Cold War

"This whole affair is endemic of the current crisis. The Sith are on the rise. We are on the wane. The Mandalorians and the Hutts stand between us, creating confusion and jostling for advantage. Our options are limited. If we do nothing, millions of people die. If we fight back, we engage with them at their level."

- Jedi Padawan Shigar Konshi

The Cold War was an intense, eleven-year standoff between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic after 3653 BBY. The Treaty of Coruscant ended the Great Galactic War, sealing the Sith Empire's victory. Peace was gained, but tensions between the Empire and the Republic remained high. In the ten years after the war, fear and uncertainty gripped the galaxy. Border skirmishes and proxy wars between the Empire and Republic erupted, and the uneasy truce between the two foes appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

History
"Thus began the unprecedented stalemate. The Jedi reconnecting with their roots, the Republic nursing its wounds, the Sith consolidating their power in a galaxy divided between darkness and light."

- Jedi Master Gnost-Dural

The terms of the punitive Treaty of Coruscant called for an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of all Republic and Jedi forces from battlefields across the galaxy. As the Treaty went into effect, worlds once allied with the Republic were left defenseless, and were quickly absorbed by the Empire. Coruscant was also placed under the rule of the Sith Empire for a short time.

As the Jedi returned to their ruined temple on Coruscant, they were met by anger on the part of the Senate, who placed blame for the war at the feet of the Jedi Order. The Jedi&mdash;unable to stay on Coruscant, where public opinion had turned against them&mdash;relocated to the world of their origin, Tython. Although his Empire was stronger than ever, the Sith Emperor no longer seemed to desire total conquest. He handed over control of the Empire to the Dark Council, a body of twelve Sith Lords who would oversee the day-to-day affairs of state. The Dark Lord went on to pursue his own mysterious goals as the Sith consolidated their power.

Border skirmishes and proxy wars between the Empire and Republic erupted, and the uneasy truce between the two foes appeared to be on the verge of collapse. The conflict included small battles in the Outer Rim and other conflicts fought by proxy. One such conflict was the Civil War on Ord Mantell between the corrupt planetary government that remained loyal to the Republic and a guerrilla force of separatists wishing to secede.

Although the situation could easily have erupted into another galactic conflict, neither side was ready to wage a full-scale war. During the Cold War, Kel Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural made a record of the events surrounding the treaty at the behest of the Jedi Council on Tython.

New heroes emerge
During the Cold War, both the Republic and Empire gained four new, powerful heroes. On Tython, two incredibly talented apprentices, a Consular and a Knight, arrived and were trained, both becoming notable participants of the war and contributing greatly to the Republic.

The Consular began by saving the Tythonian Forge from destruction at the hands of Nalen Raloch, and successfully gathered three of four holocrons, and found the Fount of Rajivari, which contained the contents of the fourth holocron, and more. The Consular then saved the Jedi Order from internal destruction by learning an ancient shielding technique when several Jedi Masters became infected by an ancient, dark plague. Successfully learning the technique, the Consular healed the afflicted masters and tracked the plaguemaster to a lone flagship. The plaguemaster, Lord Vivicar was defeated, and the spirit of Terrak Morrhage was expelled from his body. The Consular was then named the third Barsen'thor in the history of the Jedi Order.

The Knight first began helping the Jedi Order by defeating the Flesh Raiders and two Dark Jedi, Callef and Bengel Morr, who were responsible for controlling the Flesh Raiders during the events of the Flesh Raider uprising. The Jedi Knight then followed up with victories against the Sith, pursuing enemies across the galaxy, such as Tarnis, a Sith Lord under the disguise of a doctor. When Tarnis was slain, his father, Darth Angral, bore a personal grudge against the Knight during the resulting Desolator crisis. When Angral decided to unleash a powerful superweapon on Tython in order to destroy it, the Knight was responsible for defeating Angral, destroying the Desolator and protecting Tython. Due to this, the Knight earned the title "Hero of Tython."

Simultaneously, a trooper was assigned to Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell. Havoc Squad's commander, Harron Tavus, soon betrayed the Republic and defected with the rest of Havoc Squad except for the new trooper. As the only remaining member of Havoc Squad, this trooper became the new commander and was assigned to track down the traitors while the squad was rebuilt.

A smuggler also arrived on Ord Mantell, delivering a shipment of weapons. The smuggler was immediately betrayed by Skavak and was accidentally involved in the hunt for the lost treasure of Nok Drayen, the legendary pirate and thief. The smuggler eventually claimed Nok's reliquary for themselves and, with Risha Drayen, went on to become a legend in the criminal underworld. Working as a privateer for the Republic, the smuggler eventually exposed Imperial agents in the Senate and defeated the Imperial admiral known as the Voidwolf. By accomplishing that, they gained the name "Voidhound" and claimed a massive pirate fleet and criminal empire, continuing to support the Republic.

Champions of the Empire
At the same time that the heroes of the Republic came to light, four other exceptional individuals aligned with the Empire. Two of them, one a former slave and another a Sith Acolyte, were sent to Korriban and taken under the wings of Darth Zash and Darth Baras, respectively.

The slave was sent into the dark pits of the tombs on Korriban to prove themselves worthy of being Sith. All the while, they dodged several attempts on their life by their overseer, Harkun. After gaining their apprenticeship, they went on to become a powerful Sith Inquisitor and recovered the ancient relics of Tulak Hord. At the same time, they fought many battles for the Empire across the galaxy. After defeating their master, Zash, they were named a Lord of the Sith. They were given the name Lord Kallig, and established their own power base within the Sith Order and Imperial society.

Meanwhile, the other became a potent Sith Warrior. They served their master in combating his nemesis, Jedi Master Nomen Karr, and tracking down his padawan. They traveled across the Empire and saved their master's network of spies across Republic and Hutt Space. They succeeded in bringing down many Republic allies and Jedi in their mission. After defeating Nomen Kaar, they were rewarded with the title of Sith Lord and went on to serve their master against the Republic and Jedi.

The other two, the Imperial agent Cipher Nine and an unidentified bounty hunter, appeared on Nal Hutta, the former working on a mission to secure Hutt support for the Empire, and the latter to gain sponsorship in the Great Hunt. Cipher Nine gained the title of Cipher after performing successful missions for Imperial Intelligence. After they departed Dromund Kaas, they spent the Cold War tracking down and eliminating terrorists in the Empire. After defeating all the terrorist cells and their leader, they secured the Empire against further internal attacks and gained prestige. Meanwhile, the bounty hunter became engaged in a bitter contest across the galaxy. All the while, they battled the attempts by a dishonorable Mandalorian named Tarro Blood to sabotage them. After killing Tarro and the Jedi Kellian Jarro, they were named the Grand Champion of the Great Hunt and were welcomed into the Mandalorians by Mandalore himself.

Appearances

 * Timeline 1: Treaty of Coruscant
 * Timeline 12: The Great Hyperspace War
 * The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
 * Red Harvest
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic—The Lost Suns