The Anti-Republic Liberation Front, internally referred to as the ARLF, comprised a small faction of revolutionary separatists. Their primary objective was the forceful removal of the Galactic Republic from power. Sometime following the defeat of the Brotherhood of Darkness in 1000 BBY, a Force-sensitive Human male named Hetton established this group on the planet of Serenno. It became a haven for individuals who felt alienated by the Galactic Republic's policies and its pervasive influence across the galaxy, particularly on Serenno. These individuals were consolidated into a cohesive unit, enabling them to pool their resources and strategically deploy them to undermine the Republic. The Anti-Republic Liberation Front secured its finances through contributions from affluent and influential members of Serenno's elite families, including Hetton himself, who had ties to one of the Great Houses of Serenno. Consequently, the organization exercised extreme caution when vetting potential recruits. Driven by ambition, they prioritized high-impact targets, aiming to inflict maximum damage upon the Republic.
In 990 BBY, Darth Zannah, the apprentice of Darth Bane, who was the sole Dark Lord to survive the destruction of the Brotherhood, managed to infiltrate a small cell of the Anti-Republic Liberation Front. She then manipulated them into attempting to assassinate Tarsus Valorum, the former Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Several members of the group laid in ambush for Valorum near the estate belonging to the Nalju family, one of the six Great Houses. However, their plot was foiled by the intervention of Johun Othone, Valorum's Jedi advisor. Following this failed attempt, Zannah was apprehended and brought before Hetton by two surviving assassins. Impressed by her combat prowess and the Force abilities she displayed in subduing two of his soldiers, Hetton envisioned himself becoming Zannah's apprentice if he aided her in killing her Master. He accompanied her back to the Sith encampment on the planet Ambria. Upon reaching their destination, however, Zannah abandoned Hetton. Without her assistance, he was unable to defeat Bane and met his demise. Bane and Zannah subsequently dismantled the organization after Hetton's death.
The Anti-Republic Liberation Front's purpose was to stand against the Galactic Republic and its established policies. The group frequently resorted to violence in pursuit of its objectives. Their strategies were intentionally designed to attract attention from their adversaries, aiming to establish themselves as a credible threat and inspire other revolutionary movements to openly challenge the Republic.
A significant portion of the Anti-Republic Liberation Front's membership consisted of wealthy individuals willing to contribute their money to the organization's financial needs. This collective wealth allowed the group to procure advanced weaponry and equipment, including explosives. Furthermore, certain members employed specialized weapons tailored to their unique combat styles, such as the Lethan Twi'lek Kelad'den's distinctive crescent-shaped blades. Hetton possessed a collection of Sith artifacts and a green lightsaber, but kept this hidden from the other members of the group. The organization's central hub was located on the planet of Serenno. Its operatives conducted their activities from various locations within the city of Carannia, including the basement of an cantina, as well as Hetton's family estate, situated just outside Carannia.
Before 990 BBY, after the destruction that befell the Brotherhood of Darkness on Ruusan in 1000 BBY, Hetton—a Force-sensitive Human male with a distant connection to House Demici, one of the Great Houses of Serenno—established the Anti-Republic Liberation Front. He sought out individuals possessing unique skills and talents, all united by their dissatisfaction with the Galactic Republic's influence and policies across the galaxy, and their shared desire to actively work toward its downfall. Their argument centered on the perceived inability of the Galactic Senate to effectively represent the galaxy's interests, especially after the implementation of the Ruusan Reformations, a policy aimed at reducing the Republic's millions of political sectors to a mere 1024. They also advocated for the independence and secession of other star systems from the Republic. The group's structure was designed to enable its members to combine their strengths, resources, and influence into a unified force capable of effectively undermining the Republic through meticulously planned operations that leveraged all available assets, thereby maximizing their chances of success. They were ambitious, and targeted high-profile targets to attack in the hopes of gaining the attention of their enemies.
From an early age, Hetton received training in the ways of the dark side of the Force from Gula Dwan, a Force-sensitive bounty hunter and assassin. Although he lacked formal Sith training, he harbored a strong desire to destroy both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. In doing so, he believed that any surviving Sith would come to his aid. For Hetton, the group served as a convenient front for his true objective: the revival of the Sith Order. Despite founding an organization that uniformly despised both the Jedi and the Republic, Hetton kept his personal ambitions hidden from his followers in the Anti-Republic Liberation Front, wary of their potential reactions.
In 990 BBY, Darth Zannah—apprentice to Darth Bane, the only Dark Lord of the Sith to survive the destruction of the Brotherhood of Darkness and the originator of the Rule of Two, a doctrine limiting the number of Sith to two at any given time—was assigned by her Master to infiltrate the Anti-Republic Liberation Front with the goal of provoking them into launching a premature attack against the Republic. This mission was part of a larger strategy to eliminate any groups that Bane perceived as potential threats to the Republic before he was ready for it to be destroyed, as well as to deplete the resources of the Republic and the Jedi—tactics intended to divert their attention away from the Sith. Adopting the alias "Rainah," Zannah seduced Kelad'den, a Twi'lek holding a high-ranking position within the group, thereby gaining the support of a trusted member. To convince Kelad'den of her potential value to the organization, she claimed to be employed as an administrative assistant at the Republic embassy. After several months of persistent persuasion, he finally agreed to allow her to attend one of the group's meetings.
Hetton tasked Kelad'den with abducting several public figures during the annual Armistice Celebrations held to commemorate the anniversary of the Ruusan Reformations. However, influenced by Zannah's manipulations, Kelad'den came to believe that a greater impact could be achieved by assassinating the former Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Tarsus Valorum, who was scheduled to arrive at the private spaceport belonging to the Nalju family, located on their estate. Kelad'den was under the impression that Valorum's visit to Serenno was intended to persuade the Great Houses to openly oppose separatist factions like their own.
The Lethan Twi'lek enlisted the assistance of three soldiers for his mission, along with Cyndra, a Chiss female assigned to plant explosives on the landing pad, and Paak, a Human male who would pilot the landspeeder intended as the assassins' getaway vehicle. Disguised as Nalju staff, the assassins lay in wait on the landing pad for Valorum and his Jedi advisor, Johun Othone. As they approached, Othone sensed the danger posed by the "staff" and managed to save the former Chancellor from falling to his death off the small, windswept platform when Cyndra detonated the explosives. The Jedi then eliminated two of the support soldiers, while Kelad'den killed the third for attempting to flee the scene. Cyndra and Paak escaped in the landspeeder to report back to Hetton, leaving Kelad'den to face the Jedi alone, a duel he ultimately lost.
A week after the failed assassination attempt, Cyndra located Zannah in a Carannia marketplace. She and Paak then escorted Zannah to Hetton's estate as a prisoner so that Hetton could interrogate her and determine whether she had influenced Kelad'den's decision. Upon seeing Hetton, Zannah sensed that he had received training in the use of the dark side of the Force. After demonstrating her power by driving Cyndra insane and murdering Paak, Hetton revealed his collection of Sith artifacts, along with his eight personal Umbaran Shadow Assassins, and requested that she take him on as her apprentice. Shortly thereafter, Zannah led Hetton and his assassins to the Sith camp on the planet Ambria under the pretense of working together to eliminate Darth Bane. Upon reaching the camp, Zannah betrayed Hetton, and without her assistance, Hetton and his assassins were swiftly defeated and killed, effectively destroying the Anti-Republic Liberation Front. Shortly after Hetton's death, Bane and Zannah dismantled what remained of the group.
The Anti-Republic Liberation Front predominantly consisted of individuals who possessed some degree of political, financial, or military influence. Compared to similar organizations, the group had an unusually high concentration of members with extensive military experience and training. Many members saw themselves as heroes, or potential martyrs, driven by their fervent commitment to the cause. Gaining membership was a difficult process, as existing members were extremely cautious. Zannah, despite her close relationship with the high-ranking Kelad'den, had to wait several months before being allowed to attend a meeting. The group did not discriminate against aliens, welcoming members of all species and genders, including the Chiss female Cyndra and the Twi'lek male Kelad'den.
Hetton's social standing and wealth provided the group with protection and resources, although he still preferred to recruit those with their own funds, such as Kelad'den. The latter, possessing both wealth and combat skills, was placed in charge of the mission to abduct local officials. He believed that Hetton's plans were not always perfect and was willing to deviate from them if he deemed it necessary. Cyndra and Paak disagreed with Kelad'den's insubordination, believing that all missions assigned by Hetton should be followed precisely, without alteration. These ideological differences led to frequent disagreements among the three.
The Anti-Republic Liberation Front appeared in the novel Darth Bane: Rule of Two, authored by Drew Karpyshyn and published in 2007.