Sacking of Coruscant

Following the supposed defeat of the ancient Sith Empire during the Great Hyperspace War, the Galactic Republic operated under the assumption that the Sith had become extinct. However, unbeknownst to the galaxy at large, a faction of the original Sith had managed to survive the Empire's downfall and sought refuge in the Unknown Regions. There, they dedicated a millennium to constructing a formidable war machine with the intention of exacting revenge upon the Republic and its Jedi Order. Under the leadership of a Dark Lord of the Sith known solely as the Sith Emperor, the Empire evolved into a clandestine force of power before reemerging into galactic prominence in 3681 BBY.

In that year, the Empire launched a massive offensive against the Republic, igniting the Great Galactic War that would ultimately engulf the entire galaxy. Although the initial battles were confined to the Outer Rim Territories, far from the Republic's core, the Emperor envisioned his dominion swiftly defeating its adversary and establishing itself as the dominant galactic political entity. However, the swift victory he anticipated failed to materialize, and the war persisted for nearly three decades, exhausting both the Sith and the Republic. Once the Imperials had secured their hold on the outer regions, they advanced toward the Galactic Core, aided by the Mandalorian warrior clans. Under the leadership of Mandalore the Lesser, the warriors implemented a blockade of the Hydian Way during the war's final decade, crippling the Republic economy and prompting some members of the Galactic Senate to advocate for surrender to the Empire. Following the intervention of a rogue smuggling ring, the Mandalorian strategy faltered, and the war reached a stalemate, although the Empire had generally achieved greater military success than the Republic.

Following the failure of the blockade, Jedi triumphs on Alderaan and Rhen Var, and the repulsion of Imperial forces from the galaxy's Core Worlds, many inhabitants of Coruscant, the Republic's capital world, embraced the optimistic belief that the Jedi and the Republic Military would be capable of safeguarding Coruscant. Conversely, these setbacks prompted the Emperor's Dark Council to seek a swift resolution to the war, leading them to extend a peace offering to the Republic Senate in 3653 BBY. This offer came as a complete surprise to the Republic, given the Empire's apparent proximity to victory in numerous combat zones. While the Jedi High Council cautioned against it, the Senate accepted the offer, recognizing that the combined efforts of the Sith and Mandalorians had brought the Republic to its knees and devastated its economy. Acknowledging this reality, the Sith devised a plan to exploit the Republic during the upcoming negotiations. It was determined that the Imperial delegation would require a decisive advantage while engaging with Republic and Jedi representatives, leading to the planning of a massive assault on Coruscant, the Republic's capital.

The planning for the invasion commenced as early as c. 3660 BBY, following the Rim Campaign. The Sith intended to capitalize on the Republic forces' thin deployment, primarily stationed in outlying systems along the Imperial border under the orders of Supreme Commander Rans. The Dark Council designated Darth Angral, a prominent Sith Lord, to lead the strike force, while a smaller, secondary force under the command of Darth Malgus, another Sith Lord, was to be dispatched directly to the Jedi Temple. Although Malgus desired to lead the assault on the Temple independently, Angral insisted that Adraas, a political ally of his and a rival of Malgus, serve as a second-in-command during the attack. Before any Sith action could proceed, however, the defense grid safeguarding Coruscant had to be disabled. This task fell to Shae Vizla, a Mandalorian, who traveled to the ecumenopolis ahead of the Sith forces. Darth Malgus also journeyed to the world prior to the battle, accompanied by Eleena Daru, his slave and lover. Malgus, possessing expertise in orchestrating surprise attacks, devised a plan for entering the Jedi Temple that involved a hijacked NR2 gully jumper delivering fifty Sith Warriors directly into the building. This plan necessitated Malgus to serve as a distraction for the Jedi while the vessel entered the airspace of the Temple district. As they awaited Vizla's completion of her objective and the positioning of his warriors, Malgus toured Coruscant with Daru, admiring and critiquing the world one last time before its impending destruction.

Meanwhile, the peace summit was underway on Alderaan, a Core World that had previously been attacked by the Empire. The Republic delegation, led by Senator Paran Am-Ris and Jedi Master Dar'Nala, convened with the Imperial delegation led by Darth Baras, a Sith Lord, to discuss a potential cessation of hostilities. Baras maintained the pretense of a peace-seeking diplomat early in the negotiation process, a facade bolstered by the Sith's withdrawal from their offensive in the Minos Cluster. However, as the peace conference commenced, Darth Malgus received confirmation on Coruscant that Vizla had compromised the defense grid without alerting Republic authorities and that the dropship was in position to begin its descent. With this signal, the Sith initiated their assault on the world.

Darth Malgus and Eleena Daru proceeded to the Jedi Temple on foot, approaching the ancient structure via the Processional Way. As they approached the Temple's main entrance, they were met by Republic soldiers assigned to guard the building while most Jedi were away fighting the Sith or participating in the peace talks. Malgus quickly eliminated all security personnel in his path and continued into the Temple. Meanwhile, Shae Vizla infiltrated the Temple Ziggurat through an exposed hatch to join the Sith in the fight. The Mandalorian continued to battle Republic security forces in the Temple's upper levels, while crowds of curious Jedi confronted Malgus and Daru below. Padawans gathered on the upper mezzanines to observe the Sith as he was confronted by a group of six Jedi Knights led by Ven Zallow, a Master. As Zallow and the Knights approached Malgus to prevent him from penetrating further into the Temple, the Sith Warriors aboard the Republic drop ship piloted the vessel directly into the large doorway shielding the main entrance.

The drop ship crashed through the large gate that served as the Temple's main entrance and continued on, reducing much of the entrance hall to rubble. The careening ship and the mass of rubble it created crushed several Jedi before coming to a halt directly behind Malgus and Daru. The drop ship's hatch blew open, revealing the fifty Sith Warriors led by Adraas, as well as several Imperial soldiers. After disembarking, the Sith forces were attacked by dozens of Jedi defending the Temple. The Jedi and Sith fought fiercely, battling with the Force and their lightsabers, while Daru darted through the battlefield, assisting her lover. When the Twi'lek slave was nearly killed by a Zabrak Padawan, Malgus intervened and killed the Jedi. Meanwhile, Adraas cut a path through the fray, using telekinetic powers to throw the few surviving Republic soldiers across the hall. As Malgus unleashed bolts of Force lightning against his opponents, Vizla revealed herself and engaged Republic soldiers with rockets and a flamethrower.

Immersed in the dark side of the Force, Malgus continued to slay many of the Temple's defenders while his Twi'lek lover supported him and the other Sith. Malgus's primary goal was to hunt down and kill Zallow, whom he considered the only combatant worthy of his attention. Zallow, meanwhile, was making progress against the Sith Warriors, killing several and repelling Adraas's attacks. When Malgus finally located Zallow, Daru attempted to assist him by firing at Zallow. However, this tactic backfired, and Zallow deflected Daru's blaster bolts back into her body before throwing her against a column with the Force. Zallow's attack enraged Malgus, who unleashed a Force scream that toppled some of the surrounding architecture. The Sith Lord and the Jedi Master closed the distance, killing anyone who crossed their paths. Upon meeting, Zallow and Malgus engaged in a fierce duel, fighting toward the Processional Way. Although their duel was interrupted by other Jedi and Sith, the two defeated their other opponents and focused on each other. Zallow defended against Malgus for a time and avoided many attacks, but eventually fell to the Sith Lord, who thrust his lightsaber through Zallow's abdomen. With their leading Master dead, the Jedi were quickly defeated. Among the Jedi who fell were Rolend and Yanila Zavros, a married Togruta couple. With the skirmish won, the Sith secured the Temple and destroyed the defense grid mainframe before Adraas signaled to Darth Angral that the strike had succeeded.

Angral's naval forces entered Coruscant space and were hailed by Orbital Security Station Six, a Coruscant Security space station monitoring traffic to Coruscant. Femi, a Twi'lek aboard the station, did not recognize the vessels and requested a clearance code from the incoming Sith warships. Darth Angral responded by ordering his admiral to open fire on the station, killing Femi and everyone else on board. The fleet, led by Angral's flagship, the Darkness, pushed into Coruscant's atmosphere and began ravaging the cityscape. As Mark VI Supremacy-class starfighters, B28 Extinction-class bombers, Sith battlecruisers, and Imperial war droids razed the Temple district, Malgus and his warriors sat at the ruined entrance of the Jedi Temple and watched Galactic City burn.

The initial deployment of ground troops onto Coruscant's surface was achieved through the utilization of landing shuttles. The squads of Imperial soldiers onboard were primarily intended to serve as expendable cannon fodder, designed to divert the Republic's defensive efforts while their commanding officers advanced towards their designated primary objectives. However, one young officer, a Human named Hesker, exhibited a resolute refusal to be so easily dismissed. Instead, he effectively galvanized and spearheaded his fellow soldiers in a fierce assault, successfully breaching the Republic's initial defensive lines. Hesker's exceptional leadership transformed the early phases of the battle into a decisive rout, thereby facilitating the swift capitulation of the remainder of Coruscant. Concurrently, Angral's fleet of battle cruisers persisted in its descent towards Coruscant, with a specific focus on the Senate District. Angral issued directives for his own deployment, along with a dedicated strike team, outside the Senate Building, while the remaining Sith forces sustained their ongoing assault on the city. As the warships initiated a relentless bombardment of the Senate District, Angral and his troops disembarked outside the Senate, where they encountered resistance from Jedi Master Orgus Din and Lieutenant Harron Tavus of the Republic Military. While Tavus, accompanied by several Coruscant Security personnel, engaged in combat with the Sith troopers, Angral directly confronted Din. The ensuing confrontation escalated into an intense lightsaber duel, during which Angral rapidly gained a distinct advantage. Ultimately, the Sith was successful in disarming Master Din, forcing him to the ground and holding him at lightsaber point. Despite Angral's initial intent to claim Din as his inaugural Jedi kill of the day, a severely damaged Imperial warship plummeted from the sky, colliding with a nearby structure and triggering an explosion that propelled both Din and the Sith Lord through the air. This unforeseen event provided Din with an opportunity to leap across a fractured bridge and proceed towards the Jedi Temple, which was already under intense bombardment. Angral issued orders to his men to permit the Jedi's escape, emphasizing that their primary objective remained within the Senate.

Inside the Senate Building, the Republic's chief executive, Supreme Chancellor Berooken, attempted to establish contact with Senator Am-Ris, who was stationed on Alderaan. Amidst the chaotic evacuation of Republic senators and his own office staff from the building, the Mon Calamari Chancellor remained steadfast, issuing a warning to the Cerean Senator regarding the Sith's treachery and urging him to withdraw from the ongoing peace talks. However, before he could complete his message, Angral forcefully breached the Senate chambers and fatally struck down the Chancellor. Berooken's assassination, an action not originally incorporated into the invasion plan, was witnessed by the participants of the Alderaan Peace Conference, thereby precipitating a brief but intense conflict between the Republic and Imperial delegations. As the battle raged on across Coruscant, a significant number of senators fell victim to the invading forces, and the late Chancellor's majestic and heavily armed executive cruiser was utterly destroyed. Jedi Master Usma, widely recognized as one of the Order's most accomplished duelists, was among the casualties sustained during the ground fighting, having been slain by Lord Praven, Darth Angral's apprentice. Praven also claimed the life of a Republic soldier, whose son, Fir Megsan, would later place a bounty on the Sith's head in a desperate attempt to exact revenge for his father's death.

The planet endured a relentless orbital bombardment from the Sith armada, while Imperial forces conducted raids on the city's towers. Under the direction of Sith Lord Javis Koldor, Harrower-class cruiser fleets inflicted especially devastating losses on Coruscant. Serving as Koldor's flagship, the Scream of Ragnos caused the deaths of countless civilians and defenders, solidifying its status as a symbol of Imperial power. The Senate District sustained significant damage, and Sith troops seized the Senate Dome. The Temple Precinct also suffered greatly, with starfighters executing strafing runs and Sith war droids advancing on the Temple itself. Imperial fighters actively hunted and destroyed the few remaining civilian airspeeders, while Republic military vessels were eliminated before they could even engage in combat. The cityscape was ablaze with hundreds of fires, and Imperial bombers eventually targeted a power station, resulting in a massive plasma flare that reached half a kilometer into the atmosphere. Six members of the Jedi High Council perished during the conflict. Furthermore, Darth Malgus and his warriors utilized explosives brought aboard the hijacked drop ship to demolish the Jedi Temple. Master Din and Lieutenant Tavus attempted to reach the structure before its collapse, but they arrived just as it began to fall apart. The ancient edifice was completely destroyed, either killing or trapping any surviving Jedi within. Imperial troopers, along with Malgus's group, fought off survivors at the Temple, with a soldier named Westro taking pride in shooting a Jedi from behind. Elsewhere on Coruscant, several Jedi attempted a counterattack against an Imperial Nav vessel, but they were repelled by the ship's commander, Rycus Kilran. Despite sustaining serious injuries during the attempt, Kilran continued to participate in the battle and inflicted substantial damage on the city. The Republic's General Var Suthra led defense forces against the Empire, but his efforts were unsuccessful, as Imperial champions like Darth Lachris dominated the day. Jedi Master Kellian Jarro proved to be a highly effective Republic defender; in the city's streets, Master Jarro alone killed over one hundred Mandalorian veterans who had accompanied the Sith in their assault. Jarro's victims, primarily from Clan Spar, succumbed to his deflections of heavy blaster fire and Force-assisted slams that shattered armor and detonated jetpacks.

Since the Empire's primary targets were the Senate and the Jedi Temple, Coruscant's lower levels provided refuge for Coruscanti who managed to escape the chaos in the upper city. Many residents sought safety by fleeing downward, but these deeper areas of the city also became targets and were subjected to intense orbital bombardment. Despite protection from surviving Jedi and Republic Military forces, the refugees suffered greatly from the bombardment, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. While wounded Imperial troops were transported to medical ships in orbit for recovery, the Sith continued their bombardment of the planet, causing tens of thousands of deaths, if not more. Above the planet, the privateer Free Spacers Fleet, under the command of Republic freelancer Admiral Zale Barrows, engaged the Imperial Navy. The Sith attackers successfully maintained their orbital position, and this engagement marked the final action of the privateer fleet. The Sith finalized their capture of Coruscant by destroying or eliminating all orbital satellites, thereby cutting off communications between the capital and the rest of the galaxy. Although the initial plan involved razing and completely destroying Galactic City, the final bombardment never occurred. Instead, the Emperor instructed Lord Baras to continue negotiations on Alderaan, using the situation on Coruscant as leverage. Consequently, the Republic delegation, unable to communicate with the Senate, remained unaware of the severity of the events, and Dar'Nala and Am-Ris were therefore unaware of the severity of the events. The Jedi and Republic diplomats were compelled to accept Lord Baras's assessment, which asserted that any reluctance to comply with the Empire's demands would result in further repercussions on Coruscant, specifically, additional civilian casualties.

In the hours immediately following the invasion and capture of Coruscant, Imperial military forces transitioned from combat operations to occupation duties. Bombers returned to their cruisers, while starfighters adopted patrol patterns and began regular sweeps of the cityscape. Darth Angral, as theater commander, assumed control of the world and declared martial law, prohibiting any vessels from departing the surface and denying access to all incoming traffic. The Sith Lord established a blockade around Coruscant, consisting of at least two battlecruisers, with a third cruiser orbiting one of the world's moons. Any non-Imperial ship approaching Coruscant during this period was quickly intercepted by Sith interceptors and impounded aboard one of the cruisers. Captain Jard, the commander of Darth Malgus's cruiser, the Valor, was a high-ranking officer within the blockade fleet and oversaw operations on the ship while Malgus was on the planet. Meanwhile, patrols of Imperial war droids were deployed into the lower levels of Galactic City to locate civilians who had sought refuge there during the invasion.

Angral seized the office of the deceased Chancellor and converted it into his command headquarters, with Officer Roon Neele serving as his aide. From these offices, the Sith Lord dissolved the Galactic Senate and ordered the execution of many surviving senators. Despite his harsh treatment of the enemy government, Angral authorized search and rescue teams to begin efforts to recover those injured and lost during the initial assault. Simultaneously, he directed Imperial forces to take control of a local hospital, allowing wounded Imperial troopers and Sith Warriors to be triaged before being transported to medical ships, such as the Steadfast. Defying Darth Malgus's instructions to immediately transport his lover Daru to the Steadfast, Lord Adraas instead redirected her to the hospital, where she was abandoned by the other Imperials who eventually moved to the medical ship. Meanwhile, Angral attempted to contact Malgus via his comlink. When the subordinate Sith failed to respond, Angral instead sought out Adraas and requested that he speak on Malgus's behalf. While Adraas reported on the raid of the Jedi Temple, Malgus remained at the ruins of the ancient building, unaware that an occupation had been initiated. The Sith Lord still believed that the Empire intended to bombard the planet from orbit and destroy the ecumenopolis. Upon discovering the truth, he rushed to Angral's headquarters in the Senate Building to protest the decision to occupy the planet.

During his meeting with Angral, Malgus made several political errors that ultimately diminished his command status within the Coruscant invasion and occupation force. After leaving the Senate Building, Malgus went to the hospital where Daru was being treated to retrieve her and transport her to a more suitable medical facility aboard the Valor. The hospital, no longer under Imperial control, was overwhelmed with the wounded from across the city. Upon arriving outside the facility, a large crowd of grieving and injured Coruscanti civilians recognized him as a Sith Lord and berated him for his involvement in the attack. After a member of the crowd threw a piece of duracrete at him, Malgus was forced to disperse the mob with a telekinetic Force wave. This action resulted in the deaths of several hecklers and cleared a path for the Sith Lord to enter the hospital, where he found Daru and removed her from the care of the Republic medical doctors. Angral later assigned Malgus command of the naval blockade around the planet, tasking him with securing the hyperspace lanes in and out of the area.

While Malgus oversaw the Imperial fleet, he supervised the arrival of supply superfreighter convoys and their frigate escorts. On the first day after Coruscant's capture, the blockade was alerted to the arrival of a Dragonfly-class drop ship not registered to any Sith forces. Following security protocols, the vessel was surrounded by Mk. VII advanced interceptors and electromagnetically towed to the Valor, where its pilot, former Imperial sniper–turned–bounty hunter Vrath Xizor, was apprehended and interrogated. Xizor cooperated with the Imperials and eventually secured an audience with Malgus, providing the Sith Lord with information that a spice smuggler named Zeerid Korr was en route to Coruscant, intending to breach the blockade and transport the renegade Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer to the surface. Leneer, previously Ven Zallow's Padawan, had abandoned her post at the ongoing peace negotiations on Alderaan to travel to Coruscant and avenge her fallen Master.

Xizor's prediction proved accurate. In an XS stock light freighter known as the Fatman, Korr and Leneer secretly entered Coruscant space by piggybacking on the hyperspace jump of the superfreighter convoy. After briefly evading detection by attaching themselves to the hull of one of the superfreighters, the Fatman was discovered by Imperial shuttles searching for anomalies in the convoy. Realizing that a discreet entry into Coruscant's atmosphere was no longer possible, Korr piloted the Fatman close enough to one of the freighters to prevent Sith forces from firing on his vessel. Under Darth Malgus's orders, the freighter convoy and its frigate escorts dispersed, leaving the XS light freighter vulnerable to fire from the Valor. Intrigued by Leneer, the Sith Lord chose to impound the ship rather than destroy it. As the Fatman sped toward Coruscant's atmosphere, it was ensnared in the Valor's tractor beam but managed to break free. Malgus's weapons officer, Lieutenant Makk, immediately opened fire on the fleeing vessel, destroying the Fatman shortly after it entered the atmosphere.

Leneer and Korr escaped the doomed ship by ejecting from the cockpit just before its complete destruction. They plummeted from the upper atmosphere, surviving only through Leneer's skillful use of the Force to slow their descent. As they regained their composure and prepared to carry out their objectives, Malgus confined Xizor to Coruscant's surface for the duration of the occupation. Meanwhile, the Sith Lord provided Daru with a list of names and technologies to be seized from the ecumenopolis. The individuals were to be taken as prisoners of war, while the technology was to be taken as spoils from the successful invasion. Daru was placed in command of Imperial Captain Kerse and his squad, and together they traveled to the Sith-controlled Liston Spaceport in three Imperial shuttles. Simultaneously, Leneer and Korr traveled to the destroyed Jedi Temple, hoping to find evidence about the individual who had killed Zallow. Although Leneer was certain that a Sith had committed the murder, she was unaware that Malgus was responsible for her Master's death. After accessing the intact lower levels of the Temple via The Works, Leneer learned of Malgus's offense and Daru's participation by viewing security holorecordings captured during the Sith Lord's attack. She and Korr departed with a lone survivor of the Temple's destruction—Zallow's astromech droid, T7-O1—and began planning to board the Valor and confront Malgus.

Leneer remained in a bombed-out apartment building while Korr scouted the Liston Spaceport in search of a suitable transport to take them to the Valor. During his reconnaissance, he noticed the Twi'lek woman who had assisted Malgus in the attack on the Temple at Liston. He returned to the apartment building to inform Leneer, but she had already left. The Jedi Knight was returning to the Temple ruins to reflect on her Master's death. Malgus, having researched Leneer's past and deduced her intentions on Coruscant, was waiting at the ruins to confront her. The two met and engaged in a short but fierce duel. The battle ended inconclusively, as Leneer fled in an Armin speeder piloted by Korr. Angered by the duel's outcome, the Jedi resolved to make Malgus suffer emotionally before their next encounter. To achieve this, she decided to kill Daru before confronting the Sith.

While Leneer and Korr infiltrated the Liston Spaceport landing bay, Malgus raced after them to protect Daru. With T7-O1's assistance, the Jedi and the smuggler tricked the occupying Imperials into evacuating the spaceport by faking a fuel gas leak. Despite this, Daru and several Imperial commandos donned breath masks and chose to remain in the spaceport to continue loading their shuttles with the looted goods. Leneer found and confronted Daru in the hold of one of the ships, but chose to uphold her Jedi teachings and spare the Twi'lek's life. Instead, the Jedi knocked her target unconscious and carried her inert body to the landing bay floor. Meanwhile, Korr broke into Vrath Xizor's impounded drop ship, intending to hijack it. He succeeded in boarding the vessel and escaping from the surface, but was forced to kill the bounty hunter in the process. As he made his escape, Malgus discovered Leneer with Daru's body and engaged the Jedi in a pitched battle, during which she ensured Korr's safe passage out of the system by threatening the Twi'lek's life. Malgus allowed the commandeered drop ship to leave Coruscant but then proceeded to attack and defeat Leneer. The Jedi was rendered unconscious by a concentrated blast of Force lightning but ultimately survived the encounter. Grateful that she had spared Daru's life, Malgus decided to let the Jedi leave Coruscant unharmed. He then killed Daru himself, deciding that her existence only weakened him.

Meanwhile, on Alderaan, the negotiators achieved a breakthrough. After several days of discussion, Lord Baras presented the Republic diplomats with the Treaty of Coruscant, an agreement heavily favoring the Sith that would shape galactic events for decades to come. Although the representatives' reactions were mixed, Senator Am-Ris and Master Dar'Nala agreed to the terms. The Great Galactic War ended, and the Sith Empire began its withdrawal from Coruscant. The only remaining Imperial forces on the world were war droids left in the Underlevels by the Sith. One group of patrol droids located and engaged Master Orgus Din, who had joined members of the Republic Military to protect civilians hiding in the lower levels. Din and Lieutenant Harron Tavus destroyed the droids and returned to the surface for reconnaissance. Having no prior knowledge of the situation on the planet's upper levels, they were surprised to find the Sith gone and the city in ruins.

With the Treaty of Coruscant signed and Imperial forces withdrawn from Coruscant, the Republic began the process of recovery. Senator Am-Ris returned to the capital to oversee the Senate's operations in an interim capacity, while Jedi Grand Master Zym worked with the Cerean to ensure the Jedi Order's compliance with the treaty. According to the agreement's terms, Republic forces were recalled from all battlefronts across the galaxy, and support to long-standing allies was terminated. For many systems, the loss of Republic support led to a swift takeover by the Empire's forces, further reducing the government's already shrinking jurisdiction. Other worlds, particularly those in the galaxy's outer regions, were directly ceded to the Empire as mandated by the treaty. When members of the Jedi Order returned to Coruscant to salvage what remained of their Temple, they were met with an outraged Senate that blamed the Order for the Republic's misfortunes. Despite his friendship with Zym, Am-Ris was compelled to delay the rebuilding of the Jedi Temple, and in 3650 BBY the Senate declared that the Temple's reconstruction would be postponed indefinitely. With public opinion against them and their home on the capital gone, the Jedi decided to relocate their headquarters from Coruscant to their ancestral homeworld of Tython.

As hostilities ceased and the two major galactic governments attempted to coexist, a Cold War emerged. Coruscant continued to suffer in the early stages of this stalemate, as the rogue Jedi Master Dar'Nala committed terrorist acts in the Senate District. When the Galactic Senate finally reconvened, its members unanimously voted to install the Human Dorian Janarus as the new Supreme Chancellor. Having served as the senator for Coruscant during the war years, Janarus gained a reputation for strong leadership that helped to reunite the planet after the attack. Despite the popularity of its new leader, the Republic continued its slide into a major economic depression as chaos erupted in the streets of Coruscant during the reconstruction process. Legislative and financial oversight for the rebuilding process was provided by the Resource Management Council, which was widely perceived as ineffective.

Although the Empire's hostility toward Coruscant officially ended, some within the Sith hierarchy still desired to destroy the capital. Darth Angral was furious that Baras had negotiated the planet's release, and Darth Malgus viewed the decision as a failure for the Dark Council, the Emperor, and the Empire as a whole. The Imperial Minister of Intelligence chose to plant several of his agents within the Republic government. Thus, Informer Ula Vii infiltrated the staff of the Republic's Supreme Commander [Stantorrs], and a Cipher Agent was placed in the offices of the Republic's Strategic Information Systems.

As the Resource Management Council dedicated their efforts to pinpointing regions deserving of governmental focus, the atmosphere of Coruscant became increasingly volatile. Only the areas essential for administration and commerce were successfully restored; the Sith invasion left vast portions of the ecumenopolis untouched, much of the infrastructure lay in ruins, and the burgeoning refugee population led to a surge in desperate criminals and impoverished individuals. Food riots, separatist insurrections, and widespread looting plagued the planet's lower levels, as the impoverished populace struggled to survive amidst the Sith's devastation. These troubled areas were left to their own devices for reconstruction, but quickly succumbed to gang control during the Cold War era. The Black Sun syndicate rose to prominence, particularly in areas like Gnawer's Roost. In the Old Galactic Market sector, alien war refugees, along with Coruscant natives displaced by Imperial bombings, flooded and occupied the commercial center. These squatters claimed the market as their own, and when Republic authorities demanded their departure, they rioted, transforming the entire sector into a battleground. Eventually, the refugees fell under the protection, and exploitation, of the Migrant Merchants' Guild—a criminal organization that, alongside the Black Sun, instigated an armed uprising that significantly hampered Coruscant's reconstruction. The escalation of gang activity spurred the formation of a radical vigilante group known as the Justicars' Brigade. These bloodthirsty marauders established their own form of justice and combatted criminal activity, primarily to safeguard their own territory, rather than to protect the average citizens.

While the Justicars were infamous for their exceptionally brutal responses to street-level crime, other entities sought to aid the oppressed in Coruscant's post-sacking Underworld. One such figure was Larin Moxla, an ex-Republic trooper who dedicated herself to traversing the planet's most devastated areas, striving to eliminate crime and assist the vulnerable wherever possible. Senator Oranda supervised the restoration of damaged water, power, and waste systems that had been neglected for almost a decade following the Sith assault. With assistance from protocol droids provided by the Gree Enclave, Oranda proceeded with reconstruction projects that most other officials had abandoned. However, the bulk of the reconstruction burden fell upon Vanara Kayl, the Coruscanti politician who succeeded Supreme Chancellor Janarus as senator and governor of the capital. In the project's initial phase, donations from across the Republic bolstered Kayl's efforts, but governmental corruption and inefficiencies resulted in a protracted and delayed reconstruction process. Faced with these obstacles, a frustrated Senator Kayl delivered a passionate address regarding Coruscant's condition, suggesting that any interference with the ongoing reconstruction bordered on treason; this forceful speech impressed the Chancellor, who granted the senator complete authority over the project. Kayl eventually broadened her focus to include dismantling gangs and safeguarding Coruscant from anarchist terrorist groups, but the Coruscant Security Force struggled to accomplish these tasks alone. Having suffered significant personnel losses during the sacking, the police force was tasked with riot control and military interventions in civilian areas—orders that were understandable immediately after the occupation, but continued to be issued throughout the subsequent decade. These circumstances led to disillusioned police officers and an exhausted force largely ineffective against profit-driven organized crime syndicates.

Despite the Republic government's limited assistance to the Sith invasion's victims, it did commission a memorial known as the Cenotaph of the Innocents. The Cenotaph consisted of asaari trees, one for each individual who perished in the Empire's attack on the Jedi Temple. By 3643 BBY, the memorial had evolved into a growing forest, becoming a cherished place of reflection and remembrance for Coruscant's inhabitants. Several years after the battle, the events surrounding the Sacking of Coruscant were chronicled by Jedi Master Gnost-Dural for the Jedi Archives on Tython, later finding mention in the third edition of The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force. By the conclusion of the New Sith Wars, approximately 2,653 years later, Coruscant had regained its status as the Republic's magnificent center.

During the Alderaan negotiations, Jedi Master Ven Zallow chose to remain at the Jedi Temple. As the initial assault began, Zallow assumed command of the Temple's defenses, becoming one of the first Jedi to defend Coruscant. His duel with Darth Malgus showcased his skill, and the Sith Lord considered him a formidable adversary. Despite eliminating numerous Sith Warriors, Zallow was ultimately defeated by his enemy—a demise that was felt across light-years by his former Padawan, Aryn Leneer. When the Sith brought down the Temple, the Jedi Master's body was buried beneath its ruins. Zallow's droid, T7-O1, survived the Temple's destruction and later aided Aryn Leneer in identifying her former Master's killer.

Prior to the Sacking of Coruscant, Master Orgus Din was stationed in the Minos Cluster, where he personally observed the Imperial withdrawal from the area. After presenting an optimistic report to the Senate, Din exited the capital building, only to discover that Coruscant had become the Empire's next target. He defended the Senate District against Darth Angral's initial landing force and directly engaged the Sith Lord in combat. Narrowly escaping death, Din attempted to prevent the Jedi Temple's fall to the Empire. Failing in this endeavor, he redirected his efforts to protecting citizens who sought refuge in the Underworld. He remained in the Underlevels throughout the occupation, collaborating with Republic Military members to defend the surviving populace.

Special Forces Lieutenant Harron Tavus served alongside Master Din on several occasions during the war, accompanying the Jedi during his Senate report on the Minos Cluster. When Angral attacked Din shortly afterward, Tavus focused his fire on the Imperial soldiers advancing into the Senate District. Tavus fled with Din to the Jedi Temple, but eventually convinced his comrade that preventing the building's fall was impossible. During the Imperial occupation, Tavus patrolled Coruscant's lower levels, conducting reconnaissance for Din and other surviving military personnel. After rescuing Din from two remaining Sith war droids, Tavus revealed the Empire's departure from Coruscant. Enraged by the lack of retribution against the Sith, he later participated in a conspiracy to destabilize both the Republic and the Empire in an attempt to nullify the treaty.

Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer was selected to accompany Master Dar'Nala, Senator Am-Ris, and the esteemed Knight Satele Shan to Alderaan for the peace negotiations. However, upon sensing Ven Zallow's death through the Force, she defied her superiors and abandoned the diplomatic summit to seek vengeance against the Sith responsible for her Master's demise. She enlisted the help of her former comrade Zeerid Korr, and together they traveled to the devastated city-planet. To ensure the negotiations' success and the safety of Coruscant's people, Master Dar'Nala informed the Sith delegation that Leneer was likely en route to the capital, clarifying that her actions were not endorsed by either the Jedi Council or the Republic. After discovering that Darth Malgus—a Sith Lord she had encountered years prior on Alderaan—was responsible for Zallow's death, Leneer began to deviate from the Jedi Code and her Master's teachings in her pursuit of revenge. She willingly engaged the Sith in a duel within the Temple's ruins and nearly murdered his lover in cold blood. Choosing not to, Malgus allowed her to live and leave the planet. This ordeal led Leneer to abandon the Jedi Order during the Cold War.

After serving as a commando and pilot for the Republic Special Forces' Havoc Squad in the war's initial stages, Zeerid Korr left the army to care for his disabled daughter, Arra Yooms. He became a weapons smuggler for the galactic criminal syndicate known as the Exchange, but struggled to afford Arra's medical expenses and mobility aids. To earn enough money to leave the Exchange's employ, Korr accepted a spice-running mission to deliver engspice to drug dealers on occupied Coruscant. The Hutt Cartel hired bounty hunter Vrath Xizor to intercept the delivery, who then informed Darth Malgus of the threat to the Sith blockade. With Aryn Leneer's assistance, he reached the planet, but his ship, the Fatman, was destroyed in the upper atmosphere, vaporizing the engspice. During his escape from Coruscant, Korr was forced to kill Xizor to prevent the bounty hunter from revealing Arra's existence to the Exchange. He later went into hiding with his daughter as a farmer on Dantooine.

Darth Angral, a high-ranking Sith Lord, was chosen by the Dark Council to lead the Sacking of Coruscant, while his rival, Darth Baras, led the Imperial delegation on Alderaan. Angral was eager to destroy the Republic after twenty-eight years of open warfare and centuries of covert planning by the Empire. Before the invasion, Angral strategically organized his task force commanders to facilitate his own power play during the operation: he appointed Lord Adraas as the second-in-command for the Temple assault, despite Darth Malgus's objections. When the invasion began, Angral personally assassinated the Supreme Chancellor and seized the Mon Calamari's office. This unplanned assassination nearly disrupted the delicate balance established on Alderaan, but the Republic negotiators chose to overlook Angral's violence for the sake of Coruscant's population.

Despite his desire to annihilate the Jedi and the Republic, Angral adhered to the revised plan of holding the world hostage while negotiations continued on Alderaan; he even feigned support for the strategy before his fellow warriors. Malgus, more focused on Coruscant's destruction and less skilled in Sith politics, fell victim to Darth Angral's machinations during the occupation. The superior Sith Lord manipulated Malgus into compromising situations, allowing him to promote Adraas, a political ally of Angral. During the two-day occupation, he governed the planet under martial law, with Officer Roon Neele serving directly under him. After the occupation, Darth Angral returned to the Sith holy world of Korriban and accused Darth Baras of exceeding his mandate to destroy Coruscant by continuing the negotiation process. The Sith Lord vowed to continue his vendetta against the Republic, regardless of the treaty.

The Sacking of Coruscant marked a pivotal moment in Darth Malgus's career. In his youth, Malgus had journeyed to Korriban, where he experienced a Force vision of the galaxy consumed by flames. He interpreted this as a sign that he would eventually be tasked with destroying the Republic. Consequently, he held high expectations for the invasion of Coruscant, fully anticipating a massive, concentrated bombardment that would obliterate the planet's inhabitants and cripple both the Republic and the Jedi Order. Although Adraas's presence during the Jedi Temple invasion angered him, Malgus fought with skill. His murder of Ven Zallow, which would become his most infamous act, drew the ire of Aryn Leneer. Similarly, his defense of his Twi'lek companion Eleena Daru aroused suspicion among his Human elitist Sith comrades.

Upon learning that Coruscant would not be destroyed, Malgus challenged Darth Angral and Lord Adraas, questioning the policies of both the Dark Council and the Emperor. His lack of proficiency in Sith political maneuvering hindered his arguments with Angral, ultimately relegating him to the minor role of overseeing the blockade. Discovering that the Jedi themselves had betrayed Leneer's actions to the Sith, he began to see the renegade as a kindred spirit—feeling similarly betrayed by the Sith, who were seemingly compromising their core principles for political gain. This realization prompted him to defy a direct order for the first time in his career; instead of immediately destroying the Fatman, Malgus ordered it to be tractor beamed onto the Valor. This provided Leneer and Zeerid Korr with an opportunity to reach Coruscant's surface and investigate Zallow's death. Malgus engaged Leneer on the surface on two separate occasions, but chose to spare her life. However, his interactions with her led him to view Daru as a liability. He killed his lover and used the pain from the decision to become a vigilante against pro-peace Sith Lords during the Cold War.

Lord Adraas, a skilled Imperial politician and ally of Darth Angral, secured a position as commander of the Sith Warrior task force aboard the Republic gully jumper bound for the Jedi Temple, despite Darth Malgus's disapproval. The two Sith Lords were fierce rivals, particularly due to Adraas's ambition to surpass the Darth in the Imperial hierarchy. Malgus's animosity toward Adraas was so intense that he wished for the politician's death in combat with the Jedi. During the occupation of Coruscant, Adraas and Angral carefully orchestrated Malgus's downfall, exploiting his affection for Eleena Daru by denying her treatment on Imperial medical vessels, which were traditionally reserved for Human combatants. Adraas harbored a particular disdain for Daru, believing that all aliens were inferior to Human Imperials, regardless of their loyalty or valor. This prejudice led him to refer to the Twi'lek as a "mongrel"—an insult for which Malgus later killed him.

Rycus Kilran, an officer in the Imperial Navy, had been building a formidable reputation since the war's outset. In the conflict's final stages, he became known for his ruthlessly effective strikes against the Republic and was ultimately chosen to participate in the Sacking of Coruscant. During the battle, a group of Jedi who had survived the Temple's destruction launched a counterattack against the vessel under Kilran's command. Despite sustaining significant injuries and scarring during the assault, he stood against the Jedi and survived. Kilran's actions during the Sacking earned him the moniker "the Butcher of Coruscant" among Republic civilians and the title "Hero of the Battle of Coruscant" within the Empire. He adopted the former with characteristic irony and was later granted the title of Grand Moff by the Imperial government.

Eleena Daru was Darth Malgus's Twi'lek slave. Despite her subservient status and the second-class status of aliens within the Empire, Daru lived more comfortably than other slaves—Malgus even treated her as a wife after falling in love with her during the war. Despite their love connection, the two held opposing philosophies; the Twi'lek opposed the Empire's constant war and strife, even sympathizing with the Jedi, while the Sith firmly believed that war was both necessary and beneficial. Despite her ethical objections to the attack, Daru accompanied Malgus to Coruscant and fought alongside him during the assault on the Jedi Temple. She survived the battle, despite sustaining serious injuries at Ven Zallow's hand. After the initial assault, Malgus attempted to ensure his lover's treatment aboard the Empire's orbiting medical ships, but Adraas, with his fervent anti-alien sentiments, undermined his efforts. Although she continued to serve her lover loyally throughout the occupation, Malgus came to view her as a liability to his own strength—one that both Adraas and Angral would attempt to exploit. To prevent this, he killed Daru himself on the final day of the occupation.

The Sacking of Coruscant served as a pivotal plot point conceived for Star Wars: The Old Republic, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by LucasArts and BioWare. The attack on Coruscant was among the earliest lore elements revealed for the game; it was initially mentioned in a brief summary describing the game's setting, before being depicted and referenced in various pieces of concept art released on The Old Republic's official website in October of 2008. The events surrounding the battle were further elaborated upon in Treaty of Coruscant, the inaugural installment of the Galactic Timeline. This timeline feature, an online chronology available on The Old Republic's website, is narrated by Jedi Master Gnost-Dural, voiced by actor Lance Henriksen.

The Sacking of Coruscant also received expanded coverage in the Threat of Peace webcomic, penned by Robert Chestney and illustrated by Alex Sanchez. The webcomic series comprised three distinct story arcs, all delving into the battle and its aftermath. It also introduced several characters and locations that feature prominently in the game itself. The game's debut trailer, titled Deceived, was released on June 1, 2009, depicting the Sith invasion of the Jedi Temple. Following the video's release, an article titled The Sacking of Coruscant appeared in Star Wars Insider 113, discussing the cinematic trailer's production. In 2010, two novels set within The Old Republic timeframe were published—Fatal Alliance and Red Harvest. Both stories referenced the Sacking of Coruscant, with Fatal Alliance providing specific details regarding the state of the Republic and Coruscant in the wake of the attack.

Deceived's protagonist, Darth Malgus, was later featured in Paul S. Kemp's 2011 novel The Old Republic: Deceived. This book significantly expanded upon the events of the Sacking and revealed additional information regarding the Imperial politics surrounding the occupation of Coruscant. The Essential Reader's Companion, released on October 2, 2012, summarized some of the Sacking's events through its synopsis of The Old Republic: Deceived. The book also included a behind-the-scenes look at Deceived's development, revealing that the novel was initially intended to be written by veteran Star Wars novelist James Luceno. Luceno's portrayal of Darth Malgus's backstory conflicted with concepts established for the character by LucasArts and BioWare, leading to his replacement by Kemp. While Kemp's work aligned more closely with LucasArts' vision, some of his passages—such as a scene depicting victorious Sith playing ball with severed Jedi heads—were deemed too morbid and were removed from the final version.

The Old Republic game itself features Coruscant as a playable world still recovering from the Sith attack. Conversations with non-player characters and missions on the planet offer specific details about the attack, while storylines on other worlds incorporate characters who participated in the sacking. The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural, included in the game's collector's edition, recounted the events of the Sacking of Coruscant and introduced new information, such as Supreme Chancellor Berooken's name and Gnost-Dural's involvement. In 2012, Ryder Windham's expanded and updated version of Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide featured images from the Deceived trailer and a brief synopsis of the battle. The book incorrectly stated that the Sacking of Coruscant and the Battle of Alderaan occurred simultaneously.

The Sacking of Coruscant has also been mentioned in 2010's The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force and 2012's Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side, both of which served as in-universe source books presented from the perspectives of members of the Jedi and Sith Orders, respectively.