Treaty of Coruscant

The Treaty of Coruscant served as the official declaration to cease all active combat operations between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War, and it also delineated a division of the galaxy between these two major powers. The treaty laid out specific timeframes within which Republic military units and members of the Jedi Order were mandated to retreat from engagements against the Sith. Failure to comply with these deadlines would authorize Imperial forces to engage any Republic units found in violation. Even Republic personnel acting in accordance with the treaty faced stringent restrictions. For example, all Republic vessels were obligated to announce their entry into the airspace above any planet to the appropriate Imperial authorities. Furthermore, to ensure the various provisions of the agreement were followed, the Empire incorporated a clause that permitted them to assign protocol droids to monitor specific individuals within the Republic, constantly reminding them of the Treaty of Coruscant's requirements.

The peace accord also mandated that the Republic rescind the membership of several outlying worlds, thus depriving them of the protection afforded by representation in the Galactic Senate. In addition, the Sith Dark Council demanded that the Republic cede control of seven star systems that were largely unpopulated and strategically insignificant. Beyond the cessation of open warfare, the only tangible benefit for the Republic was the agreement for the Empire to end its assault and occupation of Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic. Despite the fact that only a small group of diplomats consented to the Treaty, overturning the agreement within the Republic required a vote in the Galactic Senate.

The Great Galactic War, which plunged the galaxy into nearly three decades of conflict, began in 3681 BBY with the return of the self-exiled remnants of the ancient Sith Empire. These Sith represented the surviving legacy of the ancient regime that had been defeated by the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order thousands of years prior during the Great Hyperspace War. Under the leadership of the Dark Lord of the Sith known as the Sith Emperor, the Empire revealed its presence to the Republic and immediately initiated hostilities, igniting a galactic-scale war.

Following the successful capture of the Tingel Arm through a campaign early in the war, the Empire shifted its focus to securing the remaining territories of the Outer Rim Territories. As one world after another fell to the Sith's relentless advance, the Galactic Senate of the Republic found itself paralyzed by internal disagreements on how to effectively defend the galaxy. This sluggish response resulted in a string of victories for the Sith, including their seizure of the Aparo sector and their victory at Korriban. The Republic continued to suffer significant losses as the Empire targeted crucial supply centers, such as the Sluis Van Shipyards, which were destroyed, and the Rimma Trade Route, which was blockaded. While the Senate worked to prioritize the Republic's defensive measures, numerous worlds were left completely vulnerable. The representatives of these planets openly refused to participate in further discussions, opting instead to abandon the Senate due to its debilitating internal conflicts.

The Empire solidified its control over the Outer Rim with the capture of the Seswenna sector in 3671 BBY, and began strategizing for an invasion towards the galactic core. However, after enduring dual defeats at Bothawui, the Sith were forced out of the Mid Rim and assumed a defensive posture. The Republic's successes proved short-lived, as the Emperor altered his strategies and initiated a plan to secure the Mandalorians as allies in the war against the Republic. Imperial Intelligence agents sponsored the rise of a new Mandalorian leader, who would later be known as Mandalore the Lesser. This Mandalore rallied his people and orchestrated a blockade of the Hydian Way—the Republic's primary trade artery and vital route for transporting military supplies. This blockade severely crippled the Republic economy, which had been struggling since the war's inception. Although the blockade was eventually broken by the Mirialan Hylo Visz and her band of smugglers, the Hydian Way blockade had already inflicted irreparable damage on the Republic.

The conflict persisted for several years, with the Sith consistently expanding their territorial control. Despite appearing to be on the cusp of achieving total victory, the Imperials suffered significant setbacks during their attempted conquest of the Core World of Alderaan and Darth Mekhis's efforts to secure Rhen Var. In response to these Republic gains, as well as the loss of the Hydian Way, the Imperials extended an offer of peace in 3653 BBY, sending shockwaves throughout the galaxy. The Dark Council of the Sith contacted the Galactic Senate, expressing their desire to end the war and proposing that both governments dispatch delegations to represent their respective interests at a peace conference on Alderaan. Furthermore, the Empire initiated a reduction in the scale of its offensives, ceasing their offensive in the Minos Cluster and scaling back operations on Dantooine. The Republic remained wary of accepting the offer and was cautioned by the Jedi Council to exercise extreme caution when dealing with the Sith. However, driven by desperation, the leaders of the Senate ultimately agreed to the proposal and began preparations for the conference.

Despite projecting an image of genuine sincerity, the Sith were, in reality, using the conference as a diversion to mask their true objective—the capture of Coruscant, the Republic's capital world. While Lords Angral, Malgus, and Adraas prepared to spearhead the attack on the planet, Lord Baras led the Imperial peace delegation to Alderaan, where they met with the Republic delegation headed by Paran Am-Ris, a Cerean Senator. Accompanying the Senator were two representatives from the Jedi Order, Jedi Master Dar'Nala and Jedi Knight Satele Shan. As the negotiations commenced, Angral, Malgus, and Adraas launched their assault on Coruscant. Malgus led the infiltration and destruction of the Jedi Temple, while Angral attacked Galactic City and assassinated Chancellor Berooken.

Although the Empire's plans were nearly thwarted when the Republic delegation on Alderaan witnessed Chancellor Berooken's assassination via holotransmission, Lord Baras regained control of the situation by informing Am-Ris and the Jedi that the Sith had seized complete control of the Republic's capital and that Coruscant would be destroyed if the Empire's demands were not met. Despite strong opposition from Dar'Nala and Shan, Senator Am-Ris and Grand Master Zym of the Jedi ultimately conceded that they had no choice but to accept the Empire's terms in order to save Coruscant. The following day, Baras presented the Republic delegation with the Treaty of Coruscant, which he himself had authored. Senator Am-Ris signed the treaty, effectively ending the war and establishing the Empire as the victor.

In accordance with the stipulations of the Treaty of Coruscant, the Republic and the Empire ceased all open hostilities. Control of Coruscant was restored to the Republic, which was now under the interim leadership of Paran Am-Ris as Supreme Chancellor. Republic military forces were gradually withdrawn from active battle zones across the galaxy, while Jedi were assigned to oversee the troop withdrawals. Among the Jedi assigned to this task were Dar'Nala and Satele Shan, who were being monitored by the Imperial protocol droid SP-99. Dar'Nala harbored strong opposition to the treaty and nearly reignited the Great War by manipulating both Republic and Sith agents in her quest to assassinate Lord Baras, the treaty's architect. The rogue Jedi Master assembled a group of like-minded individuals within the Republic and the Jedi Order, and together they carried out acts of terrorism throughout the galaxy. She orchestrated a skirmish in the Kuat sector, faked her own death, and orchestrated a bombing of the Senate Tower in an attempt to assassinate politicians who supported the treaty. Ultimately, Dar'Nala's plot was foiled by Baras and Shan. Following the death of the Togruta Jedi Master, her co-conspirators disbanded, and much of the violence throughout the Republic subsided.

Other early threats to the peace agreement included the Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer, who traveled to Coruscant while it was still under Imperial occupation in an attempt to avenge her Master, Ven Zallow. Zallow had been murdered in the Jedi Temple by Darth Malgus, who also ultimately posed a threat to the Treaty's regime. The Sith Lord believed it was his destiny to completely destroy the Republic, and he viewed the accords on Alderaan as a perversion of the Empire's true purpose—to wage war. The Jedi Order averted disaster with Leneer by disavowing her before she could reach the planet; Malgus interpreted this as a betrayal, much like the one he felt he had suffered at the hands of an Empire now focused on peace. Consequently, the Sith Lord defeated the Jedi but allowed her to escape. He later embarked on a personal campaign against the Sith politicians who supported the Treaty of Coruscant, while simultaneously establishing his own power base in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy.

Although they remained officially allied against the Republic, the Mandalorians and the Empire essentially dissolved their partnership upon the signing of the treaty. Meanwhile, the Hutts recognized the new political tensions in the galaxy as ideal conditions for expanding their own interests and cartels. During this period of unrest, leaders from both factions identified five major sectors as crucial to the balance of power between the Republic and the Empire: the Core Worlds, the distant Outer Rim, Hutt Space, the Unknown Regions, and the Seat of The Empire.

During the final years of the Great War, Lema Xandret, an Imperial droid designer, was branded a traitor by the Sith and forced to flee the Empire after she protested the forced induction of her daughter into the Sith Order. Xandret fled, pursued by Imperial forces, along with a group of other disaffected Imperial citizens, and together they established a colony on the uninhabited planet Sebaddon, located far above the galactic disc. Over the next ten years after the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, her colony developed advanced technological capabilities. In that year, Lema Xandret attempted to forge an alliance with the Mandalorians against the Empire, with the ultimate goal of exacting revenge against the Sith who had taken her daughter from her. Xandret sent Mandalore a small droid factory capable of producing nearly invincible automatons as a demonstration of her capabilities. After receiving no response from the warrior-king, Xandret dispatched the starship Cinzia to establish contact, but the crew failed in its mission, and the wreckage of the ship was recovered by Jet Nebula, a smuggler employed by the Hutt. The droids that remained on Sebaddon, which were created to protect a clone of Lema Xandret's daughter, perceived the attempt to contact outsiders as a threat to their mission. In response, the droids killed Xandret and the rest of the colonists and began replicating at an accelerated rate, with the intention of eventually becoming strong enough to eliminate everyone in the galaxy in order to protect Xandret's cloned daughter.

Several weeks elapsed, and then representatives from both the Empire and the Republic received summons to the neutral planet of Nal Hutta. The Hutt matriarch, Tassaa Bareesh, had arranged an auction for two artifacts recovered from the wreckage of the Cinzia. One was a navcomputer that purportedly held the key to locating the ship's home world. The other was a peculiar container, constructed from exotic metals and an unknown organic compound. Unbeknownst to those participating in the auction, this container concealed a droid factory created by Lema Xandret. For the Empire and Republic, the navcomputer represented a gateway to a new, resource-rich planet ripe for annexation and exploitation in their ongoing conflict. Conversely, the Jedi Order prioritized the mysterious container, suspecting it to be either an artifact of immense significance or a dangerous weapon that must be kept out of Sith hands. The Sith, however, saw the navcomputer as their chance to finally track down and punish Xandret for her actions of fifteen years prior. Despite Bareesh's intention for a fair and legitimate sale, both the Republic and Empire dispatched covert agents to ensure their victory in acquiring these items.

Representing the Empire was Envoy Ia Nirvin, accompanied by the Sith apprentice Eldon Ax, who was secretly Lema Xandret's daughter. Ax served as the apprentice of Darth Chratis, who orchestrated a plan for Nirvin to participate in the auction as a distraction while Ax infiltrated Tassaa Bareesh's vaults to steal the navcomputer. The Republic's delegation to Hutta was led by Envoy Ula Vii, a subordinate of Supreme Commander Stantorrs who was secretly an Imperial Agent working to advance the Sith's agenda. Unbeknownst to Vii, the Jedi had also dispatched an agent, the Padawan Shigar Konshi, who was accompanied by the former Republic trooper Larin Moxla. All of these players were unknowingly manipulated into this confrontation by Dao Stryver, a Mandalorian acting on behalf of the Mandalore to neutralize a growing threat on Sebaddon. As Ax attempted to seize the navcomputer, she was interrupted by Konshi, who sought to steal the container. Subsequently, both were attacked by Stryver, who also desired the navcomputer. The three engaged in battled within the vault's antechamber before being ambushed by a squadron of seemingly indestructible droids produced by Xandret's factory. After destroying the droids, the combatants fled the palace, determined to locate the source of the factory. Independently, the Sith and Jedi discovered the location of Sebaddon and raced to secure the planet before their rivals could mobilize. Satele Shan, now the Jedi Grand Master, assembled a task force to travel to Sebaddon and persuade the colonists to join the Republic. However, the task force was swiftly attacked by the uncooperative droids that now controlled the planet, suffering significant damage to their fleet as the planet launched thousands of droids into orbit to engage the warships. During the fighting, Imperial forces under the command of Darth Chratis and Eldon Ax arrived to compel the colonists to submit to the Empire's demands, but their fleet also sustained near-fatal damage. Both Republic and Imperial forces were driven from Sebaddon, forced to retreat to avoid the orbital defenses formed by the droids.

As each faction plotted their next move, representatives from both fleets were summoned to Sebaddon's moon by Dao Stryver, who had arrived before either the Republic or the Empire. Addressing an audience that included Shan, Konshi, Moxla, Vii, Ax, and Jet Nebula, Stryver revealed her findings regarding the Sebaddon colony and Lema Xandret's attempts to forge an alliance with the Mandalorians. She emphasized the grave threat posed by the droids' programming and self-replication capabilities, warning that their numbers would soon become overwhelming. In a surprising display of unity, both sides at Stryver's briefing acknowledged the unacceptable nature of such an outcome and agreed to a temporary alliance to halt the production of Sebaddon droids. This joint mission, commanded by Ula Vii, proved successful, despite witnessing the death of Eldon Ax's clone, Darth Chratis, and numerous soldiers from both sides. With the droids finally destroyed, Jet Nebula used his droid companion Clunker to erase the memory banks of both the Imperial and Republic fleets before fleeing the scene. The joint task force quickly dissolved into chaos, with both sides opening fire on each other, resulting in a brief skirmish before both were forced to retreat. Although reinforcements had arrived, both parties eventually surrendered, as the fighting had disrupted Sebaddon's orbit around the black hole. The planet succumbed to the singularity within days, obliterating all traces of the droids and Xandret's schemes.

This incident severely tested the Treaty of Coruscant, as both the Republic and Empire engaged in actions that violated its terms. However, the events surrounding the battle of Sebaddon also marked an unprecedented diplomatic achievement: a collaborative effort between the two galactic superpowers, albeit short-lived. Despite this, the resulting tensions proved too great, and both sides recognized that war was inevitable and that the galaxy was poised for another devastating conflict.

In the immediate aftermath of the announcement of peace between the two galactic powers, crisis erupted on Alderaan as the various royal houses vied for the power to determine their planet's response to the treaty. While similar conflicts simmered on worlds like Ord Mantell and Voss, the Empire and Republic refrained from overt involvement, despite their significant influence on these battles. The Voss conflict nearly reignited the war but was averted by the wisdom of the Voss Mystics. The treaty was blatantly disregarded in other regions of the galaxy, such as Balmorra and Belsavis, where Imperial and Republic forces engaged in open warfare.

Although the situation could have easily escalated into another galactic war, neither side was prepared for a full-scale conflict. Instead, they maintained a fragile peace while engaging in a Cold War through covert operations and proxy wars. During this period, Kel Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural was tasked by the Jedi Council with documenting the events surrounding the Treaty. His investigations into the causes of the Great War and the peace conference on Alderaan revealed that the Sith Empire had been planning the conflict for centuries and that the Treaty of Coruscant represented the culmination of their efforts.

Following the Treaty of Coruscant, the Galactic Senate adopted its signing as a new dating standard, designating years preceding the Treaty as BTC, or "Before the Treaty of Coruscant," and years after as ATC, or "After the Treaty of Coruscant." The peace agreement eventually collapsed, and by 2000 BBY, the Sith Empire had ceased to exist.

The treaty elicited a wide range of opinions and reactions across the galaxy. While a vocal minority strongly advocated for a return to war, the majority of galactic citizens accepted the agreement and worked to preserve the peace established by the Treaty of Coruscant. Both galactic superpowers outwardly adhered to the treaty's mandates but secretly sought to gain an advantage over their enemy in anticipation of a renewed conflict. It was widely believed that war would inevitably erupt again and that neutrality would no longer be an option.

By the time the Dark Council offered peace, the Republic was in dire straits and desperately needed a respite. However, the signing of the treaty brought no relief to the Republic. Many within the government immediately called for a resumption of hostilities, distrusting the Sith's motives. Others focused on ensuring the Republic's compliance with the treaty, while still others openly defied the call for peace and continued the war through covert and overt means. The controversy surrounding the Republic's submission to the Empire triggered a crisis of confidence, leading many worlds to voluntarily withdraw from the Galactic Senate.

Among those advocating for the treaty's repeal was Gaul Panteer, the crown prince of Alderaan, who represented his planet in the Senate during the Great War. Despite Alderaan's reputation for peace, its leadership became fiercely opposed to the Sith following the Empire's invasion of their world. During the invasion, Imperial forces took the Royal family hostage and killed many Alderaanians but were ultimately defeated by a Republic and Jedi task force. In the aftermath, the Alderaanian Royal Family advocated for aggressive military action against the Empire, directly contradicting the treaty's mandates. Upon hearing the announcement of peace with the Sith, the Crown Prince stormed out of the Senate, declaring his world an independent system. The people of Alderaan were divided over their planet's secession, leading to political turmoil that culminated in the prince's assassination. Days later, the Queen died without an heir, leaving Alderaan's future uncertain. Both the Republic and Empire sought to exploit the chaos, leading to one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Cold War.

A civil war also erupted on Ord Mantell, where a guerrilla force of separatists advocated for the planet's secession from the Republic, mirroring Alderaan and other worlds. Despite its corruption, Ord Mantell's government remained loyal to the Republic and engaged the separatists in a violent struggle. Other planets were forced out of the Republic. The Treaty of Coruscant mandated that the Senate revoke the membership of several outlying worlds, including Bothawui and Rodia. Senator Am-Ris was tasked with informing these worlds of their discontinued association with the Republic; Rodian Ambassador Mareesh was so incensed that he withdrew his delegation from the Senate before Am-Ris could fully explain the reasons behind his acceptance of the treaty.

Several flashpoints of the Great Galactic War remained contested after the treaty, as Republic military commanders refused to acknowledge the peace agreement. These conflicts included the battle on Balmorra, where General Buryn of the Republic Military failed to meet the withdrawal deadline stipulated in the Treaty of Coruscant. Imperial forces re-engaged his men, prompting Buryn to launch counterattacks. The general and his men were eventually withdrawn, but the Republic left behind a small force to support the Balmorran resistance. On Dantooine, Major Dael and Lieutenant Harron Tavus concluded that the treaty was unlikely to last and continued their fight against the Empire.

In response to the galactic unrest, the Republic military began recruiting highly skilled troopers to form new squadrons of elite Republic Special Forces. These Special Forces were intended to be an advanced fighting force capable of defending the Republic if the treaty collapsed and war resumed. It was suspected that the Republic's renowned General Elin Garza was authorizing military strikes against Imperial targets using these troopers, but these accusations were never proven.

The Jedi suffered greatly during the Great War and its aftermath, leading many within the Order to question their role in the Republic. Immediately after the treaty's signing, Master Dar'Nala launched a personal vendetta against the peace and its architect, Lord Baras. Dar'Nala recruited other Jedi, including Knight Fortris Gall, to aid her. Together with Lieutenant Harron Tavus and the mercenary Dalborra, the two Jedi nearly reignited the Great War by orchestrating assassinations and manipulating galactic leaders into believing both sides were preparing for renewed conflict. Despite support from numerous officers in the Republic Military, Dar'Nala's plan was ultimately thwarted by her apprentice, Satele Shan.

Dar'Nala's involvement in the violence surrounding the war's end was kept secret, but the Jedi were still punished for the events leading up to and during the Alderaan Peace Conference. The Galactic Senate blamed the Jedi for the war's loss, as the Order had been entrusted with the Republic's protection. This, combined with the need to rebuild Coruscant, led to the Senate's decision to indefinitely postpone the reconstruction of the Jedi Temple following its destruction during the Sacking of Coruscant. The Jedi agreed to relocate their headquarters off Coruscant, as public opinion had turned against them. With Satele Shan's help, they established a new temple and enclave on their ancestral homeworld of Tython, where they could aid the Republic while remaining independent of political maneuvering. However, even this action drew criticism, and Republic politicians viewed the Jedi's relocation with suspicion.

Later, during the Xandret affair, Jedi Councilman Oric Traless informed Shigar Konshi that approximately one thousand young Jedi desired a return to war with the Sith. Konshi shared this sentiment after his experiences on Sebaddon and voiced it to the Jedi Council. The elder council members disagreed and discouraged Konshi from pursuing a path of conflict.

Although the Treaty of Coruscant was not an unconditional surrender for the Republic, the galaxy perceived it as a resounding victory for the Sith, with the Republic at their mercy. The treaty's terms heavily favored the Empire, representing the zenith of the Sith Emperor's power. However, despite the Empire's strength, internal conflicts soon threatened to dismantle it.

The rivalry between Sith Lords Baras and Angral was a prime example. As the leader of the attack on Coruscant, Angral sought to destroy the Republic's heart and eliminate the Jedi Order but was prevented by Baras's treaty. Baras believed Angral's actions on Coruscant were reckless, as Angral's killing of the Supreme Chancellor nearly cost Baras his life. Following the Alderaan Peace Conference, Baras was commended by the Dark Council, but Angral harbored a deep resentment. Baras suspected Angral of inciting violence between the Republic and Empire, and his suspicions were reinforced when an assassin attempted to kill him. Angral, meanwhile, believed Baras was instigating the violence, particularly after a false report that Captain Sivill had been ordered by Baras to assault the Republic transport ship the Envoy. The two Sith Lords confronted each other on Korriban, but after a brief duel, they realized that Master Dar'Nala was responsible for the outbreak of violence.

Their conflict subsided, but the Imperial infighting continued. Meanwhile, the Sith Emperor's focus shifted from conquest to new personal goals. He relinquished control of the Empire to the Dark Council, entrusting them with overseeing the day-to-day affairs of state. Their primary task was to consolidate the Empire's newfound power in the rapidly changing galaxy.

During the Cold War, the Empire nearly negated the treaty's effects and restarted the war during their incursion on Voss. After discovering the planet, the Empire dispatched a battle fleet to capture it. They were opposed by the Republic, but before either force could engage, they were both confronted by the Voss Mystics. The Empire also disregarded the treaty in the Imperial Prison Break Initiative, a program initiated during the Great War to free Sith prisoners from "The Tomb," the Republic's maximum-security prison on Belsavis.

Following the death of Mandalore the Lesser, Artus, his killer, assumed the mantle of Mandalore. While not a puppet of Imperial Intelligence like his predecessor, Artus maintained the Mandalorian alliance with the Empire, albeit with greater caution. Early in his reign, he was challenged by Jicoln Cadera, who advocated for the clans to support the Galactic Republic. Artus prevailed over Cadera's Crusader's schism, earning the title of Mandalore the Vindicated and ensuring his people remained in the Sith's favor as mercenaries. However, over the next decade, Mandalorian warriors gradually lost respect for their Imperial employers, with some, including Roggar Den on Tatooine, citing the Treaty of Coruscant as evidence of the Empire's unwillingness to continue the Great War and the Sith's inability to act against their politicians.

The Treaty of Coruscant serves as the setting for the LucasArts massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic. It was first mentioned in a short page on The Old Republic's official website, but later expanded upon in features like The Holonet, an in-universe collection of reports from The Old Republic timeframe. The events surrounding the Treaty were also detailed in Treaty of Coruscant, the first in a series of online video timelines narrated by Jedi Master Gnost-Dural, voiced by Lance Henriksen.

The motives of those responsible for the treaty were revealed in the online comic book Star Wars: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace, written by Rob Chestney. Threat of Peace introduced the Great Galactic War and characters featured in the game, setting the stage for the Cold War that would serve as The Old Republic's setting. More information was provided in The Old Republic: Deceived, a 2011 novel by Paul S. Kemp, and Star Wars: The Old Republic—The Lost Suns, the third arc in The Old Republic comic series.