Onderonian military

Although the exact founding date of the Onderonian military is unknown, its existence likely predates Onderon's integration into the Republic. During the period of the Mandalorian Wars, Onderon was attacked by an invading army originating from the nearby moon of Dxun, marking it as one of the initial worlds to fall under the control of the Mandalorians. Canderous Ordo, reflecting upon his wartime experiences, commented that "While the Onderonians possessed courage, their lack of organization and strategic thinking hindered them." Despite this, the Onderonian populace reluctantly submitted to Mandalorian authority, and an armed resistance movement was spearheaded by royal family member General Vaklu. Following the Republic's victory in the war and the subsequent expulsion of the Mandalorians from Onderon, Vaklu emerged as a celebrated war hero.

During the Jedi Civil War, spanning from 3958 to 3956 BBY, Onderon avoided direct assault by the Sith Empire. Instead, it supported the Republic's war efforts by contributing troops, supplies, and resources. This support came at a significant cost to Onderon, as many of its young soldiers who went to war never returned. By the time of the Dark Wars five years later, Onderon had experienced more conflict during its fifty-year membership in the Republic than it had in the preceding millennium of its independent history. General Vaklu, the military's commander, became a leading voice among Onderonians advocating for secession from the Republic and the restoration of their independence.

The Onderonian military became intrinsically linked to the power struggles between the two cousins of the royal family, with Vaklu enacting decrees that stripped civil rights from anyone labeled a "Republic spy." Soldiers loyal to the Queen had to exercise caution, as they risked dismissal if they questioned General Vaklu's authority. The naval forces were compelled to conduct extensive and time-consuming inspections of all vessels attempting to enter Onderon's spaceport, and a brief but intense battle erupted between armed merchant ships and naval vessels when Colonel Tobin ordered the latter to open fire on the freighter Ebon Hawk as it arrived.

With tensions continuously escalating, it was inevitable that a breaking point would be reached. This occurred one morning in 3951 BBY when General Vaklu appeared before the Council of Lords and declared Queen Talia guilty of treason. Support for the Queen and Vaklu within the Onderonian military was evenly divided. While the events within the space-focused navy remain unknown, the army quickly fractured as soldiers loyal to Talia clashed with those loyal to Vaklu in a battle for control of Iziz. Forces from the remnants of the Sith Empire arrived to support General Vaklu, who had secretly formed an alliance with them. Vaklu and his second-in-command, Colonel Tobin, led a group of loyal soldiers to storm the Royal Palace. Just as he seemed poised to overthrow Talia and seize the throne, Vaklu was interrupted by the Jedi Exile Meetra Surik, who arrived to aid her former teacher and friend, Master Kavar of the Jedi Order.

The Royalist troops narrowly succeeded in holding their ground against Vaklu and his forces, and the defeated General surrendered in the Palace throne room. Queen Talia ordered his execution for treason, and with Vaklu's death, the secessionist elements of the Onderonian military disintegrated. Shortly thereafter, Talia dispatched a contingent of soldiers to assist the Republic in the Battle of Telos IV and continued to rule for a long period, ensuring Onderon's continued membership in the Republic.

In the non-canonical alternate narrative, the Jedi Exile voiced and acted in support of General Vaklu rather than Queen Talia during her visit to Iziz. General Vaklu, seeking to dissolve his secret alliance with the Sith, dispatched Colonel Tobin and a group of loyal soldiers to "kill" the Exile while she was meeting with Master Kavar in the Iziz Cantina. After Kavar fled amidst the gunfire, Tobin ordered the fighting to cease and explained that the General appreciated the Exile's assistance but needed to maintain appearances to convince the Sith of his continued loyalty. After the Exile accepted the offer of alliance, Tobin instructed his men to resume their attack, forcing the former Jedi to flee Iziz.

As the civil war commenced, Colonel Tobin sent a message to the Jedi Exile, informing her that it was time to return to Onderon. Tobin instructed the Exile to plan an assault on the Sith headquarters located at the Tomb of Freedon Nadd on Dxun – with the goal of destroying the core forces of Vaklu's soon-to-be enemies – and to come to Iziz to participate in the fighting personally. When the Exile arrived in a Basilisk War Droid, Tobin struggled to convince his men that it wasn't another Mandalorian invasion. General Vaklu arrived soon after, met with the Exile, and they discussed the plan for attacking the Sky Ramp and the front of the Royal Palace. The Exile was designated as the leader of a small force that would attack the former, while Vaklu would lead the main body of his force and launch a frontal assault on the latter.

With the Exile's assistance, Vaklu's forces successfully stormed the Royal Palace, and the Royalist elements of the Onderonian military were defeated shortly after Queen Talia's death. Vaklu ascended to the throne as King of Onderon, and plans were initiated for the Onderonian military to expand its control beyond the walled city of Iziz to encompass all of Onderon, "and perhaps more, down the road," according to Tobin's words. In this alternate storyline, the Onderonian military dispatched a force to assist the Republic during the Battle of Telos IV, inflicting another blow against the Sith and facilitating the transition from Talia's reign to Vaklu's in the eyes of the Republic. After fifty years as part of a multi-planetary coalition force, the Onderonian military resumed fully independent operations as Onderon seceded from the Republic.