- "The Ancient Sith have spoken. Together, we will bring down the Galaxy."
- — Exar Kun
The Great Sith War, also known as the Sith War, the First Sith War, and the Exar Kun War, was a conflict from 4,000-3,996 BBY. One of the largest conflagrations of the Old Sith Wars (and outside of the Mandalorian Wars and Second Sith War, one of the most destructive), it was a struggle that the Sith Order and its allies, the Krath and the Mandalorians, waged against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order.
Origin[]
Freedon Nadd, the former Dark Lord.
Six hundred years after the Great Hyperspace War, fallen Jedi Freedon Nadd arrived on Yavin IV, and learned Sith sorcery from the spirit of Naga Sadow. He took his knowledge and the treasures of Sadow to the planet Onderon, where he used his acquired gifts to install himself as king. His spirit continued to advise his descendants.
Another Jedi, Ulic Qel-Droma, was sent to Onderon to mediate a conflict, where he met the spirit of Freedon Nadd, who told him he would become a Sith Lord. The prophecy came true when the Krath, a secret Dark Side society, attacked the Republic and injured Ulic with alchemically-treated shrapnel, and then injected him with Dark Side poisons that would ensure his fall.
Seeking to infiltrate the Krath darksider society from within — against all advice to the contrary from the ranking Jedi Masters — Ulic soon lost himself amidst the teeming throngs of the Tetan capital city Cinnagar, dropping out of the Jedi Order's sight for a long time thereafter. Foiling an assassination attempt against Krath leader Aleema Keto, Qel-Droma soon found himself inextricably ensnared in the larger web of Sith sorceries and intrigue.
The War Escalates[]
Heroes of the War
After experiencing a falling-out with his Jedi Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, Exar Kun left in a rage when it was revealed that he would not be allowed to learn the deeper rites of the Dark Side of the Force. Kun journeyed to Onderon, where he received word of the existence of Freedon Nadd's tomb. Told by the ancient Dark Lord's spirit to journey to the Sith mausoleum-world of Korriban, Kun obeyed, and landed on the utterly deserted planet. Deep within a Sith tomb, Freedon Nadd's trap was sprung: triggering a cave-in, Exar Kun sustained horrible injuries. Nadd presented him with a choice : surrender to the Dark Side, or die. Refusing the dark ways, Kun opposed Nadd, who pulled down the temple roof above him, crushing him. At the very last second, Kun relented. Nadd repaired his physical injuries...but with Dark Side energy. Kun, after being revived, then embarked upon a quest of testing and devotion. Travelling to Yavin IV, the newly-fallen Dark Jedi took over Naga Sadow's ancient fortresses there, enslaving the Massassi race to further his ambitious plans. Destroying Nadd's spirit for a final time, Exar Kun staked his claim as the true heir to the long-believed-dead Sith legacy.
Te Kandosii Mand'alor (Mandalore the Indomitable)
Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma met on Cinnagar to settle issues, where their battle was interrupted by the spirit of Marka Ragnos, who declared Kun the Dark Lord of the Sith, and Qel-Droma his apprentice. Together, they waged war on the Republic, stealing Jedi students from Ossus and subverting them to the dark side. Qel-Droma defeated Lord Mandalore, earning the services of the Mandalorian warriors, then raided Foerost, securing a fleet of warships.
Qel-Droma, with his combined Krath and Mandalorian forces, attacked Coruscant, but was captured when Aleema Keto abandoned him. Mandalore went to Kun and informed him of Ulic's capture. Kun led a rescue attempt, and killed his former Jedi Master and the Republic Chancellor in the process. In retaliation, the Sith Lords caused Ossus's sun to go supernova after the battle at Kemplex IX, destroying countless Jedi artifacts. A significant battle between the Jedi and the Krath occurred in the Al'Har system, ending with at least one Jedi transport vessel crashlanding on Haruun Kal. Meanwhile, the Mandalorians attacked Onderon, but were repelled and forced into retreat to Dxun, where their leader was killed.
Triumph of the Light[]
The end of Cay Qel-Droma
Before Ossus was destroyed, during the planetary evacuation, Ulic's brother Cay tried to convince him to return to the light. Ulic cut him down, and then surrendered himself to his former lover, Nomi Sunrider, when she forever cut off his connection to the Force. Broken, Ulic surrendered to the Republic, and led them to Yavin IV, where Exar Kun committed a ritual that sapped the life from every Massassi on the planet to separate his spirit from his body and bind it to his temple.
Korriban itself would remain greatly populated over the next several decades, with a Sith Academy opened there at some point between 3,997 and 3,993 BBY. Yet, despite having utterly routed the Sith forces, the Republic and Jedi Order evidently refused to attack or occupy Korriban, nor any other worlds within the old Sith Empire (unlike events at the end of the Great Hyperspace War a millennium earlier), possibly preferring instead to lick their wounds and restore civil order. It was later discovered that a number of high-ranking Sith disciples escaped the downfall of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, fleeing to remote parts of the galaxy and promulgating the ancient Sith teachings and rituals. Indeed, some of these exiles would continue onward to form the nucleus of what would become the new post-war Sith Order, leadership over which would later be assumed by Darth Revan and Darth Malak in 3,959 BBY.
Veterans of this war were awarded numerous medals and commendations; among which was the Hero's Cross, given to only the most valorous, dauntless individuals fighting for the Old Republic. One of its recipients was Sunry, a soldier who earned it for meritorious actions in combat against the Krath.
Battles[]
- Beast Wars of Onderon:
- 4,000 BBY: First Battle of Onderon (end of Beast Wars)
- Naddist Uprising:
- 3,998 BBY: Second Battle of Onderon
- 3,998 BBY: Third Battle of Onderon
- Krath Holy Crusade (3,997-3,996 BBY):
- 3,997 BBY: Battle of Basilisk
- 3,997 BBY: First Battle of Empress Teta
- 3,997 BBY: Battle of Deneba
- 3,997 BBY: Second Battle of Empress Teta
- 3,997 BBY?: Battle of Ko Vari (Boonta)
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Kuar
- 3,996 BBY: Dark Reaper Campaign
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Foerost
- 3,996 BBY: First Battle of Coruscant
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Vento
- 3,996 BBY: Second Battle of Coruscant
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Kemplex IX
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Ossus
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Al'Har
- 3,996 BBY: Fourth Battle of Onderon
- 3,996 BBY: Battle of Yavin IV
- 3,996 BBY: Third Battle of Empress Teta
Notable Figures[]
Old Republic[]
- Vodo-Siosk Baas
- Cale Berkona
- Jolee Bindo
- Ood Bnar
- Shoaneb Culu
- Dace Diath
- Supreme Chancellor Sidrona Diath
- Master Dominus
- Tott Doneeta
- Princess Galia
- Master Arca Jeth
- Kith Kark
- Kavar
- Oron Kira
- Master Vrook Lamar
- Master Ma'tien
- Minister of Defense Netus
- Master Bala Nisi
- Vara Nreem
- Shaela Nuur
- Odan-Urr
- Qalsneek
- Cay Qel-Droma
- Duron Qel-Droma
- Ulic Qel-Droma
- Master Qual
- Keval Raffaan
- Vici Ramunee
- Guun Han Saresh
- Shayoto
- Master Aleco Stusea
- Nomi Sunrider
- Vima Sunrider
- Sunry
- Sylvar
- Master Tannis
- Master Thon
- Qrrrl Toq
- Captain Vanicus
Brotherhood of the Sith[]
- Queen Amanoa
- Nayama Bindo
- Crado
- Aleema Keto
- Satal Keto
- Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun
- Zona Luka
- Freedon Nadd
- Nebo
- Warb Null
- King Ommin
- Canderous Ordo
- Mandalore the Indomitable
- Mandalore the Ultimate (not yet Mandalore)
- Ulic Qel-Droma
- Rask
- Suvam Tan
- Oss Wilum
Other Figures[]
- Bogga the Hutt
Behind the scenes[]
Tom Veitch at first envisioned a slightly different version of the Great Sith War. He originally did not intend to include Exar Kun; Ulic Qel-Droma would remain a Krath general and engage in conquest for several years before joining with the Sith; and after his final; defeat, would never be redeemed and would die still in the hold of the dark side. This version of events was printed in the end notes to the original Dark Empire issues.
However, starting with Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith, Veitch began changing his plans, first by including Exar Kun after hearing of Kevin J. Anderson's plans to use an ancient Sith Lord for his Jedi Academy Trilogy, and then by co-authoring Dark Lords of the Sith with him. Anderson would go on to write The Sith War and Redemption on his own, thus further changing Veitch's original plans. Veitch came to resent the intrusion and claimed "Ulic Qel-Droma was stolen from me."