Clone Wars (Star Wars) - Story (Overview)

Story (Overview)

The conflicts leading up to the Clone Wars began 22 years before the events of A New Hope and ended 19 years before it. During the film The Phantom Menace, the Trade Federation, a major galactic trade organization under the control of the Neimoidians, blockades the small planet Naboo and demands its capitulation. Its queen, Padmé Amidala, refuses their demands and requests help from the Galactic Republic, the main governing body of the galaxy. The Republic sends two Jedi ambassadors, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, to oversee the situation and negotiate with the Trade Federation. The Federation, wary of the Jedi and secretly taking orders from Sith lord Darth Sidious, attempts to murder the Jedi, who escape to Naboo just as the Federation begins a full-scale invasion. Following a brief occupation, the Trade Federation is defeated by an alliance of the Naboo Royal Guard and the indigenous Gungan Tribes, with the help of the Jedi, and the Viceroy is forced to surrender and deactivate his droid armies.

Following these events, Jedi Master Dooku resigns from the Jedi Order and returns to his homeworld of Serenno, taking on his hereditary title of Count. However, the Jedi Council is unaware that Count Dooku has fallen under the control of Darth Sidious, and is secretly his new apprentice Darth Tyranus, organizing a separatist coalition of planets and civilizations with the intention of seceding from the Republic. During this time, the Separatists begin forming their own armies, which primarily consist of battle droids constructed by the Trade Federation and its allies.

Ten years later, following the attempted assassination of now-Senator Padmé Amidala, the investigation by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker puts them on the trail of Jango Fett, an interstellar bounty hunter. Tracking him to the unlisted world of Kamino, Kenobi discovers that the Kaminoans have used samples of Fett's DNA to clone a vast army of soldiers, referred to as Clone troopers. The order for the soldiers had been secretly submitted to the Kaminoans by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who was killed after making the order. Meanwhile, the Republic faces internal opposition as several thousand worlds publicly secede from the Galactic Republic and form the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). The Republic Senate deliberates passing the Military Creation Act, which calls for the formation of an army to serve the Republic to keep order across Republic Star Systems and prevent further secession. As deliberations stall, Shadow Senator for Naboo Jar Jar Binks proposes (after suggestion from Chancellor Palpatine) that the Chancellor be granted emergency powers in order to resolve the issue of the Clone Army that is awaiting approval on Kamino, and to take decisive action to put down the rebellion. This is greeted by applause from the majority of the Senate Chamber, and Chancellor Palpatine describes it as a "purely temporary measure".

The Clone Army of the Republic first sees battle engaging the Separatist forces on Geonosis, rescuing a small group of Jedi trapped by Dooku's forces. The Republic army in this engagement is commanded by Master Yoda, and the Battle of Geonosis marks the end of Attack of the Clones and the beginning of the Clone War.

During the in-universe time period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, conflict between the Republic and the Separatists increases and expands, which is chronicled in an extensive multimedia campaign for Revenge of the Sith.

Three years after the Battle of Geonosis, CIS forces under the command of the cyborg General Grievous kidnap Chancellor Palpatine from the Republic capital world of Coruscant. The Chancellor is rescued and Confederacy leader Count Dooku killed by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.