During the last decades of the Galactic Republic, the galaxy was in
turmoil. Petty conflicts between member worlds and wide-spread
corruption in the Senate and the government's bureaucracy led to events
that would change the course of the galaxy forever.
Taking advantage of the economic instability in the rim regions of
the galaxy, the Sith approached the disgruntled Trade Federation, urging
them to demonstrate against the Galactic Republic's trade restrictions
with a show of brute force. The Sith, using subtle force persuasion on
the weak minded Neimodian Viceroy, convinced them that an assault on the
planet of Averam in the Seswenna sector would send the right message
back to Republic politicians on Coruscant.
As news of the Trade Federation's aggression reached the capital
planet of the Galactic Republic, the Senate was thrown in to disarray.
Multiple senators called for the resignation of the reigning Supreme
Chancellor who had signed and enforced the trade restrictions. Drayson,
the young and charming senator of Averam, personally led the call for
new elections.
As elections proceeded, the ongoing situation on Averam caused many
of the senators to sympathise with Drayson and vote in his favour,
beating such popular candidates as Zee Wolf of Alderaan and Mon Akira of
Mon Calamari. He emerged as a clear victor, vowing to ensure the
stability of the Galactic Republic and promises of a democracy free of
corruption.
Drayson was, in truth, a talented politician who had become a puppet
for the Dark Side from early on in his political career. Two of his most
trusted advisors were Vodo Bonias, a former Republic military attach� to
Averam, and Suntzu, a senator representing "the Ten" and Kuat in
interstellar matters. The two had carefully shaped him over the years to
make him do their bidding. While headstrong, he was not immune to the
subtle influences of the Dark Side.
Using the military might of Kuat and Rendili, Averam was liberated
quickly and the Trade Federation went in to retreat, though little was
done to prosecute its leadership. As years went by, Drayson carefully
extended and strengthened the influence and power of his office with the
backing of the very same corrupt types he had originally vowed to
vanquish.
Drayson's term as Supreme Chancellor brought much prosperity to the
core worlds of the galaxy and his popularity among the elite of the
galaxy ensured that any questioning of his policies regarding the
situation in the outer rim and the handling of the Trade Federation
after the occupation was considered taboo. He appointed his most trusted
advisors to key positions, ensuring his absolute control of the Galactic
Republic's top workings.
It soon became clear that the Trade Federation, once again influenced
by the Sith, had sought the assistance of many economical powers such as
the Commerce Guild, Corporate Alliance and Black Sun in an effort to
create a new government superpower independent of the Galactic Republic.
The Confederacy of Independent systems was formed in the Glythe sector,
in close proximity to the galactic core.
Jedi Master Bodo Baas was dispatched to the outer rim to investigate
rumours of industrial activity and traffic to systems which were not on
the galactic charts. He stumbled upon Kamino, a aquatic world which
population excelled at the art of cloning. The Kaminoans informed Baas
that the Jedi Council, acting on behalf of the Senate, had ordered a
clone army to be created for the Galactic Republic some ten years
earlier. Upon conferring with the Jedi Council on Coruscant, Baas found
nothing that would indicate that the Senate had ordered such an army,
nor that anyone on the council had relayed such an order.
The Confederacy of Independent Systems began an all-out war with the
Galactic Republic, starting with attacks in the Sumitra and Centrality
sectors. The chaos that ensued, and the appearance of the mysterious but
convenient clone army, led to the creation of a centralised and uniform
Republic military, followed by the Senate granting emergency powers to
the Supreme Chancellor.
While curious about the clone army's origin, the Jedi had little time
to investigate as the responsibility of leading the war was thrust upon
them. The clone wars began to spread to all corners of the galaxy, with
more and more starsystems joining the conflict daily. During this time,
the Republic's military annexed many of the fleets and armies belonging
to its member worlds, in order to more effectively fight the new enemy.
Suntzu was appointed as commander of the Republic's outer rim defence
forces while Vodo Bonias remained on Coruscant, acting as Supreme
Chancellor Drayson's chief military advisor. Meanwhile the war saw the
rise of many prominent figures in the ranks of the Republic military.
Piett, Lodge and Simms were just a few of the officers who served with
remarkable distinction and were hailed as heroes of the Republic while
being eased in to Drayon's inner circle.
The war had terrible consequences and the ranks of the Jedi Order
were slowly but steadily thinned down. The Grand Master of the Jedi
Order, Relm, urged Drayson to give diplomacy another try, but the
Supreme Chancellor remained defiant as he was unwilling to bow down to
the Confederacy's aggression.
After three years of horrid conflict, the Confederacy, in a seemingly
rash move, attacked the Republic's capital world Coruscant with a fleet
under the direct command of several of its most prominent leaders. As
the battle ensued, several Jedi were able to board the flagship of the
Confederacy and capture many of its leadership figures.
While the war raged on in the galaxy, the Confederacy leaders were
put on trial on Coruscant. While they had been in the Viceroy's inner
circle, they had little knowledge of who the true leader of the
Confederacy was, other than that he was a prominent force user. This led
to speculation, by Drayson controlled media, that the Jedi Order was
behind the entire conflict in order to bring an organised military under
their direct control.
The captured Confederate leadership was conveniently murdered in
their cells by a lightsaber shortly after, further feeding the rumours
about the Jedi's involvement in the causes of the conflict. Several Jedi
Knights were pointed out as the ones who had ordered the clone army and
also influenced the Trade Federation's Viceroy. As the Jedi trio met
with Drayson to discuss the accusations, they were attacked by the Sith
in the Supreme Chancellor's office.
The final stage of the Sith's plan was now in motion. Drayson,
sporting several lightsaber cuts on his cheek and arms as well as some
deformation on his right arm from force lightning, addressed the Senate,
informing them of the Jedi betrayal. Throughout the galaxy, the Republic
military began to murder their Jedi generals, though many were able to
elude the clone troops. Drayson announced the formation of the first Galactic Empire to thunderous applause from the
senators. Meanwhile such senators as Zee Wolf, Mon Akira and Syrous
looked on with concern before aiding the escape of Masters Relm and Bodo
Baas from Coruscant. As their goal had been achieved, Vodo Bonias met
with the Confederacy's leadership on Vinsoth. Once the Confederate
military had deactivated, the Sith Lord wiped out its leadership,
effectively ending the conflict.
The transition from Republic to Empire went smoothly as much power
already rested with its leader, Drayson. He sought to eradicate all Jedi
throughout the galaxy and also established a mighty military. Though
there was a growing fear among those who still believed in such ideals
and democracy that the Senate would eventually be dissolved. This gave
rise to the creation of the Rebel Alliance, led in secret by senator Zee
Wolf and Mon Akria and the remaining Jedi which were in hiding.
Eventually the Sith were confident that they had been hidden long
enough and decided to dispose of Drayson who had been an effective
puppet, but now rather useless. While Drayson escaped the attempt on his
life, Vodo Bonias, with the help of the head of the Imperial Army,
Balsaraph, named Suntzu to Emperor of the Galactic Empire following a brief skirmish between
ships loyal to the two authority figures.
As the Senate was dissolved by the new despot supported by the Sith,
many former senators fled the core worlds, fearing persecution at the
hands of the tyrannical government. The establishment of new regional
Moffs had made the Senate obsolete. Many of the former senators flocked
together in the outer rim, making their formerly underground resistance
a full scale rebellion with an organised military.
The reign of Emperor Suntzu lasted for less than two months and was a
design created by the Dark Lord Vodo Bonias to strengthen his own coming
ascension to the throne and to allow the Sith to set up a shadow
organization within the ranks of the Galactic Empire, including Officers like Spytek and
Simms.
Little more then one month after that Suntzu was named Emperor Vodo
Bonias removed Suntzu from the throne of the Galactic Empire and claimed it for himself.
Balsaraph, who willingly had helped Bonias to overthrow Drayson and
place Suntzu on the throne felt betrayed and embarked for the rims.
Several months later Balsaraphr met up with the former emperor Drayson.
The two exiles merged their forces and formed the Order of Darkness
(OOD) as a tool to take back the throne. But the imperial war machine
supported by the sith easily destroyed their opponents making it an
futile attempt. The following years remained somewhat calm as the
Imperial Military strengthened their hold of the core systems and
expanded outwards, incorporating more and more system into the Empire.
But in the outer rims rumors could be heard about the organization known
as the Rebel Alliance and no one could say what the future would hold
for the galaxy. Order and stability, peace and democracy, only one thing
was certain war was once again coming to the galaxy.
