The Chiss started a war and the Mandalorians will follow. However, they will not be fighting amongst themselves, but rather against us.
—Jedi Grandmaster Trusk Aweer
The Great Alliance War, also known as the Great Mandalorian Crusade, Third Mandalorian Wars, Third Mandalorian Crusade, Alliance War, Galactic War, and by many other names, was an intergalactic conflict and set of crises which lasted from 3,730 BBY to 3,722 BBY. It pitted the Triple Tsad and its allies against the League of Allies and its friends for nine years.
The war was the most devastating war since the Mandalorian Wars over two hundred years earlier. It killed over three hundred billion soldiers and over thirty-five trillion civilians on both sides. Only the Yuuzhan Vong War would surpass it.
The end of the war brought the total annihilation of the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order and brought the Mand'alor Empire to total galactic domination, which formed the Galactic Mandalorian Empire. Several Jedi survivors lived on, however, and would retake the galaxy several hundred years later.
Origins[]
The origins of the Great Alliance War can be seen going back a decade when the Mandalorian Republic was peacefully transformed into the Mand'alor Empire. Then, the Galactic Depression hit which caused many governments to secede from the Galactic Republic in hopes of ending the Depression on their planet. During 3,731 BBY, the Chiss Confederation overthrew the Chiss Ascendancy in the Chiss Civil War and formed the Chiss Empire. The war started a year later. These are all seen as the origins of the Great Alliance War.
Galactic Depression[]
The Galactic Depression hit the galaxy in the 3,730's. Along with it brought a deadly disease that killed seven billion people in the galaxy. The plague ended quickly but left much of the galaxies' governments crippled. Many seceded from the Republic, hoping to find a way to end the Depression within their government. Most of those worlds and planets just died out quicker and called the Republic for aid in several years, sometimes even months. Many politicians with plans for galactic dominance exploited the Depression to rise to power.
Return of the Mandalorian Empire[]
Since the start of the Galactic Golden Age, the Mandalorian Republic had ruled instead of the Mandalorian Empire. The Mandalorian Republic was one of the most prosperous governments in the galaxy. One man wanted to change that, however, during the early 3,740's. This man was Lenon Grasto. Lenon dreamed of helping return the Mandalorian Empire and its army and navy to its might.
He became a politician and was soon representing his home planet of Concord Dawn as a member of the Federal Socialist Party of the Mandalorians, or just Federal Socialist Party. In 3,738 BBY, the year his term as governor of Concord Dawn came to an end, Lenon ran for president of the Mandalorian Republic. Exploiting the Depression and its affects on the Mandalorian Republic, Lenon used the campaign slogan, "End the Depression, end the suffering," to help become the 71st President of the Mandalorian Republic in a landslide victory. Two years later, when his term ended, he ran again and also won in a landslide victory. Two months after his second inauguration, Lenon Grasto became the first Mandalore of the Mand'alor Empire, transforming the Mandalorian Republic into the new empire.
Chiss Civil War[]
A year before the start of the Great Alliance War, a collected group of worlds and citizens within the Chiss Ascendancy left the Ascendancy and formed the Chiss Confederation. Led by Miss'tra'narwan, the Confederation waged war against the Ascendancy for several months. They gained victory in the war and combined the Confederation and collapsing Ascendancy to form the Chiss Empire. The Chiss Empire then started to take many planets bordering the Outer Rim and within the Unknown Regions and Wild Space to have a bigger territory ready for the war they planned with their allies, the Triple Tsad.
Triple Tsad and League of Allies[]
The Triple Tsad was created from the signing of the Mand'alor-Chiss-Exchange Pact near the end of 3,731 BBY. In response, the Republic and Jedi, along with several other allies, signed the Galactic Guardian Entente to form the League of Allies. All members in the League of Allies vowed to protect the Republic and the Core Worlds from outside invaders and threats, mostly the Triple Tsad. The Triple Tsad then vowed to destroy the League of Allies and any of its allies. The galaxy was now a keg waiting to explode.
Invasion[]
In 3,730 BBY, several threats were made by the Triple Tsad, mainly the Mandalorians, of an invasion of Republic space by all allies. Lenon and his allies had already planned an invasion for 3,729 BBY but they decided to start it a year early for unknown reasons. The invasion started with an attack on Republic planet near the Mand'alor capital of Mandalore. The planet, Wayland, was attacked by the Mandalorians in the Second Mandalorian Wars in which a siege was started. It resulted in a defeat, however, for the Mandalorian Empire. Lenon promised they would take the planet this time.
The battle began with a series of bombing runs by the restored Mandalorian Hammer Heavy Bombers. Chiss Clawcraft fighters followed with two waves of eliminating any potential threats in the air. The heavily modified Super Shadow Cruisers then began to fly over the atmosphere of Wayland. Within hours, the planet was taken. It showed the Republic that they needed to heighten their defenses if they were to make it out of this war.
In response, the Republic sent a fleet that was patrolling a nearby system to travel to Wayland and defend the planet. The beginning of the battle saw many Mandalorian ships fall, but once Lenon knew of what was occurring, the Republic counterattack was of no use and the fleet was destroyed or captured. They managed to send a message to the Republic and asked for aid. This was brought to the Senate which called for the Jedi Order for aid. The battle for Wayland would continue on for the entire war, with a count of eight total major battles, with smaller skirmashes, and even smaller daily guerilla attacks on Mandalorian and Republic forces from each side.
Attempted Peace[]
We must make peace or die.
—Jed Grandmaster Trusk Aweer
After the Senate agreed on calling upon the Jedi for help, the Jedi Council went to work on deciding to enter the war or not, or take other action. They ultimately decided upon negotiations and inquired for a peace treaty to be signed. The Senate at first didn't agree on the idea but after constant quarrels, the Jedi finally got their way. A draft the treaty was created and sent to Lenon Grasto. He agreed to the terms and it was signed in the fourth month of 3,729 BBY. The Treaty of Wayland had terms that would greatly decrease the power of the Mand'alor Empire and ultimately break up the Triple Tsad. Despite this, Lenon signed. Many suspected he was only bluffing and would soon attacked. The Treaty also aided the Triple Tsad by giving the Mandalorians several key planets throughout the Outer Rim and Mid Rim, such as Ord Mantell, Boz Pity, Hypori, and Malastare. A Mandalorian base upon the Onderonian moon of Dxun was also granted by the Treaty. All these planets and the base upon Dxun would turn to haunt not only the Republic, but other factions as well. Positions like Boz Pity and Hypori allowed the Mandalorians to invade Exchange Space and Neo-Hutt Space.
The Treaty is Violated[]
I told you he could not be trusted!
—Supreme Chancellor Zhan
Only three standard weeks after signing the treaty, Lenon regrouped his forces and launched an attack against Dagary Minor with the United Pirates of the Outer Rim and the Chiss Empire. They took Dagary Minor quickly and sweep through a Republic portion of the Outer Rim. The Republic sent surged thousands of troops from other planets and sent them to the front lines of the Outer Rim. The Jedi also contributed two thousand of their warriors from across the galaxy.
Republic Victories[]
This surge of troops to the Outer Rim would eventually lead to a deceive victory at the Battle of Kashyyyk at Kashyyyk. It raised the morals of the Republic and the Jedi alike. The Chancellor called for a draft after the victory. With the war in the influence of the Republic, three million men joined the Armed Forces in hope of becoming the hero that wins the war. Ironically, most of those men died within the next year of the war.
The surge of troops helped the Republic fight back the Mandalorians. Whilst fighting the Mandalorians on the Eastern Front, the Tsad armies in the Unknown Regions were planning to hit the Republic from the back. Though they could not attack the Core Worlds, the Chiss Empire and Confederate Systems of the Unknown Regions could harrass border worlds up and down every region. After proposing the idea to the Mandalorians, they invaded, taking several dozen planets. Many more systems were taken in weeks. The invasion was halted, however, three months in as the Republic attacked the Mand'alor capital of Mandalore.
Taking of Dagary Minor and Attack on Yavin IV[]
We must the planet at all costs. Then we eliminate all Jedi presence in the Outer Rim.
—Lenon Grasto to General Stikke
One of Lenon's main goals during the start of the war was to reconquer the planet of Dagary Minor. No one knows the real reason for the strange Mandalorian attraction to the planet but some suspect that it is the true homeworld of the Mandalorian species, the Taung. Lenon had begged for the planet to be given to him in the Treaty of Wayland, even going as far as saying that is the only planet he would take, but the Republic knew it was a strategic world that could be vital to keeping the Mandalorians out of the Republic if they decided to violate the treay, which they did, and invade.
After loosing several key battles, and being pushed back slightly, Lenon put together a force of 300,000 Mandalorian troops and took two large fleets to send with the troops to conquer Dagary Minor at all costs. If they did not take the planet, they would make sure no one could have it. The Silver Castle was going to be located in the system next to the Dagary system. When they needed it, they would call and the Silver Castle would come and destroy the planet, like it did to Telos IV before the war. It was a win-win situation in Grasto's mind.
The attack commenced with perfection; only two dropships were lost in the descent planetside. Lenon flew his own bomber and helped take out many Republic outposts and artillery sites. He then returned to his flagship, the Parjai, a Mando'a word for victory, and climbed aboard his Basilisk War Droid and took it to the surface where he joined the ground battle. He took his customized blaster rifle and started to fire upon the enemy droids. After defeating the droid army in the field where two previous battles took place, they entered the capital city and battled Republic soldiers in the streets and buildings. Bombers had destroyed much of the city where the suspected Republic soldiers may be hiding or placed, waiting to defend the planet and capital. In two days of fighting, the city was taken and the remaining soldiers retreated away from the capital. Gunships picked them off from the sky and Basilisk War Droids landed in front of running troops and either captured them or killed them, but mostly the latter. Dagary Minor was taken.