Restuss was one of two major cities situated on the swampy moon of Rori, orbiting Naboo, during the era of the Galactic Republic. Its past was marked by hardship, as it initially functioned as a quarantine area for individuals afflicted with the Brainworm Rot Plague. Once the plague was eradicated, the Republic mandated the city's continued isolation, fearing a resurgence of the disease. This decision sparked an unarmed uprising among the residents of Restuss, leading to the destruction of significant portions of the city, including the hospital and detention facilities, in the ensuing unrest. Reluctantly, the Republic lifted the quarantine, and Restuss was rebuilt around a small starport, which became the town's central hub and economic engine.

With the Galactic Empire's ascent, Restuss became a secluded haven for artists, largely detached from Naboo's political affairs. The inhabitants rarely discussed the ongoing Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, treating it as a distant conflict within the galaxy. However, this changed a year after the Battle of Yavin, in 1 ABY, when the Galactic Empire began utilizing a secret research facility in Restuss to develop an energy cell capable of powering a Death Star–scale installation. This power source, known as the Star Core, was conceived by Galactic Emperor Palpatine and designed to be compact enough to be held in one's hand.

Rebel Alliance operatives, conducting reconnaissance in the Naboo system, discovered the Empire's Star Core development facility. Recognizing the Star Core's immense potential, the Rebellion devised a plan to seize it for themselves. They hoped that possessing such a power source could sway undecided star systems to join their cause. Consequently, the Rebellion began constructing a small base north of Restuss, intending to fortify it in preparation for a major offensive on the city. Upon learning that the Rebel Alliance had acquired information about their secret project, the Empire issued an encoded directive, summoning Imperial forces in the Naboo system to their small base south of the city.

Anticipating escalating military tensions, the Galactic Empire ordered the evacuation of Restuss's civilian population. A new spaceport was constructed east of the city, serving as a refuge for residents and visitors. Marles Jacobe of the Corellia Times visited this spaceport and interviewed spacers about the military buildup and evacuation. News of the situation reached the Outer Rim Territories. Even residents of Mos Eisley faced an Imperial draft, potentially sending them to Restuss. In Naboo's capital city of Theed, an Imperial stormtrooper looked forward to showcasing the Emperor's might in Restuss. Meanwhile, volunteers flocked to Rori to aid either the Empire or Rebellion in constructing their bases. In preparation for the Rebel offensive, Lieutenant Pofko tasked weaponsmiths with manufacturing rocket launchers and E-11 carbines for the Imperial Army. Similarly, Lieutenant Ingri of the Rebel Alliance commissioned the production of these weapons for their Rebel troops. However, the upcoming battle extended beyond Restuss. A Zabrak Imperial lieutenant named Wholding and a Nautolan lieutenant of the Alliance named Romer dispatched miners to the Kessel system and deep space to extract obsidian ore and organometallic gas from asteroids. These materials were used to construct their bases.

To control the space above Rori, Lieutenant Wulf of the Imperial Navy assigned a pilot to cripple the Alliance Fleet in the Corellian system, enabling the deployment of Imperial capital ships. The Empire succeeded, but the Rebellion sought to maintain its superiority over Corellia. When Imperial spies discovered the Rebellion's plans to bring in reinforcements from the Karthakk system, Lieutenant Wulf tasked his pilot with destroying at least fifteen T-65 X-wing starfighters and Z-95 Headhunters before they could reach the Corellian system. Despite this success, a Twi'lek lieutenant of the Alliance named Grollo sent a pilot to disrupt the Imperial fleet above Corellia. She also dispatched the pilot to destroy fifteen TIE/LN starfighters in the Yavin system before they could reinforce the war zone above the Core World.

Meanwhile, the Empire and Rebellion engaged in separate deals with the Black Sun organization. However, the syndicate exploited the conflict for profit. Using advancements from the Death Watch installation on Endor related to Mandalorian technology, Black Sun created two new armor series. To conceal their duplicity, they created distinct versions for the Empire and Rebellion, ensuring that battlefield inspections would not reveal their origins. This Crusader armor, reminiscent of Mandalorian armor, saw the Mark III series sold to the Empire and the Mark II series to the Rebellion. The latter used the Mark II helmets for their Rebel Elite Commandos. Officers on both sides distributed this armor to deserving soldiers through a commendation program. To hinder a Rebel ground assault, Lieutenant Gregor ordered the killings of numerous members of the Alliance Army and Alliance Special Forces before they could reach Restuss. Similarly, Lieutenant Olvog ordered attacks on members of the Imperial Army, and even dark troopers, to improve the Rebellion's chances of victory. Ultimately, these conflicts culminated in the completion of the Rebel and Imperial military bases north and south of the city. With tensions at a boiling point, the stage was set for the battle of Restuss.

As the climactic battle drew near, Imperial and Rebel forces gathered in and around their respective bases, preparing to launch a large-scale invasion of the city to seize control of Restuss and secure the Star Core. Soon, both factions received orders to advance into the city. As the opposing forces approached, the skies above Restuss became a battleground as Imperial TIE fighters and TIE/sa bombers clashed with Rebel T-65 X-wing starfighters. Imperial Lambda-class T-4a shuttles also participated in the skirmish above the city. Simultaneously, Imperial and Rebel ground forces entered the deserted streets of Restuss, engaging each other in combat. The once-peaceful city became the scene of a violent conflict between the Galactic Civil War's opposing factions. The Battle of Restuss had begun. The initial phase of the battle involved a significant number of Imperial ground forces, along with All Terrain Scout Transports and at least one All Terrain Armored Transport. Despite lacking similar walkers, the Rebels held their own against the better-equipped Empire.

However, any tactical advantage gained by either side was short-lived, as the battle was about to take a dramatic turn. The still-developing and highly unstable Star Core detonated amidst the fighting between Imperial and Rebel forces. A blinding flash and a wave of energy swept through the city. The blast wave was slightly warm as it passed through the many soldiers of Restuss. While the blast wave did not appear to harm the combating forces, the same could not be said for the city itself. When the blast subsided, the once pristine architecture of Restuss was reduced to charred ruins. The Star Core's explosion had left the city, including the great theater, city hall, and starport, ablaze. Despite the destruction, the surviving Imperial and Rebel forces continued to fight. Imperial reinforcements, including stormtroopers, officers, and Urban Assault dark troopers, were deployed by Imperial transport crafts landing in the war zone. The Rebellion also relied on reinforcements, including Rebel troopers, special forces, and elite commandos, transported by GR-75 medium transports and other transport ships. The battle even saw the arrival of Emperor's Hand, the lightsaber-wielding Force-sensitive agent Aralina Silk. She ended up getting killed by a group of fighters, only to have her Jinsu Razor lightsaber fall into the hands of a Force-sensitive member of the group. The Battle of Restuss had already resulted in heavy losses, the destruction of Restuss, and the apparent loss of the Star Core, but it was far from over.

Following the destruction of Restuss, soldiers on both sides were awarded the Imperial and Rebel Medals of Resolution for their contributions to the initial phase of the battle. The more prestigious Imperial and Rebel Grand Medal of Resolution were awarded to soldiers of the faction that had achieved greater tactical success during this phase. However, the battle itself remained unresolved. With neither side securing the Star Core, the Battle of Restuss devolved into a protracted, smaller-scale conflict. Despite the devastation caused by the Star Core, the Rebel Alliance remained optimistic. Captain Redding ordered Rebel soldiers to clear the streets of Imperial troops and Urban Assault dark troopers, allowing salvage teams to search for materials related to the Imperial research project. A Force-sensitive Human named Stoer Kilos, who witnessed the explosion, doubted the wisdom of recreating the Star Core, even if it were possible. He believed that little of the project would be salvageable and that attempting to recreate it would be dangerous, as a fully powered Star Core could devastate the entire moon of Rori. Nevertheless, Kilos offered his services to the Rebel cause and reported to Captain Voldez, a Chiss, at the Rebel base near Restuss.

From this base, Captain Voldez oversaw plans to destroy Imperial Army antennae around Restuss, used for troop coordination and spying on the Alliance. She also oversaw the elimination of key Imperial officers involved in the conflict, including Admiral Grot, a Zabrak Imperial Intelligence officer. Before he could relocate to a new safe house, Alliance spies located him, and a team of Rebel commandos used gas to force him out of his building. Despite being protected by stormtroopers and Urban Assault dark troopers, the Zabrak was defeated by a Rebel soldier working for Captain Voldez. When the soldier reported back, news arrived that Admiral Grot had survived the attack. The incredulous soldier vowed to find him again. Meanwhile, Captain Klork, a Bothan, oversaw the disruption of Imperial Army supply convoys transporting research material from Restuss to their base. Captain Klork tasked fellow Rebels with ambushing supply specialists and stealing the material. To track down this lost material, the Imperial Army placed survey arrays around the ruins of Restuss. Captain Klork ensured that the Rebels sliced into these systems to gain control and locate the research material themselves.

From their foothold south of Restuss, the Imperial forces strategized to counteract the growing Rebel activity. Captain Exov discerned Rebel attempts to infiltrate their sensor networks and commanded Imperial forces to reclaim them. Furthermore, he ensured the Empire disrupted Rebel supply routes and secured vital resources to bolster the Imperial war machine. Captain Roth, a female Imperial Zabrak, sought to prevent the Rebellion from acquiring remnants of the failed Imperial experiment within Restuss. She tasked Imperial troops with eliminating numerous Rebel soldiers and elite commandos patrolling the ruins of the devastated city. Similarly, the Rebellion utilized antennae throughout Restuss to monitor Imperial movements and coordinate their own forces. Captain Okto oversaw the destruction of this equipment to diminish their effectiveness. Imperial scout troopers were among those tasked with dismantling these antenna arrays. The Empire soon discovered that a Mon Calamari captain in the Rebel Army, named Vrinko, was supervising the rapid construction of these Rebel antennae arrays. Vrinko was concealed within a heavily guarded structure in Restuss, but was preparing to move. Captain Okto instructed an Imperial soldier to subdue the Mon Calamari before he could escape. The Rebel captain was protected by a contingent of Rebel troops and elite commandos, but this proved insufficient to prevent the Imperial soldier from inflicting critical injuries upon Vrinko in battle. To the Empire's frustration, Captain Okto received intelligence indicating Vrinko had survived. Revived by Rebel medical staff, the resilient Mon Calamari returned to the battlefield. Undeterred, Captain Okto granted the Imperial soldier a second opportunity to eliminate the captain.

The ongoing conflict witnessed the deployment of several distinctive armaments, including the C-M Dead Bolt pistol, C-M Frag Storm heavy shotgun, C-M "Reaper" sniper rifle, Crusader M-XII pistol, Crusader M-XIII carbine, Crusader M-XIV rifle, Crusader M-XX heavy rifle, Crusader Templar Sword, and Nova Edge sword. These weapons were primarily distributed by commendation officers to both sides, but at least one arms dealer was known to trade the advanced weaponry to various factions. An undercover Imperial agent, for his betrayal of the Empire, lured this dealer to a secret location and assassinated them. In the wake of Restuss's destruction, both Imperial and Rebel factions intensified their efforts against each other. To this end, both sides pinpointed strategic locations of perceived importance, including the Weapons Development Facility on Naboo, the Tactical Training Facility on Corellia, and the Weapons Depot on Talus. The Battle of Restuss subsequently triggered further skirmishes at these three sites.

As part of a propaganda campaign, Emperor Palpatine solicited artistic creations celebrating the Galactic Empire. Emperor Palpatine would personally select the winning artwork. In response to this contest, the Alliance challenged its supporters to produce art that best depicted the Rebellion's ongoing efforts. Ultimately, a painting entitled The March to Restuss was chosen. Rendered in a limited color scheme of orange and black, the artwork portrayed a group of Rebel soldiers marching triumphantly into the ruins of Restuss. The soldiers were depicted holding aloft a banner displaying the Alliance Starbird, while Imperial TIE fighters retreated in the background. Navari Trik, a woman in Mos Eisley, displayed and freely distributed this painting.

The Battle of Restuss was initially featured in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts, before its shutdown on December 15, 2011. Chapter 1.1, which marked Phase 1 of the battle, was released on June 27, 2006. The first phase of the battle saw the removal of non-player characters (NPCs) from Restuss's streets, the addition of a refugee camp east of the city, and the establishment of Rebel and Imperial bases to the north and south. According to a Galaxies forum post that has been archived, the Lead Designer, using the alias Helios SOE, clarified that Phase 1's purpose was for players to develop these Rebel and Imperial bases by completing missions given by various NPCs at those locations. Each base would progress through three construction stages, with the faction completing the most quests finishing their base first. With both bases completed, the Battle of Restuss would begin in Phase 2. Because player input determined the completion of this phase, the results of Phase 1 and the start of Phase 2 varied across servers.

Phase 2, however, was executed almost identically on each server, functioning as a special Player versus Player (PvP) event. On the event day, players from each faction gathered at their respective bases and advanced towards each other. Combat ensued between the players. Depending on which faction performed better in combat, participating players received a specific badge. The faction with the superior performance during the Phase 2 PvP event was awarded the Grand Medal of Resolution, while the other received the lesser Medal of Resolution. The Galactic Empire might have earned the Grand Medal on one server, while the Rebel Alliance might have earned it on another. Because Phase 2's results varied from server to server, there are no canonical results for this phase in the Star Wars Legends continuity. Regardless, Phase 2 concluded uniformly, with a massive explosion that left Restuss in ruins. From that point, Phase 3 of the Battle of Restuss commenced, transforming the ruins into a PvP zone.

Players from each faction could continue accepting quests from their bases to perform tasks such as destroying antennae, capturing sensor arrays, and eliminating opposing faction NPCs throughout the ruins. Players from each faction could accept a mission to assassinate either Captain Vrinko or Admiral Grot. While players could technically "kill" these NPCs, quest dialogue later revealed their survival, allowing players to repeatedly accept the quest and kill the opposing faction officers indefinitely. Completing these quests earned players commendations, which could be exchanged with commendation officers for various items, such as weapons or Crusader armor. Phase 3 of the Battle of Restuss persisted until the game's closure in 2011. Consequently, a definitive victor of the battle could never be determined, as control of the city perpetually shifted between Imperial and Rebel forces during normal gameplay. While the Star Core was clearly blamed for the massive explosion during the Battle of Restuss, the precise trigger remains unclear. A demo video of the Battle of Restuss shown during the 2006 E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo depicts the Star Core detonating almost simultaneously with the destruction of an Imperial AT-AT. However, AT-ATs were not observed during all, if any, of the Phase 2 events on the actual servers, and could only be definitively seen in a Legends source as a screenshot in the Restuss Event Preview 1 feature.

On May 16, 2008, Sony Online Entertainment announced a "Create a Painting Contest." From Monday, May 19, 2008 to Friday, June 6, 2008, players could submit their own artwork for the chance for it to be nominated, voted on, and included in the game as a decorative house painting. From the Rebel category, the three finalists included a painting titled The March to Restuss by Guillemette of Bria, Rebel With a Cause by Heslo Oop'ikan, and Behind Imperial Lines by Hazaz. Players could then vote on these three paintings on the Star Wars Galaxies official message boards from Monday, June 23, 2008 to Monday, June 30, 2008. At the end of the vote, The March to Restuss emerged victorious, and was added to the game on July 29, 2008 as part of Game Update 5, where players could freely obtain the painting from Navari Trik in Mos Eisley. Certain illustrations depicting events of of the Battle of Restuss were released in various expansions of the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game. In the Champions of the Force set released on August 19, 2008, three cards named after specific Battle of Restuss quests were released. One card from the Squadrons Over Corellia expansion released on December 16, 2008, and two cards from the Agents of Deception expansion released on June 24, 2009 pertaining to the Battle of Restuss were also introduced. With the closure of Star Wars Galaxies in 2011, a tribute to the battle was depicted in the Star Wars Galaxies Memory Book. Restuss was also recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest Player versus Player zone in Star Wars Galaxies. According to the record entry, which is featured in the Guinness World Records 2008: Gamer's Edition, the battle zone was 800 meters in diameter.