1. Introduction

Welcome, students, to the final course in the epic history of this galaxy we call home. Today’s course focuses on events of the recent past up to the present, so this should be somewhat familiar to many. Even if it isn’t, you should leave this course feeling “caught up” on the events of the modern era. As with previous courses in this series, you will find “further reading” sections sprinkled throughout; these are optional and will not be tested.

2. New Republic (4 ABY - 29 ABY)

In the wake of the Battle of Endor, the New Republic was formed to provide a democratic representative government for its member worlds. It was quickly successful, with individual planets and systems overthrowing their Imperial governors and joining up. Within three years of the Battle of Endor, the planet of Coruscant was liberated - for thousands of years, it had served as the seat of power for the Republic, and it worked well to legitimize the new government.

The Old Republic had been protected by the Jedi Order, so to protect this New Republic, a New Jedi Order was created by Luke Skywalker. He formed a center of learning called the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV. They had their work cut out for them, as the New Republic was besieged early on by various leftovers from the Imperial times. One such attempt to end the fledgling Republic was led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, considered one of the top fleet commanders the Empire had seen. Ambitious politicians hurt the Republic’s response to this and other threats, but with solid leadership by first Chief of State Mon Mothma and the efforts of the New Jedi Order, order was maintained and the Grand Admiral was defeated.

After various attempts by Imperial factions, including a clone of Palpatine’s, to recreate the Empire, the two sides were able to begin negotiations to normalize relations. Thus, in 19 ABY, the Galactic Civil War was formally concluded, with the New Republic and Imperial Remnant signing the Pellaeon-Gavrisom Treaty. Named for Republic Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom and Imperial Remnant Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon, it decreed that open conflict between the two groups would cease, and trade would flow freely. It was a more or less peaceful time for the galaxy at large - barring smaller-scale conflicts, of course - and as the idealistic figures who led the Rebellion retired, less high-minded politicians took their place. Unfortunately, they brought with them the petty infighting that marked the Senate of the Old Republic.

Further reading:
* Jedi Praxeum
* Imperial Remnant

3. Yuuzhan Vong War (25 ABY - 29 ABY)

It was this bureaucratic mess that the New Republic found itself in when it met a threat it could not last through. In 25 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong, a warlike species from outside the known galaxy, began an invasion of the Outer Rim. Using more highly-advanced technology than existed in the New Republic and a fanatical devotion to their cause - the result of their priest caste declaring the entire galaxy the possession of the Vong - the Vong warriors were able to easily take planet after planet.

They were far from content with just taking a huge swath of the Outer Rim, however, and began to press toward the Core. In 27 ABY, they easily overwhelmed the Republic’s defenses on Coruscant. The ineffectual Chief of Staff Borsk Fey’lya, in an attempt to salvage what he could, committed suicide by blowing himself up and managing to also take the lives of twenty-five thousand Vong soldiers as well as a senior Vong commander named Romm Zqar. After the fall of Coruscant, the Yuuzhan Vong controlled most of the Outer, Mid, and Inner Rims, as well as huge chunks of the Core Worlds.

Unfortunately for the Vong, it was a case of biting off more than they could chew. Their rapid expansion came at great cost to their formidable military might, and the bloodied Republic managed to stall total defeat and begin reorganizing. Finally, it was time to turn the tables, and the Republic turned to one of their senior strategists to figure out how. Admiral Gial Ackbar (yes, that Admiral Ackbar), though advanced in age, still possessed a brilliant mind for naval warfare. He lured the Yuuzhan Vong forces, commanded by their senior-most commander, Warmaster Tsavong Lah, into a trap on the secluded moon of Ebaq 9. Against the wishes of Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane, Lah took a large chunk of the fleet to attack what he thought was the leader of the Republic, Cal Omas, and several Jedi. His fleet was annihilated as the trap closed on them and, in an attempt to repair his honor, Lah personally led a ground attack on the moon. He was yet again unsuccessful, and killed for his trouble.

Under Omas, the newly resurgent Republic reorganized itself as the Galactic Alliance; this new form streamlined the government and strengthened its leadership in an effort to combat the political infighting that had paralyzed the New Republic just as it had the Old. The Galactic Alliance was a galaxy-spanning organization, since it included not just the former New Republic but also groups such as the Imperial Remnant and Hapes Consortium. With renewed vigor, the Galactic Alliance pushed back against Vong forces until they reached Yuuzhan’tar, the Vong name for the planet Coruscant that they had extensively terraformed. During the Battle of Yuuzhan’tar, the Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker, managed to defeat the Vong Supreme Overlord. With their leader as well as top commander dead, the Vong were forced to admit defeat. As the Sekot Accords, the terms of their surrender, stated, the Vong would disarm, remain on Zonama Sekot, and remain in the Unknown Regions.

Further reading:
* Tsavong Lah
* Shimrra Jamaane

4. Dark Nest Crisis and the Swarm War (35 ABY - 36 ABY)

Even with the defeat of the Vong, there was still strife in the galaxy. Two brief (and related) conflicts bear discussion: the Dark Nest Crisis and the Swarm War. The Dark Nest Crisis was a clash between the Galactic Alliance, the Chiss Ascendancy, and the insectoid species known as the Killiks. It was started when members of a Jedi strike team, sent during the Yuuzhan Vong War to the planet Myrkr, were discovered aiding Killik Nests in expansion efforts against the Chiss. Han Solo, the famous smuggler captain of the Millennium Falcon, was successful in temporarily halting the growing conflict by giving a nebula to the Killiks for their own use.

This solution wasn’t lasting, however, as the nebula the Killiks took up residence in had a tendency to fight back, destroying anyone who attacked the planet with an acid the Killiks called “the Fizz.” Though this biological agent was found to be beyond the scope of anything the Galactic Alliance could have produced, the entire incident served as a black mark for the New Jedi Order, who were held responsible by the Killiks and others throughout the galaxy.

In an effort to prevent the Chiss from launching an all-out attack, the Jedi launched a preemptive strike on a Chiss base; while this mission was a success, it served to greatly anger the Chiss. This was followed by the capture of the Victory-class Star Destroyer and Admiral Ackbar by the Killiks. Both events pushed what had been a low-level conflict into the Swarm War.

Unbeknownst to most, the Killiks were being influenced by what most would come to know as the Dark Nest or the Gorog. The Dark Nest were a secret hive of Killiks that were the most violent of all the Nests and had absorbed the three surviving Jedi of the Myrkr strike team: Lomi Plo, who became the Unseen Queen of the Gorog; Welk, who became the Nest’s Night Herald (or protector of the Queen); and Raynar Thul, who became UnuThul, or the leader of all the Killik. Thus, to end this conflict, the Alliance knew they had to kill the Queen and destroy the Nest.

To that end, Luke Skywalker, who had named himself Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, gathered teams of prominent Jedi to fight this threat; one team, led by Luke, included his sister Leia Solo and nephew Jacen Solo, among others. They struck out against the belligerent Killik, with Luke eventually killing Lomi Plo and removing UnuThul from the Killik governing body known as the Colony. The removal of the two former Jedi ended the threat posed by the Killik, and relations were improved between the Chiss and the Alliance with diplomatic effort. As in so many cases throughout the history of the galaxy, the Jedi stepped up and saved the world again.

Further reading:
* Jacen Solo
* Killiks

5. Conclusion

With that, we bring to a close our review of events from the beginning of time until today that shape the galaxy in which the Dark Jedi Brotherhood exists.

As an out-of-character note, the Expanded Universe (or “Legends” timeline) authors have written events far into the future. However, in order to not interfere with the particular fictional world of the Brotherhood, we do not factor in anything past our current year. If you would like to explore the events the Legends authors have written, you may find useful information here on Wookieepedia. Good luck on your exam, and we hope you’ve enjoyed this tour through the incredible history of the Star War universe!