A clash unfolded at the planet of Foerost, as recorded in Legends, during the year 3996 BBY amidst the Great Sith War. This conflict originated from a swift assault by the Krath forces led by the Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma, in conjunction with the Crusaders commanded by Mandalore the Indomitable. Qel-Droma's strategy involved seizing numerous ships then under construction for the Galactic Republic, with the intention of deploying them in his quest for galactic supremacy. Under Qel-Droma's direction, the Krath sorceress Aleema Keto generated an illusion, enabling their troops to infiltrate the Foerost shipyards without resistance. Reinforced by the armies of Mandalore, Qel-Droma's combatants aggressively seized the facility, successfully obtaining the necessary operational codes for the newly-built vessels. Fleet Captain Orley Vanicus was subsequently dispatched with Republic reinforcements to disrupt the ongoing raid, but his arrival was delayed, resulting in the theft of over three hundred warships. A recording capturing Qel-Droma during the attack was later unearthed, finally exposing the concealed identity of the Republic's latest adversary.
By the time 3996 BBY had arrived, the shipyards operated by the Galactic Republic on Foerost had become recognized as one of the most established and prosperous starship construction sites throughout the galaxy, according to Legends. For several centuries, this facility had consistently produced warships for the Republic Navy utilizing raw materials extracted from the surface of Foerost, an otherwise uninhabited planet. The Republic highly valued the vessels constructed there, considering them among the most cutting-edge warships within their fleets. At the time, more than three hundred of these ships, mostly either recently finished or nearing completion, remained relatively unguarded within the shipyards.
Ulic Qel-Droma, the Sith Lord who was the leader of the dark side Krath cult located in the Empress Teta system, wanted these vessels to use in the upcoming war between the Sith Brotherhood and the Republic. He assembled his fleet, which was strengthened by the Crusaders of his new ally, Mandalore the Indomitable, and headed for the Foerost shipyards. Upon their arrival, Aleema Keto, Qel-Droma's lover and a sorceress, used the Force to create an illusion that made the Krath armada look like a single, massive vessel called the "Golthar's Sky." This illusion fooled the sensor systems of the monitors, making it seem like a huge ship was emerging from hyperspace. The "Golthar's Sky" then approached the shipyards and asked for permission to dock for repairs. Supervisors in Tower Bravo noticed the ship's density and offered to send an inspection crew, as none of the Foerost docks could handle such a large vessel.
At that precise moment, Keto dispelled the illusion, revealing a squadron of Tetan attack ships. CX-133 Chaos fighters dispatched by the Krath aggressively bombarded the shipyard, swiftly annihilating the defensive installations. Mandalorians riding Basilisk war droids breached the modules, storming the control decks and operational centers. Tetan troops, equipped with jetpacks, joined the assault, amplifying the overwhelming force of the Mandalorian offensive. Amidst the Republic forces' futile attempts to resist the Krath onslaught, a Human named Dace Golliard deserted the battle, prioritizing his own survival.
The shipyards were rapidly seized, largely due to the intense ferocity of the Mandalorian assault. Qel-Droma, Aleema Keto, and Mandalore the Indomitable boarded the station and assumed command at the control center. The Sith Lord demanded the operational codes for the newly-completed warships, and killed the first person to deny knowledge of said codes in order to demonstrate the gravity of his request. The other technicians present quickly realized their predicament and fully complied, and Qel-Droma was given the access he sought.
During the battle, Qel-Droma proved his strategic prowess: one hundred and fifty vessels were captured by the end, leading the Mandalorians to suggest an attack on Kemplex Nine. He also confronted Jedi Master Sli'Lon Tahar and killed him in a duel to prevent him from using battle meditation to weaken the Sith attack. Before dying, Tahar managed to inform some adventurers about the location of an ancient Sith tomb, inadvertently revealing it to Qel-Droma as well.
Communication was soon established with Exar Kun, the Dark Lord of the Sith and Qel-Droma's Master. Kun had managed to sway twenty Jedi Knights to their side of the war, which Qel-Droma considered a small number compared to the two armies and the three hundred vessels he had acquired. The Krath leader then announced his plans to attack Coruscant, the seat of galactic power, to Kun. Following this, the Krath forces withdrew, abandoning the shipyards.
Upon learning of the attack, the Republic Navy dispatched a fleet under the leadership of Captain Orley Vanicus in an attempt to disrupt the raid. However, the reinforcements arrived too late, finding that all the complete and near-complete warships had been stolen and the facilities were largely destroyed, resembling a graveyard. The corpses of slain yard workers floated among the wreckage. Vanicus made the decision to salvage whatever he could and investigate the scene in an attempt to identify the attackers.
Few rescue pods were left for recovery, resulting in a limited number of witnesses to the raid. While searching through the control centers, Vanicus' men discovered that the attackers had damaged as much computer hardware as possible in an attempt to erase all evidence of their identity. Nevertheless, a file recorded by the station's automated security systems was recovered. Vanicus, who had fought alongside the Jedi at the Battle of Koros Major, recognized Qel-Droma, thus revealing the secret. Qel-Droma's treachery was not the only one exposed; the Republic also discovered Dace Golliard's desertion from the massacre at Foerost. He was branded a criminal of the Republic and spent the next several decades of his life as a fugitive.
Thirty-three years following the raid on the Foerost shipyards, Admiral Saul Karath of the Republic Navy apprehended Dace Golliard, who had since become a slaver. Karath was particularly motivated to capture Golliard because the Admiral's father, Craddock Karath, was among the many Republic soldiers who had died while Golliard escaped to safety. Karath vowed that the outlaw would finally face the court-martial he had desperately avoided.
The events of the battle were depicted in the comic book Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War 1, written by author Kevin J. Anderson and illustrated by artist Dario Carrasco, Jr.. Several characters and story elements from the issue were developed by Tom Veitch, the previous writer of Tales of the Jedi, in the preceding story arc titled Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sith. The forty-ninth issue of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic series, titled Demon, Part 3, revealed that the Knights of the Old Republic character Dace Golliard participated in the battle. The same issue also revealed that Craddock Karath, the father of KOTOR mainstay Saul Karath, died during the battle. John Jackson Miller, the author of Demon, Part 3, identified Craddock Karath as the dock employee who was shot down by Mandalore and Ulic Qel-Droma upon their entry into the shipyard control room.