Republic Dark Age

"The final hundred years of the Draggulch period are sometimes called the Republic's "dark age." The Republic could no longer afford to maintain its communications network, dropping all settlements outside the Core off the grid and forcing them to rely on hyperspace courier ships. At the same time, an outbreak of the Candorian plague killed off as much as two-thirds of the citizens of some major population centers."

―Voren Na'al^[1]

The Republic Dark Age was the term given to the last century of the New Sith Wars, from around 1100 BBY to the Ruusan Reformation of 1000 BBY. During the Dark Age, the Galactic Republic, in the eyes of later centuries, had essentially ceased to exist.

History[]

Since the start of the Draggulch Period in 2000 BBY, the Republic had been in decline. During the series of conflicts known as the New Sith Wars, thousands of worlds were abandoned to the New Sith Empire, while more were abandoned during the Republic's retreat. Thousands of longstanding corporations went bankrupt, lawlessness spread as the Galactic Republic became increasingly overburdened and ineffectual, and numerous mines of valuable minerals dried up. The decline of its political structure escalated following the Sith victory at the Battle of Mizra in 1466 BBY.^[1]

However, all these events were merely a prelude to the Dark Age. The Galactic Senate granted almost all of its authority to the Supreme Chancellor, many of whom were Jedi at that point, such as Jedi Master Genarra. Throughout the galaxy, Jedi joined in bands to defend individual worlds, and even regions of space, from Sith, pirates, slavers and warlords. In some regions, the Jedi supported existing governments, though in others, Jedi became rulers themselves in order to protect the population from external threats. The more troubled regions were divided by the Supreme Chancellors into Jedi baronial sectors, in an attempt to coordinate the continuing war against the Sith. Although the unity of the Sith seems to have been broken by infighting, and the ongoing conflict was officially portrayed as merely a series of clashes against an illegal organization, the situation wore down the Republic Navy and Army, which likewise fell under increasing Jedi control.

A major charge in the galactic status quo, the Galactic Republic also could no longer afford to maintain the HoloNet beyond the Core Worlds, so communications beyond had to be maintained through couriers. Even worse, a galaxywide epidemic of Candorian plague killed off as much as two-thirds of the population of some worlds.^[1]

As already noted, it seems that the threat from the Sith may have been much diminished compared with previous centuries, but at the end of this period, around 1010 BBY, Lord Kaan reorganized the feuding Sith into the Brotherhood of Darkness, and embarked on the last of the New Sith Wars, sometimes known as the Light and Darkness War.^[1] Republic forces led by commanders like Hoth, a Jedi Master and General, won some notable victories, initially driving Kaan's forces from their stronghold in the Cloak of the Sith, but the Sith reconquered their ancient capital on Korriban, and also struck deep into the Core Worlds.

For the final two or three years of the war, however, much of the attention of the Jedi and Sith was focused on the planet Ruusan, near Kashyyyk, where the entire Brotherhood of Darkness fought the Jedi who Hoth had formed into the Army of Light in a protracted series of engagements.

Presumably, the Dark Age was considered over by either the Sith defeat at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, or the following Ruusan Reformation.

Timeline of the Republic Dark Age[]

1100 BBY
- Tatooine is rediscovered by the Galatic Republic.

1094 BBY
- The planet Melida/Daan is colonized.

1066 BBY
- Sith Calimondra family martiarch Vilia enacts the first Charge Matrica to select a claimant from among her seven children.^[2]

1050 BBY
- Charge Matrica ends with the ascendancy of Sith Lord Chagras, who becomes the ruler of the Chagras Hegemony.^[2]

1042 BBY
- While serving under the Chagras Hegemony, Odion carries out the Massacre of Aquilaris.^[3]
- Odion launches Project Pandemonium, a top-secret mission to locate the Helm of Ieldis, an ancient Sith artifact.^[4]

1040 BBY
- Sith Lord Chagras dies under unknown circumstances.^[5]
  - The Second Charge Matrica breaks out among Vilia's grandchildren,^[2] causing the Hegemony to break up into several domains.^[5]

1032 BBY
- Operation Influx takes place.^[6]
- Jedi Knight Kerra Holt carries out a personal campaign against warring Sith Lords Daiman and Odion.^[6]
- Chelloa's surface is destroyed, but planet's population is evacuated by the Freedom Fleet.^[7]
- Battle of Gazzari ends in the invasion and collapse of the Bactranate.^[2]
- Arkadianate annexes the Dyarchy world of Byllura.^[2]
- Siege of Calimondretta occurs when Kerra and Brigadier Jarrow Rusher escape from the Arkadianate capital of Syned.^[2]
- Three-way Aquilaris campaign occurs, resulting in the Great Aquilaris Deluge.^[8]^[9]
- Hutt lord Zodoh's invasion of Sith territory is defeated at the Battle of Darkknell.^[10]
- Odion resumes Project Pandemonium and succeeds in capturing the Helm of Ieldis on Skarpos.^[4]
- Odion's apocalyptic bid for galactic domination ends with his death at the Battle of Vanahame.^[11]
- Odionate collapses and is divided up among his relatives; liberation of Odionate cloister child inmates.^[11]