Dark Crusade

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The Dark Crusade was a war between the warriors of the Sith species and the Jedi that occurred after the Sith discovered Tython and began thinking of expanding and even wiping out the Jedi.

Discovery of Tython
A Sith spacer named Korthan Vith crash-landed on Tython after being knocked off course by a moon with a strong gravitational pull. Vith trekked to the camp of the Jedi that would one day establish the Order. He decided to find a ship and get off-world so he could report his findings to his king, Duratham Graush.

Readying the Navy
After Vith reported his findings to Graush, the king decided to ready a navy for an invasion. He instructed certain Sith to fly to Corellia, Kuat, and other planets to get destroyers and dreadnoughts for the navy from the Corellian Engineering Corporation, SoroSuub Corporation, and Kuat Drive Yards among other companies.

It cost Graush millions of his personal credits, but the Graush family was unbelievably wealthy, though the navy still cost him a good portion of his credits.

The Army
The Sith army was composed mostly of Massassi that would be released from dropships upon landing on a new world. Graush was ready for not only conquest of Tython -- he had rallied the whole Sith species for a galaxywide crusade.

Flying to and Blockading Tython
Since hyperspace technology had not been invented as of the beginning of the Dark Crusade, the Sith had a little more trouble than later factions sneaking up on the Jedi. However, they did manage to mask their presence somewhat with the dark side, and therefore were able to form a circle of dreadnoughts around the planet. The center circle was of heavy cruisers and dreadnoughts, but it was sandwiched in between two rows of destroyers.

Battle of Tython
➤ Main article: Battle of Tython

Jedi Attack
The Jedi launched starfighters with Force-sensitive pilots to head the attack. The light side Force-wielders didn't have many ships, so they were relying on the power of the Force.

Their Interceptors destroyed many of the Sith fighters, but Graush then began firing his Incinerator-class dreadnoughts' auto turbolasers. They wiped out the entire fleet of Jedi starfighters and then sent in their own Omen-class starfighters with heavy artillery to blow away several Jedi camps. The remainder of the Jedi fled off-world in YT-200 light freighters.

Landing on Tython
The Sith came down with Barrier-class dropships and released hordes of Massassi that destroyed what remained of the Jedi camps. The warriors killed several straggling soldiers that had accompanied the Jedi. The red-skinned warriors were soon called back to their dropships, as the dreadnoughts and destroyers were hunting down freighters above the planet.

Destroying the Escapees
The Incinerator-classes destroyed the majority of the Jedi that fled Tython's surface, and the Sith left a fleet of starfighters and thousands of soldiers to guard the key planet. The Battle of Tython was won, but that was just the beginning of the Sith crusade.

First Battle of Empress Teta
➤ Main article: First Battle of Empress Teta

Sith Arrival in the System
The Sith moved their fleet to Empress Teta, the mining planet near Tython in the Deep Core. They needed mined resources to keep their fleet running and to make credits, as Graush's ultimate goal was to rule the galaxy, and no one -- not even the Sith -- could rule the galaxy without credits.

The planet, however, was controlled by the Mining Guild, a mining organization that wanted to take the resources. Graush moved his destroyers into position as a blockade around the planet, so as to stop the Mining Guild from leaving the planet and to stop outsiders from interfering. Then, he flew the dreadnoughts down into the atmosphere of the planet.

Bombarding the Mining Guild
Graush ordered the dreadnoughts to open fire, and they hit the facilities with orbital autocannons, though he preserved a few of the structures for future mining operations. Every facility hit was completely decimated, and they wiped out nearly all life on the planet. Graush flew down himself to view the success of the bombardment.

Destroying the Mining Guild
The Massassi landed in Barrier-class dropships and picked off all of the survivors of the initial bombardment. Graush sent out scouts to search for any additional survivors, and they located the planetary headquarters of the Mining Guild in a large, metal structure. Graush's scouts signaled to the Massassi, which invaded the palace and slaughtered the leaders of the Guild.

The Sith left the world, but were oblivious to the existence of the Korosians.

Arrival in the Prakith System
The Sith fleet moved into position over Prakith. Graush deployed scouts in Omen-class fighters that were able to locate the mountain fortresses on Prakith.

Lay of the Land
Three of the scouts out of four didn't return, shot down by humans from multiple fortresses. The scout that made it back to Graush explained the situation. Five mountain bases spanned the northern hemisphere. The southern hemisphere was virtually uninhabited, so unless there was a secret mine, it would be utterly useless to Graush. The five fortresses each had thousands of trained human soldiers inside, armed with sniper rifles, blaster pistols, and standard DC-15A blaster carbines. There was one main fortress on a huge mountain that had three times as many soldiers.

There were sites for launching fighters should an enemy such as the Sith attack, but the Sith greatly outnumbered the Prakith humans in this department. There were also a few skilled alien soldiers, who had immigrated to Prakith from Core worlds, though that was of little consequence.

Failed Orbital Bombardment
Graush's initial plan was to destroy each and every fortress like they had the Mining Guild on Empress Teta -- by reducing them to rubble with dreadnought cannons.

The Sith opened fire on Prakith, but immensely powerful shields went up around the fortresses, protecting them even from sustained dreadnought fire. Graush then ordered for the Barrier-classes to take Massassi down to the surface.

They would have to take the world with foot soldiers.

Massassi Attack
The Massassi were released from Barrier-class dropships as instructed. Legions upon legions of Massassi attacked every fortress at once.

The first fortress fell easily under the attack by thousands of Massassi; all within were slaughtered. The second and third fell almost as easily, but the fourth withstood the initial attack.

More Sith warriors were released, and the Massassi overwhelmed the fourth base.

The fifth, however, was the main base atop a mountain, and would not fall easily.

Charging the Main Fortress
The Massassi launched an attack during which they charged up the slope of the mountain that the fortress was on. The Massassi had only axes and swords, however, while the defenders of the fortress had blasters and sniper rifles.

The Massassi were quickly mowed down by the defenders, and only a few survivied. Those survivors tried to hide and ambush the base, but the snipers picked them off before they could do anything of use. Graush was force to think of a more strategic plan.

Making Camp
The Sith made camp about 10 miles away from the base, to give them space enough that they would not be seen as an immediate threat by the humans while they devised their new plan.

Expansion of the Ray Shield
The humans, as it turned out, were in possession of a ray shield. The generator was located at the heart of the base on top of the mountain. The shield was programmed to expand so that, soon, it would give them enough protection to march an army right up to the Sith camp and hit them with lasers over and over until they were all dead. However, if the Sith could get inside the shield somehow, they could reach the generator and shut down the shield, then signal for the main army to charge.

Disabling the Shield
Duratham Graush's new plan was one that involved more stealth than was typical of the Sith. He would sneak five Massassi into the base, each hiding under their own wooden crate. When the shield engulfed them, they would sneak into the base and destroy the generator.

Sneaking in
The Massassi each hid under their crates, unsure if the plan would work. The shield moved closer, but the human soldiers spotted two of the Massassi and killed them. The other crates were out of sight, and therefore safe.

The Massassi crept up the slope under their crates, safely behind the main army and not suspicious to the guards. The guards saw one move, though, and shot them.

The remaining two warriors reached the base. They then had to sneak in. One tried to scale the wall and the other decided to sneak in through an entrance. The first one was shot down shortly before reaching the top of the wall. The second was successful in sneaking into the base.

Reaching the Center and Destroying the Generator
The one remaining Sith warrior sneaked through the base, avoiding the guards and making his way to the lower levels. When he reached the generator, he killed all 10 guards surrounding it with his superhuman strength (and help from a few weapons). He then proceeded to destroy the generator with his shikkar.

Destroying the Fortress
The Massassi inside the base signaled for the main army to charge, then exited the fortress. The army charged, and, though several hundred Massassi were mowed down by the snipers on the top of the base, the majority of the army made it up the mountain and into the base, where the warriors flooded the fortress and slaughtered everyone inside.

Prakith was a Sith world.

Temporary Peace
Duratham Graush lived the rest of his days out in peace, having conquered the majority of the Deep Core. He was incredibly wealthy at the time of his death, and established a system of succession for the Graush Empire. His son, Mavakan Graush, took control of the empire. A few more kings passed on the throne until, early in the reign of Ulathan Graush, three major events took place: the founding of the Galactic Republic, allied with the Jedi Order, the creation of hyperspace technology, and an uprising in Imperial territory -- on Empress Teta.