Fought in the opening months of 22BBY and remembered as one of the most significant
engagements of that year, the Battle of Bothawui took place within the rings of the Gas giant
Golm, near the core of the Bothawui system, as elements of the Republic’s Open Circle
fleet, endeavoured to defend the system against a confederate invasion under the leadership
of General Grievous.
Having received intelligence concerning the Confederacy’s planned attack, the Republic
forces had substantial time to prepare what ships they had for the battle to come.
Having developed a strategy for the defence which he hoped to implement personally, Jedi
General Anakin Skywalker temporarily delegated Admiral Wullf Yularen to the positon of Deck
Officer, and assumed command of the Republic fleet aboard the Star Destroyer Resolute,
this would be the first time the famous Jedi ever commanded a battle group in combat.
Before the enemy’s arrival, the General deployed his own vessel, as well as the Star
Destroyers Pioneer and Dauntless, under the command of captains Vontifor and Isibray respectively,
into a battle line laid out behind the Gas Giant’s rings, placing the substantial field
of asteroids between his force and the Confederacy’s.
The Separatist fleet, consisting of six Munificent Class Star Frigates, dropped out of hyperspace
on the edge of the Gas Giant’s gravity well, and began to approach the rings.
Recognising that a route above and over the belt would place the confederate fleet at
a disadvantage, General Grievous instead elected to disable the aft shields of his frigates,
transfer the surplus power to their forward deflectors and order the ships through the
asteroid field, hoping that once behind his force, the rocks would provide a natural cover
against starfighter attacks on his vessels unshielded flank.
Leaving his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano in command of the Resolute, General Skywalker departed
the ship in his Jedi Starfighter to personally lead Gold Squadron, a unit of V-19 Torrent’s
against the enemy.
As the fighters approached, the enemy opened fire, eliminating a portion of Gold Squadron,
and critically damaging the Star Destroyer Pioneer.
Recognising the danger to his wingmen, General Skywalker ordered the survivors of Gold Squadron
to abandon their positions and return to the Resolute, continuing to approach the enemy
fleet alone.
With the enemy now almost clear of the asteroid ring, General Skywalker revealed his strategy.
Transmitting a signal via the Resolute to Clone Captain Rex, Skywalker activated the
contingent of AT-TE Ground Assault Walkers, which he had previously deployed under minimal
power to many of the larger asteroids in the ring.
As their reactors powered up and their weapons came to bear, the walkers became visible on
the confederate frigates sensors, but this revelation had come far too late.
Opening fire on the unshielded starships, Rex and his unit successfully destroyed two
enemy frigates and disabled two others, simultaneously the Resolute and Dauntless opened fire with
all batteries, obliterating those craft which were left disabled by the walkers, and stripping
another frigate of its shields long enough for General Skywalker to surgically destroy
its command deck from the cockpit of his starfighter.
With the rest of the fleet eliminated, only Greivous’ command frigate remained, and
under the focused fire of two Venator class star destroyers, it too would soon be destroyed.
Leaving his crew behind to buy himself time to escape, Greivous abandoned ship aboard
his personal starfighter and began to retreat from the system.
General Skywalker made a valiant attempt to pursue him, but his fighter was disabled after
being struck by debris, and Greivous successfully escaped into hyperspace.
In spite of General Greivous’ escape, the Republic’s triumph at Bothawui was considered
one of the greatest victories of the early clone wars, and the defence saved countless
millions of Bothans from subjugation by the Confederacy.
The battle also marked the first of many occasions upon which the highly unorthodox tactics of
General Anakin Skywalker would secure a Republic Victory.