For over a thousand years, the Galactic Republic, with the help of their allies in the Jedi
Order, presided over a relatively peaceful and prosperous galaxy.
However, after so many years of prolonged stability, the ruling body of government known
as the Senate became mired in corruption and greed, with self-serving politicians manipulating
the political process and galactic economy to their own benefit.
In addition, the unity and security of the Republic was compromised by the rise of the
Sith Order, which had worked in secret for a thousand years, undermining the government
and organizing vast networks of spies, underworld contacts and political allies.
Their grand plan was originally conceived by Darth Bane, founder of the Rule of Two
philosophy, who passed his knowledge on to an apprentice tasked with continuing his legacy.
The tradition of one sith master and one apprentice, then eventually led to the rise of Darth plagueis
and his own apprentice Darth Sidious, who became a Senator in the Republic representing
his homeworld of Naboo, and using this position to destroy the government from within.
After murdering his master and training his own apprentice Darth Maul, Sidious, known
to most by his birth name Sheev Palpatine, orchestrated the Naboo Crisis, convincing
the Trade Federation to invade his homeworld, and working within the senate to produce a
no confidence vote against Chancellor Finis Valorum, forcing him out of office so that
Palpatine himself could be elected to the position.
And while the invasion of Naboo was halted and defeated by the Jedi, the Gungan armies
and royal defense forces, Palpatine had achieved his immediate goal.
A decade later, Sidious was prepared to launch the final revenge of the Sith against the
Jedi and Republic, by manipulating them into fighting the Clone Wars, against a movement
of Separatists supposedly fighting to liberate themselves for Republic oppression.
In reality however, the Separatists were led by Count Dooku, a former Jedi Knight, who
left the order years earlier, falling to the Dark Side and becoming the new apprentice
of Sidious, following the apparent death of Darth Maul by Obi Wan Kenobi during the invasion
of Naboo.
Dooku, now under the name Darth Tyrannus, organized the separatist forces, not aiming
for victory, but instead merely sowing chaos and fear in the galaxy, with no intention
of ever fulfilling the promises made to his followers.
Palpatine, using the war as a pretense, then encouraged the senate to pass a number of
bills giving emergency powers to the Chancellor, making the position extremely powerful.
At the same time he acted as a mentor to young Anakin Skywalker, a powerful jedi training
within the order.
Sensing the potential of the young man, he convinced Skywalker to execute his apprentice
Count Dooku, once the man was no longer useful, thereby remaining faithful to the Rule of
Two and making room for his new apprentice.
Nearing the end of the war, the Jedi discovered palpatines true identity, and attempted to
arrest him, but they were betrayed by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker who fell to the dark
side and joined the Sith Order.
Palpatine then named the arrest attempt a failed Jedi Coup, and proclaimed order 66,
activating the inhibitor chips within the clone troopers of the Republic army, causing
them to turn against their Jedi generals, executing them where they stood.
And while some few Jedi were able to escape this betrayal, the Order itself fell quickly.
With everything in position, palpatine then ordered the final defeat of the Separatists
and an end to the clone wars, stating that because of all that occurred, the republic
must be re-organized into the First Galactic Empire, led by an Imperial Senate, and himself
as Emperor.
But not all were prepared to give up their freedoms and submit to tyranny, with some
like Senator Bail Organa of Aldaron, and Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrilla working behind the
scenes to build a Rebel Alliance willing to fight against them.
And while some few Jedi and force sensitives who survived Order 66 did what they could
to help the Rebels, the most powerful Jedi, in Master Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi remained
in exile, with obi wan watching over Darth vader’s son Luke Skywalker, hidden away
on the planet Tatooine, where he might be raised away from his father’s evil influence.
Luke’s twin sister Leia was left with Senator Organa, who raised her as a princess of Alderaan,
and when she came of age, became one of the central leaders of the rebellion, following
the example of her adopted father.