Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/November 3, 2009

The First Battle of Ruusan occurred in 1,002 BBY as one of the final battles of the New Sith Wars and the first engagement of the last campaign of the war. The battle commenced in orbit over the planet Ruusan, which the Galactic Republic used as a base to launch raids on the Sith-occupied planet Kashyyyk. However, when the Sith dropped out of hyperspace with a much smaller fleet of warships than that of the Republic, the latter was caught at unawares by the former, and the Sith attack began.

Kaan, Dark Lord of the Sith and de facto leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness, commanded the battle from his flagship, Nightfall, using the ancient art of Sith battle meditation. The initial sortie was devastating, delivering heavy casualties to the Republic's ranks. Tides turned, however, when a female Cerean Jedi Master, who was supporting the Republic fleet, employed her own battle meditation; this time it was the Sith who were confounded. However, when victory seemed to be sure for the Republic, the Sith Lord Kopecz infiltrated the capital ship where the Jedi Master was stationed. He killed her two padawans, and then the Master herself. The resulting loss of the Jedi advantage wrenched any chance of victory from the Republic's grasp, and their remaining forces were then annihilated by the Sith fleet.