The Battle of Qat Chrystac was an Imperial offensive led by Grand Admiral Thrawn.
General Garm Bel Iblis led fifteen New Republic ships to defend the system, but Grand Admiral Thrawn, using an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer, quickly brought in additional reinforcements via an innovative maneuver later known as the Thrawn Pincer.
General Bel Iblis invented the A-wing Slash during this battle in order to save the heavily-damaged Mon Calamari cruiser Orthavan from destruction. Despite the maneuver's execution, the Imperial fleet had already destroyed one-third of the New Republic's forces through superior tactics and firepower. Acknowledging their staggering defeat, Bel Iblis ordered his battle group to retreat to avoid any more losses. The Qat Chrystac system was successfully overtaken by Imperial forces.
- The Essential Atlas