Sacking of Coruscant

"You were deceived. And now, your Republic shall fall."

- Darth Malgus

The Sacking of Coruscant occurred at the end of the Great Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. Centuries after the supposed destruction of the original Empire, a surviving faction of the Sith returned from the Unknown Regions and waged a massive war against the Republic. After decades of fighting, the Republic was overwhelmed and heavily inundated, while the Empire continued to gain ground. At what seemed to be the height of their campaign, the Sith surprised the galaxy and extended an offer of peace to the Republic. Although cautious of the Empire's intentions, the Galactic Senate of the Republic accepted the much-needed reprieve. Unbeknownst to the Republic, the Sith had no intention of allowing the war to come to a peaceful conclusion.

While Republic and Imperial delegations convened on Alderaan for treaty negotiations, the Imperial-employed Mandalorian Shae Vizla traveled to the Republic capital world of Coruscant and deactivated the planet's defense grid. This allowed for the Sith Lord Darth Malgus to enter the Jedi Temple alongside a group of fifty Sith Warriors and lay siege to the ancient edifice. The Warriors had a violent altercation with the Temple's Jedi defenders, led by Master Ven Zallow, but were victorious in their mission. With the Jedi defeated, a fleet of Sith warships under the command of the Lord Darth Angral descended upon the planet, bombarding the cityscape and deploying Sith troopers and warriors to the surface. Although the surviving members of the Jedi Order and the Republic Special Forces attempted to defend their capital, the Sith forces overwhelmed them. By the time the fighting had ended, the Jedi Temple had been reduced to rubble, six members of the Jedi High Council had been killed, and Lord Angral had assassinated the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. All communications into and out of Coruscant were locked down, leaving the rest of the galaxy to guess on the carnage that was unfolding on the surface.

With the Republic's capital securely in their grip, the Empire was able to take command of the negotiations on Alderaan, forcing the Republic delegation to sign the controversial Treaty of Coruscant. Although it brought an end to the Great Galactic War, the treaty set the stage for the Cold War and forced the Republic into a debilitating position of weakness within the galaxy. As such, reconstruction of Coruscant was delayed and then drawn out for several years, with residents in the poorer areas of the planet being forced to make a living in the ruin left behind by the Sith. The planet's lower levels fell under gang control, and were largely ignored by the Republic government, which was headquartered on the very same world.

A galaxy in flames
"The Great Galactic War dragged on for decades. Thousands of Jedi and Sith were slain. Countless star systems were ravaged."

- Jedi Master Gnost-Dural

After the supposed defeat of the ancient Sith Empire during the Great Hyperspace War, the Galactic Republic believed the Sith to be extinct. However, unbeknownst to the galaxy at large, a faction of the original Sith had survived the destruction of the Empire fled to the Unknown Regions, where they spent a millennium building a massive war machine to exact their revenge upon the Republic and its Jedi Order. Led by a Dark Lord of the Sith known only as the Sith Emperor, the Empire became a shadowy force of power prior to its return to galactic prominence in 3,681 BBY.

That year, the Empire unleashed a massive onslaught against the Republic, igniting the Great Galactic War which eventually engulfed the entire galaxy. Although the fighting was initially contained to the Outer Rim Territories, far from the Republic's heart, the Emperor intended for his dominion to quickly defeat its enemy and become the preeminent galactic political body. Ultimately, the quick victory he expected would not be delivered, and the war dragged on for nearly three decades, exhausting both the Sith and the Republic. Once the Imperials had a secure hold on the outer regions, they pushed towards the galactic core, aided by the Mandalorian warrior clans. Led by Mandalore the Lesser, the warriors blockaded the Hydian Way, crippling the Republic economy and pushing some members of the Galactic Senate to call for surrender to the Empire. Ultimately, the Mandalorian gambit failed, and the war entered a stalemate, although the Empire had still been largely more successful in military endeavors than the Republic.

After the failure of the blockade, the Emperor's Dark Council sought a quick end to the war and so extended an offer of peace to the Republic Senate in 3,653 BBY. The offer came as a complete surprise to the Republic, as it had appeared that the Empire was on the verge of victory. While the Jedi Council urged caution, the Senate accepted the offer, as the combined efforts of the Sith and Mandalorians had brought the Republic to its knees and ruined its economy. The Sith understood this fact, and planned to exploit the Republic in the coming negotiations. It was decided that the Imperial delegation would require a trump card while deliberating with Republic and Jedi representatives, so plans were made for a massive assault on the Republic's capital world of Coruscant.

Preparing the endgame
"This is a beautiful world.''" "''Not for very much longer."

- Eleena Daru and Darth Malgus

The primary invasion force was to be led by Darth Angral while a smaller, secondary force led by Darth Malgus was to be dispatched directly to the Jedi Temple. Before either Sith Lord could proceed however, the defense grid protecting Coruscant had to be disabled. The task fell to the Mandalorian Shae Vizla, who traveled to the ecumenopolis in advance of the Sith. Darth Malgus also traveled to the world prior to the battle, accompanied by his slave and lover, Eleena Daru. Malgus's plan for entering the Jedi Temple involved a hijacked Republic dropship depositing Sith Warriors directly into the Temple, and so the Sith Lord was to serve as a distraction for the Jedi while the vessel entered the airspace of the Temple Precinct. While waiting for Vizla to complete her objective and his warriors to get into place, Malgus toured Coruscant with Daru, admiring and criticizing the world one final time before it's destruction.

Meanwhile, the peace summit was being held on the Core World of Alderaan, a planet that had previously come under attack by the Empire. The Republic delegation, led by Senator Paran Am-Ris and Jedi Master Dar'Nala, met with the Imperial delegation led by Sith Lord Darth Baras to discuss a possible cession of hostilities. Baras maintained the facade of a peace-seeking diplomat early in the negotiation process, which was made all the more believable by the Sith's withdrawal from their offensive in the Minos Cluster. As the peace conference began however, Darth Malgus on Coruscant received word that Vizla had compromised the defense grid without alerting Republic authorities and that the drop ship was in position to begin its descent. With that, the Sith unleashed their assault on the world.

Invasion of the Jedi Temple
"Our time has come. For 300 years, we prepared. We grew stronger. While you rested in your cradle of power, believing your people were safe... protected. You were trusted to lead the Republic but you were deceived, as our powers over the dark side had blinded you. You assumed no force could challenge you and now... finally... we have returned."

- Darth Malgus during the invasion of the Jedi Temple

Darth Malgus and Eleena Daru traveled to the Jedi Temple on foot, approaching the ancient edifice via the Processional Way. As they neared the Temple's main entrance, the two were surrounded by Republic soldiers assigned to guard the building while most Jedi were away either fighting the Sith or participating in the peace talks. Malgus quickly dispatched all of the security personnel in his path and continued into the Temple itself. Meanwhile, Shae Vizla infiltrated the Temple Ziggurat through an exposed hatch in order to join the Sith in their fight within. The Mandalorian continued to battle Republic security forces in the Temple's upper levels while Malgus and Daru were confronted by throngs of curious Jedi below. Padawans gathered on upper mezzanines to see the Sith as he was confronted by a cadre of six Jedi Knights led by one Master, Ven Zallow. As Zallow and the Knights approached Malgus to bar him from penetrating any further into the Temple, the Sith Warriors within the Republic dropship piloted the vessel directly into the large doorway shielding the main entrance.

The dropship smashed through the large gate that served as the Temple's main entrance, and continued on to reduce much of the entrance hall to rubble. The careening ship and the rubble it created crushed a number of Jedi before coming to a halt directly behind Malgus and Daru. The dropship's hatch blew open to reveal the fifty Sith Warriors led by the Sith Lord Adraas, as well as several Sith troopers. After disembarking from the craft, the Sith forces were attacked by dozens of Jedi in defense of the Temple. The Jedi and Sith fought viciously as the Mandalorian Vizla revealed herself and engaged Republic soldiers with rockets and a flamethrower. Immersed in the dark side of the Force, Malgus slew many of the Temple's defenders using Force lightning and his lightsaber while his Twi'lek lover provided support for him and the other Sith. Malgus's primary goal during the melee was to hunt down and kill Zallow, who he felt was the only combatant worthy of his attention. Zallow was meanwhile making headway against the Sith Warriors, killing a number of them and rebuffing Lord Adraas's attacks. When Malgus finally located the Jedi Master, Daru attempted to assist him by firing at Zallow. This tactic backfired however, and Zallow deflected Daru's blaster bolts back into her body before throwing her against a column with the Force.

Zallow's attack on Daru enraged Malgus, who unleashed a Force scream that toppled surrounding architecture. The Sith Lord and the Jedi Master closed the distance between one another, killing any who crossed their paths. Upon meeting, Master Zallow and Lord Malgus entered into a fierce duel, fighting one another back towards the Processional Way. Although Zallow was able to defend against the Sith for a time and avoid many of his attacks, the Jedi was eventually killed by Malgus, who thrust his lightsaber through Zallow's abdomen. With their leading Master dead, the Jedi were quickly defeated. The Sith secured the Temple and destroyed the defense grid mainframe that lie within the structure before Lord Adraas signaled to Darth Angral that the strike had been a success.

Angral's naval forces entered Coruscant space and were hailed by Orbital Security Station Six, a space station monitoring incoming traffic to Coruscant. Femi, a Twi'lek aboard the station, did not recognize the vessels, and addressed the incoming Sith warships in request of a clearance code. Darth Angral responded by ordering his admiral to open fire on the station, thereby killing Femi and everyone else on board. The fleet, led by Angral's flagship Darkness, pushed forward into Coruscant's atmosphere and began ravaging the cityscape. As ISF interceptors, Sith battlecruisers, and Imperial war droids razed the Temple Precinct, Malgus and his fellow warriors sat at the ruined entrance of the Jedi Temple and watched the Galactic City burn.

Attack on the Senate
"Senator Am-Ris...break off the talks! It's a trick!"

- The Supreme Chancellor to Senator Am-Ris via hologram

As the Imperial Oppressor Battle Cruisers continued their descent toward Coruscant, Angral ordered that he and a strike team be deployed outside the Senate Building, while the remainder of the Sith forces continue their attack on the city.

As the warships began bombarding the Senate District, Angral and his troops landed outside the Senate, where they were confronted by the Jedi Master Orgus Din and Lieutenant Tavus of the Republic Military. While Tavus and several Coruscant Security personnel battled the Sith troopers, Angral attacked Din. The pair entered into a fierce lightsaber duel, with Angral soon gaining the upper hand. The Sith was ultimately able to disarm Master Din and force him to the ground, holding him at lightsaber point. Although the Sith Lord wished to make Din his first Jedi kill of the day, a badly damaged Imperial warship fell from the sky and collided with a nearby building, resulting in an explosion that sent both Din and Angral flying. This gave the Jedi an opening to leap across a broken bridge and head toward the Jedi Temple, which was under heavy bombardment. Angral ordered his men to allow the Jedi to escape, as their objective was in the Senate.

In the Senate Building, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic attempted to contact Senator Am-Ris on Alderaan. The Chancellor warned the Cerean senator of the Sith's treachery and urged him to pull out of the peace talks. Before he could finish his message, however, Lord Angral smashed into the Senate and killed the Chancellor. The assassination was witnessed by the participants of the Alderaan Peace Conference, spurring a short conflict between the Republic and Imperial delegations.

The Sith fleet continued heavy orbital bombardment of the planet, while Sith troopers raided the city's towers. The Senate District sustained heavy damage, and the Senate Dome was captured by Sith forces. The Temple Precinct suffered heavily as well, with starfighters strafing the area and Sith war droids marching on the Temple itself. During the fighting, half of the Jedi High Council was killed. In addition, the Jedi Temple eventually succumbed to the damage inflicted upon it, and the centuries-old structure collapsed completely. Several Jedi attempted to stage a counter-strike against a vessel of the Imperial Navy, but were repelled by the ship's commander, Rycus Kilran. Despite heavy wounds sustained during the attempt, Kilran continued to participate in the battle and inflicted heavy damage upon the city. Although the Empire's primary objectives were the Senate and the Jedi Temple, Coruscant's lower levels were hit heavily by orbital bombardment, resulting in many civilian deaths.

The Sith were also able to cut off all contact between Coruscant and the rest of the galaxy. On Alderaan, the Republic delegation was unable to open communications with the Senate, and were therefore unaware of the severity of events. The Jedi and Republic diplomats were instead forced to accept Lord Baras' appraisal of the situation, which asserted that any reluctance to accept the Empire's demands would cause further repercussions on Coruscant.

Occupation
"We can be certain of nothing until contact is reestablished with Coruscant. In the meantime, we have no choice but to accept the Empire's terms."

- Jedi Master Zym to the Republic delegation at the Alderaan Peace Confererence

With the Republic's capital firmly in their grip, the Imperial delegation took command of the Alderaan Peace Conference. Lord Baras introduced the Republic diplomats to the Treaty of Coruscant, an agreement greatly biased towards the Sith that would shape galactic events for decades. Although the Jedi Order's representatives protested, Senator Am-Ris agreed to the terms. The war was ended, but Coruscant was subjected to the rule of the Empire's Dark Council for a short time.

On Coruscant, civilians fled to the lower levels of the city to escape the battle above. After the Sith's victory, the Empire deployed war droids to patrol the lower reaches of the ecumenopolis. These droids were all that was left behind by the Sith when they pulled off Coruscant in accordance with the Treaty. One group of patrol droids located and engaged Din, who had joined with members of the Republic military in order to protect the civilians hiding in the lower levels. Din and Lieutenant Tavus destroyed the droids and returned to the surface for reconnaissance. Having no previous news of the situation on the planet's upper levels, the two were surprised to find the Sith gone, the city in ruins, and the Jedi Temple leveled.

Repercussions
"...never again will I stay my hand when the destruction of the Republic and the Jedi is within my reach.''" "''Never again will that be necessary. I assure you."

- Lords Angral and Baras in the aftermath of the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant

With the Treaty of Coruscant signed and Imperial forces withdrawn from Coruscant, the Republic went about the process of rebuilding. Pursuant to the terms of the treaty, Republic forces were recalled from all battlefronts across the galaxy, and support to long-time allies was rescinded. For many systems, the loss of Republic support meant a quick fall to the Empire's forces, further shrinking the already dwindling Republic. As members of the Jedi Order returned to what was once their Temple, they were met with an outraged Senate that placed blame for the Republic's misfortune on the Order's shoulders. With public opinion against them and the reconstruction of the Jedi Temple delayed indefinitely, the Jedi decided to relocate their headquarters from Coruscant to their ancestral homeworld of Tython.

As hostilities ended and the two major galactic governments attempted to coexist, a Cold War emerged. The Galactic Republic entered into a major economic depression as chaos broke out in the streets of Coruscant during the reconstruction process. Food riots and separatist uprisings swept the planet's lower levels, as the destitute populace was forced to eek out a living in the ruins left by the Imperial invasion. Indeed, much of the planet was left in a state of ruin, although areas of the city that were essential for governance and commerce were reconstructed with high priority. Those that were left to rebuild on their own quickly fell to the control of gangs during the Cold War, leading to the creation of a radical group of vigilantes known as the Justicars.

While the Justicars were known for extremely violent responses to street crime, there were other interests that set out to help the down-trodden in the post-sacking Coruscant Underworld. One such individual was Larin Moxla, a former Republic trooper who busied herself by wandering the areas of the planet that had been hard-hit by the Sith, attempting to root out crime and aid the downtrodden where she could. The Republic government did little to aide individuals affected by the Sith invasion, but did erect a memorial known as the Cenotaph of the Innocents. The Cenotaph was comprised of asaari trees, one for each victim of the Empire's attack on the Jedi Temple. Several years after the battle, the events surrounding the Sacking and the Treaty of Coruscant were chronicled by Jedi Master Gnost-Dural for the Jedi Archives on Tython.

Behind the scenes
The Sacking of Coruscant was first introduced as a major plot element for the upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. The events surrounding the battle were expanded upon in the first installment of the Galactic Timeline, Treaty of Coruscant. The Galactic Timeline is an online feature narrated by Jedi Master Gnost-Dural, whose voice is provided by actor Lance Henriksen.

The Sacking of Coruscant was also expanded upon in the Threat of Peace webcomic, written by Robert Chestney and illustrated by Alex Sanchez. The webcomic series consisted of three different story arcs, all of which explored the battle and its aftermath. It also introduced several characters and locations which will be featured in the game itself.

The first trailer for the game, titled Deceived, was released on June 1, 2009 and depicted the Sith invasion of the Jedi Temple. Deceived main character, Darth Malgus, is set to be featured in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived, which will also explore the Sacking of Coruscant.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived
 * Deceived
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
 * Timeline 1: Treaty of Coruscant
 * Timeline 2: The Mandalorian Blockade is Broken
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Red Harvest

Notes and references
Schlacht um Coruscant (3653 VSY) Saqueo de Coruscant Splądrowanie Coruscant