The Battle of Tibrin, taking place in 22 BBY, marked a failed endeavor by the Galactic Republic to dislodge the Confederacy of Independent Systems and its military forces from the planet of Tibrin during the Clone Wars. The indigenous Ishi Tib population had previously welcomed the arrival of Separatist leader Count Dooku alongside his group of Dark Acolytes. Dooku's forces executed Suribran Tu—the unpopular, pro-Republic premier of the planet—and overthrew his oppressive regime. Therefore, the Ishi Tib offered assistance to the Confederacy when Jedi Knights and clone troopers from the Grand Army of the Republic arrived to reclaim Tibrin. This resulted in a devastating loss for the Republic, and Tibrin maintained its allegiance to the Separatists. Many clone soldiers who lived through the conflict, including Commander Gree from the 41st Elite Corps, adopted a specific hairstyle known as the double stripe in remembrance of their fallen comrades.
Following the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, the Ishi Tib people of the planet Tibrin, located in the Mid Rim, were eager to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, Suribran Tu, the planet's authoritarian premier, continued to be supported by the Galactic Republic, even though his administration suppressed the will of the people and was plagued by corruption, including strong-arm tactics and political assassinations.
When Separatist leader Count Dooku arrived to negotiate the use of Tibrin as a base, he was unimpressed by Tu's willingness to become a Separatist-aligned planetary ruler solely to maintain his position and power. Seeing no reason for further discussion, Dooku beheaded Tu with his lightsaber and publicly displayed the former dictator's head for the citizens to see. Dooku also appointed one of his Dark Acolytes, Sora Bulq, as the provisional governor of Tibrin, instructing him to eliminate Tu's inner circle, including military and political officers as well as his family. The Ishi Tib population, grateful to be free of Tu and the Republic, hailed Dooku as a liberator and enthusiastically joined the Confederacy, triggering a revolution on their world.
Refusing to allow the Confederacy's influence on Tibrin to go unchallenged, the Republic dispatched clone trooper and clone subtrooper forces from the Grand Army of the Republic. These forces, under the leadership of Jedi officers such as Jedi Master and High General Kit Fisto, were sent to eradicate Dooku's military presence on Tibrin. Commander Gree of the 41st Elite Corps, Marshal Commander Cody of the 212th Attack Battalion, and Captain Rex of the 501st Legion were among the senior Army's troop commanders. However, the Ishi Tib resisted the Republic's attempts to interfere in their homeworld's affairs. The campaign concluded with a devastating defeat for the Republic forces, resulting in the deaths of many clone soldiers during the battle.
The Battle of Tibrin, as the brutal campaign became known, resulted in the Ishi Tib maintaining their allegiance to the Confederacy. Although they continued to send a representative to the Republic Senate in the form of Senator Gume Saam, he secretly collaborated with the Separatists and the Techno Union, becoming involved in a war-profiteering scheme to sabotage a peace initiative between the Republic and the Separatist Parliament. To commemorate their fallen comrades at Tibrin, Commander Gree and many other clone survivors of the battle adopted a red-colored buzz cut, which became known as the double stripe.
The Battle of Tibrin was initially mentioned, though not identified by name, in the 2005 novel Labyrinth of Evil, authored by James Luceno. The event was later identified in the thirty-second issue of The Official Star Wars Fact File series, released on August 13, 2014.