During the Galactic Civil War, the forces of the Galactic Empire launched an invasion of the world of Dathomir. Even though the Nightsisters suffered defeat at the hands of the Empire's military, the Empire was ultimately compelled to withdraw from the planet, leaving behind all of their soldiers stationed there.
Around the period of the Battle of Yavin, the Galactic Empire began to establish a foothold on the far-flung planet Dathomir. Despite the fact that Emperor Palpatine had knowledge of the presence of the Force-sensitive Witches of Dathomir, he authorized the construction of a prison on the planet's surface. Initially, the Imperial forces encountered no opposition from the Witches, and instead concentrated their efforts on hunting the Kwi, driving them close to extinction.
Once the construction of the Imperial prison was finalized, it wasn't long before the Nightsisters, a group of malevolent Dathomiri Witches, made contact with the Imperial commander. Gethzerion, their leader, proposed that her clan provide services to manage the prisoners. Despite the commander's deep-seated suspicions regarding her real motives, he eventually agreed to her proposition. As a result, Gethzerion and her sinister followers became a common sight within the Imperial facility. Utilizing the dark side of the Force, the Nightsisters started to corrupt the Imperial troops, gradually seizing control of the prison staff from the Imperial officers.
When the Imperial commander became aware of the situation, Gethzerion and the Nightsisters incited the Imperial troops to turn against their commanding officers. Consequently, a battle erupted on Dathomir between Imperial forces loyal to the Empire and the Nightsisters, who were supported by their Imperial slaves. Ultimately, the Nightsisters were defeated and driven out of the prison.
Upon realizing that Gethzerion and the Nightsisters possessed greater power than he had initially anticipated, the Emperor gave the order to confine the Witches of Dathomir to their own planet. Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Captain Zsinj bombarded the Imperial prison from orbit, destroying all the spacecraft docked there to prevent the Nightsisters from escaping Dathomir. All communication devices present on the planet were also destroyed. Dathomir was placed under a blockade by Imperial starships, with strict instructions never to land on the planet. The prison and all Imperial forces on the surface were left behind. These troops continued their fight against the Nightsisters for many years, but eventually, they were enslaved by Gethzerion and her dark followers.
- The Dark Side Sourcebook (Indirect mention only)
- " Who's Who in Star Wars Galaxies " — Star Wars Insider 65
- Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds