The Swarm War was a brief, but devastating, war fought in the Unknown Regions and Wild Space in 36 ABY between the Chiss Ascendancy, who were supported by the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and New Jedi Order, against the the Colony, which consisted of Killiks and their Joiner allies. A continuation of the Dark Nest Crisis in 35 ABY, although the Galactic Alliance attempted to ally with the Chiss, elements of the Jedi sided with the Killiks, thus the Chiss believed the Alliance was aiding the Colony, but largely accepted the Alliance support.
Attempts to prevent war were ruined when Jedi Knight Jacen Solo attacked a military supply depot of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force in an attempt to lure them into a pre-emptive strike against the Killiks. The Killiks responded by attacking the Galactic Alliance forces blockading the Utegetu Nebula. Following the defeat of the Killik forces in this region, the Galactic Alliance declared open war against the Killik colonies.
The Killiks quickly gained allies for the coming conflict. In addition to the many Joiners that had fallen under their influence during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, many members of the galaxy's various insectoid races (among them the Fefze, the Vratix, the Yam'rii, the Verpine, and the Geonosians) fell under their influence and became addicted to the Dark Nest's black membrosia. Many of them became Joiners as well, doing so much faster than the average humanoid.
During the war, the forces of the Galactic Alliance were led by Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon (having replaced Sullustan Sien Sovv, who was killed by the Killiks in an accident some weeks prior) and the New Jedi Order by Grand Master Luke Skywalker.
Among the major conflicts that occurred during this time involved a battle on Thyferra, where a Killik led coup by tarhead Vratix led to a complete halt of the production of the healing fluid bacta. Despite the loss, the Alliance eventually rallied together and won the conflict.
However, the conflict had led Luke Skywalker to come to the conclusion that the New Jedi Order had become too interconnected with the politics of the Galactic Alliance to hold fast to its mandate to be the protectors of truth and justice (in much the same way that the Old Jedi Order had become too involved with the politics of the Galactic Republic). To that end, he declared himself Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and established a new Jedi Council to help him advise the Galactic Alliance government. He also withdrew the Jedi from Cal Omas's Advisory council, stating that the Jedi should serve, not govern.
- The New Essential Chronology
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Special Edition
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Atlas
- Scavenger's Guide to Droids
- The Unknown Regions
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded