With Count Dooku dead and Republic forces closing in and taking control of major worlds
and hyperlane routes, the remaining Separatist leaders were in a panic as they desperately
needed to gain a foothold somewhere in the galaxy that would allow them to counter incoming
Republic offensives.
At this point in the war, the Republic had effectively secured the Northern and Southern
regions of the Galaxy, which not only allowed them to start instigating aggressive attack
campaigns, but it also separated Separatist forces across the galaxy, cutting them off
from each other and in effect isolating them from one another which disrupted their means
of movement across the galaxy and ability to reinforce their positions.
Unable to reclaim any of the major hyperlane routes that were under Republic control, the
Separatists decided to turn their eye on Kashyyyk, which was at the center of major trading hyperspace
lanes.
Hoping to gain control of the minor hyperspace routes as a means to increase their chances
of reclaiming some of the more prominent ones, the Separatists bagan to move in on the Wookiee
homeworld.
At this point, Kashyyyk was neutral, as its royal families didn’t want to join a devastating
war they had no part in.
So at first the Separatists tried to negotiate with the royal families and the King rather
than waste their resources of taking the planet by force.
The King and the royal families were initially hesitant, not wishing to having a massive
military fleet use the hyperspace lanes right at their doorstep, but also not wishing to
being invaded.
The Wookiees took their time considering the options, which the Separatists had no time
for as they were desperate in reclaiming their lost territories and had no time to waste.
Annoyed at how long the diplomatic process was taking, General Grievous ordered for a
few droid forces to be sent to Kashyyyk as a means to encourage the natives into joining
them.
But this ended up being a mistake, as the probe droids that were sent accidentally killed
the Kashyyyk King’s son, who was mistaken for being a wild animal as he was out in the
jungle on one of his hunting trips.
This of course enraged the King of Kashyyyk, who declared war on the Separatists as a result.
Unable to do anything else, the Separatists were forced to commit their forces into conquering
Kashyyyk.
Not wishing to invade a planet they knew very little about, the Separatists aligned themselves
with the nearby Trandoshans, who better understood the landscapes and vital landing positions
on Kashyyyk.
They were likely the source of information that helped the Separatists realize the importance
and location of the oil refineries on Kashyyyk, which if destroyed would have crippled much
of the Wookiees’ ability to defend their cities and thus force them to retreat.
In exchange for their help, the Trandoshans were allowed to hunt and enslave as many Wookiees
to their hearts content.
Back on Coruscant, amidst a heated debate within the Jedi Council, one brave Jedi did
what no one else would, he asked What about the droid attack on the wookiees?
And thus brought attention to this horrendous invasion.
Understanding what the Separatists were up to, Yoda along with a few other Jedi were
sent to go protect the Wookiees against their droid invaders.
Although the Republic clones and their Wookiee allies were heavily outnumbered, the massive
boost in moral and fighting prowess from Yoda’s battle meditation helped them fend off against
the overwhelming droid forces.
While this battle seemed like it was going to go on for weeks, if not months, in reality
it only lasted for a few days at most, as Order 66 was issued by Palpatine which resulted
in the Clones to turn on their Jedi Generals.
Shortly after that, the invading droid forces were shut down following Vader’s takeover
of the Separatist High command station on Mustafar.
The few Jedi that survived were aided by some of the Wookiees, helping them escape or seek
refuge among themselves.
Those that helped the Jedi were hunted by the Clones and executed for their treason.
Other Wookiees that did no such thing were for the most part left alone, but they too
would eventually find themselves at odds with their occupiers as the newly formed Empire
refused to leave the planet despite their victory.
Eventually some Wookiee tribes would rebel against the occupying Imperial Forces, only
to find themselves getting destroyed and turned into slaves for their actions against their
new Galactic rulers.