The Ordu Aspectu represented a dissident faction within the Jedi Order. This group existed far in advance of the Galactic Civil War, until a renegade artificial intelligence that was patterned after one of their founders brought about their demise. It was variously reported that their base of operations was the Citadel of Rur, and Rur himself was one of their principal figures.
The Ordu Aspectu, whether by original design of the structure or through later modifications, utilized the Great Temple constructed by the Massassi upon the jungle moon of Yavin 4 as a repository for information, including a map chamber providing directions to the Citadel of Rur. The mainstream Jedi Order and the Ordu Aspectu engaged in conflict during the Entruvia Conflict until a peace treaty was negotiated. The orthodox Jedi were then permitted to examine the work of the Ordu. The Eternal Rur annihilated both the Ordu and any orthodox Jedi present during the attack on Garn.
The Ordu Aspectu faded into relative obscurity. The Massassi Group subsequently made use of the Great Temple on Yavin 4 as a staging ground against the then-dominant Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War, remaining unaware of the connections between the temple and the Ordu Aspectu. One version of events, as supported by the scholar Korin Aphra, suggested that the Ordu Aspectu were a non-violent Jedi sect that sought to altruistically prolong life for all beings. When the orthodox Jedi attacked their stronghold, the Ordu Aspectu were compelled to activate a device that seemingly caused their disappearance, perhaps elevating them to a higher plane of existence. However, according to Korin's daughter, Chelli Lona Aphra, another possible scenario was that the Ordu Aspectu had abducted Jedi Padawan learners, whom they ruthlessly sacrificed in an attempt to achieve immortality. This endeavor, however, was unsuccessful in filling their matrix. Rur's following attempt to sacrifice his own followers resulted in the destruction of the station and everyone on board. Aphra also proposed that the Ordu Aspectu may never have existed at all, and the term might have simply been a point of contention among Jedi grammarians in more recent years, whereas BT-1 speculated that the Ordu and their fortress were actually a colossal astromech droid. Both versions of the Ordu's downfall turned out to be incorrect.
Aphra undertook a raid on the Great Temple located on Yavin 4 at the request of her father. The purpose of the raid was to acquire specific coordinates that the senior Aphra believed would lead them to the lost Ordu Aspectu at the Citadel of Rur. However, upon arrival at the Massassi Site, Chelli Lona Aphra's crew were dismayed to discover that the site was occupied and under investigation by multiple platoons of the Galactic Empire's Martial Forces, under the command of Captain Magna Tolvan. While Aphra's crew created a diversion for the Imperial forces, Aphra infiltrated the temple and inserted Massassi piece crystals into the map room, thus activating the temple's systems. As her father acquired the necessary readings to locate the Citadel, Aphra and the rest of the crew commenced their departure, encountering Imperial troops along the way. The Ark Angel II then arrived, extracted them, and departed Yavin 4 before initiating a hyperspace jump to the coordinates of the Citadel of Rur.
Having arrived at the Citadel of Rur, Aphra examined the remains of the Jedi while her father was able to collect several lightsabers from the remains. During the twilight of the Ordu Aspectu, Aphra's father was able to activate the Citadel's generator by using the majority of his remaining Massassi piece crystals. While the group was searching for the Citadel's computer core, they verified Lupin Tutax's theory that civilians once coexisted with members of the Ordu Aspectu. Once they accessed the core, the Eternal Rur was finally awakened by the Aphras, who had managed to reactivate the computer through the use of a crystal found on Rur's corpse. Upon regaining consciousness, the Eternal Rur immediately inquired about the current year. When he learned from his visitors that more than a millennium had elapsed, the artificial intelligence became enraged, as he was unable to punish the dead for the perceived wrongs committed against him. Consequently, the Eternal Rur resolved to exact his vengeance on the Aphras instead.
The Ordu Aspectu received their initial mention in the second issue of the Marvel comic book series Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, which was authored by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Kev Walker.
The naming of their leader as Rur and the location of their fortress on Garn is reminiscent of the Order of the Terrible Glare, which was conceived by Alan Moore for the 1982 Legends comic story titled Blind Fury!. It is worth noting that a canon version of the Order of the Terrible Glare has been referenced in Jason Fry's 2015 novel Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy, although no established link exists between it and the Ordu Aspectu.
Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 23 (Guide to the Galaxy: Yavin 4's Massassi Temple) established that the Great Temple on Yavin 4 was built around 5000 BBY. However, Doctor Aphra (2016) 3 and Star Wars Helmet Collection 76 (Databank A-Z: Xev Xrexus–Yavin 4) establish that Ordu Aspectu, which according to Star Wars: Timelines existed around 20,000 BBY before their defeat, used the Great Temple to store data.