The Clone Wars: Procedure, a six-page digital comic, is part of the broader Star Wars: The Clone Wars webcomic series and can be found on StarWars.com since it was published on October 6, 2008. As a prequel, it sets the stage for the television series episode "Shadow of Malevolence" from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The story was conceived by Henry Gilroy, penned by Pablo Hidalgo, brought to life with illustrations and lettering by Grant Gould, and features cover artwork by Steven D. Anderson. The storyline of Procedure revolves around how Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, manages to acquire a number of new BTL-B Y-wing starfighters for use against the Separatists' formidable new weapon, the Malevolence Subjugator-class heavy cruiser.
Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, communicates via hologram with Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor, and Ask Aak, a Senator. He inquires about the possibility of deploying the new Y-wing starfighters against the Confederacy's latest weapon, the Malevolence Subjugator-class heavy cruiser. Senator Aak responds that the Y-wings are not yet ready for combat, requiring at least three more weeks of field-testing. The Jedi offers to personally conduct the field tests, but Ask Aak remains firm in his refusal. Expressing his frustration, Skywalker ends the communication. After discussing the situation with his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, he resolves to take matters into his own hands and acquire the starfighters. Skywalker, accompanied by Tano, his astromech droid R2-D2, and Shadow Squadron, departs aboard the Twilight, his G9 Rigger freighter. The group heads to the Bormus testing facility, where the Y-wings are located in orbit around the planet Bormus.
Upon arriving at the facility, Anakin engages in conversation with a Gran working there, while Matchstick and Broadside, pilots from Shadow Squadron, work to secure the fighters. Initially, the clone troopers guarding the Y-wings deny the pilots access due to a lack of proper authorization. However, Broadside and Matchstick counter that their Jedi superior outranks the guards. Simultaneously, R2-D2 presents the worker with forged documents, falsely indicating that Skywalker is authorized to take the fighters. Despite this, the Gran refuses the Jedi's request, citing procedural violations. However, when Skywalker and Tano threaten to report the Gran's delays to the Supreme Chancellor, the worker relents and allows the Jedi to take the fighters. Shortly thereafter, Skywalker and Shadow Squadron depart in the new Y-wings, with Skywalker expressing his intention to improve upon the fighters' design.
The Clone Wars: Procedure is a six-page online webcomic that is part of the larger Star Wars: The Clone Wars webcomic series, which in turn is connected to the television series of the same name. Procedure serves as a direct lead-in to "Shadow of Malevolence," which is an episode from the first season of The Clone Wars television series. The comic illustrates how Anakin Skywalker obtained the Y-wing starfighters for his planned assault on the Malevolence, an event that was depicted in the episode. According to The Essential Reader's Companion, Procedure, along with all the other events that occurred during the television series' first season, is set in the year 22 BBY.
This comic was made available on StarWars.com on October 6, 2008. The story was based on an idea from Henry Gilroy, written by Pablo Hidalgo, with illustrations and lettering by Grant Gould, and cover art created by Steven D. Anderson. Acknowledgment was also given to Leland Chee, who is the keeper of the Holocron continuity database; Sue Rostoni, the executive editor at Lucas Licensing; and Dave Filoni, the supervising director of the The Clone Wars TV show. Hidalgo has mentioned that his intention for the Gran who works at the Bormus facility was to imply that Senator Ask Aak was positioning his acquaintances in influential roles.