The clash known as the Battle of Rhen Var unfolded between the reconstituted Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic during the Great Galactic War. This battle transpired in the closing years of the war, prior to its conclusion in 3653 BBY. The Empire's invasion and subsequent capture of the icy Outer Rim planet of Rhen Var triggered this engagement. Darth Mekhis, a member of the Dark Council and Dark Lord of the Sith, oversaw this operation. Mekhis, a Sith scientist and alchemist, intended to utilize the world as a testing ground for her latest creations. Despite her initial success, a Republic intervention force, spearheaded by members of the Jedi Order, arrived to contest the Empire's control.
The Republic's defensive contingent, under the command of Jedi Knight Satele Shan, confronted the Imperial Army on Rhen Var. They fought their way towards Darth Mekhis's command center. Despite the significant losses suffered by the Republic Army, Shan, alongside fellow Knights Syo Bakarn, Jaric Kaedan, and Bela Kiwiiks, galvanized their troops and pressed onward. Following a prolonged conflict within Rhen Var's frozen forests, Shan personally breached Mekhis's compound. She then engaged the Dark Lord, inflicting a severe injury during their duel and securing a Republic victory. Although the Republic sustained heavy casualties, the triumph on Rhen Var effectively stalled the Empire's advance and briefly shifted the momentum of the Great Galactic War.
The Battle for Rhen Var unfolded between 3660 BBY and 3653 BBY, marking its place in the final stretch of the Great Galactic War that spanned twenty-eight years. This conflict pitted the Galactic Republic against the reconstituted Sith Empire. The war raged across numerous star systems, with the Republic, the ancient democracy, facing considerable setbacks as it struggled to impede the Sith onslaught. Following substantial military defeats on battlegrounds like Korriban, the Minos Cluster, and Begeren, the Republic seemed destined for complete destruction. However, an unexpected victory in the second battle at Bothawui spurred the Republic's defenders and the Jedi Order to mount a series of successful campaigns that brought the Imperial Military advance to a halt.
Simultaneously, the Sith Emperor and his Dark Council became increasingly anxious to bring the protracted war, which had already endured for over a decade, to a swift conclusion. Around 3667 BBY, the Empire launched an aggressive campaign towards the Core Worlds, which included an invasion of Alderaan and the blockade of the Hydian Way, while simultaneously maintaining their offensive in the Outer Rim. The Empire's efforts in the Core encountered fierce resistance, depleting their war funds and straining their military resources. Nevertheless, the Empire persisted with its strategy, seeking to reinforce its overextended forces by seizing additional worlds in the Outer Rim to acquire essential resources and slaves. As the war neared its third decade, Darth Mekhis, a Dark Council member and a skilled Sith scientist and alchemist, turned her attention to Rhen Var, located within the Thanium Worlds of the Outer Rim Territories. Her objective was to secure the world for the Empire, exploit its resources for the Sith war effort, and utilize it as a testing environment for her newly developed weaponry.
Darth Mekhis spearheaded her invasion force to the planet, establishing her command center within a mountain fortified complex. While she supervised the development of advanced weapons technology within the compound, her division of the Imperial Army was commanded in the field by a troop commander and Colonel Rymar Quinn. They were tasked with securing the planet for Mekhis's purposes. The invasion force, comprised of assault droids, Imperial soldiers, and Sith Warriors, initially achieved significant success, managing to secure a substantial portion of the planet's frozen terrain for their master's use.
However, this dominance was challenged by the arrival of the Republic's army under the leadership of four Jedi Knights—Syo Bakarn, Bela Kiwiiks, Jaric Kaedan, and Satele Shan, all former apprentices of the Jedi Master Ngani Zho. Shan spearheaded the Republic's defense, navigating the snowy landscape and engaging Sith forces. The Republic's Forty-fifth Battalion, accompanied by their Manka-class armored transports, served as a scouting element for the Jedi and the main army. Bakarn, a skilled Jedi healer, dedicated himself to healing the injuries sustained by Republic soldiers. Kiwiiks provided tactical expertise, while Kaedan and Shan, both exceptional combatants, fought at the forefront against the Empire's forces.
During a scouting mission in the forests of Rhen Var, the Forty-fifth Battalion was ambushed by the Empire, which deployed weaponized poison gas. All of the scouts were either killed or incapacitated before the Jedi and Republic reinforcements could arrive. While Bakarn attempted to alleviate the suffering of the dying scout Maxin Davers, Kiwiiks and Kaedan discussed the looming Imperial offensive and their ability to maintain their position. Shan, overhearing their conversation, intervened, asserting that they would not only hold their ground but also advance towards Darth Mekhis's fortress. In the subsequent clash between the Republic forces and the Empire's legions, the Jedi and their soldiers engaged with numerous Imperial troops and Sith. Together, the four Jedi overcame their adversaries and led their forces forward.
As the Republic forces initiated their siege of Darth Mekhis's stronghold, the Dark Lord received a communication from her commander in the field, reporting that a five-minute battlefield assessment indicated 600 Imperial casualties, but that Rhen Var remained under their control. Upon hearing this, Mekhis activated her experimental chaosphere and necroswarm colony weapons, instructing the commander to deploy them to annihilate their enemies. Despite the apparent Sith victory, Shan breached the compound, eliminating all of Mekhis's defenders before reaching the Dark Lord's command center. After blasting through the barrier doors, Shan confronted and engaged Darth Mekhis in a duel. Shan ultimately triumphed, wounding Mekhis and securing a Republic victory on Rhen Var. The Bane Brigade, an Imperial unit notorious for war crimes in the eyes of the Republic, participated in the Battle of Rhen Var and suffered significant losses, although some members survived.
The Battle of Rhen Var emerged as a pivotal engagement in the war, marking a turning point for the Republic. The successful defense of Rhen Var, mirroring the earlier victory on Alderaan, significantly boosted morale. The Jedi and the Republic Military effectively repelled the Sith's advance, hindering the Empire's progress. However, the victory on the icy world came at a steep price—it required three full days for memorial droids to enumerate all the names of the Republic's fallen. Furthermore, the failure of the Sith invasion forces only intensified the Emperor's and his Dark Council's desperation to conclude the war, prompting them to devise the battle plans for their ultimate offensive: the Sacking of Coruscant. The subsequent Treaty of Coruscant brought the war to an end, but it positioned the Empire as the clear victor.
Although Imperial Colonel Rymar Quinn perished during the conflict, Darth Mekhis survived the battle and continued to serve on the Dark Council for many years. She played a crucial role in the drafting of the Treaty of Coruscant, but harbored a deep-seated animosity towards the Jedi, particularly Satele Shan, the opponent who had defeated her on Rhen Var. Shan, Bakarn, Kiwiiks, and Kaedan all maintained successful careers as Jedi and eventually ascended to the rank of Jedi Master. By the later years of the Cold War, all four Jedi served on the Jedi High Council and were celebrated as heroes of the Great Galactic War.
The Battle of Rhen Var was initially featured in The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 1, the debut issue of the Star Wars: The Old Republic—The Lost Sunscomic series, penned by Alexander Freed and released by Dark Horse Comics on June 8, 2011.