Capture of Taris

The capturing of Taris was an event during the later years of the Jedi Civil War where the loosely defended planet of Taris was conquered by the Sith Empire. The Sith installed a government on the planet, deposing the Galactic Republic-aligned government. They placed their headquarters within a military base accessible through the Upper City. From the military facility, a governor ruled the planet.

The Sith made some changes to the cultural climate of Taris. In entertainment, for example, they outlawed the practice of death matches in the Taris dueling ring, a cantina-based fighting venue. The Sith also placed protocol droids throughout the Upper City to assist residents and travelers to the planet on their terms. The occupiers also blocked and limited access between the Upper City into the Lower City, requiring permits or signed papers to be used. Furthermore, the Undercity was inaccessible without specified orders or using covert, gang-controlled access routes.

Following the attack on the Endar Spire, Jedi Knight Bastila Shan escaped to the Tarisian surface via escape pod, as did soldiers Revan and Carth Onasi. Enraged at having not captured Shan, Darth Malak ordered the destruction of Taris through orbital bombardment in an effort to kill the targeted Jedi. The bombardment went as planned, in spite of the Sith government and military personnel stationed on the planet.