Great Galactic War

Following the Sith Empire's defeat in the Great Hyperspace War, the Republic determined how to handle their vanquished adversaries: Supreme Chancellor Pultimo commanded the Republic Military to annihilate all surviving members of the Sith. However, one Sith Lord and a group of survivors fled the Republic's genocidal campaign and escaped to the Unknown Regions. There, he reestablished the Empire, took on the title of Sith Emperor, and formed a council of Sith Lords to govern under his leadership. The Emperor used the power of the dark side to extend his life for over a millennium after the Great Hyperspace War, rebuilding the Empire's strength and vowing revenge on the Republic and the Jedi for what had occurred.

In the intervening millennia, the Republic faced challenges in multiple wars. Following the war with Exar Kun, the growing Sith Empire incited the Mandalorians to wage war on the Republic. A group of Jedi, led by Revan, soon joined the Republic's forces in their fight against the Mandalorians. During the conflict, Revan journeyed to the ancient Sith academy on Malachor V, the future site of the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars. While there, he discovered the true Sith's existence in the Unknown Regions. He then utilized a Rakatan artifact to initiate a war against the Republic, intending to prepare it for the Sith Empire's impending invasion, which led to the Jedi Civil War. The Republic also struggled with the disruptions caused by the Kanz Disorders.

As early as 3960 BBY, almost three centuries before the outbreak of the war, the Sith Emperor began devising a plan to invade the Republic. These initial plans were largely thwarted by the actions of the renowned redeemed Jedi, Revan.

However, the Empire remained active in the following years. The Emperor's preparations for war continued, albeit with a delay in the timing of the invasion. A period of two and a half centuries was dedicated to military expansion before shifting to direct preparations for the invasion. After such a prolonged build-up, the Sith fleet had expanded to enormous proportions, and Imperial agents began operating covertly, forging alliances both within and beyond Republic territory.

The Imperial operatives successfully secured an alliance with the Chiss Ascendancy and installed puppet regimes in key positions within the Republic's Outer Rim systems. Before any shots were fired, the Empire had secretly gained control of the Belkadan, Ruuria, and Sernpidal systems in the Dalonbian sector. These acquisitions would prove to be critical assets for the Empire during the early stages of the war.

As the invasion approached, the Imperial Navy's war games intensified, with military exercises becoming a daily occurrence. On the eve of war, the Imperial fleet assembled at strategic staging areas just outside Republic space, and in the year 3681 BBY, the Sith Emperor gave the order to invade the Republic.

For many centuries, the ancient Sith homeworld of Korriban had been protected by a Jedi vigil and a relatively small contingent of Republic troopers. At the start of the war, this garrison was commanded by Jedi Master Kao Cen Darach and his Padawan, Satele Shan.

In a completely unexpected move, a Sith fleet consisting of over 30 warships launched a massive assault on Korriban, their long-occupied holy world. The Republic and Jedi defenders quickly succumbed to the Imperial attack, while Sith Lord Vindican and his apprentice Malgus engaged Jedi defenders Darach and Shan in combat on the orbital station.

Shan escaped the battle on her master's orders, but Darach was killed in a lightsaber duel with Malgus. With minimal effort due to overwhelming force, Korriban was seized by Imperial forces and brought back under Imperial control. The attack was so successful that the Jedi Council did not learn of Korriban's loss until a considerable amount of time had passed.

Still unaware of Korriban's fall, the Republic was puzzled by the appearance of Imperial battlecruisers in the Tingel Arm and Aparo sector. In the naive hope of quickly resolving the unexpected situation, the Republic dispatched a lightly guarded diplomatic team to investigate.

The Emperor recognized this as an ideal opportunity to initiate a campaign of psychological warfare. The Imperial fleet waited for the Republic's diplomatic team to arrive, allowing them just enough time to transmit images of their armada back to their superiors before completely destroying them.

In response to the threat, the Republic immediately mobilized a fleet to the besieged area in the Tingel Arm. Upon reaching the vicinity of Belkadan, Ruuria, and Sernpidal, the first Republic war fleet found itself caught in the Empire's trap. Surrounded by Imperial warships and traitorous allies, the Republic fleet was forced to scatter and retreat to Mirial to avoid complete annihilation.

Following the capture of the Tingel Arm and the defeat of the Republic forces there, the Sith Empire turned its attention to a valuable new target: the Sluis sector. Sluis Van was home to significant Republic starship manufacturing facilities, making it an enticing target for the invading Imperial forces.

The Imperial naval forces quickly advanced on Sluis Van, which was completely undefended due to the Republic forces still being scattered. Various Sith starfighter squadrons attacked the shipyards and destroyed the orbital ring that formed the station.

The Sith forces continued their advance and conquered the planet itself. As would continue to be the case throughout the war, the Imperial forces executed any civilian or government workers who refused to pledge allegiance to the Empire. The Republic military personnel received no such mercy; they were simply hunted down and executed as enemies of the Empire.

Despite the violence of the attacks, not all Senators were convinced of the threat they faced. Some in the Senate argued that the attackers were merely another upstart species that could be defeated if the military could devise an effective strategy. While this faction did not control the Senate, it was enough to paralyze the body with indecision.

In contrast, the Jedi took more decisive action. As the ancient enemies of the Sith, the Jedi Order recognized the threat for what it was and dispatched a force to defend the Minos Cluster. The Jedi hoped that their actions would spur the Republic into action, and they succeeded. After witnessing the heroism of the Jedi on the news feeds, lines began to form at recruitment centers across the Republic.

As the public demanded action, the Senate convened and began proper war planning. Despite having already suffered several defeats, the Republic rallied to defend itself from the attack. Even as the Senate and populace prepared, the Jedi forces already active in the Minos Cluster established defensive positions on several worlds, including Eliad.

While the struggle for Minos continued, the Republic attempted a counterattack in the Seswenna sector. The Empire had blockaded the Rimma Trade Route there, cutting off the flow of supplies to Republic troops at Minos. Although the initial attack failed, the Republic fleet regrouped and broke the blockade, allowing vital supplies to resume reaching the besieged soldiers in the Minos Cluster.

Three years into the war, in 3678 BBY, a rogue Sith apprentice leaked information about Imperial fleet movements to the Republic. In reality, Kressh only wanted to cause the battle as a diversion to pursue her own personal goals.

Republic forces quickly moved to attack the Sith's holy world. A battle erupted in orbit between the invading Republic forces and the Sith garrison of starships left to guard the planet.

However, the Republic's first counteroffensive quickly turned into a rout and then a crushing defeat. The Republic invasion force was overwhelmed by the Sith defenders and annihilated, leaving only prisoners and the dead.

Balmorra, a world renowned throughout the galaxy for its droid and military manufacturing capabilities, was targeted for conquest by the Sith Empire early in the war. An invasion soon followed.

Shortly after the invasion began, the native Balmorrans formed a resistance group to defend their world. The Republic recognized the threat of the Empire controlling Balmorra's manufacturing capabilities and launched its own counterattack.

The struggle became the most protracted and enduring of the entire war. Although the Republic was eventually forced to reassign its military assets to other fronts, the Balmorran resistance continued the fight throughout the decades of the war and even into the Cold War.

The Sith went on to capture many worlds in the Outer Rim and the rich resources of the Minos Cluster. Battlegrounds included Ilum, Dathomir, and Manaan, the latter of which saw its surface cities destroyed despite attempts to remain neutral. The Republic suffered further defeats at Agamar and Utapau. After nearly a decade of fighting, Republic Intelligence estimated that the Empire controlled nearly half of the Outer Rim.

After a decade of conquering the Outer Rim, culminating in the capture of the Seswenna sector, the Sith advance shifted toward assaulting the Mid Rim. Believing that the Republic was still recovering from its losses, the Empire rashly sent an invasion force to the planet Bothawui. However, for the first time since the war began, the Republic was well-prepared for defense. Admiral Greik had anticipated the attack and, in a risky maneuver, gathered the entire Republic fleet over Bothawui. The Imperial attackers were caught completely off guard and utterly destroyed at the First Battle of Bothawui.

After ten years of defeats, the Republic finally achieved its first significant victory over the Imperial war machine. The news of the victory was a great boon, reigniting hope and boosting morale throughout the besieged Republic.

However, the sweetness of victory was short-lived. Seeking revenge for their humiliating defeat, the Empire sent a much larger force back to Bothawui. With powerful planetary shields in place, the Republic defenders, led by Jedi Master Belth Allusis, were able to force the Imperial forces into a ground battle.

An Imperial army of 50,000 soldiers landed on the planet and engaged in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Imperial forces lost an average of 10 soldiers for every Republic soldier they killed. While the Imperial commanders were forced to call for reinforcements due to the losses, the Republic defenders stood defiant to the last man, despite being offered safety if they surrendered.

The Imperial victory was pyrrhic. While they succeeded in destroying the Republic forces, Master Allusis and his troops inflicted so much damage on the invading Imperials that they were forced to retreat. The Second Battle of Bothawui was ultimately a draw in terms of material gain and loss, but the heroic sacrifice of Allusis and his troops provided Republic troops galaxy-wide with a memory to rally around.

In retrospect after the war, scholars such as Master Gnost-Dural identified the victory at Bothawui as the only possible outcome of the war: the Republic's only hope in the face of the Sith onslaught was survival, not victory.

In 3668 BBY, Republic warships began mysteriously disappearing by the dozens. Investigations by the Republic SIS revealed that a group of Sith known as the Dread Masters were using a form of battle meditation to project terror onto the crews of Republic ships, causing them to flee in fear.

For thirteen years of open warfare, the group avoided capture by constantly moving aboard an Imperial dreadnaught. However, after learning of their existence, an elite Republic strike team led by Jedi Knight Jaric Kaedan was able to infiltrate the Dread Masters' ship and capture them, as well as gather valuable intelligence from the dreadnaught's computers before destroying the ship.

The Republic publicly announced that the strike had killed the Emperor's valued agents, but they secretly transported them to the Republic prison planet Belsavis when the Jedi discovered that the Dread Masters were centuries old and decided they were too valuable to simply execute. The group of dangerous Sith Lords was removed from the conflict and would not pose an operational threat to the Republic for the remainder of the war.

The intelligence obtained during the Dread Masters mission proved enlightening to both Republic Intelligence and Jedi scholars. After 13 years of war, the Republic finally learned that the Imperial capital was located on Dromund Kaas, a world unknown even in the Jedi Archives. The Jedi also learned that the Sith Emperor was, as rumored, many centuries old and a survivor of the original Sith Empire.

Alderaan was a world renowned as the embodiment of all the principles upon which the Republic was founded. This, combined with its location in the Core, made it an ideal target for the Imperial advance. The capture of Alderaan would not only provide a key strategic position within the Core but also deliver a crushing blow to Republic morale.

The mission to conquer Alderaan was spearheaded by Malgus, by then a seasoned veteran of the war who had recently been granted the title of Darth. After luring Alderaan's Republic defense fleet away from the planet, Malgus and his army launched their attack, hoping for a swift victory. However, Malgus was unaware that the Republic had a sizable garrison of troopers on the planet's surface. In addition to being a stopover rest point for soldiers traveling from the Rim back to the Core, the elite Havoc Squad was also stationed on the planet.

As had occurred on countless other worlds over the past 14 years, a desperate struggle for control of the planet ensued. The Imperial advance secured some key early victories, such as the capture of the Alderaanian royal family, and set its sights on seizing the planet's capital city.

In one of the planet's lush forests, the force personally commanded by Malgus was ambushed by Havoc Squad. The skirmish initially appeared to be an Imperial victory until backup led by Jedi Satele Shan arrived.

Shan and Malgus dueled once more, over a decade after their first encounter above Korriban, while Republic and Imperial troops fought for survival and control of the planet. Shan and the Republic troops ultimately emerged victorious, driving the invading Imperial army from the planet and critically wounding Darth Malgus in the process.

Despite his injuries, Malgus managed to escape from the planet, but the victory belonged to the Republic. In the months following the victory at Alderaan, the Republic scored a series of victories, including the liberation of several systems in the Mid Rim and the reestablishment of a foothold in the Minos Cluster.

With the defeat at Alderaan and the apparent stalling of its advance toward the Core, the Empire began developing a new tactic. Operatives of the Imperial intelligence service recognized the potential of bringing a powerful ally into the war and set about recruiting them. As in centuries past, the Emperor had used the Mandalorians to attack the Republic, and the opportunity presented itself again.

Imperial agents selected a powerful combatant on Geonosis and did everything in their power to assist in his rise, engaging in activities ranging from gladiator management to outright poisoning of his opponents. As this warrior's star rose, Imperial agents began promoting the idea that he could become the new Mandalore and unite the scattered clans. Their plan proved successful, and this warrior established himself as the galaxy's most powerful warrior and claimed the title of Mandalore, although he eventually became a willing servant of the Empire.

As the war approached its third decade, both the Republic and the Empire sought to gain an advantage by introducing powerful new starships and experimental superweapons. In 3665 BBY, 16 years into the war, the two militaries clashed over Hoth.

Many starships from both sides were destroyed in the battle, including one carrying captured Jedi Master Wyellett. Much of the wreckage fell onto the frigid planet below, providing a rich source of salvage for pirates in the years that followed. The battle was particularly devastating for the Republic Navy, which had not fully recovered three years later when the Mandalorian blockade began.

After uniting the scattered Mandalorian clans, the new Mandalore encouraged his followers to wage war on the Republic and face their greatest challenge: fighting the legendary Jedi Knights. Following orders from his Sith superiors, he ordered the Mandalorian fleet to blockade the Hydian Way, the Republic's most vital trade route.

With the Mandalorian blockade in place, the Republic found itself without the raw materials and supplies needed to sustain the countless trillions of sentients in the Core Worlds. After several pleas from the Republic, a Jedi attack was launched to break the blockade but was soundly defeated and forced to retreat to Devaron.

The Mandalorians maintained the blockade, denying the Republic essential resources and crippling its war effort. Eventually, riots erupted on Coruscant, and the Senate began discussing the possibility of surrendering to the Sith.

An unexpected champion emerged as the savior of the Core Worlds. Hylo Visz, a smuggler whose primary motivation was the potential for immense profit during a time of extreme crisis, orchestrated a smuggler fleet with the dual goal of breaking the blockade and enriching herself. Visz filled numerous large freighters with resources sourced from the Outer Rim, then positioned them near the Mandalorian blockade. Ignoring the Mandalorians' communications, they prepared to attack the freighters, unknowingly triggering Visz's carefully laid trap. Suddenly, a contingent of smuggler starships materialized from hyperspace behind the Mandalorians, unleashing a devastating assault on the blockade. Simultaneously, the Republic Strategic Information Service (SIS), which had been closely monitoring the situation, dispatched Republic and Jedi starships to reinforce the smugglers.

The Mandalorian blockade was shattered, and Mandalore perished either during the conflict or shortly thereafter. While a new Mandalore with questionable loyalties assumed leadership, the Mandalorians ceased to pose a significant military threat to the Republic for the remainder of the war.

At a later point in time, Imperial forces under the command of Darth Venemal and Malgus launched an offensive against Ord Radama in the Outer Rim. The initial attack proved successful, with the Sith leading their troops to seize control of the planet's capital. However, maintaining control of their conquest would prove to be a significantly greater challenge than the initial capture.

Weeks passed without any resupply shipments reaching the Imperial forces. Eventually, Republic reinforcements arrived in orbit and annihilated the Imperial fleet stationed there. One of Malgus' Harrower-class Dreadnoughts sustained critical damage, causing it to plummet into the planet's atmosphere and crash into the capital city, resulting in its complete destruction. With Republic victory assured and Darth Venemal dead, the Sith forces retreated.

Following the Republic's triumphs against the Mandalorian blockade and at Ord Radama, Republic forces seized the initiative and launched a counter-offensive into Imperial territory. Republic strike teams executed attacks on Korriban, which Malgus dismissed as mere diversions, while a larger Republic fleet assembled over the Imperial world of Ziost.

Republic forces initiated a siege of the planet, with the objective of establishing a crucial foothold within Imperial space. The Ziost system was strategically located within striking distance of the Empire's core worlds, including Korriban and the capital world of Dromund Kaas.

After several months of intense combat, Imperial forces regained the advantage and forced the Republic to withdraw from the planet.

With Ziost successfully defended, the Empire resumed its offensive operations. Malgus, having received assurances from the Dark Council that he would never again experience supply shortages, turned his attention to the Outer Rim world of Serenno. Imperial Intelligence had informed Malgus that a Jedi Master, Ven Zallow, and his contingent had established a presence there. Fearing that Serenno was being developed as a staging ground for a more strategic offensive, Malgus tasked one of the Empire's infiltrators, a high-ranking noble, with carrying out his orders. Malgus planned to utilize his new agent to assassinate Zallow and initiate the Jedi's downfall on Serenno. Acting swiftly, Malgus instructed his agent to strike while simultaneously mobilizing the Imperial fleet under his command. The mission achieved partial success. While Zallow managed to eliminate the infiltrator and escape aboard a Republic vessel, Serenno was captured with minimal expenditure of effort and resources. Although the population of Serenno resisted the Imperial occupation, Malgus swiftly suppressed any potential rebellion. Assassins dispatched by the Dark Council were unleashed upon the world, massacring all those who dared to defy Imperial authority.

A few months later, the Sith Emperor ordered Malgus to retake Ord Radama and avenge the previous Imperial defeat there. Leaving nothing to chance, Malgus personally led a regiment of Force-sensitive combatants as they advanced on the planet's new capital city, New Raido. The ensuing battle lasted for months, proving to be even more brutal than the previous conflict over the planet. Jedi traps repeatedly thwarted Imperial advances, while Malgus reveled in the carnage, overseeing the indiscriminate slaughter of combatants on both sides.

Towards the end of the war, Rhen Var was invaded by Imperial forces under the command of the Sith Lord Darth Mekhis. The rapid invasion overwhelmed the planet, and the Imperial forces inflicted heavy casualties on the Republic troops stationed there. However, the Imperial victory would ultimately prove to be short-lived. The remaining Republic troops were rallied by a group of Jedi led by Satele Shan, and they drove back the Imperial forces in one of the Republic's final victories of the war.

With the Sith Empire's military advance towards the Core Worlds stalled, Imperial tactics grew increasingly aggressive and desperate as the war entered its third decade. Seven years after the defeat of the Empire's Mandalorian allies at the Hydian Way, the Dark Council surprised the Republic by offering to negotiate a peace treaty.

Suspecting a deception, the Jedi Council formally advised the Senate to reject the offer, but their recommendation was disregarded. Nonetheless, Senators and Jedi alike acknowledged that the war was unwinnable and that peace negotiations, at the very least, would provide a much-needed respite for their exhausted troops. At the Senate's request, Grand Master Zym agreed to dispatch a contingent of Jedi to accompany the peace delegation, and diplomats from both sides traveled to Alderaan to discuss terms. However, the Empire's peace overture was indeed a calculated deception.

While Republic and Imperial negotiators engaged in discussions on Alderaan, a massive Sith fleet launched an invasion and sacked Coruscant, the very heart of the Republic. As a team of Sith warriors led by Darth Malgus assaulted the Jedi Temple and massacred all within, the fleet, commanded by Darth Angral, bombarded and invaded the planet. Once Coruscant's planetary defenses were neutralized, the Sith razed the Jedi Temple and blockaded the planet, holding its inhabitants hostage.

With the galactic capital firmly under Sith control, Angral descended to the surface and stormed the Senate Building himself. Upon entering, he personally executed Supreme Chancellor Berooken and seized the office as his command center for the duration of the occupation.

Faced with no other options, the Republic diplomats on Alderaan were compelled to accept the Treaty of Coruscant. The treaty stipulated that all Jedi and Republic forces cease combat operations and withdraw into Republic territory. It also mandated that the Republic recognize the Empire as the legitimate ruler of half the galaxy and cede to the Empire numerous worlds that had not been conquered by Imperial forces.

While the Republic remained intact, the Sith Empire had secured a decisive victory in the war.

The treaty compelled the Republic to relinquish control of numerous outlying systems to the Sith Empire.

However, elements within the Republic refused to accept the terms of the treaty. Republic troops stationed on Dantooine and Balmorra, in particular, defied the withdrawal order and mutinied to continue the war. Simultaneously, a faction within the Republic, led by the Jedi Master Dar'Nala, bombed the Senate building in an attempt to assassinate the Senators who supported the treaty, believing them to be Imperial agents, and to sabotage the treaty itself. Dar'Nala also orchestrated a fabricated Sith attack on the Envoy in a further attempt to undermine the treaty. However, when Dar'Nala attempted to execute the final phase of her plan, her deranged motives were exposed to her followers, who abandoned her, ultimately leading to her demise. Subsequently, the peace held.

Despite his Empire being more powerful than ever, the Sith Emperor appeared to have lost interest in total conquest. He relinquished control of the Empire to the Dark Council, who would oversee the daily administration of the state, and embarked on his own enigmatic pursuits as the Sith consolidated their power.

By the conclusion of the war, thousands of Jedi had perished. The Galactic Republic directed its anger towards the Jedi, blaming the Order for its defeat at the hands of the Sith. Although they remained committed to defending the Republic, the surviving Jedi chose to return to their ancient homeworld of Tython to rebuild their strength.

The end of the Great Galactic War established the conditions for a Cold War between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic in the years that followed. The Cold War was characterized by numerous border skirmishes and proxy wars, eventually leading to the Sith Empire re-engaging in open warfare with the Galactic Republic.