Galactic War The Galactic War was a conflict which broke out after the collapse of the peace treaty between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic . After twelve years of tenuous peace in the form of the Cold War , the actions of several powerful individuals caused open warfare to break out once more between the major galactic powers . The conflict eventually came to an end with the emergence of the Eternal Empire under Emperor Arcann , whose forces overran both the Republic and the Sith Empire and forced them into submission . Both governments signed treaties with the Eternal Empire and began paying tribute to the third power . Origins . The return of the Sith Empire to known space in 3681 BBY marked a turning point in galactic affairs . Though the Galactic Republic had suffered greatly in recent centuries , the ferocious war unleashed by the Empire posed an existential threat unlike anything in living memory . After nearly three decades of fighting , the two powers settled on an uneasy truce meant to conclude the war . Over a decade of peace followed , but it was neither civil nor enduring . Longstanding grievances , exacerbated by the actions of powerful individuals on both sides , served to re - ignite the paused conflict into war once again . History . Collapse of peace . Settling old scores . The outbreak of a new war between the Empire and Republic was preceded by a number of proxy clashes , among them the conclusion of several conflicts which had been left unresolved at the close of the previous war between the two great powers . With the end of the last war , the Empire declared victory in their long struggle for control of the industry world Balmorra . Ultimately , however , the celebration proved to be premature . Elements within the Republic Army refused to cede defeat , choosing instead to defy the Treaty of Coruscant by remaining on Balmorra and forming a resistance movement in partnership with the planet ' s natives . After over a decade of guerrilla warfare , Republic interests finally prevailed when a Jedi Consular rallied the resistance and drove the Empire from the planet . Meanwhile , in the Outer Rim , the Empire scored a victory of its own . For a number of years during the Cold War , the Republic had made an effort to turn the ruined world Taris into a symbol of hope , by rebuilding the planet following its devastation at the hands of the Sith three centuries earlier , during the Jedi Civil War . The Republic ' s efforts would ultimately prove fruitless , as Darth Gravus spearheaded an effort to sabotage the project by eliminating key supporting personnel . With their deaths , the project collapsed and the Republic ' s work to restore the planet came to an end . Even as they were being driven from Balmorra , the Empire was able to claim victory on Taris . Shadows of the past . During the strain on the tenuous peace , Republic Navy Fleet Admiral and Jedi Master Oteg was contacted by the spirit of the long - dead Jedi Knight Meetra Surik . Having vanished from Republic space three centuries earlier , Surik had died in a failed attempt to slay the Sith Emperor with her old Master , the legendary Knight Revan . Revan , meanwhile , had been captured by the Emperor and detained in a form of stasis for the intervening centuries . With the conflict between Republic and Empire again heating up , Surik knew that the time had come for Revan to be freed from captivity . Following an intelligence - gathering assault on the Imperial fortress at Taral V , Oteg led his fleet into The Maelstrom to attack the Imperial prison facility inside . A fierce battle — one of the first of the soon - to - be new war — ensued , with both sides taking heavy casualties . Ultimately Oteg ' s fleet prevailed , successfully retrieving Revan before withdrawing from the area . With his freedom , Oteg believed that the Republic had obtained the means by which to finally defeat the Empire . Revan ' s respite and sojourn to Republic space would be brief . Now fully aware of the crisis facing the galaxy , he set out to utterly destroy the Empire with the aid of ancient Rakata technology , an automated mass - manufacturing space station known as the Foundry . The Foundry was set to manufacture countless extermination droid s designed with bioscanners to detect Sith genetic material , and destroy any life containing it — which would result in the genocide of the vast majority of the Imperial population . The Empire had prepared for this situation . Darth Malgus , long opposed to the peace with the Republic , revealed to his chosen strike team that the rescue of Revan had been Malgus ' own design . He intended that Revan would lead the Empire to the Foundry , in order that it could be used by the Empire in the coming war against the Republic . The Imperial strike team was successful in their attack on the Foundry , destroying the few active extermination droids already built before defeating the Jedi " hero " himself . But rather than die , Revan vanished in a mysterious burst of light and energy , his fate unknown . After mopping up the remaining Republic starships , the Empire claimed victory — and with it , ownership of the Foundry . Hunt for the Sith Emperor . Elsewhere in the galaxy , Jedi Master Tol Braga set in motion an ambitious plan which he hoped could pre - emptively avert the coming war : to capture and subsequently redeem of the Sith Emperor to the light side of the Force . Braga ' s quest enlisted the aid of a rising Jedi star who , by that point , had become known as the Hero of Tython due to their role in saving Tython from destruction at the battle of the " Oppressor " . The Hero traveled the galaxy for this mission , seeking out clues as to the whereabouts and technical specifications of the Emperor ' s highly secretive space station , conducting investigations on Balmorra , Quesh , and finally Hoth . The attack on the Emperor ' s person went poorly for the Jedi strike team — the entire force was captured , and most of the Jedi were effortlessly subdued by the Emperor ' s admirable command of the dark side of the Force . Plan Zero . The end of the peace treaty was also aggressively pursued by Darth Baras through his apprentice . Baras set into motion his years - in - the - making Plan Zero , a plot with the two - fold objectives of assassinating the Republic ' s War Trust military leadership , and in so doing , ignite a war in which the Republic would no longer have the leadership necessary to prevail . The mission was an Imperial success , seeing Baras ' apprentice eliminate every one of the targets to re - ignite open war between the Empire and the Republic . First strikes . Threats from within . At the start of hostilities , both powers were beset by serious threats from within . The intervening decade of relative peace had not been an idle one for the covert communities of the galaxy , seeing many deep - cover operatives installed , who could seriously undermine the war effort of both sides . The Sith Emperor ' s long - term project , the Children of the Emperor , saw his agents unwittingly placed into Republic society , each rising to levels of significant power and influence — among them Syo Bakarn , a member of the Jedi Council . While most were unaware of their true natures , they remained puppets to the Emperor ' s will , bound to obey his wishes . It fell to the Jedi Order ' s Barsen ' thor to seek out these agents and remove them as threats , a quest which took them to Voss and Corellia , among other places . Within the inner circles of the Empire , Darth Baras made his own play for power , seriously threatening the stability of the state . The successful completion of Plan Zero saw Baras elevated onto the Dark Council , where he soon acted against his Emperor . Baras ' saw to it that the current embodiment of the Emperor ' s Voice would be trapped on the planet Voss with no means of escape . In the Emperor ' s absence , Baras falsely claimed to be the " new " Emperor ' s Voice , in order that he could rule the Empire himself . However , in his play for power , Baras betrayed his apprentice . This would set off a chain of events leading to his apprentice being named the Emperor ' s Wrath , who would then go on to slay Baras in single combat . The Emperor ' s ritual crisis . After a length of time as a willing servant of the Emperor , the Jedi Knight known as the Hero of Tython was redeemed and freed . The spirit of the Hero ' s old master , Orgus Din , helped to break the influence of the Emperor ' s will , while physically freed with the assistance of the Imperial turncloak , Lord Scourge . Scourge , while no friend to the Jedi or the Republic , knew that the Emperor had designs which went beyond political or philosophical differences — the Emperor planned to use a Sith ritual to enhance his own power and lifespan by destroying all life in the galaxy . Armed with this knowledge , the Hero , Scourge , and their allies set out to stop the Emperor ' s plan . When word came that fanatically loyal followers of the Emperor had attacked the Republic prison world Belsavis , the group knew that it would be the first target of the Emperor ' s genocidal plans . Upon arrival at Belsavis , the group fought to end the Imperial incursion and avert their mission before the Emperor ' s ritual could begin . While there , the group encountered the Dread Masters , a group of immensely powerful dark side users who had been incarcerated for several decades . In the chaos , the Dread Masters were able to escape their imprisonment , which would have dire consequences for the galaxy in the following year . Battle of Corellia . Not long after the incident on Belsavis and another on Voss , the Republic and the Empire came to blows in the first major armed battle of the new war . Imperial forces under the command of Darth Decimus , after months of negotiations with corrupt officials , launched a full - scale invasion of the prestigious Core world Corellia . In spite of the negotiated agreement with some officials , Imperial forces conquered many areas by force anyway . The Imperial invasion of Corellia marked the Emperor ' s third attempt at mass murder in order to start his galaxy - destroying ritual of Sith sorcery . The Hero , Scourge , and their allies rushed to the beleaguered world to avert the crisis , learning that Jedi Councillor - turned - Sith Emperor fanatic , Tol Braga , was leading the operation . Eventually the Hero was able to confront their old ally , and defeated him in combat before returning the Kel Dor master to the light . In the months of fighting and occupation , Corellia suffered millions of casualties . Confronting the Emperor . Pressing their victory , the Republic and Jedi forces pushed on to a bold counterstrike — a direct attack on the Imperial capital planet , Dromund Kaas , and with it , an attack on the Sith Emperor himself . While the Republic Fleet engaged the Imperial First Defense Fleet in orbit , a strike team commanded by the Hero of Tython descended to the stormy world to confront the Emperor and determine the fate of the galaxy . After battling their way through the Imperial capital , the team entered the inner sanctum of the Emperor : the Dark Temple . The group separated to pursue various objectives , while the Hero went on with the faithful droid companion T7 - O1 to battle the dark overlord . The Hero and the Emperor , in a new Voice body since their last encounter on Voss , battled ferociously , with the Emperor employing numerous dark side abilities and tricks to defeat his opponent . Ultimately , however , the Hero prevailed and slew the Emperor ' s host . His consciousness critically damaged , the essence of the Emperor retreated to his own body to hibernate for rest and recovery . Though the Emperor was not completely defeated , his state had been effectively left without a ruler . Indirect engagements . The defeat of the Sith Emperor — while not initially revealed to the public by either power — was a stunning blow to the Empire , but it did not have the hoped - for effect of assuring swift Republic victory . Rather , it served to splinter the larger conflict into a number of smaller ones as various factions rose and vied for prominence in the ensuing chaos . The New Empire . One of the first to seize advantage of the new circumstances was the long - dissatisfied Sith Lord Darth Malgus . Nursing decades - long grudges against the Dark Council over the Treaty of Coruscant , as well as for their own infighting and exclusionary practices , Malgus seized the opportunity to proclaim himself ruler of the New Empire . Already in possession of the Foundry facility from the early struggle with Revan , " Emperor " Malgus also seized control of the Sith Emperor ' s now - abandoned space station . Malgus quickly searched out allies and others sympathetic to his belief that the Sith could only survive and be improved by constant warfare . Among the new allies was the Schism Collective , a technologically adept group who quickly adapted the Foundry ' s mass - production technologies for use on the Emperor ' s space station . Following a string of victories in the Unknown Regions , Malgus and his forces gathered and struck at Ilum , a planet notable both as a place sacred to the Jedi Order as well as for its natural production of Adegan crystal s . The goals of the New Empire were twofold : first , Malgus intended to destroy both the Republic and Sith Empire forces there as punishment for disloyalty . Second , the capture of the planet ' s crystals would provide an invaluable military resource for the fledgling state . The already - contested world quickly found itself besieged by a new player in the Galactic War . Both Republic and Imperial forces were forced to turn and engage the New Imperial attackers , which was ultimately to the benefit of the Republic as the two Imperial groups whittled away each others ' strength . A strike team was eventually able to board Malgus ' commandeered space station and fight their way to his throne room . There , Malgus was slain in single combat — bringing an end to his New Empire . The assault on Ilum , at first a major threat , had turned into an overwhelming victory for the Republic forces . Malgus ' New Empire was vanquished , and in the fighting , the Sith Empire ' s forces on Ilum had been severely reduced . The outcome of the battle left the Republic firmly in control of Ilum , and deprived the Sith Empire of access to the valued Adegan crystals . Operation End Game . The " Ascendant Spear " , a " Terminus " - class destroyer by design , began to be modified into a long - range battle cruiser near the end of the Cold War . With enhanced hyperdrive capabilities and a devastating megalaser primary weapon , the " Ascendant Spear " was considered by many to be an Imperial superweapon . It would be commanded — " directly " — by Darth Karrid through a cybernetic interface . The Republic had become aware of the ship several years earlier , when a covert SIS operation had uncovered its existence in the Vesla system . Eventually , the understanding of the threat coalesced into a mission to Imperial space in which SIS agent Theron Shan teamed with Jedi Master Gnost - Dural to steal a black cipher encryption device from the Empire in order to track the ship ' s movements . The functionality of the encryption device was proven when the SIS learned of an impending imperial attack on the Republic agriworld Ruan . But , in order to protect the knowledge that the Republic possessed the cipher device , Supreme Commander Jace Malcom was unable to send any military assistance to aid the doomed world . The Imperial forces attacked , killing thousands and destroying Ruan ' s agricultural production capabilities . Karrid began selection of her next target , while Republic forced hurriedly arranged for a trap to be laid . Through the actions of Republic covert intelligence , Darth Karrid was lured into attacking the Republic shipyards at the planet Duro . The ambush was a success . The Republic forces under Supreme Commander Malcom were able to engage and destroy the fleet commanded by Moff Nezzor , which in turned allowed Agent Shan and Master Gnost - Dural to infiltrate the " Ascendant Spear " itself . The pair were able to defeat Karrid , and the Imperial superweapon was destroyed . Return of the Dread Masters . Unknown to the Republic , the apparent death of the Sith Emperor had also caused another serious fracture in the Imperial hierarchy : the secession of the recently - freed Dread Masters . Long subservient to the Emperor ' s will , this group of immensely powerful Force - wielders found no - one worthy of their loyalty after his " death " and struck out on their own with intentions of coming to rule over the galaxy themselves . The machinations of these Dread Lords would also lead the Republic and the Empire into a fresh round of hostilities . The Dread Host launched a series of surgical strikes on Hutt Space designed to sew chaos and uncertainty in the region . Rise and fall of the Hutt Cartel . In response to the attacks and lost territories , the Hutt Cartel , under the leadership of Karagga , seized control of 10 neutral star systems , which in turn drew the attention of both the Republic and the Empire . Alarmed by the unexpected threat , both powers sent strike forces to confront the Hutt Supreme Mogul and demand that he answer for it . The confrontation on Hutta quickly descended into violence , and the strike team fought their way into the heart of Karagga ' s Palace , where Karagga himself was slain . The immediate threat presented by the naked Hutt aggression had been stopped , but a far more serious threat was revealed . Intelligence gathered from the raid revealed the role in the Dread Masters ' attacks in prompting the Hutts ' expansionism , putting both the Empire and the Republic on guard against the previously unknown threat . The danger would have to wait , however , as Hutt aggression had not yet ended . In the wake of Karagga the Unyielding ' s death , Toborro rose to power as the new Supreme Mogul of the Hutt Cartel , bringing with him grandiose dreams of a galaxy ruled not by the Republic or Sith Empire , but rather by a Hutt Empire . The key to Toborro ' s designs lay on the non - aligned world Makeb ; the galaxy ' s only source of the substance isotope - 5 . Isotope - 5 possessed powerful gravity - altering properties , which had the potential to provide a near - unlimited source of power . Utilizing this newfound power would allow the Hutts the opportunity to wrest control of the galaxy away from both of the major powers . Through a combination of force and bribery of local security forces , the Hutt Cartel seized control of Makeb . The capture of the planet drew the ire of both the Republic and the Empire , though for markedly different reasons . Within the Republic , officials were alarmed that the invasion was a pretext for a larger Hutt war of conquest — a reasonable concern , given Toborro ' s dreams — while the Empire had identified isotope - 5 as an important means of recovering from the losses they had suffered at Corellia , Dromund Kaas , and Ilum . The Republic ' s arrival initially went well for its emissaries : the Makeb locals with no loyalty to the Hutts would gladly join the Republic in exchange for the liberation of their world . A mission to rescue the niece of the rebel leader was undertaken , which turned up shocking new intelligence . The increased groundquakes experienced since the Hutt invasion were , as had been suspected , a direct result of the Hutts ' deep core drilling projects . Worse , the geologic instability paired with the gravity - warping effects of isotope - 5 meant that time was short before Makeb would be rendered uninhabitable . The rescued niece , Dr . Lemda Avesta , had overheard what was believed to be valuable intelligence during her time as a prisoner of the Hutts . Terms such as " Project Failsafe " and " the Ark " lent hope and the belief that there was a means by which Makeb could be saved from destruction . This intelligence had been misinterpreted . In truth , Project Failsafe was a means by which the insane Hutt leader could flee the planet ' s destruction with all the mined isotope - 5 . Republic forces were successful in capturing the Ark and repurposing it for the evacuation of the people of Makeb . Having finally realized that their Supreme Mogul was insane , the other leaders of the Hutt Cartel turned on him and went to the Republic for help . In exchange for allowing them to join the evacuation aboard the Ark , the Hutts agreed to end their neutrality and join the Galactic War on the side of the Republic . After retrieving the Ark ' s fuel rods from Toborro ' s Palace , in the process killing the deranged Hutt leader , the Republic and its allies were able to begin the evacuation of the planet . Even as the Republic - aligned group prepared to flee , Imperial forces had arrived on planet without their knowledge . Racing against time , their force rushed to stabilize the core of the dying world in order to take control of the isotope - 5 resources . Their mission proved overwhelmingly successful ; the planet ' s core was stabilized , and in the process the surface was devastated by massive tectonic and volcanic activity — which appeared to the Republic forces as the planet destroying itself , just as they expected . The battle for Makeb ended up a great boon to the Empire ' s war ambitions . While the Hutt Cartel was now ostensibly allied with the Republic , the Dark Council - ruled Empire was now in possession of virtually all of the isotope - 5 supply . The Dread War . The architects of the Hutts ' follies , meanwhile , had been making other inroads toward galactic dominance . After a skirmish for resources on Denova , the Dread Lords came to dominate local warlord Kephess , who subsequently declared the world independent . The Trandoshan ' s victory would be short - lived , as both Republic and Empire dispatched forces to eliminate him and continue their fight for the planet . For their next effort , the Dread Masters turned to a darker approach to war . They resurrected their slain Trandoshan puppet and sent him to the ancient Gree world Asation , or more specifically , to take control of the Grand Hypergate located there . The Dread Masters intended to use this ancient technology to call forth ancient and powerful horrors from beyond known space , to aid in their plans of destroying the Republic and Empire both . A call for help from the local Gree population resulted in Republic and Imperial forces being dispatched , who ultimately defeated the so - called Terror From Beyond and put an end to the Dread Masters ' plans on Asation . Eventually , the Dread Masters ' base of operations was located on the planet Oricon , on the fringes of Imperial space . After the loss of numerous ships to the battle meditation technique of the dark lords of Oricon , Republic and Imperial forces secured a temporary truce in order that the greater threat of the Dread Masters could finally be eliminated . The joint strike team was able to infiltrate the Dread Fortress and Dread Palace and confront the Dread Masters directly . In the arduous fight that followed , the strike team emerged victorious : the Dread Masters were killed , ending their threat to the galaxy forever . Revanite crisis . Strikes at the heart . In the midst of the conflict , Republic agents were contacted by Colonel Rian Darok and SIS agent Shan concerning a vital opportunity : a direct assault on the Korriban Sith Academy and Dark Council Chambers . The mission was to be straightforward smash - and - grab , seizing data from the Dark Council ' s database while inflicting as much collateral damage as possible . The mission was a qualified success . The invading Republic forces faced stiff resistance , including Sith researcher Lord Renning and Dark Councilor Darth Soverus . Both were slain , and the Republic forces were successful in forcing their way to the Dark Council chamber and seizing the objective . Ultimately , however , the invaders were forced to retreat from Imperial forces reinforcing the Academy . Unknown to Shan and the Republic attackers , Sith forces under Darth Arkous had begun their own attack on the heart of the Jedi , invading the Jedi homeworld of Tython . As with the Republic ' s mission to Korriban , the Sith ' s attack on Tython was to be a smash - and - grab operation as well . Arkous commanded his strike force to steal data from the Jedi Archives while inflicting as much damage as possible . Sith forces invaded the Jedi homeworld , launching an assault with weapons based on the isotope - 5 technology acquired at Makeb . Their landing force successfully fought past the Jedi defenders , slaying instructor Liam Dentiri and Jedi Council member Master Oric Traless before stealing the data that they came for . The tide of the battle turned with the return of the Republic strike force from Korriban , which secured the Temple grounds and forced out the Sith attackers . Infinite Army . In the wake of the two battles , Sith Lord Lana Beniko and SIS agent Shan learned that their respective superiors , Darth Arkous and Colonel , had orchestrated the attacks on Korriban and Tython in concert . Worse , the data thefts at both locations had pertained to Rakata artifacts — the immensely powerful race which had ruled the galaxy in millennia past . Of necessity , Beniko and Shan entered into an alliance in order to track down the high - ranking traitors . Shan and Beniko tracked the pair to Manaan , another world that had an ancient association with the Rakatan Infinite Empire . A strike team was dispatched to investigate the pair ' s doings in a secret laboratory operated by the Selkath geneticist Gorima . After freeing the Wookiee detainee Jakarro , the strike team was eventually able to track down Gorima , who revealed to them the experiment he had been conducting on behalf of Arkous and Darok ; the implantation of Rakata technology into living creatures , in order to create a new Infinite Army . The team destroyed the facility , but were unable to apprehend Arkous and Darok , who had already escaped with the research data . Having determined that Arkous and Darok were followers of the Order of Revan , a fanatical splinter group devoted to the deeds and teachings of the great galactic figure , Beniko and Shan traced the pair ' s operation to Rakata Prime . Centuries earlier , Rakata Prime had been the site of the final battle of the Jedi Civil War , and as a result , a vast amount of Rakata technology was readily available in the form of debris from the original Star Forge . On the planet , the strike force discovered that Arkous and Darok had indeed been making use of Gorima ' s research , having created a small army of Rakata technology - infused soldiers . This new Infinite Army , intended as a powerful fighting force for the Revanite movement — now commanded by Revan himself — proved a significant obstacle in the strike team ' s path to chase down the pair of traitors . Eventually , the team was able to pursue the traitors to the summit of the Temple of the Ancients , where the factions engaged in a fierce battle . The strike team emerged triumphant , having slain both Colonel Darok and Darth Arkous , when a fleet of starships of both Republic and Imperial design appeared in the skies above . A massive holo - projection of Revan addressed the strike team , informing them that the loss of Arkous and Darok was merely a setback , and that he did not truly " need " the Infinite Army they had been working toward . Closing the transmission , Revan ' s fleet began to bombard the planet below , destroying the both the Temple and the remnants of the new Infinite Army . In the aftermath of the disaster on Rakata Prime , operatives of the joint strike force found their leadership scattered and in disgrace . Lana Beniko found herself with an Imperial bounty for her arrest for her role in the death of Darth Arkous , a member of the Dark Council ; while Shan learned that his official status as an SIS agent had become " disavowed rogue agent , apprehend on sight . " Regardless , the pair agreed that the Revanite threat continued to pose a significant danger to both sides , and chose to go undercover to continue investigating the Revanite movement . Intrigue on Rishi . Some time later , allies of the erstwhile anti - Revanite coalition discovered that coordinates to Rishi had been entered into their starships ' navicomps , and for various reasons , set off for the distant world . Shortly after arrival on the lawless planet , the agents learned that the navigation data had been entered by Beniko and Shan , who had followed the trail of their investigation to Rishi . Though they did not yet know the reason , they had learned that the Revanites had engaged the local Nova Blade pirate group to harry interstellar traffic in the region , which had the curious effect of shifting galactic traffic patterns in the area . With few options available , the group decided to seek the assistance of the local clan of Mandalorians , who had their own grievances with the upstart Revanites on planet . Though she forced the Imperial and Republic operatives into completing a series of challenges in exchange for information , the enigmatic Mandalorian leader " Torch " — in truth , a retired Shae Vizla — ultimately relented . Vizla revealed to the heroes that the Revanites had been quietly amassing a fleet of warships on Rishi ' s planet surface . In the meantime , Theron Shan had been captured by Revanite forces while infiltrating and investigating one of their facilities . A short while later , anti - Revanite forces were able to rescue Shan , who had learned from Revan himself that the goal of the cult ' s machinations was to draw fleets from both the Republic and the Empire at once . With the bulk of both fleets present , scores of Revanite saboteurs posted on every ship , and a jamming signal preventing fleet communications , Revan hoped to cripple both sides . To his mind , this was ' clearing the board ' so that he would be able to challenge the Sith Emperor without interference . The Revanite plot was very nearly a success ; the Republic and Imperial fleets arrived in orbit over Rishi , and , finding their communications signals jammed , began battling their unexpected enemies . Meanwhile on the surface , Shan had acquired files containing the names of the fleet saboteurs , but had not yet been able to slice into the files to obtain that information . The strike force quickly set out to destroy the signal jammer while Shan continued working on breaking into the files , in the hope that he would be successful by the time that communications once again became possible . Both Shan and the strike force emerged successful , halting the brief but bloody battle in orbit and convincing the leaders of both fleets to meet on the planet surface . The Imperial fleet ' s commander , Darth Marr , agreed to meet with the anti - Revanite group on the surface ; as did the Republic fleet ' s leader , Theron Shan ' s estranged mother and Grand Master of the Jedi Order , Satele Shan . At the monumental summit , the warring leaders were made to understand that the Revanite threat had nearly destroyed them all through deception . Worse still , Darth Marr revealed that Revan ' s mission was not a mere flight of fancy — that the former Sith Emperor , Vitiate , was still alive in an incorporeal form . While in captivity , Theron Shan learned that Revan ' s endgame was to restore Vitiate ' s incorporeal form to a physical body , in order to slay the ancient evil forever . Similarly , the former Sith Emperor planned to be restored to a body in order that he could continue toward his original goal of draining all life in the galaxy . The Republic and Jedi found themselves facing the possibility of a returned Sith Emperor , as well as a deranged rogue Jedi threatening all in the galaxy . The Empire and Sith were faced with the return of an Emperor whose goal was their own destruction . Faced with these circumstances , the two groups pledged to work together and pursue Revan and his followers to a final showdown on the distant moon Yavin 4 . Rebirth of the Sith Emperor . Not long later , the combined Republic / Imperial task force established a base camp on the jungle moon . A command center was established in the vicinity of the Revanites at which Satele Shan , Darth Marr , Theron Shan , and Lana Beniko could coordinate their forces against Revan and his followers . The alliance was uneasy . Scouts from both sides distrusted the other to a degree which made establishing a camp perimeter difficult . This mutual distrust continued outside the camp and into the field when , upon detecting an Imperial Guard signal , Imperial forces set out alone to investigate . Mistrustful of their temporary allies , the Republic forces sent out a squad of their own to ensure that Marr ' s forces were not hiding anything . The groups encountered one another in the field , but did not come to violence for it . Rather , they were successful in capturing the Imperial Guard Commandant Iven and returning him to the alliance camp for interrogation . Iven revealed that a device capable of mass ritual sacrifice was contained within the temple that the Revanites were using as a base of operations — precisely the kind of device necessary for jump - starting Vitiate ' s return to corporeal form . Despite the impending danger and the dark side energies of the moon , both Satele Shan and Darth Marr continued to feel a vastly powerful light - side presence in the Force , which they were both at a loss to explain . While in the field on a mission to destroy the ritual device , alliance forces made a startling contact : the Force ghost of a supremely serene Revan . " This " Revan revealed that the events on the Foundry had fractured his psyche into light and dark halves ; that his light spirit was ready to move on from the tangible world , leaving only darkness and anger in his physical body — the dark Revan responsible for the situation on Yavin . Revelation in - hand , the strike team destroyed the weapon and hurried back to base to organize a final assault on the dangerous rogue element that was the dark Revan . The alliance forces finally collectively banded together to face down the dark Revan . As they stood victorious over the beaten man , the unexpected occurred : the booming voice of Vitiate , former Sith Emperor , began to speak . After taunting Revan that his private war had only served to feed Vitiate ' s strength , his spirit burst from the top of the temple , off into the night sky for parts unknown . Vitiate , former Sith Emperor and one of the most powerful Sith in history , was once again at large . Utterly beaten , the dark Revan merged with his light side spirit . Whole and at peace once more , Revan finally chose to move on , leaving no worldly remains . With the Revanite crisis resolved and the nature of Vitiate ' s return still indeterminate , the Republic and Imperial alliance mutually agreed to dissolve their partnership , leaving only token forces behind on Yavin 4 to monitor for any further disturbances . Rise of the Eternal Empire . In the aftermath of the incident on Ziost , a number of Republic and Imperial outposts were destroyed in a series of lightning surprise attacks by an unknown force under the command of twin lightsaber - wielding warriors . Suspecting a connection between the attacks , Darth Marr organized a joint Republic - Imperial task force to investigate the region the warriors had come from : Wild Space . The fleet had the additional goal of searching for Vitiate , whom Marr and his allies suspected might have something to do with the invaders . The task force had barely begun their investigation when they came under heavy assault by a fleet of unidentified ships hosting legions of the same droids used in the earlier attacks . Darth Marr ' s flagship was destroyed and Marr and one of his associates were taken captive . They were eventually introduced to one of the twin warriors , Prince Arcann , who brought them to the planet Zakuul , seat of the Eternal Empire . Once there , Marr and his ally immediately recognized Arcann ' s father , Emperor Valkorion as the Sith Emperor himself . In the ensuing struggle , Darth Marr and Valkorion were killed , and Arcann assumed the throne and froze Marr ' s associate in carbonite . Blaming this " Outlander " for Valkorion ' s death , Arcann declared war on both the Republic and Empire . The war was a disaster on both sides , with the Eternal Fleet swiftly revealing its superiority ; Coruscant and Dromund Kaas were fully blockaded within a year . Eventually , both sides sued for peace . Supreme Chancellor Saresh was overruled by the Senate in the matter , while the Ministry of Logistics stepped in for the now - defunct Dark Council and the other departments of the Imperial government . The treaties and and subsequent regime changes on both sides effectively brought the Galactic War grinding to a halt . Aftermath . The end stages of the conflict left devastating after effects upon the galaxy . The Galactic Republic and Sith Empire , which had ruled the galaxy as the two dominant galactic superpowers , were now under the thumb of the Empire of Zakuul . Not only this , but the conflict also changed the internal workings of both governments . In the Republic , the power that Chancellor Saresh had gained during wartime amassed her enough control for her to override the Senate in military affairs . Many believe the Republic had ' lost its soul ' because of this shift in power ; Saresh ' s regime became viewed as increasingly more and more authoritative in nature . At least on one occasion , a group of soldiers attempted to have her arrested , though one member of the group warned Saresh . The rest were quietly arrested . Though Saresh was eventually removed from office due to term limits , she continued to lead through a puppet chancellor . Darth Acina , meanwhile , took advantage of the absence or death of the other Dark Councilors and the Empire ' s Wrath and then declared herself Empress of the Sith . The Eternal Empire exacted a heavy tribute from both sides , mostly in raw materials . This tribute was slowly destroying the Republic and Imperial economies . To make matters worse , both sides were secretly re - arming themselves in the hope of finally crushing each other , all while refusing to see that Zakuul had become the center of the galaxy . Realizing that something needed to be done , Lana Beniko organized a raid on Zakuul to free the Outlander , hoping that their freedom would be the catalyst needed to spark the galaxy into action .