Battle of Alderaan The Battle of Alderaan was a major conflict between the Galactic Republic and the reconstituted Sith Empire that occurred at the height of the Great Galactic War , in 3667 BBY . The peaceful and verdant Core World of Alderaan was a founding member of the Republic and widely viewed as an embodiment of the ideals and principles upon which the galactic government was founded . It was that reputation that made it a military target for the Sith Empire . As the Great Galactic War dragged on elsewhere in the galaxy , the Sith formulated a plan to crush Republic morale by invading Alderaan and shattering its fabled serenity . The incursion was led by the Sith Lord Darth Malgus , who planned for it to coincide with a diversionary feint that would pull the ships of the Republic Navy far from Alderaan . As the planet sat undefended by the Republic fleet , it was beset by a massive Sith invasion force that bombarded the planet from orbit , obliterated its local defense forces , and took the royal family of Alderaan hostage . Malgus and his forces burned entire cities to the ground and brutalized the peaceful noble families , all while the small number of Jedi who were on - planet at the time of the invasion struggled to make even the slightest dent in the Sith invasion force . Unknown to the Sith forces , groups of Republic trooper s returning from battles in the Outer Rim were stationed across the surface of the planet prior to the invasion . These troopers banded together and took to the forests of Alderaan ' s Juran Mountains during the Sith attack and proceeded to wage a guerrilla war against the enemy . As Darth Malgus led his forces in a march toward the planet ' s capital city , he was ambushed by the troopers of Republic Special Forces Division ' Havoc Squad . Much of the squad was killed during the battle , but with the timely arrival of Jedi Knight Satele Shan to aid the men of Havoc Squad , Malgus and his Sith forces were routed . Following the skirmish outside the city , the Republic fleet returned from the diversionary feint to drive the Empire off of Alderaan . The battle was a major victory for the Republic , but had grave consequences for the future of Alderaan . Although historically a voice for peace , the Alderaanian government became a vocal proponent of harsh military actions against the Empire in the aftermath of the battle . This new stance came into conflict with the peace established by the Treaty of Coruscant in 3653 BBY , which ultimately led to a bloody planetary civil war . Prelude . After its return to galactic prominence in 3681 BBY , the reconstituted Sith Empire stabbed into Galactic Republic space in a brutal campaign for domination . As the Great Galactic War dragged on , the Sith seized much of the Outer Rim Territories and continued to advance toward the Republic ' s bastion worlds near the galaxy ' s center , known as the Core Worlds . Despite two major setbacks at the Mid Rim planet of Bothawui in 3671 BBY , the Empire continued to press their offensive in the hope of ending the war quickly . The Empire ' s ruling Dark Council also sought to take revenge on the Republic for the capture of the six Sith Lords known as the Dread Masters a year earlier , as the loss of the Dread Masters ' power angered the Council . To that end , the Core Worlds became an even greater focus , and in this region lay Alderaan , a verdant and historically tranquil planet that had long been a voice for peace in the Republic ' s Galactic Senate . Alderaan was seen as the soul of the principles the Republic had been founded on , and it was that reputation that made it a military target for opportunistic Sith commanders hoping to capitalize on what had the potential to be a major blow to Republic morale . The plan for an Imperial invasion of Alderaan was headed by the Sith Lord Malgus , who had recently been granted the honorific title of " Darth . " Malgus specialized in surprise assaults and utilized that ability in planning the attack on Alderaan . In 3667 BBY , the Sith Lord manipulated the forces of the Republic Navy into all but abandoning the planet in order to deal with a situation light year s away — a situation that was in fact nothing more than a diversionary feint fabricated by Malgus to pull defenses away from his target . Unbeknown to the Sith , however , a number of Jedi — including Satele Shan , — were on the planet to investigate rumors of Imperial interference in the politics of the ruling noble families . Additionally , many troopers from the Republic Army , specifically the Special Forces division , were on Alderaan , for the peaceful Core World served as a rest and medical recuperation center for soldiers returning from brutal battlefronts across the Mid and Outer Rim . The battle . War comes to Alderaan . With Alderaan ' s naval defenses far from their charge , the forces of the Empire invaded the world in a swift and savage assault . Prior to landing their vessels , the Empire initiated a heavy orbital bombardment of the world , which decimated a number of townships and filled much of the atmosphere with ash and thick black smoke . Darth Malgus himself led the incursion force , which consisted of several thousand assault droids , hundreds of fellow Sith , large numbers of Imperial soldier s , and the Mandalorian bounty hunter and saboteur Shae Vizla . The ground forces were joined by vessels of the Imperial Navy , including Mark VI " Supremacy " - class starfighters and " Harrower " - class dreadnoughts . Once his forces were on the planet , Malgus began a devastating campaign across the once - tranquil world . The Sith forces obliterated the local Alderaanian defense forces and continued on to burn entire cities to the ground . Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer participated in the conflicts on the planet , alongside Knights Satele Shan , Warren Sedoru and other Jedi defenders . Upon learning that the Empire had come to Alderaan , Satele Shan rushed to ensure the safety of the Alderaanian Queen Silara Panteer . However , upon arriving at Castle Panteer , she found the building in ruins — the Imperials had already captured the royal family . The Sith held the Panteer royals hostage throughout their invasion , earning the ire of the Alderaanian government and people . They also targeted and brutalized House Organa , Alderaan ' s most Republic - friendly noble family . Although other Jedi attempted to push back against the invaders , their efforts were easily swatted down . Jedi Knight Warren Sedoru was critically injured in the fighting , while others took to hiding in ruined cities in the hope of ambushing a lone enemy . After learning that she would be unable to help protect the Queen , Satele Shan had a vision that Jace Malcom , whom she had fought alongside previously , would need her aid , contacted the Jedi High Council on Coruscant to request reinforcements . Word began to spread of the Empire ' s attack , and although Republic forces rallied to strike back , it was widely accepted that the battle had already been lost — Alderaan had fallen to the Sith . As Malgus continued his brutal campaign across the planet , he set his sights on Alderaan ' s planetary capital city and Castle Organa . While he led his forces in a march toward the city through the Juran Mountains , the Republic forces that had been stationed on Alderaan ' s surface mobilized . Up until the Sith advance on the capital , the soldiers of the Republic Military had been recovering from the wounds of battle and awaiting orders from their superiors . In response to Malgus ' s overtures , they took to Alderaan ' s forests and mountain ranges in preparation to fight a guerrilla counter - campaign against the Sith invaders . While the rest of the Republic personnel on the planet set out to repel the Sith across Alderaan , it fell to the elite Special Forces group Havoc Squad to defend the capital and Castle Organa by engaging the Imperial forces under the direct command of Darth Malgus . Hope for the Republic . Captain Jace Malcom of Havoc Squad led his forces into position on a ridge overlooking the forest route through the Juran region that was to be traversed by Malgus ' s troops . As the Imperials marched past the Republic ' s position , the trooper commander opened fire with a blaster cannon , initiating the ambush . The rest of Havoc Squad leaped down from the ridge to join their captain in battle against the Sith through the forests of Alderaan . The troopers were able to destroy a number of Mark I Imperial assault droids with thermal detonators and blaster fire , but were eventually engaged by Darth Malgus himself . Upon seeing the Sith Lord impale one of his comrades , Captain Malcom took aim at Malgus , though his first several shots were ineffective . The captain ' s final cannon blast engulfed the Imperial commander in flames , badly damaging his face . When Malcom attempted to rush the Sith Lord and finish him off , Malgus assaulted him with Force lightning and threw him across the battlefield . The remaining Sith forces gained the upper - hand in the skirmish , eventually forcing the Republic soldiers on the defensive . Havoc Squad troopers that fell behind were systematically executed by the Sith , until intervention from Satele Shan , who had raced to Malcom ' s aid after contacting the Council . The Jedi Knight allowed Havoc Squad the opportunity to press their attack once more while she engaged Sith Warrior s , their war droids , and Malgus himself . Shan and the Sith Lord ' s fierce melee was nearly ended when Malgus disarmed his opponent and attempted to stab her with his lightsaber . His attack was unsuccessful however , as Shan was able to absorb the energy from Malgus ' s lightsaber , essentially catching the blade with her own hands . While the Sith Lord attempted to penetrate the Jedi ' s defenses , he was tackled once again by Captain Malcom , who had recovered from their earlier scuffle . While the two grappled with one another , the Havoc squad captain activated a handheld grenade , sparking a blast that threw the two combatants apart , and grievously injured both . Jace Malcom was rendered unconscious , though Malgus quickly recovered . Despite surviving the explosion , the Sith Lord was again assaulted by Satele Shan , who threw him with the Force into a large rock face . As Malgus struggled against her telekinetic attack , the Jedi mustered strength through the Force and delivered a powerful Force Wave , impacting the Sith Lord and shattering the rock around him . With the Imperial commander incapacitated , Republic forces continued to wipe out the Sith forces both in the forest battle and across the rest of Alderaan . Malcom later recovered to find the Imperials defeated , along with many of his own men . Upon being joined by his savior Shan , the commander fired a signal flare into the sky to indicate the Republic victory . The flare was matched by dozens of others across the planet that were immediately followed by the arrival of the Republic fleet , which had returned from addressing Malgus ' s diversion . The return of the Republic ' s naval forces prompted the surviving Sith invaders to initiate a full retreat from the Alderaan theater . The seriously wounded Darth Malgus was rescued from the battlefield by his subordinates and possibly the bounty hunter Shae Vizla , and loaded into his personal shuttle , bound for safer regions . While the Sith Lord recovered in his escaping vessel , he felt the presence of a Jedi in the ruins of a township destroyed by the orbital bombardment . Furious over the failure of his invasion , Malgus was determined to take the life of the Jedi in revenge . The Sith Lord ordered his pilot to reduce their speed and lower the shuttle before he jumped from the airborne vessel into the streets of the devastated town . On the surface , Malgus encountered a Zabrak Jedi who had planned a trap for the Sith Lord . When Malgus charged at the Zabrak , the Jedi quickly overwhelmed him by using the Force to crush the Sith beneath the rubble of surrounding buildings . The Imperial commander survived the attack and reciprocated with a flurry of lightsaber strikes that beat the Jedi into a defensive stance . Malgus realized that his target was simply baiting him into an ambush , and so used the Force to discern his plan : there was another Jedi lying in wait , hoping to strike at the Sith while he was distracted . Darth Malgus responded by kicking the Zabrak into a building while seeking out the other Jedi , the Human Vorin , and crushing his windpipe . The Zabrak Jedi , angered by the death of his comrade , charged at Malgus in a desperate attempt to finish the Sith . Malgus easily broke the attack with a concentrated blast of Force lightning , which drove the Jedi to the ground in pain . The Sith Lord executed his ruined opponent before rejoining his forces in retreat . Despite still maintaining a superior orbital position , the Imperial fleet chose not to engage the newly - arrived Republic naval forces , opting instead to collect their ground forces and flee the system . With the full might of the Republic Military focused on Alderaan , the Sith were driven from the planet and the royal family was rescued from captivity . Aftermath . Although Alderaan was safe from Imperial aggression for the remainder of the war , the invasion had a profound effect on the once - peaceful planet . Alderaan ' s leaders , who had previously been renowned for their pacifism , began to advocate aggressive military operations against the Empire in the Republic ' s Senate , as a response to the damage the Sith had inflicted on their homeworld . This advocacy , combined with the morale boost from Havoc Squad ' s victory in the Alderaanian forests , motivated the Republic Military to rally for the next several years . This momentum resulted in victories in the Mid Rim and the long - embattled Minos Cluster in the distant Outer Rim . Jace Malcom was promoted to the rank of general in the aftermath of the victory at Alderaan , and in addition to working with Colonel Elin Garza to expand the Special Forces Division he began leading campaigns against the Empire . Malcom and Shan also began a secret romantic relationship in the days after the battle , though she eventually broke it off six months later during one of Malcom ' s campaigns when she learned she was pregnant with their child and confronted Malcom about the darkness in his spirit . However , the Battle of Hoth two years later broke the Republic ' s recent string of victories , giving the Empire back the advantage but bringing the war to a relative standstill as the Empire struggled to make headway against Republic resistance . In 3654 BBY , the Dark Council was growing increasingly desperate for an end to the war , particularly after the debacle on Alderaan and the loss of a blockade on the Hydian Way . Thusly , the Council called for a peace summit to convene so that delegates from both governments might agree on a cession of hostilities . Alderaan was chosen as the meeting place between the two , but ultimately ended up being little more than a distraction from the true endgame : the Sacking of Coruscant . The Sith attack on the capital and the summit on Alderaan ultimately yielded a peace agreement known as the Treaty of Coruscant — a document that later had severe consequences for the galaxy at large , and Alderaan in particular . By all measures , the Sith had won the Great Galactic War , and the Treaty of Coruscant was little more than a concession of defeat for the Republic . The agreement was heavily biased toward Imperial interests — a fact that outraged Alderaanian politicians who had taken a hardline stance against the Sith in the aftermath of the Battle of Alderaan . In protest of the Republic ' s establishment of peace with the enemy , Gaul Panteer , the Crown Prince and senator of Alderaan , stormed out of the Senate and declared his planet an independent system . The secession was met with mixed reaction from the people of Alderaan , particularly in light of the fact that many had expected their world to return to its peaceful ways . Bouris Ulgo of House Ulgo , a decorated Republic general and former leader of Alderaan ' s security forces , was dismayed to learn that the Alderaanian military would remain on high alert indefinitely , and that he would not be permitted to return to his farming estates while the nobles played politics . The situation erupted into chaos following the prince ' s assassination . Queen Silara Panteer , a survivor of Imperial imprisonment during the battle , died in the following days , leaving the Alderaanian throne vacant and the Alderaanian Parliament unable to appoint a new ruling family . It was at this point that the Empire made a new bid for Alderaan — this time by manipulating the return outcast noble House Thul . The reappearance of House Thul , which was now little more than an Imperial puppet family , prompted Bouris Ulgo to declare himself King and demand the obedience of the other houses . Although the patriot Ulgo was attempting to prevent what he saw as a new Imperial invasion , his fellow nobles were repulsed by his institution of martial law and execution of the remaining members of House Panteer . As the usurping House Ulgo , the Imperial - allied Thuls , and the Republic - backed Organas competed to become the new royal family , Alderaan fell back into violence and tyranny . Over the next decade , Republic and Imperial combatants flocked to the world to attempt to influence the outcome of what became one of the bloodiest planetary civil wars in galactic history . During this period , the personal journal of the Jedi Master Gnost - Dural was reviewed and entered into the Jedi Archives on Tython . Gnost - Dural had been aboard the Republic fleet that arrived to retake Alderaan , and as such , was able to contribute a personal point of view on the battle . However , due to his distant position from the fighting on the ground , he was unable to accurately describe the progress of the conflict . This gap in information prompted then - Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan to add an annotation to that section of the journal to detail her involvement , as well as the efforts of Havoc Squad . Behind the scenes . The Battle of Alderaan was created as a background event for LucasArts ' and BioWare ' s massively - multiplayer online video game , " " . The battle was first mentioned on the Alderaan page of the Holonet , an online feature available on " Star Wars : The Old Republic " official website . The Holonet is intended to provide information regarding the history of the galaxy prior to the game ' s starting point . With regard to the Battle of Alderaan , the Holonet explains the reasons for the Alderaanian civil war found in the game . The information on the battle was dramatically expanded upon with the release of " Hope " , the second cinematic trailer for " Star Wars : The Old Republic " . The trailer revealed that Havoc Squad and the Jedi Order were involved in the battle , as well as Darth Malgus — a character who was first introduced in the previous cinematic trailer . The trailer was narrated by a Havoc Squad captain , Jace Malcom , whose voice actor has yet to be confirmed by official sources . The release of " Hope " also confirmed the conflict ' s name as the " Battle of Alderaan . " In March of 2011 , eight months after " Hope " release , BioWare senior creative writer and author of " " confirmed via " The Old Republic " online message boards that the unidentified Jedi female in the trailer is Satele Shan , a prominent character in the game itself . Additional information on the battle is provided in " The Old Republic " itself , which was released on December 20 , 2011 . The player character learns the history of the Alderaanian Civil War — including its roots in the Battle of Alderaan — while traversing the planet and engaging in missions for either the Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic . " The Journal of Master Gnost - Dural " , a book released in collector ' s editions of " The Old Republic " , included new information on the battle , including Satele Shan ' s activities prior to Havoc Squad ' s attack and Gnost - Dural ' s presence with the navy . Images of the battle were used as promotional material in anticipation of the game ' s release , although it should be noted that representations of Darth Malgus in these images presented him with his distinctive jaw covering , which he does not receive until after his injuries at the hands of Satele Shan during the Battle of Alderaan . The battle was included in a history of the Great Galactic War found in " " , published on April 30 , 2012 and written by Ryder Windham . However , the blurb included with an image of the battle includes several glaring inconsistencies . According to the text , the Battle of Alderaan occurred in conjunction with the Sacking of Coruscant and the Alderaan peace conference — statements in direct conflict with information from " The Journal of Master Gnost - Dural " and " The Old Republic : Deceived " and " " . Additionally , this placement is made impossible by Darth Malgus ' s participation in both conflicts . The 2012 novel " " revealed that Shan and Malcom began a relationship following the battle that resulted in the birth of her son Theron , but the book incorrectly places the battle in the year 3670 BBY .