Clone Wars/Legends

"Like fire across the galaxy, the Clone Wars spread."

- Yoda

The Clone Wars (22 BBY–19 BBY), also known as the Clone War and the Great Clone War, was the name given to the major galactic conflict fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The war was named after the clone troopers utilized by the Republic against the battle droid forces of the CIS. These armies were two of the largest ever pitted against each other in galactic history, and the fighting between them rapidly spread to countless inhabited worlds. Both sides scored significant victories over the other, and at different times during the war either seemed likely to triumph. The death of Count Dooku and Grievous, coupled with the issue of Order 66 and the deactivation of the droid army brought an end to the fighting. At the time, it was the largest galactic conflict to date.

Unbeknownst to most of those involved, the conflict was started, maintained and eventually ended by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, whose ultimate goal was the transformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire with him as Emperor as well as the eradication of the Jedi Order. The conflict would lead to the Sith Order controlling the dominant galactic government.

Origins
"I will not let this Republic which has stood for a thousand years be split in two. My negotiations will not fail."

- Palpatine

Preparing the Way
Although the Clone Wars officially began in 22 BBY at the Battle of Geonosis, their origins can be found ten years prior, during the blockade of Naboo by the Trade Federation in response to Outer Rim trade route taxation. The aftermath saw the election of Naboo Senator Palpatine to the office of Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. He promised to bring an end to the corruption that had so often plagued the Galactic Senate. The first few years of his tenure saw very little to fulfill that promise, however. The demilitarization of the Trade Federation was viewed by many as little more than a slap on the wrist, and Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation, managed to avoid any serious charges against him due to his role in the Naboo conflict (despite opposition from Padmé Amidala.)

During this time, Palpatine (in his alter ego as Darth Sidious) had contacted the experienced Jedi Master Count Dooku. Having lost Darth Maul during the Naboo conflict, Palpatine was in need of a new apprentice. And Dooku, whose own faith in the Republic had been shattered following the Battle of Galidraan, seemed the perfect one to mold. Having killed his old friend Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas to seal his fate and become Darth Tyranus, Dooku was then ordered to eliminate any reference to Kamino from the Jedi Archives, preventing the Jedi from discovering the clone army secretly being grown for them until they were ready to learn about it. After being deemed worthy, Jango Fett was commissioned by Dooku to be the template for this army.

While the future Grand Army of the Republic was being prepared on Kamino, however, other forces of clone warriors were already active in the galaxy. Cloners and their products were no secret to Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi and fringers like former gunrunner Dexter Jettster, and around the time that Outbound Flight was destroyed in 27 BBY, the Galactic Republic's military forces were engaged in combat with clone warriors, rendered dangerously unstable and prone to clone madness by being very rapidly grown to maturity. Veterans of these campaigns, such as the future Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, would later consider these campaigns as the start of the Clone Wars, but to most people, they were probably only a symptom of the unrest in the Republic at the time.

In 24 BBY, Palpatine's eight year term as Supreme Chancellor was coming to an end. At roughly the same time, Dooku emerged on Raxus Prime, declaring his intentions to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a group of disenfranchised organizations and governments whose goal was to secede from the Republic. Fearing what would happen if this breakaway faction was allowed to do so, Palpatine was allowed to stay in office longer than the Galactic Constitution permitted.

Over the next two years, many systems left the Republic to join the Confederacy, Ando, Geonosis, Tynna, Sy Myrth and Yag'Dhul among them. They would be joined by the Elrood, Danjar, Tantra and Sluis sectors, bringing the entire Rimward leg of the Rimma Trade Route under the control of the Confederacy. These sectors would be followed by the Abrion Sector which provided the Confederacy with some 200 agricultural worlds and the Lahara Sector which brought over Agamar, Oorn Tchis and the Mirgoshir hyperspace crossroads. However, though Ando joined the Confederacy, the Andoan Free Colonies remained loyal to the Republic.

Later, they would be joined by the corporate entities of the galaxy: the Baktoid Armor Workshop, the Commerce Guild, the Corporate Alliance, the Techno Union, the Intergalactic Banking Clan and the Trade Federation. Coruscant also found itself the target of many terrorist attacks, including an attack on Naboo Senator Amidala upon her return to vote on the Military Creation Act, which would give the Chancellor the right to create an army to defend the Republic against the Separatist threat.

After a second attack on Amidala's life, the Jedi Council selected Obi-Wan Kenobi to investigate who was behind the attempted assassinations on the Senator, while Anakin Skywalker escorted Senator Amidala back to Naboo. Kenobi's search took him to Kamino, where he discovered the clone army, by this time numbering two hundred thousand units with a million already in production. He also met Jango Fett, who attempted to escape to Geonosis, but was followed by Kenobi. Obi-Wan managed to send a message to the Jedi Council, but was captured. On Tatooine, Anakin was ordered by Mace Windu to stay where he was and protect Padmé. Padmé, however, decided to travel to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan. Anakin and Padmé were then captured as well and they, along with Obi-Wan, were sentenced to be executed.

With the knowledge of the Separatist Army, the Senate, at behest of Representative Jar Jar Binks (himself manipulated by Vice Chair Mas Amedda) gave Chancellor Palpatine emergency dictatorial powers. The Chancellor legalized the creation of the clone army to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic

Allies of the Confederacy
"In every war, there are leaders and there are commanders."

- San Hill

Count Dooku, prevented from openly taking his own apprentice by the Rule of Two, nonetheless sought out several Force sensitives to act as Dark Acolytes. These individuals included Shu Mai, Asajj Ventress, Sev'rance Tann, Sora Bulq, Tol Skorr, Kadrian Sey, Artel Darc, Karoc, Vinoc, Saato, Trenox, and even Jedi Master Quinlan Vos for a time. All of them, with the exception of Ventress and Vos, were killed during the course of the war.

In addition to this group of Dark Jedi, he recruited the Chistori warrior Cydon Prax and the Gen'Dai bounty hunter Durge. Durge gladly joined the Confederacy, if for no other reason than to eliminate the Republic's army of clone troopers bred from the DNA of Mandalorian Jango Fett, as Durge hated Mandalorians.

The most important and the most famous ally recruited to the Confederate cause was the Kaleesh warrior Qymaen jai Sheelal, whose body was horribly maimed in a shuttle crash arranged (though not known to Sheelal) by Dooku himself. His broken body was taken to Geonosis where he was offered a new life and the help of the InterGalactic Banking Clan for his people by the IGBC Chairman San Hill. All the Kaleesh had to do in exchange was lead the Confederacy Droid Army against the Republic who had wronged his people.

Sheelal took the opportunity afforded to him, merged with his new droid body and he became the feared General Grievous, Supreme Commander of the Droid Army.

The Battle of Geonosis
"Victory? Victory, you say? Master Obi-Wan, not victory. The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, the Clone War has."

- Yoda

The Battle of Geonosis was the first battle of the Clone Wars. The battle occurred after Separatist forces captured Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis and charged him with spying for the Republic. Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala attempted to rescue Kenobi, but were also captured and sentenced to death. A Jedi strike team led by Mace Windu, stormed the arena. The ensuing battle resulted in the deaths of many Jedi and the bounty hunter, and template of the clone army, Jango Fett.

The Jedi managed to hold their own for some time but were being beaten back by the outnumbering droid forces. As they prepared to fight to the end, the clone army, under Yoda's command, dropped from the sky in Republic gunships. Managing to rescue the Jedi from the arena, the clones engaged the droid army on the fields of Geonosis, in order to prevent their escape.

However, the battle on the surface was not the only conflict. In the space battle, the clone pilots, led by Adi Gallia, took out valuable Trade Federation battleships, and in the subterranean battle, fought between clone commandos&mdash;most notably the commandos of Delta Squad&mdash;and Separatist forces, saw victory for the Republic by eliminating foundries and Geonosian leaders, such as Sun Fac.

Count Dooku, seeing the battle lost, took the plans for the Separatists' Ultimate Weapon (the Death Star plans) and fled to a secret hangar. Intercepted by Obi-Wan and Anakin, he managed to best them both, even severing Anakin's right arm at the elbow. However, he was unable to defeat Yoda as easily, and was forced to resort to trickery in order to escape.

Traveling to Coruscant, Dooku met with Darth Sidious at The Works. It seemed clear to the two Sith Lords that, while the Battle of Geonosis was a defeat, it was but the first move in a much larger game.

Early campaigns
Although the Battle of Geonosis was a victory for the Republic, the prospect of a war between the Republic and the Confederacy was now inevitable. Millions of clone trooper units departed from Coruscant on missions to find and defeat the Confederacy. The clones were led in these missions by the Jedi Knights, the first time that the Jedi Order had taken up arms en masse since the Battle of Ruusan a thousand years prior.

Following the battle, Jedi Knights Sora Bulq and Tholme were sent to Dooku's hidden base on Bakura to confront him. Unfortunately for them, Dooku captured and seduced Sora Bulq to the dark side though Tholme managed to escape. Seven days after the Battle of Geonosis, Mace Windu sent two Jedi spies (Aayla Secura and Ylenic It'kla) on a mission to Corellia to find the Techno Union scientist Ratri Tane, who possessed very valuable information. Unexpected help came from the Corellian Jedi Master Nejaa Halcyon, having just returned from a failed mission to halt the Freedom's Sons' attempts in the Sluis Sector.

This was followed by a Separatist/Trandoshan invasion of the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. There, the Trandoshans rounded up countless Wookiee captives and imprisoned them in concentration camps. Though the Republic managed to drive the Trandoshans off, war would continue to take place on Kashyyyk.

Later, the Chiss Separatist Commander, Sev'rance Tann, led an assault on Tatooine where her agents learned of a new Republic weapon known as the "Decimator" being built on Eredenn Prime. On Eredenn Prime, she captured several Decimators and then captured Alaris Prime, a Wookiee colony world which had just recovered from the Dark Reaper crisis. Tann then made a strike on Sarapin which generated enough geothermal energy to supply a significant amount of the power for the Core Worlds. This created massive blackouts that affected countless Core Worlds including Coruscant. Jedi General Echuu Shen-Jon then led a counter-campaign against Tann and slew her on Krant with his lightsaber after calling on the dark side.

Dark Reaper crisis
Separatist forces then commenced a massive attack on the seemingly unimportant Republic outpost of Rhen Var. Anakin and Obi-Wan managed to successfully evacuate most Republic presence there, but the Separatists took the planet regardless.

Shortly afterwards, the Republic sent Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to Raxus Prime where they discovered Separatist forces on the planet. Millennia earlier, in 3,996 BBY during the Great Sith War, the Dark Reaper was unleashed upon the Jedi. However, the superweapon was disabled by Ulic Qel-Droma and would remain on the planet for millennia until Count Dooku and his Chistori mercenary Cydon Prax discovered an important component of the Reaper called the Force Harvester and unleashed a wave of energy killed roughly half of the thriving forest on Kashyyyk moon, along with its indigenous population.

The Sith Lord then took off and found the pieces of the Dark Reaper. The exact locations are not mentioned, but Mace Windu mentioned that it was separated into the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Dooku went to Thule and activated it in an ancient Sith city on the planet. Meanwhile on Rhen Var, Skywalker went to the grave of Ulic Qel-Droma for information on how to withstand the effects of the Dark Reaper. Shortly after the revival of the Dark Reaper, Skywalker led an attack on the city, destroying the weapon, disobeying an order from Obi-Wan Kenobi to await Republic backup forces. Despite Anakin's almost single-handed defeat of the Reaper weapon, his feats in these battles served to fuel his ego and create an even greater personal rift between himself and his master. However, the Confederacy managed to conquer Bespin and Ossus with the Republic preoccupied at the Battle of Thule.

Defense of Kamino
This was followed by another Separatist assault on Kamino where Separatist forces under the Corporate Alliance Magister Passel Argente and the Mon Calamari Merai assaulted Kamino in an attempt to destroy the Republic's cloning facilities. However, the Jedi learned of their plans and sent a defense fleet of Jedi starfighters to defend Kamino. Although the Jedi pilots battled bravely above, they could not stop the droid forces from landing in Tipoca City. The arrival of the newly-activated ARC troopers and Jet Commandos served to turn the tide, and Merai was forced to launch a desperate strike at the supposed location of the city's shield generator.

However, the Jedi proved too wily for the Mon Calamari tactician; the data gathered by the Corporate Alliance was false, and Merai's efforts were in vain. In a last-ditch attack, Merai flew into the Jedi hyperspace rings, destroying his flagship the Shark in the process, and giving his battleships time to retreat. Though apparently a victory for the Republic, the battle was actually engineered by Darth Sidious and his apprentice Darth Tyranus to root out and destroy the traitors in the Confederacy. Following that, more clone troopers from Kamino were deployed, thus allowing the war to continue. The Republic also began research into other methods of cloning such as Spaarti cylinders and conscription was introduced throughout the Republic.

Further campaigns
Despite losing the Dark Reaper, the Confederacy still continued research on developing weapons. On the Techno Union world of Queyta, researcher Jenna Zan Arbor had developed a bioweapon known as the "swamp gas" which appeared as a green mist and caused blisters and eventually death in many humanoid races. The Separatist Commander Asajj Ventress decided to test the virus on the Gungan colony of Ohma-D'un, a moon of Naboo. This killed all the Gungans on the moon. In response, four Jedi Knights including Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker, Master Glaive and Zule Xiss were sent to investigate what had happened. To stay unnoticed, the team flew to the moon in a single LAAT/i gunship. The Jedi were soon attacked by battle droids fitted with swamp gas sprayers along with Asajj Ventress and the bounty hunter Durge. Their escort clone troopers, along with Glaive, were slain though Anakin, Obi-Wan and the ARC trooper Alpha-17 succeeded in defeating the Separatist duo and their forces for the time being. They then destroyed the capsules of the virus that were being loaded onto ships destined for Naboo and rescued the spice miners that were to be implicated in the disaster. Zule Xiss lost her arm to Asajj Ventress during the fight but survived to fight again thanks to Obi-Wan's intervention. Naboo was saved, but Ventress and Durge managed to escape.

This victory was later followed by the Battle of Pengalan IV which saw a full platoon of clone troopers sent to Pengalan IV to destroy a diamond boron missiles facility in the city of Tur Lorkin. These missiles were outfitted with a shell too tough to be destroyed by a starfighter's laser cannons and when they exploded their massive blast radius could take out several small ships. The Republic had to destroy the factory or their fighter squadrons would be slaughtered. To the relief of every GAR fighterpilot they pulled it off. Later, a mission to Qiilura saw Omega Squad being deployed to capture a Separatist research facility on the planet where an anti-clone virus was being manufactured.

Later, Mace Windu was sent to Ruul to investigate reports of defecting Jedi. Ruul was the private estate of Sora Bulq, who called a meeting of the Jedi dissidents refusing to fight in the so-called Clone Wars. Secretly, he hired the dark assassin Asajj Ventress to kill the Jedi, but Mace Windu was able to uncover Bulq's treachery and drove the assassin away.

On Coruscant, a group of Korunnai terrorists took Senator Meena Tills hostage as part of an attempt to turn the Corporate Sector against the Republic. However, their efforts were thwarted by Omega Squad. This was followed by the Mission to Queyta, a Jedi mission to obtain an antidote for the chemical weapon known as 'swamp gas', used to wipe out the Gungan colony on Ohma-D'un. Though the mission was successful, the Republic had not seen the last of the deadly swamp gas. Unknown to the Jedi, a second laboratory had been established on the far side of Queyta, the Separatists had loaded its creations aboard the Lucrehulk-class Core Ship Gahenna. This vessel would roam the galaxy for the next two years, modifying the swamp gas to become the TriHexalophine1138 toxin that devastated Honoghr.

Conquest of Muunilinst
"The Banking Clan has hidden huge factories on Muunilinst, building huge droid armies and massive warships. We must act quickly!"

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Palpatine dispatched Anakin and Obi-Wan to lead an assault on Muunilinst. Muunilinst was the headquarters of the InterGalactic Banking Clan which was a heavy monetary and battle droid contributor to the Separatists. During the battle, the Republic unleashed a fleet of Acclamator assault ships on the Separatist defenses. Obi Wan led the ground assault while Anakin led the space battle.

Ground battle On Muunilinst, Kenobi's army quickly took the advantage. The Muunilinst 10 under the command of Captain Fordo were on a mission in the city of Harnaidan, though their gunship was shot down behind enemy lines. The ARC Troopers, however completed their mission, to destroy a massive defensive artillery emplacement at the heart of Muunilinst. SPHA-T artillery decimated huge sections of the city and Separatist forces. In reply to this, the Separatist bounty hunter Durge led an squadron of IG lancer droids against Kenobi's ground forces. The strike force cut swaths through the columns of SPHA-Ts and their trooper protection. In response, Obi-Wan led a force of Clone lancer troopers on 105-K lancer bikes and defeated Durge's force, with Obi-Wan even defeating Durge in single combat. He then met up with the Muunilinst 10 at the InterGalactic Banking Clan's Command Center, and took the Banking Clan leader San Hill into custody. It was then that, Durge, who had survived the first duel, appeared and charged into the command center, where he was met with a volley of fire from the troopers. He was badly damaged, but survived thanks to his unique Gen'Dai abilities and attacked Obi-Wan. Many clones were killed, but Durge was eventually defeated by Kenobi with aide from Captain Fordo. The surrender of the Banking Clan leadership spelled victory for the Republic. However, due to his regenerative abilities, Durge was able to survive.

Space battle Meanwhile in space, Anakin Skywalker was leading the Republic forces to victory. During the space battle he used an unorthodox move: ordering the clone fighters to shoot their missiles in a direction that looked clear of enemy units, across the bow of an Acclamator—class assault ship. As Anakin flew up past the Republic battleship, many droid starfighters followed him. The missiles just missed Anakin, but destroyed numerous fighters. He then flew past a CIS cruiser, while the remaining missiles, still tracking his position, were led into the hangar. The ship was destroyed.

Asajj Ventress Later in the battle, a mysterious starfighter dropped out of hyperspace, destroying many clone-piloted starfighters. Anakin immediately engaged the unknown ship in a space duel. The heated, twisting dogfight raged from orbit, down to the surface and then back into space again. When the pilot, a mysterious Force-sensitive protégé of Dooku later revealed to be the infamous Asajj Ventress, jumped into hyperspace, the impetuous young Jedi followed, disobeying a direct order from Obi-Wan. He pursued her to the jungle moon of Yavin 4 where they engaged in a lightsaber duel through the jungles and finally led to the top of a Massassi temple. In the end, Ventress was defeated, though not killed. Despite this, the Galactic Republic had won another major victory against the Confederacy of Independent Systems.



Capture of Mon Calamari
Meanwhile, on the ocean planet Dac, the Mon Calamari Knights under the Jedi Master Kit Fisto defeated the CIS-backed Quarren Isolation League. After the battle, Kit Fisto discovered the League was allied with the Moappa, whom Kit discovered were also sentient. Kit informed the Mon Calamari that they needed to make peace with and respect the sapience of the Moappa. Despite this, many members of the predominantly Quarren Free Dac movement fled Mon Calamari, settling on the CIS worlds of Pammant and Minntooine, where the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps created shipyards. Using designs based on Mon Calamari Shipyards blueprints stolen by the CIS as a basis, these yards created Recusant-class light destroyers at Minntooine and Providence-class carrier/destroyers at the Pammant Docks for the Confederate Navy.

Battle of Dantooine
The Confederacy was using the planet Dantooine as a staging point to launch a counterattack against the Republic blockade around Muunilinst. However, Jedi Master Mace Windu learned of the Confederate presence on Dantooine and left with a force of clone troopers to halt the progress of the Separatists. War erupted on Dantooine as clones and droids clashed in a vast, open plain. With Master Windu at their side, the clones quickly gained the upper hand, despite being outnumbered nearly four to one by Confederate B-2 super battle droids.

However, the battle was suddenly turned upside down with the arrival of a large siege weapon&mdash;the seismic tank. This tank used its seismic driver&mdash;once used in peace-time for mining operations&mdash;to cut a swath through the clone trooper ranks, either crushing them outright or sending soldiers flying from the shockwave. In the confusion, Windu lost his lightsaber, and was forced to fight a number of droids unarmed. Retrieving his lightsaber amid another seismic shockwave, Windu flew towards the seismic tank. Windu cut his way in, disabled the seismic driver, destroyed the tank's droid crew, and knocked out the controls. Flying clear, Windu watched on as the seismic tank smashed into the ground and exploded. The battle was won for the Republic.

The Defense of Ilum
Meanwhile, CIS mine-laying Chameleon droids entered the lightsaber crystal temple on Ilum. At the time of the attack, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her newly knighted former Padawan Barriss Offee were in the temple, the latter making her lightsaber. They defended the temple valiantly, but the Temple eventually succumbed to heavy damage.

The two Jedi were trapped by a cave-in until Master Yoda, who was traveling with Senator Padmé Amidala realized what had happened and persuaded Captain Typho to rescue them. The Jedi master left the Naboo Yacht alone to rescue the Jedi. Senator Amidala became worried about him and set out with R2-D2 and C-3PO by her side. Artoo's scanners picked up three objects moving in, which attacked them. The trio dove for cover from the ambush. Unfortunately, the chameleon droids had their own cloaking devices which allowed them to stay hidden. To foil them, Padmé threw out her coat as a decoy. As the droids opened fire, the senator pin-pointed the source of fire. She quickly shot down the final two droids.

Yoda returned from the Temple shortly with Luminara and Barris. Yoda wondered who could have given the location of the temple. Artoo plugged into a destroyed chameleon droid and uncovered a recording from Count Dooku: "You will find the temple on Ilum. Destroy it."

- Dooku

The Battle of Hypori
It was during the Battle of Hypori that one of the greatest threats the Republic would face during this time made his dramatic debut. General Grievous led a massive droid army on Hypori in the downing of several Republic ships, the obliteration of an entire Republic army, and the deaths of several Jedi, including Tarr Seirr, Daakman Barrek and Sha'a Gi. Only the timely intervention of ARC Captain Fordo and a squad of ARC Troopers sent from General Kenobi on Muunilinst prevented the remaining Jedi from being killed as well.

Only Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, and K'Kruhk, along with the ARC squad, survived the battle.

Year two (21 BBY–20 BBY)
"Mmmm&hellip; Darker, the coming storm grows. I fear the dark cloud of the Sith shrouds us all."

- Yoda

The capture of Brentaal IV


When the Republic received intelligence (later proven false) that a Separatist stronghold on Brentaal IV would be lying dormant for a few weeks, Jedi Master Plo Koon led an assault on the planet, overseeing a task force of three Jedi and a strong compliment of clone troops and support vehicles. The world was a vital link in the Perlemian Trade Route, and taking it would be a boon to the war effort. The Jedi would soon realize their error, however- the stronghold was indeed operational and under the direction of local warlord Shogar Tok, whose personal band of mercenaries was in the process of taking control of the planet in the name of the Confederacy. Regardless, the Republic won.

Minor Republic victories
Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker also assisted in the destruction of a droid factory at Nivek before going on to retake Terra Sool. Simultaneously, Republic forces led by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin liberated Iktotch at the Battle of Iktotch.

On Nadiem, General Grievous attempted to invade a major city, but was forced to retreat after Jedi Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee herded his droid army into a canyon and set off explosive charges that crushed the droids under the crumbled canyon walls.

The Haruun Kal crisis
The Haruun Kal Crisis began six months after the battle of Geonosis with the dispatching of Senior Jedi Councilman Mace Windu to his home planet of Haruun Kal. A holovid recovered by the Republic had shown Master Depa Billaba, who had been dispatched by the Council to train the Korunnai natives against the Separatist-backed Balawai settlers, in a state of what appeared to be bloodthirsty insanity. Billaba had been sent to the planet because although its location was of strategic importance for trade, the Republic was not yet ready to commit to a full offensive against the world. After surviving an assassination attempt orchestrated by a treasonous Republic agent and journeying upcountry to confront Billaba, Mace led the Korunnai troops, in concert with clone reinforcements under the command of CRC-09/571 from the Republic transport Halleck, against the Balawai militia.

He moved against the capital city of Pelek Baw and using an ingenious strategy that combined sneaking in transports down the path of a waterfall, eventually managed to corner Balawai militia Colonel Lorz Geptun. Despite a last-minute betrayal by a number of elite Korunnai soldiers led by the dark Korunnai Kar Vastor, Windu forced Geptun to surrender the system and shut down attacking droids. This victory came at a heavy cost, however, as Billaba fell into a possibly self-induced coma at the end of the battle from which it was believed she never recovered.

Assassination on Null
At the time of the Haruun Kal Crisis, Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were sent to Null after they recieved information from Lorian Nod about a meeting arranged by Dooku with the rulers of Vicondor, Delaluna, Bezim, and Junction 5. Unfortunately, there was an assassination attempt on Samish Kash, ruler of Delaluna. Kenobi and Skywalker took off after the assassin on speeder bikes but were unable to stop it. Soon, after Dooku arrived they discovered that it was he who hired the assassin, a man named Robior Web.
 * During the meeting the rulers chose to support the Republic. Dooku was furious, and trapped the delegates by making the roof cave in on top of them. However, all survived with the help of the Jedi, save for Nod, who was killed by Dooku. Dooku then escaped.< ref name="Legacy of the Jedi">Legacy of the Jedi

Mid-year campaigns
When a Separatist fleet blockaded Balamak, an important agricultural world, Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Nanda-Ree Janoo led a Republic strike force of starfighters, while Anakin Skywalker engaged a Trade Federation Droid Control Ship carrying a HoloNet jamming device that had blacked out sector communications since the arrival of the fleet. The jamming vessel was destroyed and the Separatist fleet was routed in the battle.

On Devaron, a Jedi task force consisting of Kit Fisto, Aayla Secura, the Dark Woman, Tholme and T'ra Saa arrived to halt a smuggling operation that Aurra Sing and Senator Vien'sai'Malloc had started. Sing was captured and imprisoned at the Oovo IV asteroid prison, though she would manage to escape.

On Antar 4, Antarian Separatists backed by Count Dooku overthrew the Jedi-allied Antarian Rangers that enforced law on the moon, while Quinlan Vos succeeded in infiltrating Dooku's cadre of Dark Jedi.

The Bassadro massacre
A series of events at this time caused significant changes in the wartime politics and led to an increase in security and propaganda on both sides of the conflict.

On Bassadro, Jedi Knight Empatojayos Brand led his forces to the dormant volcanic ranges that were providing cover to Separatist droids. Brand ordered concussive missile strikes against the rock formations, creating a storm of shrapnel that sliced through the mining village of Agao-Nir, destroying many droids and several hundred innocent miners. The public outcry from this incident impacted both sides&mdash;the Confederacy, in response, founded the Hyper-Communications Cartel to broadcast anti-Republic propaganda, while the Republic formed the fanatic pro-Human COMPOR and SAGroup and instituted deportation of 'enemy' species from Coruscant.

During an assault on Coruscant, Count Dooku infiltrated the capital world with a small force of Cortosis battle droids and attempted to destroy the Jedi Archives in the Jedi Temple but was driven off by Anakin Skywalker. This battle, coupled with the blackout on Sarapin, made many of Coruscant's citizens feel unsafe and security increased even further. Huge stretches of the cityscape were transformed into military staging areas and clone troopers were on patrol everywhere. Jedi Generals Etain Tur-Mukan and Bardan Jusik led Omega Squad, Delta Squad, and a unit of Null ARC troopers in a purge of a Separatist terrorist group along the skylanes and underworld of the ecumenopolis.

Late-year campaigns
On Cartao, Palpatine discovered the existence of Spaarti cloning cylinders. A battle with Separatist forces ensued, and most of the cloning cylinders were destroyed. Those that remained were sent in secret by Palpatine to Wayland and Byss.

Meanwhile, the Jedi discovered a new type of Force-sensitive droid on Ord Cestus&mdash;the JK-thirteens. In response, Kit Fisto and Obi-Wan Kenobi were dispatched to the planet to ensure good relations with the Republic, to make sure these "Jedi-killer" droids were not being sold to the CIS. Diplomacy failed, but the ruling Five Families were killed in a bombardment targeted by A-98.

Later, during a mission to the Chaykin cluster, Delta Squad liberated the Acclamator assault ship Prosecutor from Trandoshan mercenaries aligned with the CIS.

The Battle of Jabiim


The Battle of Jabiim would prove disastrous for the Republic despite the defeat of Confederacy leader Alto Stratus. The Republic encountered generally poor conditions- the ground was muddy and the clone troops could not count on air support due to electrically charged atmospheric disturbances. Instead, they relied on a strong mechanized ground assault, led by the newly produced AT-AT walkers. The Jabiim Separatists, however, having lived amidst the rain and mud, were much better suited for combat. In the second week of the battle, they routed the Republic's Shelter Base, moving the captured commanders Obi-Wan Kenobi and Alpha-17 to Rattatak. Although Anakin Skywalker led a force of Padawans in a counterattack that resulted in the death of Stratus, the Republic would ultimately be forced to cede the planet to the Confederacy.

Following increased threats to Coruscant in the wake of the battle, a special batch of Clone troopers known as the Clone shock troopers were raised and trained on Coruscant itself, rather than Kamino, where they became a familiar sight, operating as martial police. Preying on citizen's fear, Palpatine founded the War Council Advisory Panel and the Homeworld Security Command.

The Battle of Aargonar


Shortly after the Battle of Jabiim, Jedi Knights A'Sharad Hett, Bhat Jul, and Anakin Skywalker were sent to Aargonar to repel a Separatist presence. The battle was a disaster, and Jul and many clone troopers were slaughtered. Ki-Adi Mundi gave the order to retreat, while Bultar Swan was tasked with destroying the Republic camp to keep supplies from falling into the hands of the enemy. Meanwhile, Anakin and Hett, who had gone into a cave to hide, found a disabled gunship and used it to lure a Gouka dragon into the Separatist forces, giving the Republic time to retreat. The Jedi then returned to New Holstice.

On Parcellus Minor, the Separatists routed Republic defenses at the cost of igniting the flammable native plants through a wave of orbital bombardment and starting a fire that spread to much of the surface, wiping out or injuring most of both the ground forces on both sides.

Pursuit at Riflor
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the ARC trooper Alpha-17 were interrogated and tortured by Asajj Ventress on Rattatak, though they managed to resist. In response, she fed Kenobi muscle maggots that ate away his strength and also placed him in a Sith torture mask to stifle his Force presence. He overcame it, however, and though it took nearly a month, Kenobi managed to slowly bend the water pipes in his cell and free himself, Alpha, and the other prisoners. They repelled a final confrontation by Ventress and escaped. Obi-Wan alerted Anakin Skywalker to his survival through a Force message, which the latter received while battling pirates in Ki-Adi-Mundi's task force. Obi-Wan and Alpha meanwhile had arrived on nearby Riflor where they fought through Ventress's pursuers before being reinforced by Ki-Adi-Mundi and Anakin.

Anakin then led a strike team to liberate the planet Virujansi, and, after having done so, the grateful natives dubbed him their "warrior of the infinite". However, the Republic suffered another loss when Togoria seceded.

Conquest of Duro
"I have always said the Republic should have a strong military! We see now the folly of making peacemakers into generals!"

- Ask Aak

Worse was to come for the Republic when Grievous launched Operation Durge's Lance which saw the Confederacy conquer Duro. Separatist warships destroyed the defending Republic fleet and captured one of the planet's orbital cities in less than a week. This was followed by a wave of orbital bombardment and the landing of a massive droid army on a conquered Duro. Following the battle, the Senate Bureau of Intelligence investigated causes of the defeat. Grievous led his triumphant troops across the Corellian trade spine becoming victor again and again. The droid General became a symbol of fear in the eyes of the Republic. A month later, in a report issued by Agent Inglemenn Barezz, it was revealed that the three Venator-class Star Destroyers that were to have been assigned to protect Duro had been reassigned to "shakedown cruises" by the Senate Action Subcommittee for Corellian Trade Spine Defense.

It was also revealed that, in reality, the Committee's chairman, Rodian Senator Onaconda Farr, had reassigned the ships to Iseno after being bribed with contracts for rebuilding on Ando by the Isenese senator, Ronet Coorr. After the release of the report, both Coor and Farr resigned from the Senate. A public backlash against both the Senate and Rodians in general was provoked, with calls for giving the Supreme Chancellor full power to conduct the war and for giving Humans command of fleets stationed around rival planets. A full investigation of Senate Action Subcommittees was launched with the goal of restructuring, and possibly even eliminating them. It is possible that this political restructuring also could have been one of the events that led to the Sector Governance Decree.

Victory versus Bulwark
The ancient shipyards at Foerost in the Deep Core had been churning out warships for millennia. Towards the last centuries of the Republic, the Techno Union purchased the Foerost shipyards. With the advent of the Clone Wars, Foerost was blockaded by the Republic Navy in the hopes that the starved shipyards would wither and decay. But the Republic was unaware that for two years after the Battle of Geonosis, the besieged Techno Union engineers had been designing the Bulwark Mark I-class Battlecruiser&mdash;a 1,000 meter long warship equipped with powerful weapons and enough armor for ramming smaller vessels. Under the command of the Sullustan Dua Ningo, the Bulwark Fleet smashed through the Republic blockade at Foerost and proceeded to terrorize Republic worlds within Sector Zero.

In response to the Bulwark Fleet, the Republic launched its Victory I-class Star Destroyers six months early. The product of the Victor Initiative Project between Kuat Drive Yards and Rendili StarDrive, the Victory-class warships formed the Victory Fleet and were divided into two task forces led by Captain Terrinald Screed and Jan Dodonna. They saw action against the Bulwark Fleet at Ixtlar, Alsakan and Basilisk. At the Battle of Anaxes, Ningo was killed and his fleet defeated. Screed and Dodonna would return to Coruscant as heroes for the Republic.

Year three (20 BBY–19 BBY)
"Upon us the dark side closes. To win these Clone Wars, what price must we pay? For a price to pay, there is&hellip;"

- Yoda

MedStar
By this time, many on both sides of the conflict had died and many more were injured. In response, the Republic began deploying MedStar Frigates which escorted Republic fleets into combat and carried mobile field hospitals known as Republic Mobile Surgical Units or RMSUs ("Rimsoos") on Drongar, a primordial planet of tropical climates and monsoons, with the most advanced plant life being varieties of fungi.

One such growth was bota, an "adaptogenic" which worked as an antibiotic, a painkiller, or even an intoxicant, depending upon the species. Having realized its importance, and that bota deteriorated quickly when once picked, both sides maintained harvesting operations on Drongar and battles were fought over the bota fields. It was here that Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee arrived to practice her skills as a Jedi healer, and discovered that bota enhanced her Force powers.

Barriss' co-workers at Rimsoo Seven were, among others, the protocol droid I-5YQ, a young surgeon named Jos Vandar, and a Sullustan HoloNet reporter named Den Dhur. She discovered that Admiral Tarnese Bleyd, commander of the local MedStar, was profiting from a bota smuggling ring. Though he was stopped, the Republic operations on Drongar continued to be harassed by the Confederacy, which continually attacked their bota fields until the intervention of a Venator-class Star Destroyer ended the hostilities. Later, Barriss returned to Coruscant and was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight.

The devastation of Honoghr
Included among the many tragedies of year three was the devastation of the planet Honoghr. A Republic force under Aayla Secura's command engaged the Separatist Core Ship Gahenna in orbit of the planet, forcing it to crash land on the surface. Unfortunately, the ship still carried the deadly toxin Trihexalophine1138, which spread across the entire planet and dramatically damaged its ecosystem, leaving little plant life except for plains of kholm grass.

It was also here that Aayla Secura and Commander Bly attempted to recapture the Scientific Instrument Package aboard the Gahenna which had been captured by the native Noghri and kept in an ancient Rakatan temple. Meanwhile, the traitor Quinlan Vos attempted to retrieve the SIP for Dooku. However, Quinlan failed when Aayla made him realize that his obsession with hunting the second Sith might not be worth the choices he had made earlier. Doubting himself ever since he had joined Dooku, he left Honoghr empty handed though it was changed forever.

Atrocities of Grievous
Having conquered Duro, Grievous continued his rampage throughout the galaxy. He was responsible for an hour-long orbital bombardment by the Separatist starfleet under his flagship the Invisible Hand which melted the crust of Humbarine, an ancient city world and Core Founder. He would also be responsible for releasing the Loedorvian Brain Plague into the Weemell Sector, killing most of the Sector's Human inhabitants. He personally attacked Alderaan. He also supervised attacks on 26 strategic Loyalist worlds. On Vantos and Nadiem, many civilians and soldiers were murdered. He also collected the lightsabers of fallen Jedi as trophies of war. Due to these acts of wanton destruction, Grievous soon became an avatar of terror in the eyes of the citizens of the Republic.

This prompted many Jedi to call for the death of General Grievous. However, Master Yoda opposed such extreme measures, fearing that the actions of the Jedi assassins would lead to their fall to the Dark Side. Despite this, some risked excommunication to carry out what they saw as justice. This included Padawan Flynn Kybo, Coway Jedi Master B'dard Tone and a few others. This group of Jedi tracked the infamous cyborg general in the Ison Corridor. On the Ugnaught homeworld Gentes, Grievous's forces had conquered the planet and enslaved its inhabitants. Strip-mining also took place on the planet. He also captured a group of Padawans on Gentes and intended to make them into cyborgs though his attempts were foiled by Kybo and Tone.

Republic terrorism
During the conflict, the Republic had caused grief for many inhabitants of the galaxy on several occasions, including the devastation of Orleon by stone mites. Prior to this, the CIS scientist had created stone mites&mdash;bioengineered insects that could devour buildings&mdash;with the help of Arkanian geneticists. These insects had ruined countless worlds since their introduction. On one occasion during a trip to Coruscant's busy Westport, the freighter Spinner, which had been affected by stone mites, crash-landed on Kishi.

The stone mites then ravaged Kishi until Jedi Healers proficient in the art of Morichro destroyed them. Armand Isard, director of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence denounced the incident as a Separatist act of terror and his agents traced the Spinner to a small Mid Rim world Orleon. Believing the planet had bioweapons facilities, he unleashed Republic-altered stone mites on the planet. However, he was wrong, since Orleon had no bioweapons facilities and the stonemites destroyed much of the planet. Nothing could be done and the planet's 800 million inhabitants were forced to flee.

Victory on Praesitlyn
Recently, Praesitlyn had been conquered by the Republic. Despite possessing an advanced communications system that linked data feeds throughout the galactic quadrant, the planet had few defenses. Fearing that it would be attacked by the Confederacy, the Republic tried to get a fleet from nearby Sluis Van which possessed shipyards.

However, Asajj soon discovered their plans and dispatched a fleet under the Banking Clan Admiral Pors Tonith. Having blockaded Sluis Van, Tonith's fleet went to Praesitlyn and conquered it with a massive invasion army. Their efforts were sped up thanks to a system-wide jamming field unleashed by Tonith's fleet. This prevented communication with the rest of the galaxy.

Captain Zozridor Slayke of Freedom's Sons attempted to stop the Separatists, though his forces were nearly defeated. Luckily, Republic reinforcements under Nejaa Halycon and Anakin Skywalker arrived just in time. This resulted in the Battle of Praesitlyn. During the battle, the Republic and the Sons and Daughters of Freedom were pitted against over one million battle droids and a large space fleet. The battle had the distinction of being the final trial for Skywalker before becoming a Jedi Knight.

Later on Susevfi, Nejaa Halycon died during a battle against the Anzati Dark Jedi Nikkos Tyris. However, the Anzati also died during the duel, thus turning his followers, the Jensaarai, against the Jedi. The Jensaarai would remain isolated from the rest of the galaxy until discovered many years later by Corran Horn, grandson of Nejaa Halycon.

Dreadnaughts of Rendili
The Core World of Rendili, a major starship producer, voluntarily defected to the CIS. Its defense fleet was composed of the then state-of-the-art Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers. However, the fleet commander had not yet decided which side he was on. In response, a Republic fleet under Jedi Masters Saesee Tiin and Plo Koon arrived with orders to destroy the Dreadnaught cruisers if they refused to join the Republic.

However, during the negotiations, Plo Koon and Captain Jan Dodonna became the prisoners of a group of pro-Separatist officers in the Dreadnaught fleet led by Lieutenant Yago. Yago hoped to break the Republic blockade with these hostages. However, Saesee Tiin refused to back down. Soon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Quinlan Vos arrived, having just escaped from Asajj Ventress. Since Quinlan Vos had failed to obtain the SIP from Honoghr, Count Dooku wanted him dead and his role as a double agent was over.

Both Jedi rescued the hostages from the Dreadnaught cruisers before engaging Separatist fighters. Meanwhile, Anakin sabotaged the Dreadnaughts to prevent their escape into hyperspace. During the battle, Yago was slain by Jace Dallin. With the end of the battle, the captured Dreadnaughts were modified into prisoner transports and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine made a new law that nationalized all similar, planetary-level defense fleets. Meanwhile, Quinlan Vos appeared before the Jedi Council and admitted he had joined the Dark Side during his time with Dooku and presented himself for sentencing. However, the Council agreed to allow him to rejoin the Order after he had endured a period of meditation and repentance. However, he was still secretly serving Count Dooku.

Meanwhile, a vengeful Asajj Ventress slipped into the galactic capital Coruscant and tried to kill Anakin Skywalker in retaliation for Obi-Wan escaping her at Rattatak. During that battle, which took place on an industrial catwalk high above the skyscrapers of Coruscant, she scarred Skywalker's face with her lightsaber. However, Anakin won the fight and then used the Force to hold her high above the surrounding metropolis and then throw her down, presumably killing her. However, Asajj survived and managed to escape Coruscant.

Outer Rim Sieges
"All the players are now in place. It is time to initiate the end moves. The plan of many long years shall bear fruit at last!"

- Darth Sidious

By this time in the war, it appeared that the Republic had momentum on its side, although the Confederacy was doing well in its own right. It had recaptured key worlds in the Core and the Colonies including Duro, Commenor and Balmorra, driving the Confederate Navy to the Mid Rim and Outer Rim. Thus began the Outer Rim Sieges, which marked the final phase of the conflict.

The Confederacy reinforced its Rim territories including its vast holdings on either side of the Slice. Emboldened, the Republic deployed nearly every fleet element and troop transport to the Rim in an attempt to crush the Separatist fortresses. Grueling engagements began on Ord Radama, Ossus, Ryloth, and elsewhere in an effort to force the Confederacy to surrender.

On Bomis Korri IV, Corporate Alliance Koorivar General Oro Dassyne commanded a Separatist fortress-city. Anticipating a massive Jedi force would storm his fortress, he had constructed a gigantic network of defensive guns that covered the side of the city facing the open plains, and he reinforced his position with a powerful energy shield.

Dassyne was disappointed when he learned that instead of the huge army he had envisioned two Jedi had infiltrated his fortress and deactivated the ray shields. These Jedi were the legendary Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, who then attacked with an army small and fast enough to avoid fire from the massive defense batteries of Dassyne's fortress. With the shield down, the base was decimated by orbital strikes and starfighter bombardment. During the ensuing firefight, Dassyne was killed. Around the same time, Jedi Master Nem Bees led Deviss and the K Company to depose an illegal government on Orto.

On Bal'demnic, the Confederacy of Independent Systems discovered traces of cortosis in the sea cliffs and attempted to enslave the Kon'me and mine the cliffs for the lightsaber resistant substance. The Kon'me rebelled and started the Battle of Bal'demnic. Soon enough, a clone regiment led by Sha Koon and Halagad Ventor landed on the planet but were attacked by the natives, and soon the CIS and Republic were expulsed from the system.

On Saleucami, the fallen Jedi Sora Bulq established a Separatist base. He hired elite Anzati assassins to train the Confederacy's own clone army, which was grown from the genetic material of Nikto Morgukai warriors. In response, Quinlan Vos and Oppo Rancisis led a huge Republic force that consisted of A'Sharad Hett, K'Kruhk, Jeisel, Aayla Secura, and others, to lay siege to Saleucami, thus beginning the Siege of Saleucami.

Oppo Rancisis was later killed by Sora Bulq. Quinlan Vos worked together with Jedi Master Tholme to kill Sora Bulq and Tol Skorr. Quinlan Vos, A'Sharad Hett, Aayla Secura, K'Kruhk, Tholme, and Jeisel all survived that mission. Stass Allie was later assigned to go back there when the planet was taken over by the Separatists yet again.

Many of the Confederacy's top commanders were killed or captured during the course of the Outer Rim Sieges, such as the bounty hunter Durge, who met his end thanks to Anakin Skywalker during the latter's mission to Maramere, when his escape pod was driven into a star. On a temporary leave from the battlefront, Obi-Wan Kenobi took on a personal mission to find and neutralize the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress, whom he believed was still alive and dangerous. With the help of Skywalker, Obi-Wan followed the trail to Boz Pity, a major Confederacy base surrounded by a fleet of over a hundred warships. By chance, the two Jedi were found by Bail Organa, who was investigating the situation in the Outer Rim. Kenobi then called in a full Republic assault force to lay siege to Boz Pity.

The battle of Boz Pity
Onboard the Star Destroyer Intervention, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, A'Sharad Hett, Adi Gallia, and several other Jedi agreed to launch a pre-emptive assault on Boz Pity. The Intervention dropped out of hyperspace behind the Separatist fleet, but it was caught in the planet's gravity and was forced to crash-land on the surface. With the element of surprise on their side, the Jedi and their clone troopers were able to quickly secure the surface installations. In space, the rest of the Republic fleet arrived shortly and engaged in a fierce battle with the Confederacy ships. Meanwhile, the Jedi attacked the Confederacy headquarters, where Dooku, Grievous, and Ventress were waiting. Soon Bayts was killed by Grievous. Later on, Jedi Master Adi Gallia was also murdered by Grievous, held by the neck by Grievous' hand while he gutted her with a lightsaber. Obi-Wan confronted Ventress, managing to redeem her at the last moment, but Dooku and Grievous escaped. Ventress, trying to reach Dooku, was blasted down by a MagnaGuard, which was reacting upon orders from Dooku, who did not want Ventress to delay his escape. Critically injured, Ventress warned Obi-Wan about the upcoming attack on Coruscant, and apparently died. She later was revealed to be alive, thanks to her healing techniques, as she hijacked a shuttle and took off into parts unknown.

Hundreds of other engagements throughout the Rim locked up millions of Separatist warships in battles with the Republic navy, which was now unable to break off its attack, should the Confederacy once again gain the advantage. The Jedi Generals were spread thinly throughout the galaxy, and they had only their clone soldiers to accompany them. The Republic's heartland was now vulnerable to an attack by General Grievous' personal battle fleet, which was exactly what the Sith wanted.

In an attempt to precipitate the end of the war, the Jedi began actively hunting for the Separatist leadership, including Count Dooku, General Grievous, and the Council of Separatists. On different occasions, Wat Tambor, Nute Gunray, and Shu Mai were all nearly captured when they fled to their respective personal strongholds on Xagobah, Cato Neimoidia, and Felucia. Eventually, General Grievous decided to take the entire Council under his personal protection.

Final campaigns (19 BBY)
"A labyrinth of evil, this war has become."

- Yoda

The hunt for Darth Sidious
By this point in the war, it became important for the Jedi to find the Sith Lord supposedly in control of the Galactic Senate. This was done in the hopes of convincing Chancellor Palpatine to relinquish the emergency powers granted to him at the start of the war.

Anakin Skywalker, having become the "poster boy" of the war (at least in the eyes of the Republic's citizens), was given the rank of Jedi Knight in part due to his role in the The Praesitlyn Conflict. He was among the Jedi who took part in the Outer Rim Sieges, which included attacks on major Separatist installations on Saleucami, Felucia, Mygeeto, Neimoidia, Cato Neimoidia, Deko Neimoidia and Koru Neimoidia. During an assault on Neimoidia, Republic walkers and juggernauts were unleashed on the Confederacy forces. Neimoidia was ravaged during the battle and the destruction of many Neimoidian grub-hatcheries would affect the Neimoidian species. Anakin eventually became the Republic's answer to General Grievous, rising to become one of the Republic's greatest heroes ever. It was during the First Battle of Cato Neimoidia that evidence of Darth Sidious finally came into light. The battle was an attempt by the Republic to capture Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation and a prominent member of the Separatist Council. Though the Republic was driving the Confederacy out of the Core and the Colonies, Nute Gunray went to Cato Neimoidia wishing to take as much wealth with him as he could. Republic Intelligence received information as to his whereabouts, and an army led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, the newly Knighted Anakin and Jan Dodonna was sent to wait in ambush.

However, Nute Gunray managed to escape. Despite this, Cato Neimoidia had been conquered and Gunray's Mechno-chair had been captured. This specially built piece of furniture contained a holoprojector that broadcast on an encrypted channel, allowing the Viceroy to communicate directly with Darth Sidious. The Jedi Council then tasked Obi-Wan and Anakin with the mission to follow the trail left by this evidence and discover the identity of Darth Sidious once and for all. Their search took them across the galaxy in an ever expanding search for the Sith Lord.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Guild President Shu Mai returned to her headquarters on Felucia to make arrangements concerning the liquidation of her holdings. However, the newly Knighted Barriss Offee and the Selonian Padawan Zonder went to Felucia and attempted to capture her, although they were captured. Later, Aayla Secura and Clone Commander Bly came to the rescue. Unfortunately for them, Shu Mai unleashed a deadly bioweapon into Felucia's water systems before escaping.

After these incidents, Grievous collected the Separatist Council and attempted to find a hideout for them. His first choice was Belderone, though they were forced to flee after it became known to the Republic because a transmission through Nute Gunray's mechno-chair was intercepted. A Republic task force under Kenobi and Skywalker lay in wait. A battle began, in which Skywalker flew through a wave of turbolaser fire to attack the bridge of Grievous's flagship, the Invisible Hand.

The Confederate ships escaped by opening fire on a refugee convoy, destroying several ships. However, by ambushing Grievous at Belderone, the Republic had found out how to decipher the code. By reverse-engineering the device, Republic Intelligence learned of its origin and soon discovered that Darth Sidious had been operating from an abandoned building in the heart of the Works, on the galactic capital Coruscant itself. With his disguise quickly unraveling, Darth Sidious played his final card: the Battle of Coruscant. As Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, he delivered a speech that named Mygeeto, Felucia and Saleucami as a "Triad of Evil," sending half of Coruscant's home defense fleet to pacify the planets. Simultaneously he ordered Count Dooku and General Grievous to attack the weakened galactic capital through the use of secret hyperspace routes through the Deep Core.



Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Anakin went to the remote planet of Nelvaan believing that Grievous was hiding there. There, Anakin slew a huge monster and gained the admiration of the native Nelvaanians while interrupting an adolescent's rite of passage. They saw his arrival as the sign of a champion known as Holt Kezed ("Ghost Hand" in Nelvaanian, referring to Anakin's mechanical forearm), who would deliver their land from a mysterious evil. Having endured a painful ceremony, Anakin embarked on a quest to confront the evil. He then entered a cave where he received a vision that he would become Darth Vader. Then, he discovered a Techno Union facility that experimented on native captives, turning them into fearsome mutants. He destroyed the facility though he also touched the minds of the captives and returned them to their families. There would be celebrations in the Nelvaanian village.

Later, Obi-Wan and Anakin were sent to Tythe with Red Squadron, where Count Dooku was assumed to be hiding. The squadron was wiped out by orbital defenses, leaving Kenobi and Skywalker to enter the LiMerge Power facility alone. There, Dooku set battle droid forces upon them, but Anakin, in a display of raw Force power, brought the ceiling down upon them, the droids and Dooku. The Sith Lord managed to clamber free of the wreckage, and took his solar sailer off-planet to rendezvous with Grievous over Coruscant. The Jedi also escaped the ruins of the chamber, and returned to their flagship, only to learn that Coruscant had been attacked by Separatist forces. They launched immediately for the Core in their interceptors.

The Battle of Coruscant
"The city is under attack!"

- Mace Windu



Meanwhile on Coruscant, the Separatist fleet under Dooku and Grievous launched a week-long siege against the galactic capital. Confederacy C-9979 landing crafts were unleashed on the capital along with swarms of Vulture droids and Tri-Droid Fighters. Hundreds of millions of battle droids and tank droids ravaged the streets of Galactic City, causing much damage to lives and property. In response, the Republic deployed its Clone forces against the Separatist droid forces.



As the battle raged in space, in the sky and on the ground, Grievous broke into 500 Republica and kidnapped Palpatine, slaying several troops and Jedi in the process.

Rescue Mission
Realizing that they were lured away from Coruscant, Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way back to the capital world to join in the attempt to rescue Palpatine. Boarding the Separatist flagship Invisible Hand, they made their way through the ship to where the Chancellor was being held.

However, before they could escape they were met by Count Dooku, who once again faced off against the Jedi. Although Dooku originally had the upper hand, the Jedi changed lightsabre styles during the middle of the battle in order to put the Sith Lord on the back foot. Dooku quickly swung the battle back in his favor by throwing Obi-Wan against the wall and knocking him out.

Dooku and Anakin fought on, with both Dooku and Palpatine urging Anakin to give in to the dark side. This backfired on Dooku, as Anakin gained the upper hand, disarmed his opponent. On Palpatine's instructions, decapitated Dooku, destabilising the Seperatist leadership into the military faction led by General Grevious and the civilian faction led by Nute Gunray.

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Palpatine were later recaptured by General Grevious, but with the help of R2-D2 they gained control of the ship and landed what remained of it down on Coruscant. However, Grevious escaped and together with the remains of the Seperatist fleet fled to the Outer Rim Territories.

The Battle of Utapau
"I'll keep them distracted until you get there. Just don't take too long." "Come on, when have I ever let you down?"

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Clone Marshal Commander Cody



As the Separatists were driven off Coruscant, Palpatine stressed that the Separatist threat would not end until General Grievous was destroyed. Clone Intelligence located the Separatist stronghold on Utapau and the Jedi Council assigned Obi-Wan the task of bringing the General to justice.

Arriving on Utapau, he was greeted by Tion Medon, who informed him of the General's location. After selecting the services of a varactyl named Boga, Kenobi made his way to the tenth level of Pau City, where he engaged in a brief duel with the General. Not long after, the 212th Attack Battalion, led by Commander Cody arrived and engaged what little remained of the Separatist droid army.

Death of Grievous
Taking the opportunity to leave, Grievous boarded a Tsmeu-6 personal wheel bike and fled the scene. Obi-Wan pursued the General throughout the battle until they reached the General's personal Belbullab-22 starfighter, where they fought once more. Grievous appeared to have the upper hand on Obi-Wan until the Jedi Master called Grievous' blaster to him using the Force. Then he shot him several times, destroying his organs. General Grievous, one of the greatest threats to the Republic in its history, was dead at last. The clones then proceeded to destroy the Anti-Air Turrets so that LAAT reinforcements could be brought in. Republic forces continued to push back the droid forces until they received Order 66. Then, troopers under the command of Cody opened fire on Obi-Wan and Boga. With the clones assuming Obi-Wan dead, the fight went on as normal until the battle droids were shut down.

The Battle of Kashyyyk
"The droids have started up their main power generators." "Then now, the time is, Commander."

- Clone Marshal Commander Gree and Yoda



Early conflicts
On Kashyyyk, a combined Republic/Wookiee force repelled a second Separatist invasion. Kashyyyk was considered a major navigation hub for the southeast quadrant of the galaxy, making it a strategically important system which had long been a target for the Separatist military. Confederate leaders requested the Wookiees join their rebellion, but the Kashyyyk royal families proved indecisive. General Grievous, having become impatient regarding their decision to join the Confederacy, decided to send battle droids to "persuade" them. The droids unintentionally killed Prince Rikummee, and King Grakchawwaa decided to oppose the Separatists.

After a number of probing attacks throughout the war the Separatists finally decided on a full scale invasion of the city of Kachirho in the Wawaatt Archipelago. This was to serve as a literal beach head into the rest of the forest covered planet. To this end the Separatists made particular use of the age old enmity between the native Wookiee and their system neighbors the Trandoshans to prepare for their attack. The Trandoshans did this in a number of ways, in particular by raiding the city and taking its leader, General Tarfful prisoner, using their slaving activities as a cover for the true objective. In secret the Separatists landed a large droid force and prepared for their attack. However, while the system was an important strategic location and both sides believe the battle to be straightforward, it was in fact little more than a diversion by Darth Sidious.

Delta Squad's mission
The clone commandos of Delta Squad were dispatched to find Tarfful and unite the Wookiees against the Separatists. After rescuing a Wookiee Chieftain, the commandos aided the Wookiee resistance in Kachirho against the Separatist forces, destroying a Commerce Guild destroyer in orbit. Sev was lost while fighting, and Delta Squad pulled out on a gunship as the Separatist counterattack came. During the aftermath, they discovered they were an advance group for a Republic invasion force.

The battle begins


Kashyyyk was considered too important to lose to the Separatists, so battalions of clone troopers from the 41st Elite Corps supplemented by units assigned to the 501st Legion were dispatched to the Wookiee homeworld to aid the Wookiee forces engaged in battle with a Separatist droid army.

Yoda held good relations with the Wookiees, and thus became the commanding officer for the Republic forces sent to the system. He was assisted in the direction of the combined forces by General Tarfful and Chewbacca, heads of the local Wookiee defense force. Jedi Masters Luminara Unduli and Quinlan Vos (having been reassigned from Boz Pity) were also present.



The Separatists were already blockading the planet by the time Yoda's forces arrived. However, General Yoda's fleet was able to penetrate the blockade and land on the surface. The space battle continued, cutting the detachment of droids already landed off from the rest of the CIS Fleet. The droid battalions established their command posts and attacked.

On the vehicle front, Wookiee flying catamarans were aided by Juggernauts, AT-AP and AT-RT walkers and other assault vehicles. They faced enormous opposition from Separatist droid tanks, OG-9 Homing spider droids and HMP droid gunships.

Despite the best efforts of the combined Wookiee/Republic defense, Kachirho soon became in danger of being overrun by the Separatists. Two things managed to save the Wookiees: the sudden deactivation of the droid army and the transmission of Order 66. Unfortunately, both of these actions would bring about a disaster that would be far worse for them.

Aftermath
Yoda sensed a grave disturbance in the Force as the battle was winding down. This was Order 66, which was being carried out throughout the galaxy. Clone Commander Gree received a comlink-call on a frequency-locked channel reserved for the commanders. The image of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine instructed him to carry out the order to kill the Jedi Master, General Yoda.

As the clones prepared to execute him, Yoda drew his lightsaber and in one fell swoop decapitated his would-be assassins. Yoda then proceeded to escape into the nearby jungle along with Wookiee warriors Tarfful and Chewbacca.

Outside, the battle between Republic and Separatist forces appeared to be over: Wookiees stacked destroyed droids while clone troopers assessed the damage to their equipment and began preparing for a full-scale invasion of Kashyyyk. Jedi Master Luminara Unduli was talking with eight clone officers standing in a circle around her when they executed her. Quinlan Vos was riding on top of a Kuat Drive Yards HAVw A6 Juggernaut; the main cannon of the nearby Juggernaut destroyed the tank, although he was able to survive.

As the Republic forces that came to defend the planet from the invaders became the invaders and executed their commanders in cold blood, the Battle of Kashyyyk was over. The Republic forces soon pulled out of the system, allowing the Wookiees to begin salvaging the masses of wrecked military hardware that the battle had left strewn across the world.

The seduction of Anakin Skywalker
"But the loss of Count Dooku?" "His death was a necessary loss. Soon I will have a new apprentice. One far younger&hellip; and more powerful."

- General Grievous and Darth Sidious

"The Jedi use their power for good." "'Good' is a point of view, Anakin."

- Anakin Skywalker and Palpatine



During the events of the Clone Wars, Palpatine became a father figure to Anakin Skywalker. The young Jedi felt comfortable discussing events with the Chancellor that he hid from even Obi-Wan or Padmé. Palpatine used Anakin's growing mistrust of the Jedi Council to his advantage, playing against his insecurities by saying that he could offer him much more than the Council ever could. He also revealed his secret identity as Darth Sidious to Anakin, knowing that he would go to the Jedi Council and report this.



Anakin did report this information to Mace Windu, who arrived at the Chancellor's Office with fellow Jedi Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin, and Agen Kolar, intent on bringing an end to the Chancellor's reign. Within moments, however, Windu was the only one alive facing off against the powerful Sith Lord. Anakin, against Mace Windu's orders, arrived at the Chancellor's Office and witnessed Palpatine disarmed and cornered by Windu. Taking advantage of the scene, Palpatine succeeded in seducing Anakin. As Windu was about to deliver the killing blow, Anakin severed his lightsaber hand, allowing Palpatine to hurl Windu out the window to his death using Force Lightning. Having committed an act of betrayal against a fellow Jedi, Anakin knew that his options were limited. Pledging himself to Palpatine, he became a Sith and was given the name Darth Vader. His first task was to lead the 501st Legion to the Jedi Temple and eliminate every single Jedi inside. He was then ordered to go to Mustafar to eliminate the Separatist Council.

The Great Jedi Purge had begun.

The end of the war
"Execute order 66."

- Palpatine



As Vader eliminated the Jedi at the Temple, Palpatine sent a message to the Clone Commanders stationed across the galaxy, telling them to execute Order 66. With this transmission, the clone troopers immediately turned against their Jedi commanders.

Jedi that were killed during this attack included such well known Jedi Masters as Aayla Secura, Luminara Unduli, Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Stass Allie and Cin Drallig, along with Padawans Bene, Whie Malreaux and Zett Jukassa. Jedi that managed to survive Order 66 included Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Shaak Ti, A'Sharad Hett, K'Kruhk, Tholme, T'ra Saa and Quinlan Vos.



After his mission to cleanse the Temple, Vader took a Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor (with R2-D2 in tandem) to Mustafar. The Separatist Council, having been informed that he would arrive soon, assumed that he was coming to protect them. Instead, he viciously slaughtered every single one of them without remorse. Those killed were: Nute Gunray and Rune Haako, with their aide Rute Gunnay, San Hill, Wat Tambor, Poggle the Lesser, Tikkes, Shu Mai and her aide Cat Miin, Passel Argente and his aide Denaria Kee, and Po Nudo and his aide. Nute Gunray was the last to be killed – he begged for peace, but Vader still cut him down.

Palpatine then ordered Vader to send a deactivation signal, which was, ironically originally developed by Geonosian Gizor Dellso to prevent anyone from using the Droid Army against them. Gizor Dellso himself was at one point on Mustafar, but managed to avoid being killed by Vader.

The signal was activated and the vast majority of the Confederacy's military strength was made redundant, forcing many CIS forts to surrender, and bringing the Separatists to an end.

Aftermath
"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 which, I assure you, will last for ten thousand years; an Empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body and a sovereign ruler chosen for life."

- Palpatine



With both the Separatists and Jedi defeated, the newly self appointed Emperor Palpatine spoke before the Senate, declaring an end to the Clone Wars and the formation of the Galactic Empire. He also declared the Jedi to be traitors to the Republic, displaying tampered recordings of his encounter with the Jedi, and that any remaining Jedi would soon be brought to justice. This declaration was met with thunderous applause by much of the Senate, though there were those that held reservations about what they had just heard.

Following Palpatine's declaration, major changes occurred in the fabric of the former Republic. Members of the Petition of 2000, delivered to Palpatine in the days prior to the establishment of the Empire, were arrested and charged with treason. The Commission for the Protection of the Republic, formed during the Clone Wars, was merged with the Imperial Security Bureau and renamed the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order. The clone troopers were reorganized under the name Imperial stormtroopers. The assets of the Trade Federation, Commerce Guild, Corporate Alliance, Techno Union and Intergalactic Banking Clan were brought under the Empire's control. The war machines of the Republic (such as the Acclamator-class transport and AT-TE) were retired from active service on the front lines in favor of new weapons of war such as the Imperial-class Star Destroyer and AT-AT. The captains of the Republic ships that participated in major conflicts of the Clone Wars (such as the Siege of Saleucami and recovery of the Rendili Dreadnaught-class cruisers) were given the credit for winning the battles, completely eliminating the Jedi's involvement.

The Clone Wars had ended; the Republic had fallen, and in its place stood the Galactic Empire.

Surviving Geonosian engineer Gizor Dellso attempted to continue the Clone Wars as the last leader of the remaining Separatists by churning out a droid army of his own on Mustafar. He was quickly destroyed, however, by the 501st Legion and the last real influence of the CIS was destroyed.

"You fought in the Clone Wars?" "Yes. I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father."

- Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Clone Wars, as the largest Galactic conflict ever during its day, still had consequences that lasted through the ages. It resulted in a distrust of droids by many, in the devastation of many planets, and weakening the galaxy in preparation for Imperial rule.

Galactic Republic
"So which were you supposed to be, Kenobi or Skywalker?"

- Common Republic civilian saying during the Clone Wars



Many civilians in the Republic followed the Clone Wars closely, mainly through the HoloNet and Republic propaganda. Throughout the entire conflict, Republic citizens were overwhelmingly loyal, and dissent was nearly unheard of. This was due in part to simple patriotism but more a product of the pressure to show support. In the tense attitude of the Clone Wars, those who second-guessed the Republic were often looked on with suspicion. Senators, in particular, had to very carefully watch their language, and many fought back accusations of Separatist sympathies when they openly attempted to challenge the questionable 'reforms' of the Supreme Chancellor. Public sentiment held that Palpatine, in fact, was indispensable as a leader. Therefore, any attempts to rebuke his actions were harshly frowned upon by the majority, as there was a significant fear that without Palpatine leading the Republic, it would have no chance against the Confederacy.

Although relatively new to the scene, the clone troopers quickly established themselves as the essential backbone of the Galactic Republic. It was almost immediately apparent, even to the Jedi Council that the limited number of Jedi and no amount of civilian soldiers could provide the kind of military support that the clones could. Bred for the sole purpose to fight and die for the Republic, many throughout the galaxy believed that the clones were just like their battle droid counterparts: "empty" and unfeeling creations with no mind or free will. But as millions of clones continued to lay down their lives for the citizens they had sworn to protect and the Jedi they followed with faith and awe, public sentiment for the clones grew, and many liberal reforms were introduced so that the clones could be treated like men and not expendable machines. At the height of the Clone Wars, the Clone Army of the legendary Jango Fett proved time and again that although they were an "army of one man, it was the right man for the job". The people loyal to the Republic saw them as a symbol of hope, the Jedi cared for them and saw them as comrades-in-arms, and the clones themselves began to believe their closely-guarded suspicion that maybe they were indeed sentient beings and not just mere products.

Personifying the nobility of the Republic cause were the Jedi Knights. The Jedi were larger-than-life heroes whose impossible feats garnered the awe of beings across Republic space. At the forefront of the public eye were the dynamic Jedi duo Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, who often worked together to direct campaigns. These two, referred to ubiquitously with the catchphrase Kenobi and Skywalker, became the poster boys of the Republic war effort. Throughout the war, sensationalist HoloNet reports lauded and exaggerated their achievements. Wherever the pair went, the Republic inevitably won the battle, or so the HoloNet claimed. These two were especially popular with younglings, who followed their exploits as if they were following the records of athletes.



On the other hand, General Grievous was the symbol of the enemy. Along with the adventures of Kenobi and Skywalker, news reports related the atrocities committed at the hands of the cyborg general. Conversely to the famous Jedi pair, wherever Grievous went, the Republic forces were sure to be defeated, sowing fear across the Republic and making more citizens put their faith in the Chancellor. They believed the General to be unstoppable. Indeed, he nearly was.

Although optimism was high at the beginning of the war, as it dragged on, morale began to fall sharply. Even the propaganda-laced HoloNet news reports didn't manage to stem the growing tide of uneasiness over the odds of a Republic victory. The Grand Army's efforts to hold off Grievous were failing. System after system fell to the onslaught of the droid armies, and many planets continued to defect to the Confederacy. Not only that, but the people's faith in the Jedi began to wane over the course of the war, when more and more Knights were killed in battle. It became clear that the warriors who had once seemed invincible were mere mortals as well.

One of the main causes of the dwindling adoration of the Jedi Order, however, was not the mortality of the Jedi but their susceptibility to treason. Though of course no mention of Jedi traitors made it past Republic news censors, civilians nonetheless learned about the defection of Knights like Sora Bulq, Depa Billaba, and Quinlan Vos, who had betrayed not only their Order but the Republic itself. Even the leader of the enemy, Count Dooku, had himself once been a Jedi.

It was not unexpected, therefore, when the Chancellor's Office announced that the Clone Army had turned back a supposed coordinated coup of the Republic by the Jedi Order. Instantly, public sentiment reversed, and with the combined motivation of victory against the Separatists and protection against the supposedly fanatical Jedi, Palpatine was unanimously lauded for his direction of the Republic. His ascension to autocrat was not only unquestioned, it was encouraged.

It would only be years later that the people would realize the consequences of their shortsightedness.

Confederacy of Independent Systems
"Stinkin' Jedi. Go on an' kill me. Go on an' kill everybody!"

- Terrel Nakay, a Balawai teenager, shortly after Mace Windu saved his life

Unlike the people of the Republic, those inhabiting worlds that seceded from the government were often less driven by allegiance to the Confederacy than simply by their yearning to transcend their current condition. There were numerous reasons planets seceded. Some were simply unhappy with the way the Republic and the Senate were being administrated. Others were worlds suffering from the aftermath of wars, famines, or other disasters that had been neglected by the Republic. Still others were worlds where tensions or open wars between sects continued to flare. The Confederacy took advantage of these small conflicts, offering assistance to a sect's minor war if that faction would contribute in turn to the larger galactic conflict.



The Kaleesh of Kalee, the Ishi-Tib of Tibrin, and the Balawai of Haruun Kal were three examples of this Confederate policy of outsourcing war. The people of these planets regarded the Separatists as saviors- they had agreed to intervene and decide millennia-long sectional disputes, conflicts the Republic had long refused to take sides in. For the civilians of worlds where the Confederacy had offered assistance, loyalty to their species translated into patriotism for the Confederacy.

The defining attribute of nearly all loyal Confederate citizens was hatred of the Jedi. As the leaders of the Republic armies and its deadliest soldiers, the Jedi represented the greatest threat to the new prosperity the Confederacy sought. Many Confederate civilians poured into the image of the Jedi their hatred over the decayed Republic and fear over the atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding the war. Confederate news broadcasts played up the killings committed by Jedi Knights, and were quick to contrast their self-applied title as guardians of peace and justice with their new roles as juggernauts of death that killed those who were simply defending their homes from invaders. The fear in the hearts of many people on Separatist worlds that their homes would be next contributed to an active hatred of the hypocrisy the Jedi Order of the Clone Wars represented. After the Clone Wars, many Confederates would become part of the Rebel Alliance, another reform-minded organization with goals similar to those of the Confederacy, albeit sans the ulterior motive of a Sith puppeteer and ultimately driven by the desire to restore the Galactic Republic rather than leaving it.

Behind the scenes
"One of the lures of going back and finishing the prequels was that I would, in fact, get to do the Clone War."

- George Lucas

The Clone Wars were first mentioned in A New Hope by Obi-Wan Kenobi and later Princess Leia Organa, although at the time no mention was made about what they actually were. Phrases such as 'during the Clone Wars' were often mentioned in works to give some evidence of depth in narration. Another early concept for the Clone Wars was a war between the Republic and the Mandalorians as mentioned in The Galactic Empire Scrapbook, though this was many years before any real idea was formed. It was widely assumed that the Clone Wars ended long before the establishment of the Empire; A Guide to the Star Wars Universe listed the end of the Clone Wars as 35 BBY (which was later retconned into being the Great ReSynchronization), and Mon Mothma in The Farlander Papers spoke of the "decades of peace" between the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire, with Palpatine being elected President during the war but not declaring himself Emperor and exterminating the Jedi until much later. However, in Marvel Star Wars, the Clone Wars were said to be at a time late enough that Leia Organa was a notable figure and Palpatine already in power. During the Bantam era of the Expanded Universe, authors were limited in how they could describe the events of the conflict. Prior to the release of Episode II, the general consensus among fans was that the "Clone" in "the Clone Wars" referred to clones being the antagonists in a war against the Republic and the Jedi, and most Expanded Universe material written prior to 2002 seemed to support this belief.

This changed in 2002, when Attack of the Clones was released. In the three years between the 2002 release of Clones and the 2005 release of Revenge of the Sith, a massive multimedia campaign was launched (similar to the one done during 1996 for Shadows of the Empire), in which all forms of media, including books, comics, video games and even a continuation of the HoloNet News feature in Star Wars Insider would tell the events that occurred during this time.

Since the release of Clones and Sith, the Expanded Universe material set in the Classic Trilogy era and later in the timeline has made an effort to include the newly revealed information. Such examples can be seen in the Star Wars: Empire comic series (where both Acclamator-class warships and AT-TEs can be seen), the appearance of an unmasked Boba Fett in several comics and R2-D2 recounting events from Revenge of the Sith (including Operation: Knightfall and the birth of Luke and Leia at Polis Massa), during the Dark Nest Trilogy.

Similarities to real history
While following the story of the Rise of the Empire, there can be many similarities found between this and the rise of the Roman Empire from the Roman Republic (Republics forming into Empires being one of the similarities). Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) leading his army of clones and marching on the Jedi Temple is very much like when Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon, beginning the end of the Roman Republic. There can be many more similarities found between the Rise of the Empire in Star Wars and the equivalent era in Roman history.

Furthermore, the Clone Wars bear a striking resemblance to the American Civil War. Both had secessionist Confederacies. Both had the remnant of the prior government use force to preserve the union of their respective countries. Also, both wars saw a massive increase in power by not only the central, federal governments, but in particular by the leaders of those two governments.

The use of Palpatine of the events in his office (modified to suit his own purposes as showing the Jedi "attempt on his life", of course) as a propaganda tool in order to fuel his declaration of the New Order has remarkable similarities to Hitler using the burning of the Reichstag building in 1933 as a pretext for ending most civil liberties in Germany.

Further comparisons with Nazi Germany can be made with the Night of the Long Knives and Order 66. Hitler purged his own party of Stormtroopers (the Sturmabteilung) by the SS in a way similar to Palpatine's purges of both the Jedi and the surviving leaders of the Confederacy at the end of the war. This bears an even more striking resembalnce considering that the SA were previously Hitler's bodyguards and private army, much similar to the role of the Jedi in his guise as Chancellor Palpatine, and the direct service of the droid armies of the CIS to the Sith Agenda of Darth Sidious.

Another striking similarity between Order 66 and historical events is Pope Clement's Pastoralis Praeeminentiae and the arrest of most French Knights Templar by Philip IV in a single day (October 13, 1307).