Second Galactic Civil War

"It's foolish to cast the Galactic Alliance as the Empire and Corellia as the Rebel Alliance. Because that's what it might come to, a rebellion–a stupid and unnecessary one."

- Luke Skywalker, 40 ABY

The Confederation-Galactic Alliance War of 40 ABY was a conflict between the Five Worlds (later the Confederation) and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. During the Battle of Kashyyyk, the New Jedi Order withdrew its support of the Alliance, and the war became a three-way conflict. Many people who had fought together during the Galactic Civil War and Yuuzhan Vong War found themselves on opposing sides during this conflict.

Origins
Following the conclusion of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Corellia was rewarded by the Galactic Alliance by the removal of the office of the Governor-General. The Five Brothers were united through a system government, with each planet electing its own Head of State and the system led by Prime Minister Aidel Saxan.

While much of the Galaxy had been ravaged by the war, Corellia emerged relatively unscathed, placing it in a position to increase its already impressive economic power and offer reconstruction loans to less fortunate planets. As Corellia prospered, it forgave wartime criminals like Thrackan Sal-Solo, who was subsequently elected the system's Minister of War and Head of State of Corellia, and began to chafe under the Galactic Alliance as it had the New Republic and Galactic Republic before it.

In the decade following the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong, Corellia's desire for independence grew and spread, tapping the natural haughty pride of Corellia. Corellia began to delay its conscription contributions and tax payments to the Alliance, while making use of Alliance infrastructure and trade benefits. It also stood against the defense limits imposed by the Alliance, but made no public challenge. Slowly, other industrialized planets like Commenor, Fondor, and Bespin developed similarly overt rebellious streaks.

In secret, Corellia began building a fleet comparable to a planetary assault force, supplied by planets like Adumar that produced weapons in violation of Alliance law. Meanwhile, Corellian scientists worked to bring Centerpoint Station online, hoping to once again use it as leverage. As tensions grew, Corellia's soft rebellion led to the imprisonment of key Corellians like Wedge Antilles, whom Alliance Intelligence perceived as a potential threat.

Operation Roundabout
"We failed to rap their heads&mdash;the arrival of the Corellian fleet prevented that&mdash;but we did take their giant blaster away."

- Cal Omas

In 40 ABY, Alliance accountants had located records of Corellia's secret fleet, while Jedi Knight Jacen Solo and his apprentice Ben Skywalker had discovered an Adumari arms manufacturer producing concussion missiles and proton torpedoes in violation of Order GAO-B11333B. Despite cordial political relations with Prime Minister Saxan, the Alliance chose to bring the rebellious actions of Corellia, and its followers, to heel with a show of military force. Admiral Matric Klauskin was placed at the head of elements of the Second Fleet, including several Jedi teams who would carry out a plan to neutralize the Corellian government and military, including Centerpoint Station. In addition, Wedge Antilles had managed to break out of his Intelligence compound and was installed as the link between Sal-Solo and Saxan.

As Dodonna, Klauskin's flagship, arrived in the space above Corellia, five Jedi operations&mdash;Slashrat, Purella, Tauntaun, Womp Rat and Mynock&mdash;were put into action. As the Jedi taskforces headed for the surface, Klauskin, who was haunted by the ghostly voice of his dead wife, was confronted with a well-prepared Corellian warfleet, including Nebulon-B frigates and Strident-class Star Defenders. A collision sparked a high-pitched starfighter engagement.

Meanwhile, the Jedi operations on the surface of Corellia met heavy resistance. Team Purella, led by Jaina Solo and including Zekk, Kolir Hu'lya and Thann Mithric ambushed Prime Minister Saxan's motorcade, but were ambushed by exploding YVH droids. Task Force Tauntaun, including Tahiri Veila, Doran Tainer and Tiu Zax managed to penetrate Thrackan Sal-Solo's mansion, but were also ambushed. Zax managed to stay behind and hide, acting as an invaluable source of intelligence. Both teams were rescued by Luke Skywalker's Hardpoint Squadron, encompassed in Task Force Womprat. Team Slashrat, a two-person operation watching Behareh Spaceport, was not required due to the arrival of the assault fleet and lack of launches. But as Klauskin's starfighter forces, including disguised Syal Antilles, were forced into engagement, Ben Skywalker and Jacen Solo, or Team Mynock, infiltrated Centerpoint Station and attempted to disable it. After days of training with Centerpoint scientist Toval Seyah, Ben Skywalker managed to convince a droid that believed it was Anakin Solo to shut down the station's destructive capability, while Jacen distracted Thrackan Sal-Solo.

Admiral Klauskin struggled against the Corellian fleet until he hit what he thought was a stroke of genius: Klauskin ordered all Alliance forces to prepare to withdraw. As Syal Antilles unknowingly engaged her father, her tactics allowed VibroSword Squadron to disable a Nebulon-B frigate before returning to Klauskin's fleet. The Alliance forces, including Mon Calamari cruiser Blue Diver micro-jumped to Tralus, the system's fifth inhabited world, and two hours later, Rendilir, Tralus' capital city, was securely under Alliance control. The Alliance had saved face, disabled Centerpoint Station and gained a foothold in the Corellian system.

Attack on Toryaz Station
As the Galactic Alliance and Corellia's relationship was strained by the Corellia's growing need for independence, the leaders of both parties decided to have peace talks. The Galactic Alliance chose to reopen negotiations in a neutral setting in the Kuat system. Following an assault on the delegates which claimed the life of Prime Minister Saxan, the talks failed. Lumiya was the main person behind the attacks.

Battle of Tralus
The Battle of Tralus was the opening engagement of the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War. Wedge Antilles, after hearing a life-wasting plan to retake Tralus made up by Thrackan Sal-Solo, presented him another plan: Operation Noble Savage. The Galactic Alliance had set up a base in a Tralus museum of arts. Below this base was a shield protecting the building. At the edge of the shield sphere, there was a half-constructed building which had enough open area for a fighter to fly through it. This building also provided a gap in the Alliance's shields. Wedge's plan was for two of the new YT-5100 Shriek bombers to fly through the building and destroying the building, removing the GA's beachhead on Tralus completely. The plan passed and so Han Solo was secretly picked to fly one of the bombers, and Wedge flying the other. The next day, with the Alliance fleet along with the flagship Dodonna in orbit above Tralus, the Corellians dispatched squadrons of fighters to Tralus to distract the Galactic Alliance ships. During the chaos, Wedge and Han Solo dived to the surface in the Shriek bombers and flew with much difficulty through the structure, eventually reaching the interior of the shield. Together, they destroyed the museum and the shield generator, and the remaining Corellian fighters covered their escape. After this, the Galactic Alliance fleet also withdrew from the system.

The Galactic Alliance Guard
"The Empire's back! The Empire's back!"

- Coruscant protestors

In the weeks following the Battle of Tralus, Jacen Solo successfully lobbied Cal Omas and the Senate into the creation of a new organization meant to counter the increasing threat of terrorists sympathizing with Corellia. This came following the bombing of the Elite Hotel in Galactic City, which was discovered was connected to Corellian terrorists. The bombing left hundreds dead and many wounded.

After Mara Jade Skywalker turned down the job, Omas asked Jacen if he would be willing to lead the new paramilitary organization on Coruscant. Jacen agreed and achieved the rank of Colonel. Bringing in Coruscant Security Force operators, ex-NRI agents, and members of the special forces, the Galactic Alliance Guard, or GAG, used extremely effective and public methods of cracking down on Corellian insurgents. The move prompted Supreme Commander Pellaeon to resign as leader of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, replaced by the ambitious and stern Cha Niathal.

Much to the dismay of Luke Skywalker and the Jedi Council, high-profile images of Jacen Solo and Ben Skywalker leading the Galactic Alliance Guard on their raids began to usher in contentions that the Galactic Alliance was transforming into the Empire once again and that yet another member of the Skywalker bloodline was at the helm.

Under the tutelage of Captain Lon Shevu, Ben Skywalker found the Guard as a place of refuge. His enthusiasm for learning and making a difference in "adult" situations added yet more tension between the young Jedi and his parents.

And when Jacen Solo convinced Omas in proceeding with the internment of Corellians on Coruscant, the Galactic Alliance Guard's 967 Commando detachment became known as "stormies" among both its members and the populace. This move added more fuel to the fire, spurning on riots and leading to moves of secession by dozens of worlds. Worst of all, Han Solo, enraged that his son was leading the effort in interning thousands and possibly millions of Corellians, realized that he no longer recognized the boy he had raised.

The Galactic Alliance Guard had become Jacen Solo's "fist", mirroring his grandfather, Darth Vader and the 501st Legion (aka "Vader's Fist"). With the GAG at his complete disposal, Jacen led the Blockade of Corellia, taking the first open strike against Corellia.

The assassination of Thrackan Sal-Solo
Concurrent to the events on Coruscant, Han and Leia Solo were confronted by Dur Gejjen a member of Corellia's Democratic Alliance, who secretly wanted Thrackan Sal-Solo removed from office&mdash;permanently. Gejjen brought up the idea of killing Sal-Solo, something the Solos needed time to consider.

Not fully confident that the Solos would accomplish their task, Gejjen also hired Boba Fett to kill Sal-Solo. Fett and the Mandalorians were already hired by Thrackan to protect Corellia from the Galactic Alliance blockade. However, Boba agreed to Gejjen's contract.

Before arriving at Sal-Solo's office, Boba (along with his granddaughter Mirta Gev) confronted Han Solo. Solo, who already had a bounty placed on his head (along with his family) by Sal-Solo, was being targeted by Fett's estranged daughter, Ailyn Vel. Fett saw this as an opportunity to reunite with the daughter he hadn't seen since she was an infant. Han informed Fett that Jacen had already captured Ailyn (who was hiding with Corellian insurgents on Coruscant). Solo and Fett then made a deal. If Han could be allowed to kill his cousin, he would convince Jacen to free Ailyn (it was later revealed that Jacen killed Ailyn during interrogation).

Boba, Mirta, and Han (disguised in Mandalorian armor) arrived at Sal-Solo's office. Boba briefly discussed his deal with Sal-Solo before Han revealed his identity and attempted to kill the Corellian president. Sal-Solo revealed that he lured Ailyn to Coruscant intentionally. He meant for her to be caught and hide the threat of the other bounty hunters Sal-Solo hired to kill the Solo family. In a fit of rage, Mirta shot Sal-Solo in the forehead. Fett then shot him in the chest to ensure he was dead. Han, needing some sort of revenge, slowly put a final blaster bolt into his cousin's lifeless body.

Following Sal-Solo's assassination (which was blamed on the Galactic Alliance), Gejjen assumed control of the Corellian government. Under Gejjen's leadership, the Corellian government continued to decline talks with the Alliance. Chief of State Omas then officially declared a state of war between the Galactic Alliance and Corellia.

Coup attempt at Hapes
During the war, the Corellian leadership planned on drawing the Hapes Consortium into the war on their side by assassinating its Queen Mother, Tenel Ka, and her child, Allana. The Corellians allied themselves with disgruntled Hapan nobles - who operated under the name of Heritage Council - and sent the new Corellian Dreadnaughts to assist the forces of these Hapan rebels. In the end both parts of the plan failed, as the Hapan rebels and their Corellian allies were defeated in the Battle of Hapes and the Queen Mother and her daughter survived the assassination attempts. Apparently most of the Hapans allied with the Five Worlds were captured or killed.

Counterstrike
By the latter half of 40 ABY, the blockade of Corellia by the Galactic Alliance was still underway. However, Bothans, furious over the murder of Bothans on Coruscant and suspecting that the GA was almost certainly behind it, had begun assembling a battle fleet. The Alliance knew of this and had taken precautions to make sure the fleet would not be able to leave Bothan Space without the GA knowing of it. However, the sabotage of the Alliance observers by Admiral Matric Klauskin under the influence of Lumiya permitted the Bothans to jump to the Corellian system, where they helped Corellia to break the blockade. The Alliance was forced to retreat, attempting to damage Centerpoint Station beyond repair before they left.

The Confederation
Shortly after the breaking of the blockade, Commenor and Bothawui joined Corellia, and the Confederation was formed. Other planets soon followed; Fondor, Bespin, and Adumar prominent among them. For several weeks, the GA and Confederation were locked in a state of standoff, with both sides concentrating more on preparing for an inevitable war rather than a direct assault; instead making sporadic and minor raids against each other.

Galactic Alliance Intelligence received word that the Confederation were planning a meeting on Gilatter VIII to elect a new Supreme Commander. In response to this newfound information, Jacen Solo laid out a four step plan to ambush the Confederation and end the supposed meeting. The Alliance attempt to sabotage that meeting ended in the Battle of Gilatter VIII, when the meeting turned out to be a Confederation trap, the election having been held the day before. The battle ended in a draw, and both sides retired to make more preparations for war.

The individual fleets reorganized themselves to become the united Confederation Fleet with former Imperial General Turr Phennir as Supreme Commander of the Confederation military.

Escalation and political crisis
After the events of Gilatter VIII, the war continued to escalate, with additional worlds seceding from the Alliance, including Beris and Las Lagon. While such losses were minor in terms of overall effect, it represented a continuing worsening of the conflict, as well another step closer to full scale galactic civil war.

Actions intensified in Bothan Space, as Alliance fleet units engaged a Bothan flotilla during the Battle of Bothawui. At the same time, numerous worlds across the galaxy began to pursue old vendettas with rival worlds, forcing the Alliance government to further spread their fleets to keep the peace. Increasingly a minority voice for peace in the upper echelons of the government, Cal Omas struggled to hold the majority of the Alliance together.

In an effort to lull Coruscant into a false sense of peace, in order to buy time for a massive Confederation strike on the galactic capital, Dur Gejjen approached Cal Omas for secret peace talks. Omas, eager at the chance to end the war and preserve the Alliance, went to the neutral world of Vulpter to have direct talks. Due to the tapping of high level Alliance leaders by the Galactic Alliance Guard, Jacen Solo was able to dispatch several GAG units to the site of the meeting.

During the meeting, Omas was lured by the possibility of the Confederation calling for a cease fire and returning into the folds of the Galactic Alliance. Gejjen's only demand was the removal of Jacen Solo and Cha Niathal, either politically (Omas's preference) or permanently (Gejjen's). The meeting was bugged, allowing Jacen Solo the story he needed to arrest Cal Omas and remove him from office. Furthermore, Dur Gejjen was assassinated by Ben Skywalker on the orders of Jacen Solo, which took a heavy toll on the Confederation.

Military Coup
"They'd handed him extraordinary power, and one that he'd use to change the way the galaxy was governed. He'd use it to take down Chief of State Omas: he wasn't sure of the details yet, but he could do it, and soon. The Galactic Alliance would fall, not with the clash of lightsabers, or ion cannons fired, or troops surrounding the Senate, but with a sheet of flimsy and a nod of heads."

- Thoughts of Jacen Solo, 40 ABY

After successfully manipulating galactic law to allow him powers not seen since the end of the Old Republic, Jacen Solo moved to gain control of the Alliance. Using the footage of Omas seemingly agreeing to enemy demands for the sake of peace, Jacen and Admiral Niathal staged a bloodless and quiet coup. Placing Omas under house arrest, the duo became a duumvirate, ruling the Alliance as co-Chiefs of State. While Admiral Niathal genuinely believed that the military coup was only for the duration of the war, Jacen Solo began laying the plans for his eventual rule of the entire galaxy as Sith Lord.

Rise of Darth Caedus
Now that he was head of the Alliance, Jacen Solo was ready for his ascension to Dark Lord of the Sith. However, he had first got to make his saacrifice to show his commitment.

Ben Skywalker, distraught over his assassination of Dur Gejjen, confided in his mother Mara about Jacen and Lumiya. Mara then went off after the Sith herself and persued Jacen to Kavan and they engaged in a vicious duel. Mara was able to bring down Jacen and was about to kill him when he used a Force illusion to distract her before he stabbed her and killed her.

Having made his sacrifice, Jacen was now ready to become a true Sith. Lumiya realised this and went off to fulfill her part of the plan and buy Jacen some time. She went to Luke and claimed that she had killed Mara. Luke persued her to Terephon and shot her down before duelling and decapitating her. With Lumiya's death, Jacen was ready to become Darth Caedus, lord of the Sith.

Stalemate
With the failure of the peace talks, the war continued and spread across the galaxy. The Confederation began a push towards the Galactic Core. Reinforced by a Commenorian and Hutt fleet, the Confederation laid siege to Balmorra. Jacen Solo, now Darth Caedus, led the Galactic Alliance Fourth Fleet in a counterattack. Though Balmorra was lost, the Confederation took heavy losses and were prevented from reinforcing their own fleet at the Battle of Kuat. The Battle of Kuat lasted nearly a week. Darth Caedus led the attack on the Confederation Fleet from the Star destroyer Anakin Solo. Caedus was depending on the Jedi to quickly end the battle, and had already sent a large GAG force to hold the Jedi Academy on Ossus hostage. Luke Skywalker, still grieving over the death of his wife, led the Jedi force, but broke off and jumped to Kashyyyk, where his fugitive sister and her husband were trying to convince the Rock Council to aid the Jedi, and were eventually able to sway the Wookiees to their side, depriving both the Alliance and the Confederation of a sizable fleet. Unable to quickly end the battle at Kuat, Caedus decided to attack Kashyyyk and make it an example to other rebellious star systems.

The Death of Omas
Having become Darth Caedus after killing Mara Jade Skywalker, Jacen was determined to turn the young Ben Skywalker to the Dark side of the Force. During a brief conversation with Ben during the Battle of Kuat, Caedus revealed a faked conversation strung together from words taken from recorded meetings with Cal Omas, which ordered Mara Jades assassination. While not totally convinced that the former Chief of State was responsible for his mother's death, Ben sneaked into Omas' Coruscant home, prepared to kill him. Omas, however, was already waiting. In a standard similar to that of his predecessor, Borsk Fey'lya, he had rigged a proton bomb that would be triggered by the cessation of his heartbeat. Learning the truth from Omas, Ben tried to convince the ex-Chief to fake his own death. Omas refused, and impaled himself on Ben's lightsaber. Ben escaped before the bomb exploded, but, having learnt the identity of his mother's murderer, he was prepared to kill Caedus.

Devastation of Kashyyyk
Determined to punish Kashyyyk and claim it's fleet for the Galactic Alliance, Caedus led the Galactic Alliance Fifth Fleet to the planet and proceeded to burn it's forests with the Anakin Solo's long-range turbolasers. A squadron of interceptors began to attack the Anakin, at which point, Ben Skywalker marched onto the bridge and attempted to kill Caedus. A Jedi shadow bomb struck the bridge, killing much of the bridge crew and causing Ben to miss Jacen with his lightsaber and accidentally decapitate Commander Twizzl. Caedus took Ben to a torture chamber in the depths of the ship and locked him in an Embrace of Pain, a Yuuzhan Vong torture device. Meanwhile, a large Confederation and Bothan fleet entered the system and engaged the Galactic Alliance forces. Luke Skywalker boarded the Anakin Solo and engaged Caedus in a lightsaber duel. At the same time, the Hapan Royal Navy arrived, led by Caedus's lover Tenel Ka. Instead of helping the Alliance, the Hapans joined the Jedi, Wookiee, and Confederation forces in attacking the Fifth Fleet. Aboard the Anakin Solo, Luke bested Caedus in a duel, and Ben was determined to finish him off. Caedus escaped, but was badly wounded. The Fifth Fleet only escaped by exploiting a hole in the Bothan lines, which had been created by Alema Rar, manipulating the Bothans from a Sith Meditation Sphere.

After Kashyyyk
The Battle of Kashyyyk was a major blow to the Galactic Alliance. The New Jedi Order removed their support from the Alliance, and set up a base on the Forest Moon of Endor. The Hapes Consortium seceded from the Alliance, removing twenty percent of the GA's fleet strength.

Appearances

 * Betrayal
 * Bloodlines
 * Tempest
 * Exile
 * Sacrifice
 * Inferno
 * Fury
 * Revelation
 * Invincible