First battle of Korriban

"You are the greatest threat the Sith Empire has ever known, Naga Sadow&mdash;and you must be stopped!"

- Ludo Kressh

The First Battle of Korriban was a skirmish fought in 5,000 BBY between the respective war fleets of Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh&mdash;former rivals for the title of Dark Lord of the Sith&mdash;high above the Sith graveyard world of Korriban. Some time before this engagement, Sadow had defeated Kressh, who was forced to fake his death, leaving Sadow unopposed. Sadow then launched the ultimately unsuccessful Great Hyperspace War against the Galactic Republic in an effort to conquer the galaxy. After his defeat at the Battle of Primus Goluud, Sadow returned to the Sith Empire with the remains of his battered fleet. Sadow's forces were surprised by Kressh and his full battle force over Korriban. Laser fire ensued between the two sides, and many ships from both factions were destroyed. However, Sadow had a plan. He ordered one of his damaged ships to collide with Kressh's flagship. The strategy was successful, and Kressh was killed, instantly ending the battle with a victory for Sadow.

Prelude
"You are no longer Dark Lord, Naga Sadow! That title has been stripped from you! I, Ludo Kressh, now hold that title! I am the Dark Lord of the Sith&hellip; as I should have been since the death of Marka Ragnos!"

- Ludo Kressh

In 5,000 BBY, Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow rose to power in the Sith Empire. After dispatching his longtime rival, Sith Lord Ludo Kressh, in the Battle of Khar Delba, Sadow began readying a battle force to launch an attack on the Galactic Republic. Around the time of the fleet's completion, Ludo Kressh's flagship appeared in the skies over Khar Delba and was shot down, seemingly killing Kressh. However, little did Sadow know that Kressh had faked his death. With no obstacles in his way, Sadow invaded the Republic and started the Great Hyperspace War. However, Sadow's attempts to take both Coruscant and the Koros system were repelled by the Republic, and Sadow retreated. The Republic and Sith met again in battle over Primus Goluud, and Sadow was forced to flee back to the Sith Empire in defeat.

The battle
"There are other ways to win a battle, Ludo Kressh."

- Naga Sadow

Sadow's forces dropped out of hyperspace above the graveyard world of Korriban, but the Dark Lord was greeted by someone whom he had never expected to see again: Ludo Kressh. Kressh proclaimed himself the true Dark Lord of the Sith and revealed what had truly happened in the skies over Khar Delba: he had sent an empty decoy ship, which was what Sadow had shot down, and in the meantime had gathered his own forces in preparation for an attack on Sadow. Kressh also stated that Sadow was a threat to the well-being of the Sith Empire and told the Dark Lord that he was banished from the Sith Empire forever. Sadow refused to back down, and furious laser fire ensued between the two enemy factions. Numerous dogfights between opposing Sith starfighters dotted the area of battle, and capital ships were destroyed on both sides by the constant laser fire. However, Sadow had a plan: he ordered one of his doomed and nearly destroyed ships to make a suicide run on Ludo Kressh's flagship. To Kressh's horror, the incoming ship and his flagship met in a fiery collision, killing Kressh and instantly ending the battle. Sadow had finally defeated his old nemesis.

Aftermath
"I cannot even take pleasure in this victory&hellip;too many disasters have befallen us this day."

- Naga Sadow

Several of the ships in Kressh's fleet remained operable but did not continue to fight after Kressh's death. Despite the victory, Sadow was shaken by the losses he had suffered. Immediately after the battle, Sadow and his forces were attacked again, this time by Republic forces that had followed him to the Sith Empire looking to seal a victory against the Sith. Led by Empress Teta, the ruler of the Koros system, Sadow and the Sith were defeated. Sadow was forced to fake his death and flee to the faraway moon of Yavin 4.

Behind the scenes
The First Battle of Korriban was an event that initially appeared in Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire, a story arc of the Tales of the Jedi comic book series, written by Kevin J. Anderson and released in 1997. The battle took place in the arc's fifth and final issue, End of an Empire. In this appearance, the battle was illustrated by Dario Carrasco, Jr. In addition, the battle received mentions in several reference books in sections describing the events of the Great Hyperspace War, including The New Essential Chronology by Anderson and Daniel Wallace, The New Essential Guide to Characters by Wallace, and The Essential Atlas by Wallace and Jason Fry.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire 5: End of an Empire

Notes and references
Erste Schlacht von Korriban