Battle of Coruscant ( Great Sith War ) The Battle of Coruscant occurred in the year 3996 BBY during the Great Sith War , and witnessed the Sith Lord Ulic Qel - Droma and his forces invade the Republic capital of Coruscant . Following the Sith victory at the Battle of Foerost , Qel - Droma was able to add three hundred captured Republic warships to his already expansive Krath and Mandalorian fleets . With his forces bolstered , Qel - Droma believed that he now possessed the power to topple the central seat of government for the Republic , and therefore advised Exar Kun that he intended to attack Coruscant . Qel - Droma , Aleema Keto , and Mandalore the Indomitable launched the invasion of Coruscant shortly after the celebration of the War Day holiday , and managed to catch the Republic and Jedi forces unprepared . Nonetheless , the Coruscanti forces were soon rallied by the Jedi and were able to halt the ground forces of Qel - Droma . Keto , however , used the invasion to further her own plans for power , and ordered the Mandalorian and Krath forces to retreat , claiming that Qel - Droma had been killed during the fighting . Abandoned by his warlords and soldiers , Qel - Droma was soon captured by the Jedi and handed over to the Inquisition to be tried for his crimes against the Republic . Prelude . Following the Battle of Foerost , the Sith Lord Ulic Qel - Droma was able to capture three hundred new warships from the Republic shipyards there . Adding these new battleships to his already formidable fleet of Krath and Mandalorian vessels , Qel - Droma contacted Exar Kun , Dark Lord of the Sith , and advised him that he intended to demonstrate just how weak the Republic was by toppling their seat of power . To do this , he reasoned , he had to invade the Republic capital of Coruscant , and essentially bring an abrupt end to the war . After hearing what Qel - Droma had planned , Kun argued against invading Coruscant , stating that it would cause his plan to come apart . Kun continued by arguing that the Brotherhood of the Sith must first consolidate their combined forces , expand their resources , and then attack the Republic and Jedi along a combined front . Qel - Droma , however , stated that his and Mandalore the Indomitable ' s forces could handle the invasion of Coruscant without the help of Kun and his Sith converts . Still believing that Qel - Droma and his forces were doomed to failure , Kun resigned himself to the fact that his allies would proceed with the attack with or without his blessing . Nevertheless , Kun advised Qel - Droma that if his attack failed , or he was killed during the coming invasion , then Kun would continue the war without him and his forces . The battle . Filtering misleading information to the Republic and Jedi about the Krath ' s motives , leading them to believe that they were actually going to attack Kemplex IX , Qel - Droma and his forces set out for Coruscant . Responding to the misinformation provided , the Republic believed that they were going to be able to destroy the bulk of the Krath forces in one battle , and they ordered the majority of the Republic space forces , including parts of the Coruscant defense fleet , to Kemplex IX . Meanwhile , on Coruscant , Master Vodo - Siosk Baas and several other Jedi , including Cay Qel - Droma and Nomi Sunrider , arrived at Galactic City intent on speaking with the Senate . Master Baas wanted to speak in front of the Senate concerning a number of rumors that were circulating about a fallen Jedi Knight who was said to have been leading various raids , including Foerost , against the Republic . However , during the meeting Defense Minister Netus received information confirming that the Jedi in question was actually Ulic Qel - Droma . It was during the Senate meeting that Qel - Droma ' s invasion force appeared out of hyperspace and began their assault upon the galactic capital . Appointing Mandalore the Indomitable and his Mandalorian warriors to lead the attack , Qel - Droma ' s forces besieged the main points of Coruscant ' s defense structure , including weapons platforms and strategic positions . However , under the leadership of Master Baas and other Jedi , the Republic ground forces were soon rallied and managed to halt the majority of the attacking Mandalorians . Despite the organized defense mounted by the Jedi , Qel - Droma and Mandalore were able to fight their way to the central command structure of the Coruscant forces , where Republic military officers were attempting to help the Jedi with organizing the planet ' s defense . Utilizing his Sith powers , Qel - Droma attempted to compel the senior Republic officer to relay a set of commands to two separate Republic fleets , ordering them to the Vento system with the belief that a large Krath fleet was inbound . The Republic officer refused to relay Qel - Droma ' s false commands ; in response , the Sith Lord prepared to kill the Republic personnel present . Qel - Droma , not aware of other events unfolding on Coruscant , was interrupted by a unit of Jedi , led by Master Baas . While Qel - Droma was preoccupied at the Republic command building , the Jedi had continued in their efforts to mount a defense against the swarming hordes of Mandalorians . It was during this time that Aleema Keto made the decision to go ahead with her own private plan of usurping Qel - Droma ' s power and position for herself . Issuing an order of general retreat to Mandalore and the remaining Krath invasion force , Keto intended to leave Qel - Droma on Coruscant where he would hopefully be killed during the fighting . Mandalore , however , refused the initial order from Keto , arguing that he could not leave his commander while the fight was still ongoing . Realizing that she needed to convince Mandalore to withdraw , or risk having her coup realized , Keto advised him that Qel - Droma had been killed in the fighting and that her retreat order was intended to preserve the remainder of their forces . Believing what Keto had told him , Mandalore reluctantly ordered his warriors to withdraw from the surface , and retreat with the remaining Krath forces . Aftermath . Realizing too late that his forces had been ordered to retreat from Coruscant , Qel - Droma and the soldiers who were left with him were confronted by Master Baas and a group of other Jedi Knights . Neutralizing the Krath soldiers , the Jedi proceeded to use their combined Force powers to build a wall of light around Qel - Droma , temporarily paralyzing him . With the capture of Ulic Qel - Droma , known Sith Lord and leader of the Krath , the Republic ' s Supreme Chancellor branded him a traitor , advising those present that Qel - Droma would stand trial before the Senate for his crimes against the Republic . Following Qel - Droma ' s capture by the Jedi , the Sith Lord was handed over to the Inquisition for trial and sentencing . Charged with various war crimes , including treason against the Republic and the Jedi Order , Qel - Droma was given a chance to speak in his defense . The Krath warlord , however , surprised all those present , including various Jedi , by pleading guilty to all charges . He then proceeded to express his contempt for the Republic , which he believed had grown weak . Stunned at the arrogance that he displayed during his trial , the Inquisition found Qel - Droma guilty on all counts , and sentenced him to death for his crimes against the Republic , but he escaped shortly after his sentencing . Behind the scenes . The Battle of Coruscant first appeared in the issue " " of the " " series of comics . The battle was conceived and written by author Kevin J . Anderson , and was drawn by artist Dario Carrasco , Jr . Anderson used this battle to further demonstrate Ulic Qel - Droma ' s fall to the dark side , and to also set events in motion for Qel - Droma ' s fateful trial before the Inquisition in " " .