Edited as of August 18, 2006
The Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era
Episode IV: The Clone Wars
Chapter 6: Year 2-The Coming Storm Grows
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 – Shaak Ti, Shon Kon Ray, and Agen Kolar – and a strong compliment of clone troopers and support vehicles. The world was a vital link in the Perlemian Trade Route, and taking it would be a boon in 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. He was stopped however through death at the blade of Shaak Ti and the original capture of Brentaal IV turned out to be a New Republic victory.
Following this, Kenobi and Skywalker assisted in the destruction of a droid factory on Nivek before going on to retake Terra Sool. Simultaneously, Republic forces led by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Saesee Tinn 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 her droid army into a canyon and set off explosive charges that crushed the droids under the crumbled canyon walls.
The Haruun Kal Crisis began with the dispatching of Senior Jedi Councilman Mace Windu to his homeworld of Haruun Kal after a holovid recovered by the Republic had shown his former apprentice, 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 blood thirsty 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 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 soliders 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.
Sometime into the mid-year, a Separatist fleet blockaded the important agriculture mid rim world of Balamak, causing the Republic to send Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Nanda-Ree Jando to lead a strike force of star fighters, while 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 battle resulted in the jamming vessel being destroyed and the Separatist fleet being routed.
On Devaron, a Jedi task force consisting of Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, the Dark Woman (aka An'ya Kuro), Tholme, and the Neti T'ra Saa arrived to halt a smuggling operation that the Dark Woman's former apprentice, a Jedi-hunting assassin and bounty hunter Aurra Sing and Senator Vien'sai'Malloc had started. Sing was captured and imprisoned at the Oovo IV asteroid prison, though she managed 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.
A series of events after 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 – 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 on Coruscant.
In a shocking move, Count Dooku infiltrated the capital world of Coruscant with a small force of Cortosis battle droids and attempted to destroy the Jedi Archives in the Jedi Temple but was driven off by Skywalker. This battle, coupled with the blackout on Sarapin, made many of Coruscant's citizens feel unsafe and security increased even further. Hugh stretches of the cityscape were transformed into military staging areas and clone troopers were on patrol everywhere. Jedi Generals Etain Tur-Mukan and Barden Jusik led Omega Squad, and a unit of Null ARC troopers in a purge of a Separatist terrorist group along the skylanes and underworld of the ecumenopolis.
Later year campaigns included Palpatine discovering the existence of Spaarti cloning cylinders on Carto. A battle with Separatist forces ensured, 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 – 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 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 troopers could not count on air supply 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 to Rattatak. Although Skywalker led a force of Padawans in counterattack that resulted in the death of Stratus, the Republic would ultimately be forced to cede the planet to the Confederacy.
Following the 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 then Kamino, where they became a familiar sight, operating as martial police. Also founded were the War Council Advisory Panel and Homeworld Security Command.
Just days after the Battle of Jabiim, Jedi Ki Adi Mundi, Bultar Swan, A'Sharad Hett, his apprentice Bhat Jul, and Anakin Skywalker were deployed to Aargonar to repel a Separatist presence. The battle was a disaster, and Jul and many clone troopers were slaughtered. Mundi gave the order to retreat while Swan was tasked with destroying the Republic camp to keep supplies from falling into the hands of the enemy. Meanwhile, Anakin and Hett, who'd gone in a cave to hide, found a disabled gunship and used it to lure Gouka dragon into the Separatists forces, giving the Republic time to retreat. The Jedi then returned to New Holstice, a hospital world in the Mid Rim.
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 the ground forces on both sides.
Meanwhile, Kenobi and the ARC trooper Alpha, 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. Though it took nearly a month, he overcame it and managed to slowly bend the water pipes in his cell and free himself, Alpha and the other prisoners. They repelled a final confrontation with Ventress and escaped. Obi-Wan alerted Anakin 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' pursuers before being reinforced by Skywalker and Mundi.
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.
Worse was to come for the Republic when Grievous launched Operation Durge's Lance, a major Separatist offensive, which saw the Confederacy conquer the Core World of Duro. Separatist warships destroyed the defending Republic fleet and captured one of the planet's orbital cities in less then 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 her triumphant forces across the Corellian trade spine becoming victor again and again. The young General became a symbol of fear in the eyes of the Republic. A month later, in a report issues 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 the 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 Farr and Coorr resigned from the Senate, but were mysteriously murdered soon after by an unknown person. This person was in fact Darth Lady Baynetta, who lured the two of them away after their resignation at a senate meeting via her Senator personality. Once alone, she swiftly killed them, leaving them in a hallway closet for someone to find.
A public backlash against both the Senate and Rodians was provoked, with calls for giving the Supreme Chancellor full power to conduct the war and for giving humans commands 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.
The ancient shipyards at Foerost in the Deep Core had been churning out warships for a millenia. However, during the centuries preceding the Clone Wars, the Techno Union purchased the Foerost shipyard. With the advent of the Clone Wars, Foerost was blockaded by the Republic Navy in 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- a thousand 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. They saw action against the Bulwark fleet at Ixltar, Alsakan and Basilisk. At the Battle of Anaxes, Ningo was killed and his fleet defeated. The leaders of the Victory Fleet, Terrinald Screed and Jon Dodonna, would return to Coruscant as heroes.