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"Even among its interactive peers, 'The Old Republic' is touted as a leap forward. Much as the first 'Star Wars' movie in 1977 changed history, its makers hope to create a new gold standard for gaming." ―Ben Fritz and Alex Pham for the Los Angeles Times, January 20, 2012

Star Wars: The Old Republic, simply known as SWTOR or TOR, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was produced and released by BioWare, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. Developed over the course of more than five years by BioWare Austin and LucasArts at a cost of over $200 million, Star Wars: The Old Republic was first conceived in 2005 as an MMORPG follow-up to BioWare's previous video games, the popular Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and the game was first announced on October 21, 2008. The game itself was released to the public on December 20, 2011, and The Old Republic is accompanied by an expansive metaseries of Star Wars multimedia, including a four-book novel series, three comic series (Threat of Peace, Blood of the Empire, and The Lost Suns), and a number of short stories, as well as additional content.

Star Wars: The Old Republic succeeded Sony's Star Wars Galaxies as the main Star Wars MMORPG, and Galaxies went permanently offline shortly before The Old Republic was released in December 2011. Set over three hundred years after the events of the Knights of the Old Republic games, The Old Republic features seventeen fully explorable planets, eight unique classes divided into the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire factions, and over 1,600 hours of story in addition to over a dozen group Flashpoints and Operations, and it is the first MMORPG to feature full-scale voice acting. The game features extensive references to pre-existing Star Wars continuity, and introduces thousands of new characters, locations, items, groups, and events to the Star Wars universe as it depicts the conflict between the Republic and the Empire. With the discarding of the Expanded Universe on April 25, 2014, Star Wars: The Old Republic is the only remaining source that continues to produce Legends information aside from the official Star Wars Blog.

Over one million subscribers registered in the first three days following The Old Republic's release, and over a million had begun to play The Old Republic by December 26, making it the fastest-growing subscription MMORPG in history. The Old Republic has received generally positive reviews from critics, with a score of 85 on the review aggregation website Metacritic, though it has received some criticism by players for the lack of late-game content, which has led the game's developers to focus on the addition of upper-level content in many of their updates. Due to declining subscription numbers during the summer of 2012, The Old Republic introduced a Free-to-Play option in November 2012, and the game's first digital expansion, Rise of the Hutt Cartel, was released in April 2013. The Old Republic has received several dozens major content updates so far, and the second Digital Expansion, Galactic Starfighter, was released to free-to-play users in February 2014. Galactic Starfighter was released to active subscribers on December 3, 2013, and was released to Preferred Status players on January 14. A third Digital Expansion, Galactic Strongholds, was released in August 2014, and a fourth expansion, Shadow of Revan, was released on December 9. With the next two digital expansions: Knights of the Fallen Empire (October 27, 2015), and Knights of the Eternal Throne (December 12, 2016), the game took a narrative twist, focusing on a new faction, the Eternal Empire. On April 13, 2019, it was announced that a seventh expansion would be coming to the game, titled Onslaught. Onslaught was released on October 22, 2019.

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Opening crawls

THE SITH WARRIOR The Sith Empire tightens its grip on the galaxy. The Galactic Republic and its Jedi defenders lie weakened and vulnerable after the Empire's successful military campaign. With a fragile peace negotiated, the Empire sends all potential Sith to undergo cruel and deadly trials at its Academy on the harsh planet KORRIBAN. Today, one of the Empire's most promising young warriors has been secretly summoned by an influential overseer to face the dark side trials much sooner than expected.... THE IMPERIAL AGENT It is a pivotal time for the Sith Empire. Having secured an uneasy truce with the Galactic Republic, the Empire now seeks allies among the neutral systems. The foul planet HUTTA is the Empire's latest target, but its wealthy and corrupt crime lords refuse to take sides in the cold war between Republic and Empire. To tip the scales, Imperial Intelligence's latest shadowy operative has been dispatched to Hutta under command of the Empire's mysterious spymaster.... THE BOUNTY HUNTER THE GREAT HUNT begins. While the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic scheme against each other, a bloody contest rages in the frontier systems. Mercenaries from across the galaxy compete for the privilege of entering a dangerous manhunt where the must capture or eliminate the most notorious and elusive targets. In the polluted swamps of HUTTA, a tough young gunfighter teams with an aging bounty hunter to secure an invitation to this deadly struggle for fortune and glory.... THE SITH INQUISITOR The power of the dark side grows. The SITH EMPIRE has won a major victory against the Galactic Republic and its Jedi guardians, conquering and enslaving many new worlds. With a fragile peace in place, the Empire sends its slaves to the ancient Sith stronghold of KORRIBAN, hoping to unearth relics of vast power that can be used to dominate the galaxy. One slave, powerful with the Force, has been released from servitude and forced to master the dark arts of the Sith or die trying....

THE SMUGGLER Anarchy rules in the frontier systems. While the Galactic Republic struggles to recover from its conflict with the Sith Empire, reckless mercenaries profit from the interstellar turmoil. ORD MANTELL, a world ravaged by civil war between pro-Republic citizens and separatist extremists, has become a lucrative destination for free traders. Now, a daring captain-for-hire has come to deliver a cargo of weapons to the combat zone, flying a swift freighter through a deadly barrage of separatist attacks.... THE JEDI KNIGHT It is a dark era for the Jedi Order. The Sith Empire obliterated the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and slaughtered many of the Republic's brave defenders during the last war. The surviving Jedi have withdrawn to their ancient homeworld of TYTHON, where they take advantage of a fragile peace to train a new generation of guardians for the galaxy. Now a new hope emerges. A young Padawan strong in the Force journeys to Tython's dangerous wilderness to complete the final Jedi trials and become a Knight of the Republic.... THE JEDI CONSULAR Evil threatens to consume the galaxy. The Sith Empire's relentless assault destroyed the Jedi Temple and drove the Republic's defenders into exile during the last war. A fragile peace has been negotiated, and the Jedi have returned to their long-abandoned homeworld of TYTHON to regroup and investigate their ancient origins." Now, a wise young Padawan travels to Tython's mountain ruins on a perilous quest to complete the Jedi trials and master the mysteries of the Force.... THE REPUBLIC TROOPER Chaos grips the Galactic Republic. Influential star systems break away from the millennia-old alliance, angered over the Senate's treaty with the Sith Empire. On the planet of ORD MANTELL, civil war erupts between loyal Republic citizens and violent separatist extremists waging a campaign of terror against their own people. Now, an elite young sergeant from the Republic's famous HAVOC SQUAD has arrived to help defeat the separatists and restore peace to this war-ravaged world....





KNIGHTS OF THE FALLEN EMPIRE It is a time of chaos. A mysterious army led by twin conquerors has carved a path of destruction across the worlds of the warring Galactic Republic and Sith Empire, then disappeared into uncharted space. Meanwhile, an older threat still looms: the former SITH EMPEROR, revitalized after annihilating all life on the planet Ziost, has similarly vanished without a trace. Determined to hunt down these dangerous foes at any cost, Imperial leader DARTH MARR gathers allies from both factions to join his incursion into the far reaches of Wild Space....

KNIGHTS OF THE ETERNAL THRONE A new threat rises. In the wake of Emperor Arcann's defeat, his depraved sister Vaylin has seized control of the ETERNAL EMPIRE and begun spreading terror across known space. The galaxy's only hope is the ALLIANCE: a bold resistance group that wages a daring campaign to overthrow Vaylin and end the tyranny of her Eternal Empire. As the Alliance grows in strength, Vaylin sets out to dominate the galaxy with the fearsome might of the Eternal Throne. Her conquest begins with the peaceful world of Voss...

ONSLAUGHT War consumes the galaxy. Hungering for dominance, the ruthless SITH EMPIRE fights to destroy their ancient enemies in the GALACTIC REPUBLIC. Assembling an overwhelming fleet of the Empire's most powerful warships, DARTH MALGUS sets out to obliterate a new and highly advanced Republic shipyard on the planet Corellia. Now, desperate to prevent this catastrophe, the Republic rushes to gather the force necessary to defend this vital facility - one that could finally turn the tide of the war in their favor...

Synopsis

Prologue

"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 Listen (file info) [src]

In 3681 BBY, a reconstituted Sith Empire, the survivors of the Old Sith Empire that lost the Great Hyperspace War over a thousand years earlier, return to the larger galaxy under the leadership of an immortal Sith Emperor and invade the Galactic Republic, sparking the Great Galactic War. Though the Empire achieved many victories in the early years of the conflict, the Republic eventually rallied and won several hard-earned victories, which caused the war to drag on for a total of twenty-eight years. Finally, in 3653 BBY, the Empire attacked the Republic capital of Coruscant in what became known as the Sacking of Coruscant and forced the Republic to accept the Treaty of Coruscant, ending the war and beginning a tense Cold War. The Republic and the Jedi Order rebuild and recover over the next decade, while the Empire secures the territory gained during the war and rebuilds their war machine in preparation for the inevitable resumption of hostilities.[17] By 3643 BBY,[9] the tensions between the Empire and the Republic have begun to boil over, and proxy and side conflicts occurring across the galaxy only serve to inflame these hostilities.[18]

The planet Ord Mantell is embroiled in the Separatist War, a civil war between the Republic-backed but corrupt government and the Mantellian Separatist Movement, which unbeknownst to the Republic is receiving aid from the Sith Empire. Some of the fiercest fighting centers on the island of Avilatan, which is home to the Republic garrison Fort Garnik and a number of separatist bases, but many Mantellians are forced to become refugees as the war drags on.

While making a delivery to Ord Mantell, a smuggler is double-crossed by the criminal Skavak, who steals the smuggler's ship. The smuggler works with local crime lord Viidu and his lieutenants, including the native farmboy Corso Riggs, to track down Skavak, and in the process the smuggler deals significant damage to the separatists' operations. The search culminates in a raid on the separatist stronghold, but Skavak is already on his way to Coruscant with the smuggler's ship, thanks to Viidu's traitorous lieutenant Syreena.

Around the same time, the elite Special Forces unit Havoc Squad is on Ord Mantell, and its newest member joins the squad's search for a missing ZR-57 orbital strike bomb that has been stolen by the separatists. Working with the other members of the squad, the Republic trooper closes in on the bomb, eliminating several of the separatists leaders in the process, but the rest of the squad goes missing in the separatists' volcano stronghold—and when the trooper rushes to the rescue of Commander Harron Tavus and the rest of the squad, the soldier finds that Tavus and the others are traitors who defect to the Empire.[18] With the Republic's recent successes against the separatists,[19] the separatists are forced on the defensive and ultimately defeated. The surviving members of the movement flee offworld, finding sanctuary with Chornarov, the corrupt and power-hungry governor of the Republic planet Cademimu V.[18]

After the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Sacking, the Jedi Order retreated to its recently rediscovered homeworld of Tython in the Deep Core. There, they train a new generation of Jedi and rediscover their past amongst Tython's verdant forests and mountains, though the violent Flesh Raiders pose a threat to both the Jedi and the illegal Twi'lek settlers of Kalikori village.

The new Padawan of Jedi Master Yuon Par discovers that an ancient teaching hologram has been stolen from Tython's ruins and traces the theft to a villager named Nalen Raloch, but Raloch uses his newfound Force-sensitivity to try and kill the apprentice. Studying the recovered hologram, Par and her student discover the existence of the Fount of Rajivari, a collection of knowledge left behind by the ancient Jedi Master Rajivari. Joining forces with the Trandoshan hunter Qyzen Fess, the apprentice locates the Fount—discovering it to be Rajivari's own Force ghost—and prevents a now-insane Raloch from destroying the ancient Forge that the Order used to construct lightsabers, thereby earning the rank of Jedi Consular—but Master Par succumbs to a mysterious illness just after her student is promoted.

A newly arrived initiate proves vital in halting an invasion of the Tythonian Gnarls region by the Flesh Raiders, defeating the Dark Jedi Callef, who was leading them in a duel. The Jedi is taken on as a Padawan by Master Orgus Din, and the two investigate the Flesh Raiders' recent activities. When Din and his student discover that Din's former apprentice Bengel Morr is leading the Flesh Raiders, the Jedi launch attacks on the Flesh Raiders across Tython, but Din is captured by Morr after he is betrayed by Kalikori village. His apprentice—after escaping another trap set by the villagers—pursues Morr with the astromech droid T7-O1 and ultimately defeats him in battle at the Forge, rescuing Din and earning the rank of Jedi Knight.[18]

On the Sith world of Korriban, Sith acolytes study at the Sith Academy and compete to become the apprentices of powerful Sith Lords. Excavation of the tombs in the Valley of the Dark Lords continues, despite the prevalence of creatures such as shyracks, k'lor'slugs, and tuk'ata, and a group of rebellious slaves has taken refuge in one of the tombs. Some of the Academy's instructors, disgusted by the Empire's recent decision to allow slaves and aliens to be trained as Sith, do their best to ensure purity in the blood of their students A recently arrived slave joins a group of acolytes under Overseer Harkun, who is determined to see the slave fail, and the acolytes undergo a series of tests in the Academy and amid the tombs of the Valley. Harkun's students are competing to become the apprentice of the Sith Lord Zash, and the overseer is enraged to witness the slave complete each test perfectly—so he arranges for two acolytes to kill the slave and thereby assure that the pureblooded acolyte Ffon Althe becomes Zash's apprentice. Harkun's attempt fails, and the slave also manages to awaken the Dashade Shadow Killer Khem Val, who is forced to swear loyalty to the acolyte after being defeated. Impressed by the acolyte's accomplishments, Zash takes the former slave as her apprentice, though the apprentice is quickly caught up in the rivalry between Zash and her superior, Darth Skotia.

Around the same time, a new acolyte is placed under the tutelage of Overseer Tremel, who seeks to use his new student to destroy the acolyte Vemrin—a potential apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Baras. Tremel's student completes each of the tests set by the overseer, but Baras confronts the acolyte and reveals that Tremel is rushing the student's instruction to achieve his own goals. At Baras's instruction, the acolyte turns on Tremel and slays him, earning Baras's favor and becoming a possibility for a new apprentice. The acolyte's final test is to retrieve an ancient lightsaber from the tomb of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, and after using the Twi'lek treasure hunter and slave Vette to navigate the tomb, the student defeats Vemrin and secures a place as Baras's apprentice.[18]

The industrial planet Nal Hutta, adopted homeworld of the Hutt species, is rife with crime and conflict between rival members of the Hutt Cartel, including Voontara Fa'athra and Suudaa Nem'ro. The native Evocii species, who have long been disenfranchised by their Hutt rulers, struggle alongside Human and alien workers as they toil in the toxic swamps and industrial facilities that crowd the planet's surface, though some mercenaries, criminals, and radical Evocii wage guerrilla wars against the Hutts and anyone else they encounter. As the Great Hunt, a major Mandalorian bounty hunting competition, draws near, the veteran hunter Braden mentors a young hunter and seeks to secure sponsorship from Nem'ro the Hutt in order for his protege to enter the competition. With the help of Braden, a young slicer named Mako, and Braden's associate Jory, the hunter tracks down and kills the criminal Vexx—but returns to find Braden and Jory murdered by a rival hunter named Tarro Blood. Despite their deaths, the hunter and Mako continue their efforts to secure sponsorship, completing a number of bounties for Nem'ro. However, Nem'ro double-crosses the hunter, giving his sponsorship to a Trandoshan named Rarsk and challenging the hunter to go and take the sponsorship from Rarsk. Nem'ro is greatly pleased by the hunter's success in doing so, and agrees to officially sponsor the hunter in the Great Hunt, which will begin on the Imperial capital of Dromund Kaas.

Also in Nem'ro's industrial town of Jiguuna, an operative of the Sith Empire's Imperial Intelligence is tasked with securing an alliance between the Empire and Nem'ro, who a powerful member of the Hutt Cartel. Adopting the identity of the notorious pirate known as the Red Blade, the agent attempts to earn the trust of Karrels Javis, one of Nem'ro's lieutenants, and completes a number of sabotage missions against the operations of Nem'ro's rival Fa'athra. However, the agent is forced to find a new ally when Javis's sons are involved in an incident with a Sith that leaves one son dead and the other crippled, and Javis is eliminated as a loose end. The Rattataki mercenary Kaliyo Djannis becomes suspicious of "the Red Blade," but allies herself with the agent nonetheless upon discovering the operative's true allegiance, and aids the agent in manufacturing evidence that Fa'athra is colluding with the Republic. Nem'ro is successfully persuaded into allying with the Empire, and though the real Red Blade arrives on Hutta shortly before the agent departs, the operative kills the pirate to secure the operation, and is recalled to Dromund Kaas with Djannis.[18]

Grand Moff Rycus Kilran is eager to restart the war, and his efforts to recapture a defecting Imperial general is a success despite the loss of a number of ships to Republic forces under Grand Master Satele Shan. Kilran's efforts to capture the Republic ambassador Vyn Asara by attacking the transport Esseles fails,[18] however, forcing Imperial spokespeople to deny the Empire's involvement in an effort to distance themselves from the incident.[19] Amid the many proxy conflicts, the Empire and Republic begin to engage each other in encounters that come closer and closer to open war. The xenophobic Advozse Hegemony acquires the powerful battle station known as Hammer Station and attempts to expand their territory, but the galactic powers dispatch forces to destroy the station. A similar conflict arises when the Mandalorian Clan Varad begins terrorizing the Outer Rim with the stolen Republic warship Allusis; both governments send strike teams to destroy Clan Varad and take control of the Allusis.[18]

The Republic capital of Coruscant is still recovering from the Sacking a decade prior, and though Supreme Chancellor Dorian Janarus and Senator Vanara Kayl have led efforts to rebuild Galactic City, gangs such as the Migrant Merchants' Guild and Black Sun control entire sectors of the capital, and the Coruscant Security Force receives no help from the Imperial-backed vigilante group known as the Justicars' Brigade. Unbeknownst to the Republic, the Empire has more than just monetary influence on the capital: Imperial forces are searching the ruins of the Jedi Temple for artifacts and knowledge left behind in the building's destruction.

Yuon Par's apprentice, now a full-fledged Jedi Consular, comes to Coruscant in search of the Noetikons, ancient Jedi artifacts that could prove vital in healing Par of the mysterious illness that struck her on Tython. Fighting through various elements of Coruscant's underworld to retrieve the three devices across Coruscant, the Consular consults the Noetikons and learns of a shielding technique that successfully heals Par of her illness. However, the threat does not end there: it soon becomes apparent that the "Dark Plague" that had afflicted Par has also infected several Jedi Masters across the galaxy.

Havoc Squad's newest member, who is now the only remaining loyal member of the unit, is recalled to Coruscant with Lieutenant Aric Jorgan by General Elin Garza of SpecForce Division. There, the loyal trooper is given command of the unit as a lieutenant, Havoc Squad is reformed with the trooper and Jorgan as its first members, and Garza tasks the squad with hunting down the traitors amid an inquiry by the Galactic Senate into the recent mass defections in SpecForce. Following leads on the traitors' allies across Coruscant, Havoc Squad finally locates and defeats Jek Kardan, one of the founders of Havoc Squad and Tavus's mentor, but is then sent to rescue Senator Zorin Krasul when he is kidnapped by the Havoc traitor Wraith. Havoc Squad manages to rescue Krasul from the space station Port Raga, though the unit fails to capture Wraith.[18]

The smuggler whose ship Skavak stole on Ord Mantell pursues the "Jackal of the Stars" to Coruscant with Corso Riggs, who sets up a meeting with the gambler and information broker Darmas Pollaran in hopes of locating Skavak. With Pollaran's help, the smuggler and Riggs chase down leads on Skavak's location in various districts of the galactic capital, tangling with the Migrant Merchants' Guild and Black Sun in the process. After pursuing a lead in Justicar territory, the duo learn of a meeting between Skavak and Imperials in the Works region; the pair crash the meeting, but Skavak escapes in the confusion. However, Skavak lets slip the location of the smuggler's ship, and the captain beats Skavak back to the freighter—only to find a mysterious woman named Risha waiting in the hold.

Orgus Din and his student, now a Jedi Knight, are called to Coruscant to aid in the search for a mysterious darkness that the Jedi have sensed on the capital. However, the young Knight soon becomes involved in the efforts to retrieve the stolen Planet Prison superweapon as well as its creator, Doctor Eli Tarnis, from various gangs across the city. To the Republic's surprise, it soon becomes apparent that Tarnis is actually a Sith Lord who has infiltrated the Republic's superweapon development program, and the Knight joins forces with Padawan Kira Carsen in a race against time to prevent Tarnis from using the Planet Prison against Coruscant—but the Knight's success comes with a cost: Tarnis's father Darth Angral declares a personal war on the Republic in response to his son's death at the Jedi's hand. Taking on Carsen as a Padawan, the Knight is sent to Ord Mantell to investigate an Imperial listening post, where T7-O1 and the Jedi recover information on something called the "Desolator" that Angral is building.[18]

In contrast to Coruscant, the Imperial capital of Dromund Kaas remains largely under the firm rule of the Empire, though a number of growing threats have begun to undermine Imperial authority. The secretive Order of Revan seeks to spread their philosophies throughout the Empire despite the Dark Council's dedication to eradicating the group, and the Sith Lord Qet's effort to construct a monument to his master Vowrawn went awry when the slave workers launched a rebellion. The Sith Lord Grathan has recently declared himself the thirteenth Dark Council member, and has fortified his estate with a veritable army. The wild animals that inhabit Dromund Kaas's dark jungles still pose threats outside of the walls of Imperial cities such as the capital of Kaas City, and the Dark Temple—a Sith structure that was used to contain powerful artifacts and the bodies of the Emperor's enemies before it was sealed hundreds of years earlier—has been breached by a group of arrogant Sith Lords who quickly met their death inside; the power of the dark side has unleashed madness and unspeakable horrors from within the forbidden structure, and the Empire is struggling to contain the Temple's influence.

On Dromund Kaas, Braden's protege arrives along with a half dozen other hunters to learn that there is one spot left in the Great Hunt. Assigned a handler named Crysta Markon, the hunter is tasked with hunting down three targets on the Imperial capital in order to qualify for the Grand Melee that will decide who enters the Hunt. Tarro Blood, who has already secured a place in the Hunt, repeatedly attempts to sabotage his rival, but despite the interference the hunter successfully completes the three contracts: a Republic noble named Altaca, Grathan's apprentice Vereta Fraabaal, and the commander of an Imperial team sent into the Dark Temple. The hunter emerges victorious in the Grand Melee, securing the last spot in the Grand Hunt, and successfully steals a D5-Mantis Patrol Craft to use as the hunter's own ship as part of a Great Hunt tradition.

Upon arriving at Imperial Intelligence, the Intelligence operative is debriefed by Keeper, the head of Intelligence's Operations Division, and meets Darth Jadus, the Dark Councilor who commands Imperial Intelligence. Assigned a handler in Watcher Two, the agent and Djannis are tasked with rooting out a terrorist cell that is supposedly planning an attack on Dromund Kaas, and interrogation of rebel slaves points to a scientist named Theovor Mindak who is in the service of Lord Grathan. With the help of Mindak's daughter Samara, the operative infiltrates Grathan's estate and learns from Mindak that the terrorists plan to detonate the power conduits beneath the Dark Temple—a detonation that would severely damage Kaas City. The operative successfully stops the terrorists, but the terrorists strike a blow against the Empire nonetheless: Darth Jadus and thousands of people are killed when Jadus's flagship is destroyed by terrorists led by the mysterious "Eagle." The operative is then promoted to the rank of Cipher Agent, and "Cipher Nine" is tasked with rooting out and destroying the Eagle's terrorist network.[18]

Chapter 1

"Seven battle cruisers are en route to disputed sectors. They will reclaim our territories within the hour. Imperial Intelligence has arrested over nine hundred dissidents on Sullust and Bothawui. The dissidents will be tried, judged and executed. This is a warning to those who oppose us—and an invitation to those who would join us. The Empire abides by the Treaty of Coruscant. But should the Republic begin the war again, we will strike without mercy… and the time for choosing sides will be over." ―An Imperial propaganda speech broadcast near the end of the Cold War [src]

The planet Taris was destroyed three hundred years earlier by the Sith Lord Darth Malak, and the once great city-world was turned to ruins that have been overgrown by Taris's recovering ecosystem in the last few centuries. In the absence of settlers, Taris's environment has recovered from years of industrial pollution, though some of the planet's wildlife has been affected by the pollution and radiation. The Republic has recently begun a resettlement initiative under the Taris Reconstruction Authority and Governor Leontyne Saresh, though pirates, scavengers, corruption, rakghouls, and a number of other setbacks have impeded progress. The Republic Military maintains outposts in the wilderness, though it is unsafe for colonists to travel outside of the Republic Resettlement Zone, and the initiative's headquarters at Olaris is frequently besieged by rakghouls.

In the far reaches of the world, Republic scientists also make a disturbing discovery—a new species of rakghoul called the nekghoul has evolved, one that is Force-sensitive and intelligent. The Jedi Knight and company are sent to Taris to locate Doctor Nasan Godera, a brilliant Republic scientist who quit the Republic in disgust after the Sacking of Coruscant; however, Imperial Intelligence is already one step ahead of the Knight, forcing the Jedi to pursue Intelligence's Watcher One across Taris in a race to locate and then rescue Godera from the Empire. The Knight succeeds, but not before Watcher One is able to extract valuable information from the scientist on the subject of superweapons.

The first of the infected Masters is the Kaleesh Cin Tykan, who had been assisting the Republic in the exploration and resettlement of Taris with his Padawan Aris Vauranelle before he was overcome by the plague's madness. Tracking down Tykan, the Consular rescued Tykan's expedition from the death-trap he had led them into, and discovered that Tykan intended to destroy Taris's ruined reactors and infrastructure in order to wipe out the resettlement project. The Consular foiled Tykan's efforts, however, ending the Jedi Master's madness.[18]

The planet Balmorra is suffering under an Imperial occupation that has lasted for almost three decades, and much of the world's infrastructure and surface is heavily damaged from the years of warfare. The Imperials are fighting an ineffective battle against the Balmorran resistance, though the rebels lack the strength to drive the Empire off their homeworld themselves. However, the Republic Military and the Jedi Order have begun secretly lending their support to the resistance, and despite the Balmorrans' resentment of the Republic's abandonment of their planet at the end of the Great War, they have begun to make progress—but the arrival of Darth Lachris, the new Sith governor, begins an increased crackdown on the resistance. Lachris's forces uncover and foil a Republic invasion attempt, forcing the Republic to declare that the Jedi and Republic Military forces who participated to be rogue agents.

Balmorra is also the site of one of the Great Hunt targets—each competitor in the Great Hunt is assigned a target that they must eliminate or capture, but they must also compete against another hunter who is given the same target. Mako and the hunter's first target is Admiral Ivernus, who is stationed at Balmorra but never leaves his flagship, so the pair offer their services to Lieutenant Major Pirrell, a subordinate of the admiral, in hopes of getting close to their target. Pirrell uses the bounty hunter to sabotage various Imperial operations on the war-torn world in order to discredit his incompetent superior Colonel Sartius, and his plan successfully brings the admiral to the capital of Sobrik. Pirrell's Cathar companion Murghir reveals herself as the hunter's competition and tries to take down Ivernus, but the hunter kills both Ivernus and Murghir in the firefight and advances in the Great Hunt.

As the first step in tracking down the culprits responsible for the Dominator's destruction, Cipher Nine is sent to Balmorra and tasked with infiltrating a cell of terrorists led by the mysterious Gray Star. With the help of Sanju Pyne, Cipher Nine performs several missions for the resistance in order to win the trust of Gray Star's lieutenant Chemish Or; however, Or becomes suspicious of Pyne and kills him. Cipher Nine's cover remains intact, and Or sends the operative to extract Gray Star from the Balmorran Arms Factory—where the operative learns that Gray Star is a soldier in the Republic Army, and successfully eliminates the resistance leader.[18]

The moon of Nar Shaddaa is a hotbed of covert activity, as the Hutts' neutrality forces both the Empire and the Republic to coexist in a relatively peaceful fashion there. In the shadows, however, the Republic Strategic Information Service (SIS) and Imperial Intelligence are locked in a battle for supremacy, and the Empire maintains secret facilities such as the prison district of Shadow Town. Gangs such as the Kintan Kings battle the Exchange, the Hutt Cartel, and other criminal organizations for control of Nar Shaddaa, and the Empire's rule over parts of the moon is challenged by many of the immigrants and war refugees who inhabit areas such as the Corellian and Duros Sectors.

General Suthra dispatches the Jedi Knight to Nar Shaddaa to secure the Power Guard Project, an experimental supersoldier program run in secret by the Republic on the moon, and the Knight works with the local Strategic Information Service agents to track down the SIS agent Galen, who went missing while searching for the program. However, the Knight soon discovers that Angral's apprentice Sadic has taken control of the program, leading the Knight to pursue Sadic and the Power Guard program across the moon. Sadic destroys the SIS base with Power Guards, but the Knight nonetheless tracks him back to the prison district of Shadow Town, where Sadic—who has undergone the Power Guard process himself out of a desire for power—is killed by the Jedi.[18]

Nar Shaddaa is also the location of the Jedi Master Duras Fain, who is suspected of being infected with the Dark Plague and responsible for the fanatical criminal cult known as the Guiding Hand that has recently come to power on Nar Shaddaa. The Jedi Consular seeks out Master Bakarn's contact, the eccentric scientist Tharan Cedrax and his holographic assistant Holiday, and rescued Cedrax from a Guiding Hand attack in the Nikto Sector. With Cedrax's help, the Consular infiltrates the tech specialists known as the Red Light Lancers, and ultimately tracks down Fain in Shadow Town. Thanks to Cedrax's inventions, the Consular resists Fain's mind control attempt and defeats the crazed Jedi Master before freeing him from the effects of the plague—and the cured Fain reveals that the infected Masters were part of an ill-fated expedition to the planet Malachor III in their youth.

The hunter's next target is on Nar Shadda: the Eidolon, a notorious assassin who heads the Republic-allied Eidolon Security company. With the help of a Hutt Cartel lieutenant named Gele'ren and Mako's childhood friend Anuli, the hunter attacks the Eidolon's corporate holdings in an attempt to draw the target out. The hunter's competition, a clan of Ugnaughts, are easily dispatched, but the Eidolon kills Anuli and leaves assassin droids to kill the hunter. To the Eidolon's surprise, Mako and the hunter survive and pursue him to a safe house, where they successfully take down their target.[18]

After Sadic's defeat, General Suthra dispatches the Knight and Kira Carsen to meet with a potential defector named Admiral Hacklin, but the meeting is a trap set by Valis, a "Child" of the Sith Emperor. Valis seeks to recapture Carsen, herself a former Child who escaped the Empire, though Valis is defeated by the two Jedi.

After Cedrax joins the Jedi Consular's crew on Nar Shaddaa, the Jedi rushes to defuse the situation aboard the Republic vessel Carida, where a Jedi Knight named Laranna Fain—Duras Fain's daughter—has seemingly gone insane. After fighting off an Imperial ambush during which Fain had been injured, the Carida had been visited by a mysterious Jedi Master who "healed" the injured Jedi and departed—after which Fain started attacking everyone. The Consular ultimately heals Fain of the plague's influence, and learned that the "Jedi Master" responsible for the plague is actually a Jedi-turned-Sith named Vivicar who can only infect those he has personal contact with.

After taking down the Eidolon, the hunter and Mako are surprised to be recalled to Dromund Kaas by Huntmaster Assistant Lek, who sends the pair on a discreet assignment to locate and eliminate a slicer who stole the Great Hunt target list and is auctioning it on Nal Hutta. Before his death, the slicer reveals he was hired by a Mandalorian, and the hunter suspects Tarro Blood, whose targets were excluded from the stolen list.[18]

The desert world of Tatooine is another world where the Empire and the Republic work behind the scenes to gain an advantage over each other, with the Republic supporting the civilian inhabitants of Anchorhead and other settlements, while the Empire has established a garrison in the town of Mos Ila. The Imperial Reclamation Service scours the desert for artifacts, and the Republic Military and the Imperial Military are forced to engage pirates, the native Sand People, mercenaries, various alien species, and Tatooine's hostile wildlife. The Czerka Corporation uncovers a powerful artifact of the Rakata species in the Dune Sea, sparking a race between the two galactic powers to take control of the artifact or to destroy it before its influence spreads.

A similar situation arises when a Republic survey team accidentally awakens the servants of the mad Sith Lord Vodal Kressh on Athiss, though either the Republic or the Empire is able to destroy Kressh's servants and end the threat his power poses to the galaxy.

Sent to Tatooine, the hunter is tasked with tracking down the notorious Devaronian conman Tyresius Lokai, but an attempt to capture Lokai—who is posing as "Gellar Roing"—in the Mos Ila Spaceport sees Lokai escape. Learning that the other competitor targeting Lokai, Veeboo Lunx, was bribed by Lokai to drop out of the Hunt after shooting down the conman's ship, the hunter tracks down and eliminates Lunx before pursuing Lokai across the desert. Lokai is unable to repair his damaged ship before the hunter arrives, but after a firefight, Lokai offers his services to the hunter and uses a genetically identical body double as proof of Lokai's death. Changing his name to Gault Rennow, the Devaronian joins the hunter's crew.[18]

The Jedi Knight's next assignment is to locate the Shock Drum weapon on Tatooine, but like the Power Guard Project, the Shock Drum has already been seized by Angral's apprentice Praven. The honorable Sith challenges the Jedi to a duel for the Shock Drum control codes, as he finds Angral's command to activate the seismic superweapon to be dishonorable. After the Jedi emerges victorious, the Knight rushes to save Carsen's former Jedi Master Bela Kiwiiks, who Angral ordered Praven to leave for dead with the Shock Drum; fighting through the fearsome creatures known as sand demons, the Knight manages to rescue Kiwiiks and disarm the Shock Drum before it destabilizes the planet's core.

The Consular's next mission is to find and cure Master Eriz Vossan on Tatooine, and the Jedi retraces Vossan's steps in hopes of locating the Jedi Master. The Consular encounters a group of Jawas whom Vossan had visited, only to find that the Jedi had convinced them to try and take control of the desert with war droids. The Consular soon discovers that Vossan, in his madness, believes Tatooine's Sand People to be "the ultimate warriors," and that Vossan has gone in search of a particularly warlike tribe. The Consular finds Vossan deep in the desert with the Sand People, and after healing the Master, learns more about the expedition to Malachor. The Padawans who went to Malachor had been overcome by something evil they discovered, and in their haste to escape, one of the Padawans, Parkanas Tark, was left behind by his fellows.[18]

The Core World of Alderaan, a founding world of the Republic, suffered the loss of its Queen Silara Panteer and her son Gaul Panteer, Alderaan's Senator, not long after the Senator declared Alderaan's independence following the Treaty of Coruscant. The death of the Panteers led to a crisis of succession that gave way to a three-way civil war as the formerly exiled House Thul returned with Imperial backing and General Bouris Ulgo declared himself king before wiping out the Panteers. Houses Thul and Ulgo are opposed by the Republic-allied House Organa, and they all vie for supremacy as the minor houses ally themselves with the various factions. To make matters worse, amid the political conflict, hives of the insectoid Killik species have awoken across Alderaan and are wreaking havoc.

On Alderaan, the Jedi Consular searches for Master Sidonie Garen, who was tasked with arranging a peace conference between the houses before she became infected with the Dark Plague. Upon discovering that Alderaanian law barred the Consular from attending, the Jedi allied with the lesser House Teral and became their advocate in order to attend the conference, aiding them against House Rist and securing an alliance with House Organa. At the conference, Garen's madness led her to try and sabotage the proceedings to incite war, but the Consular was able to restore order and end Garen's plans.[18]

The Knight arrives on Alderaan in search of the Jedi's former Master Orgus Din, who had also vanished while securing the Death Mark laser—an orbital satellite meant to end the civil war by strategic assassination. With the help of a Republic scientist named Aleyna Hark, the Knight is able to locate Din and rescue him from the remains of the Death Mark research facility, only to find that Hark is a spy in the service of Angral's apprentice Nefarid—and Hark is marking targets for Nefarid to kill with the Death Mark. After preventing Hark from killing Duke Horis Thul, the Knight tracks down and defeats Nefarid, but at the same time, Master Din is killed during an attempt to infiltrate Darth Angral's ship.

With the Great Hunt drawing to a close, the hunter's next target is on Alderaan: Duke Corwin, the Durasteel Duke. The hunter seeks out Corwin's last known location—the noble family House Girard—and is recruited by Corwin's cousin, Baron Zacar Girard, to act as Girard's advocate in exchange for aid in the search. Tracking down the duke by tracing coded messages left in museum relics, the hunter pursues Corwin to House Rist but arrives only to find that Corwin had already escaped to House Organa's protection. The hunter continues the pursuit nonetheless, but finds that the Duke is in fact dead and is being impersonated by his sister Muriel for the sake of a treaty. The hunter turns in the duke's corpse, successfully earning a place in the final round of the Great Hunt.[18]

Governor Chornarov's corruption attracts the attention of the Republic, which begins an investigation into his actions; however, when the Republic is prepared to arrest him, the governor makes his move. Broadcasting live on the Holonet, Chornarov declares Cademimu's independence from the Republic, and his Cademiman Guard—many of whom are former members of the Mantellian Separatist Movement—institute martial law on the planet. Cademimu is incredibly valuable to the Republic war effort, as it is the site of missile depots that supply Republic forces along the entire Celanon Spur trade route. Chornarov's actions draw the attention of both the Republic and the Empire, and both groups dispatch strike teams to the planet in order to take back control of the planet's missile depots and thereby allow a naval fleet to enter the system. Chornarov's subordinate General Ortol, the leader of the Guard, is killed during the fighting, and the planet falls to one of the galactic powers.[18]

As the galaxy approaches war, the Republic forms a new squadron known as the Coruscant Aegis that sees service during both the Cold War and the Galactic War. The Coruscant Aegis rescues a Republic transport in the Fondor system, defends the personnel of a SIS listening post in the Syvris system when they are forced to evacuate, and destroys an Imperial space station in the Llanic system that was developing a poison known as Ziroxin-12. When an Imperial staging point is discovered in the Balosar system, the Republic sends the Coruscant Aegis to destroy the space station, and they also defeat the Empire's Razor Shyracks squadron and their leader, the Sith Lord Kestas Rone, over the planet Javaal. In the Archenar system, the Aegis eliminates a group of Imperial fighters that has been preying on Republic supply transports in Hutt Space, and also spearhead an assault on the damaged warship Overlord over Makem Te when its commander, Moff Jocend is forced to retreat there after a failed attack on Republic borders. Just before open war, the squadron defends a neutral space station from Imperial attack in the Pakuuni system, foiling the Empire's efforts to blame the Republic. In the ice rings of Kovor, the Aegis defeats an Imperial force led by the pilot Tervor Jheran when Jheran attacked a Republic squadron and attempted to frame them for breaking the Treaty. The squadron also destroys the Rancor's Claw squadron in a dogfight amid the asteroids of the Drexel system during the final days of the Cold War.[18]

Around the same time, the Empire forms the elite Empire's Fury squadron, which sees action across the galaxy. One of the squadron's first missions is the destruction of a Republic listening post in Hutt Space, and the Empire's Fury also emerges victorious when they engage the Republic's Solar Thrantas squadron and its Jedi leader, Nezhel "Sunsport" Othren, over the planet Saleucami. When a Republic fighter wing is sighted over the Imperial agriworld Nez Peron, the Empire's Fury is deployed to wipe out the starfighters for entering Imperial space, and the squadron also leads the assault on the Republic warship Enkindle over Sarapin Four after the Enkindle is damaged in a confrontation with the Imperial dreadnought Tears of Taris. The Empire's Fury also rescues Imperial Intelligence agents who are fleeing Republic forces in the Jabiim system. The Empire's Fury squadron sees action against the Republic-sympathizing Ezran pirates in the Ezran system when the Empire learns that the pirates are sheltering Republic operatives, prompting the Empire's Fury to wipe out the pirates. When Major Boro Fareed agrees to defect to the Empire, the Empire's Fury is sent to rescue his shuttle from Republic forces in the Taspan system and escorts the defector to safety. When Republic forces attack an Imperial manufacturing station in the Skaross system in violation of the ceasefire, the Empire's Fury wipes out the bombers and saves the station from the rogue Republic attackers. The Empire's Fury wipes out Republic-sponsored pirates who are setting up a minefield in the Polith system, destroys the elite Sullustan bomber squadron known as the Ash Angels when they go rogue and attack Imperial forces in the Outer Rim, and wipe out a Republic border patrol that the Empire lures away from Republic space into the ice rings of the planet Mugaar.[18]

The Republic does not have to wait long for Darth Angral's next move—using a tracking device planted by Din before his death, the Republic locates Angral's warship in the Uphrades system, but when the Knight arrives there, the fertile agriworld Uphrades has been utterly devastated by some kind of combination of the stolen superweapons. The Knight and company rescue the stricken medical frigate Daybreaker from an Imperial attack and learn from the survivors that Angral has combined the stolen superweapons into a single ship-mounted weapon: the Desolator. Having tested the Desolator on Uphrades, Angral sets his sights on Tython itself, and the Knight's crew arrives in the Tython system as the Desolator recharges for an attack. Slipping aboard the Oppressor, the Knight and Carsen disable the Desolator's reactors before facing Angral himself on the ship's bridge. However, the Emperor seizes control of Carsen briefly and orders Angral to kill the Knight. Angral falls in battle to the Knight and Carsen, but the Emperor fully possesses Carsen and attacks the Knight with Angral's fallen weapon. As the Oppressor begins to disintegrate under Jedi bombing runs, the Knight helps Carsen purge herself of the Emperor's influence, and the two escape the doomed warship. In the aftermath of the battle, Carsen is elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight, and Din's former student is named "the Hero of Tython."[18]

Studying what they know about Vivicar, the Council determines that Vivicar is likely Parkanas Tark himself, out for revenge against those who left him on Malachor—and Yuon Par something more: Malachor III was the resting place of Terrak Morrhage, the original creator of the dark plague. Using the connection forged by the plague between herself and Tark, Par attempts to track Vivicar's location, and she is successful despite a brief possession by Vivicar. The Consular travels to Vivicar's location, a ship drifting in deep space filled with brainwashed Republic soldiers, and confronts the Sith Lord. However, Tark is revealed to be nothing more than a vessel for the spirit of Terrak Morrhage, which had been awoken by the Padawans on their expedition, and despite his being defeated in a duel with the Consular, Morrhage reveals that he is infecting hundreds more Jedi Masters with each passing moment. Should Vivicar die, the infected would die as well, so the Consular instead uses the shielding technique on Vivicar, freeing Tark and forcing a weakened Morrhage to vanish while also freeing the infected. In the aftermath, Tark goes into self-imposed exile on Tython, and the Consular is granted the rank of Jedi Master and the title of Barsen'thor, or Warden of the Order.

With the Corwin bounty finished, the hunter is contacted by former Grand Champion Hedarr Soongh, who warns the hunter that Tarro Blood's allies are gathering on Nar Shaddaa to plan an attack. Heeding the advice, the hunter disrupts Blood's allies' plans, but Soongh is killed in the chaos. The final target in the Great Hunt is Master Kellian Jarro, a Jedi Master commanding the Republic cruiser Aurora, and the final competitor is Tarro Blood. Blood has already been captured, and has warned the Aurora of his competitor's impending arrival. Despite the forewarning, the hunter is able to board the Aurora and locate Jarro, killing Blood on the way. After taking down the Jedi Master, the hunter destroys the Aurora and is crowned the Grand Champion of the Great Hunt.[18]

Chapter 2

"The danger to Tython is over, but we're getting fresh reports of hostilities all over the galaxy. Another war with the Empire seems inevitable."

"Darth Angral was the spark that lit the flame. Even in failure, he inspired the Sith to violence." ―General Var Suthra and Master Bela Kiwiiks [src]

In the aftermath of recent events—particularly the open war that Darth Angral waged against the Republic—the Treaty of Coruscant has begun to disintegrate, and the Sith Empire launches an invasion of Taris, seeking to destroy the work done by the Republic's recent reconstruction efforts. Darth Gravus and his forces establish a garrison in the Brell Sediment and steadily drives the Republic back towards their initial settlement of Olaris, demoralizing the fierce Cathar settlers and destroying many of the facilities and colonies established by the Republic. As the invasion continues, Olaris itself is invaded, and the Republic is forced into a mass evacuation of their colonists. Similarly, the Republic sends their forces to support the Balmorran resistance in driving the Empire off of Balmorra. Despite the resistance's resentment of the Republic for abandoning them at the end of the last war, they work with the Republic Military in retaking much of the planet, and the Balmorran Arms Factory itself is recaptured amid significant Imperial losses on other fronts.

The new Grand Champion is soon summoned to a meeting with by Mandalore the Vindicated himself, where the hunter is introduced to the past Grand Champions and sent on a mission for Mandalore: hunting down the Sithspawn Akure on Dromund Kaas. While doing so, the hunter encounters a young Mandalorian named Torian Cadera. The Grand Champion is inducted into the Mandalorians by Mandalore, and given access to the exclusive Blacklist of bounties.[18]

Amid the growing unrest, the Jedi Master Oteg is visited by a mysterious Force ghost who informs him of a powerful Jedi held prisoner by the Emperor in the Maelstrom nebula. To navigate the notoriously dangerous nebula, a computer built by the Gree species is required; Oteg therefore gathers a team of powerful Republic operatives to retrieve the computer from the Imperial outpost on the planet Taral V. Oteg then leads the First Expeditionary Fleet in an assault on the Imperial Fifth Fleet that is guarding the Maelstrom Prison while his operatives board the station and fight their way to the prisoner, killing Grand Moff Rycus Kilran in the process. The prisoner is in fact the Jedi Master Revan, kept alive for the last three centuries by the Emperor, and after he is freed, Revan decides to bring the war to an end by eliminating the Sith Empire permanently. To that end, he takes control of the long-lost Rakatan space station known as the Foundry, which he puts to use in manufacturing an army of extermination droids to wipe out the Empire. Revan's freedom incites the Emperor to war, as Revan had been manipulating the Sith ruler through their mental bond and making the Emperor delay his plans for galactic annihilation. Learning of Revan's intentions, Darth Malgus gathers an Imperial strike team that captures the Republic ship Dorin's Sky, which is then used to bypass the Republic blockade around the Foundry. Malgus's operatives proceed to board the Foundry and fight through the Republic forces and Foundry droids aboard the station, and Revan is defeated in a final battle after which he disappears in a flash of light.[18]

During the invasion of Taris, the Grand Champion pursues the first bounty from the Blacklist: Jicoln Cadera, an exiled Mandalorian rival of Mandalore and an initiation of sorts—not one of the two dozen hunters who have tried to capture Cadera in the decade he's been on Taris have succeeded, and not all returned alive. The hunter soon discovers that someone else is hunting Cadera—his son Torian, who seeks to kill his father and restore his clan's honor. With Torian's help, the hunter pursues Cadera across Taris, and though Torian is injured in a confrontation with Jicoln, he succeeds in injuring his father in return. Tracking Cadera, the Grand Champion corners him in one of his scattered camps and takes him down, earning Torian's respect and leading the young man to join the hunter's crew.[18]

On the adrenal-producing world of Quesh, Moff Dracen seeks to force the Republic to break the Treaty outright and officially launch the growing Galactic War. As a result, his forces sabotage Republic adrenal operations on the planet, a campaign that ends with the death of two of the three members of the Three Families—the Hutts working with the Republic to produce adrenals on Quesh. The survivor, Broga Masrii, allies himself with the Empire, but returns to the Republic when Dracen seizes Broga's Palace. General Korvan leads the Republic Military in combating the Empire on Quesh as the war begins, and his forces successfully infiltrate Broga's Palace and capture Dracen—but Korvan is betrayed by his subordinate and Broga is captured by the Empire. Broga is rescued, but the two galactic powers continue to struggle for control of the valuable planet.

The Grand Champion receives a job offer from AdasCorp to be their corporate spokesperson, but a meeting on Quesh turns out to be something completely different—a trap set by the SIS and the Jedi that the hunter barely escapes.[18]

Another battlefront where the Empire prepares for full-fledged war is the ice world of Hoth, which was the site of a major fleet battle in the last war and is now littered with the valuable wreckage of dozens of prototype vessels. Hoth becomes the site of a three-way battle between the Republic, the Empire, and the White Maw pirate group, as the Republic struggles to drive back the powerful White Maw and the Empire seeks to bog down the Republic war effort here. The Empire hopes to force the Republic to devote more and more of their resources to Hoth, thus weakening the Republic for the Empire's coming offensive.

Despite the Quesh incident, the hunter's crew nonetheless pursues another target from the Blacklist—the Trandoshan pirate Reneget Vause on the planet Hoth. With the help of a Jawa scavenger named Blizz, the hunter tracks down Vause, but the pirate sees the Grand Champion as unworthy to fight him and leaves. Blizz helps the hunter find and eliminate a number of Vause's rivals in the White Maw organization in order to prove the Champion's worthiness, and after taking down Vause's friend Ki-Ta Kren to draw him out, the hunter successfully defeats Vause. As the group departs Hoth, Blizz joins the hunter's crew.[18]

As war breaks out, the Coruscant Aegis defends a space station in the Kalee system whose personnel want to defect, and they also destroy the Sith Lord Javis Koldor's flagship Scream of Ragnos over the Unknown Regions world of Zosha. When Mandalorians attempt to blockade the Hydian Way as they did in the Great Galactic War, the Coruscant Aegis is sent to smash the blockade and reopen the route. The squadron also sees action against Mandalorians in the Unknown Regions' Impossible Sector, where they destroy another Mandalorian attempt at a blockade and restore the flow of goods to the Republic through the sector.

In the early days of the renewed war, the Empire's Fury is called into service at Aeten II in the Unknown Regions when traitors aboard the space station Kilran's Lance disable the facility's defenses just as the Republic attack; along with the Imperial fleet, the squadron drives back the Republic and secures the station. The Empire's Fury also proves essential in the destruction of the famous Republic capital ship the Intercessor above the planet Vondoru, aiding the Imperial fleet against Republic reinforcements. When the Republic manages to blockade the main supply rout to the Chiss Ascendancy, the Empire's Fury is sent to smash the minefield blockade and reopen the supply lane to the Empire's allies.[18]

The insectoid Colicoids, famed weapon-makers who have remained neutral thus far, issue a challenge to both the Republic and the Empire: a contest of military might, the winner of which receives an exclusive contract with the Colicoids. Both governments send small strike forces to the Colicoid's battleground in the Outer Rim, and the two groups of combatants face off against Colicoids and advanced droids and weapons of their making. As promised, the victor receives the contract with the Colicoids.

Amid the growing conflict, an Imperial ship makes a bold strike at the heart of the Core Worlds—the Jedi enclave on the planet Rhinnal is destroyed, and the Republic frigate Toron Voq is obliterated when it tries to investigate. In its last moments, the Toron Voq relays images of a Sith dreadnaught, albeit an outdated model. However, the Republic intercepts Imperial communications that reveal it is not the Empire behind the attack: over the last few days, the same ship has been attacking the fortresses of non-pureblood Sith Lords. The ship is the Red Reaper under the command of the pureblood Sith Lord Darth Ikoral, who is obsessed with blood purity and has not been seen since he left on a mission to locate other purebloods outside of the Empire seventy years earlier. The Red Reaper soon strikes again at Chandrila, but strike forces sent by both galactic powers board the Red Reaper in orbit, and Darth Ikoral is killed in the fighting.[18]

Impressed by the newest Champion's successes, the other Grand Champions arrange a party on Nar Shaddaa—but the hunter arrives to find the other Champions dead, killed by a Jedi-lead strike team that reports to the same mysterious Jedi behind the Quesh trap. The Jedi seeks to bring the hunter to justice for Jarro's death and the Aurora's destruction, and Chancellor Janarus himself announces a massive bounty on the hunter, framing the Grand Champion for dozens of crimes. As the Empire publicly distances itself from the Champion, the hunter is ordered to report to the Sith Lord Darth Tormen, who forcibly enlists the services of the hunter but promises revenge against the Jedi who framed the Champion—Jun Seros.[18]

Chapter 3

"… the Emperor and his proxies have made their intent clear. Their fleets are entering the Core systems. They have broken the Treaty of Coruscant. Along the Mid Rim, they herd our people into makeshift prisons out of fear of rebellion. Unspeakable crimes have been committed. Survivors in the Mid Rim report the near-wholesale slaughter of colonies. Surrender isn't enough--they only want death. Their captives--our surrendered colonies—are going silent. Let there be no mistake: we are at war." ―Chancellor Janarus officially dissolves the Treaty of Coruscant [src]

With Revan seemingly dead and open warfare breaking out across the galaxy, the Empire's forces directly invade the Mid Rim, and Chancellor Janarus officially dissolves the Treaty of Coruscant in response to the Empire's invasion and war crimes. The Empire pushes their forces even further in an invasion of the Core Worlds, seizing the planet Corellia with the help of the Corellian Council.[18] However, the Corellian invasion is kept secret in its early stages,[20] as the war's focus is still in the Outer Rim—unknowingly directed by the Sith Emperor.

The Hero of Tython finally breaks free from the Emperor's mental control and, with the surprising help of Lord Scourge, escapes back to Tython. Scourge reveals to the Jedi Council that the Emperor intends to commit galactic genocide—through a powerful Sith ritual, he will consume all life in the galaxy—but he needs a sacrifice of planetary proportions to begin. With Scourge as an uneasy ally, the Knight and crew head to the Republic prison planet of Belsavis, where the Emperor has manipulated the Empire into invading the Republic prison complex as his agent Executor Krannus works to destroy the world.

Ace and crew meet with Darmas Pollaran and Senator Dodonna aboard Port Nowhere, and they both pledge their help to the smuggler's efforts to take down Rogun the Butcher. The first step is to locate Rogun's former mentor Ivory, a crime lord imprisoned on Belsavis, and so the smuggler sets out for the prison world.[18]

An ancient Rakatan prison world upon which the Republic built their own secret prison, Belsavis was kept hidden from the Empire, but they learned of the planet's location when Ivory contacted them on a stolen transmitter. The Empire arrives and promptly bombards the planet, damaging much of the prison and releasing the facility's inmates—criminals who immediately begin to riot with the aid of the Empire. Beyond that, the Empire seeks to free the six Sith Lords known as the Dread Masters, and numerous Imperial task forces are sent in to locate and free them. As the chaos spreads throughout the planet, it is soon discovered that the Empire's bombardment damaged the Rakatan prison as well, and the strange Esh-kha species is unleashed from the planet's depths along with monstrous Rakatan creatures. The Esh-kha even kidnap the Dread Masters, but the Empire frees them nonetheless. The Republic also foils the Esh-kha's plot to free the mysterious World Razer entity from its imprisonment.

Finding Grand Master Shan's Jedi contact dead, the Hero enlists the criminal-tunred-honorary-guard Pak Taldine's help in tracking down Krannus; the Executor's subordinates and members of his death cult slow down the Jedi, but the Hero catches up to Krannus in the Rakatan prison known as the Tomb and prevents him from detonating the prison's hyperspace-powered central power core.[18]

Darth Tormen seeks to suppress the growing resistance to Imperial rule on Corellia, but first hires the Grand Champion to eliminate two potential threats to his plan. The first is on Belsavis: Zale Barrows, a former Republic privateer who now works as the unofficial "ferryman" for Belsavis prison. Barrows was unable to leave Belsavis before the Imperial invasion, and the hunter arrives in the early stages of the battle as the Empire seeks to free strategically important prisoners and incite rioting. With the help of an aggressive Houk prisoner named Skadge, who blames Barrows for his imprisonment, the hunter pursues Barrows deeper and deeper into the prison facilities, until the Champion and Skadge finally catch up to him in the Tomb. Skadge exacts his revenge on Barrows and joins the hunter's crew as they depart Belsavis—only to find that one of the group has been kidnapped. A ransom message lures the Grand Champion to Hoth, where the hunter defeats the kidnappers and learns that they are members of the GenoHaradan group.[18]

The Core World of Corellia has suffered under Imperial occupation since the dissolution of the Treaty of Coruscant, as the Dark Councilor Darth Decimus organized an invasion that cut off all communication with the Republic. However, the Corellian people have resisted the Empire's rule, and battles rage throughout the capital of Coronet City and the outlying regions as the Green Jedi and the Corellian Security Force lead the Corellians in waging guerrilla war against the Empire. The Republic soon manages to establish a foothold in the Blastfield Shipyards and lends their support to the Corellians.

With the support of the Rift Alliance, the Voss, and the Esh-kha, the Barsen'thor sets out for Corellia, and at Janarus's request, the Jedi's forces intercept and stop an Imperial fleet led by the dreadnaught Javelin from reaching Corellia.

With Redrish and Barrows eliminated, Darth Tormen summons the Grand Champion to Corellia for his plan to crush the Corellian people's spirit. He identifies a number of high-profile targets who are influential in the Corellian resistance, and sends the hunter to capture them alive: Chairman Harlon Fane of the Corellian Corporate Council, the Selonian rebel Shrona Bel-Il, and CorSec Commissioner Jonah Carter. Tormen then forces his prisoners to formally surrender to the Empire, and the Imperial puppet Prime Minister Cal Falcone officially submits to Imperial rule. Just as Tormen planned, the surrender spurs the Republic to mobilize a fleet to aid Corellia, and both Jun Seros and Chancellor Janarus accompany the fleet. After killing Jun Seros and avenging the other Grand Champions, the hunter infiltrates the Chancellor's vessel and assassinates him, dealing a severe blow to Republic morale.[18]

In the following days, the Republic elects Leontyne Saresh as Janarus's successor in an emergency session, and she continues to send reinforcements to Corellia—but Decimus's forces smash the Republic forces and eliminate the entire Green Jedi Council, driving the Republic back to the Blastfield Shipyards.

Chapter 3 Epilogue: The Ilum Front

"Fellow Sith. Citizens of the Empire. Too long the strength of the Empire has been beholden to the in-fighting of the Dark Council and the disappearance of an apathetic Emperor. Sith, children of Sith and warriors everywhere, I declare a new Empire, open to all who long for conquest, freedom from inhibition and the right to follow their passions." ―Darth Malgus declares the New Empire [src]

Despite their heavy losses on Corellia, the Empire continues to press the offensive against the Republic—Grand Moff Ilyan Regus initiates Operation Dark Ice, a plan to use crystals from the planet Ilum to create a fleet of stealth ships. Supreme Commander Rans works to counter the Empire's plans on Ilum with the support of alien allies such as the Wookiees, Kaleesh, and Ongree, and the Battle of Ilum rages across the once serene ice world. Regus's forces strike blows against the Republic when they slay Jedi Master Jaric Kaedan and Admiral Shai, but the Republic—aided surprisingly by Darth Malgus—retake the captured Jedi Temple and also slay Darth Arho, Darth Baras's successor on the Dark Council.

To the surprise of both the Republic and the Empire, Darth Malgus broadcasts a declaration of a New Empire—one that embraced allies of any species, and would be free of the infighting and petty bickering of the Sith Empire. Malgus then reveals that he has in fact secured many Adegan crystals for his own stealth armada, and seizes the fallen Emperor's space station as his own. Malgus's lieutenant Darth Serevin leads a massive invasion of Ilum, turning the conflict into a three-way war. However, Serevin is slain in an assault on Malgus's base, Fort Barrow, along with many of Malgus's alien allies. The Empire and Republic then besiege Malgus the Betrayer's space station, but he unveils the technical prowess of his Anomid allies and uses powerful flux cannons to attack the enemy fleets.[18]

Enemy forces board the space station and fight their way through Malgus's forces, removing the flux cannons from Malgus's control and also destroying a repaired HK-47. Malgus's New Imperial Guard is unable to prevent the invaders from reaching the throne room, and Malgus himself confronts his enemies in a titanic battle—one that ends with Malgus falling to his death as the space station comes under fire from both the Republic and the Empire.[18] Malgus's short-lived rebellion nevertheless severely affects the Empire's ability to wage war, as much of their forces defected to the New Empire. Along with the loss of most of the Dark Council to both the Republic and infighting, the Empire begins to struggle to maintain their offensive against the Republic.[21]

During the fighting on Belsavis, bombardment unintentionally breaches a section of the ancient Rakatan prison—a section known as the Eternity Vault. Realizing that they may have unleashed something that even the Rakata wished to keep locked away, both groups send forces to seal the vault. Battling through Rakatan defenses and powerful prisoners, the true threat in the vault is revealed: the Rakatan warlord Soa, who falls after a titanic battle.[18]

Amid the galactic conflict, the vengeful Tionese scientist Sannus Lorrick unleashes the rakghoul plague upon the Tion Hegemony, an independent sector in the far reaches of the galaxy and Lorrick's home before he was exiled for conducting deranged experiments on sentient beings. Lorrick arranges for unsuspecting pilots to ferry the virus to worlds across the Hegemony, and an infected risp carried by the smuggler Zama Brak brings down the passenger liner Stardream over Tatooine, forcing both the Republic and the Empire to quarantine the planet as the virus infects the native wildlife and settlers.

The galactic powers investigate the outbreak on the planet Kaon and learn of Lorrick's hand in the crisis, prompting an all-out assault on Lorrick's island laboratory on Ord Mantell to end the threat that the insane scientist posed. Lorrick is killed during the fighting, ending his plans for the conquest and destruction of the Tion Hegemony.

Sensing the Emperor's apparent death, the Dread Masters decide to break from the Empire, as the one being worthy of their loyalty is no longer at its head. Using their powers to manipulate minds through fear, the Dread Masters acquire a growing force of Imperial soldiers and ships and begin to attack the edges of Hutt Space, wielding Force phantoms and driving their enemies insane with fear in order to eliminate any opposition. Threatened, the Hutt Cartel's Supreme Mogul Karagga orders his forces to expand the borders of Hutt Space to make up for the lost territory, and he severs ties with the Empire after the mysterious attackers are identified as Imperial ships. This decision and the Hutt annexation of ten neutral systems on the Republic–Hutt border draw the attention of both the Empire and the Republic, and when Karagga attacks the Republic and the Empire's emissaries, a battle ensues that ends with Karagga's death.[18]

However, the Dread Masters's role in the recent events are unknown to both the Republic and the Empire as the two galactic powers continue to war. When extensive deposits of baradium are discovered on the planet Denova, the Republic hires the mercenary army know as the Warstalkers, led by the Trandoshan Kephess, to secure the world due to manpower shortages. The Empire invaded the planet as well, but three months into the fighting, the Dread Masters took control of both the Warstalkers and the Imperial soldiers on Denova, manipulating their minds and conscripting them to their cause. Kephess is transformed into the Dread Masters's "vessel," their chosen instrument to spread chaos and terror, and the situation on Denova devolves into a three-way battle between the Republic, the Empire, and Kephess's forces. Kephess and his subordinates are finally killed by strike teams sent by the Republic and the Empire, but the Dread Masters reveal themselves to both governments and declare that they are loyal only to themselves, secretly resurrecting Kephess and shaping his body into a monstrous form.

The Dread Masters' next action is to invade the Gree world of Asation, which is home to the powerful Grand Hypergate; Kephess leads the Dread Masters' forces in securing the hypergate, and the Gree soon seek help from the galactic powers as creatures from other dimensions threaten to overrun them. Imperial and Republic forces drive back the invading creatures, and when Kephess unleashes an enormous monstrosity—Lotek'k, the Terror From Beyond—from the hypergate, it is driven back to its home dimension and Kephess is killed.[18]

Despite their defeat, the Dread Masters' forces transmit the secrets of Gree technology back to their masters.[22]

Their role in recent events exposed, the Dread Masters mobilize their forces—now known as the Dread Host—and dispatch them to Section X, the site of the original prison on Belsavis and where the Dread Masters were kept for part of their imprisonment. The Host has a number of goals: acquisition of Rakatan technology such as the powerful Aurora Cannon, recruitment from those imprisoned there, and securing the formidable HK-51 series assassin droids that their apprentice once tried to use to free the Sith Lords decades ago. The Dread Host is unable to secure the droids, which are stored in the apprentice's crashed warship, and the Republic and the Empire also succeed in foiling the Host's other plans.[18]

Determined to save the Empire, Darth Marr adopts Malgus's pro-alien philosophy and institutes reforms in the Empire, allowing aliens such as Cathar and Kaleesh to serve in the military in order to restore their military strength.[11] His attempt to secure the loyalties of Darth Karrid, Malgus's former apprentice and commander of the powerful superweapon-ship Ascendant Spear, by elevating her to the Dark Council fails thanks to Operation End Game, a joint operation conducted by the SIS and the Jedi Order. The Empire suffers significant losses in the process, both because of the Republic and because of further infighting, and Minister of Logistics Davidge warns him that the Empire will soon collapse if something is not done to secure new resources.[21]

Chapter 4: Rise of the Hutt Cartel

"Why worry about a future threat when the Republic is on the verge of taking Korriban?"

"Because what no one knows is this: The Hutts chose Makeb not for its wealth, but for a substance called 'isotope-5'—a mineral capable of twisting gravity and electromagnetic fields. The Hutts have kept it a secret, but one gram could provide a near-infinite power source. Isotope-5 could remake the Hutts into a force to rival the Republic." ―Darth Marr briefs his operatives [src]

In the wake of Karagga's death, the Hutt Toborro seizes the leadership of the Hutt Cartel, establishing himself as the new Supreme Mogul with Szajin, as his right-hand man. Seeing the Empire weakened, Toborro decides to continue Karagga's campaign of expansion, but with the planet Makeb at the heart of a new era of Hutt conquest—for Makeb is home to deposits of the incredibly rare and powerful mineral known as isotope-5. Isotope-5 is capable of warping electromagnetic and gravitational fields, and a gram of the substance can generate immense amounts of power. Toborro therefore pays off Makeb's defense force, the mercenary army known as the InterStellar Regulators, to help the Hutts conquer the world, and the Cartel blockades the Makeb system as Toborro begins to mine the isotope-5 in Makeb's core without any regard for what it would do to the planet.[11]

Upon learning of the Hutts' actions, Chancellor Saresh consults with the Jedi Order and learns that the Hutts will likely try to continue their conquests if they are not stopped, so she pledges Republic aid to the citizens of Makeb. Saresh's forces make contact with Shalim Avesta, leader of the Makeb resistance and the planet's de facto Head of State, and help him rescue his niece Lemda, who is a geophysicist who was captured by the Regulators after she discovered that Toborro's drilling will cause the planet to break apart. After breaking into the Hutt Embassy in Makeb's capital Talaos City, the Republic forces and the Makeb resistance learn of the Ark, an enormous vessel being constructed inside the hollow Giant's Spear mesa that will ferry Toborro, the other Cartel personnel, and their isotope-5 stores off of the planet when the planet begins to break apart. The Republic and resistance forces promptly seize the Giant's Spear and the Ark, repurposing the vessel to carry Makeb's civilians as a true ark to safety.[11]

A furious Toborro unleashes the Regulators against the Avesta Plantation, but the Republic forces head off the Regulators on the Fingers mesa and also destroy the Storm Carrier warship, killing the Regulator Vice-Commandant Grevin in the process. Toborro then reveals that the Ark is powered by isotope-5 before sending his Regulators to attack the settlement of Tarlam along with isotope-5 droids, powerful war droids powered by isotope-5, though the Republic and the resistance evacuate Tarlam's civilians to the Ark. Desperate for a fuel source to power the Ark, the Republic and resistance forces assault the Sanctuary research complex in order to locate Dr. Juvard Illip Oggurobb, a Hutt scientist and the creator of the Ark and the isotope-5 droids. The Republic forces are able to successfully locate Oggurobb with the Hutt's help in bypassing the Sanctuary's security systems, as Oggurobb wishes to defect to the Republic because he has realized Toborro has gone insane.[11]

Oggurobb confirms that Toborro possesses the fuel rods, but warns the Republic that the Hutt leader has increased mining operations to maximum levels—an action that will result in the destruction of Makeb long before the civilians are evacuated. Republic forces then disable several mining platforms and vent the planet's core, reducing the buildup of heat and the seismic activity, giving them more time. Around the same time, most of the leaders of the Hutt Cartel, having come to recognize that Toborro has gone insane, approach Shalim Avesta and the Republic with a request to board the Ark. The Republic convinces Avesta to allow the Hutts aboard the Ark in exchange for an alliance between the Hutt Cartel and the Republic, gaining the Republic a new ally in the ongoing war. Using a secret entrance provided by Oggurobb, Republic forces infiltrate Toborro's Palace and search for the fuel rods, confronting the mad Cartel leader. Toborro unleashes a powerful isotope-5 droid known as Toborro's Glittering Fury upon the intruders, but after it is defeated, the Hutt commits suicide by igniting his isotope-5 stockpiles in an attempt to kill the Republic forces. However, the Republic forces escape with the fuel rods before the palace's destruction and return to the Ark, where the fuel rods are installed and the Ark is launched just as the Giant's Spear collapses.[11]

The Hutt Cartel is ordered to supply a new home and credits to the people of Makeb as part of their alliance with the Republic, but the Republic is surprised to see that Makeb's destruction did not come to pass—unbeknownst to them, Darth Marr's Imperial strike team was able to prevent the planet's destruction. As the crisis passes, it is discovered that Regulator holdouts are still alive down on the surface with thousands of civilians who were believed to be dead, leading Supreme Commander Malcom to devote Republic forces towards rescuing the people and securing the still-valuable world.

During this time, the forces of the Dread Masters acquire the Seeds of Rage—powerful dark-side machines constructed by the Sith Lord Fulminiss—when they convince a guard to help steal them from the Arcanum, the Sith Emperor's secret storehouse of Sith artifacts and dark-side experiments. The Dread Masters bury the Seeds on planets across the galaxy so that they can sow fear and darkness as the Seeds warp the environments around them, prompting both the Arcanum's keeper Darth Acina and the Jedi Master Cedral Gend to recruit help in locating and recovering the Seeds. However, the Sith Lord Tagriss leads a raid on the Arcanum after learning of the station's location, wreaking havoc and making off with the powerful Darkstaff. The Seeds are recovered from the planets where they have been buried, and the Darkstaff eventually traced to the Dread Guard on Belsavis—the Dread Guardsman Varrow has been experimenting with the weapon, but is ultimately defeated, and the Darkstaff vanishes. Tagriss is tracked down to an abandoned temple on Ilum, where he is experimenting with the Seeds of Rage; Tagriss's death ends the threat that the Seeds pose to the galaxy.[11]

When the Mandalorian warlord Rimark captures the plans for the Republic's secret mining facility known as the Void Anvil, the Coruscant Aegis is deployed in the Thanium sector to prevent Rimark from selling them to the Empire, and they also head up a preemptive strike against the Sith Lord Darth Ordrem's fleet in the Baros system. The Coruscant Aegis defends the Republic's Ardis Outpost from an Imperial attack, destroys the Empire's Regnant Station refueling outpost, wipes out Imperial starfighters and prototype satellite-controlled mines in the asteroids of the New Cov system, and also defends the Republic's prototype bomber, the Gilded Meteor, on its test flight through the Ferra sector when the Empire attacked it over Hypori.

The Mandalorian warlord Varek Tarn manages to steal the plans for the Imperial shipyard Sovereign Forge and attempts to sell it in the Cha Raaba system, though the Empire's Fury prevents the sale of the plans to the Republic, and the unit also eliminates the Republic's Captain Duma and his plans to hunt down the Empire's top pilots. The Empire's Fury protects the D-1Z prototype bomber from Republic forces on its maiden voyage over the planet Lorta, destroys the Republic refueling station known as the Far Cradle in the Unknown Regions, defends the Empire's Kabal Station from Republic attack in the Outer Rim, and also wipes out the Republic's attempt to lay mines in the Bimmiel system and thereby restores Imperial traffic through the Kanz sector.[18]

Amidst the conflict, the SIS and the Dark Council learn of a new threat—the legendary superspy known only as the Shroud has resurfaced, having gone independent after being hired by the Hutt Cartel to gather information for their planned invasion of Makeb. While the SIS discovers the Shroud's activities through standard intelligence-gathering, the Empire—still without an intelligence organization—instead receives the Shroud's lieutenant Evie Bo, who fled the Shroud's organization. SIS agent Deena Riss spearheads efforts to track down the Shroud and his agents in hopes of foiling whatever attack on the Republic the spy has planned, while Darth Mortis's operatives do the same, and it is soon discovered that the Shroud intends to use hyperspace beacons to crash remote-piloted capital ships into both Kaas City and Galactic City. The Shroud's efforts are ultimately foiled, though Evie Bo is killed and the Shroud survives thanks to body doubles.

In the midst of the Hutt Cartel's break for power, Dread Master Styrak initiates his own effort to advance the Dread Masters' cause. Styrak gathers an army of mercenaries on the desert planet of Darvannis in Hutt Space, though the mercenaries and the galaxy at large believe they have been gathered to work for the Hutt Cartel. The Republic learns of the threat thanks to the GenoHaradan, while Moff Varnus Orlec learns of the arms bazaar and mercenary recruitment when the Empire captures the smuggler Shaedo ferrying ordnance to Darvannis. The governments send in strike teams to disrupt the gathering and eliminate the threat they represent, and Styrak is ultimately defeated and killed in a battle with the invaders. At Styrak's death, the other Dread Masters take their fallen comrades' power, and the Sith Lords begin to advance their plans to destroy the galaxy.[11]

Chapter 4 Interlude: The Dread War

Raptus: "We felt our brother's doom on Darvannis. We felt peace. When we have enslaved the galaxy, slaughter will follow." Calphayus: "Birth. Pain. Fear. Death. The cycle of existence." Bestia: "Oblivion will overtake all that is. At the end, we too will taste death's solace." ―The Dread Masters[src]

In light of the incident on Tatooine involving the Imprisoned One, and the Empire's attacks on Czerka's Corellia facilities, the Republic decided to seize the company's assets and property in an effort to nationalize the collapsing and corrupt organization. Negotiating a deal with the Republic, Czerka submitted to the Department of Adjudication's investigations and the Republic takeover. The Empire began their own negotiations with Czerka's Weapons Division chief operating officer Eva Kaayz. However, Czerka Special Executive Rasmus Blys—who replaced Yem Leksende after the man's death aboard the Star Chamber—refused to submit to the Republic and sent his remote research facility, CZ-198, into lockdown. Blys activated a prototype security system called the Vigilant, prompting the Republic to send in forces to breach and secure the facility; the Empire also sent in their own forces to capture CZ-198 in hopes of sealing the deal with Kaayz. CZ-198's defenses are unable to hold against the invaders, and Blys unleashes a number of strange experiments against the attackers in a failed attempt to drive them back. Blys is killed, but in his dying moments he unleashes the Vigilant—a massive Flesh Raider who has been merged with the facility's security systems. The Vigilant primes the facility's core to explode, prompting the invaders to head deeper into the facility and battle the Vigilant's droid forces. The Vigilant is ultimately defeated, averting the facility's destruction, and the Republic and Empire continue to battle for control of CZ-198.[18]

When the SIS learns of the Dread Masters' base on the moon Oricon—having sent an independent operative undercover in the Dread Host[23]—the Republic organizes a large fleet supported by Jedi to bombard the moon. However, the Dread Masters overwhelm the fleet from orbit with their power, and Master Ogan-Dei marshals the remaining members of Strike Force Oricon on Oricon's surface, though many of their forces are driven insane before the Jedi can shield the soldiers. The Empire also sends a task force under Lord Hargrev, who shields his own forces from the Dread Masters's fear powers. Republic and Imperial forces battle crazed soldiers, Jedi, and Sith as well as the Dread Host; after one faction disables the security around the Dread Fortress, the Dread Masters broadcast their plans to seed the planets of the galaxy with exotic technology and biological weapons that will drive the galaxy insane with fear. The Dread Masters's enemies, determined to stop the mad Sith Lords, storm the Dread Fortress and confront the Dread Masters directly. Brontes is the first to fall, slain by her enemies in defense of the fortress, and the other Dread Masters are defeated in battle as the Dread Palace, the inner sanctum of their fortress, is besieged. However, the four remaining Masters—Bestia, Tyrans, Calphayus, and Raptus—retreat to the heart of the Palace and, supported by the spirits of the fallen Styrak and Brontes, clash with their enemies in a final battle. The Dread Masters ultimately fall, and their mad plan to destroy the galaxy is brought to an end.[18]

With the threat of the Dread Masters eliminated, the Republic and the Empire return their attention to each other, and full-fledged war resumes among the galactic powers. Admiral Zasha Ranken of the Imperial Forward Command formulates a plan to take Kuat Drive Yards, a major shipyard that supplies the Republic Navy, and Admiral Bey'wan Aygo of the Republic First Fleet rallies his forces to defend Kuat and its shipyards from the Imperials. Starfighters clash in engagements across the Kuat sector as the two factions vie for control of KDY.[18]

Chapter 5 Prelude: Forged Alliances

"There's something in the Force that I've never felt before. It exists nowhere and everywhere at once. Writhing, growing. I think I sense this 'growth' because I'm tied to it somehow, maybe by association to Darth Arkous. I think… I think the Empire's in terrible danger." ―Lana Beniko [src]

Darth Arkous, the successor to Darth Arho as head of the Sphere of Military Offense, learns of a hole in Tython's defenses and plans an assault to take the Jedi Temple. However, at the same time, SIS agent Theron Shan and Colonel Rian Darok plan a massive assault to take Korriban and the Sith Academy. Both attacks are simultaneous and successful. The Empire's assault lays waste to the Gnarls region and the Jedi Temple, and many Jedi—including Master Oric Traless of the High Council are killed. Arkous's subordinate Lord Goh locates Arkous's true objective: something powerful hidden in the Jedi Council's vaults. On Korriban, Republic forces overrun the Valley of the Dark Lords and take the Sith Academy, defeating the Dark Councilor Darth Soverus in the process. Defeated, Soverus rants about an old man and a vision before the Jedi commander Jensyn cuts him down. Darth Arkous is enraged to learn of the Republic's attack on Korriban, and the Empire's forces land in force on the planet to retake the Sith Academy. Despite the heavy Jedi presence, the Empire retakes Korriban and the Academy, though the dying Jedi commander Jensyn cryptically warns the Sith that "it is happening." Lana Beniko suspects Arkous of an ulterior motive when she realizes his true goal in attacking Tython, and senses an unknown presence somewhere within the Force. At the same time, Shan warns Darok of the attack on Tython, sparking a Republic counterattack that overwhelms the Imperial invaders. Similar to Beniko, Theron Shan is suspicious of Colonel Darok's motives.[18]

Their suspicions are soon confirmed: Beniko and Shan both track their quarries to the ocean world of Manaan, where they are set to visit Genetics Laboratory G-1 on the ocean floor. In their search, Shan and Beniko encounter each other, and enter an uneasy alliance as they pursue the traitors who orchestrated the attacks on Tython and Korriban. Their allies pursue Arkous and Darok to the underwater facility, where it is discovered that they have hired the Selkath scientist Gorima to create cybernetic soldiers using Rakata technology stolen from the Jedi and Sith. Arkous and Darok are part of the Order of Revan, albeit a radical new version that has members in both the Republic and the Empire, and the two escape before bringing down the facility on their pursuers. Shan and Beniko's agents escape the laboratory with the help of the Sith and the SIS agent, and recruit the Wookiee smuggler Jakarro—who was also left to die by the conspirators—in their search for the Revanites. The group's search leads them to the Rakata homeworld of Rakata Prime, where the Revanites have begun embedding pieces of the Star Forge in their conscripts for the Infinite Army. The allies destroy the Army in its infancy and take down Arkous and Darok atop the Temple of the Ancients, but the true leader of the Revanites arrives with a fleet of warships—Revan himself, reborn after his earlier defeat. Revan bombards the Temple with his fleet, and though the allies escape the planet nonetheless, the Revanites among the Empire and the Republic put out bounties on Shan, Beniko, and Jakarro, forcing them to go into hiding.[18]

Chapter 5: Shadow of Revan

Beniko and Shan's investigations soon uncover Revanite activity on the planet Rishi, a pirate haven above the galactic plane, and they find links between the Nova Blades pirate gang and the Revanites. Dismantling of the Nova Blades' operations and command structure leads to the discovery that Revan has gathered a fleet hidden on Rishi, and that the Nova Blades have been raiding Republic and Imperial fleets in order to modify their patrol routes and thus force a confrontation between them above Rishi. Shan is captured by the Revanites and tortured by his ancestor, who unsuccessfully attempts to turn the agent to his side before Shan is rescued. Beniko and Shan's group is unable to prevent the resulting battle between fleets commanded by Darth Marr and Grand Master Shan, but after disabling the Revanites' signal jammer on Razorback Island, Beniko and Shan are able to report the situation, and the Republic and Imperial forces disable the Revanite traitors among them.

Gameplay

The Old Republic does not dramatically diverge from traditional MMORPG gameplay. Players control an avatar in third-person view, interacting with the various elements of the game world and other players, and earn their own starship as part of their class story, which functions as an in-game base. Player-versus-player combat occurs in warzones, either Jedi vs. Sith or Republic vs. Sith Empire. However, BioWare has emphasized the story element of the game, something that the company feels is lacking in other MMORPGs. New characters are required to choose to align with one of two factions waging war on each other—the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire. Several gameplay elements differ between the factions, such as story and available classes.[24]

User interface and gameplay

In The Old Republic, players control their character in a third person view that is framed by the user interface, or UI. While each player can customize their UI, the standard interface features the primary quickbar, an easy-access area for players to place their preferred abilities and attacks, at the bottom of the screen. On the left side of the primary quickbar, a portrait of the player character is featured with their name, class, level, health, and their resources—which vary between Force power, energy, ammunition, or other options depending on the player's class. The right side of the quickbar features a portrait and health bar for whichever character or enemy is currently selected by the player. Effects that are currently active on the player or the targeted enemy are featured above the health bar. Characters are controlled by the W, A, S, and D keys, while the abilities in the player's primary quickbar are accessible by the number keys and the - and = keys. Various other hotkeys allow the player access to different menus and features.[25]

The bottom right corner of the screen is occupied by the mini-map, which can be expanded and customized to show different types of vendors and NPCs. The bottom left corner features a smaller quickbar, portrait, and health bar for the player's current companion, which can be expanded to access the full range of the companion's abilities. The middle right edge of the screen will highlight new tutorials that have become available to the player, and the upper right corner is occupied by the mission tracker. The tracker will display the name and objectives of as many of the player's current missions as can fit. In the middle of the screen's upper edge is the menu panel, which allows access to the Character Sheet—where the player can modify the weapons and gear currently equipped to their character and companion—the Inventory, the Abilities menu, and the Skill Tree menu—where players can spend the skill points they receive for leveling up on additional abilities and bonuses—as well as the Mission Log and the Options menu.[26]

The final part of the interface is the chat window, which is in the upper left corner and can be customized to show chats with various groups of users. Further customization of the UI can add additional quickbars, as well as move the location of the other parts of the interface. In conversations, players watch cinematics until they reach a decision point, at which time they can select one of either two or three dialogue options. Some dialogue options will reward the player with light side or dark side alignment points, and some options cause players to lose or gain affection with their current companion.[26] Later updates to the game added the Appearance Designer Kiosk, allowing players to redesign their character's appearance for Cartel Coins, and an Outfit Designer addition to the Character Sheet menu that allows players to use the appearance of certain pieces of gear while retaining the stats of the gear they currently have equipped.[28]

A major part of The Old Republic is the ability to join groups of other players and participate in group missions to take on more powerful enemies and gain greater rewards. One player is designated the leader of the group, with the ability to add new members, and the Group Finder feature helps link players from all across the server who are looking to group together for specific planets, Flashpoints, or Operations. Defeated characters and chests can be looted for credits and equipment, and equipment, gear, and other items can be purchased for credits at the dozens of vendors that are present throughout each planet and hub. A large number of Stims Vendors and a set of Crew Skill Trainers were created for each planet, but many of them were ultimately removed from the final release of the game. When a player gains a new level, they will often unlock new abilities that must be trained at the various Class Trainers that are scattered across the planets and fleet hubs. Abilities generally fall into three categories: General, which includes abilities that are usable by all classes; Class, which are abilities that can be trained by that specific class; and Advanced Class, which are abilities