Campaign of the Month: January 2012
Star Trek Late Night
The very early history of Coruscant is a bit sketchy and is not well known. The Sacking of Coruscant in 3,653 BBY. In 25,053 BBY, when the Galactic Constitution was signed, the Corellians and Duros invented the hyperdrive proper, allowing Coruscant to become the capital of a democratic union: the Galactic Republic. 53 years later the planet became the galactic center, and remained the Republic’s capital for 24,981 more years. Shortly after the formation of the Republic, the Perlemian Trade Route was mapped, linking Coruscant to Ossus and bringing the Jedi Knights into the Republic. Over the next millennium, the Corellian Run was mapped, linking Coruscant to Corellia and beyond. Blasters were also invented on Coruscant around this time, and the famous Galactic Museum was constructed in 12,000 BBY.
From the very beginning, Coruscant, as the Republic’s capital, was the primary objective in several wars. The earliest among these was the Tionese War with the Honorable Union of Desevro and Tion in 24,000 BBY, in which Coruscant was bombarded with Tionese pressure bombs. Other early battles included the Alsakan Conflicts, the Duinuogwuin Contention, the Great Hyperspace War, the Third Great Schism, the Great Droid Revolution, and the Great Sith War. At the end of the Great Sith War in 3,996 BBY, the Senate Building was built to replace the old Senate Hall.
Following the devastation of Ossus, the Jedi Council took up residence in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, to which many Jedi relics from Ossus were taken. The Temple was greatly expanded, including the building of the original Jedi Council Chamber. The Temple was repeatedly expanded including in 3,519 BBY, 2,519 BBY (when the Jedi Archives were built) and 1,019 BBY (when the Temple spires were finally fully rebuilt).
The skyscrapers of Coruscant in 32 BBY. The Great Galactic War, broke out in 3,681 BBY and lasted till 3,653 BBY between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. Towards the end of the war, the Sith surprised the galaxy and extended an offer of peace to the Republic. Although cautious of the Empire’s intentions, the Republic’s Galactic Senate accepted.
While Republic and Imperial delegations convened on Alderaan for treaty negotiations, Sith Lord Darth Angral led a Sith battle fleet to Coruscant and initiated the Sacking of Coruscant. Their first contact was made with the Coruscant Security Force’s Orbital Security Station Six which the Sith quickly obliterated. They then began their invasion of the planet. Sending a stolen Republic shuttle to the Jedi Temple, the Sith broke through and engaged the Jedi there as well as the Temple Security Force. However, the Jedi were overwhelmed and a Coruscant’s defenses were brought down allowing the Sith to land their troops. The Sith took the Senate Building and the Supreme Chancellor was assassinated. Six members of the Jedi Council were also killed in the battle.
With Coruscant securely in their grip, the Empire was able to take command of the negotiations on Alderaan, forcing the Republic delegation to sign the controversial Treaty of Coruscant. Although it brought an end to the Great Galactic War, the treaty set the stage for the Cold War.
The New Sith Wars brought turmoil again to the Republic. Beginning in 2,000 BBY with the Fourth Great Schism and ending 1,000 BBY, the New Sith Wars contained a 1,000 years of fighting between the Republic and the Sith. During Republic Dark Age that began in 1,100 BBY was seen by most as a period where the Republic ceased to exist as its territory became a rump around Coruscant and the some of the Core Worlds. The Jedi took direct control of the Republic, bypassing the Senate entirely. The Sith were poised to take Coruscant itself only to be stopped at Ruusan. With the Sith armies thought to be completely destroyed, the Republic was rebuilt under the Ruusan Reformation. A new age began for the Republic, a time of peace lasting for several centuries.
Chancellor Palpatine’s Security Acts put Coruscant in a perpetual state of lockdown. In 33 BBY, terrorist organization The Flail, accusing the Galactic Senate of corruption, disrupted public services of Coruscant, including commerce, communications, traffic and weather, destroying property and lives while doing so. They were stopped by agents of Finis Valorum.
In 27 BBY, Coruscant was almost destroyed by Ashaar Khorda using the Infant of Shaa. Jango Fett, Zam Wesell, and Yarael Poof saved Coruscant, although Poof sacrificed himself to do so. News of this averted disaster was never widely divulged, however.
During the Separatist Crisis in 23 BBY, the Confederacy of Independent Systems had become a significant threat to the stability of the Republic. Many systems seceded from Republic control, among them Ando and Sy Myrth, resulting in a mass exodus of Aqualish and Sy Myrthians from Coruscant.
Around this time, several assassination attempts were made on Naboo senator Padmé Amidala while she was on Coruscant, including the bombing of her personal ship, destroying it and killing several of her handmaidens and guards. Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were assigned to protect her. Eventually, they managed to foil another attempt at Padmé’s penthouse by Zam Wesell, leading to an airspeeder chase through Coruscant which ended in a showdown at the Outlander Club, a sports bar and club found in an entertainment district in the lower levels. The Jedi caught Wesell, but she was killed by a mysterious armored figure, leading Kenobi to Kamino.
During most of the galaxy-wide Clone Wars which erupted in 22 BBY, Coruscant was subject to frequent Separatist terrorist acts and assassinations of leading Republic figures. Notable incidents were the raid of Ziro’s palace after the Republic discovered the Hutt’s affiliation with Count Dooku; the holding of Senator Meena Tills hostage by Korunnai terrorists which was actually cover for an attempt to turn the Corporate Sector against the Republic; and the Senate hostage crisis at the Republic Executive Building that was carried out by bounty hunter Cad Bane to free Ziro the Hutt. The year 21 BBY saw a wave of such disasters, including the Coruscant Insurrection by Count Dooku and Dark Jedi Trenox to steal a holocron at the Jedi Temple; the bombing of the freighter Star of Iskin that killed former Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum and thousands on the surface; the terrorist attack on a power generator that resulted in power outages and fires throughout the Senate District; the assassination of Senator Viento by rogue Jedi Quinlan Vos; and the murders of Senator Onaconda Farr and Senator Mee Deechi by Farr’s personal aide Lolo Purs.
The Zillo Beast terrorizes Coruscant while hunting Chancellor Palpatine. Also, at some point during the Clone Wars, there was a small incident involving a Zillo Beast from Malastare. After the creature was transported to Coruscant by order of Chancellor Palpatine, the Zillo Beast was subjected to examination and experimentation. When Palpatine ordered its destruction in order to hasten the procedure, the Zillo Beast broke free and immediately sought to avenge itself on the man who was intent on killing it.
As it rampaged through Galactic City, thousands of citizens tried to flee in terror while the Jedi and their clone forces scrambled to neutralize the creature. Upon reaching the Executive Building, the Zillo Beast nearly succeeded in killing the Chancellor, only for its efforts to be thwarted by the Jedi. Although they succeeded in killing it, Chancellor Palpatine discreetly ordered that Zillo Beast be cloned to conduct further research.
Such incidents prompted the Republic to implement numerous changes on Coruscant in the name of increased security. Huge stretches of the cityscape were transformed into military staging areas, and clone troopers of the Republic’s newly formed Grand Army were dispatched throughout the planet on regular patrols as the capital’s military guard. The fanatically pro-Human COMPOR was founded; the local SAGroup, led by Nenevanth Tion, marched in a parade of Republic patriotism on Coruscant. COMPOR pressured Tannon Praji into deporting from the capital all members of species whose homeworld had joined the Confederacy.
Following the Star of Iskin incident, the Senate approved the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act that allowed Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to strip civil liberties. Coruscant fell under particularly heavy government supervision, with security becoming gradually tighter as one traveled deeper into the levels of the Galactic City. The planet’s lower levels, which had once been a haven for crime and an unregulated market, became heavily subdued, such that illicit goods and services became difficult to find. While most Coruscanti were content with surrendering these and other liberties for security, the changes did not sit well with the galactic capital’s alien population, particularly those that were associated with the leadership of the Confederacy. Many Geonosians, Muuns, Neimoidians, and Gossams suffered ostracization on Coruscant, while many others were forced to flee the world altogether. In addition, numerous rumors surfaced regarding antiwar demonstrations that were quelled with forceful measures, seizure of private property, and disappearances. As disturbing as these abuses of power were, proof of the acts was either nonexistent or easily discredited. Throughout the remainder of the war, the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act was altered by amendments known as the Security Acts, which, although intended to further enhance security throughout the Republic, also contributed to Palpatine’s growing power over the government and the weakening of the authority of the Galactic Senate.
Despite the numerous precautions taken, in 19 BBY the Confederacy of Independent Systems succeeded in making a surprise raid on Coruscant. Bypassing the heavily fortified Corellian sector by use of secret hyperspace routes through the Deep Core provided by Darth Sidious, a Separatist fleet under the command of the dreaded General Grievous took the city planet completely unaware. While the Separatist ships engaged the Republic home defense fleet, an army of battle droids descended upon Galactic City. The invasion distracted the defending Jedi and clone forces while General Grievous and a squad of his elite MagnaGuards captured the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
Night view of the Senate District from 500 Republica, c. 19 BBY. However, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi succeeded in rescuing the Supreme Chancellor from the infamous Separatist flagship Invisible Hand. The Battle of Coruscant eventually turned in the Republic’s favor and the Separatist’s armada was forced into a full retreat. However, the battle had shaken much of the population, and large portions of the city had been decimated by falling ships or collateral damage caused in the vicious fighting.
At the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Chancellor Palpatine ordered the destruction of the Jedi Order by issuing Order 66 to all clone troopers throughout the galaxy from his executive office. In the Grand Convocation Chamber of the Senate Building, Palpatine announced to the members of the Galactic Senate the creation of his New Order. With the Jedi all but destroyed, Palpatine proclaimed his intentions to reorganize the Republic into the first Galactic Empire, and thus declared himself Emperor of the galaxy. As with the Republic, Coruscant continued to function as the galactic capital, but had officially lost its original name in favor of “Imperial Center.”