In the year 231 BBY, a significant battle unfolded on the planet of Aris. This conflict pitted the combined forces of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic's Unified Republic Task Force against the Nihil pirates. This particular battle was an integral part of Operation Counterstrike, which represented the Republic and Jedi's coordinated effort to bring the Nihil to justice following their devastating attack on the Republic Fair situated on the Outer Rim planet Valo. The confrontation culminated in a resounding triumph for the Jedi and the Republic forces. During that same year, Stellan Gios, a member of the Jedi High Council, convened a meeting to inform the Jedi stationed at the space station Starlight Beacon about the task force's engagement with the Nihil on Aris, and also to report on other victories on Golrath and Port Haven.
The events of the battle on Aris were initially introduced, via flashback sequences, in the ninth issue of the 2021 comic series titled Star Wars: The High Republic. This issue was released as a component of Phase I of the broader Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia initiative. Cavan Scott served as the writer for the issue, which was published by Marvel Comics on September 1, 2021.