Project Instinction was a Confederate plan created by the Passel Argente, Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance at the time, and his modified tactical droid, Doctor. The purpose of this plan was an attack on the loyalist agriworld of Ukio in order to disrupt the Ukians' important harvests.
The plan had a number of stages, the first being the harvesting of soil from the planet Moorja's badlands and loading it aboard a large number of modified seismic tanks. These tanks were then loaded aboard a Lucrehulk-class Core Ship, which later disgorged them above the planetary shields of Ukio. The tanks then dropped the soil upon the shields, and effectively blocked out the system's sun. Knowing the Ukians would be forced to drop the shields, the Separatists were prepared to use the opportunity to land on the planet's surface. Once a hole in the shields opened up, a small group of Sheathipede-class transport shuttles descended.
On the planet, one of the shuttles opened to reveal Doctor and several B1-Series battle droids, who brought out a strange device. They jammed all communications, then activated the device, which immediately began to affect most creatures and sentients within range. It caused the domesticated eopies to thrash wildly, the wild gigauns to stampede off the migration route, and the Ukians and Clone troopers alike to attack anyone nearby. Jedi Padawan Tyzen Xebec and AgriCorps member Sanya, both Force sensitives, were, with the exception of the former attacking Ganch, less effected by the operation. All three of the devices, however, were destroyed.
Even though the devices were destroyed, the true plan of Passel Argente and Count Dooku worked. Because of the crisis on the planet, Ukio's stock markets were gripped in turmoil, with stock prices plummeting. The wealth of the Commerce Guild allowed them to buy a controlling share of the planet's stocks, thereby effectively owning the planet and all of its important crops.