Pius Dea

The Pius Dea were adherents to a monotheistic faith, centered on the worship of a deity referred to as The Goddess. Followers of the Pius Dea adhered to a stringent moral framework that emphasized both humanocentrism and spiritual purity. They associated the Outer Rim with disarray, and they believed that they were divinely tasked with quelling this chaos in exchange for divine secrets and treasures. While scouting missions along the Republic's borders continued, the sect prioritized military conquests, the acquisition of material wealth, and religious propagation over exploration and contact with alien civilizations. Many spacers gained significant wealth and social standing by engaging in privateering activities for the sect.

Being a Human supremacist cult, the Pius Dea considered many alien species as inherently "unredeemable", citing their supposed inferiority and the threat they posed to the Human civilizations residing in the Core Worlds. They considered their military campaigns against these species as holy crusades, aimed at achieving spiritual merit and purification. Despite their humanocentric views, the Pius Dea showed a willingness to accept alien converts, particularly those who possessed wealth, valuable connections, or useful traits, such as Rodians, Wookiees, Hutts and Weequays. Religious conversion led to increased social mobility and unrestricted travel throughout Republic-controlled territories for those who joined the Republic's military, which was then firmly under the sect's control. Furthermore, religious commissars were assigned to military units to identify and eliminate heretics and apostates.

The Pius Dea movement had its genesis on Coruscant, several centuries prior to Contispex I's ascension to the position of Supreme Chancellor in 11,987 BBY. Coruscanti citizens started advocating for stricter measures against corruption, calling for the elimination of "unredeemable" elements to restore purity. The Pius Dea's rise to prominence was significantly aided by Contispex I. Born on Coruscant, Contispex became a prominent figure within the Coruscant Merchants' Guild, where he gained influence within the Pius Dea faith. His firm opposition to corruption and intolerance toward those who did not share his values made him a popular figure. He quickly gained membership to the Senate, and then was overwhelmingly elected to the position of Supreme Chancellor following the impeachment and subsequent assassination of the Bothan Chancellor Pers'lya in 11,987 BBY.

However, the fact that Contispex and the Pius Dea had collaborated with the Malkite Poisoners to orchestrate the impeachment and assassination of the Bothan Chancellor in order to seize power was a secret kept from nearly everyone outside the Pius Dea's inner circle. With Contispex's rise, the Pius Dea gained complete control over the Republic's core political and economic institutions, purging all opposition. Within a single generation, most key bureaucratic positions were exclusively reserved for cult members. Over the course of two to three generations, many of these critical roles became hereditary, solidifying the sect's influence but also fostering a culture of nepotism within the Republic's government. By the 11,500s BBY, the sect's extensive fleet of Cathedral ships were manned by descendants of Republic Navy personnel who had converted to the faith. Conversely, those who opposed the sect, including dissidents, heretics, and apostates, were labeled as Proscribed, resulting in the loss of civil liberties, economic assets, and significant impediments to social advancement.

In 11,965 BBY, Contispex I initiated the first of what would later be known as the Pius Dea Crusades, launching a preemptive strike against the Hutts in the Outer Rim Territories. Contispex's successors continued these conflicts, resulting in at least 34 crusades by 10,966 BBY. However, Contispex and his successors soon shifted their attention to other alien species and sects that had been members of the Republic for millennia. Eventually, they began targeting even Humans suspected of sympathizing with aliens. Over a millennium, the Republic became embroiled in perpetual warfare with several alien species deemed irredeemable and subjected to genocide, including the Zarracines and Teirasans. The Pius Dea Republic also engaged in prolonged conflicts with the Hutts throughout this period.

For millennia, Alsakan and Coruscant had vied for dominance within the Republic. Given the Pius Dea's origins on Coruscant, the planet became a stronghold for the sect. Religious tensions, combined with political and economic rivalries, culminated in the Sixth Alsakan Conflict in 11,820 BBY. During this conflict, the Core World of Alsakan and its territories along the Perlemian Trade Route seceded from the Pius Dea Republic. Many alien worlds subsequently aligned with Alsakan in exchange for protection from the Republic.

Contispex I stepped down after a forty-year term in 11,947 BBY, and was succeeded by his son Contispex II. Contispex's family maintained this dynastic tradition, with each successive member adopting the name Contispex by the final centuries of the Pius Dea period. Several Chancellors of this era, while not related to the original Contispex, also adopted the name Contispex. The dynasty concluded with Contispex XIX, who was captured by the Jedi aboard the Flame of Sinthara during the Battle of Uquine. Contispex XIX was taken to Caamas, where he was tried, convicted of crimes against the galaxy, and imprisoned for life.

The religious fervor of the Pius Dea Republic alienated numerous species and powers throughout the galaxy. Following the Sixth Alsakan Conflict, Coruscant's rival, Alsakan, established secret communication channels with several alien species that had been alienated by the Crusades, including the Duros, Herglics, and the Hutts. By the 11,100s BBY, the Republic's military expansion had stalled, and the Pius Dea leadership began launching internal inquisitions to identify and eliminate apostates, heretics, and unbelievers within their ranks. These inquisitions resulted in significant hardship and loss of life. Caamasi emissaries traveled to the Jedi stronghold of Ossus and successfully persuaded the Order to end its neutrality in 11,100 BBY.

Subsequently, the Jedi collaborated with the Caamasi and Alsakani to instigate a heresy among the Pius Dea adherents. In 10,967 BBY, these religious heretics made their presence known during the Renunciation, triggering an internal civil war that devastated the Republic. This created an opportunity for a broad anti-Pius Dea coalition, led by the Jedi, to attack the Pius Dea Republic. While a significant portion of the Republic Navy defected to join the Renunciates, the Pius Dea still possessed a substantial fleet of thousands of Cathedral ships, which they used to wage war against their enemies. During the Seventh Alsakan Conflict in 10,966 BBY, the sect suffered a military defeat during the Battle of Uquine when the Bureau of Ships and Services infiltrated the Pius Dea fleet's navicomputers with rogue code, causing many ships to jump uncontrollably into hyperspace. Many of these Cathedral ships remained trapped in unexplored regions of space, unable to restart their engines.

The Jedi assumed control of the Republic's machinery, with Grand Master Biel Ductavis taking on the role of chancellor. Simultaneously, all members of the sect were removed from positions of power, including the Galactic Senate, and their Supreme Temple on Coruscant was destroyed. The Pius Dea gradually faded away within a few generations, and the faith was considered extinct by the time of the Galactic Alliance. Despite the Pius Dea's defeat, interspecies tensions between the Human-dominated Core Worlds and the predominantly alien Rimward territories persisted for millennia. These unresolved tensions were later exploited by Darth Sidious during his rise to galactic power in the final decades of the Galactic Republic and the Clone Wars. The Pius Dea Spaceport on Coruscant, which existed millennia later, stood as a reminder of their impact on the galaxy.