The Kira Fortress, a fortress situated in the wilds of Onderon, belonged to the esteemed House of Kira. Its location was a considerable distance from Iziz, specifically one hundred kilometers away from the Shatoon Monastery.
This stone fortress, erected within Onderon's jungles, witnessed the rise of the House of Kira to prominence among the Beast Riders. These Beast Riders were a collective of men and women banished from Iziz, who united to establish their own society in the untamed wilderness. Having mastered the wild creatures that journeyed to the planet from the Demon Moon of Dxun, the Beast Riders made Kira Fortress their home and rallied under the flag of Lord Modon Kira and his kin. As their power grew, the Beast Rider army launched attacks against Iziz, resulting in the conflict later known as the Beast Wars. They abducted Princess Galia from the Royal Palace, and Kira brought her back to the fortress. There, Galia wed Kira's son, Oron, not by force, but through mutual affection.
Following King Ommin's recapture of Iziz after a successful Beast Rider raid, the Jedi Knights Ulic Qel-Droma and Tott Doneeta were compelled to retreat to the fortress alongside Kira and his bride, Galia. As they fought against the Naddists within the city, the group ultimately triumphed over Ommin, leading to Oron Kira's coronation as King of Onderon and leader of the Onderon Royal Family. With the Freedon Nadd Uprising brought to a conclusion, the Kira bloodline became inextricably linked to the planet's history, and the fortress endured through the ages as the Royal Family's ancestral home.
In the year 11 ABY, Onderon was governed by a descendant of Kira, Modon Kira, who was named in honor of his forefather. Kira extended a welcome to Leia Organa Solo, a prominent figure in the New Republic, as she sought refuge at the fortress while contending with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine. When Palpatine arrived seeking the children, he met his end at the hands of Han Solo, Organa's spouse. Jedi Knight Empatojayos Brand then absorbed the Emperor's spirit, finally ending the reign of the era's most formidable Dark Lord of the Sith.