The Clone Wars: Prelude

"Clones gear up for a mission in Prelude!"

- Tagline

The Clone Wars: Prelude is a seven-page web comic and first installment in The Clone Wars web comic series, posted on StarWars.com on October 2, 2008. Prelude leads directly into Ambush, the premiere episode in the The Clone Wars television series. The web comic was written by Pablo Hidalgo, illustrated and colored by Thomas Hodges, and lettered by Grant Gould. Prelude is about a pair of clone shock troopers nicknamed Rys and Jek getting ready for their next mission, escorting Jedi Master Yoda to a diplomatic meeting with King Katuunko of Toydaria.

Plot
"Gear up. Break's over."

- Lieutenant Thire to Jek and Rys, telling them to get ready for their next mission.

A pair of clone shock troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic, nicknamed Rys and Jek, are relaxing at their barracks on the Republic's capital world of Coruscant. While Jek repairs his blaster rifle, Rys watchs several Star Destroyers leaving the nearby drydocks, noting that the Laudable under the command of General Nune is departing. Rys begins to complain about being stationed on Coruscant, tasked as bodyguards to Senators, while two of them should be out in the frontline of the war between the Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, fighting alongside their clone brothers. Jek counters that they were born to serve the Republic, and that they go where they are need, and currently they are needed on Coruscant.

Meanwhile, on Ruusan 2, a moon deep inside Confederate territory, the leader of the Separatist, Count Dooku, is inspecting the Confederacy's new listening post, Skytop Station, in low orbit over the moon. Dooku, alond with his Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress, are being led by Separatist Council member Po Nudo, whose corporation built the space station. Nudo boasts that Skytop Station can intercept almost any HoloNet transmition, and that it is the ultimate lisening post in the quadrant. Although Ventress is unimpressed by the station, thinking it to be cowardly, Dooku is quite pleased by it, hoping that it will yield results.

At the same moment, King Katuunko of Toydaria, onboard his personal yatch, is contacted by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Republic via hologram to set up a meeting place for negotiations over Troydaria joining the Republic. Katuunko does not want to meet aboard a Republic cruiser filled with clones, and insists that he wants to negotiate with a Jedi, due to the fact that he has never met a Jedi before. Palpatine argues that it would be risky to send an unarmed Jedi to a world as close to the Separatist territory as Toydaria, so Katuunko arranges to meet on the coral moon Rugosa in three days. Back on Coruscant, Rys continues to watch departing Star Destroyers, seeing the Brassbound lifting off, while Jek inspects his new Z-6 rotary blaster cannon. Lieutenant Thire, Rys and Jeks' commanding officer, then walks into the barracks informing them that they've been reassigned to another mission. Rys, pleased at this news, asks Thire about their new task as the three clonetroopers walk out of the room. Thire says that they are to escort a Jedi on a diplomatic mission to the Outer Rim. The three walk towards an awaiting gunship, where Jedi Grand Master Yoda is sitting onboard.

Behind the scenes
The Clone Wars: Prelude is a seven-page web comic in The Clone Wars web comic series that ties into the television series of the same name. Prelude leads directly into "Ambush," the first episode of The Clone Wars television series. The web comic reveals why Rugosa was chosen for the negotiations between the Republic and Troydaria, later shown in the episode, and why Yoda was chosen as the diplomatic envoy. In "Ambush" Yoda and his clone bodyguards are attacked by Ventress and a large droid army, who, using Skytop Station, were able to intercept the holografic message between Palpatine and Katuunko shown in Prelude.

In the web comic, the women seen serving the clontroopers drinks in the background of the Republic barrakcs were later retconed as members of the Republic Service Organization, that were inspired by the real-world Imperial Service Organization, a social network of volunteers who pledge to support charity organizations such as the 501st Legion in their endeavors.

Development
Prelude was posted on Star Wars.com on October 2, 2008, and was written by Pablo Hidalgo, drawn and colored by Thomas Hodges, and lettered by Grant Gould. Special thanks were also given to Leland Chee, Sue Rostoni, and Dave Filoni. Prelude shares the same cover with Shakedown, the second installment in the The Clone Wars web comic series.

"Ambush" was not supposed to be aired as the first episode until very close to series premiere, so when it was moved, the artist Tom Hodges, who was scheduled to do the accompanying webcomic was already working on Shakedown as well. Although it involved significant stress, he managed to complete both comics just in time for the premiere.