Pius Dea Crusades

"These gave as good as they got, and 'cold' and 'hot' wars alternated for a thousand years&mdash;while the Republic flagellated itself with inquisitions&mdash;until Pius Dea rule met its end in that famous encounter which hardly needs retelling here."

- Gabrel Treon, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji: A Cartel of Genes

The Pius Dea crusades were a series of conflicts from 12,000 BBY to 11,000 BBY. The Pius Dea were a prominent religious sect with humanocentric and militaristic tendencies that emerged in the centuries prior to 12,000 BBY. They installed one of their own&mdash;Contispex&mdash;as Supreme Chancellor, gaining effective control of the Republic government and military. Having neutralized the unpopular Hutts, the sect unleashed a series of military crusades and inquisitions against rival alien sects over the following centuries. This brought about a protracted series of alternating hot and cold wars which contributed to interspecies tensions between the human-dominated Core Worlds and the alien Outer Rim Territories. In 11,000 BBY, the Pius Dea lost control of the Republic following a "famous encounter" but the repercussions of the crusades would have far reaching consequences in subsequent millennia.

History
Initiated by the Pius Dea cult when Contispex was elected Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, the Pius Dea sanctioned several "crusades" against rival alien sects around 12,000 BBY. As Contispex's successors were all members of the Cult, the crusades had the resources available to the Republic Navy and Army. The role of the Jedi Order in these events is unknown.

Tapping into the unpopularity of the Hutts among many citizens of the Republic, Contispex sanctioned an invasion of Hutt Space. However, Contispex and his successors soon turned their attention to other alien species and sects within the Outer Rim. For a thousand years leading up to 11,000 BBY, the Republic was embroiled in crusades against different alien factions, who fought back, leaving the galaxy in a permanent state of "hot" and "cold" wars.

These crusades, embarked upon in Contispex's name, were very violent, and marked a devastating period in galactic history. During this period, several military outposts known as Ordnance/Regional Depots were established to ostensibly protect human settlers from hostile alien threats. This further deepened interspecies tensions with the anti-alien nature of the crusades forcing an exodus into Hutt Space and turning the Rimward Slice into a militarized zone dominated by war profiteers.

The crusades ended after a famous encounter which ended Pius Dea rule possibly violently. The tensions from the fallout of the crusades would deepen the rifts between the Core Worlds and those of the Outer Rim, which Palpatine would come to exploit during his reign as Supreme Chancellor and Galactic Emperor thousands of years later.

Timeline of the Pius Dea Crusades

 * 12,000 BBY
 * Supreme Chancellor Pers'lya is impeached by the Pius Dea sect and replaced by Pius Dea favourite Contispex.
 * Contispex sanctions a military invasion of Hutt Space, beginning the Pius Dea Crusades.
 * The Ithorians make contact with Republic space.
 * Ord Mantell is colonized by Corellian colonists as an advanced military outpost for the Republic.


 * 11,660 BBY
 * Republic forces orbitally bombard Zarracina III, turning its surface into an irradiated wasteland and forcing the native Zarracines into a nomadic existence.


 * 11,000 BBY
 * Pius Dea rule over the Republic is ended during a famous encounter.
 * End of the Pius Dea crusades.
 * Development of the Republic rocket-jumpers.