The final year of the Clone Wars would be decisive for Palpatine, as the final stage of his plan to create the Empire came to be executed. He ensured that key battles were won for the Republic, and the Separatist forces were driven back from the Core and Inner Rim worlds. The CIS forces were pushed back and were forced to truly go on the defensive.

The Separatists established strongholds and consolidated their forces in the Outer Rim, hoping that a strong defensive wall would buy them time to regroup. The war had entered its final stage: The Outer Rim Sieges. In an effort to penetrate CIS lines and drive them from their strongholds one by one, nearly the entire Republic military headed rimward. Little did they know it was all a ploy to expose Coruscant to an upcoming attack.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan had been placed on the Jedi Council and made a Master, while Anakin was elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight. Their relationship had evolved from master and student to friends and brothers, though Anakin still saw Obi-Wan as a father figure. Anakin's increasing importance was not lost on him, and his ego continued to grow. But more importantly, it was Obi-Wan's new council position that would be the source of the rift that would envelop Anakin during the events of ROTS. The young Jedi would find himself pulled between his two fathers, and Obi-Wan would be put into an awkward position by the Council that would border on betraying his friend.

A crisis at the shipbuilding world of Rendili served Palpatine's aims as well when the world's home defense fleet expressed a lack of Republic loyalty and were at risk to join the Separatist fold. The fleet was eventually captured thanks to the quick work of some Jedi including Anakin, but the event served to bolster Palpatine's power when he used the incident to order all planetary and system defense fleets to fall under the direct command of the Republic.

This order was key in securing Palpatine's Empire, because having private fleets that might be disloyal running around was certainly not good for him. If Rebellion cropped up too soon after the founding of the Empire, the risks would be great. Luckily for Palpatine, the fleets were now under his control.

On Cato Neimoidia, an assault by Anakin and Obi-Wan led to a chance discovery: the walking throne that enabled Viceroy Nute Gunray to communicate directly with Darth Sidious. The throne had the potential to lead to the locations of the Sith Lord himself.

Sensing the time was drawing near to end the war, Palpatine ordered General Grievous to gather all of the Separatist leaders and transport them to a secure location, where they could be cleanly dispatched at the right time. Using the walking throne, Anakin and Obi-Wan learned that Grievous was headed to Belderone, and thus they intercepted him there. Though Grievous escaped, the hunt for Darth Sidious continued.

Tracing the origins of the chair's creation, Darth Sidious' secret lair on Coruscant was discovered. Palpatine knew it was only a matter of time before his secret was discovered. If his dual-identity was revealed too early, all his planning would collapse and he might very well end up defeated and on the run.

Palpatine further consolidated Republic forces away from the Core Worlds, announcing Saleucami, Mygeeto, and Felucia as a "triad of evil". Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Anyway, the forces directly responsible for Coruscant's defense were stretched thin, exposing the planet to a direct assault.

However, no one in Republic command saw this as a weakness: the hyperspace lanes to Coruscant were well-guarded at many points, and as such it would take some time and some conflict for any aggressor to reach the Republic's heart. That problem was solved through Palpatine's access to secure, secret hyperlanes through the Deep Core that few knew of or had access to. Grievous' fleet would utilize these hyperlanes to launch the ultimate surprise attack.

Just prior to the attack, the Jedi had further tracked the trail of Darth Sidious to 500 Republica, one of Coruscant's most exclusive residences and home to the Supreme Chancellor himself. It was now believed that Sidious might be within the inner circle of Palpatine, but that information would never come to light.

The assault on Coruscant had commenced. Grievous' armada clashed with the Republic forces in an epic orbital battle. But taking Coruscant or destroying it was not the objective. The entire assault was merely a political device for Palpatine.

General Grievous penetrated onto the surface of the city-world, and along with his MagnaGuards battled through several Jedi in order to capture Palpatine himself! In reality, the capture was staged, because Palpatine wanted it to serve as a test for his inevitable rescuer: Anakin Skywalker.

The entire assault on Coruscant was just for that purpose: Palpatine wanted to replace Dooku with Anakin, and as a fringe benefit hopefully get Obi-Wan killed as well, to remove his influence on young Skywalker. That is a testament to Palpatine's dark will and almighty power. The Dark Lord arranged an entire battle just to set up a test to cultivate his future apprentice. Yet that shouldn't be surprising considering the fact he set up an entire war just to take the reigns of the galaxy and settle scores with the Jedi.

Having conveniently arranged to have Anakin and Obi-Wan far from the capital world, the two Jedi were now called into action to save the Chancellor from peril. The stage was set for the culmination of Palpatine's plan.

The birth of the Empire was but days away.



NEXT TIME: Part XII: Revenge Of The Sith

Palpatine's final victory is at hand.....