Hey guys, it’s Lee Neuschwander from The Geekwave, with another item for the Geek Wish-List.

Last week, we talked about what the fantasy genre lacks. This week on the List, it’s scenes from Star Wars The Old Republic that deserve more limelight.

If you missed last week, you can catch up HERE.

To set things off, I first need to say, compared to the classic 6th chapter, (now, almost 7th, can’t wait–20 more days, and counting!) the Star Wars universe grows unimaginably more complex. As I’m sure you all know, the first huge expansion to the Star Wars canon arrived in the form of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic where we joined Revan for Sith adventures and beyond.

With that piece of nostalgia in mind, know the Knights of the Old Republic series took place in c. 25,053 BBY, with the founding of the Galactic Republic. The BBY and ABY dating systems were created to date the expanded Star Wars universe. BBY stands for Before the Battle of Yavin and ABY stands for After the Battle of Yavin.

My biggest gripe is there is soooo much material not fully covered about this era. To cram everything in about the Old Republic, encompassing the entirety of the Galactic Civil War doesn’t do justice to what what most of us already know. The first 3 movies feature the Galactic Civil War in the course of 4 years. Just 4.

If you want the full picture, we can look at the entire movie timeline so far, starting with the first, Phantom Menace, which begins c. 32 BBY. All that glorious Star Wars universe compressed into 36 years of story, compared with 24,053 years of Old Republic history leaves lots of space to fill in the epic saga of Star Wars goodness.

This is why we urgently need media coverage on the battles before Star Wars The Old Republic MMO. Example, the Battle of Bothawui, with Jedi Master Belth Allusis. There were other battles, like the Battle of Sluis Van, and the Invasion of Begeren, but most simply recount one Sith victory after another. I say, we need more visuals on the first and second Battles of Bothawui.

To expand, the first Battle of Bothawui was supposed to be another Sith victory. But Darth Immern underestimated the Republic Navy, and was subsequently slaughtered by Republic cruisers during the first attack. I like to think it might have been because Darth Immern used an Astromech droid (MZ-12 from the MMO) to navigate his fleet.  But props for the win go to Admiral Greik and his combat droid  B-3G9.

After this fight, the Republic rallied its forces sensing the Empire could be defeated. Ancitcipating Sith revenge, the Republic built a super shield-generator, which later became a common characteristic in future Bothawui events. The second Battle of Bothawui is the Star Wars version of the Alamo.

In this second Battle of Bothawui, Jedi Master Belth Allusis, a member of the Jedi High Council, chooses to stay behind with his forces. Defense Force of Bothawui, 1 Jedi Master, 84 Jedi Knights, 4,000 Republic soldiers, and an additional 4 Republic Special Forces squads square off against 50,000 Imperial troops.

The result was massacre. Republic forces held their ground for days before making Grand Moff Zellos call in reinforcements. Eventually, the Empire’s sheer numbers broke Master Allusis’s defenses. But in a final, epic stand, Allusis and few remaining soldiers take on the full might of the Empire. It is recorded, for each Republic soldier killed, ten Imperials died.

After Alluisis’s last stand, Grand Moff Zellos found his forces were too small to hold the shield-generator, and was forced to withdraw from Bothawui.

The point I’m trying to make is, battles like Bothawui span the Star Wars universe, but we only see a fraction of the story. Tons of these struggles are in comics, but I’m ashamed to say, I haven’t spent enough time there to comment. We need more to connect the dots.

Other events, such as the Mandalorian Wars and The Alsakan Conflicts  were immensely pinnacle to Star Wars history. The Mandalorian Wars lead to the fragmentation of the Mandalorian clans, and The Alsakan Conflicts were seven wars that determined the capital of the Galactic Republic. These pivotal events don’t get enough coverage, particularly in cases like The Alsakan Conflicts where important details remain elusive.

Bottom line is, I would really like to see this little known Star Wars universe receive the limelight it deserves because such events are critical to the story we all love. Story arcs like the Jedi Civil War and The New Sith Wars don’t just happen, and the Star Wars community needs a deeper history than Darth Bane and Revan.

I hope you enjoyed this little rant about the Battle of Bothawui. More Importantly, I hope I’ve peaked your interest in the the expanded Star Wars  universe. Next week, I tackle the controversial realm of movie sequels we really need to see.