Sheev Palpatine was a corrupt senator from Naboo who, through guile, treachery, insight gained through the dark side and military might, wrestled control of the Republic from the Galactic Senate and reformed it into the First Galactic Empire. While still a senator, Palpatine founded the Confederacy of Independent Systems and utilized an army of clones to begin his takeover. This led to a galactic civil war known as the Clone Wars that went on for almost four years. During this time, Anakin Lars took the surname Skywalker and enlisted in the Republic Navy to aid in the defense of the Republic. He was a skilled pilot who caught the eye of Ben Kenobi, a Jedi knight in service to Senator Bail Organa, who began training him in the ways of the force. While stationed on Alderaan, Anakin had an affair with a young woman named Padme (a handmaiden of Bail’s wife Breha), who unbeknownst to him, became pregnant with twins. Only a few days after meeting Padme, Anakin left Alderaan and returned to the front, where the horrors of war caused him to fall to the dark side, betray Obi-Wan, and join Palpatine. Padme, who had no idea what had happened to Anakin, soon became a casualty of the Clone Wars, and her children were orphaned. Anakin became Darth Vader (which is a name not a title) and began helping Palpatine hunt down the remaining Jedi. Palpatine was a powerful dark side adept who had no formal Jedi training at all and was unknown to the Jedi Order. Anakin, on the other hand, interpreted the dark side through his knowledge of the Jedi’s ancient religion, and retained many of the techniques of the Jedi, including the use of the lightsaber. Together, Darth Vader and Palpatine were unstoppable. Palpatine had also developed a force technique that allowed him to strengthen his allies and weaken his enemies, which gave him a decisive edge in the war. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan, sensing that the war was almost over and that the Republic was about to fall, returned to Alderaan (while Yoda fled to Dagobah) and made plans with senator Bail Organa to hide Anakin’s children from Palpatine. Luke and Leia, who were less than a year old at that time, were separated. Obi-Wan took Luke to Tatooine where he was raised by his uncle Owen Lars. Leia remained on Alderaan and was adopted by Bail Organa and his wife. Darth Vader continued his crusade against the Jedi, and his numerous lightsaber wounds eventually left him more machine than man. The Events of the OT occur. Following the death of Palpatine, the Empire is driven out of Coruscant. The Imperial Remnant, led by a council of Moffs, gathers in the Outer Rim and begins the process of rebuilding their fleet. The New Republic is founded, led by Mon Mothma, who is advised by Leia Organa. Leia marries Han Solo and they have a family. Luke establishes the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV and begins training a new order of Jedi. Though the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant have a formal peace treaty, both sides skirmish against one another, often using the Border Worlds, such as Tatooine, as battlegrounds.

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