's platform, where Grievous uses his ship to escape Utapau. The room overlooking a sink hole separate from the one in Pau City.

The death of Grievous
"So uncivilized."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi



Kenobi grabbed the electrostaff and attacked Grievous, first knocking the blaster from his hands and then knocking him to the ground. Grievous retaliated with a kick that threw Kenobi across the platform. They then engaged in a melee in which, due to his enhanced strength and durability, Grievous had an undoubted advantage. Kenobi, however, managed to pry apart the armorplast plates protecting Grievous's internal organs before Grievous threw him to the ground. Kenobi counter-attacked by kicking Grievous's leg, but only injured himself against the hard durasteel.

Grievous then threw him across the platform. Kenobi barely managed to save himself by grabbing onto the edge. Grievous picked up the electrostaff and approached Kenobi to deliver the killing blow. Desperately hanging from the edge, he used the Force to summon the blaster to his hand. Blasting through the gaps in the general's armorplast chestplates at the exposed organs, he ignited the tissue. Grievous's internal organs combusted violently, killing the Separatist general.

Continued fighting
Despite the destruction of the Droid Control antennae aboard the Unlimited Projection, the droid army continued fighting. However, they were hammered into submission by the persistent fire of the LAAT gunships. Hangar 10 was secured by the 501st. Anti-air turrets stationed in the hangar opened fire on the incoming LAAT reinforcements dropping off tanks in the hangar, but the 501st disabled the threat. From the hangar, they launched an attack on another Confederate outpost with TX-130S fighter tanks.

The outpost was pelted by LAATs and hover tanks and was destroyed. The destruction of the CIS main ATX energy pillar assisted a rousing Republic victory.

Order 66
"Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute Order 66.''" "''Yes, my Lord."

- Palpatine and Commander Cody

It was then that Commander Cody received a message from Palpatine, instructing him to execute Order 66. Cody ordered an AT-TE walker to fire its main cannon at Obi-Wan, who was on a cliff heading up to the Separatist headquarters. Boga sensed it and jumped in front of the shot, saving Kenobi. Cody then dispatched probe droids to find the Jedi in case Kenobi was still alive. However, Cody's probes were eaten by the local cave-monsters, which had been Force-tricked into believing that the droids were actually delicacies. Kenobi then used stealth and discreet violence to make his way up to Pau City and to Grievous's starfighter. He then fled Utapau.

Outcome
"With the death of General Grievous at the hands of General Kenobi, the Utapau raid had broken the back of the Separatists."

- 501st clone trooper

The clones, after a long period of fighting, eventually triumphed in Pau City. However, as the CIS controlled other sinkhole cities on Utapau&mdash;as to control the entire planet&mdash;the fighting would continue until the deactivation of the droid army by Darth Vader on Mustafar a short period of time later.

Behind the scenes
In the video game adaptation of Revenge of the Sith, the Utapau levels of the game totally disregard Boga. Also, Grievous is killed after being stabbed in the gut by Kenobi and roasted as his armor malfunctioned. During the Order 66 level, the clones fire at Kenobi from a LAAT rather then firing an AT-TE cannon at him, which would result in Kenobi retreating through the battlefield, killing many clones and walkers and disabling a Juggernaut.

In the novel version of Revenge of the Sith, it is said that Darth Sidious planned this battle to keep Anakin's mentor away from him and to possibly eliminate Grievous.

Appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith video game
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith junior novel
 * Star Wars: Grievous Getaway
 * Republic Commando: Order 66

Notes and references
Schlacht von Utapau Battle of Utapau