Order 4
Order 4 was among the 150 contingency protocols that were part of the training regimen for clone troopers serving within the Grand Army of the Republic. These protocols addressed various potential emergencies during the period of the Clone Wars. Specifically, Order 4 stipulated that should the Supreme Chancellor become unable to fulfill their duties, temporary command over the Grand Army would transfer to the Senate's Vice Chair until a replacement leader could be designated.
Description
As one of 150 contingency orders devised by the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, Order 4 addressed a specific crisis scenario. These orders were designed to prepare for various emergencies that the Galactic Republic might encounter during the conflict; the clone troopers of the Grand Army were instructed to execute Order 4 immediately if the situation arose.
The specifics of Order 4 dictated that if Supreme Chancellor Palpatine—who also held the position of Supreme Commander of the Grand Army—was incapacitated to the point where he could no longer perform his duties, the command of the army would provisionally pass to the Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate, a role occupied at the time by Mas Amedda. This temporary command would cease upon the election of a new Supreme Chancellor or the selection of a different Supreme Commander.
History
Sometime between 20 BBY and 19 BBY, specifically 995 days following the Battle of Geonosis, clone commando RC-3222 made an indirect reference to Order 4, along with the other 149 contingency orders of the Grand Army, during a conversation with his squadmate RC-5108/8843 and Jedi General Etain Tur-Mukan. This conversation took place at the Republic's Special Operations Brigade Headquarters, located on the galactic capital planet of Coruscant.
Behind the scenes
The initial mention of Order 4 occurred in Republic Commando: True Colors, which is the third book in the Republic Commando series. Karen Traviss authored the novel, which was released in 2007.