Previous Hutt Cataclysms[1] Next Second Herglic Feud Pius Dea crusades Beginning 11,965 BBY[2] End 10,966 BBY[2] Place The galaxy[1] Outcome Collapse of Pius Dea rule[1] Major battles See below Combatants Galactic Republic[3] Pius Dea cult[3] Order of the Terrible Glare Galactic Republic[2] Jedi Order[2] Alien species[2] Commanders Contispex dynasty[2] [Source]

The Pius Dea crusades were a series of conflicts that lasted 11,965 BBY to 10,966 BBY, and served as the defining events of the Pius Dea Era. The Pius Dea were a prominent religious sect with humanocentric and militaristic tendencies that emerged in the centuries prior to 12,000 BBY. They installed one of their own—Contispex I—as Supreme Chancellor, gaining effective control of the Republic government and military. Having neutralized the unpopular Hutts, the sect unleashed a series of military crusades and inquisitions against rival alien sects over the following centuries. This brought about a protracted series of alternating hot and cold wars which contributed to interspecies tensions between the human-dominated Core Worlds and the alien Outer Rim Territories. In 10,967 BBY, the Pius Dea was split by the Renunciation, which began the Seventh Alsakan Conflict. The war ended in 10,966 BBY at the Battle of Uquine, removing the Pius Dea from power and bringing an end to the crusades. The repercussions of the crusades, however, would have far reaching consequences in subsequent millennia.

Contents 1 History 2 Timeline of the Pius Dea Crusades 3 Sources 4 Notes and references 4.1 In other languages

HistoryEdit

Initiated by the Pius Dea cult when Contispex I was elected Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, the Pius Dea sanctioned several "crusades" against rival alien sects around 12,000 BBY. As Contispex's successors were all members of the Cult, the crusades had the resources available to the Republic Navy and Army.^[3] The role of the Jedi Order in these events is unknown.

Tapping into the unpopularity of the Hutts among many citizens of the Republic, Contispex sanctioned an invasion of Hutt Space. However, Contispex and his successors soon turned their attention to other alien species and sects within the Outer Rim. For a thousand years leading up to 11,000 BBY, the Republic was embroiled in crusades against different alien factions, who fought back, leaving the galaxy in a permanent state of "hot" and "cold" wars.^[4]

These crusades, embarked upon in Contispex's name, were very violent, and marked a devastating period in galactic history. During this period, several military outposts known as Ordnance/Regional Depots were established to ostensibly protect human settlers from hostile alien threats. This further deepened interspecies tensions with the anti-alien nature of the crusades forcing an exodus into Hutt Space and turning the Rimward Slice into a militarized zone dominated by war profiteers.^[1]

The crusades finally ended after the Battle of Uquine which saw the annihilation of the Pius Dea fleet and the capture of Supreme Chancellor Contispex XIX.^[2]The tensions from the fallout of the crusades would deepen the rifts between the Core Worlds and those of the Outer Rim, which Palpatine would come to exploit during his reign as Supreme Chancellor and Galactic Emperor thousands of years later.^[3]

Timeline of the Pius Dea CrusadesEdit

• 11,987 BBY
  • Supreme Chancellor Pers'lya is impeached by the Pius Dea sect and replaced by Pius Dea favorite Contispex I.^[4]

• 11,965 BBY
  • The First Pius Dea Crusade. Contispex I sanctions a military invasion of Hutt Space, beginning the Pius Dea Crusades.^[4]

• 11,947 BBY
  • Contispex I steps down as Supreme Chancellor and is succeeded by his son Contispex II.^[2]

• 11,939 BBY
  • The Third Pius Dea Crusade. Contispex II sanctions yet another invasion of Hutt Space, instigating the Third crusade.^[2]

• 11,933 BBY
  • The Jedi Order begins its Recusal, retreating to Ossus and severing all ties with the Republic.^[2] The Jedi still loyal to the Pius Dea cult form the Order of the Terrible Glare and settle on Garn.

• 11,920 BBY
  • The Fourth Pius Dea Crusade begins against the Hutts.^[2]

• 11,884 BBY
  • The Seventh Pius Dea Crusade, also known as the Great Northern Crusade, begins against the Zabrak and other species native to the northern region of the galaxy.^[2]

• c. 11,820 BBY
  • The Sixth Alsakan Conflict begins as the Alsakani ally with the Duros, Herglics, and the Hutts against the Pius Dea-controlled Republic.^[2]

• 11,791 BBY
  • The Tenth Pius Dea Crusade, also known as the Crusade of the Wilds, begins.^[2]

• 11,707 BBY
  • The Eleventh Pius Dea Crusade against the Herglics begins.^[2]

• 11,660 BBY
  • The Twelfth Pius Dea Crusade.
    • The Destruction of Zarracina III. Republic forces orbitally bombard Zarracina III, turning its surface into an irradiated wasteland and forcing the native Zarracines into a nomadic existence.^[4]
    • The Republic attacks Teirasa in response to their outrage about Zarracina's destruction.^[2]

• 11,591 BBY
  • The Fifteenth Pius Dea Crusade against the Baragwin begins.^[2]

• 11,198 BBY
  • The Twenty-Third Pius Dea Crusade against the Bothans and the Lanniks begins.^[2]

• c. 11,100 BBY
  • The Inquisitions begin in the Core Worlds and the Colonies.^[2]
  • The Jedi Order's Recusal ends.^[2]

• 11,057 BBY
  • The Thirty-Fourth Pius Dea Crusade against the Hutts begins.^[2]

• 10,967 BBY
  • The Renunciation: The Renunciate movement reveals itself and allies with the Alsakani, Camaasi, and the Jedi Order. This splits the Pius Dea faith from within, pitting the Faithful against those who have abandoned the faith.^[2]
  • Renunciate forces clash with Faithfuls at Fondor, Ixtlar, and Cyrillia, supported by the Jedi, Alsakani, Duros, Herglics, and Hutts.^[2]

• 10,966 BBY
  • The Bureau of Ships and Services seed the Republic Navy with rogue navicomputer codes, which forces the Pius Dea's ships to jump randomly to hyperspace and become lost forever.^[2]
  • At the Battle of Uquine, the Renunciate forces annihilate the remaining Pius Dea ships. The Jedi capture Contispex XIX aboard the Flame of Sinthara, taking him to Caamas where he stands trial and is imprisoned.^[2]
  • Grand Master Biel Ductavis assumes the position of Supreme Chancellor.^[2]

SourcesEdit

• The New Essential Chronology (First mentioned)
• The New Essential Guide to Droids
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji on Hyperspace (article) (content now obsolete; backup links 1 2 on Archive.org)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Essential Atlas (Mentioned as part of the Pius Dea Era)
• The Essential Guide to Warfare

Notes and referencesEdit

The Pius Dea Crusades
First · Second · Third · Fourth Seventh · Tenth · Twelfth Twenty-Third · Thirty-Fourth Pius Dea Civil War
[edit]

Major galactic conflicts
Hutt Cataclysms ← 11,965-10,966 BBY Hundred-Year Darkness →