Pius Dea Crusades

In the centuries preceding 12,000 BBY, the Pius Dea sect originated among Humans residing on Coruscant. Centered around a deity known simply as the Goddess, it began as a movement advocating for communities to maintain their integrity through self-regulation. Contispex, a Coruscanti who gained prominence within the Coruscant Merchants' Guild, was a fervent follower of the Pius Dea faith. He believed that communities that had fallen from grace should be restored to purity by eliminating their unredeemable elements.

Contispex gained notoriety for his strong stance against corruption and immorality, as well as his intolerance towards those who did not share his stringent principles. He was elected as Supreme Chancellor in 11,987 BBY on a platform focused on reforming the Galactic Senate, following the impeachment and assassination of Chancellor Pers'lya from Bothawui.

Elsewhere in the galaxy, the Republic's colonization efforts were beginning to encroach upon Hutt Space. During the Kymoodon Era, the Mid Rim region of the Slice experienced frequent raids by slavers sponsored by the Hutts, who aimed to enslave the colonists. Colonies such as Lexrul, Drogheda, Hathrox, [Imram] and Parcovey Minor were among those targeted. The successful defense of Parcovey Minor stood out as one of the few positive events for the colonists amidst these raids. This fostered a strong animosity towards the Hutts among the colonists residing in the Rim.

In 11,965 BBY, Supreme Chancellor Contispex authorized the first in a series of "crusades" directed against rival alien sects. Capitalizing on the widespread disapproval of the Hutts among many citizens of the Republic, Contispex initiated an invasion of Hutt Space, seizing a substantial portion of territory along the Ootmian Pabol hyperlane. For nearly a millennium, until 10,966 BBY, the Republic became entangled in crusades against various alien factions, who resisted fiercely, plunging the galaxy into a perpetual state of alternating "hot" and "cold" conflicts. Launched in the name of the Goddess, these crusades were extremely brutal and represented a devastating period in galactic history. The Pius Dea justified these crusades on religious grounds, claiming that chaos lurked beyond the Rim and that they were simply adhering to The Goddess's command to subdue it. The Pius Dea were also motivated by the allure of wealth and secrets, leading them to plunder conquered worlds. The stolen goods were then transported back to Coruscant aboard naval galleons. Consequently, the sect rationalized and promoted military imperialism and privateering as means of gaining religious merit.

Contispex also restructured the Republic's government, appointing fellow Pius Dea followers to prominent military and political positions and removing those who refused to convert. Within a single generation, key government roles were reserved for members of the Pius Dea hierarchy, and after two or three generations, many of these positions became hereditary, with government duties evolving into ritualistic displays of Pius Dea power. Contispex relinquished his position after a forty-year reign in 11,947 BBY and was succeeded as Chancellor by Contispex II, marking the beginning of a dynastic succession. By the final centuries of the Pius Dea Era, every new Chancellor adopted the name Contispex upon assuming office, regardless of whether they were a member of the bloodline or not.

With the full resources of the Republic Navy and Army at their disposal, by 11,920 BBY the Pius Dea Republic had launched Four Crusades targeting Hutt Space, expanding the Republic's territories as far as Delacrix, Nimban, Kwenn, and Toydaria. The Pius Dea adherents believed that chaos resided beyond the Rim, and it was the Goddess's will that it be suppressed, promising great treasures and rewards to those who advanced Her cause. Thousands of Pius Dea scouts and privateers ventured beyond the frontier. However, due to their disapproval of the Pius Dea's fanaticism, the Jedi Order recused itself from the Republic in 11,933 BBY following the Third Pius Dea Crusade, retreating to the academy world of Ossus. For centuries, the Jedi disapproved of the Pius Dea's actions but remained uninvolved in the Republic's affairs. Nonetheless, this Recusal created significant divisions within the Order. Some Jedi knights errant engaged in vigilante actions against the Pius Dea, while others aligned themselves with the sect, forming the Order of the Terrible Glare.

Once the Pius Dea had solidified their control over the Republic, Contispex and his successors sought to purify the galaxy. Non-Human senators were arrested during witch-hunts, and commissars were assigned to military units to identify heretics and apostates within the ranks. The Proscribed were either exiled or imprisoned, their assets confiscated for pontifical auctions, and their families were blacklisted from political or military service for three generations, effectively dismantling the power of many long-standing Republic dynasties.

The Pius Dea soon shifted their focus to other alien species and sects within the Outer Rim that had been members of the Republic for millennia. The Seventh, also known as the Great Northern Crusade of 11,884 BBY, was waged against the Zabraks and the Ithorians and resulted in the conquest of Ord Mantell. The Crusade of the Wilds of 11,791 BBY, launched from Ord Cestus and Ord Marsax, led to the conquest of a large area north of the Perlemian Trade Route. Eventually, the sect even targeted Humans accused of sympathizing with aliens: Republic citizens from Fedje fled to the constellation they referred to as Prefid's Belt to escape Pius Dea rule, where they established the secret colony of Prefsbelt IV.

For millennia, Alsakan and Coruscant had been rivals vying for dominance over the Republic. Due to the Pius Dea's origins on Coruscant, the planet became a stronghold for the sect. Religious tensions merged with political and economic rivalries, culminating 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 and species, including the Duros, Herglics, and Hutts, subsequently aligned themselves with Alsakan in exchange for protection from the Republic. Following the Sixth Alsakan Conflict, Herglic Space became the target of the Eleventh Pius Dea Crusade in 11,707 BBY.

By the 11,500s BBY, millions of worlds were under Pius Dea control. The Republic Navy became a bastion of Pius Dea influence, and its cathedral ships became essential for sustaining these expansionist campaigns, serving both as warships and religious temples. Due to a hereditary system of patronage, these massive warships were manned by the descendants of naval crews who had converted to the sect. Other Republic warships of this era included armored men-of-war optimized for broadside combat, and primitive bi-wing snubfighters.

During this period, several military outposts known as Ordnance/Regional Depots (O/RDs) were established, ostensibly to protect Human settlers from hostile alien threats. This further intensified interspecies tensions, as the anti-alien nature of the crusades led to an exodus into Hutt Space, transforming the Rimward Slice into a militarized zone dominated by war profiteers. These O/RDs served as home bases for Republic Navy units and Pius Dea missionaries to launch military and religious expeditions into the frontier.

During the crusades, the primary modus operandi of the Pius Dea involved deploying Republic naval warships carrying millions of troops to enemy worlds or "founts of chaos." Military veterans who survived trench warfare during planetary invasions received substantial rewards for themselves and their families. Entire species deemed irredeemable, such as the Zarracines and Teirasans during the Twelfth Pius Dea Crusade of 11,660 BBY, were subjected to genocide. Despite its Humanocentric origins, the sect's numbers grew as thousands of Rimward worlds and species were forcibly converted or coerced into joining the Pius Dea. Conversion was seen as a way for alien individuals and worlds to gain favor with the Pius Dea Republic, as it provided greater autonomy and reduced interstellar travel restrictions for those joining the military. However, these alien converts were often derisively referred to as "Rimkin" by their human counterparts.

The religious fervor of the Pius Dea Republic alienated many species and powers within the galaxy. Following the Sixth Alsakan Conflict, Coruscant's rival, Alsakan, established secret communication lines with several alien species who had been alienated by the Crusades, including the Duros, Herglics, and the Hutts. By the 11,100s BBY, the Republic's military expansionism had stalled, and the Pius Dea leadership initiated internal Inquisitions to identify and eliminate apostates, heretics, and unbelievers within their ranks. These inquisitions caused significant suffering and loss of life. Caamasi emissaries traveled to the Jedi stronghold of Ossus and successfully persuaded the Order to end its recusal in 11,100 BBY.

The Jedi then collaborated with the Caamasi and Alsakani to instigate a schism among the Pius Dea followers, spreading a secret heresy whose adherents became known as the Renunciates. One such Renunciate, the Republic Navy Admiral Pers Pradeux, discovered the location of Prefsbelt IV in the 10,970s BBY and transformed it into a refuge for fellow Renunciate naval officers, where they plotted the overthrow of the Pius Dea Republic.

In 10,967 BBY, these religious heretics revealed themselves during the Renunciation, triggering a vicious civil war that devastated the Republic. This allowed 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 maintained a large fleet of thousands of cathedral ships, which they used to wage war against their enemies. In 10,966 BBY, the sect suffered a military defeat when the Bureau of Ships and Services infiltrated the Pius Dea fleet with rogue navicomputer codes, causing many of the ships to jump randomly into hyperspace. Many of these cathedral ships remained trapped forever in the depths of unexplored space, unable to restart their engines. Those trapped aboard eventually perished from starvation and lack of supplies.

The crusades finally came to an end after the Battle of Uquine, which resulted in the annihilation of the remaining Pius Dea fleet and the capture of Supreme Chancellor Contispex XIX. The Jedi then assumed control of the Republic's machinery, with Grand Master Biel Ductavis taking on the chancellorship. Meanwhile, all members of the sect were removed from positions of power, including the Galactic Senate, and the Pius Dea gradually faded away within a few generations.

The subsequent period, known as the Ductavis Era, was remembered as a time of rebuilding following the Crusades. Interspecies relations improved to such an extent that during the subsequent Rianitus Period, even a Hutt served as Supreme Chancellor. Blotus the Hutt served for a 275-year term and became recognized as one of the most exceptional Supreme Chancellors in Republic history.

Despite this, tensions between the Human-dominated Core Worlds and the predominantly alien Rimward territories persisted for millennia. The existence of the Ordnance/Regional Depots, specifically established by the Pius Dea to protect human colonists, was a particular source of resentment, especially the continued use of the prefix "Ord" in many planets' names. The tensions stemming from the aftermath of the crusades deepened the divisions between the Core Worlds and those of the Outer Rim, which Palpatine would later exploit during his reign as Supreme Chancellor and Galactic Emperor thousands of years later.

The Republic Navy's assistance in overthrowing the Pius Dea helped to restore some of the service's reputation after its millennium of theocratic control. Pers Pradeux and his fellow officers reorganized and rebuilt the navy in a series of meetings on Prefsbelt IV following the Battle of Uquine, and as the Republic rebuilt, the navy became a pillar of its strength and one of the galaxy's most respected institutions.

• 11,987 BBY The Pius Dea sect impeaches Supreme Chancellor Pers'lya, replacing him with their favored candidate, Contispex I.[4]

• 11,965 BBY The First Pius Dea Crusade commences. Contispex I authorizes a military invasion of Hutt Space, marking the beginning of the Pius Dea Crusades.[4]

• 11,947 BBY Contispex I steps down as Supreme Chancellor and is succeeded by his son, Contispex II.[2]

• 11,939 BBY The Third Pius Dea Crusade. Contispex II sanctions another invasion of Hutt Space, initiating the Third crusade.[2]

• 11,933 BBY The Jedi Order initiates its Recusal, retreating to Ossus and severing all ties with the Republic.[2] The Jedi who remain loyal to the Pius Dea cult form the Order of the Terrible Glare and establish themselves on Garn.

• 11,920 BBY The Fourth Pius Dea Crusade against the Hutts begins.[2]

• 11,884 BBY The Seventh Pius Dea Crusade, also known as the Great Northern Crusade, begins against the Zabrak and other species indigenous to the northern region of the galaxy.[2]

• c. 11,820 BBY The Sixth Alsakan Conflict erupts as the Alsakani form an alliance with the Duros, Herglics, and the Hutts against the Pius Dea-controlled Republic.[2]

• 11,791 BBY The Tenth Pius Dea Crusade, also known as the Crusade of the Wilds, begins.[2]

• 11,707 BBY The Eleventh Pius Dea Crusade against the Herglics commences.[2]

• 11,660 BBY The Twelfth Pius Dea Crusade against the Zarracines and the Teirasans begins.[2] Republic forces, led by Commodore Daymont Praji, conduct an orbital bombardment of Zarracina III, transforming its surface into an irradiated wasteland and forcing the native Zarracines into a nomadic existence.[4]

• 11,591 BBY The Fifteenth Pius Dea Crusade against the Baragwin begins.[2]

• 11,198 BBY The Twenty-Third Pius Dea Crusade against the Bothans and the Lanniks commences.[2]

• c. 11,100 BBY The Inquisitions begin in the Core Worlds and the Colonies.[2] The Jedi Order's Recusal comes to an end.[2]

• 11,057 BBY The Thirty-Fourth Pius Dea Crusade against the Hutts begins.[2]

• 10,967 BBY The Renunciation: The Renunciate movement reveals its existence and allies itself with the Alsakani, Caamasi, and the Jedi Order. This causes a split within the Pius Dea faith, setting the Faithful against those who have abandoned the faith.[2] Renunciate forces clash with Faithfuls at Fondor, Ixtlar, and Cyrillia, receiving support from the Jedi, Alsakani, Duros, Herglics, and Hutts.[2]

• 10,966 BBY The Bureau of Ships and Services infiltrates the Republic Navy with rogue navicomputer codes, causing the Pius Dea's ships to jump randomly into hyperspace and become permanently lost.[2] At the Battle of Uquine, the Renunciate forces destroy the remaining Pius Dea ships. The Jedi capture Contispex XIX aboard the Flame of Sinthara, taking him to Caamas where he is tried and imprisoned.[2] Grand Master Biel Ductavis assumes the position of Supreme Chancellor.[2]