During the Telosian Restoration Project on Telos IV, initiated in 3955 BBY by Galactic Republic Supreme Chancellor Tol Cressa, a Restoration Zone was a specific type of area within a larger network of similar zones. These zones were established under the supervision of Ithorians, led by Chodo Habat, following the Jedi Civil War. Initially, these zones flourished under their guidance. However, after Czerka Corporation began to control the operation of these zones through legal manipulation and aggressive tactics, they experienced mismanagement and deterioration. The Jedi Exile and her allies eventually intervened, revitalizing the project. Ultimately, the restoration efforts were successful, leading to the dismantling of the zones and the restoration of Telos's once-beautiful surface.
Each Restoration Zone was enclosed by enormous, see-through shield walls that created a honeycomb pattern across the surface of Telos in the areas undergoing restoration. These walls delineated independent sections, each populated with diverse terrain and various species of plants and animals brought in from across the galaxy. A centralized computer network controlled the entire system, with connections running through the shield walls' structure.
The zones' terrain mirrored the pre-destruction landscape of Telos, before the devastating orbital bombardment. Restored features included grassy plains, natural cliffs, terraces, narrow passages, grassy hills, and sandy beaches surrounding restored lakes and other water bodies. A hidden zone, located in one of the planet's polar regions, featured a snowy mountain landscape. The most prominent element of this area was a large circular mesa surrounded by four tall spires. Outside the translucent green walls of the outer zones, the ruins remained visible as scorched earth enveloped in acrid smoke.
Once the zones were cleansed of toxins, the Ithorians introduced a variety of plant and animal species. Various grasses and wildflowers were planted, along with small, sparse trees. Several herbivore species were then released into the wild, with predators, including cannoks from Onderon, introduced to regulate their numbers. However, in Czerka-controlled zones, the Ithorians' carefully maintained ecosystem monitoring was discontinued. Consequently, the cannoks decimated the herbivore populations.
Following the bombardment of Telos by former Republic Admiral Saul Karath in 3959 BBY, the world's surface was ravaged, the land scarred, and the atmosphere transformed into a toxic mix of acidic vapors and chemical rain. After the defeat of the Sith Empire under Darth Malak three years later, the Galactic Republic sought to inspire recovery and stimulate the galactic economy by funding an Ithorian group's efforts to restore Telos. This led to the creation of Restoration Zone networks, overseen by personnel on Citadel Station, a massive orbital structure covering nearly a quarter of Telos's surface.
The network included the construction of intersecting shield walls, dividing much of Telos's surface beneath Citadel Station into interconnected zones managed by a single computer network. Ithorian and droid technicians, based at land-based science stations, detoxified, cultivated, and monitored these zones individually. The process involved isolating pollutants and introducing hardy plant and animal species, including specimens from Onderon and other worlds across the galaxy. Abandoned or partially destroyed Republic military bases remained in some zones, largely untouched by the Ithorians.
By 3951 BBY, when the Jedi Exile arrived on Telos, the Telosian Restoration Project was in danger. Besides the fuel supply cutoff to the orbital station due to the destruction of the Peragus Mining Facility, Czerka Corporation's local branch was steadily taking over the Ithorian-run Restoration Zones. Using legal loopholes, lobbying the Telosian Council, and employing underhanded tactics, Czerka, led by Jana Lorso, aimed to maximize profits by salvaging old defense installations damaged during the initial Sith bombardment, rather than focusing on overall recovery. Czerka hired mercenaries to guard these installations, some stationed on Citadel Station, but their salvage teams encountered active defense systems.
After aiding the Ithorians and thwarting Czerka's plans on the orbital complex, including preventing an attack on the Ithorian compound by Czerka's mercenaries, the Exile and her companions Atton Rand and Kreia obtained transport from Chodo Habat, the leader of the Ithorian herd responsible for the project, to search for the stolen Ebon Hawk on Telos's surface. Czerka executive Corrun Falt learned of this and prepared Restoration Zone RZ-0031, the site of a seemingly abandoned military base, for the Exile's arrival, reinforcing the stationed mercenary group. The Exile's shuttle was shot down by an air defense tower; after the crash, Bao-Dur, a Zabrak engineer, rescued her, Atton, and Kreia. The tech specialist, who knew the Exile from the Mandalorian Wars, agreed to help them find their starship and leave the planet.
After fighting through cannoks, mercenaries, and battle droids, the group discovered the Ebon Hawk's location: a hidden zone in the planet's polar regions. While slicing into the shield network, Bao-Dur found an older shuttle inside a nearby underground installation. The Exile and her companions entered the base, battling more droids. To escape, they had to secure the shuttle, restore power to open the hangar doors, and obtain activation codes. A large automated tank droid attempted to stop them. After succeeding, the Exile left RZ-0031.
They were shot down again near the polar irrigation system by HK-50 assassin droids. After rescuing herself, Kreia, Atton, and the unconscious Bao-Dur, she defeated the HK-50s and discovered Atris's hidden Academy within the plateau. The Exile spoke with the Jedi Master, discussing past events, and Atris admitted to bringing the Ebon Hawk there. The Exile offered to fight the Sith Triumvirate, and Atris asked her to find other missing Jedi Council members and meet at the destroyed Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. The Exile then gathered her companions, reclaimed her ship, and left on her new mission.
After her defeat, Kreia used the Force-nexus at the Trayus Core on Malachor V to foresee the future. She told the Exile that the Restoration Project would succeed, partly due to their actions on Telos, leading to the deconstruction of the restoration zones. She added that the world would eventually forget the bombardment.
Sentient beings rarely lived within the Restoration Zones. While Ithorian and Human technicians and their droid assistants worked there, they were transported between the station and the surface via orbital shuttles. These shuttles were only suitable for short in-system flights. However, Czerka-controlled territories had semi-permanent garrisons of mercenary guards, primarily guarding salvage sites and preventing unauthorized access.
RZ-0031, one of the Restoration Zones transferred from the Ithorians to Czerka Corporation by the Telosian Council, featured various terrain types from Telos's past, including grassy areas, a beach, small canyons, and a narrow pass. Under Czerka's control, the science station became a barracks for salvage operations. The mercenaries erected an air defense tower and patrolled the area with spotter droids and guard squads. Due to Czerka's focus on salvage, the ecosystem deteriorated, and cannoks devoured all other non-sentient creatures.
Within RZ-0031, Czerka salvage teams discovered a Republic military base entrance. The damaged underground bunker had cave-ins blocking some hallways. The salvagers found that many of the base's defenses were still active, including automated turrets, poison gas traps, and war droids. Several teams were killed, leaving their bodies alongside the skeletons of Republic troops who died in the original attack.
Located in Telos IV's upper polar region, this zone, not officially part of the shield wall network, housed a secret facility within a plateau flanked by monoliths. During the Telosian Restoration Project, Jedi Master Atris secretly established her Jedi Academy within the irrigation system's hub in this plateau. Bao-Dur described it as similar to Coruscant's planet-wide system, making it a perfect hiding place. He found it because the zone subtly drew power from the network, which he traced back to its source. Brianna, one of Atris's servants and the last of the Handmaiden Sisters, had taken the Ebon Hawk here.
The Restoration Zone was a location in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, created by Obsidian Entertainment.
If the player follows a dark path, the Exile will side with Czerka Corporation, working for them on Citadel Station and in the Restoration Zone. This involves dark-side missions, such as stealing droid intelligence, murdering an informant, and saving the Czerka station from its own mercenaries. If this happens, Kreia predicts a different future for Telos, stating that under Czerka's care, it will become a cold world of "machines and sciences" and will never again be caught defenseless.
Chodo Habat claims that Czerka will destroy the Restoration Project and let the Restoration Zones decay. Kreia's predictions show that Telos will recover under Czerka, but it will become a very different place than if the Ithorians restore it.
In cut content, there is a third option for Telos. If Darth Nihilus crashes his flagship, the Ravager, into Citadel Station, Kreia predicts that Telos will remain a barren, desolate, and lifeless planet, becoming another echo of the dark side, like Malachor V and Korriban.