Operation Cobolt

"Cobolt is a hit-and-run operation. We're assaulting the imperial orbital base above Mantooine in Atrivis sector after our starfighter wings draw off the TIE cover."

―General Crix Madine

Operation Cobolt, also known as the Cobolt Offensive, was the military codename for a hit-and-run assault against an Imperial facility by the Rebel Alliance.

Prelude

"The raid has two objectives: first, steal the new imperial Intelligence Scandoc coding computer on board the base; second destroy the base, covering the theft and, incidentally, stranding the TIEs in space."

―General Crix Madine

Ordered into effect by Commander-in-Chief Mon Mothma at the 251st Meeting of the Alliance High Command, Operation Cobolt was planned by General Crix Madine an executed by Colonels Anna Seertay, Gharon, and Toombs. The objectives of the mission were to capture a new Imperial Intelligence Scandoc coding computer and to subsequently destroy the base. The target was an Imperial space facility orbiting Mantooine in the Atrivis sector. The mission was a coordinated effort between Alliance Special Forces, Starfighter Command and Atrivis Sector Forces.

The operation

"The transport arrived at 02521, two minutes behind schedule because of a navigational error in the hyperspace jump. The assault teams were disembarked by 02523: they began their attack at 02525. White Team reached its objective, the Intelligence Center, by 02528, against negligible resistance. The scandoc decoding computer was loaded by 02536, one minute behind schedule."

―General Crix Madine

A team of Infiltrators, posing as an Imperial supply crew, enter the facility ahead of the assault. As Alliance starfighters attacked the base to draw TIE Fighters away and cause confusion, the Infiltrators disabled the facility's shields, communications and defense systems. With the perimeter defenses down, an assault shuttle and supporting Marines blasted the cargo bay blast doors, allowing a Wolden-class shuttle carrying the assault team to land in the cargo bay.

Three assault teams, each with 20 Special Forces Marines, two Heavy Weapon teams, two Techs and one medic, took the operational initiative from there. The first team, designated Black Team, disabled the facility's power station, while the second, White Team, led the assault against the Intelligence Center that house the Scandoc. Red Team was held in reserve. White Team succeeded in securing the Scandoc, but required the aid of Red Team as Imperial defenses stiffened. Black Team also succeeded, but was overwhelmed by enemy Stormtroopers and cut down. The teams made their way back to the cargo bay as the TIE Fighters began to retreat towards the base. The remaining Alliance forces boarded their craft and fled. Without power, the base drifted into Mantooine's atmosphere and was destroyed.

Aftermath

"Our losses were as follows: 13 starfighters destroyed; all pilots missing and presumed dead. Four starfighters heavily damaged but hyperspace-worthy. Sixty-eight soldiers missing, presumed dead — including the entire infiltrator team and all of Red Team — out of a force of 110 Special Forces troopers. I sorrow to report that Colonels Toombs and Seertay fell in the action."

―General Crix Madine

Total losses included thirteen starfighters and pilots, four damaged starfighters, and sixty eight soldiers, including Colonels Seertay and Toombs, producing almost 62% losses for Special Forces.

Sources

• The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
• The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 130 (MAD4, General Crix Madine')
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references

Galactic Civil War (2 BBY–19 ABY) Alliance on the Run (0 ABY–3 ABY) Unidentified placement (0–4 ABY) Argovia · Blunt Stick · Carosi system Endocray sector · Generis system · Ghorman Gorbah · Gormen · Graador · Jendar · Mantooine · Rentean Sarko VI · Sellasas · Shaylin 18 Spefik · Tiems · Tocan system · Zaloriis
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