Great Sith War

From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.

Previous: Gank Massacres[1] Next: Mandalorian Wars[1] Great Sith War Beginning: 4,000 BBY[1] End: 3,996 BBY[1] Place: Galaxy-wide[1] Outcome: Fall of Exar Kun[1] Republic/Jedi Pyrrhic victory[1] Dissolution of the Brotherhood of the Sith[1] Major battles: Beast Wars of Onderon[1] Naddist Uprising[1] Krath Holy Crusade[1] Combatants Naddists[2] Brotherhood of the Sith[1] Krath[3] Mandalorian Crusaders[4] Galactic Republic[1] Jedi Order[1] Commanders Freedon Nadd (Spirit)†[2] King Ommin†[2] Queen Amanoa†[5] Exar Kun†[3] Mandalore the Indomitable†[4] Satal Keto†[6] Aleema Keto†[6] Ulic Qel-Droma (Mid-war)[7] Oss Wilum (Under the influence of Sith magic)[8] Crado†[8] Unnamed Supreme Chancellor†[8] Defense Minister Netus[8] Odan-Urr†[7] Vodo-Siosk Baas†[3] Thon[7] Arca Jeth†{{{1}}} Ulic Qel-Droma (Early and late war)[5][9] Cay Qel-Droma†[5] Nomi Sunrider[2] Tott Doneeta[5] Dace Diath†[2] Oss Wilum[10] Shoaneb Culu†[2] Sylvar[3]

[Source]

The Great Sith War, also known as the Sith War, the First Sith War, and the Exar Kun War, was a conflict which took place between the years 4,000 BBY and 3,996 BBY. One of the largest engagements of the Old Sith Wars, the Great Sith War saw the rise of the Sith, once again in opposition to the Jedi Order. The roots of the conflict are traced back to the fall of Freedon Nadd from the Jedi way and his ascension to Dark Lord of the Sith. Eventually his dark influence was discovered on the planet Onderon and the ensuing battle saw the Jedi temporarily break Nadd's hold on the remote planet. This fight against the resurgent power of the Sith was a warning to the Jedi that something ominous was brewing.

The influence of the Sith, however, again resurfaced during the Freedon Nadd Uprising, which managed to establish the means for the Krath to grow in power and influence. Using Sith knowledge that they had gained from Nadd and his followers on Onderon, the Krath instituted a bloody coup in the Empress Teta system and began a series of campaigns aimed at Republic space. After several defeats at the hands of the Krath, Jedi Knight Ulic Qel-Droma advised the Jedi Order that he would infiltrate the Krath and destroy them from within. During his undercover mission, Ulic fell to the dark side and joined forces with another fallen Jedi-turned-Sith by the name of Exar Kun. Eventually, Kun was anointed the new Dark Lord of the Sith with Qel-Droma his apprentice, and together they ushered the galaxy into a new Sith age.

With their allies, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma launched a series of deadly campaigns against the Republic, eventually making their way to the heart of the galaxy—Coruscant. Following this battle Kun and Qel-Droma launched an assault on Ossus, in an attempt to raid the planet of its Jedi artifacts. However, the battle of Ossus saw the defeat of the Sith forces, the capture of Ulic Qel-Droma, and the retreat of Kun to his base on Yavin 4. Broken and humbled, Qel-Droma agreed to lead the combined forces of the Republic and the Jedi to Yavin 4, in an effort to defeat Exar Kun. Under the combined efforts of the Jedi, Kun was defeated and the Great Sith War brought to an end.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins 1.2 Early campaigns (4,000 BBY–3,998 BBY) 1.2.1 The end of the Beast Wars 1.2.2 The Freedon Nadd Uprising 1.3 The Krath Holy Crusade (3,997 BBY–3,996 BBY) 1.3.1 Battle of Basilisk 1.3.2 First Battle of Empress Teta 1.3.3 Conclave of Deneba 1.3.4 Battle of Deneba 1.3.5 The seduction of Exar Kun 1.3.6 Mission to Empress Teta 1.3.7 The rise of Exar Kun and destruction of Freedon Nadd 1.3.8 Second Battle of Empress Teta 1.3.9 Duel in the Iron Citadel 1.3.10 Dark Reaper Campaign 1.3.11 Creation of the Brotherhood of the Sith 1.3.12 Battle on Kuar 1.3.13 Battle of Foerost 1.3.14 First Battle of Coruscant 1.3.15 The trial of Ulic Qel-Droma and the Second Battle of Coruscant 1.3.16 The Jedi pogrom 1.3.17 Battle of Kemplex IX 1.3.18 Battle of Ossus 1.3.19 Battle of Al'Har 1.3.20 Fourth Battle of Onderon 1.3.21 Battle of Yavin IV 1.4 The war's fallout 1.4.1 The Great Hunt (3,995 BBY–3,993 BBY) 1.4.2 Conclave on Exis Station (3,986 BBY) 1.4.3 The redemption of Ulic Qel-Droma (3,995 BBY–3,986 BBY) 1.5 Legacy of the Great Sith War 2 Combatants 2.1 Brotherhood of the Sith 2.2 The Krath 2.3 Mandalorian Crusaders 2.4 Galactic Republic 2.5 Jedi Order 3 Key Sith figures 3.1 Freedon Nadd 3.2 Exar Kun 3.3 Aleema Keto 4 Key Republic figures 4.1 Ulic Qel-Droma 4.2 Nomi Sunrider 4.3 Arca Jeth 5 Behind the scenes 6 Appearances 7 Sources 8 Notes and references

[edit] History

[edit] Origins

Following the Great Hyperspace War the galaxy experienced nearly a thousand years of relative peace. With only a few minor brushfire conflicts arising, including the Gank Massacres and the Third Jedi Schism, the galaxy enjoyed the lasting peace which came with the defeat of the Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow. As the galaxy continued to experience no further contact with the remnants of the Sith Empire, it enjoyed a time of new galactic exploration and expansion. However, six hundred years after the collapse of the Sith Empire, a young Jedi by the name of Freedon Nadd began his journey towards the dark side of the Force. Nadd's fall to the dark side would leave a lasting dark influence over the galactic timeline, and would usher in the return of the Sith—though this time it would be in a much more cunning and dangerous form than had been previously experienced.^[1]

Having grown frustrated with his Jedi training and feeling that his talents were being held back, Nadd traveled to various planets which he knew were imbued with ancient Sith energy.^[11] Leaving behind the Jedi academy on Ossus, Nadd traveled deep into the heart of the old Sith Empire in search of further dark side knowledge.^[12] Eventually he followed the Force to the jungle moon of Yavin 4 where Naga Sadow had, six hundred years earlier, exiled himself and created a cloistered Sith stronghold. Arriving at the primary temple, Nadd made his way to its depths, where he was confronted by the spirit of the long dead Sith Lord, Naga Sadow.^[1]

Training under the former Dark Lord of the Sith, Nadd learned much and was eventually twisted completely towards the dark side of the Force. Believing that he had learned all he could from Naga Sadow, Nadd used his newfound powers to destroy his mentor's spirit, and left the jungle moon behind him. Proclaiming himself to be the new Dark Lord of the Sith, Nadd traveled to the remote world of Onderon, which was just outside of Republic space, and established himself as the king of Onderon. Nadd instituted martial law and ruled from the walled city of Iziz with an iron fist. A policy which Nadd instituted, and which would exasperate his successors for hundreds of years, was to banish all criminals outside the walls of Iziz to be killed by the savage beasts which lived there.^[13] Eventually, a number of these criminals banded together, learning to survive, and domesticated the wild beasts of Onderon. These criminals would eventually become known as the Beast Riders and would fight a guerrilla war against Nadd and his royal line.^[11]

Freedon Nadd secretly taught his children the ways of the Sith, and made sure that his dark knowledge lived on throughout the Onderonian royalty, for the one day when it could be used against the Jedi. Even though Nadd died, his spirit lived on in his tomb deep below the city of Iziz, and it was there that he cunningly instructed his descendants in the Sith arts.^[13] Over the next four hundred years the Beast Riders would continue their war against the city of Iziz and its royal rulers, with the conflict escalating to new heights in the years prior to 4,000 BBY.^[1] Eventually, under the reign of King Ommin and Queen Amanoa, Onderon joined the Republic and, against the advice of Freedon Nadd, Amanoa requested the Jedi's assistance in ending the centuries-old conflict against the Beast Riders.^[11] Little did the Jedi know that what they were to experience on Onderon would be the clandestine beginning of a massive war which would eventually engulf the galaxy in the years to follow.^[1]

[edit] Early campaigns (4,000 BBY–3,998 BBY)

[edit] The end of the Beast Wars

As was the custom of the time, when a new planet gained membership within the Republic, the Jedi Order would assign a Jedi to become the "watchman" of the system. It was the watchman's duties to supervise the new systems transition into a Republic member-state, and to help with any local difficulties that the planetary governments might be experiencing. Upon Onderon joining the Republic, Jedi Master Arca Jeth was given charge of the new planet and directed to help end the Beast Wars which had plagued the planet for many centuries. As a test for his three young apprentices, Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta, Master Arca sent them in his place to put an end to the civil war.^[14]

Once Master Arca's apprentices arrived on Onderon, they were met by Queen Amanoa, who asked the Jedi to help put an end to the ongoing Beast Wars. During Ulic's audience with Amanoa and her daughter, the princess Galia, the Beast Riders staged a bold raid against the palace in which they abducted Galia. At the request of Amanoa, Ulic, Cay, and Tott set out to rescue Galia from the Beast Riders, but soon discovered that the raid had been an elaborate ruse: Galia and Oron Kira, the Beast-Lord who ruled over the Beast Riders, were actually in love, and planned to marry each other. Their marriage, they argued, would not only celebrate their love for each other, but it would also unify the Beast Riders and the city of Iziz, thus ending the centuries-long conflict.^[5]

Listening to what Oron Kira and Galia had to say, Ulic believed that they were sincere about wanting to bring peace to Onderon. However, it was not until Galia advised Ulic that she could no longer live in the presence of the dark side of the Force that he began to seriously consider that something was indeed wrong on Onderon—Ulic had believed that the Sith were all but extinct, and that they had fought their last war a millennium ago. As Ulic listened to Galia and Oron tell the history of Onderon, he learned that a fallen Jedi named Freedon Nadd had learned the ways of the Sith and established himself as the ruler of their planet. Following his eventual death, his spirit stayed in Iziz and imbued the city with his dark side energy. Galia explained that Nadd's spirit had continued to teach her ancestors how to use the dark side of the Force; that it was because of his influence of manipulation that Iziz continued to grow in technology; and that it was this technology which allowed the Iziz defenders to constantly defend against the Beast Riders. Finally comprehending that the Sith had managed to return without the knowledge of the Jedi, Ulic, Cay, and Tott agreed to help lead an assault against the palace of Iziz—their plan was to dispose of Amanoa and install Galia as Queen of Onderon. This plan, however, was to only go into effect if Ulic was unable to convince Amanoa to cease hostilities and return to the light.^[5]

Nonetheless, when the trio of Jedi, along with Oron and Galia, arrived at the Iziz palace they were greeted with nothing but hostility from Amanoa. The Queen claimed that she would rather see her daughter die than be with an outcast like Oron Kira. After witnessing Amanoa give herself fully over to the dark side in an effort to overwhelm the Jedi and their allies, Ulic and the others retreated outside the city and radioed the Beast Riders. Describing how Amanoa had shunned the Jedi's request for peace, the Beast Riders launched an all-out attack against Iziz. The resulting battle was a complete bloodbath, and both sides experienced heavy casualties—even the Jedi were not immune to danger, with Cay Qel-Droma losing an arm in combat. During the battle Amanoa began using her dark side powers to influence the minds of those on the battlefield, and turned the tide of the battle against the Beast Riders. However, the timely arrival of Arca Jeth, and his use of Jedi battle meditation, helped turn the tide of the battle back in favor of the Beast Riders. Following the dark side energy into the bowels of the Iziz palace to the sarcophagus of Freedon Nadd, Master Arca confronted Amanoa, who was enthralled in the power of Nadd's spirit. Using the power of the light side, Master Arca drove off the dark powers, leaving Amanoa completely helpless. Without the support of Nadd's strength, Amanoa's withered body soon failed her, and she passed away in the arms of her daughter.^[5]

With the death of Amanoa, Galia was proclaimed Queen of Onderon, and the dark side presence of Freedon Nadd was supposedly gone.^[5] However, the shadow of Freedon Nadd was not dead, but only suppressed, and it still had an important role to play in the galaxy.^[1]

[edit] The Freedon Nadd Uprising

Following the death of Amanoa, and Galia's ascension to the throne, Master Jeth recognized that a dark side pall was still hanging over Onderon. Realizing that the Sith power of Freedon Nadd was more powerful than he had first suspected, Arca Jeth, along with his three apprentices and Oss Wilum, attempted to remove Nadd's and Amanoa's sarcophagi off of Onderon to the beast-filled moon of Dxun for re-internment. However, during the procession of the remains, the Jedi found themselves under an attack led by the dark sider Warb Null. Null led the Naddists, a Sith cult that revered Freedon Nadd, in an attempt to capture the sarcophagi that the Jedi were protecting. While Cay Qel-Droma and Oss Wilum fought Null, a powerful dark side force assaulted Master Jeth and effectively neutralized him for the remainder of the fight. With Arca Jeth powerless, and the remaining Jedi preoccupied with Warb Null, the Naddists were able to steal the remains of Amanoa and Nadd and retreat aboard a war machine into the depths of Iziz.^[2]

Following the skirmish with the Naddists, Arca Jeth sought out the seemingly senile King Ommin at the advice of Galia, who mentioned that Ommin was once a powerful dark side user, but that its use had destroyed his body. Upon meeting Ommin, Master Jeth was attacked and taken prisoner by Ommin, who was not as helpless as he had first appeared. During his internment, Master Jeth learned that Ommin had been provided with an unnatural vitality by the spirit Freedon Nadd, who was supporting Ommin through the use of Sith magic. During an attempt to free Jeth, Warb Null appeared to help in the fight. The ensuing skirmish witnessed the death of Null at the hands of Ulic, and the retreat of both Ulic and Galia away from Ommin's Sith magic.^[2] Master Jeth, however, was still a prisoner of Ommin and Nadd, and the two Sith devised a plan through which they could make Jeth fall to the dark side. Their plan called for the torture of Master Jeth to the brink of death, where they believed that he would be forced to call upon the dark side to save himself. At that point, Master Jeth's body would be destroyed and the Sith would raise the fallen Jedi as a dark side spirit, thus adding strength to their numbers.^[15]

Following the capture of Arca Jeth, Ulic Qel-Droma realized that he needed help with the Naddist Revolt and put out a call for Jedi reinforcements—in response to this, the Jedi leadership on Ossus decided to send a team of five Jedi to aid Ulic and the other Knights on Onderon. The team consisted of an all-volunteer group, and Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, Kith Kark, Qrrrl Toq, and Nomi Sunrider promptly left Ossus to lend aid to Ulic. Under the leadership of Sunrider, the Jedi relief team arrived on Onderon and managed to battle their way to where Ulic and the other Jedi were. Nomi led her team of Jedi in a charge against the more numerous enemy soldiers, projecting Force shields around themselves, and utilizing Force battle techniques that the Jedi had developed throughout their history. However, during the attack, several of the Jedi realized that something, or someone, was blocking their various Force abilities through the dark side. Nomi tried to combat the influences she felt, but the dark side being managed to overwhelm her defenses and knock her unconscious—during the attack, Kith Kark was killed as a result of his Force shield being neutralized by the dark side being. Following the fight, the two groups of Jedi met and joined forces. Eventually, the Jedi stormed Ommin's stronghold, launching their initial attack from the courtyard of the castle. Though the Jedi were able to defeat the guards, Ommin halted the Jedi attack by concentrating on his hatred and using its power to again overwhelm the Jedi. However, Ulic Qel-Droma charged the old man and slashed at him with his lightsaber, disarming and neutralizing Ommin. With the defeat of Ommin, the Jedi managed to free Master Jeth from the Sith torture devices.^[6]

Following the Sith and Naddist defeat on Onderon, the Jedi under the guidance of Master Jeth transported the remains of Freedon Nadd and Amanoa to the jungle moon of Dxun, where they were to be entombed behind enormous slabs of Mandalorian iron. It was hoped that entombing both sarcophagi on the wild moon would dissuade anyone from seeking out the Sith knowledge contained within.^[15]

[edit] The Krath Holy Crusade (3,997 BBY–3,996 BBY)

During the Naddist Revolt on Onderon, two aristocratic figures arrived on the planet in search of Sith knowledge: Satal Keto and his cousin Aleema, who were the royal heirs to the Empress Teta system. Having been brought up in a childhood devoid of boundaries and discipline, Satal and Aleema had grown into spoiled, bored, and rich adults. To entertain and amuse themselves, they began dabbling in Sith magic and studying Sith artifacts that were recovered a thousand years earlier during the Great Hyperspace War.^[6] Considering themselves to be Sith initiates, Satal and Aleema, along with a group of fellow aristocrats, formed a society known as the Krath, named after a dreadful legend from their childhoods.^[1]

During one of the Krath's many illegal excursions to find Sith artifacts, Satal broke into a Coruscant museum and stole an archaic book which contained many Sith secrets. However, the book could only be deciphered by one who had been truly been trained in the ways of the Sith, or by an individual who possessed a Sith tool which could decipher the text. At the insistence of his cousin, who had heard rumors of a reemergence of the Sith on Onderon, Satal and Aleema traveled to the city of Iziz. Once there, the two Krath met with King Ommin, who attested to having the tools necessary for translating the stolen texts. Giving Satal and Aleema a wealth of Sith artifacts, along with a unique Sith amulet, Ommin was able to translate the Sith tome for them. Once this task was done, Ommin left the two Krath and departed to deal with the Naddist Revolt, which was still taking place. However, Aleema and Satal were confronted by the spirit of Freedon Nadd, who foretold the eventual defeat of Ommin at the hands of the Jedi. Nadd believed that the two aristocrats held the key to furthering his plans of resurrecting the Sith, and therefore decided to guide Aleema and Satal in their quest for Sith knowledge.^[6]

Departing Onderon, the two Ketos traveled back to their home system armed with their new Sith knowledge as well as the guidance of a Dark Lord of the Sith. Marshalling the military forces of the Empress Teta system, the Krath instituted a violent coup which placed them firmly in control of the system's government. The seven worlds of Empress Teta, however, did not take well to the brutal subjugation and illegal coup which had taken place. Rising up in rebellion against their new leaders, the seven worlds launched an organized resistance against the newly instituted Krath leadership. Despite this, both Aleema and Satal were delighted to have been given the chance to further test their new Sith powers—carefully organizing their efforts, the Krath were able to put down the revolts on six of the seven worlds under their control. Koros Major was the last world in the Empress Teta system to mount an organized resistance against the Krath, and word of its fight soon made its way across the galaxy.^[16]

Word of the rebellion, as well as the use of Sith magic, eventually made its way to Master Arca Jeth. Alarmed at the reports which claimed Sith participation in yet another conflict, Master Jeth traveled to the Onderon system, where Ulic Qel-Droma, Nomi Sunrider, and many other Jedi were overseeing the peaceful transition of governing power. Upon his arrival Master Jeth briefed the Jedi on who the Krath were and how they had apparently obtained their knowledge of the Sith. Once he had explained the situation in the Empress Teta system, Master Jeth handed out assignments to several of the Jedi Knights gathered: Dace Diath, Oss Wilum, Shoaneb Culu, and Qrrrl Toq were ordered back to the Jedi assembly on Ossus. Once there they were to inform the Jedi leadership about the Sith involvement on Onderon, and how it was related to the coup in the Empress Teta system. Nomi was told that she would stay with Master Jeth in an attempt to refine her battle meditation. Once this task had been completed, both Nomi and Ulic would travel to Empress Teta system and take command of the joint Republic/Jedi fleet which would be organized for this specific mission profile.^[16]

Concurrent with the Krath takeover of the Empress Teta system, was the little-known Battle of Basilisk.^[17] This battle would eventually be known as the starting point of the time period which galactic historians would come to refer to as the Krath Holy Crusade.^[1]

[edit] Battle of Basilisk

The details surrounding the Battle of Basilisk are obscure at best, but what is known is that the world of Basilisk was invaded by the Mandalorians during their campaign of expansion. In response to this the Republic sent a relief force, under the command of Jedi Master Sidrona Diath, to the aid of the Basiliskans.^[17]

However, even with the support of the Republic forces, the Basiliskans found their lines being overrun by the more numerous Mandalorians. Realizing that the they were going to lose the battle, the Basiliskans decided to poison their own planet so that the conquerors would not be able to use the world. Before long, the planet of Basilisk fell to the Mandalorians who, because the planet's surface was virtually destroyed, decided to abandon the world and continue their campaign of aggression. Nonetheless, the Mandalorians were able to acquire a sizable number of war droids which the technologically-minded Basiliskans had created, and would use them in future battles; the Mandalorians also captured a large number of the reptile-like Basiliskans, and through centuries of warfare they degenerated into the Lagartoz War Dragons.^[18]

The battle proved to the Republic the danger posed by the Mandalorians and their aggressive tactics, and also saw the death of Sidrona Diath during the fighting.^[15]

[edit] First Battle of Empress Teta

In the months following the disastrous defeat on Basilisk, the leaders of the Jedi and Republic organized a joint task force to be sent to the aid of Koros Major, the last planet in the Tetan system which was resisting the Krath coup—at the head of this fleet were Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma. Under the leadership of the Jedi, the battle fleet departed Republic space and made its way to the Empress Teta system. However, when the joint fleet emerged from hyperspace, it found that its destination, Koros Major, was under attack by a large Krath invasion fleet, and it appeared that the Battle of Koros Major was all but over.^[16]

At the behest of Ulic, Captain Vanicus, Fleet Captain of the joint fleet, sent out a "cease fire" order to the invading Krath forces. As Ulic had expected, the Krath ignored the order and continued their attack on Koros Major—Ulic, likewise, ordered the joint fleet to move into attack positions. However, at first unbeknown to the Jedi, Satal had Aleema use her Sith powers to create enormous Force Illusions in the shape of space grazers, lifeforms which had been extinct for thousands of years. Under the control of Aleema these illusions seemed to attack the Republic ships, scattering the joint fleet. At first, Ulic and many of the Republic officers expressed disbelief and concern at the Space grazers; but Nomi was able to sense through the Force that the grazers were actually Sith illusions, and ordered the joint fleet to keep pressing its attack on the Krath ships.^[16]

Realizing they had underestimated the Jedi by expecting them to run from the battle due to their fear, Satal and Aleema formulated a new plan of action. Still using Aleema's talent with Sith magic, Satal ordered a large number of Krath Chaos fighters to launch from his command ship and target the Republic cruisers. To confuse the Republic and Jedi ships of what they had planned, Aleema used her Sith magic to create more illusions, but this time of more Chaos fighters. As the Republic prepared to open fire on the advancing enemy fighters, Nomi sensed that it was another Sith ruse. Reaching through the Force, Nomi was able to take control of Aleema's mind, and forced her to lose control over the illusions. However, even with the false Chaos fighters gone, the Republic ships realized too late that there were still many more real fighters heading towards them. Unable to raise their particle shields in time, the joint fleet suffered severe casualties from the Chaos fighters as they rammed into the Republic capital ships.^[16]

Aboard the Republic command ship Reliance I, which had had a Chaos fighter crash into its bridge, Ulic had been severely wounded by flying shrapnel. Not yet realizing that the shrapnel had been imbued with Sith magic, Nomi used the Force to tend to Ulic's wounds while Captain Vanicus ordered the joint fleet to retreat from the Empress Teta system. In response to the massive loss experienced by the Republic and Jedi at the Battle of Koros Major, the Jedi leadership ordered the Jedi assembly to assemble on Deneba, where a conclave would be held to discuss the increasing hostilities resulting from the Krath.^[16]

[edit] Conclave of Deneba

In response to the threat posed by the Krath and their use of Sith magic, the Jedi called a large convocation on the planet of Deneba, to take place at Mount Meru. Thousands of Jedi Masters and Knights responded to the call and reported to the conclave, which was under the direction of Jedi Master Odan-Urr. As the conclave began, Master Odan-Urr allowed Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma to address the assembly and tell the gathered Jedi about their experiences with the Sith arts both on Onderon, and the more recent battle at Koros Major.^[7]

Explaining the threat of the Krath, and the dangers that the reemerging Sith posed, Ulic proposed a plan to deal with the Krath and destroy the threat of the Sith. While many of the Jedi gathered on Deneba wished to escalate the war and use the Republic's and the Jedi's full military might against the Krath, Ulic believed that through infiltrating the Krath he could destroy them from within. Not wanting to see an enormous war claim the lives of thousands of innocents, nor the lives of many Jedi, Ulic argued his plan to the gathered Jedi assembly. However, many Jedi, including Arca Jeth, Dace Diath, and Shoaneb Culu, spoke of the dangers posed by attempting to infiltrate the dark side. Master Jeth advised Ulic that it was not possible to destroy the dark side, but merely contain it as Master Thon had done with the dark side on Ambria. Nonetheless, Master Jeth spoke to the assembly that through the combined efforts of the Jedi, they could create a wall of light, which they could then use to push back and control the reemerging Sith.^[7]

[edit] Battle of Deneba

While the Jedi were discussing which course of action to pursue, a Tetan Corsair had managed to disguise itself among the thousands of Jedi ships orbiting Deneba. At the order of Satal Keto, the Corsair launched a large amount of Krath war droids which rained down upon the assembled Jedi on Mount Meru. Concurrent with the Krath war droid attack on the assembly, the Jedi's servant droids, which had been sabotaged by Krath spies, also attacked the Jedi. The ensuing fight was a vicious affair and saw the deaths of many Jedi—however, many of the Jedi put up a ferocious defense and managed to push back the Krath attack. During the defensive actions, Master Jeth demonstrated the Force talent of Droid Disable which he had perfected during the Great Droid Revolution of 4,015 BBY. Despite the efforts of the Jedi defenders, some of their numbers were killed by the overwhelming droid attack, including Jeth, who was fatally wounded from a shot to the back at the hands of a Krath War Droid. In the arms of Ulic Qel-Droma, he passed on and became one with the Force. The Battle of Deneba hit Ulic hard and he was devastated by Master Jeth's death. As a result of this, he decided to go ahead with his proposed plan and infiltrate the Krath, vowing to bring them down from within, no matter what the cost.^[7]

Following the battle on Mount Meru, Ulic prepared for the mission into Krath territory and departed the Jedi assembly intent on succeeding.^[7]

[edit] The seduction of Exar Kun

Meanwhile, far away from the conclave on Deneba, the young Jedi Exar Kun had turned from the light and began to travel down the slippery path of the dark side. Kun believed that he could study the dark side and learn Sith knowledge without succumbing to its power—his ignorance, however, would have dire consequences for the entire galaxy. Exar Kun's fall and eventual rise to power as Dark Lord of the Sith would escalate the Great Sith War to new levels, and bring a new Sith age into prominence.^[1]

Kun was a talented individual, and strong in the ways of the Force, who began his early Jedi training under Master Vodo-Siosk Baas on the planet of Dantooine. Despite his master's teaching, Kun was an overly ambitious and curious student who secretly studied any available knowledge pertaining to the Golden Age of the Sith. Believing that the Jedi teachings had somehow lost their direction over time, Kun investigated clues from his studies of the Sith and followed these clues to the Sith legacy on Onderon.^[16]

Enlisting the help of a pair of Naddists from that planet, Kun traveled to the moon of Dxun intent on discovering any Sith secrets that laid buried in the tomb of Freedon Nadd. Encountering the heavy Mandalorian iron that Master Jeth had had Nadd's tomb forged from, Kun used his lightsaber to gain entry to the sarcophagus, where he found the skeletal remains of the long-dead Sith Lord, which were still clothed in Nadd's black armor. During his search of the tomb, Kun was stopped by the spirit of Nadd, who warned the young Jedi that the dark side was dangerous, but rewarding. Before Kun could reply, Nadd revealed a series of scrolls written by Naga Sadow, which had been hidden in a compartment under his remains, and advised Kun that a great destiny awaited him in the power of the dark side. Using the scrolls that Nadd had given him, Kun continued his exploration and search for Sith knowledge.^[16]

Following the words contained in the scrolls, Kun arrived on the ancient Sith world of Korriban to continue his search. Making his way to the Valley of the Dark Lords, Kun investigated a series of large crypts which contained the remains of ancient Sith Lords; however, in a test from Nadd, Kun was nearly killed when a tomb he was investigating was caused to collapse around him. As Kun cried out in pain and for help, Nadd appeared and told him that he would save him if Kun surrendered himself completely to the dark side. Kun agreed by making a hollow promise, but he was already too far down the dark path to make it back to the light on his own accord. The power of the dark side threw the collapsed stone off of him and filled Kun, healing his broken body, and left him laying naked on the sunbaked earth of Korriban. Having been left with feelings of frustration and anger from his use of the dark side, Kun let loose an awful cry in the Force which resonated across the galaxy and was felt by all of the Jedi assembled on Mount Meru, including Kun's former master Vodo-Siosk Baas.^[7]

Still believing that he could learn from the Sith and not be tempted by their ways, Kun continued his exploration of the dark side—his fall, however, had already begun and several Jedi Masters, including Master Arca Jeth, could sense the currents of the Force change as Kun's choices began to influence galactic events, shifting them into something darker and much more dangerous than the Jedi had first believed.^[7]

[edit] Mission to Empress Teta

While Kun continued his journey into the mysteries of the dark side, Ulic Qel-Droma had departed Deneba for his mission to infiltrate the Krath. However, several months passed with no word reaching the Jedi or the Republic regarding his mission status. Among the Jedi who knew of the mission, several felt that Ulic might have allowed himself to turn to the dark side in order to destroy the Krath. As a result, Nomi Sunrider, Cay Qel-Droma, and Tott Doneeta devised a plan through which Nomi would be able to make contact with Ulic in the Krath capital of Cinnagar. Having organized this mission to Empress Teta, the three Jedi immediately set out for the Krath capital.^[19]

Ulic, unbeknown to the Jedi, had been unable to communicate with his compatriots due to a variety of reasons. Though he was initially able to win the favor of Aleema Keto, her cousin Satal was wary of Ulic, who was posing as a fallen Jedi Knight turned Krath sympathizer. Due to Satal's suspicions, Ulic was taken and subjected to grueling torture techniques beneath the Iron Citadel and injected with Sith poisons—poisons which would eventually aid in his fall to the dark side. Nonetheless, Ulic survived the torture and was able to convince Satal that he was sincere in his devotion to the Krath; he was eventually made warlord of the Krath military forces.^[19]

Meanwhile, Ulic's Jedi companions had traveled to Cinnagar and managed to successfully insert Nomi near the Iron Citadel, where Ulic was staying amongst the other Krath leadership. Sensing Ulic through the Force, Nomi realized that the only way she was going to be brought before him was to expose her identity as a Jedi Knight and allow herself to be captured. Making her way to the Krath palace, Nomi ignited her lightsaber and was confronted by a number of Krath soldiers, whom she then surrendered to. However, when Nomi was brought before Ulic, he was forced with a difficult decision—to save the woman he loved from execution, which he knew would ruin his cover, or to allow himself to stay in character, and therefore treat the captured Jedi like any Krath warlord would.^[19]

Making the decision to stay in character, Ulic advised Aleema and Satal that he would personally execute Nomi the following morning. Following this announcement, Ulic attempted to contact Nomi in her prison cell through programming a servant droid with a hidden message for her. The message explained that Ulic intended to stay in his disguise for a while longer, in an effort to learn more of the Krath's plans, and hopefully more attacks against the Jedi. The droid, however, was intercepted by Satal and Ulic's hidden message discovered—angry that he had been right from the beginning regarding Qel-Droma, Satal immediately set out to order both Nomi and Ulic to be publicly executed. Not realizing Ulic's true motives, Nomi managed to use her battle meditation against her cell's guards, causing them to kill one another. The ensuing confusion provided her the opportunity needed to escape the palace and request aid from Cay and Tott, who were circling Cinnagar in the Nebulon Ranger. When Cay and Tott arrived to extract Nomi, the three Jedi agreed that they must attempt to try and rescue Ulic as well. Their plans, though, were almost instantly interrupted when Satal appeared in an attempt to stop the three Jedi from escaping. Prior to the arrival of Tott and Cay, Ulic had learned from Aleema that it was Satal's idea to attack the Jedi conclave on Deneba. Furious at this revelation, he rushed to find Satal, only to discover the Krath leader attempting to confront his three Jedi friends. Announcing to Nomi and the others that it had been Satal who had ordered the Krath strike on Deneba, Ulic gave in to his anger and fought Satal in a fast-paced duel. Overwhelming Satal's defenses, Ulic struck the Krath leader down, killing him in the thrall of anger. At that moment Nomi and the others attempted to convince Ulic to leave the planet with them, but he unleashed a wave of dark side energy, throwing them away from him. Not believing what had transpired, the three Jedi boarded the Nebulon Ranger and made their way back to Ossus.^[19]

[edit] The rise of Exar Kun and destruction of Freedon Nadd

Meanwhile, Exar Kun continued to delve deeper into his search for Sith knowledge. Following his excursion to the Sith world of Korriban, Freedon Nadd directed Kun to the jungle moon of Yavin 4, where he would complete his training in the ways of the Sith.^[20]

Arriving on the forested world, Kun was confronted by the Massassi, who over the centuries had devolved into primitive shadows of the race they had once been—the Sith. Due to the episode in the tomb on Korriban, Kun had since been unable to use the power of the light side, and refused to entirely accept power provided to him by the dark side—because of this, Kun was easily captured by the Massassi and taken back to their main temple. Under the direction of the Massassi priest Zythmnr, Kun was to be sacrificed to an ancient Sith creation of Naga Sadow's. As Kun was on the verge of death in the grips of the giant creature, Freedon Nadd's spirit appeared to Kun and told him that to save himself, he must concentrate on his anger and use it to free himself. Using the dark side to grab a Sith amulet from Zythmnr, Kun focused his anger through it and used it as a weapon to free himself through blasts of energy. Finally comprehending the power that Nadd had been trying to teach him, Kun fully embraced the dark side and agreed to follow the Sith ways with absolute conviction.^[20]

Kun proceeded to kill the enormous beast that had tried to kill him, and slaughtered his captors without hesitation. Nadd was pleased while he watched Kun give into his newfound strength, and believing that Kun was ready, ordered him to use his new Sith powers to create Nadd a new body. Kun, however, had grown agitated and tired with what he perceived as constant interference from Nadd, and as a result used his powers to destroy Freedon Nadd's spirit—removing its taint from the galaxy forever. By this point, Kun had fully embraced the dark side, and he set out to turn Yavin 4 into his personal fortress, using the Massassi as his servants. Enslaving the Massassi, Kun forced them to construct new Sith temples, and to repair the relics left from the time of Naga Sadow. Kun planned to use these temples and buildings for Sith ceremonies and rites which would help focuses his Sith magic, thus making it more powerful.^[20]

As his power grew, so did Kun's ambitions and thirst for conquest. Not content with the rule of a single remote moon, Kun reached out through the Force searching for other dark side users who might pose a threat to his newfound base of power. He eventually found them in the Empress Teta system, in the form of Aleema Keto and Ulic Qel-Droma—Qel-Droma, he realized, possessed great power in the dark side, and because of this must be destroyed in case he challenged Kun's right to rule. As a result, Kun set out for the planet of Cinnagar in an effort to confront both darksiders at once.^[20]

[edit] Second Battle of Empress Teta

Following the return of Nomi Sunrider and the other Knights to Ossus, Nomi presented a plan to the Masters that was aimed at extracting Ulic from Cinnagar—by force if absolutely necessary. The Jedi Masters, however, cautioned against the forceful removal of Ulic, arguing that it must be his decision to turn his back on the dark side, otherwise he would not learn from his mistakes. Modifying their plan to accommodate the wisdom of the Jedi Masters, the Jedi organized a task force, including the Beast Riders of Onderon under Oron Kira, and set off for Cinnagar to again confront the darkness of Ulic Qel-Droma.^[9]

Arriving at Cinnagar undetected, the Jedi fighters led the attack against the Iron Citadel which served as the Krath headquarters—the Second Battle of Empress Teta had begun. While Shoaneb Culu, Oss Wilum, and Dace Diath led the aerial assault, the Beast Riders transported Nomi, Cay, and Qrrrl Toq to the upper balconies of the citadel where the Jedi could sense Ulic and Aleema. Once the Jedi landed, both Qrrrl and Cay fought and defeated the Krath soldiers who were guarding Ulic, and Nomi attempted to reason with Ulic to return with them back to Ossus. Aleema, however, attempted to use her Sith magic to overwhelm Nomi's Force senses. Using her battle meditation to combat the Sith power, Nomi was able to neutralize Aleema and force Ulic to talk to her, as well as his brother Cay. Ulic, though, still harbored immense guilt over the death of Master Arca, and refused the pleas of his former friends for him to return with them. When Nomi and the others persisted to argue, Ulic unleashed the power of a Sith amulet that he possessed, and forced the Jedi away from him. Realizing that Ulic had indeed fallen into the trap of the dark side, Nomi issued a general retreat to those with her and the task force still fighting the aerial battle.^[9]

[edit] Duel in the Iron Citadel

The retreat of the Jedi, however, was followed by the unexpected arrival of another threat: Exar Kun. Arriving on Cinnagar to kill those he perceived as threats to his newfound Sith power, Kun first attacked Aleema and knocked her unconscious through the use of Sith magic. The ensuing confrontation witnessed a fast-paced lightsaber duel between Kun and Qel-Droma, and while each tried to best the other, more unexpected additions presented themselves at the Iron Citadel. The spirits of a number of long-dead Sith Lords appeared, including that of Marka Ragnos, whose death had caused a power vacuum during the Golden Age of the Sith. Ragnos immediately put a stop to the duel, proclaiming that the Sith would rise again and have their revenge on the Jedi—and that Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma would usher in this new era. Ragnos proclaimed that due to Kun's devotion to the Sith way and the power that he possessed, Kun was the new Dark Lord of the Sith. Ulic, likewise because of his free-will decision to walk the dark path, was appointed Kun's first and foremost Sith apprentice. With an alliance forged between Kun and Qel-Droma, they vowed to raze the galaxy and destroy both the Republic and Jedi.^[9]

[edit] Dark Reaper Campaign

Exar Kun's and Ulic Qel-Droma's first act as Sith Lords was to consolidate the space immediately surrounding the Empress Teta system. To accomplish this goal, Kun used one of the many relics of Naga Sadow's which he found on Yavin 4—the Dark Reaper. The effectiveness of the Dark Reaper laid within its ability to gather to it the Force by employing the Force Harvester. The Harvester was the heart of the Dark Reaper weapon, and it destroyed anything within the Reaper's range by draining its Force energy and focusing it into beams which could then be used offensively.^[21]

Utilizing the Dark Reaper to aid him and the Krath forces he commanded, Ulic subjugated a large portion of space around the Empress Teta system—including the world Raxus Prime, on which the Dark Reaper killed thousands. When Kun devised a plan through which to destroy the Jedi Order using the Reaper, Ulic harbored a small amount of personal doubt; for reasons he could not understand, he still held close to him feelings for several Jedi, including his former love Nomi Sunrider and his brother Cay Qel-Droma. Not wishing to see the Reaper unleashed on his old friends, Ulic covertly alerted the Jedi to the danger posed by the Dark Reaper, and advised them of ways to resist the Reaper's powers.^[21]

The Jedi confronted the Dark Reaper on the planet of Thule, which was deep within what had once been the Sith Empire. Using the information provided by Ulic, the Jedi task force was able to attack the Dark Reaper and defeat the enemy soldiers protecting it. Proceeding to disable the weapon, the Jedi broke it apart, and took great care to hide the assorted pieces on a number of different planets. Finally, the Jedi hid the Force Harvester on the junkyard world of Raxus Prime, hoping that it would be forgotten and not be used as a weapon again. Despite their efforts, both the Dark Reaper and Force Harvester would resurface thousands of years later during the galaxy-wide Clone Wars.^[21]

During the time surrounding the Dark Reaper Campaign, the little-known Battle of Ko Vari took place. However, the only detail which is known about this battle is that it apparently involved the forces of the Republic and/or Jedi who fought the Krath within the region known as Hutt Space. Other than the participants, which history is even unsure of, no information has surfaced regarding this skirmish.^[22]

[edit] Creation of the Brotherhood of the Sith

For Exar Kun to usher in a new golden age for the Sith, he believed that he must first have a strong and united group of fellow Force users who followed the Sith ways. To this end, Kun traveled to the Jedi library world of Ossus and attempted to persuade a large number of Jedi to leave the Order and make him their new master. Arguing that the Jedi Masters had deliberately kept information from them to make them weak, Kun gave an impassioned speech to those gathered, managing to sow seeds of doubt in the Jedi Knights listening. Following the Battle of Deneba, which saw the death of Master Arca Jeth, some Jedi had become disillusioned with the Order and had begun to question their own abilities in the Force. After hearing how Kun had been able to learn many secrets from the spirit of Freedon Nadd, and witnessing demonstrations of Kun's new powers in a holocron he possessed, several Jedi Knights made the decision to follow Exar Kun to Yavin 4, where he promised to teach them that which the Jedi Order had neglected to.^[4]

While his converts prepared for their journey to Yavin 4, Kun went about his second objective which had brought him to Ossus. In his quest for dark side knowledge, Kun was eager to acquire the famed Sith holocron of Odan-Urr's which the Jedi Master had discovered a thousand years earlier during the Great Hyperspace War. Forcing his way into the private chambers of Odan-Urr, Kun confronted and killed the old Jedi, and took possession of the Sith holocron. Kun, however, was confronted by his converts while in the act of removing the artifact. Sensing an opportunity to add credit to his lies, Kun told the Jedi Knights that Master Odan-Urr had quite suddenly passed away—however, he said, before Odan-Urr had died he had declared Kun to be a Jedi Master, and had decided to pass the Sith holocron into the care of Exar as a symbol of his promotion. With the respect he needed now firmly cemented, Kun boarded his ship, Starstorm One, along with his twenty converts, and departed Ossus for Yavin 4.^[4]

Prior to his arrival on Ossus, Kun had managed to unlock the age-old secrets of the Sith on Yavin 4, and had used his powers to enslave the native Massassi. Using his new slaves, Kun had constructed a number of Sith temples on the jungle moon, which he used to focus his Sith powers. Due to the nature with which the temples had been built, and the long Sith history that Yavin 4 possessed, the moon held a dark and tainted feeling which could be felt through the Force. Upon Starstorm One's arrival on Yavin 4, the twenty Jedi from Ossus immediately could feel the dark side permeating from the jungle moon. Due to these feelings, one of the Jedi converts, Oss Wilum, decided that he no longer wanted any part in what Kun had planned. On his way back to Starstorm One, Wilum was stopped by a number of Massassi. Igniting his lightsaber, Wilum attempted to fight the Massassi warriors, and he was joined by his fellow Jedi Knights in fighting the beasts. Seeing another opportunity to further his plans, Kun used his powers to stop the fight and advised the Jedi that he, too, could sense the dark power on Yavin 4—and that he needed the combined efforts of the Jedi to help cleanse the moon of the dark taint.^[8]

Proclaiming that the first step of cleansing the moon was the destruction of something strong in the dark side, Kun pulled out Master Odan-Urr's Sith holocron. Holding it in front of him, Kun smashed the holocron, saying that its destruction would help get rid of the dark feelings. However, the destruction of the holocron released the ancient spirits of long-dead Sith, and these spirits possessed the bodies of many Jedi present—just as Kun had hoped. Under the control of Sith magic, any doubts or reservations that the Jedi might have held were washed away and they all declared their allegiance to Exar Kun and the Sith.