The Yinchorri Uprising, also known as the Yinchorri Crisis, represented a series of aggressive actions by the Yinchorri in 33 BBY. After joining the Galactic Republic in 58 BBY, the Yinchorri were quick to embrace the inflow of technology and commerce. A military force was rapidly developed and dreams of conquest inhabited their minds. Provoked by Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, with the help of Vilmarh Grahrk, the Yinchorri seized the Golden Nyss Shipyards before invading the nearby moon of Mayvitch 7. In fact, Plagueis wanted to see if the Yinchorri were worthy to host a secret cloned army for the destruction of the Jedi.
The Jedi Order sent a diplomatic mission to investigate the situation, but the two Jedi assigned were murdered. In response, the Order dispatched a larger force consisting of Jedi Masters and Jedi Knights, but were immediately attacked upon arrival in the Yinchorri system. After a series of bloody battles scattered on Yitheeth, Yibikkoror, and their homeworld of Yinchorr, the Jedi were able to pacify the Yinchorri with the aid of the Judicial Forces during the decisive Battle of Uhanayih. Subsequently, Yinchorr was placed under interdict by the Republic.
The Sith's victory was threefold. First, seven Jedi (including one member of the Jedi Council) were killed. Second, the Yinchorri—aggressive, expansionist, armed with cortosis, and immune to mind tricks—would have posed a threat to his plan to rule the galaxy, and he was able to manipulate others to solve the problem for him. Third, Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum's political standing in the Galactic Senate was critically weakened, paving the way for Senator Palpatine's own rise.
The Yinchorri were a fierce reptilian species from the planet Yinchorr in the Expansion Region which were divided into two separate castes—a ruling intelligentsia and a martial class of warriors. Having developed interstellar technology during the last decades of the Galactic Republic, they had settled several worlds and moons in their star system including Yitheeth, Yibikkoror, and Uhanayih. Yinchorri culture was best summarized in the expression "might makes right," and that anything they were capable of taking and holding by force was rightfully theirs.
Around 500 BBY, Yinchorr was first charted by the Galactic Republic. In 58 BBY, the Yinchorri became full members of the Galactic Republic and gained representation in the Galactic Senate. Under the influence of a militaristic and expansionist streak, they began to acquire high-technology items such as hyperdrive-equipped spacecraft, advanced weaponry, and lightsaber-blocking cortosis shields. Around 33 BBY, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious conspired with the Devaronian mercenaries Vilmarh and Holmar to take advantage of these factors for their own goals.
Serving as an intermediary between the Sith and the Yinchorri, Vilmarh negotiated with the Yinchorri Council of Elders, including Sothek, Jorek, and Kardek. They agreed to organize a raid on the Golden Nyss Shipyards to obtain war materiel. The latter even offered a marital alliance between Grahrk and his daughter Vooma. Vilmarh succeeded in stoking up fear and hatred of the Jedi Order—the Republic's ancient guardians and foes of the Sith.
Given their aggressive militarism, Sidious regarded them as a potential threat to his plan of galactic domination. He also sought to weaken the Jedi Order by entangling members of the Order in the conflict; thus eliminating several Jedi. He also sought to use the outbreak of war to discredit Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum's government, paving the way for his own rise to power.
Yinchorri troops storm the Golden Nyss Shipyards.
In collaboration with the Grahrks and their Sith master, the Council of Elders arranged for a raid on the nearby Golden Nyss Shipyards to acquire a number of attack ships and starfighters for their military blitzkrieg. Vilmarh smuggled in a contingent of Yinchorri troops and was able to fool the shipyard master, Gzin. Having achieved their objectives and destroyed the shipyards, the Yinchorri then launched their main offensive.
Using their newly-acquired war fleet, they launched attacks on several surrounding non-Yinchorri worlds including Mayvitch 7, one of the planet Amador's moons in the Chalenor system. This moon was settled by Human colonists from Immalia to defend their mining operations from pirates. The Yinchorri quickly decimated the moon's defenses and eliminated all resistance.
A Mayvitch soldier managed to contact the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and alert them about the danger of the Yinchorri. However, it only reached the Jedi Temple four standard days later. By then, the Yinchorri had seized the Chalenor system and several key worlds. When news of the events on Mayvitch 7 reached the Galactic Senate, Chancellor Valorum requested that Jedi Master Mace Windu send a Jedi team to the Yinchorr system to investigate.
Without discussing it with the Council, Windu sent Jedi Knight Naeshahn and her Padawan, Ebor Taulk. Due to poor intelligence, the pair were unaware of the Yinchorri immunity to mind tricks, their cortosis weaponry, and militaristic aggression. The mission ended in failure and the Jedi were killed with their mutilated bodies being deposited on Valorum's Coruscant doorstep.
Mace Windu briefing the Jedi on Coruscant.
In response, the Jedi Order dispatched a second and larger mission to the Yinchorri system to follow-up reports of Yinchorri aggression against neighboring systems. The Jedi mission consisted of twelve Jedi and was made up of three groups, each assigned with a Consular-class cruiser since there were only three habitable worlds in the Yinchorri system.
Mace Windu, Saesee Tiin, Qui-Gon Jinn, and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi were assigned with visiting the harsh Yinchorri homeworld of Yinchorr while Adi Gallia, Eeth Koth, Tsui Choi, and Theen Fida were assigned to the ocean world of Yitheeth. Plo Koon, Micah Giiett, Lilit Twoseas, and K'Kruhk were sent to Yibikkoror, a tiny world with a dense atmosphere. All three groups would search for a rumored Yinchorri command center.
Having jumped out of hyperspace in the Yinchorri system, they were immediately attacked by Yinchorri starfighters. The Jedi were disadvantaged since their cruisers were unarmed. However, during the engagement, Gallia's cruiser succeeded in destroying two fighters by tricking a third into destroying them before continuing to Yitheeth.
Meanwhile, Windu's cruiser had its shields disabled by an enemy fighter. However, they evaded destruction due to the efforts of Tiin, who made a jump into hyperspace past a planet. To their Yinchorri pursuers, it appeared that their target had made a jump into hyperspace through the planet. By the time they found out, it was too late since the cruiser had headed to Yinchorr.
However, Giiett's cruiser failed to shake off their Yinchorri pursuers. K'Kruhk then proposed to the other Jedi that they trick the Yinchorri into thinking that they had left the cruiser by releasing all the escape pods and the salon pod. The plan worked perfectly and the Yinchorri fighters went after them, allowing the cruiser to evade them and land at a floating platform on gassy Yibikkoror. The Jedi barely escaped their Yinchorri pursuers, though they all managed to reach their destinations.
The Jedi trap the Yinchorri commandoes.
In collaboration with the Sith Lords and Vilmarh Grahrk, the Yinchorri made plans to launch an attack on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with a commando force of warriors. Following the dispatchment of a task force of Jedi to the Yinchorri system to investigate reports of Yinchorri aggression, reports came of their encounter with Yinchorri forces during a briefing of the Jedi Council. However, the messages were confusing and contradictory. Master Yoda also sensed danger was coming through the Force.
As a result, the Jedi made preparations including evacuating the younglings from their quarters and being on active alert. Outside the outskirts of the Temple, the Yinchorri were indeed in position and ready for attack. Their actions were being observed by Darth Maul who informed his master Darth Sidious. The Jedi Jude Rozess was on guard duty when she was suddenly attacked by a Yinchorri donning a flutter-pack. Despite being overpowered and strangled by a Yinchorri, she managed to reactivate her lightsaber; taking him down with her.
Back in the Temple, the Yinchorri task force found that all the sleeping quarters were empty. The troops then entered a chamber where they were met by a large group of armed Jedi, including Yoda. In the end, almost all the Yinchorri were killed while only two Jedi died: Jude Rozess and Tieren Nie-Tan.
Yoda interrogated the last remaining Yinchorri and asked him the location of the Yinchorri high command. The soldier responded to the Jedi Master by telling him that he did not know since he was only an ordinary soldier. Yoda then turned to converse with Soon Bayts, a Jedi Knight who brought word on the whereabouts of the Jedi in the Yinchorri system.
This distraction gave the Yinchorri in the Temple enough time to grab his weapon and attempt to shoot the Jedi. Yoda threw him against a wall, presumably killing him. The Jedi then came to the conclusion that the Yinchorri were misguided rather than bloodthirsty and that the attack may have been the work of an unknown party, rather than the Yinchorri themselves.
Giiett's team clinging on to a balloon.
In the Yinchorri System, the Jedi teams landed at their respective destinations and fanned out to find the hidden Yinchorri command center. Gallia's team landed on the ocean moon of Yitheeth. Posing as traders looking to buy a fictitious T-21 hyper particle exchange chamber, the four Jedi set off for a nearby settlement on a speeder provided with the cruiser.
They soon came under attack by a group of Yinchorri under the command of Vilmarh's nephew, Olmar Grahrk. However, the Jedi fought back and defeated their Yinchorri attackers. They then took Grahrk captive, who told them that the Yinchorri high command was not on Yitheeth. Gallia then decided to leave for nearby Yibikkoror to aid fellow Masters Koon and Giiett, who were also under attack after their crash landing.
Outnumbered, Giiett requested assistance from Gallia's team. The Kel Dor Jedi Koon then suggested to his companions that they traverse through the dense atmosphere on the floating platform. Their Yinchorri pursuers followed them and one fell into the dense sea of gas below, presumably killing him. Knowing that they could not rely on Gallia to arrive in time, the Jedi attempted to climb to the top of the platform which was held up by balloons.
Having reached the top, they were attacked by more Yinchorri wearing flutter-packs, though the Jedi managed to fight them off until the arrival of Gallia's cruiser. The cruiser was too large to land on the platform, which was swarmed with throngs of hostile Yinchorri. Thus, the four Jedi detached a balloon in their attempt to reach the cruiser.
All four Jedi gripping the balloon's single cable, they floated upward, still under fire from their pursuers. Having reached the ship's docking rig, they were greeted by the Zabrak Jedi Master Koth who managed to get them all inside. Before Master Giiett could get inside, he came under attack from more airborne Yinchorri. Giiett then grabbed the balloon and made another jump away from the ship while the cruiser moved downwards to allow him to descend down the docking rig, evading his attackers. Having barely escaped, the Jedi traveled to Yinchorr to assist Windu and Qui-Gon's team.
Lilit Twoseas rushing to aid her Padawan K'Kruhk.
Meanwhile, Mace Windu's team landed on arid Yinchorr to search for a rumored Yinchorri high command. Having landed, Qui-Gon and Kenobi went on a scouting mission to search for the command. Instead, they discovered that the Yinchorri were mustering their military. Having barely escaped the Yinchorri, the two Jedi arrived back at the temporary base and informed Windu and Tiin of their findings.
Qui-Gon related to them that they had discovered a military staging area for an invasion outside the walls of a city. During the debriefing, their cruiser blew up, signalling that the Yinchorri had found their ship. To calm his companions down, Windu assured them that Adi Gallia and the other Jedi reinforcement would soon arrive. The Jedi were quickly surrounded by a Yinchorri army equipped with flutter-packs and tanks.
Luckily for them, the other eight Jedi arrived on the remaining Consular-class space cruiser and joined the fight. Five of these reinforcements formed a wedge and fought through the Yinchorri lines, diverting the attacks on Mace Windu's team and allowing his team to come to their aid in return, thus attacking the Yinchorri on two fronts. He then ordered his companions to link up with the other five Jedi.
On the way, Saesee Tiin confronted an enemy tank and killed the driver with his lightsaber before leaping to safety. Meanwhile, the cruiser came under attack by more Yinchorri forces, including a tank. Amidst a vicious battle with the Yinchorri, the Jedi attempted to get back to their cruiser. During the process, Lilit was wounded while trying to protect her Padawan K'Kruhk.
However, when they reached the cruiser, they found that it had been attacked. All the Yinchorri had been killed along with Padawan Theen Fida. Mace Windu then instructed his fellow Jedi to set their grief aside since they had to succeed in their mission to locate the Yinchorri high command. Lilit would later die of her wounds.
He also ordered Saesee Tiin to prepare the cruiser for takeoff and to see if he could get a transmission through to Master Yoda at the Jedi Temple. Having entered the ship, they found that Grahrk had freed himself and was at the controls, attempting to communicate with someone, not realizing that this other person was Darth Sidious. After restraining Grahrk, they were able to transmit their findings to the Jedi Council.
Meanwhile on Coruscant, Master Yaddle revealed to the others that she had consulted the holocron of Master Tharence Wo and learned of the existence of a fourth moon in the system. It was little more than a barren rocky world known as Uhanayih, which meant "Within World" in the Yinchorri. Windu then sent another transmission to the Jedi Temple with intelligence that the hidden command center had been located on a lifeless rocky planetoid close to the system's star. He told his fellow Jedi to inform Valorum of this information.
Back on the battlefield, Micah Giiett was shot in the back by a Yinchorri warrior. Dying, he told his companions to leave him behind, propped against a wrecked tank, and to continue their mission at all costs. As soon as his companions had left, Micah was surrounded by a squad of Yinchorri. He told them to come closer on the pretext of revealing "Jedi secrets" to them.
When they did, he told them that the Jedi were not afraid to make a worthy stand before activating his lightsaber and igniting the tank's fuel cells, presumably killing them all and dying in the process, with his death being transmitted by the Force and felt by his Jedi companions all over the galaxy. Even Darth Sidious himself felt it in the Force. The Dark Lord then ordered Darth Maul to retrieve Vilmarh Grahrk.
The Republic Navy arrives.
Back on Coruscant, Valorum began negotiating for a trade and technological embargo on the system with other senators. Due to the influence of both Sidious's dark side powers and political machinations, the deliberations took much longer than either Valorum or the Jedi expected. After calling in every favor Valorum was owed since 38 BBY and making concessions to a group of leading senators (including Tikkes, Onaconda Farr, and Yarua), Valorum managed to get the Senate to vote to approve the sanctions.
He also mustered enough support to dispatch four Judicial Forces attack groups to the Yinchorr system to aid the Jedi and end the uprising. Meanwhile, the surviving Jedi disembarked Yinchorr on their cruiser and traveled to Uhanayih to seek out the Yinchorri command center. Having arrived at Uhanayih, their unarmed cruiser was attacked by a massive Yinchorri fleet. Luckily for the Jedi, help came in the form of a Republic reinforcements consisting of light assault cruisers and armed CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttles.
Soon, much of the Yinchorri fleet had been destroyed or immobilized, allowing the Jedi to make their way to Uhanayih. Windu then ordered Qui-Gon to contact the Admiral in charge of the Republic forces and request for an escort for their trip to the Yinchorri high command. Thus, the Jedi cruiser approached the moon with the escort and entered a huge tunnel which led to the Yinchorri base.
Having arrived and seeing no place to land, the Jedi cruiser crash-landed into the high command's war room before the defending Yinchorri could close its blast shutters. Meanwhile, in the war room, one of the Yinchorri remarked to his companion that the Vilmarh had assured that the Republic would not intervene. His friend then replied that Vilmarh and his men had fled and then ordered the blast shutters to be shut. However, it was too late.
The cruiser wrecked the war room, causing heavy damage to the Yinchorri. The commander begged the victorious Jedi not to kill them. Windu replied by remarking that those Yinchorri were responsible for the chaos and then asked Gallia about what Master Oppo Rancisis said about the philosophy of "might makes right". Gallia replied by telling him that that philosophy is "often recanted" upon encountering a more powerful foe.
Deadlock hampered the Yinchorri embargo act
Having been bested by the Jedi and the Republic, the Yinchorri commanders announced news of their surrender; bringing a cessation to all hostilities. The Yinchorri system was placed under interdict and quarantined by the Republic Navy, preventing transportation to and from the system. Evidence taken from Holgrath and Yinchorri sources implicated the Devaronian Vilmarh Grahrk in the plot. However, Master Yoda commented that the Yinchorri were pawns in a much larger scheme.
The surviving Jedi arrived at their Temple on Coruscant with the bodies of their fallen comrades to a sombre procession. Following a debriefing, the Jedi Council appointed the Cerean Jedi Knight Ki-Adi-Mundi as the late Giiett's successor. By evaluating the situation, Yoda concluded that the fugitive Vilmarh lacked the motives to incite the Yinchorri, but was working with an unknown third party.
In the long term, the Yinchorri Uprising fitted into Darth Sidious' plans for galactic domination. Firstly, it weakened his Jedi foes by eliminating seven Jedi including one member of the Jedi Council. Secondly, it temporarily removed the threat of the Yinchorri to his plans. Given their aggression, expansionism, use of cortosis, and immunity to mind tricks, they would have posed a threat to his New Order.
On the political level, the uprising tarnished Chancellor Valorum's reputation and paved the way for Senator Palpatine's own rise to power. His responsibility in the deaths of the Jedi during the uprising, the slow reaction from the Senate, and the using up of his political capital in passing the Act left Valorum's administration stagnant. Consequently, the incident was the first step down the path that resulted in him being removed from office the next year during the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation.
During the Imperial era, the Yinchorri would again come to Sidious' attention as Emperor. Around 3 ABY, the Imperial Governor Marcellin Wessel held their Council of Elders hostage to force them to deliver the Rebel leader Leia Organa captive to the Empire. In the end, the Empire slaughtered the Council, and the Yinchorri rebelled.
In retaliation, the Empire devastated Yinchorr and destroyed its main city Tol-Kachorn. Palpatine later had the Imperial Royal Guard Academy set up on this distant, devastated world. The harsh desert world made it ideal for the training of these elite guards. After the planet was liberated by the New Republic, the Yinchorri began to rebuild their society, but did not rejoin the galactic community.
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