Star War: Rebirth of the Old Republic
A New Republic Arises: 230-242 ABY
A Galaxy in Crisis
The Galaxy over the last century has been in chaos. The Galactic Alliance was long destroyed, the Empire vanished, and now only the Sith Empire is the last remaining galactic government, but even then, their influence was limited to the Core Worlds and some isolated sectors. Any system outside of Sith space was in a constant state of war and civil unrest. No planetary government could rule for any length of time. The fires of hope have long been turned into a pile of ash. The culture of many planets died as time went on as well.
The Galactic Coalition of Free Systems
The Galactic Coalition of Free Systems (also known as the Galactic Coalition or the Coalition) was an interplanetary government formed in response to the aggression of the Sith Empire in their attempts to reclaim their ancient home world of Korriban. The Coalition was first founded by the planets Mandalore, Taris, Manaan, Onderon, Eriadu, Naboo, Besbin, Bakura, and Kamino. Though not all the founding systems were special in way of resources, (like the Selkath of Manaan, whose kolto supply was almost completely obliterated by the Galactic Empire during the time of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader) but joined because they had the most stable governments outside Sith space and therefore can marginally fund a war ageist the Sith Empire. This new government then vowed to topple the Sith regime, and restore the galaxy into the foundations of the Old Republic.
The Declaration of Hope (Treaty of Naboo)
In 230 ABY, a small fleet of Sith warships entered orbit around Mandalore. The Mandalorian fleet, in shock, soon found itself in battle with the equally surprised Sith forces. The space battle lasting mere minutes before the small Sith force was overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Mandalorians. In the questioning of the few captured Sith reveled their mission was to reclaim their home world of Korriban. What else was reviled by another prisoner by the name of Sheila Wok, a captain of one of the Sith warships who evacuated her ship via escape pod, that her superiors believed no system outside the Sith Empire could be stable enough to hold a fleet of any size. Wok then boasted "Once Lord Sinion learns of our failed attempt, he will bring down fleets of thousands onto your world until nothings left but ash!"
When Prime Minister Hondo Ordo heard these words, he knew Mandalore alone could not withstand the might of the Sith Empire, as a result Hondo Ordo prompted the governments of Onderon, Eriadu, Naboo, and Besbin (which were the only stable governments known to him at the time) to form an alliance in hopes to fight the Sith and bring the galaxy out of chaos. Though unsure if the other systems would listen, Ordo traveled to Naboo (the set meeting place) none the less. When he arrived, Ordo was surprised at what he saw. Not only did the systems he requested come, but additionally Taris, Manaan, and Bakura had also come seeking friendship. There and then, the Galactic Coalition of Free Systems was instigated.
Early History of the Coalition
With the formation of the Galactic Coalition of Free Systems, Hondo Ordo proclaimed himself Mandalore the Great, leader of the Mandalorians. With over half a dozen systems at his back Ordo, along with the other members of the Coalition, prepared to build a government that could withstand the pressures to come from politics and war. Unfortunately none of the member systems knew how to form such a governing body and so took special measures.
The Hydian Guerrilla War
As the Sith neared Mandalore (home of the Mandalorians), Mandalore the Great could not sit idle and play politics while the enemy threatens his world. As a result Mandalore demanded from all Coalition members to give command to him their best and brightest to fight the Sith until the new government has been established and armies created. The final combination of forces numbered a mere two dozen warships, and ten thousand troops. Not enough for a head on engagement war. Nevertheless, Mandalore led his task force in a series of guerrilla battles along the Hydian Way known as the Hydian Guerrilla War.
The Myrkr Sieges
The more the Sith Empire attempted to push further towards Korriban, the more and more resistance their fleets met from Mandalore the Great. Whenever the Sith fleet entered a new system, they were ambushed by the Coalition fleet headed by Hando Ordo (Mandalore). Before the Sith could retaliate, Mandalore made his escaped. As a counter to these lightning assaults, the Sith Empire established observation posts on several key planets including Wayland (after enslaving the inhabitants of those planets, and killing any resistance). The Sith then used these outposts to keep tabs on the location the Coalition fleet. After several failed guerrilla strike against the Sith fleet, and the loss of a pair of Onderon warships, Ordo realized the situation.
Hando Ordo knew that success in the war demanded the element of surprise. To deal with the problem, he developed a plan to counter the Sith Empire's observation posts. He (Hando Ordo) would take a task group of half a dozen ships, and several squadrons of fighter/bomber escorts to the Sith controlled world of Myrkr (Wayland's neighbor) in hopes the group will divert the attention of the outposts away from the rest of his fleet. While Mandalore and his task force battle the Sith over Myrkr, the remaining ships of the fleet will spit and simultaneously strike suspected observation worlds, blinding their enemy.
Ordo's plan succeeded; the eyes of the Sith outposts focused on him and allowed the rest of his fleet to easily dispose of them. Mandalore himself was not as fortunate. Once his task group entered orbit around Myrkr, they found themselves vastly outnumbered and outgunned. The battle was fierce. In hours the Coalition fleet destroyed most of the orbiting space stations and several Sith warships. Having lost half his force already, Mandalore ordered his remaining units to attack the weakest point of the Sith blockade. Many fighters and drop ships carrying ground troops were lost in the attack, killing hundreds troops. Those who made it through attacked Myrkr's planetary shield generators to allow for an orbital bombardment. After impossibly blasting through Sith ground defenses, Mandalore's troops knocked out the shields. Back in orbit Ordo lost two more ships, and was torn between two decisions. Would he flee and leave his troops planeside to die or stay to fight so the whole group would die together. Neither one of these options appealed to the Mandalore. Instead he chose to recall his men planet side. The troop transports once again charged though the Sith blockade and many more being destroyed.
When the remaining transports reached Hondo Ordo's ship, (which was heavily damaged), he ordered all personnel onto the transports. Before Mandalore himself evacuated his ship, he set a collision course into the ships navigation computer. As the transports being the remains of the his task force entered hyperspace, which included Hondo Ordo (Mandalore the Great), a Sith dreadnought was impacted by the last of the Coalition ships.
Battle of Korriban
The Myrkr Sieges were a great victory for Hando Ordo's fleet. Not only did it blind the Sith from what's happening outside their territory, but many of the inhabitants of the worlds the Sith used for observation posts were grateful for being freed. As a result, a vast majority of individuals from these planets created uneasy alliances with each other and wished to the banner that Ordo's fleet was flying, the Coalition banner. These new worlds offered more troops, small ships, and supplies to bolster Ordo's fleet. Most of these ships, however, were mere cargo freighters and customized star fighters.
Over the next couple months the Sith Fleet grew closer and closer to Korriban. The guerrilla hit and run tactics showed to no longer slow the Sith advance. Mandalore realized that they won't stop until they reached Korriban. In hopes to outmaneuver the Sith, Mandalore took his entire fleet to fortify Korriban before the Sith arrive. Ordo's forces had set up defenses both on land and in space with as many turrets, defense platforms and trenches as possible. Over fifty vassals littered Korriban's orbit, only sixteen of them were from Ordo's original fleet. The rest were armed cargo freighters, and over a hundred fighters.
When the Sith arrived at Korriban, they were surprised by the already prepared Coalition fleet. The battle lasted days. The Sith outnumbered the Coalition forces three to one. Dozens of Sith and Coalition ships were destroyed. Thousands of troops lay dead, scattered across Korriban's many dusty canyons. Some of the most intense fighting happened at the ancient Valley of the Dark Lords. Before the battle end, Hando Ordo commanded that any ship which can no last no longer to crash their ship into a Sith ship to destroy or cripple it. In the end, Ordo and his forces were the victors. Through bravery and courage they forced the remaining Sith forces to surrender. Only three of Ordo's original ships survived, and barely a hundred troops. Only a dozen Sith survived as well. After six months of fighting the Hydian Guerrilla War ended, but Mandalore knew that he barely even dented the Sith vast armies.
Development of the Galactic Coalition Government
When the new leaders of the Galactic Coalition of Free Systems agree to form all they had was an idea, but had no knowledge of how to accomplish that idea. The true purpose why Hando Ordo went to war was to by time so they could find a way. These new leaders believed the answer they were looking for lay in the past. They sent agents throughout the galaxy to find the most knowledgeable historians. When these agents returned, they presented evidence of the longest living government in galactic history. By the time Ordo returned from his crusade with more allies, these new leaders believed the only way to return the galaxy to its former state before the Clone Wars is by reforming the Old Republic. The Coalition adapted democracy with a senate, the courts, and the executive head, the Chancellor.
With the defeat of the Sith during the Hydian Guerrilla War, many of the Coalition leaders believe Hondo Ordo be the only on with the ability jumpstart the Coalition. Ordo accepted and became Chancellor of the Galactic Coalition. With only a dozen worlds under the Coalition, Chancellor Ordo immediately had missionaries sent all over the galaxy (outside Sith territory) in order to stabilize worlds and convince them to join the young nation. By 235 ABY, the Coalition member systems numbered over five hundred, enough to gain the attention of the Sith Empire (who now controls thousands of systems). By the year 238 ABY, Chancellor Ordo gave the Coalition a heartbeat. That same year Ordo's term as cheif executive was over and a new Chancellor was elected. Chancellor J'onet Klimith, a senator from Onerdon, followed in Hondo Ordo's footsteps and prepared the Coaliliton for war and maintain stability.
The Coalition Army and Navy
With the election of Chancellor Ordo in the last days of 230 ABY, the Coalition Senate quickly moved to create a military for their new government in 231 ABY. The Senate built ship yards above the planet of Raxus Prime in order to construct vast fleets of warships, transports, and fighters in a short period of time. As the military expanded, so did the technology. The Coalition Senate agreed the only way to survive a war with the Sith Empire was by technological advantages. The Senate funded countless endeavors to achieve this goal.
The Galactic Marines
The Galactic Marines is the title given to the Coalition ground forces. To become a Marine, individuals undergo harsh training and conditioning in all known climates. This was force the soldiers to learn teamwork and survival. It is believed that a single Galactic Marine value is that of three Sith Troopers. The Galactic Marines wear full body armor similar to that of the Phase II clone armor used by Republic troops in the Clone Wars. The differences are, they are not pearl white but painted for whatever climate the soldier is fighting in, personal shield generators, bulkier because of denser alloy but more comfortable. The helmet displays a highly detailed HUD (largely decreasing the limited vision caused by armies of earlier times) which gives a soldier info about their surroundings (teammates, map, objectives, vitals and shield strength, and special visor modes (including night vision and thermal).
Their matto "Stay Strong, Fight Hard!"
The Legion Elite
The Legion Elite, (also known as the Legion Commandos, The Legion or Legionnaires) are special task groups created in preparation of the Galactic Coalition's coming war by infiltrating Sith space to sabotage their worlds, assassinate key individuals, form alliances and protect them, gather intelligence, etc… The Legion Commandos operate in single four man teams (sometimes working with other teams) and are equipped with the Coalitions most advance infantry technology. Though superior technology wouldn't be enough, the members of the Legion Elite were drafted from the Galactic Marines who elevated past all others in intelligence, fighting ability, strategy and tactics. One selected to become a Legionnaire, the individual undergoes cybernetic enhancements, years of survival training on Dxun (the harshest of Onderon's moons), years of urban training on multiple city worlds (Taris, Mandalore, Onderon, Eriadu, etc…), "then" they are grouped in squads (whom they will be with until they die) where they learn teamwork, trust, and when they are on a mission they are on their own. The Legion Elite are some of the best soldiers in the galaxy, able to match the force using Sith Warriors in combat. Legionnaires are trained to fight 'till the last, to finish a mission no matter what. Members of the Legion Elite are also trained to take follow their oath above all else. As when war broke out with the Sith, anyone who proved themselves outside the Coalition military could train as one of the Legion.
"On my honor I swear to uphold the peace,
To do my duty by sacrificeing body and soul,
To protect those who need protection,
To give my life if need be,
For we are the Legion Elite,
We are the first and last line of defense,
We are the defenders of the galaxy."
Oath of the Legion