Around the conclusion of the Clone Wars, a devastating event brought about the obliteration of the planet known as Anaxes. The remnants of this world were scattered, ultimately forming the Anaxes asteroid belt. Speculation suggests that the catastrophe originated from a main reactor malfunction within the shipyards, which then ignited a massive reserve of hypermatter, resulting in the planet's destruction. One surviving fragment of the planet, identified as PM-1203, served as the original location of Fort Anaxes. This military installation, used by the Galactic Republic during the Battle of Anaxes in the Clone Wars, miraculously endured the cataclysm. Following this, the installation was repurposed as a fuel depot.
The planet Anaxes, a world with significant shipbuilding facilities, had previously faced the possibility of annihilation during the Clone Wars. In 19 BBY, the final year of the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Separatists, under the command of Admiral Trench, launched an assault on Anaxes. Initially, the Separatist forces held an advantage due to their acquisition of a secret and highly effective Republic strategy algorithm obtained from a captured ARC trooper named Echo.
After Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, Clone Captain Rex, and Clone Force 99 effected the rescue of Echo, the Republic initiated a counteroffensive against the Separatists. When it became apparent that the battle droids were being pushed back, Trench implemented his contingency plan: "total annihilation" through a bomb concealed within the assembly complex, designed to obliterate a significant portion of the planet. With the assistance of Skywalker and Echo, Jedi General Mace Windu successfully disarmed the bomb. Skywalker then killed Trench and destroyed his flagship, the Invulnerable, thereby neutralizing the threat posed by the Harch. However, a Separatist stronghold remained present on the planet.
The Clone Wars drew to a close later that year with the transformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire and the elimination of the Jedi Order. The Jedi were falsely accused of treason by Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, known publicly as Supreme Chancellor and later Galactic Emperor Palpatine. The new Emperor pledged to usher in a new era of "peace" for the galaxy.
Near the end of the Clone Wars, a cataclysmic event led to the destruction of Anaxes. The only thing left of the planet was an asteroid belt. Fort Anaxes, a Republic Military installation that had served as the Republic's command center during the Battle of Anaxes, miraculously survived the destruction on a new planetoid that was later named PM-1203. The Separatist stronghold also remained intact on the planetoid PM-6986. It was hypothesized that the cataclysm was triggered by the failure of a shipyard's main reactor, which then ignited a hypermatter stockpile.
The destruction of Anaxes was first referenced in Fort Anaxes' StarWars.com Databank entry. This entry was published after the broadcast of the Star Wars Rebels first season episode "Out of Darkness," which marked the fort's initial appearance.
Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition and Dawn of Rebellion indicate that the destruction of Anaxes occurred during the Clone Wars. However, the Databank entry for Fort Anaxes and Star Wars Helmet Collection 2 place the event after the conclusion of the Clone Wars.
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 2 (Databank A-Z: Alzoc III–Antilles)
- Dawn of Rebellion
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
- Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy
- Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
- Fort Anaxes in the Databank (backup link) (First mentioned)