Great Sith War

"The Ancient Sith have spoken. Together, we will bring down the galaxy."

- Exar Kun to Ulic Qel-Droma

The Great Sith War, also known as the Sith War, the First Sith War, and the Exar Kun War, was a conflict from 4,000-3,996 BBY. One of the largest conflagrations of the Old Sith Wars (and outside of the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil War, one of the most destructive), it was a struggle that the Sith Order and its allies, the Krath and the Mandalorians, waged against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order.

Ulic Qel-Droma
Ulic Qel-Droma was a highly ambitious Male Human Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic, and the brother of Cay Qel-Droma. Ulic was trained by Jedi Master Arca Jeth, and as a Jedi was largely responsible for ending the Beast Wars and the Naddist Uprising on Onderon. When the Krath threatened the Republic and killed Arca, Ulic attempted to infiltrate them. He was seduced by the Krath and fell to the dark side. Ulic then joined forces with Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun, and as a Sith Lord laid waste to several Republic planets in the Great Sith War.

Ulic was eventually captured by the Republic and brought before the Inquisition, but in the middle of his trial was freed by Kun. After striking down his brother in battle, Ulic was stripped of the Force by Nomi Sunrider, then helped the Jedi and Republic defeat Exar Kun. After the Sith War, Ulic exiled himself to Rhen Var, where he trained Nomi's daughter Vima Sunrider, and was eventually killed by the spacer Hoggon.

Nomi Sunrider
Nomi Sunrider was a Human female who served as a Jedi Master in the days of the Galactic Republic. As a young woman she married the Jedi Knight Andur Sunrider, and eventually Nomi gave birth to a baby girl, whom they named Vima. Following the murder of Andur, Nomi started down the path to become a Jedi Knight. She eventually completed her training under the Tchuukthai Jedi Master Thon, and was placed in charge of the Jedi relief mission sent to Onderon to aid in the Freedon Nadd Uprising. Along with several other Jedi, Nomi was able to help bring about the end of the Naddist Revolt, essentially putting an end to the reign of the Sith on Onderon.

Following those events, Nomi was one of many Jedi to participate in the Great Sith War against the rise of Exar Kun and his apprentice, the fallen Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma. During the war, Nomi witnessed Ulic slay his own brother Cay and she used her powers to completely sever Ulic from The Force. Soon afterwards, the Great Sith War was brought to an end at the Battle of Yavin IV.

Following the devastation of the Sith War, Nomi was eventually made Head of the Jedi Order around the time of the Conclave of Exis Station. The details surrounding Nomi's death are not known, though her legacy was preserved in the histories of the Jedi.

Arca Jeth
Arca Jeth was an Arkanian male who served as a Jedi Master and Watchman of the Onderon system during the time of the Galactic Republic. After establishing a Jedi training center on Arkania, he instructed Ulic Qel-Droma, his brother Cay, and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta in the ways of the Jedi. He was also one of the first known Force users to use the ability of battle meditation.

In 4,050 BBY Jeth was part of a Jedi/Republic task force sent to the Hapes Cluster to eliminate the Lorell Raiders, who had developed a habit of preying on Republic shipping lanes. Following a Jedi victory over the Raiders, Jeth fought in the Hyabb-Twith Campaign and helped defeat the Nelori Marauders. During the Great Droid Revolution of 4,015 BBY, he fought on Coruscant and devolped a Force technique that allowed the Jedi to destroy the attacking droids using the Force. Much later in his career he would mediate over the Beast Wars of Onderon, and help defeat the spirit of Freedon Nadd. He was eventually killed at the Conclave of Deneba when the gathered Jedi assembly was assaulted by Krath War Droids.

In the arms of Ulic Qel-Droma, Arca Jeth became one with the Force.

Behind the scenes
Tom Veitch at first envisioned a slightly different version of the Great Sith War. He originally did not intend to include Exar Kun; Ulic Qel-Droma would remain a Krath general and engage in conquest for several years before joining with the Sith, and after his final defeat would never be redeemed and would die still in the grip of the dark side. This version of events was printed in the endnotes to the original Dark Empire comic issues.

However, starting with Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith, Veitch began changing his plans, first by including Exar Kun after hearing of Kevin J. Anderson's plans to use an ancient Sith Lord for his Jedi Academy Trilogy, and then by co-authoring Dark Lords of the Sith with him. Anderson would go on to write The Sith War and Redemption on his own, thus further changing Veitch's original plans. Veitch came to resent the intrusion, and claimed "Ulic Qel-Droma [was taken] from me and butchered."

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Shadows and Light
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 9: Flashpoint Interlude: Homecoming
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Flashpoint
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 17: Nights of Anger, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Shatterpoint
 * Star Wars Republic: Show of Force
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force