A significant conflict occurred on the planet of Murkhana in 21 BBY during the Clone Wars, specifically, it was nine months after the First Battle of Geonosis. Republic Captain Wilhuff Tarkin spearheaded the offensive against the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the initial phase, successfully destroying the HoloNet relay and thus disabling the Shadowfeed operations that were being transmitted through it. The planet was left in a state of severe destruction as a result of the battle.
Before the onset of the Clone Wars, the world of Murkhana was a favored destination for tourists, drawn to its stunning natural features, notably its coral reefs and diverse marine ecosystems. During the Separatist Crisis, Murkhana aligned itself with the secessionist movement led by Count Dooku, which subsequently evolved into the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Murkhana City also housed a presence of the Corporate Alliance, including Argente Tower, a medcenter, and a Corporate Alliance landing field. As the Clone Wars unfolded, Murkhana became a key site for the Separatists to disseminate their Shadowfeed broadcasts across the HoloNet, thereby marking the planet as a strategic military target for the Galactic Republic.
Early in the Clone Wars, specifically nine months following the First Battle of Geonosis, Count Dooku's scientists managed to slice into the Republic HoloNet by strategically placing hyperwave transceiver nodes in the spaceways. Instead of exploiting these nodes for espionage on Republic military maneuvers, Dooku chose to leverage the HoloNet to broadcast Separatist propaganda via Shadowfeeds. The purpose of these broadcasts was to present Separatist narratives of military triumphs, disseminate misinformation concerning Republic war crimes, and erode morale within the Core Worlds.
The Republic launched an assault on Murkhana when the Separatists began utilizing their Shadowfeeds to disrupt Republic communication relays. The then-Captain Wilhuff Tarkin, along with operatives from the Republic's nascent cryptanalysis department and units of the 12th Sector Army, were deployed to Murkhana to lead the invasion and supervise the dismantling of the Shadowfeed operation. For this mission, Republic forces were equipped with S-thread jammers, signal eradicators, and HoloNet chafing devices.
Leading the initial wave of clone trooper platoons, Captain Tarkin fought his way into the Separatist facility responsible for broadcasting the Shadowfeeds. He was assisted by a Republic Koorivar spy operating undercover, named Bracchia, who later became an asset of the Imperial Security Bureau. After subduing the Separatist forces, Tarkin extracted information from the captured scientists regarding their jamming and steganographic technologies through torture. Subsequently, the Republic forces destroyed the Shadowfeed relay stations, thereby preventing the dissemination of propaganda to planets along the Perlemian Trade Route. Furthermore, Tarkin's forces executed thousands of individuals who had contributed to Dooku's Shadowfeed program.
Tarkin's mission to eradicate the Separatist Shadowfeed operations marked the beginning of his clandestine activities on behalf of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, who was secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Following the Murkhana operation, Tarkin successfully executed several missions over the next year. However, he was later captured by Separatist forces and imprisoned and subjected to torture at the heavily fortified Citadel prison on Lola Sayu. Tarkin was later rescued by a joint Jedi and Republic strike force that including Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.
Over the subsequent years, Republic forces continued to siege Murkhana in an effort to dislodge the entrenched Confederate forces. The planet's environment, oceans, and a significant portion of Murkhana City were devastated by orbital bombardment, beam weapons, and orbital bombing. The fighting resulted in the destruction of a large amount of Murkhana's marine life and severe pollution of the planet's atmosphere. Murkhana City was also the site of a battle during the Outer Rim Sieges campaign. After the war, Murkhana City was littered with destroyed Hailfire, spider, crab droids, AT-TE walkers, turbo tanks and warships including a Trident transport and a Commerce Guild warship.
Following the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Murkhana came under Imperial control. The planet's environment was severely polluted as a result of the conflict. Murkhana City was also heavily damaged and ruined by the battles. Strict Imperial sanctions hindered the local government's ability to rebuild Murkhana City and stimulate economic growth. Consequently, the impoverished population was forced to rely on smugglers for essential goods and harbored resentment towards the Galactic Empire, the successor state to the Galactic Republic.
In 14 BBY, Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader journeyed to Murkhana to investigate a communications cache. The scars of the Clone Wars were still evident on Murkhana's environment and main city. However, the communications cache was a deception orchestrated by Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit to enable the insurgent Berch Teller and his rebel cell to steal Tarkin's starship Carrion Spike and initiate a series of attacks on Imperial installations throughout the galaxy.