Battle near the Arda system

The title of this article is conjectural.

Although this article is based on official information from the Star Wars Legends continuity, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

Concurrent

Battle near the Arda system

Conflict

Clone Wars^[3]

Date

21 BBY^[4]

Place

Deep in the Outer Rim Territories,^[5] near the Arda system^[6]^[7]

Outcome

Confederacy of Independent Systems victory^[3]

Eeth Koth taken captive^[3]

Combatants
Confederacy of Independent Systems^[3]	Galactic Republic^[3] Jedi Order^[3]

Commanders
General Grievous^[3]	Jedi General^[8] Eeth Koth^[3] Captain Lock^[6]

Units
	Horn Company^[6]

Strength
1 cyborg general^[3] B2 super battle droids^[3] At least 4 BX-series droid commandos^[3] 4 IG-100 MagnaGuards^[3] 3 Munificent-class star frigates^[3] 1 Recusant-class light destroyer^[5] Grievous's Recusant-class light destroyer	1 Jedi Master^[3] Clone troopers^[3] 1 Venator-class Star Destroyer†^[3] Steadfast†^[6]

Casualties
BX-series droid commandos^[3]	Many clone troopers^[3] Steadfast disabled^[3]

"Greetings, Jedi. It would seem once again one of your Order has lost his way. And even better, a leading member of your Jedi Council. Listen to me, Jedi. I do not care about your politics. I do not care about your Republic. I only live to see you die!"

―Grievous, in a message to the Jedi Council —

Listen (file info)^[3]

In 21 BBY, Jedi General Eeth Koth was captured by the Confederate General Grievous during a Clone Wars battle deep in the Outer Rim Territories, near the Arda system. Koth's fleet and his Star Destroyer, the Steadfast, was assailed by a fleet of warships led by Grievous and subsequently boarded by the general and his battle droid forces. While super battle droids engaged clone troopers commanded by Captain Lock on the cruiser's lower levels, Grievous made his way to the bridge alongside a contingent of droid commandos and IG-100 MagnaGuards. The droid commandos killed all of the bridge's defenders with the exception of Master Koth, who was soon defeated and taken captive by Grievous and his MagnaGuards. Koth was later displayed as a hostage in a transmission sent by Grievous to the Jedi High Council. The transmission provoked the Order's attempt to rescue Koth and capture Grievous in a conflict over Saleucami.

Prelude[]

In 21 BBY,^[4] during the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Jedi High Council member and Grand Army General Eeth Koth was traveling the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories in a hunt for Confederate agents.^[9] At the same time, the Confederate Supreme Commander, General Grievous, was planning to target a member of the High Council for capture in order to convey his hatred of the Jedi Order to its leaders.^[5]

The capture[]

"Your reputation precedes you, General—the reputation of a coward and a murderer."
"Murderer? Is it murder to rid the galaxy of you Jedi filth?"

―Eeth Koth and General Grievous —

Listen (file info)^[3]

Not far from the Arda system^[6]^[7] deep in the Outer Rim,^[5] the cyborg Grievous led a fleet of five Munificent-class star frigates and his own Recusant-class light destroyer in an interception^[3] of the Steadfast,^[6] the Venator-class Star Destroyer commanded by General Koth. Grievous's and Koth's starships lined up with one another and exchanged heavy broadside fire, resulting in considerable damage for both vessels. However, Grievous's warship quickly overpowered the Star Destroyer, forcing it into submission.^[3]

On the Steadfast's bridge, Eeth Koth and a contingent of clone troopers prepared for Grievous's inevitable boarding. At one of the Star Destroyer's airlocks on the lower levels of the ship,^[3] Clone Captain Lock and the troopers of Horn Company^[6] assumed defensive positions shortly before B2 super battle droids used an armored docking tube to board the cruiser and poured into the Republic vessel.^[5] During the boarding, the Captain was contacted by Koth and reported that there were too many battle droids for them to repel.^[3] The Jedi General^[8] ordered Lock to take his men to the ship's escape pods while he assumed the responsibility of combating Grievous himself on the bridge.^[3] The clones complied and were able to evacuate the Steadfast before it was overrun.^[6]

Koth torture — Eeth Koth is subdued and tortured by Grievous and his forces.

Koth's communication with Lock was cut immediately before the Confederate general reached the bridge's blast door and began to slice into it with one of his many lightsabers. Once a large section of the door was free, Grievous kicked it into the bridge, causing the metal slabs to slam into an unsuspecting clone. The general walked onto the bridge, flanked by a squad of four BX-series droid commandos that quickly proceeded to slay Koth's troopers. The four droids then set upon the Jedi Master, and landed a shot on Koth's elbow, causing him to drop his lightsaber. The droids attempted to execute the unarmed Koth, but were stopped by a surviving clone who shot one of the droid commandos in the head. Koth destroyed the remaining commandos before Grievous was joined by four IG-100 MagnaGuards who killed the last clone and surrounded the Jedi.^[3]

With Koth trapped, Grievous leaped onto a communications console and regarded the Jedi Master, who derided the general for being a coward and a murderer. Grievous retorted that his only goal was to kill the Jedi and ignited two lightsabers before kicking Koth squarely in the chest. The Jedi Master was knocked toward the bridge's command walkway, followed closely by Grievous and the MagnaGuards. Grievous lunged at Koth, who parried the blows as he retreated toward the main viewports of the bridge. When ample distance was placed between the two combatants, Koth telekinetically threw the general into a viewport with the Force. Before the Jedi could press the attack, however, two of the MagnaGuards jabbed him in the back with their electrostaffs, stopping his advance. Grievous recovered from his impact with the viewport and locked sabers with the weakened Koth, who was once again electrocuted by the MagnaGuards. The Jedi Master fell to his knees and was electrocuted again, and Grievous seized the advantage by grabbing Koth by his neck and lifting him off the ground. Defeated, Koth was taken to Grievous's destroyer as a hostage.^[3]

Aftermath[]

JediHighCouncilGrievousTransmission-GrievousIntrigue — The Jedi Council watches Grievous's torture of Koth.

"It's time somebody finally put an end to that monster."

―Anakin Skywalker, on Grievous —

Listen (file info)^[3]

Grievous later displayed the captive Koth in a transmission sent to the Jedi Temple, in which the general explained that his entire reason for living was to end the lives of Jedi. The cyborg had Koth brutally tortured in the transmission, which was viewed by members of the High Council as well as other Jedi, including several younglings. Despite his suffering, Koth was able to use coded hand signals during the transmission that indicated Grievous was bound for the Saleucami system. Jedi Council members Obi-Wan Kenobi and Adi Gallia, along with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, used this information to plan an assault on Grievous's forces in an attempt to rescue the hostage Jedi Master and capture the general.^[3] Unbeknown to the Jedi, Grievous was simply using Koth as bait in a trap meant to ensnare his two most hated foes: Generals Kenobi and Skywalker.^[6]

Behind the scenes[]

The capture of Eeth Koth was featured in the ninth episode of the second season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, titled "Grievous Intrigue."^[5] Koth, who was previously established to have been killed in the First Battle of Geonosis, was retconned into having survived the battle so that he could appear in the episode. The original plot for the episode had Grievous killing the Jedi Master during the battle instead of capturing him. This was later changed, as Series Director Dave Filoni wished to be able to use Koth for future episodes.^[10]