destroyerdroidsinthehallsoftheGalacticSenateitself.
Agasp ofrelief: thetroopersseem tobeat backthe attack. There
arehugsandevensomequietcheersinlivingroomsacrossthegalaxy
astheSeparatistforcesretreattotheirlandersandstreakfororbit—
Wewon!beingstelleachother.Weheldthemoff!
But then new reports trickle in—only rumors at first—that the
attackwasn’taninvasionatall.ThattheSeparatistsweren’ttryingto
taketheplanet.ThatthiswasalightningraidontheSenateitself.
Thenightmaregetsworse:theSupremeChancellorismissing.
Palpatine of Naboo, the most admired man in the galaxy, whose
unmatched political skills have held the Republic together. Whose
personalintegrityand courageprovethatthe Separatistpropaganda
of corruption in the Senate is nothing but lies. Whose charismatic
leadershipgivesthewholeRepublicthewilltofighton.
Palpatineismorethanrespected.Heisloved.
Eventherumorofhisdisappearancestrikesadaggertotheheartof
everyfriendoftheRepublic.Everyoneofthemknowsitinherheart,
inhisgut,initsverybones—
WithoutPalpatine,theRepublicwillfall.
Andnowconfirmationcomesthrough,andthenewsisworsethan
anyonecouldhaveimagined.SupremeChancellorPalpatinehasbeen
capturedbytheSeparatists—andnotjusttheSeparatists.
He’sinthehandsofGeneralGrievous.
GrievousisnotlikeotherleadersoftheSeparatists.NuteGunrayis
treacherous and venal, but he’s Neimoidian: venality and treachery
are expected, and in the Chancellor of the Trade Federation they’re
evenvirtues.PoggletheLesserisArchdukeoftheweaponmastersof
Geonosis,wherethewarbegan:heisanalyticalandpitiless,butalso
pragmatic. Reasonable. The political heart of the Separatist
Confederacy,CountDooku,isknownforhisintegrity,hisprincipled
standagainstwhatheseesascorruptionintheSenate.Thoughthey
believehe’swrong,manyrespecthimforthecourageofhismistaken
convictions.
Thesearehardbeings.Dangerousbeings.Ruthlessandaggressive.
GeneralGrievous,though—
Grievousisamonster.
TheSeparatistSupremeCommanderisanabominationofnature,a
fusionoffleshanddroid—andhisdroidpartshavemorecompassion
than what remains of his alien flesh. This half-living creature is a
slaughterer of billions. Whole planets have burned at his command.