Galactic Republic

"We must keep our faith in the Republic. The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it."

- Queen Jamillia

The Galactic Republic, commonly referred to simply as the Republic, and later also known as the Old Republic, was the democratic union that governed the galaxy for a thousand years prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire. The Republic was aided by the efforts of the Jedi Order, who stood as the guardians of peace and justice, enabling the Republic to be free of full-scale conflict for over a thousand years. However thirty-two years before the Battle of Yavin, the Galactic Republic suffered its first major crisis during the Invasion of Naboo, which ultimately led to the Clone Wars ten years later. During this galaxy-wide conflict, the Republic underwent a massive military buildup through the support of Senators in the Galactic Senate, who were led by the democratically elected Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine. Unbeknownst to all but a select few, Palpatine was in reality the Dark Lord of the Sith, and had engineered the crisis to supplant himself as Galactic Emperor, effectively doing so nineteen years before the Battle of Yavin. After the Jedi had learned of his true nature, Palpatine enacted Order 66, a protocol engineered into the clone troopers of the newly formed Grand Army of the Republic to turn against their Jedi masters, effectively wiping away the Jedi Order in an instant—all while Palpatine announced the creation of the first Galactic Empire.

Rise of democracy
"There hasn't been a full-scale war since the formation of the Republic."

- Sio Bibble

About one thousand years before the onslaught of the Clone Wars, the dark age of the galaxy came to an end. The Sith, an ancient order of malevolent Force-practitioners, were defeated and driven into hiding, but the then galactic government, known as the "Old Republic" also fell. Following the collapse of that government and a full-scale war, a number of solar systems united, founding a successor state: the Galactic Republic. As its governing body, the newly reorganized government established the Galactic Senate, the members of which were elected to represent their systems. The Republic's capital was installed on the planet of Coruscant, which had already existed for several thousands of years. The Republic's head of state, the Supreme Chancellor, was elected by and from the senators, in which the first in a long line of Chancellors was a scion of the House Valorum. Protecting the new Democracy was the elite Senate Guard, who could be seen patrolling the Senate District and came to be seen as symbols of strength and unity, especially considering the fact that there was no standing army for the first few centuries of the Republic. In time, the Jedi Order, an organization of protectors who could tap into the power of the Force, came to serve the Republic as guardians of peace and justice. With the lack of a standing army, the Republic came to rely on its peacekeeping Judicial Forces, led by the Judicial Department as the de-facto law enforcement branch of the government. The Judicial Forces, members of which who were simply known as Judicials, trained at the Judicial Academy and came to serve in both ground and space forces, often led by Jedi Commanders to maintain peace throughout the galaxy.

Bane of corruption
"It's been my experience that senators are only focused on pleasing those who fund their campaigns&mdash; and they are more than willing to forget the niceties of democracy to get those funds."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Time went by, and the Republic stood firm, becoming increasingly powerful. As a result, the galaxy remained free of any full-scale war for centuries. However, many of the bureaucrats and Senators that ran the government started to work for their own profit rather than the common good. Greed, corruption and internal strife slowly began destroying the government from within. Many outlying worlds, lacking protection from a federal military and harassed by numerous pirates, came to resent the privileged position of those in the Core Worlds, believing themselves the victims of social and economic injustices. As a result of the perceived inability of the Judicial Forces in protecting outlying territories, who were often withheld in intervening after many far-flung worlds refused to provide the Core Worlds with profitable deals, the Outer Rim world of Eriadu and the Greater Seswenna formed the Outland Regions Security Force for the protection of the Seswenna sector. Being comprised of an amalgam of ships, it was funded primarily by off-world loans and supplied with laser and ion cannons acquired from arms merchants who had for centuries been ignoring a Republic ban on the sale of weaponry to member worlds. While the OSRF was at first lacking success, it soon came to be renowned for its efficiency at dealing with raiders, especially after Wilhuff Tarkin was accepted into Outland's anti-piracy task force, in which he was known for outsmarting and outmaneuvering his opponents.

Yet despite Outland's best efforts, the Outer Rim Territories continued to fall victim to increasing corporate interests from the Core, with the monolithic Trade Federation expanding its reach a year before the Invasion of Naboo in both the Outer Rim and the Galactic Senate by utilizing loopholes in existing free-trade legislation. Shortly before the Invasion of Naboo, a trade summit was held on the Outer Rim planet of Eriadu in which then Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum was turned away by Wilhuff Tarkin, who was hoping to reduce the influence of the Chancellor who was already rumored to lose the next election in order to support then Senator Palpatine, who had earlier helped Tarkin gain entrance into the Judicial Academy and supported his ascension as leader of his homeworld.

Invasion of Naboo
Despite the best efforts of the well-meaning Finis Valorum, the Trade Federation promptly invaded Naboo over disputes about plasma exports, in which a Judicial force carried Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Saak'ak, a Trade Federation Profiteer-class freighter to discuss a peaceful resolution to the conflict. However upon Darth Sidious's knowledge that Jedi had intervened, the Dark Lord of the Sith swiftly ordered their execution, an order which Viceroy Nute Gunray fearfully carried out, only to have the attempt end in failure, resulting in the escape of the Jedi. On the planet below, the Jedi managed to rescue then Queen Padmé Amidala seeking to bring her back to Coruscant, however a damaged T-14 hyperdrive generator resulted in them making an unplanned landing on the desert planet of Tatooine. While stranded in the city of Mos Espa, Qui-Gon Jinn discovered then slave Anakin Skywalker, who he believed was the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the force. Though it was not long before one of Sidious's agents, Darth Maul, attempted to eliminate the Jedi on the desert world, only to have the Jedi escape once more just in the nick of time, with the now freed boy Anakin Skywalker. Upon their arrival at Coruscant, Padmé Amidala was coerced by Senator Palpatine, who was taking advantage of his homeworld's delicate situation to have Valorum removed from office through a vote of no confidence. The vote subsequently passed, increasing the chances that Palpatine would become the next Supreme Chancellor.

Finding no sympathy in the Senate, Padmé Amidala returned to her world of Naboo and forged an alliance with Boss Nass of one of the Gungan underwater cities of Otoh Gunga, located underneath Lake Paonga. With the help of the Gungan Grand Army and freed members of the Naboo Royal Security Forces, along with a starfighter attack on the Saak'ak in orbit, the Trade Federation and its blockade were defeated, with much thanks going to Anakin Skywalker, who helped fire the shot that ultimately destroyed the control ship. However the victory was not without its costs, with Qui-Gon Jinn's death at the hands of Darth Maul, and the Jedi's loss of knowledge of who was actually behind the attack. Nonetheless with Naboo now freed from occupation, a grand parade was held in honor of their recent victory, while Palpatine himself arrived to announce his ascension to the position of Supreme Chancellor, also informing Anakin that he shall watch his progress, "with much interest."

Fall of the Republic
"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire for a safe and secure society."

- Palpatine, to the Senate

However, Palpatine was in fact the public persona of Darth Sidious, former pupil of Plagueis the Wise and Dark Lord of the Sith. The Sith had a long-percolating plan of replacing the Republic with an Empire in their image, and Palpatine sought to execute it. In order to do so, he recruited Dooku, a defrocked Jedi Master who had grown disgusted of the corruption within the Republic. Palpatine made the old Jedi his apprentice and had him carry out a complex plan: Dooku founded the Confederacy of Independent Systems, an alliance of separatist systems that would end up waging war against the Republic. The resulting conflict, known as the Clone Wars, would in fact be fought with Sith Lords on either side, which would guarantee Palpatine's victory regardless of the outcome. During the Clone Wars, Palpatine was granted a wide array of emergency executive powers. These executive powers included an extended tenure in office and the creation of an army. The three-year, galaxy-spanning conflict also weakened the Jedi. Utilized as military commanders, Jedi were often killed in battle. The reduction in Jedi numbers lessened their influence on the galaxy, but political actions damaged their order the most. Frustrated with the Senate and Palpatine, the Jedi Council mandated that Chancellor Palpatine step down at the closure of the war. With the deaths of both Count Dooku and General Grievous, leader of the Separatist army, several Jedi attempted to arrest the Chancellor. Following a battle inside his personal chambers, Palpatine ordered the extermination of all Jedi across the galaxy. Clone forces galaxy-wide executed their Jedi commanders under Palpatine's order. Following the battle, Palpatine convened a special session of Congress, where he announced the reorganization of the Republic into the First Galactic Empire.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
 * Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Galactic Defense
 * Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series
 * Star Wars: Darth Maul&mdash;Son of Dathomir 3
 * Star Wars: Darth Maul&mdash;Son of Dathomir 4
 * Dark Disciple
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars: Kanan: The Last Padawan 1
 * Lords of the Sith
 * Tarkin
 * A New Dawn
 * Star Wars: Story Before The Force Awakens
 * Ezra's Gamble
 * Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
 * The Rebellion Begins
 * Droids in Distress book
 * Ezra's Duel with Danger
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 2: Vader, Part II
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?
 * Ezra's Duel with Danger
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 2: Vader, Part II
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?