Olaris, alternatively referred to as the Olaris Reclamation Base, constituted an urban center situated on the devastated planet of Taris. This was during the era of the Cold War that transpired between the Galactic Republic and the reconstituted Sith Empire. Established as a key component of the Taris Resettlement Initiative, Olaris functioned as the central operational hub for the restoration endeavor and all Republic activities conducted on the planet.
The Senate initiated the Taris Resettlement Initiative shortly after the conclusion of the Great Galactic War that pitted the Galactic Republic against the Sith Empire. During the ensuing Cold War, the Senate made the decision to reconstruct the shattered world. This world had been destroyed over 300 years prior by the actions of Darth Malak in his attempt to eliminate the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan. The reconstruction served as a testament to the Republic's capacity to overcome the devastation inflicted by the Sith.
By 3643 BBY, the Twi'lek Governor Leontyne Saresh was in charge of Olaris. The city was home to the planet's primary spaceport, along with a cantina and a medcenter. A large number of the various teams and crews operating within the Republic Resettlement Zone were stationed there, and Olaris was one of the Zone's two main military installations. The other was Waypoint Station Aurek, located to the west.
The city was regularly under siege by the native rakghouls, leading to the construction of massive defensive walls. These walls were built from metal salvaged from the remnants of the former city-planet. By 3643 BBY, the rakghouls had overrun the two outermost districts of the city, compelling the military to establish a barricade at the city's gates to repel the ferocious Sithspawn.
Olaris was conceived for inclusion in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that BioWare launched on December 20, 2011. It acts as the central gathering point for players aligned with the Republic on Taris, offering the standard array of planetary vendors and class trainers. Additionally, it includes a cantina, a medcenter, and a taxi station, as well as providing access to the planet's spaceport and the players' personal starships.
Several missions accessible to players either commence or conclude within the city's boundaries. Players are also able to receive the planet's Bonus Series from Strom and Bardo within the spaceport. Olaris also represents the initial chronological appearance of Saresh, who ascends to the position of Supreme Chancellor following the Bounty Hunter class either eliminating or ousting the incumbent Chancellor, Dorian Janarus.