The Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire clashed in a naval engagement known as the Battle of Ord Ibanna during the Great Galactic War. As part of their efforts to wrest control of the Outer Rim Territories from the Republic, the Sith focused their attention on the Brema sector in an attempt to completely dominate the region. The Republic Navy and the Imperial Armada ultimately engaged in combat above the world of Ord Ibanna, where the Empire's fleet suffered significant losses during the subsequent fighting. After the Sith commander leading the Imperial forces was killed by Republic fire, tactical advisor Rycus Kilran took over command of the fleet, guiding it to a triumph over the Republic's military.
The Sith Empire initiated a campaign to seize all of the Outer Rim Territories upon its return to the known galaxy in 3681 BBY, marking the beginning of the Great Galactic War. The Sith then set their sights on the Brema sector located in the Outer Rim, moving to capture it from their adversaries: the Galactic Republic alongside its Jedi Order. Initial operations within the region achieved success, partly attributable to the contributions of Rycus Kilran—a skilled Imperial officer lacking Force sensitivity, serving as a tactical advisor within the Sith navy.
During the military campaign aimed at securing the Brema sector, an Imperial fleet, led by a Sith commander, engaged in conflict against naval forces of the Republic above the planet of Ord Ibanna. This confrontation led to significant losses for the Imperials, notably including the death of their Sith leader. Rycus Kilran then stepped up into the vacant command position, effectively uniting the vessels of the Armada, and steering them to victory against the Republic.
Following the clash, Kilran's prestige and power grew considerably; the former tactical advisor received his own command and continued to impress the Empire's Minister of War and his Sith overlords. Once the Great Galactic War ended in 3653 BBY, Kilran was awarded the title of "Grand Moff" to honor his crucial contributions to the Sith triumph in the war.
The Battle of Ord Ibanna was presented as contextual information for the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, developed by LucasArts. Details regarding the battle were revealed within Grand Moff Rycus Kilran's biography entry on The Holonet, an online repository of The Old Republic data hosted on the game's official website. This biography page was published on March 26, 2010. The battle was later featured in Moff Kilran's Codex entry within the game.