The Atrocity on Mahranee is a tragic event that transpired in 19 BBY near the conclusion of the Clone Wars. It involved the genocide of all Mahran refugees fleeing their besieged homeworld of Mahranee. The Confederacy of Independent Systems targeted Mahranee due to its rich resources, prompting the indigenous Mahran to seek assistance from the Jedi Order. Jedi General Chubor arrived with a Galactic Republic task force of clone troopers, but they were unable to prevent the Confederate forces from devastating the planet's capital city.
Despite Chubor's efforts to evacuate thousands of Mahran civilians, the Separatists were determined to eliminate all survivors, resulting in the deaths of the Mahran refugees along with the Jedi and clone soldiers. Leader Count Dooku of the Separatists placed the blame squarely on the Jedi Order for the massacre. Consequently, the Jedi High Council ultimately authorized an operation to assassinate Dooku, hoping to reduce the mounting casualties of the war.
Around 19 BBY, during the latter stages of the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems focused on seizing Mahranee. This world belonging to the Galactic Republic was targeted for its abundant resources. Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy, initially attempted to sway the planet with deceptive promises, but later planned a forceful takeover to exploit its resources. The native Mahran inhabitants then sent a distress call to the Jedi Order, who responded by sending clone troopers under the command of Jedi General Chubor to defend the Mahran against the Separatist threat.
After the Mahranee government rejected their demands, the Confederacy forces launched an invasion of the planet, transforming it into a war zone. Chubor and his clone soldiers arrived too late to prevent the Separatists from destroying the capital city, leaving it in ruins. Consequently, thousands of Mahran civilians—many of whom were wounded—attempted to flee their home. Some refugees escaped on their own vessels, while others were transported off-world on Republic ships, including Chubor's Republic frigate, with clone troopers assisting in the evacuation. Republic and Separatist forces engaged in combat in orbit above Mahranee, exchanging laser fire in the vacuum of space, as Mahran ships tried to escape.
In a desperate attempt to save the refugees, Chubor initiated a direct holographic communication with Dooku. Chubor pleaded with Dooku to spare the Mahran, emphasizing that his own frigate carried civilian families and that half of the Mahran were younglings. However, Dooku showed no sympathy for the Mahran's situation. Knowing that the Jedi High Council was listening, Dooku seized the opportunity to accuse the Jedi Order of causing the billions of casualties resulting from the war, claiming it was the price of the Republic's resistance to his Confederacy. Chubor's frigate was then destroyed by Separatist fire, killing members of Mahranee's prominent bloodline of Ashu—including Ashu-Nyamal, the Firstborn of Ashu. In a matter of hours, the Separatists captured Mahranee and massacred its thousands of inhabitants, securing a victory for their cause.
After gaining control of Mahranee, the Confederate forces essentially issued a death sentence for any surviving Mahran, declaring them hostile and ordering them to be killed on sight. Dooku's message to the Jedi Council caused dismay and anguish among its members. In a subsequent meeting, the Council decided that the time had come to assassinate Dooku, an action that Jedi Master Mace Windu and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker—who had been invited by Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to attend the meeting—believed would lead to the collapse of the Separatist regime and prevent further bloodshed. Grand Master Yoda also supported the plan, recognizing that Dooku's actions endangered too many innocent lives.
The unconventional Jedi Master Quinlan Vos was tasked with assassinating Dooku, assisted by Asajj Ventress, Dooku's former apprentice–turned–bounty hunter. While they failed to kill Dooku, the count eventually met his end at the hands of Skywalker during the Battle of Coruscant.
The Atrocity on Mahranee is the opening event depicted in Christie Golden's 2015 novel, Dark Disciple. It is based on an unfinished story arc intended for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, written across eight episodes by Katie Lucas, Matt Michnovetz, and Dave Filoni. The 2019 reference book Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition formally identified the event as the "Atrocity on Mahranee." However, the 2023 reference book Star Wars: Timelines incorrectly places the event in 20 BBY.