It was back near the beginning of the galactic civil war. The Republic believed that the rebellion would be quickly squashed once their full might was brought to bear. The CIS believed that their superior droid armies, superior numbers, and the formation of the neutral Ranja Root Order splitting many Jedi away from the Republic would lead to their own swift victory. Neither of them imagined that such fantasies would be drawn out into a grinding, cruel, ten years of bloodshed and war spanning the galaxy.

  Yet near the beginning of the war, was one event so bloody, so shocking, so unexplained, that it caused even the overconfident predictions of both sides to gain a small sample of the horrors they would soon experience over the next decade of conflict.

  Throughout the galaxy during the event, those strong in the Force clutched their heads in pain and groaned as billions of lives suddenly disappeared from the galaxy all at once. There was rampant fear throughout the galaxy as the dust cloud where the inhabited solar system had been before. The very same solar system where Skywalker had lived along with his family. Not that anyone but the highest members in the Republic or CIS were aware of that fact.

  Yet it was obvious to the whole galaxy after some basic investigation that the star system was indeed completely destroyed. Utterly and completely along with everyone who had lived there.

  The CIS accused the Republic for unleashing an empowered version of one of their new Kyber crystal cannons on their planet. A scaled up superweapon used as a tool of fear and to show their ruthlessness to the rebels.

  The Republic flailed and weakly accused the CIS of performing a similar weapons test on their own planet in an involved plot to blame the Republic. Not even the Republic officials who read their lines seemed to believe that. But they had to say something in the face of the backlash throughout the galaxy, even among their own citizens. Among their own citizens most of all, everyone wondering if their own government was indeed capable of such a thing. Morally and militarily.

  Even in the midst of the war, the two sides furiously fought a war of public opinion and firmly tried to pin the blame of the incident on the other, while fearing what the other might do if they truly had access to such a terrible and great weapon. Waiting for the proper moment to use it again on a more populated target.

  And with their great Chancellor Palpatine mysteriously missing ever since the incident, the Republic weren’t quite sure themselves if they were responsible for the destruction. Even in the midst of war they started turning inwards and accusing each other and hunting down anyone who could be responsible for what happened.

  And while only the most bloodthirsty would admit it openly, acquire the weapon themselves and discover if it could be used again.

  Yet, as a full year of war and confusion passed, there were no answers to be found. The destroyed system had been scanned top to bottom by survey ships from both the Separatists and the Republic. And there was nothing but a spreading cloud of nearly uniform dust with no clues left of the origin of the great weapon or who was behind it.

  Mas Amedda became chancellor as it became apparent to the galaxy that Palpatine would not be reappearing anytime soon. Mas Amedda did his best to lead, but while competent he was not the inspired or masterful leader that Palpatine had been. His grips on the reigns of power weaker, his every move just that bit less masterful than Lord Sidious’ careful manipulations. His pawns just that more resistant to his authority.

  With internal strife and Mas Amedda’s weak grip over his government, the slow and grinding war slowly shifted against the Republic.

  Mas Amedda attempted to mine the sacred planet of Illium for Kyber crystals as the war dragged on. The Old Jedi Order threatened to withdraw from the war efforts in response and increased the tensions between the Jedi and the Republic military.

  Mas Amedda eventually caved from the pressure and agreed to leave Illium be in exchange for the Jedi to relent and keep fighting in the war.

  The Jedi won many battles, accomplished missions and achieved objectives that should have been impossible for them even with their mighty powers.

  But the droid armies were strong and their tactical droids were able to counter and ambush the Jedi like no other army of droids before them. Even with the most perfect strategies, the droids were not able to kill Jedi often. But kill them they did at a steady pace, each Jedi representing a significant loss to the Republic war effort.

  And through a slow, grinding war, the Republic slowly fell back as the CIS pushed ever inwards deeper into the core. Only the Kyber crystal weapons and the swelling ranks of the clone armies kept the Republic slow retreat from becoming a full route.

  In the war’s ninth year, there were no more deposits of kyber crystals to be found in the Republic. Without their most devastating weapon, the Republic would be lost. Slowly perhaps, but the slow grind of the Separatists forward became a steady advance, then a rolling tide unstoppable as it quickly began to sweep through the mid rim, then the core worlds.

  The Republic was lost, it became apparent to all on the tenth year of the war.

  With Separatist fleets sieging Coruscant itself, Mas Amedda insisted on continuing the war. Despite his own fall into hedonism and vice, he would not allow any speak of surrender and fired any of his staff who even so much as hinted at the idea. And when it became apparent that the Republic was defeated… He decided to take it down with him. To ensure that if he couldn’t rule the Republic that no one would.

  “Execute Order Seventy three,”

  That cold voice of Mas Amedda sounded out throughout all of the military channels simultaneously.

  All of the clones stiffened as their biological control chips activated and compelled them to follow their orders.

  The Clones turned on their fellows and seized control of as much of the military infrastructure as they could manage. With the support of their non-cloned fellows, the ship with Jedi on board managed to resist the sudden betrayal for the most part.

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  But many other ships were quickly seized by the newly formed clone army. And in one smooth motion the military ships of the Clone army fired on their former allies and systematically worked to betray the Republic and destroy any ship or military outpost that they could find.

  Mas Amedda was caught and executed by Mace Windu in the chaos as he attempted to flee Coruscant in the aftermath of the event.

  In the end, the droid ships descended down onto Coruscant and seized the formerly strong beating heart of the Republic. Now a place wracked with unrest and the scars of the betrayal of the clones stationed on their planet. The clones hadn’t cared about any innocent casualties in their way as they fought the regular soldiers on Coruscant’s streets in a brutal and harrowing battle for survival.

  The weakened and barely functional government of the once proud Republic signed its unconditional surrender to the Confederate of Independent systems to end the over decade of war, and in the aftermath even requested the CIS help in fighting off the rampant fleets and squads of clones dedicated to causing as much as death and destruction in the Republic as possible, Mas Amedda having erased their command codes and covertly assassinated the Kamino scientists aware of how to control the biological chips and how to override the orders years prior to the end of the war. Meaning that with Mas Amedda’s death, so went any chance to undo Order Seventy three and return the Clones to the Republic’s control.

  After extracting heavy reparations for the damages from the war and long negotiations from the weak and barely functional government of the once proud Republic, the Separatist fleets retreated back to their own territory in the outer and mid rim. The Confederate of Independent Systems and the Republic now could coexist in the same galaxy without any more bloodshed. The Raxus Senate of the CIS had no interest in ruling the very same core worlds that exploited them for centuries. Once the painful reparations had been forcefully extracted from the Republic and the Core worlds that it represented, then the CIS was satisfied and retreated to their own business to rule themselves as they had sought to ever since the beginning of the war.

  But in the aftermath of the war, the Core worlds and the Republic still needed the resources and commerce from the outer rim. And the the CIS and the outer rim still needed the specialty products and wealth of the core worlds to support their own economy.

  So despite the long war and bitter feelings on both sides, the now two great nations slowly settled themselves into the new balance and trade between them, only now on more equal footing than they had been before.

  Even greatly diminished and a shell of its former self, the Republic was still just that. A great nation of the galaxy, only now matched by a similarly great nation of the Confederation of Independent Systems.

  The Clones kept assaulting both factions with their full strength even after the peace treaty was struck. The Republic was in fear of raids, their lackluster and weak military fleets barely able to hold the Clones coordinated assaults and brutal raids on their population centers and military bases.

  It took nearly another full year before the CIS droid fleets scouring Republic space managed to defeat the last of the Clones. But all the clones were defeated in the end.

  And despite the new state of the galaxy with two great nations. The greatly diminished but quickly recovering Republic and the new CIS filled with national pride and smugness from their victory in the great war. Despite all of it…

  Obi-wan sighed as he stared out of his window to the newly built city below around the Ranja Root Jedi Order’s temple.

  So much had happened over these last twenty five years. Ahsoka had long since become a central figure in their new Order. A fine woman, a fine Jedi master, and somebody that he thought was everything that he’d hoped that she could become when he was first training her decades ago.

  Just like how he hoped Anakin would have become. Might have become.

  “A troubled mind, Obi-wan?”

  He glanced over and saw his fellow Jedi master standing there. Alicia. She had been with him since the beginning.

  He looked back over the view of the city.

  “Just reflecting on the past,” he said heavily, “And on the horrors of war. It’s been twenty five years since Anakin was killed alongside with all of those people on his world. He never got to see our new temple. I wonder if he would have become a great Jedi if he’d been trained here rather than at the old Jedi order.”

  “There’s no use thinking about what can’t be changed,” Alicia said softly and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, “You did right by Ahsoka. From what you’ve told me of him, Anakin would be glad to know that you and her managed to do so well. And he got a good life. After he left the Jedi temple. I’m sure that he didn’t feel any pain in the end.”

  Obi-wan didn’t react to her touch as he kept staring over the city.

  “Yes. I suppose he would say so,” he said, “I’m glad that he was able to feel that, even if it had to be when he wasn’t a Jedi anymore. And Ahsoka can still continue the good work out in the galaxy, even if I'm still cooped up here with the gangs being so focused on me still after all of this time.”

  Alicia didn’t respond and they stood like that with her hand on his shoulder as they stared off into the growing city.

  “Forgive me,” Obi-wan said as he came to his senses, “Perhaps you’re right. Anakin did get a good life, all things considered. Better than most that I know of. But it was just a shame that it was cut short so soon. Forgive an old man his contemplation.”

  “Indeed,” she said with a slight nod of her head, “And you’re not even sixty five yet. How am I take that little comment when I’m nearly a decade older than you, hm?”

  “Enough of the past,” Obi wan said after letting out a surprised cough, “What have you been doing recently? I don’t think we’ve talked longer than a few moments over the last few days. Ahsoka is continuing the good work out in the galaxy, even if I'm still cooped up here with the gangs still being so focused on me even after all this time. I have been feeling rather mired in paperwork of all things for these last few years assisting the next generation in running the new elected Council. It seems that even with just us Ranja Root Jedi voting, everything always becomes more complicated than it has to be. Bah, but I'm complaining again. Come, tell me. What of you?"

  “I have been assisting our librarian in organizing the ancient Jedi arts in our systems. Perhaps I could show you our work so far? She was putting the mixed forms purely under defense, which has been confusing the newest students in our classes. I'm sure you can take a break to help an old friend to discuss the lightsaber forms. The new council would do well to learn not to lean on you so much.”

  Agreeing to her offer immediately, Obi-wan nodded and followed after her as she led him through the temple and told him more about her latest project.

  Yes, Anakin would have enjoyed what this place had become, was becoming.

  Everyone paused as they were suddenly assaulted in simmering waves of Force that rippled across the galaxy. Something was wrong. Only this time… It was stronger. So much stronger than before, so much so that it screamed in his senses so loud that he could barely hear himself think over them.

  Obi-wan felt his heart leap to his throat. It wasn’t exactly what had happened twenty five years ago… But it was close. Could the same thing be happening again? Another world destroyed? Was this connected to the recent reports of the invasion of Coruscant from the unknown forces?

  He exchanged a serious look with Alicia.

  “I will handle the embassies,” Obi-wan stated, “You keep calm in the temple and assure the padawans and students. We can’t be sure if it’s the same thing just yet. We must remind people of that. We must not panic in the face of this crisis.”

  “Of course. Good luck, Obi-wan.”

  “Good luck, Alicia.”