Yuuzhan Vong War

"We do not live side by side with impurity. Your civilization is built on abominations. Your galaxy is polluted. We have come to cleanse it, so that others besides our warrior caste may occupy it and live cleanly here. It is our destiny, according to Supreme Overlord Shimrra and the priests."

- Warmaster Tsavong Lah to Leia Organa Solo.

The Yuuzhan Vong War (25 ABY–29 ABY), also known as the Great War by the Yuuzhan Vong, was a pan-galactic conflict which arose when the Yuuzhan Vong, a warlike species which had long ago fled the destruction of its own galaxy, invaded the Outer Rim. Although it spanned only four years, the war had been centuries in the making; indeed, Yuuzhan Vong agents, scouts and advance fleets were present throughout the galaxy at least fifty years before the invasion was launched, undetected by all but a few. Emperor Palpatine himself, before his ascension to power at the head of the Galactic Empire, knew of the coming Yuuzhan Vong, and the imminent invasion was a primary motivation for his creation of the Imperial Starfleet and the regime which he installed upon the galaxy, but it's most likely he would have consipired with the Yuuzhan Vong. It was not the Galactic Empire, however, but the fledgling New Republic and a galaxy shaken by a series of crises and civil wars, which met the colossal Yuuzhan Vong armada in 25 ABY. Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya's ill-prepared and inefficient government was unable to prevent the extra-galactic species from driving inexorably toward the Core. Coruscant, the galactic capital, was conquered and remade by the invaders two years after the invasion commenced; by this time, countless species were rendered extinct and entire planets uninhabitable.

Utilizing advanced biotechnology in every field of life, the Yuuzhan Vong were masters of adaptation and subterfuge, as well as brute force and terror tactics. The beliefs that the invasion was divinely ordained and that the galaxy was theirs by right were reinforced by Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane and the priest caste; the conduits to the gods all Yuuzhan Vong worshiped. Thus the species attacked with ferocity, their invasion stalling only once the fleet, under command of Warmaster Tsavong Lah, had overextended itself. A vendetta against Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order, a heretical movement brewing among the lower castes, as well as rumors that their long-destroyed homeworld haunted the Unknown Regions, were only several of the factors which caused the stagnation of the Yuuzhan Vong Empire. After their swift advance, technological parity soon emerged between the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong. Once the New Republic had recovered from the loss of its capital, the Yuuzhan Vong were dealt a disastrous defeat at Ebaq 9.

Wracked with internal tensions as it was, the Yuuzhan Vong Empire was still able to neutralize many of the threats facing it, including the Yevetha and the Ssi-ruuk, before going once more on the offensive. The New Republic, reformed under Alderaanian Chief of State Cal Omas into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, was brought to the brink of defeat, and moved toward the fatal deployment of Alpha Red, a pathogen hostile to the Yuuzhan Vong, in response to a renewed Yuuzhan Vong advance upon its temporary capital at Dac. This dangerous end to the war was averted when Zonama Sekot, a seed of the lost living homeworld of the Yuuzhan Vong, emerged over Coruscant, its arrival precipitating the final battle of the conflict. Skywalker and other leading Jedi, who had located Zonama Sekot and urged its return, defeated Shimrra Jamaane and the true master of the Yuuzhan Vong, Onimi, during the battle, while fleets of warships clashed once more in space. The Yuuzhan Vong War ended with the deaths of the Supreme Overlord and the surrender of Warmaster Nas Choka's armada. The resulting Sekot Accords, which stipulated disarmament and amnesty for the Yuuzhan Vong, proved deeply unpopular for many; both the Yuuzhan Vong, and the aftermath of their devastating war, played a major role in events to come.

Origins
"We are from another galaxy, Jedi Horn. We crossed the starless night for age upon age."

- Yu'shaa

The earliest confirmed contact between members of the galaxy and the forces of the Yuuzhan Vong was retroactively discovered to be the first recorded slivilith encounter, shortly after the Freedon Nadd Uprising of 3,998 BBY. Sliviliths were later discovered to be shaped bio-forms sent by the Praetorite Vong as a form of probe for the pending invasion. There is a slight possibility that, as early as 3,963 BBY, at least one Yuuzhan Vong scout had reached the outskirts of the galaxy. In that year, a group of Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders under Canderous Ordo encountered what would later come to be known as a Yorik-Stronha, disguised as an asteroid in the Crispin system. It fled beyond the edge of the galaxy once discovered. The ship may have been the first ever to enter the galaxy, thus making "first contact" millennia before their known arrival. This is not as implausible as it first seems.

Because the Yuuzhan Vong spent thousands of years in transit from their galaxy, a single warship or worldship that traveled fractionally faster than the rest of the fleet would arrive thousands of years earlier. Furthermore, without a large fleet and yammosk coordination, the mothership probably would have been lost transiting the entrance to the galaxy, leaving behind only a few small fighters.

Between 229 and 89 BBY, the living planet Zonama Sekot&mdash;a seed of Yuuzhan'tar&mdash;arrived in the Gardaji Rift.

In 32 BBY, at the time of the Invasion of Naboo, an advanced force of Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;termed "Far-Outsiders" by the planet's inhabitants&mdash;discovered Zonama. Noting the similarity to Yuuzhan'tar (without drawing the connection), the advanced force attempted to colonize it. However, when the Vong attempted to settle, Zonama Sekot's biosphere killed off the Vong flora and fauna, provoking outrage from them. Although Sekot attempted to negotiate with them, they began an assault upon the planet.



After two years of Sekotan defense, at a high cost, the assault was called off after the arrival of the Jedi Knight Vergere, who demanded the attack cease in return for going with the Vong. Agreeing with the ceasefire, the Vong force departed with the Jedi toward the Unknown Regions. When he learned of Zonama Sekot, Supreme Overlord Quoreal began to waver. The Yuuzhan Vong soon learned that Zonama Sekot was no longer in its original system, and there was no evidence that the planet had been destroyed. Worried about the possibility of once more encountering Zonama Sekot, he developed the opinion that it would be best to move on to another galaxy. However, Shimrra Jamaane, under the influence of Onimi and with the support of some of the more aggressive Domains, launched a coup. Shimrra Jamaane murdered Quoreal and took his place, ensuring that the invasion would go forth as planned.

Information of Vong activity within the galaxy for the next few decades is scarce. In 27 BBY, at the start of the Outbound Flight Project, a Vong scout force fought with the Chiss, led by Ar'alani. Around 25 BBY, three years before the start of the Clone Wars, they established a base on the planet Bimmiel. After the formation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, Imperial scientists ran into the Vong on that planet. As one of Emperor Palpatine's justifications for maintaining the Imperial Starfleet after the end of the Clone Wars was to ward off the threat of extra-galactic invasion, he may have known about the approaching Yuuzhan Vong fleet.

Although it is not known for sure if the upper echelons of the Imperial government knew about the Vong, it is known that at least one officer did. Sometime between being dispatched to the Unknown Regions in 3 ABY, at the time of the Battle of Hoth, and his return in 9 ABY, Grand Admiral Thrawn encountered the advanced Vong force hiding in the Unknown Regions. The threat of the advancing invaders was one of his primary motivations to reunify the Empire, as he felt that the Empire stood a much better chance against the Vong than did the New Republic. Furthermore, Thrawn knew about the Yuuzhan Vong, though not by name, when he was a Commander in the Chiss Defense Force. The Vong attacked a fleet under the command of Admiral Ar'alani, and were driven back, though only after a heated battle.



The Vong of the advanced scouts themselves shared the sentiment that the Empire would be a strong foe. After the formation of the Imperial Interim Council in 11 ABY, following the final death of Palpatine, Vong agent Nom Anor was tasked to infiltrate the Council. He did so and manipulated its leader, Xandel Carivus, arranging the deaths of many Councillors and furthering the internecine strife that led to the fatal fracturing of the Imperial Remnant.

It is roughly around this time that the Vong began meddling in the high politics of the Ssi Ruuvi Imperium. They installed one of their own, E'thinaa, into a high military position, and manipulated the rise to power of the Keeramak with the goal of eventual use of the Ssi-Ruuvi in their invasion.

In 24 ABY, Vong agent Yomin Carr infiltrated the ExGal Society, stationing himself at the ExGal-4 base located along Vector Prime at Belkadan.

Preliminaries


"It is as if the Yuuzhan Vong want to inflict pain and suffering just to see how long it takes for their slaves to break and run. If that is true, this invasion is going to be worse than any war of political or economic gain. Victory for the Yuuzhan Vong demands that every sentient creature live in pain."

- Corran Horn

Preparations for War
On the distant world Rhommamool, the invaders, through Nom Anor, disguised as the leader of the Red Knights of Life, stirred up rebellion between Rhommamool and its neighbor Osarian to distract the New Republic from its more important attacks. The same agent was also responsible for infecting Mara Jade Skywalker and a hundred others with Coomb spores, a fatal Yuuzhan Vong disease.

Once war had been reached between the two worlds, Nom Anor faked his own death. This allowed him to move on, as well as escalating the conflict and diverting the New Republic's attention from the true target.

Breaking Ex-Gal
On Belkadan on the edge of the galaxy, a team of scientists from ExGal-4 were charting the abyss for extra-galactic life. Finally they discovered an asteroid heading for the nearby Helska system. Yuuzhan Vong agent Yomin Carr began killing many of the ExGal-4 workers, save the few that went to Helska 4 to investigate the extragalactic object that had landed there. He also unleashed deadly toxins into the atmosphere, making it virtually uninhabitable, and killing all local wildlife.

The extra-galactic object, a Praetorite Vong worldship commanded by Prefect Da'Gara touched down on the icy and unknown planet Helska 4, where they unloaded a massive, tentacled creature known as a yammosk, or "war coordinator".

Da'Gara's worldship was also noticed by the Dozen-and-Two Avengers, a New Republic starfighter squadron led by Kyp Durron. The Avengers and the ExGal team arrived in the Helska system, only to be ambushed by a group of coralskippers, killing all but Durron, Miko Reglia and Danni Quee. Kyp Durron managed to escape; Reglia, an Avenger, was captured, as was Danni Quee, an ExGal scientist. Reglia was tortured strenuously by the yammosk, but the Yuuzhan Vong spared Quee this, seeing her fit to die an honorable death.

Death of Chewbacca
The Yuuzhan Vong used their yammosk to coordinate an attack on Sernpidal, using the ancient Yo'gand's Core tactic to crash the planet's moon Dobido into the surface. At the same time, Han Solo, along with his son Anakin and the Wookiee Chewbacca, had been on a delivery run for Lando Calrissian to the planet. Seeing the devastation being wrought by the moon, Anakin accompanied Sernpidal City's mayor to find the source of the problem.



They discovered that the Yuuzhan Vong had planted a gravity-manipulating dovin basal east of Sernpidal City to draw its smallest moon toward the planet. The mayor sacrificed himself to kill the creature but this was too late to stop the moon from plummeting from the sky.

Han, Chewbacca and Anakin managed to save many civilians, but while rescuing a small child, Anakin was knocked from the ship by some debris. Chewbacca rescued him and hauled him back into the ship before he was separated from the others. Anakin made the decision to fly away in order to save the others as the moon crashed down, killing Chewbacca.

Striking Back
As the Millennium Falcon fled Sernpidal, it was followed by Yuuzhan Vong forces to Dubrillion, the establishment of Lando Calrissian. The Yuuzhan Vong quickly and fiercely attacked Dubrillion, though they were narrowly defeated.

Leia Organa Solo, unable to fully convince Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya of the threat the Yuuzhan Vong posed, was only able to amass one Star Destroyer, the Rejuvenator, for an attack on Helska 4. The Republic went forward and attacked the Helska system, and though Danni Quee was rescued by Jacen Solo during the fighting, the Rejuvenator was destroyed, and Miko Reglia was killed. What few ships the Republic had left retreated and regrouped.

They eventually returned with a fleet of shieldships, using them to accelerate Helska 4's natural evaporation, freezing the entire planet and killing the yammosk. The planet also exploded under the pressure, naturally killing all Yuuzhan Vong still on it. It was with this battle that the war properly began, though the Yuuzhan Vong would not act for the next two months, using the time to amass their fleet further.

Early invasion
"I am Yomin Carr, the harbinger of doom. I am the beginning of the end of your people!"

- Yomin Carr

The Next Assault


The Yuuzhan Vong then began attacking worlds in their path with much ease. They sent a scout group to Bimmiel, where the remains of the renowned warrior Mongei Shai lay. However, scientists had landed on the planet and had already taken Mongei's bones for examination.

The Yuuzhan Vong then turned on the scientists but were stopped by Jedi Corran Horn and Ganner Rhysode. Horn killed the two Vong which earned him the hatred of the Yuuzhan Vong commander Shedao Shai.

The Battle for Dantooine
The Yuuzhan Vong had conquered Dubrillion and Destrillion before moving onto Dantooine, where refugees from Dubrillion that had been evacuated by Lando Calrissian were being housed. Thus, the Battle of Dantooine was a horrible massacre.

During the battle, the Yuuzhan Vong first unleashed legions of reptoid Chazrach slave soldiers and beetle-like Thrall herders, creatures from their galaxy. Among those on the New Republic side were Anakin Solo and his older brother, Jacen. The two brothers would discover that these Chazrach were entirely mindless and were merely the Yuuzhan Vong's equivalent to battle droids. They slaughtered dozens of Chazrach and Luke Skywalker also destroyed a thrall herder, causing much of the enemy force to scatter and allowing the refugees to escape Dantooine before the enemy took it.

Revelation on Garqi
Following Dantooine, a team of Jedi led by Corran Horn and Jacen Solo traveled to the occupied planet of Garqi. There they were attacked and surrounded by Yuuzhan Vong led by the warrior Krag Val.

During their last defense, the Jedi retreated to the Baffor trees. As the Yuuzhan Vong approached, the pollen from the trees caused an allergic reaction in their armor which caused it to suffocate them. With the planet fallen, the Jedi fled to Ithor, where the only other known location of the Baffor trees were.

The Devastation of Ithor
This was followed by the Battle of Ithor. During the battle, the extragalactic invaders attacked the beautiful, untouched jungle world of Ithor and the floating city of Tafanda Bay until Jedi Knight Corran Horn offered to duel the Yuuzhan Vong leader Shedao Shai in single combat. If Corran defeated Shedao, the Yuuzhan Vong would withdraw from the planet; however, if Corran lost, Shai would get back the body of his ancestor Mongei Shai and the Yuuzhan Vong would have Ithor. As part of the deal, a week-long peace accord was agreed to, which allowed the Republic to evacuate as many people as they could.

The duel took place as agreed and Corran fought Shai in a fierce duel on the planet's surface. Though Corran bested his rival, Shai's second-in-command Deign Lian answered to a higher authority, Tsavong Lah. The latter ordered Lian to unleash a biological weapon from the Kor Chokk flagship Legacy of Torment which reduced all life on the planet to little more than black swamps of acidic ash. The Legacy was later destroyed when it crashed into Ithor, causing more carnage and contributing much to the Anti-Jediism of the galactic public. Many people came to revile the Jedi, blaming them for the invasion.

Formation of the Peace Brigade
The Yuuzhan Vong eventually struck a deal with the Hutts that allowed them to pass through Hutt Space unharmed. The Peace Brigade, an organization of galactic beings that supported Yuuzhan Vong operations, was formed through Yuuzhan Vong agents. This organization also helped the Yuuzhan Vong capture Jedi.

Elan's Plot
After Ithor, the Republic suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Obroa-skai. This shocked the government into action, but it was too late; Yuuzhan Vong forces were moving en masse into the galaxy.

The next move by the Yuuzhan Vong was to use the priestess Elan to assassinate the Jedi, whom the Yuuzhan Vong saw as their most dangerous adversary. To do this, Elan pretended to be a defector and left with her servant, the former Jedi Knight Vergere, for Republic space.

However, Han Solo, still reeling from the death of Chewbacca, was on a mission to stop Peace Brigade mercenary Reck Desh. Han Solo became embroiled with Elan at Ord Mantell when Desh captured her, believing that the Yuuzhan Vong wanted her returned.

Han rescued Elan and Vergere, but Elan had used her poison to kill Desh and his men. Onboard the Millennium Falcon, Elan attempted to kill Han, but the poisons only ended up killing her instead. Vergere fled, but not before giving Han her tears, which were used to stop the effect of the coomb spores that were killing Mara Jade.

The Debacle of Fondor
After the Yuuzhan Vong had allied with the Hutts, the Republic was able to predict where the Yuuzhan Vong would strike next as the Hutts shifted their resources away from a strike area. This allowed the Republic to foresee the attack on Tynna.

However the Yuuzhan Vong, now led by Nas Choka, used this to their advantage. As the Republic laid a trap for the Yuuzhan Vong in the Corellian system, planning to use Centerpoint Station to decimate the enemy fleet, the Yuuzhan Vong instead attacked the shipyards at Fondor. The assault turned into a full-scale battle when a Hapan fleet arrived to engage the Yuuzhan Vong forces. During the Battle of Fondor, Anakin pondered whether or not to use Centerpoint Station against the Yuuzhan Vong. However, the infamous Thrackan Sal-Solo, Han Solo's cousin, made the decision for him and fired the weapon himself, destroying the Yuuzhan Vong fleet and devastating much of the allied Hapan fleet in the process.

The Invasion Progresses
Following the Battle of Fondor, the Yuuzhan Vong began their push toward the Core; Kalarba, Druckenwell, Rodia and Falleen all fell. The Yuuzhan Vong broke off their alliance with the Hutts and invaded Hutt Space, Vongforming Nal Hutta and Nar Shadda.

Soon arose the problem of the growing number of refugees from conquered worlds, something the Republic could not ignore. Thus, the Senate Select Committee for Refugees, or SELCORE, was formed to administer caring and settlement for refugees of planets conquered by the invaders. SELCORE selected Duro as its ideal haven and began terraforming the planet to house the refugees.

However, its operations were sabotaged by Nom Anor under the guise of a Duro scientist named Dr. Dassid Cree'Ar. Soon, the planet was attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong. During the battle, Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster Tsavong Lah tortured Leia Organa Solo before he was defeated and wounded by Jacen Solo. Despite the efforts of the New Republic, Duro fell and was terraformed in the Yuuzhan Vong image.

Deadly balance
"It is the price of peace&hellip;Weighed against what the Yuuzhan Vong could do to every inhabited world in the galaxy, a handful of Jedi isn't much to ask. You brought this disaster on upon us. You must pay the price."

- Kot Murno

Assault on the Jedi Praxeum
As a part of Tsavong Lah's new campaign to rid the galaxy of the Jedi, the Peace Brigade and a small Yuuzhan Vong force invaded Yavin 4, intent on reshaping the academy students into Force-wielding Yuuzhan Vong. Without permission, Anakin Solo set off on his own to rescue the students, arriving as the attack commenced.

Master Ikrit was killed as the students were forced to flee and Anakin's childhood friend Tahiri Veila was captured and subjected to the Shaper caste's experiments. Anakin joined forces with Vua Rapuung, a Yuuzhan Vong Shamed One, to rescue Veila, Rapuung to redeem himself by confronting the Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad who had intentionally shamed him in order to conceal her heretical beliefs.

The pair found the already partially-altered Tahiri and exposed Mezhan Kwaad, who was placed under arrest for heresy. Kwaad killed her guards and attempted to escape, but was cut down by Tahiri. Rapuung, his honor restored, was mortally wounded while helping the two Jedi escape Yavin 4. A new heretical movement that would spread among the Shamed Ones and Worker caste, Jeedai heresy, was born as a result of his sacrifice.

Fight for the Core
The cease-fire between the Yuuzhan Vong and New Republic ended abruptly with the Vong attack on Yag Dhul. Anakin Solo, Tahiri Veila, and Corran Horn were present for the attack.

The Yuuzhan Vong intercepted a commercial liner on which two Jedi, the Rar sisters, were hiding. To track down the Jedi, the Yuuzhan Vong unleashed their newest weapon; a voxyn, shaped from the Yuuzhan Vong's own fero xyn and vornskyrs from Myrkr. The voxyn killed Alema Rar's sister as the Jedi escape. Voxyn were smuggled onto a number of worlds deep in New Republic space, including Corellia, where one slew Jedi Master Eelysa. Leia and Han Solo managed to stop an attempt at smuggling voxyn onto Coruscant.

A Jedi strike team led by Anakin Solo, and consisting of Jacen and Jaina Solo, Lowbacca, Tenel Ka, and Zekk, among others, went to Myrkr and destroyed the voxyn breeding facility, though most of the team was slain. Anakin himself died while covering the retreat of the remaining Jedi, his body overwhelmed with Force energy as he achieved oneness with the Force. Jacen Solo was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong after he successfully killed the voxyn queen.

Fall of Coruscant
Finally, after attacks on worlds like Yag'Dhul, the Yuuzhan Vong were ready to attack the Galactic capital of Coruscant. After a preliminary assault on Reecee, the Yuuzhan Vong were ready to make their move. They emerged above Coruscant, with the defensive minefields doing little damage. The attackers used refugee ships to bombard the planetary shield until it collapsed, then attacked the planet's surface.

The Republic commanders struggled against the onslaught, unwilling to fire on the refugee ships. Eventually Garm Bel Iblis did so, causing conflict with the other commanders and weakening Coruscant's defense.

The treacherous Senator Viqi Shesh attempted to kidnap Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker's baby Ben. However, this was foiled by Leia and her Noghri bodyguards, and Shesh was wounded in the process.

Han and Leia then attempted to save Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya but he dispatched them to rescue Luke and Mara instead. Fey'lya then confronted Tsavong Lah's subordinate Commander Romm Zqar, detonating a bomb that killed himself, twenty-five thousand Yuuzhan Vong warriors, and destroyed much of the Imperial Palace.

The Yuuzhan Vong captured Coruscant after a long battle and Republic forces scattered across the galaxy. The Yuuzhan Vong began Vongforming the planet and renamed it Yuuzhan'tar, after their old home world.

Crisis
"The end of the world. Who'd've thought we'd live to see it?"

- Han Solo

Assault on Hapes
With the capture of Coruscant, the New Republic was thrown into disarray. In the aftermath of Coruscant's fall, the Myrkr Jedi team fled to Tenel Ka's homeworld of Hapes. Jaina Solo was reunited with her friend Jagged Fel and the group became embroiled in Ta'a Chume's plot to replace the current Queen Mother Teneniel Djo with Jaina Solo.

At the same time, an invasion force led by Tsavong Lah's son Khalee Lah invaded the Hapes Consortium. Although Chume succeeded in assassinating the Queen Mother, Tenel Ka took command and led the Hapes forces to victory. Khalee Lah was killed in the battle, and Chume was arrested.

Defense at Borleias
After the fall of Coruscant, Republic forces retook Borleias and the New Republic Advisory Council fled there. A small force under Wedge Antilles was tasked with defending the planet.

They repelled two Yuuzhan Vong assault fleets, one led by Wyrpuuk Cha and another by Czulkang Lah, father to the Yuuzhan Vong warmaster.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker led a mission to Coruscant where a team of Jedi confronted and killed the dark Jedi Lord Nyax. During the mission, the traitorous Senator Viqi Shesh committed suicide when confronted by her enemies.

Edge of Victory
Planets that were not conquered outright often capitulated, or collapsed internally due to the efforts of collaborators. At this time, the Vong controlled most of the Core, the Inner Rim, and the galactic eastern area of the Mid and Outer Rims.

The New Republic was reduced to a wedge of the southwest Outer Rim, a small pocket connecting Kashyyyk and Mon Calamari, the Deep Core, and other minor areas. With its numbers shrinking from the past years of war, the New Republic now was being faced with unified forces as their enemies conquered more and more planets.

However, the Yuuzhan Vong also began to experience internal difficulties, as the stress of gaining an Empire so large and so quickly, as well as reduced military strength, began to take its toll.

The Testing of Jacen Solo
Throughout this conflict, many believed that Jacen Solo, who was captured at Myrkr, was dead. Jacen's mother, Leia Organa Solo, did not believe this and felt that Jacen was still alive somewhere, though many, such as Jacen's sister, Jaina, insisted to Leia that Jacen was dead. It was soon revealed that Jacen was alive but was being held on Coruscant by the former Jedi Vergere.

Vergere taught Jacen of different aspects of the Force, which he used to gain control of the future World Brain. However, she also tortured him, putting him through the Embrace of Pain. Finally, the Yuuzhan Vong were convinced that Jacen had been turned to their side.

This was a ruse, and when Jacen was ordered to kill Jedi prisoner Ganner Rhysode, he disobeyed and instead helped Ganner to escape. Ganner sacrificed himself to protect the altered World Brain and Jacen and Vergere escaped back to Republic space.

Counterattack
"Do not assume I am a fool! You have won your victories by sending your troops over a rampart of our own dead!"

- Shimrra Jamaane

A New Chief of State
The terraforming of Coruscant had been sabotaged by Jacen Solo when he escaped the planet with Vergere. The New Republic high command moved to Mon Calamari, although the self-elected Chief of State Pwoe remained on Kuat. Pwoe's defeatist policies cost him much of his support and a new election was held. Unlike previous elections, there was no clear winner and the four main candidates Cal Omas, Fyor Rodan, Cola Quis and Ta'laam Ranth prepared for the recount. Luke and the Jedi feared what would happen if the vehement anti-Jedi candidate Rodan was elected and favored Omas, who had been one of his greatest supporters under Fey'lya's government.

Attempting to break the impass, Omas offered Quis a seat on the Commerce Council in return for his support but this was still not enough to win the election. The arrival of the Smuggler's Alliance changed the election considerably as their leaders Lando Calrissian and Talon Kaarde decided to help Omas out and they made donations to some of Rodan's more questionable supporters. In the second vote, Omas and Rodan were level, leaving Ranth with the choice of who would be elected. Supreme Overlord Shimrra, fearing that Omas's election would ruin his plans for a quick victory, ordered that he should be assassinated.

The smugglers then made their move, persuading the Senators they had bribed to throw their support behind Omas and Ranth was convinced to back Omas for a seat on the Justice Council. It was then that the Yuuzhan Vong launched an attempt to kill Omas and his chief supporter Triebakk but they were stopped by Mara Jade Skywalker. Omas won with a resounding victory and established the High Council and reorganized the New Republic to continue the war against the Yuuzhan Vong.

Taking the offensive
All was not going as well as hoped, following a period of mourning the Bothans declared a state of ar'krai genocide against the Yuuzhan Vong in retaliation for the death of Borsk Fey'lya. The Defense Force then prepared to attack the weary Yuuzhan Vong. Admiral Ackbar, though retired and advanced in age, began advising the reforming Defense Force and its commanders on the best ways to take the fight to the Yuuzhan Vong. Fleets were reorganized and new units were trained and equipped. The former Supreme Commander invigorated the beings in the New Republic military, giving them back their pride and confidence.

The Alliance forces launched an attack on the Yuuzhan Vong, attacking Duro, Wayland, Bimmisaari, Gyndine and Nal Hutta, delivering numerous defeats to the Yuuzhan Vong. In a strategic assault on Ylesia, the Alliance managed to destroy the Peace Brigade and capture their leaders Thrackan Sal-Solo and Pwoe.

Alpha Red Project
As the war progressed toward a major clash between the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong, a new weapon was revealed that sent terror into Luke and his Jedi. It was revealed that Dif Scaur, the Director of New Republic Intelligence had got Lurrian and Chiss scientists to develop the Alpha Red virus from the bafforr pollen that was discovered by the Jedi on Garqi.

The Jedi were horrified by this but despite their warnings, Omas was persuaded to use the weapon in an attempt to win the war. However, before the weapon could be used, Vergere sabotaged it, delaying it for many months. The Republic was forced to resort to Ackbar's strategy and Cal Omas promised Luke that Alpha Red would only be used as a last resort.

Battle of Ebaq Nine
After determining their weaknesses, Ackbar developed a trap for the Yuuzhan Vong by convincing them that Cal Omas and several Jedi were on the secluded moon of Ebaq 9 in the Deep Core. Warmaster Tsavong Lah, already at odds with Shimrra over the numerous losses his forces had sustained during the war, was driven to attack Ebaq 9 instead of going after Centerpoint Station as he had planned. Taking a large portion of the fleet to the Deep Core, Lah launched his attack on the planet's defenses.

Ackbar's plan went into action and a bit at a time the Republic fleet emerged and engaged Lah's fleet. Too late the Warmaster realized he had been tricked and he led an invasion of the moon personally as his fleet was decimated. However, Vergere arrived and crashed her fighter through the base's protective shield and the Yuuzhan Vong force was wiped out when the air rushed out but Vergere was also killed.

However, Lah had survived and he stormed through the base in the hope of killing the few Jedi that remained in the base. He found Jaina Solo, Lowbacca and Tesar Sebatyne surveying the remains of the Vong force and he launched a desperate attack to regain his honor. He incapacitated Tesar and badly wounded Lowbacca before engaging in a vicious duel with Jaina Solo. However, the woman who would become the Sword of the Jedi was too good for him and stabbed Lah through the neck, killing him. With Lah's death, the Yuuzhan Vong had suffered its worse defeat since the invasion had begun.

Following the victory at Ebaq 9, the New Republic was reorganized as the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, also called the Galactic Alliance. Incorporating a new federal system, the new Galactic Alliance focused itself to defeating the Vong threat and restoring peace to the galaxy.

Invasion of the Imperial Remnant
Following the victory at Ebaq 9, Luke led a team of Jedi to search for Zonama Sekot, a mysterious planet that Vergere claimed held the solution to the Yuuzhan Vong problem. They first travelled to the Imperial Remnant in the hopes of persuading it to join with the new Galactic Alliance as Pellaeon had already refused Leia's offer of an alliance earlier in the war and still had some misgivings about the Bastion Accords.

They found that the Remnant was already reeling from a vicious Vong attack at Bastion and Pellaeon was believed to be dead. To make matters worse, the Alliance's most vocal opponent in the Remnant, Kurlen Flennic, was already making his move for power in Pellaeon's absence. However, Pellaeon had survived the battle and commanded the counter-attack at the Battle of Borosk, which devastated the Vong fleet led by B'Shith Vorrik.

However, Vorrik outmaneuvered Pellaeon's fleet and attacked Flennic's fleet at Yaga Minor. Flennic, unknowingly with the help of the Dark Lady Lumiya, held the Vong off long enough for Pellaeon's force to arrive, forcing Vorrik to withdraw to the Core. Afterward, Pellaeon persuaded the Remnant to ally with the Alliance, breaking Flennic's position in the process. As Luke and his team headed toward Chiss Space, Pellaeon granted them Captain Arien Yage and the Widowmaker to help them on their way.

Rallying the Galaxy
Also, Han, Leia, and Twin Suns Squadron headed out to find powerful allies to help in the war. Meanwhile, the Yuuzhan Vong Nom Anor disguised himself as the prophet Yu'Shaa and began stirring up the Jeedai heresy on Yuuzhan'tar (formerly Coruscant). He did so by posing as a Shamed One after fleeing the wrath of Supreme Overlord Shimrra for suggesting the disastrous Ebaq 9 mission.

Luke's team headed into Chiss space to obtain information on the Unknown Regions and, hopefully, Zonama Sekot. Meanwhile, Han and Leia's team headed to Bakura, where they thwarted a new Ssi-Ruuk invasion. The Jedi searched the Chiss libraries for the missing planet. Later, the Jedi located Zonama Sekot, but so did the Yuuzhan Vong. Sekot drove off the Vong attackers as the Jedi landed on its surface. Meanwhile, Han and Leia attempted to bring a communication station in the Unknown Regions back online while the Jedi negotiated with the living world to help them in the war.

Galactic victory
"The war is ended."

- Warmaster Nas Choka

However, Yuuzhan Vong operatives stole one of Zonama Sekot's organic starships. Furthermore, the Shaper Nen Yim discovered that Sekotan technology was extremely similar to Yuuzhan Vong technology and that her people had gone terribly astray. Nom Anor disguised himself as Yu'Shaa and arrived on Zonama Sekot along with Nen Yim and the priest Harrar where they discovered that many of the species from their galaxy could be found on the planet. A plot by Nom Anor to destroy the living world was luckily foiled. Han and Leia also managed to rescue hundreds of high-ranking Alliance prisoners facing sacrifice to the enemy's gods. The Galactic Alliance prepared a fleet to defend Mon Calamari from the invaders while another Alliance fleet engaged the Yuuzhan Vong at Coruscant. In the end, Supreme Overlord Shimrra was killed by Luke Skywalker and the Yuuzhan Vong were defeated. Warmaster Nas Choka ordered the Yuuzhan Vong to surrender, and they were placed under Zonama Sekot's jurisdiction.

Aftermath
Zonama Sekot revealed itself to be the seed of the long-dead original Yuuzhan Vong homeworld. One of the terms of surrender the Galactic Alliance placed before the Yuuzhan Vong was that they were to help rebuild Coruscant. The Galactic Alliance moved its temporary capital to Denon, but would revert it back to Coruscant after the rebuilding was complete.

After the cease-fire, the remaining Yuuzhan Vong were recalled from across the galaxy to Zonama. Zonama, with its Yuuzhan Vong, disappeared back into the Unknown Regions where its new inhabitants could live in peace and renew their relationship with Sekot. They planned to abolish their caste system and eliminated the posts of Warmaster and Supreme Overlord, although Choka seemed to remain their de facto leader. A few dozen shapers remained behind on Coruscant to assist in the rebuilding, but some scattered Yuuzhan Vong forces in outlying portions of the galaxy refused Choka's call to surrender, continuing to fight for at least several more months.

Many Bothans, however, were unforgiving for the death of Fey'lya, and refused to end their state of ar'krai genocide against the Yuuzhan Vong, sending ships into the Unknown Regions to hunt for Zonama. By 36 ABY, however, their primary efforts had been foiled by the Alliance, which had impounded the ships detailed for the expedition.

Major events

 * 25 ABY&mdash;First Battle of Helska; the invasion began with the establishment of a base on Helska 4.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;Mission to Sernpidal; the Yuuzhan Vong caused Sernpidal's moon to crash on the planet killing millions, including Chewbacca.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;Second Battle of Helska; the Praetorite Vong outpost on Helska was destroyed.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;Battle of Artorias; Prince Finn Galfridian's father was killed, his mother and sister were captured, and his planet was devastated.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;Battle of Dantooine; refugees from Dubrillion and a small New Republic force were pursued to Dantooine by the Yuuzhan Vong, and were rescued by Admiral Kre'fey. The New Republic declared war on the Yuuzhan Vong.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;Battle of Ithor; Ithor was devastated by Legacy of Torment and rendered uninhabitable. Imperial Remnant withdraws from the war.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;First Battle of Gyndine; the Yuuzhan Vong invaded this refugee planet soon after the start of the war.
 * 25 ABY&mdash;Battle of Fondor; Hapans withdrew from the war effort after Centerpoint Station destroyed a large portion of their fleet.
 * 26 ABY&mdash;Battle of Kalarba; destruction of Kalarba, Indoboc, and Hosk Station by the Yo'gand's Core tactic.
 * 26 ABY&mdash;Battle of Duro; Nom Anor sabotaged terraforming of Duro. Tsavong Lah called for the heads of the Jedi, and declared a temporary "peace" with the New Republic in exchange for Jedi.
 * 26 ABY&mdash;Battle of the Jedi Praxeum; the New Jedi Order was driven off Yavin 4. The Jeedai heresy began to form.
 * 26 ABY&mdash;Battle of Yag'Dhul; cease fire ended when Borsk Fey'lya sided with the Jedi.
 * 27 ABY&mdash;Mission to Myrkr; destruction of voxyn cloning facility by Jedi strike force, deaths of Anakin Solo as well as other members of the team, and Jacen Solo is captured.
 * 27 ABY&mdash;Fall of Coruscant; conquest of Coruscant by Yuuzhan Vong, deaths of Borsk Fey'lya and millions of refugees.
 * 27 ABY&mdash;Battle of Hapes; Hapans re-entered the war with the aid of Tenel Ka and Jaina Solo.
 * 27 ABY&mdash;Battle of Borleias; Czulkang Lah was killed in battle, Lusankya sacrificed.
 * 28 ABY&mdash;Second Battle of Ylesia; the New Republic launched a raid on the Peace Brigade headquarters on Ylesia.
 * 28 ABY&mdash;Battle of Ebaq 9; deaths of Tsavong Lah and Vergere.
 * 28 ABY&mdash;Battle of Bastion; invasion of Imperial Space. Imperial Remnant re-entered the war.
 * 28 ABY&mdash;Battle of Esfandia; B'shith Vorrik's fleet was routed by the Imperial Remnant.
 * 29 ABY&mdash;Battle of Mandalore; Mandalorian Protectors entered the war under the leadership of Mandalore Boba Fett.
 * 29 ABY&mdash;Battle of Bilbringi; part of Operation Trinity that saw the liberation of Bilbringi fail with the loss of the holonet.
 * 29 ABY&mdash;Battle of Mon Calamari; a battle prior to the liberation of Coruscant intended to draw enemy forces from the capital.
 * 29 ABY&mdash;Fourth Battle of Gyndine; Mandalorian Protectors under Boba Fett liberated Gyndine from the Yuuzhan Vong.
 * 29 ABY&mdash;Battle of Corulag; provided the Galactic Alliance with control of a key hyperspace route to Coruscant.
 * 29 ABY&mdash;Liberation of Coruscant, deaths of Shimrra, Onimi, and Nom Anor, liberation of Coruscant by the Galactic Alliance.

Imperial Remnant

 * Gilad Pellaeon
 * Kurlen Flennic
 * Ephin Saretti

Behind the scenes
It would seem that the Yuuzhan Vong War was originally intended to span five years, from 25 to 30 ABY, if the timelines presented in each of the novels is to be believed. However, it has since been retconned that the war takes place across only four years, from 25 to 29 ABY, with each hardcover taking place at the beginning of the calendar year. As such, The Unifying Force takes place at the beginning of 29 ABY, though many sources still reference it as taking place in 30 ABY. For example, the Legacy comics begin in 130 ABY, and are intended to take place 100 years after the end of the war. Similarly, the prologue of Bloodlines, which takes place in 40 ABY, states that ten years have passed since the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War. It is unknown whether these authors are aware that The Unifying Force takes place in 29 ABY, not 30, or if they are simply rounding up a year.

However, some recent Expanded Universe works support the correct 25 - 29 ABY timeline. In Exile, which takes place in late 40 ABY, Ben Skywalker turns 14. This places Edge of Victory II: Rebirth in late 26 ABY, which would presumably place Star by Star at the beginning of 27 ABY, thus supporting Leland Chee's statement that each NJO hardcover takes place at the beginning of the calendar year.

Interestingly enough, recent novel timelines place The New Jedi Order book series at simply 25 ABY, rather than 25 - 30 ABY.

It is difficult to reach a conclusion as to where in the timeline NJO novels were originally intended to be, as internal dating is very inconsistent. As The Last Command, which features the birth of Jacen and Jaina Solo, takes place midway through 9 ABY, Jacen and Jaina would turn 16 midway through 25 ABY. However, they are said to be 17 as early as the Dark Tide Duology, which takes place early in 25 ABY - they should actually only be 15 at this point. They are also said to be 19 in Star by Star. With Star by Star taking place at the beginning of 27 ABY, they should in fact only be 17 at this point, turning 18 later in the year.

Notes and references
Yuuzhan-Vong-Krieg Guerra Yuuzhan Vong Guerra degli Yuuzhan Vong Wojna z Yuuzhan Vongami Guerra Yuuzhan Vong Yuuzhan vongien sota