The galaxy burned.One world at a time, the fires of war spread like a chain reaction across the stars each system consumed by fear, politics, and greed. The Clone Wars had begun.
The Senate floor was chaos. Representatives shouted, argued, and accused each other while Chancellor Palpatine stood at the central podium, his expression calm and unreadable. To the public, he was a man burdened by the weight of leadership a savior doing what he must to protect the Republic. But behind his composed mask, the Dark Lord smiled.
Every crisis, every panic vote, every emergency measure served his plan.The Banking Clan had been brought to heel, signing private agreements granting Palpatine unlimited wartime credit. The Trade Federation, fearful of losing more territory to Separatist raids, eagerly joined his supply contracts, ensuring that their factories worked day and night for Republic profit and for his personal gain.
Meanwhile, Count Dooku, now the face of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, declared open rebellion. But even he did not know the full extent of his master's design.
In the dark corridors of a hidden facility on the outer rim, a shadow walked. General Grievous no longer the screaming, erratic warrior of the future but something colder, controlled. His movements were sharp, precise, his mechanical frame smooth and efficient. His mind was not lost to rage, but sharpened by discipline.
Before his transformation, he had been a Kaleesh warrior of unmatched skill, but under Dooku's training and Sith magicks whispered through the dark side, he became something greater a hybrid of fury and intellect. His voice was metallic yet calm."War is logic, Count. To win is to know your enemy's heartbeat."
Dooku smirked, his cape flowing behind him as he observed his new creation. "And what do you hear in the heartbeat of the Republic, General?"
Grievous turned, four mechanical arms unfolding from beneath his cloak. "Fear. They fight to preserve order they already lost."
"Then strike that fear into them," Dooku ordered. "Begin with the Corellian sector. Burn their shipyards, scatter their fleets. The Jedi will come test your new skills upon them."
Grievous inclined his head. "As you wish, my lord."
And with that, the war truly began.
The War Unfolds
Across the galaxy, Republic fleets engaged Separatist armadas in every sector. Clones battled endless waves of droids, while Jedi generals led from the front brilliant, fearless, but stretched thin. The first major battle came at Christophsis, where Republic forces barely held the line against Grievous' tactical genius.
Unlike the unpredictable beast the galaxy would one day know, this Grievous was meticulous. He analyzed, adapted, and struck with precision. Entire battalions vanished in coordinated traps, his fleets using layered hyperspace jumps to encircle unsuspecting Jedi task forces.
Reports reached Coruscant of dozens of Jedi slain not in blind slaughter, but in deliberate duels. Grievous learned from each, his style evolving beyond even Dooku's expectations.
Yoda, meditating in the council chambers, felt the tremor in the Force. "Darkness… spreading, cunning this one is. Not the brute we foresaw."
Mace Windu frowned. "He's studying us. Someone trained him someone who knows the ways of the Sith."
"Count Dooku," Obi-Wan said grimly. "He's behind all of this."
Palpatine watched them from behind a veil of false concern. "Then you must act quickly, Masters. The Senate will support whatever you need to end this war."
Inside, he smiled. The more they fought, the tighter his grasp became.
Far away, amid the chaos, another man moved in the shadows Jango Fett.
He had survived Geonosis. The world believed him dead,. But as the purple blade came down, Jango's jetpack erupted, throwing him clear into the dust and sm
When the dust settled and the Republic ships left, Jango dragged himself to the prowler damaged but functional. With every flicker of life support, he flew through the stars, vanishing from sensors, from history.
Back on Kamino, the cloners quietly continued their work, unaware that their prime template had gone into hiding. Jango returned home not to rest, but to rebuild. Mandalore awaited.
Shepard had already prepared for his brother's return. The war had confirmed his predictions that the Republic would devour itself in conflict. Mandalore would not be drawn in, but neither would it stand idle.
The Halo Array five colossal orbital installations surrounding the Mandalorian system were now complete. Each was capable of devastating planetary-scale targets, though Shepard hoped they'd never need to be used.
When Jango limped into the council chamber, scarred but alive, the Mandalorians rose to greet him. Shepard approached with a grin that mixed relief and quiet pride."You never die easy, do you?"
"Wouldn't be a Fett if I did," Jango replied, smirking beneath his helmet.
Shepard's eyes turned serious. "You did well, brother. But the war out there it's spreading faster than anyone thought. Palpatine's making his move, and the Republic will fall under his rule soon."
Jango nodded. "Then we stay clear. Mandalore fights for no one but itself."
"Agreed," Shepard said. "But we prepare for the day when both sides come knocking."
Back on Coruscant, Palpatine's web tightened.
He had become the Republic's iron spine, the one constant in the storm. Every senator owed him favors , every corporation relied on his decrees. He visited the Banking Clan representatives personally, his voice smooth, reassuring. "Gentlemen, the Republic is the galaxy's greatest investment. Continue to fund our efforts, and I'll ensure your profits remain unchallenged even after victory."
They agreed, signing deals that gave him near-total control over galactic finance.
Behind the closed doors of his office, Darth Sidious shed his mask and activated the holoprojector. Dooku appeared in the flickering red light, kneeling. "The first waves have succeeded, my master. Grievous is performing beyond expectation."
"Good," Sidious purred. "Let the war escalate. The longer it lasts, the more desperate they become. Desperation breeds obedience… and I will give them the peace they beg for."
"What of the Jedi?" Dooku asked.
"They will fight until they burn out," Sidious said coldly. "And then… the galaxy will be ours."