The Barma Battle Group had taken Troithe's capital in the First Battle of Troithe despite taking huge infantry losses. Despite their great victory over Shadow Wing at Pandem Nai, New Republic Intelligence still believed that Shadow Wing posed a huge threat. Intelligence officer Caern Adan, General Hera Syndulla, and Captain Yriqa Quell all gathered together to theorize about the Wing's location. They agreed that it had not joined another Imperial Battle Group. So they decided to lure the Wing into the Cerberon system. The ground forces would move for the capital directly, instead of surrounding it one sector at a time. This plan would leave considerable amounts of land on the continents to be controlled by Imperials or pro-Imperial guerrillas, which an invading force could use to retake the planet.
Shadow Wing, although tempted by the prospect of penetrating Cerberon's defenses with the asteroid, decided to launch a full frontal assault instead, leaving almost half of the 61st Mobile Infantry Soran Keize decided this because of Shadow Wing's newly acquired Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Edict. Shadow Wing's plan consisted of two moves. The Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier Aerie would move with a small contingent of fighters to attack Catadra, while the Edict would advance on Troithe. Shadow Wing had not come to retake the Cerberon system, but rather to simply destroy as much of the New Republic army and fleet as possible and to give Shadow Wing a desperately needed victory.
The 204th's bulk freighter was later named Yadeez, sharing its name with Troithe's acting Imperial governor Fara Yadeez.