Mission to Telos (44 BBY)

Background

Following Xanatos's unsuccessful attempt to obliterate the Jedi Temple located on Coruscant in 44 BBY, the Dark Jedi escaped to Telos IV. He had skillfully convinced the inhabitants that both he and his father Crion were innocent regarding the instigation of the Telosian Civil War which had occurred years prior. Furthermore, Xanatos was celebrated as the most important citizen of Telos because of his charitable contributions, such as the Xanatos Institute for Healing located in the capital city of Thani.

Mission

Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, his former Padawan, journeyed to Telos to face Xanatos, even though the Jedi High Council hadn't given their approval for the mission. The Jedi duo were astonished by the situation unfolding on the planet. Jinn and Kenobi were also bewildered by the attitude displayed by the population. The once-peaceful citizens had developed an obsession with a violent spectator sport known as Katharsis. This game was supposedly sponsored by the government to generate funds needed for the upkeep of Telos's Sacred Places, including the Park of Sacred Pools and the Mirror Caverns.

During their investigation into Xanatos's actions, the two Jedi encountered Andra, who was the leader and only member of POWER, a political group that opposed the exploitation of Telos's national parks, and her associate Denetrus, a minor criminal. With the assistance of the two Telosians, Jinn and Kenobi discovered that UniFy, a front for the Offworld Mining Corporation owned by Xanatos, controlled Katharsis. The group also gathered evidence that Telos's Sacred Places were being destroyed by extensive Offworld mining operations. Jinn and Kenobi exposed Xanatos to the people of Telos, and rather than be held accountable for his crimes, Xanatos chose to end his life by leaping into a pool of acid. Following his death, the citizens ousted the corrupt government officials and reclaimed their national treasures.

Aftermath

Regardless, the damage had already occurred, and the conservation efforts that followed the defeat of Offworld were short-lived. Special interest groups that represented industrial companies began to establish themselves on Telos, and within a few years, they had effectively become the ruling power on the planet. The factories constructed by these industries polluted the once-pristine world to such a degree that all of the national parks and Sacred Places suffered irreparable damage. In 39 BBY, a group of Telosians, horrified by their ruined homeworld, departed the planet aboard the experimental ship, BioCruiser. These individuals, including Andra and Denetrus, traveled throughout the galaxy and gradually increased their numbers by welcoming anyone who wanted to leave their own devastated planet.