Republic Civil War (A Lost Hope)

The Republic Civil War was a devastating conflict that took place 3 ABG (After Battle of Geonosis) to 4 ABG. Despite only lasting a year, the war lead to almost 1/3 the number of casualties as the Clone Wars which had sparked the Republic Civil War. The war was fought between the Republican Movement, a political movement headed by the Delegation of 2000 to keep the Republic, and the Imperialists, a movement to reform the Republic into a totalitarian government. The Confederacy of Independent Systems fought with the Republican forces as co-belligerents against the Imperialist. Both sides units of the fractured Republic Military.

Prelude
""I thought that his death would bring peace and democracy back to the Republic. Instead, all it did was end the Clone Wars and spark a civil war.""

- Anakin Skywalker, in response to outbreak of the war.

Upon learning that Chancellor of the Republic, Palpatine, had in fact been Darth Sidious and was controlling both sides of the Clone Wars. Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Sasee Tiin and Anakin Skywalker attempted to arrest the Chancellor. However, instead they ended up dueling the later. When the duel ended, Palpatine/Sideous had been slain out of anger by Skywalker upon the realization that he was being manipulated by the Sith Lord. After the duel, Jedi across the galaxy were alerted of what had happened, as was the Galactic Senate. During the Senate meeting the following week, Vice Chair Mas Amedda, Palpatine's former Adviser Sate Pestage and several Republic Military Officials most notably Wilhuff Tarkin, had demanded that the Republic be reformed under a Empire headed by a ruling council of high ranking military officials. These individuals, and those that followed them, formed the Imperialist Party. Only a fraction of the senate opposed this reformation, most of these senators where apart of the Delegation of 2000, and along with the Jedi Order had formed the Republican Movement in hopes to keep the Republic as it was, though more democratic.

Nearly two months after the death of Palpatine, there had been another Senate Meeting. It was at this meeting that the Imperialist would announce that the Republic would go under reform into the government of the Republic into a Galactic Empire with a government and system based on their ideologies. However, the Republican Movement rejected this and announced that no such reformation would happen. It was at this point that military officials on both sides would order attacks on the opposing factions.

Operation Black Dawn and the Battle of Coruscant
With the Republic Military split into two camps, the Imperialist launched the first attack of the war. Their first attack was an assault on the Jedi Temple, which the Imperialist hoped would cripple the Jedi Order. In an event known as Operation Black Dawn, Pro-Imperialist Clones of the 501st Legion had arrived at the Jedi Temple in large numbers ready to strike down and destroy any Jedi they encountered. However, the Pro-Republican Torrent Company, led by General Anakin Skywalker and Captain CT-7567 "Rex" had managed to push back Imperialist forces as long as they could until all the Jedi in the temple had escaped Coruscant. After the Jedi had evacuated the planet, Republican and Imperialist forces battled out on both the surface of the planet as well as the space above. As the battle rage on, all Republican Movement leaders and military officials also made the decision to evacuate from Coruscant and made a retreat to Alderann where they would established a base of operations. It took several days for the evacuation to be completed due to overwhelming Imperialist reinforcements. However, unfortunately for the Imperialist, the Republicans had several Jedi and well skilled Clones leading the battle.

Early Months
In the first two months of the war, most of the Republican forces were stuck defending major Republican worlds such as Alderaan, Corellia, Naboo, Bothawui, and Chandrilla from Imperialist attacks. Seeing as they would need time for their war factories to produce more warships and weapons of war, Republican officials sent Jedi across Imperialist controlled worlds to help assist resistance fighters and lead revolts. Many of these guerrilla campaigns ended in bloody stalemates. In an extremely dangerous and covert operation, Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker where sent to Kamino to spark a rebellion among the clones in hopes of bringing Kamino into Republican control.

Middle War Period
With the guerrilla campaigns waging on across Imperialist factories, the Republican war-factories began producing fleets brand-new Venator-Class Star Destroyers and Dreadnought-Class Heavy Cruiser as well as various other kinds of warships. With these fleets, the Republican forces launched their attacks on Imperialist controlled-worlds, thus giving the Republicans an equal footing against their enemies. While the guerrilla-style warfare began to be used less often with the arrival of reinforcements. This marked begin of the Middle War Period. This was the longest period of the Republic Civil War and the deadliest. During this part of the conflict, worlds across the Core, Colonies, Inner and Mid Rims were the place major battles. Many of these battles were brutal, leading to high casualties on both sides, including the deaths of many Jedi. Many of these worlds would often switch back forth between each sides' control, while some battles ended up in brutal stalemates. Sometimes, battles would last weeks, with some of the longest lasting months.

This period also saw both sides attempt to outdo one another using new weapons and warships. In terms of the Imperialists, this came in the form of the Imperial I (formally Imperator I)-Class Star Destroyer which had begun to slowly phase out the Venator-Class in it's fleets. These new warships gave the Imperialist the upper hand in many battles and in response, Republican forces began utilizing warships of Mon Calamari and Corellian of origin to fight back against the powerful Imperial I.

Separatist Involvement
As the war began reach closer towards the remaining worlds of the Confederacy of Independence, the Separatist Council became increasingly worried about an attempted invasion of few planets. This fear became true, the Council decided that the only way they could stand against the overwhelming forces of the Imperialists was to seek help from the Republicans. While at first there was much reluctance between the two sides, both the Republicans and CIS agreed to help each other though they did not officially form an alliance, rather they fought as Co-Belligerents. With the help of the Republic, the CIS drove out the Imperialist, ending their unofficial alliance with the Republicans and a Non-Aggression Treaty with the Imperialists.

Final Months and End

During the final months of the Republic Civil War, the stalemates across the galaxy came to an end with both sides taking over new worlds. There was much exhaustion on both sides, and there was an ever growing threat of uprising within the their forces. After a failed reattempt to take each other's capital worlds of Coruscant and Alderaan, Imperialist and Republican forces met on the isolated world of Illum. There they signed the Treaty of Illum, ending the war and establishing their own respective states.

Newly Formed States
With signing of the Treaty of Alderaan, the Republican Movement established the Second Republic. Functioning almost exactly like the First Republic, the Second Republic was created with the hopes that future conflicts could be prevented with diplomacy. Due to all the devastation and casualties caused by the Civil War, the early days of the Second Republic were ones of turmoil. It would take nearly a decade for stability to come. Unlike with the First Republic, the Jedi did not swear to protect the Second Republic until they could gain new members. Despite what happened the Second Republic allied with the Confederacy of Independent Systems with both factions agreeing to recognize their independence.

The Imperialists went to form the Galactic Empire. A Humanocentric, totalitarian state headed by a military junta known as the Imperial High Council, the Galactic Empire would hope to bring order,justice and peace to the galaxy. However to accomplish this the Empire used violence, intimidation, threats, and propaganda. It's because of this, the Empire recovered from the devastation and destruction of the war much faster than the Second Republic. After the Republic Civil War, the Galactic Empire focused much of it's resource to oppressing worlds and building up it's military for a secretly planned invasion of the Second Republic.

A third state similar to the Empire, known as the Pentastar Alignment was formed. This single-party state was formed by Ardus, who shared many of the Empire's Humanocentric, Militaristic views but wanted a semi-democratic government. His solution was to form his state, the Pentastar Alignment. It comprised mostly of former Separatist worlds such Muunilinst, Kalee, and among others. The Alignment became one of three major allies of the Empire.

Tionese Reformation
Across the Tion sector, a political movement inspired by the Imperialist took control of the Tionese Hegemony. With the aid of the Empire they invaded the Cronese Mandate and annexed Allie Tion, forming the Tionese Empire. In hopes of bringing the Tionese into a new Golden Age like they were under Xim the Despot, the Tionese Empire great underwent a massive militarization and began conquering neutral worlds outside the Tion Sector and expanded until it reach the borders of Hutt Space.