Year of 3643
The conflict versus the Dread Masters had consumed much of the resources of the Republic, and although the Empire had consistently disavowed the distrust, that isn’t just what the Sith Empire wanted in the first place. Still with the conflict behind the Republic by the beginning of the year the people were renewed with animosity versus the Sith, and Senator Saresh’s strong-arm stance versus the Empire was taking root in the Republican Senate and talks of perhaps a preemptive strike versus the old enemy were being floated though the appetite for war was not enough to move the moderates in the senate.
Meanwhile, with new elections finished, the freshmen senators, including the young, but distinguished, Niall Organa, were set to bring fresh blood and direction to the Senate and Galactic Republic. The young war hero replaced Crown Prince Gaul Panteer, leaving him to spend more time with his daughter and future queen of Alderaan.
With the Republic having pulled more resources for the conflict with the Dread Masters, pirates had grown bold and their attacks were affecting everyone and growing in intensity. The White Maw operating in and around the Hoth System were becoming increasingly problematic for the Empire and Republic; the Republic lost civilian transport carrying a few thousand refugees called the Baraliner and the Empire suffered the loss of a military escort, the Dark Legion combat frigate, in the region.
In response Darth Baras who was touring the region for dissidents directed a small detachment to pacify the pirates meanwhile a humanitarian mission sent by the Republic was just about to enter the Hoth system… Neither side is aware of the other in what is considered contested territory.
The events of Hoth begin
here.
- Surprise Attack: While the Republic and Imperial expeditions were entering the Hoth system the Empire of Zakuul was preparing for invasion. The seclusion of Emperor Valkorian had spread some unease among the people and it was his sons who announced that the Grand Crusade to bring the rest of the galaxy into their polity would begin.
The surprise attack began with an invasion of Coruscant and Dromund Kaas, there was a great deal of confusion as the Republic thought it was an Imperial invasion and vice versa, it was soon realized this was a new threat with Prince Thexan leading the Imperial assault and Prince Arcaan leading the Republic offensive.
Coruscant fell within the week with a portion of the galactic Senate signing a declaration of surrender while loyalists fled to the periphery of the Republic to form a government in exile. Meanwhile Droumnd Kaas was annexed quickly, dividing the Empire between the Regime of the Empress and the New Order that opted for capitulation and service to the Zakuul Empire in exchange for elevated station. The New Order established itself on Dromund Kaas as a tributary to the Zakuul Empire, with their leadership consisting of Darth Vengean, Darth Vowran, and a smattering of lesser Sith lords.
- Capitulation: The message was simple from the Zakuul Empire: submit or face our war machines. The conquerors had a simple goal: cripple their enemy’s means to fight back and disable their war capabilities. They moved with speed many worlds simply submitting to their rule than faced them in the field while the armed forces of both factions regrouped in their periphery regions. Darth Marr and Darth Xevious alongside the Imperial Navy brokered a quick peace with Darth Hoshi and formed a counter offensive.
Meanwhile Jace Malcom and other loyalists of the Republic opted for Boz Pity to make their initial stand while the Core worlds fell. The initial days of the war were filled with confusion, which was the intent of the Zakuul Empire, while their invasion forces were small the real advantage was the massive Eternal Fleet that could respond quickly to naval offensives all across the galaxy.
- House Panteer Divided: The invasion and occupation of Alderaan would see the destruction of many Republic loyalists hips as they tried to combat the threat only to see the world occupied. Zakuul tried to force Queen Solara Panteer to capitulate, she did not and was placed on house arrest with the rest of the royal family. The Zakuul occupation was brutal and the people suffered for her defiance, eventually they found a willing Panteer in Baron Dushyant Panteer who was named King who promptly swore fealty as a tributary of the Zakuul Empire.
The Queen was held under house arrest in the Spring Palace along with her immediate family, meanwhile Duchess Ulgo was charged with spiriting Prince Gaul panteer and his heir out of the system, with a brief stop to free her father from captivity. Republic loyalists got the word out to regroup at Boz Pity, as the system was lost.
Year of 3642
The issues on Hoth were resolved by the joint task force alongside the Gree and the White Maw, technically the planet had been annexed but it was never an important front for the initial invasion as the forces of Zakuul regrouped and pressed towards Ziost.
The joint task force, which was being called the Eternal Alliance in opposition to the Eternal Empire, arrived at Boz Pity. There was a great deal of unease towards cooperation but the ease with which the Eternal Empire dismantled their respective militaries gave the Empress and her advisors much to consider.
Meanwhile a small detachment, well really one ship, the Terror Star entered Zakuul space in search of a means to defeat the Eternal Fleet and remove one of the major advantages of the enemy. It would not be an easy journey and this would be the start of a two year exodus across the unknown regions of space.
On Zakuul Princess Vaylin returned home and reached out to her brothers to explain what she had seen and her plans for the future. The children were once again reunited but tensions ran high as the brothers realized that only one of them could take the throne, It was decided that Vaylin would be named protector of Zakuul in their absence and they would deal with the issue of succession when they had finished their war against the Republic and Empire.
As Protector it fell to Vaylin to use the Eternal Throne for the good of Zakuul, for now she would protect Zakuul but the Daughter of the Dragon had her own plans.
- The Eternal Fleet: The Terror Star followed many clues throughout their journey which culminated in them doing a daring but costly mission on Zakuul and found the legendary Gravestone, a ship of Zakuul legend that was said to be able to defeat the fleet. Through this and the research of Jedi Master Zyn they were able to find the path to the planet of Iokath, but their plan was revealed to Vaylin through Aphr, she reached out to Thexan who gave chase.
- Fighting in the Shadows: The Eternal Alliance spent much of the year fighting a guerilla war across a thousand worlds trying to keep in the fight while they looked for ways to minimize the many strengths of the Zakuul war machine. A virus is released in Zakuul space that seems to have some effect in the short term, but by year’s end the virus is eradicated by the sophisticated synthetic intelligences employed by Zakuul.
- The Eternal Alliance: By year’s end the Empire finally came to the table to align their military and intelligence with the Republic and formalize the Eternal Alliance. Many would see this as the turning point in the conflict despite the rapid advance of Zakuul which now controlled all of the Core Worlds of both the Republic and Empire.
Year of 3641
With the formation of the Eternal Alliance, the fighting gifted from Guerilla warfare to strikes against what were perceived to be weak points of the Zakuul invasion, which in turn brought about a new level of brutality to the Zakuul occupation to those worlds that were considered to be harboring or aiding the Eternal Alliance, including the scourging of Delaya which would cost nearly a million lives and was done under the direction of King Dushyant Panteer in response to a nascent rebellion movement.
But it was not isolated, the forces of Zakuul was keen to utilize local puppet governments to carry out the war atrocities to both cow the locals but also break the spirit of the fighters whose resistance was pushing the local governments to the extreme in their loyalty to the Zakuul throne.
This would come to a head with one of the major conflicts of the war, a major ground offensive on Kashyyyk, while a defeat for the Eternal Alliance it did marka turning point as the Terror Star nmission had succeeded in corrupting the neural network originating from a dyson sphere world named Iokath, built by an unknown species. This would deal a serious blow and cost the lives of most of the mission, as they made a valiant stand against Thexan. The Eternal Fleet was crippled, with many of the ships going rogue, and only those closest to the Eternal Throne were left under Vaylin’s control.
- Iokath: Built by an unknown species they were perhaps even more advanced than Zakuul. The Terror Star and Gravestone raced to the world with Thexan at their backs, at great cost including the Terror Star itself they were able to hold off Thexan and utilize Valen’s, aka the Cunning Man, knowledge to cripple the fleet at the cost of her life and the lives of most of the team. Jo’ren, Senya, and a skeleton crew managed to escape on the damaged Gravestone.
- Family Feud: The loss of the Eternal Fleet was a great blow and when Thexan returned to Zakuul he was greeted by an angry Arcann and their quarrel would end in a deadly duel, but before a victor could be named Vaylin intervened and was able to arbitrate a peace and focus her brother’s efforts on the invasion.
Year of 3640
The war began to turn in the favor of the Eternal Alliance but it was a hard fought conflict but the liberation of Tatooine was seen as a great victory. Still losses were high and every conflict would see another hero fall in the service of the galaxy, and even if momentum was on their side, the costs were high.
By the middle of the year the second battle for Alderaan commenced, with both Thexan and Arcann taking the field, the duo were nigh unstoppable in battle, but in the end the forces of the Eternal Alliance won the day, Bouris Ulgo led the charge to take back the palace and although he died, he did so freeing Queen Panteer and her family.
Arcann quit the field and Thexan was captured by the Eternal Alliance, a major blow to the Zakuul war machine. King Dushyant Panteer did not survive the battle, taking his own life rather than facing the justice of his people.
But with that victory Vaylin saw her opportunity to strike, using the remnants of the Eternal Fleet she conducted a lightning raid and devastated the remnants of the Eternal Alliance fleet, crippling their capability to control the hyperlanes. Satisfied with her attack she then produced terms for a cease fire and crowned herself Empress of Zakuul.
But there was a great deal of confusion as both the Empire and Republic are being represented by two different governments essentially Loyalist versus those that Capitulated. This division would lead to conflict as both sides blamed the other for the atrocities and violence perpetrated during the war.
Year of 3639 and Beyond
The aftermath of the conflict with Zakuul would end with Zakuul firmly under the rule of Vaylin who controlled the remnants of the fleet. Their expansion was halted but many worlds voluntarily stayed under their polity, perhaps five to ten percent of the systems previously under Republic or Imperial control.
Neither side had the means to contest this as the Republic was divided between the Galactic Republic and the Senate in Exile, as it was called under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Saresh. This division would last for decades and greatly weaken the Republic in time.
Meanwhile the Empire was diminished, while the Empress would hold the majority of power many break away states made their move, and the dream of the Sith Empire began to fragment though far slower than the division of the Republic. But the Empire was a smaller state and the majority of their military strength was lost in the war.
Victory had come, but the galaxy would never fully recover and in time Zakuul would return to a more isolationist state, fading from the political landscape of known galactic space.
