Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/September 28, 2010

The Blockade of the Hydian Way was an offensive action against the Galactic Republic by the Mandalorian warrior clans in the final decade of the Great Galactic War. The blockade was orchestrated by the Sith Empire, which had spent years investing in the resurrection of the then-disbanded Mandalorian clans. The Empire's efforts culminated with the rise of a new Mandalore, who was little more than a puppet for the Sith government. Disaffected Mandalorians from across the galaxy rallied to the man regardless and acquiesced to Imperial demands for support in their decades-long war against the Republic. In 3,661 BBY, Mandalorian cruisers seized control of the Hydian Way, a vital trade and supply route used by the Republic for military and civilian purposes alike.

The blockade choked commerce in the Republic's private sector and prevented military wares from reaching battlefields along the Hydian Way. The Core Worlds were thrown into an economic crisis, and the Galactic Senate was deadlocked on a proper course of action. The Jedi Order eventually consented to give aid; however, their attempt at breaking the blockade resulted in a resounding failure. The blockade continued for sometime afterward until the Mirialan smuggler Hylo Visz recognized it as an opportunity for profit. Together with a band of her fellow smugglers, Visz ambushed the Mandalorian cruisers with a fleet of smuggling vessels that was soon joined by Republic reinforcements. The blockade was ultimately broken in the engagement, and Hylo Visz was able to bring her goods to Coruscant, where she was greeted as a hero. Despite the victory, the Republic was irreparably inundated following the blockade and continued to suffer heavy losses throughout the war as a result.