The Great Sith War

Following the Great Hyperspace War (5000 BBY) the galaxy experienced nearly a thousand years of relative peace. As the galaxy continued to experience no further contact with the remnants of the Sith Empire, it enjoyed a time of new galactic exploration and expansion. However, six hundred years after the collapse of the Sith Empire, a young Jedi by the name of Freedon Nadd began his journey towards the dark side of the Force. Corrupted by Naga (who had persistently survived persecution by the Jedi), he joined the Dark Lord’s group of apprentices. He was deployed to Onderon, whilst the other apprentices were split between Yavin IV (where Naga was performing his worst experiments), Drommund Kas (where they would create a new Sith Empire), Naboo and Mandalore – where they would train and become stronger amongst the warriror race. Freedon Nadd secretly taught the Kings of Onderon the ways of the Sith, and made sure that his dark knowledge lived on throughout the Onderonian royalty, for the day when it could be used against the Jedi. Even though Nadd died, his spirit lived on in his tomb deep below the city of Iziz, and it was there that he cunningly instructed his descendants in the Sith arts.[15] Over the next four hundred years the Beast Riders would continue their war against the city of Iziz and its royal rulers, with the conflict escalating to new heights in the years prior to 4000 BBY.[1]

Whilst his other apprentices either failed him or deserted him, Naga remained on Yavin and trained his newest apprentice to help him perfect his abombinations. Though the then spent decades training it in the arts of alchemy and sorcery, he never gave this apprentice the title of Darth as he had always intended to use him to complete his experiemnts. Instead, he tampered with its DNA using the darkest arts of Sith Alchemy so that he might clone it with the Massassi and use it for eternity as a blue print body capable of the darkest and most heinous acts. This ‘Unnamed Apprentice’ would later begin tampering with his own DNA as well, in order to succeed in transfering his essence into one of Naga’s Massassi Abombinations, Massassi Giant Worms and tenatareks. This subject would later be known as ‘24’ due to Palpatine’s system of cataloguing his finds.

Eventually, under the reign of King Ommin and Queen Amanoa, Onderon joined the Republic and, against the advice of Freedon Nadd, Amanoa requested the Jedi's assistance in ending the centuries-old conflict against the Beast Riders.[13] Little did the Jedi know that what they were to experience on Onderon would be the clandestine beginning of a massive war which would eventually engulf the galaxy in the years to follow.

The end of the Beast Wars of Onderon
As was the custom of the time, when a new planet gained membership within the Republic, the Jedi Order would assign a Jedi to become the "watchman" of the system. It was the watchman's duties to supervise the new system's transition into a Republic member-state, and to help with any local difficulties that the planetary governments might be experiencing. Upon Onderon joining the Republic, Jedi Master Arca Jeth was given charge of the new planet and directed to help end the Beast Wars which had plagued the planet for many centuries. As a test for his three young apprentices, Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta, Master Arca sent them in his place to put an end to the civil war, which they swiftly achieved.

With the death of Amanoa, Galia was proclaimed Queen of Onderon, and the dark side presence of Freedon Nadd was supposedly gone. However, the shadow of Freedon Nadd was not dead, but only suppressed, and it still had an important role to play in the galaxy.[1] Following the death of Queen Amanoa, and Galia's ascension to the throne, Master Jeth recognized that a dark side pall was still hanging over Onderon. Realizing that the Sith power of Freedon Nadd was more powerful than he had first suspected, Arca Jeth, along with his three apprentices and Oss Wilum, attempted to remove Nadd's and Amanoa's sarcophagi off of Onderon to the beast-filled moon of Dxun for re-internment. However, during the procession of the remains, the Jedi found themselves under an attack led by the darksider Warb Null. Null led the Naddists, a Sith cult that revered Freedon Nadd, in an attempt to capture the sarcophagi that the Jedi were protecting. While Cay Qel-Droma and Oss Wilum fought Null, a powerful dark side force assaulted Master Jeth and effectively neutralized him for the remainder of the fight. With Arca Jeth powerless, and the remaining Jedi preoccupied with Warb Null, the Naddists were able to steal the remains of Amanoa and Nadd and into the depths of Iziz.

Following the skirmish with the Naddists, Arca Jeth sought out the seemingly senile King Ommin at the advice of Galia, who mentioned that Ommin was once a powerful dark side user, but that its use had destroyed his body. Upon meeting Ommin, Master Jeth was attacked and taken prisoner by Ommin, who was not as helpless as he had first appeared. During his internment, Master Jeth learned that Ommin had been provided with an unnatural vitality by the spirit Freedon Nadd, who was supporting Ommin through the use of Sith magic. During an attempt to free Jeth, Warb Null appeared to help in the fight. The ensuing skirmish witnessed the death of Null at the hands of Ulic, and the retreat of both Ulic and Galia away from Ommin's Sith magic.

Following the capture of Arca Jeth, Ulic Qel-Droma realized that he needed help with the Naddist Revolt and put out a call for Jedi reinforcements—in response to this, the Jedi leadership on Ossus decided to send a team of five Jedi to aid Ulic and the other Knights on Onderon. The team consisted of an all-volunteer group, and Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, Kith Kark, Qrrrl Toq, and Nomi Sunrider promptly left Ossus to lend aid to Ulic. Under the leadership of Sunrider, the Jedi relief team arrived on Onderon and managed to battle their way to where Ulic and the other Jedi were. However, during the attack, several of the Jedi realized that something, or someone, was blocking their various Force abilities through the dark side. Nomi tried to combat the influences she felt, but the dark side being managed to overwhelm her defenses and knock her unconscious—during the attack, Kith Kark was killed as a result of his Force shield being neutralized by the dark side being. Following the fight, the two groups of Jedi met and joined forces. Eventually, the Jedi stormed Ommin's stronghold, launching their initial attack from the courtyard of the castle. Though the Jedi were able to defeat the guards, Ommin halted the Jedi attack by concentrating on his hatred and using its power to again overwhelm the Jedi. However, Ulic Qel-Droma charged the old man and slashed at him with his lightsaber, disarming and neutralizing Ommin. With the defeat of Ommin, the Jedi managed to free Master Jeth from the Sith torture devices.

Following the Sith and Naddist defeat on Onderon, the Jedi under the guidance of Master Jeth transported the remains of Freedon Nadd and Amanoa to the jungle moon of Dxun, where they were to be entombed behind enormous slabs of Mandalorian iron. It was hoped that entombing both sarcophagi on the wild moon would dissuade anyone from seeking out the Sith knowledge contained within. This of course was futile as many Sith have sought out these remains in the millennia since – starting with Kun and ending in Palpatine. Each one took away a different piece of the puzzle and it has been may sole enterprise since taking control of Palpatine’s collection to complete this puzzle.

It is clear now that the Naddist groups were learning more and more about the ability to transfer the force through networks of computers, using them like supple minds to leap between. Warb Null was more machine than creature and an analysis of his records in the Onderonian libraries has made it clear that he was merely an extension of Nadd’s (and possibly Ommin’s) will.

The Krath Holy Crusade
During the Naddist Revolt on Onderon, two aristocratic figures arrived on the planet in search of Sith knowledge: Satal Keto and his cousin Aleema, who were the royal heirs to the Empress Teta system. Having been brought up in a childhood devoid of boundaries and discipline, Satal and Aleema had grown into spoiled, bored, and rich adults. To entertain and amuse themselves, they began dabbling in Sith magic and came into contact with Naga and his fledgling apprentice/abombination; 24. Making them Sith initiates, Satal and Aleema, along with a group of fellow aristocrats, formed a society known as the Krath, under Naga’s power and 24’s supervision.

At this point 24 had been sent away from Yavin and Naga was preparing to leave, having completed his experiments and perfects a multitude of weapons to unleash on the Jedi. Deploying the worms to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to hatch and grow over generations, he left tenatarek eggs scattered nearer the Core to slow the Jedi down. 24 took many of these tenatrek eggs himself and deployed them for his own purposes, eventually arriving at Koros Major to begin sewing the seeds inside the Krath. Marshalling the military forces of the Empress Teta system, the Krath instituted a violent coup which placed them firmly in control of the system's government. The seven worlds of Empress Teta, however, did not take well to the brutal subjugation and illegal coup which had taken place. Rising up in rebellion against their new leaders, the seven worlds launched an organized resistance against the newly instituted Krath leadership. Despite this, both Aleema and Satal were delighted to have been given the chance to further test their new Sith powers—carefully organizing their efforts, the Krath were able to put down the revolts on six of the seven worlds under their control. Koros Major was the last world in the Empress Teta system to mount an organized resistance against the Krath, and word of its fight soon made its way across the galaxy.[8]

Word of the rebellion, as well as the use of Sith magic, eventually made its way to Master Arca Jeth. Alarmed at the reports which claimed Sith participation in yet another conflict, Master Jeth traveled to the Onderon system, where Ulic Qel-Droma, Nomi Sunrider, and many other Jedi were overseeing the peaceful transition of governing power. Upon his arrival Master Jeth briefed the Jedi on who the Krath were and how they had apparently obtained their knowledge of the Sith. Once he had explained the situation in the Empress Teta system, Master Jeth handed out assignments to several of the Jedi Knights gathered: Dace Diath, Oss Wilum, Shoaneb Culu, and Qrrrl Toq were ordered back to the Jedi assembly on Ossus. Once there they were to inform the Jedi leadership about the Sith involvement on Onderon, and how it was related to the coup in the Empress Teta system. Nomi was told that she would stay with Master Jeth in an attempt to refine her battle meditation. Once this task had been completed, both Nomi and Ulic would travel to Empress Teta system and take command of the joint Republic/Jedi fleet which would be organized for this specific mission.

The Jedi and Republic organized a joint task force to be sent to the aid of Koros Major, the last planet in the Tetan system which was resisting the Krath coup—at the head of this fleet were Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma. Under the leadership of the Jedi, the battle fleet departed Republic space and made its way to the Empress Teta system. However, when the joint fleet emerged from hyperspace, it found that its destination, Koros Major, was under attack by a large Krath invasion fleet, and it appeared that the Battle of Koros Major was all but over. 24 now marshalled thousands of Krath troops and droids and acted as a shadow ruler whilst Naga returned to Yavin IV to prepare for his departure to Drommund Kas and join the Sith Empire his apprentice was forming.

Ulic was severely wounded in the battle by shrapnel from the Krath fighters. Not yet realizing that the shrapnel had been imbued with Sith magic, Nomi used the Force to tend to Ulic's wounds while Captain Vanicus ordered the joint fleet to retreat from the Empress Teta system.

In response to severe defeat of the Republic and Jedi at the Battle of Koros Major, the Jedi leadership ordered the Jedi assembly to assemble on Deneba, where a conclave would be held to discuss the increasing hostilities resulting from the Krath.[8] Conclave of Deneba Edit

Explaining the threat of the Krath, and the dangers that the reemerging Sith posed, Ulic proposed a plan to deal with the Krath and destroy the threat of the Sith. While many of the Jedi gathered on Deneba wished to escalate the war and use the Republic's and the Jedi's full military might against the Krath, Ulic believed that he could infiltrate the Krath and destroy them from within. Ulic argued his plan—which he believed could save countless lives—to the gathered Jedi assembly. However, many Jedi, including Arca Jeth, Dace Diath, and Shoaneb Culu, spoke of the dangers posed by attempting to infiltrate the Dark Side. Master Jeth advised Ulic that it was not possible to destroy the Dark Side; the best one could hope was to contain it, as Master Thon had done on Ambria. Nonetheless, Master Jeth argued that through the combined efforts of the Jedi they could create a wall of light to push back and control the reemerging Sith.

While the Jedi were discussing which course of action to pursue, a Tetan Corsair disguised by 24’s Sith Alchemy, hid among the thousands of Jedi ships orbiting Deneba. At the order of Satal Keto, the Corsair launched a large amount of Krath war droids which rained down upon the assembled Jedi on Mount Meru. Concurrent with the Krath war droid attack on the assembly, the Jedi's servant droids, which had been sabotaged by 24’s Massassi spies, also attacked the Jedi. The ensuing fight was a vicious affair and saw the deaths of many Jedi—however, many of the Jedi put up a ferocious defense and managed to push back the Krath attack.

The Battle of Deneba hit Ulic hard and he was devastated by Master Jeth's death. As a result of this, he decided to go ahead with his proposed plan and infiltrate the Krath, vowing to bring them down from within, no matter what the cost. Aware of the sudden shift in the force, Naga warned 24 to remain in the shadows in case he should be discovered. He was deployed instead to start to gather objects and relics for Naga for what his Master had described as the Grand Design.

Following the battle on Mount Meru, Ulic prepared for the mission into Krath territory and departed the Jedi assembly intent on succeeding.[6]

The Seduction of Exar Kun
Meanwhile, far away from the conclave on Deneba, the young Jedi Exar Kun had turned from the light and began to travel down the slippery path of the dark side. Kun believed that he could study the dark side and learn Sith knowledge without succumbing to its power—his ignorance, however, would have dire consequences for the entire galaxy.

Enlisting the help of a pair of Naddists from Onderon, Kun traveled to the moon of Dxun intent on discovering any Sith secrets that laid buried in the tomb of Freedon Nadd. Encountering the heavy Mandalorian iron that Master Jeth had had Nadd's tomb forged from, Kun used his lightsaber to gain entry to the sarcophagus, where he found the skeletal remains of the long-dead Sith Lord, which were still clothed in Nadd's black armor. During his search of the tomb, Kun was stopped by the spirit of Nadd, who warned the young Jedi that the dark side was dangerous, but rewarding. Before Kun could reply, Nadd revealed a series of scrolls written by Naga Sadow, which had been hidden in a compartment under his remains, and advised Kun that a great destiny awaited him in the power of the dark side. Sensing this change in events, Naga stopped his preparations to leave for Kas and notified 24 that his legacy was in danger of being usurped. Sealing his experiments on Yavin so that neither Kun nor 24 could access them, Naga then told his apprentice of his Grand Design that would culminate in his ultimate revenge against the Jedi. 24 showed contempt for his master’s plan, pointing out the many flaws in its long preparation. Naga, enraged by this, left without giving 24 the title of Darth, threatening to destroy him once he had taken control of the Empire on Kas that his only other survivng apprentice had built.

Following the words contained in the scrolls, Kun arrived on the ancient Sith world of Korriban to continue his search.

Mission to Empress Teta
While Kun continued his journey into the mysteries of the dark side, Ulic Qel-Droma had departed Deneba for his mission to infiltrate the Krath. However, several months passed with no word reaching the Jedi or the Republic regarding his mission status. Among the Jedi who knew of the mission, several felt that Ulic might have allowed himself to turn to the dark side in order to destroy the Krath. As a result, Nomi Sunrider, Cay Qel-Droma, and Tott Doneeta devised a plan through which Nomi would be able to make contact with Ulic in the Krath capital of Cinnagar. Having organized this mission to Empress Teta, the three Jedi immediately set out for the Krath capital.[19]

Ulic, unbeknown to the Jedi, had been unable to communicate with his compatriots due to a variety of reasons. Though he was initially able to win the favor of Aleema Keto, her cousin Satal was wary of Ulic, who was posing as a fallen Jedi Knight turned Krath sympathizer. Due to Satal's suspicions, Ulic was taken and subjected to grueling torture techniques beneath the Iron Citadel and injected with Sith poisons—poisons which would eventually aid in his fall to the dark side. Nonetheless, Ulic survived the torture and was able to convince Satal that he was sincere in his devotion to the Krath; he was eventually made warlord of the Krath military forces.[19]

Meanwhile, Ulic's Jedi companions had traveled to Cinnagar and managed to successfully insert Nomi near the Iron Citadel, where Ulic was staying amongst the other Krath leadership. Sensing Ulic through the Force, Nomi realized that the only way she was going to be brought before him was to expose her identity as a Jedi Knight and allow herself to be captured. Making her way to the Krath palace, Nomi ignited her lightsaber and was confronted by a number of Krath soldiers, whom she then surrendered to. However, when Nomi was brought before Ulic, he was forced with a difficult decision—to save the woman he loved from execution, which he knew would ruin his cover, or to allow himself to stay in character, and therefore treat the captured Jedi like any Krath warlord would.[19] Making the decision to stay in character, Ulic advised Aleema and Satal that he would personally execute Nomi the following morning. When Cay and Tott arrived to extract Nomi, the three Jedi agreed that they must attempt to try and rescue Ulic as well. Their plans, though, were almost instantly interrupted when Satal appeared in an attempt to stop the three Jedi from escaping. Overwhelming Satal's defenses, Ulic struck the Krath leader down, killing him in the thrall of anger. At that moment Nomi and the others attempted to convince Ulic to leave the planet with them, but he unleashed a wave of dark side energy, throwing them away from him.

Meanwhile, Exar Kun continued to delve deeper into his search for Sith knowledge. Following his excursion to the Sith world of Korriban, Freedon Nadd directed Kun to the jungle moon of Yavin 4. Aware of this betrayal, Naga alerted 24 and ordered him to trap and capture the powerful spirit of Exar Kun in one of his ancient and hideous creations. Arriving on the forested world, Kun was confronted by the 24 and the Massassi, who over the centuries had devolved into primitive creatures bent to Nagas will. Under the direction of 24, Kun was to be sacrificed to the ancient Sith creation which would consume his soul. As Kun was on the verge of death in the grips of the giant creature, Freedon Nadd's spirit appeared to Kun and told him that to save himself, he must concentrate on his anger and use it to free himself. 24 engaged Nadd in combat through the force whilst Kun proceeded to kill the enormous beast and slaughtered his captors without hesitation. Nadd was pleased while he watched Kun give into his new-found strength, and believing that Kun was ready, ordered him to use his new Sith powers to create Nadd a new body. Kun, however, had grown agitated and tired with what he perceived as constant interference from Nadd, and as a result used his powers to destroy Freedon Nadd's spirit—removing its taint from the galaxy forever. By this point, Kun had fully embraced the dark side, and he set out to turn Yavin 4 into his personal fortress, using the Massassi as his servants. Enslaving the Massassi, Kun forced them to construct new Sith temples, and to repair the relics left from the time of Naga Sadow. 24 retreated into the shadows, his body broken and warped from the battle with Kun and Nadd. His last act was to place himself into the body of one of Naga’s experimental Massassi and wait among Kun’s enslaved Massassi for his moment to strike.

As his power grew, so did Kun's. Not content with the rule of a single remote moon, Kun reached out through the Force searching for other dark side users who might pose a threat to his new-found base of power. He eventually found them in the Empress Teta system, in the form of Aleema Keto and Ulic Qel-Droma—Qel-Droma, he realized, possessed great power in the dark side, and because of this must be destroyed in case he challenged Kun's right to rule. As a result, Kun set out for the planet of Cinnagar in an effort to confront both darksiders at once.[20]

Second Battle of Empress Teta Arriving at Cinnagar undetected, Jedi fighters led an attack against the Iron Citadel which served as the Krath headquarters—the Second Battle of Empress Teta had begun. While Shoaneb Culu, Oss Wilum, and Dace Diath led the aerial assault, the Beast Riders transported Nomi, Cay, and Qrrrl Toq to the upper balconies of the citadel where the Jedi could sense Ulic and Aleema. Once the Jedi landed, both Qrrrl and Cay fought and defeated the Krath soldiers who were guarding Ulic, and Nomi attempted to reason with Ulic to return with them back to Ossus. Ulic refused the pleas of his former friends for him to return with them. When Nomi and the others persisted to argue, Ulic unleashed the power of a Sith amulet that he possessed, and forced the Jedi away from him. Realizing that Ulic had indeed fallen into the trap of the dark side, Nomi issued a general retreat to those with her and the task force still fighting the aerial battle.

The retreat of the Jedi, however, was followed by the unexpected arrival of another threat: Exar Kun. Arriving on Cinnagar to kill those he perceived as threats to his new-found Sith power, Kun first attacked Aleema and knocked her unconscious through the use of Sith magic. The ensuing confrontation witnessed a fast-paced lightsaber duel between Kun and Qel-Droma, and while each tried to best the other, more unexpected additions presented themselves at the Iron Citadel. The spirits of a number of long-dead Sith Lords appeared, including that of Marka Ragnos, whose death had caused a power vacuum during the Golden Age of the Sith. Ragnos immediately put a stop to the duel, proclaiming that the Sith would rise again and have their revenge on the Jedi—and that Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma would usher in this new era. Ragnos proclaimed that due to Kun's devotion to the Sith way and the power that he possessed, Kun was the new Dark Lord of the Sith. Ulic, likewise because of his free-will decision to walk the dark path, was appointed Kun's first and foremost Sith apprentice. With an alliance forged between Kun and Qel-Droma, they vowed to raze the galaxy and destroy both the Republic and Jedi.

Contacting Naga, 24 was berrated by his former master for his failure on Yavin and allowing his former base to fall to a Jedi upstart who claimed the Sith power for himself. Naga was apparently enraged by the Dark Side’s decision in calling Uliq and Exar the new inheritors of his Sith legacy. Calling Kun ‘unclean’ he ordered 24 to destroy him, utilising the hidden OTC weapon. As 24 set about to begin this, Kun and Uliq began their war against the Jedi and the Republic.

The Great Sith War
Exar Kun's and Ulic Qel-Droma's first act as Sith Lords was to consolidate the space immediately surrounding the Empress Teta system. For Exar Kun to usher in a new golden age for the Sith, he believed that he must first have a strong and united group of fellow Force users who followed the Sith ways. To this end, Kun traveled to the Jedi library world of Ossus and attempted to persuade a large number of Jedi to leave the Order and make him their new master. After hearing how Kun had been able to learn many secrets from the spirit of Freedon Nadd, and witnessing demonstrations of Kun's new powers in a holocron he possessed, several Jedi Knights made the decision to follow Exar Kun to Yavin 4, where he promised to teach them that which the Jedi Order had neglected to.[4]

While his converts prepared for their journey to Yavin 4, Kun went about his second objective which had brought him to Ossus. In his quest for dark side knowledge, Kun was eager to acquire the famed Sith holocron of Odan-Urr's which the Jedi Master had discovered a thousand years earlier during the Great Hyperspace War. Forcing his way into the private chambers of Odan-Urr, Kun confronted and killed the old Jedi, and took possession of the Sith holocron.

While the Krath military, under the leadership of Ulic Qel-Droma, attempted to assert their control over neighboring systems, the seven worlds of Empress Teta appeared to be overstretched by their campaigns. Attempting to gain honor by attacking the Krath, Mandalore the Indomitable led The Mandalorians on several raids inside Tetan space. Eventually, Mandalore attracted the personal attention of Ulic following a Mandalorian attack on an important carbonite smelting station under Krath command. Ulic contacted Mandalore and demanded the surrender of the Mandalorian army—Mandalore, however, wanted to duel Ulic in a one-on-one fight which would decide the fate of the seven worlds of Empress Teta. Having accepted the duel, Ulic offered his own terms to the outcome—that if he defeated Mandalore in battle, then the Mandalorian clans would fight under the war standards of Ulic and the Krath.[4]

At the request of Mandalore, the two warlords and their armies gathered on Deep Core world of Kuar, on the Plains of Harkul.[4] The Mandalorians had previously taken the world and established camps there.[26] In an effort to diminish the effectiveness of Ulic's skills in the Force, Mandalore advised the Sith that the duel would take place far above the ground on a network of linked chains, and that Mandalore would be allowed to use his customized Basilisk war droid—Ulic, however, was not allowed any such war mount. As the fight played out, Ulic was able to make the fight more fair by destroying Mandalore's Basilisk war droid, thus forcing the Mandalorian chieftain to fight hand-to-hand. Ultimately, the Sith was able to defeat Mandalore and gain his allegiance in the war against the Republic.[4]

Aware of this change in power, 24 had failed to utilize the OTC weapon and arrived at Cinnegar in the Empress Teta system. Here he gained access to the over confident Sith Sorceress Aleema and began to seduce her away from Uliq with promises of greater power as a servant of Naga Sadow Himself (though it is questionable as to whether 24 was going to use her for himself as by now Naga had disapeared on his quest for Drommund Kas).

First Battle of Coruscant
With the capture of three hundred new warships to add to his fleet, Ulic Qel-Droma advised Exar Kun of his plans to invade Coruscant, and bring a swift end to the war. Kun, however, initially argued against invading the capital, stating that it would cause his plan to completely unravel—they, Qel-Droma and Kun, must build their forces slowly, add to their existing strength, and then attack Coruscant together. Nonetheless, Mandalore and Ulic stated that they could handle the invasion by themselves, without the help of Kun's Sith converts. Giving his allies his reluctant blessing, Kun advised Qel-Droma that if he failed, or was killed during the coming battle, then Kun would continue the war without him. With the main bulk of the Republic fleet headed towards Kemplex IX, Ulic took full advantage of a feint he had created and immediately set out for Coruscant. While Ulic's fleet was in transit, Master Vodo-Siosk Baas and a group of young Jedi, which included Ulic's brother Cay Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, arrived at Galactic City on Coruscant to discuss with the Senate certain rumors which had surfaced regarding a rogue Jedi Knight leading the attacks against the Republic.

While the Jedi discussed the possible fulfillment of ancient Sith prophecies perpetuated by Qel-Droma and Kun, Ulic's invasion force appeared out of hyperspace and began their attack on Coruscant. Led by the Basilisk War Droids of Mandalore the Indomitable, Ulic's army swept through Galactic City in an effort to destroy the main defenses of the capital. Qel-Droma and Mandalore were able to force their way to Coruscant's war room, where Republic military officers were helping to coordinate the defense. Using the Force to subjugate the personnel inside, Qel-Droma forced the senior Republic officer to relay a set of commands to two separate Republic fleets, ordering them to the same coordinates in the Vento system with the belief that a Krath fleet was inbound. The chief Republic officer, however, refused to relay Qel-Droma's orders.

Aleema had decided that it was time to usurp Ulic and take his power for herself. Using her Sith magic to help Ulic throughout the fight, Aleema waited until Ulic was preoccupied in the Republic war room and then issued an order of general retreat to Mandalore and the remaining invasion force. Mandalore refused to accept the order, but complied when Aleema advised him that Qel-Droma had been captured in the fighting.

With his forces in retreat in the belief that he was dead, Qel-Droma was left alone to continue the fight on Coruscant. Still in the war room, he was confronted by Master Baas and his group of Jedi Knights who used their combined powers in the Force to build a wall of light around Qel-Droma, temporarily paralyzing him. With the capture of Ulic Qel-Droma, known Sith and warlord of the Krath, Supreme Chancellor Sidrona branded him a traitor. Ulic's punishment would be death.

With Ulic Qel-Droma's capture by the Jedi, the Sith Lord was handed over to the Republic Inquisition for trial and sentencing. Charged with war crimes, treason against the Republic, and treason against the Jedi Order, Ulic surprised all those present, including several Jedi, by pleading guilty. Following his plea, Ulic expressed his contempt for the court, his belief that the Republic was weak, and the Sith's plan of reestablishing a Sith golden age. Due to the arrogance and lack of culpability that he showed during his trial, Ulic was found guilty on all counts and was sentenced to death by the Inquisition.

However, following the Krath and Mandalorian retreat from Coruscant, Mandalore discovered Aleema's treachery in deliberately leaving Ulic behind to be captured by the enemy. Leaving Aleema at the Krath headquarters, Mandalore traveled to Yavin 4 where he knew Exar Kun was training his Sith converts. Arriving at the jungle moon, Mandalore explained to Kun what Aleema had done and asked the Dark Lord of the Sith to lend him aid in rescuing Ulic from execution. Though Kun had warned Ulic that attacking Coruscant would end badly, he agreed to help Mandalore in rescuing his apprentice (probably because he sensed 24’s hand in Aleema’s betrayal).

With Mandalore and a force of Massassi warriors, Kun left Yavin 4 and set course for Galactic City on Coruscant. Arriving in the Senate Hall at the moment that Ulic was sentenced to death, Kun used his Sith powers to immobilize the entire Inquisition, rendering them incapable of movement or speech—minus the Supreme Chancellor who was presiding over the assembly. After a brief confrontation with Sidrona, whom Kun killed after declaring his intentions, the two Sith Lords announced that under their guidance a new Sith Empire would be established. However, the Jedi who were present attempted to stop Qel-Droma and Kun from escaping. Master Vodo-Siosk Baas fought Kun in a duel in the middle of the Senate chambers—during the fight, Kun attempted to sway Master Baas to join the Sith, but Vodo refused. Following the Jedi Master's refusal, Kun managed to kill him, and also fended off an attack from his former fellow apprentice Sylvar, who was enraged at the death of their master. With Kun and his Massassi warriors in firm control of the situation, the Jedi were powerless to fight back—declaring that the Brotherhood of the Sith were the ones controlling the galaxy now, Kun and his allies departed Coruscant to continue their campaigns. Following the successful Second Battle of Coruscant, which witnessed the rescue of Ulic Qel-Droma from the Inquisition, Exar Kun and the other Sith leaders began planning the next phase in their war of conquest. Part of this strategy was devised by Qel-Droma, and called for a strike against a key Republic hyperspace jump-station at Kemplex IX in the Auril sector.[29] Advancing from the Centares system, Krath forces took the Yablari system before turning their attention to the station.[22] The Battle of Kemplex IX would turn out to be a turning point in the war, and the eventual catalyst for its end.

Qel-Droma and Kun, however, both had their own agendas for staging an attack against Kemplex IX. Following the abandonment of Ulic during the First Battle of Coruscant, many of the Krath commanders, including Mandalore the Indomitable, questioned Aleema Keto and her decision to institute herself as the leading Krath military commander. Believing that Ulic was dead, or would be executed by the Inquisition, Aleema used her scheming to usurp the power that she coveted in Ulic. Nonetheless, with his rescue by Mandalore and Kun, Ulic discovered what Aleema had done and saw a chance, through Kemplex IX, to deal with her betrayal and 24 at the same time. Ordering Aleema to take command of the assault on Kemplex IX, Ulic was confident that Aleema would meet her fate there—for what Ulic knew, but no one else was aware of, was Exar Kun's agenda for a strike at Kemplex IX. During his excavations of the Sith temples on Yavin 4, Kun had discovered an ancient ship that had once belonged to Naga Sadow.

Sensing the trap and knowing the Kun and Uliq together were more than a match for him, 24 retreated from Teta and allowed events to take their course. Naga was now completely uncontactable and he was alone to carve his destiny as he saw fit. Arriving on Utupau, he began carving himself a small underworld syndicate which he could preside over. Eventually, word of Kemplex IX reached the Jedi on Ossus, and it was decided that the counter-attack would be led by the Jedi Knights Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, and Qrrrl Toq. Setting out immediately for the Auril sector, the three Jedi arrived and discovered that the jump-station was devoid of life, and that all Republic defenses had been destroyed. Nonetheless, the Jedi detected the ion-wake of a capital ship which was in the nearby Cron Cluster, a stellar body of ten densely packed stars. Making an initial run at the Sith ship, the Jedi turned around for another sweep when Shoaneb Culu sensed something amiss in the Force. At that moment Aleema activated the Sith technology aboard Sadow's ship and ripped the core out of one of the nearby stars. The resulting supernova immediately killed the three pursuing Jedi, and set off a chain reaction among the remaining stars. The resulting supernova completely incinerated Aleema, Crado, and the rest of the Krath fleet—in her final moments, Aleema realized that her betrayal on Coruscant had finally been exposed. With the destruction of Kemplex IX, the supernova caused by Aleema was on a direct course for the world of Ossus—as such, the Jedi on the planet had began to evacuate what Jedi artifacts they could. With many Jedi already having left Ossus, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma saw their chance to raid the planet and steal what was left of the planet's wealth of knowledge.

Battle of Ossus
With the supernova created at Kemplex IX on a collision course with Ossus, the Jedi Order ordered a massive planet-wide evacuation in an effort to save as many beings as possible. With the Jedi seemingly vulnerable during their evacuation of the planet, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma led a large part of their army to Ossus in an attempt to acquire Jedi relics of their own, thus igniting the Battle of Ossus. Arriving at the Great Jedi Library world, the Sith and Mandalorian forces descended upon the planet, targeting both civilian and military installations. With the cover of his force's attack, Kun was able to land his ship near the home of his first target, whom he knew harbored Jedi relics—Master Ood Bnar.[30] Kun confronted the age-old Jedi, who was attempting to preserve a cache of ancient lightsabers, among the first ever made, from the approaching supernova. Though Master Bnar could not hope to match Kun in a test of dueling skills, Bnar was able to draw upon the life force of Ossus and metamorphose into a giant tree, effectively sealing his cache of Jedi treasures beneath him.

Meanwhile, Cay Qel-Droma had sensed that his brother, Ulic, was flying above Ossus in a starship. Believing that it was up to him to return his brother to the light, Cay took his own starship, the Nebulon Ranger, and attempted to contact Ulic. Ulic, however, grew angry at his brother for again attempting to influence his actions, and attacked his brother's ship. With the help of passing Mandalorian Basilisks, Ulic was able to shoot down Cay, and followed him down to the surface of Ossus. Giving into his anger and the dark side, Ulic attacked his injured brother and the two proceeded to duel each other in a lightsaber battle. Cay, however, could not fully allow himself to attack his brother, and Ulic managed to cut off Cay's mechanical arm. Still attempting to reach through his brother's anger, Cay pleaded with Ulic to return to the light. Ulic, though, gave into his anger one final time and used his lightsaber to kill his wounded brother where he stood.

Upon witnessing Cay's death at the hands of Ulic, Nomi Sunrider found herself overcome with grief and torment, and gave into her emotions—allowing the Force to flow through her, Nomi unleashed her powers upon Ulic, who had now realized what he had done. Through her use of the Force, Nomi was able to effectively cut Ulic off from the Force, severing any connections he could once feel. Due to his realization of killing his own brother, and fully comprehending what Nomi had done to him, Ulic repented to those present and agreed to help the Jedi defeat Exar Kun.

Fourth Battle of Onderon
With Exar Kun's and Ulic Qel-Droma's attack on Ossus, Qel-Droma had ordered a subsequent attack on the world of Onderon. To carry out this attack, the Sith Lord ordered Mandalore the Indomitable and the bulk of his warriors to assault the planet.[36] Using the speed of their Basilisk war droids, the Mandalorians were spotted by Queen Galia from her position in the Royal Palace of Iziz. Calling the Beast Riders to muster, King Oron Kira led his warriors out to meet the onrushing enemy. Before leaving, Kira ordered that a message be sent to the Republic, informing them of the attack and requesting reinforcements.

The fight saw the Beast Riders and the Mandalorians on their Basilisk war droids duel amidst the sky—nevertheless, the two sides proved to be equally matched in their fighting prowess. The fight continued for a time, and just as it seemed as though the tide had turned in favor of the Mandalorians, Republic reinforcements arrived in orbit around Onderon. Under the command of Fleet Captain Vanicus, the Republic fleet arrived just in time to lend a critical hand to Oron Kira and his Beast Riders. Realizing that they were caught in a cross fire between the Republic fleet and the Beast Riders, the Mandalorian warriors fought with a hardened resolve. Attempting to cripple the Mandalorian mounts with firepower, Vanicus realized that it would prove timely and costly due to the Basilisks' deflector-shields. Vanicus, however, ordered his gunners to keep up their heavy fire in an attempt to push back the Mandalorian fighters. Understanding that the battle was lost, Mandalore issued an order to his warriors calling for a general retreat to the moon of Dxun. Believing that he could lose the Republic forces in the moon's dense jungles, Mandalore led the retreat. During the retreat, a Republic ship fired into a group of Basilisk war droids, and managed to cripple the droid which Mandalore was flying. Having lost control of his mount, Mandalore crashed his Basilisk in a remote area of Dxun's jungle, far away from any warriors under his command. Attempting to make his way back to his troops, Mandalore found himself confronted by several dangerous beasts native to Dxun, and was killed. Initiating a full-scale search of the moon's jungles, the remaining Crusaders split up into their respective units and searched for any sign of their missing Mandalore. One Mandalorian, however, happened to find the remains of Mandalore the Indomitable during his search. Taking the mask of Mandalore, the warrior donned it, and thus proclaimed himself to be the new Mandalore.[36] This warrior would eventually become known as Mandalore the Ultimate, whose legacy would affect the galaxy for years to come.

Battle of Yavin IV
With the defeat and surrender of Ulic Qel-Droma on Ossus, the Jedi gained a valuable resource in the fallen Sith Lord. Using his knowledge of Exar Kun, Ulic led the combined forces of the Jedi to the remote moon of Yavin 4, which housed Kun's Sith temples. With Ulic acting as a guide,[36] the Republic Rim Fleet joined[22] the thousands of Jedi in their descent upon the jungle moon in their various starships, so numerous that they seemed to cover the entire sky. With so many ships in orbit, Kun could feel the large number of Jedi presences through the Force, and immediately recognized Ulic's betrayal. Realizing that the war was lost, Kun vowed that he would use his Sith powers to survive the Jedi attack, thus allowing himself to again fight the Jedi in the future. Ordering the entire Massassi race to assemble at the various Sith temples scattered across Yavin 4, Kun used his Sith powers to initiate one final ceremony which he hoped would preserve his life force. Calling upon the dark side of the Force, Kun was able to drain the life essences from the Massassi and gather the energy within himself. The final result was that Kun was able to break free of his mortal body, and use the strength of his Massassi servants to keep his spirit alive. In this state, Kun believed that he would be able to escape the world of Yavin 4 and thus continue his fight against the Jedi. Unaware of Kun's use of Sith magic, the Jedi believed that they must use the Force to contain Kun and his dark influences, much like Nomi Sunrider had accomplished with Ulic Qel-Droma. Under the combined efforts of thousands of Jedi, an immense wall of light side energy was directed at the various Sith temples across Yavin 4. However, what none of the Jedi were to predict was that their light side wave would collide, and react with the enormous amounts of dark side energy present from Kun's Sith magic. The result was a massive chain reaction which caused an enormous firestorm, unlike any other seen in history, to sweep across the jungle moon. Unable to control the firestorm, the orbiting Jedi were forced to watch as the surface of Yavin 4 was utterly destroyed in a wave of fire—virtually destroying almost all traces of Exar Kun and his Sith practices. It appeared that the Great Sith War was all but over, and the Republic and Jedi set out to wipe out the only remaining threat to their security—the Krath forces. With the destruction of the Krath leadership, the bulk of the Krath military had retreated to the seven worlds of the Empress Teta system in the hope that the Republic would leave them be. However, the Republic believed that the only way to guarantee their democracy was to force the surrender of the Krath, and regain control of the Empress Teta system. 24 still had many initiates there and a great interest in maintaing the strength of the darkside in the system. As the Republic drew in closer he was forced to flee the system and return to the shadows once more, awaiting his time to reveal himself. A campaign of terror was initiated, making use of Kun’s and Naga’s relics. Taking on three young apprentices, he then began releasing the Terantareks in order to waylay the Jedi further and distract them from finding him. Naga had meanwhile come into contact with the New Sith Empire and confronted his former apprentice, its Emperor and lost. Refusing to bow his knee to his former student, Naga was kept as a pet by the new Emperor and slowly groomed to become his servant. The Third Battle of Empress Teta eventually placed control of the Empress Teta system back in hands of the Republic. 24 and his three young apprentices hid during the battle, using up their Krath initiates to avoid detection. There appears to be record of 24 hiding on Utapau and his apprentice Anton Wyrick being delivered to him.

The Great Sith War was immediately followed by a period known as The Great Hunt and then within decades, The Mandalorian Wars had started.