The year 3955 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), a period also known as 302 BTC (Before the Treaty of Coruscant), marked the commencement of the Dark Wars, subsequent to the termination of the Jedi Civil War. In the wake of Revan's triumph over Darth Malak and his Sith Empire, achieved with the assistance of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, the remaining Sith elements dissolved into warring factions. This power vacuum saw Sith members transform into warlords, each seizing small territories along the Republic's borders and engaging in conflicts for dominance, seeking to resurrect the Empire's former grandeur. Simultaneously, the Republic embarked on its recovery from the Jedi Civil War. Following the destruction of Telos IV, Supreme Chancellor Cressa initiated the planet-wide Telosian Restoration Project, a terraforming initiative aimed at restoring the planet's habitability. To aid this and other redevelopment projects, Aratech introduced the G0-T0 droid series. Concurrently, the Kanz Disorders, a secessionist uprising in the Kanz sector, persisted. Preoccupied with the aftermath of recent wars and recovery efforts, the Republic refrained from intervening in the conflict.
The Jedi Civil War represented a galaxy-spanning conflict that unfolded following the equally devastating Mandalorian Wars. These back-to-back wars left the Galactic Republic struggling economically, politically, and militarily. Despite the Republic's victory over Darth Malak's Sith Empire during the Battle of Rakata Prime in 3956 BBY, the repercussions were widespread. Worlds such as Telos and Taris suffered orbital bombardment and devastation; trade routes and infrastructure were disrupted or destroyed, enabling Hutt Cartels and criminal organizations like the Exchange to manipulate markets and accumulate resources; furthermore, the Republic's military was on the verge of collapse. Similarly, the Jedi Order found itself in disarray due to defections and combat losses.
The war's hero was Revan, the former Dark Lord who governed the empire until his capture in 3957 BBY. After being redeemed, Revan successfully guided the Republic to victory, thus creating a power vacuum within the Sith hierarchy.
In response to the extensive devastation resulting from the recent conflicts, Supreme Chancellor Tol Cressa initiated expansive reconstruction programs. Among these was the Telosian Restoration Project, a terraforming initiative aimed at making the world habitable after its destruction in 3958 BBY. To support the Telos project and other reconstruction endeavors, Aratech launched the G0-T0 droid series. These spherical, black droids were designed to manage planetary administration, adhering to both Republic laws and actions that would exclusively benefit the project. While a G0-T0 droid was used in the administration of Telos, the Ithorian herd of Chodo Habat was ultimately responsible for the Restoration Project. The herd divided the planet into distinct zones, systematically restoring each section. Above Telos, the massive Citadel Station was erected to accommodate all operations and the necessary business activities to support the large workforce. Moreover, the project served as a pilot program to assess the feasibility of similar undertakings on other devastated worlds.
Around this year, Gelesi, an Onderonian soldier in the military, gave birth to a daughter. Additionally, the Twi'lek Mission Vao and her Wookiee companion, Zaalbar, established a prosperous shipping enterprise.
The year 3955 BBY marked the beginning of the Dark Wars, a collection of smaller conflicts and skirmishes that arose from the Sith defeat at Rakata Prime. Darth Malak's defeat created a power void, leading to power struggles that quickly escalated into the Sith Civil War. The Sith remnant fragmented the Sith Empire's remaining strongholds into smaller territories. Proclaiming themselves independent warlords, they waged war on one another in an effort to gain or maintain power. However, on Korriban, the destruction of the Sith Academy triggered an insurrection. The warring Sith engaged in mutual slaughter, leaving the planet desolate and lifeless. Around this period, a Republic expedition to the planet, aimed at eliminating any remaining Sith, discovered it devoid of sentient life.
Along the fringes of Republic territory, within the Kanz sector, the secessionist Myrialites had established an independent government during the height of the Mandalorian Wars. This secessionist movement, known as the Argazdan Redoubt, continued its conquest of the Kanz sector, subjugating its inhabitants and forcing many into slavery. Following the Jedi Civil War, the Republic remained uninvolved in the conflict. One such people, the Lorrdians, began developing alternate methods of communication during this era to circumvent their masters' control.
The Telosian Restoration Project was not immune to corruption or scandal. Within four years, Czerka Corporation, a weapons manufacturer and commodities supplier, began attempting to seize control of the project from the Ithorian herd through bribery and other illicit means. Underworld criminal organizations, such as the Exchange, also established operations on Telos to capitalize on the influx of materials for the project. The G0-T0 droid assigned to the project encountered a programming paradox. The droid determined that it could not benefit the project and the Republic without violating the law. Eventually, it overcame its programming, becoming fully autonomous, and began acting illegally to achieve what it calculated as the best outcome for the Republic's efforts.
Elsewhere, the Sith continued their internecine conflicts. Darth Traya, formerly Kreia, eventually began training Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion at her academy on Malachor V. These three Sith Lords formed a fragile triumvirate and consolidated power among the remaining factions. In 3954 BBY, Sion unleashed a wave of agents throughout the galaxy to begin eliminating the remaining Jedi. Simultaneously, the Kanz Disorders persisted unabated. The slavery and subjugation continued for nearly three centuries, until 3670 BBY.
The events of 3955 BBY were initially depicted in relation to the conclusion of the Jedi Civil War within the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, although the precise date of "3955 BBY" was not explicitly provided. The New Essential Chronology and Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force established the Jedi Civil War's end in 3956 BBY and further elaborated on subsequent events. The first explicit mention of the date 3955 BBY, however, appeared in The New Essential Guide to Droids, published in June 2006. The events portrayed in The Sith Lords and the Essential Guides were largely confirmed to have taken place in 3955 BBY with the publication of the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide by Wizards of the Coast. Most recently, details of the Kanz Disorders were expanded upon in the Hyperspace-published short story Death in the Slave Pits of Lorrd. Previously, limited information was provided by brief mentions in The Essential Chronology, albeit without dating the conflict, and The New Essential Chronology.